Chapter 112: Denounce
"And your winner is, Nina Roulette of Empyrean Dawn!"
As the uproar of the upset continued, Marshall and the others were louder than the others, celebrating a victorious Nina who held a peace sign towards her comrades with her heel dug into Minerva's skull. On the other side was an enraged Sabertooth, having to witness both of their strongest members take a painful fall to Empyrean Dawn. At this point, they were running out of people to turn to, and thought all of them held visages of rage, despair swirled within a lot of them as well. Rufus, Orga, Dobengal, Yukino... the majority of Sabertooth were really feeling the effects of —
"Get your heel... OFF OF OUR LADY!"
Rogue's words were coupled by another, and though he was too angry to turn around and see, the rest of Sabertooth turned to see a heavily bandaged Sting standing at the top of the arena standings with looks that could kill. The twin dragons shared the same expression after sharing the same words, catching all of Empyrean Dawn's attention. Kaiser simply grinned while keeping quiet, but Nina and the gang were throwing out open invitations as Marshall was prepared to jump the barricade and attack.
"Oh!? What if she doesn't!?" The unstable Marshall Izumi asked. That's when Rogue didn't hesitate, leaping over the barricade only for Orga and Dobengal to stop him. Sting was about to join the fray as Marshall and Firenze hopped over their side until Mato shouted above them all. "If anyone else makes a move, your entire team is disqualified!"
That didn't mean a thing to Empyrean Dawn, but Sabertooth was aware that all of this would be for nothing if they were to get themselves disqualified. So, Rogue stopped his struggle, and Sting froze where he was. The goons of Empyrean Dawn began laughing as Nina finally removed her heel from Minerva's head to walk away. "Empyrean Dawn coming for the top! Woo! Hey Kaiser! Let me fight again tomorrow! The competition around here ain't as stiff as I thought, and I'm rating for more!"
Sabertooth had to swallow yet another pill as they carried Minerva off the floor, unable to retaliate, but as Rogue and Sting watched Nina walk back to her team, the twin dragons quietly made vows that this situation was yet to be resolved.
"Mages ready-kabo!?" Mato asked Cygnus and Cynthia. Cynthia nodded without taking her eyes off her opponent. Cygnus just raises his head, looking down upon the little girl as he waited for the words they were both itching to here.
"Begin!"
"Alright..!" Cynthia shouted before jogging towards Cygnus, now bursting into a sprint before lunging towards him.
"Lose to a wanna be Natsu?" Cygnus's body gained an aura as he slid into a readied stance. And just before Cynthia could reach him, flipping over once with an ignited right foot while screaming "Talons," Cygnus shouted.
"The real thing can't even beat me! You have no chance! Now fall!"
Just like that, Cynthia fell short..harshly. The gravity picked up, slamming Cynthia into the ground before him. "G..Gch!" Cynthia struggled, and suddenly the smiles of Fairy Tail instantly turned to concern. "Cygnus is no slouch." Gray commented. "Reve really kept this guy on the sidelines. I wonder if it would have upped their chances last year."
Mirajane shrugged. "Who knows, but one thing is for sure..."
"That Cynthia is in trouble?" Laxus questioned the obvious.
Back on the battlefield, Cynthia was trying to force herself to her hands and knees, and was making decent progress. "Not bad, kid! But you're big brother would have been on his feet by now let me help!" And by simply pointing his fingers upward, Cynthia involuntarily took off into the air. Now sky-borne, Cynthia found herself in a vulnerable situation as Cygnus slowly bent at the knee, and then launched himself with a purple aura wrapped around his fists.
"Here he comes!" Laxus shouted.
"Cynthia!" Wendy exclaimed as well, and that's when the struggling young girl was able to move, coating herself in flames before flipping forward with her right leg extended once more. "Omega Fire Dragon's...Talons!" Just in time, her heel connected against Cygnus's right fist, and during the stalemate, the Gravity God found surprise that she packed enough of a punch to send him back to the ground with force. He landed on his feet, cratering the floor below him as Cynthia also came down except with a soft landing. Cygnus slowly raised to a full stance again as Cynthia spoke.
"I know I'm not Natsu, and I don't plan on replacing him! Not because I know he'll be back, but because I'm my own person! You may be strong but...I'm strong too, and I'll prove it to you right here!"
"Oh cut the crap!" Cygnus yelled, forcing the gravity around them to change once again. This time he placed a powerful amount of pressure on Cynthia, instantly sending her to her knees. That's when he began walking forward. "At first when I joined White Eclipse all those years ago, I thought Reve's hate for Fairies was just a ploy, just something to get a fire lit under us! But then, the more I stuck around, the more real it became listening to you clowns projectile vomit your resolves like no one else's matter! To climb past the depths of your annoying spirit always felt so insurmountable, but then I was reminded of something!"
At this point, Cynthia was flat on her stomach once more, and Cygnus took another step forward. "I was reminded that instead of getting caught up in your annoying bunch's bullshit beliefs, I should simply remember that mine are more important! Everyone around you dolts forgets that, but we've figured it out! The Fairy Tail era is ending, and White Eclipse is at the helm of the ship! Now be crushed in Gravity!"
Cynthia was doing just that for a moment, being pushed further and further into the unforgiving ground with what seemed like Cygnus's full strength. And for a second what seemed like a bleak moment for Cynthia, made a complete one eighty as she placed her palms hard on the ground, pushing up as her flames began to spread out violently. Cygnus arched a brow, looking on in surprise as Cynthia made her way to a crouch after struggling, but what came next took him off his feet, literally. Suddenly his eyes widened in pain as Cynthia appeared, slamming into his abdomen head first, covered in her omega flames. "...Sword Horn!"
"Alright Cynthia!" Lucy shouted as Cygnus went flying across the arena. With the gravity temporarily reverted, Cynthia took this moment to quickly pursue, taking a wide right charge towards her reeling opponent. "And...Iron Fist!"
"Just like I said...a wanna be...I know all those attacks by name...what's exactly coming...and you're just a sloppy image of your big brother!" Cygnus regained himself just in time, skidding his feet into the ground and holding out a palm to catch the incoming fist aimed for his jawline. A successful defense, as he caught her petite hand with a vice grip before pulling her in close. A knee was raised, but thanks to Cynthia's petite frame, she was able to plant her feet against that raised knee, hop, and then inhale as she prepped for a dragon's roar.
"You should have prepared that before your little acrobatics!" Cygnus shouted, using his free hand to palm Cynthia entire face just before she could exhale. His hand didn't stay there either, for once he pulled back, Cynthia was now seen with thick tree roots covering her mouth, keeping her from exhaling the fire she accumulated within her lungs.
"Choke on your flames!" He shouted, launching Cynthia away. She didn't go far, but with the magic buildup in her mouth, Cynthia was running out of room to breathe and quickly. Trying to pry the tree roots from her mouth, she was seen failing until she did the only option she had left, and that was to power through them. So instead of holding her breath, the young Dragon Slayer released her flames, attempting to burn right through the roots that plagued her. Cygnus smirked. "Sorry, but the wood of a god definitely outweighs the flame of a dragon. You're just making it worse."
Or so he thought as Cynthia took in another breath through her nose, only to launch her head forward to blow more flames. With a powerful exhale, Cynthia was eventually able to push off the roots that were stapled to her mouth. It was painful, and Cynthia was seen vividly holding her now scarred mouth. "That hurts so bad!" She admitted, but the pain then became secondary as she felt a rumbling around her. "Gravity..." She muttered. "I have to beat it..."
"FALL!" Cygnus shouted, and with a dramatic point downward, the gravity picked up once again, but this time, Cynthia wasn't around to feel it. "Huh!?" He looked around, following that was just a blur. The only clue he had to her whereabouts was the point where Cynthia landed each time, lunge after lunge. Cygnus was following until that one clue he had also disappeared.
"Above!" He shouted, deducing that it was the only place Cynthia could run to without any trace. But as he turned to look up to the sky, Cynthia appeared directly below him in her dual form; The Omega Sky Flame Dragon. As Cygnus attempted from turn his sights back down to her, he was only able to catch a glimpse of Cynthia in her form she acquired during the Tartarus battles before taking a powerful punch filled with flames and sky magic to the gut.
"You...little...!" He spoke through his teeth, as if he was holding in something. A blind attempt at a grab had a few keen eyes laughing at Cygnus as he realized too late that Cynthia was no longer in front of him. Instead, the tiny terror appeared to Cygnus's right with a kick strong enough to ring his bells, sending him skidding off to the right.
"Cynthia's really fast now!" Wendy shouted happily. Charla nodded. "With your magic, her speed has increased by a lot. Only difference is...with her flames, she also packs a punch with that speed."
"I'm glad she's been taking that training seriously. That right there is a real MAN!" Shouted Elfman with a pumped fist. Laxus didn't say a word. Instead his eyes were glued to Cygnus, just as Mirajane's were, and the reasoning showed as Cynthia charged in once more.
She appeared below him, preparing to send Cygnus to the heavens above with a roaring uppercut, but that was quickly cancelled by Cygnus's latest technique. The demigod opened his mouth like he was about to vomit, allowing a purple gas to emit from his throat and instantly spread around him. Cynthia's eyes widened as she became unable to move for the time being.
"I decided to pay homage to an old friend of mine, and learn Poison God Slaying Magic. Suffer, you nuisance."
"Poison, Wood, and Gravity." Reve began inquisitively. "I don't know the correlation, but Cygnus was lying when he said he was going to be the first to learn multiple God Slaying elements. That's definitely impressive."
With Cynthia unable to move, Cygnus reared his right leg back, armed with his patented Gravity Slaying, and punted Cynthia into the air. He watched for a bit as she ascended, and finally as he bent at the knees, the Gravity God took off to chase after her.
Struggling, Cynthia winced in pain as she attempted to fight back against the paralyzing poison. "Come on..." She pepped herself as a white aura showered over her. As Skye watched next to Reve, she said what everyone surely knew. "I hope he remembered that Sky Magic has healing properties."
That's when Reve gave the smallest grins. "He does, I'm sure."
"Come on!" Cynthia begged, and just before Cygnus arrived, the white aura of Sky Magic was able to cure her ail of poison, but before she could cut off Cygnus's pursuit, she now found herself in a large orb of purple. Cygnus remained on the outside with both hands extended and a shit eating grin on his face. "Not fast enough there, speedy!" He gloated before throwing his hands downward, causing Cynthia who was trapped in his giant sphere to come crashing down to the ground. Before she could hit however...
"I think it's done here." Reve predicted. "She'll reveal her trump card right about now, but Cygnus hasn't even warmed up..."
The soothsayer was correct, because as she fell, Cynthia was expanding her aura from within the sphere, and just before Cygnus's latest technique could reach the ground, Cynthia released that pent up aura, breaking through the gravity spell just in time. Panting, she touched down softly, void of everything going on around her until she turned back upwards to see Cygnus suspended in air. "He's up there, so there's not much he can do to avoid a strong attack! I can take him right now!" And she planned to, gathering a plethora of Sky and Fire Magic in both of her hands — the shape of spheres until they merged together for an even larger orb. This one was large enough to challenge Cynthia's own balance, but she kept control as she waited for Cygnus to make a move.
Meanwhile, high above, Cygnus grinned, holding his arms over his chest as he realized what Cynthia was up to. "Ah. I guess this is it for you, hm? You're a young one with annoying magic, so don't let this hinder your spirit. Or let it, I don't care. It's a shame though, I didn't even have to use my God Trigger for this fight. Oh well."
From there, Cygnus began dive-bombing towards Cynthia at a raw state. About a fourth of a way there, thick layers of wood grew around Cygnus like tree roots and bark, covering his arms completely as he neared his target.
"Dazzling Blaze..." Cynthia began as Cygnus drew ever closer, his entire frame covered in the thick wood he showcased so far. Cynthia continued to gather her magic, as much as possible until the very last second. That's when the cataclysmic clash commenced.
"...Of the Omega Sky-Flame Dragon!" Oh one slowing motion, Cynthia threw her hands forward, causing the two giant orbs of Sky and Omega Flame to combine into one colossal sphere, clashing with the dive-bombing Cygnus Gwydion. The instant the two nuclear warheads met, Cynthia's heels skidded into the ground before she found her footing, pushing back with all of her might. The crowd, everyone watching was in awe at the spectacle Cygnus, but mostly Cynthia put on — illuminating the sky around them with their excess magic. But of course that spectacle couldn't last forever.
And it didn't.
Suddenly, Cynthia found herself making headway, pushing the wooden missile back slowly as she took a step forward, and then another one, and another. She could hear the inaudible screams of her guild mates as she did so...but it wasn't what she was taking for granted. Wendy, Charla and the others Werner rooting her on to push forward. They were begging her to stop. They were begging her to stop, because even though she didn't realize it, Cygnus stood directly behind her, watching her struggle against the wooden kamikaze without the vessel inside of it. "Ah, so I could have stayed in it and defeated her." He said to himself as he extended a right hand. At that moment, Cynthia finally found the strength to push back hard enough to send both her attack and Cygnus's high into the air, causing it to explode like a fireworks display. A sweat drop followed. "I hope he's okay." She said to herself with a nervous chuckle, but as the deafening booms receded, all Cynthia could hear was Wendy shouting one last time before everything went awry.
"Cynthia! Behind you!" The petite Dragon Slayer roared, but it was too late for her friend to turn about. Instead, wooden roots climbed her frame, tightening around her legs, constricting her arms by her side, and raising her off her feet as Cynthia now found herself wrapped in a tree like cocoon.
"It's been fun, kid." Cygnus gave his final remark before a plethora of magic seals appeared all around the newly formed cocoon. "Wood God's Terra Claymore!"
The complex name for the attack held true with its root word "claymore" as the cocoon that kept Cynthia in wraps lit up in an explosive array of raw magic. A powerful explosion that sweat through the entire arena floor. Of course as the dust and debris eventually subsided, there was no fairy tale comeback or ending incoming, but a fallen Cynthia Rose and a triumphant Cygnus Gwydion with a single fist in the air as Mato and Chapati both shouted.
"Your winner... Cygnus Gwydion of White Eclipse!"
The crowd cheered from such a spectacle; a spectacular performance as the Gravity God Slayer walked off back to his guild, who were now also walking off. That's what caught Bacchus's eye.
"Hey! Where y'all going? There's still one more fight left. It'd be rude to leave before it's all over."
Everyone from the White Eclipse side halted, only Reve looking over his shoulder with a s condescending look upon his features. "Yeah, what about the last fight? It's just your guild. There's like three of you who are decent and the rest ride your coattails. Is that Rocker headed to the ring? Yeah, we know how this is panning out, so we'll see y'all later, with the same score you have now."
"What did you say?" Bacchus asked, the sounds of rage bubbling in his throat as Blues and Kuro Chi tried to console him. Reve simply waved while walking off. "You heard me loud and clear. This is a loss for you guys. There's no point in watching this match when we know the outcome. Get stronger or get stronger Mages, Bacchus. Until then..."
A loud crackling sound was heard, causing everyone to look his way. All eyes were fixated on Bacchus and his right hand, which sent a fissure down the wall that separated him and the arena ground. "You watch your mouth, you overrated gunslinger, before I pull your tongue out of that mouth of yours! Our guild will always be wilder than yours!"
"FOUR!"
Now, even Reve turned around, albeit amused at Bacchus's words. "...A catch phrase and nothing else to show for it. The dogs are all bark, and I expected more from you this year, Bacchus. I expected more from everyone here, but these games have been a forgone conclusion from the start. The verdict is, none of you are able to keep up with this guild. Not some random guild put together to surround some super Ace like Twilight Zone, and not some band of criminal weirdos either."
Empyrean Dawn was fooling around until Reve called out their description. Marshall turned around with Nina and Firenze. "Oh? You wanna fight?"
Instead of answering him, Reve went back to his usual antic of riling up the competition.
"Well, like I said. See y'all tomorrow. White Eclipse; we're leaving."
"...Was it smart to fire Bacchus up like that?" Skye asked as he caught up to the gunslinger. Reve kept a stoic visage as all eyes remained on Bacchus. "We'll find out, Skye. It won't affect us either way. But one things for certain. Something here has got to shift, so if Bacchus and Quatro Cerberus have to be the dark horse, then I hope he's got the fire in him to do so."
"ROOOOOOOOOOOCKERRRRRRRRR!" Bacchus shouted at the top of his lungs, causing Reve to look back inquisitively as he was just in sight to see and hear Bacchus's plea.
Rocker was standing before his opponent, the council team member Exene Benavente before turning to face Bacchus. The wild one would then continue to shout at the top of his lungs. "It's up to you right now. I know you're a great mage, but don't settle! Don't let that asshole get away with his words! When are we going to be great, Rocker!? I brought Blues and Kuro for that reason! Not for us to sit on our asses so complacent, but for us to become great! I've trained ya myself! You, Nobarly, Semmes, Warcry and Yaegar! Show some damn spirit and show these clowns how you've grown! I don't give a damn if she's part of the Council or not! Destroy her! Do it for Quatro Cerberus! You're Wild!"
"FOUR!" He shouted back, and a chorus of people behind him shared the same vigor from Bacchus's sparking speech.
"Hm." Reve chortled to himself before continuing his walk away with most of the others following.
"It's sickening how Reve affected this." Laxus admitted with a nodding Erza. Mirajane also agreed with a nod of her own. "He has a gift, but he uses it at his own leisure."
The match commenced, continued, and then ended in the span of two minutes...
But it wasn't another fallout match for Quatro Cerberus.
Exene was seen panting heavily, wiping her lips in annoyance as she stood up in an attempt to regain her composure. "Shit! How embarrassing was that!?" She asked herself as the crowd cheered for an unconscious Rocker. The Council member was the clear winner, but the atmosphere, the morale and momentum was on Quatro's side after Rocker was seen giving his all in such an intense battle. "She won but...what was that?"
Correll asked. Crisdelin didn't even have a snarky comment this time, only watching on as Exene walked back to her team, eyes leering up to see Kemuri and Amelia look down on her as if she lost the match.
"You were amazing, Rocker! You were wild!"
"F...Four..." Rocker whimpered out, not feeling the same way his superior was. "I lost..."
"But you put up an amazing fight!" Nobarly shouted. "Yeah! That was amazing!" Semmes joined in. Yaegar then jumped in. "I thought you were going to win that one! Against a Council member too? You're the WILDEST!"
That's when Rocker turned to Kuro Chi and Blues — both with approving smirks. It caused a pained grin of Rocker's to appear, filling the momentum meter in their hearts to the fullest as Bacchus shouted. "Alright! We got one more day till the finale! Lets keep this momentum going, and make a WILD comeback! WIIIIIILD!"
"FOURRRRR!"
"That's amazing." Lucy said to herself. ""Rocker's performance really sparked their guild, and it looks like something's been resolved as well...alright! That's got me pumped too, and I can't wait to do the same for Fairy Tail tomorrow! Look out, Crocus! It's finally my time to show you just how much I've improved!"
—-
The Next Day
Lucy was seen lying on the ground with a blurry visage and a badly bruised body. A cloaked male stood before her with his attire wafting in the wind. In front of them, were Luke, who's fist was halted by this clocked person, and Takeru, who stood in front of Luke with bared fangs and a dangerous smile — holding the fist of that intruder just before it could strike Luke.
"Both Fairy Tail and White Eclipse are disqualified!—"
As the struggle held, Takeru began emanating shadows from his person as he finally spoke. "Long time...
...Salamander!"
