Chapter 117.5: Potential Comrades
In the midst of the all out brawl for it all in Crocus, two guilds were face to face in the middle of the street. With Evanee absent, fighting all of White Eclipse B, and Kagura also absent, fighting one on one against Skye Ravenwood of White Eclipse A, the guilds of Mermaid Heel and Twilight Zone faced off without their Aces. Four on each side, and the words of Reve Volver from earlier today seemed to have potential to ring true.
{Flashback}
Crack of dawn, the gunslinger Reve Volver and the assassin, Skye Ravenwood were up, mentally preparing themselves for the day before anyone else was awake. That's when Skye, who was stretching herself loose, turned to him. "Hey, Reve. Remember what you said about Mermaid Heel, and how there's another all female guild out there that's better than them? Is that true?"
Reve was seen seated, facing the wall with his head down until Skye's words hit his ears. That's when he slowly raised his head with a small smile. "It's true for that entire alliance."
"Alliance?" Skye questioned with a tilted head. "The unspoken alliance, created by friendship." Reve replied. "Fairy Tail is a very influential guild after all. And all of their friends…. Mermaid Heel, Quatro Cerberus, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale and even Sabertooth… they're all friends. It's what we other guilds call the unspoken alliance. Simply by Fairy Tail's influence, they all are best friends. But to answer your question, yes. There is indeed another guild with the same concept as Mermaid Heel, and though Kagura is a very formidable opponent, that guild is definitely better across the board compared to them."
The assassin then raised a brow, arms folding over her chest with a sly grin. "So how many are here, hm?"
That's when Reve then gave her a confused look, but Skye spoke again before he could. "Don't give me that look. Not only am I an assassin, I'm your sister! I know you. Normally, you wouldn't be watching the competition, because you believe you're better than anyone else, but all through the week, you've been watching each day carefully, and don't feed me the lies of you being extra diligent and careful. It's Twilight Zone, isn't it?"
Reve looked at her for a few more seconds before finally turning back around. "Black Phoenix, Twilight Zone. Those are just two potentials on my list. You're speculations are correct Skye. I want to create an alliance that mirrors those losers at Fairy Tail. Though we can handle our own, and surely I'm not looking to make friends, but it would be a great plus to have the other guilds around Fairy Tail off our back; make them stop thinking they have anyone in their spaces able to compete with any of us. Today, it's inevitable that Twilight Zone will clash with Mermaid Heel. For me, it'll be Twilight Zone's test to see if they're able to hang with us; to be part of this alliance."
"How mafia boss of you." She joked before going back to stretching out her legs. "What about Black Phoenix then?"
"I've already done research on them. Unlike Twilight Zone, They've yet to use any of their strongest weapons. Disappointing, and I don't expect any of that to change today, but with who they have, I'll be speaking to them very soon, but for now, we have a mission to complete."
"Two, actually." Skye reminded him. "Priority one, win the games."
That's when Reve lowered his head once more, staring at the ground with a fierce gaze as he spoke once again. "And priority two, annihilate Fairy Tail and clear our name of that day with Zeref."
{ End Flashback}
It didn't even take long, as the embarrassing display of Mermaid Heel was brought to the light against that of Twilight Zone. To a lot of people, the fight between two guilds wasn't even worth mentioning, but as all of Twilight Zone stood before a heavily bruised Miya Crosse and Rea as the remaining of Mermaid Heel, Rylo took a few steps forward with a triumphant grin on his features, holding out his patent top hat that began to glow. "Ah man, that was disappointing. But! Thank you for the four points. After we're done here, we can go take down Kagura while she's occupied with that Eclipse member, and take her out too. Once we defeat Kagura, that'll be an extra fifteen points altogether. Ten for her being a captain, and five more for five eliminations. Twilight Zone… we're well within reach!"
"Over our dead bodies!" Miya coughed out, struggling to keep her composure with week knees. Rea nodded in agreement. "With our last stand, we'll make sure that doesn't happen!"
That just caused the four of them to grin. "You've fought valiantly, but we must move on. We're wasting time here."
As she landed from in a readied stance, both Kagura and Skye turned to the distance to see a nearby explosion. What came after was the four other faces of Mermaid Heel being blacked out due to their defeat — following with Chapati's voice over the intercom. "And that's four down for Mermaid Heel, and four points for Twilight Zone!"
"This is bad!" Skye was first to make the notion in her mind. "Without a doubt they'll be coming this way to defeat Kagura. I cant let them steal these points from me, or we'll lose!"
Kagura turned back to Skye with a stern visage of her own, resuming her focus on the assassin. "Worried about my safety? How disrespectful. I'm not your prey, assassin. I'm your opponent. And it does not matter how many are placed before me. I'll simply carry Mermaid Heel on my shoulders alone if that's what it takes to remain where we belong."
"In Erza's and Fairy Tail's shadow?" Skye asked.
"Bite your tongue!"
"Truth is a crazy conundrum, isn't it? You're Kagura Mikazuchi. You've defeated strong opponents, battled against both Minerva and Erza and now.. you stand behind them with nothing else to show for it. It's been a couple of years. I know you look up to her, but what happened to all of that conviction you had? Had it been resolved? That doesn't give you a right to smolder the flame that created you, does it?"
Anger began to boil as Kagura tightened the grip on her sheathed blade. "You don't know anything about my convictions."
"That's because they don't exist. Or at least, not anymore." Skye continued. "You were set to kill a man in order to avenge your brother, but that fell through once Erza took the blame for it, right? And then with that conviction still set within you, you lost to Erza because it apparently wasn't strong enough, eventually forgiving them both for what happened to your sibling. A tragic story to be honest, and without a doubt you would have been almost like an idol to me if you carried out that conviction of yours, but that wasn't the case. Now, because of your own weakness, your brother Simon will never gain closure —"
A slicing noise was heard throughout Crocus, so loud that even Erza who was across town stopped what she was doing to turn to the horizon. "Huh?"
Skye was seen ducked low, no time for a poised crouch but literally just ducking as the building behind her was cut clean in half — now falling off it's foundation and to the ground as she looked on with an impressive visage. Kagura stood with an unfathomably angry visage and her sword no longer sheathed. Arguably the sharpest blade in Fiore, Archenemy. Skye turned behind her to see not only the building collapsed, but a multitude of structures destroyed from that horizontal swing. She could see clearly behind her, all the competitors that blended in with the once city scenery. She then turned back to Kagura with a crooked grin, rising to her feet as she held her blade out before her as well. "Ah, so you didn't lose that conviction! You simply moved it."
"If you want my conviction so badly, prepare for the repercussions of what you've unleashed, Ravenwood. You're undeserving, but to speak upon my brother with no knowledge grants you exactly what you were looking for!"
"What was that…?" Rylo from Twilight Zone asked aloud as he blinked, surveying the action and then the damage behind it. "That was Kagura?"
"Looks like she's still fresh." Kairi added, but as she did, something caught her eye. With nearly half of crocus now cleared from a single swing from Kagura's blade, Kairi's visage was now glued to a certain rival of hers. She could just see her off in the distance and because of that, Twilight Zone's plan went awry as Kairi made and executive decision. "Sorry. Go on without me!" Her only words caused her team to turn to her in confusion before she broke away from the group, sprinting directly for Mirajane Strauss. "Kairi!" Flynn shouted, but it wasn't enough to halt her. Resolve weighed too heavy for her in this moment. Rylo then spoke again "She'll be fine! Lets do what we came to do—"
Just as he spoke, a rumbling sound echoed near them as the vibrations picked up as well. It caused Twilight Zone to stop running, turning to the incoming source of that rumbling. Seconds of impending doom passed until finally…
Natsu and Takeru would burst through the building they stared at — their fight crashing directly into Twilight Zone's space. "What the?!" Rylo leapt away, just as Flynn and the others also managed to slide out of the way of Takeru and Natsu's brawl. The two dragon slayers landed on their feet, yard across from each other with immense glares until their peripheral visions caught whim of the guild now surrounding them. "Don't get…" Natsu began, only to Takeru to finish. "…in the way."
Their eyes doubled their words, and the remnants of Twilight Zone were frozen with uncertainty… until Rylo laughed, stepping into the middle of it all with his top hat in his right hand. He would then reach inside of it as he spoke. "I'm sure you two have such a thrilling rivalry — so amazing that you could write an entire novel about it, but this isn't the time or place for your feeble one on one. This is time for new guilds to rise, and for Twilight Zone to take the helm of that shift! There is no fair fight here in the Games, and that's just how a thief likes it!"
Natsu then raised a brow. "I thought you were a loser party magician or something? That's what Gray said."
Rylo used a smirk to cover up his disdain for the insult he just took from Dragneel. "I'm both a magician and a thief. Using one magic is simply medieval. Get with the times, Natsu Dragneel. And speaking of more than one magic.. Black Market!"
The S-class of Twilight Zone pulled his hand out of his hat, and threw into the air, a small, colorless orb that attached to the sky above. It let off a pulse that covered the entire field. Everyone felt a small vibration go off in their bodies, but nothing else for the time being. Natsu and Tak both checked themselves over, but as they looked back up, Rylo was gone. "Huh?" Takeru looked around, leaving his blind spot open as the perpetrator reappeared just behind him. "Flynn!?" He asked, but Tak was staring directly at the speedster. "No, then—"
Before the Omega Shadow Dragon could come to any conclusion, he felt a powerful kick directly to the back of his head, sending him flying into the closest building.
"Huh!? I thought yellow hair was the speedy guy!" Natsu shouted with his mouth comically agape. "I am." Flynn replied, just below Natsu with the exact same speed Rylo just showcased, slamming multiple uncontested fists into his abdomen before finishing it off with an uppercut that knocked The Salamander off his feet. Even after all of that, Natsu was able to recover, landing in a crouching position with his lungs expanded. "Roar!" He exclaimed, creating a powerful torrent that rushed directly for Flynn. He moved, evading it completely. The flames were now heading for Rylo, but the magician simply smiled, pulling the sleeve to his coat down. "Nothing up my sleeve!" He shouted, and the powerful dragon's roar was then absorbed into that sleeve he showcased, disappearing just like that.
"Allow me to formally introduce us. That's Flynn, the fastest mage in the world. That brunette standing off to the side is Kaden Carlisle, Evanee's brother. He has all the potential she's been showcasing, so maybe he'll unleash it right here and now. And me? I'm Rylo Yutaka. Magician, thief, and S-class mage of Twilight Zone. And that above us the my favorite thief spell, Black Market. Because of its existence, I now hold every magic, every spell of everyone in its radius. That's right, all of Crocus. Natsu Dragneel and Takeru Tenebrae, your times are up in these games. You have just entered the Twilight Zone!"
"So all we have to do is break the Black Market, then I can get back to beating Natsu?" While Rylo was bragging, Takeru made a beeline for the Black Market, leaving a direct opening to shatter it with his fists.
Or so he thought.
As he swung, his fist slammed directly into an invisible wall, causing Takeru to recoil in pain. "Gahhh!" He shouted in pain, holding his throbbing knuckles as he fell back to the ground. "Courtesy of your own Lluvi Palmero of White Eclipse. Barrier Magic. Come on Takeru. Did you really think it would be that easy? Now you may have a broken hand, if my research is correct."
"Keh… relying on others magic? Doesn't that seem weak of you?" Natsu asked. Rylo laughed. "I'm a thief, kid. I've heard every insult there is. Only actions can cause me to falter, and unless you're my own Ace, you don't really stand a chance against us."
"I guess we'll find out about that, huh? Takeru, you wanna—"
"I already know, and it's only so I can get back to kicking your ass. Lets get rid of them."
"Fair enough. Now I'm all fired up!"
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"Hm? Kagura? Did she unleash Archenemy?" Erza asked herself once the rumbling and the fall of most of the buildings occurred. She was staring off into space until her latest opponent appeared from around the corner. It was Exene of the Council, with her weapon relaxed on her shoulder. "Oi! Don't let that over there impress you. It'll make me thing you really ain't all that people rumor you to be, Titania."
That name always caused her to sigh with a grin. But as a sword appeared in her hands, Erza slowly raised it to point back at Ex with the thrill of battle written on her features. "Fret not. It's always better to find out exactly what I'm made of. Besides, I do have a few questions for the council — one being how did you all gain your positions since we've never heard of you until recently."
"Silly Titania." Ex said as she twirled the blade in her hand before pointing it her way. "I'll be the one to interrogate around here. Especially with what really happened in that war with Zeref."
That caused Erza to raise a brow, but no more words were exchanged as the two set to battle for the first time.
"Don't go alone. Ethan, stick with Chiara, Asuka, you're Diamond. I'll be the odd one out. Just be careful. We're the strongest team when it comes to numbers, so don't forget that. Now, let's make our comeback!"
That was Esmerelda's words at the beginning of the day, but now Asuka stood alone, without Diamond in a panicked state. "She's gonna kill me! How did I lose Diamond! How!? She must have ran into like five different opponents at once!" Asuka looked up to see Diamond's name no longer on the board, gritting her teeth and pulling her hair. "Alexa is definitely going to rat me out! I cant even lie and say I escaped! I wonder how Ethan and Chiara are doing?"
Across a plethora of streets, Asuka's question was answered. The scene was painted with rubble and debris as Chiara and Ethan stood before the captain of the Council team, Crisdelin Shepard. Messy blonde hair draped over her face until she whipped it out of her sight line. Cracking her knuckles, she began walking towards them with a malicious grin. "Well? Shall we continue, or do I just knock you both out and call it a day?"
"Chiara. Run…" Ethan commanded. Chiara then turned to him, shocked. "What? No!"
"Do it!" He exclaimed, stepping in front of him. "I have my reasons! The first being you'll be more helpful in the games, not out of if. Esmerelda… even Asuka, with you at their side can't lose. I think this is the first time me and you ran into a type advantage that also has the strength to back it up. They need your assistance more than I do. At this point, I'm just holding her off!"
"Give me one more reason and I'll consider your demand." Chiara fired back. She wobbled to her feet, holding herself up with a wall until her legs gained their foundation. Ethan then grinned. "Because. I'm about to use that takeover, and I won't be able to tell who is who when I do."
Her eyes widened, but Chiara nodded as Ethan began glowing. She took off running just as commanded, looking for either Asuka or Esmerelda, and as Cris attempted to dart after her, Ethan would cut her off, standing nearly twice her height and size now in a metallic suit that covered his entire body. "Machina Soul Takeover: Berserker!"
"Berserker?" Crisdelin raised a brow, but then simply grinned. "Such a tough name, and a powerful appearance. It's almost appealing. I cant wait to crush it and rip it apart like the others. Lets dance, handsome!"
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In her basic Angel Soul takeover, Kairi now hovered before Mirajane Strauss, who appeared in her Satan Soul. The two remained feet apart as Mirajane smirked the devilish grin she always had in such form. "Ara ara, Kairi.. I always wanted to finish our fight, but now…I don't know if it'll be the same."
"Why's that?" The Angel asked with a raised brow. "Because. You're no longer part of White Eclipse, and though the reasoning is beyond any assumption I would dare to make, it leads me to believe what else have you given up on?"
"Are you trying to push my buttons or something, Mirajane? I'm already here to fight you, so what are you getting out of saying this?"
Mirajane then shook her head. "No, this isn't for you, but for me. Ever since that time we fought, I could only hope in anticipation when our next showdown would be. It even enticed me to train! But, then I heard you left your comrades at White Eclipse and it just…took the drive away. That guild made you who you are, just as Fairy Tail saved me and my siblings. White Eclipse is a lot of things, but I don't think they would abandon—"
"Shut up." Her stern voice from pure reaction caused Mirajane to stop talking. "Like you said, no assumption you have would come close to my reason for leaving my hom— White Eclipse, but I'm a better and stronger person for it."
"Are you sure?" The barmaid asked.
Kairi then readied herself, her eyes glued to Mirajane and nothing else as she answered her question.
"Why don't you come and find out?"
