Chapter 130: The Closure Needed
{FlashBack}
It's been three days since the Tartarus incident. Reve was still silent, not speaking to a single soul as he carried the burden of losing the one he loved. The only thing on his mind was indeed the pain he felt when Tayakata died right before his eyes, all because he was too weak to take on the opposing threat alone. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep.. the one thing he could do, was shower. So, as Reve stood in the bath with a blank stare at the empty canvas of a white wall, the scorching hot water rained against his frame, but the dulled senses of the gunslinger caused him anything but reaction to the abnormally heated pressure. He couldn't feel the water, but something else was now irritating his skin. It caused him to snap out of his trance as he reached back behind his shoulder blade to scratch, but the scratching only caused his skin to become more irritated, even moving strangely, as if on its own. He reached again, but now, the itch was no longer in that location. Instead, under his right rib cage, that same sensation struck him. He reached, only for it to stop once again just before he could scratch it. It repeated a couple of times until finally, at his navel, he looked down to see something crawling on his skin towards his face. It freaked him out, and immediately Reve flailed, falling to his seat in a panic as he desperately clawed at his own skin.
In the midst of that panic, the black marking disappeared from his sight. He thought he was in the clear until once again his spine began to burn and itch. He panicked again, but this time as he tried to stand up so hastily, he found himself restrained to the shower. He looked down, and noticed that the black marking had a grip on him — around his entire abdomen. It was when he looked back that spooked him the most however, for when he turned around, Reve saw the now enlarged vector hovering above him, holding him down. As he stared at it, his eyes remained widened in fear, but second after second would pass by as the two remained in silence and with a bit more of a calm nerve, Reve gulped as he made a clear assumption. "T…Tay…" He didn't want to finish the word, but it was apparently enough to warrant a response from the vector before him. It slowly wrapped back around Reve again. He hitched at first, but remained docile as it continued until the vector shrunk back into what appeared to be a simple tattoo that rested on his rib cage — out of sight.
As it now remained there, Reve simply stared at his new ink for minutes, waiting for it to move again. It however never did…
Until a week later…
When Reve was once again placing the blame of her death on his shoulders. This came from a vigorous training exercise that he spent weeks trying to accomplish. But there was no accomplishment, and no results, and the gunslinger still felt weak. He still felt like the same gunslinger back in Tartarus, who couldn't save his loved ones, his friends.. It was haunting him; haunting him to the point that he couldn't take it anymore, and as he screamed into the void, Reve requipped a single pistol into his right hand and held it against his temple as the emotional downward spiral met its basement floor. That's when, with his magic at full power, Reve pulled the trigger….
A loud "BANG" was heard, but as Reve opened his eyes, what he expected was the sweet release, but instead, the vector attached to his body was out in an instant. It shielded him from the bullet, and as Reve turned to look, it was like the vector was looking directly back at him. "So..you're here to protect me..?" He asked it, and though no verbal answer was given, it was as if he understood the vector completely. It seemed to be a part of him now, and Reve could only prepare and adjust for the coming days of living with what he once saw as his biggest failure, his biggest burden.
{End Flashback}
"Taya?" Erza questioned to herself. "No…it's a remnant of her. If that's the case…that's not good..! It could be draining his strength. She was a demon after all, and just like Jackal with his explosions, or that demon Laxus fought with its poison. Or even like Kyouka…" Erza shuddered, her spine tingling in fear of what the result could be, and because of all this, she became worried; not for her safety, but for Reve's. She even made it apparent. "Reve. Have you been feeling okay?! You don't feel tired or different or anything have you?"
Reve arched a brow, yet remained poised with both guns pointed her way. "The hell are you going on about, Erza? Of course I'm fine. Don't tell me you're afraid now, are you?"
"Reve, you're marked with a parasitic etherious! Wasn't Tayakata a demon!? That's not magic attached to you! I don't know what her premise was, but Taya's attachment to you isn't healthy! It's her parting gift, and it's going to hurt you!"
"Yeah…that sounds like fear alright!" Reve shouted, and the dark vector grew in size and attacked Erza, shooting directly for her until Titania leapt out the way. The vector crashed into the ground, but didn't miss a beat in giving chase, as if it had a personal vendetta against Erza herself. Erza was backpedaling, drawing her sword again to parry and aid her from escaping the wrath of the vector. She became so preoccupied that she had no time to avoid the five incoming bullets that sprayed against her back. That left her open as the vector caught up, wrapping around the Fairy before hoisting her high into the air and violently back into the ground again before flinging her off to the side.
As Erza went tumbling, she was able to regain herself, skidding to a halt as Reve appeared to her right with his Revolver aimed for her. The nozzle began to glow as if he was about to fire, and Erza was ready to counter, but neither happened as the vector sprouted from the ground, punishing Erza in her abdomen before sending her sky high again. That's when he spoke. "Bang."
He pulled the trigger, firing one of six bullets from his strongest gun. The powerful beam shot into the air, chasing Erza as the vector retraced back to Reve. The red headed knight was just able to regain her senses after the powerful strike she just took, creating her Adamantine shield in a flash to struggle against and eventually block the Revolver bullet. "Tch!" He made his annoyance at the successful defense visible. "She was still able to defend? Are you holding back on me?" He asked the vector, turning a furrowed brow to it. The vector pulled back, as if expressing fear from Reve's words. He turned back to the falling Erza, watching as Titania landed on her feet. "Reve!" She shouted, dropping her shield. "I can see it in your eyes! That thing is doing something to you!"
Erza wasn't wrong it seems, but the now red eyed gunslinger only gave a bass filled chuckle as the vector coiled around him as if to protect him from Erza's energy. "You're so full of it, Erza. You stand here, in heroism, trying to convince me to relinquish someone dear to me as if they're some sort of succubus, but you continue to fight to accomplish your own selfish goal. You continue to stand in my and White Eclipse's way, even in times of peril, and that's the moniker you live by, and it's the moniker of Fairy Tail that makes me sick. You're no hero! You're no savior to anyone! Everything you and your guild does is fraudulent heroism, all for personal goals!"
In a way, Erza and Reve were a lot alike, because the second Erza was questioned outside of her own belief, she immediately barked back. "You idiot!" She requipped, standing in her Flight Armor. "I'm trying to help you before you lose yourself, and all you're worried about is losing to me!"
"Who said anything about losing, witch!" Reve shouted back, firing off the second of six. The beam rushed directly for Erza, but thanks to her speed enhanced armor, she ran around it without losing any ground. As she neared Reve however, the vector uncoiled, poised to strike. Erza's eyes turned to the vector, glaring it's way. "I'll just have to cut off the snake first then!" She shouted, lunging forward just to leap to the side as the vector lunged as well. It changed course and Erza leaped again, getting behind the striking vector with her blade over head. It seemed that she had the opening she looked for, but before she could swing, Reve fired a cluster of bullets covered in a blue aura directly for her. Erza was able to turn her frame to avoid the bullets, and they slammed into the vector… only to harmlessly bounce off of it and back into Erza for another direct hit.
"Ricochet Bullets! I've trained so long and so hard for this, Erza! It's almost shameful how hard I trained for a mere stepping stone in my life, but I promised myself..that I would become the number one wizard in Fiore! After your defeat, Gildarts is next! Then, I'll challenge White Eclipse's own Sidney Castle, and then the Wizard Saints! I'll make sure Reve Volver and White Eclipse's name echoes throughout Ishgar for eternity! Please don't forget that this back and forth between us…it ends here, when I win this fight!"
Erza would look Reve in the eyes as he spoke, and all she saw was red pupils from him as a darkened aura shrouded him and the vector. In fact, it was as if the vector was feeding him that darkened aura. Either that, or it was draining him of humanity. Either way, Erza could tell that Reve was slowly losing grip, so she pushed herself up again, weakly gripping her blade until she could get an actual grasp of it. "Well..Reve." She murmured just loud enough for him to hear. "Unfortunately, I have to save you, so my resolve has shifted again. I am no longer your antagonist in this fight, but your savior!"
"There's that self righteousness coming from a fairy again!" Reve shouted, pointing her way with his revolver. "If you think I require saving, then come save me! But you're not going to like the results once you truly step into this realm, Titania!"
The vector coiled around Reve once again, both of them staring Erza's way as she braced herself once again for her biggest battle so far. "Well, hero?! Don't stall now! According to you, I'm slipping into darkness! Aren't you going to save me!?"
.
.
.
.
Vivi was staring at the three remaining Sabers before her. With her foot on Rufus's back, she gave a glare towards Orga, Rogue, and Minerva, holding a rope made of her Light Construct Magic.
"Oh my god.." Chapati began. "Vivi has defeated Rufus Lore, giving the Council 100 points! The council are very well in this fight! If Vivi can finish off Rogue, Orga and Minerva, that'll be five KOs altogether, giving her a ten point bonus! That'll put The Council at 113 and the lead!"
"It's literally anybody's game between The Council, Twilight Zone, and White Eclipse. Between Reve and Skye, White Eclipse are also three KOs away from another ten point bonus, and if Reve can defeat Erza, that's ten points itself. At 100 points currently, it's the pull away they need. Twilight Zone is behind the eight-ball, but they too have the chance to become champions, all riding on Rylo's top hat! They currently hold the lead with 110 points, but even a KO on Esmerelda wouldn't secure victory with all the pieces still on the board! Also, thanks to Natsu, Takeru and Sting, they are two KOs from a ten point bonus!"
Kaiser smiled. "How intriguing. Empyrean Dawn went from first place to a possible fourth or fifth within one finale. That's the excitement of the last day."
"Yet the Council on the other hand…" Kemuri began with a cocky grin of his own. "Hand picked by yours truly, went from hanging around, to an almost sure victory. Though our captain is eliminated, our best asset has shown her true colors, and will now run through the has been guild Sabertooth for a victorious finish!"
"Rufus…" Orga shuddered before clenching his fists tightly. That's when he angrily charged in. "Orga wait!" Rogue shouted, running after him, but it was too late as Vivi was also already in action. The two met in the middle, but instead of tangling with the behemoth, Vivi slid under him and his charged up fists, just to meet Rogue who was taken off guard. The golden rope in her hands found their way around his throat, and immediately Vivi yanked it, pulling Rogue off his feet and trying to quickly incapacitate him. He was struggling, losing breath immediately, but Vivi had to release him as a black thunderbolt was coming in hot. She dodged, and Rogue was free, falling to his hands and knees with his left hand soothing his throat. "What's with that woman?!" He asked.
"Get up!" Minerva shouted to the Shadow Dragon, chasing after Vivi who attempted to separate the three. The Etherious filled Saber swung her claw like hand for Vivi's body, but the Council member was able to shy away, just barely out of reach as she spun around while simultaneously closing the distance between the two. A flash of hand movements changed the game between the two as Minerva turned to meet Vivi again. The rope vanished, and as Minerva was met with a powerful kick to the stomach, Vivi raised her arm over her opponent's head, revealing that her elbow now had a brace on, added for extra damage as she swung downward, directly onto the Saber's skull. It drove Minerva into the ground, but Vivi sucked her teeth as she instantly came to the conclusion that she was unable to knock Minerva Orland out. Consciousness did Vivi no good here, but Minerva being down gave her a few seconds to work against the weaker two of Sabertooth. She took full advantage as Rogue shouted and attacked. "Shadow Dragon's Roar!" He fired a powerful tunnel, but in an instant Vivi created a large shield of light to block the opposing element. Once it collided, the kneeling Vivi held her ground behind the shield, or at least that's what Orga thought as he ran around to expose her openings. There were none as he reached the shield to see that no one was there. It was just a shield planted into the ground, and that caused confusion in the bulky male.
"Where'd she go!?" He demanded, and that demand was answered as Vivi reappeared from behind, crouched low with light constructed brass knuckles around her right fist. From behind her own hip at a deeply crouched position, the council member swung with all of her might, leaping upwards to slam that petite fist of hers into the bottom of Orga's jaw. His head snapped back, and as the giant stood there for a few seconds, Vivi turned towards Rogue as Orga fell over unconscious. "She did it again!" Chapati shouted, almost out of his seat. "Vivi of The Council just knocked out Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth! That's 101 points! They've passed White Eclipse! Two KOs until they reach first place!"
"D-Dammit!" Rogue shouted. "What's happening!? Who is this woman!?"
Vivi was already running towards a seemingly forfeiting Rogue before he suddenly disappeared. Vivi tried to skid to a halt, but it was too late to react as an angry Minerva appeared before her, firing off a beam of her magic properties that slammed directly into Vivi's chest. It sent her back, but before she could regain herself, Minerva appeared again via teleportation, slamming Vivi into the ground. As the concrete bits around her impact slowly flew past her, Minerva grinned evily. "You were so close, but if you thought I was about to be embarrassed by a council man, you're sadly mistaken! Die!"
Minerva raised her razor sharp claws, and as she swung down, Vivi quickly raised her legs, wrapping them around Minerva's throat to both strangle her and interrupt her course to Vivi's body as she struck her leg instead. Vivi yelped in pain, but the plan was a success as she now had a grip on Minerva — hands on her dangerous arm while her legs remained constricted around her neck. She was struggling, and Vivi pulling down to the ground with all of her weight in an attempt to incapacitate Minerva.
"R..Rogue…!" Minerva struggled out, flailing with her free arm. The Shadow Dragon Slayer noticed her struggling. "Minerva!" He shouted, running over as fast as he could. Just before he could reach her, Vivi flipped Minerva over, grabbing Rogue by the collar as she released the Lady of Sabertooth. Minerva was of no help, gasping for air as Vivi swung a kick for Rogue's side. He parried, and then swung back with a shadowed fist of his own, but Vivi was well equipped in this situation as she's shown recently. She jumped over his punch — an unorthodox tactic at close combat to suddenly jump higher than a fully standing opponent, but with that jump came a knee directly to the bridge of the nose. Rogue was blinded by the suddenness of the knee and the sensitivity of his nose being struck, so when he reopened his eyes, he found himself staring down an incoming light-constructed club until…
"There's no possible way!" Chapati shouted, losing his hair figuratively and literally. "Rogue Cheney is out cold! Vivi has scored yet another point for The Council! That's 102! Only one person stands in her way for 113! And here she comes now..! Can Vivi do it!"
She ignored the chants of her name. She ignored her teammates actually rooting for her. She even looked past the grin on Kemuri's features that now highlighted one of the big screens. The only thing Vivi focused on, was the rising Minerva, who now stood alone, across from her. "Thank you for ridding me of the distractions."
Vivi scoffed. "You don't mean that."
Minerva returned. "Lets find out."
The two femme fatales met in the middle, and war was waged between the two. A mixture of hand to hand along with magic versus Etherious mixed; Minerva and Vivi would exchange blows like a rivalry being born before everyone's very own eyes. What was once a battle for survival was now a battle of supremacy, a fight between the desperate, or a back and forth between resolve. Minerva, who refused to go down to a single person, against Vivi, who refused to lose against a guild no longer of valor in her eyes. The countless attacks and spells flew back and forth with very little defense, and at the end of it all.. Vivi and Minerva stood only inches away from each other as the Saber accumulated a mass of Territory Magic around her hand. Vivi readied by constructing brass knuckles around her fists again, and the two swung for each other…
Except Vivi feinted. It was with a sly but tired grin that Vivi pulled her fist back, ducking under Minerva's own hand — reminding the exhausted Saber that she owed her no formal duel. And as Minerva whiffed, Vivi swung for the temple, landing flush as she pushed with all her might. Minerva's eyes were pure white, and the following second, she fell over completely as Vivi followed to her knees. "ITS…ITS UNBELIEVABLE!" Chapati's voice soared, but it was still drowning in the sea of cheers for The Council's own Vivi. "Minerva is out cold! That's the ten point bonus for The Council! Vivi has secured 113 points! First place for The Council!"
Everyone was in a frenzy! Everyone…but Kemuri who then shouted, "LOOK OUT!" It was too late however, as Flynn came recklessly flying in, slamming his club of a frozen leg against Vivi's head in one slow motion to knock her out cold as well. He tumbled into the ground, and finally, he had no choice but to pass out as well, for Ano's poison had run its course. If he would have fought it any longer, the effects would have been greater.
"Oh…! Wow! In a turn of events..Flynn made a last ditch effort to take out Vivi…and it works! She'll be rewarded the point of Flynn, putting The Council at 114, but Flynn has secured point number 111 for Twilight Zone! One more KO and they get the ten point bonus! The Council is out, and it's all up to Rylo for his guild! What a dramatic finish we're coming to!"
"One KO! Just one, and preferably Esmerelda! That's twenty points waiting for me, and an absolute victory! I can do this! I'm standing before her right now! I can do this!" Rylo was panting in anxiousness, stuck in a standoff with the S-class of Black Phoenix. This was the final exchange; they both knew it, and as he slid his foot backwards, Esmerelda's entire frame began to shine brightly. "Kanso!" She shouted, requipping both armor and weapon into something else entirely. Her armor now dawned a Phoenix's wings protruding from the back. The entire piece was colored in a spectrum of red, orange and yellow. Claws replaced the shoes of her armor as the head of the Phoenix covered her own. In her hands rested a elongated blade that lit itself a yellow flame. As she pointed her blade his direction, the two S-classes both took a step forward until Esmerelda lunged in a flash, nearly catching Rylo off guard as he rolled out of the way. The magician returned to his feet just to be met by a metal boot shaped like a Phoenix claw, violently pressed to his chest. Skidding backwards, Rylo placed a hand to the ground to not only halt his momentum, but to vanish from sight. That's when Esme squinted.
"Not this time!" She shouted, swinging her sword once in a clockwise manner. This caused the heat of the blade to exude — forming around Rylo subtlety, but enough for Esmerelda to see as he closed the gap between each other. Rylo reappeared, only to lose the exchange once more as the Phoenix swung her blade horizontally, striking the magician fiercely and sending him tumbling into the ground.
"She's in the Phoenix Armor!" Asuka shouted. "There's no way she can lose!" The rest of Black Phoenix joined in and cheered for their S Class, and with the sound of her guild behind her, Esmerelda kept her pursuit of Rylo. She went for a stomp, and even though Rylo was able to leap away, the impact created an influx of yellow flames that was hot enough to send him reeling. "This has to be her strongest armor!" Rylo deducted. "She's moving with speed and strength she has yet to demonstrate until now… I can't let her slip away from me. I need to beat her to win… so Twilight Zone..can stay together! It's all or nothing now! It's time for your final act! Behold! My lovely assistant!"
As Rylo called forth, a feminine spirit in a red, sparkling dress appeared next to him. She held a showy pose, as if introducing herself to the world as Esmerelda continued forth. "This is everything I'm worth! I put my hopes on Erza being too tired when she defeats Reve. Until then, with the Black Market still available…" Rylo and his assistant slowly brought forth their hands, clasping them together to cause an immense rumble that would gradually uproar, shaking the entire city to its foundation. Esmerelda almost tripped from the sudden imbalance, but Rylo and his new partner held their ground, the aura around them growing exponentially.
"Who did they steal this from!?" An inured Flynn pondered out loud. Evanee just looked on quietly as they continued, black and yellow lightning dancing around them both. The black lightning danced more around the assistant while Rylo took helm of the yellow. It was the combined power of Laxus Dreyar and Orga Nangear's Magic culminating into one single source, and the vigorous shaking itself kept Esmerelda at bay as the two charged their magic energy. "He's going for the gusto!" Lance shouted, not hiding his excitement. "You're too happy." Riley said, bringing him back down to earth. "If Esme doesn't survive it, then White Eclipse loses."
"Oh yeah… Where's Skye!? Come on! Reve needs you now, Skye!"
"The ultimate lightning combination technique! Compounded by the ultimate lightning techniques from both Dragon and God!" Rylo shouted at the top of his lungs while his assistant stood there in silent showmanship. Esmerelda could do nothing but brace herself from here and hope she has the durability to stay standing after what was coming. As the lightning formed together at a point just before the magician and his sidekick. "100 Meter Cannon of the Lightning Dragon God!" Rylo gave name to his attack, causing both Laxus and Orga to suck their teeth. "Say good night, Esme! Twilight Zone is the top guild! Fire!"
Just as he shouted, nothing happened. Instead of a powerful cannon strike, the attack fizzled out into nothing. "Wh..what!? What happened!?" He cried out, completely in fear as his borrowed magic power completely vanished. That's when Esmerelda moved in, holding her blade tightly as she slid low before him — now taking off into the air in a spiraling motion with one swing of her burning blade. "Spiral Phoenix!" She shouted, catching Rylo in the chest and sending him skyward. With her wings now extended, she immediately flew right past him, high into the sky until her body was eclipsed by the sun. That's when a weakened Rylo slowly turned his eyes over to where he last left the Black Market he created earlier. That's when he let out a pained chuckle. "Oh…she found it." He said to himself, noticing sparks flying everywhere as Skye Ravenwood was up again, and sliced directly through his creation. A Esmerelda dove for him, Rylo weakly held up a hand, extended towards the watching Evanee Carlisle, who could only look with what some would confuse with a sympathetic look — as if somewhere down the line, she gained hope in Rylo to bring it home for Twilight Zone, but the Ace of the guild then looked away as a flaming strike sent Rylo back into the ground where the Magician finally laid unconsciously. "Rylo is out, and that is the unfortunate end of Twilight Zone!" Chapati shouted, but he didn't have time to make another comment as Esmerelda touched down on the ground, and Skye charged her from behind to finish the bout between the three for good.
"From behind!? So naive!" Esme shouted, turning her body and swinging her blade at the incoming Skye. Without stopping, Skye shifted her body from left to right in rapid succession, creating multiple copies of herself all around Esme to confuse her. It was successful. "Huh? She's been hiding cloning magic!? No! This is an assassin's technique, and I've lost sight of the real…ONE!" She swung at a random clone, and the afterimage vanished at the strike. Esme knew it, Skye knew it, everyone knew it. This fight was over as the real Skye appeared to her right with her Claymore sword shining bright red. "Claymore: Armor Breaker!" She cried out and swung a powerful downward strike that sliced right through Esmerelda's armor. It was a violent, painful strike that left the knight in just her underwear, shedding her of her moniker completely. As Esme cried in pain, blue lightning struck in the knight's abdomen, paralyzing her for the next few seconds as Skye raised her right leg as high as she could, jumping just high enough to tower over her prey before sending a powerful axe kick screaming down to the crown of the Phoenix. From heel to skull, and from skull to ground, Esmerelda found herself out cold. "Oh my! And just like that…! Skye Ravenwood has defeated Esmerelda of Black Phoenix! That's ten points for White Eclipse, putting them at 110; tied with Twilight Zone for second place! But this is huge for White Eclipse because it's now two on one against the remaining Erza Scar-"
"I forfeit!" Skye shouted, placing down her sword, and sitting right in front of it. A collective gasp came from Chapati and the audience, but a lot of others understood why. Yet, Skye made it apparent as she yelled in Reve's direction.
"This is what you wanted, right?! This is you passing that stepping stone, big brother! I will not interfere! No one will! It's just you and her, and your win…your win now means EVERYTHING to the guild, because if you win, we win! If you lose, we lose! So win, so we can move on into a new era! An era where White Eclipse is truly the greatest guild in Fiore! This is your time, Reve! All of your dreams come true right here! This is the closure you've been searching for! FIGHT!"
"FIGHT, GUNSLINGER!" Zalen and Kuro shouted.
"Come on Reve, Fight!" Waiston and Jaxon added.
"Fight Reve, Fight!" Selene chanted with the rookies joining in.
"Screw that!" Natsu shouted from the other side. He then cupped his hands around his mouth and gave boisterous command. "Erza! We may not win this year, but letting them talk down about our guild for an entire year can't be allowed! Gramps would tell you the same! We're counting on you!"
Lucy then joined in. "You can do it, Erza! There's nothing you haven't overcome!"
"We believe in you!" Happy added.
"For Fairy Tail!" Said Gray.
"Don't let that arrogant asshole beat you." Natsu threw in again after the rest of Fairy Tail began chanting. "There's just you and him! No surprises, no interruptions!"
Both Erza and Reve were listening, looking at their respective guilds before turning back to each other. For a passing second, they shared a smile, fueled by the love of their guilds. That passing finally faded, and the two stood off once more. The vector around Reve coiled, ready to sync with its new host once again as Erza requipped to the infamous attire of flame decal pants and binded chest with the dual swords. Not a word was said, but at the silent count of three, the two charged each other for one last round. It was Reve versus Erza..
The finale..
