Karissa was flying back to base camp with her sister.
Van and Juvia were chasing after Zeref who was being carried away by Meldy while Lukius was acting as the rear guard.
Gray stayed back to fight Ultear.
Pandora awoke from her unconscious state after being shifted around which made the pain in her arm flare. She was informed of what happened moments before she awoke. And as much as she wanted to help, she knew that she couldn't fight with a broken skewered arm. She was lucky that Meldy was an easier opponent to deal with.
"Sorry for the trouble."
"Nah, shut up."
The older Sinclost huffed at the nonchalant reply. Karissa wasn't going to listen to her apologize for being injured of all things. They were currently at war with a dark guild and there was no time to feel remorseful.
Pandora looked to the side, glancing up at her younger sister's face. She was surprised by what she saw. Naturally, she viewed her siblings as strong people, but at the same time she still saw them as people she needed to take care of. But seeing Karissa's face devoid of panic, retaining only calm and determination made Pandora realize that she wasn't going to be able to play the guardian role forever. Just like a parent accepting the reality of their children growing up and being able to take care of themselves.
It made her wonder, did she do a good job?
Pandora made mistakes and stumbled to find the best path possible, that's why she became as tough as she is.
As the older sister with no parents to guide her, she had to carve a path worthy of her siblings to follow behind. If not, then they could just avoid that path and not repeat any mistakes she could have made.
And with that best path, she continued to become stronger because she still needed to walk ahead of her younger siblings, inspiring them to become just a strong.
It is the responsibility of the older sibling.
"I love you, you know that?"
Karissa scoffed, giving her sister a bewildered look. "Well, duh."
…
…
…
After a while of searching, she found the base camp and immediately went down to get Pandora some help. With how fast she came flying, Freed and Bickslow fired off magic when they thought she was an enemy, but she was lucky enough to dodge them.
"You nearly hit my arm, Bickslow!" Pandora hollered over her shoulder with stink eye as Lucy directed her towards one of the make shift roofs where the other injured were resting. Gajeel, Mirajane, Elfman and Evergreen were down for the count. Pandora had yet to remove the spikes in her arm, barely allowing her own blood to leak.
"Sorry!" Bickslow shouted over the rain.
Karissa followed after them, ignoring the pelting rain on her head. "Wendy, can you heal her, please?"
Carla snapped her head towards Karissa. "No, she can't! She's been using her magic all day, if she continues like this, she's going to pass out!" she crossed her arms. "And that certainly won't help anyone."
"Oh." Karissa frowned. She didn't want to insist on the healing because she didn't want Wendy to overexert herself during this time.
"That's fine." Pandora sat down on a barrel near Levy and looked down at her punctured arm. "I don't need any fancy healing magic to close these wounds." She glared at her own damage.
"But you need to take those out eventually!" Lucy told the older sister who only let out a hollow laugh. The blonde mage wasn't hoping that Pandora insisted she kept the spikes in her arm.
"Yes, I know." Nodding her head, Pandora looked at Levy. "We'll just have to cauterize the wounds close."
"What?!" Natsu exclaimed. "No way, that's going to hurt you!"
Karissa flinched at the word. Freed and Bickslow cringed at the thought while Lucy and Wendy looked a little queasy. Levy looked troubled by this suggestion. Out of all the members present, she was the only person capable of summoning fire with Solid Script along with Natsu.
"I don't care!" Pandora responded to the pink haired mage.
"Wait, that's…!" Karissa tried to rack her brain over a different solution. Wendy couldn't use her magic for too long. The medical supplies weren't going to help either since the blood would just seep through the bandages. Clearly, the only choice to forcefully close the wounds would have to be cauterization. But to have her own sister go through that pain made her reluctant to allow such a procedure to happen.
"Karissa, they're going to have to get out. The spell isn't going to last forever." Pandora reminded her, using her good arm to point at her broken punctured one. The spikes were flickering weakly with light, signaling the coming disappearance of their state. "If they disappear together, it's not going to be pretty. I'll lose too much blood too fast."
Freed stood up and approached Karissa who looked conflicted about the choice. "I know your personal feelings are influencing you, but your sister is right, she needs to do something about it now while they are still intact." He said slowly. The Jutsu Shiki user was set on helping Pandora's treatment. If the spikes were still in her arm now, they could slowly treat each one instead of rushing,
Karissa gave Freed an uneasy glance. He was right, she knew that. But still, her heart was troubled by it.
"But those are going to leave some marks too." Lucy remarked.
"It's going to hurt." Lisanna was worried.
"What's a few little scars compared to my life?"
"Are you sure?" Levy placed a hand on the older mage's back. She could feel her shaking a little. Was it perhaps because she was nervous about having her wounds cauterized or because of what happened to her during her fight?
"It'll be over before I know it." Pandora laughed lightly, trying to make herself feel better despite the dread pooling in the pit of her stomach. "Who wants to do it? Levy? Natsu?"
"I-I'll do it!" Levy inhaled sharply, her fists clenched tightly. She volunteered first to quickly get it over with. They needed to avoid to worst case scenario.
Freed watched Karissa drop her face in her hands, breathing out heavily, composing herself once she rationalized her mind. She lifted her head and looked at Pandora. She saw her smile widely with reassurance, showing her that it was going to be fine. Her eyes were showcasing courage as well. As expected of her older sister. No weakness in front of the younger sibling, only strength.
Fine, if you're that dead set on doing it…
Karissa looked up at Freed. "I'm still capable of fighting so I have no excuse to stand idle." She stepped back and spread her arms out, showcasing her current condition. Out of everyone else, she was in the best condition. "I have to keep moving."
"I understand." Freed nodded. "You don't have to worry. Pandora is in good hands."
"Those things are in her broken arm by the way." Karissa added with her finger pointing at her sister. Hearing this, Bickslow cringed again and glanced over at Pandora whose feet was now fidgeting on the ground.
"Geez, Pandora, how tough are you to withstand that pain?" Bickslow got up and neared her to study the damage.
She scoffed. "Tough as nails."
Hearing this, Karissa lowered her arms and nodded. With that, Levy, Freed, Bickslow and Lisanna volunteered to help. Levy was in charge of the fire while the others would provide support. Freed alright brought out a handkerchief for her to bite on. Karissa turned her head away from them and walked over to Lucy, Natsu and Wendy. They were discussing the plan to find Hades' base and defeat him.
"I'll go with Natsu-san to provide support." Wendy clenched her fists with determination.
"Wait a second, Wendy!" Carla stepped in front of her with a disapproving look.
"I know I can be useful in a supporting role." Wendy argued before her friend could say something.
Karissa stepped in front of Wendy and shook her head. "Wendy, you are the medic of this group right now. I know you can fight, but the basic rule is to keep healers away from the front lines. If you follow Natsu into the fight, you will no doubt get hurt and expend more magic power. Remember what Carla just said? You've been spending too much magic power all day."
"Why not let her come along?" Natsu crossed his arms. "Wendy's pretty strong."
"That's not the point." Karissa looked over her shoulder to give Natsu a sigh.
Wendy didn't want to back down just yet. "But if I come along, I can boost your strength and give a better advantage!"
"That would be useful." Karissa agreed, but her expression didn't change as she looked back at her, her eyes silent in refusal. She still looked firm in her decision to convince Wendy to stay out of the fight. "Don't think I'm saying this to shelter you because you're a kid. I'm telling you to stay here and conserve your strength so that you can heal those who may need it. If we lose the healer, the person who boosts the chances of survival during treatment, then it'll be bad."
"That's true." Lucy put a thoughtful hand on her chin. "We can't lose the medic." Thinking of the consequences of the battle was just as important.
"But…" Wendy's determined fists lowered a little.
Carla sighed at the blue haired girl who looked despondent. "She's right, Wendy. You're vital. You have been using a lot of magic power, I bet it hasn't even fully replenished yet. Save your strength for those who need it."
Pantherlily, who was covering his ears, nodded shakily. "Y-Yes. Saving lives is just as important."
Wendy understood Karissa's point, but she still felt disappointed that she couldn't participate in the battle. She wanted to help her comrades in the fight but she also needed to think about those might need her healing magic. Both weighed just as heavy.
"Okay." Wendy lowered her arms, accepting to back down from her position even though it was leaving a slight bad taste in her mouth. "But Carla, I want you to go with them and help since I can't."
"But what about—"
"Please!" Wendy's big insistent brown eyes met the cat's own matching one. The longer the cat held her stare, the more she could feel herself losing the silent argument, forcing her to look away. How could she refuse when Wendy looked at her like that?
"Alright, fine. But don't overdo it with your magic!"
"I'll make sure she doesn't." Lisanna piped up from the back after she heard the white cat's worried tone.
The squad for attacking Hades was organized. Natsu, Lucy, Karissa, Happy, Lily and Carla were chosen to set forth and find the enemy while the others stayed behind to defend and treat the injured. With wind, Karissa went on ahead to make a quick check of any other enemies located nearby. With her being in good condition, the least she can do was clear a path and save Lucy and Natsu the trouble of wasting their magic on damn fodder. Any second used to replenish their magic was essential to their victory.
"Erza was not back at the base… I forgot to ask where she was." Karissa clicked her tongue in annoyance for her mistake. After taking her own power in consideration, she stopped using her magic and chose to move on foot. If she was lucky, she could run into Erza and have her join the fight. However, if she was too injured to fight, she was going to have to head back to the camp where the others were.
As she dashed in rainy forest, she kept thinking back on the people who were absent and wondered who could potentially be of use depending on their condition. When she turned to the right, she skidded to a stop when a figure loomed over her. Instinctively, she brought her hands together for an ice spell, eyes narrowed readily. Her attitude quickly changed when she realized that Gray was the person she ran into. Furthermore, he wasn't just looming over her, he was falling towards her. All she did was shift on her feet a little and she held out her arms to catch him and steady him on his feet.
"Oops." Karissa met his eyes that snapped open with surprise. Judging by his state, he was probably going to pass out. Not a good sign. "It's amazing how much can happen in less than ten minutes." Karissa studied his appearance and held him at arm's length when he stood up straight… well, tried at least.
"I'm okay." Gray took a step forward and leaned on her. "Just need to catch my breath, you don't mind, do you?"
Karissa frowned and held up him. "Well, no. But I'm worried about you." She grabbed his face and moved it sideways to check if he had any head injuries.
He huffed and let her inspect him. "I'm a lot sturdier than I look. I'm just a little wobbly on my feet right now."
"Oh, I know that. But even the hardest rocks can break with enough force." She looked down to see where he was injured on the side. His shirt was tied around his waist and his blood seeped into the wet fabric. He wasn't bleeding out profusely, that was relieving.
"I'll be fine." Gray reassured her. He dropped his hand on her head and sought her in the eyes as if it would convey his feelings and show no lie. He smiled for her when she looked back up with worry still evident in her eyes. He reached up to poke her forehead in between her eyebrows. "Stop worrying. I'm not dying."
"Well, I would hope not. I'd hate to think that you'll die the moment I take my eyes off you." she deadpanned.
Gray rolled his eyes and tipped his head to give her a smirk. "Don't worry, even if I have to drag my dead weight, I'd still come back to you."
Karissa didn't say anything at first until a huff escaped her. "Good grief, you miss me that much when we're apart?" she shot back. She seriously wasn't sure how to respond to what he said that she just short circuited for a second there. Obviously, her mind deviated towards irrationality thanks to her personal feelings, but she was quick to back pedal and play it cool by teasing him, a tactic that was easy to use when trying to keep a level head.
Now wasn't the time for that.
"Anyway, what's the situation?" Gray asked her. "Knowing you, you're probably updated on it."
"Mirajane, Gajeel, Elfman, Evergreen and Pandora are resting back at the base camp. Levy, Freed, Bickslow, Wendy, Lisanna are doing defense there. I went ahead with Lucy, Natsu, Carla, Lily and Happy to search for Hades' base." She only knew the essentially information that was necessary to know who would be stationed where during the final battle.
"So, we're going up against the bastard who started this mess, huh?" He breathed and straightened up slowly when he sensed he could regained better equilibrium after this quick reprieve. Upon hearing that, Karissa looked at him as if he told her he was Gray from Edolas. "Are you serious? Are you even well enough to fight?"
"Don't make me repeat myself." Gray pushed himself off her and gently pushed away her hands that tried to steady him. To her surprise, he was alright. "I'm still raring to go."
"But we're up against the Big Boss." Karissa crossed her arms after wiping her face.
"And I'm telling you not to worry." Gray started walking past her, patting her head once as he did so. "Besides, I can't miss the opportunity to give this guy a whooping for interrupting my exam and for hurting our friends."
"Geez, Gray." Karissa followed after him, watching his form carefully for any signs of lack of balance. But she found none. As he said, he was pretty sturdy. "Fine, you can join the fight against Hades." she just hoped it wasn't a bad choice.
"What's this about Hades?"
Spooked by the sudden voice, Gray and Karissa jolted and looked behind them to find Erza walking towards them in her Clear Heart Clothing. She was smiling at them.
"Freaking scared the hell out of me…" Karissa rested a hand on her chest and gently breathed a sigh. Gray could only snicker from how jumpy she was and patted her back.
"Oh! Gray! Erza!"
The three of them turned around to find Natsu and Lucy. The former must have followed Karissa scent after she went off on her own, thinking she might have already found Hades' ship. But they found something even better, more comrades to fight alongside with.
-x-
They found Hades and his ship after a while of search. It wasn't hard to miss with how huge it was. It was docked on the other side of the island just near the water. When they stood in front of him, he stared down at him like a villainous king with his arms crossed as if he was peering down at some peasants how dared bare their pitchforks at him. He only 'invited' them in by walking back inside the ship. They took it as an invitation anyway. The Exceeds were tasked with searching the ship to find the source that would power it so that they could stop any potential flight that might render Natsu unable to fight. The rest were flown straight up the ship with Karissa's wind magic. Lucy screamed when she almost lost footing from the sudden rise.
Erza summoned her sword as the neared the top. "Remember, he's strong enough to surpass even the Master! Go at him full power, right from the start!"
"We'll hit him with everything we've got!" Gray growled, fingers twitching.
"We can't afford a second round!" Lucy grabbed her keys.
"Karissa! Throw me in first!" Natsu hollered, antsy to get the first hit in.
"Have fun." As per his request, Karissa pushed him ahead and gave him a boost as he leaped from the floor of the ship and further inside. After they heard his fire go off and destroy something, the rest of them followed after him and proceeded to attack without mercy. Hades didn't seem fazed at all by their attacks, despite receiving the full force of Cold Excalibur, Black Wing and Taurus.
Ice Make: Waltz!
Ice blades attached to her wrists and ankles appeared on her body, swinging her limbs around with precision to try and stab the leader. Karissa accelerated by carrying herself with wind to attack with Erza and Gray. She saw Hades huff in annoyance and cast a spell that extended a magic chain towards Erza from his hand once he put some distance between them. That chain nearly got her if she didn't dodge. Erza got caught by the shoulder. Karissa ran past Erza and merely flicked her wrist before she swung at him again with Gray. The chain was sliced from a wind blade that extended from the wind carrying her.
Hades' eyebrow twitched and he met her eyes that seem to challenge him to do it again. The nerve of her. He leaped away just as Gray destroyed the spot he was in with a single strike of his sword. He used his magic to parry Karissa's ice and utterly shatter them apart. With a flinch, she stopped and her eyes caught a glimpse of her ice, in fragments, falling around her. But that didn't stop her from moving. Her mind's cogs kept moving, planning her next move.
Ice Make: Claw.
She back stepped and sent an open hand claw towards Hades that entrapped him inside. She closed her fist and the ice claw ruthlessly closed around him. But she wasn't expecting it to do much damage against a leader of a big bad dark guild. The ice around him exploded away and he came lunging at her with a hand that lit up in purple, preparing to strike fatally. However, Natsu came dropping down on him, knocking him away from her.
Natsu managed to get him off his feet when he knocked them away. This was the perfect opportunity to strike as he was still airborne.
Ice Make: Ice Cleaver.
He narrowly shifted around in midair and avoided being slammed between too thick walls of ice that protruded from the ground. Even when Taurus, who ran around to sneak behind Hades, swung his giant axe, Hades still dodged in midair. This made Karissa briefly roll her eyes. Fucking ballerina.
A second before landing, he casted that chain spell and grabbed Natsu from the back of the neck and yanked it to send him flying across the ship. This time, Erza was the one who sliced the chain, in her Clear Heart Clothing. Karissa ducked just in time to avoid Natsu who was sent flying forward by Gray who launched him back with an ice hammer. She dragged her foot back and got into her molding stance.
"Ice Make: Cold Ritual!" Karissa's ice molding magic created several swords that gathered around Hades in three rings. Once they were ready, she closed her fist and they all homed in on him. A twin impact struck him, one for from the swords and the second from Natsu. Those attacks sent him flying into the far end of the ship.
But despite their attacks, he still came out unfazed and unscathed from it. His cloak was merely discarded from the damage and he stood tall behind the smoke from the rubble. He stared at them haughtily. "People often refer to their error… as 'learning experiences'. But true errors never become learning experiences. The error you committed was to stand against me. And you will not have the chance to learn from it!"
"It's like he didn't even feel it…!" Lucy stared in disbelief.
"But that was our full power…!" Gray gritted his teeth.
Something's different, Karissa frowned. There was something in the air and she couldn't explain it. The feeling radiating off him made her head throb a little. It made her shake her head. "Don't stop moving." The youngest Sinclost advised them and flew forward with wind magic. The wind expanded widely. She didn't know why they were stopping. They had to keep moving or else he was going really take them down.
"Wait, Karissa! Don't be reckless!" Erza shouted. "There's something different about him!"
"Foolish girl." Hades met her eyes and lifted his head up a little before yelling out Katsu. Instantly, Karissa body vanished from where she stood. Her face expressed no hint of pain before she vanished, leaving only the wind she conjured up.
"Sh-She's… gone!" Lucy gasped and took a step back.
"What did you do to her?!" Natsu yelled at Hades who did not entertain him with a response.
"You bastard!" Gray growled and was about to run off recklessly until the wind left behind swirled around and stopped him in his tracks. Then, Karissa's body formed in front of him and she stared at him with a reprimanding stare. Immediately, relief showcased on his face.
"Don't be reckless." She put her hand on his chest and pushed him back, a silent reprimand in her eyes for what he was about to do.
"Karissa." Gray grabbed her arm. And sure enough, she was right in front of him. It wasn't just some illusion. "But how did you…?"
"Simple misdirection with wind." Karissa sighed and looked past her shoulder to stare at Hades apathetically. "A spell that works on a target if only they stand directly in their line of sight. I don't know what kind of damage it does, but it must be a lot." She took Gray's hand and removed it off her arm.
She wanted to test him the moment she felt his magic power change. From what she could tell so far, he was somehow stronger now, but she couldn't figure out why just yet. Perhaps, if they continued to exchange blows, she would figure it out somehow.
"Just need to avoid standing in one place for too long. That's why I said to keep moving."
"You learned all that just now?" Hades sneered and let out a scoff. "Impressive. It seems Makarov's children are not just a group of entertainers, some are actually smart."
"So you and the old man know each other then?" Natsu scowled at the nonchalant tone he carried.
"What?" Hades blinked and uncrossed his arms. "You weren't informed? Aren't I recorded in the annals of the guild?" he reached up and stroked his long beard. "I was once the Second Master of Fairy Tail. I went by the name Precht."
This truth shocked them all. This man, the one who attacked Fairy Tail, the same man standing in front of them, was the Second Master of their guild? So many questions ran into their minds as they couldn't believe this truth. Obviously, they couldn't believe it. How could that be?
"You liar!" Natsu snapped, pissed at the man's audacity for feeding them such a lie. He pointed a finger at Hades. "You? Second Master? No way." he threw down his hand in disbelief, his eyes glaring daggers at the man with the eyepatch.
"I personally named Makarov as the Third Master of the guild."
"That's not possible!" Natsu growled and ran forward with a fistful of fire. Karissa caught a glimpse of Hades' fingers glowing with dark light. She clicked her tongue at his brashness and created a chain of ice that attached itself to the back of his pants. She yanked him back towards the group just in time to for him to avoid a spell that exploded the spot he was once standing in.
"Are you stupid?!" Karissa nearly screamed at him. She couldn't believe he continued to act reckless in such a fight.
Hades swiped his fingers to the left, causing a fissure beneath their feet and an explosion occurred. Due to the sudden attack, Hades used this chance to grab both Lucy and Erza with chains when they were in mid air. Within the smoke, Karissa caught a glimpse of it and immediately sent a wind arc for both of them, freeing them of the chains that would have tied them together. But even though she freed them, Hades did something else to prevent them from moving. He shot them both in the thigh with a magic bullet. That instantly made the two women let out cries of pain. Then, he casted the same spell that would have struck Natsu if Karissa didn't pull him away.
Their screams echoed in the ship and bounced off its walls.
"Erza! Lucy!" Gray caught sight of Erza rolling away from the blast.
The black haired wind user's eyes flickered to Hades when she saw his hands glow purple, the same light of his bullets. He was getting ready to shoot at them. She quickly regained her footing and casted a large wind barrier, the same one the she did to try and keep Wendy away from Brain to stop the assault of Hades' bullets. However, they weren't stopped, they were only slowed down for a second as they passed through the barrier.
Natsu still got shot in the calf.
Gray got hit on the same side where his wound was.
Somehow, Karissa was lucky enough to not get hit by any of them by nimbly moving in time. The nimbleness only lasted for a while because it grazed her thigh and arm.
Erza and Lucy took cover behind some rubble, but it wouldn't provide much cover if it continued.
To stop the assault, Gray created his ice rampart, albeit it was smaller than the one he made in the forest, to block his bullets. The ice was right behind the wind. The bullets that slowed down made contact with the ice and fractured it. Everywhere across the ice, bullets left marks and it wouldn't be long until the ice broke down. How strong were these damn magic bullets?!
Hades only mocked their efforts and doubled the amount of bullets he fired off.
Gray gritted his teeth when he saw his ice cracking. It was only a few more bullets from shattering away. They couldn't launch a sudden attack with the ice shield in the way or else they'd have no more protection. They needed just a little more time to think. Just a bit!
"Natsu! Bust through and we'll follow!" Karissa ordered him, officially starting the second wave. "Gray! Your hand!" she held out her hand without looking at him. They needed to hurry and start before Natsu moved.
His response was a punch into the flooring as he forced himself up on his feet and lit up his fists with fire, ignoring the pain in his leg. Erza got back up and got into her Flight Armour, planning to speed past the bullets and deflect them if necessary. Lucy summoned Scorpio. Gray grabbed her hand and focused on syncing his magic with hers. There was only one spell they were focusing on because they knew which one was the more refined and powerful so far. Natsu let out a loud shout and shot forward with fire, breaking the ice. Erza followed closely behind and deflect the bullets while also dodging them. Scorpio send a gust of sand at Hades from a different direction. Seeing Erza and the sand coming from his sides, Hades stopped his attack and closed his fists once he crossed his arms in front of him. Blasts from both his sides repelled the sand and Erza. The scarlet haired mage screamed when the explosion hit her, sending her flying into the wall on his right. She slid to the ground from the impact.
Hades then opened his fists and extended his arms out just as Natsu was about to hit him with fire. Lucy gasped when Natsu received a blast at point black range. She flinched when he ended up thrown at her feet. He created another fissure in the ground and it exploded again, causing Lucy and Natsu to fly off in different directions.
"Ice Ring!"
From their feet, the ice swirled and rapidly expanded until it formed shooting outward in every direction. The ice freezing the floor rapidly travelled across and caught Hades' feet. As soon as Lucy and Natsu made it out of their range, the spike in front of Hades zoomed towards him while he couldn't move and collided into him, kicking him rubble and smoke. Gray and Karissa breathed out a white cloud. Still holding hands, they watched carefully for anything worth defending against. Letting their guard down carelessly was not something they should do. There was a beat. Numerous dark glowing purple tendrils shot out from the smoke, shooting up and then homed in on them. Their eyes narrowed and they dragged a foot back as they watched the attack near them. Once again, they focused their magic and modified the shape of the ice so that the surrounding spikes of ice rose up and each destroyed a tendril, causing it to fade away.
All of a sudden, the ice around them shattered, kicking up ice that fell around them like freshly fallen snow.
"Behind!" Gray's voice boomed next to her. She didn't even look over her shoulder and released his hand to put them up in the air with wind, narrowly making them dodge a ray of a thousand bullets. Gray created a platform of ice for them to stand on. Once they got a better footing, they found Hades looking quite unamused, especially at Karissa. He then sent a blast of magic after them. Karissa accelerated the flight and dodged a chain of blasts that followed after them while Gray deflected with a wave of ice. Erza, who had gotten back up in her Heaven's Wheel Armour, sneakily snuck up behind Hades and slid to a stop. The Grimoire Heart leader looked over his shoulder blocked one of her swords with his bare hand but it was obvious he was using magic to protect his skin. He grabbed her sword and kicked her back just before she could swing her other arm.
"Ice Hammer!"
"Heavy Rake!"
Gray and Karissa were coming from opposite directions, standing on a platform of ice that was being driven towards Hades at full speed. Gray gritted his teeth, he wasn't used to flying like this, and swung his hammer while Karissa growled and swung her arm. When they passed each other, they felt Hades get caught in the double attack. There was no mistaking the weight of collision. Gray jumped off the ice and wind and his sandals scratched the wooden floor when he skidded to a stop, his ice hammer was broken in his hands with only the handle left. Karissa swerved in the air, lifting her arm to see the remaining ice falling off her arm.
Again. He was still standing! Karissa scowled. How freaking sturdy are you?!
"Heaven's Wheel!"
"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!"
"Sand Buster!"
Hades threw his head back and laughed sadistically. "It's all futile!"
And futile it was. Once more, he did the same arm motions as before and all the attacks were blown away effortlessly. The shockwave of the blast pushed them all back and even knocked Karissa off the ice platform. And with quick hand motions, Natsu, Erza and Lucy were caught in an Amaterasu Formula 28. Karissa and Gray were only able to move out of the spell because they got pushed back further from where Hades wanted them. Not a second later, a three blasts went off accompanied by screams.
Her back against the wall, Karissa's eyes widened at the sight. Her dark brown orbs darted back and forth between the three of them as they collapsed on the ground. Were they seriously going down like this?!
Which strategy was best? Prudence or run and gun? If they were too prudent, Hades might find an opening to launch an attack even more dangerous than what they knew so far. Karissa was sure he didn't reveal all his cards. If that was the case, it was better to launch an offensive attack while they still could. Their choice was decided when Hades unleashed the magic bullets. Gray chose the latter after remembering Erza's words prior to stepping onto the ship meanwhile she kept her distance and dodged the bullets. Perhaps that was their mistake.
"Ice Make: Death Scythe!" In the air, Gray roared and swung down his weapon on Hades. The enemy nimbly back stepped, stopping his assault and piercing the floor, before raising his finger and pointing it at Gray. His finger fired off a ray of dark purple light that was avoided at the last second, destroying a light in the ceiling. He shifted his hands and swung the scythe upwards.
"All material is fragile." Hades spoke and side stepped. "And so is the human body." he swung up his arm and threw a giant blast at Gray. Karissa heard him shout and fly up onto the second floor, breaking the protective rail in the process.
"Gray!"
In that instant of worry, Hades shoved a chain into her shoulder. It didn't grab her, it went through her. Obviously, the pain made her falter like any normal person. His next move was another chain that latched around her neck and brought her towards him. When she was close enough, the chain vanished and his grip on her throat replaced it.
Karissa's hands tried prying off the hand that lifted her off the ground and her legs tried kicking him.
"You are honestly the most troublesome one of the bunch." Hades remarked before shooting her side with a bullet. Karissa gasped and her legs fell limp while she hissed. She saw him wear a condescending smirk. "Perhaps, if you trained for another ten years, you'd be much more impressive." He said, his tone dripping with mockery.
He brought his hand close to her face and set off a number of blasts. With every blast to the face, she became dizzier and she didn't even notice how he was barely choking her anymore. Just pain. No thoughts. No time to think. She was losing the fight against closing her eyes.
At some point, Gray managed to jump down and run. Pure adrenaline fueled his body and numbed all the pain, eyes wide and angry at the sight in front of him, he growled and put his hands together to make something. However, Hades had another plan since he spun around his heel and just threw her at him. He skidded to stop to catch in his arms, grunting. Hades wrapped chains around them together and held them high up in the air. The taller ice mage held her tightly against him and braced himself when he felt them drop. Hades mercilessly slammed them both into the ground in a pile of rubble.
"You children of light stand no chance." His magic power flared and he unleashed a powerful dark magic upon them.
-x-
…
…
…
Karissa stirred by the sound of thunder. It was loud, almost annoying even. It shook the floor underneath her, pulling her back to the realm of consciousness. There wasn't much resistance against waking up again. Her soft noises as she started coming to alerted Gray, who was sitting back against a wall with her between his legs. He had his eyes on Laxus who was going at it against Hades.
"Karissa?" he loosened his hold around her and leaned to the side to see her lift her head up. Groaning, she lifted a hand to her face and saw how blood coated her hand. She peered to the side and found Gray behind her. She didn't even realize he was situated right behind her. He cringed at the sight of her face, it was really banged up from the blasts she received. She had to keep one eye closed.
"You feeling okay?" Gray lifted his hand to wipe the blood leaking from the cut above her right eye so that it wouldn't bother her. He wasn't sure what kind of answer he was expecting to qualify as 'okay'. He just wanted to make sure she wasn't in too much pain that she couldn't function properly. When she passed out, he did his best to cover her because Hades was taking advantage of her state to try and kill her, and only her for some reason. He must have realized that dealing with the most flexible opponent first would cause less of a headache.
"I think."
They turned their attention on the fight. It took a moment for her to register what was happening. Laxus was fighting Hades. Why? Why was he here? "What's happening…?" Karissa breathed out and started crawling away from him. Concerned, Gray watched her get away from him.
Seeing them fight made her itch to join and provide support. It was crazy how her mind was immediately wiring back to the fight. But it was only thanks to Gray that she suffered less damage, so it was only naturally she had more strength to move compared to everyone else.
"Laxus, he- he showed up here and saved us." Gray averted his gaze to where Laxus was trashing Hades with ease. Dazedly, Karissa pushed herself on the back of her knees and sat there, watching Laxus roar out lightning that ultimately ravaged the wall behind Hades who narrowly dodged his attack. Hades was doing an effort to avoid Laxus' attacks. It was different from how he was fighting them.
I never thought I'd see him again so soon. It's only been two months at best.
And here you are.
Hades grabbed the giant globe behind Laxus with his magic chains and dragged it along, hoping to catch Laxus off guard. The globe was rolling towards her and Gray when he moved out of its way.
She forced her other eye open and ignored the stinging pain that occurred when she did.
Need to help.
Gray forced himself back on his feet with a hiss. "We need to move!"
I'm not even out of power yet.
I don't have life threatening injuries either.
She shook her head to snap out of it.
"Karissa!" Yelling, his hand grabbed her wrist and forced her up on her feet.
Her eyes focused on the globe. It didn't look blurry. Definitely a good sign. With a narrowed stare, she wrenched her hand out of his grip and shoved it forward. "Stigma Detonation." From the point of contact, a burst of wind enveloped the globe in a violent storm and broke it down into several pieces that fell harmlessly before her, causing Gray to throw his arm up to cover his face from the dust. The spell acted much faster compared to when she used it against Hystoran, prompting Hades and Laxus to look her way and saw her looking at them apathetically.
Fed up with her interference, Hades used this opportunity to knock her down with an Amaterasu spell. The magic surrounding her and Gray kept them from moving. It should have been quick to cast it if it were not for a certain angry blond. Laxus' eyes glinted dangerously and he growled when he rapidly closed the distance between him and Hades. With a fistful of lightning, he stopped the spell and sent the old man flying into a wall.
"You have some balls for aiming for a girl instead of looking at me. You're underestimating me, old man." Laxus glowered. His hands twitched as lightning flickered around them as if his magic gained its own consciousness and was ready to act upon the user's will the moment it received the order. "Try it again, I fucking dare you."
Gray didn't like that look on her face. Even with the blast wounds on her face, determination and perseverance were displayed on her face. Her eyes shined with strength, the same strength he admired her for. But still, he didn't want her throwing herself into the fight in her state. That's why he grabbed her wrist when she took a few steps forward, causing her to look back at him in surprise.
"You're not serious."
Her response to that started with a huff. "I'm sturdier than I look." then she looked ahead. "Besides, I want to help him."
With that, Karissa hastily ran over to Laxus' side, ignoring Gray who called out to her. The other ice mage couldn't really move from how much damage he took. When she got near him, she looked up at him while Hades was still recovering from the attack, silently asking him if she could help with her eyes. All reluctance she felt to be around Laxus all these years vanished for the sake of the fight. The older mage looked down at her with sharp eyes, studying her appearance.
He noticed how her left eye was struggling to stay open.
He didn't like seeing her like this.
Karissa almost flinched when she felt Laxus hand gently touch her face as if to avoid causing pain to her already damaged face. Curiously, she met his eyes saw that they looked troubled while he studied her face. It also dawned to her that this was the first time in a long time did Laxus dare even touch her. Because of the rift between them, she was the one who made sure to step out of his way and to avoid being in a five meter radius around him. She felt like giving him more than enough space would benefit them both. She wouldn't have to feel so out of place around him and he didn't have to waste his time around her since it looked like she was always an annoyance.
She wasn't expecting a gentle hand on her face from him after all that happened. It felt like quite a leap.
"Can you see?"
Oh.
"Yeah. It just kinda hurts to open my left eye." She told him honestly. "I can still help. I'm not empty on power."
"Figures you wouldn't be." Retracting his hand after a pause, Laxus directed an his still angry stare towards Hades who became visible behind the smoke. As if his grandfather's state didn't piss him off enough. Seeing the damage to Karissa's face infuriated him even more made his face darkened. The old bastard did more than just hit her.
He seriously wanted nothing more than to put Hades into the ground now.
He wouldn't let him get away with it.
"Don't get in my way." Was all he said to her just as he dented the floor with one foot when lunged at Hades once more.
"Right!" she darted further back by riding the wind. After her feet were firmly on the ground, she swirled orbs of wind in her hands.
Lightning was fast. Wind was fast. Speed was always a great asset in a fight. Karissa stayed behind and directed powerful wind spells at Hades whenever she found an opening. Not once did she ever hinder Laxus. It looked like the older mage always knew where the wind was coming from and he would step out of its trajectory before attacking once more. Whenever he could, Laxus deflected Hades' attacks against Karissa. And even when he couldn't, it didn't matter, Karissa would just fly away and dodge as if to mock his attempts. Even though Laxus wanted her to support from the back, she sometimes got close enough when she fly to send wind attacks.
The ice mage's role was to just provide numerous openings for Laxus to exploit, basically making him to all the hard work.
"Youths these days are so cocky!" Hades created an orb of dark purple and lunged at Laxus.
"Shut the hell up!" Laxus swung his arm and directed lightning with the force that was twice as destructive.
Yeah, and these same youths are currently beating your ass, idiot. Karissa sent a spiral of wind that took Hades off his feet and slammed him into the ceiling. Laxus looked up and opened his mouth to shoot a beam of lightning up into the air. His lightning swirled around her wind like a giant snake and collided into the ceiling.
Apathetically, Karissa watched Hades fall while Laxus got ready to knock him into next week.
Lucy was covering her head the whole time because the wind kept flying over her head. The others were watching the fight in awe. Their teamwork was perfect despite the rift between them all these years. This wasn't the first time they fought with each other because they went on jobs together when they were younger. But this was their first fight together as two strong adults. It was almost as if time had no effect on their cooperation.
He vanished in mid air. Laxus' eyes flickered when he caught sight of Hades in his peripheral vision. Almost on instinct, his cloak whipped around behind him when he darted towards the back.
Karissa flinched when she felt a familiar weight locking her in place. With her good eye, she spotted Hades standing on the left, pointing his index and middle finger at her.
"You'll die, here and now!"
She was a second away from being struck with Amaterasu but she kept her gaze on Hades without moving an inch or showing an ounce of panic because she trusted her current partner. As expected, in the next second, Laxus appeared next to Hades in a flash of lightning and kicked the back of his head with his heel, sending him down onto the wooden floor with a harsh sound, face first. That was pure physical strength. That kick alone might as well have cracked his skull.
With a dark look, Laxus then lifted his foot and aimed to stomp with lightning. His foot went through the wooden boards with a loud crack! but Hades rolled away and put some distance and dodged another lightning punch that broke the ground.
A smirk appeared on Karissa's lips. You focus on me and you risk leaving yourself open for Laxus to attack because it's a mistake to even think of taking your eyes off him. You focus on Laxus and you give me the full freedom to strike you as well.
Hades could not comprehend how the fight was shifting in their favour.
Hades swung his arm upwards to throw a blast at Karissa but she just flew away from its reach, leaving him open for an attack.
"Lightning Dragon: Breakdown Fist!"
An oversized lightning fist struck Hades and electrocuted him where he stood.
"Ventum Crepitus!"
Storm blades pierced the ground around Hades in a circle which subsequently blew up.
Karissa set herself down on the floor just behind Laxus and wobbled a little. She kept her eyes on the smoke and she heightened her awareness for anything alarming. Meanwhile, Laxus, whose eyes were still narrowed dangerously, still had lightning sparking around his body, almost itching to land another attack.
"Did they do it?" Erza wondered as she, Natsu and Lucy stood when Hades laid on the ground with no sign of movement.
Gray grimaced when he saw him turn on his side. "To think… a brat and a little girl could land so many hits on me." Hades grunted as he pushed himself back up. His clothes were all ragged from their attack and he had some blood on his arms. "No one's hit me this hard in ten years." He stood straight and glared darkly at the two of them. His magic power flared, giving off an evil sensation. All of a sudden, he was wearing a different attire and his condition looked better. He still had his wounds but he stood as if he didn't just receive a full assault of lightning and wind magic. "It would be an easy thing to simply wipe them out at this point… But I must pay them back for the entertainment they've given me!"
Karissa's eyes darkened instantly and Laxus took a cautious half-step back with an arm behind to push her back. Unconsciously, her hand clutched his cloak because the longer she continued to watch Hades and feel his magic increasing, the more uneasy she felt. For only a second, this caught Laxus' attention and he glanced down.
"That still wasn't enough?!" Lucy shook in place and gripped Natsu's top.
"No way." Natsu clenched his fists.
"You have another trick up your sleeve, old timer?" Laxus spat. He clenched his fists, causing the lightning to spark much more around him. "You must be a glutton for punishment."
Karissa lowered her head when she felt it pounding.
Dark. Evil. Danger.
Assured death.
Karissa clenched her eyes shut when the headache increased.
"Don't get cocky, brat." Hades ripped off his eyepatch, and almost instantly, the dark sensation increased tremendously. "It's over Fairy Tail!" he grinned evilly and positioned his arms in an odd stance.
"What is he doing now…?" Gray got ready to use whatever magic he had left to defend himself.
"Everyone!" Erza summoned two swords. "Summon whatever strength you have left! We have to take him down now!"
"Yeah!" Natsu's body combusted with flames and Lucy took out one of her gold keys.
The room began drenched in utter darkness. "You're too late! The book of Zeref, fourth chapter, twelfth verse! Hidden Magic: Nemisis!"
I don't think so!
It all happened in a second.
Karissa's head shot up and she looked directly at Hades with a small grin on her face. Their eyes met. Evil eyes met glowing purple swimming in black pools. Those eyes of hers promised potential or certain death to whoever dared to make their move. The grin was still etched on her face and she was completely unfazed by the rubble that began to shape into unearthly beings around them.
Then the room was blinded in a purple light.
"What the...?!" Laxus almost stumbled backwards if it weren't for Karissa steadying him.
At that moment, anyone who was using their magic temporarily lost their ability to wield it. It just vanished. No one knew what was happening as their sight was engulfed with bright purple. Everyone was flummoxed even after the light faded. The creatures made of rubble fell apart instantly when the room looked returned to its normal brightness.
"What was that...?!" Lucy blinked several times, whipping her head around.
"Did I go blind?!" Natsu rubbed his eyes.
"It doesn't seem to be hurting us." Erza held up a hand to her good eye.
Hades could not comprehend what had just happened. He only knew that whatever just happened was caused by the girl standing behind Makarov's brat. The way her eyes changed and stared at him, mockingly. That was the only unusual thing that happened before the spell broke after that blinding light. She had to be the reason.
Also, his heart stopped functioning.
No.
Froze would be the most appropriate word.
Karissa saw him stiffen.
Was that the opening?
Karissa took this chance to throw a big icicle his way to test her theory. They all watched him stumble to the side to dodge it. They didn't sense any magic from him and he certainly didn't look like he was confident in his dodging right now. He looked... a bit disturbed? Karissa picked up a nearby rubble with wind and launched it at him. He rolled out of the way and looked at his hands in disbelief.
The grandson didn't sense anything coming from Hades. He was just a powerless man carrying the sins of hurting the people who mattered to him. With a growl, he dragged his foot back and charged up his lightning in his raised hands. "Lightning Dragon: Heavenward Halberd!" A large amount of lightning shaped like a massive spear was hurled at Grimoire Heart's Master. It shot straight into Hades' center, fatally wounding him.
An anguished scream left Hades as the lightning spear filled rage went through his body. The attack blasted him through the wall of his ship, leaving smoke in its wake. In addition to that, he felt his Demon's Heart get destroyed.
Hades of Grimoire Heart was defeated.
Like the others, Gray stood still after witnessing Laxus deliver the final blow.
What was that weird yet familiar feeling that the light gave off? Where did he feel that kind of magic before?
This type of magic...
It touched his body once before.
Right. The incident back in Novera. That's when he first felt it.
...
...
...
Hades was left bleeding on the ground, heaving from his injury.
The young Dreyar silently walked over to the old man and stared him down like as if he was pathetic. The Dark Guild's Master looked at Laxus with a scowl he manage to muster. This wound would surely kill him if he received no help. He was sure no one, on Fairy Tail's side, would treat him and save his life. He didn't deserve it. Sure, Fairy Tail didn't kill people, but he wasn't a member of Fairy Tail anymore. Killing Hades wouldn't even have any consequence on him either since the Magic Council would definitely want him dead or imprisoned.
"That's for the old man and the girl you nearly killed." Laxus gave him one last glare before turning on his heel and walking away just as the light of sunrise touched the island, signaling the end of a long night.
"Is this okay?" Lucy mumbled next to Erza. This was first time she was seeing such a death like so in daylight. Hades' life was slowly slipping away the longer he laid there. The scarlet haired mage didn't turn her eyes away from the sight and didn't respond to her. Gray was also watching the scene that breathed death, revenge and victory.
"Fairy Tail doesn't kill." Natsu provided a response. His eyes were fixated on Laxus who was walking over to Karissa who was gently touching her face. "But... this was personal for Laxus." he realized that now Laxus openly said it. He couldn't payback the pain Hades had caused to his comrades because Laxus took the mantle and did it for a guild that kicked him out.
For people that mattered to him and got hurt.
Undeniable proof that he always cared about them.
With a prudent finger, she prodded the skin underneath her left eye. Obviously, she hissed and pulled away as if she got burned. In her peripheral vision, she saw Laxus standing near her. His eyes were studying her face again.
"Are you going to be okay?" He finally asked her.
"... Uh," Karissa awkwardly shrugged. "We'll see." her finger rose up to scratch her ear. "But... thanks for asking."
Laxus just grunted and looked to the side. And she was no better because she just stood there, lightly puffing out her cheeks. An awkward yet bearable silence fell between them. Karissa was somewhat pleased that he showed concern for her directly.
Soon, the Exceeds came running towards them while being chased by Hades' minions. However, they didn't have to lift a finger because Makarov and some of the other guild members arrived on the scene and dared them to try harming them, effectively ending the war between the two guilds.
Now, this wasn't some ass pull victory. It will be explained later (I mean I've been dropping hints about it so far)
Also, let's discuss the changes in the final battle.
1. Wendy was not in the fight. Why? Frankly, I always thought that keeping healers like her should not be fighting in a battle where she could potentially die. Yes, she enhanced everyone's strength, but that still wasn't enough. They still got wrecked. Speaking of getting wrecked, I changed that part in a way where it seemed much more believable. Hades gunning them down with magic bullets and they still couldn't do anything? Didn't Erza deflect Evergreen's bullets with swords before? Why couldn't she do it then? So, yeah. I changed that 'defeat' to make it look like they actually tried.
2. Laxus taking home the W. Every time I watch/read that fight, I always felt like Laxus should have gotten that win, mark or not. It would have felt like a redemption for what he did. Plus, in this case, it feels much more personal since Hades hurt Makarov and Karissa. Yeah, it takes away the part where Natsu gets Lightning-Fire as a power up, but like... when does he actually ever use it again in a serious fight? So, I decided to remove it. And even if he does use it in 100 Years Quest, I could still find a way how he could get it.
I dig the Laxus and Karissa combo.
Also, story cover has been updated~
See you in the next chapter!