Hello people! Well, to my own surprise, writing this chapter appeared to be quite a tough task. It took three weeks, and not because of lack of free time… Anyway, it's done now.
Answers for the reviewers:
Silent Reader 6100, Ferdoos, gratsulover117: Many thanks guys, glad to hear it!
Natsu is Awesome: Actually, when she mentioned 'an Incarnation of Armageddon' she was referring to Acnologia… which doesn't change anything, to be honest. As for Lucy… if she'd just found new powers and began learning to use it, it would be too easy, don't you think?
FanFictionHunter: Eyes are the mirrors of inner self. Her inner self is changing, so eyes changed to demonstrate it =) As for contest – I bet many people thought that I'm going to use Erza/Mira rivalry – that was one of the reasons not to do so, I don't like to be predictable =)
ValinNight: Thank you. Well, wait is almost over, one more chapter =)
EVA-Saiyajin: I know, I know – I was in hurry… as always =).
Tottenham Hotspur: Yes, she scorns that face with all her heart, but don't forget about her keener senses.
InflatedChimp: I have no possibility to update my story several times per week, so when I update, I have to offer something in return =)
Digitize27: Yes, as you remember – Lucy mentioned that she had no idea who that Bora was. Honestly – he was too insignificant to bother with new alias for him.
Mayby, but that's not too difficult to do =).
And why you're measuring Erza's power, comparing her with Gajeel from canon? Gajeel in my story is stronger than in canon, as well as Erza in my story is much stronger than her canonical counterpart.
Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
Now, let's proceed. As I said – I spent much more time on this chapter than initially was planned. When I began to write this story – I had some ideas for Fighting Festival arc. However, as story progressed – some ideas were used earlier, others became unsuitable due to characters' development. As a result – this chapter is closer to canon than I wanted. I hope it's worth it, I promise to compensate it in Nirvana arc.
This chapter contains three minor battles and a lot of social stuff, also it's sort of a preview of new Lucy (also preparation for Nirvana). Good reading and do not forget to leave a review!
Chapter updated 13/12/2016
Chapter XXIV – Shackles of Storm
…
Magnolia's outskirts
"Battle of Fairy Tail… Remaining combatants: 50," Freed said, putting his epee back into the scabbard. He just used it to send forth a magical blast in arc formation, sending Reedus crashing into the wall of nearby house. Reedus flew through entire house, breaking its walls, and fell on the ground behind it, unconscious and utterly defeated.
November 15, X784, 12:05, Fairy Tail guildhall, 2:10 remaining.
"Freed VS Reedus. Winner: Freed." Another report popped up, displaying an expected outcome.
"Damn, so quickly…" Sin swore as he saw the result of 'battle' between Reedus and Freed.
"As expected," Natsu commented, "It seems those guys thought about almost every possibility…"
"It's not the time to praise their capabilities, Natsu!" Erza said sternly.
"Reedus was supposed to be bringing us the medicine to turn the petrified girls pack to normal," Sin noted.
"There's not much point, I'm still convinced that those guys are just bluffing," Natsu expressed his opinion.
"Oh, you think I'm bluffing, do you, Natsu?" Laxus' voice asked from behind.
Erza, Natsu, Makarov and Sin abruptly turned around. "Laxus!?" Makarov exclaimed, eyeing his grandson.
"Yes, that's exactly what I think," Natsu answered Laxus' question, he and others stood still as it was just Laxus' Shinentai [Thoughts Projection].
"By the way," Laxus seemingly ignored Natsu's phrase, "Why you and your sweet-ass spouse are still here?"
"How did you call me?!" Erza growled but Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Relax, it was a compliment… which is surprising," God slayer said.
"Laxus' damn you, what's the meaning of this?!" Makarov asked angrily.
"Members of your guild… well, I guess you call them your 'children'… Well, how does it feel, watching those brats of yours pound one another into the ground?" Laxus smiled, moving his sight to slayers. "And since these two still haven't turned at least half of the town into the smoldering ruins while looking for me, I guess they just can't get out for some reason…"
'Damn, he's smarter than he looks…' Erza thought as Laxus quite easily found out why she and Natsu aren't looking for him now.
"And with both Natsu and Erza out of the picture, I guess there's nobody out there with the power to stand against Raijinshū…"
Makarov seemed cornered, Laxus was telling the truth. "Do you surrender?" Laxus asked.
"Wait a minute," Sin intervened, "I guess Gray's still out there. And he's on par with anyone from your gang."
"It's true," Erza agreed "And it seems he managed to avoid all the traps and infighting."
"Gray?" Laxus laughed, "Ha ha…"
"I wouldn't underestimate Gray if I were you, Laxus!" Makarov said confidently.
"So, you've got high hopes for that loser, huh?" Laxus chuckled, his opinion about Gray was pretty low…
"Well, I guess we'll soon find out who's actually the loser out there," Natsu noted, pointing at progress report.
"Gray VS Evergreen: Battle commences."
November 15, X784, 12:15, Magnolia's market, 2 hours remaining.
"Let's have a little chat, you and I, shall we?" Gray asked as Evergreen crushed into some building. Gray spoke calmly, but actually his soul was boiling with raging fury.
"Yōsei Kyū!" [Fairy Orb] Evergreen shouted, at the next moment bright orb of fairy magic flew out from dust cloud towards Gray.
"Aisu Meiku: Shīrudo!" [Ice Make: Shield] Gray quickly made his signature, flower-like shield made of ice. Orb struck the shield, creating directed, cumulative blast. At first glance, shield withstood the attack, but moment later several large cracks began to spread from impact point. One more moment later entire shield crumbled. "What the?!" Gray exclaimed in shock – the shield that withstood 1/3 of Jupiter's charge was destroyed with one blow?! And Gray became much better since then…
"Surprised, you, barbaric bumpkin?" Evergreen asked as she appeared from the damaged building, "How dare you to attack me from behind?!"
"Ngh…" Gray growled as he understood that she's not an easy prey.
"But, even such a jerk like you can be considered beautiful when fashioned out of stone," Evergreen said, lifting her glasses.
"Aisu Meiku: Megane!" [Ice Make: Glasses] Gray quickly gathered his magic, creating glasses made of ice and put them on himself. Maybe glasses' lenses weren't crystal clear, yet they were transparent enough for Gray to see where Evergreen is and what she's doing.
"Oh, so you're not entirely stupid…" She said, a bit disappointedly – no simple victory…
"I don't care what you're saying, but for threatening our girls… I send you to hell!" Gray shouted, readying his spell, "Aisu Meiku: Ransu!" [Ice Make: Lance] Gray made a dozen of lances made of ice and shot them toward Evergreen at great velocity. Evergreen quickly spread her wings and flew into the air, barely avoiding first attack. She turned to Gray to say something, but instead was forced to dodge from another set of ice spears. Gray made several more attempts to strike down his opponent, but Evergreen was flying around him, avoiding his attacks.
"Oh my… so dedicated to defeat me…" Evergreen said as Gray made a short pause in his attacks, "I guess you haven't noticed my fairy dust all around you?" True to her words – Gray was so focused on Evergreen herself, and also because the lenses of his glasses weren't completely transparent, he didn't notice that he, just like Elfman before him, was engulfed with cloud of golden dust.
"Yōsei Bakudan: Guremurin!" [Fairy Bomb: Gremlin] By Evergreen's will every dust particle exploded, resulting in one big explosion with Gray in epicenter.
"GAAAHHH!" Gray screamed, engulfed in flames.
"These Fairy Fails even more primitive than I thought… being defeated with the same trick…" Evergreen noted, landing on the ground. She expected to see Gray on the ground, defeated, and without his ice glasses, so she also could turn him to stone. However…
"Aisu Meiku: Batoru Akkusu!" [Ice Make: Battle Axe] Gray made a big axe made of ice and tried to slice his opponent with it. Evergreen barely avoided the attack by dropping on the ground, yet Gray sliced off her ponytail. "Don't get cocky, bitch!" Gray shouted as he appeared from the smoke. His clothes were ripped and he got many burns, but this battle was far from over.
"My… my hair!" Evergreen screamed as she saw lock of her hair fell on pavement, "Damn you!"
"Shut up!" Gray had no desire to hear her hysterical screams, he raised his ice axe and proceed to attack Evergreen with it.
"Be gone!" She shouted, using her wings she ascended on the roof of the closest building. "Die! Disappear! Yōsei Kijū: Reburahōn!" [Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun] She attacked Gray with flurry of fairy bullets, ravaging pavement.
Gray dashed to the building's wall to hide from Evergreen's spell. His cover was quickly destroyed, but using his ice axe as climbing hook, he managed to climb on the roof. Evergreen saw him and directed her machinegun toward ice mage. Gray used his ice magic to make a tower shield. Holding shield in left hand and axe in his right ice mage rushed toward fairy-witch. "Ragh!" Gray swung his axe, once again trying to attack Evergreen. She dodged, and Gray sliced a smokestack.
"Let's see how you'll dodge my torrent of bullets!" Evergreen shouted, increasing the number of bullets.
"Agh! Stay still bitch!" Gray still was chasing her, constantly channeling more magic into his shield to not let it crumble because of Evergreen's bullets.
"Too slow!" Ever shouted as she dodged from another Gray's attack, which made a huge hole in factory's roof. She continued to evade Gray's attacks. She jumped down into the roof hatch, and flew along one of factory's corridors. "To think that you could manage to block all those bullet…" Evergreen said, surprised by Gray's endurance as he jumped down into roof hatch and continued to chase her, "You're pretty good. However… what if I were to double them?" As she said that, the amount of bullets actually became twice as much.
"Augh! Ouch!" She hit Gray several times as now one shield was simply not enough to block all the bullets.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Evergreen laughed, seeing as Gray was taking damage from her magic bullets. "I am the top Fairy! And when Laxus will win, I'll be the only one fairy in the guild!"
However, saying this seemingly was a mistake as now Gray was infuriated to the limit. "SHUT UP!" Ice mage bellowed, as he threw his shield into Evergreen, making himself open to her attacks. Multiple bullets hit him, but Gray didn't stop or fall, he rushed at Evergreen as fast as he could.
"What!?" Ever exclaimed in shock, looking at approaching Ice mage as Gray was simply ignoring her spell, "Im… Impossible! How can you…!?"
"Freeze!" Gray shouted, covering his arms with magic, "Aisu Meiku: Aisu Gaizā!" [Ice Make: Ice Geyser]
It seems that in her shock, fairy-witch let Gray to come too close. "UUUAAAGH!" Evergreen screamed as blue magic seal appeared beneath her, and huge ice geyser shot from the ground, encasing her into solid ice. She couldn't move but was able to see what's going on outside and her eyes widened in horror as she saw Gray preparing another spell.
"Aisu Meiku: Aisu Kyanon" [Ice Make: Ice Cannon] Gray created a big cannon made of ice and shot an ice cannonball at Evergreen.
"YYAAAUUUUHH!" Fairy-witch screamed in pain as cannonball smashed her into factory's wall. She flew forth, breaking five more walls with her body before crashing into a large concrete smokestack.
"Don't you dare to touch Mira ever again," Gray said as he touched Evergreen's body with his boot, to make sure that she's no longer a threat.
November 15, X784, 12:30, Fairy Tail guildhall, 1:45 remaining.
Battle for Fairy Tail Progress report.
"Gray VS Evergreen. Winner: Gray. Evergreen: Out of commission."
"Yeah!" Erza exclaimed as she saw the result.
"So, who's the loser here now?" Natsu asked, turning back to Laxus.
Makarov's grandson didn't reply as his face twisted in fury and his projection disappeared. "He can't even lose with honor…" Sin commented.
Clank. Clank. Clank. Simultaneously, stone shell of each girl crumbled, freeing them all. When defeated, Evergreen could no longer support her spell.
"Huh? What's going on?" Lucy asked in confusion.
"What was Juvia been doing…?" Water witch wondered.
"Where's everybody?" Levy looked around.
"What happened?" Mira inquired, looking at Master.
Cana and Biska silently stood in the middle of the stage, looking around in confusion.
"Nicely done, Gray! They all returned back to normal!" Sin concluded, flying around the girls.
November 15, X784, 12:35, Kardia Cathedral, 1:40 remaining.
"Why the hell Evergreen let herself to be taken out by the likes of that brat Gray?!" Laxus growled angrily, punching one of cathedral's columns. "Well!? Damn it! Evergreen, when did you get so goddamn weak?!"
"I think we've underestimated Gray, in the end – he's in Natsu's gang… He was simply too strong for Evergreen, taking Gray out was a job for Bixslow or myself…" Freed noted calmly as he entered the cathedral.
Laxus listened to him with very dark face expression. "And what are you doing back here, Freed?" Laxus asked, not looking at a rune mage.
"Well, the game is over. With the hostages freed, master will never give in," Freed replied.
Laxus abruptly turned around and looked at Freed with the eyes full of fury. Freed was a bit shocked to see such a sight, and he was shocked even more when Laxus' lightning bolt struck the ground in less than one meter away from Freed, forcing him to shield his face.
"Laxus?!" Rune mage asked in fear.
"It is not over," Laxus replied darkly. "If you want to chicken out now, then get lost. I don't need weaklings in my Fairy Tail." Freed just looked at master's grandson with widened eyes, unable to understand what Laxus has on his mind.
November 15, X784, 12:40, Fairy Tail guildhall, 1:35 remaining.
"The 'battle of Fairy Tail'?!" Lucy exclaimed with her mouth wide open in surprise.
"Laxus pulled a thing like that?" Cana could barely believe in this.
That was girls' reaction at recent events when master explained to them what's going on. "…yeah, but either way, it's all over now. Now that all of you are de-petrified, Laxus can't possibly keep up this idiotic game any longer." Makarov noted. "Gray is to be commended, instead of participating in infighting he found the right person and dealt with her."
"So, it was Gray who saved us all?" Mira perked up, for obvious (for Natsu) reason.
"Yes, until now, he was the only one out there who used his head, instead of ass, to think," Natsu confirmed.
'Good work, Gray. The hostages have been freed. What will you do now, Laxus?' Master thought with pleased smile.
"Oh, it seems I've missed all the fun…" Gajeel's voice sounded from somewhere, few moments later the iron dragon slayer appeared from the utility room.
"Gajeel!?" Several people exclaimed simultaneously.
"You were here this entire time?!" Master asked in shock.
"Well, I felt myself hungry and went to find something to eat," Gajeel explained, as he took a bite from already half-eaten steel knife. "And then I fell asleep."
"I knew it!" Erza exclaimed victoriously, pointing at Natsu, "I told you it wasn't mice! It was his snoring what I was hearing!" Her hearing is really superior. God slayer just shook his head slightly as he saw Gajeel.
"Stop eating our kitchen stuff!" Mirajane exclaimed as Gajeel took another bite from knife.
"Still… what about everyone who was caught in Freed's traps and got seriously hurt…?" Levy asked sorrowfully.
"That's right!" Bisca shouted sternly, clenching her fists, "Laxus had better see some punishment for this; we can't simply tolerate it!"
"Oh you can be sure I'll give him a proper seeing to later!" Makarov shouted angrily. "Damn you Laxus, you've gone too far this time!"
"This guild is a lot of fun, don't you think, Gajeel-kun?" Juvia asked, observing Makarov's actions.
"They're fucking crazy…" Gajeel snorted.
"Um, master," Erza called for Makarov, "Look at this," She pointed at battle's progress report.
"Hmm?" Makarov also looked at runic wall, which was still there by the way. Battle reports continued to pop out on the wall. According to them, Bixlow continued to take out Fairy Tail members, which seemingly was unaware of Gray's success and still were running around the town. Remaining combatants' number continued to decrease.
"They're still fighting… something's going on, master…" Natsu noted.
November 15, X784, 12:45, Kardia Cathedral, 1:30 remaining.
"Palace of Thunder?!" Freed asked in shock, "You would go this far, Laxus?"
"This far?" Laxus repeated Freed's question. "I decide my own limits!"
"Yes, but…" Freed tried to retort.
"This is a battle!" Laxus bellowed in fury, "It's not over until one side or the other is obliterated completely!"
'The Palace of Thunder…' Freed thought, staring at his boss, 'Will you actually go that far, Laxus? Until the end?'
"How long are you planning to stay here and stare at me, Freed?" Laxus inquired with annoyance. "Bixlow is still out there, hunting fairies, you know?" He informed, looking at cathedral's altar. "Those bitches were revived, so old man probably will send them to find you and Bixlow. Get out there and find Mirajane, find her and deal with her. Also, look for Cana and Phantom girl. Take care of them, I don't need either of them in my Fairy Tail. Feel free to kill them, if necessary," Laxus gave Freed an order.
"Kill them?!" Freed exclaimed in shock. "Laxus, we may be fighting them right now, but they're still members of…"
"DID YOU NOT HEAR MY ORDERS?!" Laxus bellowed, infuriated by Freed's hesitation.
Freed sighed heavily as his face expression became grim. "I guess now that we came this far, there's no turning back. I will accompany you this path… even if it leads to hell," Freed said, turning around and heading towards exit. "I will accomplish my mission. I will be aiming for the kill, don't get cold feet now…"
"Very good, Freed the Dark." Laxus said with satisfied smile, "It's time for you to show your real power to those weaklings…"
November 15, X784, 12:50 PM, Magnolia, 1:25 remaining.
"Aha ha ha ha!" Bixlow laughed maniacally as his 'babies' were chasing Nab and Mikki.
"Stop this, Bixlow!" Nab yelled in panic, as Bixlow's dolls were shooting at him.
"We're nakama, aren't we?!" Mikki barely avoided another energy blast.
"Nakama?" Bixlow asked scornfully. He was hanging upside down on one of festive ribbons, "I don't have weaklings for nakama. Ain't that right, babies?!" He shouted as his dolls made a baryon formation and shot powerful blast at Nab, knocking him out. "Ahahahah!" Soul mage laughed hysterically.
Alzack crossed the bridge and now he was walking along the townhouse, leaning on its wall and panting. He was severely worn out, got several bruises and many cuts. He probably fought few more times after he defeated Jet and Droy. When Alzack came close to the corner, green-haired man in red coat stepped out from the alley on the right.
"Freed…" Alzack hissed, as Freed was looking at him with strange face expression – It was a mix of pity, condescension and scorn. "Thanks to your accursed runes… I've been forced to hurt my friends and comrades…" Alzack growled, seems even speaking was quite difficult for him due to sustained damage. "All the while I was telling myself that all of it was for the sake of turning Bisca back to normal…" Freed stood silently, listening to Alzack, probably some part of him wanted to apologize…
"Ganzu Majikku: Torunēdo Shotto!" [Guns Magic: Tornado Shot] Alzack quickly took his magical revolvers and shot into Freed from both. Wind bullets merged together and formed a tornado, directed at Rune mage.
Freed, however, was expecting it. He quickly took out his epee and sliced the space in front of himself, effectively dissipating the wind stream.
"My magical wind bullets… were sliced apart?!" Alzack was shocked that his spell virtually did no damage as Freed gave him a haughty look. "Ngh!" Alzack croaked suddenly as he felt that he can't make a breath. "Nguh! What's… this?!" Alzack said chocking, clenching to his throat, "I can't… breathe… you have some kind of… weird magic… besides those… runes…" Alzack asked hoarsely as he collapsed on his knees, "Uagh… Ugh…" Alzack continued to suffocate as he finally fell on the ground face down and lost consciousness.
"Hmpf…" Freed snorted, putting his epee back into scabbard. Several runic words appeared in front of him, 'Within these runes, anyone who uses magic will be deprived of oxygen.' Freed turned around and headed towards the closest alley, "I merely used my runes to their greatest effect. Once my rules are upon you, you have no hope of defeating their creator…" Rune mage noted, looking back at defeated Alzack. "Only few remains… Battle of Fairy Tail is nearly over…"
November 15, X784, 12:55, Fairy Tail guildhall, 1:20 remaining.
"What these two fools think they're doing?!" Master exclaimed, looking at 'battle progress reports', which was showing that Freed and Bixlow continues to take out remaining Fairy Tail members. Remaining combatants counter now was showing number '26'.
"Master, look!" Levy pointed at runes, which began to float around, forming something in the middle of the guildhall. "What… is that…?"
"The runes… they're not just floating – they're forming something!" Bisca exclaimed, pointing at half-forming figure.
"What is going on here?!" Mira exclaimed in frustration as runes formed a giant skull, which now was floating in the middle of the guildhall.
"Can you hear me, old man?" Laxus' voice sounded from the skull, "And everyone from the guild, too?"
"Laxus?!" Master exclaimed.
"Not that moron again…" Natsu said skeptically.
"It looks like we've lost one of our rules… so I'm going to instate a new one," Laxus informed through runic skull. "So as to keep this battle of Fairy Tail moving… I've activated the Palace of Thunder."
"Palace of Thunder?!" Makarov exclaimed in shock.
"If you want to end this game now, just hand over the title of master of Fairy Tail to me," Laxus announced.
"Why you… so that's what you are after!?" Master growled angrily.
"There's not much time left, so you better think this one over good!" Laxus laughed.
"Are you insane, Laxus?! You're threatening to slay thousands of civilians to become Fairy Tail's master?!" Erza asked in disbelief.
"Only one hour and fifteen minutes remain… Do you think you can defeat us, when you and your best mages are trapped?" Laxus inquired.
"Hey?!" Mira exclaimed resentfully when Laxus didn't include her into the group of 'best mages'.
"Just play nice and retire, master," Laxus said, laughing, as runic skull disappeared.
"You…. You…" Master could barely talk because of his raging fury.
"You want Fairy Tail so badly, Laxus?" Natsu said indifferently, looking at guild hall's interior, but his left eye flashed with dark blue light, "So be it. Master, please, announce your retirement, as he asks."
"WHAT?!" Everyone shouted simultaneously.
"Let him have Fairy Tail. When he'll remove these runes, I'll annihilate this guildhall and members' registration book. Instead of a guild he'll get only some smoldering ruins, without mages, and then I'll put so big bounty for his empty head that every bounty hunter and even every assassin of this continent will be after him. He can't see where his place is? I'll show him… let's see how much of a good sleep you'll get with so many people looking to take your worthless life, Laxus…" Natsu was really… displeased this time.
"Natsu, what are you saying?" Levy whispered in disbelief.
"Are you serious?" Cana asked in shock, she even dropped a bottle of booze on the floor.
"Actually… I think it might work…" Mira scratched her head. "We're still nakama, we can form a new guild, with Laxus out of picture…"
"You don't understand… Fairy Tail… it's not just name or symbol, it's… Raaaghh! LAXUS?! Palace of Thunder?!" Master was so infuriated that he could barely speak. "What on earth are you thinking, you fool?! Are you trying to drag innocent civilians into this?! You… Naugh!" Suddenly, master coughed and clenched to his heart.
"Master?!" Levy and Bisca cried worriedly.
"Oh no, his heart!" Cana exclaimed.
Makarov collapsed on knees and then on the floor face down.
"He got a heart attack!" Erza exclaimed as she literally heard arrhythmia of master's heart.
"This is bad! He needs his medicine!" Mira rushed to master's office.
"At a time like this…!" Bisca exclaimed desperately.
"Master, please hold on!" Levy cried.
"Ungh…" Makarov moaned, he was sweating all over, obviously he was in bad condition.
"What is the 'Palace of Thunder'?" Juvia wondered.
"That's worse than I thought, Natsu – look outside!" Mira called from the stage, pointing towards the balcony.
As Mira stayed to help master, Natsu and others went to the balcony. "What the… is he serious?!" Erza couldn't believe in that what she was seeing just now.
"Thunder lacrimas…?" Levy mumbled. Several crystals were right above the guild building – yellow spheres, surrounded with lightning field.
"Things like that… floating all around the town?!" Cana was shocked. There were two circles of lacrima crystals above the town, internal ring contained about 150 crystals, and outer ring was twice as big.
"What are these things?" Gajeel inquired.
"Every one of those individual lacrima crystals is charged with an enormous amount of magical lightning energy…" Erza explained, "This is Raimei no Kyūden [Palace of Thunder]."
"Don't tell me that 'Palace of Thunder'… means exactly what it sounds like… a palace of lightning…" Juvia mumbled.
"And if that 'Palace' is Magnolia…" Cana murmured.
"Wait, what would happen if those things discharged?!" Lucy asked worriedly.
"The town would be engulfed in a storm of lightning strikes…" Cana replied.
"Each crystal contains enough lightning energy to destroy a typical town's house, which means that approximately 450 buildings will be destroyed by lightning storm directly, and much more, almost entire town, will be destroyed by resulting explosions and fire. Estimated civilian losses: sixty-five percent," Natsu gave military-style report.
"Sixty-five percent?! Taking town's guest into account it will be about fifty thousand of innocent civilians!" Cana shouted, "Which goal that idiot is trying to achieve by committing a genocide?!"
"He's cornered now, and there's nothing more dangerous than a cornered animal…" Erza replied.
"Doesn't matter, I'm not going to let something like that happen! Sunaipā Raifuru: Za Gannā!" [The Gunner: Sniper Rifle] Bisca exclaimed, as magical sniper rifle appeared in her hands, she got down on left knee and aimed at randomly chosen thunder lacrima. "Target Lock On: Sutingā Shotto!" [Stinger Shot]
"No, wait!" Erza tried to stop Bisca, but she came round too late, gunner mage already shot an armor-piercing magic bullet at lacrima sphere. Boom! Bullet hit the target and lacrima collapsed, eliciting a small cloud of smoke and crystalline dust.
"All right!" Lucy exclaimed cheerfully.
"Nice going there, Bisca!" Cana approved.
"What's wrong, Erza?" Bisca wondered, she didn't understand why Erza was worried, "I'll take down every last one of these things!"
"It was too reckless! What if there was some sort of protection spell?!" Erza was discontented by Bisca's rash actions. As if a conformation of Erza's worries, lightning field engulfed Bisca, and at the next moment she was electrocuted by powerful electrical discharge.
"AAAUUUAGH!" Bisca was screaming in agony as others jerked away from her.
"Ahhh!" Lucy covered her face.
"Bisca!" Cana didn't anticipate anything like that. Gunner mage fell on the ground, her skin was covered with countless burns as her intestines also were fried a bit. "Hey?! Can you hear me?! Bisca?!" Cana called for her, but cowgirl was unconscious.
"That's what I meant!" Erza shouted.
"What the heck?! What's going on?!" Lucy looked at Bisca in shock.
"Seitai Rinku Mahō?!" [Organic Link Magic] Cana screamed in shock.
"Surprised, are we? Just once, can you people think before act?" Natsu asked indifferently, but his eyes blinked with crimson light as he smashed the balcony fence.
"Natsu?!" Levy looked at him worriedly, but Natsu haven't said anything and headed back to the main hall.
"What this 'Organic Link Magic' is?" Lucy inquired.
"These lacrimas are protected with a form of magic that links each crystal to any possible attacker. In other words – if you'll destroy any of these lacrimas, lightning energy stored inside won't just disappear but discharge into you…" Erza explained, as she picked up Bisca and followed Natsu, "This is what happened to her."
"Amazing…" Lucy whispered, "He really is a powerful mage…"
"It's not the time to admire him, Lucy!" Cana shouted at blonde as she and others headed back to main hall, "At this rate, fifty thousands of town's residents…"
"Hey, look!" Sin pointed at combatants' counter – it was showing a number: 9.
"Nine?!" Erza exclaimed, "Only nine left?!"
"You, Natsu," Sin counted, sitting on Erza's shoulder, "…these five…" Boney creature pointed at de-petrified girls minus Bisca "…and Gajeel. Who's the ninth one?"
"It's Gray," Mira replied, looking at numbers, "He's still out there, in the town…"
"Yes, but I think he's too exhausted to continue battle…" Natsu noted. "However, he already has done everything he had to, we have no right to ask any more of him, rest is up to us."
"There's nothing for it but to take out Laxus himself then, let's go!" Mira exclaimed bellicosely. She just placed Bisca in sickbay, but there's nothing more she could do for her or the master.
"You can relax, I'll get him," Gajeel announced, heading to the guild's exit.
"Hmpf…" Mira grunted.
"Would… you actually do that for us…?" Levy asked unconfidently.
"I've got the bone to pick with that guy anyway," Iron dragon replied with smirk, "Just leave him to me."
"Right!" Juvia cheered for her friend as he was marching towards the guild hall exit.
"Five… four… three… two… one…" Natsu gave a countdown.
Boom! Just as Natsu said 'zero', Gajeel crashed into the same invisible wall, just as Erza and the god slayer himself, two hours ago.
Rune barrier displayed the rule: "Those above the age of 80, and stone statues, may not pass."
"WHAT?!" All girls, except for Erza, were shocked.
"What the hell?!" Gajeel yelled angrily.
"No time for this," Mira quickly recomposed herself and ran towards exit, "It's up to us, girls, let's go!" Cana and Juvia followed her.
"I'll try to evacuate as many of the townspeople as I can!" Lucy announced and also left the guildhall.
"There are still two of Raijinshū left! Be careful everyone!" Levy shouted on.
"You aren't going, Levy?" Erza inquired.
"No, I got an idea!" Bookworm exclaimed with sudden enthusiasm as she run upstairs.
As everyone left, only Natsu, Erza, Sin and Gajeel were to stay in the main hall. "What the heck is this?!" Gajeel again struck the invisible wall, "Why I can't go out?!"
"Where you've learned your Tetsu no Metsuryū Maho [Iron Dragon Slayer Magic], Gajeel?" Natsu inquired. "It's not just my idle interest, this is important," He added as iron dragon slayer looked at him, "Was that a real dragon?"
"Yes," Gajeel replied simply. "Metallicana… the iron dragon Metallicana…"
"So you also were raised by a real dragon?" Erza said.
"Huh? You met the dragon too?" Gajeel wondered.
"No, not exactly…" Erza replied. "I learned my magic from Andromeda the Starbinder, the star dragon… But she died hundreds of years ago, I only met her spirit…"
"Star dragon…" Gajeel scratched his head.
"What happened to your dragon, Gajeel?" Natsu wondered.
"Vanished…" Gajeel said, looking into the sky through guildhall's door. "One day he just vanished, without saying a word…" Gajeel again struck the invisible wall.
"Let me guess," Natsu said, "He vanished at July 7, X777?"
"Huh?! How did you know?!" Gajeel abruptly turned to Natsu.
"We met another like you, a while ago – a guy named Haru. He was raised by a fire dragon, who also disappeared at the same date," Erza explained.
"Hmm…" Gajeel sighed, "He's the third then." Natsu and Erza looked at him questioningly, so he explained. "Nelliel. She also was raised by a dragon, dream dragon Somniara, which also vanished at that date…"
"Three dragons… All had a foster human child… All made them dragon slayers… And all vanished at the same day, the day when time intersects, July 7, X777…" Natsu was thinking aloud. "Anyway, when your dragon took you as a foster child and started to teach you his magic – you've inherited his bloodline as well. And since these primitive runes are using blood to determine the person's age, this wall considers you almost as old as the dragon that taught you. Thus, you can't leave this place, just as we are…" Though, if these runes use blood to determine the age – why Sin can't leave – he has no blood at all…
Gajeel stood near the exit with his mouth wide open, trying to comprehend what Natsu just said, but suddenly, Levy's enthusiastic voice interrupted him.
"Guys!" Bookworm returned to the guild hall and brought a pile of huge books. "This invisible wall… it is made of runes, right? That's a form of written magic… I might be able to do something about it!"
"Seriously? You're willing to give it a shot?" Natsu was a bit surprised with Levy's initiative.
"Yes! I'll do everything I can to let you out of here!" Blue-haired girl exclaimed. "If here's anyone to stop Laxus – it's you guys!"
November 15, X784, 13:15, Magnolia, one hour remaining.
"Where the hell is that asshole?" Mira asked herself, wandering across the town, "He may be anywhere…"
"Mira?" She-devil heard familiar voice nearby.
"Gray?! Snow-haired girl saw her boyfriend at the side alley. She quickly dashed to him, "You alright?!" He was in bad shape – obviously he took a lot of damage chasing Evergreen. He was walking, hobbling on the right leg, got many bruises and cuts, but his face became happy when he saw Mira.
"I'll be okay," Ice mage replied when Mira came close, "Just a few scratches. I'm so glad to see that you're all right…" Gray really seemed relieved, he probably wasn't sure that knocking out Evergreen was enough to free the girls.
"And I'm thankful to you, my hero," She-devil said, as she passionately kissed her boyfriend. "I'll thank you properly later, but now I've got something to do."
"Yes, that's what I wanted to ask, by the way," Gray noted, "What's these things? What's going on?"
"That's Laxus again…" Mira sighed. She gave Gray short explanation about Palace of Thunder.
"Is he serious?!" Gray couldn't believe his ears, "He took entire town's population and all the guests as hostages to get master's seat?!"
"I know, that's insanity, but we need to do something about this," Mira replied.
"Then go, find Laxus," Gray replied, kissed his girlfriend and headed towards town's center. "Please, be careful!" He added, turning around.
"Wait, where're you going?" Mira wondered, "You're not going back to guild? You need some medical treatment!"
"No time for this, I got an idea," Gray replied, smiling about Mira's care for him, "We can at least reduce the number of those things…"
November 15, X784, 13:20, Fairy Tail, 55 minutes remaining.
"Hmmmm…" Levy frowned, looking into some dictionary. She stood on all four, surrounded by the pile of old books, and looking into one of them through her 'wind reading glasses'. "I need to break down the rogue characters' arrangement data into basic character material… identify the base characters used in rule construction… L, O, S, U… Now, if we map those onto basic Guille grammar…" Levy murmured under her breath.
"Wow, you're incredible, you know…" Gajeel admitted; he stood on knees near Levy and looked at her work, "I can't understand a word you're saying…"
"No! The L and S are the bluff!" Levy exclaimed as she abruptly turned to Gajeel, "The key code is 'ALS'!"
"I… I see…" Gajeel mumbled as he again didn't understand anything. Yet he continued to look at Levy's work.
"Don't worry…" Levy said encouraging, "I'm going to get you guys out of here in no time!"
"It's not like I really…" Gajeel tried to say but Levy interrupted him.
"Please," she looked at him, "Stop Laxus."
And when she said that Gajeel realized, that, despite his past deeds, this girl already accepted him as nakama. And now she's asking for his help… 'These people are just…' Gajeel thought, "Okay, just let me out of here…"
In the meantime, Natsu and Erza stood near the Hall's exit. "You think she can do it?" Natsu wondered, looking at Levy.
"Come on Natsu, you're almost like Laxus…" Erza teased him, "Have some faith in your comrades."
"Very funny…" Natsu shook his head.
"Hey, look!" Suddenly sin pointed at combatants' counter, which now was showing "10".
"It went up…" Gajeel also noticed number's change.
"Oh? Someone recovered enough to be counted as combatant again? Unlikely… Then reinforcement?" Natsu seemed a bit puzzled.
"Who?" Sin wondered.
"The man who could be seen in the guild even more rarely than we are," Erza smirked, "And it looks like that man has decided to take part in this battle…"
"Oh, right…" Natsu remembered, "I almost forgot about his existence…"
"Our guild has one master, one Ace mage and five S-class mages. One of them is Laxus… Mirajane is in town now… two of us here… and there's the fifth – Mystogan," Erza explained.
'This guild is really crazy… so many powerful mages…' Gajeel thought as he heard Erza.
November 15, X784, 13:25, Magnolia, fifty minutes remaining.
"Damn, there's no sign of him anywhere!" Cana exclaimed angrily, looking around. She and Juvia were looking for Laxus together.
"Can't you think of anywhere else where Laxus might be?" Juvia inquired.
"Hmmm…" Cana frowned, "I've known him for as long as anybody, but right now… It's like he's closed off his heart completely…"
On the other side of the town, Mirajane was looking for her brother. Finally, after asking some townspeople, she found him at marketplace. "Elfman!" She exclaimed as she saw him lying on the ground, face down, his take-over spell wore off.
"N… nee-san…?" Elfman slightly moved as he heard his sister's call.
"Oh my… these wounds are terrible…" She mumbled as she knelt to help her brother to stand up.
"Tha… thank god… you're… back to nor… mal…" It was still hard for him to speak.
"I'm sorry, Elfman…" Mira said with shameful voice, "I'm so sorry…"
"What've you got… to apologize… for…?" Elfman asked, trying to smile (without much success).
"For that I let that dirty bitch to catch me off-guard," Mira sighed, she really felt herself ashamed, "While I stood like a graven image, literally, you and others had to look for Raijinshū to save me… It was my duty, I'm a senior mage!"
"It's I'm the one who have to apologize…" Elfman grunted, "I'm the man, I had to save you and other girls… but I failed…" Elfman also was ashamed.
"Okay, enough of this!" Mira exclaimed suddenly, "Why should we feel ourselves ashamed!? It's Laxus' fault, not ours!"
"Ye… yeah…" Elfman replied, as he obviously had to agree.
"All right, can you stand?" Mira asked.
"Yes… yes I think I can," Elfman said as Mira stepped back from him.
"Good, then go back to the guild – let someone to take care of your wounds… and no retorts!" Mira added sternly as Elfman tried to protest, "That's an order of the senior mage!"
"Ok… okay…" Elfman unwillingly agreed.
"Listen, I can't promise to punish those who did it to you, Gray already took care of that, but I will punish all her friends-idiots, that's a promise!" Mira shouted and ran towards town's park as Elfman hobbled off towards the guildhall.
About five minutes Mira was wandering around the town. 'Shit, it's hard to find anyone if you have absolutely no clue where they might be…' She thought, examining the surrounding buildings. "Where should I look…" She-devil thought aloud.
"Yeah…"
"Where should you look…"
"Yeah…"
Strange voices sounded behind Mirajane. She abruptly turned around, just in time to see five little flying barrels. She made a reverse summersault, landing on the roof of nearby building, avoiding a volley of green energy blasts that Bixlow's 'babies' shot at her.
"Hey there… so I've finally met the pinup star of Fairy Tail…" Bixlow waved to she-devil, he was standing atop of flagstick of a large toy factory.
"Bixlow!" Mira shouted, and it sounded almost joyfully as she finally found someone upon who she could vent her spleen. "Finally! Some fool that I can smash! Satan Sōru!" [Satan Soul] With bright flash of magic Mirajane performed her full body takeover.
"So, there's finally someone up to a good fight?" Bixlow said, eyeing the demon on the opposite roof. "Hey, babies… take her out!" Flying barrels began their target run, shooting at she-devil with green energy beams.
Mira easily avoided all attacks, extending her hands forward and creating a dark purple magic seal "Dākunesu Sutorīmu!" [Darkness Stream]. Multitude of hands, composed of dark energy, appeared from the seal, and smashed all flying barrels in an instant.
"No, babies!" Bixlow screamed in panic, holding to his head. "How could you?! To smash them like this?! My poor babies… oh, just kiddin!" He suddenly smiled, sticking out his tongue as a massive green beam struck Mirajane from behind, seemingly taking her by surprise. She-devil disappeared inside of a cloud of dust and smoke. "You can destroy my dolls all you like, but it won't stop the souls within them that I control!" Bixlow shouted, spreading his arms wide, "And right now I'm standing atop of the toy factory, a treasure trove of dolls!" He added as his new dolls, wooden figures of animals, were flying around the smoke cloud, which engulfed Mirajane.
Boom! Within a fracture of a second all dolls once again were smashed to pieces. "Yes, I know," Mira replied. Dust cloud dissipated and demon appeared virtually unharmed, only angered by Bixlow's attempt to attack her from behind.
In a blink of an eye, Mira leaped to Bixlow and slammed her boot into his face, sending him flying across the street. Bixlow fell on the stone bridge over the channel. "What?! How she..?! GUAAH!" He screamed again as she-devil approached him, took him from the ground by collar and winded with full force, sending him crashing into bridge's fence. Bixlow crashed into fences and broke them, falling form bridge. However, few moments later he appeared again, sitting on another bunch of dolls, and holding to his chest.
"I will squash you like a bug," Mira said with cold rage in her voice, looking at Bixlow as her eyes were glowing with red demonic light.
'Damn, she's too fast for my dolls, I have to…' Bixlow thought but Mira didn't give him time to consider a new battle strategy as she again leaped at him. "X-Formatio…!" Bixlow tried to use his dolls for protection, but he wasn't fast enough.
Using her wings, Mira flew to enemy and grabbed him by his shirt, and cast a spell, "Īburu Supāku!" [Evil Spark], electrocuting her opponent with dark lightning. While Bixlow was screaming in pain, she-devil threw him back on the bridge. Probably, Mirajane was the most inconvenient type of enemy for Bixlow. With her immense speed, his dolls were almost useless for both attack and defense, as they simply couldn't catch up with her. Most importantly, however, was the fact that Mirajane simply is much stronger than Bixlow and that's it.
"Guuuuhh!" Soul mage croaked as he crashed into the stone bridge's surface. However, despite the great disadvantage, he still was trying to resist. "Baryon forma…" He tried to command, but before Bixlow could finish his phrase Mira again destroyed all his dolls. 'Dammit all!' He thought, as his body already was beaten very badly, "I guess there's nothing else for it!' He decided, removing his mask. "Figyua Aisu!" [Figure Eyes] He had no choice but to use his special type of Eye Magic that allow the user to take control of the souls of living beings who come into direct eye contact with him. "Look into my eyes and serve to Laxus now!" He shouted, sticking out his tongue as he removed his mask and opened his eyes, which now were glowing with green light. However, instead of meeting with Mira's eyes, Bixlow (his face, to be precise) met with she-devil's fist.
Baam! Mira slammed her scaled demonic fist between Bixlow's eyes, breaking his nose as Bixlow himself saw stars and closed his eyes due to powerful blow. While he was still dazed, Mira flew upward, holding enemy by his collar, and keeping him faced away.
As she gained altitude, she said, "Don't you dare to hurt anyone from our guild ever again Bixlow, or I'll personally rip out that tongue of yours with our guild mark on it." And then she cast a spell, "Akui no Shūen!" [Malicious Fate] She made a vortex of darkness magic around Bixlov, which quickly engulfed him. Streams were swirling around him, piercing his body and inflicting severe pain as poor guy screamed in agony. Few seconds later, when vortex became large enough, it flew toward the ground at high speed, dragging Bixlov along and smashing him to the ground with immense force, making a small crater with his body. "This fight is over!" Mirajane declared, as Bixlow was lying on the roadway, completely defeated.
November 15, X784, 13:35, Fairy Tail, 40 minutes remaining.
"Take that, stupid clown!" Erza exclaimed as she saw new combat report: 'Bixlow VS Mirajane. Bixlow: total defeat.' Though they were rivals, Erza was glad that another member of Raijinshū was out of picture.
"So, that's the power of Fairy Tail's demon…" Gajeel mumbled, also looking at progress report.
"Yeah, she's definitely not the one you may take lightly," Natsu noted, "Bixlow just learned about that via hard way."
"That's Mira-san for you," Levy agreed, as she raised her head to look at report that everyone was discussing now, "And I've got to do my best as well!" Levy returned to her books, "If I can just solve this part here…" She mumbled, trying to focus, which was quite hard as Natsu, Erza and Gajeel now were arguing about Mirajane.
"…still, she's weird. That music of hers…" Iron dragon said.
"I don't want to hear complains about music from you," Natsu pointed at Gajeel, "Your 'music' made the entire guildhall to wail."
"That was the point!" Gajeel exclaimed, "That's how blues works!"
"And who said you that?" Natsu was taken a bit aback with Gajeel's statement.
"…and then I should overwrite these runes…" Levy was trying to focus, ignoring three slayers.
"I think I should learn to play the fortepiano," Erza mumbled.
"No, fortepiano won't fit you," Sin replied, he was sitting on her shoulder, "I think you should consider saxophone, with your hearing and lungs capacity you'll have no issues."
"Wind instrument? Hmm, may be…" She-dragon thought aloud.
"But this is going to be the hardest part…" Levy closed her eyes in frustration, but suddenly she just froze for few seconds, as she figured out the solution! "That's it!" She shouted, terminating all arguing. "Of course! I just have to go through it, deciphering the two separate grammars at different rates!" Levy exclaimed as her pencil was flying across her papers as she was writing something. "If I go through the text, mapping the characters with corresponding frequency onto Guile grammar, and then convert it into rogue…"
"She's really fast at writing and reading…" Natsu had to admit.
"No kidding," Gajeel agreed.
"I've done it!" Levy shouted, holding her writings above her head, as her face shone with excitement.
"Nice job, Levy!" Erza exclaimed.
"Well done," Natsu nodded, "Quickly now, our time is short."
"One moment!" Levy replied as she ran outside the guild, "Just wait a few moments, I'm going to rewrite these runes! It's time for you to take part in battle of Fairy Tail, are you guys ready?"
"Ready as I ever been!" Erza replied.
"Time for rampage!" Gajeel announced.
"Let battle rejoice…" Natsu said as his left eye flashed with blue flame.
November 15, X784, 13:40, Magnolia, 35 minutes remaining.
"Ahhh… I should have put on a jacket…" Lucy mumbled as quite cool November's wind made her to shiver from cold, "It's so cold in here…" She was walking across the town, looking around and trying to find a way to evacuate people. "So many people here… And I can't use guild megaphone, it also was enchanted with runes…" Lucy thought aloud, remembering Freed's rules: During the battle of Fairy Tail, this may only be used by the master. "Honestly, those guys really have thought of everything…' "Anyway, I have to get this town's people away from this Palace of Thunder!" Lucy clenched her fists.
"It is not possible…" Freed's voice noted calmly as rune mage appeared upon the roof of nearby townhouse, pointing at Lucy with his epee, "Right now, thanks to the festival, there are tons of people visiting from outside Magnolia, and the place is really, really busy," Freed waved his hand around, "You will only cause a panic – you'll just end up causing unnecessary casualties. Only way to save these people is master's retirement."
"Freed?!" Lucy jerked back from house, but when she made several more steps back, she came up against an invisible wall. "What?! Runes?!" Lucy exclaimed as she saw a runic wall behind her. There was an inscription: 'Rule: until the battle is over no one can enter or leave these runes.'
"I heard quite much about you," Freed said, examining blonde, "I know you're new around here, but since we're in the middle of battle, I can't make any exceptions. If you're mage of Fairy Tail – you have to fight…"
Something in Freed's sight told Lucy that attempts to talk to him won't be successful, so she quickly took one of her golden keys and shouted, "Sagittarius!" summoning archer's spirit. Shining golden seal appeared in front of blonde… and nothing happened. "Huh?!" Lucy's eyes widened as her summon failed. "Sagittarius!" She tried again but again nothing came out of magic seal.
"Don't waste your efforts," Freed said, watching Lucy's surprise, "It is the weakness of mages that uses some specific magic."
"What's going on?!" Lucy exclaimed in surprise, "Why I can't summon my spirits?!"
"I saw your coming along the street from afar," Freed explained. "I had no time to draw new runes, but you were walking right towards one of my already existing traps. And since you were walking slowly I got just enough time to modify my runes to neutralize your magic…" As freed said that, runic symbols once again showed the rule: 'until the battle is over, no one can enter or leave these runes'. "Any mage who depends on summoning living beings are helpless inside these runes."
"Do you actually think that master is going to forgive you people for this?!" Lucy asked as a last resort, without her magic she felt herself cornered and scared.
"I don't need forgiveness from him, when this battle's finished, Laxus will be the new master," Freed replied, rising his epee. "I'm sorry, but for you this battle ends now "Yami no Ayaza: Fuchi!" [Dark Écriture: Abyss] Freed swung his epee, engraving five runic symbols right on Lucy's forehead.
"Eh?!" Lucy yelped as she was engulfed with purple light. "AAAAUUUUGH!" Blonde let out a heartrending scream of agony as Freed's spell created an effect of explosive decompression with Lucy in the very epicenter. Her body was thrown up in the air for about twenty-five feet as it was almost torn apart from inside. Lucy fell on the ground and remained lying still, she was barely alive.
"Hmm, you survived…" Freed mumbled, putting his epee back into a sheath. Honestly, some part of hem was glad that she's survived… "Maybe Laxus was right about her – since she was brought in guild by Natsu – maybe she isn't entirely weak…" Freed thought aloud, before some voices from behind attracted his attention. There were Cana and Juvia, they were talking quite loudly, since they were on the opposite sides of the street, looking for Laxus.
"Juvia, how much time do we have until the Palace of Thunder is activated?" Cana inquired, looking on nearby roofs.
"Around half an hour, Juvia thinks," Water witch replied. "Where on earth could he be?"
'Take out Cana and that Phantom girl, feel free to kill them,' Freed sighed heavily as he remembered Laxus' order. "Okay, it's time to settle this…" He made few steps towards the street from where two girls' voices were coming from, but then stopped as he heard some movements from behind. "You want to fight once more?" Freed asked, not looking back, as he heard that Lucy stood up. "…well, I say that, but it was already written in the runes that you have been defeated. You have no right to return to the game, Luc… unght!" Freed's phrase was interrupted as a chain, made of pure dark violet energy, wrapped itself around Freed's neck. Everything happened so fast that rune mage had no time to see what's going on – he was roughly pulled back.
With energy chain still around his neck Freed was forcefully turned around, and at that moment he managed to take a quick look at Lucy's face. It looked like usual, except for her eyes that now were glowing with dark violet light. Freed noticed that another end of chain, which was wrapped around his neck, was attached to sort of a shackle on Lucy's right wrist. She had the same shackle with chain on her left wrist.
"The torments of your soul will unchain me," Lucy said with high echoing voice and quickly struck Freed in face with her forehead three times. Blows were hard enough to draw blood. "Lucy lost to you, but she's here no more," Blonde said with the same echoing voice, "I am Luciferona, and I'm going to fry you." As she said that, Lucy sent a powerful discharge through her shackle, electrocuting Freed with extremely high voltage.
"AAAAUUUGH!" Freed screamed from excruciating pain as electric charges were burning his body from inside, filling the air with smell of burnt flesh. "GUAH!" Freed screamed again as chain released his neck and he got a powerful leg blow to his abdomen, as he was sent crashing into nearby house. He broke several inner walls and ended up in house's kitchen, destroying the dinner table.
'What the?!' Freed couldn't understand what's going on, 'What is this magical power?!' He was dazed and got a lot of burns. Even here he could feel overwhelming magical power, and Lucy was the source of it. Freed tried to stand up but Lucy swung her shackles, and energy chains struck Freed, throwing him out of house, as Lucy's attack literally sliced off the upper half of the building. Rune mage was taken completely by surprise, he had no idea about this 'Luciferona's capabilities. "Yami no Ayaza: Tsubasa!" [Dark Écriture: Wings] Freed shouted, engraving four runes on his own left arm. Two purple, half-transparent, butterfly-like wings appeared behind his back and he quickly soared into the air, avoiding another of Lucy's attack, which destroyed another house nearby. 'She destroyed a townhouse with one sweep of her arm?! What is this girl?!' Freed thought, gaining altitude, he wanted to re-estimate the situation from afar.
"Resistance is useless. Submit. Let yourself be unmade," Lucy said, looking at flying Freed. She raised her hands to the sky "Dairanshū!" [Thunderbird] Dark wind began to gather above Lucy, quickly taking shape of huge, eagle-like bird made of dark wind, entangled with violet lightning. Bird's wingspan was about 65 feet. Lucy quickly climbed on bird's back and bird swung her wings, soared in the air and followed Freed. Despite its size, Thunderbird was very maneuverable, as it was made purely of storm magic, so bird was quite light.
Of course, large black bird, glowing due to electrical discharges around it, quickly drew a lot of attention from townsfolk in surrounding area.
"Look at that!"
"Is it Fairy Tail's doing?!"
"They're preparing for fantasia?!"
"Now that is cool!"
Townsfolk were fascinated by Lucy's bird. Unfortunately, nor Natsu neither Erza could see what's happening, since they were looking for Laxus, inside train station and factory complex, respectively.
Battle in the sky continued. Lucy, riding her thunderbird, quickly caught up with Freed. "Ranki no Tōko!" [Storm Demon's Screech] She opened her mouth and released a black beam of dark wind, mixed with violet lightning.
"Naaauugh!" Freed was struck by powerful magic blast and flew forth head over heels.
Lucy wrapped chain of her left shackle around bird's neck and jumped down on still dazed opponent and struck him in the head with her leg, covered with the same dark wind, mixed with lightning "Ranki no Sōkon!" [Storm Demon's Maim]
"Ough!" Freed screamed again as he was receiving one devastating blow after another. Lucy was moving so fast that his eyes were unable to keep up with her.
"Ranki no Totsushi!" [Storm Demon's Piercing Sting] Still in midair, Lucy slammed her fist into the back of Freed's head, producing another magic explosion and sending Freed down, where he 'kissed' the cobblestone road as Lucy, using her left shackle, made a summersault and landed on bird's back. "You seek true pain? It will be given…" She said with the same high echoing voice.
'What a devilish power?!' Freed thought, trying to stand up. He had no time to wipe the blood from his face as he was forced to leap away to avoid another Lucy's breath attack. Shockwave threw him up in the air and made big crater in the middle of the road. 'I have no choice! It may be forbidden but there's nothing else I can do. There's no way back for me at this stage!' Freed thought, raising his epee, 'I need a demon to fight against… against this!' Freed swung his epee and engraved nine runic symbols on his chest, "Yami no Ayaza: Ankoku! [Dark Écriture: Darkness] AAARRRRGGH!" Freed roared, as he was engulfed with darkness magic, turning into a dark-colored demonic creature, with horns coming out of its head and its left eye covered with scales.
As demon, Freed turned around in mid-air and prepared to attack. "Ankoku Ibuki!" [Darkness Breath] He charged dark energy, molding it into the shape of a black magical tornado, and sent it towards approaching Lucy.
"Ranki no Tōko!" Lucy released another breath attack, targeting Freed. Two spells clashed, producing destructive magical blast, but Freed's spell was strong enough to neutralize Lucy's magic. Lucy was forced to raise her hands to protect her face from the blast wave.
"Ankoku no Kōdan!" [Darkness Flare Bomb] Freed used this advantage as he created a sphere-like bomb made of dark energy and flew towards Lucy, and threw sphere at her from close range. The bomb created a huge wave of pressure, which knocked Lucy off from thunderbird's back and sent her flying down to the ground.
However, bird swooped down and caught her creator, seemingly magic bird was remote-controlled. "Predator. Prey. The pain can drive both." Blonde said, looking at Freed with her violet eyes. Her face was completely emotionless since the beginning of the fight, just like her high echoing voice.
'She… she's almost unscratched?!' Freed just couldn't believe it – he used his most powerful spells. In the meantime, Lucy raised her arms, creating big spiraling dark cloud above herself. 'She… She's creating a thunderstorm?!' Freed was shocked by that what he was witnessing right now, 'Just how much magical power does she have?!'
"Ranki no Raigeki!" [Storm Demon's Thunder Strike] Four dark violet lightning shot from storm cloud, producing powerful discharge with Freed in epicenter, electrocuting him with extremely high voltage.
"YYAAAGGH!" Freed screamed in agony, he had no chance to avoid such a fulminant attack. Lucy's magic burned down Freed's magical wings and he crashed into the ground. 'I… I cannot possibly defeat her!' Freed had to admit, as he barely stood up due to massive electroshock. Thunderbird descended on the ground level, Lucy jumped down form her back and bird disappeared. "Nguag!" Freed croaked as Lucy shot her left arm forth and her left chain struck Freed into his forehead, knocking him from his feet.
"Witness the potential of perfection," Lucy said with the same emotionless voice. She raised her arms and began to move them above her head in counterclockwise direction, gathering dark wind with her left hand and violet lightning with her right. "Metsuki Ōgi: Kyōden Reikokuran!" [Demon Slayer's Secret Art: Dread Legend: Merciless Storm] She abruptly shot her arms forward, attacking Freed with broad ray of dark wind, entangled with lightning.
"YYAAAAAAUUUU!" Freed wailed in agony as lightning electrocuted his body while dark wind almost ripped him apart. Magical blast lit up the sky above the entire town.
"What the?!" Natsu felt a burst of somehow familiar power nearby, but when he ran out from the train station, he didn't notice anything. The same happened with Erza – she also felt the burst of some power, but when she came out – there was nothing to look at. Thunder lacrimas were still in the air, above the town.
"Oougghh…." Freed croaked, falling on the ground. Lucy's spell burned out his transformation and ripped his clothes, he fell on the ground utterly defeated and barely alive.
"Your skills… your power… are not completely insignificant. From now on you will serve me…" Blonde declared as she sat on Freed's chest.
In guild hall Levy was tending the wounded – Biska and Elfman, who just returned, and master Makarov. However, when new combat report popped up, she rushed to main hall to see what's happened. She was quick enough to see the report: "Freed VS Lucy. Winner: Lucy. Freed: Enslaved."
"Huh?!" Levy's eyes widened in surprise as she saw the report. "Lu-chan?! You're wonderful! You defeated Freed!' She was very surprised and pleased, and a bit puzzled with Freed's status 'enslaved'.
"Lucy?!" Cana shouted as she and Juvia rounded a corner and saw Lucy and Freed both lying unconsciousness in the middle of the side alley, "Freed?!"
"What happened here?!" Juvia wondered as girls came closer. In fact, they were too far to distinguish those who were fighting above the town, all they saw was a big shining bird.
"No idea, I saw the same thing as you," Cana replied, checking Lucy's heart rate, "But Lucy's alive. And Freed…"
"Juvia thinks that he won't be able to fight for a while, for him this battle is over," Water witch reported.
"All three members of Raijinshū were defeated," Levy mumbled, looking at combat report. "…and with that, the only remaining opponent in the battle of Fairy Tail is Laxus himself!"
Spell's list:
Shinentai – Thoughts Projection
Ganzu Majikku: Torunēdo Shotto – Guns Magic: Tornado Shot
Raimei no Kyūden – Palace of Thunder
Sunaipā Raifuru: Za Gannā – Sniper Rifle: The Gunner
Sutingā Shotto – Stinger Shot
Seitai Rinku Mahō – Organic Link Magic
Figyua Aisu – Figure Eyes
Tetsu no Metsuryū Maho – Iron Dragon Slayer Magic
Evergreen's spells:
Yōsei Kyū – Fairy Orb
Yōsei Bakudan: Guremurin – Fairy's Bomb: Gremlin
Yōsei Kijū: Reburahōn – Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun
Gray's magic:
Aisu Meiku:Shīrudo – Ice Make: Shield
Aisu Meiku: Ransu – Ice Make: Lance
Aisu Meiku: Megane – Ice Make: Glasses
Aisu Meiku: Batoru Akkusu – Ice Make: Battle Axe
Aisu Meiku: Aisu Gaizā – Ice Make: Ice Geyser
Aisu Meiku: Aisu Kyanon – Ice Make: Ice Cannon
Mira's magic:
Satan Sōru – Satan Soul
Dākunesu Sutorīmu – Darkness Stream
Īburu Supāku – Evil Spark
Akui no Shūen – Malicious Fate
Freed's spells:
Yami no Ayaza: Fuchi – Dark Écriture: Abyss
Yami no Ayaza: Tsubasa – Dark Écriture: Wings
Yami no Ayaza: Ankoku – Dark Écriture: Darkness
Ankoku Ibuki – Darkness Breath
Ankoku no Kōdan – Darkness Flare Bomb
Luciferona's spells:
Dairaishū – Thunderbird. Lit. from Kanji – Great Storm Eagle.
Ranki no Tōko – Storm Demon's Screech
Ranki no Sōkon – Storm Demon's Maim
Ranki no Totsushi – Storm Demon's Piercing Sting
Ranki no Raigeki – Storm Demon's Thunder Strike
Metsuki Ōgi: Kyōden Reikokuran – Demon Slayer's Secret Art: Dread Legend: Merciless Storm
And this is it for chapter twenty four. I know it wasn't my best work, but I hope I at least haven't failed. Next one will be better, promise =). By the way, next chapter named "Under My Glove".