Okay, chapter 7, still going strong. Nero has some balls, pulling a weapon on Erza Scarlet of all people! Like, despite being a fictional character, I feel that Erza would be terrifying in real life. Though it does fit Nero's character.
Anyway, I hope that the story is living up to your expectations, a little hard to keep to Nero's character, you know, him being a lone wolf, anti-social, short-tempered, I think I could've handled the situation at the temple a little better.
Also, KINGREADER, I do intend on Nero being humbled. Just be patient.
Anyway, onto the story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, as much as I want, but it's probably for the best.
Devil Tail
Chapter 7: Galuna Island Part 4
Being held a sword point; something Nero has past experiences with. So it came as no surprise that he kept a cool demeanor even as Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail Guild kept a glare leveled at him.
Something he was no stranger to receiving either.
Usually, in the past years, he received hundreds if not thousands of glares from people over the years. Whether was because he was being a smartass growing up in Fortuna, Credo for when he disrespected and sometimes ignored the rules when the former Knight was still alive, to the hundreds of demons he's slain on jobs, at least the ones that form facial expressions, and Dante when he joked at his expense.
As a result, the glare he got from Erza, barely worried him. While the sword at his throat did have his attention, he did have Blue Rose aimed right for the center of her forehead.
"So, the silent type, huh?" Asked Nero lightly, even as the woman held the sword at his throat, Nero kept his confident if borderline arrogant, attitude, "Waiting for me to explain myself?"
"Nero, I do not care what your explanation is," stated Erza, not moving her blade an inch or centimeter from Nero's throat, if anything, she moved the sword closer to it as a form of intimidation, "now lower your weapon."
"...Hmph... Seems like all the people I run into here are either complete weirdos or got sticks the size of branches shoved up their ass," Nero thought aloud as he aimed Blue Rose away and crossed his arms, seeming far more concerned with his own musings than he did having Erza's sword trained on him, "Hard to tell which one is more annoying.."
Lucy and Happy, the former sitting on the beach, tied up by Erza, the latter being held by his tail in her free hand, looked at each other incredulously even as Nero twirled Blue Rose on his finger before holstering it. The mighty Erza had her sword at his neck, but Nero acted so carefree! More so, he drew a weapon on her! The Erza Scarlet! Erza herself, on the other hand, didn't appear fazed in the slightest; instead, she gestured slightly with her sword.
"Come with me; we are going to get the others and go back to the guild," She then lowered her sword and began walking towards the village. Happy was still in her other hand while Lucy followed, though she had some trouble standing since her upper body was tied up.
However, what took everyone by surprise and angered the redhead was when the demon hunter let out a dismissive scoff.
"Right... and remind me: when exactly did I start taking orders from you?" Retorted Nero as he gave Titania a bemused expression.
The simple action, of disrespecting her orders immediately caused Erza to spin around glare harshly at the demon hunter. But the man wasn't even fazed by the intense glare. If anything, he folded his arms, like he was daring her to answer.
"Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Gray have all broken Guild rules and must be brought back to face punishment," answered Erza keeping her glare fixated on Nero.
"So why the hell are you bothering me?" Demanded Nero as he looked pointedly at her, quickly losing his cool attitude, "In case it's failed your notice, Natsu's running around in the forest with a plan he has. Yeah, I know, I had the same look on my face when I heard about it too."
That last part was to respond to the incredulous and disbelieving looks he received from both Happy and Lucy.
"Not to mention Gray's knocked out of commission," continued the demon hunter as he held out his arms and gave the redhead and expression that made it look as though his hands were tied... albeit in a very melodramatic, nonserious manner, "besides, I can't just leave this job undone now. If I did that, it'd be like spitting on the name of my family business."
With that said, Nero began walking away, shoving passed Erza in order to head towards the forest. However, he didn't make it far before his instincts flared and he drew Blue Rose.
*BANG*
Two things happened in the second that followed.
Both of which would shock Happy and Lucy who both knew Erza and what she was like. So, seeing Nero do this...they weren't sure if the demon hunter was brave or just suicidal.
Standing there facing each other, frozen in place was Nero holding out Blue Rose, aimed right at Erza, the barrel smoking while she no longer held her sword. Behind the Fairy Queen, the weapon embedded itself into the ground.
Nero. Shot. Erza.
She hated when people defied her, that was certain in her expression as her left eye blazed with fury while her right was concealed by her long hair.
Nero held a neutral expression, holding the custom revolver, the barrel pointed right at her chest. It wouldn't kill, but the action said enough, and it shocked the Fairy Tail members to the core. Nero did what he wanted or needed to do on a job, and no one would tell him otherwise.
"We can't leave," stated Nero all the while maintaining eye contact, as he continued to aim Blue Rose at Erza's chest, "Gray's down and it doesn't look like he's going anywhere soon. Natsu's somewhere on this rock with a plan that is who-knows-what, and since it looks like you just got here, I'll fill you in on what's happening on this hell hole: there's a dark wizard that has a history with Gray and wants to resurrect a demon, I don't know why, and I don't care. What I do care about is the fact that the people here are caught in the middle. And have been for the last three years."
As he said each word, he stared harshly at Erza, who meet his gaze with equal intensity, "I don't care what you were told to do by the midget; I'm. Not. Leaving."
This caused Erza's anger to flare. How dare he belittle her master! After taking him in! Offering him a place to stay!
"But since I am the guy's guest, I'll play nice," conceded Nero as his eyes softened ever so slightly, lowering Blue Rose, "I'll go back to the village with you to check on Gray, make sure he's fine. But after that, if you want to turn your back on innocent people, leave them to die to a lunatic with a god complex, that's all you. Because I'm not going. I joined the pyro, the cat, and Lucy to help people."
As he said that, Nero turned his back to Erza, but glanced over his shoulder, "The only way I'm leaving this island, is when the people aren't afraid to go outside at night, and there isn't the threat of being killed by a rogue wizard."
Slowly, the wrath in Erza's expression faded to a more neutral demeanor, and she walked over to collect her sword before turning back to see Nero had faced her this time.
"I will wait until Gray is well enough to move," Erza declared, "and then I will gather Natsu and we will all leave this place. You are not a member of Fairy Tail, and thus I cannot order you to leave. However, it is dark out; for your own safety, I suggest that we do not go after Natsu until daybreak."
Erza hated it when someone defied her, but she knew that she didn't really have any authority over Nero, so the best she could do was try to keep him in one place, at least until she could come up with another way to convince him to leave the island.
"Well, if that's what it takes for you to leave me alone...," answers Nero as he turned and made his way back to the village.
He didn't want to admit it, but Erza was right; Natsu had told him that he had a plan, but he didn't know what the Dragon Slayer was going to do. Much less where he was at the immediate time, and he'd have better luck finding the fire-breather in the day. At least he got Erza off his back... for now anyway.
*12 hours later*
Gray has finally woken up.
Upon doing so, he immediately took notice of two different things: one, he was in a tent, but otherwise ignorant of his surroundings. And two: the pain in his body had lessened greatly, letting him know he healed up nicely. With some effort and a little pain, he stood up though wobbled slightly. As he stabilized himself, he took notice of the bandages on his chest, shoulders, and head. Someone had nursed him back to health while he was out.
With nowhere else to go other than forward, Gray stepped out of the tent but had to shield his eyes with his hand immediately when the afternoon sun streamed down on him. Letting his eyes adjust to the sudden brightness, he lowered his arm to see around him a mass of tents, similar to the village, but it was clearly located somewhere else.
"Oh, thank goodness," a voice from behind Gray said, causing him to turn and see one of the village girls, "I'm glad you're awake."
"What is this place?" Gray asked, being careful not to stare at the girl's cursed leg, which was blue and almost insect-like.
"It's a storage area, not too far from the village," the girl answered, "Everything was destroyed in the attack last night, so we decided to come here for shelter."
"The whole village was destroyed?" Gray asked, horrified, "That's horrible."
Then he remembered Lyon ordering his lackeys to raze the village and kill everyone in it.
'I can't believe you actually tried to do it, Lyon,' Gray thought, disgusted with his fellow student.
"You know, it's a miracle that Natsu, Lucy, and Nero were here; without them, I don't think anyone in the village would have survived the attack," picked up the girl, as well as praising the efforts of his friends.
"It's a relief that no one died," Gray said, grateful for his friends' actions, "Are the others still here?"
"Lucy is, but Natsu disappeared after the fight, and Nero went after him this morning," answered the girl before pointing towards a tent, "They wanted you to meet them over in that tent."
"Thank you," thanked Gray before heading over to the aforementioned tent.
Upon walking in, what he assumed would have been a short conversation with Lucy, to bring him up to speed on what they were doing and what he had missed, turned into a completely different situation. One that made him go cross-eyed, attempting to figure out the numerous things going on inside all at once. To start with, Lucy and Happy were tied up and looking pretty miserable. Second, was the girl whose wrath haunted his nightmares, Erza Scarlet. It didn't help that she was sitting calmly, her legs crossed and her hands folded over her lap, her eyes told of a very different, very violent mood.
"You made me wait," she said in a calm, yet dark, tone, "not smart."
The only thing that kept Gray from bolting was that he was still exhausted from his fight with Lyon.
"Erza!" Gray desperately wracked his brain for something to take the heat off of himself, "Um, why are Lucy and Happy tied up? And why isn't Nero?"
"Lucy informed me of the situation," Erza replied, not answering Gray's first question, "and Nero is not a member of the guild, thus I have no control over him. He went off into the forest to find Natsu."
If Gray wasn't worried that Erza might kill him, he might have noticed that Erza's expression darkened slightly when she mentioned Nero. But if it was out of spite or just stupidity, Happy chose to speak up.
"Also Nero would shoot Erza if she tried," commented Happy, though immediately began sweating when he saw Erza glare at him from the corner of her eye.
"Wait, what?!" gaped Gray. Did he hear that correctly? Did Nero shoot-
"As it is," Erza continued, cutting off Gray's train of thought, "I thought that you had been sent to stop these fools, not join them; needless to say, I'm disappointed. However, now that you're up, we're going to search for Natsu and Nero, and then we will go back to the guild."
"But we can't leave the island just yet!" Gray objected, "If Lucy filled you in, then you know what these villagers are going through!"
Erza barely glanced at him, "And what would be your point? I came here solely for the purpose of taking you all back to the guild. I'm not interested in anything other than that."
"Seriously!?" Gray yelled, "Have you even seen the people on this island!?"
"I have," Erza said evenly.
"And you're just gonna turn your back on them!?" Gray demanded, shocked at what he was hearing.
"Their request is posted on the Request Boards of every guild hall. The villagers would be better served by wizards who are cleared for S-Class quests. You, on the other hand, are not qualified," countered Erza, though she remembered a conversation with Nero earlier before he left to go after Natsu.
"How can you be so heartless?" Gray accused.
Erza whirled around, furious. "What did you say!?"
As cold as Erza acted, she was far from heartless; she did everything in her power to make sure that innocents were spared from pain and suffering. However, the safety of her guild, her family, would always take precedence over the safety of strangers. If she had to live with guilt over that later, she would, but the guilt would be tempered by the knowledge that those she cared for were safe.
A red magic circle appeared in front of her hand, and a sword emerged. She grabbed the hilt and pointed the blade at Gray.
"If you break the guild's rules, then you will face the consequences."
Gray flinched but then steadied himself. To everyone's shock, he grabbed the blade and placed the tip over his chest, right above his blue guild mark.
"Do what you must," Gray declared, steel in his voice, "I can't walk away from what I know is right."
For what seemed like an eternity, neither Gray nor Erza broke eye contact. Finally, Erza lowered the sword, and Gray walked to the tent-flap.
"I'm seeing this through to the end… and you can't stop me," Gray proclaimed before he walked out.
After he was gone, Erza trembled in anger, before leveling a glare at the bound Happy and Lucy, causing them to panic. They thought that Erza would take her rage out on them.
"We're sorry!" Lucy shrieked, "We have no control over any of them!"
"Gray's not feeling too good," Happy added desperately, "because he lost a fight with his old friend!"
Faster than either of them could blink, Erza swung her sword, slicing through the ropes that held them.
"These events are intolerable," Erza said, "but we'll deal with the immediate problem first; we're going after them!"
"Hooray!" both Lucy and Happy cheered.
"This doesn't change anything," Erza growled, "You're still going to face punishment."
Their faces fell, "Yes, ma'am."
*Elsewhere*
"Oh man, this sucks," Natsu groaned to himself as he finally made it to the temple, "I came up with a great plan, but then I got lost and fell asleep!"
"Should be glad you made it at all," said Nero's voice, from behind the Dragon Slayer. The sudden sound caused Natsu to spin around, only to find no one there, "up here!"
Spinning around again, Natsu saw Nero sitting on top of the entrance into the temple, his right leg crossed over his left, Red Queen idly resting on his shoulder as he used Devil Bringer to lean on. On the Demon Hunter's face was a smug grin.
"Nero?" called Natsu, a little confused as to why he's here, "How'd you know I'd be here? And how'd you get around me?"
"Wasn't hard to figure out your plan," answered the hybrid as he jumped down and gracefully landed in front of the Dragon Slayer, "Said that you had a plan to stop the demon from coming back, and since the Big D is beneath the temple, figured you'd come here. Don't really know what your plan is, or what you're gonna do...but whatever it is, it better work. And to answer your second question: I'm a demon hunter, it's my job to track and find. But seriously? You got lost?"
Natsu scowled while Nero just snorted in amusement, "Hey, it's not my fault. I'm used to searching for stuff from the air with Happy!"
"Either way, you're here," waved off Nero, "Better get to work, cause Erza's looking to get her hands on you and drag you back to Fairy Tail. Kicking and screaming if necessary."
"Erza's here?!" Natsu immediately panicked.
"And pretty pissed when I ran into her," elaborated Nero before shrugging, "Well, more pissed now after I shot her."
"WAIT!? YOU SHOT ERZA!?" screamed Natsu, his body losing all its color while he looked at Nero like the guy wanted to die.
"Don't know what you're getting so worked up about," said Nero as he sheathed Red Queen, "She drew her sword on me and tried to force me back and I responded. Plus, last I checked, I don't work for Fairy Tail, so her orders aren't worth crap. Couldn't stop me from helping you even if she wanted to."
"Great!" said Natsu, grinning and forgetting about his fear and shock about what Nero did to Erza, "Let's go! I'm all fired up!"
"Glad to hear to it," chuckled Nero as he gave the Dragon Slayer a crooked grin before turning to the temple, "Now, Let's Rock!"
Within Temple
Lyon stared at his remaining subordinate, his arms crossed, "How pathetic," he commented, "you're the only one still standing, Toby?"
The dog-man in question shifted nervously, sweat growing on his brow.
Lyon sat down on a throne made of stone, "Those Fairy Tail wizards, and the Demon Slayer who was with them...they're quite impressive and resourceful as well if they knew to use your own claws against you."
Toby flinched, putting one hand against the bandage on his forehead, "Hey, can we keep the whole 'used my own claws against me' thing a secret?"
A new voice intruded on the conversation, "This unfortunate turn of events could put the resurrection of Deliora in jeopardy."
Toby jumped at the sudden appearance of a small, hunched man who wore red clothes, a gray cloak and a red, horned mask that covered the upper half of his face. His mouth, the only visible part of his face, showed a wide grin.
Lyon hid his surprise well, not even batting an eye, "Zalty, you're as stealthy as ever."
The man known only as Zalty was an enigma to Lyon and his allies; though he had provided them with good information, he never cowered nor groveled before Lyon's power.
"If all goes as planned," Zalty said, "the demon should awaken at some point tonight, but we have to keep an eye on those wizards. If they were to interrupt the Moon Drip ceremony, then Deliora would forever remain entombed in ice. Salamander and Titania are very powerful, as is that Demon Slayer Wizard, and there is a good chance that they could foil our plans."
"As per usual," Lyon replied calmly, "you appear remarkably well-informed. However, I can't say that I'm worried. Those fools may be strong, but they're no match for me."
"I was hoping you'd say that," Zalty said eagerly, "so it's very reassuring to hear. Still, allow me the honor of joining you in battle."
"Hold up…you're a wizard!?" Toby asked, shocked.
"Yes," Zalty answered, "it's been a while since I used it, but I've dabbled in a particular kind of Lost Magic."
Lyon considered it for a moment. Zalty hadn't done anything to betray his cause, "Sure, we could use another wizard."
Zalty opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when the temple suddenly began to shake!
"Is it an earthquake?" Toby asked worriedly.
"I don't think so," Lyon said. The shakes were coming in little bursts, not a long quake, and it seemed to be happening on only one side of the temple. Toby, however, hadn't figured it out yet.
"It's all coming down!"
Finally, with one last rumble, the temple suddenly tilted to one side, nearly causing Lyon, Toby and Zalty to lose their balance and fall. They thought that it was over, but then a blast of fire ripped its way up through the floor, nearly frying them.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Lyon demanded. Zalty looked into the hole in the floor and grinned.
"I should have known that Salamander would make the first move, though I would have thought he'd come alone; it seems he brought the Demon Slayer wizard with him as well."
Below the gathered Wizards, at least a dozen levels beneath the temple stood Natsu and Nero. The latter had Devil Bringer smashed into the floor, along with Spectral Bringer, though definitely enlarged. Around the hunter's fist were dozens of cracks that spread out from where Nero punched the floor, along with Spectral Bringer that created a massive crater.
"Gotta say, feels good to prove you wrong," joked Nero smugly as he waved the dust off his arm and Spectral Bringer vanished.
"Yeah, yeah, don't go rubbing it in," Natsu grumbled good-naturedly, "I'm just glad that I had help for this. Usually, I break stuff by accident. I'm not used to destroying stuff on purpose."
"What are you two doing here!?" Lyon demanded, enraged.
"We're knocking this place over," Natsu retorted.
"Personally, I would've gone after the demon and put a bullet in its head," commented Nero, "but knocking this place down, we'd be doing a big favor to the community."
Before the two began demolishing the Moon Temple, Natsu more or less explain that magic, in general, followed a path set by the direction of a magic circle to Nero. If the circle from the Moon Drip was offset, the light would no longer be able to shine right down onto Deliora; and if they moved the temple enough, not at all.
Nero had to give credit to the Dragon Slayer, he's a lot smarter than he let on. So after revving up Red Queen, the pair used the time they had to destroy several columns that supported the temple; Natsu using his enhanced strength and fire while Nero used Red Queen, Devil Bringer, and his own natural strength. The two taking down the columns had already caused the temple to become unstable, even more so now.
"How dare you!" Lyon raged, "Who do you think you are!?"
"Thought I told you this already," snorted Nero as he rested Red Queen on his shoulder, "I'm a Demon Hunter."
Natsu decided not to engage in any sort of banter; instead, fire shot out of the bottom of his feet, propelling him upwards like a rocket.
"Guess you're full of surprises," remarked Nero as he suddenly shot towards Lyon with Natsu. Half way between them, he summoned Spectral Bringer and sent the ethereal appendage right at him.
"What kind of magic is that!?" asked Lyon, shocked before Spectral Bringer smashed right into him, sending the wizard skidding back.
Taking the advantage, Natsu wrapped his own body in flames and collided, head first with Lyon.
"Fire Dragon Sword-Horn!" the impact didn't even slow Natsu down; he and Lyon were nearly at the ceiling when the ice wizard's body began to crack like glass and then shattered.
"You kill?" asked Nero, seeing the hit Lyon just take, "If you did, I think this look suits him better."
"No, he didn't," Lyon's voice came from behind them, "He hit my Ice Fake."
"Good...," stated Nero as he spun around, drawing Blue Rose with Devil Bringer and fired right at the wizard. The two Thorns that erupted from the silver revolver's barrel connected with Lyon's forehead, snapping his head back.
Lyon grimaced, remembering that this Demon Hunter was much more powerful than he originally realized. So, taking out the easier target was the first thing he'd do. Focusing on Natsu, the Salamander had just started his descent.
"Let's see you dodge in midair!" Lyon held out his hand. "Ice Make: Eagle!"
The flock of Ice Eagles darted towards the falling Dragon Slayer, but Natsu only angled his face upwards and shot a breath of fire, propelling him right towards Nero who held out Spectral Bringer and caught the Slayer. Bringing him out of danger.
"Sweet moves you got there," complimented Nero, setting him down, "You'd make a good demon hunter."
"Thanks," Natsu said, grinning; then his smile disappeared, "Look out!"
Without even looking, Nero aimed Blue Rose right at another flock of Ice Eagles. putting himself between Natsu and the approaching Magic, the hunter fired several shots, each one colliding with at least one Eagle. As strong as the ice might be, even it isn't strong enough to contend with steel bullets. After shooting out the Eagles, Nero continued to fire, forcing all three enemy wizards to duck.
After ceasing fire, Nero had to reload, Natsu hopped on to his shoulder's in a handstand and began to spin his legs around, firing jets of fire from both feet. Lyon managed to dodge again, but in doing so, he ended up in midair, allowing both Natsu and Nero, who had finished reloading, to fire their respective ranged attacks at the Cold Emperor. However, Nero threw a little extra in, channeling some power from Devil Bringer into Blue Rose. The result was a powerful Charged Shot.
Just before the attacks hit, Zalty held out a hand, and the floor beneath the two suddenly grew brittle and turned to dust, sending the two plummeting to the lower levels of the temple.
"Very fortunate, Cold Emperor," the masked man remarked, "luck is on your side."
Luck, however, wasn't on the side of Toby, who had been scorched by one of Natsu's attacks.
"Can we keep the whole 'Toby got charred' thing a secret too?" he whined pitifully.
"What did you do?" Lyon asked, suspicious of Zalty's unknown magic.
"Whatever do you mean?" Zalty asked innocently.
"Don't play dumb with me," Lyon snapped, "Your magic had to have caused that hole in the floor."
"Heh, don't you have ever the watchful eye?" Zalty commented, "Please allow me to explain my actions, sir. You're the only one strong enough to defeat Deliora, so it's imperative that you remain safe until his resurrection."
The air around Lyon became dense with a cold fog, "Are you suggesting that I could fall victim to such paltry magic?"
With a twitch of his finger, the floor, walls, and ceiling of the room they were in became coated in a thick layer of ice. The only parts that didn't freeze over were the parts of the floor that the three stood on, and the hole that Natsu and Nero had fallen through.
"Leave me," Lyon commanded, just as Nero and Natsu get back up, "I can take care of this myself. Once I finally defeat the demon, everyone will worship my name, Cold Emperor Lyon. I've worked too hard to let these two brats tarnish this day."
"Guy's overestimating himself," commented Nero to the pryomaniac, holstering Blue Rose in the process.
"Yeah," Natsu agreed, and then directed his attention back to Lyon. "Why do you want to fight Deliora? The thing looks half dead already! You're going to all of the trouble to melt that ice just so you can fight it!?"
"On paper and in practice, it's very dumb," agreed Nero, "but I wouldn't put it behind me that Deliora's dead."
"I must rise above Ur's legacy," Lyon declared, even as he sent another wave of Ice Eagles at the two, "I will not rest until I have fulfilled my dream!"
"Why go this far?" asked Natsu, dodging the incoming eagles while Nero used either Red Queen or Blue Rose to take out the spell, "Can't you just challenge Ur and be done with it?"
"I would if I could!" Lyon snapped, "But Ur has been dead for years, and it's all Gray's fault! If he hadn't challenged Deliora to a fight, Ur wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself to seal the demon away!"
Natsu remembered Gray telling him that Ur had sacrificed everything fighting Deliora, "I didn't know that she'd died sealing it."
Distracted by the revelation, Natsu didn't notice the Ice Eagle until it was inches from his face; it was only stopped when Nero shot the Eagle, turning it into ice particles.
"Going off the deep end, buddy," commented Nero as he directed his attention right towards Lyon, "You wanna be better than your master, and you're pissed off, I get that. But putting innocent people at risk; I won't claim to know Ur, but if I had to guess, if she was willing to sacrifice herself to stop this demon, I'm gonna guess she'd want you to stop what you're doing."
"How dare you!" Lyon sent a wave of ice at Nero, who raised Devil Bringer and opened his hand, allowing the impact of the ice to collide with his open palm. The result was the blast of ice that exploded out and dissipated while Nero's arm lost its glow.
Despite being outnumbered, as well as facing an elemental disadvantage, Lyon was doing an admirable job of fending off his opponents, matching them move-for-move. Still, all three fighters knew that sooner or later, Lyon would either make a mistake or simply run out of energy, while Natsu and Nero had plenty of energy to boot.
"Getting real tired of this man," drawled Nero as he pointed Red Queen at Lyon, "do yourself a favor and throw in the towel."
"I'd never give you that satisfaction," Lyon calmly replied.
"Oh, you're asking for it," Natsu said, his fist wrapped in flames.
Just as they were about to clash again, the wall next to them began to crack, until it shattered, revealing Gray!
"Wondering when you'd show up, Gray," greeted Nero, though he was surprised, to an extent to see Gray here, but from what he's seen, it wouldn't have been long before he showed up, "Nice to see you up and around. Lucy and Erza bringing up the rear?"
"They're fighting those robed goons. They shouldn't have too much trouble. Now, both of you back off," Gray said to Nero and Natsu, "it's time Lyon and I ended this once and for all."
"No way, man!" Natsu told him, "You already lost to him once!"
"And it won't happen again," Gray countered confidently, "I'm ready this time."
"You seem awfully cocky," Lyon said.
The raven-haired wizard was quiet for a moment, "You were right, Lyon," Gray admitted, "I am responsible for Ur's death."
Lyon's eyes narrowed. What was he up to?
"But you're no better," Gray continued, "You threatened my friends, brought harm to the villagers and now you're trying to destroy what Ur gave her life to create. It's time we faced our punishment together."
Gray widened his stance, stretching out his arms, and then crossing them at the wrists. While Nero and Natsu looked on confused, as for Lyon, he looked downright terrified.
"That stance… not the Iced Shell!"
Both Nero and Natsu were shocked; they knew that Ur had used the technique Iced Shell to seal Deliora away. It was also what killed her. Was Gray planning to make the same sacrifice?
"Are you insane?" Lyon demanded, "You wouldn't dare!"
"If you want to live," Gray said, "change the villagers back to their human forms, and then leave this island and never return!" An icy-blue magic circle appeared under Gray's feet. "If you'll agree to that, I'll stop; otherwise, this is the end."
Lyon's confident smirk returned, "Is that so? Well, I don't believe a word of it. You're bluffing!"
In response, a torrent of ice began to spread from the magic circle.
"No, I'm not," Gray responded, his tone deadly serious.
"You'll die!" Lyon tried to use his own magic to block the attack, but it was blown away by the sheer power of Gray's spell.
"Don't do it!" shouted Natsu, as he was nearly blown back by Gray's magic, had it not been for Nero who plunged Red Queen into the ground. Using Devil Bringer, he grabbed Natsu's wrist and held on.
"Gray, you're crazy!" shouted Nero, over the power of the spell, "killing yourself isn't the right way to beat him!"
"All these years, I've lied to myself," Gray voiced, "I didn't want to admit that Ur died because of me, but she did, and it's time I took responsibility. So I will, here and now. I'm not afraid to die if that what it takes!"
"Stop this now!" Lyon was practically pleading.
"What's it going to be, Lyon?" Gray demanded, "Are we going to die, or are we going to live? It's up to you!"
"You wouldn't," Lyon said, a hint of a sneer on his face, "you're not brave enough to give your life! You're too much of a coward!"
"Just watch me," Gray whispered.
'Natsu, Nero, all my friends in Fairy Tail,' thought Gray as he continued his spell, despite his own reservations, 'the rest is up to you. I don't want to leave, but my time is up.'
"Ice Sh-Ahh!"
Gray's spell was interrupted by a loud crack and the projectile that struck him in the left shoulder. His right arm instinctively going right for it. As he was stunned, Nero stormed right up to him, leaving Red Queen embedded in the floor as Blue Rose was in his left. Natsu had fallen to ground when Nero let go of him and sat up just in time to see the Demon Hunter slug Gray right in the jaw, knocking him to his knees, stunned. Using this opening, Natsu ran over and grabbed both of Gray's arms and held them behind his back.
"Just what in the actual, fucking hell, are you trying to accomplish?" demanded Nero, deadly calm. Usually, whenever Nero got pissed off, he'd let a person know by losing his cool and kicking there ass. However, when he got really, really pissed, he didn't lash out, immediately. Instead, he acted completely calm and reserved.
"What about you two!?" Gray shot back, struggling to break Natsu's arm-lock, "When I got here, the first thing I said was to get back!"
"And I said no way!" Natsu growled.
"I've got a score to settle with this guy!" Gray protested.
"Just how exactly is killing yourself going to accomplish 'settling a score?" asked Nero rhetorically, "Leaving us to clean up your mess after you died, that's something a demon would do. A coward would do."
Gray flinched, and then slumped. He hadn't consciously thought about it, but perhaps he really had been using the Iced Shell as an excuse to escape the guilt. While he felt terrible about what happened to Ur, the thought of leaving his friends to pick up the pieces after he was gone made him feel even worse.
Before Gray could apologize, the room began to shake.
"Oh, what now?" asked an exasperated Natsu.
The room, as well as the rest of the temple, had been resting at an angle; however, it was now falling back to its original position. In a few moments, it was as if the damage that Natsu and Nero had done was never received, to begin with.
Nero looked around confused, and quite frankly, annoyed while Natsu released Gray and began stomping the ground in frustration. What's happening?
"This is bad," Gray said, getting back up, "Now the moon's gonna shine on Deliora!"
"Pardon the interruption," Zalty said, entering the room. He had slipped out during the fight between Lyon, Natsu, and Nero.
"I should have known," Lyon said calmly, "You did all this?"
"The moon will be out soon," Zalty replied, "So I thought I'd straighten the temple for you."
"That weirdo fixed the temple all by himself?" Gray asked; impressed by the level of power that must have required.
"And after all the trouble we went through to mess it up, too," Natsu complained. He then shook his fist at Zalty, "Hey, so what'd you do to fix it, huh?"
Zalty looked at Natsu in surprise as if noticing him for the first time, and then laughed maniacally.
"TELL ME HOW YOU FIXED IT, YOU JERK!" Natsu screamed.
"Well, if everything else is in order, I'll go prepare the Moon Drip ceremony," Zalty stated before running off down a corridor.
"Would you quit ignoring me, you masked freak!" Natsu shouted as he began to chase after him.
"Getting really tired of this shit," growled Nero, extremely pissed off with Zalty.
Before Natsu left the room, he spun around and pointed at Gray, "Nero and I'll handle the masked jerk. I'll leave Lyon to you."
"You sure that's a good idea?" asked Nero, questioning whether or not to listen to the Dragon Slayer.
Gray was also surprised, after all, he had almost killed himself. Now Natsu was trusting him to beat Lyon?
"Yeah," Gray said determination in his tone.
"Not just for you," Natsu continued.
"I know what you mean," Gray, as well as Natsu, both said, "but for all of Fairy Tail!"
"Well, they do say to take pride in your job," thought Nero aloud.
With everything said that was needed to be said, Natsu took off after Zalty while Nero gave Gray a two-fingered salute, walking by Red Queen before kicking it up and caught it with his left hand. Once he had the blade, he sheathed it and quick sprinted after the Dragon Slayer.
"My, my," Lyon said after they left, "Such a boisterous group you are."
"Let me ask you something, a second ago, when I was gonna freeze us both, were you counting on either Natsu or Nero to stop me before I could finish?" He inquired.
"No," Lyon answered, "the opposite, in fact. I never thought that anyone would be foolish enough to get near a spell like that."
"So you were just going to stand there and take the hit?" Gray asked, surprised.
"Exactly," a smug Lyon said, "Because someone would come to rescue me. You, on the other hand, would be finished for good."
"I should have known," Gray murmured to himself.
"Certainly, it would have been inconvenient." Lyon continued. "However, my allies are as devoted to my cause as I am, and as long as we're on this island, they can use Moon Drip to melt the ice whenever they saw fit."
Gray looked down. "I didn't think of that. I guess the Iced Shell is completely useless here."
'And my sacrifice would have been for nothing,' he thought; at that moment, he was grateful that Nero had stopped him when he did.
"Even so," Lyon said, "you still want to fight? After what happened last time?"
Gray didn't reply.
"Don't fool yourself," Lyon laughed, "you could never…"
"That's enough," Gray interrupted.
"What?"
"Just forget about Deliora," Gray said softly.
"What kind of nonsense is this?" Lyon asked, genuinely confused. "Your threats don't work, so you turn to begging? Does your guild have dentist that removes your fangs, or are you just a coward?"
"Lyon, there's something I have to tell you," Gray said.
"What is it?" Lyon asked, now annoyed. What did this liar and hypocrite have to say that was so important?
"Ur… is still alive."
"Natsu, dial it back a notch," Shouted Nero, sprinting after the Dragon Slayer. He could easily outrun him, but he knew better than to expose himself that much. Especially with the sneak attack the masked prick was planning.
"No way!" Natsu called back, chasing the still-fleeing Zalty, "Not until he tells me how he fixed the temple!"
Finally, Zalty stopped running and pointed his hand at the spot above Natsu; a chunk of the ceiling came loose and fell right at him!
"Saw that coming," muttered Nero to himself as he suddenly dashed forward, Devil Bringer stretched out as Spectral Bringer sped towards Natsu and Snatched him away from the falling debris, "ever head of 'look before you leap'? If you did, you'd know that he was planning a sneak attack."
"Sorry," Natsu said sheepishly. He then noticed that Zalty wasn't done. The masked man waved his hand, and the chunk of ceiling lifted back to where it was the damage disappearing like it was never there.
"That's how I fixed the temple," Zalty explained.
"Time manipulation," guessed Nero as he rested Red Queen in his shoulder. It wasn't all that different from Dante's Quicksilver style. While this allowed Zalty more control, Nero could still figure out what it was.
And it was safe to say he assumed correctly because the aforementioned wizard whipped around to the demon hunter, a look of surprise on his face.
"Yes, I did. How did you figure it out so quickly?" Demanded Zalty.
"My uncle can slow down time to a crawl if he wants to," answered Nero evenly, "but even he's more subtle when using it than you."
"Hmph," Zalty appeared a bit put out, "Still, this magic is extremely rare, rare enough that it is one of the Lost Magics, a type of magic so powerful and dangerous that it has been lost to history."
"With a name like that, not too surprising," commented the demon hunter.
"Your Dragon Slayer magic is another example of Lost Magic," Zalty continued, gesturing at Natsu.
"Wow, really?" Natsu asked, completely surprised by the revelation.
"Aren't you supposed to know what the magic is your using?" Asked Nero, looking at the Dragon Slayer incredulously.
Before Natsu could reply, Zalty laughed and vanished, much to the irritation of his opponents.
"Getting really tired of this," growled Nero as he justs wants to get this over with now. However, he did have an idea on how he was going to beat this guy now. Problem is, this might expose Devil Bringer to Natsu, and Nero really didn't need that attention.
Shock.
Absolute shock is what Lyon felt.
It had been a good minute after what Gray just told him. And in that time, Lyon didn't move a muscle, staring at his former friend with wide eyes. Was he suggesting that...
"The Iced Shell doesn't actually kill its caster," Gray went on, feeling that Lyon deserved to know now, "it uses their body to form the barrier; the ice keeping Deliora sealed away, which you've been trying to melt, is Ur. She isn't dead; she lives on in that ice."
Silence.
Lyon said nothing. Only continued to stare at Gray.
I'm sorry that I never told you the truth back then." Gray apologized sincerely. "Ur made me promise to keep it a secret. She worried that if you knew, you'd spend the rest of your life trying to change her back."
"Of course," Lyon mumbled.
"It's over," Gray declared, stepping closer to Lyon. "There's no reason to go through with this anymore."
Lyon raised his hand, but before Gray could react, he placed it against Gray's right side and sent an icicle straight through him! Gray fell to his knees, clutching the wound in agony; it didn't feel like it hit anything vital, but it still hurt.
"You idiot," Lyon said, "I know how the spell works. I can assure you that she isn't alive anymore. That's nothing more than a chunk of ice!"
Gray pulled the ice out of his side and tried to rise. "You… you knew all along?"
"Knowing is one thing, believing is another, and if you truly believe that Ur is alive in there, then you're an even bigger fool than I thought."
"You knew the truth?" Gray said through teeth clenched in pain and rage, "And you still did this!?"
"And what of it?" Lyon asked as Gray got to his feet. Before he could react, Gray had covered the distance between them and delivered a punch that sent him flying into the wall.
"I-impossible!" Lyon gasped, "How can you move with that wound?"
"Enough," Gray snarled coldly, "I wanted to save you, but I give up now."
Lyon staggered to his feet. "You want the title of star pupil for yourself? Well I'm sorry, but I have to fight against Deliora soon, and I'd rather not waste my magic energy on you."
Gray took a fighting stance. "Then we'll just use our fists instead!"
"Ha! You want me to fight you without using magic? That's fine by me."
Gray made the first move charging forward, but Lyon moved around his punch and struck him in his wound, nearly making him fall to the ground again.
"Aim for your opponent's weak spot, then hit it with all your might." Lyon mocked. "Ur taught us that, remember?"
"You have no right to speak her name!" Gray attacked again, but Lyon drove his knee into Gray's gut, winding him.
Stunned, Gray was left wide open for a barrage of punches and kicks from Lyon.
"What a shame," Lyon said, sounding bored, "your fists are as weak as your magic."
Every time Gray tried to attack, Lyon would counter, sending him hurtling to the floor or into a wall. Despite that, Gray actually started to smile. His own stubbornness reminded him of all the times that he and Natsu had fought when they were younger. He hadn't given up then, and he wouldn't give up now! He got up one more time; seeing this sent Lyon into a rage.
"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" he yelled, both men's fists hitting the other's face; for a moment, they were stuck like that, before a burst of strength from Gray sent Lyon crashing into another wall.
"You're gonna have to step up your game if you want to beat me!" Gray shouted. Lyon rushed forward again and the two began exchanging hits. "I've never given up before, and I won't give up here! I'm not going to lose to you!"
With a final roar, Gray sent Lyon flying, and this time, he didn't charge back in; instead, Lyon used a chunk of ice to drag himself upright, panting heavily.
"The Cold Emperor," he said angrily, "defeated in battle by the likes of you!? I won't stand for it!"
"Then get over here," Gray panted, "and fight!"
Gritting his teeth, Lyon pointed his hand at Gray. "Ice Make: Ice Dragon!"
A giant dragon of ice flew at Gray, clamping its jaws on the wizard; fortunately, Gray was able to break the ice enough that he was able to fall out of the construct's mouth. Still, it was another painful wound.
"I thought we agreed not to use magic, Lyon!" Gray yelled, getting back up.
"Don't be such a poor loser," Lyon said, "This duel was pointless from the start. Deliora will be revived either way; it's far too late to stop me now!"
"I won't stop trying!" Gray declared defiantly.
"Try all you want," Lyon asserted, "but Zalty is preparing the Moon Drip ceremony as we speak."
"Natsu and Nero won't let him!" Stated Gray, a smile on his face, "The second you underestimate Natsu is the second you lose, and Nero is stronger and way more clever than anyone I've ever met. Your friend doesn't have a prayer."
Zalty stood before the frozen form of Deliora, his grin in full force.
"At long last," he whispered, before the sound of yelling made him dodge a fiery punch.
"There you are!" Natsu yelled. "I'll burn that stupid smile right off your face!"
Zalty dodged another attack, this time a shot from Blue Rose, courtesy of Nero.
"Thought we agreed to wait until I got in position before attacking him," Commented Nero as he fired several more shots at the man, each one striking the ground just after he passed.
"I couldn't help it." Natsu protested. "He pisses me off!"
Zalty laughed. "The term 'hot-headed' certainly applies to you, Salamander. By the way, how did you manage to find me?"
"I followed my nose," Natsu answered, "For some reason; you reek of lady's perfume."
"Okay, that's just weird," said Nero, looking at Zalty curiously.
Zalty laughed it off, "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have other things to do."
"Got an appointment for a manicure?" Taunted Nero.
"Like reviving Deliora," Zalty responded.
"Just forget about it already," Natsu said confidently, "It's not gonna happen."
"Really?" Zalty asked in mock-concern. "Why is that, pray tell?"
"Because Gray is gonna kick that ice-guy's butt," Natsu retorted with confidence.
"And that's leaves you with us," finished Nero as he pointed Red Queen at the man, while holstering Blue Rose.
"We'll just see about that," Zalty said in an almost-serious tone, and then pointed at Deliora.
To the shock of Natsu and the annoyance of Nero, there was a stream of Moon Drip hitting the ice!
"Someone's performing the ceremony?" Natsu asked, confused on what was going on and how that is possible.
"Lucy and Erza said they'd handle the chanters," growled Nero.
"They took out the chanters," Zalty confirmed, "but Toby snuck out during the fighting and is performing the ceremony on his own. It won't be much Moon Drip with only one person, but it will only take a little more to free the demon anyway."
Sure enough, a huge chunk of the ice began to crack and shatter, causing Natsu to panic.
"Ah! I gotta get up there and stop him!" he rushed to the exit, but Zalty used his magic to once again send a chunk of ceiling falling at him. Natsu barely dodged in time.
"I'm afraid that neither of you are going anywhere," Zalty said with a sadistic smile, "I guess chasing me was a mistake."
"No," seethed Nero as he leaped at Zalty, Red Queen blazing as Nero twisted the handle of the Exceed to full, "trying to bring back a demon, turning people into demons, and trapping us in here with you is a mistake!"
As he said this, Nero flipped in the air and impaled the tip of Red Queen into the floor, causing a fireball to bloom out around him. Even as Zalty managed to dodge at the last second.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Zalty asked, "You might make the ice melt faster."
Natsu sent a breath of his own fire Zalty's way, only barely missing him, "If the ice could be melted with fire, you wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble! Bluff all you want, but once we're done here; all we gotta do is stop the ceremony!"
"And here I was, thinking you weren't that clever," Zalty laughed, "but it seems that I was wrong."
Behind the combatants, the frozen body of Deliora began to shake; the vibrations were strong enough to make the entire temple shudder.
"Why do I get the feeling that that wasn't Natsu or Nero?" Gray asked, feeling the temple shake.
"The ceremony is nearing completion," Lyon said triumphantly, "the ice sealing Deliora is melting away."
'Ur…' Gray thought.
"There's nothing you can do," Lyon bragged, "it's too late to stop it! You and your friends have failed!" an icy mist gathered around him, "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this, Gray? All these years, I've been gathering allies and obtaining knowledge; it was fortunate that I found this place." He sent a flock of Ice Eagles at Gray, who barely dodged them. "It wasn't an easy task, transporting Deliora to Galuna, and the Moon Drip has taken three years!"
Backed into a corner, Gray raised an Ice Shield, letting the Ice Eagles shatter against it, "You've been working on this stupid plan for three years!?"
"Stupid!?" echoed an outraged Lyon, "How dare you say that! You've spent the last ten years peddling your life away in some foolish guild!"
Finally, Lyon's barrage broke Gray's shield, but he was able to dodge Lyon's latest attack. "Because I put my faith in what Ur taught us! She said that in the western countries, there were lots of strong wizards to teach me; so I went west, and I joined Fairy Tail. I asked Master Makarov if he knew any way to break the spell, but he said there wasn't, except for one way; he wouldn't tell me what it was, but I bet he was thinking about the Moon Drip."
Gray looked at Lyon with cold hatred. "After everything Ur did for us, taking us in, raising us, training us… you'd still kill her without a second thought. You make me sick."
"Say what you will, I don't care," Lyon responded, "My entire life has led up to this moment. Our master is long dead; if we want to prove that we have surpassed her, what can we do in her absence?" a dragon head surrounded Lyon's hand, and he lunged at Gray, "There's only one answer: Deliora! I will surpass our master by defeating what she could not!"
Gray bobbed and weaved, avoiding Lyon's attacks, "I'll admit, that's a pretty ambitious plan, but I can't help but think that you missed the point along the way!" Gray quickly created a sword of ice and shattered Lyon's dragon-fist, "Someone as blind as you could never be better than Ur, not in a hundred years! Wake up, Lyon!"
Gray slashed his sword across Lyon's chest, but instead of falling to his knees, Lyon shattered into a pile of ice; it was another Ice Fake!
"Fooled you, didn't I?" Lyon said from behind him, "Ice Make: Snow Tiger!"
A giant tiger of ice leaped at Gray who, despite his wounds, did an impressive back-flip over the beast and pointed his palms downwards.
"Ice Make: Prison!" An ornate cage appeared around the tiger, trapping it.
Gray stood on top of the prison and glared at Lyon.
"You see this, Lyon? This is what you are," he said, "a beast in a cage, lashing out at a world he barely knows!"
"Utter nonsense," Lyon snarled, waving his hand, "I'll make quick work of that ice!"
Despite his claims, the tiger within the prison could not get free, no matter how much it struggled. Lyon stepped back in shock as Gray jumped down in front of him.
"Single-handed spellcasting is too unbalanced; your creations will let you down when you need them the most."
Gray placed his hands together, and a magic circle appeared under his feet. When he separated his hands, a large bazooka appeared in them, which he then aimed at Lyon.
"Ice Cannon!"
The cannon fired the blast so powerful that it blew a gaping hole through the side of the temple. Lyon fell to the ground, his clothes shredded and his body covered in wounds. Gray lowered the cannon, slightly disappointed. He had only glanced Lyon with that shot, though whether Lyon had managed to dodge at the last second or if he'd subconsciously missed on purpose, Gray didn't know.
"Thanks for teaching me that move, Ur," Gray said softly, and then groaned in pain. He looked at the wound Lyon had inflicted with that icicle, and then used his magic to freeze it shut, "Ow, I knew I should have sealed this sooner."
He would have relaxed, but a noise rang out throughout the temple. It was a noise that haunted his nightmares, even though he hadn't heard it in ten years; it was both a high-pitched screech and a low growl that nearly paralyzed him with fear.
Deliora.
In the depths of the temple, Natsu tried to block out the noise as the ice around the frozen demon cracked and fell apart. As for Nero he only glared at the demon, even as it managed to free itself.
"Yes!" Zalty shouted exuberantly, "It's free!"
"Was that the demon?" Erza asked, as she, Lucy and Happy made their way into the temple, after they'd defeated Lyon's troops.
"Oh no," Lucy gasped, "they brought it back to life!?"
"Hey, wait," Happy pointed at a purple column of light, "if the demon is back, why is the Moon Drip still coming down?"
"Perhaps Deliora isn't completely revived," said Erza, tapping her chin in thought, "Which means that we can still stop it; come on!"
"Things are getting interesting," Commented Nero as he looked at the demon before glancing back at Natsu who was glaring at Zalty.
"I'm done wasting my time with you!" Natsu exclaimed. He charged toward Zalty, but a green sphere collided with his head, sending him flying. The sphere flew towards the small masked man, where it orbited around his wrist.
"Ready when you are," Zalty said, grinning.
"Why, you…," Natsu charged Zalty again, and the green sphere headed right at him. This time, Natsu shattered it in a single blow. Before he could celebrate, however, the pieces came back together, reforming the sphere!
"Should've seen this coming," muttered Nero as he figured out that this was Zalty's time magic, "Natsu, I got an idea. But you'll have be ready to attack when I say to."
"Got it!" Natsu replied.
"Hope I don't live to regret this," Commented Nero as he put himself in between the sphere and its target. Taking a deep breath in, then exhaling, the demon hunter held out Devil Bringer, his palm glowing brighter, "Take your best shot, you drag queen reject."
Zalty sent his orb at Nero who still held his hand, suddenly, the green orb began flickering before it shined brightly and sped right into Nero's open palm. When it connected it only remained in place for a second before Devil Bringer pulsed and absorbed the sphere!
"What?!" Demanded Zalty, completely shocked. How did this man was able to absorb his power!
"Gotta admit, didn't think that would work," Nero said openly, as he shook his hand, Devil Bringer pulsed powerfully at the portion of magic it absorbed. It wasn't the source of the earlier pulsing, that belonged to the demon that was still managing to free itself.
"No matter," scoffed Zalty, trying to hide his shock underneath a confident demeanor, "try that again."
"Actually, I'd like to try something else," countered Nero as he held out Devil Bringer.
Even as Zalty sent another orb at Nero, the demon hunter didn't budge in fact, he smirked, "Stand still!"
As he said that, Nero snapped his fingers and pulse of energy shot out around them. The world turned black and white, baring both the demon hunter and Zalty as they remained colored. Everything slowed down to a crawl before nearly stopping all together.
"Looks like I'm borrowing this truck for a while," Commented the demon hunter as he looked at Devil Bringer. This was a trick he learned a while back, turns out he could temporarily borrow abilities, but it took a lot of energy out of him.
Zalty snarled, and then used his power to undo what Nero's borrowed power did. The Demon Hunter, however, only froze it again. This continued for several minutes, with both fighters looking more tired with each attack.
"It would appear that we are at a stalemate," Zalty said, smirking.
"Maybe," Nero replied, "but I know something that you don't know."
"What's that?"
"I can use more than one hand," as the hybrid said that, he raised Blue Rose and fired right at Zalty, striking him in he head, completely stunning the Wizard, "sometime today, Natsu!"
"All right!" the Dragon Slayer charged forward. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"
The blow sent Zalty flying right into a wall, with enough force to crack it. The man then fell to the ground, unconscious, for the moment anyway. While the rogue wizard wasn't a threat anymore, the demon was.
And Deliora made that clear with a powerful roar.
On top of the temple, Toby fell to the ground in pain, Erza standing over him with a raised sword. Even though he'd been defeated, Toby still looked triumphant.
"You're too late! The ceremony is already completed; Deliora is free!"
With a twitch of its shoulders, Deliora shook off the last of the ice that had entrapped in for ten years and took a step forward.
"No," Gray's voice caused Natsu and Nero turned around to see the mentioned wizard limping into the chamber that held Deliora.
Sorry Gray, we couldn't stop it. I guess our only choice is to take that thing down," Natsu stated.
"No," stated Nero as he holsters Blue Rose and unsheathed Red Queen, "I got this, Natsu, get Gray."
"No way!" Retorted Natsu, "there's no way to take it down by yourself!"
A powerful roar caused everyone except Nero to flinch as he continued to glare at the demon. Devil Bringer practically humming now with power. This was it, this is what caused it to pulse. Deliora was a demon, but a demon from his world.
"None… none of you are strong enough," Lyon's voice weakly called out behind them, and they saw the Cold Emperor dragging himself towards the demon, an insane smile on his face, "But I am… I will defeat Deliora."
"Do yourself a favor pal," stated Nero, not even bothering to turn around, "and just shut up while a professional goes to work."
"S-silence!" Lyon shouted, "I am going to surpass Ur… at long last."
"You can't fight," Natsu said incredulously; even he wasn't this stubborn, "You can't even get up off the floor!"
Lyon ignored them, continuing to drag himself across the ground; then, with titanic effort, he hauled himself to his feet,
"My dream… will be… fulfill—ugh!"
Gray didn't allow him to finish, knocking Lyon out with a single blow to the head.
"You beat me to him," Commented Nero, as his attention was still fixated on Deliora.
"I just wanted him to stop. He's done enough damage," Gray stared up at the demon, "Nero, you were right."
"About...," inquired Nero, glancing over his shoulder.
"About how killing myself, and letting my friends finish the fight, is cowardly. I'm not going to run away like that ever again," He grinned at Natsu and Nero, "kick its ass for me."
"No problem," smirked Nero, "Natsu, get Gray outta here."
"Fine," groaned Natsu as he slung Gray over his shoulder and dragged Lyon to the side of the chamber leaving Nero to glare at the demon.
Deliora took another step forward, the single act enough to shake the entire cavern, but despite this, Nero remained unfazed. Even as the demon looked down at him. Its eyes narrowing.
"SSSSSPPPAAAAARRRRDDDDDAAAAA," the demon rumbled powerfully. It recognized that smell, that power. It was like Sparda, that traitor. Did he have a son!
"You this friendly with people you just met, or am I a special case?" taunted Nero, now certain that this was a demon from his world.
Deliora raised a fist to crush Nero, which the demon hunter responded by planting the tip of Red Queen in the ground and revved the Exceed as a challenge. The demon's fist flew forward, and Spectral Bringer flew from Nero. The massive fist collided with with the open palm of the ethereal appendage and amazingly, it stopped!
Taking the chance, Nero leaped right towards the demons chest. If he had stayed, he would've noticed that Deliora's arm began to crumble into dust. The effect traveled up the limb, and towards the main body. Nero didn't even notice, however, he immediately took notice when he cleaved right through Deliora's, bisecting the demon with a single swing.
Landing behind the demon, Nero spun around to see the rest of Deliora's body crumble into dust. A large hole was formed where Nero smashed through the monstrous demon. But the hunter felt little to no resistance when he sliced through the beast, prompting him to look at the pile of dust in confusion.
"That was way too easy," Commented Nero as he rested Red Queen on his shoulder and approached the dust, "either I'm stronger than I look or the story of this thing is seriously over exaggerated."
"No…" Lyon muttered, "Deliora was already dead. For ten years, Ur's spell was gradually depleting the demon's life-force; what we just saw was its last breath."
"Wow," Natsu said, patting Gray on the back, "your teacher was pretty awesome!"
"Yeah," Gray said, a few tears falling down his face as he realized that his nightmare was finally over, "She was."
"Still, kinda a let down for me. First demon I come across in this world, only to find out its tanked out," muttered Nero as he knelt down to the pile of dust and picked up a handful with Devil Bringer. Suddenly, the dust began glowing, prompting both Natsu and Gray to stare in shock while Nero narrowed his eyes. Devil Bringer began absorbing the dust until it vanished into his palm. Once it was gone, Nero felt the power flow through his body. He took a breath in through his nose and let it out slowly.
"What was that?" Asked Natsu, looking at Nero with surprise and confusion.
"A trick I learned a while back that I can do with my powers," answered Nero, "basically, when I defeat a very powerful demon, I can absorb part of its essence. Gives my powers a boost and sometimes new tricks."
"Like what?" Asked Gray, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Instead of answering, Nero swung out Devil Bringer. A sudden pulse of energy shot out, followed by five more pulses. Around the demon hunter, glowing blue, translucent spinning blades appeared. Then one after the other, in the order they appeared suddenly spun through the air and impaled themselves in the wall. Upon doing so, Nero and the two wizards had a better view of the blades. They were curved, with two long blades, giving them the appearance of shurikens
Nero narrowed his eyes, it was his Summoned Swords. The only time he could use them was when he tapped into Devil Bringer and Yamato.
"That's awesome!" Commented Natsu, snapping Nero back to the situation at hand.
"Yeah...," Commented Nero, looking down at his hand, "it is."
The next few minutes were more of a blur than a measurement of time.
First Lucy, Happy and Erza arrived, the latter causing Natsu to freak out. In an act of compassion, Gray had helped Lyon out of the temple; Lyon himself looked almost peaceful, as if the destruction of Deliora caused his manic obsession to fade.
"Oh yeah!" Natsu cheered as they exited the temple, "We totally finished an S-Class quest all by ourselves!"
"You're right!" Lucy said excitedly, "Do you think Master Makarov will let us onto the second floor now?"
The celebratory mood was shattered by Erza's glare; Nero was the only one not really affected by the glare. He knew the job wasn't done yet. And was certain Erza knew that as well.
"Isn't there something you're all forgetting about?" Erza demanded, "You came to this island to help the villagers; the request was for you to return them to their original forms. This quest still isn't completed."
"Red's right," agreed Nero as he folded his arms, "jobs not over, till it's over."
To be continued...