Chapter 7: Freed vs. Fang

In Fairy Tail's infirmary, Lucy was seated still by Ari's bedside, watching over her worriedly. The Nature Mage was still breathing sickly, as Fang's poison continued to spread throughout her body. Time was running out, and it wouldn't be long before the poison would take her life.

"Hang in there just a little longer, Ari," the celestial wizard said, grasping her friend's left hand. "Freed is fighting for you, and Juno is gathering the ingredients for your antidote."

Plue was just as worried about Ari, as he was sitting beside her shoulder and nudged it.

"Sorry, Plue, but she can't respond to you," Lucy said to her little spirit sadly. "She's fighting for her life, and all we can do is hope and pray that she will be saved."

Just then, the door to the infirmary swung open, and Lucy turned to see her two teammates Gray and Erza stepping inside.

"Gray? Erza?" She asked them. "What are you doing here?"

"Natsu and Happy have left for Shirotsume!" Gray exclaimed.

"SAY WHAT!?" Lucy shouted, her jaw dropping in shock.

"That Natsu… He chose to deliberately disobey us when we clearly told him not to," Erza said, shaking her head with a low sigh. "But at this point, there's nothing we can do for now."

"Oooh… Natsu…," Lucy grimaced, clenching her right fist tightly as red veins popped up on her head. "I'll give him a piece of my mind when he comes back!"

In the East Forest, Juno and Lisanna were just about finished scavenging the forest for the ingredients Porlyusica was missing. It took them some time, but they had managed to find them all.

"Okay, that's the last of them," Lisanna said, placing some ginger roots inside a bag containing mushrooms. "We finally did it, Juno!"

"Yep!" Juno replied to her with a grin. In her hands were lavender flowers and juniper berries, and she tossed them into the same bag as Lisanna's acquired items "Now all we have to do is get back to the guild and deliver them to Gran!"

"Right!"

Just as the two girls headed out, they suddenly paused and heard rustling noises coming from some bushes nearby.

"What was that?" Lisanna asked her.

"I don't know. Maybe it's a squirrel," Juno assumed, shrugging her shoulders.

Unfortunately for them, that was not a squirrel. Instead, a shadowed figure emerged from the bushes and lunged at them, causing Lisanna scream in terror as Juno stood in front of her best friend. Her arms were spread outward, as if to shield her from the unknown figure that had just targeted them…


Back at the battlefield, tensions were rising high for Natsu and Happy, as their eyes continued to observe the battle that had just started. Freed's opening move was a success; however, Fang's remarkable power as a Poison God Slayer was evident that he showed no mercy to anyone, and thus he was indeed the strongest of Medusa's Gorgon aside from his father and Brutus.

He held out his hands outward, his fingers stretched outward as purple magic began gathering in the palms, forming balls of energy.

"Poison God Achlys!"

He hurled the bombs of purple magic at Freed, creating powerful explosions. Natsu and Happy shielded their eyes with their arms, bracing themselves for the impact as the wind was blowing right through them. Once the smoke cleared, they were shocked to see that it was seemingly the end of their ally…

"Hehehe… it looks like an easy win for me," he boasted, a devious smile forming on his face.

"Are you sure?" a voice asked him, causing the Poison God Slayer's eyes to widen in shock.

To his fury, Fang glanced upward to see Freed hovering in the air, his purple wings spread out from his back. He couldn't believe that his move was a miss, having discovered all five of his bombs had formed huge holes in the ground, rather than striking his opponent directly.

"WAAAH?! I MISSED?!" he shouted, red veins popping up on his head.

"It was a good thing I activated my Dark Ecriture: Wings just in time, to evade your bombs," Freed said to him, smirking smugly at him.

"Alright, Freed!" Natsu cheered. "Great move!"

"That was a close call!" Happy exclaimed, sighing in relief.

Freed swooped downward, and he headed toward his opponent when his eyes suddenly widened in shock. Fang inhaled, then exhaled a massive ball of purple magic energy from his mouth.

"Poison God Bellow!"

This time, it struck Freed directly, knocking him down to the ground. His body tumbled backward and he slid across the field, with his fingers trying to grab onto the grass with no use.

"Freed!" Natsu and Happy cried.

Once the smoke had cleared up, Freed struggled to get up, his fingers grasping the grass. He managed to get on one knee, though he knew that the damage from Fang's Poison God Bellow was significant.

"Ggh… Such remarkable power from that attack…," he groaned.

Fang, pleased that he was able to hit his opponent this time, smirked smugly at Freed as he asked him in a cruel tone of voice:

"Giving up yet?"

"I refuse!" Freed answered with pride, once he was finally able to stand up. "Ariella is depending on me, and I will not break my promise to her!"


Back inside the guild hall, Laxus and the other two were standing tall and proud, having just defeated the hordes of Medusa's Gorgon mages. The only ones left were Viper and Brutus, the strongest of the dark guild alongside Fang.

We have to pinpoint the location of the stolen goods, Laxus thought, leering his eyes at the master. Maybe I'll get the master to tell him, but I'd doubt that he would spill the beans.

His thinking was interrupted by Bickslow's voice calling out to him:

"Boss!"

Laxus turned to see Bickslow and Evergreen, as the Human Possession Mage said to him:

"Ever and I will go on ahead to look for the merchandise these thieves stole. You deal with these two!"

As soon as Bickslow and Evergreen started to make a run for it, they witnessed a sneer coming from Brutus, and his deep, sinister laughter showed that he had something planned and he was going to carry it out.

"You ain't going nowhere," he warned them.

Brutus slapped his hands together, raising them outward as the ground began shaking, alarming Laxus.

"Earth-Make: Palms of Gaia!"

Two giant hands made out of the earth rose up from the ground, shocking the two Fairy Tail Mages as they were stopped right in their tracks.

"Bickslow! Move!" Evergreen shouted, shoving Bickslow out of the way.

The hands grabbed hold of her, their fingers wrapping around her body as the Fairy Mage cried out in pain.

"Ever!" Bickslow cried.

"No! Evergreen!" Laxus exclaimed.

"This Fairy woman is now my hostage," Brutus said to them, as Evergreen was struggling to get herself loose from the giant hands. They were simply too strong for her due to its sturdy grasp binding her like a snake would to its prey.

"I would suggest you'd surrender right now, because otherwise, I will crush her to death like an insect."

Laxus was growling crossly at Brutus like an angry dog guarding its master, and he clenched his right fist tightly to the point of it trembling.

"You will release her!" he demanded.

"I don't think so," Brutus said to him. "Fang already dealt with the other female Fairy, so this one belongs to me. I'm merely doing this as a favor for him; he'll be pleased to see her squirming like a worm if he were here. It's too bad he's taking on your other friend."

Freed! Bickslow and Laxus thought, thinking of their comrade.

Concurrently, Freed continued to clash with Fang, swinging his sword at him whereas his opponent evaded each of his strikes.

With a Cheshire Cat-like smile, Fang threw out a punch at him, striking him in the abdomen. Freed cried out, and he was soon struck by another punch that sent him crashing to the ground.

"Freed!" Happy cried, his eyes widening in horror.

I've got to step in and help him! Natsu thought, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. But not yet. Fang hasn't used that one move that poisoned Ari.

Back in the guild hall, Laxus was starting to become frustrated due to Evergreen's captivity. With only one ally remaining, he glanced at Bickslow and said to him:

"Bickslow! It's up to you to search for the items now."

"Aye, aye, Boss!"

Just as Bickslow started running, Brutus had something else up his sleeve. A wicked smile formed on his face, alarming the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

"Not so fast," he said, as he leaped behind Bickslow and slammed his left hand onto the ground. "Earth-Make Cage!"

A large cage crafted out of earth emerged from below, trapping Bickslow inside.

"Aww, great. Now I'm a caged bird!" the Human Possession Mage grimaced, as his hands grasped the earthy bars of the cage.

"Damn you…," Laxus snarled through his teeth.

"And there's more," Viper said, pointing to Evergreen trapped by Brutus's Palms of Gaia.

The giant hands were tightening their grip, causing her to scream in pain once more.

"If you want your Fairy woman to be released, you will have to either defeat me or concede. It's your call…," Brutus warned him, further angering the Lightning Dragon slayer with an evil laugh that rang throughout the guild hall.

"Boss!" Bickslow called out to him. "Don't give in so easily! It's exactly what a Fairy Tail wizard should not do!"

That bastard is using Evergreen as a hostage, and I find it despicable, Laxus thought, beads of sweat running down his face as his eyes were staring at the ground. With her and Bickslow down for the count, we have our backs against the wall now. Even so… Bickslow is right! A true Fairy Tail wizard never surrenders to the enemy!

Laxus finally lifted his head up from the ground, staring directly at Brutus with glaring determined eyes. It showed that his resilience was not going out compared to a dimly lit candle.

"Why are you giving me that look?" Brutus questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I would rather see a look of anguish from you, desperate for your Fairy woman to be released."

"Desperate?" the Lightning Dragon Slayer repeated. "Oh, I'm desperate to free Evergreen, alright… but I will not surrender to your guild."

Laxus then glanced at Bickslow, giving him a confident expression as he said to him:

"Don't worry, Bickslow. I'll get you and Ever out of this mess… by crushing this bastard!"

And with that, he charged at the brute, sparks of lightning flowing from his fists. His resilience and refusal to quit were strong, just like his magic power. The fates of Bickslow and Evergreen were on the line, and out of the four Fairy Tail wizards, he was the only one who would defeat Brutus…

Unfortunately for Freed, he was not faring well in his battle, as he was starting to realize that Fang's strength as a Poison God Slayer was overwhelming him. He couldn't even get him to hold still just so that he could use Dark Ecriture: Pain on him; it was because Fang possessed an impressive agility that ranked similar to a leopard galloping in a savanna.

Fang is too fast for me to use my Dark Ecriture: Pain, he thought, glaring frustratingly at his opponent. How can I get him to slow down just for one second?!

"What's wrong? Can't keep up with me?" Fang taunted him, angering the green-haired mage as he kept evading his sword.

"Natsu, we have to come forward and help Freed now!" Happy exclaimed. "He's really in trouble!"

"I will, but not just yet," Natsu answered him. "I'm waiting until Fang uses that one move he used to poison Ari."

Purple magic was gathering around Fang's arms as if they were wings, and then he dashed toward Freed as the magic transformed into sharp blades.

"Poison God Thanatos!"

The blades were strong enough for Fang to slice through, slashing Freed's chest and abdomen. Cut marks that formed from the slashes began to bleed partially, and his coat had been torn as a result of the assault.

Fang was pleased to see the damage that he had just done; however, to him, it was far from over. He charged at Freed once more and gave him a high kick in the chin, sending him upward in the air as Natsu and Happy were watching in horror.

The Poison God Slayer leapt up to where Freed was, and gave him a strong kick in the back that sent him straight downward, crashing to the ground.

"Oh, no! Freed, please get up!" Happy cried, tears forming in his eyes.

"This is looking bad…," Natsu said, a bead of sweat dripping down the left side of his face.

Once the Runes Mage was able to open his eyes, he spotted the gas mask lying six feet apart from him. It was what he had needed for his protection!

My mask! Freed thought, his eyes widening in shock. It must have fallen out when I was kicked in the air. I have to get it… to shield myself from his mist!

Just as he was about to crawl over toward the mask, he felt Fang's left being stomped onto his back. His fingers grasped the grassy terrain firmly and he slowly turned to see him grinning wickedly at him.

"Hehehe… now I've got ya. Trapped like a rat," the blue-haired mage snarled deeply. "You really love that girl so much, don't ya?! Well, I'll make sure you both will walk into the depths of hell together!"

As the purple magic circle formed in the palm of his right hand and the mist began to emit from there, all Freed could do was think about the times he had with Ariella. His past memories of her were their first meeting during the Battle of Fairy Tail, their first two dates at Hargeon and Onibus, their first kiss before he left for the S-Class Trials on Tenrou Island, and their emotional reunion after his seven year absence.

Is that the mist that poisoned Ari?! Natsu realized, his onyx eyes widening in shock at the sight of the fog. Now's the time for me to save Freed!

Just as Natsu finally emerged from the bushes, Fang let out a malicious laughter as he said to Freed in a sinister voice:

"Say goodbye, Freed Justine. Poison God—"

All of a sudden, Fang paused at the sight of Natsu leaping up in the air, and then hurling down toward him like a meteor. Flames ignited on his left and right hands, and when they joined together, they generated a larger flame as he slammed them into Fang, with a thunderous voice that roared throughout the earth and sky:

"FIRE DRAGON BRILLIANT FLAME!"

Freed was left astonished at the sight of Natsu's unexpected arrival. He didn't even expect to be rescued by someone when he was on the verge of suffering the same fate as Ariella.

Fang groaned in pain from the attack, as his body was struggling to get up from a large impact that was created from Natsu's Brilliant Flame. Once he managed to recover, he snarled angrily:

"Who is that, and what is he doing here, ruining my greatest moment?!"

"Natsu…?" Freed questioned, his eyes staring at the pinkette. "Why are you here?"

"Duh! I'm here to save ya, of course!" the Fire Dragon Slayer answered with a grin. "Ari's one of my friends and this man harmed her with that mist of his. For her sake… I'm gonna help you avenge her, as you promised her!"


The battles have reached their climaxes! One will be heating up; and the other will come to a close. Read the next chapter to find out their outcomes; plus, discover the mysterious shadowed figure that attacked Lisanna and Juno in the East Forest.

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