The Rise of A God
Naruto shot forwards, his punch flying forwards towards Jellal's cheek. Jellal grunted, raising his hand to block only for his eyes to widen as his block was useless in the face of Naruto's strength, the God Slayer's blow plowing through it, his armored fist crashing against Jellal's face, sending the man flying. Naruto grunted, shooting after him in a flash of speed, hands raised, black winds spiraling around them as his tattoos glowed with even more intensity.
"Sky God's Boreas!"
The whirlwind smashed down on Jellal, the winds slashing through the lacrima, pushing Jellal deeper into the tower, Naruto's rage only growing with the intensity of the light he radiated. As the whirlwind died down so did the light, although looking directly into Naruto's eyes was still impossible. However another light soon overtook Naruto's own, as with a flash of yellow light Jellal appeared before the God Slayer, his fist blurring forwards. However, despite the mans impressive speed Naruto dodged each of the punches, his speed vastly surpassing Jellal's own. Jellal's eyes widened with horror. Naruto merely shook his head.
"I'm a God Slayer you idiot. You're not near the level required to even touch me."
Jellal roared in rage, the Meteor drifting closer to his skin as he tightened his grip on his magic before he took off at an even faster pace. Naruto merely grunted, chasing after him, the force of his movement sending a shockwave outwards that sent Erza skidding backward, the sound of his movement just then hitting her ears. The redhead could only stare up at Naruto in amazement of his speed. Jellal was barely staying ahead of Naruto, and it seemed temporary at best. Naruto was gaining on him, his speed simply too much. By this point Jellal was already wearing Meteor like a second skin, but it seemed not even controlling his magic better would allow him to stay ahead of the wrathful blonde.
Naruto reached out, grabbing Jellal by the back of his shirt before he spun, hurling the man towards the water below, wind swirling around him. Naruto raised his hands, winds swirling around them. "Sky God's Sight!" The wind swirled, before multiple lances made of wind formed, the lances rocketing towards Jellal's form. The Dark Mage grunted as he saw the lances speed towards him, dodging the first one, grimacing as he felt the winds slice at his Meteor spell. The man kept dodging, frowning as each time he dodged the lances seemed to appear in front of him, making each dodge closer and closer to hitting him. Eventually he couldn't keep up, the lances piercing his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. The man blinked away the pain, only for his eyes to widen as Naruto appeared in front of him, hand raised.
"Sky God's Australis!"
Jellal's eyes widened before the tornado of black wind smashed into his body, the blades of wind shredding through the Meteor and into his skin, causing him to cry out in pain, however Naruto wasn't done, appearing behind Jellal, grabbing his face and speeding towards the water, the duo splashing deep into the water. Naruto grunted before he began to spin, still holding Jellal, through the water, the speed he was moving at eventually creating a massive whirlpool. Naruto's eyes flashed with light before he flung Jellal upwards, an explosion of water following after the Wizard Saint before Naruto raised his hands, the water displaced around him as he prepared for his next attack.
"Sky God's Aurora!"
The light of the sky shot forwards, two massive tornadoes spinning towards Jellal, smashing into the brutalized man, Naruto watching with annoyance. He had wanted a better fight than this, but it seemed like Jellal was no match for him when he was like this. A being of great power. A being that had achieved his drive! As the tornadoes tuckered out Jellal could only be seen falling to the water, the man completely unconscious.
Naruto frowned, speeding forwards and catching Jellal, dropping him onto the top of the lacrima with a bored look on his face. Erza could only stare, stunned, at the speed in which Naruto had dispatched of a man who was on her level. How strong had he become in this Sky God's Drive? To be capable of dispatching of a Wizard Saint with such ease, it spoke volumes of his strength.
"Did you..." The girl was too afraid to speak the final word, as though her words would bring reality to the situation. As though her words would confirm her worst fears, that Jellal was...she couldn't even think of it. Naruto merely shook his head, staring down at Jellal. The man did look dead.
"I can feel his chest rising. He's alive, but barely." Naruto raised his hand, a lance of wind appearing in it, Erza's eyes widening as she saw the weapon. She knew what that meant. She had seen those eyes. There was only one possible solution that Naruto had planned.
"Stop!" Erza cried out as Naruto raised his hand, drawing his attention. The redhead shook her head. "He doesn't deserve this."
Naruto frowned, "He hurt you Erza. He harmed you. I can't just let that stand. I can't!"
Erza shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. "You have to! He said it himself, he couldn't completely control his actions! Zeref had control of his mind, that has to count for something! He's innocent! We can still fix him, I'm sure of it, with Master's help!"
Naruto frowned, staring down at the redhead, his eyes hard. "You heard him Erza. He was lying about being manipulated. Even if he wasn't, that doesn't excuse his actions. He had no regret. He could have only been suggested to do what he did. From my experience with God's they aren't exactly forceful on their subjects. Besides..."
Naruto prepared to fire. "He made you cry."
Just as the blonde was about to let fire he felt a pair of arms wrap around his own, wetness soaking his back. The blonde fired, staring down at Jellal's form with hate in his eyes. "Please," he heard the whisper. "For me. Let him live for me. I can't bear to see someone else die in this wretched tower. I just want to leave. I want to go home." Naruto stared down at the young girl, a frown on his face before he sighed. He couldn't say no.
The blonde dropped his weapon, the lance billowing into the wind as Naruto let it disappear, the tattoos on his body fading away, along with his gauntlet. As his body returned to normal Naruto could only drop to his knees, the significant strain of Sky God's Drive, kicking in, sweat covering his body as he tried to breathe. Erza held Naruto tightly, worry etched on her face, but the blonde was quick to recover, leaning against the redhead for support as he stared down at Jellal.
"I'm sorry Erza," the blonde whispered, turning to look down at her, a smile on his face. Jellal wasn't important...but she was.
"Let's go home."
Erza smiled. "Yes...lets."
The two turned as they heard a stumble, their eyes wide as they saw Simon limp towards them, his eyes wide. "You did it," he muttered, causing the duo to smirk.
"Yeah, yeah we suppose we did."
Racer and Hoteye frowned, staring down at the defeated Raven Tail before them. They would be useful, that was without a doubt, especially Ivan and Velveno. The two were powerful, S-class mages that had caused them a lot of trouble. Racer's side still stung from when Velveno managed to get a particularly powerful blow off, and Hoteye was covered in lacerations and bruises, however he had merely managed to outlast the powerful former Fairy Tail mage. They just didn't have it in them to defeat members of Oracion Seis.
"Why did you come for us," Ivan muttered, his body shuddering as he fought through the pain. Hoteye glanced at Racer who nodded.
"Oracion Seis has been...infiltrated...by Tartarus. They are trying to make a play and become the strongest member of the Balam Alliance. That cannot be allowed to happen. They have already killed Brain, and attempted to kill us. We need tools to fight back and regain the title of Oracion Seis."
Ivan blinked. "You need us to fight against a new Oracion Seis that you aren't a part of?"
Racer blinked. "Yes."
Ivan snorted. "Please. You're kidding me right. If you two lost in a fight to this new Oracion Seis what makes you think that we will stand a chance against them? You're crazy, that's what I think. Besides, only Velveno and I are even capable of fighting on the level that you want us to fight on."
Hoteye frowned. "Yes, but we can train you. Besides, there are other S-class mages we can get, with money all things are possible."
Ivan snorted. "Like who? There are few S-class mages on the level of Oracion Seis mages."
"The leader of Carbuncle, Dyst, should be useful. He's quite a powerful user of Telekinesis. Skills like his would be invaluable. Also, a man like Drum Bee, who recently escaped from Black Vox, along with Kafuchi Marmalade. With those three, along with training you, and all of our subordinates, we should be capable of taking down Oracion Seis."
"And if we say no," Velveno questioned. Hoteye grinned, looking down at the defeated man, the earth shifting.
"I don't think you want to know the answer to that."
Barakiel sighed, landing on the platform set out for him. He stood outside the main military office of the Fiore Branch of the Magic Council. He frowned, storming passed the guards who tried to calm him down, his eyes glowing with power and worry. The other Generals had to be informed of what had happened at The Compound. He already had told them to meet him here, using a lacrima that he had picked up at his last stop, but he wasn't sure the gravity of the situation had set upon them.
When he walked inside the meeting room, the ornate designed of the room ignored by all of those who were currently in it, he could only nod. They had acknowledged the threat to Fiore. They were all here. Maybe it was due to the death of another General? Or maybe it was because he told them that Lich magic was back?
Either way there were all here.
Barakiel looked around the room, nodding. Jiemma was here. He would need him to explain the story. He hadn't fought the other nine enemies, and having a detailed report on how strong they were would be useful, especially if any were still alive. Barakiel continued to look around the room, his eyes landing on each of the Generals.
The first General, the 'Bestial King' Wolfhiem, although he was better known as a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, specifically one of the Four Gods of Ishgar. The man was legendary, despite being fairly old and small, for his power. He was only slightly younger than Makarov, but his strength greatly outstripped the Fairy Tail Guild Master. The man had gone face to face with one of the Spriggan Twelve and lived after all, and that was no easy feat. He was a monster in combat, although he was deathly serious and a pain to work with. The man had grown up in a violent time, and thus he expected perfection from everyone as though lives depended on it. In this case, he was likely correct.
The second General, the 'Boar' Ging Freecss. This man was also a legend, but for a much different reason than Wolfhiem. He was not honored, no he was hated. The man was notorious for racking up massive amounts of debt due to not paying his bills for the alcohol he drank. Alcohol that the Council eventually had to pay for, causing their budget to continuously increase. Never let it be said that Ging was liked by taxpayers. Still, the man was powerful, and extremely intelligent despite being rather...eccentric. He wondered if the man still remembered his name? He doubted it, as the man had dubbed him Darwin long ago. Barakiel honestly had no idea why.
The third General, 'The Assassin', Silva Zoldyck. This man was dangerous. He was the entire reason Barakiel could use Stealth in the first place, as Silva had mastered the magic long ago. It had no doubt contributed to his title. However, the man was deadly for more than just being a master assassin. He was also the exterminator of the Magic Council, even more so than Barakiel. He was dangerous, and powerful. He may not be as outright physically strong as the other Generals, but the way he fought was terrifying. It was like fighting the tide, it continuously wore you down until you crumbled before it. His attacks were fast, deadly, and devastating.
The fourth General, 'Bisky' Biscuit Krueger. The girl was devious, that much was clear. She liked shiny things, and for that reason worked very closely with Silva. She had a knack for picking up on trails of money, leading her to quite a large amount of Dark Guilds. Barakiel would have loved to see those two in action. They were polar opposites, with Bisky being outgoing and excessive in everything, the complete opposite of how Silva preferred to act stealthily. It likely only made it worse that she was a massive pervert. Silva probably wanted to kill himself.
The fifth General, 'Alucard' Draculos Hyberion. This mage was perhaps more dangerous than even Silva. He was as serious as Wolfhiem, and yet he hadn't been raised during the same time period, to his knowledge. The mage was just powerful, having experienced the true darkness that magic can bring upon humanity and come back out from the other side, a changed...thing for it. He couldn't truly call the mage a man. To call him a man was to lower his standards of humanity. Barakiel almost shuddered. It was meant from no disrespect, but Draculos was...someone who was technically an illegal existence due to his very nature. The magic he possessed...it had made him a monster. Barakiel couldn't focus on him any longer. Even his mere sight had a creeping feeling of doubt crawl up his spine. The man was loyal, but he was unsettling.
The Generals of Fiore, all united under the Supreme General, himself. Barakiel frowned. Supreme General. He didn't feel like he had earned that title. It was granted to him rather than him earning it due to what Magic he held and the respect he commanded from being able to wield them all expertly. Others, like Wolfhiem or Silva, would have been more suited to his position than he himself was. Barakiel shook his head as those thoughts entered his mind. He couldn't focus on them. He could only focus on the future in front of him. Focus on a way to bring down Tartarus.
If it was possible.
"Thank you all for coming," Barakiel called, sighing. He nodded to his Generals, who nodded back. They knew what was happening. They just needed to be explained the details. They had already gotten the rough summary. The Dragon Slayer opened his mouth to speak.
"As I'm sure you are all aware, The Compound was attacked by a man named Tartarus, who I can only presume, based off his strength, is the leader of the Dark Guild Tartarus."
"Yes, we've heard all of this before," Wolfhiem stated, shaking his head. "Give us details. How strong was he approximately, with the Lich Magic? What are his powers, and his allies capabilities?"
Barakiel frowned. "That is...still up in the air. I was going all out against him, and it was hard to tell how much he was trying. I think he's undoubtedly strong, the only question is how strong. For now...I'd rank him as an Omega Level Threat."
"Omega," Ging muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Darwin I don't think you're being fair here. You're Omega Level yourself, and he was going toe-to-toe with you from what you said. Maybe you should rank him a bit higher than that no? It would demand an immediate strike force to target him. It'd be fun!"
Silva glared at Ging. "Battle is not the solution here Ging. We cannot just rush headlong into battles without a plan. This is no joking matter, take it seriously. If anyone should know that it should be you, after what happened to your son."
Ging slowly craned his head, turning to stare at Silva who stared back at the man, unafraid. The tension in the air was palpable, the two powerful Wizards staring one another down, hoping that one would make the first move so they could engage in a brawl. "You care to repeat that," Ging said, orange energy leaking from his body. Silva turned towards the man, his muscles bulging as his pink energy leaked from his body. Barakiel frowned, watching the duo carefully. If they came to blows...it would be serious.
However, Ging suddenly cut off his magic, turning to stare at Barakiel. The man was still clearly upset, but it seemed he understood the significance of the situation. Silva did the same, ignoring the look he got from Barakiel. What he had said was rather unnecessary. Bringing up the mans son was a touchy subject, and Silva knew that.
"To respond to your comment Ging no, we shouldn't rank him as an Apocalypse Level Threat. Only two beings are listed there, and for good reason. He's strong, but he is no Zeref nor is he an Acnologia."
Ging merely nodded.
"As for the other combatants, the only other one I fought was a man by the name of Erebus. I didn't fight him for long, but he was strong enough to defeat Michelle in combat. I'd say that he's strong than perhaps all of you, except Wolfhiem and Draculos. The man seems to be able to use his magic to absorb almost anything, except light. Not to mention his destructive force is extremely powerful."
Draculos frowned, speaking up. "I think I know how to handle that man."
Barakiel blinked, turning. "Oh? I was going to classify him as an Omega Level Threat as well due to his unique powers. Have you seen them before?"
Draculos shook his head. "We all have, just not at his level. His magic is eerily similar to my own. Erebus controls darkness. He can absorb attacks by banishing them to a realm of infinite nothingness. He is an extremely powerful opponent if he has truly mastered how to use darkness. I'd dare say he is better than myself when it comes to how to manipulate the darker aspects of magic from what you described, but I can handle him."
Barakiel frowned. "You're sure of this? From what you described he seems like a formidable opponent."
Draculos smirked. "Yes it wouldn't be too difficult. It would be difficult for him to fight someone who controls darkness on a level comparable to his own. If I had backup from mages who could use Light Magic that would be useful as well. I'd be able to handle him even faster, as the darkness would struggle to handle the light."
Barakiel grinned. "So you and I together?"
"We could easily dispose of the man yes."
Barakiel nodded. "Well that's good. Still, he's too strong for most mages to combat, and that doesn't seem like a critical enough weakness. He's still Omega Level."
The group of Generals nodded, before they turned to Jiemma, who sighed. The man did not appreciate being the center of attention, but it seemed like he didn't have a choice. Barakiel had talked about who he had fought, and the last of the enemies he had handled with Nez.
"I don't think there's much to talk about with these nine enemies," Jiemma stated, frowning. "Nez and I killed them all, even with the mans noble sacrifice. We won't be seeing them ever again. The few we didn't outright mutilate likely died in the Ultra Concentrated Light Lacrima that Nez set off."
Barakiel frowned. As much as he may not like it that was good enough for him. No one, not even he, could live through a direct hit of a Ultra Concentrated Light Lacrima. There was only one thing stronger than it, the Hydrogen Bomb Lacrima, and there was a reason there was only one of those in existence, other than it's sheer devastation. It wasn't needed, not when Ultra Concentrated Light Lacrima existed.
"Alright," Barakiel stated. "Then let's set up our counterattack. If that was really Tartarus we can't attack them directly, we don't know where they reside. But we can cause chaos in the underworld."
Draculos frowned. "So it's time to use that initiative then?"
Barakiel nodded. "Yes. It's time to call in our little spy. We'll need a strike force."
Naruto landed on the shoreline, the golden energy that surrounded him fading, the God Slayer letting Erza gently put her feet back on the ground. Naruto reached out, letting Simon land on the ground as well, the man grunting his thanks at Naruto.
"Erza!"
The redhead turned, her eyes wide as she saw Natsu, Lucy, Levy, and her old friends rushing towards her, smiles on all of their faces. Erza could only smile, tears falling down her face, only for her to feel a hand clasp onto her shoulder. She turned, Naruto smiling at her, his usual energy back around him. Erza's smile only grew wider.
"You think he'll be okay," Levy questioned, staring at Naruto who groaned, clutching his chest in his sleep, tossing the bed sheets off of his body. Erza laughed, shaking her head.
"I sure hope so. He's probably really drained from using his power like that. He deserves to rest. Let's not wake him."
"Still, to be sleeping for the last three days is pretty excessive," Lucy muttered. Natsu snorted.
"Yeah! Why is he asleep! I wanna fight him! Erza said he was really strong when he was using his Drive mode! He unlocked his Drive I wanna fight him so I can unlock mine!"
"It's probably just exhaustion," Erza muttered, completely ignoring Natsu. "Using that much energy all at once is probably tiring, even for him. It wasn't like he was careful with how he used his magic in the tower. He pretty much just destroyed everything that came his way."
"Good point," Levy muttered, nodding.
The four smiled, resting in relative peace before the door opened, revealing Erza's old childhood friends. The group's eyes widened, and Natsu, still slightly defensive, glared at Wally who backed away.
"We'll be off now Erza," Simon said, getting a smile from the redhead.
"Are you sure? There's always a place for you in Fairy Tail."
"Yes I'm afraid so. We all have a lot of growing to do, and I think this is something we all need to do. We hurt you, and we are deeply sorry for that."
Wally nodded, speaking up next. "Yeah it's not like we meant to hurt ya or nothin'. It just...ended up that way."
"If anyone should be apologizing it's me," Erza said, shaking her head. "I left you in the tower for all those years. I hope you can forgive me."
"We've already forgiven you sis," Sho muttered, his injuries relatively healed thanks to Levy's work.
"But if I had gone back then-"
"Enough," Simon said, smirking. "The past is the past. Each and every one of us has made mistakes. It's time for us to stop living in the past and move towards the future. It's what Jellal, the original Jellal, would have wanted us to do."
The group nodded, the memory of their old friend replaying in their mind once more. Levy walked up to Sho, glaring at him. "Be easy on that injury alright! No stressful work! Take it easy from here on out. I mean that mister! Until that wound is fully healed no fighting!"
"Yes ma'am," Sho muttered, looking away from Levy who smirked.
Simon turned as his friends began to say their goodbyes before leaving the room, looking down at Naruto lying unconscious on the bed. "He's a good man."
Erza smiled, shaking her head at her boyfriend. "Yes...he is."
Simon nodded. "Can he protect you?"
Erza gave a soft chuckle. "More often than not yes, although as of recently I think it's me who has to beat common sense into his head. You don't have to worry Simon. I'm in good hands. Rest assured, Naruto won't let me die. He'd defend me to the death, just like you would."
Simon blinked, his eyes meeting Erza's, the powerful mage smirking. "So you knew?"
"Yes."
Simon nodded. "I see...let's go everyone."
The group nodded, filing out the room. Erza could only smile at Simon's retreating form, the man grasping the handle of the door as he exited, turning back to look at Erza, as though to burn her into his memory one last time. "Thank you for everything, Erza. If you need us...we'll be there."
Erza smiled, a lone tear coming from her real eye. "Right back at you."
Simon smiled, before he closed the door.
"They were nice," Lucy said. "After you got passed the whole, trying to kidnap you thing."
Erza rolled her eyes, sitting down next to Naruto, smirking as he enveloped her, even in his sleep, with his arms before she looked at Lucy. "Speaking of nice people, what about that girl that was with you? Juvia?"
"She went back to the mainland," Lucy stated. "I think she has plans to join Fairy Tail!"
"Join Fairy Tail," Erza muttered, her eyes wide before she smiled. "Yes...yes that sounds like fun."
"Wake up Naruto!"
"Shut up Natsu!"
"Well this is a surprise." Naruto muttered.
"They finished construction of the new guild," Levy muttered, opening the door. The group walked around, smiling as they saw the cafe, although no one was in the wide open area, due to the massive downpour going on. The only reason they weren't soaking wet was because Naruto was shifting the water away from them with his wind. The group walked inside the guild hall, their eyes warming as they saw that Fairy Tail was still up to its usual tricks. That was good. They needed some more normal, despite the change-
"Is that a swimming pool!" Levy cried, a smile on her face.
"Yeah," Mira said, walking over to the group, smiling. "Master made a couple changes to the place. We've got some added accessories now. A swimming pool and a game room are just a few. Master even lets everyone on the second floor now, and let's people go on S-class quests, if they're accompanied by an S-class mage. Which means basically only you guys though, because we all know Laxus and Mystogan aren't gonna take anyone."
"Couldn't you take someone Mira," Lucy asked, causing the girl to nod.
"Yeah, but I'm training right now. Got to stay in top form ya know!"
The group nodded.
"Where's Sasuke," Naruto muttered, causing Mira to frown. "He's out back. He's been training non-stop since you guys left. He's probably sparring with Elfman right now."
"Oh I've gotta see this," Naruto muttered, smirking before he dashed off. Natsu was quick to follow the God Slayer.
"Boys will be boys," Erza muttered, causing Mira to laugh.
"Yes indeed they will."
"It's good to see you're back."
The group of females turned, surprised to see Makarov standing there, a smile on the elderly mans face. However, there was someone next to him, someone that they all recognized.
"I'd like for you to meet Fairy Tail's newest member, Juvia! She's quite the looker eh," Makarov muttered, reaching over to grab her butt, only for it to turn to water, Juvia glaring down at the perverted man. She then turned towards the group, a smile on her face as she inclined her head.
"I'd like to thank all of you for what you did for me back at the tower. Especially you Lucy."
"So you actually made it in huh," Lucy said, a smile on her face. "That's good."
"We've also added someone else to the guild. You might recognize him too." Makarov muttered, pointing his finger behind them. The group turned, their eyes widening as they saw Gajeel sitting there, a frown on his face.
"You're kidding," Lucy muttered, quickly looking at Levy who stared at Gajeel, her face void of emotion.
"I understand Juvia," Erza muttered, a flash of magic flaring to life before the Mugetsu-Ryu was in her hand. "But he's the one responsible for destroying our guild hall and attacking Levy!"
"Now now, remember what I've taught you. Yesterdays enemy can be today's friend right?"
Erza glanced at the elderly man, watching his face. He was...calm, collected. He had a handle on things. At least she hoped he did. It would be quite bad if he didn't. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let Gajeel in the guild.
"I'll be keeping a close eye on you," Erza muttered, glaring. Gajeel merely snorted, turning away, only for his eyes to widen as he saw Levy standing there in front of him.
"We need to talk."
Gajeel grunted.
Naruto frowned as he saw Sasuke dodge another one of Elfman's punches, albeit barely. The guy could barely fight, much less use his power like he used to. He was practically a newbie. He depending on his sight far more than he thought he did. Naruto could only sigh, Sasuke unable to dodge Elfman's follow up, the S-class mage sent skidding backwards.
"How is he doing that," Natsu questioned, getting Naruto to sigh.
"Natsu, remember what I told you to focus on. Use your head. How do you think he's doing it? He can't see, so what other ways could he be fighting with?"
Natsu frowned, watching Sasuke. He was still moving, although slowly and unequally, but it seemed like he could tell what was around him. He was getting better as the time went by, moving more fluidly. The man was clearly getting better, almost like he had developed a new sense. But what could do that? His magic was constantly leaking out, so he was using his magic somehow to do this. But how?
Natsu frowned, shaking his head. He was stuck, he didn't...what the? His hair usually flapped in front of his eyes when he shook his hair, but this time it didn't. And now that he was paying attention he could tell that Sasuke's hair, along with Naruto's, were standing, although Elfman wasn't affected as the beast he was controlling didn't have any hair. And it smelt like ozone. Lightning. Electricity.
That's it!
"He's using electrolocation. Like a shark."
Naruto nodded. "That's correct. Good job. You're getting better, although I'm surprised you know what that word means."
Natsu grumbled, rolling his eyes. "But I thought it could only be used in salt water?"
"It's best in salt water," Naruto corrected, frowning. "At least when comparing it to air, because salt water is a much better conductor. But Sasuke likely won't be fighting underwater. That's why he's releasing so much magic, to compensate for the sensitivity."
"Ah," Natsu muttered, getting Naruto to nod. "Yeah. He's creating a sphere of vision around himself. It's not a bad idea, but it does limit his vision. Anyone attacking from outside of his sphere is dangerous. His field is large, but probably not that sensitive either. I can feel the charge get weaker the further I get from him."
"I'm blind not deaf," Sasuke called, dodging another one of Elman's punches, raising a hand, getting the Strauss sibling to stop. "You're back Naruto."
The blonde nodded. "Yeah. Although I think we need to have a talk."
"Talk?"
Naruto frowned, sighing. "Yes. About Drive," Naruto said, thinking back on the form that he took. "I think I discovered something about how our Drive works."
"Our Drive?"
Naruto nodded, flexing his hands. "You haven't noticed because you've been blind, but I've noticed. My Drive looks different. It has each time I've used it. Almost like...almost like it's evolving."
Sasuke blinked, a frown taking over his face. "Evolving? That doesn't make sense. How could your powers be evolving. The Drive and Force always look the same, regardless of when you're using it or how proficient you are at using God Slayer Magic. Naruto shook his head however.
"I don't think that's true," the blonde called out. "I think our mastery over our magic is much more deeply related to how we look than we know. I bet your Drive looks different also, with how far you've progressed using your own magic. I think my continued use of it has elevated me to a new level. I think that this form of my Drive is much more like what it actually should look like. The closer we get to perfecting our magic, the more in tune we became with the Gods."
"And the more in tune with the Gods we become the more our Drive mirrors their own powers."
"Exactly. I think I've reached the pinnacle of my Drive. It changed from when I fought you, from when I fought Jose, to when I fought Jellal. Yours will probably have changed from when you fought me too. I think our next step is Force. We have to achieve God Force."
"God Force," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head. It was hard to believe. The ability to be a God. It wasn't something he really thought he had. He knew he was strong, stronger even in his past life, but to be an actual God? That was...a lot to take in. To be a God seemed...above him almost. He had fought Gods, or at least, beings on the level of Gods. It was not something that should just be thrown around at the drop of a hat. To be referred to as a God.
It made him excited.
Levy stared at Gajeel, who stared back at her. The two mages stared each other down, standing in front of the tree where Gajeel had pinned her, and Jet and Droy. The tension was palpable. Neither of them knew where to start, only that they eventually needed to. It would be difficult, but hopefully it would be manageable.
"Why'd you call me out here," Gajeel eventually called. "I gotta job to do so-"
"I forgive you."
Gajeel blinked, not expecting that. He was expecting rage, maybe even some hate, but forgiveness? That was...completely out of the blue. If anyone had the right to hate him, it was definitely her. "What do you mean you forgive me?"
Levy smiled, shaking her head. "I mean I forgive you. I can understand why you did what you did. You were just following orders. You loved your guild. As much as it hurt, I can't blame someone for doing what their guild wanted."
Gajeel grit his teeth, frowning. "Doing what my guild wanted? Don't get it twisted girl! I did that just because I wanted to, I wasn't ordered to do it! Nobody ordered me to do it. Besides, I didn't give a rats ass about Phantom Lord. It was just some stupid guild, like this one."
Levy laughed, eliciting more rage from the powerful mage, but she merely shook her head. "I can see it in your eyes. You didn't mean to hurt me. You didn't want to. You just loved your guild so much, that everyone else took a backseat, even morality. I can understand that. I'd be the same way if the roles were reversed. I just wanted to let you know that I forgive you."
Gajeel growled, glaring at the girl, but finding it hard to keep up his face. She was forgiving him, and he hadn't even done anything to deserve it. He would by lying if he didn't admit that she was part of the reason that he came to Fairy Tail, to make things right with her, but for her to just forgive him immediately. After such a short period of time. It was...unexpected, improbable, and just...kind. No one was that kind, were they?
"Get away from Levy you metal freak!"
Gajeel turned, eyes narrowed as he saw Jet and Droy staring him down, both mages glaring at the Dragon Slayer. "There's no way you're joining our guild," Droy roared.
Gajeel snorted, looking back at Levy briefly before he looked at the two males again. "Come on guys can't you just forgive and forget."
Jet and Droy glowered at Gajeel, their eyes dark as their magic swirled. Gajeel grunted. He couldn't exactly fight back in this situation. If he did he'd pulverize both of them, and that wouldn't help his standing in the guild either. They had him stuck in a bind, and he wouldn't put it passed them to know that. They only confirmed this when Jet smashed into his body, Droy following up with a spell he called, Knuckle Plant, large vines with fists at the end smashing into Gajeel's body. The man grunted. The attacks didn't particularly hurt, but they were enough to sting. Maybe they'd get better as time went on? However, that was when he saw Jet speeding towards him, the man grinning as he leapt into the air, screaming.
"Falcon Heavenward!"
Gajeel cried out in pain, saliva spilling from his mouth as he was thrown backwards from the kick, forced to flip and brace his body as he crashed into a nearby mound of leaves, groaning. That kick had hurt. Maybe they weren't so bad after all. They could at least get in one good shot, if he wasn't defending himself. But what if he-No! He had to control himself. He knew he was on a tight leash, even after what he had told Makarov. He had to be careful. Calm.
"Are you guys bullying the new guy?"
The group turned, their eyes wide as they saw Laxus standing there, a sinister grin on the mans face. Gajeel frowned as he saw the man. He was strong, and he wasn't even using his magic power yet. Gajeel could tell, this man was a threat. If they came to blows, there was no doubt on his mind that he would lose. He would have to run away, in order to survive.
"Don't get me wrong, this is the guy who tore down our guild hall. I get how you feel. I bet the only reason he's here is because the old geezer was afraid of him wrecking the place again. We've become the laughing stock of the magic community, all because of you."
Gajeel grit his teeth. The laughing stock of the magic community? Who the hell said that? Fairy Tail had won the war. Phantom Lord was the side that lost.
"I was at a pub recently, and everyone kept talking about how Fairy Tail was weak! They never had the balls to say that about us before you came along," Laxus roared, lightning flickering off his form. Gajeel glared up at the man, despite his size. He wouldn't back down, not for anyone. If he was going to be hit, he'd at least look the man in the eyes. Lightning flashed down, Gajeel crying out in pain, before lightning roared from Laxus' fist as he threw a punch forwards.
"You're gonna pay!"
The punch slammed home, Gajeel being sent flying passed Jet and Droy, the electricity being sent skywards as Gajeel appeared next to Levy, his body covered in burns and bruises, half of his shirt torn clean off. The man panted, glaring at Laxus before he dropped to a knee, his breathing ragged.
"Calm down, you're taking this too far man!"
"I know Laxus is strong and all, but look at Gajeel," Droy muttered, getting Jet's attention. "Gajeel is going down to easy. He's not fighting back."
Jet's eyes widened, his mind connecting the dots as he realized it too. "Yeah. I didn't realize it until now but...he's not fighting back."
"He's letting us get our anger out on him. He's trying to get our acceptance," Levy said, getting the two boys attention. The blue haired girl shook her head. "You two are idiots." She dashed by them appearing in front of Laxus as he prepared to stomp on Gajeel, glaring at him.
"Back off Laxus."
Laxus growled, lightning covering his hands. "Don't get in my way!"
Lightning flew forwards, however before Laxus could react an iron rod slammed into his gut, sending him skidding backwards, causing his attack to miss. Laxus grunted as the rod receded back to Gajeel's form, the man glaring at the Dragon Slayer.
"Why you little shit."
"If you've have your fun, I have a job to do," Gajeel muttered, standing before hobbling away, clutching his side in pain. Levy could only stare after him.
"Gajeel-"
"Leave me alone."
Laxus snorted, turning on his heel and walking away, rage clouding his thoughts.
'I've had enough of this shit! I can barely hold on enough for the timetable! When this month is over, things are gonna change!'
Gray frowned as he stared at the beast before him. This creature...this was Deliora. This was his sworn opponent. The teen grunted, clenching his fists. He was ready. This...this he could do.
Someone would die today, one way or another.
The man stood over Magnolia, a frown on his face. He did not want to be here, but orders were orders. Fairy Tail was an interesting guild, filled with many powerful mages. He was sure he would fit right in here. He just didn't know how much of his strength he could reveal. To much and he'd quickly be under suspicion for having not joined a guild, but too little and he wouldn't gain enough access. He needed to hit all of the right spots in order to learn the information that he wanted. But he would do it.
Orders were orders.
So if you haven't noticed already, the Oracion Seis arc is gonna be filled with fights. It's gonna be a clusterfuck. And a very very intense battle. The Allied Forces will have their work cut out for them. Also, it's gonna be a little bit before the next arc. Why? Well, if you haven't noticed, there are some training plot points that I wanna wrap up before we reach the climax of what I'd consider Season 1 of this story. And lots of characters are going to have their little moments, so I want to showcase that happening. Also, I need to show Gray's fight with Deliora, which will take at least a chapter, if not more. Place your bets on who will win now. Then we've got some training to do, and by that I mean literally just entire chapters devoted to training. I'll try to make them as interesting as possible, and I think I can succeed for the most part, but training isn't particularly interesting. This will be a grand test of my writing abilities before the Season finale.
I hope you're all excited for the clash against Laxus. I know I am. It's gonna diverge from canon in little, but rather important ways.
Also, hope you like my Generals. They're pretty cool, if I do say so myself, although I didn't create them, and claim no rights of them (for the lawyers who seem to always forget that).
I hope you guys also like how strong Naruto was in his Drive mode. I think that's a fairly realistic power setting for him. He fights very fast, so for him to be demolishing characters that either can't keep up or take a hit make sense to me. Jellal was fast, but just not fast enough. And Sasuke, I finally explained how he'll fight with his eyes. Electrolocation, like a shark. I tried to explain it well, but if you want a bit more of an exercise, I'd suggest looking it up.
Season 2 of my story will diverge pretty far from canon. Some arcs will be the same, some arcs will be different, some arcs won't even happen. Season 2 is a massive season, where the majority of the plot will really kick into gear. Season 3, the last season, as I'm sure you're probably aware, will be the climax of the story. That's still a ways off though.
And I left you off with a little bit of an interesting feature. Two cliff hangers. If anyone can tell me who the mystery man is above Magnolia, they get a prize.
