A/N: I'm alive! Jeez, being sick sucks. I do apologize if last chapter's bonus content was lacking, but I simply wasn't up to the task of creating it in time for the chapter release. Today, though, I have the full course ready to be enjoyed.
Let's tune in to see just how Gorun will do with introducing his captive to the rest of Fairy Tail...
P.S. Oh, and Happy New Year!
War of the Underworld Arc: Chapter 2
War on All Fronts
Gorun and Sorano made a single stop in a little town on the way back to Magnolia via instant transmission. Without a word to his new ally, the Saiyan boy led the way to a market stall where there were various clothing articles being sold. Glancing at the woman's ruined attire for a second out of the corner of his eye, he addressed the stall owner with the words, "My companion needs a new outfit, sir. We've had a rough time on the road, and I'd like to see her dressed properly."
"I'll be happy to accommodate your request," the man replied with a bright smile. Turning to Sorano, he asked, "What strikes your fancy, miss? I've a wide variety of garments whose origins place from Crocus to the kingdom of Stella."
"We are in a hurry," Gorun said in a lowered tone to Sorano. "I'll pay for whatever you want, just make your choice fast, and be sure that it'll hold up in a fight."
"You should've just led with offering to pay for my wardrobe when you recruited me," she laughed under her breath as she moved swiftly to select an outfit that- not to Gorun's surprise- consisted of a white tube top and a navy skirt that ended just above her knees. While she did, he watched the stall owner closely for any sign that he recognized Sorano as Angel, but thus far things seemed to be going without incident. I guess it's been some time since the Seis were a public menace, so it stands to reason that they've faded into the back of people's memory by now.
Eyeing some of the more extravagant pieces on display, Gorun selected an extra item to complete Sorano's new outfit. "A cloak?" she complained when she saw it, a long piece that could enclose her entire body easily, topped with a hood featuring a deep cowl that could hide her face and obscure her identity. "Is this necessary?" she asked him.
He cocked his head at her while keeping his face neutral as he whispered in her ear, "Do you want a chance for me to explain your presence to my friends, or would you rather they attack you on sight? Besides, it won't be long before you and the rest of the Seis are reported as escaped convicts, and then we have people trying to attack you in the streets." He continued to keep an eye on the merchant, but if the man was bothered by their exclusive conversation, he showed no sign of it. He probably thinks we're arguing over whether or not we can afford it, he surmised as he leaned away from Sorano, who looked disgruntled.
"Way to ruin my good mood," she grumbled as he turned to the man selling the items and proceeded to hand over the asking prices. Grabbing the bag that he then gave to them, she made to head for a nearby restaurant, where she could change in private, Gorun quickly following her without another word.
As soon as she had changed and was wearing the new cloak, they teleported straight to Magnolia, Gorun having locked onto Azura's energy signature. To his surprise, she was waiting for him on one of the guild hall's terraces, a pensive look on her face when they appeared.
"Did one of the Thunder Legion die?" he asked worriedly, startling his cousin a bit as she fixed her piercing blue eyes on him.
"No, they're hanging on, barely," she replied with a negative shake of her head, much to his relief. Peering closely at Sorano, who shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze, Azura asked, "Who's this? Relative of Yukino?"
"Her sister, and currently on the most wanted list for Fiore's criminal wizards," Gorun answered. Raising a hand to forestall any questions from his cousin, he added, "She's on our side now. When the battle with Tartaros is over, I'm going to use my power as Wizard Saint to absolve her of her crimes, so long as she helps us in our battle with Tartaros. I'll explain everything that happened later- right now I need to know what's got you of all people looking like someone killed your dog and is now wearing it as a festive hat."
"The situation deteriorated while you were gone, badly," Azura answered with a sharp frown. "Erza and Mirajane were sent to protect the former Head Councilman, but they both missed their scheduled check-ins. On top of that, most of the council members the others went to protect were already dead on arrival."
"Damn," Gorun cursed. "Do we have any good news at all?"
"None," Azura muttered. "I even tried to sense for where your friends might be in order to ascertain their safety, but I can't get a feel for their energy signatures. Either they're dead or incapacitated in some way, I'm not sure which."
"The girls might be in hiding somewhere," Gorun countered as he put his chin in his hand. "I taught a few wizards here to raise and lower their power levels to avoid detection, so they might be doing that."
"Possible, but I think you might need to prepare yourself for the worst," Azura replied as she folded her arms. "With the way things are going, it's clear that Tartaros has planned things out many steps in advance. Your friends might be in over their heads."
"If I have no hope, then I have no reason to fight," her cousin said with a shake of his head. Glancing downward, he said, "I'm not ready to give that up just yet. Let's get inside. I need to update Master on the circumstances that took me away from here- and let him know about our new friend."
He found the guild hall inside to be a dismal sight. With the news of their wizards going missing along with the deaths of the council members, it was no wonder that everyone looked so dejected. Trying to exude an aura of confidence that he did not feel, Gorun approached Makarov, who was talking quietly to Lucy, Éclair, and Wendy, all of whom looked very ragged. Sorano kept her silence, not wanting to become a target before Gorun could assure her safety, while Azura simply felt no need to say anything.
"Master," he said respectfully as he walked up, drawing the old man's attention. "I apologize for my absence, but it couldn't be helped. Azura filled me in on what's been happening, and I'd like to know if there's any way I can help you."
"I would have preferred that you were here to assist in the protection of the council members, but what's done is done," Makarov replied gravely. Looking past the new Wizard Saint as he told the girls to go get some rest, he scrutinized Sorano, no doubt trying to ascertain why Gorun had brought a newcomer into their hall during such a trying time.
Preempting the question that was undoubtedly on its way, Gorun said, "I suggest that we speak in private, Master. My companion's situation is… complicated, and it requires your immediate attention."
"It can't wait?" the old wizard asked gravely. "We have a lot going on, Gorun."
"It has to do with Tartaros, at least in part," the younger man assured him. "And no, I would prefer that this situation is addressed sooner rather than later."
"Hmph…" Makarov grumbled, but he got up and hopped off the table, heading for his office. "Come along, then."
"Yes sir," Gorun said as he waved Sorano to accompany him. Over his shoulder, he said, "Get the team together. Once Master and I have finished talking, I'm going to need to give them an update, too. Don't say who it is that I've brought yet, though." He had looked around the hall, but he had not seen any of his teammates therein- apparently Azura had them doing research with Levy while they waited for further orders.
"Be quick about it," his cousin replied tersely. "And I'm not lying for you."
"Ghost Nappa," Gorun shot back.
Azura's face reddened to match Erza's hair as she growled, "You only get to play that card once, understand?!"
"Yes," he replied as he walked away. "Now do what I told you."
Makarov turned out to be easier to win over than Gorun had thought. He showed only token surprise when Sorano revealed herself in his office, and he listened quietly to Gorun's reasons for bringing her in, as well as what he planned to do with her if they could defeat Tartaros. He had warned the boy that using his newfound authority in such a way so early in his career might ruffle some feathers, but Gorun pointed out that people likely wouldn't care much if she helped them save the country from Zeref's minions.
"At least now I understand why you ran off without much notice," Makarov grumbled as he rubbed his aged face tiredly. Before Gorun debriefed him on the situation with the Oracion Seis, the old man had told his colleague about how Natsu and Happy had gone missing after an encounter with one of Tartaros' demons, along with Erza, Mirajane, and the former Head Councilman. "I still wish you would have placed priority on events here, but I also cannot fault you for repaying a debt owed."
"So what does this mean for me?" Sorano asked when Gorun remained silent. "I know a few of your wizards aren't gonna be happy to see me."
"They'll live," Makarov replied as he stood up and grabbed his staff. "We've taken in former enemies before, and they have often turned into our most staunch supporters. Your story is no stranger to them than that of others that have gone astray."
"Your philosophies are largely influenced by naïve hope," Sorano muttered. Her gaze softened slightly as she added, "But I suppose I'm grateful for that now."
"One thing," Gorun told her as they all filed out of the office. "If Lucy punches you, I'm letting her have one good one." He had heard about the history between the two wizards, and he felt that his friend had more than earned at least a mild retribution.
"She won't," Sorano replied smugly as she put her hood back up. "She's too much of a bleeding heart to hurt someone who's coming to her guild's side." Gorun shrugged at that, but he knew that she was right. Lucy didn't much hold to the ideas of revenge or having grudges.
"I suggest we hold off on any infighting until Tartaros is dealt with," Makarov said firmly. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I need to go tell the rest of our family the situation at hand."
Gorun found his team gathered at their usual table, all of them looking as pensive as the rest of the guild. "Hey guys," he said as he approached.
"Gorun!" Kinana exclaimed as she leaped up to hug him tightly. "I was worried when you left without saying anything!"
"I'm really sorry about that," he said as he held her tightly, relishing in the warm contact of her skin and the scent of her hair. "Did Azura fill you in on what was happening?"
"She told us that you went to fight the Oracion Seis," Romeo replied as the couple reluctantly pulled themselves apart. "I'm guessing you stomped them pretty good, huh?"
"Like I'd have never believed," Sorano said from behind the Saiyan, drawing everyone's attention to her.
"Hold on, I know that voice…" Yukino said with a slight frown as she peered at the cloaked newcomer. "Gorun, who is this?"
"Someone willing to help us against Tartaros, despite a… let's call it a 'checkered past," Gorun replied as he turned side-on to look at Sorano. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Makarov gathering the rest of the guild to him and speaking in lowered tones, just as Gorun had requested- he'd thought it better to explain things to Yukino and the rest of his team separately from the rest of the guild.
"Wait, is that one of-"
"This is Sorano Agria, formerly Angel of the Oracion Seis," Gorun said to interrupt Romeo, causing all of his teammates-save for Azura- to react with surprise as the woman threw back the hood covering her head. Kinana and Romeo instinctively flinched and drew away from her, while Yukino could only look at her long-lost sibling in a mute shock.
"Where the hell did she come from?" Romeo asked as he looked to his leader for an explanation.
"Long story short, Doranbolt called in the favor I owed him to take down the Seis," Gorun answered swiftly. "I recruited her while Jellal is taking in the rest of her compatriots."
"Why?" Yukino asked in a trembling voice.
Gorun wasn't sure if she was speaking to him or to Sorano, but he decided to answer anyway. "You've told us about how your family was torn away from you because of Zeref's followers," he said quietly. "I thought it might be fitting for the two of you to reunite with the intention of taking the hurt to Zeref's most loyal."
"I know you must have mixed feelings about seeing me, Yukino," Sorano began. "I can't say that I'd be too happy if our situations were reversed. But I do want you to know that I accepted Gorun's offer because it meant that I would be able to- oof!" She was cut off as Yukino flung herself at the older Agria, seizing in her a bone-crushing bear hug.
"I don't care why you're here, I'm just glad that you are!" Yukino cried while Sorano struggled to breathe and awkwardly return the embrace as best as she could with her arms pinned at her sides.
"You seem to have a knack for picking up pretty girls," Kinana said as she moved closer to her fiancé, now assured that they were not about to be attacked by a terrorist. "Should I be worried?"
Turning to her with a gentle smile, he said, "I don't think it's possible to find anybody prettier than my future wife." Kinana blushed and looked downward, but it was clear that she was glad to see him returned safely, even if he'd brought along an escaped convict with him.
"Yeah, well, this chick isn't the first one you've brought in today, so we'd all understand if she dumped you," Azura smirked as she walked up to the pair, ignoring the Agria sisters as she did.
"Excuse me?" Gorun asked with a frown.
"Yeah, some kid came in today, said you gave her an open invite," Romeo said as he pointed over to the bar, where an unfamiliar figure sat over a plate of food, eating hungrily. "She's kinda weird- treats everybody in here like they're a celebrity- even me!" He pointed to himself and added, "I'm not one of the famous wizards, and somehow she knew about me and talked to me like I was a big deal! It was weird, man!"
The Saiyan boy frowned and opened his mouth to deny knowledge of the subject, but then he caught sight of the kid's profile, and the words died in his mouth when he recognized them. It was Rachel, the girl that had run into him the day that he had babysat Asuka. I had actually forgotten all about her, he thought as he turned back to the others.
"I know your intentions are honorable," Kinana told him. "But you really need to stop inviting every girl that you run into to join the guild."
"I didn't- She's not a wizard," he protested. "She just seemed like a kid who wanted to meet her role models, and I didn't see anything wrong with that."
"Maybe, but it seems that she's fixated on you more than anyone else here," Azura said while folding her arms. "She's been asking everyone if you're here, or when you'll be back. Honestly, I'm surprised that she didn't notice you come in."
"I was trying to be inconspicuous," Gorun replied defensively as he jerked a thumb at Yukino and Sorano, who were still crying and trying to escape, respectively. "The point was not to get noticed. Besides, what do you guys want me to do? Get rid of her?"
"Just be more careful with how you present yourself to other people in the future, Mister Wizard Saint," Kinana teased him. "Besides, we'll probably be too busy dealing with Tartaros to think about her real soon."
"Speaking of which, still no luck in finding out where their base is?" Gorun asked Azura, who shook her head in the negative.
"Nothing," she scowled. "Apparently these Tartaros freaks use some kind of energy different from ki, called 'curses'. I've tried to sense for any power signatures outside of the normal range, but even with the god form, I can't sense them."
"Maybe you already sensed them, but since there's so much magic energy across Ishgar, you just overlooked them?" Kinana suggested. "I've made that mistake when I was hunting an A-class criminal with Gorun a year ago."
"I'm not that sloppy," Azura snorted. When she saw Kinana's dejected expression, she quickly added, "But then, I've been practicing since I was a toddler- for having a year of practice, you could be doing much worse. My point is, I would have known something was off the moment I detected their power levels."
"She's rude, but her bragging is warranted," Gorun admitted begrudgingly. "If she can't sense their energy, they must be doing something to conceal themselves."
"There are spells that can turn people and stuff invisible, but I don't think I've ever heard of a magic that hides your powers," Romeo muttered thoughtfully.
"Much of what Tartaros deals in would be unknown to you," Sorano grunted, still in the tear-soaked clutches of her sister. As everyone turned to look at her, she added, "Whatever it is that they do to conceal themselves, it's worked for decades, perhaps more than a century. You won't find them in just a day when thousands have failed before you."
"I'm sorry, are you forgetting that our guild does the impossible all the time?" Romeo shot back at the older woman. "It was supposed to be impossible to beat the Seis, but Natsu and the others did it seven years ago, and now Gorun did it again- all by himself."
"Jellal helped."
"Not the point," Romeo said as he waved aside his leader's words. "Whether it's because of our skills, or sheer dumb luck, Fairy Tail is gonna find and crush Tartaros, just like everybody else that gets in our way."
"You haven't ever faced Tartaros," Sorano said dully. "I'm here to help protect Yuki, but these guys make the rest of the Baram Alliance look like toddlers playing with sticks at war."
"Hey, snowflake," Azura snapped as she folded her arms and glared at Sorano, catching everyone else by surprise. "We already took out the phoenix, which apparently is only topped by one demon in Zeref's arsenal. So I can't say that we're exactly worried about the extras coming our way."
Sorano looked like she was about to make her own snarky reply, when there was the sound of several dozen people approaching them from the other side of the guild hall. They all turned to see the other wizards, led by a frowning Lucy, approaching their table, her gaze fixed solely on Sorano. Gorun quickly interposed himself between the two groups, saying, "I don't want any trouble, guys. She's here to help us."
"Master already told us about what's going on," Wendy said from beside Lucy.
"And I've got something I need to say to Angel," the blond mage insisted.
"W-Wait, Lucy," Yukino sniffled as she pulled away from her sister, wiping at her now-puffy eyes. "Please don't fight. I've been missing her for so long, and I-"
"Your sister did some pretty horrible things, not only to her spirits, but to other celestial wizards, too," Lucy said, her voice uncharacteristically stern. "She killed Aries and Loke's previous contractor, not to mention a bunch of other wizards like us, just to get their keys! She tried to kill me, too!"
Yukino's eyes flicked over to Sorano, who remained stone-faced, before saying, "But she's here to repent and make up for what she did!"
"I know, and that doesn't change what I need to say," their friend replied, the other wizards all looking on with a sense of nervous anticipation.
Sorano gripped Yukino's shoulder firmly before moving in front of the younger Agria to stand face-to-face with one of her greatest rivals. "Whatever you have to say, I'll hear it," she said quietly as she kept Yukino back at arm's length. "Whatever hell you condemn me to, I welcome it."
The two women stood silently, unblinking, for several long moments. Around them, no one moved. Hardly anyone dared to breathe.
Were they about to see a bitter rivalry renewed?
Would the two of them set aside their differences for the common good of the cause?
Or would things simply remain as they were, with both wizards regarding each other with utter disdain?
Finally, Lucy reached out with her right hand and said, "I can't forgive you for the things you did to my spirits… But I can accept that you want to help Yukino. In the interest of protecting your sister- my friend- I'm willing to set aside my feelings about you so that we can have the best shot at taking down Tartaros. Can you do the same?"
Sorano nodded once, her eyes never breaking contact with Lucy's. "For Yuki, yes," she said as she shook hands with the other girl. "She's all I have left that is good."
Lucy returned the nod, and they released each other's hands. Seeing that the tension had passed, Makarov stepped up to them and said, "Glad that we could have that settled. Now, let's get to work finding Tartaros."
"I feel like we just need one clue," Levy muttered as the gathered wizards began to break up into groups in order to brainstorm ideas on how to track down the dark guild. "Just one slipup on their part, and I know I could figure out where they've been hiding."
Lucy had told the guild about the weapon designated as 'Face' according to Michello, but the search on that device was being handled by Laki and a few others in the guild. Gorun's group and resources were still dedicated to figuring out how to find the guild that wanted to kill them all.
"Let's review everything we know about them so far," Azura asserted as she and the rest of Golden Tail sat down with the script mage and Gajeel. "Maybe there's something we missed. And before we get started, don't bother bringing up the fact that no one has ever been able to find them- we're all aware of that fact, and it's not going to help us now."
"Okay then, what do we know?" Romeo grumbled. "They're the head of the Baram Alliance, right?"
"Yes, but not even members like the Oracion Seis or Grimoire Heart ever knew their location," Sorano informed them. "Brain might have figured it out, but I doubt it."
"Why's that?" Wendy asked as she, Lucy, and Éclair came to stand beside them. "Didn't he have access to Archive Magic?"
"That magic only has repositories of knowledge that other people have put in there already," Sorano replied. "If Tartaros is clever enough to have evaded detection for so long, I doubt that one of their members was stupid enough to leave their home address lying around in there."
"Okay, what about our encounters with them as of late?" Gorun asked, glancing around the table. "Was there a location that they arrived from?"
"I already tried to extrapolate their location with the towns that they had targeted, but I ended up drawing a blank," Levy sighed, frustrated. "Somehow my equations showed them as coming from five or six different areas in Fiore."
"Could they have multiple outposts?" Pantherlily inquired. "When I was in the wars back in Edolas, it was standard protocol to establish multiple staging points for an invasion."
"That's a plausible theory, but two facts contradict its credibility," Azura said with a negative shake of her head. "This is a guild, not an army- they've engaged in guerilla combat tactics, not open warfare." Before the scarred exceed could protest, she held up a hand and said, "Yes, I know that such a tactic makes sense whether your battles are in open fields or in the streets of a city. However, I flew to three of the locations that Levy detailed myself, and each time there was nothing in the way of a base, or even a guild hall."
The others looked frustrated at that piece of news, but Azura refused to be discouraged yet. Turning to Éclair, she asked, "Do you know anything about where they might be?"
The former priestess blinked in surprise before asking, "Why would I know anything about the location of Tartaros?"
"You've been alive for several centuries, not to mention that one of their pals gave you that extended lifespan," the blue-haired saiyan shrugged. "I'm sure you heard something in all that time."
Éclair frowned before she answered, "You would be surprised by how little of those four centuries that I can actually recall. The only thing I can remember with clarity in regards to this situation is that my village worshipped the phoenix, believing that if we kept it placated, it would not return to wreak havoc upon the world as it had before." Her eyes deadened as she added, "We all saw how well that turned out."
In an attempt to move on from the depressing fate of Fire Village, Gorun said, "All right, let's forget about trying to find Tartaros for the moment. What do we know about their powers and how they operate?"
"They're incredibly resilient creatures, these Etherious," Carla informed them. "According to what Freed was able to tell us, it took a considerable amount of magic from Laxus to fell that 'Disaster' monster. And I've seen few things take as many hits from Natsu as Jackal did before he also succumbed to his wounds."
"Jackal?" Gorun asked. "I feel like I've heard that name before…"
"He was a demon that could make anything he touched explode," Lucy said with a shudder. "He was ruthless and depraved… He bragged about blowing up the magic council, then he tried to make me choose between the life of the council guy, Michello, and a pregnant lady."
"That's twisted," Romeo said as he made a face. "But I guess Natsu gave him what he deserved?"
"Sort of," Wendy informed them. "He beat him soundly, but Jackal blew himself up before we could question him too much."
Azura and Gorun exchanged a glance before he muttered, "Freed mentioned that those bane particles were the result of their enemy immolating himself."
"And the phoenix nearly succeeded in igniting Ishgar like kindling after we killed it," Azura added in the same tone, a frown on her face. "If every one of these Etherious are equipped with some kind of self-destruct mechanism, taking down seven more of them won't be a task for anybody without S-class ranked powers."
"Unfortunately, most of our wizards with that kind of power are either missing, or out of commission," Kinana pointed out. "No one knows where Gildarts is, Laxus and the Thunder Legion are laid up in bed, and Natsu, Mira, and Erza are all MIA."
"We still have Gorun and Azura, not to mention a few others from the Tenrou team," Romeo protested. "Gray, Juvia, Levy, and Gajeel are all here, still. Plus Lucy and Yukino can do fusion, so we've got Lucino."
"We're not discounting their strength, not by a long shot," Gorun assured his younger friend. "But we do have to face the fact that we're lacking some of our strongest hitters when we need them, now more than ever."
"Any chance you could use instant transmission to go find the old man?" Gajeel asked. "I'm sure he's got a high enough energy level to find him, even from across Ishgar."
Gorun was already shaking his head in the negative. "I've already tried, but unlike most people in this world, he's pretty good at keeping his power level lowered, mostly to keep himself from accidentally hurting the people around him. I'd need at least a general idea of where he is in order to teleport to him."
"That's inconvenient."
"You have no idea."
They were all taking a break for lunch when Happy flew into the guild hall, looking like he'd been run over by a magic-mobile, babbling a confused story about demons, a kidnapping, and somebody betraying them. It took a little while for him to calm down enough to be coherent, but eventually Carla and Makarov managed to get him to tell about how Natsu and he had gone after Crawford, the former Head Councilman on a hunch that the other members were being betrayed from the inside. Once they had found his residence, Natsu came across evidence that the man had drugged the girls, and so followed his nose right to the prize that they sought- the base of Tartaros.
At that piece of news, the guild hall had buzzed with excitement in anticipation of the hunt- at long last, they knew where to find their enemies!
However, the excitement quickly died down again upon Happy's revelation that the base was actually a giant castle sitting on top of a city-sized floating cube that could move through the clouds.
At that, Gorun and Azura cursed angrily. "No wonder we couldn't find it!" the girl growled, making her guild mates edge away from her apprehensively. "They keep moving the damn thing!"
"Still doesn't account for why we can't sense their energy signatures, though," Gorun scowled.
"Actually, I've been working on a theory regarding that," Levy told him, surprising them and their friends. "Bane particles are basically anti-magic atoms, which I would imagine have some kind of impact on your senses, right?"
Gorun, Azura, and Kinana exchanged looks, then shrugged simultaneously. "We've never tried to sense for bane particles before," the purple-haired girl replied. "It never came up in a job, so we don't know if it would interfere with our ability to sense energy."
Levy made a face at that. "It's the only explanation I can think of, given what little we do know," she told them. "If they've figured out how to harness bane particles, they could be using it to hide their presence from magical means of detection."
"Hey, Gorun!" Happy exclaimed as he ran over to the leader of Golden Tail with tears in his eyes. "If I took ya to where Tartaros is, do you think you'd be able to get Natsu back? I… left him…"
"Hey," Gorun said kindly as he knelt down to pat Happy on the head with a smile. "You might've had to leave him, but you didn't abandon him. We're gonna rescue him, and the girls, too. Promise."
"Okay…" the blue exceed sniffled.
"C'mere, little guy," Lucy said as she scooped her friend up into a hug.
"Hey, Happy," Levy said as she and Lucy moved off to the side to speak in private. "Do you think you could tell me what you saw on the way over here? Since I know that they fly to get around, I might be able to extrapolate their location based on landmarks and the placement of the sun that you saw during your escape."
While the girls began to work with Happy, Gorun stood up slowly, the smile that he had given Happy quickly fading from his face to be replaced with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. Seeing it out of the corner of her eye, Azura muttered, "I know that look."
"What look?" Kinana asked, having noticed the lowered tone she was using.
"That's the look he had in his eye the first time he went Super Saiyan," Azura informed her future cousin. As they both watched him walk away toward the bar with a hard look on his face, she added, "His friends are being held captive by demons, and more of them lie dying because of the actions of these dark forces… The Saiyan Kaidon is ready to go to war- pity anyone foolish enough to get in his way."
Gorun sat down heavily at the bar, his head swirling with too many thoughts to count. He wished that Mirajane was here with her cheery smile, celebrating his and Kinana's engagement with the rest of their guild like they had originally planned. He wished that Natsu were able to bicker with Gray over something stupid so that Erza could come in and tell them both to shut up. Instead, he was surrounded by a family trying to survive what could be a war of attrition.
He groaned softly as laid his head on the bar, actively fighting the urge to become a Super Saiyan out of sheer frustration. I hope we find these Tartaros thugs soon, or else Magnolia might need a new mountain range before all is said and done.
"Rough day?"
Gorun jerked his head up to see Rachel sitting a stool away from him, waving shyly as she offered an awkward smile. "Sorry," she added. "I picked a really crummy day to visit, huh? You're probably mad that I showed up, right?" She seemed pensive, which was hardly surprising, given the nature of the guild's discussions that day.
"No, no," he said as he straightened himself and turned to face the young girl. "I'm not angry at you at all. I guess I'm just surprised that you've stuck around, given all the crazy things that are going on. Since you're not a magician, I thought you'd want to stay as far away from a wizard's war as possible."
"W-Well, I don't really have anywhere else to go," Rachel admitted, looking down as she wrung her hands in her lap. "I was with the kingdom orphanage up until this morning… There are a lot of younger kids coming in, cos of the murders, so they don't have room for bigger kids like me. I, uh…" She shrugged helplessly. "There isn't a foster family that wants me, either."
Gorun blinked in surprise as he heard this. In his desire for revenge against the wrongs done to his comrades, he had all but forgotten about the ordinary citizens who were being dragged into Tartaros' war. He clenched his fist angrily, but kept his voice clam as he said, "I'm sorry to hear that, Rachel. Were your parents killed by the terrorists that have been murdering towns lately?"
"Nu-uh," the raven-haired girl said with a negative shake of her head, still keeping her eyes downcast. "They sent me away from my home a few months ago, and I've been wandering the countryside ever since I got to Ishgar. Some towns would help me for a few days, but I always wound up getting shuffled along, usually being told that I should look for help in Magnolia because of the town's orphanage being so well-funded. Now, though…" She sighed heavily, and Gorun felt sorry for her.
Still, he kept in mind what the others had been telling him when he returned with Sorano. I can't just offer this girl a place to stay, he thought quickly. That's hardly appropriate. But maybe…
"Wait here," he told Rachel, causing her to look up at him in surprise. "I'll see if there's something I can do about all this."
"N-No!" she insisted. "You've got more important things to-"
"I'm a Wizard Saint," he said firmly over his shoulder. "My duty is to help people like you. Tartaros will still be a problem five minutes from now, but your living situation won't be, if I have any say about it."
As he walked away, he thought, For every life I can save from the repercussions of Tartaros' actions, I will count it as a victory. Fairy or not, it's my job to help people like Rachel, so long as I am a Wizard Saint.
"Gorun, we just talked about this," Kinana groaned as she put her face in her hands. "I know you want to help her, but is now really the time to be worrying about a random kid? We're about to go to war."
Gorun frowned as he said, "I was just a random kid when we first met, remember? And we've taken in much less trustworthy allies than a harmless little girl. Besides, it's just until we can find her a permanent home."
"I don't have a problem with it!" Wendy said before Kinana could voice another protest. "I think it'd be kinda fun to have a roommate!"
"Wait, what am I, then?" Carla demanded sharply.
"Uh, I meant a human roommate?" Wendy tried, just a little too late.
"Mhmm." Carla folded her arms, looking unconvinced.
Trying to draw things back to the matter at hand, Gorun said, "Look, her parents ditched her, and now even the orphanage won't help her. What are we supposed to do, let her become a street kid?"
"Ever think that there's a reason that she keeps getting moved along?" Azura asked as she approached. Gorun didn't even bother asking if she had overheard his proposal to have Rachel room with Wendy for a few days- he knew she had ears just as sharp as his.
So instead, he asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Azura snorted before saying, "Maybe she hasn't told you the full story, brick-for-brains. Did you ever think of that? She might even be lying about her situation altogether."
"You think she's a con artist?" Gorun laughed, though he quickly stopped when he realized that nobody was laughing along with him. "Come on, guys, really?"
"Really," Kinana deadpanned.
"Since when did I become the one that tries to put his faith in strangers, and you became the suspicious one?" he asked her as he folded his arms. "Are you really worried about us?"
"…A little bit," Kinana admitted.
Sensing a shift in the conversation's tone, Gorun turned to the others and said, "Excuse us for a bit?" Azura and Wendy nodded their understanding while the young couple made to walk away, toward the guild's basement, where they could speak in private.
Once they were down and away from prying ears, Gorun frowned a little as he leaned against one of the tables and asked, "So, why the sudden suspicion of my fidelity?"
Kinana bristled a bit at his tone and choice of words, but she kept her cool as she replied, "I don't doubt you, Gorun. I never have, even if I do tease you about attracting pretty girls. But I just don't know about Rachel."
"What about her don't you like?" her fiancé asked, frustrated and perplexed. It was so unlike Kinana to act the part of the jealous girlfriend, and it was rather off-putting to him.
"She seems too… familiar," Kinana said at length. "Like I should remember her from somewhere, but I just don't know where."
Here, Gorun frowned a little harder, but not in irritation. Now he was thoroughly confused on the whole matter. "Why is that so strange?" he asked. "Some people just blend in wherever they go- social chameleons, you know?"
"It's more than that," Kinana insisted urgently. "Romeo was right, she spoke to everyone in the guild hall as though they were one of the Ishgar Four, even Max and Vijeeter. She knew all of us by name, what we've done for Fairy Tail, and even some of what we'd done before we came to the guild."
"So she's a heavily invested fan of ours?" Gorun replied, still feeling like he was missing something.
Kinana sighed in exasperation before stepping forward and thumping her head on Gorun's chest. "I love you, but you're very dense sometimes," she half-laughed, half-groaned. "The last time somebody was that familiar with us without anybody being able to recall their presence with any clarity was Mest Gryder- Doranbolt, when he infiltrated our guild seven years ago for the S-class trials."
Gorun blinked, then smacked himself on his face. "I'm an idiot," he said through his hand. "A friggin' spy- how did I not see that?!"
"Now you see why the others and I didn't want you to get too close to her," Kinana nodded as she pulled his hand away from his face. "Maybe we're all on edge, with what's been going on with Tartaros, and there's really no reason to be afraid of a twelve-year-old girl. But in times like this, we need to be very careful of newcomers, especially when it turns out that Crawford, of all people, was a traitor."
"You think she's Tartaros?" Gorun asked, tensing up.
Kinana shrugged and answered, "I don't know who else would want to spy on us at this point. The Magic Council is gone, so I really doubt that she's working with them."
"Yeah, if she was, she probably would've cleared out once the news about Era came through," the Saiyan youth muttered, his brown tail twitching with nervous energy. If Rachel was a spy, it would be difficult to get a confession out of her, especially if she was with the Baram Alliance. She didn't possess magic, which ironically made her the perfect candidate for such a task- no one would think her a threat in a building full of talented mages. "I suppose it makes sense that she's be with-"
He paused mid-sentence, his ears pricking up at the sound of feet coming down the stairs, with the unmistakable tread of somebody trying to move quietly on the set of a creaky flight. Motioning for quiet, he moved with Kinana further into the basement, around a corner where they could hide behind some crates.
"Think it's her?" the girl murmured.
"Not sure yet," he whispered back. "Let's see if- wait…"
As his voice died away, he noticed that the footsteps were far too heavy to belong to a teenage girl. With the hefty amount of weight behind each creaking step, it could only be a handful of people in the guild, but if he had to guess, he would say that tread belonged to-
"Elfman?" Kinana asked in surprise as they saw the huge man walk into the dimly lit room, a look of utter defeat on his face, and a satchel at his waist. "Why is he down here?"
"Wasn't he supposed to be on a mission with Lisanna?" Gorun inquired as they remained behind the boxes, though at this point he wasn't entirely sure of why they were hiding. He was about to step out into the open to call out to their friend, but he froze when he saw the big man pull out a dark, glowing orb from the satchel he was carrying.
"Tell me I'm the only one sensing that," he said hoarsely.
"I wish I could," his future wife answered in a similar tone.
The sphere that Elfman was setting on the floor was radiating a vast amount of dark magic power, and it was growing by the second. It was clearly a bomb lachryma, and Elfman had just set it to blow in the very guild hall that they all called home. And with the amount of energy that thing is packing, it's gonna blow away Fairy Tail, along with half of Magnolia! Gorun thought as he watched Elfman sit in front of the device, his rippling shoulders beginning to shake violently.
"Mister Elfman?"
An unexpected voice caused all three of the room's occupants to stiffen with surprise before looking over at the stairs, where Rachel could be seen descending, a sad look upon her young features. Elfman froze like a deer caught in the headlights of a magic-mobile as the little girl stepped onto the stone flooring of Fairy Tail's basement. She stood still as she kept her eyes fixated on him, exuding kindness and sympathy such as Gorun had never seen before, transfixing him just as surely as she held Elfman in her gaze. Kinana was similarly affected, he was sure.
"You don't have to do this," she told the befuddled takeover wizard. "This isn't what your sister would want, right? She would-"
Elfman lunged at Rachel with startling speed for someone so massive. "I don't have a choice!" he yelled as he tackled the helpless child to the floor, pinning her in place with his overbearing weight. As he kept the poor child in place, he began to cry, saying, "I don't know who you are, but I'm sorry! I can't let you go! Your fate is the same as everyone else in this hall, now! It's the end of Fairy Tail!" He wailed and blubbered, but in spite of his violent treatment of her, Rachel made no move to escape, or even call out for help- she just kept looking up at Elfman with that sad, sympathetic gaze of hers'.
What in the hell is going on?! Gorun and Kinana exchanged a worried look as the bizarre scene unfolded. From what they could tell, Elfman felt compelled to destroy Fairy Tail, probably out of a fear for his sister's life, if his reaction to Rachel's prodding was anything to go by. Rachel had somehow known of his plans, and meant to stop him before he could use the lachryma bomb, which added a whole new slough of questions for the young couple in hiding.
If Rachel was some kind of spy like they had been inferring, why would she try to stop the destruction of the guild hall and its inhabitants? How did she even know about Elfman's plan in the first place? Was she a spy at all?
Two things were now certain- one, Rachel was not who she initially appeared to be. Two, the bomb and Elfman needed to be stopped.
"I've got our friend, you get that bomb somewhere far away from here," Kinana told Gorun in a low voice, surprising him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm strong enough to handle him, and you're the faster flier," she insisted. "Go!"
Without any further arguing, Gorun sped out from behind their hiding place, snatching up the orb faster than Elfman could react, and then bolted up the stairs, ignoring his guild mate's surprised shout as he fled with the bomb. His sensitive ears picked up on the sound of a fist striking flesh just before he ran into Cana at the top of the stairs, accidentally bowling the brunette over, who grunted with surprise as she fell over backwards.
"Sorry!" he called back as he took flight toward the main entrance, ignoring her angry cry. "I'll be back in a minute!"
Back in the basement, Kinana released her threefold Kaioken as she finished dragging an unconscious Elfman off of Rachel, who heaved in a massive lungful of air.
"Thank you," she gasped as she struggled to get to her feet. "He was really heavy."
"Yes, he's a solid guy," Kinana replied as she straightened up and looked at the younger girl with renewed suspicion. "Who are you?"
"My name is Rachel," the girl answered as she continued to catch her breath. "We met earlier, remember?"
"I do," the barmaid-turned-mage answered as she folded her arms. "I also heard you try to stop Elfman just now. Somehow you knew what he was up to, and why he was doing it. How?"
Rachel winced and scratched the back of her head as she muttered, "You heard that, huh? Dang…"
"You're not just some orphan kid, are you?" Kinana demanded, startling the younger girl, and causing her to take a step back in apprehension. "Who are you, really?"
"I am an orphan," Rachel said with a nervous smile as she held up her hands in a placating gesture. "And my name really is Rachel."
"Your name doesn't tell me who you are," Kinana insisted. "Gorun has taught me that much. I'd rather not have to take you to our guild master for questioning, but I will if you don't start talking in the next few seconds."
"All you need to know right now is that I'm here to help you," Rachel replied quickly, keeping her hands raised. "Cos in about thirty seconds, all hell is gonna break loose."
"What are you-?"
"Tartaros is right over our heads, waiting for the fireworks to start," the younger girl interrupted, her blue eyes sparking intensely. "That bomb that Elfman was being forced to put here was theirs'. When it doesn't go off, they're gonna kill Lisanna, unless we keep them busy enough to make them forget about her, at least temporarily."
Kinana blinked a few times, trying to process what she was hearing. "Tartaros has Lisanna?" she asked dumbly.
Rachel nodded urgently, her eyes flicking up and down between the ceiling and Kinana's startled gaze. "Her and your other missing guild mates. The war between Fairies and Demons is set to begin, and we need to make sure that your friends are all ready."
"How do you know what's going on here when you're not a member of the guild?" Kinana asked urgently. "For that matter, how do you know what Tartaros is up to?"
"I'm not a fairy, that much is true, but I promise that I'm not with Tartaros, either," Rachel said calmly, though her eyes continued to shift as she reached into her right pocket. "I want them defeated more than anyone else here, and Fairy Tail is the only guild with the people that can make that happen. Please, believe me, I want to help."
"You keep dodging my question," Kinana pointed out. "How am I supposed to believe you if you won't reveal something as simple as the truth?"
Rachel's dark blue eyes clouded over slightly as she murmured, "Given that you're engaged to a man from another dimension, I'd have thought that you would understand that the truth is rarely so simple." While she spoke, she lifted her right hand out of her pocket to show that she was now wearing a silver ring- one that did not look special, unless one knew what a Supreme Kai's time travel ring looked like. Thanks to Gorun's stories, Kinana knew exactly what she was looking at.
Kinana's eyes widened as she took a step back and gasped, "You're a Time-"
BOOM!
Thirty seconds earlier, outside the guild hall…
Gorun gazed up at a monstrous floating cube the size of Crocus as it obscured the sky high above the town. It looked like it was made of some kind of a mix of blue crystal and solid rock, though what kept it flying, the young man could not discern. He blinked in surprise as he tried to sense for the power levels of the people that would undoubtedly be piloting the fortress, but much to his bewilderment, he was unable to do so.
Must be bane particles, he thought as he glared up at the flying fortress. Based on Happy's descriptions, he knew that this must be the travelling base of Tartaros, the people responsible for attacking the Magic Council.
He had a very powerful grenade handy, and his first instinct was to throw it at them. However, he stayed his hand when he remembered that they had his friends as hostages, probably somewhere in that floating base of theirs'. He couldn't risk throwing it directly at the place, as it carried the risk of harming Natsu and the girls on accident.
On the other hand, the orb was glowing brighter by the second, which meant it was probably ready to blow any moment. Super Saiyan or not, I don't like the odds of me escaping unscathed if this thing blows up in my hand, he thought as his mind raced through what few options he did have.
"Ah, screw it," he groaned as he drew his arm back as hard as he could before whipping it forward, throwing the orb skyward.
BOOM!
The instant that the glowing ball soared above the clouds neighboring with Tartaros, an explosion on par with the Kamehameha that put a hole in Crocus' mountain range ripped through the atmosphere, sending forth shockwaves intense enough to knock the floating box off-kilter, and hurl Gorun almost all the way back down to the ground. The light was blinding to look at, but it did not last long, though the noise left his sensitive ears ringing.
Holy Porunga! He thought as he righted himself a few feet above a bakery rooftop. Talk about overkill! He found it hard to believe that Tartaros needed a bomb that big to take out his guild hall. Then again, they probably knew about him and his powers- maybe they thought it would take that much raw ethernano to kill him.
And it might have, if we hadn't been down in that cellar, he thought grimly. All around him, the people of Magnolia were scrambling to get away from the remnants of the explosions and the strange box in the air, having realized that a fight was now imminent.
Shoving the thought aside, he realized that he now had two options. One, he could go rally the others to fight alongside him, which would take only a few moments. Or two, he could immediately start causing a racket on his own and trust that his guild mates would make their way to where he was.
After a split second of indecision, he went with the second option. Elfman was probably made to put that bomb there by Tartaros, he thought as he zoomed toward the cube. I can think of only two things that would be enough leverage to make him betray the guild that raised him and his sisters. If Tartaros had Lisanna and Mirajane, there was nothing that the big takeover mage wouldn't do to ensure their safety.
And if he just failed in his mission, it probably won't be long before the girls get the axe, he thought grimly as he neared the cube. I need to take their focus off of them if at all possible.
As soon as he was within a hundred yards of the underbelly, he felt a shift in his gravitational pull, dragging him up towards the floating island. He flipped easily in midair, his feet alighting on one of the rocky portions of the cube. He looked up and had the disconcerting experience of seeing the town as the sky, buildings and late afternoon torches having replaced clouds and stars.
He didn't have much time to ponder the oddity, though. Looking around him, he could see a swarm of soldiers dressed in evil-looking armor coming at him from every lateral direction. On each of their right breasts, the men bore the black double-hammer symbol of Tartaros.
Begin Song: Find Your Sword In This Land (by Yuki Kaijura)
"Oh look, a welcoming committee," he said with a dark grin, his eyes flashing green as a golden magic circle appeared under his feet. With a flash of energy, he ascended, twin yellow sigils appearing in front of his hands as he aimed them in opposite directions before shouting, "Double Masenko!"
The etherion blasts struck down a dozen men apiece, but twenty more flocked in to fill their place, all while the mass of armed soldiers drew closer to the irritated Super Saiyan. To his further surprise, the men that he had struck down began to get to their feet, grunting with pain, but rising up nonetheless.
That's new, he thought as he charged at a trio of men wielding magic swords and axes. With a series of punches and kicks to their legs, he made sure to register with his ears that the bones were cracking, rendering them physically incapable of standing up in order to battle him. When the cries of agony also attested to their inability to continue the fight, he leaped up, just dodging a spear that nearly took him in the back.
Glaring down at the perpetrator, he shouted, "Big Bang Attack!" He hurled the blue sphere down at another cluster of Tartaros soldiers, enveloping a few dozen of them in the blazing bolt. He landed several-dozen yards away from the radius of the blast and lashed out with an Orin Combo at a burly soldier that made the mistake of getting too close, breaking several pieces of his armor and leaving him senseless in the dirt.
Turning around to smile crookedly at yet another group of soldiers, he started to ask, "Who's ne-?"
Wham!
He was struck violently in the back of his head by something very large and blunt, smashing him to the rocky ground on which he stood. It discombobulated him so much so, that for a few seconds, the Tartaros soldiers were able to get a few good hits in while he lay stunned on the ground.
When a fire sword pierced his left forearm and burned several of the tendons inside, he let out a shout of rage and ascended again, lightning sparking across his body as the blowback of the transformation gave him enough room to take to the air again as he looked down at his attackers.
The flames had cauterized the wound, so he wasn't bleeding, but he also couldn't feel or move the last three fingers on his left hand. While it was cause for concern, that wasn't so worrying as the fact that they could mark him at all with such commonplace tools in the first place. I've never been cut up like that since I came to this world, he thought as he began to dodge various magics coming up at him from the soldiers, many of them now jeering and taunting him as they perceived him to be running away. Wait…
Further adding to his frustration and puzzlement was the fact that he could see dozens of men marked with scorch patterns from his two energy blasts, standing tall and fighting strong. Yet the men that he had physically struck were still reeling from their wounds. Gorun scowled, thinking, I have seen something like this before. Where, though?!
He dodged a few more elemental blasts before it came to him.
That adamantine dragon back at the Eclipse Gate! He recalled as he began hurling energy bolts at his enemies in a random pattern with his right hand, his accuracy having seemingly declined with his injury. The metallic beast had nearly killed him with a single swipe of its claws when it first came out of the gate. He had also been mostly unable to harm the dragon Zirconis with his etherion blasts until they were enhanced with Wendy's Sky Magic, and even then he had only just been able to win.
How are these rent-a-cops immune to my powers like those things were?! He wondered as he finished hurling the last blast from his functioning arm. His only consolation, small though it was, would be that the soldiers still seemed susceptible to his fists. I still need to know how their defenses work, he thought. If Fairy Tail showed up to fight without knowing that their magics would be all but useless in this fight, they would only be arriving to their own massacre.
Clenching his fists tightly, he shouted, "Hellzone Grenade!" The dozens of bolts that he'd been conjuring while dodging blazed with new life in the air before hurtling down toward the Tartaros minions with a ferocity fueled by Gorun's pain and hatred for the dark guild.
He didn't actually expect it to do much this time, even if the blast was more powerful in his ascended state, but he was very keen to watch the men themselves as they were assaulted by the etherion blasts. How do you block my attacks? He wondered as he conjured a barrier around himself to shield his body from further harm as he observed the soldiers more closely.
As the etherion blasts smashed into the enemy ranks, his sharp eyes detected a flickering of many colors coming from the bodies of the men he was attacking, just before they were struck. His eyes narrowed as he felt brief flickers of energy surges with each burst of shimmering color, but they faded away just as soon as they had come. Still, enough of them happened that he was able to feel a similar vibe from the shielding spell that reminded him of the dragons' magic.
Is this the work of a dragon slayer like Natsu and the others? He wondered as the dust down below began to settle.
"Good Zeno, you're pathetic." Azura's voice startled him as he turned quickly to see her, Kinana, the exceeds carrying what looked like a set of tarot cards, and-
"Rachel?" he asked, his eyes wide as his cousin expanded his shield to protect them all from the attacks of the Tartaros soldiers. Sure enough, the raven-haired child was floating alongside the others, looking grim about the mouth. His eyes widened even further as her black belt uncoiled from around her waist and began to curl and uncurl nervously under his intense stare. "Wait, is that a-"
"My Saiyan name is Reycel," the girl said as she added her own energy to the shield, Gorun dropping to his base form for a brief respite. She held up her right hand to show him a Time Ring as she added, "I'm here on a special assignment. I'm sorry I put up a false pretense earlier, but I needed to maintain my cover until Tartaros made their move, so I used a necklace with a bane enchantment on it to keep my power suppressed until the time was right."
"You're a Time Patroller?" Gorun asked, his frown returning. "Since when do they start travelling with rings instead of capsules and scrolls?" And when did Saiyans start giving out their birth names to complete strangers as if it's supposed to get a free trust pass?
"Gorun, we can discuss the particulars later," Kinana told him as she held out a senzu bean for him to eat. "What matters is that she's here to help us."
"I don't know how much help one person is gonna be against those guys," Gorun said as he swallowed the green food and set aside his questions for the moment. He stretched his left arm in relief as feeling returned to the fingers while he said, "They're immune-"
"To etherion blasts, we know," Azura cut him off. When he looked at her with surprise, she grumbled, "Reycel over there told us about the changes that our interference in this timeline has caused." She grimaced as a particularly strong magic blast hit the shield, but it held strong.
"Certain members of Tartaros felt threatened by you and Azura, especially after the incident with the undead boat," Rachel explained. "They sought out ways to augment their strength that they would not have otherwise- thus they found the Dragon Cry that was once buried in the dragon catacombs far below Crocus. It's basically a staff infused with remnants of every dragon's power that died when Acnologia slaughtered a bunch of them. Now Tartaros is using it to make their troops pretty much impervious to every magic we can throw at them, and granting their weapons special properties similar to dragon magic."
"Even a dragon slayer?" Pantherlily inquired, shifting his grip on the deck of cards that they were holding.
Gorun cocked his head, even as another louder explosion rocked the shield. "If it's dragon magic, then I suppose they'd be able to do something about it; also, what's up with the cards?" he asked.
"Cana put all of our fighting wizards in them so that we could bring the fight to Tartaros," Carla replied. "However, we thought it best to discuss a strategy before charging into battle."
"While we are actively being shot at by angry demon-worshippers?" Gorun asked flatly.
"We can't go back to the guild hall, they might target it!" Happy exclaimed. "Laxus and the others are still there with Master and Porlyusica."
"What's the plan, fearless leader?" Azura growled, obviously itching for a fight. Given that they would have to rely on their fists and not their ki techniques, it would be an extra challenge- and Azura lived for such challenges.
"You all figured out what Elfman was up to, and why?" her cousin asked quickly. When they all affirmed that Rachel had explained the situation to them, he continued, "Then we make a lot of noise. Keep these guys so busy that they won't have time to think about hurting the girls or taking another shot at our home. Cana, can you hear me?"
"Loud n' clear, buddy," she replied with a disembodied voice from within the deck that Carla held.
"Azura and I will clear out a landing zone for you and the others," he said as he held up two fingers to his cousin, who nodded her understanding. "As soon as we do, let everyone out, and be ready for the fight of your lives."
"Got it," Cana said sharply.
"Hrrrr… AH!" Gorun and Azura accessed their Super Saiyan 2 forms while Kinana and the exceeds backed away as far as they could within the confines of the energy shield.
Just as they were about to charge back into the fray, they heard another clarion cry, which caused them to look over at Rachel, who now had blond hair and green eyes sparking with lightning to match theirs'. Seeing the surprise in their eyes, she said, "I'm here to counteract the imbalance that the Dragon Cry has created in this fight."
Down below, the Tartaros soldiers- having recognized the threat of three Super Saiyans, increased their firepower even more, causing Happy to yelp with alarm.
"I get the feeling that there's more to it than that, but I'll hold off on any doubts I have for now," Gorun told her. "I'm just glad to have an extra hand- and tail, as it were."
"Thought you were the only one, huh?" Rachel said with a sad smile. That smile faded as she added, "The Dragon Cry has reinforced them, but not made them invincible, not to mention I don't think that all of their soldiers will be enhanced to the same degree as this vanguard. We can break their shielding, it'll just be harder than you'd expect."
"What kind of heat are you packing, kid?" Azura asked as she prepared to drop the shield while they began to float further away from the firing zone.
"A little bit of this and that," the girl answered vaguely. "On your mark, Mister Gorun."
"I told you, it's just Gorun," he replied. Over his shoulder, he added, "Honey, you might wanna get back a little."
"Got it," Kinana nodded as she and the exceeds flew away from the battle- at least, for now.
"One more thing," Rachel told them as Azura began to regather her energy. "The place is loaded with weapons and equipment that use trace amounts of bane particles. It's gonna really mess with our ability to sense energy properly, but there's not enough of the stuff in the air to actually hurt any of us. To that end, I've brought these along." She reached into a small pouch that she wore off her belt and pulled out two compact scouters that looked similar to the ones that the Time Patrol relied on for interdimensional communication, one blue, and the other green. "They're the latest models, so they can track any kind of energy, no matter its origin. I know you don't normally need them to read power levels, but in this case it'll be useful, and they'll be handy for keeping in touch if we get split up."
"Already picked up on that little issue," Gorun muttered as he took the green one and fixed it to the left side of his head, the display blinking to life as soon as he had it in place. "I tried to sense for Natsu and the others to use instant transmission, but I couldn't find anybody in this stupid floating box fort. Good planning, kid."
"Excellent, we can find everyone and blow this place to the hell it came from," Azura asserted as she claimed the blue one, surprising him a little. Without looking at her rival, she continued, "We're putting these guys in the morgue and getting your friends back, Kaidon. These guys want to use a weapon that erases all magic from the face of the planet- and if that happens, our powers will be affected, too." Giving him a sideways grin, she added, "I don't know about you, but I prefer to fight my opponents at full strength, not when they're out of gas and dying already."
Gorun hid a smile as yellow lightning began to spring from his hands and he said, "Well, then we'd better not lose. Rachel, how hard do you think we need to hit these guys for them to stay down?"
"I don't know, but I assume that we'll soon have a good idea," she answered, another green scouter now attached to her own left ear. "I'm ready when you are." By this time, Kinana had a purple-lensed scouter over her right eye and ear, Rachel having helped to get it working.
"Genora, drop it."
She laughed at the sound of her name and the thrill of the impending fight before saying, "Since you asked so nicely!" The barrier dropped, and they found themselves confronted with dozens of magic blasts aiming to kill them.
"Magic Fusion: Tyrant MASENKO!"
Gorun: It's really heating up now. I kinda expected you to build on the anticipation a little more than that, but I'm sure that there are a lot of people that will be happy with this.
Mataras: Well if they like that...
Azura: what are you planning?
Mataras: Let's me see, the next... five chapters? Is it five?
Saiki: Yes.
Mataras: Thank you. Yes, the next five chapters will consist of some of the most intense battles that I've ever had the pleasure of writing.
Azura: Five whole chapters?! Is it Christmas again already?
Mataras: There will be new transformations, new fusions, resolved issues between characters, and two secrets that are sure to shock our readers to the bone.
Saiki: Selling it a bit thick, aren't you?
Mataras: Hey, I plot-twisted myself with these, so shut up.
Gorun: I know I'm excited.
Azura: You've got us fighting for the next few months, so I'm definitely excited.
Saiki: You know who's not excited? Me.
Mataras: Your show just got a continue, why are you complaining?
Saiki: Because it gives you an excuse to bring me back.
Gorun: Can we go to the preview now?
Mataras: Sure. Next time- Demons, Fairies, and Saiyans.
Azura: Make sure to watch out for me kicking demon ass in February, 2020.
Mataras: You do know that there are lot more fighters than just you, right?
Azura: Yeah, but I only care about me.
Gorun: Ain't that the truth.
Azura: No one asked you, Kaidon!
Next time on Saiyan Tail...
"Aw, dang!" Lucino groaned while everyone on both sides took up defensive positions.
"No, this is actually fantastic," Gorun said with a vicious smile as he walked forward, his body crackling with lightning. "I've been needing something to vent on all day, and this'll make for a good start to what I think is gonna be a long therapy session."
"Gorun?" Éclair asked worriedly while everyone else shrank away slightly from his presence.
"Stay back, everyone," Kinana warned them. She recognized the look in his eyes, having seen them twice before. The first time had been when she was nearly killed by a group of bandits, then again more recently when he dueled Minerva in the Grand Magic Games. It doesn't happen often, but this time… she shuddered as she watched the man she loved begin to advance on the unfortunate soldiers. He's genuinely out for blood.
"Stay back!" one of the larger soldiers commanded him. "Unless you wanna get blown to pieces with our tank!" He gestured behind him, and his comrades made way for a hulking, sinister-looking machine of war that had a massive gun aimed right at Gorun's head.
"So what if you got a tank and an army?!" Romeo shouted back at them. "We've got a Super Saiyan!"
"Enjoy your final breath, monsters!" Gorun snarled, his power flooding the hallway, nearly suffocating in its presence as he assumed a familiar stance. "KIKOHO!"
Time Patrol Special
"You sure those two are it?" Goku asked his rival as he watched his quarry from a distance.
"No, you dolt, I just enjoy spending time tracking down low-level wizards with you because I have nothing better to do," Vegeta replied, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm. "Why did you want to even talk to these girls, anyway?"
"Well, one of 'em met Gorun before she came here," Goku explained eagerly. "I thought we'd see how he's been doing."
"I'd ask why you'd bother wasting time on losers that run away from their training, but I guess if you had that attitude, you'd never speak to your son," Vegeta smirked, causing Goku to frown deeply.
"Hey, that was uncalled for!" he said as he crossed his arms. "Gohan's a really smart fighter, you know! And besides, we might never have known about Super Saiyan 2 if it wasn't for him! That opened up like a ton of new ways for us to get stronger!"
"Be that as it may, he's gone soft," Vegeta scoffed. "Whatever, Kakarrot. You found your Time Patrollers, go waste their time and stop using mine."
"Fine," Goku grumbled. "But I know you're curious about how he's doing, too."
"Nothing could be further from the truth!" the prince snorted as he flew off. "I'll be training with Whis, if you can be bothered."
"Hey, don't start without me!" Goku shouted after him. "Vegeta! Aw man..." After a second of indecision, the middle-aged Saiyan came up with a compromise.
Flying as fast as he could, he landed in front of two girls, one with blond hair, and the other with blue, startling them both. "Hi, I'm Goku!" he said quickly.
"Yeah, we know," the bluenette answered in a stunned tone.
"Cool, that saves me time," Goku said with relief. "Listen, I'm Son Gorun's great-great-great-great... uh... Well, there's a lot of greats in there, but I'm his grandpa that trained him! You know him, right?"
"Yeah, sort of," the blond girl answered this time.
"Great!" Goku cheered. "I gotta run, but can we talk later? I wanna know how he's doing!"
"Uh... sure, if I'm not out on assignment," the blond girl answered. "I'm usually around the school or the Hero Coliseum whenever I'm not in the field, though."
"Great!" Goku said again. "Sorry to do this, but I gotta go, or else Vegeta's gonna get ahead of me! Later!" With that, he blasted off at the speed of sound, nearly knock the two girls over in the process.
"He's enthusiastic," Lucy muttered as she and Levy watched him go.
"It's too bad we don't have a way of contacting Gorun," Levy mused. "I think it would be nice for him to know that there are still people here that care about him."
"No use wishing otherwise, and I say that knowing full well that there are seven dragon balls in Conton City right now," Lucy replied.