Chapter 23! Enjoy guys!
The two wizards stood in the same places in the meadow, with some good distance from each other, Azuma in a fighting stance, while Kiryu, ready with his sword. Their standoff seemed to make the forest around them tremble. The rain only got louder as they stood there, ready to do battle. Kiryus eyes were filled with fury.
This guy cant get away with this.
He changes his stance into a more mobile one. Azuma only looked in interest. It wasn't that long ago that he had dislocated Kiryus shoulder and banged him up more. And yet, he still had the strength to try and face him. Kiryu uses his right foot to launch himself forward.
(Begin What's Up, People! By Maximum the Hormone)
As he got closer, he raised his sword above him. Azuma however, puts a hand forward, forming a small yellow orb. The orb flew directly in front of Kiryu, and began to detonate. He slices vertically into the orb. The explosion blows some of the trees over, and the dragon slayer is shooked violently, but still remains standing. He sheathed his sword and charges forward. Kiryu starts throwing various punches and kicks at Azuma. But, the Seven Kin member was ready, dodging every blow he sent towards him. The teen pinches at the center of mass, but Azuma blocks. Luckily for Kiryu, he distracted him long enough to roundhouse kick his opponent in the gut and sent him flying, slamming him into a tree. Azuma grunts against the tree and looks up to see Kiryu had drawn his sword again, charging towards him. The dark guild wizard rose his hands and vines began to track down Kiryu, following him like heat seeking missiles. Side stepping, he narrowly dodges the vines, but they come back and wrap around him. They squeeze him, trying to break every bone in his body. Releasing his stardust, the vines were torn to shreds. Azuma charges, throwing a punch to Kiryus head. The teen holds his ground and grabs his enemies arm, slinging him over his shoulder with the momentum of the punch. Azuma hits the ground and rolls to his feet. He points at the dragon slayer and several vines flew at him. Kiryu draws his sword again, and begins to slash at the tendrils as they got in range. After they were finished, an even bigger vine came out of nowhere behind him. As it got closer, Kiryu back flipped over the vine and onto the ground.
"Star Dragon Roar!"
The roar shreds through the vine, and it fell to the ground in a shredded heap. Kiryu jumps back away from the vine and leans against a tree. He looked around for Azuma, nowhere to be seen.
Where did he go?
A hand appears from the tree behind him and a large explosion is set off right behind him. Kiryu is launched away from the tree and he lands face first into the mud. Azuma steps out of the tree and looks down at Kiryu.
"For the second strongest, you aren't really that strong."
The teen rises up to his feet. "Oh trust me." His hands glow. "I'm just getting started."
Kiryu charges, and Azuma sends more vines at him.
"Star Dragon Cosmic Fist!"
Kiryu punches a vine and it falls to the ground, and then turns around and punches a second and third. Azuma jumps back onto a branch of a nearby tree.
"In that case, let's see if you can keep up!" He shouts confidently, as he falls back towards the center of the island.
Hes headed to the Tenrou tree!
Kiryu picks up his scent and begins the chase.
It was now about night time, and the other Fairy Tail wizards continued the fight. Gildarts had returned and was fight Blue Note Stinger, while Freed and Bixlow began their battle with Rustyrose, who had just attacked the remains of the camp. Juvia and Erza continued to fight Merdy. But, for some reason, no one, not even Grimoire Heart, has heard word of Black Serpent.
Meanwhile, about several nautical miles from Tenrou Island, a ship belonging to Black Serpent, made its approach. Reiner stood at the bow, watching calmly in the direction of the battle before him.
"This is the end of the line, Kiryu. You shall face your maker when we get there." He says calmly.
A Serpents Fist member joins him. "Sir, we should be there by early morning."
Reiner turns towards the cabin of the ship.
"We need to make haste if we are to capture him alive. Tomorrow is the day we have our revenge!" He says maniacally, with a grin that went from ear to ear.
Azuma jumps into a tree as a ball of stardust flies past him. Kiryu had chased him all the way to the Tenrou Tree. After finally catching up, Azuma stood above him on a root of the massive tree.
"I have to admit, you're extremely powerful. You have given me the best fight so far." Azuma states.
Kiryu looks up at him in a blank expression.
"Of course, I cant let you get away with what you've done. Especially with Wendy!"
Azuma smiles menacingly. "I didn't kill her. But….."
Kiryu felt relieved. Wendy is young, and doesn't have the experience to take on someone like Azuma.
"But the Strauss weren't much of a challenge. Especially the younger girl."
The teen felt angry. Lisanna is strong. Azuma is underestimating her.
"You have no idea how strong she is!"
The dark wizard smiles.
"That doesn't matter anymore. You're all going to have a disadvantage now."
Kiryu, being confused, had no idea what he was talking about. What does he mean?
The ground begins to shake. Kiryu quickly balances himself.
"What the hell?"
Azumas smile widens. "My magic is the arch of trees. I speak to the forest. Not only can I make explosions from nature, I can become the tree itself!"
Kiryu looks up and sees the Tenrou Tree shaking, as if it were being hit by a hurricane. Roots began to wrap around Azumas arms and legs. "I didn't want to do this, but I must follow the order I was given."
"What are you doing!" He demands.
"The Tenrou Tree give a power boost to those bearing the Fairy Tail guild mark."
The dragon slayer felt weak, as if he had been fighting for hours, and falls to his knees.
"Without the tree, you are all nothing!"
Kiryu fell to his knees. As the ground continued to shake, the Tenrou tree began to fall. Animals of all sizes scattered, hoping to get away from the falling mass. He felt hopeless. The promise he made, no, the promise he swore to accomplish, has been broken.
Kiryu grabbed the dirt at his knees.
I've failed.
His dreams came back, the one where all his friends were turned into nothing but a pile of bones. And the one of Lisanna the day Dragunov took control. Kiryu grits his teeth.
Get up.
He lifts his right leg to stand.
Get up…… come on…..
Lifting up his left, he finally stands.
I have a promise to keep.
He draws his sword and looks at his reflection in the blade.
Even before I joined, I had a massive amount of magic energy. Its about time I use it.
Azuma looks amazed at the young wizard.
"But how??? How are you still standing????"
Kiryu jumps up to him, and grabs him by the throat.
"What the-???" Azuma mumbles.
He is steeped by the teen and he falls the the ground. Hitting the ground with immense force, Azuma spits out blood.
He looks up and sees Kiryu jump on top of him, grabbing his throat again. The wizard raises his hand to make an explosion, but the dragon slayer grabs it, and the explosion goes off behind him. Azuma looks at Kiryu and his jaw drops.
His blue eyes pupil turned into a slit, almost reptile like.
"Stop it." Kiryu says coldly.
Azuma felt the oxygen leave his body as he slowly suffocated. The Tenrou Tree landed in the ocean with a loud splash. His eyes widen, as this kid was about to kill him. He always believed in a fair fight, but not like this. Azuma uses his legs to give him enough space to push Kiryu off and stand up.
"You-youre a monster!"
A large group of roots spring from the ground and embrace Kiryu tightly.
"Terra Clamare!!!!"
An explosion, bigger than the one he used as a time bomb on Lisanna engulfed Kiryu. The trees and other plant around him singed and burnt under the extreme heat. It rocked everything around them, almost as if the island was about to split in half. The light faded, and Azuma still stood. That spell costs a lot of magic energy, and he felt exhausted. He lowers his arm, and looks at the area where Kiryu was. He was no longer there.
"Hahaha! It seems I slayed the beast!"
He continued to laugh, until a sparkle falls from above him. His laughter stops as he looks up, confused.
"What is this?"
Stardust fell from the sky, and began to swirl around him. He frantically looked for where it came from.
"What? Are you doing this???" He asked, scared for what was about to happen. A bright light began to form in the shape of a blade in the sky.
"What!?!?!"
Kiryu had used the force of the explosion to propel him up in the air. Using his sword, the stardust had collected around him and turned into a blade, but he was too high to hit anything.
"Star Dragon……!"
He lowered the blade to point at Azuma.
"Heavenly Blast!"
The stardust around the blade shot out into three separate blue beams. Azuma stood dumbfounded.
"Impossible! I'm one of the Seven Kin!!!"
The beams slammed into the ground, almost obliterating the base of where the tree once stood. The blue light of the blast fades, and Kiryu lands on his feet, and sheathes his sword.
(End song)
He nearly collapsed.
I have used too much of my magic energy.
He stands up and looks at the root where Azuma was standing. He was no longer there.
Did I????
"Kiryu!!"
The teen turns to see Erza, running towards him. "Erza?"
The redhead embraces him.
"Are you ok?" She asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He says happily.
Even though they didn't hug each other often, the two of them had a sibling like bond.
"Have you heard from the other?" Erza asks.
"Lisanna and some of the others are at base camp. At least what's left of it that is."
Erza sighs in relief. "That's good."
Over in the back of the rooted area, the noticed Azuma, being covered in grass and vines.
"What's happening?" Asks Kiryu.
"I suppose I was a little careless. Lost magic takes a heavy toll. Your friends powers will return to them." Azuma responds as the vegetation grows around him.
Erza looks towards him. "Do you know a person named Jellal?"
"Yes. Supposedly he lost his mind after he was taken over by Zerefs spirit, or that's what he believed. It left him an empty shell, living a life without meaning. Was he close to your heart as well?"
Erza looks down saddened.
"My condolences. That was Ultears doing." Azuma continues.
Erza is surprised. She had finally figured out what happened to Jellal.
"It was all meant as a scheme to distract the council of our actions."
Kiryu finally intervened. "Tell me. Why do you guys seek Zeref?"
"To find the primordial magic." He says bluntly.
"Primordial magic?" Asks Erza.
Soon, the plants engulf Azuma. He was deceased.
"Magic from the worlds creation?" Kiryu questions. He looks at his hands. That is the second person he has killed.
I've killed again.
The two look at the trees that had grown over their enemy. Kiryu looks at Erza.
"Its time to go." He says.
"Right."
The two of them turn to leave, but suddenly, the dragon slayer feels something hit his neck.
"Wbat was that?"
He feels around and pulls a dart out of his neck.
"What-?" Kiryu is cut off and loses consciousness.
"Kiryu!" Erza shouts as a bola wraps around her.
Ten hooded figures move out of the trees.
Serpents Fist.
They go over and pick up Kiryu, completely ignoring Erza. The net nullified her magic, she was helpless to save Kiryu.
"Kiryu."
The figures drag him off, leaving Erza to watch.
"KIRYU!!!!!!!!!"
Sorry guys. I was meaning to post for a long time, but between quarantine and work, I had lost the time to do it. But I plan on finishing this in August. Thanks you guys for staying around and reading! Review!
