Hi everyone, thanks again for waiting. So, we are nearing the climax of the Tenrou Island arc as Fairy Tail confronts the strongest members of Grimoire Heart before ultimately taking the fight to their leader soon. But they'll have to get past the likes of Rustyrose, Azuma, Ultear, and Bluenote. What is the fate of our heroes? Is it victory or defeat? Find out right now!
Fairy Glitter and the Tenrou Tree
It would seem Cana had found it: the grave of Mavis Vermillion, Fairy Tail's first master, and the goal of the S-Class trial. However, she was more perplexed at the golden fire that shined in the middle of the headstone.
"What is this…. This light?" She asked aloud. "It's like fire… am I seeing things?" Cana walked into the open cavern and glanced upward toward the sky. However, as the rain fell, it came to a halt over some kind of magical shield that protected the area as this cavern was completely dry. "This rain…"
Cana walked slowly towards the grave, her eyes traced solely on the golden flame. "This light is intense… is it magic power…?" She reached into it, only for an invisible force to push her back slightly. She looked in surprise to see magic writing forming in the air above the golden flame, which she read aloud.
"'Here I seal Fairy Glitter, one of the three grand Fairy Spells, may it forever shine in the darkness.'" Cana's face became filled with surprise and disappointment as realization set in. "This isn't her grave at all."
Meanwhile, Bluenote Stinger stood above the massive crater he made with his Gravity Magic, where his victims, consisting of Natsu, Lady, Trish, Lisanna, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, Carla, and the unconscious Makarov, all laid.
Natsu glared at the enemy. "Alright asshole, what exactly are you after here?!"
"As I said before, I want to know the location of Mavis Vermillion's resting place." Bluenote answered.
"Well you'll be looking for a while, because we don't know either!" Lucy exclaimed. Though she did have a theory of where to find the grave, she wasn't about to give its location away to the enemy.
"The hell does he wanna know that for?" Lady questioned as she and everyone else tried to pick themselves up.
"I'm guessing he doesn't want to lay any flowers down or anything." Lisanna assumed in a nervous tone.
"You think it may have something to do with the second part of the trial?" Wendy asked her friends.
"I think I just figured out what he's after!" Happy stated.
"I'm sure we'll end up dumber once we hear what you have to say, but by all means go ahead." Carla said while Trish's eye lids lowered as well.
"Mr. Crazy Ponytail wants to be an S-Class wizard to, so he came out here to make us accept him as a member of the guild!" Happy stated.
"Yep, there go my braincells." Trish said with an annoyed sigh, only for her and Carla to look in surprise as a dark blue magic circle appeared above Happy and a strong surge of gravity pressed down on the blue Exceed.
"Happy!" Carla exclaimed.
"Alright, that's enough!" Bluenote was already becoming annoyed. "No more comments from you! I'll say this once, so listen well: I don't know anything about a trial, and I have no intention of joining you pathetic fools!"
"Oh, go to hell you Mundus worshiping freak!" Trish exclaimed only for a surge of gravity magic to press down on her as well.
"No! Trish!" Lisanna exclaimed with worry.
"I've already said that I have no interest in Mundus whatsoever." Bluenote reminded. "The only reason I've joined Grimoire Heart was to obtain as much power as I possibly can. I want the sparkle of fairies: Fairy Glitter! One of your guild's three grand spells, just as powerful, if not more so, than Fairy Law itself!"
'Fairy Law…?' Lady thought in surprise. 'As in, the same spell the old man used to destroy Temen-ni-gru? There's something more powerful than that?!'
"Great, another power-hungry psycho." Lucy muttered.
"So, he's just a wannabe Vergil?" Natsu questioned before glaring up at Bluenote again. "If glitter's all you want, then try hitting up a craft-store!" Natsu was then pressed down by another surge of gravity magic.
"Natsu!" Lisanna, Wendy, and Lucy all exclaimed as Natsu seemed flatter than a piece of paper.
"I'm a human pancake!"
"I want that merciless light! Tell me where to find it or I'll squash you till you pop!" Bluenote threatened.
"We don't know anything!" Lady yelled at their assailant. "And even if we did, we wouldn't tell you…!" Lady was then pressed down by gravity magic herself.
"Which of your friends would you like to see crushed first?" Bluenote stated as he continued to press down hard on those that he considered the strongest, primarily Natsu, Lady, and Trish.
"I'm Natsu Dragneel… the son of Igneel!" The Fire Dragon Slayer exclaimed as he tried to push himself up. "It'll take more than what you got… to keep me pinned to the ground pal!" Bluenote looked in minor surprise to see Natsu already on his feet, despite the intense gravity pressing down, and it wasn't just him.
"Damn right…" Trish grunted as she slowly got back on her feet as well, even against the intense gravity. "…We don't pop… so easily…"
Lady was also back on her feet. "You want power… freak…? We'll give it to you!"
"They're… they're standing up!" Wendy exclaimed with a joyous surprise with both Lucy and Lisanna just as excited.
"Wow! Under that much gravity?! amazing!" Lucy exclaimed as well.
"Well, this is Natsu, Trish, and Lady we're talking about." Lisanna smiled.
"Fire Dragon Roar!"
"Steel Devil Rage!"
Natsu and Lady both shot out similar breath attacks of fire and steel, while Trish added onto it by thrusting her hands forward to send a powerful bolt of blue lightning. All three attacks surged directly at Bluenote, however, he merely raised his hand to not only block their attacks but also disperse it, much to the surprise of the trio before a powerful gravity pulse sent all three of them rolling back and crashing hard against the ground, much to their friends surprise.
"Natsu!" Lisanna, Happy, and Wendy all exclaimed.
"Lady! Trish!" Lucy and Carla both exclaimed as well.
Bluenote's otherwise stoic face contemplated curiosity. "Interesting. I wasn't aware there were other Devil Slayers besides Job." He glanced at Lady first before looking at Trish. However, once he spotted the sword that fell from her and laid by her side, his eyes widened. "Well, what do you know? Here I come to this island hoping to acquire Fairy Glitter, but I also happen to come across the Devil Sword Sparda?! I guess this could be my lucky day!" All of the Fairy Tail members present either glared or looked in surprise at their enemy. "The blade wielded by the late Dark Knight himself, but it seems its power is wasted in the hands of a weakling like you, I'll be taking it off your hands now." Bluenote said to Trish specifically.
The lightning she-demon, despite laying on the ground, reached out to hold onto the sword's handle defiantly. "Over my dead body."
"That's the idea." Bluenote said before apparently noticing the unconscious guildmaster of Fairy Tail. "I see you've brought Makarov as well; I'll just ask him where Fairy Glitter is."
"Oh no you won't!" Natsu exclaimed as he tried to push himself up again. "Mess with Gramps and I'll roast you alive! We're not done talking…!" He was pressed down once again by Bluenote's Gravity Magic, along with Lady and Trish, followed by Lisanna, Wendy, Lucy, Happy, and Carla.
"We're done talking when I say we're done." Bluenote said. "Now are you going to helpful or should I squash you all flat? Well?"
'This brute is way too strong for us!' Carla thought in despair.
'If not even Natsu, Lady, and Trish can touch him… is there anyone who can?!' Lisanna felt the same way.
'This is bad! He's got us completely stuck here!' Wendy practically screamed in her thoughts.
'Someone… help us!' Lucy screamed in her thoughts as well.
Mavis' Grave
Cana could not contain her frustration as she gritted her teeth. "What is this? Some sort of sick joke? I'm looking for a grave, not some stupid spell! How am I supposed to finish the trial!? Master! I need answers!" She called out desperately but received no response. Anger and frustration soon gave way to grief and hopelessness.
"Am I just not good enough to become an S-Class wizard?" She voiced her sad thoughts aloud as her eyes began to shake. "After everything that's happened… I fall short at the finish line… have the past twelve years of my life… been nothing but a big waste of time?!"
Flashback
Cana was less than six years old when her mother passed away. When her will was read, she learned that her father was alive. When she set out on her own to look for him, she found herself standing before the Fairy Tail guild. The only thing she knew about her father was his name: Gildarts Clive.
That very same wizard walked out of the building and noticed the little girl's presence. "Hey little lady, what are you doing in a place like this?" He greeted in a friendly tone.
A loving smile formed on the toddler's face. 'It's my daddy.'
However, it appeared that Gildarts wasn't aware this girl was his daughter and was about to head out on his next job. "You should hurry back home." He said, causing little Cana to look in surprise. "You keep hanging around, your clothes will start reeking of booze in no time flat."
'Wait Daddy… come back…!' However, she couldn't voice her own shy thoughts as she saw him walk away. 'How come you don't recognize me…? I didn't get to tell you about mommy…'
Not long after Gildarts left, little Cana ended up walking into the guildhall, curiosity peeking the little girl wanting to find out what it was like inside. Wakaba and Macao ended up noticing her as they were about to walk inside.
"Who's the half-pint?" Macao asked in a friendly fashion, getting her attention. "You lost kiddo?"
"You shouldn't be hanging around a rowdy place like this." Wakaba said.
"Excuse me, do you know when Mr. Gildarts is gonna come back?" little Cana asked.
"Gildarts, huh? What are you looking for a chump like him?" Macao asked.
"He break your heart?" Wakaba joked a bit.
"I need to see him." That was all little Cana said.
"He just left on a job today, didn't he?" Macao asked his friend.
"Yeah, sounded like a tough one." Wakaba confirmed. "He could be gone for a few days or as long as a month, hard to say really."
Macao noticed the look of disappointment on little Cana's face. "Aw, don't worry, he'll be back sooner or later."
"Come in and have some juice, our treat." Wakaba offered.
From then on, little Cana dropped by the guild so many times, waiting for her father to come back, that she ended up joining Fairy Tail. All the people there were really nice and never gave her a hard time, which she was grateful for, but she never told any of them that she was Gildarts' daughter. Finally, after two months, the time would come that Gildarts would return.
As usual, the church bells from Kardia Cathedral all rang as the city began to shift and change, allowing Gildarts to return to Fairy Tail without accidentally obliterating any buildings.
"Why is the city breaking?!" Little Cana exclaimed in surprise, while everyone else in Fairy Tail cheered as they all knew what it meant.
"This is what happens when Gildarts comes back to Magnolia." Macao answered.
"Two months of waiting has finally paid off." Wakaba stated with a grin as they could already see Gildarts walking down the path toward the guild that they all called home.
"Wow, you look terrible." Makarov joked as Gildarts reported back to him, the old guildmaster noticing the tired look on his face.
"Nice to see you to, master." Gildarts said with a sigh.
"I guess the job was rougher than we expected." Makarov assumed. "But the client was pleased, they already sent a thank-you-letter by carrier pigeon."
"Really? Glad to hear it." The tired Gildarts replied.
Soon however, Macao and Wakaba approached him. "Welcome back, Gildarts." Wakaba greeted.
"You got a minute? We'd like you to meet someone." Macao said.
"Oh, that's right, where are my manners?" Makarov remembered as well. "This is Cana, our newest member, she's very excited to meet you." He introduced the little girl to Gildarts.
However, it seemed little Cana was more nervous than anything else. "Uh… hello?"
"Cana… you know, you look awfully familiar to me…" Gildarts began to think. "Wait, I remember you now!" Little Cana then began to get excited as she blushed with emotional eyes, but that excitement seemed misplaced. "You were that little girl standing by the entrance when I left for the last job, right?" Cana's smile then faded. "So, you joined up, huh? Well, glad to have you aboard little lady, work hard."
At that moment, little Cana appeared to have lost any courage in telling him that she was his daughter. And from then on, it was almost the same thing: he would leave for another job, and sometimes he wouldn't come back for months, and when he did return, he'd turn around to leave for another job.
Time would pass, and Cana was now ten years old as she was greeted by her oblivious father once more. "Yo, you're sprouting like a beanstalk, Cana." He smiled fondly at her.
Not exactly the ideal time, but since he was right in front of her, she might as well say it now. "Uh, by the way…"
However, she didn't have as much time as she needed. "Get a move on!" Makarov told Gildarts. "Or the train is going to leave without you!"
"Uh oh!" Gildarts then ran out the door. "Catch ya later, Cana!" He gave a wave before running to catch the train.
"Later… Dad…" Cana muttered to herself, the familiar feeling of disappointment setting in. The one thing that she couldn't say, eventually became a crushing weight she couldn't ignore, yet one she chose to bare on her own.
It wasn't long before Cana learned to read fortune-telling cards, so she could predict when her father would make it back home. As she worked with her cards, she was approached by Macao and Wakaba.
"Hey, when did you learn to read those?" Macao asked in surprise.
"You been hiding under a rock? Cana's a natural! All her predictions have been spot on!" Wakaba revealed, causing Cana to smile humbly.
Macao seemed quite impressed. "Wow. Well if you enjoy it, maybe you should think about learning some card magic."
"The old wino's actually got good advice every now and then." Wakaba joked, while also encouraging Cana at the same time.
"You think I could learn? Honestly?" Cana asked; however, nervousness soon began to fill her being. "But… how do I even begin to learn magic…?"
"With your heart." Makarov answered as he walked up to them. "If you want to learn, you have to believe in your heart that you can learn. Like with your fortune telling, you have faith that what you predict will come to pass. Learning to use magic requires the same faith and hard work as any other useful skill. If you can believe in the way of the natural world, trust in yourself, and learn to live in harmony with both, you will easily master the power of magic. Just let your heart be your guide."
Cana was nothing short of moved by that speech. "My heart…"
The very next day, Cana started learning card magic, and she took to it like a fish to water, hoping that mastering it would somehow bring her closer to her father. But no matter how hard she worked and pushed herself, it didn't seem to change how she felt. Gildarts was the absolute best wizard in the entire guild, only surpassed by Master Makarov himself. He was placed on a pedestal and everyone down below basked in his radiance. Cana had always felt she was buried underneath all of them; compared to the likes of Natsu, Gray, Erza, Mira, and so many others who joined Fairy Tail shortly after her, she always felt weak, not even fit to be any of their rivals.
The years continued to go by, and Cana still never told him the truth, she started to fear telling him: what if he rejected her? What if she wasn't good enough? But then, Makarov announced the candidates for that year's S-Class promotion trial, and Cana was surprised to hear that she was chosen as a candidate as well.
"I'm rooting for you, Cana." Gildarts encouraged as he was about to leave for another job.
Cana was surprised at first but smiled and nodded before giving a wave to him as he left. It was then Cana decided she would tell Gildarts the truth once she had become an S-Class wizard like him. However, she failed that trial, suffering defeat from Laxus of all people. And it wasn't just that year to, three more years passed by, and she was announced as a candidate for each of the trials those years, but she only knew defeat. Even Erza and Mira who joined the guild after her had passed their trials to become S-Class. The more trails she failed, the more she began to lose faith in herself, viewing herself as nothing more than a failure: there was no way Gildarts could be proud of her the way she was, which was why she decided to make this trial her final attempt.
She even told Lucy, Trish, and Lisanna the very reason why she wanted to become S-Class, so that she could speak to her father, Gildarts. All three of them were nothing short of surprised and humbled to learn that, even Lucy begged to become her partner.
End Flashback
Cana was suddenly taken out of her thoughts by a pulsating sound coming from her bag. She quickly took it out of her bag, the source of the sound being a card that said 'help' and 'Lucy' on it with a cartoonish image of Lucy waving her arms up and down shouting 'Help!' over and over. This was one of two cards, the other one she gave to Lucy after passing the first round of the trial; she told Lucy that if they ever got separated and she was in danger, the card would alert the one Cana had and she'd be at her side to help her.
That was when Cana was hit with a hard reminder. Lucy had been with her the entire trial, helping her pass the first round and supporting her every step of the way. But how did she repay that loyalty and kindness? She knocked her out and abandoned her in the middle of a war. Now she was in danger at the hands of the enemy, and Cana could only blame herself for that.
Her hands and eyes began to shake, an enormous sense of guilt now falling over her as she finally realized her mistake. "What…. What have… what have I done…?" She fell to her knees. "Lucy I… I…" She soon began to sob as loud as she could, tears pouring from her eyes like a waterfall. It wasn't just Lucy either, it was everyone in Fairy Tail, even Lisanna and Trish, whom she shared her secret with, she betrayed all of them.
"No!" She cried. "It wasn't supposed to be like this! I never meant to betray my friends! I can't… do this… anymore…"
However, Cana quickly remembered what was right in front of her: Fairy Glitter. One of the three sacred spells next to Fairy Law. She screwed up in the worst possible way and she knew it, but right now, she was going to do everything in her power to make it right. She clenched her fists and she stood up and walked toward the golden fire in the middle of the headstone.
"It's okay if I don't become an S-Class wizard… it's okay if I never tell my father the truth…as much as I want that." She was about to reach her hand into the flame. "I want to protect my friends even more!" Once she reached her hand in, she felt a strong force pushing her back as the fire began to surge wildly, the clothes on her arm tearing off.
"PLEASE!" She begged whoever could hear her. "I HAVE TO SAVE THEM! THAT'S MY ONLY PURPOSE RIGHT NOW! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER I STAY IN THE GUILD OR NOT! BECAUSE NO MATTER WHERE I END UP, OR WHO I BECOME, MY HEART WILL ALWAYS BELONG TO FAIRY TAIL! I'M BEGGING YOU! I NEED THE POWER, AND YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN GIVE IT TO ME NOW! I CAN'T DO IT ALONE!" Cana's guild emblem began to glow a bright golden color as tears continued to flow down her eyes "Give me the strength… to protect the guild and family that I hold dear…!"
The second she said that, the light shined as bright as one could imagine as Cana found herself enveloped in a golden glow equivalent to that of the sun. But it didn't hurt, in fact, it felt warm and comforting.
"Well in that case, you have nothing to fear" A new voice spoke up, apparently belonging to a young female, catching Cana completely by surprise. "Mistakes are not shackles that keep you from moving forward. But rather, they are what sustain and grow one's heart."
'That voice…' Cana's eyes wavered as the light began to die down.
"Now go." The same voice encouraged. "Fairy Glitter is yours."
'Could… could it be her…? Master Mavis…?' Cana looked onto her arm to find a red marking on it. There was the Fairy Tail emblem, surrounded by an arrow of sorts with wings on the sides. She actually had it! Fairy Glitter! One of the three sacred spells of Fairy Tail was hers! And she knew exactly what she had to do with it. A small, yet determined smile formed on her face. "Right."
Not wanting to waste even a second, Cana had turned around to run out of the cavern to help her friends. As she left however, she failed to notice a young girl appearing out of nowhere, standing in front of the headstone. She had very long blonde hair, green eyes; she wore a long, frilly pink robe that stretched down to her ankles, with a red ribbon tied at her neck, with blue-diamond patterns at the center of her outfit.
The girl smiled when a voice spoke up behind her. "You gave her Fairy Glitter?" This voice belonged to a tall man with blue eyes, and slicked-back white hair. He wore a purple Victorian outfit, with a white cravat and a monocle over his left eye. "That's rather reckless, don't you think?"
The girl giggled as she looked up toward the man that stood above her. "Funny coming from you." The man had a half-smirk on his face. "But I don't think we have to worry, she'll be fine. Besides, they're led by your son, aren't they?"
The man nodded with a smile. "Yes, they are."
Cana ran as fast as she could through the rain, letting her card guide her to the one Lucy had. 'I could be running straight to my death, but I don't care! I've got twelve years of kindness to repay, and you better damn well believe I'm gonna deliver!' Cana's card had an arrow on it that pointed her in the direction she needed to go. 'Hang in there, Lucy! I'll be there soon! And I'm bringing the big guns with me! The grand spell: Fairy Glitter! Whoever's attacking you is about to get a face full of it!'
She jumped off a ledge and slid down a steep hillside before coming to a halt at the top of a ruined temple, where she got a clear view of the crater Bluenote made with his Gravity Magic and all her friends down below.
"ARE YOU THE ONE I NEED TO SQUASH!?" Cana called out to Bluenote who turned his attention toward her, as the present members of Fairy Tail noticed her presence as well.
"Look!" Natsu stated in surprise.
"Cana!" Lucy exclaimed as she and Lisanna shared wide smiles.
"She came back!" Trish stated as well, though she was still upset with what Cana pulled, she was at least glad Cana was alright.
"She's okay!" Wendy also voiced her elated relief.
"Better late than never I guess." Even Lady had a smirk of her own.
"Aye!" Happy agreed.
Cana leapt straight for Bluenote. "I'm not letting you lay another finger on my friends!" She threw a series of magic cards at the enemy, who diverted them away with his magic.
"Cana watch out! This guy has some strong gravity magic!" Lisanna warned.
"Yeah?! Well I've got some big guns of my own!" Cana exclaimed as the markings on her arm began to glow a bright gold, completely catching Bluenote by surprise, as well as everyone else.
"What's the hell is that?!" Lady questioned.
"No idea!" Trish stated.
"It can't be…!" Acting fast, Bluenote quickly used his Gravity Magic to force Cana hard onto the ground, stopping her from unleashing her attack. "Tell me what that magic is, or you die here!"
"Is it possible she learned to use Fairy Glitter?" Carla questioned in surprise, catching everyone's attention.
Cana got back up and looked past Bluenote to address Lucy. "I'm sorry, for leaving you in the forest like that. I betrayed you and our friendship. That was unforgivable." Lucy looked toward her with emotional eyes, a look shared by Lisanna, while Trish's eyes narrowed slightly. "But with this, I can begin to atone." She showed the markings on her arm. "One shot from this spell will make sure this creep doesn't bother anyone again!"
An amazed smile formed on Lucy's face. "Awesome! Does that mean you found the grave?!"
Natsu's face became that of realization before it fell into comic depression. "What? She did?! But… if she found it… then… I don't get to be S-Class this year…"
"Priorities, moron." Lady commented with an annoyed sweatdrop on her face.
"Guys, I know I've got a lot to answer for, but right now I need your help." Cana said to the group as they all knew what Cana did as well. "Keep him distracted long enough to send him packing."
"You got it." Lisanna nodded.
"Fine, but we are going to have a long chat once this is over." Trish told Cana.
However, Bluenote shot both his hands outward to send everyone flying with a burst of his gravity magic as he addressed Cana directly. "Little girl, you've gravely misjudged the gravity of your situation." He then pressed everyone down on the ground even harder with his magic to keep him pined. "I never thought both Fairy Glitter and the Devil Sword Sparda would be delivered to me personally. Now if you be so kind, it's time I took that spell off your hands."
"Unless you plan on joining the Fairy Tail guild, that's not gonna happen!" Cana defiantly stated. "This spell is useless to anyone else!"
"If you knew the origins of magic, you'd realize all spells are fundamentally the same." Bluenote replied. "Every type of magic that exists today was once part of a single unified whole. And that whole was indeed the Demon Emperor Mundus. I may not worship him like the rest of Grimoire heart do, but I do acknowledge him as the deity that he is; all forms of magic and demonic power stemmed from him directly, that includes Fairy Glitter." He then lifted Cana in the air while also keeping her in a crushing bind with his gravity power. "I've approached the abyss of sorcery; I don't need to join your guild to use that spell or any other!" He squeezed Cana even harder, causing her to scream in pain.
"Cana!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Let her go!" Lisanna shouted as well as they all struggled in the crushing gravity.
Even Natsu was unable to stand back up. "Ugh… can't… move…!"
"I have a question for you." Bluenote spoke to Cana. "Did you think you were capable of wielding an advanced spell like Fairy Glitter?"
Despite the crushing pain, Cana glared at her adversary. "Got a problem with that, bastard?"
"It's an ultra-level spell that uses pure light to deny the existence of anyone it's wielder deems to be an enemy. You bet I've got a problem with an amateur who thinks she can control such power! And the same goes for that sword!" He turned back to look directly at Trish as she still held onto the Devil Sword Sparda, while keeping Cana in his crushing grip. "That is not just Sparda's blade, it has his essence! His own power! The very same power that was used to defeat not only the Demon Emperor but even the three Demon Kings below him!"
That took Lady and Trish by surprise. 'The Three… Demon Kings…?' Trish thought in confusion, never having heard of that.
"The hell… are you talking about…?" Lady questioned, still struggling against the pressing gravity.
Bluenote continued to monologue, however. "I will have that spell and that sword! I will wield both light and darkness in my hands and there won't be anyone who can match me! Don't worry, I intend to relieve both of you them as painfully as possible."
However, Natsu wasn't about to let Bluenote have his way as he actually shoved his head into the ground, using the gravity to help him.
"No, Big Brother!" Wendy exclaimed, thinking he was in trouble.
"I guess even his strength can't stand up to this level of gravity." Carla voiced in fear.
"Just watch…" Happy still had faith in his friend, however. "I think he'll surprise you."
'Come on Natsu… you can do this!' Lisanna also had faith in him as well.
"Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu had shot a powerful breath attack underground, but rather than condense it into a single shot, he unleashed it in the form of a massive blast, causing the entire ground to quake before a column of flame exploded out from underneath Bluenote.
"Cocky little brat…" Bluenote voiced as he lost his hold on them.
"HIT HIM NOW! GO!" Natsu exclaimed.
This was their chance, now that they were free of his gravity, the members of Fairy Tail each tried to attack as quick as they could.
"Take Over: Dragon Soul!" Lisanna unleashed her dragon take over as she shot at Bluenote with flaming fists. However, Bluenote appeared to block them with little effort.
"Is that the best you can do?" He slammed his fist onto the back of her head to slam her into the ground.
"Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy unleashed a point-blank breath attack as Lady drew her pistols, also channeling her Steel Devil Slayer magic into them to create her own attack.
"Steel Devil Bullet Barrage!" Though they were only pistols, she shot her bullets at a speed equivalent to that of a fifty-caliber, each one charged with her magic. Both attacks hit Bluenote with explosive results, but Bluenote didn't appear the slightest bit damaged.
"Pathetic!" He blasted them away with a surge of his magic, however his arm was quickly ensnared by Lucy's magic whip, the Fleuve D'etoiles.
"I don't think so! Trish, now!" Lucy stated as she kept him still for a second, which was all Trish needed as she leapt in the air above him, channeling her lightning-power into the Devil Sword.
"You want my sword, bastard!? Here it is!" She sliced at him down the middle, this caused him a bit of pain as he grunted, but it wasn't enough as he blasted him and Trish back.
Natsu tried to come in as well with a flaming fist, only for Bluenote to grab him by the throat. "Do you honestly think you can beat me with such puny power?" Bluenote questioned, sounding quite offended.
Despite that, the Salamander had a smirk on his face. "Course not, that's the point of a distraction, jackass!"
Bluenote's eyes suddenly widened, realizing he had taken his attention of Cana and quickly turned to her to see her shooting her arm, the one marked with Fairy Glitter, straight into the air as she began to cast the spell.
"Assemble! Oh, river of light, guided by fairies!" Her markings began to glow a bright golden color. "This is what a member of Fairy Tail can do!" She shouted as a column of the same golden light completely enveloped Cana, forcing Bluenote to shield his eyes. The light shot straight up into the sky and began to clear away the rain clouds, appearing to draw in light from multiple sources.
"She's doing it… but how…?!" Bluenote questioned.
"What… what is she…?" Lady voiced in surprise.
"Sunlight, with moonlight, and the light of the stars…!" Lucy uttered in awe and amazement.
"May your radiance shine and vanquish the fangs of wickedness!" A large golden halo formed over Cana's body as she aimed her fist at Bluenote. "Jackpot, ya sack of shit! FAIRY GLITTER!"
Bluenote gave a gasp as his body was completely enveloped by that same halo, he began to grunt and scream in pain as he felt the light shining through him. Everyone else was forced to cover their eyes.
"Damn! This light's intense!" Trish stated, covering her face.
"I guess… this is what we should expect… from one of our grand spells…!" Lisanna said, also covering her face.
"FOR MY FAMILY!" Cana exclaimed as the gold light shined throughout Bluenote, causing him to scream even more. However, it wasn't enough to destroy him as he quickly casted his own spell.
"FALL!"
He quickly shot as much gravity as he could into the ground, sending the light from Fairy Glitter itself into the ground, much to the surprise of all the Fairy Tail members present, creating an aftershock wave that blasted everyone away and sent them skidding across the ground. At the same time, Cana's arm burst with blood, as though her arm had been sliced with multiple knives at once, causing her to scream in pain as she fell to the ground.
"So that's the skill it takes to use Fairy Glitter?!" Bluenote said in a scoff. "You pathetic fool! Your magic is far too weak! Even your own body can't take it!" He stated upon seeing her bloodied arm. "When you've acquired a spell as powerful as that, you can't honestly expect to master it after one go! You need at least years of practice to develop your magic power enough to effectively use it, and clearly you don't have the necessary level."
Cana's pupils shook as she looked at her bloodied arm. 'I failed… again…!'
Bluenote walked toward her and stood over Cana. "I'll take the spell now, and the good news is, I don't need you alive to do so."
Any hope or confidence Cana had left had been crushed in that single moment. She wasn't strong enough to use Fairy Glitter. 'My last chance and I blew it…' Tears of fear filled her eyes.
All her friends had been pressed down once more by Bluenote's intense gravity magic. "Cana…!" Natsu tried to reach out, but not even he could stand.
"Get the hell out of there!" Lady called.
"Run away!" Lucy screamed.
"Leave her alone!" Wendy also called out.
"Another day passes, and I still don't get to fly." Bluenote voiced his frustrations. "Maybe sending you to Hell will lift my spirits." He reached down toward hopeless Cana with the intent on killing her. And all she did, was close her eyes and accept her impending doom.
However, death was not in her near future as someone else suddenly appeared to block Bluenote's path. He shot his hand forward to not only stop his attack, but even sent Bluenote himself flying back. Nobody had expected that, not just Bluenote being sent flying back, but the person who stopped him. The ones appearing the most surprised were Natsu, Happy, and Lisanna.
None were more surprised than Cana however as the figure that stood over her protectively, was none other than her father: Gildarts Clive.
Bluenote skidded to a halt on his feet and glared at his newfound enemy, all the same Cana's heart began to pound with hope and life again as she set her eyes upon Gildarts, emotional tears of joy already streaming down her face.
'Dad…!'
"I don't believe it!" Natsu exclaimed.
"No freaking way…" Trish stuttered.
Lisanna, Wendy, and Lucy all smiled with joy and relief at their salvation, even Lady smirked a bit.
"We're saved…" Carla uttered in awe.
Happy was already jumping up and down as his own eyes had tears of joy as well. "Gildarts is here!"
Despite the happiness everyone else was clearly feeling, Gildarts however was pissed. No, that couldn't even begin to describe the anger he was feeling right now as he gave Bluenote a death-glare that would give even demons a heart attack out of pure terror.
Bluenote however didn't appear the least bit intimidated. "So, this is the legendary Gildarts." He stood up fully to face his newfound enemy as everyone else looked in awe.
'We were barley holding our own against this guy, but Gildarts was able to push him back?' Lady thought in surprise.
"The old man came back!" Natsu said with a wide grin.
"You need to get out of here." Gildarts said to all his young friends, not taking his eyes of Bluenote as a white aura of his own magic surged around his body. Bluenote appeared to mimic his actions with a black aura of his own.
Even Trish gulped slightly. "Someone's pissed."
"That look on Gildarts' face is one of the most intense things I've ever seen…" Happy observed.
"Yes, I can definitely agree with that." Carla said as even she was stunned.
"Now go!" Gildarts shouted as he charged at Bluenote, who tried to shoot his own Gravity Magic at him, but Gildarts countered it by using his magic to sever a large piece of the ground underneath him and sent it flying and flipping into the air with Gildarts still on it.
"Holy shit!" Lady's eyes widened in surprise at seeing that.
"That's crazy!" Lucy had the same expression.
"Gildarts is so cool!" Natsu squealed like a fanboy.
"He sure is!" Lisanna agreed with a wide smile.
Using his magic, Gildarts not only obliterated the flying piece of land he was on, but also sent himself shooting down straight for Bluenote, who in turn, leapt into the air, both of them reeling their fists back, which they shot at the other. As their fists clashed, it created a powerful shockwave that shot everyone back and rolling across the ground.
"He's not messing around." Trish said as she was the first to get back up. "We really should get out of here."
"Agreed." Lucy, Lady, Carla, and Wendy all said at the same time.
Both Gildarts and Bluenote landed on the ground as the later threw away his jacket. "Unbelievable! He pushed me back?!" Bluenote exclaimed while Gildarts remained silent and kept his death-glare focused on his foe.
Lisanna picked up the unconscious Makarov, who fortunately didn't receive any more serious injuries from the scuffle they were all in. "Come on everyone, you heard what he said, we should leave."
Even Natsu was in agreement. He remembered how Gildarts showed off his power during their fight in the first stage of the trial. He'd seen Gildarts' power when he was serious, and it was one of the few things that terrified him. "Yeah, the old man's got this. Let's go."
"Hey Cana…" Lucy asked the brunette as she had already made her way to the rest of her friends, her face appeared unreadable underneath the shadows.
"They're right, we'd only get in his way if we hung around." Cana said. Though she was deeply worried about her father, she knew he was more than capable of handling himself. 'Please, be careful Dad.'
The group turned around to run away from the scene, but not before Natsu turned around to call to his idol and friend one final time. "Hey Gildarts! Kick his ass!" He then ran to catch up with his friends.
Gildarts had a small smirk once he heard that. 'That's the plan, Natsu.' His smile faded however as he faced Bluenote again. "You've interrupted something very important. These kids were pushing themselves to the limit, working to make the world a better place than the crappy one we've left them. They put absolutely everything on the line to salvage the future! And then you came along and trampled all over it!"
The group had already made considerable distance from the fight that was about to start, but when they did, Cana stopped in her tracks for a moment as she had to say something to all of them.
"Guys I… I'm so sorry." She began, though Lucy, Wendy, Lisanna, and Happy looked toward Cana with sympathy; Lady, Carla, Natsu, and especially Trish narrowed their eyes at her, as they still hadn't forgotten how she abandoned Lucy. "I was so focused on the trial… like nothing else mattered… I wanted to become S-Class wizard so bad… thinking that if I could… I'd be able to talk to my father…"
"Your dad?" Natsu questioned.
"It's complicated Natsu." Lisanna quickly said, though what Cana did was serious, she was the only one who could reveal that information, nobody else.
"But I understand now." Cana continued. "And I promise I will take responsibility for what I've done and bare the punishment no matter how severe it is, but I promise that no matter what, even if I have to leave the guild, I will protect it with all my being!"
That took all of them by surprise. "You sure you really mean that Cana?" Trish asked.
"Yes." Cana confirmed. However, Trish soon punched her hard in the face to knock her down and even cause a nosebleed.
"That's all I'm giving you as proof that we've made up, Cana." Trish said in a subtle growl.
"Right…" Cana wiped the blood from her nose and picked herself back up. "I deserved that."
"Yeah, you kinda did." Lady commented.
Lucy however wasn't as mad at Cana as everyone else. Though she did feel hurt by her betrayal, she knew that everything else can wait and saw Cana was serious about making up what she had done. So, for now, they would put whatever animosity they had to the side.
"Hopefully Dante, Erza, Juvia, and Gray have found their way back to basecamp." Carla said. "We need to regroup so we can take the fight to Grimoire Heart."
"Don't forget Mest, I mean Doranbolt, promised that he'd do his best to help us get off this island." Wendy said.
"Yeah, that's one leaky vessel I'm not gonna get on." Trish had her doubts.
"Where the heck is Dante anyway? I thought he was at least with you, Lady." Cana asked.
"After hearing what you did, he met up with Erza to look for you." Lady answered, causing Cana to look away slightly as she felt responsible for that.
"Well I didn't see them when I ran to help you guys, must have passed them." Cana replied.
"I'm hoping they didn't run into any trouble." Lucy voiced her concern.
"I'm not worried." Natsu said. "This is Erza and Dante we're talking about. Those two can handle themselves."
"Aye. If anything, I feel sorry for the poor sap that's fighting them." Happy agreed.
"Right now, though, I'm more worried about everyone at basecamp." Lisanna said, as her older siblings were there and were quite injured from their fights based on Carla's descriptions.
Basecamp
The injured Elfman, along with Panther-Lily in his muscular form, as well as Levy stood in front of the tent where the injured Mira, Evergreen, Gajeel, and Modeus were recuperating, facing off against Rustyrose.
"The Eight Kin of Purgatory have come calling. My name is Rustyrose, I spy a feast of dreams waiting to be devoured, and one of them is particularly hard to swallow." He spoke to Elfman specifically.
"Watch yourselves guys!" Elfman warned. "This guy can literally create anything he imagines!"
That especially took Levy by surprise. "What?! But that shouldn't even be possible!"
"And yet, here I stand, fresh from the Abys of Sorcery of our lord and savior, Mundus" Rustyrose said poetically. "And in return for such a gift, I will see to it that he is freed from his imprisonment and this world is his for the taking."
"Utter nonsense!" Panther-Lily exclaimed. "You would put millions, it not billions, of people to death just to appease your so-called god!? I've heard that same kind of preaching before, it didn't work for those back then and it won't work this time either!"
Rustyrose scoffed amusingly. "Then you should use your 'righteous convictions' to try and stop me! For the most effective weapon against darkness is the light you claim to wield! Jet Black Sword!" After conjuring his black-sword arm, he immediately got to work, hacking and slashing at Elfman, Levy, and Lily before they could even retaliate. Already he appeared to have them on the ropes.
"What sounds! Cries and screams! They provide such a perfect soundtrack to end of your dreams…!"
*SLASH*
*BASH*
A sudden sword slice and laser blast cut off Rustyrose's monologuing and attack to send him rolling across the ground, though he was quick to get back up on his feet. "Who dares silent my symphony?!"
The foes now standing before him where none other than Freed and Bickslow, and they looked more than ready to tear him apart.
"It's Freed! And Bickslow!" Levy was brought to tears of joy at just seeing them.
"Damn it's so good to see you guys again!" Elfman had a wide grin.
"But how? I thought both of you had left!" Lily voiced in surprise.
"We saw the red flare in the sky." Bickslow replied. "Sorry it took so long, but we were pretty far from the island already when we saw it, and this storm certainly didn't help."
"Fortunately, though, we arrived along with Gildarts." Freed added.
"Even Gildarts is here?!" Levy felt her joy increasing even more.
Rustyrose stood back up and summoned his Jet Black Sword again. "Though your ranks may swell, you'll still get swept away by my Arc of Embodiment! And all that will remain of you, will be the unrecognizable fragments of tragically fading memories."
However, neither Freed nor Bickslow were remotely intimidated. "You're gonna realize pretty quickly, that we don't always like to play by the rules in our guild." Bickslow warned. "We'll do whatever it takes to beat you!"
"Simply put, since you've harmed a member of the Thunder Legion, the rules no longer apply." Freed said, referring to the injured Evergreen.
"Barrion Formation!" Bickslow's dolls spun in a rapid circle, a green ring of magic already forming before blasting a powerful blast of magic energy straight at Rustyrose.
"Golden Shield!" Rustyrose had already created his golden shield to protect himself from Bickslow's attack. Freed went on the attack next, swinging his sword and creating a rune of magic that blasted purple energy beams at him. "Pegasus Wings!" A pair of tiny Pegasus wings formed on Rustyrose's feet, giving him a speed-boost to avoid Freed's attack.
"You cannot defeat my rich imagination!" Rustyrose boasted. "An eternal wellspring of limitless power! Come Forth: Sacred Guardian Beast, Belfast the Hurricane!" Rustyrose had appeared to have summoned a massive black wyvern-like creature which loomed over the Thunder Legion pair. "May your mighty gusts sign through their bones!"
"Where did that… come from…?!" Lily voiced in surprise at seeing the massive creature.
"The guy can create monsters from his head!" Elfman stated. "He made a different monster that almost took down me and Ever!"
"He can summon monsters to…?!" Levy was starting to get more than a little worried.
"Oh, don't worry, we already know how to handle this fool." Bickslow said as his eyes were already glowing underneath his mask. "Seith Magic: Possession!" He was easily able to take possession over Belfast, much to Rustyrose's shock. "Shatter!" He easily shattered the beast with just a simple command, rendering it to dust.
"Impossible!" Rustyrose exclaimed at seeing his beast crumble and fade away.
Freed drew his sword again and wrote a series of runes on himself. "Dark Ecriture: Absolute Shadow!" A dark, and somewhat demonic, armor completely covered his entire upper body, including his face. He shot a sweeping punch that sent Rustyrose flying and crashing into a tree.
"Incredible!" Lily exclaimed in surprise.
"Hell yeah! That was so freaking manly!" Elfman stated with a grin.
"That's out Thunder Legion. Thanks, you guys." Levy said with a hopeful tone in her voice, even Evergreen had slightly regained consciousness and smiled at her teammates.
Both the armored Freed and Bickslow stood over the quaking Rustyrose as he struggled to pick himself up.
"Get up." Bickslow challenged him, daring him to stand up so that he could hurt him even more.
"There's nowhere for you to run." Freed warned as well.
Rustyrose looked at his two adversaries in shock, borderline fear as his body quaked. 'My very being is racked with erratic trembles! Is this fear?!'
At the same time, Dante and Erza found themselves within the massive and tangled roots underneath the Tenrou Tree, looking straight up at their opponent: Azuma.
"You're the strongest of the Kin?" Dante questioned. "I thought that time-bitch was your leader."
"Ultear is indeed formidable." Azuma replied. "However, her greatest strengths are her strategic mind and cunning, which is why Master Hades choose her to lead the Kin. I however, am the most physically powerful of the eight."
"I don't believe he's bluffing Dante." Erza said to her friend. "I can sense a strong amount of magic power emanating from him."
"I noticed." Dante observed. "Nice arm, by the way." He said to Azuma, noticing his obsidian prosthetic.
"A recent development." Azuma held up his stone arm. "I lost the old one from my fight against the She-Devil and Sparda's Apprentice." That took Dante and Erza by surprise. "They were among the most formidable opponents I could face…" A devious smirk formed on his face. "…Which made it all the more satisfying to send them both to hell with my own hands."
Erza's pupils shrunk as even Dante gritted his teeth. "You hear that, Erza?" Dante voiced as he drew Rebellion. "This guy took down two of our friends."
"Yes Dante, I heard him clearly." Erza quipped into her Flame Empress armor. "Which means, we must do everything in our power to defeat him!"
Azuma actually looked excited. "Well I can't believe my luck. First, I face Sparda's apprentice and the She-Devil, now I face the Dark Knight's own son and even the mighty Titania! It's amazing! What lovely trophies for this day's hunt!"
"Bring it." Dante stated as he and Erza leapt toward Azuma, who leapt at them in response.
Elsewhere, Gray was still in the middle of a rather odd conversation with Ultear, whom he just learned was the daughter of his deceased teacher and adoptive mother, Ur.
"This doesn't make any sense." Gray said. "You actually wanted to meet me, cause you're really on my side?"
"That's right." Ultear confirmed. "I have been searching for you for such a long time. You are the beloved pupil of the Ice Wizard, Ur; and I am her long-lost daughter. That means you and I are practically siblings."
Gray certainly didn't expect that. "What?! Like brother and sister?! Give me a second to process, here! I never knew I had a sister just roaming around!"
"Well, I did say 'practically'." Ultear said with a somewhat humorous chuckle. "But with that being the case, I bare no grudge against you."
"Seriously!?" Gray questioned. "I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around this! You do realize our guilds are at war with each other right now, right?!"
"It's true." Ultear looked down slightly. "I've sworn allegiance to Grimoire Heart, but I have no religious believes, especially to a vile entity like Mundus. Hades is the one who wishes to see him free. You said it yourself, if Mundus is liberated, he'll likely destroy all of Earthland. I don't want to destroy the world, it's not what our mother would have wanted."
Gray looked at Ultear, not really sure what to say to her.
Basecamp
The armored Freed and Bickslow continued to loom over Rustyrose who, for arguably the first time in his life, has experienced true fear and terror. These were among the strongest opponents he had ever faced. Panther-Lily, Levy, and Elfman stood a bit further back, though they were confident their friends could come out victorious, they didn't let their guard down.
'Fear… pulsing through my veins…!' Rustyrose apparently couldn't stop being poetic, even in his own mind. 'Flooding my mind with thoughts of impending doom…! Still…' A smile formed on Rustyrose's face. 'It is I who have the advantage!'
He stood back up on his feet as what appeared to be dark spectral ghosts began to materialize behind him. "These restless thoughts of fear are like my fuel, they serve to spur my imagination! Ghosts of Brittia!"
Rustyrose unleashed what appeared to be an endless wave of specters which had almost completely enveloped the surprised Freed and Bickslow, immobilizing them; and it wasn't just them, Elfman, Lily, and Levy were also engulfed.
"Wha… what the hell is this?!" Elfman questioned.
"This summoning power is insane!" Levy exclaimed.
"They're sticking to us!" Freed exclaimed.
Panther-Lily's eyes shook with shock and even fear. 'He can make anything in his imagination come to life!? How can we fight against someone like that!?"
"This has gotta be the most messed-up magic I've ever seen!" Bickslow stated.
"Freed and Bickslow, was it?" Rustyrose began. "Ah, yes. Two members of the Thunder Legion if I'm not mistaken." Something of a sadistic and mocking smile formed on his face as he continued. "Or should I say two underlings of Makarov's disgraced grandson, who was ejected after a failed overthrow attempt! What was his name again? Oh yes! Laxus the fallen star!"
"Shut your damn mouth!" Bickslow yelled.
"How dare you even speak his name, you scum!" Freed exclaimed in anger as well. "You know nothing about him!"
Bluenote slugged Gildarts across his face, creating a shockwave that shook the entire crater they were standing in. "You bastard!" Gildarts slammed his own fist into Bluenote's stomach, causing him to skid back. However, Bluenote couldn't contain his own excitement.
"At last! A true challenge appears!" They slammed their heads together, causing an even greater shockwave of magic to spread across the entire area, as though it had been hit by a powerful earthquake.
Tenrou Tree
Dante and Erza continued to clash with Azuma inside the tangled roots of the massive tree. "Burst Claw!" Azuma sent out multiple energized beams from the roots straight at Dante, however, he was able to intercept each of them with precise shots from Ebony and Ivory. Dante then aimed both his pistols to fire at Azuma, who proved quick and fast enough to leap and dodge each bullet Dante shot at him.
Erza, still quipped in her Flame Empress armor, shot directly at Azuma with a flaming sword, but he extended his hand forward to intercept her. "Bleve!" Erza was engulfed in an explosion from Azuma's palm, however, due to her Flame Empress armor, she was largely unaffected and swung her flaming sword at Azuma, who was able to block it with his obsidian-prosthetic arm. Dante then leapt from a root and shot at Azuma to slice Rebellion at him and send the Kin of Purgatory flying and crashing through several roots.
Azuma however was quick to recover as he shot multiple vines from the roots around him at the pair, though Erza's ankle was entangled and she was pulled back to be slammed into the large roots, Dante used Rebellion to slice away all the vines shot at him before landing in front of Azuma to slice at him, however he was able to block it with his obsidian arm before punching Dante in the gut. Though Dante staggered back a bit, he was quick to retaliate with a headbutt and a roundhouse to send Azuma skidding across the root, though he was quick to get back on his feet.
Dante then leapt at Azuma to bring his sword down on him, but Azuma actually caught Rebellion in between his hands, much to Dante's surprise. "Tower Burst!" Azuma's entire body was engulfed in a powerful column of flame that exploded and sent Dante flying and crashing down through several roots.
Now it appeared to be Erza's turn as she quipped into her Morning Star armor to give her an extra speed boost, one that allowed her to avoid the tree vines Azuma shot at her. Once she was close enough, she attacked. "Morning Star: Photon Slicer!" She fired a powerful energy blast from her dual swords at Azuma, scoring a direct hit and sending him flying back right into Dante who had recovered and leapt straight at him from behind.
"Agni! Rudra!" Quipping his red and blue blades, he spun his body around to create a powerful vortex of wind and fire to not only pull Azuma in, but slice and burn him with dual elements before Dante slammed both swords together to create a dual blast attack of fire and wind to send Azuma crashing into a large root with explosive results. However, Azuma appeared relatively unharmed as he leapt and flipped onto a higher root, literally looking down on Dante and Erza. Azuma gave a small chuckle.
"Does something amuse you?" Erza questioned.
"Not quite amused, but more so impressed." Azuma answered. "Both your reputations are far from exaggerated it would seem. I'm especially impressed with you, Dante."
"Really?" The red-clad devil hunter raised an eyebrow with a small glare.
"I've been watching all that has been occurring on this island, including both your encounters with Job, as well as that of Ultear and Kain Hikaru." Azuma explained. "You've survived powerful attacks from our guild's Devil Slayer who has faced off against powerful demons himself. Most impressive."
Erza looked in minor surprise. "A Devil Slayer?" She questioned, looking at Dante.
"Don't ask." Was his only reply.
"But then again, I expect nothing less from a son of the Dark Knight." Azuma continued. "And it's not just from your lineage, but of your own accomplishments. All your life, all you've known is conflict and battle, facing even the most dreaded of monsters from the Underworld and always coming out victorious. Even you Titania aren't too different yourself." He then spoke to Erza who glared at him in response. "I've heard many tales of your skill and valor yourself. How even the fiercest of dark wizards fear your name. Both of you, and myself, are all cut from the same cloth."
"The hell are you talking about?" Dante narrowed his eyes at that particular comment.
"We seek powerful opponents because fighting means everything to us!" Azuma replied.
Erza quipped into her normal Heart Kreuz armor as even Dante shook his head. "Yeah, I don't think so."
"Agreed." Erza also said. "We don't go looking for enemies to fight."
"No? The only way both of you could have reached your levels of strength is fighting powerful foes." Azuma said.
"Yeah, that might have helped a bit." Dante replied. "And I like a good fight as much as the next guy, but it's not the 'sole reason of my existence' or whatever. I fight because I want to protect people who can't protect themselves, and if I gotta get stronger to fight, then that's what I gotta do."
"You fight to protect the weak." Azuma observed.
"Yes." Dante said without hesitation.
"As do I." Erza also stepped up. "Protecting those who just want to live and find happiness is my wish as well, as well as the desire to protect those I hold dear. Though I wouldn't expect you to understand."
"No, I do understand." Azuma said, surprising Erza and Dante a bit. "I've faced plenty of warriors who believe the same thing; seeking to protect the weak and those they care for. It's not uncommon, and I have a great deal of respect for those individuals."
"If that's the case, then why are you siding with a guild that seeks to exterminate the weak?" Erza questioned.
"Yeah, for someone who's part of a demon-cult, you don't seem as psychotic as the other nutjobs I've seen from Grimoire Heart." Dante stated.
"Because of Master Hades, he was the first person I ever lost to." Azuma said, catching Dante and Erza's attention. "I never joined any guilds, or even the forces of the Magic Council, nor did I have any grand plans of world domination or anything like that. My only desire was to seek strong opponents, nothing more. I then crossed paths with Master Hades who offered me a spot in his elite Kin, I told him I would join if he defeated me in battle. I didn't even last ten seconds."
'He's the strongest of the Kin… yet he didn't even last ten seconds against their master…?' Erza thought as a nervous sweatdrop rolled down her face.
Dante had a serious look on his face as well. 'Can't say I'm surprised, since their boss took down Gramps. But still…'
"Though Master Hades was undoubtedly the strongest opponent I've ever faced, you two are truly worthy adversaries yourselves." Azuma continued. "However, we've reached a different stage in our battle." The entire area began to shake immensely, much to the duo's surprise.
"What's happening?" Erza questioned.
"Don't know, but I don't think we're gonna like it." Dante assumed.
All the roots in the area began to shift and move, and Azuma appeared to be at the very source of it. "I am connected with nature, the earth and the forest itself. My Lost Magic is the Arc of Tree!" Azuma threw his arms out when suddenly, multiple explosions erupted all over the area, across nearly every major root, causing Erza and even Dante to look beyond shocked. "I can take the explosive power from the land and channel it into the heart of the wood." The ground itself began to break apart as multiple roots and vines began to erupt from it, and even Azuma's body began to merge with the roots he was standing on. "But… where my magic's true power lies, is it gives me the ability to become one with the land! And control its magic energy!"
"Did he just say he can draw power from the earth itself?!" Dante questioned, never hearing something like that before.
"Indeed but… it shouldn't be possible… for someone to control the energy of the land itself…!" Erza stuttered, not over her own shock as well. The root underneath the duo began to shake and fall apart, prompting the two to jump and try to find some form of stable ground to stand on despite the enormous tremor shaking the entire area.
"That is the reason I was first to arrive on this island!" Azuma continued to explain. "To harness the magic energy contained in your sacred ground!"
"No…. that's impossible…!" Erza couldn't believe it, and even Dante was rendered speechless.
Azuma's body was entangled with roots and vines, some appeared to pierce into his skin and move into his own veins, and he didn't seem to be in the least bit of pain from that. "This was not my choice." He told them. "But I must follow the orders I was given."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Dante questioned.
Suddenly, from all the explosions, eruptions form the ground, and quaking, something that one would consider impossible had happened: the Tenrou Tree had begun to tip over! Already birds, land animals, and all other forms of wildlife followed their instincts and began to move as far away from the massive falling tree as fast as they could.
Doranbolt could see it from his spot and his face was filled with absolute terror. "No…! The Tenrou Tree… it's falling! This can't be happening! I should have forced them to leave when I had the chance!" Of course, deep down he knew, that they would never leave this island even if he did try to force them. They would stay and fight to their last breath to defend their sacred ground. There was nothing more he could do for them, other than pray for their safety. "Wendy… Natsu… Dante… I'm sorry. I wish you good luck." He then teleported away.
Even those on the Magic Council's ships could see it, and despite being so far away from the island, it didn't make them any less afraid.
"Look! It's coming down! The whole island is collapsing!"
"It's that huge tree! It's starting to topple over!"
Natsu screamed as he, Lady, Trish, Cana, Lucy, Lisanna, and Wendy ran as fast as they could from the falling Tenrou Tree, while he continued to carry the unconscious Makarov. Happy and Carla flying right beside them.
"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Natsu screamed.
"KEEP MOVING OR WE'RE GONNA GET CRUSHED!" Lady exclaimed to the group.
"PLEASE HURRY CARLA!" Happy told his fellow Exceed.
"You're behind me!" Carla replied back.
"We all gotta hurry and get back to camp ASAP…!" Suddenly Natsu, and everyone else stopped in their tracks as they felt all their energy and stamina suddenly drop to near zero.
"Wha… what the….?" Trish questioned as she and everyone else were suddenly on their knees.
"What's happening…? I feel like I just ran out of juice…" Lucy was almost flat on the ground.
"My magic… it's almost completely gone…" Lisanna was on her own hands and knees.
Wendy fell flat as well. "My legs just quit working…. What's wrong with me…?"
Even Happy and Carla fell to the ground, their Aera magic stopped working as well. "So… weak…" Carla muttered.
Gray and Ultear both felt the enormous tremor rocking the island to its core as the Tenrou Tree began to fall. Gray suddenly fell to his hands and knees, much to Ultear's surprise.
"Hey… what in the world is happening…" He said as even his magic felt like it was completely run out as well, though Ultear herself remained completely fine.
"It's Azuma…"
Even those at Fairy Tail's basecamp felt their energy suddenly drop as well. "My power… it's completely run out…!" Panther-Lily exclaimed as he dropped from his muscular form to his smaller one, he even saw Elfman and Levy fall to the ground, their power draining as well. "All at once… what is it…?"
Though Freed and Bickslow remained standing on their feet, their own energy and stamina dropped as well as they both appeared suddenly out of breath, much to their confusion, and the delight of Rustyrose. The dark wizard conjured his Jet-Black Sword arm again to slash at the pair and knock them down to the ground.
"What a dramatic reversal of fortunes! The tide has turned again! And the last laugh will belong to me!" Rustyrose said as he laughed maniacally.
"No…" Freed tried to pick himself up, his Absolute Shadow armor completely vanished. "I don't understand this…"
"What happened to our power….?" Bickslow questioned.
Even Gildarts had ran out of juice as he continued to face Bluenote. His breathing became ragged as he felt all his strength sap away. "Damn it… I'm totally out of energy…" Bluenote shot at him to deliver a powerful kick to smash him to the ground. "What is this…? What the hell is going on here…?" He questioned as he saw the Tenrou Tree collapsing.
When Bluenote himself turned around to see the massive tree fall, even he looked somewhat intimidated. "Old man… what sort of insane mission are you having Azuma carry out for you?"
Grimoire Heart Airship
Hades looked through the stained-glass window to see the massive Tenrou Tree falling to the ground as well. "Quite the impressive pawn Makarov has in Gildarts. To think someone other than me could stop Bluenote in his tracks, if only for a moment." He said to himself. "Although it did take a bit longer than I originally hoped, Tenrou Island's magic power is now under our control. And with that, Fairy Tail's chance of surviving this battle disappears."
The master of Grimoire Heart then gave an evil laugh that echoed throughout the entire chamber.
Inside the collapsing roots, the high and mighty Tenrou Tree had almost completely collapsed. Dante carried Erza bridal style as he leapt from falling root to falling root, finally finding stability on one stable root.
"Did this crazy bastard just tip over the massive tree?!" Dante almost screamed as even Erza was rendered speechless.
"Master Hades holds a vast amount of knowledge about this island." Azuma's voice echoed throughout the area.
"Does he?" Erza questioned, anger clearly evident in her voice.
"At the center stands the great Tenrou Tree." Azuma began. "It blesses all who bare the Fairy Tail guild's emblem with divine protection for harm and death. While at the same time, it amplifies their magic power and gives them extraordinary abilities."
'So that's why master choose to hold the trial on this island.' Erza realized.
'How the hell does the boss of Grimoire Heart know something like that?' Dante questioned before his as well as Erza's eyes widened as they were struck with the same realization. "And you just tipped the whole damn thing over!" Dante exclaimed to Azuma.
"That is correct." Azuma confirmed, his voice still echoing throughout the area. "And as a result, not only has this protective spell over every Fairy Tail wizard been nullified, all of your magic power will rapidly drain from your bodies."
"If that's the case, then how come Dante and I still stand?!" Erza questioned as they were able to narrow down the source of Azuma's voice, his body emerging from the massive root as he, once again, stood above them both.
"This may be the end of your guild; it will die along with that tree." Azuma began to answer. "However, since I control all the magic power on this island, I've kept both of yours intact. Now Dante, Titania, all of your friends are at death's door; helpless and weak, and you two are the only ones who can save them. You strive for the power to protect the weak and those close to you… then show me what that means!"
Both the scarlet haired Titania and red-clad Devil Hunter shot their enemy a death-glare. "Azuma…" Dante growled. "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"
Done.
So, Cana has finally come to her senses and rejoined her friends, while also acquiring Fairy Glitter. Gildarts, Freed, and Bickslow have rejoined the battle to help their friends, while the battle between Dante, Erza, and Azuma has begun. The Tenrou Tree has fallen and it's up to Titania and the Son of Sparda to save their friends from the grasp of the strongest of the Kin of Purgatory.
There are just some things I'd like to explain...
*The reason why Cana's attempt at Fairy Glitter didn't work was because her own magic power wasn't strong enough. Hiro Mashima has a way of 'Deus Ex Machnia' the plot of his series, as it's never explained why Cana couldn't use it before and why she suddenly mastered it at the GMG. So, I plan to fix that up by (small spoiler) having her train with Makarov once this arc is over how to use Fairy Glitter properly. Which is all the more reason why she won't be expelled from Fairy Tail despite what she'd done. If the bad guys were to learn what kind of power she has, they would target her, and she would be unable to defend herself from them. So while she won't be expelled, she WILL receive a proper punishment for her actions.
*In regards to Dante and Erza's battle against Azuma in the next chapter, it'll go slightly different than in the cannon. As I said, Hiro Mashima relies on Deus Ex Machina far too much in his story, so I'm going to change things up and they don't win solely because of the whole 'power of friendship'. While their bonds with their friends and loved ones does serve as a good source of motivation, it's not what ultimately wins in a fight like this.
I hope that all makes sense to everyone. Get ready for some of the most epic battles in this Arc get underway and we are nearing ever closer to the final boss of Grimoire Heart. See ya soon.