Ch. 12 Advent of Satan
"AAAAAAAAARGH!" Loke threw his glowing fists at the swarm of dolls around him. They were now completely demolished as the pieces scattered the area.
"Wow!" said Lucy amazed.
"He punched them with a lion made of light!" Happy cried.
"It's totally pointless," Bickslow stated from the roof the of the toy store. "These are souls, man! You can't hurt 'em. You can destroy their bodies, but I'll just move 'em on to something else." A whole new row of dolls rose up from behind him. "That means I get new babies!" The five dolls flew in at Lucy. Suddenly, Loke jumped in and punched his way past the troops.
"You can send a million of those things! I won't let any of them touch her!" Loke shouted. Happy grabbed onto Lucy and flew her at Bickslow.
"Come on!" Lucy commanded.
"Aye, sir," Happy followed. Lucy snapped her whip, forcing Bickslow to move away from his post. Lucy landed safely across from him.
"You're a feisty, little cheerleader, aren't ya?" Bickslow asked.
"I AM NOT A CHEERLEADER!" Lucy snapped her whip furiously. The dolls encircled Loke as he readied his glowing fists.
"Lucy!" Loke shouted to her, "Take him out! He's nothing; you're stronger than him!"
"Hey man, take that back!" Bickslow yelled angrily and comedicly. Lucy launched her whip and snapped Bickslow's head back. "Ow!" Loke leapt onto the building until he kneeled by Lucy. Bickslow began to get serious. "Aw crap, time for the big guns."
"Big guns?" Lucy asked.
"Uh oh!" Happy shivered. Bickslow removed his helmet. His face revealed a creepy smile with eyes that curled near his nose and outward toward his ears. Between his thin blue eyebrows was a blue mark that somewhat resembled a blue doll with its legs opening before the nasal cavity and its arms spread above his eyes. Bickslow's blue hair jutted out from above both his ears and at the top of his head like a mohawk. The rest of his hair looked to be clean cut black. He cracked his neck to the side. As he opened his eyes, Bickslow's pupils glowed an eerie, green tone.
"Figure Eyes!" Bickslow smiled with his tongue out. A dark ray of green light radiated behind him.
"Don't look into them!" Loke and Lucy closed their eyes shut while Happy covered his eyes with his paws. "Each one of the Thunder Legion members has special powers they can use with their eyes! Evergreen can turn you into stone with hers, but if you look at Bickslow he'll turn you into one of his creepy dolls…who controls your soul!"
"Really?" Loke asked.
"No way!" Lucy was shocked.
"Well, aren't you smart," Bickslow smiled.
"So smart!" The dolls chanted. Their bodies became shrouded in green aura and zipped across the sky. They collided into Lucy and Loke over and over again like a pinball machine.
"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Loke and Lucy yelled from the pain.
"Whatever you do keep your eyes closed!" Happy panicked.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Bickslow laughed as the dolls continued to attack. "My possession of Figure Eyes combo is unbeatable, and you guys won't give so much as a look? Come on!" The hits grew faster as the impacts grew stronger.
"Lucy!" Loke shouted, "Close my gate and hide inside of Horologium for a while!" He and Lucy did their best to stand their ground against the strikes.
"Yeah, great idea!" spoke Lucy, "But my gate keys were stolen, so I can't summon him! Now come on! I know you can help me so just do it already!" Loke stood frozen. How can he call himself her spirit if he promised to protect her? He smiled.
"Alright, it's the moment of truth," he said. "When I give the signal, open your eyes and hit him as hard as you can!"
"But I thought I was supposed to keep them closed?"
"You're gonna have to trust me." They stood back to back.
"…I trust you." Bickslow watched with satisfaction, until Loke began to brighten himself with his power. "Foreseen of the Regulus," the light blinded the entire area, "Lion Brilliance!" Bickslow's eyes received the full blast of light in front.
"MY EYES!" Bickslow shrieked in pain.
"NOW LUCY!" Loke directed.
"OK!" she replied. Lucy wrapped her whip around Bickslow. His arms and shoulders were ensnared by her whip and couldn't move. Bickslow's eyes sizzled from the intense heat.
"No," he uttered. "There's no way I'm gonna let you beat me!"
"I'm not the man I used to be," Loke's right arm shined with bright energy. "When I met Lucy, my true power as a Celestial Spirit was awakened." As he walked, the floor became burnt by his extreme power of light. "I'm stronger than I've ever been before, and it's all thanks to her. We spirits are nothing like your little dolls! Love makes us stronger!" Loke raised his fist high. Bickslow managed get one last look at Loke's final attack. "REGULUS IMPACT!" From three different angles, Loke released a massive blast from his fist. The burning light formed a raging lion that rushed directly at Bickslow. His body became swallowed in the light. Once the shot connected, Bickslow flew halfway across the city, leaving a trail of clouds behind him. On the roof, Loke and Lucy stared at the break in the roof where Bickslow once stood.
"Kapow!" Happy cheered.
"Thanks Loke," Lucy smiled.
"I did it…for this," Loke raised his hand in the air. A ray of lights shined above him. Words appeared in a romantic sense that said: I LOVE LUCY. "Love's dazzling brilliance."
"Uh, cool," Lucy wasn't so impressed.
"~When's the wedding~?" Happy asked.
"Yeah, don't hold your breath, cat." Lucy fell back onto the stone wall and sat down. "Aw man, I'm so beat."
"Opening two zodiac gates would take a lot out of someone," Happy suggested. Loke walked over to Lucy and knelt down to eye level. He held up her Celestial Spirits keys.
"I'll be there anytime you need me," Loke insisted.
"Aw, thanks," Lucy said gratefully. Loke stood up and prepared to return to the spirit world.
"I won't be losing to a reaper anytime soon," he winked. The light surrounded Loke as he vanished.
Fairy Tail
"Whoa, Lucy kicked his butt!" said Natsu. He, Gajeel, and Rai were staring up at the scriptures to see how the competition was doing.
"Nice, the girl's got some skills," Rai added.
"No way!" Gajeel was shocked. "That little princess can actually fight!?
"Yeah, she's tough as nails," Natsu pointed out.
"She's just a cheerleader!" Gajeel replied. The three continued to argue while Levy worked on the floor nearby. She continued her research with the textbooks surrounding her.
"Way to go, Lucy," she said, "I'm right there with ya."
"I heard somewhere cheerleaders can be pretty tough," Rai insisted.
"I've never heard that before!" Gajeel disagreed. Natsu grabbed Rai's arm and covered it with a green tortoise puppet. Then, Natsu rammed into Gajeel's face as he tugged Rai with him.
"Really!?" Natsu asked, "You never heard the story of the tortoise and the cheerleader?"
"Last I checked, it was a hare," Rai corrected. Gajeel grabbed Rai's other arm and covered it with a pink rabbit. He then held it up as he pushed against Natsu.
"That's right, you moron!" Gajeel yelled back, "and the dumb bunny lost, remember?" As the fighting ensued, Levy was close to solving the enchantment.
"I still don't get this part at all," she said to herself. "If only I can just reword this…think Levy…think…"
"Well, yeah the first time," Natsu argued, "but if it was a hundred races, then he would have won; hands down!"
"They never had a rematch, did they?" Rai pondered with his fluffy hands.
"No…well...yeah, you have a point there," Gajeel thought, "If that speedy varmint learned to stop napping."
"THAT'S IT!" Levy shouted.
"THAT'S WHAT!?" Natsu, Gajeel, and Rai screamed back.
"I need to look at these two grammar styles like the tortoise and the hare and translate them at two different rates!" Levy stroked away with her quill at the realization that came to her. "If I take the intercole number of synchronized letters of a single pass, and translate them into guild grammar. And translate that into logue…"
Brain…too much…can't…keep up, Rai scratched his head with the tortoise. Levy held up her finished work.
"It worked!" she cried.
"YEAH!" the guys cheered. Levy made her way to the front of the entryway. She began to read from her papers as she prepared to go to work.
"Just give me a sec to rewrite the enchantment."
"You bet!"
"This is it, you guys…" Levy turned to them with a smile of determination, "Once I'm through here, you three will join The Battle of Fairy Tail. I hope you're ready." Natsu's right arm became enveloped in a scorching flame.
"Yeah, I'm all fired up!" Natsu declared.
"It's time to take out the trash," said Gajeel.
"Let's punch his lights out," Rai raised his bunny fist.
Magnolia
Elfman could feel the soothing petals gently falling past his face. As he slowly opened his eyes, he could see a blurry image begin to focus. Once cleared up, he saw Mirajane sitting beside him on the floor with tears in her eyes. "Thank goodness," she whispered.
"M-Mira," Elfman slowly pushed himself to get up. The only clothes he wore were his big, blue pants. Mirajane tried to help lift him.
"You're hurt pretty bad."
"I'll be fine. So glad you're back to normal."
"…I'm sorry for everything. I really am." She began to shudder.
"What the heck are you apologizing for?" Elfman asked. Tears continued to run down her eyes.
"Because…I'm just useless now. It's the truth. I'm never able to help you." She began to weep. "I'm sorry." Elfman only smiled.
"No one thinks you're useless. I promise. You're smile lifts everyone's spirits." Elfman sat down next to her. "It makes us think of the good things. Forget about this fighting crap." Mirajane recalled the words Rai said before.
Fairy Tail (Earlier)
Once placed on the mattress, Mirajane covered Makarov with the sheets to keep him warm. "You think he'll pull through?" Rai asked. She fell silent. "Hmm, seeing that he's The Master of this guild, I say the old man still has it in him." She looked up to Rai and smiled sadly.
"Thank you for your help," she said. "I can take care of him for now."
"No problem." Rai was ready to meet up with the others.
"Wait!" Mirajane called back. Rai turned.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"If you do see Laxus…please, stop him before it's too late," Rai thought for a moment.
"Well, it is my job to keep the balance going. But Natsu still thinks he's part of your guild. I'll just see if we can talk it over. This guy just needs to quit being a wuss and fess up like an adult."
"Will you be strong enough to face him?" Rai smiled.
"I don't know. Guess we'll find out when the time comes. What's more; I can't just stand around being useless, right?"
"…Useless?" Mirajane asked solemnly.
"I may not be able to take him on, but I'll be there for backup in case the team needs me. Even if it's just cheering from the sidelines, that support is still enough to give everyone the strength to fight on." Mirajane giggled.
"You certainly are a strange one."
"That's what the big guys of time and space said," Rai chuckled. "When you get a chance, try to see if the others out in town need help, alright?"
Magnolia (Now)…
Mirajane covered her face as she cried. "Come on, sis," Elfman asked. "Please don't cry."
Elsewhere…
"Juvia, do you know how long we have before the Thunder Palace activates?" Cana asked.
"At this point, I'd say it's about thirty minutes," she replied. Cana and Juvia ran until they began to reach the outskirts of town.
"Man, what a coward," Cana stated. "The Battle of Fairy Tail, huh. Everyone else fights while he hides in a corner."
"The question is 'which corner'?"
"Laxus is saving his magic energy," a voice rang out from behind the girls. Purple scriptures began to fuse on the top of a nearby home. "It would be foolish to fight Master Makarov at less than full power."
"Freed," Cana pointed out.
"So he's the one who's behind the enchantments," Juvia deduced. In a split second, he dematerialized from existence.
"Get back here!" Cana shouted. They both went running after him, unsure of which direction to take. "Damn it! Where did he go?" After a while, they came to a small bridge that crossed the river. Below the bridge was a small shore that allowed room to walk underneath it. As they ran, an incantation appeared on the ground in front of them. They were soon trapped in a square that blocked them inside. "Oh great, another one?"
"We're trapped!" The words appeared around the girls. Cana read the rules of the battle.
"It says [The wizard who proves herself to be the strongest…"
"…will be permitted to leave this barrier.]" Juvia finished. Freed appeared nearby.
"The victor will then go on to battle me," Freed stated. "You may begin."
"Come on, Freed," Cana pushed against the barrier. "If you're really looking for a fight, you don't have to go through all this trouble cause I'll take you on right now, you hear! What's the matter? Are you scared? Don't think you're man enough to handle the both of us? You've never been much of a real man! Have you?" Freed turned to Cana.
"The truth of the matter is I prefer not to sully my own hands," he answered.
"You're such a rat!"
"I can't believe you'd make your own friends fight each other like this," said Juvia.
"Friends, you say," Freed looked over to Juvia. "To be perfectly candid, I'd rather see Cana emerge the victor." The two froze in shock. "As for Juvia…you still bear the stain of Phantom Lord. You can't be trusted. There's no telling when you may choose to take up arms against Fairy Tail again. " Juvia looked to the ground in sorrow.
"What? Like you are now?" Cana shouted. Juvia clenched her hand near her chest.
"…Forgive me," she said. "But I have no other choice." Juvia's body morphed into clear water. In an instant, her body became a spinning whirlpool.
"Hold on!" Cana asked, "What are you doing?"
"Tell me something, Mr. Freed," Juvia's voice asked, "If one of us falls, will you keep your word and fight the one that remains?"
"I assure you," he replied, "I stand by my word." In the water, Juvia's face grew a sign of focus.
"That's good to hear." Her aqua body formed into a floating water sphere.
"Are you nuts!?" Cana cried. "You're just giving this creep what he wants!" Juvia rushed upward past Cana. Freed was confused to what she was doing. When her body hit the wall, she bounced off and aimed higher toward the next wall. Juvia was wall jumping up higher and higher into the sky.
"Go as high as you want!" Freed yelled out, "The only way to escape is by stepping over your fallen opponent!" Juvia soared higher into the clear sky. Her arms and body was formed like a flying angel. Up ahead was a row of Lightning Lacrima.
"IF ONE OF US MUST FALL FOR THE SPELL TO BE LIFTED, I WILL BE THE ONE TO MAKE IT SO!" Juvia charged in at the electric sphere.
"She wouldn't!" Freed assumed.
"STAY AWAY FROM THAT THING!" Cana cried.
"I'LL NEVER HARM A FRIEND!" Juvia crashed into the floating sphere. In a bright light, there was a massive explosion. Juvia slashed the orb with two-sharpened arms.
"JUVIA!" Cana shouted.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Juvia's water body absorbed the full electricity of the recoil. She sizzled as the pain reached higher and higher. Her skin and clothes were smoking while her body fell to the ground.
"Juvia!" Cana rushed over to her. She looked over Juvia's body. The scriptures vanished.
"I broke the enchantment spell…," Juvia tried to speak; "You are free now."
"But you didn't have to go and do that!" Cana cried.
"I wanted to prove to the guild…that there's no reason to doubt me." Juvia's eyes watered with tears of promise. "I love all of you. The Fairy Tail guild…will always be my home." Cana started to weep.
"…I never doubted you…You're one of us now…and you always will be! I love you just like family! Fairy Tail is lucky to have such an amazing wizard in its ranks."
"…Do you mean it...That makes me so…happy." Juvia closed her eyes.
"JUVIAAAAAAA!" Cana shouted.
I can't believe this! Freed stood paralyzed. She chose to sacrifice her own life…in order to save her friend?" Cana stood over Juvia. She raised three Tarot Cards in her hands. She turned and ran straight at Freed.
"LET'S GO!" Cana commanded with tears.
Magnolia
"Aw man," Natsu mumbled, "There's way too many people." From a chimney, Natsu looked around the area. His view allowed him to get a glimpse of almost the entire city. "I can't pick up Laxus's scent with them around."
10 minutes earlier…
"Now guys," Levy explained, "I want you to listen closely. We can't risk the three of you getting caught up in one of Freed's enchantments. So, you're going to have to separate, got it?"
Now
"Man, I forgot how big this town was," Rai said to himself. "Let's see; Natsu and Gajeel have the high road, which means I'll be taking the low road." He ran down the streets and around corners to see if he can find out where Laxus or any of his Thunder Legion members may be hiding. Rai continued his running through some small crowds of people. He stopped and touched his tool belt. He checked to make sure he still had the object with him. Rai could still feel it bumping against his leg. "Yep, I still got it."
"Hey, you wanted to talk with me, Grandpa?" Rai asked. He walked inside a large library filled with books and records of everything there was to know about magic or Fairy Tail.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Makarov replied. "There's something important to discuss. It's about your duty as the Celestial Reaper." Makarov went over to a bookshelf and pulled out a purple book with gold stripes near the top and bottom of the spine. The shelf began to slowly separate like two sliding doors moving in opposite directions. Once the bookshelf was cleared, a wall filled with writing displayed strange letterings that appeared foreign to Rai. The only thing he could make up was the illustration of a yellow sphere resting on a pedestal; surrounded by many of the spell rings the wizards he noticed would conjure up.
"Whoa, is that what I think it is?" Rai asked.
"Yes," Makarov answered, "The Soul of Fantasy. For generations, guilds all over Fiore have protected this sacred treasure from falling into the wrong hands and maintaining peace to our world. I was the one elected by the Magic Counsel as the next guild master to guard this treasure until the Celestial Reaper arrived to claim it. Although, they were highly against it from the very beginning; Nevertheless, I've taken responsibility for these many years."
"Cool, so can I have it?" Rai asked.
"Not right now," said Makarov. "Lately, I've felt we may be in grave danger." Makarov returned the book to the left shelf. It began to close; covering the wall. "If it's alright, I would like you to have it after the Harvest Festival."
"Sure, I can stay and enjoy myself for a while."
"That's good." Makarov walked past Rai and opened the door. "Come, the Miss FairyTail Contest is about to start." Makarov grinned.
"Sweet," Rai smiled.
He looked at all the stands, the people, and the joy from laughing children. "I can't believe a world like this was created with such imagination," said Rai. He looked up to the floating spheres in the sky as he remembered his mission. "Whatever happens, I better be ready for anything." He started off into town.
Meanwhile…
"Come on, Mira," Elfman groveled, "I'm still a man; I can walk on my own, you know" Mirajane helped carry Elfman over her shoulder as they walked beside the riverbed.
"It's ok," Mirajane offered, "If my baby brother needs a hand, I don't mind helping at all."
"Thank you," he replied.
Kaboom!
A cloud of dirt appeared on the bridge in front of them. They looked over to see Freed and Cana battling across from one another.
"It seems you're forgetting a basic rule of combat," Freed pointed his sword at her.
"What's that?" Cana asked.
"Even the most powerful spells…are ultimately worthless if they fail to hit your target," Freed explained. Cana raised a blue card in her right hand.
"Card Magic!" she announced. She quickly shifted her fingers to reveal a red card with rocks and a green card with a heavenly landscape; all hidden behind the first blue card. "Heaven, Reverse Death, Mountain: Summoned Lightning!" In a spell circle, beams of green light fired out in different directions. Eventually, they all focused back at Freed as their mark. Freed raised his sword. He closed his eyes and focused on his strike. Once finished he opened his eyes. His right pupil glowed a demonic purple with no eyeball inside.
"Dark Écriture," Freed chanted, "Repel!" With one slash, Freed redirected Cana's attacks back at her.
"AAAAAAAAHH!" she shrieked. The beams collided with the bridge around her and shattered. She fell onto the crumbled rocks.
"What in the…?" Elfman asked.
"Oh no!" Mirajane grew worried, "Cana!" Cana tried to get up from the rubble. Freed stood high on the bridge as he looked down on her.
"You're tough," he complimented. "A true testament to your many years of service to the guild." Cana stood back up.
"Listen to me, Freed," she shouted. "I want you to take back all that garbage you said about Juvia!" Tears rolled down her face. In an instant, a light zipped onto Cana's forehead and placed purple scriptures.
"KYAAAAAAAAA!" Her eyes tried to roll to the back of her head. Her upper half of her body tried to fall back. She started to freak out and panic.
"CANA!" Mirajane cried.
"What happened?" Elfman asked. "What did he do to her?" Cana quickly fainted and dropped to the rocks. Mirajane and Elfman looked up to see Freed standing close by.
"This has gone too far!" Mirajane shouted.
"How dare you!" Elfman added. Freed turned to them.
"I'm sorry Elfman," he explained, "but you already lost to Evergreen. Therefore, you are not allowed to rejoin the game." This only aggravated Elfman even more.
"Oh yeah!?" Elfman fired back.
"We're in the same guild!" Mirajane pointed out. We shouldn't be fighting each other!"
"We were once," Freed sighed. "However, the ultimate purpose of this game is to restructure the guild; to break away our meaningless bonds. Laxus's enemy is mine as well."
"I'm ready to take on both of you!" Elfman charged in. Freed opened his eyes again and revealed his demon eye. With a quick slash, Elfman missed Freed. But on his chest were purple incantations. "What the hell is this?"
"Those who have been defeated are strictly prohibited from rejoining the game," Freed stated. "Anyone who dares attempt to do so will receive a punishment far worse than death." The scriptures sunk into Elfman's body. "Dark Écriture: Pain. Those ruins represent an unimaginable pain which will become the totality of your existence." Elfman's body began to glow.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!" He started to feel an extreme rush of pain. He clasped his head to try and make it stop. The immense pressure was strong enough to make his head ready to explode out of his head. He screamed in terror with no end.
"ELFMAN!" Mirajane can only watch in horror as Freed continued to torture him. "You have to stop this! He's not as strong as he used to be, Freed!" Freed raised his sword.
"Dark Écriture: Terror!" He fenced out more scriptures onto Elfman's body. "Suffering!" Elfman screamed louder as the pain started to course through his entire being. Mirajane began to cry.
"…I'm begging you…I'll do anything you want! Please, just spare him!"
"Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain!" With each slash of his sword, Elfman's body continued to feel the wrath.
"NOOOOOO!" Mirajane screamed from the sounds of torture. Elfman fell to his knees; he could no longer endure any more.
"The Final Dark Écriture…Death." The wind rustled in the background. Mirajane stood frozen in time. That one word rang inside the depths of her mind.
"…Death…," she whispered. Her heart pounded from the sudden memories that flashed into her mind. A tombstone, a massive beast howling, and a little girl that stood in its way. She wore a purple dress with pink sleeves that started from her upper arm to her triceps. She had short white hair and soft, green eyes.
"It's okay, big brother," she smiled. "We still love you." The beast swatted the child right in front of Mirajane.
"LISANNA!" she shrieked.
Mirajane stood with no emotion. Her eyes white with tiny pupils. The sheer fear that she felt inside herself.
"I feel…so strange," Lisanna whispered. Her body was completely immobile. "It feels like…I can't…move."
"Don't waste your strength," Mirajane wept. She held onto Lisanna's hand for comfort. Lisanna's eyes only stared straight in front of her.
"Where did you go…Mira?"
"I'm right here." Lisanna slowly tilted her head towards her.
"Mira…I…I just…want you to…to know..."
"Lisanna," Mirajane begged. Lisanna left this world. "Lisanna...LISANNA!"
The wind suddenly picked up around Mirajane. A bright light radiated from underneath. "What's this?" Freed stood in shock at Mirajane. "So much power! Who is she?"
"UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"Mirajane cried out as a gargantuan, black spell ring appeared above her. The rocks around her began to levitate. Freed shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness. Mirajane's body began to change. Cracks began to form down her cheek from her eyes. Her dress was now a sleek, red jumpsuit with red boots and a revealing torso that exposed half her chest down to her abdominal. Her hands were green, razor talons with fins running up her arm. Around her neck was a spiked collar that connected to her suit. A massive grey tail lashed out from behind. Mirajane's hair now rose upward to give a terrifying appearance. She no longer looked human. With one jump, she drew out her claws and lunged in at Freed.
Kaboom!
A cloud of smoke filled the area. "Dark Écriture: Wings!" From the smoke, Frees soared into the sky with his wings; glowing a dark purple. As Freed soared off, Mira began to fill with rage. From her back, she pulled out a pair of grey, demon wings. She quickly gave chase after Freed. With each second, Mira would land a rapid blow to Freed, no matter how fast he moved. With one punch, she sent Freed crashing into the bridge. From the dust, he zoomed out of the area. Suddenly, he felt a presence from behind. Mira was already there.
"Die," she spoke.
This is her Takeover Power, Freed thought cautiously, The She-Devil: Satan's Soul! Mira raised her hand and conjured a spell ring.
"Darkness Stream," she commanded. A swarm of dark hands rushed in to grab Freed into the shadows. Freed flew and dodged to avoid being captured. He couldn't keep up with the many shadows pursuing him.
"Dark Écri-," Mira kicked Freed in the middle of his summon. Her feet snapped the blade in two. Without a weapon, Freed hurried to get away. Mira zipped into high speed after him. The chase led them both to the rocky landscape and valley of sand. "I know a few forbidden spells of my own! Evil-battles-evil! Dark Écriture: Darkness!" With a swipe of his fingers, Freed printed scriptures on himself. His body radiated a dark, sinister tone of purple. His body morphed into a hideous monster. He now had two curved horns on his forehead. His upper torso was revealed with muscle and blue fur. His demon eye was now visible along with his scaly legs and razor claws for feet. His green hair hanged loose, his face looked like a gargoyle with razor sharp teeth, and he still managed to keep his pants on. Mirajane followed through with a steady fist, but Freed immediately countered it with his own. As the two fists collided, the ground below gave in from the intense shockwave. Freed readied his punch with a sphere of red energy. Mira readied her own, but with a dark blue sphere. They lashed about; trying to kick, claw, and jab their way into their opponent. Mira seemed to have the upper hand in the battle so far. The fight made its way into a rapid frenzy which had Mira and Freed seem as though two light streams were colliding with one another. Mira rushed in from behind and shoved Freed into a nearby cave. She placed both hands on his chest as they fell.
"Evil Spark!" A blast of blue electricity surged over Freed. The attack sent him ricocheting off the walls of the cavern. He stopped once he had hit the ground.
"It's true," said Freed, "Her power's uncanny! I heard tales of her abilities, but I never would have thought Mirajane was capable of this!" Mira simply floated idly, looking down on Freed as if he wasn't a match. "You're strong, but I can't afford to lose the game to you! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Freed let out a monstrous roar as a red light shined around him. "Darkness Breath!" The result was a spinning tornado that reached high into the heavens. Mira had been swallowed inside and received numerous blows from the debris within. When the tornado subsided, Freed formed a large, red sphere with both his hands. "Darkness Flare Bomb!" He smashed it into Mira and sent her into the lake below. "Is she finished?" The water began to spin into a vortex. "What's happening?" From inside, Mira was controlling the flow with her hands. "She's controlling the water." Just how powerful is she?
"Evil Explosion!" With both her hands, she released a whirlpool straight into Freed. Mirajane took the chance and head-butted him. She began to conjure up a large black orb. The ball gave off extreme, unstable sparks around it. "Soul Extinction." In one shot, Mira fired a deadly blast of dark energy that engulfed Freed in an instant. The attack surged outward throughout the entire city of Magnolia as a large wave of darkness. Almost all the pedestrians and survivors of the battle watched the sky as the light and darkness brightened everywhere.
Freed pushed upward to lift himself out of the crater. Mira landed just a few feet across from him. Startled, he fell back on his rear end, now in his human form. Mira's red eyes gleamed from within the smoked crater. She gave a demonic growl and charged in at Freed. She grabbed Freed and pinned him to the ground.
There's no way! Freed cried in his mind, I don't stand a chance against such a force! Mira unleashed her final…
"I still love you."
Mira stopped her fist directly in Freed's face. The sudden force gave off a small wind outward. Freed laid frozen in a state of shock. Mira breathed heavily; her fist trembling while her eyes were clear white. She remembered Lisanna crying…and smiling at Mirajane…just before she passed on. Mira sat back up; the light engulfing her as the demonic form evaporated from her body. She was back to her old self again.
"I don't understand," Freed spoke. "Why did you stop?" Mirajane only sat with sadness on her face.
"…Because this battle is meaningless," she said.
"You can spare me your false pity, Mira. Just…finish me off." Mira climbed off of Freed and sat beside him.
"I won't do that because we're allies." Cana, Elfman, and a resting Juvia walked into the scene. "We're both members of Fairy Tail. That means we work together…we celebrate together…and we grow together."
"No, you're wrong! Laxus is my only true ally!" Freed cried out.
"It doesn't have to be that way. Listen, we've been your friends since the very beginning. It's perfectly fine to have that one person who you trust more than anybody else. It's human nature…but that doesn't mean you have to shut out the rest of us. We're all part of something bigger…like family." Mira took a hold on Freed's hand. "If you'll just reach out, I promise there will be someone there for you." Mirajane smiled with tears. "Once you're able to finally see that connection, you'll never forget that it's there. You're surrounded by people who care for you." Freed started to cry.
"I never wanted…to come to this." He tried to hold back.
"Yeah…I now that. How about next year, we enjoy the Harvest Festival together?" Mirajane smiled happily. Cana and Elfman simply stood by and watched the beautiful scene in front of them.
"My sis," Elfman stood proud.
"She's amazing, huh," Cana wiped her face.
Purple scriptures floated onto the Guild Hall's Entryway. Levy read out the scoreboard.
[Freed vs. Mirajane]
[Both Wizards: Forfeit]
Gajeel grinned. "This game just got interesting."
"Now, there's just one," Natsu glanced over the town.
"Laxus, now it's your turn!" Rai declared.
Laxus sat with rage in his eyes. Electricity surged all around him. He stared aggressively; waiting for his opponent to pass through the front doors.
-To Be Continued-
So Natsu, It's time to finally take on Laxus, am I right?
Natsu: Yeah, and I'm all fired up!
Happy: Um, maybe you should sit this one out. I mean, isn't it usually up to the main character to beat the final boss?
Natsu: Huh? What do you mean? If I'm not the main character, then who is?
Dude, where the hell have you been since the beginning of this story?
Next Time: Clash at Kardia Cathedral!
Natsu: Hey! This is my world, so I should be the one getting all the recognition here!
Yeah, tell that to the writer. Speaking of which; all rights reserved to the characters and material used belonging to their respective owners.
Natsu: Leave a review and comment for me; the main character!
Happy: Sorry Natsu, It's already been decided for the next chapter.
Natsu: What!?