Chapter 32: Natsu and Takeru vs. Fukuro
In Millianna's Room
At the doorway to the room, Happy grabs a hold of the cat mask with Takeru and Natsu sits on the wall with his hands holding the other side. Both Happy and Takeru begins pulling on it still trying to get Natsu free of the cat mask which would not come off his head for some reason.
"H-Happy! Takeru!" Natsu yells out.
"What?!" Happy yells out.
"P-Pull harder!"
"We're pulling as hard as we can!" Happy replies as Takeru grunts.
"You guys are going to tear me apart!" Natsu cries out as tears stream down the cat mask as the two begins pulling harder with everything they got.
Happy flapping his wings as fast as possible and Takeru roars out until finally the mask comes off Natsu's head though Happy is sent flying and Takeru falls due to all their weight being in one direction.
"It came off!" Natsu cries out in joy.
Wally opens his eyes having regained consciousness, his shades and hat missing as he has bruise marks on his face and tries to get back up only for the cat mask to hand on his head.
"Now's it's blockhead who's trapped!" Natsu says humorously pointing at him with his eyes widened while Happy and Takeru just stare with wide eyes of being confused.
"I wonder what's with that mask's head hole?" Happy says.
Wally jumps up to his feet and turns towards the three, easily getting the mask off him and tossing it away.
"Our showdown isn't over eye, Salamander!" Wally angrily states.
Suddenly, a shot of pain courses through his body, making Wally stop as he places his right hand over his chest and falters a bit, placing his left hand on his knees to hold himself up as the three looks at him.
"I've already paid you back, and since Erza and Happy are safe, I don't have any reason to keep fighting." Natsu says.
"Yeah!" Happy agrees and Takeru nods.
"We're going to heaven!" Wally states albeit still in pain as he opens his left eye to stare at them as the phrase cause Natsu and Takeru look at him curiosity. "The true freedom that Jellal talks about… The world where we can rule…"
"Welcome everyone. To the Tower of Heaven." A voice suddenly speaks and echoes out catching Natsu, Happy, and Takeru's attention.
"Jellal!" Wally calls out happily.
The three run/fly out of the room into the hallway and look around, but see no one.
"I am Jellal. The ruler of this tower." Then they look up at where they hear the voice coming from which happens to be a very tall statue of something as it's squinted eyes glow red.
Elsewhere
The others find themselves in a long hallway with strange murals painted on both walls and ceiling, now having of stopped as the eyes of the figures of the murals glow red, and Jellal's voice speaks out.
"Both of our pieces are in place."
"What?" Gray says.
"It's Jellal. He can be heard throughout the tower." Simon says.
While the others look around, Sho looks at the ground, sweat running down his face with a terrified look as well as he shakes in place.
"Isn't about time to get things started? Heaven's Game!"
In the Throne Room
Jellal and the members of Trinity Raven stands in front of the magic circle showing the footage of the surveillance lacrimas where Natsu and the others in in their respective locations.
"A game?!" Natsu angrily yells with wide eyes of anger and gritted teeth with Happy hiding behind him while Takeru stands next to Natsu.
"Jellal!" Wally calls out after he crawled out from Millianna's room.
"The rules are simple. I wish to use Erza as the living sacrifice to hold the ceremony to resurrect Zeref. In other words, if the door to heaven opens, victory is mine. If you can prevent me from doing that, then you win. However, that alone would not be any fun. So I have assembled three warriors." Jellal says.
With the other group
"Three warriors? Who?" Simon questions.
"If you cannot overcome them, then you will not reach me. In other words it is a 3 vs. 11 battle royal. Oh, and one final thing. It is possible that the Magic Council will attack this place from the Satellite Square." Jellal says as then suddenly a series of glyph-like circles and squares appear above the chess board with a chess piece of a building representing the Magic Council on top of the top glyph. Hearing this causes the others to grunt/gasp in shock. "With the ultimate magic that returns everything into nothingness, Etherion!"
In the Throne Room
"That wasn't part of the deal, Jellal! You bastard! We get hit with that, and we're all going to hell!" Vidaldus says.
"Vidaldus-han… Might you be turning tail?" Ikaruga asks as she turns her head at him.
Vildaldus holds up his right hand and his thumb, index, and ring finger out. "No, the total opposite! Reverse! The is the ultimate high! I've been waiting for a dangerous job like this!" Vidaldus yells out.
"No one knows how long we have left. But when Etherion is fired, everything will be wiped out. The game will be over, with no players left."
With the others
"Eh?!" Sakura says.
"What is he thinking?" Lucy questions with a worried look.
"Etherion? The Council is doing what? I don't believe it." Erza says.
All of a sudden, a bright flash of light blinds everyone for a second from behind them, as it dies away, everyone turns around to see Sho looking away, his face covered in darkness as he holds in his left hand a card that has Erza inside of it.
"Erza!" Gray calls out.
"Sho, what are you doing?!" Simon questions in shock.
"Now, let's have fun." Jellal finishes as the red eyes disappear.
Sho tightens his grip on the card as he looks at the others with a crazed look in his eyes. "I won't let anyone harm, nee-san!" Sho states.
"Hey, Sho!" Erza yells out from the card, her voice echoes out from it.
Sho pulls the card away to his side. "I will defeat Jellal myself!" He states in anger as he begins running off.
"Stop it! It's impossible alone!" Simon yells as he begins chasing after him.
With Natsu, Happy, and Takeru
"All right! I'm all fired up!" Natsu says with a toothy grin, slamming his right fist into his palm.
"I suppose this Jellal guy is at the top, right?" Happy says.
"What are you doing, Jellal?" Wally questions with a shocked and confused face as he sits up against a wall. "Etherion? If that's fired, then everyone will… All we ever wanted was true freedom…" Wally says in sadness as he closes his eyes, his words catch Natsu and Takeru's attention as Natsu turns around and look at him.
"I don't know what kinda freedom you're searchin' for, but the freedom we have in Fairy Tail is pretty awesome." Natsu says making Wally gasp lightly and Natsu turns around. "Happy! There are ways to cheat at games, right?"
"Aye!" Happy agrees appearing beside him.
"Takeru, you better grab onto me." Natsu tells the Aura Pokémon and Takeru nods.
Happy grabs Natsu as Takeru has his arm over Natsu's shoulders and they take off flying through a nearby window to the outside as Natsu blast fire from his legs to act as propulsions to speed their flight up.
"Let's head to the very top right away!" Natsu says.
"Aye sir!" Happy yells out as they fly straight up while Wally watches them as they fly off with smile on his face.
"Salamander…" Wally mutters before he passes back out falling backwards to the ground.
As Natsu, Happy, and Takeru fly up the side of the tower, out of the corner their eyes, Natsu and Takeru spot something twinkle off in the distance to their right and quickly come to a stop turning around towards it.
"Something's coming." Natsu says narrowing his eyes a bit.
"HO~, HO, HO~!" A voice cries out when suddenly the Trinity Raven member Fukuro appears from the sky, speeding towards the three using his jetpack as Natsu barely able to dodge him as he attempts to ram into them. Yet Fukuro turns around in the air and begins giving chase after them as Natsu and Happy fly as fast as possibly to escape from the unknown attacker. However, Fukuro manages to out speed them, appearing in front of them and forcing them to stop as they are unable to react in time as Fukuro pulls back his fist and throws them into a hole into the tower crying out. Fukuro cries out in his owl howl as he gives chase.
Inside the tower
Having of lost Sho, Simon find himself running into a massive room filled with nothing but massive cages and a series of connected chains hanging over a dark pit of nothingness below as then what sounds like crashing catching his attention. Some of the chains and cages rock and squeak as he then spots Natsu, Happy, and Takeru on top of one of the cages.
"What the heck was that?" Natsu questions as he and the others stand up.
"Salamander!" Simon yells out catching their attention as they turn around and spot him.
"Huh? Who are you?"
"Natsu, he's one of the blockhead's buddies!" Happy says.
"Which means you're one of Jellal's lackeys?" Natsu says.
"No! I'm on your side! I was always just pretending to be fooled by Jellal. In order to stop him." Simon says.
"I don't believe you!" Happy says staring at him angrily but Takeru puts his arm in front of Happy. "Takeru?"
Takeru then closes his eyes as his appendages rises reading Simon's aura. Once they fall down, Takeru opens his eyes and tells them Simon is honest.
"That's true?" Natsu asks to confirm.
"Yes." Simon replies.
"Who is this Jellal guy? Why'd he set up this idiotic game?" Natsu questions.
"He's the younger twin brother of a member of the Magic Council, Siegrain. He must have realized ahead of time that the council would use Etherion." Simon says.
"What, it's some fight between brothers?" Natsu asks but Simon looks away from with an unsure look on his face.
"I wonder about that…. Even I don't have any idea what happened between them."
Just then, Takeru quickly turns his head before hearing the sound of flapping wings catching the others' attention as Natsu and Happy turn around while Simon looks up to see Fukuro land on one of the chains above them.
"Hoo-Hoo." He howls out as he lands and puts his hands to his hips.
Happy cries out in a panic as sweat runs down the terrified look of Simon's face. "That's…" He says.
Fukuro then points at Natsu and Takeru. "I will not permit you to break the rules! I will pass judgement upon you in the name of justice! The Warrior of Justice, Fukuro is here! Ho-Ho!" Fukuro announces pulling back his left hand into a fist and extending his right hand out and opening it.
"It's a bird!" Happy cries out as he and Natsu are both shocked by his appearance with widened eyes.
"That bird's blabbling about justice?" Natsu questions but Takeru growls at Fukuro sensing that the half-human and half-owl is dangerous.
"Oh no… Dark Moment!" Simon yells casting his magic that covers the room in complete darkness.
"I can't see!" Natsu says as he and Happy have worried sweat coming down their faces as Takeru already closed his eyes using his other senses to 'see'.
"I knew it, he's the enemy!" Happy says to Natsu.
"Now's your chance! Go! Don't even try to take that guy on!" Simon yells at them.
Then Takeru senses Fukuro flies behind Simon.
"Fine." Fukuro says as Simon hears this and turns around. "The Owl of Justice can see through the darkness!" He says floating behind Simon as his right fist begins to glow in bright gold light. "Justice Hoo-Hoo-Hoot!" Fukuro yells out as he pulls back and slams his fist into Simon sending him flying into a wall and then falls onto one of the cages.
"How do you like it?" Fukuro questions tilting his head a bit to his left as he hovers back in the air between Simon and Sakura, Happy, and Takeru.
"Hey, are you okay?!" Natsu yells out.
"Then… This must be the Assassin's Guild Death's Head Caucus!" Simon says angrily in pain on the cage.
"Assassin's Guild?!" Happy yells out shocked with widened eyes.
"One of the dark guilds. They don't do proper jobs. They're the worst kind of guild that specializes in assassination requests! And the three-person team called, 'Trinity Raven,' assassinated every officer in the Western Army in the Cabria War! They're a legendary unit!"
"And that guy's one of the members of the squad? Er… flock?" Happy questions in worry.
"Hoo-Hoo. I only eliminated evil!" Fukuro says.
"He's a professional assassin! You can't fight him!" Simon yells out.
Fukuro then floats up to the same level as Natsu and Takeru as he keep his back to them. "Salamander and his friend! Your evil deeds have reached our guild's ears!" Fukuro turns around. "Today this warrior of justice will bury your evil!"
Natsu lifts both of his hands and opens them as fire emits out from his palms with an angered look on his face as he stares at Fukuro. "Guilds are places where out trust and dreams are gathered together. They ain't places for doin' dirty work!" Natsu states as Takeru gets ready to fight.
"Stand back, Salamander! Lucario! You can't fight members of the Assassin's Guild!" Simon yells out.
"I don't like those assassination jobs. I don't like the people who request them either. I don't like that you call it a guild. And because I don't like 'em, I'm gonna bust 'em up! Bring it on, birdbrain!" Natsu yells out as his flames become bigger and brighter as his anger increases.
"Hoo-Hoo, so naïve, Salamander! There is evil in this world that cannot be left alive! Thrusters!" Fukuro yells out as he fires up his jet pack. "You are the ones who should be best disappear! Jet! Hoo-Hoo-Hoo~!" He yells out as he blasts off at an immense speed, leaving behind a long trail of thruster fire as he flies all over the place before launching himself towards Natsu and Takeru. Throwing a punch into Natsu first as Natsu disappears from the case.
"Natsu!" Happy yells out hovering the air away from the battle as Takeru also yells out for him.
Natsu is seen with his arms holding onto Fukuro's arm with toothy-grin on his face as Fukuro continues to blast himself through the air
"I ain't gonna loose to fire, buddy!" Natsu yells out as he then manages to pull and throw Fukuro past him into the bottom of one of the bird cages. Fukuro completely destroys it as he comes out the top unscathed.
"Thrusters, once again!" He says as he fires his jetpack up again and blasts off. Natsu lands on another cage, only to spot Fukuro heading towards him as he quickly jumps back up, only for Fukuro to reach back and grab him by the right leg, pulling him back as he then blasts himself back up into the air dragging Natsu with him as he cries out.
"Throw!" Fukuro yells stopping high up in the air as he then turns and throws Natsu down towards another cage. Natsu impacts onto the cage and sending up a lot of dust.
"Natsu!" Happy yells out.
Suddenly, Fukuro finds himself being shot by a blast of blue energy spheres from his right as he raises his arms to cover for himself from the attacks though is still sent flying back a little. Recovering as he lowers his arms to see Takeru firing more Aura Spheres and Fukuro takes off upwards to avoid the blasts and straight at Takeru. The Lucario immediately dodges the owl man by jumping to another cage, but Fukuro turns around and flies back towards Takeru as makes an owl cry with his right arm pulled back as he covers his fist into the golden light from before. The fist impacts into Takeru as soon after he lands on another cage and throws him to another cage, writhing around on it in pain.
"Takeru!" Happy yells out.
Natsu begins to push himself back up, gritting his teeth in anger as the veins on his forehead and arms can be seen. "Oww!" He says in anger and pain. "Hey, Takeru! You all right?!" Natsu calls out and Takeru replies back painfully.
"Hoo-Hoo. You two are pretty sturdily built there. This will be a rare job worth doing!" Fukuro says with his arms crossed.
"Trinity Raven… They're beyond even the rumors… And there are three of them?" Simon questions in a worried tone as he looks up at the battle.
Meanwhile
In the Throne Room
In the middle of the board sits Simon's piece which is then knocked over when Jellal does so with Fukuro's piece and place it down in front of it.
"How pitiful, Simon. And the game has just begun." Jellal says as he then places Natsu and Takeru's pieces on front of Fukuro's. "So next we have Fukuro vs. Natsu Dragneel and Lucario. I had hoped that Natsu would get to the top, but perhaps he's at a disadvantage."
Elsewhere in the tower
"Natsu!" Lucy calls out.
"Natsu-san!" Juvia also calls out.
"Where are you, Takeru!" Sakura yells out with Latias calling out also.
"Natsu!" Lucy yells out again.
The four are in the middle of a large room with massive tunnels most likely leading to different parts of the tower surrounding them some heights off the ground on the walls.
"He's got really sharp ears, so he should be able to hear us from anywhere." Lucy says to Juvia who turns her back to her.
"Same with Gajeel-kun then. In that case his nose should be also good." Juvia says.
"You call him '-kun'?"
(Note: -kun is an honorific used for young boys and people lower than your status)
Juvia turns away from Lucy ignoring what she said. "I wonder why Juvia is searching for Natsu-san together with you, Lucy-san?" Juvia questions, Lucy closes her eyes.
"Ignoring me, I see?" Lucy says.
"They say that those who fight, they get along well." Sakura says. "But Takeru should know that we're looking for them maybe they're in a middle of a battle?"
"But if that's really the case then what are we supposed to do?" Lucy asks.
"I shall do it for Gray-sama's sake, but to be stuck with one's rival in love… I can only imagine the carnage that will ensure!" The three suddenly hears Juvia says.
"Look, I'm trying really hard not to be involve in this. Let's get along, 'kay?"
Almost immediately after Simon left to go rescue Erza and Sho, Gray is the next person to head out to try and rescue Erza to make sure she and Sho would be all right. That leaves Sakura and Latias with Lucy and Juvia to search for Natsu, Happy, and Takeru.
Suddenly a blast of what sounds like guitar playing came through the tunnel behind Lucy, Sakura, and Latias catching their attention.
"What's that horrible noise?!" Lucy questions as she, Sakura, Latias and Juvia turn towards the tunnel and look up at it. "A guitar? Man, that's loud!" She exclaims covering her ears with wide eyes as Latias also covering her ears.
"What kind of person who plays a guitar that badly?!" Sakura questions.
"Juvia things he's pretty good." Juvia says seemingly unfazed by it making Lucy and Sakura look at her.
"Something is wrong with you, seriously." Lucy says and Sakura nods in agreement.
"The music continues to grow louder and intense as then the group finally sees the one behind the instrument as Vidaldus appears at the end of the tunnel, playing his guitar like crazy with his head down before he suddenly begins to headbanging with his tongue out until playing one last note on his blue, axe-like guitar and throwing his head up into the air.
"It's a live performance form hell! Destroy!" Vidaldus exclaims before then waving his tongue up and down quickly.
"Get a haircut!" Lucy exclaims creeped out by his appearance.
"I really don't like his type!" Sakura says also creeped out.
"The Assassin's Guild, Death's Head Caucus! It means skull, get it? Pretty awesome name, huh?" Vidaldus says.
"The three warriors that Jellal was talking about then?" Juvia says, sill with an unfazed look.
"I'm one of the Trinity Raven. Vidaldus Taka, that's me!" Vidaldus says looking upwards with his eyes closed before suddenly opening them up. "Rock you!" He yells out as then his crazy hair extends outwards in all directions and then descends down towards Lucy, Sakura, Latias and Juvia.
Lucy cries out as she then jumps aside to dodge one of his extending hairs as it impacts into where she once was, Sakura immediately gets on Latias' back before she flies away to avoid the ones coming down towards them while Juvia stands her ground as one of his hairs swinging right through her body from the side. This seems to catch Vidaldus' attention as he stares at Juvia.
"Hey, you got an interesting body there." Vidaldus says before crackling.
"Juvia's body is make of water. Drip, drip, drop." Juvia explains.
"Got get him, Juvia! Sakura! Latias! I'll just get out of your way and…" Lucy yells out from behind the three with her eyes closed and covering her ears.
"There is no attack that will work against Juvia." Juvia says as she raises her right hand as water begins to appear and surround her body. "Water Lock!" She yells out swinging her arms our as she sends water towards Vidaldus.
"Rock? You're a rocker too?" Vildadus questions before the water surrounds and engulfs him into a bubble.
Juvia waves her arms out to her side and bringing it down as the Water Lock with Vidaldus trapped inside hovers down in front of her. "Nothing buy talk." She says.
"You weren't one of the Element 4 for nothing! You'd be pretty scary as an enemy…" Lucy says with her hands together as she stands up and appears behind Juvia while Latias floats down next to her.
Vidaldus appears to be in trouble, his eyes and mouth widens as he is trying to breathe for air when suddenly he looks down at Juvia and smirks. This catches Juvia and Sakura's attention.
"He's… smiling?" Sakura questions.
Suddenly Vidaldus' feet touch the ground as the Water Lock seems to be shrinking down. Then the group notices the glowing blue lights emitting from Vidaldus' hair and quickly realize that his hair is absorbing the water until all of the water is gone leaving his hair shiny, wet, and clean as he whips it down forward to cover his face. Vidaldus then throws his hair back and lets out a creepy groan of enjoyment.
"That's creepy no matter how you put it." Sakura says turning away a little with her left arm up a bit creeped out by what he did.
"Juvia's Water Lock has disappeared!" Juvia says in shock.
"And I agree with Sakura, ew!" Lucy exclaims also creeped out as she hugs herself with widened pupils and blue lines under left eye.
"It's best to wash out your hair with water in the morning. Shampooing everyday will damage your hair." Vidaldus says.
"You bastard… How did you break the Water Lock?" Juvia angrily questions.
"My hair can absorb liquid. But no oil or alcohol, please. That would damage it." Vidaldus says.
"Water is ineffective? Oh no!"
"But you girls ain't so bad looking!" Vidaldus says.
"There is it! As usual!" Lucy says going up to Juvia and touching her arm.
"What are you talking about?" Juvia questions.
"'Being cute is the source of all my troubles.'" Lucy says closing her eyes, putting her hands together and swinging from side to side as stars around her head.
"Eeny-meeny-miny-moe." He begins singing catching Lucy's attention and Sakura gets ready as Vidaldus sing pointing back and forth between Lucy, Sakura, and Juvia as he continues on. "Which-one-will-be-come-my-hell's-min-ion?" He then ends it pointing at Juvia. "All set! You'll be my succubus today!"
"Succubus?" Juvia questions narrowing her eyes a bit and Sakura widens her eyes and gasps in shock in realization.
"Juvia! Cover your ears and get out of here!" She yells.
However, it's too late as he begins playing his guitar again, playing a different tune as sparks fly from his strings.
"Rock of Succubus!" Vidaldus yells suddenly the turbine in the middle of the guitar begins spinning as purple dust comes out from the exhaust pipes. Hitting the last string one last time sends out a massive blast of sound specifically towards Juvia, along with the strange purple dust. This causes Juvia's eyes widens a bit in horror as then the purple dust seems to ensnare her.
"What is this sound?!" Juvia cries out as Vidaldus yells out as he continues playing the guitar, the sound and purple dust hitting and surrounding Juvia. "No, stop it!"
Juvia, what's wrong?!" Lucy yells out.
"Juvia!" Sakura calls out.
"Don't! Don't come inside Juvia!" She cries out in absolute terror which shows on her face.
Latias flies straight towards her, but she is blasted back by some kind of invisible barrier and sent flying back to the ground landing in front of Sakura.
"Latias!" Sakura calls as she and Lucy kneel down to make sure she's okay before looking back towards Juvia alongside Latias. Juvia cries out one last time before she is enveloped in a bright light.
In the Throne Room
Jellal knocks over the water urn piece representing Juvia, which sets next to the key representing Lucy, a poke ball with a light pink Fairy Tail mark representing Sakura, and a Soul Dew representing Latias, with Vidaldus' Guitar piece.
"So that's as far as the water woman goes, eh? And at the same time…" Jellal says as he places Vidaldus' piece in front of Lucy's, Sakura's and Latias'.
With Lucy, Sakura and Latias
A sudden burst of some from what just happened covers the room and makes Lucy, Sakura, and Latias unable to see anything as Lucy holds her left arm up and closed her left eye.
"Juvia!" Lucy calls out.
"We have to be careful…" Sakura says as a sweat drop rolls down her cheek.
"Become my slave!" Vidaldus says.
As the smoke finally clears, the three finally see Juvia, but not herself. Her skin was now pale just like Vidaldus, her hair was left loose hanging down past her lower back, she has black lipstick and eyeliner on. What looks like a gray, thorned necklace around her neck, a spiked wristband around her right wrist, black leather pants and white high-heels, a tattoo of a dark red broken heard around her belly button, and a very revealing purple leather vest.
"Hell, hell, hell! I'll show you the lowest pits of the ultimate hell!" The mind controlled Juvia says before sticking and hanging her tongue out and laughs out maniacally as Lucy, Sakura, and Latias look at her with shock and horror.
"What's happened?" Lucy questions.
"This is really bad." Sakura says.
In the Throne Room
Jellal knocks over the three pieces that represents Lucy, Sakura, and Latias. "…the Spirit user and both the trainer and the creature are also out of the game." He says.