Hi guys Azza here!
THE BIG TRIPLE DIGIT TRIAD WE DID IT GUYS!
We made it, somehow we actually made it! Honestly so glad we've come this far guys I cannot believe I've hit 100 chapters THREE times now! Thanks for all of you guys reading and reviewing I truly appreciate you all!
Ok, so I won't make this a long thing because you've got a pretty meaty chapter but thanks a bunch everyone this story still had a fair way to go yet so we might end up celebrating 200!? I know celebrating the coveted million word count is a certainty at this point!
Anyway, onto the reviews!
Gammaman – Honestly that's a fair question. There are times where I feel 'tired' from writing it. Mainly that comes about when writing stuff I don't really want to within certain arcs or bits of character development for characters I personally don't like but am forced to do so anyway to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Its also time consuming. I've been writing the same story for years now and it really does kill my ability to write anything else as you've no doubt noticed with the seemingly cancelled stories I have.
I guess its why I do those Tale Of Natsu Vol ? and TFTTV spin offs because it gives me a chance to just write something a little different.
However, I do still enjoy writing this series to the point that I can be at work or out with friends and I'll have it on the brain going over potential ideas and scenarios. Honestly I have to say that its been a real learning experience for me and I wouldn't trade it for anything and I'm committed to finishing what I've started!
Zanark Sathanus – Can't really say too much other than Saber Artoria will be getting major development during this arc alongside Mordred. There are certain events that will play out that will definitely assure that!
Anyway, on with the story!
I do not own Fairy Tail, One Piece or the Nasuverse.
Chaos In The Frozen Bay
/Marineford Bay/
"My friend, are you alright?"
"…"
"Master?"
"Oars," Whitebeard muttered, barely above a whisper as he clenched his free hand out before him. "To see one of my own Sons die before me like this …"
"That is the price of war, as you very well know," Caster replied solemnly as he moved to stand on Whitebeard's right. "Usually, war is fought for petty gains that ultimately amount to nothing in the grand scheme of things. But you already know this lesson well."
"Yes …"
"That being said however, what we are trying to accomplish here is something worth fighting for," Caster continued as he placed an aged hand upon Whitebeard's fist. "Oars knew this my friend, he knew that what is happening here is an injustice! To fight to save the life of a young man who's only crime was his lineage … I dare say it would be quite difficult for historians to argue against the validity of such a catalyst, wouldn't you?"
"That assumes that the historians will be allowed to speak of such actions to begin with," Whitebeard replied in a slightly calmer tone as he looked up and locked eyes with Sengoku. "This world, as you already know, has a problem with its own true history."
"Indeed," Caster sighed as he turned to look out across the bloody battle before them. "They say that this is the largest conflict in this world's recorded history, yet almost a millennium of it is missing to begin with. What happened within that span of time, and what other secrets do the World Government hide from the populace? These things and more are questions we likely shall never know …"
Caster's eyes moved down onto Leonidas who had just parried a Rear Admiral with his shield, moving to stab the man in the neck with his blade before spinning around with practiced ease to both block a thrust from behind with his shield whilst simultaneously cleaving another soldier clean in two with a powerful slash.
"Is this the best you all can do," Leonidas laughed as he taunted the Marines and Soldiers surrounding him, making a 'come here' motion with his shielded arm. "My infant Son hit harder than you bastards!"
This seemed to set some of the surrounding opponents off as they charged in his direction, a move that made Leonidas grin. Sprinting forward, Leonidas performed a shoulder charge right into the sword of a Marine who had tried to perform a thrust, bowling him over in the process. As he did this, he blocked a strike from his right and upon bowling over the Marine, threw his shield at a Soldier who was about to shoot him, striking him in the head with enough force to crack his skull.
The shield bounced right back into Leonidas' grasp as the Soldier dropped. Spinning around he noticed more foes had arrived to back up their woefully outmatched comrades and immediately entered a defensive stance.
"Numbers? You think that'll be enough!?"
"W-we're not gonna just let you take out our friends like that," one brave Soldier shouted as many pointed their guns at him.
"Yeah! You're just ONE Servant, there's thousands of us!"
"Heh. Thousands of you, you said," Leonidas replied as he seemingly adjusted his helmet, the darkness around his eyes becoming more prominent leaving naught but the whites themselves. "I've killed TENS OF THOUSANDS!"
Smashing the edge of his blade up against his shield, Leonidas made a slashing motion which sent sparks flying out toward his enemies who quickly jumped back in shock.
"WH-WHAT THE FUCK-!?"
Everyone took several steps back as Leonidas' blade suddenly ignited in Crimson Flame, the red hairlike adornment atop his helmet becoming a raging inferno alongside it as the muscular King rose to his full height.
"You think numbers are going to determine your victory," Leonidas spat in disgust as he started marching toward the now terrified soldiers. "ARE YOU ALL SO UNDISCIPLINED THAT YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THEY MATTER!?"
At this point, several soldiers fell unconscious as a wave of power washed over the area, Leonidas' eyes flickering from white to Blood Red as he seemingly loomed over his foes.
"You are no warriors," the King spat as he charged toward the horrified forces. "Let me show you … how a REAL WARRIOR FIGHTS!"
Some of the Soldiers in the back opened fire, but Leonidas simply vanished. The sounds of flesh being cleaved apart and blood spilling out across the area was all it took for the forces to start scrambling in a panic.
Leonidas moved through them with a disgusted gaze. The warriors of his time would have faced him eagerly, even the Persians never fled despite the vast number of their brothers he'd slain single handedly.
Yet this, this was abysmal. He was so fast they couldn't even see him as he glided through their rank, ripping them apart. Not even the higher-ranking officers could see him with their paltry use of Observational Haki.
He was, to put it simply, in an entirely different league.
Coming to a stop outside the large circle that had been formed around his former position, Leonidas flicked the blood from his blade. The moment the droplets hit the ice was the moment every last foe that had surrounded him went from standing still to becoming a sea of blood and body parts.
Looking over his shoulder at the forces that had turned to look at the ghastly sight, many of them collapsed as another wave of power washed over them. The furious gaze of the Spartan King then moved toward the body of Little Oars Junior which had conveniently left a sizeable hole in the wall for them to get through.
"COME MY FRIENDS, LET US CARVE A PATH THROUGH THE COWARDS AND REACH THE PATH OARS FOUGHT TO GIVE US," Leonidas roared as the Whitebeard Pirates and Eden forces around him raised their blades high into the air and let loose roars of approval. "FORM UP AND ADVANCE!"
Making a charging motion toward Oars' fallen body with his blade, Leonidas lead the charge as the Paladins reaffirmed their positions and shielded as many as they could from the machine gun nests and cannon fire.
"PALADINS, STEADY ON," Leonidas roared as he raised his shield to block a barrage of machine gun fire. "FORM UP AND ADVANCE DOWN THE CENTRAL FLANK!"
The towering Paladins knew this maneuverer all too well, they had been taught it during their training. This was a strategy Leonidas himself had used during his own life. The Paladins formed up to create a massive dome which shielded every last person on the ground whilst also creating an impenetrable wall which none of the World Government's forces could even hope to pierce.
"OPEN FIRE!"
"YOU ALL HEARD THE KNIGHT COMMANDER, OPEN FIRE!"
The World Government forces quickly found themselves being ripped apart as Whitebeard's allies and Eden's forces started shooting at them from well placed gaps in-between the Paladin's dome.
Leonidas grinned as he watched the manoeuvre. After all, he was the one who thought of the idea to begin with and although it passed trials, he hadn't expected to really see it in action. The idea was to outfit the Paladins with armor and shields designed in such a way so that, if the situation ever demanded it, they could link their armor and shields together to create barriers, walls or in this case, a dome.
These defences were designed to ensure that the allied forces within could still fight and so small openings were made, just wide enough to slip the barrel of a firearm through. It was certainly a solid idea; however, the only drawbacks were rather significant.
Firstly, the Paladins couldn't move at more than a snail's pace when linked together to ensure that the barrier held together. Secondly, should a force strong enough strike them, they could still fall and in this war, there were certainly individuals capable of doing so.
But the biggest flaw was simply that it allowed the enemy to surround them and, when the time came to emerge from cover, should they have been unable to kill their opponents they'd be met with a most unwelcome sight.
Leonidas knew that if they wanted a fighting chance, they'd need to knock out the cannons and machine gun nests quickly. So, that was his goal.
He charged toward the rampart walls, ripping apart anyone foolish enough to try and stop him. He could see an easy path up there if he used Oars' body, as sad as that would be. Cleaving apart several more soldiers, he was about to reach the body when a loud roar boomed out across the battlefield.
Leonidas skidded to a stop.
The World Government forces froze in place.
Whitebeard's forces and Eden's forces likewise halted their advance.
All weapons fire ceased as smoke drifted about the battlefield, all eyes wide with mixed expressions.
Whitebeard and the Kings looked up at where the roar had come from.
The Admirals looked up from their places on the battlefield.
The Generals looked up from their seats beneath the scaffolding.
Garp, Sengoku, Rider and Ace also looked up.
As both sides looked up to see what had roared so loud it drowned out the massive battle, the first bits of debris started to rain down from beneath the clouds …
/With The Escapees – Several Minutes Earlier/
"Oh, so you can eat that," Archer gasped, though everyone could tell he wasn't all that surprised as Natsu ate the Thunder Beam attack like it were little more than a snack to him.
"That's a neat trick Dragneel, but what exactly are we gonna do about this," Crocodile sniffed as Natsu flapped his wings several times and flew high above the machine.
"I can do this two ways Crocodile. First way is I can just fight like I always do and take hits but rip it apart easily," Natsu began only for his passengers to scream negative as loud as they could. "Or B, I try and keep this as long range as I can in which case I'll need support?"
"What kind of support?"
"Tell me Natsu, what is this thing made out of," Jimbei asked as he crawled out from one of the scales. "Is it a machine!?"
"A machine that has armor made by someone capable of wielding the power of a God, yes," was Natsu's reply as Jimbei seemed to hum in thought.
"I might have an idea but first I need to know if you can produce any powerful Lightning based attacks?"
"I can, why?"
"You can? Good," Jimbei nodded before turning to Crocodile. "If you all can protect the others whilst keeping this thing distracted, I should be able to pull something off that will let us destroy it!"
"Is that so," Crocodile replied with a raised eyebrow. "Very well then, I'll keep any stray attacks from taking these chumps out alongside Mister Three. Isn't that right, Three?"
"Y-y-yes of course," Three stuttered out whilst performing a pathetic form of a salute. "You can count on us, Jimbei!"
"Good," Jimbei nodded before jumping right onto Natsu's head and crouching down to pat him. "Buy me ten minutes!"
"I can do that easily Jimbei but what are you-!?"
Everyone was shocked to see Jimbei jump off of Natsu and perform a dive straight through the clouds. Immediately, Natsu dived down below the clouds but found his pursuit of the former Warlord blocked by the mechanical Dragon construct.
"Oh no! Don't tell me you lost one already," Archer gasped before trying to slash at him with the mech's mechanical claws.
Flapping his wings, Natsu easily avoided the swipe but watched as Jimbei hit the water and disappeared further and further into the ocean depths. His gaze snapped back to the construct and he was forced to take evasive action as it started firing out dozens of elemental attacks from its mouth.
"Fire, Water, Lightning. Ice, Earth, Poison … Where the hell are you drawing all that from!?"
"Doctor Vegapunk is a real genius, isn't he!? He installed a device into the heart of this thing that allows it to produce these elements at the push of a button," Archer laughed as the mech opened its mouth once again to show a bright beam of yellow light. "I can even do this!"
"ALL OF YOU, HOLD ON," Natsu snapped as he spun around in a circle before suddenly diving toward the sea.
The mech suddenly started firing out controlled blasts of Light that sailed past Natsu faster than his passengers could blink. Right as he was about to hit the water he pulled up and sailed along its surface.
"Oi Dragneel, get us away from the water," Crocodile snapped as some water splashed onto him.
"Two seconds-!"
"BANG BANG! HAHA! NOW I SEE WHY BORSALINO LIKES HIS DEVIL FRUIT SO MUCH!"
Pulling up right as Archer had the mech fire a massive beam of light at them, Natsu spun around and opened his own maw which was brimming with purplish flame. Arching his neck, he watched as the mech started to try and fly higher than him in an effort to dodge.
A futile effort.
"Fire Dragon Monarch's Purple Tether!"
Firing a solid blast of the purple flame at the mech, he struck it within moments. What surprised everyone who watched the attack hit however was that the attack did no damage whatsoever and instead appeared to be stuck on there, connected with Natsu's maw.
"All right you, time for a little fun!"
"What the hell kind of fire is this," Archer asked in what appeared to be his first real sign of surprise. "I can't get it off!"
"Of course you can't," Natsu grinned as he felt the mech try and pull free of his attack with no success. "This is Purple Flame, more specifically it's a branch of Fire Magic with sticky properties! Care to take a guess what's gonna happen to your precious little prototype now?"
"…No?"
Natsu's response was to laugh as he pulled against the struggling mech, spinning it around faster and faster until finally swinging it upward before suddenly yanking it back downward, straight toward the sea.
The mech hit the water but didn't go beyond the surface as its entire body seemed to shake before being blasted right back out again. Natsu watched as the Ebony surface shimmered and evaporated what little sign of water there had been upon its sleek surface.
"Figures …"
"That was rather rude you know," Archer snapped as he started firing rapid fire elemental attacks from the mech's maw, forcing Natsu to begin evasive manoeuvres again. "This thing cost a LOT of money!"
"Not my problem," Natsu scoffed as he flew downward, noticing Jimbei rocketing toward the surface. "Crocodile, Three! Coat everyone to keep them pinned down!"
Both men nodded quickly and did as instructed which allowed Natsu to fully spread his wings and shoot upward at much greater speeds than before. Within seconds he'd already flown much higher than Archer's mech which was struggling to catch up.
"All right Archer, it's been fun doing this little skirmish … but this ends now!"
"What are you talking about Natsu, I've barely even warmed this thing up yet!?"
"A shame," was all Natsu said as he suddenly pulled a one eighty and charged directly at the mech.
"WH-WHAT THE-!?"
The mech opened its maw and started firing at Natsu however he just shrugged the attacks off with ease. Tackling the mech, he charged toward the surface of the sea, feeling it struggling to shake him off all the while.
"All right Jimbei, hit it!"
"JIMBEI!? WHAT-!?"
Releasing the mech seconds before impact, Natsu flared his wings and blasted himself backward right as Jimbei shot out of the water with his right fist seemingly dragging the sea itself upward.
"Fishman Karate: Geyser Cannon!"
As Jimbei threw his punch, he was engulfed by a massive torrent of water that shot right where he'd aimed it, engulfing the mech and blasting it high into the air. Spinning toward where Natsu was, he shot out of the attack and landed on top of Natsu's head and stomped down hard.
"NATSU, ATTACK IT NOW!"
Nodding sharply, Natsu shot upward above the clouds and was now well above where the mech would end up. Arching his neck, red sparks started escaping from his maw as he took a deep breath.
The mech shot up through the clouds, now fully engulfed by Jimbei's attack yet still not damaged at all. However, that was about to change.
"Lightning Dragon Monarch's Reverberating Roar!"
Releasing a monstrous torrent of red lightning at the mech, it was engulfed instantly with the lightning travelling down Jimbei's attack to turn it a similar reddish colour.
"Clever. Engulf it in water and fry its electronics with lightning," Crocodile hummed in appreciation.
The mech was blasted out of Jimbei's attack but was still stuck on the tail end of Natsu's attack as it was sent flying across the sky. Natsu flew after it, keeping up his roar since it hadn't actually managed to pierce the Ebony Armor yet.
As they flew, Jimbei swiped a portion of the water that had begun falling and coated his fist with it. As they got closer and closer, he leapt off of Natsu's head and grit his teeth.
"This should help end it, Fishman Karate: Spear Wave!"
Firing a much more focused version of his Geyser Cannon at the mech it was once more engulfed in water which once again allowed the electricity to rip through its circuitry. Archer didn't seem to be speaking any longer which meant that either he couldn't, or had given up.
"Hold on Jimbei," Natsu shouted as he ceased his attack and darted forward with speed that nearly threw the Fishman off his head. "Lightning Dragon Monarch's Static Fang!"
Appearing right next to the mech, Natsu bit down upon its neck with his now electrified teeth which tore through the Ebony armor as the entire thing started to shake violently. As it shook, Crocodile used his sand to drag Jimbei away from the head just in time for the mech to explode, engulfing Natsu's entire head.
"HOLY SHIT," Luffy cried out as he managed to wriggle out from underneath one of the scales. "NATSU, ARE YOU-!?"
Everyone covered their ears as Natsu let loose an earth-shattering roar. The roar quite literally passed through them with so much force that Crocodile's Logia body was blasted apart instantly although he reformed mere seconds after.
"I'd take that as a yes, Straw Hat," the Sand Logia replied with a roll of his eyes.
/Marineford/
"What the hell is that," Ritsuka muttered as debris started to rain down from the clouds like a meteor shower.
"Heh, about time," Iskandar grinned as he placed both hands on his hips. "He always did know how to make an entrance."
"Who did," Mash asked curiously only for Tristan to pull against the strings of his bow, playing a soft melody that seemed to calm the two teens down.
"Do not fear Mash, they are certainly an ally."
Up on the execution platform, Sengoku, Rider and Garp eyed the debris with worry. All three knew exactly what that debris was and weren't pleased in the slightest. The roar only added to their concerns since it was quite close.
And then, they saw it.
Far off in the distance, well behind all of Whitebeard and Eden's forces, something began to descend from the clouds at high speed. The entity was moving FAST and was coated by a powerful Aura.
"Damn it, he's here," Rider snapped as he slammed a foot down on the execution platform hard enough to garner the attention of everyone present. "ALL HANDS, SWITCH TARGETS IMMEDIATELY!"
"B-but Sir-!?"
"DO NOT QUESTION ME," Rider roared as he pointed at the rapidly approaching figure. "OPEN FIRE OR YOU'LL BE SHOT!"
That was all the incentive the military needed as the cannons and machine gun nests adjusted toward their new target. The Soldiers and Marines with guns likewise shifted targets on the rapidly approaching threat as they all felt the wind pick up.
"A feeble effort," Saber Of The East muttered from his seat below the scaffolding. "The weapons of our forces are woefully insufficient to harm one such as he."
"Maybe so, but its not like any of us can do anything to him so long as he's that far away," Archer Of The Rhine replied with a crazed grin before cackling with glee. "I can't wait to see what a wrench in the works he'll be to this!"
"He will have a significant impact," Esdeath agreed as she silently fought off the emotions threatening to break her regal composure. "I can say with confidence that the chances for victory for our enemy have shot up drastically."
"That is a rather grim way of looking at things, Caster," Akainu said with a raised eyebrow. "You believe one such as he is immune to Justice?"
"Of course not," Esdeath replied with a roll of her eyes. "But you cannot deny that the things he is capable of will severely hamper our efforts?"
"True," the Admiral conceded as he looked up at the inbound foe. "Very true …"
"HERE HE COMES," one of the lookouts cried as a powerful gust of wind struck Marineford, sending many troops flying.
"So, you did show," Whitebeard grinned as he looked up above his head right as the entity passed over him. "GURARARARARARA!"
"ALL FORCES, OPEN FIRE," Rider barked as Natsu practically smashed his way into the battle, wings flared as the escapees on his back all roared in defiance of the World Government.
"AAAAAAAAAAACEEEEEEEEEEEE," Luffy roared out over the gunfire as both Garp and Ace openly gaped at Luffy standing atop Natsu's head.
"Luffy-!?"
"DAMN YOU DRAGNEEL," Garp roared as he shook his fist at the massive Dragon that hovered above Marineford Bay. "HOW DARE YOU DRAG MY GRANDSON INTO THIS!"
Natsu took the gunfire from the military and seemingly wasn't too fazed. Flapping his wings, he flew upward before locking onto Ace's position and seemingly nodding to himself. Flying forward, he flapped his wings before reaching the rampart walls and roared and the troops atop it before flying off to the right-hand side of the bay and out toward the allied ships.
"All of you get ready," Natsu snapped as he flew out toward the sea. "I'm gonna drop you all off near the ships as I pass by, so get ready!"
"Waitwaitwait," Buggy snapped as Natsu started flying toward the ships with his speed rapidly increasing. "You're just gonna-!"
As he flew over Whitebeard's flagship, Natsu forcefully lifted his scales and flipped upside down mid-flight. Most of the prisoners were ready though as Crocodile and Mister Three created slides for them to safely get down to the ground.
Flipping back upright without losing speed, Natsu charged toward the execution platform where Ace was held and was fully prepared to handle the three up there with him. Reaching the ramparts, two Giant Vice Admirals moved to punch him from either side, their fists coated with Armament Haki.
To the shock of everyone however, Natsu spun around in a circle and the Dragon vanished, the two Giants clashing with one another as Natsu's humanoid form appeared right outside the two attacks.
And then, he vanished.
All eyes immediately moved right to the execution platform and watched as Natsu cocked back a fist and seemingly slammed an attack into thin air.
"Tch-!"
To the shock of everyone present, thousands of Magic Circles appeared in the air immediately before where the platform was situated, creating a wall between them and Ace. Natsu grit his teeth but relented, being blasted back by the Magic Circle and shot all the way back out toward the bay where he vanished and appeared right next to Whitebeard himself.
"Fucking Magic Circles …"
"Gurarararara! You got closer than anyone else so far though," Whitebeard laughed as he slammed the end of his naginata down on the deck, shaking the entire ship ever so slightly. "Nice entrance by the way."
"Thanks, though from what I saw you actually have mine beat."
"Gurarararara! I see, good to hear!"
"So, you want help getting Ace back," Natsu asked nonchalantly which only earned him another laugh from Whitebeard. "I've got two Ex Warlords, some guys from the Revolutionary Army, a whole heap of powerful prisoners from Impel Down, Ace's Brother Luffy and … well you KNOW yours truly, of course!"
"You didn't even need to ask, of course I'll gladly take the help," Whitebeard grinned as he extended out his free hand which Natsu shook eagerly. "This ought to shake up Sengoku something fierce …"
"Yeah," Natsu hummed in agreement as he looked out over the frozen battlefield. "Looks like I won't be able to use my fire for a bit until we reach the plaza itself. Enemy line-up is … hmm."
Natsu was about to continue pondering what exactly to do but the sounds of gunfire interrupted his thoughts. Looking back onto the battlefield at large he saw the World Government had decided to start shooting at the troops on the ground instead of him.
"Heh, guess that makes sense. My arrival wouldn't be enough to cause a ceasefire," Natsu joked prompting Whitebeard to laugh alongside him.
"If it was then I'd surely be offended!"
Meanwhile, down on the ground, the forces of Justice were beginning to realize what had happened as they started to identify the big names that had arrived onto the battlefield.
"That man there, that's one of the high-ranking officers of the Revolutionary Army! Emporio Ivankov!"
"And that man there, that's the former Warlord Jimbei!"
"That's Ex-Warlord Crocodile! What the hell is he doing here!?"
"And isn't that the Captain of the Straw Hats, Monkey D Luffy!?"
"And that man up with Whitebeard, he's the monster who destroyed Sabaody! Natsu Dragneel!"
"There are so many big names here," Garp muttered as the battle seemed to resume with even more chaos than before now that the new arrivals were getting stuck right into things. "Damn Natsu …"
"With all due respect Sengoku, I believe it is time to reveal them," Rider muttered prompting the Fleet Admiral to nod in response.
"Give the word."
"Already done," Rider replied as they turned their gaze back toward the battle. "They'll arrive shortly.
/Marineford Bay – Mordred's POV/
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY," Mordred roared as she tore through a squad of Soldiers. "NATSU!"
"Damn it, slow down Mordred," Gawain growled as he tore apart a group of Marines nearby. "He's not gonna just up and vanish now, is he!?"
"Shut up Gawain, I NEED to see him," Mordred snapped back as she shot off toward the ship where her Master currently stood.
Gawain was left in the dust as Mordred shifted all her power to her legs, increasing her speed drastically and blitzing past most of the fodder tier foes scattered about. Her actions seemed to be noticed as Natsu suddenly looked down, his glowing red eyes locking onto her own as a toothy grin wormed its way onto his face.
"NATSU," Mordred shouted as she shot up toward the ship with Natsu jumping off to catch her half way into a bone crushing hug.
"Mordred … my Mordred," Natsu muttered as he adjusted their fall trajectory to behind the cover of the ship.
The moment the pair landed out of the way of the gunfire, Mordred vanished her helmet and was immediately assaulted by a passionate kiss. Natsu pushed her up against the wooden exterior, his tongue forcing its way greedily into her mouth, his right hand running through her hair whilst his left cupped her cheek.
Naturally, Mordred reciprocated by using her own hands to try and draw him even closer, running her hands over his chest and back as the pair fought for tongue dominance.
It was a battle she was more than happy to lose.
Eventually, they parted and left a trail of saliva between them which elicited giggles between the pair. Natsu's adoring gaze made her want another round of kissing however she was distracted as his Blood Red eyes slowly faded away along with the horns on his head seemingly retracting themselves back into his skull.
"Natsu … I fucking love you," Mordred panted as she leant back against the ship. "But what the fuck was up with the horns and glowing eyes?"
"It's a long story, probably just as long as the one you've got," Natsu replied with a grin as he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "When I heard what Kizaru did to you …"
"I almost died, but thankfully Kuma sent me to Eden," Mordred replied with a grim smile. "If I had ended up anywhere else, I'd probably have died."
"Mordred," Natsu whispered as he placed a kiss on her forehead before pulling her in for a hug. "I can't lose you …"
"Are you … ok?"
"I'm getting close to snapping again, I'll admit that freely."
"What the hell happened over the last week to you!?"
"A lot," Natsu replied softly as he continued to touch her, almost as if he was trying to reassure himself that she was still there and was indeed a real being. "I just need Seilah back and I should be alright but-!"
"Natsu-."
"-I've got these urges to just rip apart these people, to carve them up like they did to me-!"
"Natsu-!"
"-I've got to obliterate them and show them they can't fuck with me, touch what's MINE-!"
Mordred sighed and realized he really was on the verge of having another mental episode. She idly thought back to what Alice had told her about how to easily snap him out of it and shook her head.
That girl was a closet perv for sure.
"Natsu," Mordred whispered softly as she grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him into the side of the ship, pinning him in place before pressing herself up against him. "Listen to me, I'm here and you're with me! I know we're in the middle of a warzone but you won't be able to help if you're little more than a mindless beast!"
"…"
"I need you sane," she continued as she let him rest his head atop her own, snuggling into the crook of his neck. "How will you break them if you're not thinking clearly?"
"… I won't be able to," Natsu muttered in reply before sighing, his whole body shaking as his fatigue seemed to momentarily take over. "I'm tired …"
"How long?"
"I haven't slept since we left Thriller Bark, haven't meditated since well before that."
"You know Alice said you had to keep up the meditation and sleep schedule or you'd relapse," Mordred sighed. "After we're done here, we'll be finding you a nice warm bed."
"Yeah …"
"Until then, we've still got a long way to go."
"I know."
"Are you with me now?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"I am Mordred," Natsu sighed as he ran his hands over his face. "Sorry about all this, I've just had a long … life."
"I know," Mordred muttered quietly before pulling back to fully take in his appearance. "Are you ready for this?"
"I am now," Natsu chuckled tiredly. "Thanks for that Mordred, I needed a moment there."
"Hey, you're mine to worry about too you know. If you need me, I'm there."
"I know, I'm eternally grateful for it … my Queen."
"OI!"
"They both chuckled softly as Mordred threw a lazy punch at him which was quickly caught. "Come on, we've got work to do!"
"Right," Natsu replied with a grin as the pair walked back out onto the main battlefield seeing that little progress had been made by either side. "Something feels … off?"
"I'm not surprised you can sense that; Leonidas and I have felt it ever since we arrived."
"Iskandar," Natsu grinned as he spun around and clasped the man's hand firmly. "You're looking good!"
"So are you, for a man who just blew up the biggest prison in the world and declared war on the 'Gods' of it!"
"Natsu!"
"Ritsuka, Mash," Natsu grinned as the two teens tackled him in fierce hugs. "Good to see you two got out of that Sabaody mess!"
"Yes, well …"
"It was a rather frightening experience," Mash replied quietly as all eyes moved toward the greater battlefield. "Still, this war is worse …"
"Speaking of war, something's going on up there," Mordred said as she pointed up to the area just below the scaffolding. "The hell …"
/Marineford/
"They've arrived Sengoku," Rider said as the Fleet Admiral nodded in approval.
"Good. Bring them in and let's hope their mere appearance is enough to shatter their will!"
Rider nodded and muttered into the Den Den Mushi on his wrist before looking out onto the greater battle with a small smirk.
Back on the ground, Natsu and those around him all watched as several figures suddenly popped into existence right onto the platform beneath the scaffolding. Since most of them had enhanced vision, it wasn't hard to see the figures however all the Servants were frozen in place, including the King Class Servants.
"No … I don't believe it," Iskandar muttered as his eyes locked onto each figure up there. "Surely this is a joke!?"
Up on the platform were a group of vastly different Servants with each one being a different class.
On the left-hand side was a tall, dark skinned man who wore little and was adorned with all sorts of jewellery. The man stood tall and proud, gazing down on the war as if it were beneath him.
Servant Of Tiberius Squad
A God That Towers Above All
Former King Of A Large Empire
King Of Nations
Ruler Of The Achaemenid Dynasty
Next to this man was a man was a familiar figure. His appearance shocked Mordred to the core as his eyes cut a swath across the battlefield behind his glasses. The man should be dead, yet here he stood alive and well despite vanishing right before her very eyes.
Servant Of Tiberius Squad
Former Member Of The Iscariot Order
Arch Rival To The King Of Vampires
The Fabled Hand Of The Lord
Alexander Anderson (Archer)
Bounty – 840,000,000 Berries (Rescinded)
Next to Anderson was a man that elicited a gasp from Artoria. Evidently, she knew exactly who this man was yet they gleaned nothing more from her aside from her utter disgust at his mere presence.
Servant Of Tiberius Squad
A Man With No Real Talents In Particular
A Servant Of God
Assassin Of The Holy Church
Looming over this man was a heavily armoured Knight with a sword held loosely over its back. The figure honestly looked a lot like Lancelot, just much larger and with a bigger blade. He made no movements indicating he was feeling anything in particular as he gazed out upon the battlefield.
Servant Of Tiberius Squad
A Demigod Of Legend
The Man Who Would Face Down The Darkness
Saber Of The Abyss
All eyes then moved to the woman next to the man Artoria disliked and Natsu could have sworn Mordred had almost passed out. The woman looked so similar to Arthuria that he actually thought it WAS her. The woman was beautiful and held an elegance and grace to her that few could ever hope to match. Her dull blonde hair was done up almost exactly like Arthuria's he could have mistaken them for twins!
Servant Of Tiberius Squad
A Figure Of Countless Legends
Grand Caster Class Candidate
King Of Regicide
Caster Of The Fey
Next to the woman was a man Natsu had seen only once before. The man looked more like a Demon than a Human, though he knew full well that was purely because of his irregular class. The man had dozens of red spikes sticking out of him and grinned savagely down at the carnage below with razor sharp teeth firmly on display.
Servant Of Tiberius Squad
Ireland's Corrupted Child Of Light
The Man Who Seeks Only To Fight
King Of Massacre
Cu Chulainn Alter (Berserker)
And then, standing next to Cu Chulainn, was a man Natsu immediately recognized. Sure, he may not have actually SEEN the form before, but he could instantly tell exactly who he was at but a mere glance.
This was a being that had hounded him across several worlds now and with him here, Natsu knew instantly that this one was responsible for the chaos being generated here today.
Leader Of Tiberius Squad
One Of The Demon God Pillars
Loyal Servant Of The Mage King
Demon God Tiberius
"Tiberius," Natsu hissed as the Demon God had the nerve to look right at him and smirk. "That bloody Demon God Pillar bastard!"
"Demon God Pillar," Mash and Ritsuka gasped only for a hologram of Romani to pop up suddenly.
"Excuse me, but did you just say that HE'S a Demon God Pillar!?"
"Yeah, I did," Natsu replied which seemed to frighten the Doctor. "Why?"
"Y-you wouldn't know," Romani stuttered before beginning to ramble in a semi-incoherent manner. "He shouldn't exist, he CAN'T exist!"
"Why not?"
"Because there are only Seventy-Two Demon Gods that Solomon created and none of them bear the name of Tiberius," Da Vinci cut in which elicited gasps from all present.
"Well, I don't know what you're on about but I've seen him literally take the form of one before!"
"He has!? But then that would mean …"
"What Doctor," Ritsuka asked gently as the man looked up at them all with a grim gaze.
"That would mean he's created another, a Seventy-Third Demon God!"
Tiberius seemed to laugh at Romani's words, somehow having heard them across the chaotic battlefield, and simply performed a mock salute before jumping up and down in an excited manner.
"The hell is he doing …?"
"That is rather strange behaviour for one of them, isn't it?"
"Wait, who is that behind him," Mash asked only for all the Servants to go as white as a sheet.
Natsu looked at Mordred who looked like she was going to fade away just from looking at the figure, looking over at Iskandar he was shocked to see that even the mighty Alexander The Great looked horrified at the newcomer.
The figure was a bald man who wore a black leather combo outfit. The man had grin and seemed to soak up the attention he was receiving and even the Servants around him all seemed to show the man a great deal of respect. Even Tiberius was practically kneeling at his feet.
The Entity Of Genesis
He Who Was Rejected By God
A Man Cursed By Eternal Suffering
King Of Sin
Grand Avenger Of The Brotherhood
"It's him," Iskandar said barely above a whisper. "Unbelievable …"
"You know him," Natsu asked as the King Of Conquerors turned to face him.
"There isn't a figure alive who doesn't know that man and what he is," Iskandar replied sharply as both looked back to see him looking right at them with a wide smile as if he were their long-lost friend. "He is the one who committed the first Sin, or so most religions say."
"Really?"
"He is, but he was cursed for it," Iskandar continued quietly. "And the hatred and rage he developed toward all things because of his curse persisted throughout all of existence and when he finally was destroyed for good at the end of all things … he became a Servant. More specifically, he's the only being who can ever be qualified to become the Grand Avenger."
Natsu nearly choked at Iskandar's words as he looked back at the man. If the King was truly on the mark and that man was indeed the Grand Avenger, they were completely screwed!
"H-how the fuck do we fight a Grand Class Servant!?"
"I don't know Natsu," Iskandar replied quietly as the battle continued to rage before them, oblivious to the powerful players that had just arrived. "I truly do not know …"
Looking between Iskandar and Grand Avenger, Natsu grit his teeth as he wracked his brain on a solution. He hoped that they'd figure something out, he didn't plan on losing his life after coming this far.
Or at least, he hoped.
Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!