Titania and The Hunter
Chapter 60: Aceptación y Desafío
Hello again dear friends! No so long this time, huh?
########Hunter########
Naruto panted lightly as he jumped from branch to branch to travel as quickly as possible. The strain of the day was taking its toll; the normally spry and energetic man now feeling the fatigue and weight all the fighting and running was having on him. Normally Naruto would boast that he had enough energy and stamina to last him for an entire day. But this mission might have been the stress test to put that claim to bed.
With every landing he made on a branch, he felt a jolt run up his back as the ground trembled around him. And with another glance over his shoulder he would see the reason why.
Even pushing on ahead of it - even gaining some distance by jumping off the furthest limb ahead and running as fast as he could - Nirvana wasn't far behind. He had gained some distance ahead of it but the sheer size of the damn thing was still bearing over him. Even if he managed to reach Cait Shelter first, he had no misconceptions that Nirvana would quickly be in range to do whatever it needed to do next.
Fortunately this thing didn't strike him as a vehicle that could make sharp or sudden turns. It would reach its destination by taking the shortest distance between its targets, and barrel straight through anything in its path. Which meant that as long as Naruto kept in front of Nirvana he should reach the goal first.
He knew they would stop Nirvana. It was only a matter of time before all of the Oración Seis were beaten and all there'd be left to deal with was the giant mobile city. They didn't know how to stop it but they would find a way. The question was whether they'd do so before or after the giant magic weapon reached Cait Shelter.
And the moment that doubtful thought entered his head, he was reminded of Wendy's tearful face begging for this to stop.
He couldn't let anything happen to their allied guild. He wasn't going to let Wendy lose her family like he had nearly done so many times before. Fairy Tail cherished the bonds they made with the people by their side that shared the crest of the guild. The people by your side were as important as your family, or even more so in some cases. And if Wendy and Carla's expression meant anything then they shared that same mentality with their guild too.
So even if he was tired and needed a rest, he could do so later. He had the image of laying in his bed napping, Erza by his side and Koyuki nestled between them softly breathing as they all drifted to sleep. That was a comfortable little future he would enjoy when this was done.
So right now...he needed to push on a little further.
He landed on the top of a tree, cloaked himself in Armor and conjured up his Wind around him.
"Storm Step!"
He obliterated the top of the tree and sent himself flying forward at sonic speed to gain some ground. And get a little closer to the finish line before Nirvana could reach it.
########Hunter########
Wendy and Carla ran along the battered streets. The young Dragon Slayer's nose wasn't as developed as Natsu's own, but she could still make out the scent he had picked up as she got closer. Her nose twitched as she took a deep whiff and started making the turn, "This way!"
"Are you sure you can smell her?"
"I'm positive! I recognize the scent! But if the other smell is who I think it is then - there!" Wendy called out, "Erza-San! Jellal!"
The two Cait Mages came up by the poisoned Fairy Mage as she leaned back against a wall with patches of discolored skin growing out under her armor. Jellal's head rested in her lap and gently slept through the pain. Erza opened her eyes and looked over as she saw them approach, "Wendy. Carla. You're here?"
"Just hold on Erza-San! I'll help you!" Wendy bent down by Erza and took a deep, filling breath. She ate the sky and started to refill her reserves as much as possible. The wind was rich up here and there was enough residual energy in it to help her. Once she had regained some magical power, she raised her hands and started healing the sickness, "A-Are you okay? You were poisoned again!"
"Yes but I wasn't bitten on the artery this time. It wasn't coursing through my blood so it's a little easier."
"No you just breathed it in and got infected everywhere!" Carla stated as the little cat worriedly looked over the redhead and her companion, "I swear healing you Fairy Mages is going to be the death of her!"
"Wendy," Erza's hand reached out and gently squeezed the younger girl's arm, temporarily stopping her as she warned, "Don't let your guard down. I'm not sure when Coba will wake up and attack again."
"Cobra?" She asked, "Is he around here?"
Erza's eyes widened before she looked over. Just as Wendy said the Poison Dragon Slayer and his serpent were nowhere to be seen. There were traces of a blood trail dragging itself further down the street before disappearing entirely. Her eyes narrowed with worry before she whispered, "We have to stay on guard from now on."
"Right." Wendy's healing finished and she lowered her hands as Erza felt an ease return to her breathing. The blue-haired girl looked down with a conflicted expression, "What...what about him?"
Erza looked down at Jellal and nodded, "If you can spare the magic power then heal him too please."
"Are you certain that's a good idea?" Carla questioned, "What reassurances do we have that he won't turn on us? I mean he was the one who reawakened Nirvana, wasn't it?"
"In order to destroy it. He's lost his memories." Erza informed while Wendy and Carla looked at her in shock, "The Etherion poisoning affected him on a deeper level than expected and he can't remember anything."
Carla looked skeptical, "And do you believe him?"
"When I looked at him I was reminded of the boy he was before everything happened. Before he became the man in the Tower of Heaven. Back when-"
"You and him and Naruto-San were captured." She looked towards the Sky Maiden as Wendy nervously focused on healing Jellal. The Cait Mage tried to hide her unease but whispered, "Naruto-San told me a little about where you came from while he was fighting Brain. He told me after he found out the other members of the Oración Seis came from the same place. I-I'm sorry that-"
"It's okay." Erza's kind tone in her reassuring whisper eased Wendy's worries as the Dragon Slayer looked into her blue and brown eyes. The scarlet-haired Mage smiled, "If Naruto told you about our past then that means he trusts you with it. And if he does then so will I. I just ask that you both trust me now when I say that we can rely on Jellal."
Carla still looked conflicted by the idea but looked up at Wendy, Erza, and the recovering Jellal before she sighed, "Well, when you ask like that then how are we supposed to say no?"
Wendy giggled to herself hearing her best friend's reluctant answer but still accepting the Fairy Mage's proposal. She continued to heal Jellal until she realized that the poison that infected his system had finally started to recede. The young Dragon Slayer lowered her hands and anxiously stared at the man in Erza's lap as the white cat and armored Fairy all waited in silence.
Finally, Jellal's eyes slowly started to peel open. His eyes opened and closed several times as he realized consciousness had returned and his breathing had suddenly become remarkably easy. He sat up in a start, startling the little blue-haired girl and the white cat that had gathered around him, "What-" He patted himself over and turned to see Erza looking amused by his response, "What happened? I thought we were poisoned?"
"We were. But she saved us again." Erza pointed to the young Cait Mage who was meekly focusing her attention down on her own lap, "Jellal, this is Wendy Marvell and Carla. They're two Cait Shelter Mages that have joined our cause to stop Nirvana and the Oración Seis. She's a healer, and saved the both of us quite a few times now."
Wendy blushed from the praise and looked up as Jellal stared at her. She shuffled under his deep gaze and whimpered to herself. When she spared him a glance she noticed that instead of the sinister twisted man she thought he had grown into, he truly did just look like an older version of the boy that saved her years ago. The same kind, curious eyes he had back then were staring at her in deep thought.
"I know you."
Wendy perked up and nodded, "Yes, a long time ago-"
"You were the girl who healed me, weren't you? The one in the cave."
"O-Oh, yes, I was." Wendy lost her excitement and nodded, "Thank you for giving me and Happy a chance to escape by attacking Brain."
"You shouldn't thank me." Jellal sat up, "I didn't know I was helping you in your situation. I don't deserve your thanks, and I want to apologize for not helping you when you needed it." He bowed his head, "I'm sorry."
Wendy nodded and tried to get Jellal to raise his head. Carla watched Jellal warily and spared a look towards Erza, the S-Class Mage waiting to see if she had been swayed by the amnesiac's apology. She nodded, "Well he seems contrite, so we'll trust your judgement for now."
"I appreciate it." Erza nodded her gratitude before the group stood back up, the redhead dusting off her blue skirt before looking around, "Did you come up here by yourselves?"
"No, the Trimens and the Lamia Scale Mages stayed down in the forest in a little alcove we established as our base of operations. They were watching over Angel and going to apprehend Racer." Carla answered, "We were traveling with your guildmates before this giant eyesore crawled out of the dirt."
"We came this way while Natsu-San and the others went the other direction. They said that the smell of blood had dried and wafted away over here while it was far more intense the other way. Natsu-San, Gray-San, Lucy-San, and Richard-San all went that way to help them."
"Richard?"
"Hoteye." Carla answered and shook her head the moment Erza looked like she had a question, "Don't ask. It'd take too long to explain."
"A-Alright then." Erza looked so confused, "Then what about Naruto? Where is he?"
"When he beat Brain, we were told that Nirvana was on course to attack our guild and wouldn't stop until it did." Wendy answered, "Naruto-San said he would go ahead to the guild and warn them this was coming in case we couldn't find some way to stop it in time."
"That sounds like the smart move." Jellal said as he looked around, "If we can't control this thing then we need to find a way to stop its movement."
"Alright then," Erza tuned and narrowed her eyes, "Then let's go stop this monstrosity."
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"Over there!" Happy deactivated his Aera as his wings disappeared and he dropped down into Lucy's waiting arms, "I see them! I don't think they're fighting anymore!"
"Let's go!"
The Fairy Mages and Hoteye charged around the last bend and approached the street that the battle had just occurred in. Natsu charged in first and slid to a stop as he spotted their comrades, "Jura-ossan! Perfume guy! Rocky!"
"KICHIYO! GET IT RIGHT!"
"Natsu-dono, everyone, I'm glad to see you are alright." The injured Wizard Saint greeted them as they came running over. He stood up and tried not to agitate his injuries when he did, "Did the others come up here as well?"
"Lyon and that love chick were still in the woods with those Blue Pegasus guys but they're safe." Gray answered, "We saw Naruto and Wendy earlier and they said Erza was here too. So I think we - WOAH!" Gray immediately took a combat stance and panicked, "WHO THE HELL IS THAT?!"
"Men~?"
"AH!" Lucy screeched in shock as she finally noticed the giant, half-naked, bulging tower of sweat and muscle with the extremely detailed face of Ichiya on top of it. She, Natsu, Gray, and Happy quickly realized who they were looking at and slowly got out of their fighting stance, "I-Ichiya-San?"
"Of course," The formerly short Pegasus Mage said while tightening his muscles, "Who else would I be?"
"You changed a lot! Like your size!" Natsu yelled with amazement.
"And your build!" Happy added.
"And your general existence!"
"But not your face!"
"Of course not!" Ichiya gave them all a side glance and winked, sending a quick chill down their backs when he did, "Why would I change by most exquisite feature?"
...
"WE'RE ALL NOT SAYING ANYTHING?! OKAY, JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THAT UP!" Kichiyo remained formed only from the waist up since his legs had been destroyed in the battle. He looked up at the unexpected addition to their party, "ISN'T THAT ONE OF THE ORACIÓN SEIS?!"
"Oh it's okay, Richard is on our side now." Lucy stepped in front of the former Pillar as she saw Jura and Ichiya watch him warily, "He was a Dark Mage but Nirvana's influence changed him and now he's helping us. Right Richard?" She waited for the big man behind her to speak up about love and friendship like he always did. But the massive Mage silently walked around her, "Richard?"
Hoteye stopped just over Midnight's unconscious body, his expression frightened and horrified at the sight of his defeated former comrade, "Y-You...you beat Macbeth."
"Yes, we did." Jura nodded, gingerly rubbing the numerous lacerations on his body, "He was an exceptionally powerful individual but we were able to overwhelm him with our teamwork."
"He...h-he was defeated." Hoteye stumbled back in fright as he shook his head. He turned to the Mages of light and ran over to them, "We need to leave! We need to gather everyone and get out of here!"
"We're not leaving." Gray immediately answered, "We said we'd stay here and stop this thing before it destroys Wendy's guild."
"But Naruto-San said he was going ahead to help them! They'll be okay!" Hoteye frantically told them, "But we need to evacuate from this city at once!"
"Hey! We said we'd handle this big thing and we made a promise! We're Fairy Tail! We don't flake out when our friends need us!" Natsu argued, "We're not gonna leave!"
"You don't understand! Macbeth has been beaten! I'm not sure if Erik is still fighting but if you were able to beat both of them then that's all of the Oración Seis!" Hoteye yelled, panic and fear filling his voice, "When all of us are defeated, then that means he has been freed!"
"Who's been freed?"
"Zero! When all six members of the Oración Seis are beaten, then all six lines on Brain's face will disappear. And when all those lines disappear, then everything Brain locks away will be freed! His destruction! His ruthlessness! His cruelty! Everything that keeps him from thinking properly is awakened and unleashed! We have to-"
A magic attack of Darkness came flying from the side, curling around the heroes, and drilling into Jura's side while he was distracted. The others looked on in shock and horror as a massive gash was opened in the Wizard Saint's side. The Lamia ace gagged and spat up blood before he toppled to the ground in a heap of pain.
"JURA-SAN!"
"NO!"
"WHO DID THAT?!"
Before they could identify the enemy force or help their downed comrade, the ground beneath them started to glow with energy. It grew and the others tried to retreat from the area of effect-
"Dark Rando!"
An explosion of Darkness magic erupted out of the ground and enveloped everyone in its reach. What remained of the street they stood on was absolutely decimated and the houses that were still standing were reduced to chunks of rock and debris. The explosion of magic reached its apex before finally settling down and vanishing.
The Mages were left lying on the ground with injuries all over their bodies. Jura, Lucy, Happy, and Ichiya were on the edge of consciousness as Natsu, Hoteye, and Gray struggled to lift themselves up and Kichiyo was decimated to just part of his helmet. Gray coughed and spat up blood as he lifted himself up, "W-What...what was that?"
"Lucy! Happy!" Natsu called out, "A-Are you okay? Say something!"
"JURA! SPEAK UP! TELL ME YOU'RE OKAY!"
Ichiya coughed and struggled to reach into his pocket for something, "W-We're being set upon. Q-Quickly, we have to-"
"Don't bother! You fools have already reached the end of the line."
The Mages that could still move turned to the voice and the ones struggling with their wounds tried to lift their heads. Standing at the end of the street, just outside of the radius of destruction, a wooden staff with a talking skull on the top of it stood straight up and spoke out over them, "Your fates are sealed! All you can do now is lament and regret the decisions you've made!"
"W-What the hell is that?" Natsu muttered in shock at the sentient staff taking down to them from the side, "Is that thing talking?"
"A-Are we delirious?" Lucy muttered, "Did we get hit so hard that we're all having the same delusion?"
"That's Klodoa. Brain's magical staff which he gave life to in order to assist him with his tasks." Hoteye answered, "If he's awake then that means that Brain has been rendered unable to fight."
"Hoteye, you miserable traitor! I couldn't believe you turned on us until I saw it with my own eyes!" The talking staff berated the large man with scorn, "We're supposed to be fighting in order to claim Nirvana! Didn't you want to accomplish that dream of yours? What could possibly have made you put your tail between your legs and turncoat right here at the end?"
"The realization that I didn't need to resort to such wretched, vile means as what we've done in order to fulfill my desire anymore!" Hoteye proudly claimed as he stood up, "And now with my new comrades I will stop-"
Hoteye was blasted off his feet by a magic attack that engulfed him in an explosion. The others watched in horror as even after he was knocked over unconscious, magic blasts continued to pelt and overwhelm him. Natsu gritted his teeth in anger as Lucy cried out for the hidden attacker to stop. A shield of ice spouted up before Hoteye's prone body and weathered the worst of the magic attacks as it started to crack and break from the pressure. Finally, the relentless assault stopped only for a silent dread to wash over everyone when the extreme magical power started to let itself be known.
Happy could not stop himself from shaking as the powerful magic baring down on them was filled with dread and evil. He cowered, "W-What is this?"
"It's so gross." Lucy whispered as cold sweat started dripping down her body, "I-It's like being pinned down by corpses and skeletons."
"You lot would do well to carve this fear and horror into your hearts!" Klodoa exclaimed over their heads, "This isn't just any fear you feel! This is the power of our true master, and the leader of the Oración Seis! The great and powerful Master Zero!"
The quiet sound of boots stepping and shuffling through dirt cut the silence like a knife. The injured Mages could only watch in dread as the vile man emerged from the shadows and stood before them.
It was the Dark Mage they knew as Brain from the Oración Seis, but he had changed. His dark skin had changed to become as deathly pale as snow. The calculating, manipulative genius that stood on the sidelines had been changed into a grinning, snickering monster who stood tall and with a frame much wider than before. And his eyes were red as blood, dark and disturbing colors to match the wretched intensity of his magic.
The injured Mages of light watched the newcomer slowly survey the area with his keen eyes, chuckling softly to himself the entire time. But he stopped once he spotted Midnight on his back unconscious. Zero slowly walked over and stared down at his son, "My Midnight...my unbeatable warrior..."
His foot swung into Midnight's side and broke his ribs, sending the unconscious Dark Mage sailing across the field of destitution he had created.
"Brain was so sure I would never revive again as long as he had you all to trust in...and yet here I stand. I guess you were nothing but failures and traitors from the start."
"HEY!" Zero's fist swung out and blocked Natsu's kick for his temple. He forced the leg back and sent the Dragon Slayer spinning through the air before he landed in a crouch. The pink-haired Fairy Mage snarled, "He's your comrade and he's already beaten!"
"He's a failure and he's already beaten. Two very different things boy."
"Ice Make: Cannon!"
Zero concentrated his Darkness magic over his hand to guard against the incoming ball of ice. It shattered against the magic in his palm as he lowered his hand and smirked viciously at the injured half-naked Gray, "It appears there are failures on both sides."
"He's your guildmate! Your comrade!" Natsu yelled beside Gray as the two men faced the Darkness Mage, "Does that mean nothing to you?!"
"Absolutely nothing." Zero casually, cruelly answered without hesitation, "They were needed for our victory and they failed. You have people work beside you to make the workload easy and to do the tasks you cannot finish yourself. The moment they become a burden is the moment you must cut them loose."
"Friends aren't a burden!" Natsu yelled furiously as veins pulsed under his skin, "Friends give you strength to push on! They give you the drive to face anything! They should be cherished and loved, and I won't stand here and let you say anything about them being a burden!"
Zero's hand lazily aimed to the side and released a powerful Dark Capriccio towards Lucy and Happy as they tried to stand up. The blonde and cat looked up in shock as the Darkness attack came swirling towards them. Natsu slid in front of it, punching the spiraling beam of magic with a flaming punch to try and counter it. Zero charged in while keeping up the force of his attack.
He rushed into Natsu's guard while he was still blocking his attack and struck the Fairy under the chin. As Natsu's head flew back violently, Zero followed up by jabbing him in the stomach and kneeing him in the face. Natsu fell back in a pained heap on the ground as Lucy and Happy hurried to his side, "Natsu!"
"No!"
"If you can still hear me boy or if you're still alive, tell me, was that not you taking the fall for a burden? Because the feeling of your ribs and jaw cracking against my fists while you desperately try to protect your injured comrades," Zero sneered and raised his fist again, "Is that your strength?"
"Ice Make: Prison!"
A cage dropped down over Zero from above and locked him away from the injured. As he chuckled and released a massive wave of Darkness magic to shatter the prison, Gray charged in through the icy debris with icicles formed over his forearms, "Seven Slice Dance!" The Maker Mage started to swing and attack at Zero from every direction as the Dark Mage retreated with a maniacal grin on his face, "Dammit get the hell away from them!"
"Zero Slash!"
The whip of Darkness shattered through the blades of ice as the two attacks canceled each other out. Gray brought his hands together but before they could connect, Zero grabbed his wrists and forced them apart. Zero kicked Gray in the chest and sent the injured Maker Mage sailing back.
Gray skidded to a stop as Natsu started picking himself up. The two Mages looked at each other and nodded as they charged forward at their enemy once again. Ichiya started to pick himself up and Lucy forced herself to her knees as Happy did the same. They all prepared to join in on the battle and swarm the Dark Mage-
"Dark Rando!"
Another field of Darkness formed at Zero's hands before it erupted under them again. The light Mages screamed in pain as their bodies were engulfed in the rising of Darkness magic from underneath them.
The attack finally subsided and revealed the aftermath. The injured Mages were unconscious on the ground again, their bodies covered in bruises and lacerations. They were not dead, but the pained and anguished groans they let slip out made it clear they wouldn't be getting up again.
Zero looked around disappointedly at all the beaten Mages before him. Klodoa hopped away in the direction of the main hall, "Master Zero, shall we start preparing? Nirvana will be in range of our fist target any moment now-"
"They still exist."
"Huh?"
"They exist. They have form. They are still corporeal." Zero whispered to himself while looking around at the injured Mages. It didn't matter if they were dead or clawing to the last vestiges of their life.
They still existed in front of him.
And Zero felt a need to rectify that.
Perhaps that was why Brain locked him away so far down? Because despite his remarkable powers and abilities that could assist with whatever plans his main personality concocted, he also had to keep the uncontrollable compulsion for destruction and mayhem under wraps. Zero supposed he could see how wanting to destroying everything in sight could be counterproductive to Brain's plans.
But now it didn't matter, did it? Brain fell. All his little pawns fell too. Which meant he was the only one left to see the dream through, and that meant he could indulge as much as he wanted.
So before he changed the world to his whim - before they threw everything into chaos - he was going to indulge himself.
Zero chuckled to himself as he covered his hands in Darkness and decided to destroy whatever was in front of him.
########Hunter########
Naruto kept charging over the treetops as he just barely pulled ahead of Nirvana. He was beating the giant hulking machine to their destination but it had started to bleed off momentum and slow down. And the realization that it was slowly coming to a stop left a pit of dread in Naruto's gut that the clock was running out.
Finally as he passed between the tops his eyes widened as he spotted a building past the thicket. A sense of déjà vu overtook him as he recognized the moderately-sized guild hall shaped like a cat poking its head and paws out of the ground.
Cait Shelter!
The whiskered Mage made one final desperate push forward and reached his destination. He landed, tripped, tumbled forward, and immediately recovered as he sprinted towards the main hall with the lights still on.
Dashing through the entrance, he was met with the surprised looks of a dozen people. He recognized the building but couldn't for the life of him place any of the faces. What he did notice was the short, old man dressed in the most distinguishing outfit and realized in an instant what that meant.
He ran to the short guild master and panted, "We need to get you all out of here!"
"What?"
"Nirvana!" People started to murmur and panic when he said the name, "It's coming this way and it's going to attack your guild! I'm with Fairy Tail!" He showed off the black tattoo on his bicep and pointed back in the direction of the mobile weapon, "I promised Wendy and Carla I'd come ahead of that thing and warn you to get away! So grab your things!" The Cait Mages started to hustle and move, "Anything you don't need leave! That thing is gonna attack any moment-"
"Wait!" The old master slowly walked through the guild hall. Looking between all of his members he finally looked up at Naruto and shook his head, "Young man, you should go now. Save yourself. We won't be abandoning our guild."
"What?!"
"We won't run!" The members of Cait Shelter looked between each other before putting their belongings away. Naruto looked around in shock as they settled back down and took their seats, "We can't escape the shadow of our sins anymore. Nirvana is the greatest mistake the Nirvit Tribe ever committed, and it has come to reap what we have sewn."
"Who gives a shit what your ancestors or your ancestors' ancestors did?! You don't have to die for their mistake! You don't have to just sit there and wait for that thing to kill you!"
Naruto had hoped some wave of realization or clarity would wash over them and give them the kick to save themselves. To get what they needed, run out of the way of Nirvana's attack, and wait until Natsu and the others started to figure something out. But they weren't swayed or moved or anything.
They looked resigned. Whatever came for them next was something they were accepting no matter what.
Naruto grit his teeth, "What the fuck am I supposed to say to Wendy?! I promised her I was going to save her guild! I was going to get you all out of the way of that thing! How am I supposed to look her in the eye and say you were all ready to die?!" They seemed ashamed and avoided his gaze as he looked around. He looked to the guild master, the person everyone in a guild looks to for guidance and wisdom in times of need, and shook his head, "Please, just tell your people we need to evacuate."
The old man solemnly shook his head, "Please, protect Wendy and Carla."
"Why?! Aren't they part of this guild too?! Do you want me to bring them here so they can die for your ancestors' sins too?!"
"Of course not!"
"If they can live then so can you! You can see them again! Welcome them home again!" Naruto said, exasperated and exhausted, "Please! Don't just sit here and die!"
"Those girls are our family. They are our pride and joy." The master whispered before clenching his fists, "And they are innocent of what our tribe and our people did. We can not run away and protect ourselves while you, a group of strangers, and those girls risk their lives to save us."
"Then help us! Help us destroy that thing! Come with me and we can figure out how!"
They looked between each other before the master shook his head, "We can't."
"Fuck it!" Naruto roared in anger as he rounded on the members of Cait Shelter. He had half a mind to grab them by the shoulders and drag them away before a bright light started to cast a shadow despite the darkness the night sky should have enveloped them in.
"Oh no."
Naruto rushed out the entrance and slowed to a stop as he looked out over the trees. Nirvana was still a giant landmark over the tops of the trees despite how far away it was. And at the very front of the magical weapon was a cannon that was steadily building up a tremendous amount of magical power. Power that dwarfed the pillar that earlier raised from the ground and pierced the sky.
It was going to attack Cait Shelter right now.
Naruto summoned his unbreakable black blade to his hand. If Nirvana was going to fire and his friends hadn't been able to stop it then he had to block or divert the beam. Just like he did when Phantom fired the Jupiter cannon at Fairy Tail some months earlier.
The memory of being overwhelmed by the blast and shot back into the crumbling guild hall hard enough to apparently stop his heart caused some beads of cold sweat to form on his brow.
But the thought of seeing Wendy and Carla again only to tell them he couldn't save their guild was far worse.
So Naruto clenched his teeth, gripped the handle of his sword, and prepared as the cannon had fully charged.
Only for his eyes to widen as a giant figure flew through the skies over Nirvana.
########Hunter########
"Hold it together! Hold it together!"
"The hull is cracking apart!"
"Don't just stand there! Lift the wings! Lift the wings!"
Hibiki was frantically working the controls and buttons on the hud panel in front of him. Every few seconds there was a new notification or flashing warning that said that some part of the Christina was failing. No surprise there when a flying magical ship has to be held together with Ice, Air, Snow, and Doll magic just to stay airborne.
But considering the other option was to sit in the forest and do nothing as their comrades fought atop the giant moving magical weapon, then a little hazard work on a barely functional broken vehicle seemed like an acceptable risk.
For some people aboard at least.
"Stop shaking it!" Angel cried out in panic as she tried her best to stay stable in the chair she sat in with a safety belt over her chest, "I can't believe you dragged us into this flaming pile of wreckage!"
"Whose fault is it that it's broken in the first place?"
"It's broken so that you'd stay out of the skies!" Racer complained, seated right next to his white-haired partner-in-crime as the two Dark Mages weathered the shaking and fear, "We didn't think you lot would be crazy enough to try and fly it again after it crashed!"
"Well if we start burning up, dropping out of the sky, and are all killed in a giant flaming ball of death and destruction, just know we all had a hand in it." Hibiki cheekily looked their way and winked. His words and the casual way he waved off their current situation caused a wave of fear through Angel and Racer. Which was only compounded when another explosion sounded off somewhere and the ship dipped down, "Oh damn. Lyon-kun, can you hear me? One of the engines just stalled and may have combusted."
("Dammit. Eve, one of the engines just failed! We need your Snow magic!")
("I can stop the fire but you're going to need to replace any pieces of the engine that failed.")
("Shit, I'm not as good with Static creations as Gray is.")
("Stop complaining and help!")
"Well that's going to work out well." Hibiki stared at the screen as the magical cannon at the front of Nirvana had reached an apex and was prepared to fire. He quickly started to press some buttons and charge up the Christina's weapon as well, "Everyone, Nirvana has finished charging up and will probably fire at any second! We'll be channeling residual power to the cannon and trying to divert the shot before it can fire!"
"Oh crap! You people are crazy!"
"I want off this hunk of death metal right now!"
"Now I'm not sure what kind of effect Christina's cannon will have while she's in this state of disrepair, so we need to brace ourselves for the wors-"
Nirvana's magic swelled and the cannon fired. Its beam shot over the top of the trees and split them in half with the sheer force of its release. It flew straight towards the cat-shaped building in its path.
"NOW!"
Hibiki fired the ship's cannon on reflex the moment he realized they didn't have time to waste. The cannon at the bottom of the magical vehicle fired straight down into one of the legs of Nirvana. The sudden force of the attack while it was prone was hard enough to shake the entire magical weapon and the city on its back. Although it didn't destroy the limb, it did send a shock through the machine that caused it to dip and lurch to the side.
The beam it fired swerved off course as well, sliding upwards as it blasted a mountain range far in the distance and even decimated a few clouds in the sky. The cannon blast lasted for only a few more seconds until the mighty magical weapon of the Nirvit gradually faded away.
Hibiki smiled despite the numerous red flashing warnings that came up i his peripheral after he had fired the shot. He placed his finger to his temple, "Everyone! Report! Are you okay?"
("We're fine! But the hull is cracking apart even further!")
("The cannon is totaled now so we can't fire a second shot! Not like the Christina would be able to last another one anyway!")
"We're still barely even in the air. And if we're going to wreck if we fired another shot, then I guess we should keep that as a last resort." Hibiki looked out towards the city on Nirvana's back before closing his eyes and putting his fingers to his temple, "Everyone, can you hear me? Can anyone hear me?"
("Hibiki?")
("Hibiki-San?")
("Are you flying in that barely cobbled together piece of debris up there?!")
"Erza-San, Wendy-chan, Carla-chan! I'm so glad to hear from you again!" Hibiki waited for more responses from their team, "Is there anyone else there with you? Where are Lucy-San and the boys?"
("Lucy left with the others to check on Ichiya and Jura. They haven't come back yet.")
"That's concerning. What about-"
("I'm here! Hibiki, was that you in the ship? If it was then you really saved our asses!")
"Naruto-San, glad to hear that you're okay."
("Naruto's reaching you?")
("Naruto-San is okay? Thank goodness! Does that mean he helped our guild?")
"Naruto-San, Wendy-chan is asking if her guild is okay?"
("They won't leave. I've tried to evacuate them but they've dug their heels in the ground and said they're waiting for their punishment for the hand they had in making Nirvana. So if we want to save them, we have to stop this fucking thing!")
"Wendy-chan, your guild is safe but they haven't moved yet. If we want to help your guild then we need to stop Nirvana entirely."
("Do you have any suggestions on how we do that? Because your giant ship just fired down on one of its legs and it's already beginning to regenerate.")
"Yes, that's the problem. Damage done to Nirvana is fixed almost immediately as a safety precaution." Hibiki concentrated and uploaded the image of Nirvana's defense diagram over the Archive for everyone to see, "In each one of the legs is a Lacrima that absorbs magical power from the ground and the surrounding environment. That's why any and all damage Nirvana takes, even to its weakest points, will regenerate and fix itself in a manner of moments."
("So we need to destroy these Lacrima?")
"Yes but it won't work alone! Any Lacrima that is destroyed will be immediately reconstructed with the help of the others legs. In order to destroy Nirvana, we need to destroy all six Lacrima at the same time!"
("Hibiki, how do you know all this?")
"While I was resting in the safe zone I used every moment I had outside of contacting each of you to research Nirvana. With every tidbit of information we gained I had a better detail of what we needed to search for. And I found what we needed in a database taken from the Magic Tower. It was a record taken over 400 years ago of Nirvana and its faculties. It listed its dimensions, the Lacrima, and its last known location."
("Could that be where the Oración Seis discovered it?")
"I would have to think so." Hibiki smiled, "But this is just the stroke of fortune we need! If we can destroy all six Lacrima at the same time then we can destroy Nirvana! But we won't have long to utilize this opportunity. Nirvana is already charging up for another blast and the Christina can't get the energy to fire its cannon again. You all down there need to end this here and now."
("I'm already on my way back! I'll be there soon!")
"Naruto-San is returning to Nirvana as we speak."
("Good. Then as long as Natsu hasn't run off too eagerly then we should be able to coordinate this properly.")
Hibiki nodded in agreement even though he knew the act wouldn't be seen. As he waited for some kind of response from Natsu or the other he realized they still hadn't responded. The handsome Pegasus Mage put his finger to his head, "Natsu-kun, can you hear me? Are you ready to help with the plan?"
He waited still but got no response.
"Natsu-kun? Gray-kun? Lucy-San?" When none of the Fairies answered he started to worry, "Aniki? Jura-San? Anyone? Please-"
("If you're waiting for the gnats to answer, then stop wasting your breath. I put them down for good.")
Hibiki's eyes widened in horror as he realized the unfamiliar voice wasn't just responding to him but broadcasting themselves over Archive. He narrowed his eyes, "Who are you?"
("My name is Zero, true master of Oración Seis and Brain's trump card against failure. I located all your little friends earlier and have beaten them down. And then I beat them again and again and again. Honestly I lost track because I was having so much fun.")
("You fucker!")
("Bastard!")
("Oh no!")
("I was quite surprised to find there was someone else other than Brain that uses Archive magic. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you were able to discover the same details of Nirvana as Brain was. You were right by the way; destroying all six Lacrima at the same time should be able to stop Nirvana in its tracks. However there is one glaring weakness to your plan that you can't hope to fix.")
("Which would be what exactly?")
("I'm standing with one of these Lacrima. And if any one of you were to come down here to try and destroy it, I'll kill you, destroy your body, and erase you from existence. And then I'll kill the next one of you. And the next one. And the Nirvit will already have been destroyed by then.")
("Yeah, we'll see about that asshole! Give us a few seconds and we'll put you in your place before crushing your dreams around you!")
("I look forward to that. I hope to see one of you soon.")
Zero cut off the connection and left them hanging. Hibiki sweated, "Right now we only have Erza-San, Wendy-chan, and Carla-chan in the city that can execute the plan. Naruto-San is running over but I'm not sure if he'll get here in time before Nirvana is finished charging."
("I'll get there!")
"But even if you do, we won't have enough people to attack all the Lacrima at the same time." Hibiki fretted and started typing on the console, "W-We could try bringing the Christina in closer to the city and drop someone off. I'm not sure if she'll still be able to function if we offer up two people to help but compared to the alternative-"
("Hibiki.")
"Erza-San?"
("Can you open up the channel for all of us to speak to each other?")
"I can." He nodded, "It'll take some concentration because Archive isn't at effective with communication as Telepathy would be, but it should be possible."
("Please do it.")
Hibiki focused, trying to widen the range between the people he was linked with so he wasn't just the main hub but a connector for everyone, "I think that should do it."
("I know you all can hear me. That man said he destroyed you but I know you all. This would never be enough to stop you. We need you now so answer us.")
("I-I can't thank you all enough for trying to help my guild. I wish there was more I could do to show my gratitude. Even if it takes the rest of my life then I will repay you. So please, please help us now.")
("Male cat, I doubt you'd be dealt with so easily.")
("You'd be disappointing Ultear if you were taken out just like that, Gray. And Jura-San, you're one of the most extraordinary people I've ever met.")
("Come now blondie, I thought you were supposed to be scrappy and tough like the rest of your Fairy friends.")
"Aniki, please stand up. Please answer us!"
...
("Dammit guys! Can you just answer us already?!")
("WE HEARD YOU!")
########Hunter########
"Dammit it you're so loud! It's like having an alarm in my brain that won't stop bothering me!" Natsu groaned, lifting his beaten and broken body up and spitting out some residual blood in his mouth as he snarled, "How could I possibly sleep when I have to hear all this?"
"We're up." Gray panted, clutching his cracked ribs as he looked up. Ichiya had already pulled out a vial of perfume that eased their pain and injuries as he lifted himself up. The Pegasus Mage was limping over to Jura's side as the Wizard Saint was still unconscious even now, "Most of us at least."
("Who's still down?")
"Jura-San and Hoteye were beaten down pretty badly. They still aren't waking up." Lucy whimpered, struggling to take a full breath as she rested on her knees, "Midnight was also beaten within an inch of his life. And Kichiyo-"
"THAT WAS CLOSE!" The golem loudly exclaimed despite not having a body as his cracked and broken helmet was placed down besides Jura's unconscious body, "THAT PALE GUY WAS A TOTAL ASSHOLE! NEARLY DESTROYED US!"
"Is fine, thank goodness."
"So we need to attack these Lacrima, right?" Happy asked through the connection, one of his eyes swollen shut and so badly beaten he couldn't even summon his Aera to lift himself up, "And at one of those spots is that jerk that attacked us?"
"I'll take 1." Natsu growled through his teeth, "I'm gonna wreck that stupid Lacrima."
Gray stood up, stifled the cry of pain that nearly slipped out, and nodded, "I'm taking 2."
"3 for me, I guess." Lucy whispered as she had her hand on the wall to keep herself standing.
"I'm still standing!" Ichiya announced, "And I shall destroy 4 with the elegance and grace of a true Mage! MEN~!"
("We can take 5 and 6 then.")
("If there's anyone that can't muster the power to destroy a Lacrima then let me know! I'll be there soon!")
("You moron, we only have 17 minutes left to do this!")
("That's plenty of time for me to get there! Just wait!")
("Okay everyone, we'll keep the Christina afloat until the Lacrima are destroyed. If you need evacuation we'll try and reach you as quickly as possible.")
"But what about Jura-San and the others?" Lucy asked, "Do we just leave them here or should one of us-"
"JUST GO!" Kichiyo answered, the golem's helmet resolutely answering his worried comrades, "JURA WOULD WANT YOU ALL TO HELP THE OTHERS AND FOCUS ON THE MISSION! HE CAN SURVIVE THIS NO PROBLEM! DON'T WORRY AND FINISH THIS!"
"You heard him." Natsu's eyes narrowed with contempt and he started making his way to the first leg and the vile smelling man waiting inside, "Let's do this."
########Hunter########
"Natsu is going to fight Zero."
"Huh?" Wendy, Carla, and Jellal looked at Erza in surprise, "How do you know that?"
"Natsu has the best sense of smell out of anyone I've ever met. If he's going to the first leg then that's where he sniffed Zero out to be."
"S-Should we help him?"
"Natsu took that fight himself, so I trust him to handle it." Erza said without hesitation or doubt, her trust in her old friend clear in her voice, "Besides, we have an important task we need to see through. Trust Natsu, and focus on destroying the Lacrima." She started walking away before looking back at her companions, "I'm heading off to the fourth leg. We need to trust in the others that they'll be able to handle whatever issues they face and stop Nirvana before it's too late. Just have faith and believe in each other."
Wendy silently watched Erza walk away with her head held high. Once more the idea of failure or not completing their objective didn't even seem to register with the Fairy Mages and their comrades. Wendy wished she could have that kind of trust, not only in others but placed on herself as well.
"Wendy?"
"Huh?" She looked up as Jellal stared out in a different direction, "Yes?"
"This...Natsu...that Erza was talking about. Is he a Dragon Slayer?"
"Yes, he is. Natsu-San is a Fire Dragon Slayer, which means he can control, is immune to, and can even eat flames." The young Cait Mage tilted her head, "Why do you ask Jellal?"
"Because until a second ago I didn't recognize that name. But now..." Jellal looked down at his hand and focused as a flash of golden flames wafted off his palm.
"Jellal?"
"Wendy," Jellal knelt down in front of the Sky Dragon Slayer, "I'm sorry to impose something like this on you, but I can't destroy the Lacrima in the sixth leg. So can I trust you to do it instead?"
"What?!" Carla exclaimed in shock as Wendy looked at the blue-haired man in surprise, "What are you doing?! Wendy's used up a ton of magic today and barely has enough to go by! Why can't you handle this job?"
"Because even though Erza might believe in him, I don't think he can handle this Zero person by himself. I have a gut feeling that he needs help. So that's what I'm going to do." Jellal stood up, "Wendy, can you handle the Lacrima?"
...
"Yes. Yes I can."
"Wendy!"
"Please go help Natsu-San. We'll take care of the Lacrima and see the plan through."
"Thank you."
Jellal started in a sprint towards one of the legs as Carla looked up at Wendy in concern, "Are you sure this was the right decision? What about your magic?"
"I'll have to make due." Wendy said assuredly as she looked down at her oldest friend, "This can't just be something we rely on others for again, Carla. This is our guild. Our family. We have to help and protect them however we can." The young Dragon Slayer pumped her arms in order to amp herself up, "So I'll help, even if it's only this much."
Carla looked up at her charge in silence before sighing. The cat's wings emerged from her back before she flew up and grabbed Wendy, "If you're so sure then just focus on saving as much of your energy as possible. I'll get us there."
Wendy smiled, "Thank you Carla."
"Well child, how can I possibly argue with you when you're finally making choices with steel in your eyes?"
########Hunter########
They were so damn loud. Everything around him was so fucking loud it was killing him. Or that might just be his partially ruptured eardrums trying to readjust to everything around him.
The moment he had awoken when the world suddenly titled after two massive cannons fired within seconds of each other, he had been trying to figure out what had happened.
He had picked a fight with Titania and Jellal. He had them on the ropes. He poisoned them. And then that redhead bitch overwhelmed his sense of hearing with her damn swords. And before he could adjust she cut him down.
And when he woke up Nirvana had nearly tilted over after that gaudy ship had fired on them. And he was now in a different part of the city, Cubellios having dragged him away from their foes in an effort to keep him safe.
"Hssssssss."
His hand gently stroked the serpent that rested its head on his chest. His lifelong companion had stayed by his side and refused to abandon him even when he was unconscious. There were no words to describe how much he cared for Cubellios' help at this moment.
The damn fools of light were scheming and preparing to destroy Nirvana. But Zero stood in their way, and as long as that monster drew breath then there was no way they could hope to stop their dream.
However there was another annoyance quickly making his way over, and Cobra had a feeling that he would only throw more of a wrench into this situation.
With a sigh he reached into his raggedy coat's pocket and drew out his flask. He looked at the snake-themed container and gently shook it as its contents sloshed around inside.
Well...he could use the pick up now more than ever.
########Hunter########
"Well, I guess you're the unfortunate soul. I know I should pity you but I really can't find myself being able to spare you the thought."
"Right, because I totally didn't pick this place to kick your ass."
Natsu and Zero faced each other down, the Dragon Slayer smirking and trying to ignore the pain in his body as Zero smiled mirhlessly. The two men stood across from each other in silence...
14 minutes.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Natsu blew a pillar of fire out of his mouth and directly towards Zero. The albino man laughed and whipped his hands around, shredding through the fire with his whips of Darkness. The moment Natsu's attack was obliterated, the vicious man clasped his hands together and thrusted out, "Dark Capriccio!"
A beam of Darkness magic lunged out of Zero's hands and Natsu had to jump further into the room to avoid the attack. He landed and twisted around in time to see Zero's beam had swerved off path and was chasing after him. The injured Fairy Mage did his best to dodge and weave around the persistent beam but realized it wasn't letting up.
"RAH!"
Instead of dodging, Natsu dug his feet in and punched Zero attack head-on with a flaming fist. The Fairy Mage pushed back and screamed at the top of his lungs as the Dark Capriccio started to tear and grind into his fist. But refusing to give up, Natsu roared at the top of his lungs and destroyed the attack once and for all.
Only for Zero to rush in during the reprieve and slip into Natsu's guard. The Dragon Slayer quickly blocked Zero's first punch, the fist crashing and crunching against Natsu's forearms as he was nearly knocked off his feet. Zero rushed in again and started exchanging punches and blows with the young Fairy Mage. Their punches, elbows, and kicks clashed and landed against each other in a furious exchange of blows.
"HAHAHA!" Zero landed a heavy punch against Natsu's cheek that echoed across the chamber and sent him tumbling into the ground. The larger man cackled and puffed out his chest, "Oh yes! More! I need more of this! I want to see you struggle even further until I truly break you apart!"
"Yeah, laugh it up asshole." Natsu snarled as he punched the ground and started to lift himself up, "I'm gonna love to hear what you say when I knock your damn teeth out!"
"That's the spirit!" Zero cheered and clenched his fists, "There's not nearly enough enjoyment in this unless I get to crush your spirit as well!"
Natsu snarled and lurched forward to attack-
Only to be blasted off his feet as a golden blast of magic energy knocked him away.
Zero looked down at the Fairy in confusion before turning back to the entrance of the chamber. At the entrance of the room he spotted Jellal standing over them with his hand outstretched, "Oh, Brain's little protégé? Did you finally regain your memories?"
"No. I still don't remember everything."
"Then what are you doing? If you're trying to appease me in hopes of avoiding mine and Nirvana's wrath, then you're just wasting your time. I'm still going to destroy you and everything else in my path once I'm done here."
"JELLAL! YOU BASTARD!" Natsu roared with spite and anger as he remained engulfed in the golden glow of the magic he had been attacked with, "What the fuck are you doing here?!"
"Putting my faith in you, Natsu Dragneel." Jellal held out his hand and summoned a shimmering golden flame, "Erza said we should trust in you, so I trust you with this power."
Jellal couldn't remember much, but when he heard the name Natsu he was reminded of some great, unparalleled power that Dragon Slayers had. When they were blessed with a piece of their attribute that was especially strong and filled with magic, they experienced a level of growth and power that could not be rivaled. Something they could rely on in their most dire hour.
Dragon Force.
########Hunter########
"Running out of time! Come on! Come on!"
Naruto sprinted across the treetops again, but this time rushing towards the giant magical weapon instead of keeping ahead of it. In the corner of his eye he couldn't help but notice the magic swelling up inside of the cannon. Even though he knew the timer in his head still had over ten minutes on it before it fired again, it was unsettling to see that cannon grow closer and closer to firing.
With one last mighty leap Naruto cleared the last of the distance needed and landed on the closest leg. He immediately started running up it, his chakra keeping him connected to the stone as he charged up it towards the city above. If he knew Natsu then his friend was probably fighting Zero right now. So if he handled that fight, then he could head over to help Lucy or Gray or Ichiya to-
"Poison Dragon's Fang Thrust!"
Naruto looked up in time to see a cloud of Poison magic formed into a claw that nearly crashed into him. He leapt back and slid to a stop before he looked up to the sky.
Cobra was flying overhead on the back of Cubellios just over the leg of Nirvana. The injured Dark Mage was clutching his chest tightly, holding onto the cross cut that marred both his torso and coat. He was panting heavily and looked like he was struggling just to stand up.
The injured Dark Mage growled, "You're not taking another step onto this thing."
Naruto stared up at the Dark Mage and looked him over once. He gave a small chuckle that immediately irritated Cobra, "Erza get to you first?"
"That bitch is crazy."
"That's why you probably shouldn't have pissed her off by poisoning her."
"I realize I should have just killed her."
"You would've had a harder time doing that." Naruto started walking towards the city again, "Stay out of my way."
Cobra jumped off of Cubellios and stood between Naruto and the rest of Nirvana. The moment he landed the Dragon Slayer nearly doubled over, having a violent coughing fit and holding his injuries tightly in pain. Even so the burgundy-haired man flared up at the blond, "I'm not letting you interfere with our dream anymore."
"You're hurt. You're beaten. You're just pushing yourself on fumes at this point." Today had taken its toll not just on his friends but on his enemies as well. They were all exhausted from the day full of battle and fighting, "You already went down once, man. Don't make me put you down again."
"I'd-" Cobra coughed and then smirked, "I'd like to see you try."
"I'd like to see you say that again without flinching in pain."
The two injured men stood across from each other, the wind from their heightened elevation running over them as the light of Nirvana's cannon steadily grew brighter.
Cobra hung his head and laughed, "You have a Dragon Slayer buddy, right? That obnoxiously loud little asshole with the bright pink hair?" He asked and Naruto only narrowed his eyes in response, "Yeah, that's the one. So has he told you what it's like being a Dragon Slayer?"
"I had a Lacrima implanted in me so I wasn't trained to be one, so it was jarring when things changed." Cobra reached into his pocket, "I could taste everything better, smell everything better, and sometimes when I get on moving vehicles I can't help but stumble because I can't quite even myself. And poison," He whistled and laughed, "Man, I cant begin to describe to you how tasty poison is. I definitely recommend it. But the most interesting thing about being a Dragon Slayer...is what happens when we have an overpowered helping of our attribute."
"Now...have you ever heard of a basilisk?" Cobra asked as he withdrew the metal flask from his jacket pocket, showing off the snake-themed container for his foe to see. He unscrewed the top and sloshed it around before smirking, "You're gonna like this."
Cobra upended the flask and poured the dark green poison down his gullet. He struggled to swallow the contents and shut his eyes-
Naruto dashed in and kicked Cobra in the chest. He sent the Dark Mage flying across Nirvana's leg as his flask tumbled down into the forest below. The Pillar dropped on his back as Naruto glared down at him, "I said to stay out of my way! If you know what's good for you, just stay down and-"
This time it was Naruto's head that suddenly shot up, a sharp strike to his chin that knocked his head back violently. Before he had a chance to readjust he felt his collar get grabbed and had his whole world flipped around. He slammed down into the leg, his back cracking the stone of the magical weapon as spittle flew out of his mouth.
Naruto tried to catch his breath and figure out what happened before he looked up. Cobra was standing over him, purple scales running all the way up to his face and with a poison aura wafting off his body. His hands had become like dragon talons and his eyes had gone white from the sudden increase in power, "What I was trying to tell you was that when we Dragon Slayers get a substantial boost in power, we reach Dragon Force. And when we're like this...you have no chance."
Cobra knelt down and clamped his hand around Naruto's neck. The whiskered blond gagged and moaned in pain as he felt the Dark Mage's poison start to seep and settle through his throat, "I told you I wasn't going to let you interfere." Cobra sneered over him, his earlier pain and fatigue now forgotten with the great enhancement to his power. The Pillar squeezed down even harder on the Fairy's throat as he gagged in response, "Any last words?"
"I-I...f...his..."
"Sorry, couldn't quite hear you. What was that?"
Naruto's hand swung in and grabbed Cobra's wrist. He squeezed down and slowly started to force the dragon's talons away as the Dark Mage looked down at him in surprise.
"I said..."
Naruto opened his eyes and looked up at his foe, his clear blue eye now blood red and the whiskers on his cheeks becoming rough and scratchy.
"I'm getting sick of this."
########Hunter########
Done
Let's get ready to RUMBBBBBBLLLLLEEEEEEEEEE!
We've got Zero facing Natsu's Dragon Force while Cobra's Dragon Force squares up with Naruto with Kurama's chakra influence. You know things are about to get wild!
If I keep at this pace, I might just finish this arc before the end of the year! Fingers crossed!
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