Author's note
Alright, guys here is chapter 33 and the conclusion to Part 3 of The Greyhound. I pulled an all-nighter to get this thing written before I took off so I hope it came out well!
Be sure to look out for the IMPORTANT Author's note below.
The Greyhound Part 3: War of the Mind
Chapter 33
"DISAPPEAR!" he cried while releasing the might of Jupiter.
The blast was fired point-blank at Jose's face, and the eruption of magic was strong enough to carry on far past him. Blowing clean through that wall and the next 13 behind it until finally reaching the outside would.
The power being unleashed was so dense the heat it gave off alone was starting to burn as he stood there holding it forward. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep that spear steady, even with his superhuman-like abilities.
The tempest continued untamed, the power seemed un-ending. But that was merely an illusion. The blast did stop, eventually, the magic did run out, and slowly his vision returned to normal.
What he saw was… astounding and fear-inducing. The Jupiter blast had torn a hole through everything it touched. Nothing was spared.
The problem was… it hadn't touched Jose.
Front and center, before his very eyes, was the Guild Master of Phantom Lord. Their eyes locked, and he was forced to watch the man's face contort from a look of fear to one that promised death.
Jose Porla looked awful. The left side of his face and neck was nothing but scorch marks, the skin still sizzling and leaving a nasty scent in the air. And traveling further down one could see he was missing his left shoulder, along with the limb that attached to it.
Now a double amputee.
The only upside, for him, being that the wound had cauterized itself so he wouldn't be dying of blood loss anytime soon.
He was close, that blast had been so close. But he was off, whether it be because Jose had dodged, or because he wasn't able to control the aim he didn't know. And in the end, it didn't matter. He was out of tricks, overextended, and damn close to exhaustion.
His opponent may be heavily wounded, at death's door himself, but he could still move. He still had power, and someone to use it on.
The Phantom shot forward all but ignoring his injuries. And with a mass of dark spirits, gripped Kinzo's outstretched hand; still holding the spear.
Without a word the Shades overtook him. Extending all the way to the elbow, they covered his arm.
"You've taken both of my hands boy! Why don't I return the favor!"
What came next was quick, and efficient.
*SNAP*
The Shades clamped down on his arm, before squeezing with enough force to break the skin, and twisting his elbow 180 degrees.
"AHHHH!" His cry of pain was only overshadowed by the sound of more muscle and ligament tearing as Jose's demons lifted him up and began to slam him into the ground.
If he were in his right mind, Kinzo would have been worried about irreparable damage being done to his arm. Might have been concerned that if this kept going eventually it would be too much and he would lose his arm in much the same way Jose had.
But he wasn't in his right mind, he was in pain. And the only thing he could focus on was the feeling of his body connecting with the ground over and over again.
...
At some point, it stopped. At some point he found himself tossed against a wall. Disregarded like some old toy. He didn't understand why wasn't sure what had caused the man to let him go but he was grateful. Despite the ringing in his ears, even though he couldn't hear a thing. He was still grateful for the pause.
Erza was quick to his side, taking in his wounds. It was strange though for some reason it didn't hurt. He'd had plenty of broken bones and torn muscles in the past. He knew what they normally felt like, and while adrenaline can do wonders he should still be able to feel something.
But he didn't.
He felt fine despite the fact that he should probably have a concussion and a nearly severed arm at this point.
Erza immediately started to busy herself with his damaged limb. Re-Quipping bandages to wrap him in a makeshift sling. He appreciated the gesture, but... why did she feel confident enough to come help him instead of worrying about Jose attacking her?
That was the moment he realized, the girl was crying. He watched as the water left her face, and very quickly decided he didn't like it. The Erza he'd met up to this point was hard-headed and sure of herself. Someone who'd much rather attack a problem instead of cry about it. He much preferred that image of her to the terrified girl in front of him.
But as the ringing in his head settled down, the world around him became clear again. And he understood she wasn't crying in fear or despair. No, she was crying in relief.
"He's here, he's here. Everything is fine now, we're gonna be fine." he heard her mumble.
It confused him, he didn't know what she was talking about, so he let his gaze wander. And quickly found Jose. The man was frozen, stiff as a board, and looking straight up. Staring at some source of light descending from above them.
As it grew closer Kinzo could feel the light brush against his skin and the pain he felt dulled even more. He wouldn't have a clue what this thing was though without Talionis. But once he could see through the light show and the wide range healing spell, the truth became clear.
"It's you..."
"Ma'am we have confirmation that Saint Dreyar has re-entered the battlefield."
"Well, then I suppose that's our cue to move as well. Head for the guildhall, take control of the area. Oh and be sure to lock up whatever's left of Jose once the old midget is done with him. We can't have that man running his mouth about our deal now can we."
Ultear was very pleased with the way things were turning out. As of right now, she would be able to completely disband Phantom Lord, guaranteeing one of the largest guilds on the continent would no longer be a factor to consider in her scheming. The only loose end was Jose, who would soon be dealt with.
And on top of that, though she couldn't do much legally to Fairy Tail, they would be busy rebuilding while the Tower plan took off.
Honestly, things couldn't have gone any better if she'd actually set the pieces into motion herself. And as far as Hades knew she had, so punishment should be off the table once he sees the result.
As she continued to praise herself it finally clicked in her mind that no one had moved after she gave her orders.
So turning to the Grimoire loyal Rune Knights standing around her she said "Okay people move it!"
And very quickly her meeting tent was empty.
"That's better." She told herself before moving to follow her troops down.
"It's you… Makarov."
Indeed it was. The old man was alive and kicking. And he had a none too pleased expression on his face.
"Makarov! I thought I killed you already!?" Jose screamed.
But the elder Saint just ignored him as he landed gently on the ground, instead looking toward the two younger mages across from him.
"Kinzo, for helping my family in a time of need, you have my thanks, and my respect." The old man nodded to him. And the younger returned the gesture, before forcing himself to stand.
"And Erza… you have done well to lead in the midst of this chaos I have allowed to fester. Thank you." The girl just smiled, simply happy to have him back.
"I will speak with you both properly when this is all said and done, but for now I must ask you to leave. Let me settle things here."
The two didn't argue, not that either of them were in any condition to try. And so they rose, moving toward the exit.
…
"They can leave? IS THAT A JOKE!?" Jose roared before moving to stop them. "Shade Entanglement!"
Faster than they could react, Erza and Kinzo found themselves being targeted by yet another host of dark spirits. But Kinzo didn't flinch, he'd already seen what the old man could do.
With a simple wave of his hand, Makarov sent his own attack. A single ray of light meant to pierce the darkness. And with only a touch the Shades were no more.
…
After that nothing stopped their retreat, the duo left without incident.
"Enough Jose, I think you've laid your hands on my children far too many times as it is."
"... Laid a hand on them… Hahahahaha! IS THAT SOME KIND OF SICK JOKE!? Look at me Makarov, I don't have any hands left! That boy of yours already took them." The dark saint sneered.
"Oh, you must be so proud of yourself to have claimed someone like that for your guild."
The Dreyar did his best to stay neutral.
"Haaah, the boy is not mine, not yet at least. Though one day soon I hope to welcome him in. And as for your injuries, I would be grateful. If my Erza hadn't warned you, he would have taken your head instead of your arms."
that comment only served to further fuel his rage.
"Grateful, grateful, you want me to be GRATEFUL!? No Makarov I think it's time we settled this here and now! And once I've killed you the first person I'll be sending to keep you company is that Damn Boy!"
"DEAD WAVE!" was his screech. As a massive beam of black energy formed before their eyes, only to moments later launch itself toward the old giant.
Makarov didn't bother to dodge, didn't bother to counter-attack, he just held his hand up and the blast stopped before fading away. Completely useless.
"Crushing you would take no effort at all Jose." He revealed. Gathering magic between his hands as he spoke.
"A single spell, a meager punch, would bring you to your knees."
The spell's density multiplied itself until a bright ball of light rested between his palms.
"But to act as an example, to show the difference between us." The light began to make up his very form.
"I will erase you entirely." Jose could only watch in fear and foolish resistance.
"I Invoke FAIRY LAW!"
Holy light covered all.
Gray had been standing on the roof trying to figure out what to do with the passed-out girl next to him. She was definitely weird, but that wasn't a reason to leave someone unconscious on an unstable structure.
She was a member of Phantom Lord, but even so, she hadn't actually hurt him in any way. She barely put up a fight at all actually. So in the end he was stuck with one of two options. Leave the girl here and let whatever happens to her happen, or pick her up and take her with him.
As he contemplated his options in deep thought, the air began to fill with harsh light and the whole foundation of the Phantom guildhall started to shake dangerously.
"Taking her with me it is then!" he said to himself before picking the girl up in a bridal carry.
He raced to the edge more than ready to jump with his plus 1. "Ice-Make: Slide!" he casted, and quickly the duo was plummeting down the steep construct at crazy speeds.
It was fine though Gray knew what he was doing. The problem was Juvia didn't.
About halfway down the ramp, the once unconscious girl awoke. Only to see the man she'd recently become obsessed with holding her tightly while the wind blew his hair back.
Needless to say, she was overcome with joy.
"Oh, Juvia loves this!" She shouted before latching herself onto him.
"Oi, hey what the hell are you doing!? He shouted as the girl's hands started to roam around his torso and face."
"Juvia has never been happier in all her life!" she said, completely oblivious to the danger she was putting them in by constantly moving around.
"Hey, crazy chick!" He screamed, and she seemed to be paying attention. "Would you look!" He ordered while pointing toward the hard ground that was quickly approaching.
For the first time she seemed to really register what kind of situation they were in. "... Ahhhhhh!" She cried in fright, now seeing how close to the end they were. The slide was running out.
"Well if Juvia has to die Juvia is happy to do it with the love of Juvia's life - … Excuse Juvia but what is your name?"
Completely and utterly lost, that pretty well described Gray right now. " No time lady!" He yelled before squeezing her tightly to himself and readying for the jump. And once the ramp finally ended he continued to sore through the air heading right for the cliff just in front of his guild.
…
His feet hit the ground heavy, and his shoes slid against the dirt for some time. But he stuck the landing all the while keeping himself and his passenger safe. And so after releasing a heavy sigh he relaxed and took a glance at the girl in his arms.
She had hearts sticking out of her eyes. "That was the bravest thing Juvia has ever seen, and you did it just for Juvia… please, please tell Juvia your name!" she all but begged… no actually she was definitely begging.
"Uh, it's Gray. Gray Fullbuster," he said with uncertainty. Not knowing if he actually liked the fact that this crazy broad would know his name now.
"Gray… Fullbuster," she said before projecting a massive gasp. "Then that means soon Juvia's name will be Juvia Fullbuster!"
She squeaked the thought out, far too excited about something that she did not have consent for. But regardless once again the thoughts became too much for her little heart to take and she promptly passed out for the second time that day.
Gray could only look at her in continuous confusion, he still didn't know what this girl was on about… part of him hoped he never would know.
"You will leave and never show your face in front of Fairy Tail again," Makarov ordered. "Because if you do I will repay 100 times over the suffering you have caused to my children on this day."
Jose couldn't speak, he couldn't move, even breathing felt next to impossible. He was powerless to act. Only able to whimper, and fall.
The Dreyar didn't bother to wait for a response. He had his children to attend to and a home to rebuild.
Kinzo and Erza had just felt the effects of Fairy Law on the surrounding structure, and unanimously agreed to start moving through the many hallways of the Phantom Lord base. Mainly looking for an exit that would lead to the outside world.
They were getting close. The boy knew that much, but with each step they took away from Makarov the more his body ached and pleaded for him to stop. At some point his breaths became more labored as his lungs worked overtime to recover from the exhaustion he was feeling.
"Kinzo are you alright?" The redhead asked, but he chose to ignore her. He knew if he started talking he would snap at the girl, and he really didn't want to deal with the backlash from that right now.
"Kinzo you shouldn't push yourself so much right now, It's over."
"Just keep moving, ignore her for now." Ya because that always fixes things.
"Kinzo stop please, I'm worried about you." That did it, that set him off.
Moving quickly despite the broken arm and bruised body, he twisted around before pushing her back against the wall.
"Worried!? You're worried about me!? Well, your timing is just fuckin perfect princess!" She flinched back pretty heavily from the sudden shove and shouting. Even more so when he smashed his hand onto the wall next to her head.
"I mean really, now you're worried about my injuries? Maybe you should have been worried about that before you decided to tip Jose off! Because if you had just kept your damn mouth shut he would be dead, I would be fine, and you wouldn't have half the injuries you do!"
Finally, it clicked in Erza's mind, that was what he was so upset about. "I wasn't going to let you kill him, Fairy Tail doesn't do that." She said firmly.
"Heh hehe, hahahaha! Oh sorry, Fairy Tail doesn't do that? Then what was your plan Scarlet!?" He roared, and she didn't seem to understand what he meant.
"You ran off by yourself to fight a Wizard Saint out for blood. That's tantamount to suicide! Tell me what do you think would have happened had he killed you Erza? Do you think he would have stopped there? Said 'Oh that's enough for one day' and gone home?"
"NO! He would have taken his time one by one exterminating the people you claim to care about. He was going to kill them, Erza, and there is no way in hell you didn't know what his intentions were! So tell me, what were you gonna do if Makarov didn't show up? Because in case you didn't notice, we were losing in there!"
His words cut into her and as he spoke she couldn't help but avert her gaze. She couldn't look him in the eye as he asked her pointed question after question.
"Tell me Erza, since you're so set on not killing. Since you went out of your way to stop me from getting rid of the biggest threat to your friend's lives, WHAT WAS YOUR PLAN?!"
As he screamed at her, for the first time since they'd met, she didn't have an answer. She didn't have a retort, or a quick one-liner to tell him off. Actually the more she thought about it the more she found herself to be in the wrong on this one. And so she gave him the only answer she had.
"I don't know." She whispered, almost like a scared child. And after the words came out she quickly looked down trying her best to hide the tears from his sight.
"I didn't have a plan."
There she said it, and after taking in a shaky breath she tried to explain.
"But no one else could stand up to Jose, so I didn't know what else to do. And I've always hated it when people take life when they don't have to. I thought we might be able to win, so I didn't want you to kill him." Her voice was so quiet, so reserved, it sounded so weak.
With a heavy sigh, Kinzo collected his thoughts and reigned in his emotions before dropping his head forward. Resting it against the wall next to her.
"Erza you ran off on your own toward certain death, and if I hadn't shown up that is exactly what would have happened to you." He told her with no room for argument.
He tried to keep his voice as even as possible, to stop anger from leaking in. She clearly was in a vulnerable spot right now, and he didn't want to intentionally hurt her any more than she was already hurting herself. But she needed to hear this.
"Look, I don't agree with you people and your 'power of family' conquers all bullshit mentality. But if you're gonna spout crap like that, at least be consistent. Don't go throwing your life away and try to claim you're helping them. All you're doing is hurting them too. And if you don't have the stomach to kill someone threatening their lives, at least don't stop me from doing it."
That was his main grip, Phantom was gunning for their lives and they were doing nothing but handicapping themselves by not doing the same.
"I understand it's hard, I understand you're under a lot of pressure. A lot has happened in just one day. And after Makarov fell you were forced to find a way to come out on top. I get that you're stressed, scared, and feel out of your depth. But you can't lose your cool in situations like this. Right now is when you need a level head the most. And you can't run off trying to be Fairy Tail's shining knight when you know that's only going to get you killed."
She girl only continued to stare at the floor, but he thought he saw her nod her head if only slightly.
With any luck, she would take his words to heart.
…
"Well said Kinzo, very well said. I had no idea you were so good at this kind of thing. Disciplining and consoling other people is a rare skill to have."
He shot off of the wall faster than should have been possible in his current condition, and harshly pulled Erza back forcing her behind him. His good arm out in front of her defensively.
"My my Kinzo you're being rather protective of that girl. Should I be jealous?" asked the voice of Ultear. She was clearly taunting him, but there was the slightest glint in her eyes that said she was at least a little serious.
"What the hell are you doing here Ultear?" he growled. Her guards didn't respond well to that.
"The councilwoman has been given Jurisdiction over this town. I hereby order you by the authority of the council to relinquish yourselves for detainment. One of the knights said and soon enough the entire group was moving to arrest them.
Kinzo only grew more tense and readied himself for battle once again. He was not going quietly to wherever Ultear wanted him.
"Calm down boys, I'll handle this." She said moving closer to her prey. She almost laughed once she was within arms reach of him. He looked about ready to throw a punch even while one of his arms was in a sling.
Regardless she moved even closer until she was practically flush against him, and pressing up onto the tips of her toes she brought her lips right to his ear before whispering "Behave yourself pet, or Gray Fullbuster's body will pop up in a ditch a couple of towns over."
He only growled more deeply at her threat, ready to tell her off until, "Ah-ah, I know you heard me." Her voice was still hushed, but the tone told him not to test her.
She'd threatened Gray's life, and he knew she could make good on that threat.
So with a heavy sigh, he relented, and everyone could see him forcefully relax his posture.
Ultear just smirked and said, "Good boy," before leaning in and pecking him on the cheek.
At first, Erza had no clue what was happening, or why Kinzo had pushed her back, but once her eyes adjusted her confusion only grew. Standing across from them was a squadron of Rune Knights, headed by a woman in a white Kimono with purple hair.
Okay, but why would that set Kinzo off?
Wait, she'd seen this woman before… The night they spent in Era's dungeon! She was the one who brought him down and locked herself in his cell for a while.
Oh did Erza have some questions for her. But those questions would have to wait. The Rune Knights were about to try arresting them, and Kinzo was reacting quite negatively to that idea.
She was actually pretty worried right now. More fighting was bound to end badly for him and her both. Yet she knew Kinzo could be just as stubborn as her when he wanted to be so a fight may be inevitable.
At least that was what she thought, until the councilwoman stepped forward claiming she would 'handle' him. She almost chuckled at the idea, doubting that anyone could simply 'handle' Kinzo. That is until she watched her whisper a few words she didn't quite catch and the boy relaxed.
It was done, forcefully but still. And once that was done she went on to plant a kiss on his cheek. Making Erza's own cheeks turn red and her questions from earlier come back with a vengeance.
Soon enough the Rune Knights moved forward again, and with Kinzo not putting up a fight it seemed like they might be going into custody. That is until a strong presence emerged from the hallway behind them.
"Ah Kinzo Erza, I was looking for you." Called out Makarov's voice. But his tone soon grew far more suspicious at the presence of council officials.
"Oh and for what end is the magic council here at a time like this?" He both accused and asked professionally.
Ultear just smiled down at him. "Just investigating the incident Saint Dreyar. It was you who called us here after the vandalism of your guildhall after all. Is it such a strange thought that the council take an interest in such an act of aggression?" Quick to cover for herself.
"No, what is strange is your timely arrival. It would seem as though you have arrived only mere minutes after the conflict has resolved itself." All he was doing was pointing out how convenient the timing was.
"Oh I promise you Saint Dreyar, it is a simple coincidence. But since I am here and things have escalated to such an extent, I will need to investigate further."
"I assumed." The old man said with a grouchy undertone.
"Excellent, then I'll be starting my investigation by interrogating this one," she said while grabbing Kinzo's good arm. "... thoroughly."
And Erza was blushing again.
"And why must you start with him?" Makarov challenged. "Surely other members of my guild could give you a proper picture of what happened here today." He asked, not sure what to make of her statement.
"Oh, I wasn't aware Kinzo had officially joined Fairy Tail. I was under the impression that he was just a third party who decided to involve himself. Am I incorrect in thinking that?" She asked him, already knowing the answer.
Makarov just sighed. "No, you are correct. He is not an official member of my guild."
The smile on Ultear's face after he'd said that only served to piss the old man off "Well then in that case he still has to be interrogated separately. But of course, I would like to interview both you and Ms. Scarlet afterward if you're willing."
"Of course councilwoman. Simply tell us when you're ready."... and so the time mage dragged the boy away. The boy who, interestingly enough, wasn't putting up a fight.
"My my Kinzo, going toe to toe with a Wizard Saint and holding your own, color me impressed."
They were in a tent, both kneeling on the ground as they watched each other. The only space between them being taken up by a small portable table that currently held two cups of tea.
"Why are we playing this game?" He finally asked her.
He'd sat here and explained the events of the past two days, along with his role in those events. But they had been avoiding what really needed to be talked about.
"Oh and what gam-?"
"You caused this didn't you?" he cut in, daring her to contradict him.
For a moment she just stared, taking him in. Until "heh, hehehe. Oh, how did you guess?" She finally asked.
"It doesn't matter, I just want to know what you're after. Why pit two of the strongest guilds in the country against each other? How does it help you?"
"Hmm? ... I don't think I'll tell you." He only growled again. "But I suppose I could show you this much."
Pulling out her Orb she made it to play a collection of recordings on repeat.
First, it was a video of Makarov lecturing Team Natsu and Mira in the park where Levy was Crucified.
Nothing seemed to be particularly interesting until he heard one line in particular.
"Everyone here should be more than aware of the Contract that binds that boy's actions…"
Hearing that made him freeze. And the return of Ultear's predatory smirk nearly had him panicking.
"To think you would sign a Binding Contract with Makarov of all people. I can't imagine he approves of some of your work." She jested. "Of course, I don't know what all is included in your little agreement but still."
Without missing a beat she waved her hand and the video changed to his fight with Jose. When he'd recounted the battle for her he left out the part about his metal being able to absorb magic and managing to use what was left of the Jupiter blast against him. But this video showed Erza using his spear to stop the cannon... and then him using that same spear to fire the power back out.
"Weapons that absorb magic, how interesting." She chimed "I suppose that was why you were so confused when we first met. You were so used to magic simply being trapped in your weapons that it caught you off guard when my Arc of Time was still able to destroy them."
Their conversation continued like that for some time. Ultear had all kinds of footage, recent things from the fight with Phantom, videos from his time on Galuna. She had it all and she was using that data to pick apart the complete extent of his abilities.
"What's the point of all this?" He finally asked.
"Hmm? The point, it's quite simple really," she said while eyeing him up and down.
"To show you how powerless you are pet."
...
"I still don't get it. You've already told me Hades wants you to bring me to him. And with the information you have plus my current state, you could overpower me with ease right now! So why don't you?"
She stopped for a moment and smiled at him before rising and moving around the table. Pacing slowly until she was standing right above him, and then lowering a hand to his chin and tilting his head up to face her.
"You're right pet. You're injured, your little Fairy Tail friends can't help you right now, and I could use my authority as a council member to make any investigations into where you went disappear."
"Haaah, it would be so, easy… to just take you now. But I won't, after all, where's the fun in that?"
"No instead I think I'll take my time with you."
"Dissecting every part of your past, your accomplishments, fighting style. Coming to understand your desires, your goals, and abilities. Learning how to abuse every fear, regret, and insecurity. Yes, I think I will take my time with you. And once I've completely unraveled you, when you have no more cards left to play, nowhere else to run, when you're at your wit's end and finally come to realize that you were never a match for me to begin with. Only then will I bring you to Hades, only after I've turned you into a shell of the man you are now."
…
They stood there for some time. Ultear just looking down at him like he was this puzzle that she would enjoy ripping apart and putting back together, and him just doing his best to keep any and all emotion off of his face. He couldn't afford to let her see just how much she'd shaken him with what she already knew.
After a moment longer of her holding him there, she relented and returned to her seat. And once she was comfortable taking a sip of her still warm tea.
"That's all I needed from you Kinzo, feel free to go. But please send in Ms. Scarlet once you've left."
He got up without a word and pushed past the tent flap, all too ready to get away from her. All the while Ultear was smirking to herself, knowing she'd won this round.
…
...
"Hello, councilwoman." She heard as the redhead she'd seen earlier took a seat across from her.
Well, playtime was over, time to actually work now.
"Ah yes, Ms. Scarlet. Now if you could just recount the events th-"
"Actually Councilwoman, if you don't mind there are a few questions I'd like to ask you first."
Well, that was curious, but she didn't have anywhere to be so she could humor the girl.
"Go on."
"What is your relationship with Kinzo?"
…
Oh, she was going to enjoy this.
Finally, the day was almost over.
Ultear had received all the reports she needed, bullied Kinzo a bit, and even told Ms. Scarlet a few lies about her relationship with the boy. All in all, it was a good day. The only issue being a few of her cameras/orbs had been broken during the little guild war so she didn't have recordings of a few of the major fights.
Namely that Dragneel boy. His magic was just too erratic, his flames often jumping around and damaging her hidden cameras by pure coincidence. So in the end she hadn't gotten the chance to watch his fights with Totomaru or Gajeel Redfox. It was disappointing but not the end of the world, there were sure to be more opportunities in the future to gather data on the boy.
Either way her day was nearly done.
Just one more thing to take care of.
Walking out of her own and into an adjacent tent she felt the presence of Privacy Seals and knew she was in the right place.
Seeing a large cage in the middle of the room only cemented that fact.
Especially considering Jose Porla was currently being restrained inside of it. Though restrained is a loose term. The man had no hands to use now and could hardly be seen as a threat to her. Honestly Kinzo went a bit overboard with that in her opinion.
Even so, the man was a liability one she needed to get rid of.
Once their eyes met the man practically exploded in anger, "You, what is the meaning of this? Why am I being kept in a cage!?" he screeched.
"Well that's quite simple really," she told the man. "It's because we can't have you escaping."
"What? What are you talking about, you hired me!?" He called once again.
"Indeed I did." she admitted. "But I can't have you going around telling people that… so… you need to disappear."
"What nonsense are you spouting, girl? Have you forgotten who I am? I am a Wizard Saint, you can't do this to me!?"
She only laughed.
"Oh you poor fool… of course I can." and with a raised hand she started the process.
First, the temperature in the room began to drop. And the man looked around in confusion.
Next Jose himself would start to shiver. His skin turning pale before eventually appearing as an icy blue.
That was likely the moment he realized what she was trying to do.
"No! Stop sto- Cugh, cuh, kah!"
The final step normally starts with the victim coughing, followed by frost appearing on their skin, and finally their windpipe freezing shut.
As Jose struggled, constantly flailing his body around but lacking the arms to scratch at his own throat, his insides would continue to freeze... until he was nothing more than a cold corpse.
And all was still.
With her work done Ultear lowered her hand, and breathed a sigh of relief knowing everything had ended up working out. "Haaah, alright boys, get rid of the body burn the clothes. You know the drill." And as if an everyday thing her servants did just that.
In the meantime, she would be heading back to Era. After all, she had to prep for the Tower.
9:34 P.M. That's what the clock read. The day was over their work was finished and most everyone else had already gone home. But not him.
Kinzo sat at the bar in a nearly empty guildhall. He wasn't drinking anything, just resting, unsure what to do with everything that had happened. From Phantom Lord to Ur to Ultear it was all too much.
He didn't even get the chance to start thinking about it though before the guild doors opened. And in walked Gray Fullbuster.
The boy moved to the bar taking a seat to his left, only to stare forward.
"I thought I'd find you here." the ice mage said.
"And here I am." was his lack luster response
"Ya"
The mood wasn't quite sour, but it was certainly reserved, neither of the two really sure how to proceed. But of course, Kinzo had never been a fan of inaction so he spoke first.
What do you need?" He asked the boy to his left. And after a moment of uncertainty Gray answered.
"I heard you ended up helping out quite a bit with the fight today."
"Ya" was once again his short reply.
He could practically see the irritation growing inside the ice mage at his short minimalistic responses.
...
"Haaah, look, I've said some pretty shitty stuff to you recently. Things I regret saying. And I just wanted to say… I'm sorry. I know Ur loved you, and I know you don't actually want Lyon dead. I just... I just can't understand why you do some of the things you do."
Finally, after letting it fester for some time he'd finally voice it. All the things he thought he'd done wrong, and what he still didn't get about his surrogate brother.
"I just don't get it. And I don't agree with a lot of what you do..."
How could he, this Kinzo had seemingly no moral code.
"... but that's not an excuse for me to accuse you of things you didn't do, and it doesn't give me the right to say things that aren't true."
He'd jumped the gun with what happened to Levy, and he'd spit in the face of Ur's legacy by claiming she didn't love the metal mage. Even with all he'd done wrong.
The assassin stayed still and listened intently, surprised by his brother's confession, but not willing to interrupt the boy's train of thought.
"So I guess what I'm trying to say is, that I haven't been acting like the best brother in the world, haven't really tried to see your perspective on thing. So, I guess… I guess I just wanted to say I'm sorry for that, and to say thank you for helping us."
There it was done, everything was laid out, he'd said what needed to be said.
Kinzo just smiled to himself. "Apology accepted… and don't beat yourself up too much over what you said. I haven't exactly been making it easy on you either."
Gray could only look at the table. "Haaah… So, are we good then?" he asked just to be sure.
Kinzo could only shake his head in amusement at Gray's uncertainty. "Ya, ya we're good."
"Well, that's good, because I had no idea what to do if you shot me down." Came Gray's reply as he hopped off of his seat and started heading for the door once again.
"Good night Gray." Came Kinzo's chuckling response. And the ice mage just waved his hand in goodbye. Before the sound of broken guild doors closing filled his ears.
...
"Well, that was nice to see." His gaze was once again redirected, this time to the sight of Makarov coming down from his office.
"I suppose it is."
He followed the man until he took a seat just to his right. "It was a good thing, and yet you still look troubled."
Heh, leave it to the old sage to figure him out, then again what should he expect from a man who's lived in this world for over 8 decades.
"Just have a lot on my mind. Too much to worry about all at once, and… I'm not sure what to do next."
The elder smirked "Yes life can be tricky like that, but there's always something we can do."
Makarov's optimism was kind of annoying him because it felt like there wasn't anything for him to do. He was fighting the world's most dangerous dark guild, with next to no allies. His capabilities were constantly being accessed and countered by a certain time witch acting as an ever-present thorn in his side. And to round the whole thing off he was severely limited in his ability to move, gather intelligence, and take jobs because a certain, well-meaning but foolish guild master felt the need to keep him chained here.
So as he responded just a bit of that built-up stress and resentment leaked.
"Like what, what exactly can I do right now," he asked a little more harshly than he meant to.
The eldest Dreyar seemed to pick up on his irritation and distress, but instead of growing angry at the boy's tone, he appeared more thoughtful.
"Hmm? Well Kinzo, might I recommend something for you to try if you're feeling lost at the moment?"
"Go ahead old man." He gestured.
"You are still sleeping outside are you not? By that little lake to the west?"
"...ya?" how the hell did he know that?
"Well then my advice to you would be to find yourself a nice home. Houses are sold at pretty fair prices around here." The geezer said with a smile.
The happy-go-lucky tone, and carefree idea... only served to irritate him more. Until the point he was nearly gritting his teeth as he spoke.
"... old man, I'm not concerned about what my next set of living arrangements are. I'm far more concerned about how I'm supposed to fight back against Gri-!"
...
He'd caught himself, that was close. He'd almost told the old fossil what his real goal was.
Makarov just kept smiling. "I'm aware that buying a house isn't exactly what you had in mind, but oftentimes we can set our minds at ease by accomplishing an unrelated goal. You never know, doing this might help you get some clarity on what should come next for you."
"And besides, you're going to be stuck in this town for the foreseeable future, might as well 'make your bed' in a building that has an actual bed."
He didn't fully agree with what the old man was saying, but he didn't totally disagree either. "A house huh?"
"But either way it's just a thought, and you can do as you please." The old man said from his seat.
Whatever he needed a break from thinking."Haaah, what are you still doing here anyway old man?"
"Hmm? Oh I still have to have my interview with that councilwoman who stopped by. She should be finishing up with Erza soon. Oh and Kinzo, I don't mean to pry but it did certainly seem like you and said councilwoman were… more than acquaintances."
The tone Makarov had used wasn't quite suggestive, but at the same time he still seemed to be hinting that he thought they were involved in some way. And in a sense he was right. They were involved... in a war against each other.
"It's none of your concern Makarov." He told the old man.
"Very well." Was his calm reply.
The next few minutes were filled with silence, both men more than content with the quiet atmosphere. And in some ways enjoying the other's company.
…
At least until the doors slammed open, and a very red faced Erza came storming in.
"Y-yo-You Beast!" She screamed while pointing at Kinzo.
"Huh?"
"The Councilwoman, she told me everything, don't try to deny it!"
… Oh no.
"Sweet Lord," he said while rubbing his temples "Alright go on what did she say?"
"She said you seduced her! And tricked her into going on a trip with you to the Southern Islands!"
Of course she did.
"And once there you did unspeakable things to her! Things that only Married partners should be doing and even then it's questionable!"
"Oh just kill me now," he mumbled to himself.
"But that's not even the worst part! Now that she's been defiled by you she doesn't have the confidence to go home, she doesn't think her family would take her back."
What kinda crap is this? Ultear is one of the most confident people he's ever met.
"The only way for her to be restored to her family is to marry the man she's been with. But you weren't willing to marry her. So now she's trapped, unable to go home, and without a loving husband!"
...
Kinzo was about ready to smash his head against the bar counter, and Erza was both furious and embarrassed by the amount of detail Ultear had put into the story while explaining it. But Makarov was just trying to stifle his laughter.
"Haaaaaaaaaaah, ok there is a lot wrong with that story, but I guess I have to ask. Is there a reason you're bringing it up, or are you just trying to irritate me?" He questioned while trying to stop a migraine from coming on.
"Is there a reason? Of course there is a reason! You are going to make this right by marrying that woman! Now come here we're going ring shopping."
"Like Hell!"
…
And so the storm grew calm. There were still plenty of issues to work out. A broken guildhall, some not so friendly relationships, and a lying councilwoman. But things like that would be handled in time. For now the sea was calm, and we should enjoy it.
Because it rarely stays that way for long.
Author's note IMPORTANT
Okay guys that will be the last chapter until I am done with Basic Training which will be around Christmas time. I'll try to get one or two updates out while I have leave. But After that, I have no idea when I'll be able to write consistently. I'll still be able to see your reviews for a few days, and I'll keep talking for a while. But as far as updates are concerned. I'm done for a while.
Thank you all for reading and turning this into something awesome that I got to do. You guys are great! Until I see you next Take it easy!
Magic
1) Metal-Make Magic like ice make... but with metal
2) Speed Magic (Potential energy magic- p.s. I made this up so you won't find it on a wiki... I think.) so any time you see Conversion Leap (speed boost) or Kinetic Decay (stealing something else's speed and trapping it in place)
3) Telekinesis lifting things with one's mind etc.
4) Re-Quip no armor just items/weapons
Tools
1) His Revolver- Iron Maiden (two types of ammo revealed. Puncture rounds and Flashbang rounds)
2) The rings his mother gave him - can be molded into other objects and when spun together replay a recorded message.
3) The magic absorbing metal - He can choose to make his weapons out of this or other kinds of normal metal (iron, steel, etc.)
4) The Eye of Talionis - replacing his right eye, it allows the user to see magic (Ethernano)
5) Isacc Colt's journals - three journals belonging to his father
6) metal woven into his hair - this will not play a major role for most of the story but I may as well mention it so people don't forget.
Abilities
(1) Enhanced strength, speed, and senses. - under normal circumstances, Kinzo can act like a normal human in terms of strength and senses, but when he focuses on a particular trait it can increase its effectiveness. I.E. by focusing on his sense of Sight, he can see more clearly at much farther distances.
