Natsu used his flames and shot into the air above. When he reached a high enough point, he twisted his body and his glare and his body shot down with a spinning axe kick coated in flames. "Fire Dragon's Claw!" His kick shot down on Malloy's forearms, which felt hard as iron.
Malloy grunted as the flames were pretty hot, but only added to his annoyance to the Dragon Slayer. "Persistent punk!" He swatted his arms, knocking Natsu back into a skid. He put his hands together and flashed more light. "Iron-Make: Gauntlet!" His forearms and fist were coated in thick iron gauntlets and he rushed after Natsu.
Natsu lunged ahead with a flaming fist. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Both fists collided, and Natsu's fist only lasted but a few seconds before Malloy's punch broke through, socking Natsu right in the face and shooting him into a wall.
Malloy grew a cocky smirk. "You put a bad name to Iron. That attack wasn't worthy being called an Iron Fist, just like how you're not worthy of standing up to me."
Natsu tried to dislodge himself from the wall, and he tried to buy time by getting answers. "Gnnngh! Tell me, why are you guys here?" He demanded.
Malloy scoffed at him. "I don't like to say much to human trash." His right arm began to make and mold iron into another mace, this one having spikes. "Our goals are ours alone, so you can just do me a favor and scream your frail heart out until you become a pile of remains!"
Natsu dislodged himself in time and jumped away as the spiked mace came down like a mighty hammer, swift and quick. The mace hit the ground, causing a loud boom to echo and a shockwave shot Natsu backwards and slammed into the ground on contact.
Natsu hurriedly sat back up. "Man, so much power-!" He was cut off when a thick chain ran from Malloy to his waist, coiling and squeezing him. Natsu yelped as he felt the pain in his crushed guts.
Malloy raised the chain high and slammed it down hard, dragging Natsu to the ground and smashing him into the dirt. "You see? Humans can be controlled however anyone sees fit! It's all about control! That's how slavery works!"
He slammed the chain relentlessly to the ground, dragging Natsu down and slamming him to no end. The Dragon Slayer gagged up small amounts of blood soon enough, but when Malloy finished the past part, he clenched the chain holding his waist and used his feet as a cushion, keeping him from harm that one time.
His sudden capture caught Malloy by surprise, and he noticed the angry look in his eyes. "So, you only see us as toys and puppets? Slaves to your power?" He shouted out.
Malloy reeled on his chain, but Natsu's grip was tough. Both were having a tug-of-war, and both sides seemed almost completely polar opposites.
"That's how everything is, kid!" Malloy shouted. "Everything can either be stepped on or step on you! This world we live in always seeks to crush you under its feet!" His chain began to lean towards him, making Natsu lose his footing briefly. "Learn your place!"
He was silenced when he got a strong tug from Natsu's end, and he looked angrily as the Dragon Slayer was brimming with heat. His eyes were that of a Dragon, which left Malloy startled briefly. "I'll never accept my place!" Natsu yanked in one mighty pull, hauling Malloy towards him. He didn't show patience as he rushed in towards him.
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Coating himself in flames, he charged and rammed Malloy with all he had. The attack's force produced a heated shockwave and the iron chain snapped, freeing him, and Malloy shot back into the cove cliffs, embedded by the force of Natsu's blow.
Malloy fell to his knees and gagged as that attack that like getting pounded by the sun. He stood up and looked agitated at Natsu, veins popping out of his eyes.
"You…" He growled. He had both palms faced forward. "You filth, you try and defy what I am placing you under? You think that you can control me?!" A lot of iron was molding in his palms and expanding into large mechanisms. "My power has the capabilities of incapacitating anything I desire! It's true power that shall not be bested by the likes of pure flames!"
Natsu's eyes widened as the morphing cast a shadow and he was left stunned by how massive the Iron-Make was. "What the…?"
Malloy had both fists clenched as behind him were a rugged-scaled serpent dragon of pure iron, and another was a lion of pure iron.
"Iron-Make: Animal Conquer!" He shouted.
Natsu was left startled as he thought to how the Iron-Make was all mixed. He remembered that Gray molded his, while Lyon made creatures like Malloy just did.
"This guy…can use properties of Gray and Lyon's Magic?" Natsu was hardly processing the level of Magic. He felt the intense level from him rising, making him uneasy and his pupils dilated. "This is bad."
Malloy extended his arm out. "Kill him!"
Immediately the iron dragon and lion went roaring and off towards Natsu. He jumped in time to dodge the dragon lunging at him, shattering the ground from where he stood. He skidded backwards and the lion pounced for him.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu's cry echoed as the streaming fire blasted the lion. The hot fire exploded in midair with the iron lion. When it dispersed, the lion dropped down to the ground and its whole body was sizzling from the superficial heat given off. The lion scraped the ground and roared at Natsu, and the serpentine dragon towered right beside it.
Natsu's fists clenched. "Man, where's a Gajeel when you need one?"
Cana flashed her cards at her opponent. "Try this! Icicle!" She swiped her cards and shot big icicles at her muscular opponent.
Iori's fists were coated in red aura and took the form of hulking bear arms. "No go for you! Grizzly Fury!" Clenching both fists, he punched ahead as he ran off towards Cana, boring right through her attack and the icicles were reduced to small fragments. He jumped and brought a fist back and Cana jumped and dodged the downward fist, watching it shatter the ground completely and small rocks were reduced to shattered remains.
'So much raw animal power.' She landed and saw him get back up. 'Does his strength vary depend on the Animal Possession?'
Iori slowly stood up, a shadow over his eyes. "You're not much fun when you only run from me, but that's what makes this all the more enjoyable." He clenched both fists, creating ethereal wolf heads in red energy. "Weaklings are nothing more than food for the strong! Once you get that, you just might have a chance at surviving the big world!"
He lunged at Cana again, but when the Card Mage showed a card, she flicked it at him. The card was aimed low, much to his surprise, and exploded right at his legs. He screamed and began to fall forward, and that's when Cana pulled out more cards on him.
"How's this for craftiness! Sun's Strength!" She threw the cards and they were engulfed in flames. The attack struck Iori and he was engulfed in an explosion. He shot backwards in a skid and clenched his head in pain.
"Tch, that hurt you brat." He protested. He got back up and his legs seemed to have become engulfed in ethereal energy and shaped into lion legs. He slowly fell forward, and his arms were coated in ethereal energy that took shape of lion forelimbs.
"Perhaps this should tear you to shreds! Lion Pounce!" He began to run savagely up towards Cana, equal to that of a lion. Cana's eyes widened and she got out of the way, but just barely as the animal-like man broke through a metal stand without trying. He circled around Cana from behind and began to attack again.
Cana flashed her cards at him some more. "Why not take a bath! Prayer's Fountain!" Slamming the card to the ground, she jumped back as the beams of water violently lashed torrents everywhere. She watched as the guy's ethereal lion form dispersed and shot up from one of the spouts.
"Icicle!" She shot the icicle up at the spout of water, and Iori's eyes widened as he saw the huge icicles aimed at him, and was found frozen with his mouth gawking from the pain. While he was frozen, so was the entire water spout as the Magic spell dialed down.
Cana stashed her card away and looked with a frown at Iori above. "You may have the strength of predatory animals, but you don't have the brains to back it up."
Inside the ice, Iori was growling. His growling echoed all through the ice, and the ice pillar was actually shaking violently from his growling. Even his Magic Power was beginning to escalate, which was what unnerved Cana.
"Curse you!" He muffled through the ice. The ice cracked profusely and the whole pillar began to lose support and Cana jumped away and covered up as the ice shattered, scattering everywhere. She looked back up and saw the man descending down with ethereal bear arms.
"Grizzly Fury!" He brought the two fists down like mighty hammers, and Cana didn't have the superior muscle to defend. She found herself pounded in one blow into the earth, leaving a crater with her body in it.
The man got up as the dust cleared. He smirked as he saw Cana's body twitching. "Well what do you know. Guess Fiore Mages have more stamina than what Grander had originated." The ethereal bear arms morphed their shape, and both arms looked like ethereal wolf heads. "Stay right there and I'll make this quick and painless!"
Cana had little time to act. Her body was so damaged from that single blow. She needed to find a way to slow him down or keep him from moving so that she could get a powerful shot in. She needed an answer, and all she had in her hand was the Prayer's Fountain card.
Her eyes narrowed. 'Maybe I can use that to my advantage. I only get one shot.' Her eyes darted back up, and Iori reeled his ethereal wolf fist back.
"This is the end for you, bimbo! Wolf Fang!" He shot his fist down at her, and the attack opened its mouth as it closed the distance. However he didn't see the card in Cana's hand, which was what the brunette needed to turn the tide.
Cana's eyes widened as she activated her trap. "Prayer's Fountain!"
The card in her hand glowed and unleashed volatile beams of water once more, sprouting violently at Iori's feet. "What-?!" He found himself hit by a vile torrent of water, making him scream and lose concentration for his Magic. The ethereal wolves disappeared and he was blasted by another stream of water on the right side.
He crashed on his left shoulder and the earth shook as he tumbled onwards into a wall, sending debris and dust flying. The brunette huffed as she found her feet underneath and wiped the dust from her chin.
Through the dust cloud, she knew had to have taken a lot of damage. Yet she used up a whole lot of Magic from before, so she knew that her limit was close.
A sudden ethereal tail lashed out from the dust, and Cana was swatted hard and shot backwards into a wall on the opposite side of the street. She gawked and cried in pain from the impact of the wall and the tail.
The dust settled, and Iori crawled out, looking exhausted. Yet his arms and legs had reptilian ethereal arms, and he had an ethereal tail that swayed left and right.
"Lady, you just made me furious." Iori snarled, shivering Cana's spine. His ethereal claws scraped the ground. "I'm gonna maim ya; just like any slave that doesn't follow orders, they have wild animals set loose on them!"
He crouched and readied himself. He was increasing the level of leg strength and he opened his mouth. "Monster Blitz!" The ground beneath him was subdued in a crater and he rushed at Cana with a ferocious vibe. As he ran on all fours, the ground shuddered.
Cana's eyes were wide with sheer terror. She felt so much pressure coming from here enemy, and she could hardly move. She was quite literally caught between a rock and a hard place. She had to think fast or she would end up as a fresh meal, or worse.
Her eyes were wide as she saw a rabid animal charge right for her. She didn't wanna go down embedded into a wall and left to get gutted. Her eyes darted around for whatever resources available, which was nothing but wet ground and deep puddles from Prayer's Fountain.
It hit her like a ton of bricks. She found it. She had realized how she was gonna win this. It was gonna be close, but with her hand close to her blue feathery purse, she could pull it off. Her hand twitched and went inside the bag, searching for one card. Plucking it out, she swallowed hard.
"GRRAAHHHH!" Her opponent was closing the distance fast with the sharp claws stomping against the earth with high magnitude. With his body in the puddles of water all around, she found her chance.
It was hard to move, but all Cana had to do was flash the card. "Alright you crazy freak of an animal, time to put you down!" Her card made a Magic seal. "Thunderbolt's Fate!"
The card shot hundreds of small lightning bolts all around, and Iori's eyes widened when he saw the water get zapped by the electricity. The hundreds of small bolts ran through and across the water and converged onto him.
The man screamed violently as all the lightning converged, shooting a beam of lightning up upon contact. Hundreds of small yet deadly bolts ran through him and he twitched violently as his ethereal body parts disappeared into thin air.
The lightning stopped, and Cana weakly pried herself from the wall and huffed. She bent her knees and panted from damage and from the Magic Power used, but it was worth it when she looked at the area ahead of her. The water evaporated from being conducted and electrocuted, which left the ground steaming with Iori in its center. He was twitching and covered from head to toe in cinder and char. Small sparks zapped every now and again and he groaned endlessly.
With her fight won, Cana panted and felt at ease. She's fought tough opponents a few times, but this one was a special case because this one's Magic Power was crazy high, and every spell he used had so much Magic pressure.
"Well that takes care of him." She panted, she turned away and began to slowly walk off. "I gotta find the others, and quick."
"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" Natsu threw the intense fireball at the iron dragon, exploding right in its face. He watched the smoke and fire clear out, but just like before, he only seemed to have made its face steaming and sizzling. "Just what kind of iron is this-?!"
He turned around and barely dodged the iron lion. He jumped back and watched as the beast turned around and roared at Natsu. Its claws raked the ground, and the dragon's head lowered down. After getting hit by so much fire by Natsu, the two Iron-Make bests were sizzling and steaming, with a few parts looking as though they were slightly welded.
Malloy looked amused. "Come on, don't wanna play with my pets some more? You look like a fun chew toy to me" He extended his arm out, and the dragon's mouth opened and it rushed on down towards Natsu.
The Dragon Slayer jumped up to avoid the attack, but the serpent dragon curved up to chase after him, leaving him with surprise. He saw the iron fangs it had, and he puffed his cheeks. "How about you eat this instead! Fire Dragon's Roar!"
He spewed fire down into the dragon's open mouth, making the beast take in the whole stream of fire. An explosion spewed out of its mouth and the dragon fell backwards. In its place, the iron lion pounced up a Natsu with its claws ready.
"Fire Dragon's Claw!" He turned upside down and kicked with flaming feet, scoring a blow to match the claws. The attacks collided, and both forces were enough to drop the other back to the ground.
Dust blew all about, but as it cleared, it showed Natsu huffing out of Magic exhaustion. "Man." He huffed. "This guy is wearing me down fast."
Malloy frowned as he looked bored. "You know, this show isn't as fun as it was a few minutes ago. How's about we make things more…traditional." A sly smirk crossed his face and he clasped his palms together. "Iron-Make: Prison!"
All around Natsu and the two Iron-Make animals, iron bars jutted up from the earth. Column after column they all arose, and soon a huge perimeter was set. Natsu looked around and a brief flash up above revealed an iron top to seal it all together.
"What the…?" Natsu was caught inside a giant cage, with the dragon and lion advancing onto him.
"While I do like to make things as painful for those weak-minded fools, I do want to see some entertainment if persistent enough." Malloy deviously told him. "You should've just stayed down when you had the chance. My power will not be a slave to fire, just like I will not be a weak-minded slave to anyone. Power is all you need to manipulate anyone."
"You're wrong!" Natsu rebuffed. "Power isn't everything!"
"It is in this world kid! Whether it'd be political or hostile, the more power one has, the more they have to enforce it by eliminating and imprisoning the weak so they'll never be as strong!"
Natsu had veins pop out of his eyes. "If you really think that way, then you're just a slave to power alone. You couldn't care if you killed your comrades because we're all just toys and objects to beat around with, is that it?!" His flames around his body appeared, and Malloy could feel the heat from Natsu.
Cringing inside his cage, Happy looked startled. "Natsu."
The flames engulfing Natsu got even hotter, and heat waves were flowing like water all throughout the area. The huge cage trapping Natsu was beginning to steam as were the dragon and the lion. Malloy felt such Magic Power increasing and it felt so hot that it could leave him burned it put too close.
"I'll prove you wrong! We'll never be slaves to people like you! You can't control and cage up everyone! That Grander guy's in for a world of misery! The world has nothing against Fairy Tail!" Natsu's Magic was actually making the ground shake and his searing flames began to take the form of a dragon. As he roared, the flames themselves roared.
Malloy grunted as his whole attire was beginning to feel roasted. "Enough of you! Never defy me or Grander! Kill him now!"
The dragon and lion pounced at Natsu, closing the distance between. Natsu's roaring bellowed louder than before and the flames expanded outwards, engulfing everything in smoldering fire. The iron animals were engulfed by the flames, as was the whole cage and Malloy.
Erza was getting worried. If her strategy was correct, and from the data collected, she should've met one of the upper three members of Grander's subordinates by now, so why wasn't it working? Did they anticipate this from them? If so, then they may have gained up on one of her teammates.
She remembered Natsu, and that's when her eyes widened when a Magic level rose drastically. She saw a huge explosion east, where the cove cliffs were. The land beneath rumbled from the attack, and it lasted for several seconds.
"Natsu!" Requipping into her Flight Armor, she rushed off towards the explosion site, hoping to help Natsu if and when he needed it.
'Natsu, please be alright.'
Inside the castle, Shore heard the huge explosion, and the tea he had in hand swished in all directions. He and his staff felt the violent shake within the earth, and in the short distance they saw an explosion,
Sentoro turned towards Shore. "Your majesty, are you alright?"
Shore disregarded the spilled tea and looked at the soldier. "Yes, Sentoro, I'm well." He walked towards the large window, looking outside to see the smoke in the distance. "…It seems there is no turning back now."
He turned towards Sentoro. "Sentoro, gather my armor. I must defend Solidaster, as it is my duty!"
Velvea was sleeping in her makeshift bed, and then she heard a fierce rumble all about. The whole chamber quaked and she stirred awake. She jerked back up and huffed and puffed as she felt the shock of the sudden awakening.
"What was that? A tremor?" Her head turned upwards, and she stared long and hard. It didn't come to her at first, but quickly the pieces began to fill. There wasn't an epicenter, and she's heard rumors from outside that her father sent out requests for help, and it all pieced together for her.
Immediately she began to rush for the door. "No! More than Solidaster lives are at stake! Father!" She flung open the door, leaving the two guards shocked as the heiress was running off up the spiraling staircase.
Smoke and steam was everywhere. Natsu stood with feet spread apart and he was exhausted. His whole body was exerting so much steam from just expelling a lot of Magic in one go. He was huffing as the iron dragon and lion were no more, and the cage that confined him had completely melted. The remaining bars were like melted noodles, lying aimlessly about while a few stood upright, but their sizes were reduced due to being melted.
Happy was seen lying on the ground, gawking as the cage that had him confined had melted from Natsu using so much heated Magic. "Whoa."
Malloy's armor and attire was tattered and burned. His face had burn marks and his body was sizzling from the heat. He looked startled and angry at the same time. "Y-you…how did…?"
Natsu's glare was beginning to scare Malloy, and he was trembling a bit before he began to huff and grit his teeth violently.
"I REFUSE TO BE LOWER THAN YOU! SCUM LIKE YOU CAN'T BEAT ME! NOT EVER!" He created an iron mace with spikes on it, and he charged at a panting Natsu. He rushed at him hysterically. "I'LL SHOW YOU ALL!"
Happy saw that Natsu wasn't moving as Malloy advanced. "Gah! That attack took too much! Natsu look out!"
Malloy closed the distance and raised the mace over his head, ready to bring it down on Natsu. With a harsh battlecry, he began to bring the mace down.
However Natsu and the mace were intercepted. It was a swift flash and a slash, and the mace disappeared back into thin air. Natsu stood stunned as he saw who protected him.
"Erza." He muttered. The scarlet-haired mage was in her Flight Armor and was in a slashing pose. Malloy had a bad cut on his right arm and recoiled in pain. He looked back in anger to find out the culprit being Erza, more anger in his eyes.
"What?! How did you get here?!" He demanded.
Natsu continued looking at Erza in awe as she showed up just in time. Her brown eyes glanced back at him. "Are you alright, Natsu?"
Momentarily surprised, he just stared. A smile then crept onto his face. "Heh, what took ya so long?"
Erza smiled back at him, happy to see him alright. She turned back towards Malloy, taking another stance and requipping into her Lightning Empress Armor. Her spear was pointed at him. "Tell me, what do you have in mind for Solidaster? Answer me."
Malloy was shaking out of frustration and disgust. He brought his palms together and a flash erupted. "I'll never answer to sorry people like you. You scum are nothing to us! Iron-Make: Chains!" He shot a thick chain at Erza, and it rattled as it raced after her.
"HRAH!" Erza jabbed the chain end with her spear, and the clang sound echoed in between. Erza's eyes narrowed and she made lightning revolve around her spear, and when she tried pushing against the overwhelming chain, the lightning charged right into the iron, and channeled its way down towards Malloy.
Malloy screamed violently as he was electrocuted by Erza's attack. He was covered in blue lightning and felt the discharge all around. He growled as the Magic level within him swelled, and the lightning vanished and the ground rumbled.
"What's this? So much power." Erza muttered. She felt the Magic level rise from the man and he clenched his fists and made a bright flash.
"Like that'll stop me! Iron-Make: Cannon!" He extended his arm out, and before him was a huge, iron cannon. "Say goodnight!"
The canon shot a heavy sphere of iron, which shot at Erza, who requipped once more, this time in her Purgatory Armor. She swung her mace with all her might, knocking away the iron cannonball like a baseball. It crashed right into an empty building, making a loud explosion and rumble.
"Try something heavier!" Malloy extended his arm out, and the cannon fired once more, shooting a slightly larger and heavier ball. The iron ball went at Erza, and once again Erza swatted at it with her pointed mace ends. She struck the ball, but it felt like hitting a bat to a bowling ball. Erza struggled with all her might, and she barely deflected the shot some ways away, but at the cost of her mace shattering.
"So much weight in his attacks-!" Erza was met with another iron ball, this one making full contact. She screamed in pain as she shot right past Natsu and crashed into a building wall, quaking the entire structure.
Natsu turned back at her. "Erza!"
The dust cleared, and Erza coughed. She was embedded into the wall, and without any weapon or way of moving, Malloy began to put his hands together, making a brilliant shine.
"Now you see? You're no different than a slave! You're easy to manipulate when I lash a chain onto ya! I'll put you in your place!" He shot a thick chain at Erza as she was still stuck to the wall from that extremely heavy attack.
When it was close to her, a sudden projectile kicked with furious might. The whole chain's course was redirected, and it crashed into the ground somewhere far away. Everyone stood frozen as the culprit was none other than Natsu, who was panting with veins all over his face.
"What did-!" He was met with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist to the face, shooting him back into the cove cliffs in a crater.
"Don't ever…" Natsu growled. "Don't ever, call Erza that."
Erza's eyes widened and her heart thumped.
"You don't know anything about us. You don't know and you'll never care, because you want only control. And when you called Erza what she once was…" His fists clenched hard. "You just crossed the line!" He became inflamed once more. "WE RISKED OUR LIVES TO FREE HER FROM HER NIGHTMARE, AND WE SURE AS HELL WILL NEVER MAKE HER RELIVE THAT AGAIN!"
"Natsu." Erza felt touched that Natsu cared about her past. She was a slave in the Tower of Heaven, and just thinking about it didn't do good, and yet here was Natsu, the one guy who struck down Jellal and ended her nightmare and saved her from risking her own life.
Malloy stumbled back up to his feet and wiped his chin. "Did his power increase all of a sudden?" Veins popped out of his forehead. "Too bad! Back to the shackles you both go! Iron-Make: Cannon!" He created a big cannon before him, in which he fired heavy balls of rough iron.
As they closed in on Natsu, the Dragon Slayer roared a heaping fire at the incoming barrage. The fire engulfed the iron balls, and they all began to slowly melt through the attack, leaving nothing left.
"Impossible! Did his heat increase-?!" He was caught off guard when a flash of red rushed on his right side, and a slower examination showed Erza thrusting a sword in her Heaven's Wheel Armor at him.
"Pentagram Sword!" She slashed with her sword in a pentagram motion, ending up behind Malloy as the man screamed with gashes all over him.
Malloy got to a knee as he coughed. 'I-impossible…' He remembered from before, when Erza couldn't slice through his prison when they first met. 'When did she get stronger all of a sudden?' He looked up at Natsu. 'Is this the power of friendship?...No She must've been holding back! There was only one other who could've cut me!' He stood up and looked back at her.
"I'm sick of you all!" Malloy coated his arms in iron gauntlets and rushed after Erza from behind. The Requip Mage turned around and blocked a gauntlet with one sword, and then used her spare arm to requip another sword to intercept another gauntlet, holding him off well, but was losing ground quickly.
"You'll be a slave that I can kill in an instant! I'll cage and confine you all until you rot!" He shouted, putting more pressure onto her. "And nothing will ever change that!"
"You're wrong!" Erza began to slowly gain momentum and push back against him. "My bonds and the memories I share with Fairy Tail will always be stronger!" She started to put pressure on Malloy now. "No matter how badly you see the world, you'll never understand that being caged in loneliness is something none of us will ever deal with!"
"HRAH!" Natsu let loose a fast uppercut out of the blue, sending Malloy into the air and screaming. Erza looked down at Natsu, only to see him focused and determined to strike him down. "Now Erza!"
Erza took off into the air. "Right!" She let out a battlecry as she ascended after Malloy, who was suspended in the air. The man was rendered unable to stop her and saw the fierce face of a warrior.
"Blumenblatt!" She past him, slashing her swords and many followed in her wake. The multitude of swords made Malloy scream as he felt more strength from her.
As Malloy fell. She looked down. "Now Natsu!"
"GRRAHHH!" Natsu screamed below, lighting himself into a super-heated human. His flames once again took the form of a fierce dragon, and Malloy's face paled as Natsu pivoted to attack.
"NO! NO! I WILL NOT LOSE! I SHALL CAGE AND IMPRISON ALL SLAVES! VICTORY SHALL BE MINE!" He violently screamed in hysteria, but was unable to back it up as Natsu pivoted.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus – Exploding Flame Blade!" Natsu swirled his hands around, and he sent a catastrophic torrent of fire that flashed every second all around. Malloy screamed in bitter violence as he was engulfed by the fire and sent spiraling upwards through the sky.
Natsu took a finished stance and panted as Erza descended, herself panting from exhaustion. She requipped into her Heart Kreuz Armor and was covered in a few small scratches, though it was nothing compared to how exhausted Natsu was.
A crash sound was heard behind them, and Malloy was seen in a cindered crater, his whole body's attire destroyed and devoid of pupils.
"Y-you…will pay…Grander will…destroy you all…" After that he fully lost consciousness and laid on the ground.
Natsu smirked and suddenly collapsed. "Natsu!" Erza caught him and held him close. Natsu huffed as he had taken a lot of damage, and Erza was proud to know Natsu took on someone who had remarkably higher Magic Power than her. She smiled down at him and Happy flew over. "Natsu, you did amazing."
In her embrace, the Dragon Slayer made his trademark toothy grin. "Heh, heh. Couldn't have done it without ya."
Erza lightly blushed and her embrace tightened a little.
On the ship, in Grander's chamber, he was remaining as composed as possible. He was sensing Magic all over, and it showed just how much of a fuss Solidaster was making. He didn't wanna leave his quarters, and he preferably didn't need to, but when he sensed Iori and Malloy's Magic levels drop in an instant, he grew unsound. "Malloy, defeated so easily?" When Malloy is defeated, it meant something went wrong. Whoever they were dealing, whoever was saving Solidaster, they weren't to be taken lightly.
Slowly rising to his feet, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He began to exit his chamber, ready to exterminate the pests belittling his underlings.
Boreas crouched as he glared down Craig, whose hands showed the veins. Boreas's arm spiraled fast winds and waited for Craig to move a muscle, but the latter was as motionless as a statue. He was glaring him down, and vice versa.
Soon enough, Craig broke the silent. "What's the matter airhead, lost the nerve?"
Boreas scoffed at him. "Funny, I could be asking you the same thing."
"You know from what I recall, you three are ranked, aren't ya?" Craig cracked his knuckles once more. "If I recall correctly, that musclebound animal was the weakest, while Malloy was the strongest, yet he was a stubborn and crazy case." He took a few steps forward. "And that just leaves you, the intermediate."
"Shut up." Boreas countered. "Well you know what I remember? The countless lives we had to face, including yours."
Craig's eyes narrowed and swallowed hard. A long silence fell upon them.
1 year ago
Bosco, a country close to Fiore, and one who holds slaves, and quite a few women as well. On this day, there were dark skies, and fires and riots everywhere. People were screaming and there was hysteria and chaos everywhere.
Many of the women and slaves who had the opportunity to escape had already done so. The ones who chose to fight for freedom were in the midst of fighting for it, and many had already fallen doing so. It wasn't pretty, and Bosco's entire government and military forces, even Grander's entire army was holding and fighting off as many slaves as possible.
Screams and shouts were about, and Craig had his doubled-bladed mouth sword and two others on him. "Spiral Dragon Slice!" He spun right through a multitude of enemy men at once, cutting them down as he went on ahead.
He ran, and as he did, a few were going up against him, yet that didn't deter him. "Dual Guillotine!" With a swift lunge, the blades slashed on both sides, one upper and one lower, and once again enemy men fell.
He rushed on ahead, and he came to a skidding halt when he came face-to-face with someone who was really pushing his buttons. He put his swords away."…Malloy."
"Tch! Die already, slaves!" He clasped his hands together. "Iron-Make: Chains!" He lashed a thick chain at Craig, who merely shifted left to dodge the thick chain and it continued on, hitting a fellow ally.
Craig grabbed the hefty chain, and with his strength, he yanked with all his might, bringing Malloy closer. Malloy was unbalanced as Craig crouched and rushed after him with a clenched fist.
"Smile! Smash!" With all his might, he punched with excessive force, and it was like Malloy was hit by a wrecking ball. He was sent shooting backwards and crashed into the ground. He repositioned himself and lunged at Malloy as he roused back up. "You ain't getting away with any of the pain you caused!"
"Try and stop me!" Though already damaged from his few quarrels with Craig from before, he still had some power left. He put his hands together. "Slaves shall be caged yet! Iron-Make-!"
"HRAH!" A sudden tackle from behind caught him slipping. A little girl with light blue hair in a bun and a long bang on the right side of her face, possibly no older than 11. She was a fellow slave and much like the others chose to fight for her freedom.
"Nina?!" Craig exclaimed. He was shocked and horrified to find some of the few people he's befriended in Bosco was actually fighting, and to make matters worse that it was Nina, a fellow slave that Craig had a small adventure with.
Nina shoved Malloy forward, making him fall on his face. "You leave him alone!"
"You little…" Malloy turned around and began to get up. "I'm gonna- G-AH!"
He was cut off when he was grabbed behind by another slave. Nina looked with surprise and determination. "Alright, Al!"
Al, another friendly slave that Craig got acquainted with. He was taller than Nina, and quite possibly the same age as Craig. He was dark-skinned, and had on plain tattered tan pants. He also had a tattered white shirt with no sleeves. His whole body was covered in several cuts and his muscles held off Malloy, confining him.
"Al!" Craig exclaimed with shock as well.
"Don't think that we're going down without a fight!" Al stated. Malloy tried pulling away, but Al yanked harder.
Nina grabbed one of his legs. "This'll stop you!" She held onto his right leg and arm, making it even harder for him to move. "Attack, Craig!"
Craig put the gold sheath with the double blade in his mouth again, narrowing his eyes and held up his two other swords. "Alright!" He crouched and lunged on ahead after the restrained Malloy. "You won't confine anyone to chains again! I'll make sure of it!"
Malloy violently struggled. "NO! STAY AWAY SLAVES!" He watched Craig advance. "CRAIG CRIUS, YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER SET FOOT IN THIS COUNTRY! THIS IS ALL YOUR-!"
"Devil's Cross!" He swung his swords in opposite horizontal arcs, gashing along his arms while he swung his head up, bringing the right side of the mouth blade up, the sharp back slicing his chest upwards, leaving a hefty gash there as well.
Malloy screamed violently as he fell back and landed on his back with a thud, his eyes devoid of pupils. Craig huffed as the injuries from before in the multitude of encounters with Malloy were catching up. His body had already accumulated so much damage, and all he did was huff and pant as Malloy was finally taken down.
Nina pumped a fist. "Alright!"
Al huffed. "That oughta teach the bastard." He turned towards Craig. "C'mon, we gotta reach him!"
Craig panted and got his feet under him, using one of his swords as a support. "Yeah, you're right." His eyes narrowed. "Grander's gonna fall."
"I think not." A sudden foot stomp got everyone's attention. They all turned towards the direction from where it came from, only to be shot by a spiraling twister. The twister engulfed the three and they all screamed as they were sent flying.
Craig, Nina, and Al crashed onto the ground and grunted in pain. All three slowly got up, revealing Boreas. He slowly advanced as they got to their feet, and Boreas brought an arm back.
"Persistent brats!" He punched forward, sending another spiraling twister at them. Craig hurriedly drove a sword into the ground and used it as an anchor, but Al and Nina both screamed and spun around. Craig's eyes widened with shock and terror as his friends were being tossed around again, and watched Al fall on his back while Nina fell on her stomach.
"Ow…" Nina whined. A shadow loomed over her and she looked up, seeing the dark look Boreas gave off. She could only swallow out of fear.
"…annoying brat." He brought a leg back and viciously kicked Nina in her stomach, making her shout in pain.
"NINA!" Craig shouted. His sword sheaths were clenched tighter and he rushed after Boreas, yet as he brought his blade down, Boreas shot his palm at Craig, the blast of wind being faster than his blade. Craig gagged as he shot back and tumbled, his swords in hand falling out, and he barely clenched onto his mouth blade.
Boreas brought another leg back and kicked Nina again, and again, relentlessly hurting the slave fighting for freedom. "You don't have the power to stop us! Learn your place!"
Nina had tears in her eyes as she was kicked harder than the last, even stomped on. But even so, she refused to cry out. She always kept her spirits up, even after becoming a slave. She hardly cried, and when Craig was one of the few people she cried to, she always felt better and ready to live for the next day.
"I'll-nnggh!" She grunted in pain as she was stomped on the side of her face. "I'LL NEVER STOP FIGHTING!"
Al arose to his feet, panting and wiping his chin. The fires and people mercilessly attacking each other behind him gave him a more scary appeal. "You're sick. Picking on a little girl like that." He rushed after Boreas. "LET HER GO!"
"GET LOST!" Boreas shot his palm out at Al. The close-range palm strike shot a blast of wind as fas bullet, striking Al right in his abdomen. The severe pressure shot was like a massive wrecking ball, and Al's eyes widened as he dropped to his knees and began to fall over.
"AL!" Craig hollered out.
Al coughed as the air was literally knocked out of him. He coughed up red a little and struggled to get up.
Craig violently rushed on in, getting his swords back and went to defend his comrades that were being violently beaten. Watching Al injured and Nina getting stomped on was what drove him to speed even faster into Boreas, letting out a monstrous roar at him as the raging war went on.
"I must admit, those two were quite troublesome, including the few others that gained up on me." Boreas mused with extreme spite. "It didn't matter, they're not here anymore."
Craig's eyes narrowed and sharpened. The ground beneath him left small foot-sized craters as he rushed at Boreas, driving a swift yet mighty right took into his face. Boreas skidded back and kept his footing.
He felt his cheek, where it stung pretty hard, and looked back at the monster that was Craig, his sharp, predator-like teeth showing. "Did I hit a nerve?"
"Don't ever speak of them that way." Craig said. "I fought by their sides to the end, and nothing will ever change the fact that you just insulted them." He took a step, great pressure given off. "This has nothing to do with them now. It's you and me."
Boreas smirked. "Just how I like it!" The wind on his arms began to spiral. "Now come! Twister Rocket!" He punched forward, unleashing a violent and very powerful twister at Craig. Craig was swallowed up in the spiral and grunted as everything around him was a haze as he spiraled off into the sky.
His eyes were shut, but they opened up when he reached an elevation. He recovered quickly from the attack and positioned his body into a dive down towards. He went down in a slant towards Boreas, who was caught startled by Craig gaining momentum.
"HRAH!" Craig straightened his feet out and looked like a predator with feet stretched out to grab or attack. His feet stomped down on Boreas's chest, crashing the Gale Mage into the earth with a thunderous boom. Dust blew everywhere and Craig backflipped off of him, landing on a knee.
He looked up to see Boreas jumping back to his feet, his face showing anger. "You've gotten stronger. So try and handle this!" He clasped his hands together, and a very strong wind began blowing all around. Craig could feel a strong Magic level accelerate and saw Boreas's eyes open. "Soaring Dragon!" His body exerted a strong gale. The winds spiraled and swerved towards Craig, taking the form of a serpentine dragon with a large mouth.
As a counter, Craig cartwheeled towards his right, evading the Soaring Dragon that continued onwards until reaching a far enough point to explode, sending winds in all directions. That included a tailwind that Craig caught onto and used that to his advantage. His feet left the ground and he sped into Boreas with a lariat.
"What the-?!" Boreas's eyes opened wide as his attack backfired. He gagged as Craig did a lariat right to his gut. The force was tremendous, and Craig went on and swung his arm, shooting Boreas into some debris.
"I'm not down yet!" As he sailed back, Boreas reached his arms out behind, exerting strong gale winds that cushioned the harsh crash. He barely landed in front of a pile of debris, and then propelled himself forward. "Nice try! Tempest Palm!"
Craig used his arm to block the palm strike that's mixed with pressurized air currents. The palm struck Craig's arms, making a powerful burst of air that made Craig skid backwards, forcing him to jump and crouch to a halt.
"Soaring Dragon!" Boreas wasted no time in unleashing another spiraling tempest. The attack went spiraling and shaped into that of a serpentine dragon. Craig was swallowed up and was inside the huge spiraling tempest. He grunted and covered himself as winds swerved him all around.
"How about this!" Boreas moved his arms up higher, making the dragon swerve up into the sky. The Gale Magic attack tossed Craig around like a rag doll, yet it seemed to only agitate him.
'This guy's still a blowhard.' He thought as he spun. 'And now he's just pissing me off.'
The dragon exploded in the air above, unleashing air currents in all directions. The explosion of wind everywhere was strong enough that several palm trees lost a lot of leaves, and nearby windows shattered. Among the air currents, Craig was shot with one to a nearby rooftop. He fumbled and tumbled on his sides, rolling with his landing to lessen the damage.
Boreas's eyes narrowed. "Showoff."
"You're one to talk." Craig countered from above. He stood back up and looked down at Boreas. "Speaking of talk, I'll have to ask why you're here to begin with."
"Tch, you're so stubborn." Boreas scoffed at him. "Fine, if you want to know, then you'll have to beat me within an inch of my life."
Craig's sharp teeth showed as he smirked. "Challenge accepted." He jumped off the rooftop, and at that instant Boreas punched at him yet again, sending a strong, spiraling wind at him.
"Not today, pal!" Craig dove right into the spiraling Twister Rocket and began to spin in the attack, and found himself spinning towards the building again. However Craig scoffed and hit the building with his feet. He waited for the Gale Magic attack to settle and then went straight in for the assault.
He lunged off the building side and shot down at Boreas. The Gale Mage jumped away as Craig was gonna reach him, and when Craig reached his former spot, he instead broke into an unsteady tumble roll forward and drove a fist up.
"Soaring Pain!" Craig drove a mighty uppercut into Boreas's chin, the force making Boreas's mouth gape as he felt the jaw bone break from the attack. He shot upwards and descended downwards close by, crashing into the ground with a harsh thud.
Craig turned towards the dust cloud. "Is that it? Or are you still warming up?" Craig could still feel the reserves of Magic Boreas had, and he was right to assume Boreas was holding back, because moments later winds began to pick up, and the sky above began to get cloudy.
Craig felt Magic pressure building up, and he bent his knees and looked around as straight above a tornado began to descend straight down on him. It was a very large one, enough to encompass the whole area he was in.
The tornado hit the ground, and Craig and Boreas were the only ones trapped inside. Boreas emerged from the debris and scoffed at Craig. "Pushing my buttons is a good reason why I should blow this whole section of Solidaster away."
Craig growled back, his blood boiling even more. "Funny, because you're pushing my buttons."
Cana looked up into the sky, where it suddenly became cloudy. She felt a strong wind pick up and covered up. "Geez, what the heck is with sudden weather change?" She could barely put one foot in front of the other and saw a massive tornado wall ahead. Its size was huge, and seemingly reached up to the skies.
"Oh man, just what's going on?"
With Natsu and Erza, the two were supporting the other as a violent wind brushed all around them. Their pace began to slow down and Happy was seen blown away and tumbling to the ground.
"What the heck? Wind?"
Erza discerned as best she could, and saw a huge tornado wall to the north. "Something's wrong."
On the ship, heading down a route, Grander grunted and looked out the window he passed by, seeing the cloudy sky and strong winds swaying the water. He looked on and saw a tornado wall surprisingly close by. "Boreas, don't tell me someone's getting you all worked up again."
Boreas's palms straightened, and pressurized wind was formed. "Now we're talking! Let's see what you can do!"
Craig scoffed back, growling with his sharp teeth gritting. He reached back behind himself and grabbed the blood red sword and the dark red one. "Alright, be my guest, airhead!"
"Tempest Palm!" He rapidly unleashed many palm strikes at Craig as the latter ran ahead towards him, sending pressurized wind bullets at him. The bullets seemed to be heavy on Magic, and Boreas shot a lot at him.
Craig rushed on in, shifting left, dodging one bullet that exploded like a bomb. He rushed on and shifted right then after, evading another bullet of air that exploded from behind. Seeing another one aimed right at him, he crossed his two blades and slashed right through the bullet of air, dispersing it completely. He continued his course, dodging and slashing at air bullets from the Tempest Palm until he met up with Boreas directly.
Craig brought back a sword and looked as though he was gonna swing it, but he instead faked it out and instead bumped it up into the air by pushing on the pommel with his palm, sending the sword upwards.
"What the…?" Boreas looked up, which left Craig to clench his free fist and punched Boreas right in the abdomen, making the man shoot back with a loud gag. He skidded right to a halt, and Craig caught his falling sword and chucked it at him.
Boreas's eyes widened at the incoming sword and hurriedly swiped his arms in a pivot, making an air current that barely deflected the sharp sword, grazing his right cheek, leaving a long cut and the sword pierced the ground behind him.
Craig snickered. "Not too shabby."
"Shut up!" Boreas began to spin his body and lashed his arm out. "Delta Razor!" A long and sharp air current shot in a direction close to Craig and arced its way down towards him. Craig jumped back in time to evade the sharp air current, shattering the ground from where he stood. Tons of rock flew as he skidded back, and he covered up in his skid as rock and pavement passed him.
When a large chunk went his way, he used the one dark red sword in his left hand and slashed into the rock, slicing the rock in half. As the pieces spread apart and went on either side, Boreas appeared in front and had his palm having pressurized air currents.
"Tempest Palm!"
He did a palm strike on Craig, making an air bullet erupt in front. Craig's eyes widened at the pain and yelled as he flew back from the force. He flew back and grunted, catching the distance between them. He drove his sword into the ground as he traveled back, anchoring him into the ground and leaving a cut-in trail that went for nearly twenty feet.
Craig landed on a one-knee pose and looked back up at Boreas, who already his next attack.
"Soaring Dragon!" He launched a serpentine air current at Craig, but the person with a major attitude sped towards his right, running from the Soaring Dragon that went onwards, dispersing in the tornado wall surrounding them.
Despite the high level of winds, Craig kept on running around Boreas in a long arc on the latter's left. Boreas repeatedly shot air blasts and air currents at Craig, yet every single one kept on missing as Craig ducked and leaped as he ran. His glare was sharp, yet it was set on his pierced sword some ways away.
He arced around, coming up behind Boreas while evading more Gale Magic and plucked his sword from the ground. With both in hand, he made a sharp turn in towards Boreas, who turned around and readied his assault. "Twister Rocket!"
He punched both fists forward, unleashing two twisters at Craig, who charged right into the twisters with his swords crossed like a pair of scissors.
"Scissor Runner!"
He crossed his swords in front, his wrists twisting as he spread the hilts to opposite sides and 'snipped' the twisters, leaving a great opening and dispelling the winds, leaving him to run through and attack Boreas.
"Oh snap!" Boreas exclaimed. As Craig advanced, he grew weary. He looked around and recalled how his Gale Magic was making a gale tornado in conjunction with its level. If he could get him inside, then its victory for him.
He smirked. "Alright, try slicing this!" He raised his hands high and slammed them to the ground.
"Rising Typhoon!"
As Craig advanced, he was caught surprised by the sudden call and was unable to act accordingly as a gale arose from the ground, like an updraft. The updraft was so strong and so forceful that Craig found himself flying upwards, unable to control himself and screamed as the Rising Typhoon spouted him out, causing him to fall into the tornado wall.
Boreas laughed hardily as Craig was swallowed up inside. "How about that! Once you're inside, you'll either be spit out at 500mph, splattering into something; or you'll suffocate!"
Inside the tornado wall, Craig was spinning rapidly all around, and the air currents were making it hard for him to breathe.
'This isn't good. At this rate…' He was barely holding onto his swords, and all he could do was just spin rapidly around Boreas, ascending upwards into the sky. Everything for him was starting to get hazy, and his oxygen was starting to deteriorate.
An image of Nina and Al suddenly popped into his head, both smiling.
His eyes shot open. He shook his head and began to focus. He saw Boreas at the dead center far below. That's when Craig began to show his teeth again.
"Okay you swine, now it's my turn." With what control he had, Craig crossed his swords and slashed them, leaving a small opening big enough to fall through. With the opening, he let out a battlecry concealed by the howling tornado and fell through, plummeting at a miraculous rate down onto Boreas.
Having suspected that he won, Boreas didn't bother looking up, rather he scoffed and looked all around to see if Craig was visible, yet nowhere in sight.
Up above, Craig sheathed his two swords and tightened the sleeves wrapped around his waist. He then began to spin and tumble downwards, almost like a vertical cannonball. His speed was accelerating, and he was rotating so fast that it seemed impossible to slow him down.
"Choke on this you clown! Sky Sunder!"
At the last second, he straightened out, using the momentum gained from the high rotation speed to do a blinding stomp down on Boreas with the impact force and made the entire ground quake. Boreas screamed in pain as the ground shattered from the shockwave of Craig's momentum-gained attack, and the brutal force echoed about.
Quickly, the huge tornado wall surrounding them vanished, and the winds all around were beginning to subside, reducing to light breezes as they were before Boreas arrived. Craig glared down with a sharp and predatory gaze, seeing the white eyes devoid of pupils, meaning Boreas was definitely defeated.
The sky began to clear up, showing hardly any clouds compared to the battle when Boreas was acting up. He looked up at the sky and saw the sun overhead. "Well now, seems things are clearing up as they should be."
He looked down at Boreas, would looked as though all of his bones were broken from the heavy-weighted force of Craig's last move. He got off him. "Well it looks like you won't be talking." He started walking away. "Guess I'll get answers from the big guy himself when I meet his face again."
His eyes cascaded down as he began walking away. "We'll see why he's here."
Grander saw the sky clear up as he exited his ship. He felt almost no Magic from Boreas, which meant that he was defeated. Truth be known, this actually surprised Grander. It's very rare to have all three fall, so whomever was present was no laughing matter as before.
"Fine, I guess if you want something done right, you've gotta do it yourself."
This took almost 2 weeks, and it's much longer than the previous chapters, but I did my best as always. I was on a roll a couple of nights and I began to slow down as I needed to think, but the results seemed well worth it.
Comment on what was good about it, which fight rocked, etc. Until next time!