Craig looked outside, seeing the rain flow. His little feet were atop of the cushions, watching the droplets hit the window behind the couch. His black hair that was beginning to slick back some seemed to glisten, reflecting the light outside.
"Rain…" He muttered.
Cana pouted alongside him. "Aw man! The flowers are gonna get all soggy!" It's been raining nonstop since the early morning, and Craig and Cana were left with not much to do but stay inside. The two and their activities were commonly taking place outside in the fields in the front of the cozy cottage, but the problem was that the rain was keeping them from playing one of their part-time games such as tag or hide-n-seek.
It was hard to tell how long Craig's been staying with Cana and Cornelia, but it hasn't been too long. Maybe two months mostly, but the time to Craig has felt like forever. He's grown quite fond of his new friends, and caretakers. Cornelia and Cana in return have been enlightened by Craig. He's been an immense handful, especially given his appetite, his wandering around, adventurous, curious, defiant, and the way he always sneaks new snacks every now and again. It left Cornelia shocked yesterday when she found half of the bread had been devoured…along with half of the other rations she's purchased for the week. And Craig learned the hard way that a big appetite leads to scolding and time to sit in the corner, and yet dis he listen or understand to a single thing Cornelia said?
The answer was no.
"Your belly still full?" Cana asked.
Craig burped, a long one. It was a high-pitch burp, but though it was a little cute, it was long, lasting almost five seconds.
Cana gave another pouty face. "What do you say?"
"I regret nothing!" Craig announced as he plopped onto his seat on the couch.
Cana gave a second pout. "You're being rude!"
"Cana, Craig, please come over here. You'll catch a cold if you don't get closer to the warm fire." Cornelia said.
"Yes, Mommy." Cana got down from the couch, and following not far behind her was Craig. Both children gathered around the fireplace and watched as the crackling embers went up the chimney. Cornelia sat in a small rocking chair close by the warmth, with the two children huddled beneath a single large blanket. This was a rather cold day, especially since just recently Gardenia was struck by a cold front. The temperatures were surprisingly lower than they ever were before for a time meant for warmth, so a few bodies were shivering here and here if not wearing long-sleeved clothing.
Craig let out a yawn, signifying his slight case of exhaustion. "Is someone getting sleepy?" Cornelia questioned.
Craig huffed. "I am not."
"Mr. Tough Guy isn't gonna persuade my Mommy." Cana teased. She looked away as Craig blushed and looked away, but at the same time, she saw that her mother was looking out at the window, watching the rain flow all the way down. It was rough, especially for Cornelia. She stared longingly outside; so long in fact that she got the attention of both children.
"Mommy?"
Cornelia snapped back to reality. She looked down at Cana, who seemed worried. "Sorry, sweetheart, did you say something?" She smiled.
"You looked sad. Are you okay?" Cana asked.
Cornelia shook her head. "No, no, Cana. I'm perfectly well. No need to get worked up. It's just…I didn't get the chance to pick flowers this morning. I like to go outside and get the best flowers out in the field that I could get, and make them into a glass to liven up the house, if but for a short while.
Craig stared at Cornelia, seeing how yearning her tone was. She looked like she could really use a nice sense of touching-up right now. All he did was just stay silent.
Cana blinked. "Do you think the flowers will still be pretty?"
Cornelia smiled as she stood up. "I'm sure of it. The rain is just a small setback. Don't you worry. I'm sure the flowers will be blooming again tomorrow once this cold air passes over." She went on over and slid the curtains closed, blocking out the gloominess the rain would've brought. Cornelia looked back over and continued to smile. "Now, how's about we play some indoor games?"
Cana smiled. "What kinds?"
"Well, why don't we see what you have to say? You're curious, and I'm sure Craig is…" Cornelia took a second look around. Her eyes blinked, and she realized the spot behind Cana was vacant. "Craig…? Sweetheart…?"
Cana looked back to her right, realizing Craig was nowhere near the spot he was before. "Craig?"
Cornelia looked around, she and her daughter beginning to look high and low. "Craig! Craig?" Both were calling out, the two searching all over the house. Cornelia looked inside and underneath beds to see where Craig might be hiding, but found no luck. "Craig, if this is Hide and Seek, please come out!" But alas got no answer.
"Craig!" Cana screamed. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" She looked underneath the tables in the kitchen, but no luck unfortunately.
The mother-daughter duo converged in the living room in front of the fire. Both looked seemingly frantic.
"Did you find him?" Cornelia asked.
Cana shook her head. "No…" She looked distressed. "Mommy…I'm scared. What could've happened to him?"
A sudden knock at the front door got Cornelia's attention. The woman didn't seem amused, but still looked somewhat surprised. "Who is that at this time?" She exasperated, her worries clearly overcoming her curiosity. She went on over towards the front door, managing to turn the knob. "Yes, can I help-?"
However, to her shock, it wasn't just anybody. It was Craig, standing in front of the door. "Hi!" He smiled, despite his body soaked to the marrow.
"Craig?" Cornelia gasped. "Hurry, come inside!" Inside Craig went, doing as told and Cornelia shut the door behind. Craig scrubbed his soaked socks against the welcome home mat and looked up to see Cana entering.
The little girl's face brightened up. "Mommy, you found him!
Cornelia nodded. "Yes, and I'm glad." She looked down at Craig, her face turning towards a less unpleasant one. "Craig, what were you thinking? I told you not to go outside!" Cornelia scolded. "You could've caught a cold!"
Craig looked down, frowning. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "It's just…"
"Craig, what did you do…?" Cornelia had to question for is safety, but when Craig's soaked left arm extended up, in the grasps of the toddler was something the mother never would've expected. Her heart skipped nearly two beats upon seeing the pink flowers in Craig's hand. The mother was brought to a standstill.
"Craig…what did…?"
"I…knew you were sad, so I went and picked pretty flowers for you. I made sure all of them were this pretty pink color. You said you wanted to…right?" The little boy held up the wet flowers to Cornelia. Despite being wet, they stood upright.
Cornelia knelt down, her shock being replaced by a soft gaze. "Craig…" She couldn't believe it. This three-year-old deliberately went outside to get flowers, despite insidious conditions just to appease Cana's mom. To say Cornelia was touched would be an understatement. The mother seized Craig, bringing him into a warming hug. The child was brought into his own shock.
Cornelia smiled. "Craig, you didn't have to do that…but I'm touched. From the very bottom of my heart." She pulled back, disregarding how her dress now was a little wet. She smiled lovingly as Craig handed her the flowers. They smelled fantastic. "They're beautiful."
Craig smiled wide. He did give the flowers to her, but he had a single flower in hand still. Stumbling past Cornelia, he stood in front of Cana, his hand stretched out and presenting the single flower to her. "Here." He smiled.
Cana graciously accepted the single pink flower, her smile widening as she stared at it. She looked back to Craig, a small tint in her cheeks. "I love it!" She squealed.
Craig smiled wider, a small blush of embarrassment on his cheeks. Both Cornelia and Cana smiled as Craig's sincerity, and then as the rain fell outside, Craig sneezed. It was cute.
Cornelia sighed. "Oh, look at you now. Let's get you a nice hot bath started for you, mister. Looks like you just got a little cold."
Craig sniffled. "Okay." He accepted, again sneezing, nearly falling over.
As the bathwater ran, the windowsill in the kitchen had two glasses on it, both filled with water. One was much larger with a full set of beautiful pink flowers, and the other had a singular flower; both were so beautiful and vibrant that the rain seemed oblivious.
One of Craig's eyes opened back up, the fatigue he'd taken from staying up from the sea being evident. As much as he wanted to growl, he wasn't putting up with any sense of grunting. He mustered the strength to open his other eye, finally arising to see that he was on the deck, sleeping against the repaired balcony Andrea did last night.
With his head drooped, he looked left, and the cascaded towards the right. The ship looked as it was meant to be as always. Natsu and Gajeel were on the opposite side of the ship, morning sea sickness getting the nest of them. Elfman, Evergreen, and Gray were already up and about on the ship as well. Erza was close by Natsu's side it seemed, and Andrea was perhaps below deck. Looking up he saw Ace was cross-armed and staring ahead stoically towards the sea, like a statue that can't be moved by the likes of gods.
He looked away, realizing that on his left was Cana. The brunette was yawning as she was lying on the wooden deck rather than sleeping how Craig was. The brunette stretched her arms overhead, letting out a long yawn.
"Man, for a ship, I expected a more…rockety voyage. Talk about…smooth sailing." Cana let out another yawn, still getting used to being awoken.
Craig was only five feet away, but even then, he still had a memory as he just slept. It was vague, but he could tell just by looking how Cana somehow resembled her younger-self still it was an odd and awkward feeing, but there wasn't much to be done. It was a memory, but all he did was stare and half-grin before finally turning away moments later.
"Tch, guess rainy forecast just passed." He comically figured.
"Everyone, proceed towards the deck!" Ace announced.
Elfman turned towards the sound of Ace. "Huh? What could be going on?"
"Probably spotted a giant fish we can eat." Happy mumbled, stuffing his face with a large fish he managed to catch.
"Doubt it." Lily sweat dropped with crossed arms.
Craig raised his head and swallowed the last remnants of raw fish and chomped like a primal beast. Once that was out of the way, he stood up and jumped up to the upper deck, where the great Ace Hunter was overlooking the sea and the deck. He said nothing, but otherwise offered no sense of sound.
Ace tuned towards Craig. "No questions? No sound offer?"
Craig looked ahead with a nonchalant need. "Sorry to leave you speechless there if you were expecting something pointless."
Ace turned ahead, looking as Erza and the others began to gather. "Very well then."
"Excuse me." Craig turned to look towards his left, seeing Andrea there with a tapping foot and hands to her hips. "Craig Crius, be with the others down below." She said, though it sounded more like a demand.
Craig rolled his eyes away, disinterested. "What is this? Second seat?"
"You will move, now!" Andrea threatened.
Craig narrowed his eyes. Yes, Andrea pissed him off, and Cana also did, but Craig despised how pushy people can be. He didn't see the big deal out of being right by an acquaintance, but Andrea apparently thought otherwise. Second seat belonged to her, and her alone. "You know what, a brat like you isn't worth being talked back to."
Andrea's eyes glared daggers. "What was that?"
"Later." Craig jumped down, leaving Andrea to try and follow.
"Hey-!"
"Enough, Andrea." Ace warned. "Just let it go. We're about to reach the shores."
Craig landed behind everybody else. He walked away from the rest and proceeded to walking towards the bow. Everyone – who was able-bodied at the moment – turned and saw to where Craig was looking. Elfman and Gray's eyes widened, and Erza was left slightly in shock.
Elfman blinked. "Wait, what's that?"
"I don't know, but it sure looks like what the swordsman said it'd be." Gray said.
Erza's eyes narrowed. "So that's it…"
In the distance and coming into view appeared to be a massive amount of mountainous quarry rocks. There appeared to be a beach perimeter all around, and among that seemed rather vague. There was no telling what lied beyond the large boulders as massive as mountains, but from the description Ace gave before, it fitted just about right.
"Tahunga." Craig said low.
Cana stepped forward, noticing something. "It looks secluded. Is it really its own country?"
"For a fact, this is a thriving country in its own right." Ace informed. "Looks can be deceiving, but I assure you, this singular country has exports and imports of other countries…provided they find their way in." He turned away and began to walk off. "Once we reach shore, we'll immediately begin a strategy."
"Right!" Andrea said, clutching her fists. "There won't be a minute to waste! We must seize the enemies and recue Tahunga in peril!"
Elfman looked up at Andrea, unamused. "Is it me, or she getting more than irritating."
"It's a tough call, but I believe she's more bullheaded than Natsu." Evergreen opinionated. "Honestly."
On the side of the deck, Natsu hurled another load into the sea, feeding the fish.
Erza turned away from Andrea, facing Tahunga. However, she did sneak a sinister peek over her shoulder. She looked up and saw how Andrea had her head held high, looking as though the redhead and her friends didn't exist. Briefly thinking back to last night, she remembered how aggressive the swordswoman was. She was fast, swift, and powerful. A projectile attack that went out towards the sea, such intense skill that Erza had not expected.
The redhead looked away, her guard seemingly up.
However, Andrea was looking down as soon as Erza looked away. The orangette looked on as Ace casually walked towards the bow, passing by everybody else. He stood not too far from Craig, though Craig was what really got her attention. To Andrea, the mannerism Craig showed and how he just brushed her off earlier and last night left her annoyed. She couldn't tolerate such disrespect. However, she relented…for now.
"Land! Thank you!" Natsu and Gajeel exclaimed. They knelt down and repeatedly kissed the sand in gratitude as their friends left the ship.
"That's so unmanly." Elfman noted.
"Such children." Evergreen huffed.
Andrea walked past the thankful Dragon Slayers, her opinion on them only diminishing. "Honestly, how did I end up on deck with these loons? They're not even seaworthy."
Craig was right by Cana's side, the two looking left and right as they inspected the terrain. It was indeed as Ace said. The mountainous appeal towards the outside made it intimidating to enemies. Though to Craig, he wasn't so easily impressed. But still, he applied nothing to throw negativity in the air.
"So this is Tahunga." Gray didn't seem to impressed, especially with how the tropics made it already seem hot enough as it is. Again, he found himself without much of a shirt. "Man it's hot. You'd think there'd be palm trees here and there or something."
"So you think everything is inside?" Cana wondered as she looked at the seemingly never-ending mountains.
"As far as we know, everything could be layered. If you consider it like that, then perhaps we have tropical forests, and the fact of the heart of Tahunga, where we might find the city." Craig said.
"And what made you an expert on geology so quickly?" Cana questioned.
"Call it an intuition."
"Well your intuition doesn't sound accurate."
Craig grew a tick mark. "Oh yeah? I'd like to see what you have to say."
"Why would I say anything about something I don't know?"
"Because you have to take geography into account!"
"Well all geography isn't like you intend it to be!"
"Tell me something I don't know! At least I got more brains to think than you!"
"I got more tolerance!"
"Yeah, only in alcohol! But I have a low tolerance for you!"
"I can't tolerate your breath! It smells like fish!"
"Then just pass out and sunbathe!"
"And then get cooked in the sun?! I ain't burning today, pal!"
"Would you rather be barbequed or shove din an oven?!"
"What's that mean?!"
Both Craig and Cana snarled at one another, their equal animosity starting to get attention. Ace placidly stared on, while Andrea was looking exceedingly peeved. Natsu and Gray sweat dropped, as did Elfman and Evergreen.
"Well…this is starting to look like a routine." Evergreen said.
"Uh…yeah." Elfman agreed.
"Boy, do they ever not argue?" Gray wondered.
"Don't ask me. Last time someone tried to stop them, they got yelled at pretty hard." He was obviously referring to that one time during the raid on Silver Cauldron when Erza tried to get them to focus, only for them both to tell her to shut up and stay out of it. If Erza couldn't break them, no one could.
The redhead mentioned crossed her arms. "Enough you two!" She ordered.
"Stay out of this!" They yelled in unison. As Erza was left slightly shocked, Craig and Cana resumed their snarking demeanor, throwing bantering comments left and right, and by no means friendly on any caliber. As they growled and sneered, Erza was getting frustrated,
Andrea grabbed her sword. "I'll get them to stop."
Natsu shook his head. "That ain't gonna work."
"Those two can go on for hours without stopping." Gray enforced. "Trust me, patronizing Craig isn't what you want. It'll only lessen your health."
Craig turned away. "Fish are a better catch then you!"
"I bet those ladies with the knockers just throw you back into the sea!" Cana huffed.
Craig looked towards the massive rock mounds. "The same goes for guys who find you with those things!"
"It's not my fault they're go big!"
"Sadly they're not as big as your head!"
Elfman and Evergreen sweat dropped in unison, their bickering still going on it seems. Honestly, who fights like that? And so often?
Ace turned towards the group. "That aside, let's get down to the details I can tell. As far as intel goes, I have reason to believe Tahunga has a thriving community, but the fact is that half of their goods and services are commonly imported, meaning that somewhere in Tahunga, there has to be some form of port, otherwise they wouldn't have crossed the sea."
"A liable perspective, but where do we start looking?" Erza questioned. "With our limited information, we don't even know how many enemies have infiltrated."
"Well for now, we have the element of surprise on our hand." Craig said, startling everyone. "Look, Tahunga shouldn't be too hard to navigate if it's only one big island."
Ace knelt down, getting out a large map he had in a sack. "Now look at this. This is us right here." The map was brown, with massive rocks as a perimeter with three entry points at 10, 2, and 6 o' clock positions. He pointed at the 4 o' clock position. Their mark. "The island indeed has large rock formation for seclusion, but the three harbors located are the only means of entering. That means one of the ports must have been seized upon their arrival. Now if we stay in our position, we should be far enough to not get eyes and we can apply passage through the rock formations no problem."
Natsu raised a brow. "Alright, then where do we go from there?"
Ace pointed to the town at the four o' clock position. "Tahunga has a very thin layer of vegetation with no predators. Once we pass that, we should reach Mani. Rather than one huge city, Tahunga has districts; towns one might say. Given how close they are to one another, there's no such thing as fast transport, so we'll be on our feet the entire time."
Gajeel and Natsu sighed in relief.
"However, discretion is very important. Like Ms. Scarlet said, there is no telling how many enemies have infiltrated. They could very well be blending into the crowd; therefore, we must remain out of sight."
"Well if you ask me, if we immediately divide, not only will we be able to scavenge for information, but also will keep us thin so whoever we're up with smuggling doesn't find us in one spot." Craig advised.
"Another valid option." Erza added.
Gray smirked. "Okay, I think I got the idea now."
"So once we reach Mani, District 4, there'll be breaks and enormous avenues dividing each district. Districts 2, 6, and 10 are the most populated given they are all port towns." Ace said. "If anything goes wrong, or by the chance we end up separated, meet us here, the center of Tahunga." He pointed towards the center, which was an open circle. "It's free territory, but nevertheless stay out of trouble."
"And that means they're hiding amongst the crowd. What could they want?" Andrea wondered.
Craig turned towards the small passage wedged in between the rock formations. It looked like a small chasm with light. It looked very spacious, so no worries of cave-ins. "Well if we wanna save time, I suggest we get moving."
"I hear that." Natsu smirked. "Let's get a move on!" He went charging into the eroded and weathered passage.
"Natsu, wait up you idiot!" Gray followed in pursuit.
"Don't go finding iron and keeping it from me, Salamander!" Gajeel exclaimed as he pursued them.
"MANLY!"
"Shut up you bog oaf or you're gonna get us caught!" Evergreen shouted as she followed behind.
The rest followed on, heading into the depths of Tahunga.
A few hours of trekking lead to them clearing way through the rock formations, and then it was but a mile perimeter of plants and trees, with little to worry about. Once beyond there, they made it to District 4, Mani. Mani looked to be a sizeable town, with a very happy population. For a town, it looked rather stylish. It had a variety of clothing, but for the most part seemed Italian for a theme.
Almost instantly, everyone saw Mani. "I must say, it's more eccentric than I imagined." Erza admitted, taking an immediate liking to the atmosphere to the locals and the styles.
"Hmmm, I should probably get some fashion tips while I'm here. These people know a fad when they wear one." Evergreen smirked.
"Check it out." Elfman said, looking around. "This is Mani? It's gotta be the size of Magnolia."
"Yeah, that map made it look so small." Happy noted.
"And Districts 4 and 7 are the smallest, meaning as far as we can tell, the other Districts are going to be so large that we'll need maps to navigate." Lily said.
Natsu crossed his arms, his eyes twisting somewhat. "Hmmmm…"
Erza took immediate notice. "Natsu, what is it?"
Natsu grumbled some, but then his eyes narrowed. "I just got this weird feeling."
"About what?"
"I can't explain it right now. I can tell that something's up."
"Well we just entered the city, so it could be anything. Just keep an eye out, alright?" Gray said.
Natsu seemed reluctant. It wasn't like this too often for him, but the Dragon Slayer was getting an odd feeling for sure. Still, what Gray said was true, so he had to keep an eye out while keeping in mind it could be a possible enemy sensory. Regardless, anything could go. "Fine." He relented.
Craig, however, narrowed his eyes at Natsu's inquiry. Clearly Natsu wasn't alone when it came to a heinous sensation.
"So what now? Divide and conquer?" Lily asked Ace.
The swordsman looked around, looking at the amount of people. "Yes. If you can, cover more ground. If you have anything to say, I'll hand you these." He showed everyone three Communication Lacrima, though they appeared to be pocket-sized, so no bigger than baseballs. He gave one to Elfman, one to Gray, and he kept the last one for himself.
"What the heck? Communication Lacrima?" Gray asked, looking at his lacrima.
"Indefinitely. Now while we have a rendezvous spot assigned to us, there'll be no telling when and how we'll know. That's why I brought these along. If you come across anything suspicious, you must notify us at once. For starters, we'll divide into three groups. The big one and the one with the glasses for one, the iron-chomper and the one with no decency for another, along with the black feline."
"Hey!" All five exclaimed, offended.
"And the last group shall be the rest of us. Now that we have ourselves assigned, it's time to bring this operation down at once. Everyone, be on your guard at all times."
It wasn't long, probably around half an hour before Gray and Gajeel made their way inside District 3, Kenala. Like Mani, it was somewhat populated heavily, with an equal amount of populace. The energy in the atmosphere, however, was slightly more lively than one had expected.
"Man, just look at how big these cities are." Gray said, finding himself with a tropical shirt.
"I hear that, and plus it's freakin hot." Gajeel grunted. The two walked through the town, not noticing anything awry. The people weren't suspicious of them by any means, yet they didn't seem to care either.
"Hey, you hearing anything suspicious with those ears of yours?" Lily asked.
Gajeel's face twisted. "Nah. I ain't getting much. This place is still so new to me that my smeller's taking all these new smells at once. It's rather annoying."
"Well I guess we're going back to basics." Gray figured.
As they maintained a decent pace for some time, Gajeel's face showed discomfort. He looked angry, but at the same time intrigued. Gray took notice.
"Hey, you feeling alright?" Lily asked.
Gajeel looked away. "It's good…but…"
"Huh?"
"It's hard to explain, but remember when Salamander said something felt off the moment we entered that district back here?" The Iron Dragon Slayer's eyes narrowed. "Well I think he might be onto something."
Gray raised a brow. "You're saying we have something else on our hands?"
"Doubt it. I'm saying that something about this country is messing with my senses. It bugs me to no end, but at the same time…I can feel something, yet I don't know."
Gray rubbed the back of his own head. "Great, looks like we got more interference to deal with here."
District 2, Sylvesta, one of the port towns of Tahunga, and heavily populated with a number of folk and souvenir shops; that's where Elfman and Evergreen ended up. With it being huge meant a much larger population and voices to hear. There were so many new faces, but instead of focus on the faces that Ace said to catch on, Evergreen had other plans in mind.
Elfman sat outside of a boutique, his large muscular figure hunched over on a bench. "Why did it have to come to this?" He despondently sighed.
"Oh quit your complaining. You may as well try and enjoy yourself for a little while. After all, it's not every day you go to a stylish country." Evergreen said while she was inside.
Elfman sweat dropped. "Did you forget why we're here?"
Evergreen walked out of the boutique, her arms heavy with large bags comprised of nothing but Italian-themed dresses, many that were brown, green, red, and partially white. She looked very prideful as she carried them all out. "Oh, please. I know, I just think it's best we try and get in touch with this culture. That one-track brain of yours really makes you such a killjoy."
"Well I don't intend to shop until I drop, ya know." Elfman grunted.
"Oh, please. You could use a makeover yourself. Lucky for you, I happen to have just enough Jewel left over for that." Evergreen remarked.
"What?!" Elfman shot up, heavily flustered. "A real man doesn't go wasting his time when there's a job to get done!"
Evergreen grew a tick mark on her head. "What was that?! I gave you an offer and a 'real man' declines a lady's approval?" She turned away, huffing. "Hmph! Well then, you get to carry my luggage."
"Hey now-!" Elfman didn't get much of a say before he suddenly found himself bombarded by gift bags and surprisingly heavy loads of dresses to carry. He carried them underneath his arms, not looking so displeased.
"There, now was that so hard?" Evergreen teased.
Elfman's brow twitched. "Why you…!"
Before he could rebuff, however, there's been a small commotion not too far away. This got their attention and drew them towards the crowd on the other side of the street a few shops down.
"Wonder what's that all about?" Elfman questioned.
"How should I know?" Evergreen answered.
The two walked only a few aces closer towards the crowd of maybe fifteen men surrounding a poster hanging up on the white wall. They all looked so eager, and by no means were they looking to take no for an answer.
"Alright, looks like the time's come!" A contender smirked.
"That tournament's gonna be owned!"
"Yeah, by me!"
"Just you wait, that prize is as good as mine!"
The men all looked like those who enjoyed the thrill of fighting, and yet so barbaric. To Evergreen that is. Elfman and Evergreen engaged with what they were talking about, managing to pick up on the bits and pieces they were spilling. Stuff like "prize" and "tournament" and "mine", clearly all of these traits could only mean one thing. That there's something big going on.
"A tournament you say?" Evergreen quietly muttered.
Elfman's eyes widened. "Wait, hang on…"
A couple of guys turned around upon seeing two new faces. While Elfman's huge figure was intimidating, the many scruffy men, they were enamored by Evergreen and her figure. The sight of such a woman made them more than a little provoked.
"Heh, heh, well what do you know?" A mischievous smirk came across a man's face.
"Well aren't you a cutie." Another said.
"Say now, mind having a drink with me?" Another scruffy individual asked.
Another man began closing in. "Forget the drink, how's about I get a second prize if I win?"
Evergreen backed away. "You dirty pigs."
One reached out. "Come on, don't be-!" He stopped in mid-sentence when he was met with a crushing force on his arm. He sweat dropped nervously when he slowly began to look up, meeting the menacing gaze of Elfman. To him, looking at Elfman the way he was now was just asking for trouble.
"Uh…hey pal…" The guy was picked up flawlessly by Elfman, thrown and slammed into the crowd of scruffy fighters, knocking them all down like bowling pins. His sudden assault caused much of a panic when a few got notice. The men all scrambled to their feet, their statures nothing compared to Elfman.
The big guy cracked his knuckles. "A real man doesn't take pleasure in gaining up on a lady. You'd best be running far away before I go and make you."
That single threat by the Strauss sibling did the trick, as the fifteen guys all easily taken down were of scurrying into the unknown. They scattered, though they did head the general direction of north. Their cowardice was but a low scum would describe.
Evergreen stepped forward. "Thank you." She thanked.
"Yeah, don't sweat it. Guys like them bring men to shame. Now let's see what they were making a fuss about." Elfman walked on over, heading towards the poster on the wall. He and Evergreen stopped in front of it, looking to find it appealing.
"This what they're making a fuss about?" Evergreen speculated.
"Looks like it." Elfman grabbed the poster and saw that there was a massive colosseum printed on it. His eyes widened upon reading it. "Today, starting at noon, there's a big tournament…" He began to mumble about, scrolling through the limited details.
Evergreen raised a brow. "So, what's the fuss about? Some dumb prize of Jewels?"
Elfman and Evergreen looked at the bottom, looking at the reward for the winner. What they saw made them go wide-eyed. Their shock surmounted to indefinite levels. This was nothing like they'd expect in a million years. Both of their bodies shuddered a little, the two looking like they were gonna pale.
"Wha…this can't be…" Elfman muttered.
"It's a prize?" Evergreen muttered. "What is this?!"
Ace walked on the sides of the street, not minding that Andrea was taking the front. She looked left and right almost every second, carefully scrutinizing every individual that passed on. When she harshly glared at someone, they immediately took off running. As much as she wanted to chase after each and every one, Ace managed to tell her to let some things go. Unfortunately for Andrea, nothing gets past her.
"Aw man, I gotta get me some food. I wonder what the food here tastes like?" Natsu wondered as he followed behind.
"Aye! I bet if we head to one of those Districts like they said. Maybe we'll find some yummy fish!" Happy cheered.
Andrea harshly turned around. "We don't have time for your foolish delusions. We are not here to eat!"
Cana looked away from the swordswoman that's been irritating her. "Well isn't she just a riot."
"Er, yeah. That's one way of putting it." Erza said.
"Did I hear something?" Andrea scowled. She crossed her arms. "Now look, just because we're on the same team doesn't mean I'm willing to comprehend what Ace was thinking. We're more than capable of dealing with this threat, and I made it clear that you all are just company. So you'd best know your…" She was trailing off as she saw that Craig wasn't bothering to look at her; instead was looking out at the street, watching the people go by. "Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
Erza stepped forward. "Andrea, I advise you back off, especially when around him."
"Aye." Happy nervously added.
Cana crossed her arms. "Of all the times to get into a scuffle."
Natsu looked away. "Oh yeah? You two do it all the time."
"Do not." Craig and Cana denied, the former still looking out towards the street.
Ace looked around as well, his sharp gaze on the many folk who were passing by. His gaze was like piercing daggers, and he looked to be inspecting each and every one. He continued to people-watch until time went on, and then there was a small glow in his pocket.
He looked down, realizing his pocket shined. "A message?"
"It must be from the others. They must have found something." Erza figured.
"Let's hope so." Natsu said.
Ace pulled out the Communication Lacrima and everyone gathered around. The vision quickly cleared, revealing Elfman and Evergreen onscreen. The two looked serious.
Elsewhere, Gray held the Communication Lacrima entrusted to him. He, Gajeel, and Lily looked down at it in question. "Hey, what's going on?" The Ice Mage wondered.
"Elfman, Evergreen, what have you found?" Erza questioned.
"Thank goodness we found you." Elfman said. "You guys, you gotta listen. It's an emergency."
"What is it? Did you find the enemy?" Cana questioned.
Natsu snickered. "Nah, I bet he'd send them packing with an arm tied behind his back." He clearly wasn't worried.
"Did the big oaf not say to just listen?!" Evergreen exclaimed.
Everyone quieted down.
"I know this is going to sound hard to believe, but I think we found something important. Something that isn't remotely in Fiore. And it's on a flier as a prize for this big tournament today." Elfman enforced with slight hurry.
"What's the prize already? What's got you so worked up?" Cana asked.
Craig and everyone gathered around, listening to what Elfman had to say about the flier. He read it aloud, detailing about the fight tournament and the prize itself. As Elfman said it, everyone looked surprised. Many eyes widened, especially Natsu and Gajeel, who couldn't believe what Elfman had to say.
Craig was left startled. Cana was flabbergasted. Ace and Andrea were left complex still. Gray, Happy, and Lily were all shocked. Erza was a mix of disbelief and shock. Safe to say a majority of the team was overwhelmed.
Slowly, Natsu's fists balled. "What did you just say?" He muttered.
"I'm not joking guys. This is really the prize!" Elfman exclaimed. "A real man swallows his pride and tells the truth."
Amongst the group, Ace seemed to be startled. 'That's the prize? I never thought in these parts, there were those for a sellout.' His eyes widened in realization. 'Wait, that's what I've been missing!' She turned towards everyone. "Listen, all of you, I am afraid this situation has gotten dire."
"What do you mean?" Andrea asked.
"With a prize like that in mind, that's probably a likely bet what drew the enemy here. Among the many of its kind, it's perhaps one of the likeliest of reasons that Tahunga might be in hidden peril. It's the prize's kind that can attract attention from all around."
"I can understand. But how was any of those found to begin with?" Erza pondered.
Andrea raised a brow. "Look, this has got nothing to do with the enemy. They're here, we find them, and erase them off the face of Earth Land! Just because of some prize doesn't mean we can't get sidetracked."
Craig turned around, looking to realize something missing. "I think you spoke a little too late there."
"What do you mean by-?!" Andrea turned around, realizing that they were two personnel short of the group, mainly of a pink-haired man and a blue cat. "What?! Where'd those two idiots go?!"
"Natsu?!" Erza realized it to, seeing Natsu had slipped from her sights.
"Well this won't end well." Cana figured.
"All of you shut up." Craig announced. He got many attention from those on the Communication Lacrima and from a hostile Andrea. "Now listen, knowing that moron and his rambunctious manner and feline, odds are that they went to the colosseum. When you put 'fight' into a sentence, it's like throwing a dog a bone."
Ace looked down at the Communication Lacrima. "This situation has gotten severe indeed. I'm afraid we have no choice but to change our course of action."
"What do you mean by that?" Gray asked.
"You, iron-chomper." Gajeel grunted at his name called. "Your team and the muscles, both of you head to where the colosseum is. Where is it?"
"Uh, District 1." Elfman read.
"Very well. That pink-haired boy will most likely meet with you there. Your group shall investigate there for the time being, as to where the remainder of us continue as planned. That is all." With that, communication was cut off, and the three-way teams all had a strategy. Ace put the lacrima away, looking towards the ones following him. "Now then, shall we go on?"
"Why the hell not." Craig said.
"The correct answer is 'yes', Craig." Ace informed him, his opposition to Craig's terrible attitude firm it seemed.
Craig didn't seem bothered. "You have your way, I have mine."
"I can see how this is going already." Cana groaned.
"Shut up, Brownie." Craig berated.
District 1, Lenore, at the moment, it was swarming with people. Many people from the other districts have already made way into the district alone, and yet getting to the colosseum took some effort. The colosseum was old-style Roman architecture unlike the Italian-theme the country went on about. The huge domain was so large that it took up a third of the district itself. It was able to compact a lot of audiences it seemed.
About an hour after the conversation made, Gray, Elfman, Lily, and Gajeel were all up front, a safe space away from the crowd. There, the group could drown out enough noise to talk.
"So this is the colosseum." Gray figured. "It's bigger than I thought it'd be."
"You could fit a mountain in there." Elfman implied.
"We're supposed to get in there? How in the heck are we gonna get to that prize if there's that many people around to see?" Gajeel said.
Lily crossed his arms. "And let's not forget that the numbers are grand here so that the enemy could very well fit into the crowd." He reminded.
Gajeel raised his head. "Great, they expect us to pull off disguises or something or go invisible?"
Elfman looked away into the crowd, catching Gray's attention. "Hey man, where's Evergreen?"
"She already went to get a seat. Apparently 'real men have ladies get the best seats'." He grumbled.
"Looks like she played you for a papsi!" Gray joked.
"Shut up!"
"Say, where's Salamander already?" Gajeel wondered.
Lily's ears twitched. "Huh?" He looked to see a rather large dust cloud in the distance. The crowds behind were starting to look weary as the cloud got closer. The Exceed finally got view of someone who was entering the area. The sight coming towards him made him sweat drop. "What could they be in a rush for?"
"Hyaaaahh!" Running up a riot was Natsu, who was bull-charging straight into the crowd with Happy above. He charged all the way with great haste and speed alike, and there was a look on his face that made him seem all too excited. "HAHA! Fighting tournament, here I come!"
"Natsu?!" Gray shouted.
"What's that all about?" Elfman wondered.
Natsu close din, the crazed look on his face greater than before. "Just you wait, I'm gonna beat the snot out of every last one of you!" He boldly declared.
Gajeel stepped back. "Whoa, hey! Salamander, slow down! Put on your brakes ya mor-!" Unfortunately for Gajeel he was a little too late on the warning. Natsu ran into him, clanging into hard iron, though both Dragon Slayer did not have it safe either way as they both went tumbling down.
"Looks like he got carried away again." Happy implied, with Lily nodding nervously in agreement.
Gajeel clutched his forehead. "Man, that one hurt…" He angrily glared down at Natsu. "Watch where you're going ya doofus! Are you asking for a knuckle sandwich?!"
Natsu, though his head did hurt some, sheepishly rubbed the back of his own head. "Sorry about that. Didn't see you there."
"Seriously?! We were yelling out to you! Those ears need a checkup!" Gajeel exasperated.
Natsu's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, wait! I totally forgot what I came rushing for!" He looked around left and right, trying to search for something. "Where is it? Where is it…?"
Happy pointed off towards the colosseum entrance. "There!"
Natsu turned towards a box-like stand with an attendant at the desk. "Good eye, buddy!" He charged on over and looked at the attendant, slamming his hand against the desktop. "Sign me up!"
Still startled, the female attendant was weary, but complied nonetheless. "O-of course, sir." She said.
"You dumbass! What the hell are you up to?!" Gajeel exclaimed, him, Elfman, and Gray right beside him.
Natsu turned towards them, as though they were clueless. "What's it look like? I'm trying to get in on the action as well." He beamed.
"And what do you possibly have to gain from this?" Lily asked. "All you're really doing is just filling that head of yours with this reckless need to fight."
Natsu looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm in to get to the bottom of this crime is all."
Gray cracked his knuckles. "Maybe we should just remind you why we're here to be-!"
"Hang on, you guys." Elfman said, stopping Gray's advancements. "I think he might be onto something."
"Now what gave you that idea?" Gajeel asked angrily.
Elfman looked down at him. "Well, if you wonder about it, what if the opponents are really our enemies? I mean, it's not a manly thought and all, but what if they concealed themselves within the tournament themselves than within the crowd?"
Gray's eyes widened. "Well…when you put it that way, you're not wrong."
Natsu put hands to his hips. "HAHA! See? I knew what I was doing."
"He's milking it again." Happy and Lily groaned.
The woman approached Natsu again with his number. "There you go. Your quadrant is established right next to the number."
Natsu looked down at his number, which was 397. He smirked. "Sweet!"
"Hey." Gray said, getting the attendant's attention. "You mind getting me to sign up?"
"Huh? You too?" Natsu wondered.
Gray looked away. "Don't get so psyched. Maybe they're in the tournament, but then we can't have you go and get yourself pinned down on our watch."
Lily nodded with a grin. "Then it looks like we have yet another plan."
Inside the colosseum, there was a number of spectators already out in their seats. They looked ready to see some action. Among them, there was Evergreen, who was found by Happy and Lily. The Exceeds acted as surveillance to catch glimpses if anything goes awry.
Meanwhile inside the colosseum waiting room, there were 400 contenders. They all managed to fit into the somehow spacious domain, which also had high ceilings. Natsu was with Elfman, Gray, and Gajeel, who decided to tag along in this tournament.
Natsu eyes brightened up upon seeing the warriors gathered. "I get to sock all of these guys!"
"Well if you do it now, then you'd get disqualified." Gray said. "Try and keep yourself in check for once."
"Even I know it's not wise to go picking fights this early. We got like ten minutes, right?" Gajeel said.
Elfman flexed his solid rock muscles. "This is gonna get really manly!"
Gray looked around, seeing the many faces of men with a variety of weapons and muscles alike. "Well, guess we got quite a bit of competition before we get to that prize. As far as we know, they could all be part of that weird spree Ace has been talking about."
Natsu punched his fists, smirking. "Doesn't matter. We gotta win this so that prize is safe in our hands!" He declared. In his glee for the thrill of combat, the Dragon Slayer was bumped by the side, almost toppling him over. Regaining balance, he looked to find a guy with a thick black beard and a helmet with makeshift horns for aerial defense and a white cape with red lining.
"Hey you jerk! Watch where you're going!" Natsu berated.
The contender looked back over his shoulder, regarding Natsu's anxious presence. He turned away, huffing. "Hmph! Sniffling brat."
"What did you call me?" Natsu growled.
"Be prepared if you have me to go up against in that ring." He said. "That goes for that posy of yours and everyone else here too!" He walked off, leaving Natsu with a scowl.
"Grrr! I'm gonna sock his face with a million punches." He declared.
Gajeel's eyes narrowed. "Heh. Lucky for you guys, I just got his contender's number. Looks like 150." He said.
Gray smirked. "A lot of cocky bastards are here. Let's be sure to teach them a new one."
Elfman raised a fist. "Yeah, you can bet on that."
Elsewhere, the man passing by and bumping into other mages and warriors alike smirked. He received a number of scoffs and weapons held to his back, but all he did was grin as nearby in the midst of the 400, there was a hooded man with sunglasses, his face concealed in red tattoos. Another one had black tattoos and what seemed to be red hair hidden underneath a black hat. The similarities between both was that they had black shirt and gray pants.
"Looks like he's bringing up a storm for us." One of them figured.
The other grinned. "Good. I like them all when they're riled up."
Andrea was trolling about, looking around suspiciously as before. She didn't seem to be holding up a weary gaze, but at the same time only drawing many suspicious figures away. Again it began frustrating her. The swordswoman huffed as another fled from her cold gaze.
"Honestly, what is with all of these cowards?" She grunted. "Are they that chicken to stand and take a few simple questions."
Erza wasn't saying anything, instead she's been keeping an eye out for any signs of the enemy. No physical description was gonna be helpful, but at the same time they have to be concealing, right? The Requip Mage looked around, noticing how many of them had black wristbands it seemed. All she did, however, was remain silent.
Craig's eyes narrowed as he followed behind. "That makes 59 in this district."
Erza's eyes shot open. "What?"
Cana raised a brow. "59?"
Ace resumed walking. "That makes 60 in District 4, and 60 in District 5." He said, his eyes looking sharp.
Andrea turned around. "What's that?"
"Nothing, just counting the many disclosed numbers of the forces. They have poor accuracy when it comes to concealing themselves." Ace acknowledged. He looked ahead, his pupils shrinking.
Andrea's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Can somebody tell me what's going on?"
Craig craned his head up. "How far until the next one?" He asked.
Ace's eyes sharpened harder, bypassing the number of citizens and seeing the one man with a black leather coat with a black wristband. So far away, to Ace, it wasn't even an inch off. The swordsman looked stiff as he always has been. "Black leather coat, messy brown hair. 112 yards north, 2 o' clock."
"Got it." As the next person passed by them, Craig slipped from the group, disappearing into the crowd.
Cana seemed surprised. "You saw that far ahead?"
Ace didn't bother turning away. "I apologize for not disclosing my abilities. I'd rather have them in reserve."
Erza blinked, the revelation coming across her. "Wait, you mean you have…"
"That is correct. I have Eye Magic. With it, finding anything with my line of vision is child's play. It allows me to easily separate one individual from the other."
Andrea smirked. "Ha! The old guy's being modest." She huffed. "With his powers, no matter how stealthy or fast you are, even if invisible, you can't hide from him. Combine that with his sword precision, he can fall a single leader with a long-range slash. I should know, I've seen it before." She turned towards him, smirking. "Cutting own mountains, slicing through ships and armies with one swing, that's the world's greatest for ya."
However, despite Andrea milking it, Ace didn't seem to care at all. Instead, he turned towards the crowd up ahead. "It seems Craig's gotten to him already."
"Already?" Erza asked, surprised.
In an alleyway, the one Ace described was shoved into the earth, tumbling backwards. He laid on his stomach, grunting in pain.
Craig stared with a nonchalant gaze. "Look pal, if I was here to cause trouble, I would've made that kick a lot harder." He said.
The man growled as he got to his feet. He pulled back one of his fist. "You bastard!" He went charging ahead after Craig, thrusting his punch ahead with all his might. Craig intercepted without any means of budging anything but his left arm. He raised it and grabbed the knuckles, gripping so hard with his brute strength alone. The man looked to be in pain as Craig gripped his hand, crushing it with great might. The man grunted in distress, finally getting to a knee when he felt the pressure being too much for him. He lowered his head, with Craig finally letting go of his now borderline broken hand.
"Sorry pal, but I ain't putting up with any of your crap right now." Craig sneered.
Behind the injured man was Ace, who miraculously appeared faster than the eye traced. He walked up towards the fallen man, keeping harsh gaze on him. "Well done, Craig." He commented.
The man looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening in sheer horror of who he was looking at. "You're…you're Ace Hunter!"
"So you know of my reputation then it seems." Ace said. "Good, then you know that if you value your life, you'll comply with the demands."
"Ace!" Turning the corner and following was Andrea, who was followed by Erza and Cana.
"What happened?" Erza asked.
"Looks like we missed something." Cana figured.
Andrea's eyes widened. "Wha-?!" She noticed Craig had already pinned him down. "What the heck?! I could've done that!"
Ace turned towards her. "There was no need for a long-range sword slash, Andrea. It could disrupt civilians; besides, subtlety is an approach one must take if he is to keep a profile from going wild." He looked back down at the man that Craig incapacitated. "Now then, would you be willing to cooperate with us?"
The man looked up and sweat dropped when he saw two menacing stares of sharp eyes glowering down at him. Green eyes and sea-blue eyes both made him feel queasy, almost like he was staring into actual daggers pointed at his throat. His body shuddered and paled profusely. He slowly nodded.
"Good. Now, I have been keeping myself in reserves about the population of Tahunga, but I must ask you here and now, just how many of you have that black wristband?" He pointed to it.
The man looked down at it, swallowing. "Uh, oh, uh…I-I don't know? A lot?"
"Remove it."
Ace's demand was met with the man immediately taking off the black fur wristband, revealing the mark on his wrist. When meeting it, Ace's eyes widened, looking shocked.
Erza's eyes widened as well. "What…?"
Cana narrowed her eyes. "What is that?"
Craig looked up to face Ace, seeing his surprise ease. "Is this something you've been looking for?"
Ace looked at him in return. "It would seem it is." He looked back down at the man's tattoo on his wrist, which was nothing short of the face of a dragon. The snout was long, with long whiskers to boot. The mark was brown, and the eyes were hollow.
"Is that a guild brand?" Cana asked.
"I'm afraid not. This time, that is." Craig answered. "Looks like we got a little cult here…though little wouldn't do justice it seems."
"Craig, I would believe you are right. If there were 60 in both District 4 and 5, then there might be at least that many more." Ace turned away and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, but it looks like that information has left out a piece it seems. This cult that I have been telling you of, it's no ordinary cult."
Everyone went silent.
Ace looked over his shoulder. "This is a cult that specifies in one thing, a detail that has something to do with that prize it seems."
Craig looked serious. "In other words…"
"Dragons." Cana finished.
Erza put a hand to her chin. "But something doesn't add up. Why go through all of that trouble going through those mines and claiming that colosseum prize just for a Dragon? Shouldn't they be extinct?"
Craig turned away. "There's no telling for sure, I mean I met a Dragon…" He glared over his shoulder. "But you know that already."
Cana looked uneasy. "Slicerax is another story. Igneel and those other dragons are as well. If there are more dragons out there, then we got some serious problems."
"Agreed…which is why you're going to tell us what is it that your cult is after." Ace told the man.
The man swallowed again, he knew that there was no way of getting out of this. He was between the world's greatest, and some guy with a voracious temper, behind him being Andrea, who looked like she was going to kill the poor man after he finishes confessing. "Er...d-do I have a say…?"
"Answer!" Andrea had her blue sword out and pointed at the man's nose. "Or I can't guarantee your safety while you're talking."
The man was about ready to croak. "O-okay! There's seven elites! Those seven are governing the large number scattered. One elite is always by our leader's side!"
"And who is your leader?" Erza questioned.
Before the man could answer, however, Craig and Ace felt a sharp pressure. It was swift and feint, but both caught on and reeled away as a bolt of energy rained down in front of the individual, causing a purple flash that momentarily blinded everyone.
"What is this?!" Erza called out.
The flash faded, revealing a man whose back was to them, revealing his long black coat with a similar dragon emblem printed in the back, this one being white. He had white gloves and he long sky blue hair spiked back, very similar to Gajeel. His eyes were sharp like blue slits, and he had white pants to contradict his black shoes.
"So, looks like we got a problem here." He said.
The man that was interrogated paled. "E-Elite Seiken! Sir!"
"Who is that?" Cana wondered.
Craig looked ready to reach for one of his swords. "You idiot, he said it aloud. Apparently he's one of those elites, if you had functional ears that is." Craig scowled.
Cana grew a tick mark. "Well excuse me for being clueless."
"You need to pay attention more often so that you don't stay that way." He berated.
"I'm not as confused as I am angry with you berating me right now!"
"I wouldn't be berating you if you weren't an idiot!"
"You're the idiot because we have an enemy to deal with! If you were serious, you'd be stopping him than comment on my ignorance!"
"HA! You are ignorant! Case closed!"
"What'd you say?!"
"You said it, not me!"
Everyone, including Elite Seiken, just stared at Craig and Cana. Ace himself looked slightly startled, despite how heavily composed and straight-faced he looked. Erza pinched the bridge if her nose in irritation.
Andrea balled her fists, angrily frustrated. "Grah! I can't anymore of this!" Andrea rushed in with her unsheathed blue sword and had the tip pointed at Seiken. "HRAH! DIE!"
Seiken smirked. "Not today." Suddenly, he grabbed the subordinate by the collar and another flash erupted. Purple energy momentarily blinded everyone, and the next second revealed that he was gone, along with the startled subordinate. Andrea followed through, getting to a knee upon her thrust.
The swordswoman looked baffled. "Wait, where'd they go?!"
"It would seem that the Elite has Heinous Magic." Ace said.
"Heinous Magic?" Erza asked.
"It is a rare magic. Heinous Magic is having components similar to having traveling by means of negative components through the atmosphere, as well as using those negative components for means of defense, evading, and can even momentarily repel attacks. Taking negative charges is not easy, which is why such a magic is so rare." Ace looked around. "But, it's not like one can evade so easily." His eyes sharpened, showing his Eye Magic working. "Tracking is what a hunter does. That one in particular headed northwest, District 10."
"You can see that far?" Cana asked.
"Yeah, he can even see how obvious it was that elite slipped away." Craig said.
Cana turned towards him, growling. "You know, it's your fault!"
"Oh yeah? My fault?!"
"Yeah! You argue with me and never bothered to attack!"
"Gong in like a bull won't solve anything!"
"Oh! So you're saying it wouldn't make a difference?!"
"That's exactly what I'm saying! Taking one elite down leaves only at least hundreds of more grunts and six other elites left!"
"Better taking one down right here!"
"Did you not see what he did?!"
"Yeah, and you should've been quicker!"
"Don't look at me! That bull-headed swordswoman provoked him to flee!"
"You're bull-headed!"
"Well at least I don't go charging into anything recklessly!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
Ace pinched the bridge of his nose. He let out a long, exasperated sigh at the predicament, especially with how irritated Andrea looked as she wanted to go on ahead and slash at Craig for calling her bull-headed. "I hate to spoil your argument, but I'm afraid Craig is right on this one."
"What?" Erza wondered.
"Remember how he got the surprise on us. Plus that magic could leave him the momentary time to evade and defend. Drawing my own blade would take too much time to begin with. All of those calculations can lead to a clear escape to begin with."
Cana looked towards Craig, who simply smirked at her with a cocky brow. The brunette gritted her teeth, a massive tick mark on her head.
Andrea punched the wall, leaving an indent. "GAH! This is exactly why I said we shouldn't have brought them along! This is foolish!" She exclaimed.
Ace didn't at all seem interested in her complaints. "No, Andrea. No matter how you see it, no matter how complicated the team is, Craig Crius is a very important asset. Keep in mind, he has more than enough capabilities."
Andrea looked up at him, angry. "Other than snark at that bimbo all day?" She remarked despondently.
Ace began walking past her. "You'll understand if you saw with my eyes. Now come, staying in District 5 is no longer a valid option."
"Understood." Erza said.
Everyone exited, with naturally Craig and Cana following behind while snarling at the other.
"Welcome! This is the 12:00 big-time grand scene you've all been waiting for! Say hello to the Lenore Colosseum!" The announcer high above had shoulder length brown wavy hair. He was shirtless, revealing his unfit physique, but had a white gape. "It is I, your favorite announcer Lucas! And I'll be the one to give you the details of this mayhem!"
The audience of hundreds – perhaps thousands – of people cheered in excitement for the energy brimming. They screamed so loud that the ground was shaking.
"Man, people get so worked up for fights on a daily basis?" Evergreen questioned.
"It's probably due to Tahunga not having much of any means of allies or foes. If you ask me, this is the healthiest way of exerting bottled up needs of fighting." Lily analyzed.
"Aye!"
The bottom of the colosseum was a massive circle that covered almost all of the area down below, with the exception of the small ring of water outside, like a boundary line almost. There was a small bridge connecting the island to the entrance, which had iron bars set.
"Alright! Now today's prize is a very special one! You all will freak when you learn of its existence!" Lucas announced. Again the audience went wide-eyed, questioning what the actual prize was. "This prize isn't Jewel, but it's something so priceless, you'd wish you were in the tournament itself!"
Evergreen's eyes narrowed. 'Here it comes.'
Lucas moved out of the way, revealing the prize itself in a glass display. "Introducing…"
Evergreen, Happy, and Lily had expectant gazes. In the hallway, Natsu, Gray, Elfman, and Gajeel all had serious faces on them. The three rude men had serious faces of their own. As they ran, Craig's group had frowns, all of them unnerved by the prize from before. All over Tahunga, men with the black wristbands concealing their marks stared at any lacrima-vision with small dark grins as view of the prize came into sight. It was a large, green object, one that had handheld and glistened like an emerald. Upon sight, many could feel the lacrima giving off a scary vibe.
Lucas gave a proud smile. "A DRAGON LACRIMA!"
The audience went completely nuts. Screams went out, such a rare lacrima that had magic that hasn't even been known. It was a lost magic, ancient, and yet here it was in the form of a lacrima. It was a scary thought to have such a power in enemy hands.
After a minute, Lucas finally grinned again. "Now! This event will be straightforward! We have two rounds, and I can tell you the first won't be pretty! All contenders, to the center!"
Natsu's fists balled. "Okay, it's on."
"Here we go." Gajeel said.
"Eyes on the prize, guys." Elfman said.
"Yeah." Gray noted.
All 400 of the warriors and men that went to fight entered the ring by the large bridge. They all earned loud cheers as they flexed while some didn't bother dealing with publicity. Natsu made it along the far side as the number said, and Gajeel was one the other side of the ring. Gray and Elfman were as well, all four directly opposing the other.
Lucas raised his arm. "Now, bring up the quadrants!"
"What?" Natsu looked down at his feet, seeing how on his right side there was a bunch of red letters glowing and traveling along the ground. On the other side, with Gajeel, it was the same.
"Say, doesn't that look like…" Gray trailed off when lettering traveled along the ground next to him, the same with Elfman. All four long lettering lines met up in the center of the domain, where there was a bright flash before translucent red barriers shot up into the atmosphere.
Natsu's eyes widened yet again. "Hang on…"
"An Enchantment barrier. So that's the reason of quadrants." Gray said. "So that means we're divided."
Elfman looked around, realizing he was divided. "So we're all alone out here."
Gajeel grunted. "I see."
"This is the first round! Out of the 400 that have competed for this power, the number of you moving on…will be 4!" Lucas announced. "You heard me right! 4! Only 1 is allowed to move on in his quadrant!"
"So a battle royale in four different territories." Gray smirked. "This is gonna get good."
Lucas brought up his hammer against the battle. "Now…who wants to see some fighting?!"
The audience screamed for the umpteenth time, bellowing violently.
All four men down in the ring smirked, ready to fight.
"Anything?" Andrea asked.
Erza held the Communication Lacrima in hand, shaking her head. "Now, I think Natsu and the others might be in trouble if they can't get to us."
"Give me that!" Andrea snatched the lacrima from Erza, leaving the redhead more than irritated. Andrea tapped the Communication Lacrima dozens of times in a row, but nothing happened. "Grrr! Damnit!" She yelled. "Why did Ace have us divided?! What idea did he had in mind?!"
"Ms. Scarlet, if it's not too much trouble, can I request you depart from our group for the time being?" Ace looked in the general direction of District 1. "Our allies may certainly need assistance, and given the security and sizeable numbers in the enemy forces, I fear that if they are in the tournament, do your best to make sure they don't get caught in a crossfire." He turned towards Andrea. "And Andrea, power in numbers. Please accompany Ms. Scarlet if you can." His eyes narrowed. "Do not start another scuffle. That is a warning."
Andrea clutched her sword guard angrily. "This doesn't make remote sense."
"What are you saying?" Erza asked. "Are you implying my comrades are incapable of handling their own?"
Andrea looked at her with a scowl. "No, it's that I'm sticking my neck out for Ace's entourage!"
Erza's eyes narrowed.
"I can do this myself! I'm aiming to be the greatest swordswoman you know. I have no time to be worrying about your friends."
"But Ace requested that you…"
"Are you not listening?" Andrea cut her off, making the air stale around the two. "Ace may have told me to keep myself in check and not get into a scuffle with the likes of you…" She crossed her arms and looked away. "Not that you can do better than me anyway."
"What was that?" Erza growled.
"You heard me, Erza. You saw back on that ship what I can do! I cut the sea, a trait you couldn't do. You didn't even land a sufficient blow on me before. Admit it, I'm better."
Erza turned around. "Such hardy words coming from a selfish and vulgar person."
Andrea rolled her eyes. "Oh please, all I need is discipline, pride, and swords. Anything else I don't need."
Erza turned to look at her again, a hardened glare plastered on her face. "You're wrong. When you pick up a sword, there is a good reason why you hold it. It's not for the thrill of the fight. It's most definitely not for selfish gain. No. When one holds a sword, it's to hold something dear, to protect what's important to them. You have a very selfish perception, which is why I always hold my sword with the resolve to fight for my friends and loved ones."
Andrea narrowed her eyes. "It's that kind of ridiculous thinking that makes me the better swordswoman." She leaned in towards her, glaring harsher than before. "You remember what I said on the ship, don't you? I will not repeat it a second time."
Andrea pointed at Erza. "I know full well who you are, Erza Scarlet. Those who carry swords have only one path for them. To become the greatest of their kind. I will climb to the top, and by defeating Ace Hunter one day, I will have that goal achieved."
Erza shook her head, unable to sympathize with Andrea's perspective. "You're wrong. The path one takes is not guided by his or her sword."
"Yes…it is." Andrea's eyes narrowed. She began to reach for her blade, her dark blue one. "If you're a knight, you play by a code of honor. You have pride, and I have way more pride on the line. My honor as a swordswoman dares not be sullied. If there are those who wield swords, they are called swordsmen, and I dare to defeat all to achieve my dream."
"I have only one path, and that path alone decides my destiny. My destiny is to become the best, and the best means defeating all swordsmen on the face of Earth Land. That includes cutting down Ace Hunter. And if you dare not hold up your blade, then I have no interest in quarreling with cowards who abandon pride for people who just get in the way."
Erza was on the brink of losing it. She looked angry. "Do not insult my comrades. I have warned you time and time again."
"I don't take orders from insufficient uses." Andrea turned away, heading off into the crowd.
"Where are you going?!" Erza yelled.
"I am not wasting a single second any longer to deal with distractions. If I am to follow Ace's path, then I am to focus solemnly on the task. I must find and kill off every single one of these enemies, and if I alone have to do it, then so be it."
"Wait-!" Erza was caught shocked at the moment she reached out for Andrea. The swordswoman disappeared into the crowd, away from Erza as the knight was unable to get her to listen to reason. By the time Erza called out a third time, Andrea was long gone.
The redhead stood in the midst of the crowd, lowly grunted with gritting teeth. She found it to be futile. The Requip Mage turned away, facing the colosseum all by herself.
'It seems that there are those out there who truly are stubborn to where they value pride over love.' She thought of Natsu momentarily, the fire in her brown eyes returning. She had her head high as she embarked for District 1. 'Natsu, everyone, I'll be there. Just hold on a little while longer.'
"Oh dear."
The sound and feeling of something behind her got the redhead's attention. The Requip Mage turned around and found herself with another person. "Show yourself!" She demanded.
"It looks like Seiken's description was spot on." The man was hidden amongst the crowd, but Erza could see him. Her eyes widened when she momentarily saw his wrist. It was the same at that subordinate, only this one was white. The man had dark eyes with brown eyebrows. He had a calm but secretly wild smirk on his face. The left cheek had a swirly tattoo on it. He had a brown cloak with silver pauldrons on the sides. The black hair on his head was slicked back, but the bangs hung over the forehead.
Erza looked at the left side of the cloak, seeing a white dragon symbol. "Wait, that's…"
The man amongst the crowd stood still, his grin growing darker.
"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
Natsu threw a fireball, scorching the ground and everyone beneath on a massive blaze that erupted. The Dragon Slayer landed on his feet, immediately engaging in foes coming from the left side. He attacked by using a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, punching the first guy in line and knocking the rest behind like bowling pins.
"And number 397 is storming the first quadrant! He's unleashing fire attacks left and right!" Lucas announced.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
Natsu again past guys, whipping them up into the air and hurled into the water in the side of the ring.
"And there he goes again! Now, let's see how the other quadrants are doing!" Lucas and everyone looked over in quadrant two, where Gray had already frozen half of the contenders. In quadrant three, Elfman was throwing men left and right, knocking them down and causing tremendous concussions. In quadrant four, Gajeel was unleashing an Iron Dragon's Roar, whipping up a shredding whirlwind from his breath and causing many men to go flying and screaming in more agony. "We've got contenders that are lively here folks! Who is gonna move on to the next round?!"
Lily smiled. "They appear to be doing quite well." He watched Gajeel sock a guy in the nose.
As everyone watched the four take the competition by storm, Happy was caught startled. He saw something in Elfman's quadrant, and it didn't look good. "Hey, guys!"
Elfman punched another man. "Is that all got-GWWOOH!" The big guy was hit hard by something, but he didn't have time to see as he slammed into the Enchantment wall, slamming against his back.
He grunted, wincing. "Oh, man, what was that?" He looked up, finding something that surprised him again. His eyes widened. "Wait, you're…"
The man from before, the one Natsu was bumped into, was seriously looking at Elfman. The only change was that this time, he had the number 99. "I warned you to be careful when I step into the ring."
In quadrant two, Gray froze another guy with a smirk. "There, now who's next-!" The mage was suddenly struck from behind in the back, yelling out and he went tumbling along the ground. "Gaaaah!" Gray continued tumbling along until he rolled and hit his shoulder against a large piece of ice that had five guys inside.
In that instant, Gray fell to the ground. Above him was the man with the red hair and black tattoos on his forehead. He had the number 116 on his concealed shirt. He was still concealed somewhat, but around him was a solidified purple mass. He smirked so nonchalantly.
Gray looked up, wincing. "Man, that one hurt. Who are you?"
The redheaded man smirked greater. "Wouldn't you like to know."
In Gajeel's quadrant, he got a guy in the gut with his Iron Dragon's Club, sending him flying. He retracted his arm, morphing it back to normal. He frowned. "Well this is getting nowhere." He looked around, realizing how many were left. "Huh…where'd all of them go? I could've sworn there were like forty more behind my back?"
"Look up." A voice intruded.
"Huh?" Gajeel heard the unknown voice, but it wasn't looking good. He looked up as the voice said, his eyes widening. What he saw shocked him. "What…the hell?"
"Look at that folks! Quadrant four's participants are all…"
Above Gajeel's head, everyone was in thick threads of silky and sticky threads. They were all bound by the wrists and ankles alike, restraining them from moving. The web of forty contenders were all effortlessly supported by the Enchantment walls, which somehow didn't reject the web. It was like a solid wall.
"They're all incapacitated!" Lily exclaimed.
Gajeel looked around him, noticing how he wasn't along the forty still left. "Well this turned into a mystery rather quickly…"
"Boo."
Gajeel's eyes widened before he felt a strong foot from behind. The Iron Dragon Slayer went flying forward against the earth until he got his hands beneath and pivoted, landing on a knee. The man looked up, seeing another male with red tattoos and sunglasses on his hooded face. On his front was the number 90.
The man smirked. "Why the long face? Do you not enjoy my work of patience?"
Gajeel's face twist. "Hate to break it to ya, but patience was never my strong point. Guess you'll have to do for now."
"Can you feel that?" Lily asked.
Happy stood up. "I'm getting a weird Magic Power."
Evergreen's eyes narrowed as she continued to watch. It was tough to imagine, but for some reason, she was getting a bad feeling about this. She looked back up at the Dragon Lacrima, its dwelling desire by many unnerving her.
Meanwhile, Ace traveled through town in a hurried pace, with Craig and Cana following side by side behind the swordsman, all their eyes set on sheer seriousness. All at once, they could feel a bad sensation crawl around, and it made them feel more insecure for what's to come.
Here's the next chapter! How was it? Reviews and comments appreciated! Thanks!