"This way!" Ace made passage through District 6, the southernmost region of Tahunga. In similarity to District 2 and 10, it had its own port city, fully abundant of resources and other popular items one could grow healthy from dining out on. Unfortunately, the time to eat wasn't now, because Ace and the duo of Cranky and Brownie was hot on a trail. They took another left, passing the markets into bordered city domain.
"So it's around here you say?" Craig asked.
"Yes. As accurately as the grunt described." Ace said as he dashed through the streets, his bloodshot eyes starting to ease up. "Remember well…" The duo recalled Ace earlier using his Eye Magic, getting detail on Andrea as she went after Seiken all alone. As Craig and Cana left to go after her, Ace stayed behind in District 10, easily dispatching the grunts in the known area. However, he kept one intact to extort information in regards to information. Out of fear, the grunt explained about the underground port location before passing out. It wasn't much, but it was something that they could extort information from. With Andrea working out her selfishness, it was only natural to label her as a liability until she comes to terms, which brought Craig, Cana, and the greatest swordsman to District 6.
"Here." Ace stopped in front of a massive and intricate building, with numerous carvings at the top and bottom of the cloisters and around the building. It was large compared to the other buildings, supposedly with a few floors to boot.
"What is this place?" Cana asked. "Looks like an ambassador building."
"To be more accurate, this is actually a trades convention." Ace corrected.
"In other words, some place where eventful trades takes place, right?" Craig asked.
Ace proceeded inside. "Yes. Normally, such places are used perhaps three to six times in a year, perhaps more if businesses need to move in for a day or so in tropical storms such as hurricanes."
"But doesn't Tahunga have these massive rock formations?" Cana asked.
Craig was close behind Ace, maintaining a fast pace into inside. "Yeah, and you'd think it'd block a hurricane or two, but fail-safes never seem to hurt apparently."
The trio made wall inside, where they passed a set of locked doors that Craig deliberately knocked down. Venturing into the main hall, where it was humungous in space, there were about ten men lounging, but the appearance of Craig's group got their attention.
"Huh? Hey, who invited them?" One guy asked.
Another stood up and looked defensive. "Sorry, but this is restricted space!"
Craig despondently looked forward. "Brownie."
"On it." Flipping out a tarot card, Cana shifted her fingers, revealing ten of them. She even seemed to be smirking. "You pigs need a time out. Card Dimension!" With her Magic, Cana caught the guys off guard, shockingly making them all get caught in a brief yet powerful light before they found themselves trapped inside the cards themselves.
One guy inside looked around. "Wait, what?"
Another guy banged on the card like it was bulletproof glass. "Hey! Let us out!" He demanded.
"Good work. Now, please give me a minute." Ace's praise shifted to him closing his eyes, giving a sense of concentration. "This should only take a moment…"
His eyes opened back up, his magic taking effect. With prowess, he scrutinized the double doors on the far side of the main hall, where there was a large rug. He saw how it was angled and not straightened out, and that's when he realized the it was found. Eyes readjusting, he focused once more as his bloodshot gaze continued to intensify. She shut his eyes, looking to be in pain.
Craig took instant notice. "Hey, you okay?" He asked. He looked uneasy as Ace's eyes were seen heavily bloodshot, which was a very bad sign. 'His magic is taking a toll on him. At this rate, he won't be able to see at all…'
Ace took off Katsyu from his back. The long, shimmering blade was raised against the ground, focused on what was ahead. In a swift motion down, Ace hit the porcelain flooring, the sword clanging sending a linear shockwave so narrow that the ground had literally begun splitting in two, and continuing to split apart like a fissure until it reached the rug, completely shredding it into diced slices. Underneath it, a thick porcelain flooring arose, shattering from Ace's attack.
Craig's eyes narrowed. "There."
"Well we found our little entrance." Cana said. "Let's see if it heads to where that underground port is…" The brunette made way with the two men. All three stepped over the split flooring and glass to where there was a massive entrance into the darkness beneath. They found a flight of stairs, which carried them down after fifty feet into the norm. As they traveled downwards, they found the place surprisingly lit.
After making the first flight, they made it to a balcony, where they saw it all. All three stared out in complete shock at the secret sight. There, in front of them, was the underground port.
"So, that grunt was confirmed." Ace said.
"He wasn't kidding." Craig pointed out.
"I never imagined…" Cana looked out, seeing all the ships lined up and docked against one another. Not only were they all huge ships, but at the same time, they were all loaded with weapons, not to mention the underground port was massive in length from side to side. "This place was huge. You could fit a whole fleet down here." Cana finished.
Craig continued inspecting from their point and looked out. His eyes narrowed, zeroing in on the odd light outside of the sizeable opening between the two rocks. "Hey, look. So that natural opening is the only way in and out?"
"It appears so." Ace said. "So now we see how this so-called Dragon Emperor Society snaked its way in." The hat he wore shadowed his menacing and displeased gaze. "To think they'd use Tahunga's own geography against itself. Deplorable."
"Looks vacant." Craig said. "At least to a superficial standpoint."
Ace closed his eyes once more, only for them to open and reveal his bloodshot eyes. Another time now, his Eye Magic activated, the overall sight he was beholding amongst the entire port to be indeed vacant. "You appear to be right…" Suddenly, his eyes closed, red starting to pool from the corners of his eyes. He got to a knee, the swordsman coughing to add insult to injury.
Craig went wide-eyed. "Ace…your eyes are bleeding."
Ace coughed again, thankfully not letting out some more red. The man remained on a knee, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping away the blood. "My magic is getting too old it seems." Finding proper breathing once more, he arose to his feet. "I'm fine. Now, let's make haste."
Though Craig and Cana could feel something was wrong, it was best that they kept quiet.
The trio ventured forth and made way for the ships, luckily avoiding any trouble since it seemed unoccupied at the moment. They pressed on, making way in front of the first ship stationed closest. Craig went first, albeit with caution. Once on, everyone began to search the ship.
"Check the cargo." Ace requested.
Below deck the three went, and thus they came across a vaulted door beyond the quarters where the grunts resided. Standing before it, Ace sliced it open flawlessly, looking unfazed as the metal clanged against the wooden flooring. Looking inside, they found the cargo hold to be surprisingly spacious, much to their own question. Still, there was a circular window so some sense of light shined down onto them.
Ace looked around. "Do you suppose their hold is here?"
Craig raised a brow, staring at one of the many shipping boxes right beside him. "I don't know." He began to look irritated at the box. "But we'll find out."
With a strong kick, the lid to the box flipped open, flying off towards the wall. Craig looked inside, his eyes widening – very slowly – that coupled with his silence. All he could really do was just stare out, just look at the startling artifacts inside. It wasn't jewel, it wasn't food, it wasn't some odd shipment of weapons either. Instead, it was something Craig could have never seen coming.
Cana walked on over. "Hey, Cranky, what're you staring at? Something to keep me from getting a few good liquors I gue…" However, Cana had just jinxed herself. The brunette trailed off, eyes widening when she peeked inside, staring at the glistening contents of the box. Her purple gaze began to shrink. "What…is this?"
Ace opened another cargo box, looking inside with an unemotional stare. Still, he could feel his own heart rate escalate. "I was afraid of this."
Inside each box appeared to be piles upon piles of lacrima. The lacrima were large, but by no means were they Dynamite Lacrima, nor anything like that. Rather, it's a type Craig barely saw before.
"Dragon…Lacrima?" Craig finished. He looked around, realizing all the boxes were of equal size. "Don't tell me…" He darted for the window, looking out to see the numerous ships of similar design. The look on his face evolved into one of great horror, which even left Cana's own heart to jump.
Ace turned towards the window, his bloodshot eyes narrowing. "I fear this has gotten far too extreme. To have so many Dragon Lacrima, and to add another to their collection…" The air around them had gotten heavier in pressure, the anticipation on the rise. "We've gravely misjudged the situation."
District 12 was still under heavy conspicuous actions, but as far as they were concerned, the matter should've eased up to a degree. But an unexpected event revolving around an orangette happened to be running by them. They didn't get a good glimpse to find the swordswoman running with a dark shadow over her eyes, teeth gritting as her broken swords remained in hand.
As she ran through the streets, she looked to be running away from something rather than towards something. Nobody knew what went on in her mind. No one could tell how she was so hurt emotionally than just physically aside from the cut Craig gave her. She just kept running away; away from the burden of never going to be the strongest, her dreams shattered like glass, her temper broken by Craig demolishing her. Such a humility she couldn't stomach. 'I can be strong! I can be strong!' She internally yelled. Flashes of Craig defeating her flooded her thoughts. 'No! It's my pride and honor! He broke it! He just couldn't die! Why?! Aren't I superior?!' As she continued dashing to the outskirts of the city, her eyes showed anger, but also flaring tears. 'I'll show them! I can do this all by myself! I don't need Ace nor anybody!'
She traveled towards the confines of the cliffs, getting away from everyone. She brushed her way past various bushes, using her swords to cut a way for her. She ventured on, heading on towards wherever her instincts could lead her. The swordswoman passed by various trees, rocks, and other assorted wildlife until she brought herself closer towards the cliffs. Once she made it, she stopped to catch her breath, her panting heavily evident from the energy she exerted.
All alone. She looked down. "Damn you." She muttered. "You ruined everything. I was supposed to be the strongest…but that yelling bastard, he had more potential. And he wasn't called a swordsman!" She shut her eyes, tears pouring out of her face. "How could I lose to a guy like him?!"
All she could do was wallow in pity, that was all. Aside from that, she had nothing else to do. She wanted to eradicate the enemy and end them with her swords, but she was too emotionally stressed. She needed help, but her pride was all she had. Help would only hurt her…and by now, she realized that.
Trying to recover, she opened her eyes, wiping away the sniffling tears of shame. The orangette looked up, noticing something strange in the cliffs. "Hm?" Her gaze was fixated on a closed off cave it seems, buried beneath piles of rubble. "What is that?" Her curiosity getting the best of her, the swordswoman ventured on over with caution, getting an odd feeling even she couldn't fathom.
Standing in front of the piles of rock, she could feel a cold air resonating from the thin cracks. "There's something amidst here." She stated bluntly with a serious frown. There was some dark prowess that she could feel, and it was a pressure that her head feel light. She didn't like it, and yet she also knew that this was a sign that this was Magic Power. She had her cracked blue sword in hand, ready to swing.
"Only one way to find out…HIYAH!"
One swipe, and the boulders were all reduced to sliced rubble. They all broke apart, crumbling from the immense pressure given off. Even after the swipe, her blue sword remained unbroken.
Andrea managed to smirk once more. "Looks like I still got it."
Gengo looked up alongside his master, the elite overlooking the mountain of bones with astonishment and surprise. The Dragon Lacrima lying beneath the skeleton was of pure bewilderment to boot. There was no telling what went through either living human's mind.
"Sure, is this what you've been searching for?" The elite inquired.
Xixen maintained a grin. "It is better than I had hoped it'd be." He walked slowly towards his treasure, the one he longed for after so many years of searching for it. "It's been much too long since it's been unheard of, but the concentration of sheer draconic energy is still sheer and raw. You can practically feel its intensity from beyond the grave." He couldn't help but fathom the immeasurable raw energy that was evident. This is what has been underneath everyone's noses for so long, for so many years, and it was still there in that one spot. "My family's archeological finds were most extraordinary. It's been proven now that I'm here. This entire chamber has been sealed off from the outside world…and now we have the chance to make it become public knowledge."
"Yes, sir." Gengo grinned.
"We have much to do…" Xixen turned around, eyes narrowing.
Gengo caught wind of what was transpiring. "Master?"
"…we have company."
Gengo turned around, looking where Andrea was. At the entrance to the tunnel, the mages both saw footsteps close in, finally catching wind of Andrea appearing behind with a stern look on her face. The two looked calmly ahead at Andrea, seeing as how she was panting as she had just caught.
After a moment of stiff silence, Andrea finally found the words that needed to be said. "So, at long last, I have found you." She said.
Xixen didn't at all seem fazed. "Who might you be?"
"Do not play coy with me?" Andrea pointed her jungle sword at them both. "Who are you? And are you the ones responsible for this?!"
"Responsible for what? We didn't give rise to collateral damage." Xixen said.
Andrea's eyes narrowed. "So it is you." She had swords at the ready. "Talk! Scoundrels!"
Xixen turned away. "Gengo, could you please?" The leader began walking away towards the Dragon Lacrima treasure and monstrous skeleton.
Gengo stepped forward. "Yes, master. Any threat is still a threat. Even if they're pests who walk in without introduction."
Andrea's eyes widened. "You…!" She lunged to attack, but as she dived in to strike, Gengo walked forward, disappearing. The next instant, Andrea was caught off balance before everything for were went black.
Erza had just finished explaining what happened regarding the Dragon Emperor Society, and how the goons were supposedly blended in with the crowd, and with the most recent reveal, possible in the tournament. Suffice to say that after the explanation, the three being spoken to were baffled.
"They're where?!" Evergreen anxiously looked all around her, her nerves reaching a critical point with all her anxiety at a point from the prospect brought up by Erza. She leered left and right, noticing many peculiar looks men were giving left and right towards others. Some were cascaded towards the lacrima.
"I see, so that's why we haven't crossed paths with any of this so-called 'Dragon Emperor Society'." Lily figured.
"That name is a real mouthful." Happy pointed out.
Erza turned towards the island down below, where Natsu was to go up in the scuffle. "But what shocked me is how these guys are so powerful If they took out Elfman and Gray, who knows what kinds of powers they have?" She looked closer, seeing the marks on Renji and Solidus, both contenders glaring at Natsu and Gajeel. 'Natsu…' "Where's the others? They must know about this!"
"I think Elfman and Gray are still recovering in the waiting room." Happy pointed out.
Down in the arena, the crowd's cheering for the exciting battle went under way. It was a battle royale, and last man standing would get the Dragon Lacrima, a prize that was sure to cause quite an uproar. Not that there was one to begin with.
"Heh, this shouldn't take long." Renji smirked.
"They'll crumble like tissue paper." Solidus said.
Gajeel looked from his end towards Natsu, and in return, the Dragon Slayer looked at Gajeel. Both stared coldly at one another, but the same time understood. Without so much as a nod, they leered back at the two before them.
Lucas raised a pumped fist. "ALRIGHT! Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for some real pressure?! Ready for some crazy combat between these four?!" The audience roared in compliance, their ears ringing from how loudly they were yelling. "Excellent, now, the participants in this round is number 397, Natsu Dragneel!"
Natsu earned some praise.
"Number 99, Solidus!"
The crowd roared for him.
"Number 116, Renji!"
Again, the audience clapped and cheered.
"And number 400, Gajeel Redfox!"
For the umpteenth time now, the audience went nuts over the contestants announced. The people in the stands were all excited…in some ways more than one. Erza took her seat, keeping an eye out all around her. She didn't like what was happening, and so she had to watch everyone, at the same time, root for Natsu.
Lucas smirked. "Now…let the battle begin!" He cried out.
A bell went off, and that's when everything got started.
Renji spread his legs apart, a proud smirk brimming with confidence. "You ready? Let's take them out and get what we-!" Renji, however, went wide-eyed when Natsu and Gajeel appeared and closed the gap in between them. They moved so fast that Renji didn't have time to dodge as both Dragon Slayers socked him across the face with a blinding punch, sending the guy sailing backwards in the air.
Solidus turned to face them, his shock surmounting. "What?"
Gajeel turned towards him, cheeks puffed. "Iron Dragon's Roar!" He unleashed a massive whirlwind of concentrated metal and iron, shredding the air particles and advancing towards Solidus. Solidus covered up, but even that wasn't enough as the attack made him get pushed back within the raging storm. The man eventually went flying, ending up on his back.
Both Natsu and Gajeel were back to back, watching their two opponents sit up with gritting teeth. Both looked dead serious that it was like two dragons staring down their prey.
"Sorry, but that prize ain't yours to have." Natsu said.
Lucas went wide-eyed. "A…a…amazing!" He screamed. "Just what is this going on?! Natsu and Gajeel are deliberately back to back! Is this a team-up?!"
Happy jumped for joy. "Yeah! Knock it to 'em, pal!"
Lily smiled. "Since they have a common enemy, it takes sense they force themselves to cooperate."
"Granted, they are fools, but even they know that teamwork is probably the best solution." Evergreen huffed.
Erza smiled at the battle, seeing as how the start left her in good spirits.
Renji got back up, irritated. "You punks."
Natsu flashed a smirk. "Heh."
Gajeel glared at Solidus as the latter was up on his feet again, looking serious at the Dragon Slayer. "Come on."
Renji clutched his right fist, his prowess on the rise. A Magic Power was being materialized and compressed into purple vapor that started to manifest into a solid it seemed. "We'll see who's laughing after this!" Around him, his energy was released, the magnitude of Magic Power leaving the ground to give in at his feet. The mage disregarded the dust cloud, taking into account only the serpent blade he summoned. The purple solid creature had its long form around its master, the head and hollow eyes looking at Natsu.
Natsu's glare intensified, growling as his fists were coated in flames.
"Now…strike him down!" Renji swiped the tail in a fashion similar to a blade. The serpent blade followed his control, the head of the large beast lunging through the atmosphere with the snout for Natsu. The beast closed in, but Natsu jumped up at the lasts second, evading as the serpent blade hit the ground, making dust fly. While in midair, Natsu looked down, seeing the large dust cloud beneath. It took a second, but the serpent head shot straight up to get at Natsu again by Renji raising the tail end up. As the beast closed the gap, Natsu made a large fireball overhead.
"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
He threw the attack down onto the weapon's head, engulfing it in a very large fiery explosion. The eruption of smoke and fire engulfed the small airspace, giving Natsu room to land. The smoke cleared, the head of the monstrous weapon recoiling and hissing at the Fire Dragon Slayer.
Solidus raised a fist and brought it down, but Gajeel jumped and dodged, the fist making the ground shake. Landing on the arm, Gajeel's next move was to jump and flip as Solidus tried to use his other arm and punch him off. In midair, Gajeel reeled back an arm.
"Iron Dragon's Club!"
His arm morphed into a column or iron and went shooting down like a meteor onto Solidus. The big guy dared not move, which was something Gajeel caught whiff of. 'Why isn't he moving?' His club made contact on his forehead, making an ironclad sound reverberate all around. The offensive, however, was ill-effective as Solidus' body somehow was unscathed.
Gajeel went wide-eyed as a sudden pain went through his arm all the way up to the shoulder. The harsh pain struck all his nerves, leaving him to cry out in pain. "Gaaaaah!" The Dragon Slayer landed, his arm returning to normal. He clutched his arm, grunting as he was feeling intense pain still. "Man, just what is this guy made of…" His eyes widened when a dark shadow loomed over his head. In realization, Gajeel found it was Solidus with both fists raised.
"Fool!" Solidus brought his arms down onto Gajeel, but Gajeel jumped away at the last moment. As he slid back, the spot where he stood shattered, spilling dust and rock everywhere. Solidus stood up, unemotionally glaring at Gajeel. "You cannot defeat me like that. My magic makes me impervious to physicality."
"Physicality?" Gajeel questioned. The seconds that passed, that's when he began to realized. "Wait…" He realized what happened to Elfman. "So that's how you took down the big guy!"
"Yes, and as long as you remain physical, you have no chance, for you see, I can also return the force twice as hard. The reaction ratio intensifies upon impact with my body, so a mere strong punch can make a man fall over."
"You're twisted." Gajeel grunted.
Solidus walked forward. "It matters not. Now, that prize is ours."
Natsu rushed ahead towards Renji head on, letting out a shout as he closed the gap. Renji grunted at Natsu's choice of actions and brought his arm back, bringing the tail end along with him.
"You idiot!" He slashed ahead, sending the remainder of his weapon at Natsu. The materialized energy made into a snake went rushing after Natsu, closing the gap. Natsu, however, seemed unfazed by the large proportions and ventured forth. With a swift shift to his right, he dodged another strike that crashed into the ground. With a harsh step, he engulfed himself in flames and lunged forward.
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
Natsu's head collided with Renji's vulnerable body, getting him hard in the gut. The mage gagged and slid backwards, barely on his feet. When he stopped, he got to a knee, grunting in agony. "You brat." He retorted.
As Natsu landed, his momentum was short-lived when the snake weapon attacked from the side. He maneuvered and jumped off to the side, barely catching himself in his own slide against the earth. When he stopped, he didn't have the right footing as Renji swung the blade again, maneuvering the snake towards him in an arch. Natsu's eyes widened in shock. 'Crap! I'm not gonna dodge!' In a rush to improvise, he countered.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
His flaming fist connected with the snout, producing a heated wave that traveled in a small radius in the atmosphere. Natsu pushed with as much force as he could muster against the large serpentine, but even though he had might, his size was a hindrance. The Dragon Slayer went skyward as the beastly weapon overpowered him, leaving Renji grinning.
"Natsu!" Happy shouted.
Erza looked on as well, her heart skipping a beat out of shock. "Natsu!"
Gajeel slid backwards from Solidus, again dodging his attack that shuddered the ground. The Iron Dragon Slayer had been looking for an opening for several minutes now, but nonetheless couldn't see any blind spots. Irritated, the best maneuver was a straightforward attack, which seemed more suited to his style. Gajeel darted ahead with a shout, dashing with all his might.
Solidus ran ahead after him, looking eager himself. "Hmph, predictable!"
"Iron Dragon's Sword!"
Gajeel jumped into the air for the umpteenth time, his arm morphing into a jagged blade of iron. He brought his sword down, slashing against Solidus as the man stopped in place. The Iron Dragon Slayer, however, was wide-eyed when he felt the impact recoil against him, a counter pulsing through him. "GAH!" Gajeel finally got struck by his own force, sent flying backwards as well.
WHAM!
Natsu and Gajeel collided in the air, their minds momentarily going blank from the clash of their own heads meeting. Both looked petrified as they fell to the ground below, their expressions as sour as their own luck.
Renji tilted his head with a raised brow. "Persistent, aren't they?"
Solidus nodded. "Annoying is more like it."
Natsu arose, clutching the top of his head. "Aw man…"
Gajeel was no different as he was finding footing. "Alright, that one hurt." He looked behind himself, towards Natsu with a grumpy look. "Tch, looks like you're having just as much luck as I am."
"Watch it." Natsu warned with a tick mark. Renji stepped in front of him, the mage's serpentine weapon howling at him. Natsu smirked again. "Besides, I know how to beat him now."
"Heh, what do you know, I was thinking the same thing."
"Is this it? Are Renji and Solidus gonna finish it?" Lucas yelled through the lacrima mic. "They have both Natsu and Gajeel cornered. Are they gonna end it here?"
"Come on, guys!" Happy cheered, jumping with hyped energy for extra effect.
"Why are they just standing there?" Lily asked. "Are they making a plan?"
"With those two, it's never easy to tell." Evergreen commented.
Erza remained silent, her gaze narrowing as the battle was unfolding to a greater climax. She could tell that look Natsu had. The Dragon Slayer had a plan, and she knew that he had full confidence in it. She didn't have to worry, after all, this was Natsu.
Renji brought his arm around. "Heh, let's wrap this up. HRAH!" He swung his blade, sending the large serpentine figure towards Natsu as he just waited there like a statue.
"Agreed!" Solidus charged in as well, moving for the kill on Gajeel.
Natsu and Gajeel smirked on as their opponents came towards them, which was exactly what they wanted. Both Dragon Slayers waited as the two colossal figures heading their way closed in, and when they made it to a certain point, both sets of eyes widened.
"Let's do this!" They yelled. Natsu and Gajeel alike lunged after their foes separately, closing the gap themselves.
Natsu barged on in as the snake weapon opened its mouth, its massive four fangs set to attack with all its might. Renji's smirk widened as Natsu rushed in, but by no means was he gonna let an opportunity like this slide. He jutted the blade forward. "Into the fire! Now…ROAR!" He yelled.
His weapon answered his call, the massive mouth opening and immediately charging up energy as Natsu was but several feet in front of it. Time began to slow down as Natsu kept lunging in, slowly getting closer towards the fray.
"What is he doing?!" Evergreen shouted.
Natsu puffed in his cheeks, bringing his head back. "How's about a little backfire! Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Natsu unleashed a blistering heap of fire in the form of a torrent from his mouth. The roaring flames coasted through the small airspace between them and into the mouth of the serpent, where the energy was hurrying to gather. The converging energy, however, was affected by the fire, which left the energy itself the erupt where it was. The serpent's head was engulfed in flames and a bright light altogether, erupting into a howling light.
Renji went wide-eyed. "What?!" His weapon erupted, erupting into many pieces and was engulfed in a bright and massive explosion of his own Magic Power. Renji covered up from the bright explosion, keeping vision, but was unable to respond from the unstable force Natsu provided. The bright flash and howling winds was just what kept him distracted long enough as a shadow leaped from the bright light. He only opened his eyes a little bit. "Damnit! I can't see!"
Suddenly the bright light was replaced by swirling fire. The heat from the flames ahead got his attention, leaving him shock.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
Natsu passed Renji, on a knee and his hands unleashing flaming lashes that had Renji soaring with howling agony.
"Alright!" Happy cheered.
Solidus clutched a fist as he ran and punched down on Gajeel as the Iron Dragon Slayer closed in. Gajeel blocked with a forearm, leaning back as Solidus' heavy form was outweighing him by large margins. Solidus pressed harder against Gajeel, but the latter was seen smirking despite the momentary pain his arm had inflicted. Gajeel suddenly reeled back so much his legs swung beneath, allowing him to slide right underneath and between Solidus' legs, letting the hulking man's punch slip from the man to the ground.
His eyes widened. 'Impossible. He used…my size against me?'
"Iron Dragon's Club!"
Turning around, Solidus found his opponent in midair with a column of iron at the ready. The Iron Dragon Slayer readied to strike, but Solidus stood firm and readied for Gajeel's strike. "I told you before, you can't hit me with physical attacks!" He berated.
"HRAH!" Gajeel launched his assault, shocking Solidus by aiming and scoring a clean hit on the ground. In front of the large man, digging his club in. Solidus went wide-eyed, confusion mounting over his confidence. In midair still, Gajeel snickered. "Now who said I was aiming for you?" Gajeel landed on the ground, his column angling and picking up the piece of the island that Solidus stood on and making it rock up. The whole fragment rocked back from Gajeel's surprise attack, and the man found his balance lost.
"What is happening?" Solidus shouted, struggling to maintain balance as he could barely keep himself up. Suddenly, he heard a shimmering sound, and then some clanging that couple with a shout.
"Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!"
A hard fist connected with Solidus' cheek, sending the man flying backwards in agony. The beastly man slid on his back, coming a halt at the end of a trail made. He gritted his teeth, pain flaring as he sat up. "You…!" His eyes, however, widened upon seeing something different about Gajeel.
"Heh, took me long enough…but I got you figured out."
The Iron Dragon Slayer was encompassed with not only a proud smirk, but his skin was completely buried in ironclad scales. They looked to be of not armor, but actually part of his skin one might say. Solidus stepped back, finding Gajeel's transformation shocking and very uneasy.
"What are you?" Solidus exasperated. He stepped backwards, still reeling from Gajeel's previous successful hit.
Gajeel crossed his arms. "I thought you were smart by now to realize. Guess I'll have to spill the beans myself." His metallic glare hardened. "Your magic only works when you're standing stiff as a statue. If you move to attack or while you're attacking, your magic won't bounce back bodies." When Gajeel saw the look on Solidus' face, he knew he hit the nail right on the head.
The smoke cleared, and Renji tried standing up. His body was slouched forward, his posture not right. "Damn you. How did you know where to find my blade's vulnerability?" He retorted.
Natsu stood a safe distance away and had a proud grin. "Simple. I noticed back when I finished my fight."
"Your fight?" Renji repeated.
"Yeah, I watched that move you did and saw how it took a couple seconds. All I had to do was wait for that chance and take it."
Renji couldn't help but curse beneath his breath. He let his guard down, and that cost him big time. His teeth gritted. 'I messed up. When my blade's weak spot is messed with, it takes longer for it to converge.'
At the same time, Natsu and Gajeel struck their startled opponents with punches of their own. Renji and Solidus yelled out in agony as they were met with their foes more powerful than ever, all because they let their confidence get the best of them, a trait that leaves many vulnerable.
"What a turnout folks! Natsu and Gajeel have completely turned the tables on their opponents! Both contenders have Renji and Solidus now on the defensive!" Lucas yelled.
"YEAH! Go Natsu!" Happy shouted, making faulty punch motions. "Take it to 'em!"
Lily nodded as he saw Gajeel's latest attack. "I knew it. He's been holding out, biding time to adapt to the battle."
Gajeel watched Solidus stumble away from the recent punch, leaving him still open. The scaly Dragon Slayer's smirk grew more vicious. "And here's another thing I picked up…what would happen if it wasn't a physical attack?"
Solidus' eyes were palpitating with overloading shock.
"Heh! I knew it!" Gajeel puffed in his cheeks. "This one's for the big guy! Iron Dragon's ROAR!"
With a violent and loud shout, Gajeel fired a powerful roar, the turbulence and metallic tornado shot from his mouth, encompassing his adversary in a cyclone that tore through him. Solidus' mouth gaped open and screamed in violent agony as Gajeel completely overwhelmed him.
Meanwhile, Natsu closed the distance between himself and Renji as the latter was unable to do anything but wait for his blade to reform. Natsu's fists were coated in a blistering fire. "This is for that shirtless stripper! Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist!" Natsu relentlessly bombarded Renji with a nonstop volley of exploding flaming punches that went off like fireworks. He roared out as the assault dared not let up, blow and after blow, dynamic fire erupting and flaring all around him.
Both Renji and Solidus yelled out in pain as they slammed into the ground right next to each other, crashing and making the battlefield shudder from their assaults taken. Natsu and Gajeel glared out at them as the dust raged, and the crowd went absolutely nuts over their combined efforts.
Some, however, were not so thrilled.
Lucas looked shocked at the scene before him. As the dust cleared, everyone looked startled as the duo of Renji and Solidus were barely standing. Both were unable to get no more than to a knee. They looked battered, bruised, and borderline incapacitated. Natsu and Gajeel stood triumphantly as their opponents were looking damaged.
"How's about we wrap this up?" Natsu rhetorically asked, slamming a fist into his palm.
Gajeel's scaly form looked ready to rip apart flesh. "You read my mind."
Both contenders got up. Solidus and Renji looked at Natsu and Gajeel, growling in bitter frustration. They didn't seem too thrilled to be losing. "Tch, looks like the plan's backfiring some." Renji said. "This isn't getting us anywhere close to that thing."
"Agreed." Solidus said. "It's time for Plan B."
Renji smirked. "I've wanted to hear that for so long." He and his associate got up, both up on their feet, but their stances seemed to have changed. The materialization of Renji's blade began to manifest, the energy becoming solid slowly, and Natsu and Gajeel's legs spread apart as they saw that their opponents were ready to bounce back.
The serpents blade was back after a few moments, yet as it hissed, Renji gave a cocky smirk. "I admit it, you both are strong, but we got plans for that lacrima."
"You have bested us, but let us assure you, this is far from over." Solidus said.
Natsu raised a brow. "Huh? What are you guys…?"
"ROAR!"
Renji's shout palpitated across the terrain. His weapon of choice let out a loud hiss as it faced the ground with an open mouth, gathering raw Magic Power in a hurry. Natsu and Gajeel went wide-eyed as the blast wasn't directed towards them, as it couldn't be with the head angled too low it seems. To their feet? Probably, but they couldn't tell. The attack was launched, and the blast wave echoed outwards; an explosion of catastrophic light and rumbling bellowed, collecting dust and strong winds to momentarily leave the entire audience blinded by the intense Magic Power resonating from Renji. Happy and Lily barely saw anything, and Erza herself had to cover up from the dust blasting about.
"W-what is happening folks! Renji has unleashed a massive attack!" Lucas shouted through the howling winds, but could barely be heard from the lacrima being damaged somewhat.
When the dust wave and explosion subsided, Natsu and Gajeel uncovered, seeing that while the island they were on was leveled and stable – barely – their opponents were nowhere to be seen. Their eyes widened, shock surmounting.
"They're gone!" Natsu bellowed.
"Just where the hell did they run off to?!" Gajeel exclaimed.
Lucas looked around, shocked. "The…the contestants just disappeared! Is this another form of magic?!" He tried to make sense of what happened, but as he turned about to look for answers, he found something far more disturbing, namely the artifact behind him to be…
"WHAT?! IT CAN'T BE! THE DRAGON LACRIMA IS GONE!"
Erza turned towards the stands, her eyes wide. "They stole it?!"
Evergreen showed equal shock. "They duped us!"
"Right when we weren't looking too!" Lily shouted.
Natsu looked up to where the lacrima was supposed to be, but it was gone, the glass itself shattered and vacant in place. The thought of them getting away with something so valuable was just sickening, and he let it happen. His fists clutched tightly, his veins popping out of place. "Those jerks, they never wanted a fair fight to begin with!"
Suddenly, everything in the confusion of the situation was dropped when they saw something shoot up from just outside the stadium. Every single head turned to look up at the blast that beamed up towards the atmosphere, escalating until it looked like a flare went off. The massive firework in the sky was so bright that the sun seemed like a distant dim light.
Happy looked away. "Gah! What's going on?!"
"I don't know!" Lily shouted. "That looks like a signal flare!"
Evergreen let out a heaping gasp, showing how shocked she was. "Wait…!" Suddenly, almost half of the citizens in the colosseum began to roar, howling as they jerked back up and flicked off their armbands, revealing their unison insignias. All of them let out harsh screams and shouts, proving they were understanding the signal. Looking around, the Fairy Mage was continuing to get overwhelmed, her body jerking upright along with Erza. Both women stood up as the men with the Dragon Emperor Society emblem stood out from the crowd.
"That's the signal!"
"We got it!"
"Let's give this dump hell!"
They all got out their hidden daggers, weapons, and other various material used for combat. All of them went on a rampage in the arena, which left the citizens to flee for their lives. All of the exits were flooding with people making way with their lives, while the many society members were starting to catch up and terrorize the colosseum.
"This was a setup!" Erza shouted. Instinctively, she requipped a sword and pivoted as she suddenly found herself surrounded. "Evergreen!"
Evergreen had a dainty hand up. "Don't worry, Titania. We can take care of this." In response to her own sentence, Evergreen swiped her arm firing golden spears of her Leprechaun spell at the few standing in her way. She watched as they exploded, sending the men flying.
As a female citizen was getting to the exit, a society member was advancing onto her. "Oh no you don't!" He raised his sword, ready to strike her down. However, a shadow was over him, which he didn't catch until it was too late. "What the-?!"
"HIYAH!" Lily appeared in his Battle Form, bringing down his heavily lengthened sword, cutting the guy off and sending him flying, allowing the woman to keep running. Lily picked up his sword, looking around to find the many more on the run. "Everyone! Hurry!" He yelled.
Gajeel grunted, but complied. "Alright, jerkwads, now you've made me mad!" Turning his legs into columns, the Iron Dragon Slayer lunged ahead, with Natsu following behind, jetting thanks to his feet on fire. Both lunged at the several men gaining up on escapees, ready for more brawling.
"YOU AIN'T GETTING AWAY!"
Both Natsu and Gajeel suddenly saw the group of guys in front of them get turned to ice, leaving them startled. Both landed, and close by, the guys on their side suddenly were thrown about. They didn't have much time to process before more men around them were hitting pavement.
Natsu looked forward, seeing an icy mist clear up. "Huh…" His eyes widened. "Gray!"
Gray stepped off from the men he froze, looking at Natsu irritably. "What are you just standing around for? Quit gawking!"
Elfman stood atop of the fallen guys, fists clutched and ready to brawl. "Come on! You think we're gonna rest after this happens?! We're men!" He and Gray still had more than a few bandages wrapped around them, but for the most part, they were fine.
Natsu's smirk came back, his fists igniting. "Alright then…let's give them hell!"
"RIGHT!" Everyone shouted, attacking the society members in the vicinity.
Ace's bloodshot eyes widened as his Magic Power instinctively kicked in. He could feel his eyes bleed out a little, but it mattered not, for what he was seeing from within the underground port was something even he was afraid would happen.
"Ace, what the hell is going on?" Craig asked, seeing his expression.
"This is very bad. Tahunga is…" Ace turned towards the outside, staring at the stairs they came down from. "Forget this for now! The land is under siege!"
"Siege?" Cana questioned.
Craig's eyes widened. "Wait…" He quieted down, him and everyone else too. Aside from the rocking of water down below, they were able to hear the faintest glimpse of a few loud screams from the surface. It was weak, but the numbers weren't lying. His eyes widened. "…they've made their move."
"Come!" Ace jumped off the ship's port. "We have no time to waste! We must get to the surface as fast as we can!"
The trio abandoned the port and hurried on towards the surface. Once they exited the building that they came from, they stopped cold when they reached the stairs towards the outside. What they saw startled them altogether.
Nit only had the sky begun to cloud up, but the biggest problem was that endless numbers of citizens were running around haphazardly within the vicinity, running away from society members with their emblems showing, weapons in hand. The society that had been kept secret for over a day now finally revealed its true colors, and now Tahunga was on the defensive, making way with its own life at stake.
"This is bad." Cana growled.
"Just what happened?" Craig asked. "The town burst with-!"
He was cut off from finishing his sentence when the ground of rumbling was herd within the earth. The area around the trio shuddered, the quaking of the immense magnitude vibrating so intensely. Cana nearly lost her footing for a moment while Craig and Ace were keeping themselves up. The quaking had increased, leaving the nearby society members to stop their rampaging and look down at their feet, seeing the debris at their feet shuddering.
Craig narrowed his eyes, unable to catch wind o the situation. "Wait a second…" The palpitation intensified, and then Craig let out a gasp of realization. "Everyone, get down!"
They didn't have time to question. The building they'd just came out from had suddenly lost its top, literally. The ceiling of the domain was reduced to flying rubble, dust and white chunks flying in various directions. Craig and his group huddled and got down before they could get crushed, evading the debris by luck. As the dust overhead scattered, they saw all of the hundreds of Dragon Lacrima overhead.
Craig looked on with shock. "What…?"
"The heck? Why aren't we catching a break?!" Cana screamed out.
Ace went wide-eyed. "The Dragon Lacrima-!" Suddenly the almighty swordsman shut his eyes, the sensation of pain intensifying so much that it felt like they were bleeding. The man got to a knee, his mouth covered by his hand.
"Ace!" Craig knelt down, looking at his condition. "What's going on?"
Ace continued coughing, suppressing it as best as he could. After a couple moments, the swordsman finally stopped, his eyes barely able to open, being more red than ever. He removed his hand discretely. "Don't worry…" He looked down at his hand, the one he had coughed on. It was blood on it. With a stare, longing for something, he seemed out of it. "I'm fine."
Craig looked towards Cana, but out of worry…for once. Cana looked down at Craig in return, her mind flashing unpleasant events that could be happening within Ace. Whatever was happening to him, it was starting to weigh on her. His condition seemed stressful.
"Here." Breaking them out of their worries, Ace had his hat covering his eyes, still kneeling as he handed Craig the Communication Lacrima. "Let the others know what is happening."
Craig was honestly more concerned about Ace, but when he looked back, as much as it pained him, he saw all the scrambling of citizens, and the glee on the Dragon Emperor Society members' faces. It pained him, it really did, but in respects to the swordsman, he focused on the task and the flying lacrima overhead…for now.
He activated the lacrima, seeing a picture of Erza on hand. "Red?"
There was brief static before Erza's face was seen on the lacrima, the clashing of Natsu and other society members in the background. "Craig! Cana! Are you two there?"
"Erza, yeah." Cana said. "Listen, are you seeing this?" The brunette looked up at the sky, watching the Dragon Lacrima flying all the way across Tahunga.
"Yeah, I'm afraid so. What could this mean?" She asked.
"We don't know, but this chaos is running all over Tahunga." Craig said. "Look, finish up there. Hurry and meet us in the center of Tahunga."
"Understood." With that, Erza's image faded, leaving the lacrima a sour green color as it was before.
Cana turned towards Craig. "We should hurry and rendezvous as fast as we can."
"Well obviously." Craig berated her. "Why not tell me the forecast while you're at it. We got more issues here than a rainy day coming it seems…so let's get started…" He pulled back his arms, reaching for his blades. "And do what I do best."
"Be annoying?"
"That's you, idiot."
Ace pulled out Katsyu. "The notion is understood. I believe what Craig is prone to is…violence, yes?"
Craig smirked. "Damn straight. Now…LET'S TEAR THEM UP!" He lunged ahead, his dark and blood red swords at the ready to slice and cut enemies into pieces.
The Dragon Lacrima overhead had a single spot to where they needed to go. They arched all over Tahunga from south to north. The entire country looked to have a sparkling rainbow shimmering all the way across, despite how cloudy it was now. The first of the many lacrima finished its arch, heading into the one entrance it was meant to go through, traveling through the abandoned corridors and through the darkness, finally reaching the where Xixen was waiting.
The leader watched with a grin as dozens upon dozens of Dragon Lacrima began to pour from the cavernous entrance, closing in and planting themselves along the other lacrima at the base of the monstrous skeleton. His smirk widened. "Gengo, you're doing a fine job." He praised.
Gengo was sitting on the ground, cross-legged and eyes shut. He had palms together, using every fiber of his own being to concentrate and manifest the Magic Power he had into the Dragon Lacrima. The elite was stressing it seems, a bead of sweat pouring down his face. As the lacrima poured through the entrance.
Xixen grinned at Gengo's work. "I know it's rough, but just use your Telekinesis for a little bit longer. It'll all be over soon, I assure you." He then turned towards the wall in the far distance. "And as for you…I trust you are finding this spectacle quite compelling, aren't you?"
He was talking to Andrea, quite amused in his tone. The swordswoman was pinned to the wall by loose wire, her wrists and ankles unable to break free due to her dizzy and nauseated state.
"You…fiends…" She muttered.
"You thought it was wise to come to us all by yourself. You really should've had allies to back you up." He berated her. "You're only so powerful on your own…which is very, very little in your case."
Andrea closed her eyes, looking away in shame.
The last of the Dragon Lacrima took its place at the base of the nest, settling itself at the base of the skeleton. The last Dragon Lacrima, however, was the one Renji and Solidus managed to pillage, thus completing everything. Once all the hundreds of lacrima were set on the ground, Gengo hung his head down, panting beads of sweat.
"Well done, Gengo. You have done well. I could not be anymore proud of your value." Xixen praised.
Gengo continued to pant, his Magic Power almost completely out. It took him a hefty ton of effort and mental prowess, but he succeeded.
Xixen turned away with a smile, slowly walking towards the beast. "Please allow yourself to rest from now on…from this point on, allow myself to do the rest."
Once catching his breath, Gengo steadied himself to hurry towards his feet. "Yes…Master…" He huffed. He slowly walked off towards Andrea, standing close by, watching steadily as his master slowly looked around, seeing all the lacrima set, and all the pieces in place. He couldn't help but feel proud of his accomplishment. It took him years to help his master find all those lacrima, and now their dream was finally gonna come to fruition. It was a long wait, and they couldn't be happier.
Andrea's eyes hardened. "What are you planning?" She asked.
"That's a concern that is best unsaid." Gengo answered. He continued to watch as Gengo stood in place, his body around a circumference of dust.
"Tell me!" Andrea yelled.
Gengo turned towards her, somewhat too fed up. "Is the answer that you seek that important?"
"Yes!"
Gengo looked at her quietly, remaining subtle as his master raised his arms. With a tired sigh, he let out a groan and turned towards Andrea again. "Alright. Since you can't break free or do a thing about it, guess you can have a small peek of what's to come." He managed to smirk. "We all have a very special magic, you see. Everyone has their own unique form of magic, like Fire, Water, even magic related to the soul. I suppose you have no intel on just what kind of magic my master has been perfecting all his life, right?" Without even having to speak, Andrea was unable to answer. "You see, I have my Telekinesis and my Spatial Step, but my master has one magic that no one else does: Ethereal Magic." He looked back towards the master, watching as all the lacrima were beginning to glow dim. "Such a magic brings up questions, like what it does. It's simple, for Ethereal Magic gathers the residual energy within matter and transforms it into a reliable living force. Take a seed for example. The master could use his magic to create a tree without even planting it."
Andrea's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Xixen watched as the Dragon Lacrima succumbed to his magic, his ethereal prowess making him feel extremely gifted. His smirk darkened, watching as the brightness of the lacrima intensified.
"Well, as you know, Dragon Lacrima are extremely rare to find all across the world. They're not easy to come by. So why Dragon Lacrima?" Gengo's face twisted, slowly darkening. "Dragon Lacrima derive from the residual powers of dragons that manifested their fraction of strength into lacrima rather than actual humans. So the residual energy concentration is most potent when in still the form of a lacrima."
Andrea didn't get it, but there was a strong hint in that sentence. She didn't understand at first, but the more seconds that passed, the greater the gravity intensified around her. The situation drastically gathered and processed, her mind at long last understanding what was happening. Dragon Lacrima. Ethereal Magic. Gigantic bones. How did she not realize it sooner?!
Her eyes widened in horror, looking to see Xixen's hands glowing as the brightness of the Dragon Lacrima manifested into scales slowly. "…oh my god."
Xixen smirked, eyes narrowing as the scaled and blood streams began to grow along the skeletal structure. "Now, the world will relive history…"
"HRAH!" Craig slashed at a guy, making him fall over.
"How's about this?!" Cana threw more tarot cards, which exploded upon impact with men around her.
Nearby, Ace disappeared and reappeared in various places, zipping left and right relentlessly faster than the blinking eye. After a series of swift zigzags, he stopped, with Katsyu sheathed. Once the clanging started, the hundreds of men behind spilling blood from their vitals.
Ace looked back, seeing the numbers still scattered. "My, are they annoying. Scattering like rodents away from predicaments."
"Yeah-HRAH!" Craig pivoted and swiped at an incoming guy, making him fall over. "I know that feeling of annoyance."
Cana flung her cards like shuriken, piercing another society member and sending him falling flat on his back. She couldn't help but take note of the feeling, as it crept all along her spine. Her eyes narrowed as she looked towards Craig. "Yeah…I get that feeling a lot myself." She muttered.
Craig turned towards her. "What?" Without looking, a guy was running up towards him with a vicious battle cry, hammer in hand. Craig thrust ahead, puncturing his chest and recoiling his dark red sword, kicking the guy away harshly. Still, Craig didn't look at what his instincts had done. "What are you talking about? I'm more annoyed than you!"
"You? More annoyed than me?" Cana repeated. "Well excuse me! It's not my fault that your temper is annoying me to no end!"
"I'm naturally violent! I'm more annoyed that you're not conservative! No! Scratch that! I'm more annoyed because you always use perfume to mask how hideous you smell!"
"I'm annoyed by your stupid face!"
"I'm annoyed by your stupid everything!"
"That doesn't make sense!"
"I can make sense whenever the hell I want to! You, on the other hand, are just annoying me for questioning me!"
"That wasn't a question!"
"Every syllable you croak out with that voice makes me want to break a bone!"
"Break your own bones then!"
"I'll break your mentality instead!"
"I'll deep-fry you!"
"I'll screw you over until you fall over!"
"How's about you play dead right now!"
"I ain't no faker! Asking me to be something I'm not?! Now I'm pissed lady!"
"OH! Well let me tell you, pal, you're just asking for trouble!"
"I KILL trouble!"
"You're trouble! Cranky!"
"I don't die that easily, you stupid Brownie!"
"Scowling, carnivorous, nimrod!"
The two were constantly back and forth, yelling like two animals fighting over a piece of meat. Their bellowing echoed through the streets, their roaring argument beyond pointlessness. All the fallen members laid either defeated or dead, either way. Ace looked over, seeing Craig and Cana bitterly scowling back and forth against the other. If he could condemn them, he would, but as far as he could tell, that would only make matters worse. The swordsman turned away, eyes shut as he saw that besides Craig and Cana grating ears was one thing, a bigger priority was the area secured.
"That should be it for District 6. Let's hurry." He told them. He ventured on, with a snarling duo right behind him.
Another ten minutes went by, and all the stragglers of the area basically torn apart by Craig – much to Cana's annoyance – the trio managed to force their way into the heart of Tahunga. There, it covered a massive circumference and area alike. The people were running around, some making a break from one district to another, heading for their homes. Within the chaos, Craig, Cana, and Ace looked through the scrambling public, trying to find their comrades.
"Erza! Natsu!" Cana yelled.
"Hey, ya stripping dumbass! Iron-chomping ignorance!" Craig shouted. He turned towards Ace. "Ace…" He cut himself off, realize that what he was gonna ask was gonna hinder his ally. Ace's eyes were already bloodshot, and if he exerted himself, who knows what'll happen. Craig looked away, back towards the crowd with hesitation. "Stupid public. Don't they know what they're doing is just sad?" Craig grunted.
Cana and Ace said nothing, but they knew Craig digressed for a reason. If honesty serves anything, Ace felt more than a little guilty, but it couldn't be helped.
"Cana! Ace! Craig!"
Fortunately for them, their allies came running through the vicinity as fast as they could. Erza led them, with Natsu following right beside her, and the remainder of the group in tow.
Cana's eyes widened. "Erza!"
They all met up in the center, coming together at long last as the public seemed to disband. "What's going on here?" Erza asked. "What did you find?"
"We could be asking you that." Ace said. "Our group managed to find the underground port."
"Underground port?" Gray asked. "Is that how they got in?"
"That's just the start." Craig said. "Their cargo was all 100% Dragon Lacrima, no lie."
Gajeel and Natsu's eyes widened to no end. They couldn't believe their ears. They were hearing Dragon Lacrima, not one, but hundreds?! Their shock was too extreme to tell if they could even make sense of it all.
"It looks like they were in that tournament just to add to their collection." Evergreen said. She looked up to the sky next, seeing how the cloudiness was intensifying. "On that note…what was that earlier?"
Ace looked up to the sky as well. "I am afraid that was all their lacrima. For some reason, some type of force drew them from one end of Tahunga all the way over to the other."
"This is getting so messed up." Elfman said.
"Aye!" Happy said.
Gray crossed his arms. "Yeah, and hold on, where's that orange-haired chick?" Gray suddenly felt the air around the group shift. The staleness returned, with Erza looking away irritably while Craig bared his sharp fangs towards the earth. He wasn't entirely sure of what happened, but the notion didn't seem to please him.
Luckily, Craig talked. "…she ran off." He bitterly informed.
Erza looked down towards the earth with distaste. "Her ambitions, they left her too blind to even let us assist her in Ace's cause."
Cana looked towards Craig. "Cranky, we can worry about Andrea after we know what's going on."
"You think I don't know that?!" Craig snapped. "I've been through his bullcrap more times than you actually wore proper clothing, so either cut me some slack, or shut up…"
The pressure around them suddenly pulsated. All the chaos, all the insanity, and all that was a tempest stopped. It all went dead silent. Silent as a grave. The group of eleven went stiff, a bewildering energy running against them.
Lily could feel energy running through the ground. "You feel that? It's like my feet are shaking."
Elfman looked down. "Can you guys feel that too?"
"This Magic Power…it's running through the ground beneath us." Erza said.
Craig hunched over, his posture uneasy and much like a dinosaur. He had a very strong and ominous appeal to all this chaos, but something lurking below made his spine crawl. There was a small whiff of a faint sound, one that was borderline blood-curdling. It made him look down beneath them.
"Did you guys hear that?" Natsu asked. "Gajeel?"
The Iron Dragon Slayer grunted, his eye wide with immense shock. "Yeah…it can't be…"
"Natsu, what are you hearing?" Erza asked.
"Does this have something to do with before?" Happy asked worriedly.
Ace turned towards Natsu and Gajeel. "Gentlemen, what is it?"
Natsu looked hesitant to answer, but he was able to comply. "Those guys Gajeel and I fought…they had that same smell, the smell that all of those grunts and phony goons had. I could tell they all smelled alike, because they all were after something. I could tell that when we reached Tahunga…there was this odd voice."
"A voice?" Erza asked.
"Salamander and I…we smelled it, and we sensed it. We thought it was a joke, but…now we're certain." Gajeel said. Once again, the Dragon Slayers took a pause as the ground shuddered with a roaring boom, the sound of a bellowing screech from beneath the earth. The palpitating energy flourished, and Craig also looked horrified by what he was picking up.
"We thought we smelled dra-!"
"EVERYONE RUN!" Craig screamed loudly. Just as he finished and turned away, the ground beneath the group – along with the center of Tahunga itself – split open, shattering rock and disintegrating into ash. A roar bellowed outwards, sending shockwaves and a bright white beam into the sky. The pillar of bright white was so thick and so potent that all were blinded if not deaf from the bellowing beast it resonated from down below.
As all went white, the sound of a draconic roar shuddered what was left of Tahunga.
How was this chapter? Was it a shocker? Sorry, but I decided to relax a bit from Craig's trademark flashbacks and focus on developing the story. There'll be more flashbacks soon, but I made sure to keep the trademark Cranky/Brownie banter and yelling.
As always, comment and review, in detail if you feel generous! Hope you guys enjoyed! OCxCana rules! :)