Zeref left Brandish's room, his aura of power making the ice wall to vibrate.
"You can kill him" he simply said fixing his empty eyes on Gray.
Invel nodded bowing his head.
"Sorry boy, I planned to have fun with you but the party is already over"
"Bring it on," Gray said closing his fits and making a sword appear in his right hand
"Oh well well, how did you know I have a knack for swords fights?" Invel smiled wide "I think I can do both, have fun and kill you!"
Gray took the initiative. He didn't have time to waste and he throw himself toward Invel with all his strength but Invel made his own ice sword blocking Gray's stroke and cutting his cheek.
Invel danced around Gray moving in circles. Smiling and humming a tune.
Gray again moved hitting hard against Invel dodge.
They kept fighting, moving constantly, parry and attacking.
Invel's smile just grew wide every time Gray pushed him a bit backward with unceasing attacks
"You know people think that sword fights are all about reflexes and coordination and techniques" Invel said striking his sword hard and it was Gray's turn to block "but it's not just that, a good fighter is aggressive, brave and takes the initiative" he said jumping forward "And you are really bold, ice mage" he said when Gray used his left hand to block his jab
"Oh just shut up," Gray said using his strength to push Invel
"...then sword fighting is about leverage, perception, distance and above all..." he said intercepting and stifling Gray's attack "Timing" the spriggan moved fast and bound his sword right in Gray's shoulder.
Gray yelled in pain but then smirked "thanks for the lesson" he said "I liked the distance part" he said using their proximity to cut into Invel's side.
He fell with his hip deeply cut "I really like you! No one had ever hit me before. I guess you are well motivated!" Invel said throwing a glance to Brandish's room "She's beautiful, I wouldn't mind taking care of her when you'll be dead"
"Like hell" Gray said running to the ice wall that divided him from Juvia.
"However, I'm a bit tired of this game" Invel let his sword disappear covering the whole space in his ice "Time for us to say goodbye, ice mage"
With a bleeding shoulder, Gray took his sword with both hands
"For being a strategist, you made a mistake, coz I am not just an ice mage, I am an ice demon slayer" Gray opened his mouth and started to suck all the ice of the hallway letting it flow through his body and to his sword and then with a single powerful strike broke the ice wall
Invel laughed "I really didn't expect this, you used my own ice to destroy my wall, nice shoot"
"But not enough" Invel snapped his fingers and Gray instantly fell on his knees, screaming and feeling his blood run colder
"I have the power on my ice wherever it is. I can feel it, that's a part of me so the ice you ate. it's just a knife ready to kill you from the inside"
It was like a thousand swords were cutting slowly from within his flesh, pieces of broken glass scraping his skin
"Bye-bye ice mage" Invel said
"ENOUGH" Brandish moved her finger and the pain in Gray's body improved until disappeared
"Brandish sama" Invel said sensitive "It was Zeref's order to kill this boy"
"I don't care, it is just annoying," She said in a monotone "and useless"
Invel frowned "I know you don't like to give explanations Brandish sama but if I have to violate one of Zeref's order I have to know why I am doing it"
Brandish rolled her eyes " Zeref ordered Gray Fullbuster death because he thought Juvia had an interest in him but it came out she has not"
"What?" Gray said panting "where is Juvia? What have you done to her? I swear that if she has even one strand of hair misplaced I..."
"Chill ice mage" Invel said "Brandish sama can you explain me better than this, please? Before I went out playing with this guy, I heard that the water angel was poisoned, what happened?"
"Well," Brandish said going closer to Gray and taking his face in her hand, inspecting his features "Everything will be fine because this boy will never see Juvia again" Brandish looked straight in Gray's eyes "She will be fine, as long as she stays far from you in body and soul! Juvia said it's fine with her, that she doesn't care about you!"
Invel started laughing "so you were fighting so hard for a girl that does not love you back.. oh what a pity boy!" He swooned "The unrequited love is so romantic, it makes you feel misery and yet you welcome even that feeling if comes from the person that owns your heart"
"Bullshit, Juvia is. She and I, we are.." Gray tried to explain
"You are what? Poor fool!" Brandish smiled "If you don't believe me let's ask the girl"
"Juvia" she called
Juvia came out Brandish's room sipping tea.
"What?" she asked and Gray had to contain a relieved breath seeing her safe. He jumped on his feet but Brandish stopped his run.
"Juvia" he called "are you ok?"
"Sure" she said simply "do you really still believe I need you in some way?"
"I..I.." he stammered passing a hand in his hair
"so Juvia, do you have some sort of feeling for this guy?"
"Don't know, getting annoyed is considered a feeling?" Juvia rolled her eyes
"So," Brandish asked, "would you like to see him again?"
Juvia looked Gray in the eyes seeing them burning. All his features were expressing his confusion and a passion she had never seen before.
She lowered her eyes, not trusting herself while looking in his eyes "No, I don't!"
"What?" Gray screamed "Juvia look at me. Juvia!"
"I think this put an end to this story. You can live Gray, just go away and don't bother her again!" Brandish said
"I don't believe you!" Gray yelled "I don't know what happened to you, what that potion did or what do you think you know but I Know you, Juvia! I know us! And I know you love me and me... I..." he closed his eyes not ready to say what was already exploding in his chest from time "I know we can do it!"
Gray freed himself reaching Juvia and taking her hand in his "Juvia. Please, together we can overcome this" his eyes were burning in her soul with their honesty. She felt her knees weak but when she opened her mouth to say something Brandish pushed one finger in Gray's bleeding shoulder and pushed him away from her.
Gray fell and rose again but Brandish moved her hand and the hallway between them started to shrink
"Run away Gray Fullbuster if you want to live"
"Gray go away." Juvia said turning her back to him
"Noo" he yelled trying to run to Juvia but a fist hit him hard in the chest
"the fuck are you doing Gray?" Natsu said taking him from his arm and carrying him away while the walls at their back kept getting smaller
"Leave me Natsu I have to,.Juvia, she is..."
"I know man, I've heard that but you will not save her as a dead man so for now, let's go! We will come back and take Juvia, I promise!"
"Well well," Invel said "I can recognize a liar when I see one. So what was that play about?"
Juvia shook her head trying to suppress the tears that were silently falling. would she not see Gray again? The last thing she told him was Gray go away. She could feel her heart broke. Gray leaving her behind was the image that tormented her night since the day he went away leaving her at their home. Alone. She didn't even understand why Brandish was wetting her face. Why Invel was supporting her body. She couldn't feel her body at all. She felt the air leaving her lungs without coming back. Her breath was labored, her heart was racing in her aching chest. The world was spinning but she felt like she didn't belong to the world
"She is having a panic attack, let her lie down"
From a corner of her mind, she remembered that there was a way to stop the panic. She remembered one night with a heavy rain, how the windows were slamming and her room was enlightening by a sudden yellow just to fall in the deepest black the second later. She remembered how her body was shaking out of her control, how the tears kept falling and then she felt a sudden warmth surrounding her body, gentle fingers brushing the hair from her forehead, a warm breath in her ear telling her everything was fine. She remembered how it felt to be wrapped in his hug. How warm it was, how every piece of her being seemed to find his place in that hug. Gray spent the night just caressing her hair, keeping her close, until she fell asleep. He was her fixed point in the universe. The calm in the middle of the storm.
Then another part of her brain, the wicked one,remembered her that he was gone forever. She had told him to leave and he had left and now she was alone
"Promise me no one will hurt him," she said with a feeble voice
"He is with his friends, He will be fine, I promise!" Brandish said and Juvia closed her eyes.
