AN: Hey guys! Warning: this chapter gets pretty intense. This part is definitely rated T. I hope this doesn't reveal any hidden psychopathic killer traits in me...
Notice: I'm not Hiro Mashima, and I don't own Fairy Tail.
Chapter 22: Contracted to Cruelty
Fairy Tail was locked in battle with a giant magical/mechanical hybrid hydra.
And it was losing.
The heads were each about twenty feet in diameter. Their mottled green metal scales seemed to be imbued with some kind of defensive enchantment that gave it immense resistance to magical attacks. The heads reared about, snapping and thrashing at the guild members assembled on the deck, spitting searing green acid that steamed and corroded the metal of the deck. Anyone with the misfortune to be hit by that acid was collapsed on the deck, writhing from the agony of searing flesh burns. So far, that included Droy, Macao and Warren.
Fairy Tail was doing its best to fight back, of course. Wakaba was avenging his fallen friend, batting away snake heads with jabs of smoke. Romeo kept Natsu supplied on flames, who was flying around the heads with Happy trying to bust through the heads' hide. Jet darted to and fro, trying to confuse and entangle the hydra heads. Levy was furiously reading to try and figure out what kind of weakness this magic might have. Reedus created various pictomagics to try and help out. Max was on defensive duty, putting up walls of sand to try and protect the others from the hydra's attacks. Pantherlily had arrived and was slicing away at the scales, though his sword didn't leave many scratches. And of course the Thunder Legion was trying to make up for their embarrassing uselessness against Maw. Freed set up defensive enchantments and pummeled away with his demon form. Bixlo's spirits blasted away at the side of the hydra, which left some noticeable dents. And even though Evergreen's attacks didn't do much damage to the beast's hide, she still kept everyone in order by bossing them around.
Despite Fairy Tail's combined efforts, not even one of the hydra heads had yet been felled. And more of the guild members were being incapacitated by the minute.
The walls of the tunnel shook as Erza and Nath clashed. This was not simply a battle between two guilds; this was a battle between two states of thinking, two great ways of life, two favorite sweets. The ground rumbled. The heavens roared.
"For cake!" Erza, currently cloaked in her Sea Empress Armor, screamed in outrage as she sliced furiously at Nath, who fought back irately with a similar cry: "For cookies!"
"This fight is very… strange," Wendy, who was standing over on the side watching the carnage, mumbled meekly.
"Honestly, child," Carla scolded Wendy. "I don't know why you hang around these hooligans."
Nath raised both his hands and pointed them at Erza. "Disc magic! Serrated sonic discs!" Dozens of light blue circular discs shot out of the mechanisms installed in his wrists, pummeling Erza's body with bursts of blue light. She screamed in pain and pulled back slightly to regroup.
Nath had other ideas for her, however. He advanced, firing volley after volley of discs at Erza's body with a stoic grin on his face. "Yes! Yield before the might of perfect circles!"
"Never!" Erza snarled and requipped into her Lightning Empress Armor. She ran up towards Nath, faked a strike, and then pulled off to the side, and let loose a blast of lightning at close range.
Nath staggered backward, the lightning circulating through his circular-constructed armor. "Pain Refraction Armor…" he gasped. "Reflector Ray!" He spread his arms wide and let loose the blast of lightning right back at Erza, this time doubled in strength.
Erza's armor helped her to absorb the blast, but it was still quite painful. Nath grinned at her arrogantly. "You… see? Never… underestimate the power… of cookies."
That set Erza off again. "How dare you! Repent for your sins! I shall make you pay dearly for my comrades' blood, and even more dearly for your poor choice of sweets!"
She requipped into her signature red sarashi outfit, and summoned her ancient Crimson Cherry sword. She leapt at Nath again, slashing furiously, and it was all he could do to defend himself from her all-out attacks. Nath attempted a counterattack, but Erza dodged and requipped into the Robe of Yuen. When Nath struck at her face with his fist, he found it blocked by a large hammer that glowed with magic power.
The Holy Hammer smashed Nath's face into the wall. He didn't get up.
Erza's rage was now out of control. Wendy and Carla stared at her in terrified awe as Erza unlocked her second origin.
Erza was now wearing her Nakagami Armor.
"Die, you cur!" Erza screamed in her ultimate rage. But just as she raised her sword to strike, a familiar voice boomed behind her.
"Now, now, my dear, I think he's had enough."
Erza turned around and saw Ezra Mathin's face projected on a lacrima vision monitor, still devoid of his usual devilish smirk. Not that she cared whether that bastard was happy or not. Of course not.
"Ezra. Come. Fight. Me. Now."
"Tsk tsk, Erza. I think I'm the one who's currently in the position to make demands."
The lacrima vision zoomed out to reveal four figures in the background. Erza gasped in horror, and felt her Nakagami Armor disappearing.
Ezra was standing in what appeared to be a combination throne room and boiler room. It was spacious and magnanimous, with a red carpet leading up to a large golden throne at the back of the room. The throne was empty. Behind the throne was a huge assortment of pistons, gears, levers and other machinery that no doubt powered the warship. Chained to the wall directly behind where Ezra stood were Lucy, Lisanna, Elfman and Mira. Carla gasped and put a paw over Wendy's eyes.
Lisanna didn't actually look too worse for wear, she was just unconscious. Elfman was covered in some nasty scratches, but he looked fine for the most part. But the state of Lucy and Mirajane was unforgivable. They'd been stripped down to nothing, and visibly beaten cruelly.
Erza felt her hands shaking with the most fervent wrath imaginable. "Ezra…" she croaked. "How… how could you-"
Ezra rammed his fist into Mirajane's stomach, and her cry rang out loud and crisp through the lacrima vision monitor. "Don't talk," he said. "Just surrender. You, the little girl, and the cat. Stand down and surrender to Nath."
Nath was getting up again. "Should I activate the teleporter, boss?"
Ezra nodded, then directed his gaze towards Erza. "Understand that if you resist, I won't stop at just these people."
Erza couldn't imagine how she could possibly control her rage, but she had to. She couldn't allow her comrades to be abused any more than they already had. How the hell could you do this, Ezra? I thought you weren't part of a dark guild. Why are you so indebted to your guild that you would do such horrible things in its name?
Erza, Wendy and Carla surrendered to Nath, who flipped a hidden switch on the wall. They were transported into the same room where Ezra was. Erza swallowed the tide of bile that threatened to surface when she saw Lucy and Mira.
Ezra was standing ten feet in front of her. His brown cloak was gone, but his expression was still melancholy. "Nath, bind them," he ordered.
Once Erza had been chained to the wall, her building emotion surpassed her self-restraint. "How could you, Ezra?"
Ezra turned his head. "I beg your pardon?"
Erza spoke without thinking. "How could you be so cruel? How could you do this to people who gave you room and board? How could you do this to another fellow guild? How could you? You know, I-" she sobbed and gasped for breath. "I actually loved you! I thought you and I could have a happy future! I thought I'd found somebody who not only could I protect, but could also protect me! You abused my trust, you lied to me to send Master and Gildarts who knows where, and you beat and degraded my fellow guildmates! You're despicable! Unforgivable! And all because of your perversely unwavering loyalty to a corrupt guild! You're a horrible person, an empty shell of a man! I hate you!"
Ezra lowered his head. "I know."
Erza started. "What?"
"You're right," he replied. "I am a horrible person. I'm an empty husk with no soul, just a helpless debtor with no way of paying back."
He looked up, and his face was taken up by an expression of unadulterated anger. "I know this is wrong! But I have no other choice!" He stood there in silence for a minute, then continued. "When I was young, I did something unforgivable. The guildmaster of Hydra Claw found me on the same night, and told me he could save me from the retribution of my crime if I served under him for the guild, obeyed his every command. He said that if I were strong enough, and did enough good, then someday my horrible deed would be undone. I was bound into it by the most powerful of binding contract magics. If the master thinks that destroying Fairy Tail constitutes a good deed, then that is what I must do."
Erza glared at him. "You'd really do all this just for a promise? Were you really bound to do such specifically cruel things? You're a coward."
Ezra didn't reply in words. He appeared to be struggling to move. Slowly, he walked over and sliced Erza's chains., then walked back and finally turned to face her.
"Fight me," he pleaded. "Please, kill me. If you do, then you'll be able to save your guild. Please, you have to release me from this contract."
Erza didn't have to be told twice. She drew her blade and charged.
In a nearby miniature dimension, the two strongest Fairy Tail wizards succumbed to the inevitable.
I really hope that wasn't too much for anybody. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time. Have an awesome day!