Layla has recently assisted Gray, Erza, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy in unlocking some of their latent potential.
The group has assembled outside of the accommodation building and are preparing to each check their new results on the Magic Analyser.
"Firstly, does anyone have any lingering issues or requests?" Layla asked the group as they all anxiously waited to use the board.
"... I take that silence as a 'No'" Layla said with a smile before adding "I can see you are all eager to use the analyser but I would like Erza to go first"
"You can do it Erza!" Lucy proclaimed
"Good luck!" Wendy added
Erza placed her palm to the board and after 5 seconds numbers appeared...
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Mana Capacity 6144/6144
Reserve Capacity 2048/2048
Power 9/10
Speed 9/10
Endurance 10/10
Defense 9/10
Current Max Output 21561
Currently Unlocked 92%
Current Rating: EXPERT
==================
"Amazing!" Wendy exclaimed
"WOW!" everyone else added
"Did it really improve that much in 1 week and with the alteration Layla did?" Erza said surprised by the new numbers
"That's very good Erza, with those figures I think you are ready to train in your Pandora Armor" Layla replied with a smile.
"I'm going next!" Wendy proclaimed as she placed her hand on the board
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Mana Capacity 4096/4096
Reserve Capacity 2048/2048
Power 3/10
Speed 6/10
Endurance 5/10
Defense 3/10
Current Max Output 13877
Currently Unlocked 42%
Current Rating: Average
==================
"That's very good Wendy" Lucy said with a smile
"Almost 14000 output and you don't even like fighting" Erza responded with a proud smile
"Good on you Wendy" Kori added with cheer
"Yes, you Dragon Slayers will take time to reach your full potential, but right now that's and excellent reading Wendy" Layla said with a smile
"Okay I'm going next" Gajeel said as he placed his hand on the board.
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Mana Capacity 3072/3072
Reserve Capacity 1536/1536
Power 5/10
Speed 4/10
Endurance 5/10
Defense 5/10
Current Max Output 21134
Currently Unlocked 47%
Current Rating: Good
==================
"Geehee!" Gajeel exclaimed as he looked at the numbers
"Not surprising it would be all about power coming from Metalicana" Saphira said with a smile.
"Nice one Gajeel!" Lucy cheered with a nod from Wendy and Erza
"Guess its my turn" Gray said as he placed his hand on the board.
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Mana Capacity 8192/8192
Reserve Capacity 4096/4096
Power 7/10
Speed 10/10
Endurance 8/10
Defense 9/10
Current Max Output 26914
Currently Unlocked 85%
Current Rating: Excellent
==================
"Is this for real?" Gray said as he looked at the board in shock
"That's extremely impressive Gray" Erza said with a smile
"How is he higher than me!" Gajeel said shocked at the output
"Because Ice rocks!" Kori said giving Gray a high-five
"Gray's magic is quite unique in this group, his output is actually higher than shown here because of his ability to create multiple objects at once, and with that output the scale and strength of his creations will be heavily reinforced" Layla said with a reassuring smile to Gray
"Guess I'm last..." Natsu said depressed that Gray did well
Natsu placed his hand on the board and 5 seconds later numbers appeared...
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Mana Capacity 3584/3584
Reserve Capacity 1536/1536
Power 4/10
Speed 6/10
Endurance 6/10
Defense 4/10
Current Max Output 20619
Currently Unlocked 50%
Current Rating: Good
==================
"Damn the pervert beat me" Natsu said upset as Gray burst into laughter
"I'm proud of you" Lucy said with a reassuring smile
"Indeed, good job" Erza said pulling his head into her chest hitting it hard against her plate
"That's still a remarkable output for this stage Natsu" Layla said with a smile.
"But, if you are really upset here..." Layla said as she extended her palm with green fire which Natsu quickly devoured
Natsu entered Dragon Force revealing his red scaled look to everyone except Gajeel for the first time; and it took them by surprise.
Natsu placed his palm against the board again, and the numbers updated once more.
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Mana Capacity 5376/3584
Reserve Capacity 2048/2048
Power XX/10
Speed XX/10
Endurance XX/10
Defense XX/10
Current Max Output 30929
Currently Unlocked 50%
Current Rating: SLAYER
==================
"That's better!" Natsu exclaimed with a laugh
"Dragon Slayers have a range when it comes to their potential and power, it's wise to pick fights where you benefit from your element as it will empower you" Layla said with a smile.
"That's still impressive for a Slayer prelacrima..." Saphira said looking at the board.
"Well he is Igneel's son and you know what he can be like" Layla replied with a smile.
"But just to make sure Natsu's head doesn't get too big... Kori..." Layla said this as she extended her hand creating a densely packed block of ice which Kori quickly consumed.
Kori erupted in cold blue flames her wings extended and her arms covered in blue and white scales. Kori flashed an evil smile at Natsu then placed her hand on the board 5 seconds later the new numbers appeared...
==================
Mana Capacity 24576/16384
Reserve Capacity 5120/5120
Power XX/10
Speed XX/10
Endurance XX/10
Defense XX/10
Current Max Output 140592
Currently Unlocked 100%
Current Rating: SLAYER
=================
"HOLY CRAP!" everyone exclaimed
"Why are the numbers even higher again?" Natsu said in protest
"Because last time Kori didn't consume ice. This once again reinforces the importance of your element" Layla replied with a smile, Saphira placed a hand on Kori's shoulder and gave her a proud smile.
"I'm curious, what's Saphira's reading?" Gajeel asked
"It would be about the same as Kori's boosted reading here; although her mana would be larger as a Dragon" Layla said with a smile.
"That's right, the power we granted the Slayers in our charge puts them at equal footing with us Royals" Saphira humbly replied as Kori hugged her.
"So who was the strongest Royal?" Erza bluntly asked
"Strength comes in many forms, in my opinion it would be Grandine" Saphira replied as Layla nodded in agreement
"Yay!" Wendy exclaimed as she clapped, both Gajeel and Natsu felt depressed.
"Enough about that, I'd like you all to pick up where you left off yesterday, with exception to Erza. Please keep in mind that you are now stronger, so work on controlling that strength... I would prefer to not be repairing this entire dimension again" Layla announced.
The rest of the group split up like they had for the previous week except for Erza who remained behind with Layla
"Is there something wrong Layla?" Erza asked wondering why she had been kept behind
"Not at all, I would just like you to try equipping your Pandora Armor" Layla responded as she clapped creating the modesty wall with the armor stand inside.
Erza quickly changed into the Armor and emerged from the wall.
"It doesn't look like it works yet, at least it's still heavy and nothing is glowing like last time" Erza said as she looked at Layla
"I'd like you to concentrate on activating the armor by yourself, it may take some time but you should be capable" Layla replied as she changed her eyes to blue to watch Erza's power expenditure.
Erza closed her eyes and focused on her breathing; soon a torrent of yellow magic erupted around her and the ground cracked beneath her feet, chunks of grass and rocks defied gravity shooting into the sky. Layla smiled as she watched Erza's impressive control of magic like it was second nature and with in seconds she had activated the armor.
"Extremely impressive" Layla said with a smile as the armor became weightless and the insignia all glowed yellow with yellow steam seeping from each.
"Thanks, I hope I can live up to your expectations" Erza humbly replied
"I'm sure you will, but for now I'd like you to practice your mobility and striking in the arena area for a while. I'm going to organise a suitable opponent for you so that you can get a better feel for combat in the armor. I'll be down there with them in about 1 hour, so please warm-up and familiarize yourself" Layla said with a reassuring smile.
"I look forward to it" Erza said as she made her way down to the arena
One hour passed, Erza had got used to the lack of weight the armor had and the different lengths of the swords, which was a slight change from her normal dual wield setup in her Japanese Cloth set that consisted of 2 long swords.
Layla arrived and greeted Erza with a wave. "Hello Erza, are you all warmed up and ready to test your armor in combat?"
"Yes, I think I have the feel for it now... Did you not organise an opponent?" Erza said slightly confused as Layla was alone.
"Oh I have the perfect opponent for you to practice with" Layla said with a smile
"But your alone... Wait... You can't mean!?" Erza said as she looked at Layla
Layla smiled as her eyes changed to a fiery yellow, and she began to walk backwards
"Yes, your opponent shall be... Me... A large target... For your first test..."
A giant green pillar of fire erupted from Layla's position which towered into the sky. Blue wind swirled violently at the base of the fire creating a tornado that quickly rose into the air as arcs of lightning poured down from the sky above which had turned overcast in Citrine's presence.
A wall of magical pressure shot out from the calamity, causing the walls of the arena to crack... Despite this, Erza found that she was completely unaffected, she didn't even need to brace herself for the change in wind pressure.
As the maelstrom of Elements cleared Citrine in her full dragon form was revealed to Erza for the first time.
Around the area everyone else inside the dimension abruptly stopped as they all sensed the release of energy...
"The hell is that?!" Gray and Kori both exclaimed from the Mountains, as they could see Citrine's form below.
"I haven't seen Citrine like that for over 400 years" Saphira said as she looked down with the pair.
"That's Citrine!?" Kori and Gray both gasp
Meanwhile Lucy, Gajeel, Natsu, and Wendy who had all felt the magic before, knew it was Citrine; each of them started to converge on the Arena from their different locations.
Back at the arena Erza looked up at Citrine intimidating form and wondered just how serious she was about this...
"Are we really going to do this? is it safe?" Erza said slightly worried knowing the 1.4 million output she saw on Layla's reading.
"ALTHOUGH I HAVE RELEASED THIS FORM, I HAVE RESTRICTED MY POWER CONSIDERABLY" Citrine said looking down at Erza and giving her a nod.
Erza smiled as she felt her muscles cry out for action "Very well, Come!"
Citrine flashed a grin and then, vanished...
Erza was slightly confused by this, but knew that Citrine was serious in testing her, so she doubled her awareness as she tried to find Citrine's location...
A large crack of thunder was heard overhead as Erza quickly dodged an incoming pillar of lightning but despite this the lightning curved into her armor and dissipated.
Erza raised her sword into the air and considered returning fire, but because of Citrine's speed decided against it; instead she focused all the power into her weapons causing them the erupt in white flames.
Citrine vanished from the air and appeared behind Erza only moments later as she swung down at Erza with her powerful claws.
Erza quickly spun around, slicing at Citrine's leg which connected and cracked a large row of golden scales; Citrine releasing a pained roar in response.
Erza was initially worried that she may have caused lasting damage, but she watched as the scales started to repair themselves almost immediately.
Erza seeing this realised, there was little reason to hold back... deciding now she would go on the offensive.
Erza quickly leapt upwards at Citrine and slashed at her chest several times, each strike inflicting some damage; however while Erza was doing this, Citrine managed to quickly manoeuver her right claw behind Erza, and hit her from behind sending her flying towards one of the arena walls.
As Erza flew across the grounds, she saw energy gathering in both of Citrine's hands. So as soon as Erza made contact with the wall, she quickly sprang back off it and started to run around the edge of the arena avoiding a beam like attack that Citrine had emitted; but once again, it curved into Erza's armor, and was converted into energy.
Erza smiled at the sight of all the white embers whizzing around her, and she decided to make the most of it this time, as she closed in on Citrine.
Erza quickly leapt upwards again at Citrine, this time stabbing her deeply in the left arm with her long sword which she used to anchor herself. Erza pointed her small-sword at Citrine, and released a blast of energy.
The shot hit Citrine straight across the chest ripping up a large portion of scales and proceeded on to penetrated her right wing; burning a hole through it causing Citrine to roar in pain. The blast from her own attack however effected Erza which she wasn't prepared for, as the shockwave sent her flying out of the arena and up onto the grassy hill.
As she flew backwards, she saw Citrine quickly climb out of the arena after her, the damage inflicted healing as the hole in her right wing started to close.
Citrine looked at Erza who after landing had immediately gotten back to her feet with both swords extended ready for more. The sight caused her to smile
"VERY GOOD ERZA, YOU HAVE WON" Citrine announced as she stretched out her wing and looked at the hole still closing.
"I GUESS THIS CAN BE A GOOD TEST ALSO... TRY THE HEALING WITH THIS ENERGY" Citrine said as she raised her left hand creating the same beam attack she used earlier, which once again arced at Erza becoming instantly absorbed.
Erza leapt up towards Citrine's chest and clashed the 2 swords together releasing a large green wall of energy; as it passed through Citrine the damage to the wing almost instantly closed. Citrine smiled seeing this as she reapplied the seals she opened and returned to her human form.
"Your judgement is excellent Erza, you did extremely well for your first combat test" Layla said with a smile.
"Thank you. I was pretty intimidated of your form, it's rather scary to be honest. But after your magical attacks got continuously absorbed, I realised that the only thing I needed to worry about was ensuring you didn't get physically behind me." Erza replied with a smile
"Yes, your choice to dodge them initially was the correct one. Until you know the strength of your opponent, and that the armor is capable of absorbing their attacks, only then is it wise to start your own attack. This was exactly how you approached this test, and that is what pleased me the most."
"It is possible that an overwhelming force can still hurt you; except for some elaborate combined attack by multiple powerful beings, there are only 2 individuals with the strength to magically hurt you, Obsidian and Myself." Layla said with some emphasis on Obsidian.
"You said you restricted your power, may I ask how much you were using" Erza asked curiously to gauge what she had just saw.
"For the last hour I altered the first few seals to my power to allow my form at a reduced level, however I was using approximately 15% of my total, which as far as the analyser would be concerned, would put my output at around 215,000"
"So the armor is able to sufficiently protect against magic of that magnitude" Erza said as she smiled.
"Yes a good rule of thumb for you to use would be 2x your output is what you can absorb with 0 difficulty, you can exceed that if you expend the magic immediately however, but I would suggest limiting yourself to an absolute maximum of 3x." Layla said with seriousness.
"2x... I was around 90,000 last time I wore the armor" Erza said
Layla's eyes changed to blue as she looked at Erza "I would put you now closer to 120,000 in the armor"
"Well that certainly rules out the majority" Erza said with a smile to Layla.
At that moment the rest of the group raced up to the pair.
"What was all that about?" Lucy said looking at her mother worried
"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Natsu exclaimed
"Oh my, is anyone hurt!?" Wendy asked in concern
"Damn you guys weren't kidding, Citrine was pretty damn scary" Gray exclaimed
"Yeah that was a first for me also but mom had told me how powerful Citrine was" Kori said with surprise
"Oh that was just 15%" Layla said with a giggle.
"THAT WAS 15%!?" both Kori and Gray exclaimed as they becoming extremely terrified.
"Yeah if Citrine really cuts loose this place falls apart around her" Gajeel said remembering the last time
"I must thank you Erza, its been a very long time since I could have a little fun, even if it was at a reduced rate" Layla said with a smile
"What is that armor you are wearing, I sense more power coming from it then I have ever seen in human hands" Saphira said as she raised an eyebrow.
"It's armor I created, Erza is the first and only Magic Slayer" Layla replied slightly defensively as she watched for Saphira's reaction
Saphira squinted slightly at it before casually saying "Glad I'm not the enemy, almost makes me feel sorry for the Demons"
"Demons!?" Everyone except Lucy and Kori exclaimed
"A war is coming, Zeref is going to be unleashing an army of Demons" Lucy replied.
"That Obsidian bastard" Gajeel said as he punched his open palm
"War huh, well, guess we get to test out our powers... I'm fired up!" Natsu exclaimed
"If it is unavoidable... than I for one am thankful for Layla helping us get this far" Gray said as he stripped into his boxers
"If we have no choice then we need to get stronger to protect our friends" Wendy added
"Fairy Tail will be the spearhead of humanity in this War, other guilds will be preparing defence, but our group will be taking the fight directly to Zeref, Acnologia and ultimately Obsidian." Layla said with a serious glint in her eyes.
"So that's why you have taken a special interest in us" Erza bluntly replied
"Yes. The Dragon Slayers may have been born for this moment, but yourself, Gray, and Lucy have shown exceptional heart and ability, and with your unique styles you all add extra flexibility to the group" Layla said with a proud smile
The group looked at each other and smiled, they all realised their importance and knew they had to do their best in training; everyone was counting on them...
