Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! Read at your own risk. There's still original stuff in here, but if you haven't gotten to this point in the anime/manga, then some things may be ruined for you. I advise catching up to the anime/manga if you haven't already (for more reasons than just reading my story)! Thank you and enjoy!
Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon
Chapter 42
"So you're the legendary Gildarts, huh?" Bluenote said. "I must say I've heard a lot about you."
"I can't believe he came back!" Natsu cheered. "Now old man Gildarts can wipe the floor with this guy!"
Gildarts kept his gaze fixed on Bluenote. He could sense how powerful he was, so giving him an opening could prove fatal. "You all need to get out of here," he said calmly. "This could get ugly."
"But Gildarts…," Natsu began.
"I said go!" Gildarts commanded as he dashed forward.
Bluenote activated his magic, causing the ground that Gildarts was standing on to break off and flip in the air. Gildarts, however, was unfazed as he stared down at Bluenote.
"This is so cool!" Natsu exclaimed as he bounced up and down like an excited child.
"Natsu, we really should leave," Lucy said.
"No way, I wanna watch!" Natsu replied.
Gildarts placed his palm on his flying rock, using his Crash Magic to completely obliterate it. He descended towards Bluenote with his fist cocked back, intent to take him out with one punch.
Bluenote leapt into the air and cocked back his fist as well. The two fists connected in midair and the magic power that collided was so great that concussive winds began whipping around. The wind was so strong that Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Cana, Happy, and Carla were all blown away and smashed into various rocks. In the end, it was Bluenote who was sent backwards.
"That hurt," Wendy whined as she pushed herself off of her rock.
"What incredible power," Carla said. "They pushed us away with the force of their colliding fists."
"We really need to leave, Natsu," Lucy begged. "We should be out of their way."
Natsu pouted. "I wanna watch the fight, though."
"Please, Natsu."
He looked into Lucy's pleading eyes and sighed. "Fine, let's go. We'll leave this freak to Gildarts." He stood. "Come on. We've still got to get to base camp."
Lucy smiled. "Right."
Everyone but Cana started to run off. Cana couldn't tear her eyes off of her father. 'Please, Dad. Be careful.'
"Cana!" Wendy called. "Come on!"
"Coming!" Cana called. She shot one last glance at her father before running off.
Bluenote stood and stared at Gildarts. "I'm impressed that you were able to push me back. Your power hasn't been oversold, I see."
"Let's get something straight, jackass," Gildarts said. "You made a big mistake coming here and interrupting these Trials. Everyone here put their hearts and souls into bettering themselves so that this world could be just a little better." He clenched his fists. "And then you morons come barging in and trample all over their dreams."
"I don't care about any Trials. I only have my goals," Bluenote said. "However, my two reasons for being here can take a back seat for now." He grinned. "I've always wanted to face the legendary Gildarts Clive."
"And I don't care what your reasons for being here are," Gildarts shot back as he became surrounded by his magic power. "I will make you pay."
"Then come," Bluenote challenged.
Gildarts dashed forward and threw a punch at Bluenote. Bluenote mimicked the action. The two punches each hit their mark, colliding fully with the face of the other.
"You've got some nerve!" Gildarts roared.
"And I finally have a challenge!" Bluenote cried.
The two butted heads, sending out a powerful wave of magic energy that destroyed even more of the ground.
The clash of the two titans was intensifying.
"Now then, shall we begin?" Rustyrose said.
Lily turned back around. "We can't focus on that weird pressure right now. We need to take care of this quickly before I can no longer maintain my battle form."
Levy nodded. "Yeah. We need to fight to protect our friends from this creep."
Lisanna narrowed her eyes at Rustyrose. "I won't let anyone else hurt Mira. Plus, Nikolias is counting on me to keep her safe."
Rustyrose sighed. "So I get to fight a cat and two little girls? I must say I'm disappointed. Azuma got to fight the She-Devil and the Half-Dragon. He gets to have all of the fun."
"We're more than enough for you," Lisanna shot at him.
"I doubt it, but I will accept the hand I was dealt and destroy you all," Rustyrose said.
"You'll never succeed," Lily growled. "The goals you all share in your guild will never come to pass."
"Ah yes," Rustyrose said while snapping his fingers. "I do recall Azuma saying something about your convictions making you strong. Well then, I'll issue a challenge to you all." He cocked back his right hand as it glowed purple. "Use your righteous convictions to try and stop me here. I wish to see if it truly does make you strong!" He thrust his hand forward, striking Lily, Levy, and Lisanna with his Jet Black Sword. The three collapsed on the ground from the blow. Rustyrose laughed. "Is that all the power that your convictions possess? How shameful." He charged forward. "Today marks the end of your pitiful lives and your hopeless dreams!"
Before he could land an attack, though, he felt a strange force collide with his back, sending him tumbling across the muddy ground. He stopped his momentum as best he could and glared in the direction of the attack. "Who dares interrupt me?" he bellowed. Standing before him were two men he had never seen before.
Levy's eyes widened and a smile graced her face. "It's Freed and Bickslow!"
"What are you two doing back here?" Lily asked.
"We saw the red flare and came running," Bickslow replied. "We brought the big guns back with us, too. Gildarts is back on the island now."
"That's great!" Lisanna said.
"Backup won't aid your cause," Rustyrose said with a smile as he prepared his Jet Black Sword. "None of you can hope to stop my Arc of Embodiment!"
"Well then lucky for us, we don't always play fair," Bickslow said. "We just do whatever we can to beat assholes like you."
"Rules must always be followed," Freed added. "However, by hurting our friends, the rules no longer apply to you."
"Now I'm excited!" Rustyrose exclaimed. "Perhaps your convictions shall shine through after all!"
"Time to wipe that stupid smile off of your face," Bickslow said. "Let's go, babies! BARYON FORMATION!" His five dolls cheered before forming a pentagonal pattern above him and began spinning. They then began to glow before firing a beam of powerful magic right at Rustyrose.
Rustyrose grinned and raised his left hand. "MY ARM IS A GOLDEN SHIELD THROUGH WHICH NO OBJECT CAN PASS!" In a flash of light, Rustyrose's left arm became a massive golden shield that blocked Bickslow's attack.
Freed drew his rapier and wrote runes in the air. "DARK ECRITURE: PAIN!" Beams of purple magic shot from the runes and headed towards Rustyrose.
"Oh please," Rustyrose laughed. "ON MY FEET WILL APPEAR PEGASUS WINGS!" On the heels of Rustyrose's shoes appeared white wings. He leapt high into the air and hovered, avoiding Freed's attack. He grinned down at his opponents. "You cannot hope to defeat my rich imagination! Its power is beyond your comprehension!" Dark purple magic began to form before him. "NOW, COME TO MY SIDE, MY GUARDIAN SAINT BEAST, BELFAST THE HURRICANE!" Before Rustyrose appeared a giant black and gray wyvern-like creature with a powerful jaw and large wings. "Tear them to pieces with your mighty gusts!"
"Where did that even come from?" Lily asked.
"Is he a Summoner?" Levy asked. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Be careful you two!" Lisanna cried.
"Don't you worry. We can take care of this guy," Bickslow said while raising his right hand. He then lowered all fingers except his index and middle fingers. "SEITH MAGIC! POSSESSION!" Bickslow's eyes glowed green before sending out hypnotic green rings at Belfast.
Belfast froze, causing Rustyrose's eyes to widen in surprise. "Impossible!"
"CRUSH!" Bickslow cried while swiping his two fingers down, causing Belfast to explode.
Rustyrose couldn't believe what he just saw as pieces of his beast were falling all around him. "You can't defeat Belfast! It's not possible!"
Freed didn't respond as he lifted his rapier. "DARK ECRITURE: ABSOLUTE SHADOW!" Freed became shrouded in dark shadows and, once he emerged, was now a black armored knight. He charged forward with impressive speed, knocking Rustyrose into the air by simply swinging his arm.
Lily, Lisanna, and Levy couldn't believe their eyes. "They're so strong!" Lisanna marveled.
"I can't believe how easily they're handling this man," Lily said.
"That's the true power of the Thunder Legion when they work together," Levy smiled. "When they get serious, they can't lose."
Meanwhile, in the makeshift bed, Evergreen was watching the fight with half-closed eyes and smiled. 'That's Laxus' Thunder Legion for you.'
Rustyrose rubbed his head as he sat up. "This isn't happening." He then heard footsteps and looked up to see Bickslow and Freed standing over him.
"Get up," Bickslow commanded.
"There's no escape for you," Freed said.
Rustyrose couldn't stop shaking. 'This feeling that is dwelling in my heart…could this be what people call fear?' Suddenly, he stopped trembling and stood up with a smile on his face. "Amazing! This feeling of fear is amazing! I feel inspired, so allow me to show you the new strength of my imagination!"
Gracie was the first to charge. She leapt off of the ground towards the branch that Azuma was standing on, katanas drawn back and prepared to strike.
Azuma easily jumped away before Gracie's katanas sliced through the wood of the branch, causing it to fall to the earth. "You're strong, I can tell."
Gracie landed on another branch and glared at Azuma. "You should just stay still and die already," she hissed. She twirled her katanas and pushed off of the branch, rocketing towards Azuma with a fierce battle cry. Again, Azuma leapt away, causing Gracie's attack to hit nothing but air—only this time, Gracie expected her attack to miss badly. "Now, Erza!"
"Right!" Erza replied, now wearing her fiery red, orange, and black Flame Empress Armor. She swung her sword at Azuma, whose momentum was carrying him right towards her.
Azuma looked behind him. "A clever tactic, but not good enough," he said as he somehow managed to maneuver his body midair to avoid Erza's attack. He landed easily on a branch, completely unharmed.
Erza landed next to Gracie. "He's nimble."
Gracie leapt at Azuma. "He's dead is what he is."
Azuma waited until the last possible moment to leap back onto another tree branch. "You have no chance of defeating me even with your strength and speed."
Gracie leapt after him. "You're not getting away!"
Azuma smiled. "You should have listened to me." Without another word, a massive wooden hand shot out of the tree that Azuma was standing on and headed for Gracie.
With no way to dodge in midair, Gracie attempted to cut through the wood with her katanas. However, the velocity of the attack was too much and she was pushed into the trunk of another tree. She collapsed on a branch and coughed out some blood. "Shit."
Erza leapt onto the branch beside Gracie. "Are you alright?"
"I'll live," Gracie said as she got to her feet. "I didn't know he could do stuff like that." She scratched her head. "Actually, I still don't know what this guy can do."
"We need to be less aggressive until we can figure out when to strike," Erza said while studying Azuma.
Gracie nodded. "Got it."
"Good," Erza said while requipping into her Black Wing Armor. Two black axes were gripped in her hands. "Let's go."
"Right!" Gracie said as she leapt at Azuma. Erza followed, gliding through the air on her black wings.
Azuma chuckled. "A simultaneous attack? It won't help you."
"We'll just see," Erza cried as she slashed at Azuma with her axes horizontally.
"You can't escape this!" Gracie cried, slashing at Azuma with her katanas vertically.
Azuma dodged by leaping backwards onto another tree branch. "You forgot to incorporate all directions in your plan." Two massive wooden hands then shot from the tree that Erza and Gracie were standing on, holding tightly to their feet. He then held up his hand and pointed it towards the two. "BLEVE!" Tiny sparks appeared in front of Gracie and Erza before exploding.
The two landed roughly on another tree branch. "That was unexpected," Gracie said as she stood back up. She could feel burn marks on her skin, but she ignored the pain.
"Don't give him a chance to attack again," Erza said while changing into her Morning Star Armor. "You take care of close range attacking. I'll strike from a distance."
"You're the best," Gracie said before leaping from branch to branch to once again attack Azuma. Meanwhile, her mind was running a mile a minute. 'I need to wait for Erza's attack. I need to read her strike and then read Azuma's movements. I need to be calm, relaxed, and patient. Just wait for my chance.'
Erza lifted her dual sabers and charged them with magic power. "PHOTON SLICER!" She put her two sabers together and fired an intense beam of energy at Azuma. The attack was fast and caught Azuma off guard, hitting him and causing him to fall from his branch.
Without a moment of hesitation, Gracie pushed off after him. With a fierce battle cry, she slashed across his chest with her katanas. She then landed on a branch and smiled at the sound of Azuma's body colliding with wood. "We got you, you bastard." She then leapt from branch to branch to return to Erza's side. When she got there, she smiled and giggled. "We did it!"
Erza returned the smile and nodded. "We did well."
A deep laugh echoed in the forest, forcing Gracie and Erza's smiles to vanish. They could see Azuma standing on the tree branch, a smile on his face.
"He's still alive after that?" Erza asked.
"What's so damn funny?" Gracie shot at him.
Azuma touched the wide but shallow gash across his chest and admired his blood-stained hand. "I truly am blessed. You two are incredibly strong. This will be fun." He looked at his opponents. "You see, I live for the thrill of facing someone strong, and today I have faced four incredibly powerful adversaries. I couldn't ask for more. I can feel the adrenaline rushing through me. I can't remember another day where I felt more alive." His smile widened. "While I've heard nothing of you, Gracie, I can tell that you have the same skills as Titania, someone whose skill and valor is legendary. I also believe that all of us are the same. We all seek strong warriors because we enjoy the thrill of a good fight."
Erza changed to her regular Heart Kreuz Armor. "I don't care much about fighting strong people. As long as I have enough strength to protect my friends and family, I don't care who is stronger than me."
Azuma's face showed surprise at her words.
Gracie allowed her katanas to disappear. "You've got a lot to learn, buddy. You may somehow be strong enough to defeat Niky, but I can promise you this; you're luck has run out. No one hurts my family and gets away with it." She clenched her fists. "I won't let it happen again. Now that I have the strength to protect those I love, I won't fail again."
"You're very interesting," Azuma said. "Still, it's disappointing. I was hoping to have a fair fight for once."
"What do you mean by that?" Erza asked.
Suddenly, the entire ground began to shake violently. "We've reached a different level in this battle. Things will change quite drastically." Roots began to pull out of the ground and crawl towards Azuma.
"What the hell is happening?" Gracie asked as she watched the roots tear from their dirt confines.
Azuma held out his arms. "You wished to know the power that I use? Very well, I will tell you. I am connected with nature. My brand of Lost Magic is the Arc of Trees." He raised his arms, causing little flickering lights to appear all over. They exploded, splintering the trees and causing roots to snap. "I can take the explosive power from the land and channel it into the heart of the wood." The roots began to wrap around Azuma and bury into his skin while his feet began to sink into the branch that he stood on. "But where my magic's true power lies is it gives me the ability to become one with the land and control its magic energy."
"You can control the land's magic energy?" Erza asked in disbelief.
"It's why I was the first to arrive on this island," Azuma said. "I was to harness the magic energy contained in your Sacred Ground."
"There's no way you could do that!" Gracie shouted. "That's way too much for one person to handle!"
Azuma closed his eyes. "Please understand that this was not my choice. However, I must follow the orders I was given."
"What are you going to do?" Erza demanded. However, Azuma didn't answer. "Answer me!"
"Erza, I've got a bad feeling about this," Gracie said nervously. "I feel like something really bad is about to happen."
Doranbolt stared in disbelief. He couldn't bring himself to believe that what he was seeing was actually happening. "No…the Tenrou Tree…it's falling!"
Sure enough, the mighty tree that stood tall and proud at the very center of the island was beginning to collapse.
Doranbolt grit his teeth. "I warned them that Grimoire Heart was just too strong. I told them that they couldn't win and now this is happening." He clenched his fists in frustration. "I should have made them leave when I had the chance. Why didn't I stop them?"
He thought about Wendy. All of her smiles and all of her tears. The sound of her laughter. He closed his eyes. "Wendy. Natsu. Everyone. Good luck and be safe." With that, he used his Direct Line Magic to disappear from the island.
Natsu groaned. "Man, I really wanted to see the fight."
"We need to make sure everyone is okay, Natsu," Lucy said while walking next to Cana. "That's more important and you know it."
"Yeah I know, but still," Natsu said while pouting, "how often do you get to see a fight like that?"
"I just hope everyone is back at base camp by now," Carla said while flying next to Wendy. "We need to regroup and figure out what to do next."
Lucy looked at Cana. "Are you alright?" she whispered.
Cana gave her a sad smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Suddenly, the entire ground began to violently shake.
"What the hell's going on?" Natsu shouted.
"I don't know!" Wendy cried. "Whatever it is, it's big."
"We need to get to base camp and fast," Lucy said. Everyone nodded and took off running as fast as they could.
However, after only running a short distance, they all felt their energy completely leave them.
Natsu fell to his knees. "What the hell?"
Lucy collapsed to the ground. "My magic energy feels like it just got sucked dry."
"I can't move my legs," Wendy whined.
Happy and Carla's wings disappeared and they fell to the ground. "I feel tired now," Happy said.
Lucy looked over to Cana. "Are you alright, Cana?" However, she wasn't responding or moving. "Hey, Cana! Wake up!"
Natsu fell to his stomach. "Just hang in there, guys."
Gray couldn't believe what he had just heard. "What the fuck are you talking about? Ur's will? How can Zeref have anything to do with Ur's will?" Suddenly, the entire ground shook violently and Gray felt his entire body go numb. "What's going on? What's this shaking? And why do I feel so weak?"
Ultear looked at the toppling Tenrou Tree. "This would be the work of Azuma, one of the Seven Kin."
Gray fell to a knee. "I can't even stand anymore."
Ultear nodded. "That makes sense."
He looked at her. "What do you mean?"
Ultear returned the gaze. "Think about it. I'm sure you can understand what's happening."
"Sorry, but I don't know what's going on."
Ultear looked to the sky. "Very well. The Tenrou Tree has been uprooted. Because of that, anyone bearing the mark of Fairy Tail will begin to lose their magic energy until they're all dead."
"You knew this was going to happen." Gray grit his teeth. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"
Rustyrose put his hands to his head and the entire area turned dark. Hundreds of ghost-like creatures swarmed the darkness. "GO FORTH SPIRITS OF BRITTIA! DINE ON THE SOULS OF FAIRIES!" The ghosts all dashed forward and wrapped themselves around Freed and Bickslow.
"I can't get them off," Freed said.
"Shit," Bickslow hissed.
"So he can make anything in his imagination come to life?" Lily asked.
"How do we beat that?" Lisanna asked.
Freed narrowed his eyes underneath his armored helmet. "I won't lose here. I won't bring shame to Laxus!"
Bickslow smiled. "You got that right!"
Suddenly, the ground began to violently shake.
Lily winced. "My power, it's…disappearing!" In a puff of smoke, Lily returned to his normal form and lay drained in the dirt.
Levy and Lisanna collapsed on the ground. "Why do I feel so weak?" Levy asked.
"Oh no, Freed and Bickslow!" Lisanna cried, seeing Freed and Bickslow suddenly lose all fighting spirit. The two were panting heavily, trying to fight against the sudden exhaustion they felt.
Rustyrose grinned. "What's wrong? You've both gotten awfully quiet. Were you not going to fight back in the name of that disgrace of a man, Laxus?" His Spirits of Brittia vanished and his arm turned into the Jet Black Sword. He swung it at Freed and Bickslow, slashing through their chests. "The tide of battle has turned once more and I won't let it sway again. This is your end!"
Freed and Bickslow landed on shaky legs and stared down Rustyrose. "I feel completely drained," Freed wheezed, his Absolute Shadow having disappeared. "But why?"
"Where'd all of our power go?" Bickslow asked. "Did he drain it?"
"Oh please, I had nothing to do with that," Rustyrose said. "That being said, I do plan on taking full advantage of this situation. This war will be over soon."
Gildarts panted heavily as he tried to keep himself standing. "Damn it, why am I totally out of energy? And why the hell is the ground shaking so much?" Bluenote dashed forward and landed a kick to Gildarts' face. He fell to the ground. "What is going on?" And then he saw it; the Tenrou Tree was falling. "No…"
Bluenote turned around to watch the Tree fall. He grit his teeth. "Damn it, Hades. What are you making Azuma do? What are your plans for this?"
The ground began to shake violently, and that's when it happened. Nikolias felt like his entire body was on fire, the pain from before not dulling, but intensifying. He vomited blood again as he fell against a tree. He no longer felt like he could move his legs. He grit his teeth as he tried to force his body to move. "Damn it, what is this? I feel like my body lost all will to move. It's like the pain has me frozen. But why did the pain get worse? It should be getting better." His voice was raspy and blood ran from his mouth and wounds even more profusely then before. He took a deep breath as best he could. "I won't be held up by this!" he cried as slowly, he began to walk forward step by step, fighting against the agonizing pain of his wounds. "Aw fuck, I'm going even fucking slower! Hang on just a while longer, everyone. I promise I'll be there."
Hades looked out the window of his ship. "It took longer than anticipated, but it has finally happened. The magic power of Tenrou Island is now under our control. You're children fought valiantly, Makarov; much better than I ever would have thought. However, with the magic of Tenrou taken away from you, all hope you had of winning this battle has disappeared, Fairy Tail."
Gracie fell onto the branch beneath her, the shaking of the ground making it impossible for her to hold her balance. "This is bad!"
"Just hang in there, Gracie," Erza said from her seat on the branch.
Gracie looked back over to where Azuma once stood, but couldn't see him. "Aw hell, where'd he go?"
"Master Hades knows a lot about this island," came Azuma's echoing voice. "Because of this knowledge, he gave me my orders."
"Good for him," Gracie said sarcastically. "Does he want a medal?"
"He told us all about the great Tenrou Tree that stands at the center of the island," Azuma said, ignoring Gracie's comment. "The Tenrou Tree blesses anyone who bears the guild emblem of Fairy Tail with divine protection from harm and death and even increases their magic power. Some may even be able to use abilities that they never could before."
"That's why Master holds the Trials here," Erza said in realization.
"But Erza," Gracie whispered. "Didn't he…"
Erza's eyes widened as she forced herself to her feet. "You fell the Tree, didn't you?!"
"That would be correct," Azuma said. "Not only has the protective spell over every Fairy Tail wizard been removed, but all of your magic power will rapidly drain from your bodies."
Gracie put a hand to her mouth. "No…"
"If you're story is right, then answer me this; why do Gracie and I still stand here?" Erza demanded. "Why are we not losing our magic energy?"
"Fairy Tail's fate is now connected with that Tree. They will die alongside it. However," he paused as he removed himself from the bark of the tree he was in, "because I control all of the magic on this island, I have decided to keep the magic power that you two possess intact."
"But why?" Gracie asked. "Why bother if your endgame is to destroy Fairy Tail?"
"Call it strategy for incentive," Azuma said. "Now Titania, Gracie. All of your friends are on death's door. Should their magic power completely run out, they will die. Only you two can save them. You both said that you have the strength to protect those you care about. Show me this strength that you claim to have!"
"Bastard," Gracie hissed. "We'll fight you; just give back everyone's power! They don't have to die because of this."
Azuma shook his head. "My orders are from Master Hades. I was to fell the Tenrou Tree in order to deal a death blow to Fairy Tail. It's all part of his plan."
"Then why bother keeping us alive?" Erza shouted. "If it's so easy to kill us, why leave our power be? You still haven't answered that question."
"You know why," Azuma said.
"Refresh our memories," Gracie said.
"You two can provide a challenge for me. I wish to fight you some more. Now, are you going to give me the fight I want or not?" Azuma asked.
"You ask as if we have a choice," Erza said. "We will fight to save our comrades. However, if we defeat you, you will return everyone's magic power."
"You have my word. It's not as if these methods suit me," Azuma said. "Keep in mind, you still have to win."
Erza summoned two broad swords. "My friends' lives hang in the balance. I can't possibly lose!"
Gracie clapped her hands together and became enveloped in a golden aura. She then closed her eyes and held her arms out to the side. "Come forth, halberd!" After a few seconds, her halberd took shape in her hands. She gripped it firmly and slammed the shaft into the branch. "We'll save everyone. You made a mistake threatening our friends and family, pal."
"Then by all means, come," Azuma taunted.
Gracie and Erza both dashed forward.
"Requip!" Erza cried as she changed into her Heavens' Wheel Armor. "SCATTERED PETALS!" Upon command, Erza summoned multiple swords and shot them at Azuma as projectiles.
Azuma summoned roots to act as a shield, completely blocking all of Erza's swords. However, it also acted as a shield for his vision, for he barely noticed Gracie falling from the sky, halberd raised over her head in preparation to strike. He leapt away just as the axe head of Gracie's halberd slammed into the branch he was standing on.
"No way," Gracie said. "I missed."
Erza was surprised as well. "How did he block all of those swords so easily?"
He chuckled. "FOLIUM SICA!" he cried as a swarm of razor sharp leaves whipped around him and shot at Erza and Gracie.
Erza and Gracie both parried as best they could, but they couldn't block all of the leaves.
Gracie hissed in pain as she felt leaves tear her skin. "They're too small. I can't block them all."
"RAMUS SICA!" Azuma cried as the leaves were replaced by shards of branches. These thick and fast branch blades couldn't be parried, so all Erza and Gracie could do was brace themselves and endure the pain. "TREE FIST!" A massive wooden clenched fist shot at the two women, slamming into their bodies and forcing them into a tree.
Erza was forced out of her Heaven's Wheel armor and back into her Heart Kreuz Armor. "Damn it."
Gracie had dropped her halberd and reached for it as she struggled to her knees. "That only hurt a lot."
"Come on, I'm not even breaking a sweat. Step it up," Azuma called out.
"We need to work together more," Erza said as she requipped into her Flight Armor. "That's going to be the key to our victory."
Gracie nodded. "Our coordination is a little off. If we time it better, I think we can land some more significant hits."
"Alright then, let's give it a shot," Erza said. "Let's go!" She dashed forward with incredible speed, becoming practically invisible.
Gracie smirked as she dashed forward in a different direction, halberd resting on her back. "Good thing I'm used to working with someone who's so fast," she muttered.
Azuma switched his attention between the two mages. "An amusing tactic, but you fail to realize that I don't need to take you out one at a time." He raised his arms and pointed one hand at Erza and one hand at Gracie. Roots then shot towards both of the mages in an attempt to strike them down.
"Now Gracie!" Erza cried while she dodged the roots.
"Right!" Gracie agreed. She flipped into the air to avoid the roots, turned her body, and fired her halberd at Azuma. Azuma saw the weapon coming and leapt away. However, what he didn't know was that Gracie was a master strategist. She had predicted that he would leap that way. She grinned. "All yours, Erza!"
With her enhanced speed from her Flight Armor, Erza immediately appeared behind Azuma. She gripped her twin shortswords before pushing off of a branch and slashing Azuma with a quick strike. She pounced from branch to branch, slicing through Azuma multiple times.
Azuma felt his wounds sting as the flesh was exposed to the air. He was biding his time, though, waiting to see where Erza would strike from next. Once he felt confident that he could predict where she would come from, he sent multiple thick branches to intercept her path.
Even with her enhanced speed, there were simply too many branches to dodge. A thick branch collided with her stomach, sending her crashing into a tree branch.
Azuma then summoned a massive root shaped like a foot, attempting to crush her to death.
"Requip!" Erza cried and in a flash of light, she was wearing her Adamantine Armor. She raised her large, bulky, silver shield, completely blocking the giant wooden foot.
"Let's see how strong your shield is!" Azuma shouted as he sent out even more leaf blades at Erza. Each one crashed into the shield, but Erza's shield held firm.
Suddenly, Azuma felt a presence behind him. He turned around to see an axe blade fast approaching. He tried to dodge, but the black blade sliced through his toned stomach. He winced as he landed on another branch.
Gracie landed on the branch that Azuma had previously stood on and glared at him. "Damn it, he felt me coming."
Azuma was barely able to look at his fresh wound when a blast of lightning appeared next to him. He leapt away just in time before the attack hit and charred the tree branch.
Erza leapt towards Azuma, now wearing her Lightning Empress Armor, and tried to swing at him with her spear. However, even with his fresh and old wounds, he was extremely nimble, dodging and ducking every strike.
Gracie joined in with her halberd, trying to strike down Azuma, but neither of them could seem to land a hit. "How the hell does he keep dodging everything?"
Azuma grinned as he ducked beneath the attacks of both mages before quickly landing uppercuts to both Erza and Gracie's jaws. The two were sent crashing through roots and into thick tree trunks. "I have to say, you both really are incredibly strong. I'm impressed."
Erza forced herself to her feet, now wearing her regular Heart Kreuz Armor. "As are you."
Gracie groaned while rubbing her jaw. "You sure do pack a punch. But we still won't lose here."
"Gracie's right," Erza said. "This fight isn't over." She leapt at Azuma. "Prepare yourself!" She started trying to land punches and kicks to Azuma's body.
The two dueled with their fists, each landing solid hits to the other. Gracie then appeared above Azuma. "Sorry if I have no interest in keeping things fair!" She swung her halberd down at Azuma.
Azuma noticed her presence, though. He quickly summoned two thick roots. One wrapped itself tightly around Erza and the other wrapped around Gracie's right leg, suspending her in midair. He then clapped his hands together, causing the two branches to explode. The two were sent into a tree trunk and lay motionless on a branch.
Erza was the first to move. "Gracie, are you alright?"
"My…my leg," Gracie whimpered as she struggled to her knees. "I think my leg is broken."
Erza looked at Gracie's leg. It didn't appear broken, but the flesh was severely burned and bruised. "Your leg is in bad shape, but I don't think it's broken."
"That's good," Gracie said with a small laugh. She then pushed herself to her feet and winced at the intense pain that shot through her body. "That means I can still use it."
Erza smiled as she, too, stood up. She was fortunate enough that her armor blocked most of the damage from Azuma's attack. Unfortunately, Gracie didn't have such a luxury. She didn't wear armor, so the damage from attacks, especially explosions, could put her at serious risk. "Let me see your halberd for a second."
"Sure," Gracie said while handing over her weapon. "What for?"
"I'm going to try and give us an edge," Erza replied. "Rest your leg for a moment."
"I don't need to rest," Gracie defended.
"Just get ready to dissipate your weapon. I have a plan," Erza said. She tightly gripped the halberd and threw it with all of her might at Azuma.
Azuma was caught off guard, for the dust from his explosions obscured his vision. The spike of the halberd struck him in the side of his stomach. He winced and made to pull out the weapon, but was surprised to see it disappear in a flash of light. He was so distracted by the weapon's disappearance that he didn't notice Erza, now in her Giant's Armor, appear before him and grab him by the leg. She whipped him into the air and, with a battle cry, threw him with incredible force into a tree branch. He coughed out blood from the impact and sent a root out towards Erza. She tried to block it with her armor, but the force pushed her into another root, knocking the wind out of her.
She recovered quickly, though. "Requip!" Erza cried as she changed into her Purgatory Armor. She leapt at him and swung her heavy sword at him.
Azuma quickly sent a thick root to block her powerful attack. He then sent another root to wrap around Erza's foot before holding his arms out to the side. "Time to die. TOWER BURST!" A massive inferno erupted from the earth, engulfing the entire area in the powerful flames. Erza screamed as she felt the flames singe her skin.
"Erza!" Gracie cried from her branch before shielding herself the best she could from the incoming flames.
After about a minute, the flames died away and Azuma stood on a root, looking down at the unmoving bodies of Erza and Gracie. "It would appear to be over."
"Not yet, jackass," Gracie wheezed as she pushed herself to her knees. Her right leg was still in immense pain and the rest of her body didn't feel too great, either, but she was determined. "Don't you ever listen? We told you that we wouldn't lose."
Erza, who was once again in her Heart Kreuz Armor, got to her knees as well. 'What can we do here? Every attack we throw at him is either blocked or countered with even more force. Also, even though she's too stubborn to admit it, Gracie's going to have trouble moving around on that leg. What can I do to end this?' She narrowed her eyes. 'None of my armor seems to be giving me an advantage. I need to go on the offensive. No more armor. I can't waste magic on defense. I'll put all of my magic power into one strike.' She stood up. "Alright. I'll end this."
Azuma smirked. "I'm glad to see that you're not out yet. The Half-Dragon lasted longer than this. I want an even greater challenge."
Gracie grit her teeth. "Bastard. I'll kill you," she hissed as she struggled to her feet. However, she was clearly in a lot of pain standing on that right leg.
"Gracie, sit out for this one. You can't fight on that leg," Erza said as she requipped into her Japanese cloth armor, which was nothing more than bandages around her chest and fire red and orange baggy pants. She gripped her sword tightly.
"No chance," Gracie said. "We need to fight together."
"Just rest. Join later," Erza said as she leapt at Azuma.
"Erza, wait!" Gracie cried as she tried to jump after her. However, her leg buckled from the pain when she tried to push off, causing her to scream and fall to a knee. She winced and watched Erza through one eye. "Damn it all."
"This is the Demon Blade Crimson Sakura," Erza said as the blade began emanating immense magic power. "With it, there's no way I can lose. I won't fail my friends!"
"Yes, come at me with all of your power!" Azuma said with a large smile.
Erza drew back her sword even further, preparing to strike down Azuma and end things right then. However, she didn't anticipate Azuma's branches wrapping tightly around her arms, legs, and body. She fought against the branches, but they were too thick. She couldn't escape.
"You fought valiantly, Titania. I found our battle to be most thrilling. But this is where it ends," Azuma said as he raised his arms to chest level and put his hands together. "Feel the full power of Tenrou as you disappear from existence." He thrust his arms at Erza. "TERRA CLAMARE!"
Erza shrieked as a massive explosion erupted all around her, engulfing her in incredible flames.
"ERZA!" Gracie shrieked as all she could do was watch as Erza vanished in a massive fireball. A few seconds later, Erza reappeared as she fell on a tree branch, her clothing singed and her body badly hurt.
Erza was barely clinging to consciousness. 'He's so powerful. How can we hope to beat someone like this? No wonder both Mira and Nikolias fell to him. He has far too much power.'
"Don't give up, Erza," came a voice within her head.
She recognized the voice immediately. 'Jellal?'
"I believe in you, Erza. You won't lose. Don't give up," Jellal's voice said again.
Erza's eyes slowly opened and, with her sword's aid, managed to get to her knees. She was panting heavily, her heavy breathing only interrupted when she needed to cough up a little blood. "I won't give up."
Azuma's eyes widened. "I'm surprised you survived that attack. Then again, they don't call you Titania for nothing." He raised his arms. "It would appear that claiming your life as my trophy will take a little more work. No matter. I'll enjoy every second of it." Thick roots shot at the injured Erza.
Erza lifted her sword from the root she was on and prepared to strike. However, before the roots could reach her, a form appeared before her, cutting away at the roots with incredible speed. Her eyes widened. "Gracie?"
Gracie swung away at the roots with her katanas until they were no more. She was panting heavily and it was clear that she was still favoring her right leg. Still, she was standing protectively in front of Erza nonetheless. She turned around and looked at Erza with an angry expression. "You moron! Why would you charge in alone like that?"
Erza blinked. "I…"
"That's right, you have no excuse!"
"But you didn't give me a chance to…"
"I don't care!" Gracie shouted as she somehow managed to squat so that she could be eye level with Erza. "We're partners. We're friends. You need to have more faith in me. Let me help you and fight alongside you."
"But your leg…"
Gracie laughed as she stood. "It's like I said before; my leg's not broken, so I can still use it." She reached down and offered a hand to Erza. "So are we in this together or not?"
Erza smiled and nodded as she took Gracie's hand. "You're right. I'm sorry. We're in this together from now on."
Gracie giggled. "Good! Glad to hear that you've come to your senses." She then turned to Azuma. "Now let's take this guy down for good." The two then shot forward, blades at the ready.
Azuma summoned roots for his defense, but the determination the two felt gave them the strength to easily slice through every root he used for defense. He sent some roots out as an offensive tactic, but they easily dodged every one. "Impossible. How can you move so well with those injuries?"
The two didn't respond. They drew back their weapons and gave a cry as they slashed together at Azuma's neck.
Azuma was able to bend backwards to dodge and handspring away to give himself some distance. The two kept coming, their attacks relentless, fast, and strong. He dodged the two attacks yet again, but positioned himself so that he could land a strong kick to each of their bodies, sending them flying away.
The two landed on their respective branches and immediately pushed off again. They slashed at Azuma, but he managed to jump away, causing them to cut through the branch.
Azuma held up his hand and sent a swarm of leaf blades at the two, attempting to use their position in the air to land a few deadly cuts.
However, their teamwork was stronger than ever. With her good leg, Gracie kicked the newly cut tree branch up towards Erza, who then struck it with her sword just right to create a massive wooden propeller. The branch propeller was able to act like a massive shield that blocked all of the leaves and deflected them harmlessly.
Azuma unleashed a roar as he sent multiple thick branches at the two. They slashed and batted them away the best they could, but were unable to avoid all of them. Once again, the two found themselves constricted. No matter how much they fought against them, they simply couldn't move or escape the thick wooden prison.
"Damn it!" Gracie cried as she desperately pulled on the branches that were wrapped around her arms. She knew the danger of being caught by this man.
Azuma walked over to the two, blood dripping from his wounds and heavy pants escaping his mouth. "I commend both of you. This fight was definitely one worth remembering. You fought the fight of a true warrior and I thank you for that. I will never forget your names, Titania Erza and Gracie."
'Never forget my name,' Erza thought as her mind returned to Jellal. It was he who gave her a last name, one that he promised he would never forget. Scarlet, like her hair. He gave her a greater identity that day and she always thanked him for it. Even when he lost his memory, he still remembered her last name, just like he promised. She clenched her fists and fought against her restraints. "I won't lose here!" She fought and fought, but the branches wouldn't yield.
Azuma raised his arms to his chest once more and clapped his hands together. "This time is truly the end. Goodbye, Erza, Gracie." He thrust his arms out. "TERRA CLAMARE!" Once again, the entire area was engulfed in a massive fireball of magic power. Erza and Gracie screamed as pain shot through their bodies, burning them and tearing their flesh.
Erza felt herself losing consciousness. 'So this is it. This is death. I wonder what Simon and Old Man Rob and Nikolias felt in this moment.' She felt like she was floating through nothingness, like her body had gotten extremely light.
"What the hell are you doing just lying there?" came a voice within her head.
But she recognized this voice as well. Erza opened her eyes, finding herself face to face with Natsu. 'Natsu?'
"I know you're not giving up, Erza," Natsu said. "You know that we're right here with you. Always."
Suddenly, she could see the faces of everyone who was on the island with her. Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Juvia, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Cana, Elfman, Lisanna, Mira, Nikolias, Gracie, Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen, Gajeel, Levy, Panther Lily, Master Makarov, Gildarts; all of them were smiling at her. Her eyes widened. 'My friends? Why are they all here?' She then understood. 'I see. I get it now. How could I have been so blind? Forgive me, everyone, for my ignorance. It was never me who was protecting you. It was always all of you who were protecting me.' She gripped her sword tightly and shot towards where she could sense Azuma. 'Allow me to repay the favor!'
Gracie felt like she was floating on a cloud. Her body felt numb. She couldn't move. 'I guess that's the end? We lost? Heh, I guess I was wrong. I never was strong enough to protect anyone. Nothing has changed. I couldn't protect my mom and dad and I couldn't protect my friends, knowing full well that they needed me. I'm hopeless.'
"Wow. You're giving up? I think the world has officially ended," came a voice in her head.
She opened her eyes but couldn't see anything. 'Who's there?'
Suddenly, she could see Nikolias' face before her. "I think you're just being lazy."
'Oh, shut up. I gave it all I had. This guy was just too much,' Gracie shot back at him.
Nikolias sighed. "You know what I thought about you when we first met?"
'No, what?'
"You were annoying as hell."
'Hey!'
"But I also thought that you were someone who never gave up. Even after everything that happened to you, you still held your head high and laughed and enjoyed life. Sure, you would feel the pain of your past, but you didn't let it drag you down. I envied you for that."
'But I failed to protect everyone.'
"You didn't fail," he assured. "You'll only fail if you quit now. I know you have the power to win this fight. Just believe in yourself. You know you're strong enough. Where's that Amier confidence?"
She giggled. 'You're right. It was stupid to just throw in the towel. Quitting doesn't suit me. Thanks Niky.'
"Anytime. Now kick his ass not just for me, but for everyone." He then disappeared from her sight.
Gracie nodded. 'Yeah, I can't give up! I'll fight and I'll save everyone!' She felt her body get extremely hot. 'It'll take a lot more than death to keep me down!' Suddenly, Gracie became engulfed in a soft, golden light before snapping back to reality and dashing like a comet towards where she could sense Azuma.
From the fireball erupted a single figure, causing Azuma's eyes to widen in disbelief. "Unbelievable." Dashing towards him with a vicious battle cry, sword drawn back, was Erza. Her body was covered in wounds, but her face showed nothing but determination.
As if that wasn't enough of a surprise, a second figure shot from the fireball with enough incredible speed to catch up to Erza. This one was harder to recognize, but by process of elimination, he knew it was Gracie. However, she looked very different. Instead of the usual black tank top and black shorts, she was wearing an impressive suit of armor. The entire armor was pitch-black. The breastplate covered everything but her upper chest and her toned stomach. Her arms and legs were completely covered by the black metal. Fierce spikes jutted out from the shoulder pads and the sides of her waist. Her blonde hair blew freely behind her as she dashed forward, a fierce battle cry escaping her lips. In her hand was a massive golden sword. It was thin at the base near the hilt and quickly grew in width as it reached the tip. The front of the blade curved outward until it reached the point. The back of the blade curved inward slightly with little protrusions that stuck out. What was even more impressive was that the blade itself was on fire.
He could also physically see magic power that seemed to be pushing them both forward.
Azuma threw up his hands, sending a thick wall of roots up to act as a shield. However, much to his surprise, the fire from his own Terra Clamare was pushing through the roots, clearing a path for the two swordswomen. His eyes widened in surprise. 'Impossible. The magic of Tenrou Island should be under my control, and yet it's supporting them? Is this the strength they were talking about? The strength to protect those they care about?' He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. 'I see. The strength they have comes from those bonds they share with others. What a truly amazing guild.'
Both Erza and Gracie reared back their weapons, poised to strike.
Azuma lowered his arms and gave an honest smile. "Well done."
Erza's sword sliced through him from his left shoulder to the right side of his chest, splattering the tree with blood and splintering the branch he stood on.
Simultaneously, Gracie's sword cut right through his right side, spraying out blood and sending him falling to the ground below. Blood leaked from his body as he plummeted down.
The two landed on a root, panting heavily from the effort. They looked at each other and smiled.
"We…did it," Gracie rasped, her energy levels basically depleted. Her armor had vanished, returning her to her black tank top and black shorts.
Erza nodded. "We did. You fought well despite your injury."
Gracie laughed, but it came up as a coughing fit. "You're one to talk. Have you even seen yourself?" Suddenly, she felt extremely light headed and fainted, falling from her perch on the branch to the ground below. Her body bounced off of countless roots and branches.
"Gracie!" Erza called out. Suddenly, her fatigue caught up with her as well and she, too, fell from the branch, hitting branch after branch as she descended to the ground.
The two hit the ground hard, which was enough to bring Gracie back to consciousness. She rubbed her head. "Did I…fall asleep?" she groaned.
Erza barely had enough energy to prop herself onto her elbows. "You passed out. Are you hurt?"
Gracie gave her the best deadpanned look that she could. "No, I'm peachy. Thanks."
"I meant from the fall."
"Oh. No, I'm fine, I think. Any new injuries are probably no match for the wounds from the fight."
Erza smiled. "True." She then noticed Azuma's body and was surprised to see his body beginning to sprout small weeds. "What's happening to him?"
Gracie struggled to turn, but managed. Her eyes widened as well. "He's growing stuff out of his body."
Azuma's eyes slowly opened. "I was too careless, even knowing that Lost Magic pays a heavy toll."
"So you're dying," Gracie summed up. "Sorry if I can't feel pity."
Azuma chuckled. "That's quite alright. I don't need any sorrow or pity. I'm just glad that I could have an amazing fight before the end." He paused for a moment. "Oh, and don't worry. I'll keep my word. All of your friend's magic power will be returned to them."
Erza forced herself to sit on her knees. "Let me ask you a question. Do you know a man who goes by the name Jellal?"
Gracie looked at her. "Jellal…why do I know that name?" Then she remembered that Erza mentioned him at their sleepover when she first arrived. "Oh, that Jellal? Why are you asking this guy about him?"
"I just need to know if you know him," Erza said.
"Yes, I know of him," Azuma said. "It's said that he lost his mind when he was possessed by Zeref's spirit. However, that was only what he believed." He tried to look at Erza. "Was he close to you?" He got no response and closed his eyes. "My condolences. Anyway, Jellal wasn't possessed by Zeref. In reality, Ultear, one of my comrades, was the one behind Jellal's condition. It was all part of an elaborate scheme set to take place over the course of many years so as to distract the Council from our true actions regarding Zeref." He chuckled. "She truly does have terrifying power."
"Tell me something, mop head," Gracie said as she managed to get herself in a sitting position, her badly injured leg sprawled out so as to not put any weight on it. "Why is your guild after this Zeref guy?"
"To get closer to the primordial magic; magic that has existed since the world's creation," Azuma replied as the weeds that were growing out of him continued to grow into massive trees. "That's why."
"Primordial magic," Erza whispered. "And what would happen if you ever got your hands on that magic?"
"Jellal had dreams," Azuma said as the trees were twisting together into one massive tree. "He dreamt of paradise."
"Wait!" Erza cried as she tried to stand and run over to Azuma, but her legs wouldn't hold her.
"Take it easy, Erza," Gracie warned.
She turned to Gracie, desperation clear in her eyes. "No, I need to know more." She turned back to Azuma, but it was too late. The tree had grown fully.
Azuma was gone.
"Magic from the world's creation, huh?" Gracie said. "Wonder what that is." Suddenly, a bright light appeared above them and shone down like rays of sunlight. Gracie marveled at the sight. "Whoa, is that everyone's magic power?"
"I believe it is," Erza said with a smile. "We did it." She then looked to Gracie. "Tell me, Gracie. What is it that you used at the end of that battle? I wasn't paying too much attention, but it certainly looked like armor."
Gracie smiled at her. "To be honest, I'm not even sure what it is. I never knew I had that before. It just came out when I decided to not give up and to keep fighting."
Erza nodded. "Well it was impressive. I hope to see it again."
Gracie fell back in the grass and sighed. "Maybe another time. I'm exhausted now."
Erza pushed herself to her feet and stood on wobbly legs. "Unfortunately, we don't have time to rest. There's still a war going on here. We should aid how we can."
Gracie rolled over, pushed herself to her knees, and then forced herself to her feet. She winced as she put weight on her right leg. "Right. We should get going."
The two injured warriors began their slow journey to meet up with the others, leaving behind the tree that was Azuma to forever mark the land and to commemorate the fierce battle that Erza and Gracie fought for their friends.
