Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Quick question to my wonderful readers:
Ever since I started this story, I've wanted to have a picture of Nikolias and Gracie; something visual to see them. I always thought it would be really cool to see. Unfortunately, I can't draw to save my life. Seriously, put a gun to my head and demand I draw you something pretty and you'll still end up with stick figures.
That is why I was wondering if anyone was interested in trying to draw these two. I would love to have a fan art of these two awesome characters, so if you're interested in trying to draw them, please PM me. That would be awesome. No pressure, though.
Anyway, enjoy the latest chapter!
Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon
Chapter 60
Jarvan sat at his desk with his hands folded, elbows perched on the wood as he stared at the map in front of him. The map was a large printout of Fiore, Bosco, and Seven and it covered the entire desk. Set up across the map were small chess pieces in various different locations. His eyes were glued to this map, a smile on his face as he studied it. On top of the map sat a bishop, a queen, and a king. The bishop represented Walker, the queen represented Gracie, and the king obviously represented Jarvan's headquarters.
He reached out and tapped the bishop that was sitting on the outskirts of the town of Wayhaven with his index finger. "There's no way that Walker will fall. His skills are far too perfect for this environment. By choosing this plain to ambush Gracie's group, he can get a clear shot at all of them without them even knowing he's there." He chuckled darkly as he knocked over the queen piece that stood near the bishop. "The Sniper of Mercy will kill all of your friends, Gracie. Then you will be mine."
The door to Jarvan's office opened up as Cahill sprinted inside, a file gripped tightly in his hand. "Boss, I've got the report from Dr. Vyril."
Jarvan held out his hand. "Good. I've been waiting for a compilation of his findings." He took the file from Cahill and leafed through the pages. "I see. So there's no evidence of bone structure damage when the wings or tail come out. In fact, as he is now, his skeleton appears completely human." He turned another page and read the contents. "The boy's healthy as an ox." He scratched his chin. "How does his body not break down? It's not magic, so how can his body continuously rebuild itself? Or does it even break down at all? And if Vyril couldn't find the parts within his body, how do the dragon body parts hide themselves? There's so much that I don't understand." He closed the file. "This is definitely an obstacle. However, all is not lost."
"Oh? So you got the results on the tests that you ran on the blood?"
"I did."
"And?"
Jarvan smiled. "It was exactly as I had hoped. The blood is perfect. As soon as I do a little more digging into what Vyril came up with, my latest experiment will be under way."
"That's excellent news!" Cahill then noticed the map on Jarvan's desk. "You think Walker can get this done, Boss?"
"Of course. I feel confident that Gracie will never reach Juniper."
"Still, if they manage to reach him, won't he be done for?"
"Cahill, do you know why they call him the Sniper of Mercy?"
"Because he's the best shot in Earth Land."
"Exactly. But do you know why the 'mercy' part was added?"
"Umm…no, I don't."
"It's because when he pulls the trigger, his target instantly dies without feeling pain and without knowing they were even shot. It's simply lights out."
"But what about Gracie? She'll fight back and he can't kill her."
Jarvan waved off his concern. "Oh, don't you worry. Knowing Walker, he'll find a way to take her out of the equation first."
Smoke billowed out of Walker's mouth from the cigar that sat in the corner of his lips. He was peering through the scope of his rifle, watching as the wooden cart broke free from the frightened horses and tumbled across the ground, spilling the ten passengers and three cats on the grass. He smirked as he watched all of them get up and dive behind the wooden wreckage. "So you managed to dodge my shot, eh Sheila?" He blew out more smoke as he prepared the next shot. "Not bad. Thought I winged you for sure. I guess that you're more like her than I thought."
Gracie dove behind the wooden cart that sat propped up on its side. "What the hell was that?"
"That sounded like gunfire," Mira said.
Gracie rested her head against the wood as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. Mira was right; that was definitely gunfire. And she knew that she was lucky to be unharmed. It was beyond fortunate that she punched Christina when she did, for if she hadn't, she knew that bullet would be lodged deep within her arm. Instead, because the cart veered to the right due to her punching Christina, the bullet splintered the wooden railing behind her. The horses spooked upon hearing the gunshot and went wild, breaking the connector and sending the cart crashing to the ground.
Christina grabbed Gracie's arm. "Gracie, I'm scared. Who fired that shot?"
"I'm not sure," Gracie said.
"Well what are we going to do?" Lucy asked.
Gracie shook her head. "I don't know yet. For now, stay hidden here."
Walker muttered curses under his breath as he peered through his high-powered scope. He knew he couldn't just shoot through the wood. What if he hit Gracie and fatally wounded her? Jarvan would have him killed for sure. No, he had to avoid killing Gracie and without being able to see anyone, he had to be careful.
"I guess I'll have to smoke you lot out," he said softly as he readjusted his trigger finger. He then carefully lifted his rifle, making sure to aim high, and fired.
The wood above the Fairy Tail members' heads splintered as another bullet tore through the cart. Christina screamed as she ducked and hid in Gracie's lap.
"Whoever is shooting at us has no intention of letting us hide here," Gray said. "It's only a matter of time before he decides to shoot low and takes someone out."
"Shit," Gracie cursed. She tapped her head. "C'mon, think."
Another bullet tore through the wood, sending scraps of wood flying out in all directions. This one was slightly lower than the previous shot.
Gajeel cracked his knuckles. "Let me go out there. I'll pound whoever's shooting into a pulp after I eat his rifle."
Levy held tightly onto his arm. "Don't do it, Gajeel!"
"Why not?" he huffed.
"Levy's right, Gajeel," Erza said. "Those shots are extremely powerful. If you get hit, it could break a bone if not kill you instantly."
"So please, just stay here," Levy begged.
Gajeel looked away. "Fine, I'll stay. Clearly you'd be lost if I went off for a fight."
Levy smiled. "Thank you, Gajeel."
"So what's the plan, Gracie?" Natsu asked.
Gracie's eyes were closed as she thought through everything. She didn't respond to Natsu. She was completely silent.
"Please Gracie, what do we do?" Christina asked, her voice trembling with fear.
Gracie's eyes suddenly snapped open. "Wendy, how much faith do you have in your Heaven's Aura technique that Niky taught you?"
"You mean using it as a barrier?" Wendy asked.
"Exactly."
Wendy thought about it. "I think I can do it."
"Don't be stupid, child!" Carla scolded. "You don't have enough practice with it to hold out against these high-powered shots. Besides, using anything that Nikolias taught you will severely drain you of energy."
"No, I can do it!" Wendy said while pumping her small fists. "Count on me, Gracie."
Gracie nodded and smiled. "Okay, then listen up. Wendy's going to use her Heaven's Aura to protect us all. As soon as it goes up, we'll push over this cart so that we can see."
"What good will that do?" Panther Lily asked. "Carla's right; Wendy can't hold out against gunfire."
Gracie looked at the small black Exceed. "Give me some credit, will ya? I haven't finished yet."
"Go on, Gracie," Erza said.
"Alright, here's what's gonna happen. As soon as the barrier goes up, Lucy will have Sagittarius fire arrows. Christina, you'll help with that, too."
"Me?" Christina squeaked.
"You're the best shot in Cedar Town, right? Don't worry. You guys will be firing from within the barrier."
"That can work?" Lucy asked. "Wouldn't we shatter the barrier if we fired arrows within it?"
"The Aura technique is a protective membrane of sorts. Its objective and purpose is to protect the target, but doesn't render them helpless. In short, things can leave, but cannot enter."
"Really?" Wendy asked in wonder.
"Of course. And it's because of this fact that the rest of my plan will work." Gracie looked at Erza. "Once the Aura is up and the cart is down, you'll need to put on that Adamantine Armor of yours, Erza."
Another shot tore through the wood, even lower than before.
"Right. What then?" Erza asked as she brushed off the wood splinters that fell on her armor.
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, katanas!" she shouted as her twin blades appeared in her hands. She twirled them in her hands and smirked. "You're gonna charge with me, Natsu, and Gajeel so that we can take this shooter down. Your armor's shield should be strong enough to take multiple, if not all, shots. Once we get close enough so that aiming at us will be extremely difficult, you can change your armor and all four of us will charge from different angles."
"Sounds a bit reckless," Erza admitted.
"Of course it is," Gracie said with a small giggle. "Unfortunately, there's nothing else we can do. This is some nasty firepower we're up against."
"Do you know anything about it?" Erza asked.
Gracie nodded. "Yeah. I recall this weapon from back when I was a kid. It's a high-powered sniper rifle, most likely equipped with a high-magnification scope so that they can shoot from incredibly far off distances without being seen. It's a single shot magazine, which would explain why the shots are so far apart."
"Wow, you remember all of that?" Lucy asked.
Gracie readied her weapons. "Hard to forget. We ready to go?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Wendy, on your count."
Wendy nodded as she closed her eyes. Light blue magic began to swirl around her. She took a deep breath while holding her arms out in front of her. She then turned her palms towards the origin of the shots and cried, "HEAVEN'S AURA!" From her hands, light blue magic expanded out farther and farther, quickly engulfing the entire area around them. After a few moments, the magic power stopped expanding, resulting in a large barrier with a diameter of 30 feet.
"Incredible," Levy breathed.
"Atta girl, Wendy!" Gracie complimented as she slammed her body into the cart, easily knocking it over and revealing the wide open plain. Gracie stopped and stared, looking for any evidence as to where the shooter had set up camp. "Alright…where are you, you bastard?"
Walker chuckled softly upon seeing the barrier. "Well this is new." He slipped the next bullet into the chamber and readied his weapon. "You're full of surprises, Gracie Amier."
Gracie scanned the plain slowly and carefully, trying desperately to see anything; the shine of the scope in the sunlight, the smallest movement in the grass, even smoke from gunfire. But she couldn't see anything. 'This guy is farther away than I thought. This is bad news. Even if I can find the direction, can I really expect Wendy or Erza's shields to hold against a rifle of this caliber?' She shook her head quickly. 'No, I can't think like that. We can do this. For Niky, we can do this!'
Suddenly, the barrier rippled and shook as a massive bullet collided with it. However, the Aura held and the bullet fell to the ground.
Wendy grunted as she tried to hold the Aura firm. "That hurt a little…"
"Are you alright?" Mira asked.
"Don't push yourself!" Carla begged.
"Don't worry. I can do this!" Wendy said as she kept her focus on the Aura.
Gracie smirked. "Good work, Wendy. And now, I've got the direction." She dug her katana into the dirt and drew a straight line in the earth. "Erza, if you line yourself up with this line and follow it straight, we can charge this bastard and take him down!"
"Right!" Erza said as she requipped into her Adamantine Armor.
"What if he moves?" Christina asked.
"Then that'll work just fine," Gracie answered with a wink. "If he even tries to move, you and Sagittarius will see him easily and shoot him down."
Christina gripped her bow tightly. "O…Okay."
Gracie ran behind Erza and Natsu and Gajeel followed. "Then best of luck, everyone! Levy, Mira, and Gray, I'm counting on you to keep Wendy, Christina, and Lucy protected while they do their thing."
"Right," the three responded.
"Alright, let's do this!"
And with that, the four charged out of the barrier and towards the mysterious shooter.
Walker laughed as he watched through his scope. "Blimey, that Sheila is charging with a big metal shield! This is un-freakin'-believeable!" He quickly prepared another shot. "You'll be a fun group to kill, that's for damn sure!"
"OPEN GATE OF THE ARCHER! SAGITTARIUS!" Lucy cried as she whipped out the Celestial Spirit's key. In a flash of light, Sagittarius appeared beside Lucy.
The Celestial Spirit saluted. "What can I do for you today, milady?"
Lucy pointed in the direction that Erza, Gracie, Natsu, and Gajeel had started charging. "If you see the shooter, fire an arrow at him!"
Sagittarius nodded as he nocked an arrow and pulled back, aiming in the same direction of the other Fairy Tail members. "Of course! Moshi, moshi!"
Christina looked at the bow in her hand. "I don't know if I can do this. I've never shot at another person before."
"I totally understand," Lucy said with a smile. "It's not easy. I don't think I could do it either."
Mira put a hand on Christina's shoulder. "If you feel that uncomfortable, then let Lucy and Sagittarius take care of it. It's alright."
Christina looked at Mira, then to Lucy, then back to her bow. She tightened her grip on the wood. "No. I want to. Gracie's counting on me to help her so that she can go save her brother. I want to help!" She reached down and grabbed the quiver that lay at her feet and slung it over her shoulder. She then took out an arrow and nocked it, pulling back on the string to prepare to fire.
Mira smiled. "Okay then. Good luck."
Both archers stood at the ready, waiting to see the shooter to make their move.
A shot rang out and a second later, Erza was forced skidding backwards. She grunted as she held her shield firm.
Gracie, Natsu, and Gajeel supported her to make sure she didn't fall down. "You okay, Erza?" Natsu asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," Erza said. "That shot had a lot of power behind it. I was a little caught off guard."
"Keep going, Erza. I know you can do it!" Gracie said.
"Right. I'm not about to give in," Erza said as she once again charged. The other three followed closely behind.
Gracie started tapping her finger on her sword's hilt as they ran.
"What the hell are you doin' that for?" Gajeel asked.
"I'm figuring out when the next shot is," Gracie explained. "I'm assuming this guy can reload and fire as quickly as possible, so the next shot should be coming…," she pressed her closed fists firmly against Erza's back, "…NOW! Erza, brace yourself!"
Erza firmly planted her feet and braced herself. A moment later, a shot rang out and the powerful bullet collided with Erza's shield. Because she was prepared this time, she wasn't sent backwards. "That was incredible, Gracie. How did you know?"
"Like I said, I know this rifle. Plus, this guy seems skilled," Gracie explained as the four continued running. "Putting it all together made it simple to determine when the next shot would be coming."
"Not bad," Gajeel said.
She giggled. "Why thank you. Now keep running! The next shot will be coming in about eight seconds."
Walker pressed his eye firmly against the scope, for he couldn't believe what he just saw. "Son of a bitch," he muttered. "That Sheila predicted my shot? That ain't possible!" He quickly reloaded the next bullet and readied his weapon. "I'm gonna tear that shield of yours apart!"
"NOW!" Gracie exclaimed. Once again, Erza planted her feet while Natsu, Gajeel, and Gracie planted their hands firmly against her back. A moment later, a shot rang out and collided with the shield. "How do you think your shield is holding out, Erza?" she asked as they continued running.
"I don't think there's any way these bullets could pierce this shield," Erza explained. "We'll be fine."
"Are we getting any closer?" Natsu asked, for he was itching to find this shooter and fight him.
Gracie nodded. "The shots are getting closer together, meaning we're definitely getting closer to the shooter. However, without being able to see the shooter, I can't know for sure how far away he is."
"Then we keep charging!" Gajeel said. "I wanna taste that rifle badly. It must be some rich iron."
Careful not to drool," Gracie joked. "We'll get there soon. Just keep charging and wait for my signal to stop."
Walker fired another shot and watched as just before he pulled the trigger, his targets stopped in their tracks and braced themselves against his shot. "There's only one explanation," he muttered as he reached into his ammunition bag for another bullet. "That Sheila's timing my shots. She really is just as smart as I remember." He pulled out a red bullet with a different tip than any of the others. He stuck it into his rifle and returned his hand to the trigger. "I can't have you getting too close, love, so this is as far as you go." He then pulled the trigger.
The next shot was unlike any of the others. No one, not even Gracie, could have predicted it was coming.
Gracie had commanded them to stop once again, for she knew the next shot was coming. Erza once again planted her feet firmly and the three behind her once again supported her frame. They braced themselves for the shot.
But this time, when the bullet collided with Erza's strong silver shield, it exploded. The power of this explosion was so powerful that all four of the Fairy Tail mages were sent flying backwards. Shrapnel flew through the air, a few pieces lodging themselves in their skin.
"Are you all okay?" Mira called out.
All four stirred and slowly pushed themselves up. "I think so," Erza called out.
Gracie wiped off some blood on her lip. "Damn. He had a fucking incendiary round."
"What now, Gracie?" Erza asked as she picked up her shield and held it up.
Gracie turned to look at her and saw Natsu and Gajeel make their way to cover behind her. She knew that if the shooter had another one of those bullets, she and her friends may not be so lucky. The shrapnel could very well kill them. She stood up and twirled her blades in her hand. "All three of you make your way back to the Aura."
"What about you?" Natsu asked.
Gracie narrowed her eyes. "I'm going after the shooter."
"Are you insane?" Gajeel shot. "You won't get fifty feet before he shoots you down!"
"No time to talk," Gracie said as she took off at full speed towards the direction of the shooter.
"Gracie!" Erza exclaimed. "We can fall back and regroup! There's no need to be reckless!"
Gracie lifted her blades to chest level, her arms out to the sides as she ran. 'Sorry, Erza, but there's no time to regroup. This bastard is keeping me from Niky and he will pay!'
Walker smirked. "So Sheila, you think you can reach me?" He prepared a regular bullet in the chamber and readied his rifle. "Let's see…should I go for a leg or the shoulder?"
"Where's she going?" Christina asked worriedly.
"I don't know," Lucy said. "Sagittarius, do you have a shot?"
"Sorry, milady, but I can't pinpoint his location. He's too far away to see," Sagittarius replied, his bow still drawn back and at the ready.
"What do we do?" Happy asked. "Gracie can't go out by herself in the open like that. She could get hurt."
"She's being far too reckless," Panther Lily sighed.
Mira held her hands closely to her chest. "Gracie, be careful. Nikolias would be crushed if anything happened to you."
Gracie kept charging. "I WILL FIND YOU!" she shouted at the wind so that the shooter could hear her. "I WILL FIND YOU AND I WILL KILL YOU!"
Walker laughed at Gracie's comments as he looked down his scope. "Sorry, little Gracie, but the Boss needs you. I won't be dying here, but those friends of yours will." He blew out a thick puff of smoke from his cigar. "First things first; I need to sideline you for a while."
Christina narrowed her eyes. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Erza asked. She, Natsu, and Gajeel had managed to make it back to the Aura, knowing full well that there was nothing they could do to help Gracie now, especially with the kind of firepower that the shooter had.
"Don't you see it?" Christina asked.
"Are you talking about that tiny bit of smoke?" Natsu asked as he peered in the direction that Christina was looking.
"Yeah," Christina said as she drew back on her bow. "I bet you anything that that's him." She aimed her bow and, with a little prayer, released the arrow. The group watched the arrow sail though the air, wondering where it would land.
Gracie watched the arrow sail over her head. "What in the world?"
Walker released a pained yell as he suddenly felt something sharp pierce his shoulder. "Blimey! What the fuck was that?" he bellowed as he looked to his left shoulder. His eyes widened upon seeing a plain wooden arrow lodged in his shoulder. "An arrow?"
Gracie smirked as she quickened her pace. "I FOUND YOU, BASTARD!"
Walker whipped his head back around to see Gracie fast approaching and looking right at him. "Oh, fuck."
Gracie readied her weapons and shouted her battle cry.
Walker quickly stood up now that his hiding spot had been found. "Shit, she's a swift one. I won't be able to get enough distance between us." He smirked as he pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and spun his rifle in his hand. "Oh well. Guess it's my own fault for letting her get so close. Time to shake off the rust from my close combat training all those years ago." With that, he charged Gracie.
Christina looked shocked as she stood frozen in place. "I…I hit him."
"Unbelievable," Gray murmured. "How did you know the smoke was him?"
"I hadn't seen anything in that direction this whole time, but suddenly, there was this small cloud of white smoke in the direction that Gracie was running. I just had a hunch and acted," Christina slowly explained. "I hit him."
Mira hugged Christina. "You did it, Christina! Now Gracie can see him. She's got everything under control now."
"So Gracie's going to be okay?" Christina asked.
"Yes. She'll be fine," Mira assured. "And it's thanks to you."
"We should go to her," Wendy offered as she lowered the barrier. She was panting, but was still conscious—a testament to her strength.
"You're right," Natsu said as he scooped up the small Dragon Slayer in his arms. "Let's go help Gracie!"
Walker swung his rifle's butt at Gracie's head in an attempt to knock her out, but she swiftly side stepped to her left. Once he had finished his swing, she lunged forward with her right katana.
Walker was far quicker than one would have imagined for a sniper, however. He quickly spun around, blocking the blade with the barrel of his rifle. He then swiftly swung his rifle upwards.
Gracie was caught off guard at his speed, but reacted quickly enough to tumble backwards. She leapt back to her feet and continued to slash at Walker again and again.
Walker blocked every attack, though. Not once was Gracie able to land a single scratch. Of course, Walker couldn't land a single blow, either. The two were very evenly matched.
"I've gotta say, Sheila, your skill is quite impressive," Walker praised with a smile as he continued to parry Gracie's strikes.
"You're pretty impressive, too," Gracie said with a smirk. "To think that you're actually keeping me back with a rifle at close range. I never thought I'd see the day."
"I'm happy to hear the close combat drills weren't a total waste on me," Walker laughed. "Still, I much prefer attacking from a distance."
"So what, you're a coward?"
"Cowardice? No, comfort zone! Why force myself to fight in a way that's uncomfortable for me?"
"Solid answer."
"Thank you."
Gracie slapped away the rifle with her left katana before slashing downward with her right. The speed of her attack was more than Walker could react to and her steel finally found flesh, leaving behind a shallow gash in his left side.
Walker winced as he tried to fight through the pain, but he wasn't accustomed to doing so. With the wound on his left side, his movements slowed way down and Gracie took advantage.
Gracie heavily swung her left katana up, disarming Walker and leaving him wide open. She then slashed horizontally with her right katana to cut through his chest. She then used that momentum to spin her body completely around and bring both blades down at a diagonal angle. This strike had enough power to it to slice through Walker's body and leave behind twin deep gashes in his chest and abdomen. Walker staggered backwards and fell to his knees.
Blood ran from his lips as he chuckled. "I'll be damned." He then fell backwards, his cowboy hat rolling to the side and his white button-down shirt turning crimson.
Gracie looked down at her opponent. "Clearly close combat wasn't your strength. One small cut and you may as well have been paralyzed."
Walker chuckled. "I gotta say, I never thought you'd be the one to strike me down, little Gracie Amier."
Gracie narrowed her eyes at the blonde man. "How the hell do you know my name?"
Walker's eyes slowly began to close, but his smile never faded. "You fought so much like she did. It was like a blast from the past. Smart, strong, swift; you really are…just like…Jewel."
Gracie's eyes widened. She fell to her knees and shook Walker. "Hey! Hey, open your eyes! Don't die on me yet!" However, Walker had already breathed his last breath.
Jarvan looked towards his desk where a small crystal lacrima sat. The small crystal was blinking red. Jarvan sighed. "Interesting. So Walker died, did he? I suppose Gracie and her friends are stronger than I thought. No matter. I'll just have to change the plans again." He chuckled as he knocked over the bishop that sat on his desk and stood back up the queen. "Who knows? Maybe she'll make it to Juniper after all."
The Fairy Tail mages and Christina ran up to Gracie where she was vigorously shaking a dirty blonde haired man. The man was covered in blood and was clearly dead.
"Gracie, you did it!" Christina exclaimed.
"You really are something else," Gray complimented.
"DAMN IT, OPEN YOUR EYES!" Gracie shrieked.
Everyone was taken aback.
"Gracie, what's wrong?" Erza asked. "Was this man not the shooter?"
Gracie stopped shaking the man, but as soon as she did, her shoulders started to tremble.
"Gracie?" Mira said softly.
"He was. He was the shooter," Gracie replied quietly, her voice raspy.
"Then what's the problem? Why are you crying?" Levy asked.
Gracie turned her head towards the group, tears streaming from her green eyes and down her face. "I think…I think this man knew my mother."
Have a happy New Year's Eve and a happy New Year's everyone! Thanks for reading!
