Chapter 14: A step in the right direction.

Having sent his forces to shield him from any distractions and adding Jellal's haste of not wanting his beloved to die, Brain had a rather quick trip towards Nirvana's location. Gone was the green of the forest, replaced by crude stone pillars forged by nature itself. Each connected with vine-like chains leading towards a tree of violet so faint it appeared ghostlike.

If Brain had to guess, this was a safety precaution to mask its location from magic sensitive beings and he had to admit he might have missed it, even if it was right in front of him. Once he gets Nirvana, he's going to study the ancient magic of this place that could trick someone as knowledgeable as him.

While Brain was fascinated by the scenery, Jellal sprinted towards the gigantic tree as fast as his pained legs allowed. He then placed his left arm on the tree, which instantly erupted like a volcano. Obliterating it and replacing it with a beam of white, stretching so far up, it appeared like a link between heaven and earth. Soon after, massive black tendrils came towards it, enveloping the beam in a spiral until a massive structure of stone emerged from the ground up. Still surrounded by the magical might of Nirvana.

"Magnificent!" Brain was fascinated by the display as childlike excitement built up in his eyes, even if his companions where less excited about it.

"It's massive for sure, but it's brighter than I imagined." Racer tried to avoid looking directly at it, despite his sunglasses mitigating the worst of it. Meanwhile, Wendy could only shut her pained eyes, tears dwelling in them from the overwhelming brightness bearing down on her enhanced senses.

The only one not bothered by anything was Midnight, sleeping on his magic carpet in his usual position.

Not wasting any time, Brain took a big step forward towards his dream. Only to stop when purple markings of a familiar pattern spread towards every corner of Nirvana. Covering it in a blanket of shifting runes akin to a countdown.

"What's the meaning of this, Jellal? Have you forgotten your place?" Brain said as he calmly leveled his gaze towards the panting mage.

"I have fulfilled my part of the deal. Now its your turn." Straightening his back, it took most of Jellal's strength to not waver in his posture. "This is a Self-Destruction Magic Circle. I will use Nirvana's own magic power and destroy it from the inside. Unless you go to heal Erza. Right. Now."

"You basta- "

"HAHAHA!" Interrupting Racer, Brain burst out laughing, before moving towards the magical circle in a paced manner. Unconcerned by Jellal's state to even hinder him. "Nice try, but you have forgotten one crucial detail… It was me who taught you this spell, Jellal! Now watch it crumble!"

The moment Brain put his left hand on the structure, the markings started to lose their color, before instantly disintegrating the magic circle. Bursting like glass shards, until nothing was left.

It didn't take long for this joyful moment to turn into one of despair however, when suddenly a yellow magic circle replaced the one from before. Spreading even faster until Nirvana was once again covered in a thick rotating machination of runes. It even caused Brain to take a step back by its sheer complexity.

"What the- "

"You really think I would be so stupid? Don't take me for a fool." Jellal turned towards Brain. "What you see before you is something of my own creation. It doesn't have a name yet, but it doesn't need one. All you need to know is that this is one spell you don't have the time to crack. I believe you have about 10 minutes, before it crumbles. Taking Nirvana with it."

Sure enough, there were giant numbers among the runes that were ticking down. Just seeing it made Brain boil with anger and with stubborn like passion he put his hands towards the yellow spell and tried out as many different magic breaker combinations as one could.

He did manage to shatter part of the spell occasionally. Only for it to be replaced by a thicker sheet of yellow. It didn't take a doctorate in Magical Science to understand that he would not make it in time unless he fulfilled Jellal's obvious demands.

Instead, Brain took the nuclear option to level the playing field.

Grabbing Wendy by her hair with one hand out of Racers grasp, while charging his signature spell in his other. He placed his glowing staff right next to Wendy's face, making sure that his former student got a good look at her.

"If you don't stop it now, I will blow the Sky Maiden up, Jellal! You can be sure that Titania will perish thanks to your treason!"

Instead of answering the cries of a beaten wolf, Jellal turned his head towards the giant timer going down by the second. Having reached the nine-minute mark already. Brain grew more anxious and tried to intimidate Jellal more with a barrage of threats, but it was no use. Jellal knew that Brain could not bear the risk of losing Nirvana and his nuclear threat was easily used against him. When five minutes passed, his teacher finally cracked.

"Damn it! RACER!" Tossing the young girl towards his companion, Brain pointed towards a general direction to his left. "Titania is located there. Deliver the girl to her with your full speed! NOW!"

Shaking off the shock of this sudden order, Racer placed Wendy under his arm and disappeared within seconds. Leaving both Jellal and Brain alone, staring at each other while one tried not to lose his composure.


A blond man sporting a mohawk sped past Carla and her companions, as the wind tried to blow the Exceed of her path. The speeding villain had something in his arm and if the deep blue hair flowing from his back was not an indicator of what it was, the pained expression of Wendy struggling with his speed sure did. Despite it… even if Carla wanted to save her. By the time she turned around, the villain was nowhere to be seen…

The vision ended and Carla had to act quick. She did not have much time before the speeding man would pass them right here, so being polite and giving the ice mages clear instruction was vital.

"Fullbuster. Vastia. Turn the ground into ice! Quick!"

Before Lyon managed to utter a word and question her authority. Gray was already clasping his hands together to carry out her sudden request. Being the competitive rival that he is, Lyon quickly changed his tune and matched the movement and in a mater of seconds the ground before them resembled a frozen tundra just in time.

Completely caught off guard by this sudden shift in terrain, Racer became a victim to the ice and fell on his back due to his intense speed. Launching Wendy high in the air, who was luckily caught by an airborne Carla, happy to see her.

"I'll take Wendy to Titania. You guys deal with that villain." With that declaration the wings on Carla shined a greenish color before she accelerated to insane speeds. Disappearing with the wind and allowing the boys not to worry about friendly fire.

"Let's pay him back, Gray!"

"Of course."

Pulling his nose out of the tree's bark, Racer cracked his neck to the left,

"Technically I fulfilled my mission, and I could just leave you in the dust… Instead, you two just had to embarrass me… You are going to pay for that with your lives." Disappearing and reappearing in multiple places, Racer avoided the barrage of projectiles thrown at his back and delivered a powerful right punch to Lyon's face, not prepared in the slightest to get hit from this side.

"Doll Attack: Wood Doll" A being made of wood appeared. Towering over Racer it launched a big swing towards the speedster's position from two and a half seconds ago.

The tree's master, a pink haired woman sporting a furious expression, appeared right beside it. Without saying a word, she motioned her beast to attack the speeding mage without rest. Missing each time, as Racer avoided the barrage efficiently. After the fifth swing the monster was split into two, and so would Sherry's head had Lyon not created a wall of ice in time. Trapping Racer's arm in it. Rooting him in place.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" Taking this opportunity, Gray launched a giant hammer of ice and crushed his opponent alongside the cold element. Sadly, it was not enough to end him, and Gray was kicked into the forest.

"You flies are ruining my mood." Blood gushing from his head and clothes torn in various places, Racer spit out a tooth from his blood covered mouth, before clutching his forehead in pain with one hand for a moment. "I have played with you long enough. Master Race: Genesis."

In an instant, the world slowed down and with malice in his eyes, Racer prepared his next strike.


The hot pain from before disappeared as the feeling of coldness filled her body. No taste, no smell, no light. Nothing. Surrounded by silent darkness, Erza navigated the void she was trapped in with caution. She had no idea where she was or how she got here. One moment she was demanding her allies to cut her arm off, the next she found herself alone with an ever-increasing coldness.

Clack….

Clack…

Clack…

In the distance, the faint sound of someone hitting something could be heard. Echoing inside the void and finding its way to Erza. With nothing else to guide her, Erza got closer. Hoping for a way out.

Instead, there in the middle of the void was a young boy, around 8 years old, sporting green hair, hitting a wooden target with a bamboo sword in each hand repeatedly. Every strike producing the same repetitive sound from before.

Clack…

Clack…

Clack…

Moving closer, she watched as the young one tirelessly maintained his training. His swollen hands a clear indication of his will and love for the blade, while his sweat and heavy breathing were a sign of his resolve to push himself further than before.

Seeing him train was making her rather nostalgic about her younger days and it proved to be a nice distraction for a minute or so, before Erza swapped places with the wooden target and got bonked on the head.

The feeling of coldness increased right then and with it the weight of her armor felt nonexistent, replaced by plain fabric. Gone was the sensation of long hair tickling down her neck, while the world also appeared smaller than before. How she could deduce this considering her surroundings was beyond her. Additionally, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Having vanished the moment she wasn't looking.

Giving her no time to wonder what just happened, the world lit up. Color was flooding the void, as the moon was painting the air with calmness and a young blue haired girl charged towards Erza with a sword, ready to kill.

Startled by this, Erza deflected the sudden strike with her own blades she didn't remember picking up, but now was no time to question that detail. Exchanging blows with her attacker, Erza was fighting with all she had, yet despite her best efforts the sheer display of natural swordsmanship from her opponent quickly overwhelmed her tired body. Disarming Erza, while launching her onto her back. The mysterious girl's blade piercing the earth right beside Erza's neck in the next moment. Ending the fight with a clear winner in under a minute.

The sun was suddenly out, the smell of the sea was in the air and a black clad man with a giant sword on his back, and a tiny dagger in his hand stood right before her. His posture was calm and bored, yet his composure was that of a noble, all while his orange hawk like eyes reached right into Erza's soul. It was akin to a beast eyeing a fly and judging its worth.

Erza did not know why she was suddenly standing, when moments ago she clearly felt the ground and the smell of grass, but she was caught off guard when the man closed the distance between them in an instant and thrust his dagger into Erza's upper chest. A little nudge forward and it would touch her heart for sure.

However, despite the danger, Erza did not budge or step back. Why? She did not know, but she felt as if she would betray a close friend of hers if she did that and she would sooner die than ever let her friends down.

The man before her grew a faint smile of satisfaction, before slashing Erza with his giant black blade across her chest the next second. The wound and the pain deep enough to kill a grown man five times over.

Losing her balance, she fell backwards into the sea with a big splash… only to somehow hit her back against something hard. The sun was now scorching hot, as was the sand Erza's bloodied form was sitting on.

Disoriented and still somewhat dazed, Erza did not notice the dark-skinned man standing before her. Using this opportunity to slice her body and the thing she was leaning on into strips with his bladed metal palms. Letting the falling stones finish the job if the blood loss didn't…. Only for Erza to completely avoid them somehow. Giving her a moment to gather her thoughts.

'Why is this happening?'

'What does this all mean?'

'How did I even avoid this?'

'What was that feeling?'

These and other questions flickered through Erza's mind, before the scenery shifted again. This time into a lush green area that reminded her of a park. Suddenly, the form of the blade mage charging at her shifted into another, transforming into a beast the likes of which Erza has never seen. After all, how often does one encounter a giant dual sword wielding bipedal giraffe, kicking and slashing with such skill that it made Erza's Blumenblatt technique look like a party trick by comparison?!

Quickly changing gears, it took all her concentration to stay alive from such a barrage. Deflecting each attack to the best of her ability, but the cap-wearing beast's might was slowly overpowering her. Getting one cut after another through the openings in her swordplay, before he managed to launch her through the walls. Losing her grip on her swords in the process.

With the last of her strength, Erza got out of the rubble only to be thrown into another scenery. This time she was in a destroyed city. Stone fragments the size of cars surrounded her, while she came face to face with a lightbulb-shaped man with bear like ears sticking out of his hat… and that guy was massive. Just looking at him from that distance made him look like a giant monster.

The motionless man stood next to a red paw shaped bubble thingy, before he reached with his head-crushing hand into it and calmly sent a smaller paw shaped bubble towards Erza. Traveling at a steady pace, not that it mattered anyway. The fatigue and blood loss from before made itself known and with no way out, Erza could only watch as it entered her body before all hell broke loose.

An immense continuous pain blasted her body. The feeling of being pounded with a twisted spiked hammer was traveling into her skin and right down into her very bones. Ripping and tearing her soul apart, until it stopped for a mere minute, if that was even true.

Erza was gasping for air, trying to make sense of all of this only to suddenly be trapped inside the giant paw bubble. Isolated and surrounded by the eternal darkness from before.

The suffering picked up its pace. It was in fact getting more severe as the coldness from before scaled with the pain ten-fold, but Erza, broken and shaken to her very being, did not yield to it. She had already let go of her life once at the tower and this will not be a mistake she's going to repeat, ever again. As long as she has a family to protect… As long as her heart is not ripped from her body, Erza Scarlet will not allow her suffering to be an anchor to her duty of living for the friends she cherishes dearly. With that in mind Erza stubbornly clang to life and actively fought against the pain with her willpower alone. Long enough for a faint green glow to encompass her lovingly with care. Popping the bubble and lifting Erza's beaten body into the sky.

.

.

.

With life returning to her body, Erza felt newborn in comparison to before. She was now able to hear the wind blow, smell the forest ambiance and taste the dryness in her mouth.

Slowly opening her eyes and allowing the light to do its thing, Erza was deeply shocked by a blond-haired man with a weirdly shaped eyebrow staring and hovering right above her face. So, she did the only sensible thing and punched the pervert that knew no personal space with her iron knuckle without mercy.

"AHHhh!" shrieked the guy in a feminine manner... with a higher pitched tone than expected… perfectly fitting her teammate's voice... Oh.

"Ahh. I'm sorry Lucy!" Standing up faster than recommended after a recovery, Erza made her way towards Lucy in a hurry.

Tears flowing like waterfalls, Lucy completely ignored the punch and hugged her friend in a tight embrace. "I was sooo worried about you! I thought it was already too late and you would never wake up!"

Erza was stunned, but she returned the hug with a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry for making you worry… By the way, who healed me? I was not aware we had a healer with us." Breaking away from the hug, Erza looked around until her gaze fell on the blue haired little girl kneeling on the ground from exhaustion.

"I understand, it was you. Wendy, right? Thank you." Hearing her name, the little one was unsure how-to response and started almost to hyper ventilate.

"It-it was nothing really, I mean, I just did what I had to do, nothing special, and if I didn't let myself get captured, I would have healed you sooner. I'm just giving you trouble, and if I were stronger you wouldn't suffer, and, and, and-" A hand placed on Wendy's head calmed her down for good, as Erza kneeled down. Making Wendy stare right into Erza's soft eyes.

"I will say it again, Wendy. Thank you, for saving my life. I'm glad nothing happened to you while I was gone. Rest easy now, as I will show them the punishment for kidnapping a child. Hibiki! Status."

"Currently, we have three battles consisting of Natsu and Happy vs Cobra, Gray, Lyon, and Sherry vs Racer, while Jura is dealing with Hoteye. Ren and Eve are on the way to the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit to set up a connection with us, while Meister is behind enemy lines, dealing with the dark guilds under Oracion Seis…. Also, Oracion Seis have found Nirvana."

Erza gave Hibiki a nasty headbutt.

"Don't leave the most important thing for last, you dimwit!" It took only few seconds before Hibiki regained his senses. "Anyway, we must act fast. Hibiki, you stay here with Lucy and Wendy. If any more of our allies go down, we need a camp to replenish our strength and have communication available the whole time. Lucy, I trust you to defend this place."

"MEE?! Shouldn't you tell Hibiki that?!"

Erza didn't spare a glance at the man. Instead, she gave Lucy the usual look.

"I trust you."

"Ye-yes ma'am." There was no other correct answer.

"Hibiki, inform me of any changes while I'm away."

"Where are you going?" Hibiki asked.

Erza didn't turn around when responding to that question.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to stop Nirvana or at least delay them long enough for you all to join me. Watch out for Wendy." Re-quipping her flight armor, she sped through the trees, not allowing anybody to question her choices.


"Fire Dragon Claw." Natsu's strike missed its mark, when Cobra used this opportunity to kick him in the gut strong enough to send him flying to the ground.

"He's strong." Happy said, not liking being stuck between a hard place and Natsu.

"He sure is, but I have still an ace up my sleave. Let's go, Happy!" With a battle cry the duo charged towards Cobra and his flying reptile.

"Have you learned nothing? You can't hit me! I can hear you all loud and clear. A big FIRE DRAGON ROAR charged with your little lacrimas will not hit me in the slightest."

"Shut it and prove it!" Bloating up his chest, Natsu charged his attack longer than usual, before releasing its might "FIRE DRAGON ROAR"

"You are so easy –"A sudden pain shot through Cobra's left arm, ear, and leg, drilling clean little holes through each of them.

'But I dodged it.' Cobra thought with a surprised expression.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Taunting his enemy, Natsu was proud of his accomplishment… Even if it was not a planned one as Cobra soon found out.

During his training, Natsu had tried to access his embedded lacrimas many times, but time and time again it was almost impossible to bring its magical power out, without having to throw up as a result.

One thing his training did teach him, however, was that if he focused all his magic into the lacrima's and try to use one of the lacrima as the trigger… something randomly strong might happen. Sometimes it's a fire ball that levitates above the ground and threatens to burn the city down or it's a whip like tongue of fire, scorching boulders with its erratic movements. This time, however, it was a shotgun like fire blast, using condensed flames the size of match lights launched at supersonic speeds. Drilling and burning everything in their path.

Cobra was not pleased finding that out, but his injuries prevented him from focusing on what came next.

"Ready for another round!" Confident in his victory Natsu, delivered a solid right punch to Cobra's jawline, marking the beginning of something new.


'Sorry Master. Got Ambushed. Package delivered to an enemy cat with super speed. Two-thirds of mine. Should arrive any minute now. Over.'

Hearing this message, it took all of Brain's power not to throw a tantrum. Each second was one wasted and one closer to his breakdown.

"So, Wendy is almost there?" Breaking the silence between them, Jellal spoke up. Making his eavesdropping known.

"Yes. Our deal is fulfilled. Now hand over Nirvana or I promise you… it will end badly for everyone."

Jellal snapped his finger and the thick yellow markings stripped down from the structure one after another. Brain was overjoyed for about three seconds before the last layer turned red and, in an instant, everything exploded before him with a massive burst that would have destroyed the whole forest, if it didn't get sucked into a tiny black vortex. Increasing in size to contain this enormous magical disaster. Not even allowing the sound to escape its power.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Brain was screaming his heart out. His well-combed hair was in disarray as the wooden staff broke in two, releasing a scream of terror, until only Brain's rage could be heard.

"…No more mistakes." With that Jellal fell to the ground. Exhausted by the amount of ethernano his magic spell needed.

Brain however could only clench his fist and in a moment of weakness, he broke his personal rule. 'You just made your biggest one.'

"Restrain. Lift. Code. 1. 2. 5. 2. Death. Scarlet. Power. Release." Brain had enough and with each word spoken part of his marking vanished almost instantly.

He didn't want to do it, but what Jellal did was something that could not go unpunished. Brain might lose himself forever, but this was a price he was willing to pay.

"ZERO." With that last word spoken, his eyes became red as the roses picked from a fresh corpse.

The intellectual Brain that the world knew as a brilliant man was no more. His last lingering will …making Jellal suffer… a mission he entrusted his other side... his true side. Destruction was near.


Getting behind enemy lines was a cake walk for the man with the smoothest voice around. Using his Illusion Parfum he easily tricked the dark mages with his flawless performance as a helpless fool and followed them straight to their headquarters without much trouble. All the lesser dark guilds were cooperating to ensure their survival, but as long as he was present, none of them would escape his influence. Especially if they perceive him as Oracion Seis' Master, Brain.

Ichiya had those villains wrapped around his finger. He learned all the enemy's locations in the forest and relayed this info back to Hibiki so he could inform their allies.

Additionally, Ichiya positioned the lesser enemy's forces in unfavorable positions. Far enough to not disturb the more important fights, but close enough for Captain Lahar to pick them off one by one. Just as they discussed the days prior.

Angel infiltrating their base was an unfavorable occurrence and would have risked the alliance's success, if Ichiya didn't manage to fool her spirit with Memory Replacement Magic, used on himself just in time, before he got knocked out.

Anyway, that's all in the past now and there was still one more thing he had to do, before he joined the frontline. A thing he never expected to have to carry out during a mission such as this, but as sworn brothers it was his duty to help each other out.

'Now let's contact this Zoro fellow, Wrack was telling me about… Men.'

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And this concludes 2 months of my work… rather short, isn't it?

I know length is not everything. Maybe I'm just so efficient with my words that I don't fall victim to bloating scenes or I have fallen into the trap of skipping vital information, either way I hope this chapter was to your liking and I apologies for the long wait.
On a side note, I'm happy to announce that I got finally a beta reader. His name Crossovernaru and I'm extremely grateful for his lending hand and his support the last week.

Any way, till next time.

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