Howdy, everyone! The 3rd dragneel is here to give you guys another action packed chapter of War Beyond Worlds. Man, I still feel bad for leaving off the last chapter with Oliver finally revealing himself to the gang. But hey, that's what I do to hype you guys up. There will be a lot of action in this chapter, so don't think this chapter will be a disappointment.
To the reviews!
Stephanieeiche10: Oh, you don't know the half of it.
TheEmeraldMage: Exactly. You can't really have a friendship unless you are fully honest. Don't worry, Erza will learn to trust them again soon. Hahaha, sorry if I made you angry with how the chapter ended. You'll like this next chapter, believe me.
TonyMon318: Not sure about bringing in a Power Ranger. Not that I hate the idea, but I would need to think of how it'd work.
Fpinheiro96: This chapter will be EPIC.
Zatil Hidayah Spensa: Are you asking what 6 plus 3 is or what?
BanRedfox: We don't know if he was about to give a speech, but he IS going to attack. The next few will be interesting, trust me.
Last chapter: Yusei and Maki were taken to a mental plane, where Talion and Ariel informed them of Ankhseram's power being infused within Lullaby, which is why it was challenging for them to defeat it. When they awoke, the two Champions then decided to reveal everything to Gray, Erza and Makarov. But just then, they learned news of a green archer, which matched the description of the next Champion in Okaiba village. When there, they notice all the villagers acting normal, so they begin to investigate, only to discover something much deeper. Yusei, Natsu and Gray find a tip on where the next Champion is, but before they could proceed, several men arrive in Okaiba. They start to cause trouble and just as they prepare to kill someone, the Green Arrow reveals himself.
How will things go down now that the Emerald Archer is here? And will Erza trust Yusei and Maki again?
Let's find out...
"That's enough."
The deep voice Oliver used when he donned his Green Arrow outfit sent chills down the spines of many of the citizens below him. His blue eyes narrowed as he stood on the roof, looking at the group of bastards staring at him.
"Well, well. It looks like you saved me the trouble of finding you, mister archer." The boss called out with a smirk as he reached down and picked up his gun, pulling on the arrow that was lodged into it. "I have to say your aim's pretty damn good. A man with your talents could do a lot for me."
Oliver said nothing as he continued to glare at the boss.
"Strong, silent type, are you?" The boss asked before ripping the arrow out of his gun, examining the damage. "Well, you did injure one of my men, and as the boss, I can't really let this slide. So how about you come with me and we talk?"
"Why don't you leave? After all, you've already taken over the lives of all these people." Oliver finally said in a threatening tone, making the grunts glare hatefully at him.
"Yusei, your arm." Natsu pointed out as he and Gray looked at the Signer's mark, though said person was more focused on Oliver.
'Stardust, that's him.' Yusei mentally told Stardust, who appeared behind him with a nod.
"It is. And it seems like he's made a home here." Stardust commented with a hint of respect in his voice. It was good that the green archer wasn't doing anything evil. But still, it did bring up a few more questions, like why he didn't try and find Yusei and Maki before.
"See, I can't do that. It would look really bad to my men. I don't know if you've had employees before, but they tend to lose respect if you don't show authority." The boss said in clear disappointment before he snapped his fingers. "Come on, boys. Let's go."
"But boss." One of the thugs asked the boss in clear confusion.
"We're going to give these folks a day to think about what they should do. If they choose not to hand over the archer…" The boss lowered his hand and made a gesture unknown to everyone but his thugs, who chuckled in response. Looking at the emerald archer, the boss gave him a bow. "We'll be seeing ya, arrow boy." And with that, the thugs entered their Magicmobiles before driving off. Once they were far enough, the citizens all let out a sigh of relief, with some sitting down to process everything.
"That was close."
"But he said they'd come back. What should we do?"
"Someone get the Mayor. He'll know what to do."
The three Fairy Tail mages listened to the conversations the people were having amongst themselves. Judging by the way they were reacting to the visit, it was clear that they were used to this. The Green Arrow then jumped down from the roof, only to be surrounded by the civilians.
"You don't think they'll attack the guy, do you?" Gray asked his fellow wizards with narrowed eyes.
However, his concern was unneeded.
"Mister Queen, thank you so much."
"Your shooting is as impressive as always."
"Would you like something to drink or eat?"
"What about all of you? Do any of you need help with repairs?" The archer asked before removing his hood, revealing his short blonde hair, mustache and goatee. Hearing this, the citizens smiled while shaking their heads.
"Excuse me." Yusei finally called out, letting his presence be known while walking up to Oliver with Natsu and Gray. "I have to ask you something." However, before he could get a response, Taka suddenly got in Yusei's way, giving him a glare.
"You're not taking mister Queen away!" Taka declared with a determined expression, something that everyone else heard. "These guys were following me to find mister Queen!"
"They were?"
"How could they do that to mister Queen?"
"Hang on. We're not the bad guys here." Natsu said as he tried to stop a fight from breaking out(which was ironic).
"Now now, everyone. There's no need for a pointless fight." A new voice called out in a calm tone, stopping any fight that was about to break out. Some of the people moved out of the way to allow a tired looking man with short black and grey hair and blue eyes. He wore a simple brown suit with stripes on it, a white button down shirt underneath, a red tie, and a cane that helped him walk forward. Much to the Fairy Tail wizards' surprise, Lucy and Maki were walking with the old man.
"Mayor Rose." Someone spoke up, identifying the old man.
"I'm glad to see you're okay, mister Queen." Mayor Rose said to the archer with a kind smile before he raised a hand to get everyone's full attention. "Everyone, please don't raise your fists. These newcomers are from the Fairy Tail guild and they are here to help." Hearing this, the citizens all relaxed a bit, though they kept an eye on the three males. "Please, come with me. We need to talk." And with that, the old mayor began to walk away, with the citizens splitting up to their own duties. Oliver patted Taka on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring look. With his shoulders dropped, the young boy reluctantly agreed, but not before he gave the Fairy Tail members a glare.
It was clear this village didn't have the best opinion of wizards.
'Mayor Rose's office'
"Please, have some tea." Mayor Rose told the wizards as his assistant placed a tray with several cups of warm jasmine tea on the table before they excused themselves. Currently, Makarov, Erza, Natsu and Yusei were sitting on the couch while Lucy and Maki sat on the two chairs provided, with Gray leaning against the wall nearby. Across from Gray was none other than Oliver Queen, who kept his eye on the wizards. "I'm sure you're all wondering about those men."
"It's clear what's going on, but I'd like to know why." Makarov asked politely, wanting to get a full understanding of the situation.
"Of course…." Mayor Rose let out a tired sigh, clearly exhausted from the current situation. "A few months ago, these men came to town looking to get away from a rather large storm. Of course, we couldn't ignore them, so we helped them. But even after the storm stopped, they continued to stay here, monitoring our crops. Soon, a large group of them arrived and declared that this town was theirs. No one wanted to believe them and I even asked them politely to leave, but…" The old man tightened his grip on his cup, a look of regret in his eyes. "That man in the center is called Alden Drake, leader of a wandering group known as the Hyenas."
"Hang on, I think I heard about them." Lucy suddenly spoke up. "Yeah, they're a group of thieves who went all around Fiore, stealing from town after town. But I thought Quatro Cerberus took down their operations."
"They did. But many of their members escaped, including their leader." Erza added, a tone of disdain in her voice.
"Couldn't you have called the Magic Council for help?" Happy questioned with a somewhat confused tone.
"We did. Ten times we tried to send for help. Yet every time we did, Alden's men found our messengers and brought them to the middle of town just to beat on them. No one's died, yet ten of our people were beaten within an inch of their lives. What kind of mayor am I?" Mayor Rose scolded himself, threatening to shatter his cup. He was supposed to bring peace to Okaiba, yet he was nothing but a slave under Alden's thumb.
"It's not your fault, Mayor." Oliver finally spoke up, getting everyone's attention. He looked at the old man with a serious gaze. "People like Drake always abuse their power, even if it means taking away the freedom of the innocent. There was nothing you could've done that would've changed anything, so don't doubt yourself." From the tone he was using, it was clear that the emerald archer faced his fair share of corrupt individuals. However, his words were true enough to earn an appreciated smile from Mayor Rose.
"Thank you, mister Queen. If you weren't here, I fear we would've been in a much dire situation." Mayor Rose said in gratitude.
"That reminds me." Yusei finally spoke up, glancing at Oliver. "Mayor Rose, how do you know mister Queen?" Said person narrowed his eyes at Yusei while the Mayor chuckled a bit.
"Oh, that's a tale I would love to tell you." Mayor Rose began to tell while looking at the ceiling…
'One week earlier'
*SHATTER*
"Hahaha! I told you I could throw it better than you!"
"Screw you! I couldn't see that good!"
A pair of Alden's men laughed loudly as they walked through the night streets of Okaiba. Their laughter was somewhat annoying to those who tried to sleep, but given the circumstances, they had to bear it for the night. As for the men themselves, judging by the way they talked and tumbled over every few steps, it was clear they were intoxicated.
The two men continued to walk when they noticed a young woman walk by, carrying a nice basket with a red blanket on top.
"Mmmmm, I'd love to see what's under that blanket." One of them said in a lecherous tone.
"Why think?" His friend said with a suggestive tone as the two began to follow the woman, who heard their footsteps from behind. However, she opted to turn right, into a rather dark alleyway.
Big mistake.
"Hey beautiful! Where are you going tonight? Need some help?" One of them asked, making the woman turn her head with a nervous smile.
"N-No thank you. But I appreciate it." The woman said, trying to get away from the men. She knew what type of people they were, and there was no way she was going to let them do what they wanted to her. Unfortunately, they were the only ones following her.
"Well, well, well." Coming seemingly out of nowhere, two more men appeared from the shadows in front of her, causing her to gasp while dropping the basket. "That's a little rude, ignoring our friend like that. He only wanted to help."
"I-I know. B-But-"
"Maybe we can help teach you some respect, right boys?" The other three laughed as they began to inch close to the woman.
"W-Wait! Please!" The woman pleaded, but they fell into defy ears as the men continued to chuckle.
*Smack*
"OWWW!" However, before any of them could touch the woman, a ball suddenly came out of nowhere, striking one of them in the back of the head. The ball bounced on the floor as the men looked back, a look of anger in their eyes.
"Leave her alone!" Standing with the light of the moon behind him was none other than Taka, who had a bat on his shoulder and a glare on his face.
"Huh? Did you throw that ball, you little punk?!" The man who got hit by the ball yelled with a dark expression.
"Only cause you creeps won't go away. We're sick of being treated like trash!" Taka declared before aiming his bat at the men. "You'll pay for everything!" With that, the young man began to run towards the men, holding his bat with both hands.
"Wait Taka!" The woman pleaded, though her warning was too late.
Just before Taka could strike, one of them men caught the bat, looking down at the boy with a grin.
"You got guts, kid."The man said before he kneed Taka in the stomach, causing him to gasp in pain before falling to his knees. "But fighting four against one's the worst kind of scenario. Maybe next time you should think about it."
"Still, we need to teach this kid his place." Another man suggested as his friends chuckled as well.
"No, please don't!" The woman begged, only to be pulled back by the two other men.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. We won't forget you." With that, one of them men began to reach for her coat, slowly unbuttoning it. She tried to scream for help, but one of the men covered her mouth.
*STAB*
"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Before they could finish removing the woman's coat, an arrow suddenly pierced his leg, causing him to fall.
"Eiji, what happened?!" The other three men left the woman and Taka alone as they rushed to help their friend.
"I got shot, dumbass!" The man with the wound shouted before flinching at the pain.
"Alright, whoever did that, get your ass out here! Now!" One of the men shouted while taking out a knife.
*Thud*
"Maybe you should be the ones to leave." A deep voice called out before behind Taka, causing him and the others to widen their eyes. Slowly, everyone looked up… only to see the Green Arrow standing tall, bow in hand while his face was shrouded by the darkness. The vigilante looked down at Taka, who stared at him in amazement. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah." Taka responded.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" One of the men called out while walking forward. "Listen here, asshole. I don't know why you're here, but shooting my pal's your ticket to hell!" With that, the man rushed forward, thrusting his knife towards Green Arrow's chest.
Unfortunately, he didn't realize who his target was.
Moving the dagger away, Oliver then threw several quick jabs at the man's chest, each one strunck with enough force to make him gasp. He finished with a sharp kick, sending the man falling hard on his back. The others looked up in shock. None of them expected someone who used a bow and arrow to fight so effectively, and with such speed. Oliver raised his head, his eyes barely visible in the darkness before he said the words that would forever be in those three men's hearts.
"You have failed this town."
'Flashback end'
"And after that, he forced those men to leave. In a way, mister Queen has been our green guardian, protecting us from abuse." Mayor Rose finished explaining with a smile directed at the archer. The others listened to the story with peaked interest. From the display early and the description Mayor Rose gave them, it was clear that Oliver Queen was more than meets the eye.
"So that guy in the hospital…" Natsu trailed off.
"Was working with Drake." Maki finished with a serious frown.
"We were wrong." Gray said with his arms crossed, much to the Mayor and Oliver's confusion.
"I apologize. We thought mister Queen was the one who attacked this village." Makarov explained before bowing. Of course he didn't suspect the archer of anything until now, given how little information they had.
"So you've stayed here and protected them?" Yusei asked Oliver, who gave a nod.
"Now we know about the situation." Makarov started, a serious tone in his voice. "Then perhaps we can help you. After all, these are wanted criminals, so I'm sure the Magic Council would want us to capture them."
"That would be most appreciated, master Makarov." Mayor Rose said before a look of disappointment crossed his face. "I still feel horrible about what happened. I hope it isn't too much trouble."
"No way. You can count on Fairy Tail to help!" Natsu declared while slamming his fists together, an excited grin on his face. The others also had determined expressions on their faces, causing Mayor Rose to smile genuinely.
"We have some time until they come back. For now, we should make sure everyone's inside so they won't be caught in the crossfire." Oliver began explaining seriously. "Before that, we need to talk about each other's strengths and weaknesses."
"Agreed. I would like to know more about your archery." Erza told the archer, interested to see his skills in action.
"Actually…" Yusei and Maki stood up, looking at Oliver. "We'd like to talk."
'Mayor Rose's Study'
With permission from Mayor Rose, Oliver, Yusei and Maki were allowed to use his personal study to talk while the others formed a plan. Oliver sat on Rose's chair while Maki and Yusei were across from him. "You're a Champion." Yusei spoke up, getting right to the point.
"And so are you two." Oliver answered back before he unzipped his jacket, revealing his white shirt, which had something glowing underneath. "When you got close to Taka's barn, this started to glow. Would you mind telling me your names?"
"I'm Maki Oze and this is Yusei Fudo." Maki answered honestly before giving Oliver a bow. "It's an honor to meet, mister Queen."
"Call me Oliver." The Green Arrow replied back with a nod before he looked at Yusei. "Do they know about you?"
"They do. But believe me, Natsu and the others can be trusted." Yusei explained. "Something's been bothering me. Why haven't you tried to find us? I know you were protecting the village, but you've been here longer, haven't you?"
"Not by much." Oliver said as he stood up, walking up to the fireplace. His eyes were focused on the fire as he crossed his arms. "I couldn't let them suffer. For five years, I've seen those with power trample on the weak. If I could save one person, that's enough." It was an honest truth, though a part of him did understand why they had to ask.
"I understand." Yusei said while putting a hand on Oliver, who glanced back at him. "It's good to know you're a good man, Oliver. And I promise we'll stop Drake and his men." Staring into Yusei's blue eyes made Oliver understand what kind of person he was. While Yusei kept a strong front, it was clear he understood him more than the others.
"Then I suggest being careful with this information." A new voice suddenly spoke up, causing the three to turn their heads. The source of the voice was on the open window in the study, and what they saw caught them off guard. "Otherwise, you may cause more harm than Ankhseram could ever cause."
The speaker sounded female… only they weren't human. Sitting on the windowsill was an owl, with feathers as white as snow. She had a black beak, yellow eyes and somewhat sharp talons. But the strange part was the golden feather pattern around the bird's neckall of which seemed to be glowing.
"Though if I were to give you a suggestion, I would recommend you place mister Queen on a vantage point for long range support. Mister Fudo's monsters can be used for offense and Miss Oze's Tekkyo unit can prove useful for defense." The owl said in a sophisticated tone, though she got no response as the three Champions all stared at her with wide eyes. "What?"
"... Is it me or are you guys seeing a talking white owl?" Maki asked the other two, trying to clarify what she was seeing.
"It's definitely an owl." Yusei commented, though his shock was a bit more reserved.
"How rude." The owl scoffed while pecking under her right wing. "I am a female, thank you very much. The reports about you are very exaggerated, Mister Fudo."
"I saw a talking blue cat in the room, but now there's a talking owl… what the hell did I sign up for?" Oliver questioned while rubbing the bridge of his nose. He could already feel a migraine creeping up and he hated it. "Is she with you?"
"I thought she was with you." Maki told Oliver before a thought came up. "Wait… how do you know our names?"
"Mmmmm, strange. Didn't Talion and Ariel explain my arrival? I was sure she did this." The owl asked while using her wing to rub under her beak.
"You're the one they sent to watch us?" Yusei questioned, wanting confirmation.
"Correct. It is an honor to be in your presence, Champions." The owl said while giving them a bow. "I am the Oracle of the Overseers. My mission is to observe all of you and report any unusual circumstances that may be caused by Ankhseram."
"Well. This is an interesting turn of events." Stardust told Yusei with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Oh, so you're the Stardust Dragon. You are much smaller than I expected." The owl spoke up, much to Yusei and Stardust's shock.
"You can see Stardust?" Yusei asked, a look of surprise on his face. He wasn't expecting someone to actually see his ace in spirit form, though given how she was sent by the Overseers, it made sense to some degree.
"Who's Stardust?" Oliver whispered to Maki, who smiled nervously.
"He's… a dragon." Maki answered, getting a blank stare from Oliver.
"Of course he is." Oliver muttered, already giving up on the logic here. "Okay. So IF we believe you, what do we do now? Can you sense other Champions or what?"
"Somewhat, though it is your mission to find the other Champions." The owl said before she flew over, landing on a nearby chair. "For now, the three of you must focus on the task at hand. If you wish to free the people of their subjugation, then you must think of a plan."
"You know about that too?" Maki questioned, getting a nod from the owl. "Oh… Do you have a name?"
"I do not. However, you may call me Oracle if that makes communication simple." The owl, now called Oracle, responded.
"Now that… this." Oliver gestured to Oracle. "Is done, we should focus on tonight. I need to know what abilities you both have so we can form a plan."
And with that, the planning phase went to motion.
'Night'
In a few short hours, the sun had already set on Okaiba village. However, instead of the bustling little village, it looked to be completely empty. Not a soul was seen walking and a gust of wind blew calmly, with a tumbleweed or two hopping by.
However, that wasn't truly the case. Oliver Queen was currently sitting on top of one of the buildings, bow in hand and a stern look on his face.
"You see anything?" Gray asked while walking up to him.
"Not yet." Oliver told him before looking back. "What about the others?"
"Everyone's where they should be and Maki's watching over the people at the barn." Gray answered before he handed Oliver a glass of water, which he gratefully took. "So… you use magic?"
"Arrow magic. And something called Requip." Oliver said, making Gray widen his eyes.
"Hang on, Requip? Huh." Gray muttered, something Oliver caught on.
"What?" Oliver asked.
"It's just that Erza uses Requip magic. Guess you two have something to talk about." Gray joked with a chuckle, getting a nod from Oliver. "Still, it's weird to talk to someone from another world."
"Trust me, this isn't different from where I'm from. Let me know when you meet an alien and fight with them." Oliver said in a somewhat joking tone.
"Wait… aliens are real?" Gray couldn't help but ask, his eyes widened a bit. However, he wasn't given an answer as Oliver motioned his fingers forward. Making next to the archer, Gray squinted his eyes, only to catch a glimpse of something in the distance.
Several Magic mobiles were seen driving towards Okaiba, with several men standing on the roof of each vehicle.
"Tell the others to get ready." Oliver told him while putting on his mask.
"What about you?" Gray questioned as he and Oliver stood up.
"I'm going to say hi." Was all Oliver said before he jumped off the roof, landing on the ground with a loud thud, though he showed no sign of pain. Standing up straight, Oliver walked to the middle of the village, watching as the vehicles got closer. He could only hope that their plan would work.
Soon, the Magic mobiles all stopped just a few feet from Oliver, hitting him with a large cloud of dust, though he didn't react to it. One by one, several men, each wearing different clothes that showed off their muscles. Each of them all held a variety of weapons and they all had the same look of arrogance Oliver hated.
"So, you decided to show yourself, huh Mister Archer?" Stepping out of the lead Magic mobile was none other than Alden Drake, who had a katana hanging from his left hip and a pair of glasses covering his eyes. "If there's one thing I can respect, it's a man who stands up for himself. So how about it: would you leave this run down village and work for me? Your pay will be worth it and you'll have a lot more fun than you would here."
"No." Oliver replied, making Drake shake his head.
"Oh, well that's a disappointment. I really did think we could have a good relationship." Drake admitted before he noticed something off. "Hmmmm, it's a little early for curfew. Let me guess: you had everyone go inside so they wouldn't get hurt. Smart. Still…" Drake quickly drew out his sword and pointed it at Oliver's face, the blade inches from his eye. However, unlike most people, Oliver didn't even flinch, making Drake smirk. "That's a scary look in your eye. It almost kools like you WANT to die."
"I'll give you one last chance." Oliver spoke up with an edge in his tone. "Leave this village and never come back."
Drake's men all began to laugh at how ridiculous Oliver's demands were. Didn't he realize how outnumbered he was? Even if the villagers decided to join in, they wouldn't do much against their numbers and weapons, especially with Drake's little surprise.
"Make sure you take your time on this one, boys. And give me his bow. Might go for a few jewel in the market." Drake informed his men before sheathing his weapon.
"You got it, boss." Five men began to march up to Oliver, surrounding him so he wouldn't escape. "You're gonna regret not joining, arrow boy."
Little did they know, Oracle was watching from the top of Mayor Rose's building, with Yusei kneeling behind her.
"It's time, Mister Fudo." Oracle told Yusei while turning her head completely around to look at him. "Are you prepared?"
"Yeah." Yusei answered before he turned around, staring at Turret Warrior. "Ready?" The level five monster nodded in response. "Fire!"
*BANG*BANG*
Two loud shots were fired, echoing through the sky. "What the hell was that?!" One of the men shouted as they all began to look around, trying to find the source of the shots. Oliver slowly reached towards his quiver, his eyes narrowing.
*BOOM*
Turret Warrior's attack struck two Magic Mobiles, causing them to explode and send those close to it flying back.
'NOW!' Oliver thought before he drew out an arrow and aimed it at the ground, the tip turning black. 'Smoke Arrow.' With that, he released the arrow, causing it to hit the ground before a burst of smoke shot out. He quickly fired another smoke arrow, creating an even bigger cloud of smoke.
"What the hell?!"
"Is this an ambush?!"
"Boss, what do we do?!"
"Shut it, you idiots!" Drake shouted from the smoke, though he did cough as some of it entered his lungs. "Kill the archer and find those idiots! We're gonna show why you don't mess with us!"
However, Drake was caught off guard when one of his men let out a panicked scream before disappearing within the smoke. "Mikey! Where'd you go?!" He could hear one of his men shouting before he too screamed.
*SKEW*
Another man screamed as he fell on the ground, an arrow lodged in his right shoulder. A cold sweat ran down Drake's head before he grabbed the handle of his katana. "Backlash!" The blade began to glow a dark purple aura before Drake slashed the air, causing all the smoke to blow away in an instant. When it was gone, several of Drake's men were either missing or on the ground, with arrows pierced in their bodies. Gritting his teeth before fixing his glasses, Drake turned to the rest of his group. "What are you waiting for? GET GOING!"
"B-But boss-" Before the man could say anything, Drake pointed his katana at them with a look of fury.
"I. Said. Get. Going." He repeated, making sure each word was emphasized well. Frightened, the remaining men began dispersing towards each of the buildings in Okaiba.
"It seems your plan is working." Oracle told Yusei, who nodded.
"All that's left is to stop them." Yusei declared before he inserted his deck in place, making sure to have what he needed.
The fight for Okaiba had begun.
'With Gray'
*SMASH*
The doors to the local bar were kicked right open, with several of Drake's men rushing in. "Alright! Come out now and maybe we won't smash your skulls in!" One of them shouted, only to find the place completely empty.
"Ummmm, where the hell's everyone?" Another of the men asked in confusion.
"The boss' right. They must be hiding somewhere." A third man said before slamming their machete on the bar top. "Let's just find them and drag them out for the boss."
"Sorry, but I can't let you do that." The men tensed up before turning around, only to find Gray leaning against the wall, his hair shadowing his expression.
"Oh? Who the hell are you supposed to? Don't tell me you're with that green bastard." The men said while glaring at Gray.
"You can say that. But…" Gray raised his head, his dark blue eyes staring harshly at the men. "I just hate meatheads like you."
"I'll show you!" One of the men foolishly rushed towards Gray with their large axe. However, Gray sidestepped, discarding his white coat.
"Ice Make Knuckle!" Gray puts his hands together before launching a number of knuckle-shaped ice blasts, striking the man multiple times. He let out a pain filled scream before landing hard on the ground, much to his friends' shock.
"Bastard!" To avenge their ally, the rest of the men all rushed towards Gray… who lost his shirt for no reason.
"Bring it." Gray declared before he unleashed more of his magic.
'With Erza'
*Slash*
Three more men fell back as slash marks appeared on their bodies. "Shit, it really IS her!" One of the men shouted in fear as Erza landed on the ground, her Heaven's Wheel armor donned.
"Are you done or do you wish to continue?" Erza asked the men with a serious tone, pointing one of her swords towards them. Though there was a bit of soreness in her body, she could still fight for as long as possible.
"C-Come on! We'll show the boss we're strong!" A brave(or foolish) man shouted before he rushed towards Erza.
"I admire your courage, but your crimes end here! Requip!" Erza's entire body began to glow, causing her Heaven's Wheel armor to disappear. Just as one of the men were about to strike Erza, she kicked them away. "Blackwing Armor!" Spreading the wings of her armor, Erza flew towards, causing the rest of the men to scream in panic.
'At Taka's barn'
"Looks like the boss was right. There is a barn here." Unlike most of the men, a small group were sent by Drake to find and burn down any building. It was mainly to scare the villagers into submitting, though there were some men that felt a tad reluctant to do this.
But one draw from Drake's katana changed their mind.
So here they were, torches in hand and smug looks on their faces. "Of course the boss' right. He's never wrong about this."
"You sure it'd work? What if we ruin the produce?" Another of the men, this one being a bit skinnier than the others, questioned.
"Not our problem. That's why we got those idiots working on it. Now quit your bitching and let's do this." The lead man said before he walked up to the barn, moving his torch closer and closer to it…
However, instead of hitting the barn itself... the fire changed.
"Sputter, Sputter." The flame transformed into Sputter, who stared at the men in confusion.
"What the crap?!"
"How did that happen?!"
"What kind of idiot would turn into that ugly thing?!"
"Excuse me?" Looking up, the men were caught off guard by the sight of Maki sitting on top of the barn, her violet eyes glowing with a deep glare. "Did you just call Sputter UGLY?" Her tone had an extra edge in it, sending a shiver down their spines.
"Oh? So this little bastard's your doing?" The man with Sputter asked before he smirked. "Actually, I should thank you. It's a lot bigger than I had, so it's good for burning!" He then threw Sputter towards the barn.
Or rather he WOULD if Sputter hadn't floated away from the stick, dragging it with it. "SPUTTER!" Sputter then smacked the man on the forehead with the stick, irritated at the name calling.
"How dare you call my precious Sputter ugly!" Maki leaped from the roof, her eyes giving off a vicious glow that resembled a beast.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
The only thing that echoed at that time was the sounds of pain filled screams of Drake's men. Maki let out a huff as she fixed her hat, glaring at the slumped over bodies of the men, with some whimpering in pain. "Next time, don't call Sputter ugly." She said darkly before the barn doors opened, with Taka poking his head out.
"Miss Maki? Are you okay?" Taka couldn't help but ask, though given how she was standing over the men, it was clear she handled it.
"I am. Just focus on the others, Taka." Maki told the boy while giving him a smile.
Despite how young he was, Taka knew not to question Maki, especially with what she just did on her own.
'So that's how strong a Fairy Tail wizard is. So cool!'
'With Drake'
Drake was not happy with what was going on.
No, scratch that, He was FURIOUS.
All he wanted to showcase his strength. Bring all his men, show the people why they're in charge, maybe recruit the archer(which failed to his surprise).
But no. Not only did all three of those thoughts not occur, but more than HALF his men were taken out of the fight.
All because of HIM.
Speaking of him, Oliver was fighting as hard as he could, though with his newly given magic, fighting was much easier. Rolling on the ground, Oliver fired several arrows, taking down more of Drake's men without any fatal blows. Noticing some of them moving towards Mayor Rose's building, Oliver quickly used his magic on another arrow, causing the type to turn light blue. "Ice Arrow!" He shouted before firing it, striking the ground near the men, causing it to freeze and making them slip. Oliver then ducked under an incoming axe before he tripped the attacker and stabbed them in the knee with an arrow.
"Boss, what do we do?" One of Drake's remaining men asked in concern, making the leader glance at him.
"Go tell the rest of the men to get THEM ready." Drake said as he began to walk towards Oliver, who downed yet another man with an arrow to the shoulder. Slowly, he drew his katana before tossing his glasses away. "He's mine."
"R-Right." With that, a small group of Drake's men took one of the few working Magic Mobiles and drove off.
"Archer!" Drake called out as loud as he could, getting Oliver to turn towards him. "You really know how to piss someone off, don't you?"
"I gave you a chance to leave. You were the one that brought this on yourself, Alden Drake." Oliver said without hesitating before pointing an arrow at Drake. The leader of the attackers scoffed a bit before a smirk grew on his face.
"So you know my name. But do you know what my title is?" Drake asked in a dangerous tone as his sword suddenly began to glow light blue.
'What's he…' Was what Oliver was thinking before he saw Drake moving his sword up, as if ready to strike. Oliver wasted no time in firing his arrow.
"Ice Slash!" Bringing his sword down, Drake suddenly unleashed a straight gust of icy wind. The wind cut perfectly through Oliver's arrow, cutting it in two. Widening his eyes, Oliver quickly jumped to the left, though his right foot was caught by the icy wind, freezing it slightly.
"Damn." Oliver grunted as he got on one knee, looking at his now frozen foot. He should've been more careful than this, especially since Drake was a wanted man that has escaped the authorities for this long.
"Tch tch tch, you done already? That's disappointing." Drake mocked while putting his katana on his shoulder. "I use Sword Magic. It may be limited to this sword, but it can be a lot more deadlier if you train with it. Just look at your little bow. I bet you have tons of stories with it." Oliver, in response, took out an arrow and used his magic in it, causing the type to turn red. He then stabbed it on his foot(which luckily didn't pierce his flesh due to the ice). A red glow came from it before the ice melted away. "Ahhh, smart. But still… fight back!" Drake then rushed at Oliver and swung his sword, causing the archer to block with his bow. The two then engaged in close combat, each striking each other as swiftly and precise as possible. Moving away, Oliver fired three arrows back to back, only Drake slashed each of them with ease. "Explosion Slash!"
"Explosion Arrow!" Drawing his next arrow, this one glowing orange, Oliver fired it, though like the ones before, it was cut in half.
*BOOM*
However, the moment both weapons came into contact, a large explosion erupted, the shockwave pushing Oliver back. He knew someone like Drake might not be down for long, so Oliver quickly drew another arrow.
*BANG*
A bullet grazed Oliver's right cheek, tearing through part of his green hood. 'A gun!' Oliver thought before he fired his arrow.
"Not good enough!" Drake emerged from the smoke, dodging Oliver's arrow before aiming his revolver at the hero, firing two more shots. Oliver quickly dodged them before he threw a Flechette from his gauntlet, which stabbed Drake's hand. "Son of a-!"
"Burst Arrow!" Oliver yet again drew an arrow, with the tip glowing white. He fired it at Drake's chest, though instead of actually piercing him, the arrow exploded, releasing a powerful burst of pressure that pushed Drake to the ground.
'Not too far from Okaiba'
As the battle between leader and archer raged on, a small group(and possibly the last of Drake's men) were currently watching things from afar, guarding several cannons that were brought as a last measure.
"You see anything?" One of the men asked the watcher, who stood on top of a nearby tree with a spyglass in hand. Narrowing his eyes, the watcher zoomed his vision through the spyglass, catching a glimpse of one of their Magic Mobiles driving towards them.
"I see one of our cars coming in. Boss must want us to start bombing." The watcher told the others. They all nodded towards each other before they began to prepare the cannons for their assault. However, the watcher looked back to see anything off…
Only to watch a second dust cloud not too far away from the Magic Mobile. "What the?" Curious, the watcher zoomed in.
In his vision was the Duel Runner, with Yusei Fudo driving it with a determined look on his face.
"Oh crap… OH CRAP!" The watcher shouted before he turned to his friends. "Hey! We got a straggler coming!"
"Straggler? Who the hell would come to us?"
"Think that archer had friends? Or the village snitched?"
"No way would those cowards do that."
The men began arguing amongst themselves how they were found out, but they knew to prepare the weapons before anything could happen. Pushing the cannons to ensure they would be able to fire without anything in the way, the men began loading a large cannonball into each one, followed by a good amount of gunpowder.
"They're ready!" Several of the men got behind the cannons while the rest prepared to defend.
"BANZAI!" However, they were all caught off guard by the sound of a familiar roar from above. Looking up, the men all gasped as they saw Natsu, with Happy carrying him, rocketing towards them. "DO IT, HAPPY!"
"AYE!" Happy compiled and released Natsu, allowing him to drop down.
"Fire Dragon Sword Horn!" Natsu engulfed his body in flames.
"OH SHI-!"
*BOOM*
The moment Natsu landed on the ground, a large explosion erupted from the spot he landed on, easily destroying two of the cannons. "So…" Natsu rose from the smoke, his eyes glowing red as he grinned at the men. "Who wants to get beaten up first?"
"Get him!" Unfortunately, the men began charging at Natsu in full force. However, he proved to be too much for them as he continued to beat each of them down with a Fire Dragon Iron Fist or a quick Fire Dragon Roar.
"Screw him! Fire the-!"
"Junk Warrior, Scrap Fist!" Before any cannon could be fired, Junk Warrior suddenly flew in, slamming his first into one of the cannons, sending it crashing into the others. Yusei's Duel Runner hopped high in the air, landing with a loud thud. "Make sure to take all those cannons down."
"Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu unleashed a stream of flames at the remaining cannons, igniting the gunpowder within and making them self-destruct. Rubbing the bottom of his nose, Natsu grinned at Yusei. "How was that?"
"Good work." Yusei complimented while also giving a thumbs up. He then looked at the distance, a concerned frown on his face. "Now it's up to Oliver."
'Back with Oliver'
Bow and katana clashed as both Oliver and Drake pushed against each other, their eyes glaring daggers into the other. Both of them had multiple wounds on their bodies and a small trail of blood, yet they didn't stand down. "You ruined everything!" Drake shouted before a familiar icy mist emerged from his katana. Luckily, Oliver was able to move away before his bow could be frozen. "Who the hell do you think you are, archer?! A hero of justice?!" Out of anger, Drake began swinging his sword much faster than before, forcing Oliver on the defensive. However, some of the swings cut some of his chest. "Don't be so cocky! There are no heroes in this world!" The sword began to glow and Drake slashed the ground, causing an explosion that made Oliver lose his balance. The katana was thrust through the smoke of the explosion, cutting Oliver's left shoulder. "Only the strong survive!" The sword suddenly began to glow yellow, making Oliver widen his eyes. "Lightning Slash!"
*ZAP*
A burst of lightning shot out of Drake's sword and struck Oliver, sending him falling on his back. He couldn't hold back the scream of pain from escaping his lips. Running a hand through his hair, Drake looked down at the 'fallen' archer with a smirk. "You are strong, and it's a shame this had to end like this. Still, like I said." He began to walk towards Oliver, raising his katana in the air. "Only the strong su-"
*THWIP*
*STAB*
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Before he could finish his rant, Drake was suddenly stabbed in the knee by Oliver's Flechette, which he threw in an instant from his gauntlet. The pain made him seize with his attack, which gave Oliver the chance to roll to his knees and fire off an arrow. However, this wasn't a magic arrow, but rather a wire arrow, which opened up the instant it hit Drake. A small series of wires wrapped around the leader of the Bandits' body, yet Oliver fired two more in order to stop him. "NO!" Drake attempted to cut himself free, but his grip was tied up by the wires.
"Alden Drake." Oliver spoke up in his 'Arrow' voice, slowly walking up to his opponent. "You have failed this country."
With that, Oliver punched Drake with enough force to send him falling to the ground, losing consciousness. A small pant escaped Oliver's lips as he looked over the defeated body of Alden Drake. It was over, at least in terms of defeating the leader. Then again, Oliver knew very well not to underestimate anyone.
Hearing some footsteps behind him, Oliver turned around… only to see the people of Okaiba village surrounding him, all with surprised eyes.
"N-No way. They actually did it."
"Isn't that the leader?"
"Mister Queen actually defeated him. And without Fairy Tail's help!"
"You're wrong." Mayor Rose suddenly spoke up as he, Makarov and Lucy all walked through the crowd, making their way towards Oliver. "Mister Queen may have defeated Alden Drake, but without the aid of Fairy Tail, things might have ended differently." He gave a grateful smile. "Today, we celebrate our freedom!"
"YYYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH" The citizens all cheered in unison, finally happy to be freed from Drake's grip.
"We really did it, Master." Lucy told Makarov with a smile. She felt glad all this pain was over for Okaiba, though she did feel disappointed in not helping out too much.
"Yes. Though it was thanks to mister Queen's observations that we were able to get the upper hand." Makarov admitted before he gave a soft smile towards Oliver, who was waving off all the praise from everyone. 'I see why he was chosen as a Champion.'
For the first night in a while, the people of Okaiba felt free.
'The next day'
"MMMMMMMMMM! DISH ISH SO GOOD!" Natsu spoke up with a stuffed face as he ate the rather large buffet that was offered by the people of Okaiba. On both his sides were the rest of his friends, though they were eating much more politely than the Dragon Slayer.
"Aye. This fish is so yummy~" Happy commented as he chewed on the fresh salmon provided.
"Can you slow down a bit? You're making a mess." Lucy told her friend with a slightly disturbed tone.
"No, please. Enjoy as much as you want." A kind, elderly woman said with a warm smile. "After what you all did for our home, it's the least we can do."
While there was substantial damage done to Okaiba, it wasn't anything the people needed to worry about. Some were working on the repairs while the others were serving the Fairy Tail wizards a much needed breakfast.
"I can get used to this." Gray told Erza while eating some scrambled eggs. "It beats running out of town whenever we destroy something."
"I agree. Though she should strive not to destroy any more property. Otherwise, we'll stain the Fairy Tail name." Erza said stoically as she ate her favorite food: which was strawberry cake of course.
"Do you know where Drake is, Makarov?" Yusei couldn't help but ask the old guildmaster, who calmly ate his food before swallowing.
"I already sent word to the Rune Knights and they should be here soon. Though…" Makarov lowered his head a bit as a dark cloud appeared over his head. "I'd rather leave before they get here."
"Oh right… they might have some questions about Lullaby…" Maki trailed off, realizing how bad it would be for the Rune Knights to drag them to the Magic Council. Still, it was only a matter of time before they were brought to court.
After some more time eating, the Fairy Tail wizards were eventually able to finish up and were now standing in front of Okaiba, their things packed and their bellies full. In addition, they were given one of Drake's Magic Mobiles in order to return home(though Natsu wanted nothing more than to torch it).
"Are you sure you don't want to stay an extra night? None of us would mind." Mayor Rose asked Makarov, who waved his hand.
"As much as we appreciate your offer, we do need to return to the Guild Hall." Makarov replied, earning an understanding nod.
"Hey, where's Oliver?" Natsu asked while scratching the back of his head. It was strange that neither he nor the others saw the emerald archer after last night.
"He might still be healing. After all, he was the one that had to fight Drake." Lucy theorized.
"Still, is it okay if he doesn't come with us?" Gray couldn't help but ask the two Champions, who gave solemn expressions. They never really thought of what would happen if one of the Champions didn't decide to join them. If that was the case, they would need to set up some sort of communication with Oliver if he decided to-
"I'm right here." Everyone was caught off guard by a familiar voice from behind. Turning around, the Fairy Tail group saw Oliver Queen standing next to the Magic Mobile, wearing casual clothes and a bag under his shoulder. Of course, he had some bandages on some parts of his body, but he looked fine overall.
"Ahhh, so you've decided?" Mayor Rose asked with a calm smile, much to the group's surprise.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Happy asked with a question mark on his head.
"Why, mister Queen here will be joining you." Mayor Rose answered with an amused tone.
"HUH?!" Natsu, Happy and Lucy let out startled gasps while Gray, Erza and Maki widened their eyes. The only ones who were more reserved were Yusei and Makarov, with the latter sporting a small smile.
"I talked with Makarov yesterday about joining Fairy Tail." Oliver said in order to avoid any confusion to Mayor Rose's words. "He said it would be alright as long as I felt ready to leave."
"Wow, now we have three Champions with us." Lucy spoke up without thinking before she covered her mouth.
"Hehehe, yes. I suppose each of you are like Champions of justice." Mayor Rose laughed, not knowing what they were talking about. It was a good thing that age made his mind a little more… wanky. "Still, I wouldn't feel right letting you leave without taking this." Reaching into his back, Mayor Rose pulled out a rather small folder, handing it to Oliver. Taking the folder, Oliver opened it before pulling some of the contents out. The others looked over his shoulder to see what it was, only to gasp in shock.
"Woah, that's a lot of Jewel!" Natsu shouted in shock.
"That's enough to pay for my rent for three months!" Lucy added, a hint of jealousy in her voice, though it wasn't meant to be bad. Oliver looked at the money before putting it back and offering it back to Mayor Rose.
"Thank you, but there's no need." Oliver said calmly, only for Mayor Rose to push it back to Oliver.
"Oliver, if it wasn't for you, I'm sure things would be far worse for Okaiba." Mayor Rose began to speak with a serious tone. "You gave us hope and for that, all of us are grateful. Please, take this and use it wisely." He then sported a smile. "I'm sure young Taka would understand, right young man?" The old mayor looked to the right, specifically at a nearby barrel. A small head of hair suddenly perked up from behind it before the person walked out from their hiding spot, revealing themselves to be a sheepish Taka.
"Hehe… you caught me." Taka admitted while rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed blush. Shaking off his embarrassment, Taka walked up to Oliver, giving him a determined look. "L-Look, mister Queen. I know you have to go… but I promise I'll protect Okaiba with everything I've got. That way, when we meet again, I'll be a lot stronger. Maybe we can even fight… i-if that's okay with you." Oliver's eyes softened and a smile crossed his face before he patted Taka's head, making him look up.
"It's a deal. But promise you won't look for anymore trouble. There's a time and place for a fight, so pick them wisely, okay?" Oliver advised the young man, who smiled brightly. In a way, Taka was as curious as William was, and that brought a somewhat sad feeling within Oliver's chest. Still, if he could advise Taka even a little, it would be enough for him.
The rest of the group smiled genuinely from the little interaction between Oliver and Taka. To anyone else, it was like a father saying goodbye to their kid, and that was sweet.
"I know it seems hard to say goodbye, but they need to move on. Do you understand, Taka?" Mayor Rose told the young man, who nodded while wiping away any tears that might emerge from his eyes. Looking back at the group, Mayor Rose gave them a bow. "Have a safe journey, everyone."
"Thank you." The Fairy Tail group and Oliver all bowed back before they made their way to the Magic Mobile.
"I'm sure you'll fit right in with Fairy Tail, Oliver." Maki told the archer, who gave her a small smile.
"I'll drive, if that's alright with you, Master." Erza told Makarov, who gave her a nod. Natsu gulped in terror, but one glare from Erza was enough to make him shut up.
"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Oracle suddenly spoke up before landing on Yusei's right shoulder, catching the Fairy Tail wizards off guard.
"Who the hell was that?" Gray asked as he and the others began looking around, trying to find the source of the new speaker.
"It's me. Are you deaf?" Oracle spoke once again, a small amount of annoyance in her voice. The group found the speaker and needless to say, they were shocked.
"W-W-W-What?!" Lucy exclaimed with eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"You have a walking, talking, flying blue cat as a companion, yet a talking white owl is what surprises you?" Oracle questioned with a disappointed sigh. These humans were being more mindless than she thought. The Fairy Tail wizards all looked at the Champions, who all looked rather uneasy expressions.
"Yeah… there's something we need to tell you." Yusei started, giving Oracle a glance.
It seems Fairy Tail was given two new recruits instead of one.
Sheesh, I did not expect this chapter to be as long as it was, not that I'm complaining. Then again, I felt the battles could've been better, but since this is more of a filler-like chapter, it should've been expected. But I promise Oliver WILL get a lot more good fights later on, especially with the Phantom Lord arc.
Man, now we have three Champions and a talking oracle. This story is just getting even more insane, and I love it. You guys better get hyped for some of the next arcs cause there will definitely be some changes to canon.
Follow, fav, Review and PM for anything.
Next time: An unexpected trail!