"All personnel, report to the containment cell immediately! Stop Gildarts Clive at all cost!"
The voice of the announcer reeked of fear and desperation as every remaining force scrambled to contain the force of nature known as Gildarts, who was running through soldiers and automatons like wet tissue paper. Amidst the chaos of Gildarts' rampage, another battle was brewing between two individuals with opposing loyalties.
Lief and Sasuke clashed their blades against each other, the former's hydro swords blocking the incoming overhead strike of the latter's lightning blade, which was shaped in the exact form as Lief's. The collision of the two weapons sent elemental sparks all over the place as both reeled slightly from the recoil. The demon Lief didn't show it, but even he was feeling the effects of Sasuke's attack.
"How did you get so strong in such a short time?" Lief asked.
"You'll have to figure that one out for yourself" Sasuke denied him an answer. That being said, even he was surprised by how unperturbed his opponent was over his attacks. His water blade acted as the perfect conduit for his Chidori to pass through to his body, yet he wasn't fully affected by it as he had hoped. He could only assume that his foe had developed some sort of resistance to its effects.
"Of course," Lief snickered, finding amusement in the boy's bluntness. The demon then dissolved his two water blades which turned into a shapeless mass before reforming into what seemed like a bow. Pointing the weapon forward and outstretching his hands, Lief fired off a barrage of water-enhanced arrows, all of which were either deflected or dodged by Sasuke, who raised his left hand forward and reshaped his short swords into a blade that reached all the way to Lief who quickly formed a sort of protective water barrier around him.
Electricity pulsed through the barrier, though the demon himself was not affected. It was then that the Uchiha quickly reeled back his Chidori spear and reforged it into the short blade it once was before charging straight at Lief. Once he was near his shielded foe, he leaped into the air and plunged both blades into the barrier, unleashing a surge of electricity that was of greater intensity than the spear, something that caught even Lief by surprise. Embedding the two blades deep into the shield, Sasuke growled as he began pulling his blades in the opposite direction until he shattered the shield with a roar.
To say that Lief was shocked by this turn of events would be an understatement, but he quickly readjusted his strategy and combined his two blades into a spear, which he thrust toward Sasuke, who blocked it with his two blades. The overwhelming strength, however, was enough to send the Uchiha flying backward. Once they were both at a comfortable distance, Lief twirled his spear with one hand as he raised his free left hand. "Lord of the Vortex, I beseech thee, grant me your strength. Dominus Oceanus!" he called on an unknown entity as the power of hydro surged through him and enveloped his entire being until he slammed his free hand into the ground, "Shark onslaught!"
As if on command, three enormous sharks made of pure water began traveling towards Sasuke, swimming as if the solid concrete was the water itself. Weaving a few hand signs, Sasuke compressed the chakra in his body and released a massive fireball in the shape of a dragon. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
The collision between the two elements resulted in a fierce battle between the fire dragon and the hydro sharks that concluded with biting each other resulting in an explosion so potent, that it sent both Lief and Sasuke flying away from the holding cells and straight into the R & D administration, also known Sector Seven, the heart of productions and of the fortress itself. The aftereffects of the explosion left behind an amalgamation of dust that obscured Lief's field of vision as he frantically began looking around for Sasuke.
Suddenly, a small cackle of lightning zapped past the dust and straight behind the demon as Sasuke appeared behind Lief. "Found you" he whispered, as he attempted to stab him, only for the demon to quickly turn around and block the incoming thrust with his spear. Not wasting a moment, Sasuke went for an upward thrust which was also blocked, before slamming his two blades one at a time. While the two successive strikes were blocked, they forced Lief to take a step back and slightly lose his balance which was enough of an opening for Sasuke to deliver a spinning back kick that sent Lief tumbling down to the ground.
"Is that all you've got?" Sasuke taunted as he jumped into the air and spun around, attempting to plunge his short swords down on Lief, who raised his spear and blocked them again. This time it was Lief who pushed back against the clashing of weapons and sent Sasuke back, before striking at Sasuke with a horizontal slash which was parried by the Uchiha. The demon continued with a series of two to three more slashes, all of which were deflected by the boy until the fourth strike resulted in a stalemate as the two locked weapons.
But the stalemate did not last long as Lief summoned even more water blades out of thin air and commanded them to attack Sasuke, who dodged the first two blades by flipping backward before deflecting and parrying a dozen or so summoned swords. Once he saw an opening amid the assault, Sasuke flipped the handle on one of his lightning blades into a reverse grip and thrust it straight at Lief, striking him dead center and getting the blade lodged into his chest.
In any other situation, this would've been an instant victory. But Irene had made it clear that Lief was no ordinary mortal, a reminder that dawned on Sasuke as his face was washed with shock and then annoyance at Lief standing still and letting out a bemused laughter. "Ahahahahaha, I see…well this is getting interesting" he cackled, the calm and stoic demeanor having disappeared entirely, having been replaced with an aura of an individual without restraint, "I underestimated you, Sasuke. Now I know I don't have to hold back!"
With a thunderous proclamation, Lief levitated into the air as a miasma of blue and purple energy enveloped him while the blade was still lodged into his chest. "Do you know the true extent of my power? Let me show you" he declared as he released an outpour of energy so strong, it felt like a hurricane was blowing against Sasuke, who gritted his teeth and looked on with worry as Lief's arms began to morph into something more sinister. "Behold, a taste of my Etherious form-"
"Enough of this"
In an instant, Lief immediately discontinued whatever course of action he was taking and landed on the ground; his eyes perplexed by the sight of his master. "Lady Irene" he anxiously bowed. Sasuke too had a look of disbelief when he heard that voice and that name being uttered.
As Sasuke turned around and looked at the obscuring dust, he saw the silhouette of the last person he wanted to encounter. Walking through the dust, it was none other than Irene herself, but something was different about her; gone was the self-satisfied grin that accompanied her in every and in its place, a menacing frown as she stomped her way towards them, every step taken with purpose. "You have caused me enough damage. I never thought you would be more trouble than you're worth, I should've killed you the moment I set eyes on you. Oh well, I can still do that now" she declared as she snapped her finger.
Only for nothing to happen to Sasuke. Lief looked on with astonishment over the fact that Sasuke did not transform back into a book as it should've been for a demon, a sentiment shared by Irene as she clamored out loud "What?". She snarled and snapped her finger again and again and again, only for the same result. Even Sasuke looked dumbfounded by what exactly they were trying to do.
The notion that an Etherious could reject the will of their master was baffling, to say the least since even Zeref's strongest demons could be instantaneously eliminated with a snap of the Black Wizard's finger. Yet, in her presence was a demon of her own creation, a failure who could not be killed in this way. It was as if the laws of reality had been broken. Irene looked at her left hand and chuckled, "To think that a discarded failure would find a way to cheat his own fate, what a sick joke. While I am curious as to how you managed it, I still have other means of killing you."
Tapping her staff into the ground, Sasuke found himself trapped and imprisoned in some sort of golden seal covering his entire body before he could even react. His face scrouged as he tried to escape but there was little hope as his whole body felt paralyzed by this spell. "Isn't it impressive? A rudimentary binding spell yet with enhancement magic it becomes almost impossible to escape; the power of imagination made manifest" Irene bragged, her calm and confident demeanor having returned as she strolled towards Sasuke while Lief looked on. "Now then, time to die."
Irene raised her staff and seemed poise to stab Sasuke through the heart; a quick but extremely painful way to die. The Uchiha helplessly watched with a darting gaze as the tip of the staff neared him until…it didn't. Irene's hand remained firmly still, the tip of the staff mere inches away from Sasuke's heart yet never seemed to be able to go through with it. "What is this…. why can't I" Irene mumbled to herself, bewildered by her own actions. It was as if her body was fighting against her. Her hand trembled as it had never before, like it resisting her command to strike him while her heart began beating faster and faster, akin to trying to convince her to rethink her decision. "Why can I not do this?" she mumbled loudly, akin to arguing with herself. Sasuke himself blinked in confusion as to what was going on.
It was then that strange visions began flashing before her eyes, causing her to grunt and clutch her head in discomfort: they were visions of a young boy, who greatly resembled the one before her, smiling and speaking words she could not comprehend. Yet she could feel the happiness and love pouring outwardly from him. It caused her to feel things she had never felt in a long time, a swirling mix of emotions that seemed ready to burst. By the time she regained her bearing, she was taken aback by a sensation she had never felt in a long time…not since 'her' birth. As she touched her face and ran her finger down her eyes, a wet sensation came over them as she looked at her hand. "Are these…tears?" she mumbled, almost appalled by such a sight.
Behind them, Lief was also greatly disturbed by this observation. Lady Irene had never shown or expressed such emotions, she had never shown hesitation towards killing anyone who slighted her. Yet, at this moment, there was someone who had become an exception to those rules. Someone who made her shed tears, something neither he nor his brethren had ever achieved. Even the paralyzed Sasuke was greatly taken aback, unsure of what to make of this.
Looking back at Sasuke, Irene's expressions were a whirlwind of confusion, disgust, and anger. Something about that face, that singular eye was causing her to break down for reasons she could not even understand. "Why are you looking at me like that!?" she admonished Sasuke, who continued to look at her with a pleading face which only riled her up even more, "Stop looking at me like that!"
Before she could take any drastic steps, the roof of the administration building exploded into bite-sized chunks, opening up the clear blue sky as a white beam descended with a powerful crash, forcing Irene and Lief to jump back. As the figure collided with the ground, the force of the impact split apart the earth, releasing a shockwave that devastated what was left of the facility, destroying every single weapon, vehicle, and other prototype in one swift single motion. By the time, the dust had cleared, the entire building had been completely demolished with only the ruins remaining to show what was left of it.
Invertedly, it also meant that Sasuke was released from his imprisonment as he fell to the ground. Looking up at his savior, he recognized that particular cape, the orange hair, and that stubble. But rather than the usual goofy appearance he normally had about him, this time, the man was cold, stern, and dead-focused.
"Gildarts" Sasuke spoke his name.
The ace of Fairy Tail smiled but didn't look back. "Good to see you hanging in there, buddy. I knew my little grouch was tougher than he looked" he commended before staring at the two assailants with eyes that burned with anger as he pointed towards Irene, who looked back with abject contempt, "You're going to regret putting your claws on him, lady."
"It seems our esteemed guest is finally awake" Irene rhetorically noted, having returned to a calmer demur, "I take it you're the one responsible for all that ruckus?"
Gildarts simply smiled back and answered, "I needed to stretch a bit."
"You've destroyed all of our prototypes. Master Wall will not stand for this" Lief said, pointing out to the carnage that Gildarts had caused to the assembly line to which the veteran wizard simply shrugged off, inciting the demon's wrath as he summoned his weapon and rushed towards him with a powerful lunge. " You will answer for this!"
Gildarts was unperturbed by this sudden assault and intercepted the lunge with a single strike to Lief's stomach, stopping in his tracks and holding him in the air with his fists which were buried deep into his torso. Sasuke winced as the demon let out a guttural burble while his face expanded to the point of becoming beet red and his eyes seemed like they were ready to pop out of their sockets. "Buzz off" Gildarts gave him a piece of his mind as he lifted the demon up high and flung him into the air with an uppercut so powerful that gusts of wind formed as Lief flew up high until he was nothing more than a tiny speck the sky.
The way the man casually dispatched her top minion earned an amused "Oh?" from Irene.
Sasuke was simultaneously in awe yet not surprised. He had always known Gildarts was destructive and strong, and he had always been touted as the strongest in Fairy Tail: the guild's top ace in essence. But to be able to witness it firsthand was something else. The way he easily took down Lief, someone whom he had trouble fighting, showed just how wide the gap in their power was. It would be a long road if he was to reach his level and surpass it.
"Hey, Sasuke" Gildarts called out, snapping Sasuke out of his thoughts as he clutched his arm and rose to his feet. "Listen, Erza and that other kid are waiting for you outside. Go with them and get out of here as quickly as you can."
"And you?" Sasuke protested.
"Look at her. You feel it too, don't you?" Gildarts pointed out to Irene, who kept a fixed gaze on both of them, "Her magic powers through the roof."
To be perfectly honest, Sasuke doubted he could feel or sense the magic that way Gildarts or anyone else could. But there was an overwhelming feeling of something emanating from her, something strong and heavy. Perhaps this was what Gildarts was alluding to.
"I can't fight her unless I go all out and I can't do that if you kids are in the way. You get me?" Gildarts continued explaining.
He didn't like it one bit to leave Gildarts on his own again but he knew perfectly well from experience that sometimes, in a fight between two heavyweights, getting involved was just asking for trouble.
"Why yes boy, listen to him. If you value your life, run away" Irene taunted, stabbing her staff onto the ground, "But remember, once I'm done with him, you'll be next. And I won't show you any mercy next time."
The threat of murder was something he had heard a thousand times before, and if the memories of his so-called past life were really his, then even those were just the tip of the iceberg. But something was off about this threat from Irene. It felt forced, ingenuine as if reading between the lines, it could be interpreted as her telling him to get as far away from her as possible. Perhaps witnessing her refraining from killing him and the fact that she shed tears for him cast a shadow of doubt over anything and everything she said or did at this point. But regardless, he knew better than to get involved in a battle where he could become a liability to Gildarts. And so, with much hesitation, he scurried off through the rubble and into a safer place.
"You're going to have to go through me first" Gildarts proclaimed in response to her remark over Sasuke, which only earned another snicker from Irene.
Even as he left the premise of the remains of Sector Seven, a thought raced through his mind: where would he meet Erza? He had already deduced that Alzack must have encountered Erza and successfully administered to cure to Gildarts for him to mention her in the first place. But he didn't have to get far to receive his answer, since it came in the form of a loud engine blaring as a motorcycle with a sidecar came bursting through one of the intact buildings. The motorcycle made an abrupt 180-degree turn and screeched to a halt right in front of Sasuke as the driver and the passenger greeted him.
"Looks like Gildarts got to you in time!" Erza exclaimed happily, after the ordeal she had gone through, seeing him in one piece was a sight that brought her happiness, "I'm glad you're okay."
"Likewise," Sasuke reciprocated with a nod and smile. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. To know that his attempts to keep her safe had not been in vain but that she would continue to invertedly rescue him over and over again was a pleasant surprise.
"Hey, I know this a happy moment and all, but we really gotta go" Alzack, the third wheel on the sidecar interrupted the reunion to remind them of the gravity of the situation. However, that reminder was rendered inert by a massive, building-sized fist smashing its way out of the floor and slamming its palm into the ground, shaking the earth.
Another fist rose up and brought its weight onto the ground as the two hands collectively pulled up what remained: an enormous mechanized body, its head resembling a knight with a golden crest and the torso had tubes connected all over to its limbs. While the three looked on, Sasuke realized that this was the very same monstrosity that he had witnessed earlier in the main production hall when he was infiltrating this area. The machine let out a bellowing howl as it dragged itself forward. "Sasuke! It's not over!' the voice inside the machine screamed out, causing Sasuke to blink at the realization that it was Marcus barking from that robot, "I won't let you escape."
"So that's where they took him!" Alzack yelled as Sasuke immediately jumped into the back seat while Erza pushed on the accelerator as the vehicle continued to absorb her magic.
With a loud screech, the motorcycle sped up, hoping the outrun the rampaging machine that was plowing through everything in its way, despite not having any legs, as it was able to crawl its way towards its intended target with ease thanks to its size and strength. Mustering what free magic she had, Erza summoned a bow and a quiver of arrows which Sasuke caught and equipped himself with. "Who is that guy?" Erza pondered out, deftly evading the incoming crossbow shots from the mercenaries as well as navigating through the maze of containers.
"Remember the suit of armor whose brother I killed?" Sasuke answered, loosening an arrow at whichever mercenary was trying to obstruct their path.
"Wait, that's him!?" A baffled Erza exclaimed.
"Not time, just focus on getting us out of here!" Sasuke balked.
Escaping from the monster was easier said than done, especially since said metallic monster could smash through buildings, armored vehicles, soldiers, and docked airships like they were nothing. Sasuke joined his hands in a special sign and blew out another fire-shaped dragon that hit the machine dead center, only for the machine to emerge from the dust unscathed. "You can't run! Activating missiles!" on his command, a battery of miniature rockets emerged from the robot's back and were sent flying towards the trio. Sasuke managed to intercept a few of them with his arrows, but eventually, he ran out of them and was forced to toss them away.
The rest were narrowly evaded thanks to Erza's quick driving skills, making sharp turns just as they were about to strike and explode on the ground. A few of them strayed from their target and hit a crane that held a container, causing it to fall in the direction of the path Erza and Co were taking.
"Sasuke" Erza appealed.
"Just keep driving" the Uchiha commanded her as he jumped from his seat, sliced the container in half with his lightning blade, flipped while in the air, and landed in the exact spot that the motorcycle was going through.
The use of lightning gave Erza an idea as she summoned her special spear and handed it over to Sasuke who scanned it with a puzzled look while Alzack had a look of realization. "It can channel lightning. Use it with your magic" she instructed him.
With a nod, Sasuke weaved a one-handed sign and channeled electricity through his hand as it flowed through the spear. Much to his surprise, the weapon was very receptive to his Chidori and it seemed to have added its own, supplementing it. Grabbing it with both hands, Sasuke pointed the tip of the spear towards the charging robot, sending out a burst of concentrated lightning that struck the machine dead in its center and seemed to have seemingly stopped it as it cried in pain. "Aaaaarrggh"
"Did it get em?" Alzack wondered out loud, only for the assault to be temporary as it recovered quickly and continued on with its one-track desire to murder Sasuke, earning a whine from the gunslinger, "Aw, c'mon!"
"I really thought it would work" Erza vocally objected as she hit the accelerator to overdrive, hoping to maintain a good distance between them and the machine, "Lightning hurt those guys before."
Unbeknownst to both of them, Sasuke had realized that it had worked, it was just too big to be truly effective. It would seem he needed to channel the power of lightning at greater orders of magnitude and thus, an idea struck him.
"Head to the runaway. I have a plan" he ordered, to which Erza complied.
But even if Sasuke hadn't said to, she would've gone to the runaway regardless, simply because they were out of options at that point. Between the rampaging machine and the army of mercenaries on bikes chasing after them, the runway was the only option left.
To initiate the first step of his plan, Sasuke began firing his dragon flames into the sky, an act that baffled Alzack. "Hey, aren't you supposed to fire those things at, you know, them!" he pointed out to the mercenaries and the mech. But Sasuke ignored the gunslinger's comments, he knew exactly what he was doing.
"I'm going to wipe you off the face of this earth" Marcus screamed from inside the machine as he gathered magical energy at its center and fired off a huge purple beam. As the beam traveled it vaporized everything in its path, including its allies and a wandering airship as well. It left behind a wreckage of burning machinery and it had no intention of stopping.
Erza narrowly managed to evade the beam by turning either left or right but even she was hitting her limit as the motorcycle slowly drained what remained of her magic. Her vision was getting blurry and the motorcycle was beginning to no longer operate at full capacity.
"You've got to hang in there" Alzack offered words of encouragement. The spear in Sasuke's hands also disappeared as well, causing a major hiccup in his plan.
"I'm…. I'm trying" Erza answered but was too weak to form a cohesive response as she began to lose balance while her hands trembled. Ultimately, she succumbed to the motorcycle draining almost all of her magic, and nearly collapsed until Sasuke caught her, grabbed hold of Alzack, and jumped, just as the motorcycle tumbled towards the edge of a cliff as the robot fired off another round of energized beam and vaporized it.
The three tumbled through the angular hill until they chanced upon an unpaved road leading to a bridge and a listening station. "Are you okay?" Sasuke asked Alzack, who was lying on the ground and groaning in pain.
"I'll make it" he replied.
The Uchiha then turned his attention towards a groggy Erza, to whom he did not have to ask to know about her condition. It seemed to spend an entire day fighting and having the vehicle use her magic as fuel had drained her to the point of being nearly bedridden. "Sorry…... Sasuke" she apologized as he flung her left arm across his shoulder and began slowly helping her to her feet.
Leading the two of them towards the bridge, Sasuke could hear the metallic humming of the machine inching closer, something that gave Alzack cause for concern. "Tell me you have a plan to deal with that thing" he asked with pleading eyes, hopeful for an answer.
As he carried Erza's weakened body, Sasuke looked up at the sky and saw that dark clouds had now covered most of it. In the distance, he could hear the rumbling of thunder and it was all he needed to know that his plan would work. "I do."
As the booming thunder echoed throughout the skies, two mages at the top of the magic food chain locked eyes at one another. They both continued to stare, neither making the first move until Irene decided to break this visual stalemate and look up at the sky. "Strange, it was only sunny a moment ago" Irene noted, alluding to the dark clouds that had formed.
Gildarts saw an opportunity to initiate the first strike as he launched his fist straight for her face, only for Irene to block it with her staff. The impact sent a wave that reverberated throughout the wreckage, sending pieces of the building flying everywhere. "Making the first move while I was distracted? Funny" Irene smiled and gave her staff a slight nudge, enough to send Gildarts flying back and crashing through the rubble.
Pushing through the debris and dusting himself off, Gildarts let out a chuckle of his own. "Can't say I didn't try" he noted with a grin. Irene followed it up by raising her staff, summoning a large red ball straight towards Gildarts, who responded by thrusting his hand forward and splitting it into a million pieces.
That last bit of power caught the Scarlet Despair's notice as the ace of Fairy Tail dispelled her enhancement. "Perhaps you might be able to entertain me after all," she said, glowing with a red aura as the earth began to shake and pieces of rubble began levitating, "Show me why you're so special."
"Oh, I'll show you lady. But you'll regret it" Gildarts wiped the dirt from his lower lip and grinned even wider. Fairy Tail's strongest answered by unleashing his own full power; a white aura emanating all around him. As the two continue to display the full extent of their raw power, the laws of nature and gravity begin to break apart from their mere presence. The winds blew in erratic directions and chunks of the earth split apart from the center and began levitating upwards instead. Worse still, every building around their vicinity began to crumble, the very ground itself began to split apart as crevices began forming, and a clash of white and red beams shot up to the sky.
Ultear paced back and forth across the control panel of the airship. She had been restless the moment she arrived. Staring at the information lacrima that she had obtained; she contemplated her next course of action. She had obtained everything she had wanted and had no valid reason for staying any longer. But as she stared at the ticking clock that was hung on the wall, her dilemma began acting up. Should she simply go? Or continue risking herself further by keeping her promise and waiting…waiting for people who, by all accounts were opposed to people like her.
Her thoughts on her situation were suddenly interrupted by a violent earthquake that knocked over the lacrima and forced her to fall on her tailbone. Whining in pain, she quickly picked up the lacrima and carefully waded through the intense shaking to see what the commotion was outside, only for her jaw to drop at the sight of two magical beams that had erupted from the mountains and were visible all the way from this loch.
"This is crazy" she noted, staring at the hand watch. "You'd better make it here fast."
On the other side of the island, near the tail end of the alpine ranges, the trio were taken aback by the violent ruptures emerging from the ground as the intense shaking disrupted their balance. "Is this an earthquake?" Alzack wondered out loud, trying his best to maintain his equilibrium despite no longer having solid arms for counterbalance.
"No" Sasuke bluntly replied as he looked back. Erza and Alzack did the same and realized that two massive beams were shooting up toward the sky. All of them could easily guess what was going on.
As if they didn't have enough problems on their plate already, the mechanized Marcus had finally begun his steady descent through the cliffside and straight through the bridge, ranting and cursing Sasuke's name as he did so. With each stomp he inflicted onto the ground, he inched closer to them and closer to his own impending doom. Thankfully, by this time, Erza had also recovered enough that she was able to stand on her own two feet as well, which meant one less issue for Sasuke to worry about. "You two, get as far away from here as possible"
"Wait, is this the 'plan' you were talking about? Are you just gonna stand there and let him kill you while we run away? Because that's stupid" Alzack said, the derision in his words making it clear that he was against it.
"Of course, not" a vexed Sasuke answered, summoning lightning in his hand. "I'm going to take him down in one shot."
In the distance, the mechanical monstrosity had reached the base of the bridge and was about to make its way across. "Hope you got something strong enough to take him down, 'cause that little sparkly trick isn't going to do it" a concerned Alzack protested. Even Erza shared in his sentiment as she wondered what Sasuke could have in his arsenal potent enough to destroy Marcus.
"I do, look up" the Uchiha replied, to which the other two obeyed. In the skies, amidst the roaring thunder, large sparks of lightning cackled all around.
The gunslinger was unsure as to what he was alluding to, but Erza managed to put two and two together and came to a realization after a quick deduction. After all, she was the one who instructed him to use her lightning spear as a conduit for his powers, and based on the current condition of the clouds, it could only mean one thing. "You blasted fire into the sky to heat it up, didn't you?" the scarlet-haired girl inquired, "You're going use the lightning in the sky to take him out!"
Alzack's jaw dropped once he had registered had Erza had just spoken of; it was borderline incomprehensible to him. But to Sasuke, he was glad that there was at least someone who could pick up on his cues quickly. "And that's why I need the both of you as far from here as possible" he warned, "Once I unleash this power, there will be nothing left of this place."
Erza nodded in agreement and pulled Alzack away from Sasuke just as he was about to lodge another complaint. But they couldn't get far before a volley of missiles obstructed their path and exploded in front of them. Worse still, it broke off Sasuke's concentration and forced him to duck and weave through the attack until eventually, one stray explosion caught him from behind and sent him tumbling to the ground.
"Sasuke!" Erza cried out and made a break for him together with Alzack.
Not satisfied with just one attack, Marcus pushed the mech into an upright position and began charging up another, powerful purple beam. "This is the end!" he howled, as Ethernano began gathering around the central area of the mech and formed into a large purple sphere. "THIS IS FOR MY BROTHER!" he roared and unleashed a binding beam of purple light that traveled straight for them.
The speed with which the light traveled took Sasuke by surprise. He had no means of defense against it and even if he could channel lightning to enhance his speed and evade, he wouldn't have time to carry both Erza and Alzack. With no other choice, he threw himself in front of the beam, hoping to take the worst of the hit, so that the other two would be spared.
At that moment, time froze again for young Erza. The scarlet warrior looked on as Sasuke once again put himself in danger for her sake; standing in front of her as she watched helplessly from behind. From the time she discovered her magic, their painful exile, to this moment, Sasuke had always been ready to give up everything for her. She gritted her teeth, slammed her fist into the ground, and snarled, "No. Not this time!" With those words, she bolted for Sasuke and pulled him back as she stood in front of them.
"Erza!" the Uchiha yelled, reaching out for her.
"This time, I'll protect you!" she let out a defiant roar as her body began to be enveloped in white until she was covered head to toe in a silver and navy colored armor, adorned with draconic spikes around the shoulders, the helmet, and the joints. Her left and right arm also came in with two heavy shields which she slammed together to form one massive shield that formed an additional magic barrier. "Adamantine armor!"
Once the beam struck the barrier, it held its ground and halted the attack. A struggle ensued between an unstoppable force and an immovable object, with neither side gaining traction for the moment. "Erza, what are you doing?" Sasuke asked with an admonishing tone, while Alzack wordlessly looked on, stunned into silence.
"No time, just do your thing" Erza asserted, baring her teeth and pushing back against the beam with furrowed brows, "I …can't hold this much longer. It's now or never."
In any other situation, he would've pushed her away and thought of a different solution. But this was a desperate moment and it meant sacrifices would have to be made. He wasn't going to let Erza make that daring rescue in vain. With a silent nod, Sasuke summoned electricity in his left hand and raised it up with a determined cry.
"Kirin, come!"
Sparks of lightning began flashing erratically and came about in greater numbers as well. It was as if the very clouds had now bent to Sasuke's will. On his command, the lightning merged together to form a monstrous creature composed of pure electricity; one that matched the mech in size and ferocity. "W-w-w-w-what …i-is ….t-t-t-t-that!" A terrified Alzack pointed, but Sasuke simply ignored it. He had no time to explain, for this jutsu needed his full and undivided attention.
"I'll end this quickly. Begone with the thunderclap"
Lowering his hand, Kirin descended from the heavens above with an inhuman screech and raced its way over to Marcus, whose mechanized head looked up for a split second until everything turned white. A pillar of lightning drilled at the center of where the mechanized body stood as rubble flew everywhere, followed by an ear-splitting bang that nearly ruptured everyone's ears while Erza remained steadfast and protected them with her shield.
It was all over in an instant. What remained of the bridge and the outpost where they stood, disappeared and a crater of rubble appeared in its place. Bursting out of the rubble, Sasuke was first to rise to his feet only to immediately drop to his knees and cough out blood. This was the first time he had unleashed Kirin in such a long time and with only two Tomoe Sharingan as well. If it wasn't for the formula that Ultear had given him, he suspected that he definitely would've collapsed by now or even worse. Regardless, wiping the blood off of his mouth, he began a frantic search for Alzack and Erza, finding the former out cold but unscathed amidst the ruins while the latter was on her knees, breathing heavily from the ordeal. His first priority was to wake Alzack up, which was accomplished by a quick slap to the face, followed by an irritated "Ow!". Once that was done, he immediately made his way over to Erza.
"Deep breaths" he advised her, holding her by the shoulder and slowly lifting her up by slinging her arm across his shoulder once more.
"I didn't know you could do that" Erza said with amazement over what Sasuke had pulled off.
"It's not something I can make a habit of. At least not yet" he answered with a bemused smirk.
Alzack was left speechless by what those two had pulled off. One withstood the power of a miniature beam that could've vaporized them while the other summoned a monster that wiped out everything in its vicinity. Looking down at his gelatinous arms, he realized just how much they were holding back on him and how they were out of his league. All that blustering was rendered for naught as Erza and Sasuke continued with their business.
As they two began to move away, Erza noticed something familiar near the tail end of the bridge on their side. "Sasuke, look over there" she pointed out towards what seemed like a body lying on the ground. Out of curiosity, the three hobbled over to the wreckage of the defeated monster where a large torso was found lying on the ground. "Is that…" Before the words could escape Alzack's mouth, the three of them had realized that it was Marcus' true body: pieces of his armor shattered in various directions including the helmet, while tubes attached to the body lay everywhere. It seemed that when Kirin struck the mech, the impact forcefully ejected him from the mech and flung him across the bridge as well.
Slowly laying Erza down, Sasuke limped his way over to his fallen foe. As he inched closer, he realized that small sparkles of electricity were popping from the body like fireworks. But that was not the worst of it, since parts of the body that had been exposed began burning up and turning into a charred corpse. "I…I loathe you…I despise you!" being reduced to a limbless, charred body on the verge of death did not stop Marcus from cursing out Sasuke's name, who looked on silently, "May you suffer….as much as I did."
"I already have" Sasuke tentatively answered as he knelt down, "Your brother. You'll be seeing him soon, won't you?"
"My…...brother" Marcus, from what little strength he had left, tossed and turned his crisped and burned head.
"What will you tell him?" Sasuke questioned.
, "Re-mus…..Remus….I am ….so…..sorry. I'll …...see…..you…..soon….I hope ...you can forgive...me"
With those last words, the light in Marcus' eyes faded and his body remained still. Carefully outstretching his hand, Sasuke nimbly passed his fingers through Marcus' face, closing his eyes and his mouth. "Be at rest" he invoked, taking a few moments to close his own eyes before rising to his feet and limping away.
As he hobbled towards Erza and Alzack, the two tilted their heads and stared at him with confusion. "What was that?" Alzack asked.
"I put him to rest" Sasuke replied, "It's the least I could do."
Erza blinked at the show of empathy that Sasuke was expressing, especially towards someone like Marcus. "But he tried to kill you. To kill us."
"Because I killed his brother" Sasuke quickly answered, giving pause to both Alzack and Erza. The Uchiha hung his head and gazed intently at his hands, "This feeling of hatred. Of vengeance. I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. Nothing good ever comes of it."
Much like everything he would talk about, nothing Sasuke spoke of ever made much sense to Erza, even back when they were younger. She could guess he was speaking from experience but he would never fully contextualize those stories, so she was always locked out of the loop. Eventually, she learned to simply nod along to whatever story he would make. "Okay then, let's get out of here."
The Uchiha nodded and helped Erza up before assisting her in hobbling away. "We'll head to a lake. Someone's waiting for us there."
"Who's waiting?"
"You'll see."
…..
Unbeknownst to the three as they continued onward to their final push, a figure stalked the hills and watched the fight unfold from a distance. The pain inflicted by Gildarts was temporary, but the top mage had sent Lief flying all the way across the entire fortress. As he recovered from that embarrassing defeat, he chanced upon the events that unfolded just a few moments ago.
The level of destructive power exhibited by this lesser demon caught Lief off guard. When he first encountered him, he thought the fledgling was nothing more than a nuisance, one who was easily dispatched. Yet with each new encounter, this Sasuke had proven to become progressively stronger and stronger. Not only that, he caught the attention of Irene in a way neither he nor his other brethren had before.
It was then that a realization hit him. He recalled Irene mentioned something about an inner darkness and releasing it. Could it have coincided with him showing greater power than before?
"Just what are you?" he murmured, clenching his fists tightly.
"All personnel...run! Just RUN! We're all gonna die!
Like a bolt of lightning, Gildarts pushed himself off of the ground and sprinted towards Irene, launching a punch straight for her. The Scarlet despair raised her staff and blocked the attack just like before, but the after-effect of the punch resounded throughout the battleground, reaching all the way to the nearby mountains and removing bits and pieces of them. Using his strength, he pushed through the staff, sending Irene and himself flying towards a nearby wall.
Irene snapped her finger and invoked a magical circle beneath Gildarts, who jumped back as a pillar of fire erupted from underneath where he previously stood. Once he had his feet on the ground again, Irene guided the pillar of flames and sent it flying toward Gildarts' direction, but as it reached near him, the ace of Fairy Tail reached out his hand and disintegrated the flames. The two locked eyes and sized each other up once more, neither side having the advantage nor utilizing the fullest extent of their power yet.
"I gotta say, you're the first person who's made me break a sweat in a long while" Gildarts confessed, giving out a wry smile.
"So you walk the path of destruction…. I can see why the little duke was making such a fuss about handing you over to his majesty" Irene reciprocated the compliment in her own backhanded way, sending out a smug grin as well, "You're unique. You truly have what it takes to be one of us."
In that instant, Gildarts' smile disappeared from his lips as he vanished in the blink of an eye, only to appear and disappear at intervals next to Irene, causing her eyes to dart all over to keep track of him. Gildarts eventually materialized behind her as he sent out another punch which was predictably blocked by Irene's staff. "Sorry, but I'm not interested in joining a club that tortures kids" he growled as he dug his fists deeper into the staff before vanishing again. Irene blinked as she heard a whizzing sound above her, imploring her to look up and see Gildarts slamming his hand down on her. "Here comes the big cheese!" he shouted.
"I can pull off the disappearing act as well" Irene quietly noted and made herself unavailable in a flash of white light, just as Gildarts' crush magic vaporized what was left of the ground. Gildarts' eyes widened as he frantically looked everywhere for signs of Irene. "Over here" she taunted, floating above him high in the air as she twirled her staff and summoned a large number of swords. "Requiem Maledictus," she said as she sent the swords flying towards Gildarts, who punched each and every one of them, shattering them to pieces in the process.
Clicking her tongue and biting her lip, Irene raised her staff forward and invoked another spell, "Sanctus Diabolicus". Magic circles began forming around Gildarts and forcibly stretched out his limbs, trapping him in place.
"A binding spell!?" Gildarts exclaimed as he bared his fangs and tensed every muscle in his body to escape his imprisonment.
"Lux Macto" Irene invoked another spell and summoned a gigantic white orb, roughly as big as the fortress itself, and launched it towards Gildarts, who was still struggling to break free of her binding spell.
Seeing the massive projectile descending towards him, Gildarts' eyes widened before he furrowed his brow and snarled as he channeled every last bit of power he had until he eventually shattered the seals that held his arms before freeing his legs. Once out of the clutches of her spell, Gildarts concentrated his crush magic onto his right hand and readied himself for when the ball of light appeared next to him. "Crushing Evil, Spreading Truth: Empyrean!" he released a cry and smashed his fist straight into the orb, disintegrating it and unleashing a powerful gust of wind in its aftermath.
"It seems I struck a nerve" Irene taunted, while remaining high up in the air. Admittedly, even she was impressed with his tenacity.
"So, what the hell did you want with those kids?" Gildarts demanded an answer, pointing at Irene.
"The boy was a failed experiment that somehow defied his fate. I had to correct that mistake" Irene began, alluding to Sasuke based on what she assumed he was, "As for the girl. She was the perfect vessel, my key to freedom from this cursed existence."
Her answer did not bring solace to Gildarts, rather it only heightened his contempt towards her as he glared at her. "You're one sick woman, you know that?" the veteran mage called her out and growled, cracking his knuckles as he prepared another attack.
"Enough of this! I grow tired of these charades" Irene raised her face up with her eyes lowered as she released her staff and made it levitate in the air before forcing it to float in a horizontal position. Suddenly, the entire fortress ground began to glow crimson red taking Gildarts by surprise once more. Eventually, the red aura began to envelop even the surrounding mountain ranges until nothing that Gildarts could see was left untouched. "Holy Judge of the Heavenly Principles: Requiem Aeternam"
A gargantuan fist emerged from the ground; to be more accurate, the entire fortress comprised the hand, forcing Gildarts to run across the giant fist until he was safely on solid ground once more all the while screaming bodies were flying everywhere while the airships frantically left the premise. The rest of the body emerged and consumed most of the mountain range of the island as material. From its design, it resembled a statue of a woman with a wreath crowned upon its head. One hand was empty while the other held a sword in hand; the sword in question even glowing in a green aura.
Deep in the jungle, the earth shook so violently, that the resident wildlife began feeling away, these strings of earthquakes had become far too much of a common occurrence within such a short, yet rapid frame of time. As Sasuke, Erza, and Alzack struggled to maintain their balance, the three of them looked back to see what had happened to the mountains to have caused such a commotion, only to discover that half of the mountains no longer existed, leaving two of them with their jaws dropped.
"Hehe, we're so screwed, aren't we" Alzack chuckled, his whole body felt like jelly while his knees nearly buckled from the mere sight of the humanoid monster.
Just as the young gunslinger was about to drop to the ground, Sasuke grabbed him by his poncho and pulled him close. "Move!" he ordered and pushed him forward, as he held onto Erza who also gave Alzack a determined nod. "Keep moving forward! Don't look back, no matter what!"
As the Uchiha helped a wounded Erza through the forest, a thought raced through his mind. He may have put on a tough front for Alzack and Erza's sake, but even he had to admit that they were on a timer. The climax of the final battle was about to commence and they had to leave before they were caught in the middle of two monsters battling it out.
The mountainous titan brought down its right fist onto Gildarts, who held it back with his bare hands, but not before a solid chunk of the earth was shattered around his feet. He was akin to a ladybug next to a human, yet, despite the sheer difference in size, he was able to stop it from crushing him completely. However, the struggle was one which even he seemingly could not hold on forever as his face began sweating profusely while he gritted his teeth and his eyes looked like they were about to pop out from the sheer intensity in his face.
The struggle eventually culminated with Gildarts placing both hands on the statue's fist and with a thunderous roar, dismantling it piece by piece until a million blocks of tiny cubes fell from the sky. With one arm remaining, the statue stood beside Irene, waiting for its next order. "From the look on your face, I can tell you despise me for what I said about those children, but don't be fooled; one of them is nothing like the other" Irene acknowledged the prowess displayed by Gildarts and the intensity he now displayed, possibly from her comments on the two children, "So you think of yourself as their father?"
"Those kids have gone through a lot…. I can tell from the look in their eyes. But even so, they're pushing themselves to make the world better a place; the same world we screwed up" Gildarts raised his head up high, as he relaxed his hands for a moment before taking a deep breath and clamping them tightly, one of them glowing pure white "What I want more than anything else, is to make them remember that no matter how bad things get, there's always good in this world. And trust me! Trust me! When I say that I'll do anything to protect them! Even if it means….MY LIFE!"
"Then let's finish this" Irene goaded at Gildarts, pointing her hand towards him, to which the titan answered by raising its sword and slowly thrusting it at Gildarts.
"My thoughts exactly! Purifying Truth: Absolute Heaven!" His left hand glowed bright white as he condensed all of his crushed magic onto it. Recoiling it back and waiting for the sword to come to him. Once it had drawn near, Gildarts thrust himself off of the ground and flew straight at the sword. At the last possible second, he propelled his left hand forward and collided with the magical blade.
In that instant, the whole world seemed to disappear in a flash of white light.
Things were going from bad to worse, that much was clear to Ultear. It started with an earthquake and a thunderstorm that appeared out of nowhere, and then it escalated to the point that a mountain-sized colossus now stood atop the mountain ranges. Whatever was going on in there, she could only assume things could only get much, much worse. Anxiously waiting at the observation deck, she tapped the floor and looked at the time on the pocket watch every few seconds that she could: time was running out.
Just when things seemed bleak, Ultear glanced at the shorelines once more, hoping to get a glimpse of their arrival, and much to her relief, found three figures slowly making their way down from the upper coast. Running to the edge of the deck, she took out her spyglass and squinted her eyes to assess who they were. From what she could see, there were Sasuke, Erza, and Alzack, the former two seemingly injured and limping their way while holding each other for balance. Putting her spyglass back, she raised up her hand, jumped in the air, and yelled, "Hey, over here!"
Her calls did not go unnoticed, although, by that point, the three of them had already discovered the airship, given that it was visible enough from the coastline. "Is that Tatiana?" Erza pondered, equal parts surprised and relieved.
"Looks like we'll be out of here after all" Alzack added, with a smile that put him at ease. His good fortune, however, did not stop there as his hand began to glow once more eliciting a panicked breath from him as he stared at his hands. Once the glowing had stopped, he breathlessly stared at his arms, no longer composed of a gelatinous substance but had now returned to being of bone, flesh, and blood. "It's back…..." he murmured, with tears in his eyes while Erza and Sasuke observed with bated breath. "My hands are back!" he cried out, jumping up and down in tearful joy.
Sadly, this miracle was but a prelude to a disaster of titanic proportions. Ultear was the first to take notice, lowering her hand as she gasped at the sight of what she was witnessing. Erza, Sasuke, and Alzack also felt the disturbance and turned around, finding out much to their horror, that the titan had disappeared along with the entire mountain range of the island, followed by a rippling effect that reverberated from what was once the alpine ranges of the island, all the way to the coast, bringing along with it a deafening crash akin to a volcanic eruption.
The sheer force of the explosion nearly sent the trio flying, while the airship that was parked on the lake was rocked violently by waves. The island itself was being split apart with long cracks forming from the ground, leaving behind large crevices that would almost certainly be fatal.
Thinking quickly, Ultear raised her hand and channeled all of her magic power towards the coast that was about to crack apart, pulling them back into their previous form, an act that astounded Erza and Alzack. "What is she doing?" Erza wondered, having never witnessed such magic before.
"Giving us time" the Uchiha gave out his answer, cueing her to focus on what was important at the moment. Yet nothing was ever so simple, for when one problem was held back, more came forth. The skies of the island were now filled to the brim with chunks of the mountain ranges, descending on the coast like fiery rain. Each collision left devastation in their wake as Sasuke, Erza, and Alzack hurried over to the airship to the best of their abilities. Having recovered his arms and taken the least amount of damage, Alzack took over Sasuke's duty of carrying Erza.
As they hobbled to the shoreline, the trio had the misfortune of being struck from behind by a stray boulder, sending them flying and tumbling to the rocky beach. Whimpering in pain, the three of them struggle to recover, with Alzack being the first to get to his feet. But as he tried to aid Sasuke and Erza, more pieces of the mountain descended upon them like meteors. With their current physical state and Ultear preoccupied with making sure the coast didn't collapse, it seemed they were prime to be crushed by them.
But just when all hope seemed lost, an enormous monster emerged from the lake, its body seemingly composed of pure water. The leviathan's composition resembled that of a whale as it began swallowing up all of the rocks or smashing them with its sheer size. Erza, Sasuke, and Alzack looked on with wonder as they continued swimming in the sky, keeping an eye out for any more stray meteors. It was at that point that another figure emerged and walked towards them from the other side of the shore.
"You? Did you do this?" Erza inquired, to which Lief answered with a nod. Lacking any evidence, she skeptically looked towards Sasuke for confirmation.
"I've seen his magic, it's definitely something he can do" he answered.
"But why?" Erza asked again, fixing her gaze on Lief, "Why would you help us?"
In response, Lief removed the mask that had been covering his mouth and pointed towards Sasuke. "Even enemies can show respect" he answered, a tone far gentler than the cold demeanor he usually carried while his eyes were kept firmly at Sasuke, "Don't you think so?"
Sasuke had no idea where this change in attitude came from. Before this, he was either dismissive or hostile towards him. His face livened as a thought came over him. "You've been watching us all this time, haven't you?" he asked, to which Lief simply nodded. If that was the case, then it started to make more sense.
"You comforted Marcus in his final moments. Consider this my token of gratitude" the demon stated, tossing the mask over to Sasuke, who caught it and quickly glanced over it alongside Erza and Alzack before looking back at Lief. "Keep it."
"Before you go, I want to ask you something" Lief continued.
"Go ahead" Sasuke responded.
"You were supposed to be nothing more than a reject. A failed experiment while I was the one that succeeded" he began, pacing back and forth along the shores as the whale hovered above him, keeping them all safe for the moment. "Yet, she spared your life when she had the chance to end your life. You…. someone who's insignificant and weak made Lady Irene take pause and reconsider your life. But even more than that, you made her do something I never thought I would see: Lady Irene shed tears for you, the so-called failure. Why?"
As they watched him ramble, Erza whispered to Sasuke with a confused look. "What is he talking about?"
"I'll explain later" he whispered back.
"You don't need to answer this question. This is a question I'll figure it out myself" Lief continued droning on before finally standing still and facing Sasuke again, "But answer me this; how strong can you get?"
"More than you know" The Uchiha answered.
"Stronger than this?" Lief prodded.
"Yes," Sasuke replied.
"Good" Lief nodded as he raised his hand and tightened his right fist, "Then I'll wait. Wait for you to get your left eye back, to get stronger. And when the time is right, you and I will fight each other to the death. And in that moment, I'll prove to Lady Irene that I'm better than you in every conceivable way." With a wave of his hand, Lief turned his back on them and began walking away as the whale dove back into the water and the skies were clear once more.
As the three of them looked on as Lief distanced himself from them, there was a twinkle in the sky and a whizzing sound that grew louder and louder until it crashed into the front of them with a loud bang, creating a hole at its epicenter. Limping over to the sight, Erza's face brightened with a smile as she saw who had crashed into that hold, "Gildarts!"
Gildarts rubbed his forehead and grumbled as he pushed himself off of the ground. "Yup…...think I've had enough. She's a little too much right now" he sarcastically quipped as he began climbing out of the hole.
To Alzack, what this man had just pulled off was incomprehensible. "You…you fought a Shield of Spriggan! And lived! You've gotta be some kind of monster!"
"I don't know about that kid" Gildarts smiled and placed on Alzack's shoulder before grabbing him, Erza, and Sasuke and lifting them up, drawing out a gasp of surprise. "But what I do know, is that we need to get out of here and I'm starving."
Sasuke bit his lip and silently grumbled in disgust overhearing the grumbling of Gildarts' stomach, given that he was near it. Fortunately, he didn't have to bear it for long as the veteran mage launched himself off of the ground, carrying the three of them with him, and landed on the observation deck of the airship with a crashing thud.
"Took you long enough" Ultear gave an annoyed huff as she ran over to the control room. Slowly but surely, the engines of the ship began humming as the wings lifted themselves from the waters. The thrusters burned with fire as the ship started to lift itself off the lake and into the open waters. "Hang tight" Ultear shouted as the airship moved towards the clouds.
The cool sea breeze blowing past their faces was a feeling unlike anything they had felt. After everything they had been through, it felt like a luxury. Erza and Alzack lay down on the floor and looked up at the clear blue sky. "It's over" she giggled, but it soon became an infectious laughter that caused Alzack to join in. Meanwhile, Talyn continued soaring around them, keeping an ever-vigilant watch.
On the other side, Sasuke sat down and rested against the deck wall. Looking forward, he could see the island and the clear devastation that had been wrought upon it by Gildarts and Irene. As the view became smaller, his thoughts returned to that moment when Irene refrained from killing him, when she shed tears for him just like Lief had said. In all honesty, he barely had time to process it at that time considering the situation but now, given everything that had happened, he was just confused. What was she to him? A mother? A shadow of his mother? A remnant who carried over the life of Mikoto Uchiha? Someone to remind him of his mistakes? The more important question was, what was he? Hagoromo's words were vague yet Irene's statement stung him. Staring at his hand, Sasuke knew that this current body was not born out of a mother's womb, but created out of memory. An unnatural defect? Was he really Sasuke?
"I heard what you did out there" his thoughts were interrupted by Gildarts, who was sitting next to him. "You were pretty brave out there, Sasuke. I'm proud of you" With a gentle smile, Gildarts rested his hand on the boy's head. They were firm, fitting for someone as powerful as he was, yet for Sasuke, there was also a feeling of warmth, a gentleness that could be felt from the way those rough palms brushed against the top of his head. It was in moments like these, beneath all the blustering and absent-mindedness, that he saw the real Gildarts. The man who makes the impossible possible, the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail, and a second father to all the youngsters there. Even if he wasn't the real Sasuke, those memories of him remained and it evokes feelings of when Fugaku praised his son for the first time in his life.
The once magnificent mountain ranges of the island had now been reduced to what resembled a few mesas scattered across. Any trace of the research facility had vanished, buried deep within the remnants of the alpine ranges. It would take several years of excavations to even salvage what was left of it. With that knowledge in mind and probably the ire of Wall, Irene sighed as she stood at the deck of the ship, overseeing the evacuation of whoever survived her battle with Gildarts as they scrambled for whatever boat and ship remained operational.
The man certainly gave her a tough fight but even if she had seemingly emerged the victory there was nothing to savor. It felt like she had lost something as her thoughts wandered to that moment when she spared that boy. What baffled her even more was the fact that a strong feeling of grief overcame her and caused her to shed a tear for someone she had only met a few times before.
"I told you he was fascinating, didn't I?" the scarlet despair was cut off from her pondering by the very same individual who had advised her on this course of action in the first place.
"Selphia" she greeted as the green-haired demigod stood beside her. "I assume you advised me on this because you knew of the outcome?"
"I knew of the possibilities, not of the outcome" Selphia corrected as she shook her head, "Besides, I only showed you the probabilities. It was you who chose which course of action to take."
"That may be, but I clearly remember you admitting to doing this out of amusement" Irene pointed out.
"Yes, that is true" Selphia gave a defeated sigh, "Overseeing the fate of mortals is such an arduous task. I wanted to see some excitement, some drama. And you all delivered!"
"I'm glad my plight has been a source of entertainment for you" Irene smirked as she pointed her finger towards the demigod and her body glowed in a red aura, "But I also remember you saying that you cannot interfere in mortal affairs lest you lose your powers. So, in return for entertaining you, I believe I'll take something else from you."
In that instant, Selphia paused as her face broadened. " Y-you wouldn't do that, would you?" she stammered, raising her hands up in a gesture indicative of a surrender.
"Why not? After all, I could simply conjure up a few god slayer magic with my enhancement and I've always wanted to know what it's like to kill a god."
Selphia could only scratch her head and let out a weak laugh as she waited for Irene to deliver the first shot. Of course, she could just as easily stop time, but there was little she could actually do against Irene, and being a half-god had its disadvantages as well. But the attack never came, instead, Irene lowered her hand and released a giggle of her own.
"I see you still have your sick sense of humor, Miss Irene." Sephia moaned and shrugged. "So, what will you do now?"
"Me? I'll return to Alvarez and await orders from his majesty. He and Wall Eetho may not be pleased by this turn of events, this was his island after all" Irene answered, her face looking up at the sky as the ships began departing, "But there is a war brewing on the horizon and it won't be long before the two continents are engaged in it. But I'm certain you've foreseen that in your possibilities too, yes?"
"I think I've had enough fun for a while, so I'll keep that to myself" Selphia admitted with a nervous laughter, "I'll be off now, Miss Irene."
As the demigod disappeared, Irene looked up at the sky as the island started to become a distant memory.
"Sasuke, Erza. I wonder what will become of the two of you by then"
Several hours had passed since their escape from the island and the blue sky was eventually replaced by the twinkling stars in the night sky. Inside one of the compartmentalized rooms of the airship, Ultear was busy with a few pieces of cloth, bandages, and other items on hand. "I'm coming in" she announced as she pushed the door open with her shoulder and barged in, only to realize that the occupant was fast asleep.
Blinking at first, Ultear got her bearings and carefully placed the items next to a small table near the bed, where Sasuke was dozing off in a seated position, his back facing the wall. "He's all tuckered out" she noted as she slowly approached him, "Guess all that fighting finally took its toll on him."
She was amazed by his tenacity and willingness to keep fighting despite the odds. As she inched closer to him, a smile formed on her face as she reached out for his face and softly parted his front hair. "You know, you're actually kind of cute when you're not scowling all the time."
But just as she was beginning to enjoy the sight, something came over her that caused her to immediately reel back and press her hand against her heart as she hung her head and lowered her eyes. The wounds on his body, and his missing left eye; were all a grim reminder that no matter who did it to him, she was the catalyst that caused all of it in the first place. She was the reason why he suffered so much, the reason why this whole mess happened in the first place. All to satiate her ambition.
"How is he?" Erza's voice asked from behind.
Recouping her self-control, Ultear let out a cough and turned back. "He's doing alright, but he'll need to get to a hospital as soon as you get back."
"I see," Erza said as she lowered her eyes, "He's been through a lot, hasn't he?"
"More than you know" Ultear added with a distraught hitch in her voice, "He fought harder than you could ever imagine, went through hell just to protect you. I wanted you to know that."
"I know" Erza nodded with a pained smile as she walked over to her, "And I'd do the same for him."
For Ultear, the closeness the both of them shared was admirable, to say the least. "You two really are close huh? You're always together like glue" she pointed out, even though she had probably witnessed it firsthand a long time ago, back in the tower of heaven. "So, what's he to you anyway?" she asked, her hands behind her back.
"We've been close since we were little kids" Erza began, placing a finger on her chin before slowly lowering Sasuke to lie down in a prone position on his bed as she covered him with a blanket, "He was the first real friend I had and I spent a lot of time with him. But he also taught me how to fight, how to survive and also scolded me if I screwed up. So, I guess you could say that he's like an older brother I never had."
"An older brother…." Ultear repeated her words and pondered on it. As she gave it some thought, it started to make sense as to why they were so protective of each other. Looking at Erza with a firm gaze, she spoke again, "Then as his little sister, you should do your best to take care of him. It's obvious he's got a lot on his plate, just be there for him so he doesn't fall over."
"I know" Erza gave out a tired sigh, knowing full well how reckless and self-destructive Sasuke could be when it came to protecting others. That missing eye was proof of that. "But thanks for saying that, Tatiana."
That name evoked from tired exhale from Ultear. "You … don't need to call me that anymore."
"What?" Erza blinked.
"My name. It's Ultear, Ultear Milkovich, not Tatiana. That was just an alias I used to go undercover." Ultear answered.
"Ultear" Erza uttered that name once more before giggling, "I like it."
"Thanks" Ultear smiled back. This was the closest she had ever gotten to opening up to someone and it was just her revealing her true name. There was much she still kept from Erza such as the identity of her real benefactors, her actual objectives on this mission, and what she had obtained from this place. But the less she knew, the better. For someday, there would come a time when she might have to clash with her, once their allegiances became clear.
Her chest felt heavy, and the beating of her heart was as profound as ever. Even her head felt a little dizzy from all of this. This feeling of guilt was one she was no stranger to, considering all the things she had done and it was even worse, with the two of them. But her dream of creating the grand magic world and finding that lost happiness came first and foremost above everything else. And by that point, all their suffering would have meant something in the end. And so, Ultear marched on, her ambition driving her to reach that goal, which moved closer in sight with every step she took.
"Whoa, you guys look like crap" Gray spoke first.
"Tell me about it" Cana followed up.
"Too much to handle, Erza?" Mirajane taunted with a big grin on her face.
"Not on your life Mira" Erza retorted.
Sitting on one of the bar stools were four individuals who had just returned from one very long, very arduous mission, one of whom was a brand-new addition to the guild, each with their own varying degrees of injuries. Starting from Alzack and Gildarts, both of whom got off with only a few scratches and bruises and Alzack having even recovered from his bee sting to Erza, whose hands and head were covered in bandages. And then there was Sasuke, who was enveloped head to toe in bandages like a mummified corpse whose body was on the brink of falling apart and who now needed a crutch by his side.
"In any case, I'm relieved to see you all back in one piece" Makarov chimed in as he gingerly strolled towards them. Observing each of them, the old man finally stopped at Gildarts and spoke again, "I presume you ran into some complications"
Gildarts looked towards Erza and Sasuke before hanging his head and grumbling, "Don't get me started. It's a long story, but I think you'll wanna hear it from the both of them too."
"And I will, after they've rested properly" the old man answered before he continued his walk towards Alzack and carefully observed him. "Hmm, and what about you?"
Alzack stammered a bit in the presence of the Guild Master as he scratched the back of his head, "W-well, I don't really have anywhere else to go right now and I'm technically a traitor to my country now. They'll probably get a big wanted poster for me there and Erza said I could stay here and join up with you."
"I see" Makarov noted, rubbing his chin before smiling, "If that is the case, you're more than welcome to join us."
Alzack blinked and was taken aback by the old man's frank disposition towards him. "Wait, just like that?" he tried to validate.
"Just like that," Makarov affirmed, "I may not know of your story yet, but everyone here has a tale of their own and sought to find their own place in this world. I hope this guild can provide you with one."
The gunslinger blinked again before looking over at Gildarts, Erza, and Sasuke, all of whom gave an encouraging nod. Admittedly, this place felt quite warm and welcoming, which was a stark contrast to the brutish mercenary companies he had been with all his life. "I don't know what to say" he rubbed his head before looking at everyone, "Thank you. All of you."
His answer was met with jubilations and a few eager faces who surrounded him and enthusiastically greeted him. "Well, isn't this just nice" Gildarts smiled as he looked on.
"I think so too," Erza said.
Natsu and Gray were the first to join in on the greeting as they put their arms around him. "I know we just met, but I wanna know, how strong are you?" Natsu asked.
"Were you the one who did that Erza?" Mirajane grinned.
"Mira" Lisanna chided him.
"Now, now kids. Before he can answer all of that, he'll need to put on this first" Gildarts unfurled his cape and revealed the symbol on his chest, right where the heart should be. Alzack was in awe as he saw the insignia on the others as well.
"Indeed" Makarov agreed, as he reached out his hand towards Alzack, who reciprocated, "Welcome to Fairy Tail"
While most of the younger members were surrounding Alzack, Sasuke, and Erza sat on the sidelines, content to witness it from a distance as they usually did. Not that they could do much given their current physical state. "It's nice that we got him on board," Erza said, watching Alzack getting introduced to the other members, "Don't you think?"
"Yeah," Sasuke blankly answered, causing Erza to face him. The way he seemed to space out into the distance gave her cause for concern because it usually meant he was deep in some thought.
"Is something bothering you?" she inquired.
Sasuke took a deep breath and began speaking, "I wanted to ask you something. If I told you that I'm just someone who thinks he's Sasuke, what would you do? What if the person you're talking to right now isn't the real Sasuke? That you've never actually met the real Sasuke your whole life but just his shadow."
Erza was a bit bewildered, hearing him say all of these things to say the least. What did he mean about him not being the 'real' Sasuke? That she probably never met the 'true' Sasuke. Was this a crisis of identity? Or another secret of his that he wouldn't fully elaborate on even if she tried to. Yet, even so, she only acknowledged this question with a soft smile as she dropped from her seat and walked over to him, her beaming grin confusing him.
"I don't know what's going on here to make you think like this," she said, reaching out her hand and fixing his eyepatch, "But even if you're not the 'real' Sasuke. I still like the one in front of me. You're the only Sasuke I know of. You're my friend" Her thoughts were on those moments, from that day they first met, when he accepted her, took care of her, and befriended her in his own way. The times she shared with him were the happiest she had in a long while.
"Erza" he softly whispered; his eye wide open.
Once she was done fixing his eyepatch, Erza pulled back and beamed a smile, "There's no one else like you Sasuke. Even if you don't believe it, I do. I hope you realize that."
Tracing his finger through the empty eye where his patch was covered, he felt like he was on the verge of breaking down. Sasuke quickly wiped away anything that might form in his right eye and looked at Erza once more with a hitch in his voice, "Thank you, Erza."
AN: I'll be taking a break from this fic for a short while so I can focus on another fanfic I'm writing. Don't worry, I'll be back quickly.
Also, I wanted to know, how would you guys feel about fanart, at least for Sasuke and some of the OCs in this fic? At least that way, you'll get a better idea of how they might look like. If you all do want that kind of stuff, where should I post it? I can't promise good art, but I can draw a bit.
Got maybe two to three more arcs and some fillers here and there before the main timeline begins. I already got storyboard, the summary and an epic fight scene in mind for the final arc of this 'prequel' if you can call it.
Thanks for all the love and support you guys and gals have been giving this fic for the last four years. I don't think I'll abandon this one.