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Harry ran toward the sound of battle with his friends hot on his heels. In the distance, Harry could see geysers shoot above the rocky landscape. Flying overhead was Lisanna and Elfman, but after the demon split them up, Harry lost sight of them.
Fawkes, who flew above Harry and his group, squawked, losing his balance in the air. {Lisanna got hit and crashed into the water with Elfman!} he shouted, giving Harry a headache.
Harry gritted his teeth and scaled the rocky terrain, Natsu and Wendy quickly following. He didn't bother to see if the rest were coming; therefore, he hadn't noticed they paused before climbing the rocks.
Once the black lake was in sight, Harry whipped his wand and used the spell he saw Dumbledore use when fighting Voldemort back in the Ministry of Magic. The water formed into a rushing sphere and levitated a few meters above ground.
"Accio: Lisanna and Elfman!" Harry cast while keeping a constant hold on the ball of water. Two forms broke the water's surface and flew toward Harry's team. Natsu caught Lisanna with little effort, but Macao and Wakaba collapsed when they prevented Elfman from hitting the rough ground.
Once their guildmates were out of harm's way, Harry summoned FiendFyre. The cursed fire snake formed around the sphere of rushing water and attacked via biting. They aimed for the demon, but the poisonous black water exploded upon contact; however, this caused the Etherious to be exposed.
Hihebi went in for the kill, but as his attack was about to hit, Harry saw a small rock hit the demon, causing the enemy to vanish. Hihebi crashed into the ground, kicking off rocks and dirt and causing the earth to tremble.
Hihebi got up and looked around, hissing in confusion. Harry sighed. ~He's gone, Hihebi. A Portkey took him away.~
The fire snake hissed in disappointment.
Natsu, Macao, and Wakaba lay the brother and sister duo on the stern ground parallel to each other. Harry and Wendy stepped forward and knelt next to their downed guildmates. Harry waved his wand over Elfman and Lisanna, removing all the water from the lungs. Wendy glared at him when he tried to go fast, saying he needed to slow down so he wouldn't hurt them.
Harry blushed but continued to slowly extract the water. When Lisanna's lungs were clear of water, Wendy got to work on curing her. She would still glare at Harry if he moved too quickly while helping Elfman.
The second Wendy was done healing Lisanna, the white-haired young woman opened her eyes. A groan escaped her lips as she lifted her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. Lisanna locked eyes with Wendy first.
"You okay?" Wendy asked softly, her eyes shining with worry.
"Yeah…" Lisanna said, her voice croaking. "What happened?"
Harry leaned into her line of sight. "We were on our way when you and Elfman fell into poisonous water. I was able to save you and get the demon to retreat."
"I was the one to catch you!" Natsu exclaimed proudly with a wide grin, causing Lisanna to turn her gaze to see him.
"Natsu? Oh yeah, now I remember. I thought I saw something pink," Lisanna mumbled, but they still understood her.
A deep groan sounded next to Lisanna, causing everyone to turn to Elfman, whose face wrinkled as he slowly woke.
"Hey, big guy," said Castor. "You okay?"
"Y-yeah…" Elfman replied, but he groaned again, sounding pained.
"Let's wait here for a few minutes," said Harry. "That way, these two can recover. Once they do, we need to find the others."
"Can you sense where they are?" asked Macao.
"I feel Gajeel, Panther Lily, and Levy's life forces that way."
"I wonder who they're fighting?" questioned Wendy. "I can hear explosions coming from that direction."
"That, and I can hear the sound of rubble," added Natsu.
{Explosions? I guess we don't have to worry much for Gajeel then,} said Fawkes.
{Levy would still be in trouble,} said Harry.
{She can use her magic to create a small bunker if needed.}
Harry rolled his eyes at Fawkes' lack of concern.
The group waited ten minutes, and Lisanna and Elfman were back on their feet. Despite his shakiness, Elfman assured them he could keep up.
{If he can't, I'll carry him,} Fawkes offered, surprising Harry.
{That's nice of you,} Harry said with a smile.
Fawkes rolled his eyes. {We don't need to waste any more time. While Gajeel is strong, some of our other guildmates aren't.}
Harry sighed. He should have guessed Fawkes was going to say something like that. How had he never noticed how sassy his familiar was while still in Hogwarts? The wizard shook his head and turned to the others. "Let's get moving."
The rest nodded and followed the sounds of battle echoing in the distance.
As soon as they landed in the ruins of some unknown, ancient town, Gajeel dragged Levy behind him and scanned his surroundings. He smelled someone there, but they hid behind the remains of houses. He was going to attack, but before he could, an explosion destroyed the home next to him and rocked the ground.
Levy screamed in shock, sending a jolt of worry through Gajeel's heart. He skipped asking questions and ran over to her. The dragon slayer grabbed Levy in a firm hold and jumped out of the way of another explosion.
When Gajeel landed, he saw a blond young man with dog-like ears and tail. The demon had a broad, sharp grin spreading from ear to ear.
Gajeel set Levy down, but he never took his eyes off of his opponent. "Find someplace to hide," he ordered.
Levy scoffed, "I'm not going anywhere! I can fight."
"We don't know anything about this guy."
"We know he can use explosions. Besides, have we ever known what powers our enemies had before we fought them? Let alone how strong?"
Gajeel gritted his teeth, knowing that Levy made a good argument, but he hated the idea of seeing the blue-haired girl hurt. He noticed Panther Lily was hiding behind the dog-like demon, and he immediately thought of ways Levy could help without her being on the frontline.
"Alright, but you are support. Lily and I got this guy," said Gajeel with a feral grin, feeling the girl's eyes rolling behind him.
The wind blew through the destroyed buildings, creating a whistling effect. Gajeel, Levy, and Panther Lily squared off against their enemy. The wind carried a faint scent of impending battle as the three Fairy Tail members exchanged determined glances. Gajeel saw Panther Lily nod as he got ready to attack. The demon's maniacal grin hinted at the chaos he planned to unfold.
The clash began with a ferocious explosion as their opponent sent a barrage of explosive blasts toward them. Gajeel leaped forward, forming iron scales over his body to absorb the blasts and shield Levy. Smoke and debris scattered through the air, but Gajeel's sharp teeth flashed. His blood pumped in his veins as he realized the demon was powerful.
As the dust cleared, the demon charged forward with incredible speed, his limbs crackling with ominous energy. Gajeel met him head-on, iron fists clashing against the enthereous' explosive attacks. The ground beneath them trembled as the two fighters pushed against each other, fist meeting fist, blow for blow.
Levy, her eyes filled with determination, used her Solid Script magic to create a temporary barrier between Gajeel and their enemy, buying them precious seconds. She then turned her attention to Panther Lily, nodding to let him know to attack. The Exceed's muscles bulged, and he leaped into action, flying toward the demon with a panther's swiftness on the hunt.
Panther Lily and Gajeel coordinated their attacks. Panther Lily's oversized, sharp sword clashed with his opponent's explosion, causing sparks to fly and Panther Lily to stumble back. Gajeel took advantage of the distraction, using his Iron Dragon Slayer magic to deliver a powerful punch to the demon's side. The impact sent the etherious sprawling, his laughter temporarily silenced.
Seizing the opportunity, Levy continued to support her teammates. She gave Gajeel steel to help replenish his strength with her script. With their combined efforts, Gajeel and Panther Lily relentlessly pressed their assault, pummeling their enemy from all sides.
Despite the demon's earlier advantage, the tables had turned. The foe's confident demeanor wavered as Gajeel, Levy, and Panther Lily fought as a cohesive unit. The etherious struggled to keep up with their teamwork, and slowly, their attacks began to wear him down.
Gajeel delivered a final crushing blow, sending the dog-demon crashing into a nearby wall, earning an outraged cry from his opponent. The ruins fell into an eerie silence as the dust settled, showing that the demon had retreated.
Levy, Gajeel, and Panther Lily shared triumphant smiles before giving each other fist bumps.
"We did it!" Levy cheered, but Gajeel noticed how her body shook.
"You okay?" he asked.
Levy nodded. "Yeah, I'm just calming down from the blood rush."
Panther Lily walked up to the two. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Levy. How about you, Gajeel?"
"I'm fine, but that guy did crack through my scales." Gajeel lifted his arm to show the small gash he got during his fight.
"When did that happen?" Levy asked, sounding concerned.
"When it seemed we were evenly matched," Gajeel replied uncaringly.
"Well, he was a formidable opponent," said Panther Lily.
"If you say so…" said Levy, not taking her eyes off Gajeel's wound. "Here." She wrote 'bandage' in the air, creating a long strip of cloth. She took it into her hands and gently wrapped Gajeel's injury. "I wish my magic could create disinfectant cream, but…" she shrugged her shoulder as she sighed in disappointment, "this is the best I can do for now."
Gajeel felt his heart flutter like the beating of butterfly wings. He turned away his gaze and muttered a thank you to the girl beside him.
"Hey! I found them!" The three mages snapped their attention toward the female voice. They found Wendy smiling and waving at them while a handful of their friends came into view from behind a ruined chapel.
"You guys okay?" asked Harry, concerned.
"We're fine!" replied Levy.
"See? I told you they would be!" Natsu said with a grin at Harry, who rolled his eyes.
The two groups meet in front of the chapel. "Gajeel, you're bleeding!" Wendy said scoldingly, glaring down at the bandage-covered wound on Gajeel's arm.
The Iron Dragon Slayer shrugged. "This is nothing. Even Salamander could do worse to me than this."
Fawkes chirped, causing Harry to laugh softly and shake his head. A small part of Gajeel wondered what the flame bird had said. Apparently, so did Levy because she voiced the question to Harry.
"Fawkes was just saying that Gajeel should be glad that my old nurse, Madam Pomfrey, isn't here to hear him say that. She would have Gajeel strapped to a bed and never let him up until he's fully healed," Harry answered with a slight upturn of his lips. Levy nodded like she understood what Harry was talking about. Gajeel could only assume that 'Madam Pomfrey' was similar to Porlyusica. God, he hoped not!
Meanwhile, during Harry's explanation, Wendy had healed the cut of Gajeel's arm without his notice. He growled at her, but Wendy didn't bat an eye at his attempt to scare her off. He scoffed, 'She got too used to Fairy Tail,' he thought, not that he was complaining.
Harry looked at everyone and nodded. "I think our group grew enough to split and search for the rest of our guildmates."
Levy looked around, too, and agreed. "We can make two groups of seven. How should we split us up?" she asked.
"We should split into balanced groups," said Harry. "So I'll take Natsu, Castor, Romeo, Wakaba, Macao, and Fawkes. So that's five fighters, a support, and a healer. The rest goes with Gajeel's team."
"So I get Levi for support, Lily, Elfman, and Lisanna as fighters, Wendy and Carla are healers/fighters? How's that balanced?"
"I'm mostly the acting support for my team," said Harry. "Also, two of my fighters are kids."
Gajeel swallowed his protest. Harry only had one good fighter in his group, while Gajeel had himself and Elfman as good fighters. He guessed Lisanna was okay, so Harry was at a disadvantage. "Alright, you made your point."
"Then let's get a move on!" Natsu said, already running off to the left of his group.
"Gajeel, go down the path behind you. I sense Cana and Juvia that way," said Harry while waving his hand in said direction.
"Right, you should catch up with Salamander." Harry nodded and quickly followed after Natsu and his team. Gajeel turned to his group and ordered them to follow before running down the path, tracking the scent of that crazy rain girl and drunk.
Amidst the swirling chaos, Laxus stood alone against his foe. The battle had taken a grim turn, with Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed lying unconscious due to the poison the dark-skinned demon had unleashed. Laxus, his movements slowed by the deadly substance coursing through his veins, grit his teeth in determination.
A sinister smirk formed on the demon's face as he stepped confidently towards Laxus, the poisonous winds whipping around him. The battle had been brutal, and Laxus knew he couldn't afford to falter now. With a deep breath, he summoned the last of his lightning magic, igniting the air with electricity.
Their eyes locked, and Laxus lunged forward, lightning-infused fists aimed at his enemy. But the poison in his system hindered his speed and strength. The etherious easily deflected Laxus's attacks with a gust of wind, pushing the dragon slayer back.
Laxus staggered, his vision wavering, but he refused to give in. He roared, channeling lightning through his entire body, attempting to clear the poison from his system. The powerful surge of electricity coursed through him, momentarily pushing back the debilitating toxin.
Seizing the moment, Laxus closed the distance between him and his opponent. With a series of lightning-quick strikes, he landed powerful blows on his adversary. The demon grunted in pain, his body crackling from the electricity. He retaliated with a blast of powerful winds that blew Laxus away and slammed into a brick wall.
As the battle raged on, Laxus' body showed the strain of the prolonged fight. His movements grew sluggish, but his determination burned brightly within his eyes and heart. He knew that his friends' lives depended on his victory.
With one final effort, Laxus unleashed a devastating lightning attack.
"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"
The intense column of electricity enveloped the wind demon, rendering him unable to defend himself against the onslaught. Zeref's creation's screams of agony echoed through the battlefield as the lightning surged through him.
The cursed-wind-wielding foe was defeated, his body transforming into a cloud of purple miasma. Laxus stood victorious, his body battered and weakened, but he refused to fall until he knew it was safe.
As the dust settled, Laxus looked around at his fallen comrades, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed. The poison had taken its toll, causing his friends' skins to pale, matching the color of paper. So, he knew there was no time to waste. The poison was still in the air, and Laxus knew he had to get rid of it quickly, or else his teammates would keep breathing it in. So, the dragon slayer opened his mouth wide and inhaled all the poison into himself.
The poisonous sky formed a vortex as it raced down Laxus' throat. The blond didn't stop until the air was clear. He heaved a wet cough, blood landing on the hard ground.
With great effort, Laxus stumbled over to his three fallen companions, intending to help. His knees gave out as he reached Freed's side. The dragon slayer tried to remain upright, but his body grew weak at an alarming rate because of the poison he inhaled. Just as his eyes slowly closed, he saw six, maybe seven, figures running up to him. One of the blurs had a white scarf around their neck.
Laxus felt his body sag with relief, knowing it was Natsu and the others; however, because he allowed himself to feel safe, Laxus' mind fell into darkness.
TBC
Holy cow! This is the longest chapter I have written in a while. This almost made it to 3,000 words.
Harry: Glad to see it! You just have, what, three fights left?
Enj/Dark: Yes. So, the next chapter will be the last one that needs two weeks to write.
Natsu: I just know that's going to make your readers happy! :D
Zeref: What are you going to do when you finish all the fights?
Enj/Dark: Write another chapter for Natsu Hates it When Zeref is Borad.
Natsu: What? NOOOOOO! D'=
Voldy: Finally, something I know I'll enjoy.
Harry: You just like to see Natsu suffer.
Voldy: Yes, I do! Please review!
Enj/Dark: He's excited.
Natsu: Why though?
Enj/Dark: *looking at my notes* Oh. Oh, Natsu, you're going to hate me and Zeref so much! *evil grin*
Zeref: Let me see! XD *looks at notes* Oh yes, he is! X'D
Natsu: I'm scared now.
Voldy: You should be! C: