Natsu and his group were on their way to where Wendy's group was located. They were still shaking off the recent fight with Kain and his weird puppetry with the dark Lost Magic. Though they were glad that another member of the Seven was defeated, which in their eyes and what they were currently aware of, that was three down and four to go, one of which became a permanent ally. As for the Scouts, although the fight's so far have been way more challenging than they were expecting, Armin and Mikasa were glad that they were able to do more and helped be more involved in taking down the enemy. However, the two knew that it wasn't done yet. They can't truly rest until the entirety of Grimoire Heart is defeated.
It wasn't long until they were reunited with their comrades, who looked extremely relieved to see them.
"You're back!" The young dragon slayer cheered happily.
"Hey Wendy. Glad to see you are alright." Armin replied back. He turned his head over to the fallen guild master.
"Is Master Makarov doing okay?" He asked. Wendy and the exceeds looked crestfallen. They told them of Makarov's condition and how he still hasn't woken up yet.
Wendy and the exceeds were brought up to speed on what the current situation with the dark guild was, being relieved that now three of the seven members have been dealt with, with only four remaining, unaware that really three of them were left with a fifth member being stopped by unexpected means.
The group decided to head back to the group, only to be caught off guard when a man with a black buzz-cut and a scar on his left cheek.
"Doranbolt!" Wendy exclaimed. The others were suspicious and wary of the Magic Council member.
"What are you doing here?" Carla questioned, not trusting the man after what happened earlier before their run-in with Grimoire Heart's God Slayer, and she's sure as hell not going to let him near Wendy if he is up to something. Doranbolt kept a calm face and tried to reassure the group's decision.
"Don't worry, I'm here to help." He calmly stated.
He told them that he had a plan to save the guild and defeat Grimoire Heart, but it would require all of them leaving Tenrou. The plan involved having the Magic Council use one of their Etherion Cannons to completely disseminate the island, destroying any life that remained on it, including the dark guild. This greatly shocked the group.
"They're going to completely eradicate the island?" Armin asked. Doranbolt nodded.
"Yes, the Magic Council can get rid of Grimoire Heart, and Zeref with one blow, but you all have to leave the island to avoid being caught in the blast radius." The exposed spy explained. He hoped that this would be able to convince them to leave. But to his shock, they refused.
The Fairy Tail members told him that they can't take care of their own problems without any help from the Council, and that they weren't about to accept the help of a traitorous spy among their ranks who only joined the Trials to try and destroy their guild.
"Armin, Mikasa. Talk some sense into them. Your soldiers, you would know better about this stuff. Grimoire Heart and Zeref are threats that are out of our control. They can't be beaten by normal means!" Doranbolt tried to argue. Armin contemplated what the Council member said. He does make a point in how powerful the Balam Alliance member and the Black Wizard were, he couldn't see how that would be plausible.
"You make a good argument, Doranbolt." The Council member looked hopeful. "But we can't go through with your plan." Only to have those hopes crushed.
"Grimoire Heart may be powerful but it is not indestructible. We faced two members of the Seven Kin of Purgatory back-to-back recently. They were tough, I won't lie to you there. But we were able to overcome the odds and defeat them. That just leaves 5 of them left, but I wouldn't be surprised if more have been defeated that we aren't aware of yet. Even if that wasn't the case, there is no guarantee that the Etherion would be able to get rid of Zeref if he's really immortal like the legends say, even if Grimoire Heart is caught in the blast radius." Armin reasoned. Lucy nodded and took the reins.
"Besides, Grimoire Heart is smarter than that. They wouldn't let themselves be easily taken out by a weapon from the Magic Council. They would probably leave long before the council is ready to fire, and they would be long gone before the Etherion would hit, destroying Tenrou for nothing and the Council wasting one of their greatest weapons." The Celestial Mage added to the argument.
"Tenrou is also Fairy Tail's sacred ground. It's their personal property and you don't have any right to destroy it on a whim. You would just be annihilating someone's piece of land without any chance of it actually being successful." Mikasa concluded.
"What they said." Natsu stated. "Fairy Tail can take care of itself just fine, and we have the Scouts to back us up if we're in trouble. We don't need your help." He finished.
Armin and Mikasa agreed with them, saying that with their help, Grimoire Heart can be defeated if they work together and back each other up, using their fight against Kain as an example.
When Doranbolt tried to protest, Natsu got in his face, telling him that he has a lot to learn about Fairy Tail and its values, one of them is that they aren't going to back down without a fight and they were going to pay Grimoire Heart back for invading their island and hurting the guild. That was final.
Doranbolt could stand still, shocked to his core at the guild's refusal to retreat, a sentiment that was shared by the scouts. Begrudgingly, the Magic Council member went with the group to continue their trek to the camp.
After that encounter with the Council spy, it rained soon after forcing the group to take shelter to wait out the storm. Lucy and Wendy were getting changed behind some rocks with a fresh set of clothes after their old ones were worn out from their recent battles, courtesy of the Celestial Spirit World and their wide assortment of stylish attire. Natsu, and Happy stood guard in case they ran into any one of their guildmates or the other soldiers of the Scouting Legion, or in the worst case scenario a bunch of goons from Grimoire Heart or one of the Seven stumbled upon them.
While they were doing that, Mikasa and Armin were checking the state of their gear. They were busted up, but were still thankfully functional, being more durable than one might seem. However, they were running out of gas, their run-in with Zancrow and Kain forcing them to expense more than usual due to the nature of their fights, Mikasa especially since she was engaged with them more than Armin.
Carla and Lily had gone out to search for the camp where everyone was located and what their status was. She returned soon after with a report on the condition of the wizards and soldiers wearing a leaf cap to keep her head wet, whereas Lily stayed behind to let the campers know they were coming. She also was able to locate the whereabouts of Grimoire Hearts ship, finally knowing where it and the guild master Hades was.
After that delivery of reconnaissance, the group decided to head back even with the harsh weather going on outside. They asked Doranbolt to stall the council for time, much to his displeasure. Even with all the odds against, they still wouldn't budge. He could only reluctantly accept, wishing them good luck as he retreated back to the Magic Council's ships.
While on their way to the campsite, they were stopped by a strange man. The man demanded something, but didn't introduce himself when asked what his name was. Suddenly, the ground caved in on the group, causing a giant crater where they were forced to the ground. The group recognized this as Gravity Magic, but it was much more powerful that what Bertolt was capable of.
Mikasa got in front of the group, her swords drawn out and ready to use them if necessary.
"Who are you?" She questioned along with the others. Armin looked weary of the man though.
'This person. His magic power is different from the others.' The blonde thought, sweat dripping from his head at the man's odd Magic Power.
The man introduced himself as Bluenote Stinger, a powerful dark mage hired by Hades for the purpose of eliminating Fairy Tail. But he has his own agenda, and that is to locate Fairy Glitter, one of the three Grand Fairy Magic on par with Fairy Law, maybe even better. He demanded to know where its location was, forcing the gravity to become lower, making the group sink into the ground with an agonizing crushing force.
"I can't move." Armin muttered.
"Me neither." Mikasa grunted. She tried to pick herself back up using her ODM gear but was unable to. Her magic was a no-go either.
"Now I will ask you again: Where is the First Master's grave? I must have Fairy Glitter!" Bluenote bellowed, increasing his magic again, making the Fairies and Scouts sink deeper into the rock at the bottom of the crater.
All of sudden a bunch of Magic Cards were heading in Bluenote's direction, making him use his magic to push them back.
The group saw Cana nearby, holding out a card that read "Help Lucy!" with an animated little Lucy in the middle waving her arms saying "Help!" over and over.
"Cana!" Lucy cheered happily. The card mage smiled and greeted her friends.
"Cana?" Armin muttered. Cana turned over to see the Scout recruits and reeled in shock.
"Armin, Mikasa?" She was just as stunned to see them as they were to her.
She apologized for abandoning Lucy for the sake of the trial and came to make amends, to which Lucy happily accepted, just glad that her partner and friend was alright, and that they got help.
The dark-skinned brunette revealed a strange marking on her arm, glowing with immense mystical power. Everybody stared in awe at the radiant shine that was emitted from the emblem.
"It can't be… the thing that I was looking for." Bluenote said. Armin looked at him, then back at Cana, before his eyes widened in realization.
"So is that really?" Armin muttered.
"This is the thing you've been looking for? Well it's right here!" Cana lifted her arm up for all to see.
"Fairy Glitter!" She announced, the light from the marking shining even brighter than before to accommodate her declaration.
She got it from Master Mavis's grave when she was on her own. Bluenote attacked her automatically, wanting to take the precious magic for himself. Natsu and Mikasa tried to attack him while his back was turned, but his reaction speed was much quicker and he ended up blowing them back with his Gravity Magic, which was strong enough to make Mikasa's ODM gear break apart permanently.
Cana immediately retaliated, lifting her arm in the air and reciting a chant to cast the magic, after Natsu used his fire breath underground as a distraction to provide her an opening.
The light shone from the sky and a huge beam of the element fell, crashing right into Bluenote. Everyone could feel the power of the light from where they're from, and they looked in awe as their friend casted in upon their foe. They could easily tell it deserved its place as one of the three Grand Fairy Magics.
But their hopes were dashed when Bluenote effortlessly dispelled the magic, sending her back. Despite the power the magic had, Cana wasn't strong enough for her to easily deal with someone on Bluenote's level with it. Cana told him that he's not a member of Fairy Tail, so there is no way he could ever wield it. But Bluenote revealed that magic can be stolen from other users should they be dead, making him willing to kill her if that's what it took to obtain it.
Everyone cried out for Cana as she was on the verge of being crushed. But before Bluenote could finish her off, something came in and collided with him, causing him to release Cana and push back with equal force. But that was futile as his magic was broken apart easily and was sent back.
The person was none other than Gildart Clives, Fairy Tail's ace. Everyone was ecstatic to see him, especially Cana as she cried tears of joy. Gildart told Bluenote that all the candidates that were chosen to become S-Class Mages at this years trial were going to try and open more doors for their future, to try and the world a better place, and he'll be damn to have a scumbag ruin all of that for his own gain.
Bluenote was thrilled to finally have a real challenge, the two powerhouses colliding. The resulting clash caused a massive shockwave. Everyone agreed that it was better to let Gildarts handle this opponent as he was too strong for any of them, though Natsu wanted to stop and watch the fight because it was so awesome to him.
Soon, everyone cleared out of the area, giving Gildarts all the room he needed to pummel this unwanted pest.
Over at the camp, Lisanna and Levy were keeping an eye on the wounded from both the guild and the Scouting Legion, with Lily on lookout duty. Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie were nearby, doing the same thing as they weren't as badly injured as Evergreen and Elfman were.
"Do you think everyone will recover?" Bertolt asked worriedly.
"Don't worry so much Bertolt. Fairy Tail is strong. They will be alright, but they need their rest to recover to perfect health." Reiner replied, looking at the injured and unconscious members of the guild that helped them in their time of need, his attention specifically directed to Elfman and Evergreen.
Annie didn't say anything, but looked down at the ground while taking a few glances at the guildmates.
Lily didn't say anything, but made sure to keep an eye on the trio of cadets. Before the group even set out for Tenrou earlier in the day, Gajeel told him that something was up with these three. He couldn't tell him what it was exactly, but his partner told the anthropomorphic cat to be on his guard should he ever be around the sturdy blonde, lean black, and slender blonde.
Everybody looked up when they heard footsteps heading towards their direction. They got up when they saw who the owner of those footsteps was.
"Well, I wasn't expecting this. The three mechanical angels have taken shelter with the fairies. That's alright with me. I will make things much easier to take you all out in one blow."
Things took a dire turn when Rustyrose appeared, making everyone take battle positions to defend the injured. Rusty easily dealt with the Fairy Tail members, but the graduating cadets wanted payback for what happened to them, and their Fairy Tail comrades.
"You ready for some payback?" Reiner encouraged.
"Yeah, I'm ready." Bertolt replied, meek but determined.
"Let's just get this over with." Annie commented, although deep down she did want to knock that pompadour poser's teeth out for what he did.
However, before they could do anything, Rusty was attacked by something else. Everyone turned to see Bickslow and Freed, who returned along with Gildarts when they saw the smoke flare go off.
The two turned the tables, making the Kin look like a joke even with the power of his Lost Magic.
Although Rusty was able to use his magic to defend and dodge the Thunder Legion's attacks, it wasn't enough. Bickslow easily dispelled one of his Sacred Guardian Beasts, Belfast the Hurricane, a black wyvern-like creature, and Freed attacked the Grimoire directly with his Dark Ericture magic, easily overwhelming him.
In fact, he was overwhelmed so much that he felt fear, an emotion that he hadn't felt for a long time. But that fear came with excitement, using his feelings to his advantage to help fuel his imagination for attacks, which he promptly used to unleash purplish appropriations on the Thunder Legion members.
"Plating!" Reiner used his Steel Magic to forge armor-like plating all over his body, covering himself head to toe in the stuff, but leaving things like the neck, armpits, and back of his legs exposed for faster movement. He sprinted at the dark mage, who was occupied with the Thunder Legion members to see him coming. When he did, it was too late, as he was knocked back with brutal force that resembled a battering ram.
Rustyrose recovered. "Oh, looks like you all got me caught up in a web. But since you put the idea in my head, why don't I return the favor!" Rusty began using his imagination to create his next spell.
"From the lost and the mysterious, my hands will weave the threads to trap my foes as my hungry fangs of the arachnids pierce into their skin and fill them with despair, and with their despair I shall be satisfied with the taste of hope! Come forth, my Arcane Webs!" From his hands, multiple silk threads began erupting from his palms. The threads quickly attached themselves to the soldiers and wizards, creating a web that they couldn't break free from.
"What is this stuff?!" Annie gasped.
"I heard of spider silk being a strong material, but I wouldn't think it would be this powerful." Freed exclaimed, squirming and failing to be set free.
"I can't move!" Bertolt cried out. He then felt woozy, as if something was being injected inside of him that was draining all of his strength. The recruit looked around and saw the others were feeling the same fate.
"These magical webs are injecting energy into your veins. Energy that will leave you helpless and ripe for the picking as all of your magic power will be drained from your bodies like dry grapes!" Rusty boasted.
"That's what you think!" Reiner shouted. Using what Magic Power remained in his system, he used his steel to create a long, thin but deadly line of razor sharp wire made out of stainless steel.
"Blade Lining!" He cried out. Using the wiring, he freed himself and soon the others followed suit after they were cut from their restraints.
"What!" Rusty gasped in disbelief.
"Now Bertolt!" Reiner called out to his best friend. The third strongest of the 104th knew what to do.
"Seismic!" Bertolt held his hand out, using the gravity to create small tremors to avoid hurting the wounded, but enough to leave Rustyrose unbalanced and making him fall to his feet.
Bertolt put his hands together, crossing his index and middle fingers together from both hands and putting them together, facing downwards.
"Downfall!" Rustyrose felt his entire body being crushed. He couldn't move and his bones, skin, even his blood felt like it was being pulled down to the center of the earth.
While he was down, Annie crept up on him, using her gear to cut the distance between them short and then giving a mean sidekick, knee straight to the face that broke his glasses and sent him back.
"Nice one Annie!" Bickslow complimented. Annie brushed off the praise, keeping her eyes on the target.
The dark mage's mouth and nose were bleeding, a result from Annie's deadly maneuver, with his shades broken and off to the side. He smiled, wiping the blood off his face and creating a new pair of shades with his Lost Magic. The silver-haired man got back up and looked at all his foes, glaring at him intently. He drew back, both in fear and excitement.
"Being surrounded like this. Such a breathtaking experience! I came here expecting to be done in about a few seconds with a quick slaughter, but instead I was presented with a unique and deadly challenge. Oh all of it is so beautiful!" Rustyrose rambled. Everyone sweatdropped at the man's bizarre comments.
"Should we let him go on?" Bertolt commented.
"If he doesn't stop him, he's probably going to." Reiner said back.
"I don't care if he's a poet or a playwright reject. The sooner we deal with him, the sooner we won't have to listen to this stupidity anymore!" Annie stated, getting the other cadets to look at her surprised by her bold and brutal sentence. Evergreen smirked at Annie's comment, while Rusty grinned wickedly.
"You need to learn to watch your mouth long lady, otherwise you'll be silenced eternally just like that sassy brunette with the glasses!" Rustyrose started to shoot out black smoke from his hands that quickly enveloped the area.
"You bastard! How dare you mutter Evergreen name's to-" Bickslow was cut off as the black mist covered him and the others. They grunted as their vision was covered and soon, they could see nothing but pitch black.
"Darkness before the Fall!" Everybody heard Rustyrose's voice echo throughout the void. "The mist from the abyss comes into my hands to shield my enemy's sense of sight, allowing me to walk through this blanket of blackness without worry!" He commented.
"Is everyone okay!" Reiner asked.
"We're fine, we can't see a damn thing!" Bickslow replied through the darkness. He grunted afterwards feeling a pain in his chest. The other felt pain just as well, but they couldn't tell where it was coming from.
"I can see through the darkness. A gift which you do not possess. You will never defeat an enemy through a plane of existence that you can't even see your own face in!" Rusty attacked the group again, stealthily striking them without any resistance.
"Ugh. How are we going to get rid of all this darkness?" Reiner called out.
"Leave it to me." A voice called out. Everyone froze at the voice, but relaxed when they recognized who it was, and when she started casting her magic.
"Solid Script: Shine!" A large "SHINE" appeared in the darkness and soon it was washed away like it was never there in the first place.
"Thanks Levy!" Bertolt praised.
"Yes, thank you. Without your help, that mist would still blind us from our victory." Levy blushed at the praise.
"It was nothing, now we still have someone to take care of." She mentioned, pointing to the intruder in question. He stood still, shocked as yet another one of his spells from his imagination was dealt with like it was nothing.
"I got him." He heard a voice behind him and ducked just in time to avoid another painful side kick. But that only left him wide open to the real danger.
"Cannon Limb." Annie pointed her leg at Rusty's face, sending him back with a single blast.
"Your tricks won't work against us again, you pompous fool." She coldly stated. Rusty got back on his feet, another smirk appearing on his face with blood dripping from his mouth.
"I am more than a one-trick pony, my dear. I am an embodiment of imagination and creativity ready to explode!" He stood straight, matching her stare with his own cruel one.
"This was a taste of it."
The Fairy Queen was calling Wendy's name, hoping to run into her blue-haired little guildmate. What she got instead was indeed a voice, but not the one of the sweet, teenage dragon slayer she knew.
Erza looked up to see a man hanging from a high branch above her, only his feet weren't curled around it: They were in the branch itself.
Erza demanded what his name was, to which the man replied swiftly but calmly. He was known as Azuma, one of the members of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. He was sent here before the others to take care of Tenrou Islands Magic Powers by orders of Master Hades himself.
Azuma also talked about how he is a person that looks for strong individuals to challenge, and Erza was one that's been on his radar ever since he's heard of her accomplishments. Erza questioned him about this ideal of his, but that wasn't all. Azuma told the scarlet knight about his run-ins with Wendy, the Exceeds, and Doranbolt, and how easily he dealt with them. Not to mention his encounter with the Strauss sisters and that despite how tough Mira was as an opponent, she couldn't win.
Erza was stunned that Wendy and the others were taken out like that, and that Mira was so easily overpowered. It couldn't be true!
Before she could think about it any longer, she heard something off in the distance, looking in the direction the sounds were coming from as did Azuma who heard the same noises.
They looked to find two people flying towards them with gears strapped to their backs and wires protruding from the sides. They landed on a branch across from the one that Azuma was hanging out of. Erza's eyes widened, immediately recognizing the duo.
Mike and Moblit.
They came as soon as they saw the smoke signal that Erza herself fired off. They came to help out Fairy Tail in the fight against one of the Balam Alliance's top three, something that Erza appreciated deeply. They looked at the man that was acting as a human tree branch and questioned who he was, already guessing that he was from Grimoire and was one of the Seven.
Erza confirmed their suspicions when she told them that he was indeed one of the Seven, that one that snuck onto the island before the rest of his guild arrived and invaded.
Azuma was intrigued. He heard about the Scouts from the intel they gathered on their main target, and he had to say that he found them fascinating. Although they are novices in Magic, not having any when they arrived, he was always one to appreciate a good challenge, especially one that comes in a different form than traditionally. That gear they wield was not like anything he's seen before. He wanted to put it to the test, and with them wielding magic alongside it, it could prove to be interesting to experience.
He announced that the type of Lost Magic he wields is known as the "Great Tree Arc" or in other words, the "Arc of Trees". His magic allowed him to have control over trees and all their properties, but it also gives him a special connection to the Earth that is like no other, allowing him to control it to his liking.
The others were wary of what his magic could mean, but they knew he was an enemy, and he needed to be taken down before he could cause more damage to them and their comrades.
Erza was the first to strike. Equipping into her Flame Empress Armor, she lunged at the Plant-based Wizard, intending to burn away his connection to the trees with her flames. Azuma was prepared for the attack however, dodging and blocking her attacks. She changed into her Black Wing Armor and assaulted him with two twin axes, but Azuma sidestepped the attack and caught her leg with a branch, flinging her to the side and attacking her with another spell.
"Bleve!"
A large yellowish explosion erupted. Enveloping Erza and pushing her back. She screamed at the pain around her body, but quickly recovered and attacked him again.
"Erza!" Mike shouted. The second strongest of Humanities Soldiers shot a hook and reeled himself up to a nearby tree. He spotted Azuma disassembling himself from the bark of another tree. Mike grunted and sprinted in the air towards him.
"Hmm." Azuma held his hand out. A bunch of branches sprouted from the trees, closing in on the soldier. Mike saw the branches coming and used his swords as makeshift weed whackers to cut down the hostile pieces of wood before they could pierce him.
One branch in particular came straight at him, but Mike used his blades to rotate around the branch in a rotary cutter like fashion, leaving deep marks on the wood.
"Amazing." Erza muttered, awed by Mike's abundance of skill with the ODM gear.
"That's our second strongest for you." Moblit added.
'Hm. Interesting.' Azuma thought. He's never seen someone cut through his tree branches with precision and power like that before. He would have to give the man another test on his strength.
He summoned more branches to his side, this time trying to ensnare the man. Mike wasn't an experienced veteran for nothing. Using his agility and speed, he was able to outmaneuver the branches with ease. However, Azuma read his movements and he summoned another branch to attack Mike from above.
Mike saw the branch and moved accordingly, but it was a fake-out. Azuma quickly had another branch sprout out and wrap itself around Mike's right arm. Mike looked at his arm, but he soon found his other arm and both legs, trapping in mid-air.
"Mike/Section Commander!" Erza and Moblit shouted at the same time.
"Chain Burst!" Azuma shouted. Fruit bloomed out of the branches and they started to go off in a chain reaction. Mike widened his eyes at how close they were getting to him.
"I don't think so." Moblit said. He took out his sketchbook and quickly drew something in under a few seconds.
"Avian Fall!" Using his new Pict Magic, Moblit summoned a flock of different bird species, from eagles to ducks, and had them dive at the branches, cutting them up with their sharp beaks, wings, and talons before they could kill the Scout.
Mike was soon freed and used his gear to retreat to a nearby branch.
"Thanks for the assistance Moblit." Mike thanked.
"Your welcome, Section Commander." The assistant commander replied back. Erza was glad that the veteran was alright, but she turned her head to Azuma, knowing the fight was far from over.
She equipped into her Morning Star armor, using two photon blades as her main weapons. The knight saw Azuma not too far and used her photon swords to fire at him.
"Photon Slicer!"
Erza fired the Sword Magic at the dark mage, hitting him straight on. The smoke settled almost instantly, revealing a grin on Azuma's face.
"What's so funny?" Erza questioned.
"I've always wanted to fight someone as strong as you and now that I have that chance, I'm going to have lots of fun. The soldiers were also an unexpected, but a welcome addition." Azuma stated. Mike and Moblit stared at the man, looking a little uneasy as sweat dripped from their hands.
"Although, I do have to commend you, Mike was it? You definitely seem to be one of the strongest of the Scouts, similar to how Erza here is one of the strongest in Fairy Tail. I ran into one of your squads earlier, during my encounter with the Demon Mirajane Strauss and her little sister." Azuma revealed, getting the others to gasp with wide eyes.
"They were tough, I have no doubt about that. Their skills as soldiers individually were impeccable and their teamwork was near perfect. But that didn't matter. They weren't strong enough to beat me and they paid the price." Mike gasped, knowing who he was talking about.
"The Levi Squad." He muttered. He glared up at the man. "What did you do?! What happened to them?!" The old vet demanded.
"No worries, they aren't dead." The kin replied. "I let Mira and her sister go because I was disappointed with Mira's decision to sacrifice herself to save her sister instead of continuing to fight. The Levi Squad, as you call them, gave me that fight I desired. But it wasn't enough. After that, I defeated them and left. You might be able to give that unique fight against someone who wields that machine you call the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, and against someone who was strong without magic and is skilled with it despite being a novice."
Mike gritted his teeth. His hands gripped the handles of the operating device so hard, they might as well have become white. But even with his anger, he still tried to keep his cool. Mike stared up at the powerful dark mage, their eyes stabbing into each other.
Without warning, Mike pressed the trigger on each of his operating devices and their respective hooks shot out of their containers, piercing into the wood of the trees surrounding them. Mike lifted himself up and flung his body at the Grimoire Heart member.
He decided it was time to put the magic he was taught to good use.
"Animal Possession: Serpent the Strike!" Mike shouted out. A red aura surrounding his body, surprising his opponent and his comrades. The aura then made its way to his swords which were positioned to be ready to cut.
The aura took the shape of a snake, a loud hissing sound came out of its mouth when it bared its fangs at the one his master saw as a threat.
"Black Magic?" Azuma muttered, shocked to see the soldier had that kind of power as his main style.
Mike gave a resounding battle cry as he slashed his swords in midair, making the serpent surrounding them lunge at Azuma with its maw wide open, ready to swallow him whole.
Azuma merged with the wood underneath him and quickly moved out of the way. The aura struck the location where its target was once, breaking the wood apart. Mike grunted as he landed near the spot his attack hit.
"He's hiding in trees somewhere!" Mike called out. Erza and Moblit started to search for him, along with the veteran soldier. But the Arc of Trees user was nowhere to be found.
The Arc of Trees user began appearing from the tree bark right above Mike's location. Erza saw this and drew her blades.
"Mike! Look out!" Erza shouted. She fired off another "Photon Slicer" at Azuma's location. He quickly dodged out of the way, attacking with more branches and fruit bombs. Erza evaded and sliced them out of the way. The dark mage was about to fall back into the trees again.
"Not on my watch!" Moblit quickly flipped his sketchbook to a previously made drawing he's done before, but this time he can utilize it as if it were the real thing.
"Pict Magic: Hook Capture!" Many large barrels appeared, placed in strategic areas that were specifically placed to face the trees. They automatically fired off multiple hooks that pierced into the trees, but that wasn't their main purpose.
Their target managed to get himself captured just as he was about to fully assimilate with trees, the hooks preventing him from completing the process, or removing his body from the tree.
"Know Moblit!" Mike ordered, running on the branch before firing a cable and reeling himself towards Azuma's location.
"On it!" Moblit responded. He quickly drew something on a fresh, new page of his sketchbook. When he was finished, Mike just reached the Kins' coordinates.
"Animal Possession: Eagle the Flight!"
"Pict Magic: Smoke Flares!"
The two new wizarding soldiers unleashed their attacks on the dark mage. Mike gained another red aura, this time in the form of an eagle that covered his entire body, swooping down and landing a critical hit on Azuma. This was followed up by an onslaught of smoke flares in different colors not unlike the ones the Scouts use on Recon Missions. There was a green, red, and blue smoke flare that each had a different effect. When they collided, Azuma felt himself being simultaneously poisoned, burned, and frozen at the same time.
"GAHH!" Azuma grunted from all the pain that was inflicted on him.
"Nice teamwork!" Erza praised. Azuma fell to his knees, catching his breath and bringing it to its normal rhythm. Once that was done, he started laughing, catching the trio's attention.
"You definitely are a strong bunch. I'm grateful to have the chance to face you in battle." He turned towards Erza. "Erza Scarlet, you and I are cut from the same cloth. We both seek strong opponents for the simple purpose of growing stronger." He stated. Erza shook her head as she changed back into her Heart Kreuz Armor.
"No, you are mistaken. We are not the same in that way. I don't seek that strength." She looked down with a serene expression on her face. "As long as I have the power to protect my family, I don't care if I'm the most powerful. I would give up all my strength in a heartbeat. All of it."
Her words surprised everyone present, the soldiers especially. It hit close to home more than they thought.
'The strength to protect your family.' Mike thought.
"Your friends, comrades, and home.' Moblit monologued internally.
"However, we are out of time for this little exchange of strength and wits."
Azuma retreated back into the tree bark. They saw as Azuma assimilated back into the tree branches, until he was overtaken and soon appeared only as a large face on the side of the tree.
"What the hell?" Moblit gasped quietly.
The three were confused at what the dark mage was going to do, but he explained that they would find out soon trio watched in shock as the Tenrou Tree began to tip over, as if someone just cut it down in one swoop with a giant ax.
Soon, every single member of the Fairy Tail guild began dropping like flies. Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Wendy and Carla collapsed without warning, greatly shocking Mikasa and Armin, the group making their way to the camp when this happened.
"Natsu! Lucy!" Mikasa cried out.
"Wendy, Happy, Carla!" Armin exclaimed.
The soldiers went to check on their friends, trying to get them up on their feet but failing to do so.
Over at the camp, Freed, Bickslow, Lisanna, Levy, and Lily were feeling the effects of their Magic being drained from their power source like it was nothing.
"What the?" Reiner gasped.
"Hey, guys. What's wrong?" Bertolt asked.
"Their magic isn't there." Annie stated. Freed and Bickslow confirmed this soon after, with the other Fairy Tail members going through the same thing.
"Well, this is pleasant. Looks like Azuma finally completed the task Master Hades bestowed upon him." Rustyrose muttered, happy with the new development.
Gray started to feel weak, with Ultear looking towards the Tenrou Tree, knowing who was responsible for the Fairy Tail's mage condition. Gildarts, for as strong as he is, fell to the ground on his knees, leaving him vulnerable for the Bluenote to beat him senseless.
"Hey. What did you do?!" Mike demanded.
"I've taken all the Magic Power of Tenrou Island and Fairy Tail for myself." Azuma simply answered.
The Arc of Trees Wizard explained that his master had great knowledge of Tenrou Island and all of its secrets. One of them being that the Tenrou Tree itself was a source of the Fairy Tail guilds power. It protects those who bear the guild's emblem from any harm that comes their way, and is also the power source for all the Magic each member has to offer. So should the tree be heavily damaged, like being cut down, all members of Fairy Tail will lose their Magic power and Azuma holds it all.
"Tell me then. Why wasn't I drained of my Magic Power?!" Erza demanded.
"I've always wanted to do battle with you as a fellow strong warrior. So I want to fight you fairly. Believe me. I don't like this either. But I'm obligated to follow Master Hades' orders to the very end no matter my personal feelings." Azuma stated. He pointed a finger at the S-Class Mage.
"Erza. You said that you desire the power to protect your family. Now I want you to live up to your words. All of you friends are left without Magic, and are on the verge of death. Only you can save them." The Grimoire Mage turned to the soldiers flanking her sides.
"I want a battle with Titania. You two or more are welcomed to watch. But if you interfere without a fight. I will be forced to end you. I've been waiting for this for a long time and I won't allow anything to get in the way of that. Not only that, despite your recent ventures into the world of Magic, you soldiers aren't strong enough to take on wizards, especially ones of our or Master Hades level, and beat us in battle, with or without Magic Power. You're too weak and too frail as you are to accomplish such a feat." The scouts grunted from the man's accusations.
He emerged partially out from the tree, attacking the group with more explosive twigs that blew up from the group. The trio dodged the direction the barrage was coming in, but they still felt the blast, injuring them.
"Consider that a warning. Now Titania. Come and face me!"
Erza stood on one knee, panting heavily as the Scouts flanked her side, being in a similar state as she was. Mikas was crouching, trying to get his breathing back to normal, while Moblit was on his knees, swords stabbed into the ground. Azuma stood on the top of higher branches of the nearby trees, looking down on them and judging them, waiting to see if they could get back up.
Gildarts was feeling the agonizing weight of the Gravity's Wizard's foot. What was once a close stalemate between two magical titans was now a horrific, one-sided beating.
Over near the campsite, Freed and Bickslow were doing everything they could to compete with Rustyrose, still trying to keep him away from the injured. But with their draining magic supply, the fight easily turned into the Dark Mage's favor.
The Fairy Tail mages found themselves growing weaker and weaker with every minute that passed as they began to collapse, catching their Survey Corp companions off guard and greatly worrying them, while their enemies were much pleased with the turn of events.
On all sides of the small, deserted and outcasted battlefield, everyone was cornered. Both Fairy and Scout were feeling the brutality of one of the three most powerful Dark Guilds to exist. For both groups, it was like facing hell all over again, one that they experienced time after time.
Everyone, both soldier and wizard knew that this fight was only going to become hell very, very soon.
Magic:
Reiner;
Steel Magic;
Plating; The user can create armor plates made out of steel. The plating can be increased through training and growing stronger to strengthen the durability and give it additional features such as razors and spikes
Blade Lining; The user can create different blades from steel, such as single-edged swords, to double-sided axs, as well as create sharp, steel lining that can be use for a variety of purposes, such as rope or a garroting wire
Bertolt;
Gravity Magic;
Seismic; The user uses the forces of gravity to manipulate the earth, using them to shake the ground and other surfaces by lowering the gravity to a certain point and keeping it at that point at a constant fast pace, at causing tremors on smaller scales and earthquakes on larger ones
Downfall; An upgraded version of "Fall". By crossing the index and middle fingers of both hands and them downward, and together, the user lowers the gravity, making everything fall and stick to the ground, as well as immobilizing and stagnating any Magic or other powers the target(s) have. The change in gravity is automatically stronger than "Fall", but it requires more focus and concentration. The user can focus this spell on a singular area to manipulate the gravity at a single point while the rest is unaffected. The user can also individually manipulate the gravity of multiple objects at the same time, such as the blood in a living organism. The more the user trains and the stronger they are, they stronger the user
Annie;
Transformation Magic;
Cannon Limb; The user transforms their arms or legs into functional cannons, allowing the user to shoot their cannons at the opponent. This spell can also be combined with martial art strikes for added damage. The user can also alter this spell to have different cannon types and different cannon ammunition
Mike;
Animal Possession;
Serpent the Strike; The user uses the spirit of a snake to strike the opponent with their arm or appendage. Depending on the species like a Black Mamba or Boa Python, more feature can be used alongside the traditional attack to give the attack more variety
Eagle the Flight; The user uses the spirit of an eagle to give themselves the ability to fly for a brief period of time, allowing them to attack and evade from the air. Depending on the species, additional features can be used alongside the power to fly and the user can fly for longer periods of time and at greater distances with more practice and power
Moblit;
Pict Magic;
Avian Fall; The user draws a flock of different bird species that swarm and attack the target. The user can draw more add-ons to increase the power of the birds and their abilities, and combine them with other drawings for added power and versatility
Hook Capture; The user draws larger barrels with many holes in them that shoots out hooks to injure and capture the target. The user can draw more add-ons to increase the power of the barrels and their abilities, and combine them with other drawings for added power and versatility. Based on the Special Target Restraining Weapon
Smoke Flare; The user draws different colored smoke flares that each have a different effect.
Green Flare - The smoke gives off either a healing effect or a poisonous effect
Red Flare - The smoke is heated, causing things to be set on fire
Blue Flare - The smoke is cold, causing things to be frozen in solid ice
Rustyrose;
Arc of Embodiment;
Arcane Web; The user uses their imagination to create special magical spider webs to attack and ensnare the target, flowing energy into them that causes pain and eventually has all their life force expelled from their body
Darkness before the Fall; The user uses their imagination to create a black mist that quickly envelopes the area surrounding them, making everything be pitch black and practically impossible to see, except the user who can still see perfectly in it
Author's Note:
Heya.
I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. It was honestly more simple than I thought it would be, but that's mainly because most of the content was already done for me in a way. I'm still trying to find that balance between making sure I get the story accurate to canon while not being redundant, which is why a lot of the canon stuff are small recaps to save time and for just that; to not be redundant.
Now with all that said, I'm about to share something that's personal. It's something I've been meaning to share for a while, but I needed to wait for confirmation which took a while.
Do you want to know the main reason why Chapters 11-12, as well as this one, took so long for me to get out? The answer is this: I have been recently diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. From that sentence, there's a good chance you already have an idea on why it's affecting the story, but for those that don't, let me give a brief explanation.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD for short, is not just about being neat, organized, or a perfectionist. That's one of the many stigma that surrounds the illness, leading to people getting confused and saying they're a "little OCD" whenever they are describing themselves having the above traits, when that's not the case at all. Sure people may have traits that are obsessive or compulsive, but that doesn't mean they have full-blown OCD. And it's that type of stigma that hurts the people who actually have the illness because it minimizes and downplays their stress and troubles, making it harder for them to find help and get help.
OCD is a cause-and-effect disorder, it's right in the name. People have "obsessions" which are the main focus of the illness, not necessarily the habit of being organized, that can be thoughts, feelings, or urges that repeat excessively and cause major distress. This leads to the "compulsions", behaviors that are the result of the obsessions that people do to make them go away, with the more common and well-known examples being excessive hand-washing or some form of cleaning/bathing, and constantly checking something. Compulsions aren't just physical, oftentimes they are purely mental including repeating words/phrases, counting, thought suppression/redirection, or flat out arguments with yourself, making it even harder for people to tell if you have OCD because they physically can't see you doing the compulsions.
OCD, to quote Sam Dylan Finch, an advocate that's talked about mental illness among other social issues is a "disorder of degree not difference". What this means is that many people often experience that same type of symptoms, but how severe it is is different for each person, who may have some symptoms worse or better than others. However, that doesn't mean each person is going to have the same causes for those symptoms, as the obsessions are different for every individual, which goes even further as those obsessions can be about specific things related to the person alone.
For me, my main problem right now is contamination/slight mental contamination, which differs from normal contamination is that instead of fear of getting dirty, is the constant feeling of dirty, making you constantly clean yourself to get rid of the feeling of being unclean. But that's not the case with me. My contamination is taking a page out of the COVID procedure's book and I have to quarantine myself for a whole day if I even slightly touch or see a single thing that will make me dirty or feel dirty. That includes not doing things I love, including writing this story. It wasn't the fact that I didn't want to work on this, but rather that I couldn't because the mental block was too strong.
I've been getting better, because OCD is treatable with the right help and resources. If it was any worse, I wouldn't be able to get this chapter out until either a few days or right on the last day of this month, similar to what happened to the last two chapters. I'll try to get Chapter 14 out as soon as I can, so that you can be sure.
Other than that, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter and what it contained, as well as the unexpected psychology lesson. Chapter 14 will be just as packed, so look forward to that when it comes out. Thanks for reading and as always: Until then.