Chapter 31
The Tenrou Tree
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Magic"
Flashback
Location / Date / Time Skip
The group smiled in hope as they stared at guilds ace. "This is the ace of Fairy Tail?" Bluenote asked.
Everyone smirked as Natsu never looked so happy. "Get out of here." The ace said to the group as he started flaring his magic.
"Whoa... Gildarts looks really mad." Happy said as Carla nodded.
"Run!" The ace shouted as he sprinted towards Bluenote. The dark wizard held out his hand and the ground under Gildarts rose out of the ground before flipping end over end.
"No way!" Lucy shouted in surprise.
"It's been flipped upside-down!" Natsu shouted.
Gildarts crouched down and triggered his magic, making the rock shatter into pieces. He then jumped off a chunk and pulled his fist back. Bluenote did the same and the two created a massive shock wave that launched everyone back.
"That really hurt..." Wendy groaned.
"Maybe we should just leave." Lucy suggested as happy laid on the ground with a rock in his face.
Both Gildarts and Bluenote landed on the ground as the dark wizards jacket fluttered between them. "I can't believe that he pushed me back." Bluenote mumbled.
"This is getting scary." Wendy said as she dragged Makarov away. "Maybe we should do what he said and leave."
"Y-Yeah..." Lucy nodded before turning to Cana.
The brunette closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "There's nothing more we can do. If we stuck around we'd only get in his way."
Lucy nodded and turned to Natsu. "Strong! I wanna watch this fight!" He said with stars in his eyes.
"We need to go, now!" Lucy said, pulling on his arm. Cana took one last look before following the others out of the canyon.
"You have no idea what you've done." Gildarts said. "These kids were doing their damnedest to try and create a better world than what we left them. And then you came along and crushed it." Bluenote charged and delivered a fist directly to Gildarts face. "You bastard!"
"At last a true challenge appears!" Bluenote shouted in joy before the two butted heads.
Natsu walked through the rain with the master on his back. "I can't believe that we had to run away from that fight!" He complained.
"Well get over it!" Lucy replied. "We need to make sure that the others are okay!"
"We can only hope that the others made it back to camp already." Carla said. "We need to plan out a way off this island."
"Don't forget that Mest, er, Doranbolt promised to help us get off." Wendy added.
"I wouldn't trust him that much." The cat said.
Lucy turned to Cana who seemed depressed. "You okay, Cana?"
The brunette turned back to her partner and smiled. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
Base Camp
"My name is Rustyrose, and you are a feast of dreams waiting to be devoured." The pompadoured man. "Two young girls and a cat guard the infirmary. And here I was hoping to be involved in a more epic battle. Oh well. This is the hand that fate has dealt for me, so I shall play it."
"I don't understand it." Levy replied. "How can you be so cold hearted? Did you get to be the strongest dark guild by attacking the defenseless? How does that prove your strength?"
"It must be done." The dark wizard replied. "Those pour souls would never have a chance in the Grand Magic World. So we're simply helping nature by speeding up the inevitable. So if you think you can stop me, use your righteous convictions to stop me!" He turned his hand into his claw and swatted all three of them.
"What sweet sounds. Cries and screams provide such s perfect soundtrack to the end of your dreams!" He charged at the three before a force knocked him back. "Who dares silence my symphony!?"
"That would be us!" Bickslow said as he and Freed stood in front of the other guildmates.
"It's Freed and Bickslow!" Levy cheered.
"How? I thought both of you had left?" Pantherlily asked in confusion.
"We saw the red flare in the sky, so we came back with Gildarts." The masked wizard explained.
"He really came back to the island?" Lisanna asked with a smile.
"Though your ranks swell, you'll still be swept away by my Arc of Embodiment." Rustyrose said as he resummoned his claw.
"You're gonna realize pretty quickly that we don't always play by the rules in our guild." Bickslow declared. "We'll do what ever it takes to defeat you."
"Simply put since you harmed a member of the Thunder Legion, the rules no longer apply." Freed added.
"Baryon Formation!" Bickslows totems started spinning around in a circle before they fired a green laser at Rustyrose.
The beam hit and created a cloud of dust that faded to show Rusty behind a golden shield. Freed gripped his sword and swung it, creating a line of runes. "Dark Ecriture: Pain!" The runes glowed before they flew towards the dark wizard.
"On my feet appear Pegasus wings!" Wings appeared on his shoes and Rustyrose flew over the runes. "You cannot defeat my rich imagination! An offspring of limitless power!" Black mist swirled around before it began to take shape. "Come forth, my guardian saint Beast: Belcusas the Thunderclap!" The mist faded to show a massive wyvern like beast.
"Where did that come from?" Pantherlily asked in shock.
"We know how to handle this fool." Bickslow said. "Seething Magic: Posession." The eyes behind the mask glowed green as the beast cried in pain. "Shatter!" The beast exploded into dust shocking Rustyrose.
Freed pulled out his sword and swung it again. "Dark Ecriture: Absolute Shadow!" The rune latched onto his skin and transformed him into a demon. He then launched forward and slammed into the dark wizard Launching him back.
"Incredible." Pantherlily mumbled.
"They sure are." Lisanna agreed, unaware that Evergreen had cracked her eyes open and watched the fight.
"That's our Thunder Legion." Levy said with a smile.
Rustyrose looked up as Freed and Bickslow stood over him. "Get up." The masked wizard demanded.
"There's nowhere for you to run." Freed added.
'Fear... pulsing through me... sending my body into a quiver...' Rustyrose thought before gripping his hand shut. 'Still, it is I who has the advantage.' He stood up and placed his hands on his temples. "These thoughts of fear are like fuel to the fire that is my imagination." A wall of glowing eye and mouth holes appeared behind him before they flew at the Fairy Tail wizards.
"Go forth, spirits of britear! Dine on the souls of fairies!" The wall crashed into two and started wrapping around them. "Freed and Bickslow, was it? Ah yes, two members of the Thunder Legion if I'm not mistaken. Or should I say two underlings of Master Makarovs disgraced grandson, who was banished after a failed coup attempt. What was his name again? Oh yes, Laxus the fallen star!"
"How dare you even speak his name!" Freed growled out. "You know nothing about him!"
The Tenrou Tree
Erza looked up from her branch at Azuma with anger in her eyes. "You're telling me you eliminated Wendy!?"
"She hasn't fallen on her own." He replied. "Several of your comrades have fallen with her, and the rest are being dispensed with as we speak."
"What nonsense!" Erza shouted back. "There's no way you could over power Natsu, Mirajane and the others."
"I can't vouch for this Natsu, but as for the She-Devil..." Azuma smirked as he remembered his fight with Mirajane. "I send her back to hell with my own hands." Erza gasped in shock at the deceleration. "Do you doubt my claim?"
"I am unsure." The redhead replied. "I'll have to test your abilities for myself." She glowed all over as her Flame Empress Armor clothed her.
Azuma gasped in surprise before smirking. "Well I can't believe my luck. First I face the She-Devil, and now the mighty Titania. What lovely trophies from this hunt!"
With Gray and Ultear
"This doesn't make any sense." Gray mumbled in confusion. "You're saying you wanted to meet me and that you're really on my side?"
"Thats right." She nodded. "I have been searching for you for such a long time. You are the pupil of the ice wizard, Ur. And I am her long lost daughter. That means you and I are practically siblings."
"You mean like brother and sister?!" Gray asked before his mind went a little crazy.
"I said practically." She chuckled back. "But that being said, I hold no grudge against you."
"Seriously, I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around this!" Gray replied. "You do realize that our guilds our sworn enemies?"
"It's true." Ultear nodded. "I've sworn allegiance to Grimoire Heart. But there's more to life than that. We need to get past that. We both share her guidance she live on within us." For a brief second, Gray saw Ur instead of Ultear in confusion.
The Tenrou Tree
Erza took off in her Nightwing towards Azuma before delivering a series of slashes. Azuma jumped over them and thrusted his hand forward. A vine shot and grabbed Erza's leg before flowing her away. "Levi!" The vine exploded and blasted her backwards.
She jumped off the vine she landed on and glowed as she donned herself in her Morning Star Armor. Azuma sent more vines at her but she avoided them all before bringing her swords together. "Photon Slicer!" A beam of light fired at Azuma before it exploded and blasted him back.
He landed on a vine as the two looked at each other before a smirk crossed his lips. "Does something amuse you?" She asked.
"Not quite amuse.." Azuma answered. "But I must admit I'm intrigued. I've heard many tales of your skill and valor. I believe that you and I are cut from the same cloth. We seek warriors because fighting means everything to us."
Erza glowed before she returned to her Heart Kurtz armor. "I'm afraid that's not true. I don't go looking for warriors to fight."
"No?" Azuma replied. "The only way you could reach your level of strength is by fighting powerful foes."
"All I have ever wanted is the strength to protect those I hold close to my heart." She stared back. "I would give up all my strength to guarantee their safety." Azuma looked at her in shock. "It's strange, but true."
"What a shame." Azuma said. "I had hoped we could have a fair fight."
"What do you mean by that?" Erza asked.
"We've reached a different stage in our battle." Azuma said as the tree started shaking around them. "I am connected with nature, the forest. My magic I said the Grand Tree Arc." He waved his arms and explosions shattered the vines. "I can take the explosive energy hidden within nature and channel it into the heart of the wood." His foot started sinking into the tree branch as they merged into one. "But where my magics true power lies is that I can become one with the land and control its magic power."
"You can control the energy of the land itself!?" Erza asked in shock.
"That is Reason to arrive on this island." He explained. "To harnes the energy contained in your sacred ground.."
"That's impossible!" Erza shouted.
"This was not my choice." He told her. "But I must follow the order I have been given."
"What are you going to do!? Answer me!" Erza demanded as she listened to the vines snapping around her.
Animals started fleeing as Mest watched in horror as the tree started falling over. "The tree! It's falling?!"
With Lucy and Co.
"What the heck is going on!?" Natsu screamed as he lead the fleeing girls from the falling tree. "Move it! Move it! Move it!" He shouted before he felt... something happen to him. "What?" He dropped to his knees and felt himself grow weaker.
"What's going on?" Lucy groaned as she fell over too.
Wendy fell face first to the ground as she stumbled over. "My legs just gave out on me..." The two Exceeds dropped out of the sky and landed on the ground.
"Whats happening..." Natsu complained. "Why are we all so weak all of a sudden?"
"I feel like my head is gonna pop off my body..." Lucy said before glancing over to her partner. "Cana! Come on, please get up." Her strength failed her and the blonde fell over herself.
"I feel so tired..." Wendy groaned as she and the Exceeds collapsed as well.
Base Camp
All the Fairy Tail wizards that could stand soon found themselves on their knees before Rustyrose swatted Bickslow and Freed backwards. "What a reversal of fortune. The tide has turn and the last laugh will belong to me."
"I don't understand." Freed asked.
"What happened our power." Bickslow complained.
With Gildarts
Gildarts ate a boot before stumbling backwards. "What is this! What's going on!?"
Bluenote turned to the tree as it fell over. "Old man, what sort of insane mission are you having Azuma carry out?"
Grimoire Heart Airship
Hades stared at the window of his ship and watched the tree fall over. "Quite the pawn Makarov has in Gildarts..." He mumbled. "To think someone other than me could stop Bluenote in his tracks. Although it did take longer than I had hoped, Tenrous magic power now belongs to us. And with that, Fairy Tails chances of surviving this battle disappears."
With Gray and Ultear
"Do you know what that shaking was?" Gray asked.
"Azuma..." She answered plainly.
Gray gasped before he clutched his gut. "I feel so dizzy, what's going on?"
"It seems as though the Tenrou Tree has been uprooted." Ultear replied. "Now it will act as a garrote for any who bare the Fairy Tail emblem. It's only a matter of time."
"So you knew about this!?" Gray growled out in anger. "Was this your plan all along!?"
"It was an option." She answered. "Master Hades choose to go with it."
With Meredy and Juvia
Juvia groaned in pain as Meredy pulled her unconscious body out of the water. "And now I'm saving the life of an enemy..." The pinkette mumbled to herself. "What have you done to me?"
The Tenrou Tree
"Master Hades holds a vast amount of knowledge about this island.." Azuma said from inside the tree. "At the center stands The Great Tenrou Tree. It bestows all who bear your guilds emblems with divine protection from harm and death. At the same time it boosts their magic power and grants them extraordinary abilities."
'That's why master choses to hold the trial on this island...' Erza thought before going wide eyed. "And you just felled the tree!?"
"That is correct." Azuma said. "Not only has this spell over every fairy tail wizard been nullified, but all of your magic power will now rapidly drain from your bodies. This may be the end of Fairy Tail, it will die along with that tree. However..." He stepped out of the tree and stood over Erza. "Since I control all the magic power on this island, I left yours intact.
"Now Titania, all of your friends are on deaths door. And only you can save the. You say that you strive for the power to protect those close to you. Show me what that means." Erza said nothing as she glared at him in anger.
"And this was always your plan of action!?" She shouted, demanding an answer.
"It was part of Hades plan, yes." He nodded. "Felling the tree was the quickest way to deal a death blow to Fairy Tail."
"If you could dispatch us so easily, then why keep me around?" She asked.
"You know why." Azuma replied. "Now are you going to give me the fight I want or not? Make your decision."
"I don't really have a choice, now do I?" Erza asked back. "If you insist on a fair fight, I expect you to return our power when you've lost."
"You have my word." He told her. "Believe me, I'm not fond of these methods either. Of course, you still have to win."
Erza held up her hands and two swords appeared in her hands. "The lives of my comrades hang in the balance. I won't lose!" She shouted before charging Azuma. Her body glowed as her armor changed. "Heavens Wheel! Blumenbalt!" Swords flew at Azuma, who blocked them with a vine.
"Phorium Seeker!" He waved his hands and razor-like leaves flew at Erza, chipping her armor as she blocked with her swords. "Laum Seeker!" Branch blades flew at Erza distracting her long enough for a wooden fist to slam into her and sent her sliding back. "I'm not even sweating yet, Titania. Get serious."
He sent more vines at her and she jumped out of the way before glowing again. In the blink of an eye, she flew past Azuma in her Flight Armor and delivered a slice along his ribs. Azuma groaned in pain as she repeated the slashes on either side. "That's better." He said in a sick joy before the black skinned wizard sent vines to slow her down.
One tripped her up and allowed him to slam a massive tree fist down on her. The dust settled and Azuma looked to see Erza in her Adamantine Armor. Azuma grinned even wider before waving his arms and sent more leaf and branch blades at her. "Let's test that armor!" Erza stood fast as her shield didn't even crack.
Lightning flashed before she jumped up in her Lightning Empress Armor and delivered a slash that forced Azuma to jump away. He then sank into the tree before moving ahead of Erza and punching her, sending her crash through several trees. "You're pulling out all the stops, aren't you? You've truly earned the name Titania."
He sank back into the tree and appeared closer to her. "Your Requipping speed is unmatched and your sword technique is flawless. Very impressive. You're everything I ever wanted in an opponent."
"It seems your more than just inflated ego and talk." She replied standing up. "Your obsession with strength is obvious now. However, getting what you want can be detrimental to your health." She returned to her normal armor and the two began throwing fists.
After a punch to the ribs, Azuma summoned a vine that grabbed Erza's arm and detonated. A spear ripped through the smoke and grazed Azuma before Erza grabbed up. With the strength of her Giants Armor, she slammed him down on a branch. He sent four vines at her that slammed her into a tree that cracked in half. As he stood back up, he was forced to dodge the massive mace of Erza's Purgatory Armor.
She charged him again and swung only for a massive wood knot to block it. He reached up from the wood under her. "You left yourself wide open! "Tower Burst!"
A pillar of magic power shot up and ripped her armor to shreds as she cried in pain before crashing to the ground. Forcing herself up, she stared up at Azuma. 'Incredible... He has so much magic power... How am I supposed to counter that? My Armadura Fairy Armor is still broken... I seriously doubt any of my remaining armors will do the job...'
She stood back up as an idea crossed her mind. 'There is that... I may have bought the Seduction Armor for private use, but perhaps...' Her face turned beat red. "I am not Lucy! I have a warriors pride!"
"What are you talking about?" Azuma asked.
'Think this through...' She thought to herself. 'If I'm going to overcome his power, I'll have to sacrifice defense and start focusing on my attack. It might be best to forgo defense entirely...' Her body glowed again as she entered her Clear Heart Clothing. 'It's the only way. I'll put all of my power into my sword. Come forth, Crimson Blossom!' A black katana appeared in her hands as azuma smirked.
'If I lose here, the entire guild pays th price.' She charged forward as he blade started glowing red. 'I won't lose, for the sake of my guild. I can't afford to lose! I'll end this with one strike!'
Both cried with might before a vine grabbed her body and pinned her place. "You just lost your chance! Now face all the power of Tenrou!" The island started shaking before he clapped his hands. "Terra Chyrmal!" A massive orb of magic power enveloped her before branches snapped and she fell to the ground. "The Great Titania finally falls."
Magic Council Jail
Inside a crystal like cell, Jellal sat against the wall with his eyes locked on his hands. "Erza..."
A frog man guard floated by and overheard the name. "What was that, Lord Seigrain? Did you say something?"
"It's Jellal! Or did that slip your mind already?" A blue frogman asked. "Seigrain is the name he used when he was a member of the council."
"Sorry, guess old habits die hard." The first one chuckled.
The second guard floated over and stared at Jellal in disgust. "Look at him... this is the guy who destroyed our council building? He looks more like a wounded animal then a dangerous criminal."
Jellal just ignored them and kept muttering. "Do you think he's trying to put a curse on us?" The first one asked.
"Even if he wanted to, he couldn't." The second guard said. "Inside this cell, he's about as powerful as a baby. Here, watch this."
"Watch what?" The green frog asked.
The blue frog put his staff into the cell and zapped Jellal. "What did I tell you? He's nothing more then a helpless animal in a cage."
"Okay, you've had your fun, Nadaru. Knock it off." The first guard begged.
The named guard didn't stop and kept zapping Jellal. "Come on, Tell me what you were mumbling about." Nadaru demanded before adding more magic to the spell. "I just realized. You haven't had a decent meal since you were brought here." The magic stopped and Jellal fell over.
"Bet your stomachs trying to eat itself. Well, if you say 'please feed me, sir Nadaru' I might just let you have one. Otherwise I'll make sure the taste food becomes a distant memory for you." Jellal just mumbled something softly. "Speak up."
"...Erza." He mumbled, confusing both of them. "Don't... give in... you... can do it, Erza."
The Tenrou Tree
Erza's eyes snapped open, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her. Coughing violently, she forced herself to move and leaned against her sword. "Impossible! I hit her with all of Tenrou power!" Azuma shouted.
Erza forced herself to look at her opponent. 'I heard Jellal's voice just now... was I just dreaming...' Her fingers tightened around the handle of her sword. 'Stop it... this is no time to be selfish...' She stood up on her wobbly feet and steadied herself. 'Clear your head... don't cling to fantasies... Now that you've found the strength to stand find what you can to win this...'
She charged at him and readied her blade to swing. He replied by summoning a vine to protect himself, but she sliced through it with ease. He summoned more and sliced through them all before almost taking his head off and only being saved by a vine. 'Those eyes...' He thought to himself as she stared at him. "It's been a long time since I feared an opponent."
She sliced a tree hand in half before dodging s series of vines aimed at her. Two snaked by her and grabbed her legs before more immobilized her arms. "Erza Scarlet... you've fought bravely. I'll remember you name for as long as I live. I win! Terra Chrmayl!"
The mass of magic power hit her again and sent her crashing to the ground again. 'So this is it... death?'
'Don't tell me you're giving up?' Erza's eyes snapped open as she hallucinated every member of Fairy Tail surrounding her. The magic of Tenrou sensed her emblem and supported her forcing her out of the attack.
'I understand...' She thought as she flew at azuma. 'I've been so selfish. It was never I who was protecting you, when it was you who was protecting me.'
With a roar she gripped her blade and sliced through the vines he summoned. 'Tenrou island's magic power should be under my control... yet it's supporting her!?' He asked himself in shock. 'The power to protect those close to her, is this what she was talking about?' Azuma just stared at the woman getting closer to him and smirked. 'They truly are an amazing guild.'
Erza passed him and delivered a slash along his chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Erza landed on a branch and smirked at her victory.
Probably one of, if not the coolest scene in the whole arc. And for anyone who says she won because of plot armor, I think the magic power was always going to support a member of Fairy Tail. But then again I don't know live inside Hiro's head so I don't know for sure.
Beta read by JballinR12.
