Chapter 121

The First Victory

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback

Location / Date / Time Skip

Natsu blocked a punch from a massive man before delivering a flaming punch of his own. The massive man was blastsd backwards before sliding to a stop, glaring at the Dragon Slayer. "Natsu, stop fooling around!" Happy shouted from above. "He should be unconscious by now, so what's the hold up?"

"I know!" He replied back. "But I don't know how many more fight's I've got after him… I can't go full on from the start…"

"Get out of the way!" Carla shouted in her human form, knocking him to the side. "Stick to the plan!" She kicked a soldier in the face as the tomcat flew away.

Soldiers followed him in annoyance towards a small hill. Logs started rolling down and hitting the troops, Rose looking down with a knife in her paw. "Feels nice to help in a fight for once." She chuckled.

Wendy shot a tornado out of her mouth as Gajeel jumped back from a sudden explosion before more blasts covered the ground. "Looks like you're getting serious." He chuckled in excitement.

Western Magnolia

Blasts of magic filled the streets as troops filed in. "These guys just keep on coming…" Gray stared.

"We faced more in the fight with against Avatar." Juvia reminded him.

"Yeah, but these guys are way better trained and stronger." He replied. "And this is just a squad, they have a whole army… it's gonna be a real pain…"

"How about a manly hand?" Elfman shouted, crushing a small group of soldiers as he landed on them.

"Watch out!" Lisanna shouted, dive kicking a troop with bird feet.

Mirajane walked up behind them as her magic power rose. "Satan Soul…" Her body glowed and transformed into shocking form. "Mirajane Seilah."

"What hell?"/"Was she taken over!?"

"Otherwise, she would have died if we left her like that… so…" Lisanna mumbled.

"My sis is… just to nice some times." Elfman said, a small tear in his eye.

"So, she's just been robbed of her body?" Gray asked.

"I order you all to sleep." Mirajane declared, waving her hand. The entire platoon fell to the ground and started snoring.

More started running up from the rear, having just missed the order. "Some of them are still awake!" Lisanna shouted.

"Well, then… guess we'll just have to do it the old fashioned way." Her sister said with smile, unaware of the large man walking up behind the army.

Guildhall

"How long until the Jupiter recharges!?" Mavis shouted.

"It's pointless.. even if we survive this wave, they're just gonna send bigger ones.…" Warren bluttered out in tears.

"GET YOURSELF TOGETHER, ALREADY!" Max shouted, kicking his friend in the nads from behind. "WE'RE ALL SCARED! But we still have to fight and so do you! This is our home and we have a duty to protect it!"

The others smiled in agreement before the telepath returned the blow. "Don't freaking kick me in the nuts, man!" Warren wiped the tears from his eyes before speaking to Bisca. "Five more minutes? Okay. We're leaving it to you."

"My apologies, first master…" Makarov told the ghost. "These young ones never chance…"

"It's fine…" She replied with a smile. 'It'll all be over if we give up… I need to think of something quick…'

Lucy's Apartment

The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity until Lucy finally spoke up. "I… don't understand why you're here."

"Get in with me." Brandish ordered, shocking Lucy.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" The blonde shouted. "First you break into my house, use my bath, and now you expect me to join you? Are you insanse!?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Brandish warned, scaring Lucy. "Ah, it's because of him, isn't it?" She asked, picking up the shrunken Marin. Plucking him into a small case, she set it down and looked at the blonde. "Well, problem solved, right? You remember what my magic can do, right? I can make this town the size of an anthill if I wanted to. As long as you do as I say, no one will get hurt."

Annoyed, Lucy had no choice but to start stripping herself. 'I can't use my magic around him… I don't know what she's really after… but if it's a fight she wants, she'll get one.'

Magnolia Skies

Trapped by sand, Erza could do nothing but take the hits. "When I'm done with you, they'll be nothing but a cloud of sand blowing in the wind." Ajeel chuckled.

'Why can't I Requip right now?' The redhead asked herself.

Lucy's Appartment

Stepping into the tub, the two girls stared at each other as Marin begged to be let out. "What do you want here?"

"You're not looking cute…" Brandish declared, holding up a pair of cat ears and a bell collar. "So put this on." Reluctantly, the blonde obeyed putting on the accessories. "Oh my, you're adorable."

"What is her deal!?"

"I know I've seen you before somewhere…" Brandish declared.

"Sorcerer Weekly, I bet…" Lucy mumbled. "I was a reporter and a model there for about a year…"

"We don't get your magazines in Alveraz." The Spriggan snapped.

"Then last years Grand Magic Games?" The blonde suggested, only for Brandish to shake her head. "Don't tell me you went to these ridiculous lengths just to figure that out!?"

"That's right." The intruder replied, stunning Lucy. "And speaking of ridiculous, how can we have a serious convo while you're in cat ears?" The blonde almost drowned in shock as Brandish stepped out of the tub. "Think you could scrub my back for me?" Lucy obeyed and started scrubbing, much to Marin's annoyance. "You haven't told me your name."

"It's Lucy." She replied, glancing down at her broken key. 'She's lowered her guard! Now's my chance!' Raising her hand, she prepared to use the key like a dagger, ready to strike.

"Are you Layla's daughter?" Lucy froze at the mention of her mother's name, making Brandish slowly tirn her head. "That's what it is… Layla's daughter…"

The entire building started shaking as it shrank around her. Lucy ran for escape and barely made it out a window, finding the building sat between a clothed Brandish's legs. "To think you'd live in a dump like that…"

"What connection do you have with my mother!?" Lucy demanded, only to get glared at by the clothed woman.

"It's too much of a hassle to explain." Brandish declared.

"You better get away from her!" The vernette moved her head as cards flew past them. "Magnolia isn't your personal playground. So get the hell out of our city."

"Cana!" Lucy cheered while the brunette chuckled, looking at her towel. "Yo-you've got it all wrong! But it's fine!" She lifted a pink case into the air before dropping it on the ground. A second later, she stomped on it, crushing Marin. "Now I can use my Magic again!"

She pulled out a pair of keys and two puffs of smoke appeared. Virgo and Aries appeared next to her, the maid having dressed the blonde. "This brings back memories of our tag battle on Tenrou, doesn't it?" Cana chuckled.

Magnolia Skies

Erza felt a pulse of magic in her chest before quickly changing her armor. The sand dispersed as she glared at Ajeel before charging forward. A slash of her swords sent him flying backwards, only to be unaffected by the hit.

West Hills

The Dragon Slayers panted as they looked out over the battlefield. "They were quite a handful even for the two of you." Happy said from over Natsu.

"Well, we couldn't go all out, could we…" Natsu replied.

"Yeah, I was only using ten percent this whole time." Gajeel chuckled, looking up at the sky.

"Hate to say it, but I don't think we're done." Laki spoke up.

"They're still coming…" Pantherlily declared. "There's no end to this…"

"Their strength and numbers… are like nothing we've faced before…" Wendy worryingly added.

"Exactly!" The massive man shouted as he stood up Natsu. "You can't beat us, let alone the whole em-" Natsu slammed his elbow into the gut before swinging his fist, launching the behemoth into the air.

He crashed through the entire ship, shocking Ajeel. "Thanks, Natsu." Erza smiled before rushing past Ajeel. "For sharing your fighting spirit!" Her blades finally managed to hit him, much to his horror.

"Impossible!" Ajeel jumped back and held his arm in pain. "Everything that touches me should've turned to sand! I haven't heard of a sword that could-" He looked up to find water where metal should have been. "A water sword!?"

"The Sea Gods sword has the power to harden sand!" Erza declared, swinging the blade only for Ajeel to jump back.

"Damnit! How dare a lowly wizard like you make me this angry!" Sand started flowing around her, only for it to suddenly be blasted away.

"The Wind Gods sword allows me to blow the sand away!" The redhead defiantly said. "Sand just has too many weakness."

"Then what about a sandstorm?" Ajeel chuckled, a sudden storm swallowing not only the ship, but the entire town under her. "Welcome to my sand world, where I am god!" From behind, he appeared and blasted her back. "The fear of not being able to move freely, and the fear of an invisible attack… I see it all!"

He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground. "Revere me like a god and maybe I'll forgive you. Or at least, I'll promise to end you in one blow to save you from all the pain. Do you really want to suffer like this, feeling your body dry up? Call me god, already."

Ajeel squeezed tighter and she gasped for air, finally getting her to speak. "E… even… even if you became a god, my friends will not feat you..." She declared, confusing the Sand Wizard. "And that's because they know well enough what to believe in and what not to…"

Her armor transformed in a bright light as Ajeel summoned a sand axe. "It's pointless! Your head is mine!" A massive blast of energy suddenly tore through the storm, destroying the ship. Erza smirked at Bisca's sharping shooting before charging forward. Swinging her weapon, she struck Ageel true and finally defeated him, making the other members of her guild smile.

Amidst the rubble, Natsu saw Erza plummeting to the ground before rushing after her. "Go with Natsu. She's gonna need your help." Gajeel told Wendy before she nodded. "The three of us can handle what's left."

"Happy, Rose, you go as well." Laki declared before the cats flew after the falling girl. Natsu caught her in time as she raised her fist in victory.

Magnolia

Lucy's Apartment

The storm suddenly died around the town, much to the delight of Cana and Lucy. To their shock, Brandish had suddenly started sneezing across from them. "Allergies?" Lucy questioned.

"Guess that storm must have blown in all the pollen and crap into the air." Cana pointed out. Walking up behind the sneezing woman, she delivered a single punch to the back of Brandish's head, knocking her out.

"A sucker punch…" Lucy mumbled in shame.

"She left herself open for it." The brunette defended, staring down at the unconscious woman. "Is that seriously all it takes to knock out one of the Twelve?"

"What do we do with her?" The blonde asked, putting her keys away.

"Take her prisoner, duh." Cana chuckled. "We'll hold her in the guild."

In the center of the city, Gray and the others finally managed to see again. Staring across from them was a sudden wall of mechanical looking soldiers before they charged at the wizards. Juvia jumped back from a punch and turned into water, only for scalding steam to suddenly shoot out of the wrist.

"Juvia!" Gray turned and pressed his hands together, only for another one to charge forward with a flaming fist. "Hold on, Fire?"

"The hell is with this guy!?" Elfman asked, swinging at the foe. "I can't hit him."

"I can't even dent mine!" Lisanna shouted, scratching at the droid.

"It's like they're designed to exploit our weaknesses…" Gray mumbled as he turned to Mirajane. "Mira should be safe then, she has no-" To his shock, he found her getting hit by a robot with Elfman's face. "You can't tell that's obviously a fake!?"

"My magic allows me to see the weaknesses and create soldiers to exploit them." Wall declared as he watched his clones battle. "I think I can leave things here to my soldier. I must attend to the slaughter of the creator of the barrier around this town." With a single jump, he launched himself into the air before landing in main room of the cathedral.

"An enemy!?"/ "How'd they get here already!?"

"I'm sorry to ask this, but you need to cover me." Freed requested as Bickslow and Evergreen stepped in front of him.

"I see it…" Wald declared. "Your weaknesses, all of it." Two troops appeared to next to him before they charged the pair.

"Line Formation!" Bickslow shouted only for his totems to fall to the ground. "What the-? White Magic!?"

Mist shot out of the one across Evergreen, blinding her and killing her spell. "Go for the leader!" Freed shouted as the pair revealed their magic eyes. Both stared at the original expecting instant victory, only to get battered aside by the robots. "Impossible…"

Wald pulled his coat open and to their surprise, started transforming into a look just like his soldiers. "I am a Machina." He declared, shocking the trio. "I have no soul to attack."

"A machine that uses magic!?" Freed asked in shock.

Lightning cracked in the air before two bolts rained down, destroying the robots. "Man…" The Thunder Legion stared in disappointment as Ichiya was standing at the entrance, Wald looking at the troll in confusion.