I find it funny that some of you guys think this should actually be what Fairy Tail's next generation should look like. I appreciate it, but I don't think it's that good.
Enjoy!
"Are you looking?!"
"You see me scrolling, don't you?!"
"Well find something!"
"I did, but apparently that wasn't enough!"
"Enough, both of you!" Mami shouted at Ken and Taro, who were the ones fighting. Since Ken had found what appeared to be the description Keita had been looking for, Ken had been rapidly checking file after file to make sure that he hadn't found the wrong one, or maybe another one detailed what they were supposed to do. So far Ken had found nothing, and it was clearly grinding on the nerves of those on board.
"What are we supposed to do?" Ken asked, still looking through Archive. "Tell the others that they can't beat them?"
"That'll boost morale well," Akio commented. "Just keep looking."
"It took me forever to find it in the first place." Ken said. "Finding it again, but with a way to take it out isn't going to be easy."
"Unless you want to go down there yourself and help out, just work on it," Mami said. The three of them grew silent, and Mami walked over the windows and looked out over the battlefield. She couldn't tell who was winning, but the thinned out forces of the enemy was sort of relieving. That was, of course, until she remembered that four people on the battlefield were incapable of falling. Who ever was the ones stuck fighting them, she felt very bad for. It couldn't have been easy, getting the upper hand and thinking you've won, only for the enemy to stand back up as though nothing had happened at all.
She just hoped there was a way. Otherwise they might be in a bad spot.
"You alright, Simon?" Nami asked. Simon knew he wasn't in good shape, but after Tristan stood back up he'd been standing in between him and the girls, blocking them and himself with his Adamantine armor.
"I'm fine." He replied. "I'm just worried that if he multiplies the power of his blasts to much I might not be able to block them. How's Juno?"
"I'm fine," Juno's voice came. "Still in bad shape after nearly killing myself, but otherwise I'm alive." That was the problem. Simon had already acknowledged that the only way for them to beat Tristan was Juno. They needed her to jack control of Divine Territory, but the way she was now wasn't going to help. Plus giving her enough time to even do it was also a problem.
"You look pretty battered, kid." Tristan's voice called. "Wanna take a rest or something?"
"Fuck yourself..." Simon hissed to himself. "Alright you two, listen. The only way we're getting the upper hand on this guy is if Juno has control of Divine Territory."
"How do you figure we manage that again?" Nami asked. "She's still in rough shape, and you and I aren't much better."
"You have a better idea?" Simon demanded. Silence was his response. "Juno, do you think you can do it again?"
"Yeah, sure." She replied. "He didn't even notice until it was too late last time. But now that he knows I can do it, he's not going to let me slip away and work on it."
"So you need a distraction."
"Well yeah but-"
"Well then here's our plan." Simon, breaking the shield apart. Using his still unlocked inventory, he requipped into his samurai pants, wielding both katanas. "Juno, take away Divine Territory. Nami, you make sure no attacks get too close."
"And what exactly do you plan on doing?" Nami demanded.
"I'm going to engage him head on." Simon replied.
"Are you insane?" Juno asked. "He'll lock your magic away!"
"I won't use magic then." Simon replied, flicking the katanas back and forth. "I'll only use physical hits."
"Hm, so your inventory was still open?" Tristan asked. "Suppose I forgot about that. Don't worry, it's locked off now."
"Simon please don't act so brave," Juno said. "You'll get hurt."
"I'm already hurt," Simon replied.
"Worse, then. Besides, what if we beat him again and he gets up? What do we do then?" Simon pursed his lips together at this. If Tristan stood back up again, Simon wasn't sure he'd have the energy to stomp him back down a third time.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He finally said. "Can I trust you to take Divine Territory away, Juno?"
"...Yeah, of course." She replied. "Just don't get too hurt."
"Can I trust you to be the last line of defense, Nami?"
"Yeah, yeah." Nami said. "Don't play the hero, jackass. If it's too much tell me, we'll rotate out."
"Got it. Go!" Simon heard the girls dash away from him, and he used this opportunity too dash towards Tristan, blades raised. The man made a face and fell backwards as Simon began to swipe at him quickly.
"Ah, so you're going in without magic, eh?" Tristan asked, raising his hand. More bursts of holy magic flew towards Simon, who did his best to dodge them as he kept sprinting for Tristan. "Where exactly do the girls think they're going?!"
"Never you mind!" Simon shouted. "I'm the one you should be paying attention to!"
"Like you're a threat without magic, kid!" He retorted as more blasts surged towards Simon. He worked his way through them, even cleaving through several before he got to Tristan. Slashing downwards, Simon felt the left katana make contact. Looking up, he watched Tristan fall backwards, holding his cheek. It appeared the tip had just barely struck him.
"Looks like I got you," Simon grinned as Tristan wiped blood from his face. "How many more slashes can you take?"
"A better question would be how many blasts you can take." Tristan said with a smirk. "My blasts now never miss their intended target. Ready kid?" Simon felt his gut wrenching as the huge blasts exploded outwards from Tristan's palm. Preparing himself, Simon rushed towards the blast, intending to take it head on and cleave through it. It was his only-
Simon watched the blast soar right past him. Surprised for only a moment, Simon turned and watched as the blast soared towards Nami and Juno, who were huddled near the outer edge of Divine Territory.
"Nami!" He shouted, running towards them. There was no way he'd catch up with the blast. "NAMI!"
"NAMI!" Nami jumped at the call of her name and turned. A gigantic blast of holy magic was headed right for her and Juno, Simon far behind it.
"Shit..." She hissed, getting to her feet.
"That's a big blast," Juno said from beside her. "Can you manage it?"
"Never mind that, focus on what you're doing." Nami replied. Nami drew her blade and ran towards the blast. She really didn't know what she intended to do once she'd reached it, but as long as it didn't hit Juno they were good.
"You two are slow as hell!" Tristan shouted. "Do you really think I aimed at either of you?!" Nami's eyes widened, and she watched as the blast veered far away from her and around, descending towards Juno rapidly, who was to busy trying to take Divine Territory.
"JUNO!" Nami yelled, hoping the girl would hear her. She did, but looked at her, and not up towards the blast. "Get out of the-!" Nami's voice escaped her as a red blur sped past him.
She could only watched as Simon forced himself between Juno and the blast. He didn't wait for it, he threw himself right at it and collided directly with it.
BOOM!
Nami shielded her eyes as the light from the explosion blinded her. Once she felt it die away, she looked up. Simon landed standing upright. His clothes were torn and destroyed, and one of his katana had snapped and he now only had the hilt in his hand.
"Simon?" She asked weakly. Tristan chuckled.
"Smart." She heard him say. "The attack wasn't going to dodge him if he went right for it, only if there was an obstruction between it and it's goal. Staying out of it's path to Juno let him hit it. Smart, but costly."
"You okay, Simon?" Juno asked, staring to stand.
"Focus...On Divine Territory." He said. Juno made a face but nodded, slowly sitting back down. Simon slowly looked over at his broken katana, before rolling his eyes and tossing it aside."Piece of shit," he muttered. "You, Tristan."
"Hm?" Tristan asked.
"That was a low blow, aiming for Juno." He said. "I'd advise against doing that again."
"And who exactly are you thinking is going to stop me?" Tristan demanded, crossing his arms. "You? Your girlfriend over here? No, neither of you will. So tell me Simon, who's going to stop this?"
"I will," Simon said. There was so much conviction in his voice Nami felt no reason to doubt him. "I don't care if I have to punch you out, I'll do it. So, Nami. Keep an eye on Juno."
With that, Nami watched Simon catapult himself forwards, preparing a blast of heavenly light. Before she or Tristan could object, Nami watched the blast go off point blank between the two men. Tristan flew backwards, and Simon followed him, slashing at him with his remaining katana. Sparing a moment, she looked over at Juno.
"Get to work." She said. "We've got one more shot at this." Juno nodded.
"Don't remind me."
Kumi watched as Keita and Elizabeth fought, looking for an opening. Once Elizabeth turned her back, Kumi grinned.
"Uh oh, nyah." She said. "Bad idea." Raising a hand, Kumi shot out binds and watched them fly for Elizabeth, one wrapping around her left wrist. "Now, Keita!" She watched as Keita appeared from the shadows and delivered a punch to Elizabeth, which sent her flying. Centering her weight and holding tight, Kumi spun with the bind in hand and used to to throw Elizabeth right back into the dirt, causing dist to fly up where she landed. The woman quickly regained her footing, binding gone.
"Stupid cat!" She shouted, aiming a blast at Kumi. The blast soared towards her, but Kumi was more than just a stupid cat. She was an agile one too. Blasts came at her in rapid succession, but she bent her body around every single one and landed gracefully.
"So close, nyah!" She shouted. "Wanna try again?" Elizabeth growled at this.
"God, between you and your shadow friend I'm getting quite annoyed."
"Ah, you okay honey?" Kumi asked sarcastically. "I'll read you a bed time story if you want." This got her no response, so she waited for Keita to reappear and distract the woman. Keita remained hidden for a while, but soon he appeared under her feet and swiped at her. He missed obviously, as he didn't want to get hit by the spell that dealt damage back. Kumi watched and waited for an opening, but so far Elizabeth seemed to be ignoring Keita, which was sort of a problem.
Maybe I should advance, she's learning to ignore Keita.
Deciding this was the best course of action, Kumi prepped herself and ran right for Elizabeth, noting the shadow waiting by her. Blasts came from the woman as Kumi shot binds at her, destroying the binds before they could reach the woman. Kumi made a face and tried again, but the same result came back to her. Their current strategy wasn't going to work. Backing off a bit, Kumi clicked her teeth.
"Got any ideas, nyah?" She asked. She looked over as Keita's body appeared from the darkness.
"Obviously the only way is still to get her wrapped up," he said. "But she knows I won't hit her because I'll only hurt myself, and you need my help to distract her."
"So what do we do? Are you actually gonna hit her, nyah?"
"I'm not sure. We just need to find a way to-"
"Hello? Can everyone hear me? Hello?" Kumi made a face as a male voice entered her head.
"Ken?" Keita asked. "Is that you?"
"Yeah. Listen up, everyone. I've got news."
"Ken? Is that you?" Winter's voice came.
"What's going on up there, man?" Elise asked. Ken looked over at his Archive display to see how many people he was talking to. He currently had everyone they had deployed in the Archive call, plus a few others Mami and Taro had spotted just in case they were down there.
"Alright, now that everyone's listening, I have news. If you aren't fighting a member of The Cross, this isn't for you."
Oh gee, I just get to mediate the strategy." Rina's irritated voice came.
"Shush, Rina." Kyoko said. "What's going on, Ken?" Ken took a deep breath.
"If any of you are fighting a member of The Cross, you may have heard them talking about not being able to lose."
"That's accurate, yeah." Reyna said.
"Uh huh." Nami agreed.
Doesn't ever shut up, really." Terra said. Ken nodded weakly.
"Well, they aren't lying." he heard many confused voices at this, so he continued. "Keita asked me to look into it. The members of The Cross have a necklace of the same shape. One I'm sure many of you have seen be used.
"Now that you mention it, she did pull something out of her shirt." Ultear agreed.
"Yeah, that. The Cross is what's allowing the defeated members to stand back up, if you've seen that. it protects them from loss in combat. They can't lose, as they will always rise again." Silence came across the telepathy link at this.
"...Are you fucking joking?" Keita asked. "That's what it does?"
"Sadly, yes." Ken said. "The files don't mention any way of getting around it, either."
"What does it say exactly?" Ultear asked. Ken looked back over at the Archive open next to him.
"The Blessing Of The Cross is an old form of holy magic," she read off aloud. "Once cast on four Cross shaped necklaces, the magic power will keep the four wearers from falling combat. They will never fall in a fight. No matter what is done, even if two or three fall at the exact same time, The Blessing Of The Cross will allow them to rise again." Silence once again came over the link.
That sounds pretty definitive, nyah." Kumi said.
"Really does," Steph agreed. "Anyone one have any ideas?"
"It's obvious you idiots." Ken jumped a bit at this voice.
"It's obvious you idiots." Keita new this voice. Soon, he also felt the ground trembling. Turning, he smiled.
Drake and Michael stood there, skin covered in scales. Their gaze wasn't one Keita wanted to be on the opposite side of.
"How so, Drake?" Kumi asked. "It said we can't beat them."
"Wrong," Drake replied, cracking his back. "It said even if two cor three fall at the same time, they will rise again."
"What're you getting at, Cyanide Breath?" Elise asked. Michael glowered at this.
"He's saying if we take out every member of the Cross, the enchant won't work."
For a third time silence came over the link.
"How do you figure?" Taro asked from behind Ken. "Give us some examples please." Drake was heard sighing.
"It's only a theory," Drake said. "But think about it. Every time I saw Elizabeth use that necklace, she had to activate it herself. If there's no Cross members left standing to activate the charm..."
"The charm won't activate," Michael finished. "And we win."
Now that he mentions it, I saw that too." Steph said. "Quinn did it a lot as well."
"Same here," Ultear said. Drake hummed in agreement at this.
"it's our best shot," he said.
"Maybe our last one, too." Elise said. "I'm not feeling to hot over here."
"I'm tired as well." Terra said. "We all must be." Soon the call became a whirlwind of people complaining and arguing over strategies.
"WOULD YOU ALL SHUT THE HELL UP?!" Ken jumped as Simon roared this over the link. "What other choice do we have?!" Silence, then, "Look, I know you're all tired. I am too. But this is our last shot. We need to try Drake's theory, or else we're going to lose either way!"
"Simon's right," Drake said. "We have to try. We're tired, we're weakened, but fuck we're still standing. And if we stand together, these guys won't know what hit them. I don't care how many times you've put a member of The Cross face down in the dirt so far, and I don't care how many more times you have to do it. We're going to win, and do so together."
"That's the spirit!" Rina shouted. "Fuck impossible odds! Who needs them?!" At this, the link showed much more positivity than before.
"Ken," Michael said, speaking up. "Think you can give us all a twenty minute timer?"
"Just twenty?" Ken asked.
"If we need anymore you might as well just give us a couple days." Drake said. "I'm not in the mood nor the shape for a long drawn out fight." No one spoke up against this timer, so Ken gulped and worked with Archive.
"Alright, you should all have a twenty minute timer in your heads," he said. "When that timer hits zero, every member of The Cross needs to be down. Got that everyone?"
"Got it, nyah!" Kumi said. "We'll be okay guys!"
"God damn right," Nami agreed. "Anyone who doesn't make the timer, I'm killing you myself."
"Same goes for you, sis." Keita said. "No slacking." Ken took a deep breath as the download link finished for all those in combat.
"There it is," he said. "And the timer has...started. Good luck everyone." With this, the link closed out with the sounds of battle cries and explosions. Ken leaned back in his seat and sighed.
"They'll be fine, right?" He asked. Nobody answered him.
Natsu watched the exploding plumes of red, black and purple, hoping to God Nashi was okay. Of course she would be, right? She'd managed thus far. He just hoped she could make it a little bit farther, at least past this fight. After that, he'd have to take the moments as they came. He really wished that none of them were that bad.
Who the hell did he think he was kidding with that, exactly?
Another explosion resounded, and he looked up just in time to see Nashi land hard in front of him. He watched her roll hard and cough, attempting to get up.
"Nashi!" he cried out, heart jumping to his throat.
"I'm okay...I'm okay..." He heard her mumbled as she struggled to her feet. Neptu landed a fair distance away, watching.
"It appears you're not as good as you claimed to be." He said. "Sad. However, I suppose I shouldn't expect the daughter to be as powerful as her Dad."
"You...You shut up." Nashi said, pointing weakly at Neptu. "I've still got a lot in the tank, never you mind." It was quite clear the use of the God fire had not helped her at all. She'd weakened herself, and Neptu just helped her along with that.
"Nashi, get out of here." Natsu said. "lease. Find Gray and get him over here. He'll be able to-"
"Shut up!" Nashi shouted, cutting him off. "I can handle this! we don't need Gray!"
"Nashi..."
"No! I've got this, Dad! Please just trust me!" Natsu trusted her. He did.
He didn't trust Neptu.
"Enough of this." Neptu said, raising both of his hands. "Disappear, girl." Natsu watched a massive blast of flames leave Neptu's hands and roar towards Nashi, who stubbornly stood her ground.
"Nashi please!" he shouted, panicking. "Get away from that! You don't have any idea what you're doing!"
"I know exactly what I'm doing." These words from her stunned Natsu into silence. He watched helplessly from the ground as the blast reached her, and enveloped her. The blast went off with a huge explosion, but Natsu couldn't bring himself to look away.
"Wow, didn't think she'd want to take that directly." Neptu said, shaking his head. "No matter. Natsu, allow us to finish what we-?"
The sound of suction cut Neptu off.
Natsu slowly looked back at where Nashi had been standing, fearing but also knowing what he'd see.
Nashi was inhaling purple flames.
Watching, stunned into silence, Nashi inhaled all of the remaining purple flames and stayed stationary, unmoving.
"Nashi?" Natsu asked weakly. She didn't reply to him. She simply stood there, the wind blowing around them weakly.
And then, she screamed.
Natsu watched, terrified, as Nashi grabbed her head as she screamed, purple flames exiting from her mouth, as she flailed around. Ignoring the pain, Natsu ran to his daughter as she writhed on the ground.
"NASHI!" He shouted, shaking her as he reached her. She squirmed against his grasp as she writhed in pain, still screaming. "Nashi! Nashi! You'll be okay! Can you hear me?! Nashi!"
Soon, the screaming stopped.
Nashi's body went limp. She stopped struggling, and Natsu felt his world falling around him.
"N-Nashi...?" He asked in a small voice, shaking her weakly. "Nashi...S-Sweetheart?" Shaking her enough, pushed her head back against Natsu's forearm as he cradled her unmoving form. Purple saliva leaked from her mouth, along with blood. Raising a shaky hand, Natsu lifted his daughters eyelid.
Her eyes weren't moving, and had a faded, faraway look to them.
"N-Nashi...?" He whispered weakly, body shaking.
"So that was her last wish?" Neptu asked. "Protecting her father? What a lovely girl. Perhaps now you understand Natsu. What I went through. Maybe now you'll-!"
"FUCK YOU!" Natsu roared. Standing and in on swift motion, a Lightning Fire Dragon Attack exited Natsu's arm. It struck Neptu quickly. "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! DIE! DIE!" Natsu held absolutely nothing back as he pummeled Neptu as hard as he could.
He could feel his body trying to make him stop. His heart in particular felt as though it was attacking him.
He didn't care.
All he cared about was ending Neptu Skylancer's life.
As Natsu had forced Neptu far away with the explosive attacks, the battlefield around Nashi's unmoving form became quiet. The only sound that punctuated the silence was explosions in the distance. Nashi faded eyes stared up at the sky as blood and saliva dripped from her mouth. She was unmoving, uncaring.
But soon, she coughed.
Her form recoiled into the fetal position as the coughs racked her body. Purple and red both exited her mouth into a small pool, and it became bigger and bigger with every cough. Soon the teenager forced herself onto all fours, panting hard.
"..."
No words came from her mouth, only spit and labored panting. The girl stayed this way for a moment or two longer, then grew silent.
If anyone had been around to hear it, they'd have said that the guttural growl that escaped Nashi Dragneel's lips was not human in nature.
I'll just leave it here for now. Arc's nearing it's conclusion! I hope you guys enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try to get five!
Chapter 262: Twenty Minutes