Here we are everyone, the next new chapter! We're getting closer and closer to the end of Phantom lord. Id say we have about 4 more chapters to go more or less. Im so glad that our readers have enjoyed all of the changes that we have brought into he fairy tail cannon. While I truly do love it for what it is, it can be improved, and i like to think ive done just that.
Anyways, you didnt come to hear me speak, you came to read the new chapter. I cant wait to hear what all of you have to say about it in your reviews. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach of fairy tail. Those belong respectively to Tite Kubo and Shounen jump and Hiro Mashima and Weekly shounen magizine. This is just for fun!
Ankoholic Disclaimer: As you can probably imagine I do not own the Fairy Tail or Bleach series or any of the characters that appear in either. The honor of being the man behind Fairy Tail belongs to the one, the only Hiro Mashima. Oh, and Bleach's creation rests solely on the shoulders of some other guy. Oh sure, I've purchased plenty of manga, DVDs, video games and maybe a few too many action figures and statues of Erza Scarlet and some Bleach character (though only the Fairy Tail merchandise remains at this point), but the series themselves? Oh no, they're certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. Though to explain how different Bleach would be... Well, to detail that would take a higher word count than this story will eventually end with. Though oddly enough, little would actually change about Fairy Tail. Huh. Go figure.
"So much for Fairy Tail evacuating the town."
That had been Liltotto Lamperd's plan after all, Bambietta Basterbine remembered that much, but it was not to be. The phantom-like minions crafted by Jose's power had attacked the moment Natsu Dragneel and the others had entered the Phantom Lord guild hall, leaving Bambietta, Lucy and those who had remained behind to keep them at bay.
Bambietta did not mind in the least. It was the task of the others to evacuate the town after all, not hers. She was meant to protect Lucy Heartfilia after all, as well as her own choice of keeping a close eye on Levy McGarden, but Liltotto had asked the others to keep the town safe from harm if the worst case scenario of the Abyss Break came into play.
Bambietta was not worried however. She had seen it well enough time and time again: Fairy Tail made the impossible possible. The Abyss Break was not going to happen. She had faith in that much.
However, as a luminous arrow struck down another dark shadowy being, Bambietta yawned. There was one thing she did not have faith in: having fun fighting such low-grade villains.
"Man, this is boring," the Quincy complained. "I could fight these creeps with my eyes closed. Wait, maybe that would make this more interesting."
Bambietta shook her head, shooting down another phantom creature.
"No, no, I need to keep an eye on Lucy. And that's certainly not something I want to avoid. I just hope Natsu is enjoying himself fighting more than I am..."
"Natsu!" Happy shouted as he floated around the massive room. "You having fun yet?"
The cat watched from above as the battle continued on the floor of the arena, fire and ice covering the battlefield as the combatants continued to overpower one and another.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" A torrent of flame burst forth from Natsu's mouth, colliding against a wave of ice that was tearing across the floor towards him, halting its advance. He looked towards Happy then, all but giving him a thumbs up. "Oh, yeah! I'm-"
Whatever the Dragon Slayer was about to say came to a close, a chain lashing across his throat. Sojiro Kusaka had all but appeared from thin air behind Natsu, ensnaring him with the extension of his sword. He twisted his body around, flinging the Fairy Tail wizard away and threw the air.
"Natsu!" Happy shouted as he watched his friend hit the wall hard with his back, the wood and stone both splintering and shattering.
"Hang tight, little buddy," Natsu gasped out as he fell away from the wall and landed on his feet, his stance shaking. Despite it all, he finished giving the flying cat a thumbs up, a smile adorning Natsu's face despite the pain hidden behind it. "Like I was gonna say, I'm having the time of my life!"
"Is that a fact?" Kusaka said as he lowered his sword, the chain resting against the floor. "I didn't peg you for the masochistic type, Salamander, but far be it from me to not appease those desires."
"Say what?" Natsu asked, the Dragon Slayer staring at Kusaka in confusion. "Look, pal. I'm not sure if that was a compliment or an insult, but I ain't whatever the heck you just called me!"
"I suppose only time will tell," Kusaka said as he gripped his hand tightly on his sword, raising it once more. "So show me, Dragon Slayer, what kind of person you really are!"
"You wanna see?" Natsu asked, fire coming to life around his arms. "Oh, I'll show you, but don't go blaming me because you played with fire and got burned!"
Natsu braced himself to attack, his body all but ready to launch forward, but he stopped when a familiar voice took hold of his attention.
"Uh, Natsu," Happy exclaimed as he circled around the ceiling. "That's probably not the best fight banter you've come up with."
"Hey! Who's side are you on, little buddy?" Natsu shouted towards the flying cat, his fire dying down. "I'm under a lot of pressure right now, so give me a break!"
"What a comical pair you two are." Kusaka simply stared at the Fire Dragon Slayer in disbelief. He raised his sword then in frustration, pointing the tip of the blade towards Happy. "Perhaps you would fight me in earnest if I were to relieve you of this burden, Salama-"
Kusaka suddenly felt both pain and heat across his face, a fist encased in fire striking him in the jaw. The Soul Reaper fell back, faint traces of blood slipping down from a corner of his mouth.
"Well now," Kusaka said as he found his footing and steadied himself, "was that enough?"
The Soul Reaper stared at the ground he had once held, finding Natsu standing there instead. The Fire Dragon Slayer's eyes were blazing, the veins on the side of his head seemingly on the verge of bursting under the pressure of the blood within.
"Yes, I suppose it was," Kusaka said as he spat out a fair amount of blood to the floor, his lips curling up into a faint grin. "Show me your anger, Salamander! Show me your power and make this a fight worth remembering!"
"First you pick a fight with my guild! With my family!" Natsu was hissing through gritted teeth. "Now you go and try and hurt my little buddy? I'll give you a fight all right! Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"This again?" Kusaka shook his head and threw his sword forward to meet the flames directly. "How predictable."
The intent was clear, Kusaka desiring nothing less than to freeze the fire in its entirety, to prove his powers superiority to Natsu. The blue spiritual pressure leaked out of his sword then, making contact with the flames. Slowly did the ice begin to form, enveloping and becoming one with the fire.
Then, much to Kusaka's surprise, it began to melt. First it degraded to simple water and then began to dissipate into nothing more than steam. "What?"
The Fire Dragon's Roar engulfed the Soul Reaper them, leaving his scream of pain to become drowned out by the fury of the attack itself. Natsu gasped then, his assault ending, and he looked on. "Bet he'll remember that for a long time coming."
"Natsu," Happy said, as he floated down, "I think he has to be alive to remember something."
"What?" Natsu shouted in return. "Come on, Happy. You know me better than that! I wouldn't go and try and off the guy! I'm sure he's fine!"
"You're right."
Natsu heard it, Kusaka's voice coming from behind. He was about to turn, to launch an attack, but all he could do was scream.
The edge of Kusaka's blade tore through flesh, cutting through muscle as it skid down the side of the Dragon Slayer's right arm. Natsu fell to the side then, crying out in agony as Happy began to panic.
"Natsu!" the cat shouted as he flew down towards him.
"Impressive reflexes, Salamander," Kusaka said as he whipped his sword to the side, allowing the remnants of blood to fly off. "You evaded that attack better than I had expected. However, do keep this in mind. If I had wanted to take your arm, I would have kept myself silent and left you unaware."
"You..." Happy whimpered as he knelt beside Natsu's bleeding arm. He did not even look up towards Kusaka, no, but his voice was direct against him. "How could you?"
"Don't hold it against me, cat," Kusaka replied calmly. "I am simply the one this fool chose to fight and I have acted accordingly. He came here to fight for you, for his supposed friends. He has nothing to blame but that. No one to blame but himself and those he considers friends."
"Is that right?" Natsu asked as he began to press both his hands against the floor, ignoring the pain that shot up his right arm. He pushed himself against the floor then, talking in a ragged voice as he did so, his confidence booming despite the agony he felt. "You go and say that you had me dead to rights, huh? That I only had a chance because you just had to go and open your big mouth?"
Kusaka simply watched as the Dragon Slayer stood up before him. "Yes."
Natsu spun around to face Kusaka then, raising his left hand and letting it become consumed in flame. "Then I guess now you're the one not taking this fight seriously!"
"How foolish," Kusaka replied, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He was not foolish in the least, having been blindsided by Natsu once before, so he let his spiritual nature flow out, to detect any sign of aggression or magic. "Do you really think you can take me with one-"
Kusaka felt it then, the spike of anger and power he had been expecting. He prepared to move accordingly, to step aside and remain free from harm, yet the chance never presented itself. He felt it once more, Natsu's burning knuckles tearing across the side of his face.
"Course I can!" Natsu shouted as he watched Kusaka tumble away, the Soul Reaper barely managing to remain on his feet. "I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back if you keep leaving yourself wide open like that!"
A trail of blood began to work its way down Kusaka's face, seeping out from the corner of his mouth. The Soul Reaper spat the red substance away then and looked at Natsu with a grin. "Well then, I suppose I should take this battle much more seriously, Salamander. I do not suppose you shall live to regret it."
Kusaka raised his blade then and there, extending his arm out from his body and keeping the blade horizontal. His spiritual powers began to spill outwards then, as if leaking from his very soul itself.
Natsu could not see the blue energy radiating from Kusaka's body, no, but the Dragon Slayer could feel it. A chill ran across his body, Natsu standing in awe of that which could not be seen. Still did he stand his ground, the flame covering his hand and the veritable fire in his eyes refusing to die down.
Then, without warning, a dragon forged of ice came into being. To Natsu it appeared as if it had come from the very blade that Kusaka wielded, the mighty beast propelling forward. The monster's fangs descended upon the Dragon Slayer quickly, a surge of power surrounding it, but Natsu did not back down.
"So you're an Ice-Make wizard, huh?" Natsu swung his one good arm forward, his fiery fist slamming into the frozen maw of the dragon. "Man, I bet Gray would love to know how to use this spell!"
"Maker Magic?" Kusaka shook his head. "It's so much more than that. Something you should realize right about... now."
Natsu could feel his feet slipping across the floor, the ice dragon pressing its advantage. The wizard tried his best to hold his ground, but he could see something that left him concerned. The fire around his hand was beginning to freeze. "That's not-"
"Not possible you say?" Kusaka interrupted. "I told you, Salamander. This is no mere manipulation of ice. My Zanpakuto can freeze anything this world has to offer, even your fire!"
Try as he might, Natsu could not hold on. His fist was quickly engulfed in solid ice, his magic fire no more, and Kusaka's dragon was no longer impeded. It wrapped its frozen jaws around his torso and bit down. The Dragon Slayer screamed in response as his feet lost contact with the ground, the dragon taking him into the sky.
"Yes, that's right," Kusaka said as he motioned his sword up high, giving commands to the inanimate dragon, "let your blood stain the ice. But don't worry, I won't end it here."
Kusaka let his fingers flex out, his dragon's maw doing the same. The teeth slipped free from Natsu's flesh, leaving the Dragon Slayer to fall. He was not a victim or gravity for long however. Kusaka snapped his wrist to the side and the ice dragon followed the motion. It spun around quickly, its tail whipping about and striking Natsu with such force that he was sent careening backwards.
"Natsu!" It was all Happy could do, the cat letting out an anguished cry as his friend was driven into wall, his body embedding itself into the stone.
"So, have you had enough yet?" Kusaka asked as he lowered his blade, the ice dragon floating down to rest by his side.
Natsu was silent for a moment, scattered portions of rubble falling to the floor from the spot in which he had been driven in to. He slowly opened up his eyes and looked down at Kusaka. "Are you..."
Kusaka raised an eyebrow towards the weakly spoken statement. "What?"
"That power," Natsu said, slowly bringing up a shaking hand and pointing a finger at Kusaka's monstrous creation. "Are you an Ice Dragon Slayer?"
Kusaka's eyes narrowed then. "I told you, I am nothing like you've ever known."
Natsu began to pull himself from the wall and dropped to the ground. He landed in a crouch, faint traces of blood issuing out from his wounds. He looked at Kusaka nonetheless, curiosity twinkling in his eyes. "So what? You're an Ice-Make Dragon Slayer then?"
Kusaka's eyes widened a bit, the Soul Reaper simply staring at Natsu in disbelief. "What?"
"You wouldn't happen to know where a guy named Igneel is, would you?" Natsu asked. "Well, I guess I should say he's a dragon and I've been looking all over for him and..."
Kusaka forced himself to drown out Natsu's voice, the Soul Reaper's eyes narrowing as he glared at the Dragon Slayer. He raised his sword up high, giving another command to his ice dragon. "I'm going to enjoy beating you down far more than I should."
Wendy Marvell was nervous, the Sky Dragon Slayer knowing what lay behind the doorway before her. It was something she did not want to involve herself in, something she was afraid to become a part of.
What was hidden away from her sight by the double doors was nothing more than a fight.
Yet Wendy knew she had to face this. The guild that Master Roubaul had entrusted her to was counting on her. Fairy Tail was many things to Wendy, be it intimidating or wild. However those were only initial impressions. In the short amount of time that she had known the guild proper it had become something else; its members had become something else.
Just as Grandeeny and Cait Shelter had become, so too were the members of Fairy Tail becoming like a family to Wendy. She had to fight for them if that was what it took. No matter how frightening the enemy or overwhelming the opposition, she would have to steel her resolve.
"It's what Bambi or Natsu would do, right?"
Wendy brought both hands up to her mouth, covering it in surprise that she had uttered her thoughts aloud just now. She had to hope that Liltotto had not heard it, but when she saw the Quincy looking down at her, Wendy knew that was not the case.
"What's the matter?" Liltotto asked simply.
"Oh, it's nothing," Wendy replied softly. "I just was trying to... motivate myself? I-"
Wendy glanced down at the floor suddenly then, her voice becoming quieter still.
"I'm scared, that's all."
Liltotto took a deep breath and moved towards Wendy. This was hardly her area of expertise, to motivate another to battle. Coming up with strategies, that was her skill. She could even manipulate a person's baser instincts and outwardly projected emotions for her amusement, Bambietta on the frequent occasion, but to truly understand and motivate another's heart? No. Still, Liltotto knew she would have to try. "What's to be scared of? I know I'm not Bambi, but I'm going to be right by your side. And I saw what you did back at Clover Town. You stood up to that big, bad monster, so I know you've got what it takes."
"That's just it," Wendy said. "I was scared for myself back then. And scared for everyone else. But this... We're not going to fight a monster. We're fighting another person. And I... I just want to heal people, not hurt them."
Liltotto closed her eyes for a moment, the Quincy beginning to wonder if she had miscalculated with her plans. "You don't have to, okay? I just need you to support me is all. I'll do the heavy lifting."
Liltotto could see Wendy look up at her then, the Dragon Slayer looking a bit happier. Still, her voice did not sound any more confident. "All right, but... I wish Bambi was here."
"You trust her." Liltotto tried to hold back a sigh, realizing that the best laid plans she had come up with her from what she had hoped for. "And I promised her that I'd keep you safe in any way I could, so... You stay here, all right?"
Liltotto began to turn then, her hand reaching out for the handle for the doorway. She had miscalculated, she could see that now. This was different than fighting a rampaging, mindless monster. This was against another flesh and blood wizard. However, Liltotto could see there was something else different in this occasion. Wendy had been by Bambietta's side when she had fought then. Liltotto's strategy had robbed her of that now, leaving the Dragon Slayer much more reluctant to fight, her fears outweighing any confidence she could muster.
So Liltotto was prepared to fight this battle on her own then, the Quincy hoping she was ready. Aria was an unknown to her, the only thing she knew being the fact that he had managed to defeat Makarov. Whether it was matter of out powering the guild master or simply a fluke she did not know, but it worried her. Still, she would not subject Wendy to this.
However, as Liltotto's fingers brushed against the handle, she felt another's fingers on her other hand. She looked to her side and could see that it was Wendy, the Sky Dragon Slayer having grasped her hand.
"I..." Wendy was quiet at first, but then she looked at Liltotto with a determined gaze that left her surprised. "I can't let you do this alone. Bambi wouldn't and neither should I."
Liltotto nodded in approval and began to open the door, ready to face Aria with Wendy's assistance. She could say nothing in response to the Sky Dragon Slayer's offer, the Quincy at a loss for words. This child, she was so innocent of the horrors of this world or the one that the Quincy had come from, yet she was unwilling to flinch despite her own innate fears. Liltotto had to wonder then what the past would have been like if the Stern Ritter had possessed in its members the purity that Fairy Tail seemed to cultivate in others.
"You won't leave an ally to fight alone, even despite your worries," Liltotto whispered to herself and no one else. "You're a better friend to Bambi than any of us were. If only... we had had someone like you in our little group back then, we might not have..."
"Is something the matter?" Wendy asked, having caught Liltotto's whispers.
"Everything's fine," Liltotto said as she began to open the door. "Now that Bambi and I are in this world. And I intend to keep it that way no matter what."
The water spell chamber of Phantom Lord's guild hall, once a place of solemn spell casting, was no longer what it was meant to be. Dual screams continued to ring across the room. Happy's shouts were those of fear and panic while Natsu's were simply cries of pain.
The fangs of Kusaka's ice dragon were rending flesh and biting through muscle, the beast continuing to trash about as its jaws held tightly to the Fire Dragon Slayer's torso.
"Tell me, Salamander," Kusaka shouted as he swung his blade upwards, commanding his creation to throw itself to the ceiling, smashing Natsu directly through the stone and wood, "do you think you can save your guild now?"
Kusaka dropped his blade then, the ice dragon tearing back down through the ceiling and into view. Blood was spraying out from the corners of its mouth, the twin trails of crimson belonging to Natsu.
Yet much to Kusaka's surprise, the fire wizard was not unconscious. No, he was resisting with all his might. As Natsu continued to cry out in pain, so too did he scream in defiance. Flames continued to form around his hands and he smashed then down on the forehead of the makeshift dragon. Each and every time did the fire turn to ice, shattering as it struck the monster.
However, Natsu persisted. If his flames could not serve him now, then his naked fists would have to do. So he continued to strike the monster as he and it descended to the ground. His knuckles tore open upon the jagged ice, staining it with more and more blood.
"Of course I do!" Natsu bellowed. "I'll sacrifice everything to defeat and save Fairy Tai-"
His declaration was cut short, the ice dragon slamming Natsu into the flooring. It flew away from him then, finally leaving him fear of its jaws. Kusaka watched as his dragon returned to his side, the Soul Reaper looking at Natsu.
He was left lying in splintered wood and dented stone, his body unmoving. However, much to Kusaka's irritation, there was still a look of defiance in Natsu's eyes.
"I will not have you lay there in defeat with that confident smirk on your face!"
Kusaka used his Flash Step to close the distance between himself and Natsu, the Soul Reaper kicking out across Natsu's face.
"What is it, Salamander?" Kusaka screamed as he continued his assault, the sole of his right foot smashing against Natsu's face again and again. "Do you foolishly believe that guild to be your friends? To be your family? Is that it? Do you honestly believe such nonsense? Answer me!"
There was no response, prompting Kusaka to bring his foot down once again. This time, however, he found it stopped.
"Ain't it obvious?" Natsu asked, his left hand having propelled up to catch Kusaka's foot. The Dragon Slayer's face was bloodied, scarlet liquid seeping from both his nose and mouth, yet he still looked confident. "Of course they're my family and I won't let you hurt them anymore!"
Kusaka's body began to tingle, his soul coming alive. He could feel it, sense it, a power fluctuating around Natsu. His eyes widening, the Soul Reaper leapt back with a Flash Step, freeing his foot from the Dragon Slayer. It was just in time, Kusaka left to watch as a pillar of flame burst forth from Natsu's position, flying up until it hit the ceiling.
Then did it fade away, leaving Kusaka to watch as the bloodied and battered Dragon Slayer began to stand up. He was injured and hurt, his right arm still hanging limply by his side, but he was clearly undeterred.
"This is madness, Salamander," Kusaka hissed. "You speak of family, do you? How you'd fight to your last breath for them?"
The Soul Reaper's temper began to flare then, his breathing becoming erratic as he called his dragon to his side once more. Natsu was surprised to see the man respond as he was, it being a far cry from the Kusaka he had confronted twice now already.
Whatever demons drove Kusaka vanished as quickly as they had come, leaving him to calm down at look at Natsu with eerie intensity. "I know of family, Salamander. Oh yes, I do. Friends? Family? That's just a tool the world uses to hurt you!"
"What a load of garbage!" Natsu shouted in return. "Is that the kind of nonsense your guild master makes you believe?"
"Oh no," Kusaka replied, his mind adrift in his past, "it's something he and I simply found common ground on, nothing more. I've learned the lessons on my own. To be so close to another that you're practically brothers, that your souls may as well resonate, that your innate powers are practically one and the same. The world cannot allow that though, those in power refuse to let it stand. So you're forced to fight. Bonds shattered and a life lost. Twice even."
Natsu was completely confused then. "The heck are you talking about?"
"It doesn't matter," Kusaka said, shaking his head. "That world is lost to me, just as your guild will be to you!"
"I won't let that happen!" Natsu lunged for Kusaka again, a brilliant flame coming alive around his good hand. "Fire Dragon's-"
Kusaka's ice dragon slammed into Natsu again, the beast smashing its forehead into the Dragon Slayer with enough force that he was left coughing up blood. His fist dropped, the flame once more making contact with the ice and freezing.
"This is the end for you, Salamander."
Kusaka watched his dragon smash the wizard into the far wall. It was the same as before, the attack just as Natsu had expected from previous assaults. Yet then did he truly feel the cold, the Dragon Slayer beginning to panic. "What's-"
The dragon exploded suddenly, forging new ice that covered Natsu completely, spreading out across the wall several yards, leaving him frozen and trapped.
"What's done is done," Kusaka said as he lowered his guard for a moment, his shoulders slumping as his blade lowered to the ground. "Die there, Salamander, knowing that your 'family' will follow you shortly if they do not comply with my master's demands."
Kusaka took a deep breath as he turned his back from Natsu and began to walk away. His attention needed to be somewhere else, to continue empowering the Abyss Break. This needless, insubstantial battle had diverted his attention for far too long as it was.
"Let him out," a voice squeaked from behind Kusaka. "Please."
The Soul Reaper glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of the winged cat known as Happy hovering close by. "I'm sorry, but no."
"But... but he'll die," the cat pleaded. "So please!"
"I already told yo-"
Kusaka was cut off then, the flying cat suddenly lunging at him, paws going for his face, claws trying to tear at his flesh.
"Ridiculous!" Kusaka reached over his shoulder with one hand then, gripping Happy around the throat and pulling him in front of the Soul Reaper. "If you want to join him in death, than I can grant you your request!"
Kusaka began to tighten his grip on Happy's neck, causing the cat to cough. He took no satisfaction in the action, no, but he did not relent nonetheless.
Yet then he suddenly did so, the Soul Reaper's senses alerting him to a massive increase in power once more. He did not need his powers however, as his body could feel a tremendous surge of heat behind him.
"Impossible." Kusaka let go of Happy, allowing the cat to fall to the floor, and turned around. He could see it, a flame building around Natsu and melting the ice that had encased him. The frozen obelisk was becoming nothing but water that dripped to the floor, soaking the wood and stone. "Impossible!"
"Get the hell away from my little buddy!" Natsu suddenly took off like a veritable comet, his eyes white with rage, firing bursting forth from the soles of his feet. "Fire Dragon's Claw!"
Kusaka moved to the defensive, prepared to cut Natsu down with his sword, but he was not fast enough. The Soul Reaper cried out in pain as the Dragon Slayer's right knee smashed into his face with such momentum that it broke his nose, blooding spraying out across the bottom of Kusaka's face. He lost his footing then, his mind lost in a sea of unexpected pain, but it was not the end.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Both of Natsu's arms were enveloped with fire them, the flames fanning out as if they had become a pair of wings, and the Dragon Slayer spun around. Natsu's right arm was useless for impact, yes, but it could still generate the flames of the attack. The offensive power of the twin attacks were left intact then, and it lashed out at Kusaka, pushing him away even as it burned him.
"No!" Kusaka regained his footing several yards away and launched an attack all his own. His ice dragon burst forth from his blade once again, lunging towards Natsu. "I don't care how strong you're rage makes you, Salamander! You can't stop me!"
"We'll see!" Natsu threw his head forward, his voice threatening to crack. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"
An onslaught of flame fired forth then, coming into contact with the ice dragon. Kusaka simply laughed, knowing the outcome well in advance. The flames would freeze and Natsu would once more find himself in the monster's jaws. This time Kusaka would not hold back. No, this Dragon Slayer was not one he could underestimate. He would have to be cruel and vicious. He would have to command his creature to bite the wizard in two if he wished to end this battle.
Yet then did the impossible become impossible. The ice dragon of Hyorinmaru became nothing but melted water in the fire. Then it evaporated, leaving the flames to descend him.
"Damn it!"
It was absurd to see such an outcome and it vexed Kusaka's soul greatly. Still did he manage to perform a counter measure, escaping any further damage with his Flash Step. Standing to the side, watching the fire shoot past him and incinerate the far wall, Kusaka looked at Natsu and could see that he was still enraged.
"You're guild keeps hurting Fairy Tail!" Natsu screamed as fire continued to warp around his body. "Your guild hurt Levy! Your guild made Lucy cry! And now you tried to kill Happy! You're done! Fire Dragon's Ro-!"
Kusaka cut Natsu's attack off at the pass, the Soul Reaper relying on his swordsmanship and Flash Step where his Shikai had failed. He appeared before Natsu almost instantly, his sword piercing through the Dragon Slayer's side. "So this is your true power, Salamander? Impressive. But it's over!"
Natsu grit his teeth in pain but his eyes remained in a constant haze, his rage empowering him. His body grew hotter, his flames increasing in their potency under his emotions, and he simply attacked once more. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
The Dragon Slayer swung his fiery left hand down, smashing it into Kusaka's sword hand. The Soul Reaper cried out in response and lost the grip on his Zanpakuto. He pulled his hand back, grasping at its wrist with the other hand, and could see the burns that had been inflicted. "You're a monster!"
Natsu grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it out from his body. Then, without a bit of hesitation, he threw it aside, his eyes focusing on Kusaka. However that was when things changed. The light came back to Natsu's eyes, a tired look within them. He pitched forward a bit and clutched at the wound in his torso as he struggled to stand.
"I thought you were a fool, Salamander," Kusaka said, trying to catch his breath. "It was risky, but you let me stab you just so you could relieve me of my Zanpakuto. Now you've taken my ice powers out of the equation. Well played."
"Zanpakuto?" Natsu gasped. "You mean that sword? No way, man. I just was sick of you stabbing and cutting me with it. Wait, you can't do your Ice-Make magic without that sword? What kind of Dragon Slayer are you?"
Kusaka simply stared at Natsu for a moment, the Soul Reaper finding his thoughts thrown off by the wizard's question. Focusing, Kusaka shook his head for a moment. "Let's just say it was a clever strategy. Unfortunately for you, I have other methods of... spell casting."
The Soul Reaper suddenly brought his right arm up, pointing an index finger at Natsu.
"Bakudo number sixty-one! Rikujokoro!"
"Yeah, that's more like-" Natsu was cut off then, six ethereal arcs of light appear around his body, as if they had cut into him. He felt no pain and saw no injuries, leaving him confused. "What the heck is this?"
"Attack me," Kusaka simply said. "It's what you want, right?"
"You're darn right!" Natsu shouted in return. "Fire Dragon's Cla- Huh?"
Natsu's mouth was moving, he could tell that much, and the magic was enveloping his feet with fire, but he was unable to kick himself forward. It was as if his body was unwilling or unable to respond.
"Good, so it was enough to hold you without resorting to an incantation," Kusaka said simply. "However, I do believe I'll put my all into my next move. This battle is concluded, Salamander! You will be nothing but ash by the time I'm done with you! You and the foolish bonds you hold so dear!"
The Soul Reaper raised his right arm above his head, allowing his fingers to spread out as he kept his palm flat. He began to chant then, allowing his power to coalesce in his hand.
"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring!"
"What the heck are you blabbering about?" Natsu asked, the Dragon Slayer trying to remain calm despite his paralysis.
"Move and become the wind!" Kusaka continued, doing his best to ignore Natsu. Power continued to flow around him, his cloak twist and swirl in the vortex of spiritual energy. "Stop and become the calm!"
"Come on, man," Natsu said, feeling a bit of a panic, "you're supposed to just say the name and attack! No need to drag it out!"
Natsu was talking brave, yes, but the Dragon Slayer knew the predicament he was in. His body frozen in place as it was, neither attack nor defense was an option. The only hope he had was that Kusaka was preparing a fire spell. Natsu could still talk, so there was the slightest hope that he could eat the attack to empower himself, maybe even enough to break this paralysis spell.
That, however, was the problem. It was a slim hope and nothing more, one that Natsu had to wonder if Kusaka would grant him. The Soul Reaper seemed quite familiar with both the powers and reputation of 'the Salamander of Fairy Tail', so Natsu knew that luck was not on his side.
There was, however, something by his side. More precisely someone.
"Natsu!" Happy cried out as he flew behind his comrade, his paws digging into Natsu's vest. "I'm not gonna let you get hurt anymore! I don't want to see that anymore, so just... win! Please!"
Happy suddenly took flight, taking Natsu's feet off the floor and pushing him forward at blinding speed. The Dragon Slayer was still frozen in place, yes, but the winged cat was compensating for him.
"The sound of warring spears fills the empty-" Kusaka's eyes suddenly widened, the Soul Reaper watching in shock as Natsu began to close the distance between them both, a look of determination on the young man's face. "What?"
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Natsu screamed, his mouth all that he could move as Happy kept pushing him forward, the cat straining under the effort. Flames enveloped Natsu then, leaving him to become a fiery mass that was directed towards the stunned Kusaka. The Dragon Slayer could not move his body, no, but with this spell he did not need to.
"Damn you!" Kusaka shouted, his spell having faltered. He prepared to use Flash Step to get out of the way, but it was too late. "Damn you, Salama-"
Kusaka cried out in agony then as Happy drove Natsu, the cat's momentum coupled with the power of the Dragon Slayer's attack pushing Kusaka back. They struck the far wall together then, the trio pushing right through it. Stone shattered and wood splintered, leaving the combatants to tear through into the next room. Yet still did Natsu and Happy press forward, continuing to press the advantage they had gained over Kusaka.
"You call criticize my bonds in Fairy Tail all you want," Natsu shouted as his flames burned away at Kusaka, "but it's one of those bonds that's going to beat you right now!"
Happy relented on his own momentum then, slowing Natsu down. The cat let his friend down, Natsu's feet touching down on the floor. He stood tentatively, his body twitching slightly. He watched as Kusaka continued to fly through the air, his own momentum unrelenting, and the Soul Reaper slammed into another wall, breaking through it forcefully once more. Natsu felt a swell of confidence then, his attack having been successful. That was not all however. The paralysis spell was fading, leaving him to move again.
"You see?" Natsu asked with a cocky grin as he looked to the stunned and battered Kusaka several yards away. "That's what you get for mocking us while you were fighting alone."
Natsu suddenly pitched forward then, the Dragon Slayer finding his magic power and body's stamina greatly depleted. His wounds and exertions had taken their toll on him, leaving him weak.
"Natsu!" Happy cried out, the cat watching as Kusaka pulled himself away from the wall. "Get up!"
"Salamander," Kusaka began to say as he slowly stepped forward through the hole in the wall his body had made. He walked towards Natsu, his every step wracked with pain, and looked down at the fallen Dragon Slayer. "You're such a fool.. and yet..."
Kusaka coughed up blood then, the Soul Reaper falling to the floor beside Natsu. He remained unmoving for a moment, his voice nothing more than a whisper.
"You may be right..."
Natsu looked across the flooring to Kusaka, taking note that he had fallen at last. No doubt the Abyss Break's had been cut down in power by a fourth then, but that was not enough. Natsu had faith though. His guild would see this through to the end, of that he had no doubt. That was the sole reason that Natsu could concentrate on what was right in front of him.
"Hey, Reaper dude," Natsu gasped out, "I'm gonna ask again... What the heck were you talking about before?"
Kusaka faintly looked back at Natsu, the Soul Reaper unsure of why he was asking. "Why do you care?"
"Well, you seemed kind of cranky over my guild," Natsu replied. "And a lot of that didn't make much sense to be honest."
Kusaka sighed, wondering why he was even bothering to open himself up as he was about to. The battle was lost, victory taken from him as it had twice before in another life, so why did it matter? He did not owe this Dragon Slayer anything, not even answers, yet he could not stop himself. "Before I joined Phantom Lord, before I came to this country, I was a part of another organization. I guess you could call it a guild. And there I had a friend. We were close, as close as any comrades could be I suppose. But in the end that was our downfall. Our powers were too much alike and those in power decided that there could only be one wielder of that strength."
"That's stupid."
It was so very blunt, something that Kusaka had not expected as a response from the Fire Dragon Slayer. Still it was the truth, and the direct way in which Natsu had spoken it only made him chuckle a bit. "Yes, yes it was. But what came next was more foolish. Those in power gave the declaration that my friend and I had to fight to the death to decide the sole owner of that strength."
"What the hell kind of guild would do that?" Natsu shouted, his strength returning in the only way it could. "You and you friend should have told them off!"
"He did," Kusaka answered honestly. "While I..."
Kusaka's eyes widened for a moment, the Soul Reaper remembering that day well. Toshiro Hitsugaya had been adamant in defying the Central Forty-Six, but Kusaka knew how he had reacted. He had panicked in response to the orders of the Soul Society's governing body. He had attacked his friend like a fool and in the end forced Toshiro. That had been Kusaka's own personal failing, yet still had Toshiro refused to take his life. So the Central Forty-Six had done it themselves, their personal guards disposing of Kusaka before the horrified eyes of Toshiro.
"I was weak," Kusaka whispered. "Too weak to support that bond and I... I have nothing left. No home, no friends, nothing."
"That ain't true," Natsu interjected. "Just because you fought me alone..."
"And me!" Happy added in.
"Just because me and my little buddy beat you because you fought on your own," Natsu continued, "it doesn't mean you don't have any friends. Seriously, what about those ladies with the bone masks you were working with before?"
"We had common enemies back home," Kusaka replied. "That was all."
"There you go again, making fun of friends," Natsu said. "Seriously, man, that bums me out. You don't think they care about you?"
"It doesn't matter." Kusaka could remember it well, his succumbing to the temptations of power when he had obtained infinite power back in his original world. He had betrayed Yin and Yang, forced them to become monsters under his control. In the end they had all perished together, finding themselves in this new strange world. "I betrayed their trust. We were comrades, not friends."
"But they're still helping you," Natsu replied. "So I guess they see your bond differently."
"Again?" Kusaka closed his eyes for a moment. "I considered you a fool and yet you make me feel like one instead."
"So anyway," Natsu asked faintly, his strength still waning, "you really don't know where I can find Igneel, Mister Ice-Make Dragon Slayer?"
Kusaka's eyes opened and he stared blankly at Natsu. "Then again..."
Bambietta was still finding the battle with the phantom creatures less than enjoyable. They all simply fell too easily, leaving her mind to wander elsewhere. After all, Liltotto had told her to keep an eye on Lucy.
So Lucy did just that, watching as her fellow Fairy Tail member held her own, the wizard fighting alongside one of the Celestial Spirit known as Taurus. It was not much, no, but for someone with no prior combat training it was something Bambietta was happy to see.
That and there was a part of her that did not mind seeing Lucy wield a whip.
"Ow!" Bambietta felt it then, a minor amount of stinging pain on her arm. She whirled around quickly, her sword tearing through the phantom that had struck her. It faded into the ether, leaving Bambietta to regret allowing herself to forgo Blut Vene due to how easy the battle was so far.
"Bambi!" Lucy cried out, taking her eyes off her own struggle and leaving it to Taurus. "Are you okay?"
"It's just a scratch," Bambietta replied, glancing down to the faint trace of blood that adorned torn cloth and flesh. It was true, it was nothing more than that, but Bambietta told herself than that she could not afford to get distracted. "Think clean thoughts, Bambi."
No, Bambietta was not sure if that could happen, so instead she let the power of Blut flow through her, hardening her body ahead of any potential physical trauma. A faint glow issued forth from beneath her skin, catching Lucy by surprise.
"What?" Bambietta asked, catching sight that now Lucy was the one doing the staring.
"Nothing," Lucy said, caught by surprise. "It's just... that magic is kind of pretty is all."
"Oh." Bambietta was entirely unsure of how to respond to that. What she did know how to respond to was the phantom that had slipped by Taurus and was targeting Lucy from behind. "Hey, phantom blot! Back the heck off!"
Bambietta used Hirenkyaku to appear by Lucy's side, her sword tearing through the shadowy monster and forcing it to dissipate once more.
"Guess now it's my turn to ask," Bambietta said. "You okay, Lucy?"
"I guess," Lucy replied, her voice lowering. "But this is all-"
"No." Bambietta was quick to cut her off. "No, let's not go there again. There's nothing you can do about what your father set in motion, okay?"
"Okay." Lucy glanced away for a moment, her voice falling into a murmur that was lost in the chaos of battle. "But... there is."
"Now then," Bambietta said as she turned to stand by Lucy's side and face the myriad amount of phantoms heading towards them, "let's put these- Whoa!"
A burst of flame suddenly engulfed the monsters, leaving behind nothing to show that they even existed. Bambietta and Lucy both blinked in surprise. The latter was happy to have seen a battle cut short, while the former was quite upset. After all, Bambietta had wanted to show off some more in front of Lucy.
"Hey, Natsu!" the Quincy practically shrieked. "First you get to infiltrate the guild hall and fight a Soul Reaper, now you go and steal my fight? Who are- Oh. Right."
Bambietta nervously chuckled, the Quincy running a free hand through the back of her long hair. There was no way Natsu could have ended the battle and headed back out here so quickly. There was simply no way.
"Natsu?" Stella Upland marched over to Bambietta then, the blonde snapping her fingers to the left and right and letting off bursts of flames that incinerating the phantoms around her. "I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted that you compared me to him."
Bambietta could see it on Stella's face, a look of annoyance, but the Quincy could not tell if it was directed at her or simply her comment. "Look, there's no need to go and give me the evil eye. That is not an attractive look for you."
"Right," Stella said as she turned around and face Bambietta and Lucy directly. She snapped her index finger and thumb again, a burst of fire appearing behind the two.
Lucy glanced over her should, watching as two phantoms were destroyed not a few feet away. Bambietta meanwhile simply formed her bow, firing off an arrow that disintegrated another phantom that had been slipping up behind Stella.
"Your welcome," Bambietta said, noting that she had saved the new member of Fairy Tail.
"No," Stella interjected, noting how she had taken out the phantoms behind Bambietta and Lucy, "your welcome."
"Uhm, ladies?" Lucy asked as nice as possible. "Maybe we could just both say thanks and move on?"
"Thank you," Stella said, trying to be as polite as possible. The disguised Emberella wanted to say more, so much more, but she knew she had to watch herself in this scenario. Siegrain and Ultear had given her strict instructions after all, and blowing her cover was not part of the plan no matter how much the Phantom Lord situation had degenerated. She had to play nice with the woman she blamed for the restructuring of the Chicken Fangs.
"Yeah, no problem," Bambietta replied, the Quincy suddenly feeling Lucy nudge her in the ribs. "Thanks."
Stella turned back away and leapt into the heart of battle again, leaving Bambietta and Lucy to fend for themselves as all the other present members of Fairy Tail were. Yet as Bambietta did her very best to keep Lucy safe and not get entirely bored fighting the lowest of the low when it came to Phantom Lord's forces, she looked up to the sky above the mechanized guild hall. The Quincy could see it again and again, the clashes of Erza Scarlet and Jin Kariya's powers.
"I bet Titania's having the time of her life up there. Lucky her."
For Erza Scarlet, the battle atop Phantom Lord's guild hall was a necessary evil and nothing more. Battle for the sake of battle was one thing. To improve one's skills, to help another grow in power, to test each other's limits, that was a joy in of itself.
The battle with Jin Kariya, however, was entirely different.
This was a battle for the sake of both Fairy Tail and Magnolia. There was no pleasure to be found in this conflict, neither in defeat or victory. All because it was a battle that had no worthwhile reason to exist. This was simply the result of the rivalry between two legal guilds that had fallen that had escalated into complete madness thanks to the action of a guild master who had lost his way. Now those who pledged their allegiance to both Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord were suffering.
That was at least how Erza saw it. Yet as she and Kariya clashed once more, the two of them having leapt from their respective corners atop the guild hall, she could see a look of satisfaction on the silver-haired man's face.
It perturbed Erza greatly, the image searing into her memory as she and Kariya disengaged from their clash, sword and wind pushing past one and another as the two warriors did the same. They landed atop the stone structures of the mechanized guild hall. Kariya stood with his back to Erza, his coat moving slightly under duress of the wind, while the Fairy Tail wizard turned to face him.
"Do you find this madness your guild has caused entertaining?" Erza asked, the tone of her voice doing little to hide the judgmental nature of her question.
"Oh no," Kariya replied, his voice smooth and unwavering as he cast a glance over his shoulder, his faint grin not fading in the least, "that would be inconsiderate of me. I meant what I said earlier, Erza. I've no desire for the guild I've joined to sully its name any further than it may have already. I'm simply finding myself intrigued and invigorated by the potential our battle holds."
Erza remained silent, the armored mage standing tall in her Heart Kreuz armor. She held her broadsword tightly with her right hand, prepared to act on a moment's notice. Yet Kariya made no motion to attack her, not just yet.
"Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail." That was all the Bount had to say at first as he turned to face her in fool. His posture was relaxed, a stark contrast to Erza's own. He simply stood before her, his hands slipped into the pockets of his long coat, and he continued to look upon her with a smug sense of satisfaction. "When I found myself in this land, I wished to make my presence known, and I assumed that the best way to do that would to be by joining one of the guilds I had heard so much about. All people in this kingdom could speak of was Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord. So I had to make a choice. Can you imagine why I sought out Phantom Lord over your own despite the wider fame your guild possesses?"
"No," Erza replied, her voice calm and her words straight to the point.
"This guild is strong," Kariya continued, "but the more I looked into it, the more I could see that the standards were very different from Fairy Tail's. What Phantom Lord considers an S-Class wizard would only be A-Class in your guild, wouldn't it?"
Erza said nothing in return.
"Oh yes," Kariya said, more than willing to carry this conversation without Erza's participation if he needed. "In Fairy Tail I might simply have been another in a long line of powerful members, but here I stand above the rest."
"So that's all you wanted?" Erza asked at last. "To be the strongest in any given guild?"
"No." Kariya shook his head, his eyes closing for a moment. Then did they open suddenly, the Bount staring at the wizard before him. "Titania Erza of Fairy Tail... No matter where I travelled in this kingdom of Fiore I heard of your name, your title and of your glory. The Queen of the Fairies, a prodigy of her generation."
Kariya took a deep breath then, the man at last removing his hands from his coat's pockets. Wind began to dance around his fingertips once more, leaving him with both offense and defense. Erza watched as the Bount's right foot slid forward on the roof of the Phantom Lord guild hall, the man inching forward and preparing another assault.
"Titania Erza, Mystogan, Laxus Dreyar, Mirajane the She Devil," Kariya continued to say, his voice still as even-tempered as before. "You are among the strongest wizards in all of Fairy Tail. And while your strength does not compare to the likes of the Ten Wizard Saints, the fame and respect you have earned in Fiore is comparable. Defeating the great Titania Erza will make Fiore and its people aware of the power of the Bount."
Erza's teeth clenched then, the mage growing irritated at Kariya's reasoning. It was a perversion, a corruption of battle for the sake of battle. "Is that all you care about? You're participating in this insanity just to prove your strength?"
"Yes," Kariya replied. "This and nothing more. The guild Phantom Lord, the rivalry between it and Fairy Tail, Master Jose's growing instability that I became aware of the first day we met... They were all just tools meant to lead me to this moment in time. And now here we are, Erza Scarlet. And I couldn't be happier."
Then the Bount was gone, nothing left to prove his existence then the mildly disturbed dirt and dust kicked up by his disappearance. Erza had seen this before from Bambietta and Liltotto under different circumstances each, the wizard beginning to wonder just how common this technique was in the world in which these individuals had come from.
Regardless, Erza was prepared. Her senses were on alert, her eyes, ears and mind focused on the task at hand. It was not long then that her efforts were reward. She could feel it, a slight shift in the air around her. She had felt it before she had seen it, which was just enough to give her the chance she needed.
As Kariya appeared before Erza, she quickly twisted her armored body about, leaving his wind covered fist to move through the space that Erza's torso had once occupied. As she kept herself in motion, the wizard swung out her blade, looking to strike the Bount with the broad side. It was a simple strategy. Kariya's hands had managed to deflect her attacks already, his visible wind providing a perfect shield, but that was all he had on the defense.
"What?" Much to Erza's shock, she could only watch as her sword stopped mere inches from Kariya's head. The blade shook slightly, as if an unseen force was buffeting it.
"Are you surprised?" Kariya asked as he raised his left hand up, the maelstrom of winds around it fading away. "Oh, Erza, you disappoint me."
Kariya's bare hand clasped down on the sword then, holding the weapon between thumb and index finger as it if was a harmless weapon. Erza's eyes narrowed then, focusing on the sight.
Then did Kariya throw the blade away, having pulled it free from Erza's hand with an unnerving amount of ease. A moment of concern touching her, Erza quickly pulled away from Kariya, leaping back twice over to put some distance between herself and the Bount.
"As you can now attest to, I am nothing like anything you have ever seen before, Erza," Kariya said softly. "Did you challenge me expecting to face a foe of the same class as the Ace of Eisenwald that your Quincy friend defeated? Come now. A Bount is as far beyond that pitiful excuse for a wizard as he was above the common man."
"You are no different than Erigor," Erza responded, her voice defiant with each and every syllable. "You're just a man obsessed with proving his strength to the world at any cost."
Kariya chuckled. "Maybe so. What else can I do with myself when even eternal slumber has been denied of me?"
Erza remained calm and focused, but she was caught off guard by that statement. "What are you talking about?"
"Eternity was a curse," Kariya answered, "but clearly death was not allowed to suit me. So I will do as I please for all time if need be."
"So be it," Erza replied. "But know this, Jin Kariya. I will oppose you as long as your desires hurt Fairy Tail. And now that I understand your technique, I will defeat you."
Kariya's eyes narrowed. "Oh? Will you? Pray tell, Erza, what is my technique?"
"You said it yourself, your entirely beyond Erigor the Reaper." Erza raised her right hand, another broadsword appearing in her palm as her fingers closed around the handle. "Your wind is clearly visible when you use it to attack because you put so much power into it, just as Bambietta said he did, but you can defend yourself in much more subtle ways. You want your opponents to focus on your hands, never suspecting that there's a fine amount of air circulating around your body. An invisible barrier that keeps you safe. You intend to catch an opponent off guard when they find their attack has failed and strike back."
"How perceptive," Kariya said without any reservation of accommodating Erza with praise. "I should congratulate you for not being one of those I could counterattack so easily. So tell me, what gave it away?"
"It was a simple theory to deduce," Erza said. "However, you made it quite clear when you used your hand to hold my sword. Your wind had died down, but it never went away entirely."
"So," Kariya began to say, "you saw the gap my wind barrier made between my fingers and your sword."
"Yes," Erza replied, "but also I caught sight of your hair moving slightly as your hand swept past your head to grab my blade."
"I suppose I spoke too soon when I said you disappointed me," Kariya said, his shoulders shrugging as he tried to fight back the urge to chuckle once more. "Nothing escapes you. However, that is going to change here and now, Erza. Despite your keen intellect, victory will elude you today."
"We shall see, Kariya," Erza replied as she began to take a stance meant for battle.
"Yet you still keep your distance. I suppose that would grant you a naive sense of protection." Kariya began to chant then, a low tone evident in his voice. "The great winds, come before. The great powers, come into me."
Erza felt it then, wind dancing about her. She prepared to move then, to slip away and put further distance between herself and Kariya, but it was too late. The wizard found herself caught in a maelstrom, the force of four small tornados springing to life all around her. The forces buffeted against her body, leaving her restrained. Her visibility was obstructed, leaving the wizard unsure of what was to come.
Yet then Kariya did just that, the Bount casually walking through the onslaught his power had created. Erza prepared herself to attack, to bring her sword to bear, but the winds were keeping her off balance.
Kariya had no such disadvantage. He reached out with his right hand and gripped tightly across Erza's throat. Then, with alarming strength, he lifted her feet from the ground and looked up at her.
"Is this the end?" Kariya asked Erza as she struggled. "If so, then I cannot help but find this anticlimactic."
Kariya tightened his grip further, causing Erza to gasp in pain. Then did it grow worse, a fifth tornado forming. It came alive directly around Erza, leaving both herself and Kariya within the eye of the storm. The Bount remained unmoving and unfeeling, leaving himself to stare blankly at Erza as she cried out.
The raging winds tore at armor, the metal plating ripping off piece by piece. Blood began to mix into the currents of wind, her flesh beginning to be rent asunder. As the blood whipped about in the tornado, a portion of it splattered against Kariya's face.
The Bount did not blink, let alone pay it any mind. He simply watched on as Erza continued to scream in pain. His powers slowly began to die down then and he simply stood with Erza held off the ground still. The wind gone, the Bount's coat began to settle down, resting by his legs. Erza was no different, the wizard remaining unmoving and limp in the palm of his hands.
"What is this?" Kariya's calm expression began to fade, his lips curling back in a snarl. "Is this the great Titania of Fairy Tail I've heard so much about? No!"
Kariya slammed a fist forward, driving his knuckles into Erza's stomach. Her armor gone, the white shirt that stilled adorned her torso did nothing to over any protection. Erza's eyes widened, a gasp of pain awakening her to the here and now. She felt Kariya's grip around her throat loosen, the force of his strike to her ribcage propelling her upwards.
Erza felt herself aloft in the air for a moment, the wizard preparing herself to do something, anything, to correct this matter. Yet then did she see Kariya appear in the skies above, the Bount descending down on her.
His fist struck her in the stomach once more, Kariya pushing Erza back down to the roof of the mechanized guild hall with enough force that the metal was left dented.
"This is your strength?" the Bount asked, once more standing aloof, his hands back in his coat pockets. "No, I refuse to accept that. You're holding out on me, Erza."
"That would be an insult to a fellow warrior," Erza replied as she slowly began to pull herself up to one knee.
"Yes, yes it would," Kariya replied, "though you and I both know you didn't initiate this battle out of some sense of warrior's pride. You're here to protect your guild. I know you are. That's why you're holding back on me, trying to take measure of what I can do. You're trying to end this battle without expending your magic any more than you have to. All because you're too busy looking to the future than seeing what's right in front of you."
"You knew?" Erza asked, the wizard slowly beginning to rise up to her feet, still glancing down at the roof as she did so.
"I'm no fool," Kariya replied. "You're the only S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail on the battlefield and your guild master is out of the equation. No doubt you feel that it's your responsibility to save your guild from Master Jose... or die trying. To be a leader when those who look up to you are in their darkest hour. An admirable desire, one I can understand, but it is equally foolish. You can't hope to conquer me while looking towards another battle, Erza. In fact, I don't believe you can conquer me at all.
Kariya's expression softened then, his eyes never wavering as he stared at the wounded mage before him.
"But don't worry," the Bount continued to say. "Your defeat will save your guild and town. I meant what I said earlier. I will take Lucy from Fairy Tail, but that will end this conflict without any further bloodshed. Ours will be the only battle that matters this day, Erza."
"I suppose a small part of me should thank you for that," Erza replied, "but I also suppose I should offer my apologies."
"You're holding back may have been an insult to a fellow warrior," Kariya retorted to Erza's sudden statement, "but I don't hold it against you. If I were in your position, I would have done the same, so there's no need for an apolo-"
"That's not it," Erza interrupted. She turned her gaze up to look at Kariya, her eyes focusing with a calm determination. "I have been holding back, but I can tell that you have been too. No doubt to gauge my own power. So there's no need for me to apologize for such a thing."
"Then for what?" Kariya asked honestly.
Erza's body became awash in mystical light then, leaving Kariya to simply stand his ground as an output of power pressed against him. As his coat fluttered about, the Bount held his ground, curious to see what was about to happen.
The light faded as soon as it had begun, leaving Erza to stand before Kariya in a new suit of armor. Gone was her white shirt and blue skirt, replaced instead by silver plating and a long, flowing white skirt. Yet what truly caught Kariya's eyes were the large metal wings that extended out from the armor's backing.
Light burst out from the palms of Erza's hands, giving life to twin swords. Holding tightly to the weapons she had summoned with her Requip magic, Erza looked at Kariya with a boundless sense of determination.
"You wish to be the one who defeated Titania," Erza began to say, "and you wish to be the one who will save Fairy Tail."
"In a manner of speaking," Kariya answered without a shred of hesitation.
"That is why I have to apologize," Erza replied. "If you were to defeat me, that would be one thing. I would learn from my loss and grow stronger. We both would."
Kariya looked at Erza, knowing there was more she had to say. "But?"
"But I will never allow my guild to be 'saved' by someone who feels they can do so by taking away one of our own!" Erza's face suddenly grew enraged, a light shining from the wizard's eyes as she began to shout. "So I will defeat you, Jin Kariya, not for the sake of myself, but for Fairy Tail and Lucy Heartfilia!"
With that, Kusaka has fallen, and Erza's fight with Kariya has just begun! I hope the battle we gave Natsu was just as good as the one he had with Gajeel, or at the very least, was a decent substitute. I figured it HAD to be those two anyways. A fire dragon vs an Ice dragon.
Erza's battle is going to be one i think you'll all enjoy. Its going to kick all kinds of ass I assure you.
Now before I go, let me leave you with the MPFs of the chapter.
Natsu: 1460
Kusaka: 2900
Natsu: Flames of emotion: 3600
Erza (heart Kruez): 2300
Jin Kariya (Holding back less): 3800
Anyways, Im very eager to hear what you all have to say about this chapter. Oh, and dont worry, Our favoite Quincy will get her time to shine very soon. I just dont want her to take away from everyone else.
Thanks for reading!
