Hey everyone, I have a bit of a surprise for you all, a bonus chapter! What we have right here is a chapter that doesn't have Bambietta or the main cast of fairy tail in it at all. However, it is still, by and large, a very important chapter, both for world building and introducing important characters into the story.
There is one other special thing about this chapter. Aside from me getting Ankoholic to rewrite some of the dialogue to ensure that everyone sounds more in character, as well as a grammar check, everything else in this chapter was done by none other than myself. That's right, I decided it was time to throw my own hat into the ring and write something for this story.
As such, if the writing isn't up to par or on the same quality of writing as previous chapters...Well that's why. I am admittedly a very inexperienced writer, as I prefer to have my friends simply help me execute the idea that I have in mind and i've also been my own worst critic, always thinking my own writing was never good enough.
However, after now hearing from two of my friends that are writers that I was actually far better than I was giving myself credit for, I decided I would give it a shot and release the chapter as it was written by myself. (Minus the dialogue and grammar fixes I mentioned earlier.)
It is my hope that you will all enjoy this chapter in spite of that. So please, do let me know what you thought of this chapter. I'd really like to have some feedback so I can know how well I did.
Well, I think i've gone on long enough, let's get right to the show!
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun!
A woman let out a loud grunt as she was tossed to the floor inside of a dark cellar. As she slowly rose back up to her feet, she glared at the one responsible.
"That'll be enough for today. Now be a good girl and behave yourself. Otherwise, I'll be more than happy to teach you a lesson...Personally," her assailant told her mockingly. He let out a chuckle after locking the door and left the room, leaving her all alone with nothing but her thoughts.
The woman in question was Elizabeth Heartkreuz. At first glance in the dark room, she seemed to look rather normal, a woman with average height and short hair and some freckles. However, if one were to look closer and in a brighter room, they could tell that the woman in question was something much more. Her long ears, pink hair and matching eyes were a dead giveaway to what species she was. These were after all, the things all elves from Ishgar had in common.
Not that many would know soon enough. The elven species was on its last legs, as years of wars with both humankind and dragons dwindled down the species until finally only a few hundred were left. Elizabeth's family had been one of the few to remain in hiding and kept low for many years, fearful of any discrimination that they may face from humanity.
However, a few weeks ago, they were found by a bunch of bandits. Her father, a former captain in the elven army fought bravely, but he had been gravely injured in the last war by a powerful wizard and thus eventually fell to the bandits. She and her mother were soon taken to their camp as slaves. Elizabeth had been forced to do all kinds of menial labor, from washing clothes, to doing the dishes and other kinds of work that the bandits couldn't bother to do themselves.
Her mother however, was used for more...horrific deeds. She had never told her exactly what she had endured, but Elizabeth could tell from her mother's eyes from the first time they dragged her away...she had been used. Her body subjected to all kinds of horrors that she dared not think about. Finally, a week ago, her mother could simply no longer take the abuse, and had left this world. Now…she was all alone.
Never in all her life had Elizabeth known such despair. She wanted nothing more than to be with them now, surly whatever after life awaited her would be preferable to this hell on earth. But she lacked the courage to go through with that desire. No matter how many times she tried, she could never bring herself to do what her mother had.
"I'm sorry Mom. I just…I just can't do it," Elizabeth said out loud. "I'm…Just a coward." She had an opportunity, a chance today to do what she desired while making food for those foul bandits. All it would take was a cut to the throat to end it all...but she just continued to work for her captives, like a mindless drone.
"Someone. Anyone…please…just…help me," she cried to herself.
Just then, a loud sound could be heard from outside, the entire building shaking from what Elizabeth could only assume was from some kind of magical attack. She could hear the bandits panicking from outside, gathering their weapons to defend themselves from whoever had begun this surprise attack. The sound of magic, blades and screams of death could all be heard from within and as the battle continued on, she could hear the bandits, the ones who had made her life a living hell, dying. Finally, after a mere three minutes, the sounds of war ceased.
Elizabeth, however, was quite pleased. She had suspicion to believe that her captors were now dead. None of the men who had taken her could use magic of any kind, they were nothing more than a bunch of ruffians who relied on nothing more than numbers and brute force. She was well aware that even a novice wizard could handle such a force with ease.
However, she had no false hope of rescue in the slightest. In the best-case scenario, the wizard would simply vanquish her and allow her to be reunited with her family. The current monarchy had made it very clear that any and all elves were to be put to death. This wizard, no doubt a law-abiding citizen, would finish her off.
She could hear the sound of footsteps, and she was sure that she would meet her end soon enough. To her surprise, the wizard in question was a woman with brown hair and long, scarlet hair, with portions of it down up in braids.. The woman looked around the room, and her eyes fell upon Elizabeth.
"Only one surviving slave I see," she said as she walked over to the cage. "A pity, I was hoping I could have saved more."
Elizabeth gasped. She had come to save her! However, her joy soon turned to sorrow. No doubt she couldn't see her very well in this pitch-dark room. Once she found out what she was, she was sure that she would be eradicated.
"Let me get a good look at you."
The wizard in question lit up the room using her staff as a conduit to conduct a light spell. The now lit room madeElizabeth plain to see. "Ah, an elf I see." The woman said. She then waved her staff in front of the cage, before the metal holding Elizabeth hostage began to rust rapidly until finally it was nothing more than dust on the floor.
"There we go. You're free now," the woman said with a smile before turning away and began to walk out of the room. Elizabeth could only stare at her as she walked away.
"You're…not going to kill me?" she asked as the wizard stopped in her tracks.
"I have seen more than enough bloodshed for one day," she told Elizabeth as she turned around. "I for one do not agree with King Benjamin's decree that all elves should be killed. One cannot control what one is born as. What matters isn't your race…but your heart."
She turned away and began to walk forward once more before Elizabeth chased after her. "W-wait!" she cried out as the two finally excited the building. Before them lay a scene of fire and corpses lying all over the camp that the wizard had so effortlessly destroyed.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Please, take me with you!" the woman demanded the wizard as she got closer. "I...I have nowhere else to go. No family, no friends, I wouldn't even begin to know where I could find more of my own kin. I...I don't know what to do and…I have to repay you! So please…please…take me with you."
Elizabeth fell to her knees as tears flowed through her eyes. "I'll do whatever you want. Just...please."
The woman sighed as she knelt down. "I didn't save you from slavery just so you could go from one master to another."
"I'll be a servant for you then! You can pay me for my services! My family and I...we used to make all sorts of powerful armor and weapons for the elven army during the war. I could make you the finest armor the world has ever seen to protect you!"
"Is that a fact?" The wizard said with a smile. "I happen to be in control of an army that could use such armor. Very well, I'll take you in…but not as a slave," she said before she took Elizabeth's hands and brought her up. "From this moment on, you'll be my country's official blacksmith."
Elizabeth's eyes widened as she heard her words. "Your…country?" she asked.
"King Benjamin is dead." The woman said with a smirk. "I made sure of that personally. You're now looking at the new queen of Dragonof."
Realizing now just who the person before her really was, Elizabeth got on her hands and knees and bowed before her. "F-Forgive me for my rudeness, your majesty! I should have never asked anything of you for helping me escape!"
The queen chuckled. "Think nothing of it. I was just stretching my legs so to speak and I just happened to come by this pack of bandits while I was out and about. Being stuck in the castle all the time really can drive one to boredom."
The woman then used her hands to slowly wipe away the tears from Elizabeth's eyes. "Now…tell me your name."
Elizabeth, now smiling for the first time since her capture, replied. "I'm Elizabeth. Elizabeth Heartkreuz…and you are?"
"Irene. Irene Belserion."
"Elizabeth? Elizabeth!? Come on now Lady Heartkreuz, you have to wake up or we'll be late!" a voice cried out as Elizabeth turned in her bed.
"Five more minutes."
"You were supposed to up ten minutes ago! Come on, you have to wake up!"
"Fine, fine," Elizabeth said as she slowly got up from her bed. How long had it been since she had that dream? No, not a dream per say…Rather a recollection of time passed. It had been four hundred years since Lady Irene had saved her from slavery and took her into her kingdom with open arms. Despite being a mere blacksmith, the queen of Dragonof had always made time to see her at least once a week. The two had become friends fairly quickly, Elizabeth becoming one of the few that Irene had. The time she had spent with her had been the best time of her life.
But all good things come to an end, and Irene was eventually incarcerated by her bastard of a husband for showing signs of dragonification, a result of using Dragon Slayer magic too much. Elizabeth had rebelled and tried to save her friend, but despite learning how to use magic from the queen, she was no match for the forces of the king and was soon incarcerated as well. It seemed to be the end of the both of them, but, according to what she had heard, Irene had transformed into a dragon and escaped, Elizabeth using the chaos of the event to escape herself.
However, no matter how hard she looked…she never could find Lady Irene.
Years passed, and Elizabeth made a name for herself, becoming known throughout all of Ishgar as the Goddess of the Forge. How couldn't she be? She was, after all, the one to invent, and perfect the craft of magic weaponry and armor. Before, all wizards could do, at best, was to use magic to increase the power of a weapon or weapons temporarily before the magic would destroy the item in question. But, thanks to her unique forging technique and years of experience only possible due to her elven heritage, she was able to create armor and weapons that could use magic indefinitely as long as the user could cast magic. That's not even counting all the other weapons she had created over the years. Centuries of working in the forge and creating magical armors and weapons of all kinds had increased her power to a significant degree and she was eventually made into a wizard saint for both her contributions to magic society, but also her immense power.
"Everyone is going to make fun of you for sleeping in again if you show up late!" the voice yelled at Elizabeth as she began to get changed.
"Yes, and I'll remind them that owning a business is much different, and harder, than running a guild," Elizabeth said with a huff as she finished changing into her outfit, one consisting of a red top with yellow lines on her puffy arms and shoulders and white pants and brown boots. "HeartKreuz only creates the best clothes and armors for mages to use. I won't settle for selling second rate products!"
Admittedly, the clothing had been a more recent addition to her line of work, as she worked meticulously on new designs for seamstresses to create. It was a fair bit different from what she was used to…but one she knew was well worth it. After all, fashion sells.
"If they can't understand that, then they have no pride in what they choose to wear!" Elizabeth finished.
"There's that pride of yours again," the voice said opening the door to the room, revealing a woman with long bright brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a red and white shirt, a similar colored skirt and leggings. "But...that's what I like about you, Lady Heartkreuz."
"Stop it, Yuki, you're making me blush," Elizabeth said with a chuckle.
Yuki had become one of Elizabeth's closest friend for the past five years. A skilled and powerful mage who specialized with a sword and incredible speed. Outside of her compatriots, Elizabeth only knew of two women more powerful than her. "I'll be out in just a moment."
"Very well.." Yuki said with a sigh. "Oh, and Elizabeth? Erza needs the Adamantine Armor fixed again."
"AGAIN!?" Elizabeth yelled out. "That's twice in two months! It's supposed to be able to withstand attacks from any wizard that isn't Wizard Saint caliber! How does she keep running into things that keep damaging it!? What, did she use it to block a Jupiter Cannon or something!?"
"If what we heard about Jose was true…then yes."
Oh. Right. That had happened, hadn't it?
"Ugh, I should have never invented that stupid cannon. That woman, I swear," Elizabeth said with a groan before she smiled. "Well…I guess she wouldn't be my best customer if she didn't pull off such outlandish stunts."
Yuki gave Elizabeth a smile before finally leaving the room, no doubt waiting for her to go down so they could reach their destination in time. As she got ready to leave, Elizabeth managed to take one last look inside of her room, and looked at a picture with herself and the famous Titania.
She still remembered the first time she had met the woman, a little girl at the time. She had asked for the best armor that Elizabeth could provide for her at the time, and she had done so with a rather basic set, not wanting to give someone so young more power than they could handle. To her surprise, Erza quickly became rather powerful, and soon, she was capable of wielding any of her armors with no difficulty at all. She quickly became a regular customer, and through her amazing exploits, Erza helped advertise Elizabeth's brand without being aware of it, making business soar more than it already had. She was practically the poster girl for her company.
But more than that...Erza's power, kindness, and overall attitude were something she was rather fond of…nostalgic even.
She reminds me a lot of you, Lady Irene. Honestly, If I didn't know any better...I'd say you two were related.
She then closed the door and finally the two headed out to their destination: The Wizard Saint council.
"Oh wow, I can't believe that we're finally here!" Inovia shouted with excitement as she looked down from the massive airship owned by Celestial Blade. "I always heard that Grand Spada was the best city in all of Ishgar, but I never knew it was so huge!"
Meifon, the guild master of Celestial Blade, couldn't help but let out a chuckle at her subordinate's behavior. "That's right, this is the first time any of you have been to the Pegrande Kingdom. It is rather different than the cities of Fiore now, isn't it?"
Below the massive airship was Grand Spada, the capital city of the Pegrande Kingdom. Widely acknowledged as one of the most powerful countries on Ishgar, the Pegrande Kingdom was well known for its massive landscape, its beautiful cities, a crime rate lower than ten percent, and all kinds of magical creatures one couldn't find anywhere else on the globe.
"Oh, I can't wait to go and see what kind of clothes they sell here!" Xerina said with joy..
Xerina, Inovia''s close friend and former member of Legion Corp, sighed. "We aren't here for sightseeing, Inovia. Mistress Long has important business to attend to here."
"She does make a point," Graham said as he placed the ship on auto pilot. "Mistress Long has been called here to discuss the matter of filling the now vacant spot that Jose Porla has left us with his most recent actions. We must be sure that we represent the guild as best we can."
"Not to mention the fact that Siegrain declared a national emergency," Naohime, the ace of the guild spoke as she approached the four of them. "It must be something of the utmost importance if he were to demand that the meeting take place here of all places."
Grand Spada was, after all, not only the largest city in all of Ishgar…but also the one with the most security. Surrounded by fifty-meter-high walls, a magical barrier said to be capable of withstanding even the Etherion, and all kinds of powerful mages and knights serving as the city's protectors, no dark guild, not even one from the Balam Alliance, would dare try to snoop in on such a meeting.
"You worry too much," Meifon said as she slowly rose from her chair. "Only I and Naohime need to attend this meeting. The rest of you are more than free to spend the day however you please."
"Mistress are you sure?" Graham asked her.
"I'm positive. After all, it's not like the opportunity to visit Grand Spada is one we'll get often. I suggest you take time to enjoy yourselves," Meifon answered. "After all…this may take some time."
With a loud "Yes Ma'am!" that could be heard from all of her subordinates, the airship finally landed in the city's designated airfield. After following proper procedure, the group was free to do whatever they desired. Xerina had decided to go shopping, Inovia insisted on testing out her swordsmanship against some of the city's knights in the training grounds and Graham decided to go and see a movie.
"That just leaves the two of us," Meifon said to Naohime with a smile. "Let's be on our way, shall we? I'd like to keep us punctual."
"Yes, if by punctual you mean thirty minutes early like always." Naohime joked with her guild master. "But...are you sure it's wise to bring me along, Mistress?"
"As Celestial Blade's strongest mage, if anything were to happen to me, you would become the next guild master, as well as the next Wizard Saint," Meifon told her. "It's important for you to see what may lie before you should the worst come to pass. You have been offered the title several times after all."
"And I'll tell you as I've told them, as long as you're alive, I will continue to serve you to repay the debt I owe you," Naohime said as they neared the Fiore embassy. "You took me in when no one else would. As the former Princess of Midi, I must repay you properly."
Meifon was about to object, when she noticed a familiar face near the embassy. She smiled as she approached him. "Master Makarov, what a pleasure it is to see you after so long," she said as she greeted her former guild master.
"Meifon?" The elder guild master's normally stern expression softened as he saw the young woman approaching him. "It's been awhile. I take it you have been well?"
"I've been doing rather well if I say so myself," Meifon said as she stopped in front of him. "Celestial Blade's success rate continues to operate over ninety-six percent…though I wouldn't have allowed for anything less. How is everyone back at Fairy Tail?"
"Quite fine in fact," Makarov said rather cheerfully. "They're a rambunctious lot, always getting into mischief, but I couldn't be prouder of them. We've had a fair share of new recruits actually."
"Sounds like not much has changed," Meifon said with a smile. "And what of Erza? I've heard enough to know she's more than truly earn the title of Titania I bestowed upon her."
"Oh, she has indeed," Makarov said proudly. "She's…helped keep things in line ever since you left. Though she and I...we do miss your presence."
"I'll be sure to visit once the Harvest Festival begins," she assured him. "I'm sorry for not being able to attend for the past few years, but running a guild has proven to have left my spare time a bit...low."
She then frowned. "How's Mirajane?…I haven't seen her since the funeral. I know Lisanna's death hit her rather hard. Elfman and Natsu too for that matter."
She had made a point two years ago, spare time and prior obligations be damned, to have attended Lisanna's funeral. The young woman had looked up to Meifon in her time there. It was the least she could do as a former member of the guild.
"It's been difficult," Makarov sighed. "Though I suppose that wound will never truly heal for any of them or for myself. A part of our Fairy Tail family was lost and…nothing can quite fill that void."
"I can't imagine it ever will, no," Meifon said with sadness. Having dealt with the loss of her entire family, it was a pain that she could more than sympathize with. "But we must move on, despite that pain. If not for ourselves…than for those who have died. After all…she wouldn't want any of us to be sad."
She then had a more serious look on her face. "But…I do need to discuss something of a more urgent matter with you, Makarov. The Phantom Lord incident."
"Oh yes, I suppose you would have caught wind of that dreadful business," Makarov said, shaking his head.
"I can understand not being able to do anything to prevent the damage to the guild hall. You can't be expected to be there all the time," Meifon said before sighing. "Nor do I blame you for waiting for the Magic Council to settle things themselves. It was the correct response to the situation. I don't even begrudge you for retaliating after what their Dragon Slayer did to Team Shadow Gear; I would have done no less and would have counter-attacked just as hard."
However, the woman then grit her teeth. "But you went in with almost the full force of your guild. Yourself, Erza, Natsu, and all of the others…and you lost."
She then stood up, anger clear on her face. "Gildarts and Mystogan hardly ever show up, and Laxus isn't the man I once called my rival. But I know your strength. You should have had no problem dealing with Phantom Lord while Jose was out! How could you possibly be taken down so easily?"
Makarov's expression hardened. "You know full well of Phantom Lord's reputation. That was no mere run of the mill dark guild we confronted, Meifon."
"I'm well aware of the facts," She told him. "Their S-class, the Jupiter Cannon, the Abyss Break; all are problems to be sure…but you should have been more than capable of handling the rank and file of that guild."
Meifon then sighed. "I know Yajimi has told you this, but it bears repeating. I think it's time for you to retire," She frowned as she looked down. "You're getting old, master…and it's starting to show."
"You think I don't know that?" Makarov asked, his eyes showing signs of weariness. "I had hoped that perhaps you would become the next guild master…and as it stands now, I do not know if my grandson will ever understand what he lacks. Gildarts has already expressed his disinterest and I do not believe Mystogan could inspire his guild's trust. For now, I can only wait for the day that Erza is ready."
"Why wait? You should let her take over now while you still have time," Meifon said. "I've already had to bury one set of parents far too soon…Please, don't add yourself to that."
"Perhaps, but she's still so young," Makarov explained. "Not so young that I doubt her ability to be guild master, no, but I don't want to rob her the chance to enjoy the world as a wizard of Fairy Tail so soon. This is her time."
"I suppose you make a fair point," Meifon said. "I'd argue how foolish you're being when you have such an open opportunity to take the rest you so well deserve but-"
She then looked over at Naohime. "I suppose I'm not one to talk. We're not so different in that regard. You have someone who could take your place if you died, and so do I…but I doubt neither would want it to come to that." She then smiled. "I haven't introduced you, have I? This is Naohime Natsuki. She's the strongest mage in all of Celestial Blade. She's no Gildarts Clive…but she's rapidly approaching his level of strength."
"Oh stop, you're making me blush," Naohime said as she came closer to the two of them. "I'm strong, sure, but I don't think I'm that strong. If half of what you told me about him is true-"
"Don't let her humility fool you, Makarov," Meifon said, interrupting her. "Underneath that beauty is a warrior more powerful than either of us."
"As strong as Gildarts? You always did have an eye for talent," Makarov looked at Naohime then. "It's an honor to meet you, my dear."
"The same goes for me. Mistress Long talks very fondly of you and her time at Fairy Tail. I'll have to take the time to visit," Naohime said with a smile.
"In any event, I do hope the others arrive soon," Meifon said. There was one in particular she couldn't wait to see again.
"Waiting for your fiancé?" Naohime joked to her guild master.
Meifon's face turned red like a tomato as she got up. "Naohime, I was going to save that for a surprise!"
"Fiancé?" Makarov perked up then. "Ah, Meifon, you must have had suitors lining up by the dozens…"
"Well, that's…I mean…I've known him since we were children," Meifon said as she twiddled her thumbs in embarrassment. "It's just that we're both so busy now, and we don't get too see each other as much as we used to and-"
"God morning, everyone!" a boisterous young man shouted as he dropped down beside Meifon, as if falling from the sky. He landed on one knee, hands reaching out so his fingertips touched the ground.
"God Serena," Makarov said simply enough, staring blankly at the posing young man. "I see you are as…lively as…ever."
God Serena, the top ranked Wizard Saint, was considered to be not just the most powerful man in all of Fiore but in all of Ishgar. He obtained his fame four years prior when, at the mere age of 19, he had single handedly stopped a coalition force from the countries of Bosco and Iceberg from going to war with Fiore.
Makarov blinked before looking at Meifon as she looked at Serena with an…odd level of fondness for him. It couldn't be… "You two?"
"It's good to see you again...Serena," she said as she walked over to the man. "Three long months since I last saw you face to face."
She gave him a warm smile as he slowly rose from the ground.
"Time long since lost, yes, but nothing we cannot make up for!" Serena leapt up into a standing position, wrapping one arm around Meifon's lower back, taking hold of her right hand with his left. He leaned in close, his eyes locking with her own as she fell back a bit. "You are such a sight for a Dragon Slayer's sore eyes…"
"Well, a dragon does love to make sure he can make time to enjoy his treasure," Meifon said before she gave him a kiss on the lips. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds, but soon, the couple stopped kissing and the top ranked Wizard Saint let go of her.
"I…You…God Serena is your-" Makarov tried to say as he stared at the two of them.
"Oh, that's right, I never told you, did I?" Meifon said with a smile. "Serena and I go way back. Over sixteen years ago to be exact."
Originally, the two had been engaged at a young age, the two families engaging in a political marriage to benefit from the other. However, over time, Serena and Meifon soon found that they were a natural match. The two had lost their families in their own respective tragedies…but they would always have each other.
"Sixteen wonderful years, yes!" Serena shouted, putting Meifon into a spin, their fingers never separating. "A joyous boon that life has granted upon me!"
Makarov watched on, wondering if the most powerful of the Wizard Saints was trying to dance with her right then and there. After all, God Serena was never one not to put on a show if the opportunity presented itself…even if it did no such thing.
"Gosh, get a room you two," Naohime said as she walked over to the couple as God Serena finally let go of her guild master. "Been a long time hasn't it?"
"Ah, Naohime, my rival!" God Serena declared before he pointed a finger at her dramatically. "It has been far too long since our last match! Shall we engage in combat here and now? I'm eager to make you pay for the three wins you have against me!"
"I'll pass, thanks," Naohime said with a nervous chuckle. "I don't think the Pegrande Kingdom would appreciate the two of us being responsible for them having to redraw the maps. Besides…you've beaten me fifteen times. I don't think I'm really 'worthy' of being your rival."
"Nonsense!" God Serena declared before he pointed one finger into the sky. "Only five people have ever given me even a remote challenge in battle and, as one of the few, I feel obligated to call you my rival! In fact, the only other man to defeat me more times than you would be Sir Jugram Hashbrown!"
A sigh interrupted the conversation as a new voice could be heard. "I've told you for the last time, God Serena, it's Jugram Haschwalth."
The lot of them turned around, as a tall yet man with long blonde hair that went past his shoulders and piercing green eyes approached them. He was indeed Jugram Haschwalth, the second Wizard Saint and the only man remotely considered to be an equal to God Serena. He known far and wide as the guild master of the Star Cross Knights, a guild that originally been created solely existed to defend the royal family and the city of Crocus. He had appeared a mere two years ago, with no past known to the world.
Most assumed that he was just from another continent, such as Giltena or Alakitasia. However, in spite of this, his accomplishments were unprecedented with the sole exception of God Serena, and quickly joined the wizard saints and eventually, the second strongest of the Four Gods of Ishgar, the four strongest wizards in the entire continent.
Meifon knew the truth, however, thanks to conversations with Sylphia. He was among the many chosen warriors the gods had brought over to this world. He had merely sent here earlier than others…though he wasn't the only one. For some reason or another, some of the gods had sent their chosen champions to this world a few years prior. Two other members of the wizard saints, the remaining Four Gods of Ishgar in fact, were examples of ones who had been in this world for over five years.
"Really, God Serena, you should take better care to memorize the name of your best friend," Another new voice joined in as Hisui E. Fiore, the eighteen-year-old princess of Fiore, appeared before them all.
"Your majesty!" the others declared before they all immediately bowed before her.
"Forgive my rudeness your majesty, I was merely jesting," God Serena assured the princess. "I just wished to entertain our guests while we waited for the meeting."
"Now, now, there is no need for any of you to bow before me. Rise, please," she insisted as the wizards did so.
We're truly blessed to have such a kind monarchy unlike Bosco, Meifon thought to herself. "With all due respect, your highness, but what are you doing here?" she politely asked Hisui.
"I was told this was a matter of great importance in regards to Fiore's safety," Hisui responded. "If I am to rule Fiore someday, I must have as much experience in such matters as possible."
Meifon couldn't have agreed more. It wouldn't do to have an inexperienced leader in charge with how hostile Bosco could be towards them. She had no doubt that Haschwalth was the main one behind this idea. King Toma, bless his kind heart, could be too naive at times and often wanted his daughter to simply enjoy the simple life while she still could. Haschwalth, however, who more or less served as Hisui's full-time bodyguard whenever he was at the castle, had always insisted to Meifon that the princess needed to be given more responsibility as she grew older.
Haschwalth smiled as he looked at the princess of Fiore. Much had happened in the three years he had lived here. He remembered the day they had first met. He had been at death's door when he had arrived in his strange world, the wounds he had inflicted upon himself to assist Uryu Ishida still present. The princess, who was simply on one of her morning strolls through the country in her horse driven carriage, had noticed his injured body and took him right to the castle to heal him properly. Over the next two months he spent in recovery, she visited him often, bringing all sorts of flowers and wishing for a quick recovery. Then, once he had fully healed, he had decided to dedicate his life to serving the princess as her royal bodyguard.
He had made a terrible mistake when he had chosen Yhwach over his best friend, But now…now he felt that he was doing something right for a change.
"We should probably be on our way inside," Haschwalth told the Wizard Saints and accompanying wizards. "Siegrain, some members of the Magic Council, and the other Wizard Saints are already waiting for us inside."
"I stand corrected," Naohime joked to Meifon as they all began to walk inside. "Here I thought we were the only ones to come way too early."
Soon enough, all the members of the Wizard Saints had arrived. Inside of the Embassy sat a large table with fifteen seats. Meifon sat down in the middle, eager to get a good look at everyone. To her right was Retsu Unohana, the guild master and founder of Mermaid Heel and the third Wizard Saint and third God of Isghar.. Another person who was said to have come from another continent, Unohana had grown a reputation of adoration. Healing magic was long thought to have been lost to the passage of time, but with her reappearance she had managed to cure injuries that would have once been considered impossible, such as the reattaching of limbs and even minor regeneration. However, she was also considerably powerful, enough so to be considered the strongest woman not only in all of Ishgar. Meifon knew full well that if she were to have ever done battle with Unohana…she would undoubtedly lose.
To her left was Robert Accutrone, the new head general of Fiore's Rune Knights. He was the fourth Wizard Saint and weakest of the Four Gods of Ishgar, a position he had more than earned with six years of service. Ever since his arrival, crime rates had gone down considerably from those not affiliated with dark guilds. Charismatic, more polite than most people she knew, he was a truly respected member of the Wizard Saints. Meifon had never seen him in action herself but she had heard from Makarov that he was more than worthy of his position.
The chairman of the Magic Council, Crawford Seam, sat between them both. Jura Neekis of the Lamia Scale guild and now the tenth and most recent of the Wizard Saints, placed in the position to replace Jack Bo, sat in the middle. Meifon hadn't had the occasion to speak with him often, but she knew from their few encounters that he was a good humble man, and well worthy of the title.
The less she said about Crawford Seam, however, the better.
"I'm pleased to see that you all arrived safely," Unohana said with a smile. "Not that I expected any of you to get hurt on the way here but I heard Meifon had finally taken care of the situation regarding Jack."
"Fortunately, It wasn't as hard as anticipated," Meifon said as she took her seat, not wanting to admit someone else had done most of the job for her. "I do wish to bring up a few things though. A hypothesis if you will."
"I'm sure it's all quite important," Siegrain, the sixth Wizard Saint said as he sat in the middle. "But I'm afraid we have more pressing matters to attend to. You can bring up your 'hypothesis' at the end of our discussion."
"Yes…of course," Meifon said as she looked at her fellow Wizard Saint. She couldn't quite place why, but something about Siegrain had always bothered her. Admittedly, she had no real reason to distrust him. The man had a spotless record and he even saved the entire Fiore Magic Council when five entire dark guilds had somehow managed to force their way into the city in an attempt to wipe them out. It was how he even got the title of Wizard Saint in the first place. But for some reason, she just found something about him…off.
Siegrain however, was thinking of something altogether different. I honestly couldn't care less about who we replace Jose with. The less obstacles the Balam Alliance has to deal with the better. However, that man, Yhwach…I need to deal with him as soon as possible. Someone that powerful could ruin everything Master Hades and I have planned for the world. For now…I just have to continue playing my role, and have the Magic Council take care of this problem for me.
It had taken Jellal over a month to fix the thought projection of Siegrain to make sure that it would operate as well as it had, Ultear telling the Magic Council that he had fallen to a coma to explain his absence. Being trustworthy members of the Magic Council, they bought it with no hesitation. The 'national emergency' as he called it when calling for this meeting, was nothing more than the man who put him through such suffering in the first place.
You may be an incredibly powerful wizard, Yhwach…but no one man could possibly hope to survive against all ten of the Wizard Saints. I'll be sure to enjoy being there for your final moments.
"By the way, where is Jushiro?" Makarov asked Unohana. "As an honorary member of the Wizard Saints, he's more than welcome to join in on the meeting."
"Sick again I'm afraid," she answered. "He should be fine in a few days, but as he is now, he can't afford to leave his room."
"It's a shame," God Serena added in. "He's one of the few men who could actually give me a challenge. If not for that illness of his, he would be more than qualified to be one of the Four Gods of Ishgar."
"Sorry I'm late!" a voice called out as Elizabeth Heartkreuz finally made her appearance, the woman panting as Yuki walked behind her. "I…overslept."
"Again, Elizabeth? You really must work on managing your time better," Meifon chastised her mockingly. "Why, I arrived twenty minutes early to ensure I wouldn't embarrass myself like you are now. And four of the others arrived even sooner than that."
"I told you that we were going to be late," Yuki said before Elizabeth sat down with a huff.
"Look, it's not my fault that I've been getting new orders for armors like crazy. Unlike the rest of your guild halls, a business doesn't just 'close' at the end of a night. I have to make sure that we're properly stocked, all the armors are of proper quality-"
"And that's exactly why you need to make sure you have people under you to delegate these sorts of things to," Robert said to the upset Wizard Saint. "You're never going to get caught up if you try to do everything by yourself."
"Well sorry, Mister General, but unlike you, I don't have a bunch of competent subordinates that I can trust with making the armors in the best condition possible. The manner of forging that I'm used takes at least ten years of practice to be at a level that I find acceptable, and all the black smiths I've tried to hire just think they can go in and 'make a magical armor' when it's not that simple!"
"Perhaps your standards of quality are too high," Siegrain said. "You could probably stand to have more time off, and money, if you just made your products a bit cheaper."
"To do that would be an insult to the Heartkreuz legacy!"
"Miss Heartkreuz is absolutely right," Jura Neekis proclaimed. "One shouldn't settle for anything less if they wish to have pride in their work."
"I concur!" God Serena said with excitement. "Why, look at these wonderful clothes she's made for me! I wouldn't dare think of wearing anything less but the best! The finest! To do anything less would be godawful!"
"Yes, you would think that way, wouldn't you?" Siegrain said. "You always have been style over substance."
God Serena snarled. "You just lack the right sense of taste, boy! I thought someone around my own age would understand the importance of fashion, but instead I have to rely on someone who is far older than any of us to deliver on such things!"
"Excuse you!?" Elizabeth cried out, not liking having her age being brought up so casually, even if Serena was, by all accounts, trying to take her side.
The lot of them began to bicker then, getting far too caught up in the conversation to realize that they were, in fact, wasting valuable time. Haschwalth was about to speak up and go into a two-hour long lecture on how this conversation was pointless when all of the sudden, they were interrupted.
"Now everyone, I'm sure you all have wonderful points to make," Unohana said with a smile as she rose from her seat, "but we're here for a reason, and as pleasant as this conversation is, I believe we should discuss Miss Heartkreuz's extreme work ethic another time. So please, let's move on...Shall we?" she asked, the last two words being uttered with only the tiniest bit of a threatening undertone.
"Y-Yes ma'am," they all said in unison before quieting down…all except for God Serena who wished to continue.
"But the importance of fashion quality cannot be interrupt-"
"As I said, we can continue this conversation later," Unohana said as she smiled at the number one Wizard Saint and stared into his eyes."Understood?"
Feeling a slight shiver, God Serena found himself unable to find it in him to continue bickering. "…Sorry," he murmured before he eventually joined the others and sat down. Even if she wasn't the most powerful person in the room, Retsu Unohana had a way to make even the most mighty and powerful of warriors cower before her wrath.
I can see why you were so feared back in your heyday, Haschwalth thought to himself. You barely raise your voice, but just like that, you're able to get everyone else to settle down. Truly, you are worthy of your reputation.
Haschwalth recalled the time he had met with the former captain of Squad Four three years ago. He was more than certain that she would be quite bitter with him. She had every right to be after all. He had played a major role in not just killing countless comrades of hers, including her commander and longtime confidant Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, but also her death as well. He was quite surprised however, when she greeted him as if nothing had happened. He was sure it was some kind of trick or ploy, but she assured him that was not the case.
"We've both made our fair share of mistakes in our old lives, Haschwalth. You survived under a tyrant king, and helped assist him with the near destruction of the soul society, but I was a much different person over a thousand years ago as you can recall. I had taken countless lives, many of whom had done nothing wrong, for my own amusement. It was a different era, but I realize now that as the first Kenpachi, I was no more than a murderer. It took a…special encounter a few years after the war with your kind for me to realize the folly of my ways. We've both paid for our sins with our very lives. But now, in this new world…we have a chance to do things right. I bare you no ill will, and would be more than happy to consider you an ally, and even a friend…if you would allow it."
The two had become close friends since. Not just with her, but the other Gods of Ishgar as well. It was only at the end of his old life that he realized that he had taken his one true friend for granted. Now, here in this new world…he wanted nothing more than to make up for that mistake.
"Well, now that we have our bickering out of the way, I do believe it's time that we discussed what we're really here for," Crawford spoke to the mages before him. "First and foremost, we need to discuss who we can use to replace Jose Porla as a Wizard Saint due to his recent actions shaming us all. Now, do I need to remind you what the guidelines and rules are for choosing a Wizard Saint?"
"Please, Mister Chairman, allow me," Hisui said as she stood up. "There are only three things needed for a wizard to get recommended for the position of Wizard Saint. The first was to have a power at least three times greater than that of the average S-class wizard. The second is having accomplished great deeds and feats that are wildly acknowledged as beneficial to Fiore as a whole. And finally, that the person being recommended in question is not already part of a guild that has a Wizard Saint already in it, to avoid any one guild having too much political power. Of course, to fix said problem, one would only need to leave the guild, with the prospect of joining another being optional."
Someone's been studying, Unohana thought to herself. You really have started to take your position more seriously haven't you, Princess Hisui?
"Ah yes, quite right," Crawford said before coughing a bit. "Now then, let's hear who the candidates are. Jura, do you have anyone in mind?"
"I've heard Jenny Realight from Blue Pegasus is rather powerful. She would be the weakest amongst us, but I believe she has what it takes."
"I'm afraid I have to disagree," Makarov spoke up. "There's no doubt how strong she is, she was, after all, a rival for Mirajane for a few years before she…ended up retiring, but I'm afraid she's a bit too vain to handle the position as of now."
"I concur," Elizabeth spoke up. "I personally made the Machine Souls that she's currently using and, while they have made her more powerful, she's far from mastering them. I think she'll be ready in about seven to eight years."
"Well then, do you have anyone you wish to recommend, Elizabeth?" Siegrain asked her.
"Well, word on the street is that you've recently found a rather powerful wizard to join your guild, Retsu," Elizabeth said to the fourth Wizard Saint. "I heard that she even took down two entire dark guilds all by herself. That's no easy feat, easily Wizard Saint worthy."
"I have no doubt that she'll be worthy of it someday. But like Jenny, she's too inexperienced," Unohana said with a sigh. "Furthermore, Kagura is a bit too…obsessed with saving her brother. I'm afraid that if she were to take the position now, she would just end up using it solely to find him. She's a good girl, but I feel she needs to grow a bit more first. However-" Unohana said as she looked at both Yuki and Naohime. "Both of you are more than worthy of the role. Yuki, you're one of the fastest women in Fiore."
"They don't call her 'Yuki of the Flash Blade' for nothing," Elizabeth chipped in as she playfully elbowed Yuki in the ribs.
"Fastest yes, but I don't think I have anything else that would remotely qualify me. I still have a lot to learn," Yuki said to Unohana, trying to ignore Elizabeth's well-meaning teasing. "I appreciate the recommendation, but I'm not worthy of it."
"Besides, she's the only one I can even remotely trust to run Heart Kreuze Industries with. I couldn't bear to part with her," Elizabeth said with a smile.
"And I still wish to repay Mistress Long for the debt I owe her," Naohime said, knowing that she could not part from Meifon's guild until that had been accomplished.
"What about Erza Scarlet?" God Serena asked as he looked at his fiancee. "You're always going on about how you have such high expectations of her, Meifon. I heard that she even fought Jose and gave him a hard time despite being hit by a Jupiter cannon and fighting one of his S-class mages previously. Even if she isn't anywhere near as strong as Makarov is yet, I think she sounds more than qualified."
Siegrain bit his tongue. Such a position of power for Erza Scarlet would compromise. He had to speak up and soon.
Fortunately for him, however, he wouldn't need to.
"I agree that she's more than worthy of the position," Meifon said to God Serena. "More so than even I am. But I'm afraid she would never take it."
"Indeed," Makarov spoke up. "Fairy Tail means far more to her than the title of Wizard Saint ever would. Leaving the guild would be like losing an arm to her. "
"Ah yes, you Fairy Tail wizards are rather close to each other, aren't you?" God Serena said before chuckling. "A respectable quality. Still, it's a shame to see such talent not being given the rank it so rightfully deserves. Like that, Gildarts I've heard so much about. I'd recommend him as well, but I know he's always far too busy to ever make time for meetings such as these."
Siegrain was more than pleased that he had not needed to speak up and come up with his own reasoning against Erza's inclusion, the suggestion having been argued against and the topic shifted already.
"Gildarts Clive, the very definition of wasted talent," Haschwalth said. "If only he would use that power for more worthwhile goals." He then stood up. "But in any event, while I find all of the previous choices to make sense, I do believe that I know just who to recommend for the position."
"Oh? Do you now?" Siegrain asked with interest.
"Yes, please, do go on!" God Serena said with excitement in his voice. "If it's your recommendation then it has to be someone more than worthy of the title."
"Princess Hisui E. Fiore."
A silence fell over the room, everyone staring at the Wizard Saint as if he had gone mad.
However, the silence was not to last. "The princess? Surely you jest." Crawford spoke up. "No offense to her majesty, I'm sure she's a fine mage, but to be a Wizard Saint she must be-"
"She has more than enough power for the position, I can assure you," Haschwalth said with confidence. "I've been training her for the past two years. I know how strong she is, more than anyone else."
"Haschwalth, are you sure?" Hisui asked him. "I'm…I'm not sure if I'm ready for this."
"You're far stronger than you think you are princess, trust me," the blonde man assured her.
"Your word is all well and good, but I'm going to need more proof than just that," Crawford insisted. "I would not want our final decision tainted by…favoritism is all."
"I can vouch for her as well," Unohana spoke up, surprising everyone. "I've been to the castle many times to speak with Haschwalth and I've seen their training sessions. She's far more powerful than she lets on."
"She does have the qualifications," Meifon added. "No guild of her own that already has a Wizard Saint, she's been more than charitable to the people of Fiore, particularly on a personal level in ways that no prince or princess who has come before her has…why, she's helped out many citizens without work to by hiring them as servants in her castle."
"I guess all we would need to do now is see just how strong she is," Jura spoke up. "Your majesty, if you would allow it, I would like to test your strength personally."
"I-" Hisui wasn't sure how to react. Facing Haschwalth during practice was one thing, but this was going to be a battle against a Wizard Saint who was not likely to hold back against her in this test. She was about to decline, when she felt someone's hand on her own. She looked down to see Haschwalth, giving her a smile, the words he spoke earlier repeating in her head.
You're far stronger than you think you are princess, trust me.
With that, her fear seemed to fade, as determination took over her features. "I accept your challenge," Hisui replied.
"You can't be serious about this!" Crawford cried out. "If anything were to happen to her, the king would be furious! My reputation would be ruined!"
Some priorities you have, Meifon thought to herself. Ever since the day the murderer of her parents got away, Meifon had always had taken issue with the Magic Council. While overall well-meaning most of the time, it had become clear to her as of late that, with a few exceptions, the Magic Council was run by people who cared more about their public image than actual results. It upset her to no end. If not for her prior experience in her past life, she would desire nothing more than to overthrow it. But as of now, she would do what she could do make a difference…the correct way.
My days of reformation are over. But rest assured, Crawford…one day you and the rest of the incompetent old men and women that run the council will be replaced. If not by force…then by the passage of time.
The members of the Wizard Saints had traveled downstairs into what looked like a large basement, one that was well over four hundred feet in both length and width. It was an area for visiting mages, particularly Wizard Saints, to practice their magic without worrying about damaging the surrounding area. To further make sure that the city was protected, a powerful barrier was also erected around the arena.
"The rules of this bout are simple," Robert spoke as the two got into position. "The challenger for the title of a Wizard Saint, Hisui E. Fiore, must last ten minutes against Jura or obtain victory. If she cannot last until the duration of the match, she will have failed this test and we will resume our selection for the Wizard Saint. Retsu Unohana will be on standby to heal any and all injuries afterwards. And, of course, no killing is allowed. Do you consent to these rules, your majesty?"
"I do," Hisui said as she reached into her pocket, grabbing hold of her Celestial Spirit keys. She looked at them before tossing them at Haschwalth who remained in the stands. "Take these. I don't wish for them to get damaged."
"As you command, your majesty," Haschwalth said as he caught them. Many of the others however were confused by this action.
"Haschwalth, isn't her majesty a Celestial wizard?" Elizabeth asked him.
"Indeed she is, Miss Hearthkreuze."
"Then...why is she giving away the only way she can fight back?" Elizabeth asked out of curiosity. "I mean, I haven't seen any Celestial wizards for about a hundred years but last I checked, unless something has changed since then they need those keys to summon their spirits."
"You misunderstand the situation," Unohana said as she sat right next to them. "The princess is a skilled Celestial mage, that is for certain, but if that was all she had I would have never recommended her for the position."
"You mean to tell me that she possesses other types of magic as well?" Makarov asked as he joined them. "It usually takes over ten years just to master one magic. For her to have learned another in that time is-"
"It's impressive to say the least," Siegran said as he looked down below. "As someone who has learned many types of magic myself, I know how hard it can be to become skilled at them all."
"I guess we have that in common," Meifon said as she looked at the princess with interest. "But if she's not going to be using Celestial magic, then what does she have up her sleeve?"
"Regardless of what it is, it'll have to pack quite the punch if it hopes to propel our dear princess to the heavens themselves!" God Serena proclaimed as he struck a pose, his right index finger pointing right at the ceiling. "Though the weakest and newest member of the Wizard Saints he may be, Jura is not someone just anyone can take down lightly! Will the princess manage to last long enough, and grasp victory from such unlikely odds or will Jura show us that the princess is biting off more than she can chew?! Oh, the suspense is making me all a tingle!"
He then pointed dramatically at Haschwalth, "But I suppose you would know better than the rest of us!"
"You'll see," Haschwalth replied with a smirk. "The princess is far more powerful than she appears."
"I won't be holding back, Princess," Jura said as he got into a ready stance to begin combat. "If you truly wish to see if you have what it takes to become one of us, I can't afford to be lenient. I'm going to give you one chance to back out of this if you think you can't handle it."
"Your concern is most appreciated Jura, truly," Hisui said with a smile. "I wasn't so sure of my decision at first…but Haschwalth has taught me a lot over the last two years."
"Has he now?" Jura asked with interest.
"Indeed. One of the first lessons he taught me when we began my training was 'A true ruler won't ask his subjects to do a task that he himself would be unwilling to do.' If I am to become queen some day, if I am to become your leader and become a woman that all of Fiore can look up to and respect...then I must prove myself."
"I respect your resolve." Jura said with a smile. "Very well...LET US BEGIN!" The bald saint pointed one of his hands at the princess, before shouting "Rock Avalanche!"
Immediately, the ground before them split as giant boulders floated into the air before they all came crashing towards the princess.
"Oh, I can't look!" Crawford yelled as he covered his eyes, no doubt expecting the woman to be crushed by the boulders. However, as they closed in on her, Hisui smiled and vanished from sight, reappearing behind Jura.
"Teleportation?" Elizabeth asked as Hisui closed the distance between herself and Jura, running forward at great speed.
"No…this is something else," Siegrain said as he was now paying close attention to the battle before them.
Hisui continued to run forward before Jura extended one his arms at her once more, letting out another attack. "Iron Rock Fist!" he yelled out as a giant fist of stone appeared from the ground and tried to hit the princess. However, she vanished from sight once more and appeared on the far side of the stage. Then she vanished in and out of view as she closed in on him.
"It appears to be some form of high-speed magic," Siegrain continued to say as he watched closely. "But it's unlike any I've ever seen before."
"It sure is rather flashy, I have to admit!" God Serena added in as he continued to watch the battle with excitement. Things were getting interesting now.
However, it was a technique more than familiar to three of the people watching the battle. I see now, Robert thought to himself. Haschwalth, you've taught her how to use magic to emulate Hirenkyaku, haven't you?
It's rather impressive that she was able to come up with such a thing despite only being trained by a Quincy for three years, Unohana thought as she watched on. But just how did she become so strong so quickly? As she is now...She's already more powerful than most Soul Reapers.
Hisui continued to close in Jura, managing to avoid every single one of his blows. She sure is fast, I'll give her that, Jura thought as she came in closer and closer. But she'll need far more than speed if she wishes to defeat me! Moving his hands in a rapid fashion, the ground that had been broken up earlier began to float in the air once more and closed in on Hisui. "Supreme King Rock Crush!"
The princess began to attempt her evasive tactics once more but, as she grew closer to Jura and the starting point of his attacks, she found that doing so was becoming increasingly harder. Eventually, the rocks began to surround her too fast for her to dodge anymore and then began to hit her body. Hisui groaned in pain as one rock hit her in the stomach. Then her head went back when a boulder went smashing into her face. It was enough to bring her to her knees.
With one more hand motion, Jura then brought down the rest of the rocks he had floating in the air. Hisui tried her best to gather her bearings and shook her head, but as she managed to stand on her two feet, she soon saw five large boulders come down on her. A large thud was heard and the emerald haired woman was soon caught beneath the attack.
"I'm doomed," Crawford whispered, his being the only voice to break the silence that followed.
However, just before anyone could say any more, the rocks that had seemingly crushed Hisui were sliced open, the princess standing before Jura none the worse for wear...and a giant claymore in her right hand. The weapon was almost as tall as she was, a red ruby at the center of the golden hilt. Crawford, now feeling immense relief, was also shocked at what he saw.
"That…that Blade…it can't be…the Regale Blade!?"
"The Regale Blade? Wasn't that the sword that King Aster wielded when her founded Fiore?" Meifon asked Elizabeth.
"That's it alright," Elizabeth said as she looked at the blade intently. "I remember seeing him use that blade to cleave through what few remaining dragons there were back then while I served as the Fiore army's number one blacksmith. He told me that it was a blade that was given to him by one of the gods themselves. But…"
"But what?" Meifon asked in confusion.
"He told me that he considered the weapon too powerful for just anyone to wield. So he placed a spell on it that only someone from his family that was worthy would ever be able to remove it from the chains that bound the blade within its sheath. But…for her to be that powerful…"
"Iron Rock Spikes!" Jura declared as he tried to once again bind his opponent with the earth itself. However, now wielding her great weapon, Hisui was able to cleave through the stones as if they were nothing but butter.
"Regale Cutter!" she yelled as she swung her blade. A strong shock wave emitted from the edge, destroying all of the stone that Jura had sent her way.
"Regale Hurricane!" she yelled out as her sword was now engulfed with wind which soon erupted into a large tornado that engulfed the entire arena. Jura was slowly losing his ground as he tried to defend himself from the powerful gusts of wind.
"Rock Mountain!" he shouted as a giant golem emerged from the stone before him, protecting him from the element that was blasting him rather hard. To think that the princess was this powerful! Haschwalth…what kind of training did you give her!?
"I think I understand now," Robert said to himself as he watched the battle from afar. "This isn't the result of mere training. No, the reason why she's so powerful and is able to use the sword…You've been using your power of amplification and power sharing to increase her strength over the past three years. No wonder she is as powerful as she is."
"Regale Nova!" Hisui declared before she made a fireball that was about fifty feet tall and launched it at the defense that Jura put up.
"Iron Rock Wall!" Jura yelled as several pillars of rock appeared before his armored guardian to try to ensure that the attack would not make it through. However, the massive fireball was plowing through them all, until finally it made contact with the giant golem and destroyed it. Jura was about to declare his next attack when he noticed a shadow above him. He looked up, and saw none other than Hisui, blade raised high, shining with green energy, and coming straight down on him.
"Regale Impact!" Moving out of the way at the last possible second, Jura rolled out of the way as the area Hisui struck was rocked by a powerful shockwave, destroying the ground underneath. The arena began to shake with power as Hisui began to stand up.
"...How long has this fight been going on?" Elizabeth asked Makarov.
"About three minutes," Makarov answered her with disbelief.
At this rate, it'll be more impressive if Jura lasts the full ten minutes, Meifon thought to herself. This level of power is far beyond what I expected her to be capable of. She then turned her head to look at the inhabitants from another world. Retsu Unohana…Jugram Haschwalth, Robert Accutrone…Just what kind of world did you come from?
Finally deciding that enough was enough, Jura pushed forward with his strongest attack. "I can only hope this isn't too much power. RUMBLING MOUNT FUJI!"
Just as Hisui was about to move forward to press her offense once more, the ground below her shook. She looked down and, just as she did, she was covered in a large pillar of light as it erupted from below, the barrier that surrounded the arena barely managing to hold as it shook with a great might of an earthquake. When the light finally vanished, the arena was in tatters and the princess was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh no…He killed her!" Crawford yelled out as he tugged on his beard, once more in a panic over what had no doubt transpired. "His majesty is sure to have my head for this!"
"No…You may remain calm as it's not over yet," Haschwalth said as he let a smile appear on his face. "At least…not for her."
He merely pointed up in the air where the top four Wizard Saints and Naohime were already looking. As everyone else began to raise their heads, they could see Hisui floating in the air. She was rather battered and bruised with plenty of cuts across her body to show for her troubles…but she was still standing in midair.
"She…can fly too?!" Crawford yelled out, surprised.
"She's not flying," Naohime said as she looked above, observing the princess. "She's using magic to walk on the air."
"I'll admit, if that attack had hit me before I had a chance to avoid the brunt of it, I would have been done for," Hisui said as she raised her blade and began to be surrounded by golden energy. "It's a very powerful move. Truly worthy of a Wizard Saint, but luckily for me, I was able to get out of the way just in the nick of time. Now then…let's see if you can do the same with my ultimate technique. Regale Blast!"
As Hisui pointed her blade forward, a large wave of energy burst out of the tip. As the wave of energy came crashing down on him, Jura tried desperately to use whatever he could to form some kind of defense, a large rock wall bursting up before him to stop the attack. However, the wall did little to stop the magic power and it looked as if it was about to hit him head on.
"I think we've seen quite enough for today."
In what seemed like an instant, Hisui's Regale Blast was split in two as Unohana appeared before the exhausted and beaten Jura, using the shockwave generated by the unsheathing of her sword to dispel Hisui's attack.
"I do believe that she's more than proven herself, don't you agree?" Unohana asked Crawford as she looked at the trembling old man.
"Y-yes of course!" Crawford yelled out, relieved beyond words that both Hisui and Jura were alive and well. "I hereby declare Hisui E. Fiore the ninth Wizard Saint!"
"You may as well make her the eighth Wizard Saint," Elizabeth told him. "I don't think I could have beaten Jura as fast as she did."
"Consider it done!"
"I…I actually did it," Hisui said as she slowly floated down to the ground. "I…just defeated Iron Rock Jura…all by myself." She could hardly believe that she was capable of such a thing. Haschwalth was right, she really was far stronger than she realized.
"You should be quite proud of yourself, your majesty," Unohana said before she looked at the two injured Wizard Saints. "Now let's patch you two up, shall we?"
After a few minutes, Unohana had finished healing Jura and Hisui and the rest of the council once again met up in the conference room.
"A marvelous display! Truly you are royalty worth fighting for!" God Serena cheered on before pointing at her and Haschwalth. "If I were to grade her training and overall performance, I would have to give it a solid B+!"
"Yes, yes, it was a wonderful performance to be sure," Siegrain said. "But I'm afraid we have more urgent business that we need to discuss now."
"Ah yes, that's right. You had some rather important news you wished to share with us," Robert said. "Well, go on, let's hear it."
"Very well. As you are aware, I elected to personally apprehend Jose Porla after the unfortunate incident between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail. Unfortunately, I failed in my mission…But the reason that I called for this meeting wasn't because I failed to apprehend Jose…but the reason why I failed in the first place."
"Yes, you were in a coma for quite some time," Makarov said with some concern. "Go on then, tell us what happened."
"Ultear and I chased after the madman. I told her to stand back, just to ensure her safety. When I found him…there was a man waiting for me. I didn't think much of him at first but then…he defeated me."
"Must have been some fight if it put you in a coma," Elizabeth said. "You're not exactly an easy guy to take down. Or hit for that matter."
"What happened between the two of us couldn't even be called a fight," Seigrain said as he scowled. "Nothing I used was effective. Every attack was completely and utterly useless. I couldn't even draw a single speck of blood. When I tried to retreat after realizing how horribly outmatched I was…he caught up with me in an instant. After that, I only remember waking up in my room a month later."
"He sounds like a worthy opponent!" God Serena said with a smirk. "For someone to defeat you so easily is no small feat. Your speed is well regarded even amongst the Four Gods of Ishgar. I'll be more than happy to hunt this man down and bring him to face justice! Tell me, what was his name?"
"He said his name was…Yhwach."
Haschwalth immediately stood straight up with a look of considerable worry as his body broke out into a cold sweat, Robert faring no better, and even Unohanna seemed shook by the news.
"Did you say…Yhwach?" Haschwalth asked with an uncharacteristic amount of worry.
"…That was his name, yes," Siegrain said, not liking the look on the other three Gods of Ishgar. What on earth could have wizards of their caliber so worried?
Haschwalth sat, and sweat began to pour out of his skin as he looked down at the table. His Majesty? Here? Impossible! There's no way he could have been defeated…Don't tell me…Don't tell me…Ichigo Kurosaki, and Sosuke Aizen managed to take him down together!?
If he were the Haschwalth of old, he would have dropped everything, left the kingdom and done everything in his power to reunite with the Quincy Kaiser…But he was no longer that man. No longer was he Jugram Haschwalth, Grand Master of the Stern Ritter. No, he was now Jurgam Haschwalth, leader of the Star Cross Knights and the second Wizard Saint. Most importantly, however, he was the loyal guardian of Hisui E. Fiore.
"Princess, I promise you, no matter what happens, no matter who dares threaten your life...I will slay all who dare to harm you."
Those were the very words he had promised her when he first became her official protector. But now…If Yhwach was to be one of those enemies, he knew better than anyone else that keeping that promise may now very well be impossible.
Your Majesty…No, Yhwach…just what are you planning?
"The progenitor of the Quincy," Unohana said, her normally relaxing expression faltering. "I suppose it would be best to see if the Captain Commander of my world has come here as well."
"We'll make finding him a top priority when this meeting is over," Haschwalth said to her. "At present, he is the only hope we have."
"Captain Commander?" Siegran asked the two of them. "Just who are you talking about?"
"A potential…ally from our country of origin. Though one I would advise either Unohana or Ukitake approach," Haschwalth said to Siegrain before looking at Robert. "Robert…I need to know-"
"Never again," Robert said, an expression piercing through his glasses. "I have seen far too many of his purges to ever stand by his side again."
"I feel like we're missing some context here," Elizabeth said. "Do you…know this Yhwach?"
"Yes," Haschwalth responded to her. "In our old country, where we all originated from, he was a great enemy to Unohana and her guild…and my old 'guild master' for lack of a better term."
"We were both fools to serve him as we did," Robert added on, his shoulders slumping. "And if not for the grace of the gods, it would have cost us everything."
"In that case, I recommend that we find this man and eliminate him immediately," Siegrain said with enthusiasm. "With the power of the ten Wizard Saints we should be more than capable of wiping him off the face of Earth Land. God Serena, I think this will be the perfect mission for to take the lead-"
"No," Haschwalth interrupted. "We will do no such thing."
"What, why not?" God Serena stared at Haschwalth with the veritable eyes of a puppy dog. "This sounds like the perfect challenge for my Hybrid Theory! First you won't let me seek out the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse and now you deny me this? Think of the good of the people of Fiore! We need to end this potential threat!"
"My friend, you don't understand," Haschwalth said as he shook his head. "You and I have fought to a draw many a time. Our powers are almost equal. So, let me make this as perfectly clear to you as possible. I am nowhere near his equal."
"Then what wouldyou have us do?" God Serena asked, staring intently at Haschwalth. "Kiss our way of life god bye-bye?
God, you're really going to make that your catchphrase aren't you? Meifon thought to herself with the desire to groan. Sometimes her fiancé could be too eccentric even for her.
"I wouldn't say that," Haschwalth spoke to him. "As of now, we don't know exactly what his intentions are. If there is a chance we could negotiate with him-"
"You're practically suggesting that we bow down and do nothing!" Siegrain yelled at him. "We need to strike now and-"
"If we antagonize him, he'll kill us all!" Haschwalth shouted back, the normally calm Quincy finally moved to blatant emotion. "We don't have a fighting chance against a foe like this!"
I've never seen Haschwalth afraid before. To see him like this- Hisui thought to herself as she watched on. Just who…or what is this Yhwach?
"Perhaps we should assess the situation in full before we do anything rash," Unohana offered. "It was made clear to me a lifetime ago that this Yhwach is nothing if not a patient man. However, unlike last time, we know of his presence. No longer is he an unknown foe skulking about in the shadows. Time is also on our side."
"I agree with Unohana," Meifon said. "I can understand why you feel so strongly about this Siegrain, but right now we simply lack what we need to make an informed decision. It's clear to me that three of the Four Gods of Ishgar are far more familiar with him than we are, so I would suggest we take their advice."
"I suppose that's only fair," Siegrain said, the fingers of his right hand clenching into a closed fist. Though perhaps if word were to leak out to the Balam Alliance, they might be capable of doing what the Wizard Saints cannot. Surely this Yhwach could not withstand the full might of the three most powerful dark guilds in all of Fiore...
"At the very least, if worse comes to worse, the Magic Council always has the Etherion," Elizabeth said with a smile. "Powerful as this man may be, no one could possibly survive a laser capable of destroying an entire country."
Elisbeth suddenly felt almost all the eyes in the room on her, leading to a drop of sweat born from nervousness travel down the side of her face. "Is…something the matter?"
"You always recommend we fire off the Etherion at every little problem that comes our way," Siegrain said. "How is the Magic Council supposed to know when the situation is truly dire if they feel the creator of the weapon is always crying wolf?"
"Hmmph, fine, be that way," Elizabeth grumbled. "See if the Magic Council ever lets you fire it."
I wouldn't be so sure it'd work, Haschwalth wanted to say. He wanted to let them all know just how much of a horrible situation they were truly in,but he decided against it. Right now, panicking would do none of them any good. His Majesty announced his presence to a Wizard Saint no doubt to make us all spend many a sleepless night. After all…it's what WE did to the Soul Society at our first move. But…Unohana is absolutely correct. Right now, we have time on our side to think of a plan…time to find Genryusai Yammamoto..
"Is there anything else left for us to discuss?" Hisui asked the gathered Wizard Saints.
"No, that was all I had to mentio-" Siegrain paused for a moment. "Wait, I almost forgot. Meifon, when you replied to the summons, you mentioned that you had something you wished to bring up as well?"
"No, no, I've realized now it's rather insignificant," Meifon replied, though her thoughts made it clear it was anything but. It's best I only discuss this with someone I know I can trust.
"In that case, I hereby declare that this council of the Ten Wizard Saints is officially concluded," Crawford said before sighing. "Ah, I can't wait to finally get home."
As the Wizard Saints began to leave the building one at a time, Elizabeth walked over to Makarov.
"It was nice seeing you again Makarov. But please...do tell Erza to stop being so reckless with her armor. That adamantine set is very expensive and time consuming to repair!"
"I suppose I can advise her to respect your time and craftsmanship," Makarov said, "though I would hope she doesn't have any future encounters with a Jupiter Cannon."
"I would hope not," Elizabeth said with a smile. "I'll make sure future armors will be more than capable of handling that cannon. I know the ins and outs of the thing better than anyone else, so I think I should manage."
She then smiled at Makarov as she walked off, Yuki following behind her quickly. Meifon also gave her a smile which Elizabeth returned. Siegrain and Unohana had already left to head back home and Crawford was heading back to his hotel.
"By the way," Makarov said as he turned to look at one of his fellow Wizard Saints, "I already know about Haschwaltch, but Robert, you are a Quincy as well?"
"Indeed I am," Robert said to Makarov. "Humans born with special powers. Is there…something you wished to discuss about it?"
"I was just curious as I have two Quincies in my guild," Makarov said. "Bambietta Basterbine and Liltotto Lamperd. Perhaps you know them…"
"Yes, I was well aware that the two of them had joined your guild." Robert spoke. "They're old students of mine. Some of my very best. Why, I even sent them a book of Quincy spells to help assist them…but you're probably wondering why I didn't do so in person, aren't you?"
"I imagine you've been in this new world for some time if you have the authority that you do now," Makarov continued. "Though I suppose you were both held similar positions back home as well considering how comfortable you seem in these positions of power. Which…worries me considering if what the young ladies in my care have told me about your former 'guild' is anything to go by."
"Yes well…I'm not exactly proud of what I used to be a part of," Robert said as he looked into the sky. "For so many years…I thought I was part of something worthy of pride. That we were the ones in the right…but it was only mere moments before my death that I realized that I had wasted my life serving a cruel tyrant and not the messiah that we all thought he was. When I found out that Bambietta and Liltotto were in your guild. I wished for nothing more than to see my old students again…but I decided against it. I wanted them to fully embrace their new lives. To see all this world had to offer. One day, I'll see them again but for now…I know that they are in good hands."
"As for myself," Haschwalth began to say, "Towards the end of our lives, Miss Lampered and I were on opposite sides of a civil war. I now regret my choice of serving my king loyally, but I very much doubt she would want to see me again. Likewise, I am certain she has already informed Miss Basterbine of what had transpired and…well…I'm sure you know her well enough to know what would likely follow should our paths cross."
"I suppose you speak the truth," Makarov continued. "Bambietta does wear her emotions on her sleeve."
"She wouldn't be Miss Basterbine if she didn't," Haschwalth said as Robert nodded his head.
"Indeed. She has always been very up front with how she feels about things. However, I must take my leave to headquarters. Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure seeing you all again."
Then, with a use of Hirenkyaku, Robert was gone.
Meifon smiled as she looked at Hisui and Haschwalth as they began to leave as well. "It'll be an honor to see you serve with us, your majesty," Meifon said to Hisui.
"I thank you for your kind words…I can only hope I won't let you down."
"You shouldn't worry!"" God Serena said, patting Hisui on the back. "I'm sure your presence will be a boon for us all! It's not everyday royalty is among us!"
"What our overly excitable friend is trying to say is that you shouldn't worry yourself over it," Makarov added. "This rank is not given out without deliberation or thought. If we have made this decision, then you have already moved beyond any chance of letting us down."
Hisui gave the two Wizard Saints a sincere smile as she walked over to her bodyguard. "Let's be off, shall we?" she said to Haschwalth with a smile. "With any luck, we'll be back home in no time."
Haschwalth wasn't exactly in the most chipper of moods, his mind still astray from the revelation he had heard moments ago…but the smile on the princess's face made his fears and troubles vanish from his mind. "A sound suggestion, your highness."
They walked down the street, hand in hand. Jura gave Meifon and Makarov a nod before he finally turned to leave as well.
"I guess you have to go now as well?" Meifon asked her fiance as Hatchwald and Hisui left them. "I was hoping we could spend some more time together."
"I would love to, of course, but the Magic Council has asked me to look into a leviathan off the coast of Caelum," God Serena replied, a glean in his eyes. "Rumor has it it's the size of a country!"
"Rumors tend to be far grander than reality," Meifon said before smiling. "But I know nothing I can say will stop you. Your desire for a worthy opponent is matched only by your flamboyance and grandeur."
"Right on all counts!" Serena shouted as he spun, his arms outstretched. Stopping on a dime, however, he tentatively reached out for Meifon's hand, stopping to see if she was all right with it. "My lady?"
She took his hand and smiled. "It's quite alright. It would be rather selfish of me to keep you from preventing more loss of innocent life. Besides…that pride of yours is one of the reasons why I grew so attached to you in the first place."
"Then I have reason to never lose my pride as a wizard, saint or fiancé," Serena whispered as he kissed the back of her hand. He stepped back then, his fingers slipping away from her own. "Until then, my dear Meifon..."
The Wizard Saint suddenly struck a pose an unorthodox pose, bending at his knees, hands up and fingers angled down at his forehead.
"God bye-bye!"
Then he was off, dashing away into the distance fast enough to kick up a storm of dirt and debris.
"He's…still quite the energetic one," Makarov said dryly before he looked at Meifon. "Still, I am glad to see you so happy."
"Fairy Tail was very helpful when it came to me picking myself up after the death of my family." she said as she looked where her beloved once was. "But I'd say he was just as important. He was there for me every step of the way while I grieved. For that, I can never thank him enough."
She then groaned. "Now if only I could find the right way to tell him just how…painful his catchphrase is."
"I suppose he will try his best to make it catch on with all of Fiore, however," Makarov smiled. "But… perhaps despite not being a part of the guild, the Fairy Tail spirit runs through him as well. You have…"
Makarov's expression softened a bit as he looked at Meifon. "You have done well for yourself," Makarov whimpered. "I…couldn't be prouder of you."
"I know." She said with a smile. "And by the way…those rules you gave me. Don't worry…I've made sure to have kept my word. Fairy Tail…is forever in my heart no matter the distance between us all."
There was a moment of silence then, Meifon looking at her fellow guildmate.
"Naohime…How's about you go and get some sightseeing done? I'm going to be…busy with Master Makarov for a while."
"Well…if you're sure about it," Naohime said before waving at Makarov. "It was really nice meeting you."
"The pleasure was all mine," Makarov said with an honest smile.
Now, finally, at long last, it was just the two of them.
Makarov took a deep breath then, looking up at the former member of Fairy Tail. "Something is troubling you, isn't it, Meifon?'
"You always did have a talent of knowing whenever any of us were hiding something from you," Meifon said as she walked over to a nearby park bench and sat down, just as she did earlier this morning. "Yes, something's been bothering me…and no, it has nothing to do with your retirement, or even Yhwach…though needless to say I'll be thinking of plans of how to deal with that potential issue before it becomes a true problem."
Makarov followed along, sitting down on the bench beside Meifon. "I would expect no less of one who started her own guild for the sake of the future of Fiore."
She smiled at her old master before she looked up into the sky. "One year ago, Jack Bo, once the tenth Wizard Saint, goes mad and begins to act maliciously out of the blue…two months ago, Jose Porla attacks your guild over nothing more than jealously and a job request from Jude Heartfilia that was never meant to go so far out of control."
She then looked back down at her master. "It's quite odd, isn't it? For such similar occurrences to happen so close to one and another..."
"Perhaps I misspoke when I told Princess Hisui that the Wizard Saints do not take lightly the acceptance of new members," Makarov said before looking up at Meifon with narrowed eyes. "But I suspect you have a more worrisome theory."
"I don't believe in coincidences, Makarov. At least not in situations like this," Meifon said with a serious look on her face. "I'm positive…we have a traitor amongst us."
"You realize that's a serious allegation to make against a fellow Wizard Saint," Makarov said quietly.
"It doesn't have to necessarily be a Wizard Saint," She said quickly. "A high-ranking member of the Magic Council is also just as likely…and just as serious. But let's look at the facts, shall we?" she said as she finally stood up. "Two Wizards Saints go insane over a relatively short period of time in a similar fashion. Jack was under mind control and stepped down from his position…and I'm inclined to believe that Jose, for all his faults, would never have done what he did unless he was subjected to something similar."
"And two of the newest additions to my guild spoke of the Chicken Fangs guild master being under a literal possession curse recently," Makarov added.
"Exactly. Someone's planning something behind the scenes Makarov, and in order to be doing it so successfully to not only just a guild master, but also to two Wizard Saints...It would have to be someone with the knowledge and power befitting one of the Magic Council...or one of our fellow Wizard Saints."
"We have had a fair number of new members among the Wizard Saints recently," Makarov said. "I would hate to point fingers, but some of them do seem to clearly have ties to…dubious individuals such as this Yhwach."
"It's possible that Robert or Haschwalth could be responsible, but I have many more likely suspects. I've already ruled out my fiancé. He's far too prideful to try this sort of thing. He'd sooner just try to outright abandon us all in the most epic of ways he could imagine then try something this…subtle…Well, subtle for him anyways."
She then looked over to the location of her ship. "I'm only telling you this because you're the only one I know I can trust above anyone else…and because, if you were the traitor-"
She then gave him a smile. "Fairy Tail would take you down before you could do any more harm."
"Yes, Natsu and Erza would stand for no such thing on my account," Makarov said, smiling.
"In any event, I must get going now," Meifon said as she began to walk over to try to find the rest of her guild. "I'll be keeping in touch to ensure that I keep you filled in on any leads that I may find on this theory of mine."
She then turned around to look at him one last time. "Oh, and one last thing Makarov…don't let Erza and the others know I'll be seeing them soon. I'd like to keep it a surprise."
"You always did love to keep people on their toes," Makarov said, trying to remain smiling despite the worry he felt in the back of his mind after hearing Meifon's suspicions.
She gave him one last smile before she finally walked away, no doubt intending to inform her guildmates of what challenges may lie ahead for her guild in the form of the man known as Yhwach…and potential traitors.
Makarov sat there alone then, the guild master lost in thoughts. Perhaps retirement was in his immediate future and yet how could he consider doing any such thing with the concerns Meifon had brought to light? Worse, if anyone was targeting Wizard Saints and guild masters, especially one of Jose's caliber, then Makarov had to wonder if the culprit would turn their attentions on him.
The sun was finally beginning to set near the border of Fiore and Seven, the large object of light finally beginning to disappear from sight. A woman with long blonde hair and brown eyes smiled as she watched the sunset from her cottage's balcony, which so happened to conveniently hang over a rather large mountain. It was the perfect place for her to get a good view of the world, and the sunsets were always beautiful to watch.
"And so ends another peaceful day," the woman said as she opened the door and headed inside. This woman was none other than Anna Heartfilia. A woman out of time, born over four hundred years ago, she and five precious children had come to this era for the soul purpose of defeating the Black Dragon of Apocalypse. However, she had become separated from her beloved children, and she had searched desperately to find them. Finally, after a year of searching, she had found them all.
However…they had all found some kind of family for them to enjoy. While she wanted nothing more than to reunite with them…she could tell that they had all formed a special bond with those that had taken them in. To rob them of that happiness, and to take them away felt…wrong. They didn't need her anymore. The guilds that had found them would no doubt take great care of them and help them see the world. It would be much more preferable for them than for her to just continue to raise them all in the wild.
Besides, with the experience they would gain from their time at the guilds, she had no doubt that they would become powerful would have to be, for the sake of the world. For if they could not defeat the Black Dragon,all of humanity would suffer.
However, just as she walked inside, she was met with a surprise. "Lady Sylphia!" she said, surprised to see the goddess inside of her room and sitting on her couch. To see her was a rare occasion, despite the two being old friends. She walked in to greet the goddess…but was surprised by the serious look on her face. " Lady Sylphia…is everything alright?"
"Anna…we need to talk."
Now Anna was concerned. She was so used to Slyphia being so full of cheer and positivity. To see her so serious…something had to be seriously wrong. She gasped upon realization.
"Has…the Black Dragon finally made his move?" It was far too soon! They needed more time!
"No, he has not yet decided to wreak havoc upon the world…though I know not why he remains still," Sylphia told Anna. "But…I'm afraid, that I've found a being that is just as concerning as the Black Dragon himself…if not possibly even more so."
"A being just as powerful? Is there…a dragon that survived the massacres?" Anna asked.
"No. This is no dragon…but a man," Sylphia said as she slowly rose from the furniture. "A man with the ambition to change the world of not just man…but the gods as well."
A mere wizard with enough power to scare even the Goddess of Camaraderie herself? It seemed down right impossible. "How is this possible?" Anna asked. "Has Zeref truly become that more powerful?" She asked, knowing that the kind young man she used to know had now become a much more cynical individual. "Or do you mean…Athena?"
"No. They're not the ones I'm concerned with. His name is…Yhwach."
Meanwhile, in the town of Fiore, Bambietta Basterbine walked into her home away from home, the guild hall of Fairy Tail. She was a happy little Quincy, having completed a job request all on her lonesome. Slaying monsters was always quite invigorating and she was all but ready to share tales of her success with any who would listen.
"Hey guys and gals! Guess who…came back to an empty guild hall?"
Bambietta looked around then, noting how there was no sign of anyone in the guild hall…save Mirajane Strauss.
"Oh, Bambi!" Mirajane said, waving politely to her. "Glad to see somebody's back from a job request!"
"Everybody's gone?" Bambietta whispered, looking at the empty job request board. "Lucy? Wendy? Levy? Lil? Natsu? Even…that thunder crack jackass I could have at least picked a fight with?" Bambietta's shoulders slumped.
"Man, I feel so neglected today..."
And there we have it, the introduction of all ten of the Wizard saints of Fiore. I was always sad that we never got to see all 10 of them in canon, but at least in this story, that's no longer an issue. Now I'm sure all of you have some questions to ask, and I'll answer them as best I can.
1. What happened to the other 3 Gods of Ishgar?
Well that's simple. They all retired. Let's be honest, the 4 gods of Ishgar was an amazing concept, but one that had poor execution. Only God Serena really lived up to the hype, and he was unfortunately discarded rather quickly. As such, I thought it would just be best to replace them all with far more powerful and more popular Bleach characters. I also figured, given their lack of any real character or interest (seriously, most of the stern ritter where more interesting than these guys.) that I could just remove them with characters that are heavily inspired from other anime.
Don't you worry though, Warrad is still around and I plan to use him still. As a founding member of fairy tail he has earned that much. Hyperion may also make an appearance down the line as well. Jura, as you've seen, is still around, and the old man...eh, I couldn't really care less about him. Still, if an idea comes up, I'll put him to better use than canon did.
2. Why did you decide to make Hisui a member of the 10 wizard saints?
This is a decision i've had in mind for over 2 years now. I had always planned on Hisui and Haschwalth being together, and thus, through training her and his power sharing and adapting ability, she could easily become more than powerful enough for the position as time went on. I always felt like the character had more potential than what she was used for. The anime filler tried to give her more to do, but not enough that I was really satisfied with. Besides, I feel like a ruler in a world like Fiore should be rather powerful. Perhaps not the strongest mage in the country, but still rather strong.
The Kaiser blade that she wields is heavily based off of the legend of Excalibur and the sword in the stone, and is designed after Maizin Kaiser's sword.
I did admittedly struggle a bit with her fight with Jura. I'm overall pretty happy with how it went, given that I just wanted to use it as a showcase of how powerful Hisui is in this version of the story, and given how Jura doesn't exactly have that many moves to work with, but I feel I could have made it a bit longer as well. It's my first time writing a fight scene overall, so I know it could be better but all things considered, I'm fine with how it turned out.
3. Elizabeth and Meifon.
Just like Hisui, i've had the idea's for Elizabeth and Meifon for a long time. (Though ive had Elizabeth in mind for far longer.) I've always found it strange that despite Erza having so many armors and weapons from HeartCruze that we never see her interact with any sort of blacksmith from the company. Well, I needed a character to fill in a spot on the wizard saint positions, and Thus Elizabeth was created. She was heavily inspired by Lisbeth from SAO, my favorite character from the anime.
Meifon, on the other hand, was a more recent idea I've had, but one I've been very passionate about. I've wanted to explore the idea of the gods having a previous war before the one going on now, as well as having a character that was a former member of Fairy tail and the one who gave Erza the title of Titania, so I created Meifon. While highly implied to be a reincarnation of Wang Liu Mei from Gundam 00 back in chapter 37, she's mostly her own character. One I intend to use to help look back at fairy tails history with, as well as someone to show how things are like on the magic council's side of things once Makarov eventually leaves. You needn't worry about her taking up too much screen time however, as I will always try to keep the focus on our favorite quincy and members of fairy tail. Just consider her an important side character is all. No more, no less.
4. Yhwach
Yeah, I didn't forget this plot point obviously, and I sure hope the rest of you didn't either. I'd like to say more on this front, really I do...but I'm afraid I'd end up saying too much. I'll just say this much. Even if all 10 wizard saints had teamed up to fight him like Siegrain suggested...They would have lost. Horribly.
Well, that's all I have to say for now. I do hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, and I eagerly await to hear what you all have to say about this chapter.
MPFS
Jura: 4876
Elizabeth: 5090
Hisui: 5200
Meifon: 5450
Seigrain: 6825
Makarov: 10,000
4 Gods of Ishgar (Robert, Unohana, Haschwalth, God Serena): ?
Naohime:?
Irene (400 years ago): 12,000
