Hello once again, my dear readers, and Happy Holidays to all of you. Hard to believe 2023 is almost done. We've had a lot of ups and downs this year, though I can thankfully say it was mostly ups in regards to the Bleach anime. I'm so excited to see what new content cour 3 will bring once it airs in 2024. Whenever that is.
Also, we now have a new, official cover! You can thank Gairon from Deviantart for that. He's a really talented artist who has a fun Bleach Web comic that I think you should check out, so long as fan service isn't an issue.
Anyways, let's get onto the show proper shall we?
Also, special shout out to my new editor Soratherocks and my older on, CallousGuardian for the work they did on this chapter, especially the latter for writing an entire a scene for me towards the end.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shönen Jump. Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and Weekly Shönen Magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.
"And that makes fifty," Bambietta said as she lifted up an unconscious dark mage by the collar of his shirt before casually tossing him over her shoulder with ease. "So, are any of you boys still good to rumble, or are we done here?"
The former Sternritter was met with silence as she turned her head, the street covered with multiple heaps of dark mages. The runes that had kept her contained began to fade away, the Quincy having now fulfilled the condition to lift the barrier.
Bambietta couldn't help but smirk as she trekked forward. How couldn't she? It had only been just a few minutes ago when she had seen the words that had lifted the last bit of dread that had filled her heart while she was stuck in that barrier
Gajeel Redfox and Wendy Marvell vs Edorad Liones. Winner, Gajeel and Wendy.
Finally, at long last, she knew that the lives of everyone she had been so desperately worried about were safe and sound. While a part of her was more than a mild bit upset that Wendy had to get involved at all, it was mostly overwhelmed with immense joy. Wendy was safe and sound, and as far as the Quincy was concerned, that was what mattered most.
Looks like I'll have to owe Gajeel a meal after all." Bambietta thought as her smirk continued to grow. Oh well, it's a small price to pay in the end. Great job, you iron scale prick.
Sure, they still had Nnoitra, Freed, Emberella and Laxus to contend with, but she wasn't all too worried about them. After all, they still had Erza in the running. But it wasn't just Erza who was still in the game. Natsu was also a contender, and given the rather impressive showing he had against His Majesty...Well, she knew that if push really came to shove, he'd be able to pull off something.
That wasn't even taking herself, Candice, and Liltotto into account either. In a worse case scenario, Liltotto could always use her vollstandig, and Bambietta highly doubted that any of them had what it took to last long enough to withstand the petite blondes power while she was in that state. Heck, they even had Juvia, Cana, Laki and Rukia left too!
Then, last but not least, was Master Makarov. The minute either she or someone else defeated Freed was when the Battle of Fairy Tail was as good as all but guaranteed for them.
Bambietta couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, sorry asshole, but looks like my sides got this shit in the bag. Oh well, that's more than fine by me! That just means that I can finally start having fun with 'The Battle of Fairy Tail' for real now! We'll be done with this in no ti-SHIT!"
The Quincy stumbled back several feet as her face connected with something unexpected. She groaned in a mixture of mild pain and annoyance and shook her head before opening up her eyes.
The source of her pain quickly became clear as runes filled her vision, the purple letters of a language completely alien to her covering every corner of the street, sealing her in place once more.
The pain subsided, but the irritation? That only grew.
"Oh come on! I just got free of that shit on the previous block! Ugh, fine! What does this one have to say?"
Her eyes quickly scanned the space in which she was confined in until she finally located the rules, the Quincy deciding to read them aloud. "The warriors within this space can only fight in hand to hand combat..."
"Is that a fact? Well, isn't that unfortunate for you, Bambietta?"
Bambietta's eyes widened from the unexpectedly familiar voice before she turned around in full. He was a rather tall man, well over 7 feet in fact, and wore a white wrestling singlet with a blue trim around his collar. He has no hair, his skin incredibly pale, and his eyes were pitch black. However, what was truly impressive about him was his bulk, the man looking alone to having taken the most potent of steroids.
But unlike those she had defeated before, this was a face she had known prior to her arrival to Earthland. One from a select group she and every other Quincy who had joined the Sternritter after the war had once been a part of.
The Gewählt. (The Chosen).
Every year, a Soldat, the best of the best, was chosen by Haschwalth for the honor of becoming a Sternritter. To obtain the rank, they would have to choose a Sternritter of their own choice to do battle with, with the sole restriction being the use of vollstandig. Each of the Gewählt were allowed access to the Sternritter Daten, which contained everything from a Sternritters skill in blut, heilig pfeil, hirenkyaku, hand to hand, weapon and Schrift.
It was a method chosen for several means. The first being that it would force the Sternritter themselves to constantly be on their toes and to supposedly seek constant improvement. The second was that it would test the deductive capabilities of the Gewählt in choosing a proper foe and allow for the more intelligent among the group to ascend. And the last, was to help simulate the battles that would inevitably follow with the captains of the Gotie thirteen.
To those who had won, victory and glory would be theirs. To the losers? Death, their essence used to further empower the emperor of the Wadenriech. It was for this reason that she had been a member of the Gewählt for over sixteen months, carefully choosing and preparing for the battle that ultimately resulted in her becoming one of the Wandenriech's most dangerous members.
Most the Gewählt she had met during her time had come and gone without anything worth remembering, the vast majority having failed to defeat the Sternritter they wished to usurp and died as a result. But this was one the few whom she could recollect…if not for the most fond of reasons.
Sternritter Candidate: Schroeder Trinkenschuh
The man leered at her with malicious intent as he continued his approach. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Bambietta?
Bambietta's surprise quickly gave way to annoyance, as she rolled her eyes at the old face. "And here I was hoping I'd never see your face again. I guess some things really are too good to be true."
Schroeder scowled at her remark. "What's with the attitude? Candice was the one I tried to kill to become Sternritter, not you."
Bambietta narrowed her eyes. "You think you're so cool, acting like that's all it was. Ignoring the glaringly obvious fact that your victory would have had her killed, we found out from Askin that you spiked her drink the night prior. You weren't even man enough to try to kill her on your own merits, you had to cheat! "
Bambietta's frown curled upwards. "But I guess that's what made it all the more satisfying when she eventually killed your sorry ass."
"I almost had her!" Schroeder snarled as he took another step forward. "If I had just a few more seconds, then I would have finished choking the life out of that whore!"
Bambietta shrugged. "And yet, here you are. A mere grunt who never received a divine letter from his Majesty. A loser who wanted to be somebody so badly, but wound up as a nobody," She placed a hand on her hip, before she smirked, enjoying the ever growing irritation on Schroeder's face. "And frankly, even if you had become Sternritter... I'm pretty sure you would have died in our initial invasion of the Soul Society."
"Enough!" Schroeder shouted before he flexed out his power, destroying all of the nearby windows. "I'm going to shut up that arrogant mouth of yours for good, and with my own bare hands!"
Bambietta couldn't help but chortle at his claim. "You're going to beat me with your bare hands? Really? Do I need to remind you just who you're talking to?" Bambietta said as a sinister grin made its way across her face. "Because I have no issues giving you a not so pleasant reminder."
Schroeder's anger seemed to fade then, as a malicious grin etched itself onto his features. "Oh, I think everyone back in the Wandenriech knew who you were. Bambietta Basterbine, heir to the Basterbine family legacy. After all-" The large, overly muscular man then pointed at Bambietta's chest...or to be more precise, the heart shaped wing pin placed over her right breast. "You're still wearing the family emblem even after all these years."
Bambietta's smile faded after that. "...Yeah, what of it?" Bambietta asked as she instinctively covered up the pin with her right hand.
"The Basterbines used to be considered one of the powerful Quincy clans in the world of the living before the massacre 200 years ago. Why, I heard one of them even did battle with one of the heads of the Kuchiki clan and lived to tell the tale." Schroeder's eyes then looked down at the Pin. "I'm fairly certain that I could fetch a pretty nifty penny for that broach, so hand it over, and I'll try to knock you out nice and quick."
Bambietta rolled her eyes at his request. "Oh please. Ignoring the obvious fact that you wouldn't get anywhere near as much money as you probably think you would from my cute little fashion accessory, why on earth would I ever just pawn it over to someone who's got no chance in hell at beating me in a fight? Or do I need to remind you who was considered amongst the top ten of the Sternritter, and who didn't even make the cut into our ranks at all?"
Schroeder chuckled as he cracked his knuckles. "Oh, but that was then, when your reiatsu was way higher than it is now. And thanks to that handy dandy barrier we're trapped in, you can't fight with anything that isn't your bare hands. And that's why you're going to lose."
The Sternritter candidate punched a nearby lamppost in half, before he grinned. "Ya see that? I just did that without even using any blut. And I know a little secret about you when I looked over the Sternritter Datten. You got really high scores when it came to heilig pfeil, Hirenkyaku, and skill with your schrift and sword, but when it came to hand to hand combat you were ranked the lowest of your 'Bambis' group, and the second lowest in blut! But me? I excel in hand-to-hand combat, and I had the best blut among the Gewählt when I was a part of it."
He then went rushing in towards Bambietta, his fist held up high above his head as he activated blut arterie. "You're as good as dead, Bambietta!" He swung down his massive fist, expecting to knock Bambietta across the street...only for the quincy to move her hand by Schroeder's wrist and parried the attack.
Schroeder's eyes went wide for just a second before he went in for a second punch. However, just as his fist was about to seemingly make contact with Bambietta's face, she ducked underneath the attack and punched him right across the face, forcing him back several feet.
Schroeder snarled as he glared at Bambietta, before he felt the sensation of something wet around his nose. He unconsciously wiped his nose, only for his eyes to widen at the sight of blood adorning his hand.
"Oh, shoot. That's no good," Bambietta said with a slight smirk. "I was hoping to break your nose with that punch, not just give you a little nosebleed. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wail on you a bit longer than expected."
Schroeder wasn't having any of her banter however as he began to approach her. "You stupid bitch, don't let a damn bloody nose get to your head. If that was the best punch you could muster, then you've got a long way to go until you're ready to beat me in a fist fight!"
Bambietta simply placed her left hand on her hip. "Is that so? Well then, why don't you stop talking all tough then and put me in my place with your 'superior skills'?" The Quincy said before she beckoned him over with her right hand.
"Come on. I'm just itching to see how we compare."
Schroeder narrowed his eyes at Bambietta before he took up a stance, one hand bending at his hip, while the other was held up high by his head before he promptly skated over towards Bambietta with Hirenkyaku, blut vene already active.
He threw a quick jab at Bambietta's face Bambietta casually maneuvering the striike to the left with her hand, before she performed a similar result with her right. He attempted to slam his right foot into Bambietta's stomach, but the Quincy blocked the strike with both of her arms.
Once again did Schroeder snarl with rage and attempted to punch at her with his right hand, but the moment he threw another strike, Bambietta leaned back and grabbed the muscular Quincy by the wrist before she swiftly countered, slamming her fist onto his cheek before she slammed her left knee into his stomach, taking the air right out of him before she quickly followed up with several punches of her own, each one knocking his head to and fro, before she cocked back her right fist and slammed it against his face, forcing him to tumble over.
Schroeder groaned as he rose up to his feet; a powerful stinging sensation running through his face as he did so. Bambietta couldn't help but smile as she got a better look at it. A black eye, a bloodier nose, and several missing teeth had made it abundantly clear that her punches had more than left their mark.
"How...How is this possible!?" Schroeder shouted before he punched the ground, his fist punching straight through the brick road with no resistance. "I've been using blut Vene this entire time. Your hands should be what's bloodied and bruised, not me!"
He then fixed his reiatsu as it rose to even greater heights. "I know what I saw back then! You were the lowest ranked amongst the female Quincy in hand to hand combat and second lowest in blut! So how come you're not writhing in pain already!?"
Bambietta chuckled at his mad ranting. "Oh Schroeder, Schroeder, Schroeder. Your obsession over rankings is going to be the death of you. Oh, wait! It already was!"
She let out another laugh, further infuriating Schroeder before her laughter ceased and she held up her hand, with four of her fingers left outstretched. "But in all seriousness, the reason why your sorry ass is on the ground and I'm not is because of five mistakes you've made."
"Five mistakes?" Schroeder asked as he glared at Bambietta. "What sort of nonsense are you babbling on about?"
Bambietta took a single step forward. "Oh it's quite simple really. Oh and don't worry, I intended to teach it to you...The hard way." She then vanished from sight, only to appear right in front of Schroeder and slammed her fist against his stomach. Schroeder leaned over as he let out a painful groan, bile erupting from his mouth.
Bambietta removed her fist from his gut, and looked down at her fellow Quincy. "Mistake number one. You assumed because I was ranked the lowest amongst "The Bambi's' " that I was shit at hand to hand combat. News flash, dumbass! We were all Sternritter! Did you really think comparing the hand to hand capabilities of the Soldat and Gewählt to the Sternritter would be the same thing!?"
She then kicked him hard on the chest, sending him rolling away. "Mistake number two! Yeah, I was ranked the lowest in hand to hand amongst my own group. It's embarrassing but it's true. But did you pay attention to where I was ranked overall? Outside of The Bambis, the only one's ranked higher than me in hand to hand were as follows: Mask, Cang Du, Gerard, Bazz B, Haschwalth, Kirge and Driscoll and Ryod."
Schroeder got up and lunged to strike at her yet again, but Bambietta slammed her knee onto his solar plexus, forcing him back down on his knees. "As for blut? Outside of The Bambis, I'll admit that I fell a bit there for a while. But do you want to know who I was better than blut at? As Nodt, Pepe, Bernice, Jerome, Nanana, Nianzol, and Shaz!"
Bambietta then performed a spinning kick, sending Schroeder down the street a dozen feet or so. "Mistake number three! I'm willing to presume because of that ranking that you think I've always been shit at throwing hands. Wrong yet again dumbass. Fact of the matter is I actually used to be pretty good at it. I mean, I wasn't like a martial arts expert or anything, but I could handle myself. I actually used to be ranked third in both hand to hand and blut in the Bambi's'."
"Then...then why?" Schroeder asked as he weakly got up to his feet. "Why were you ranked so low?"
"I got rusty."
Schroeder just started at Bambietta, before she continued. "What? Is it really that surprising? Once I got my Schrift, I started to overly rely on it," She looked up at the sky wistfully. "It's true. Once I got "The Explode" I started to use my other combat abilities less and less. Hell, I know I'm not the only one in the Sternritter who made that mistake. As Nodt, Nianzol, Pepe, Shaz, Giselle, and so many more. I guess Kirge had the right idea in the end."
She then glanced back at Schroeder. "Now, for mistake number four. You died about 5 years before we invaded the Seireitei. So those rankings you remember? They're outdated."
Schroeder's eyes widened before he began to crawl backwards, as Bambietta began her slow approach. '"But honestly, is it really that surprising? Once I saw how low I found myself in those rankings, I knew at the very least I had to improve my blut. The first invasion was quickly approaching, and I wanted to be ready for it. So, I went to practice and eventually I got better at it."
"S-stay back!" Schroeder yelled before he came to a sudden stop. He tentatively looked behind him, only to let out a terrified yelp once he saw his back had hit the Jutsu Shiki barrier that had entrapped the both of them.
"Yeah, it's kinda crazy when you really think about it, huh?" Bambietta said as she stopped just a few feet away from him. "But wait, there's more! I didn't just fight captain doggie, oh no, I fought the whole damn division single handedly! And as for that gigantic ass bankai of his? I wound up getting hit by it. Twice. First time was with his hand, and I got out of that pretty ok all things considered. Honestly my clothes were more scuffed by my own explosion than anything, really. Then the damn mutt actually hit me with that damn sword. And I'll admit it, that probably would have hurt in of itself...but it's not what beat me. "
Her smile, which has been small up until that point, transformed itself into a wicked grin. "It was my own damn schrift being forced back inside of me that actually made me lose! I got my insides all blown up, plus that gigantic ass sword slamming into me on top of that! But here's the real kicker...I still lived!"
She then took another step, Schroeder letting out a horrified shriek as a result. "We didn't exactly get to take another blut aptitude test for the Sternritter Daten, but what I do know is that, after all my training, my blut was at least ranked second among me and my friends. Honestly, it might have even been first place by the time I fought captain Doggie. Hard to say, really."
Schroeder wobbled up his feet, his eyes shrunken as he breathed in heavily, fear clear as day. "That... that's not true! You're lying!"
Bambietta just shook her head at the accusation. "Oh, I'm telling you the whole damn truth. It's your choice whether you believe it or not. Still, I'm feeling a little generous right now, So I'll let you get one last little shot in."
Schroeder could only blink as he stared at Bambietta. "W-what?"
"Come on, you heard me. I said I want you to hit me with everything you can." Bambietta said with a grin, hands wide open. "This is your last chance to kick my ass so your sorry ass doesn't go to jail! So come on, what'll it be!?"
Schroeder looked at Bambietta, then his hands, before he looked right back at Bambietta. The large man shook in place for but a moment before he let out a loud shout and charged towards her, blut Arterie activated. Placing as much reiatsu as possible into his left hand, he cocked his fist back before he slammed it across the face. The woman stumbled back a few feet, as Schroeder smirked.
Did...did I do it? I won? Yeah! I won! I won! I-
"So, that was your best punch huh?"
Schroeder felt his breath catch in his throat as Bambietta's voice unexpectedly filled his ears. He looked down slowly at her and let out a shriek.
Bambietta herself was looking right back at him without a care in the world. His fist was still pressed against her cheek, but the damage he had inflected was all but nonexistent.
"Not half bad, all things considered. Unfortunately for you, however...It's just not anywhere near good enough."
Schroeder could only watch in horror before she gave Schroeder one last smirk. "Oh, and by the way. Mistake number five. I haven't needed to use blut this whole time!"
His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped, no doubt preparing to beg Bambietta for forgiveness. But that chance would never come as Bambietta promptly slammed her fist onto his face, breaking his nose and dislodging several more teeth as his head impacted against the back of the Jutsu Shiki Barrier. His body went limp, and the moment the pressure of Bambietta's hand was removed from his head, he tumbled to the ground. Unconscious…but breathing.
Bambietta looked down at her fellow quincy before she stepped over him, the barrier that had entrapped them having ceased in its entirety. "Well, I guess that was a good way to let off some steam before I get to the real fun."
She ripped off a part of Schroeders clothes and ripped off a piece of his shirt, using it to clean the blood off of her hands before she closed her eyes and smiled.
"Thanks Lil. You really helped whip me back into shape."
As she strode over her fallen former comrade and made her way down the street, her mind traveled to the past, prior to the incident with Phantom Lord.
"So, why exactly did you want to meet me all the way out here?" Liltotto asked as she and Bambietta walked down the barren road outside of Magnolia's borders, licking a popsicle she had gotten along the way. "If it's about that slice of cake you took while Erza wasn't looking, I told you I'm not gonna-"
"That has nothing to do with this!" Bambietta interrupted, her face blushing with mild embarrassment before she took a quick look around at their surroundings. She closed her eyes then, trying to sense for the power of any of their new comrades. "Hmmm, yeah ok. This will do just fine."
"Just fine for what?" The smaller of the pair asked as she glanced upwards at Bambietta. "...This isn't another one of your harebrained get rich schemes, is it?"
"Again, no!" Bambietta corrected her. "I stopped coming up with those after Haschwalth gave me a mind numbingly long lecture about the integrity of money and the trifling nature of money and all that jazz. No, we're here for something else."
"Alright, well, what is it?" Liltotto inquired. "No sense in dragging it out."
"I need you to train me."
Out of any of the favors that Liltotto had expected to come from Bambietta, that had certainly been on the lower end of her list? "Train you? I mean, I don't mind exactly, but there's really nothing I can do for you that'll make your reiatsu go up much higher than typical-"
"It's not about reiatsu," Bambietta interrupted, her hands resting on her own hips. "That'll come back to me in time. Besides, the Sanrei glove gave me plenty of a boost as it is. No, I'm looking for your help on the more technical side of things."
Bambietta then looked towards Magnolia, her eyes taking in the beautiful town she now called home. "Up until now, I've been relying solely on my reiatsu and skills with heilig pfeil, sword skills and blut. Without "The Explode", I need to start making up for my remaining shortcomings."
Liltotto finished the rest of her popsicle before she responded. "I get it. You're coming to me to improve your hand-to-hand combat, right?"
Bambietta snapped her fingers. "Precisely, my dear Watson! My sword skills were second to none besides Gerard and Haschwalth. Kirge's the only one who gave me a remote challenge in that regard. But Fairy Tail isn't exactly keen on killing people, so I got to be careful when I use it. That, and if I ever end up losing my Quincy cross in the middle of a fight then all I'll have to rely on is blut. Thankfully, that one is already a hell of a lot better than it was. You got me up to snuff before we began the first invasion of Seireitei. But if I end up in a situation where I need to throw hands, then I want to be at least decent at it."
Liltotto nodded. "Well, I can certainly try. But you do know this is going to take time and effort, right? You can practice martial arts your entire life and still never master it."
Bambietta just chuckled. "I'm not too worried about it. I don't expect you to know this, but I actually used to be pretty decent at it. Getting the Explode made me…rusty in a few categories. You already helped me out with blut. So now it's time you help me relearn how to kick ass with my own bare hands. It'll be like relearning how to ride a bike!"
Liltotto sighed. "Those two things aren't comparable at all and you know it."
Bambietta huffed in annoyance. "Damn it, you know what I mean!" Then her expression, once lively and full of energy, took on a more somber tone, her eyes down cast. "But…if you think it'll take too long, then I can always just -"
"I'll do it."
Bambietta looked back up at Liltotto, ecstatic. "Really!? You will!?"
Liltotto nodded. "Yeah. One hour a day after 7pm. That oughta get you at least decent after a week or two. Besides, who knows?" Liltotto offered up her friend a small smile. "Maybe it is like riding a bike after all."
Bambietta smiled in return. "No sweat Lil. So what do you want in exchange, huh? Chocolate? Ice cream? Cake? I can-"
"You don't have to pay me a damn thing, dumbass." Liltotto replied as she took a page out of Bambietta's book and took her own glance back towards Magnolia. "This is just me…Repaying what's already owed."
The memory now receding from her mind, Bambietta simply continued to make her way forward. Liltotto always did come through for her when she really needed it. From her advice and training to improve her blut, to regaining her old skills in hand to hand combat, and even sacrificing her life to protect her own, and now, most recently, having saved Erza, Lucy, Levy and all of the others, Liltotto truly had gone above and beyond as a friend.
"Lil…You've repaid your debt and then some," Bambietta said before she heard the distinct sound of the Jutsu Shiki activating once more. Thankfully, it wasn't for the activation of another barrier, but simply declaring the victor of the next fight. Her eyes looked to see the results.
"Freed vs Max. The winner is Freed."
Bambietta's smile grew then, her eyes alite with new found excitement. "Well, I sure do hope that you live up to the hype, Freed. Because I'm coming for ya!"
(Song of Choice: Fairy Tail's counterattack. Fairy Tail OST)
Erza took up to the air as she stared back at her new foe before she summoned an array of weapons around her, the summoned blades slowly spinning around her in a circle before she uttered her command.
"Dance, my swords!"
The weapons surrounding her began to spin rapidly, appearing almost like a whirlwind of blades before she swung her arms down at Hirata.
"Circlesword!"
The blades spun towards Kenpachi Hirata like a deadly disc, but as the attack came charging in, the man swung his sword at the circle of blades, slashing it in half as its individual parts fell to the floor in pieces. Hirata simply looked back up towards Erza then before he gave her a cheeky grin.
Erza grit her teeth at the sight. As expected, the man before her was no joke. She briefly recalled a conversation she had with Rukia once, wanting to know more about how the Thirteen Court Guard Squads operated. The Kenpachi were supposedly the strongest shinigami of their era, only passing down the title to another once they had been killed in battle, barring special circumstances. It was a sick and horrid tradition in her eyes, but one that she was well aware would bring with it a wealth of powerful warriors.
I suppose I should expect things to be just as hard as my battle with Nnoitra… if not worse.
Still, she refused to give up, as the mage proceeded to surround herself with a horde of fifty blades behind her. The future of the entire guild was at stake here, and no swordsmen, Kenpachi or not, was going to stop her from saving it. She rushed in with a look of determination, two swords in hand while the remaining fifty went soaring right behind her.
"Blumenblatt!"
However, just as she went in for a charge, Hirata had already appeared in front of her mid-air and swung his zanpaktou down at her. Erza tried to block the attack with the blades in her hand, but Hirata was stronger than she had expected. He sent her back a few feet before he swiftly cut down the surrounding blades rushing towards him.
Hirata gave Erza another cheeky grin before he wagged one of his fingers at her. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You'll have to do better than that, Scarlet."
"Yes, I can see that very clearly now," Erza proclaimed before her entire body began to glow. "Requip, Blackwing Armor!"
Her armor changing appearance from a silver angel to a black demoness, Erza soared towards Hirata as she prepared to swing her blade across his chest. Hirata quickly blocked the attack with his zanpaktou before he tried to thrust his blade at Erza's face, but Erza was able to move her head to the right just in time to avoid the thrust before she attempted another slice across his chest, which was met with similar results as her first strike.
The sounds of clashing blades filled the air as the two exchanged blows. Erza swiftly managed to block his blade with her own before he could slash at the left side of her neck before Erza aimed an attack at his right shoulder, but he suddenly vanished from sight. Having experienced this tactic one too many times, Erza turned around just in time to block a downward strike aimed for her head.
Hirata's eyes were wide, but only for a brief moment before he smiled. "Ah, good, I see you've already learned how to react to high-speed movement techniques."
"You're far from the first one I've fought who likes to use that tactic," Erza replied before she forced him back with her sword. "You'll find it will avail you no advantage here."
Erza soared towards him for another strike, before they exchanged another flurry of blows. The trees beneath them were sliced in half as the shockwaves of their exchange echoed throughout the forest. Hirata slammed the pommel of his sword against Erza's head, forcing her to close her eyes as she cried out before he attempted a diagonal slash against her chest, but Erza's eyes snapped wide open before he could connect, as her sword managed to stop his own. She snarled with anger then before she began to wail on her foe with her sword, each blow slowly forcing the pair to the ground as Hirata deflected each and every blow.
However, just as they hit the forest floor, Erza leapt back into the air before she raised her sword high above her head before she swung it at the sixth Kenpachi.
"Moon Flash!"
A crossed shaped blast flashed towards Hirata. The shinigami brought up his zanpaktou to defend but the attack was stronger than he had originally anticipated, the blast slamming past his guard and sending him through an acre of the forest.
Erza stared at the path of destruction, her eyes narrowing as she held up her sword in front of her. There's no way that he's already finished. If he's anything like Rukia or Momo, then I more than likely will have to deal with his Shikai next. I can't afford to drop my guard, not in the slightest.
The sound of clapping broke Erza out of her thoughts as Hirata made his way through the devastated forest. "Well, well, that wasn't half bad Scarlet. It seems that I'll be the one forced to take things up a notch."
(Song of choice: The Only Thing I Know For Real Tradtional Japanese version, Metal Gear Revengence/Hyuman)
The former captain smirked as he took up the Chudan-no-kamae stance. "Now, strike true, Ramusama!" The blade of his zanpaktou changed from its usual silver to a brilliant red as an electric current seemed to run up the length of the blade.
Erza remained ever vigilant, her eyes not leaving Hirata for even a second. This is where the real battle would begin. Not knowing what his power was no doubt left her at a disadvantage. I suppose I'll have to figure out a way to draw out its power before he gets a chance to–
Her eyes widened as Hirata took off from the ground, the former captain crossing the distance between them several times that of what she had thought he had been capable of as he prepared his next strike. Erza had just barely managed to move her sword just in time to block the attack, only for his blade to cleave it in two almost instantly. She had less than a second to move back to avoid the blade itself, but she didn't escape unharmed as its tip slashed into Erza's right breast and down her stomach.
Erza let out a gasp of pain before she flew back several feet before she quickly glanced at her body. She had been extremely lucky this time, as the sword had only just barely pierced her skin. If I had been even a tiny bit slower…
"It seems you've got some good instincts there, Scarlet," Hirata told her as he looked over towards her. "That's good! I was worried I had already brought our fight to an end! Most people who clash blades against Ramusama don't survive past the first strike!"
"I see. I presume your zanpakuto increases your cutting power and speed?" Erza surmised.
Hirata shook his head. "Not a half bad guess, but not quite. Now, let's see if you can survive long enough to figure it out!"
As Hirata dashed forward to prepare for another swing, Erza had already begun to change armor. It had become abundantly clear from that first clash that Black Wing simply wasn't going to be enough. As she changed into her Flight Armor, Erza managed to dash around Hirata's strike, though her right cheek had suffered a minor cut.
So even flight armor's speed isn't enough to completely evade him. Erza realized as her feet touched the ground. Still, there's a theory I need to test out that only this armor can do.
Just as Hirata landed on the forest floor Erza had ran in to attack. Hirata deflected the strike aimed at his chest, with the back of his blade, then a slash aimed at right shoulder before Erza had quickly moved her hands faster than he could move and slashed across his chest, leaving a cross shaped cut across his chest.
At least while I'm using this armor, I can somewhat keep up with him. Erza thought as she moved in for another strike as her blade scraped against his right cheek. But something tells me I'm going to need much more than this to emerge victorious.
However, as Hirata swung his sword in a counterattack, his slash cut through Erza's blades. Erza quickly requipped two more of her swords as she tried to follow up with her attack, but Ramusama cleaved these blades in twain as well before he delivered a powerful kick to Erza's stomach, forcing the Fairy Queen to cough up bile as she was sent hurtling through the air.
Erza coughed and wheezed as she tried to get up, but as her arms slowly propped her up, she noticed a looming shadow quickly increasing in size. Erza rolled out of the way as Hirata impaled the ground where she once was with his sword as she got up to her feet and flipped back about a quarter of a mile. She requipped two more blades but just as she took off mid sprint, Hirata had appeared right in front of her and thrust his blade into her belly.
Erza let out a scream of anguish as her blood covered Ramusama's blade before she hit Hirata with the pommel of one of her swords. With her opponent temporarily dazed, she took the opportunity to swing down her sword at her foe, but he recovered faster than she expected before he kicked her away as he withdrew his blade.
Erza panted and wheezed as she felt her knees begin to buckle, the pain unlike any she had ever felt before. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from screaming as she tried to collect her thoughts. Damn it, he's too quick! But I think I'm starting to understand what his ability truly is! She had a few more tests in mind to confirm her theory, and if it was true…She was in deep trouble.
After getting about a mile or so distance from her foe, Erza's armor changed once more, the revealing cheetah print giving way to the yellow and blue full body plate of her Giant's armor. Erza narrowed her eyes as best as she could at her target before she threw the spear in her hands as hard as she could. The weapon hurtled towards Hirata but just as the weapon was about to make contact, the bright red blade sliced the spear right down the middle with a horizontal slash.
Erza requipped another spear but before she could throw it, Hirata had covered the distance between them and brought his sword down on her, slicing through both the spear that she had tried to defend herself with, and the armor that lay beneath, cutting into her chest.
"Errraaaayyyyahhh!"
Erza screamed through the pain before she grit her teeth, snarled and slammed her right hand into Hirata's face. The punch sent the sixth Kenpachi back several meters as his feet dug against the ground, his head flung back from the blow. As he regained his fighting posture, he felt a strong pain shoot through his face. Moving his left hand towards his face, he promptly snapped his nose back into position as he felt Erza's power skyrocket.
"Requip, Purgatory Armor!"
As the ground beneath Erza shattered as her body became clad in the black, spiked, full body armor, his power clearly far too great for any of her lesser armors to have any chance at defeating her foe. However, before she could spring into battle Hirata dropped his guard entirely as he simply stretched both of his hands outwards and smirked.
"Show me a good time Scarlet!"
Confusion quickly gave way to rage as Erza grit her teeth. She was far from being the most prideful member of Fairy Tail, but to have someone taunt her so brazenly despite the use of one of her best armors, she simply couldn't stand for it!
Erza let out a furious shout as she charged over at Hirata. Hirata leapt over her initial downward strike, which shattered the earth beneath before he ducked underneath a follow up horizontal swing before he blocked another downward strike from her massive weapon with Ramusama.
Hirata went in for a slash aimed at Erza's chest, Erza bringing her massive blade to block before she proceeded to intercept two more swings of his zanpaktou aimed at the left of her neck and stomach respectively. Letting out another cry, Erza swung down her blade on Hirata, his blade quickly moving up to protect himself as his blade clashed with hers once more.
Erza leapt into the air and spun her entire body downward to strike at Hirata, the soul reaper leaping back before she chased after him. Their two blades clashed as they each swung their blades, utterly devastating the surrounding area as the shockwave of the attack proceeded to cut down and shatter everything around and between the two of them.
However, just as Erza prepared to swing her sword one more time, Hirata had already swung his zanpaktou, cutting through the massive black blade and delivering a diagonal cut through her armor.
Erza let out another scream of pain, but just as Hirata had gone in for another strike, his bright red blade clanged against a massive shield as Erza had switched to her Adamantine armor just in the nick of time. Hirata proceeded to slash away at Erza's twin shields and while he was able to leave multiple cuts on her shields, they did not give way like her past defenses.
Erza's eyes tracked Ramusama's strikes as best as she could, with each strike cutting deeper and deeper into her shields as they soon began to slice the same area over and over. Her eyes began to widen in that moment as her mind went to work as her theory became more and more likely with each blow.
Hirata then took Ramusama's and placed the red blade within its sheath before Erza could sense his power beginning to build within the sheath. Before she could even contemplate the idea of avoiding his next attack, it was already too late. In less than a second Hirata had drawn out his zanpaktou from its sheath, unleashing a series of rapid cuts that assaulted Erza's ultimate defense.
As Erza felt her feet digging into the ground, the attack sending her back bit by bit, it seemed for a moment that her armor would withstand the attack. However, after five seconds of the continuous assault her shield and armor begin to quickly shatter and crack until it finally was cut into pieces and proceeded to litter Erza's body with cuts all over her body.
"Gyyyyyaaaahhhhhhh!" She screamed before she fell to the ground, her own blood beginning to pool around her as Hirata slowly approached her.
"Well, it was a good effort, but it appears as though you've reached your limit," Hirata said as he looked down at the gasping Erza. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to make it quick. I'm not one for pointless tortu-"
But much to his surprise, Erza began to lift herself up from the ground. Her arms were wobbly as she pushed herself up, her blood still dripping from her body as she panted, but despite the pain and her body covered with wounds did Erza still rise to her feet. She panted for a few more seconds before she was able to lift up her head to look him in the eyes.
"I've finally figured out…. Your ability."
Hirata raised up an eye, surprised at both her words and resilience. "Oh? Do tell."
"Your zanpakuto doesn't just increase the cutting power of your sword. If it was that simple, then you wouldn't have been able to cut through my Adamantine armor as quickly as you did. No…your sword somehow reduces the durability of the area its blade has already cut!"
Hirata smirked. "I'm impressed, that's actually not a half bad explanation of how it works. It's true. My zanpaktou, Ramusama weakens the molecular bonds of whatever it cuts. But if you think that's-
"I'm not done." Erza announced as her shattered Adamantine Armor vanished, the queen of the fairies having forgone her armor all together, her attire now a simple sarashi wrap around her breasts and red hakama pants with yellow flames at the bottom. As Erza tied up some sarashi wraps around her stomach wound, she promptly requipped Benizakura to her side, her eyes narrowing. "From what Rukia has told me, all zanpakuto abilities are connected. You're not just weakening the 'bonds' of whatever you're cutting, but you're also 'stealing' the power of those molecules and making it your own. It's why you're able to move so fast all of a sudden."
Hirata began to clap as his smile widened. "Well, I'll be. You're only the fourth person to have figured it out in the middle of a fight! You really are something!"
"I do have one question remaining, however," Erza asked. "I understand how your speed and power has been able to increase as you use your sword's true power. However, what puzzles me now is why you were so much faster prior to cutting my weapons and myself."
Hirata smirked. "Oh, that? Well, you've managed to be quite fun so far, so I'll play along. You see, when I activate my zanpakuto, I always make sure to store away a small amount of 'energy' that I gain from my previous battles for later use at the start of my next one. That way my next few strikes will always be much faster than when the battle started. After all, If I'm already struggling against an opponent, I'll probably need an edge of some sort alongside my zanpaktou's natural ability. However, simply knowing what my Ramusama can do won't help you out now, especially with those wounds."
"You're wrong." Erza said as she took up a stance with Benizakura, her eyes narrowing. "While I've no doubt taken some serious damage, it'll take far more than this to keep me down. Now that I know about your ability, all I need to do is simply avoid clashing with the edge of your blade as much as possible till I finally put you down!"
"Well, don't keep me waiting any longer then." Hirata remarked as his face filled with excitement. " Show me exactly what the queen of the Fairies can really do!"
Erza took off in a dash as she tried to slash at the left side of Hirata's waist, but the former Captain was able to deflect the blade with Ramusama before he tried to thrust his blade at Erza's chest, only for her to jump back to avoid the attack. She then ducked underneath a horizontal slash from his blade before she tried to thrust her blade at his right shoulder, but Hirata spun to the right to avoid her strike before he brought his sword downward, leaving Erza with no choice but to use Benizakura to defend as her blade managed to block his strike just in time.
Damn it all, no choice! Erza thought as she forced the former captain off of her before she went in for a series of strikes with her sword. Hirata proceeded to parry each of her blows with his own, before he moved in to thrust his sword at her belly, only for Erza to leap above the strike and kick the man hard across the face.
Hirata stumbled back as Erza went charging in for another blow but unfortunately for her, he quickly recovered as he spun around and prepared to slash at the left side of her neck. Erza just narrowly managed to duck underneath the strike as she aimed a thrust at Hirata's right shoulder, but the Kenpachi managed to deflect her blade with Ramusama, chipping the edge of her own sword slightly before he went in for a downward slash, forcing Erza to jump back as his blade carved through the earth like butter.
"Well, you're certainly quite nimble without the armor weighing you down, aren't you?" Hirata asked before he took off with a burst of speed as he performed a thrusting stab aimed at her. Erza managed to spin to the right just in time to avoid the attack as she prepared to slash at Hirata's back, but he managed to turn around as well, blocking the attack with the side of Ramusama's blade.
"I see. Yes, you're not half bad, Scarlet," Hirata said as Erza went in for another series of strikes. The Kenpachi proceeded to parry with of them with Ramusama before Erza performed a back flip to try to strike him across the back, but Hirata had spun around faster than she had expected, and she was just barely able to block his counterswing aimed at her face before she fell, her feet skidding across the ground.
Hirata glanced over towards Erza as she got up to her feet and resumed a fighting stance. "Yes, not bad at all," Hirata exclaimed. "Still, your technique is…lacking something."
"Oh, and just what would that be?" Erza asked as she glared at her opponent.
The sixth Kenpachi simply smirked. "How's about you and I continue this dance of ours and we'll find out?"
Erza scowled at his words before Hirata appeared right before her eyes as he swung his blade at her head, Erza managing to duck underneath the blow as he went in for another attack.I've been fortunate enough to not have clashed too many times with the edge of his blade, Erza thought as Hirata went in for a series of thrusts, forcing Erza to constantly remain on the back foot. But I can't afford to let it happen more than it already has! Benizakura may be my most powerful sword but I don't know how long it'll last under Ramusama's ability. I have to land a significant blow and quickly if I want to turn this thing around!
As Erza quickly jumped back to avoid a slash to her waist, her eyes were forced wide open as Hirata closed the distance in less than a fraction of a second as she was left with no other choice but to block the edge of Ramusama's blade with Benizakura once more as yet another crack appeared along its side. But every time I get some distance he's to get in close with his increased speed. The longer this continues, the worse off I'll be. I suppose I'll just have to disorientate him enough to open him up for a finishing strike!
However, close as he was, Erza was left with no choice but to engage in a series of parry's as Murasame clashed with Benizakura, each strike damaging her sword more and more as the forest around them was sliced into pieces as tree's abound were sliced in twain from their exchange. Eventually, Erza slammed her right foot down onto Hirata's own and slammed the pommel of Benizakura onto his face, forcing him back a bit before she went in for a decisive blow aimed at his shoulder. Only for the red blade to swing into place just before her blade could connect as the former Kenpachi gave her a grin.
"Ah, now I see. You deny your weapon its purpose!"
Erza's eyes narrowed at the words. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" She demanded as she pressed Benizakura harder against the back of Ramusama's blade.
Hirata smirked. "Isn't it obvious!? Your weapon is a weapon made for killing first and foremost, yet you constantly hold it back by aiming for non-lethal strikes! You're practically neutering yourself and your blade's ability to win a fight!"
"Because members of Fairy Tail actually value life, unlike you!" Erza shouted as she went in for a series of strikes as Hirata proceeded to parry each and every one of her strikes right before Erza tried to flip behind him…only for Hirata to swing his sword at her head and forcing her to block the strike just in time with Benizakura,, the blow sending her through several tree's until she ended up in a clearing in the forest. However, as she got up, she felt a powerful pain in her right eye, her hand moving up to check out on her, her vision now obscured with blood.
"Not again!" Erza swore. It appeared the tip of his blade had managed to pierce her artificial eye. While replacing it would be an easy matter, to lose it in the middle of a fight was nothing short of a disaster.
As Hirata made his way towards her, Erza narrowed her eyes at her opponent. The longer this went on, the worse it would get for her. She needed to put an end to this, now. Thus, taking her sword to her side, she went in for a powerful dash as she concentrated all of her swords cutting power into one last swing!
Hirata, however, began to place Ramusama back into its sheath as she approached. Erza quickly recognized what kind of maneuver he was going for, but she didn't stop. This was the best opportunity she could have to put an end to this fight here and now! If she could reach him just before he unsheathed his blade…
But it was not to be. As Erza soared in and prepared to swing her sword down at his right shoulder, Hirata had already unsheathed his own, his blade cutting through Benizakura's blade completely…and severing half of her right arm from her body.
Erza screamed as she felt an unbearable and almost unimaginable amount of pain shot down her arm. Everything from the elbow and below was simply gone and the pain that accompanied it was only beginning to get worse. She tumbled back as she tried to get her bearings, but Hirata had already moved in for yet another attack. Erza was only just barely able to regain enough control over her body to move to the right as she fell to the floor and onto her back.
No! I…I can't let it end like this! Erza thought as she tried to weakly get up. I have to win! I have to put this man down, so he won't hurt anyone else in the guild! Right now, as thing's stood, she was the only one who could hope to defeat this foe.
"Defiant to the end, Eh Scarlet?" Hirata remarked as he prepared to go in for another strike. "So be it. I'll try to at least make it quick."
Hirata zoomed in for another strike, as Erza grit her teeth as she tried to think of something, anything that could aid her in this dire moment. It suddenly hit her then, eyes widening as the palm of her hand began to glow with her weapon of choice.
The red blade of Ramusama came closer and closer and was just about to pierce Erza's chest…. only for a blade to suddenly materialize in Erza's hand and stop the blow in its place.
What!? Hirata thought before he quickly leapt away as Erza brought the board sword down with her hand.
Erza panted and wheezed as she looked at the weapon in her hand where a small silver quincy cross had once been mere seconds ago. She smiled as best she could through grit teeth. It looks like your gift to me is going to come in handy after all. You have my thanks, Gerard Valkyrie.
As she prepared to charge into battle with her Quincy sword in her left hand, Erza's thoughts couldn't help but travel back to two of her most precious friends.
Bambietta, Natsu…I'm leaving Laxus in your capable hands.
"Laxus! Come out and fight me!"
Natsu Dragneel could scarcely believe that Laxus had taken things this far. Up until the reveal of the Thunder Palace, the dragon slayer was positive that Laxus was all talk. Sure, the lightning mage was never the friendliest member of the guild, he was certain that Laxus would never do anything to actually bring any of them irreproachable harm. As far as Natsu had been concerned, the statues had been nothing more than Laxus's way to force what was left of the guild to fight in his tournament.
But having seen Bisca narrowly avoiding serious injury after shooting down one of the Thunder Lacrima, learning that Laxus wanted to usurp Makarov as guild master, Makarov's resulting heart attack and the danger he was potentially placing all of Magnolia in, Natsu had seen enough. Laxus had to be stopped before anymore people got hurt.
Finding the self-proclaimed strongest member of Fairy Tail would be easy thanks to both Momo's Kido broadcast and his own keen sense of smell. Happy was flying overhead, playing the role of lookout while doing his best to make sure Natsu avoided running into fighting any of his fellow Fairy Tail mages. He was only a few blocks away from where Laxus was and when he found him, he was going to make him pay!
"Stop right there, Salamander!"
But just as Natsu turned around the next corner, he spotted three men standing in the middle of the street. One wore a yellow head gear piece with a white robe and purple hair, while another was completely obscured by red robe and conical hat, and a large breathing mask. Lastly was a man with pale white skin and extremely light green hair with a dark blue and light green robe, his eyes closed shut.
"We are the Brothers of Torment! I am Sean Bruto, the youngest brother!"
"And I am Corby Bruto the second eldest!" The red cloaked one announced.
"And I am Ethan Bruto, the eldest of the group!"
The three brothers then extended their hands before they shouted out in unison. "And you shall not pass!"
The trio then attacked in unison as Ethan stretched out an elongated arm, while Corby flung several massive tops towards Natsu and Sean swung his twin wipes, each one encased with a deadly amount of electricity.
"Get outta my way!"
Only for Natsu to run straight towards them, and proceeded to charge through the attacks before his flaming body tackled through the trio, sending the lot of them to the ground, charred and unconscious.
"Sorry, but I don't have time to waste on guys like you," Natsu remarked as he looked down at his defeated foes. However, just as he continued, he slammed into something rock solid. He fell to the ground and slowly shook his head. "Ugh, man, I feel like I just ran into a rock or something."
"Are you alright Natsu?" Happy asked his best friend as he slowly flew down to him.
"Hey, watch where you're going, you moron!"
Natsu looked up and saw what, no, who he had just run into. The man was gigantic, easily taller, and more muscular than Elfman was. He had tan skin,and a mostly bald, ridge lined- head, save for his black ponytail, and sideburns. He also had orange eyebrows, and red markings under his eyes and wore a small white jacket and white hakama pants. Most noticeable of all however, was the hole in his chest and a jawbone of sorts forming at the bottom of his mouth.
While most people would have had some sort of remark towards these last two features, Natsu simply slowly got up to his feet before he frowned at the clearly irritated man. "Hey, look, I'm sorry for running into you like that, but I got somewhere I gotta be. I'll make it up to ya later, ok?"
"Make it up to me?" The large man scoffed. "I couldn't give a rat's ass about any of that! I've got orders to beat you stupid punks to a pulp and that's exactly what I'm gonna do!"
"What!?" Natsu exclaimed before he gave Yammy another once over. "Hey, wait a minute, you're an arrancar!"
"You're only noticing that now, Natsu?" Happy asked, the flying cat somewhat disappointed at his best friend's lack of perception at the moment.
The arrancar sneered. "That's right! I'm arrancar #10, Yammy Llargo!"
Natsu couldn't help but sneer. "Oh, so you're gonna try to stop me huh? Normally I'd be all for fighting ya,but I got more important things to do. Those "brothers of torment" over there found out what happens when you get in my way the hard way, so if ya don't want to end up like them, I'd get moving!"
Yammy rolled his eyes at Natsu's threat. "Tch, I told those losers not to get involved, as far as I'm concerned, it serves them right. But if you really think I'm anything like them, then you're in for one hell of a surprise!"
(Song of choice: Meoagaru Kobushi, Fairy Tail OST)
Natsu's hands encased themselves in flames, the dragon slayer unable to keep his excitement hidden. "Oh yeah. Then let's see how you like this?! Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Natsu slammed his flaming fist onto Yammy's chin, and while the arrancar took a step back, Natsu let out a gasp of pain as he felt his hand twinge in pain. He quickly glanced over back towards his hand, and quickly noticed that it had a mild bruise. "What the-"
"Heh, well well, you're the first person I've run into today to actually hurt me a little," Yammy said with a smirk. There was a small burn mark on his boney jawbone, but the arrancar seemed completely fine otherwise. "But unfortunately for you, I have the second hardest Hiero out of all of the arrancar!"
"Hario? What's your body hair got to do with how hard your skin is?" Natsu asked with a tilt of his head.
Yammy's grin only grew, not bothering to correct Natsu before he punched down at Natsu. The Dragon Slayer jumped back from the attack before he leapt up into the air as his right leg was engulfed in fire. "Fire Dragon's Claw!" This time Natsu kicked Yammy hard on the right side of his head, forcing the arrancar to stumble back a bit as the dragon slayer felt his body throb with pain once more.
Yammy snarled as his feet skid against the ground. "Alright you little bastard, now it's my turn!" Yammy then proceeded to kick Natsu once the dragon slayer fell to the ground, the pink haired man feeling the wind knock out of him before he was sent rolling across the ground. He coughed and wheezed as he propped himself up with his elbows, but before he could finish catching his breath, he heard his feline friend call out to him.
"Natsu, look out!"
His eyes shooting wide open, Natsu quickly rolled out of the way as Yammy punched downwards, his fist smashing through the concrete road before he gave Natsu a smirk. "What's wrong? My punches too tough for ya?"
"Not a chance," Natsu remarked as he got up to his feet and prepared his next spell as both of his arms became engulfed in flame. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Lifting both of his hands above his head, Natsu swung them both downwards, the two streams of flame slammed into the arrancar just as he placed his arms in a cross pattern to defend himself. The arrancar skid back a few feet, his skin lightly burned.
"Not bad for a runt, but-"
"Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!"
Natsu swung his fist downward on Yammy's head, forcing the arrancar's head to hit the ground before Natsu grabbed him by his ponytail and began to twirl the arrancar around several times before he finally let go, sending Yammy through a nearby building.
"Man, that guy's skin was pretty tough," Natsu replied as he looked at both of his hands, each of them covered in bruises. "That's really gonna sting for a while."
"Are you going to be alright Natsu?" Happy asked as he noticed Natsu's hands. "That looks like it hurts a lot."
"Eh, it wasn't that big of a deal. All I had to do was just beat him before the fight went on for too long. Too bad Wendy's been kidnapped though, otherwise I'd ask for her to fix these up real quick."
"Stupid annoying gnat!"
Just as Natsu heard the loud voice did Yammy suddenly appear in front of him with a loud static boom and slammed his fist down at the dragon slayer. Natsu moved up both of his arms to block the strike, but the ground beneath him shattered, the bones in his arms and knee's creaking from the strain.
"Oh, so you can still keep going huh? Guess that Hario stuff is pretty tough after all!" Natsu replied as he struggled to toss up Yammy hand.
"It's called Hiero you stupid human!" Yammy declared before he threw another punch, the dragon slayer nimbly leaping over the punch and behind Yammy as fire built up around him.
"Fire Dragon's-"
Before Natsu could prepare his next technique however, Yammy had already turned around and promptly grabbed Natsu's face, slamming his entire body to the ground before he followed it up with another punch, forcing Natsu to cry out in pain as the arrancar's fist slammed into his stomach.
"Ahahaha, how do you like that, huh?!" Yammy declared as he continued to punch Natsu over and over again with his left hand. "This is what happens when a lowly human like you tries to pick a fight with an arrancar! You're nothing but-"
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
Two streams of flame shot out from Natsu's feet, slamming into Yammy and forcing him to release Natsu before the dragon slayer leapt up into the air, his left hand now clad with flame.
"Fire Dragon's Iron fist!"
"Eryagh!"
Flames clashed with Hiero as their two fists connected, shattering the ground beneath and surrounding windows from the resulting crash, but just as Yammy tried to reach forward for grab Natsu once more, the dragon slayer leapt over the strike before he focused his flames onto his right foot before he gave the arrancar a grin.
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
Natsu's heel slammed into the back of Yammy's head, forcing the arrancar's head to embed itself into the concrete. Yammy propped himself up with his hands, but just as he did, Natsu had begun to initiate a deep breath as fire built up around his mouth as he leaned back before his body snapped forward.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
A large burst of flame spewed out from Natsu's mouth and slammed into the arrancar, forcing Yammy across the street before he winced in pain as he looked back at his hands and feet. "Ugh, man, I really gotta think of a way around that tough skin."
Yammy growled as he got up to his feet, glaring back at the dragon slayer, his skin lightly singed. "Alright, that's it! Let's see how you like this!?"
An orb of red reshi began to form in Yammy's mouth before it fired off. Natsu's eyes widened as the attack rocket towards him, but fortunately for him, Happy had flown behind Natsu and managed to fly him high into the air to avoid the attack as it slammed into the ground, leaving a massive hole where he had once stood. Natsu let out a sigh of relief before he turned his head at his best friend.
"Man, that would have hurt a lot if that had hit. Thanks buddy!"
"No problem Natsu!" Happy replied. "But what are you going to do now? Your hands and feet look even worse than they did before."
Natsu's smile didn't lessen in the slightest despite that. "Don't worry about that, I think I've got an idea that'll let me punch him without having to worry about hurting myself too much." It was a bit of a gamble admittedly, but one that was worth a shot.
"Oi, you just gonna keep flying up there, or do I need to come over to keep kicking your ass!?" Yammy shouted back at Natsu.
Natsu smirked at the arrancar. "Oh, don't worry, I'm coming right to you! Let me go Happy!"
"Aye sir!"
As Happy let go of his best friend, the soles of Natsu's feet ignited with flames as he took off like a rocket before he began to build up the flames in his right hand. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Yammy sneered at the oncoming mage. "You stupid idiot, haven't you learned by now that you're just going to keep hurting your-GUAH!"
However, before Yammy could further mock the dragon slayer, Natsu had slammed his fist right onto Yammy's stomach before the dragon slayer landed on his hands and aimed a kick at Yammy's head.
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
The flaming kick hit Yammy right on the chin, forcing the arrancar to bit his own tongue as he stumbled back a little before Natsu went in for another flaming punch. Yammy was quick to right himself however and countered with his own punch, the two attacks canceling each other out, before they clashed once again with their other fists.
Yammy glared down at the Dragon Slayer as he tried to push him back, but Natsu's feet dug into the ground, allowing him to stand his ground. "Hey, what gives!? Your hands and feet should be unusable by now!"
Natsu for his part couldn't help but chuckle. "Took me a while, but I finally found a way around that tough skin of yours. All I gotta do is just wrap more fire around my attacks than usual so it takes the brunt of the damage! Still hurts, but it's more than enough to let me keep fighting!"
Natsu then slammed a flaming knee onto Yammy's chin before he spin around and punched the back of the arrancar's head as he landed on the ground.. Yammy turned around to try to punch Natsu, but the dragon slayer performed a quick backflip before he went in for another punch.
*DON!*
"Gah!"
However, mid sprint, Natsu felt a sudden pain in his chest, before several more followed as Yammy seemed to punch at the air, each attack sending Natsu back further and further. Yammy sneered at the dragon slayer as he continued his assault.
"How do you like that!? My Bala's are pretty tough, aren't they? It might not hit as hard as a cero, but it's twenty times faster!"
Another couple of bala's slammed into Natsu, but just as another impacted him, Natu's feet ignited with flames once more before he sped off, flying through the barrage of Bala's before he slammed his flaming fist onto Yammy's face. Yammy yelled out in pain before he grabbed Natsu by the shoulders and slammed him into the ground. However, just as he tried to slam his foot down onto Natsu's face, the dragon slayer rolled out of the way before he leapt into the air.
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
Natsu's left foot went hurtling towards Yammy, but the arrancar managed to grab the kick before he swung Natsu down onto the ground, cracking the ground beneath before he slammed him again on the other side. Back and forth this process continued until Natsu's entire body clad itself in flame, forcing Yammy to release the dragon slayer and dropping Natsu to the ground.
Natsu groggily got up to his feet then, before cladding both of his hands in flames. "Alright, that does it!" He went rushing in for another attack just as Yammy tried to punch Natsu on the head, but the dragon slayer dodged underneath the blow before he began to throw a series of punches towards the arrancar
"Crimson Lotus, Fire Dragon's Fireball Barrage Fist!"
The barrage of large fireballs slammed into the massive arrancar, repeatedly blasting away at his heiro. Yammy grunted and took a step from each hit, and with one loud final shot, Natsu threw one last gigantic ball of fire at Yammy, sending the arrancar flying back.
Natsu began to pant as he looked at his hands, both of them far worse for wear than they had been before. "Ouch…man that really stings. Looks like using my flames to dull the damage only works so much. Guess I overdid it a bit there." Natsu said to himself as Happy flew down next to him.
"I've never seen you use that move before Natsu, since when could you do that?"
Natsu gave his friend a cheeky grin despite the pain he was in. "Since now."
Truth be told he had only just come up with the move. As far as he was concerned it wasn't anywhere near as refined as he would have liked, but it seemed to have gotten the job done at least.
"You should really go find Wendy or Rukia to help fix you up. You're not going to be able to fight Laxus if your hands are like that." The flying cat told him.
Natsu nodded. "Much as I hate to admit it, you're right. Guess I'll have to make a detour and-"
"You stupid annoying bug, stop talking like the fight's already over."
Natsu and Happy's eyes shot wide open as they turned around as Yammy slowly picked himself up from the ground before he slowly trod over to the pair. There were a few scratches and scrapes on his skin along with some minor burns, but otherwise the arrancar seemed fine.
"He's…still standing?" Natsu couldn't help but stammer. This was bad, no matter how he tried to look at it. His hands and feet were already in bad shape as it was, and yet it seemed despite all of his attacks, Yammy was hardly worse for wear.
"No way! No one should be able to get up after all that!" Happy shouted. As far as the feline knew, the only two people who were able to withstand such attacks without so much as a scratch were Gildarts and that weird mustache man his best friend had fought a few days ago. Not even Laxus and Erza would have been able to get out of that attack un-scathed.
"Oi, that last one actually hurt," Yammy spat out as he continued to approach the dragon slayer. "I told you earlier, didn't I? I have the second strongest Heiro out of all the Espada. You might as well just give up now and let me beat you to a pulp so I can stop wasting my time!"
Before Natsu could ponder his next move, Yammy had used Sonido to appear right in front of Natsu and slammed his knee on Natsu's stomach, forcing the dragon slayer to vomit up bile before he followed up the attack with a right punch, the blow leaving a nasty bruise on Natsu's cheek. Natsu tried to shake his head to regain his focus, but Yammy punched him yet again, this time with his left hand, crashing Natsu to the ground.
Natsu tried to punch Yammy in the head again, but the arrancar's elbow slammed into the back of Natsu's head, forcing him to his hands and knees before he stomped down on the dragon slayers back, his entire body embedding itself into the ground.
Yammy tried to slam his foot down one more time, but Natsu managed to roll out of the way just in time as fire built up around his mouth.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
The blast of fire forced Yammy to move one of his hands to protect his face as Natsu jumped back, wrought with pain and exhaustion. However, Yammy had quickly dissipated the flames that had hit him before he ran over towards Natsu and grabbed him by the face.
Natsu's hands scratched against Yammy's arm as the arrancar picked Natsu up by his head before he began to punch at his stomach again and again, each punch leaving a distinct crunching sound as his skin began to take on a darker color.
Happy could only watch on helplessly as the arrancar used his best friend like his own personal punching bag as Natsu cried out from each blow. He couldn't just stand here, he had to do something!
Fortunately for Happy, Natsu let out a powerful shout before he clad himself with flames, forcing the arrancar to let go of him before Natsu fell the ground, gasping for breath.
"Natsu!" Happy cried out with concern as he flew over to him. "Natsu, we gotta get you out of here! This guy's too strong!"
Natsu shook his head. "No way! I ain't backing down just because he's got some really tough skin! Besides if I don't take him down now, he's just gonna be a problem down the line!"
Happy flew over to Natsu's face, the felines own faced filled with worry. "Yeah, but at the rate things are going your hands and feet are gonna be busted up before you beat that guy."
Natsu looked like he was about to retort but before he had the chance, he heard three voices call out to them.
"Hold it right there, Salamander!"
"Yeah, we're not finished with you!"
Natsu had to resist the urge to groan as he turned around, as the three mages he defeated earlier had arrived. "Look guys, could we do this later? Now's really not a good time for me."
Sean chuckled at Natsu's words. "What's wrong? Scared that you'll end up losing in our rematch? I'll admit that you took us by surprise last time, but we won't make that mistake again! This time we'll -"
"Hey, what do you losers think you're doing?" Yammy interrupted them.
Ethan spoke up almost instantly. "We've come to give you our assistance, of course!"
Yammy scoffed. "Get lost. I hate having to fight alongside a bunch of weaklings. It makes fighting a real hassle."
"But sir we can-"
"I said get lost!" Yammy declared before he began to seemingly suck up the air around him. However, it quickly became clear that Yammy had something far similar in mind as the three mages fell to the ground as their very essence was ripped from their bodies before they were sucked up into Yammy's mouth.
Natsu stared at the arrancar in disbelief before he finally yelled at him. "What did you do that for!? They were your friends weren't they?!"
Yammy scoffed at Natsu's words. "Friends? Those weaklings? Please. I couldn't care less about people like that. Far as I'm concerned, anyone that weak should be killed regardless of whose side they're on. Besides, they weren't even a part of my guild. Their just some hired help by that Emberella woman."
He then spat at the ground. "Wasn't even a good meal anyway. Lord Baragan gets really pissy whenever we try to eat human souls. Says it brings too much attention to us, but I figured if those pissants couldn't take a hint, I might as well give myself some grub."
"How…dare you."
Yammy glanced over towards Natsu, the dragon slayers head was held low, and his shoulders slumped as a fire began to slowly engulf his body. "Even if they weren't strong. Even if they weren't a part of your guild…" Natsu's head shot up then, his face filled with anger as his clenched his hands. "You should never treat your comrades like that!"
(Song of choice: Natsu Theme. Fairy Tail OST)
Natsu yelled as the flames surrounding his body billowed out before he slammed his fist against Yammy's stomach, the arrancar puking up blood from the blow.
"W-what the hell?" Yammy stammered as he took a few steps back from the attack before he began to punch at the air as a barrage of balas headed towards Natsu. However, before the blasts could connect, Natsu jumped above the barrage and held his hands above his head as he formed a large ball of fire between them.
"Fire Dragon's Brilliant flame!"
The attack hurtled towards Yammy before a massive pillar of flame shot up into the sky. As the dust cleared, Yammy staggered out of the newly formed crater, his skin covered in second degree burns.
"You bastard, wait till I get my hands on-"
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
As the twin streams of flame scorched Yammy's skin, Natsu had rushed in for yet another attack as Yammy prepared a counter attack of his own as he cocked his right hand back.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Die!"
Once more did their fists clash, but this time Natsu's blow overpowered Yammy's as his entire arm was forced back as the arrancar snarled in rage.
"You stupid fly, how did you get so strong all of a sudd-"
"Fire Dragon's Grip Strike!"
However, before Yammy could finish, Natsu had placed his entire right palm onto Yammy's face before he unleashed a powerful explosive burst of flame from his hand, covering Yammy's entire head with a point blank blast of flames.
"Grraagggghhhhh!" Yammy cried out as his entire face was filled with 2nd degree burns as he stumbled backwards, but Natsu wasn't finished with his beat down just yet as he quickly began to follow up with his next attack.
"Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!"
Natsu delivered an uppercut to Yammy's chin, forcing the arrancar high into the air before Natsu leapt above him before he slammed both of his feet down on Yammy's stomach. As Yammy hurtled down to the ground and crashed, the arrancar couldn't help but curse inwardly as he tried to get back up. "Stupid little piss ant, this ain't over ya hear me? I'll -"
However, an intense flare of heat quickly broke Yammy out of his own musings as he turned around to face Natsu, the pink haired mage currently on his hands as his toes curled against the ground.
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
Before Yammy knew it, the dragon slayer shot off at the ground far faster than he ever had in their battle, slamming his head against the arrancar's chest and sending the both of them hurtling out of Magnolia. Yammy tried to pry the dragon slayer off of him as they crashed through building after building but Natsu's power and speed made it impossible.
Well, almost impossible. As the two neared the outskirts of Magnolia, Natsu noticed the distinct red glow of yet another cero. The cero slammed into Natsu, blasting him off of Yammy as the attack shot into the sky. Jumping back from the attack as Yammy skid against the ground, the cero fired off into the sky, thankfully avoiding any excessive damage to the town. Yammy snarled as he rose up before he used Sonido to try to strike down at Natsu. Fortunately, Natsu was able to sidestep his attack before he slammed his fist on Yammy's face, breaking his nose and shattering some of his teeth.
However, despite his increase in power, it didn't change the fact that punching Yammy was still a double-edged sword. For as much damage he was able to finally inflict on the arrancar, he was doing just as much to his own body. At the moment, his anger was overriding his pain, but it was only a matter of time till it subsided, and the pain would overwhelm him. He needed to end this now.
Yammy seemed to think the same, as he let out a roar of anger. "That's it, to hell with Lord Barragan's orders! I'm going to kill you!"
The two of them began to collect flame and reiatsu into their mouths, building up as much as they could until they finally reached their peak.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"Cero!"
Reiatsu crashed against flame as the ground beneath the combined attacks was utterly obliterated. However, despite both of their best efforts, neither attack was able to overpower the other, and eventually the combined attack bursted, emitting a large explosion that engulfed the both of them.
As the massive burst of light began to fade, Yammy tried his damnedest to locate Natsu, but he wasn't having any luck, the dust from the attack obscuring his vision. "Damn it, where are you!?" Yammy demanded as he looked to and through. If Ulquiorra was here he would have no doubt chastised him for not trying to better hone his abysmal skill with pesquisa. But the arrancar was nonplussed by his current situation. Tch, Not like it matters much. As soon as I find that piece of shit I'm gonna-
"Crimson Lotus-"
Yammy's eyes shot wide open as he heard Natsu's voice right behind him. He quickly turned around to see both of Natsu's hands engulfed with flames before he prepared to fire off yet another cero. However, it was too late as Natsu quickly began to whirl the flames around him like a twister, the burning element slamming into Yammy like a flaming vortex.
"Exploding Flame Blade!"
As the flames proceeded to batter and char Yammy's hiero, each blow sending him higher and higher into the air, the arrancar let out his most painful scream yet before the attack subsided, the arrancar crashing to the ground, his skin covered in severe third-degree burns.
Natsu panted and wheezed before he fell to his knees as immense pain began to flow from his hands and feet. Natsu grit his teeth, trying his best to hold back the pain, but it was only after a few seconds that he had no other choice but to scream in agony. Anyone who saw his hands would have understood why, as blood fell out from the tears in his skin. What wasn't cut wide open was thoroughly bruised, and Natsu swore it felt as if every single bone in his hands were broken, and his feet weren't exactly faring much better.
"Grrrrrrahhhhhhhh! Awww, damn it, that really hurts!" Natsu screamed. Right now, fighting Laxus, or anyone else for that matter was completely out of the question, much as he hated to admit it. He wasn't sure he could even walk back to the guild as things stood, let alone fight.
"Natsu!" Happy cried out as the flying feline finally managed to catch up to him as he flew down towards him. "Oh man, your hands look awful! We gotta get you to Wendy or Rukia quick!"
Natsu had to agree as he struggled to speak through the pain. "Yeah…No kidding. Let's just hope either of them have enough magic to heal me up, because man this really hurts!"
"Yeah, I bet," Happy replied. "But hey, look on the bright side. At Least you finally managed to beat that guy!"
Natsu couldn't help but give Happy a grin. "Yeah, true. Honestly that guy was way tougher than I thought he'd be. But now we can move onto Laxus once I'm patched up-"
"Enrage, Ira!"
A massive surge of energy shot out from where Yammy once was, forcing Natsu to fall to his knees and Happy to crash right to the ground as an immense pressure began to crush their very beings. Natsu could only just barely muster up enough strength to look up at the immense piller of red reiatsu, his eyes going wide.
Something told him things had just gotten a whole lot worse.
Meanwhile, Ulquiorra and Stark were just about to clash their blades once more, the two Espada rushing towards each other at high speeds when they suddenly sensed a massive spiritual pressure spike upwards on the outskirts of Magnolia, as both of their eyes shot open.
Stark glanced over to the massive pillar before he sighed. "Oh great. Someone actually forced that moron into using his Resurrección. Now it'll be a miracle if we can bring back even one member of Fairy Tail to Baragan, let alone the guild."
Ulquiorra didn't bother to respond to Stark, his eyes narrowing towards the massive power that Yammy was letting out. Things had just gotten considerably more dangerous. While Yammy's initial start in Resurrección was far from being on par with Stark's or his Segunda Etapa, the real problem lay in defeating him before his power inevitably reached his own. Stuck as he was in this barrier, unable to use his full power to defeat Yammy as swiftly as he could…. victory seemed all but lost.
As far as he could tell, unless Natsu could somehow call upon the same mysterious power he had used against Yhwach… Fairy Tail was doomed.
(Song of choice: Return to Ash, Evangelion 3.0)
As the energy finally began to settle, Natsu could finally see just what had caused that incredible burst of power. There stood Yammy Llargo, and he was gigantic. No, not just gigantic, though his size easily eclipsed that of the new and improved guild hall. The arrancar looked much more like some kind of monster now, with a long-clubbed tail, and sixteen elephant-like legs protruding outwards. His arms now also had a gray tube sticking out of his elbows and the mask fragment on his jaw seemed to fuse into his face and his red markings extended to the back. Lastly however was the large number 0 that was tattooed on his left shoulder.
"Hehehehe. Now you've gone and done it," Yammy spoke as he looked down at Natsu. "You're the first person I've ever had to use my zanpaktou on in this stupid new world. Unfortunately for you, you're not the only one that gets stronger when they get mad!"
"W-what!?" Natsu replied as he could literally feel the arrancar's strength. It was just the same as his new size. Gargantuan.
"That's right! I'm Espada number 0, Yammy Llargo! And my aspect of death is Anger! So go on, hurt me more, piss me off more, all you'll end up doing is just making me stronger!" The massive arrancar proclaimed.
Yammy aimed his right hand towards a nearby mountain before he fired a massive baka from his hands, smashing a large hole through its middle before it began to crumble away.
"Did you see that? I didn't even have to try to blow that away!" Yammy bragged. "Crushing you now is going to be easier than stepping on an ant!"
Natsu wasn't one to be easily intimidated. As a matter of fact, with the sole exception of Erza's wrath, Natsu could scarcely recall a time he had ever been afraid of anyone. However, while his desire to fight still burned on like a raging fire, the dragon slayer couldn't help but feel a slight moment of apprehension.
It was, however, only a fleeting moment as he turned around to look at Happy. "Ok Buddy, I'm gonna need you to fly me up there so I can blast this guy with everything I got!"
Happy looked aghast at Natsu's plan. "Are you crazy!? You were just barely able to beat him as he was! We should get out of here and get help!"
"Oh, come on, I can still handle this," Natsu replied with a smirk. "Sure, he's gotten pretty big, but that means he's probably a lot slower now too! So, all we gotta do is just not get hit and we can whittle him down!"
"Are you sure?" Happy asked worriedly.
Natsu nodded. "Yeah, come on, let's show this guy what us Fairy Tail Wizard can do!"
"Aye sir!"
Grabbing onto the Dragon Slayer's back, the pair of them quickly took off into the air. Yammy sneered at the two as they began to soar upwards, the Espada couldn't help but laugh at their attempts. "So, you two think just because you can fly means you can beat me!? Fat chance! Out of all of the Espada, I'm the strongest!'
Yammy tried to reach out and grab the flying mages, but while his power and size had indeed increased, it seemed as if his speed had not, allowing Natsu and Happy to fly in-between his fingers as they got closer to attack.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
A stream of fire spewed out from Natsu's mouth as it blasted at Yammy's head. While his heiro had increased drastically enough to the point that the fire did no damage whatsoever to his skin, his eyes were still susceptible to the intense heat, forcing the Espada to raise up one of his hands to stop the continuous blast of fire before he tried to grab Natsu with that very same hand. Yet like before, Happy was able to move out of the way just in time as the pair flew above Yammy's head.
"Now let's see how you like this!" Natsu said as both of his hands began to ignite with flame. "With a flame on the right hand, and a flame on the left, when you combine the two together-" Natsu slammed his two hands into one as a large ball of fire formed above his head. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
With his attack now complete, Natsu tossed down his giant fireball towards the back of Yammy's head. The arrancar turned around just as the spell was about to connect, and a large explosion filled the air as the tree's below shook and rattled from the blast. Natsu smirked, assured that his attack had to have done some severe damage…Only for a large hand to burst out from the dust cloud straight towards them!
"Woah!" Natsu shouted as Happy just barely managed to fly him out of the way of the arrancar's grasp as Yammy used his other hand to dissipate what was left of the dust cloud around his head. Much to Natsu's surprise, the arrancar was completely unharmed from his attack. "No way, you mean to tell me that attack didn't do anything?"
"What was that supposed to be just now, a firecracker?" Yammy asked Natsu. "Because I didn't feel a thing!"
The Espada's massive tail struck out to hit the two of them, with Happy once again just barely managing to soar around the strike as the Espada glared at them. "You can't dodge me forever you know! I'm going to get you two eventually and when I do, I'll crush you two like the insect's you are!"
"Oh yeah, then let's see how you'll like this!" Natsu shouted at him before he began to build up a massive amount of fire around his arms before he and Happy began to spin around midair as a vortex of fire swirled around them. "Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!"
The vortex of fire shot out and slammed into Yammy's head as the blast of flame shot out, firing out for several meters before it finally dissipated. The dragon slayer smirked, positive that his attack had struck true. "Heh, that oughta teach you not to mess with a Fairy Tail wiz-"
Only for a massive hand to fly out of the dust cloud to the right of them and swatted them away, the palm of Yammy's hand slamming into the pair far too fast for Happy to hope to successfully evade. Natsu and Happy cried out in extreme anguish as they collided to the ground, their bones shattered and broken.
The world went dark for the dragon slayer for a few moments before he weakly opened up his eyes. "W-what happened?" He barely managed to mutter before the memory of what had happened flashed right through his mind. "That's right…that big guy managed to…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
It was only now that he was more conscious, he was able to feel the damage from Yammy's attack. The pain he was in right now was indescribable. It felt as if every bone in his body had been broken from that one hit, and it wasn't far from the truth. Almost every single bone in his body had been injured in some way from Yammy's slap, with his bones having either shattered, broken, or cracked in some major way or another. No pain he had ever gone through before had ever felt like this. There was simply no comparison.
Yet, despite the horrendous amounts of pain he was in, one thought managed to snap him out of it. "Wait…Happy…Where's Happy!?" Natsu yelled at himself as he tried to find his best friend as best he could. Try as he might, however, he couldn't move a muscle as he desperately tried to find him with his eyes. Lucky, the blue cat hadn't landed far from him…and he looked terrible, his flue fur completely stained with blood as he lay there limp on the ground, his eyes completely closed. He was either unconscious, or…
"No…Happy. HAPPY!" Natsu cried out as he tried to move his body towards his friend, but while his will was as indomitable as ever, his body simply lacked the ability to follow through with that resolve, leaving Natsu unable to do nothing but simply stare at his injured friend.
Yammy glanced down at the two before he began to guffaw. "AHAHAHAHAHA! What's wrong!? I only gave you a little slap and now you can't move!? How absolutely pathetic! You two really are nothing more than a bunch of flies!"
Natsu's anger swelled to new levels as Yammy laughed at their suffering. "How…dare you…No one…hurt's Happy and gets away with it!" His power began to rise, but despite it all, it didn't matter. His body was simply beyond the point where any movement at all was possible, let alone to fight. There was absolutely nothing he could hope to do…and he knew it.
"No…No, I'm not gonna give up! I can't!" Natsu screamed at himself. Slowly, and with a great deal of pain and effort, Natsu was able to slowly prop up his chest off of the ground as he used his broken left arm to prop himself up, before he fell to the ground. "No…Damn it!"
Yammy slowly trod over to them as he clenched his right hand. "You two really were a bunch of annoying insects, so I think it's only fitting that I crush you like one!" He slowly began to raise his right hand above his head before he gave Natsu a nasty sneer. "Now say goodbye!"
The massive Espada slammed his hand down, the massive muscular arm hurtling down towards Natsu. The Dragon Slayer could do nothing but close his eyes as it approached him, preparing for the worst.
Things had gone from hopeful to dreadful for one Wendy Marvell. In one moment, it seemed as she had been saved, as Gajeel had managed to defeat the Noveno Espada after a grueling battle. Now, with her second guild mark removed, she could run on off to help the other members of Fairy Tail as they needed.
Well, that had been the plan, until another arrancar arrived. However, he wasn't just some other arrancar. Not only was he two ranks ahead of the on Gajeel had just barely managed to defeat, but he was also the one who had captured her in the first place. The Espada, Zommari Rureaux, had asked if she would come along peacefully. Gajeel, however, ever the brave wizard, stood his ground in front of her as he tried to take him down.
It…wasn't going very well. The Espada was far faster than Edorad was, and his zanpaktou sliced through Gajeel's iron scales with little resistance. It was clear to all involved that even if he hadn't exhausted himself against Edoard that victory would have simply been beyond his grasp. The difference between Edorad and Zommari was simply too vast.
Carla, bless her, had done what she could to get Wendy out of there…only to be hit with a bala for her troubles. Wendy had wanted to go to her aid, to assist, but every time she had tried to move towards her, the cat had seemed to change location, Zommari purposefully keeping her out of Wendy's reach. This was not a person that she could defeat in a fight, and she knew it. Zommari was simply too strong, too fast, for he to be able to defeat in a battle.
Thus, Wendy did the only thing she could do.
"STOP IT!" Wendy's voice reverberated across the mill yard.
To her relief, Zommari actually ceased his assault on Gajeel, though he continued to hold the older dragonslayer by the neck, fist poised to continue beating the other man at a moment's notice. Gajeel wasn't even moving anymore, his ragged breath the only sign of life at all.
Wendy tried to muster up the courage for what she was about to do, but her legs wouldn't stop shaking. "You… You said you didn't even come here to kill anybody, right? That you were only here for me?"
Zommari didn't move, though his eyes did shift from the man in front of him to Wendy. "That's right."
Wendy looked from Gajeel's barely breathing form to the unconscious Carla in her arms. "So, that means… If I come with you… Will you leave them alone?"
Gajeel coughed, struggling to remain conscious. "No… Kid…"
Gajeel limply fell to the ground with a grunt, Zommari now fully facing Wendy. The shaking in her legs grew ten times worse as he stalked towards her. The air itself felt like it was getting heavier with every step he took. By the time he was right before her, towering over her smaller form, Wendy was certain she would pass out from his presence alone.
"Retrieving you is my main objective," Zommari said. "No one else needs to be involved."
Wendy began tearing up, but she needed to stay strong. She had to do this. Carla and Gajeel tried their best, but now they were just getting hurt because of her. In order to protect both her guilds and her friends, it was better if she simply gave herself up. She gently placed Carla on the ground and stepped forward, surrendering herself.
Zommari nodded. "A wise decision. However,…"
Much to Wendy's shock, he grabbed hold of her left arm before reaching for his sword. "I have grown tired of the constant distractions. I aim to complete my mission as quickly as possible before any reinforcements arrive to complicate matters further. If that means enabling your removal from this damned barrier, then so be it."
Wendy began to panic. What was he talking about? What was he doing? What barrier? She started pulling at his hand, now desperate to get away, but he simply tightened his vice-like grip even further, eliciting a cry from her as something snapped.
"Stay still, little one," Zommari said as he leveled his blade with her shoulder. "I will not hesitate to kill your friends if you resist any longer."
Tears were freely streaming from Wendy's eyes now, from both pain and fear, but she tried her best to follow his demands. If nothing else, at least she could be useful like this, right? Now no one else would have to get hurt. She closed her eyes, unwilling to see what happened next.
Erza's back crashed against the ground as she panted and wheezed. Despite her best efforts, she simply couldn't land a single blow on Hirata as she was now. Her body was simply in too much pain and too much shock to allow her to participate in a prolonged battle in her current state. As she heard the footsteps of her foe beginning to approach her, she came to realize the inevitable.
This was the end.
Erza wanted nothing more than to continue fighting, to protect her guild as best as she could, but her body simply wouldn't allow her to move. There was simply nothing she could do now but wait for the end to come. She closed her eyes as Hirata stood over her and prepared to plunge Ramusama's red blade down onto her.
Grandpa Rob, Jellal….I'll be with you soon.
Hirata's blade thrust down then, mere moments away from piercing Erza's flesh…only to strike the ground instead as Erza's body seemingly vanished from sight. Hirata blinked in surprise, only to feel a powerful blow to the back of his head, the attack sending him back several feet before his face hit the earth below.
(Song of choice: On the Precipice of Defeat. Bleach TYBW OST)
Erza's eyes fluttered open, surprised that she hadn't felt a sharp pain ring throughout her entire body. Had the attack simply killed her before she had the chance to feel any pain? Yet, as her vision began to return to her, Erza couldn't help but let out a gasp.
A man with blue hair and brown eyes and a distinct red tattoo over his left eye seemed to be holding her with one hand, his face filled with determination. Her heart began to pound faster and faster as her strength began to return.
"It…it can't be."
Groaning in pain before he shook his head, the former Captain of squad 11 quickly got up to his face and turned around before he smirked with excitement. "Well, well, well. You're looking pretty good for a dead man, Jellal Fernandes."
A rush of air, a stinging sensation, and then…nothing?
Wendy opened her bleary eyes. Her left arm, it was… still there? A deep cut was made, but it was definitely in one piece.
Wendy looked up and saw Zommari standing some distance away, looking back at her, his sword still in a downward stroke. Only, he wasn't quite looking at her. She followed his gaze up to the man she found suddenly standing next her, his entire cloaked body obscured save for his eyes. He took one look at her, and from that one look, she felt her earlier unease already begin to slip away. In fact, it wasn't just his eyes. This smell, he smelled just like someone from long ago, like…
Wendy could hardly believe it, her voice escaping as only a whisper. "Jellal…?"
Mystogan's gaze softened at the name. "I'm sorry I'm late, Wendy. I promise, everything will be fine now."
At that, her tears came back in full force. It was even his voice! Older and deeper, but unmistakably his voice. Plus, with how confident he sounded, Wendy couldn't help but be reminded of a similar situation, one that happened so many months ago, against another hollow.
Bambietta looked over her shoulder at Wendy, trying to give her a comforting expression. "Everything will be alright, Wendy. I promise you that much."
Wendy couldn't tell if she was sobbing from frustration or elation. Once again, she had to be saved by one of her heroes, and yet, she was just so happy he was here. Beside herself though she was, she still easily caught Mystogan's next words.
"Listen, Wendy," Mystogan said. "I know you've had to be brave a lot today, but I need you to be brave for just a little while longer, alright? While I'm busy with him, I need you to do what you can for Gajeel and Carla. Don't bother enchanting me; just focus on healing them. Can you do that?"
It was only then that Wendy realized that she and Carla had already been moved to Gajeel's position in that split second when Mystogan saved her. Unwilling to make a fool of herself any longer, she simply nodded with a loud sniffle. She ran over to the pair and promptly went to work healing both her friend and her attempted savior at the same time, though she did wince at the strain on her left arm. Still, she refused to let anyone down anymore.
Satisfied she'd be alright, Mystogan then turned to the enemy standing before him, eyes hardening in turn. He began walking forward, unclasping the staves on his back as he did so.
Zommari, though weary of the interruptions, had grown curious upon hearing that name come out of Wendy's mouth. The only Jellal they had data on was Jellal Fernandes, and even if he were't dead, there was still no reason to believe him related to Fairy Tail in any fashion. Still, if he truly were Jellal, then this would certainly be a worthy opponent.
However, Jellal was a largely known quantity when it came to his magic. This man, however, was not. While Zommari could sense a large amount of magic power around him, Zommari would be hard-pressed to say that he could sense anything significant actually coming from him. It was perplexing to say the very least.
"Are you truly Jellal?" Zommari asked. "I believed him dead."
Mystogan said nothing for a moment, his staves spreading out behind and around him. When he did respond, it was with the same stoicism for which he was known, but something about it seemed… forced.
"My allies know me as Mystogan, S-class wizard of Fairy Tail."
Zommari's eyes widened, some joy creeping into his voice. "Ah, the elusive Mystogan. Such an honor it is to face you today. May we have a battle befitting the elites of our respective guilds."
"You seem to be mistaken about something. I'm not going to fight you," Mystogan then grabbed ahold of one staff before slamming it into the ground, the others following suit, magic pulsing from each in turn. An increasingly intense aura began to build around the magical artifacts and even the man himself as he locked eyes with the other man.
"I'm going to kill you."
Natsu slowly opened up his eyes as he heard the massive fist crash into something, yet the moment he did he was greeted with a shocking sight. The massive fist was stuck mid decent, having only a few more feet to travel before it had crushed both him and his feline friend. Yet something, no, someone had managed to stop the blow from crushing them completely.
There stood a woman, wearing a pristine white uniform with a frilled skirt, boots and gloves, and long white leggings. Her familiar pink hair seemed to flow in the wind, and her pink eyes glanced downwards at Natsu before she smiled.
"We really should stop meeting like this, Mr Dragneel. It's really not good for your health."
Meninas Mcallon had finally arrived in Magnolia.
At last, at long last, Meninas Mcallon, Jellal Fernandes and Mystogan make their long awaited return to "A Quincy's Fairy Tail"!
I've been sitting on this one for quite a while. Needless to say, its been one I've really been wanting your feedback on for quite some time, so it would mean an awful lot to get what you think about this recent revelation. Are you happy to see these characters make their return? Please, let me know.
Also, yes, that entire first scene was done purely as a 'take that' to that Q and A that Kubo answered in regards to 'The Bambies' ranking. Because yes, I am that petty. Well, less the Q and A, and more the bizarre and out right inaccurate rumor that it started with Bambietta being the weakest of the group.
Don't think I need to go into why that's Bullshit again, so I'll just leave it as is. At the very least, this was lore I planned on implementing sooner or later…I just had to do sooner due to bullshit.
Also, special shoutout goes to CallousGuardian who worked on the Zommari section. He did a fantastic job setting the mood and does an equally great job with assisting me with the scene and character in the next chapter as well.
Now, let's talk about something a bit more controversial for a second. Yammy's 'power level'.
We all know that Yammy is 'supposed' to be the strongest Espada, given his rank of 0. However, given his lack of a great fight, it's really hard to know how to truly place him. It's further not helped that his base form isn't even really ranked amongst the espada.
However, what we DO know from Bleach databooks is that Yammy possesses the second hardest heiro of all the Espada. Given how it took a Bankai Ichigo (pre White Zangetsu messing with his powers) to cut through him, and how Yoruichi bruised her hand against it, and how a Cero from him seemed fairly dangerous…he might be legit powerful in base.
Let's also not forget how the only other person to make a complete joke was Kisuke. You know, the guy who was listed as a Special Threat, whos Bankai beat one of the Schutzstaffel, it's not exactly much of an anti feat.
Furthermore, given what we now know about Kenpachi after he loses every fight, him damaging Yammy like he was does make sense in hindsight. Not to mention how Bloody he and Byakuya are when they return. I'd say the fight being 'boring' is less true and more Kenpachi just kinda being…well, Kenpachi. After all, the dude hates fighting with others, and it can be implied this was the case with Yammy.
So I would say, all in all that Yammy's ranking does make sense in the grand scheme of things in Bleach when you look at it through that lens. That's not to say he wasn't disappointing, because he was, but he is probably the strongest, baring Ulquiorra's second release.
This, mind you, isn't saying he can beat Starrk, Barragan or Harribel. Certainly not in his first 'transfomed' state. They're all either too hax or fast for him to hit. He just has more power than they do, though given we saw nothing with what he second form can do, I'd be willing to change my mind there. Not to mention him continuously getting stronger the longer the fight goes on.
So, how does that apply here?
Well, I decided to play it safe and say that his base state is about on par with the clone Grimmjow's, with his Heiro having a higher MPF than the rest of him, just like Nnoitra did. So do bare all this in mind when it comes to the MPF's.
MPFs
Schroeder Trinkenschuh: 1450
Natsu (Base): 2950
Yammy (Base) 3100. Herio at 4000
Natsu, flames of Emotion: 4500
Yammy inital ressurecion: 10'000
Kenpachi Hirata: (base) 4000
Kenpachi Hirata: (Shikai):9500
Now, will our reinforcements to the front lines of 'The Battle of Fairy Tail' be able to overcome these terrifying opponents, they find themselves faced with? There's only way to find out, so tune in next time, on A Quincy's Fairy Tail!
