(Please read the authors note at the end of the chapter in regards to a potential early release for chapter 93)
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the next exciting installment of A Quincy's Fairy Tail! When we last left off, we were left with the promise of finally witnessing the showdown that has been built up to since chapter 77.
In this corner, we have, Laxus's #2 man, leader of the Thunder Legion, considered by many to be the strongest non-S-class wizard in Fairy Tail, and was once considered the favorite to pass this year's S class Trial. Itssss Freed Justine!
In the other corner, we have the up and coming new fan favorite of the guild. Known once as Sternritter E of the Wandenriech, she's now gained a new reputation with the title of "The Star Knight" of Fairy Tail. You know her, you love her, it's Bambietta Basterbine!
Which one of these two powerful warriors will manage to emerge on top as Fairy Tail's strongest Non S class Wizard? There's only one way to find out.
Ohhhhhh, let's get ready to rummmmmbbblllleeeeee!
Many thanks to Sorarocks531 for editing this chapter
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach of fairy tail. Those belong respectively to Tite Kubo and Shounen jump and Hiro Mashima and Weekly shounen magizine. This is just for fun!
(Song of choice: Fairy's challenge. Fairy Tail OST)
"Hello there, Freed."
Bambietta Basterbine could barely conceal her rage towards the man right before her. And who could blame her? This was the man who had helped Laxus orchestrate his mad plan. The plan that had turned her beloved Lucy Heartfilia and many of her close friends into stone. The plan that had them kidnap Wendy. The plan that had set up traps that had forced her own comrades to fight one another. All of it, on the same day which was supposed to be momentous occasion not just for her, or the guild, but all of Magnolia.
Oh yes, she had a bone to pick with Freed Justine, and now she was going to break every single one of them.
Freed, however, was of a different mindset. For the last few weeks now, he had heard word of one of the guilds new members, one utilizing a magic that was relatively unknown. A quincy, and supposedly a rather powerful one at that. Laxus, however, had assured him multiple times that the newer members of the guild had done nothing more than bring the guild down, that they brought shame to the name. Of course, Freed had taken Laxus's own words at face value, but even so…he was curious to see just what the so-called 'Star Knight' and potential next S class mage of Fairy Tail was capable of.
"Miss Basterbine. You are a bold one," Freed replied, though he could have sworn it looked like the Quincy was resisting the urge to laugh for some reason before she quickly regained her composure. Oh well, it scarcely mattered. "I see you're in rather good condition despite all of the dark mages you've run into. Here I thought fighting fifty of them would have left you at least a little winded." He told her.
Frankly, he wouldn't have believed it if not for his runes informing him otherwise. Yet, here she was, with nary a scratch on her. This would not be like his other battles he suspected.
"Funny, I could say the same about you," Bambietta remarked as she began to make her way towards Freed. "But honestly, all the guys I ran into were small fry. Hardly used up any power on them. Given what I just saw, I bet you're in a similar boat."
Her foot slammed against the ground then as her reiatsu began to swirl around her, creating a light breeze surrounding the pair of them. "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given the cowardly tactics you use."
Freed narrowed his eyes. "When one is faced with overwhelming odds, there's no shame in using strategy to thin the enemies numbers. Like I told Juvia and Bisca earlier, it's preferable to fight smarter, not harder."
"Oh I wasn't saying it doesn't have merit. On that front we're in complete agreement," Bambietta responded with a shrug. "Honestly, you would have fit in really well back in the Wandenreich. I'm no stranger when it comes to using whatever means necessary to win. That's how wars are won after all. However-"
She then gnashed her teeth as her fists clenched. "These aren't enemies of the guild, they're your fucking comrades! You've torn the entire guild apart with what you've done, and for what!? So your asshole of a leader can prove a fucking point!?"
She was more than well aware how hypocritical it was for her to be speaking ill of hurting one's comrades given her own past, but at least now she had come to see the error of her past behavior. As far as she could tell, Freed clearly wasn't seeing the issue at hand and now she was determined to make him see the light…with force.
"I wouldn't expect a newcomer like you to understand," Freed chastised her. "The Fairy Tail guild used to be widely renowned as the best and most powerful guild in all of Fiore. Phantom Lord was only considered a near peer because of its sheer numbers and wealth. However, after Lucy Heartfilia had joined the guild and Phantom Lord attacked us, that strength has been put into question."
"Oh, so now you're blaming my girlfriend, huh? Oh you really don't want to go down that road," The quincy warned him as her reiatsu flared up, the pressure around them intensified, cracking the ground beneath. "Just give me another reason to beat your sorry ass into the ground, why don'tcha?"
Freed shook his head, the display of power doing nothing to deter him. "I have nothing personal against Miss Hearfilia herself. It's simply because of people like her, who can't properly pull their weight in the guild, that we struggled so much against Phantom Lord. They need to be expunged from the guild so that only those worthy may remain and that our strength can never again be questioned."
"At least they actually showed up to fight, unlike you!" Bambietta spat. "Besides, Lucy, Levy and so many others have become a lot stronger since then. People can grow to get stronger as long as they are given the time, jackass!"
"Time that we don't have. The longer this status quo goes on, the more the guild's reputation will continue to suffer," Freed told her. "If we let this continue, then the guild's stature as the best in all of Fiore will be lost."
Bambietta scoffed. "Is that all you care about? The guild's standing? If you're so worried about not belonging to the best guild in all of Fiore, then why don't you and your posse just pick up your shit and leave when it happens!? I sure as hell know I wouldn't miss any of you!"
"No, it must be Fairy Tail," Freed told her. "Despite what you and the others may think, Laxus and the rest of us are only doing what we are because we have the guild's best interests in mind. We don't simply want to be in the strongest guild in Fiore, we want that glory to belong to Fairy Tail. This guild is our home, and we'll do whatever it takes to make sure it remains the best it can be."
Bambietta frowned as she took out her quincy cross, its form changing into her trusty sword. "Home huh? You sure have a funny way of showing it. Do you think any of that excuses what you've done? We can stay the best without having to tear the guild apart. If you think kicking people out is going to fix anything, then you and Laxus are a bunch of fucking morons!"
Freed began to unsheathe his own blade as he glared at Bambietta. "Enough. It's clear that our differences in ideologies about the guild won't be solved with words alone. If you wish to prove me wrong, then you'll have to best me in combat."
Bambietta sneered. "Oh, I planned on it!"
(Song of choice: The Braveheart Challenges the Strong, Dragon Ball Z Kai)
Then without any warning, Bambietta used Hirenkyaku to move in for an attack, the quincy skating towards her enemy before she swung her blade. Freed had finished unsheathing his sword just in time as his blade intercepted her own, and a shockwave erupted between the two, as his feet dug into the ground.
"Oh come on, what's wrong!?" Bambietta demanded as she pressed her blade harder against Freed's as his feet began to skid back. "Don't tell me this is all you've got!?"
Just as expected, she's in a completely different league from the others! Freed thought as he struggled against Bambietta's own blade. However, Freed wasn't nominated for S class for nothing, and the green haired mage kicked Bambietta in the stomach, forcing her to step back before he thrust his blade at her. Bambietta parried the blade to the left with her sword before she went in for another downwards swing, but Freed took a step back to avoid the strike as her blade cut into the ground like a knife through hot butter.
Bambietta was quick to remove her blade as she rushed in with a series of strikes, but Freed moved his body to the left to avoid a dangerous thrust, then to the right before he began to thrust his blade at her in an attempt to counter her. Bambietta found herself stepping back a few times before she swung her sword to block one of the thrusts before she vanished from Freed's sight.
Freed's eyes widened before he turned around ducked underneath one of her strikes before he thrust his sword at her, forcing Bambietta to jump in the air before he pointed his index finger at her.
"Dark Écriture: Bullet."
A dark projectile fired towards Bambietta, but the Quincy swiftly deflected the shot with her sword, along with several follow up attempts before she transformed her sword into a bow and fired off several Heilig Pfeil.
Freed leapt back several times as Bambietta fell to the ground and continued to fire away at him, but much like Bambietta before him, Freed used his blade to deflect the arrows of light.
Bambietta used Hirenkyaku once again to appear right in front of Freed, grinning as she swung her sword down, but just before her sword was about to pierce his shoulder, Freed's body began to shatter into multiple runes before he reformed behind Bambietta and pointed his sword at her.
"Dark Écriture: Pai-"
But before Freed could finish the incantation, Bambietta attempted to slash Freed diagonally across the stomach, forcing Fred to defend with his sword. The two glared at one another before Freed's body transformed into runes and Bambietta moved with Hirenkyaku only to clash in the middle of the large clearing they were fighting in.
The air was filled with the sound of clashing blades as the pair continued to exchange blows. Bambietta deflected a thrust from Freed's sword to the left, the shockwave destroying a nearby boulder. Bambietta attempted to slash across Freed's stomach, only for Freed to pary Bambietta's strike to the left, as a pair of trees were split completely in two.
Well shit, he's actually not half bad, Bambietta thought as she moved back from yet another one of Freed's strikes. Unable to contain her excitement, she smirked. Come on, show me what you can do, you green haired bastard!
"Dark Écriture: Slash!"
As Freed swung his sword, a powerful arcing flash blasted from Freed's rapier. Knowing that taking such an attack head on would be foolhardy, Bambietta instead chose to leap over the attack before she transformed her sword into a bow and fired several shots, forcing Freed to leap back.
I was right. These Quincy aren't to be underestimated, Freed thought. Let's see how she handles something like this?
"Dark Écriture: Barrage!"
Multiple bullets made out of purple energy formed around Freed's sword before they shot towards Bambietta. The Quincy was quick to shoot down the first dozen or so with her Heilig Pfeil, but as the barrage continued, Bambietta transformed her bow into a sword as she began to rush through the attack, smirking all the while as she approached him.
Well, I'll be. I didn't think anyone besides Erza could have managed that. Freed thought before Bambietta leapt at him, with Freed jumping back before he rushed forward to continue the battle.
Freed thrust his blade at Bambietta's stomach, but the Quincy twisted and turned out of the way as she attempted to slash Freed across the back, only for Freed to swiftly turn around and thrusted his blade.
Their respective blades stopped mere inches from hitting each other, as Freed's was poised to strike Bambietta's stomach, while the former Sternritter had almost cut into his shoulder. The two glared at each other, debating whether or not to continue on with their strike…only for the both of them to leap back to get some distance.
"Oh, you're good. Really good actually," Bambietta complimented him with a grin. Despite everything that was happening, despite what the man before her was responsible for, the Quincy couldn't help but acknowledge a worthy opponent when she ran into one. For so long she had either decimated her opponents or was vastly overpowered by her foe. But here it seemed she may have finally found an equal…and she couldn't help but enjoy the thrill that came along with it. "I might actually have to break a sweat taking you down!"
"I must admit, your skill as a fighter is certainly impressive," Freed conceded. "Out of all the battles I've had thus far today, you're the only one to have truly given me a challenge. I can see now you're not just all talk after all."
"Damn straight I'm not," Bambietta responded with a smile as she rested her left hand on her hip. "But honestly, I'm surprised you haven't activated one of those traps of yours on me."
"For everyone else in the guild that would have been my goal," Freed admitted. "You, however, are different. I must confess, ever since you were nominated for S class, I've been meaning to test your strength first hand myself. Therefore, I'd rather defeat you personally than rely on some form of trickery. You might even be worthy of the title Erza bestowed onto you. However, if this is all you can do, then I still stand by my belief that Master Makarov made a mistake in allowing you to partake in the S class exam."
Bambietta narrowed her eyes. "Excuse you!? What the hell was all that 'I can see you're not just all talk after all' stuff about then!?"
Freed resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. "I acknowledge you as being worthy enough to remain as a member of the guild once Laxus takes command, that much is true. However, you're still lacking in what it takes to represent the Guild's upper class. That is all."
"Wait a minute, that's what Laxus wants out of all this!? To become guild master!?" Bambietta asked, aghast at the idea..She shook her head. "Nu uh, no way, no how, am I ever going to work in a guild with that jackass in charge! Fuck! That!"
"How you feel is irrelevant," Freed told her. "By the end of the day, Laxus will take his rightful position as guild master and those deemed too weak to remain shall be purged from the guild's ranks."
Bambietta grit her teeth at his choice of words. "You sure talk a lot of shit despite being on the losing side! Last I checked the score was about ten of us against just you, that Emberella chick, and Laxus!"
Freed simply raised up his index finger before he spoke. "It's quality, not quantity that will win the Battle of Fairy Tail. Besides, Miss Kuchiki and Hinamori are considerably drained from their respective battles to be considered much of a threat. Furthermore -" The whites of Freed's left eye turned black, and his irises turned purple as a strange magic filled his eye. "I have yet to show you even a fraction of what my Dark Écriture magic is capable of."
(Song of choice: Kakazu theme)
Bambietta took a single step forward as she glared at Freed. "Oh cool, you got a pair of some nifty looking eyes. Soooo scary. Well as far as I'm concerned you and your stupid rune magic can go fuck yourselves!"
She then took off like a rocket as her feet pressed against the ground, and raised up her sword before she slashed at Freed's stomach. Just like before, Freed was able to block her strike with his sword, but before Bambietta could make her next move, he pressed the palm of his hand against her stomach.
"Dark Écriture: Pain."
"Graaahhhhhhh!"
Bambietta lurched forward as a severe amount of pain shot through her stomach, almost akin to that of being stabbed several times over. As she bent over, Freed swung his sword down at the Quincy, slashing her across the back, and causing her pain to only intensify.
Fuck….This…REALLY smarts! Bambietta thought to herself, only to notice Freed going in for yet another strike with his sword. However, her years of training with the Wandenriech and the battles she had experienced during the Tower of Heaven allowed her to quickly overcome the pain and managed to block his next strike with her sword.
What!? In all of his years as a mage, he had never once found someone who had been so quick to adapt to his pain spell. As Bambietta snarled and attempted to grab his face, Freed leapt back, though his eyes remained fixed on her.
Bambietta glared back at Freed as the pain in her stomach began to fade. She panted for a few more seconds before she recomposed herself. "Ah I get it now. That pain spell of yours is only temporary. That's good to know. Fighting while constantly feeling that would have been a pain. Literally."
"I'm impressed that you could fight in such a condition," Freed told her. "But how well do you think you'll do under twice, or even three times as much pain?"
Bambietta smirked. "Well, I guess we'll just have to find out when we cross that road. Assuming I ever let you get another hit like that on again that is!"
Bambietta took off into a run, with Freed following her example. Their blades crashed against each other as Bambiettas eyes and Freed's met before they began to rapidly exchange blows in a flurry of blade strikes. However, as their blades clashed between their faces for the umpteenth time Freed pointed his finger at Bambietta's face.
"Dark Écriture:-"
Bambietta was swift to grab his hand with her left hand before she slammed her knee into his stomach, forcing Freed to fall onto his back in pain before Bambietta tried to slash downwards with her sword, only for Freed to roll out of the way before he quickly got up to his feet and pointed his sword at the Quincy as he poised to strike.
"Dark Écriture: Thrust."
Freed shot off from the ground like a missile, and Bambietta was only just barely able to block the attack with her sword as her feet skid against the ground as Freed's strike moved her back several feet.
"Tch, tough bastard ain't ya!?" Bambietta remarked as she struggled to keep her footing, but Freed's enhanced thrust quickly proved to be too much, and she eventually felt her back crash against the ground. Bambietta growled in fury before she kicked upward, and sent Freed high into the sky, but the leader of the Thunder Legion swiftly landed on his feet.
"Alright, let's see how you handle this!?" Bambietta shouted as she jumped to her feet and quickly formed her bow into existence before she unleashed an especially large and powerful Heilig Pfeil at Freed.
Only for Freed to swing his sword as some runes appeared before the arrow. "Dark Écriture: Reflect!"
The arrow slammed into the rune and proceeded to reverse its trajectory as it hurtled towards Bambietta. Her eyes widening with surprise, Bambietta quickly jumped into the air as she looked down at Freed.
"Ok, I'll admit it, you got some good moves," Bambietta said before she transformed her bow into a sword. "But this fights far from over!"
Using Hirenkyaku to close the distance once more, Bambietta swung her sword down across Freed's chest, the green haired man's eyes going wide… before he suddenly burst into runes.
"What!? A decoy!?" Bambietta realized before she heard the sound of Freed reforming right behind her. She swiftly turned around to block the incoming strike though her feet dug against the ground.
"Dark Écriture: Imposter. I activated the spell as soon as you leapt into the air," Freed told her. "Still, I'm surprised that you were able to adapt so quickly to being tricked."
Bambietta smirked. "Oh, I'm just full of surprises!" She went in for another slash with her sword, but Freed had moved to the right before he pointed a finger at her back.
"Dark Écriture: Pain "
Bambietta quickly spun around to try to deflect the incoming rune with her sword, but it was too late. As it hit her chest, Bambietta cried out in pain as the painful sensation from before returned.
However, Freed had no intention of giving the Quincy any chance for reprieve as he swung his sword at her and unleashed yet another rune. "Dark Écriture: Suffering!"
The moment the rune hit her, Bambietta's pain wasn't simply doubled, but magnified several times over, forcing tears to fall from her eyes as she let out a blood curdling scream.
"EEEEEAAAAARRRRRRAAAAAGGGHHHH!"
Intense. That was the only word appropriate enough to properly describe the amount of pain she was in. Only the battles with Ikaruga and Jellal came close to comparing to the torment she was currently experiencing. Her breathing became heavy as she crashed to the ground, and her tears didn't cease.
And it was only about to get even worse.
"Dark Écriture: Torment."
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Bambietta couldn't help but think as her body was rocked with indescribable amounts of pain. It took every ounce of will in her to get up to her feet, but as she panted and wheezed, Freed attempted to slash at her with his rapier. Bambietta weakly brought up her sword to block the attack, but she was too slow as his blade pierced through her right shoulder, forcing her to scream out in pain.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Yet even now, Freed was not finished as he went in for another slash. Bambietta weakled wobbled back to avoid the strike before she tried to attempt a weak slash with her sword, but Freed was able to easily sidestep the blow before he swung his sword down her back, eliciting yet another cry of agony.
Yet, even still, despite the immense pain flowing throughout her entire body, and her erratic breathing…. she still stood on her feet.
Freed narrowed his eyes at the quincy as he prepared his final attack. It's remarkable that she can still stand. Freed couldn't help but think. But in the end, all it's done is delay the inevitable. He took up a stance as he prepared to thrust his blade once more, his eyes never letting Bambietta leave his sight. "Now for the finishing blow! Dark Écriture; Thrust!"
Freed's body propelled itself forward as his sword was poised to strike. While the Quincy had proven to have been a worthy foe, far more than he had ever anticipated in fact, it was about time to remove her from the game. His sword was only mere inches away from striking her, and once it did, the pain would simply be too much and she would no doubt be rendered unconscious as a result.
*Clang!*
Yet, to Freed's immense surprise, not only did the Quincy still stand, but his sword had clashed harmlessly against her belly, unable to do much as draw even a speck of blood as blue lines formed around her stomach.
Wait, this must be…Blut Vene! Freed realized as he quickly recalled the abilities that Laxus had told them about a day before they were to Initiate the battle of Fairy Tail. You mean to tell me she hadn't been using it this entire time!?
"Oi, jackass…That hurt like a bitch!"
His mind quickly snapping to reality, Freed quickly realized that the pain and suffering spells he had placed in Bambietta had worn off. But before he could make a move, Bambietta grabbed Freed's face and slammed her knee into his stomach, forcing him to cough up bile before she cocked her left hand back and slammed her fist onto his face, forcing the Leader of the Thunder Legion to tumble away with a bloody nose.
Freed coughed for a few moments before he got up to his feet, and his eyes met with Bambietta's. Her fury from before had returned, and her hands had balled up into fists.
"I'll give you some credit and tell you right now, that hurt like hell," Bambietta spat as she began to stride over towards Freed. "Enough so that I've decided to take the kid gloves off and start fighting you with everything I got."
Freed's eyes slowly began to widen. "You were…holding back? But why!?"
Bambietta smirked as she tapped the right side of her head with her index and middle finger. "What was it you told me earlier? Fight smarter, not harder. I've still got Laxus's ass to kick once I'm done with you, so I figured it was best I kept some power in reserve for when I really needed it. Not to mention I wanted to kick your ass for a bit and I was afraid I'd end things too soon. So congrats there, you actually managed to force me to go all out. Unfortunately for you however…" The Quincy then gave Freed a horrifying sneer. "That means I'm going to kick your ass all over this place!"
"Y-you're bluffing!" Freed told Bambietta as he prepared his sword.
(Song of choice: Kishuu, Oda Nobuna No Yabou)
Bambietta's sneer lessened in the slightest, her reiatsu surging. "Am I? Am I really? Well I guess there's only one way to know for sure, isn't there?"
The quincy vanished from Freed's line of sight as she appeared right in front of him, her sword raised. Freed quickly brought up his own blade to block the attack, but as her blade clashed against his, Freed felt his knee's buckle from the strike. She wasn't bluffing after all!?
"Yaaaaaaaaa!"
Her battle loving grin not leaving her face for even an instant, Bambietta began to unleash an onslaught of strikes with her blade, the Quincy almost moving twice as fast as before. Freed struggled to intercept the first strike aimed right at his right shoulder, and just barely managed to block the next strike aimed at his waist, only for Bambietta to slam her elbow against his chest, forcing him back before she vanished from thin air and slammed the pommel of her sword against the back of Freed's head.
The swordsmen stumbled forward before he tried to slash at her with his sword, but Bambietta had kneed him on his chin before she spun around and kicked the left side of his face. Freed let out a sharp cry before he attempted another spell.
"Dark Écriture: Thrust!"
Freed's body propelled off of the ground as he shot towards Bambietta, but just as his blade was about to connect, Bambietta's blade parried the strike before she smirked and grabbed Freed's face before she slammed his head to the ground.
Freed groaned as he opened his eyes before he let out a silent gasp as Bambietta tried to bring her blade down on him. Freed rolled out of the way before he lifted himself up with one hand before he pointed his rapier at her.
"Dark Écriture: Pain!"
Once more did the rune flew towards Bambietta, but the former Sternritter cut the rune until two with her blade before she rushed towards Freed. The leader of the Thunder Legion jumped into the air before he pressed his left hand against his chest. "Dark Écriture: Wings!"
A pair of purple wings appeared on Freed's back, allowing the mage to float above the Quincy as he caught his breath. I would have never conceived that I'd be facing someone of this level for our plan!
"Oh, so you can fly huh? That's a pretty useful trick," Bambietta commented before her sadistic grin returned once more. "Too bad for you that won't mean shit!"
The Quincy leapt into the air and dashed towards him, her sword at the ready. However, Freed was far from content to allow her to reach him so easily as he began his counter attack.
"Dark Écriture: Barrage!"
Several dozen dark projectiles fired towards Bambietta but the Quincy didn't look the least bit worried. Her confidence soon proved to be sound as she proceeded to deflect the volley of darkness with her blade as she quickly approached him. Freed seemed to prepare yet another spell, but Bambietta wasn't willing to give him the chance as Freed flew back to avoid a slash of her blade.
Bambietta quickly dashed towards Freed in the air as their blades began to clash once more, but it quickly became apparent that Freed was simply outmatched. With every strike he blocked, the power of her blows caused his bones to creak and his muscles to shudder. It was quickly becoming very apparent that he wouldn't be able to defeat her in a bout of might.
Fortunately, his magic was perfect for handling such opponents. Just as he and Bambietta clashed swords for the upteenth time, he pointed a finger at Bambietta's head. "Dark Écriture: Confusion!"
Aw Shit! Bambietta cursed internally the moment the spell made contact, the Quincy noticing felt the effects almost instantly. Her vision became distorted as she began to see multiple copies of Freed, and her head felt as if it were beginning to spin. She tried to swing her blade at Freed, but her sword only managed to cut through one of the bodies her mind had conjured up from Freed's spell.
Shit, I can't tell which one is the real deal! Bambietta realized as she cut through yet another figment of her disorientation.
Sensing the opportunity for a counter attack, Freed kicked her below, causing her back to crash against the ground. Freed flew downward as he swung his rapier at Bambietta. "Dark Écriture: Barrage!"
Bambietta's body was hit with a barrage of blasts as she tried to reorient herself as Freed landed right behind her. "It's no use trying to fight me in your current condition." Freed told Bambietta. "Right now your senses are completely out of focus. While I'll admit that you're far more powerful than I had anticipated, your strength ultimately means nothing if you can't tell where your opponent is. Dark Écriture: Confusion!"
Hitting the Quincy with yet another spell to continue her disorientation, Freed glared at the woman as she continued to swing about wildly as he began to slowly lift up his own sword to prepare another spell. "I've wasted far too much valuable time dealing with you, so this time I won't be taking any chances. Dark Écriture: Grand Agony!"
Freed swung his sword and unleashed the rune containing the most potent of pain spells at his disposal. He rarely ever found himself using it, as the pain the victim would experience could be great enough to completely overwhelm their sensory input and send them into a coma. However, this woman had proven far too powerful for him to allow this to continue any further.
The spell hurtled towards Bambietta, and Freed was almost certain that her defeat was inevitable. Yet, just as the rune was about to connect, the Quincys response was entirely unexpected.
She smirked.
*KABOOOM!*
A mighty blue explosion erupted around her, destroying the rune and knocking Freed to the scorched earth. Bambietta's smirk never left her face as she looked over to the fallen wizard. "So what if I can't tell where you really were? I've already fought someone who had a way better version of that kind of power, and I kicked his ass! It was a lame trick then and it's an even lamer trick now! If I can't tell exactly where you are, then all I have to do is just blast the hell out of every direction at the same time!"
She then slowly began to walk over towards him as she formed a blue ball of reishi in her right hand, her confidence not ceasing in the slightest. "But luckily for me, that's exactly what my "The Explode" is good at!"
As Freed began to wobbly get up, Bambietta sighed. "It's a shame really. With Lucy and the other's no longer on that time limit and Wendy safe and sound, I figured I'd have a fun fight and take all of my anger out on you before I had to fight Laxus. You know, so I could fight with a clearer head and all that? But now you've gone and made me use my schrift ahead of schedule. Figured I'd save it as a surprise for my finishing move once I was satisfied with kicking your ass," She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, it hardly matters in the grand scheme of things. Just do me a favor and try to not lose instantly ok?"
Her visage then transformed into a terrifying sneer. "After all, I still got a lot more payback I intend to give you for everything before I knock your ass out!"
Freed's eyes widened considerably as worry overtook him before took to the skies as Bambietta hurled the orb at him, allowing him to narrowly avoid the large explosion where he had once been. He glanced down at where he had once been, only to notice a large hole. The power of her bombs is much greater than her arrows! I can't afford to let myself get hit by any of them! Freed realized as Bambietta formed yet another orb in her hand.
"Where are ya looking, dumbass? I'm right here."
By the time Freed had heard Bambietta's voice he could already feel the sensation of her blade slashing across his back, Bambietta having used Hirenkyaku to get the jump on him. Freed cried out in pain as he crashed to the ground, but his many years of experience as a mage allowed him to fight through the pain and to get back to his feet to look back at Bambietta.
The Quincy was already beginning to make her next move, having created another orb of "The Explode." However, rather than toss it like she had with her previous attacks, the Quincy dropped the orb only to then kick at it with her right leg, propelling it at even greater speed
Knowing that taking such an attack would be disastrous, Freed opted for some defense. With this, he'd at least be able to buy some time to think of a counter attack. "Dark Écriture: Shield!"
But much to Freed's surprise, Bambietta's orb was not stopped in its tracks. Instead his shield burst into pieces with a powerful blast that sent Freed rolling across the ground. The man coughed as he tried to get up to his feet, and quickly took note of the pain in his arms, both of which were covered in burns. I don't understand, her attack should have been stopped! Don't tell me it's too powerful for a shield to defend against!?
It was absurd. In all of his years as a mage, he had never ever encountered a fellow mage who had pushed him like this. Yet Bambietta Basterbine was doing just that, her smile still ever present. She shook her head, all while wagging her itsex finger at him.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Unfortunately for you, my bombs can't be stopped that way. Now, let's see how you handle another one!?"
As Bambietta kicked yet another orb of the explode at him at high speed, Freed instead decided to opt for a different kind of defense as he swung his sword at the incoming attacks. "Dark Écriture: Reflect!"
The rune and orb collided mid air, but much to Bambietta's shock, the explode orbs was sent flying towards her. Fortunately for her, she managed to move out of the way of the blast just before it hit her. She looked back at the Explosion before she sighed. "Phew. That was a close one. That's one experience I'd rather not go through again, thank you very much."
She placed both of her hands on her hips, her lips curling upward slightly. "But hey, that wasn't a half bad idea there. If I had been hit by that, it would have sucked. But too bad for you. I'm not going to fall for that one again!"
She glanced down at Freeds arms before she continued. "Looks like my last attack that hit ya did some decent damage despite not scoring a direct hit. I wonder then…" The Quincy cocked her arm back as she formed another orb in her right hand. "Does that reflect spell work if I hit you at all angles!?"
Freed's response was immediate and appropriate. He took to the air…and began to soar away.
Bambietta gnashed her teeth as she saw him beginning to retreat. "Hey, get back here! I'm not finished with you! I've still got an ass kicking that I owe you for!" The Quincy quickly began to give chase then, jumping into the air before she followed after him with Hirenkyaku.
Little did she know, that was exactly what Freed was hoping she'd do. It appears that I have no choice but to drag her into one of my traps! He had hoped he wouldn't have had to rely on it to defeat her. After all, if he had managed to defeat one of Fairy Tail's upcoming 'potential' S class mages on his own, it would only further prove Laxus's point. But as things stood now, it was the only chance he had left without restoring to more... desperate measures.
Finally reaching his destination, Freed landed on the ground, with Bambietta quickly closing in. "Well, have you finally decided to stop running and take your beating like a-"
Before she could finish her tirade however, the Quincy crashed to the ground as she unexectly crashed into something in the air. Angry and confused, Bambietta was about to accost Freed, only to witness the various runes that surrounded them.
"Oh, you son of a bitch!" Bambietta shouted. "I thought you wanted to beat me fair and square! What the hell is with this all of a sudden, huh!?"
"It's true that I had wished to defeat you with my own strength. However, it's become very clear that as thing's stand I won't be able to defeat you in such a manner," Freed answered. "This is a barrier I had prepared especially for you Quincy. As long as you're within this barrier, you'll be unable to utilize Blut,Hirenkyaku or Heilig Pfeil."
Bambietta raised an eyebrow. "Wait, let me make sure I'm getting this right. So as long as this barrier is up, I can't use Hirenkyaku or Blut or my arrows…But everything else is fair game?" she asked Freed.
Freed blinked. He had expected a much more terrified response. Perhaps even an angry one. Yet at the moment, it appeared Bambietta simply felt annoyed. "That would be correct, yes." Freed replied.
Bambietta smirked.
"Perfect."
Participating in a battle royal that would determine not only the safety of the citizens of Magnolia, but also the guild master of Fairy Tail was certainly not what Lucy Heartfila had planned on doing the day of the Harvest Festival. Yet here and how she was one of the last few members of Fairy Tail left standing during the chaos that was the battle of Fairy Tail.
At least now she didn't have to worry about Wendy, the celestial wizard having seen the recent scoreboard to know that she and Gajeel had teamed up together to take down their foe. While she was still far from fully trusting the Iron Dragon Slayer, she had to admit that her opinion of him had certainly improved.
"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised," Lucy said to herself as she carefully walked down the streets of Magnolia. "Bambi used to have some pretty nasty habits before she joined the guild. I guess anyone really can change if they're just given the right opportunity."
Currently she was doing what she could to defeat whatever dark mages she ran into to thin the enemies numbers. With her fullbring, it had proven to be remarkably easy. A part of her felt a little guilty for not going straight for Laxus, but she knew deep down that such a confrontation would end poorly.
Right now, it's best I just do what I can to make it easier for the others. Lucy thought. The easier I make it for them, the better the odds we'll have at taking Laxus down and everything will go back to normal!
But before Lucy could give the matter any more thought, her attention snapped to the sky as runes began to form above her showcasing the next battle. Her eyes widened as she saw the names, one of them very near and dear to her.
"Bambietta Vs Freed?" Lucy read it aloud. Wait a minute, that's the guy Erza warned Bambi about when we got back! Lucy quickly remembered.
"Oh, so that's who Freed's fighting huh? Too bad for you."
Her eyes shooting wide open, Lucy turned around to see none other than Evergreen slowly limp over towards her. Lucy went to reach for Gonzales, but Evergreen lifted up both of her hands. "Hold, hold it, I'm not here to fight you. That little blonde monster made me deplete almost all of my magic. I can't cast any magic right now even if I wanted to."
"What do you want?" Lucy asked bitterly. The blonde was still pretty cross with the woman. Though, who could blame her? She was, after all, the one who had turned her and several of her friends into stone statues in order to start this asinine plan to begin with.
"I was just hoping to run into Bickslow to figure out what our next move would be," Evergreen answered her. "Even if I've already called in a special friend. But seeing how Freed's about to beat down your girlfriend, I figured I'd-"
"Bambi won't lose," Lucy boldly interrupted her, her face filled with determination. "I don't care if Freed was the favorite to become the next S class wizard of Fairy Tail. I've seen Bambi fight against all sorts of monsters, dark mages and even Wizard Saints! So don't even bother trying to convince me otherwise!"
Evergreen smirked. "Listen newbie, it's cute that you're super confident in your girlfriend and all, but I'm simply stating facts. You're misjudging the situation entirely. Knowing Freed, he likely led her to one of his traps that would severely limit her abilities to fight. Even if, and that's a very tiny if at that, she could have defeated Freed with her power's as a quincy, it won't matter now that she's trapped! Face it, her defeat is-"
*KRACKABOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!*
The two female mages quickly whipped their heads over towards the direction of the mountainous range on the outskirts of a Magnolia as a massive explosion shook the town and shot up high into the air, forming into a small mushroom cloud. Evergreen gaped at the sight as her glasses fell down slightly the bridge of her nose. "What on earth…"
"You were right, someone misjudged," Lucy told Evergreen with a smirk as the brunette continued to look towards the blast with shock. "Freed can try all of the cheap tricks he wants, but those will never be enough to take down the Star Knight of Fairy Tail."
Lucy glanced back towards the explosion as the mushroom cloud began to fade. "Come on Bambi…Show him what you're made of."
Freed coughed and wheezed as he weakly rose up to his feet. He had no idea what had just transpired. One moment he had simply explained what abilities his foe couldn't use, and in the next, she had simply thrown one of her orbs at his barrier.
What a powerful attack. If I take a hit from one of those, it's game over, He thought as he tried to place Bambietta. Oh well, with her hirenkyaku and blute restricted, the advantage once again lay with him. He'd simply have to exercise more caution in battling her, nothing more.
"You can blast away at my barrier all you'd like, but it's hopeless," Freed told her. "The barrier can only be lifted by one of us defeating the other. Not even Master Makarov could hope to shatter it with brute strength, so you may as well just…surrender?"
As the smoke finally cleared, Freed couldn't believe his eyes. Half of the barrier that he and Bambietta had been trapped in had been completely and utterly shattered, with the quincy standing proudly before him, hands on her hips and her smirk ever present. She looked a little scoffed in places, but he could see she had activated Blut to protect herself from the explosion. That shouldn't be possible! A Jutsu Shiki can only be dispelled by obeying the rules set within the barrier. No one in the history of Fiore has ever managed to break one through power alone, not even one of the ten Wizard Saints!
But despite the supposed impossibility of it all, somehow, somehow, Bambietta Basterbine had managed to do just that.
Bambietta seemed to quickly pick up on Freed's confusion, no doubt because of the shock and horror that was etched on his face, before she chuckled. "What's wrong? Surprised I managed to break your barrier so easily?" Bambietta asked him somewhat mockingly. "Well, I guess now's a good time to clarify some things. See, my power, "The Explode" lets me do more than just make bombs and explosions. If anything, that's just the most basic ability of what it can do. See when I want to really wreck stuff, I use its more potent ability. Whatever my special 'explode' orb comes into contact with something, it's not just getting hit by a bomb, it becomes the bomb."
As Freed's eyes widened, Bambietta began to slowly waltz over to him, her grin seeming to only increase. "Do you understand now? Besides that reflection spell of yours, my explosion's can't be guarded against, at least not when I get serious. But considering I know about that little trick, good luck trying to get that off again."
Bambietta was only standing a few feet away from him now, as Freed couldn't help but shudder where he stood. "But by all means struggle as much as you'd like…it'll only make it more fun for me."
Freed took several steps back before he attempted to take off, but just as his feet took off the ground, he felt a firm grip on his left shoulder.
"Oh no you don't! I'm not letting you scamper off before I'm through with you!"
Freed crashed to the ground, crying out in pain before Bambietta slammed her foot down on his chest to keep him from running away. "Now then, what should I break first?" Bambietta asked Freed as he tried to pry her foot off of his chest. "The nose is tempting, but it's also super generic. Ribs can be fun, but I'm afraid I might puncture a lung and with your stupid enchantment running all over Magnolia it would be such a pain to find Wendy before you bleed out and -"
"Dark Écriture: Fear!"
Having placed a rune on her leg while he tried to push her off of him, Bambietta felt her body freeze up and a horrible chill run down her spin as an image of Lucy and Wendy bodies laying before her, their lifeless eyes gazing up towards her as their faces were contorted in agony.
"NO!" Bambietta screamed as she took a step back, releasing Freed from her foot as she furiously tried to shake her head in an attempt to remove the image from her mind. "It's not real, it's not real, it's not real!"
Freed took this moment to quickly scamper to his feet. The fear spell wouldn't last long. He needed to think of his next move and fast while she was still preoccupied with the mental attack. If I keep assaulting her mind, I might just have a chance. Freed thought as he began to prepare his next attack. It's far from the most satisfactory way to win, but I-
"You son of a bitch!"
Bambietta's fist slammed onto Freed's face, giving him a black eye and forcing him to cry out in pain before she grabbed onto his head and brought it down onto her knee, breaking his nose. Before he could even figure out what his next move would be, Bambietta let out a furious cry before she pounded away at his face, his head moving two and through as she wailed away at him.
"Hitting me with pain spells was one thing, but forcing me to see that!? You've just made the biggest mistake of your life!" Bambietta told Freed. She slammed her fist against his chest and quickly uppercut his chin with her other hand before she spun around and kicked Freed hard against the right side of his head, forcing the leader of the Thunder Legion to stumble back a bit before he prepared his blade.
"Dark Écritu-"
But Bambietta was having none of it, the quincy forming her sword and using blut arterie to enhance the strength of her next blow. The ensuing swing allowed her to not only cut Freed's own weapon in two, but also gave the man a nasty slash that ran from his right shoulder to his left hip. Freed let out a loud cry of pain as he felt the blade pierce his skin, all the while Bambietta glared at him.
"You just had to go and take the fun out of it," She spat. "I was going to let this go for a few more minutes but now I just want to end this nonsense." She used Hirenkyaku to appear right in front of Freed before she slammed the pommel of her sword into his chest, forcing him to the ground before she glared down at him.
"A little lesson for the future, you son of a bitch," Bambietta told Freed angrily. "The best way to get on my bad side is to either hurt either of those two. Those two mean more to me than anything else and I swear I won't let anything happen to them, come hell or high water. Honestly, I ought to beat you black and blue for kidnapping Wendy alone in the first place, let alone everything else you've helped Laxus do!"
"I never…once agreed with that decision," Freed weakly told Bambietta, surprising her. "I…tried to tell Laxus several times that it was a step too far. We're not dark mages, and therefore we should never take actions that would have benefited them. As far as I was concerned, Miss Marvel had nothing to do with any of this."
Bambietta was taken aback by his words, the quincy not having expected much, or frankly, any sort of regret from her foe. Yet here he was doing just that. But even so, she wasn't going to let him off so easily. "You say that, but what about what you did to Lucy, Erza, Levy and everyone else!? If we didn't beat you in that time limit, then they would have been as good as dead!"
"That was just a ploy to force everyone else to get involved. Their lives were never in any real danger," Freed answered her. "I know it may not seem like it, but everything we're trying to do is for the betterment of the guild."
Bambietta's expression softened, but only for a moment. "You really think that excuses what you've done? You still placed Wendy in terrible danger by letting an arrancar kidnap her! Honestly, the only reason I didn't kick your ass and go all out from the start was because Gajeel actually managed to pull through and saved her!"
"I took precautions to ensure her safety," Freed told Bambietta as he got up to his feet. "I know that arrancar possesses weapon's that are identical to that of shinigami, so I had placed a spell on the barrier where she was trapped to ensure that he wouldn't be able to use its full capabilities. After that…I simply placed my faith that someone in the guild would be able to find and rescue her."
Bambietta glanced at Freed, her eyes glaring into his, looking for any hints of deception…only for her to find none. She let out a groan of annoyance before she finally spoke. "Ok, first off, dumbass, arrancar zanpaktou are not like those of a shinigami. So if your runes work based off your understanding on how they work, congratulations, ya dun goofed."
"They don't?" Freed asked, aghast at his mistake. "How do they-"
"Does it really matter? Liltotto can just fill you in later," Bambietta said before she rolled her eyes. "Anyways, look, I've had my fill of kicking your ass, so just stay down, turn off your runes, and I'll postpone your beating. Hell, maybe I'll even put in a good word for you to the Master if I feel nice."
Despite her tone of voice, Bambietta was still quite angry with Freed. Well intentioned his actions may have been, he still placed her friends into great danger. But Bambietta knew that removing the runes would allow Master Makarov back into the fray and once that happened everything would be solved within a matter of minutes. Besides, at least Freed had gone out of his way to help Wendy out in some regard. The sooner she could get him to comply, the better.
"I cannot do that," Freed told her bluntly.
Bambietta gawked at his answer. "What, why!? I thought you said you were against all of this!? So what giv-"
"I was against dragging Wendy into all of this, I never once said I disagreed with Laxus's goal and vision," Freed corrected her. "It's true that we've taken some unsatisfactory steps in order to achieve this goal, some of which I personally disagree with, but the end result will justify the means."
Bambietta scoffed. "Justify the means!? Have you lost your damn mind!? Right now you and your team are acting almost as bad as the dark mages we try to put away! How on earth can any of this-"
"Because I never want to see the guild hurt the way it was during Phantom Lord ever again!" Freed shouted, surprising Bambietta, his face filled with anger. "Do you have any idea what it's like to find out when your home was nearly destroyed while you were away? To know that the people who stayed in the guild failed to keep it safe!? I do! Because I've already lost everything before I ever joined the guild!"
8 years ago.
The Justine family. Often regarded across Fiore as one of its oldest and well-regarded Wizarding families in the country's history, to bear the family name of Justine came with the expectation of becoming a very powerful wizard. And indeed, one Freed Justine, at the young age of 13 had quickly risen amongst the ranks of the Gargoyle Wing guild.
While he wasn't at the rank of A class just yet, Freed was nonetheless considered a prodigy amongst the guild. In fact, rumor had it that he would reach S class at the age of 17, a first not just for Gargoyle Wing, but for the Justine Family as a whole.
The young man was currently returning to the guild with a bright smile etched over his face. He had just finished a B class mission, in record time no less, and he was more than eager to rub it in the faces of his older brothers. The two had always joked about his young age despite his skill as a mage, and he could think of no greater opportunity than this to prove to them that he was just as skilled as a mage as they were.
He quickly spotted them, along with his father before he waltzed over towards them. "Everyone, I'm pleased to inform you all that the ogre of Homely Keep will no longer be troubling the citizens of Dhotra!"
The eldest brother, Thomas, with long green hair and blue eyes tilted his head as he finished polishing his Scimitar. "Hold on a second, you just took that job only a few hours ago. There's no way you actually managed to go over there, kill the ogre, and come back that fast!"
"Yeah, come on Freed. You know that you don't have to lie to impress us or anything," The younger brother, Douglas, with extremely short and spiky hair followed up. "You know only weaklings lie to make themselves look better. It's a good look for you either."
Freed huffed as he slammed both of his hands on the table. "But I'm not lying! I just learned the wing spell so I could fly there and back in record time!"
"Suuuuure you did," The two brothers mocked him. Freed looked like he was about to blow a gasket when his father, a middle-aged man with a green ponytail, graying hairs on the side, small beard and a sliver necklace finally spoke up.
"Ok that's enough of that. You boys both know that Freed isn't a liar. If he said that he finished that mission in record time, then I say it's best to believe that he did. So please, give your younger brother a bit of a break for once."
Thomas sighed. "Alright pops, just don't let it get to his head or anything. We wouldn't want him to get too full of hot air now."
Douglas ruffled Freed's hair before he smiled. "Sorry for doubting ya bud. We just figured we'd get some laughs in before we left with dad to go off on the big mission."
That caught Freed's attention. "Big mission? Could I come along?"
"Fraid not Freed. This one's a bit too dangerous to take you along on," His father told him. "It's an S class mission at the foot of Mount Dahlia."
"Yeah, a Wyvern elimination mission at that." Thomas added. "Apparently this thing is pretty nasty. I heard it's already killed ten mages."
Douglas nodded in agreement. "It's best if you just stay back at the guild, you've already used up a decent amount of magic. You'd just slow us down."
Freed wasn't willing to let up so easily, however. "B-but if it's really that dangerous then you guys need all the help you can get. I can-"
His father placed a firm hand on Freed's shoulder before he smiled. " I know you mean well son. But this is one mission that I can't risk you going on. Besides, we'll be taking Codardo with us. If things get too nasty, he can use his teleportation magic to get us home in a jiffy. We'll be fine."
Freed looked like he wanted to say more, but he held his tongue. He knew better than to argue with his father. He nodded his head then before he smiled. "Alright. I guess I'll just see you guys later then!"
His father nodded, and then, without another word, the three of them departed the guild.
At first, the young man wasn't all that concerned. His father and twin brothers were among some of the strongest members in Gargoyle Wing. The mere thought of his father losing already seemed next to impossible, and with his elder brothers at his side, victory should have been all but assured.
But as one hour turned into two, and then into three, Freed couldn't help but pace inside the guild with some concern. A monster elimination mission shouldn't have taken this long, not with a teleporter to get them there and back so quickly. The other members of the guild tried to calm him down, claiming that they may have simply stopped for a bite to eat or something, but Freed couldn't fully shake the nasty feeling instead his mind.
Finally, a familiar face came bursting through the door, but it was neither his father, nor his elder brothers. It was Codardo, and he looked horrified. He stumbled into the guildhall before Freed and the other's rushed over towards him.
"Codardo, what's wrong?" One asked.
"Yeah, what happened man?" Another followed up with.
Codardo shook as he took several deep breaths. "It ...it was awful! That beast, it was far stronger than we expected it to be. None of their attacks could do anything! I…I teleported away once it was clear we were in some deep shit, man!"
"Where's my father?" Freed asked Codardo as he grasped onto his shoulder. "And Thomas and Douglas!? Where are they!?"
Codardo's erratic breathing didn't cease. "I ..I left them behind! I'm so sorry but I was just so scared, I-"
"YOU WHAT!?" Freed shouted before he punched the man to the ground. The mage tepidly looked up at Freed, who glared at him in contempt. "My father and brothers brought you along so you could get them out of there if things went south! Not so you could just run with your tail between your legs!"
"I-I-I'm sorry, but I have a wife and daughter to look after, I couldn't risk leaving them behind!" Codardo tried to explain. "If I stayed any longer then I might have -'
"You coward!" Freed shouted before he punched the middle-aged man hard on the face before he got to his feet and ran outside of the guild. The others chased after him, warning him not to do something reckless, but he paid them no heed.
'I know exactly where Mount Dahlia is!' Freed thought as he quickly activated his Wing spell to take to the air. 'If I leave now, I just might be able to get it in time and fly them out!' He was more than well aware that the Wyvern wouldn't simply let him fly away with his family, but right now that didn't matter! All that mattered was that he tried something!
It took Freed about thirty minutes or so to arrive at Mount Dahlia. It wasn't hard to find where the battle was taking place, he could see the smoke trail just a mile away. "Don't worry Father, I'm coming!" Freed proclaimed as he flew towards his destination.
He was positive, certain that his brothers would be ecstatic to see him, that his father would hit the beast with a powerful enough spell to momentarily disorient it to give them an opportunity to escape. He'd be a hero, and then his brothers would never again place his strength in doubt!
But as he landed on his feet and made a dash towards the smoke trail . Reality soon began to sink in. There would be no rescue, no chance to hold this moment over his brothers. There would be no opportunity for his father to congratulate him on a job well done, and there would be no celebration when he arrived home.
"No… It… can't be…It can't!"
Right before Freed's eyes were the bloody, tattered remains of his brother's clothes. He could see an arm laying off in the distance, still clutching the scimitar in its hand, along with a leg sticking out of the ground.
He recognized the shoes and the sword almost instantly. "No…Douglas, Thomas!" Freed choked, as tears trickled down his eyes. This couldn't be happening! This had to be a nightmare of some kind, it just had to be!
But what he saw next stole his breath away. There was a charred corpse not far from where he stood. Weakly, he slowly walked towards it and prayed it was not what he feared.
It wasn't to be. Around the neck of the corpse was a silver necklace, it's once brilliant shining silver now mostly searched by the flames. He didn't need a closet look. He knew who exactly this was.
Freed fell to his knees as more tears began to well up around his eyes as grief began to overwhelm his very being. They were gone. His whole family, taken out in a single night. He would never hear his brothers mocking jokes ever again, or his father's wisdom. Those were lost to time now.
All because of a damn coward.
"Do you understand now? I lost everything because of mages who couldn't carry their own weight!" Freed spat at Bambietta. "After the incident with Phantom Lord it's become clear to me now that Fairy Tail is heading down that same path! They attacked Team Shadow Gear as a trap to lure in Master Makarov and to destroy our guild! Don't you see!? We need to remove all of the weak links so that our guild can never be targeted like that ever again!"
"...Freed," Bambietta muttered. As much as she had enjoyed inflicting pain on the man before her, even she couldn't help but feel at least some semblance of sympathy. While the circumstances around it were different, she knew the pain of losing a parent and siblings more than he could possibly know. But even so…
"What you and Laxus are trying to do right now isn't going to change anything," Bambietta told him, her resolve unwavering. "I know that our guild isn't exactly filled with top-of-the-line badasses. But a weak link is always going to exist, no matter what you do. Someone has to be the weakest by default, and no matter how much you try, nothing is ever going to change that."
"I'm well aware of that fact," Freed told Bambietta. "But if our weakest members are still considered strong, then any would be enemy would think twice before attacking us!" Freed shouted at her.
"No you're wrong!" Bambietta shouted back at him. "Strength draws in more strength, both the good and the bad. Sure, you'll probably deter any weaklings from attacking the guild, but that's not what you're worried about now is it? No, you're worried about being attacked by people who are an actual threat. Well I hate to tell you this, but we were attacked by Phantom Lord because we were getting stronger! The same can be said for any dark guild that sees us as a future threat! Hell, the whole reason we even had to deal with Tower of Heaven bullshit is because Erza had enough power to be used for the damn thing! You're just -"
"Enough!" Freed interrupted her. "I've wasted far too much time trying to deal with the likes of you! I didn't want to do this, but you've left me with no other choice but to use my forbidden spells!"
Ohhhhhhhhhh, that sounds bad, Bambietta dreaded. Welp, tried playing nice, didn't work. Better knock his ass out before he gets a chance to use any of them! Using Hirenkyaku, she rushed in with her sword at the ready, preparing to swing it down hard on Freed and to knock him out once and for all.
But before her sword could make impact, Freed had already inscribed the forbidden spell onto his body. "Evil battles evil! Dark Écriture: Darkness!"
Right before Bambietta's eyes did his body quickly transform, his skin turning a dark gray with two horns emerging from his forehead. Scales covered his left eye, and his entire coat was ripped to shreds, revealing the black fur underneath. But while Bambietta knew she may have been too late to stop the transformation, she still proceeded with her attack and swung her sword down on her opponent!
(Song of choice: Shinkou: Oda Nobuna No Yabou)
*Clang!*
However, Freed's right hand had shot up and grabbed onto her sword, the blade unable to pierce the palm of his hand. The leader of the Thunder Legion slammed his knee into Bambietta, the blow taking the wind out of the quincy as she bent forwards before he grabbed onto the back of Bambietta's head and blasted her with a wave of darkness, sending her high into the air as she let out a silent scream.
However, Freed was far from finished as he soared above Bambietta and slammed both of his hands onto her back, sending her careening to the ground below. Moments before she was about to hit the ground, he flew past the descending quincy and delivered a powerful kick, sending her high into the sky before he soared back up and slammed his fist into her stomach, sending her even higher into the sky.
Shit, he's gotten one hell of an upgrade! Bambietta realized before she sensed his presence behind her. The quincy spun around and tried to swing her sword at him but Freed ducked underneath the strike and uppercut the quincy on her chin before he flew behind her and gave her a powerful kick, sending her back a dozen feet. Bambietta tried to recover from the momentum of the blow, but Freed was already in pursuit.
Forming her bow, Bambietta fired multiple Heilig Pfeil at Freed, but the arrows bounced off of his skin with little damage before he flew behind her, and slammed a kick onto her back, sending her to the ground. Bambietta tried to get up to her feet, but Freed had already dashed down and grabbed onto her face before he slammed the back of it against the ground before he began to drag her body across the ground, the quincy's body slamming through the rough terrain.
She tried to kick at his body in an attempt to dislodge himself but Freed's grip remained firm. Finally he tossed her up into the sky before hitting her with a shadowy blast, sending her even higher into the air. Bambietta tried to right herself mid air as she tried to place Freed, but he was already preparing his next move.
"Darkness Blitz!"
Freed became nothing more than a black blur to Bambietta's eyes then as he proceeded to dash around Bambietta and delivered a flurry of blows. A fist slammed into the right of her head one second, then another proceeded to hit her from the back of the head with his elbow, and yet another blow to her waist. It was all happening so fast that Bambietta couldn't move her arms to properly defend herself! All she could do was simply take the barrage of blows that Freed was unleashing as he soared around her.
After Freed has battered her body around several dozen times, the mage had slammed his fists into both sides of her head before he grabbed Bambietta by her right foot and proceeded to swing her over and over before the space around them formed into a tiny black spinning vortex, the wind forcing the tree's to bend in break from the sheer force of it's gale.
"Darkness Whirling Launch!"
Freed finally threw Bambietta to the ground then, shaking the very earth as the ground below her shattered. The quincy tried to grasp the sides of the hole where she had crashed, but before she could get up, Freed had already performed a drop kick from high in the air and slammed it down onto Bambietta' sending her further into the ground, Freed then grabbed Bambietta by the neck and lifted her up and above his head before he glared at her battered and bruised form.
"Now do you get it!?" Freed demanded. "You weren't the only one that was holding back! I only call upon this power of mine when I have no other choice! It's power is so great that I fear that I could wind up accidentally killing whoever I use it on! Do you see now!? I was right! You're not worthy to be considered S class material! In the end, you simply pale in comparison to the likes of me and Laxus!"
He reared his fist back as a dark energy began to envelop it as he glared at Bambietta's prone form. "Now to end this fight once and for all!"
But rather than the weak defiance he had expected from her… he heard a slight chuckle. The chuckle soon began to increase in volume and length then before it turned out into all out laughter, with Freed raising his eyebrows in confusion. What's going on? Has she gone mad from the revelation that she simply cannot win?
Eventually, the laughter died down, with Bambietta slowly looking down towards Freed…and much like before, to his utter bafflement, she grinned. "End it? End it!? When things are finally getting interesting? No chance!"
A powerful explosion erupted between the pair, forcing Freed to release Bambietta. The quincy landed on her feet before she began to dust herself off. "I gotta say, you're even better than I thought you'd be. I can definitely see now why you were considered the favorite to become S-class before I showed up. You're actually really good! If I hadn't used Blut Vene to protect myself during all that, you'd have probably beaten me after that ass kicking I just went through."
Freed could only just stare in disbelief. "You're….still able to stand!? That's impossible! You shouldn't even be able to move, let alone fight!"
"Oh don't think too badly about it. It still hurt like a bitch, even with Blut," Bambietta told him before she cracked her neck back and forth as she flexed the muscles within it. Once she was finished, Bambietta glanced over at Freed. "Shame you've got such a pole up your ass, you'd make for one hell of a sparring partner when this is all said and over with. In fact, I think you're actually the person most comparable to me in strength in the whole guild…Which makes this all the more interesting!"
Her terrifying grin from before then returned as her reiatsu began to swirl around her as her lust of battle increased. For once, she didn't have to worry about the day needing to be saved by her. For once, she could just enjoy a battle where she didn't know if she was going to win or lose! Whatever mess she couldn't take care of, she was positive that Erza would be able to make up for it! No doubt after the beating Freed would take from her, he'd be easy pickings for Erza to defeat. And with him out of the way, Master Makarov could put an end to the whole charade! That wasn't even taking Ulquiorra into consideration!
She took a step forward, then another as she walked over to Freed, her malicious smile ever present. "I haven't had such a good fight in a long time! Who's gonna win?! Is it gonna be you? Or is it gonna be me!? The suspense is killing me! Come on, let's go!"
Freed glared at the approaching Quincy, his fists clenched. "You really think you stand a chance after what just happened? Fine! I'll put you down, and then everyone else as fast as I can!"
(Song of choice: 1130 full orchestra Choir, 38 seconds in, Bleach Thousand Year Blood War OST)
The two rushed towards one another at high speed, claw clashing against blade. The ground beneath them shattered from the force of the blows as their eyes met one another. Freed tried to strike at Bambietta's face, but the Quincy was quick to dodge underneath the strike before she thrust her blade forward, only for Freed to fly upwards to avoid the strike.
The leader of the Thunder Legion let out a loud cry as he kicked down towards Bambietta, but the woman somersaulted away from the strike before she charged in for another sword strike. She swung her blade at his chest, but Freed's left arm blocked the attack, her sword only barely piercing his demonic skin.
Freed punched Bambietta hard across the face, sending her back several feet before she used Hirenkyaku to appear right before Freed and slashed him across the chest, leaving a shallow, but painful nonetheless cut. Freed snarled as he grabbed Bambietta's head and brought his knee into her face, forcing her to cry out. However, before he could press his advantage, the Quincy quickly countered with a punch to Freed's face, Blut Arterie giving her enough power to leave a nasty bruise on his nose.
Freed tried to punch down at Bambietta's head, but the Quincy moved to the right before she leapt up and performed a spin kick to the left side of Freed's head, forcing him to step back a few feet. Freed snarled as he pointed his left hand at the Quincy before he fired off a dark blast at the Quincy, sending her careening away.
Her feet skid against the ground as she touched the ground, her smirk still present. As Freed came flying in for another attack, Bambietta prepared two 'explode' orbs in her hands. She dropped one, only to kick it at Freed, while the other remained in her hand.
Freed flew above the orb and straight towards Bambietta, but as he fired off another dark blast, Bambietta used Hirenkyaku to appear to his left. Freed quickly turned around and tried to blast at her yet again, but the Quincy used Hirenkyaku once more to appear right in front of him as she swung her blade down. Freed stopped the strike with his arm once more as he glared at her. "Haven't you realized it yet? Your sword can't hurt me!"
"I wasn't counting on it!" Bambietta shouted before she placed her remaining Explode orb from before near his chest. The Quincy smirked before she vanished with Hirenkyaku, as Freed was hit with the explosive force of her attack.
The blast sent Freed beck several dozen feet before he soared over to Bambietta, the Quincy running towards him as well to get in nice and close. Fist and blade clashed yet again as the ground gave way. As Bambietta and Freed continued to exchange blows, a clash of dark and blue energy began to form around them, almost like a vortex . With one last strike, Bambietta and Freed began to shout at the top of their lungs, the crater below them beginning to expand before the force of the exchange sent the two of them backwards, their feet digging against the ground.
Neither one let the other out of their gaze for even a second, knowing that any opening would be exploited for their next move. Then, as if they had the same idea, the two of them soared upwards into the sky, before they prepared their respective attacks.
"Darkness Bolt!"
"Take this!"
A dark violet bolt of lightning fired from Freed's left hand, while Bambietta fired off an Explode orb, the two attacks colliding midair before they burst in a mix of flame and lighting. However the two were far from finished, as Freed and Bambietta proceeded to hurl more of their respective attacks, as volley's of black orbs fired from Freed connected with Bambietta's blue one, reach one canceling the other out.
Seeing how neither would emerge victorious anytime soon in such an exchange, Freed flew above the barrage of explosions before he glared down at Bambietta as a black spear formed into his hand.
"Darkness Spear!"
The dark purple object was flung towards Bambietta, and by the time she sensed its presence, it was too late. As the spear slammed into her stomach, the quincy cried out as she hurtled towards the ground. Bambietta grit her teeth before she regained her own momentum and used Hirenkyaku to dash towards Freed. Her knee slammed into Freed's stomach before she swung her sword down his chest, leaving yet another shallow cut on his skin.
"This won't be enough to stop me, Bambietta!" Freed proclaimed before he slammed his fist against the left side of her head, before he quickly followed up the blow to a strike to the right. However, as Freed went in for another punch, Bambietta used Hirenkyaku to avoid the strike and slashed Freed across the back.
"Come on, you'll have to do better than that!" Bambietta replied with a smirk. "I've still got a lot more to-!"
"Darkness Impact!"
Freed's entire body tackled into Bambietta's at great speeds then as they crashed into the ground and through several dozen trees. The Quincy tried to free herself against her foe by slamming the pommel of her sword against Freed's face, but while each blow elected s grunt of pain, it wasn't enough.
Damn it, no choice!
Bambietta placed the palm of her hand against Freed's chest and then, praying that Blut Vene would be enough protection, she unleashed an orb of the Explode point blank. Just as she hoped, the attack was enough to force Freed off of her, though as the Quincy rolled onto the ground, it was clear she did not escape the blast unharmed, her skin now covered in light burns.
She was quick to get up to her feet despite this, however, before her smirk had returned. "Well shit. Didn't think I'd ever be forced to do that," Bambietta said to Freed as he began to get up to his feet. "Still, I doubt your feeling much better after being hit by my-"
Freed snarled before he placed both of his hands together and pointed them at Bambietta as a swirling mass of darkness formed around him. "Darkness Wave!"
Uh oh.
A massive torrent of darkness fired towards Bambietta. Sensing that the power from the attack was one that not even Blut Vene would be able to protect her from, the Quincy took to the air as the blast annihilated several acres of forest, transforming it into a barren wasteland.
Well, THAT would have sucked, Bambietta realized as she looked at the scope of destruction. Good thing we're far from Magnolia or this could have been -
However, this momentary distraction was just what Freed needed to properly sneak up on Bambietta. She quickly sensed his presence, but by the time she had, he had already placed both of his hands above his head, a large orb of darkness with a tint of red forming above his head. "Darkness Flare Bomb!"
The attack slammed right into Bambietta's back, hurtling her towards the ground with enough force that she couldn't slow herself down. As she crashed through the ground, the attack carried her deeper and deeper into the earth till her stomach finally stopped against some rocky terrain. Bambietta groaned as she shook her head. "Awww fuck, that one hurt. Guess that's what I get for…dropping my guard?"
Instead of the blue sky she had expected, what filled her vision instead was a rocky ceiling covered in stalagmites. Bambietta groggily shook her head as she got up. "He hit me so hard I ended up in some underground cave? Sheesh, how far did he send me down anyway?"
Before she could give the matter anymore thought, the Quincy sensed Freed quickly approaching her. She leapt back just in time as Freed crashed down where she once was, his right foot embedded into the ground.
"So, you can still move, can you?" Freed asked as he took his foot out of the ground. "You continue to impress me. But I doubt you can continue to take such blows without feeling the effects, even with your Blut."
"Well, you're not wrong there," Bambietta admitted. Truthfully, her back was feeling like she had been hit by a truck, and she had no doubt that his "Darkness Wave" would have been even worse, and probably would have knocked her out completely. Still, she didn't let that bother her all too much. "But you only got that hit off because I got distracted, and let me tell you, I have no intention of repeating that mistake. So if you think you can beat me just because you got a good shot in, then think again."
Freed scoffed at her bravado. "Defiant to the end huh? How foolish."
"What can I say?" Bambietta said with a smile. "I am a Fairy Tail wizard after all."
"On that much we can agree."
Then, without another word, the two rushed towards each other once more. The surrounding stalagmites shattered or were slashed in twain as Bambietta and Freed exchanged blows, neither giving an inch.
But whereas Freed's was able to stay on the offense, Bambietta currently found herself on the back foot. It wasn't because of a drop in her own reiatsu, or the damage she had taken, but rather the new terrain she found herself in. No longer could she use "The Explode" in an almost reckless abandon. A wrong placed blast could cause a cave in, and while she doubted that alone would be enough to kill either of them, she didn't exactly know how deep they were in either. There was no telling how long it would take the others to deal with Laxus and with the potential of limited air from a cave in…it was simply a risk she didn't wish to take.
Freed seemed to catch onto it as well. "What's wrong? Too afraid to use your Explosion magic while we're down here? A wise move on your part, but that simply means that I have the advantage!"
As Free landed a powerful blow against the right side of her head, Bambietta swung her sword at his chest, only for Freed's right arm to block the strike. She quickly performed several backflips as she changed her sword form into that of a bow, firing off several Heilig Pfeil, but while the arrows hit their mark, the damage they left behind was nothing more than a few scraps and bruises.
It was quickly becoming clear that Blut Vene and Blut Atarie,along with her sword and arrows were only going to get her so far. As things stand right now, I'm gonna to lose. I need to either push this fight back up to the surface…or I bust out that new move I've been practicing.
Jumping over one of Freed's strikes, Bambietta looked up for the hole they had entered through. She quickly spotted it and with a burst of Hirenkyaku, she tried to make her way towards the exit. However, just before she could enter, she could feel one of Freed's hands around her right ankle before he tossed her to the ground. "You're not going anywhere!" Freed told her.
As Bambietta landed on her feet and quickly jumped out of the way of yet another one of Freed's strikes, Bambietta formed her sword once more. Alright, fine. New move it is!
She swung her sword back as she began to close her eyes, focusing her reiatsu around the edge of the blade as it began to glow with a bright light.
Freed either didn't notice the light or simply paid it no mind before he began to focus an attack in his right palm. "Darkness Crash!" A large orb formed around his right hand before it fired out towards Bambietta, eradicating the earth beneath it as it traveled. However, Bambietta didn't seem all the concerned and simply swung her blade at the incoming attacks.
"Explodierender Schnitt!" (Exploding Slash)
A bright yet narrow shockwave shot off from her blade's edge, cutting through Freed's orb and slamming right into Freed. Like her sword strikes from before, the wound was shallow, causing Freed to gloat. "Haven't you realized it yet, your sword can't -"
However, Freed's words were quickly cut off as both he, and the two sides of his Dark orb that was still falling to the ground were littered with a series of tiny explosions where they had just been cut. Freed grunted through the pain before he fell to one knee and panted. "What…what on earth was…"
Bambietta smirked as she pressed the back of her blade against her shoulder. "Oh that? Weren't you listening to what I said? It's called Explodierender Schnitt. That's German for Exploding slash…Though I guess you guys wouldn't know what Germany is. Anyway, all I have to do is just concentrate the Power of my "The Explode" around my blade's edge, then unleash it in as small and narrow of a shockwave as I can. The tiny explosions might not be as individually as strong as my normal one, but added up they can pack quite the punch."
She slowly began to approach Feed as she tapped the blade against her shoulder repeatedly. "After dealing with The Tower of Heaven I figured it was best I learned a move that could be used in tight spaces and the like. You're the first one I've actually had a chance to use this on. So, thank you so much for volunteering!"
Freed grit his teeth at her jeering. "You dare…Mock the Pride of the Thunder Legion!?"
Bambietta simply blinked him before she answered. "Um…Yeah, kinda."
Freed let out a roar of rage as he rushed towards Bambietta, but in his anger, his movement became much more predictable. Bambietta dodged to the left as he attempted to grapple her, only for her to swing her sword and unleash her Explodierender Schrägstrich once more.
Freed cried out as another series of tiny explosions covered his neck before he spun around and tried to attack Bambietta once more, but the Quincy simply smirked as she used Hirenkyaku to avoid the strike and landed yet another blow of her new technique from behind.
"Come on, you're making this too easy now!" Bambietta shouted at him. "Don't let me down, I was just starting to think I found myself a new rival!"
"Damn…You." Freed cursed as he panted. The leader of the Thunder Legion glared at the Quincy before he clenched his fists before he let out a powerful shout. A shockwave erupted around him and caused Bambietta's hair to flow in the wind before several dark pillars of darkness began to erupt around him.
Ohhh boy, looks like I pushed a button I shouldn't have. Bambietta dreaded. Cause this feels like it's gonna hur-
"Darkness Breath!"
Before Bambietta knew what happened, a black tornado burst from underneath them and blasted Bambietta through the cave ceiling and through the earth itself until the twister burst from the ground and blasted Bambietta high into the sky. The former Sternritter stopped her ascent as she panted, her body now littered with all sorts of new cuts.
Once again, thank you Blut Vene! Bambietta thought as she glanced down at the hole below. Well, Good news, I'm back outside. Bad news-
Freed burst out from the ground then before he tackled right into Bambietta, knocking the wind out of her before he grabbed her by the leg and flung her to the ground.
Bambietta groaned as she looked the incoming Freed, grimacing. I've really, REALLY pissed him off.
She leapt out of the way as Freed crashed down where she once was, but just as she went in for another sword strike, Freed grasped her wrist and squeezed it hard, forcing Bambietta to let go of her sword, the weapon transforming back into a Quincy cross as it hit the ground.
Freed then slammed his fist against Bambietta's stomach, forcing her to vomit up blood before he grabbed her by one of her ankles and swung her to the ground. Bambietta cried out as her back hit the ground before Freed lifted her up and proceeded to slam her face into the ground. Freed let out a loud shout before he slammed his foot into the back of her head and continued to stomp on it repeatedly.
Soon this battle would finally end. He'd pummel her over and over if that's what it took. With her out of the way, the rest would be easy pickings for him and Laxus, and they would make Fairy Tail the guild it was always meant to be.
Jet. Droy. Maco. Wakaba. Vegiter, Nab, Cana, Levy, Natsu, Gray, Elfman and so many more would soon be expunged from the guild, and he'd never have to see them ever again.
Ever again.
Ever…Again.
They would…all be gone. Every last one of them that Laxus deemed weak. Knowing him that probably even included Erza. Master Makarov would probably leave as well given the circumstances. Yes, they would all be…gone.
At that moment did Freed feel as if a small cold hole was forming in the pit of his stomach, and much to his dismay, it only continued to grow. It was a feeling he knew all too well. One he had wished he'd never experience ever again.
This...This was what we wanted…Right? To expunge the guild of any one that would have been deemed a hindrance. So why then? Why do I feel such sadness!?
(Song of choice: To Hell with Gattai! Gurren Lagann OST)
"Oi, Jackass,"
Freed's eyes shot wide open from the unexpected female voice, only for him to glance downward. Sure enough, it had belonged to one Bambietta Basterbine, the quincy still very much conscious, much to his horror. "Wha-"
"JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM!?"
*KRACKABOOOM!*
Just as Bambietta screamed at Freed with renewed vigor, an explosive burst of energy built up around her body before it quickly fired out, blasting Freed back and utterly devastating the surrounding area.
The leader of the Thunder Legion tumbled across the ground several times before he finally stopped himself and flew up into the air. His gaze met with Bambietta, who took a furious step forward, cracking the ground underneath.
"I'll ask you again. Just who the hell do you think I am, huh!?" Bambietta demanded. "I'm no mere Quincy or some run of the mill wizard! I'm Bambietta Basterbine! Former Sternritter E of the Wandenriech! Star Knight of Fairy Tail! And the one who'll win this year's S class trial!"
Her anger then quickly transformed into a bloodthirsty grin, as she flexed her spiritual pressure. "So now, I think it's time I show you what I can really do. No more Misses nice Bambi. From here on out…I'm going to go nuclear on your ass.
Freed could hardly believe his eyes. What!? She's still conscious even after all that!? Impossible, no one aside from Laxus should be able to-
*KABOOM!*
However, Freed was not allowed the luxury of finishing that sentence, as he was blasted backwards by yet another powerful explosion from Bambietta. His feet dug against the ground before he gnashed his teeth. "Damn you…" He cursed before he clenched his fists. "I won't allow you to hinder our plans any further!"
Darkness began to surround his body then before he took off the ground like a rocket as he attempted to fly close to Bambietta.
Attempted being the key word.
Bambietta, for her part, simply raised her right hand high above her head before she narrowed her eyes at Freed before she calmly uttered her next words.
"Feuerregen." (Rain of Fire)
A massive barrage of blasts fired out from the palm of her hand, before they came crashing down to the ground below, like a storm of hellfire. Freed braced himself for the oncoming attack before the already barren wasteland was littered with hundreds of explosions. As the smoke began to clear, the earth was now littered with craters of various sizes.
Freed panted as he fell to his knees, his body battered and covered with burns from the various explosions. How…How can this woman still have this kind of power left in her? This is ridiculous! Only Erza, Mystogan, Mira and Laxus should be capable of something like this!
Laxus had told him, assured him in fact, that the quincys weren't worthy of the S class titles Makarov had offered them. That they were little more than a sideshow compared to the Thunder Legion. Yet, with Liltotto's victory over Evergreen, and Bambietta's undoubtedly impressive display of power…once more doubt filled Freed's mind.
The green haired mage quickly shook his head. No! You can't start doubting Laxus, not now! You've gone too far to go back! You have to win, you have to! For Laxus's sake! For the guilds!
Before he could give the matter anymore thought, he noticed the looming shadow of Bambietta as she floated above him. She gave him a wink before she tossed an orb of the explode at him, leaving Freed no other choice but to counter with a blast of dark magic. The attempt was successful in terms of preventing the attack from making direct contact, but Freed still felt himself blasted away by the shockwave of the explosion as his body rolled across the ground.
Bambietta placed her hands on her hips once more as she looked down at him. "Well, well, well. Nice reaction time you had there. I was sure I was gonna get a direct hit on you that time. You really are one tough cookie."
Freed slammed his fist to the ground, cracking it before he took several gasps. "You…you…I will defeat you!" Freed proclaimed before he dashed towards Bambietta. Bambietta blocked his first strike with her elbow, before she dodged underneath one of his punches and gave him a swift uppercut. Freed snarled as he tried to throw punch after punch at Bambietta's head, but the quincy dodged to the left, and then the right as she dodged and weaved her way through the flurry of blows. No matter how hard he tried, his punches missed their mark each time before she let out a shout and slammed her knee into his stomach with Blut Arterie.
Freed coughed up some blood before he went in for another strike, but Bambietta grabbed the attack in her hand with no trouble before she punched him hard in the face and kicked him away. Freed skid against the ground before he lunged forward, but a swift punch from Bambietta to his gut quickly knocked the wind out of him before followed it up with a kick to his chest.
"Damn it…Damn it….DAMN IT!"
His body enshrouded itself in darkness, sending them back high up into the sky as he attempted to punch at Bambietta's head, only for her to duck underneath the strike and deliver an upwards punch to his chin, knocking him up even higher into the air than herself. Then, after quickly forming an orb of 'The Explode' into the palm of her right hand, she tossed it at him, the leader of the Thunder Legion just narrowly avoiding the orb of destruction…only for another one to hit him in the back sending him hurtling downwards as Bambietta looked down at him.
"Oh, what's wrong?" Bambietta asked as she soared down after him, giving him a cocky grin and wink as she soon caught up to him mid decent. "Are my explosions just too much for you?"
"Rragh!"
Freed attempted to grab at Bambietta, but instead of the desired result, it was Bambietta who had grabbed him, as she grabbed him by the wrist and simply punched him across the face, before repeating it three more times before she released his wrist from her grasp and kicked him away.
Freed snarled in rage before he took off at Bambietta, once again punching and kicking at her with reckless abandon. However, for each punch he threw her way, the attempt was not only dodged, but promptly countered with her own fist.
A quick kick to his stomach, an elbow to the back of the head, and a blast fired point blank on his chest, Freed was quickly beginning to lose ground in the fight.
Freed groaned in pain as the attack sent him back before he took off with a burst of speed, his fists embedded with darkness, but as Freed tried to unleash yet another flurry of hits which Bambietta weaved through with ease, her battle loving smile slowly began to fade.
Jumping up to avoid his last strike, Bambietta slammed the heel of her foot right onto Freed's head with blut arterie, breaking his nose and sending him to the ground where he lay.
(Stop Track)
Bambietta landed on the ground and gave him a once over, the Leader of the Thunder Legion desperately trying to catch his breath before she shook her head.
"Well, I guess that's that," Bambietta said with some slight disappointment before she turned around and began to make her way towards Magnolia. "Well, it was fun while it lasted. I'd better head back so I can-"
"Wait…I'm not….finished yet!"
Bambietta looked over her shoulder as Freed stood up, the Leader of the Thunder Legion panting with exhaustion before he took a step forward. "You haven't…you haven't beaten me yet. This fight isn't over until one of us is unconscious!"
"No," Bambietta said before she looked away and continued to walk away. "We're done here."
"What are you talking about!? I'm not finished!" Freed told her as he took another step forward. "Did you really think that these injuries are enough to take me out!? I still have plenty of magic to spare! So don't think you've won just because-"
"That has nothing to do with any of it," Bambietta told Freed as she turned around. "I can tell your body still has a lot more to give if you really want to keep going. Like I said, you're one tough cookie."
"Then you acknowledge that the fight isn't over!" Freed yelled at her. "Are you simply running away because you know you cannot defeat me!? Well I won't allow you to just-"
"No, I'm not fighting you anymore because your heart is no longer in it," Bambietta interrupted him. "It's as simple as that."
Freed blinked several times, not having expected that answer from the quincy at all. "My heart's no longer in it? What sort of nonsense is that!? I'm still willing to do whatever it takes to defeat you!"
Bambietta rolled her eyes. "Oh please. Those last few attacks you tried to hit me with were half hearted attempts at best. Most of your punches were off by a mile, your eyes have been filled with doubt for the last minute or so, and the few punches I actually bothered to block I didn't even need to use Blut Vene on."
She huffed with annoyance. "Don't even try to tell me it's because of your injuries. I know it's not because you still have a decent amount of magic left. It's like I said, your heart's just not in it. Not anymore," Bambietta narrowed her eyes at Freed, as her voice lowered. "Is it because you don't think you can win anymore? Or maybe… you're starting to see just how full of shit Laxus's plan to improve the guild really is?"
Freed's eyes widened at her words before he gnashed his teeth and clenched his fists. "No, you're wrong! I don't have any doubts! None whatsoever! Laxus is the one who'll save this guild from its own self destruction! He's the only one who can!" Freed's body began to swell with darkness before he focused the energy into the palms of his hand. "I wouldn't expect a newcomer like you to understand, but this guild need's to be reborn anew! To remove any who would hinder our progress! Laxus will bring about our salvation, and I won't let you be the one to stop him! Darkness Wave!"
A mighty blast of darkness fired off towards Bambietta, but the quincy looked more annoyed at the attack than anything else. She simply sighed before she made her next move.
"Atomic Blast."
A massive blue wave of energy blasted through Freed's Darkness Wave and slammed into his body, sending the leader of the Thunder Legion about half a mile away until his body finally crashed against a nearby mountainside, his demonic form finally fading away. He let out a groan of pain as he tried to get out of the crater…only to find that his body simply wouldn't respond.
"No…No, no, no!" Freed shouted as he tried to get out from the crater, but just like before, his efforts were useless. "I…I can't stop here! I can't! Laxus needs me to…He needs me to-"
"Oh will you stop lying to yourself?" Bambietta said as she appeared right next to him. "Honestly at this point it's embarrassing to watch. Besides, only an idiot would try to hurt his own friends."
"You-You don't know me!" Freed shouted at her. "We've only met twice before until now, so how can you honestly say that! Laxus is the only one that I-"
Bambietta promptly punched him across the face. "Spare me the bullshit! Are you going to tell me that you haven't had any doubts about this beforehand? Any at all?" Bambietta asked him. "I know you have because of that stuff with Wendy, so you can't be that fucking stupid! You're really going to tell me that you think that Laxus's plan is going to make everything better? You know how many mages would be left in the guild? Knowing that pricks standards, I'd say less than ten! Master Makarov sure as hell wouldn't stay after this is all said and done, Erza too! And you can bet your ass that Natsu, Gray and anyone else worth a damn that is considered worthy wouldn't stay after that! Because I know I wouldn't!"
She then grabbed Freed by the throat as her eyes gazed into his own. "I'll admit it, I joined Fairy Tail at first because I wanted to be part of the best! Because I wanted to use the guild for my own gain! I didn't believe in any of that family stuff because I thought it was all bull! But after Phantom Lord I saw that they all meant it, damn it! The guild wasn't just a place for me to get work, it's my home! It's my family! Our family! If you didn't see it that way then you wouldn't care about it nearly as much as you do!"
She then let go of Freed, the green haired mage landing painfully on his back before she continued. "Come on, tell me I'm wrong! I fucking dare you! Because there's no way anyone who's been in the guild as long as you have, wouldn't see it for what it really is!"
Freed could only stare at Bambietta as her words began to resonate with his soul, his mind racing back to the past.
(Song of choice:Fairy Tail theme, Piano version)
"Um…would you mind being a model for a drawing of mine?" Reedus asked Freed as he held up a sketchbook. "I think you have a good, strong face."
"Come on Freed, help us prepare for the master's birthday!" Alzack told Freed as Bisca, Levy, Jet and Droy all smiled at him as they prepared the decorations.
"I heard you're really strong Freed! Let's say you and me go a round sometime!" Natsu proclaimed with a cocky grin.
"Yeah, a real man won't refuse!" Elfman added behind him.
"Yo, Freed! How's about you join us for a drink sometime!?" Cana asked him as she offered him up a keg of beer. "It could do you some good to loosen up!
"You have some rather impressive skills," Erza told Freed with a small smile. "Would you be interested in taking the S class exam? I'll be sure to mention it to the Master if you are."
"Um…thanks for not starting a fight with Bambi, Mr. Freed," Wendy said with a small smile. "I'd rather not have to patch her up again so soon."
"Keep an eye on Laxus for me now, would you?" Makarov told Freed as they stood in his office. "I worry that he may do something foolish someday. I think you're just the kind of person he needs to keep him on the straight and narrow."
Freed's eyes began to well up with tears as the gravity of what he had done finally began to settle in. He was just about to destroy his family! His home! All of the bond's he had made…all of his friends…he almost cast them all out! He began to sob loudly then, covering his face with his right hand as his emotions were laid bare. "I…I…I never wanted any of this." He admitted.
"Yeah, I figured as much," Bambietta said with a slight smile of her own. "Took you long enough to realize it, ya big dummy." She then knelt down next to him before she continued. "So, how's about next year, we do a more formal fighting tournament. It'll be great for everyone to watch. I know Natsu would be all for it, and we could even have the people of Magnolia watch for fun," She then smirked. "Then you and I can have a real fight. Not one where you're fighting for Laxus, or for the future of the guild or any of that bullshit. We'll fight…just for the sport of it."
Freed gave her a weak chuckle. "Yes…Yes I think I'd like that."
"Good," Bambietta said with a nod before her smile faded. "Now can you do me a favor and please turn off that Jutsu Shiki bullshit so Master Makarov and Erza can fight Laxus and put an end to all of this!?" Much as she had meant every single word she had said, things had gone on for long enough. They still had a festival to prepare for once this was over after all.
Freed weakly nodded his head. "Ah, yes of course."
Bambietta smirked as she sensed the barrier fall before she tried to sense how her comrades were doing…only for her face to go pale. Her eyes widened in shock, and breath became heavy.
"W-what the fuck happened!?" Bambietta shouted. Natsu's power was almost completely gone, next to someone she was certain she knew, but couldn't currently place a name to. Ulquiorra was busy fighting fucking Coyote Starrk of all people, and Momo's reiatsu was almost completely spent. Most of the guild was knocked the fuck out, and she could have sworn she sensed both Erza and Makarov were on deaths door, and to further complicate things, she was positive that she was sensing Jellal of all fucking people, despite the he should have been, well… dead.
"Oh…oh this is bad," Bambietta dreaded as she fell to her knees. "Really, really, really bad! All that's left is me, Lucy, Lil, Candi, Rukia, Cana, and Laki!?" It was up to the seven of them to take out that Emberella woman and Laxus? Those were...not good odds, if mostly because of the latter, and especially after the beating she had just taken.
"We're fucked. We're so completely, totally and utterly fucked right now." Bambietta muttered outwardly. Inwardly, however, she was much more…loud.
Damn it, if I had known things had been THIS bad, I wouldn't have bothered to play with my food! Why did I have to choose now of all times to embrace my inner Blood Knight!? Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Freed looked like he wanted to say something, most likely an apology of some kind, but before he could, a tender voice called out.
"Bambi!"
Bambietta quickly turned around, and to her delight, it was none other than Wendy Marvell, carried by her feline companion. She touched down to the ground before she ran towards Bambietta. There was a cut on Wendy's right arm, but otherwise she was completely fine.
"Oh no, you're hurt, just like I thought!" Wendy said as she quickly began to apply some first aid. "I'll heal you up in a jiffy."
Bambietta looked down at Wendy before she smiled. I still can't believe that bastard Gajeel really came through…I guess he really is alright after all. Bambietta ruffled Wendy's hair as the dragon slayer began to heal all of the scrapes and bruises on her body. "Thanks for stopping by Wendy, seriously. But I'm going to need you to only do some basic healing before I go back."
"Ok, I'll come fight with you!" Wendy chipped in, Bambietta's face quickly took a horrified expression as she imagined how well that would have gone.
Nope, nope, nope, the land of ten thousand nopes! Bambietta thought internally before she shook her head. "That's really sweet of you, Wendy, but I've got something even more important I need you to do."
"But-"
Wendy looked like she wanted to object as she continued to heal Bambietta, but the Quincy wasn't having any of it. "Erza's hurt bad, Wendy. Really bad. If you don't get to her soon, she might actually die. I don't think I need to tell you why that's more important."
Wendy looked aghast at the situation as she stopped healing Bambietta, the Quincy practically good as new. Even if she wanted to help out Bambietta more than anything else, even she knew what took priority. She nodded her head. "I understand. I'll try to find her as fast as I can! Carla, let's go!"
"Right!"
As the two took off back towards Magnolia, Bambietta began to make her trek back to the center of town. However, as she took a few steps she heard Fred call out to her.
"Wait…You're not seriously planning on fighting Laxus all on your own, aren't you?" Freed asked her. "I know now that your strength is as good as they say, but Laxus is far stronger than I am!"
"Not like I got much of a choice," Bambietta said before she stopped walking. "Erza gave me the title of "The Star Knight" for a reason. She seems to think I'm S Class worthy. Master Makarov does too. I've always been going on and on about my own hype, so, I guess now's the best time to prove it to everyone. Besides-"
Bambietta then smirked as she looked back at Freed. "As long as I'm in Fairy Tail…I'm never really alone."
Freed glanced back at Bambietta before he closed his eyes and smiled. "Yes, of course…How silly of me. Good luck, Miss Basterbine. You'll need it."
Bambietta gave him a nod, and then a burst of Hirenkyaku, she was gone.
Freed stared where Bambietta had once been, her words from before echoing through his mind before he chuckled to himself. "The Star Knight of Fairy Tail huh?...I suppose that does has a nice S class ring to it after all."
Well, there you have it ladies and gentlemen. I certainly hope the battle was worth both the wait and the hype. Freed certainly put up a good fight, but in the end, he simply couldn't compete against the walking missile launcher that was Bambietta.
It's important to note by the way that I took ythe anime version of Freed vs Mirajane into consideration when I wrote this not the manga. Freed has a far better showing against her in the anime than in the manga, so apply that version of the character to this fight, not the manga.
I also hope that you all enjoyed Freed's backstory. Like the rest of the Thunder Legion, I felt like he deserved one, alongside the new character arc I had given him throughout the arc instead of at the end with Mirajane's victory.
Speaking of Mirajane, it's more accurate to compare Bambietta's current strength to her base Satan Soul than Natsu (at least without any of the emotional boosts he gets.)
While Bambietta currently wouldn't be able defeat Mirajane in her current state in an all-out brawl, Bambi could defeat her in a war of attrition, due to how rusty she's become.
One last thing worthy of note in this hypothetical matchup is that while Mirajane has a 90% chance of winning, she wouldn't be able to tank Bambietta's explosions like she does with Freed. So, if a strong enough one was to hit her dead on, it's possible, though very unlikely, for Bambietta to defeat her.
At least, as things currently stand.
Now, before we discuss one last piece of business, here are the MPFs for the chapter.
Freed (base): 2900
Bambietta (restrained): 3000
Freed (Full power base): 3300
Bambietta (Starting to get serious): 3700
Freed (Dark Écriture: Darkness): 4100
Bambietta (Full power): 4350
Now with that out of the way, I want to bring up something that might be of interest to you, dear reader. Do you want to see the next chapter uploaded sooner than the first of next month? Well, I'm giving you all the opportunity to get that done.
I'm setting up a challenge. If this chapter can get over 15 reviews before the 15th, I'll upload 93 on that exact day. It won't be as long as a normal chapter, but...oh, trust me when I say that I think you'll appreciate it.
The rules are as follows.
1. No guest reviews will count for this. Now, let me be perfectly clear that I normally really appreciate these. However, it would then be entirely possible for one person to simply leave 15 guest reviews, so in this instance it kind of defeats the purpose.
2. Simply saying 'good chapter' won't count either. You don't have to give me anything huge, but something a little more in depth would be appreciated.
That's it really. Pretty simple, right? 15 reviews for this chapter, and you guys can get a chapter out in just a little over two weeks. I try to leave myself a huge backlog so as to have stuff I can post in case things go wrong in my personal life, but I figured I may as well make an exception here. If, that is, the review count is reached.
Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and have a wonderful day. Until next time!
