"Can you meet me there, at midnight? Just… for a few minutes?"
"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" She asked. "Should I get-"
"No!" He interrupted, surprising her. "I'm just a little tired," he cleared his throat. "Just- Please. I know you're busy, but please, just for a few minutes. I won't bother you again, ever." He muttered the last part under his breath, but was unsure if she caught the words.
She contemplated for several moments. "...At midnight you said?"
"Yes," He nodded.
"Why? So you can be the first person to wish me? How kind of you," she laughed jokingly. "But don't you have your duties to attend to?" His heart dropped like a rock at those words. "But sure, I'll be there." She didn't wait for an answer, as if it was a rhetorical question.
"You promise?"
"Promise? Yeah, sure I guess," she then turned around. "I was called in for something, I'll see you at midnight. Make sure you're there on time."
He watched her enter the house and disappear. Then he walked to a secluded area nearby and made sure nobody else was around. Letting out a sigh, he collapsed to his knees, clutching at his chest. It was excruciating, almost unbearable now. However, through all that pain, he let out a rare smile, an actual genuine smile, at least he wouldn't have to be alone.
The clock ticked and ticked, time had never felt so slow to him in his life. He eventually arrived at the meeting spot where he had asked her to come several minutes before midnight. The place that pinned him down to his fate, changed his life forever. Even though she was there when it happened, she was unable to recall it. Perhaps it could help her remember, and it would soothe his pain.
As it approached closer and closer to the time of reckoning, he found it increasingly hard to stand and collapsed against a large rock nearby. A slight worry began to creep up.
No, she promised. Maybe she decided to appear at exactly twelve. Yeah, she's messing with me, he assured himself. She even told me to be here…
However, at the end of it all, his hopes amounted to nothing. The clock struck twelve and she was nowhere in sight.
But she promised…
She promised…
It was only for a few minutes…
His scarred, fractured heart shattered for the final time. The pain of it overpowered the ruptures of his body spasming. He didn't even have it in him to shed a tear. There was nothing left inside of him, except flesh, blood, and bones.
He was about to close his eyes, until the final factor was added to the sum of his actions, and his life averted itself, again…
—oOo—
A young woman stuck her head forward and slammed her hands on the table.
"You're serious!?" She exclaimed with excitement. "You better not be screwing with me."
Her brother mimicked her actions, sticking his head closer and lifting up what looked like a job flier. "I'd never lie about this, they specifically requested for us!" With his voice matching her enthusiasm.
She closed the gap even more, green eyes twinkling, "How much?!" she hissed. He again moved closer.
"He said it depends on how well we do," He grinned and moved his head forward. "Double, if we do it by tomorrow. So you know what that means." Orange eyes gleamed back.
"The greatest stash-"
"-of the greatest chocolate-" their faces were close enough that their foreheads were touching.
"-All to ourselves-"
"-And nothing will stop us from getting-"
"-What is rightfully ours."
No one was paying any particular attention to the twins. If one was a Dove, a member of The Eternal Sky guild, then it was known that this was a common everyday occurrence for Sanaki and Reinhardt Drakengard. Both young, carefree, and full of energy. They shared a very close bond, getting up to funny antics sometimes. A testament to the adventurous lifestyle they had lived as young children before their parents had decided to settle down and start the guild. Their father, Kaito Drakengard served as the Guild Master, while their mother, Enju Drakengard, served the rare position of Deputy Guild Mistress. It was a somewhat recently legalized role to take in a guild. She had been doing it unofficially before that. In the case of their father's absence or inability to carry out his duties, their mother would assume control in his stead.
Despite all of that, both siblings were still quite respected and well-liked in the guild and among the locals. All achieved by their own merit, with Sanaki achieving S-Class at a young age, while Reinhardt excelled… despite his shortcomings.
Several weeks earlier, they had completed a job request for a famous chocolate maker who was infamous for having some of the most expensive of its type in the world. As a reward, the twins were given multiple varieties of their best chocolate.
"I already got permission to take the job," Reinhardt stepped back, planting his boot on the seat and resting his arms on his thigh.
The other Drakengard twin had short, spiky, forest-green hair that was leaned to the left side, somewhat resembling a wind-blown forest. His broad shoulders were covered by a half buttoned, dark blazer over a cream-colored shirt. Beneath his waist were thick, green-gray pants with the edges tucked into his black boots.
"I just need you to sign off and we'll be set," he said.
"Great!" Sanaki exclaimed excitedly. Reinhardt turned around only to hear- "But I can't come," he comically face planted into the ground. All of the build-up… for that!?
"What?! Why not?"
Sanaki's face deflated into an apologetic expression, "I made prior commitments for a special S-Class job. It's also long-term so…" she shrugged and tilted her head. Her shoulder-length dark purple hair hung to the side. She wore an indigo dress with short, frilly sleeves that almost reached her elbows. A large transparent design of the Eternal Sky guild emblem could be seen over the front side. When she was active, she usually adorned a pair of long, skin tight black gloves that covered the entirety of her arms. It reached all the way up to her shoulders. Below, she wore a pair of wide leg cream-colored pants and black shoes, with a distinct design of a wolf in black tracings over it.
"What kind of job is this?" Reinhardt asked.
"Well, it's not really a defined job, but the Magic Council has requested a meeting and potential alliance between the guilds to see if we can come up with a way to deal with the increasing activity of dark mages and guilds. They wanted the guild masters and a couple of S-Class mages from the invited guilds to attend," she explained. "There are still many high profile criminals on the loose that need to be dealt with, or we'll be facing the second coming of the Balam Alliance."
"…"
"Somehow, we were among the invited guilds. Surprised we were even on a list… even though we've been essentially unaffected by it. We'll be leaving sometime later today. We only got the news this morning," Sanaki continued.
"Who's 'we?'"
"Dad, me, and a few others," she answered. "Mom's in charge while we're gone."
"Well, I guess it was about time somebody noticed us," Reinhardt remarked, looking around at their guild mates. "The amount of jobs we've been getting recently was bound to put us on the map." The Eternal Sky was based in the town of Conifère on the Phénix Plateau, past the Phoenix Mountains with whom it shared its namesake, in southwest Fiore. Due to the secluded location, their guild wasn't exactly well-known. It was often called a hidden gem by those who were aware of its existence and the abilities of its members.
The Eternal Sky was founded almost 15 years earlier after their parents had bought an old, dilapidated guildhall that had formerly belonged to a now-defunct guild. They eventually applied to the League of Guilds, thus becoming a legalized guild. Kaito chose a dove to serve as the symbol and emblem of the guild, and so its members were thus given the denomination as "The Doves." At first things were slow, but support from the locals of Conifère and the surrounding areas helped pay to restore the guildhall to a new glory. The addition of new members as the building was repaired only accelerated its growth. The symbolism was simple, but effective. The original guildhall was built into a massive redwood tree that was believed to be the tallest of its kind in the world since the destruction of Tenroujima. Despite the restoration project being complete, several guild members and townsfolk worked to maintain the tree to protect it from sabotage. The location of the tree and guildhall itself was in an area slightly removed from the town inside a small forest that contained several hills and a wide dirt path leading to it.
The back of the guildhall and trees was not far from a cliff that overlooked a rugged beach, giving a perfect view of the ocean and the sunset at night.
The final bottle cap on the guild's development was removed in the year, x784. Following the disastrous collapse and decline of Fairy Tail, formerly the most active and notorious guild in the entire kingdom, jobs and sponsorships started to get delegated to the lesser guilds which helped them raise their status. The Eternal Sky was one such guild, and they became one of the, if not, the strongest guild in the southwest plateau region. It was a little difficult to judge their strength overall as they had never entered the Grand Magic Games, citing lack of interest in competition, not needing the money, and wanting to stay more grounded in their home. Since then, Fiore was dominated by the Big Five: Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel, and Quattro Cerberus, while Fairy Tail had faded into obscurity.
"So, you're not coming then?" Reinhardt asked, sitting back down. Sanaki shook her head, reaffirming her decision. "How long will you be gone?"
"I don't know. Couple days. Maybe even a week. We were given such a short notice, and we don't know much about what's actually going on… Which means you're going to have to go at it alone," Then, suddenly stars started to shine her eyes, and then bent down and grabbed his hands. "Which means you're going to have to work twice as hard to get our rightful prize! No chocolate is safe from the Echoing Demon of the Sky!" Infected by her enthusiasm, Reinhardt mirrored the look in her eyes and grinned, nodding in determination.
"Make sure not to finish that stash on the way back. Save some for me." Footsteps approached and in a synchronized fashion, the twins turned to see their father strolling towards him. His hair was the same purple shade, which was swept up to the right side toward the back, with the bangs split across his face. His green eyes glittered warmly, with his hands tucked into the pockets of his long, ankle-length, buttoned white coat with silver shoulder pads and buttons. The coat also had black lining along the edges. Below he wore smooth gray pants and white shoes. He had a traveling pack slung over his shoulders, ready for another adventure.
Kaito Drakengard was a very laid back man. He was almost always happy and smiling in some way whenever he was seen. He was also quite a powerful mage on his own. He specialized in a type of Take-Over magic of which he simply dubbed as "Take-Over Sky."
"Ready to hit the road, kid?"
"Ready when you are," Sanaki nodded.
"Great! I just got the temporary boss working on whatever I was supposed to be doing," Kaito motioned upstairs, where his office was. "Go get the others, I'll wait for you at the guild entrance."
"Right," Sanaki got up and looked at Reinhardt one last time. "Make sure you don't fail me. You know what to do!" And with that, she ran off to get the other S-Class members that would accompany them.
"You heading out as well?" Reinhardt's father asked.
"They said if the delivery was finished by tomorrow, they would pay double," Kaito's eyes widened.
"Things must be chaotic really there if they're desperate enough to offer you double," he remarked. "Why don't you take someone with you, just in case?"
Reinhardt waved his hand. "I'll be fine on my own." Kaito smirked and he smacked Reinhardt's back. Reinhardt felt the breath leave his body from the sheer force of the action.
"Fine, go on, but make sure you don't embarrass the guild again."
"It… was one… time!" Reinhardt wheezed. "And… it wasn't even my fault!"
"Yeah, yeah, go on," Kaito gave him an eye smile and repeatedly smacked him towards the door. "Get your ass moving Rein, or you'll never hear the end of it from your sister."
"Why are you in a hurry?"
"Knowing our deputy mistress, she wouldn't let you leave without taking someone with you," Kaito slapped his son one last time. "That could hurt your chances to get that reward you want so badly. You need to soar Reinhardt," he waved his hand toward the sky. "Or you'll never reach your full potential. Going at things while being held back by petty restrictions and rules won't help. Although…" He bent down and whispered into Reinhardt's ear. "Don't tell her I said that."
"Fine. Fine," Reinhardt muttered as he was finally pushed out of the guild. "Wait! I forgot my-" A leather strap bag was thrown out the door and into Reinhardt's face. He clutched his nose for seconds, trying to massage the pain away. Then he secured his pack, straightened his jacket, flicked his wrists, and began to move. "Annoying prick…" he muttered. "If he wanted that chocolate so badly, he could've just asked."
Reinhardt snorted and tucked his hands into his pockets. He was greeted by several of the locals as he walked past their shops and businesses. He still had plenty of time to burn before reaching his destination, which was a couple towns away.
Reinhardt stopped at an inn near the entrance of the town and went inside.
"Hello, Reinhardt," he was greeted by a kind, middle-aged woman who was approaching from the kitchen with a serving dish. She had long blonde hair that was tied up in a single braid. She wore a simple black dress with an apron over it. Warm blue eyes greeted him. "Off on another mission?"
"Freya," Reinhardt greeted back with a smile. "And yes, I am. Sanaki and I received a callback from a previous employer, but she unfortunately couldn't come, so I am off on it alone." The now-named Freya carried her tray of dishes over to a table. Aside from the maids that cleaned and set the rooms, Freya often worked alone in the inn. She did have a daughter, Rhea, but she was busy with her duties as the guild's medicinal advisor, as well trying to touch up and enhance her abilities. As a result, she was rarely able to help out. Her husband was also no longer in the picture. She walked back and went behind the bar to make Reinhardt's usual.
"Is that so?" she said, while working the kitchen. The door to the kitchen was very visible from his seat, so they could talk fine. "I did hear about that. Trouble is brewing around these parts, I just hope it never hits this town."
"So do I," he agreed. Freya had been a very close family friend to them since the guild was established. She was originally from up north, but eventually traveled all the way down to southwest Fiore, desiring a simple and peaceful life. "But we can't stay this way forever."
"We can't escape what fate has in store Reinhardt," Freya said calmly, as threw some vegetables and meat onto a pan. "But we can control how it affects us. I'm sure your parents understand all too well." His eyes narrowed slightly at that. "While I don't know their exact history before they came here, I can tell they struggled greatly. They weathered the storm together and came out of it stronger than before."
"Right," he murmured. He too, was in the dark about their parents' full history. He and his sister never liked to bring the topic up, since there was clearly trauma that was experienced, but the secret had to come out eventually, right?
"Appreciate what you have, or you'll never know it until it's gone," Freya placed the food in front of him. The comforting, familiar scents of the spices and flavor helped him relax. "You may not realize it, Reinhardt, but you're a role model to many people here. If not for your sheer dedication and hard work. Even the members of your own guild probably look up to you, whether they want to admit it or not."
Reinhardt scoffed, but smiled appreciatively. He picked up the spoon and fork and began to dig in.
"Well, my apologies," Freya gave a nervous smile. "That went quite deep, but I hope you take my words to heart." He heard the doors open, resulting in more people entering the inn. That was her queue to leave.
—oOo—
Phénix Plateau.
This area was bound to be struck soon if he was correct in following their pattern of movement. There was only one major guild in the vicinity. Only one? All the more reason for this area to be a target.
This was quite a busy, bustling town, but it was also very peaceful. He had no desire to disturb the tranquility that these people lived in. He would take care of his business and move on. He attracted several stares as he walked through the main street.
"Is he a Dove? I've never seen him before." Some people began murmuring. He paid no heed to their words and eventually stopped in front of an inn. He pushed the doors open and collided with another person who was exiting the place.
"Oh! My apologies," the person said, patting out the creases of his blazer. The newcomer simply grunted and nodded, before walking in. "Bye, Freya!" He heard the other person call out. He went up to the bar and took a seat. A man wearing a hood in a black cloak sat a few stools away from him. He had several scars lining his face, making the newcomer raise his eyebrows a little.
"What can I do for you?" A woman, who he assumed was named Freya, walked up to him.
"Sake?" He asked, his voice was rough, and he softly cleared his throat. A result of not exactly being the most talkative person.
"You want sake? Rare choice, but yes I do have some in stock," she replied. "I don't usually have it here, since almost nobody asks for it. Please excuse me for a few moments while I go to the storeroom." He nodded. He looked around the dining area. There was a family enjoying themselves at a booth next to the window, and a couple others relishing in their meals. Just minding their own business, not a care in the world.
Good.
But careful.
Keep cherishing it.
Never let it escape from you.
You never know how much something is worth.
Until it is gone.
Regret is an ugly feeling.
The feeling that you can't go back and fix it.
Not that it could ever be forgiven.
"Would you like to start a tab?" Freya had returned. She popped open the bottle and began pouring a glass. Another simple nod. "Not much of a talker are you?" Silence. "Well, not my problem. However… you're a wizard right? Your attire gives it all away. Your hands are scarred and calloused from what I assume is fighting. You're not a Dove, are you?" He raised his eyebrow in confusion, which confirmed her suspicions. "It's a denomination for members of The Eternal Sky, the guild in this town," she explained. "Just don't go causing any trouble. Not that I need to tell you that, that guild would defend this town to its last breath. They don't take kindly to outside trouble or interference. Neither do the townsfolk for that matter." He didn't react to her words immediately and simply stared off to the side while resting his chin in his palm.
"I have no desire to disturb the peace here," he finally said. But the peace being disturbed is inevitable. He silently added. The woman shrugged and pushed the glass towards him. He took it and began to drink.
"Well, before I leave you to your drink, what name should I put on your tab, sir?" He put the sake down and sighed. Dark gray eyes narrowing slightly.
"Kenzaki."
—oOo—
As he was about to leave town, Reinhardt heard a distant explosion. He turned around to see fire and smoke rising over Conifère, near the inn he was just at. "What the-" He immediately abandoned his path and ran back towards the town gates. He tightened his leather satchel and sped up to a sprint. As he approached the source of the blast, he saw numerous figures in dark clothing wreaking havoc against the local businesses. The townsmen and other locals were running amok aimlessly and yelling out in fear. "Get away from here!" He yelled. "Go toward the guild if you can!"
However, something caught his attention, the temperature. It was cold all of a sudden. Like a freezing wind had just blown over the area. He noticed bits of some black shiny substance littering the ground and nearby buildings. The carnage became more and more evident and he started to get chills. That was when he noticed a massive black glacier occupying the spot where the Freya's inn used to be.
Reinhardt's breath caught in his throat. "No! Freya!" Fear welled up in his stomach. He frantically dashed toward the ice, but had to leave his path in order to dodge a stray attack. Again, his attention was drawn to someone who was standing at the center of all the chaos. It was a little hard to see due to the smoke and the small clouds of condensation, but he eventually recognized the figure as one of Freya's customers who had come in not long after he had. He had light-blue hair tied up in a ponytail with several scars running down his face. He wore a long black trench coat with what seemed to be a chest plate underneath.
How ironic. After all that talk about protecting the town, this happens.
He noticed one of the families from before caught in the crossfire of the pillaging. The perpetrator was blasting black ice all over the place. Black ice? God Slayer?
He gasped as one of the children fell to the ground and was about to fall victim to an attack. "Come! Run!" The child's mother yelled frantically.
Reinhardt reacted immediately. He threw his satchel to the side and pulled out a particular object, an Onsa, a special tuning fork. He flicked the prongs out and tapped it against a piece of metal on the ground. Hearing the ringing sound, Reinhardt blasted back into a sprint towards the boy. He held the Onsa to his forehead as strange black waves began emanating from it. His body became engulfed in bright, violet flames as it started to go through some sort of metamorphosis. He zoomed past the parents and dived in front of the child. He was still in mid-transformation as black ice struck him. However, the flames were able to mitigate the damage. Several seconds later, they dispersed revealing a Reinhardt in a peculiar set of armor.
He was wearing a sort of thin, purple armored suit that outlined his body and muscles. Red gauntlets outlined his hands and wrists. He wore shoulder pads with the same purple color as the skin. Metal bracelets adorned his wrists and ankles, while a metal collar was equipped around his neck and part of his chest. He wore a belt around his waist with his Onsa equipped to the side. However, the most intriguing part about this transformation was the helmet. The face? It was an almost faceless mask with jagged, red lines almost converging, leaving a gap at the center. There were also two small, light gray horns on top. The Hibiki Armor, otherwise known as the Echoing Demon. A gift from his parents who had had the Onsa in their possession for quite a long time.
The boy stared with wide eyes at him. Reinhardt grabbed his Ongekibou drumsticks, which were equipped behind his waist. The boy's mother ran forward and embraced her son. Another stray attack was headed their way and Reinhardt sprung into action. He ignited his sticks with flames and smacked the attack away. Landing on the ground, he stood up and spun the stick in his hands, while looking at him.
"Run," he said.
"Thank you," his mother whispered before she ran off.
Reinhardt turned around and held his arms out slightly, the sticks smoldering with white hot flames. He ran and struck the nearest dark wizard, then twirled around then took out two more at the same time, slowly making his way toward the ice magic user. Eventually, he was only a couple meters away from the perpetrator, when a wave of black ice was shot at him.
Reinhardt was barely able to jump over the attack, but he used the momentum to land a powerful strike on the dark wizard, making him slide back a little.
"Guess this town isn't just fodder," he remarked, before smirking. "But I'll be damned if some Holder Magic user troubled me." Reinhardt flicked his wrists threateningly, signifying his distaste for the statement.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Why are you attacking this town?"
"I am called Coldstar. And why? Simply chaos," the mage said, spreading his arms out.
"Coldstar… I remember seeing your name on wanted posters… but why are you attacking us? There's nothing of value here that could help you."
"I beg to differ. This area is one of the last places to have been affected. I decided to change that."
"Why you…"
"Chaos breeds instability. Instability paves the way to change."
"What change? The Balam Alliance is dead, you have nothing to stand on!" Reinhardt shot back.
"Technically, Tartaros still exists, but what is broken can always be rebuilt," Coldstar silkily stroked his chin. "That old woman in the inn-" Reinhardt tensed, he had momentarily forgotten about Freya, and anxiety began to well up within him. "She seemed well-liked and popular. What better way to destabilize something than to destroy a symbolic part of-"
He was interrupted mid-sentence as Reinhardt burst forward and swung at him. Coldstar was barely able to react in time to parry away the attack, but he stumbled back. Reinhardt didn't let the chance go to waste as he brought his knee up. Coldstar blocked the attack, but Reinhardt swerved around and slammed both sticks into his arms.
Reinhardt heard approaching footsteps as some of his guild mates joined the fray. It wasn't all of them, but he assumed that the rest were elsewhere trying to protect the people.
He growled slightly and coated his fists in ice and collided them with the flames on Reinhardt's sticks. This time, a shockwave sent Reinhardt back, making him lose his balance. He spun the sticks around, refreshing the flames, but at this point Coldstar was on the counterattack.
He jumped forward, kicking his leg up, but Reinhardt was able to hit them back down, releasing a cloud of steam from the collision of fire and ice.
Coldstar formed long blades of black ice and grinded them together threateningly. Reinhardt put his right foot and held up his right arm defensively, while continuously spinning the left stick. They circled each other for several moments, until Coldstar made the first move. Reinhardt reacted by clapping his sticks together creating a bright flashbang. They clashed their weapons against each other, Reinhardt skillfully clapping his sticks together to build up the fire and make more flashbangs to try and throw him off. He eventually landed a hit with both sticks into Coldstar's chest and kicked him into the ground.
"You… you are much stronger than you seem," Coldstar muttered, slowly getting up. Reinhardt stamped his feet into the ground as a purple Magic Circle formed under him. Coldstar suddenly found himself unable to move as strings of some violet energy kept him binded down. His opponent began to rhythmically clap his sticks together as if building up for a final attack. Eventually, what looked like a purple shield formed in front of Coldstar. Reinhardt finished his routine and with immense strength, slammed the sticks into the shield, like sticks on a drum. However, the drum then shattered like ice, causing Reinhardt to fall back in shock. "But I didn't come here to fall to some fire sticks!" He went back on the attack. They clashed blows and were eventually locked into a stalemate. Coldstar seemed to be surprised by how strong Reinhardt was in holding him back, but unfortunately for Reinhardt, that left him open.
"[Ice God's Breath]" Coldstar breathed out a freezing wave of black snow that put out the flames on Reinhardt's sticks. The tops were frozen, but he was unable to melt it off. This was, of course, no ordinary ice.
Coldstar kicked Reinhardt in the face, followed by a backhand, sending him tumbling to the ground. Reinhardt grunted, he put the sticks away and could only hopelessly attempt to defend himself. Coldstar then picked him up by the metal collar and practically drop kicked him into a house. He winced in pain at the force of the kick, but luckily the armor protected him from any serious damage of glass and debris.
"Reinhardt!" He heard someone call out to him in worry, but Coldstar silenced them with an [Ice God's Glacier], creating a barrier and preventing any of his guildmates from assisting him at the immediate moment.
It was embarrassing how quickly he lost ground in the fight. He was always able to start strong, but could never hold it.
Coldstar menacingly walked over to him, black clouds getting thicker and thicker around him as he began building up magic.
Reinhardt growled and attempted to manifest another of his weapons, but he couldn't focus. Everything had happened so fast. One minute he was enjoying his lunch at Freya's inn, the next minute the town was attacked and Freya potentially killed, and he was getting kicked around like a ragdoll by this Coldstar person.
Giving up, he drew his sticks and attempted to break the ice. Coldstar released another wave of freezing ice that froze most of Reinhardt's body, and he couldn't escape.
"[Ice God's-]" Suddenly something sharp and metallic zoomed between the both of them and embedded itself in the wall. It looked too small to be a sword, but too big to be a dagger. It was a short, but wide blade with jagged edges, with the handle seemingly connected to a set of chains.
Coldstar paused his approach to turn and look at where it had come from. Reinhardt stared on in bewilderment when he saw a massive hole in the glacier that had destroyed Freya's inn. The chains connecting the blade were sourced from the makeshift entrance. Several people, followed by Freya, emerged. A massive knot in Reinhardt's chest relaxed when he saw that she was indeed alive. Shaken and shocked, but alive.
"He survived?" Coldstar's eyes glittered dangerously.
He? Reinhardt questioned. Who's 'he?' Then he was suddenly questioning who had broken the ice in the first place.
A second blade shot out of the entrance and embedded itself into the ice blockade created by Coldstar. In one fell swoop, a dark figure leapt out the glacier and gracefully landed on his feet. The chains connecting the blades were wrapped around his hands and wrists.
Reinhardt's eyes widened, he recognized the newcomer as the same person he had accidentally bumped into as he left Freya's inn, after finishing his meal.
"You," Coldstar called out, turning away from Reinhardt. "You survived?" The user of the blades slowly stood up and laser-focused his gaze on Coldstar.
He had smooth, but slightly rough medium-length, dark red-brown hair swept to the left. It were also matched with dark gray eyes. He could see him wearing a pair of silver earrings, though he couldn't tell what the design was from that distance. His skin was slightly tanned, definitely not from around here. He wore a black, waist-length coat with white lining and numerous straps and buckles fitted across diagonally keeping it closed. A set of black armor pieces were fitted to his shoulders and shins, with the shoulder pieces protruding out.
The newcomer didn't say a word, but instead tugged his arms inward. The sound of wood breaking and ice cracking seemed to alert Coldstar to the sudden danger he was in. His eyes widened as he was too slow to react to a massive chunk of ice and wood converging on him.
The newcomer quickly turned around to the people he had saved. "Go," he motioned toward the opening he had just created in the ice barrier. Most of them ran off, but Freya was a little slower. Reinhardt saw her look up at him in what seemed to be a mix of gratitude, confusion, and shock.
Coldstar suddenly burst from the debris that had crashed into him, his hair becoming undone in the process. He grunted and rubbed his arms.
"You're that bounty hunter," he growled. "The one with the chained blades. You-" Reinhardt gasped as the so-called bounty hunter ran forward with incredible speed and delivered a kick to the chest so powerful, it created a mini crater on impact.
Coldstar wheezed, but managed to get back up and flick his leg out, unleashing a wave of black ice. The bounty hunter swung his blades into the ground, creating a small earthquake in the process and destroying the ice. He then jumped back, and sent his blades towards Reinhardt. Said person's eyes widened, "Wait!" He shut his eyes as the blades impacted with the ice that was imprisoning him. Reinhardt fell to the ground and shivered a little. Despite having his armor still on, the coldness had seeped through and he was feeling numb.
His savior disarmed the blades, and attached them behind his back, where they then disappeared.
Coldstar shakingly got up, pulling strands of loose hair behind his ear. "Why are you putting those away? What are you playing at?" The bounty hunter peeled the chains off his arms, revealing how calloused his skin was, and they disappeared in a flash of blue light, replaced by a set of black gauntlets and bandages around his hands.
"Requip?" Reinhardt murmured.
He stamped his feet down and put himself into a fighting stance. "I'm not trying to kill you," the bounty hunter simply said.
"So, you're holding back?" Coldstar narrowed his eyes, before sneering. "You'll regret it."
Reinhardt, recovering, realized that his sticks were also free of their ice prison and immediately reignited them. He ran forward to the bounty hunter's side.
"Let me help you," he said.
"Don't get in my way." His… ally? Was he an ally? -Said. Reinhardt was unsure if that meant yes or no, but he wasn't just going to stand around and let some stranger fight for him.
"[Ice God's Cannon]" Coldstar held his arms out and shot a beam of black ice. Reinhardt reacted immediately and released balls of fire at the beam. The bounty hunter had reacted before him, but the fire balls were fast enough to hold the ice back, clearing a path for him to strike. However, Coldstar was ready for it and he used the steam to obscure vision and coated one of his fists in ice and punched out and struck the bounty hunter square in the chest. The recipient of the attack grunted and fell back as the black ice began to spread across his upper body. Coldstar sneered, "[Ice God's Solid Strike]" His foot coated in ice closed in on its target.
Reinhardt ran forward to try and assist him, but the bounty hunter was able to bring one of his arms up to block the attacks with his gauntlets. His movements were more restricted, however, causing him to stumble back. Reinhardt then turned his attention back to Coldstar and hit his sticks together, building up greater flames.
"Back for more?" Coldstar raised an eyebrow. Reinhardt tensed himself, determined to not fail round 2, while the bounty hunter struggled with the ice building up around him. Reinhardt rushed straight into battle unleashing a flurry of attacks on Coldstar. This time, he wouldn't let up and allow the Ice God Slayer to take advantage of a potential opening.
There was a sudden burst of flames that engulfed the bounty hunter. Reinhardt flinched and had to jump back as Coldstar did exactly as he predicted in taking advantage of an opening. He spun around and kicked Reinhardt, followed by a strike from his ice blades that he could barely block.
"Urgh," the bounty hunter groaned, and he struggled to get up to his knees. There was a look of surprise and shock on his face, but eventually he was back on his feet and standing straight and tall. He clenched his fist, stepped in front of Reinhardt, and punched out with incredible speed, striking a weak point on Coldstar's shoulder, burning through his clothing and leaving a decisive scorch mark. A black iced hand swung out and got a clean hit on the bounty hunter's side, but he fought through the attacks and stamped down on Coldstar's foot, before bringing his elbow up to the chin. Then, the bounty hunter front flipped and brought his heel down on the Coldstar's head.
Coldstar's face slammed straight into the ground. Sluggishly pulling himself back up, he blasted ice from his hands into to launch himself back, and staggered to his feet.
"Agh! Why you-" Coldstar ran forward and began to pound down on the burning bounty hunter, but his opponent was clearly the better fighter when it came to pure skill in combat. Blocking his punches and kicks and retaliating with his own. Coldstar only managed to land a few hits, that might as well have done nothing as the bounty hunter seemed to brush them aside with little to no flinches.
Eventually, Coldstar staggered back which allowed the bounty hunter to fully counterattack. Reinhardt gasped as the bounty hunter kneed Coldstar in the chest up into the air, followed by a sweep kick that sent him spinning, followed by a set of lighter punches that still had enough impact to keep him up, while also releasing small shockwaves and bursts of fire. It was almost as if he was juggling the dark wizard. After several seconds, he flicked his foot up into Coldstar's head, flipping him forward, and slammed a full-powered fist down on his chest, creating an even bigger crater in the ground than before. Whoa, was Reinhardt could think. He had never seen anything like that before.
The dust soon cleared, revealing Coldstar lying on the ground, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and mouth open. Burns littered his body like a craters on a moon.
"You did it," Reinhardt murmured. He looked at his fingers and flexed them, disappointed in his performance during the fight. He heard a pained grunt from the flame-engulfed bounty hunter who was clutching at his chest. His eyes were wide as he gritted his teeth and struggled to breathe.
"Hey," Reinhardt said. "Are you alright?" The flames only seemed to get hotter. His chest began to heave harder and harder.
"You…" he whispered to particularly no one. Reinhardt was barely able to pick up on his words. "You still have more?"
He fell to his knees, but managed to hold himself up with his arms.
"Oi! What's wrong with you?!" Reinhardt called out to him. He then heard approaching footsteps. "Stop it! Stay!" He held his out to his approaching guild mates, who had by now taken care of the minions. He began to take several steps forward toward the burning bounty hunter. His armor provided full resistance to the heat.
However, he had to react quickly and jump back when the fire flared to immense temperatures and became a deep crimson, and it didn't seem that the Hibiki Armor could resist that. He couldn't see the person inside of it anymore. Reinhardt stared in shock as bits of metal around him began to melt. But eventually, the flames suddenly dispersed, revealing its victim to be unconscious on the ground.
"H-Hey!" Reinhardt's helmet deformed, exposing his face. He ran over and bent down, shaking the bounty hunter. He was breathing, so he wasn't dead. What the hell was that about? It looked like he was a Fire Magic user, but was somehow unable to control the flames.
Unlike Coldstar, he didn't have any burns or injuries, but whatever the case may be, he couldn't just leave him there. Not only that, the town basically owed him for defeating Coldstar.
Speaking of which, the Ice wizard was still in the same state as he was before. Reinhardt would get somebody else to take care of Coldstar until the Magic Council arrived to deal with him.
Reinhardt placed a hand on his belt, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. The rest of the armor disappeared and he was back to his normal self.
Medical assistance from the local clinic as well as from nearby towns had arrived. Reinhardt borrowed a stretcher. The stretcher was enchanted to float in the air, so he could do the load by himself. He decided to take the unconscious mage to the infirmary in the guild, so he could get more specialized treatment from Rhea, as the clinic was mainly for cases of non-Magic.
"Who is that?" Reinhardt heard someone ask him.
"...Someone who deserves our gratitude," he replied. He sighed and finally took in the sight of the town before him. Thankfully, it seemed mostly intact, and most of the damage had been done near the entrance. However, he could still see stray attacks having dealt damage to some of the farther buildings, looking like a stain on their beautiful town.
Eventually, Reinhardt arrived back at the guildhall. He was only meters away from the doors when they suddenly opened and a woman walked out. She stopped in front of them and stared. She had a sharp, stern expression as her eyes darted back and forth between Reinhardt and the stretcher.
She was quite tall for a female and held an imposing presence. She was just barely above him in height. Glittering orange eyes and long, pale green hair tied up in a low ponytail, she wore a set of black robes that were fit tight around her body with loose sleeves and bottoms. It almost resembled an Eastern-style kimono, but not quite. A sword was sheathed on her side with her hand resting on the hilt.
Then, as if a spell had been broken, she relaxed her stance.
"Rein, I thought you left. Why are you still here?" She finally asked.
"I didn't leave immediately, and I was close enough to see the first explosion, so I came right back," he explained.
"So you got involved in the fight," she sighed. "You're hurt. I can see some bruises forming on your face." She murmured in a motherly tone.
"I'll be fine Mom. Nothing I haven't had before." he waved his hand to the side. The woman, Enju Drakengard, turned toward the stretcher, a guarded expression returning to her face. "Are Dad and Sanaki still here?"
"No, they were long gone by the time the attack began. They probably don't even know what happened yet. It's a miracle that we were able to contain the damage when most of our S-Class mages and Guild Master were away."
"Well, thanks to this guy, he took out their leader, Coldstar," Shock formed on Enju's face for a brief moment.
"Is this Kenzaki?" she suddenly asked.
Reinhardt blinked a couple times, "Kenzaki? Who?" Right on cue, Freya peaked out the doors. It seemed she had been taking refuge in the guild since being rescued. Her eyes widened when they landed on the bounty hunter
"Yes! That's him! Kenzaki," Freya ran out toward the stretcher. "What happened?" She looked up at Reinhardt.
Reinhardt opened his mouth, but nothing came out. "…I'm not really sure." His mother raised an eyebrow. "I'll explain later. Can we get him up to the infirmary?" Enju nodded slowly and motioned for him to follow her.
As he made his way up to the infirmary, he noticed some of his guild mates stare at Kenzaki with a sort of guarded curiosity. However, none of them dared to question it since Enju herself had given her approval.
Luckily, Rhea had prepped the infirmary as soon as she heard about the attack. Once they had gotten him settled down, she checked over Kenzaki and diagnosed him with a moderate case of Magic Deficiency Syndrome. A very treatable condition that simply required lots of rest.
At a table away from the bed, Reinhardt sat down with Enju. She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms and legs. They were alone in the infirmary as Rhea had left to check on the others once it was confirmed that Kenzaki was clear of any danger.
"Explain," she said. His mother had that look in her face again.
"In the middle of the fight, Coldstar struck him straight in the chest with one of his ice attacks. I tried to hold him off while… Kenzaki, right?… while Kenzaki tried to break out of the ice as it was spreading across his body," Enju was nodding and listening intently, as if she was trying to figure something out. "Maybe the ice triggered something inside him because he suddenly burst into flames, and it quickly melted away."
"Quickly?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, within seconds it was gone," Reinhardt nodded.
"God Slayer elements are not normal. In this case, the ice should've had a much higher melting point," she said. "For his flames to melt them so quickly…"
"I think an even stranger thing about this is that he himself was surprised by it," Reinhardt pointed out.
"What do you mean?"
"Like- He didn't expect the flames. It's like he didn't intentionally activate them or whatever."
"So, he couldn't control them?" She inquired.
"Sort of, he managed to bring down a little bit and went back into the fight and…" Reinhardt's voice trailed off. He slumped a little and looked down, envy on his face.
"What is Rein?" A bit of concern leaking into Enju's voice.
"He did some of the craziest martial arts," He said, looking back up at his mother. "I'd never seen anything like it before. I don't think even Sanaki could do what he did. His attacks, his punches, his kicks, it all had a strange deep impact to them. He was throwing Coldstar around like a ragdoll… like he did to me, but worse… and soon he started juggling him in the air with these strange light punches. Kind of like this," Reinhardt mimicked the movements from what he could take from memory. Bewilderment was spreading across Enju's face as Reinhardt described Kenzaki's fighting style. "And then he was out. He defeated Coldstar just like that. It wasn't flawless obviously, Coldstar himself got in some good blows, but in the end, Kenzaki defeated him." Enju was looking down, an expression of mixed concern and thoughtfulness on her face as she cupped her chin.
"Did he not use magic?" She finally asked.
"Aside from the flames? No. I guess they did help in hurting Coldstar, but I think his martial arts did the majority of the work," he answered. Then he snapped his fingers, "Oh right! He has these blades that he swings around using chains."
"Yes, Freya told me about the blades. That's how he saved her and her customers, but did he not use them in the fight?" She questioned.
"He did initially, but put them away with Requip magic, saying that he wasn't trying to kill Coldstar," Reinhardt met her gaze. "He's a bounty hunter, apparently a notorious one at that, since Coldstar seemed to be aware of him and his blades."
"I have vaguely heard about this bounty hunter… The one with chained blades. So he's unaffiliated. Just an independent…" she muttered.
"I'm not done yet," Her attention was back on him. "After he defeated Coldstar, he suddenly lost control of the flames. They flared up and began to get hotter and hotter. He muttered something, but it was so quiet that I can't really remember what it was now," Reinhardt racked his forehead trying to recall the words. "Whatever the case though, the flames were getting so insanely hot that I thought it might burn through my armor."
"Your armor?" Her eyes widened in shock. "But the Hibiki Armor is supposed to be completely fireproof-" She paused as if realizing something.
"What? What is it?"
"I will tell you later," she stood up. "If I can confirm something... Did you know that Coldstar is an S-Class criminal?"
"I think I recall seeing that on a wanted poster, but I guess it makes sense when I look back at it."
"He was a member of Grimoire Heart," she revealed.
"Grimoire Heart? Where have I heard that name before…?" Reinhardt asked himself.
"That was the guild that attacked Fairy Tail on their island shortly before their demise."
"Oh, they were one of the main members of the Balam Alliance," He finally recalled the information.
"He was said to be on par with the Seven Kin of Purgatory, but was off doing other tasks when they attacked Fairy Tail. Him and Zancrow formed the God Slayer duo of the dark guild. Fire and Ice God Slayer magic," Enju explained. She suddenly walked toward the window and saw several of their mages returning with Coldstar completely binded. He seemed to be still unconscious. "I need to deal with this, and the Magic Council when they inevitably arrive to take him." She pointed at Kenzaki, "You stay here and watch him. When he wakes up, immediately call for me, understand? It doesn't matter what I am doing."
Reinhardt nodded quickly, "Understood," the stern Guild Mistress had returned. With that, Enju left the room and headed downstairs to deal with Coldstar and the fallout of the recent attack.
Reinhardt collapsed back into his chair and sighed. He looked at Kenzaki, who didn't look close to waking up yet.
He didn't want to accept it, but deep down, he knew things would never be the same again.
—oOo—
The sound of stirring awoke Reinhardt. He jerked up into his seat, realizing that he had fallen asleep watching Kenzaki. He turned to the source of the noise and saw that Kenzaki was beginning to awaken. He slowly opened his eyes and took slow, deep breaths.
"He's awake," Reinhardt muttered. He ran out of the room and luckily, was able to see his mother from his position on the stairs.
"Make sure the two of you are watching him at all times," Enju was speaking to a pair of guild members. "Beware that he is an S-Class danger, but I have taken all the precautions I can to seal away his abilities. I don't want to make you prison wardens, but it is necessary for the time being, until the council's Custody Enforcement Unit arrives. Is that alright with you?" The guild members nodded and headed down to the prison cell.
Every legal guild was required to have a working prison cell complete with magic sealing barriers in order to hold criminals, until the Magic Council could properly dispose of them. It was the first time in The Eternal Sky's history that their cell was being used.
"He's awake," Reinhardt called out. Enju turned to him immediately and rushed up the stairs. She followed Reinhardt into the room, to see Kenzaki grunting and slowly trying to sit up. He kept blinking his eyes trying to wave off the fatigue from being knocked out. He turned his head to Reinhardt and Enju and then his gaze drifted across the room.
"Who- who are you? Where am I?" Kenzaki asked. He tried to get up, but collapsed again.
"Relax," Enju said. Her tone was neutral, neither welcoming nor hostile. "You're in our guild's infirmary. You fell unconscious after defeating Coldstar. Do you remember that?"
"Yes…" He shook his head for one final time, before locking his dark gray eyes on them. "You… You were the one in the armor," He said to Reinhardt. Kenzaki turned to Enju. "You are…?"
"I'd like to know who is in my guild before I give anything away," Enju said flatly.
"Ken-"
"Kenzaki, right? But I want your full name," Enju interrupted. Kenzaki looked slightly taken aback by her attitude, and Reinhardt started to become uneasy. Why was she acting like this?
"...Ken- Haruto. Haruto Kenzaki," He finally said. The now-named Haruto definitely looked unhappy with giving his name away.
"Haruto…" Enju echoed. "You are a bounty hunter, correct? You were hunting down Coldstar?"
"I am, but I wasn't hunting anyone down in particular. I came to the Phénix Plateau as it was the last area to be completely unaffected by the recent attacks across the kingdom. I encountered Coldstar by pure chance," Haruto explained.
"So you knew we were going to be attacked?" she inquired.
"Not here specifically, but nearby. It was a very high probability. I have been at their tail for quite a while, so I recognize their pattern of movements," he answered. "However, I did not expect he would come to this town, when they have an entire guild situated here."
"Right…" Enju said. "Where are you from?"
"I don't see why that's relevant."
"Answer the question," she said sharply, narrowing her eyes. Reinhardt frowned and looked at his mother.
"Nowhere. I have traveled for as long as I have been alive. A nomad, you could say," Haruto answered.
"Impossible. Everyone comes from somewhere, where were you born?" She asked.
"I don't remember."
Oh, Reinhardt felt his stomach drop. That also meant he was likely an orphan. He had no parents to raise him. That certainly explained his detached personality. He couldn't imagine not having his parents, or his sister beside him. They were with him for as long as he was alive.
Enju sighed in frustration. "Fine, we'll put that aside. Now, since you defeated Coldstar, I assume you're going to collect the reward?"
"Yes," Haruto answered.
"Is that why you saved our town, for money?" Enju pushed. "Waiting for enemies to come, and then strike?"
"Money is for living necessities. Would you rather I live like a caveman?" Haruto crossed his arms and frowned. "I will be fair and say that he deserves some credit for holding Coldstar off," he nodded toward Reinhardt. "So he is entitled to at least a portion of the bounty. And no, I am not some honorless mercenary or hunter, otherwise I would have let those people die and gone after Coldstar immediately." Enju was silent, likely knowing that he was right. "If you don't want me here, then just say so. You don't have to beat around the bush. I helped save your town, and you treated me. The debt is paid." Haruto got up, much stronger this time, and attempted to stand, but his legs immediately crumpled and he collapsed to the ground.
"Whoa!" Reinhardt ran over to Haruto, but he held his arm out and managed to pull himself back up onto the bed. He looked back at his mother. Some of her anger and hostility had cleared away and her expression softened at Haruto struggling. She clicked her tongue and looked away with a bit of shame.
"I am not heartless," she said. "You did save the town, and you saved the life of a very close friend of mine, and from what I understand, you also saved my son's life. I will let you stay until you are fully recovered. You have Magic Deficiency Syndrome, so it will likely be a few days. It is the least I can do." Haruto didn't exactly look excited at the prospect of staying at the guild. Not that Reinhardt could really blame him, especially with the way Enju talked to him.
"However, there is one last thing I should ask," Enju added. "That fire. What happened?"
"...I do not know," he responded.
"What do you mean?"
"I do not know where the fire came from. That was the first time something like that has happened to me."
"Were you aware that you had those abilities?"
"No." Enju sighed. She closed her eyes and pinched her nose. "So-"
"The Council is here!" Someone called from below. Haruto looked toward the window and his eyes narrowed at the sight of a man in white robes with black hair that was tied and also wearing a pair of spectacles.
Enju looked at him. "Since you can't control those flames, I recommend you don't try for now."
"I have no intention of doing so."
"Then, I will hold you to that. Now, you must be hungry," She said. "Freya told me all you had was sake. That was several hours ago. You need to eat a lot if you want to recover as soon as possible. Reinhardt will bring you something. I have to go talk to the Magic Council. I trust you won't do anything foolish in the meantime," she turned around to leave.
"If you can avoid it-" Haruto suddenly said. "Pretend I am not here. Tell them I have moved on, if they inquire." Enju raised an eyebrow at that. "I haven't done anything illegal, I just do not like dealing with authority figures, especially the Council-"
"Neither do we," Enju muttered.
"-as they are not exactly known for being kind to rogues like me."
Enju nodded slowly. "Very well, I will avoid mentioning you. It might be in our best interests anyway. Reinhardt?"
"Right, I'll relay that to the others," Reinhardt stood up and looked at Haruto. "You better not try getting up yet. I'll be right back." And he followed his mother out of the infirmary, leaving Haruto to himself. He sat back and seemed to contemplate what would happen. He rubbed his eyes and forehead in fatigue. Resting his hands on his lap, he looked out the window, ignoring the drop of blood that spilled onto his hand.
Everything he said was true, he didn't technically lie.
Hello, welcome to my new Fairy Tail story! As the title says, this is an SYOC story, which means you can create your own OC to be a part of the guild. You'll notice that there were a lot of generic, unnamed guild members. That's where you all come in to fill those slots. The submission form and rules are in my profile. Good luck!
Update: OC Submissions are now closed! Thanks and enjoy the story!
Reinhardt's armor is based on Kamen Rider Hibiki, you can do a quick google search to see what it looks like. I'm a pretty big fan of Kamen Rider, and that won't be the only reference in this fic ;) Of course, whether you know anything or not about Kamen Rider has no bearing on your understanding of the story. This is purely self-indulgent.
Haruto's weapon is based on the Blades used by Kratos in the God of War game series.
Conifére is French for "conifer," which is the family that redwood trees are a part of. Phénix is French for "phoenix." Notice a trend here? :)
While I don't expect an overlap of audiences, if you happen to be a reader of Descend to Heaven, Ascend to Hell, I promise I am working on it! Please bear with me! I had to pause to avoid burnout as I was writing more than 10,000 words a week and then irl stuff came up that put me out for two months. Right now I'm finding it a bit difficult to get back into writing it. It isn't going anywhere though, believe that!