A/N: There's a character limit to chapter titles? Why?!
The Final Day: Festival of the Dragon King
The moment they reappeared, Jellal would have stumbled over due to the uneven footing if it were not for Gemini's strong grip. The twin Celestial Spirits had warped them somewhere within the deep, dusty pit beneath Domus Flau on top of what felt like broken pieces of rubble. It was pitch-black, but Jellal did not dare to make any light to see in fear of attracting unwanted attention.
He could sense every new dragon as they were dragged through the Eclipse Gate by the noisy chains rattling in the distance. Each individual beast was undeniably strong, their magical strength far surpassing even the strongest mages in the city. So far, Jellal counted twelve, but the number was steadily increasing. With Keaton and Carla busy luring each and every beast away from the Eclipse Gate, Crime Sorcière had to act fast before there were too many dragons to handle.
Fortunate for Jellal and Gemini, none of the dragons had noticed the Celestial Spirit's entrance nor did they linger for too long the moment they were released. Monstrous growls and the sound of flapping wings echoed throughout the darkness above as the dragons immediately left in pursuit of their target. Except for one.
Noticeably weaker than the rest, there was one lone dragon that hung around the Gate, seemingly acting as its guardian.
Jellal was careful not to move or make a sound. He was in no condition to fend off any powerful creatures at the moment. His back stung and throbbed and still likely bled after he had forcefully stopped Wendy before she could fully heal his wound. There was just no more time they could waste with the Eclipse Gate now open and dragons coming through. As long as Jellal could move, he could do his part in destroying the goddamn Gate before it was too late.
He had drank half of the vial of Porlyusica's horrendously bitter potion and left the rest for Wendy, which was enough to make the pain tolerable and give him the boost of energy he needed.
Not only was he injured, he was in no goddamn mood to deal with any ferocious, hungry monsters. After getting cut down twice by the accursed Captain of the Holy Blossom Knights, Jellal was absolutely livid. "What is our exact location?" Jellal demanded of Gemini rather than asked, unable to hide his true anger in his telepathic thoughts. He felt Gemini flinch from his tone.
Being two entities in one, Jellal heard both of the spirits' child-like voices echoing in his head instead of hearing only Keaton's; "Uh, w-we're directly behind the Gate about twenty metres away. There's a pile of rocks in front of us. A short climb. Can you manage?"
Jellal refrained from grunting in annoyance. "I'll be fine. How much time do you have left?"
"Five and a half minutes. Standing guard around the Gate is the rock dragon Master Link had injured. We can lure it away so you can plant your explosives."
"No, wait." Jellal needed to plan their approach carefully. This was the only chance they had left to destroy the Gate; they could not afford to make any more mistakes. For all Jellal knew, the Captain could be lurking nearby, keeping a watchful eye on the Gate if not keeping his sights on Keaton. They needed to lay low and avoid drawing any suspicions before Ultear and Meredy could set up the barrier around the mountain. However, setting up such a huge barrier was going to require more time than Gemini had.
In order to clear the area for Jellal, Gemini would have to dispose of the rock dragon before their time as Keaton was up. After that, all Jellal had to do was stay undetected until the barrier was ready so he could dump the pallets of volcanonyte behind the Gate. And if escaping alive was going to be impossible... he was willing to make the sacrifice to trigger the explosion himself to ensure the total destruction of the Eclipse Gate once and for all.
Do whatever it takes to change the fate of the future.
Everyone would understand the decision he would have to make.
Mind made up, Jellal closed his eyes and drew a slow, steadying breath while Gemini waited patiently beside him.
"We'll move in close to position," Jellal continued, maintaining his composure to hide his true intentions. "During your last minute, proceed to lure the rock dragon away and slay it."
"Understood."
Slowly and cautiously, they clambered over the rocks in their way, feeling blindly around in the dark, trying their best to not make too much noise. The dreadful rattling of chains and the flapping of wings was a constant sound that grew louder as they climbed. Once near the top, there was a faint white glow coming from the other side that provided them with some light to see. They stayed down in a crouch to avoid being seen and carefully peered over.
Jellal saw the enormous Eclipse Gate propped up crooked on giant slabs of broken rocks, its open doors angled slightly upwards. The bright light shining from the other side outlined the giant structure when viewed from behind. Hazy purple rifts had opened before the gateway where multiple black chains cloaked in dark flames were busy reeling in dragon after dragon. He caught glimpses of the winged backs of the giant beasts as they took flight before they disappeared into the darkness above.
Off to the side, and partially lit up by the Gate, was the rock dragon Gemini had mentioned. It was more injured than Jellal had thought for it appeared to be struggling to stand on all four legs. Both of its wings hung limp by its sides, badly tattered and broken. Most of its jagged, rocky scales were cracked and bleeding and numerous giant spears of stone had pierced deep into its thick hide. With its back towards Jellal and Gemini, the dragon was oblivious to the pair.
Seeing how wounded it was, perhaps there was no need to slay the rock dragon if Jellal could sneak up to the back of the Gate unaware. It would be a big risk for sure, but if it worked...
Jellal reached out to Ultear for an update, only to pause when he sensed the presence of others quickly making their way towards the bottom of the pit. They were moving through what he assumed was an underground tunnel being dug out by one of Lucy's Celestial Spirits.
It took all of Jellal's willpower to stop himself from cursing out loud. Fuming, he telepathically connected with each member of the group and barked in their heads; "Turn back, right now!"
As expected, every single one of them shouted right back either in surprise or protest. He immediately cut off the connection before he could suffer a migraine. Sensing the group doing the opposite of what he demanded, Jellal rubbed his temples out of frustration. He created a telepathic link with only Erza and Lucy and began to argue with them. "Go back! You're endangering yourselves by coming down here!"
"Jellal, shut it," Erza snapped, her tone as sharp as a knife, "We're coming to help you whether you like it or not."
"I do not need any help," Jellal growled, shaking his head despite neither of them being able to see him, "You're only going to get in the way! We only have one shot–"
"Then we'll make sure we do it right. Together. I'm not letting you risk your own goddamn life."
"I told them everything," Lucy chimed in, steadfast. "They know what we're up against and what needs to be done."
Jellal quietly scoffed, making Gemini glance at him questionably. He ignored them. "Then you're well aware of what could go wrong!"
"Don't think this is your mission alone," said Erza, sounding rather calm, but Jellal knew she was just as infuriated as he was. "This is our entire future at stake! We're all in this fight together, understand? And it's not just us; every guild is working together right now to protect the people still in the city."
Jellal curled his hands tight into fists. "Erza–"
"Jellal, we're coming no matter what you say and that is final. We'll be there soon."
Gemini, unaware of the private battle going on in Jellal's head, nudged the other's arm and cocked their head in confusion, probably wondering why they were just waiting around. Jellal held up a finger, telling the spirits to wait.
There was no winning this argument... Not when Erza used that tone. Sighing, he grumbled at Erza and Lucy, "If any of you get caught in the explosion..."
"We won't," Erza assured, an evident smirk in her voice, "We're getting out once everything is in place. And that includes you, Jellal. No one is getting left behind."
Jellal sometimes wondered if Erza could read minds. Somehow she knew what he was planning to do...
He wanted to groan out of frustration. Blowing up the Gate discreetly was no longer an option. Not only that, Erza's group was foolishly putting their lives at risk. Three Dragon Slayers couldn't defeat a single wounded dragon before, so how would they even fare against a full-powered beast? And it wouldn't be limited to just one dragon attacking them either...
Jellal pushed up his mask to run a hand down his weary face in aggravation. "Change of plans," he muttered to Gemini, "Lucy and the others are refusing to listen and are coming here."
"Are they? That's great!" the twins replied enthusiastically, much to Jellal's displeasure. "They can help draw some of the dragons away from Master Link before he gets overwhelmed. There's eighteen of them chasing after him. Soon, nineteen."
Jellal clenched his jaw at the dire truth, his eyes narrowing hatefully at the Gate. Those doors were never going to close and those black chains were never going to stop. There were too many dragons after Keaton and Carla and the number kept growing. Jellal had no choice but to agree with what Gemini had said. His main worry was whether or not Erza and the others could survive until it was time to bail from the mountain.
"You'll have to–" Jellal stopped short when he sensed the immense power of the nineteenth dragon the instant it was dragged through the Gate.
It was stronger than all the other dragons prior by at least ten-fold and much, much larger in comparison. Jellal's eyes were wide as he watched the enormous dark purple beast straighten its long slender body to stand thrice as tall as the Gate. Three huge pairs of webbed wings unfolded, stretching far beyond the light. Eyes shining a wicked red and great horns gleaming gold, the dragon reared its head towards the night sky and unleashed a mighty roar.
It was like a thunderclap right in Jellal's ears, both deafening and painful. It resonated within his chest and rattled his bones. Grimacing, he cowered and covered his ears in a futile attempt to block out the awful cry. Even when the roar ended, it seemed to go on seconds longer as it reverberated throughout the deep pit.
In a single flap, the humongous dragon launched high up in the air, its massive wings creating strong whirlwinds that violently stirred up piles of dust and tossed aside loose debris. The injured rock dragon was unfortunately caught in the tempests and was thrown onto its side where it struggled to get back up.
"Oh, that's not good..." said Gemini, a noticeable quiver in their voices. Rubbing their ringing, aching ears, they craned their neck to follow the dragon's silhouette before it vanished in the shadows. "Master Link is in serious trouble! That was Dreadwing! Extremely dangerous. Almost as strong as Acnologia! That dragon killed you in the future!"
Jellal mentally swore, clenched hands trembling perhaps out of fear from the sheer power coming from the mighty beast, or more so from knowing how his life would end in the grim future. He should be grateful the terrifying dragon wasn't going to be a problem down here, however he greatly worried for Keaton and Carla. With Dreadwing now hot on their tail, they certainly had their hands full if they weren't already struggling.
Without wasting another precious second, Jellal telepathically connected with everyone involved in the destruction of the Eclipse Gate. "All of you! Listen to me – shut up! Shut up! Stop talking! Right. Now. Here's the plan so don't fucking argue with me. We have to do this right and we have to do this quick!"
No one wanted to bicker with him after hearing the urgency in his voice. He quickly told them his plan and the roles each of them would play. Fortunately, there were no objections for they knew time was short.
The plan sounded simple and straightforward: the three Dragon Slayers and Gemini will lure every new dragon away from the Gate, while Erza, Lucy, and the Exceeds will provide them with support. They needed to put on a show; make it seem like they were desperate to reach the Gate in hope of fooling the Captain into thinking they were the only ones fighting in the pit. There was a good chance the Captain was keeping a close eye nearby to ensure nothing would happen to the goddamn Gate.
Jellal would remain hidden until the barrier was ready and when it was time, he would move in to plant every keg of volcanonyte behind the Gate. To trigger the explosion, he would have to cast Sema to bide them enough time to escape through the tunnels that Lucy would have Virgo preemptively make.
It was the best strategy Jellal could come up with on the spot. As much as he prayed for it to work, he knew it was far from perfect. In truth, he doubted Captain Geraldo would be so easily fooled by such a ploy; the black knight always seemed to be one step ahead of them. And with Keaton appearing to be in two places at once, the Captain would likely suspect something was up.
If something were to go wrong – and it was bound to happen knowing Jellal's luck so far – then they would have to quickly adapt on their feet if they were to survive through this.
"Ultear, Meredy, how much longer?" Jellal questioned once everyone agreed with his strategy. He kept his eyes on the back of the Gate, watching in nervous dread as the black chains continued to yank in one dragon after another. It was up to twenty-three dragons now.
"I'm in position and ready," said Meredy.
"A few more minutes and I'll be in position too," Ultear answered, sounding rather irritated. "Ugh, why does this mountain have to be so goddamn huge?!"
"Should have gotten Gemini to warp you to the other side," Meredy pointed out.
"Wouldn't have been possible," the twins replied, "Master Link's spell requires a warp point already made or a magic source to warp to and there are neither on that side of the mountain."
Ultear groaned in their thoughts. "Right. Well, I think I'm nearly there. Once in position, it'll take about a minute to set up the magic circle. I'll give the signal when we're almost ready to cast."
Jellal turned to Gemini. "How much longer do you have?"
"Less than three minutes. Enough time to show the Dragon Slayers how to properly slay dragons," they said with a hint of smugness in their tones.
"Hey! I know how to slay a dragon!" Sting growled arrogantly.
"Not at all," the spirits retorted with a stifled huff, "You waste your energy on big flashy moves. Focus on direct attacks and aim to kill as swiftly as possible or else you'll tire too quickly against them. Go for a dragon's weak points: eyes, base of wings, throat, underbelly, heart – the last one if you're strong enough to pierce through their tough scales and bones."
Sting was annoyed at being told how to fight. "Stupid spirits, I'll show you–"
"Sting, let it go," Rogue cut in, much calmer than his teammate, "This advice will prove to be useful considering what little damage we did against that dragon earlier."
"That damn little runt," Gajeel remarked, sounding both annoyed and impressed, "He really is the freaking Hero of Time, huh? Still can't believe he beat Acnologia!"
"There's no damn way he could've done it," Sting muttered in disbelief.
"It's the truth," said Lucy, exasperated. "You can ask Keaton yourself when this is over."
"Just how many names does this guy have?" Sting grumbled.
"Just three," Happy answered cheerfully, "Bacon, Keaton, and Link!"
"Why... Bacon?"
"Ugh, don't ask," Lucy replied with a noticeable sigh. "Look! We've reached the bottom!"
"Gemini, go," Jellal commanded, sensing Lucy and the others entering the pit far off to the side of the Eclipse Gate.
As Keaton, the Celestial Spirits gave Jellal one last glance through the slits of their mask and nodded. They jumped down behind the rock pile and disappeared in a flash of green before touching the ground.
Shortly after, Jellal sensed them reappear somewhere high above, targeting the closest dragon flying away. He soon heard a pained, monstrous cry as the spirits attacked the dragon in mid-flight. Numerous growls sounded from the darkness as the few dragons still within the pit turned towards the noise. Eyes that glinted like crimson stars in the dark abyss locked onto Gemini's position.
There was a heavy, echoing thud when the body of the wounded beast landed in the distance. The other dragons proceeded to soar towards that location and, not too far away, was Erza's group, rushing to help the twin Celestial Spirits.
Jellal could only observe the battle from afar, listening to the chaos, sensing every magical attack, and sometimes seeing flashes of spells that lit up the darkness. Watching each others' backs, Sabertooth and Fairy Tail worked together with Gemini to weaken and slay the few dragons they could manage to overtake. However, whenever one dragon was killed, it was instantly replaced by another beast straight from the Gate. And at the rate the dragons were appearing compared to how many were slain, it wouldn't be long until they were vastly outnumbered.
It became an apparent struggle when Gemini's time finally ran out. The twin spirits split into their individual selves and returned back to the spirit world, leaving the others to fight on their own.
"Jellal!" Ultear's voice cut into his concentration, "I'm just about ready!"
"Got it. I'm moving in," he told everyone. "Get ready to retreat."
Jellal quickly made his way towards the Eclipse Gate, trekking lightly over the uneven ground consisting of broken debris. It was difficult not to stumble over the many hazards that were hard to see in the dim light every now and then. Tense, anxious, and paranoid, Jellal flinched at every moving shadow and constantly glanced over his shoulder in fear of any sudden back attacks.
There hadn't been any visible sign of the Captain. Not knowing where the demon could be hiding troubled Jellal greatly. It was especially irritating not being able to sense him anywhere. Capable of blending with the shadows, the dark pit was the perfect place for the demon to lie in ambush.
Jellal's heart was a rapidly pounding drum in his chest as he drew closer and closer to his destination.
The injured rock dragon had not moved since it fell, giving Jellal one less thing to worry about. Ultear was ready to cast the barrier by the time he reached the back of the Gate. He gave a cautious glance all around him, finding no black knight wanting him dead.
However, just as he was about to open his storage dimension, he sensed and heard the rock dragon suddenly move. The ground violently shook under Jellal's feet from the heavy dragon's pounding footsteps, nearly making him fall over.
He gasped and turned towards the approaching beast only to freeze the moment he met the dragon's glowing red eyes peering at him from the side of the Gate. Its wicked glare sent a shiver through Jellal's body. He broke into a cold sweat the instant he recognized the sensation; it wasn't the eyes of a hungry beast, but the piercing gaze of the evil demon.
"Mangy crow..." the dragon croaked, its voice a deep rumble as it choked out words that were not its own; "Futile... no matter what... Gate is impervious... weak little vermin... Die!" It charged straight for Jellal like a raging bull, completely ignoring its injuries.
Jellal activated Meteor, surrounding his body in golden light, and launched straight up moments before getting trampled. He detected another dragon lunging at him from the other side of the Gate. He instantly changed course at the last second, barely escaping the huge claws swiping down at him.
"He knows!" Jellal warned the others, "I can't get near the Gate!"
"Jellal, the dragons are ignoring us!" Erza exclaimed, frantic, "They're all going after you!"
Jellal swore out loud. Indeed every dragon in the pit was now heading in his direction. He sensed them before he could see them. Seven powerful beasts.
While still enveloped in the power of Meteor, he fled from the dragons. He easily evaded their wide-range attacks at the speed he was flying, however he had to keep moving or else they would be upon him within mere seconds. The beasts were relentless, savage, mindless monsters out for his blood, giving him no opportunity to plant his explosives and cast Sema. "Everyone, get out of here!" he commanded, "I'm going to take out the Gate and every fucking dragon here with me! Go!"
"No! Jellal!" Meredy cried.
"There's no other way!"
"There is another way!" Erza snarled, sounding desperate, "Drop the bombs directly onto the Gate from high above! You can escape through the top!"
From above... It was a long way down for the explosives to fall, but it might actually work.
Jellal huffed, greatly annoyed that he hadn't thought of that. He couldn't just drop and forget about the explosives however, he still needed something powerful to trigger them.
The outer casing of each keg of volcanonyte was a lot sturdier than Rajar had made them out to be. When Jellal had first obtained them, he had tested how much of an impact was needed to set one off by dropping one of the kegs down a mountain, thrice as tall as Domus Flau, far outside the city. As it turned out, falling from great heights only resulted in small dents in the outer casing and nothing more.
"All right!" he conceded with a growl, "Then cover me while I cast Sema!"
"You gotta stop flying around first!" Gajeel demanded.
"I'm heading your way!"
Jellal made a sharp turn and zipped towards Erza and the others with every dragon not too far behind him. He landed behind his allies and skidded across the uneven ground, almost tripping more than once. He dropped down in his stance the moment he stopped, golden light shining right at his fingertips as he pointed towards the ground. An enormous amount of magic gathered beneath him, forming a circle of gold where he stood. He shifted, raising one hand to direct his magic towards the heavens, creating a strong wind that blew around him. The lunar eclipse in the night sky was quickly blocked out by the dark twisting clouds that formed from his spell.
Jellal flinched when he saw something falling towards him. Large, barbed, bony-white spines, hundreds of them, each one as long and thick as a lance. He was about to cancel his spell when Erza suddenly jumped in front, wielding her dual katana. Her blades were nothing but streaks of silver that flashed gold from the light of his magic as she blocked and diverted the rain of pointy needles, sparks flying from every blow. The force behind each deadly point was enough to impale deep into solid rock, evident by the number of spines piercing the surrounding ground. Some slipped through her defense, one grazing her left arm and another ripping into the side of her right thigh, nearly bringing her down to one knee.
"Erza!" he cried.
"Don't lose your concentration!" she hissed through the pain once the danger had passed. She shot him a quick glance over her shoulder. "Hurry up!"
The others were doing their part to protect Jellal. Lucy used one of her spirits to blind dragons with blasts of sand and another to dig underground tunnels for a quick retreat. The three Dragon Slayers, each partnered up with an Exceed, moved swiftly around, intercepting magical attacks with their own or devouring the dragons' spells to absorb their powers whenever they can. They followed Gemini's advice, knocking the great beasts out of the air by striking the base of their wings or taking out their eyes to rob them of their sight. However, they were noticeably tiring and sustaining multiple injuries trying to keep too many dragons at bay.
Jellal continued casting his spell, his focus back on the twisting, black sky. White lightning flashed around the eye of the cyclone as he channelled his magic into it, calling forth a great power from the cosmic universe. The centre glowed red and orange like flaming coals. Brighter and hotter the light grew, turning into a humongous molten meteor that burned through the spiralling clouds. It plummeted straight for Domus Flau, targeting the Eclipse Gate.
This was Jellal's strongest spell: True Heavenly Body Magic: Sema!
"Retreat! Now!" he shouted in everyone's heads, "The spell is complete!"
He sensed the Dragon Slayers and Exceeds pull back towards Lucy where she already had an escape tunnel ready. Erza however, stumbled due to her wounded leg. She was in the path of one of the dragon's attacks that was aimed straight for Jellal; a few hundred more deadly spines flung by a monstrous beast covered in tens of thousands of quills like a giant, reptilian porcupine.
Jellal dove at Erza all the while activating Meteor. Bathed in golden light, he swooped her up in his arms before swerving in an attempt to avoid the bony spears. He felt the sharp, barbed points rip apart his cloak and tear across his back, drawing a pained hiss. Adrenaline masked the worst of the pain and kept him moving without faltering.
"Let me go! I'll only slow you down!" Erza demanded, giving Jellal a stern glower.
Jellal grunted. "Too late! Just hold on tight!" He twisted her around, forcing her to face him. He needed at least one hand free to open his storage dimension when the time came. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck while he embraced her back. With Erza's added weight and frame, it was true he was less aerodynamic and much slower in the air. No longer could he perform any abrupt turns either, but he did not dare leave her behind.
"Erza is with me. Get going!" Jellal informed the others, just in case they were waiting on her.
He changed their direction, purposely flying towards the Eclipse Gate to pinpoint its exact location. When he was directly above it, he curved upwards to fly towards the giant burning meteor that seemed to have swallowed the sky in flames. It was a growing ball of fire and rock, its true size rapidly becoming apparent as it drew closer and closer to Domus Flau.
Dragons continued to relentlessly chase after Jellal and Erza. Most of the beasts were maimed and injured by the Dragon Slayers, making their attacks slow, clumsy, and easy to evade. However, the ones that weren't hurt proved to be the most troublesome.
There was one fast on their tail, fresh out of the Gate. Sensing a powerful attack coming their way, Jellal veered to the side just in time to avoid a roar attack that was bright yellow and charged with electricity. He felt every hair on his body stand on end as the blast of electrified energy shot past them and headed straight towards the meteor. To Jellal's horror, the dragon's breath completely shattered his enormous meteor to pieces.
"Shit!" he cursed, his heart sinking with utter dread.
"It's not over yet, Jellal! Look!" Erza gazed upon the fiery sky, her eyes reflecting the bright shower of flaming rocks above them.
She was right, it was too soon to claim defeat. His spell was broken, but it hadn't completely disappeared; Sema continued to fall. Instead of one giant meteor, it was now many smaller meteors, each just as capable of sundering the earth apart.
"Everyone's out!" Ultear informed, "It's just you two! Hurry and get out of there!"
"Working on it!" Jellal snapped.
He quickly raised one hand towards the rain of fire and directed the meteors to cluster together so they weren't so widespread, concentrating the impact on the Eclipse Gate directly below. With the meteors nearly upon them, it was time to drop the explosives.
Jellal glanced down and gritted his teeth when he met the pair of red eyes that belonged to the dragon that destroyed his meteor. Beyond the yellow-scaled beast, he spotted the glow of the Eclipse Gate and quickly swerved to position himself above it. Before the dragon could follow his trail and block his line of vision, Jellal flicked his wrist and dumped every pallet of volcanonyte in his storage dimension. Two-hundred and forty-nine kegs worth fell towards the Gate and Jellal did not look back.
Wanting to get them out of the mountain as fast as possible, Jellal tightened his hold around Erza and put all his concentration on Meteor, rapidly burning through his remaining magic. The light surrounding them was brighter than the sun as they shot out of the stadium at a blinding speed.
Once they were past the boundary of the mountain, he telepathically linked with Meredy and Ultear and shouted; "Barrier! Now!"
Not a second longer, he felt the surge of magic coming from Meredy and Ultear as they stood on opposite ends at the base of the mountain. The air shimmered like ripples in water and within a blink, a smooth, crystalline barrier composed of clear, interlocking triangles appeared, surrounding the entire mountain of Domus Flau. It stretched far beyond the clouds and deep underground, much, much deeper than the pit. Dragons that had been chasing after Jellal and Erza slammed into the inside of the barrier like birds to a glass window, completely trapped within a crystal prison.
Jellal only saw the light of his meteors burning deep within the pit before his magic energy was completely drained to nothing. Overly exhausted, the light of Meteor flickered out and they began to plummet head-first towards the distant ground. At the same time, the mountain violently exploded with a blinding flash, the sound muted by the barrier. Purple flames burst upwards, swallowing everything within the crystal prison in a twisting, fiery inferno. It was a tower of light and devastation, reaching far into the heavens to brighten the night sky a brilliant violet. The force of the explosion rocked the ground beneath, sending a powerful earthquake throughout the entire city of Crocus that caused buildings to fall and sections to split apart or sink. A wide crack spread down the side of the barrier, but the crystal continued to hold strong after the initial blast, keeping the intense heat and destructive flames contained.
The tower of purple fire died down seconds later, replaced by thick plumes of black smoke and rising ash. All that was left of Domus Flau was a massive, smoking hole that burned bright purple deep within its depths.
Seeing the entire mountain completely annihilated, there was no chance the Eclipse Gate could have withstood the explosion. Jellal could only hope as he and Erza continued to fall.
The moment Erza felt his grip loosen due to fatigue, she shifted her arms to brace his torn and bloody back. He winced from her touch, but didn't protest. Despite their dire situation, she only gave him a slightly worried look. "Jellal," she said, her voice quiet over the rushing wind.
"Sorry," he murmured, shaking his head, "I've used all my magic... I can't..."
"Don't worry. I'll take care of this. This time, you hold on tight." He glimpsed a smirk on her lips and a slight redness in her cheeks as she diverted her gaze. It was her turn to carry them to safety. In a flash, she magically changed to a set of armour equipped with silvery, metal wings that allowed her to glide through the air.
There was a sudden crack of thunder so loud, it sounded as if a bomb had gone off in the sky. It was soon followed by a strong, cold wind that nearly threw Erza out of flight. Jellal sharply turned his head in the direction of the sound and was aghast at the thick, twisting storm clouds forming over the opposite end of the city. Lightning split the clouds and thunder roared and rumbled from within; all controlled by the fearsome winged monster that instilled Jellal with fear.
"A storm?" Erza questioned warily, fighting to keep them steady.
"No... It's Dreadwing," Jellal growled with great unease. Keaton and Carla were caught in the middle of the storm, there was no doubt about it, however Jellal couldn't sense them. He was too tired to focus. All he could feel was the dragon's terrifying magic as it steadily increased in magnitude with each passing second.
Erza frowned at his reaction. She likely wanted to ask him about it, but something else grabbed her attention. "Everyone's gathered below."
Standing near the crystal barrier, where the trail leading to Domus Flau abruptly ended, was a large crowd consisting not only of Lucy's weary group, but members of every guild as well, including each Master.
Erza dropped down near the edge of the crowd where Meredy and most of Fairy Tail were waiting. Their landing was rough; tired and injured, they both stumbled over with Erza dropping to one knee while Jellal pretty much collapsed onto his side, groaning in pain.
Meredy was first to rush over to them. "Are you guys okay?" she asked, kneeling to check on Jellal.
"We made it out alive," Erza answered with a big sigh of relief, moving to sit on the ground for a quick rest.
"We did it!" Meredy cheered, a big grin on her face while she helped Jellal sit up, "We blew up the stupid Gate! All that's left is–" She suddenly froze when giant winged shadows soundly descended from the sky.
Dragons... the ones that were supposed to be chasing after Keaton and Carla.
Nine different mighty, intimidating beasts crash landed around the entire crowd, trapping the mages against the barrier. Red eyes that burned with utmost fury glowered right at Jellal; fierce, hungry, and chilling to the core.
"What?!" Erza exclaimed, shooting to her feet, blades in hand.
"Fools! Look at what you have done!" the dragons bellowed as one, their combined, enraged voices booming like thunder, startling some mages while others cowered in fright. "You shall all be punished for this! Every one of you wretched vermin! There is no future left for you to save for none of you shall escape here alive!"
The dragons all roared at once, their awful, deafening cries generating a shockwave that knocked everyone standing right off their feet. The earth trembled and cracked before the great beasts as each took a step forward and soundly drew a deep breath.
Energy burned within their gaping mouths, growing brighter and stronger with every second. Meredy clung to Jellal in wide-eyed horror while he could only hopelessly watch...
Death was fast approaching.
Every shallow breath was a struggling battle on the brink of losing. Soon, he would draw his last.
Dying was excruciating; the pain that ravaged his body was pure agony, making him silently beg for a swifter end. Lower spine shattered; wings cleaved; poisoned arrows in his hide; lungs and organs punctured deep by spears of ice; scales and flesh eaten away by corrosive red flames; blood spilling from the gaping wound where a shining, golden blade of dragonsteel had pierced right into his chest.
He suffered with every kind of pain imaginable. But, at last, his body was finally starting to go numb and cold as the world grew dark before his eye. Although blind, his nose and ears were still as sharp as ever, picking up every sound and scent.
The stench of blood that belonged to another, the harsh rasps of laboured breathing, the weak beating of a fading heart; the injured whelp who had dealt the final blow and vanquished the evil binds lay motionless nearby, dying alongside him.
The round of interrogation and exchange of petty insults had long passed and now they were both left to perish in silence. The mighty King of Dragons and the last of the ignorant creatures foolish enough to hunt him down. A fated battle with no standing victor in the end.
Who would outlast the other in this final moment?
The mere thought of allowing the one who slayed him to gracefully die in peace was detestable.
No, you shall not have the honour!
Acnologia mustered every ounce of his remaining strength to slowly drag his arm forward, wanting to have the pleasure of snuffing out the little whelp's life before his own demise. Claws soundly scraped through dirt and over broken rock as he blindly felt around. He eventually bumped against something that quietly moaned. Sneering weakly, he lifted one, trembling clawed finger and held it over the brat.
He wanted to have the last laugh, but knew the action would be absolute torture. He could easily tear out the boy's heart, rip off his puny head, or mutilate him however he pleased because there was no Ancient Dragon King to interfere this time!
Thought I killed you, little whelp, but that accursed old fool... Somehow he kept you alive and hidden for all these years. A pity. You have escaped my wrath before, but now you shall finally die by my hand!
His finger twitched. However, he hesitated when he suddenly remembered the Ancient Dragon King's final words, as loud and clear as the day Acnologia had slain him:
"A greater threat looms ahead... An evil entity... A shadow so dark that even I could never see its true form... You will understand... what must be done. The fate of Earthland will fall on the final choice you will have to make..."
He seethed, his mouth twisting into a bitter snarl.
This was the fate the three-eyed fool had seen; the 'final choice' that would ultimately change everything.
The evil shadow – the vile demon in black armour – there was one possible way to defeat him and the answer was lying right under Acnologia's wavering finger.
The old King had protected the boy for a reason and it was not for revenge against Acnologia. The golden power the whelp possessed; it defied the demon's evil. Holy. Pure. Divine. The golden light of the boy's blade had freed Acnologia from the demon's 'unbreakable' chains.
Stricken by the Gods, it felt like. But was the golden power truly enough to defeat the evil demon who ruled the world? Obviously not. The whelp was almost dead after facing only Acnologia. Too weak and pathetic. He would not survive past the hour.
Perhaps Acnologia could somehow obtain the golden power for himself. Devour the boy's body and soul! The dragon's mouth curled into a feeble, sinister grin that vanished as fast as it came. It was far too late for that. His body was damaged beyond recovery. He barely had the strength to lift a finger let alone lift a hand.
The old King... The blind three-eyed fool had seen the outcome of this fateful day so long ago. He knew Acnologia and the whelp were destined to meet again, their fates intertwined since the beginning.
Acnologia finally understood the old King's intentions and it infuriated him deeply.
A furious growl escaped his throat only to be rudely cut short when he painfully choked on blood. He sputtered and gasped, wincing at the icy, stabbing sensations he could still feel in his chest. He managed to draw a stuttering, wheezing breath as the last of his meagre strength quickly slipped away. His claw lowered on its own, scratching flesh and nothing more.
His end has come... Each of his senses were going dull. The pain that kept him alive was fading.
There was one last thing he had to fulfill. However, he would not give the Ancient Dragon King the satisfaction he desired so long ago. No, Acnologia would manipulate the old fool's wish into his own.
"W-Whelp..." he managed to croak with his final breath. The power of the Ancient Dragon King... It shall now be yours to wield... Survive through this, boy, for you shall become my weapon – my vengeance! Take my rage, my hatred, my desire for carnage and death! Seek out that vile demon and rend him to pieces! Slaughter every one of his little pets and bathe in their blood!
Keaton jolted awake to the crack of thunder and found his head badly throbbing and his left arm burning worse than ever before. The searing heat quickly spread throughout the rest of his body like fire in his veins, making it feel as if he was being burned inside-out.
Not only was he wracked with agonizing pain, he was also falling. Within a goddamn storm, no less, conjured up by the powerful dragon who ruled the dark skies, the terrible Dreadwing. Last thing Keaton remembered was the enormous winged shadow chasing after them...
There was a sharp pang in his heart when he realized what was missing.
Carla! Where is she?!
Through his grimace, Keaton cracked open his eyes in a desperate search of her. What he found instead was the gaping, wet maw lined with sharp teeth closing fast around him. He was looking down the gullet of a dragon, he suddenly realized to his utter dismay; he was going to be eaten alive!
His despair lasted only an instant.
Right at that moment, the horrible fire in his body suddenly transformed into something else – something terrifying yet incredible at the same time – a tremendous power far beyond anything he had ever experienced. It was so overwhelming, so invigorating, so destructive, that it felt as if he could crush everything in his path with only a finger. That power surged forth, emanating from his body in the form of an icy blue aura that flickered wildly like angry flames. The dragon tattoo on his left arm continued to sear like fire, painless yet so hot it had burnt through the bandages and the sleeves of his clothes. It was no longer solid black, but bright and icy blue, matching his aura and the strange markings that had appeared on his skin.
Acnologia had not cursed him out of spite upon his death – no, far from it – the black dragon had passed on the power of the Ancient Dragon King out of vengeance.
Malicious hatred consumed him. There was only one thought that ran through his mind: Slaughter every goddamn dragon and kill the wretched demon lurking in the city.
And he already had his sight on his first kill, trapped within its foul-smelling mouth, every fang glistening from his vibrant aura.
Keaton brought his hands before him and was quick to notice his gauntlets were different. The hidden claws were now prominent on each finger, each one larger, stronger, and wickedly sharp, capable of tearing into the toughest scales. The silvery plating covering his forearms was thicker and the outer edges were armed with short, bladed spines. Infused with the Dragon King's power, they had altered in shape. It was likely other dragon items bound to his name had changed as well, but now was not the time to look over each one.
He cupped his hands together and quickly formed a ball of swirling fire between his palms. He condensed it, concentrating its fiery rage into one small orb. Despite its size, it burned white and blinding; several times hotter and stronger than he had ever cast.
Right before the dragon could swallow him whole, he crushed the flaming ball within his hands to unleash Din's Fire in a violent, fiery explosion that far exceeded his expectations. Hungry, roaring, orange flames surrounded him in a protective inferno, instantly incinerating the dragon from inside out, turning flesh, bone, and everything else to ash in a blink of an eye. Nothing was left of the dragon as the howling winds swept its cinders away.
Keaton continued to fall towards the distant city, tumbling through the raging sky as if he was a forgotten scrap of paper. His cloak wrapped around him, making him realize that it had indeed transformed like his gauntlets. The bottom corners of the cloak had grown longer, extending into the form of feathered wings. Through thought, he could control them as if they were his own limbs, granting him the ability to glide and perhaps even fly. He couldn't test them out however, not when he was at the mercy of the violent storm.
He wasn't the only one helpless in the air; he picked out fifteen other dragons caught in Dreadwing's powerful spell, all of them too weak to withstand the hurricane-like winds.
There were nine more dragons far out of range of Dreadwing's terror, flying in the opposite direction as if fleeing away. After a brief moment of searching, Keaton noticed no new beasts were suddenly appearing. It seemed like their numbers had finally stopped growing – the Eclipse Gate possibly destroyed once and for all – making it a total of twenty-five dragons that needed to die.
Keaton peered through the torrential rain to glare in the direction of Dreadwing hidden in the dark, stormy skies. The humongous dragon was guarded by its own magic; getting near it was not going to be easy. Keaton had no choice but to kill Dreadwing last.
He shifted his focus onto the easier targets; the nine dragons that were safe from the storm. They were starting to gather on the ground, surrounding what felt like a large mass of magic coming from other living beings. Mages... all of them overpowered by the winged lizards that had trapped them like prey. Keaton would slay those nine dragons first before they could start feasting on the people. Perhaps then, he could lure the other dragons out of the storm and slay them with ease.
He was about to warp when he sensed something with a weak yet familiar aura hurtling in his direction. Once within reach, he snatched the object out of the air and scowled at it. It was small, white, and limp. A cat in a torn pink dress.
Carla... a voice whispered, tickling the back of his head. Save her...
Unconscious and bleeding, she had been seriously injured by one of the dragons. Knocked out of the air – Keaton remembered now. There was a dragon that had suddenly appeared before them in the midst of the storm and struck them down. That was how Keaton nearly ended up becoming a meal for another dragon.
He held Carla protectively in his arms and narrowed his eyes in seething anger. Every dragon was going to pay for what they have done!
He locked onto the farthest of the nine dragons gathered on the ground and warped.
In a blink, they were out of the cold, miserable storm and in a warmer, calmer location – upside-down and right in front of a dragon's wide open mouth that shone with growing power. The force of Farore's Wind was no longer a mere gust, but a powerful tempest of bright green blades that rapidly spiralled around Keaton. The greatly enhanced spell disrupted the dragon in mid-charge of its breath attack by shredding the insides of its mouth and blasting it backwards. With a pained howl, the scaly beast landed a few feet away onto its winged back, making the earth tremble upon impact.
Keaton flipped around and spread the wings of his cloak to softly land in a crouch where the dragon once stood. He quickly lowered Carla on the ground and abruptly stood, bow in hand. The pearly-white weapon was larger, the fine edges of the feathered limbs sharp as knives, and the bowstring more taut to increase the power, speed, and distance of his arrows.
He suddenly felt eyes boring into him and he sharply turned his head. Eight pairs of red, menacing reptilian eyes met his fierce gaze. Each of the remaining dragons now had their gaping, glowing mouths aimed in his direction, all of them inhaling deep for a devastating roar attack.
There were many other eyes that fell upon Keaton, coming from the large group of mages the dragons had trapped. They stared and gawked and pointed, their voices buzzing in his ears, whispering, murmuring, screaming, shouting; all noises he completely ignored.
His attention was solely on the next closest dragon, one with green leafy scales, woody horns, and draped in vines and foliage. A forest dragon. As Keaton twisted on his heel to face the green beast, he imbued an arrow with the power of flame, nocked it, and released it, all in one fluid motion. The Fire Arrow was only a flash of orange in the air when it left his bow, instantly scorching the earth along its trajectory. It pierced deep into the dragon's leafy neck and exploded from within, blasting a burnt and bloody hole, and igniting its vegetative body on fire. As the flames quickly ate away its flesh, the dragon collapsed onto its side with a thunderous quake, no more but a burning corpse.
Keaton's eyes locked onto the next dragon in line. With molten skin visible between coarse, onyx scales, the third beast likely possessed the power of lava. The air visibly shimmered around it from the intense heat coming off its body while the rocky ground burned and melted right under its feet.
An arrow powered with ice was at Keaton's command within a heartbeat. He fired the Ice Arrow at the lava dragon's open mouth, leaving a cold trail of wind-swept frost. The magical arrow struck the back of the dragon's searing throat and flashed with a deep blue light upon impact. Long, jagged, and sharp formations of ice burst outwards in all directions, piercing and tearing the lava dragon's entire upper body and completely freezing the rest, killing it instantly. It stood frozen like a statue, encased in thick, bluish-white ice that steamed in the warmer air.
Keaton had another arrow nocked and ready as he faced the fourth dragon. The bulky creature was heavily armoured in gray, bony plating and rows of stout, white spikes. Despite its strong natural defense, its wide, open mouth left it vulnerable. Keaton shot a Fire Arrow that exploded within the dragon's throat. A huge wave of scorching flames escaped its mouth and nostrils and rushed into its insides, charring it internally. The beast thrashed its head in pain, coughing up plumes of black smoke, before crumpling over, dead and smouldering.
By then, the other five dragons were finally done charging their breath attacks. As one, they roared, generating a shockwave with their deafening cries and shooting energy beams from their mouths, each one a different colour and element. The five beams merged into one gigantic, colourful blast that headed straight for Keaton faster than most could react.
Keaton had already switched out his bow for his sword. Dragonslayer was more fearsome under the Dragon King's power; broader, longer, it was nearly the size of a two-handed weapon. The silvery edges gleamed wickedly, sharper than ever before. He stood his ground with his sword held low by his side, both hands on the hilt.
In less than a second, he fully charged his weapon with magic, enveloping it in fiery red energy that quickly turned into a stronger, icy blue. He slashed sideways at the oncoming blast right when it was within range. To his surprise, the energy unleashed from his sword shot out in the form of an enormously wide, crescent blade that was blazing white and razor sharp. The magic blade cut through and completely dispersed the dragons' combined attack into nothingness. And it kept going, flying far and fast, cleaving through everything in its path, including three of the five dragons and every building situated behind them.
It didn't matter how thick their scales and plating were or how tough their bones, nothing stood a chance against the white crescent of death. The three dragons struck by the energy blade were dead before they hit the ground.
Keaton twisted around when he sensed the first dragon he had wounded with Farore's Wind starting to move. The beast was back on its feet, its eyes wide with frenzy, blood pouring from its mouth like a crimson waterfall. Letting out a gurgled cry, it pounced, its serrated claws wishing to shred him to pieces.
Keaton leapt to attack the dragon in midair, appearing in front of it before it even realized he had left the ground. It felt like he was cutting only air as he sliced deep into the side of the dragon's scaly neck. The dragon landed face-first on the ground and tumbled a few times before stopping inches away from some of the mages. It was a tangle of limbs, lying motionless in a growing pool of its own blood.
Keaton's winged cloak kept him aloft. He faced the remaining two dragons that have started to bellow out angry words he didn't care to listen. With a single flap, he soared towards the nearest dragon, closing the great distance between them in only a few seconds. Dragonslayer, ablaze with magic, plunged hilt-deep into the dragon's plated chest, taking it by surprise. The impact knocked the giant beast backwards and together, they fell. Once the dragon crashed onto its back, Keaton unleashed the energy from his sword with a furious yell.
Towering blades of white erupted from the ground beneath the dragon, sundering both earth and flesh. Hot blood rained upon him, drenching him in red.
He sensed a magical attack coming form the last dragon. He jumped upwards to avoid a flood of greenish liquid. Everything the liquid touched noisily hissed and corroded. Acid. The bodies of the slain dragons caught in the flood completely dissolved in the strong acid in mere seconds. Even the ground was getting eaten, making the liquid violently sputter.
Keaton was hit hard by the acid's noxious fumes. It made his eyes water and his nose and throat painfully burn. He quickly dove away from the bubbling green pools left by the flood.
He stumbled in his landing a good distance away, coughing and wheezing, needing a moment to regain his breath. He blinked away the tears and glowered at the acid-spewing beast. It looked more like a toad than a dragon with its wide head, bulbous eyes, and short neck and its body fat and squat. It angled its head upwards and spat out a huge, repulsive glob of greenish liquid high in the sky where it burst into a deadly shower.
Not bothering to dodge the acid rain, Keaton warped instead, reappearing right above the dragon's broad head. Farore's Wind tore up the beast's scales and eyes, and knocked its head downwards, slamming its fat chin into the ground.
As Keaton dropped down, he charged his blade once more and thrust it into the dragon's skull right between its eyes. Magic blades of white slashed the dragon and earth apart, leaving only a bloody mess behind.
Grunting, Keaton wrenched his blade free from the dead beast under his feet and shifted his focus on the distant storm. He could feel the powerful magic beginning to falter. The black twisting clouds were visibly slowing and the thunder and lightning becoming less frequent. The slaughtering of the nine dragons had gained Captain Geraldo's attention, it seemed. Dreadwing was purposely weakening its magic, allowing the other fifteen dragons to escape its wrath.
It was the opportunity Keaton was waiting for. With Dreadwing no longer fully protected by its spell, Keaton could take the dragon down before it could summon another terrible storm.
Multiple footsteps were approaching him from the side, accompanied with a number of excited voices. Keaton shot a glare down at them from his perch, freezing the footsteps and silencing the voices. A sea of shocked faces. All familiar.
Family... whispered that voice in his head. Protect them...
One of the mages took a few tentative steps towards him. Blonde hair. Brown eyes. Golden keys dangling in her hand. Master Lucy. "K-Keaton?" she uttered, a slight quiver in her voice. She took another brave step closer, furrowing her brow with worry. She placed a hand over her heart, showing her pink guild crest. "It's me, Lucy."
Keaton blinked and turned back forward, directing his glare at the dragons that were still alive. He flexed the steel claws of his right hand and tightened his hold on his sword with his left, itching to kill the remaining beasts. "Get away, Master," he warned, his tone low with contained fury, "Far away from this city. Far away from me. I'm going to slay every last goddamn dragon under that vile demon's control. And when I find that fucking bastard, there's no telling what will happen. I won't be holding anything back."
He gave Lucy and all the other familiar faces of Fairy Tail and Crime Sorcière one last look. "Please take care of Carla."
Keaton teleported before anything else could be said.
It wasn't difficult to pinpoint Dreadwing's aura among the weaker dragons. Unlike the other lowly beasts seeking after their prey, the powerful dragon hung back, staying in one position high in the sky near the edge of the city. It was wide open for a surprise attack.
In a flash, Keaton appeared beneath the dark, rumbling clouds of the dying storm. Rain continued to pour and the wind still blew strong and cold, but the power behind the spell was tame compared to before.
Far below, Keaton spotted a humongous six-winged shadow in the darkness. Dreadwing!
He folded the wings of his cloak and dove straight for the dragon's horned head like a falling star, his sword powered up and ready to kill. Lightning flashed above, illuminating something for only a split second that immediately caught his eye.
The gleam of black armour and a flowing, crimson cape...
Perched atop Dreadwing's giant head was the vile demon. The mere sight of him sent Keaton into an uncontrollable rage.
The black knight snapped his head towards the light falling from the heavens, sensing the other's presence. Eyes that burned red and vicious met Keaton's equally furious glower.
Keaton changed course at the last second, aiming his blade at the demon instead of Dreadwing. Dragonslayer clashed heavily against the demon's sword with a deafening clang and enough force to create a tremendous shockwave; it repelled both Keaton and the Captain in opposite directions, blasted away the cover of clouds to reveal the lunar eclipse, and completely stunned Dreadwing, knocking the great dragon out of flight.
Keaton was thrown backwards a great distance, ears ringing and dazed. When he felt his body start to plummet, he quickly shook his head to regain his bearings before recovering in the air. Hovering in place, his gaze narrowed at the wretched demon falling alongside Dreadwing.
Growling, Keaton shot after the armoured fiend with his sword still shining with energy. When he was positioned directly above the demon, he swung his sword to unleash the charged magic in the form of a blazing white crescent.
The black knight spun around to face the oncoming threat a moment before it reached him. With a quick, seemingly effortless slash with his sword, he cut through and dispersed the deadly energy blade as if it was nothing.
Keaton hissed out a curse, greatly annoyed at the demon's capabilities. Was it the demon's mere strength alone that allowed him to physically counter Keaton's attack? Or did he possess the ability to nullify all types of magic? Not knowing drove Keaton mad.
There was a rumbling groan coming from Dreadwing when it snapped back to its senses. The great dragon spread its huge wings and pulled out of its fall, leaving its master behind without a care.
As the demon continued to descend towards the approaching city, Keaton pursued right after him. Keaton threw several more crescent blades of white only to have each one meet the same fate as the first. His fruitless efforts resulted in booming laughter coming from the armoured fiend; mocking; taunting; enraging.
With a vehement snarl, Keaton concentrated a huge amount of magic into his sword, pushing far beyond his limits. Erratic and searing hot against his skin, the icy blue energy flaring from his blade was difficult to control, causing his arms to tremble under the strain. He was about to unleash his wrath on the wretched fiend when he detected a powerful attack coming fast from above.
An ear-shattering crack of thunder; blinding light that lit up the sky and city below; it was Dreadwing's roar attack.
Keaton flipped around, his vision completely obscured by a massive, golden beam of energy crackling with white lightning. Over twice as strong as the five-dragon roar attack, it was more than capable of reducing Crocus and the surrounding mountainous area into an enormous sunken crater.
Keaton screamed in anger as he slashed at the beam a split second before it struck him. The incredible amount of magic contained in his sword shot out like an enormous, triangular arrowhead, thrice as wide as his crescent blades and double the speed. It sheared through the dragon's attack, splitting and dispelling the lightning-powered blast. Dreadwing sharply swerved away to try and avoid the magic blade, however it did not fully escape unscathed. The very edge of Keaton's attack left a huge, viciously deep gash along the right side of the dragon's face, blinding its right eye, and severing its right golden horn.
Dreadwing shrieked in pain, veered to the side, and began to drop towards the city in a spiralling nose-dive.
Keaton faced the Captain once more only to find the coward had somehow vanished in midair. Warily, he slowed in his descent, his eyes frantically searching the dark streets below, thinking perhaps the demon had landed somewhere within the shadows.
He briefly turned his attention back on Dreadwing, hearing it noisily smash into several buildings, demolishing them into nothing but dust and rubble. After a few tumbles, the great dragon lay motionless, bleeding, and, unfortunately, not dead.
With Dreadwing incapacitated, Keaton went back to his hunt for the accursed black knight. He glided above the rooftops within the vicinity, cautiously scanning both air and ground, only to find no sign of the demon. Not even a surprise ambush that Keaton was at least half-expecting.
Keaton huffed in frustration. The demon was hiding yet again!
Angry, Keaton shifted his focus on the swarm of weaker dragons that were quickly homing in on his position. He would have to start killing them one by one in order to lure the wretched demon out.
There were fifteen dragons – no, it was now fourteen; one was suddenly tackled out of the air by a massive fireball that shot up from somewhere in the city.
There was a person within the huge ball of flames, strong as a dragon, but not a dragon. Natsu. The Dragon Slayer was a towering beacon of fire in the distance as he battled against the dragon he had just knocked down.
One less lowly beast for Keaton to slaughter. The remaining fourteen were soon within range of his hateful glower.
Ferocious, hungry red eyes locked on the lone sword-wielding slayer of dragons. Before any of the beasts could even make a sound, Keaton disappeared from their sights in a flash of green.
He warped to the farthest dragon at the back of the group, appearing right above its smooth, scaly head. Green blades of wind shredded its scales and eyes and sent it flying downwards. The wounded reptile crashed on top of several buildings, flattening them under its huge frame and heavy weight.
Just like with the acid dragon he had previously slain, Keaton dropped down and drove his magically charged sword into the skull of the fallen beast. Its body was ripped apart and every surrounding structure was destroyed from the energy released from his weapon, throwing blood and dust high into the air.
Something glinted in the thick cover of dust in the periphery of Keaton's vision. He twisted aside and felt the cold bite of sharp steel across his left cheek as he evaded the demon's sword. Teeth bared in a furious snarl, Keaton instantly retaliated with a backhanded slash, soundly landing a blow against the demon. Sparks flew as the demon was knocked back several feet, but Dragonslayer only managed to scratch the surface of the knight's heavy armour.
With a rattling clang, the demon landed roughly on his feet upon the bloody ruins left by Keaton's magic, unharmed yet visibly fuming with rage. Crimson eyes narrowed into a menacing scowl while the blade by his side dangerously gleamed.
Not giving the Captain a moment to regain his stance, Keaton lunged, imbuing his sword with a huge, unstable amount of magic that was a painful struggle to control. Within a heartbeat, he was right before the demon, swinging his powered sword fast from the side.
Geraldo attempted to block with his weapon only to have the blade shatter to pieces by the incredible energy unleashed from Keaton's attack. The blazing white arrow pierced into the demon's armour, however it did not completely cut through. Instead, the Captain was taken along for the ride as the energy continued on, cleaving through everything standing in its way. It left a trail of devastation that stretched as wide as a city block and as far as the tall stone wall on the opposite end of the city – perhaps even beyond the enormous barricade. It was too dusty to see where the damage ended.
The thirteen remaining dragons circling above suddenly roared as one, forcing Keaton to drop his sword and cover his ears from the painful sound. Dust was blasted away and the ground vibrated and cracked under Keaton's boots.
Hissing in annoyance, Keaton glared at the nearest dragon dive-bombing from above. In one smooth motion, he equipped his bow, nocked it with an Ice Arrow, and fired it at the attacking beast. The arrow pierced through sparkling ruby scales and deep into the dragon's shoulder. Jagged ice burst from within, tearing and freezing flesh in a deep blue flash.
Keaton retrieved his sword and jumped to the side to avoid getting crushed by the frozen dragon. He heard the creature's body shatter like stone when it hit the ground behind him.
He sheathed his blade and readied another arrow, aiming the point at the next flying lizard. Seeing a mane of frilly pink feathers and glittery white scales, he decided to power his arrow with fire.
At the same time, the dragon breathed out thick, pink smoke from its nostrils that quickly shrouded the area in a colourful and pleasantly sweet-smelling haze. Four dragons nearby caught a whiff of the smoke and began to drop out of the air like flies, crashing hard into buildings. They lay where they fell, loudly snoring away.
Sleeping gas. Very potent too.
Keaton was immune thanks to the protection of his cloak. He loosed his Fire Arrow at the pink and white dragon, burning away the gas along its flaming path. The arrow struck the dragon's face and exploded with flames, engulfing its entire pink-feathered head in hot orange fire. The beast fell to the ground thrashing, its pained, shrill cries piercing to the ears as the flames quickly spread to the rest of its feathered body.
Keaton switched to his sword and proceeded to put a swift end to the four slumbering dragons, slitting their necks one after the other. By the end, the burning dragon had finally stopped moving, its body charred and unrecognizable. Its sleeping gas was replaced with acrid black smoke that stank of burnt flesh.
The last seven dragons landed a great distance before Keaton in a wide semi-circle, crushing buildings and debris beneath their weight, baring their fangs and scowling with fury. They stayed back, growling, snarling, hissing, yet hesitant. None dared to approach, seemingly understanding that they would only meet their demise if they made the first move.
Keaton snorted, almost amused by their terrified behaviour. He took one step forward only to pause when he felt a sudden, intense chill in the air that made him involuntarily shudder. It seemed to have affected the dragons as well for they had suddenly gone quiet and tame. They drooped their heads, the bottoms of their chins nearly touching the ground, and began to slowly crawl backwards as if retreating in shame.
That is when Keaton sensed it – something so dark and cold it was as if hands of ice had gripped his soul – a powerful evil had just awakened.
A terrible wickedness... This freezing, suffocating, overwhelming sensation was unmistakable... Acnologia had suffered for years within its icy binds; fearing it; loathing it.
Keaton's eyes widened as he sharply turned in the direction of the evil presence, exactly where the demon was sent flying by his magic blade. A large section of the city wall in the far distance was blasted apart as if a giant had busted through from the other side. The evil entity then rampaged through the trail of broken ruins like an unstoppable bull, further demolishing everything in its path as it rushed towards Keaton's location. Half-way through, it suddenly leapt into the air, closing the distance in a single bound.
A shadow landed before the groveling dragons with a heavy impact, smashing a deep crater beneath its metal boots. The armoured demon stood tall within the centre, his evil aura now visible, cloaking him entirely in cold, black flames. Glowing red eyes burned through the darkness, wicked, cruel, and downright furious. Brief flashes of crimson lightning crackled around his form, reflecting his seething rage, and illuminating his damaged armour. His cloak fluttered behind him like a tattered rag, the bottom half of his breastplate had been broken off, and he was missing a part of his helm, one horn gone and his right brow exposed, revealing fiery red hair and ashen skin. A demon disguised as a man.
Keaton gritted his teeth and steeled against the demon's malicious stare. Within the flickering darkness, he was certain he could see the shadow of the demon's true form; a towering, hulking monster with a pair of great horns. Behind the evil fiend, the dragons visibly trembled, their bodies wracked with fear under his presence.
"You have done it now, little rat," the demon spat venomously, his deep, thunderous voice seemingly resounding from all directions, "You have brought out the worst in me. You and those meddling pests. My Gate destroyed, my dragons slain! There is no mercy for such insolence! You should not have resisted. You should not have interfered for now you and the rest of that wretched lot will never see the light of day ever again! Even with that power you wield, you cannot hope to defeat me! The future will stay as you know it, rat. I shall rule this world!"
He raised one hand in the air and summoned a new weapon in a flash of purplish black flame. It was a sword, much larger and broader than the knight's sword he once used. The flat of the blade was black and decorated with a pattern of golden lines while the edges were sharp and silver. Instead of a deadly point, it ended in a wide, rounded edge with sharp points curving out on either side. He soundly cut the air, as if testing out the sword's weight, while shifting into his stance.
"Vile demon," Keaton snarled, flexing the claws of his right hand into a killing form by his side. He stepped forward and pointed Dragonslayer at the despicable fiend, eyes narrowed to slits. "You will rule over nothing but the realm of the dead! You and every last one of your pets will die by my hand before this night is over!"
Mocking laughter rang all around. "Then come at me," taunted the demon, beckoning with a hand wreathed in shadow and cackling with crimson lightning, "Try and stop me!"
They both lunged at the other with the intent to kill. One swallowed in icy blue flame while the other shrouded in darkness.
The two forces clashed together in an ultimate battle that would determine the fate of Earthland.
A/N: Give yourself a pat on the back if you figured out (or kind of guessed) that Acnologia's curse wasn't actually a curse, but the power of the Dragon King! I've been waiting years to get to this part! Ever since I first published this story (wayyyy too long ago), I've been anticipating this big reveal. Even when I was on hiatus, it was always on my mind.
Before anyone asks: No, I won't be following Fairy Tail's logic of time travel. Instead, it's more like in Dragonball Z where changing the past doesn't change the current future, but creates alternate, parallel timelines. So the destruction of the Eclipse Gate did not send the dragons back to the past and Keaton's future still exists.
Who is Geraldo? Have you figured it out yet?
Please review! I'd love to hear your reactions as you read through the chapter!
Thanks for reading!