(New Chapter)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
The Sting Of A Grand Wizard
***POTD***
"Well shit, looks like everyone here's had a bit of a rough time, eh," Gajeel smirked as he stumbled into the camp, bleeding profusely from several hoof shaped holes in his arms.
"Gajeel, are you alright," Mira asked, rushing toward him as he dropped to his knees. "Natsu said you were fighting one of the Seven Kin!?"
"Was… Killed the fucker."
Mira nodded stiffly in response, as she helped move him closer toward the others who were in similar situations. As she sat him down on one of the seats, Erza stumbled into the camp, likewise bloodied and beaten.
"Gihi! Seems like you had an equally as rough time of it, eh Titania?"
"Seems like we all have," Erza huffed as she sat herself down next to Gajeel. "Mira, did Cana get here yet?"
"No, why?"
"Damn… Wendy is seriously injured," Erza replied, which immediately drew Gajeel's attention.
"The fuck did you say Titania!? The Hell happened to the little one!?"
"Azuma of the Seven Kin… He tortured her," Erza hissed, clenching her fists as both Mira and Gajeel could only gape in shock.
"These fuckers are sick," Gajeel growled, as he shakily rose to his feet. "We need to find Cana and the little one, quick!"
"Why?"
"You don't wanna know what'll happen if Salamander sees the little one is hurt, trust me," Gajeel replied darkly, with Mira and Erza sharing a look. "He's already on the damn warpath, but if the little one is as bad as you reckon she is Titania…"
"She is," Erza replied slowly. "I killed Azuma for what he did, but it doesn't take back the fact that it happened…"
The trio froze as they felt the same monstrous Magical Signature slam down upon the entirety of Tenrou Island once again, their heads snapping in the direction of the Grimoire Heart Airship.
"Bluenote… He's coming for real this time," Erza hissed, as she looked to all the unconscious members of the Guild around them. "This is bad…"
"Bad doesn't even begin to describe it," Mira muttered in reply. "Hecate says he's only three minutes away, and he's coming directly toward us…"
"The heck are we gonna do?"
No one had any sort of response, since there wasn't much that they could do in three minutes time. There were far too many injured in the camp, and Bluenote was absurdly powerful, even by their standards.
Mira suddenly stood up, as her form shifted into that of Hecate. The Demoness frowned, as she moved away from the pair, to stand before the section of the forest where she could sense Bluenote's approach.
"Hecate…"
"Erza, I'll do what I can," Hecate muttered, looking over her shoulders as her wings sprouted from her back. "Prepare for the worst."
Hecate vanished, leaving the injured Gajeel and Erza to ponder what they should do, right as Cana ran into the camp holding Wendy's unconscious form.
Gajeel looked furious, and actually had to look away from her, leaving Erza to approach the Card Mage.
"Sorry… I had to avoid so many patrols just to get here," Cana panted, placing Wendy down on a bed. "There's still so many of them!?"
"Calm down Cana," Erza replied shakily, as she began to feel the full brunt of her own wounds now that the adrenaline was wearing off. "Let's get Wendy all cleaned up, yeah?"
"R-Right," the Card Mage replied shakily, as they began to tend to Wendy's wounds.
Gajeel meanwhile, refused to even look in Wendy's direction. He knew it would only anger him further, so he opted instead to look off in the direction Mira and Hecate had gone.
"You'll need some damn good luck to pull this shit off, Demon Girl," Gajeel muttered, though he certainly was rooting for her.
***POTD***
Hecate waited patiently in a small clearing, knowing full well that Bluenote had felt her presence, and adjusted his course slightly. She was only around half a kilometer from the camp site, and she hoped that this would be enough distance to buy them some time.
And then, just like that, Bluenote appeared, the sheer pressure being something that reminded Hecate of when Mard Geer was angry, back when she was a member of Tartaros.
"A Demon… You must be Mirajane Strauss," Bluenote said coldly, almost looking bored. "I can only surmise that you plan to stop me from reaching the camp where you are sheltering Makarov and the other injured members of your Guild?"
"I am Hecate," the Demon countered, eliciting nothing more than a raised eyebrow from the Grand Wizard. "Mirajane's Take Over ability does not work like that of other Take Over Mages. I am the genuine Hecate, once the Gate Of Lust for the Tartaros Guild."
"Interesting… You were once from the Dark, yet you choose to stand in my way?"
"I won't allow you to reach them," Hecate muttered, as her form became coated in raw Etherious. "No matter what!"
"Then let us see your resolve, Hecate, and if it has the resolve to fly… or fall."
Both combatants immediately began powering up, with Bluenote finding himself somewhat surprised at the level of power at Hecate's disposal. Though, it wasn't enough to elicit anything more than mild intrigue.
Hecate Sar-Tok (Etherious Aura, Full Power) – 412,902 MPI
Bluenote Stinger (Heavily Suppressed) – 500,000 MPI
Hecate immediately rushed Bluenote, attacking him with a barrage of Etherious coated punches and kicks. The Grand Wizard easily avoided the attacks, before blocking the final one and retaliating by stomping the ground.
A piece of earth shot out from beneath her position, striking her beneath the chin, and sending her flying into the air. Bluenote leapt up and struck her directly in the chest, knocking her through several trees as he conjured multiple Magic Circles.
"Three Layered Magic Circle – Magma Cone!"
The various Magic Circles merged together to form a much larger one, as a cone of molten magma was fired directly at Hecate. The Demoness flapped her wings, propelling herself backward, as she began firing high powered blasts of Dark Magic in Bluenote's direction.
"Not bad, but not good enough!"
To Hecate's shock, Bluenote simply charged right through her attacks, taking them without so much as a mild flinch. The man closed the distance between them instantly, delivering a brutal punch to her stomach that had the Demoness lurching forward, before a fierce elbow to the face sent her flying even further away.
Crashing through more trees, she rolled to a stop in a small clearing, clutching her stomach as she coughed up blood through grit teeth. The sheer power behind Bluenote's attacks were something Hecate could scarcely believe, despite knowing full well the man was a Grand Wizard.
"This is bad," the Demoness hissed within the mindscape she shared with Mirajane and the other dormant Demonesses. "I didn't actually think a regular Human Mage could get this powerful…"
"I can see why Natsu said he thought this man was around Gildarts' level," Mira replied grimly, likewise not seeing any sort of positive outcome, as Bluenote charged toward them.
Hecate vanished, reappearing right in front of Bluenote and striking him square in the face with an Etherious laced punch. The man didn't even falter, grabbing Hecate's arm and dragging her forward, delivering a brutal headbutt to the Demoness that knocked her flat on her back.
"Is that the best an Etherious Demon can offer?"
"Tch-!"
Hecate had no response, knowing full well she was outclassed. This Human was someone she simply couldn't defeat, her only option being retreat…
Yet, she instead shakily rose to her feet.
"I … won't let you … get to them," Hecate snarled, blood pouring from her broken nose as she brought her hands together, a swirling vortex of raw darkness beginning to form. "I will stop you … no matter what!"
"How amusing," Bluenote replied, sliding into a defensive stance as Hecate's power spiked.
"Etherious Aura: Darkness Magic – Soul Extinctor!"
Firing the attack near point blank at Bluenote, the entire forest was engulfed in vile darkness. Everything from the space of deployment was blown away, as Hecate channeled everything she had into stopping the Grand Wizard.
Suddenly, Bluenote's arm reached out of the chaos of her attack, grabbing her face in a vice like grip that forced her to cancel the attack. Hecate screamed as she felt her skull begin to crack, watching between the man's fingers as he cocked back his right fist.
Hecate lurched forward, a stream of blood escaping her gaping mouth, as she was struck so hard she felt her ribs break. The man struck her so hard, he sent her flying all the way back to the Fairy Tail camp, shocking Gajeel and Erza, who were completely caught off guard by her sudden appearance.
"Hecate-!?"
Bluenote landed before them, as everyone felt a powerful pressure slam down upon the camp. The Grand Wizard's eyes glowed a deep purple, as he exercised his Gravity Magic upon them all.
"A pitiful display, Etherious. Its no wonder Mard Geer discarded you," Bluenote scoffed, as he slowly advanced toward her downed position. "Time to end you…"
Hecate meanwhile was completely broken, unable to move, as her body refused to respond to her commands. Time slowed down, as she descended into their shared mindscape…
***POTD***
Within their shared mindscape, she looked over at Mira's horrified face, as she finally spoke.
"I'm sorry, Mirajane…"
"Hecate… Hecate please, you have to get up!"
"I-I can't," the Demoness replied bitterly. "My body is far too broken…"
"B-But-!?"
"I'm sorry Mirajane," Hecate muttered, as she looked up at the girl with a sincere look. "I really wanted to help, but I'm just not strong enough…"
That much was obvious…
Hecate and Mira were both caught off guard, as a third presence made itself known to them. It sounded older, womanly… mature. It was a voice the pair knew all too well.
"It can't be…"
You've really managed to get us into a really troublesome situation this time, haven't you, Mirajane?
"Y-You're s-speaking to me!?"
"How long have you been awake, Sister," Hecate muttered, as she sensed the presence of the one she was speaking to.
I woke around the same time you did, Sister… I merely wished to observe however, since I wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of assisting Mirajane, given what she had done with us the last time we all openly cooperated with her…
"…"
"You've seen that she isn't the same as before though, haven't you Sister," Hecate replied firmly. "She's grown, matured, and deeply regrets what she wielded us for!"
Simply regretting it isn't enough Hecate, we all know that. However, actions speak louder than words, and your actions … they intrigue me, I'll admit."
"What…?"
To throw yourself against a foe that can easily crush you, is so unlike you Hecate, isn't it? I'm surprised that you were willing to fight so hard for the Humans … for Fairy Tail…
"What does this mean exactly Sister," Hecate asked hesitantly. "Why have you chosen now to reveal your presence?"
I've decided its time that I too rejoin the fold, fighting against those who once scorned us, Sister.
"Y-You mean that you're going to help us," Mira gasped, tears in her eyes as the shadow of the figure they were speaking to manifested before them, an amused smirk on their face.
Indeed. Besides, how is a Demoness supposed to get any real shuteye in here when you keep taking all that cock Mirajane?
Mira blushed profusely, eliciting an amused giggle from the shadowy figure, who then turned toward Hecate.
Switch with me, Sister. I don't know if I can win, but I can certainly buy us more time."
Hecate nodded firmly, as she clasped the hand of the shadowy figure, with the shadows fading away slowly to reveal their true form…
***POTD***
Bluenote was about to finish off Hecate, when he suddenly sensed something was off, immediately leaping back to the edge of the camp, as the entirety of Tenrou Island began to shake.
"The fuck is goin on now," Gajeel grunted, as he helped Cana and Erza remain upright as they worked on Wendy.
"I dunno!? But something strange is happening to Hecate," Cana called out, as the Demoness slowly floated back onto her feet, her eyes closed.
Suddenly, Hecate's mouth snapped open, as an ear shattering screech was unleashed upon the entire camp, bringing everyone, Bluenote included, to their knees. In the ensuing chaos, Makarov actually woke up, immediately clutching his ears as he rolled off of the makeshift bedding, and looked over at Hecate.
"N-No… It can't be-!?"
A massive pillar of darkness erupted around Hecate, as powerful winds pushed everyone back a considerable distance. Those present could only watch in shock, as the very ground itself was torn asunder, every tree within a half-kilometer radius being blasted out to sea, as Makarov crawled his way over toward the still conscious Fairy Tail Mages.
"Master," Erza gasped, as Gajeel's arm extended outward, dragging the man over toward them. "Master, what's going on!?"
"Hold on tight everyone," Makarov replied loudly, as the pillar began to shrink down in size. "Things are about to become volatile!"
Before anyone could ask Makarov what he meant by that, the pillar of darkness faded away, as a shadowed figure stepped out, chuckling darkly. Erza looked toward Makarov, and noticed that the old man seemed genuinely worried. Looking back to Hecate's former position, she quickly understood why.
Hecate was gone, replaced, by another Demon.
This one stood at thirteen feet tall, had a pair of thick, sky-blue scaled horns that protruded from her temples, long, pointed ears, thick and scaly sky-blue claws, with said scales extending all the way down to her elbows, with matching-colored scales around her talon-like feet that stretch all the way up to mid-thigh.
Her clothing was completely gone, her breasts, ribs, and pelvic region, all covered by similar scales that shifted about, slotting into place, leaving her hardened six pack fully exposed. A thick, stocky, scaly tail of the same coloration also protruded from her tailbone, which slammed the ground hard enough to shake the area, as a pair of spiky, sky-blue scaled wings emerged from her back, measuring four meters in length.
The Demoness laughed, running a hand through her hair which was slicked back, and notably spikier, retaining Mira's signature white hair coloration. Looking up, she grinned, exposing razor sharp fangs and sky-blue colored eyes.
Levitating slightly off the ground, the Demoness laughed again, flapping her wings once, which generated powerful wind gusts that nearly knocked the Fairy Tail Mages off their feet.
"Ah… To be free to roam Earthland once again after such a long slumber," the deep and feminine voice purred, as she licked her lips, showcasing a forked tongue that extended a good seventy centimeters. "I feel so… liberated."
The Demoness laughed again, before realizing that there were others watching her. Looking from Erza, Cana and Gajeel, her eyes settled on Makarov's as she felt her amusement grow stronger.
"Ah, Master Makarov," the Demoness purred, deliberately slowing the pronunciation of his title. "I have a request?"
"…What is it," the aged Guild Master asked cautiously, clutching his chest from where he'd been wounded earlier, as he struggled to stand.
"I want to go all out," the Demoness asked in reply, knowing full well the trouble such an action would no doubt cause for him. "Is that okay Master Makarov Sir?"
"…Do what you must," Makarov replied slowly, as he looked over at Bluenote, who was genuinely shocked at what he'd just seen. "As long as you protect the Mages of Fairy Tail, do what you must do to win… Halphas!"
The Demoness grinned savagely, as she turned to face Bluenote, cackling madly as her form became coated in raw Etherious.
"Sir yes Sir," the Demoness laughed, as Etherious exploded out of her, covering the entire camp in the dense aura.
One Of Mira's Demonic Allies
Demon From The Books Of Zeref
Volume XIX
The Countess Of Light's Ruin
Halphas Ars-Velber
"So, this is the true power that was rumored to have laid dormant within you, Mirajane Strauss," Bluenote muttered, as his own power surged in response. "Despite my efforts, you seem to be still flying high… but for how long, I wonder?"
Halphas didn't respond, instead, merely raising her right hand, forming a powerful blast of Dark Magic that had Bluenote immediately erecting a defense.
"Etherious Aura: Darkness Magic – Scorned Blast!"
Firing the attack, it closed the distance between them instantly, setting off a massive explosion that shook the area. Makarov erected a shield before the Fairy Tail Mages, watching in a mixture of shock and awe, as Halphas vanished, reappearing at the center of the blast, her fist clashing with Bluenote's own.
"Such strength," Bluenote replied sharply, as they pushed against each other with equal force. "This is much more what I had hoped to see from you, Demon!"
"What you wanted, and what you'll ultimately get, are two entirely separate things," Halphas replied as they were blasted away from one another, the raw energy of their clash exploding between their fists, sending them skidding backward.
Halphas Ars-Velber (Etherious Aura, Slightly Rusty) – 1.35 Million MPI
Bluenote Stinger (Slightly Less Suppressed) – 1.4 Million MPI
Halphas immediately darted to the right, firing a barrage of dark energy blasts in Bluenote's direction, with the Grand Wizard slamming his feet into the earth, kicking up entire chunks of the ground to intercept them.
Bluenote then dashed after her, each step shaking the area, as the Demoness continued to rain down destruction upon him. His expression remained stern, even as he was struck directly by a stray blast, not even faltering in the slightest.
"You are fast, but not fast enough!"
Halphas narrowly avoided a fierce blow, as Bluenote shot right past her, the Grand Wizard's speed seemingly doubling out of nowhere. Gritting her teeth, she took to the skies, charging a powerful dark attack between her hands.
"Etherious Aura: Darkness Magic – Ravaged Requiem!"
Spinning around, right as Bluenote shot out of the forest and in her general direction, Halphas fired a spherical blast at him. The Grand Wizard performed a front flip in midair, before seeming to suddenly drop to the ground, his weight increased drastically.
Her attack, naturally, missed, and struck the ground near him, setting off a sizeable explosion. Suddenly, Halphas' altitude wavered, a colossal force bearing down upon her as she was brought crashing down into the ground.
"Gravity Magic – Fall!"
"Damn it," Halphas snarled, before being kicked in the face, flying through several trees before righting herself and skidding to a stop. "This Gravity manipulation is annoying…"
"You amuse me, Demon. Tell me, were you a Tartaros reject as well?"
Halphas sneered in response, her power flaring up even further in response. Bluenote smirked, even as Halphas rose to her full height, despite his Gravity manipulation.
"I am a proud Etherious, Human scum, and I need not explain myself to you," the Demoness snarled in response, cupping her hands as the light around her hands began to slowly be sucked into a pitch-black sphere that was rapidly beginning to form.
Bluenote's smirk vanished instantly, his eyes narrowing as he slid into a defensive stance, the entire area beginning to rumble from whatever Halphas was planning on doing. He could sense the power rapidly growing within, and he knew that whatever this was … it was dangerous.
"I'm not so weak as to allow a mortal peon such as you walk all over me, not without demonstrating why Humans fear Demon kind," Halphas continued, as the sphere suddenly doubled in size.
A swirling void-like vortex formed, pitch black trails tearing through space itself as Bluenote decided enough was enough.
Performing a frontal roll, the ground appeared to stick to Bluenote's form during the roll itself, coating him in an earthy Armor. Once he completed the roll arc, there was a momentary surge of Magic, as the earth around him hardened, becoming much more durable.
"Earth Magic – Terran Armor!"
Charging toward Halphas, his speed was slightly crippled, but he still moved exceptionally fast regardless. Even so, Halphas merely smirked, cocking back both arms as the sphere doubled in size once again.
"Behold Light's Ruin, and weep, mortal scum," Halphas roared as everything moved in slow motion for Bluenote. "Etherious Aura: Void Magic – Fatal Glimmer!"
Upon firing the attack, the entirety of Tenrou Island was plunged into a pitch-black void. Then, a powerful black wind tore through the island, uprooting countless trees and other debris, with the main attack itself still being deployed.
From her hands, Halphas fired a massive pitch-black beam of raw energy. The attack instantly struck Bluenote, engulfing his form instantly, as the attack shot right out into the ocean, splitting it apart.
Once the attack was concluded, the void coating Tenrou Island receded, as Halphas released a deep sigh. Taking several steps backward, she panted, not having used so much power in many years.
Suddenly, her face was smashed into the ground, her eyes widening in a mixture of shock and disbelief. Bluenote held her down, only his clothing having been damaged by her attack, his eyes wide, the veins on his forehead bulging as he slowly picked her up by the face.
"There's…no way," Halphas gasped, as she felt her skull cracking from the sheer force of the man's grip. "Ngh-!"
"A magnificent attack. However, it will not be enough, Etherious," Bluenote growled, leaping over forty feet into the air, and bringing her back down to the ground, slamming her right into the Fairy Tail camp, much to the shock of everyone present.
"Foolish Fairies, one and all," Bluenote muttered darkly, as he again lifted Halphas off the ground by her face. "Your resistance was always ultimately futile. You cannot stop the Bharam Alliance; you don't even understand the power backing our might!"
"Halphas," Erza cried out, only for a powerful pressure to slam everyone present into the earth, with even Makarov struggling to remain standing due to his heavily injured state.
"None of you will prolong this farce any longer… I'm done playing," the Grand Wizard muttered darkly, focusing his attention back onto Halphas. "You all die right here, right now. I'll start with you … Etherious."
Bluenote cocked back his right fist, lifting Halphas so her chest was right in line with said fist. Makarov attempted to do something, but it only resulted in the pressure from Bluenote's Gravity Magic intensifying, crushing them all much worse than before.
"Die…"
Bluenote's fist slowly moved in to strike Halphas' chest, as time seemed to slow down for the entire group. Suddenly, however, the pressure upon them all seemed to vanish, allowing them all to stand.
Everyone was shocked, as Bluenote was blasted back, even the Grand Wizard himself had not expected the interference, being slugged across the face, as two Mages seemed to appear from thin air.
One of them caught Halphas, the Demoness' face already showing signs of bad bruising where Bluenote had grabbed her, as the other had struck Bluenote directly, forcing the Dark Mage back.
"So… you both reveal yourselves to me now," Bluenote growled. "The Salamander, and the legendary Gildarts…"
Natsu and Gildarts stood tall, both clearly not happy with what they had just walked into. Natsu held Halphas in his arms, as Gildarts stood defensively between them, and the Grand Wizard ahead.
"Sorry we're late," Gildarts said sincerely. "We got held up briefly."
"Our apologies. Had we known the rest of the Guild were in such dire straits, we would have told you to go on without us," another voice chimed in, as Freed appeared, flanked by Bickslow, the former carrying an unconscious Elise.
"The Thunder Legion as well," Cana sighed in relief, as Natsu brought Halphas over to them.
"After all this is said and done gramps, we have something we need to discuss," Natsu muttered quietly to the old man, who narrowed his eyes, nodding stiffly. "For now though, let Gildarts and I handle this. Freed and Bickslow need some rest, they took out another of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin."
"Dragneel," Bluenote cut in, prompting everyone in the area to tense, as the Dragon Slayer's gaze shifted to the Grand Wizard. "You were the one who stopped my Gravity Magic, weren't you?"
"I was. What of it?"
"I want that power," Bluenote replied, as he took several steps toward him, before Gildarts blocked his path. "You wish to interfere?"
"I'm not gonna let you hurt anyone else," Gildarts replied calmly, as he stepped up to the Grand Wizard. "I'll give you one chance to leave, before I make you leave…"
In response, Bluenote's form became surrounded in a blackish aura, as he began to power up even further. Gildarts in turn also began powering up, surrounded by a white aura, as Natsu used his Gravity Magic to pick up the entire section of earth where the camp was located.
"I'm getting everyone out of here Gildarts, I'll leave him to you, okay?"
"You got it Natsu," Gildarts replied firmly, not looking back. "Do whatever you've gotta do."
Natsu nodded, lifting the entire area up and shifting it away. Gildarts could sense the landmass disappearing into the distance, along with everyone on it.
"Do you seriously think that I'll let them all just get away," Bluenote growled, as both Mages continued to power up. "I'll kill them all!"
"I don't think so," Gildarts snapped in response, as both men stepped forward, arching their bodies backward, before striking each other with powerful headbutts.
The sheer power behind their strikes was enough to split the ground between them apart, sending both Mages skidding backward as they entered offensive stances. Gildarts immediately found himself upside down, around twenty feet in the air, as Bluenote flipped the ground on him.
Without even worrying, he shattered the ground into cubes, standing on one of them with a single foot, as the rest began to orbit around his position slowly. They quickly picked up speed, however, obscuring Gildarts from view, and generating powerful wind gusts all around the area.
"So, this is the legendary Gildarts," Bluenote said sharply, as the numerous cubes were fired at Bluenote's position. "Let us see just what the Ace of Fairy Tail is truly made of!?"
Flaring his Gravity Magic, the cubes exploded once they got within a ten-meter radius of Bluenote's position, as Gildarts leapt from his position, cocking back his right fist. Bluenote likewise launched himself into the air, cocking back his own right fist, as the two Mages clashed.
Gildarts Clive (Heavily Suppressed) – 5 Million MPI
Bluenote Stinger (Slightly Suppressed – 5 Million MPI
The force between their blows created a massive explosion, that quickly engulfed the two Grand Wizards. The pair were unharmed, however, emerging from the explosion without so much as a scratch, exchanging a fierce flurry of blows.
Gildarts was genuinely surprised at the power his opponent held, realizing now that Natsu had been surprisingly spot on in his assessment of him. This was definitely someone who would have killed the Dragon Slayer back in Oshibana, should he have been so inclined.
Even now, he could have killed everyone in Fairy Tail by himself.
Striking Bluenote in the gut, the man lurched forward, coughing up blood, before being belted through the forest by a roundhouse kick to the neck. Gildarts landed on the ground, immediately taking off after him, as he pondered the entire situation.
"It looks like I'm gonna have to leave it up to you to end this… Natsu," the Crash Mage sighed, as he looked up toward the Grimoire Heart airship, knowing full well that their Guild Master was still aboard.
It appeared that he was going to have his hands full for some time. So, he hoped that Natsu would be able to take down the infamous Lord Hades, because there wasn't anyone left who could do so now.
And he had a sneaking suspicion that it had been planned that way.
***POTD***
Placing the lifted portion of earth down near the beach, Natsu sighed, looking over toward Makarov, who was with Erza, Cana, and Levy. The group were surrounding Halphas, who, despite sustaining heavy damage, refused to return control to Mira.
"Halphas…"
"Heh. Well, look who it is," the Demoness coughed, holding her face, clearly in pain. "You've certainly grown, haven't you?"
"Thank you for jumping in to fight Bluenote," Natsu replied, crouching down as he met her narrowed eyes with a stern look. "You could sense us that entire time, and knew we got held up with Freed and Bickslow. You jumped in so we could help them as well…"
"Tch…"
"I owe you one Halphas, thank you."
"Enough," the Demoness whispered. "Just… I want you to keep being there for Mirajane, alright?"
"I swear it," Natsu responded firmly, as he grabbed onto her claw-like hand. "Rest, Halphas."
"Heh. Sir yes Sir," the Demoness laughed faintly, as her form slowly reverted back into an unconscious Mirajane.
"Natsu," Erza muttered, placing a gentle hand onto his back. "I'm sure she'll be alright?"
Natsu sighed as he slowly rose to his full height, running a hand through his hair as he grit his teeth. Exhaling sharply, he turned to look at her, his eyes similar to those of his Dragon Force form.
"This isn't right Erza, none of this is," Natsu growled, as the rest of the group who were conscious nodded stiffly in agreement. "This was meant to be a day of celebration. A day where someone would achieve their dream of becoming an S Class Mage, not a day of war!"
"I know…"
"Why did this have to happen now," Natsu ground out, as he stomped toward the edge of the camp, looking out at the sea. "These damn Dark Mages, all they ever do is ruin the lives of everyone they encounter!"
The group remained silent, all understanding the Dragon Slayer's frustrations. They knew he had been dealing with them virtually nonstop since his return. It was understandable that an incident such as this would spark his anger.
After remaining silent for several moments, content to just glare at the ocean, he spoke once more.
"Where's Wendy?"
His question, which anyone would have perceived as harmless, had many within the group quite alarmed. They all looked between one another, unsure of how to tell Natsu the truth… except for Gajeel.
The Dragon Slayer stepped forward, tapping Natsu's arm to get his attention.
"Salamander," he muttered in an unusually reserved tone. "Listen…"
"Blacksteel… No…No, don't you dare…"
"One of the Seven Kin got her while she was alone," Gajeel muttered, as he motioned for Natsu to follow him.
Natsu followed his fellow Dragon Slayer to one of the few tents that were left standing. Gajeel stopped just before the entrance to the tent, and turned to face Natsu once again.
"She's in there."
"Then why are you blocking my way Blacksteel?"
"…"
"Blacksteel?"
"I think you should take a sec…"
"What the Hell is this Blacksteel," Natsu hissed, his tone prompting Gajeel to subconsciously take a step backward. "Get out of my way…"
Gajeel did as he was told, his fight or flight senses screaming for him to get the heck away from him. Once he moved out of the way, Natsu walked right into the tent and looked around… before freezing up.
Wendy was laying in a makeshift bed in the corner of the room. Just at a glance, he could already see she'd sustained numerous injuries that would leave permanent scarring, some even appearing rather deep.
Somehow, his legs staggered forward, giving out just before the bed, as he knelt before her naked form. His eyes roved over the numerous valleys of flesh that had been carved out across her small body, the damage that had been done to her adorable face.
"Little one…"
No further words emerged from his mouth, though his mind no longer had the capacity to generate them anyway. All his focus was on the girl before him, and her current state. His mind struggled, as a myriad of images from his own past flashed through him in what felt like an eternity.
Holding his hands out before him, he eyed his own scarred and worn form, the clothes on his upper body vanishing to his Requip Space as he ran his left hand across his numerous scarred wounds, whilst his right gently traced Wendy's.
It wasn't right.
This … This wasn't what he'd wasted a decade for, was it?
His gaze shot upward, as he felt the entire area shake, undoubtedly a byproduct of Gildarts' battle with Bluenote. It was enough to momentarily bring him back to reality, as he looked down at the lovely young girl he'd found himself growing rather fond of.
Seeing her in this state … it brought him a type of pain he wasn't quite sure how to process. It was love, that much he knew. But it wasn't the romantic type, which confused him somewhat.
"No," he whispered, leaning down over the girl as he pressed his forehead to her own. "No, it doesn't matter…"
Cupping her cheek with his right hand, he kissed her forehead smiling faintly as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, as several droplets landed upon her face. Sniffling, he wiped them away with his thumb, before letting her go, and rising to his feet.
"Be strong, little one … be strong."
Requipping the clothes to his upper body, his eyes hardened, as he walked out of the tent. Everyone had gathered around out the front, though not close enough to where they would have heard anything.
"I told ya she was in bad shape Salamander," Gajeel muttered quietly, as Natsu met his gaze, startling everyone, as he looked almost completely dead inside. "Shit…"
"Yeah… Yeah, you told me Blacksteel."
"I-I wasn't tryin to-!"
Natsu raised a hand, silencing the Dragon Slayer, as said hand quickly curled into a fist. Everyone seemed worried, as the Dragon Slayer began to shake.
"I'll get them for this," Natsu muttered, the veins on his forehead beginning to pop as everyone felt the temperature in the area slowly begin to increase. "I'll get them all…"
Erza tried to comfort Natsu, stepping forward and attempting to calm him down by placing a hand upon his cheek, but her hand was burned upon touching his skin. Recoiling in shock, she was alarmed, as his skin started going a reddish pink color.
"They think they can just come here and try to kill MY friends … MY family, and get away with it," Natsu hissed, as everyone was forced to back away from him due to the sheer amount of heat coming off of his body.
Erza tried to approach Natsu regardless, now extremely concerned as she could see steam visibly rising from his very skin. Gajeel however, stepped in, grabbing her, and dragging her back to the rest of the group.
"Oi Titania, stay the Hell away from Salamander," the Dragon Slayer hissed. "You can't help him as he is now!"
"What are you talking about Gajeel," Erza growled, as she tried to free herself from his grip, as Makarov tried approaching Natsu as well.
"Oi, old man, don't!"
"What's going on Gajeel," Makarov asked, wincing as he felt his skin become burned, despite being ten meters from Natsu's position.
Instead of responding to Makarov, however, he spoke directly to Natsu instead.
"Oi, Salamander, get the Hell out of here," the Dragon Slayer shouted, as Natsu looked in his direction. "You're gonna blow!"
Exhaling a large amount of steam from his nose, enough that it flooded the camp, causing everyone to cough and cover their eyes. Gajeel however, didn't flinch, and instead pointed toward the Grimoire Heart airship.
"You wanna get mad, fair enough! But if you're gonna do it, then go fuck up what's left of Grimoire Heart Salamander," Gajeel called out, as Natsu looked over toward the Grimoire Heart airship, nodding stiffly. "Make em pay for what they've done to the little one … to everyone!"
Natsu returned his gaze to Gajeel briefly, before nodding stiffly one last time. And then, in an instant, he vanished.
Once he was gone, he took all the heat with him, bringing things back to normal in the camp, as everyone rounded on Gajeel.
"What the Hell was that," Erza practically thundered, with even Makarov giving him his best glare.
"Its complicated," Gajeel sighed. "But I'll try and explain it as best I can, alright?"
"Go ahead Gajeel, we're listening," Makarov replied with a firm nod.
"So, what you all just saw was a thing we Dragon Slayers all have," Gajeel began, surprising everyone, as Makarov asked the immediate question on everyone's mind.
"So, both yourself, and Wendy, are also capable of what Natsu just did?"
"Yeah. It just has an effect related to our Dragon Slayer Element," Gajeel replied with a curt nod. "What you all saw just now, was the Dragon's Fury."
"The Dragon's Fury," Erza muttered softly, as Gajeel continued to explain it to them.
"See, us Dragon Slayers are basically Dragons in Human form, as you probably have figured out by now. We get enhanced stamina, endurance, sight, smell, all that crap. We also can evolve our abilities further, unlocking the Drive and eventually Dragon Force."
"Go on," Makarov nodded, already aware of this part.
"All of that stuff is normal, right? Well, there's one other trait we get too… We get their rage too."
"Their rage? What do you mean by that," Levy asked, not quite sure of what he was getting at.
"You all no doubt have heard of the stories about how Knights used to go off and fight the raging Dragons in the mountains and stuff, right? Dragons draw power from their emotions, and rage is one of the strongest emotions there is," Gajeel explained. "A Dragon that's docile is a big threat on its own, right? But in the stories, the Dragon always does more damage when its enraged…"
"So right now, Natsu is basically just beyond pissed off," Cana asked bluntly, with Gajeel nodding in response.
"That's a good way of putting it. Though unlike a regular person getting pissed off, a Dragon being pissed isn't something that can be taken lightly. They're like a bomb waitin to go off. Also, each Dragon and Dragon Slayer has something different that sets em off."
"So, you think we should leave Natsu be Gajeel," Makarov asked, as he looked over toward the Grimoire Heart airship.
"I'm telling all of ya that if ya don't, he might accidentally kill one of ya," the Dragon Slayer replied, surprising the whole group. "Best to leave him to do whatever he wants now."
Makarov hummed, deep in thought, as he looked back toward the tent. It was obvious that Natsu cared a great deal about Wendy, and he couldn't exactly blame him for wanting revenge on Grimoire Heart.
"Very well, we will trust that Natsu can get the job done," Makarov nodded sternly. "As for the rest of us, we need to do our best to rest up, and prepare for any possible reprisals by Grimoire Heart forces!"
The group all shouted in agreement, as Makarov again focused his attention in the direction of the Grimoire Heart airship, his mind on the pissed off Dragon Slayer currently on his way to fight the man at its heart.
'I hope you're ready for what you're charging into Natsu? Precht is not someone you can take lightly, but I'll be praying for your safety.'
With that, the old man set his attention back on the others, as they prepared themselves for what was potentially to come…