(Edited 03/04/24)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
Visitors From Alvarez
***POTD***
Three blurs flashed along the countryside neighboring Crocus, two of them crashing into each other repeatedly. One a bright yellow, and the other, a dark purple.
The third seemed to hang back, as if observing the other two, watching as they smashed into one another repeatedly, before the one of light was blown off into a nearby barn, setting off a sizeable explosion.
As the smoke cleared, Jellal emerged from the explosion relatively unharmed, though his cloak was indeed slightly tattered, as bits of wood and other debris rained down around him. His main opponent, the larger man, landed several meters away in a burst of dark purple light, the other man simply dropping down a short distance away.
The shorter man lit a cigar and took a drag, an action that frustrated Jellal, as he realized they weren't even taking him seriously. Gritting his teeth, he did his best to quell his anger. It wouldn't do him any favors to lose his cool here, after all.
"You know, its actually rather fortunate you happened by," the shorter man spoke as he exhaled a large stream of smoke. "As a former member of the Bharam Alliance, you are a loose end that needed to be cleaned up. And, for all their faults, it is a tad bit more annoying to break into the Magic Council prisons without insider knowledge."
"So, its as I suspected," Jellal hissed in response. "The Bharam Alliance is involved in all this!"
"The Bharam Alliance is involved in a lot of things, Jellal, many of which you wouldn't even begin to understand," the shorter man smirked, taking another drag from his cigar. "I'll admit it, you have personally exceeded expectations that were projected back when we first manipulated you into doing our bidding. To stand before us and actually put up a fight is… commendable."
"Excuse me if I don't take praise from a damn child-killer!"
"Well, if you want to be technical, it was my partner here who killed the child," the smaller man chuckled, before abruptly shaking his head. "Regardless. I think its time you learned the true scope of just who you're dealing with, Jellal Fernandes."
The larger man seemed surprised as the shorter one stepped up, placing an aged hand on his arm.
"Granvill, stand down."
"Are you certain?"
"I've been assessing his battle capability since the fight started, and he's beyond you, and would win in a one-on-one engagement."
"Impossible-!"
"The data is there, so stand down."
The larger man identified only as Granvill, did as he was told. Stepping back, he made way for the older, shorter man, who made no attempt to reveal his identity, the hood seemingly remaining on, much like Granvill's.
"I do so despise leaving loose ends, so I do hope you understand why I'm going to kill you Jellal," the older man continued, as he seemed to exhale more smoke. "Nothing personal."
Jellal's eyes widened as the man began to release a monstrous amount of Magical Power, the entire countryside beginning to rumble as the hooded Granvill started to retreat a little further.
"Granvill! You will remain on standby and observe this battle," the older man barked out sharply. "We can't afford for this one to get away!"
"As you command!"
The shorter man hummed in acknowledgement as he slid into an offensive stance, his power steadily climbing before abruptly ceasing, indicating he was purposely suppressing himself, as Jellal began to release his own power.
Bharam Alliance Leader? (Suppressed) – 77.2 Million MPI
Jellal Fernandes (PTS + Second Origin Sealed + Suppressed) – 75.2 Million MPI
'I'm taking a large risk using this much power and exposing my position, but I don't have much of a choice,' Jellal thought to himself as he also entered an offensive stance. 'I just have to hold out long enough that Ultear can get help sent my way…'
Both men vanished, reappearing opposite one another, as a massive crater formed beneath them, courtesy of a clash they'd had in the blink of an eye.
Both men looked over their respective left shoulders, slowly turning to face one another, as Jellal became coated in a golden Aura, and the Bharam Alliance Leader becoming coated in a dark red Aura.
"Very impressive," the older man praised as he leapt into the air, blowing smoke from his cigar that became a literal platform for him to stand on. "But let's see how you fight for real!?"
'He's flying…using the smoke!?'
The man shot past Jellal's position, eventually circling back around as three Magic Circles manifested before him. Magma, Rock and Light respectively.
"Three Layered Magic Circle – Tri Cannon Sigma!"
A resounding bang echoed across the countryside, as the mysterious man fired a molten hunk of rock at Jellal's position, forcing him into immediate action. The attack smashed into the spot Jellal stood in moments, only for a golden blur to flash out of there at the last possible moment.
"True Heavenly Body Magic – Meteor!"
The Bharam Alliance man merely grunted in response, his Magic Circles rapid firing the same attack, setting off massive explosions and wiping out entire hectares of land in the process.
As he used Meteor to evade each and every blast, he studied it, immediately finding a most curious pattern.
'I've never seen a Layered Circle Magic attack that actively tracks its target before, and with such destructive power too…'
As he continued to avoid the blasts, an idea popped into his head, prompting him to subtly change his dodging strategy. Zipping around the blasts at what seemed to be strange angles, Jellal found that the strange man had failed to catch on to what he was doing.
After another solid minute of dodging, he finally completed his strategy, as a massive surge of Magic flared up behind the strange man.
"What-!?"
"You were so confident with your Tri Cannon Sigma, you failed to notice the spell I was forging using the trail of Meteor! Now, be judged by the seven stars! True Heavenly Body Magic – Grand Chariot!"
The man was immediately on the defensive, ceasing his attack and dropping to the ground almost immediately, as seven golden Magic Circles emerged in the sky. Once they were all lit, connected by a golden trail left behind by Meteor, forming a constellation, they began to rotate clockwise, firing off hundreds of golden rays of light down upon the entire area.
"So, that was your game," the older man huffed, sliding into a seiza stance, his form once again coated in a dark red aura. "Paragon's Art – Rite Of Magical Potency!"
Jellal watched in shock as his Grand Chariot hit the strange man, only for it to bounce right off of his body, as if reflected outright. What was worse, however, was the fact that every single blast that was reflected this way… was redirected in Jellal's direction specifically.
"Shit-!"
Using Meteor, he dodged the first reflected barrage, observing as more were reflected back at him. It became obvious that this man had some sort of Lost Magic not even he knew of, which meant he had to act quickly.
Sweeping around from the far left, Jellal came in strong, preparing to strike the man as he remained in the seiza stance. However, before he was able to land a blow, he was struck from the right by Granvill, who had decided to intervene at the last moment.
"Darkness Magic – Dark Roseo!"
Blocking at the absolute last moment possible, Jellal was blasted across the ruined plains, hitting the dirt and rolling several times, before flipping to his feet and blocking several swift blows from Granvill.
"We cannot allow you to win this fight," the larger man shouted, as he and Jellal traded several blows.
'Great, now the bigger one has gotten involved,' the blue haired Mage hissed. 'Come on Ultear… I could use a little help!'
As Jellal continued to trade blows with Granvill, he noticed that the Dark Magic that he'd used during his Dark Roseo hadn't faded. In fact, it had spread across his entire upper body, seemingly enhancing his attacks as Jellal felt himself struggling to block blows he'd easily blocked several minutes prior.
"This is where it ends," Granvill snarled, finally breaking through Jellal's guard and slugging him across the face.
As he stumbled backward, Granvill grabbed him by the coat, tossing him high into the air, as the older man redirected multiple blasts from Grand Chariot into Jellal, the attacks blasting him back down to earth, leaving a small crater.
Coughing up some blood, his vision refocused, only to see Granvill high above him, his entire body engulfed in Dark Magic, as he shot down toward Jellal's position.
"Darkness Magic – Dark Liger Bomb!"
"Shield Magic – Hexagonal Barrier!"
"What-!?"
Granvill smashed into the barrier, immediately bouncing off, as Jellal shakily rose to his knees, panting heavily. He watched as Granvill landed next to the strange older man, Grand Chariot finally ceasing, allowing him to rejoin the battle proper.
"I'll commend you for lasting this long against us, Jellal. Indeed, you've far surpassed all expectations I could have had for you. However, this is where you shall die," the older man spoke firmly, eliciting a light chuckle from the blue haired Mage.
"Is that so? You seem confident you can kill me, even though I've yet to go all out…"
"The Hexagonal Barrier will fall soon Jellal, your Magic will not hold forever."
"It doesn't need to," Jellal said through grit teeth, as he slid his left leg backward, bowing down with his hands pointed to the ground. With his right hand, he slowly began to raise it, only his index and middle finger remaining open as he arched his right arm up into the air.
"You're bluffing," the older man said sharply, his tone immediately shifting as he motioned for Granvill to stand clear. "There's no way you can use that spell."
"Let's find out," Jellal growled, a dark smirk on his face as blood trickled down from the left side of his mouth. "True Heavenly Body Magic – Sema!"
As soon as he uttered the words, the skies above darkened, a swirling mass of dark purple clouds rolling in, forming a giant vortex in the skies. At the heart of the vortex, a bright golden orb began to slowly form, prompting Granvill to immediately flee the scene.
"There's no use running! Not now…"
"He's right Granvill," the older man replied sharply, his own form once more glowing that dark red color. "This spell will indeed be… a problem."
The older man clasped his hands together, sliding into the seiza stance once more as the bright golden orb was fired directly at their position. Jellal grit his teeth, feeling the strain on his reserves, as he fully opened them up to fuel the attack.
Jellal Fernandes (Second Origin Sealed + Full Power) – 81.24 Million MPI
His attack made impact, everything going white as the meteor-like attack struck the older man's position, setting off an explosion that could be felt half of Fiore away, the smoke generated by it visible across the country itself.
'I'm sorry, Ultear… But I had no other choice-!'
Jellal's form, along with Granvill and the strange man's, were obscured by the blast for several minutes. Once the dust settled, and a strong wind pushed most of the smoke away, it revealed Jellal, who had dropped his Hexagonal Barrier, now on his knees.
Ahead of him, was a massive crater, on the other side, an injured Granvill, whose form was now partially exposed. However, Jellal's attention was upon Granvill for but a brief moment, as his eyes fell upon the other man…
Standing at the centre of the still ablaze crater, his clothing torn to shreds, his body only lightly scuffed with some scratches, was an older looking man.
He had dark skin, long slicked back messy white hair and a fair amount of white stubble on his face. His eyes were a dark brown color, and his body bore several markings across it, though there was one that stuck out to Jellal above all others.
"Alvarez," the blue haired Mage coughed, as the man exited his seiza stance and made his way out of the crater, and over toward his subordinate.
"It seems you've gotten a bit further than I'd hoped," the older man sighed, as the still mostly obscured Granvill shakily rose into a sitting position. "Bravo, Jellal."
The man pulled a cigar from the pocket of his tattered pants, lighting it with his finger as he took a drag. The wind blew in his direction, as he exhaled the smoke behind him.
"Even if you're from Alvarez… I don't understand how you survived," Jellal muttered in disbelief, as the man slowly strolled toward Jellal's position, once he was sure Granvill was alright. "You took a direct hit from a meteor… You should be dead!"
"Such is the way of the Paragon Arts, a Lost Magic that makes me a Paragon of Magic itself," the old man replied, coming to a stop before Jellal. "It allows me to adapt my Magical Power to whatever situation I'm currently faced with in any given moment."
"What!?"
"Indeed. No matter what the spell is, even if it is rival Lost Magic, my Paragon Arts will find the best possible countermeasure to deal with it, within the confines of what my Magical Core can handle, mind you. Though, the price for such power means I can never learn another Lost Magic, lest my Magical Core itself turn against me, destroying my body outright."
"But even so… To be able to adapt to a meteorite and walk away with just some scratches…"
"If you are wondering what kind of power can counter Sema, do not waste your breath asking me for such knowledge. The Paragon Arts provide, but they do not bestow such knowledge," the man continued, raising his right arm in preparation to strike Jellal down. "You fought well, Jellal. I will not forget this battle…"
Moving to strike Jellal, the blue haired man shut his eyes tightly, expecting a blow to slay him where he knelt. However, such a blow never came, prompting him to slowly open his eyes, before they suddenly shot open.
Standing before him, his left hand in his pocket, and right having caught the old man's wrist, was Natsu.
His eyes were firmly locked onto the old man's own, his Wizard Saint coat blowing in the wind as the Dragon Slayer assessed the situation. His eyes traveled to a tattoo of the Alvarez Empire on the old man's right pectoral, before moving to one of a blade on his left pectoral.
"Natsu Dragneel," the old man chuckled, using his free hand to take a drag of his cigar. "I was wondering if you'd show?"
"Cut the bullshit, Leichart scum," Natsu huffed, eliciting a smirk from the man, as he shook Natsu's grip off and stepped backward. "Who are you?"
One Of The Twenty-Four Arms Of Alvarez
Fifth Sword Of The Alvarez Empire
Commander Of Varnik Squad
The Paragon Enigma
Varnik Duscharn
"Figures," Natsu scoffed, not at all impressed by the man's introduction of himself. "Are you people seriously not satisfied with the absurd amount of land you've got across the ocean? Alakitasia is four times larger than Ishgar, yet you lot keep on coming over here where you're neither needed, nor wanted."
"His Excellency must have all the lands of the world under his rule in order to combat threats such as the Black Dragon Achnologia," Varnik replied calmly. "Surely Lady Irene mentioned this during your last encounter?"
"If she did, I sure as Hell wasn't caring about what she had to say," came the blunt response. "To be honest, none of that bullshit matters right now."
"Oh?"
"You've done a LOT of damage to the area outside of Crocus, and killed many innocents, including children! Do you bastards even understand the amount of pain and terror you bring to the countries you pull this shit on!?"
"A few meager and insignificant lives are inconsequential to the overall grand scheme of things. A few innocents may die, but many more shall live in peace as a result."
"You people," Natsu muttered darkly, as there was a sudden shift in the air that put everyone on guard. "You people make me really angry…"
Everyone watched as Natsu's hair slowly started to blacken, with Varnik taking a step back and entering a defensive stance.
"Dark Guilds, Spriggan, Leichart, Demons… Better to just burn you all to ash…"
"This Dark Magic," Jellal muttered, clearly in shock as he felt a pair of warm hands gently lift him to his feet. "U-Ultear…"
"This must be that secret he told us about," the Time Mage muttered under her breath, as they moved Jellal away from Natsu's position. "This power that he claims would turn the very world against him…"
"So, you can control E.N.D after all, just like Lady Irene said," Varnik hummed to himself, as Natsu stood before him, eyes narrowed and prepared to fight. "I can sense the authorities are on their way, so we don't have much time for me to kill you…"
Natsu's eyes narrowed as he sensed the distant presence of the Rune Knights, fully aware that he would likely be apprehended too, should they find him at the crime scene.
"I really despise you servants of Zeref," Natsu huffed, shaking his head. "If I had the chance now, I'd kill you both where you stand."
"If you despise servants of Zeref, then you condemn your own existence," Varnik countered easily. "After all, you are the greatest servant of us all."
"I may have been altered by Zeref, but I am still my own being. I choose to stand against him, and all the rest of you marauding scum," Natsu scoffed. "A Human, wielding the power of higher beings for his own selfish desires has no place in this world."
"It sounds like your mindset hasn't changed since Lady Irene last spoke with you," Varnik chuckled, slowly stepping backward toward Granvill's position. "We shall settle this soon, E.N.D."
Natsu watched as Varnik picked up Granvill, before the pair seemingly disappeared. Once he was certain they were gone, he quickly moved to Jellal and Ultear's position.
N-Natsu… Did Varnik say that you were-!?"
"Yes. I'll explain it all once we get out of here."
"As much as I want to know the truth, Natsu's right," Ultear agreed. "We need to move."
Picking up Jellal, Natsu took off toward the nearby mountains, keeping a steady pace that Ultear could keep up with. As he ran, he pondered the dire situation that now faced Fiore.
If Alvarez had managed to sneak one member of the Leichart Twelve into the country, there would undoubtedly be more Officers in tow. There always were more, he knew that firsthand.
***POTD***
After finally reaching the cave, Ultear used her orb to scry the area Jellal's battle had taken place, the area now crawling with Rune Knights.
"Seems we got out of there just in time," Natsu hummed, placing Jellal down as Ultear began to tend to his wounds. "Now then, I'm sure you two have some questions for me, don't you?"
"I can think of a single big question… How the fuck are you E.N.D!?"
Natsu couldn't help but chuckle at Jellal's outburst, with even Ultear smirking somewhat at his sheer shock and disbelief.
"Well, it's a bit of a long story, so I'll condense it as best I can. To put it simply, I'm several hundred years old, Zeref is actually my older Brother and he took the powers of Ahnkseram the creator of the Black Arts and apparently an old God and used said powers to revive me into his greatest Demon. My supposed purpose is to avenge my slain family, which was killed by Achnologia, but Zeref seems to have gone mad or something and is trying to unify the world to fight Achnologia as well…"
"…"
"…"
"Questions?"
"What the actual fuck…"
"I couldn't have worded that more eloquently myself," Ultear agreed, both of them just gaping at him.
"So, no questions then?"
"We definitely have questions," Jellal replied quickly, shaking his head. "For starters, you said that you were created to kill Achnologia, right? I thought E.N.D was made to kill Zeref?"
"Well, apparently not, or so I'm told."
"That's… Do you even understand how much lore on Demons that changes?"
"Believe me, I'm well aware."
"And you said that Zeref is your Brother?"
"Oh yeah, that certainly took me some time to process, let me assure you."
"So, this is the power that allowed you to defeat one of the Four Harbingers," Ultear mused. "At least you know that the power of E.N.D works against Achnologia…"
"Took me getting beaten to near death to unlock that power, but yeah," Natsu chuckled in response.
"So, that means you aren't a bloodthirsty Demon like all the rest of the Demons from the Books of Zeref," Jellal asked slowly.
"I'd like to say no, but I did feel the desire to tear those two men apart back there after what they said about how killing a child is inconsequential. So, take from that what you will."
"To be fair, I wanted to kill them too," Jellal replied, a small smile coming to his lips. "But, for what its worth, I understand why you didn't want to tell us you were E.N.D. Especially since we are a Guild that opposes basically anything Dark Magic related, and here you are, the pinnacle of what is supposed to be Dark Magic related."
"That being said, we know you Natsu, and we know that deep down, you're still a good person. E.N.D or not, you were the man who played a major roll in saving us from what we were and made us better people," Ultear added sincerely. "You have nothing to fear from us, we won't expose what you are."
"Thank you both. Make sure you mention this to no one, not even Erza."
"She doesn't know?"
"I'm… I'm not ready to tell the others from the Guild just yet," Natsu replied quietly. "I'm sure you understand?"
"We won't Natsu, but I do think you should tell Erza at the very least," Jellal replied honestly. "Just break it to her with some strawberry cake and I'm sure it will go fine."
"Heh. Nice to see a firm beating didn't make you lose that unique sense of humor Jellal," Natsu chuckled in reply, before abruptly changing the subject. "Speaking of that beating, you did put up a good fight from what I saw."
"I still can't believe that man survived a direct hit from Sema…"
"Yeah, he's certainly powerful," Natsu agreed. "Though, that's about on par for one of the officers of Alvarez."
"I think you should have taken him out back there personally," Ultear chimed in, as both men shot her an unimpressed look. "What? He's already proven he can survive a direct hit from Sema. Now he's going to have time to recover from that and prepare for if he has to fight us again."
"I wasn't going to risk it, not with Jellal being low on Magic and the Rune Knights on their way. Plus, if I got caught at the scene wielding Demonic power, I don't doubt that I'd be public enemy number one in under a week."
"Natsu's right Ultear, the time simply wasn't right," Jellal agreed. "That being said, we must prepare for him to show up again, along with that Granvill fellow. Those two are not the source of the strange Dark Magic we've been detecting, which means that they are likely searching for it too."
"Just like you guys are," Natsu sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well, its obvious we'll need to face them again, which means we need some sort of plan."
"Next time, I'll have Meredy link us all together so we can communicate telepathically through her Maguilty Sense."
"That's probably the best option we have. If necessary, I'll drop whatever I'm doing to come help out," Natsu replied as he looked down toward Jellal. "As for you, I'd suggest resting up for now. Those two will likely be doing the exact same thing. I wouldn't be surprised if they change the way they've been operating going forward."
"Agreed. I'll make sure Jellal gets his rest Natsu," Ultear nodded, shooting the man a hard glare as he rolled his eyes. "Don't you roll your eyes at me Jellal!"
"So Natsu, how did Wendy do in her match," the blue haired Mage asked, attempting to dodge the subject of rest entirely.
"Oh, she absolutely demolished those two, just like I knew she would," Natsu grinned, clearly proud of her. "Hey Ultear, you watched the match through that crystal ball of yours, right?"
"Yes, I did. Why?"
"Surely we can re-watch the match?"
"Well, I suppose we could," the Time Mage replied slowly. "But shouldn't we be thinking about heading back to Crocus-?"
"Now hold on a moment Ultear, I want to see Wendy's match," Jellal chimed in, attempting to stand up, only for Ultear to pin him down with a firm foot to the chest.
"Honestly, you two are such children sometimes," the Time Mage sighed, though there was a hint of a smirk on her face as she channeled her Magic into her crystal ball, an image of Crocus flaring to life.
***POTD***
"And with that, we've come to the conclusion of the Second Day of the Grand Magic Games everyone! I know we've already seen some insane action from some of the most unlikely sources, but that's only the beginning folks!"
"That's right Chapati. Tomorrow's lineup is looking to be just as good, if not better! We might even have a special surprise too, though I can't say more on that one. What I can talk about though are the scores of all our top eight Guilds after the Second Day Chapati!"
"That's right Mister Yajima, and let's see them up on screen!"
1st Place – Highfather – 120 Points
2nd Place – Sabertooth – 100 Points
3rd Place – Fairy Tail Team B – 90 Points
4th Place – Fairy Tail Team A – 70 Points
5th Place – Mermaid Heel – 60 Points
6th Place – Lamia Scale – 50 Points
7th Place – Raven Tail – 30 Points
8th Place – Blue Pegasus – 10 Points
"The mysterious Highfather Guild started out strong, but Sabertooth are hot on their heels folks. Fairy Tail Team B also hasn't had a true chance to shine just yet either, and believe me when I say some of them will have this arena shaking to its foundations!"
"And let's not forget the incredible performance from Miss Kagura Mikazuchi, who scored a whopping sixty points for her crushing defeat of Sabertooth's Miss Yukino Agria! The judges awarded her an additional thirty points for defeating Miss Agria in under three attacks AND, for taking out the fabled Thirteenth Zodiac in a single strike, without even drawing her sword!"
"And let's not forget Fairy Tail Team A's Wendy Marvell, who was awarded a whopping seventy points for her two on one victory over the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth Chapati! In all my years, never did I think I'd see a young girl that strong! Not since I met her fellow Guild Member Elise Faulkner as a child, did I see such power in one so young!"
"All the more proof that Fairy Tail are back and coming for the crown of Fiore's top Guild once again Mister Yajima! They're hungry for it, but it appears that Sabertooth and Highfather are going to do whatever it takes to keep the crown out of reach!"
"That's right Chapati. Day Two has come and gone, but Day Three is where the big gains will start to come in. See it all right here, in Domus Flau, bright and early tomorrow!"
"And with that, have a wonderful night people of Fiore!"
The crowd cheered as the Second Day of the games came to a close, slowly beginning to vacate the arena, returning to Crocus proper, as the sun set over the Flower Blooming Capital.
***POTD***
Night had fallen by the time Natsu, Jellal and Ultear arrived back in Crocus. After helping get Jellal to their safe-house, Natsu started making his way back toward the place he was staying.
Deciding to take a stroll, he wound up in the richer district, where all the Nobles, Foreign Dignitaries and other affluent people lived. He idly contemplated visiting Lorelei, but decided against it, due to how late it was.
Shaking his head, he was about to progress, only for the sound of heels clacking against the stone road caught his attention.
Looking to his left, Natsu saw an unusually tall woman who stood almost at the same height he himself was, an astounding ten feet tall. She wore an ornate black ballroom dress, one that flowed behind her. The lower front was parted to expose her legs up to the knees, which were clad in fishnet stockings, and a pair of shiny black high heels.
She also wore a pair of elbow length white silk gloves that bore black flower motifs across their surface. Her neck was adorned with a necklace made of a material Natsu hadn't seen before, a black diamond at its center and a pair of black cross earrings that hung by a thin ebony chain from her earlobes.
She also held in her hand a parasol, despite it being nighttime, and wore a pair of black sunglasses. Twirling her parasol idly, she looked over at Natsu and smiled, which both felt flustering, and oddly frightening for some strange reason.
"Lovely night for a stroll, is it not?"
"Y-Yes, it definitely is," Natsu agreed somewhat awkwardly, a fact the woman seemed to notice as she stopped a respectable distance away from him.
"Indeed it is," the woman repeated back to him, raising her pair of black sunglasses, revealing a pair of onyx black eyes that only further unnerved him to look at. "I don't get out very often, but when I do, strolls such as this are quite lovely."
"You don't go out much…?"
"Unfortunately not. Well, at least not when I want to go out, at any rate," the woman joked lightly. "For work, I spend a lot of time traveling alongside my Brother. He's somewhere around here, though I know not where?"
"Are you lost?"
"Lost? Oh my, no," the woman giggled, almost as if the idea of her being lost was absurd. "No, I don't get lost."
"Uh-huh…"
"Oh, but I'm sure I've taken up quite enough of your time," the woman smiled, stepping closer to him as he felt a strange chill creep into his very bones. "I look forward to seeing you again, Natsu."
As the woman strode past him, the cold feeling intensified briefly, until she was out of his peripheral vision. Once she was gone, he immediately turned around, only to find no trace of her at all. Even the strange chill had vanished entirely, something that only added to his mounting confusion.
Another sound, one coming from the same direction the woman had seemingly come from, caught his attention. Not wanting to mess around, he quickly moved to the source of the noise, only to stop several feet away, as a familiar woman cowered in an alleyway.
"You're…"
The woman gasped and immediately looked upward, revealing herself to be Yukina Agria, the Celestial Mage of the Sabertooth Guild. She was completely naked, her back bearing light bruising in all too familiar line shaped marks, and her demeanor certainly didn't bode well.
Checking to make sure no one else was around, Natsu dropped down to one knee where he stood, suppressing himself as much as possible as the clearly shaken Yukino watched his every move, frightened, and clearly skittish.
"You're Yukino, the Sabertooth Mage, right," Natsu asked quietly and gently, eyes narrowing a tad as she flinched the moment the word Sabertooth was uttered. "You don't need to fear me Yukino, I'm only here to help…"
"…cold."
"I'm not surprised Yukino," Natsu replied gently, as he shuffled closer, allowing his body heat to increase, an action that seemed to calm her somewhat. "I'm not going to ask if you're alright, because clearly you aren't. But at least allow me to sit with you…"
The woman seemed somewhat hesitant, before her eyes locked on to his coat that bore the symbol of the Wizard Saints. Realizing that he was indeed just going to try and help her, she calmed somewhat, and allowed him to approach.
Once he reached her, he gently guided her deeper into the alley and behind some boxes, sitting the naked woman down in his lap as he covered them both with his coat.
"…this is so humiliating."
"What happened Yukino," Natsu asked gently, as the woman sniffled, struggling not to cry. "If you aren't up for talking, I'm happy to just sit here with you?"
In response, the woman simply pressed her head into his shoulder, her left hand gripping his arm as tight as it could, as silent tears streamed down her face. Slowly, Natsu wrapped his arms around her, her body shuddering as she let loose her emotions in his arms.
Several minutes past in almost complete silence, the only sounds being Yukino's sniffling and the occasional sob, as he gently ran a hand through her hair in a soothing manner. Slowly, she seemed to pull herself back together, sighing deeply as she pressed her forehead against his chest, refusing to look him in the eyes.
"…I'm not part of Sabertooth…anymore…"
"Not part of Sabertooth," Natsu repeated gently, clearly surprised by this information. "Why?"
"…Sabertooth," Yukino sighed, still refusing to move to meet his gaze. "Sabertooth is a place where only the strong survive. I was never considered physically powerful, and I lost in my match against Kagura, shaming the Guild. So, the Guild Master…he…he made me…"
"Yukino," Natsu muttered, his own gaze growing hard as he looked up toward the wall across from him. "What did Sabertooth's Master make you do?"
"He… He made me strip naked, in front of the whole Guild and…removed my Guild Mark," Yukino sniffled, before continuing. "Then he…showed me how weak I truly was…"
Though she didn't outright say it, the implication was clear. His eyes darted down toward the purple lines on her back, and her traumatized form that still shook in his arms.
He felt his emotions come to a screeching halt.
Rising to his feet, picking up Yukino as he stood, his Wizard Saint coat vanished from his shoulders, reappearing around the Mage as she squeaked in surprise, now bundled up in the much larger apparel which felt more akin to a warm blanket.
"W-What are you doing," Yukino gasped, as they suddenly shot off through Crocus at high speed, arriving at the entrance to the Honey Bone Inn within two minutes. "What…?"
"Go inside and speak with any of the girls from my Guild and ask to speak privately with Mirajane, Erza, Elise or if you're comfortable, speak with our Guild Master. Explain your situation to them, and they'll help you."
"And what about you…?"
"I'm going to be having a little chat with this Guild Master of yours…"
"N-No," Yukino gasped, reaching out and grasping onto his dress shirt. "Don't go there! I don't want you getting hurt because of-!"
Yukino froze mid-sentence as she finally met his gaze, her voice no longer working as he slowly placed his hands on her trembling shoulders.
"Where is the Sabertooth Guild Hall, Yukino?"
"I-It's the large building up on the h-hill," Yukino replied, as she shakily pointed toward a mansion high in the hills atop the richest district in Crocus. "A-Are you really going to g-go in there?"
"I am."
"Well…"
Natsu's gaze softened as he watched her blush, almost embarrassed to ask the obvious question she wanted to voice.
"I'll get your clothes back, Yukino."
"T-Thank you… But…"
"What is it?"
"The Guild Master…he took Ophiuchus from me as well," Yukino replied, as Natsu placed a hand on her head, before looking up at the Sabertooth Guild Hall in the distance.
"I'll get it back too, I promise you that," the Dragon Slayer replied firmly, as he took several steps backward, before vanishing in a burst of speed.
Yukino stared at the spot he'd just occupied, both incredibly thankful for his kindness, and also incredibly frightened for his well-being.
As she turned toward the entrance to the modest inn, she couldn't have guessed what would follow her encounter with the man, as she slowly made her way inside.
***POTD***
Arriving at the pathway up to the lavish Guild Hall, Natsu's gaze hardened upon seeing two Sabertooth Guild Members guarding the front. Upon his approach, the two adopted amused smirks, stepping up to him with an amused swagger, despite the fact he was quite literally twice their height.
"Oh, and what do we have here," the first one smirked. "A little lost Fairy!"
"Such a shame," the second one added, as Natsu felt them open their pathetic Magic reserves. "There's only one thing that happens to lost little Fairies around here, isn't there!?"
The two men fell silent as Natsu grabbed the first one by the face, lifting him into the air like he were as light as a feather, before reaching out and grabbing the other one. Both men flailed about, panicking, as Natsu smashed them into the front doors so hard, it blew them off their hinges, knocking them men out in the process.
Still holding the men, he threw them down the entrance corridor, where multiple Sabertooth Mages were rapidly assembling, gaping at the audacity of Natsu to attack them in their own Guild Hall.
Strolling in without so much as a hello, the rank-and-file members attacked him, only for an immense pressure to grab them and violently smash them against the walls, crippling or knocking them out.
In a matter of minutes, over one hundred of Sabertooth's Mages were down, their forms strewn about their badly damaged corridors, as Natsu reached an open area he assumed was their main hall.
Looking around and assessing the numbers he was up against, he could see the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth, as well as Orga and the musketeer man, Rufus, all up on the second level, sporting varying degrees of shock.
"Where is the Master of this pathetically weak Guild?"
"What'd you say," Sting piped up from the second floor. "Have you got some kind of death wish coming in here and spouting crap like that-!?"
"Where is your Guild Master?"
"He doesn't have the time to deal with a weakling like you-!"
"Coming from a worthless piece of trash like you, one that couldn't even beat my apprentice, I'd be watching your mouth," Natsu replied coldly. "Now, I'll ask one final time before I lose my patience… Where is your Guild Master?"
"That's it, now you're gonna get it," Sting snarled," only to be forcibly held back by a much larger, more intimidating man.
"That's enough Sting! You've already embarrassed this Guild enough and found yourself on thin ice," the massive man snarled, cowing Sting into submission. "Do not embarrass yourself further!"
Guild Master Of The Sabertooth Guild
A Man Who Believes In Power Over All
Grand Wizard
Jiemma Orland
"So, you're the Master of this pathetic bunch are you," Natsu scoffed. "What a joke."
"You've got a lot of nerve coming into MY Guild Hall and spouting that type of shit, boy," Jiemma snarled, frightening all the Sabertooth Mages as the man dropped down to the main level. "Just what do you think you're doing here!? Are you trying to start a Guild War!?"
"War? There wouldn't be a war between our Guilds, because I'd kill every single one of you by myself without needing Fairy Tail's help."
"You've got some nerve…"
"And you've got some nerve thinking that you can sexually assault and steal from people you don't think fit into your Guild," Natsu snapped, with many of the Sabertooth Guild Members all sharing confused looks.
"Yukino…"
"Yeah, that's right," Natsu snarled in response. "You know, that poor girl you raped and stole from, before tossing her out into the streets of Crocus without even giving her clothes!?"
At this, even the mouthy Sting looked at Jiemma in complete disbelief. The other members of Team Sabertooth just as shocked, clearly not having knowledge of what Jiemma had done.
"I have just one, single question for you, big man. Do you believe what you did to Yukino was right, yes or no?"
"Is that what you stormed in here to ask me boy!? Of course it was right," Jiemma snapped back in reply, shocking everyone present, save for Natsu himself. "Sabertooth is a Guild where only the strong survive and the weak wither and die! I expect nothing less than the best, nothing less than perfection! Bring anything else upon my Guild and you'll suffer!"
"If that's the case, then how come those two get to remain," Natsu asked, motioning toward the stunned Sting and Rogue. "What makes them special?"
"Sting and Rogue, whilst they did bring shame upon the Guild, are still some of the strongest we have. To kick them out would only be bringing down the name of Sabertooth and lose crucial strength. So, I've allowed them a second chance!"
"Unbelievable… You spout off about strength and power, yet have zero idea what it really is," Natsu replied in sheer disbelief at the thought process of the man ahead of him. "Yukino is a powerful Mage, wielding a kind of power you couldn't even begin to understand!"
"Hah! That useless bitch couldn't even beat someone from Mermaid Heel," Jiemma scoffed in response. "To call someone like her powerful is nothing short of a joke, especially when all that power comes from this!"
Jiemma pulled out the Celestial Key of Ophiuchus from his pocket, much to the disgust of many of its members, who hadn't known what he'd done to the woman. However, right as he held it aloft, the key suddenly slipped from his grasp, ending up in Natsu's as he felt a warmth flow through his body from it.
"I'll be taking this back to its rightful owner."
"That key is wasted on a whore like Yukino, I demand you hand it back-!"
"Come and take it by force, assuming a weak piece of scum thinks they can beat me, that is!?"
"I know that you are indeed powerful, being one of the Ten Wizard Saints," Jiemma admitted. "However, you still ultimately fall short of the mark of true power by being held down by the weakness ingrained within the Fairy Tail Guild!"
"The bonds I've formed in Fairy Tail were what encouraged me to become who I am today! Without those bonds, I'd be nothing. You might believe that forming connections with others is weak, but they grant a special kind of inner strength you couldn't even begin to understand!"
"You stand before me, Jiemma, Master of the strongest Guild in Fiore, and spout absolute garbage like that!? It's no wonder your Guild has been reduced to such a state, you have no idea on what strength even is! But I'll humor you…"
Jiemma began to release a surprising amount of Magical Power, as the rest of the Sabertooth Mages all scrambled to back away. Natsu remained firm, even as the entire area shook violently.
Jiemma Orland (Slightly Suppressed) – 10.2 Million MPI
'His power is surprising… but nothing I can't handle,' Natsu thought to himself, as he opened up his own reserves, shocking everyone present, as he made a show of it.
Natsu Dragneel (PTS + Etherious Aura Inactive + Second Origin Sealed + Base Form + Massively Suppressed) – 25.2 Million MPI
"Let me teach you something about REAL power," Natsu snapped, vanishing from place and appearing right in front of the stunned Jiemma. "Scum like you, will lose it all in the end."
In the time it took for the Sabertooth Mages to blink, Natsu slammed Jiemma's head into the ground so hard, the entire Guild Hall was shaken to its foundations, the building collapsing in certain sections as they scrambled to avoid being crushed.
As Natsu looked down at the man, he could tell he'd knocked him out and likely given him a serious head injury. Raising his right fist, he contemplated truly punishing the scum, before a gentle and was placed over said fist.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw a rather beautiful young woman standing behind him, a small smile on her face and most surprisingly, Yukino's clothes in her free hand.
"As justified as you are in following through with that punch, I would advise against it."
To everyone's surprise, Natsu stood down, slowly rising back to his full height and taking Yukino's clothes from the woman.
"Unfortunately, my Father disposed of the rest of her things that he didn't believe were worth keeping. I do apologize, and offer some Jewel to cover any costs-."
"He's your Father," Natsu blurted out, eliciting a soft giggle from the woman.
"Unfortunately so. Believe me, I do not support what he did to Yukino at all. As a woman myself, I could never wish a fate like that upon someone. Oh, but where are my manners…"
S Class Mage Of The Sabertooth Guild
The Ace Of Sabertooth
The Tiger Princess
Minerva Orland
"Now then, I would advise you leave our Guild Hall Natsu Dragneel," Minerva continued, moving to stand a respectable distance away. "Though you most certainly wouldn't be charged for coming here and dealing with my Father, I would not wish for anyone else to be harmed during this ordeal."
"And what of him?"
"Him," Minerva sniffed, looking down at the unconscious form of Jiemma. "I think its fairly obvious that the rest of us do not approve of what he did to Yukino Agria, and so, he shall be banished from Sabertooth."
"Fine," Natsu huffed. "I assume Sabertooth will still be competing in the games?"
"Naturally. Even without my Father, we still want to win and prove our power," Minerva smirked. "Perhaps you and I might meet out there in the arena?"
"Perhaps," Natsu smirked, as he made to walk past Minerva, only for the woman to grab his arm at the last moment.
"You are powerful, and could be great… Have you ever considered being a Guild Master?"
Almost every jaw in the hall dropped at Minerva's question, the implication obvious, as Natsu chuckled softly to himself.
"I have no desire to be a Guild Master I'm afraid. Besides, I'm a bit too young still anyway."
"On the contrary… I think you're… just fine~."
"L-Lady Minerva," Sting gasped, clearly angered by her actions, yet knowing he couldn't hope to stand against Natsu after seeing what he did to Jiemma.
As for Natsu himself, he smirked and pressed a finger to her nose, shaking his head.
"I'm taken, Miss Orland, so I'm afraid I'll have to decline all offers," the Dragon Slayer replied in amusement, as he strode out of the Guild Hall, leaving Minerva to watch him go.
Once he was out of sight, her amused smirk slowly dropped into a deep frown, as she looked back down toward Jiemma.
"My Lady," Rogue muttered softly, as the rest of Team Sabertooth joined her. "What should we do?"
"My Father must go, that much is obvious. Who shall take the reigns shall be decided once the Grand Magic Games concludes."
"And what about Natsu," Sting huffed, eliciting the briefest of twitches in her right eye. "We can't let him get away with this!?"
"Cease your grudge against him, Sting, for he is worlds apart from you in power."
"But-!"
"As of today, your petty nonsense with him ends. We go into the Third Day of the games with the sole objective of winning," Minerva continued, silencing Sting, as the rest of the team understood where she was coming from. "Dragneel individually might be powerful, but we still have a fair chance of victory against Fairy Tail."
"Will you be joining Team Sabertooth my Lady," Rogue asked curiously, as Minerva shot him a curt nod.
"Indeed I shall…"
The remaining members of the Sabertooth Guild began cleaning things up, as the core members all looked toward Jiemma, deliberating what to do with him now…
***POTD***
Natsu walked the streets of Crocus, slowly making his way back toward the Honey Bone Inn, his mind pondering what had happened over the course of the night. As he walked, Mavis manifested, seated on his left shoulder.
"You did a good thing back there, fighting that awful man in Yukino's honor."
"Its not even about the honor part of it Mavis. The guy was practically just a Dark Mage with the way he was talking," Natsu replied with a sigh. "Imagine saying its okay to just rape and steal from someone because their weak? What kind of society do we live in?"
"You know, that kind of mentality was quite normal back when I was a child, so I guess that's why it doesn't really surprise me as much. Regardless though, I'm glad you put that terrible man in his place, especially since we've got more pressing concerns…"
"The Leichart Twelve…"
"That's right," Mavis hummed in agreement. "We definitely haven't seen the last of them Natsu, so stay vigilant, okay? There are still three more days' worth of this tournament, and I don't doubt they'll strike again before it's all over."
"Don't worry, I was thinking much the same. I'll make sure I put a stop to them."
"I know you'll do all you can to foil whatever scheme they're concocting Natsu. But don't forget, you've got friends who can help you fight against these people?"
"I know…"
"So, why not ask for some help?"
"I-I just don't want to see them get hurt Mavis, that's all…"
"And that certainly is a noble way of thinking. But not allowing yourself to receive help could lead to many more being hurt should you fail, Natsu," Mavis replied gently. "No man can shoulder the burdens of the world alone… not even you."
Mavis vanished, leaving Natsu to ponder her words, as he continued to make his way back to the Honey Bone Inn, keen for the day to be done.