When I came too, I was in pain. But it only lasted for a second. When I actually opened my eyes, I felt fine.
The first thing I noticed was the massive magical presence surrounding me. Whatever I was sensing, was by far the most powerful magic I've ever felt. It also felt like some kind of barrier magic.
The next thing I noticed was that everything looked orange, as if the sun had turned color and bathed the world in an everlasting fiery sunset.
The last notable thing in my vision were the notifications I had yet to check from The System in the corner of my vision. They must be the results of the battle in the Kingdom Dungeon. But I'll get to that after I check on the people near me.
Natsu, Lucy, and Ymir were only a few feet away. All three of them were frozen and permeated with that orange light.
Then I saw the Tenrou Tree.
"Ah…" My eyes widened slightly in recognition, "Tenrou Island. Then this must be the Fairy Sphere I'm sensing…"
It was an impressive spell. Everyone and everything inside is in stasis, perfectly protected. Not even the ravages of time penetrate this barrier.
I glanced at my guild mark, which was glowing. It would seem the runes I implemented against time magic were doing their work. Aside from everyone else being in stasis, there's really just one problem here.
How long have I been asleep? I have no real reference for how much time has passed since the battle. It could've been a few minutes, or even a few months! The Sphere hasn't dispelled, so it hasn't been four years yet…maybe. Will the spell end after seven years still?
For now, let's check these notifications, then I'll explore my situation and options.
Notice!
You have successfully survived to a new age!
Rank up: Youngling
Woah…I was out long enough to have gotten a new age rank? Oh, that can't be good…how much time has passed?
Racial Features unlocked from natural growth as an Arcane Royal Dragon:
Stat Modifiers have been updated!
Dragon Race Level Up stats unlocked!
Every time you level up, on top of Class gains, you will receive Racial Stat Bonuses.
Stat increases for Arcane Royal Dragon:
4 INT, 4 WIS, 2 CHA, 2 END
You've got to be kidding me. I don't swear that often, but this is utter BULLSHIT!
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I have this now, but I'm nearly level five-freaking-hundred. How many stat points have I missed because I leveled up so early?
Jaws Tier 1
Your fangs are now hard as steel, and your jaw muscles are more developed. While a biting attack has the shortest range a dragon can use, it's also one of the deadliest. Capable of piercing skin, rending flesh, and crushing bone, jaw attacks are best used against powerful enemies.
Common Tongues Unlocked!
Your vocal processes are mature enough to use languages other than Draconic.
Notice!
Due to having already unlocked certain racial features (Wings Tier 1, Tail Tier 1) you are instead granted 25 Stat Points.
Hey, I can speak to people now! And it's nice to know I'll be compensated if I already have features or traits that a rank up gives me, even if twenty-five points is only about half of what I paid for those traits a few years back.
That was all on the Age Rank increase. Let's sift through the rest of these notifications.
Quest Complete!
Conquer the Kingdom Dungeon!
Rewards:
500,000 XP
7 Gacha
7 Info Tokens
The Kingdom's Treasury
Hidden Quest Complete!
Keep Natsu and Lucy alive!
Rewards:
25,000 XP
1 Random Spell Tome
1 Random Skill Book
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
…
The notifications for level ups went on for a while. In total, I gained sixty-five! On top of the XP I got from completing the quests, I gained a hefty amount from defeating the King and Archmage.
The Spell Tome and the Skill Book appeared in my inventory. As for the Kingdom's Treasury…a sizable amount of gold and foreign currency also appeared in there, along with weapons and other treasures I'd have to sort through later.
Did The System award me it because I couldn't get to loot anything due to protecting the others? Or is this just a coincidence? Speaking of the Dungeons…I have questions that need answering. First things first, though.
Warlock has officially been maxed out.
Warlock - LVL 100/100
Max level achieved!
Extra XP withheld.
Max level reward:
The Grimoire
Your Grimoire is complete and now contains knowledge of 9th and 10th level spells.
Curious, I pulled out the Grimoire from my inventory. Flipping through it revealed that every single page was now filled out with text, runes, and diagrams depicting numerous spells of differing power. All of it was written in Draconic.
I can't wait to study it!
For now, I turned to the other notifications.
Skills Gained!
Necrotic Resistance LVL 30/100, 23%
This skill determines your resistance to necrotic energies, magics, and substances. This includes, but is not limited to, instant death magic, fear magic, undead energies/auras, certain Evil Eyes or curses, etc.
Attacks of a necrotic nature are 30% less effective against you.
Wait, necrotic? As in, necromancy and stuff? How did…wait. It must have been that sword the King used. That's what necrotic magic feels like?
And how did this reach level thirty? Did I gain this skill because I survived and recovered from a necromantic attack? That's the only explanation I can come up with right now.
Chrono Resistance LVL 46/100, 56%
Determines your resistance to Time Magic.
Attacks of a chronomantic nature are 46% less effective against you.
Hold on…time magic? It can't be…
I closed my eyes, putting all my focus into replaying everything that happened during the battle with the Archmage and the Kingdom.
I broke through the roof, and engaged the two. My Arcane Eyes were activated throughout nearly the entire fight…Don't fail me now, Eidetic Memory.
The Archmage…he tried using several spells, curses, and hexes on me. It weakened me to the point I had to get Natsu to back me up.
Among those spells he tried using on me…
As I replayed my memories, I paid special attention to the Archmage and the magic that flowed through him. I carefully sifted through each and every spell he cast, searching, until I found it.
A spell he cast while the King struck me with his sword. I didn't notice it at the time due to the impact of the King's attack. The flow of it was similar to magic I'd seen Ultear cast!
He tried using some kind of time spell on me.
I opened my eyes, surprised to see more notifications from The System.
Notice!
Spell Skills gained via study through Arcane Eyes:
Arcane Barrier
Arcane Bindings
Counter Spell
Gravity Well
Heavy Body
Negate Magic
Slow
Weaken Body
This confirms it! My suspicions were correct. I can use my arcane eyes and senses to view spells being practiced and copy the flow of magic to learn them. But…these were not all the spells the Archmage used on me. Whatever time magic he cast is not listed here.
That last attack he used, the one Ymir saved us from, wasn't listed here either.
It would seem copying, much less mastering, those particular spells will require more than just viewing them. It makes sense. Time magic in particular seems like it'd be pretty complex.
More than likely, I'll need to study Chronomancy itself to gain more insights. I should do that anyway.
One should always prepare defenses against time spells…Good old Ainz Ooal Gown is right. It's very likely that the Archmage's spell didn't work properly because of the time defense runes I implemented into my guild mark. Then there's my Arcane Resistance to take into account too.
Okay…I've got all this Class XP stored up after maxing out Warlock; let's re-equip Martial Artist.
Extra XP Transferred!
Level Up!
Martial Artist - LVL 100/100
Max level achieved!
Extra XP withheld.
Max level reward:
Unarmed Weapon
Your body is your weapon.
Damage dealt with unarmed strikes is doubled. Unarmed critical hits deal x4 the damage.
Notice!
You are able to select a new class.
There's still more XP left over? Dang, completing a Mythic dungeon is no joke. And hey, not a bad perk!
That was a lot to go through. Before I choose another class, let's see how this all affects my stats.
Name: Kilgara
Age: 15
Race: Arcane Royal Dragon
Rank: Youngling
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Level: 500
Class: Martial Artist, LVL 100/100
HP: 34,960 [Regens 13,110 per minute]
MP: 1,568/357,700 [Regens 99,840 per minute]
SP: 43,700 [Regens 13,110 per minute]
STR: 900
END: 874
DEX: 608
INT: 1,022
WIS: 832
CHA: 606
LUK: 500
Points: 300
Notice!
Perk gained for reaching 1,000 INT!
Exorbitant Magic
Magic you cast is twice as effective. MP and MP Regen are doubled.
Notice!
A legendary reward has been granted for reaching level 500 due to [Level Reward] perk!
Reward: A new System Feature:
Store Tier 2
This store is accessible through your UI. It enables you to spend various types of currency to purchase useful items. You may also sell or trade loot and items to this store. You are even able to buy, sell, or trade stat points, perks, traits, or skills.
Cost naturally scales with the value of the commodity in question.
My jaw dropped for several reasons.
First off, how the hell am I fifteen years old now? There's no way I've been knocked out for twelve flippin' years! Tenrou would've returned to Earthland long before that! Right…?
Unless this is an effect of the Archmage's time magic…did he try to curse me with old age or something?
Geez…without Arcane Resistance or my runic magic, I wouldn't be alive right now.
And that reward for reaching level 500…I've acquired quite the hoard, full of gold, treasures, weapons, and all sorts from the various dungeons I've run through and quests I've completed. This'll come in handy for the extra I want to trade or sell, but can't in Earthland. And I can buy skills and stats? This is legendary!
I decided to take a look at the Store later. I instead turned my attention to the stats themselves.
They've increased quite a bit! My MP alone more than tripled! Increasing an Age Rank is no joke! That new perk also doubled it!
It looks like my Dragon Race Stats came into play with these level ups too. INT is in the quadruple digits! I even got an OP perk from it! That's probably the main reason it's so high now.
Dang, I've turned into a glass cannon.
As for my magic's current state…I've only got a thousand MP and it's not regenerating.
I looked at my glowing guild mark. The runes and enchantments inlaid throughout it were constantly draining my reserves to keep me out of stasis; my larger body meant it needed to consume even more power to do so.
My MP regeneration rate is preventing my magic from draining completely. Consequently, I couldn't refill my MP through natural means either, due to the constant drain.
I looked over at Natsu, Lucy, and Ymir. That would explain why they're frozen then. They're all out of MP. How can I free them? I could try giving them some mana potions I've made with Alchemy…But they can't drink it, they're frozen.
I really need to think of a quicker way to use potions, especially when I'm in the heat of battle. Things were moving so fast in the Kingdom Dungeon, I couldn't get an opportunity to drink any.
Let's see…how to deal with this…
I need to find a way to dispel the Fairy Sphere. That's the only sure-fire way to free everyone. The problem is I don't know if I can. Acnologia was able to break through it in the Final Season of Fairy Tail, but I'm nowhere near his level of power yet. I think. Yeah, no way.
I activated Arcane Eyes. Examining the barrier with all the arcane senses in my possession, I came to one conclusion.
This is the most powerful and complex magic I've ever seen! It would take me weeks to discern and decipher the barrier. Maybe even months…
Hold on. Mavis is the one who cast this spell. If I can find her, maybe she can teach me how to dispel the barrier! If it's even possible in the first place…
Where would I start looking? Her gravesite, maybe?
Uh oh…
I just had a thought. What if she isn't in the barrier? In canon, when the Sphere dispelled, she was seen standing on the water outside the barrier when Tenrou Island reappeared.
Maybe I could recreate the runes in their guild marks. Now that I'm on the island, I could analyze the Sphere and come up with a better defense against time magic. But how long would that take?
"There's too much I don't know…" I sighed out loud. Good thing I have a coin for that.
I flipped through my inventory, pulling out a certain pink token. I flipped it, letting it fall to the ground.
"Heya!" Katie smiled brightly as she blinked into existence, "It's been a while! What can I do for ya?"
"I have several questions I need answered," I sat back, folding my arms and wings back. Sitting on my heels like this made me look three or four times bigger than her.
"Good thing you have quite a few Info Tokens, then!" She giggled, "So what's up?"
"Tell me everything you know about Fairy Sphere, this one in particular, and how I can contact Mavis Vermillion," I requested; my first priority here is freeing everyone, and consequently myself.
"Let's see, Fairy Sphere…" Katie's eyes went out of focus for a split second, before re-focusing on me, "It's one of the three Grand Fairy Spells, and the ultimate defense magic. This particular Sphere has been active for almost seven years, and will dispel quite soon. It was used to defend Fairy Tail wizards from Acnologia."
"Hold on, what!?" I roared out, "You're telling me I've been out of it for four years!?"
"Almost, yeah," Katie chuckled hesitantly, "Building a resistance to two of the strongest magic types out there, while fighting off a time-locked defensive spell, while dealing with the after-math of injuries from your toughest battle yet, while your magic isn't regenerating, as an arcane dragon, will do that to ya," She shook her head as she chuckled.
"Well, when you put it that way I should just be grateful I'm alive!" I nearly snarled.
"That's right! And hey, it's not all bad," Katie smiled, "Developing resistances to time magic is almost impossible! And you're almost halfway to maxing the skill out!"
"...Fair," I grunted.
"GAH!" I abruptly roared, slamming my talons against the sand, "I'm sick of this! Every damn time I get a kick in the pants to make changes and get stronger, some kinda bullshit happens that prevents me from doing so; be it my own stupidity, indecisiveness, or some overpowered prick! Now I'm dealing with time shenanigans of all things!"
"Yeah, that's rough, huh?" Katie continued smiling softly.
"How soon until the Sphere dispels?" I turned my head to her.
The ground began rumbling right after I asked her.
"There's your answer!" She beamed.
"Ugh…" I shook my head as the Sphere began to dematerialize, "You and I aren't done yet. First chance I get, I'm summoning you back."
"Oh?" She smirked, "Have you really missed me that much?"
"You didn't tell me everything about the dungeons," I half-snarled as the sky turned blue. The sea rumbled and shook as the island slammed back into existence.
As soon as the Sphere was gone, my magic immediately began regenerating, relieving a weight I didn't realize was there. My entire being seemed relieved, and felt rejuvenated.
Huh. I guess my body really does feed on arcane energies.
A few hours earlier…
"Why hasn't Romeo made it back to the guild yet?" Macao complained as he downed a cup of beer, "I'm going to be seriously pissed if Alzack and Bisca ditched the poor kid so they could make out!"
"Take it easy, will ya?" Wakaba took a whiff of his cigar, "It's not like he's a little boy anymore!"
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me 'Master!?' Get it together, Wakaba!" Macao nearly butt heads with Wakaba.
"Fourth Master my butt, I swear I ain't never seen a more incompetent leader!" Wakaba shouted back.
"So, is it just me?" Max scratched the back of his head as he looked over the shabby 'new' guild hall, "Or have we lost a lot of members?"
"I guess that's to be expected, Max," Warren responded, "Our guild's reputation and the number of Job Requests just keep going down."
"Aw, c'mon," Nab gestured to the Request Board, "At least we've still got a few fliers left on the board."
"What's it matter to you, Nab?" Warren raised a brow, "You haven't been on a job in over seven years!"
"True," Nab slouched.
"Hey, Kinana!" Droy called out, "I'm ready for seconds!"
"You sure about that, Droy?" Laki smiled, "It looks like all that food is starting to catch up to you."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were calling me fat!" Droy huffed.
"That's exactly what she's doing!" Jet scoffed at his best friend, "Have you taken a look in the mirror recently? Reedus used to be your size! Look how slim he is now!"
"Oui," Reedus agreed, as he painted a picture of the guild hall, "But I wasn't actually fat, master had put a spell on me."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Droy countered, "I'm still physically fit, just look at my muscles!"
"I would, but they're covered in fat!" Jet frowned at him, "Everyone in the guild has grown and matured, "Even Kinana is more lady-like. You, on the hand…"
"Shut up!" Droy shouted at Jet, "I have to eat a lot 'cause it increases my magic power."
"I mean," Jet continued, ignoring his outburst, "What do you think Levy would do if she saw you like this?"
"Levy's never coming back!" Droy hmphed, causing everyone, including himself, to go silent. A depressed feeling overcame the entire building.
Everyone was quiet for a few moments, the only sounds heard being the chickens clucking outside.
"Oui," Reedus sadly agreed, before the door opened.
"How pathetic," A demeaning voice drawled, "No matter what time I come here the place is always quiet. Guess no one wants to bring the business to your crumby guild."
"Fairy Tail's lost all of its mojo," A short, ugly wizard laughed.
"Teebo…" Wakaba sneered.
"What are you doing here?" Macao angrily approached, "I thought I told you and your lackey's to never set foot here again!"
"Pipe down, old man," Teebo smirked, "Didn't anyone ever teach you to respect your superiors?"
"What are you doing in our guild hall?" Macao grit his teeth, ignoring the nasty man's remark.
"You call this dump a guild?" A big burly wizard laughed, "Twilight Ogre is the new and improved guild in Magnolia."
"Trash like you should just move on and call it quits!" The short ugly wizard laughed.
"We've come to collect the money you owe us, " Teebo smirked at his guildmate's comments, though continued facing Macao as he addressed him.
"Are you telling me you haven't paid them yet, Macao?" Wakaba shouted.
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me 'master?'" Macao lashed back before turning to Teebo, "We can't pay yet because we don't have the money. We haven't had any decent jobs this month; come back next month and we'll pay you in full."
Teebo smiled a nasty smile, before he kicked Macao clear across the room.
"Macao!" Jet called out.
"Master, no!" Laki's eyes were wide. Kinana crouched down to make sure he was okay.
"Man, he went flyin'!" The ugly wizard said.
"What do you expect from such a lightweight?" Teebo smirked.
"You bastards," Jet clenched his fists.
"Oh, ya wanna fight us," Teebo and his thugs crouched, grabbing a hold of their weapons.
"Stand down, Fairy Tail!" Macao cried out from the ground. The remaining members of Fairy Tail were tense, all of them sneering or clenching their fists.
"You heard the man," Wakaba said calmly, "Stand down."
"Gah! You're not even gonna fight back?" The members of Twilight Ogre started trashing the place, breaking tables and stools, drinking their drinks without paying, while one of them tried to flirt and cozy up to Laki.
"Man, that was fun. Let's go boys!" Teebo called out, before turning back to the defeated Fairy Tail, "You got one more month." They left snickering and laughing.
Back in the guild hall, everyone sat on the floor. They were humiliated, beaten, and breaking down. They all sighed.
Reedus' old sketchbook fell from a now broken shelf, revealing pictures he had painted of everyone seven years ago. These pictures seemed to break the dam of silence, and several of them got tears in their eyes.
"Hard to believe it's been seven years," Wakaba exhaled smoke.
"Those were better times, then," Max had a sad smile on his face.
"The Fairy Tail guild just isn't the same without all those guys," Warren's brow furrowed as tears stung his eyes.
"We searched and searched, but to no avail…" Jet reminisced on the memories.
"So many people donated their time to help us search for the island, too…" Reedus sniffled.
"If the Magic Council is telling us the truth, it was wiped out by this Acnologia…" Nab shivered, "Is his roar really that powerful!?" He shouted out.
"Yes, it is," Warren said, brandishing the book 'Dragon Historia,' "We did the research, remember? It wiped out an entire nation all on its own! There's no way anyone could face that monster and live to talk about it!"
"That doesn't mean all dragons are monsters…" Droy said, "Even if one did kill our friends."
"You talkin' about Kilgara?" Wakaba asked as he exhaled some smoke from his cigar.
"Yeah…" Droy answered.
"Did the council really have to turn on us when they found him?" Kinana lamented the memory, "He was such a sweet dragon, nothing like that Acnologia creature…"
"It's true," Laki smiled softly, putting a comforting hand on Kinana's shoulder, "He even gave himself up for us."
"I still find it ridiculous," Jet scoffed, "Just cause one dragon is so frighteningly powerful and bloodthirsty, doesn't mean they all are!"
"You know they never would've listened," Max reminded them, "When they delivered the news, you saw how panicked they were at Kilgara's appearance. That Doranbolt character especially."
"It was still a dirty move, what they did," Warren clenched a fist at the memory, "Sending some filthy inquisitors to arrest him for no reason! Then they had the balls to threaten to declare us a dark guild!"
"Heh," Jet smirked, "But remember what happened after that?"
"Yeah I do," Warren had his own smirk now, "They didn't even make it past the mountains before he escaped! Took 'em all by storm! It's a shame no one was there to witness it."
"I'd expect nothing less from someone Natsu raised!" Jet smiled.
"Of course, that really didn't help with how the world views him now," Laki sighed, though she had a small smile.
"Oh, please," Droy snickered, "The world still doesn't believe he exists!"
"The media sure tried to make it a huge story," Max smirked, before imitating a snotty reporter's voice, "'Escaped convict! Beware the Black Bounty of Fairy Tail! Hoax or a Boast?'"
"It always amazes me how the Media blows things out of proportion," Laki sighed with an exasperated smile, "That article they wrote didn't even make sense. And didn't the head guy of the enforcement people testify Kilgara saved them from a rampaging construct?"
"You know how it is," Max smirked a little, "The Council had to save face somehow."
"I wonder where he is now…" Kinana softly spoke.
"Probably still scouring the ocean," Laki chuckled, "He loved Natsu and Lucy."
"Just like the rest of us," Wakaba smiled, "He really was a true Fairy Tail wizard," He looked over at Macao, who had been silent this whole time.
"Somethin' wrong, Macao?" He asked softly.
"I'm sorry," Macao had tears in his eyes, "But I don't think I can keep this up much longer."
Wakaba paused before saying, "Don't worry, you're doing a fine job," He smiled, "Master."
"Poor Romeo," Macao's tears poured down his face, "I haven't seen him smile once, since the day they disappeared…Since Kilgara was…"
"That's right," Wakaba recalled, "He and Romeo spent a bit of time together after it happened, huh?"
Another silence permeated the hall as they reminisced. A few moments later, however, a small rumbling shook the ground.
"What's that sound?" Laki frowned.
"Don't tell me it's Twilight Ogre again," Jet deadpanned, standing up.
They ran outside, surprised to see the Christina Advance, the flying ship of Blue Pegasus.
The sensation of gravity taking him to the ground was the first thing Natsu woke up to.
As soon as his body unfroze, he found himself falling to the ground, landing flat on his face with an "Oomph!"
"Geez…" He sat up on his knees as he rubbed his head, "That wasn't pleasant."
His eyes bugged out as something, or someone, fell onto his back, shoving him into the sand.
"OW! Heavy…!" His body shook as someone hit the back of his aching head.
"Rude!" Lucy yelled as she slapped him, "Gee, that's a strange sensation," She rubbed her head as she climbed off the dazed pinkette.
Ymir staggered as she too was unfrozen, but instead of falling to the ground, she fell onto the black and red snout that shot out to catch her.
"Kilgara?" Her eyes smiled slightly as relief budded in her chest, "You're okay…" A small smile formed on her lips, though she was a little confused.
To her, they had just exited through that weird portal thing. She had frozen the instant she stepped into the Fairy Sphere. Now here was a fully recovered Kilgara, no wounds to speak of save for the small scar that was now underneath his left eye. And was he bigger?
"Kilgara!" Natsu shouted, "Good to see you're alright, pal!" Natsu smiled up at him.
"Uh…how did he get so huge!" Lucy cried out, her brain finally able to ask questions now that they weren't in immediate danger, "He's even larger than he was a minute ago!"
"I've…grown, weirdo," Kilgara snorted in amusement, shocking all three of them. His speech was slow and gravelly; he didn't seem accustomed to using this language. Ymir was surprised when she recognized his Draconian accent.
"You can talk!?" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes bugging out again.
"And I'm not weird!" Lucy indignantly shook her fist at the large lizard, opting to defend herself rather than be shocked at his ability to speak, "You're the one who's a talking, flying reptile-!"
She was interrupted by Kilgara as he extended his large wings, which he used to bring Ymir in on one side, while he dragged Natsu and her in on the other, "You're, safe…" He trailed off, tensing his black wings, "Close battle…fun, though," He grinned, revealing large, white fangs.
Natsu's face went from confused and heartfelt to grinning and chuckling, "Ya got that right!"
"I don't know if I'd call that fun…" Lucy smiled sheepishly.
"I'm with her on this one," Ymir said softly with a small smile.
"Now then," Natsu heaved off, brushing his pants, "Let's go find Happy and the others-"
"Hey!" A voice suddenly called out to them, "Natsu! Lucy!"
Natsu and Lucy turned, along with Kilgara and Ymir, to see Max, Warren, Jet, and Droy running up to them with tears in their eyes. Alzack and Bisca weren't far behind.
"What the heck!?" Natsu shouted, "What are you guys doing on the island?"
"I can't believe it…" Alzack trailed off as they caught up to them.
"It's really them…" Bisca sniffed.
"NATSU!" Warren, Max, Jet and Droy all leapt and dogpiled the dragonslayer, who grunted indignantly as he was tackled to the sand. Again.
"Ger' off me!" Natsu shouted as his exhausted muscles worked to heave the guys off him, "Ya mind tellin' me what's goin' on?"
"They missed…your…dest-ructive, ass," Kilgara grinned, chuckling to himself.
"Watch it, dragon!" Natsu raised a fist as he struggled to get up.
"Hold on-? Kilgara!?" Alzack was the first to notice the large black dragon sitting nearby.
"Did he actually scour the ocean?!" Jet stared at him wide-eyed.
"He talks now, too!" Max practically screeched.
"How'd he even get here?" Warren's eyes were nearly the size of dinner plates.
"Forget that, he's huge now!" Droy cried out.
"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. You're just as big!" Jet turned to call Droy out.
"Shut up!"
"Make me, tubby!"
"Hold on, who's the girl?" Alzack pointed at Ymir, who instinctively took a step toward Kilgara.
"Will you idiots all focus!" Bisca shouted, demanding everyone's attention, "We can freak out about everything later. We need to find everyone else first!" She turned to Lucy, "They're okay, right…?"
Everyone immediately sobered up at that.
"Good question…" Lucy turned to look at the horizon of the beach and forest.
"They're over here," A soft feminine voice called over.
Everyone turned to see the vestige of the first master. Mavis Vermillion.
Kilgara's eyes glowed slightly as he looked the Fairy Tactician up and down.
Interesting…
Back at the current Fairy Tail guildhall, we find Romeo, Macao, Wakaba, Laki, Kinana, and Reedus all doing various activities to keep themselves busy.
Romeo was reading a book on fire magic, Reedus was busy with a canvas and paintbrush, while Kinana and Laki busied themselves with the bar. Vijeeter, the dancing wizard, was putting together a new routine.
"You sure you didn't want to go with them, kiddo?" Macao approached his son, sitting down at the table with him.
"Nah," Romeo didn't even look up from his book, "Even if they managed to find Tenrou Island, I doubt anyone is still alive."
"That's a pretty bleak outlook," Wakaba inhaled from his cigar.
Macao sighed, exhaling deeply, "I just w-"
He was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open, where Teebo and his gang of 'wizards' strut in like they owned the place.
"Wow, this dump looks more pathetic and empty than before!" He laughed boisterously, as the rest of his gang chuckled.
"Teebo," Macao sat up, "We agreed to pay next month!"
"Yeah, I ran that by our boss," Teebo grinned, "And he said no dice! Y'all gotta cough up the money right now."
"I told you, we-" Macao was interrupted again, but this time by his son abruptly rising from his chair.
"You're not getting paid," Romeo stated, walking closer to Teebo and his band of ruffians, "Dad and the others may be too scared to stand up to you," His fist lit with purple flames as he raised his voice, "But I'm not! I won't let you stomp on Fairy Tail's good name! Not anymore!"
"Stupid boy-" Macao started rushing to pull his son back, but Teebo drew his weapon.
"Looks like we got a little spit-fire, lads!" He brandished his spiked club as his gang smirked, "You can train your whole life, boy, but there's no way in hell you'll ever beat me!"
He swung down with a large, sadistic grin on his face before a silhouette came from nowhere and kicked him smack in the middle of his back, sending him flying into the wall with a pathetic squeal.
"Who in the hell-" Teebo's guildmates started, only to receive various attacks from a sword, ice, an iron club, and a giant fist. They were all K. instantly.
Romeo's eyes widened as the silhouettes came into focus, his mouth hanging open and unable to speak as shock permeated his being.
Macao and Wakaba had similar expressions as Natsu declared, with a bright smile on his face, "Yo! How's it goin' guys?"
"You're all alive!" Kinana's tears flowed freely as all of the Tenrou Team stepped into the guild hall. Chatter rose among the wizards as they all filed in.
"We're gonna need a bigger guild hall than this!"
"It's nothing a little decorating couldn't hurt…"
"It's honestly not that bad…"
"But will Kilgara even fit through the door?"
"I'm not…that big…yet!"
"Holy hells, Kilgara!?"
"He talks!"
"He's huge!"
"Hahaha!" Natsu cackled, "The surprises just keep on coming!"
"You all don't look like you've aged a day!" Wakaba cried out in further shock.
"Tell us what happened!" Tijeeto and Laki demanded with tears in their eyes.
"Well…" Lucy smiled sheepishly, "Where to even start…?"
"The beginning, of course!" Happy laughed as he landed on the blonde's head.
Ymir tentatively walked in, followed by Kilgara who had to fold his wings in tight to fit through the door. They were the last two to enter.
"Well…" Makarov cleared his throat to tell the others of what transpired, "Acnologia nearly wiped us out, though you already know that part. We were saved by the first master herself, Mavis Vermillion."
"What?" Macao's eyes widened, "How's that even possible?"
"Good question," Makarov answered, "We're not sure, but she was able to manifest herself as a projection, or vestige; probably due to the density of ethernano on Tenrou Island."
"Acnologia's attack was swift and fierce," Erza stepped in, "The First Master told us that she was only barely able to manifest and activate her strongest protection spell in time; the Fairy Sphere."
"We don't know the specifics," Mira smiled, "But we're alive and home now."
"That's not all," Gray picked up the story from here, "The next thing we all knew, we were trapped on Tenrou, and our magic was draining rapidly, until one by one we were all frozen in time."
"Frozen in time…?" Laki slowly asked.
"That's how powerful the Fairy Sphere is," Lucy answered; she asked Mavis and Makarov about the spell when they all woke up, and on the journey home, "It's an absolute defense spell. Not even time can penetrate it. We're not even sure how we were able to move in the first place…"
"It was a steep price to pay," Gildarts spoke up, his voice somber, "But I'd say it was well worth it…because now I can live to brag about being a daddy!"
"Wha-" Cana blanched, "Oh no you don't old man!"
"C'mon, Cana, don't be so cold to your papa!" Gildarts smiled.
"Anyway…" Makarov cleared his throat, "We're still a little dazed ourselves, but Mira is correct. We're alive and well!"
"And we've got someone new to introduce!" Natsu smiled, gesturing over to the blonde right next to Kilgara, "This is Ymir! She helped me and Lucy get out of a bind!"
"Hello…" Ymir tentatively waved her hand.
"Her magic is awesome!" Natsu continued, "It's just like yours, gramps!"
"Really, now?" Makarov tilted his head, "In that case, I'd like to see it one day!"
"I don't know if I'd say it's exactly like his," Lucy had a nervous smile on her face, "But she did save us, and we owe her a lot," She turned to give the other blonde girl a smile, one which Ymir slowly returned.
"Indeed…" Kilgara said, but seeing how Ymir uncomfortably shuffled under everyone's gaze, decided to direct the conversation elsewhere, "But now…we eat!"
Natsu's stomach rumbled at that, "I like the way you think! It's been seven years since my last meal, let's get some meat and fire whiskey up in here!"
"And I've got over half a year's worth of drinking to catch up on!" Makarov declared, "Someone pour me a cup and let's party!"
"Now that sounds more like it!" Cana practically ran to the bar, Makarov right behind her.
Natsu grinned as he too ran to get some grub, only to stop and turn. He looked over at Romeo, who had been staring at him with wide eyes.
"Look at you, Romeo!" He smiled, "All grown up!"
"Everyone…" Tears streamed down Romeo's face as looked around; seeing those friends he lost all those years ago now…"Welcome home!" A smile adorned his face again, for the first time in seven years.
Macao smiled a teary smile as he put his arm around his son, relief flooding through him as joy bloomed in his heart. His son was smiling, and his family was finally home.
Master? Luxion's voice echoed in my head.
Luxion! I smiled internally, Long time no see, pal!
Indeed. I have several things to report and bring to your attention, He relayed. No emotion from this guy at all, huh? Much has occurred during your four year nap.
There's the sarcasm!
I'll meet with you shortly, I told him, I'm taking care of some things first.
Acknowledged, He went silent after that.
I sighed to myself as I sat near the entrance of the shabby guild hall. I occupied nearly a whole corner to myself. Ymir was sitting next to me at a table with Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Happy, and Carla. Kinana approached us with some drinks in hand, while Mira took care of the other half of the room.
Natsu, Gray, Jet, Droy, Elfman, Gajeel, and every other male member seemed to be content with having their first guild-brawl in seven years.
"Hey Kilgara!" Kinana smiled as she handed me and Happy some fish, "So you talk now, huh? You sure have grown a lot!"
"I barely fit," I chuckled, taking the fish in my mouth and swallowing it whole.
"I'll say," Lucy smiled nervously, "What're we gonna do when you can't fit in the guild hall?"
"Get a bigger guild, of course!" Happy said with bliss on his face as he ate his fishy treat.
"I'm not so sure it'll be that simple," Erza responded, a bright smile lighting her face as Kinana placed a plate of strawberry cake in front of her, "But we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
"So, Ymir," She continued as she took a bite from the frosted baked good, "What is your magic exactly? Natsu said it was similar to the Master's; is it a form of giant or light magic?"
"Uh…Kind of," Ymir responded after a moment's hesitation.
"She's strong," I grunted, "Unlike…the rest of us…" My sentences are getting better in this language, but it's coming along slowly.
"Huh?" Lucy tilted her head at me, confusion in her eyes.
"The battle," I looked at her with somber eyes, "We're weak."
Lucy looked down at that, staring at her cup with a sober expression. Erza looked at me with speculation.
"Weak, you say?" She turned to look around at everyone, "It's true that Grimoire Heart was strong," She looked back at me, her gaze holding strong, "But we triumphed in the end. None of us are weak."
"Acnologia," I looked her in the eye; my red scales flared slightly, "He destroyed you. Chance and luck are why you live. Teamwork and Laxus; they are why Hades didn't," I turned to Lucy, "You and Natsu…almost died. Seven years are gone. Train, we must."
Holy crap, I sound like Yoda.
Wendy, Happy, and Carla looked down; whether they were feeling shame or sorrow, I couldn't tell you. Probably both.
"...You're not wrong," Erza looked down too, shame written all over her face, "We were too weak to even scratch that dragon. And Laxus intervening the way he did saved our lives for sure."
"And you and Ymir definitely saved Natsu and I," Lucy looked up to give me a small smile, "Thank you for that. And you're right," She looked down at her guild mark, "We're weak…I'm weak. I couldn't do a thing on that battlefield. I was too scared to even move…"
"Nah, Luce, you're strong!" Natsu suddenly appeared, having broken away from the brawl. In fact, the whole guild seemed to be listening now, "Don't forget, having powerful magic isn't the be-all end-all to strength!" He grinned as he banged a fist to his chest, "There's nothin' wrong with fear! It's how you come to know your weaknesses! You need to know them; that's what makes you a stronger, gentler person!"
I saw Gildarts smile out of the corner of my eye.
"Kilgara," Natsu turned to me, "Fairy Tail isn't weak! Our teamwork is what makes us strong. The bonds we've built are strength! And it seems like you've forgotten that," He grinned at me, raising a hand in a 'come at me' gesture, "So let's take this outside!"
I stared at him as the whole guild stood in silence. You could hear a pin drop, it had gone so quiet.
"Perfect…" I grinned, my scales flaring red as I rose to my feet, "Beat me, and I'll take back my words," I but my head against his; his smile never faltered, "Show me, the strength of the guild we share; restore faith in the future…Natsu Dragneel!"
Flames danced in his eyes as he responded, "You really know how to get me all fired up…"
"Is this wise?" Wendy nervously asked as the entire guild convened outside. Usually, Natsu starting a fight and challenging someone was no big deal; but this time it was a dragonslayer against an actual dragon. People were interested.
Natsu and Kilgara were a ways away from everyone, taking stances as they waited for Makarov to signal the start of their fight.
"Probably not…" Lucy deadpanned in response to Wendy.
Ymir stood next to them, unsure of what to make of this situation, "Should they really fight like this? Kilgara always spoke so fondly of Natsu…" It was true. During the months Ymir learned Draconic, Kilgara would often speak highly of Fairy Tail, and Natsu.
"I think they'll be fine…" Lucy speculated.
"Of course they'll be fine," Gray came up to them, "I can't say I know Kilgara all that well, but from the looks on both their faces, this match will only serve to bring them closer."
"I hope you're right…" Wendy trailed off.
"I just hope the forest is still intact after they're done…" Carla deadpanned, taking a few steps back.
"Ready?" Makarov called out with a hand raised, looking back and forth between the pinkette and the black dragon, "Start!" He drove his hand down, signaling the start of the fight.
Natsu's fist immediately ignited as he charged the large reptile.
"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" He called out with a grin.
Kilgara shifted to the right at the last second, bringing his talon around to redirect Natsu's attack into the ground.
"Woah," Gajeel's eyes widened slightly, "Dragon can move…"
Flames exploded underneath the ground as the dirt and stone moved to wrap around Natsu's forearm.
"Earth magic…?" Erza observed under her breath.
Undeterred, Natsu immediately lit his foot on fire as he leapt up in a crescent motion, swinging his kick at Kilgara's snout, "Fire Dragon Talon!" He roared as he prepared flames to destroy the hardened rock around his arm.
Kilgara hopped up, flapping his wings sharply to propel himself back. In doing so, he kicked up a large amount of dust as a strong gust of wind prompted everyone to squint and raise their hands to block their faces.
Natsu, undeterred by the wind, inhaled deeply, "Fire Dragon ROAR!" He bellowed.
Kilgara's scales flashed red as he opened his jaws wide, exhaling his own draconic roar.
The red wispy light collided with the orange flames; the two powers fought to consume the other, and while Natsu was focused on keeping Kilgara's roar at bay, Kilgara flicked his tail, causing a pillar of stone to launch from the ground, slamming into his gut.
"HRK!" Spit flung from his mouth as his flames left him; he collapsed on the ground as Kilgara ceased his own breath, though rolled back as he yelled, "Fire Dragon Sword Horn!"
Natsu's entire body ignited in a fiery spear as he shot forward with impressive speed.
He's gotten faster, Erza acknowledged in her head, But…
Kilgara's talon slapped Natsu's face a millisecond before he rammed into him, sending him flying into the trees with a resounding BOOM!
"And there goes the forest…" Lucy sighed as some trees lit on fire.
Natsu came out of the greenery panting, with a few scratches on his face, "You've got some moves pal," He took a deep breath, "But I've learned a few tricks of my own!" Sparks started cackling around him.
Kilgara's eyes widened, along with everyone else's. Natsu's magic power was increasing.
"Lightning Flame Dragon, ROAR!" He sent a torrential cone of fire and lightning at the red and black dragon, who suddenly took to the sky.
Aiming upward, Natsu continued his roar at Kilgara, who once again responded with his own, though this time it was more potent. His red scales glowed brightly as he fought to overpower the dragonslayer's roar.
The earth began shaking with the force of their roars, the draconic sound echoing across the valley.
"Shouldn't we stop them!?" Lucy cried out, fighting to keep standing.
"No, not yet!" Gildarts was the one to respond, "They need to see this through," Easy for him to say. He didn't seem to have much trouble dealing with the fierce winds.
"Seems like a stalemate to me!" Gray observed as neither was gaining any significant ground on the other.
"Not quite," Erza said, raising her voice to be heard by the others.
Indeed, Kilgara's breath attack seemed to be overtaking Natsu's; that red, wispy, fiery light even seemed to be burning Natsu's lightning and flames…
Eventually, the red flame-like light overcame the flames of the dragonslayer, who was sent away with a GAWOOSH!
BANG!
Natsu was sent flying into the dirt, which Kilgara took swift advantage of.
He dived down, pinning Natsu into the ground as he landed, his talon against the pinkette's chest and throat.
"Yield," Kilgara sneered.
Natsu, panting from the cost of his magic, tried to pry the claw off him, and though the dragon's arm shook slightly to keep him in place, Kilgara pressed his advantage of the 'high ground,' leaning his weight into the submission hold.
"I concede," Natsu sighed, though he grinned immediately as Kilgara got off him, "Damn man, you haven't been slacking!"
"Of course not," He snorted, "And you're right."
"Huh?" Natsu raised a brow.
"About Fairy Tail," Kilgara confirmed, "Our guild…is not weak," He turned to, gazing at the distant horizon with Magnolia and the lake in the distance, "There are just powerful enemies."
"Ha!" Natsu scoffed as he rose, "I can take 'em!" He immediately stumbled as he got back up.
"Easy," Kilgara brought his tail up to help steady him.
"That's quite the technique!" Erza praised Natsu.
"Looks like it's pretty draining, though," Gray observed.
"Yeah, maybe you should practice more before bringing that into a real fight…" Lucy chuckled nervously as she approached the exhausted pinkette.
"Not a bad idea…" Makarov stroked his mustache, "In fact, we could all probably do with a little training…"
"Yeah, I'd like to sleep in my own bed, first," Levy chuckled.
"Shrimp's gotta point," Gajeel yawned, "I'm headin' home!" He and Lily turned, heading for town.
Like a domino effect, everyone suddenly felt weary. It was getting late. The wizards of Fairy Tail were more than ready to put the day to rest.
"Man, I can't wait to get to my apartment!" Lucy exclaimed, happily exclaimed, turning to Ymir, "Do you have a place to stay in Magnolia?"
"Uh…not Magnolia, no," Ymir answered softly.
"Wanna room with me?" Lucy gave her a smile, "That way you don't have to leave town tonight. I can thank you properly with some tea or something."
"Uh…" Ymir turned to Kilgara, who shrugged, then nodded, "Sure."
"Awesome! Let's go!"
I watched from a distance as Lucy walked Ymir into town. Everyone had vacated the property of Fairy Tail's shabby guild hall. The sun was setting, casting a dull orange hue over the sky.
Luxion materialized next to me.
"Good to see you're still alive, master," He greeted.
"Of course I'm alive," I rolled my eyes, "You'd be the first to know if I died."
"Correct," He robotically stated.
"So, what needs my attention?" I turned to him, "And what's the status of the ARK?"
"The ARK is functioning at one hundred percent," Luxion reported, "Its residents are thriving; construction of the city is nearly complete. The tek projects are nearing completion as well. We have a fully functional prototype that's already been tested. Kenji and Emrys are working on its mass-production."
"Perfect," I smirked, "The runes weren't too terrible to configure?"
"It took a lot of trial and error," Luxion said, "But we've constructed a model that functions to your designs perfectly. We are ready to move on to the Veronica Project."
"We'll need to relocate to work on that one…" I thought aloud, "But we'll hammer out the details for that later."
"Very well," Luxion moved on, "There are quite a few things that we must discuss, but two of them are more prevalent."
"Oh?"
"First, we have not been able to locate Thorn, Saphira, or Alva since your disappearance," Luxion reported with no emotion, "And the denizens of the ARK have…advanced beyond our expectations."
"What!?" I roared, tensing into a stance; I barely registered the second thing he said, "You're telling me they've disappeared?"
"Quite," Luxion reported, "We have estimates as to their exact location, but nothing solid."
I let out a sigh, relaxing the rest of my body, "What's the status of the Pigeon Project?"
"The new drones are nearly operational," Luxion said.
"Send them out to track down the Night Fury's as soon as possible," I looked back out to the horizon, "I'll search for them as well, but finish your report first. What do you mean the denizens have been advancing?" Did something happen to my minions?
"Procreation," Luxion stated simply.
"...Procreation?" I narrowed my eyes as I tilted my head at him, "As in having children?"
"Indeed," Luxion reported.
"That's…interesting…" I trailed off. If my minions are able to have children, then that means the rituals of the Book of Minion don't just create mere constructs; they create actual life. That should be impossible…
Actually, I'm a Gamer, what the heck even is impossible for us?
The Book of Minion appeared in my talon as I popped it out of my inventory. I flipped through the index, which went through several notes and details of the minions the book's author created. From what I've read so far, this ritualist was…eccentric. He wasn't afraid of performing…morally questionable experiments.
I haven't read through all of this yet, but it seems I should.
I found what I was looking for after five to ten minutes. A section labeled Offspring.
It went into detail about how a minion the author created was kidnapped and enslaved…during the time the author tracked the minion down, it had been impregnated.
The next few pages detailed how the author's curiosity was piqued, and the experiments he performed afterwards.
Basically, he found that any offspring his minions bore had the same instincts and machinations as minions created through the rituals; they followed his orders and were subservient to him. Their loyalty never wavered, and they never questioned their creator. And the 'Line of Obedience' (as he dubbed it), lasted several generations, up until his death.
Yeah, I'm reading through this whole book when I get the chance later.
"So…They have children now, huh?" I put the book back in my inventory.
"Affirmative," Luxion confirmed, "They've truly begun to come into their own culture in your absence."
"This…is actually a good thing," This'll make things much easier; if they have children and we train them, I won't have to spend hefty amounts of my budding hoard to create more minions, "As long as they remain loyal to me, and carry out their duties, I see nothing wrong with them developing families. It's quite the shock, though."
Family, huh?
"What else has happened?" I turned the subject back around.
"Preparations for our battle with the ARK bosses are nearly complete," Luxion relayed, "Once the tek prototypes have been finalized and constructed, we will await your order to take on the Crystal Wyvern Queen, the Manticore, the Dragon, and the King Titan."
"Let's prepare for the Queen," I nodded, "She will make a fine battle to test my new strength. Take us to the ARK."
Luxion initiated his teleportation sequence, teleporting us to the ARK in a semicircle of blue hexagons.
A/N: Some might not be happy with the way this chapter played out; if I'm being honest, I'm not either. I tried so hard to make it happen differently, but after re-writing almost the entire thing four times, Kilgara had to be frozen in the Fairy Sphere for the next arc to happen the way I want to write it.
We're coming up to the parts I've been wanting to write since I started this story! In fact, its the reason I started writing it in the first place! And it may not be a huge milestone, but to celebrate reaching chapter 20 for the next time I post, I'll give y'all two chapters!