Chapter 128

One Universe

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

"Flashback"

"Magic"

Location/Date/Time Change

Gajeel stared at Bloodman as he watched the enemy phase through his spears like water. "What thou hast just touch is itself death…" Bloodman declared as he rushed Gajeel. "A death which thou cans't possibly oppose!"

The Dragon Slayer managed to reach out and grab the invader by the throat. "That so? Well looks like we're both in luck!" Gajeel declared before head butting Bloodman. "Cause I've been looking for a good plot to call my final resting place!"

Massive bolts of magic started raining down on the battlefield, one fired after the other as Bloodman caught a punch. "Dost thou have no concern for thine own life? These Magic Bane particles emitted by mine body. Any and all mages who inhale them shall inevitably fall to their demise."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but my lungs are made of metal!" Gajeel shouted as he flipped to the side.

"So they are, and that is fine by me. I shall take this rare opportunity to fight to mine hearts content!" Bloodman shouted as a pole flew through his face, shocking the Dragon Slayer. "'Tis unfortunate for thou, but my body is made entirely of Bane particles and thus… I am the reaper, the guide of the underworld!"

Misty skulls rose up and everyone around Gajeel started coughing up blood or falling over dead. "All of you get away from here! Right now!" He shouted as the skulls started swallowing him.

"Solid Scrip: Shine!" A bright light broke through and the skulls faded as Levy stood between the two fighters. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"You idiot! You've got to get far away from here!" He shouted as the girl turned around, showing a Solid Script Mask on her face.

"Looking for a good plot of land!? How could you say something like that!?" She scolded.

"What? No… that was just fight talk." He mumbled back. "I was just trying to think of a good comeback. No need to get all pissed."

"I don't want you to die… I want you to keep on living, Gajeel…" She replied.

"Are you seriously gonna be okay in all this?" Gajeel questioned.

"No need to worry. 'Solid Script: Mask' is completely flawless."

"Standing before me is the equivalent of embracing thine death, and thus thine fates are now sealed." Bloodman declared, his body starting to turn into black powder. "Thine wish shall be granted. I shall not allow thou to keep the life thou seeks. I swear on the name of the reaper!"

"Keep making yer empty threats! Your magic power ain't nothing special!" Gajeel shouted back. "The rest of the Twelve are a helluva lot more impressive."

"What I manipulate is not magic power… but curse power." The reaper declared, shocking the two before he swung arms. "Exploding Spiral!" A twisting tower of explosion blasted the two as they landed in the field of skulls. "Onimaru!" A cross slash forced Gajeel to harden his arms to protect Levy. "Dark Deluge!"

Black water rose up and swathed the two in the torrent. "It can't be… This freak can use all of Tartaros' powers!" Gajeel realized in horror.

"I'm not about to fall for the same move twice!" Levy declared, waving her hands. "Solid Script: Hole!" The water was sucked down the 'o' as Gajeel pulled his head back.

"Iron Dragon Roar!" Shards of iron shot out, meeting ice that blasted the two back. Gajeel looked behind to find Levy had fallen over, her 'mask' fallen off. "Levy, your mask!"

"Forgive me…" Levy mumbled, blood coming from her mouth. "The truth is… it had no effect at all. Bane particles can be absorbed directly into the skin…"

"Then why the hell did you come here!?" He shouted back.

"I just… I just wanted to save you…" She replied before falling over to the ground.

"LEVY!"

Gajeel snapped his head back in anger before charging ahead, his club going through the spirit. "How futile…" Bloodman countered with a slash as Gajeel kept trying to punch him. "Physical attacks have no effect on my form!"

In frustration, Gajeel opened his mouth and started sucking in the Bane Particles. 'Impossible… he's metabolizing the minuscule amount of iron in the Bane Particles… he was able to digest the poison!?' Gajeel closed his mouth, his body now solid jet black and charged Bloodman, his punches now hitting their target.

"No matter the cost to me…" Gajeel spoke up. "I'm keeping the woman I fell for safe!" A final punch went straight through the body as Gajeel's form returned to normal. "Levy…" He turned to rush over to her, only for ghostly arms to grab him.

"I shan't die without a price!" Bloodman shouted, pulling Gajeel back into a swirling mass. "Thou shalt accompany me for all eternity!"

The hands pulled him back as Levy pushed herself up, lurching forward towards him. "Stay back!" Gajeel shouted, stopping her in her tracks. "If you get too close, you'll also get pulled in!"

"Then we go together!" She snapped back, resuming her sprint.

"No! I won't let you die with me!" He shouted as Lily pulled her back.

A wooden branch shot forward and grabbed Gajeel's arm. "Like hell you're gonna die!" Laki shouted, pulling her arm back. "Natsu would never forgive me if you missed the wedding!"

"How are you-"

"That doesn't matter right now!" She cried out. "Right now, it's just about saving your life!" She pulled hard and Gajeel was yanked free of the portal, sending him crashing into Levy as the last of Bloodman faded away. Levy cried into Gajeel's chest as he held her close, Lily smiling.

Eastern Fiore

"Man, being huge is a blast!" Natsu cheered, now looking like a massive bobble head as the group rode atop the massive Happy.

"Turn him back already!" Lucy shouted.

"Fluffy wuffy…" Brandish nuzzled into the cat, ignoring the blondes plea. "What's the harm? He wanted to be made bigger so badly, I figured I'd indulge him…"

"But only growing his head just gives me the creeps!" Lucy replied. Brandish just smirked at her before the blonde's chest shrunk down to nothing before ballooning in size. "Would you kindly not play with people's bodies for your amusement!?"

"I have no idea why, but I feel the strongest urge to mess with you…" The mass manipulator replied, making Natsu chuckle.

"Give it a rest, will you?" Mest requested. "We didn't come here to-"

A pulse of magic shut him up as every one of the guild members froze in fear. "There's no mistaking it." Brandish declared, looking over the side. Standing in the middle of a field was their target. "August, the king of all magic."

The massive cat landed in the ground before shrinking in size, letting the four hit the dirt. The Wizard King stared at the quartet as the two from Alveraz walked towards each other. "What exactly are you playing at, Brandish?"

"I've come to negotiate with you." She replied.

"Has Jacob been killed?" August questioned.

"He was defeated at the hands of these two." The vernette answered. "He isn't dead, just taken prisoner. What of God Serena? He should have been with you."

"Brandish's magic power is absurdly high, but August's…" Lucy whispered to her side.

"Yeah… it's a bit more…" Natsu replied, the fear in his very obvious.

"Now, do you mind clarifying exactly what you mean by 'negotiate'?" August questioned.

"I would like you to halt your advance." Brandish answered.

The older man looked up and down her, trying to find any injuries. "From what I can gather, it doesn't appear that you've been tortured… Am I to interpret this a betrayal?"

"That couldn't be further from the truth." She replied. "I am and will always be a loyal citizen of Alvarez, through and through. It's just… I cannot find any meaning in this war."

"Those very words are in direct betrayal of his majesty's will." August declared, glaring at her. "Need I remind you, we Spriggan 12 have dedicated our minds, bodies and souls to his majesty. If, in spite of that, you still cannot comprehend why you must fight for his cause, then you are nothing more than an enemy who must be eliminated."

"Please, August… listen to me." Brandish begged. "What his majesty is attempting to achieve is absolute genocide, and nothing less. Call it whatever you'd like, but in the end, it amounts to nothing but a one-sided massacre. This war is nothing but murder, not a clash of noble ideas between our two countries. Surely you can tell that much.

"I know that among the Twelve, none are wiser than you. That is why you must that at the end of this fight, there will be no future. All that waits us is an empty abyss. That is why I have to decided think for myself, as you should too. I have reached the conclusion that these people are not evil."

She motioned to the group behind her and August locked eyes with Natsu. "Well… I suppose I would sooner listen to what they have to say than make a fool out of you, Brandish." He replied.

"You're the best, Grandpa!" She cheered as her eyes suddenly glazed over. August had no time to react before a knife was plunged into his chest before it suddenly grew in size. "The one I must kill… stands before me now…"

August dropped to his knees as Natsu turned to Mest. "What the hell have you done!?"

"I altered her memories, of course!" He snapped back. "I did what I had to to protect the guild, no matter the cost."

"It's all… crystal clear to me now…" August groaned as his body started glowing. "This… this is their way of resolving things!" Holding up his hand, a soft glow knocked Brandish out as Natsu tackled Lucy to the side. "Dissolve into oblivion." A massive beam of magic erupted from the ground, large enough to be seen in Magnolia.

"What is that searing light!?" Makarov asked in horror.

"It's coming from the east!" Warren realized, shocking the guild.

Underneath the guild, Cana pointed her arm forward, activating the spell once more. "Fairy Glitter!" The projection cried out in pain before the lacrima finally split in half, freeing the true body. "First!" Cana rushed forward and cradled the body as it fell forward. "Are you alright!? Talk to me!"

"It seems… I'm suffering from muscular atrophy." She groaned out, a smile on Cana's face. "I'm barely able to move my body." The ground under them started glowing, shocking almost everyone on the continent as it covered the landscape.

Zeref knelt down and held his hand to the ground, feeling the magic in the ground. "Something it is wrong… it's as if the magic of the land itself is changing." He declared to Invel.

"Is it the enemy?" The general questioned.

"No, they lack the power to do something on this scale." The Emperor replied before the ground under them started glowing. "Irene… Don't tell me you actually used that magic?" Zeref asked in shock as the light filled their eyes. "World Reconstruction Magic: Universe One!"

Mavis groaned in pain as she opened her eyes, finding the basement covered in broken stones. "Cana! Cana! Where are you!?" Pushing herself up, she snapped her fingers and a dress appeared over her body. "Alright, at least I'm able to use magic." Walking up the stairs, she found the guildhall completely empty. "No one's here… the guild is completely empty. What exactly was that brilliant light?"

Turning around, she found herself staring across from Zeref himself. "Zeref… What happened to everyone… you couldn't have!"

"This isn't my handiwork." The emperor replied. "To be honest with you, this entire situation has me rather perplexed as well."

"What business do you have here!?" She snapped back.

"What business do you have being alive?" Zeref questioned.

"What the hell just happened!?" Natsu shouted, looking around the sudden jungle. "Better yet, where the hell are we?"

"You're on top of me." He looked down to find himself suddenly on top of his fiancé, Happy and Rose under her. "Do you know anything about that bright light that brought us here?"

"No, not at all." The pyromancer answered, standing up before helping Laki off the ground.

"Uh, guys? Look at this!" Rose pointed through a clearing, finding Kardia Cathedral and Mercusius within walking distance of each other.

"That's impossible… those buildings are on opposite ends of the country!" Laki declared.

"What just happened to Fiore…" Natsu mumbled in fear.

Fairy Tail Guild

"So you're telling me that all of the people in the kingdom were split up and sent to random places?"

"Of course, the same goes for my allies as well." Zeref answered, standing up. "And that's not all. The overall landscape of Fiore has grown smaller. I'd estimate that it's about 1/20th of its former size, perhaps less."

"For the sake of increasing the encounter rate between Fairy Tail and the Alveraz army?" Mavis suggested.

"Correct, I'd wager that's her aim." He nodded. "In her own way, Irene is trying to end this war while it's still in the early stages." Zeref came to a stop just before Mavis, the two glaring at each other. "And thanks to her efforts… here I stand, and that which I seek… Fairy Heart is right before my very eyes."