"Amazing, isn't it?" Jura stepped forward and admired the view alongside Sasuke.
If there was one word Sasuke would use to describe Crocus, it would be breathtaking. Never in his entire life had he seen a city of this size and grandeur. Its sheer magnitude and scale put most of any dwelling he had been through to shame. Even the Hokage monument felt small in comparison. He had to wonder how he'd be able to navigate through such a densely populated area like this.
"Whoa, it's huge!" The Uchiha could hear chatters of excitement over his shoulder. No doubt coming from Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy.
"I think I know what's going through your mind: 'If they get caught up in our investigation, then it might become problematic'" Jura addressed his concerns over bringing in the two kids and the flying cat. It was a notion that Sasuke mostly agreed with, had it not been for the pressing matter of the time and effort it would take to send them back home safely and then come back here. He took the risk of doing everything at once.
"We'll take them to the inn and keep them there till we finish our job" Sasuke answered.
His solution earned a chuckle from the normally stoic man, leaving Sasuke astounded. He had expected Jura to agree with his suggestion, not laugh at his place right in his face.
"Is there something wrong with the plan?" Sasuke asked, raising a brow.
"Oh no, it's nothing like that. The plan is sound...for the most part" Jura smiled as he looked over at the kids causing a ruckus with Ichiya, "But I doubt they'll patiently wait in the inn. Especially that boy. He seems like the type to cause a ruckus no matter where he is."
"You don't know the half of it" Sasuke grumbled in his thoughts with regards to Jura's observation on Natsu. He'd probably lose what little hair he had left dealing with Natsu. That being said, hearing Jura's answer did give Sasuke second thoughts about bringing them along and made him start to regret even entertaining that notion in the first place. Lisanna was mostly well-behaved as far as he knew and just as less likely to cause trouble, but Natsu was like a firecracker, ready to explode at a moment's notice, unwilling to be contained. He could theoretically resort to more unethical but practical methods like putting them to sleep with a genjutsu and locking the door, but that wouldn't win him any favors with Mirajane nor could he bring himself to do such a thing; annoying or not, they were still just kids and most importantly, his friends, something he never thought he'd admit to.
"I'll think of something else then" he raised a defeated sigh and moved forward.
"May I offer a suggestion?" Jura spoke up again.
"Sure"
"Instead of seeing their presence as a problem, we could instead see this as an opportunity" Jura stated.
"An opportunity for what, exactly?" Sasuke raised a brow and asked.
"Many young wizards learn to improve their magic by working alongside more experienced mages. Perhaps, you could use this situation as a means to give them some valuable learning experience, in the same way, that you and I learned from our seniors"
Sasuke pondered on Jura's 'suggestion'; there was merit to his idea, after all, in his old life he did learn by working under a veteran like Kakashi, at least when he started and it was certainly no different here since Makarov and Porlyusica have been basically his guides alongside Hagoromo who offered his own piece of wisdom from time to time. But then, there was the issue of putting them in harm's way which the other two didn't subject him to.
As if he read his mind, Jura spoke up once more and added an extra piece of his opinion in case someone took it the wrong way or misinterpreted it. "All of this has to be within reason of course, and should the worse happen, we would have to do everything within our power to protect them."
The last thing he wanted was to be a babysitter, but he knew better than to coddle and spoil kids as well by sheltering them too much, especially those raised by a bunch of rowdy and destructive mages. Maybe he could even steer them away from reckless, wanton property damage they were starting to learn under Gildarts and towards something more constructive.
"Sounds good, but let's head to the city first" he vaguely answered.
The streets of Crocus were filled to the brim with all sorts of different people from all walks of life. Merchants, artisans, vendors, and craftsmen all flocked to this city, crowding each other and the districts they resided in. Giant stone walls and buildings so tall, that they almost seemed like they touched the sky cast an enormous shadow over the group. If Sasuke hadn't known any better, he would've thought this place was one big fortress.
It took a bit while to navigate through the complex road system, but with a little guidance from Talyn, the group managed to find the inn that they had booked.
"That eagle of yours is quite handy, not to mention summoning magic like that is unique, where did you learn how to use it?" Jura inquired as Talyn landed on Sasuke's hand and vanished.
"It's more like he found me and tagged along" Sasuke replied.
"Oh, so you formed a partnership with the eagle, is it? What a dazzling discovery, meeen" Ichiya bombastically noted.
The younger members didn't seem to pay too much mind to Talyn as they excitedly entered the room of their inn. "Oh yeah! Pillow fight time!" Natsu loudly declared as he barged into the room, they were booked in.
Before the young dragon slayer could pounce on the bed, Sasuke grabbed him by the back of his collar. "And just what do you think you're doing?" he chided the younger boy.
"Having fun? You should try it once in a while" Natsu brushed him off and jumped on the bed. "I declare this bed, fort Natsu! Anyone who wants to fight for it, come and get it!" he yelled, bouncing on the bed.
"Ay! Bring it on!" Happy shouted back as he flew past Sasuke and proceeded to throw pillows at each other as the feathers already began flying everywhere.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure they don't do anything to cause you too much trouble" Lisanna walked up to Sasuke and reassured him with a gentle smile. He wasn't entirely convinced that she could keep them in line but at the very least, he hoped Lisanna could act as the voice of reason between the two impulsive idiots. "But..." she began, raising a few concerns with Sasuke, "you can join us if you want to, you know. A few fun times every now and then wouldn't hurt."
"I'll pass. Remember, we're not here to have fun. We were sent here on an assignment" he declined while giving them a stern reminder.
"Wah, wah, did somebody not get their milkies today?" Natsu mocked, mimicking the speech of a toddler.
"Or maybe he didn't get enough fishies" Happy added his own opinion on the matter.
Sasuke's eye twitched in irritation but withheld himself from doing anything drastic. Natsu was a thorn in anyone's side and he could see why Gray had a bone to pick with him every time they saw each other or why neither of them could stand one another and why Erza disciplined the both of them so much. He wondered how she managed to keep Natsu in particular in check all the time. Their latest addition, Happy, just added fuel to the fire that was Natsu by not only encouraging him but actively joining in on his antics as his partner in crime. In the brief time he had been with Happy, the little blue cat had become inseparable with Natsu.
"Buncha wise guys huh?" The voice inside of his head chimed in."Lobby, five minutes" those were the only words Sasuke imparted before departing, though it seemed unlikely to have struck fear into their hearts as it did before.
Sasuke had been to a lot of loud and busy places in his life, but Crocus was on a whole different level of bustling, and not for the better. It was difficult to keep track of Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy, making sure he didn't lose sight of them or that somebody might try to snatch them up all the while trying to follow where Talyn was leading them towards, a destination he had no idea of.
Thankfully, Jura was there to lessen the load to a great extent. Being the tallest and most physically imposing of the group meant he could keep an eagle eye out for trouble while acting as a protective buffer for their young member. Ichiya did his part as well, providing each of them with a perfume that gave off a distinct scent that would allow them to instantly keep track of each other, something Sasuke declined to use. Of course, there was Happy himself who could fly alongside Talyn and get a better vantage point than the others.
After several more minutes of following Talyn around, he finally stopped and landed on Sasuke's arm before vanishing, indicating that this was the destination. As the group faced forward, they could see that a massive crowd had gathered in one of the city squares.
"It looks like some kind of show. There are two people surrounded by some scary-looking people" Happy informed them.
Looking towards Jura with a nod, the mage from Lamia scale nodded back, as if he understood what Sasuke meant, and immediately picked up Natsu and Lisanna, who were initially taken aback before getting comfortable sitting on his two shoulders.
Now that there was a less likely chance of the two going missing or getting separated by the crowd, Sasuke and the group, shuffled through the gathering until they reached the front to see what all the commotion was about. Once they reached the frontside, they saw for themselves what Happy had described to them. Those "scary looking people" were nothing more than Knights, armed to the teeth guarding their VIP: A young girl with green hair sitting on an armored horse, smiling and waving at the crowd. As they cheered on, Sasuke continued observing the girl to see what all the fuss about her was. She seemed like she was of the same age as Natsu or Lisanna, so she must be the daughter of some very important individual here to receive such a bodyguard detail and the adulation of the crowd.
" Maaaan, it's quite rare to see the kingdoms' princess out and about on the streets, " Ichiya pointed out, flicking his hair.
The rest of the group, save for Jura, looked on with wide eyes as they registered what they had just heard. Even Sasuke was surprised because it never crossed his mind that that would be the princess herself. He had heard of the royal family in passing but never thought much about it.
"Wait, wait, wait, THAT's the princess!" Natsu pointed his finger toward the girl, flabbergasted by what he had heard.
"Natsu! it's rude to point your finger at others like that" Lisanna pouted and scolded him.
"Judging by your expressions, it would seem that this is the first time the four of you have seen a member of the royal family in person" Jura noted based on his assessments of their surprised looks before explaining, "That is Princess Hisui E. Fiore, daughter of King Toma E. Fiore and next in line for the throne. Well, not that there is any competition for that role anyways since she is his only child."
While the large wizard had a point, it mattered little to Sasuke at the moment. What he was more interested in, was why she was out and about in the open or in what capacity she was relevant enough to be part of their investigation into dark guild activity here that Talyn would lead them to her. Even with an entourage of bodyguards, she was still very much exposed, and with such a large crowd, ripe for kidnappings and assassinations. His instincts told him that trouble was brewing and that it would only be a matter of time before something drastic happened.
"Something's wrong, I can feel it" Sasuke stated, his eye darting everywhere as signs of suspicious activities started brewing up here and there. Strange figures began moving up and about.
"Do you sense trouble" Jura inquired, while the others looked on.
"I don't know. Just keep your eyes peeled" Sasuke advised them.
No sooner had he warned them about keeping their guard up for danger, that an explosion occurred in the nearby cathedral, sending the crowd into a panic as people began getting nervous. Ichiya immediately responded by releasing some sort of gaseous substance from a bottle that calmed the citizens and aided the knights in moving them in a more orderly manner. But the worst was yet to come as a few of the onlookers began noticing something emerging from the top of the Cathedrals.
"Look over there!" one of them pointed out as a humanoid goat-like creature leaped from the rooftop and landed on one of the soldiers, plunging his blade straight through his chest which was thankfully protected by his armor. More started appearing from beneath the sewer as well as from the other side of the streets, some resembling wolves, rams while others looking like humanoid serpents and more still like wild boars.
"It's an ambush! We need to escort the princess back to the castle! Michael, Swann, Turner, get your men to spread around in circles and hold them off. The rest of you, follow me!" One of the knights, a man with a distinctly square-shaped nose, barked orders at the rest of the knights.
"What are they!?"
Sasuke was in a dilemma. On the one hand, it was becoming obvious that the princess was their target, dead or alive but on the other hand, he couldn't afford to run off and leave Natsu and Lisanna unprotected either. But as he was caught in the predicament, one of the creatures managed to break through to the defensive line and lunged straight for the young girl but was thankfully intercepted by the head knight, who was fiercely holding it off.
"Arcadios!" the princess shouted.
"Don't worry about me, your highness! Run!" he requested, locking blades with the strange creature. But even if Hisui were to comply with his pleas, more began breaking through the defensive ranks, cutting a path through the knights that were doing their best to protect her. Sasuke deduced that they were likely trying to get a hold of her before reinforcements arrived. Eventually, there was nobody left to guard the princess anymore, either having been knocked out, injured or too busy trying to hold off the others, leaving her open, an opportunity that these enigmatic figures were not going to waste.
Not satisfied with simply sitting on the sidelines, Sasuke took action and charged straight for the creature that was about to get to the princess, dodging and evading the others along the way. Meanwhile, Jura, Ichiya, and even Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy pitched in and assisted the surviving knights.
"Worry not, brave knights, my strength enhancing parfum should give you all just the right amount of vigor to keep fighting!" Ichiya proclaimed, releasing another dose of magic perfume from his bottle. As the knights sniffed it, their strengths increased tenfold and soon enough, they were able to fight on equal footing a lot better than before, just as Ichiya promised.
"Happy, let's do this! I'm all fired up!" Natsu yelled, burning a path through the creature with fire in his hands.
"Ay!" Happy responded, assisting Natsu by carrying him.
Hisui's eyes were wide open as a large shadow was cast over her, the sight of a nightmarish creature with the head of a goat bleating in front of her brought her to her knees. Thankfully, before it could do her any harm, it was sent flying sideways by a swift kick to its face as a young boy with an eye patch stood in front of her. The boy drew his sword and blocked the blade that was being brought down on her by another and then returned the favor with a flip kick and used that momentum to jump off the first enemy and then stomp the head of another with both his feet.
Just as the battle was reaching a stalemate, the creatures summoned their trump card and called forth a larger one of their brethren, a massive bul that plowed its way through friend and foe alike to get to Hisui. Sasuke readied himself for a drawn-out fight but was quickly taken aback by the sight of a giant fist made out of solid concrete emerging from the ground and sending the large monster flying. His eye darted toward his allies to see Jura looking at him with a strange hand sign, one hand pointing upwards with two fingers while the other was a closed fist which was faced straight at him, an indication that he was the one responsible.
"That was too close" Jura heaved a sigh of relief as the battle seemed to have drawn to its conclusion.
As the fighting died down, the surviving creatures retreated into the shadows.
…
Silence descended upon the square as the reinforcements arrived to pick up the pieces. The wounded were carried away on a stretcher while Arcadios himself stood by Hisui's side at all times. The investigating soldiers watched with awe as the creatures reversed back into their human forms.
"What were they?" one of them wondered out loud.
Sasuke, however, knew all too well what they were given his experiences with their kind. But what concerned him was their motive and their target. Their love for battle was made abundantly clear time and time again, but so was their sense of honor; chief among which was to never harm those who were unarmed. So why target the princess and what was their connection to the dark guilds?
It seemed Jura himself picked up on this as he stood beside Sasuke. "You know something about this, don't you?"
"I know what they are. But what I don't know is, why they're doing this?" Sasuke replied.
"Care to elaborate?" Jura inquired further; his curiosity piqued as he raised a brow.
"These people…fighting is all they care about" Sasuke voiced, with a look of concern as he observed the unconscious body of one of them, "targeting someone like the daughter of the King of Fiore is way too elaborate and complicated, not to mention, completely against their code."
"So, you're saying these 'people' have certain habits or motions that they should never have gone against" Jura guessed rubbing his chin.
Sasuke removed his gaze from the fallen Berserker and shifted it towards princess Hisui, who was being consoled by Lisanna, Natsu, Happy, and Ichiya, while her bodyguard, the one called Arcadios, stood next to her. It made sense given that Natsu and Lisanna were close to her age. But it also gave him a new theory to think about. "Maybe, it's something else….an anomaly I'm missing here" he stated.
"Anomaly?"
Just as he was about to explain to Jura what he meant, something caught Sasuke's attention through the corner of his eye as it trailed towards a suspicious figure watching from afar. His attention had been completely diverted and he was no longer listening to anything anybody else was saying.
"You have our thanks for your assistance. I am indebted to you for saving her highness" Arcadios interrupted Jura and Sasuke as he approached them to offer his sincerest gratitude.
"It's nothing, we were simply doing what needed to be done." Jura humbly stated.
"Humble and brave. I wish I had ten more men like you. But, coming out of an attack without a single casualty is not a usual occurrence. We have your people to thank for that" Arcadios praised him further before pausing, "which is why it pains me to say this but…."
"Is there something troubling you?" Jura asked.
"There's a lot of questions with regards to today's fiasco, chief among them is the identity of our assailants and the convenience of your arrival. Which is why I have to take you and your companions into custody…at least until we can get more answers" the chief Knight apologetically stated.
Jura was surprised but at the same time, he understood where the knight was coming from. The only issue was the fact that their interrogation might take valuable time away from their own investigation into the matter. However, as the oldest in the group, he still had to set an example and ensure this matter could be solved diplomatically. With a deep breath, he replied, "If it helps to clear up any misconceptions, I'll gladly accept and I will try to convince my comrades to do the same. However, I hope the procedure will be a quick one. We have our own mission to complete and I do wish to waste valuable time."
"That will not be a problem" Arcadios reassured him, almost sounding relieved at Jura's cooperation, "this city will be most likely be under lockdown for the time being. We won't let these monsters escape."
"Lockdown!? What does that mean?" A loud voice called out in the distance. As the two men turned around, they realized that it was the princess who spoke those words.
"It means, no one will be allowed to enter or leave the city until we find and stop those who attacked your highness today" Arcadios explained.
"B-but, what about the ceremony?" Hisui frowned.
Arcadios almost seemed hesitant and fearful to explain to her, but he mustered up the courage to do so, "If….. your father commands it, I'm afraid it has to be canceled, princess."
"What! No! Father would never..." Princess Hisui seemed almost appalled by what he was suggesting.
"If I may, what ceremony is her majesty referring to here?" Jura asked, both out of curiosity and as a means of helping out the knight, "and does it have anything to do with her coming out to the public like this?"
"You are correct" Arcadois nodded, "The ceremony is the reason why the princess has graced her people out in the open today. It's a practice run for festival of flowers"
"Festival of flowers? What's that?" Natsu scratched his head.
"Inna, the Goddess of spring. The festival is conducted in her honor, as a means of gaining her blessing for the coming harvest, a wonderous event indeed" Ichiya clarified, his eyes sparkling like spring water, "But still, that ceremony is at least a month away."
"It's quite popular because each year one kid gets chosen to play the role of the girl who will give an offering to Inna" Lisanna elaborated further, barely able to contain her adoration for the event, clasping her hands together and cooing, "It's every girl's dream to wear a beautiful dress with flowers for a crown while having a crowd cheer them on but I heard only the rich or important ones get that. Ahh, if only I could have that chance."
"Yeah, I still don't get it" Natsu nonchalantly said scratching his head, "if she's the goddess of spring, what's that got to do with flowers?"
"Me neither" Happy added.
Jura smiled at their cluelessness and patted Natsu's head, "It's the people's way of saying 'thank you' to the goddess of spring and flowers. And since Crocus is also called the city of flowers, it's only natural that they would thank her for her blessings with flowers."
"Speaking of which, is that why you were out here today princess because you're chosen?" Lisanna looked over to Hisui and asked.
"I' am! I know it's still a long way off but isn't it exciting!?" Hisui enthusiastically answered.
"I know! You're so lucky, Princess!" Lisanna shared in her joy.
"Arcadios, I demand that they be invited over to the palace today. I want to thank them for saving me" Hisui ordered, pointing toward her bodyguard.
"I…well….I don't know if your father, his majesty will…" Arcadois fumbled over his words, trying to explain to his charge that they were actually going to be formally detained in the barracks for questioning, not spent their evening in a lavish dinner at the palace.
"No buts!" she insisted, "You said that father was going to cancel today's practice, so instead, I want to spend some time with my new friends."
Arcadios was at a loss for words, feeling like he was in a bind. The price of serving two masters was quite high, especially in situations like these.
Jura was just as confused as well, mostly because he was taken aback by how cheerful she seemed despite what had just happened a few minutes ago. It was at that moment that he placed a hand on Arcadios' shoulder and leaned in to whisper something to him.
"Forgive my impetuousness, but the princess seemed awfully too happy for someone who was almost attacked just a while ago"
"We're accustomed to these kidnappings and assassination attempts. Unfortunately, because of how recurring they have become, she has been conditioned to accept them as a result"
"That explains why you're so protective of her. Then perhaps, you'll be interested in listening to what I have to offer"
"Of course, I'm all ears. Anything to get this problem solved."
The three children plus their cat and Ichiya looked on and wondered what Jura had said to him to make him nod in understanding.
"Very well. I will do my best to explain to his highness" Arcadois answered.
"Yay!" Hisui jumped up and down with joy, as the other kids followed. But suddenly, a realization hit her that caused her to stop bouncing and ponder for a bit. "Wait…where is that boy? The weird one with the eyepatch"
The question slowly began to register to the others as well, as they looked around and realized that Sasuke had disappeared right under their noses and no one the wiser.
Sasuke sprinted across the streets of Crocus, pushing past the pedestrians who were bewildered by the chase as he went after his target, who was quite fast for such a gauntly figure. Though given that he was possibly a berserker, it wasn't too surprising to him. What was strange was the fact that he wasn't transforming into his bestial form like the rest of his kin, though perhaps it pertained to him wanting to keep a low profile, which ironically wasn't working for him, given who was coming after him.
"Move! Out of the way!" the man shouted as he pushed civilians aside, racing as fast as he could. His breath was beginning to get heavier, his heart beating faster as sweat dripped from his forehead. He turned his head to look back, only to see that the boy was still on his trail, persistent as ever. He tried pushing down some boxes and other objects to create some kind of obstacles and maintain some sort of distance between himself and his chaser but Sasuke simply vaulted through them with great ease and athleticism. Worse still, he was running out of routes to take as the road he took became narrower and narrower. There was only one option left.
As Sasuke watched the man turn over a corner leading to an alleyway, he followed suit, only to find the place empty and his target having seemingly vanished into thin air. Without wasting a second, he looked around and discovered an open manhole, an obvious clue as to where he went. He was beginning to find this chase bothersome as he groaned and jumped down the hatch.
Landing with a splash, sewage water trickled down his shoes as an unpleasant stench filled the air. The Uchiha however paid no heed to the odor as he tried to summon Talyn and made plans to follow his guidance to lead him to his target. Much to his dismay, Talyn refused to emerge or answer his call, either because the sewers weren't spacious enough to fly around or he was fickle about when to aid Sasuke. This wasn't the first time he had been at odds with the magical eagle and it probably wouldn't be the last.
Without making much of a fuss, he began exploring the area ahead without Talyn, hoping to luck out and find his target, and apparently, luck was on his side as he began hearing footsteps coming from the front. As Sasuke slowly strode further, the footsteps stopped and heavy panting began to take its place indicating that the man had stopped as well.
Very carefully, he made his way through the dirty water, doing his best to not make a sound as he turned around to see an opening where the man was catching his breath. "You've got nowhere to run now, it's over" he announced as he approached the man.
Rather than be worried, the man composed himself and smiled at Sasuke. "Oh, am I?" he joked. As if on cue, more warriors emerged from the shadows, weapons on hand as they surrounded Sasuke, who looked around and realized he was encircled. "Don't worry, it'll be quick. Your friends won't even know what happened to you" the man continued giving out false reassurances.
But this was hardly an inconvenience for Sasuke since he had faced far, far worse enemies. They were just a bunch of thugs who could turn into lumbering monsters yet nowhere near the level of their stronger kins like the Witch from Misty Bloom. But as he drew his sword to battle, something happened…...
"Hey, don't move"
A voice interrupted him as multiple white orbs emerged out of nowhere and flew past him with breakneck speed, striking his would-be assailants so fast and hard, that they barely had any time to react and defend themselves. Those that survived the first wave frantically looked around and flailed their weapons in the hopes of destroying the orbs, but even when they did, the orbs magically repaired themselves and continued their assault, striking them at every angle. By the time the attack was over, dozens of unconscious bodies lay all around Sasuke with him having nary a scratch.
As he looked around for his supposed savior, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows. It was someone he met a long time ago: that familiar deep brown eyes, pale skin, and that unmistakable dark purple hair tied in twin tails.
"I never thought I'd meet you here…... Ajax"
"Lynette?"
"So, I guess this makes it the second time you owe me for saving your skin" Lynette greeted with a smirk.
Sasuke blinked in confusion, her statement about gratitude flying over his head. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his expression darkened as he kept his guard up. He was already suspicious of her once before, ever since that encounter, but now, that mistrust was intensified even further, even after she helped him because the timing of her arrival was just way too convenient. Her mannerism, her knowledge, and her casual lack of concern threw him off.
"I should be the one asking you that" the girl named Lynette shot back as she observed one of the unconscious bodies, "First I find you in a forbidden realm cursed by the gods, and now this? What are you really after Ajax?"
"I was hoping you'd answer that, Lynette" Sasuke unequivocally replied, trying to twist that question into a window of opportunity.
Lynette got up and turned around with a smirk, unfazed by his presence. "It seems that we both have questions of our own. Maybe they can tell us "She pointed to one of the dazed bodies, who was beginning to regain consciousness.
Sasuke furrowed his brow, his mistrust deepening even further as she obviously evaded his question. But her suggestion was sound and she so far hasn't made any actions that would classify her as his enemy.
"So how do want to do this? Break his limbs? Threaten him?" Lynette offered, summoning the orbs around her hand.
The way she casually talked about torture only served to highlight her unusual behavior, different from others her age, like Erza or even Mirajane, or perhaps, too much, like a combination of both. "That won't be necessary" Sasuke sighed as he walked over to her. Kneeling down, he grabbed the fearful man by the collar before activating his Sharingan, putting him in a trance.
"Some kind of hypnotism magic? Interesting" Lynette noted.
"Answer my question, why were you after the Princess?" Sasuke asked.
"We were hired to kidnap her to gain access to a vault hidden in the royal treasury" the man answered.
"And what is that treasure?"
"We believe it's an ancient artifact; a magic seal which will bring back Lord Zeref and awaken him"
Sasuke's eye narrowed even further as he tightened his grip on the man's collar even more. Everywhere he went, the name Zeref had become synonymous with death, destruction, and trouble, lots of it. "And why is it that you berserkers are after Zeref as well? I thought you only cared about fighting?"
"Wait, you're telling me that they're berserkers? As in, shapeshifters who can transform into different kinds of beasts? Like the ones in Malebolge?" Lynette interrupted with a confused look on her face.
"We're not…berserkers. We simply burrowed their powers with the help …...of an experiment" the effects of the Sharingan were beginning to fade as the subject struggled with his words.
"An experiment?" Sasuke repeated, annoyed by the fact that this situation was getting more and more complicated, especially because it confirmed the rumors that Ragnar has told him about. "On who's orders. Who's conducting them?"
"Lord Malakai and …. Lady Kyôka" and with those final words, the man fell into a deep sleep.
Unbeknownst to Sasuke, Lynette's entire expression changed once she heard the names that were uttered. Her confident look had dropped significantly and she struggled to hide her trembling body.
"Kyôka and Malakai. Who are they?" Sasuke repeated the names, wondering out loud who these enigmatic figures could be. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait for an answer for too long.
"Tartaros"
"What?" Sasuke asked and turned around, surprised by how quickly Lynette answered them. The moment he saw her face, he was taken aback by how different her expressions were. There was a cold seriousness to them, without a hint of that playful mischief she had shown earlier. He watched as she walked towards him and knelt down, pointing towards a distinct tattoo on the man's forearm.
"Just as I thought, he belongs to a sub-guild of Tartaros" she noted.
"And this helps us how?" Sasuke asked.
"I don't know who this Malakai is, but I know Kyôka. She's a member of Tartaros…and a demon from the books of Zeref" Lynette's tone was quiet and barely audible, as if fearful of even uttering those names as she rubbed her left hand. "And if I had to guess, this Malakai is one of them too."
"A demon from the books of Zeref?" he repeated, thoughts wandering everywhere until a revelation hit him. Vestiges of old memories from a time when he was still walking Ishgar as a vagabond and his chance encounter with a specific demon encased in ice. "Deliora" he uttered those words.
The name he mentioned took Lynette by surprise and her eyes widened. "Wait…how do you know that name?!" she demanded, her entire demeanor changing once again, seemingly shocked by what he had just said.
"It doesn't matter. Right now, we need to focus on what's important. What else can you tell me about Tartaros?" Sasuke tried to dodge her question through his own inquiries.
"I wish I could, but honestly there's not a lot about them that I know of" she answered, attempting to hide her own secrets, "But there is one thing I can tell you."
"And that would be?"
"No one in Tartaros is remotely human: they're all demons from the Books of Zeref. If you value your life, you'll stay away from them."
"Is that so?" Sasuke challenged her warnings, ready to question her on how she knew so much about this particular dark guild. But just as he was about to do so, the two began to hear footsteps coming in from one of the openings, most likely reinforcements.
"No time to explain, just follow me" Lynette suggested to which Sasuke hesitantly complied.
…
Sasuke didn't like the idea of leaving those dark guild thugs all by themselves, but physically dragging each and every single one of them would have taken time, and he had no intention of executing them while they were unconscious, partly to make sure they still had valuable intel on them and partly because he had no desire to play the executioner, much to the disapproval of his other half.
He had to trust Lynette to ensure that they wouldn't follow their trail and that the royal army was tipped off about their location. With the promise that he would meet up with her within three days once she had conducted an investigation of her own, Sasuke parted ways with her.
Something about the girl didn't sit too well with her. It wasn't just her mysterious aura or her quirks; the last time they spoke, she was speaking about Zeref in exaltation, as if he was some grand higher being. He suspected that she held Zeref in reverence just as much as the cults from Tartaros. And speaking of Tartaros, the way she described them was troubling: a guild composed entirely of demons created by Zeref, much like Deliora was asking for trouble. Given the destructive power of Deliora and the devastation it left behind (something that could be attested to thanks to Sasuke witnessing its aftermath as well as viewing Ur's memories), if the demons of Tartaros were even stronger than Deliora, it did not bode well.
But those were problems for another time. Right now, he needed to focus on regrouping with the others and debriefing them on what he had found. He just hoped they were still in the inn after he abruptly ditched them in the square, even if he had his reasons.
Much to his surprise, a knight stood in front of the entrance to the Inn and blocked his passage. "Are you Sasuke?" he asked.
"Maybe. What's it to you?" Sasuke vaguely played along.
"Your companions are at the royal palace. Your presence has been requested by the order of the King" the knight announced before taking out a piece of paper from his pocket and handing it out to Sasuke, "Oh yes, the one called Jura wrote this for you as proof that they are in the palace."
Sasuke raised his brow as he registered what he had just heard and began reading Jura's letter. Once he had done so he exhaled and rubbed the bridge of his nose. What did they get themselves into while he was away?
At the top of the cliff, he stood, arms crossed as the wind blew in his face, fluttering his blue jacket. His expression was stern, almost seemingly angry yet cold at the same time. And with no one around, he uttered these words:
"I'm Sasuke, I'm better than you. I go where I want, when I want, for I am the king of the world."
The illusion was shattered by the sounds of furious laughter, coming from Hisui and Lisanna, while Happy was busy holding Natsu's jacket in the air to mimic the wind blowing as the fire dragon slayer continued mimicking Sasuke.
"I'm too cool to hang around with anyone else. I like to sit alone and act tough. Hmph!"
Suddenly the laughing stopped as the other two kids covered their mouths as their eyes widened even if Natsu was still pottering around as Sasuke. "Hail to the king, baby!" he shouted.
"Is that what you really think of me?"
The voice behind Natsu made him jump back and yell out a distinct "Gaaaah!" alongside Happy, who jumped to his shoulder, while Natsu himself raised his hands and a knee. He quickly managed to compose himself and look at Sasuke with an unamused expression. "Well, well, if it isn't Mr. too good for his friends. Didn't think you'd actually bother showing up here, thought you were too cool for that?"
"I had to gather intel, nothing to do with whether I'm 'cool' or not" Sasuke argued.
But his defense only seemed to entice Natsu who let out a smile as the fire was summoned from his hands. "If that's the case, then how about we pick up right where we left off. Rematch! Right here! Right now!"
"Natsu! In the palace?" a baffled Lisanna chided though to no avail, as usual.
"Here we go again" Happy sighed.
"Let's go! Fight me Sasu-"
Natsu was knocked out cold in the middle of his war cry with a sharp chop to his head. Lisanna and Hisui cringed as they watched him fall flat on his face onto the floor.
"Is he going to be alright?" A concerned Hisui asked.
"He'll wake up and forget about this soon enough. Don't worry" Lisanna reassured the princess. Looking at Natsu's prone body, she sighed and shook her head.
"That's Natsu for ya" Happy shrugged.
Sasuke knelt down and looked at Natsu's dazed face. He could hear him mumble something along the lines of "I'll get you next time", which caused him to roll his eye and exhale in annoyance. "Stubborn as ever" he stated, though through it all, a small smile escaped his lips as he mumbled under his breath, "You're just like him. But maybe that's not a bad thing. I wonder…will you be as strong as he is?"
AN: Last month, I had a chance to meet up with Zeref's English voice actor, Joel Mcdonald. I had a wonderful time meeting him, he was such a cool guy, not only signing my autograph but also taking the time to explain what it was like to voice him and what my favorite Zeref moments were. Meeting with him got me looking back at this fanfic and I realized just how much Naruto and Fairy Tail have meant to me. This is the first fanfic that I've written around 20 chapters for. So I want to thank you all for coming with me on this journey. Thank you for all the favorites, the follows, the reviews, the praises, the criticism, everything. I don't know whether I'll finish this story or not, but I'll keep writing so long as I can manage.
Also, got a few cool fight scenes for next chapter as well as some interesting cameos from more canon characters.
itsjustKhris: I feel the same way here. Instant romance feels rushed and forced, like two characters just magically confessing their love for one another without ever doing anything to earn it. That's why I like romances that take their time over love at first sight.
Yoj1mb03796: Sasuke and Laxus are definitely going to clash. And I'm going to make sure its epic. Also, it's amazing that you kept note of the cameos of some of the OCs I've made. Great attention to detail there. And regarding Cobra, they're definitely going to cross paths, they have a shared history now and they symbolically represent snakes and hawks.
Anon: Mirajane is his first canon character whom he's fought. And from this chapter onwards, he's going to be facing off against more canon characters along with a few OCs as well.
Calen: No, I'm keeping it strictly Sasuke. Naruto is overplayed and overexposed and makes writing more complicated. Sakura is unnecessary as well. And no Otsutsuki. I find them shallow as villains.
Aka Daka: Story won't be entering the canon timeline just yet. The foundations for future interactions in the canon series are being built up here and we're nearly halfway to the prequel arc. The final arc of this prequel series will end just a few months before the first episode/chapter begins.
Demigod0414: I love him, lol!
Cheesy Spaghetti: You're gonna love the interactions I've planned out between Sasuke and Laxus. They're the perfect foils to each other and how Makarov sees the both of them.
Iskandar Hero: Actually, this is the same mindset I have with prime Sasuke. There are other characters in Fairy Tail that you mentioned who does all the things he does but better. However, what makes him so powerful is that he possesses an enormous arsenal of powers and abilites, on top of his skills and experiences which would make him nearly unbeatable in a straight up fight. But, at the same time, there are characters who possess abilities he has no counter against and would need help to win, making things more balanced and the fights more interesting. For example, he would crush Mard Geer if they fought at full strength, but he wouldn't have a counter for Seilah's Macro curse, meaning he'd need Mirajane's help.
As for the outfits, I really think Kazuha's outfit really fits him the most, in terms of both lore and aesthetic. Zhongli's is way too elaborate and showy. Also, I' am planning on doing a Genshin crossover but with Zeref as the main protagonist and it'll be many years down the line, probably when Snezhnaya is unlocked. Though I'd find it hard to ship him with anybody since they'd just die.
Malgus123: Glad you think so. I just felt like most stories don't really explore his connections with his family or that they misinterpret his 'tough guy' behavior. He actually has a nicer side, especially whenever he interacts with Sarada.
I-Next-I: They very much mirror each other. When I started writing their interacts, I felt like they have such great chemistry.
EtheriasNatsu07: Thank you