A/N: Episode 184.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: THE COUNTRY UNTIL TOMORROW
Natsu and the others were currently walking around Hell Palace. "We keep going, but it looks all the same. It throws off your sense of direction, too." Lucy stated.
"In fact, is this really the right way?" Natsu asked.
"If that executioner lied to us, I'll go back right now and burn him to a crisp." Sebastian growled, making Raden sigh.
"I can feel a slight breeze. I think we're good." Wendy reassured.
"Come to think of it, how did you get here, Loke?" Mira questioned as Loke was supporting Arcadios.
"I jumped." Loke responded.
"It's important to also think of what happens after."
"Actions before thoughts."
"You make a good point once in a while!" Natsu commented.
"Once in a while?" Loke quoted.
"Will Arcadios-sama be okay?" Yukino asked.
"Well, he'll survive, but..." Loke trailed off.
"It's unusual for anyone to live swimming in lava." Happy finished.
"Now that you mention it, did Horologium do something?" Carla questioned.
"No. He'd already jumped into the lava by then." Lucy replied.
"He's the paragon of a military man. I'm impressed." Lily complimented.
"It's probably thanks to the jade amulet he's wearing." Loke pointed out. "It's a powerful charm that's doing its duty."
"Speaking of jade, that reminds me of the Jade Dragon, Zirconis." Wendy recalled.
"Oh, that guy." Natsu said.
"That dragon sure talked a lot." Lucy commented.
"I recall the name of the princess is Hisui, which means jade." Yukino recalled.
"He said we should decide for ourselves whether Eclipse is the right way to go, right?"
"Although the princess is the one who dropped us in here." Natsu reminded.
"Anyway, I want to escape from here and put everyone who's fighting in the Grand Magic Games at ease." Loke informed.
"Yeah." Lucy nodded in agreement as her face turned serious.
"We keep proceeding downwards." Lily said.
"We have no idea how deep this place is." Mira informed.
"It's so big, they could have built another town down here."
"Here?"
Happy screeched when he saw bugs crawling out of a human skull as the group continued down a staircase.
"I smell something!" Sebastian informed.
"It seems we're close to the exit." Wendy stated.
"Then the leader of the executioners was telling us the truth, then?"
"Come to think of it, I know all of their names but the leader's." Lucy pointed out.
"True. Okay, I'll decide on it." Mira said. "Kama!"
"Meaning 'sickle'!"
"Hey, look at that!" Raden pointed towards something as the group saw a large door in front of them.
"A door!" Natsu exclaimed.
"It might be the exit!" Happy said.
"We can finally get out of here!" Lucy added.
"That's also a lot bigger than it has to be." Lily pointed out.
"It looks like a sturdy door." Wendy stated. "How can we open it?"
"Leave it to me! Fire Dragon's..." Natsu rushed forward and was about to use his breath attack.
However, before he can make an attack, the door opened by itself. "Huh?" Lucy questioned.
"It opened!" Happy shouted.
The door opened wider, revealing a bright white light. "Why?!" Carla said.
"An ambush?!" Wendy guessed.
A silhouette of a person was shown as Natsu stopped in front of them, causing him to glance up. A gust of wind blew through the stranger's cloak.
Natsu narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"
Mercurius...
"P-Princess! Princess! It's terrible! Princess!"
"What is it?! Contain yourself!"
"When a scheduled update from Hell Palace didn't come, troops went in... The report states the Garou Knights were wiped out!"
"What?! It can't be!"
"Just against several wizards?!"
"What happened to the criminals?"
"We believed they escaped Hell Palace."
Hisui lets out a sigh of relief upon hearing the news.
"How can this be?!"
Hisui soon had pink-tinted cheeks. "I knew it..."
"You shouldn't be sporting an expression like that." Darton spoke up. "Anyone can tell what you're thinking."
"Darton! I thought you were at Domus Flau with my father." Hisui said.
"I returned after feeling a strange sense of foreboding. And I suppose this is what it was about." Darton stated.
"What do you mean by that?" Hisui questioned. "You're the one... You're the one who plunged Arcadios into Hell Palace without a trial!"
Darton narrowed his eyes. "And you used Fairy Tail to rescue Arcadios for you, right, Princess?" He accused, leaving the guards in shock. "You're the real power behind Project Eclipse, after all. Arcadios did a brillant job playing the bad guy in front of me, while someone was behind him. In other words, he was covering up for you."
"You figured all of that out? Impressive." Hisui stated.
"Princess, think about it! That's a dangerous thing. We mustn't change the world." Darton said as him and Hisui stared at each other.
Hisui closed her eyes before looking out at Domus Flau. "No. I think the world has to be changed."
"You think?" Darton repeated.
"I promised them I wouldn't tell anyone about this... But it seems I should share it with you. About Project Eclipse 2." Hisui said.
"Two?"
"The true Project Eclipse." Hisui explained as wind blew through her hair. Darton widened his eyes. "If the project fails, tomorrow... this country will be destroyed."
Domus Flau...
The audience cheered and waved Black Sun's guild emblem in the air. "Black Sun still doesn't have any fallen members! Talk about strong!" Chapati announced.
"Of course. It's because our strongest members are out there." Kross stated.
"It looks like all of them are on the move." Zane pointed out.
Juvia suddenly stops in her tracks. "Juvia was told to be right here, right now." She thinks to herself as a gust of wind blew, causing her to turn around.
"Sky God's Boreas!" Sherria shouted, attacking Juvia with black wind.
"Just as First Master predicted!" Juvia noted as the wind cleared. "Juvia and Sherria will clash."
"Here comes Sherria-tan!" Chapati exclaimed.
"Yes, yes..." Yajima muttered.
Sherria pointed a finger at Juvia. "You're the one Lyon loves!" She accused.
"I don't want to be loved!" Juvia claimed.
"In that case... vanish!" Sherria blasted more black wind towards Juvia's direction.
"God Slayer, Sherria... I recall she can heal herself." Evergreen pointed out.
"How can she be taken down?" Bickslow questioned.
"Just immobilizing her is fine. Meanwhile, Erza will fight Minerva." Mavis responded.
"She looks triumphant!"
"First Master, is Minerva that woman from Saber? The one that kept hurting Lucy and Kallia from Black Sun... She's a dangerous opponent." Freed said.
"But if she's going to throw down with Erza, there's nothing to worry about, right?" Evergreen asked.
Erza stopped at the location. "Here..." She thinks to herself. "According to Number One's strategy, I'll run into Saber's..."
She suddenly felt a presence behind her as she turned around, seeing Massorao charge toward her. "It's Massorao!" Chapati shouted as the audience cheered while Mavis was left in shock.
Erza requipped two swords. "Number One's prediction was off?!" She thought, clashing swords with Massorao.
Erza leaped back. "He's strong!" She noted.
"I've always wanted to trade blows with you, Titania. Don't disappoint me." Massorao thinks to himself.
"N-Number One! What does this mean?" Makarov asked. "I thought Erza's opponent was supposed to be Minerva from Saber!"
"So even the First Master, nicknamed the Fairy Tactician, can miscalculate." Freed said.
Bickslow and Evergreen shushed him, pointing at Mavis.
"My calculation was... How?" Mavis began to tear up, making everyone pale.
"N-Number One!" Makarov exclaimed.
"I-I'm not crying! I'm not crying at all..." Mavis said.
"S-Somebody!"
"This is your fault, Freed!"
"Soothe Number One with all your might!"
Erza and Massorao continued to trade blows with their swords clashing against one another, making the audience cheer. "This is an interesting showdown! A battle between the strongest swordswoman and strongest swordsman!" Chapati announced, spinning around.
"It's a grand turning point." Yajima said.
Erza and Massorao continued to stare at each other until Minerva soon made her appearance, throwing the two sword wielders back. "Do you mind if I play, too?" She asked.
"Minerva's gotten between them!" Chapati said.
"It's... unpredictable..." Mavis muttered.
"Oh! My! Goodness! It's become a three-way battle! Who will survive?!" Chapati questioned as Erza, Massorao, and Minerva all stared at each other.
"I feel incredibly nervous. That's because there's no telling what will happen." Freed commented.
"You think Erza could lose?!" Evergreen questioned in disbelief.
"No, but look at her opponents." Bickslow replied.
"Will Massorao be alright?" Eric asked.
Helena chuckled. "Of course he will be. He apart of our strongest team, after all." She responded.
"I don't care who my opponent is. I'll go right through you." Erza claimed as Massorao had to fight back a snort.
Minerva chuckled. "People have lost confidence in Sabertooth. Naturally, it goes without saying that your guild is responsible. Erza, Massorao. To prove to everyone that our guild is the strongest, I'm going to get rid of you together." She claimed as a purple magical aura surrounded her.
"You talk a good game." Erza said.
"A fight usually doesn't have this amount of talking. Come!" Massorao challenged.
Erza and Massorao's magic power exerted as well - a red magical aura surrounding Erza and a blue one surrounding Massorao. "Th-This is... Yajima-san, I think I can feel the vibrations from here!" Chapati said, turning to Yajima.
"That shows just how powerful and concentrated the magic of those three is." Yajima stated.
"It's okay! I know you can win, Erza!" Makarov encouraged.
The three of them had a stare down before their magic power dispersed and all three of them charged forward at each other, both of Erza and Massorao's swords clashed with Minerva's magic, causing a huge explosion. The explosion disappeared as they continued fighting.
Minerva placed the tips of her fingers against her palm. "Ragudo!" She shouted, trapping Erza and Massorao with her magic.
"What?!" Erza questioned.
"Niel Wielg Mion Terse Elcantaeus!" Minerva chanted.
"What language is that?" Bickslow wondered.
"I don't know, but it seems ominous." Freed replied.
"Run, Erza!" Evergreen warned.
"That's..." Mavis trailed off.
"Number One!"
"...Yakuma's 18 Battle Gods Magic?!" Mavis finished in shock.
"Yagdo Rigora!" Minerva finished her spell, causing a monster to appear followed by a yellow beam of light as well as an explosion. The light disappeared, shocking the audience.
"That's my lady." Orga commented.
When the dust settled, it showed Erza and Massorao both standing. "Wha...?! They're unharmed!" Chapati exclaimed.
"What'll happen with these three?!"
"This goes way beyond awesome!"
"It's dangerous!"
"They've got me on the edge of my seat!" Makarov commented.
"She can command that magic..." Mavis mumbled in shock.
"All three of them are scary." Bickslow claimed.
"Does this mean their magic balances out?" Evergreen questioned.
"For right now..." Freed responded.
"I see. I certainly didn't expect you to make it this far. Titania... Erza Scarlet. And Massorao Liakada... We'll get nowhere at this rate. I'm going to make a little change." Minerva said as two people appeared in the bubble beside her.
"Yajima-san, what is that?" Chapati asked.
"Two people?" Yajima guessed.
Both Erza and Massorao gasped. "The kitten and mermaid I captured earlier." Minerva said.
"Millianna!"
"Kagura!"
"What are you doing, wench?!" Erza asked.
"Can't you see they're both suffering? I'm stealing their magic now in that space." Minerva said as both Millianna and Kagura's faces morphed into pain. Massorao's whole body shook.
"Kagura!" He shouted.
"That's low!" Arana commented.
"What should we do?! Millianna! Kagura!" Beth called out.
"What's she doing with Millianna and Kagura-chan?!" Risley questioned.
"Relax. I'm not using them as hostages to make you give in. As I said, I'm just going to make a change." Minerva informed as both Massorao and Erza gritted their teeth in anger.
"That's it. That's the expression I wanted to see." Minerva said.
Mercurius...
Darton had a disturbed look plastered on his face. "If that's... If that's the truth, the Grand Magic Games must be cancelled at once..." He informed.
"No. I'm still skeptical about what they said." Hisui claimed.
"Yes, but even if it isn't true, if the public is in imminent danger..." Darton started to say.
Hisui gulped. "That person knows the future. They know the results of the Grand Magic Games. I was told a certain guild wins through an unbelievable outcome." She said.
"Unbelievable outcome?" Darton repeated.
"Owning to the special outcome, predicting it is impossible. If that outcome becomes reality, I'll believe what the person told me." Hisui stated.
"Y-You would let the future of this country ride on the results of the Grand Magic Games?" Darton questioned.
"In a way. After all, I still can't believe that outcome." Hisui replied.
"But if what that person told you about it comes to pass..."
"...then it's safe to say everything they told me about the future is true." Hisui finished. "Then I'll open the Eclipse Portal."
Hell Palace...
Natsu narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you?!" He asked the hooded figure before he sniffed the air. "Hey, wait a second! This scent..."
"Natsu..." The hooded person spoke before a tear fell from their eye as they covered their mouth. "I'm sorry!"
The hooded person continued crying. Natsu widened his eyes. "You're..." He muttered in realization.
"Help me!"
"That voice..." Yukino mumbled.
"What is this?" Mira asked.
"It can't be..." Sebastian gasped in realization at who the person was.
"You're..." Loke started to say.
Lucy stepped forward. "Hold on there!"
The hooded person removed their hood to reveal themselves, making Lucy gasp.
"She..." Hisui started to say.
Arcadios opened his eyes as both Natsu and Lucy were stunned.
"No way!" Lucy exclaimed.
There, standing in front of the group, was Lucy. Tears continued falling down from her face.
"...said she came from the future." Hisui finished.
"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Two Lucys?! What, is she from Edolas or something?" Happy asked.
"No. This doesn't seem to be anything that simple." Lily replied.
Carla stepped back, horrified. "No... The vision I had... Could that be...?" She wondered.
"Please... help me!" Future Lucy pleaded, tears still streaming down her face. "Soon, this country will be..."
A/N: As I mentioned before, Future Lucy will actually be included in this SYOC story. But don't worry! Her and Rogue weren't the only ones who came from the future, you'll see :)
Sorry for having the same plot as 'Twilight Phoenix' with the whole 'Kagura being held hostage' idea. I just really want Massorao to fight Erza. If it helps, he knew Kagura as they are friends.
Thanks for reading!
~ Kaleb.