Chapter 93
Ones True Feelings
"Speaking"
'Thoughts'
"Flashback"
"Magic"
Location/Date/Time Change
The two rivals stared at each other, flames rolling off of Natsu. "Move."
"All this time… you've been E.N.D.?" Gray questioned.
"Get out of my way!" The pinkette shouted.
"I know it's you!" The ice user demanded.
"Zeref… must die…" Natsu growled out. "I must… kill Zeref…"
"Are you still even in there?…" Gray questioned as his Devil Slayer mark grew on his body. "This is some kind of cosmic joke. All the people I've lost over the years, and now Juvia… it's because of demons like you."
"I said move…" Natsu huffed.
"No one else will die! Except for you!" Both charged forward and slammed their fists into each others, creating a massive explosion that rocked the land and destroyed any rubble around them. Gray screamed as he punched Natsu back, the ground melting under his feet.
'Lisanna! Please, say something! Open your eyes! Lisanna!'
"No one can stop me!" Natsu shouted as he rushed forward again.
Porlyusica stared at Brandish's body, trying to find any hint of a wound. "Those injuries were severe, and yet…"
"I can shrink my wounds, but I can't fix all the damage they cause." Brandish explained, putting her clothes back on.
"So her time stopping spell didn't work on Natsu, huh?" Evergreen questioned, looking at the beaten body of Dimaria. "I never imagined he'd have that kind of power."
"If only I had the ability to shrink my confusion." Brandish mumbled. "I just don't know what to do anymore."
"Sounds like that means you're human." Evergreen declared. "People have doubts and suffer through failures, and yet they grow all the same."
Makarov panted as he clutched his chest, the army not shrinking before them. "There's no end to these guys!" Max mumbled aloud.
"Then we'll make a path!" Erza shouted as she and Lucy rushed forward, slicing through the army.
"Forgive this old body…" Makarov gasped out.
"Don't push yourself too hard." Erza said with a soft smile. "Together, we'll make it back to the guild hall."
"Of course we will. I'm no fool." The elderly man chuckled.
"Erza…" Lucy whimpered in fear, catching the red heads attention. A massive eye was once again flying over the battlefield, the cross eyed pupil looking down.
"Nothing can escape from my gaze." A feminine voice declared.
"I have no intention of hiding from you." Mavis replied, shocking the redhead whose eye was looking down. "You may have control over our guild hall, but we will reclaim it." A massive projection of the First Master rose up, pointing at the guildhall. "Hear me, my guildmates and brothers in arms! We will fight as one! The Fairy Tactician will guide us all to victory!"
The field cheered as the projection faded away, a smile on Erza's face. "And just like that, morale has raised tenfold."
"That's the First Master, for you." Lucy chuckled.
The eye faded from the sky as Irene looked down. "So that's how it is… she can sway them so easily with so few words. What a bother." She raised her staff and tapped it on the ground, causing a bright glow to emanate from the peak. "Enchant."
Alverez soldiers started glowing and convulsing, scaring the allied forces. The top of the helmets broke off and revealed flaming hair as they charged forward. Erza moved to block the sword swing, but the force was so great that it actually pushed her back.
Forcing herself up, she watched as Warren jumped back from a swing. "Their strength has been enhanced!?"
"As if their numbers wasn't enough, now we have this?" Lucy asked, summoning Loke next to her.
Erza swung her war club and knocked a swarm of them back, only for them to get right back up and charge again. "Great! They don't feel pain, either!?" Max complained.
The entire guild was surrounded and knocked back, forced closer and closer to each other. "Is this… where we make our final stand?" Makarov mumbled, clutching his chest.
"We mustn't give up!" Erza shouted as she rushed forward. "I'll create a path, give us an opening no matter what!"
"So this is where it comes to an end…" The master mumbled, holding his hands over each other. "My long journey…"
"Fairy Law!?" Lucy asked, the morale instantly rising.
'Makarov… you know what this would mean for you, right?' Mavis asked telepathically. 'Fairy Law shaves off the casters life in proportion to the enemies used on it. With this many…'
'I am well aware of that fact.' He replied. 'But as a father to these children, I cannot withstand seeing their blood spilled any longer. Please, let me do this…'
'I understand…' She nodded. 'And… I'm sorry.'
"Erza!" Makarov shouted, catching the redheads attention. "No matter what hardships may fall upon you, never forget that a guild is a family!" A bright light shined from his hands as he smiled at his 'children'. "Thank you all for this incredible journey! I have no regrets." He clasped his hands together as a blinding light overtook the field. "Fairy Law!"
Enemies screamed as they dropped from the spells effects, leaving only a few standing. Erza stared at the form of Makarov with a smile, only for it to turn into horror as the master fell over.
Mavis started crying into her hands as she dropped to her knees. A lone hand reached down and touched her shoulder, her tears not stopping at all. "Stand up for us one last time, first…" Laxus requested. "There are still enemies we need to beat, and we can't do that without our strategies… Not just for us, but for the old geezer's sake as well…"
Erza stood before the fallen body of Makarov before dropping to her knees. Others followed suit as they all bowed to the fallen guild master. "To grow up as one of your children… I was beyond happy…" Erza declared, tears falling from her eye. "I thank you…"
As the smoke faded around the guild hall, Zeref stepped forward towards his enchanter. "How many of our people were wiped out?"
"I'd say roughly 70-80% of our forces, if I were to make a quick estimate." Irene replied.
"I'd expect nothing less from that man." Zeref confessed. "I must give credit where credit is due. I sorely underestimated the magic I once taught to Mavis, and which she passed on to Makarov."
"That being said, there were no casualties among the remaining members of the Twelve." Irene added. "The flow of battle is unlikely to change in any significant way from this point forth."
Natsu and Gray panted in exhaustion as they stared across at each other. Natsu charged first and swung his flaming fist, sending Gray crashing into a broken stone wall. The bricks suddenly froze over and dive bombed the demon forcing him to dodge. Annoyed, Natsu swung his burning arms and every piece of rubble exploded around him.
Looking down, he noticed ice had crept onto his body and pinned him in place before Gray blasted him with a beam of ice. Natsu rolled along the ground before cresting massive pillars of fire that melted everything around him. He charged at the ice user only to hit a wall of ice head first. Natsu rushed around as the two roared in defiance, each throwing a punch as hard as they could.
Their elements blasting off their arms, they roared as loud as possible and threw their arms forward, each intent on killing the other. A pair of hands suddenly caught their fists, burning them with fire and ice. Both looked up to find Erza standing between the, tears falling from her eye. "What do you two imbeciles think you're doing?"
"Erza?" Natsu asked, having snapped back to his senses.
"Tears…?" Gray questioned.
"Take a good look! Tell me what it is you see!" She ordered, forcing them to look at each other. "An enemy? I don't know what's going on here, but don't let this fleeting rage get the better of you! Never forget the history that all of us share! Listen well!"
As Erza explained what happened, the boys eyes went wide and their marks faded away. "I truly… love you both, with every fiber of my being." She declared, pulling them in close for a hug.
"My darling Gray!" The ice mage pulled away and turned to see Juvia hobbling forward, Wendy acting as support. "I'm fine! Though I've seen better days…"
"Saying you're 'fine' is a bit of a stretch with those injuries." Carla mumbled.
"Looks like Natsu and Erza are here too." Wendy added.
"Juvia…" Gray dropped to his knees and fell over, forcing Juvia to catch him before both hit the ground.
Natsu dropped to his butt and fell backwards, a pair of fur clad arms wrapping around him. "You sure know how to make a girl worry." Lisanna chuckled.
"Lis… anna…" Natsu mumbled out as Happy hugged them both. Natsu smiled at the pair before he suddenly passed out.
"Erza, that light just now…" Wendy questioned as the redhead wiped tears from her eyes.
"We should take Natsu back to Porlyusica." Lisanna declared, picking up Natsu onto her back.
"Gray and Juvia could use a look over as well." Carla added as she and Happy picked up the aforementioned pair.
"Everyone down!" Erza shouted before a massive explosion hit the group.
"Who did that!?" Happy asked.
Footsteps echoed through the dust as Irene Belserion walked forward. "It's been far too long, Erza…"
"Do you know her?" Lisanna asked, pulling Natsu away from the fight.
"We've never meet." The swordswoman replied. "Who are you?"
"I am you… and you are me." The older red head declared.
"Take the three of them somewhere safe. I'll handle her." Erza declared, summoning a sword.
The older woman pointed her staff forward and a blast of magic shot forward. A wall of wind rose up and took the hit, Wendy holding her arms up. "I'll back you up!"
"Enchantment…" The hatted woman mumbled with a smile. She seemed uncaring as the two cats and Lisanna raced away with the injured parties.
Midnight, Cobra and Jellal panted in exhaustion as Hoteye and Racer lay beaten on the ground. August stood before them, unflinching as his staff was barely even chipped. 'We can't gain ground on him… this obscene strength… where is it coming from…'
'Be that as it may… I can still hear what you're gonna do…' Cobra rushed forward, only to find August turning and blasting him with his staff.
'You're not the only one capable of hearing others actions.' The older man mentally declared.
"Spiral Pain!" Macbeth swing his arms and a green wave of magic started spiraling around the Magic King.
"Yours is indeed a peculiar magic…" August confessed before holding his staff up. "But I am familiar with its nuances." The spiral exploded outwards, blasting the former Dark Wizards backwards.
'We're running out of options here!' Jellal realized.
Minerva and Rogue panted in exhaustion as Wahl and Bloodman turned to smoke, fading away. "It seems we've done it." Minerva declared.
"They're vanishing…" Rogue mumbled.
"They were dead from the start." The spacial user replied. "Doesn't matter if we defeated them or their summoned was beaten first, but it is our victory."
Nicholas and Brianna raced over, both covered in scrapes and bruises. "You guys saw that blinding light too, right?" The Take-Over Wizard asked. "What was that?"
"I'm surprised you're unfamiliar with Fairy Law." Minerva explained. "It's a magic that destroys all those whom the caster sees as an enemy."
"So… we won?" Nicholas nervously asked."
"No, but it's safe to say that it considerably whittled down their forces." She replied.
"Let's hope we end this before we run out of steam." Nicholas mumbled. Yukino slid down the hill and rushed over to the group, Angel and the Exceeds in tow. "The more the merrier, am I right?" A bright light erupted from behind, blinding the group before they collapsed to the ground. "What is this… heat? I feel like I'm frying…"
"What you're feeling is the very heat of the sun." Turning their head as best they could, the allies looked upon a pale, blonde man sitting cross-legged above them. "My magic allows me to manipulate one's sensations. And your body reacts accordingly. You will burn from the inside out, until nothing remains."
Nicholas punched the ground and a pillar of stone shot up, forcing man to jump away. The spell died but the invader quickly waved his hands, tendrils of energy shooting at the group. In a surprising move, a blade cut through them as Kagura sheathed her blade. "White light? Not something I was expecting from one of Zeref's allies."
"I am much more than his ally." The blonde declared, landing on the ground. "I am Larcade Dragneel, son of Zeref."
"Dragneel…?" Nicholas repeated. "Isn't that Natsu's last name?"
"Were you not aware?" The blonde asked. "Natsu is my father's younger brother. I suppose that would make him my uncle." His words stunned the group as he waved his hands. "I was very much looking forward to finally meeting him in the war today… How could I not? It seems my father holds him much more dear than I. And that is something that cannot be forgiven, wouldn't you agree…?"
With a swing of his hand, blades of light launched forward and started slicing the ground. Kagura blocked with her blade as Nicholas swung his Morning Star and Brianna took flight in her Harpy form. "I'm sick of you talking down to us." Nicholas growled, swinging his spiked ball. "How about you come down here and face us!?"
He launched it forward and it crumbled the small hill Larcade was on, forcing the invader to jump off. "You shall know the coldest chill." Larcade declared before tendrils wrapped around the trio. Instantly, their teeth started chattering and their faces turned red from the perceived glacial environment. To his surprise, Kagura bit down on her tongue as Nicholas coated his body in stone. "Impossible…"
Breaking the tendrils apart, Nicholas shared a nod Brianna before he and Kagura charged forward. "Go down!" Nicholas unleashed a heavy punch as Kagura unsheathed her blade and swung it.
Larcade chuckled as he caught both attacks, stunning the two. "It seems you have overestimated yourself because you managed to defeat a few of the 12. But August, Irene, and I are on completely different levels." Blasts of light hit both his opponents and sprayed blood out of the wounds. "I shall grant the two of you a peaceful death…"
Stumbling backwards, both combatants fell over as Larcade stepped past them.
