(Edited 07/11/24)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
Avatar's Avarice
*POTD*
Erza and Elise slowly emerged from cover, deflecting several blasts of Dark Magic, as they looked out upon the destruction they'd narrowly avoided.
"That had to be Natsu…"
"At least he's back in top form though, right," Elise smirked, vanishing and swatting away another blast. "Still, do you feel those Magical signatures up ahead?"
"Yeah. I can sense Jellal, Laxus and Mira," Erza replied sharply, as they continued on. "But the one that they're facing, I don't have the slightest clue?"
"It feels familiar somehow, doesn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, something about it just feels like we've encountered it before, that's all," the War God Slayer replied thoughtfully, as they skidded to a stop underneath a collapsed section of the castle.
"Well, whoever it is, they must be a serious monster. Jellal, Mira and Laxus all have weaker Magical signatures, like they've taken a beating. We need to back them up as soon as possible!"
"Right," Elise agreed firmly, only for the pair to duck as a highly explosive spell sailed overhead, smashing into the far back wall to set off a catastrophic explosion. "Wow… These Avatar Mages aren't playing around, are they?"
"Come on, we need to move," Erza huffed, extending her right arm outward as it was enveloped in a bright, white light. "Stick behind me, I'm going to use my Adamantine Shield so we can charge right up the center!"
"Alright, let's do it," Elise nodded, as the pair did exactly that.
Breaking from cover with Erza in the lead, the Dark Mages immediately began laying down fire upon them from their positions in the castle, bombarding them with countless explosive spells. Each and every last one was unable to so much as scratch Erza's Adamantine Shield however, as Elise returned fire by lobbing spears up at them, ripping chunks out of the castle in the process.
"Come on, we're almost there," Erza shouted firmly, as the pair inched closer and closer to the castle courtyard.
They only hoped that they'd arrived on time, as the trio's Magical Power was dwindling, and fast…
*POTD*
"This is insane," Jellal panted, down on one knee as he watched Laxus get belted across the courtyard, smashing through the far wall and out of sight. "How is he so strong…"
"He's far beyond the power I remember," Mira agreed, currently in her base form as she dropped into a crouch next to Jellal. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine… Well, my left arm is broken, so… Heh, probably not actually…"
"Jokes aside, he's more of a monster than the last time our Guild dealt with him," Laxus grunted, emerging from the smashed in wall, shirtless, and bleeding profusely from multiple wounds across his body. "Isn't that right? I doubt even Natsu would recognize his power, that's how different he is…"
"I must admit, I expected better from some of the strongest Fairy Tail had to offer," their opponent replied in a deep, menacing voice. "It has been over a decade since I last did battle with the Fairy Tail Guild, and it seems my power now far surpasses their own."
Their opponent paused, as Erza and Elise arrived on the scene, skidding to a stop as they looked between Laxus, Jellal and Mira, before looking over to their all too familiar opponent.
"Wait, its HIM!?"
"To think that he grew this powerful…?"
"Ah, the legendary Titania, as well as the War God Slayer," the powerful Dark Mage smirked, cracking his neck to relieve some built up pressure. "It seems almost like a Tenrou reunion now, doesn't it?"
"A shame, because we'd rather you'd have died there," Erza snapped back in response, as the pair moved to stand between their wounded friends, and the Mage before them.
"Yeah! Why couldn't you die along with the rest of Grimoire Heart, Bluenote!?"
Former Deputy Commander Of Grimoire Heart
An Agent Of The Alvarez Empire
Captain Of Serena Squad
Grand Wizard
Bluenote Stinger
"Well, I'm afraid that life doesn't always work out the way you want it to," Bluenote replied calmly, seemingly unbothered by the arrival of two more foes for him to face. "I take it that Dragneel is around here somewhere?"
"Of course he is! Natsu's going to put a stop to whatever the Avatar Guild are planning," Erza snapped back defiantly, eliciting an amused chuckle from the Grand Wizard.
"Is that so? Then it seems I need to wrap things up here quickly then," Bluenote hummed in response, as the entire area began to shake violently. "For you see, I now work for the Alvarez Empire directly, and my task is to ensure the revival of the being housed within the artifact the Avatar Guild have found!"
"Well, he's as intimidating as ever, isn't he," Elise muttered darkly, as Erza looked over her shoulder to the others.
"Leave Bluenote to us for now-."
"Now hold it right there Erza," Laxus huffed, as he advanced forward to join the pair. "I can still fight well enough."
"But-!"
"Jellal took a hit for me, which is why his arms broken," the Lightning Dragon Slayer replied, as all eyes turned toward the blue haired Mage. "I'm not letting that go unpaid."
"I'll look after Jellal, you three handle Bluenote," Mira chimed in, as she helped the man to his feet. "Let Laxus help you, Bluenote is far too strong to underestimate!"
"Fine," the Requip Mage sighed, as they looked back to the Grand Wizard. "Those are good points."
"Mira, you guys need to fall back to the castle entrance," Elise spoke up, activating her God's Aura as the tremors increased in their intensity. "Wendy is with this other kid, they can help Jellal out!"
"Right," the Take Over Mage nodded, as she quickly extracted both herself and Jellal from the battlefield, leaving the four alone.
"Now that the worst of the trash has gone, time to get to work," Bluenote muttered, bringing his hands together as he unleashed a titanic amount of Magical Power, a bright pillar of white light engulfing his form.
"Here we go," Laxus shuddered through grit teeth, as he entered the Dragon Force.
"Even after all these years, he's still a monster," Elise noted, as God's Aura poured from her form.
"We can't let his power shake us," Erza huffed, her form engulfed by a bright white light. "Requip – Mystic Armor!"
Emerging from the bright light, Erza was clad in a form fitting lilac colored bodysuit with flexible plate armor perfectly fitted over it. The plates each held a variety of Magic Circles of varying color that flashed every so often, as a fancy rapier appeared in her right hand.
Her hair remained in its usual braid. However, she had a lilac-colored helmet manifest atop her head, which locked into the neck plate, a secondary plate sliding out to cover her mouth, giving any sound from there a more robotic tone of voice.
"The Hell kind of Armor is that," Laxus asked, raising a scaled eyebrow at her strange appearance.
"It's one of her new ones she acquired over the last few years," Elise answered for her, as Erza stepped forward, extending the rapier out to her far right. "Laxus, you and I are on the front line, and Erza will support us!"
"Fair enough," the Dragon Slayer replied, as Erza fully opened up her reserves. "Let's do this then!"
Bluenote slid into a defensive stance. Unlike before, he knew not to underestimate the Mages of Fairy Tail. After suffering a humiliating defeat on Tenrou, combined with the power of the trio before him now…
"Impressive power for ones so young," Bluenote spoke, as he felt their open reserves wash over him. "But it won't be enough!"
Erza Dragneel (PTS Mystic Armor Second Origin Sealed Full Power) – 515.7 Billion MPI
Elise Faulkner (God's Aura PTS Base Form Second Origin Sealed Suppressed) – 742.7 Billion MPI
Laxus Dreyar (Second Generation Dragon Force PTS Second Origin Sealed Full Power) – 772.3 Billion MPI
"Let's go," Elise roared, as both she and Laxus vanished, shattering the ground beneath them, and appearing on either side of Bluenote.
"Lightning Dragon King's Breakdown Fist!"
"God's Aura: War God's Armageddon Fist!"
The pair both went to strike Bluenote, but the Grand Wizard immediately sprang into action.
Lifting both his arms up at faster than light speed, he struck both their wrists at the same time, knocking their attacks off course, whilst also leaving identical deep purple Magic Circles in their place.
Spinning around, he struck Laxus first with a brutal kick to the ribs, spinning him around and catching Elise. He then slammed them both into the ground right as the Magic Circles activated, distorting gravity around the pair, sending them airborne once again, lining them up perfectly for an attack Bluenote had been charging in his right hand.
"Quake Magic – Cataclysm Crash!"
Punching the air directly in front of them, both Laxus and Elise felt a brutal shock-wave tear through them, as they were blasted across the courtyard, smashing through several walls. Bluenote immediately spun around, his left hand coated in Water Magic, as he fended off a slash from Erza's rapier, which was currently on fire.
"You think yourself skilled enough to wield the Magic of a Mystic Knight? Such foolishness," Bluenote scoffed, his body bobbing and weaving around a fierce flurry of thrusts Erza was putting out. "To wield multiple elements effectively, a Mage must understand their use, inside and out!"
After missing her last thrust, Bluenote went to strike at her, only for the Requip Mage to vanish in a bolt of purple lightning right before the punch could connect. Before he'd even turned around, his left hand had caught a punch from Laxus, as he threw the man aside, arching his body to avoid a dropkick from Elise before performing a series of flips as multiple deep purple Magic Circles activated across his body, pushing him away from the pair.
"You think that'll work-!?"
"Mystic Mine!"
"Ngh-!"
Beneath Bluenote's feet, the ground suddenly bubbled outward, the area suffering through a series of powerful tremors, as Laxus swiped his right arm out in front of him.
"Lightning Dragon King's Lightning Shower!"
Hundreds of lightning bolts were fired at Bluenote's position, as the ground beneath him began to detonate from Erza's Magic. The Grand Wizard's eyes darted around the battlefield rapidly, eventually locking onto Elise's rapidly approaching form.
Managing to narrowly avoid her punch without taking a step, he struck Elise in the gut, using the momentum of her being halted in her tracks to push himself off the Mystic Mine, and dropping the God Slayer onto it.
The moment Elise hit the ground, the Mystic Mine detonated, clouding the area in smoke right as Laxus' Lightning Shower struck Bluenote's position. Flying out of the smoke with minimal damage, Bluenote was forced to spin midair, as Erza narrowly missed his left shoulder with a thrust that blasted a hole into the ground.
"Shit-!"
"Not good enough Titania," Bluenote growled, attempting to reach out and grab her, only for the Requip Mage to be pushed out of the way by Laxus, who immediately turned his entire body into lightning.
Bluenote grit his teeth as Laxus' lightning wracked his body, dropping to the ground as he sensed Elise emerge from the explosion from earlier. Managing to roll out of the way, the Grand Wizard shakily raised his right arm and punched the ground, throwing everyone off balance and blasting him high into the air.
"Y-You can have your lightning back," the Grand Wizard stuttered, pushing all the residual lightning to his fingertips, before expelling it in a concentrated beam of energy.
The attack was directed at Laxus, but Erza flashed in the way and flicked her rapier, freezing the attack in its tracks.
"Mystic Magic – Mystic Cessation!"
Bluenote landed on the rampart wall, dropping into a crouch upon touching down, and eyeing the three Fairy Tail Mages warily.
Elise had already fully regenerated, stretching and adjusting. Erza had taken zero damage, her Magic allowing her to slip through his fingers at the last moment. And Laxus was mostly fine, albeit slightly wounded from his earlier kick.
All in all, the trio were proving to be quite the opponents.
"So, it seems you've all learned some things over the decade since we last met? I had thought there wouldn't be a Fioran Mage alive who could stand against me and my newfound strength… I appear to have been sorely mistaken."
Taking a deep breath, Bluenote flared his power as he rose back to his full height, standing tall above the trio. Extending his arms outward, he picked up a section of the collapsed castle, bringing it behind him as he stepped onto a piece of debris, floating even higher above them.
"We are on the cusp of a new age for all of Earthland! Lord Zeref has seen fit to show me the way to TRUE power, and it is GLORIOUS!"
Bluenote Stinger (PTS Second Origin Sealed Full Power) – 1.07 Trillion MPI
"Laxus, Elise… When he throws that rubble, just charge, don't stop for anything," Erza whispered, as the trio shared a stiff nod. "It won't be like it was back then… We can win this!"
"Prepare for the end of weakness, Mages of Fairy Tail! Prepare for the end of Fiore, and the rise of Lord Zeref and the mighty Alvarez Empire!"
Elise and Laxus charged forward, as Bluenote started hurling tonnes of debris down at them. However, as he did so, Erza was preparing, flicking her rapier in the air multiple times for form a Magic Circle over four meters in width, and six meters in height.
"Mystic Magic – Swift Impetus!"
Slashing her blade through the Magic Circle, it rapidly began to spin, deploying an overwhelmingly powerful shock-wave that instantly blasted all the debris back at Bluenote. The Grand Wizard's eyes widened slightly, but he was alright preparing a counter, swiping his left hand out in front of him to knock the debris off to the side, where it smashed into Castle Avatar.
"Not bad Titania," the Grand Wizard smirked. "Not bad at all…"
Leaping off the piece of debris, Bluenote launched himself at Laxus and Elise, as the trio began exchanging a furious flurry of blows midair. It quickly became apparent that Bluenote was truly a formidable hand to hand combatant, as he simultaneously fended both Laxus and Elise off without straining himself, a feat very few could claim.
"Not good enough," Bluenote grunted, catching Laxus' fist with his left hand and jerking his body forward into the path of Elise's punches.
The God Slayer managed to narrowly alter the path of her next series of attacks, but in doing so, Bluenote was able to slip around her, delivering multiple jabs to her neck, shoulder and rib regions.
"Ghk-!"
Elise immediately went limp, as Bluenote struck her in the side of the head, her form crashing into the upper floors of Castle Avatar, causing the section to collapse on top of her. Almost immediately, Laxus was overwhelmed by his ruthless hand to hand tactics, as the Grand Wizard struck multiple pressure points across his neck, chest and thigh areas, before flipping midair and kicking him down into the courtyard, causing the entire area to fold in on itself.
Bluenote then landed back atop the rampart wall where he'd started, no worse off than before, an amused smirk on his face as Erza now stood alone against him.
'His power is so far beyond anything we've seen… Did Zeref really give Bluenote the power he wields now?'
"How amusing," the Grand Wizard smirked, as Erza looked down the hole to see Laxus struggling to stand. "You three have grown, but this world has no need of you any longer. Time to end it-!"
Erza instantly began to move, as Bluenote immediately closed the distance between them. Had she been in one of her other armors, she'd have likely been able to dodge the attack. However, her Mystic Knight Armor was a support-based Armor, which meant it sacrificed attack power and speed for durability and the ability to support her team.
"Shit-!"
"Explosion Magic – Cataclysm Clap!"
Appearing in front of the Requip Mage, Bluenote clapped his hands, setting off a catastrophic explosion that engulfed the entire area, sending her flying as the explosion tore through her armor. Hitting the gate where she and Elise had entered, Erza dropped down to her knees, gritting her teeth as she felt several cuts across her body.
"At least…I had the durability…to take that hit," she ground out, shakily rising to her feet. "But another few of those, and…"
"I suppose you'll be the first to die, Titania," Bluenote muttered, extending his right hand outward as the entire area trembled under his power. "Don't worry, Dragneel shall follow you shortly."
Moving to strike Erza, Bluenote was forced to alter his attack path at the last moment, his body slowly turning to counter, as Elise appeared, her leg shrouded in Galaxy Blue Aura.
"God's Aura: War God's Armageddon Kick!"
Blocking the attack with his left forearm, the ground beneath the Grand Wizard cracked, as he went to strike Elise with the attack he'd intended for Erza. However, as he began to follow through, his senses screamed for him to dodge, though he had no way to.
As a result, Bluenote was forced to cease his attack entirely, positioning his body at an awkward angle, as he caught Erza's electrified rapier with his right hand, cutting into it as the Grand Wizard felt the volts flowing through him.
"Ngh! That won't…be enough-!"
Bluenote felt time slow to a crawl as he watched Laxus emerge from the crater he'd left him in, a powerful lightning-based attack held in his right hand. The Grand Wizard could tell that if that attack hit him, he could very well die…
"Let's see how you like this one, freak! Lightning Dragon King's Heavenward Halberd!"
Throwing the massive lightning halberd, Bluenote's eyes were now wide. He now knew he had to take this fight seriously, as two deep purple Magic Circles emerged from his eyes, rapidly expanding before merging together into a single, much larger one.
"Gravity Magic – Black Hole!"
All three of the Fairy Tail Mages were shocked, as Bluenote manifested a Black Hole without even needing to utilize his body. With a mere glare, the Black Hole tore itself open, sitting at an impressive two meters in height and width.
Laxus' attack was instantly sucked into the attack, as both Erza and Elise felt their very bodies being sucked toward the attack.
"KEHEHAHAHAHAHAHA! You'll all die here, Fairy scum," Bluenote roared, holding both Erza and Elise in place, as they were slowly dragged closer and closer to the deadly attack. "You were complete fools if you thought you ever stood a chance against me!"
"Sky Dragon Monarch's Destabilizing Piercing Claw!"
No one present had the time to register what happened, as a fifth combatant sped into the battlefield, striking Bluenote through the back and out the chest. The Grand Wizard gasped in pain, the Black Hole being dispelled, along with his grip on Erza and Elise being fully relinquished.
Erza, Elise and Laxus watched in shock, as a scaly figure dragged Bluenote for several meters, before slamming him into the ground, then tossing him off into Castle Avatar with so much force, the trio were nearly blown back by the winds generated by the throw alone.
"W-Wendy," Erza gasped, as the scaly figure rose up to an astonishing seventeen meters in height. "Wendy, is that you!?"
In response, Wendy simply snarled, a long-forked tongue slipping from her mouth to taste the air as Bluenote's blood coated her long, spindly fingers. Her much thinner, almost snake-like body belied her power, as catastrophic winds rolled in over the castle, leaving the group completely gobsmacked at her power.
"Guys," Jason panted, skidding to a stop near Erza and Elise. "Oh thank God, you're not dead…"
"Jason? What happened!?"
"Wendy and I were heading up here when she saw that guy make a Black Hole. She got this fucking crazy look in her eyes, like an animal almost, then she just turned into that thing and charged him!"
"Wait, could this be," Elise murmured, watching as Bluenote emerged from the rubble, looking thoroughly pissed. "The Dragon's Fury…"
"Not just that, her form itself is different from her Dragon Force," Erza noted, as the group noticed Wendy's hair was more feather-like now, her face more Dragon than Human. "No way…"
"You," Bluenote growled, cauterizing his wound with Fire Magic, before leaping down to ground level. "You're that blue haired brat from Tenrou, aren't you?"
When Wendy looked at him, Bluenote shockingly took a step backward, immediately entering a defensive stance, as the wind around them continued to worsen. Once the others got a look at her face, they could tell straight away…
She. Was. PISSED.
"Don't worry everyone, I'll take it from here," the Sky Dragon Slayer said in a tone that absolutely did not match her current facial expression, sounding all happy and cheery. "You should all go and see if anyone else needs any help…"
"What kind of foolish intimidation tactic is this," Bluenote muttered, as Wendy gave him a bright, insane smile, displaying several rows of razor-sharp teeth as her tongue extended a good meter from her mouth. "Just what the Hell are you, some kind of Demon!?"
"I think…I think we should get back guys," Elise whispered, as she moved over to Laxus to help the man stand. "Come on…"
"That shit is NOT normal," the Lightning Dragon Slayer hissed, as he was brought toward the rest of the group. "Something isn't right…"
"You think," Erza replied quietly, equally as worried. "But right now, we can all feel that…So we need to move!"
"A Demon," Wendy asked, as the others pulled back. "My Daddy is a Demon… In fact, Daddy is the Demon King! I want to be like him, to be able to tear apart all the bad people who…who…Who keep taking from me…"
Looking down at her spindly fingers, Wendy watched as they hardened up into true claws, feeling the sheer power flowing through her as she admired them in an almost loving manner.
"I won't allow anyone else to be taken from me. I won't let Daddy down! No, never again! Wendy promised she'd never be a burden again, didn't she, Miss Porlyusica!? Wendy promised that she would tear apart the Dark Mage filth that plagues Earthland. I won't allow anyone else to suffer like we've suffered…"
Bluenote was sweating slightly, watching her body move in a most unnatural way. He'd never admit it aloud, but the Grand Wizard was actually beginning to feel the slightest bit of fear from the young, and clearly batshit insane, woman.
"You…You were going to make me look like a burden again, weren't you? WEREN'T YOU," Wendy roared, as her body started expelling even more wind, her scales opening and closing across her body as the feathers flapped wildly. "How dare you…"
Bluenote grit his teeth, aiming his right palm in her direction, preparing to reform a much more powerful Black Hole. However, he was further unnerved as Wendy merely cocked her head to the side, tongue still hanging out of her mouth, and that same insane grin on her face.
The man paled a little as she twiddled her scaly claw-like fingers. As the nails clashed together, the man swore it sounded like two swords colliding, which in of itself was a seriously worrying sign.
"Dad chose me as family-FAMILY! Dad also chose Erza to be his Wife, which makes her my Mom… Erza, Elise…everyone… You hurt my family-FAMILY-and tried to take them away from me…"
As Wendy started advancing toward him, a group of Dark Mages charged into the courtyard, coming to a screeching halt upon seeing Wendy's form.
"Gah! What the fuck is that thing!?"
"Quick! KILL IT!"
Bluenote remained deathly silent, deciding to use these Mages as a test to see what Wendy could actually do. However, he was confused when he watched the spellfire simply crash against her, the Dragon Slayer allowing the Dark Mages to strike at her, whilst refusing to take her unblinking eyes off of him.
After half a minute of constant attacks, the wind was blown away to reveal she was completely unharmed. Looking toward the Mages, the Grand Wizard was shocked to see them all just standing there, before toppling over into chunks of meat and bone.
'She tore them apart with the wind, not even needing to pay them any mind… This is Dragneel's little protégé? She was a fighter before, but now, she's like an entirely different person!'
"Enough of this," Bluenote snarled, as he began to reform a much stronger version of Black Hole. "I'll put you down, just like I'll put down the rest of Dragneel's merry band-!"
Bluenote was forced to dodge as the area he stood in was slashed apart faster than the Grand Wizard could blink. Unfortunately, his concentration was broken, as the Black Hole dissipated before it could fully form.
Before he even had the time to process what was going on, the man was rapidly dodging dozens of earth gouging slashes that, seemingly, were coming from the Dragon Slayer. However, he couldn't process how she was attacking him, as all she was doing was walking toward him in an erratic manner.
"Never a liability…Never again…"
"Fine then," the Grand Wizard snarled, avoiding another barrage of the strange attacks. "You want to play in the big leagues!? Then that's exactly what we'll do!"
Bluenote charged toward Wendy, flashing in and out of view as he moved at massively faster than light speeds to close the gap. Cocking back his right fist, Bluenote tanked one of the slashing attacks, blood spurting from his face as he struck Wendy dead center on her face.
"That'll teach you-!"
Bluenote was shocked as Wendy pushed back against his punch, the same insane grin on her face as her spindly, claw-like hands grabbed his wrist.
"I wont lose… If I lost to something like that, then I'd become a liability again… We can't have that, now can we," the feral woman giggled, casually snapping his arm between two of her fingers as her eyes relished the pain in his eyes. "The wind makes me fast, makes me strong-STRONG-and useful. You'll see… Or, perhaps not?"
Tossing Bluenote into the air like he were weightless, the man cried out in pain as his body was savaged repeatedly by what he assumed was Wendy. Massive gashes opened up, blood pouring from the wounds as he hit the ground, the massive girl towering over him menacingly.
"You like to stomp on people, don't you? Well, its only fair that we return the favor…"
Bluenote tried to roll out of the way, but his wounds were too severe. Wendy lazily lifted one of her elongated, claw-like feet, and pierced her razor sharp claws through his chest. The Grand Wizard roared in pain, gripping her ankle and delivering the strongest punch he could muster.
"R-Release me!"
"Release you? What do you mean by that," the terrifying creature asked in an almost childlike curiosity, before giggling abruptly. "Oh! I get it now, release you from life!"
"W-What," the Grand Wizard gasped, as he felt her claws leave his chest, the girl floating several meters away, before turning around and aiming an attack made of black wind in his direction.
"I think its time for you to go away now," Wendy smiled, the attack rapidly increasing in size to nearly engulf the entirety of Castle Avatar. "You won't hurt us ever again…"
Wendy Marvell (Dragon Force Stage II Sky Dragon's Fury Second Origin Sealed Full Power) – 3.59 Trillion MPI
Bluenote now felt true fear as he tried to scramble away from the psychotic woman before him. This woman, barely out of her teens, was going to kill him with such savagery that it made a mockery of all he was. What made it worse was there was absolutely nothing the Grand Wizard could do to save himself, the power gap being far too wide.
Bluenote slowly closed his eyes, preparing to accept his fate, only for the entire area to shake violently. Opening his eyes once again, the Grand Wizard was shocked to see Natsu, the Demon King having slammed Wendy's head into the ground, pinning her into place.
"Wendy…That's enough-!"
To Natsu's surprise, Wendy was actually able to push him off, rising to her full height once again, the same smirk on her face. Granted, he wasn't using his full strength to restrain her. But the fact she was able to shrug him off at all was proof that she had finally unlocked the latent talent he'd sensed within her all those years ago.
It was just a shame it had to come at such a high price…
"Hello Dad-DADDY," Wendy chirped, acting as if he hadn't just smashed her head into the concrete.
"…Wendy?"
"Yes Dad-DADDY!?"
"What's-?"
"I was afraid of this," Igneel's voice rumbled in the back of his mind, as the aged Dragon observed Wendy's psychotic state. "It appears that Wendy's psyche has split into two, forming a separate persona."
"What…Why?"
"This is a side effect of the Dragon's Fury. Though you appear to be an exception to the rule, even if you still become enraged regardless. For you see, the Dragon's Fury often calls upon a second personality that will show no mercy in order to get the job done. The persona is often heavily influenced by whatever triggers the Dragon's Fury…"
"And in Wendy's case, its her sense of worthlessness and fear of abandonment," Natsu sighed, both understanding the reason for her fears, but also feeling terrible that he couldn't help her overcome them.
"Her alternate persona is her inner child clashing with the adult she had become. The child yearns for affection and attention, but the adult wants to mercilessly crush anything and everything in order to achieve it. I propose a test…?"
"What kind of test?"
"Instead of trying to physically restrain her, just offer her a hug instead?"
Natsu mulled over the idea, seeing no harm in it. Opening his arms wide, giving the psychotic form of Wendy a gentle smile, he beckoned her into his arms.
The Sky Dragon Slayer seemed overjoyed at the gesture, the childish half having this near twenty-foot-tall Dragon skip over and leap into his arms. Natsu caught her with ease, gently patting her head as she nuzzled into his chest.
"Did I do good Dad-DADDY!?"
"You did a great job Wendy," Natsu replied gently and sincerely, as Wendy slowly exited the Dragon Force, returning to her Human state. "You made sure the others didn't get hurt, and you even beat Bluenote… Yeah, you did good. I'm so proud of you…"
As soon as he said the magic words, the power that was rolling off Wendy's form began to recede. The Dragon Slayer sighed in content, seemingly falling asleep in his arms, as the Grand Wizard behind him collapsed fully from shock.
"That girl…You forged her into a true monster," Bluenote muttered, as he felt the grip of unconsciousness tightening around him. "I think after this, I want to retire?"
"You're lucky there are more important things at stake, or I'd kill you for this," Natsu snarled, as he slowly walked toward his friends, Wendy firmly secured in his arms. "You'd better hope we never cross paths again…"
Bluenote didn't respond, instead, succumbing to his injuries, as Natsu reached his friends. All of them could only stare at Wendy, completely dumbfounded as to how she got so strong.
"Erza, can you take her," Natsu asked quietly, as his Wife silently took her from his arms. "We can discuss this later. For now, I need to get back to dealing with the Guild Master of Avatar."
"Go on Natsu, we'll fall back to where the Rune Knights are set up," Erza replied gently, as Natsu gave her a quick peck on the cheek, before leaping up toward the castle roof. "That man…"
"Come on, we should get out of here," Elise said, looking up toward the rooftop where dark storm clouds were beginning to form. "I have a bad feeling about this…"
The group shared a series of stiff nods, before taking off toward the Rune Knight checkpoints, leaving Natsu and Seilah alone in Castle Avatar…
*POTD*
As Natsu raced toward the rooftop, he silently pondered the awkward conversation he was undoubtedly going to need to have with Wendy later. Though it brought him great joy that her familial love for him was so strong, her alternate persona in the Dragon's Fury belied some deep seeded issues she needed to sort out.
"Well, I'm sure there are far worse things that could've happened? That power of hers definitely caught me off guard…"
"Just remember that she didn't choose to have such a personality during the Dragon's Fury. Rather, it simply came into being," Igneel replied, further expanding Natsu's knowledge on the subject. "For now, let us focus our efforts on putting a stop to the Avatar Guild. Young Wendy can wait until after all that."
"Yeah, I know. I'm hoping Seilah managed to at least stall the Guild Master long enough?"
Darting up another series of stairs, Natsu entered into what could only be described as a ritualistic throne room. His eyes immediately locked onto Seilah, who was currently pinned to the far wall by a Pitch Black Magic Circle.
"M-Master," Seilah hissed. "Be careful, he wields powerful Black Magic!"
"Ah, so the Devil finally arrives," the figure smirked, as a fully robed figure turned around to face him. "It is an honor, Lord E.N.D…"
Looking behind the figure, Natsu saw a massive stone tablet, similar to the one that held Prometheus, the Fire Titan. However, this one was currently cracked, with multiple Black Magic Circles chiselling away at it.
"Stop this madness! Do you have any idea what you'll unleash upon the world if you summon that thing!?"
"Oh, we at Avatar know all too well what shall be brought forth," the robed figure smirked beneath his hood. "It is our destiny to finish what the Bharam Alliance could not! Avatar WILL revive the War Titan, and deploy its power in the name of Lord Zeref!"
"Do you honestly believe that you fools could control the power of a Titan!? No one can control them! It'll kill you as soon as its summoned!"
"If that is the will of Lord Zeref, then so be it," the robed Dark Mage replied firmly. "Besides, Lord Zeref shall simply dispose of it, should it disobey or he have no further use of it."
"You people are absolutely foolish! A Titan isn't a mindless being," Natsu snapped in response. "They are as intelligent as any being, capable of rational thought, and have a will to survive! A Titan would do anything to ensure its existence in the modern age, you can't let it out-!"
"You simply fear that which you cannot control nor understand," the Dark Mage hissed, raising both hands high into the air. "Let the ritual come to its climax!"
Natsu watched as the Dark Mage drew a knife and stepped up toward the largest crack in the stone tablet. Bringing the blade to his neck, he thrust it deeply, gouging out his own throat as blood sprayed across the open crack.
The moment his body collapsed, Seilah was at Natsu's side, the pair slowly stepping away from the tablet as tremors began to rock the area around them. Looking around, his eyes snapped back to the cube, as a black mist was expelled from the largest crack, smashing through the back window and leaking outside.
"Seilah, let's get back outside," Natsu said quickly, as the pair leaped out the window after the black mist.
Landing in the ruined courtyard, the pair looked up into the sky just in time to see a gigantic armored boot come crashing down upon the nearby mountain range, flattening it in an instant, as the entirety of Ishgar shook violently from the impact.
Natsu and Seilah steadied themselves, watching as the giant boot vanished, leaving only a blackish pillar of raw energy in its wake.
The pair rushed out into the woods surrounding Castle Avatar, quickly coming across the newly formed scar in Fiore's landscape. Jumping down into the newly formed canyon, the pair came face to face with the being they'd hoped to not see revived…
The Titan's gender wasn't clearly identifiable due to the fact that it was clad head to toe in Ebony Battle Armor, a pair of sparking crimson eyes narrowing in on Natsu's position. The being stood at seventeen feet tall, and had a slender, yet somewhat buff build, rather similar to Eliza's in fact.
Looking to Seilah, the Dragon Slayer nodded and stepped forward, keeping his Assistant in the back.
"So…You're the War Titan…"
A Being From The Age Of Formation
The Flame That Charred A Thousand Empires
One Of The Cosmic Force Progenitors
Ruler Of All Battlefields
The War Titan
Pallas Alcides
"It has been an eternity since I last walked the mortal realms as flesh and blood," Pallas muttered, their voice androgynous due to their helmet. "But it appears my exile was not for naught. Fate has given me a worthy foe to face upon my release, a Devilkin… What's better, is this Devilkin has the blood of a Titan on their hands."
"That would be the blood of the Fire Titan, Prometheus," Natsu replied, eliciting an amused chuckle from the being.
"Ah, I see. It appears you are a Titan Slayer, which makes you all the more worthy," Pallas purred, flaring their Titan's Aura. "Prepare yourself, Slayer…I do not know how to hold back."
As Natsu activated his Devil's Aura, Pallas simply chuckled once again, flaring their own Aura, as the entire area around them was completely turned on its head. Even as the world cried out for them to stop, neither did.
Instead, the pair stood across from one another, neither so much as blinking, as they prepared for the brutal battle to come…