The train slid into the easternmost terminal of Bosiore Station. It was a train unlike what Erza was anticipating, with a great deal of modernity put in place that made for a wonderfully smooth ride—for most. Everyone's gear fit well in the overhead compartments and most had a generous amount of room with which to sit.
The rails were all flat, powered by magic that let the train gently glide overtop. This, according to Yukino, was merely the standard. The high speed train, which they'd take to the coastal station, was the real marvel of the technological world the Twilight Empire was hurtling toward. It moved so far the group would arrive at the far southern station in less than two hours, where normal travel could take nearly half a day.
The Dragon Slayers spilled out of the train with a great deal of glee. Hopefully, their stomachs would settle soon.
Before they disembarked, Erza made sure to put disguises on everyone. She didn't have proper sizes or dimensions for Yukino but the woman was more than content to slip into a long robe and cloak that tied up around her waist, hiding her most noticeable features to anyone possibly looking for her. Erza was in one of her favorite disguises—her hair was tied up in a tall tail at the back of her head, while she wore a shirt proudly showing off her midriff. Her skirt lowered only down to the middle of her thighs and tube socks flowed up to cover the rest of her leg. Slung to her back was a fine small sword she could easily replace with her true blade. A lone fit of bangs hung down to cover her false eye.
Juvia had the most stylish, and pretty, dress of the bunch—a sleeveless blue dress with a plunging neckline and long skirt. She happily styled her hair to match, and Erza even noticed Gray giving a few more looks than normal.
Natsu and Wendy were given similar styles of outfits, with Natsu's shifting his scarf down from around his neck to wrapping around his waist like a belt while still granting him his preferred style of open-chested, cutoff shirt, though he had to wear shorts and light boots, plus another hat to hide his outstanding pink hair. Wendy had a similar outfit wherein she wore a belt about a small set of pants and a long-sleeved patterned shirt. Her hair was tied up in three small ponytails.
And Gray…well Gray wore something of a standard shirt and shorts combo because Erza didn't want to bother giving him such a complicated outfit if he was going to continually discard it.
The group was easily recognizable to Erza but Yukino commented on their ability to hide well enough from someone who didn't know them too well, as she didn't. Erza felt bad she didn't give Yukino a better disguise; it felt like an insult, in a way. It was as if she was telling Yukino that she still didn't fully belong, so she couldn't have a specialized, custom outfit. One day, Erza thought. She'd originally considered giving one of Lucy's, but some of Yukino's features and proportions were just barely dissimilar from Lucy's so as to hold her back.
While Juvia and Carla helped Natsu and Wendy catch their breath, Erza traveled with Happy to the ticketing booth. The man there was half-awake. People were with other attendants, speaking softly. Erza could see why.
The tracks headed south rode the border of Fiore and Bosco. On the western, Fiore side of things there was a small flourishing of life, a few shacks set up down the line as places for rail workers to stay. On the Bosco side was nothing more than a desert, an absolute void, for as far as the eye could see.
"We'd like tickets down to Akane Beach, please."
Yukino stood behind Erza, keeping her head bowed while no doubt listening in.
The high-speed train was installed in some stations that existed before the Empire, but in an effort to maintain expansion and grow their reach within Fiore, the Empire had built up new stations all throughout the country. Where Akane Beach was once a small ride from Hargeon away, it was now connected to far more places.
According to Yukino, it wasn't the luxury paradise it'd once been.
"Sure," the ticketed said. "When the trains get running again."
"I can see it right here."
"Can you see it running?"
Erza flattered her expression. "What's the issue with it?"
"Needs maintenance."
"How long?"
The man checked the clock. "Could be a few more hours."
Erza sighed. "And there's no other train to Akane Beach?"
"We've got a few coming in that are bound for Hargeon, they'll be here in about ten minutes."
"Thank you."
Happy followed Erza back. Natsu and Wendy weren't necessarily back on their feet but were, at least, able to sit up straight. Yukino joined her while Gray continued to inspect their surroundings. Erza relayed the information the ticketer passed on to her.
"We should take the next train," she said.
"Please no," Natsu muttered.
"There's no telling when the next one is set to arrive, leaving us here like sitting ducks."
"Then what're these disguises for?" Natsu asked.
"Erza has a point," Yukino said, stepping forward. "Containing to wait here any longer puts at risk of someone recognizing us, even with the disguises. Even if it's just a hunch, they can report it in and intercept us."
"They would have to get all the way from the capital to here," Carla said. "That's impossibly fast."
"Not for a high-speed train," Erza said.
"Or August," Yukino said.
Natsu grumbled. "Always worried about this August guy, Yukino. Is he really that scary?"
Yukino turned away. "Scary doesn't even begin to cover it, Natsu."
Erza set her jaw. It was, perhaps, Yukino's experience in being with the Empire talking, but she was throwing their names around too casually. The woman made sure to avoid any and all chances she was recognized and encouraged Fairy Tail to lay low, but she forgot the power mere names had.
She was relieved when the train to Hargeon came. It'd be another long ride, their longest yet, but it would get them moving. That's the only thing they could worry about.
Progressing. Staying still did little for their efforts.
Juvia recovered Gray and everyone hopped aboard the train. Natsu and Wendy resigned to their fates and took seats while their Exceeds stood by them. Yukino sat next to Wendy and comforted her as Gray and Juvia scuttled into a cabin with a few others. Erza swore she saw the same woman in Gray's cabin heading for her own. A twin, perhaps. Juvia didn't seem too happy that there'd be another woman with them.
Erza took her seat in her cabin. Unfortunately, she had to be alone. Yukino didn't have enough money left over from what she'd taken from the capital to pay for higher-end cabins for all of them to stay in. She hardly had any money left at all, so they'd likely have to walk from Hargeon to Akane Beach.
Erza set her back against the seat. The train blew its whistle and lurched forward. She almost put her guard down, readying to relax for the ride, when the window shattered under a hail of bullets.
The train lurched. Natsu begged for it to stop.
The train stopped.
"Hooray!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet in time for all the hairs on his body to stand up.
Wendy, feeling it too, gasped.
The air crackled. Wendy uttered a single spell, and in that split second, the entire cabin erupted with black lightning. It was gone, decimated, in an instant, but Natsu and the others soared out of it, blasted by Wendy's quick spell.
Natsu slid on the ground outside of the cabin while Yukino tumbled to the ground, her cloak burnt away around her. Natsu's hat was gone. Fire already raged in his fists.
Wendy leaped to her feet but a black ball of magic came soaring from out of nowhere and struck her in the temple, sending her spinning to the ground. Carla yelled for her but was also blasted back.
"It's Min—!"
Yukino's cry was silenced by the rushing roar of a much more deep, potent voice that only grew louder. A particular stench, that of a God Slayer, entered Natsu's senses. He dodged back in time to avoid a powerful punch cratering the ground just where he'd been standing. Yukino slid back, brandishing a key.
"I recognize you," Natsu said. "You came after us in the cave when we first got to this messed-up world!"
That guy, that green-haired, black lightning big guy, laughed.
"Messed up? You don't know the first thing about it, little boy. I'm gonna snap you in half and send pieces to your girl back in the capital."
Natsu tightened his fists. "Don't talk about Lucy."
"Her? What else is there to talk about besides her huge tits?"
"Happy," Natsu said. "Let's kick his ass."
"Aye, sir."
Happy leaped up, caught Natsu's back, and then, together, they blasted at the big guy. Orga, that was his name. Laxus kept mentioning him when he was training. He wanted to be stronger than him, wanted to make sure there was only one true lightning wizard left in Fiore.
Natsu was going to make sure that was the case. He'd have to apologize to Laxus later.
Orga vanished. Happy spun around, still holding Natsu.
"Where'd he—"
Lightning flashed and blasted Happy off of Natsu's back.
"Happy!"
Natsu hit the ground before Happy did, the Blue Exceed landing in a clump on the ground, smoke billowing from his little body. Still, the little guy was able to raise a paw and show Natsu the Fairy Tail salute.
"I'll check on Happy!" Carla called. "You take care of that monster!"
Orga towered in front of Natsu, only a few feet away. Carla stopped near Happy, hefting up her friend to check on him. Wendy was still stirring, unable to move on the ground.
"Come on," Orga said. "Show me the power that beat the piss out of Axel."
"Will do," Natsu said. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"
He shot at Orga who dodged, but Natsu was quick on this one.
"Fire Dragon Claw!"
He kicked out, his flames catching Orga as he reappeared behind Natsu. Orga slid back, his arms cindering with some smoke. Black lightning crackled. He launched it at Natsu.
The dude was able to compensate for his overwhelming strength with his ability to move with lightning, but, smaller movements didn't quite seem his forte. He had the muscle mass to block and tank attacks.
Natsu swatted aside the lightning, adjusting his wrist. Stung, sure, but that wasn't tough like Laxus's lightning. Natsu would know.
He'd been training against it, and Erza's, for two weeks.
"Fire Dragon Roar!"
Orga sneered at the plume of fire and leaped away from it. He aimed and fired more lightning at Natsu, who dodged and charged Orga, managing to land a fist in Orga's face that snapped the big guy's head back, but, he wasn't giving Natsu any time to breathe. He grabbed Natsu and drove him to the ground, punishing him with black lighting.
He punted Natsu away, then, aimed, and fired. Natsu almost dodged but lightning still cut across his torso. He landed with a grunt and wiped away some sweat.
A ranged approach wouldn't work. Up close and physical wouldn't work. Where was this guy's weakness?
It had to be speed. He just had to—
Orga darted for the Exceeds. Natsu flung a fist his way, and Orga cut off his pursuit and punched Natsu hard across the face, sending Natsu flipping end over end. He shook his head, blood spilling from his nose that was, maybe, broken.
"You are a fun thing to toss around," Orga said. "Come on. Let's keep this up."
Gray had to act fast, stepping in front of where Juviahadbeen before she mysteriously vanished to avoid the quick swing of the woman who'd been peacefully sitting in front of him. Her attack came right the hell out of nowhere—just as the train moved, so too did she, brandishing a long, shining dagger from her cloak. Gray managed to only just freeze one arm when she brought another dagger down on her.
The door busted open, and another woman that looked the exact same, came at Gray, this time with a crossbow. Gray threw up an Ice-Make wall and stood against the wall while the dagger the first twin had cut through his ice like butter. An anti-magic dagger? Damn it!
Yet another clone appeared, this one slamming into the ice with a heavy weapon to try to crack it. Claustrophobia was setting in. Where was Juvia, did this woman take her?
The anti-ethernano dagger finally shattered the ice. Gray kicked out at one of the oncoming women, drawing an Ice-Make blade out of his other hand to block the dagger going straight for his heart.
His shirt flew off, blinding one of the other women. He shoved through them, standing in the hallway as two more came at him while the other recovered in the room.
"Ice-Make: Ice Geyser!"
One of the clones went up with the geyser while another still ran at him. Gray created a wall to block the one with the dagger from leaving the room—for now, while the final clone still charged him, sword in hand.
He brought up his blade, blocked it once, twice, and then she expertly parried, leaving him open for a sharp kick to the chest. He stuttered back, nearly getting his head cut off.
The other clone broke out of the wall and kicked the wall. A shockwave reverberated around it as Gray hit the wall, bouncing him off of it and into the arms of a clone that stepped cleanly from another room. He fell right into her arms.
"Shame we have to kill you," she said. "You'resocute I could smother you."
A dagger flashed. Gray shouted and an Ice-Make: Shield separated them. He slid away, narrowly avoiding the stab of a dagger.
"Get over here, you piece of filth," said the dagger wielder.
The other clone smiled at Gray. "You have been such a fun opponent."
What the hell was up with this woman? Had to be one woman. Clone magic, right? No way there were four different people. Wait.
Four. He'd hit the fourth one. Where'd she—
He was struck from behind by a kick to the head, sending him flying into the opposite wall. He slammed into it, bracing himself, then, in a rush of adrenaline, moved before a dagger could catch his neck. He tumbled out of the train, pushing himself away, finally out in the open.
But before he could even move again, before he could stand, he was paralyzed by a voice ringing clearly in his head, one so sharp, so vivid, he could only freeze.
Gray! called Ur.
Erza dashed through the train while the bullets followed her. They came fewer but with greater aim. One clipped her shoulder, another the back of her leg. She slid to a halt at the back of the caboose where there were no more windows, only for a man, small and thin, to leap at her from out of the shadows.
Erza's sword came up, quickly, deflecting his attack but the force surged them out into the open, where she witnessed Juvia get slammed through some rock by the Ethereal Witch.
No.
The Hunter's Division found them.
Erza Requipped into her Clear Heart clothing. No use wearing disguises, the enemy knew where they were, and worse, already had a few people down. But how? Who could've known where they'd be?
Yukino. It couldn't be her…right?
Erza shifted her hold on her blade, then summoned a much smaller one. Minerva advanced for a killing move on Juvia. Erza hoisted the throwing blade and chucked it at Minerva. She heard its whistling and deflected it. Erza kicked away from the train, praying for no bullets, then slammed a knee into Minerva's side.
The Ethereal Witch went spiraling away.
"Er—za," Juvia said.
"Requip!"
Her Adamantine Armor, replete with a faceplate, formed over Juvia.
"There's a sniper nearby, and if you can't move, you're just begging to be a target," Erza said. "At least with this, you'll be protected. Not even a Jupiter Cannon could pierce that armor."
"Gray?"
"Haven't seen him. All I know is the Ethereal Witch is here, and likely others. I'll deal with her and come back for you, Juvia, I promise."
"Th—thank you. I'm sorry I…couldn't help."
"I'll avenge you," Erza said, quietly, as Minerva approached. Erza shifted her stance. The sniper either didn't know Erza was there yet or was waiting for a cleaner shot. The train was still a bit of an obstruction.
"Glad you could join us," Minerva said. "I was worried I wouldn't be able to kill you myself, Titania. It'd be better if I took you alive but I can see you Fairies not really allowing to happen."
"You won't be taking any amount of victory from us," Erza said. "You had your chance to get the jump on us. Go ahead and run away now, before things get ugly."
"For who? Us." Minerva sneered. "I don't believe that'll happen."
"Then come on," Erza said.
"With pleasure."
Erza quickly Requipped again. Minerva liked to play with space, so it'd be best if—
Her Requip failed mid-transition. Erza stood, stark naked, before Minerva, whose grin only grew.
"This world belongs to me," Minerva said. "You fool."
Erza tried to take a step, but a searing heat and blasting pain lanced through her hip. She let out a scream that was quickly silenced by Minerva's hand covering her face and barreling her into the ground. Erza could only let out a small cry as dirt crowded around her.
"Die."
Erza braced, but instead of the blinding lights she expected, a different set came in, followed by a powerful strike that blew Minerva aside. Landing in front of Erza, in an outfit resembling the Celestial Spirit Libra, was Yukino.
"I'll take it from here," Yukino said. "Open, Gate of the Paired Fish: Pisces!"
Gray's focus jittered. The four clones jumped out of the train at once while the voice of Ur, and a distant one of Ultear's, assailed him. One of the clones smiled at him while another merely shook their head and two more pounced. The angry one, holding the dagger, was the fastest.
"Ice-Make: Prison!"
The cell slammed shut down on the two not moving, but they vanished at once and then reappeared out of the angry one, coming to rush at him, the smiling one coming in for a hug, and the sad one with a pitiful expression.
Gray dove forward.
Stop this, Gray! Ur called.
The spell in Gray's mind fluttered away at the sound of his master's voice. He ducked beneath the attack of the dagger but the smiling clone came in and wrapped her legs tightly around him, coming in and slamming her head on his while yet another clone kicked out his legs, taking him to his knees.
"Ice-Make: Slide!" Gray shouted from the smiling one's bosom.
Ice shot out all around him, tripping the oncoming clones.
Submit to her, Gray. She will save you.
The woman knocked Gray back. He acted fast. The woman bent over, arching her back as much as she could to plant a kiss—on an Ice-Make Clone that broke as soon as the anti-magic dagger was thrown through its skull.
Gray, having gotten away just in time, summoned a bow, and launched an arrow right at the one trying to kiss him. It hit her dead in the forehead and sent her flying back.
One down, three to—
Don't ever do that again! I didn't raise you like that!
Listen to my mother! Gray! Stop fighting, it's not worth it! You can't die!
We need you!
Gray swung his arms out, searching endlessly for the voices. "Where are you? Who is doing this?"
A fist caught him across the face, sending him spiraling. Gray hit the ground hard and got up fast to avoid a swift strike. The ground shook beneath him. Gray moved, avoiding the shockwave.
"Ice-Make: Shield!"
Three fast opponents weren't giving him any time to attack and the assault on his mind wasn't giving him any time to think.
One of the clones slammed into the shield, and yet another, having recovered the dagger, broke right through it.
Gray slammed them with a fast-made Ice-Make Hammer that broke on impact, sending them skittering away.
That's enough, Gray! Lay down your weapons! I'm almost there!
"You're dead!" Gray shouted at the false Ultear.
Do you believe the others, the ones who fought me? They didn't know me as you did, in the end, Gray.
"No. But Meredy did. And she knows you're dead!"
So. You know Meredy.
Gray's heart sank at the realization he gave the enemy some information, and the two clones had the jump on him. Had he just beenstandingthere that entire time?
They lashed down, Gray unable to even think of a move while Ultear's voice assailed him. His mouth dropped, and he saw the tip of the dagger, sharp as the reaper's scythe, ready to cleave into his chest.
"Sky Dragon Roar!"
From across the battlefield, a little yell broke through the silence of Gray's death call and sent the two clones flying back into the train, nearly toppling the car over. Wendy sprinted to Gray. Behind her, Natsu struggled with that black lightning guy that Laxus had fought to a standstill months ago.
"Gray!" Wendy called. "Are you alri-?"
Something zipped across the battlefield and blasted through Wendy's right shoulder before she could finish her thought, which ended in a scream. Gray called for her and rushed toward Wendy. A bullet zipped by his foot, nearly getting him. He created a massive Ice-Make: Wall to defend them. He reached Wendy at last.
The bullet had blown out the other side of her arm, and she was losing blood fast. Wendy screamed. She couldn't heal herself, she had no spells for that.
"Someone, please!" Gray shouted. "Help!"
But his cries were deafened by the sounds of battle.
The sounds of defeat.
Natsu could not believe how lucky Orga was getting with these dodges. It was like he could read every single one of Natsu's moves before it ever even landed. Natsu swung and swung and blasted and he had the perfect counter for every single one of them.
Meanwhile, Natsu was practically a sitting duck, having to tank each of Orga's moves as they came in. As it turned out, Orga wasn't quite as strong as Laxus, so if Natsu could land a hit, a good single strike, it'd be over.
Natsu roared and blasted at Orga again, then darted away, back, and finally, created a fireball that ballooned the dust-up all around him.
"Lightning Flame Dragon Iron Fist!"
Orga howled a laugh that didn't last long. Natsu, like a missile, shot out of the sandstorm and landed a clean hit right across Orga's cheek. The man flew through the train, knocking the car off the tracks. Orga landed with a grunt, and roll, and then stood, gesturing for Natsu to continue his assault.
"With pleasure," Natsu said, blinded by his hit finally connecting. Orga stood, warily. Good.
One more would do it, then.
"Hope you're ready, too," Orga said and moved his arms out in front of him. Black lightning crackled in the space between his hands as well as all down his forearms.
Natsu snarled, then bolted, shooting across the battlefield with blinding speed. His fists were alive with the fury of all of Fairy Tail's burning desire for a victory denied on their first arrival to the shores of the accursed Twilight Empire, not to mention the lightning he'd taken from Laxus, the very Dragon Slayer opposite this God Slayer!
He let out a roar, but a blur caught his eye, so swift, so silent, Natsu almost missed it. Yet it was hard to miss what happened next, as his magic power, at once, vanished, and he hurtled straight into the ground.
"What?" he gasped, standing, and felt a weight on his forearms. Someone had placed cuffs on his arms. Familiar ones. "Magic sealing stones?"
"Lightning God's Charged Particle Cannon!"
The black lightning was on Natsu insanely fast. He had nowhere to go without his magic. Nowhere to run, no spells to counter with.
Nothing to defend himself from the almighty power of the Empire's strongest God Slayer.
At least, in her Star Dress, Yukino was able to keep Minerva from her usual ability to dance around the skies via the air. Yukino stood tall while Minerva had to warp the space around her in an anti-gravity sense. Minerva's aura thundered around her.
"The bitch traitor really thinks she stands a chance here, eh?" Minerva asked. "Cute. I oughta bring you back and have you hung from the tower of the Twilight Division."
"Leave, Minerva, this can only end in death for you," Yukino said.
"Death? That's not something a valiant member of Fairy Tail would say, is it?"
"I'm not a member of Fairy Tail," Yukino said, her voice drawing an eerily familiar coldness to it. "Not yet."
"You'll never be. How can you? With all that's come with you, you'd never fit with them. Never really belong with them."
Minerva spoke true to the words that'd been burrowing a hole in Yukino's heart ever since she asked to join them.
"Be silent," Yukino said, "and fight me."
"With pleasure."
Dozens of tears in space opened around Yukino, and from each, plumes of fire shot at Yukino.
Pisces was off, busily scouting where the hails of bullets came from. Yukino was, for the moment, alone against Minerva.
Milady, as Sting used to call her.
Yukino snarled. Don't think of him. Don't remember before. Think of the now. Survive.
Win.
Yukino danced away with the grace Libra imbued her in the Star Dress, then darted across the battlefield. Scales appeared in her hand. She flicked her wrist. The world shivered around Minerva, who, in an instant, slammed into the ground. The Ethereal Witch closed her fist.
The tears closed in on one another, forming a much greater one that nearly sucked Yukino in. Minerva vanished into it. Yukino shifted her scales as Minerva came flying out from her Territory mine. She hit the ground, but in doing so, put her hand on the ground and opened up the ground beneath Yukino.
Yukino reversed gravity so she fell…up, and avoided the massive grasp of a monster nearly clawing Yukino's life from her very soul. Yukino shifted in the air, manipulating the gravity around her to guide her back to normal ground. Minerva picked herself up despite the immense weight around her.
"You're toying with me, Minerva," Yukino said. "This is a mistake."
And, it was horrible for Yukino. For each trick Minerva attempted, Yukino needed to at least use one of her own. And once Yukino used a spell, of course, Minerva would know how to counter it.
She became keenly aware of her Black Zodiac Key. It was a Star Dress she of course mastered but rarely used. Only Sting, Zeref, and August knew of it. Even summoning Ophiuchus here, though, could put all of her new friends at risk. Yukino tensed. New friends.
As strengthened as she'd been in her resolve with their training, they were indeed holding her back. She set her jaw with a quick glance around the battlefield.
She was the last one standing. The last rebel.
How ironic.
Minerva opened both of her hands. Ethereal magic pulsed in her hands. She was begging Yukino to attack. Begging for her to do anything.
Lightning crackled behind Yukino. Odd voices crept into her mind, and the glare of a sniper's sight caught her eye. She was keenly aware of a much smaller presence waiting for her to pounce.
Orga. Dobengal. Minerva.
Warren. Bisca. She spotted Briar slowly recovering.
The latter three were Broken Wizards, ones used and created specifically to defeat the final remnants of Fairy Tail. But the former three? Maybe once she could have called them friends, or at the very least allies.
Regardless, all six were waiting for her to make a single move. Then, she'd be dead. The only way forward was to lay down her keys and grovel at the food of the great Twilight Empire.
Then, perhaps, she would be given a swift death. The death of a traitor.
But she was not a traitor. Not to Fiore. Not anymore. She would die the death of one who stood and fought, one who boldly stood against the oppressive storm seeking only darkness.
Yukino held her hand out, the Black Key catching in the light of the sun. Minerva cocked an eyebrow.
"Prepare," Yukino said, "to meet that which even the Emperor cannot face. Open, Gate of—"
A train whistle blew. Everyone's attention broke.
From Akane Beach, a train slid in, stopping before all of the wreckage. And from it stepped a single man, one Yukino didn't recognize.
But, at once, everything changed.
Gray held strong to the magic of the wall, despite how incessantly it was rained down on and how hard clones of that crazy woman banged on it. He held Wendy tightly, using his free hand to apply as much pressure as he could to the wound.
Natsu was down, and Erza and Juvia were nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, the Exceeds appeared, sliding into the wall through a small gap the bullets created. Gray surged his magic and sealed it up. Happy was still woozy.
Carla quickly took over tending Wendy's wounds, ripping off some of the girls' dress to bind it up.
"What will we do?" Carla asked. "Can we escape?"
"We have to find a way," Gray said. "I haven't seen Yukino, maybe she has some way of getting us out of here."
"Nat..su," Happy muttered.
"Stay still, Happy, you must rest," Carla said.
Gray gritted his teeth. This went beyond bad. They were out in the middle of nowhere with people coming at them from all angles and no means of getting out!
He could probably turn the wall into a fortress, maybe even get it moving. But with the firepower that was out there, it wouldn't last long.
Then, suddenly, it stopped, and even the clones went rushing off in another direction. Gray moved just enough of the ice away to catch what was going on. Carla joined him, staying under cover but watching as a lone man in a fine robe approached the gathering enemy. Yukino leaped out of the way, but she'd been seemingly forgotten.
Something about this man, despite his cloaked appearance, was incredibly familiar. It was the staves he had—five of them.
"And who are you?" the Ethereal Witch hollered.
"Better back off, friend," the Lightning God Slayer called. "Or you're gonna end up like the rest of these Fairies. We wiped all of them out."
"I don't believe so," he said, and Gray's stomach lurched at the sound of his voice.
Impossible.
"There's still a few left standing."
"We'll wipe them out."
"You won't. Because there's yet one more Fairy none of you hav accounted for."
"Oh?" Minerva asked. Magic power poured from her. "Who?"
The man raised his arm. The staves all shifted position.
"Me."
Orga howled a laugh that was immediately silenced as five magic circles appeared around him, and at once, he was struck aside by a massive beam of magic power. A small figure darted across the way that got easily smacked aside by one of the staves, and a second stave followed that ninja wizard's path and blasted him away.
Minerva snarled, aiming her own magic down at the mysterious man.
"Die!" she roared and sent a flurry of magic down on him.
But as the dust cleared, he remained untouched. A barrier of pure magic power kept him protected from the spells. The staves all aimed right at Minerva.
"If you value your life, you will leave now. Otherwise, you'll suffer a far worse fate than my friends."
Minerva balled her fist. Gray could hardly believe his eyes as, at once, the Ethereal Witch swiped her hand, and portals sucked away each of the members of the Hunter's Division. The voices halted, too.
Gray lowered the wall of ice and picked Wendy up. He dashed over to the others as their savior did the same. Carla flew over to recover Natsu's unconscious body.
Wendy knelt by Erza, who was managing to only just come out of one hell of a crater. She quickly Requipped—Gray accidentally saw a bit too much of his dear friend. Yukino made her way over with Juvia, who was also coming to, if slower than Erza.
"Thank you," Yukino said, huffing out a breath. "Thank you so much."
"You've no need to thank me. I'm more than happy to help my friends, even if you are a new one."
Gray couldn't help laughing. Yukino raised her eyebrow.
"What is it, Gray?"
"I guess some introductions are in order," Gray said. He clapped his old friend on the shoulder, who happily accepted it. "Yukino, meet a S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail, and King of Edolas, Mystogan."