Heartless stood in front of a pod. Within this pod, was Little Queen. She was severely damaged after King deemed her a defect. All because Little Queen thought Fairy Tail was incredible with the way they fought for those that cared about them. She was already infected by them, as King put it. "...I don't feel anything, but I keep coming back here. Strange."
Daigo had his arms folded behind his back, staring at Heartless for a moment. "It is not your fault, my lady. Little Queen was growing mentally and emotionally at a rapid pace. We could not have predicted this. She will recover in time..."
"Mmm..." Heartless gave a slow nod. With that, she turned, walking off with Daigo from the room hidden in the basement. When they arrived...
"Heartless!" Diamond exclaimed, marching right towards Heartless and Daigo. With her were Spade and Strong. They were in a bit of a secluded place within Dealer's base.
"Oh. You're all looking better." Heartless crossed her arms. "Do you need something from me? I am in a bit of a hurry. Joker and I have a plan to regain the rest of the magic we lost from Jack's outburst."
"We have a question for you..." Strong wasn't so confident in this, but they had to ask Heartless this question.
"What question?" Heartless lifted a brow. It felt like they were stalling.
"You knew about Lisanna Strauss, didn't you?" Spade came out and said it. "You knew that she was still..."
"Quiet." Heartless said in a sudden, harsh whisper. The three lackey's eyes widened and they went silent as commanded. Heartless took a quick glance around, and determined that Joker wasn't present. "Do you want Joker to hear you?"
"Joker?" Diamond blinked. "W-Well, no, but..."
"The mistress knew." Daigo replied. "I did as well, when she told me."
"Then why didn't you say anything...?!" Diamond kept her voice at a whisper. The threat of Joker listening in was present. "That might've stopped Jack from...!"
"I couldn't say anything." Heartless responded firmly. "Joker firmly believes he killed Lisanna Strauss. What do you think would happen if he learned the contrary?" There was a lingering silence in the room.
"...He'd...probably try and finish the job..." Diamond said with a low whisper.
"Exactly." Heartless responded with a nod. "King did order him to eliminate those he found weak. Lisanna Strauss fits under that category, and falls in line with Joker's philosophy of strength. Fairy Tail cannot handle Joker as they are...I do not think they would ever be able to handle him."
"...They're our enemies, but it's kinda funny that we're refusing to sicc Joker on them outright." Strong said with a dry laugh. He wouldn't wish Joker's undivided attention on anyone.
"We need them for our plans." Daigo explained. Everyone already knew that, however. "Fairy Tail is always at the center of conflict. They generate plenty of magic power, which in turn, leaves the other guilds to do the same. They are a catalyst. They were the ones who first drew Ace out of hiding, and for good reason. Ace would not approach them if he did not think they could properly stand against Dealer. The others are strong, I'm sure...but Fairy Tail is always a leading force."
"How long have you known?" Spade asked Heartless.
"Tia knew. When I saw her in the Magic Council's Prison, she told me." Heartless replied. "I did not have the time to tell Jack. But I do not think he would've listened anyway. If I had to assume, it was Ace who saved her. As such, all she did was drag Ace out of hiding...but we all know how Ace is." Heartless turned her back, beginning to walk off. "The life of Lisanna Strauss is also no longer of any importance anyway. It doesn't matter what she does...she will not have any impact on our mission either way. She could train for seven years, and she would never be strong enough to defeat anyone here. She won't change a single thing."
.
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Ace and Lisanna stood across from one another, gathering quite a crowd due to the latter's formal challenge. The crowd was whispering. Calium stepped forward, using his cane to walk a bit. "Well...This is certainly one way to liven up a festival." The old man chuckled, looking between Ace and Lisanna. On the one hand, Ace was ready to fight, but Lisanna was taking this more seriously than he was. "Makarov...would you mind if I was the referee for this battle? I know you have faith in your children, but..."
"You think I would prolong the fight." Makarov knew what Calium was saying. Truthfully, he'd rather not have Lisanna go up against someone as strong as Ace, but this was her decision and request. He had no right to take that away from her. She wanted to prove something, and was going to be on her side for it.
"Familial bias is not a bad thing. But this is a rather serious fight that should be overseen by a third party." Calium said. Makarov could agree to that.
"What do you think she's trying to accomplish here...?" Romeo whispered.
"No idea yet..." Macao admitted. But when he looked at Lisanna at this moment, he could see a budding fierceness similar to that of Mira and Elfman...
Ace donned his Acid Armor, staring at Lisanna. "You sure you wanna do this?" The tone he took was a superior one. Ace was the stronger of the two and he knew it; they all knew it. "You can back out now. There's hardly any time to..."
"I'm not backing down." Lisanna shook her head. A bright flash of light wrapped around her body and she entered her Animal Soul: Cat. "There is something I can only convey to you by action. My words would never be enough..."
"I see..." Ace let out a small sigh. "Alright then."
"Ahem." Calium cleared his throat. "This battle will end when I deem one of you unable to continue fighting. Now, Ace. There is a certain tradition we do at White Eclipse, in allowing the weaker opponent the first move. If you feel that is appropriate, you are free to use it."
"Works for me." Ace shifted his feet slightly. He did train Lisanna, and he knew she showed some improvement, so he wasn't going to take her lightly. But he knew his own strength eclipsed hers. "Come on, Lisanna."
Lisanna knelt down into a pouncing stance, and then lunged forward. "Here I come, Ace!" She was fast, rapidly closing the distance between the two of them.
Ace brought both hands forward, two pistols appearing in both of them. "Vulcan!" He clicked the triggers, releasing an onslaught of bullets towards Lisanna. There were many, but it was just like their training exercises. She was able to duck and weave through many of the bullets, but a few of them did graze her skin. Lisanna, halfway through her charge, transformed into her Animal Soul: Armadillo to try and crash into Ace. The bullets of his Vulcan were bouncing off of the hard shell.
"Oh?" Ace acknowledged her clever thinking, but it wasn't going to be enough to get close to him. Ace dropped his pistols and reared his hand back, flames igniting around his fist. "Heat Upper!" As Lisanna came towards him, he swung upwards, not even clashing with Lisanna for a second. He simply overpowered her in that single strike, causing her to fly back and crash into the ground.
"Ngh..." Lisanna recoiled from the impact and shook her head. She took some hard damage there, but not enough to begin slowing her down. She simply got up and tried again, this time entering her Animal Soul: Bird. She flapped her wings and took off to the sky, before diving down towards Ace at high speeds. Midway through her dive, she shifted into Animal Soul: Penguin; her increased size and momentum posing a threat.
"Oh." Ace acknowledged he was about to get crushed, and Lisanna managed to land on top of him! The ground cratered from the impact and a few people were wondering if she actually got him there.
"Did she get him?!" Romeo asked.
"Hahahaha!" Bacchus laughed at the question. "That was a pretty good move, but..."
Lisanna could feel that despite the fact she made contact with Ace...he wasn't crushed. He used both hands to hold her up; his knees did have to bend a little, but he was able to spin around and toss her to the side despite it all. "Gaaah!?"
"Now it's my turn!" Ace was going on the offensive, brandishing his sword that sparked with lightning. While Lisanna was recovering from behind tossed. "Thunderbolt Blade!" Ace raised his sword high, and slammed it down on Lisanna. A flash of lightning and the CRACK of thunder echoed within Magnolia, and Lisanna was hurled backwards and crashed into the ground. That single direct hit alone left Lisanna worse for wear.
"Lisanna..." Freed narrowed his eyes.
"Oh, my..." Marlene placed her hands over mouth.
"Done yet?" Ace asked, his sword resting over his shoulder. Against anyone else, he was sure Lisanna would do just fine...but Ace was pretty strong and everyone knew it.
"Not even close." Lisanna replied, making her way back to her feet.
"Alright..." Ace could respect Lisanna's tenacity, and would respond in kind by attempting to defeat her with all his might. Water surged around his legs and he shifted one foot back. "Dyna Wave!" Ace spun around three times, kicking the air with each rotation. Every time he did this, it prompted three waves of water, each one bigger than the last, to move towards Lisanna.
Lisanna scrambled forward, towards the tidal waves! They all crashed down on her at once, but she used her Animal Soul: Fish, to speed through them with no problems! She broke from the Dyna Wave and lunged at Ace, shifting into her Rabbit Soul while spinning around! She aimed a downward kick at Ace's skull, but he blocked it with his arms. Lisanna didn't let up there, however. She bounced around, aiming kick after kick at Ace. She wasn't able to get a hit on him, but she had him on the defensive with her speed. Ace aimed a horizontal swing of his sword, but Lisanna ducked low, transferred all of that momentum to her legs, and sprung forward, slamming her foot into Ace's stomach for her first hit on him!
"She got him!" Romeo cheered.
Ace grunted softly from that impact. "Solid jab..." Ace said before grabbing Lisanna's ankle. "Your training has been paying off, that'd down a lot of other people!" He then tossed her straight into the air. Lisanna was flying against her will for a second. Ace pursued, not giving her any time to react. "Wing Blade!" He flew forward, slamming his armored wing into Lisanna's stomach, causing her to cough. And to finish it off...a flurry of high speed kicks, with the final one sending her crashing into the ground.
The air felt tense now...
"Is she going to be okay?" Nami commented quietly.
"Hey, isn't this a bit much...?" Raven commented with a gulp.
Kagura had a hand on the hilt of her sword, just in case. She didn't know Ace...she only trusted him because Erza did. But even so, if he overstepped his bounds, she'd cut him down. "..."
"It's quite alright." Jura said calmly.
"But, Jura-san..." Raven began. He was a beginner, so this felt like a one sided beat down. And it was, but...to those more experienced than he was, there was a little something more going on here. He was just unable to see it.
Lisanna was back to normal after that impact, lying on her stomach with bruises. It was a good thing Elfman and Mirajane weren't here, or they'd call for the fight at this point. Or worse, attack Ace. "Ngh..."
"You weren't bad." Ace said while landing on the ground. He crossed his arms, glancing at Calium. "Hey, I thought you said you were gonna call it?"
"I said I'd call it when I knew one of you were unable to continue the fight." Calium replied. "As far as I can tell...both combatants are still raring to go."
"What?" Ace took another look at Lisanna.
The youngest Strauss was making her way to her feet, disheveled and exhausted. She was panting heavily, but in her eyes was a determination unlike any other. "I'm not...finished yet."
"What the..." Ace was briefly surprised. He knew Fairy Tail was a tenacious bunch, which is why he sought them out. He'd seen it for himself; the things they were capable of doing when their backs were against the wall, when the people they loved were threatened. But it was a completely different thing to experience this for himself. "Lisanna, what are you doing?"
"I'm not done..." She said while taking slow, heavy steps forward. She already felt her consciousness slipping, but she wasn't going to go down until she was forced to!
"Hyahahahahaha!" Bickslow laughed. "Now that's what we like to see!" "Like to see! Like to see!"
"She got up!?" Raven gasped.
"That's Fairy Tail for you." Sting laughed. He was never worried.
That look in Lisanna's eyes...Ace remembered a time he had that look. Fighting against the impossible. He knew that look...that despite the odds, Lisanna clearly intended to win against him. "You..." For a brief moment, his mind flashed back to a moment from when he was younger. A sickly Ace, coughing from his illness. He was getting kicked around by a bunch of older kids, because he was trying to protect a few younger ones. But despite the odds...he refused to yield.
"I may not be as strong as my brother or sister...but no matter what we have to go against, I will FIGHT!" Lisanna broke off into a sprint, entering her Cat soul once again, sprinting towards Ace. It was her only option, but she would force a path forward if she had to.
"I respect your tenacity." Ace said while pointing his sword forward, before slamming it on the ground. This prompted a shockwave of lightning to surge through the ground, and of course Lisanna was going to jump over this. She had to. At least, that's what Ace thought, but instead, she charged straight through it, despite the damage it dealt to her. "Wh-!?"
Ace's surprise left him open. Lisanna shifted into her Harpy takeover, a fierce blue aura cloaked around her body. Lisanna dove forward with all her might. "Brave Harpy!" She slammed into Ace, for real this time. The powerful she released caused an explosion to take part, and for the first time since this battle began, Ace slid back a few feet.
"She forced him back!" Milliana cheered.
"Whoa...!" Lector's eyes were wide in surprise.
"That's it!" Evergreen exclaimed excitedly.
"Go, Lisanna!" Laki, Max, and Warrod exclaimed, cheering on their guild mate.
"Heh..." Makarov said nothing, but he wore a proud smile on his face.
Ace felt that impact. He blinked at first, then smiled. Okay, so that's what she wanted to tell him. "Hah...that was a good hit..." As he said this, Lisanna was on her feet, but she was swaying. "So allow me to respond to your efforts in kind!" Ace began to spin around himself, gathering a myriad of elements that surrounded him. "Elemental Cyclone!" Ace rushed forward, his tornado of elements colliding into Lisanna at that moment. The onslaught of fire, wind, earth, water...the elements continued. It was a full power assault, because Ace knew Lisanna deserved that sort of effort from him. It was the decisive, finishing blow, as Lisanna flew into the air, only to hit the ground on her back.
"And there it is. Lisanna is unable to continue this battle. The winner is Ace." Calium announced calmly.
"I should go." Chelia, as one of the only healers present, decided to work her magic on Lisanna's injuries.
"Darn..." Lisanna said with a soft groan as Chelia began to heal her. "I was really trying to win there..."
Ace knelt down once Chelia was finished. Her healing magic worked wonders. "You were something else out there..."
"Do you get it now?" Lisanna said with a soft smile. "No matter what happens...nobody from Fairy Tail is going to give up. This doesn't extend to just us, either. Take a look around, Ace..."
Ace did look around all the wizards present. After seeing what he could do for themselves, some of them even wanted a piece of him! "...You know...I'll be honest. I did approach all of you with the intention of using you to get close to Dealer. I couldn't take them all on my own...but I thought if I could get close to Tia, Jack, Joker, Heartless, or King...I could change things. I already failed with Tia and Jack..."
"You didn't fail." Lisanna sat up now. She was a little sore, but her injuries weren't present anymore. "You don't have to do everything hard alone, either. We agreed to work with you. That means you should rely on us a little more too. I guess trusting people is hard when you've been alone for a while...but I know you trust me."
"...What makes you say that?" Ace quirked a brow.
"You told me your secret." Lisanna replied with a gentle smile. "It makes me worry about you. The fact that even Tia didn't know...but you told me that in confidence. I know you, Ace. You're somehow selfish and selfless at once. You have this hero complex and think you need to do everything alone, but you don't have to. It's hard being alone. We're all here to support you...I'm here to support you." She reached out and took Ace's hand within her own.
"...I just admitted I was planning to use you all. How can you trust me after that?" Ace asked.
"You do everything on your own, not because you don't have faith in people...but you don't want people to get hurt." Lisanna replied firmly. "You have a big heart, Ace. Maybe too big...but I know that everything you've said and done comes from a good place. As a younger sister, I can notice these things."
Ace let out a small sigh, and then a laugh. "Alright...you got me." Ace admitted. "I acknowledge that I...underestimated your determination. That look in your eyes...reminded me of when I was younger. I couldn't refuse the glare of someone who refuses to give up."
"Yeah. So trust us a little more!" Lisanna giggled. "We're all here to fight the good fight. And we're not going to lose. I promise."
"In the wake of that promise...I promise to give it all I've got too. And if I need someone to watch my back...you'll be the first person I turn to." Ace responded with a fond smile. It wasn't easy, trying to shed the selfish hero that he's become...but for Lisanna and everyone else's sake, he had to learn to trust them more...
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Next Time: Revenge 2.0