Chapter 27

She-Devils Return

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback / Mindscape

Location / Date / Time Skip

Guildhall

"That little princess can actually fight!?" Gajeel shouted as he read the runes.

"Way to go, Lucy!" Laki cheered, holding Natsu under her.

"She's just a cheerleader!" Gajeel shouted.

"Well, they can be tough!" Natsu shouted back.

"Yeah, right!" Gajeel huffed.

"Laki, could you get off me for a second?" Natsu asked. She nodded and let him stand up before he slammed his head into Gajeel'. "So you've never heard the story of the tortoise and the cheerleader?"

"Natsu, it's the tortoise and the hare." Laki reminded him.

"And the dumb bunny lost, remember!?" Gajeel shouted back.

"Duh, the first time!" Natsu shouted. "He won the next hundred races and now!"

"Natsu, did you read the book backwards?" Laki asked.

"That's it!" Levy shouted, scaring the Slayers. "I need to look at these two grammar styles like the tortoise and the hare, and decipher them at two different rates. If I go through the text mapping, the characters with corresponding frequencies onto Guile grammar, and then translate that into Louge..." She put her pen down and stood up, holding the papers. "It worked!"

"Alright!" All three cheered as she ran over to the wall.

"Just give me a second, I need to rewrite the enchantment." She explained. "You guys ready to join the battle of Fairy Tail?"

"Yeah, I'm all fired up!" Natsu shouted as he ignited his arm.

"Time to take out the trash." Gajeel chuckled.

"Let's teach them a lesson." Laki smirked as she adjusted her glasses.

With Elfman

Elfman's eyes slowly opened and looked over as Mirajane crouched next to him. "Thank goodness..." His sister said with tears in her eyes.

"Mira..." He groaned in pain.

"You're hurt really bad." Mira helped him up.

"I'll be fine." He said back. "I'm so glad you're back to normal."

"I'm sorry..." She said, confusing him. "For everything."

"What are you apologizing for?" He asked.

"Because, I'm just useless now." Tears fell from her eyes as she explained. "It's true, I'm never able to help you..."

Elfman stared at his sister before sitting up. "No one thinks you're useless, I promise you that. Your smile lifts everyone's spirits, and makes us think of the good times. Just forget about this fighting crap." She broke down and cried harder. "Come on, sis, don't cry."

With Cana and Juvia

"Juvia, how long do you think those things are activated?" Cana asked as the two girls ran down the street.

"A half an hour, maybe a little more..." The bluenette guessed.

"What a coward." Cana mumbled. "'Battle of Fairy Tail' my ass! Everyone else fights while Laxus hides in a corner."

"Which begs the question, which corner?" Juvia asked.

"Laxus is saving his magic power." Both girls turned around as Freed formed from runes. "It would be foolish for him to fight Master Makarov at less than full power.

"Freed..." Cana growled.

"So he's the one behind the enchantments?" Juvia asked. His body turned into runes and he disappeared from sight.

"Get back here!" Cana shouted as the two ran out of town. "Damn it, where is he?!" An enchanted square stopped them as runes appeared on the ground. "Oh, great, another one."

Runes appeared on the wall in front of them. "It says 'only the wizard who proves herself to be the strongest will permitted to leave this barrier'." Juvia read as Freed reappeared in front of them.

"The victory will then go on to battle me." He explained with his back to them. "Begin when ready."

"That's dirty, Freed!" Cana slammed against the barrier. "If it's a fight you want, then you don't have to go through all this trouble, because I'll take you on right here and now! Or what, are to scared to take us both on at once? Is that it? Terrified of a couple of girls, that pathetic even for you Freed!"

"Honestly, I'd prefer not to sully my own hands." Freed said as he looked over his shoulder.

"You stinking rat!" Cana shouted.

"How could you make your friends fight like this?" Juvia asked.

"Let's get one thing clear." He turned and faced them. "I'd rather see Cana emerge the victor. As for you, you still stink of Phantom Lord. You cannot be trusted. There's no telling when you will turn around and attack us."

"What, like you are now!?" Cana asked enraged. "You don't know anything about her!"

Juvia clenched her hand in deep thought. "I suppose, this us leaves no other choice." She turned her body into water, confusing Cana.

"Wait, what are you doing?" The card mage asked.

"Mr. Freed." Juvia spoke. "If one us falls, do you promise to keep your word and fight the one that remains?"

"Dispite what you think, I will honor my word." He nodded, making Juvia smile.

"Are you nuts!" Cana asked as Juvia condensed into a ball. "You're giving this bastard what he wants!" Juvia took off like a rocket towards Cana, only to hit the wall and bounce back and forth between the barrier.

"Go as high as you want!" Freed shout. "There's only one way out of this enchantment, and that's stepping over your fallen opponent!"

Juvia ignored him and kept climbing up, towards a lacrima. "If one of us must fall to break the spell, then it may as well be myself!"

"Is she insane!?" Freed asked, realizing her plan.

"Stop!" Cana shouted. "If you attack it, then..."

"I'll never hurt a friend!" Juvia crashed into the orb and broke it. With a roar of pain, lightning stuck her and she fell to the ground as the enchantment faded. "I broke the enchantment..."

"What the hell were you thinking!?" Cana shouted as she reached the downed wizard. "You didn't have to do that!"

"I wanted to prove... that there was no reason to doubt me..." Juvia explained, breathing heavily. "I love all of you... The Fairy Tail guild... will always be my home..."

"I never doubted you..." Cana teared up at the words. "No one did... you're one of us now... we love you just like family... Fairy Tail is lucky to have a wizard like you..."

"Do you mean that?" She asked as her eyes started to closed. "That makes me so glad..." Her eyes closed and her head fell to the side.

'I can't believe it...' Freed stared in disbelief. 'She chose to sacrifice herself, instead of taking out her friend!?' He gripped his sword as Cana stood up and held three cards in her hand.

With a mighty roar, she turned around, anger in her eyes. "Let's go, Freed!"

With Laki

"Come on, where are you, Laxus!?" Laki shouted. "This isn't gonna work..."

With Natsu

"Ugh, too many people..." Natsu complained as he looked out from a chimney. "I can't find Laxus' scent at all."

With Gajeel

"I wanna settle the score with Salamander so bad, I can taste it..." Gajeel chuckled as he stood on a branch as a paper doll hovered next to him. "Same with that forest freak. But that lightning idiot is getting on my last nerve, so he's my primary target. That okay with you, master Ivan?"

"Of course..." The doll said back. "Right now, earning Makarov's trust is precedent. Don't draw any unwanted attention to yourself. For now, play the part of the loyal Fairy Tail member. Delivering Fairy Tails punishment will come in due time..."

"Roger that..." Gajeel grinned as the doll fell to the ground.

With Elfman and Mirajane

"Come on, Mira." Elfman groaned as his sister helped him walk. "I can still walk, you know."

"It's ok." Mira giggled. "If my little brother needs me, than I'll be there to help."

An explosion rocked the bridge before them. "You seem to be forgetting the first rule of combat." Freed taunted.

"Oh, do tell." Cana sarcastically pleaded.

"No matter how powerful the attack is, its meaningless if it doesn't hit the target." He explained. Cana pulled out three cards and summoned lightning that targeted Freed. "Dark Écriture: Reflect!" He summoned some runes and the lightning turned around and hit Cana, destroying the bridge beneath her.

"Cana!" Mira shouted in concern as the drinker forced herself up.

"You're tough." Freed confessed. "As expected of a guild veteran."

"Take it back..." Cana panted. "Take back what you said about Juvia being a Phantom Girl right now!" Runes appeared on her head causing her to scream in pain.

"What did he do!?" Elfman asked as Cana collapsed. "How dare you!"

Freed looked over at the group and spotted Elfman. "I'm sorry Elfman, but you've been defeated by Evergreen. Therefore, you cannot rejoin the game."

"Oh yeah!?" Elfman shouted, almost daring him.

"We're in the same guild, we shouldn't be fighting like this!" Mira shouted.

"Once, we were." Freed nodded somberly. "However, the whole point of this game is to restructure the guild. Strip away the meaningless ties that bond us. Laxus' enemies are my enemies!"

"Than I'll just take on both of you!" Elfman shouted as he charged the greenette. Freed swung his sword as Elfman passed him, placing a rune on his chest.

"Those who have failed are forbidden from reentering the game." Freed explained. "Those who brake this rule will be faced with a punishment worse than death. Dark Écriture: Pain. Those runes represent unimaginable pain and will become your very being."

Elfman clutched his head as his body glowed purple before he cried out in pain. "Elfman!" Mira shouted. "You have to stop! He's not as strong as he used to be!"

Freed ignored her cries and raised his sword again. "Dark Écriture: Terror! Suffering!" He placed more runes on Elfman and he screamed even louder.

"I'm begging you..." Mira begged as tears fell from her eyes. "I'll do anything you want, just let him go." Freed ignored her and kept putting more runes on her brother. "Stop!"

Elfman fell to his knees as Free slowly opened his eyes. "The final Dark Écriture: Death." That last word echoed in Mirajane's mind and a grave flashed before her. Freed stopped his spell when he sensed increasing magic power. "What is this?"

Mira wept tears as her body was bathed in a golden light. With a massive scream, the ground was ripped out from under her as a dark magic seal appeared above her. Freed stared wide eyed as a crack emerged on her face and the light turned dark. Her arms turned into scales and a tail shot out of her backside. Her outfit melted into a unitard as cracks appeared on chest and legs.

She shot forward and swung at Freed, creating an explosion. "Dark Écriture: Wings!" Freed wrote on his sleeves and a pair black wings emerged on his back. Bat wings shot out of Mira's back and she took of after him, swinging at him when in arms reach. A punch landed and sent Freed crashing into another bridge.

Recovering, he flew as far away as possible, only to turn around and find Mira starring at him. "Die..."

'This is her takeover power...' The Runesmith thought in fear. 'This is the She-Devil... This is Satan-Soul!'

Mira held out her hand and a black magic seal appeared. "Darkness Stream!" Black claws shot out of the seal and tried to grab Freed, who swatted them away with his sword. He tried to cast a spell only to have Mira break his sword.

He flew over a river to escape and Mira followed him. "I know some forbidden spells myself! Evil against evil!" He waved his hand and runes appeared on his chest. "Dark Écriture: Darkness!" His body morphed and twisted into a demon form as both threw a punch, creating a shockwave.

Punches were traded with blinding speed until Mira slammed her knee into his chin. Freed tried to fly away but Mirajane blasted him into a cavern. "Evil Spark!" She placed her hands on his chest and zapped him, sending him bouncing along the room until he landed on his stomach

"Its true.." Freed forced himself onto his hands and knees as Mira floated in front of him. "Her powers uncanny. I heard tales of her strength, but I never imagined that Mirajane was capable of this..." He stood up defiant as Mira stared at him, unimpressed. "You're strong, but I can't afford to lose!"

He roared with all his might as dark energy surrounded him. "Darkness Breath!" A black tornado shot out of the ground and forced Mira up to the surface. "Dark Flash Bomb!" Freed slammed a ball of dark energy into her chest, sending her crashing down into the river. "Did that do it?"

A whirlpool appeared in the river before it erupted into a geyser, with Mira controlling it at the center. "She's controlling the water around her?" Freed asked in shock. 'Just how powerful is she!?'

"Evil Explosion!" Mira stopped spinning and sent the spiral crashing into Freed before head butting him. She summoned a ball of darkness betweeen her hands as a magic seal appeared, sparking with purple lightning. "Soul Extinction." She held out her hands and the ball erupted into a beam of energy. The entire town was bathed in a purple light as people stared in shock and confusion.

Freed, in his normal form, looked up as Mira landed before him in the crater and panicked. She roared as he wing sank into her back before she charged him. 'I can't beat her!' He thought as she forced him to the ground. 'I don't stand a chance against such a force!'

Mirajane roared as she brought her fist down before it stopped, inches from his face. Lisanna' face flashed through her head as her spell faded and she returned to normal. "Why did you stop?"

"This battle is meaningless." She explained.

"Spare me your face pity." Freed spat back. "Just finish me off."

"I won't do that because we're allies." Mira sat next to him as the others walked over. "Were both members of the same guild. That means we work together, laugh together, and grow together."

"No, you're wrong!" Freed shouted. "Laxus is my only ally!"

"It doesn't have to be that way." She said back. "We've been your friends from the very beginning. It's perfectly fine to have that one person to cling to more than anyone else. But you don't have to shut out the rest of us. We're all part of the same family." She grabbed his hand and clasped it. "If you just reach out, you'll find that there's always someone there for you. Once you see that connection, you'll never be able to forget it.

Tears wield up in Freed's eyes before they fell down his face. "I never wanted... this to happen..."

"Yeah, I know that." Mirajane said with a smile. "What do you say next year we enjoy the harvest festival together?"

"She's amazing, huh?" Cana asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Guildhall

"Freed vs Mirajane." Levy read. "Both wizards forfeit. Now there's just one left."

Kardia Cathedral

Laxus sat at the alter, seething with anger as electricity covered his body.

Now that is a female character I can respect. Powerful abilities, intresting backstory, and she can hold her own in a fight. This is why I watch anime.

Next chapter, we get to see more of Laki's real magic, so I hope you all stay tuned. Also, if you have any suggestions for attacks, let me know. Right now, I have eight basic spells and three advanced spells.

Beta read by Natsu is Awesome.