Chapter 82

Desert Eater

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback

Location / Date / Time Skip

Natsu blocked a punch from a massive man before delivering a flaming punch of his own. The massive man was blastsd backwards before sliding to a stop, glaring at the Dragon Slayer. "Natsu, stop fooling around!" Happy shouted from above. "He'd be done with in an instant if you took the fight seriously!"

"I know!" He replied back. "But I don't know how many more fight's I've got after him… I can't go full power from the start…"

"Happy, move!" Carla shouted in her human form, knocking him to the side. "Stick to the plan!" She kicked a soldier in the face as the tomcat flew away.

Slate swung his knives as Happy flew overhead, crashing into troops headfirst. Wendy shot a tornado out of her mouth as Gajeel jumped back from a sudden explosion before more blasts covered the ground. "Finally, something interesting." He chuckled.

Western Magnolia

Blasts of magic filled the streets as troops filed in. "The numbers are unbelievable…" Gray stared.

"But it's still less than what we had to deal with against Avatar." Juvia reminded him.

"Yeah, but these guys are way stronger by comparison." He replied. "And this is only a small portion of their army… I feel like this'll get really annoying."

"Need some help?" Elfman shouted, crushing a small group of soldiers as he landed on them.

"Coming through!" Brianna crashed through a building and slammed an invader into a chimney.

"Incoming!" Lisanna shouted, dive kicking a troop with bird feet.

Mirajane walked up behind them as her magic power rose. "Satan Soul…" Her body glowed and transformed into shocking form. "Mirajane Seilah."

"What the hell?"/"No freakin way!"/"Was she taken over!?"

"Well… she would have died if we left her like that… so…" Lisanna mumbled.

"My sis is… just to nice some times." Elfman said, a small tear in his eye.

"So, she's just been robbed of her body?" Gray asked.

"This is an order." Mirajane declared, waving her hand. "All of you, shall go to sleep." The entire platton fell to the ground and started snoring.

More started running up from the rear, having just missed the order. "Some of them are still awake!" Lisanna shouted.

"Well, then… guess we'll just have to do it the old fashioned way." Her sister said with smile, unaware of the large man walking up behind the army.

Guildhall

"How long until Jupiter recharges!?" Mavis shouted.

"No matter how long we hold up… it's only a matter of time until the enemy sends in anothet squad…" Warren bluttered out in tears.

"PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, IDIOT!" Max shouted, kicking his friend in the nads. "WE'RE ALL SCARED! But we still have to fight and so do you! This is our home and we have to protext it!"

The others smiled in agreement before the telepath returned the blow. "Don't freaking kick me in the nuts, man!" Warren wiped the tears from his eyes before speaking to Bisca. "Five more minutes? Okay. We're leaving it to you."

"My apologies, first master…" Makarov told the ghost. "These ruffians never chance…"

"It's fine…" She replied with a smile. 'It'll all be over if we give up… I need to think of something quick…'

Magnolia Skies

Battered by sand, Nicholas could do nothing but take the hits. "Dry up already…" Ajeel demanded. "It won't be long until the sand squeezes every drop of moisture out of you."

'Just a little more time…' Nicholas thought, scraps appearing on his body.

Lucy's House

The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity until Lucy finally spoke up. "Wh-why are you in my house…"

"Come, join me." Brandish ordered, shocking Lucy.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" The blonde shouted. "Coming into my house, MY bath, and them asking me to join you… are you out of your mind!?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Brandish warned, scaring Lucy. "Ah, it's this one here?" She asked, picking up a shrunken Marin. Plucking him into a small case, she set it down and looked at the blonde. "Well, problem solved, right? I'm sure you remember what my magic can do, right? You'll be fine as long as you listen to me. Last chance, get in with me."

Annoyed, Lucy had no choice but to start stripping herself. 'I can't use my magic around her… And I don't know what she wants… but if she wants to fight, I'll give her one.' Stepping into the tub, the two girls stared at each other as Marin begged to be let out. "Why are you here?"

"You're so not cute…" Brandish declared, holding up a pair of cat ears and a bell collar. "Try this on, will you…" Reluctantly, the blonde obeyed putting on the accessories. "How adorable."

"What is all this!?"

"I've… seen you somewhere before…" Brandish declared.

"Maybe Sorcerer Weekly…" Lucy mumbled. "I was a journalist for that for a year and did a couple of model shoots as well…"

"The magazines you lot read here don't interest me at all." The Spriggan snapped.

"Then the Grand Magic Games?" The blonde suggested, only for Brandish to shake her head. "Don't tell me you came here just for that…"

"That's right." The intruder replied, stunning Lucy. "And take that off already, we're having a serious conversation now." The blonde almost drowned in shock as Brandish stepped out of the tub. "Will you wash my back for me?" Lucy obeyed and started scrubbing, much to Marin's annoyance. "What's your name?"

"It's Lucy." She replied, glancing down at her broken key. 'She's lowered her guard! Now's my chance!' Raising her hand, she prepared to use the key like a dagger, ready to strike.

"Ah, Layla's daughter?" Lucy froze at the mention of her mother's name, making Brandish slowly tirn her head. "So it's true, then… Layla's daughter…"

The entire building started shaking as it shrank around her. Lucy ran for escape and barely made it out a window, finding the building sat between a clothed Brandish's legs. "To think I'd find you in a place like this…"

"What happened between you two!?" Lucy demanded, only to get glared at by the clothed woman.

"It's too much trouble to explain, so I won't be talking." Brandish declared.

"You better get away from her!" The vernette moved her head as cards flew past them. "How dare you do this to our town! You're really starting to irritate me!"

"Cana!" Lucy cheered while the brunette chuckled, looking at her towel. "Yo-you've got it all wrong! But it's fine!" She lifted a pink case into the air before dropping it on the ground. A second later, she stomped on it, crushing Marin. "Now I can use my Celestial Spirit Magic!"

She pulled out a pair of keys and two puffs of smoke appeared. Virgo and Aries appeared next to her, the maid having dressed the blonde. "This brings back memories from the tag battle on Tenrou, doesn't it?" Cana asked.

West Hills

The Dragon Slayers panted as they looked out over the battlefield. "They were quite a handful even for the two of you." Happy said from over Natsu.

"Well, we couldn't go all out, could we…" Natsu replied.

"Yeah, I was only using ten percent this whole time." Gajeel chuckled, looking up at the sky.

"They're still coming…" Pantherlily declared. "There's no end to this…"

"Their strength and numbers… are like nothing we've faced before…" Wendy worryingly added.

"Exactly!" The massive man shouted as he stood up Natsu. "You can't beat us, let alone the whole em-" Natsu slammed his elbow into the gut before swinging his fist, launching the behemoth into the air.

He crashed through the ship, shocking Ajeel. "That works for me!" Nicholas declared, catching Ajeel's attention. He launched forward through the sand and slammed his fist into Ajeel's face, sending him bouncing along the hull.

"Impossible!" Ajeel jumped back and held his arm in pain. "Everything that touches me should've turned to sand! I haven't heard of a-"

"SHUT UP!" Nicholas shouted as he charged, tackling the invader. "You talk too much!" He swung his leg in a high kick, only for Ajeel to jump back. "You really think I'm scared of a little sand!?"

"Then what about a sandstorm?" Ajeel chuckled, a sudden storm swallowing not only the ship, but the entire town under him. "This is my world, and here I am god!" From behind, he appeared and blasted punched Nicholas in the back of the head. "Everyone fears being in this situation, and I can rule over you."

He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground. "Worship me as a god and maybe I'll forgive you. Or at the every least, end you in one blow to save you from all the pain. Do you really want to suffer like this, feeling your body dry up? Call me a god, already."

Ajeel squeezed tighter and he gasped for air, finally showing the smirk on his face. "Yo- you are such a terrific dumbass." Nicholas declared, confusing Ajeel. "There's more than one reason why I was sent to fight you." Opening his mouth wide, the sand storm started shrinking as it spiraled into his mouth. The Sand Wizard started flowing into the spiral the mouth before turning solid as the whole storm was eaten. "Don't you know sand is just crushed up rocks?"

"This doesn't mean anything!" Ajeel shouted back. "You still can't beat me!"

"I don't have to beat you." Nicholas rushed forward and grabbed Ajeel, holding him a bear hug as his arms fused into a stone lock. "We both just have to lose!" A massive beam of magic hit the ship and tore through the hull as smoking rubble started falling. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Gaia's Revenge - Meteor Impact!"

The other three watched from the battlefield as the two hit the ground, a massive crater forming from the impact. "Do you think he's okay?" Wendy asked.

"Course he is." Gajeel said with a smirk. "No way he would die from something like this."

In the center of the crater, the Earth magic users separated and landed on their backs, looking up at the night sky. "You do know that plan was crazy, right?" A smoldering Ajeel asked.

"Maybe…" Nicholas chuckled. "But it was the best I could come up with."

"You got guts, I'll give you that." The invader joked back. "Next time, no draws."

"You're on." The Dragon Slayer replied. "But right now, I gotta go help save the world."

Magnolia

Lucy's Apartment

The storm suddenly died around the town, much to the relief of Cana and Lucy. To their shock, Brandish started sneezing across from them. "She has… hay fever?" Lucy questioned.

"The storm must have blown in some pollen throughout the city." Cana pointed out. Walking forward to the sneezing woman, she delivered a single chop to the back of Brandish's neck, knocking her out.

"No mercy…" Lucy mumbled.

"She left herself open for it." The brunette replied, staring down at the unconscious woman. "Guess the Twelve aren't everything they cracked up to be!"

"What do we do with her?" The blonde asked, putting her keys away.

"Take her prisoner, duh." Cana chuckled. "Let's bring her to the guild."

In the center of the city, Gray and the others finally managed to see again. Staring across from them was a sudden wall of mechanical looking soldiers before they charged at the wizards. Juvia jumped back from a punch and turned into water, only for steam to suddenly shoot out of the wrist.

"Juvia!" Gray turned and pressed his hands together, only for another one to charge forward with a flaming fist. "Fire?"

"The heck is with this guy!?" Elfman asked, swinging at the foe. "I can't hit him."

"I can't even scratch mine!" Lisanna shouted, scratching at the droid.

"It's like they're designed to exploit our weaknesses…" Gray mumbled as he turned to Mirajane. "Hold on, then Mira-" To his shock, he found her getting hit by a robot with Elfman's face. "That thing's so obviously a fake!"

"My magic allows me to see the weaknesses and create soldiers to exploit them." Wall declared as he watched his clones battle. "I think I can leave things here to my soldier. I must attend to the slaughter of the creator of the barrier around this town." With a single jump, he launched himself into the air before landing in main room of the cathedral.

"An enemy!?"/ "How'd they get here already!?"

"I'm sorry to ask this, but you need to cover me." Freed requested as Bickslow and Evergreen stepped in front of him.

"I see it…" Wald declared. "Your weaknesses, all of it." Two troops appeared to next to him before they charged the pair.

"Line Formation!" Bickslow shouted only for his totems to fall to the ground. "What the-? White Magic!?"

Mist shot out of the one across Evergreen, blinding her and killing her spell. "Go for the leader!" Freed shouted as the pair revealed their magic eyes. Both stared at the original expecting instant victory, only to get battered aside by the robots. "Impossible…"

Wald pulled his coat open and to their surprise, started transforming into a look just like his soldiers. "I am a Machina." He declared, shocking the trio.

"A machine that uses magic!?" Freed asked in shock.

Two blades of wings shot out from behind Wald and cut the soldiers in half, causing them to explode. "I never imagined that I'd be the one to save your asses." Brianna declared as the Thunder Legion smiled, transforming into her Minotaur form. "But you're all in the guild."