#invel? no. brandish? no. dimaria? no. bloodman? no. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pyropsychiccollector · 5 years

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Invel sighed exasperatedly as he trudged through the city of Hargeon, subzero winds and temperatures trailing in his wake. A flurry of snow and ice coated the people and buildings, practically turning them into ice sculptures. He had not expected to reach his destination so soon, but apparently Irene had disregarded His Majesty’s orders and employed her experimental Magic to tip the scales in their favor… Not that it mattered to her, since she had to have realized by now Emperor Spriggan had perished.

“I-Invel…?”

The ice mage raised an eyebrow as he halted and stared at the once proud Spriggan Shield crawling on the ground, arms still tied behind her back and cuffed with Anti-Magic restraints.

“Dimaria. Seems this operation was too much for you to handle.” Hands clasped behind his back, and looking every bit like a teacher scolding a student, Invel shook his head in disappointment. Dimaria hissed furiously at him.

“Don’t look down your nose at me, bastard…! What have you contributed?!”

Invel sighed theatrically.

“More than you. I’ve immobilized the enemy forces that have shuffled here as a result of Irene’s mischief.” He cut the ropes that bound Dimaria’s arms. The blonde looked up at him with an awed expression, not moving from her spot.

“Universe One…? Lady Irene really used it?!”

Invel’s gaze turned skyward.

“Indeed. You should have realized it yourself, after the intense Magic built up in the atmosphere. It was most certainly Irene’s Magic…”

Dimaria winced as she rose to her feet, glaring at Invel half-heartedly as she did so.

“You’re not going to get into a big shpeal about how she went out of line…?”

The ice mage scoffed at the notion.

“Drastic times call for drastic measures. Though our victory is a foregone conclusion, we have suffered… setbacks.” He muttered distastefully, turning to the side, away from Dimaria.

“You don’t say…” Dimaria rolled her eyes.

“Four Spriggan Shields have perished. Four.” Invel waspishly shot back, surprising Dimaria. “What’s more, we have lost our Emperor to this scum. We have no other recourse but to reunite the twelve and capture Fairy Heart. After that, we’ll exterminate Ishgar and Acnologia together, just as His Majesty commanded us to do.”

Dimaria went rigid as Invel revealed the worst news. It just wasn’t possible.

“The Emperor died?! Don’t fuck with me…! He’s immortal…!”

Invel coldly glared back at her.

“You can reject reality like an obnoxious child if that’s what you’d prefer, but the rest of us will be living in the real world. I saw it myself. His Majesty’s most vile creation came to end his life – wiped out nearly 100,000 of the men in the Western flank – and mortally wounded the Emperor with a Hellfire that I have never seen before. It was the most shameful sin of my life to follow His Majesty’s will and allow END to endanger him. But I will carry the burden of that blight on my soul… so long as I am able to fulfill His Majesty’s will for this wretched world. Ishgar and Acnologia will fall, that I have promised.”

Dimaria’s body trembled as her hands curled into fists. So the Emperor was truly dead… It would feel amazing to slaughter these Ishgar mages for that insult alone… But it did trouble her that Acnologia was still, in fact, a threat. Who was supposed to wield the Fairy Heart, now that His Majesty was no longer an option?

“Seems like events have been unfolding into a most fascinating tale…” A figure dropped down in a crouch from a nearby roof, but neither Dimaria nor Invel tensed at feeling his familiar presence.

“Neinhart.” Invel tersely acknowledged the man. “You look in better shape than Dimaria.”

Dimaria’s hackles rose at the insult to her honor, but she stayed her tongue. The fact it was a teenage girl that put her in such an embarrassing state was humiliating enough.

“Oh, the bastard landed a solid hit on me, I’ll give him that…” Neinhart bitterly admitted. “Still, they should have killed me when they had the chance, rather than show mercy… A coward’s attempt at ‘honor in combat.’”

“The Emperor did suggest this was a weakness of theirs… We will have to educate them just how fatal their naiveté is. Neinhart, when we reach Magnolia, you will summon the deceased Spriggan members. The full might of the Spriggan 12 will be put on full display!”

With this declaration, the three of them began their trek, which would most assuredly be short, given Irene’s meddling with the geography.

“You think she will have arranged the troops for us?” Dimaria questioned. Invel nodded sternly.

“Irene is a shrewd tactician. The best strategy for us would be to arrange all of our forces throughout and around Magnolia, while we harvest the Fairy Heart.”

“Thousands upon thousands of soldiers… All gathered in one place.” Neinhart grinned. “They were having a tough time as it was holding us back. No way they’ll be able to break through to save their precious weapon!”

Invel pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“This will be the final decisive battle… After we’re done with Ishgar, we’ll slay Acnologia, as planned.”

~*~

- Not even an hour ago… -

Cobra sighed with his arms and legs crossed as he sat on top of Happy’s enlarged head. The three of them were flying on this furball to the East to confront the toughest guy in Alvarez, and he had elected to come along because he caught wind of Mest’s less-than-honorable plans. He didn’t like knocking out a member of Fairy Tail, but Mest’s idiocy would’ve resulted in death, for sure… At least, if Brandish’s boasts of August were true.

“Oi, would you stop flippin’ out, blondie? Yeesh. You’re probably the last person I would’ve picked to represent Fairy Tail…” He rolled his eye as the Celestial Wizard squawked at him indignantly.

“STOP READING MY MIND, JERK!”

Brandish lazily eyed Lucy even as she nuzzled contentedly in Happy’s fur.

“He’s got a point. If you act nervous around August, he’s not going to take my request very seriously. And it’s going to be hard enough explaining His Majesty’s demise without your jitters make you seem suspicious…”

Lucy visibly deflated at Brandish’s words of wisdom.

“I know…” She sighed, head hanging low. “I just wish Erza, Gray, or even Mira could have come along instead of me… They’d be totally more level-headed about this, and would definitely know what to say to this guy.”

Brandish squished her cheek against the pleasurably soft fur.

“Just be yourself. Show him respect, but don’t try to sugarcoat it. If we want a chance of convincing him, he needs to get a good read on you as a person. He’s easier to negotiate with compared to Irene, but that doesn’t mean he lacks pride as a warrior for the Alvarez kingdom. Be ready to answer some tough questions.”

Lucy shrank in on herself even more.

“Just great…” She cried exaggeratedly.

Cobra frowned slightly as he eyed the green-haired buxom woman shrewdly. Before he could voice his next questions, however, a giant wave of magical presence overwhelmed their senses, and they knew just what that indicated. Staring down below, they locked eyes with the elder mage, who did not miss a giant flying cat in the sky. Lucy was frozen in absolute terror, unable to speak.

“August, the King of Magic…” Brandish murmured, conveying many emotions while maintaining eye contact with her comrade.

Cobra bit back a small grimace, marginally more composed than Lucy.

‘Definitely bad news… If we can’t make an ally out of this guy, we are screwed.’ The maroon-haired Dragon Slayer thought to himself grimly.

Soon enough, Happy touched down, and Brandish shrank him so they could disembark. The Dragon Slayer and the Celestial Wizard stood to the right and left behind Brandish, respectively. Lucy felt jittery as she poked her fingers together, while Cobra elected to stuff his hands in his pockets. For the Dragon Slayer, they were already in the lion’s den when they sensed this man’s presence; if they were going to die, there was nothing they could do about it.

As for Brandish, she kept a completely neutral expression on her face as she faced her comrade without hesitation.

“What are you playing at, Brandish?” August finally asked, ending the tense silence that pervaded the air.

“I have come to negotiate with you, August.” Brandish answered freely. The elder mage arched an eyebrow at her candor.

“Has Jacob been killed?”

Cobra pondered whether to answer that one, but Brandish cut him off before he could open his mouth.

“He was defeated at the hands of this man here.” She lightly nudged her head back at Cobra. “He isn’t dead, but he’s been taken prisoner. What of God Serena? He should have been with you.”

August clasped a hand over his heart solemnly.

“He’s here with me.” He answered simply. His gaze intensified, making Lucy shiver. Cobra would have joined her, but he was using every ounce of self-control to not let August’s presence overwhelm him. August continued, “Now then, do you mind clarifying what you meant by ‘negotiate’?”

Brandish took a deep breath before getting into the meat of it.

“I would like you to halt your advance.” Brandish made her plea. August, too, breathed heavily through his nose as he tried deciphering Brandish’s motivations.

“From what I can gather, it doesn’t appear you’ve been tortured… Am I to interpret this as betrayal?”

Brandish shook her head solemnly.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth. I am and always will be a loyal citizen of Alvarez, through and through. It’s just… I cannot find any meaning in this war.” She voiced her doubts as clearly as possible.

August’s face became grave as he glared at Brandish.

“Those very words are in direct betrayal of His Majesty’s will. Need I remind you we Spriggan 12 have dedicated our minds, bodies, and souls to His Majesty? If, in spite of that, you still cannot comprehend why you must fight for his cause… Then you are nothing more than an enemy who must be eliminated.”

Lucy grew ghastly pale with how oppressive the atmosphere had become. Even Brandish had lost color in her cheeks, but she stood her ground. Cobra clenched a fist in his pocket, gritted his teeth to steel himself, and looked August in the eye.

“… About that.” He breathed steadily to take control of his nerves as all eyes were on him now. “Your ‘Emperor’ was killed not too long ago… Apparently by his brother, a Dragon Slayer in this country by the name of Natsu Dragneel.”

August’s eyes widened at this bit of news. Brandish knew that was quite the feat to accomplish; and she too braced herself for August’s potential rage at this bit of news. She hadn’t known how to approach that topic… and perhaps that was why Cobra had taken one for the team in relaying that information.

“His Majesty… is no more?” August’s voice was eerily quiet, his expression now indecipherable.

“A-Aye…” Happy spoke up for the first time since arriving. “I heard Zeref say that if Natsu killed him, Natsu would die, too… And Natsu definitely died!! I tried to stop him, but Natsu killed Zeref anyway!”

Tears streamed down Happy’s face as he sniffed, looking up at August. It didn’t matter to him if August killed him out of spite… He’d already lost Natsu, and that was painful enough.

August’s face hardened, which was exactly what they had all dreaded.

“If His Majesty has passed on, then there is even less reason to spare these people, Brandish. You know this.”

Finally locating some more resolve within her, Brandish shook her head swiftly as she stared right back at August unflinchingly.

“On the contrary. You know as well as I… that His Majesty had a secret desire kept hidden from most of his subjects… The very reason he went away for all those years was because he was struggling with himself, whether he should live or die!” Her voice was raw with emotion. It was difficult for her, too. Zeref had taken her in and shown her how to use Magic after her mother passed away… But even she could not deny that he harbored a suicidal nature. Because he had been forced to endure centuries of immortality…

“…” August didn’t say a word as Brandish became more sure of herself. Again, it was impossible to see or feel what he might be thinking… Not even Cobra could hear his thoughts.

“Please, August… list to me. What His Majesty attempted to achieve is absolute genocide, and nothing less. The Dragon King Festival… Ragnarok… Call it whatever you like, but in the end, it amounts to nothing but a one-sided massacre! This war is nothing but murder. It’s not a clash of noble ideals between our two countries… Surely you can tell that much?”

August stared down at the ground, deep in rumination. Lucy and Happy looked on hopefully, while Cobra was a little more guarded in his expectations. Brandish pressed on with her pleas.

“I know that among the twelve, none are wiser than you. That is why you must realize at the end of the fight, there will be no future! All that awaits us… is an empty abyss…”

August looked back up at Brandish with another unreadable expression.

“Where we are headed at the conclusion of this battle was to be decided by His Majesty. With him now deceased, it falls to us to finish what he started – whether you like it or not, he decided to…” His mouth became a thin, grim line as Brandish cut him off shrilly.

“Think for yourself!!!”

“M…Maybe you shouldn’t have laid it on so thick… Just a thought…” Lucy winced, hiding behind Brandish. But the Spriggan Shield ignored her.

“That is what I have decided to do…” She turned to the side so there was nothing between Lucy and August as the elder mage stared her down. “I have reached the conclusion that these people are not evil… far from it.”

“Th-Thanks…!” Lucy sweatdropped as she tried not to wilt under August’s intense gaze.

August turned his attention to Cobra first, however.

“You were the one that defeated Jacob… Tell me. Did you take him alive to use as a hostage? Or were you perhaps too weak of heart to end his life?”

Cobra kept his expression firm and made sure to look August directly in the eye. He knew that this was a crucial query.

“Listen, I’m no seraphic saint. Blondie here can tell you that I used to be a scumbag of a criminal… And maybe I still am. Who can honestly say whether I’ve atoned for all the shit I committed as a member of Oracion Seis? I’m the Poison Dragon Slayer, for fuck’s sake. That should tell you how many lives I’ve taken.” He shook his head somewhat exasperatedly as Lucy wordlessly begged him to shut his trap. Even Brandish was looking at him in shock because of his frankness. “But… As for that Jacob guy… Kami knows I didn’t take him down just to hold him over your head. You wanna take him back? I won’t stop you. That said, the rest of those Fairies? They’ll probably try, but only if you aggress them. They could probably understand how you feel about camaraderie – that whole Guild is about friendship, harmony, and all that crap. But it’s because they’re so honorable that they hold that Jacob guy prisoner. ‘Cause he basically held the Guild hostage to get what you guys wanted.”

“…” August fell silent again as he pondered Cobra’s words. Brandish took this opportunity to press her advantage in the negotiations.

“You see? Even a former criminal was able to come this far, thanks to Fairy Tail. If you would just talk with these mages of Ishgar, I am certain you would see they mean us no ill will. They fight because we struck first. They invaded our land because we had their Guildmaster as our effective prisoner. August, I beg you… at least try talking with them.”

August took one final deep breath, once he had mulled over Brandish’s plea for negotiation.

“Well… I suppose… I would sooner listen to what they have to say than make a fool out of you, Brandish.” August nodded his head slowly, stiffly. “As leader of the twelve, it falls to me to decide how we proceed from here.”

Lucy heaved a sigh of relief as Happy cheered, and even Cobra’s mouth twitched up a little the tiniest bit. But even so, from what August could discern from them, it was all genuine; they knew by his reputation that fighting him would be suicide, so he was used to such reactions. It was Brandish’s reaction that perplexed him the most.

“You’re the best, Grandpa~!” Brandish cutely mewled as she looked up at him gleefully. August frowned at the title.

“I have no recollection of you ever being my granddaughter…” He remarked dryly.

“But to me, you’ve always been my Grandpa~!” Brandish chirped adorably. Lucy sweatdropped as she hoped and prayed to all deities out there that Brandish’s eccentricity wouldn’t ruin their chances of negotiation… Cobra just sighed as he raked fingers through his hair.

“As touching as this is… Makarov is gonna want in on these negotiations. Is it acceptable to move this meeting to Fairy Tail…?”

Lucy stared gobsmacked at Cobra speaking for all three of them. But she dared not speak contradictory to him, after he’d made that offer. August raised his eyebrow at the Dragon Slayer.

“You would invite me, even though that was my destination to begin with…?”

Cobra shrugged nonchalantly.

“Call it a token of goodwill and trust. I’m not exactly fit to speak for a Guild I’m not even a part of… And blondie there is just a plain ol’ member, not even S-Class. I don’t think it’s proper for us to make promises that Makarov might decide we aren’t able to keep…”

August nodded indulgently.

“I see your point… Lead the way, then.”

They hadn’t even made it a few feet before something was obviously wrong. Something strange was in the air… Like some Magic was taking hold of all the land in Fiore.

“Wh-What is this…?!” Lucy yelped, looking around in bewilderment.

Brandish and August appeared they were in the know, and it was August who was the most severe…

“Irene, you wouldn’t dare cast that Magic…!”

“Universe One…” Brandish murmured.

Before Cobra could even ask what ‘Universe One’ was, there was a bright light that blinded them and eclipsed everything around them, even the landscape. And then they knew no more…

~*~

- Present –

Laxus massaged his head as he sat up. The last thing he remembered was taking down Wahl, and then he needed to lay down for a while, since he was recently cured of those Barrier Particles in that same battle. Looking around the forest he was suddenly now in, he sighed tiredly and wondered just how the hell he ended up here. He stood up and donned his coat, which wasn’t far out of reach.

“It seems you’ve made a full recovery…”

Laxus craned his head around at the source of the voice. The figure approached casually, and the Dragon Slayer knew there was no need to fight once he registered the hair and face.

“Ahh, Mystogan. Or… Jellal, I suppose I should say. You have any idea what’s going on?”

Jellal shook his head, regrettably.

“I would wager that the enemy somehow changed the landscape to fit their advantage. We aren’t near Hargeon anymore; instead, I believe Magnolia is close at hand.”

Laxus’s mouth gaped slightly.

“Magnolia…? That’s one hell of a Spell for them to just whip out… If they could do that, why not do so in the beginning?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know any of the details,” Jellal remarked. “It’s a very new type of Magic, since I had never even heard of something of this scale in legends… But my senses don’t lie. We’ve definitely been moved around, geographically. And I imagine it’s not just us – there’s no point in setting just the two of us back in Magnolia; Alvarez doesn’t want anything from Hargeon, and Kagura and many others are still powerful enough to deal with the threat in Hargeon.”

Laxus crossed his arms patiently.

“You’re right… None of it adds up, unless their purpose was to move their own forces into Magnolia and take our First Master… Or more accurately, the ‘Fairy Heart’, which houses our First Master’s body… it’s got infinite Magical power.”

Jellal’s eyes widened a bit in realization before he inclined his head.

“I see… So that is one of their goals in this war. I had not heard that bit of information yet…”

“Yeah, well, we weren’t going to drag anyone into this struggle in the first place, but it kind of got too big for one little Guild to handle, when Alvarez threw everything our way. In order to survive, getting help from the other Guilds was necessary. Having Crime Sorciere’s power backing us up will also be appreciated.”

“Since Natsu did the difficult part and killed Zeref, the least we can do is help crush Zeref’s forces.” Jellal affirmed. “Meldy and I were helping out in Hargeon, while the former Oracion Seis were headed for the battlefield in the North.”

Laxus grimaced slightly and dipped his head respectfully, shutting his eyes.

“I see, you heard about that Pyro as well…”

“The enemy brought him back to fight Erza,” Jellal revealed, causing Laxus to growl in rage.

“Bastards… Alvarez has a lot to answer for!”

Their discussion was broken up as a few more joined their party.

“Heeey! Laxus!” Wendy called out to her fellow Dragon Slayer as Charle carried Chelia over her shoulder, and Gray, Juvia, and Lyon walked beside them.

“Jellal, too?” Gray mumbled, hands stuffed in his pockets. “You guys know where we are?”

“Close to Magnolia.” Jellal answered. “We’re going to need to head straight there; I have a feeling that Alvarez has rearranged the board in their favor, so now we will have to take back Fairy Tail.”

“You really think Alvarez has that much power to cast such a Spell?” Lyon wondered, skeptically.

“It’d have to be someone from their side…” Charle mused. “No one we know has a kind of Magic that can move us from Hargeon to Magnolia…”

“It must be one of the Spriggan 12.” Juvia stated, frowning.

Lightning crackled around Laxus’s fist as he clenched it at chest level.

“It doesn’t matter what they did… They messed with our friends, our Guilds, so they’re not gonna get any mercy from me. Let’s head home… to Fairy Tail.”

~*~

“Wh…What is this…?! Everyone’s gone again?!” Mavis asked in horror as she once again stood in a Guildhall bereft of anyone. She could feel some bizarre Spell had been cast… But it was on such a wide scale that Mavis couldn’t believe such a Spell existed.

And she’d been so happy when Cana had managed to free her body from that crystal, too… But now, she was alone again…

“My, my… That’s very rude. I’m here, you know.”

Mavis gasped as a scarlet-haired woman, dressed like a witch, casually strode into the Guildhall. The strange woman’s Magic power was incredible… obscene… It was on an entirely different scale from that assassin’s strength, and he’d been more powerful than Makarov!

“Y-You…!” Mavis choked out, but the redhead wagged her finger.

“I wouldn’t get any ideas about trying to escape… Why don’t you come outside, and see for yourself?” Turning on her heel, the woman exited the doors to the Guildhall. Reluctantly, Mavis found herself slowly following after her. The sight she saw next… chilled her to the bone.

The landscape in Magnolia had been shifted greatly. The Guild was now on top of a hill, and at least one million soldiers were arrayed in an overwhelming formation at the base of the hill, easily encircling it. What’s more, there were some others just outside the Guildhall… a couple of them had even been locked up, in the Guild’s prison.

“Your comrades are currently making their way here, in order to take back the Guild.” The woman told Mavis, placing a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “I do wonder, will they be able to break through our defenses? I cannot wait to find out~…”

Ajeel cackled.

“Not a chance in Hell!!! Not as long as Ajeel the Great is here, standing in their way!”

Jacob snorted beside him.

“That so, bigshot? I seem to recall you losing quite pathetically…”

“Look who’s talking, asshole!!” Ajeel fired back. He then donned a terrifying grin. “That fluke ain’t gonna happen again.”

“Naturally…” Jacob darkly agreed.

August strode up to Irene and slammed his staff on the ground. Brandish trailed behind him.

“Irene… you are out of line! His Majesty forbade you from using Universe One… and you know why.” The elder mage glowered at her, which Irene met with an even stare.

“His Majesty was killed, thus leaving the leadership of Alvarez in the hands of the Spriggan 12… And I have captured our target. You have no room to criticize me, O Mighty King~…” The redhead demurely responded. August’s face darkened.

“I am the General of the Spriggan 12, Irene, not you… And I gave my word to the mages of Fairy Tail that I would be open to negotiations. This war has taken a toll on both sides.”

“Truly?” Irene’s grip tightened on Mavis’s shoulder. “You, of all people, would forgive the fact they murdered our Emperor in cold blood…? And what’s more, you would abandon your pledge to make his will for this world a reality?”

The air between the two strongest mages of Alvarez grew frigid and heavy as they glared at each other. Mavis, Brandish, Jacob, and Ajeel were frozen in place with how much tension there was. But then, as if to break the stalemate, Invel’s voice cut in like a knife.

“I am afraid you are the one out of line, Magic King…” He stopped a short distance from the two, hands clasped behind his back. Dimaria and Neinhart were both behind him. “With His Majesty’s demise, it falls to us to avenge him, as well as kill Acnologia and humanity, such as his will dictated. There is absolutely no reason to even entertain ‘negotiations’…”

August slammed his staff on the ground once more, asserting his authority.

“I, too, followed His Majesty’s will unconditionally… But we must also remember: His Majesty wished to die. For centuries as he traveled the world and built Alakitasia from the ground up… his one and only wish was to have his immortal life extinguished. This desire to eradicate humanity and Acnologia together… was borne from the bitter despair of being unable to perish. We have no reason to carry out genocide, when his true dream was finally realized!”

Invel sighed airily, inclining his head slightly as his eyes closed.

“Such hubris, from our so-called mightiest mage…The circumstances for His Majesty’s desire for genocide are immaterial. It was his will that we would rise up and defeat Acnologia. And it was also his will that we would crush Ishgar under our heel…” Invel’s eyes snapped open as he coldly glared at August. “You are unfit to lead the Spriggan 12, if you can no longer recognize that much. You are relieved of your position as ‘General’…”

August’s eyes narrowed.

“You would dare to presume to have such authority, Invel? Only His Majesty wielded that right…”

“Zeref is dead, and so the leadership falls to you, me, and Irene.” Invel spoke matter-of-factly. He eyed the scarlet-haired woman. “Tell me, Irene, what is your opinion on this subject? Do you believe August is fit to lead?”

Irene grinned darkly as she did a small curtsy.

“Oh, I certainly agree, Invel… The Magic King does speak some bizarre things. I have sent Acnologia far away with Universe One, and Fairy Heart is within our grasp.” She placed her hand on top of Mavis’s head and gripped harshly. “We should begin the harvest of Fairy Heart immediately.”

Invel nodded sternly.

“Agreed. I will leave that task to you, and oversee our defenses personally.” Invel then regarded August once more. “You have this one chance to help us willingly, August… If you will not cooperate, I will find ways to persuade you.”

August’s face darkened once more, and he raised his staff to cast a Spell, but he was distracted when Brandish cried out in pain from behind him. He turned, alarmed, and witnessed one of Invel’s slave collars around her neck.

“Invel…!” August’s voice boomed with authority, but the ice mage wasn’t having any of it.

“It is no secret to us that, no matter how trivial that intimacy may be, you are close enough with Brandish that you would not see her harmed in any way…” Invel replied frostily. August knew he was not bluffing; he could make Brandish kill herself, so long as she had that collar on. “Now do as I say, and crush Fairy Tail alongside us!”

August shook with unbridled rage, but for the moment, he did keep himself in check… With a ferocious snarl, the Magic King stormed off. Only once August had gone did Invel release Brandish.

“The same will apply to you, Brandish… We will need every member of the twelve for this operation to succeed. I would rather not have to force my hand…” He spoke with a clinical coolness before striding off, himself. Brandish glared holes in the back of his head, but did not pursue him. Dimaria was the next one to approach her.

“Randi…” Dimaria greeted.

“Mari.” Brandish greeted back.

“I had heard you were captured. They didn’t treat you horribly, did they?”

“No…” Brandish responded tersely, and widened her eyes when Dimaria abruptly wrapped her in a hug.

“I won’t say any of those awful and cruel things to you ever again!” Dimaria sobbed. “I’m gonna pay those fiends back tenfold for laying their hands on you…!”

Brandish could say nothing in response to Dimaria’s emotional display. She was still so shocked by how quickly things were spiraling out of control, and she was still so angry with Invel disrespecting August and threatening her life… Even if she was still a loyal citizen of Alvarez, she was not loyal to Invel anymore… No matter how much he asserted his authority as Chief of Staff.

A light glowed nearby, as Larcade Dragneel was summoned by Neinhart.

“Friendship is one of the world’s greatest beauties…” The strange man chuckled to himself.

Mavis whirled on the man as she got a feel for his power.

‘That person’s Magic… What on Earthland… just what nature of Magic is that?!’

Irene smirked, still gripping Mavis tightly.

“Larcade was supposed to be the proverbial secret weapon, in His Majesty’s initial designs… Sadly, now that he is but a Historia, that potential has diminished to being just a strong fighter for us… I very much doubt he could defeat Acnologia in his current condition.” The redhead mused.

Neinhart could feel some sweat drip down his face as he conjured the other three Historias.

“Conjuring four Spriggan 12 members’ worth of Historias certainly takes its toll on me, I must admit…”

Bloodman cackled.

“I see… So I hath returned from the depths of the underworld…”

“Well, well, would ya look at this… the twelve have all gathered together… Ahyahyahya!!” Wahl cackled as well.

God Serena did a little eccentric dance of his own.

“Hmm…! Ho, ho, ho!” The Dragon Slayer struck a pose. “God Serena of the Eight Dragons… has been resurrected!”

Neinhart growled as he glared at the four Historias.

“I would like to remind you four that you’re already long dead. I’d advise you to protect me diligently, lest you disappear from the living realm… permanently…”

“Just leave it to godly me!” Serena boasted arrogantly.

Irene made a grandiose gesture with her free hand.

“One million soldiers… the twelve all reunited… Truly a magnificent sight to behold!”

Invel walked to the edge of the hill, hands still behind him.

“We have assembled a perfect, impenetrable battle formation… Do you still dare to come here, Fairy Tail?” He asked rhetorically. His tone took on a frigid tone once more. “I shall not allow you to see tomorrow…”

#Fairy Tail #Invel Yura #Dimaria Yesta #Neinhart #August Dragneel #Brandish Mu #Lucy Heartfillia #Cobra/Erik #Happy #Laxus Dreyar #Gray Fullbuster #Juvia Lockser #Jellal Fernandes #Wendy Marvell #Irene Belserion #Jacob Lessio #Ajeel #Wahl Icht #Bloodman #Larcade Dragneel #God Serena

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