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Life After Near Death	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 14426 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money, I just do this for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 51
- 52
- 53
"Don't waste time on revenge. The people who hurt you will eventually face their own karma."
― Anonymous
Chapter 52
Shadow of the Past
Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Carla, and Happy finished an arduous climb up a hill. Still ahead was an even steeper hill with a large cave on the bottom. Even from this distance, there was a foul odor in the wind.
Their guide, a local, held back as the group of wizards eyed the craggy terrain. He pointed ahead, and his knobby finger shook.
"That's it. That's Execution Hill. I'm not taking a step closer."
Erza pulled out a coin purse to pay the man. "Is there something wrong with that area? I noticed that no one in town wanted to go anywhere near here."
Lucy grumbled, "Yeah, and this man only agreed for triple the pay."
"It's a cursed place," he insisted. "They say that long ago, an evil dragon slept in that cave, and his magic cursed the entire land."
Natsu turned around with wide eyes. "A dragon?"
"He demanded meals, and so all the surrounding villages brought criminals to Execution Hill to be devoured by the dragon. Even centuries after that, it was a place of execution. The darkest spirits remain trapped there, and just living on that hill for more than a day corrupts the soul. No one goes there now, none but dark wizards. They terrorize our towns probably worse than that ancient dragon did."
Erza handed over a few Jewels. "Our thanks for your cooperation, but we won't force you to go further. Safe journey back."
The man took the money. "I'll pray that you return sane … and safe." Then he scurried off down the hill as fast as he could walk.
"There is something here," Wendy said, sniffing the air.
"Smells like someone died," Natsu agreed.
"Is that the smell?" asked Lucy. "I barely smell it. Must be awful for you two."
"No, there's more than that," Wendy said. "There are spirits here."
Natsu leaped back in fear and grabbed hold of Gray. "Ghosts?" he cried out.
"Scaredy," Gray began to say, but then Happy also grabbed hold of him, throwing him off-balance.
"There is definitely magic at work here to hold spirits prisoner to the land," Wendy said, shivering slightly.
Erza's face went serious. "So if you die here, your spirit stays here."
Carla muttered, "People like Bickslow would be very powerful in a place like this. We should be careful of human possession wizards."
"Let's go," Erza said, marching forward. "And don't die."
Just as they began to move forward, Loke appeared on the top of the hill. "Lucy!"
She turned around. "Loke? What is it? I didn't summon you yet."
"This place … I sensed something as soon as you crossed a threshold. It traps spirits."
"Wendy told us."
"That would include us," he warned. "If you summon any of us, we might never be able to return to the Celestial Spirit World."
Her mouth dropped. "No way. Thank you for letting me know. Wow, that would have been—"
"Lucy," Erza cut in. Her eyes were closed, and she was obviously upset. "Go back to the village."
"What?" she shouted. "No way! I can still fight."
"You will be at a serious disadvantage, and the rest of us would have to compensate to protect you."
Erza saw Lucy sticking her lower lip out stubbornly, so she clasped the blonde on the shoulder.
"I don't like losing our fighting strength, but these people should not be underestimated. You have many spirits under your care. I don't want you to be placed in a situation of choosing to sacrifice one of them in order to protect one of us, and you would never forgive yourself if you opted to not use your magic and it resulted in one of your teammates being severely hurt."
"It's my choice to make," she argued.
"I will not allow you to jeopardize the existence of any of them. They are too precious."
Loke winked at her. "Aww, Erza. I didn't know you felt that way."
She ignored his teasing and squeezed Lucy's shoulder. "We have to protect those closest to us." She glanced at Lucy and at Loke stuck on the top of the hill, unable to get any closer. "Protect your spirits, Lucy. I ask that you leave protecting the rest of the team to me."
She still frowned, but how could she fight against Erza? Then she glanced up at where Loke was standing. For all his bravado, he looked scared. Erza was right; if she saw Wendy in serious danger and used her keys to save her life, but it ended in sacrificing one of her spirits…
She had had to sacrifice one before. She knew she could not mentally go through that again.
"Bring them all back," she grumbled.
Erza smiled gently at her. "I will. Loke, please walk her back to the town, and keep her there. That's an order."
Lucy jolted up. "Erza!"
"I know you, and I know you would defy even me to fight beside your friends. Loke is the leader of the Zodiacs. His duty is to protect them, and that means making sure you do not enter this area. Am I right, Loke?"
"I'm afraid so," he answered, looking at owner with an apologetic shrug.
Lucy's shoulders slumped. "Fine. I'll wait at the inn." She trudged up the hill and past Loke without looking at him.
Rather than follow her right away, the celestial Lion gave a relieved smile to Erza. "Thank you very much. This sort of area honestly terrified me as soon as I felt it. Please be careful."
"We will," Erza said solemnly.
Loke left to walk with Lucy, apologizing that he was not strong enough to fight against the spirit-trapping magic of that area. Erza turned and continued forward.
"Erza-san, are we really going to be okay?" asked Wendy.
"We have to fight a little harder, but we're Fairy Tail," she said with determination. "A mere group of dark wizards are nothing compared to the enemies we've faced in the past."
"Well, well! You have confidence."
They came to a halt as a man seemed to flip aside a cloak and appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the road.
"What the hell?" Natsu shouted. "I didn't smell him."
The man swished the cloth, and as it moved, it made his body disappear and reappear. "Invisibility cloth with aroma-canceling enchantments. The sharpest eyes nor the keenest nose can detect me wearing this. You probably could have heard my heartbeat, if the notorious Dragon Slayer ears are not a myth."
Wendy looked ashamed. "I wasn't counting how many. I didn't think to do that."
Erza's sword was instantly out. "Who are you?"
"Daegan, a Son of Darkness. I am here to challenge you, Erza Scarlet, to a one-on-one duel of honor."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're one of our enemies."
"Correct. My orders are to let the rest pass, but to detain you."
Natsu's fists lit on fire. "We don't need to listen to this bastard. We'll fight together."
With a flash, there was a dagger hovering right against Happy's throat. The Exceed moved back, but the dagger followed.
"Happy!" Natsu screamed.
Carla gasped. "Happy, no!"
"Stop!" Erza shouted. Gray held Natsu back, while Wendy grabbed up Carla and hugged her protectively.
"I will take this little one prisoner," Daegan told them. "Continue ahead, do not interrupt our duel, and I shall not harm him even if Erza loses."
"What do you want?" Erza yelled, hating to see the fear in the little Exceed's eyes.
"Like I said, a duel of honor. It will not be to the death. I know this land traps the souls of those who die here. I have no desire to meet my end near this cursed place. So see, you have nothing to fear but your pride if you lose."
"I will not lose," she sneered. "Go on ahead," she told the others. "I'll be there as soon as I pummel this guy."
"Happy," Natsu protested, barely holding himself back, but the dagger at his best friend's throat stayed him.
"I-it doesn't hurt," Happy assured him, although he was obviously too scared to move. "I'll stay here and watch Erza fight."
Daegan's clothes flashed, and suddenly he wore a dark purple armor with a pure black sword in his hand. "You had another, according to our reports. If she is in hiding, your blue friend's life is in jeopardy."
"She couldn't enter due to her celestial spirits," Erza said, also changing into a stronger armor.
"I wondered if that would be an issue with her, but I wasn't sure if this land affected all spirits or just human souls. In that case, in the name of honor, I'll give this warning to your teammates." He looked directly at Wendy, Gray, and Natsu. "About a hundred mercenaries and the entirety of our guild are hiding in the valley between this hill and Execution Hill over yonder. Inside the cave at the base of the hill, Lord Mallumo is waiting. Fight, but do not die in these lands. I also request you try not to kill anyone."
"Why would you warn us?" Erza asked suspiciously.
"I may be your enemy, but I don't wish anyone to die on these hills. My people have a saying: darkness shows us the wisdom obscured by blinding light. I learned compassion after a lifetime in the darkness. I learned it's not a weakness to help those who are my enemies. I learned that we gain honor only when tested with adversity. I learned to respect those heading into battle, even if they will be fighting my friends. You are after my closest friend, Lord Mallumo, who has been like a brother to me my whole life. He lost a lot of honor when you defeated our guild last year. He seeks to regain honor today so that he can finally accept the rank of Lord of the Sons of Darkness. I want him to reach that goal; thus, I want him to fight with full power so that he gains full honor when he defeats you."
"You're rather cocky," Natsu snapped, sneering at the idea of someone simply assuming he win a fight.
"I know Lord Mallumo. He can easily kill you from the shadows. There's no honor in that, though."
"What's this about honor?" asked Gray. "No offense, but you're a dark guild. Honor isn't really your thing."
"On the contrary: it's everything. That's why only two will be allowed to enter the cave and face Lord Mallumo." He nodded to Gray and Natsu. "Those two."
Gray's eyes narrowed. "Us? Why?"
"Those are his orders. That means you, little one," he said to Wendy, "will not be allowed to pass. The mercenaries and wizards will not kill you two, but they can try to weaken you. The child is, sadly, no match for that many. I won't kill, but there are those who are very bitter about the defeat of our brothers. You can try to help her for as long as you can, but keep Lord Mallumo waiting too long and he'll simply kill you and her from the shadows. I highly recommend that the little one should flee when she has a chance. Fly to your friend with the Celestial Spirits. Draw as many mercenaries as you can out of this area to where it is safer. Fight there, so that if you or they die, at least your spirits will be safe. If you, Erza, are as strong as rumors say, you would probably be able to fight them, but I can't allow that."
Gray thought this over. "You said the army below won't kill us, but they might kill Wendy."
"Those are Lord Mallumo's orders."
"Then the answer is simple." He turned to Wendy. "Stay here with Erza. Don't help her, no matter how tempting it might be. As soon as she beats this guy, heal her and come join us. In the meantime, Natsu and I are going to pay this Mallumo bastard a visit."
Natsu grinned with excitement. "We're gonna kick his ass."
Daegan chuckled. "Perhaps I said too much. Lord Mallumo paid those mercenaries a lot of money, and now they won't get a chance to fight. Oh well. Child, can you hold this for me while I fight? It's precious to me." Daegan handed a jeweled silver broach to Wendy.
"It's very pretty," she said as she took it, but Daegan snapped his fingers. Wendy instantly vanished.
"What troublesome wizards you are," he sighed.
"Wendy!" screamed Carla.
Flames shot around Natsu. "What did you do to her?"
"I can't have Lord Mallumo's investments go to waste. She's been transported to the middle of our camp. I recommend you all hurry. She'll be fighting over a hundred enemies alone."
Carla's wings appeared, and she shot off through the air without delay. Gray and Natsu ran down the hill after her.
"Erza," Natsu shouted back. "Kick his ass extra hard for pulling that trick on Wendy."
Once they were gone, Daegan turned to Erza.
"You bastard," she growled, lowering her sword at him.
"I know she's powerful. You all are. We were not going to make the same mistake our brothers did last year and take you Fairy Tail wizards for granted. That's why Lord Mallumo hired a hundred mercenaries just for a handful of wizards. It shows how much he honors your strength."
"Yet he sent only you after me. He's a fool."
"Actually, I was ordered to take a small army to stop you, Erza. I came myself instead."
"Then you're the fool."
"No, I'm simply that confident. Whether if I win or you do, if I can stand even five minutes toe-to-toe with the mighty Titania, I gain honor in this fight."
"And your lord wants to face Natsu and Gray alone? Those two are insanely powerful alone. No enemy has ever defeated them when they fight together."
Daegan smirked. "They've never met a man like Lord Mallumo. His magic is … terrifying. I say this as his best friend: I have never crossed him even when I thought he was wrong, and I strongly feel he is wrong this time. That man is pure horror for those who are his enemies. Our own former master trembled at the idea of upsetting him when Lord Mallumo was nothing more than a toddler. He can bring down the mightiest wizard in the land without ever showing his face."
Erza thought about the reports from Quatro Cerberus.
"You're thinking of that other guild who challenged us a few days ago, aren't you?" Daegan said in amusement. "Did they give you any warnings? Did you warn your friends? I'm guessing you withheld that bit of information."
"When Bacchus told us, I assumed he was drunk again."
"What precisely did he tell you? I'm curious. Few face Lord Mallumo and live to speak of it."
She tightened her grip on her sword. "His words were, 'Terror walks in the shadows. You can't kill a shadow. You can't kill this terror.'"
"How appropriate!" he said in amusement. "Your friends are walking into darkness. They will meet up with the worst darkness they will ever face." His sword tapped against Erza's. "The darkness that dwells within themselves."
He lunged forward, and their swords clashed. Erza felt immense strength in his arms, far beyond what she was used to when she normally fought swordsmen. As soon as they pushed away, she fell back two steps and instantly changed to a broader sword.
"Defensive so soon?" Daegan asked in amusement.
"You're deceptively strong," she admitted, more alert now. By sheer physical strength, this man probably had her beat; however, she had speed and versatility, with a large collection of specialty weapons and armor.
"Deceptive?" he asked. "Do I appear weak? One could say the same for yourself. You could pass for a refined lady, yet your sword arm has the power of a hulking giant. Well, Titania, let's stop underestimating one another. I will give you five minutes. Come at me at hard as you can."
"And after five minutes?" she asked in suspicion, not liking the smirk on his face.
"After that … let's just say, you will be steeply handicapped once I get serious. I promise not to for five minutes, on my honor."
"How can I fight an opponent who admits he won't be serious?"
"Fight hard and prove me wrong, that's how."
His hand flicked, and instantly there was a mace behind Erza. As soon as she sensed the magic, she was hit in the back, bludgeoned to the ground.
"Don't think I'm going to fight you with just one sword, Titania."
Suddenly, dozens of swords filled the area. Happy gasped as swords floated near him as well.
Erza raised back to her feet. "Do you think that would challenge me? Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
With a flash, she changed into her majestic metal armor like an angel made of blades, and with it over a hundred swords faced off against his.
"Beautiful," Daegan said in admiration. "Let's dance, shall we?"
Their own swords clashed, and all around them other swords battled, floating around, each trying to aim at the two opponents, yet they were blocked and other attacks made. The air chimed with hundreds of swords, as if an entire army was condensed onto this one hill.
Happy watched, and he was amazed that not a single sword got too close to him. He could not keep track of so many weapons clashing, yet somehow Erza and Daegan made sure to keep the blades away from him. At they fought, Happy sensed intense power radiating from Erza. He was used to that scary amount of magic in her which could make even Gray and Natsu shudder, but what worried him was the magic coming from Daegan. It was equal to Erza's at first, yet as the minutes ticked by and the swords seemed to multiply even more, Happy realized the magic power from the dark guild wizard was increasing as well, whereas Erza's was the same.
He forgot to worry about the swords crashing and sparking around him as he watched Erza dueling with Daegan. Rarely did Happy need to worry about Erza, but this time he did. As Daegan's power grew with each minute and the smirk on his face spread with excitement with each exploding crash of steel, Happy really hoped Erza ended this soon.
One moment, Wendy was standing next to Erza and holding the broach the dark swordsman had given to her. The next moment, she was somewhere else, there was the smell of campfire and unwashed bodies that made her nose wrinkle, and the wind was more stale here. A valley? Then she realized there were soldiers and wizards all around her.
"What's this?" someone asked.
Wendy looked around frantically. How did she get there? Where were the others?
"Kid, you shouldn't be here. Scram."
She trembled at the harsh voice. "S-sorry. I'll be going."
"Wait, that broach!"
"That's Brother Daegan's teleportation broach."
"He sent her here?"
"Look! That guild mark. She's from Fairy Tail."
Staffs and swords came out, rifles lowered, and magic tingled the air. Wendy now realized where she must be: the middle of the dark guild's army. She readied herself for battle.
"I'm not much of a fighter," she said, realizing how drastically she was outnumbered, "but I can hold my ground until Natsu-san arrives."
"She's just a kid," a mercenary muttered, holding back from arming himself.
"Fool!" one of the black robed wizards shouted. "That was the mistake our brothers made. Never underestimate any of them for even a moment. Revenge!"
While the mercenaries hesitated, the wizards surged forward.
Wendy swirled her hand and shouted, "Sky Dragon's Wave Wind!" A tornado twisted out of her arms, spiraling high into the heavens and catching a dozen wizards and mercenaries in a single sweep.
"Shit, she's a Dragon Slayer. Kill her!"
Spells flew her way, so Wendy enchanted: "O swift wind that dashes through the heavens! … Vernier." Suddenly, she was fast enough to dodge the shots made against her, nimbly running from side to side and ducking to avoid curses and blasts.
"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!"
Pale blue glowed on her fingers, and she swiped her hands, clawing enemies left and right until they fell back from her attacks. Then suddenly the ground under Wendy trembled and began to lift in a bubble. Her feet felt burning hot, and the soil itself began to glow from the building magic below.
She leaped out of the way just as an eruption of lava blasted upward. A speckle hit her in the back, burning through flesh, and Wendy shrieked in agony.
"Wendy!"
Before the geyser of lava could burn her to death, Carla swooped in and lifted her high into the air. Through tears of pain, Wendy smiled up at her friend.
"Carla. Thank you. J-just … oww … in time. You're the best."
"Someone has to watch over you," Carla said, blushing at the compliment.
Down below, she saw Gray ice the lava geyser and dozens of mercenaries around it, while Natsu blasted through the ranks like a fiery train, sending people flying and their clothes smoldering.
"Wendy!" he shouted up. "Are you okay?"
"F-fine."
Carla corrected primly, "She's injured."
"It's not bad."
"Yes, it is," Carla insisted, seeing blood dripping down Wendy's burned blouse.
Natsu shouted up to them, "Then like that bastard suggested. Fly to Lucy. She should still be on the foothill road. She'll buy you time to patch up, and drag some of these assholes with you."
Wendy nodded, and Carla flapped her wings, sailing off out of the valley. To their surprise, a main portion of the army instantly went after her.
"These are the two. Lord Mallumo said don't touch them."
"I'd rather fight anywhere but here."
"Let's get out of the valley first, then we can go all out."
Gray let a mercenary go as he chased after Wendy and Carla, fleeing eagerly. In minutes, there was no one but the injured around.
"They were a little too eager to get out of here," he pointed out suspiciously.
Natsu flexed his muscles and said arrogantly, "Of course they'd run away when I'm here."
Gray scoffed and shook his head. "Let's go find that bastard and get this over with." He grabbed Natsu by the scarf and dragged him along, half-choking him as they headed toward the cave below Execution Hill.
He paused at the cave entrance and looked across the valley. He could still see sparks of swords colliding where Erza was fighting. The fact that the duel was not over already meant this Daegan man must be fairly good, enough to stand against Erza for almost five minutes. He had confidence she would be okay, though.
Swords still clanged all around, while in the middle of the metal maelstrom, Erza flashed from one armor to another, with Daegan countering each one she put on with a new armor or weapon of his own.
"Show me more," he said in wild excitement. "You truly are the Titania to have so many. I want to see them all. Every armor. The most beautiful. The most powerful. Show me that one, Titania. Which do you consider to be the most powerful you own."
She changed from a broadsword to suddenly an epee to get a swift jab in, which his armor flashed to something new to block the thin blade. Then a new weapon was in his hands, like giant shears, which cut the thin epee in half. He grinned mischievously at Erza's shocked face, but leaped out of her way as a sword flying around overhead sailed down and slammed between them. Erza picked up that sword and readied it.
"Using one of these plain ones? Oh, please don't tell me you've run out," Daegan said, sounding truly discouraged.
"You don't deserve to see that one," she said, and Erza charged at him.
"That one? I'm curious." He countered her attacks with nimble grace. "Your five minutes are nearly up. If you have some ace up your sleeve, I highly recommend that you show me while you can. Don't make me threaten your little feline friend over there. I've been a gentleman and keeping him safe, even blocked a few of your own swords that got a little too close to his tail."
Erza afforded a quick glance to Happy. She had almost forgotten about him, trying to fight with nearly a hundred swords as once and needing all the concentration she could muster to keep up with Daegan's speed.
Just then, she saw Wendy flying overhead. The army was hot on her trail and racing up the hill toward them. Daegan suddenly made all of his swords vanish, and he stepped to the side to let the army pass. Erza half wanted to fight them, stop them right here rather than let Wendy and Lucy fight nearly a hundred people on their own. However, Daegan still had Happy as a hostage. She banished her swords and changed into her Armadura Fairy suit. As the Sons of Darkness and their mercenaries rushed by, kicking up dust, Daegan and Erza looked at one another and caught their breaths.
"It truly is a lovely armor. Powerful, too. I can sense a unique magic radiating off of it."
"The Armadura Fairy … Two. I fought an alternate universe version of myself wearing this. She managed to shatter it, but in the end I won. I had it rebuilt, stronger, sharper." She raised the sword that matched the pink armor. "It carries our guild's crest, the sign of the strongest sword I own. I would not fight a normal person with this sword, but you have my precious friend hostage, and two other friends are about to face your guild alone. I can't allow them to be killed."
"And I can't allow you to stop Lord Mallumo's plans. You have thirty seconds. I've put a pause on our time until my brothers and sisters pass."
"Brother Daegan!" someone in the mob shouted out to him.
"I will join in the hunt soon, brother," he hollered back.
Finally, even the straggling mercenaries, huffing and puffing as they jogged up the hill, passed by, and Erza saw a yellow flash of Loke's magic somewhere over the crest of the hill. She knew she needed to end this soon and help out the others. She had full confidence in Gray and Natsu facing off against the guild master, and she knew Wendy and Lucy were very powerful, but against a hundred enemies, anyone could get overwhelmed.
"Shall we resume, my dear Titania?" Daegan asked with a light bow from the waist.
Erza walked out into the middle of the path again and readied herself. Daegan waited patiently. "You're chivalrous," she said. "I respect that. You obviously care deeply for your friends, and you treat your guild like family. I respect that as well. You would make a fine Fairy Tail wizard."
"Funny. I was thinking that with your fatalistic beauty in battle, you'd make a fine Son of Darkness."
"I prefer the light." She lowered her sword at him. "Perhaps I can carve some light into your dark world."
"Perhaps you could, but I could never betray my family. And your time is up."
He held his arms out, and a dark magical light surrounded him, swirling around, until he stood in the midst of a midnight purple glow wrapped in only a cloak, no armor at all. Erza blushed and averted her eyes as she could almost, but not quite, see everything of him. However, she felt her own armor vanishing, her sword faded out of her hand, and as she tried to hurry and Requip something new to cover her, she felt a total lack of ability. It was not that her magic was gone, but … her armor was no longer there. None of it!
Finally, Daegan lowered his hands, and he wore a brigandine armor, dark purple with black steel metal plates, with his cloak fluttering behind him. He eyed Erza up and down, shook his head, and tossed his cloak to her.
"Please cover yourself."
"What did you do?" she shouted, not bothering to pick up the cloak at her feet. "My armor … my swords…"
"All gone," he answered. "I wanted to see them before I took them. I really do wish I could have seen your strongest in battle, but I'll have to test it out myself, although I don't think pink is my color."
"It's … empty." Erza could sense the pocket dimension where she stored her armor and swords. There was nothing there.
"I'm surprised by how massive your Requip dimension is. It's a testament to your magical power. Average people may have a dozen. You have hundreds of weapons and some rather … unusual armors. I only sense them right now in my own dimension. Is that Seduction Armor I sense? And here I thought you were a lady. Please do cover up, though. It's unseemly."
Erza grabbed up the cloak and tied it around. "I've never come across anything like that. I've had my armors Dispelled, broken, vanished, demolecularized, but always it was only what I was currently wearing, not what was stored away. What was that?"
He waved down at the armor. "Specially made to counter Requip users in particular. Each metal piece contains pocket dimensions of their own capable of holding only ten items, but I requested the extra long version with fifty dimensions total. It was very expensive, but Lord Mallumo is generous to me. It takes five minutes for the armor to fully calibrate the dimension of the opposing user, and only after multiple Requips. Luckily, you provided me with a glorious display of versatility. I probably could have ended this in two minutes, but I wanted to make sure I got everything." He walked up to Erza and patted her cheek. "Don't worry, Titania. I'm sure you have armor at home. It'll just take you a while to rebuild your collection." The sword by Happy vanished, and Daegan began to walk down the hill.
"This isn't over," Erza shouted defiantly.
"You have no more weapons or armor in your cache. Do you plan to fight me with rocks and sticks?"
Erza closed her eyes, and slowly those same rocks, branches, boulders, and even a few dropped items from the army that had raced by, all rose into the air. Magic swirled around her as she focused on these items.
"I can fight with anything," she said, glaring at him. "I can continue to fight with my bare hands, if I must. Fairy Tail does not give up just because we are stripped of what is ours. We claw and crawl and will scratch our way out of that trouble. Thinking I'm powerless just because I'm swordless is a fatal mistake."
Daegan looked back at her with admiration. "Telekinesis? You do realize I have that as well, right?" With multiple flashes, a hundred swords, many of them Erza's, encircled her in the air and prepared to slice every branch and rock she had lifted. "I admire your spirit and resolve, but this fight is over, Titania."
"It's not!"
The rocks hurled forward, but Daegan's swords struck away all of them. Many of the rocks shattered into pieces and hailed down onto Erza and Happy. The little blue cat cried out as one rock struck him sharply in the head. He collapsed to the ground in dizziness as blood pulsed out of his wound. Erza let all of them fall to the ground as she hurried over to the bleeding Exceed. She cradled Happy in her arms, shielding him and putting pressure of the deep gouge. How it pulsed, she knew it was right over an artery. This was bad!
Daegan sighed, and the swords vanished. "I didn't want him to come to harm. My apologies. I'll make a deal with you, Titania."
She glared at Daegan with tears in her eyes.
"I will challenge you again for the right to receive your weapons and armor back. A single sword, a single set of armor. If you win, I will give back half, and you may decide which items shall be returned. If you lose … I wouldn't degrade you further. It'll simply mean that you were bested in skill alone, and the world shall know about it. This is my offer, since your little friend ended up injured."
"Fine," she spat out, holding Happy as he moaned in pain. "Just go. The next time I see you, I will make you suffer for hurting him."
"In a week's time, then, I will arrive in Magnolia." A medical kit suddenly appeared beside Erza. "Use that to heal him. Keep the cloak. Protect your friends if you can." He continued down the hill.
"I thought you were going to fight with your guild."
"I figured you'd be heading that way to find your healer, so I shall check on Lord Mallumo. If he is in battle, I will only watch. I shall not fight more today. Farewell, Titania. It was a pleasure."
She gritted her teeth. How could this have happened? Her! Beaten! She looked down to Happy. She probably could have continued to fight that man, flinging dust and flowers at him at the least, but Happy sobbed softly, struggling to remain brave despite the blood flowing from the gash to his head. Erza yanked open the medical kit, poured some medicine onto the cut, tore a long bandage off, and began to wrap Happy's head.
"Sorry, Erza," he said in a weak voice.
"It's my fault. I underestimated him. I'd never even heard of an armor like that. I could have ended this right away, but part of me wanted to fight a man that skilled. My pride got in the way." She lifted Happy into her arms and carried him. "Let's get you to Wendy."
"Do you think Carla will feed me fish soup?" he asked in a daze.
Erza chuckled at his optimism despite their loss. "You stood your ground bravely. It's the least she could do."
She glanced over her shoulder to the opposite hill with its ominous feeling. Execution Hill. What a cursed name!
"Those two better not make the same mistake I did."
Gray and Natsu entered the cave under Execution Hill and looked around at all the candles. They were set up like some elaborate holy ceremony, and it gave Gray the creeps. Shadows danced over the cavern walls, and from somewhere deeper within, they heard the dripping of an underground pool.
"I can smell him," Natsu said, looking left and right around the main cavern. "He smells familiar."
"I'm surprised you remember."
Natsu's hands lit on fire, and Gray prepared with frost smoking around him, but still they saw nothing.
"It was over a year ago, after all. I had wanted to make this happen on the one-year anniversary, but I also knew not to rush things."
"What's this anniversary thing about?" Natsu asked, sniffing and trying to pinpoint the location, but the voice echoed too much, and the smell was not exact enough.
"In the back and to the right. Enter the room there and you shall see. I will wait. I want you to see, Natsu Dragneel."
Natsu glanced over to Gray. How did this enemy know his name, what was this anniversary thing, and why was the smell so familiar? Although Gray shook his head, Natsu marched forward to the side room. Inside, they both saw more candles set around an altar, and on it a picture.
"Natsu," Gray said in horror.
The Dragon Slayer's eyes went cold. Although it had been over a year, although he had seen the face only briefly, he would never forget it.
The face of the man who nearly killed Gray.
"A wise man once told me not to seek revenge, that karma would eventually face those who hurt me. Unfortunately, I'm not one to sit back and hope an enemy gets what's coming to them without at least witnessing it myself. I want to bring that karma to you now and see you lose all hope. I want you to suffer as I have for a whole year, Natsu Dragneel … the man who murdered my father."
Next Chapter: "The Strength in Tragedy"
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Life After Near Death