Jul 29, 2024
Former Spriggan 12 members
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from T1
seen from Singapore
seen from China
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Italy
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from Japan
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from United States
Former Spriggan 12 members
Heyy, got any Spiggan and Fairy Tail guild post-war headcanons, that is if only all of them survived hehe
Hey, I'm back! Now let's talk about some post war friendships. I'm not sure if that's exactly what you meant but I want them to make peace and be homies so...
Brandish, of course, is really fond of Fairy Tail and whenever she's in town she makes a stop at the guild
Ajeel has an open invitation out for any member of Fairy Tail to come visit.
Ajeel has also declared peace between Fiore and Alvarez (he's actually pretty good friends with Hisui now)
The 12 actually really like Erza. She visits often and they tell her stories about her mother (Yajeel specifically likes to sit down and chat with her)
Levy is all over Alvarez's library. She will take multiple week long trips just to sit and read for days
Similar to Erza, Natsu likes to stop by and hear stories about his brother
Neinhart and Bickslow learned that their magics compliment each other. They aren't friends exactly but they do train together often and even learned some freaky new skills
Jacob and Freed actually become pretty good friends. Freed tends to go with Bickslow on trips to Alvarez just to catchup with Jacob
You'd think Freed would get along with Invel but he does not like that man at all. They actually fight all the time. Not physically but they get real nasty with words.
Dimaria does everything in her power to avoid the Fairy Tail guild. She wants to forget about the war and move on, but for some reason she is literally always running into them. Everyone is always so happy to see her which confuses and stresses her out
Brandish and Dimaria are still close so Brandish eventually warms Dimaria up to Fairy Tail. Dimaria is fond of Evergreen, Mirajane, Lucy and surprisingly Loke
:') i miss Gajevy so much, ahhhh to go back to reading it for the first time and falling inlove with them. I need more of their kids!!
Elfman breathed heavily as he rested his hands on his knees, hunched over.
“So… did we finally win…?”
Lisanna smiled as she noticed Ajeel wasn’t standing back up.
“Looks like it…”
“The one with the stronger ideology will always win! Love is a powerful feeling, oh YEAH!” Richard gushed, causing Lisanna to giggle and Elfman to sweatdrop.
“… Always with the love preaching with this guy…”
“I think it’s cute~…” Lisanna mused happily.
Down in the dirt, Ajeel looked up at his celebrating enemies with a twitching gaze.
“It’s… not over… I’m not… finished yet, ya naïve Fairies…!” His eyes widened as a figure hobbled in-between him and his three opponents. “Gramps?!”
“This war has taken a toll on both sides…” Yajeel muttered regretfully. “Please, can put an end to it…?”
Elfman arched an eyebrow.
“This war? All wars lead to the same result…”
“You just never noticed ‘cause you win all your wars…” Lisanna agreed, quietly.
Yajeel stared down at the ground, becoming more depressed.
“… I don’t care if you decide to kill me… But please, spare my grandson…”
Ajeel pounded the dirt with his fist as he struggled to raise his head up.
“Don’t beg for my life, Gramps! I can still win…!”
“We’ve never sought to kill anyone.” Lisanna told Yajeel, smiling as gently as she could. “Take your grandson home and live happily together… That’s all we want.”
Yajeel didn’t dare raise his head, but he shed tears of gratitude. Elfman ruffled the top of Lisanna’s head.
“No one understands the importance of family like we do! Everyone in Fairy Tail is like family, but Lisanna’s my only real little Sis!”
Ajeel looked up at the pair of white-haired siblings, dumbfounded.
“You’re brother and sister?! But you look nothing alike…”
“Shaddup!” Elfman griped.
“You and your Grandpa don’t look alike, either…” Lisanna giggled. Meanwhile, Richard was so overwhelmed by the camaraderie between once enemies that he ran over and hugged Yajeel and Ajeel both.
“Such love…! I’m so happy for you both!” Richard was crying tears of joy.
Ajeel twitched again, but only mildly annoyed.
“You’re still obnoxious with that love stuff…. Geez…”
~*~
A chill went down the length of Brandish’s whole body the moment she registered that she was once again in control of her body… The most obvious sign being the collar around her neck that melted away. She barely had time to process this before she was punched by Makarov and sent sprawling on her back with a thundering crash.
And rather than get back up in retaliation to the strike… Brandish remained there flat on her back, staring up at the sky with a mixture of shock, pain, and regret swirling in her eyes. Kagura, seeming to notice this change in demeanor in her opponent, hopped up on Brandish’s cheek before jumping to the tip of Brandish’s nose, glaring down into her eyes.
“I take it you have finally accepted your defeat…?” She asked coldly. Brandish couldn’t move a muscle. She continued to stare up listlessly into the sky.
“… I lost the moment that I let Invel control me.” Though Brandish’s voice rumbled due to her size, there was a quiet, defeated quality to it. “So no, I will not fight you anymore…”
Makarov stomped over to her, his pupil-less glowing eyes glaring scaldingly down at her face.
“You claim it was Invel who made you slaughter my children…?”
Brandish averted her eyes without turning her head so as to not force Kagura to move.
“I’m still responsible for every last death… I have no excuse for it. All Invel did was kill off my heart and command me to exterminate your Guild… The blood remains on my hands. I won’t stop you if you seek retribution… Just get it over with.”
An uncomfortable silence fell over them. Kagura’s glare remained unyielding, but Makarov turned his burning rage away from her.
“No… If you have surrendered unconditionally, I will not kill you. That is not the Fairy Tail way. You must live and pay penance for your part in this war.”
Brandish closed her eyes sorrowfully.
“… If that is what you wish.” She shrunk down to her normal size, making Kagura leap off of her. She remained on the ground for a while, unmoving. Makarov shrunk down as well; his gaze was still hot with fury, but still he barely cast any of it onto Brandish.
“I would speak with August now. This senseless bloodshed must end now.”
Brandish reopened her eyes slowly, her face remained blank.
~*~
From atop Kardia Cathedral, August looked out at the battlefield shrewdly. The harsh blizzard had died down. Brandish, free from Invel’s enslavement Magic, had been beaten down once she had regained control of her body and realized it, shocked beyond belief at what she had done… August could also feel the disturbance Dimaria had made with her Magic had been quelled as well, leaving the battlefield rather scarce of Spriggan Shields… Neinhart was still functioning, but if events continued progressing the way they were, he too would fall. Ajeel seemed to come to terms with his own defeat. The Historias had been dealt with, and Jacob lay defeated.
“It seems the time has come to speak with Irene…” The Magic King heaved an airy sigh. He remained out of the fight to see how far Fairy Tail would manage to get… and their tenacity was remarkable. He could freely admit that, after seeing Fairy Tail struggle so valiantly, he was much keener to negotiate with them. At the very least, they should set aside their feud until Acnologia was dealt with… August’s eyes snapped wide open as he felt a disturbance in the air, recognizing instantly what was happening. “Irene… you would go this far?”
The Magic King gripped his staff harshly. The Spriggan 12 in fighting shape had been whittled down to a measly two – only the mightiest remaining – and still Irene chose to go this far. He was revolted by her vulgar cruelty, and it stirred a rage within him that nearly bubbled over.
And yet…
“I will not raise a hand against Alvarez.” August firmly declared. “Nor can I in good faith defend a country that Alvarez has branded an enemy… I will allow Fairy Tail to deal with you, Irene, but mark my words: I will have you court-martialed for this. The toll for this decision will be too steep…”
The aged men let out a gruff snarl. He knew Irene would not stop here. She was not known for lenience and moderation. Irene Belserion was the Crimson Despair, and the battlefield would indeed run red with blood this day…
~*~
Irene yanked Mavis by the hair as they stepped outside the Guildhall. She stopped at the edge of the top of the hill to gaze upon the battlefield.
“Your Guild… gets under my skin, little girl…” Irene cruelly smirked. “The Spriggan 12 are practically extinct, and August won’t lift a finger! I have no doubt your stubborn pawns will crawl their way up here, if left alone. So I will do what August will not… and exterminate the pests. Enchant… Berserker!”
The redhead spread out her free arm, casting a glow that could be seen all around Magnolia. And down below, all of the thousands of remaining Alvarez soldiers started to glow, too – moaning in pain as their bodies mutated. Erza, standing over a defeated Neinhart, stared warily at the nearby soldiers who had previously been retreating from her general area. Other Fairy Tail members near the scarlet knight were taking notice of this development.
“What the?!” Max exclaimed.
“The enemy soldiers are acting strangely!” Warren observed.
The transformations ended abruptly, and the soldiers roared monstrously as their forms had become much stronger but their sanity was stripped away. The soldiers surrounding Erza and her allies charged, intent on striking down the Fairy Tail Wizards. Erza blocked their path, but she was knocked back from their brute strength.
“Erza…!” Warren cried out distressfully. Erza stood her ground as best as she could manage.
“The enemy army’s combat capabilities have been significantly upgraded!!” The scarlet knight warned everybody to keep their distance. Cana gritted her teeth.
“Tch! We already had our hands full with their overwhelming numbers… and now this…!”
Makarov stared at the new carnage with a grim expression. Up on the hill, Irene hummed thoughtfully.
“’Berserker’ amplifies their powers many times over. Its one occasional drawback is that they lose their ability to reason… But I digress.” She lifted Mavis’s head up by tugging on her hair. “I wonder how your pawns will counter this, Mavis…?”
Erza changed out of the armor she was in and switched to her Clear Heart Armor, choosing to pour her Magic into offense for now. She charged a crowd of soldiers and slashed at them with her sword, and they did indeed reel back… But instead of falling over, they recovered and let out more inhuman roars.
“That’s just great… on top of everything, you’re telling me they don’t feel pain?!” Max exclaimed in outrage.
Much to Fairy Tail’s regret, the tide of war was changing back in the enemy’s favor… And if it kept going this way, they were going to get slaughtered. Even the S-Class mages were feeling the pressure. Erza. Laxus. Mirajane. Gildarts. And that said nothing of the significantly less powerful mages, like Mest, Vijeeter, Nab, Max, and Warren… Makarov steeled himself for what he was about to do, after seeing his Guild in such agony.
“Is this… where we make our final stand?” Makarov wondered.
“Master, we mustn’t give up…!” Erza pleaded with the man, fighting as ferociously as she could manage. “I will create a path… give us an opening… no matter the cost!!!”
Makarov laid one hand on top of the other, shutting his eyes.
“So this is where it finally comes to an end… my long journey…”
Seeing what Makarov was doing, some of his Guildmates felt like they were getting a second wind.
“That stance…!” Warren grinned.
“It’s Fairy Law…!” Vijeeter smirked.
“That’s right, we’ve still got that up our sleeve!” Max cheered.
“This battle’s as good as one!” Cana was in high spirits, too.
Some of the members of the Guild were wary of Makarov’s choice of words, though…
“His journey… is ending…?” Mira asked in confusion.
Up on the hill, Mavis’s eyes widened as she realized exactly what Makarov was going to do in response to this threat. And she was not happy.
“He absolutely mustn’t…!” Mavis ignored the raised eyebrow from Irene. ‘Fairy Law is a Magic which shaves away at one’s very life in direct proportion to the amount of enemies on which it’s cast! If he uses it on such a large force, his body will not be able to endure it…! Please stop, Makarov!!!’
She screamed into the telepathic link that Warren still had set up. But Makarov kept his hands clasped together in a prayer pose.
‘First Master, I am well aware of the burden of Fairy Law… I beg of you, do not stop me. The time has come for me to make my grand exit. To join that rambunctious Pyro on the other side…!’
Mavis’s eyes quivered sorrowfully as Irene maintained her grip on her head.
‘I… I have a plan!! I’ve formulated a strategy which ensures our escape from this dire situation!’ Mavis knew she was bluffing at this point, because she was too scared of Makarov dying on everyone… on her…
“Enough!!!” Makarov bellowed, making Mavis go quiet. ‘My precious little brats are suffering right before my eyes! They’re being beaten and bruised on this hellish battlefield as we speak! To you, they may be nothing more than soldiers you can maneuver… But to me, these brats are my irreplaceable children!’
Mavis squirmed.
‘I… that’s not…!’
‘I know it all too well!’ Makarov denied any excuses the First was trying to formulate. ‘If we but follow your plan, we will surely seize the momentum and come out victorious! But that matters not! I cannot bear to stand idly by and watch my family’s blood be shed any longer! With the last few remaining years of this old soldier’s life… If I can use them to create a bright future for these brats… Well… Then I know what I must do… My job is a simple one.’
“Master?!” Erza screamed, as she listened on the conversation between Makarov and Mavis like everyone else. But Makarov smiled even as she turned to him.
“Listen well, Erza…”
“No!” Erza wailed frantically. “I will not… I refuse to listen!! We must return to the Guild… all of us together!!!”
Makarov took a deep breath as he launched into his final speech.
“No matter what hardships may fall upon you from here on out… If you walk hand-in-hand with your friends and allies, there will always be a path forward! Believe in your friends… and believe in yourself! A guild is a family… Do not ever forget that. Thanks to all of you, my journey was one filled with an abundance of elation and jubilation!”
“MASTEEER!!!” Erza shrieked as the other members of the Guild cried around them.
“Perhaps my only regret was not reeling that knucklehead in before he died… But even then, he turned out to be a fine young man, don’t you think, Erza?” Makarov’s smile widened. He then closed his eyes solemnly. “All of you… be well! I invoke… Fairy Law!!!”
An ocean of light burst out from the ground and enveloped so much of the battlefield… The Fairy Tail members wept for their Master, who was making such a sacrifice for them, and Irene, Mavis, and August looked on in awe as the battlefield was painted white for what seemed like an eternity… When it died down, there was large amounts of dust kicked up into the air, creating dense clouds. Erza stared numbly as her Master remained stuck in his heroic pose, head bowed, as the life was clearly extinguished from him. He did not collapse, however… Miraculously, he stayed standing in that pose. Like an undying symbol of their Guild’s fire and tenacity… Makarov had dedicated his life to Fairy Tail, and he served as an example to all that he called his children.
Erza shed more tears as she stood there speechless for several moments. All around the battlefield, throughout Magnolia, thousands of soldiers had been wiped out. Tens of thousands. Hundreds of thousands. Master Makarov had nearly won them the war with that one attack, and it would be so easy to return home and reclaim their First Master now…
But the price was still too high. Erza sank to her knees and prostrated herself, forehead touching the ground in her deep, respectful bow.
‘To have been able to grow up as your child… I was happy beyond words.’
Mavis, too, wanted nothing more than to sink her knees and cry her heart out. However, Irene would not allow it.
“H…How many was that…? How many did he take out?”
Irene rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
“I’d say roughly 70-80% of all Alvarez soldiers. If I were to make a quick estimate.”
Mavis’s eyes widened further at hearing that estimate. Then her eyes rippled as fresh tears trailed down her cheeks and she smiled bitterly.
“I’d expect nothing less from him… He was an outstanding mage.”
“That being said…” Irene continued on airily. “There were no casualties among the remaining members of the twelve. Though I’ll admit they were beaten down, sans August and myself… The flow of battle is unlikely to change in any significant way from this point forth. August is a wishy-washy bystander – willing to negotiate, but will not betray his country. Even if it’s me, who he disagrees with on so many matters, he will not help you. And there is no one in your precious Guild who can stand up to me. August and I are on our own level in sorcery… Since the others were so inept, I will exterminate Fairy Tail and its allies by myself. And I will enjoy it!”
Flinging Mavis back into the Guildhall, Irene slammed her staff on the ground and threw up an Enchantment that would prevent Mavis from leaving and others from entering. One that she knew only she would be able to break. A twisted, cruel smirk was plastered on Irene’s lips, her face darkly promising a horrific death for all of her enemies.
~*~
Gajeel flashed a toothy smirk as he leaped off a pile of defeated soldiers.
“Gihi… Gramps sure cut them down to size… I’m sure glad he was on our side. Look at this!” Gajeel gestured at such a large, breathable space. The bodies of Alvarez troops littered the streets, buildings, and other areas, but none of them were going to pose a threat. Not anymore.
Levy’s head was bowed as her tears fell onto the dirt.
“Weren’t you listening…? Master is…!” She sobbed, unable to finish that sentence. Gajeel’s grin dimmed at seeing Levy’s state.
“… I know, squirt.” He dipped his head, staring down at his clenching and unclenching hand while his bangs fell over his eyes.
“Then… why…?” Levy looked up at him, only mildly accusing him with a glare.
“Because we don’t got the time to bury our dead yet!” Gajeel snapped, a little too forceful than he meant to, but he didn’t apologize. “… We still got a war to wrap up, shrimp. Gramps thinned the herd, but we’re still stuck in this… distorted Magnolia. What does that tell us?”
Levy bit her lip as she looked around warily. Indeed, Magnolia seemed a bit… disorderly in its layout. It was subtle, but it was rearranged for defensive purposes, to keep Fairy Tail away from the Guild. The hill that the Guild was on that rose high into the sky was the biggest indicator of this.
“… That there’s still Spriggan Shields out there…”
“Exactly.” Gajeel grunted. He lifted up a soldier for emphasis. “There’s no way one of these pansies cast that Spell. These guys are the meatshields. I dunno how many Spriggans are left, but I bet you my bottom dollar that there’s at least one left, even after that last attack… It’s not over yet.”
Levy teared up more as that sank in for her. Despite Master’s sacrifice, it wasn’t over yet… How much more would they have to lose?
“Heeey! Gajeel…!”
The Iron Dragon Slayer and Script user looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. Gajeel blinked owlishly as the blond teen came running up to them.
“You’re only just now getting here? Sheesh. That Spell musta sent you miles away… We’re getting to the nitty-gritty here!”
Sting twitched, a vein pulsing on his forehead as he shook his fist at Gajeel.
“Cut me some slack! I was all by myself, and I stink with directions! Not to mention the world’s all outta whack… I mean, Crocus is, like, within a mile of Magnolia. That ain’t right!”
Gajeel rubbed his chin, scowl deepening.
“Yep… Definitely a Spriggan Shield’s work… But how the hell do ya fight someone who can play around with the world itself?” He muttered lowly to himself.
Levy smiled wryly at Sting, bringing him up to speed on everything they caught wind of through Warren’s telepathy. When she was finished, Sting’s face had become much more solemn.
“Damn… Guess you guys did start the party without me. And Master Makarov took out most of the enemy with a single attack? Sounds just like him…” Sting trailed off, his eyes fogging over with uncertainty a little. He stared up at Gajeel. “Hey… Can you tell me somethin’? Where’s… Natsu been in all this? It’s weird you’ve brought up all these big fights, and he hasn’t even been in one… At least from what you told me.”
The Iron Dragon Slayer grunted as Sting picked up on that little detail. Of course Levy would gloss over that bit of news, which happened way before the world went to hell… And looking over at her, he could tell she wasn’t in any shape to inform Sting.
He closed his eyes, steeling himself for Sting’s outburst.
“… Salamander’s dead. He killed Zeref before we were all sent out to back you guys up, and he died in the process.”
No verbal outburst came. Gajeel reopened his to see Sting overcome with a pensive expression, eyes trained on the ground. His hands were unclenched, and there wasn’t really anything that could reveal what the blond had going through his head. After a while, he clenched his fists, but his face remained unreadable.
“So… he’s really dead…” His voice was empty and hollow. Levy cringed, but Gajeel narrowed his eyes.
“Don’t tell me you’re flakin’ out… I don’t buy it that you’re depressed. You’re the kinda guy to blow up over shit like this… Don’t bottle it all in.”
Sting scoffed, raising a twitching hand to face level.
“So, what? I’m supposed ta blow up at you guys? No way in hell. I might be a hothead, but I’m not stupid! Venting at you guys won’t solve anything… I’ll pay these losers back a hundredfold for Natsu’s death, but I’m not gonna take it out on you guys. It’s thanks to Natsu, and Fairy Tail, that I turned my life around! If he died takin’ out the leader of Alvarez, least I can do is help take the rest of these assholes out… not to mention Acnologia. We’ve gotta do it for Natsu!”
As Sting declared this with nothing but conviction in his voice and determination in his eyes, Gajeel could only stare at the young Guildmaster. Levy, too, was surprised by how much maturity the blond was showing.
‘Natsu, you really did a number on this little punk… He’s come of age.’ Gajeel thought, acknowledging both Dragon Slayers with respect. Levy bit her lower lip, stuck in her own thoughts.
‘Natsu, I hope you’re watching… Your spirit and passion is living on through the people you inspired!’ A small, sad smile formed on her lips.
Out of sight, out of smelling distance from Gajeel, Laxus leaned against the wall of a crumbled building, hidden in the shadows. He craned his head up and stared at the sky contemplatively.
~*~
Slowly, Irene hovered across the sky as she stared down at her enemies, who were regrouping. She had gone unnoticed at first, but slowly, they were becoming aware of her presence as she leaked out more and more of her Magic power. She hummed noncommittally.
“Now, where do I even begin…?” She turned around slowly as she hovered around, taking in all of her targets. “A volcanic eruption? A meteor shower? So many options, but which is the most brutal and cruel…”
As she came to a stop, Irene suddenly smirked. Something was flying at her backside with high speed and power. Within a few moments, her opponent could probably land a solid hit… But…
“I’m not in the mood for playing around with you children anymore…!” Irene’s face became outright malicious as she whipped around at the last second and pierced her staff through Mira’s stomach violently, blood and guts exploding outward from the impact. Irene had enchanted her staff to have the consistency of a steel blade. Mira coughed up gobs of blood, but not a fleck of it got onto Irene as they floated there for a few moments. When Mira reverted back to her human form, Irene cupped her chin cruelly, uncaring that the light was slowly fading from the white-haired woman’s eyes. “You really were brazen, to attack the Queen of Alvarez in such a way… Be a good girl and go join your decrepit Guildmaster and vile demonic Dragon Slayer… Don’t worry, your friends will be right behind you!”
Coldly, and smoothly, Irene yanked out her staff and watched as Mira, unable to keep herself air-bound anymore, plummeted and thunderously crashed through the remains of a ruined building. As Irene had chosen to intercept Mira in the air, the cruel act was equivalent to a public execution. Many began to panic with how much ease the Crimson Despair had taken down the Demon of Fairy Tail, and many were concerned for the white-haired woman.
But of course, none screamed louder than Mirajane’s sister.
“MIRAAA!”
Old Days
I guess August has seen many generations of ministers and Spriggan 12s in his life, well, he’s 90+ years old so yeah. For this sketch I imagine August was 60+ years old and besides him were some grandfather/mother of the current Spriggans.
The woman on the left is a member of DiMaria’s family. The vessel of Chronos was passed down in the family and she was a very talented, strong and kind woman.
The one on the immediate right of August is Yajeel, the current minister of Alvarez Empire. He was trustworthy and became the minister at a young age.
The rightmost is Invel’s grandfather/relative, he was quite stoic but his ability to plan and organize things (ranging from events to wars) was exceptional and made business done quickly.
August sometimes think he has lived too long; most of his past comrades have passed away or lost their lives in wars. At the same time, August wants to fight until the very end of his life for his father.
My spriggan feels are about to kick in aren't they...😱
Invel pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as his gaze remained forward. They had not yet reached Magnolia, but they would soon.
“Fascinating… Of the Spriggan 12 members, only five remain uncaptured. Four of the twelve were even killed off…”
By his side, Yajeel shivered in shock and horror.
“Four of the twelve are dead…?! Does that mean Ajeel…?” He trailed off, not wanting to fathom the thought.
Invel shook his head.
“No, Ajeel remains uncaptured. Apparently, Larcade and Bloodman disappeared after his Majesty’s demise, which leads me to surmise they were Etherious. Wahl was eliminated by a member of Fairy Tail… and apparently Acnologia slaughtered God Serena. As for Dimaria and Neinhart, they are detained in Hargeon, and Brandish remains a captive in Magnolia.”
Yajeel stared down at the ground, immense sadness in his eyes, as they continued their march.
“This war inflicts a heavy toll… I never would have imagined over half of the twelve could be defeated. I dread to think the losses we have suffered amongst our other soldiers…”
“They serve their purpose.” Invel coldly remarked. “I am more concerned about the twelve; we cannot afford any more deaths. Neinhart can bring back the four that have passed away, but it will be a troublesome burden on his Magic power, even for him. I do not know how Irene plans to proceed, but Ajeel, Jacob, and August will most certainly make their respective moves on Magnolia. I have faith that in time, Brandish will be freed, and the tide will turn back in our favor. As for myself, I believe it would be beneficial to make a detour to Hargeon and secure Dimaria and Neinhart…”
Yajeel looked up at Invel in shock.
“You plan to make the army change course?”
Again, Invel shook his head in denial.
“No. I will leave everyone under your care – keep advancing and do not stop for anything. No matter how much the enemy begs, give them no quarter. I will deal with Hargeon myself.”
Having given his orders, Invel took his leave. Yajeel stared after him with a lost expression. Was there truly nothing else that could be done? Though he would like to call off the Western flank, Yajeel was just an old man who now answered to the Spriggan 12; Invel was going to pursue vengeance no matter the cost, Irene would likely go along with him, and Lord August…
“What would you have me do, O Magic King…?” Yajeel thought aloud, reluctantly following Invel’s orders as he hobbled along.
~*~
The Moving Temple, Olympia… a majestic, proud, and ancient structure-
“Hey, wasn’t this thing a water vehicle? How come it can fly, too?” Racer butted in on Angel’s inner monologue. A vein pulsed on Angel’s forehead as she twitched.
“You’re really going to complain at this point? Really?” She hissed.
Racer shrugged nonchalantly.
“Got a while ‘til we arrive, right? I’m bored.”
The twitching intensified.
“Would ya let me off this deathtrap already?!” Cobra groaned as he sat in a fetal position. Forgetting her ire for a moment, Angel chuckled mirthfully.
“You’re still going on about that? I thought you said motion sickness was a First Generation Dragon Slayer problem?”
Cobra groaned louder.
“I was wrong, okay? Never gonna make fun of Dragneel again.” Cobra solemnly swore. And he wasn’t lying through his teeth, for once.
Midnight shook his head in dry amusement.
“We’re not nearly at the Northern battlefront yet. If anything, we only passed by Magnolia a short while ago.”
“Then let me off there.” Cobra muttered stubbornly. “Northern’s not the only battlefield.”
Angel raised a delicate eyebrow at the Dragon Slayer’s attitude.
“You’re really willing to defy Jellal’s orders?”
Cobra scoffed at the inquiry.
“Jellal and Meredy went off on their own. Don’t see why we gotta move as a unit!”
For a while, Angel and Cobra just stared at each other, neither seeming to budge on their stances. Then, Angel spoke up again.
“… You really don’t want to be on this ship, do you?”
Cobra deadpanned at her. No, no he did not. Now that he got some fresh perspective courtesy of his queasy stomach, vehicles were manmade monstrosities. Real Frankenstein shit right here. People had two legs for a reason, right? To walk on the ground. Not have the ground move for them. Just as Kami intended.
“If Cobra wants to get off in Magnolia, I can go with him, if that’s what you’re all concerned about! Oh yeah!” Richard abruptly chipped in.
Midnight rolled his eyes.
“Erik’s a big boy. If he insists on getting off, he goes alone. We need all the muscle we can get on the Northern battlefront. Muscle includes you, big guy.”
Rather than be irked his real name was used instead of his codename, Cobra smirked at being given exactly what he wanted. An opportunity.
“You wanna just ditch me, huh?” He stood up on two shaky legs, but his grin never losing its cockiness. “That’s fine. I won’t be alone. I’ll get to see Cubelios again!”
… Unfortunately, Cobra’s big confident moment was ruined by his face looking like he was going to blow chunks.
~*~
Makarov narrowed his eyes as he stared at the map of Fiore.
“The Spriggan Shields in the East have stopped moving… Have they stopped their advance?”
Mavis looked just as grave. Despite the death of God Serena being very good news for them, the deaths of the Four Gods of Ishgar – particularly Warrod – hit Fairy Tail’s First Master hard. She was the only Founder left alive now. Well… ‘alive’ might be a bit of a stretch, at least with the current state of her body…
“There’s this unrest that I’m feeling…” She murmured. And not even a few moments later, the doors to the Guildhall were shoved open with impressive strength. Everyone was tense as the newcomer took a look around casually.
“Hmm… This is a neat Guild…” The dark-haired man muttered, hands stuffed in his pockets. “The sweet smell of liquor… absorbed into the wooden walls of this place…”
“Wh-Who are you?!” Mest exclaimed. The new man grinned.
“One of the Spriggan 12, Jacob Lessio, from the Alvarez Empire… At your service!”
“When did he…?!” This brought about mass panic, and Warren inspecting the map to see if it was functioning properly.
“Those markers have no meaning to them…” Jacob grinned as he slipped his hands behind his back, gentlemanlike. “Ya see, we’ve got this mad Wizard called August on our side, and… Well. That makes fooling your radars not that hard at all!”
Cana glared at Jacob.
“So you walk into our Guild alone?” She asked skeptically.
Jacob chuckled darkly as he walked over to a random table, like he didn’t have a care in the world.
“I don’t have… an army, or subordinate. But that just makes me all the more versatile. The man I told you about, August, he’s on his way here, too. He really has mad skills, I wouldn’t mess with him! But, hey, have you guys heard of Respect-for-the-Aged Day? Hm? Oh, you don’t have it here?” Jacob sat down comfortably, crossing one leg over the other. “We have it in Alakitasia, though. It’s a day where you respect the elderly and show your appreciation for them… And it just so happens to be today. So there’s no way I’m letting Old Man August do any hard work, thus my early arrival here!”
Jacob then turned to Kinana with a suave smirk.
“Hey, give me some liquor, won’t you? The stronger, the better…”
“We’re not giving you anything!” Makarov barked, a stormy expression on his face. Jacob sighed theatrically as he leaned forward in his seat.
“Well, it’s too bad, then… I was about to toast to the life you’ve lived up ‘til now, but… Let me tell you this, though. Assassinations are my work. And I’ve never failed any of them before.”
Max scoffed at Jacob’s assertion.
“Would you really announce that you’re an assassin, just like that?”
Jacob raised two fingers to his eyes.
“That’s a good point! But, assassination in its very foundation, is the art of hiding oneself in the darkness and hunting without noise. But I don’t do that. Do you know why? That’s because there is no need for me to hide!” He began to bring his palms together. “The only things I need to hide are the dead and witnesses… But by then, there won’t be anyone left!”
“Dead bodies and witnesses?!” Cana exclaimed, just as Jacob’s palms connected. In the next moment, there was a blinding light throughout the Guildhall, and then everyone but Jacob and Mavis vanished. As if they faded from existence.
“N-No…” Mavis whispered in dread, before she began panicking. “Makarov?! Macao?! Cana!! Everyone… where are you?!”
Jacob tilted his head slightly.
“Oh…? There’s one more… A ghost, I see…”
Mavis tensed as she eyed Jacob warily.
‘The only people that can feel, hear, and see me are those from the Guild!’
“There you are!” Jacob made a shooting motion with his fingers, and Mavis found herself in pain suddenly.
“’There you are?!’ AHHH!” She choked out. ‘Wh-Why?! I don’t even have a body…!’
“Heyyy… I’m pretty sure you could talk to me if you put some effort into it, no?” Jacob spoke carefreely as Mavis lay hunched on the ground, groaning in pain. “I think I’ve got it, though. So you’re the Fairy Heart that the Emperor has been talking about… So tell me, where is your ‘body’? Tell me!”
Jacob continued to hurt Mavis through some means, leaving her unable to speak, save for her shrieks of pain. In the basement, the top of her body began to bleed mysteriously…
“I’ll return your Guildies, if you tell me!” Jacob promised. Mavis’s eyes widened.
“H-Huh...?”
Jacob stood up and towered over Mavis.
“They’re currently in the boundaries between life and death, but technically still alive! But if I let them go, then they will die…”
‘Everyone’s still alive…?’ Mavis thought to herself in shock.
“You’re the only one that can save them…” Jacob stressed, making his demands clear through a threat.
‘If I choose my Guild members… Then it would mean giving up the entire world… But can I even trust this man?! What do I do…?’ Mavis glared at Jacob defiantly, feeling conflicted. But before she could make her decision, Lucy came up from behind and kicked Jacob brutally, dressed in her Taurus Star Dress.
“Are you okay, First?!”
“Lucy!! You’re okay!!” Mavis exclaimed happily.
“Happy, too!” Lucy replied with a thumbs-up. Happy floated in the air with his wings and looked around.
“Huh…? Where is everyone?”
“He’s got them hidden somewhere!” Mavis informed them. “We’ve got to take him down!!”
Lucy switched over to her Capricorn Star Dress.
“Oh, so he’s the reason for that weird Magic!”
“Bring everyone back!!” Happy demanded.
Jacob groaned as he sat up on the floor.
“Impossible… My Magic should have covered the whole Guild…” He grunted as he stood up.
Lucy and Happy giggled mischievously, revealing they had received aid from Horologium. Lucy had lost her clothes as a result of the abrupt save, but she salvaged that through the Star Dresses.
“We’ve got the Celestial Spirits’ protection!” Lucy grinned, wagging her finger proudly.
Jacob grinned right back, unsettling Lucy and Happy.
“Aha… If you had disappeared like you should have, you wouldn’t have to go through something as scary as this…” He cocked his head at Mavis. “Hey, spirit! I’m changing my terms. I will now tear this girl to bits. So come down if you feel like it… But if you don’t, then enjoy the show! Maybe all I’ll leave behind for you will be her head!”
Jacob rummaged in his jacket before throwing some invisible blade, a dagger.
“Lucy, watch out…!” Mavis cried out.
Lucy, unable to think on the spot, stood there and tried to shield her face. However, at the last second, Loke appeared and deflected the blade. He then stood up at full height and straightened his tie.
“Now, that’s a terrible thing to say to a Lady…”
“Loke!!!” Lucy and Happy cried out in glee. Jacob just stared at the Lion Spirit blankly.
“You seem like a chivalrous gentleman kinda guy… Tell ya what. I’ll let you leave here with that broad – save her from seein’ something so unsightly. I’ll even throw in the cat! Waddaya say?”
Loke frowned at the offer. He got into a fighting stance.
“Thanks for that ‘generous’ offer, but as a knight in shining armor, I’ll gladly give you my all!”
‘Knight in shining armor? Really?’ Lucy deadpanned in her head. She twitched as Happy stared up at her with puffy cheeks, as he clearly held giggles in.
Jacob rolled his neck, getting several cricks out.
“Well, don’t complain when I rip her to shreds, then. I did give you the chance to back out!” Jacob then vanished from view. Lucy, Loke, and Happy whipped their heads around in an attempt to see which direction the Spriggan Shield would be coming from. Loke cried out in pain as he was abruptly sent flying by a punch; in the next moment, Jacob appeared again, standing where Loke had been. Lucy stared in open-mouthed horror.
‘I… I didn’t even hear him…!’
“What the hell was that?!” Loke’s arms were up in a defensive position as he glared at Jacob. The Spriggan Shield wasted no time in striking Lucy and sending her careening into a wall with a savage kick. “Lucy!!!”
Just as Loke started charging at Jacob, the man disappeared again, and the Lion Spirit found himself overtaken again by the strange man appearing right at his side, mid-sprint.
“You got no chance in hell, prettyboy! Go back to that sparkly Celestial plane!”
Jacob struck Loke yet again, and followed up with a few more successive strikes as the Spirit tumbled on the ground. From her spot over by the wall, Lucy grimaced and held up a Gate Key.
“OPEN! Gate of the Sea Goat, Capricorn!” The aforementioned Spirit then shimmered into existence by her side.
“How may I be of assistance, Milady?”
Lucy pointed at Jacob angrily.
“Take him down!”
Capricorn nodded tersely.
“Right!” He entered the fray, managing to catch the Spriggan Shield off-guard with a swift kick and several punches.
“Another one?!” Jacob growled as he blocked the next few strikes and dished back a punch at the goat. “You’re just makin’ things harder for yourself, brat!”
Jacob then disappeared again. Capricorn frowned shrewdly.
“Sir Leo…”
Loke stood up shakily.
“Yeah, I think I’m getting the hang of it now…”
“He’s using ‘Stealth’!” Mavis piped up from where she was still collapsed on the floor. “It’s complete transparency camouflage!”
Jacob then appeared over her and stomped down on her head.
“That’s not all. I can also see that which cannot be seen. Like this ghost girl, for example!”
“Bastard… Take your damn feet off of…!” Lucy growled, but then Loke and Capricorn took action.
“Shining Lion!!!” Loke emitted a brilliant light around himself that caused Jacob to raise his arm to shield his eyes. “Tag, you’re it!!!”
Loke punched the man like a speeding bullet train, sending him reeling back across the floor.
“Now this guy’s a pain in my ass…!” Jacob growled as he squinted his eyes. He attempted to fight back with another invisible weapon, but Capricorn stepped in and snagged it in midair after ascertaining what kind of movements Jacob was making with his hands, catching Jacob off-guard and allowing Loke to get more hits in. Jacob roared furiously. “DAMNITTT!!!”
Jacob let go of that whip and in quick-draw fashion brought out his gun again and shot both Loke and Capricorn, making Loke dispel the light and Capricorn drop the whip. Jacob smirked, pocketing the gun and picking up his invisible whip effortlessly, proceeding to wave it all around, striking both Celestial Spirit and human alike. Believing himself to have the upper hand, Jacob homed in on Lucy and increased both the speed and power of his strikes.
“You ain’t stoppin’ the Spriggan 12, brat!!! We always get what we want, all for the sake of our Emperor!”
Though Lucy was his primary target, Loke and Capricorn were still kept at bay with the occasional lash of the whip. The man was certainly skilled at wielding it. Not even Happy and Mavis were spared.
But just when all hope seemed lost, a fast-moving blur appeared behind Jacob.
“I can hear it… You’re scared of these Fairies actually putting up a fight!”
Jacob whipped his head around at the sound of the new voice, but it was too late.
“WHAT?! HOW’D YOU…!” He cried out as Cobra, channeling Poison Dragon Slaying Magic into his hand clawed at Jacob’s backside and sent him flying. Cobra gave a toothy smirk at his handiwork, even as Lucy, Happy, Mavis, Loke, and Capricorn stared dumbfounded at him.
“Sorry I’m late… those jackasses wouldn’t actually drop me off at the Guild, so I had to walk. Still, seems like I made it.”
Despite being enemies with him in the past, Lucy couldn’t help breaking out in a wide smile.
“Cobra!!”
“Just in the nick of time!” Happy cheered.
“Th-Thanks…” Loke’s expression was torn between a grin and a grimace, as he was clutching at his injuries. Capricorn straightened his sunglasses.
Cobra suddenly frowned as he turned to face the assassin, who he’d disregarded for a few moments.
“Ya got a lotta nerve, attacking this Guild! Don’t think I’ll let you off the hook. Even if you beg, I’m kickin’ your ass into next week.”
Jacob stood up, wiping a few flecks of blood off of his mouth. His back now had a huge gash in it, and he could feel some poison circulating throughout his body now.
“Funny, I was about to say the same to you, punk… Striking a dignified gentleman while his back’s turned! I won’t forgive ya!” He disappeared once again.
Lucy and the rest were worried about this development, but Cobra just grinned cockily and charged up Poison Dragon Slaying Magic in his fists and perfectly countering Jacob before he could materialize at his side.
“Gentleman?! Don’t make me laugh!” Cobra dished out an uppercut under Jacob’s chin and then slugged Jacob in the chest, making him appear again. He didn’t let the assassin have breathing room, he followed up his initial attacks with more savage punches that whittled away at Jacob’s power because of the poison. “You Alvarez chumps come into our turf and whine about getting attacked?! Man the fuck up!”
Jacob managed to catch Cobra’s next punch, and attempted to strike him in the face, but the maroon-haired man craned his head to the side and dodged the punch. Jacob’s eyes widened as he felt a searing pain in the hand he caught and withdrew it from Cobra’s poison-coated fist.
“The hell are you?! You’re weaker than me!!!” Jacob clutched at his hand, which had developed some kind of burn or rash from coming into contact with Cobra’s poison.
Cobra just smirked cockily and continued to press his advantage.
“Me? I’m but a humble Dragon Slayer… And you’re no dragon. You’re just a two-bit punk of an assassin. Poison Dragon ROAR!” Cobra brought his hands together and unleashed a stream of Poison Dragon Slaying Magic that overtook Jacob and made him scream out in agony. And while his opponent was in a petrified state, Cobra charged right through him with scaly claws for hands. Jacob coughed out blood as he sank to his knees, before collapsing to the floor unceremoniously. Claw still outstretched and his body still leaning forward, Cobra smirked darkly. “… Show’s over!”
Lucy and the others appeared flabbergasted as they drank in the scene. Cobra’s hands returned to normal as he stuffed them in his pockets.
“H-H-How did you do that?!” Lucy yelped. “I thought you’d need our help for sure!”
Cobra sneered.
“I just used my greatest strength without tellin’ him about it… He didn’t even have a clue. I can hear thoughts, remember? He could cloak his body, muffle his movements… But his thoughts rang loud and clear!”
“Amazing…” Loke muttered while Capricorn helped Lucy to her feet. But before they could celebrate, Happy cried out fearfully.
“W-W-Wait…! That guy! He took everyone somewhere!”
Lucy’s eyes widened at the reminder.
“That’s right…! Without that guy, who knows what’s going to happen to them?!”
Cobra rolled his good eye.
“Relax, they’re fine.”
And just as they were going to press Cobra about his nonchalant attitude, a brilliant light shone throughout the Guildhall as everyone reappeared. Everyone looked confused about what had just happened, but looked none the worse for wear.
“I guess with that guy knocked out, he can’t maintain his Magic…” Loke deduced correctly, while Makarov took a step forward and glowered at the fallen assassin.
“Lock him up! He had the nerve to endanger our Guild, so he will be given no quarter!”
Cobra gave the Guildmaster a smug grin as it was his turn next, when Makarov turned to him. Jet and Droy moved to comply with their Master’s command. Lucy followed after them, as she wanted to check up on Brandish.
“Yo. Glad I decided to get off here, or you guys would be screwed!” Cobra decided it was best to leave out the part that he just wanted off Sorano’s deathtrap because he was feeling sick…
Makarov nodded tersely in gratitude.
“For saving the lives of my children, and protecting our First Master, you have my eternal gratitude…” He turned his head to eye Warren, who was checking on the map. “I take it Crime Sorciere have decided to lend a hand?”
Cobra spread out his arms lazily, gazing up at the ceiling.
“Pretty much. Ishgar’s our home, too, y’know? Plus, Jellal’s got that whole vendetta against Zeref anyway…” He eyed Makarov with a modicum of delight. “And… I won’t deny it felt good to get my pound of flesh.”
Makarov nodded in understanding. Kinana then broke away from the crowd and ran up to Cobra with a bright grin on her face.
“Erik…!”
Cobra frowned marginally, but reluctantly accepted her hug all the same. He kept his eye on Makarov, though.
“Your help is appreciated, Cobra.” Makarov replied honestly. “Though Zeref is dead along with our Natsu, we still have a war to fight. Alvarez won’t give up because their Emperor is gone – if anything, they will strike back out of revenge. We also have Acnologia to worry about…”
Cobra grimaced at the summation of current events, still holding Kinana securely.
“Sounds like a mess, alright… So that fireball got himself killed already, huh?”
“Not without taking Zeref with him.” Makarov affirmed, to which Cobra nodded blankly.
“Guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less… So what now?”
Warren shook his head sadly as he set down the device with the map of Fiore.
“With August jamming our radar, I can’t get an accurate picture of where we stand… There are at least four Spriggan Shields to worry about, though. Ajeel – who Erza beat, but didn’t capture. Invel to the West. August to the East. And some unknown Spriggan to the North…”
“Sounds better than I was expecting…” Cobra remarked dryly. Makarov shook his head.
“On the contrary. We fought tooth and nail to reach this point! And the harshest battles are still to come… August, the King of Magic, is in a league of his own. He is possibly more powerful than Zeref ever was.”
Cobra’s eye bulged in shock and horror.
“You want to fight a monster like that?!”
Makarov turned to the side, appearing deep in thought.
“Not if we can speak with him… And I think we have someone that may be willing to do that for us. That is, if she’s willing to cooperate…”
~*~
Brandish eyed Lucy as Jet and Droy dragged in Jacob, clothes in tatters. Next to her, Marin looked shocked that Jacob had been taken down.
“… I’d like to speak with your Guildmaster.”
Lucy, Jet, and Droy all froze at the request…
Neinhart what the fuck are you doing in there