Fairy Tail - Eyes of Ice

Chapter 17 - Clover Town Pt. 7

The misty rainwater that splashed against Kai's wings turned to thin bits of ice that clattered down on the building beneath him. Gray clouds swirled about he and Erza.

"Enough games, Kai," Erza said. "Whatever point you wanted to make about showing how strong you've come? It's done. You were worried about not being stronger than Natsu but here you stand and there he is. Down for the count. Something few can do."

"He was holding back," Kai growled. "And I don't need to be stronger than Natsu. I need to be stronger than everyone."

Besides, he knew that in reality this wasn't how he would normally fight. Magic pulsed in his body as he struggled to retain control of the Takeover form; only his overwhelming anger that streamed out of him and into the frigid ice around his body maintained the form. He had control of his body, not his emotions.

"You aren't. Especially not me." Erza raised her sword toward Kai. "But I know that the one who stands opposite me isn't Kai Hope. Not my Kai Hope."

"Just the real one."

Erza grit her teeth, then she moved, in a blur. One that Kai perceived.

"Moon Flash!"

Titania flashed her blade in flash but Kai swung his blade out and interrupted the spell before it could land, then burst a ball of ice forward that crashed into Erza's chest. Kai unleashed a draconic roar and grabbed Erza by the face and flung her toward the building.

She bounced once and then cut back through the air in a straight black line, swooping back around toward him with a second sword in hand. Kai shifted his sword hand around and flipped over.

"Ice Dragon Twister!"

The flurry of snow and ice slammed into Erza and shot her back across the Clover Town skyline once more. She crashed through part of a thatched roof and spilled down onto the streets below as Kai landed on a nearby building, arms crossed.

A powerful aura exploded where Erza lay, then three different swords shot through the sky, one of them clipping Kai's side, and the force of the blow sent him skidding back.

Erza emerged, rage plain on her face, in her Heaven's Wheel armor.

Kai aimed his sword at her as she did the same with her two blades.

"Circle Sword!

"Frozen Sword Formation: Sheer Cold Second Layer!"

Kai's magic circle formed around him just as Erza's spell did and the two attacks collided, shooting Kai into the air just from the pressure of it all. Kai flipped over as Erza soared up to him. They exchanged two blows, neither landing a strike, before Kai kicked Erza back.

She pursued, staying in her Heaven's Wheel armor, spinning around and punching him in the face after a feint. He maintained flight but still flew back. He held his sword out but a sword he didn't see, or hear, spun around from behind and smacked it out of his hand.

"Ice Dragon Roar!"

The spell didn't even come out as planned, it just came on instinct...and with way more power than Kai was anticipating, as the air around the blast seemed to quiver before impacting Erza, who flashed a bright light before it collided into her.

Kai stumbled onto a rooftop. Magic Council knights started to form up. Kai flared his aura again, unleashing his power and freezing the rooftop around him. Another guttural roar escaped his lips.

Hades' voice laughed in the back of his mind, and the dark voice egged him to unload his power on the Magic Council, to really make a name for himself.