Amber was not the biggest fan of Verani's idea to letting her take on one of the Spriggan 13 on her own, but she had to admit that the blonde had also made a decent decision based on the circumstances. Their job was to close the breach in the barrier to keep anyone else from getting into Magnolia. If she could get that done, she could then join her friend in taking down this new enemy without worrying about someone coming at them from inside or anyone else getting past them.
Verani was crackling with two-toned lightning as a gentle wind seemed to flow off of her.
Her opponent blinked a few times in her direction. Alexa grumbled as her shoulders sagged, "Not only are you not going to let me through, you're going to go all out, aren't you?"
"Drop that stupid attitude," V growled, "Like hell I'd let you attack my home."
The purple-haired mage shrugged, "It's your funeral."
In that instant, her golden eyes snapped open as her own magic power surged. She threw her arm forward as golden light formed in her hand, extending long enough for her to span the distance, "Solar Whiplash!"
Verani flipped to the side with a newfound gracefulness that almost made it seem as if she weren't fully touching the ground. But Alexa didn't wait, pulling the radiant whip back and lashing out again. Quickly figuring out that her opponent wasn't going to just give her an opening, Verani turned so that she was cartwheeling more than just flipping out of the way, able to point a finger in the purple-haired mage's direction.
"Flash Bolt!"
Alexa redirected her lashes, using the glowing whip to deflect the shots so she wouldn't have to move, "I knew I should have traded with Serena.
"Storm Torrent!"
This time, she knew that her whip would not be enough to block the chain of angry clouds sparking in her direction. Disgruntled, Alexa jumped out of the way, whining. "Hey! I'm trying not to run around that much!"
"Tough," Verani half-growled as her magic cloaked her entire being. Using her Lightning Body, she zipped across the distance, charging up her fist. "Striking Knu-!"
But Alexa had seen it coming. "Solar God Howl!"
The blonde's lightning shifted from gold to blue, her new magic enhancing her speed enough to fully dodge the attack that was literally spat in her direction. She clenched her teeth as she slid to a stop, letting the cloak flicker out as the lightning still gently rolled along her skin.
"I guess that explains what kind of magic you use."
"What about it?" Alexa yawned, "If that's all you wanted to know, are we done here? I just want to report back after we win so I can sleep."
"Is bitching the only thing you know how to do?" V growled. This woman wasn't taking a second of this fight seriously yet and she could feel it. There was no doubt in her mind that the purple-haired bimbo had much more magic than she did. Even without the warning from the guild hall, she would have been able to figure out that Alexa was one of the Spriggan.
Said Spriggan shrugged, "Well no, but there really isn't a point wasting my power on you."
"Why you...." Verani shot a hand forward, trying to focus her mind on what Ren had taught her and not the annoyance running through her veins. She pulled at the air hanging around her naturally as she formed it into a launching force for the rocks around them. "Aerial Shot!"
||~x~||
Master Mavis hadn't given her the greenlight to go help anyone yet, even Erza, and that was driving Kia a little bit insane. Then it felt like things got a dozen times worse when the sandstorm started. It gave the Phoenix Slayer some insight into the conditions of at least two of the fights. Ajeel was not making things easy for Erza and her friends hadn't been able to patch the hole in Freed's enchantment yet.
"What's with all this sand?" Makarov questioned as soon as everyone shielded their faces.
But Master Mavis was still in tactical mode, "Make sure that the doors and windows are tightly shut!"
Stepping up against one of the tables in the center of the room in hopes of not being in anyone's way, Kia pressed her fingers against her communication rune. "How are things looking?"
Amber moved her arms so that she could press the rune while continuing to maintain her Blood Barrier. "Was on my last anchor when this damn sand hit."
"Wait, was V fighting the Spriggan on her own?"
"More like fussing, not fighting."
"Oh lay off," the blonde's voice grumbled through the telepathy, trying not to lose concentration on the basic air sphere she had placed around her head. There was a very fine line between protecting and suffocating herself. "It's not my fault she wouldn't shut up about just wanting to go to bed."
The pinkette suppressed a chuckle in her throat, "Yeah, that sounds like it would get on your nerves."
"It would get on yours too."
Their conversation didn't get a chance to go any further before a bright point of light twinkled from where Kia had last seen the airships that hadn't landed yet. It was almost immediately accompanied by a powerful shot of magic that streaked across the sky from the Eastern Forest. It ripped through the grainy storm and in seconds all of the sand began to dissipate around them.
"Thank you, Erza, Bisca." A mischievous smirk crossed V's lips as her bubble disappeared. Her magic crackled back to life as she quickly found her opponent again.
Alexa hadn't moved since the sandstorm had hit. Now shaking the sand from her clothes as she grumbled to no one in particular, "Damn it, Ajeel. Why do you always have to be so damn impulsive? This is why I didn't want to be in the same battalion as you."
In her utter annoyance for her comrade, she was not prepared for the continuation of the fight his sand had interrupted.
"Flash Bolt!"
Verani was a little mad with her decision to go for the weaker, but faster spell after it connected cleanly with the God Slayer. She just told herself to be happy that she had actually landed a blow as her magic started crackling around her again.
"You little..." Alexa patted at the small smoking spot from the blonde's attack. Her attitude was quickly shifting from its earlier lackadaisical tone to someone who woke up on the wrong side of the bed. "I've about had it with you."
Her magic swelled with almost no restraint, "Solar God Howl!"
V's smirk hadn't faded, even as she jumped to the side, but that was because she knew something that her opponent had yet to notice.
"Blood-Make: Katanas."
The two shimmering red blades clashed with the Solar Whip that Alexa had been able to summon out of reflex in order to keep herself from being hacked up pretty badly. Amber traded a few blows with the Spriggan before landing back beside her friend.
"Finally ready to join the fun?"
The Blood mage rolled her eyes, "Yeah, because it's been sounding like you've been having fun."
"Hey! I said to lay off it!"
Amber ignored the small outburst from the blonde as she rested her fingers against her communication rune, "Patch is up. We should be finishing this up shortly."
"Good. Just keep me updated."
Alexa was not pleased with the dark-haired mage's message back to the Phoenix Slayer. "Do you really believe you will be the winners in this fight?"
"Will do." V responded through the rune, but her mischievous look was mostly definitely directed at the Slayer whose golden eyes were continuing to darken.
Reaching one of her hands outward, a dozen golden circles appeared in front of her before they pulsed. Each sent a burst of blistering energy toward the pair that was only visible from its faint glow in the lack of strong light around them. "Solar God Helius."
Neither of the Mythics stayed still long enough to learn what would happen if they let the Sun spell make contact with their skin, but that didn't mean they couldn't feel the unbearable heat radiating from the sudden pops of force cutting through the air. It oddly reminded the two of how Atlas Flame had been able to warm the entire city block around him when they fought in Crocus a little over a year ago. But they were stronger than they had been back then. Even if they could sense the differences in her magic, they knew that they had to bring that same kind of focus. They needed to keep her on par with a dragon in their mind, regardless of the kind of strength that she was showing now.
Without a word between them, they both dove forward. Verani focused her magic into her fist, moving in first.
"Striking Knuckle!"
As expected, Alexa blocked with another forming sun whip before turning it on the blonde.
"Blood Guard!" Amber slid to a stop in front of her friend with her shielded wrists raised. V didn't even flinch against the incoming attack, instead vaulting over the Blood mage to go in for another electric filled punch.
Their moves were effortless. They anticipated both their enemy's moves as well as each other's, continually dancing back and forth.
The Spriggan was not a fan of being pushed back and she also did not like how well these two were working together. She cussed out anyone and everyone who thought it was a good idea to send her with the nighttime invasion when she was a Solar God Slayer. Her power and options were drastically limited without her main power source overhead in the sky. It even affected her natural energy and stamina. It was ridiculous being in her twenties with more or less a bedtime, but she just reached a point not long after sunset where her body was ready to recharge on its own before she could drink in the warm rays at dawn.
'Ajeel, Invel, or whoever, you are getting a piece of mind once we regroup.' Her voice growled in her head. A part of her felt as if she had Wall to blame for everything. It almost felt like he just wanted her to play guard duty on his damn breach. 'His damned weakness bots could have done this and I wouldn't have to be here.'
A growl escaped her as her own thoughts blinded her long enough for one of Verani's staticy punches to connect with her cheek. Her body flipped feet up as she skid backward on her back. As the two pounced, she had had enough.
"Solar God's Halo!"
A glowing ring expanded outward from her waist, blasting the unexpecting Mythics backward through the air. She immediately started striking out with her sun whip before they could fully right themselves to land.
"Flash Bolt!" Verani shot at the magical weapon before it could hit Amber.
The God Slayer growled, wanting nothing more than to blast the both of them with a pair of powerful Howls, but she didn't have it in her this time of night. This was why she should not have been a part of this division.
Alexa dodged under Amber's advance, but the Blood mage had planned for that.
"Blood-Make: Net."
Wasting no time, Amber jumped back, "Now V!"
The blonde had already been concentrating her magic overhead as blue lightning crackled in the sky. The giant magic circle only shone for a few seconds before the barrage of bolts rained down, hitting the ground around them with enough force to boom like resounding thunder.
"Strike Storm!"
||~x~||
The wave of relief that came over nearly everyone in the guild was so strong that it almost had a physical form, especially as more and more good news was coming through Warren's link after Natsu had declared that the enemy's western force had been completely taken care of. The Thunder Legion managed to keep the enchantment up while also finishing off their own of the Spriggan 13.
Everyone had begun checking in with each other on the battlefield, Kia able to listen to them as Warren had opened it up so that everyone could hear the amazing reports of victory that were coming into the guild.
Lucy's cheerful voice came through, "I'm happy to report we've captured one of the 13. Lucky us!"
"And we're bringing her back to the guild hall." Cana added in.
The voice of another blonde came through, Kia able to clearly picture the smirk on her best friend's face as she spoke, "And they aren't the only ones."
"V and I are headed back into town with a sleepy Spriggan ourselves."
Warren cheered, "Aw, yeah! This is awesome!"
"Did ya hear that, Zeref?" Romeo pumped a fist in the air, "Don't mess with Fairy Tail!"
Kia watched the grin tug at the corners of Laxus' lips beside her, "That's my Thunder Legion for ya."
She felt the same way as she pressed her fingers to the rune on her forearm with a sigh, "Great job, guys."
But their celebration came to an abrupt halt when an explosion rang out over Magnolia. Even inside the guild hall, they could feel the faint tremor under their feet. Everyone throughout the town started questioning what had caused it and where it had been, but those questions only lasted a few seconds.
Kia stepped over to one of the windows, easily spotting the weak plume of smoke that was weaving its way toward the stars.
"Hey! What just happened?" Laxus turned to Warren. His heightened hearing gave him an easier time narrowing down where the explosion had taken place in town and he wasn't thrilled with his current guess.
Warren shook his head, "Dunno. It's really hard to tell."
This did nothing to ease anyone's nerves as the communication wizard began checking in with everyone still out on the battlefield. It quickly became apparent something was wrong when none of the Thunder Legion responded.
"Hey! Bixlow! Ever! Freed! Are you there?!" Laxus had moved over, yelling into Warren's ear like it was a microphone. "Please respond!"
But no one had time to say anything as the tablet in Warren's hands began buzzing with an alert tone. His eyes immediately scanned over the new information. "Hey! There's something huge coming our way!" Something akin to disbelief began crossing his features, "It's magic power! Whatever that is, it's super fast and headed right for us!"
This was probably the only thing that stopped the Lightning Dragon Slayer from bolting across town to check on his friends. "What? Their army?"
"No." Makarov had his gaze fixed on one of the upper windows, "I'd bet they're firing some kind of long-range attack."
Romeo turned, "Can they seriously hit us from that far away?"
Master didn't bother responding to his question, reaching out over the telepathy, "Freed, we need you! Put your enchantment back up! Freed!"
"Nothing. There's no response!"
And those words did not sit well with the rest of the guild that was spread throughout Magnolia. They could easily hear the desperation rising in their Master's tone that only added to their worry surrounding the three mages who still hadn't answered any of them over the link.
As everyone stopped, waiting on either of their masters back at the guild to give them new orders, Kia stepped over to stand behind Warren. Her eyes quickly scanned over the new situation, noting the location of not just the incoming attack and its estimated time of arrival but also where everyone not at the hall was currently at.
Warren didn't even seem to notice her presence behind him as he yelled, "That thing is getting closer! And fast!" He double-checked its trajectory with dread, "It's gonna be a direct hit!"
"Evacuate the guild now!"
Everyone heard their Master's command, but only one of them had been prepared to move before he had spoken.
"Run out the back!"
All of them easily spotted the streak of pink that had bolted for the front of the guild as she yelled. There wasn't a second to spare and Kia was already working out a few of the kinks in her plan. "Warren!"
He didn't need to clarify what she wanted, opening up his magic so that she could speak through it freely. "Done!"
"V, we need the status on the Thunder Legion now. Amber, meet up with Mira's group a few blocks ahead."
The two Mythics only exchanged a glance and quick nod before the blonde began to glow from the lightning cloaking her body, "On it."
Everyone else that could hear the Phoenix Slayer suddenly take charge of the situation waited for their own orders. It was evident in her tone that she knew what she was doing and neither of their Masters were arguing.
Until they all heard Makarov's voice ring in their heads, "Kia! Don't be crazy!"
But she didn't respond to the command nor did she listen. Those in the guild hall watched as she ran full speed out the doors. As soon as they were out of her way, she flipped forward so she could touch her palms down on the ground without disrupting her momentum.
"Phoenix Slayer Secret Art: Living Chains."
A familiar circle appeared on her back as she finished flipping back to her feet. Her wings snapped out, jumping as soon as she landed upright. Kia rose into the air just faster than the enormous fiery chains that burst from the ground like a giant wall in front of the guild hall.
Levy stared, "She isn't going to try stopping that herself, is she?!"
The question was shouted and argued, but none of them reached the pinkette's ears. Her focus was solely on managing what magic power she had been able to regain since that afternoon. It pooled in her throat, growing hotter before she fired.
"Phoenix Piercing Cry!"
All across Magnolia the members of Fairy Tail watched the concentrated beam of deep crimson fire shoot through the night sky, set to collide with the larger swell of magic that was coming their way. There was no doubt that her attack was strong, but was it strong enough?
"Go Sis!" Natsu cheered, throwing a fist in the air.
They all braced for the inevitable explosion that would ripple out from the collision, but it didn't happen. Instead, the missile began to slow, but the force of Kia's cry was nowhere near enough to fully cancel out Wall's attack. But she didn't give up.
She knew how much damage her Living Chains could hold out against right now, she just needed to slow this thing down to at least half of its initial approach speed in order to know that it wouldn't be able to touch the guild. That was the only way to make sure that her defenses would hold up.
Down in the guild hall, everyone had forgotten the orders to evacuate as they stood transfixed.
"It's still coming!" Jet cried.
Droy was equally as panicked, "What are we gonna do?!"
The last member of their team became fearful for a completely different reason when her hazel eyes stayed glued to the figure hovering between them and the attack. The fire coming from her mouth hadn't wavered as she stayed fixed to that point in the sky. "Kia!"
"She isn't moving!" Max yelled, quickly seeing what was bothering the Script mage.
Kia could easily tell that she was running out of space to stop the missile, but it was quickly looking like she was going to have to either pull at her Etherious power or fly directly into it herself so it would go off before hurting anyone else.
Amber had just reached Mira's group, having passed Alexa's still-unconscious form to Elfman as her eyes widened. She didn't even bother with their private communication channel as she yelled out where everyone could hear, "Kia, you haven't recovered enough for that!"
Master went right after her, "Move brat! You can't hold that back on your own!"
"She isn't on her own."
The deep male voice caused everyone to look between one another. Levy blinked, "Who was that?"
But she didn't receive a direct answer, but a large dark mass appeared from the edge of town. Romeo pointed, "The Christina!"
"That was Ichiya?"
The magic bomber flew directly in front of Kia, who dropped her spell just in time to not take the ship out herself. In a split second, she wrapped her flaming wings around her body as the giant ship took the hit for her. Debris shot outward, raining down on the streets of Magnolia directly in front of the guild. The Phoenix Slayer would have dropped like a stone with her wings folded if it weren't for the blast of air that the explosion caused.
"He just used his ship as a shield!" Happy's voice rang out as everyone stared at the giant fireball in the sky that was slowly shifting into smoke. While everyone else stayed rooted in place, Natsu had taken off.
"Where's Kia?!"
Just as she heard her brother calling out about her, the pink-haired mage's back slammed into her own spell. Her fiery cocoon came loose from the force, the air catching against her wings as she weakly swayed toward the ground. Everyone in the guild hall sighed in relief as they watched her take control over her landing. The large flaming chains flickered out, the magic rising away into the sky until it completely disappeared.
"Calm down, blockhead. I'm fine."
He immediately stopped sprinting as his feet hit the paved streets inside the city's limits. He closed his eyes as his shoulders sagged in relief, "Good."
A faint smile crossed her lips, even when her feet touched the ground and her legs gave out beneath her. The cobblestones stung against her bare knees, but she just let her body relax. Everyone had survived and that was all that mattered.
Master wanted nothing more than to storm out the doors and drag the reckless girl back inside, but he turned his attention to something else. "I owe you another thank you for getting involved, Ichiya."
"You don't owe me anything." His voice rang through all of their heads as he pulled at the magic he had left, "This is a battle! And it is not yours to fight alone!"
Ichiya brought his hand down, connecting to what was left of the Christina's communication system, "Calling all of Fiore now!"
A ripple of magic cascaded out from the falling wreckage, pushing past everyone in the guild, past Magnolia itself, just as he had commanded. In that moment, his voice rang out to every guild throughout all of Fiore. "Listen up, everyone! This battle... belongs to all of us!"