Pic is of Igneel—->
Akira's P. O. V:
We watch as Tempester's body lights up on fire as he heads straight for the Lightning Dragon Slayer.
"It's completely up to me again," Laxus mutters with his eyes closed.
"Do something!!" Gajeel snaps.
Lightning crackles around Laxus' fist and he punches the demon's face with it. When Laxus pulls his arm back, Tempester is thrown backward across the ground.
"I still don't understand how that girl was able to neutralise the poison!" Tempester says in confusion, looking back at Laxus.
"While Akira-chan was able to extract almost all of the poison from my body, in running solely on vengeance," He replies, surprising the rest of us.
"Whoosh!" Tempester says before four tornadoes of wind swirl around the three of us.
Laxus grunts before his body is surrounded by lightning. He sends out bolts of lightning which hit the tornadoes, dispersing the spell.
I stare in shock at that.
Laxus leaps toward a surprised Tempester as he growls, lightning crackling around him, "You've hurt my friends! And nobody has ever done that and survived! THIS IS FOR FAIRY TAIL!!"
Laxus appears before Tempester and punches the side of his face, knocking the demon to the ground. Laxus leaps backward as Tempester starts to get to his feet.
Laxus says challengingly, smirking, "Bring it on!"
"Yes. It'll be my pleasure! Whoo!" Tempester chants, causing a huge chunk of stone to fly at Laxus. He lights up with both his lightning and magical aura, which is gold in colour, and the lightning strikes the stone, shattering it.
Tempester makes more stones fly at Laxus. He sends out more lightning to destroy those, as well. I watch from beside Gajeel as Tempester suddenly looms up in front of the Dreyar, and mutters, "Whoosh!"
His fist becomes wrapped in air as he aims a punch at Laxus. He simply leans his head back to avoid it. When Tempester brings another punch toward Laxus, the blonde male meets it with his own lightning covered fist. They break apart and leap backward.
For several moments, Laxus and Tempester just stare each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move.
"But, how?! No way! You're not even human, are you?!" Tempester demands to know.
"What's he even talking about?" Gajeel asks me.
Tempester explains, "Despite the girl having healed you, for the most part, your body is still teeming with Bane Particles, and yet, you're still able to stand. Your organs should be liquified by now."
Gajeel and I gasp in shock at that revelation.
Tempester states with a hint of astonishment, "That's why you're not launching any attacks, is it?"
"I guess my secret's out, huh?" Laxus utters in a strained tone, wiping what could only be blood from his mouth. "That means I'd better end this quickly."
"This is the end, you fool! Tur Fwhoosh!" Tempester expels flames from his mouth at Laxus. They swirl and wrap around him, setting him aflame.
I exclaim fearfully, "LAXUS-KUN, NO!!"
"Tch! Can you even call this stuff fire?!" Laxus asks mockingly, deeming unfazed by the attack. Lightning crackles around him. "It's not hot enough to burn! Is this the best you can do?!" The lightning destroys the flames and Laxus charges forward once more.
"You're sick; the poison is coursing through your veins, so why do you still fight?!" Tempests questions as Laxus appears before him with his fist covered in lightning.
"Because nothing's going to stop me from getting revenge for what you did to Fairy Tail!!" He shouts back angrily. Laxus punches Tempester's stomach, sending him flying backward until he crashes into the floor.
"Holy crap!" I mutter.
Laxus coughs up blood and drops to his knee, breathing heavily.
"You okay?!" I exclaim. Then, I notice a wound on his right pectoral muscle, and gasp. 'He must've taken a hit.'
"Now, stay down," Laxus mumbles.
"You're quite remarkable." We jerk our gases up to see Tempester getting to his feet, and walking toward Laxus. "A normal human would be dead by now, praying for the end to take their pain. But clearly you're no normal human. However, you're entire species is pitifully weak. I'm a life form far above yours: Etherius! You were foolish to believe you could defeat me! For I am Tempester, The Immortal!" He clenches a fist as a black aura swirls around his body. "You may have bested me once, human, but I swear it will not happen again!"
"You know, I feel exactly the same way about it." Laxus' body becomes enveloped by his magical aura and lightning. "This is the second time you've brought harm to my family." He gets up, and with a cry of exertion, punches lightning into his leg as a shock. "And it's the last time, because you're not gonna make it outta here alive!"
"Let's see you handle the Raging Bolt!" Laxus thrusts his arm down, hitting Tempester with a bolt of lightning.
"Is that the best you can do? Swhoosh!" The demon's body becomes enveloped by wind as he shoots at Laxus, hitting him in the stomach. "Kawhoa!" A pillar of stone slams into Laxus but he blocks it by crossing his forearms.
Laxus lands on his feet but drops to his knees.
"Looks like the Bane Particles are working to weaken your abilities. And while your little attempts amuse me, I suggest you admit defeat and give up, human," Tempester says.
"Not gonna happen!"
Tempester launches another whirlwind at Laxus but he repels it by unleashing his Lightning Dragon: Roar attack. Tempester sends another torrent of flames at Laxus. They die down to reveal the Dreyar collapsed but still breathing.
"I gotta hand it to ya, big guy, you definitely don't make it easy for me," Says Laxus, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
I warn him, "Don't push yourself too hard!"
Laxus ignores me
Tempester gives Laxus the choice of continuing the fight and dying, or giving up and dying. Laxus, of course, ignores this and resumes to attack the demon, his body covered in lightning.
"Here's the truth about us: we never quit! No—not for anyone!!" Laxus yells.
Tempester punches at Laxus with mini tornadoes around his fists, which Laxus deflects and then flipping forward before bringing his leg down to kick him.
"How can you call yourself a demon, anyway?! I thought they were aloud to show fear?!" Laxus questions after Tempester punches him, causing the Dreyar to cough up blood. He clasps his hands together and lightning envelopes them. "Now, get ready for... Lightning Dragon: Jaws!" Laxus brings his hands down on Tempester, knocking him to the ground, but Tempester merely repels it and kicks Laxus against the wall, trapping him under a pile of rubble.
"Laxus-kun, no!" I exclaim in worry, refraining myself from rushing into the battle.
As Laxus rises slowly from the rubble, Tempester tells him, "It's over. Why won't you admit it? Your attacks they're just getting weaker and more pitiful. You've reached your breaking point, haven't you?"
"I think I know when I'm out of my league. So I'll decide when I'm done fighting. What I mean is, don't you ever tell me what to do!" Laxus again ignores his warning and charges at the Tartaros member. Lightning envelopes Laxus' fist as he charges at Tempester, and shouts, "Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Roaring Thunder!"
Laxus goes to punch Tempester, but even that attack is deflected. Tempester throws more rubble at the Lightning Dragon Slayer, and he gets knocked down. Tempester starts approaching Laxus.
Tempester stands over the blonde man's form.
"Savour your last breath, human," Tempester tells him. "You're in pain. So I'll make this quick and put you out of your misery. Say goodbye. It's over!" He raises his fist and wind swirls around it.
I grit my teeth, my body tensing as I prepare to jump in and save Laxus. Tempester brings his fist down and I'm about to jump in front of Laxus to protect him, when his hand flies up and latches around the demon's wrist, surprising him.
"Let go!" The demon commands.
"I admit it. I'm down. I can barely move. But I ain't done!" Laxus tells him. His fist becomes enveloped in lightning again.
"Damn you! What were you thinking, leaving yourself open like that?! One blow and you'd be dead!" Tempester states.
"I was waiting for this! Lightning Dragon: Iron Fist!" Laxus punches Tempester, and he coughs up blood onto his coat. Laxus removes his coat and throws it at Gajeel. "Gajeel, catch!"
"Laxus! What're you—?!"
"Take this and get outta here! Hurry! Give it to the old lady and man. They'll know what to do with it." Gajeel gasps as he looks at the blood on the coat. "That's his blood. Use it for an antidote," Laxus grunts as he collapses.
"Laxus-kun!" I rush over to him and crouch next to him. "Idiot! You pushed yourself too far!"
Gajeel comes over and says, "I won't leave you! So then, you did all this for blood?"
"I told you to go. The antidote can save their lives," Laxus says as Gajeel drapes an arm over his shoulders and straightens up.
"Well, I ain't gonna leave you behind! No matter what happens, we stick together—!"
"Stop worrying about me! Don't you get it?! They need the blood! You have to hurry!" Laxus tries to urge him.
"Just shut up!" Gajeel snaps back. Movement ahead of us catches our attention.
I gasp when Tempester rises once more. "How is he still standing?! I thought you finished him off, Laxus?" I say in shock.
He goes on to tell us that the reason he's called The Immortal is because his durability is much greater than the other Nine Demon Gates, and that the Underworld King's faint supply of Curse Power increases his healing rate. He adds that in order to defeat him, we must finish him with one powerful attack, and without giving him a chance to heal, but we'd need a huge Magic Power to do that.
Laxus retorts, "Oh, yeah? I wouldn't be so sure about that."
"You fool! What hope could you possibly have?"
"Tch!"
It was then that we notice small puddles of Deep Deluge electrified. "Beating you in one shot is gonna be a piece of cake! Get ready for a Lightning Dragon: Roar!" Lightning bursts from his mouth and runs along the puddles on the ground, crackling madly due to the water amplifying it. It spreads out along the ground and comes at Tempester from all sides, and engulfs him in a column of electricity.
Tempester collapses, finally defeated and on the verge of death. Laxus grunts with pain as he too collapses, from having exhausted so much of his magic power.
"Laxus!" Gajeel rushes toward him and shakes his shoulder. "Laxus! No way! You gotta get up! Stay with me! Come on!"
Tempester says, "Well done, human. My powers aren't working to restore me. Not even the life force of the great Underworld King can help me now. Hell's Core is gone. I have nothing left. And in a few seconds, I will die, just as a mortal would."
"Then, why don't you just hurry up and die, already?!" I yell at him.
"However, before I go, I have one final mission I must complete," The demon adds.
"What?!" Gajeel and I gasp.
"You may have defeated me but these Bane Particles will ensure that I won't die alone. I'm taking you all to Hell," Tempester states.
In that moment, Tempester blows himself up, and Bane Particles are expelled in the air.
Gajeel shouts, "Now, what?! What'll we do?!" Gajeel punches the ground in frustration. "DAMNIT!!"
The Particles suddenly become frozen, along with everything around us, and they begin to fall like snow.
"They're all frozen," Winter utters.
"What the...?" Gajeel mumbles as we all look around in confusion. He looks down as some fall into his hand. "What's happening to the Bane Particles?"
I look ahead to see Gray approaching us. I tense, remembering my fight with Keyes, and knowing that Gray would be furious once he learns who took his father from him a second time.
As Gray gets closer, I turn partially away from him and bow my head, hiding my face in my hair as I fight to keep a fresh wave of tears in.
He can't know. Not right now. I'll tell him later, just... not right now.
Gray's footsteps stop before Gajeel and I, but I still don't look up.
"He looks bad. Did he actually fight like that?" Gray asks, spotting Laxus.
"Yeah."
"So these are the Bane Particles that took him and the Thunder Legion down. Should be better now that they're frozen. We get the blood?" Gray inquires, his voice sounding cold.
"Yeah. We've got it right here," Gajeel replies, showing Gray the coat.
"We need to hurry," Gray says. I feel him shift his gaze to me. I still don't look at him.
"What's the matter with you?" Gray asks me in a cold tone.
I almost flinch at the sound of it. I feel the tension rising in the room the longer I say nothing. I finally force myself to stutter in response, "I-It's nothing. I'm just glad you're alright."
Gray doesn't reply and I hear him turn on his heels and start walking away.
"Man, that was intense," Gajeel grumbles, watching the ice wizard leave. "Where the hell do you think you're going?!"
I hear Gray say as he walks away, "To slay some demons. Every last one."
I finally look up once Gray was gone. I send out my Amber Earth Sense and feel that Rogue and Sting are fighting nearby, that same vibration from before.
Juvia sets Laxus' head in her lap as she murmurs, "He's fading. He was bad already, but now..."
"You crazy idiot! You pushed yourself too far!" Natsu scolds him, sitting cross legged on the ground.
"True enough," Says Gajeel, holding up Laxus' coat with the blood on it, "But he got us this. Now we can cure everyone."
"Demon blood," Ember murmurs.
"That's right. Take it to Porlyusica and Samui, Levy, and see what they can do."
Levy nods her head. "I'm on it! Be back as soon as I can! Hopefully they're with the others." She takes the coat from him.
"Gray was here," Juvia murmurs.
"Yeah. But to be honest, I could barely recognise him," Gajeel states.
"What do you mean by that?" Natsu asks.
"He's powered up somehow," Gajeel answers. "A lot. You saw him for yourself. He's got this frozen aura around him. It chilled me to the bone."
I look down from where I'm sitting in between Mamoru and Nanami, remembering my fight with Keyes. Momo looks at me questioningly, but she doesn't say anything.
"I wonder what happened to him?" Lucy asks.
"No idea," Gajeel says. "He didn't stick around long enough to say."
Natsu stands up and murmurs, "He's hunting."
Lucy asks Natsu, "So, do you think we should go after him?"
He sits back down, cross legged, with his back facing us. I look up when Natsu tenses suddenly.
"Hey, what is it? Something wrong?" Lucy asks the pinkette.
Gajeel says, "He's probably just freaking out 'cause he knows that next time him and Gray fight, he's gonna get handed a new one."
Karma says, smirking at the Dragneel, "That'll be a fight I'd love to pay to see!"
We gaze at Natsu who is beginning to tremble. "Gajeel... you can hear it, too, right?"
"Huh?"
Natsu turns his head to us, his eyes dilated in fear. "... That growling..."
Gajeel remains silent as he concentrates on whatever it is Natsu is hearing. I couldn't hear a thing. When Gajeel gasps in fear, Nanami asks, "What's up?"
Just then, the whole room begins shaking. And then, I heard it. That sound. A sound that I never forgot once in all these seven years. A sound I never thought I'd ever hear again.
I feel myself beginning to tremble from fear, the memory of the him appearing on Tenrou a Island that day, and attacking my family. Of me, Momo, Loki and Vivienne fleeing the island.
"That sound...! There's no mistaking it...!" Natsu exclaims as I tremble more, feeling my eyes grow so wide they hurt. "It's Acnologia!"
Suddenly, Natsu hunches over as he tenses again. Lucy crawls over behind Natsu as she whispers, "Natsu...? Are you going to be okay? What's wrong?" Lucy tries to place a hand on his shoulder but jerks it back as though Natsu were set aflame.
Gajeel is reacting the same way. Levy crawls over to him and asks, "You're hurt, too?"
I feel a tingling in my neck and my hand flies to my mate mark. 'Don't tell me... is Rogue-kun also reacting the same as Natsu and Gajeel...?' I flick my pink eyes to my sister to see she's also gripping her mate mark.
Once marked, the marked can feel what their mate feels.
Juvia utters, "It's because they're Dragon Slayers. Their bodies are reacting to Acnologia."
"Acno... who?" Haru mutters with furrowed brows. "Oh! You mean the Black Dragon who singlehandedly wiped Tenrou Island off the map seven years ago."
Mamoru nudges his side with his elbow in warning.
Haru gives me a sheepish look as he says apologetically, "Uh, sorry!"
"Natsu! Gajeel!" Lucy whispers.
Natsu and Gajeel continue to groan in pain. We could do nothing but watch them. Suddenly, Natsu gasps, turning to look behind him. "Igneel...?" He utters in confusion. Natsu starts turning his head to look around the room, as though searching for someone. "Igneel! How can I hear your voice?!"
"Igneel?" I reiterate, still not hearing anything.
Winter says in confusion, staring at the pinkette, "No one else is here. Who are you talking to?"
Karma mutters, "Maybe he has finally lost it..."
"Now's not the time for that, Karma!" Zuko hisses with slight annoyance.
We stare with wide eyes as Fire seems to come out from Natsu's stomach, making him grunt in pain.
Lucy and Levy scream as they're thrown back by the force, while I throw Nanami down and shield her from the flames, while also grabbing the Exceeds. Karma does the same to Winter, shielding her body with his, and Zuko does the same to Ember, while Mamoru and Haru just get close to the ground, and Juvia shields Laxus' face from the heat.
Natsu screams in pain, "GAH AAAHHH!!" Then there's a bright flash, and out of his stomach comes...
... A red dragon?!
"I'm sorry, son, but I never did leave you," Igneel says.
We look up at the massive red dragon standing before us, jaw dropping in disbelief. I'd always believed Natsu about Igneel. I've always loved dragons ever since I first read about them in fantasy books. Though I've never seen one in real life, till that day on Tenrou Island, when Acnologia attacked.
"In fact, I've been closer than you ever could've guessed." We all gape in shock at Igneel, unable to quite believe our eyes. "Please trust that all will be explained in time. Right now, I must wipe the blithe of Acnologia from this world!" Igneel says as he flies up into the air, toward the Black Dragon who is about to fire a beam.
When Igneel reaches him, he rams his head into Acnologia's chest, cutting off the attack.
"FIGHT, NATSU! FIGHT TO LIVE!" First Igneel roars, then Acnologia, accepting the challenge.
Then both dragons clash, clamping their jaws on each other's arm. They fly around each other as Igneel punches at Acnologia. Then they head butt each other.
I couldn't believe what I just saw. And it makes me wonder if it's the same with the other Dragon Slayers, except for Laxus, considering he wasn't raised by a dragon.
I gaze at Natsu with soft eyes when I hear him whisper, tears of happiness spilling down his cheeks, "You're back!"