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[X784, Phantom Lord Guild Building]
— Mirajane Strauss —
The air was thick with dust and smoke. Every breath Mira took tasted of iron and ash.
It was that exact scenario that met her as she entered the destroyed building.
Dannis was kneeling in the center of the hall — or rather, what remained of it. There was destruction all around, the walls and floors shattered beyond repair.
Blood dripped from his chin, splattering onto the broken stone beneath him. His breaths were slow and shallow, each one dragging through his throat as if it pained him just to breathe. His right hand still loosely gripped his sword, fingers twitching as if even letting go would drain what little strength he had left.
Her heart twisted painfully at the sight.
When was the last time, if ever, did she see him as injured as this?
"Dannis!" She flew over to her boyfriend, her voice betraying her worry. She dropped to her knees beside him. "Are you okay?!"
"Mira…" Dannis's voice was rough and thin. His head lifted slightly. His onyx and crimson eyes were hazy with exhaustion and pain. "Is that you?"
"It's me." She cupped his cheek, her fingers ghosting over the bruises and cuts marring his face. His skin was cold beneath her hand, and that made her heart hammer harder.
Their eyes met, his gaze duller than it should have been. Mira forced a shaky smile.
"You've sure made a mess this time, huh?"
Dannis's breath hitched. A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Heheh… You should see the other guy."
It was true.
Aria's crumpled form lay not far away, blood pooling beneath him in a dark smear across the ruined floor. Numerous cuts marred his body, but the most gruesome injury was the one at the center of his chest — a wound so clean and deep it could only have been made by Obsidian. The sword-shaped hole was already gushing dark blood, and there was no rise or fall to his chest. No movement at all.
He wasn't breathing.
"I can't move right now." Dannis admitted, his head sagging slightly toward her hand. His breath trembled. "How's..everything outside? What about the Master?"
"We beat Phantom Lord." Mira gently pushed his black hair away from his forehead, fingers brushing through the sweat-matted strands. "Master's still fighting Jose, from what I can sense. Natsu and Gray beat Gajeel and Juvia. And Erza…"
"I'm here."
The sound of boots on broken stone made Mira turn.
Erza walked through the ruined archway. Her body was covered in wounds of all kinds. Her armor was cracked at the shoulder and hip, revealing the numerous bruises, cuts, and bruises that marred her body. Her long red hair was undone, a long cut on her forehead that dripped blood over half her face.
Mira wasn't shocked at this sight. Erza had single handedly fought against hundreds of Phantom Lord's mages by herself. She was the one to walk away while the others did not. Mira did the same thing, but she had the entirety of Fairy Tail watching her back.
To fight against inconsiderable odds and win, that was what it means to be S-Class.
"I've cleared the floor from all Phantom Lord mages. We can—" Her words halted.
Mira could see her eyes widening as they settled on Dannis's current state, and she could certainly understand the surprise.
'Erza's never seen Dannis injured before.'
Not like this. Dannis had always been one of the strongest among them, a pillar of strength that everyone could lean on. He never wavered. Never broke.
Now, he looked fragile. Human.
Mira's gaze sharpened. 'Not now.'
"Erza, can you walk?"
Her words broke Erza from her stupor. "Y-yeah. I can."
"We need to get out of here before the whole place comes down." Mira's eyes flicked toward the crumbling ceiling. Dust and bits of stone rained down with every distant tremor.
An all-out battle between two mages of Dannis and Aria's caliber would yield no less destruction. It would get even worse once Master Makarov and Jose got serious.
"This is gonna hurt, but bear with it for a while, okay?" She said gently, her arms sliding beneath Dannis's knees and back.
"Yeah… Don't worry about me," Dannis murmured as Mira carefully lifted him. A low grunt of pain slipped through his teeth.
Erza strode over, retrieving Obsidian from the ground. She slid it back into its sheath, holding it carefully in both hands.
Mira nodded to her. "Let's go."
She extended her wings as Erza entered her Black Wing armor. They shot into the air together, leaving the crumbling guild building behind them.
It didn't take long for them to arrive back in the field where most of the Fairy Tail mages had converged.
Warren was seated on the ground, the most injured among them, while Gray sat beside him, looking equally battered. Natsu was lying down by the grass, just as injured as the two, covered in plenty of bruises and cuts from his bout with Gajeel. Happy was safely tucked in Lisanna's arms.
Everyone called them out when they saw her and Erza flying towards them. They all immediately noticed the person she had in hand.
"Holy shit, is that Dannis?!" Cana's voice cut through the air.
Mira descended, lowering Dannis as carefully as she could onto the grass. The moment his head hit the ground, Mystogan was at his side, pulling out vials of potions and containers of medicinal salves.
"Can you still feel your limbs?" Mystogan asked, voice calm but firm.
"Yeah," Dannis muttered weakly. "They're just… heavy."
Mystogan began his work, applying salves to the worst of Dannis's injuries. Mira watched in silence, her heart twisting with worry.
"You look roughed up too," Dannis muttered, eyeing the scuff marks on Mystogan's robes. "Who'd you fight?"
"Sol," Mystogan said curtly. "He nearly ambushed Warren. I stopped him."
"Heh…figures."
"You alright there, kid?" Wakaba questioned as he worriedly eyed Dannis' injuries.
"I'm fine, old man. Just a bit roughed up."
Wakaba sighed out a breath of smoke as his body hunched with relief. "You never stop making me worry do you?"
"Hahaha, my bad." A weak chuckle came out of his throat. Wakaba returned it with a teary smile.
Mira eyed the other members of Fairy Tail. Just like Erza, they all showed open surprise and shock at Dannis' injured state.
But instead of feeling dejected or broken, they instead felt pride for their friend and ally. He had shown what it means to truly be a mage of Fairy Tail. To gladly run towards danger and sacrifice limb and soul in the defense of a friend.
"Everyone…Thank you!" Lucy had tears streaming down her face at the sight of just how far Fairy Tail is willing to defend her. Levy rubbed circles on her back while Natsu showed his usual happy grin.
"That's Fairy Tail for you!" He exclaimed in delight from the floor.
Mira's lips twitched into a small smile. Dannis had risked everything for their guild, their family — and everyone knew it.
"We're not finished yet."
Mira turned toward Master Mavis, who stood at the edge of the field. Her gaze was fixed upward, on the broken Phantom Lord guild hall.
Mira followed her gaze to the glass dome at the building's peak — where shadows clashed in bursts of blinding light.
'Master…'
The final battle was still raging. And until Master Makarov returned, none of them could rest easy.
…
— Makarov Dreyar —
"Dead Wave!"
Jose's voice boomed across the hall. From his outstretched hands, a tide of wailing phantoms erupted, a wave surging across and tearing through the already crumbling floor toward Makarov.
"Hmph." The aged master of Fairy Tail merely stood there as his eyes narrowed, his Wizard Saint's cloak billowing behind him.
BOOM!
The wave of dark magic struck the barrier with a deafening roar. Makarov held his ground as the opposing forces struggled for dominance. The ground beneath him groaned and fractured, cracks spiraling outward as the pressure of their clash rippled through the room.
Then, with a sharp crack, the barrier pulsed outward.
The resulting shockwave sent debris flying across the hall. Chunks of marble and stone shattered against the walls. The Dead Wave dissipated into a cloud of dark mist, leaving behind the scorched marks of corruption across the floor.
Jose chuckled darkly. His tall, imposing figure emerged from the dissipating mist. Dark energy sparked along his long skeletal fingers. Makarov could see the wailing souls that accompanied it. They were much different than Dannis' wraiths. These souls looked like they were suffering.
"When are you gonna stop doing these childish attacks that you know won't work Jose?" Makarov's voice was calm, yet there was an edge beneath it. A golden aura pulsed faintly around him.
Jose's eyes glinted with cold amusement.
Makarov's gaze sharpened. "Are you stalling for something, hm? We both know time isn't on your side. The Rune Knights have been notified and are mobilizing as we speak. Considering the circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised if a member of the Gods of Ishgar themselves make an appearance."
Jose's grin stretched unnaturally wide. "GAHAHAHA!" His laughter echoed unnaturally through the hall. His dark aura thickened, rising from his body like black smoke. "True enough! When two Wizard Saints clash… disaster follows."
The air trembled.
A low, keening hum filled the room as dark magic radiated from Jose's body. Shadows gathered at his feet, curling and spreading along the ground in a spiderweb of cracks.
"Is that what you want, Makarov?" Jose's eyes churned with power, a maniacal grin forming on his face. "To unleash that kind of devastation?"
"For the sake of my family…"
Light flickered along Makarov's limbs. His cloak stirred as though caught in a sudden updraft. The air around him shimmered, bending beneath the sheer weight of his magical power.
"…Then yes."
A golden surge of energy erupted from Makarov's small frame, flooding the room with light. Energy crackled and hissed, golden sparks burning through the darkness at his feet.
Jose's grin faltered — if only for a moment.
Makarov's eyes gleamed. "It's time you learned why I was once considered a candidate for the title of a God of Ishgar."
Outside, the sky above Phantom Lord's guild darkened unnaturally. The clouds twisted and swirled around a single point directly above the glass dome.
Thunder rumbled across the lake. Lightning arced down from the heavens, striking the water's surface and sending jagged waves crashing toward the shore.
In the distance, Fairy Tail's battered members stood frozen as they gazed at the sky. They all felt a feeling of warmth and safety emanating from the magic.
"That's… Master?" Gray whispered.
"That's the true strength of a Wizard Saint," Mystogan murmured.
Another pulse of power roared outward, causing the ground to tremble beneath their feet.
Erza's hand tightened around the hilt of her sword. "Master's serious now."
Dannis cracked an eye open as his head rested on Mira's lap. A small smile appeared on his face. 'I'll leave it to you, Master.'
Above them, inside the broken glass dome, the two titans stood across from each other.
Jose's dark aura twisted and seethed around him, a hungry void ready to consume everything in its path. Makarov's golden aura blazed with righteous fury, standing tall and unyielding beneath the darkened sky.
Neither of them moved.
A single breath passed.
And chaos reigned.
…
AN: Yeah, this isn't the anime where they can all finish fights without any consequences. Dannis won but boy did Aria make him earn it.
Wizard Saints are no joke, each of them holds power to challenge an entire country by themselves. Makarov and Jose are about to make a disaster.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter
Cheers lads.