[X784, Worth Woodsea]
— Dannis Martell —
Silence choked the Worthwood Sea in the wake of the destruction.
Lyon broke it with the question everyone was thinking.
"So what's the plan now?"
They stood in the cratered remnants of the battlefield. Brain and the Oración Seis had vanished into smoke, the air still crackling from his last spell—a vortex of abyssal energy that had torn through air towards them.
Dannis glanced around. Jura had just lowered the barrier that had saved them all. The silence was uneasy, broken only by the occasional cough or shifting rubble. The casualties were evident.
Natsu and Gray knelt near Wendy, who frantically worked her healing magic over Erza and Lucy. The redhead's armor was cracked as the poison slowly but surely moved thorugh her veins. Lucy lay limp, her breath shallow but alive.
"Those bastards!" Natsu's voice cracked. "That poison guy did this to Lucy and Erza!" He slammed his fists into the ground, sending another tremor through the broken soil.
"Calm down, Natsu," Dannis said firmly, stepping forward. "Purge your thoughts from negativity. I don't want to knock you out in case Nirvana's influence creeps back in. Don't make Eve and Ren's mistakes."
Natsu tensed. For a moment, it looked like he might lash out. But the clear reminder cooled the fire in his veins. Everyone did the same, taking a deep breath and letting it out.
Around them, the others gathered. Mira helped Juvia to her feet. Ichiya pulled a bloodied handkerchief from his coat, dabbing at a cut on his lip.
"Dannis-dono is right," Jura said grimly. "It is painfully clear that we underestimated their ingenuity. We never expected the Oración Seis to strike us first once the pillar of light emerged."
Gray grunted, rubbing a bruised shoulder. "If it wasn't for Jura, most of us would probably be dead."
"Let it go," Dannis replied, voice hard. "We lost once, but we won't lose again."
As if to underline the point, three of Dannis' spectral wraiths descended from above, gently lowering the unconscious bodies of Angel, Ren, and Eve.
"I managed to cut off Racer's hand before they retreated," Dannis added. "With Angel captured and Racer crippled, that's two of the Oración Seis."
Mira chimed in. "What about Cobra though? His poison would be problematic if it hits any of us and Wendy isn't there."
"The one they call Midnight is also quite odd." Juvia said. "Juvia does not know what magic he possesses, but Juvia's Water Slicer just swerved the moment it neared him."
"I can attest to that," Ichiya chimed in. "Even my most powerful perfume couldn't affect him. It was… rather offensive."
Dannis was about to speak when the ground quaked again—this time deeper. He turned—and froze.
From beyond the woods, the city of Nirvit moved. No longer hidden beneath the soil, the ancient construct had risen on six massive legs, towering above the treeline. Its central dome pulsed with light. Beneath it, the ancient mechanism rumbled like the heartbeat of a god. It reminded Dannis of the Phantom Lord's guild building in a way.
Jura rushed forward. "Dannis-dono, lead the others! I will buy you time. Stop Nirvana!"
"Jura, wait—!" Lyon cried out.
Too late. From beneath Jura's feet, the earth erupted as a colossal stone golem formed, nearly equal in height to the moving city. Jura rose with it, standing tall on its shoulder, the wind tugging at his robes. His hands glowed with magic circles as the golem slammed its stone palms together and shoved against Nirvana's front leg, forcing the city to stumble with a screech of rusted gears.
"We don't have time," Dannis shouted over the noise. "We move now! Wendy, keep healing Erza and Lucy. Can you manage?"
"I'll be fine!" Wendy called back, eyes burning with resolve. "Leave it to me!"
Dannis turned to Erza. She struggled to stand, but the pain crippled her knees.
"With that injury, you're not fit to fight."
"Yeah, I know. I'll just be a liability at this rate." Erza gritted her teeth, "Leave me here. I'll cover your back from any of the subordinate dark guilds coming to get you."
"She won't be alone." Lucy raised a shaking arm, keys clutched tightly in her hand. "Open—Gate of the Lion: Leo! Gate of the Bull: Taurus!"
Twin lights flashed as the Celestial Spirits appeared. Loke cracked his knuckles with a serious expression, while Taurus let out a low growl, gripping his axe.
"We'll hold the line." Loke promised.
"Lucy-san! You shouldn't push yourself!" Wendy exclaimed in worry.
"Lucy-san, you shouldn't push yourself!" Wendy pleaded.
"I… can't move my body much," Lucy admitted, though her eyes were resolute. "But my magic's still intact. I can at least do this much. I won't be a burden."
Dannis smiled faintly. 'Brave girl.'
"Good. Then the rest of us will take the fight to them."
"I'll take the poison bastard," Gajeel growled, flexing his iron-clad arms. "His snake can't pierce through my skin."
"As if!" Natsu barked. "I'm the one who's gonna beat him down! He smelled weird too!"
"So you noticed too, huh?" Gajeel replied. "I think the bastard might be a Dragon Slayer, but not like us. More like Laxus I feel like."
"So he's got a Dragon lacrima inside of him?" Natsu muttered. "Tch. Doesn't matter. I still gotta pound him for what he did to Lucy and Erza."
"I'll be with you guys." Levy announced. "I can make masks to filter out the poison. It should keep you from breathing in too much."
"Thanks, Levy."
Suddenly, the stone golem groaned under pressure as Nirvana pushed back. The golem lifted his hands shoved with all its might, slowing the advance.
"Time's up. Teams!" Dannis barked. Black wings unfurled from his back. Around him, wraiths emerged to lift those who couldn't fly—Gray, Lyon, Sherry, Gajeel, and Juvia.
Levy's own light-blue wings made of the words 'fly' shimmered beside Mira's batlike ones. Happy lifted Natsu by the collar.
"Ichiya, you're in command here," Dannis said. "Defend this point. Watch each other's backs. We'll end this."
"I shall perfume this battlefield with victory," Ichiya declared with a fist over his chest.
Dannis rose into the sky. One by one, the strike force followed, a flock of fire, light, and shadows soaring above the ruins.
They all flew towards Nirvana, using Jura's fight against it to slip to the ancient city unseen.
…
[X784, Control room atop Nirvana]
— Brain —
The rumble of Nirvana echoed beneath their feet, a deep, guttural tremor that reverberated through the ancient city like the growl of some slumbering titan. Magic-infused gears ground against each other, releasing pulses of sickly green light through the crystalline veins that webbed across the interior walls. The heart of Nirvana beat strong now—resurrected from ages past to bring the twilight Brain had long awaited.
He stood before a tall obsidian control pillar, arcane glyphs rotating slowly above it in midair. The chamber they occupied was lined with murals—fragments of ancient Nirvit scripture—but Brain's attention was focused solely on his subordinates.
"Hold it there. This will be painful." Brain's voice was low, even bored, as he extended a finger.
Racer grit his teeth and looked away. "Just get it over with."
With a small flourish, Brain ignited a precise stream of blue fire from the tip of his finger. He pressed it to the cauterized stump where Racer's left hand used to be—sliced cleanly off in the clash with the Dark Swordsman. The flame hissed against skin, flesh bubbled, and Racer screamed through gritted teeth.
Brain didn't flinch.
He pulled his hand away, satisfied with the seal. "You're lucky he didn't aim higher."
"Tch... I could've dodged if I wasn't exhausted!" Racer barked, cradling his wrist. "That guy... he's no joke. It's like he read my movements like a book."
"Shut it, Cobra," Racer growled.
Cobra, leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed, scoffed. "Yeah, and you got played like one too."
Cobra didn't answer. His snake, Cubelios, slithered lazily along the stone floor beside him. Cobra's ears twitched slightly—ever listening, ever aware. He already heard more than they said.
Despite Brain's clear indifference, he calmed himself somewhat at the sight that Racer was fine. Had Racer been defeated, one of the shackles that held back his other personality would have loosened. It was not yet time for Zero to come out, not until Nirvana's power was fully released.
"I still can't believe you got caught off guard like that." Cobra said, shaking his head.
"Cut me some slack dammit! That was the Dark Swordsman!" Racer shouted, accidentally jostling his new injury and grunting in pain.
"While we suffered some losses, so did they." Midnight's calm voice broke in, now fully wide awake. "Titania and the blonde Celestial Mage both fell to Cobra's poison. They'll be dead within hours, if not minutes."
He stood draped in his thick velvet cloak, lips curled in a dreamy smile. His heterochromatic eyes—one hidden beneath a fringe of jet-black hair—sparkled as he gazed through the glass panes at the ongoing battle below.
"Not to mention, our biggest threat—the Iron Rock Saint—is quite busy himself. Trying to fight an ancient weapon should take up most of his attention." Midnight completed.
Brain and the others followed his gaze, where Jura and his golem was busy trying to hold back Nirvana's continued march.
"But Jura still stands," Brain murmured, walking slowly toward the edge of the observation platform. "Until he is defeated, the Light Mages will rally. They are not broken yet."
Hoteye adjusted his glasses beside him, voice uncertain. "Even so, Jura cannot hold Nirvana forever. And the deaths of two of their number should dwindle their morale."
"I wouldn't say so." Brain countered. "I saw someone of interest just prior to our escape. The Sky Sorceress, Wendy Marvell."
"Who?" Racer asked, sweating pooling from his brow.
"A relatively young mage, but one with infinite potential. She has access to the rare subtype of healing, using her Sky Magic as the base." Brain's voice took a lecturing tone. "I wouldn't put it past her to slow down or even outright heal Cobra's poison."
Cobra scowled at the thought. "I haven't met anyone who could counter Cubelios' venom."
"There's a first for everything." Brain turned to face them, his fingers laced behind his back. "She's more dangerous than she looks. Her magic is likely countering the poison even as we speak. That cannot be allowed."
Cobra cracked his neck. "You want me to go silence her?"
"No," Brain said, shaking his head. "Not yet. I have other plans for you."
He gestured toward Racer and Hoteye. "You two will return to the Worth Woodsea. I assume the Light Mages will leave their wounded and Angel behind. Retrieve her if possible. If not, at least disrupt the Sky Sorceress. Poisoned or not, those two women are still alive. I want that changed."
Racer's eye twitched. "You want me back in the field with one damn hand?"
"Consider it redemption," Brain said with a thin smile. "Or are you going to disappoint me again?"
Hoteye's lip curled, but he bowed slightly. "As you wish."
Racer nodded reluctantly, cradling his bandaged wrist. "Fine. I'll move in from the southeast. Hoteye can burrow underneath them. We'll hit 'em like a pincer."
Cobra, arms still folded, raised an eyebrow. "Think you can handle that, one-hand?"
"I can still run circles around them," Racer snapped.
"You're slow now," Cobra said evenly, "and bleeding."
"Enough," Brain interjected. "Cobra, your task is different. Several of our enemies can fly. Take the skies. Cubelios can intercept them before they reach Nirvana."
"Finally," Cobra said, stepping forward. Cubelios rose behind him, wings unfurling from her back with a leathery snap. "Time to hunt."
"And Midnight," Brain continued without turning, "you will guard the city's approach. Take out any stragglers. Do not let anyone inside."
Midnight bowed his head slightly. "Of course, father. And what of you?"
Brain turned, walking back toward the obsidian core. "I shall remain here and guide Nirvana. The target is clear. Cait Shelter must fall. Everything else is noise."
As each member of Oración Seis turned and left—Hoteye vanishing in a tremor of the earth, Racer darting off with unsteady speed, Cobra launching into the sky on the back of Cubelios, and Midnight drifting into the corridors like a phantom—Brain stood alone.
The glyphs above the control pillar rotated faster. He placed a single hand upon the stone, and a shockwave of magic burst outward from the center of Nirvana.
"Soon," Brain murmured, voice low, reverent, cold, "everything will be silenced."
…
AN: The Light Alliance charges to Nirvana as Jura does his best to slow it down. We're reaching the height of this arc now.
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Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter, cheers!