[X784, Edolas, Royal City]
— Dannis Martell —
Standing on a ridge that overlooked the Royal City of Edolas, Dannis narrowed his eyes.
It was truly worthy as the seat of an entire empire. From this vantage point, the capital sprawled like a vast, glittering labyrinth.
The city itself was circular, its outermost walls made of grey and black stone. From there, a spiral of terraces wound upward toward the heart of the kingdom, each level separated by colossal ringed walls over a hundred feet high.
At the center loomed the Royal Palace, a monumental tower that pierced the clouds. It was crowned with the sigil of Edolas, a burning sun encircled by six stars. The main spire reached so high it nearly brushed the lowest of the hovering islands above the world.
The area around the palace is divided into zones, each of which is fortified by a wall and positioned slightly above the previous one, forming a spiral structure around the palace. In each zone, there are numerous towers of different inconsistent sizes.
Even from here, Dannis could see the glint of magic crystals embedded into every street and structure. Dannis scowled.
"A city built on the corpses of others… how fitting."
With all of its defenses, it was no wonder why people considered the palace to be nearly impenetrable. Even when they discussed the plan back in New Magnolia, it was said to be almost impossible.
Almost.
Because those walls only serve to hamper the non-magical people of Edolas. In the face of an S-Class mage of Earthland, they were paltry.
The sound of soft footsteps drew his attention as Edolas Dannis stepped up beside him.
"Are you prepared?" Edo Dannis asked, his crow perched on his shoulder as always. His tone was calm, but the underlying edge of anticipation betrayed his composure.
Dannis didn't turn immediately. "Yes," he said simply, before glancing at his counterpart. "Are you?"
Edo Dannis' mouth curved in a faint, sardonic smile. "This is the day the Black Band Rebellion has been waiting for. Years of blood and suffering have led to this moment. We always lacked one thing, firepower." His one eye glinted. "With you Earth Land mages here, that problem is obsolete."
His crow let out a low caw, wings rustling.
Edo Dannis tilted his head. "That is, of course… assuming you weren't lying about what you can do."
Dannis merely smirked, a faint chuckle rumbling from his throat. "You'll see soon enough."
At that moment, a golden shimmer appeared above him, a string of words streaking through the clouds. It twisted in midair, then dissolved into motes of light that sank into Dannis' mind. Levy's voice echoed clearly in his thoughts.
Dannis straightened. "Prepare your men," he said firmly to his counterpart. "The crystal should be deactivated soon."
Edo Dannis gave a curt nod. "Understood." With that, he turned and strode back down the ridge, barking orders to his lieutenants.
In the distance, the rebel encampment began to stir, their banners rising.
Dannis remained still, reviewing the plan one last time in his head.
It was exceedingly simple. When Gajeel and Levy successfully disable the magical barrier, Laxus would go on and blast a hole in the western wall.
Edo Dannis and his army would surge through the breach, spearheading the assault.
Meanwhile, Juvia would use the river that bisected the Royal City to ferry a third of the Black Band Rebellion's infantry into the inner rings. Those soldiers, all former citizens of the capital, knew its alleys and waterways like the back of their hands. They would strike from within, spreading chaos and confusion.
A two-pronged assault, meant to confuse the Edolas Royal Army into believing they faced an army far larger than they actually had.
As for Dannis himself?
He glanced at the plains before him.
He needed no backup, for he was an army all by himself.
A whisper of black fog spread from beneath his feet, stretching outward like ink on water. Within seconds, the entire hill was drowned in a shroud of shadow, expanding and rippling until it reached nearly a kilometer in every direction. The air grew cold, heavy, and still.
From the depths of that gloom, his wraiths began to rise. Hundreds of them. Their darkened bodies wavered like smoke, eyes burning with purple light.
Dannis' armor began to form, black plates of shadow sliding into place over his form, crowned by the tattered black cape of the Dark Samurai. His gauntleted hand flexed.
A low whisper drifted through the army of the dead, as though they were eager. But all they could do now is wait.
Then, a shimmer lit up the horizon.
For an instant, the entire city was enveloped in a translucent dome of light, then it shattered like glass, vanishing into nothing. The barrier had fallen.
Dannis smiled beneath his helm. "There it is."
He raised a single finger, and three hundred spectral warriors moved silently, surging towards the capital like a tide of darkness.
A split second later, a thunderclap split the sky. On the far side of the city, a dragon's roar echoed as the eastern wall combusted in a storm of sparks. An entire hole had been shattered apart, Edo Dannis' forces charging through.
A human-shaped lightning bolt then blazed forth, aiming towards the capital.
Well, there was no way he would let Laxus get all the limelight.
Black wings of pure darkness unfurled from his back, spreading wide with a gust that sent dust swirling. With one powerful beat, he launched himself into the air.
The sky cracked open around him as he shot forward, a streak of black flame carving across the clouds.
…
[X784, Edolas, Royal City]
— Gajeel Redfox —
"Iron Dragon's Lance!"
Both of Gajeel's arms stretched outward, twisting and elongating into glimmering metal shafts. They spun in a wide, vicious arc, sweeping through the cobbled street as the front ranks of Edolas soldiers were sent hurtling away.
Another platoon rushed in immediately, leveling their staves. A rain of crackling energy bolts tore through the street, engulfing Gajeel in a cloud of dust and light.
"Gihihi!" Gajeel's laughter echoed as he burst through the smoke, his body having turned to a metallic sheen. "Your pathetic toys ain't got nothin' on my iron hide!"
He slammed a fist into the helm of a nearby guard, caving it in with a clang before sweeping his arm through the air. Iron shards and daggers scattered like shrapnel, forcing the others to duck behind cover.
"Solid Script: Chain Lightning!"
Only Levy to take them all out in a full strike. She stood a few paces behind him, her hands glowing as glowing blue words formed midair. The phrase 'lightning 'flickered once, then burst forward as a jagged arc of energy, leaping from one guard to another. The smell of ozone filled the street as each soldier dropped, twitching and smoking.
"Come on, Shrimp!" Gajeel said, already sprinting to the next street. "We gotta get to the lacrima!"
"Right behind you!" Levy called, darting after him.
The two of them weaved through the chaos that had erupted within the capital. The once-ordered city now trembled under the chaos of rebellion. Cries of panic filled the air as civilians ran for shelter. The distant thunder of explosions rolled through the city like an oncoming storm, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
After successfully breaking the crystal and disabling the barrier covering the city, their next mission was to secure the massive lacrima which they believed to contain the entire Fairy Tail guild.
Until they found a way to reverse it and turn them back into people, they had to protect it at all costs.
A deafening boom cracked through the air. A distant tower collapsed, sending dust cascading through the streets as the people screamed.
The rebellion had reached the inner rings. Fighters from the Black Band clashed with the Edolas Royal Army in the alleys and squares indiscriminately. The fighting spilled all the way into the residential districts, where the civilians were thickest.
Levy's brow creased as she watched a group of citizens being herded away by panicked guards. "This place is a mess… We tried to plan it so the civilians wouldn't be caught in it. But this…"
"We did what we could," Gajeel growled, stomping forward through the rubble. "Don't start blamin' yourself, Shrimp. These people—" he jerked his chin toward the lavish houses— "they been livin' off the backs of Faust's regime. Maybe they didn't hurt anyone, but ignoring the cries of everyone outside this city just so they could cling into that comfort means they're just as guilty."
Levy hesitated, biting her lip. "…I guess you're right."
They pressed on. The streets were a maze of battle now, the clash of weapons ringing out from every direction. The chaos turned even worse when Dannis' Wraiths started pouring in.
A squad of Edolas troops rounded the corner, blocking their way.
"Mages of Earthland, Stand down!" one shouted, leveling his staff.
Gajeel and Levy ignored him.
A magical sword came down, which Gajeel blocked with his forearm. Sparks formed as it grinded against his metallic skin.
He grinned, the blow not even scratching him. "Nice try." Then he rammed his head forward, skull meeting steel with a sickening crunch. The sergeant was flung backward, crumpling to the ground in a heap.
"Solid Script: Slash!"
Levy's words carved through the air, literally. The glowing script became a razor edge of compressed wind, tearing through a cluster of soldiers and clearing the path ahead.
"There it is!" Levy gasped.
The vast lacrima was visible now, towering above the rooftops. The crystalline glow cast long reflections across the plaza.
But his instincts screamed a warning.
His nose twitched, smelling something familiar. Then his eyes widened.
Gajeel's arms morphed again, transforming into jagged steel blades.
"Iron Dragon's Sword!" he roared, leaping forward just as a flash of crimson light streaked toward Levy.
CLANG!
The clash rang as a long spear met his blades, the impact sending sparks flying. Gajeel's feet skidded across the stones, barely holding back the piercing thrust.
Then a boot struck him under the chin, hard enough to lift him off the ground.
He hit the wall, spitting blood. "Agh… damn it!"
"Gajeel!" Levy cried, but had to leap back as the spear carved into the ground where she'd just been standing, the stone beneath her breaking.
Gajeel straightened, wiping the blood from his lip as Levy regrouped beside him, her hands already glowing with magic circles.
The figure opposite them slowly stood up, the spear in hand. Her scarlet red hair was a telltale sign of who their enemy now was.
"If you want to go to the lacrima, you have to go through me." Erza Knightwalker stated resolutely.
Levy's eyes widened. "Gajeel, careful! She's just as strong as our Erza!"
"Edo Titania, huh?" Gajeel grinned, his teeth flashing like blades. "I always wanted to test my mettle against that scary woman. Guess you'll have to do."
Knightwalker's expression didn't change. "While I'd rather be sinking my spear into both Dannis Martell's, you two will suffice."
She spun the spear once, so fast it whistled through the air, and leveled its tip toward them. "Shall we?"
Gajeel's iron fists clenched, his grin widening. "You ready, Shrimp?"
"Yeah." Levy said, a serious look on her face.
The three of them stood perfectly still for one long, breathless moment. The war raged all around, explosions echoing through the distance.
Then, a blast from the far side of the city thundered through the sky, an unsaid signal, as all three moved.
A distant explosion was the unsaid signal, as all three moved.
…
AN: Edolas is developing a lot more dramatically than it did in canon. The war for Edolas now begins as the Fairy Tail members move throughout the city.
Natsu and Wendy, the other two dragon slayers, are also moving a lot in the background. Their actions are roughly the same as it did in canon, so you should know what to expect from those two.
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I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, cheers guys!