The guild rumbles and debris falls from the ceiling. A small rock hits Alice in the face and her face scrunches up and she groans.

Jose:"My, what an unruly dragon you have."

Erza is breathing heavily.

Erza:"He may be unruly but he's also an extremely powerful wizard. In fact, I'd say that he's just as strong as I am if not stronger."

Jose:"Heh. There's no need to be so modest, Titania Erza. Your magic is just as spectacular as Salamander's. Even our dear friend Fairy Knight had some spectacular magic. You and Alice are the first wizards who've ever been able to last this long against me in battle. Truth be told, we'd be more equally matched in power if you hadn't taken a direct hit from the Jupiter cannon earlier today. Alice might have been able to take me down if most of her magic power wasn't stolen. You know what really irks me about Fairy Tail? The fact that there are so many powerful wizards like yourself who are aligned with Makarov."

Jose then flicks his finger at Erza and sends a small beam of Magic at Erza and she's unable to block it. The beam hits her and she's sent flying into a wall.

Jose:"Since you can't be tempted to join Phantom there's only one way to change that--"

Jose launches attacks at Erza and she jumps to avoid them

Jose:"Kill you!"

Jose sends another attack at Erza but she was able to dodge it. Erza keeps jumping around to avoid Jose's attacks. Dust and smoke surrounds the area and Jose stops his attacks. 

Jose:"That'll send the old coot into a deep despair. Imagine how he'll feel when he awakens to find his dear guild hall destroyed and his 'children' dead and gone. He'd be lost; completely consumed by sorrow."

The smoke clears and Erza glares at Jose.

Jose:"Once he's been reduced to that miserable state, I can swoop in and kill him, but first I'll make him suffer. I'll torture him until he has no choice but to wither and die!"

Erza rushes and she slashes at Jose, but Jose was too fast for her to hit.

Jose:"As long I can remember, Phantom Lord has always been at the top. We have the most powerful wizards with the strongest spells; we also gave more capital and more members than any other guild. However, recently Fairy Tail has begun to catch up and our position as leader is in jeopardy. The names Erza, Alice, Loxus, and Mystogan became widely known, and stories of Salamander spread across the land like wildfire. Now Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail are considered equals! The top two guilds representing this kingdom. The thought disgusts me. I refuse to be equated to such a feeble guild!"

Erza:"Silence!"

Erza slashes at Jose but he's too quick for her. Jose stops at the top of some rubble and Erza points her sword at him.

Erza:"So, we're fighting for our lives, just because you've had a fir of jealousy?"

Jose:"Jealousy? That's absurd! We simply wanted to prove to the kingdom that we are the dominant guild."

Erza:"How could you? And for such a petty reason?'

Erza jumps at Jose and slashes a him a few times and he simply moves to the side each time and avoids them. Jose then casts a magic beam and launches Erza's sword out of her hand and it lands near Alice. Alice's head moves side to side a few times.

Jose then casts some darkness magic and immobilizes Erza and he starts to shock her.

Jose:"While I've never been particularly fond of your guild, my distaste for you was not what triggered this war. We were hired by the patriarch of the Heartfilia Family to find his missing daughter."

Erza:'Lucy.'

Jose:"The child of one of the kingdom's wealthiest men is now in Fairy Tail. So Makarov's trying to buy his way to the top, isn't he?"

Jose puts more power into his spell and Erza screams in pain.

 

 

 

Alice opens her eyes and everything is blurry. She hears the screams of Erza and she looks over and sees Jose using his dark Magic to hurt Erza. 

Alice:'Sister?'

Alice's vision clears and she sees Jose torturing Erza.

Alice:'Erza!'

Jose:"Now that your guild has unfettered access to the Heartfilia Family fortune, it's only a matter of time before that happens. That is, if we don't completely wipe you out first."

Jose shocks Erza again.

Alice:'Come on body! Move!'

Alice's fingers twitch. Her gauntlets are mostly destroyed. 

Erza smiles.

Erza:"It's laughable how concerned you are about something as silly as your guild's ranking. But, I'm even more amused by how incredibly misinformed you are about Lucy."

Jose:"What?"

Erza:"She came to us as a runaway! She doesn't have access to her family's fortune!"

Alice:'Move!'

Alice's hand twitches.

Erza:" She rents a place for 70,000 Jewel a month! She works hard to make a living. She fights alongside us. She laughs with us and she cries with us. She's no different than any other member of our guild! And she's why we're at war! She may be the daughter of the Heartfilia family, but just as flowers don't get to choose where they bloom, Children don't get to choose their parents!"

Alice:'Move! Your sister needs you!'

Alice's arms moves a slightly and Alice grits her teeth.

Erza:"You don't know anything about Lucy or the tears that she has shed!"

Jose:"Well, I'll find out soon enough!"

Erza gasps.

Jose:"I'm not going to hand her over to her father without reaping a benefit of some sort. I'll make her my prisoner until her father meets my demands. I'm going to bleed the Heartfilia family of their fortune. And their precious money-making businesses!"

Erza:"Curse you!"

Erza struggles against her bonds.

Jose:"I wouldn't keep struggling like that if I were you. It's going to make this more painful!"

Jose casts a spell and two big Shades appear and start to suck the life force of Erza and she screams.

Alice growls.

Alice:'SHE NEEDS YOU! MOVE!'

Alice's hand shakilly moves towards the sword in front of her.

Jose:"You're not feeling very well, are you dear? You're going to have to buck up because it's almost time. I want you to make an appearance before your peers. Once they see their beloved Erza in such a pitiful state, they're sure to surrender to us!"

Erza:"You're a despicable man!"

Alice:'A little more!'

Alice's hand is just about to grab the handle of the sword.

Jose:"Now, now, insulting me like that isn't going to help your situation."

Jose gives a sinister laugh and Erza screams in pain.

Alice grabs the sword handle.

Alice:'There!'

Alice starts to slowly lift herself off the floor.

Erza looks behind her and sees Alice getting up.

Erza:'You can do it Alice!'

Alice stands up and she points her hand at Jose.

Alice:*Whispering.* "World Call: Generate cryogenic element. Form element, bird shape."

A tiny ice bird appear in her hand.

Alice:"Discharge!"

The ice bird flies from her hand and hits Jose in the eye and he yells in pain, canceling his magic on Erza. Erza falls to the ground, but Alice catches her before she hits it.

Jose grabs his right eye and he looks to Alice with a pissed off Look. Jose lowers his hand and his right eye is all red.

Jose:"You insufferable, bitch!"

Alice sets Erza down and she steps in front of her and holds Erza's sword our in front of her.

Alice:"You'll have to go through me to make our guild surrender! Even Then Fairy Tail will never surrender to the likes of you."

Alice is shaking and breathing heavily.

Jose:"I'm going to enjoy killing you."

Jose holds his hand out and a magic circle appears. But thunder rumbles and a bright light shine down onto Erza and Alice and it makes their wounds mend and armor slightly repair.

Erza:"But how?"

Alice falls to her knees.

Jose looks up and sees Makarov floating down towards them.

Jose smiles evilly. Erza and Alice turn and see Makarov.

Makarov:"You have shed the blood of our children. And that is unforgivable. They have been made to suffer because of the incompetence of their parents. We are both to blame, Jose."

Alice smiles and so does Erza.

Makarov:"This was between us has gone on long enough."

Makarov glares at Jose.

Makarov:"Let's end this here and now!"

Erza/Alice:"Master!"

Jose and Makarov stare at each other for a few seconds and Jose closes his eyes to reveal they've changed to black and gold.

Jose:"If we fight it could create a catastrophe."

Makarov casts a golden magic ball onto the tip of his finger.

Makarov:"In order to save my guild I will gladly take that risk!"

Jose laughs and he launches dark beams at Makarov. Makarov casts magic circles and uses them as shields to shield him, Alice and Erza.

Makarov:"You kids need to get out while you can!"

Alice stands up and Gray and Elfman get up behind them.

Gray:"Gramps!"

Elfman:"We'll stay with you!"

Mira:"No, we have to do as he says!"

Erza and Alice run towards Gray and Elfman. Elfman helps Mira up as Erza and Alice reach them.

Erza:"Let's go!"

Gray:"But Erza!"

Elfman:"Sis, Do you think you can stand?"

Jose:"Well, well, now that you're here, I've no interest in those 'children' of yours. I'll exterminate those pests after I've finished you off."

Alice:"If we stay here we're only going to get in his way. He can handle this, I have faith."

The group runs out of the Phantom Guild hall.

 

 

 

The group makes it back to the cliff and a bright golden light shines from the phantom Guild hall. Alice stares at the golden light in amazement.

Alice:"Fairy Law."

Gray:"What is that?"

Erza:"A spell that vanquishes darkness with sacred light. It only affects those who the caster sees as their enemy."

Alice smiles and chuckles a little.

Alice:"Incredible, isn't it? It's one of the most legendary spells in existence."

After a few seconds the light disappears. 

Everyone:"Alright! We beat Phantom!"

Everyone laughs.

Alice requips Fragrant Olive and she stabs it into the ground in front of her and she sets her hands on it as she stares out to the wrecked Phantom Guild hall.

Makarov walks to the edge of the Phantom Guild hall.

Makarov:"We are victorious! But I had very little to do with it. This victory is yours, my children!"

Everyone cheers and Alice smiles.

Alice:"We did it!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

03-05-2022

1645 words