Fairy tail Next Generation

8-Chaos

The scorching sun beat down mercilessly on Team Three as they trudged through the endless expanse of the Western Deserts. Shimmering heat waves distorted the horizon, making it difficult to discern where the sand ended and the sky began.

Lexy Dreyar wiped sweat from her brow, her white hair tinged with sand. "Remind me again why we couldn't just teleport directly to the seal?" she grumbled.

Naku Fernandez, walking beside her, offered a sympathetic smile. "The magical interference around the seal makes precise teleportation impossible. We have to do this the old-fashioned way."

Esmeralda, a few paces behind them, rolled her eyes. "At least you two have each other to complain to. Some of us are single out here."

Erza, overhearing the conversation, called out from the rear of the group. "Focus on the mission. Romance can wait until after we save the world."

Jellal chuckled softly. "Says the woman who managed to find time for romance during the Grand Magic Games."

Erza's face turned as red as her hair. "T-that was different!"

As they continued their journey, the group fell into a companionable silence, broken only by the crunch of sand beneath their feet and the occasional whistle of wind through the dunes.

Suddenly, Naku held up a hand, signaling the group to stop. "Do you feel that?" he asked, his voice low and tense.

Lexy nodded, her body crackling with small sparks of electricity. "The air... it's charged. Like right before a big storm."

Esmeralda closed her eyes, focusing her senses. "I can hear... whispers. But I can't make out what they're saying."

Erza requipped into her Lightning Empress Armor, preparing for potential danger. "Stay alert, everyone. We might be getting close to the seal."

Jellal's eyes scanned the horizon, a frown creasing his forehead. "There's a distortion in the magical energy around us. It's subtle, but growing stronger."

As if on cue, the wind picked up, swirling sand around them in intricate patterns. The whispers Esmeralda had sensed grew louder, becoming an unintelligible cacophony of ancient voices.

Lexy grabbed Naku's hand instinctively, her other hand raised and ready to unleash her lightning magic. "I don't like this," she muttered.

Naku squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We've trained for this. We can handle whatever comes our way."

Esmeralda, despite her earlier teasing, moved closer to her brother and Lexy. "Any ideas on what we're dealing with?"

Before anyone could respond, the sand beneath their feet began to shift and churn. The voices grew to a deafening roar, and a blinding light erupted from the ground.

"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Erza shouted, her sword materializing in her hand.

As the light faded and the sand settled, the team found themselves facing an enormous magical barrier. Behind it, they could make out the vague shape of what appeared to be ancient ruins, shimmering like a mirage in the desert heat.

Jellal stepped forward, his hand hovering over the barrier. "This is it. The seal of the Primordial entity. But it's... different from what I expected."

Lexy tilted her head, studying the magical construct. "It looks like it's been... eroded. Like the desert winds have been wearing it down for centuries."

Naku nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. If this is the entity of Oblivion, its very nature might be causing the seal to fade from existence."

Esmeralda shivered despite the heat. "So what do we do now? How do we reinforce something that's literally being forgotten by reality?"