[X784, Edolas, Royal City]
— Dannis Martell —
Dannis flew over the Royal City as it descended into chaos beneath him.
From above, the capital looked like a living anthill that had been kicked apart. Smoke rose from shattered towers, alarms rang endlessly through the streets, and flashes of magic lit up the city from every direction. Entire districts had become battlefields.
On one side of the city, black banners of the Black Band Rebellion surged through the broken western wall while lightning rained from the heavens like divine punishment. On another, Edolas soldiers desperately tried to reinforce collapsing defenses as panicked civilians fled through the streets.
And through it all, Dannis' sharp eyes remained fixed on the palace at the center.
The true target.
Both he and Laxus understood it. There was no point wasting time grinding through endless soldiers when the root of the problem sat comfortably upon a throne.
King Faust.
Bring him down, and the kingdom collapses with him.
Unfortunately, the inner walls of the city were still heavily fortified. Hundreds of soldiers manned the battlements while massive lacrima cannons pivoted toward the sky.
The moment Dannis entered range, "FIRE!"
The night exploded into light.
Dozens upon dozens of magical blasts screamed toward him, illuminating the dark sky in blues, reds, and golds. The turrets thundered continuously, the recoil shaking the walls beneath them.
Dannis didn't even bother dodging.
A black sphere opened in front of him.
Space warped.
Every incoming blast bent unnaturally before being swallowed whole into the miniature void. Explosions vanished into silence, consumed utterly by darkness.
The soldiers atop the walls froze in horror.
"What the hell is that?!"
Dannis beat his wings once, slowing midair. His sword slid free with a metallic hiss. Black energy crawled along the blade like living smoke.
Then he swung.
A colossal crescent of darkness erupted outward.
It stretched so wide it eclipsed the wall itself, roaring through the sky like a tidal wave.
The battlements split apart instantly.
Turrets exploded into molten debris while entire sections of the wall cracked and crumbled beneath the force. Soldiers were hurled screaming from the ramparts, some blown away by the sheer shockwave while others were simply erased by the slash itself.
The city shook.
Dannis didn't even look back.
Further ahead, combat erupted within the palace courtyard itself.
Lightning exploded across the marble grounds as Laxus Dreyar tore through platoons of Royal Guards. A bolt from the heavens crashed down onto the courtyard, vaporizing an entire formation and leaving scorched stone behind.
Dannis smirked faintly.
Subtle as always.
As he descended toward the palace entrance, Laxus drove his fist into the massive grand doors.
YOU ARE READING
Fairy Tail: The Dark Swordsman
FanfictionAwakening your innate magic usually happens in the most dire of circumstances, and that's exactly what Dannis Martell experienced as he found himself trapped when tragedy struck. The story of a swordsman trying to make his way through life, alongsid...
