Fairy Tail: Null Infinite

Chapter 8: The Boy Who Loves Mages

Outside the cavern, Lucy is resting Ruin against the stone wall, trying to get him to come to his senses when a blinding red light shines through the entrance. "What the?" Lucy is bewildered by the light and moves to take a look, however, a strong hand reaches out from behind her, gripping her arm and not letting her take another step. "Ruin?" Looking back at her friend, Lucy sees the fear in Ruins eyes. "What's-?" Lucy is cut off by Ruin swinging her around behind him as a crimson bolt of magic slams into his back, causing him to scream aloud and sending them both flying across the field.

"W-what was that?" Lucy says as she sees Ruin making a pained face while hunched over her. "Are you alright? You-" Lucy is unable to finish her sentence, cutting herself off when she sees Ruins arm, now with pure white skin and glowing black patterning. "What's going on with your arm?!" She asks. "It's nothing...I think your friends are in trouble though." Lucy's eyes widen at Ruins words and they both immediately rush into the cave, Ruin moving slightly slower than Lucy at first.

"What..." Lucy is horrified by the scene before her. Wendy is sprawled out on the floor unconscious, Juvia knocked out with red lightning sparking from her body, gray is half covered in the devil slayers markings and leaned up against the wall, standing but unconscious; Erza has been slammed into the wall a few metres above the ground and finally, Natsu is writhing in pain as he is surrounded by crimson flames. "Guys!" Lucy exclaims. "Stop! Don't! Come!" Natsu shouts at her, barely able to speak through the pain. "What happened here?!" Lucy asks frantically. No answer. The others are down for the count and Natsu is too busy trying to stay alive to answer.

"Na-" Lucy is once again cut off. "Natsu! What are you doing!? I thought dragon slayers ate fire!?" Ruin shouts. "Shut up! It's too strong!" Natsu exclaims, barely keeping the flames at bay. "So you're just going to give up!? Lucy told me about what you guys have been through!" Ruin taunts Natsu while reminding him of the past. "Shut your face! I ain't giving up!" Natsu shouts in defiance. "Then fight!" Ruin yells, pushing his strange arm through the flames and placing his palm on Natsu's exposed chest.

Natsu's eyes lose their colour for a moment as if all the magic in his body suddenly vanished while the markings on Ruins body extend by a minuscule amount. When Ruin removes his hand from Natsu's body, Natsu springs back to live, struggling against the flame, and eventually, through massive strain, he eats it. A burst of crimson flames envelope Natsu before calming down to reveal the scale like features in various places on Natsu's body. "That's the most I've ever had to work for a meal." Natsu says as he begins to walk out of the cavern. "You guys coming or am I takin' on that God by myself!?" Natsu shouts back, prompting Ruin and Lucy to smile and follow along behind.

"Hold up!...you weren't thinking...of leaving us behind...were you?" Gray hobbles towards the group, fire burning in his eyes as he anticipates the fight ahead, followed by Erza dropping out of the wall, Wendy and Juvia slowly getting to their feet and finally Happy and Carla coming out of hiding. "You coming too Happy?!" Natsu shouts to his long time best friend. "Aye, sir!" Happy shouts back, a sweat drop falling down his forehead at the though of the ensuing battle.

In the village, people can be seen gazing up to the sky to see it covered in a crimson light. "It-it's happening..." "has the god returned!" "It's Uprunna!" "Our god has not forsaken us!" The excited voices of the villagers are immediately hushed when the man formerly known as Turra walks into the village. "Is that the scholar? What's going on?" "Oi! Why did Uprunna grant an outsider his power!?" He villagers encircle the crimson haired man who simply waves his hand, setting a group of people instantly alight.

Silence once again befalls the village before the citizens fall to their knees and begin worshipping the man. "Yo! We weren't finished back there!" Uprunna and the villager all shift their gazes to the group of young mages entering the village. A few notice that Ruin is with them but say nothing for fear of being roasted by their god.