Phoenix Storm || Fairy Tail [2]

➝ 𝐱𝐢𝐢. 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞

𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙗𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙛𝙩. 𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙮
❛ 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦? ❜

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"Wow, I thought it would look more aesthetically pleasing than that, but I suppose I was wrong..." Rose trailed off, squinting at doomsday-with-legs. "That failed excuse for a phoenix looks like someone decided to slap together some metal and throw it into a volcano, before gluing curtain poles onto it for wings."

"Do you even know what you're saying?" Erza asked confusedly.

"Nope." Rose popped the 'p' in a childish manner, in a manner quite unlike her. It was this that brought to attention just how nervous she was – acting like this was, in a way, her coping mechanism. "At this point, I'm just letting my mouth do the thinking."

"Anyway... I want you, Erza, to guard Rose while she casts her spell. It will take a few minutes to prepare, and during that time she will be extremely susceptible to attacks." Makarov paused, his gaze turning to survey the city below them. "I have business elsewhere."

Erza nodded. "Yes, Master,"

Rose struck a cheerful pose just as another explosion went off in the background. "Okay! Let's do this~"

More explosions were set off. Jet fidgeted nervously. "Hey, Rose? Think you could get to the mystical phoenix slaying magic just a teeny bit faster? I think that last attack singed my eyebrows off..."

The phoenix screeched, setting off another chain of explosions. A building collapsed, sending rubble and dust everywhere.

"Okay, okay!" Rose protested, "geez, so pushy..."

She turned and glanced around the city to find a high building to conduct the ritual on. Her eyes caught onto a particularly large tower. It was a good thing that the eternano concentration in the area was so high. Her magic recovery was more efficient than usual.

"Alright, that one should be fine!"

Rose took a running jump off of the building, grabbing onto a ledge on a building opposite her before pulling herself up and repeating the process. She eventually managed to clamber to the top of the building she had chosen, which Erza had already reached.

Rose sat down for a moment, breathing heavily, as she glanced towards the direction of the phoenix. She could see members of Fairy Tail working together to try and prevent the beast from moving any further. Most civilians had already been evacuated by the military.

'Everyone's doing their best,' she realised. 'I have to, as well.'

She scrambled up and took a few steps to the centre of the roof which was flat, gesturing for Erza to step away. The requip mage took up a position on the other side, already preparing her armour.

Rose inhaled shakily, trying desperately to hide just how nervous she was. Her legs trembled imperceptibly. Then, she cracked her knuckles.

A circle of flames erupted around Rose's feet, sending her hair whipping about wildly in the wind. The energy in the air focused around her, like a rubber band being stretched until it was about to snap.

Then there was a moment of silence before an abrupt roar of energy engulfed her. She had activated phoenix force – and so, just as how the dragon slayers would gain draconic features, Rose gained the features of a phoenix.

The flames were still alive at her feet. Rose glanced over her shoulder at her companion, crimson-hued wings fluttering.

"Erza! I'll be casting the spell now, but it'll take a while to draw up the runes!"

The requip mage nodded in response, her hair thrown about by the wind awakened by Rose's spell. Flames began to crawl across the ground, forming an intricate circle. Slowly, bit by bit, the fire began to scorch intricate runes onto the roof.

Rose paused for a moment before she continued her spell. Wind ruffled the feathers on her wings. The screech of the phoenix was growing alarmingly close, echoing throughout the city.

Rose could almost feel the frenzied storm of emotions which came with the being's arrival –

they sent her mind into a chaotic whirlwind. All of her instincts were screaming at her to run, to get away from the danger, but she forced herself to ignore them and instead poured her frustration into the runes. The golden aura around her flickered like the flame of a candle caught in a breeze.

Abruptly, there was a blast of lightning that caused the phoenix to tumble – Laxus and the Thunder Tribe had arrived, along with the remaining members of Fairy Tail.

Rose clenched her teeth, urging her mind to work faster. The more time spent, the more lives lost... and if she wasn't careful, her ineptitude would cost her the lives of her comrades.

More explosions rocked the city. The winged form of Mirajane in her Satan Soul form hovered in the sky, shooting balls of condensed energy, whilst Macao and Wakaba worked together to slow the phoenix down. Cana used her cards to set off explosions, Alzack and Bisca fired at it from a distance, and Elfman slammed his fists into its face whenever he got a chance. The dragon slayers hovered around the phoenix's face like angry mosquitoes with their exceeds, and at one point Gray created a massive hammer and slammed it into the phoenix's head.

Bright smiles lit the mage's faces – perhaps beating the phoenix would not be as hard as they had expected.

They were wrong.

The phoenix reeled backwards and released a glass-shattering scream, wings spread wide as a ball of white-hot energy formed above it. Rose grimaced at the shriek, trying to maintain her focus on what she was doing.

Laxus gaped, an expression of pure shock on his face. Even the usually stoic man was caught off guard. "What..."

"What's happening?" Mira snarled, dropping slightly in the air. The mages all began to notice their energy was being sapped away, forcefully stolen from them.

The ball of energy grew greater in size. The smoke hanging in the sky had morphed into a demonic shade of crimson, lit only by the presence of the massive ball of energy. It resembled a miniature sun, shimmering surface swirling with shades of yellow and red.

Lucy slumped forward, struggling to stay upright. "What's wrong with me? I feel so weak all of a sudden..."

"It's not you," Éclair smiled sadly, soot smudged on her cheeks and ashes on her clothes. "The phoenix steals magic power. It will take all the magic power it can, and use it to destroy the world."

Published: 19/02/2019