Erza was found by Gray, Elfman, and Mirajane, who rushed to her side, relief washing over their faces. "Erza!" Gray exclaimed, helping her stand. "You did it! Aria's defeated!"
"That's our Titania!" Elfman cheered, wiping sweat from his brow, though his face was grim at the sounds of Jose's announcement.
Their brief celebration was cut short, however, by an ominous presence that filled the crumbling hall.
The air grew heavy, thick with a palpable malevolence that made their very skin crawl. Master Jose, wreathed in dark, sinister magic, entered the room, his eyes fixed on them like a predator. His aura was one of pure, unadulterated evil, now magnified by his recent triumph.
He engaged them without preamble, his movements swift and brutal. Gray and Elfman, despite their power, were quickly disposed of, slammed aside by unseen forces of shadow. Mirajane, weakened from her earlier battle, managed a desperate defense, but Jose was too strong, too fast. She, too, fell, crashing into the rubble.
Erza, though battered from her earlier fights, stood firm. She was not critically injured, nor was her magic severely depleted, thanks to Yume's intervention with Jupiter. Her eyes, sharp and resolute, met Jose's.
"Impressive, Titania," Jose sneered, a flicker of cruel amusement in his eyes. "To think you still stand, and with such vigor after Jupiter. It seems my Element Four were truly inadequate, or perhaps, you truly are a monster of resilience. No matter." He raised a hand, his shadows coiling like hungry snakes. "You may not be crippled, but you're still just a child before me."
Erza gritted her teeth, defiance burning in her eyes. "It is my friends who strengthen my heart! And I will not allow you to harm them, Jose!"
Jose's smile widened, a truly chilling sight. "Oh, how delightful. Then I shall simply enjoy watching that heart shatter as I destroy you." His shadows pulsed, then lunged.
What followed was a battle of immense proportions. Jose, recognizing Erza's unyielding strength, abandoned his casual mockery. He unleashed a torrent of powerful Shadow and Darkness Magic, manipulating the very fabric of the hall, creating piercing tendrils and crushing constructs of gloom.
Erza, at full strength, was a whirlwind of steel and magic. She requipped through her formidable armors with blinding speed, adapting to Jose's brutal onslaught. Her Flame Empress Armor burned away swathes of shadow, her Lightning Empress Armor deflected and shocked, and her raw swordsmanship cleaved through his darkest spells.
Bits of debris flew as the floor beneath them fractured further with each impact.
She moved with grace and ferocity, her strategic mind analyzing every attack, seeking an opening, a weakness in his overwhelming power.
The battle stretched on, far longer and more destructive than in the original timeline, forcing Jose to expend significant magical energy and push himself. He was visibly surprised by her endurance and the sheer power she brought to bear.
Despite Erza's valiant efforts and incredible resilience, the gap in power between an S-Class Mage and a Wizard Saint, particularly one as malicious as Jose, was still substantial. Jose's attacks grew more potent, his shadows denser, pushing Erza back, overwhelming her with sheer destructive force. Each of her counter-attacks, while powerful, only seemed to briefly disrupt him. He was a force of nature, too vast, too consuming for even the Titania to fully withstand alone. Her Giant Armor cracked under a particularly heavy blow, though her Adamantine Armor remained pristine.
Finally, with a devastating surge of dark magic, Jose seized an opening, his shadows coiling around Erza, crushing her. She cried out, her armors groaning under the immense pressure, her strength nearing its limit.
Just as Jose's shadows threatened to engulf Erza entirely, a piercing shot of pure darkness, unlike Jose's own, tore through the air, aimed directly at him. Jose, caught entirely by surprise, instinctively dodged the attack with the practiced ease of a Wizard Saint, a fleeting look of annoyance crossing his face.
'Another one? And with such peculiar magic...', he thought, his concentration briefly broken. This brief distraction was enough; his crushing hold on Erza momentarily loosened. As his shadows recoiled, Yume appeared from the swirling gloom, stepping freely into the center of the hall, his presence calm amidst the chaos.
"Yume!" Erza gasped, her voice laced with profound relief as the pressure vanished from her limbs. Both her gaze and Jose's attention immediately settled on the newcomer, the air crackling with new tension.
Yume's eyes wandered around the room, analyzing the scene with his typical stoic calm. He took in the fallen forms of Gray, Elfman, and Mirajane, a flicker of cold assessment in his gaze.
"Sorry I'm late," Yume's voice was even, his tone a mix of detached apology and dry wit, as if he'd merely missed a train. "I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life."
"Glad you found your way on time, then," Erza replied, a genuine smile of relief and gratitude gracing her face as she pushed herself up, taking his outstretched hand to help herself to her feet. The simple gesture spoke volumes of their camaraderie and trust.
"Can you still fight?" Yume asked, his eyes briefly meeting hers, a silent question of her resilience.
"Always," she replied without hesitation, a fierce light in her eyes, her battle spirit rekindled.
As if on cue, a unique aura of shimmering, obsidian magic erupted around Yume, not oppressive like Jose's, but eerily serene. His Pandora's Orbs, previously passive, began to orbit him with increased velocity, then with a sound like shifting gears, they elongated and solidified, their gleaming surfaces fusing into a pair of sleek, intricate twin gunswords, perfectly balanced in his grip. At the same time, Erza, with a flash of light, requipped into her formidable Black Wing Armor, raising her great sword, its edge glinting menacingly.
Jose watched their synchronized movements, a mocking laugh rumbling from his chest, filled with a renewed, sadistic glee. "Hohoho! Well, well, well! I am truly impressed, Fairy Brats! You two stopped my Jupiter Cannon, and between you, you actually managed to defeat the Element Four!"
His grin widened, a chilling, triumphant leer. "But you still have Gajeel... and myself left! You disgusting brats! I will punish you, and teach you the atrociousness of Phantom Lord!" His expression twisted into a wicked, terrifying mask of pure malice.
Jose's sinister Magic Power swelled, radiating an oppressive aura that made the very air tremble, the shadows in the room deepening, clawing at the light. He clapped his hands slowly, a sharp, unnerving sound in the vast, crumbling hall. "A truly wonderful show you've put on," he stated, his voice dripping with condescending menace. "I didn't expect you to provide me with so much entertainment.
Allow me to show you my gratitude for such a splendid, gratifying display!" With a final, terrifying roar that shook the very foundations, his Darkness Magic exploded outwards, an overwhelming wave of destructive energy aimed to blow them both away.
***
Above, in the command center, Gajeel Redfox was amusing himself by picking on a defenseless Lucy. Her body was broken, but her spirit remained infuriatingly intact.
"Hey, Gajeel, stop messing with her!" one of his allies grumbled, shifting nervously. "You'll break her before we get paid!"
Gajeel just grunted, bored. "She's no fun when she's like this." He kicked her lightly again, a glint of cruelty in his eyes.
Lucy slowly, painfully, pushed herself up, her body screaming in protest, but her eyes blazing with an unyielding defiance. She belittled Phantom Lord, her voice weak but cutting, fueled by her unbreakable spirit. "You pathetic excuses for mages... and you, Gajeel! You think you've won? Fairy Tail will never fall to the likes of you!"
Gajeel's eyes widened in surprise at her unexpected defiance, then narrowed into a furious glare. The insults, and the unexpected fire in her gaze, ignited his primal rage. He snarled, raising a fist of iron, preparing to silence her for good. "You want to die, little girl?! Fine! I'll do it myself!"
Lucy didn't flinch. Instead, she leaned into it, her voice gaining a strange, alluring challenge, daring him. "Go on then! Kill me! And my guild... they will chase you for eternity! Every single one of them! You'll never know peace!"
A twisted grin spread across Gajeel's face. He liked that plan. He liked the idea of being pursued by a furious Fairy Tail, a challenge worthy of him. He let out a dark chuckle and charged in, aiming a killing blow at the defiant Celestial Wizard.
But he never connected.
Suddenly, the very floor beneath him exploded. A fiery fist, wreathed in roaring flames, erupted from the shattered stone, slamming into Gajeel and sending him careening across the room in a shower of sparks and metal. Natsu Dragneel, now fully charged and radiating raw power, stood there amidst the smoke, panting, his eyes fixed on Gajeel with a primal, unwavering fury. He had saved Lucy.
The battle of the two Dragons was fast approaching.
End of chapter.