The Super Mage Giant Phantom MK II didn't just stand; it loomed, a monolithic steel nightmare rumbling in the heart of Magnolia.
Inside its cavernous belly, where the Fairy Tail team now stood, the metallic shell groaned, a deep, resonant hum that vibrated through their very bones.
Across the curved walls, colossal, ominous runes flickered to life, pulsing with a malevolent, building magic.
It was the Abyss Break, a spell so vast, its mere formation felt like a suffocating weight.
"Fifteen minutes, they said," Natsu muttered, his fists already sparking with heat, his gaze fixed on the glowing symbols.
"But this... this feels worse. This feels like it's already here."
Erza's eyes narrowed, sharp and unwavering.
This isn't just a cannon. It's a walking, chanting doomsday weapon.
A cold knot of dread tightened in her gut.
Half of Magnolia... wiped out.
We don't have time for mistakes. Not a single one.
***
"Alright, we're inside," Erza declared, her voice firm, cutting through the giant's ominous thrum.
"But this thing is already building its ultimate spell. We need to find its power source and stop it. Fast!"
Just outside the gigantic maw, where a desperate battle still raged against the phantom Shades, Yume stepped forward.
He lifted his hands, and with a flash of ethereal light, two familiar forms shimmered into existence beside him.
"Swiftwing, Regulus," he commanded, his voice calm, yet imbued with an undeniable urgency. "Aid the guild members outside. Keep the Shades at bay. Focus on healing and protecting everyone you can."
Swiftwing, the sleek, metallic blue-black falcon, let out a sharp, resonant cry.
It shot upwards, immediately multiplying into dozens of identical, streaking copies.
Each was a blur of motion, wings slicing the air as they rained magical projectiles from their beaks, a living, metallic storm adding a crucial layer of ranged defense against the relentless Shades.
Regulus, the majestic, eleven-foot stag, its crystalline antlers glowing with soft radiance, lowered its head.
Its very presence exuded a profound sense of peace.
A warm, golden light radiated from its magnificent form, washing over the battered Fairy Tail mages.
Wounds began to mend, the oppressive despair of the battle eased, and a renewed vigor surged through their tired bodies.
A gentle, healing wind, born from Regulus's magic, swept across the battlefield, carrying its restorative light to the farthest corners.
This palpable shift in the atmosphere was a breath of fresh air amidst the suffocating darkness.
Then, Regulus gracefully took to the air, its powerful wind magic conjuring swirling barriers to deflect incoming attacks and launching precise, cutting gusts at the encroaching specters, its aura of calm a stark, powerful contrast to the chaos below.
Yume turned back to his comrades.
"The spell's activation is tied to the Element 4.
Each one of them controls a specific element that Abyss Break uses.
The chanting will slow with every defeat.
They are the key."
"Then let's split up!" Natsu roared, already itching to incinerate something.
"Right," Gray agreed, his hands already forming ice, his gaze steely.
"More ground covered, faster results."
"For Fairy Tail!" Elfman bellowed, slamming a fist into his palm, a tremor running through the floor.
"Understood," Yume said, a rare, focused glint in his calm eyes.
"We all head our separate ways.
No time for backup.
Each of us takes on an Element 4!"
With determined nods, the five scattered into the metallic labyrinth, each vanishing into a different passage.
Natsu's fiery aura blazed a trail.
Elfman's heavy strides shook the giant.
Gray's ice magic shimmered as he disappeared.
Erza's armor clanked with resolute steps.
Yume, a swift shadow, slipped into his chosen path.
Their footsteps echoed with grim resolve as they fanned out through the colossal machine, alone in their pursuit.
***
Outside & Mirajane's POV
Outside, the ground continued to shudder with the relentless surge of shadowy Shades, each a clawing manifestation of Jose's malice.
Mirajane, still cloaked in Lucy's form, pressed her back against a crumbling guild wall, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Ten minutes.
Only ten minutes until Abyss Break activates.
The thought was a chilling whisper that promised utter annihilation.
Then, a horrifying realization seized her.
She had sent Elfman into that monster.
"Inside, besides Natsu and Gray, there's also Elfman!" Her voice trembled, her usual composure cracking, the weight of a terrible memory settling on her shoulders.
Elfman... his Beast Soul... what if he loses control again?
What if I've sent him straight into another nightmare?
Cana Alberona, despite her own exhaustion, placed a comforting hand on Mirajane's shoulder.
"He's a Fairy Tail Mage too, Mira. He can handle himself."
But Mirajane couldn't shake the chilling specter of Lisanna, of the Beast's rampage, of the sister she'd lost.
After the loss we suffered... Elfman tried to find a way to move forward.
Cana's words echoed, understanding Mirajane's unspoken fear, her desperate need to protect her family.
Mirajane's eyes hardened, a flicker of her true resolve shining through Lucy's disguise.
She had to move forward.
She would buy them time, no matter the cost.
Channeling her magic, she fully embraced Lucy's form, stepping into the open.
"Jose! I surrender! I'm Lucy Heartfilia. Release my friends!"
Her hands trembled, not from the cold, but from sheer terror, a cold sweat beading on her brow despite the heat of battle.
Jose's voice, booming from the colossal mech, was cold, laced with cruel amusement, and amplified to a terrifying degree.
A torrent of shadowy magic rained down around Mirajane, trapping her, binding her.
"Oh, dear Mirajane.
You think I am so easily deceived?
You are too predictable, Mademoiselle."
Mirajane's blood ran cold.
He saw right through it.
The true, agonizing weight of her powerlessness, of her inability to protect her family, crashed down on her like a tidal wave.
Just as she felt the true despair, a massive, shadowy hand lashed out from the giant, seizing Mirajane.
Jose had captured her, a chilling, personal punishment for her futile deception.
Her only hope of release, of Magnolia's salvation, lay with the mages fighting deep within the mechanical titan.
***
Elfman vs. Sol
Elfman stormed down a metallic hall within the Phantom Lord Guild's monstrous form.
Suddenly, a single, glowing eye appeared out of the grimy floor.
Then Sol of the Element 4 sprang forth from the earth itself.
"Salut, Monsieur Elfman," Sol purred, executing a theatrical bow, his voice carrying a distinct, almost oily French lilt.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the 'Beast' himself. Come to play in the dirt with Monsieur Sol?"
Elfman's muscles bunched, a snarl twisting his lips.
"Your timing's perfect, Sol! I'll make you tell me how to stop this Giant Mage!"
He transformed his right arm, muscles swelling, into Beast Arm: Black Bull.
"Are you certain, Monsieur Elfman-sama, with just your right arm?" Sol inquired, his gaze lingering with an unnerving intensity on Elfman's transforming limb.
"It seems the rumors are true, non?"
"I've had enough of your blabbing!" Elfman roared, a surge of primal power making his arm a blurring force as he lunged.
But Sol, with an almost effortless grace, dodged, a mere ripple in Elfman's path.
"Tell me, Monsieur Elfman-sama, do you have a little sister?" Sol inquired, his tone saccharine, utterly jarring against the chaos of battle.
The unexpected question, so personal, so pointed, caused Elfman to falter, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
That was all Sol needed.
He cast Sable Dance, and the very air around Elfman coalesced into a violent vortex of sand.
When the gritty tempest cleared, Sol was suddenly behind Elfman, delivering a sharp, unseen blow with Roche Concerto, causing jagged rocks to erupt from the floor and slam into Elfman's back.
Sol's smile widened, a cruel, knowing twist of his lips.
He began to pick at Elfman's deepest, most festering wounds.
"You see, Monsieur Elfman, I have extensive knowledge of every Mage in Fairy Tail.
I know your every weakness, your every regret.
Mademoiselle Lisanna... died because of your failure at a Full-Body Take Over, non?"
Elfman snarled, transforming his left arm into Beast Arm: Iron Bull and lunging again, his anger a blinding force.
Sol dodged again, then wrapped himself around Elfman's right arm and leg with an unsettling, earthy grip that felt like solid rock.
Elfman tried to unbind Sol using his other hand, but the earth magic held firm.
"Moncher Sol! Unhand me!"
Sol's foot lashed out, a precise kick to Elfman's face that snapped his head back.
"It's Monsieur Sol, if you please.
And you are stronger than you look, I admit, non?"
Elfman winced. Sol was much stronger than he looked.
Elfman charged for another hit, but froze mid-stride.
Standing directly in his path, conjured from the very stone, was a chillingly lifelike Earth Clone of Lisanna.
Sol's eyes gleamed with malicious satisfaction.
"Oh, my apologies, Monsieur Elfman-sama," he purred, a theatrical hand fluttering to his chest.
"When you stepped on me earlier, I read a gap in your memory.
And so, I created Mademoiselle Lisanna from it.
Tell me, you have a precious little sister, yes?
Where might she be now?
Ah, I have been rude.
She's buried in the cold, dark ground.
Your cible, non?"
Elfman's Beast Arm faded away, his magic faltering, his blood running cold.
The Earth Clone of Lisanna opened its eyes, its stone lips parting to whisper his name.
Lisanna...
He attempted a Full-Body Take Over, a desperate surge of magic.
I won't be deceived!
But Sol, with a cruel, mocking laugh, surrounded him with multiple Earth Clones of Lisanna.
Their unblinking stone eyes accused him from every direction, their silent calls echoing Lisanna's voice.
The sheer mental assault shattered his concentration, and his attempt at Take Over fizzled.
"Non, non, non," Sol tutted, observing Elfman's rapidly weakening Magic Power.
"Do not try to do what you cannot handle, Monsieur Elfman."
"Fight me like a man, Sol!" Elfman roared, bruised and desperate, blood trickling from his lip.
"Fair and square, fist to fist!"
Sol returned all the Lisanna Earth Clones to dust, his smile now a thin, utterly cold line.
"I cannot accept your questioning of my manliness, Monsieur Elfman.
For you have no right.
You are trash that killed his own little sister."
With a flourish, Sol then cast Plâtre Sonata, and a massive fist of plaster erupted from the ground, punching Elfman through the wall.
The impact sent him hurtling backward, crashing through the metallic hull of the giant.
Through the gaping ruin, Elfman saw it:
Mirajane, caught in a shadowy grip, being slowly, agonizingly crushed by the very Giant Mage they were trying to stop.
"She is being punished, Monsieur Elfman-sama," Sol's voice drifted through the hole, filled with chilling satisfaction, as he appeared at the edge of the newly formed abyss.
"For attempting to deceive Monsieur Jose.
Ah, I see!
This Mademoiselle is your older sister, the one once feared as the 'Demon'!
You will see your older sister die before your very eyes, just like with Lisanna, your younger sister, non?"
Sol continued, his voice dripping with venom, twisting the knife deeper.
"You are just an impotent Mage who spouts nothing but bluffs about manliness and as a gentleman, Monsieur Sol cannot forgive him."
He raised his hand, a dark aura building around him as he prepared his ultimate spell.
"I will give you eternal suffering as he becomes one with the land.
Merci la Vie."
Elfman's limbs grew heavy, his skin slowly, agonizingly, turning to stone.
While in a trance, Elfman's mind spiraled into a tormenting replay of his darkest memories.
The first, a searing wound: himself as a child, crying at his dead parakeet's tiny grave.
Lisanna, small and earnest, comforting him.
All living things die some time, Elfman.
But if you remember them, they'll live forever in your heart.
Young Elfman, in his grief, had rejected her, pushing her away, making her cry.
The second memory, a crushing regret: the time they went to help Mirajane on an S-Class quest, saying goodbye to Natsu and Happy.
Don't go on that mission... or at least take Natsu with you, Elfman desperately pleaded in the vision, his ghostly voice unheard, as the memory twisted and faded out.
The third, and worst, memory flashed, raw and agonizing: when he was taken over by the beast.
He saw himself, a monstrous, raging figure, out of control.
He had injured Mirajane, who desperately told Lisanna to run.
But Lisanna hadn't left.
She stood bravely before the terrifying Beast, trying to talk to him.
You can't have forgotten me and Mirajane, Elfman.
We both love you very much.
Let's head home.
This plea didn't snap Elfman back to reason.
The Beast, blindly lashing out, tossed Lisanna away with immense, unthinking force, causing her supposed death.
The fourth memory came, of him and Mirajane, side-by-side, crying at Lisanna's grave.
He saw himself blaming himself for Lisanna's death, but Mirajane, strong even in her sorrow, had told him,
It isn't your fault, Elfman.
Lisanna told us, all living things die some time.
In that moment, through their tears, they had promised each other to live on to their fullest, for Lisanna's sake.
The transformation into a statue was almost complete, his entire body rigid and cold.
But Elfman's eyes, still capable of tears, shed a single, burning drop.
Through the haze of magic and torment, Mirajane's voice, a lifeline from the real world, pierced through the despair, snapping him back into consciousness.
Elfman opened his eyes, seeing Mirajane's face contorted in pain and fear from afar, seeing her tears.
He slowly, agonizingly, got up, a new, fierce power radiating from his every pore.
"Mira..." he rasped, his voice raw with emotion.
"Why are you crying?"
His gaze hardened, fixing on Sol, a dangerous fire in his eyes.
"Who... who was it that made her cry?!"
Elfman's voice deepened, resonating with a newfound, primal resolve.
"Lisanna died because I was weak!
I don't ever want to feel that way again!
I want to become a strong man who can protect my sisters!"
Mirajane, watching from outside, recognized the overwhelming surge of light radiating from him.
She knew what he was attempting.
"Elfman! Don't try to do a Full-Body Take Over!" she pleaded, her voice cracking.
However, Elfman was consumed with light, his very being twisting and expanding with raw power.
He roared, a sound that shook the very foundations of the giant, and succeeded with the Full-Body Take Over: Beast Soul!
The chamber was engulfed in a blinding, chaotic flash of magical energy.
When the light subsided, Elfman stood, transformed.
He was a colossal, hulking figure, rippling with raw, terrifying, yet controlled power.
Sol immediately panicked, his face draining of color, his polite facade utterly shattered.
"Non, non, non! Wait! Monsieur Elfman-sama!
All I did was give you a harsh trial for you to finally overcome your past!"
Sol stumbled backward, hands up, utterly cowering.
"You are indeed a man among men!
I believed you could overcome it!
Truly magnificent!"
He tried to slink away, but the Beast Soul was relentless.
Elfman's massive, controlled fist connected again.
Sol, desperate, retaliated with Plâtre Sonata, but the plaster fist shattered harmlessly against the Beast Soul, which merely absorbed the impact without a tremor.
Elfman was unaffected.
The Beast Soul continued its overwhelming assault, pummeling Sol mercilessly until he was knocked unconscious, sprawling among the shattered stone.
Sol was utterly defeated, and Elfman, roaring in triumph, was victorious.
***
The Beast, its eyes burning with protective fury, turned with single-minded focus towards the gaping hole in the wall, towards Mirajane.
Outside, Mirajane felt the pressure of Jose's shadowy grip intensify, the darkness closing in around her, suffocating.
Her breath hitched, her lungs screaming for air.
Is this it? Is this how it ends?
Then, a massive, clawed hand, impossibly gentle, reached through the opening.
Mirajane's eyes widened.
It was the Beast's hand, immense and powerful, but instead of crushing her, it carefully, tenderly, released Mirajane from the clutches of the Giant Mage and pulled her free, setting her down softly on the ground.
She gasped, air rushing back into her lungs, the cold sweat of terror replaced by the warmth of sudden, profound relief.
The colossal Beast form rippled, then receded, shimmering out of existence.
Elfman, bruised and exhausted but undeniably himself, embraced her fiercely.
"Mira..." he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, trembling slightly.
"I'm so sorry I had to take this form.
You probably never wanted to see me like this again."
Mirajane, tears welling in her eyes, shook her head, clutching him tightly.
"No, Elfman... you saved me.
You saved us.
Thank you."
She pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes, searching for clarity.
"You're in control, Elfman."
He nodded, a weary, genuine smile touching his lips.
"There was nothing else I could do, Mira.
I wanted to protect you, and Fairy Tail.
It was because I wasn't able to control it properly the first time that Lisanna... 'died'."
Mirajane gently cupped his face, her thumb brushing away a tear.
"No, Elfman.
It wasn't your fault that Lisanna died.
You tried your best to protect us back then too."
Though Elfman insisted, his voice cracking with lingering guilt,
"But I failed because Lisanna died,"
Mirajane cut him off with a loving squeeze.
"She's still with us, Elfman.
Always.
Remember our promise at her grave?
To live a full life, for Lisanna's sake."
At her words, Elfman's eyes welled up,
and he allowed himself to cry,
relieved that Mirajane was safe,
and that he had finally conquered his inner demon,
not by suppressing it,
but by mastering it.
The Take Over duo,
broken but triumphant,
were once again safe.
***
Mirajane, looking up at the colossal robot, suddenly noticed a subtle yet profound change.
The low, guttural chanting for Abyss Break, which had been a constant, oppressive thrum, had noticeably decreased in speed.
The pulsing runes on the giant's surface were now flickering, less intense, almost stuttering.
When she thought about how Abyss Break is cast using the four elements (fire, wind, water, and earth),
a fierce determination ignited in her eyes.
"Elfman," she asked, urgently, her gaze fixed on the giant.
"How many of the Element 4 are left?"
He wiped his eyes.
"Two, I think."
"Then I understand!" Mirajane exclaimed,
her voice ringing with newfound clarity and a surge of hope.
"The Giant's power source is the Element 4!
They control the very elements Abyss Break uses.
If they are defeated, the chanting should stop,
and Abyss Break will be cancelled!"
A crucial path to victory had just revealed itself.
Deep within the giant,
Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Yume all felt it—
a subtle shift in the magical pressure,
a distinct easing of the suffocating chant.
Their eyes, though distant,
met across the labyrinthine corridors,
a silent understanding passing between them.
This is it.
This was their path to victory.
***
Transition to Next Conflict
Meanwhile, as Yume navigated a metallic corridor, the air grew thick with moisture,
and the rhythmic drip of water intensified.
He turned a corner,
and a surge of water met him, forcing him to halt.
Before him, the passage was awash in a shimmering, unstable pool,
and standing calmly in the center,
her gaze instantly locking onto his,
was Juvia Lockser
Juvia's eyes narrowed,
a flicker of surprise quickly replaced by cold determination.
"You," she murmured,
her voice like the chilling flow of a hidden current.
"The one from Magnolia.
Juvia did not forget you."
The water around her began to churn and rise,
reflecting the dim, unsettling glow of the giant's interior.
Yume knew this wasn't an intimidation this time;
this was a fight to the finish.
This storm would be fought within the heart of the beast itself.
His next challenge had just begun.
End of chapter.