Frozen Heart
Chapter 57
Gajeel could not help but wonder who his snowflake had gone off in such a hurry to get.
From the way Salamander actually went a little pale and Makarov refused to elaborate, he figured whoever this ‘her’ was must be pretty strong.
Anyone who could make Salamander clam up like that ought to be, at least.
Was it the person Jose had tried to recruit against Fairy Tail?
The one that ended up finishing him off?
Gajeel hardly cared at the time, but now curiosity was eating at him.
Even after Erza was freed from the petrifying spell and subsequently freed the other girls, and Levy managed to take down the rune barrier, the question gnawed at the back of his mind.
Who in the world would Jack Frost turn to for back-up?
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The cathedral was in shambles, windows burst wide open and rubble vibrating with residual electricity, like a buzz in the back of your teeth.
Entire body tingling, Gajeel forced himself to stand, jaw clenched at the ache that burst from every muscle in his body.
Natsu staggered to his feet as well, much more bruised and battered for all his effort, and the Dragon Slayers shared a look.
Towering over the younger wizards, Laxus grinned like a hungry shark, electricity dancing harmlessly over his chest and shoulders with a foreboding snap.
The only damage done by flames or iron was to the Lightning Slayer’s clothes, his shirt hanging in tatters, and that just ticked Gajeel off.
Where the hell was Jack?
Even Natsu bristled when the temperature suddenly dropped, and the wind howled as it slammed the massive front doors open with a resounding crash.
His first thought was that Jack had decided to come back alone and knock Laxus’ smug head right off.
The next, which came right after turning around, was that the armored woman in the doorway was most assuredly not his snowflake.
Ice crackling into existence around her feet, Hiroyuki strode calmly into the cathedral, wind swirling around her in a contained tornado of diamond shards.
The cold was deep and sharp, little needles making cracks in his bones, and Gajeel wisely kept his mouth shut as the woman passed between the beaten Dragon Slayers quiet as a ghost.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself, Laxus Dreyar?”
Her voice crackled like brittle ice, barely restrained fury, as the wind gave a low shriek.
Laxus bared his fangs, electricity visible across his shoulders.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you!”
“A common assumption.”
It became almost unbearably freezing, like standing in the middle of an iced lake, and Natsu steamed as Gajeel’s body started shivering in an attempt to keep warm.
“However, you made the mistake of harming what’s mine.” Hiroyuki seethed, a blizzard’s roar growing in her voice. “And I do not take such things lightly, boy.”
Scrambling for control of the situation, the Lightning Dragon Slayer summoned his element in an attempt to appear more dangerous, weighing the air down with his magic.
But the cold was her magic, and it was far deeper than Laxus could hope to match.
“The only reason I do not strip the flesh from your bones and strangle you with the torn remains of your entrails is to keep from further upsetting your grandfather.” Hiroyuki explained, unimpressed. “I suggest you do not upset me further and stop your foolish tantrum before I lose what patience I have left with you.”
“I don’t fear your cold or your power, wench!” Laxus claimed, pupils blown wide in panic. “I am the Lightning Dragon Slayer, the strongest mage in Fairy Tail!”
“Then I am your executioner.”
Seals formed, bright as exploding stars, between the two.
“Lightning Dragon’s Heavenward Halberd!”
The spell dissipated against the rush of diamond dust that rose up, and Hiroyuki’s seal activated in a flash, ice flying forward with the open, fang-lined maws of angry dragons.
Only magic-enhanced reflexes saved Laxus from being essentially eaten, and Gajeel leapt out of range, Natsu tucked under one arm, to keep being crushed by rubble.
The Snow Queen’s head twitched the slightest bit, visor flashing in his direction, before Laxus rushed in for another blow.
“Lightning Dragon’s Breakdown Fist!”
Catching his wrist in one hand with barely a hint of effort, she practically tossed the larger mage to one side like a normal person would a tissue, untroubled by the crash and rumble of him hitting the back wall.
For a moment, Gajeel could have sworn she had been worried about them, checking to see if they were alright, but dismissed the thought almost immediately.
Why would she care, anyway?
Rising from the cracked stone and settling dust, Laxus growled as he channeled his magic into another seal.
Hiroyuki watched the light grow, unperturbed, as Natsu scrambled to his feet, eyes wide.
“Fairy Law…”
Gajeel had only seen the spell used once, and then only from a great distance, but he knew Salamander was right.
One of the three great spells of Fairy Tail, the ultimate attack that only harmed those the user considered enemies…
Shit.
“You three, Erza, Mystogan, the old man…All of Magnolia…I will annihilate you all!”
Hiroyuki made no move to stop him or even defend herself, a mountain standing in the midst of a blizzard.
“No, you won’t.”
“Stop it! Laxus!”
All attention snapped to the doorway, broken open as it was.
“Levy!”
“Idiot!” Gajeel snarled, moving to protect her. “What are you doing here?!”
“Laxus! Master is…Master…”
The Script Mage fell silent for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Your grandfather is…on the brink of death!”
Hiroyuki twitched, just the slightest bit, and Laxus fell silent at the sudden news.
“So please, stop this! Come see master!”
“On the brink of death? Gramps?” Natsu whispered, dumbstruck. “He’s dying?”
…
“Perfect timing.”
The Snow Queen turned back to Laxus, the light of his Fairy Law growing.
“That means my opportunity to seize the title of master has returned! Begone, Fairy Tail! I’ll rebuild everything from scratch! It will be unrivaled! All who live will cower in fear before my ultimate guild!”
All of them were blinded as the spell reached completion, and Hiroyuki raised one hand, activating a seal-
“Fairy Law is…invoked!”
And then…
Nothing.
Raising his head, Levy tucked protectively in his arms, Gajeel watched an icy dome shatter around them now that Fairy Law had been used and proven ineffective.
“Why…Why didn’t I manage to finish off any of you?” Laxus muttered, stunned.
“The rest of the guild members and the townspeople are unharmed as well. Not a single person has been killed.”
“Freed!”
The green-haired mage, badly battered from a previous fight, leaned heavily on the doorframe.
“Nonsense! My Fairy Law was perfect!”
“That was because of your heart, Laxus. You inherited from master not only strength and magical power, but also a heart that cares for your friends! Fairy Law only obliterates those that are considered as enemies by it’s caster. You understand what that means, right, Laxus?”
“The feelings hidden deep inside his heart were revealed through the magic…” Levy realized, voice soft.
“Magic never lies.” Hiroyuki stated calmly, unruffled.
“This is how you genuinely feel.” Freed pressed.
“N-No! Anyone who gets in my way is my enemy! The enemy!”
“Just drop the façade already, Laxus. Go to master.”
“Who gives a damn about that old man?!” The Lightning Dragon Slayer howled, powering up in a rush of frenzied electricity. “I am me, not the grandson of that old man! I am Laxus!”
“Everyone knows…” Natsu shouted over the maelstrom, standing firm as his own magic flared up. “Stop making a fool out of yourself. Does being gramp’s grandson make you any different compared to the rest of us? Quit that blabbering about bloodlines already! Everyone within the guild is family!”
Before Laxus could lunge, ice rooted him to the floor and pulled the man short like shackles.
“I’ve had enough of your childish antics.” Hiroyuki voiced quietly as the ice crept up his legs.
Laxus seemed ready to rage, and she punched him square in the mouth, dropping the massive mage like a ton of bricks.
The other four took quite a few steps back at this, intimidated, as she picked Laxus up like one would an unruly cat.
The thought that she could have ended things at any time sent a shiver down Levy’s spine.
So why hadn’t she done so from the start?
From the way Salamander actually went a little pale and Makarov refused to elaborate, he figured whoever this ‘her’ was must be pretty strong.
Anyone who could make Salamander clam up like that ought to be, at least.
Was it the person Jose had tried to recruit against Fairy Tail?
The one that ended up finishing him off?
Gajeel hardly cared at the time, but now curiosity was eating at him.
Even after Erza was freed from the petrifying spell and subsequently freed the other girls, and Levy managed to take down the rune barrier, the question gnawed at the back of his mind.
Who in the world would Jack Frost turn to for back-up?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The cathedral was in shambles, windows burst wide open and rubble vibrating with residual electricity, like a buzz in the back of your teeth.
Entire body tingling, Gajeel forced himself to stand, jaw clenched at the ache that burst from every muscle in his body.
Natsu staggered to his feet as well, much more bruised and battered for all his effort, and the Dragon Slayers shared a look.
Towering over the younger wizards, Laxus grinned like a hungry shark, electricity dancing harmlessly over his chest and shoulders with a foreboding snap.
The only damage done by flames or iron was to the Lightning Slayer’s clothes, his shirt hanging in tatters, and that just ticked Gajeel off.
Where the hell was Jack?
Even Natsu bristled when the temperature suddenly dropped, and the wind howled as it slammed the massive front doors open with a resounding crash.
His first thought was that Jack had decided to come back alone and knock Laxus’ smug head right off.
The next, which came right after turning around, was that the armored woman in the doorway was most assuredly not his snowflake.
Ice crackling into existence around her feet, Hiroyuki strode calmly into the cathedral, wind swirling around her in a contained tornado of diamond shards.
The cold was deep and sharp, little needles making cracks in his bones, and Gajeel wisely kept his mouth shut as the woman passed between the beaten Dragon Slayers quiet as a ghost.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself, Laxus Dreyar?”
Her voice crackled like brittle ice, barely restrained fury, as the wind gave a low shriek.
Laxus bared his fangs, electricity visible across his shoulders.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you!”
“A common assumption.”
It became almost unbearably freezing, like standing in the middle of an iced lake, and Natsu steamed as Gajeel’s body started shivering in an attempt to keep warm.
“However, you made the mistake of harming what’s mine.” Hiroyuki seethed, a blizzard’s roar growing in her voice. “And I do not take such things lightly, boy.”
Scrambling for control of the situation, the Lightning Dragon Slayer summoned his element in an attempt to appear more dangerous, weighing the air down with his magic.
But the cold was her magic, and it was far deeper than Laxus could hope to match.
“The only reason I do not strip the flesh from your bones and strangle you with the torn remains of your entrails is to keep from further upsetting your grandfather.” Hiroyuki explained, unimpressed. “I suggest you do not upset me further and stop your foolish tantrum before I lose what patience I have left with you.”
“I don’t fear your cold or your power, wench!” Laxus claimed, pupils blown wide in panic. “I am the Lightning Dragon Slayer, the strongest mage in Fairy Tail!”
“Then I am your executioner.”
Seals formed, bright as exploding stars, between the two.
“Lightning Dragon’s Heavenward Halberd!”
The spell dissipated against the rush of diamond dust that rose up, and Hiroyuki’s seal activated in a flash, ice flying forward with the open, fang-lined maws of angry dragons.
Only magic-enhanced reflexes saved Laxus from being essentially eaten, and Gajeel leapt out of range, Natsu tucked under one arm, to keep being crushed by rubble.
The Snow Queen’s head twitched the slightest bit, visor flashing in his direction, before Laxus rushed in for another blow.
“Lightning Dragon’s Breakdown Fist!”
Catching his wrist in one hand with barely a hint of effort, she practically tossed the larger mage to one side like a normal person would a tissue, untroubled by the crash and rumble of him hitting the back wall.
For a moment, Gajeel could have sworn she had been worried about them, checking to see if they were alright, but dismissed the thought almost immediately.
Why would she care, anyway?
Rising from the cracked stone and settling dust, Laxus growled as he channeled his magic into another seal.
Hiroyuki watched the light grow, unperturbed, as Natsu scrambled to his feet, eyes wide.
“Fairy Law…”
Gajeel had only seen the spell used once, and then only from a great distance, but he knew Salamander was right.
One of the three great spells of Fairy Tail, the ultimate attack that only harmed those the user considered enemies…
Shit.
“You three, Erza, Mystogan, the old man…All of Magnolia…I will annihilate you all!”
Hiroyuki made no move to stop him or even defend herself, a mountain standing in the midst of a blizzard.
“No, you won’t.”
“Stop it! Laxus!”
All attention snapped to the doorway, broken open as it was.
“Levy!”
“Idiot!” Gajeel snarled, moving to protect her. “What are you doing here?!”
“Laxus! Master is…Master…”
The Script Mage fell silent for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Your grandfather is…on the brink of death!”
Hiroyuki twitched, just the slightest bit, and Laxus fell silent at the sudden news.
“So please, stop this! Come see master!”
“On the brink of death? Gramps?” Natsu whispered, dumbstruck. “He’s dying?”
…
“Perfect timing.”
The Snow Queen turned back to Laxus, the light of his Fairy Law growing.
“That means my opportunity to seize the title of master has returned! Begone, Fairy Tail! I’ll rebuild everything from scratch! It will be unrivaled! All who live will cower in fear before my ultimate guild!”
All of them were blinded as the spell reached completion, and Hiroyuki raised one hand, activating a seal-
“Fairy Law is…invoked!”
And then…
Nothing.
Raising his head, Levy tucked protectively in his arms, Gajeel watched an icy dome shatter around them now that Fairy Law had been used and proven ineffective.
“Why…Why didn’t I manage to finish off any of you?” Laxus muttered, stunned.
“The rest of the guild members and the townspeople are unharmed as well. Not a single person has been killed.”
“Freed!”
The green-haired mage, badly battered from a previous fight, leaned heavily on the doorframe.
“Nonsense! My Fairy Law was perfect!”
“That was because of your heart, Laxus. You inherited from master not only strength and magical power, but also a heart that cares for your friends! Fairy Law only obliterates those that are considered as enemies by it’s caster. You understand what that means, right, Laxus?”
“The feelings hidden deep inside his heart were revealed through the magic…” Levy realized, voice soft.
“Magic never lies.” Hiroyuki stated calmly, unruffled.
“This is how you genuinely feel.” Freed pressed.
“N-No! Anyone who gets in my way is my enemy! The enemy!”
“Just drop the façade already, Laxus. Go to master.”
“Who gives a damn about that old man?!” The Lightning Dragon Slayer howled, powering up in a rush of frenzied electricity. “I am me, not the grandson of that old man! I am Laxus!”
“Everyone knows…” Natsu shouted over the maelstrom, standing firm as his own magic flared up. “Stop making a fool out of yourself. Does being gramp’s grandson make you any different compared to the rest of us? Quit that blabbering about bloodlines already! Everyone within the guild is family!”
Before Laxus could lunge, ice rooted him to the floor and pulled the man short like shackles.
“I’ve had enough of your childish antics.” Hiroyuki voiced quietly as the ice crept up his legs.
Laxus seemed ready to rage, and she punched him square in the mouth, dropping the massive mage like a ton of bricks.
The other four took quite a few steps back at this, intimidated, as she picked Laxus up like one would an unruly cat.
The thought that she could have ended things at any time sent a shiver down Levy’s spine.
So why hadn’t she done so from the start?