Chapter 2 - Fairy Tail Stands

I strummed the opening chord, then began to sing:

"To those who fight with fire and heart, may strength be yours tonight, this particular song is for FAIRY TAIL..."

🎵"You could never know what it's like, your blood like winter, freezes just like ice…

Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did?, Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid…" 🎵

The music rippled out. One by one, the Fairy Tail logos tattooed on their bodies lit up with radiant light.

The spell locked onto them, enveloping them in warmth and strength.

I grinned. "Now we're getting somewhere."

Cana pushed herself to her feet, staggering at first, but then steady. Her eyes burned with fresh resolve. 

The sand guy (I really should ask his name later) let out a whoop and summoned a miniature storm with a flick of his wrist. 

Even Smoker Dude (Wakaba) cracked his neck and squared up for another round.

🎵 "I'm still standing after all this time

Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind…" 🎵

The enemy mages blinked, confused, glancing around as the tide began to shift. One tried to cast a spell, but got blasted by a now-very-awake Fairy wizard. 

I kept playing. I didn't stop. I couldn't. Every note fueled the Fairy Tail wizards like a power-up theme in real time.

I nearly laughed, "The music is giving them powers."

Then the Phantom transformer-mage-building-thing groaned. Its glowing runes flickered, trying to reignite. Guess my playlist wasn't to its taste.

From the corner of my eye, a house exploded. And there stood Erza, eyes locked on me, a terrifying grin on her face. She swapped into her flying armor and launched toward the building like a missile, crashing straight through one of its arms on her way in.

I swear the whole thing tilted.

Within less than a minute, the runes sputtered out completely. The building convulsed… then collapsed. Its massive arms hit the ground with a thunderous crash.

I heard something behind me. Spun around. Gajeel was leaping through the air… Lucy in his arms.

I froze mid-strum and shouted, "SOMEONE STOP HIM!"

Spells flew. They hit him, but it wasn't enough. He bulldozed through and vanished, heading toward their guild.

"Damn," I muttered, surprising even myself with how badly I wanted to stop him.

Reed and Leo stumbled outside, leaning on each other, still recovering. That's when it hit me. I had an idea!

I sprinted toward them, skidding to a stop. "I need your help," I said. "Do you guys know what an electric guitar is?"

Reed blinked. Leo tilted his head like I'd just spoken in riddles.

"Uh," Leo said, "a lightning sword that sings?"

"Close enough," I gasped. "I need more punch. More presence. My guitar alone can't cover the whole field. 

But if you two can amplify it, with lightning magic, sound magic, anything, maybe we can turn this into a full-stage, stadium-level spell."

Reed glanced at Leo, then back at me. "You want us to... plug you in?"

"Yes!" I pointed at my guitar. "Make this thing scream."

Reed frowned "But why?"

"I can make anyone who hears my music stronger," I said, smiling. "All of them. All at once."

Reed cracked his knuckles. "Let's fry this baby." 

He whipped out his sketchbook and, with a few furious strokes, made a massive amplifier. It looked more like a giant enchanted megaphone. (But close enough).

Leo grinned wide. "You better have a good song ready."

I turned toward the battlefield. The Phantom Guild's forces were regrouping. That giant monster-building was down, but the war wasn't over.

And Gajeel… he still had Lucy.

I strummed a defiant chord. It rang out like a war cry.

"Alright," I said. "You two, give me the stage. I'll handle the rest."

Reed raised his arms, channeled his magic, and the drawing became real. 

"Music gives power, and what better song than the guild's own theme song, This one's for you, FAIRY TAIL!"

"Fairy Tail - Theme song"

The next chord felt like fire in my hands.

Power surged through the strings. There were no lyrics only a melody but that was all they needed. Every note struck like a heartbeat. The Fairy mages turned, eyes locked on the enemy.

Then Joseph's voice rang out across the battlefield. "We have Lucy. There is only one objective left."

The enemy wizards powered up—but it wasn't enough.

Fairy Tail fought like nothing I'd ever seen. They were relentless. They got knocked down, and rose again. They got hit, but never faltered.

And we were just getting started.

....

Inside the Phantom Guild, Natsu sprinted through the halls, following Lucy's scent. Suddenly, music echoed through the building. A shiver ran down his spine, and then a grin spread across his face. He could feel it: his entire body recharging, his emblem glowing, and his flames roaring to new heights.

He picked up speed and burst through a wall without hesitation.

There she was... Lucy, pinned against the stone. Fury ignited in his chest.

He looked at Gajeel, he was laughing.

Without a word, Natsu lunged forward and slammed his fist into Gajeel's face. The iron dragon slayer crashed to the ground, his metallic skin ringing from the blow.

...

Gray, Mirajane, and Elfman finally reached Erza. She was bruised and battered, but already recovering... somehow. She didn't know how, but her strength was returning.

"Did you defeat Aria?" Mirajane asked gently.

Erza looked down, ashamed. "I guess I need more training... I didn't want you to see me like this."

Just then, a chill ran down their spines. The air shifted, thick with evil mana.

Clap... Clap...

"Everything in this little play has been quite entertaining," a voice echoed. "Honestly, you've come farther than I expected."

"Master José," Erza growled.

José appeared, weaving dark energy around him. With a flick of his hand, he lashed out, twisting the magic into two devastating blasts. Gray and Elfman took the hits head-on. The force was too much, and they both collapsed.

He raised his hand again to strike the rest of them.

But then... music.

Soft at first, but growing... impossible to ignore.

José snarled. "Who is it? Who keeps ruining my moment?!"

Gray stirred, steam rising from his skin as moisture in the air crystallized along his arms.

Elfman growled, beginning to transform, his monster form taking shape. But this time, he wasn't rampaging.

Erza gasped as her armor shimmered, stronger, more radiant. Her magic surged.

Even Mirajane felt it deep inside. The demon within her stirred, but... it didn't consume her. The music shifted tone, calming the beast. She blinked, trembling.

"It's... tamed," she whispered.

Erza turned to her with a knowing smile. "You're back."

A burst of magic exploded around Mirajane as her Satan Soul engulfed her in radiant darkness. But this time, there was no rage, no sorrow. Only control.

"José..." Mirajane said with a slow smile, raising one finger. "You're going down."

José laughed darkly. "Admirable... now that's a woman worth killing for."

But then, she vanished.

CRACK! A punch slammed into the side of his head. The wall shattered from the impact. He stumbled, dazed, but before he could react, a knee struck his jaw. Blood flew from his mouth.

He raised his arm to defend, but a shadow sphere shattered it. Then another, straight to his leg. He screamed in pain.

Mirajane spun, her tail smashing him across the battlefield toward her guildmates.

Elfman caught him mid-air and slammed him into the ground.

Gray conjured a massive ice hammer and brought it down with unnatural force.

Erza switched to her explosive sword armor. Each strike detonated on contact. José tried to teleport, tried to escape, but Mirajane was already behind him.

With a hammer punch he hit the back of his head, Jose kneeled sweating from all the attacks, but he still could retaliate. He tried to stand up.

"So long," she whispered, and hammered the back of his skull with her fist again.

José fell to his knees, gasping, soaked in blood and sweat, but still conscious.

"You bastards…" he coughed, "I'm a Saint-Class Wizard! You're just... just brats!"

He didn't finish. The Fairy Tail mages stood tall, side by side.

Their power surged with the climax of the music.

"NEVER... CROSS... FAIRY... TAIL!"

Their voices roared together as they unleashed their final combined attack.

BOOM.

The guild floor cracked beneath José. He collapsed, broken, defeated, but not unconscious. Not yet.

Then the guild shook violently. The floor cracked. The entire building groaned. And collapsed.

As the wreckage came crashing down, Mirajane grabbed Gray. Elfman scooped up Erza. The four of them leapt to safety just in time.

Dust settled. Silence followed. From the rubble, José emerged, staggering forward, blood dripping from his forehead, one eye swollen shut, lips trembling with rage.

"You Fairy scum... you can't use Lucy anymore. She's mine now. And I'll take every last jewel of the Heartfilia fortune."

Elfman, barely standing in his human form, after depleting his mana, looked at him with quiet fury.

"All of this... was for money?" he muttered. "That's not manly."

Erza clenched her fists, teeth grinding in anger. She stepped forward, ready to speak...

But a deep voice cut through the air.

"Stand down. He's mine."

A small silhouette stepped through the dust, short… but radiating overwhelming power.

Master Makarov had arrived...