The clash raged in the forest clearing—fire and frost against shadow, steel ringing off corrupted flesh.
Natsu — Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!
A blazing punch detonated against a charging bandit, hurling him through the brush.
Gray — Ice-Make: Prison!
Ribs of ice snapped up from the ground, caging two thrashing brutes in a cold lattice.
Lucy — Open, Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!
Virgo (deadpan): "Hello, Princess. Shall I dig the punishment hole?"
Chains cracked from her wrists, coiling a corrupted bandit ankle-to-shoulder until he toppled like a felled tree.
Erza — Requip: Flame Empress Armor!
Blazing blades cut through the melee. "Stay focused! Their strength isn't natural!"
Wendy — Sky Dragon's Arms!
Enchantment wind laced her friends' limbs—strikes snapped sharper, feet found surer ground.
Beside her, Ryuji's breath frosted the air. He lunged.
Ryuji — Winter Dragon's Claw!
Icy talons raked across a chest; frostbite burst jagged and white. The man gagged, breath fogging in the cold.
The bandits stumbled, bodies twisting. Veins of darkness pulsed under skin, an oil-slick shimmer creeping into their eyes.
Bandit (snarling, half-conscious): "You... can't stop us... the shadows... feed us..."
A thin, inky sigil blinked at the leader's neck—there, then gone. The black veins receded like spilled ink sucked back into a quill. One by one, survivors shuddered and collapsed, corruption draining away until only battered men lay sprawled among smoke and frost.
The mages regrouped, catching breath.
Natsu: "Hah! Told you that was nothing! Barely warmed up!"
Gray (smirking): "Yeah, sure, flame-brain—Wendy had to bail you out twice."
Natsu (snapping): "Shut up, ice-block!"
Lucy (pinching her nose): "And they're back at it already..."
Wendy — Sky Healing: Breath.
A gentle draft flowed over Ryuji's arm. "Hold still, please..."
Ryuji didn't answer. His gaze stayed on the fallen, lips pressed tight.
That aura... I've seen it before.
From the air, Carla's eyes narrowed at the faint tremor in his fists. Erza caught it too but sheathed her concern—for now.
The forest exhaled—quiet at last—while smoke threads and wintered air lingered between the trees. They had won, but for some, victory weighed heavier than any wound.
Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima/Kodansha. I only own Ryuji Kazuma and this fan story. Non-commercial fan work.