章 27: Curses, the Power of the Etherious
[X779, Mount Hakobe]
— Mavis Vermillion —
This was bad.
Like really really bad.
Dannis had fully passed out, and despite Crust's abilities, it was painfully obvious that the rune knight was severely outmatched by Grilthos.
The strength of a werewolf, while decently powerful, paled in comparison to a demon from the book of Zeref. Even now she watched as Crust was beaten around like a ragdoll by the Wizard Killer.
It was only his enhanced regeneration from the werewolf physiology that allowed him to stay alive, but that won't be the case for long.
Dannis was unconscious and there was no telling when he would wake up.
She contemplated what to do. Perhaps she could give Dannis Fairy Glitter? That would certainly give him the power to take down Grilthos.
But Grilthos' magic nullifying power is the thing that makes him dangerous. Who's to say that he couldn't just tear apart Fairy Glitter like he did Dannis' spells.
Not to mention that the Fairy Tail mage is currently running on empty. Neither she nor Dannis expected the demon to be able to forcibly take away a wizard's reserves, and it cost them dearly.
Had Crust finished his job quicker, then perhaps the both of them together might've been able to push Grilthos back, but Dannis was defeated before they could.
A sudden burst of power caught her attention as she looked back, seeing Dannis awake, his body glowing in eerie purple energy. Black tattoos appeared over the right side of his face, covering all the way down to his right arm.
'A devil slayer?' she thought in surprise.
The transformation had caught Grilthos' attention, as he gazed at the prone figure of Dannis, one hand holding the neck of Crust's werewolf form.
______________________________________
— Dannis Martell —
I found myself in a world of pure darkness.
There was something gnawing at me, I didn't know what it was, but it felt…off for some reason.
It felt awful, like something foul had found itself surrounding me without my notice. They screamed of suffering, of torture beyond anything I've ever felt.
Something flashed in the darkness, and I could see a memory playing out in clear definition, as if I was reliving it.
Waking up disoriented, surrounded by thugs, a quick slash and I could barely hear my own screams from the pain of an eye getting gouged out.
A deep guttural anger raised from my core.
A couple of graves, sitting peacefully beneath a willow tree. A white rose resting atop the stone.
That rage suddenly shifted into grief, sudden and quick, like a switch being flipped.
"LEAVE! YOU FUCKING TRAITOR! I DON'T NEED YOU! WE DON'T NEED YOU!"
Grief turned into regret and disappointment, once more, it was as if my emotions were as fragile as a broken man. So easily shifting.
'What the hell is this? What is happening?'
I had always held good control of my emotions. But these swells of negativity pushed forth within me like a flame waiting to be rekindled.
*VLOOM*
There was a pulse. I felt something echo. Not knowing what else to do, I reached towards it, before a deep feeling of power coursed inside.
I gasped, eyes wide in realization. 'So that's what it was.'
I woke up with a startle. My wounds were still dripping copious amounts of blood but I felt invigorated, as if all the power in the world belonged to me.
A surge of energy welled up within my core. I felt a strange power awakening, something dark and ancient stirring in the depths of my soul. My vision shifted, and I could see faint, ethereal forms around me. The souls of the dead, lingering in the air. Wailing in sad songs, wanting vengeance.
Standing in the center of them all was the fairy-like figure I saw before, gazing at me with eyes wide in shock and surprise.
I knew the concepts of souls existed. Bickslow's magic revolves around him utilizing lingering souls to fuel his Seith Magic after all, but to think I also had access to this kind of power.
I held a hand out, a dark aura covering my blade as it telekinetically flew into my grip.
I reached out with my other arm, pulling these lingering souls to service. They answered with a vigor. The darkness around me thickened, becoming tangible and almost alive. I could feel the weight of their pain and suffering, their desire for justice fueling my strength.
These were the spirits of the villagers that died. They were filled with unreputent anger towards their killer, begging for vengeance…and I would do my best to deliver.
Back with Grilthos, the tiger demon shuddered as he felt power he was so utterly familiar with, one that he thought I shouldn't have access to.
"You're a human… But you can use Curses?! What the hell are you?!"
"Curses. A power similar to magic yet more foul. Running on negative emotions. It's no wonder that only demons like you were capable of using them."
Dark shades appeared surrounding us before they all phased inside me, filling me with an otherworldly power.
"Surge of the Netherworld...", I mumbled as Grilthos lunged at me with a growl, having dropped his previous prey unceremoniously in the ground.
I charged at him at the same time, now empowered by the numerous souls. I cast a glance at the wounded form of Crust before raising my sword, glowing with a dark, eerie light, not dissimilar to my darkness, but now accompanied by the sounds of wailing spirits, and met his attack head on.
Just as I had suspected, the darkness no longer faded. It clashed with Grilthos' claws with equal power.
"What is this?!" Grilthos roared. "Curses are the power of the Etherious! No human could possibly use it!"
"This is the power of the souls you've tormented." I said, my voice cold and steady. "And they demand justice."
With renewed strength, I pushed Grilthos back, my attacks now infused with the power of the departed souls around us. Each strike landed with the force of their collective will.
But Grilthos was still a Catastrophe Level Threat for a reason. Even with this newfound power, I struggled to put him in the back step. We continued to trade blows, Obsidian clashing against his claws as each of our strikes are marred with loud booms.
I made sure to avoid his bites now that I knew what it was capable of. While my curse power was still running strong, my magic reserves were bordering on empty.
I had to finish this quickly.
"Eclipsing Wave!"
Raising my arm, souls of the departed gathered in the center point of my palm as I extended it forward, unleashing a large wave of necrotic energy that blasted Grilthos off his feet.
"Gah!" The demon roared in pain as he crashed onto another house, tearing it apart.
I didn't give him any time to recover as I appeared before him in the blink of an eye, my blade once more shining a dangerous black light.
"Soul Rend!"
I swung down my blade, unleashing a flash of negativity and delivering a strike that would not only cause physical damage but also damage his soul.
Dark red blood emerged from the diagonal wound, earning a large scream of pain from the demon and I grit my teeth as I attempt to deliver another blow. But before I could, I was launched back by an explosion of power from Grilthos' wounded form.
Landing back in the soft snow, I looked up to see the demon stand, a large gash on his torso that stretched from his right pectoral to the left side of his waist, his arrogant smile nowhere in sight as he gazed at me with a look of pure anger.
"...No human has ever seen this and lived." He growled as his skin started to redden. "Be proud wizard. You are about to witness the true power of the etherious."
"STOP HIM NOW!" The fairy-like girl from before screamed as she made her appearance beside me.
I didn't need any more warning than that as I immediately dash towards Grilthos, whose body was currently undergoing a grand transformation.
Grilthos jumped back to avoid my strike, a second attempt resulted the same way as he is trying his best to buy time for his transformation.
"Darkhold!"
A dark energy appeared surrounding his form as he found himself pulled back to my grip. I ready my sword to pierce him as soon as he's within range, but I was too late.
In a burst of curse power, he broke through my hold as Grilthos stood once more in his new form. Six long tail-like appendages emerged from the smoke, swishing and coiling in the air as the fog dissipated, revealing his transformation.
He had grown taller, now standing at 10-feet tall, blazing in an orange fiery aura. His clothes were gone, traded by a full coat of striped fur and the claws that had lengthened and grown much sharper. And lastly, his ears had extended and curled upwards, shaping it akin to devil horns.
"The Etherious Form…" The little girl whispered in a bit of awe.
[Etherious Form image]
Grilthos lunged at me, and our battle resumed with renewed intensity. His speed and power had increased, and his claws, now wreathed in flames, were more lethal than ever. I dodged and parried, each clash sending sparks and waves of heat through the air.
"Watch his tails!" the girl called out. "They move in a pattern!"
I focused on her words, noticing the rhythm in Grilthos' movements. His six tails gave him a massive advantage in balance and extended limbs that could strike from anywhere, but she was right. There was a noticeable pattern to the way they moved.
Coiling and lashing out in synchronization with his claws. This gave me a split second advantage, allowing me to anticipate and counter his strikes.
I didn't really know who the fairy girl was, but she's been a real help so far.
Grilthos snarled, his flaming claws slashing through the air. I blocked it with my sword, the force of his attacks sending shockwaves through my body. But the girl continued to call out patterns in the Wizard Killer's attacks. Thanks to that, I was able to avoid his deadliest blows.
"Cursed Chains!" I shouted, summoning dark energy to bind his limbs. The chains wrapped around him, momentarily restraining his movements.
The demon roared in fury, struggling against the bonds. I used the opportunity to gather more necrotic energy, channeling the power of the souls around me.
"Grasp of the Damned!"
Through my call, the spirits around me helped as they all held back Grilthos' arms and feet, ensnaring him and holding him in place. I focused all my energy into my next attack, knowing this might be my only chance to end him.
"Soul Rend!"
I lunged forward, my sword glowing with an intense black light, filled with overwhelming amounts of Curse power. I aimed for his heart, intending to deliver a fatal blow.
At the last second, flames emerged from Grilthos' form that broke him free of the chains and incinerated the lingering souls. He moved quickly, causing my strike to only glance his chest, a miniscule wound.
But that wound would fester, while the physical damage did nearly nothing, the slightest of glances would still damage his soul. Which was exactly what I was aiming for.
Screaming from the excruciating pain, Grilthos flashed his hand forward, catching me across the chest with his fiery claws. Pain exploded from the wound, but I pushed through it, refusing to back down.
"Dannis, watch out!" The girl screamed.
I saw it too late. With my reserves depleted, my clairvoyance had no chance of seeing it coming. Distracted by his claws, I didn't notice one of Grilthos' tails, now wreathed in flames, whipped around and struck me in the side, sending me crashing into a nearby building. I coughed out the dust that got into my mouth as my lungs struggled to take in the air. I forced myself to my feet, slightly stumbling as my knees shook from the pain.
I could feel my skin blister from the heat as Grilthos advanced towards me, his breath labored and gasping. "Mard Geer was right to fear you wizards. I thought him a fool for wanting to stay within the shadows, but it seems I really was too arrogant."
He growled. "What the hell are you, human? Even if you use curses, your attacks should not cause this much pain on me. What is your power?!"
I panted hard as I tried my best to regain my energy. The surge of souls that I had used to invigorate my strength and stamina previously had been completely used up. I'm on my last legs now.
"Hmph, It doesn't matter I suppose. You have pushed me far, wizard. Be proud of that."
Before he could strike again, a massive figure slammed into him from the side. Crust, in his werewolf form, had returned to the fight. He tackled Grilthos to the ground, his claws digging into the demon's flesh.
"Crust!" I gasped in surprise.
The Rune Knight snarled, using every ounce of strength he had within him to hold Grilthos down. "Finish him!"
Not wasting this chance, I gathered every bit of energy I had left, from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. I stood back up on shaky legs and raised my sword, the last remnants of magic and curse power I have left pushed into the blade.
"AVIDYA SOUL SLASH!" I scream aloud.
With a roar, Grilthos uses his enhanced strength and overpowers Crust, ripping off the arm of the werewolf before throwing him away. He then faced the crescent wave of darkness before unleashing a massive torrent of flames, enhanced with his magic nullifying powers, engulfing everything in its path.
[Image]
The fire and darkness met, the two forces clashing violently that shook the earth heavily. Snow melted and the air vibrated, a massive explosion then took place near the grounds of Mount Hakobe.
___________________________________
— Mavis Vermillion —
When the smoke cleared, Grilthos stood there, his body shaking, an arm held up in defense that had large gashes bleeding all over it.
Dannis was on his knees, his sword discarded on the ground, some first and second degree burns and other numerous wounds all over his body.
'He lost…' Mavis stared wide eyed, before they turned into worry. 'What's gonna happen now?'
Grilthos was panting hard, and Mavis was worried what he would do. It was obvious that both were massively injured by that clash, but Dannis was clearly no longer capable of combat.
Her worst fears came to light when Grilthos took one step forward, intending on finishing the job, when suddenly the tiger demon froze in place for a few seconds as his eyes widened.
Several emotions flashed through the demon's face before he ended with a scowl. Mavis recognized the maneuver. He was having a telepathic conversation with someone.
With a snarl, Grilthos turned and fled, his wounds staining the ground beneath with blood before he disappeared into the shadows.
Mavis let out a breath of relief before appearing next to Dannis, who had fallen to the ground as if his strings were cut when Grilthos made his escape.
She looked at him with concern. His injuries weren't light, and if left untreated, could prove to be lethal. His breaths were shallow and getting scarcer by the second.
Noticing that he was still awake, she offered a shaky smile. "You did it. You forced him to retreat, Dannis. Thanks to you, the people are safe."
He laughed weakly before coughing out some blood. "...I'm glad. I don't know who you are…but thanks for the help. Couldn't…have done that without you."
She saw how the tattoos on the side of his face faded and his eyes closed, finally falling into unconsciousness. He did very well, and she was proud to call him a member of Fairy Tail.
She looked back onto the direction that Grilthos fled in. 'At least I have some more clues as to why Zeref was interested in Dannis. I don't know if he's realized it himself, but he and I will have a pretty interesting conversation when he wakes up.'
___________________________________
AN: For people wondering, I put Grilthos' overall power a few levels under Gildarts. Just around the same strength as the rest of the Etherious.
I really hope y'all enjoyed this meaty chapter. Grilthos and Crust will be recurring characters from this point on, but they served their purpose. They would only be mildly important side characters.
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