Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.
September, x786.
"Now, I hope we can have a friendly talk." Alfonzo said while wearing a solemn expression.
Despite the fact that Alfonzo had not given either Irene or Brandish the opportunity to respond to anything he said, neither of them seemed to be bothered. Instead, they were too busy staring at the magic item in Alfonzo's hands.
Although there were plenty of magic spells that could supposedly tell if someone was lying, none of them were fool proof. And they believed Alfonzo's to be no different. However, something inside of them was telling the two ladies that was not the case.
In fact, Alfonzo's item could not tell if someone was telling the truth or not in the slightest. Instead, He would only be using his meta knowledge mixed with the fact that his magic power could cause the item to beep. And because Irene and Brandish were both shackled with the strongest anti-magic restraints he could muster, neither of them would be able to feel the slight flaring of his magic power.
"So, how did the Eight-Dragon Douche convince the two of you to come here?" Alfonzo asked.
"By the 'Eight-Dragon Douche,' as you so elegantly put it, are you referring to God Serena?" Irene asked in response.
"Yes." Alfonzo replied with a nod. "But please do not refer to him as God anything in my presence. He's just a lucky little shit that happened to get his hands on eight Dragon Slaying Lacrima."
Though they did not show it, both Irene and Brandish agreed with what Alfonzo had to say about God Serena. Because of the Dragon Slaying Lacrima, he had to put in very little effort to reach his level of strength.
"No, he had nothing to do with us coming here." Irene replied.
*Beep!*
Immediately, the hanger fell into silence.
*Sigh* I really would rather that you not lie to me, Irene." Alfonzo said in a disappointed tone. "Especially since I have a deal for you that could reverse your biggest problem."
As he spoke, Alfonzo let his eyes wander all over Irene's body.
"You may not believe it, but I've spoken to Igneel, the Fire Dragon King, Metalicana, the Iron Dragon, and Grandeeney, the Sky Dragon, about you, Irene Belserion, former Queen of the ruined Kingdom of Dragnof, and the world's first [Dragon Slayer Wizard]."
Hearing that, both Irene and Brandish opened their eyes wide. A moment later, Brandish turned her attention to Irene, her gaze asking the question: "Is what he's saying true?"
Irene, on the other hand, was shocked into inaction. So, she did not even notice Brandish's gaze. Instead, the only thing she could see was Alfonzo.
"That's impossible…" Irene said in a tone filled with disbelief. "Those dragons disappeared nearly four hundred years ago. There's no way they could have told you. So, how could you possibly know that? I even made sure that all records of my existence on Ishgar had been erased over the centuries."
Hearing that, Brandish's eyes opened even wider. She was sure that most of, if not all, the Spriggan 12 had no idea of Irene's true identity.
Alfonzo, on the other hand, only shrugged his shoulders. Though it was true he asked Igneel, Metalicana, and Grandeeney about Irene, he already knew the information thanks to his meta knowledge.
On a side note, during Retsu's stay, Alfonzo had asked her if there was a way to communicate with the [Armament Spirits] or Zanpakuto Spirits of others. And to his surprise, Retsu said there was.
Though she could not tell him in detail, as she was not a scientist, Retsu did mention that someone she knew had come up with a way to obtain their [Bankai] without the years of training it usually took by manifesting their Zanpakuto Spirit in the real world for three days. She also mentioned that failure would make it impossible for the Soul Reaper to ever reach [Bankai] in their lifetime, though.
Hearing that tidbit of information jogged Alfonzo's memory about Kisuke Uehara's invention and how it helped him and Ichigo achieve [Bankai] in the Bleach series.
So, he made it his goal to create a much simpler version of Keisuke's device. As a result, the [Armament Spirits] of those who entered Alfonzo's mansion could manifest themselves if they chose to. And naturally, the [Spirits] of all his lovers did so as much as they could. As beings created from aspects of their hosts' souls, they wanted to interact with Alfonzo as much as possible.
Bedlam also enjoyed spending time with the ladies' [Armament Spirits]. Riot, on the other hand, was too shy to show himself in front of either Elicia or Scylla, as he was created from Alfonzo's love for Elicia, then cranked that emotion up to eleven. AS a result, he was like a shy school boy who was unable to talk to his crush.
"Whether you believe me or not is up to you." Alfonzo replied casually. "But the magic item did not go off. So, it should show you that I'm telling the truth."
Hearing that, Irene and Brandish looked at Alfonzo disdainfully. As previously mentioned, they knew that lie detection was not fool proof.
"Anyway, if you work with me, there might be a chance for you to turn back into a human, Irene." Alfonzo continued, despite the fact that Irene had not responded.
Hearing that, Irene's eyes were immediately filled with fury.
"You dare mock me?" Irene growled angrily.
"Take it easy, lady." Alfonzo replied. "I only said there was a chance. I don't have enough information to say anything for sure. But those three Dragon Slayers in our guild have had their dragon seeds removed completely with my method."
Once again, Irene stared at Alfonzo in total disbelief. Meanwhile, Brandish looked on in confusion, not knowing what a dragon seed was in the first place. However, she could tell that the gears in Irene's head were turning. So, she also kept silent.
"I need proof of what you say." Irene finally said after a few minutes of contemplative silence.
Hearing that, Alfonzo smiled. The first step of getting Irene to change sides was a success. So, he stood from his seat and walked towards the elevator leading to the higher floors.
"Fine, you two wait right here." Alfonzo said while waving over his shoulder. "I'll be back with one of the Dragon Slayers."
After the elevator doors closed, Brandish once again looked towards Irene. This time, the uncertainty in her gaze was palpable.
"Irene are you really thinking of betraying the---" Brandish began to ask.
"Silence." Irene ordered sternly. "There's no way he's not listening to this room."
Hearing that, Brandish immediately snapped her mouth shut.
"Still, if he's truly able to do what he says, then I have a lot to think about." Irene muttered.
Hearing Irene's muttering, Brandish could not help but open her eyes wide in surprise. As the second strongest of the Spriggan 12, Brandish would have never considered Irene's betrayal as a viable option.
Irene, on the other hand, was considering the ramifications of turning back into a human. Most importantly, about making up for lost time with the daughter she had to give up twenty-one years ago.
'*Sigh* I've never been so unsure about something in my life.' Irene thought to herself. 'I went to war with the dragons back during the Dragon King Festival without hesitation. I married that traitorous piece of scum to stop a border conflict, yet again without hesitation. And I destroyed my kingdom full of sheep without hesitation either. But with only a few words, for the second time in my life, I've become indecisive.'
As she thought about what could be, Irene laid her large, draconic head atop her front paws. Then, she closed her eyes to consider what she should do. And after seeing Irene take this position, Brandish remained silent, as she also did not know what to do.
For almost ten years, Brandish had lived in the Alvarez Empire. And for almost as long, she had lived with hatred towards Layla Heartfilia. However, when she heard the truth of her mother's passing, all that hatred vanished. Still, she was loyal to Alvarez.
At the same time, however, Brandish had grown weary of all the fighting and conquest on behalf of the empire. Yet, because the emperor gave her such support during her toughest times, she did not want to betray him. And that's why, despite not wanting to, she acted as one of the emperor's shields.
Eventually, after an undetermined amount of time, the doors to the elevator opened once again. Naturally, this drew the attention of the two prisoners. When they both opened their eyes and looked in the elevator's direction, they saw Alfonzo and Wendy stepping into the hanger.
While Alfonzo casually made his way towards the chair where he previously sat, Wendy followed him timidly while holding the hem of his shirt.
"Don't be so nervous, Wendy." Alfonzo said as he reached back and pulled Wendy forward so that she was walking beside him. "Neither of them can hurt you. Especially not with me here."
"Y-yeah… B-b-b-b-but why did you choose me?" Wendy asked in a nervous tone. "I-I mean, Natsu and Gajeel wanted to come, t-t-too."
"*Sigh* Because you're the least likely to say or do something stupid." Alfonzo replied in exasperation as he remembered his trip upstairs to get a Dragon Slayer to help with his negotiations.
As soon as Alfonzo arrived in the living room, where everyone was waiting to know how the negotiations went, Alfonzo explained how far things got. Then, when he asked a Dragon Slayer to help him, Natsu and Gajeel immediately jumped up to offer their assistance.
Had that been all, then there would have been no problem. However, they both wanted to fight with Irene. And they each spoke of how they would show her the true power of a dragon slayer, despite the fact that Irene was restrained and had been turned into a dragon thanks to her Dragon Seed].
And Alfonzo knew had they acted like that, Ireen's pride would have been triggered. Then, she would have refused to speak any further.
Wendy, on the other hand, seemed sympathetic to Irene's situation. And after talking to Grandeeney, she knew that the same fate would have awaited her if Grandeeney had not sacrificed herself to prevent it.
After seeing Wendy's reaction to his report, Alfonzo immediately chose her. Then, after Natsu and Gajeel got a little too rowdy about not being chosen, he casually knocked them out before handing them to Lisanna and Levy, respectively, to take care of them.
On a side note, Jet and Droy, who were also present, did everything they could to stop Levy from taking care of Gajeel. And after remembering the perturbed expression on Levy's face, he knew it would not be much longer before Levy lost her patience and told them about themselves, as well as her true feelings.
"Damn, I hope I'm around when that happens." Alfonzo muttered to himself with a smile on his face. "Those two's jealousy is way too much. I can't even talk to Levy about magical theory without those two interrupting our conversation. Hell, I probably would have made a move on Levy a long time ago if it weren't for those two. But I just don't wanna deal with their bullshit."
"Huh? What did you say, Alfonzo?" Wendy asked curiously while looking up at Alfonzo.
"Nothing, just thinking about something." Alfonzo said with a smile while patting Wendy's head. "But I know I shouldn't be distracted right now. This is important, after all. Sorry about that."
In combination with his head patting, Alfonzo's apology and genuine smile made Wendy blush as she lowered her head. And had Carla been present, she would have been doing everything she could to keep Wendy away from Alfonzo's clutches.
A moment later, Alfonzo and Wendy reached his chair. Then, before Alfonzo sat down, he conjured another chair with his [Metal Magic] for Wendy to sit in. Then, once they were both seated, Alfonzo focused on his two prisoners.
"Alright, this is the child of Grandeeney, the Sky Dragon." Alfonzo said when he noticed Irene and Brandish's eyes settled on him. "Allow me to reintroduce the Sky Dragon Slayer, Wendy Marvell."
Immediately after Alfonzo's introduction, Irene and Brandish shifted their attention to Wendy, causing her nervousness to increase exponentially.
"H-He-Hel-Hello." Wendy said quietly with a stutter. "It's ni-ni-ni-nice to meet you."
In her nervousness, Wendy completely forgot that she had already been acquainted with Irene and Brandish. However, no one seemed to mind. After a few minutes, Wendy calmed down enough to speak properly.
And when she did, she told Irene and Brandish everything about her experience with a [Soul Armament]. From circulating her magic power through it while it was an [Embryo], to the first shift, to nurturing it until it gained a [Spirit], to releasing its first seal and talking with Grandeeney about why she disappeared four hundred years ago.
Then, as soon as Wendy finished her story, she passed out from the stress. Before she could hit the floor, however, Alfonzo caught her and swept her up in a princess carry. After that, he started walking towards the elevator again.
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Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.
September, x786.
The day Irene woke up and spoke with Alfonzo about why she and Brandish came to Magnolia, A group of Rune Knights, led by Lahar and Doranbolt, were surveying the damage from the battle between Alfonzo, Retsu, and Irene.
"*Sigh* We're going to have to report this to the council." Lahar said while adjusting his glasses. "We've already talk to Fairy Tail, but we were not able to get much information, unfortunately."
"Do you think they were holding back information from us?" Doranbolt, or rather Mest Gryder till disguised as Doranbolt, asked with a frown. "I mean, they still aren't particularly fond of the Magic Council, despite the fact that their former master is a member."
"No, I don't." Lahar replied. "Although they don't like us, they are not outright hostile towards us. Besides, everything they said matches with the interviews we had with the civilians. And these traces prove it."
The day after the battle, the Rune Knights and the Fourth Magic Custody Unit arrived to investigate the reports some civilians made after hearing Irene's roars and seeing the flashes and explosions from the battle.
Since then, the Magic Council have been interviewing anyone they could about what happened. And that included the wizards of Fairy Tail. And to their surprise, they were very forthcoming about what happened.
Or at least, that's what Fairy Tail wanted them to believe.
The story Fairy Tail and Retsu told the Magic Council was that Retsu, while on her way back to Mermaid Heel, was attacked by an old enemy. And during the fight, Alfonzo, Gildarts, and Ur were alerted to what was going on. So, the three strongest members of Fairy Tail rushed to their ally's aid. And when they arrived, the assailant ran away while leaving some threatening words.
Unfortunately, the attacker wore a mask and a hood. So, Retsu was unable to identify her attacker. And as unfortunate as that was, Retsu mentioned that she had made far too many enemies over the years to remember who it was that had attacked her, a story the Custody Enforcement Unit believed.
"Either way, all we can do is find as many clues as possible." Lahar said while watching his subordinates work. "We can't allow someone willing to attack a member of the Magic Council to roam freely.
Nodding in response, Mest was just about to respond. However, before he could, he began to shudder in terror. Then, like a rusty machine, he slowly turned his head towards the sky. And when he did, he saw the silhouette of a large black dragon with white, feathery wings approaching from the sky.
"Acnologia…" Mest muttered in sheer terror, remembering the last time he saw the Dragon King of the Apocalypse. However, this time it was much more terrifying as he was seeing him at a much closer distance.
Naturally, Acnologia's presence scared more than just Mest. Everyone looking over the battlefield was just as scared. And when they saw Acnologia's indifferent gaze, the only thing they could do was pray to whatever god they believed in, hoping that Acnologia was not in the mood to kill at the moment.
Eventually, after several minutes of tense silence, the Rune Knights and the Custody Enforcement Unit lost hope when they saw Acnologia open his mouth and take a deep breath.
"It's over…" Lahar muttered in a resigned tone.
Once Acnologia finished taking his deep breath, however, he only snorted. Then, while looking down at the humans below with disdain and mockery, he flapped his wings before flying away.
As soon as Acnologia's presence could no longer be felt, everyone surveying the battlefield, without exception, collapsed to the ground while breathing heavily.
"I don't know why he left, but I think I just became a believer." Mest said while wiping the cold sweat from his brow. "I've never prayed for anything in my life. But this time, it worked."
Nodding his head in agreement, Lahar could not find the words to say. However, after a few moments, he stood to his feet and barked an order.
"Hurry up and finish investigating!" Lahar shouted. "If that thing comes back for some reason, we do not want to still be here!"
Hearing that, all the Custody Enforcement Officers and Rune Knights snapped out of their stunned states. Then, while moving as quickly as they could, they finished surveying the battlefield before they all made their way back to Era to report.
The reason for Acnologia's appearance was actually quite simple. Though, the people from the Magic Council had no way of knowing. Acnologia had shown up because he felt Irene's draconic power.
However, because he was so far away, it took him a while to arrive on Ishgar. And because Alfonzo used anti-magic restraints that completely stopped Irene's magic power from exiting her body, Acnologia was only attracted to the remnant traces left behind from the battle. And he had no way of tracking it to Magnolia thanks to the time since the battle ended.
Since that day, a little more than a week has passed. In that time, Shizuka finished her treatment of Irene, leaving her with a perfect bill of health. In the meantime, Irene and Brandish have been discussing their options while in captivity.
"So, what are we gonna do?" Brandish asked. "Are we going to betray?"
Instead of responding immediately, Irene turned her head in Brandish's direction. Naturally, Irene's silent stare while in her dragon form made Brandish uneasy. Because despite the fact that both of their magic power had been sealed, Irene could still kill Brandish with her overwhelming physical strength as a dragon. Luckily, Irene's mobility was greatly hampered by Alfonzo's restraints. So, she was certain she could get away had Irene lost her temper at some point.
After a few seconds of tense silence, Irene turned away before laying her head on top of her paws.
"*Sigh* Honestly, I'm leaning towards that." Irene said in a tired tone. "Just like he said last time, I am Earth land's first Dragon Slayer. And because of incomplete information, I turned into what you see now after over using my [Dragon slayer Magic]. And because of that, I lost many things. Things I did not realize I cherished until they were gone."
Knowing that Brandish was talking about the ability to taste food and sleep, as well as several human emotions, Brandish could only lower her head in sympathy. And had she known about the fate of Irene's daughter, she would completely understand why Irene made that decision.
"Unfortunately, if I tell Fairy Tail everything, you will be implicated as well." Irene continued. "And unless you are willing to capitulate, I don't see you having a good outcome."
Brandish immediately widened her eyes upon hearing Irene's words.
"But couldn't we just tell something made up?" Brandish asked. "Then, once the opportunity presents itself, we make a break for it?"
"In most cases, that would be true." Irne said while shaking her large, draconic head. "But then, there's a pretty good chance I'll lose the one thing that I've truly desired for centuries."
To that, Brandish fell into contemplation. It's not like she truly wanted to be one of the emperor's twelve shields. IN fact, she only accepted the position because she felt that she owed the Alvarez Empire for raising her after her mother passed away. Still, as someone who would rather not be involved in conflict, the thought of leaving sounded rather appealing to her. Especially after the months of relaxation she had after accepting the mission to investigate Alfonzo.
"*Sigh* It looks like I don't have a choice." Brandish said in a wispy tone. "I'd rather not spend my days in captivity after you tell them everything. And being put to death as a spy sounds even less appealing."
Hearing that, Irene turned towards Brandish with a wry smile on her dragon face. Though, to Brandish, it only looked as if Irene was bearing her sharp teeth at her.
"That's probably the best decision you could make." Irene said. "Because I'm sure death is a much more likely outcome than life imprisonment. Of course, it would come after a healthy dose of torture to get as much information out of you as possible."
At the thought of being tortured for information, Brandish could not help but shiver. However, before she could scare herself too much, the doors to the elevator slid open, drawing Irene and Brandish's attention.
"So, I think I've given you ladies enough time to ponder my offer." Alfonzo said with a smile as he stepped out of the elevator.
"Hmph! You say that as if you had not been eavesdropping on every word we muttered since you brought us here." Irene said disdainfully.
Smiling sheepishly in return, Alfonzo understood why Irene and Brandish, who was also glaring at him disdainfully, would think that way. However, Alfonzo had no monitoring devices set up in the hanger. Other than the standard measures that would let him know if they were trying to escape. However, with their magic power sealed, Irene and Brandish had no way of knowing that.
"Anyway, that doesn't matter." Irene said after calming down. "I'm sure you already know that we've decided to accept your offer. Defecting to your side can grant both of us something that we want. And we already know that you must have a fail-safe in the case that we betray you."
"Good." Alfonzo replied, not trying to dispel the misunderstanding. Since he planned to remove their restraints, they would find out that there were no listening or viewing magic items in the hanger once they had access to their magic power again. "Well then, let's get rid of those restraints, then."
*Snap!*
With a snap of his fingers, Alfonzo dispelled the restraints on both Irene and Brandish. Then, he used his [Metal Magic] to remove all the anti-magic sigils.
"Oh ho, you're quite trusting, aren't you?" Irene asked with an eyebrow raised. "Who's to say we won't just attack and take you hostage now that our restraints are gone?"
"Although I probably won't be able to get the restraints on you before you can attack, I can have this room completely covered in sigils way before your attacks can reach me." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "Then, that would leave me in a two-on-one situation with a dragon and a stronger than average young woman who can't use magic."
"And you think you could take on the both of us without your magic?" Brandish asked in a strong tone.
In response, Alfonzo looked at Brandish with the same gaze that he looked at Gildarts with when he brought the two to the hanger.
"Why do you think I would leave myself unable to use magic, too?" Alfonzo asked curiously.
"*Sigh* He's used magic in front of us while standing atop the anti-magic sigils before, Brandish."
Hearing that, Brandish remember the way Alfonzo floated the platters containing Iren's meals while walking across the hanger. Then, she looked away with a slight blush on her face.
"Anyway, Irene, could you [Transform] back into your human form?" Alfonzo asked. "The elevator won't fit your dragon form. And I'd rather not let you out through the hanger doors. Acnologia might come back. And I'd rather not have him nude Magnolia because he senses you."
"Acnologia was here?" Irene asked as she was covered in a bright white light. "Had I known, I would have been able to kill him."
"Yeah, I seriously doubt that." Alfonzo replied while lessening the intensity of the light Irene's [Transformation] spell produced. "I mean, I've fought you both. And he outclasses you by a lot."
In response, Irene remained silent. However, when the light reseeded, she wore a deep frown at the thought of being underestimated. But with the chance to regain her humanity on the line, she squashed her pride. Then, she looked herself over.
"*Sigh* All my clothes are fine." Irene said in a disappointed tone. Then, she touched her head, which was missing her usual fur-brimmed witch hat. "Unfortunately, that hat was the only one I had."
"I'm sure Lici wouldn't mind making you another one." Alfonzo said with a shrug as he approached the two. "Anyway, I need each of you to wear one of these."
As he spoke, Alfonzo reached int a pouch that was fastened to the sash acting as his belt. And when he pulled his hand out of the pouch, he was holding a pair of exquisite orichalcum bracelets inlaid with several colorful lacrima.
Before he reached the two, however, Alfonzo vanished in a burst of speed and purple light. A moment later, he reappeared between Irene and brandish. ON top of that, the two bracelets were no longer in his hands. Instead, they were hugging the left and right wrist of Brandish and Irene, respectively.
"What is this?" Brandish asked angrily. "You sealed my magic power again?"
"No, this is different." Irene said while letting her magic power spread out. "WE can still circulate our magic power., we can even eject it from our bodies. But we can't condense any of it to cast a spell."
Hearing Irene's explnation, Brandish also tried ejecting her magic power from her body. And the only thing she could do with it was use [Magic Power Detection]. Then, she turned an incredulous expression in Alfonzo's direction. Meanwhile, Alfonzo only shrugged once again.
"Better safe than sorry, you know." Alfonzo replied. "I spent a lot of all-nighters to get those magic items just right, too. You should be praising my ability as a magic item crafter rather than glaring at me like that."
"Yes, this is truly impressive." Irene replied. "And I can understand why you did it. But do you really think you can stop me if I empower myself with magic?"
*Smack!*
"Yeah, I do." Alfonzo replied while catching Irene's fist that was aimed at his sternum. "Even though you may be a dragon. Without the ability to condense your magic power, you'll never be physically stronger than me."
"I see." Irene replied as she withdrew her fist. "So, the condensation of magic power is not just external… Very interesting."
"Well, if you're done testing the limits of my magic item, let's head to the guild hall." Alfonzo said. "I'm sure Ur would love to hear the real reason why the two of you came to Magnolia."
With that, Alfonzo turned and made his way towards the elevator. Meanwhile, Irene and Brandish exchanged glances.
"He really wasn't watching or listening to us." Brandish said in a shocked tone after sweeping the whole hanger and bathroom with her [Magic Power Detection].
Shaking her head, Irene followed Alfonzo towards the elevator with Brandish following behind her a beat later.
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