Beta read by Shigiya and Darklord331
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-Magnolia-
"What the hell is this?" There were a few things in the world that could genuinely baffle Irene. After living for centuries, she had come to believe she had seen all that magic could offer. The few remaining mysteries lay within the secrets kept by Zeref, or the one who preferred to see himself as the Magic King. Anything beyond that crossed into the domain of gods, a realm she had only glimpsed through fragments of ancient texts and failed experiments. Something that she preferred to stay cautious around and not meddle too deeply, given what cursed befell upon the emperor.
It would be dishonest to claim she felt no curiosity toward those who possessed sources of near-unlimited magic, or what some referred to as a key. Whether it be Fairy Heart or the newly discovered presence of Ki, perhaps such power could answer her long-standing questions, or at least point her toward them. Yet she was in no rush to chase those answers. There were still other matters to handle, including the dragon that continued to roam unchecked across the world.
But now, standing before this absurd sight, she found herself utterly lost for words.
"Can you stop pinching my face?" asked the Saiyan, his voice tight with annoyance. Normally, she would never do something so childish, but the man was now no larger than a plush toy fitting neatly in her palm. The sensation of holding him, of having him so utterly within her grasp, was oddly satisfying. She hadn't expected that… nor was she willing to let go any time soon.
"I'm just testing this new form of yours," she replied, her tone casual though her eyes still studied him like a researcher examining a rare specimen. That wasn't entirely untrue. "How long will this last?" she asked, glancing toward the other man walking beside her as they made their way back to the main city.
The battle had ended not long ago. As for who had won, that was debatable. By some standards, Gildarts could be considered the victor since his magic had reduced his opponent into several smaller copies of himself. Yet Irene had been forced to intervene when their reckless exchange threatened to unleash an attack so destructive it could have erased the entire region. All because this small Saiyan had briefly lost control. In her mind, it was best called a draw just to spite them, but clearly someone would have died had she not intervened — or at least lost several limbs.
"Not that long," Gildarts said, scratching the back of his neck. "Honestly, it's been a while since I used my magic that way on someone. So I'm not sure about the details myself. I can try to combine him back into a single being, but after what happened back there… I'm kinda scared to do so."
"The ability to divide one's power into several fragments," Irene remarked, "is a clever usage of Crush Magic, but definitely efficient."
"Efficient my ass!" Fairy Tail's ace shot back, pointing toward one of the miniature Brolys lounging atop Irene's head, using her hair as a makeshift cushion while meditating. "What the hell happened at the end there!? That power didn't divide; it multiplied! Forget destroying the moon, that could've wiped out the whole continent!"
The tiny Saiyan cracked one eye open and peered down at them. "I made sure not to use too much energy. When you have perfect ki control, you can release as much as you want without letting a stray shot destroy the planet. Even in my uncontrolled state, I could at the very least manage that much, even before I arrived in Ishgar."
Gildarts stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. It wasn't disbelief that fueled it, but a weary acceptance. "You know," he said between chuckles, "I think I finally found someone more dangerous than Natsu and that black dragon combined. He talks about destroying continents like it's nothing. No wonder Master's been stressed lately. I would be too, knowing someone like this is walking around freely."
"And whose fault was that?" Irene asked, her sharp tone cutting through his amusement.
He shrugged. "How was I supposed to know his power would multiply like that? It makes no sense."
"It didn't multiply," The woman explained, closing her eyes and rubbing her chin briefly as one of the small copies perched on her head tilted its own curiously. "When a person's strength surpasses a certain threshold and sets foot into the infinite, dividing it or trimming it down doesn't work the way you expect. Even a fraction of that energy appears endless to the mind of a regular mage. Your spell didn't just split his power, it shattered his focus and forced multiple streams of energy into one single point, without actually draining his reserves."
Gildarts blinked at her. "I only understood half of that," he admitted.
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose while one of the tiny Saiyans yawned lazily above her. "That's more than I expected," she muttered. "At least you learned not to do that ever again. And how it's a bad idea."
"Yeah, yeah, I learned my lesson. No need to say it twice."
Irene scoffed, unsurprised that someone like him would ignore her words so easily. Across the world, countless people would give up everything they owned just for the chance to become her apprentice, yet this one brushed her off without a second thought. No, make that two of them. And one of them was twice as troublesome, who kept trying to paint her as Titania's sister even though he knew full well this was not the case! Just the memory of that made her release some of that frustration onto her new favourite toy.
"I can't speak," said the other Broly she was holding, his voice muffled as she tugged at his face again. His cheeks felt oddly soft, almost like a plush toy beneath her fingers. The woman didn't bother restraining her strength, aware that it made no difference. A grip that could have crushed a human skull left not even a mark on him and came off as a mild annoyance to him at most.
"Can you guys help me?" the Broly in her hand asked, his eyes turning downward. Dozens of other copies walked beside her, each behaving differently. Some wore unreadable expressions and moved quietly, others flew above the ground, and one simply held an apple he had picked up somewhere, staring at it with wide-eyed fascination. He looked as though he were wondering if he could devour food larger than his own head, the thought alone filling him with visible excitement.
The longer Irene observed them, the more her mood sank. The one who carried the potential to uncover the secrets of the gods had turned out to be little more than a child trapped in a man's body… someone whose biggest thoughts revolved around food and making friends. It felt like a cruel joke, a curse that bound overwhelming power to a personality so guileless. She was pretty certain that the idea of dominating the world did not even surface in his mind once!
"You don't look too worried yourself, kid. I don't think I've seen you panic once over your new form. Hurts my pride, won't lie," Gildarts muttered, picking up one of the copies and placing it on his shoulder. His words drew silence from the group as they seemed to ponder his remark together. The one who finally answered was the Broly he carried.
"I guess I was certain you wouldn't use anything that could cause a permanent change to me. My instincts never told me I was in real danger, not even now. And you said it yourself, it's only temporary."
"Tch, that's no fun," answered the middle-aged man with a crooked grin. "Would've been better if you panicked a little so I could mess with your head like I would have with Natsu. But I'll take what I can get. And I bet the girls will love it. You don't even need to look far; this lady here can't seem to keep her hands off you."
The remark earned nothing more than a sharp eye roll from her.
"In any case, I can't return to town with both of you. I have my own matters to attend to," she mentioned and headed towards a clearing rather than continuing on the path, preparing to teleport away, but Gildarts stopped her.
"Hold on there, woman. You're forgetting someone important you're holding. Can't let you take him with you, he needs to stay with the rest of his pieces." He pointed at the Broly she still carried.
For a brief moment, hesitation clouded her face. A strange temptation settled over her as she stared at the small figure in her grasp. The power she felt from him was immense, nearly matching his prime strength yet far more manageable. A thought crossed her mind: how convenient it would be to keep him contained, to have such a force at her disposal. The idea of locking him in an unbreakable cage and displaying him like a prized relic near her bedside almost sounded appealing.
But reason prevailed, if only for now. With a faint sigh, she released him, and the small Broly floated upward to rejoin the mass of copies hovering in the air.
"Before I leave, there's something important you should know," she said, drawing both of their attention, though her eyes focused only on Gildarts. "By now, it's clear you've caught the interest of the dark guilds. First, you destroyed the Oración Seis. My involvement is irrelevant; no one knows the full story. But they're aware of what happened recently with the Grimoire Heart. So it's safe to assume the third dark guild of the Balam Alliance has also taken notice of you."
"There are others? More of them?" Broly asked quietly, each one of himself now fully focused on Irene.
Seeing his surprised face, she was not that surprised, but the fact that the third person also showed a similar expression made her stand there in disbelief. "You of all people should have guessed the outcome by now. Why are you acting surprised?" she asked, her tone carrying a sharp edge, seriously starting to question how these people survived this long. The men shrank under her scolding, and one of them just chuckled and hit his own head, putting on a "Ah, I just remembered!" face she had seen her students use several times.
"Oh, right, it really did slip my mind after the fight we just had. But you're right, it's likely we'll get the attention of the demons sooner or later. This is going to be tricky. I've never dealt with them myself, but I've heard the stories, and none of them sound good."
"Demons? Like the ones from Galuna Island?" Broly asked, "I recall meeting the people on an island just before my clash with the dragon, those who appeared human by day yet transformed by night." They had not been evil, only cursed and misunderstood because of their appearance. His question earned a small shake of the head from the red-haired woman.
"Not exactly. How much do you know about demons?" she asked, her gaze steady on him.
No particular faces or memories came to mind, and that silence was enough for her to understand. "I'll take that as a no," she said. "To give you a brief overview, there are other humanoid species living in this world besides humans. Humans may be the most numerous, but they aren't alone. Among these other kinds are demons, and demons themselves come in many forms and origins. The ones you met on that island were most likely natural-born demons."
That information caught Broly's interest. Aside from their physical differences, he hadn't noticed anything that set those demons apart from humans. Before he could ask more, she added, "I suppose I should include you among these different species as well. You're clearly not human to begin with."
"Wait, what? Who is not what?" Gildarts, who had been listening quietly, froze mid-sentence and stared at them with a confused expression, only to be ignored as Irene continued.
"Another subspecies of demons was created centuries ago by a certain mage you may have heard of, Zeref. We call them the Etherious."
The name struck a familiar note. Broly had heard it more than once, whether from Lucy, Erza, or even the master himself. Most recently, it had come up in the words of Fairy Tail's late former master. "He just created a new species?" Broly asked, frowning.
"Zeref's knowledge of human biology and life itself was unmatched," Irene explained, her tone calm yet with a faint trace of pity. "His research allowed him to craft beings that even other demons see as inferior, though in truth, many of his creations were far stronger and more dangerous. They're essentially immortal, capable of living for thousands of years, defying death and age alike. Yet still failures in the eyes of their creator. Why? I'm not sure myself."
"I see. But what does this have to do with the dark guilds? Do they have a demon among them who's one of Zeref's creations?" Broly asked.
Gildarts suddenly let out a deep laugh that echoed across the forest, slapping his knees and tapping the Saiyan on his shoulders with a finger. "A single demon? Change that to demons, plural. Tartaros isn't just a guild, it's a nest full of them. Most, no, all of their higher-ups are Etherious according to rumours, all trying to bring their creator back to life. Again, this is mostly from word of mouth; no one actually ever saw them."
Irene stood quietly in the background, saying nothing, her attention fixed elsewhere. Gildarts continued, his tone more serious than usual. "They're a dangerous bunch. If you thought the other dark guilds were bad, then you haven't seen anything yet. Not that I have either, I've been lucky enough to avoid them so far. But I've fought and destroyed several dark guilds that worked under them. Every one of those had members modified into half-demon creatures. People so desperate for strength they'd sell their souls if it meant more power."
It was the first time the Saiyan had seen Gildarts wear such a grim expression from the moment they met, which wasn't that long, but still, he listened closely.
"Unfortunately, Tartaros is a secretive guild, the most mysterious of the Balam Alliance by a mile. I can't tell you much because they're experts at staying hidden and keeping out of sight. But given what you've been through lately, it wouldn't be hard to believe that they're already coming after you, too."
Broly nodded, taking in the information, and so did the other copies as they made their way back to the guilt and silence, with Irene soon teleporting away.
{Break}
(A few minutes later)
It didn't take long for them to return to the guild, and as soon as they stepped inside, everyone's reactions were just as wild as expected. Lucy, especially, was left completely speechless the moment she saw several tiny Brolys flying in like a swarm of mosquitoes. She hadn't even processed it before snatching one of the miniature versions mid-air and clutching it tightly in her arms.
"This is so cute! This looks like one of my dolls from when I was a kid!" she exclaimed, rubbing the tiny figure against her cheek in delight. "Uwah! It even looks exactly like the real Broly! Where did you get this from? Is it powered by some kind of hidden lacrima that lets it fly?" she asked Gildarts, turning him over curiously, only for the small Broly to wriggle free from her grasp.
"Stop it, that feels weird," he muttered, clearly uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being this small, let alone being handled like a toy twice at this point. Having spent his whole life towering over others, this new perspective was something he didn't quite know how to feel about.
"Wait, it's not a toy!?" Lucy shouted, eyes widening as she finally realised it was really him. Her gaze darted to the other dozens of tiny Brolys fluttering about, each one heading straight for the bar counter where Mirajane was watching, laughter already bubbling in her throat.
"Can I get... ten plates of roasted Vulcan meat?" the one in front said, his voice serious as the rest nodded in unison behind him.
Mirajane burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she bent over the counter. "I… pft— ha… I-I can't breathe, hahaha! I can't breathe! Hahaha!"
He watched in mild confusion, unsure why everyone was reacting so dramatically to his smaller form. Them being shocked for a bit made sense, but he did not expect to see them laughing this loudly. Before he could question it further, armored hands suddenly grabbed him by the sides, lifting him clean off the ground. He found himself face-to-face with a certain redhead who immediately started squishing his cheeks.
"What sort of magic is this?" Erza asked in disbelief, poking at his tiny face. "Can you stay like this forever?"
"No," he replied flatly.
"Oh..." The disappointment on her face was short-lived, soon replaced by renewed delight as she continued tugging and pressing at his cheeks anyway — exactly like Irene had done throughout their way back to town. Even their expressions were the same.
Mirajane, still recovering from her fit of laughter, finally leaned against the counter to catch her breath. She had never laughed this hard before, and seeing her this happy was enough for Broly to just let it be. If she was amused, that was fine by him. Once she steadied herself, Mirajane leaned down until she was eye level with the small group of Brolys, a playful spark in her eyes. She extended a finger and poked one in the stomach. "And how exactly do you plan to pay me in that form? Do you happen to have tiny jewels in your pockets?"
Now that she mentioned it, he hadn't checked whether his belongings had shrunk along with him. Curious, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a jewel, now no bigger than a bean, even when compared to his current hand, practically the size of his palm.
"Oh… "
Mirajane trembled again, covering her mouth as laughter threatened to burst out. Meanwhile, Broly frowned, realising that all the money he and Lucy had worked hard to earn might now be practically worthless.
"I can find another way to pay," he said calmly.
"Oh, I'm sure you can," Mirajane replied, the teasing tone returning to her voice as she poked his face again, her hand gliding up to ruffle his hair. Her innocent smile curved into a mischievous smirk. "In fact, I have a few ideas in mind, actually... a lot of them."
Bam!
A jug of beer slammed onto the counter, the sound echoing through the guild. Erza leaned against the bar, giving the white-haired mage a sharp look. "Don't get any funny ideas. I don't like that expression you just had. I'll pay for him, or you could just put it on his tab like you do for everyone around her. What's with the sudden change?"
"Now, why would you think that? I'm hurt. I would never do anything crazy with this cute little version of Broly," she said in a cheerful tone. Yet for some reason, he noticed that her voice sounded a bit too bright, almost forced, as if she were trying too hard to sound innocent. Even Erza picked up on it, and her brow twitched with irritation. "Also, you're acting as if you didn't have any thoughts of your own," Mirajane argued back with a strained smile. "Don't tell me you were planning something with him, just like those scenes in your book?"
"What? Are you crazy?! I-I-I would n-never!" Erza stammered, her voice cracking with genuine surprise, though the reaction only made Mirajane's grin widen. She looked far too pleased with herself, like she had just won some unspoken contest.
Broly, still in his smaller form, sat cross-legged at the table, uninterested in their argument. He was waiting for his food, his stomach already growling. He wanted to test if this form could handle more food than his regular body. His mouth watered at the thought of a roasted meal ten times his size. A vague memory came to him of an old dream where he had eaten endlessly, only to wake up on Vampa with an insect creature that tried to bite him during his sleep. Since then, he had never dreamed again nor slept peacefully until ending up in this world.
"It's cute that you still have abs visible even in such a tiny body. Your head looks ten times bigger, like a bobblehead," a teasing voice said. Broly turned to see Cana approaching. Oddly enough, she didn't reek of alcohol or carry a massive barrel of beer like usual. "What happened to you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I had a match with Gildarts," he replied calmly. "He used a spell that split me into several smaller versions like this. He said it's temporary, so I'm not worried."
"You fought who?!" Cana nearly choked on her breath, stumbling backward and grabbing the edge of the counter for support. "Repeat that. Tell me I didn't just mishear everything!"
Broly tilted his head, confused by her reaction, but decided to repeat it anyway. "We fought. I managed to push him back, but he used a spell that divided me into these forms. It caused me to release more energy than I meant to. The blast nearly destroyed the town, but Irene shielded everything and redirected my energy into the sky. Don't worry, this time I made sure I wasn't aiming for the moon."
"Everything you just said made no sense!" Cana exclaimed, grabbing him and shaking his body violently. Perhaps being so small was not that good after all, outside of the food aspect. "Am I drunk or is this some weird dream?"
"You're always drunk," one of Broly's copies said. "Except today, you're actually sober." Several of the tiny Brolys hovered around her, sniffing curiously as if to confirm. "Are you sick?"
Cana frowned and tried swatting them away, but her hand met the solid resistance of their tiny bodies. "Ow, ow! You might be small, but you still feel like solid steel!"
"Hahaha! He's telling the truth!" a familiar voice boomed. Gildarts appeared suddenly, taking a seat beside Broly while Cana went quiet, turning her face away, while the man continued. "It was an exciting battle, I never had so much fun for quite a while hahaha! It felt like I was back in my younger days."
"What did you just say? Broly beat you?" One of the guild members in the background repeated in disbelief.
"That can't be true!" Reedus added from across the table.
"I bet he slipped and fell again!" Macao cut in, laughing. "Gildarts can be such a clutz sometimes!"
"You idiot," his friend shot back flatly. He took a puff of his cigar and exhaled it on the blue-haired wizard's face. "That's the same guy who destroyed the moon. Of course, he can beat Gildarts."
"Wasn't that supposed to be an ancient weapon he redirected?"
"Who cares!" Wakaba shouted again. "He still blew up a mountain afterward!"
"So you did not see it once, that proves nothing!" As one might have expected, the guild was quite divided, with many either refusing to believe those words or accepting them at face value. A heated debate erupted soon after, hundreds of guild members shouting across the hall about the outcome of the battle none of them had even witnessed, twisting and exaggerating every word Gildarts had shared. Before long, frustration got the better of a few, and fists started flying. Chairs and tables were thrown across the room, turning the argument into yet another full-blown brawl.
"Wait, that's not fair! I wanted to fight too! Fight me!" Natsu burst forward, leaping toward one of the Brolys. The Saiyan barely reacted before using his body weight to ram his shoulder straight into Natsu's stomach, launching the poor boy upward into the ceiling and out of sight.
"Ah, my control's still not perfect in this form," Broly muttered, scratching the back of his neck. He had only meant to knock the boy out for a moment, not send him flying through the roof. The smaller frame of his current state still threw off his sense of strength, and with everyone around him looking much larger, he unconsciously used more force than intended.
"All right, food's here!" Mirajane's cheerful voice instantly caught his attention. She appeared with several large plates, each filled to the brim, and the entire hall was filled with the rich, mouthwatering scent of grilled meat. Every Broly turned his gaze toward what looked, in his eyes, like a mountain of food glistening under the light. Each dish was covered in a thick sauce reduction with roasted vegetables on the side. The sight alone made him oddly emotional; it had been so long since he had seen this much food, even if it was just a few plates stacked high.
"I made sure to give you the biggest serving we had," Mirajane said with a teasing smile. "You don't have to worry about paying me back with jewels. I've got a few ideas on how you can repay me in other ways."
"Mirajane!" someone shouted from across the guild, likely one of the members dragged into the ongoing fight.
"Ignore her," she said without looking back, "just focus on me."
"I swear I owe you this favor, and I'll do anything you ask," Broly said, his tone sincere. The words came easily, and he meant every one of them. For him, this simple act of kindness was something worth remembering.
"Huh, that was easier than I thought," Mirajane muttered under her breath.
"You really are that big of a fan of food, aren't you?" Gildarts said, chuckling as he dug into his own plate. "Can't blame you. This girl might just be the best cook across all of Ishgar."
Mirajane chuckled softly, waving off the compliment, while Gildarts turned his attention to Cana, who was sitting nearby. "From what I heard, you, him, and that other lady over there are all part of the same team, right?"
Cana gave a small nod. "You could say that." Her answer came out quieter than usual, lacking her typical energy. Gildarts noticed immediately, his grin fading slightly as he observed her tone.
"Hahaha, glad to see this guy surrounded by beautiful women," he said, laughing again to lighten the mood. "You must be proud, eh, small guy? Still, I'm glad you've got a team of your own now. Every time I come back, the master tells me you're always off on missions alone. It's more fun with friends, right?"
"I suppose so," Cana replied softly. Broly glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he chewed his food. She didn't sound uncomfortable exactly, but something was definitely off. He couldn't tell what it was, though it was clear enough that her voice carried a trace of unease.
He wondered if there had been some history between her and Gildarts, but nothing in the older mage's tone suggested that. "Now that I think about it," Gildarts continued, "you must've grown a lot as a mage, being around him all the time. He's a strong guy. Probably only a matter of time before we have another S-Class—eh?"
He stopped mid-sentence as Cana suddenly stood up. "Excuse me. I'm not feeling well. I'll be going home. See you, Broly." Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked quickly toward the exit, her reaction leaving both men surprised. Gildarts blinked and looked at Broly, confused.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, guilt creeping into his tone.
"I don't know," Broly replied honestly.
"Ah, damn. Maybe I came on too strong. The young miss might just be the shy kind," Gildarts said, rubbing the back of his head. "Strange though. I remember her being more cheerful with others."
Broly nodded slowly, agreeing with that assessment. There was definitely something bothering her, though he couldn't quite tell what. She had been behaving a bit strangely for quite some time now around him, but not to this extent. Something was clearly plaguing her mind. But for now, he put this matter at the back of his mind and instead focused on another odd thing he had noticed ever since returning to the guild. "Where is Master Makarov? I haven't seen him at all." For someone who spent most of his time at the bar drinking just as much as Cana, it was strange not to see him here.
Gildarts nodded, "Yeah, there is no way he did not feel the explosion from earlier as well. Kind of strange he did not come shouting and demanding answers on what we destroyed. Don't tell me the old man started having afternoon naps? Would make sense for someone his age."
Mirajane shook her head, the previous cheerful expression on her face dying down ever so slightly. "No, it's not that. He has just been busy preparing for the upcoming harvest festival on the fifteenth of October. And well… He's been trying to get in contact with Laxus lately to have him at least be present for some occasion. Given that he is not here yet, Master started to wonder if he is going to skip it again this year. Oh, in case you're not aware, Laxus is Master Makarov's grandson." Mirajane Mentioned before he could even ask. "He has been stuck in his office ever since this morning, hoping that Laxus will pick up his communication lacrima, but since he hasn't come out yet…"
Seeing the somber face on both the barmaid and Fairy Tail's ace, Even Broly could understand that the relationship between those two people was not exactly the best. He was no stranger to complicated ties between family, but he could not make any comments yet, given that he knew little of their history, nor exactly the kind of person this Laxus was.
"I can try to find this Laxus and bring him back forcefully," he offered, his response getting a chuckle from the woman.
Mirajane hummed, "That's kind of you. But forcing anything with those two would not be ideal, and they'll just end up arguing with one another once again. It's not just them, but lately, Laxus hasn't exactly been the best around everyone else in the building, generally. Then again… he might actually get along with you… Or maybe not, your mindset is kind of the opposite compared to his."
You raised an eyebrow at that comment, but seeing she was not elaborating further, he decided to just ignore it and continue to focus on his meal. And his earlier theory turned out to be correct, the smaller form allowing him to eat technically much more than his body was used to, a single steak now made him feel more filled, and he truly felt like he could keep eating all day without having to worry about using up all of their savings on food.
Poof!
Unfortunately, his moment of peace and gratitude only lasted so long until a plume of smoke suddenly expanded from all around his body and from every single one of his copies within the guild. The next thing he knew was him standing near the counter, standing tall and with the half-eaten piece of steak still held between his fingers, this time rather than both hands.
"Ah, sure took its sweet time to revert you back," Gildarts commented, not surprised by the outcome.
"Oh…"
As for Broly, a wave of disappointment fell upon him when he immediately lost that sensation of being filled and stuffed with food as his stomach now growled with hunger, and the nearly empty plate before him no longer seemed as endless as before. "I'm hungry… Can you use that spell again on me?" He asked with the most hopeful expression.
"Absolutely not! You're crazier than Natsu to think of using such a spell just to eat more!"
Only to get viciously denied by the strongest wizard who flinched away. Most likely still traumatised by what happened earlier.
Once again, he felt a burning sense of envy toward the people of this world who could use such spells. Now he wanted to learn that one…
{Break}
(Near Magnolia)
A few days of barefoot travel away from Magnolia, beyond the mountains and across the river, within a large clearing in the forest, smoke rose into the sky. Remnants of a battle are visible across a vast expanse of land, from craters to burnt pieces of land and trees. Shattered hills and a dense amount of ethernano gathered in one spot that slowly started to dissipate back into the atmosphere.
The sound of static electricity was present in the air, yet no dark clouds were visible in the sky.
Flashes of yellow light emerged from a trench hidden amongst the trees below ground, soon followed by a large explosion, until a person flew upwards and landed on the ground with a loud thud.
A man who looked in his twenties, with blonde hair and a tall, robust figure, who had now been riddled with various wounds, burn marks, and terrifying-looking bruises. Around him, several other people who had long since been taken out were lying on the ground with faint signs of life from their rising chest as they struggled to breathe. An emerald-haired woman, a man with a mask covering his face, and a third member with several black script-like patterns gliding across his skin, yet even that one failed.
"Hngh! Fucking bastard! You think this is enough to beat me!?" The one who just landed tried to get back on his feet, though his efforts soon faltered when a dark shadow emerged from the same place he came from and struck the man right in the chest, sending him spiralling backwards like a ragdoll. He crashed through several trunks of trees until he came to a sudden halt.
The air was viciously pushed out of his lungs, making him have a hard time breathing, let alone summoning any sort of electricity to power his attacks. Yet his eyes glared hatefully as the figure ahead walked closer.
"If you want to blame someone, then blame yourself. You did not give me a choice here, sorry." Were the last words he had before getting struck in the head, several of his belongings falling from his fur coat, one of them being a small sphere of communication lacrima that emitted a light, with someone on the other side trying to contact him.
The hooded figure walked ahead, grabbing onto the orb and observing it closely. Blue strands of hair peeking through the hood. "Magnolia, huh…" With one swift move, the orb got crushed with shards of dust dropping to the ground. The figure paid the ones who had already fallen by now no attention before making his way back on the path heading east towards the nearest town.
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters and 1 more Taimanin chapter at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.