Chapter 27: Oberon

To say I- Erza Scarlet- had a long day today would be a vast understatement.

After hearing of Eisenwald's plan during my mission, I'd decided to hurry back as soon as possible… Of course, had I known what it was they were after- what it truly was- then I would have dealt with them all then and there. But alas, I did not and so I hadn't acted at the time.

I finished the mission as soon as possible and returned to Fairy Tail… I took longer than anticipated, but I hadn't seen any urgency to rush at the time. I just believed it was another Dark Guild causing trouble that would need to be dealt with, even though the name Lullaby made me feel very uneasy.

It was after returning to the guild that I'd decided to recruit others… Nozomi, Gray, and Mirajane. While Mirajane herself would be more than enough, I wanted to be safe rather than sorry should things become complicated.

That was when he'd spoken up.

Ash Crestfall.

I'd been one of the first to speak to him at the guild, and I truthfully didn't know much about him. What I did know was that, when he arrived, he was very much a recluse and shy… Very cute as well, I wouldn't deny.

After he joined, he essentially went missing for quite a while as he holed up in the guild's library to focus on reading and studying magic, and only really tended to interact with Mavis- though she would regularly call others over to help him come out of his shell.

Seeing him upon my return, I had marvelled at how different he was… While he was still undoubtably shy, there was confidence within him now. He was able to talk with me without getting flustered any more… He was even able to give me compliments with a straight face.

Truly, he'd grown ever since he joined.

When he'd mentioned about how he should come on the mission in case of property damage, I hadn't hesitated to agree… I wasn't aware of how strong he was, so I thought he would be a supporter during the fighting.

How wrong I was.

He had provided information on Lullaby's true nature, had discovered Eisenwald's Intentions before even I had known thanks to his own mission with Levy. He had even discerned their objective and reasons for obtaining Lullaby in the first place.

He had surprised me at every opportunity, especially once I learned that he was a Dragon Slayer just like Nozomi was.

I was aware that Dragon Slayers had hidden powers thanks to talks with the Master, it was why I had such faith in Nozomi's potential. Dragon Slayers could come to match Dragons.

To learn that Ash himself was a Dragon Slayer had been startling… But I would admit, the revelation had caused me to start looking at him differently… Especially once I'd asked Mirajane if she knew anything of Ash after the battle, and she'd told me that- even though he was B-Class- his strength was probably in line with an A Class Mage.

A Class. In Six Months.

With his help, the mission had been going better than I had foreseen, even though I was slightly annoyed at him for rushing ahead with Nozomi… I was glad that he'd taken her to do the fight, because I thought it would be a good experience for Nozomi to fight Erigor too.

He had even stopped Kageyama- who had tried to take the flute to Clover- with sharp judgement that amazed me… From all these actions alone, I had already decided I would recommend him to Master for the S Class trials.

But then, that dreaded flute had taken on its true form… A grotesque tree-like monster.

It had been a long time since I'd felt fear like I did while it stared down at us, idly debating on which of our souls it would eat first… I quickly readied myself and felt everyone else do the same…

Before I felt an overwhelming wave of magical power erupt from Ash's body.

I cast my gaze to him and felt the others do the same in shock and awe… This amount of magic power… It was immense… No, it was too much… Even Gildarts hadn't unleashed such magical power before that I knew of! And yet he didn't even look winded as magic erupted from his body, his blue eye glowing intensely as his wings spread and his halo manifested.

"You… A mere demon, would dare crave my soul?"

There was something different about his voice.

His voice had always been kind, gentle. It was firm when he got serious, but it always maintained his kindness.

That was not the voice I heard from Ash's lips now.

It was cold, mocking, filled with indignant rage and scorn.

His magic power grew more intense, to the point even the light and day were swallowed up by his magic as his strength rose, the full moon hanging high in the sky above him…

It was just an illusion caused by the pressure of his magic power, but it sent chills down my spine as he floated up into the sky, becoming silhouetted by the moon.

"You…" Lullaby's voice, sadistic and cruel, now carried a hint of uncertainty. "What… Are you? How… Can you have such power?"

"What am I?" Ash replied, his eyes glowing brightly. "I am a child of Artosh, the azure flames that burn the sky, god killer. I am a Flugel… Ash Crestfall… You, a mere demon created by a mortal, would DARE to covet my soul? You would dare look down on me!? KNOW YOUR PLACE, YOU FILTHY MONGREL!"

I was shocked by the sheer outrage in his voice… The way he spoke, it was entirely unlike him… Almost like he was possessed by something.

"You…!" Lullaby's uncertainty was buried beneath rage. "How dare you besmirch the name of Lord Zeref!? Die to my glorious song and submit your soul to me!" He reared back, a magic circle forming beneath him.

"That's-!" My eyes widened. "Everyone, cover your ears!"

Everyone quickly moved to obey.

But Ash only laughed.

"Is that all? How pathetic," he sneered as he held out a hand… Magic circles formed in front of his palm before they formed and surrounded Lullaby, faster than my eyes could keep up with… One… Ten… A Hundred… A Thousand…

"S- So many…" Lucy's hands dropped from her ears in pure shock.

"Analyse Existence- And Erase."

Suddenly, Lullaby's magic circle cracked. The demon itself screamed and held the sides of its head as the magic circle cracked and splintered before it shattered into Ethernano.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" The demon roared, its voice filled with anger and fear.

"All I did was analyse your pathetic curse… And then dismiss it," Ash spoke, a twisted smile on his face and his voice as cold as ice. "Before me, such a pathetic thing is as valuable as the wood you were carved from, little demon."

The Demon stepped back for a moment before it looked down and roared. "YOU DARE MAKE ME STEP BACK!? I FEAR NO ONE! I WILL DEVOUR YOUR SOUL; IT TAKES MORE THAN A LITTLE TRICKERY TO STOP ME! I CAN CAST THIS CURSE UNTIL THE END OF TIME!"

"How cute," he crooned. "But your time is just about up… Didn't you hear me? I've already analysed your existence…"

Ash spread his arms to either side of his body… And I saw it.

Magic circles.

Hundreds of them, spreading out on either side of his body… They illuminated the sky, filling it up with his magic power…

"How many…?" I whispered, unable to believe what I was seeing… To simultaneously manage so many magic circles all at once… How fast was he processing everything, how much magic power was he expending?

It was…

"Amazing…" Mira whispered, covering her mouth as she stared up in shock.

"N- No… Th- this is…" Any bravado Lullaby had faded away as the only thing remaining in its eyes, on its face, was fear. Pure, restrained fear. "Th- this… This much power is impossible for anyone besides Master Zeref or Lord E.N.D! Th- this can't be real!"

E.N.D…?

"Oh, this is very real," Ash laughed in amusement. "And don't think you'll be going back to one of those special little tubes… I told you already, your existence has been analysed… And I've adjusted the Magic within these attacks just to make sure your soul doesn't get a chance to revive."

"M… Monster-!"

"I'm no Monster… I'm the Angel of Death."

In a desperate attempt to survive, Lullaby began to charge up its power again, clearly planning to use its death curse to try and fight against whatever Ash was about to do.

Ash merely snapped his fingers, causing Lullaby's magic circle to shatter into nothingness once more… He wasn't even giving it a single chance to fight back.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art…"

The hundreds of magic circles glowed, and all of them compressed down to just seven. They moved and formed almost a sharp, hourglass like shape behind him… A constellation.

"W- Wait, please!" Lullaby, in fear for its own life, cried out.

"Astral Cluster…"

Even though I wasn't experienced in astronomy or celestial spirits, for some reason the name of the constellation filled my mind…

The Constellation: Orion.

"Bernard's Loop!"

Seven beams of golden light emerged from the magic circles behind him, slamming down and encasing Lullaby within it.

"N- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

The golden light shone without restraint, forcing all of us to turn our eyes away as the demon's dying screams rang out through the valley… Until, finally, they ceased.

Turning my head back, I was stunned by what I saw…

For the only thing left behind was a crater in the exact shape of Ash's attack, a sickly glowing, violet orb that floated in place… It looked fractured and cracked, as though it were on the verge of breaking.

I slowly cast my gaze up to Ash, flying high in the sky as his magic circles faded away.

He didn't gloat.

He didn't say a word.

He merely smiled.

For reasons I didn't know, I felt my heart rate pick up in my chest and my breath hitch as I stared up at him… Almost captivated, I couldn't bring myself to look away.

"That much power…" Nozomi, normally so loud and rambunctious, was at a loss for words.

"Oi, oi…" Gray gulped, a beat of sweat rolling down the side of his face. "Is the gap this wide in just six months…?"

Mira gripped her left arm. "Heh… Shit… For some reason, the girls are getting excited," she murmured as her arm trembled with excitement, a gleam in her eyes.

"This… This is the full power of a Fairy Tail Mage…?" Kageyama, laying on the ground, stared up at Ash with awe and shock. "This… This is what the legal guilds can do…? It's like… He's a King…"

A shudder ran through my spine.

Aliases and nicknames.

Since the dawn of Guilds, Aliases had been bestowed upon those mages who showed extraordinary skill and talent… A title bestowed on them by fellow members or by other mages, a name that reflected their skills and abilities.

For Gray, it was Code Blue.

For Nozomi, it was Salamander.

For Mirajane, it was Demon.

For Brandish, it was Mab.

For myself, it was Titania.

The title- the alias- one received was more than just a name. It become part of one's identity, a defining feature of their very existence.

Ash had been someone who- despite his rapid rise through the ranks- had yet to receive any alias or title from others. Perhaps because he was very low key, perhaps because nobody knew him well enough to truly bestow a name unto him.

But, as I stared up at him and heard Kageyama's words, a single name and story filtered into my mind.

The great one who ruled over all fairies… A great trickster, playful, but one when angered who bring about great ruin… An unrivalled and feared ruler throughout all his tales, whom many warned travellers to never even speak to.

And as I stared up at Ash, I could think that only this title was the one that fit him the best…

Oberon – King of the Fairies.