Fairy Tail - Eyes of Ice

Chapter 16 - Clover Town Pt. 6

"Settle down, Kai," Natsu said. "We're not here for a sparring match or anything like that. We came to help you out."

Natsu had never been good at lying. Lucy had a terrible poker face, as horror struck her expression. Rage brewed over Erza and irritation over Gray.

Light patters of rain sprinkled the area around them. Kai readjusted the grip on his sword and did not move. He was quite comfortable in the stance.

The voice from before tried to pry into the back of his mind but Kai didn't need to hear it. Inherent rage and a dull anger rolled into his own mix of emotions. It focused him. It gave him strength.

He'd already planned his first five moves, should this come to violence. Knowing Natsu, that was an inevitability. Kai did not move his eyes at all, not giving away any of his movements.

"Just come over here and cut it out," Natsu said.

"Leave, Natsu," Kai said. "And the rest of you. I'll come back to Fairy Tail when I'm ready."

"You're ready now," Gray said. "Come on, this is getting stupid."

He took a few steps forward and Kai shifted slightly, stopping Gray in his tracks. Lucy's hands dropped to her side. One of them to her key ring, gripping two: one for Taurus and one for Sagittarius.

"I'm not. You don't know what you're doing here."

"First of all, we're fixing the massive mess you created in Clover Town." Erza stayed behind the three non-S-Class wizards. "Second, we're bringing you back. There's something wrong about you, Kai. A shadow that's controlling you."

"Nothing is controlling me but purpose."

"Spoken like a crazy guy," Natsu said. "What purpose is that?"

"I won't be strong enough to defeat Acnologia just being in the guild," Kai said. "I need power."

"Power from Grimoire Heart?"

The lack of reaction from the other three informed Kai on their level of information. Erza hadn't called in the other three to help with Clover Town; she called them in for backup, in case other Grimoire Heart wizards were around.

"Yes. I know I've gotten stronger, Erza. Master Hades can defeat me, but I'm not a pushover to him."

"So, you have gotten stronger? Good, you can come back."

"Not being a pushover to Hades and being strong enough to defeat Acnologia are two wildly different things."

The rain dropped a bit harder around them. Droplets that pelted the ground around Kai turned to ice and snow.

Kai once more ignored the cooing of Master Hades in the back of his mind, as well as the burning Sensory Link on his body. Hades tried to compel his body into action, but Kai managed to keep his body at bay, instead absorbing all of that anger and transmuting it into power.

"Do whatever you need to in Clover Town and leave me be."

No. That's not the test, Kai. They won't leave and you know it.

Kai grimaced. The fight was coming, but, maybe the would see reason—

Natsu slammed a pair of flaming fists together, stunning Lucy. Gray settled down and put his fist into an open palm. Erza bowed her head.

"I'm giving you one last warning before we need to bring you back by force," Natsu said behind a wreath of fire. "You're not convincing me you haven't abandoned Fairy Tail for a Dark Guild."