Fairy Tail: My Magic is the Sun

Inside the towering body of Phantom Lord's Magic Giant, engines whirred with arcane energy. Jose stood like a tyrant atop the command deck, peering down with a sneer as the assault raged on Fairy Tail.

"Master, why are we even bothering with Fairy Tail? Why chase after that girl named Lucy?" one of the Elemental Four asked in confusion.

Jose smirked darkly.

"Heh~ You idiot... do you even know who that girl is?"

"...?"

"She's the only daughter of Jude Heartfilia — the richest industrialist in all of Fiore. Heartfilia Konzern owns half the kingdom's trade routes. If we hand Lucy over, we'll be swimming in wealth!"

His grin widened.

"Power. Influence. Resources. All mine. With this strength, and with her as leverage... Phantom Lord will become the number one guild on the continent! Hahahaha!"

"Master is brilliant!"

Outside—

"Erza! Come back quickly! You'll die!"

"I... will protect the Guild... until Escanor returns!"

From atop the Magic Giant, Jose raised both arms. Dark magic gathered above his head, swirling like a growing storm.

"Purgatory Break: Dark Roar!"

The blast descended, immense and furious.

Erza stood her ground.

"Adamantine Barrier!"

But the defensive armor she wore—so often her unbreakable shield—cracked.

Cracks spread across her armor. Her legs trembled. Blood trickled from her lips.

Yet she did not fall.

"Crimson Blossom... All Reflection!!"

Erza unleashed her hidden technique. The dark roar reversed in a radiant spiral. The attack backfired, smashing into the shoulder of the Magic Giant, tearing off part of its plating and sending up a towering wave into the sea behind. Rain poured down from the sky as sea spray erupted, covering the coast.

Erza collapsed to one knee.

She couldn't go on.

From above, Jose scowled. His pride wounded.

"You... stubborn girl."

"Shadow Soldiers!"

From his body erupted hundreds, thousands of spectral forms — twisted, ghostly creatures with blank white eyes and razor-like claws.

"Kill them! Tear Fairy Tail apart!!"

The swarm descended. Fairy Tail members scrambled to resist, casting every spell, swinging every weapon they could muster.

Elfman fell under a dozen shadows. Cana collapsed beside him, drained. Gray and Natsu fought back to back, struggling to hold the line.

And Erza—too weak to rise—could only watch.

"Hehehe... Fairy Queen... Watch your little comrades die one by one before your eyes..."

Erza's lips trembled. "No... I—"

Mira was surrounded.

Four, six, ten shadows lunged at her from every angle.

From above, Jose laughed. "Now, you die with them!"

He launched one final spell directly at the helpless Erza.

Dark Devour — a black, wailing skull screeched through the sky toward her.

"Escanor... I'm sorry... I can't be with you anymore..."

Erza closed her eyes.

The shadow drew closer.

And then—

BAAAANG!

A pillar of golden light pierced through the clouds like a sword of heaven. It descended in a vertical beam that lit the entire battlefield with divine brilliance.

The dark skull disintegrated in midair.

The shadow soldiers screamed in terror and vanished, melting in the light.

Wounds across the Fairy Tail members' bodies closed slowly. Breath returned to their lungs. Pain eased.

Every member looked up toward the descending sun.

Bathed in gold, arms crossed, face calm...

Escanor descended from the sky like a god.

His boots touched the ground.

His head tilted gently toward Erza.

"I'm back~"

Erza, still barely conscious, smiled faintly, tears in her eyes.

"...Welcome back..."

"EVERYONE!!" Escanor's voice roared like a war drum. "Sound the counterattack!! Let Phantom Lord witness the wrath of FAIRY TAIL!"

"YEAHHHHHH!!!"

The tide turned instantly.

Morale exploded. Magic surged. Screams of vengeance replaced despair.

From above, Jose's face twisted in fury.

"EVERYONE!! CRUSH THEM!! DESTROY FAIRY TAIL!!"

◇

Escanor leapt toward Jose like a comet. One punch.

A single punch.

A brutal, clean, sun-forged fist that tore the sound barrier.

BOOOOOOM!

Jose was launched from the Magic Giant like a cannonball, crashing into the sea with such force that tidal waves erupted around him.

Phantom Lord's soldiers watched in disbelief.

Escanor landed on the coast, standing between Fairy Tail and the broken waves.

Across the battlefield, guild members clashed in a storm of spells. Elfman, bleeding, roared "MAN!!!" and body-slammed an elemental mage. Gray froze a wall of shadows mid-lunge. Mira, transformed into her Satan Soul form, punched straight through spectral warriors.

Fairy Tail was on fire.

Meanwhile, Erza, resting against the ruins, whispered, "You're always... just in time... Escanor..."

◇

Across the sea—

Jose rose slowly from the crashing waves, floating above the surface.

He looked... changed.

No longer human.

From beneath his robes, demonic scales pulsed and shifted. His eyes glowed a sickly red. Horns protruded from his skull.

"You dare... to humiliate me?!"

"You hurt my family," Escanor said calmly, stepping forward. "That is humiliation enough."

Their magic surged.

The sea began to churn.

Lightning tore across the heavens.

A battle between two monsters had begun.

"DARK JUDGMENT!!"

Jose hurled hundreds of black arrows like a storm.

Escanor sighed, raised his hand.

"Eight-Shaku Curved Jewel."

Golden sigils formed in the air and exploded outward. The two magics clashed with a deafening crash, but Escanor's light overwhelmed the dark. Arrows shattered. Explosions rocked the shoreline. Light tore through the waves.

From above, Phantom Lord mages trembled.

"W-what... what is that power...?!"

Escanor narrowed his eyes.

Smoke cleared.

Jose stood, singed and bloodied—but grinning.

"You didn't expect this, did you...?"

He tore off the remains of his cloak.

Demonic spikes protruded from his back. A black heart pulsed visibly through his chest.

"This is the power of the Black Heart of Ankhseram! With it, I cannot be killed!"

"You've sold your soul."

"So what if I did?! With this power, I'll rule the continent, the world! Even death will kneel before me!!"

Escanor looked at him, gaze soft with pity.

"You're already dead."

Jose vanished.

Then reappeared behind Escanor, his claw extended.

But Escanor moved before he did.

Two fingers pointed.

"Holy Spear: Escanor."

A divine burst of light shot forth, piercing Jose cleanly and sending him flying again — into the sky, then into the ocean.

Water blasted into the air.

But Jose emerged again.

More wounded. Still healing. Still alive.

"RAAAAHHHH!!!"

He pulled a blade from his back. A twisted, jagged spine made of black bone, dripping with acidic blood. The sea steamed where it touched.

He hurled himself at Escanor.

"You should never have returned!!!"

Escanor exhaled.

He stepped forward.

The sun pulsed above his head.

No magic words. No chant.

Just one arm pulled back.

A straight punch.

One punch to finish it.

"Sun-Forged Fist."

His fist struck the demonic blade mid-swing.

The weapon shattered.

The shockwave rippled the sea and cracked the air.

Jose's body twisted unnaturally in the blast. He screamed as the magic within him recoiled.

The black heart within him ruptured.

The demonic energy exploded inside his body. His final scream echoed over the sea.

Then — silence.

The sky cleared.

The light returned.

Jose's demonic form crumbled into ash, carried away by the wind.

◇

Escanor stood alone at the edge of the water.

He exhaled softly.

Behind him, Fairy Tail erupted in cheers.

"Escanor!!!"

"We won!!!"

"MIRA!!! HE DID IT!!!"

Erza, leaning on Mira's shoulder, smiled.

"He's always... our light."

Mira nodded tearfully.

Escanor turned.

His face calm.

But his heart... burning with fire.

"Let this be a warning to all who threaten Fairy Tail."

He raised a hand.

"And to Ankhseram... I'm not done with you yet."