Fairy Tail: Shinigami -
Chapter 41: Shadows of the Past.
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Don't forget to check the auxiliary chapter about Adam. It's like an info chapter.
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[Adam POV]
A few days after my talk/fight with Laxus, things got better, at least in terms of our relationship, so to speak. His eyes no longer bore into me with anger or hate.
He still had more than a few things to work through, sure, but, it seemed that his problems with me had ended for the most part, hopefully.
With that out of the way, I decided to go out on a job right away.
Mostly because if I didn't do one now, I wouldn't be able to do one later, seeing my birthday was coming up, and Cana had made me promise I would be here to celebrate it with her.
With that in mind, I made my way to the guild early in the morning, and studied the last few entries on the S Rank Guild Job Posting Board, reading through the details of each quest until I found the one I liked the best.
Which normally was either one that sounded interesting enough, or paid the most, sometimes I found one that fit both boxes in that criteria.
Having picked my job, I gathered a small bag and left the guild alongside Lilia, quickly crossing through the bustling town of Magnolia, dodging carts and weaving around people as we made our way to the train station.
As we approached the station, my eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing outside the door. Ur clad in her usual black leather jacket and boots, staring at the schedule board outside the station in deep thought with her arms crossed.
It had been a while since I had last seen her.
More than not, she would either be out of a job or training her kids, the point was, she rarely ever was in the guild.
"Long time no see, going on a quest?" I asked, getting the woman's attention, who simply turned in my direction with a small smile tugging at her lips as she nodded in affirmation.
Ur uncrossed her arms and smiled, her face alight with mild enthusiasm. "To be precise, I'm going with you," she said, the corners of her eyes crinkling.
Excuse me?
I furrowed my brows and turned my head slightly, raising one eyebrow in clear confusion. "Not to be rude or anything," I began in a slow, careful tone, "But I don't recall giving you an invitation to come."
Lilia nodded, crossing her arms.
Ur's lips twitched into a smirk and her eyes fluttered shut in amusement for a brief moment, as she shook her head. "True, you didn't invite me brat, the master was the one that invited me."
The old man had sent her?
Why?
"Did he tell you why?" I asked, seeing my mind was coming up with nothing but blanks trying to find the reason behind why the old man had sent her to accompany me.
Ur's face was thoughtful for a moment as she rubbed the back of her head revealing that like me she had no idea why the old man had really sent her. "He didn't say, but if I have to guess it has something to do with the S class trials coming up. I'd wager he'll want to know how I handle the job to see if I can take the trials."
Right.
The trials are coming up, I almost forgot... It's been a while since the last one, seeing as no one had qualified for them since the time where I participated.
This year however, the old man had no reason to skip the trials, seeing he had a few candidates to put through them, like Laxus, and Ur.
I doubted Laxus would pass though, Ur was stronger than him, and way more experienced. Meaning it was almost certain Ur would pass.
"I suppose that makes sense," I replied with a nod.
At this, Ur strolled towards me with a confident stride, her head tilted slightly and her hands resting lightly on her hips as she flashed me a grin. "So, what's the job, boss?"
Rolling my eyes, I reached into my pants and pulled out the crumpled job request, carefully smoothing it out before handing it to her with a smile.
{-Dark Guild Extermination Request.-
Job Level = S Tier.
As the mayor of Onibus Town, I am writing this job request to ask the Guild located in Magnolia Town, Fairy Tail, to deal with the extermination of a new dark guild that has been wreaking havoc on the innocent townspeople.
This dark guild, based on the rumors, is known as the Shadow Reapers, for a few weeks now, they have been terrorizing towns along the border of Fiore and sadly, they have proven to be a formidable opponent to anyone that has attempted to stop them.
The reports show The Shadow Reapers are a highly organized and skilled group of dark mages, being responsible for numerous kidnappings, robberies, and even murders all around the country, all in the pursuit of power.
Location = Their last known location was an abandoned castle, located on the outskirts of the country, near Margaret Town.
Objective = Extermination.
Reward = 5,250,000. Jewels.-}
Ur stared at the paper in her hands for a few moments, intently studying each line before handing it back to me. "Sounds simple enough."
She was right. More than not, extermination jobs were easy when it came to fighting the targets themselves, seeing the really dangerous Dark Guilds were more secretive, and as a result would never get noticed, meaning no quests for them.
I shot Ur a final smile before leading the group inside the train station, gravel crunching beneath my feet as I walked and my eyes scanned the bustling ticketing hall filled with travelers.
Even to this day, I was struck by the spaciousness of the place. The station was divided into two levels, with a mezzanine floor overlooking the main hall and lower levels.
The station was adorned with beautiful artwork and murals that depicted scenes from the town's history. One mural, in particular, would always catch my eye. It showed the original members of the Guild helping the citizens build the train tracks that connected Magnolia Town to the rest of the country, showing the Guild had been with the Town since the very beginning.
As I walked towards the ticket counter, I noticed that the station was bustling with activity. Like always, there were waves of people hurrying to catch their trains, families saying goodbye to their loved ones, and vendors selling snacks and souvenirs.
All and all, the air was filled with the sound of laughter and chatter, creating a rather warm and welcoming atmosphere to it.
Smiling, I approached the line at the ticket counter and took my place. Thankfully, unlike most days, today, the line was moving quickly, and before I knew it, it was my turn.
"Good morning, how may I assist you?" The ticket clerk asked with a bright smile, one of those you know they are forced to give or they get fired.
"Good morning, I would like to buy three tickets to Margaret Town, please," I replied.
The ticket clerk adjusted his striped bow tie and blinked through his thick, black-rimmed glasses. "Sure, that would be 15,000 Jewels," he said, tapping his fingers against the countertop. "But today we have a special offer so the total would be 9,999." He flashed a warm smile. "Would you like me to print them out for you?"
I nodded, took out my wallet and placed a few crumpled bills on the counter, and said, "That would be appreciated."
The ticket clerk smiled and handed me the three crisp freshly printed train tickets with the destination printed at the top. "Here you go," he said. "And don't forget! Have a wonderful trip!"
Tickets ready, I moved with my group to the platform to wait for our train.
The station was bustling with people, jostling and squeezing their way between the ticket counter and the platform, making it hard to find somewhere to wait. Thankfully, after walking for a bit, I spotted a pocket of open space big enough for my group near the far edge of the place and headed in that direction, weaving through the frenzied sea of commuters.
Seated, we waited for about half an hour chatting about random stuff until the whistle of our train pierced through the air, reverberating through the station.
As the train rolled in, we jumped onto the train, giving our tickets to the train clerk at the door, before squeezing into our seats where we waited for about ten minutes before the train started moving.
The train slowly rolled out of the station and I leaned my head against the glass, watching Magnolia Town slowly disappear from view, with the view of lush green fields and rolling hills taking its place.
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After an uneventful journey on the train, we finally arrived at Margaret Town. The station in Margaret Town was smaller than the one in Magnolia, considerably smaller, and it was located in the heart of the town, surrounded by quaint shops and cafes.
The buildings were made of stone and brick, giving the town a medieval feel. The streets were cobbled, and the town was lined with trees that were in full bloom, filling the air with a fresh sense.
Taking a deep breath, I straightened my back and adjusted the bag on my shoulders, before approaching an old man leaning against the wall of one of the stores nearby. "Sorry to bother you, good sir, but if you could direct me to the nearest inn, I would appreciate it."
The old man looked us up and down, his eyes lingering a bit longer than necessary on Ur's and Lilia's chest. "Well, well, well," he said with a lewd grin. "You're a fine-looking group. What brings you to Margaret Town?"
He had no magic power...
How... odd.
"We're just passing through. We need a place to stay for the night. Will you help us out or not?" I asked once again.
The man chuckled as he pointed down the street. "There's a decent inn just a few blocks down that way. Can't miss it. It's big and has a sign that says 'The Royal Rumble Inn', they even have decent prices."
I nodded, turning with my group to head in the direction of the inn. As we walked, I couldn't help but feel the old man's eyes still on us, even on me for some reason.
Something about that guy didn't feel right, and it wasn't his lewd behavior.
"There was something strange about that old man," Ur commented in a low tone, her normally bright eyes dim, as a deep crease furrowed her brows.
I nodded.
Lilia's eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a scowl. She made a face as if she'd smelled something foul and muttered, "He was a pervert, that's what's wrong with him."
Not wrong.
But not exactly what I meant or Ur meant when we said there was something wrong with him.
Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment, we continued walking in silence, reaching the inn within short moments. The inn in question was a big, three-story building with a large wooden sign hanging over the entrance.
The sign was painted in a gold tone and featured a muscular man flexing his biceps with the words 'The Royal Rumble Inn' written in bold letters below.
"Ur, get us a room, I'll be right back," I said, turning around to check if my feelings about the old man were right.
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[Bernard Frodicus - The Old Man POV]
My job was simple.
Waiting outside the train station to see the wizards come by, and today, they had sent three. Two hotties and a teen.
Hell, they had even asked me where the inn was located, it's not often I get approached, so it only made my job easier for me.
I grinned under my breath, thinking about the things I would do to the hotties, the things I could make with them. I had been working for Shadow Reapers for years now, and my role was to gather information and take care of any threats that came my way.
They always reward me with sweet things, sweet young things.
That being said, I had to proceed with caution, these wizards were a threat, no doubt about it, at least the kid and the woman were. I could tell with ease that they were powerful, and if given the opportunity could ruin everything we had worked so hard for.
Already imagining what I would do to the two hotties, I fiddled with the miniature crystal ball that was clipped under my shirt, and its opalescent surface glowed to life as I spoke into it. "Breaker to headquarters."
"Any updates, old man?" The miniature crystal ball glowed in reply, its crystalline shape now filled with a vision of my supervisor, his lips curled into a slight smirk.
"They sent three wizards this time," I replied as a wicked smile stretched itself across my face my mind still lingering on the two beauties, a petite green-haired girl and a tall, dark-haired woman, imagining the things I would do them, already picturing how I would take away their innocence, and hope, turning them into empty husks of themselves whose only purpose is to be used. "Two females and one male."
"Haha, I know that look, don't worry, you can keep the females, we'll sell the teen to the tower," My supervisor chuckled before continuing. "In the meantime, we need to keep an eye on them, and plan an ambush."
I nodded eagerly.
"Yes sir," I grinned, my lips curling into a devious smirk as I pictured their terror and pain before their defeat.
My supervisor chuckled once again. "Very well then, I'll contact you in a few hours to get an update on things." With his last words, the crystal ball blinked out one last time, before disconnecting us and leaving me in the darkness of the alley, grinning from side to side.
"I can't wait to get my hands on them," I muttered to myself, the thought of the suffering and humiliation I was about to put the two through enough to make my heart skip a beat.
However as I was about to exit the alley, I felt something strike my chest, blasting me back into the wall with earth-shattering strength, and breaking some of my ribs.
My vision blurred and my head spun as I felt my mind slipping away, finding myself unable to move
Through my pain, I managed to focus a bit, seeing one figure standing a few feet away from me, his eyes burning with hate beyond anything I had ever seen.
It was the teen accompanying the other two.
The teen's eyes were dark and menacing as he paced steadily across the dark alley towards me, his voice low and threatening as he spoke. "Don't bother struggling, you won't survive. That being said, I can make your death slow and painful or quick and merciful, it all depends on how willing you are to cooperate. So choose wisely."
As he stepped closer, I felt the thunderous force that he carried in his presence. The hairs on my arms stood on end, and I had to clench my jaw to stop it from trembling in fear.
My mind raced as adrenaline coursed through my veins. I needed to think fast, and find a way to escape, but my body wouldn't cooperate, I was trapped and at his mercy.
"Please, let me go! I won't touch your women, I promise!" I managed to gasp out, my voice barely above a whisper.
The teen didn't answer. Instead, he continued to walk towards me, his eyes never leaving mine.
"I promise I won't touch them!" I repeated, forcing myself to speak despite the pain shooting through my ribs.
The teen stopped in front of me and leaned in, his breath hot against my cheek. "You think this is because of them? You never would've managed to touch them anyway, Ur alone is strong enough to wipe your pitiful organization, no this isn't because of that."
"Please... have mercy," I begged in tears.
The teen stepped back ever so slightly, his face burning with hate as he eyed me like I was something below trash. "Mercy? I'm sorry, I truly am, but it was stolen from me a long time ago. Now, choose, do you want to suffer or not? The clock it's ticking."
I looked up at the teen, his eyes burning into my soul, and I knew there was no escaping him. At this, the fear I was feeling turned to anger, and I lashed out at him with all the strength I had left.
But it was useless.
He caught my strike effortlessly and landed a powerful punch in my stomach, causing me to double over in pain, vomiting blood.
"Suffering it is then," The teen... no, the monster muttered, dragging me by the leg deeper and deeper into the alley to a dark corner where no one could see us.
"No... please, I'll tell you everything!" I whispered weakly, knowing that it was useless to resist.
At this, he reached down and grabbed my hair, pulling my head up so that I was forced to look at him. "I gave you an option, you made your choice, either way, it doesn't matter, pain or not, the darkest pit of hell has already opened to welcome you. So, let's not keep the devil waiting for you, shall we?"
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