Fairy Tail: Kyoka Suigetsu

**The Gathering Storm**

[The Devotion of an Atheist]

In a devastated land not far from town, an old man wielding a magic staff adorned with a single-eye symbol stood, his white beard swaying in the gusts of wind. Despite being surrounded by two individuals, he smiled inwardly. The timing was just right.

*"So, Suigetsu has already succeeded in destroying the facilities?"* He thought, suppressing his satisfaction. Hours spent luring these two into chasing him had not been in vain. Now was the time to fight.

His expression hardened as a massive magic array bloomed beneath his feet. Though he did not need to look, he could perceive the intricate details forming within it. He had divined his fate—his ability functioned much like an omnipresent eye, foreseeing the battle in real-time. Normally, such a feat would demand immense focus, but with his experience, it was second nature.

*"Now then, shall we begin?"* He asked, his voice steady, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

Across from him, the two individuals discarded their robes, revealing identical features. They were twins. As expected, they too were blind, but the way they moved with certainty suggested they saw something beyond the physical. Their expressions twisted in displeasure.

"So, you've finally stopped running. Realizing there's no escape?" One of them sneered.

"You should've fought from the start. The moment you showed yourself, your death was inevitable. You've only delayed it." The other added, voice laced with scorn.

Viren said nothing. He had already foreseen their downfall. They did not yet know that the facilities they guarded had been reduced to rubble, their research stolen by Suigetsu. Even if they killed him here, their faction had already lost.

Still, eliminating them before the arrival of the *Wail* would be ideal.

Raising his staff, he pointed it toward the younger twin, the one standing closest to him. A trickster's grin played on his lips. **Weaker enemies always fall first.** That was the fundamental principle of combat. But he was no ordinary strategist—battlefields thrived on instinct, not textbooks. His gut warned him: *If I fight head-on, I may not live to see the Wail arrive.*

A dangerous sign. But he had his own reasons for engaging them.

The air thickened, tension coiling between them like a tightened spring.

Then the youngest moved.

*"Ha!"*

With an explosive burst, he launched himself forward, his foot slamming into the earth as he closed the distance. Viren tilted his head, narrowly avoiding the punch. A counterattack was the natural response—*kill him in an instant*. But something felt off.

The reckless charge. The exposed stance. It was bait.

*"I see…"* Viren murmured under his breath.

*Young lad, your recklessness isn't carelessness—it's calculated.*

His gaze flicked to the other twin, the one who had yet to move. **So the younger can transfer damage?** A troublesome ability. Without hesitation, Viren shifted targets.

Swinging his staff with brutal precision, he aimed for the cautious twin standing further away. **Kill the real threat.**

But the twin moved like liquid, his body bending unnaturally to avoid the strike—dodging by a paper-thin margin. His reaction was sharp, immediate. In the next instant, he stepped forward and reached out with an open palm.

*A grappling technique?*

Viren frowned. *Strange… If he excels in close combat, why did he keep his distance?*

*"Crafty, aren't you…?"* Viren muttered, rotating his staff just in time to intercept the attack. Their hands met—the twin's palm pressing against the staff's surface.

An instant flood of magic surged forward.

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted between them, sending Viren skidding back. He barely managed to neutralize most of the damage with his staff, but the force alone was staggering.

"Heh. Not bad, old man," the twin smirked, cracking his neck. "Looks like you haven't gone senile yet."

Viren remained silent, his mind piecing together their abilities.

- The younger could **transfer** damage he received.

- The older was a **close-quarters fighter**—but he was also holding something back.

A layered approach. Dangerous.

"It's been a while since I met someone worth fighting," the older twin mused. "My name is **Kai Raze**. And that fool over there? **Vance Rift**."

No sooner had he introduced himself than he raised his hand and pointed at Viren—his fingers forming the shape of a gun.

A flicker of light.

Viren's eyes narrowed.

*"Damn—"*

A **laser** fired, slicing through the air like a scorching beam of death.

Viren sidestepped just in time, but the moment his foot landed—

Boom!

The ground beneath him detonated.

His body twisted midair as he leapt to higher ground, narrowly escaping the blast. Landing on a jagged rock formation, he stroked his beard, deep in thought.

*"A landmine technique…? No. It's worse. He's manipulating residual magic, setting traps mid-fight."*

Kai raised his "gun" again, smirking.

"Old man, if you keep standing there in a daze, I *will* shoot."

A rapid volley of lasers fired in succession. Each one barely missed Viren by a hair's breadth as he weaved between them, his divination magic guiding his movements.

From below, Vance suddenly rushed forward, ignoring the incoming attacks as if they meant nothing.

Viren's eyes darkened.

*"He's charging in without fear of injury… so he can transfer accumulated damage, too?"*

A dangerous duo indeed.

But Viren had lived through worse.

If Kai controlled *destruction*, and Vance *redirected pain*—then the path to victory was clear.

It wasn't about **who** he should kill first.

It was about **how** he could make them kill *each other*.

A knowing smirk spread across his lips.

*"Alright, young ones. Let's see if you can outplay an old fox."*

****

"I've already eliminated and destroyed every facility, including the staff. However, there's still the biggest concern—how to evacuate the people."

The old man would probably return soon, but there was no telling whether he'd come back alive. **Our goal had already been achieved**, so if we couldn't evacuate the people, then the battlefield needed to be moved elsewhere. That was my conclusion. Pursuing the matter any further was pointless. Our best option was to lure the conflict away from innocent bystanders.

I would be the bait this time. After all, I was the one carrying all the important documents.

My biggest problem right now, however, was the boy beside me.

I glanced at Cassian, who was happily munching on ice cream. Perhaps sensing my gaze, he turned his wide eyes toward me, a faint blush creeping onto his face.

"Uhm... when will Grandpa be back?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes shifting back and forth nervously.

**This guy is truly—Gallium, Yttrium...** I thought, shaking my head.

"I don't know," I said flatly, shrugging. "The old man might come back later."

Or **he might not be able to come back at all.**

It was part of the promise. Even though I still couldn't believe his nonsense about **Cassian being my future wife**, I had my own agreements to fulfill. If worse came to worst, I would **accompany him from now on.**

Cassian lowered his gaze, staring at the half-melted ice cream in his hands. He shifted slightly, turning his face away, as if trying to make sure I wouldn't see his expression.

"T-then... d-does that mean... we're t-the only ones here?"

I furrowed my brows. **Huh?**

**Of course, we're the only ones here. Did you see anyone else? Are you an idiot?** What kind of question was that? This kid… It made me wonder if he has schizophrenia or something. **What a delusional guy.** Not that I was one to talk.

I let out a small sigh and rested my head against the couch, allowing myself a moment of quiet.

"Well, yeah. What, are you afraid of ghosts?" I asked lazily.

Most kids feared things like that. People had tried to scare me with ghost stories before, but **why fear the dead?** What could they do? Haunt you? Whisper your name in the dark? That was nothing. **You shouldn't fear the dead. You should fear the living.**

**What's terrifying isn't death. It's life.**

"Uhm... no," he muttered.

Silence lingered between us. **Well, awkward for him, at least.**

Cassian wasn't my main concern at the moment. My duty was simply to **guard him in case of an emergency.** Still, there was something about my last conversation with the old man that lingered in my mind.

It was just a **small suspicion**, but it gnawed at me nonetheless.

When we parted ways, I could tell—**he had already resolved himself to die.** I saw it in his eyes. That kind of firm determination didn't belong to someone who planned to return.

**That was worrying.**

If he truly was dead, then the burden of handling things would fall onto me. How **troublesome.** I sighed inwardly.

Then, I felt it.

A presence—**familiar, yet strange.** It wasn't close, but the scent that accompanied it made my skin crawl.

**Blood.**

My eyes flicked toward the door. **No one was there—yet.**

But soon, someone would come.

"Cassian," I said, my voice quiet but firm, "stick close to me."

"W-what are you saying all of a sudden?!" he stammered, his face turning red again.

I didn't respond. **I wasn't looking at him—I was looking at the door.**

Slowly, I stood, my hand drifting to the hilt of my sword. **Waiting.**

**Tack.**

**Tack.**

**Tack.**

Footsteps. **Unhurried. Deliberate.**

The door creaked open—without a knock.

The scent of blood thickened.

I stepped forward. **No hesitation. No mercy.**

**"Sword Draw: Phantom Severance."**

There was no sound. Not even the whisper of a blade leaving its sheath. **A silent execution.**

A moment later—

**Thud.**

Something heavy hit the ground.

From where I stood, I could already tell—**I had killed whoever was outside.**

Whether it was a **serial killer** or a **another bystander**, I didn't care. **They shouldn't have come.**

I approached the open doorway and frowned.

**A robe.**

A familiar one—**the kind worn only by members of the Church.**

**Drenched in blood.**

I reached for the body, then released the illusion spell I had cast over Cassian. To him, it must have looked like I had simply been sitting on the couch the entire time. He had seen nothing.

I could already tell—**someone was surveying the area.**

**Checking house after house, hoping to see who would react.**

The news of the **research facility's destruction** must have already reached them. **Good thing I reacted first.** If I had been a second too late, things would have gotten more **troublesome.**

**The old man still hadn't returned.**

At this point, the probability of him being **dead** was **extremely high.**

That meant I had to **move alone.**

I turned to Cassian. He was still sitting there, wide-eyed, confused.

Without a word, I stepped forward and struck the back of his head.

**Thud.**

His body went limp.

**"I'm sorry, kid. It's time for us to leave."**

If he was awake when he heard the news of the old man's death, he'd **break.**

I took everything in the house and stored it in my personal space. Then, hoisting Cassian onto my back, I disappeared into the darkened streets.

We didn't venture too far into the town. Instead, we hid near a location where the river flowed peacefully, its gentle current a stark contrast to the chaos we had just escaped. I found myself sitting beneath the shade of a large tree, waiting for a familiar presence to approach. It was someone I knew, yet I didn't let my guard down. I turned my gaze towards the figure cloaked in darkness and posed a question.

"Looks like you somehow escaped by the skin of your teeth," I said, teasing Viren with a smirk.

Although he appeared relatively calm, I could already sense it—his magical energy was nearly depleted. The battle must have been brutal for him to end up in this state.

"Ho... ho..." he chuckled weakly, his voice laced with exhaustion. "Those two are something else. This old man has already used every trick he knows, yet I couldn't even take them down."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback. "How difficult was it?"

Viren rubbed his long, graying beard, and his expression grew solemn. "My opponents this time are twins. The elder, named Kai, has the ability to make anything he touches explode. He can also fire beams of energy... lasers, they're called, and they work much the same way."

"Explode directly?" I raised an eyebrow. "Are they all from the **detonation** family? What a joke…" I muttered to myself.

But Viren simply shook his head, dismissing my assumption. "No, it's different. I felt an immense surge of heat, almost unbearable, and there was this strange electrical charge coursing through the air. It's incomparable to any normal explosion magic."

"Heat and electricity?" I grimaced, my face contorting in disgust, as if I had bitten into something rotten. "That's basically **Super Magic: Radiant Tempest.**"

"You know about it?" Viren inquired, his tone laced with curiosity. I merely shook my head in response.

"I wish I paid more attention in physics class," I muttered bitterly. "But, well, it's not entirely my fault. The teacher's voice was like a lullaby, and it wasn't exactly easy to stay awake." A faint chuckle escaped my lips. "Though, to be honest, it wasn't that bad. I can't deny it, older women have a certain charm."

"Well, that was just a wild guess," I shrugged nonchalantly. "But I think it's plasma. Kai probably fires concentrated plasma orbs. And you described his attacks as lasers because those bolts would be glowing intensely—burning through solid matter with ease. Upon impact, they'd explode, sending fiery shockwaves in all directions."

I paused for a moment, allowing the weight of my words to sink in. "Anything else?"

Viren nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his beard again. "Although he's a capable fighter in hand-to-hand combat, he tends to rely more on long-range attacks. He avoids close combat unless necessary. And from what I felt, the explosions up close are much weaker than when he fires from a distance. So it's likely that he has some sort of limitation."

"I see," I said, a spark of understanding lighting in my eyes. "**It's not the crossfire—it's the application.** His magic is more suited for long-range combat. He's likely able to control its intensity better from afar. In close quarters, though, his attacks become less potent, and it seems he can probably withstand the damage from his own plasma." I paused, musing. "**It's good to know that Kai isn't invincible.** That plasma ability is terrifying. If he could fire it continuously, the battle would be grueling for us, especially since we're more suited for close combat." I let out a heavy sigh. "What about the other one?"

Viren took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he continued. "The younger twin has the ability to transfer accumulated damage to his target. As he takes damage, he doesn't die, no matter how much he endures. He just passes the pain and harm onto others."

I frowned, my mind racing. **So, their twisted combination of explosive and immortal abilities must come from these two.** I mulled over this revelation. "I see. Old man, there must be a time limit on his ability."

"Yes," Viren nodded slowly. "I noticed it while fighting him. But his power works both defensively and offensively."

"Ugh… Another piece of bad news." I grimaced. "So, he can blast the damage he's taken to increase his firepower? But wait—something doesn't add up. According to your divination, the **Wail** will arrive soon, but these two aren't **Wail**—they're just subordinates. So, is the damage-transfer guy the one from your vision?" I asked, seeking clarification. To my surprise, Viren shook his head.

"Although his power is similar, it's fundamentally different," he explained, his voice steady and measured. "I fought the **Wail** in my vision for a mere five seconds, but these two are nothing compared to him."

"I see," I muttered, digesting the new information. "**So his ability is probably a copy—or perhaps an advanced form—of the damage-transfer power.** This is really bad news. The church is already aware of the destruction at the research facility and is scouring the town. Many people are probably dead. And now, we have two formidable enemies with devastating magic, plus an approaching **Wail.**" I ran a hand through my hair, frustration mounting. "**The destruction of the town is inevitable,** and they aren't willing to cooperate. So our plan to lead them somewhere far away is most likely useless now. Knowing that one of us is carrying the research they wanted, and the town has lost its value now that the facilities and research subjects are gone, they'll likely declare war immediately."

"**So our only choice now is to fight them head-on?**"