Ren landed lightly atop the same tower as Erza Knightwalker. The wind whipped around them, carrying the scent of water and burning stone from below. For a brief second, he simply looked at her and sighed.
"I really don't want to hurt that face."
Erza narrowed her eyes immediately, gripping her spear tighter. "What, you think women aren't worth fighting?"
Ren shook his head calmly.
"I promised to protect Erza. As for women… if someone dares lay a hand on my Erza, even a god would bleed."
The air shifted.
Erza instinctively stepped back, sweat forming on her forehead. The killing intent that leaked from him for that brief instant was overwhelming. For a fraction of a second, she felt like she had died a thousand times.
Ren's expression returned to calm just as quickly.
"Why go after our family and friends?"
Erza steadied herself and lifted her chin. "What do you know? Without magic, everyone will die."
Ren's mouth twitched slightly.
"Then why are you alive? As far as I know, you Edolas people don't have magic. So why are you alive?"
Erza replied sharply, "Without magic, we won't be able to live. Everyone's items will stop working. Humanity will end."
Ren stared at her for two full seconds.
Then his mouth twitched harder.
"Are you serious? For that bullshit reason you guys turned our family into lacrima?"
Erza's eyes widened. "Is humanity's end bullshit to you?!"
She lunged.
Her Twelve Commandments spear shot forward in a blur of motion, striking with lethal precision. Ren didn't even raise his sword.
He caught the spear with his bare hand.
The shock traveled up her arms.
Before she could react, he stepped in, grabbed her by the waist, and—
Smack.
Erza froze.
Her face turned bright red instantly.
"You bastard! Fight me properly—"
Smack.
"You idiot woman."
Smack.
"Were humans born with those items?"
Smack.
"If magic isn't there, can't you make something that doesn't need magic?"
Smack.
"You call that the end of humanity?"
Smack.
Erza's mind went blank.
Each word hit harder than the impact. The more she listened, the more it made sense. But that only made the humiliation worse.
"Y-you—!" she stammered. "Unhand me!"
It was only because his grip was too strong to break and they were high on the tower that no one could clearly see what was happening.
"You shameless man! Stop hitting me!"
"No. You need to learn your lesson."
Smack.
"You invade another world, kidnap families, and call it righteousness?"
Smack.
"Think before you act."
Smack.
Erza felt her pride cracking.
She, the captain of the Royal Army, reduced to this.
Then she noticed something.
Below, standing on the massive water sphere, Lucy and Juvia were watching.
With amusement.
"H-hey! Stop! They're watching!" Erza hissed, face completely crimson.
Ren didn't even blink.
"So what? You had the guts to say bullshit like that. This should be nothing."
Smack.
Erza's eyes watered.
What kind of devil's hand have I fallen into? she thought desperately.
"You should be grateful you are Erza from Edolas," Ren continued calmly. "If not, I would have taught you a lesson in front of everyone."
Smack.
"I-I hate you!" she snapped, half furious, half mortified.
Ren finally released her, stepping back with a sigh.
"Good. That means you'll remember it."
High above the castle, on a small floating island of stone, Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, and Laxus were unleashing their Dragon Slayer magic into the massive lacrima.
Natsu roared, flames spiraling upward. "Come on! Break already!"
Gajeel slammed iron-coated fists into it. "Tch! Stubborn rock!"
Wendy focused carefully. "Everyone… hold on! Please hold on!"
Laxus unleashed controlled lightning. "Channel it properly. Don't overload it!"
Cracks began spreading across the lacrima.
Back below, on the water sphere, Lucy crossed her arms.
"You dare harm our friends. You should be grateful you're alive."
Juvia nodded firmly. "Juvia agrees. But Juvia is angry."
The King of Edolas began shouting hysterically from within the water prison. Juvia casually tightened the current around him, dunking him fully underwater.
Blub blub blub—
Just before he fainted, she allowed him to breathe again.
Then back into the water he went.
Lucy sweatdropped. "That's… kinda scary."
Juvia pouted slightly. "Ren promised Juvia a surprise at home. But it was ruined. Juvia almost lost her family."
Lucy blinked. "What was the surprise?"
Juvia looked at her as if she had just asked the dumbest question in existence.
"Juvia thinks you should spend less time with Happy and Natsu. You are becoming idiot. It was a surprise. How was Juvia supposed to know?"
Lucy's mouth twitched violently.
"No way. Is my brain stopping working?"
Juvia tilted her head. "Possibly."
Lucy gasped dramatically. "That's it! I refuse to accept intellectual slander from someone who just drowned a king for fun!"
The King resurfaced again, gasping.
"Monsters—!"
Juvia dunked him again.
Back on the tower, Erza Knightwalker adjusted her armor stiffly, still red.
"You… you humiliated a royal knight."
Ren looked at her calmly.
"I corrected a misguided one."
She opened her mouth to retort—
A massive cracking sound echoed across the sky.
The lacrima shattered.
Brilliant light exploded outward as Fairy Tail members were restored midair, falling toward the floating platform.
Natsu whooped loudly. "We did it!"
Wendy cried in relief. "Everyone's back!"
Gajeel smirked. "Heh. Told ya."
Laxus glanced down toward Ren. "Your turn's done too?"
Ren looked back at Erza Knightwalker.
She hesitated.
Then slowly lowered her spear.
"…Perhaps," she muttered quietly, "we were wrong."
Ren sheathed his sword fully.
"Good. That's a start."
Below, the water sphere trembled as Fairy Tail members regained consciousness one by one.
And the Kingdom of Edolas realized something terrifying.
They hadn't been invaded by monsters.
They had provoked Fairy Tail.