Ever before joining Fairy Tail, Zenith has been hearing rumors of a strong magician by the name of Yuurei. Not knowing about someone so well known was unachievable, particularly in the magical community. Yuurei was a Seraphim, a creature of such great strength that many thought his species was merely mythological. The rumors were hard to deny. However, Zenith started to think Yuurei's assertions were genuine the more he heard. It wasn't just unfounded rumors; it was the way people talked about him...in wonder, as though he was someone entirely extraordinary. Zenith was really interested by this. Even though he was a Nephilim—a being born of both elf and divine blood—he was incredibly ignorant of his own beginnings. Before Zenith was born, his mother, a wizard from Seven, disappeared not long after he was born, and his father, a devoted clergy, had passed away inexplicably before he was born. He had always been plagued by questions regarding his ancestry, and now more than ever he felt compelled to find the answers after the book that gave him magic showed up. Could Yuurei, with his vast knowledge and connection to the Seraphim, hold the answers Zenith sought? The thought consumed him, and after much deliberation, Zenith decided to reach out to the mysterious wizard. He composed a letter, hoping it would reach Yuurei and persuade him to meet.


Zenith carefully closed the letter. He was excited and nervous at the same time about the prospect of meeting someone like Yuurei. Would Yuurei answer? Could he be of any assistance? Zenith felt he had to try, even if there was no way to tell for sure. He didn't want him waiting on himself so he had already traveled to Seven and in closed an address to the inn he was staying at. He'd wait a month before heading back to Fiore. As he sent the letter off, Zenith could only wait and hope that Yuurei would see something in his words worth responding to. Though there was still a long way to go, Zenith felt for the first time in a long time that he could be about to learn something very significant about himself.

Every day he would sit outside the inn at one of their tables eating a light snack and drinking his tea looking dapper in his Monopoly attire.

Yuurei was constantly around the arena. Anybody who was actually looking for him would always just have to come to the Arena if they wanted a high chance to bump into him. That meant letters that made their ways to him, would be sent to the arena. Today was no different, it would seem like there was a letter for him, and he would take it and opened it with caution. People who looked for him usually just appeared, but a letter was different. He looked through it and he read and it seemed this guy had powers that might be related to him.

He wasn’t sure what it was as the mystery person didn’t say much about it. Still, he asked the receptionist where this letter had come from, and she had explained that the person who delivered it had told her it was from a specific inn.

When he heard that, he would thank her and with Renji the two of them would make their way to see this Zenith guy from Fairy Tail. It wasn’t a long trip, Yuurei was fast on his feet and just as fast in the air. His trip to this inn to meet this person wouldn’t take long. The hard part was finding the man himself. He had landed at the Inn that this had come from, and he looked around to see if he could ask someone if they knew someone by the name Zenith around the area.

Renji was in his Exceed form and he was on Yuurei’s shoulder. They had asked around, but they couldn’t get a good answer. That sucked, and when he got to the Inn itself, he would see a man sitting on a chair by a table in a suit. He figured he could ask him and see If he had been keeping his ears open for this person and anybody who has been in and out of this place.

Yuurei was wearing a windbreaker and pants that matched the top. The windbreaker covering his neck and his mouth as well. He would approach the man in a suit and looked at him.

“Do you happen to know a Fairy Tail mage that has been around this Inn? His name is Zenith, and he was looking for me.” He said wondering if this man would have an answer for him.

If not he would just keep looking, he had time to kill now that he was here. He was supposed to fight in the Arena today, but this was intriguing.

Yuurei’s human form:

Zenith had been waiting for a response to his letter to Yuurei, sitting quietly at the inn and lost in thought as it dawned on him that he didnt' explain what he looked like or anything in the letter. He felt embarrassed and chalked it up to the fact he had been filled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension at the prospect of meeting someone that was a mythical Seraphim. Though he was well informed on Yuurei, all his knowledge was from reputational rumors, and he was unsure of what to anticipate from their meeting.

Zenith’s heart skipped a beat as he registered the words of someone asking if he knew of Zenith. This was Yuurei...there was no mistaking it. The man who stood before him was the very person he had reached out to in his letter, the Seraphim who might hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of his past. For a moment, Zenith was at a loss for words. Putting down his tea and taking a deep breath, Zenith stood up from his chair, smoothing out his suit jacket as he did so. “I’m Zenith, I was just thinking on the fact I forgot to add what I'd be wearing and looked like. I’m the one who sent you that letter. Thank you for coming.”

He gestured for Yuurei to join him at the table, pulling out a chair for the Seraphim to sit if he chose. “I wasn’t sure if you’d receive my message, let alone respond. I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. I don’t want to waste your time so I'll jump right into it. I reached out because I believe our paths might be connected, even if only a minute. I’m a Nephilim, though I don’t know much about my origins. My father was part of the Illuminian Church, and my mother was a elf wizard from Seven. They father died mysteriously before I was born and my mother disappeared before I could know her, leaving me with nothing but questions.”

Zenith paused, he knew he was doing quite the informational dump on Yuurei. “You’re a Seraphim by reputation, someone who would understand me more than others..I hope. I was hoping you could help me understand who I am, and maybe even uncover the truth about my parents. Do Seraphim have logs of Nephilim? I know it’s a lot to ask, but I didn’t know where else to turn. If you have any insights, any knowledge that could help me, I would be deeply grateful. Even if you know nothing, even a tip of where I might go would be helpful.”

Yuurei was waiting for an answer, but instead, he could a bunch of movements from the man. He stood where he was as the man was standing and fixing himself. He tilted his head wondering what he was about to do right now. It was then he had introduced himself as Zenith. This made sense, which brought a smile to his face as he was glad to see that the young guy was proper.

When he was gestured to sit down, he would do so without a problem. Renji would hop off his shoulder as he would transform into his human form. This form was more kid-like as he felt this was easier to travel, get away with things, and get discounts for being a child. He was quiet at first as this was not his business right now until it became his business.

The duo would look at Zenith as he took a seat and spoke to him about the reason he wanted to meet him. He heard his words and it seemed like this man was a Nephilim. It brought him to flinch for a second hearing that there was another being like him around. Then he continued and it caused Yuurei to rub the back of his head because his mother was an elf too. Then he spoke about Yuurei being a Seraphim and whatnot and asked about other Nephilims.

He leaned back on his chair as he looked at Zenith.

“Interesting, my mother is an elf too. Thought she was killed, but she is alive and well thanks to me. Still, that’s beside the point, just wanted to share we have that in common. As for logs of Nephilim, if that exists, I don’t have it. The other Seraphim do not like me. To them, I’m an abomination, something that shouldn’t exist. I was a half-elf and when I was dying I was given a grace from Uriel.” He paused for a second before continuing.

“Becoming a Seraphim was not in the plans, but it wasn’t in the other Seraphims’ plans either. So, question, which Seraphim gave you your grace?” He asked him curious to hear what he had to say.

If he had a grace, and it was from one of those Seraphim, then he could be someone trying to gather information from him to report the others.

393

Renji Appearance:

When Yuurei mentioned that his mother was also an elf, it struck a chord with Zenith. It made him feel a little less alone, like maybe there was someone who understood what it was like to have a mixed lineage. But as Yuurei went on, talking about how other Seraphim didn’t accept him and how he got his powers from Uriel, Zenith was confused. He thought you wore born with grace, not given it. It seemed there was much to learn. This whole situation was more complicated than he had ever imagined. When Yuurei asked which Seraphim had given him his grace, Zenith confusion. He hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn, and he didn’t have the answer Yuurei was looking for. It was frustrating because he wanted to understand, but there was so much he didn’t know.

“I… I don’t know. That’s the problem. I’ve never met a Seraphim, at least not that I’m aware of. And as far as I know, no one gave me a grace. I was born this way. I was raised in a bookstore, like I mentioned in my letter, and I’ve spent most of my life trying to figure out what I am. But the more I learn, the more questions I have. I do know that my father was deeply involved with the Illuminian Church, but he died before I was born, and my mother disappeared soon after as mentioned. I’ve wondered if my mother might have been more than just a wizard, or if my father’s connection to the church had something to do with my powers. But I don’t know... That’s why I reached out to you. I thought maybe you could help me figure out where these abilities came from, or at least point me in the right direction.” Zenith would get a look of remembrance on his face. "Oh wait! I do remember reading about contacts, but I have no contract with anyone. The text was vague on what that even was..."

Zenith would poor two extra cups of tea and push the plate with sweets on it to the middle of the table should the two of them want to partake. He'd noticed that the exceed would change form, something at this point he shouldn't be shocked by, but would refrain from comments for the moment.

Yuurei heard his words and it also seemed like this man wasn’t born a human or an elf or in between. In fact from what he understood this man was born a Nephilim. He was born with a portion of the power that Seraphim had. This made him more interested in this man. He rubbed his chin looking at him as he was speaking. It seemed like he wanted guidance and he was hoping that he could help him with that.

“Hmm.” He was thinking about this and when he heard that Zenith had no contract then it made it even more interesting.

His father must have had some type of grace within him and passed a bit of Nephilim powers to him. That would be the cause of it and when he saw that he was being offered tea he would take it. He would drink some of his tea and place it back on the table as he enjoyed it. Renji wouldn’t say anything as he took the drink and enjoyed himself. It wasn’t milk but it was whatever.

“I see, well there aren’t many Nephilims in this realm, I’ll tell you that much. If there are I want to say three or four including you. But yes, Nephilims usually have a contract with a Seraphim to gain access to the power bestowed on them. Some of us can break away from that contract, or in your case just never have one to begin with.” He said to him as looked at Zenith.

He seemed like a lost soul, just seeking answers, and hoping it would lead him to a better understanding.

“If you want I can offer you my grace. You can keep the powers you have now, and I won’t frown upon your actions. As long as you don’t disgrace my name that is all that matters to me. Also know this, by accepting my grace you probably will become a target to the Seraphims that dislike me. But who knows you were born a Nephilim, and I was not, so they might just leave you alone and target me more.” He laughed at the last part because they were just signing up for their death if they came for him.

“One thing I might add. Your father might have been a Nephilim or turned into a Nephilim. If he was a devotee within the Illuminian Church that could have happened at one point in his life.” He said to Zenith.

415

The idea that he was born a Nephilim without any contract was surprising enough, but the thought that there were only a few like him in the entire realm made it even more interesting. As Yuurei mentioned offering him his grace, Zenith paused and almost swallowed down the wrong pipe. Could he really accept something like that? What would it mean for him, and what would it mean for Yuurei?

He reached for the sugar molasses cookie on the table and took a bite. The idea of having a connection to someone as powerful as Yuurei was both comforting and intimidating. Zenith wasn't' worried about becoming a target. He was such a small fry he doubt they would care. What he wondered is if it would it cause more trouble for Yuurei...After a moment of silence, Zenith finally spoke up. “What would happen to me if I took some of your grace? Would that weaken you? Even if it’s just a tiny portion, wouldn’t you need that power yourself? I just don’t want to cause you more trouble, but I'd be lying if I didn't want some more grace. I'm weak right now and would like to become stronger in order to delve into the church and all their secrets.”

Yuurei would look at him and it would seem like what he had suggested had startled him. It was an understanding expression; one he was not offended by. He just let him gather his thoughts and process what he had told him. He was ready to answer any questions that he might have been wanting to ask him. Of course, the questions came and he thought about it for a bit.

“I don’t know, you would probably feel stronger in the long run, or at probably feel the same. You would most likely become bonded to me in the sense that I would know when you’re in danger.” He paused thinking about needing all of his power.

“No, I won’t need it. This is going to sound cocky, but it's honestly just me coming to terms with things. I’m the one or the strongest mage in Earthland. I think the only person who could come close to me naturally is Kaito. There is Brone, and Lumikki as well, but yeah giving you a piece of my power won’t harm me. If anything it would help you focus and give you purpose?” He questioned as he wasn’t sure what would happen to him if he took his grace.

When he thought about Zenith’s involvement with the church he nodded.

“When it comes to the church, I don’t care much about it. I believe in Illumin, but am I a strict follower, not really. Still, you are free to do as you please Zenith that much I wouldn’t stop you from doing.” He said to him as he drank his tea without a problem.

272

For a few moments, Zenith sat in silence. The idea of being bound to someone as strong as Yuurei might bring the church out of the shadows, or whomever was pulling the strings behind his life. Though he wasn't sure how it would affect him personally, and it was just a guess, Zenith felt a little more at ease because of Yuurei's self-assurance. As he considered it, a poem he’d once read came to mind, something that seemed oddly fitting for the situation. Without really thinking, he began to recite it out loud:

“In the shadow of grace, we walk with care,
Their strength our shield, their wisdom our prayer.
Yet to rise above, we must take the leap,
For in the bond of power, our courage we keep.”

He paused, a bit surprised that the words had come to him so easily. Realizing he had spoken out loud, he quickly added, “Sorry, that just… came to me. It’s from a book I read a long time ago. It felt right for the moment.”

Feeling the weight of the decision he was about to make, Zenith took a deep breath. He turned to face Yuurei, his doubts gradually beginning to fade. Finally, he said, "I'll accept your grace. I think this will help me find the answers I've been looking for. It will be worthwhile if it strengthens me and clarifies my objective. And I suppose I'm willing to form a bond if it means having someone like you know when I'm in danger. However, I'd like to feel as if I earned it. So I'd like you to make use of me when needed please. I may not be strong yet, but I will one day, so as time goes on I'll be of more and more use to you.

As the words left his mouth, Zenith felt a swirl of emotions—anticipation, uncertainty, and maybe even a bit of fear. He had just made a decision that could change everything, but he didn’t really know what that meant yet. His mind raced with questions: What would this bond with Yuurei really be like? Would it bring him the answers he had been searching for, or would it just lead to more mysteries? He wasn’t sure, but he knew he had to trust in the choice he was making.

Internally, Zenith couldn’t help but worry. He was stepping into something completely new, something beyond the pages of any book he had ever read. Books were safe...they had clear endings, well-defined characters, and predictable outcomes. But this? This was real life, with all its unpredictability and unknowns. It was a bit daunting, but at the same time, he knew he couldn’t just stay in the world of books forever. If he wanted to understand who he really was, he needed to take risks, even if they scared him.

He tried to reassure himself by thinking about the bond with Yuurei. It felt like the right step, like maybe it would finally give him the clarity he was desperate for. He didn't have the answers he hoped for, but he could at least give him a chance to find them. That was more than he expected if he was going to be honest. But there was still that small voice in the back of his mind, reminding him that he was new to all of this. He wasn’t sure how to navigate these waters, but maybe that was okay.

Zenith knew one thing for sure, and that was he had to trust the process. [b]“I suppose I should tell you more about myself. I grew up in Magnolia, in a bookstore called Book Land, as stated in the letter. The owner, Thaddeus, took me in when I was just a baby. I don’t know much about my parents. My father was involved with the Illuminian Church, but he died before I was born, and my mother… she disappeared right after. You already know all this. I was raised surrounded by books, and that’s where I found my love for reading and learning. I’ve always been more comfortable with books than with people. I guess you could say I’m more of a bookworm, someone who knows a lot from reading, but not so much from real world experience. My magic… well, it just manifested one day. I use what’s called Heavenly Body Magic. It’s based on light and celestial forces, and honestly, I’m still figuring out what I can do with it. I’ve been practicing, but mostly on my own.”

With a quick glance down at his hands, Zenith flexed them as though attempting to sense the magic within. Relieved, but also a little exposed after disclosing so much, he gazed back up at Yuurei. Being open and honest about everything felt amazing and he figured it was the best way to start off a bond. All he could do now was pray that this was the proper route and would bring him to the information he required in time. Repeating once again that he'd take the grace brought with it something unexpected...and that was the sounds of heavenly trumpets, but not the notes of love, warmth and compassion. They sounded more like that of frustration, warning and irritation. It seemed the other Seraphim really were not fond of Yuurei to Zenith.

Yuurei heard his words and he stood quiet. He knew he was reciting a poem just from the flow of it all. His eyes kept quiet and so did his mouth. He waved him off when he apologized as he had a smile on his face. The warden didn’t mind that at all. He was fine with Zenith taking as long as he wanted with an answer. He knew better than anybody this was a hard decision to make, but his answer came faster than he thought. That was the spirit and it seemed like he wanted to prove his worth to Yuurei at the same time for giving him his grace.

“I look forward to seeing your progress then. As for when I need your help and such, you will know and by then I hope you’ve gotten stronger.” He said to Zenith.

He wouldn’t give him his grace in public though, he didn’t want people to think he was doing any funny business with Zenith. This would be in a private area, and he felt like nobody would come across them. Still, it seemed like he was reflecting everything that was happening here and soon enough he told him about who he was and a bit of his past.

It seemed like he was a bookworm and didn’t experience a lot in this world. That made sense and it was a lot like him. He had read everything there was to know about Fiore and then ventured out to see if it were all true. A lot of it was close to the book, but many things were far from it.

“Yes, you did address a lot of these things in your letter, but it's nice to hear it from you. Heavenly Body Magic, is interesting to hear. I think I knew someone with similar magic to that a while ago. As for being a bookworm, I might not have been as much as you, but I learned all I can about this country from books. I was born in the forest, and my experience never reached out to the outside world. When I read all I could I traveled around Fiore to make sure to experience it first hand and see if it was all true.” He paused for a second.

“In this world, all you have to do is do things one at a time. You will find the answers you’re looking for, and whenever you need help just ask and I shall be there. And since you’re from Fairy Tail, you do have Kaito and Judith there, so that’s a good thing.” He said to him as the noise of what could be from Seraphim would occur.

This made him smile when he heard that noise. Yuurei would get up from his seat and he looked over to Zenith.

“Follow me, we’re going to have visitors soon. I'd rather deal with them away from people than around people.” He said to Zenith.

Renji heard this as well, and he would jump off his chair and his form would change to that of his true humanoid form. He looked at Yuurei and the two of them nodded as he started moving away from the populated area.


540

When Yuurei mentioned Kaito and Judith from Fairy Tail, Zenith felt a small flicker of reassurance. He hadn’t interacted with most from the guild yet, but knowing that there were others in the guild he could rely on made him feel a bit more secure. But then, the atmosphere shifted. A noise, something that Zenith couldn’t quite place but that seemed significant, caught Yuurei’s attention. When Yuurei stood up and told him to follow, Zenith felt his heart skip a beat. Visitors? That didn’t sound good. He quickly got up from his seat and followed Yuurei.

Zenith wondered just how many forms Renji could take but that was a topic for another time. He swallowed hard and then spoke up, trying to keep his voice steady. “Whatever’s coming, I’ll do my best to help. Just… tell me what you need from me.” He figured it was the seraphim at this point wanting to put a damper on Yuurei's plans.

Yuurei heard Zenith and he had a smile on his face. He couldn’t ask him for him, but he would indeed let him watch. Whoever was coming here, was someone he knew didn’t like him. If Zenith had been born a Nephilim, then he wouldn’t have had to worry about the Seraphim trying to harm him.

“As much as I appreciate, the kind gesture to help. I would say the best you could do right now is witness what happens. Your time will come when you can actually stand beside me and help.” He said as with a genuine smile on his face.

Renji kept moving with them as he was ready to fight.

“Yuu could you hand me over the weapons I use.” He said to his partner.

Yuurei would smile when he heard this and he summoned the Chaos Claw and the Jeweled Sword Zeltrech. He would hand them over to Renji and the Exceed would equip the gauntlet on while holding on to the staff. Renji looked over to Zenith with a smirk on his face.

“You might feel like you wished there was more that you could do, but that’s okay. I know what that feels like and you will get there, I know I did with his help.” He said as he did use a bit of Yuurei’s power and make his own.

It wasn’t long and the Seraphim would appear near the three of them. It would stop Renji and Yuurei’s movements as they looked at the new challenge. He shook his head as he figured this would happen sooner or later.

“We left you alone for a bit, but it seems like you’re making moves that you’re not supposed to. We cannot allow you to give that Nephilim behind you your grace. That is one thing we wanted to stop you from doing since the beginning. It’s why we asked that you surrender your life as you’re not one of us.” The Seraphim said to Yuurei.

He shook his head when he heard this, but figured he would bring forth his true self. The Seraphim would let go of his human transformation and his wings would come out from his back and his two arms would also be revealed as well. He wasn’t in his true transformation, but he wasn’t playing with this guy.

“Get over it already. You guys need to understand that I won’t listen to what you have to say. The war between you guys and I will come to an end soon, don’t worry about that, but just go away, please. I don’t have time for this today.” He said this, but the Seraphim laughed hearing Yuurei’s words and he spread out his wings as if he was going to attack him soon.

464

Seraphim:

Yuurei:

Zenith stood there, feeling the intense energy from the magical auras of Yuurei and the Seraphim. The air around him had become thick and heavy, pressing down on him like gravity. His instinct was to step back, to hide in the safety of the shadows, and he did. Zenith knew Yuurei was right; this wasn't his fight yet. The best thing he could do was stay quiet and observe, learning from the encounter without becoming a burden. His heart raced, but he himself as small and unnoticeable as possible.

He told himself to stay out of it, to avoid drawing any attention and not force Yuurei to protect him. The seraphim's wings unfurled, and Zenith could feel the raw power radiating from the being, which was overwhelming and a reminder of how out of his depth he was. But instead of fear, he felt a strange sense of resolve. Zenith admired Yuurei's power and hoped to one day be as brave in the face of powerful opponents. For now, he remained silent and still, not wanting to interfere in Yuurei's battle. The best way he could help was by staying still, keeping his wits about him and not forcing Yuurei into a position where he needed to protect him and leave himself open to attack by the other seraphim.

Yuurei stared at him and Renji did the same thing. The Seraphim’s cape would go to Renji as he figured if anybody was going to need his help it would be him. Renji would have the cape on him, and he looked at the Seraphim that they were going to face off against. It was then that Seraphim had rushed straight toward Yuurei. He was quick with those wings, and he was right in front of Yuurei. He was ready to attack him, but Renji was next to him the creature. He was ready to slash the Seraphim, but he blocked the attack with his wings, and at the same time moved away from Yuurei.

The Warden of the North had a smirk on his face, he was not alone in this fight. His partner was strong, and once that ribbon had come into their possession, then things got better for Renji. Yuurei didn’t have any nature weapons, which would have harmed the Seraphim’s. He figured he would use his two best weapons though as it would be for the best. He would motion his hand, and two weapons would appear in his hand. His Fragarch and his Gae Bolg, these two items wouldn’t imbue his light energy into it.

If he did that, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to do anything to this Seraphim. The higher being looked at Yuurei to see his weapons, and it was when Anti covered his body and his Monarch’s Golden Guise also got over his face. He would rush toward the Seraphim and when he got close, he would thrust his spear at the Seraphim. He dodged the attack, but when Yuurei saw his attack coming, he would allow it. The Symbiote would attack the Seraphim right back to damage him. The Warden of the North would use his ring to repair his armor and then he would have Migi come out to play as well.

The Seraphim would feel the damage that he had gotten done from that attack. He was upset about the damage, and he wondered what kind of monster Yuurei was. Leviathan and Shoten laughed within Yuurei as they saw the stupid look on that being’s face.

Take him out. Leviathan said within Yuurei’s mind. Show him you have the power to defeat your own kind. Shoten said within Yuurei’s mind. Renji would appear next to the Seraphim and he launched a pulse of mana straight at the Seraphim. He had gotten hit and he flew into the air as he looked at the two of them.

“You two think you can do this without there being repercussions?” He asked them, and they would just shrug as if they didn’t care.

473

Zenith watched in awe as the Seraphim moved incredibly fast, too fast for his eyes to follow. He felt anxious seeing how easily the Seraphim approached Yuurei. Even with Renji's quick reaction, it was clear this was no ordinary opponent.

Seeing the Seraphim attack, block, fly and retreat around so smoothly heightened Zenith's tension. He clenched his fists and felt dizzy from the pressure of their magics radiating around, but he never faulted, never diverted his eyes. He knew he wasn't ready to face someone like that, not yet and he hated that all he could do was stand there and do nothing.
Steadying his breathing, Zenith told himself, "Stay alert. This is not a game. Be ready when your chance comes if need be."

Zenith wondered if he'd ever be that powerful. Then it clicked to him. Yuurel said he became a Seraphim, not that he was born one. That meant that it was possible that he himself could also become one. Imagine what that could mean....

Yuurei and Renji would hear him and they would have a smirk on their face. They didn’t care if they could get away with it without their being a problem. In the end, they were going to do what they wanted and eliminate anybody who stood in their way. That was always his motto and as long as you weren’t a problem or didn’t threaten his friends you didn’t have to worry about Yuurei.

The Seraphim could see that they didn’t care and he would soon attack. A huge light ball would appear in his hand, and soon enough he would compress it into what looked like a yellow down. It was then he would flick it and it would zoom right at Yuurei. It was fast, too fast for him to dodge. He however covered Renji, so he wouldn’t be harmed. When the explosion cleared out Yuurei was on top of Renji and the symbiotic suit was going berserk. It was lashing out everywhere from being hit by that attack. Yuurei would use his ring again as he didn’t like that attack.

He would stand up as he looked over to the Seraphim and he would fly into the air. His new plan was to make sure that he didn’t allow this bitch to do something like that again. Renji sucked his teeth as he couldn’t believe Yuurei protected him again. He would punch the ground as he looked up and was going to make it up to his partner. Yuurei could have repelled it back to him, but he didn’t want this thing to know that he had a move like that just yet.

Yuurei would get close to him and he swung his spear to smack the Seraphim on the head. It was then he blocked it with its wings before trying to pierce Yuurei in the heart. Of course, his symbiote would stop the Seraphim. Renji was now behind the Seraphim with the cape allowing him to fly and he would slash at the back of the Seraphim. It was not happy and it wondered how this cat was so strong. It shouldn’t have been on the level he was at, but things were proven dicey. The Seraphim would push them both away and when Yuurei saw this he launched his Gae Bolg at him in an attempt to hit the Seraphim.

It dodged the attack as it was too close for comfort and looked at Yuurei with a smile on his face.

“You’re too simple with your attacks, I can read you like a book Yuurei. So, once again forfeit your life now, let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. With you gone, I won’t have to continue coming after you or your friends.” He said to Yuurei as the Warden would keep quiet as he stared at him.

477

Zenith observed the growing tension between Yuurei and the Seraphim. His heart pounded as the Seraphim battled Yuurei. Zenith was not prepared for this level of confrontation, not yet. He considered various actions, but they all felt out of his reach. Zenith knew he was not strong enough to make a real difference in a battle between such powerful forces, if anything he'd only make things worse.

The bright orb of energy quickly flew towards Yuurei. Zenith knew better than to underestimate the Seraphim's power, even though Yuurei appeared calm. Zenith's first instinct was to move and help, but he hesitated. Yuurei's earlier words were etched in Zenith's mind, reminding him that his time to stand beside Yuurei and assist would come later. Zenith oddly calm despite feeling frustrated and powerless. All he could do was watch, overwhelmed by the pressure of the situation. Zenith's eyes shifted between Yuurei and Renji, hoping their confidence was not misplaced. It seemed it wasn't. One thing was for sure. Yuurei had some odd tools at his disposal.

Yuurei shook his head when he heard the Seraphim speak to him. He kept his moves simple because he needed to make sure to change tactics when things didn’t go his way. It’s too bad that he didn’t understand, but it was fine as he would soon find out why.

“You know, you guys have sent four different kinds of Seraphims after me, and none have succeeded. Three Watchers and one rogue hybrid of a Seraphim and a Demon. I have yet to be killed, and now you’re the fifth. It didn’t occur to you that maybe you picked the wrong person to mess with and that you should apologize to me for what you’ve done to antagonize me and my companions.” He said to the Seraphim.

The Seraphim didn’t care who failed to kill him, but he would be the one to succeed. While the two were exchanging words, Yuurei’s spear curved around and headed back toward the Seraphim. It was then Gae Bolg would put a hole in the Seraphim’s chase as it would go straight through and reappear in Yuurei’s hand. The Seraphim would stumble forward a bit as he would hold his chest. He was bleeding, a bright light liquid coming out as he was starting to heal slightly. He was angry as it was a cheap and effective shot.

He thought the man lost his weapon, but that wasn’t the case it seemed.

“You arrogant fool, how dare you hit me with a cheap shot. You will regret that.” He said to Yuurei.

Renji had appeared behind him with the use of Chaos Claw, and he would slash the Seraphim on his back. The being felt the pain and swung around to send Renji flying away, swatting him like a bug. Yuurei laughed a bit as he was enjoying this fight. Still, he figured with them having this guy on the rope he would do something drastic to take them all out with him.

Yuurei would fly toward Renji as the two of them looked at the Seraphim. He was angry, they could tell by his posture and something else started to happen. The sky started to shake, how was that possible, Yuurei didn’t even understand. Still, one thing for certain the Seraphim was getting ready to do something. It was then a huge sword of light that would appear from the sky and it would head toward Yuurei. The Warden saw this and he smiled because this was what he was waiting for. He was trying to wipe out the entire city at this point and when it came down his Fragarch started changing shape to a sword.

When it got close to Yuurei, he would thrust his Fragarch toward the attack and it would bounce back. it would make its way toward the Seraphim dealing the damage he was trying to deal others. This was a devastating attack on Seraphim. When the attack was settled, the Seraphim was left with half of his body. He was in disbelief, how could something like this happen to him? He didn’t understand it, but he would use something that would allow him to escape. What was left of the Seraphim disappeared as he looked frightened about what Yuurei did to him.

“Your power is forbidden, no man in this world should have it. You don’t understand how much of a danger you are to this world.” He said these final words as he was soon gone.

Yuurei landed on the ground with Renji by his side. He looked around to see if Zenith was still around or if he had run off when he saw things were getting too crazy.

614

Zenith stood nearby, stuck in place still unable to do much of anything as he watched the fight. He was like an ant watching two dragons go at it. Zenith was in utter shock and awe of how Yuurei faced these formidable adversaries without hesitation. Zenith, though no where near at Yuurei's level yet, or if ever, felt a surge of nervous energy and an urge to contribute in any way he could.

Zenith's instincts kicked into overdrive and overwrote his mind for the moment seeing Renji get batted away. He instinctively sprinted towards Renji to help. Renji was moving quickly ahead, and Zenith thought, "I have to get there, I have to help!" But before he could reach him, Yuurei had already arrived so Zenith would skid to a halt. As Zenith stopped, breathless. For a moment, he watched as a giant, radiant sword of light formed in the Seraphim's hands. The sheer power of the sword filled Zenith with dread, but a resolve gripped him after watching Yuurei fight. He wasn't going to let his allies face this overwhelming force alone. He couldn't stand by anymore!

"Alright, now's the time," he muttered, summoning a portion of his mana. Zenith would cast Glint Beam. Stretching out his hand in front of him a magical gold circle would appear. Light magic would then shoot a beam of light towards the golden sword only to do literally nothing. It would get absorbed by the golden sword of lights mana as if his magic was nothing. Literally nothing. It was then he saw Yuurei take care of the matter and save not only him but the town and defeat the avenging seraphim.

Walking over to the two of them he'd ask if they were okay and apologize for trying to help after all, if he even noticed.

Yuurei looked over to Zenith as he was still there. That was good and he was glad that he was safe. He was also glad to see that all of this didn’t change his thought process on obtaining a portion of Yuurei’s grace. How did he know this? Well, he didn’t run away, which was enough to assume that he was sticking to it. The two of them saw that he was apologizing to them, and they looked at each other and chuckled a bit.

He saw his attack hit the sword, and while it did nothing it was the effort that had been shown. He was brave for attacking, but it also put a target on his back if the Seraphim had noticed. He was glad that he was able to deal with the matter right then and there.

“No need to apologize, Zen. These things happen from time to time. At this point, I’m surprised when it doesn’t happen. Still, one thing that fights let me know is that I’m ready to take them on. I was a bit nervous before, but fighting one now isn’t as bad as it was before.” He said with a smile on his face.

Renji sighed with relief that it was over. The tournament had allowed him to become a better fighter, but that bastard was strong. He would have to be more conniving than he was now.

“At least you get to see what you look forward to in the future. It’s not a bad thing, even Yuurei was like you once.” He said to Zenith to let him know anybody could reach this level if they worked hard.

Yuurei clapped his hands together because there was something more important to discuss right now. His eyes sparkled as they looked at Zenith wondering if he was ready for this.

“Are you ready to take my grace? I won’t force you into a strict contract. You will be benefiting from it more than me. Part of the contract is not to harm the people in the North or within Seven. If they deem themselves evil then go ahead otherwise refrain from it. Oh yeah and leave Joya out of danger. Someone I’m interested in lives there. I will come and help you when you ask, but I also ask the same in return, deal?” He said all of this waiting for Zenith to answer.

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