Ishgar Symposium (Group 3)

It was a gloomy night, not very cold, but a little cool. Esper sat against a tree, his two front legs stretched out and the rear back legs were under his body, his body laying flat on the ground has he looked at all the people walking by. Every once in awhile some kids would walk by and try to feed or pet Esper but he'd either ignore them or yip to get them away. He wasn't trying to be rude but he had a mission and unless they had tasty treats, he wasn't interested.

Esper was becoming hungry, and he had no clue how he was going to execute the assignment that had been assigned to him. He was nearly on the bottom of the guild totem pole, yet he was assigned with something possibly very hazardous and even more important. Several visitors from different countries had descended on Felidae City, either to commemorate the historic event or to protest against other countries. The city's crowds had grown thick on Felidae's streets, providing sufficient chance for more dangerous persons to act without being detected. There was a rumor that a small group of rebellious and violent mages from Joya had managed to sneak into Felidae City and are planning to set off a magical bomb, hoping to make a statement. Some of the protestors seem to be in league with these villains as well, creating further obstacles to dismantling the plot.

He inhaled the air as he went through the city's alleyways. He was sick of eating fish because it was so simple to locate on the way here. He hoped to find a rabbit or anything, although that would be difficult in the metropolis. Perhaps a nice mouse.

He resumed his journey in search of food, but just as he was ready to pounce on the enormous white mouse he found, he heard unusual noises that made the hair on the back of his fur stand on end. He'd transform into a bird and fly into a neighboring tree to see and hear what was going on.

WC: 349

A few seconds later, three young ladies, triplets, went by the tree. They were all attractive girls, but with goat-like lower parts and cloven feet, resembling strong female beings gifted or cursed by some mythological nature. They appeared to be bickering over something. "I swear we're on the right track. The cause is simply sister. Don't you want things to be the same as they used to be?" "I'm not in the mood to debate, so let's just go back sister. Yes, I want to reconnect with nature, but the boss we're following appears to be deadly!" "Shut up, you two; all you do is butt heads! We decided to do this, and there is no harm in doing so. The bomb's purpose is to terrify people; no one will be injured."

Esper chirped as he prepared to leap down to a lower branch in the tree to have a better view of them, when two guys, who looked to be twins, came. Their infernal ancestors, however, had left a distinct impression on their looks. They possessed huge horns that were unusually straight and tall, like those of a gazelle. They possessed thick, four to five-foot-long tails that thrashed around when they moved. Their canine teeth were highly pointed, and their eyes were a solid black hue that was obscured by spectacles. They were dressed rather nicely in comparison to the women who appeared to be woodland dwellers. "We've been watching you two. Do you three idiots never pay attention to your surroundings. If you had, you would have saw a small foxen creature turn into a bird!" They raised their arms into the air, wicked scowls on their faces, and released little vials filled with liquids at Esper. They smashed the tree, and the liquids within combined with the air, generating a loud explosion, but before Esper could escape, he plummeted along with the remainder of the branch, and hit hard on the ground. "F****.." he stand up as quickly as he could after falling and turned to face the men who had just destroyed half the tree with their potion magic.

He had no option but to watch the five of them begin to cast magic at him once more. He probably wouldn't have been noticed or captured if he had gone away before shifting, but now that he had, they were out for blood. He'd overheard them conversing, and they weren't about to take any risks. With the knowledge that he was likewise outnumbered, Esper had just one option. He'd cast his Form of the Zodiac Braves to transform into Vaporeon as he began to turn into a white light. Within just the briefest of moments the white light would fall away revealing his new form from when he was a bird a moment ago. As Vaporeon he shared the physical traits with both aquatic and land animals. His body was now light blue with a dark blue marking around his head and a spiky ridge down his spine. He now had black eyes and a tiny black nose. There a white fin encircling his neck and three fins with cream-colored webbing on his head. One of these fins was on each side of his head similar to ears and one was directly on top of its head similar in appearance to a dorsal fin. His once fluffy furry tail was now a split tail fin that resembled that of a mermaids.

Esper didn't have the most powerfully hitting magic, but it was fast, extremely fast. It was one of his key abilities to be able to shift forms and employ form magic quickly and easily. He was aiming for the two twin guys who had noticed him, believing them to be the more dangerous threats. He'd open his mouth and unleash a powerful jet of water towards the closest one, casting Water Gun, as they grabbed for their magical explosives. He'd then use Quick Attack to make a lunging teleport to the other. He'd appear directly above his head, twist, and bring his aquatic tail down like a battering hammer, cracking his skull and knocking him out.

Now that he was standing standing on the back of one of the males the brother and the three women halted their magic. If they were to cast, they'd catch the unconscious one in the effects, even if it was restraining magic. "You have two choices. We can continue to fight and I'll be forced to use my more powerful magic on the 4 of you. Or you can give up now, turn yourselves in and live. I know what you think you're doing is right, but is it worth your lives? Or the life of this one I'm standing on?" Esper would reach a paw down to the neck of the infernal humanoid he was standing on and have his claws extended to form knives to show his seriousness in ending his life if he needed to.

Esper would be glad to see the three women hugging as the final man standing placed his potion back in his pocket. After some consideration, they first agreed to wait until the Rune Knights arrived. They had a cause to fight for, yet they were weak enough to realize that fighting Esper meant death. That is, until they reached an agreement. "I'll let you take your brother and flee if you tell me where the bomb is and where you're hiding. Failures and loose ends are frowned upon in organizations such as the one you plainly work for. You're probably being manipulated regardless. I'll let you go, but you must flee. Leave the city, the conflict, and never come back. It's a win-win situation for everyone."

The ladies and gentlemen would accept the deal and flee if the five of them were released. Giving Esper the information he requested, the first thing he would do is run over to the safe house and stand guard at the door for a bit, waiting for them to change their minds and retreat back to warn whomever was inside, but they never came which meant his gamble paid off. They also told him about their supervisors and their aspirations, or what they knew about them. He wasn't going to be a match for the boss from the sounds of it, and the boss's bodyguard was going to be difficult even if it was only one on one. He had to be astute in this situation. He pondered contacting the Rune Knights, but they would cause the bomb to go off too soon if a group arrived up in force and were spotted.

WC: 1108
TWC: 1457

Esper would eventually transform into a little mouse. He'd seen a few in the streets before. All of the street vendor activities for the festival had brought them out of hiding, so it wouldn't be surprising to encounter one in a building, especially one as run-down and hidden away as this one. It was a magnificent old structure, but it was old and hence in a more run-down part of town. As he crept through a hole and entered, he saw that it was an antique temple dedicated to some long lost god or goddess. The hall of the temple chosen by the terrorists for the gathering and subsequent ceremony was not grand, but it was lovely. His complete attention was drawn to the ornately carved wooden buttresses as he searched within. But he didn't have much time to admire the architect's work before the people he was seeking for appeared.

He observed two catfolk, one male and one female, hiding in a corner behind two crates. The dominant male was a lion. He was tall, well-armored, and intimidating. His body was coated with tawny fur, and his mane was thick and well-kept. The lady, on the other hand, resembled a attractive, very flexible and graceful house cat. She wasn't armored, but she was clearly the boss and incredibly formidable. He felt a peculiar connection with her but couldn't put his finger on why. Using his magical sensory powers, he sensed nothing coming from the guy, but the lady was guarded and brimming with power.

The female would eventually speak out. "Well, this is all nonsense, really. I have no idea why our people think this is a smart strategy. This is why I wanted to bomb them, make them believe they had reached an accord, and then let them all perish in a fireball. How could the people forget how many people had died, or that they'd picked a gathering location on our hallowed ground? No, everyone will know the name Chorda after today. I am the Inquisitor of the people and they need me, whether they realize it or not. With this bomb and my hands this rebellion will destroy the old regime and we will return to the laws of nature. Long have I seen Joya act as a beneficial beacon of kindness and acceptance while the countries outside treat Joyans like second class citizens. We will crush these so called peaceful lawmakers and then I will stand at the top, at the head of a strong, militarized government that will make the outside world pay for their racism and unjust acts."

After hearing Chorda speak the man and guard would speak out. "My Queen. I Master Hunter of the Wilds pledge again to make sure you succeed in this task, but I fear we may be on our own on this. The others have not returned. The two Joyan Alchemists were sent to retrieve the triplet pawns and they have no returned. Worst case scenario is they have been captured and in the process of being interrogated. I do not dare feign understanding your tactics but why are we trusting such weak ones to help us?"

Turning her back to the Master Hunter of the Wilds she'd flex her hands as her claws extended out. She'd raise her arm and with a downward swipe strike a wooden box that cleaved in two. "I get you are are a grizzled veteran of Joya, having spent many decades hunting the wilds and perfecting your tactics against the natural world around yourself, but leave this to me I had my reasons and this is my speciality. Besides, I had a curse placed on them. If they are captured by Rune Knights and interrogated, they will react to their silly stupid guild tattoo and self destruct with a powerful poison that can't be cured. The power of the curse is unbreakable but it's limited to just to today, which is all we need. Ha, they serve my purpose no matter what. Either they help me setting off the bomb, or they kill a bunch of Rune Knights. It's a win win for me. In my new order only the strong will survive and those weak enough to be used as pawns need to be weeded out anyways. Now, let me think. Go watch the front door and make sure we don't have any unexpected guests. I will start setting the magical trigger on the bomb."

WC: 745
TWC: 2202

At first he considered sneaking back out and transforming into a damaged Joyan Alchemist and making up some narrative about being captured, but he was pleased he opted to scout first. Based on the curse, she would most likely; probably wonder how he lived when the others didn't. Furthermore, she appeared to be the kind to kill him on the spot, seize the explosives, and flee to a new area only to conceal her tracks. If she was as shrewd as she appeared to be now, she wasn't about to chance some pawn not being followed. He'd also be thankful that he wasn't a Rune Knight and had joined Fairy Tail. They were his second choice, with Sabertooth coming in third place. He would not have obtained the knowledge he did if he had decided to be a Rune Knight. Esper would also wonder whether they knew they were puppets deep down, which is why they accepted his offer so effortlessly. It was either that or they valued one other's life more than his self proclaimed Inquisitor of the People.


According to Espers' primal instincts, it was now or never. If he didn't act now he would lose his best chance to seize the bomb before it was activated. He'd clamber up on the bomb, scurrying up like a stupid mouse. He could feel the energy radiating off of it now that he was standing on it. He trembled just thinking about how powerful it was even dormant, let alone how powerful it would be once ignited. Chorda would pause and sneer at Esper as sat there transformed into a mouse. "Oh, well, I wouldn't mind a snack right now, but I don't have time to play with my food right now. I'm afraid you'll perish along with the rest of the rats in the city."

Esper's response would astound Chorda. "What do you mean, rat?" I am a mouse, my lovely kitty cat. Well, that isn't true either. I've taken on the appearance of a mouse. I guess it's true what they say... canines really are smarter and superior to felids. Now if you'll excuse me. I need to be rid of this." Before the Chorda the Inquisitor would react to Espers ability spell speed, he'd cast Gigantamax while dropping his transformation to return to his fox like appearance. Soon his body would grow and grow and grow as he swiped up the now small bomb in his hands. As he grew and broke through the roof of the building he'd round up his arm and toss the bomb far away using both his new bulk, height and his strength. As the bomb left his paw it'd feel sharp pain near his knee. With a pop of smoke his Gigantamax spell was pierced by the elongated arm of Chorda. Her arm appeared to be that of a alligators tail but tipped with some sort of bladed spear point attachment. Take-Over magic he thought to himself, no wonder he felt a connection to her when he felt her magic.

Before his now stood a raging Chorda. Esper could feel the molten anger rolling through her. It was nearly palpable in the air. He'd laugh at her and growl with words of venom. "Now you'll never be able to set off the bomb. I may not be able to defeat you and your the Master of the Wilds but eventually all the damage I caused will bring the Rune Knights here. All your careful planning, all your tactics all made moot because you thought you'd use your own people as pawns. You are no leader, you're a thug with a self set title and it will be your downfall."

WC: 618
TWC: 2820

Esper's strong comments had clearly irritated Chorda. She'd utilize her Take-Over power to transform both of her arms into massive armored arms. Esper could tell they were lizardman arms because of their tough scales and sharp claws. They'd be a bigger menace than the super extended alligator tail, which was much too long to be a regular tail. She was prepared to kill Esper, and the lion would soon be freed from the rubble he was stuck behind and join the battle. He needed to do everything he could to damage his opponent as much as possible if he didn't survive. He intended to do all he could to her so that the Rune Knights could pick up where he left off.

Casting his summon he'd bring Twilight into the fight to help him out but she would not come. The magic would go off but instead he'd only feel her presence, and along with it her empathic words. Her empathic images expressed her sadness at having to leave him, but the Celestial King had other plans for her, and while he was not a summoner who used Celestial Keys, he would not abandon Esper in his hour of need. Esper felt a connection with the kings power that he had never felt before. It was a seed within him that needed to sprout. He knew he had to work much harder to win now. He'd assault Chorda with feral ferocity in order to live and nurture that seed in order to discover what power had been bestowed upon him.

Casting Form of the Zodiac Braves he'd use his Take-Over to become Sylveon. As the brief white light subsided from his transformation he'd become covered with pale cream-colored fur with pink feet, ears, and tail. His eyes would turn light blue, and long ears with blue interiors and thicker fur, a tiny nose, and two stray tufts of fur on top of its head would appear as well. On his body was twp bows: one at the base of his left ear and one at his neck. Each bow is pale cream with a pink center and trails a pair of ribbon-like feelers. The feelers were also pale cream with light blue tips. Before the tip of each feeler is a pink and then a dark blue stripe. In this new form he has slender legs with small, three-toed paws and a fluffy, slightly curved tail. It was Esper's cutest form and not one you'd think was designed for combat, but that was the beauty of it.

With Chorda trapped in a building and surrounded with ruble it was the perfect time to cast Charm without it being avoided. With the casting of the spell he would strike a cute pose in a rather charmingly way as hearts floated and swirled all about in the area. Chorda would be inflicted with powerful emotions, altering her behaviors, making them unable to do harm towards Esper in waves. Now that she was stunned he'd use Quick Attack to make a teleporting lunge attack at her. Appearing behind her he'd bring his claws down on her back exposing the flesh as he performed a rend.

WC: 532
TWC: 3352

While Charm was potent, it was more of a muddler than anything else, and the feelings wouldn't be constant. After first being unable to damage Esper, the magic would diminish before growing and immobilizing her motions. Still, she was more than capable at the time, and she would jump on Espers' little frame and hit him twice with her lizardman arms, sending him flying back into some boxes. Shakaily he fought through the pain while standing on all fours. Spewing up blood his pink, white, and cream coat was now soiled with blood and dust from old containers. It was time for his quick magic to retaliate. He'd use Quick Attack to teleport up on Chorda and headbutt her in the stomach but not stopping then. He'd follow up with a slew of rapid spell attacks casting Bite, Tackle and Tail Whip. Each attack adding to the next as she was bitten, pushed and smacked around. Chorda looked ready to fall and soon would be unable to bring harm to Esper.

He had never battled with such zeal in his life. He'd never linked his assaults in such a way before. It was as though his instincts had completely taken over and taken logic out of the equation. His animal side just understood how to fight in order to survive, adapt to the environment, and use his power to its maximum extent. The ring of a bell could be heard with each blow. With each assault, the ringing of that bell increased louder and louder until his final attack, in which he sent waves of energy out of his eyes, casting Baby Doll Eyes to weaken his opponent's magic.

WC: 279
TWC: 3631

With her magic's power dwindling, she'd lift her arms to hit Esper again, but she'd be stopped when she gazed at him. His adorable appearance, gorgeous light blue eyes, and damaged physique were all too much for her. She couldn't bear the thought of hurting him again. Falling on her knees, she'd bemoan the failure of her schemes and confess her feelings for Esper. While the sentiments were magically created, she also revered Esper on a little way for being so formidable. Deep down, she felt grateful that she was being beaten by someone who resembled herself rather than a defiling human.

Esper, on the other hand, was not going to waste another opportunity and was preparing to strike. He knew his magical supplies were depleting quickly, but he also knew he had to take her down immediately, or cause as much harm as he could. As the Master of the Wilds eventually leaped into the combat, he would be blown back by a shockwave. His massive axe would strike into the ground, sending esper cartwheeling through the air. The straight strike did little more than push him back and was intended to defend his Queen.

She looked at Esper with uncertain eyes as her companion helped his queen up. The Master of the Wilds would charge Esper with a strong downward stroke with his axe, attempting to cut Esper in half. He wouldn't be able to avoid because he wasn't fast enough, and he didn't know any shield magics. All he could do was accept it and hope for the best. He'd close his eyes and feel nothing as he flinched. When he opened his eyes, he'd discover multiple magical shields around him by Rune Knight Mages hovering above in the whole in the roof that his huge shape had formed before when he threw the bomb.

"Surrender right now, Chorda." We know who you are, and we have encircled the building. With us here, any acts of vengeance you desire to exact on that little creature are not permissible. Your acts of terrorism are over."

Esper's Form of the Zodiac Braves would be cancelled as he collapsed on his side weary. He had been on the verge of death and had done better than he could have ever imagined. Even the knights who discovered he was simply a C Rank Mage from Fairy Tail who had been sent here based on a story would applaud him. Now that he was alive, he'd be able to return home content, knowing that he'd saved others from death and grown whatever seed the Celestial King had placed in him. In reality, he had unlocked the Zodiac Take-Over by surviving.

WC: 448
TWC: 4079