Chapter 9: Race For S Class

Here you go. Your weekly fix. Enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Bleach. Shame, it would be great if I did.

Protector Of The Fairies

Race For S Class

"Be back soon," called Levy as the boat pulled out of the harbour.

Ichigo waved back, glad their new teammate had turned up to wish them luck with Laxus's S Class Trial. Laxus seemed happy as well, even if he tried to hide it.

The Master waited till the boat was out at sea before he appeared, ready to announce where the S Class Trials were this year. He had decided to keep it a surprise this time since there were fewer teams.

Apart from them, there was only three other teams taking part, and most of them were all either some new older members or just old regular members giving it one last try.

The Master stared down at them all before he coughed lightly, clearing his throat.

"I'm sure many of you have been wondering about this year's destination for the S Class Trials."

Ichigo glanced at Laxus who looked just as curious as he was.

"This year, I have decided to hold the task somewhere special to us. An island fitting for the S Class Trials of Fairy Tail."

Laxus opened his mouth in shock. Did he know where they were going? Why would it be such a surprise?

"This year… the trials shall take place at our holy ground. We are going to Tenrou Island."

Ichigo leaned next closer to Laxus. "Tenrou Island?"

"It's the final resting place of Mavis Vermilion, the First Master of Fairy Tail."

The First Master? He had always thought she would have had a grave nearer the guild. So Tenrou was her final resting place was it?

"The climate will be quite warm," said the Master, catching his attention once more. "As such, you should be prepared for the intense heat."

Wasn't it winter right now? How hot could that island be?

"Be prepared, for the S Class Trials begin the moment the island comes into sight. Only one can win. I will wait for you all at the base of the tree of the island."

One of the other participants raised her hand. "How will we know which tree to search for?"

The master chuckled. "Trust me, you'll know what tree I mean."

He suddenly stopped laughing at looked around the group seriously. "You will have only one hour when the island comes into sight. That may seem like plenty but there are dangers on this island. Creatures of all types reside here and some that were brought here specifically for this trial. They won't leave their assigned areas but be cautious. These creatures aren't to be underestimated. They will push you to your limits."

The Master smiled. "Good luck."

Then he was gone, vanishing into thin air.

"Thought Projection? Was he already at the island?"

Laxus nodded. "Looks like it. Else how would we find him if we go the moment the boat docks. Gramps isn't the fastest person in the world, especially with his age."

"I see." Ichigo glanced around at the other participants. None of them were panicking at the Master's sudden disappearance. That was good. If they didn't realise what the Master had done, why would they have even been brought here in the first place.

It looked like it would be a race to the supposed tree. The first one there would be one who wins. If it came down to speed though, Laxus had it in the bag.

The problem was the dangers on the island. What kinds of creatures would exist there and what ones had been brought in?

"This looks fun," Laxus whispered. Looking up at his friend revealed a smile on the blonde teen's face. "I doubt any mission we've done before will be as tough as this one."

"You're right." Ichigo peered off the side of the board, hoping to see some sign of the island in the distance. "But we won't fail. After this, you can get us on the good missions."

"Already got one or two in mind. How does battling a Wyvern sound?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "You aren't serious?"

"I thought it sounded too easy as well. How about a mission with five of them."

"One's fine," Ichigo quickly answered, waving his hands in front of him in an attempt to distract Laxus from his quest ideas.

"What's wrong with five Wyverns?"

"They can fly and are a pain to defeat. We only encountered one once and we had to run when it started chasing us."

"That was years ago."

"It was last month."

"Details."

Protector Of The Fairies

The island finally began to come into view an hour later. Exactly as the Master had said, it had gotten hotter and hotter till the climate felt like they were in the desert or something. Most people had been forced to switch to shorts or something similar and had abandoned all excess clothing, else they would have found themselves roasting alive.

Tenrou Island. It looked slightly strange to the naked eye. There were steep areas of rocks along different areas of the island yet it was still covered in forests of vegetation. A large rock platform stretched up in the middle of the island and formed its own landmass.

It was on this landmass that housed the tree the Master was talking about. There was no other obvious one like this. The trunk seemed to be in multiple parts, all spiralling round each other to reach the top where they then spread out and became branches to hold the leaves above. And it was massive.

"Beautiful isn't it." Ichigo glanced towards Laxus who was staring at the island in awe. "This is the first time I've ever seen this place but it's just like Gramps said."

Laxus held out a hand and pointed at the grand tree. "See that? That's known as the Great Tenrou Tree. Legends say that it bestows divine protection upon the members of Fairy Tail for as long as they stay on the island."

"The final retreat and safe haven for Fairy Tail?"

"Possibly. The First Master was a genius. She could have easily found a way to protect Fairy Tail, even in death."

A flare lit up the sky by the tree. That was it. That was where the Master was waiting for them.

They didn't have time to waste. The others had similar minds, and there was only one rowing boat available. The main boat itself was moving towards the island but it was much slower than before.

The first task then. They couldn't afford to lose time waiting for the boat to get closer but the rowing boat wouldn't be necessary.

Laxus grabbed hold of Ichigo before muttering a few words. "Hold on."

Laxus's body enveloped itself in lightning before they were both send flying towards the island. They reached it a minute later and landed. A quick glance behind them revealed none of the others had made as much progress so far.

"Are you okay?"

Ichigo quickly glanced down at himself. Some slight burns from the close contact to lightning but nothing much, and nothing that hurt. Just light singes it seemed.

"I'm okay."

Laxus glanced towards the forest they had landed by. "We better get going then. There's no knowing how much trouble the creatures in here will be."

The two made their way carefully through the forest, watching out for any signs of danger. There was no way of knowing if the noise would give them away but it was better to be safe than sorry.

What kinds of creatures were here? Some of the tracks were large and he could swear he heard some roars every now and then.

A rustling sound filled his ears and he spun round, searching for the source of the noise.

"Anything?"

Ichigo looked carefully but there was nothing. "Must have been the wind."

Laxus nodded while Ichigo looked back for a moment. For a second there he could have sworn he had seen something blonde.

Laxus suddenly stopped and held out his arm. "Hold up."

"You see something?" Ichigo glanced forward towards his friend but he couldn't see anything nearby. Couldn't hear anything nearby either.

Laxus ignored his question, instead crouching down by the ground and brushing a few leaves off the ground.

"What are you looking for?"

"Give me a moment," came the reply. Laxus seemed to be completely engrossed on his task, searching for whatever he was looking for.

"Found it."

Ichigo glanced down at Laxus who was gesturing for him to come closer.

"I got the idea from what Levy did."

"From Levy?"

"Yes, now look." Laxus brushed a few leaves to the side to reveal the start of a line of runes.

"Are these…"

"Jutsu Shiki if I'm not mistaken."

"I see." Ichigo joined Laxus by the ground. "Can you read what it says?"

"Not sure," Laxus muttered, focusing closely on the runes. "This rune here means transport and this one is for barrier so it could be a trap to send us away somewhere. That or perhaps this is how Gramps brought some extra creatures for the trials."

"So the barrier could keep them in and send them home afterwards, keeping the ecosystem of the island safe from new predators. Does that mean it's safe to walk in?"

"I doubted there's a way around, or at least not one that won't cost us time. We need to go through, and take down whatever falls into our path."

Ichigo's hand moved to the hilt of his sword for a moment before he stood up. "Let's risk it."

The two took one step forward before a barrier of runes shot up behind them, denying them an exit.

"Only one way forward."

The two took each step carefully, one eye out for any creatures nearby. There was no way of knowing what kind of creature would be in this rune barrier.

The sound of snarling filled the air. Ichigo quickly drew his sword from his back while Laxus brought out lightning to surround his body, sparks flicking around his skin.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

The creatures burst out of the bushes, making a beeline for them.

They weren't anything he had seen before. They looked like they were crocodiles of some kind but they had a humanoid figure too. Standing on two feet with their hands free and their jaws snapping, they looked a lot like Lizardmen.

The scales looked weaker than the Lizardmen they had fought before though. The colour of their scales was a darker green and they weren't as bulky. They were either another species of Lizardmen or something else entirely.

There was a flash of green light before each of the Lizardmen's appearance changed. Half of their numbers gained blonde hair and a small lightning bolt scar in the same place that Laxus had his. Lightning also flickered around their bodies in a way that looked just like what Laxus was doing.

The other half gained orange hair like his own and were holding onto a sword. It looked like an ordinary sword but if the Lizardmen had done what he thought they had done, that wouldn't be a normal sword. It would be a Zanpaktou.

"Copy Magic," he heard Laxus call out. So his theory was right. That was good to know. He swiftly jumped and dodged the first swing of one of the Lizardmen before blocking a second with his own Zanpaktou.

How many were there. It looked like five were on Laxus and three were on him. Eight copies of them in total. This was going to be a pain.

His eyes widened as he saw what the third Lizardman was doing. It held out its palm and charged up a sphere of red energy before it was launched straight at him.

That was Shakkahou. The Lizardmen could use Kidou too?

He dodged the attack easily but it was still frightening to see. There wasn't even an incantation to that spell yet he had been able to sense the power behind it. It had been strong.

Going by their Magical Power, he doubted they would be able to cast anything higher than the thirty levels. But that kind of surprise attack could be deadly. He had to be careful when engaging them.

How was Laxus doing? He seemed to be coping for now, but he seemed to be having some problems. While these Lizardmen didn't have as much Magic as they did, they were definitely good at copying their Magic.

Wait a moment. Did that Lizardman just eat Laxus's lightning? That was bad. There had managed to copy the Dragon Slayer Magic Laxus had and he seemed to be forced to use it himself to counter it, devouring their lightning attacks as they devoured his own.

He was brought back to his own fight as he ducked under one of the Lizardmen's swings, striking out with his fist and knocking the Lizardman back. His hands swiftly drew a triangle in the air as he generated Shitotsu Sansen only to find one of the other Lizardmen doing the same.

"Bakudou Number 30: Shitotsu Sansen."

Like before, the Lizardman showed it didn't need to say anything to fire the spell. The two connected in mid flight and cancelled each other out.

A blue blast of lightning suddenly shot through the air, Ichigo reaching at the last moment so that the attack fly past his face instead of hitting it dead on.

So they didn't just copy the Magic the user knew. They could go further than that. He couldn't use Byakurai at all due to it being a level four Hadou but these Lizardmen had the capacity to use it from the look of it.

He didn't have any extra time to think about their Kidou usage. The other two engaged him again in close quarters, forcing him onto the defensive.

They had his sword style it seemed. Well it wasn't so much a style, rather an instinctual way he had of fighting. A type to survive and win. How were they learning all of this? Did they perhaps infiltrate their minds and work out all their abilities and how to use them?

It would explain how they knew how to use the Kidou spells and how Laxus's Spells worked. It wasn't something you could learn to such a degree but just copying.

He dodged another set of attacks and a surprise Kidou before he launched his own. Oukasen was cancelled out though by a quick use of Shakkahou and he had to dodge the orange rope of energy when it suddenly appeared and tried to grab him.

Hourin. That was a level nine Bakudou, particularly useful to bind the target and capture them so others could attack. They were getting smarter. Something like that would open him up to their attacks.

He brought his sword up as energy gathered around it. Fine then. If Kidou wouldn't work, he would use something else.

"Getsuga Tenshou."

The energy flew off the blade only to be intercepted midflight from a combined set of Soukatsui. So they had enough power together to stop his Getsuga Tenshou. This was going to get troublesome unless he did something soon. He couldn't just wait for them to get a lucky shot in and he didn't dare release his Zanpaktou. It would be bad if they did the same, especially since he hadn't released it yet since he learned his Zanpaktou's name.

An explosion of Magical Energy could be sensed suddenly from Laxus. As he looked over, he saw Laxus's shirt ripping as his muscles expanded and his canine teeth sharpened.

That was Dragon Force. Was he an idiot? If they copied Dragon Force too, then it would be too much for his friend to handle.

"Ichigo." Ichigo snapped out of his worries as Laxus called out to him. "They copy our Magic Style and learn our abilities. They can't use what they can't access."

Laxus proved his point by suddenly slamming into one of the Lizardmen, grabbing it and beating it down in one punch.

"They can't copy my Dragon Force and they can't copy something of yours."

Ichigo wishes his friend would have just said what they couldn't copy instead of giving a hint but it seemed he wanted him to come to the answer himself.

"You still haven't called me Ichigo."

That wasn't Laxus that time. Time slowed down as he focused on the voice calling out to him.

"They can imitate your Magic but they can't imitate your soul. I won't answer anyone's call but your own."

Ichigo slowly brought his arm to his side, his free hand joining his right on his sword's hilt.

"Look at them. Imposters, all of them. They don't have a scrap of the power you have. Show these fakes your power. Show them your resolve."

His power skyrocketed, the winds picking up around him.

"NOW SHOUT OUT MY NAME!"

"ZANGETSU!"

The energy he brought out exploded outwards in a pillar of light, reaching high into the sky. When it finally cleared, Ichigo could be seen in the centre, his Zanpaktou over his shoulder.

The blade had changed dramatically from the long katana it was before. In its place was an oversized trench knife with a small section of chain handing from the end of the hilt.

His appearance had altered slightly too. Around his neck was a pair of black bands of some kind, a white outline around each of them. Some X style bands were on his arms too, one of each wrist. He could see the top of a similar one, just under his shirt and crossing over the top of his chest. Four black lines went across each hand as well, each line vertical from his knuckles down to his wrist. There were similar bands to the ones around his wrist and chest on his ankles too from what he could see, and all three of them looked more like tattoos than bands unlike the ones around his neck.

He lifted the sword of his shoulder with one hand and held it up, examining the blade. He moved his left hand towards the hilt for a moment before stopping. It didn't seem to feel right. Perhaps that was why the blade was so light for him. So he could still cast Kidou without problems.

So this was his Shikai. He liked it. This was something he could work with.

He gave Zangetsu a few quick practice swings before he noticed the Lizardmen. It looked like they were trying to imitate what he had done and were failing to get a version of Zangetsu.

Zangetsu and Laxus had been right. They had copied his Shinigami Magic but they couldn't get the same result without copying his soul. They weren't able to use Zangetsu.

He didn't know how he knew what to do but he listened to that instinct. He brought the sword back and watched as energy gathered around the blade. Then he swung.

It was nothing like even the Getsuga Tenshou he used recently. The attack had been magnified dramatically, smashing through their hurried Kidou Spells that they fired to intercept the attack. It ripped through all the obstacles in its path and crashed directly into the Lizardmen. They didn't even stand a chance.

When the energy finally cleared, all three Lizardmen were lying on the floor, their bodies changed back to their original form. Ichigo looked down at Zangetsu in shock of how he had known what to do.

"Why are you surprised Ichigo? This blade is a part of you. You already had the knowledge of how to use me. You just needed to remember."

So that was what Kisuke had meant about Zanpaktou meaning some of the best teachers. They didn't have to always teach you because all they needed to do was remind you of what you needed to do. The secrets were hidden in his own soul.

Looking at the destruction though, he realised one problem. He knew how to use his Zanpaktou. He didn't know how to control the damage it did yet. And he though Getsuga Tenshou alone had been destructive. Using Zangetsu took it to another level.

"Good. I was wondering when you would be done."

Ichigo looked towards Laxus as the teen spoke, noticing how he had exited Dragon Force already. Behind him were the smoking bodies of the other Lizardmen. It looked like they didn't have very good protection against Dragon Force amplified techniques.

Laxus eyed his new appearance. "Tattoos? Didn't think they were your thing?"

Ichigo swung his sword to one side, the trench knife shape returning to the previous katana form before he sheathed it away. As the Shikai ended, the bands and tattoos disappear with it.

"Do you think there are more?"

Laxus turned to the bodies of the Lizardmen. "Doubt it. This is the number I would have chosen for a group. Anymore and it could cause problems. These Lizardmen were vicious with their attacks."

"What kind of species are they? I haven't seen any like this."

Laxus bent down by one of the bodies. "They're too thin and the shape is off. They are definitely Lizardmen but I don't remember them having this type of Magic. Seems too artificial."

Laxus sighed. "I don't want to know who created these creatures but they are dangerous. I hope we don't encounter too many of these in the future."

"Let's keeping going." Ichigo looked towards the tree. "We wasted too much time here. We've still got to get you promoted after all."

"Yea…"

Laxus quieted down suddenly as a massive shadow covered the ground of where they were. Turning around slowly, they saw a massive scaled creature standing on its back legs. It was taller by far than all the trees around them and the top of its head was rounded smoothly, a few specks of blood just about able to be seen on it.

"Is that-"

"A Doscadon?"

"Yeah."

"I don't think he brought that one."

"I'm starting to hate this island at the moment."

"Me too."

"Should we be running?"

The Doscadon let out a large roar as its eyes focused on the two of them.

"I'd say yes. RUN!"

Protector Of The Fairies

Makarov found himself waiting by the base of Tenrou's massive tree with one thing on his mind. Boredom.

Why hadn't he brought something with him? It would have helped pass the time while he waited for the participants to arrive at the island.

A Thought Projection sounded like such a good idea at the time. He could get a good kick out of tricking everyone. Now, he wished he had left it there so he could have talked to someone.

When everyone finally did arrive, he thought that he had something interesting to do then. He could watch their progress and determine if they were truly S Class material.

They had only been nominated after all to have the potential. It didn't mean they had realised it yet.

He sighed. Almost everyone had lost almost by the time they reached the island. Their squabbles had destroyed the only rowing boat and instead of trying to swim, which would have been quicker, they waited for the boat to dock.

Those three groups were no good. They needed to show initiative from the start. They simply went along with the flow and didn't try to look for other methods. He wondered how far they would have gotten through the forests if they had made it though.

Laxus. He got it. He took himself and Ichigo straight to the island using his Magic instead of trying to wait. He realised it was a faster option and took it.

That was good. Understanding your power and using it in the right circumstances. All Laxus would have to do now was reach him in the one hour period.

Monitoring their progress had been interesting. Of all things they had to run into, they had run into those Lizardmen he had captured. He wasn't sure where they came from but they weren't natural. They would be a tough opponent for his grandson and Ichigo.

And they did prove to be. Laxus had to deal with five versions of himself while Ichigo had three of himself, admittedly with some Spells that the boy had looked enviously at. They must have been Spells the kid couldn't use.

Then Laxus had risen above and beyond. He had known his grandson was practicing more with his Dragon Slayer Magic but to enter Dragon Force was nothing short of incredible. The Lizardmen were completely outmatched.

And Ichigo too. That kid's strength always scared him. The damage that attack did with his new sword was too much, and judging by the kid's reaction, it hadn't been completely controlled. That kind of attack would be devastating when he mastered it.

The two should reach him soon, and as long as they made it in time, Laxus would pass.

Laxus. His grandson had grown so much. If Ichigo hadn't been there, Laxus may have hated him for kicking his father out of the guild. After all, Laxus hadn't gone on many missions before Ichigo turned up, mostly lazing around the guild and listening to music.

But as much as Ichigo had been a good influence on his grandson, he hoped that was all it was.

That boy. He didn't trust him. He and Laxus both always talked about taking Fairy Tail to the top but they stuck to their belief that power was the way forward. If you had power, you could reach your goals.

He would argue differently but he knew it wouldn't make a difference. Power was good but it could also corrupt. And Ichigo gave him doubts.

Why would that kid continue to take missions from the Magic Council? What would they have to offer him? Maybe it was money? Then again, the kid never seemed to spend much as he always picked quest requests based on content, not reward.

Maybe it was power again? That made more sense. If the Council offered him power, there was a good chance the kid might have accepted it.

There was that one doubt in his mind about the kid's mental state though. What if he went on them because he enjoyed killing? He hadn't come back covered in blood unlike the first time yet he could have easily washes before he returned. Getting all that blood on you meant he had experienced something dreadful and that could easily make him start to disregard the value of human lives.

That brought up problems about considering the child for the S Class Trials next year and afterwards. Power wasn't enough. He needed to be someone he could trust to a degree and who could represent Fairy Tail. Gildarts had hinted that the boy would be ready quickly but he was unsure. He didn't want to take that risk.

When he did test the child, he would need Gildarts there. He could see if the boy was ready and test him to his heart's content. He knew the man had taken a liking to the young Shinigami. It was different from the relationship he had with Natsu. It was more like a master and an apprentice type thing, Gildarts wanting to make sure he had found himself an eventually successor.

He hoped Levy's inclusion to Ichigo's little team would be enough to set him back on the right path. He couldn't give the boy infinite chances but he could give him some leeway for now. Levy was a smart girl, and sweet as well. She could always let him know if Ichigo started acting odd.

A rustling noise distracting him and he stood up, barely any taller from when he had been sitting down.

He glanced down at the watch on his arm before counting down in his head. Five, four, three, two-

"Here."

Laxus made it.

The two Mages crawled out of the bushes, looking like drowned cats. Did they run through a stream of something?

"Don't ask," said Laxus, just as he tried to open his mouth to say something.

The Master chose to smile at his grandson instead.

"I'll say this instead then. Congratulations S Class Mage."

Protector Of The Fairies

A mad scientist crouched over his work, scratching down a few notes onto paper as he observed the tests in front of him.

"Mayuri sir."

The man in question looked up from his work to see the shaking form of one of his scientists. "What you fool? Can't you see I'm busy?"

The man bowed quickly. "I'm sorry sir. It's just that, well…"

"Well man, spit it out."

"There's someone here to see you."

Mayuri looked at the man strangely for a moment before his face tightened with anger. "What? Who's there? How did someone find us?"

"That's not a nice thing to say to a guest."

Mayuri and the scientist froze at the newcomer's voice. Instead of being annoyed at the interruption though, Mayuri looked intrigued.

"How did you get past my defences? This lab is hidden well, and the defences are on the level any secret lab needs."

"I aged them."

"Aged them?"

The man held out an arm and the desks nearby restored to their original conditions before usage had worn them out. As quickly as that happened, the desks ages till they were covered in rust and collapsed.

"Arc of Time? That's a Lost Magic."

"You would think the work you are doing would be the same."

Mayuri sniffed the air. "You're tainted by something. Death. What did you encounter? Tell me and I'll make your dissection painless."

"You won't do that. I'm too useful for you."

"Useful. I don't have a clue who you are."

The man reached up to the shirt he was wearing before pulling it open, revealing a guild mark beneath it. The mark of Poison Viper.

"So you're the Guild Master."

The man tilted his head. "What makes you assume something like that?"

Mayuri snorted. "That kind of guild was troublesome but still trash. That ring they got was the only reason they were a threat. Since you are tainted by death, you must have come into contact with the ring. The only other to do so was the supposed leader but his Magic matches the type to steal the ring."

"You though have a fair amount of power. In Dark Guilds, the strongest leads them. You don't strike me as the kind of man to be ordered around."

Mayuri suddenly gestured towards the man himself. "And look at you. You're angry. Angry that I insulted your guild and angry that I insulted your subordinates. You cared for them and now they are all dead."

"But still." Mayuri raised a hand to his head as he examined the man. "Why are you here? The Shinigami isn't anywhere nearby."

"I may have arrived late but I saw what that kid did." The man scowled just from the memory. "I want to crush him but I don't have the strength to do so. So I came to you. I got from my sources that you are trying to create something. Something powerful."

"And you want in do you? Sorry but I only need Shinigami or those who haven't learned Magic yet. You can't become a Shinigami so you aren't worth my time."

"You are trying to combine the powers of Shinigami and Hollows. Am I wrong?"

Mayuri froze for a moment before turning to the scientist. "Get out." The scientist didn't need any other incentive to escape.

"Now then. Where did you learn that?"

The man let out a booming laugh. "When you make a deal with demons, make sure they keep their mouths shut."

"I see." Mayuri frowned. If that guild had let slip his project to this man, who else could they have told.

"Well it doesn't matter. I don't need you here and you aren't useful for my experiments on Hollowfication so get lost."

"Your experiments aren't working are they? You aren't an expert at this unlike Kisuke Urahara."

"How did you hear that name? No, rather how do you know about his knowledge."

The man didn't do anything to start with. Then he reached into his pocket and brought something out and placed it on the table. Mayuri stared at it in awe before snapping out of his trance.

"How… How did you find this?"

"The same place where I got your location. Everything can be found in Hell eventually."

"Name your terms."

"So quick to change your mind?"

"I can't make you a hybrid," snapped Mayuri. "It's impossible."

The man laughed again. "Who said you have to do it one way?"

Mayuri's annoyance slowly disappeared as he took in the man's words. "You would let me run tests of course?"

"Of course."

"And you understand what you are asking me to do here?"

"Yes."

"Good." A large creepy smile appeared on the mad scientist's face. "I always wanted to experiment with a Hollow. I wonder how it will work by using the Hollow power first compared to the Shinigami power."

Mayuri strode up to the man before examining every inch of the man. The man did look old with his white hair and moustache and that scar down his right eye looked like it had taken away the man's sight in that eye but that wouldn't matter once he became a Hollow. All impurities would be removed and then he would have the perfect lab rat.

This man wouldn't become a Visored though. This was a difference procedure. Arrancar. That sounded better for this pet project. Maybe this method would be more successful than the Visored one. Who knew? The joy of being a scientist. There were always tests to run.

He left the object the man had given him on the desk for now. He would run some tests on it later but he doubted it would need any adjustments. It was a godsend for his research.

For now, he ignored the small orb, energy flowing inside the sphere. It had been Kisuke's masterpiece all those years ago.

And now it was his.

Protector Of The Fairies

Chapter 9 done. So Laxus had his S Class Trial. I choose Tenrou Island because I needed a reason for why he knew where it was in canon because I doubt the trials are there every year. No fear kind of trials here because there aren't enough S Class Mages. Gildarts is their only one and he is away. Instead they have to overcome dangerous creatures and try and think in a way an S Class Mage should think.

A little Mayuri for you here. Notice how I never said specifically that that guy in Poison Viper was the leader. That was every other character's conclusion, but as you see, it wasn't right. And who knows who that man was? Some of you probably already know but I won't say so some of you can guess. May not be important too much right now but I wouldn't bring him in for no reason.

And we all know what that masterpiece of Kisuke's is. If you don't, do you even watch any Bleach?

One more chapter in this Arc and we move on to the next one. Look forward to it next week.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.