Chapter 164 - Death.

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TOP 3 = One double release.

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[Adam C. POV.]

I had done it.

I had killed Acnologia. 

I smiled, closing my eyes.

The ground comes at me fast, a hard embrace as I crash onto the dirt. Each grain of sand bites into my skin, reminding me of my reality. I feel the wet warmth spill over my lips and trickle down my chin. 

Blood.

More blood.

Breathing feels hard, each inhalation a tortured rasp. I can feel the weight of my injuries, the slow leeching of life from my being. Time seems to slow, and I'm trapped in this liminal space between the present and what might be an inevitable future.

I had a good life, didn't I?

Images and memories blur together. The face of my friends, the smile of my sister, the laughter I had, the many sunsets I've watched, and the dreams I've chased. 

All those moments lead to this, this single, defining one.

It's cold. 

Colder than it should be.

I don't want to die.

I really don't.

Now that I'm close to... I can say with certainty, I don't want to.

But it's never what you want, isn't it?

Oh well...

I've always imagined death to be a gradual fade, like an old film reel ending. But it feels like a wall I'm about to run into. Every breath is a battle, my body begging for relief.

Maybe it's better this way. 

At least I won't feel the pain anymore.

I did what I had to.

I protected everyone I cared around.

Everyone I loved.

I have to admit.

The acceptance is both terrifying and liberating. 

I'd always thought I'd go down fighting.

I mean, I am.

But I mean more against the concept of dying, I always thought I would go out clawing at life with everything I had. But maybe, just maybe, there's a peace in letting go.

Funny, isn't it?

They say your life flashes before your eyes. But all I see is a deep, comforting void. 

Maybe that's what peace looks like.

Kind of poetic considering the power of my Zanpakuto.

I smiled, focusing on those I'm leaving behind, trying imprint their faces in my mind one last time. I won't lie, the guilt of not saying goodbye threatens to choke me, more than the blood does.

If there's an afterlife, after... this one, I hope I remember them. 

And... well, I hope they remember me as well.

Tears mix with the blood on my face, but it's not sadness that brings them. It's gratitude, for every fleeting moment, every challenge, every love, and every loss. 

It's the acknowledgment of the beauty of existence.

Just one more breath. One more thought. One more...

And then, with a whisper of regret and a sigh of resignation, the world fades away.

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[Third Person. POV.]

[Erza Scarlet.]

Erza Scarlet, the Titania of Fairy Tail, had faced countless horrors and heartbreaks, but the scene that unfolded before her now shattered her. 

Adam, a warrior of unmatched spirit and strength, her teacher, her friend, lay on the ground, each breath more labored than the last. The vitality that once coursed through him had dimmed, leaving behind a fragile shell.

He was dying.

The wind carried her scarlet hair behind her as she sprinted, her armor gleaming under the fading sunlight. Every heartbeat, every sound of her armor felt like a countdown, time she couldn't afford to lose.

"Adam!" Erza's voice was filled with desperation as she skidded to a halt beside him, kneeling in the dirt. His eyes, once so full of life, now stared blankly upwards, the light in them dwindling.

She cradled his head gently, her fingers brushing away the blood that stained his face. Those eyes, which had always held so much determination and fire, now only reflected pain and a silent resignation.

"No, no, no, no," Erza murmured, her voice quivering. "Not like this. You can't leave like this, you promised me."

Silence was her only answer. The rhythmic, shallow breaths that once gave hope now only served as a grim reminder of the approaching end.

Pressing her forehead against his, Erza willed him to fight, to defy the shadow encroaching upon him. "Stay with me, Adam. Please," she pleaded, her voice breaking, her tears falling freely onto his still face. "Please... I beg you!"

"Brother..." Cana 's soft voice reached Erza's ears, and she turned to see Cana dropping to her knees. The sorrow in her eyes mirroring her own. 

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still, leaving only the sound of Erza's quiet sobs, her grief raw and palpable.

She held onto Adam, her embrace desperate, as if she could somehow transfer her life force into him, as if her sheer will could anchor him to the world. But the weight of reality pressed in from all sides, and Erza felt a part of her own spirit break with the cruel truth of the moment.

Tears streamed down her face unchecked.

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[Cana Alberona Clive. POV.]

Erza's sobs echoed throughout the place, each one like a knife through my heart. 

There he was, Adam, my big brother. We had shared so many memories together, the laughter, the fights, the secrets whispered under the cover of night. Now, his form was motionless, a stark contrast to the vibrant soul I had always known.

He was supposed to be invincible. 

He was supposed to be unreachable. 

I gasped.

My heart ached; with a pain so profound it felt as if it was physically tearing me apart. One step at a time, I approached slowly, every step heavy, like walking through deep water, through mud. 

And kneeling beside him, I reached out tentatively, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. It was cold, too cold. Memories flooded back, of a younger Adam taking me out to watch the stars, of the promises they made to always have each other's backs.

Tears welled up, spilling over, tracing hot paths down my cheeks. "You idiot," I whispered, my voice breaking, "You weren't supposed to leave me alone. You promised."

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[Mavis Vermillion. POV.]

He was dying.

I could feel his magic slowly dissipating. 

The bright light that once glowed within him was now dimming, fading away. 

I had seen many deaths in my time, but each one still pained me as if it was my first. 

No... it pained me even more.

He was my friend, the only friend I had right now. And he was dying.

"What's that?!" Gray shouted beside me, snapping me out of my train of thought.

I followed his gaze and saw a massive portal opening above the island, chains coming out of the portal, each chain making their way to... Adam.

"Everyone! Defend Adam's body!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the island.

I had no idea what those chains were, but I wouldn't let them desecrate him!