What It Means to Be a Big Brother

"I will never join you in your depravity!" Having recovered from her shock, Erza immediately spoke to Gerard in an incomparably resolute tone. "Wake up already, Gerard! Stop obsessing over the R System, something that should never have existed in the first place!! If Big Brother Nameless saw what you were like now, he would definitely be heartbroken!!!" By the end, her voice was filled with helplessness and pleading. She had naturally sensed the evil aura and killing intent in Gerard's presence, yet she still clung to the faint hope that he could return to normal and become the Gerard she had once known.

If only Big Brother Nameless were here... Erza thought longingly. She used the word "longingly" because she had basically concluded that Chen Wuming was likely already dead! Otherwise, why had Big Brother Nameless never appeared when everyone had been fighting against the evil mage group? Of course, she did not know that Chen Wuming was at the westernmost end of the island, fighting the other two overseers of the Tower of Paradise's construction!

"Nameless? Ah, why hadn't I gone with him just now..." Gerard froze for a moment, seemingly recalling something. Then he sneered and shouted, "So after all this time, Big Brother Nameless was probably taken out by someone! Heh, what a useless guy..." By the end, his tone had become incomparably cold, devoid of even the slightest trace of emotion!

"How can you say that about Big Brother Nameless?!!" Having held it in for so long, Erza finally could not help roaring at Gerard. "Big Brother Nameless disappeared for our sake! Weren't you the one who respected him most?! Are you really still the Gerard I knew?! You... you!!!!"

"Hmph—trash will always be trash! The truth is, although that guy gave us a chance to escape, didn't we still fail in the end?" Gerard snorted disdainfully, then said coldly to Erza, "But it seems we can no longer understand each other. Since that's the case—"

"Pfft—" Erza spat out a mouthful of blood and was instantly sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground.

"Then you are completely useless." Gerard coldly finished his sentence.

"Ge-Gerard..." Erza struggled to raise her head, looking sorrowfully at the person before her. Having suffered such a heavy blow, her voice was filled with weakness. Even so, she stubbornly gripped the short sword in her hand.

"Give up, Erza..." Seeing that she still refused to give up, Gerard's brow furrowed slightly as impatience appeared on his face. He waved a hand and said disdainfully, "You cannot possibly be my opponent, so I advise you to give up while you still can..."

But how could Erza, whose stubborn spirit had been roused, listen to him? Clenching her short sword, she let out a roar and charged at Gerard! The result was obvious...

Ten minutes later, Gerard carried the battered and bruised Erza one-handed to the westernmost end of the island, then directly tossed her into a boat by the shore. Looking down at Erza as the waves gradually carried her farther away, Gerard issued one final warning. "Since you love that false freedom so much, then drift through the outside world to your heart's content and enjoy that false freedom. But if you dare reveal this place to anyone, if you dare tell outsiders about the life you experienced here, then do not blame me. Don't forget, Shou and the others will still remain in my hands, continuing to serve me—no, to serve the great Zeref! Hahahahaha—"

"Gerard—"

"Gerard!!!"

Two cries suddenly came from two different directions. One, filled with endless sorrow and unwillingness, came from the sea. Without question, it was Erza!

The other was filled with towering fury and authority! It came from behind Gerard! When he turned to look, the person was—

"Big Brother Nameless!!!" Erza, who had already fallen completely into despair, froze slightly upon hearing that voice. But when she saw the figure who had shouted those words, an extreme joy suddenly burst forth in her eyes! She could not help crying out loudly as the flame of hope that had been completely extinguished reignited fiercely in her eyes! It was as though, so long as he appeared, every problem could be effortlessly resolved!!! Even Gerard's eyes flickered slightly the instant he saw that figure. Clearly, he too was wary of Chen Wuming, who was slowly approaching from behind him!

Perhaps this effect arose because Chen Wuming had already established the image of a big brother in everyone's hearts? A big brother was someone you could rely on without question when you encountered difficulties, yet someone you would fear without question when you made a mistake!

Without a doubt, Chen Wuming's appearance had just produced both effects! That was why he was their big brother! The indisputable—big brother among them all!

Chen Wuming's face was as still as water as he stepped forward one pace at a time. The one remaining silver earring on his left ear swayed gently in the breeze, continuously producing clear, tinkling chimes. The sound was pleasant yet deep, especially distinct in the silent surroundings! Combined with his utterly expressionless face, it brought an indescribable and eerie pressure upon everyone.

Gerard felt it most strongly of all! Because he could clearly sense that this pressure—was directed at him!! As intense shock flashed through Gerard's heart, an inexplicable fear arose within him as well! This was not simple fear of another's strength. It was an instinctive, inexplicable fear rising from the depths of his heart, one whose cause he did not understand! It was as though something were telling him—You did wrong!

This inexplicable feeling instinctively filled Gerard with a trace of disgust! He could not understand why he felt this way. Why was he afraid of this man whose face was as dark and still as water?! I-I am someone acknowledged by Zeref, the greatest Black Mage in human history!! A person acknowledged by a god, the sole one chosen by a god—why would I, Gerard, still be afraid of this man before me?!! Why?! Why is this happening?!!!

Gerard roared furiously in his heart. A red gleam flashed through his eyes as he raised a hand and swung it. A massive dark-purple magic circle suddenly appeared beneath his feet, and Gerard shrieked at Chen Wuming, who was steadily drawing closer. "Bastard!! Die!!!" The instant he finished speaking, Gerard viciously threw a punch through the air at Chen Wuming!!

"Shriek—" Accompanied by a piercing tearing sound, a huge mass of dark-purple magical energy abruptly broke away from Gerard's right fist! It shot toward Chen Wuming with lightning speed!!!

"Boom—" A deafening explosion rang out as the powerful magic blast struck Chen Wuming, who was walking toward him, head-on!

"Big Brother Nameless—" Knowing how powerful Gerard had become, Erza could not help letting out a terrified scream! Her heart suddenly turned cold, as though it had plunged straight into a bottomless abyss. It's over. Big Brother Nameless... he can't use magic!!!

Yet events were always so unexpected. Just as Erza despaired and believed everything was over, even Gerard, who had personally seen Chen Wuming take his magic head-on, could not help curling his lips into a satisfied smile. He then turned toward Erza on the sea, intending to mock her.

"Gerard..." At that moment, a voice containing faint sorrow came from deep within the dust cloud thrown up by the magic strike. Hearing it, the smile that had just appeared on Gerard's face instantly froze! Stiffly turning his head, Gerard stared in disbelief toward the source of the voice!

A breeze swept past, revealing Chen Wuming's completely unharmed figure, his face calm. In his hand was an unknown single-edged longsword. He looked at Gerard with incomparable calmness, yet for some reason, that calmness carried an inexplicable sorrow...

"You... can use magic too?!!" Gerard forced out those words, his face filled with the shock and disbelief of someone seeing something unimaginable! Yes, disbelief! Even if he racked his brains, he could never have imagined that Nameless, who usually seemed so kind and approachable, possessed such unimaginably powerful magic as well?! Th-This is impossible!!! Gerard screamed wildly in his heart.

It was not only him. Erza too stared at her Big Brother Nameless with a stunned expression! Her feelings were remarkably similar to Gerard's, but hers contained far more delight! Since Big Brother Nameless could use magic, the chances of successfully waking Gerard up were that much greater! Even now, she still harbored the childish fantasy that she could restore Gerard's kind side... She really was far too naive!

Perhaps Erza had long noticed Gerard's transformation—a complete change at the most fundamental level! It was basically impossible to turn him back into the person he had once been, unless a miracle occurred... Perhaps she simply did not want to admit it, or perhaps she was desperately hoping for a miracle to happen?

At last, Chen Wuming came to a stop less than five meters from Gerard. Looking at Gerard, who was watching him with a guarded expression, he slowly spoke. "Gerard, do you know what a big brother truly is? Do you know what the real meaning of being a big brother represents?..."

"That kind of thing—" Gerard's heart involuntarily trembled as strange magical power suddenly surged violently from his body! He shrieked madly, "I don't need to know that! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!!!" As he roared, circles of dark-purple magic arrays abruptly emerged around him, tightly enveloping both Chen Wuming and himself!

"If you do not know, then let me tell you..." The calmness on Chen Wuming's face suddenly vanished without a trace, and deep sorrow slowly spread from his body. Gazing into Gerard's eyes, which were filled with evil, Chen Wuming sighed mournfully. "A big brother must not only give his younger brother enough support and comfort when he is bullied, but also, when he stumbles and makes a mistake..."

"Give him the punishment he deserves—"

"Dance—" Chen Wuming slowly raised his Zanpakutō, sighing sorrowfully. "Sode no Shirayuki..."