Azuma

Azuma (アズマ Azuma) is a member of the Dark Guild, Grimoire Heart and was the first of the Seven Kin of Purgatory to arrive on Tenrou Island to battle Fairy Tail.

Appearance
Azuma is a tall, massive, and highly muscular man with tan skin and thick brown hair that looks like long, dark, leathery strips of confetti jutting out in all directions. He has brown eyes and long sideburns, joining his hair to his prominent goatee, which takes the form of several triangles pointing downwards and extending upwards on his chin. He also has a straight dark streak running over his left eye, which extends up to the top of his forehead and down to his mid cheek. Each of his ears is adorned by a large earring shaped like a round crescent moon pointing down.

Azuma wears an outfit decorated by tribal-like motifs, complete with what looks like leather armor covering his upper body. The chest piece is simple, with the central section highlighting his prominent abdominals and pectorals underneath it being light green, separated by the dark green parts on his sides by a pair of thin white lines framing it on both edges. The V-shaped part around the neck is instead black. With the chest piece comes a pair of large, dark-colored shoulder pads, complete with lighter-colored edges and massive straps hanging from them, each decorated by similarly large hollow studs. The left shoulder pad bears Grimoire Heart’s symbol. Around Azuma’s waist is a simple, plain belt distinguished by the dark motifs on it; below it, the leather armor continues in a waistguard composed of four large, semicircular flaps, each decorated by studs identical to the one on his shoulder pads, and retaining the color scheme of his chest piece. Azuma’s arms are covered by loose, light green sleeves, with a darker green band circling each of them, closed by a stud identical to those adorning the rest of his attire, and darker-colored stripes framing the areas where the sleeves open laterally to reveal part of Azuma’s forearms. His pants, while orange in color, retain the same structure of the sleeves, with the lower parts being slashed on the front, where they are framed by green stripes and overlooked by studded bands. The sides of such pants, in addition, are adorned by a series of dark motifs running down their entire length. Visible from the slashes in them are Azuma’s white boots.

Personality
Most of the time, Azuma is a stoic, self-assured man who shows little emotion towards anything that happens around him. He shows contempt for opponents that he considers weak, noting their characteristics (such as being a woman, child, or cat) as a factor to their weakness and scoffing at their attempts to hurt him. After Azuma's battle with Mirajane, he began to acknowledge Fairy Tail's power and the immense faith that it possesses.

When Azuma has the opportunity to battle strong opponents, he will do anything, including resorting to underhanded tactics to face them, despite disliking it. He derives great pleasure from his fights with worthy opponents, as even when he was being barraged with powerful attacks he was grinning maniacally at the exhilaration of the fight. He is disappointed if his battle concludes before he has had enough "fun". Despite his love for fighting, Azuma has proven himself to have some restraint. After Mirajane sacrificed herself to save Lisanna he didn't attempt to finish the unconscious Mirajane or Lisanna off. Azuma also seems to be a man of his word, promising Erza Scarlet he would have returned the Fairy Tail members Magic Power back to them if she defeated him, and, once beaten, doing so as promised in spite of such action being damaging for his own guild. He also seems to have a sense of honor, which his guild mates' seem to lack, seen when he accepts his defeat, and silently praises Erza for her and Fairy Tail's strength.

Tenrou Island arc
During Panther Lily's interrogation of Mest Gryder, Azuma attempts to attack Wendy with explosions but misses due to Mest's intervention. Mest then shouts for him to come out. He reveals himself from inside a nearby tree, identifying himself as one of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory and saying that the signal flare was too late in its goal of warning of an enemy attack. Mest starts explaining that he is a member of the new Magic Council and is trying to put Fairy Tail out of business in order to earn a promotion. With the revelation that Grimoire Heart is now on the island, Mest says that if he can take care of them, he can stop dreaming about his promotion and obtain it. He tells Azuma that Grimoire Heart is finished. He also mentions that he brought along a force of battleships of the Council's Main Force Arrest Squad just in case.

Unfazed, Azuma blows up the battleships from afar, and sarcastically asks Mest if he could start his own job now, much to Mest's shock. Panther Lily then charges at Azuma and Azuma blasts him with Bleve. However, Panther Lily emerges from the explosion, surprising Azuma, and punches him in the face. Hardly fazed by the attack, Azuma watches on as the aftermath of his attack creates another explosion on Panther Lily. Panther Lily then gets speed-boosted by Wendy, and he and Azuma continue to fight, each dodging the others attacks. Pantherily then flies high into the sky and Azuma comments that no matter how far he runs, Azuma's explosions can hit him.

Before he can attack Panther Lily, Mest and Wendy teleport directly behind him in preparation for a sneak attack. Without even turning his head, Azuma notes their attack as pathetic and uses Tower Burst to defeat all of his opponents simultaneously. Looking down at his fallen opponents, Azuma wonders if Fairy Tail is comprised of only cats and children. He then leaves the area and later comments that all his guild members have arrived on the island. He later confronts Mirajane and Lisanna, noting the fact that they are women as yet another factor to how weak Fairy Tail is.

Azuma begins using his Great Tree Arc Magic to attack Mirajane and Lisanna. Lisanna recommends that Mirajane use Satan Soul to defeat Azuma, but Mirajane doesn't respond to her and thinks to herself that Satan Soul isn't a spell she can use in consecutive enterprises. Azuma then realizes he is fighting the Demon Mirajane, and requests a serious match against her in her Demon form. Mirajane ignores Azuma's request and tells Lisanna to run away, because she can tell Azuma is very strong. Due to Mirajane's lack of response, Azuma traps Lisanna in a ticking time bomb. As Mirajane rushes over to Lisanna and attempts to free her from the bomb, Azuma tells her that the bomb will go off unless she defeats him in three minutes. Mirajane calls him a coward, but he says he will do anything to face her in her Demon form. Without a choice, Mirajane uses Satan Soul.

Mirajane then changes in her Satan Soul form and kicks Azuma. Azuma, smiling happily at the thought of fighting against such a strong opponent, begins fighting back with his explosions. He also starts manipulating tree roots from the ground in an attempt to ensnare Mirajane to make her an easier target for his explosions. Mirajane and Azuma then continue their battle until the timer on the bomb reaches 20 seconds. Mirajane, realizing that she can't win due to the lack of time and lack of Magic Power, reverts to her normal form and runs toward Lisanna despite Azuma's protests for her to continue battling him. She then hugs Lisanna and says that she is sure there is someone in the guild who can defeat Azuma. The bomb then explodes and Mirajane protects Lisanna from the blast. Disappointed and upset at the loss of his opponent, Azuma regains his stoic composure and solemnly walks away from the scene.

He is later seen exploring the island, with a serious look on his face. As it begins raining, he sits down on some rocks and takes off his shirt to clean himself. Rustyrose encounters him and comments on him being battle-worn. Azuma says that it's because he fought a powerful opponent, and that they shouldn't underestimate the power of Fairy Tail. He claims that Fairy Tail's power comes not from their Magic, but from their incredible faith, which they can transform and wield like blades, much like Meredy.

As Erza Scarlet runs around looking for her guildmates, Azuma emerges upside down from a tree and calls out to her. He tells her that he took care of "that little girl", referring to Wendy. Later, when Bluenote uses his Magic at another part of the island, Azuma simply notes that Bluenote is on the island and that the war will soon be over, with no lives left on the island.

Azuma is then seen facing off against Erza, and after the two battle for a while longer with neither gaining a clear upper hand, Azuma comments that he and Erza are the same, in that they both pursue strong opponents to fight. Erza however replies saying that she only needs the strength to protect her comrades. Azuma then states that Erza fights honorably, which means Grimoire Heart will run out of time. He then activates his Lost Magic, and uproots the Great Tenrou Tree which had bestowed upon all Fairy Tail members Magical strength and protection from death which results in weakening all of Fairy Tail members' Magic powers except for Erza's.

Azuma then tells Erza that her friends' lives are on the line and to show him if she has enough power to protect them. Erza asks Azuma why she's the only one not affected by his damage to the Tenrou Tree, his reply being that he wants to fight her when she's serious. Erza says she will defeat him no matter what if he'll return the guild's Magic Power; he promises he will do this, remarking he doesn't like these tactics. Erza starts her attack using the Heaven's Wheel Armor and Blumenblatt which is easily blocked by Azuma, who proceeds to use Folium and Ramus Sica to attack her. Erza then switches to her Flight Armor which allows her to land a hit, but on her second attempt, Azuma defends himself, captures Erza, and uses Tower Burst to injure her. After this, Erza requips to a sarsi and a single sword. She then charges at Azuma using her Demon Blade: Crimson Cherry Spell, but Azuma is easily able to ensnare Erza before she gets to him and he uses the Terra Clamare to defeat Erza. Azuma grins and declares that Erza has been defeated.

Much to his surprise, not only does Erza survive, but she manages to get back to her feet despite being heavily wounded and continues the battle, even beginning to cut him. He tries to hit her once more with his Cry of the Earth Spell, but Erza, remembering her friends, strengthens her resolve and she comes out of the explosion straight for him. At first Azuma looks on in shock that his ultimate attack has no effect on her but then realizes that Fairy Tail's conviction is their true strength, complimenting that they are a splendid guild. Erza hits him with a powerful sword slash, defeating him and ending the battle.

After his defeat by Erza, Azuma lies on the ground, battle worn, and Erza notices his body is transforming into a tree. He states that it is a side effect of overusing his Lost Magic. He then tells her that, as promised, he will return everyone's Magic Power to them. She then asks him if he knew a man named Jellal. Azuma states that he does and explains that Jellal is a sad man who has become obsessed with the idea that Zeref's ghost exists and that he has lost all sense of reason. He then asks Erza if she knew him, but gets no response. He then apologizes and states that it was Ultear's plan to possess Jellal, and that she did it to get the Magic Council to take their eyes off of Grimoire Heart. He then goes on to explain that Ultear is a truly frightening person. Erza then asks him why they are pursuing Zeref so heatedly and Azuma states that it is to get closer to the very first Magic in the world, the source of all Magic. Erza then asks what would happen if they find the source, and Azuma simply smiles and states that Jellal dreamed of Paradise. Azuma tries to explain further but is completely transformed into a tree.

Tartaros arc
Note: His appearance in this arc occurs only in the anime and does not constitute canon material.

Magic and Abilities
Great Tree Arc (大樹のアーク Taiju No Āku): A form of Lost Magic which allows Azuma to manipulate and produce trees, as well as to create explosions by condensing the power of the earth inside the fruits of such trees. However, Great Tree Arc's real power lies in its user's ability to control all the Magic stored within the earth. Such effect was enough for Azuma to make the Great Tenrou Tree collapse, greatly weakening all of the Fairy Tail members on Tenrou Island as a result. Great Tree Arc comes in as an extremely versatile form of Magic, granting Azuma great offensive power, with him being capable of taking down numerous opponents at once with his devastating explosions or of manipulating the vegetation to bombard foes in different ways, as well as an effective defense, capable of blocking most attacks, even particularly powerful ones. This form of Magic also allows Azuma to merge himself with trees. However, the great power offered by Great Tree Arc comes with similarly terrible side effects: overusing such form of Magic eventually turned Azuma himself into a tree.
 * Bleve (ブレビーBurebī): Azuma extends his hand forward, and the area directly in front of him is engulfed in an explosion. This move seems to leave small "fireworks" in the air in its aftermath, which then explode a few seconds later to inflict further damage. First used against Panther Lily, who, however, endured it without much trouble.
 * Burst Claw (バーストクロウ Bāsuto Kurō): After Azuma has extended one or more of his roots near an opponent, he creates an explosion along the line of one of them while sideswiping the opponent with it, something which results in an explosive blunt attack.
 * Chain Burst (チェイン バースト Chein Bāsuto): After Azuma has used trees to entangle his opponent's limbs, he generates a fast-moving line of explosions along each of the roots. It was used against Mirajane while the latter was in her Satan Soul form, but she managed to escape by flying away at the last moment.
 * Linear Explosions: Azuma releases a thin shockwave in a straight line towards the target, which is strong enough to shatter the ground. A moment later, the entire length of the created line becomes engulfed with devastating explosions. (Unnamed)
 * Tower Burst (タワーバーストTawā Bāsuto): Azuma extends both arms out to his sides, summoning forth an enormous tower of explosive flame in his immediate vicinity, or in the area above him. The usage of it was enough to defeat Wendy, Carla, Doranbolt and even the airborne Panther Lily all at once.
 * 180-Second Time Bomb: Several roots emerge from the ground and entangle the opponent tightly, preventing them from moving and keeping them in place. Such roots bear an airy timer floating before them, which starts with three minutes of time and decreases with a countdown. This spell is essentially a 180-second time bomb whose countdown can only be stopped if Azuma is defeated in battle before its detonation, which causes a huge blast. Used on Lisanna to force Mirajane to fight him with all her strength. (Unnamed)
 * Tree Merge: Azuma merges with a tree he's in contact with, something which allows him to remain undetected to most people. He can still use his Great Tree Arc attacks while merged, and has also shown the ability to move around freely and unnoticed through the length of the tree itself. Mages with strong sensory abilities can still detect him, however. (Unnamed)
 * Tree Fist: Azuma summons a massive clenched fist from a tree to punch his opponent. Similarly, he can create multiple, smaller blunt branches to attack physically, seemingly making them sprout from his own body. (Unnamed)
 * Folium Sica (葉の剣, フォリウムシーカ, Foriumu Shīka) : Azuma summons forth several massive funnels of sharp leafs, which swirl around him to hone in on and cut up his opponent.
 * Ramus Sica (枝の剣, ラームスシーカ, Rāmusu Shīka) : Azuma releases a flurry of sharp, fast-moving branches to pierce his opponent.
 * Terra Clamare (大地の叫び, テラ・クラマーレ, Tera Kuramāre): After Azuma has ensnared his opponent with roots, he releases all of the Magic stored within the earth to engulf his opponent in a massive, extremely destructive explosion. This spell appears to be exhausting to cast, as Azuma was seen visibly shaking after using it.

Enhanced Durability: Azuma has shown to be very resilient. He took a direct punch to the face by Panther Lily in his large form without showing any signs of injury or bleeding, scoffing at the attack and then continuing to assault Panther Lily with explosions. During his fight with Mirajane, he could continue to fight as if nothing happened after taking a kick to the stomach from her while she had Satan Soul active. During his match with Erza, he emerged unscathed from her Photon Slicer attack, bouncing back as if nothing happened, and withstood two direct slashes from her without suffering major consequences. Such feats are made more formidable by the fact that they were achieved in consecutive reprises, with Azuma getting little to no rest between them.

Immense Endurance: Azuma has proven himself to possess great stamina, having managed to defeat Panther Lily, Doranbolt, Wendy and Carla, later going so far as to match Mirajane evenly in her Satan Soul form and to easily fight Erza for an extended amount of time without getting rest, almost defeating her.

Immense Reflexes: Azuma possesses remarkable reflexes, agility and speed. He was able to dodge a kick from Panther Lily while the latter's already high speed and physical prowess were enhanced by Wendy's Arms X Vernier. Similarly, he could instantly react to Doranbolt and Wendy teleporting behind him to launch a point-blank attack, defeating them with one of his own spells while commenting on the whole matter to be "boring". He was also able to dodge all of Erza's armed melee attacks during the first part of their fight, jumping around to great heights and performing notable acrobatic feats between the surrounding trees.

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Despite favoring the use of his ranged Great Tree Arc spells, Azuma doesn't disdain fighting in melee, having displayed great prowess in unarmed combat. His fighting style seems to rely around the use of advanced hand-to-hand combat and little explosions he generates in the air, which are employed to repel enemy attacks with great timing and accuracy. Through the use of such style, alongside his own speed and reflexes, he was capable of fighting a Satan Soul Mirajane on equal terms in close combat.

Fairy Tail: Zeref's Awakening
Azuma appears as a mini-boss twice in the PSP game, Fairy Tail: Zeref's Awakening. He can be unlocked as a playable character with a password.

Trivia

 * Azuma's name comes from the artist Mikihisa Azuma, whose program Mashima was watching while creating the character.

Quotes

 * (To Erza Scarlet) "I've been waiting for someone strong like you... This will be fun."

Battles & Events

 * Panther Lily, Wendy Marvell & Mest Gryder vs. Azuma
 * Mirajane Strauss & Lisanna Strauss vs. Azuma
 * Erza Scarlet vs. Azuma