Azuma

Azuma is a member of the Dark Guild, Grimoire Heart. He is the first of the Seven Kin of Purgatory to arrive on Tenrou Island to battle Fairy Tail members.

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 downwards.

Azuma wears an outfit decorated by tribal-like decorations, complete with what looks like a leather armour 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 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-coloured shoulder pads, complete with lighter-coloured 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-coloured stripes framing the areas where the sleeves open laterally to reveal part of Azuma’s forearms. His pants, while orange in colour, 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 at 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 Lisannam he didn't attempt to finish an unconscious Mirajane or Lisanna off.

Tenrou Island arc
During Pantherlily'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 the enemy attack. Mest starts explaining that he is a member of the new Magic Council trying to put Fairy Tail out of business in order to earn a promotion, but with the revelation that Grimoire Heart was now on the island, he says that if he can take care of them, he could stop dreaming about it. He tells Azuma that Grimoire Heart is finished. He also mentions that he brought along a battleship of the Council's Main Force Arrest Squad just in case. Unfazed, Azuma blows up the battleship from afar, and sarcastically asks Mest if he could start his own job now, much to Mest's shock. Pantherlily then charges at Azuma and Azuma blasts him with Brevi. However, Pantherlily 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 Pantherlily. Pantherlily then gets speed-boosted by Wendy, and he and Azuma continue to fight, each dodging the other's attacks. Pantherily then flies high into the sky and Azuma comments that no matter how far he ran, Azuma's explosions could hit him.

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

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. Since Mirajane doesn't respond, he 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 not go off unless she defeats him in three minutes. She calls him a coward, but he says he will do anything to face the demon. Without a choice, she uses Satan's Soul.

Mirajane then changes to 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 and when the timer reaches 20 seconds. Mirajane, realizing that she can't win due to the lack of time and her lack of Magic, reverts back 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 there is someone in the guild who can defeat Azuma, and protects her 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, which 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.

Azuma then tells Erza that her friends' lives are on the line and to show him if she had 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 Magical Power; he promises he will do this, remarking he doesn't like these tactics. Erza starts her attack using the Heavens Wheel Armor and Blumenblatt which is easily blocked by Azuma, who proceeds to use Pholium and Laum Seeker to attack Erza. 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 Erza. 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 "Cry of the Earth" 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 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 with a powerful sword slash, defeating him and ending the battle.

After his defeat by Erza Azuma lay on the ground, battle worn, and Erza notices his body was 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 would return everyone's Magic Power to them. She then asks him if he knew a man name Jellal. Azuma states that he does and explains that Jellal is a sad man who had become obsessed with the idea that Zeref's ghost exists and that he lost all sense of reason. He then asks Erza if she knew him, but to get no response. He then apologizes and states that it was Ultear's plan, 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 found the source, and Azuma simply smiles and states that Jellal dreamed of Paradise. Azuma tries to explain further but is completely transformed into trees.

Magic and Abilities
Great Tree Arc: 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, this Magic’s real power lies in its user 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 defence, capable of blocking most attacks, even particularly powerful ones. This form of Magic also allows Azuma to merge himself with trees.


 * Brevi (ブレビーBurebī): Azuma extends his hand, and the area directly in front of him is engulfed in an explosion. This was first used against Pantherlily. It is possible that this move also leaves small little "fireworks" in the air in its aftermath, which then explode a few seconds later to inflict further damage. "Brevi" is the Italian Plural Word for "Short", often used for indicate distances from one point to another one, hence the name.
 * Burst Claw (バースト クロウ Bāsuto Kurō): After Azuma has extended one of his roots near an opponent, he creates an explosion along the line of the root and sideswipes the opponent with the root simultaneously.
 * Chain Burst (チェイン バースト Chein Bāsuto): After Azuma has used trees to entangle his opponent with five different limbs, he uses this move to release explosive fruit that create a fast-moving line of explosions along each of the roots. It was used against Mirajane, but she managed to escape by flying away at the last moment.
 * Linear Explosions: An as of yet unnamed attack, it was first used in a surprise attack on Wendy and later was presumably about to be used against Pantherlily before Azuma canceled it. Azuma aims his finger at an opponent and releases a thin shock wave in a straight line towards the target. A moment later, the entire length of the line becomes engulfed with devastating explosions. (Unnamed)
 * Mini Explosions: An as of yet unnamed attack, this is Azuma's form of hand-to-hand combat in which he creates small explosions near his person to repel his enemy's punches. It was used against Mirajane while she was in her Satan Soul form. (Unnamed)
 * Tower Burst (タワーバーストTawā Bāsuto): Azuma extends both arms out to his sides, and summons an enormous tower of explosive flame in his immediate vicinity. The usage of it was enough to defeat Wendy, Charle, Mest, and even the airborne Pantherlily all at once.
 * 180-Second Time Bomb: Seen but not formally named, Azuma placed a 180-second time bomb at a location where he trapped Lisanna in a set of roots. It seemed to take the place of a seal, and had an actual timer that would only stop if he was defeated in battle first. It had an enormous blast.
 * Tree Shield: An unnamed defensive spell, Azuma crosses his arms and creates several layers of curved tree roots to shield himself from an opponent's ranged attack. It was used against one of Mirajane's blast and later against a flurry of Erza's thrown swords. He can have the shield cover his entire body to provide a greater defense. (Unnamed)
 * Tree Merge: An unnamed move in which Azuma merges into a tree, allowing him to remain undetected to most people. He can still use Great Tree Arc freely while merged. Mages with strong sensory abilities can still detect him, however. (Unnamed)
 * Tree Fist: An unnamed move in which Azuma summons a massive fist from a tree to punch his opponent. He can also create multiple, smaller tree fists to pummel his opponent as well. (Unnamed)
 * Pholium Seeker (葉の剣 (フオリウム シーカ, Fuoriumu Shīka) : Azuma summons forth a massive funnel of leaf blades to hone in on and cut up his opponent.
 * Laum Seeker (枝の剣 (ラーム シーカ, Rāmu Shīka) : Azuma releases a flurry of sharp branch blades to home in on and cut up his opponent.
 * Terra Chrymal (大地の叫び (テラ・クラマーレ, Tera Kuramāre): After Azuma has ensnared his opponent, he releases the magic within the earth (in this case, from Tenrou Island) to engulf his opponent in a massive explosion.

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: He was seen fighting Mirajane on equal terms in her demon form in close combat with the help of his explosions.

Enhanced Durability: Azuma took a direct punch to the face by Pantherlily in his large form without showing any signs of injury or bleeding. He scoffed at the attack and then continued assaulting Pantherlily with explosions. During his fight with Mirajane, also was able to continue fighting after taking a kick to the stomach from Mirajane while she had Satan Soul activated. Besides, during his match with Erza, he withstood all her attacks, as he had survived after his fight with Mirajane in Satan Soul form.

Enhanced Reflexes: Azuma was able to dodge a kick from a speed-enhanced Pantherlily. He was also able to instantly react to Mest Gryder and Wendy teleporting behind him to launch a point-blank attack on him, and defeat them right after that with one of his own spells.

Major Battles

 * Wendy Marvell, Mest Gryder & Pantherlily vs. Azuma
 * Mirajane & Lisanna vs. Azuma
 * Erza Scarlet vs. Azuma