Chapter-57
The end portal leads to...?
.°•°.•Ezel and Draken•.°•°.
~•~
Seilah coughed out blood before falling on her knees.
That purple sword shattered into pieces once it served it's purpose.
This chill... this magic...
With rage, Seilah jerked her head around, "SILVER?!"
"Gray." The one who impaled the sword in her back, Gray, says, glaring at Seilah. Black lines had covered half of his face.
"You... how you..." Seilah says, jumping back unsteadily. "My curse?"
"I had successfully taken over your curse a while ago... I hope you haven't forget it just yet." Mira says.
This made Seilah abuse her silently. But while she was doing this, Mira was looking at Gray with hesitant confusion and... fear. This feeling...
In her mind was a question, "But still... my takeover was too vague to remove Seilah's influence on Gray completely... is this the power of devil slayer magic... immunity to curses?"
"to thinks these humans have made me use it..." Seilah whispers opening his arms. "RELEASE, LIMITE-"
Silence.
Before Seilah could complete, a sword sliced her throat nice and clean. And before even a drop of blood could pour out, her body got encased into ice. Purple ice.
"Ice Devil's Zeroth Long Sword." Gray says, taking out a cold breath through his mouth. He was the one who swiftly sliced Seilah's throat before she could track his movements. The ethereal sword in his hands slowly sublime in the air.
"Gray..." Mira whispers, walking towards Gray. She glances at Seilah as she passed her, sealed in impenetrable ice for good. There was an expression of fright and sorrow, something that she hadn't seen until now on the neutral makeover of Seilah.
"She was a demon..." Gray says looking at Mira with his titled neck. Mira gets chills as Gray's droopy eyes look right through her. "You knew it, didn't you?"
"He is snapped." Mira whispers to herself and then with a nervous smile says, "Ah... Yes. But I never got the chance to tell you."
"..." Gray simply looked at Mira for a while. He didn't exit his slayer form. But then with a sigh, he looked at the sky. "So... Tartaros is here?"
"Seems like it." Mirajane replies.
"In that case." Gray says, starting to walk. "I will take the responsibility of eradicating this guild personally."
Mirajane simply nodded and followed him.
"But before that..." Gray said, glancing at Mira. "I have a promise to fulfill."
"What promise?"
"Something I was requested by the princess herself."
•••
"This feeling..." Laxus whispers, looking at the dark sky.
He was standing behind everyone, his arms crossed.
In front of him was ongoing a battle between the thunder legion, Kritz and Draken, along with Ezel versus Yukio, and Sabertooth.
No one had their hands free except him. He takes another quick whiff and lowers his head. "The dust is settling... this smell... Mira, and Gray?"
"LAXUS!!!"
Laxus hears this yell. But he couldn't care about it. He mumbled to himself, "Are they nearby? They broke the prison after all..."
In another second, there was a sword near his neck. A dark black sword.
He could sense a murderous aura fueling the destructiveness. With a sigh, he closed his eyes.
There was a thunderstike in the same instance, lightened up the dark gloomy battlefield. Laxus now stood behind the weilder of that sword.
Behind Draken.
Draken curses and jumps back, his sword pointed at Laxus.
"Why... can't I hit you?!" Draken yells with annoyance.
"Because you are slow." Laxus replies keeping his hand on his forehead. He sighs, slipping his hand down and asks, "Should I join the battle now?"
"NO!"
The Thunder Legion and Kritz yells, sprinting past Laxus, towards Draken.
"Well well..." Laxus mumbles, turning around.
"TAKE THIS!" Freed yells thrusting his sword straight towards Draken.
Using the side of the giant sword, Draken was able to block it.
"I am slow...?" Draken whispers out of rage, flicking his sword. This made Freed step forward out of imbalance. Draken without wasting any time lifted his sword... and striked it straight on Freed. "DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP!"
Freed grits his teeth. He won't make out of the range in time.
But luckily for him, Kritz jumped in, holding the flat surface of his sword in both his hands as a shield.
As the black sword striked Kritz's yellowish gray sword, there was a lot of pressure felt by both sides.
Draken shared the same curse as his master, Ezel, the Yonko curse. A curse able to cut through anything. But this was one sword that he wasn't able to cut.
...why?
Suddenly, Draken felt a beam of energy striking his abdomen. He was thrown back by it.
Jumping back on his feet, he used his sword to stop the momentum. And just as he finally stopped, the land beneath him exploded.
Explosions.
Several chain explosions that lasted for a few seconds.
Glitter... was all he could see.
Draken was knocked off his feet. If it wasn't for his armor, he might have suffered some heavy damage.
"Man... I even got him off guard this time." Bickslow says with a sigh, helping Freed to stand. "But there that bastard stands again, unscratched."
"Thanks, Bickslow." Freed says.
"MY GLITTERS ARE USELESS!" Evergreen says with annoyance, landing down beside Bickslow. "AND WHAT'S WRONG WITH STONE EYES?!"
"Indeed... it certainly is unusual." Freed says slowly. "Your stone eyes and Bickslow's possession magic aren't working on him."
"Does him being a demon suggest anything?" Kritz asks, looking at Freed. He looks down, and keeps his hand on his stomach. Taking a pause, he says, "It is because of me... If that day 3 months ago..."
"There he goes again." Evergreen says, rolling her eyes.
"Kritz..." Draken says suddenly.
Kritz gets chills. Slowly, he turns and faces Draken.
Draken lifts his sword and rests it on his shoulders, "That sword of yours... what did you do?"
"What do'ya mean?" Bickslow asks stepping in front of Kritz. Being as short as Kritz was, he got covered completely. "Getting jealous?"
"No... I have a better sword than that claymore." Draken says swinging his own sword, which was probably not even sword. It was a bluk of some iron... no... something tougher than iron with sharp edges, even bigger than himself. "But... that sword was not this durable... I know because I once wielded it. To take on strikes from my cursed sword without getting nicked at all... something is wrong."
(Quick note: Claymore is a type of sword. Search it up for a better idea. Krtiz's is a little broader.)
"Lives it's former title of unbreakable, doesn't it?" Evergreen says with a smug look.
"The wielder makes the difference." Freed says with a smile.
"To dumb it down,", Bickslow says slipping his tongue out, "You are trash."
"Huh...? Come again..." Draken says lifting his sword off his shoulders.
"It's embued with magic." Laxus suddenly says. "My, Thunder Legion, Mirajane and Elfman's magic... all combined into one sword to reinforce it."
"... how does it even work?" Draken asks.
"First, what's up with your immunity against my stone eyes magic?" Evergreen asks pointing at Draken.
"Mine too..." Bickslow mumbles.
"...it's really simple." Draken smirks. "My curse runs through my body... it can cut anything, and that includes all the cheap tricks you throw at me."
"Cheap tricks...?" Evergreen mumbles.
"That's bad..." Freed says glancing at Evergreen and Bickslow. "That means..."
Bickslow looks at Evergreen and says, "Ever is out?"
"Huh?" Evergreen says with irritation, staring at Bickslow and Freed.
"Let's not fight-" Kritz was just saying this, when he felt an intense blow down his knees.
An invisible attack that passed right through his shin. Instantly, he fell down.
And he wasn't alone. The thunder legion too, gets knocked down.
"That son of a-" Both Freed and Bickslow yell as a intense pain flows through their legs, but then they saw a shadow beside them.
Evergreen...
"What the-" Evergreen yells with pain as she falls. After calming down a little, she sensed that shadowy precense too.
Jerking her head up, her eyes freeze as Draken stood right in front, with his execution blade ready to rain the judgment.
"If you can't fight, you may as well die-" Draken says, but then out of instinct, looks at Laxus.
Laxus was just standing there, his arms folded. A calm expression on his face.
Draken smirks and asks, "Not gonna a save your underlings?"
"..." Laxus didn't reply.
"What now? Chickening out?" Draken asks raising his blade even higher. "My blade will smoothly slice her into two."
"...you dare lay a finger on them... and you are dead." Laxus says narrowing his eyes.
"My curse..." Draken says looking at the raged expression of the four lying on the ground, "Cuts through anything precisely. This attack can't be seen with human eyes. The earlier attack just destroyed their tendons... and for the next attack... I will cut the spine of this women. She won't die, but will be paralyzed for her life."
"You talk a lot." Laxus says throwing down his cape. He looks at Thunder legion and Kritz and asks, "Do you give up?"
"No..." Kritz says pushing up his body.
"Not yet-" Freed says trying to sit. He wasn't able to feel his legs, his transformation had faded.
"Stay low, Freed." Bickslow whispers, using his 'babies' to fly. "You were injured before this fight too, and now it's just worse."
"Yeah." Evergreen says, crawling back, away from Draken.
Draken sighs. He grabs Evergreen by her hair and lifts her.
"BASTARD!" Bickslow says pointing two of his free spirits at Draken. But Draken sliced his sword towards them, rendering them useless with the same attack as previous one.
An invisible attack.
"Now, sleep-" Draken says pointing his sword at the waist of Evergreen.
And that was it.
In an instant, he felt a crushing blow in his face, throwing him away from Thunder legion.
Draken didn't stopped even after tumbling few meters over the path.
"I gave you enough time to prove yourselves." Laxus says landing on the ground, with one of his leg after a quick leap almost like teleportation. He then looks at Thunder Legion and says, "Now observe."
"Shit..." Bickslow says looking at Draken.
"What a disgrace..." Freed curses punching the ground.
"Laxus..." Evergreen mumbles with slight relief and guilt.
Draken stands up and spits some blood. He lifts his sword and smirks. "I will first slice the tendons of your arms and then-..."
"Not again..." Kritz says as tears form in his eyes. "Once again... I couldn't defeat Draken..."
Laxus glances at him and smiles, "No... this is different." He was smiling, but his face was tense and stressed. He was furious, but it was suppressed by that bold smile. "You weren't helpless... you fought your part."
"I can't reach him." Kritz says to himself, clutching his fists. "Laxus... I can never reach his level... not with a sword not with help from Thunder legion... never..."
"You can...-" Laxus says taking a fighting stance.
Kritz's takes a gulp and nods obediently, trying to stop his tears. He still was hesitant.
"-...and when I am done with each limb, I will finally chop your head... NOW LET'S GET STARTED!" Draken yells, slashing his sword in the air.
The same invisible attack that took out thunder legion and Kritz in one go.
"-believe in yourself. Don't doubt your instincts... your decisions-" Laxus says glancing at Kritz. He did not try to dodge that attack. "Believe... that you are on top of this world..."
"Got you!" Draken yells with a laugh as the attack reached dangerously close to Laxus.
Laxus simply moves his body, jerking his right shoulder away.
Draken's face drops as Laxus dodges that attack with minimal effort.
"...and soon, you will find the strength you need. That's the first step." Laxus completes, getting serious again. His smile disappears.
Krtiz was left dumbfounded.
"DIE DIE DIEEEE!" Draken yells, swinging his sword in every direction. Countless such slashes, all headed towards Laxus.
Laxus sighs, and suddenly vanishes. Draken stops once he realizes that Laxus was no more at the place where he earlier was.
And in other moment, Draken felt a crushing below on his head, making him fall on his knees.
It was lightning.
Behind him was Laxus, his hands joined and were used to hit straight the head of Draken from above.
"Lighting Dragon's Jaw." Laxus says taking a few steps back.
Draken stands up slowly, using the support of his sword. His armor was breaking off...
How does he always get behind me... is he humiliating me...?
"Why... can't I-" Draken was just beginning to say, but Laxus interrupts.
"You survived that attack... it must be because of your armor."
"Why can't I cut you..." Draken growls.
Laxus frowns. "You think a slab of iron can cut something as formless as electricity?"
"...damn you..." Draken whispers. "I won't miss twice."
"Me too." Laxus replies closing his eyes. He breaths a deep breath while taking a stance. "My attacks won't be static shocks anymore."
•••
"Man... Laxus is really going overboard." Macao says palely. "I want to find Romeo."
He, along with Wakaba and Nab were sitting inside the broken corridor of the royal palace, which now had no wall.
"How many times do I need to tell you-" Wakaba says taking his cigar out. "-your son ain't a weakling."
"But-" Macao opens his mouth, and then closes. He looks away and whispers, "I am his father."
"Guys..." Nab says, cutting out Macao. "I don't think that we will be able to stop the queen at this rate."
"Right?" Wakaba says, agreeing with Nab. "We will definitely be late."
"Then why the heck are we sitting here?" Macao asks standing up.
"Well... they asked us specially to not interfere. So... I guess waiting is for the best." Nab says gripping the cape of Kin tightly. "I am more interested in this cloth though."
"..." Macao and Wakaba look at each other with a sigh. "Kids are sure arrogant these days."
"Speaking of arrogance..." Nab says. "Shouldn't Elfman fight too? He went away in between right?"
"...who cares." Macao says slowly. "I just want to see my son."
•••
"TRY THIS ONE!" Ezel yells frantically, swinging his gigantic hands, which were even bigger and sharper than Draken's sword. And what's more, he had four such modified arms in his etherious form.
He was flying high in the sky.
"Here it comes again!" Rufus says jumping back just in nick of time.
These slashes were the curse of Ezel, Yonko. They were invisible, just like Draken's. But held more destructive power than anything. A single touch was enough to smoothly slice through something as soft as humans.
"Not again-" Orga says trying to sense from where the attack would come. Luckily, he too managed to notice it before time.
For Minerva, she simply switched her position.
Lector cheered his guildmates from the sidelines.
That leaves Sting and Yukio.
Sting smirked. He was able to sense it the moment Ezel threw that attack towards him.
Dragon senses.
But unlike others... he decided to take it head on.
Putting up his guard, Sting tried to grab a hold of it. He was in his dragon force, but even for him it was tough. Sting grits his teeth as he held a two meter broad invisible force in both his hands, which was rapidly pushing him back.
Minvera sighed when she noticed it. She said embarrassingly while pointing at Sting, "That brat... wrestling with an attack at this time."
With that, Sting replaced the location of a boulder lying near Minerva. The boulder in turn replaced Sting, and met the fate of getting sliced into two the instant it touched the attack.
"WHAT THE-?!" Sting says, annoyed, exiting his dragon force. Minerva glanced at him and sighed again.
"I was holding my own, M'lady!" Sting protests.
Minerva takes a look at him and says, "If you are too busy with what's around you, you would never figure out what's happening to your body."
"STING-KUN!" Lector suddenly yells, running towards Sting out of concern. "Your hands!"
Sting looks at his palms with confusion. But his confusion settled as he saw a deep cut on both his palms... they were bleeding heavily.
Two smooth cuts, which were too precise that they weren't even hurting. But the bleeding was rapid.
"That leaves her." Rufus says looking at Yukio. "I hope she doesn't try to stop the attack."
Yukio was simply standing at one place. Away from Sabertooth. It's not like she was rejecting their help. It was just that she didn't want to catch them in between her attacks.
Around her was a cluster of piercing winds, rotating clockwise with an incredible speed.
Her cap was glowing white.
Slowly, she kept her hand on her cap's peak and glanced around.
Just as she felt something entering her territory, she reacted with inhumane reflexes.
The slash that reached her was easily evaded even before it could come anywhere close.
"SPLENDID!" Ezel yells with a laugh. "YOU ALL WILL MAKE SOME FINE DINNER."
"Here he goes again." Sting says wrapping two pieces of clothing he tore from his crop top around his palms.
"It's annoying." Rufus says looking at Ezel. "What about teleporting him down on the ground, and attacking simultaneously, M'lady?"
"We can certainly do that... but that demon can just cut all out attacks with that curse of his. There's no guarantee that he will just stand there... and it's not like my magic reserves are still in top shape." Minerva says and then looks at Yukio. "However, we do have an interesting asset on our side."
"It was as if she dodged the attack ahead of time..." Rufus says slowly. "I have no memory of such a fighter."
"That's true." Orga says pointing at Yukio. "I have a feeling that damned cap is at work."
"Cap... huh?" Sting whispers.
"YUKIO!" Minerva yells suddenly. This catches everyone's attention.
Once Yukio's eyes fix on her, Minerva continues. "GO ON THE OFFENSIVE! WE WILL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD!"
It was barely audible for Yukio being inside a net of high paced winds. But Yukio was successfully able to comprehend it.
She waved her hand in agreement.
"You sure, M' Lady?" Orga asks.
"If it's M'lady decision, I have no problems." Sting says stretching his arms.
"Me neither." Rufus adds.
Orga looks at them with confusion.
Minerva smiles and says, while looking at Yukio. "I got to know something about Radiants. Apparently, this girl carries the title of Spear of Radiants, responsible for the vanguard. We can sure make some use of her speciality."
"Oh...k." Orga says hesitantly, surprised by Minerva praising someone.
And with that, this group felt a wide gust of wind on their faces.
When they turned towards Yukio, she was gone.
"There she goes..." Rufus says keeping his fingers on his temple.
"To think we, Sabertooth would end up relying on someone..." Minerva thinks and says with a slight laugh. "SUPPORT HER WITH EVERYTHING!"
"YES!" The others reply.
But there was one problem. Where was Yukio?
Ezel narrowed his eyes and searched around with haste and excitement.
Where... Where?
And then, he finally found her.
Riding on the winds, at a speed faster than sonic, she passed from right beside him.
Ezel saw her raged eyes in slow motion, as his neck followed the direction of Yukio.
But just as he turned... she was gone. Again.
"SCREW IT!" Ezel yells out of annoyance, and brings his arms together. Then with an incredible speed, he slices through the air in all directions around him. "MIKAZUKI!!"
What left in the wake of these slashes were crescent shaped energy slashes.
Minerva sighed as many of them headed their way too. She lifted her arm and closed her fist. "I am depleting magic much faster..."
She intended to use her Territory magic to replace these slashes with dust. And that's when she noticed it.
This attack is much more troublesome than she anticipated.
Yukio saw this attack, while riding the winds near the cloud. And just like earlier, she relied on dodging it just as it enters the winds that surrounded her.
Winds that told her everything.
But to her surprise, this attack... it negated her magic. They passed through her winds, destroying the sensory barrier in a instant.
Cursing Ezel in her mind, Yukio shifted to defense, relying on her instinct and reflexes to dodge the attacks.
She managed to dodge some, but some attacks connected. Surprisingly, they weren't tough as the previous slashes. They just left a burning sensation and sharp pain.
Maybe this was because their real purpose wasn't offense.
"Found you."
Yukio's eyes widen as she suddenly hears this sly whisper on her shoulder .
Instantly, she turns around. And at the same moment, she felt a crushing blow above her head.
A blow so hard that the jerk it sent to her body opened up her wound on the waist. The T-shirt with which she had wrapped her wound got sliced into pieces as she fell towards the ground with intense speed.
Yukio would have almost passed out, if it was not for a yell that made her alive again.
"WATCH OUT!" Sting yells barely catching Yukio in his arms before she crashed into the ground.
Unfortunately for her, Sting, being in haste, had to grab her waist to break the momentum. And that exact place was the one of her wound.
It completely opened up, with Sting's hand sinking slightly into the flesh.
"AHHHH!!!" Yukio yells out of pain.
Sting instinctively drops her, and says with nervousness, "That's not how to say thanks someone who saved your-"
Blood?
Sting suddenly notices blood on hands. His arms tremble for a second as he realizes what has happened. Yukio's side was bleeding heavily.
"I AM SO-" Sting yells bowing down, but before he could complete, both him and Yukio get teleported in front of Minerva.
From above, rains a shower of blades where these two were formerly standing, making a deep pit.
"Don't pass out in middle of a-" Minerva was just about to scold, when she notices Yukio too.
Yukio slowly stood on her feet again, both her arms clenching her waist. Even in such pain, she looked at Sting and said with a smile, "Thanks, that octo almost got me."
"No... but-" Sting was just saying, but Yukio cuts out. She keeps her hand on the peak of her glowing white, "That was close... this cap saved my skull from shattering."
"Can you fight?" Orga asks.
Yukio nods while looking at him. "Not kicking the bucket so soon."
"We need a plan." Minerva says slowly. "Can't be too rash now."
For a moment, there was silence as everyone looked at each other, waiting for someone to propose something. But all they got was silence.
Atleast until someone decided to step up.
"I have one." Rufus says suddenly.
"WHAT?!" Everyone yell hectically, leaning towards Rufus.
Rufus pushes them away nervously and says, "I have memorized a spell. But for that... I need the outlet to be planted on Ezel."
"Outlet?" Orga asks.
"What's the spell anyway?" Minerva asks.
"A spell I have memorized from the moves of yours, M'lady." Rufus says adjusting his hat. "Of course, it includes mixture of others too. But for it to work, I must plant a magic circle on Ezel."
"On touch?" Sting asks.
"Yes. This magic circle can only be planted on touch." Rufus replied.
"That's tough..." Yukio says. "How will you reach him?"
"...that's the problem." Rufus says.
"No... There's a way..." Minerva states. "If someone can reach in close vicinity to Ezel, I can switch their places with Rufus at the critical moment."
"...that's impossible. He is too fast." Sting says looking at Ezel. He had stopped showering blades at the previous spot now... but was still disturbed.
His rage... Sting could feel it as that monster was searching for them around. Since this group wasn't trying to hide... it wouldn't take long from a sky view.
"I will do it." Yukio says suddenly, starting to levitate in the air.
"You couldn't do it earlier." Orga says grabbing the hand of Yukio. "Trying it now in this condition would be suicide."
"I was able to do it." Yukio corrects. "I was able to fly past him... but it wasn't for long."
"That won't cut it." Rufus says. "You need to get behind him. I too, need a moment to cast the spell on him."
"...I will try." Yukio says.
"It is reckless." Minerva sighs. "I too, need a brief moment to teleport you. We should try to think of a trap."
"Well... even I won't recommend it." Sting says slowly. "Your waist... it's severely wounded."
"This is fine." Yukio says, lifting up even more. Orga lost his grip as this happened. "Please... just a little more effort, Minerva."
"WA-" He was just yelling, but stopped. Stopped as fear kicked in his soul... a sensation he hadn't felt for a long period of time.
And he wasn't alone.
A chill ran through each and every member of this small group.
This sudden silence was caused was the presence of the demon himself... Ezel.
But this time, it was much more intimidating. And even worse, two of his hands were split seconds away from slicing Yukio's neck, targetted from either sides, just like a scissor.
He was just above her. Yukio could feel his presence too, but she couldn't turn around. Well, there was no time to turn around. Her eyes froze on her own reflection in the hands of Ezel, modified into lustrous obsidian blades.
"I won't make it." Minerva cursed herself in her mind.
•••
~Two years ago, (six years since the creation of Radiants and three years since their debut as official armed unit) Stella, Ministry of Magic~
"Is it really necessary? Seems like a total waste." Yukio says looking at Cyanbell.
Cyanbell sighs and looks at an official standing in front of them. He was pretty old and fat, wearing a gold chain around his neck and smiling with confusion.
"Sorry about her." Cyanbell says bowing down.
"No no..." The official says sitting on a chair. "This idea is still a prototype... so we can't really support our own backs."
"So anyways." Yukio says rolling her eyes. "I get to choose a object, that could be anything, and it works as a power supplement when needed?"
"Dumbing it down, yes." The official replies. "Divine Lacrima... This opportunity is just being given to the Radiants, the best vanguard unit of Stella."
"And you are the first one of the four." Cyanbell says with a smile. "I will bring the Kin, Himari and Hisaki soon too."
"I see..." Yukio says keeping her hand on her chin. "So... is a ornament okay?"
"Yes." The official replies. "Since the Divine Lacrima is harvested from small shards of Stellanium... it is fine."
"A earring." Yukio says with excitement, pointing at her ear.
The official sweats and replies. "Ah... you see... this is still a prototype... and an earring is way too fine."
"...then?" Yukio asks, slightly annoyed. "How big?"
"Uhm... this big." The official says opening his hands with an distance of about half feet.
Yukio was just about to give this man a piece of her mind. I mean... what attractive ornament would be this big. But then, her mind changed.
Keeping her hand on her head, she said, "I have always loved caps. I want a cap!"
"Cap... but isn't that made of cloth fibers and not-" The official was just about to say, when both Cyanbell and Yukio gave him an intimidating glare.
With a reluctant voice, he said, "A-alright... we will manage."
"Sweet~" Yukio says loudly. "So, what's it's power?"
"Uh... can't say we know it for sure." The official says in a unconvincing tone. "Divine Lacrima has a special attribute. It takes power specific to the user who it belongs to... but the thing that triggers it is unknown. On a positive note, it will keep an enchantment on you as long as it is in contact with your body... An enchantment that would prevent fatal damage from physical attacks on the areas it covers... but it's real power is something that you won't know until the time ripens."
"...That's sooo complicated." Yukio sighs.
"Don't worry darling." Cyanbell smiles. "I don't think it is something you can't achieve."
"Indeed." The official added. "It may sound complicated, but wizards of your caliber should be able to weild it as soon as you wear it."
"...I see." Yukio replies with a small smile. "Guess I will find out it soon enough."
•••
"Until now... I thought I could control it." Yukio thought as the blade touched her neck. "But I guess... I never realized it's true power."
And in another instant, there was a screeching and annoying sound. It didn't last for long.
Ezel's mouth drops as a wave of pain makes his excitement turn into rage and confusion. What he realized was his doom...
From his side, flew past shards of his blades. His hands... they were destroyed, sliced roughly from the middle. The two chunks of blades flew high in the sky.
Two of his arms... gone... sliced in half.
But how... they didn't even make contact... no... he simply wasn't able to see anything to comprehend the situation.
Cursing Yukio in his mind, he refocused his eyes from those shards to that damned girl.
But... Yukio wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere in the field of his view.
Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. Turning back, he caught a glimpse of her. But that was all he got.
That glimpse transformed into a man with a hat... Rufus.
"Memory make: Void of White breeze and Black Lightning." Rufus chants keeping his palm on the back of Ezel before he could turn around completely.
And just as he was done, Rufus's position got replaced with a dry bush.
Ezel, partially distracted and off balanced by the loss of two of his hands tumbled towards the direction he was turning towards because of the momentum.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He yells with anger.
"HERE'S THE INLET!" Rufus says keeping his fingers on his temples. A vein popped up his forehead as a magic circle actively constructed itself in front of him. "ATTACK THIS MAGIC CIRCLE WITH ALL YOU GOT!"
"HELL YEAH!" Sting yells excitedly, taking a stance in an instance. White scales grew over his body as he said, "Dragon slayer, secret art." Streaks of light gathered on his fist, and with great force, he punched it towards the magic circle that had formed in front of Rufus, "H.O.L.Y N.O.V.A."
Orga places his palms, joined from wrists, in front of his body. Then with a smirk chants, "LIGHTNING GOD'S CHARGED PARTICLE CANNON!"
Yukio, who was right now standing besides Orga had her appearance changed drastically. White lines had formed a wavy pattern on her forehead, her greenish iris had become blue. Her body was luminating with a white aura, and her wounds were being forced to close by the gusts of wind.
She extends her right arm towards the magic circle, which was slightly bent downwards from the elbow. The palm was facing the magic circle. She keeps her left arm on her right bicep, and chants, "Wind Magic: KAZEKAMINOIKARI."
Her cap, which had been glowing white since the beginning of this battle started glowing bluish silver. This change was the proof awakening. The true power of Divine Lacrima.
Minerva, who was the one responsible for all this swift maneuver almost falls on her knees. Every fatigue, physical, mental and magical piled up at the worst possible moment.
But, call it a lucky break, strikes a thought into the mind of Minerva.
With a quick glance towards her team and Ezel, she disappeared.
The attacks of Sting's holy beam, Orga's concerntrated black lightning and Yukio's intense wind thrust all striked the magic circle simultaneously.
The magic circle being in front of Rufus, almost knocked him off his feet as all these great attacks made contact with it. However, Rufus somehow managed to not get overwhelmed.
"My spell..." Rufus whispered as all those attacks sunk inside the magic circle, almost like a worm hole. "Increases the damage of Spatial, White, Lightning, and Wind element ten fold-"
He takes a break as the magic circle disappears. Now looking at Ezel with his weary eyes, he completes before falling unconscious. "-and concentrates it on one single point... the point of outlet."
Ezel, before he could regain his balance again, felt intense heat on his back.
And before he could even get the hold of situation, sharp winds pierced his chest front behind, blasting away his innards. It was followed by an intense lightning and light attack, which ensured that none trace of Ezel was left.
A strong stench of burnt corpse fills the air.
Gone... torn to shreds.
•••
Laxus glanced behind him. There was an explosion that caught his attention. He couldn't see the last moments of Ezel, but he was able to see that the only ones left on the battlefield were Sabertooth.
It was fairly easy to notice the cheers of Sting and Orga, since they weren't too far and were fairly visible.
But soon, the cheers died down. Laxus didn't think much about it. He looked below and stomped his feet.
Under his feet was the man who proclaimed himself to be a demon... Draken.
Defeated, humilated.
"Ezel...Sama?" Draken said with disbelief as he too, noticed the demise of Ezel.
"That leaves just you." Laxus says kicking the guts of Draken. "So, what is it now? Gonna beg again?'
"No... No..." Draken whispered to himself. "Not yet... just wait for a minute... I haven't gotten my revenge yet..."
"What are you mumbling?" Laxus asked narrowing his eyes.
"He has lost it..." Freed, who was standing along with Thunder legion and Kritz, slightly away from Laxus says.
"Seems like it..." Kritz says gripping his sword tighter.
"Please... just a minute... Ezel-Sama-" Draken continues to mumble to himself, but suddenly stops in between.
Laxus raises his eyebrow as Draken goes silent. There was no movement in his body, still as stone.
Slowly sitting down, Laxus jerked the body of Draken. "Hey... HEY!"
There was no response. His body was cold.
"Did he... die?" Bickslow says slowly. The others got up slowly. "No... he must have passed out."
Laxus was about to check his heartbeat, when something strange happened.
His skin... it bursted. The cells all over his body started to expand abnormally.
Laxus, for that instant let his guard down. And that was a mistake. The skin near the chest of Draken moulded into a sharp pole that shot up, piercing the thigh of Laxus.
This change of events were unpredictable. Laxus, roaring in pain, punched that material which made a hole in his thigh, destroying it on contact. It was squishy... It was muscle.
"I don't have time for you."
Draken's eyelids merged with his forehead, and two arms started to grow out from his shoulder blade. That was not all. Everything under his legs reformed itself into something that resembled tentacles.
Laxus fell on one of his knee, clutching his thigh. He was still above Draken.
"Laxus...?" Kritz whispers, standing up. That's when he noticed something strange too. His sword wasn't in his hands... he was instead holding a tree branch.
Laxus looked at Draken again, and this time, Draken had the upper hand. He swiped his all four hands towards Laxus.
Laxus was just about to jump back despite his injury, when Draken disappeared from front of him.
No... actually Laxus was the one who got teleported. Teleported pretty away from Draken.
Draken's mutated face dropped as Laxus suddenly disappeared from front of him.
Kritz was left dumbfounded as he witnessed this.
What happened next was an act of gruesomely cold nature.
Draken... no... he wasn't Draken... he was Ezel's last consciousness taking over a human's body.
A vessel's fate.
The flesh of this creature was pierced by two swords & one concrete rod, and then squashed under heavy rubble.
The sword that penetrated the skull of this creature was of Kritz, but Minerva was the one weilding it. The other sword was a rapier of Freed, concrete rod Evergreen found nearby and a boulder that Bickslow dropped on his abdomen using his spiritual arts.
"How dare you..." Freed whispers with rage, sinking his rapier deeper into the chest of that creature.
Evergreen and Bickslow quickly turned towards Laxus.
"Laxus!" Evergreen yells flying towards him. "Are you alright?"
But Laxus was too shocked to reply. The scene in front shook him from inside for a second...
Kritz was not able to understand what happened. Thunder Legion, just like him, should not be able to stand after the injuries they received, just like him. But they moved... almost at their best speed if not faster.
Minerva didn't stop stabbing his skull just after the initial attack.
First stab... second stab... third... fourth and fifth. She took heavy breaths of relief as Draken... No... Ezel's movement stopped. Taking the support of the sword, she slipped down slowly and sat on the ground. Her magic was almost gone.
Soon, a horde of people surrounded the scene from all directions. Each of them had a weapon of sorts.
"That's my group... gang of Veronica..." Kritz says waving his hands. His body was still numb, unable to take what happened just now. "...the Fallen Petals, ASSEMBLE!"
In that moment, Laxus suddenly caught the scent of someone familiar. He jerked his head in that direction and continued to gaze with disbelief.
•••
"...hello... good... I can connect to everyone. I am ...-ibiki of the Hundered Nights, Hibiki Lates fr...-m Blue Pegasus. And I am honored to announce that we, the tr-...imens and Mermaid H...-eel has cleared the city of all common people, including injured guards... I-... r... p first exit to the ..-ity.
I repeat. The city is clear. And s-...t... h... p from o...- guild ...-s on it's way. We will be joining... -oon."
~•~
Phew." Hibiki sighs as the telepathy cuts off. He slips down his fingers from his forehead and asks, "How was my speech?"
In front of him stood Ren & Eve from Blue Pegasus, and Beth & Arana from Mermaid Heel. And a little far away was a horde of people heading into a way led through the forests.
Eve gives him a thumbs up. "Yes. Though, it was a little unclear and broken."
"But considering that he transmuted the speech to everyone in the city-" Beth says optimistically. "-it is more than enough."
"For real... to think someone can do it?" Arana says, impressed by Hibiki.
Ren looks away, partially envious of this new found attention on Hibiki, towards the crowd heading away.
They had divided the crowd consisting of tourists, injured wizards and guards, and locals into several segments. Each segment was led by people who were physically fit to protect the wounded. Right now, the last segment was on it's last trail.
But something happened.
Ren's eyes widen as the earth starts moving.
Earthquake?
"GET HOLD OF SOMETHING!" He yells urgently, looking at his team. When he makes contact with Arana and Beth he looks away and whispers, "...but don't think I care much about you or anything."
"Earthquake?" Hibiki whispers, crouching down. He spreads his arms, and a magical screen appears in front of him. Achieve magic. "Eve, Ren! Protect the civilians."
"On it!" Ren and Eve yell, running towards the horde.
"Beth, let's go too." Arana says looking at Beth while following the Ren and Eve.
Beth shook her head slightly and looked at Hibiki. "I will stay... we need someone to cover Hibiki as he uses his magic.
Arana nodded back and picked up pace.
The horde of civilian was now turning around, rushing towards these wizards with fear.
"PLEASE DON'T PANIC!" Eve announces, stopping right in front of the crowd.
There were all sorts of screams mixed in. But the one Eve was able to make out the most was a single word, ambush.
"This is..." Hibiki mumbles nervously. The screen disappears as he looks at Beth with a pale face. "We are surrounded... 50 men... no wait... what is this..."
"50 soldiers...?" Beth says looking around. He was right. One by one, wizards started to jump off the trees, and emerging from behind bushes, each one laughing and chattering without any care.
Ren looks at Arana.
She nods and stands on her guard.
At that time, a telepathy rings in their heads.
"It's me, Hibiki." The voice says. "These men... there number is rapidly increasing from a single distortion in space. My prediction is that this disturbance is a portal, a portal connected to somewhere far away. Their numbers just keep increasing..."
Eve keeps his fingers on his temple and asks, "Can you pinpoint it?"
"Wait a second... yes... a little bit mor- It's 5° East, 150 meters ahead from you!" Hibiki replies nervously, before cutting off the telepathy. "We are counting on you, Eve."
"What? Pretty boys and girls?" One of those men says, glaring at Hibiki. "Can you even fight?"
The screen from in front of Hibiki disappears as he stands up and takes a stance. "You will see soon enough."
Eve waves his hand at Ren. Ren waves back, rushing towards the position Eve was standing.
Eve glanced at the horde of scares people, as some capable civilians stepped forward to fight.
In a gentle voice, he said before running away towards the source of portal. "There's nothing to worry about. Leave everything to us and enjoy today's performance."
"These people..." Ren whispers covering the horde and Eve's trail from the enemies apporaching them.
"They are from Stella... but..." Ariana, who was surrounded from each direction whispers.
"Their weapons and uniform is different?" Beth completes keeping her palm on the ground.
"From uniform alone..." Hibiki replies, "They seem to be the rumored royal vanguard of Stella... a highly celebrated force that guards Stella 24/7... they shouldn't have participated in this battle."
"Man... I am going to enjoy this." One of the soldier in the vanguard force says cracking his neck. Three magic circles form in front of him as he adds, "We are not like the regular old nobodies, you know?"
"Kagura... Riley..." Beth whispers, joining her hands. "Be safe..."
"Faster... faster..." Eve said repeatedly, increasing his pace every second. He didn't care to maintain his elegancy as the bushes tore his pants. There was no time to waste...
Then finally, after 20 seconds of sprinting, Eve reached that place. A clear patch of field in middle of a dense forest, having a portal in middle. A portal big enough to pass a truck.
Thanks to that, Eve was instantly spotted by a bunch of army men exiting that portal.
While they took a moment to realize that Eve was on the enemy side, Eve observed the scenery behind the portal.
A purplish wall, with a big flag of Stella hanging on it. Their were some weapons including magic staffs and swords resting inclined on that wall.
With a highly annoyed face, a muscular man dressed in a robe and Stellian "Royal Vanguard" sash around his chest walks towards Eve.
"You are the leader here? I challenge you." Eve asks pointing his palm at that man.
"Huh? Our leader? Calm your horses, kid. Our leader is someone you cannot even dream to see, let alone fight-" The man was just saying, as his body turned into a statue of snow.
Cold winds with snow mixed in escaped the palm of Eve.
Eve closed his eyes and looked at the other soldiers. Some were shivering in that cold, while some were peeking at him from then portal, betting on both the fighters.
None bet was placed on Eve...
Eve sighed and said, "Bring your leader. I have nothing to talk about to sidekicks."
"But first-" One of them says, "Shouldn't you finish the battle on hand?"
"Huh?" Eve mumbles and looks at the man with the sash.
His eyes widen as the snow melts into water. The man emerges from underneath a thick layer of white power, wearing the same, if not more, annoyed face. He was seriously pissed...
"Now you have done it." The man says pointing at Eve.
Eve instinctively takes a defensive stance. But the attack that this man threw at him... a heavy fireball with an extremely high temperature made Eve crash into a tree behind him. The fireball extinguished just as fast as it was made. Despite it, it managed to burn that tree to a crisp.
Eve was left stunned. "What... the?" He mumbled, pushing his body against the tree to stand again. The fireball was more of an impact of heatwaves than fire. But it was more than that... this spell sucked out a portion of his magic. His body was trembling from a sudden fatigue.
"Let me tell you one thing, kid." The man says cracking his knuckles. "Few dozens of us are worth around 10 of those units which attacked this petty nation of yours. Each one of us has strength above a regular wizard."
"That's not it." Another one says, lifting his sword. "We have men who excel swordsmanship, marksmanship and martial arts along with magic too. We were the top forces of Stella... well... at least until that one cursed unit showed up."
"Shit..." Eve says pushing his body against the tree. "They are strong... stronger than the ones who attacked Stella."
"Now then..." The man says walking towards Eve.
Eve closes his eyes for a second, in an attempt to clear his thoughts. "Ichiya Sensei... I messed up. No one us coming for my backup... what should I do?"
But then, he suddenly opens his eyes to a crashing sound.
This man... he was struck from behind with great magical force and was now thrown towards Eve.
Eve, luckily, managed to step away from the trajectory. The man collapses into the tree he himself burnt to charcoal.
Eve looked at him with confusion. Along with that sash man was another person. That another man looked intimidating and dangerous.
"What is happening here?" Eve whispers looking at the portal. To his surprise, the purple wall now had a huge hole in middle, and was crumbling, revealing a beautiful garden behind it.
Behind that wall was a beautiful scenery... of afternoon...?!
The men from the vanguard were frozen of fear. They all looked at this new intimidating man who had now passed out and said, "BOSS?"
"This was the boss? Pathetic." A calm voice asks as a person jumps out of the portal. A blue haired tall person, wearing a cape over his body. A cloth tied loosely was covering his face. He looked at Eve, maintaining the eye contact for a second before saying with disbelief, "Wait... aren't you the one from Blue Pegasus? What are you doing here in Stella?"
"...uh... this is Fiore... actually." Eve said hesitantly.
The man at first didn't believed him, but as his eyes fell on the dim image of royal palace at a distance, and that too half destroyed, his mouth fell. The cloth around his face loosened and drops down as he says, "WHAT THE HELL?! WE ARE IN FIORE?!"
"Jellal! Did you find the leader?" A voice calls out as a women steps out of the portal. The guards who were peeking from inside the portal were all knocked out. She was followed by 7 more figures, dressed same as her. A blue cape and hood.
But her face too, drops as they realize that the place they now stood was no longer Stella, but Fiore instead.
.
End.
💀Couldn't publish this one in time either...