A/N::: Hello everyone! Those of you who are from my other story, PROMETHEUS, welcome as well!

Those of you who want special contents, my is coming soon, those who wish to support me, be hyped!

Now, we shall embark on new adventure, and we will examine a new story between Natsu and Erza in a very different universe! Shall we begin?

Oh, and don't forget to fav, review and smash that follow!

DEUS VULT!

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BETA READ BY BURNING TEMPTATION! NON NOBUS DOMINE, AVE MARIA!

Bibles tell you that demons lurk beneath the earth, stalking through the fire like a predator, waiting for more souls to torture and consume.

'll tell you now, the bible is wrong.

Demons fell from the sky, not crawling out of the ground.

I still remember the dark days when my friends were taken away from them. I saw them being murdered by those fiends, I heard their cries, their desperate attempts to survive, and yet I stood there hiding, waiting for the end, cowardly. I was nothing more than a slave back then. Just a little girl who knew nothing, watching her friends slaughtered in front of her.

Every night in my darkest of dreams, I still hear their cries. The memories of that day still haunt me. I wanted to protect them all… Wanted to save them. I wanted to shield these people from those vile creatures. But I knew they wouldn't stop until I killed their leader.

That was none other than the Mao himself. From that day, I promised myself to lay my revenge against him.

Mao will pay, and I will make him pay with his own blood, by my sword. I will not stop until he is dead. Never.

Then why….

"Then why the heck am I his maid!"

I screamed in rage as I stomped the floor. Then I whispered to myself as I was brought to tears. This wasn't something that I wanted. I am a warrior! A hero for all people! I ventured off to the center of hell to kill Mao! I was the hope of humanity! Then why? Why did I become his maid!? My eyes teared up all the sudden, and I sniffed quietly as I wiped them off.

"Why is this happening to me…"

I quickly held them back. I didn't want to show my weakness to anyone. I gulped down pooling saliva, but it didn't help at all. Tears eventually ran down my cheeks once again, and I quickly wiped them off. I clenched down on my lips.

No! I needed to be brave! I need to stop crying and think more rationally. Being a maid is merely like I am being held captive by the demons.

Time passed as I waited in the small room. I didn't know what this room was, but apparently, it seemed like it belonged to the demon lord, Mao himself. From pain, anger slowly took me over, and I found myself growling to own vexation. With teary eyes, I heaved out my breath. And my eyes hurried to scan around the room, searching for answers.

It was a rather small room, and it didn't have much. A rectangular room made with concrete, with some sort of artistic structures hanging on the wall. The room had no windows but was filled to the brim with papers. Lots of papers. Also, there was a single bed with neatly folded blankets and pillows.

That was it. For Mao's, you know, the 'one who rules all darkness', to have a room like this… Well, it was stupid! He should be up to his neck in succubi and gold! But he wasn't! There wasn't even any weapons that she could use at all. There wasn't a single bladed object in this room, not even a pencil to stab him in the neck with.

"What kind of demon overlord lives in this sort of place!" I growled out in anger again.

"It's small, empty, filthy and doesn't even have a window!"

I calmed down shortly after, but things had gone too quiet for me. It felt like something needed to happen, but it did not. Yet, there was nothing I could do about that. For a moment, at least. I promised myself to find a way to kill Mao or find a way to escape this place.

I sighed to myself again as I gathered my hands to center body. After that, I only heard the loud ticking noise of clock, constantly flickering. Almost automatically, I turned my eyes at it and knew that it had been over an hour.

My patience was wearing thin. Eventually, I growled out.

"Damn that Mao! When is he even coming!?"

Then a sudden voice sprung out behind me.

"Hey there. You've been waiting for me?"

It knocked the breath out of me. I lost my composure and my balance, I almost fell to the ground. Gasping for air as my eyes snapped wide, iris dilating to a speck of dots, I comically flared my arms to keep my balance as I squeaked out.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!"

I felt my face getting hot at the embarrassment that flooded over my brain. I turned back, regaining my composure and screamed out with my both arms stretching back in anger, as if to signify my sheer rage.

"H-how dare you to creep over me like that you demon!"

"Ho? I don't know what you are talking about."

It was that demon, Mao. The one I resent the most. The man with the pink hair and the sharpest of eyes. He was standing next to the door, no wait… there's another door next to it. The floor seemed wet around it. My eyes traced around the demon's body only to realize that he was completely naked, covered with glistening water dripping from his tanned skin. It seemed to glitter like luscious gold under the light above.

I hastily covered my eyes with my hand, but I managed to sneak a peek between my fingers. I glanced down at his asset briefly before shutting my eyes tight again. My entire body had gotten even hotter, and I could feel the heat radiating like a fireplace. I muttered to myself, trying to fight back the embarrassment that was choking my throat.

'T-this is bad!'

I roared out in a fury with my eyes kept shut, "W-what the heck are you doing here, you perverted demon!?"

I backed away, my one hand still protecting my eye, and other pointing at him.

"S-surely you're here to rape me! I know that look on your face! You are here to abuse me and use me as your sex slave, you're a perverted, disgusting piece of rotten squid, who even fisherman would choose to throw into the trash!"

He spoke as his eyelids dropped half way.

"Wow… I feel like you are pioneering a new way of cussing... Besides…"

The demon walked past me nonchalantly, still completely naked.

"Pervert? I'm sorry, but I just came out of the shower. This is my room. I can do whatever I want."

Then a thought struck me.

'He… had been showering? Does that mean he'd been standing there the whole time!?'

I choked out.

"How… how long?"

"Huh?"

"How long have you been in that position?!"

The demon scratched his head like it was nothing. He replied,

"Oh. About an hour."

I felt my teeth clenching automatically, heart beating with much pressure.

"About an hour…" I whispered.

'He… He had watched the whole thing!'

I heard his voice then drill into my brain, and he had to speak like it was a mundane thing, probably just to anger me more.

"The way you freak out alone was a really a sight to see. Makes you kinda cute when compared to what you actually are."

I hated his voice. I hated his tone of voice, that oddly mocking, cool, nonchalant tone that he used to verbally molest me. Just hearing it made me want to gag. He spoke like himself was some sort of god who has right to look down on me. I gritted my teeth at that.

I shut my eyes and raised my hand. It just flew like it was on autopilot, apparently a sign of my immense mixture of rage and embarrassment. Yet, cared too little to notice all of that. I don't know why, but I just let myself move with animalistic instinct upon him.

I screamed top of my lungs.

"Y-YOU FIEND!"

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-Mr Dragneel and His Maid!-

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"Yusa Scarlet! Yusa Scarlet!" I heard a faint an echo from the background as a darkness covered my eyes.

"General!" The voice shouted enough to knock me out of it.

I fluttered them open slowly, feeling the dust and mud covering retreating to the ground. Whiteness had filled my eyesight before I was able to make sense of what was going on. I gasped, out of breath.

"Gha-!" Oxygen rushed into my lungs and I could breathe again. I reached out to grab whoever was near and lifted myself off the ground. I asked weakly, struggling to achieve basic motor movement.

"Give me a sitrep…"

A male voice responded loud enough to hurt my ears, I cringed momentarily before starring whoever was speaking.

"Yes, General! We've have been able to breach the wall, but the enemies are firing their spells at us! None of our men survived beyond the wall!"

I stumbled forward again as my head suddenly felt light. Explosion after explosion, I could see them surrounding us. Their deafening sound echoed in my eardrums and their detrimental shockwaves undulated my bones. Flames hit the dirt after being launched into the air. When they landed, a scent of burnt human flesh plummeting was what greeted my nostrils.

I looked up to see the world around me. I saw it happening. My men screamed as the spells that touched their body and seemed to disintegrate them into thin air. There wasn't even dust left, for them when the war would be over, there'll be nothing left to bury. I gritted my teeth at the fort in front of me. Much resent and vivid rage pooled inside my head like a storm, and my brown iris turned blood red.

I hated them. I hated them so much. I hated them who took everything from me, who took everything from the people.

I stepped forward and stretched my hand, gathering them into a center circle. With rage fueling me, I concentrated all my magic to my hands.

I started counting.

"ONE!"

A golden orb exploded into life as it began to shower the earth with its full majesty. And it only gathered and grew into an extremely condensed form, pressure like that of a mountain stuck within a penny. The bright light then reached out to the battlefield. I closed my eyes, but even then, I could feel the battle subsiding. It seemed even demons were confused about what was coming. I heard one of the men speak.

"General! You can't! You just recovered!"

I ignored him as I bellowed out the word.

"TWO!"

I felt like my body was going to break, but I did not let that to stop me. I will open a path for my men. I must bring them down. That was not from necessity, but an absolute must. Demons were the enemies of men, and into myself, they all had to die to achieve peace. Once again, that was not a hope, nor a foolish wish nor a hollow, futile dream. That idea was a law, a dogged, unyielding and unswerving axiom.

"THREE!" Through the intolerable, violent energy storming inside my system, and the clenched teeth, I roared.

"FAIRY LAW!"

From my hand, golden orb exploded, and from the sky, a large golden rune emerged with its divine color. Finally, from it, like an Armageddon from God himself, an enormous power plummeted down in the form of a cylinder.

The roars of the spell shook the heaven and earth, and it filled the air with its presence entirely. The figures of people have been fully draped by the blinding light, and its brightness swept away the dark shadows. Soon, the spell thinned out leaving nothing but a small line before dissipating into nothingness.

I choked as blood escaped from my throat. My men rushed in, stopping me from collapsing. I quickly pushed them away. I summoned the sword to use it as a cane and did so by slamming it to the ground to support my weight. My eyes almost closed. Almost.

But the thought of Mao grinning at me emerged out of my tired brain, and that was enough to snap me out of it.

I looked forward in the battlefield to if my spell did any effect. And a smile spread on my lips as there was nothing left on the fort. The demons were all gone, and the stronger ones seemed to turn into stone. However, my men were still alive, completely unaffected by it. She was thankful for the spell. For the one who taught her the most powerful of magic.

I raised my blade and shouted at the men.

"MEN! The demons are gone! NOW CHARGE!"

The union of a battle cry sprung onto the war field, as my soldiers rushed into the fort, and there was no one to stop them. While they were attacking from the front and bottom, I decided to take a different approach. There was no way I was going to be able to run alongside with them and fight with the most battle efficiency. I was better off going solo. So, I summoned myself an armor.

"Re-equip! Black wing armor!"

The wings caught the air and lifted off to become airborne, and like a hawk, I soared to the sky to get a better look of the fort from up above. Despite the failing condition I was in, my senses were keen as ever, and my eye sight was as acute as an eagle. And as a majestic predator, I gazed down at my soldiers rushing in like a tidal wave, as the defenseless fort was left to fall to them. I couldn't help but feel such glee at such a wondrous sight and never knew a mass of people can give me that overwhelming feeling of absolute happiness. Their renewed confidence, steel like will, and their roaring battle cries were enough to replenish my growing fatigue.

With the newly gained stamina of my men, I began to scan to see any good landing spot. I decided to enter from the top while they were demolishing their through from below. It seemed like a good idea and wasn't too difficult to find a landing area. It appeared to some sort of balcony, and with the luxurious designs I could even see outside, I immediately knew I was getting close to Mao.

Of course, he would be here. The Demon Lord is always in the highest places so that they can laugh at humanity's insignificance. I ex-equipped my dual lavender-dark sword and smashed through the window as I roared,

"MAO!"

Fragments of glass flew alongside with me in slow motion. I quickly scanned the surroundings, yet there was no lord. It was just an empty room with a gaudy decoration. Seeing that there was another leading door, I sprinted to it and kicked it open without remorse. The wooden frame shattered like a thin cardboard box, and in front of me was a long hallway.

However, this hallway felt different from the last one. It was completely barren, devoid of any decorations or fine architecture that she imagined from a disgusting Mao. It was just a dark, dimly lit hallway made from stone. However, I knew Mao was near. I could feel his demonic presence, the sensation that churned my guts.

Without a second thought, I rushed in but came to a halt when I felt someone getting closer to me. My armor shook as I dropped the instant break to my movement, and I prepped my swords for a possible battle. I quickly checked my magic reserves. It was brisk and poorly measured but knew this was enough to figure out everything else.

'Damn it… I'm starting to run low on magic. I have to end this quickly if I am going to kill Mao.'

I heard the footsteps, and judging by them, I knew it was a woman. Or something close to a woman. I didn't know demons had genders. From the shadows, a figure emerged. The being's set of a large golden horns glistened as they came into light first, then a hair as dark as the dense, abysmal shadow behind, and the pale skin that almost illuminated the whole room came last. As expected, it was a female. I could confirm that by looking at the contours and the choice attire that this vile being adorned.

I burst with tremendous speed and reached at the demon's neck in a blink of a second. A powerful shockwave shook the air, and the crack of sonic boom came. I drew my blade at the pale, thin neck of the enemy and threatened dangerously. "Lead me to the Mao, or I'll behead you!"

However, the female remained as if it was uninterested of my behavior. Her dark charcoal eyes kept on staring at me if I wasn't standing here. Eventually frustrated by lack of response. I barked once again.

"Do you not know who I am! I am-"

The female cut me off, much to my own surprise.

"Erza Scarlet, First God of Ishgar, general of the army. Yusa of all humans." The demon spoke with clearly no emotions behind, a sign that it lacked any compassion, typical of all monsters of hell.

I bit my lips hard as my face became contorted, before being relaxed again. I grinned.

"Oh? So you do know who I am…"

The pale demon replied with a nod, following,

"The slayer of my kin."

I liked that name. It sounded like music to my ears.

"Thank you for noticing. As you know…"

I drew my blade to another slowly. The sound of metal grinding onto another one rung like a lion's roar within the hall.

"My blades tasted the blood of you demons many times."

My grin spread eve further. "So what it will be? Face me or surrender?"

I whipped my sword to point its face at the demon, only inches away from its eye.

"If you surrender and tell me where Mao is, I'll grant you a quick, painless death."

Yet the demon did not respond, forcing me to wonder if this demon was even alive at all, its flesh just an empty husk, its body just a puppet of Mao? As my chain of thought continued, my nerves tingled in most frustrating way possible. And its dead looking fish eyes did nothing to improve my situation. Soulless eyes and they stared into my core, an impossible to read face.

After the excruciating moments of waiting, the demon opened its lips.

"Please follow me. Master is waiting for you."

"Ah, so you've decided surrender?" I taunted.

"Master is waiting for you." The demon repeated in a perfect monotone.

I stared at it, again. I wasn't sure how to react at its robotic antics. The demon repeated.

"Master is waiting for you."

I never retreated my weapons. My blades were on guard as my senses swept the floor to counter any surprise attack. Something was off. It was off the moment I met this demon. I questioned.

"What is Mao planning?"

Yet the demon turned its back and started to stroll back to where to came from. Disgruntled by the neglection of the female abomination, I lashed out my sword again, this time, the metallic tip touched its back, center of it, where the heart was.

"I said, what is Mao planning!" I barked.

The demon did not respond, but it stood there like a statue, yet I wasn't sure if this one was frightened or simply was indifferent to its death. It slowly turned is neck, and its soulless eyes rolled to the side to meet my own.

"Master has prepared a dinner all by himself, for you, Erza Scarlet. He demands to see you."

I was disgusted upon hearing that.

"Dinner! Like hell, I'll eat a dinner with him!"

Yet once again, I was responded with silence. The demon started to walk away, and I quickly ran up to it.

Shortly after, a saw a small wooden door, shaped like any typical door would, and it was certainly not for a demon like Mao himself. I thought it was just one for all the other low classes, but I was wrong when a fragrant and delicious smell tingled my nostrils alluringly. Then the female opened the door, revealing a rather generous sized room.

Yet again, it wasn't anything majestic, another dark room made with stone. Then there was someone I recognized in that room, and it struck a lightening to my brain. I sputtered out,

"Bakery boy!"

Yes, it was him, a man with a pink hair who always was working near my home back in Fiore. I never had a chance to ask him for his name as he always seemed busy on baking his stunning bread. That man was the owner of that place, the one I enjoyed purchasing my strawberry cake from. He was there, hard working with the cutest smile I could find. I was often tantalized by him.

Then why was he here? I rushed to him in shock and quickly held him by his arm. "Are you alright?! Did Mao kidnap you?" Then I looked at the delicate dishes laying on the table.

"Did Mao force you to cook all these dishes?!"

His obsidian eyes stared back at me dumbly.

"No, I'm Mao."

I stared back at him dumbly as well. "Eh?" That was all that escaped from my mouth. But a second after, I burst out in a laugh.

"Hahahahahaha! I knew you were a good baker but never knew you were a good comedian as well!"

Frustration on his face was real this time.

"No, I'm serious. I'm Mao."

I bat my hand jokingly as I continued to laugh. "Of course, you are." He didn't seem to be very pleased. He stomped the ground angrily as pulled himself out of my grip.

"Hey! I'm telling you, I'm Mao! MA-O! M. A. O.! The demon overlord! The one that you are sworn to kill?!"

I furrowed my brows at his antics. "Baker! This joke has gone far enough! Let us both escape this place after I defeat the demon lord!"

However, I suddenly felt something cold back of my neck. Soon I became to realize it was a sword. I looked at my hand to see my weapon was missing. I glanced back and saw that female demon was pointing my own weapon at me. I gasped out in shock.

"Wha—"

"How are you to deny his majesty's authority?" The demon spoke, and I looked back at the man. The man then erupted in a flame. His hand turned charcoal black and became sharper and ridged. Between the dark surfaces, multiple red glowing seams ran through like molten lava. It was same with his face. The area surrounding his eyes darkened, and a pair of jet black horns grew from the side of his head.

The man spoke. "Do you believe me now?"

I gazed at the sight before me, unsure how to comprehend it. It was like a shockwave of realization shaking inside my brain like an earthquake. Like a fish had stricken my face, I stood there with a stupefied expression. My iris dilated, and my jaw left open ajar.

"y…you… you are…?"

The feeling of betrayal and embarrassment and rage started to consume me from below. I felt the literal fire from my body, and I knew exactly how to react to it.

I just couldn't believe it. How come this man… the one I knew from my own town… the gentle and loving person could be the demon lord Mao? It only meant that this man… no, this demon lived right under my nose I never knew about it. I felt revolting, the cakes I ate from this demon never seemed so disgusting.

How could I so blind and stupid? Just how any of this was possible?

"You... you can't be the Mao… right?"

I frantically looked at him, hoping to hear a no. But the man sighed deeply as he sat on his chair. His lack of response made me squeeze out a tear. I felt lost. All this time, I was so sure, felt certain. I knew I was going to defeat him single-handedly, but this…

"Right…?"

Yet, the man spoke, "Hey, yes, I am a Mao, but you got things wrong. So I was wonderinggggg-!"

I clenched my teeth as I batted away the female's arm and retook my weapon. I bellowed out the most guttural and primal cry as I sprinted at the man in front of me. My eyes burned with all the swirling emotions inside me, all of them directed to kill him.

I jumped onto the table and smashed through the gourmet dishes as I approached like a savage, and I slammed down my sword relentlessly.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The demon lord jumped back as he completed his sentence.

"If we can just… talk it out!"

I screamed, "NEVER!"

Then with my twin blades, I slashed both down simultaneously, causing a massive explosion, even enough to cause a fire within the small room.

The detonation instantly devoured his body, however to my surprise, the flame shrunk before completely disappearing around him. I gasped out,

"What?!"

The demon swiped his mouth and spoke nonchalantly.

"Can we please stop fighting?"

Snapping my eyes open again, I jumped back and chanted out, "Re-equip! NAKAGAMI ARMOR!"

I knew that I would win. This was the strongest armor that I ever had. No one lived to tell the tale about this armor.

"I'll Destroy you MAO! FOR EVERYTHING!"

"Nakagami Starlight!" with the golden halberd, I struck down its peerless blade to him. Its brute force tore through the very space itself, and I intended to kill him by gutting him open.

Thousands of colors exploded in front of him, and I watched him being struck by force. A massive explosion detonated and covered the entire room in the dust. Stone walls shattered, and the ceiling collapsed. A shockwave cut through everything else vulnerable. Soon, there was nothing left in the room except for the female demon, and I, myself. In fact, the room no longer existed as outside air rushed in from all sides.

Cold air brushed my skin, but I was still far from being extinguished. I walked forward, seeing the Mao's arm sticking out from the debris. I needed proof that I killed him. I needed his head.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the rubble. Like expected, he was still as a corpse. Maybe that was because he was dead. I knew I was going to win.

I raised my weapon to decapitate him. This was the moment I've been waiting for more. My iris shook, and I swallowed my breath. But then, the Mao opened his eyes.

He spoke with a broad smile.

"You know, I was thinking-" I kicked him in his stomach, throwing him outside. Gritting my teeth by the fact that he was still alive, I chased him promptly.

He was there, standing on the roof. The Mao continued to finish his proposal. "Since you so want to kill me, let's make a bet."

This intrigued me slightly. "A bet?" However, I did not refuse to lower my weapon. I was always ready to put a blade in his throat.

"Yeah, a bet. If you win and manage to kill me… well, you won. All of my people will return to where we are from, and we'll never bother Earthland. Ever again."

I raised my brows at that. He continued. "However, if I win…" his smile spread. "If I win, you'll listen to whatever I have to say!"

Even I smirked at that mindless thought. "Like hell. As if I'll ever lose to you, Mao."

The pink haired man questioned. "Do you accept?"

I took a long gaze at the man standing in front of me, but soon, I spread out a confident smile and spoke.

"Do whatever you'd like. I do not care. "

Yet, I never waited him to respond back. I never intended to give that much of decency to him. I was here to kill, and honor never existed at this moment.

I re-equipped myself into clothing, not an armor this time. It was just a red lower with flames, and upper above was just a band of fabric covering my chest. I spoke, "My master has taught me many things…."

Then I revealed a symbol on my arm. The red, dragon symbol etched into my skin like a tattoo. The Mao's eye opened slightly further as he recognized what it was.

"T-that's…"

I never felt so confident, and I stared down at Mao as if I was looking at an insect. "Yes… you know what it is, Mao. The reason why I am the First God of Isghar."

Though, I knew there was very little magic left inside my system. That Nakagami armor drained too much after all. However, all I had to do was push myself just a little further. No matter what, I had to kill him, and if Nakagami did nothing, then this was the only option left to me.

I squeezed down the last drop of magic and concentrated on unlocking my final magic. An intense igneous flame had surrounded me before it raged around my body like a dragon himself. The ground began to melt and the air heated up to the point that it burned everything around it. Water molecules evaporated into a dense cloud, and the demon's clothes started to burn off.

I swallowed those hot torrid air, and the fires ignited from my core in their most devastating form. All that anger, rage, sorrow and remorse that I suppressed exploded from my mouth. Faces of my dead friends emerged from my subconsciousness. The instant memories of them, their laughter and their desperate cries rung inside me like a bell. Even though my magic started to hit bottom, I squeezed them out even further.

I did not care about my life. Not anymore. Only If I could avenge them, and that was all I required of me. To pour out, even more, power, I began to rip off my own vitality to reinforce my magic. If I could just kill him…

"Fire Dragon's ROARRRRRRRRR!"

An unrelenting, obscene and gargantuan fire erupted from me, and it plummeted the demon straight on. The flame, no, sun-like flare raged their inferno as it ravaged the demon lord's body.

Blood trailed down from my nostril, yet I did not care, the pain crept into my system, but I let it happen. Even more so when the demon lord started to thrash its body in my inferno.

He growled out in pain, his figure became distorted as the fire began to consume him, and his dying howl was music to my ears. His body soon as engulfed by my fire and was no longer to be seen, yet I could feel his presence, his wails. His demonic eye glowed brighter in my flame, but it died down as my fire grew bigger and bigger.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

I spoke to myself and to my body, 'Just a little more… just a little more..' I was almost there, and the demon was dying. Everything will turn back the way it should be. No more demons, no more killing… no more bloodshed… But then… my heart sank as my flame began to shrink.

The demon lord's howl shifted. "AAAAAAAAAAH-my ass. Just joking…" Then his figure immediately returned as if he was never damaged. With a grin, he lifted his arm and chanted.

"I command to all magic, for I am your creator. Revoke."

Just like that, my flame dissipated into thin air. The confidence and the hope that built inside me instantly collapsed and pulverized into dust. The frigid fear crept in from my spine, and my lung shut itself tightly. Tears erupted from my eyes as my jaw hung open with blood continuing rush out of me. My head felt empty and felt like I was stuck in a tiny cell.

I gasped out in shock, "N…no…" No, it was a terror. The terrible fear untangled, and it started to choke me ruthlessly.

It was impossible to comprehend, no perhaps comprehension did not fit into the description. Recognition was a better term. My brain ceased to run as my logic twisted inside out.

"H-How? My magic…"

I knew there was not a single drop of music left in me, but still, I could feel the lack of ether-nano. In fact, there was none at all.

Like the magic itself has completely evaporated…

The demon lord approached. "So, Erza Scarlet."

"Do you accept your defeat?"

My weak, swollen eyes never met his as I averted them. I refused to believe it yet it was too real. This wasn't a dream, yet I wished it was. The throbbing pain that circulated in my core was a clear proof of that. To end like this so easily. My teary eyes shot up, as I clenched my blood-stained teeth until they nearly cracked. I whipped my hair as I kicked the ground with my fist drawn.

I had no magic, and my muscles were tearing apart, yet I had no desire to give up.

With the primal scream, I planted my fist into his jaw, and he staggered back as saliva spewed out from his mouth.

I threw another fist, and just like the first one, I gave everything I've got, yet it came much slower than before. My chest burned like it was gnawed by a wild beast, because. The Mao ducked back and grabbed my hand, before forcefully bringing me down. I screeched, trying to pry his grip open.

"Let go of me!"

Yet he never did. "Erza Scarlet, you're being illogical, now."

"Don't you dare call me by my name, you fiend!"

I eventually managed to pry his hand and threw another punch arduously, but he had no problem dodging that either.

"You have no rights to speak of me!"

I screeched again, before spitting on his face.

"You know nothing!"

Mao stayed silent, that was until he decided to speak again.

"None of us here know all of the story. I wanted to take this opportunity to explain my side. Please, there's no need for all this meaningless battle.

"Shut up!" I threw my head to his, this time getting a direct hit. However, the only one who was damaged was I, not him. Blood ran off my face, tainted completely.

"You took everything away from me!"

I coughed out more blood. But I never stopped.

"You killed my friends! My guild! My life!"

But that disgusting traitor was just as persistent as I. His voice became calm as if he was someone psychologically stable. To my eyes, he was trying to be some who he wasn't. And that made me want to gag.

"If only you could listen!"

"I'd rather die!" Then a thought emerged from my head. Both the demon and I were standing on the roof of a building that's very high. If we were to fall, there was no way I was surviving. Surely, he would die. But, If I cannot kill him, maybe the world will, and at this point, if I can't even manage to kill him, I had no more reason to live. The death of Mao was intended to be the end of my line.

I sprinted towards him and held his waist with a crushing grip. The demon expressed its shock, and I never registered it. I continued to push him with everything I've got, and eventually, I pushed him off the ledge.

And I fell with him, grabbing him tightly so he cannot escape.

I smirked.

"Checkmate, you fiend."

The demon stared me for a while, before letting out a long sigh. "You were willing to throw away your life that easily?"

I refused to respond to him. He continued. "Then more reason for me to win!"

I saw his wings that sprouted out from his back. I screamed internally. 'NOOOOO!'

Still grappling on his back, I bit down on his wing like a hungry beast. Mao growled in pain, and I could taste blood seeping out from his flesh. The taste of human and demon blood was just about the same, it seemed.

The fall, however, turned into a gracious glide. My mind rushed into a panic mode. Frantically, I reached out for his wing and dug my nail to its root, more specifically, to his back. It did not travel far, but I cared none. If it sunk shallow, then I shall stab it deeper… until I rip off his wings.

Then tersely I was thrown to the ground with an immense pain rippling through my guts. Blood escaped from my nostrils and my mouth again. I dropped down to the rough gravel floor, and the sharp fragments of ground stabbed my back as I rolled to a stop. I watched my scarlet hair flaring widely. I stretched my arm towards Mao, each finger covered in the dark blood of him. My eyes widened like a flashlight in defeat.

"No…"

Here I was, nothing else to do, laying flat on the ground.

The demon lord towered over me. His dark eyes stared back at me, and I never felt so hazy in my life. I had thought this was the end.

I heard him spoke.

"Do you admit your defeat?"

I replied weakly.

"N-never."

I coughed out more blood.

"I'd rather die than surrender to you."

The Mao crouched down next to me. He looked sympathetic towards me, and I hated it. It was a sight that I never thought I would see in my lifetime. Even more so, it pained me that I would die with his face as my last sight.

He spoke.

"If you die, then who's going to avenge you, when you don't have anyone around you?"

He was right. He was right for once. If I died, then all of my friends in Fairy Tail, from Rosemary… especially Jellal's death would be meaningless. They would all be forgotten by history, no one ever remember them at all. And most of all, who's going to kill Mao if not me? The power shift between the rest of the mages and I were significant. So much, that they weren't even comparable.

'I- I have to… I would have to… Surrender.'

I had to swallow my pride to say such thing. I trembled as tears ran down from my cheeks. I shut my eyes and looked away in shame. I whispered through my teeth.

"I-I… I surrender."

But I quickly added as I gritted my teeth, tears, even more, flowing out from my eyes.

"But remember well, Mao! This is just a tactical surrender! I will find a way to kill you! This is for my friends! I am doing this for them, not you! Remember that well!"

The Mao's smile became apparent. He took a seat beside me and looked over my damaged body as if he cared about me. I looked away in disgust.

"Well, I'll mark your words." He replied. "but… Now that I have your surrender and you'll have to listen to whatever I have to say…"

My fatigued eyes snapped open at what he mentioned.

He continued, pumping his fist into the air.

"I have already thought of my first command!"

I gulped down my saliva as I feared for the worst.

"I order you to… BECOME MY MAID!"