Here's a new update. Since I keep forgetting to answer reviews at the finishing A/N of chapters, I'll just do it now. For all of you who want Arceus to appear in person in the sequel, the answer is no. Like I said in the beginning, there is no solid plot compared to the prequel. And as for how long this arc will be, I haven't figured, but maybe 15 chapters long, roughly.
Standing several feet away from the shocked Kagura and Millianna, a smirking Bellona was relishing in their trauma. The scornful remembrance of the Grand Magic Games and how Bellona was pulling strings was an act beyond forgivable. Millianna's body shuddered violently while Kagura reached for her Archenemy. Both had glares filled with venomous contempt, but that only left Bellona amused.
"Oh my, looks like the pawns haven't learned their place since last time." She commented, her magic still spiraling like galaxies in her hands. Her taunting was making the two remaining mages standing swell with so much hate. "Seems as though I'm gonna have to put you in your place – nowhere do you belong in my game!"
Kagura held her sheathed sword out to Bellona. "What did you do?!" She demanded.
All around, Mermaid Heel Mages were crying, partly yelling, and groaning as they tossed and turned in their sleep. They looked to be in pain, the pain that Bellona had brought when she touched them with but a hand drenched her terrifying magic. What was to transpire with them in pain? Everyone could either toss or turn themselves, and they had no strength to open their eyes.
"Who? Them? I merely incapacitated them with my Nightmare Magic." Bellona explained as she held up her hand. "Just one touch, and it's a never-ending nightmare for as long as I see fit. You'll be a puppet whose strings are mine to control. I can traumatize a wyvern and never make it wake up again."
"Release them!" Kagura demanded.
Bellona's eyelids lowered a little. "I'm afraid that's out of the question. With all of the foes in this vicinity incapacitated, I can reign as a new Wizard Saint! A title befitting a queen!" She yelled.
Millianna's hands balled. "You…" She bitterly remembered what Bellona had done in the use of Minerva's body. She'd done such cruel tricks, and she couldn't tolerate how her back had lash marks and blood after Bellona was finished toying with her. "You sick witch…!"
Bellona's smirk darkened. "That's queen to you, alley cat."
Her anger boiled, and she made a magic seal in front. "Kitten Blast!" She fired a lot of tubes at Bellona in a spiraling motion. Millianna watched as she exerted abut of Magic Power in that one shot, enough to leave Kagura surprised, though it was more out of impulse.
The attack went blasting at a smirking Bellona, but she only widened her eyes as they flashed green. "Goddess Bellow!"
A great swell of Magic Power erupted from her body, and a purple explosion expanded outwards, creating a swelling dome that encompassed the area like a raging typhoon. Mages that were already asleep were tossed around like rag dolls, getting blown away from the erupting shockwaves of the attack. Kagura was covering herself and managing to hold her ground, but Millianna wasn't so lucky. The feline woman screamed as she went flying in the air.
"Millianna!" Kagura shouted.
As the attack faded, Millianna fell to the ground with a thud among debris. The feline woman groaned as the pain in her body was surprisingly intense. She looked to be rather shaken, but you couldn't tell by her starting to get up as steady as she could.
She got to her hands and knees, panting at the ground. "That was so strong…" She trailed doff when a dark force towered behind her. There was a suppressive demeanor lurking around and Millianna really did not want to find out, for she may not like the answer.
Bellona raised her arm behind Millianna, swirling in purple galaxies. "Have a nice catnap."
She swatted Millianna with a backhand, hitting her hard enough to send the woman shooting off to the side. When she hit the ground, she made a loud meow sound.
Kagura's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Millianna! No!" She rushed on over towards her friend and knelt down. "Millianna? Millianna?!" She could only examine the spot where Bellona struck her, as the flaring purple mark vanished into her cape and through her veins. Millianna's eyes winced as she laid on her stomach, and the Mermaid Heel Mage yelped, startling Kagura as the Gravity Mage got back up and watched Millianna look as though she was in pain.
Kagura looked down in shock, but was drawn in by Bellona's cocky snickering.
"Mermaid Heel? After the Council reshapes things back into order and declares me a Wizard Saint, perhaps I'll change your guild to Mermaid Hell, because that's where pawns go when they're disposed of."
Kagura turned back towards Bellona, her eyes seething with a vicious rage. There was a blue aura flowing all around her, her Magic Power was so trembling that the battlefield was shaking. Her eyes dilated and widened just before she disappeared.
Bellona remained calm when Kagura reappeared in front of her with Archenemy ready to swing. As Kagura swung up, Bellona narrowed her eyes, and another glint came from her. A vicious explosion again rampaged, roaring like a heavenly bellow that quaked and shattered the landscape.
Through the eruption Kagura persevered and felt her body's nerves writhe in agony, but despite the distraught feeling of her arm muscles hurting, she remained standing and had her feet planted on the ground. The eruption faded, but the land and dust still raged. In a shadowy dark mist, Bellona reappeared in front of a shocked Kagura.
"So you want revenge on Jellal still? Then I'll make him the only face you see in your nightmares!" Bellona had her hands out. Time slowed down as Kagura was trying to get away, but Bellona's distance was just too close. It was only a matter of time before her hands cloaked in dark galaxies touched her.
A green orb appeared in between Kagura and Bellona, shocking the two as the magic in the spatial energy swelling inside expanded. Bellona and Kagura both backed off as the spatial orb expanded to a great size. Both mages slid back with dust trailing on either side.
"I apologize for not making it sooner." The voice within the orb said.
Kagura and Bellona's eyes widened upon recognizing the voice. To neither it was a saving grace.
A smirk could be seen as the spatial energy decimated. Revealing herself with her eyes set against Bellona was Minerva, a startling appearance from right out of the blue. "A queen has no right to abuse her subjects if she wishes to be seen a tyrant, Bellona."
"You're…!" Kagura couldn't believe her luck. But while she did not believe in luck, she did admit it was perfect timing by Minerva, but her of all people allying with her was something she was still trying to process. She did remember then and there that Sting would send Minerva as backup in any case going, but how could she handle a former foe, though manipulated too, take on her prison guard.
Bellona scowled with a grit in her teeth. "Minerva."
"I see you're both doing well. Kagura, are you well?" Minerva asked without looking back.
Kagura nodded. "Yes…thank you."
"Your guild mates, tend to them. You are at a disadvantage if you end up close to Bellona, she'll put you in her trance, and that won't end well." Minerva herself recollected the rather foggy memory of being manipulated by Bellona. Although it wasn't her fault, it still left her a bit upset knowing she unconsciously harmed others. But unlike Kagura, she wasn't looking weighed down by it. "I have some unfinished quarrels with this vulgar woman. She has to pay for what she did to my body."
Though Kagura didn't want to admit, Minerva was right when she was at a disadvantage. She had to swallow this battle down as an assist and nodded. "Okay." Rushing away, Kagura headed for her fallen guild mates.
"Hey! Get back here!" Bellona demanded.
Minerva's hands gave off the spatial orbs yet again. "Your opponent is me now, Bellona."
Bellona angrily turned towards Minerva, her anger evident.
"As you said a queen prefers fine dining, right? Well then, you've skipped right to the main course."
Bellona's body gave off a prominent green aura. "Minerva, you've been the biggest pain I had to put up with in Sabertooth. All your preaching of change for a better guild was just talk. You should've just left long ago and everything would've worked out. But now look at what you did." Minerva felt the power spike and she had purple encase her own body in defense. "I'll feast on a tiger, and I'll savor every last bite as I hear your screaming. There's only room for one queen, and that's me."
A powerful explosion swallowed up another piece of the battlefield on the western front. The roar of thunder reverberated through the cracks of the earth as the earth beneath many shattered apart. Those nearby stepped out of the way as they didn't want to end up caught in the blast wave.
Nic was adorned in his Earth Form, his coat's lower half flapping in the winds. Greninja kept his ground right beside him. Opposing them with a frown was Jose. The raging cyclone of attacks dissipated, leaving the field between them desolate with a crater similar to those on the moon.
Jose smirked and raised an intrigued brow. "Well…"
"Dig!" Nic hunched over and dove at the ground. His hands raked t the ground, easily boring a hole through the earth. In his place was a hole. Jose smirked as he looked around, wondering where Nic was underground. He observed left and right, but the most peculiar thing was that he couldn't sense him. It was like the earth ate him and removed any trace.
His frown returned, and that proved he wasn't thrilled. 'Where is that man? He isn't the kind to tactfully retreat under these circumstances.' He turned forward, seeing Greninja remaining still. 'Maybe if I attack his friend, that'll get his attention.' He pointed fingers at Greninja, where dark Magic Power could be seen on the tips.
A sudden rupture exploded with dirt and dust covering Jose's cape. Within the dirt explosion, Nic appeared in midair. Jose's smirk returned with his teeth showing. 'There you are.'
Nic dealt a roundhouse kick, but Jose disappeared like a ghost. Nic followed through and swung around, pivoting to a solid landing. He looked ahead, but Jose still wasn't there. The next second there was an unsubtle chill running up his spine. Jose smirked viciously as his fist was in his Darkness Magic. Jose punched forward, but his eyes widened when his gut was hit by an overwhelming force, one that made him almost see stars. As it turned out, Nic elbowed him right in the gut. The most famous feature was that he didn't have to look back. With Jose in shock from the elbow, Nic clutched Jose's head and neck over his shoulder and flipped him over the shoulder, slamming him into the ground.
Nic jumped backwards, gaining space. He glanced over towards Greninja, who stared at his Trainer. Nic's gaze went towards the hole in front of Greninja for a moment, and Greninja nodded in understanding.
Jose coughed as he got up. "You brat!" Jose lunged ahead, immediately closing the gap between himself and Nic. "Die!"
Nic put his clutched fists together and spread them apart, creating a massive bone made of green energy, hence the Bone Rush. Nic readied the bone and held his ground. He exerted a battle cry, his Bone Rush's bone clashed with every fists the former Wizard Saint dished out. Jose fired attacked on traversing fashion, moving as fast as bullets. However Nic had a stiff glare and his feet didn't move much at all as his reflexes were proven superior. When Jose jabbed, the tip of Bone Rush blocked it, and half a second later he jabbed it forward like a knife. He got Jose in the chest, slowing him down just enough for Nic to use the same arm for a sideways elbow strike, striking Jose's face, as well as knocking a few teeth out as he slid on his back.
As Jose was momentarily incapacitated with the damage he's taken, Nic nodded.
Greninja then made hand signs and aimed down at the hole. 'Okay, let's do it.'
At the same time, Kecleon was handling her own battles. She was seen back flipping away to keep a distance from Jiemma. She slid back against the ground as Jiemma went racing after her in a vivid lunge. The man reeled back a fist packed full of muscle.
Kecleon stopped her skid and looked up. Jiemma brought his fist forward. She jumped at the speed of light, evading his ground-breaking punch. A crater was where she stood. Jiemma looked up as Kecleon was overhead and coming down at him with long claws that glowed.
"Slash!" Kecleon slashed downwards onto Jiemma. Jiemma blocked with his forearms and took the blow. Slash left a vivid white trail as Kecleon passed Jiemma, looking away as he was overtaken in an explosion of white that rattled the ground beneath him.
She picked her head up and her reflexes kicked in. Her feet sprung away from her spot, carrying her away from an erupting purple blast wave. Kecleon's feet touched the ground again some distance away, and instantly left with not even a light tap to the earth as it erupted again, sending more dirt and magic blast waves about. The white explosion cleared out, and Jiemma was seen extending his arm out at Kecleon. He looked angry as his forearms had gashes in the sturdy muscle. He was already overwhelmed by one fell blow by a little chameleon thing. How could she possibly be that strong? It's unfathomable. He had his open palm out and clutched it, making the entire area before him a complete landmine. Bursts upon bursts of Magic Power, the ground exploded, and through the thunderous hysteria, Kecleon's applied light pressure as she zoomed all around on the ground. When she leaped to the side, dodging another blast wave, she was heading right for another one. The blast wave was right in front of her, but all she did was have her claws glow and elongate.
"May the angel's fragrance make your stink cry!"
Using Slash, Kecleon passed the blast wave, actually slicing right through it as though it were a birthday cake and a knife. Changing course, she sped on in and after Jiemma.
"You're a pathetic weakling!" Jiemma shouted. "You go on offense, then defense, and now back on offense! Are you messing with me?!" He put his hands together and Magic Power pulsed in between his palms. He unleashed a destructive beam that went right for Kecleon.
As the attacks went for Kecleon – just as she slashed through a consecutive barrage of blast waves from the ground without any damage – all she did was lunge ahead. When the attack came close, her beady eyes sharpened.
"No! I see how you handle battle situations. You don't study opponents when they move, but instead blow them up. You get an F! For life!"
In a glint, Kecleon passed right through Jiemma's blast wave, slicing right down the middle with Slash. She lunged on in, and Jiemma's mouth gaped open with shrilled shock as Kecleon cut straight through his attack, appearing in front of him and used Slash, landing a downward blow that made Jiemma scream as he was sent into the dirt. The impact was strong enough to make winds fly and put Jiemma in a crater.
Kelceon back flipped and landed on the ground, tilting her head. "Not studying makes you bad at learning."
Jiemma coughed up blood, his body covered in dirt and leaving him exasperated. "That's nothing short of impossible. You…best ME?! You're weak! Your arms and legs are short, and yet you have so much reflexes, speed, and muscle?! How do you have that power?!" He shouted in demand.
Kecleon adjusted her head back up. She said nothing, but recounted the tales she had with Nic and the other Pokémon since Route 6, among other incidents close by. Jiemma wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either. How could her body pack so much power? Well it was certainly from all of the physical training that Nic taught her, and in turn he learned right by her side. They've encountered thousands of Pokémon battles in such short time, proving their dedication to a life of mystery, thrill, and quarreling strong opponents. Being also one of the Pokémon to help defeat Darkrai of the Dark Legendaries was also a key proof as to how far she's become. Any normal Kecleon would've perished when just close to him, but she and her future-self did not stop. If anything, what really made her so strong was the dedication and the loyalty that existed between her and Nic and the other five.
Kecleon tilted her head. "My love for my family. They are here." She pointed a claw to her center. "It makes me warm and fuzzy. That feeling stays with me forever, and for as long as I have it, it dares not be taken away by failures like you."
"Failure?" Jiemma mumbled. "Failure…FAILURE?! You dare call the strongest a failure?! I am the individual who will be the next Wizard Saint! No amount of weakness can stop me! Nic Pularis and you will perish before I even let you think of being the strongest!" In a violent retort, Jiemma punched after Kecleon, his fist coming in like a meteor strike. "Learn your place! You don't belong in this world, weakling!"
Kecleon did not move. Instead, she stood still as Jiemma towered over her. She reached out with her claw, and Jiemma's ground-shaking punch was caught in her hand. Kecleon Was unmoved in the slightest by his punch as Jiemma couldn't seem to break her.
"Grrr! What is this?!" He demanded.
Kecleon grabbed Jiemma's arm with both of hers. "Your place…is there!" With so much shock from soldiers staying out of the fight, Kecleon got Jiemma off his feet and flipped him overhead. The battle cry she made was also shocking fuel. Jiemma was driven head first into the earth, again cracking apart the landscape beneath with vivid force. Jiemma's eyes were wide as everything around him was but a blur. His mouth gaped as his pupils showed out of shock. "Thief!" Kecleon brought her knee around and struck Jiemma's face, breaking his nose and kicking him away. Jiemma slid back on his head and got caught in the air as more dirt and rock went airborne. The power-crazy mage gagged as he fell backwards, landing in his back with a monstrous thud. Kecleon turned around, facing away from Jiemma's fallen body. She tilted her head. "In the dirty dirt. All is right now."
Jose gritted her teeth and clutched his fists. A magic seal appeared before him. "HRAH!" He launched a number of ghosts that elongated and went around Nic. He glowed as they began to coil around him. Jose's eyes widened. "It's no use!"
Another violent glint erupted, and in a flash the long coiling ghosts were slashed right through. Jose's eyes widened out of pure shock as Nic posed in place in a slashing motion, his Spooky Form accompanied with Shadow Claw.
"You're not even half the man you were back when we fought." Nic stated. "You're so hung up on vengeance and rising back to the top that you didn't account as to how I got my own strength. Something your magic will never restrain."
Jose reappeared in front of Nic's face with dark energy around him. "That's what you think!" He punched Nic with a Darkness Magic coated fist, reeling forward to strike, but Nic caught the wrist when the punch was so close to his face. Jose's eyes showed more vivid rage as Nic threw the punch off to the side.
Jose got his footing and looked back at Nic. "You…!" He disappeared and reappeared in front of Nic, and started unleashing attacks faster than the eye could trace. He viciously bombarded Nic with a number of blows with his fist, and yet Nic remained calm as he dodged them. His reflexes made him evade every single blow as he leaned, shifted, and went up and down. Jose punched again, and Nic surprisingly got around and scored an uppercut to his chin, making Jose back away.
The former Wizard saint felt his jaw bone feel broken. He had expected a weak blow dealt given all the training he put himself through, but apparently he was wrong.
"Damn you!"
He blinked then and smoke began rolling in from behind. He looked confused from the sudden cloud of smoke incoming from out of the blue. The smoke, it was thick and black, and you couldn't see out of it. Jose looked all around, but absolutely no trace of Nic was anywhere.
'His level of power, it can't be greater than my own. Has he really gotten so strong, that…!' His eyes widened. 'No! I refuse to believe that I can't eliminate him on this level!'
"I've faced opponents that have pushed me to levels that couldn't be reached before." Nic's voice echoed through the smoke, almost like that of a ghost. Jose looked all around, but he was nowhere to be sought. "You were a formidable foe before, but I've faced countless battles and gained more experience as the days went by. This may be personal to you, but to Greninja and me, you're a bitter memory that has to be dealt with!"
"Nonsense!" Jose denied. He had his body cloaked in his venomous Magic Power as he continued looking around. "Show yourselves! Don't run like before!"
"Pokémon battling doesn't just test a Trainer and Pokémon's strength. It tests their level of intellect and strategy, as well as judgment." A shadowy figure appeared behind Jose. The shadow became Nic in midair. "And we both say you're to deluded!"
Jose turned around to face Nic, but he didn't even get to turn his head before Nic kicked the back of his head. The former Wizard Saint stuttered forward out of shock and pain swelling in his skull. When he turned around with gritting teeth, Nic was gone. He angrily groaned, loud enough to reverberate through the cloud of smoke.
"Enough games!" Jose exerted so much power that the rock beneath him gave into the force, making a crater. His cape went wild as the overwhelming magical pressure hot into the sky. The shockwaves made brushed the smoke off, unveiling Jose to the shocked party od spectating soldiers. His angry spike in power was forcing everybody away. When the pillar of darkness dissipated, Nic was still nowhere to be found. It was like he disappeared after all.
However, Jose looked off to the side, seeing Greninja maintaining a steadfast hold. He wasn't at all shaken. "Scald!" Greninja fired a vibrant torrent of boiling water straight down, surprisingly into the hole Nic made with Dig earlier.
"Heh?" Jose raised a brow. "Wait a minute…" He was recalling his previous battle with Nic and Greninja long ago. He remembered all of the techniques used, as he bitterly reminded himself day and night of the experience. 'Now it makes sense where that smoke came from. It was from that frog's Smokescreen. But where is he? Where am I?' Jose got a dread crawling up his spine when he heard rumbling from down below. His eyes slowly went down, and in between his legs was a hole. His eyes dilated, an epiphany beginning to swell. 'They set me up!'
A boiling water blast brimming with pressure shot Jose from down below. The mage soared into the sky as the makeshift geyser was hurting his entire body and skin. He screamed in violent retort as the attack pushed him higher and higher, and he was unable to do anything.
While high in the sky, Greninja saw Jose in distress and stopped Scald. He sprung up from where he once stood and a small crater took his place as winds brushed by people's legs. "Bounce!" He yelled as he went after Jose. The speed he sprung at was uncanny. He was moving so fast that it made a Quick Attack look slow. His leg muscles didn't at all grow slouchy over the past seven years.
Jose was finding no way of countering. The attack was like a pressurized hammer that knocked wind out of him. As he was suspended high in the sky, he saw Greninja flying right at him but couldn't do a thing about it. A purple light emerged from above, getting Jose's attention again. His shock surmounted.
"No!" He aged.
Nic was above Jose, appearing out of a purple hole in the sky. It was right over Jose, and Nic came down head first with his fist swelling in the remnants of purple from the hole he went through. Now Jose realized where Nic went, and unfortunately he was too late to stop them both.
"Phantom Force!"
At the same time Nic struck Jose from above, Greninja struck Jose from below. Both of their blows landed at the exact same time. Both assaults made black and white impact waves ripple respectively with the moves used. Both forces directly opposed another, leaving Jose nowhere to go and take the entire blunt.
Both Nic and Greninja screamed out as shockwaves transcended all around, enveloping the area on the battlefield into a maelstrom. Everyone watching covered up as the shockwaves violently went about until they stopped pushing. Nic and Greninja began falling to the ground along with Jose, but unlike Nic and Greninja – who landed with a flip and easy momentum on the ground and making a thud sound rattle in the cracked earth – Jose fell with an enormous crash, falling onto his back with eye white and devoid of pupils.
Nic and Greninja stood back up, only a few scratches on them, but nothing they didn't persevere. Having seen the battle from a distance, Erza smiled up at Nic warmly.
"J-Jose!" A soldier cried out.
"He's been defeated!"
"No way, wasn't he a Wizard Saint at the time?! Are they really that strong?!"
Erza confidently returned to the fray. "Don't worry, I'm not falling behind!" She slashed soldiers down that stood in her way. She made a clear path as she charged, running towards enemies still wanting to fight. "I'll be at his side, and you won't stand between us!" She slashed again, striking down a number and sent the same number flying.
Kecleon jumped and did a midair kick. "Thief!" She struck a fellow soldier, sending him flying back as his hammer twirled in the air. Kecleon instantly caught it and held it up. She pounced, and somersaulted through the air and down onto a many of men. "Vive le Pokémon!"
Nic and Greninja were back to back, staring at the enemies closing in. Both had on grins, and they stared out with a tension in their stomachs. This was what the thrill of battle was, to push yourself further and no matter what, never fall. Keep doing your best, no matter how hopeless the situation was.
Nic glowed, shifting to his Toxic Form. "There's still a number of enemies left in the area. Let's pick up the pace!"
Kecleon appeared by Greninja's side, both turning towards Nic with a nod of understanding. The three were in a triangle and faced the numbers heading their way.
Bellona slid back from the dust cloud, leaving a trail from being pushed back. The dust settled, and standing several feet away, unharmed, was Minerva. Unlike Bellona, who was barely keeping up with Minerva, the mentioned had no worn out clothing. Bellona's clothing was consequently tattered and scratched in some areas, proving how worn out she's become. Still, she persevered and angrily attacked Minerva with all her might.
Purple galaxies spiraled in her hands. "Fall into a slumber unlike no other! Let me be the only face you see in your nightmares! Nebula Hold!" The dark galaxies in her hands went spiraling like saucers after Minerva. As they traveled, Minerva looked at the disks and her eyes narrowed. She watched them close in, but alas Bellona was again foiled when Minerva made a green spatial blob in between her and the attack. The blob took the attack, engulfing the darkness and vanished away.
"Come now. We both learn from experience that such an attack won't work on me, not while I have the pockets of space around me to use." Minerva explained nonchalantly.
Bellona clutched her fists, her anger blooming.
Minerva frowned. "Bellona, why did you forsake the guild? Was your ambition no different from Jiemma's, or was it something more? You can't hide the truth forever, especially from me."
Bellona brought her foot back, upholding her own support. Her grin returned. "You are mistaken, Minerva. My ambition is nothing like that miserable excuse of a father you forsake over friendship." She held her open palm up. "I'm a queen. I have knights, bishops, and pawns that I can use that will safeguard my securities. That was the meaning of Sabertooth."
Minerva's eyes narrowed, feeling revolted.
"Sting was unfit to be a knight. Turns out when Fairy Tail defeated the guild, it proved that your power is too weak. You're all nothing more than broken pieces on a game board, and apparently I was plucked from my spot as queen by that meddlesome Erza." She recounted Erza's warrior face, it made her sick to the bone. "So I have learned the hard way, that using a tool as a shield will do no good for anybody. A queen has only herself to rely on, since she is the most important piece."
"…how arrogant." Minerva scoffed.
"What was that?"
"You're just as terrible as Jiemma was. You're so deluded over power and authority you can't see your ill acceptance to failure. You learn from your mistakes, but you shrugged it off with a blind eye. That's what made you second best in Sabertooth, Bellona, there's no such thing as perfection."
"Shut up!" Bellona's Magic Power flared, making a green aura coat her entire body. "I've had it with your philosophy! I am the queen, and I'll take my rightful place as I become a Wizard Saint and crush all who oppose me!" The ground was shaking as purple began to shine from her body.
Minerva reached her arms out as spatial orbs encompassed the hands. The ground began to shake into a level of magnitude that left Kagura wobbly.
Minerva began to chant as light erupted from beneath her. "Niel Wielg Mion Terse Elcantaeus!"
Bellona smirked. "Your secondary Magic, Minerva! Just what I was thinking! I have more than just my Nightmare Magic to put victims in their place! My Divine Empress makes the heavens roar!"
"Yagdo Rogora!"
"Sentient Bolt!"
On Minerva's side, a god-like man with intricate marks all over his body appeared, giving a dominant presence. On Bellona's side, a goddess-like ethereal figure towered above with similar battle marking all over her robe. Everything within the vicinity was obliterated on the spot. The beam of combined lights shot into the sky in a massive pillar, reaching astronomical heights and sending shockwaves all throughout the airspace. The nearby clouds circled around the rippling shockwaves as the land raged with fear.
Kagura found cover as a tsunami of dust and explosive energy rushed right past her. 'They're so strong!'
The roaring light faded, and pebbles and rock floating and sent flying fell like rain downwards. Standing affirm, Bellona and Minerva both opposed one another. A second passed after the dust and debris settled back into the earth and both women lurched. Minerva had ascertained quite a few scratches, but looked in better condition than Bellona.
"I'm surprised. Didn't think your Divine Empress Magic would be that treacherous." Minerva said, frowning.
Bellona grinned. "I'm flattered. Of course that won't get you anywhere. The strong need to be assertive. Here's an example." Her arms exerted dark galaxies again. Minerva could feel an ominous vibe radiating as darkness seeped from the galaxies.
Bellona's eyes narrowed in sadistic delight. "Living Dread."
The seeping darkness materialized, becoming an ethereal dark figure. It shaped into a familiar man Minerva was shocked to see, so much that it startled her as he was nearly fifty feet tall. It looked exactly like Jiemma.
Kagura looked shocked. "What is…?"
"It's another one of Bellona's mind games. She's toying with my fears and making them an ethereal entity." Minerva explained. "She's using our weakness to her advantage."
'Jiemma' clutched his fist. "Minerva, you insolent excuse. Don't give me that look, it disgusts me." He said. "I only used you to pass down my powerful blood, and this is how you repay me? You turn to kindness." 'Jiemma' raised his arm. "I'll crush you!"
Minerva looked into the red eyes of the behemoth. As she was readying to counter, she was feeling her mind flash back to the past. Looking back at the incoming fist of Jiemma made her eyes widened. All she saw was her father about to smite her, and all she could do was cover up. The fist went through her, but that was only to make her flinch.
'Jiemma' disappeared, and Minerva uncovered herself, having felt no pain. "A-an illusion? From my nightmares?"
Bellona was in front of her, grinning as she caught Minerva by surprise. Her hands had dark galaxies spiraling. "Thanks for being such a fool long enough to hold me over, but your reign end!"
Minerva snapped back to reality, but unfortunately went wide-eyed when she felt a sharp pain in her gut. She gagged when Bellona's fist collided with her stomach. The strongest mage in Sabertooth felt time slow down as her body was losing strength, and her eyes became hazy. She tried to fend it off, but to no avail. Bellona sidestepped as Minerva fell forward, incapacitated by a grinning Bellona.
"Sweet dreams." Bellona cooed. Her attention drew towards the only remaining mage standing, Kagura. The swordswoman reached for her Archenemy, ready to attack, however the anxiety on her face was priceless.
"Oh dear, looks like you're all shaken up. Did I give you a fright?" Bellona questioned in a modest tone. Her hands made the dark galaxies again, spiraling. "Well, I'm sure you'll love this. I know I will. Living Dread."
The darkness seeped from the spirals in her hand and outwards. Manifesting in front of Kagura, the darkness materialized into a tall figure. Not as towering as 'Jiemma', but just as mind-scarring. When the figure took full shape and form, Kagura's eyes widened and she gasped. Her body was violently shaking, and she could feel her stomach churning.
She couldn't believe what she saw, because it was the same man who took her brother away. "No…"
'Jellal' appeared, and he had red eyes and a mischievous smirk. "That's right, I killed your brother. Simon was a good man, too bad I ended it." His red eyes narrowed. "You wish to join him?"
Kagura's eyes showed a hostile rage as she grabbed onto Archenemy's hilt. "You!" She was shaking so violently that she couldn't even think straight. The sight of him at the Grand Magic Games almost made her sick, but this was another case. Her disgust was driven into anger and revenge. "You took away my brother!" She unleashed Archenemy, the blade unsheathed at last since the battle with Erza. The blade slashed at 'Jellal', making a slicing wave that traveled along the earth past Bellona's left.
"Well, well…"
Kagura slashed at 'Jellal', still seeing the smirk on his face as her Archenemy ran through his body. He didn't die, but every rock around her was nearly sliced into bits. 'Jellal' chuckled, much to Kagura's bitter retort. "Shut up! Just die! Die and repent for what you did to my brother!" He lashed out on and on, violently swinging her blade without any success on the blob of darkness before her. All really did was spike her anger further and further. All she was seeing was red, much to Bellona's delight. On and on, Kagura tried to cut down 'Jellal', but no amount of swings was gonna justify the anger in her heart. She flashed back to when she was young, her childhood with Simon. Seeing his smiling face again, and then seeing him fade in general, it was breaking her further.
Kagura screamed up to the sky, her bellow rattling the spines of animals all around. "WHY WON'T YOU DIE?! JELLAL!"
Kagura panted, her frustration subsiding. Her vision was still blurry, but she was able to stand. 'Jellal' smirked still, closing in on Kagura. The shocked swordswoman started to step back, overwhelmed by her loss to the living nightmare.
"No…Simon…" Kagura's eyes reflected 'Jellal', her torment brewing. "Why can't he die…?"
'Jellal' snickered, and then his image faded away, much like what happened to 'Jiemma'. Kagura's state of overwhelmed hatred was leaving her to recollect herself too late. When she blinked, she snapped back to the reality of things. "A nightmare…!"
"Now I got you!" Bellona was in the place of 'Jellal', herself ready as dark galaxies spiraled in her hands. The close proximity left Kagura shocked as she was still processing what happened.
Time slowed down in between the two. Bellona closed in.
"It's the end of the line for you!"
Time slowed down, and suddenly everything changed. Kagura found herself startled again when the scenery around her altered. She was on her hands and knees, and she looked at the ground with shock. "Wha-?!"
"GAH!"
Kagura heard a powerful punch from behind. She turned around, seeing Minerva in Bellona's place, and Bellona was in Kagura's place. The entire placing was switched, and Minerva's punch shot Bellona to the ground.
Minerva stood tall, her frown heavy. "That was quite the wake-up call you gave me. Glad I could return in kind."
Bellona sat back up, shock on her face. "What…? Minerva?" She stood back up, her eyes wide. "How did you overcome my Nightmare Magic?! You should be tossing and turning with your father tormenting you forever!"
'Wait, it was all a…nightmare in a physical form. Now it makes sense.' Kagura looked at the ground, recalling how she got all riled up over 'Jellal'. 'I see, so I was played with my own ambition. How disgraceful.'
Minerva frowned still. "If I recall, people can break free knowing their will is strong enough." She could see Bellona trembling, but that was something she disregarded. "Of course I did enjoy my visit back in that restraining nightmare, but then a little switch in my brain went on." She smiled. "I remembered some old friends…" She pictured Nic, Kecleon, and Erza. "Who helped me in the past and awoken me from my nightmare. They were kind souls, souls that had a very profound impact on people. When I fought back against my father years ago, I realized that the nightmare was over at long last. You just brought back the past, something that I was reminded can never harm me again for as long as people are there to protect and call home."
Bellona clutched her fists, dark galaxies showing. "You damn witch…!"
Kagura stood up, staring at Minerva and hearing her words. "I was played with. I was blinded by my own angst. I'll settle with Jellal and what he did wrong, but for now, the one before us must pay for making us remember bittersweet."
Bellona's eyes widened further and she stepped back. "Grrr! Living Dread!" Her dark spirals sent seeping darkness ahead after Minerva, materializing into a large Jiemma. The monstrous man towered over Minerva, but all she did was smirk. "Go to Hell!" Bellona rushed forward with her dark galaxies spiraling. As 'Jiemma' punched to punish Minerva, Bellona closed in again.
Minerva smirked. "Sorry, but I've moved on. You were a terrible father." Her hands made spatial orbs, and her eyes narrowed as 'Jiemma' punched straight through Minerva, but she didn't flinch, but rather looked expectedly as 'Jiemma' followed through and vanished. She saw Bellona close in. The entire time, Minerva's attention was on her, unnerving Bellona.
"Fall before the undefeated queen!" Bellona shrieked as she rushed ahead without stopping.
"I RAGD!"
Explosions erupted all in front of Minerva. She had spatial orbs manifested erupt all around Bellona. Everything was engulfed in her line of fire. The land shook and Kagura looked ahead, unshaken by the flashy display. The explosions went off like fireworks, with Minerva frowning at the smoke clouds dissipating. Soaring outwards, Bellona fell out of the sky, slamming onto her back with her attire and clothing al but completely demolished. Her eyes were devoid of pupils and her mouth was open. She had suffered many brutal injuries, of which her body had also steamed from the barrage of Territory.
Minerva turned away. "A pesky fly has wandered into the wrong territory. I hope you pull yourself together, and escape your own nightmare…Bellona."
Kagura looked at Minerva, both staring at one another. The two had a long stare-off, one that had a rather uncomfortable silence for a while until Minerva decided to speak.
"Your guild mates, they'll be waking up now, free from their nightmares." As if in cue, all around, the Mermaid Heel Mages were ceasing their painful sleep, and they calmed themselves down. They began to open their eyes, and they looked groggy, but relieved as they were starting to get up.
Kagura looked at her awakening friends. Beth and Arana managed to get back up, and they looked all around in confusion. They were mumbling, incoherent, but Kagura could understand their confusion and what they might be saying. Minerva herself could understand fully. That being said, Millianna opened her eyes, starting to come around.
"M-meow?" She sat up with support from her arms. She looked tired. "That's weird, what happened?" She questioned. She turned left and right, seeing her guild mates beginning to wake up. "The last I remember…was Kagura…and that creepy lady…"
Kagura looked back at Minerva, finally smiling. "Minerva. Thank you."
Minerva grinned. "I was just doing what my master told me." She looked back at the guild members that were starting to wake up. Another long silence came between them. "Have I atoned for my blinded sins?"
Kagura looked surprisingly towards Minerva, the uncomfortable feeling she had around her from the beginning no longer there. The distaste she had wasn't rotting her belly. As weird as it was, Kagura felt…relieved.
She smiled. "You had no sins committed. I am in your debt. Thank you, for saving my life, and my guild."
Minerva kept on grinning, as the Mermaid Heel Mages all awoke without much harm.
"We should head to Era. Everyone's gonna expect us to rendezvous there." Kagura announced, her Archenemy sheathed and her attitude back to being itself.
Minerva nodded, also getting serious. "Understood. My master will have us expected there. Let's move."
A Councilman pounded his armrest in frustration. "How could this have happened?"
"It's clear that we have severely underestimated our chances. Those three we coaxed into possible Wizard Saints showed no promise it seems." Another Councilman stated.
Org ran his fingers through his long white beard. "How disturbing, but then again, you shouldn't expect anything less from our savior. Taking down Sabertooth's former master, and on top of that demolishing a former Wizard Saint, is a monumental step, but he made it look so easy. Even with his powers weakened, it's evident how superior he is compared to the past opponents he had to overcome. I fear for what may transpire with the other Wizard Saints if they come to pass by Nic and his Pokémon."
Gran Doma closed his eyes. His potential for the three when they were brought up before was so staggering. Jiemma was a story of his own caliber, but Jose should've at least taken down maybe one of Nic's Pokémon or his friends. "It's clear that I have misjudged the circumstances. The past anger those three felt was but a minor setback, but we'll have to settle with this as but a warmup."
Org turned towards him. "Are you really gonna initiate Phantasm?"
Gran Doma opened his eyes, looking up at the monitor and seeing Nic fighting alongside Greninja as they used Sludge Bomb and Scald on enemy soldiers, and on another monitor showed Kecleon looking away with a tilted head as her Shadow Sneak uppercutted an enemy from behind. His glare turned desolate, hollow; it almost gave him the appeal of a silent madman if not labeled one already.
"The Wizard Saints who chose to be the links have all diverged. Nic Pularis will soon learn, that he, along with those criminals, will walk right into the activation of Phantasm. They won't touch us."
A Councilman took notice of something off when he looked at the layout of the nine points on the graph in front of him. "Uh, Gran Doma, if I may, what's become of God Serena? I can't seem to track him."
"Let him do as he pleases." He answered.
"But-!"
"Enough! God Serena is our most powerful asset. He symbolizes what the full power of magic is all about. He knows Phantasm will activate, so let him roam about as he likes until things seem…bleak."
Walking alone, in a wasteland in the unknown confines of Fiore, dust shifted in the soft winds. In the slow movements he took, God Serena looked lethargic, but his smirk was a sure sign of amusement, let alone of an upcoming thrill. His unclear path tolled him onwards, deeper into the unknown. All along the way, he did not lose his smirk.
"Hey, is everyone alright over there? How's the western front looking?" Warren's face could be seen through the Communication Lacrima in Erza's hand.
The redhead nodded at Warren, a sure sign. "Everything is well at hand. Our group successfully incapacitated the western front. We're a little shaken up from using quite a bit of our magic, but for the most part we've driven off or defeated the enemy mages and soldiers."
Warren grinned. "I'm glad to hear. Natsu's group managed to secure footing in the northwest, and Gray and Laxus's group ascertained the southwest. Not many of us were captured, so we should have just about enough friends and allies to make it to Erza."
"Understood. Keep us posted." The Communication Lacrima turned off, and Erza looked back up. It was a mess; mages were hurt, some good, some bad, but injuries varied. The Rune Knights that didn't retreat and were too stubborn were all incapacitated by means of rope or vines. They weren't going anywhere. She turned around and looked back to find Nic already tending to the wounded. Sophie helped where she could with Seabed's Miracle, but it exhausted quite a bit of her power. Greninja and Kecleon were both beside Nic, examining Nic healing another group of twenty with a Heal Pulse in his Mind Form. Nic half-grinned, meaning he was keeping spirits up. In turn, Erza also smiled, glad to see him unscathed. Within the battle, so much confusion transpired, and she cursed herself for not being there besides Nic when Greninja and Kecleon were. While she had nothing against Nic taking care of himself, she swore she'd be at his side, but contradicting herself left a hole in her stomach. All she could do was fight the whole way, and by means of proving that she can protect Nic. The more she pondered about it, the more she was lost in her thoughts. She at least fought the same battle as him, and she wasn't his babysitter; Nic and Erza both protected people on this day, that's an achievement they can share.
She smiled at Nic once more and watched him work.
"Heal Pulse!" Another ball of pink light dispersed in his palms, sending waves of sparkling pink light at the group of wounded men and women that got hurt in the fighting. When the pink waves past everybody, they all relaxed. The injuries began to heal, and when the move stopped, they looked as well as they did before the pursuit.
"I'm feeling so alive!" One mage happily yelled.
"I can feel my arms again!" Another smiled.
"Thanks man! You're the best!" A mage praised.
Nic gratefully smiled back, but really didn't say much beyond that. With that recent group healed, everybody was more or less able-bodied.
Greninja approached Nic's side, looking at him seriously. "Nic."
Nic frowned, his gaze turning serious. "Yeah, I'm still surprised myself."
Kecleon appeared from Nic's other side, tilting her head. Nic continued speaking amongst them while everybody else looked so happy.
"The Council has made its usage of power into a curse. They stooped to bargaining the seats Master and Jura left open for everyone's personal gain. To think they'd even take back Jose amongst their ranks after the war with Fairy Tail so long ago. Unlike Gajeel and Juvia, he's clearly left in the dark. He was twisted, corrupted on revenge and walking down a lone path that he didn't gain any real strength." His gaze went towards the ground. "Desperation can do things to people. Those with power will turn that into their strength and pin their enemies down. This is what splits the wills and conscience of good and bad alike." He eyes squinted. "I honestly wonder, what does the Council hope to gain through their methods?"
Greninja glanced at Nic. "Well we will never question your insight on power and madmen." He worded it so that he didn't have to be too specific on Nic's own past and his parental monstrosities. "All we can say is that we learned the Council itself has shown its weakness in desperation. Banished foes and allies alike from the past for a common goal."
"Whatever movies that are watched, let them be watched until the end." Kecleon said. "The Council is nothing short of a thriller, misguided bad guys that are thought good. They've turned into an empire with a mad king. The king has turned into a tyrant, so we must dethrone him."
Nic looked ahead, his eyes showing determination. "We'll make the Council see the error in their ways. Until we do, we'll push down forts made by them."
Greninja and Kecleon nodded, agreeing as their forces started moving again.
Crime Sorciere pressed on in quiet pursuit, with Jellal taking the lead. Ultear and Meredy followed close behind down the mountain slope. The few battles they've fought alone against reinforcements did little to weigh them down, and Ultear had taken the liberty of commandeering any Communication Lacrima in the events of them been noticed. Of course reports will come flying in about how a few reinforcements never arrived to the southwest front, so they had to stay on the move. At the moment, they were doing their best to head to Era without any indication to their location.
"How much longer until we reach Era?" Ultear wondered.
"I say another hour. The mountains around her aren't that hard to travel through." Jellal answered as he still ran on. "Though we are an independent guild, we have to make sure we uphold our own conscience. We can't have the Council go unjustified, not after the damage they've done to people and their trust."
Ultear's hair shifted in the winds. "The Council has already made its move."
"But I fear that it's just the beginning." Jellal answered. His two companions only stayed quiet to listen to his inquiries. "Our friends are in grave danger. They know what they're up against…but what if the Council has something deeper than just that front? Possibly to weaken the forces perhaps, but I can't say for certain."
Meredy paced a little slower than Ultear. "Then we have to hurry, otherwise we won't know until it's too la-!" She was cut off from a loud grumbling sound. The growl resonated from her abdomen, and her eyes widened. "Guh!"
Ultear and Jellal looked back, seeing Meredy looking with equal shock, only her cheeks were red with embarrassment.
They all stopped on Meredy's behalf. "Sorry! We had such an early breakfast!" She apologized.
Ultear sighed, face palming herself. "Honestly…"
Meredy crossed her arms and turned away with a small pout. "Well we can't just fight on an empty stomach." A gurgle came from Ultear this time, her eyes widening with surprise. Meredy pointed at her in accusation. "See?"
Ultear turned away from her adoptive daughter, her cheeks tinted in pink.
Jellal sighed. "I suppose we'll have to spare a little time to recuperate and…" He heard Meredy's growling stomach. "That."
Meredy and Ultear both looked away with a unison pout with red in their cheeks from equal embarrassment. Jellal chuckled, but complied with their need of food. They all sat down and began to snack on some nourishment they've saved.
Nic stood beside Erza, Greninja, and his own sister as they overlooked the city from the mountain point. They had a clear view of Era's Magic Council on the center hill.
"There it is." Nic said.
"This was too easy. I'm positive there's something not right about this." Erza said.
"We haven't fought anything but mages, Rune Knights, and hired enemies of the past. What did they mean when they launched all of those numbers at us?" Vanessa wondered.
"I'm sure it's just a first wave." Nic speculated aloud.
Vanessa and Erza looked at him with surprise.
"They have Wizard Saints by their side, don't they?" Greninja said. "If they were on the frontlines, that would've meant they've been going all out."
"They're up to something." Cana said. "I can feel it."
"Well whatever the case may be, look." Sophie turned towards the side, and everybody saw a large number of people far off in the distance. "Our friends have already made it. Let's just be careful."
Everybody paid heed to what they noted and proceeded into Era. They all closed in from the mountain pass and had already begun venturing into the streets of Era, all of them starting to regroup. Natsu and Laxus's individual parties had made it inside the city routes, and the groups made it down the avenue that directed to the hill of Era. What was surprising to Nic and a few strategic others was that Era was barren. It was like a ghost town, but with no ghosts. Nic and Greninja were positive it was all because the citizens evacuated to a safer place.
"Looks like there's nobody here." Sting examined.
"Probably because the Magic Council evacuated them." Rogue figured. "At least they cared enough to do that."
"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch said.
"Yeah, this is gonna be awesome! Those Council jerks won't stand a chance with all of us here." Lector held up a paw and clutched it.
Natsu punched his own palm. "I'll vouch for that! I wanna be the first to break their faces!"
"Hey Lucy, how's your leg?" Wendy asked.
Lucy looked towards Wendy and then back to her leg. "Oh, uh…"
Given that Yukino was supporting her, Wendy could tell it was severe. "Let me see." While everybody around was walking along, Wendy handled with Lucy's leg with Healing Magic. Her hands glowed green and she looked shocked. "Your leg bones are fractured."
Lucy smiled. "Thanks Wendy. You're the best."
Wendy smiled back, doing her best to overcome the shock she had. "I'm just glad I can help out."
Nic and Erza advanced through the evacuated city. All of everyone followed around them until they've made it to the bottom of the hill in a matter of minutes. All of everyone stood and stared at the towering Magic Council. Nobody looked scared. They lost quite a few in custody, but they knew the risks. They were gonna risk it all to save the savior of the universe, no matter what.
'Gran Doma.' Nic clutched his fists.
Watching through a monitor, Gran Doma stared at the distasteful looks of Nic along with Fairy Tail. The many other faces were obsolete, but he was aware of them. The numbers mattered not to him. They would all fall before the Wizard Saints, and the remains of the Star Order Guild.
"Now…" He said. "Are coordinates set?"
A frog assistant looked into a monitor, a lock-on screen set on the hill. "Yes, sir."
Nic stepped inside, along with Greninja as they entered the Council Headquarters. When they entered, they saw that it was completely deserted. Everybody else who followed them up the hill towards the headquarters saw this feature as well, and it left them more than a little surprised. They expected a fortress like that of Mercurius, but instead…
"It's empty." Greninja said with shock.
Nic went wide-eyed. When he realized that the Council wasn't in their room, his eyes widened further. "…oh no."
Gran Doma raised his stave. "Now! Phantasm, activate!"
The ground beneath everybody in the Council HQ and through Era shook. The building rumbled, but didn't at a magnitude that could break it apart. Everybody looked around, unable to find answers all the way through the city.
"What's with this quaking?!" Lyon exclaimed.
Chelia was maintaining balance and looked outside. She pointed outside. "Guys, come look at this!"
Everybody inside the building looked out any nearby windows. Those outside could see the unfathomable happen. Gajeel and everybody glared with horror as the ground kept shaking, but on the borders of Era, giant pillars began to emerge from the ground. They looked like solid crystals, but one couldn't really be sure. There were four in total, and they appeared north, south, east, and west. The humungous crystals all towered high, and when they were set, the rumbling stopped.
Cana's eyes were wide. "Okay, that was freaky."
"The hell was that?" Natsu asked.
"Are those crystals?" Happy wondered, referring to outside.
Pantherlily walked on over towards the windowsill. "I wonder…"
Carla, who was looking put the same window, turned towards Lily. "Come again?"
Lily put a hand to his round chin. "It seems to me that those aren't ordinary crystals. I believe they might be something worse."
"Worse how?" Happy asked.
Sophie gasped. Her sudden hitch in breathing had caught a lot of attention from the people around her.
"What could be troubling you, cousin?" Rufus asked. "Have you realized something as well?"
Sophie looked unnerved as she swallowed. She looked at all of the people around her, seeing their curious faces that need answers. "Nic was right, we were set up."
The for pointed tips of the large crystals outside of Era began to give off blue static. The static began to surge to the tips and become large orbs of light. All at once, the static orbs got brighter, and they made a generator sound as they charged up. When the sound was strong enough to reach the ears of those looking out, the orbs shot a unison beam diagonally up at the Council HQ. All eyes looked to see the beams tail after the other, intersecting atop of the massive building. The light beams all kept intersecting until the orbs on the crystal tips were finally transmitted into the beams. The beams all were fused together, making a single ball of blue light. The blue orb above everyone's heads made everybody question heavily, but then they saw the blue orb split apart, into six orbs.
"Why's it separating?" Ren asked.
"Man. The parfume of hysteria is in those orbs." Ichiya said.
All six orb shot off at the speed of light. Five orbs became comets and separated all across the sky to different locations. Five went off their separate ways, but the last one shot straight down, and the blue comet became red when coming down onto its target: Nic.
The comet went straight through the ceiling like a ghost and infused in Nic's body. The sensation and red static emerging around Nic made him grunt. His body was feeling a great pain, but all he did was ground as everything went numb.
Lucy looked shocked. "Nic!"
Greninja's eyes widened in horror. "Nic!"
Erza rushed in front of Nic and examined him as he nearly lost footing. "Nic! What's happening?!"
Through the electrocution and numbing feeling, he remained standing. "I-I don't know! That light separated and…gngh!" He winced in the pain, but in a matter of seconds, the pain went away. The static around him dissipated, and Nic stood back up fully once more. While he did feel fine, he knew with certainty that he was hit by some target.
"Are you okay?" Vanessa asked.
Nic looked down at his arm and Mega Wristband, seeing as though nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but I doubt this will end well."
Greninja looked with uneasy eyes at his best friend's inquiry of what came down onto him. His attention then drew to the outside. The same generator sound reverberated, and the crystals were all beginning to shine brighter and brighter with every second. Greninja's eyes widened when the building was starting to shake again as the light was getting brighter outside.
Bickslow was losing balance. "Whoa, what's happening now?!"
Freed was wobbling back and forth. "Another magnitude?"
Erza looked away from Nic, looking out to see the blue crystals glimmering brighter than before. She was shocked as the outside was encompassed in a blue light. "What…?"
Outside, mages looked with uncertainty as the blue light from all four crystals shined brightly. Nic and Greninja looked at one another with equal shock just before all of Erza was engulfed in a shocking bright light. The light shined even brighter, bright enough to leave nearby bystanders in the mountains several miles away to look away in fear of being blind as the light traveled through the earth.
All across Fiore, the ground and rivers gave a bright light. Everyone covered up in fear as they were engulfed in the blue light within the earth.
Inside of the revealed secret secondary building in an unknown location, Gran Doma closed his eyes. "Sorry Nic Pularis, but you brought this on yourself."
Org glared at Gran Doma, angrily growling beneath his breath in retort of the chairman's self-centered actions. Lahar, Doranbolt, and everybody there closed their eyes in shame, having brought a disaster to the land of Fiore.
Nic's eyes winced as he found himself feeling something hard on his side. Upon touch he could tell that it was hard ground. He pushed up and got onto his knees, putting a hand onto his hair. He grumbled, and looked disoriented. "…" He opened his eyes, the first thing he saw being ground. As much as he wanted to question it, at the same time, he felt something right beside him that awoke at the exact same time. He looked over, seeing Greninja right beside him. Both looked a little disoriented from that blue light, but their brains kicked back up to speed once they made eye contact.
"Greninja, are you okay?" Nic asked.
Greninja nodded. "Yeah. The better question is, what happened to-?!"
He never finished when he turned his head to look at his surroundings. His eyes shot wide again. Nic was no different. They both gasped in utter shock as their surroundings were completely different. They were in a rocky wasteland. It was slightly chilly despite it being near-August, but there was something worse that made their spines crawl.
The sky high above was not of a sunset color like it was when they arrived at Era. It was completely blocked out. Instead, there was a very odd dark rainbow colored energy flowing like water. It was barely transparent, and it went as far as the eye could see.
"What is this?" Nic questioned standing back up. He and Greninja no longer looked shocked and had serious faces, but they were still feeling their spines crawl. "What has the Council done?" He asked.
All across Fiore, the skies were blocked out by a dark rainbow energy. It was all flowing like seawater and the people on the ground were looking up with shock and disbelief. Wherever they were, the bystanders weren't affected, but that didn't mean they weren't frightened. The sudden dark rainbow energy encompasses not just the sky, but unfortunately the case transcended to all of Fiore.
Nic and Greninja looked towards another. Greninja speaking out. "Whatever has happened…" He looked back ahead. "It's clear this transpired: The Council got us where they want us."
How was this update to your guys' liking? Were you enjoying how I made Kagura no longer feel uncomfortable around Minerva? Any battles or events you enjoyed? Nic, Greninja, and Kecleon were op, I admit, but their battling on the western front was just a warmup. In a sense, relate that to Natsu VS Erigor during the Oracion Seis Arc, in a means of showing how superior the three were compared to last time against Jose or Jiemma.
So anyways, got Phantasm revealed. You're gonna realize what it really is next chapter, but it's nothing too drastic. As always; comment, review, and until next time!
