I have return. And with me a new chapter for you all to like or hate.
Enjoy, or not, I don't care you all have your opinions.
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Chapter Thirty Six: Inquisitor Zeraful
The group in the Magic Council building continued to fight their way through the hallways to get to the center of the building. Cana and Kamika managed to catch up to them once again after they have dealt with the Imp Mother.
"Just how many demons are there?!" Erza questioned as she struck down a fel guard. No matter how many demons they fought, more seemed to take their place.
"Don't give in, we should be almost there!" Tiron managed to answer back as the future son of Natsu and Hisui struck down a wrath guard.
They continued to make their way through the hordes of demons that block their way. However they noticed a large group of demons heading their way.
"Nothing is ever simple is it?" Irene questioned as she and the others got ready to fight the large group of demons.
However before they could strike, the walls around the demons suddenly collapse as the rubble crushed the demons. Natsu and the others were confused by what just happened, but then they noticed the others who took care of the Fel Reaver and the Pit Lord came from the holes of the wall. Both of the newly arrived groups were surprised to see the others already here, but then they noticed Erza's group.
"Guys! You're alright!" Daron spoke, as the future son of Natsu and Lisanna was relieved to see everyone else was alright.
"I'm guessing you managed to take care of the demon forces in the city then?" Erza questioned. While she was glad that everyone as okay, the red haired woman wanted to make sure that they didn't leave the demons that were still wreaking havoc in Era.
"Yup! Some measly Pit Lord wasn't going to take us down!" Layla replied with a giant grin.
Before anyone could say anything else, a sudden scream was heard coming from further in the building. This of course got them all to be alarmed.
"What was that?" Yukino questioned in worry.
"Come on!" Mira shouted as they all began to run further down into the hallway.
They managed to fight off the demons blocking their way as they arrived in a large room. They all stopped to look at their surroundings. Bodies of guards littered the area, with their eyes wide opened in fear. However at the end of the room was got their attention. Members of the Magical Council laid dead on the ground as a large demon looked down at the corpse of the head chairman.
This demon was one that everyone, except for the future children, hasn't seen yet. It didn't have legs as it floated off the ground, with his robes hanging off the body like a ghost. Almost its entire body was covered in a robe. It had long fingers which had a grey pale skin color. Two horns came out of the sides of the demon, which went through the hood it have over its head. There were also floating demon eyes around the demon. This demon was known as an Inquisitor.
"Thank you for your co-operation mortal," The demon spoke to the corpse of the chairman, before sensing the group behind him. He turned around to look at the large group. This allowed them to see the Inquisitor's face, which didn't have eyes and only a mouth. Like his hands, his face was a gray pale skin color, "Oh, it appears we have guests."
Everyone simply got into a defensive stance at the sight of the Inquisitor, as more demons appeared to fight.
"Welcome mortals. I'm afraid that I can't stick around as I have more important things to take care of." The demon told them.
"What are you supposed to be?" Juvia questioned, as she and the others haven't dropped their guard.
"It appears that you ignored what I just said. But to sate your curiosity, my name is Zeraful." The now named Zeraful replied back to the group.
The demons in the room began to get ready to strike at the group before them as two small portals appeared, which allowed more demons to pour into the room.
"That's a lot of demons." Kagura noticed. While it wasn't as much as the swarms that attacked the city outside the building, it was still a lot of them in just one room. Lucy then had an idea.
"Juvia, I need you to make some water appear." The blonde celestial mage told the water mage next to her, which got her and everyone else confused.
"Why?" Juvia questioned back, not getting what the Fairy Tail celestial mage was planning.
"Just do it, I know a way to take care of these demons without wasting our time." Lucy replied back to her.
Juvia was still confused, but decided to listen anyway. The blue haired water mage then summoned some water thanks to her magic. Lucy then pulled one of her golden keys and put it in the water.
"Open: Gate of the Water Bearer!" She shouted as the key glowed.
"Wait… is she summoning…?" Layla began to speak, but was interrupted as Aquarius appeared… and she looked ticked off.
"Why did you summon me right now?! I was on a date with Scorpio!" The water celestial spirit shouted at the blonde mage.
Natsu and the others couldn't help but sweat drop as they saw Lucy trying to calm the water mage down. The pink haired dragon slayer figured out that Lucy was hoping to have Aquarius to just unleash a wave to take care of the demons in front of them so they could take care of the remaining demons in the building.
The demons in the room simply looked confused as they saw the angry celestial wizard and the frightened blonde. However Zeraful simply looked at the spirit with interest.
"Ah I remember you." The Inquisitor demon began to speak, which got Aquarius's attention as she saw the demon.
"What are you supposed to be?" She questioned as she noticed how weird the demon looked. At least she found it to look weird.
"Aquarius, we're kind of in a battle right now, and I need you too-." Lucy was trying to explain, however she was interrupted as Zeraful spoke once again.
"What am I? Well that rather funny coming from a talking fish." Zeraful replied back with a bored tone.
"…What did you just say?" Aquarius questioned back, as a tick mark formed on her head. Did that demon just called her a fish?!
"Uh oh." Lucy spoke, as she knew how Aquarius can get when angered.
"I mean… I know about the celestial world and the spirits, and from what I have learned you're the weakest of them all if I recalled. I don't see why anyone would like to have a spirit like you. You just a walking snack for animals, also you got stupid hair and you're not all that pretty I don't know what the fuss is all about." Zeraful went on, as the celestial spirit was getting angrier.
"NO ONE TALKS TO ME LIKE THAT AND GET'S AWAY WITH IT!" Aquarius shouted as she dashed to the demon.
However Marcel then noticed the smirk the Inquisitor demon had. The future son of Natsu and Kamika then realized what the demon was planning to do.
"Stop! Don't get close to him!" Marcel shouted, which caught everyone else off guard by the sudden shouting.
Aquarius stopped and turned around in confusion, however it was too late as the spirit was close enough for the demon as he raised his hands at her.
"How foolish…" Zeraful spoke with a smirk.
The next thing the spirit and everyone else knew, the Inquisitor demon then unleashed a large amount of fel energy at Aquarius. This caused her to cry out from the pain.
"Aquarius!" Lucy shouted in worry.
However, the blonde then noticed Aquarius's key began to glow all of a sudden. But then without warning, the key shattered. This caused the blonde to stumble to the ground.
"Lucy!" Natsu shouted in worry as he, Erza, Layla, and Tiron ran to make sure the blonde was alright.
However they all then noticed the celestial spirit as Zeraful stopped pouring fel magic into her. Fel cracks were all around her body, and when she turned around to look at them, her eyes were glowing green like the fel energy that now tainted her body. Zeraful laughed.
"Now… be a good spirit and destroy these interlopers. I have a weapon to active." The Inquisitor demon told the fel corrupted celestial spirit as he and many of the demons in the room head down the hallway behind them.
"Aquarious…" Lucy spoke in worry as the celestial spirit and the demons still in the room looked like they were getting ready to fight the group.
"Everyone, you guys move on after Zeraful," Layla told them as she and Angelica stepped forward, "We'll handle Aquarius."
"I'm not leaving until I know Aquarius is alright!" Lucy exclaimed at her future daughter. However a hand was put on her shoulder, as the blonde turned to see Natsu behind her.
"Don't worry; we can trust them to handle things. I know they can save Aquarius from whatever that demon did to her." The pink haired demon assured the blonde.
Lucy looked back at Aquarius, then at her future daughter and Yukino's daughter, before turning back to Natsu.
"…Alright," Lucy admitted, but then turned to Layla and Angelica, "Please save her."
Layla and Angelica simply smiled and gave her thumbs up. Seeing that they can handle it, everyone then moved on passed them and the fel corrupted celestial spirit. However Daron stopped moving as the others headed after the Inquisitor. The future son of Natsu and Lisanna turned back to his sisters.
"Layla, Angelica… do what you have to do." Daron told them, knowing that there was only one way to stop the corrupted spirit.
The future daughter of Natsu and Lucy and the future daughter of Natsu and Yukino nodded with a serious look as Daron went to catch up to the others. Layla pulled out one of her golden keys.
"Open: Gate of the Light Warrior!" Layla shouted as Judgment appeared. The spirit then saw the corrupted Aquarius, realizing what happened.
"So… she has fallen once again." The spirit spoke as he got ready to fight her and the other demons still in the room, "I will put her out of her misery."
Angelica then pulled one of her golden keys and began to summon one of her spirits as well.
"Open: Gate of the Titan!" She called out as the key glowed.
The spirit appeared looked rather large that surpassed Elfman's size. He wore metal armor all over, and carried a massive hammer with him. The armor itself looked a bit high tech as well. His face wasn't visible, as he was wearing a helmet that resembled a knight in some way.
The spirit was about to greet his owner, but then noticed the situation he was on.
"Aquarius? She has fallen victim to the Legion once more?" The new spirit questioned with a somewhat deep voice, and a different accent.
"Yes Reinhardt, you know what must be done." Angelica told him with a serious tone as she got her fire dragon slayer magic ready.
Reinhardt nodded as he got into position to fight the corrupted spirit and the demons in the room. He already had to strike down Aquarius once in her time, he didn't want to do it again, but there isn't any other way. He looked at Judgment, who also had the same thoughts.
Layla, Angelica, Judgment, and Reinhardt charged at the fel corrupted spirit, who also charged at them along with the demons still present.
They didn't want to do this, but only death can save Aquarius from this fate now.
Yes I know the spirit Angelica summoned is Reinhardt from Overwatch I know. I can't come up with anything original.
Anyway, in case there's some confusion about what's happening here, in the timeline that the future kids came from, Aquarius fell victim to the fel magic and was brought under control of the Legion. The future Natsu and the others, as the future children were still rather young when it happened, had no choice but to strike her down as it was the only way to save Aquarius from her fate. This is why Judgment and Reinhardt are saying that Aquarius fell victim to the Legion once more, since it happened in their future.
So let's see what happens.
See you all next time, whenever that will be.
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Another blemish on your soul.