Kai froze and everything paused around him for just a moment. He thought he'd blinked, but, more time had to have passed than that:
The entire room he stood in had transformed. The once-stone walls had melted away, giving way to a more flesh-like interior. A putrid scent now filled the area. A strange, dripping liquid protruded out from the walls. Kai drew forth his blade.
"It would seem some of you have evaded our transition," Mard Geer said. "But now you shall witness the terror of the Plutogrim, the true form of our headquarters! Fairy Tail has been trapped, forever sealed by my curse. To break it? Well, that shall certainly require a miracle. Go forth then, Crime Sorciere, and see what you can do against us, your once-allies. I assure you…you shall regret standing against us."
Something screeched loud and made Kai's head spin before the voice cut out and he stood alone in the transformed room.
He tried to sniff out anyone's location, but the putrid smell completely blocked his nose off.
How'd he avoided it, when everyone else had apparently been captured? Kai dashed forward, pressing through until he found another room.
"No," he muttered as he approached what was, definitely, the form of Erza Scarlet. She held her sword aloft, still prepared for battle. But against whom?
Something shifted nearby. Kai's eye caught a quick flurry of motion and his instincts caught up to him. He easily evaded some sort of claw and slid away.
"The hell are you?" Kai asked.
His attacker, a woman, had her back turned to him. She wore little in the way of clothing, and had long black hair stylized in a familiar fashion. Kai held his sword in the same position Erza had her own in.
The woman turned, a scornful smile stretching upon her face.
"No way," Kai muttered.
"I don't know how Erza was absorbed but not you, but I have to imagine it'll be quite the sight when she discovers your corpse after she is freed," said Minerva Orland.
Kai momentarily fixed on the eyepatch then to the gloves she wore over some demonic hands. Those typical black orbs floated around her.
"What's happened to my guild?"
"Fate. You challenged devils, now you're in Hell."
"That's ridiculous."
A few more orbs manifested and floated around Minerva. "It's fate!"
The orbs shot at Kai, who dodged all of them. One of them, though, landed near him and exploded, forcing him forward. He managed to dodge Minerva's kick and elbow her away, raising his sword to deflect another orb that made his sword disappear across the room.
He held his hand out and snagged it as Minerva came charging in, forcing her back so she wouldn't lose her hand.
"Kai!"
Another figure landed between them, sending Minerva back. Kai slid away as well.
"Ah, there you are. A member of Crime Sorciere."
Ultear straightened up before Kai, pushing her hair back.
"Get out of here," she said. "Don't waste your time on someone who isn't even a proper demon. Just a mistake."
Minerva howled a laugh. "And you're one one to talk?"
"There's another survivor from Fairy Tail but I can't tell who," Ultear said, holding up the Arc of Time to combat Minerva's Territory magic. "You need to find them and save them. The other Demon Gates are going to swarm them. You can serve as a beacon for the rest of our guild."
"How?"
"Meredy's Sensory Magic. It's how I was able to stop all of us from falling prey to the Alegria curse. I held us out of time for a moment."
"Well thanks for that." Kai sheathed his sword. "You can handle things from here?"
"This'll be too easy."
"Easy?"
Minerva flung her attacks at Ultear, who used her orb to shatter them all and send Minerva flying. Ultear kept her stoic appearance.
"I'll catch up soon."
Kai nodded and took off, bounding out of the room despite Minerva's best attempt to catch him and hold him down. Kai slid down a bit of broken wall and tumbled forward.
Someone from Fairy Tail? Damn that stupid smell from Algeria, he couldn't sense anything!
Wait, sense.
Kai quieted his mind while he ran, just moving on instinct to avoid fallen rubble and walls, and indeed felt the presences of Jellal, Ultear, Meredy, Cobra, Angel, Midnight, Racer, and Hoteye. Most of them were stagnant, probably just trying to figure out what was going on.
Or they were in a fight.
Kai pressed forward. Soon, a new sound came to break the quiet of Algeria: rushing water.
And that too was broken by several explosions.
It was still a ways off, though. Kai steeled himself and hurried down through the hallways, with no idea for where he was headed. The moisture in the air increased.
Then, a brilliant golden light shot out into the sky, and another explosion broke through everything. Kai held steady, waiting for another light or another explosion.
Out of nowhere, a piercing whistle closed in on the Plutogrim. At once, it shook and just billowed everywhere, and the sensation of a long-drop took hold.
Kai leapt and clasped onto a pillar while they tumbled down, though the fall was somehow cushioned.
He bounced off and rolled away, groaning from the wind having just been sucked out of him and from the huge tumble out of the sky. They lay in great ruins, but not far from Magnolia.
Sunset approached, tinging the sky in a magnificent orange light. In the distance, a humongous figure stood with a glistening sword, a star on its hilt, against a tiny figure on a cliff.
"You better be a good guy," Kai muttered. Perhaps that was the thing that broke up the Plutogrim. Kai picked himself up.
The rushing waters had vanished, but another explosion rocked the area. He followed the sound of it, though this one was harder to track thanks to the lack of any firm walls. All of the rubble lay about in a great area.
He bounded over more rubble, and watched a huge stream of golden light consume the area, and a ragged scream filled the sky as a creature vanished into golden light, and a woman with pig-tailed blonde hair fell back.
Kai slid down and caught her.
Lucy.
"Hey, you okay?"
Lucy's eyes fell faint upon him. "Kai? What're you…how are you?"
"Long explanation," he said. "What's going on here?"
Her face was streaked with dried tears and she held, in her hand, a broken Zodiac Key. Her lips trembled.
He could sense the faintest bits of magic coming from her. She gripped his jacket.
"Please," she said. "I'm almost out of magic. I'm the last one left."
Kai closed her fist around the key.
Four others charged in, landing in front of the two remaining Fairy Tail wizards: a tan and blonde man, a robed skeleton, a half-fish, half-man, and someone in armor that weirdly looked, and smelled, like Gray.
"There's our survivor," the skeleton said.
The Gray-looking man grinned. "He's Fairy Tail."
"So we'll crush him like the rest," the fish-man said.
Kai smiled at them, and squeezed Lucy's fist.
"Four against one? This'll be no challenge at all. I can add his soul to my collection," the skeleton said.
Kai rose to his feet. His heart fluttered, and something in his soul shifted. That sensation from before, one that stretched out far to reach the rest of Crime Sorciere, had vanished.
Several steps of footsteps echoed off of the rest of the rubble. Lucy turned about and gasped while Kai stepped forward, in front of the woman he regarded as his own sister, and unsheathed his blade.
"I suspected I would show you up, Lucy, but this is just pathetic," Angel said from behind Kai. "Get on your feet and stop embarrassing yourself."
"She took out one of the Demon Gates on her own, give her a break," Racer said, catching up to Kai.
"I think this does give you the chance to show her up if you can take down two of them," Cobra said. "I can hear their uncertainty."
"Uncertainty about how you're still around," the Gray-looking one said. "Not whether or not we could beat you."
"Then you're just being overconfident," Midnight said.
"You've been locked away for seven years, completely out of the game," the fish-man said.
"You don't have what it takes to face us," the blonde one said.
"Prove it, then!" Hoteye exclaimed. "Prove your darkness can overcome our love!"
Kai stopped short of the four Demon Gates while the Seis caught up to him lining up to square off against the others.
Lucy hobbled up, trudging up to stand next to Kai.
"The Oración Seis, huh? Yeah, you do have a good bit of explaining to do."
"They're with Crime Sorciere, now. And they're with us in terms of defeating Tartaros."
"With you in that you will not defeat us," the skeleton said.
"You guys do need to be careful, they're incredibly strong," Lucy muttered.
Kai gestured to Midnight. "Got a way of protecting Lucy?"
"I can manage."
"Good. We'll need to focus on these guys and I don't want anything accidentally hitting her."
The skeleton raised his staff. Cobra lurched and shoved Lucy aside as a bolt of black lightning struck where she just was. Kai reacted, slicing down with his sword.
The Gray-looking man stepped in and blocked it with some ease.
"An Ice Wizard?" they both asked.
Racer bolted, dodging under the fish-man's attack and punching the blondie in the face, knocking them away. Hoteye followed after.
The one in the armor lurched at Kai, who blocked his punch and then kneed the old man away. His scent was startling similar to Gray's.
The skeleton also advanced but Midnight was able to halt him. Cobra flew over Kai's shoulder and punched the other Ice wizard in the face.
The fish-man hadn't moved and approached Angel, who also glanced rather apathetically at the man.
She held up three coins and he just chuckled before moving in on her.
"Barakiel," Angel said, and a blinding light consumed the area as a massive angelic figure shot forth from her three keys and slammed the fish-man away.
Kai, momentarily, caught up in the distraction, had to dodge another attack from the armored man, who'd knocked Cobra aside. Kai easily deflected his attack then punched him away.
He swung his arm and Kai deflected the ice with his own, creating a wall between them. His ice, though, was purple.
Just like the kind at the Sun Village.
"It was you?"
Cobra interfered before the man could give a good answer, forcing him away as the skeleton pressed beyond Midnight and toward Lucy.
"Your illusions are but paltry tricks to me, child! I was bred to see through the illusions of Zeref, what chance do you stand?"
Keyes, suddenly, shifted toward Kai.
He swung his staff down whick Kai blocked with an arm coated in thick ice.
"What?"
"You were saying?" Midnight asked cooly, just before…
"Ice Dragon Roar!"
The ice blast slammed into the skeleton and sent them flying back. Kai nodded to Midnight as Cobra also appeared in the air, barely dodging the attacks of the other ice user.
Racer zipped around the area, getting his footing back before pummeling his opponent, who still remained mostly unfazed.
"Go help Angel, I'll take the skeleton when he gets back," Kai said, and Midnight didn't make a gesture of agreement, he just moved toward Angel, who'd had her servant destroyed.
Kai glanced over his shoulder at Lucy, who braced against some rubble.
In the distance, the battle waned down between the great creature and the smaller man.
"That's the Celestial Spirit King," Lucy said. "I summoned him by breaking Aquarius's Key."
"So…she's gone?"
The skeleton rushed at them. Lucy sucked in a breath and let out a trembling sigh. Kai balled up a fist and it brimmed with magic.
The skeleton closed it and raised his staff. "Judgment of Malefic Star!"
An intense black aura consumed him, brimming with dark power.
"Ice Dragon…"
The skeleton howled and Kai swung his fist down fast, slamming it into the skeleton face and punching him straight into the ground, creating a massive crater around them.
"Scattering Strike!"
Scores of scales shot out from his hand and the skeleton screamed in pain as it tried to break apart into particles but there were so many scales that it just couldn't.
Kai roared, keeping up the magic before he cut it off and sucked in a breath. However, the magic blasted out of him as he was knocked away by an ice pillar that launched at him and forced him back.
Cobra flipped and landed near Lucy while the skeleton faded away and reformed, brushing himself off.
The armored man, the Ice-Magic user, approached. Angel slid away from her opponent and Midnight drifted over.
A flash came from the fight between the Celestial Spirit King and the other member of Tartaros.
One of the Tartaros members went to say something but their smarmy smile faded as the fleshy bits of the broken Plutogrim began to fade away.
And those that were once statues regained their coloration and life.
Kai sneered as a magnificent and familiar roar broke through the sound and all four of the Demon Gates regathered while a blitz of fire, iron, ice, and water converged near the remaining members of Crime Sorciere.
Steam rose out from where they landed as four silhouettes emerged near Kai.
"Thanks for taking care of Lucy, but we'll handle things from here," Natsu said, flames rippling off his fists.
"I don't think so," Cobra said. "These guys are ours, Salamander."
"Nah, we've got a score to settle with them, too," Gray said, and the one in armor sneered.
Kai locked eyes with Gajeel. "Take care of Lucy. I need to make sure Erza's alright. Another Demon Gate might come after her."
"We'll handle the rest," Gajeel said.
"Good. And Lucy…" Kai rested a hand on her shoulder. "You saved all of us. Take a break for a second."
Lucy wiped away the tears still falling from her face and nodded back at him.
Before any of the Demon Gates could do anything, Kai dashed back the way he came.
With Alegria dissipated and the Plutogrim destroyed, he could easily sniff out Erza. He ran as fast as he could.
Some men in dark armor and cloaks stepped in his way. "Another Fairy!"
Kai took them down with trained ease, using his skills acquired from his time with Crime Sorciere to wipe them out.
The battle with Erza only seemed to grow in scale and intensity as Kai got closer. Flashing lights and massive explosions and bursts of power poured out from the general area.
Kai unsheathed his blade and leapt atop a wall, watching as Erza deflected an oncoming attack from Minerva while Ultear waited off to the side, watching.
Erza easily, and most definitely had the upper hand in the battle. Minerva's strength definitely waned, and her swings just couldn't hold up to Erza.
But it seemed that Erza's words cut through to Minerva more than her physical blows. She cried out to Minerva for being weak, for giving up and giving in, and how that was the opposite of what Sabertooth was supposed to do.
Kai shifted, surprised, as another presence joined him atop the wall: Meredy, who watched with interest as well. She nodded at Kai.
Erza deflected more of Minerva's attacks before at last punching her across the face and sending Minerva spinning into the ground.
"You are a great mage, Minerva!" Erza cried. "But look at what your powers have been used for! Malice and darkness!"
"That is where true power lies!" Minerva shouted. "You don't understand what it means to have real strength! With these powers, I'll maintain my place as the ultimate wizard!"
"You won't!"
Minerva tried to attack again but Erza easily put it down. Meredy climbed down toward Ultear, who smiled up at her. Kai sighed, glancing over his shoulder to the other fights.
Things were settling down. Maybe some of the Demon Gates were already dead, like the one that Lucy destroyed.
Jellal was still nowhere to be seen so he must've been out handling the situation on his own.
Kai returned his attention to the fight. Minerva lay defeated before Erza, who had a bloodied fist up.
"Do it," Minerva breathed. "Finish it, Erza. Remember all that I did to your guild. To your friend Lucy. Finish me. I don't deserve to live anymore."
"I don't get to be the judge of that," Erza said. "And I won't kill you. Not when I see that you are capable of so much more."
"I gave up!"
"Then get up and back on your feet!"
Erza swung her hand down but instead of a fist awaiting Minerva, there waited instead an open palm.
Minerva paused, unsure of what to do. She gingerly held her hand out. A smile appeared over Erza's lips.
Then, a blur of movement caught Kai's attention, and he moved fast, flinging his sword toward it.
The sword deflected away, stunning Erza and Minerva, as the blur of motion moved again, descending toward Ultear.
A great spray of blood preceded a blood-curdling scream from Meredy.
Kai's eyes widened and he immediately dropped off the rubble and toward Ultear, who stood holding her chest while a gaping wound had appeared that.
A woman, with bird-like features, strode away, licking the blood off her fingers.
"Kyoka!" Erza roared.
"Ultear, no!" Meredy shouted.
Ultear looked, helplessly, to Meredy and sank back against the wall.
"I have a mission to detonate FACE. I managed to transfer Jellal's information to the Chairman before his own death, so I just needed Ultear's death to finalize all my plans. Now, FACE will detonate."
"Meredy…" Ultear muttered. "What…"
Kai unsheathed his blade. "You monster, I'll—"
"Do what?"
A cool, calm voice drifted over them. Chills ran down Kai's spine. A dark shadow cast long over the room. Kyoka knelt at the sight of the new arrival, and Minerva couldn't bear to look at it.
Kai knew that voice: Mard Geer, the one who cast Alegria.
"I'm all too curious to see what more Fairy Tail has to offer," he said. "Before I destroy all of you."
Kai turned up toward the man. He held a book in his arms and had a long black cloak to match the mottled black hair tumbling down his head. He sneered down at Kai.
"Don't…" Ultear muttered.
Kai spun toward them while Meredy, with tears down her eyes, touched her head to Ultear's. Ultear also sobbed, and the coloration in her face ceased.
"What is she doing?" Kyoka grumbled.
"No!" Mard Geer roared.
Kai flicked his wrist and a glacier appeared beneath Mard Geer, freezing him in place.
Kyoka blasted at the two women but Erza tackled her away and out of the room, down the cliffside.
"Don't do this, Meredy," Ultear said. "You won't…"
"You saved my life," Meredy said, and blood dripped down the sides of her mouth. "I'm returning the favor."
"Stop this!" Ultear exclaimed. "P—please, Meredy!"
"You have to be alive to save the magic," Meredy said, the color in her face fading. She touched her forehead to Ultear, then rested her lips on Ultear's before her body slouched forward.
Ultear held Meredy up with surprising strength. Meredy's eyes shut. Ultear propped Meredy up, gingerly touching her face, her eyes, her hands.
"What…what did she do?"
Ultear glanced at Kai, then, bowed her head into Meredy's body and screamed.
The ice cracked and shattered behind Kai, and Mard Geer grumbled.
"Sensory magic, I bet," Mard Geer said. "She transferred her life essence into the dying woman." He aimed a finger-gun at the group. "No matter. I'll destroy you all right here and now."
Kai barely had time to react, throwing up a barrier around he and the girls while something flashed in front of Minerva before the explosion consumed the area.
Dust and debris settled around him while Mard Geer just lightly laughed.
"I continue to undestimate Fairy Tail," he said.
"And overlook your other enemies."
"Like those that threaten our family."
Kai shifted closer to Ultear while he, confused, glanced over to the sound of the two new voices.
The dust and debris cleared away, revealing the stoic figures of Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney. Sting held Minerva safely in his arms and both had broad scowls on their face.
"Nobody threatens milady like that," Sting said.
"B—boys, what are you doing here?" Minerva asked.
"We got a letter from Erza saying she was worried about you," Sting said.
"So we came to bring you home."
Minerva's eyes brimmed with tears.
Ultear shifted behind Kai, still holding Meredy's hand.
"I'd kill this one myself, but I'm too weak now, Kai," she said. "I'll take Minerva and find Erza. I'll destroy Kyoka myself."
Kai couldn't bear look down to the body of the peaceful Meredy. Instead, he unsheathed his sword with such force it drew wind out toward Mard Geer.
Mard Geer raised a finger toward Ultear. "I don't think so. You're the final key for FACE. You won't—"
Before he could even finish his sentence, all three Dragon Slayers were not only upon him but blasted him back through several yards of rubble and former palace.
All three landed while Mard Geer brushed himself off.
The Sensory Link between Kai and the others had broken. Meredy was officially gone.
Now, the damage hadn't been done to just Fairy Tail. It belonged to Sabertooth and Crime Sorciere.
Mard Geer raised his hands and several vines shot out of the ground around him and the three Dragon Slayers converged down on him.
They would ensure Tartaros paid.
Dearly.