Static buzzed in his ears as he scurried forth. The metallic stench of blood everywhere. But the battle was nowhere near finished, with the Spriggan 12 still remaining.
His group has unanimously decided to help out the others with the dreaded twelve and Romeo could only pray that Wendy was safe, his father's retelling of Mira's plight still fresh in his mind.
His heart almost forgot how to beat. It wouldn't. Not until he saw with his own two eyes that she was safe.
They were in a dire situation after all.
And right now, facing off against Erza's mother, the mother of all dragon slayers as she'd now revealed she was, he suddenly regretted not going to church on all those Sundays when his own mother had insisted, as silly as that thought was.
Luckily Erza remained unfazed, and Romeo realized rather guiltily, Irene wasn't morally grey. They were nothing more than opponents on a battlefield. There was nothing holding them back.
He sneaked another look at Wendy, who was as rattled as he was but not showing it, throwing attack after attack at the elder redhead who seemed undeterred, and unhinged. There really was something dragon-like in her gaze.
"You dare to stop me?" Irene chuckled when Wendy threw another punch that didn't hit it's mark. "Do you recall the dragon seed I mentioned? There is one that resides in every dragon slayer. Even you, little dragon slayer."
Romeo wasn't sure what to make of that revelation but then, as if to relieve him of his worries, she snarled back, " My mother devoted many years of her life to a magic that completely halted it's growth. That's why we will never turn into dragons."
"What?!" Irene spat out, and Romeo debated whether telling the crazy person of Erzan descent was a good idea on her part. Wouldn't that agitate-
Yes it did, and his fire whirled around them as magic ebbed back and forth in a furiously fast paced and meticulate manner that was indicative of the tremendous experience she must have had.
"HOW UNJUST! I WANT MY LIFE BACK! I NEVER WANTED THIS BODY!" Irene roared and his flames rhythmically went back and forth on par with Erza's own parries to contain the repercussions of her sudden temper.
Erza spoke through clenched teeth, holding her ground, "Then I will relieve you of that body!"
"BOOSTING ALL PHYSICAL STATISTICS!" Wendy chanted. " DEUS EQUIS!"
Erza charged at Irene, newly energized, and Romeo felt the charm surge through him as well, but the latter merely muttered, " That's impertinent. Extraction Enchant DEUS ZERO!"
Wendy was undeterred however, and countered, "I NULLIFY YOUR DEUS ZERO WITH ANOTHER DEUS ZERO!" And well, could you blame him for grinning at her for being so fricking incredible?
"What?" Irene mumbled disbelievingly, "You are capable of such high level enchantment?"
Hell yeah she was, that was Wendy Marvell for you!
Dodging most of Erza's attacks with more ease than they preferred, an unsettling smirk stretched across her face.
"I get it now Erza, the truth behind Enchant."
Romeo really didn't like the look in her eyes and stood on edge. Wendy moved a bit closer to him unconsciously.
"Did it fail because you were an infant, or because you and I were related?"
She continued, " Or is it just that Enchantment cannot work on a person's whole personality?"
She then looked up, and his nerves crackled as he looked right through him, at-
"But I was mistaken, one of the most essential things is compatibility." Irene announced, as if in a trance, as if the pieces finally came together in that twisted mind of hers. Romeo stepped back, closer to Wendy.
"And now she stands before me, a dragon slayer and an an Enchanter." His breath caught. What was she up to now?
He whirled around, realizing Wendy had the same thought and decided to meet him midway.
Ba-bump. Ba-bump, his own heart went.
His throat closed up when he saw it. He could only watch as it unfurled.
Watch as her eyes rolled back. As she choked, like her life was being drained out of her.
Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.
He caught her own heart beating faintly.
And when he heard her heart lull slowly to a stop, he swore his did too.
"WENDY!" He screamed, but his voice felt so distant. So far away. His limbs were frozen in sheer terror but he pushed forward to reach her in time. He could register Erza's own strangled voice, even through the abominable static ringing in his ears.
Ba-bump. Ba-bump.
Her heart was beating, thank the heavens, but it was stronger, an alien sound.
"Oh, how I have waited for this moment," Wendy spoke in a foreign voice, that-that monster's voice. Of course it was the same heart, the same Wendy, sweet Wendy with the shy laugh and the sweetest brown eyes that made his insides flutter-
"A new body, a new life," she laughed out, those eyes now sharp with manic delight. "IRENE HAS BEEN REBORN!"
How were they going to win this?