Chapter 84: Undefeated
There was stiffness in his limbs, yet his entire body shook, trembling in visible fear as Daityas stepped into the light. Hell's Flames danced around his bulky frame as he kept that wicked grin plastered upon his features. What Takeru knew as the King of Hell now stood before him, and by the looks of the open field they stood upon, with no one in sight over any horizon, with not even his nose able to pick up a scent of the many mages that stood upon Tartarus grounds with him, Tak gradually began to understand the severity of his situation, and it didn't sit well with him.
Daityas took another step forward.
"It's a pity, Takeru. You, Arcturus and Tayakata. You could have remained loyal to us, and you wouldn't be in this predicament right now. But somehow, you allowed humanity to ruin you, soften you, and finally, they'll be your downfall."
Takeru took a step back to match Daityas's advances. The Omega Shadow Dragon then began emitting his own shadowy aura as a defense mechanism. "Staying In Tartarus...staying here granted us nothing but eventual death. You're only lucky to have learned that Zeref didn't care about any of you. That's the only reason why you're rebelling against him and your own guild now! You, Kiora, Maggie, Rugal, Sora...everyone. It's not too late to live decent lives."
Laughter ensued. Daityas threw his head back as his vocals howled into the sky. "Leave it to the only human in Tartarus to give in so simply to persuasion. After everything we've done for you. After we picked you up at your infancy; as an orphan. After we made you into what you are today."
"You didn't make me." He fired back. Daityas then raised a brow. "So you're giving the credit to your growth to that shoddy guild you reside in? That's what made you who you are today?"
"I made myself." The Dragon Slayer answered. "White Eclipse simply gave me the space I needed to do so. And along the way, I've made an actual family, so what? And now you're trying to take away the only advantage humans have in this world?"
"I don't give a shit about anything that has to do magic and whatever these goons have planned. I'm here for one reason, and one reason only..." Upon Daityas declaration, the area sparked with flames from Hell, creating a circle that enclosed himself and Takeru within. "...And that's to obliterate the one who betrayed us! The one who only used us for his betterment! I, by my own hands! Is going to kill Zeref!"
"So he is alive..." Takeru murmured to himself. "I knew it was too good to be true, knowing what I did, but he didn't show himself after that day, so I pushed it aside. I'm sure Taya and Arcturus did too..but to kill Zeref.. is literally impossible since.."
"His own guild of demons will be his final resting place!" Daityas continued. "And with everyone's help here, I'll make my goal a reality!"
"With everyone's help?" Takeru questioned. "Oh? Don't tell me you've forgotten what I'm capable of, have you, Takeru? Yes I'm the master of Hell's Flames and the premise of death itself, but what else can the master of Tartarus do?"
Takeru remained confused, but recognition slowly surfaced as Daityas held out his right hand, creating a ball of Hell's Flames that soon manifested into a broken body; the body of Tobias the Elemental Demon. His eyes widened as Daityas gripped Tobias's mangled body by the back of his neck. "You wouldn't..?" Takeru asked more of a question rather than calling a bluff. "To your own!?"
"I didn't expect to use my own for such gain, but any little bit until I get to him is nothing but a plus, correct? But I guess that means you remember what I'm still capable of. Absorbing Etherious!"
And right then and there, Tobias's body began to disappear in a plethora of black dust, only for that dust to siphon into Daityas body. Though barely, the change was noticeable as the King of Hell grew slightly larger in size, and the flames that surrounded them both reached a new height without him having to add to it. Takeru was in awe as Tobias vanished right before his eyes, and as if he had just partook in a grand meal, Daityas gave a look of pleasurable content. "Franmalth and Ezel made it back to regeneration chambers before we could round them up for feeding. But thanks to your family's help, I may be able to devour the rest of Tartarus before my meeting with Zeref! Then I'll definitely be strong enough to destroy that traitor once and for all! Oh? Don't give me that look, Takeru. Everyone understood and came to this agreement if they were to lose. I have my guild's consent to absorb their bodies if they fail me!"
"Then you're no worse than the man you call a traitor!" Takeru shouted back. As he did, an even darker aura covered his shadowy one, reaching deep to bring forth a familiar transformation of his. "You just sat here, declaring about how you'll take down Zeref for treating you like tools that he didn't even need, and now you're doing the same to them! Well...no matter what...I can't let you do that! I'll take you down right here! Demonic Dragon Mode!" Suddenly, an outburst of Shadow Dragon Slaying Magic and Darkness Curse intertwined, combining into one ultimate essence of black. Pushing outwards to push against the Hell's Flames, Takeru now stood in the Mode that was once a gamble, completely in control as he stood before Daityas with bared fangs. That's when soft laughter ensued, crescendoing into an uplifted chorus. "So, you're planning to die anyways? Is that what I'm hearing? Very well... I'll oblige to your wishes!"
—
Not yet awake, yet stirring in consciousness, she could feel someone combing through her hair gently — fingertips softly running against her scalp with each combing motion. The massaging caused her to finally awaken, eyes slowly fluttering open to the night sky. "Huh?" Nami questioned, gaining clarity in her vision. With the grogginess no longer plaguing her, her eyes attracted to the person who was massaging her hair. Her head was rested in his lap, and his facial features matched hers, only more masculine. Hair pulled pack into a short ponytail, it was the same person who attacked her and the others at the foster home.
"Nee-Chan." He said with an adoring smile. Nami gasped, but before she could move, a blade was now positioned right above her throat. "Hold on, Nee-Chan! If you try to move, you'll make me cut your throat right open. That'll ruin the family reunion." She gulped, the lump in her throat just barely grazing the blade that threatened her life. "Tsunako...? Why do you keep calling me that?" Nami asked.
"I can answer that." Another voice rung out. The second that voice hit Nami's ears, her eyes widened; a repressed experience that not even she could fully recognize came forth from the back of her mind thanks to that voice, and as her eyes veered to the right, there he was, seated off to the side. He stood up from his seat, walking over to tower before Nami. With Noboru now placing a hand on Tsunako's head, patting him like a dog on good behavior. "Welcome home, daughter. How've you been?"
"F...father!?" She stammered out, breaking into a cold sweat, unable to move for more than one reason. Noboru smiled. "If only your sister could address me by such. I was expecting you dead when you ran into your brother earlier, but this it's a pleasant surprise. Now, we can have closure right?"
She didn't answer. She couldn't. Fear riddled her body, lying before the man that helped create her. Noboru crouched down, running his hand through her hair once as he kept his visage locked to hers. "I can understand that a lot of repressed memories that you didn't even know you had are now resurfacing, correct? Well, we have some time until Tayakata finally arrives, so let me tell you the story of the two biggest disappointments in my life. I call this story... Humanity."
—
Takeru took off in a blur, but no matter how fast he was, it was child's play to Daityas, who simply shifted his eyes to keep up with the Demonic Dragon's straight line drive to his left. The instant Takeru planted his foot into the ground to misdirect, he found a large, powerful fist endowed with the hottest flames painfully pressed against his jawline. It was the back of Daityas's fist, signifying that not much of his strength was placed into the blow, but it was enough to send Takeru in a daze that he would luckily snap out of thanks to the painful crash landing he took into the ground.
Just regaining himself, hands and feet dug into the ground to halt his momentum, and as he did? Takeru began to inhale the air around him, causing a violent quake to commence in the process of the gathering. "Darkness...Demonic Dragon's Roar!" He shouted, releasing an enormous funnel of pure black towards the King of Hell. Baring his teeth with a wicked grin up boot, Daityas held out both of his hands, using them bare for a shield against the torrent of black. Flawlessly he dispersed the catastrophic attack, and as soon as it ended, Takeru was before him with his right fist clutched, swirling with his unison of Darkness and Shadows. As powerful as it was just by magic strength alone, the King of Hell was able to simply side step it, holding his ground effortlessly as he slammed a strong left knee into Takeru's abdomen. Gagging from the heinous blow, Takeru teetered forward step by step, unsure if he was going to vomit or not.
"Hm? You look sick." Daityas teaser, grabbing the back of Tak's collar while laughing. As he pulled back, Takeru created a large curved blade from his unified magics, protruding from his right elbow and as he swung around, he managed to cut against Daityas's chest; merely ripping through his upper attire and just a bit of his skin. Nothing the heat from his flames couldn't fix. The maneuver annoyed him, so as Takeru swung his body to aim a darkened kick for the top of Daityas's skull, Tartarus's leader simply snapped his fingers, creating an uproar of Hell's Flames, like a geyser that captured Takeru inside. The screams of agony exuded from the mage, and as the geyser of flames ended, Takeru fell to the ground hard. A loud thud echoed around them, but he refused to stay down. He didn't have the option to. But as Takeru tried his hardest to push up to his feet, he couldn't make it in time and instead was met with a foot to his spine, keeping him planted to the ground as Daityas rubbed his heel against him.
"If only Zeref was to be this easy. All of my worries would disappear." He admitted, pushing his foot down against Takeru harder and harder to the point where the ground beneath him began to shatter. "How's it feel, Tak? You're going to die right under my heel. It's a shame you won't get to see me destroy that traitor. You were family once after all. Oh well.
Any last words?"
Takeru didn't say a thing, simply struggling beneath Daityas as he could feel the heat from his foot begin to rise. It was at this moment that Takeru came to the realization that he wasn't about to make it out of this alive. Both hands curling into fists as his face planted harder and harder into the ground, Takeru groaned to himself. "I'm...sorry guys...Selene..." He murmured, and Daityas laughed. "Don't worry! Your new family will eventually join you! Goodbye, you worthless piece of shit!"
Daityas then raised his leg, igniting it with Hell's Flames to prepare for the final blow. As he prepared to stomp through Takeru's spine however, something stopped him. It was a long staff, glowing both black and white magic. Both Daityas and Takeru looked up, and the Shadow Dragon was in awe as the demon merely raised a brow. "Oh?" Daityas inquired. "M...Master!?" Takeru said in surprise. Without answering, he raised a curled hand, only his index and middle finger extended, causing an eruption of Eclipse Magic to lift Daityas off Takeru violently. The pained screams of a demon echoed, and as Takeru climbed to his feet, he was all smiles for his savior. Though, he was the only one with such an expression.
"Master..! Thank you, but you know you're not in the best condition for this! So let's fight together and—"
"Leave." Calium demanded, keeping his eyes on the rising Daityas, who now had the most fear inducing stare in his eyes. "Wh-What?! No way!" Takeru fired back, holding on to his damaged ribs. "You don't understand! We probably can't even beat him together! Master! You can't do this alone, but let's at least—"
"That's an order, Takeru!" Calium shouted, causing the immediate area to shake, and ultimately causing Takeru to silence himself unwillingly. "I'm aware of what this demon is. He's been terrorizing way before you met him, and he's most certainly, the strongest being in Tartarus. So I will fight him alone. This is simply for you to escape, so if you don't, I'll be severely disappointed in your abilities, because I'm relying on your ability to survive. So go do so."
Takeru was shaking. He was given an ultimatum, and Calium meant every word, he could feel it in the aura he was emitting. As Daityas drew closer, Tak bared his teeth, and then...
"I won't let you die! I'll be back for you! With everyone! I promise!" He shouted as the sounds of his stride could be heard off in the distance.
As he ran off, a small smile came upon Calium's features. "I believe in you, Takeru. Your time is far from over. As for me..." Redirecting his focus back to Daityas, Calium frowned once again.
"A sacrifice?" Daityas asked, a grin slowly forming upon his features. "The guild master of that place who brainwashed Takeru into believing humanity is the way. I'll actually take pleasure in this!"
Calium stabbed his staff into the ground, causing it to balance on its own as he clasped his hands together. "Takeru and Tayakata chose their own paths, and now, you've chosen yours, to take on the undefeated Calium. Prepare yourself, Demon!"
"Oh? You've never lost an actual fight? How quaint. Neither have I! But you know how the saying goes, Calium. There can only be one!
So let's find out who is that one!"
