Chapter 129: A Part of Me.

Ano was on the run as a plethora of iron spikes would rise up beneath him, trying to strike him viciously. He dove out the way of the most recent iron spike, tumbling until he was able come to a sliding halt as he slammed his hands into the ground to create two waves of cryptic runes — as if data was spreading around. In a way, that's exactly what was happening. With a grin on his features, Ano watched as the iron spikes became riddled with those modernized rune like letters, and immediately they retracted into the ground.

"I didn't do that?" Zalen held a confused look on his features. That's when Ano shouted back to him. "No! I did!"

Zalen could feel a rumbling beneath him, eyes widening as he was able to create a iron flooring that just saved him from his own spikes that attacked him together in a bundle. The impact caused him to loose his footing, and quick to react, Ano held out his right hand with three fingers erected. He then turned that hand clockwise as he shouted. "Encrypt!"

Seemingly, nothing happened, but as Zalen looked around at the nothingness, he tried to attack, only to find out that the iron structure he tried to create didn't come to fruition. "What's this?" He asked. Ano smirked. "Since my data-runes took over your iron spikes, I was able to hack into the source of the iron magic, and disable your ability to use it. Or basically, lock it away! I told you not to mess with me!"

"You're just delaying me!" Zalen shouted, slamming his hands together as another rumbling occurred. This time, to spheres of brick formed and immediately rushed for Ano Lyrai. It caught him off guard, and he may have managed to run away from the first large boulder of brick, but consequently ran directly into the second one. It ran him over, but instead of continuing on with its momentum, Zalen caused the ball of brick to remain on top of the Hacker Mage — and here came the first of the two. "Yeah, you're still inept at physical attributes. This is the end of Empyrean Dawn!"

"I don't like how he said that." Hubert commented from the stands. He then turned his attention back to Ano who was struggling in immense pain underneath the brick until he was finally able to place a hand on it; causing more of those modernized runes to appear and flourish all over the ball of brick. Suddenly, the entirety of the ball vanished from on top of him. The second ball that was rolling towards him did the same once he snapped his fingers. "That's iron and brick. Two of your heaviest properties. Shall we keep going until you have none left!?"

"Where was this when I was fighting four eyes?" Marshall asked, all bandaged up and returned to his sidelines. That's when everyone looked at him in comical disgust until his sister finally said it. "You told him to stay out of it, moron. You'd still be out there if you two stuck together."

"Yeah, but at least I made some progress on this forbidden magic of mine." He teased, turning light blue eyes back to his sibling. "I think I'll be ready for him soon. Earning the opportunity is no longer the high hurdle it once was."

"If you're losing a one on one to that guy, you're definitely miles away from Kaiho; but I won't rain on your parade for now." Mizaki added as she kept eyes on Zalen and Ano.

"Tch!" Zalen was growing annoyed, and Ano was gaining confidence. Everything was going the Empyrean's way until something incalculable happened. He saw it at the last second, but didn't have the ability to move out the way as Minerva dove on top of him, striking directly in the chest as she mounted the young boy. The smoke cleared with Minerva on top, holding a barely conscious Ano by his collar. Zalen was in shock, unsure how Minerva got there so quickly and undetected. "She can move like that without her magic power? I thought the EMP…"

"But…the EM…" Even Ano was in a confusing daze. "The EMP, as you call it?" Minerva questioned as a grin crept onto her features. "They may work against magic…."

Ano reached out in an attempt to touch her, hopefully to override her power like he's been doing Zalen this entire time, but Minerva obliged the futile effort by grabbing his struggling hand, showing him that there was no magic to overwrite. "….But what I am currently, isn't magic at all. Tell Nina that me and her aren't finished when you see her."

"Wait-" Ano pleaded but it was too late, Minerva struck him once again, nearly putting a hole in his side as Ano immediately blacked out.

"Ah… Ano Lyrai is out!" Chapati shouted from his seat. "That's a point for Sabertooth, and they still have all members except for Sting! Forty five points, and enough players still available in the free for all to save some face and get out of eighth place and into the top five!"

With Ano out cold, the EMP effects wore off, and as Minerva stood up and discarded Ano's body to the side, Orga, Rogue and Rufus appeared from the distance behind their Ace, grinning as they all stalked towards Zalen. Minerva simply flexed her right claw like hand, grinning as she turned back to the architect before her. "Your guild isn't the only ones with Etherious users. In fact when it comes to humans, I'm pretty sure I'm the original. Now, let's end this charade. When I'm done with you, I'll be breaking up the lovers quarrel on the other side of Crocus between Erza and Reve. Sorry for the four on one, but we don't have much time to waste!"

Zalen braced himself, taking on a defensive stance as the four of them walked forward. Before they could reach him however, Vivi remade her appearance as well, free to fight thanks to the EMP wearing off. She landed beside Zalen, ready to fight. "I can't let that happen. Four on one? We can both take two each, right?" She asked Zalen. He looked at her, a bit surprised, but then nodded. "Right! Lets—"

Vivi wasted no motion. The second Zalen turned his attention back to Sabertooth, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as Vivi of the council knocked him out cold with a gauntlet on her wrist made from her light construct magic. Minerva watched with arched brows as the rest of Sabertooth gasped, and Zalen then hit the ground, unable to wake up from the blunt strike. "And in a twist, Vivi knocks out Zalen Castle!"

"No way Zalen! How did you fall for that!" Cygnus shouted at the top of his lungs. Everyone on the White Eclipse side was groaning in disbelief as Sidney shook his head. "With four opponents standing before him, he was too accepting of the fifth's help."

"Yeah but the balls on that council woman." Said Riley, the only one unshaken by what happened, as if she wasn't really attached to the guild. The Ace definitely took note of her demeanor as she spoke. "That's ninety nine points for the council, and three KOs for them. Two more and they get the ten point bonus. That would be one hundred and twelve at the least, whereas Twilight Zone sits at one-ten. And I know…I know she sees Flynn over on the side trying to fight the poison and ice in his legs. She only needs one Saber, and I think she's going for it."

"How observant of you." Sidney chimed in. Riley then turned to him with a smile. "Thank you! It's what I would do if I was in this situation."

"She's no ordinary girl." Sidney thought to himself. "I'll have to keep an eye on her."

"He was actually willing to back you up, and you knocked him out? Do you really think you can take me, let alone the four of us?" Minerva asked her. Vivi simply ignored her question, using her Light Construct magic to create a shield in one hand, keeping the gauntlet on her right wrist. Still no more words came from the Council member, but instead a beckoning with her right hand, daring Sabertooth to charge forth. "Fine!" Minerva shouted. "Let's make this quick, then! Let me show you the power of Etherious, and the might of Sabertooth!"

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The three way fight picked up as a fourth member entered the fray. Rylo joined Skye, Gray and Esme for a true free for all with a plethora of points as the prize. The magician didn't hide his resolve as he dashed directly for Esmerelda. The knight lunged forth, swinging her blade, but it left her hand the second Rylo passed her. His Thief Magic in effect, taking the blade right out Esme's hands and into his own. That was something she was prepared for, since she saw the move once already. Immediately the sword in Rylo's hands grew in size and shape, becoming a much too heavy weapon to hold as it slammed into the ground. The initial shock caused Rylo to struggle with it until he finally let go, turning right into a powerful front kick by Esmerelda that sent him flying backwards into the ground.

With no weapon in her hand however, Gray took advantage of Esme's disposition, firing off a bundle of Ice Arrows her way. The Phoenix had no choice but to shield herself with her own arms, holding them up to take the brunt of the attack as the arrows gradually tore at her armor. Gray held a confident grin on his features up until Skye reminded him that she was still here as well. Blue lightning surged through his body, paralyzing him indefinitely.

"Gray-sama!" Both Juvia and Melody yelled, causing them both to be held back by their respective members as they tried to rush each other comically.

It seemed as if Gray was about to be finished, but as Skye went for the finishing blow, she leapt in the air only to find herself frozen as she prepared the final strike on him. Expelling his icy aura, Gray was able to freeze Skye momentarily as she fell over. Her lightning was her escape however, and the ice around her quickly shattered, and she charged Gray once again. This time the lightning effects wore off on the Fairy and he quickly reacted with a large ice wall that forced Skye to leap over. What she found on the other side of the wall was not what

She expected as Gray held a giant bow with one giant ice arrow. "Super Freeze.. Arrow!" He shouted, releasing the powerful attack. Skye let loose her own battle cry as she held her Claymore over her head, swinging it downward to split the Arrow directly in half. The feat was amazing enough to stun Gray, but the kick he just felt to his jawline just now came from Rylo, sending him flying again as he took Gray's place against the incoming Skye Ravenwood.

Skye didn't back down from the challenge, but as Rylo waved his hand before him, he vanished from thin air. Skye attempted to stay alert, but there was no sign of him anywhere, until he planted a jumping knee into her abdomen. She hunched over, but gritting her teeth, she spun her body, leading with a right leg as she attempted to kick his head clean off. Rylo was able to raise both arms to block as he reappeared, but neither of them were ready for Esmerelda as she reappeared in her Eagle Armor to gain the height necessary to slam them both into the ground with hard strikes from her staff.

Without wasting any time she flew towards Gray, dodging the ice shards from his ice make cannon that threatened her without a hitch in momentum. At the last second, Gray tried to create a shield to protect himself, but Esme sliced right through it and him as she came to a skidding halt on the other side. It looked clean, but as Gray was "sliced in half" it proved to be a simple ice clone as the real Fullbuster was just above her with a giant blade of ice. He swung it downward, and Esmerelda's only defense was to use her staff to parry, causing a powerful stalemate. The two fought hard for dominance, but it was broken up by Rylo and Skye. Rylo appeared from his invisibility once more as the assassin of White Eclipse took to the opposite side of Gray Fullbuster. They both swung for the Ice Maker, landing both a Claymore strike to the sternum and a powerful axe kick the skull. That gave Esme all she needed to finish him off as she retracted her staff by her side, causing it to radiate. "Eagle's Bane!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, taking off in a soaring blur as she struck Gray cleanly.

Juvia and Melody gasped as Gray fell lifelessly to the ground, and Chapati didn't hesitate to make the call. "Thanks to a three man combination, Gray Fullbuster is out, but the point goes to Esmerelda and Black Phoenix!"

There was no time for any quips or celebrations, because the remaining three were still on each other's heels. Esme was in the middle as Skye and Rylo lunged from each side. She slid out of Skye's opening strike, and Skye then parried Rylo's follow up kick, to which the magician then dodge the incoming staff as Esme requipped right after, showing her lioness armor and two curved blades. The three then went into a frenzy of parries and attacks with Esmerelda in the middle until finally she released a battle cry that the lion-headedchest plate on her armor echoed powerfully, causing the two to be pushed off their feet. Esmerelda then took this moment to leap for Rylo, swinging both blades downward. The thief however quickly pushed off the ground with his hands, leaping high into the air, but Skye foresaw it coming, dropkicking him back into the ground.

He was out of control, heading directly for a waiting Esmerelda who held both of her blades at the ready, and it seemed as if Rylo was about to be sliced to bits as she swung, but the witty Magician quickly took off his top hat, pulling himself inside of it and causing the knight to miss the target as the hat went flying right by her — Rylo landing in a sliding halt as he reappeared with his hat back on his head. Sleight of Hand Magic was definitely a new concept to the two femme fatales, but Rylo was definitely pulling out all the stops as well against these two monsters. But would it be enough? That question would soon be answered as the two of them charged forth once again. Rylo stood straight up, releasing a deep breath before sliding into a readied stance once more. As Esme was the first to arrive, Rylo waved his hands in a flashy motion, causing her to disappear and causing Skye to skid on her heels in order to pump the brakes. "Where did she go?!" Skye demanded to know.

"Sorry, but a magician never reveals his secrets." He boasted, grinning at the perplexed Ravenwood. All Skye could assume at this moment, was that Esmerelda was indeed in his possession, and that didn't bode well — knowing that the the one remaining guild that stood in White Eclipse's way had a proverbial grip around a ten-pointer's neck. Skye gripped her blade tightly, glaring Rylo's way as she waited for the wild card of this fight to make a move but… Rylo denied such a generosity. "Oh? You're not approaching me, assassin? Don't you want to save your prey? And before your head honcho loses to Erza Scarlet?"

"He's not losing." Skye reiterated, never faltering. That's when Rylo laughed, putting on a great acting performance as he replied. "Are you sure about that? Or is that your unbiased opinion of him? Where do you think Flynn is right now? That's right, he's scouting out the fight and plans on taking down the winner in a blindside! Both of them worth the ten points, so we'll only need one of them! They'll be way too tired to fight back, so Flynn will become a guild hero while I just play keep away from you and Esmerelda! And just like that, Twilight Zone is Fiore's strongest guild!"

The words struck, and Skye bought every line Rylo fed her, quietly putting panic in her mindset. Her focus was now split between the opponent before her, Esmerelda, and Reve, who she was now convinced was in trouble. Everything Rylo told her about Flynn, was a complete lie, but she has no way in knowing or making sure of it. This caused Skye to… smile. "So I'm the hero in this story? Got it."

Rylo was taken aback. "That's what you got out of all of this?" He asked.

"I'm not losing to a side show mage, and once you're gone, I'm sure Esmerelda will return, and I'll eventually take her down too. That's eleven points. So if Flynn even does take down either Reve or Erza, I'll just take him down to secure victory. Sounds like a plan to me!"

"You forgot one thing!"

Skye's eyes widened as she instinctively turned to her right where the voice came from. As she turned, she was met with a large blade held by two hands — colliding with her abdomen before sent flying into a building not even close to her. Once impact occurred, that building came tumbling down was Esmerelda now stood again, glaring at Rylo. "No one keeps chains on a phoenix, and especially not on me."

Rylo looked on as Skye disappeared from sight. "There's no way she survived that. She was wide open.. Chapati should be calling that any second." He then turned back to Esmerelda with a nervous smirk. "This sure changes things. I didn't think you'd free yourself so fast. But alas, no one said this final stretch was going to hr an easy one."

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Powerful gunfire was met by the parry of a single blade, and as Erza charged in, Reve stood his ground against the fairy as she closed the gap between them. As Erza raised her standard blade for a powerful strike downward, the gunslinger slid off to the side, his sapphire eyes quickly shifting into the emerald shaded Precision Eyes as he fired once again. Erza readied to parry the bullet once more, but this time, that same bullet vanished just before reaching her. This caught her off guard, and Reve took full advantage as he fired three more, two of them disappearing from sight while the third connected against her sternum for an explosive punch. Erza would release a pained cry, but that didn't stop the other four bullets that disappeared to reappear and add insult to injury. Both shoulder and both legs at the shins; the four explosive bullets from his Wingman gun struck without hindrance, causing Erza to fall to her knees as she desperately attempted to keep herself from hitting the ground completely. "Down already?" Reve remarked, pointing his pistol her way. "Not easy to fight what you can't see, huh?"

She was panting, but gradually, Erza made her way to her feet with a simple grin on her features. "Yeah… that's very true." She said as her sword disappeared from her hands. Even so, she still slid into a swordsman's position, as if she was still holding onto a blade. Reve raised a brow, but that moment's hesitation was just enough — for as the gunslinger tried his best to quickly shift his eyes to the all seeing Foresight Ocular Magic, he was granted futile time as he was just barely able to avoid certain doom, yet his leap away still didn't completely avoid the invisible strike by Erza Scarlet. The unseen blade struck down his chest, ripping through his upper attire and slicing his torso. "G-GAH!" He shouted in immense pain, falling to the ground on his hands and knees from the powerful strike. Erza was full of confidence at this moment, still able to land a strike on Reve even with his strongest Ocular Magic in play, but as Reve sat there on all fours, panting heavily from the painful connection, it was when he slowly looked up that Erza gave a curious look. That curious look then became a puzzled and confused one, sprinkled with caution as she took closer look at what was supposed to be his bare flesh. No, instead of Reve's skin and blood, she saw something black… something moving.

"What is that…?" Erza asked, and as she did, the exposed black marking on his chest began to pick up speed; swimming around his chest at a quickened pace. One thing indeed stood out however as Reve slowly made his way back to his feet. "Heh.. sorry. Allow me to reintroduce you two. Erza…"

As he came to a complete stance, holding both his revolver and an assault rifle pointed her way, the black marking came abundantly clear for at the helm, was a vector, and that tattoo-looking arrow shot from his spine, taking life as it remained connected to his skin, yet hovered over his head.

"….Meet Taya, or, the last bit of her. She's a part of me now, and she'll be finishing this fight with me."