Meanwhile on the main floor, Claudius and the cult gathered under the stained glass ceiling. He chained Nashi to the middle of the floor which was also a magic reactor designed specifically to extract the magic of the Tengoku wizard. With a special chain made of an ancient stone that can increase one's age and mental development at will.
"After years and years of searching, at last we finally have the Tengoku wizard. The inevitable powers this child possesses is able to bring death and destruction upon the world. Once her ethernano is extracted we will use it to rain fire over the lands, a fire that will destroy everything in our path to end this unholy curse. A fire that no wizard will stand a chance against. And just like a phoenix, a new world will rise out of the ashes. A world where magic is no more and the will of God will spread throughout the lands. Our name will echo throughout history for generations as the ones who restored God's name and the true balance of natural order to our world!"
The entire cult clapped and cheered for Claudius all except for Horatio, he wanted to speak up but felt as if he couldn't. He was not able to stop feeling guilty for all he, Claudius and the rest of the Orion cult had done. Nashi was scared to death. She really wanted her mom and dad more than anything.
Claudius raised his hand and focused directly on Nashi.
"And now let us begin! Metatea mea tegua!" he shouted to cast the age spell.
The other cult members raised their hands and joined in on him, "Metaea mea tegua!" they repeatedly chanted.
A dark green aura soon surrounded Nashi's body. She cried and screamed out in so much pain. Her bones felt like they were being forcibly stretched out as far as possible. She started to grow and age rapidly.
Seeing the excruciating pain she was in, Horatio decided that he's had enough. He snuck through the crowd, over to the wall and grabbed the keys to the cells. He made his way down to the dungeon as quickly as possible. Natsu was starting to get tired from using his body to bust down the bars.
"Someone's coming," said Lisanna in fear.
Horatio entered the dungeon completely out of breath from sprinting. He walked up to Natsu and Lucy's cell "Come on, you two have to hurry," he said.
Natsu grabbed his shirt and pulled him to the bars with every ounce of anger he had inside him. "What did you do with Nashi!? Where is she!?" he shouted as he stared into his eyes with so much fury.
Horatio could barely breathe "she's…...just above us….Claudius put an age spell on her...hurry…..you don't have much time left." he said. Natsu let go of him and he began to unlock their cell door and set them free.
"Can I ask why you're helping us?" asked Lucy.
"Not too long ago I lived in a quiet village, but out of nowhere a wizard guild attacked us. They destroyed everything. Our homes, our schools, our crops and orchards. There was nothing left. Everything was brought down or burned to ash. They killed everyone indiscriminately. Men, women, children, it didn't matter who was there. They killed my beloved wife right before my eyes. She was going to give birth to our child shortly before the attack. I buried my hope and future that day. I alone survived the massacre. I would have gratefully followed the death of the family I was about to have, but before I was struck down, Claudius and the Orion cult showed up and slaughtered every member of that dark guild. Then they found me, and offered me a new hope. A new future. I was willing to give my life to their cause, to make the world a better place to live, a world without magic tainting it. But now I see. We are no better than those wizards who destroyed my home and took my family away from me". Horatio explained to them.
"Let's get you out of here Lisanna" said Lucy
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine" cried Lisanna.
"I'll get her out of here," Horatio added.
Natsu and Lucy rushed out of the dungeon and sprinted their way to the main floor of the cathedral as quickly as they could. They snuck out to the balcony on the second floor that looked down onto the magical reactor. When they got there they could see that Nashi was in a terrible state. About half of her ethernano had been drained and absorbed into Claudius's body. He seemed to be getting stronger and descending into madness at the same time.
"Yes! Yes! Such power! Such tremendous power! I can feel it surging through my veins!" he shouted.
Horrified by what they saw, Natsu became filled with rage. He was all fired up now. Natsu and Lucy quickly jumped off the ledge onto the floor with all the cult members. The floor shook and cracked as soon as he landed.
"You all are disgusting!" he exclaimed. "You're pure evil! I don't understand how anyone can think of something so diabolical! Destroying all magic, destroying innocent lives and kidnapping a baby!? Our world depends on magic; destroying it will affect everyone! Even you! If magic is so unholy then why would it exist to begin with!?"
"Setting the world on fire will do way more harm than good." Lucy pleaded "What you are doing will cause chaos and reduce the world to a desolate wasteland! You'll destroy everything and everyone!"
But Claudius did not care about anything Natsu or Lucy had to say. Their words meant nothing to him.
"Somebody stop them!" shouted Caudius.
"Lucy, now!" yelled Natsu.
"Right!" she yelled. "Star dress! Sagittarius form!"
Lucy had transformed and began using her star shot to shoot her arrows towards the chain holding Nashi down. Lots of cult members intervened trying to prevent her from stopping their plan. But suddenly she got a clean shot thanks to Natsu and his fire dragon wing attack. She hit the chain holding down Nashi and struck the floor surrounding her. It made the magical reactor stop working. Lucy ran over quickly to hug her daughter, hoping she was still alive. She brushed her hair out of her face and caressed her cheek and said her name in hope that she would hear her.
"Nashi! Nashi, Mommy's here! Nashi! Wake up!" Lucy cried in desperation.
Natsu continued to call out her name but she did not wake up. Lucy put her ear on her chest and when she did not hear her heartbeat she began to cry even more.
"Please! Please wake up! You've got to wake up! Nashi!" Lucy brought Nashi close to her body and hugged her as tightly as she could. Natsu joined in and began to cry and hugged his wife and daughter.
"Nashi wake up! Come on, wake up!" Natsu cried desperately.
Both of them began to sob uncontrollably. But then, Nashi started to breathe, she slowly opened up her bright brown eyes and looked up at her parents.
"Mom?...Dad?" she said wearily.
"Nashi!" cried Lucy.
"You're alive!" weeped Natsu.
Both Natsu and Lucy were relieved and happy that their daughter was alright. They wrapped her up tightly in their arms and hugged her like never before. Embracing her with all of their love. Claudius began to laugh maniacally.
"Just what the hell are you laughing at?!" growled Natsu.
"You're too late!"shouted Claudius "You're too late!"