Chapter 167

A Battle of Instinct

Back in the hall from where the others first left them, Erza and Cobra's showdown raged on, the Queen of the Fairies struggling against her opponent as he relentlessly attacked her with his Poison Magic. But Erza didn't back down either as she swiped her blade, using it to defend herself against the attacks while trying to find an opening.

"I'm impressed, Titania," said Cobra. "Even after seven years, you're still able to hold your own."

"Can you still hear what I'm thinking?" asked Erza while brandishing her blade.

"All I can hear right now is how you're going to beat me," responded Cobra.

"Good, and that's all you're going to hear until I've succeeded," said Erza.

Erza jumped into the air while gripping her sword tightly and swung her blade in a diagonal slash, only for Cobra to use his poison magic to block and then kick her square in the gut. The force from his kick blew her across the room, smashing through the wall, which led to a deep and spacious well with numerous stone rectangular cubes. Erza was now dangling by her hand as she desperately tried to hang on to the edge so she wouldn't fall.

Cobra then stomped right on top of Erza's hand. "Now, I can hear your desperation as you try to think of a way to overpower me," he said. "And your strong, unwavering will refusing to give up the fight."

"It seems that despite your own ability to control sound, your favorite is your own voice," scoffed Erza. "But I can hear thoughts as well."

"Is that so?" scowled Cobra as he ground his foot into Erza's hand.

"That's right," winced Erza as she continued to cling. "They're saying that they refuse to lose, and I shouldn't give in either."

"Your mind's playing tricks on you. That's nothing but the sound of your own voice," said Cobra. "You must really be desperate to win as well as stubborn."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand. I know they belong to them because they're always with me!" grunted Erza. "Our bond is the source of my strength and is what drives me forward! Don't you have anyone that you care for? Can't you hear them in your own heart?!"

Cobra was now silent, his scowl faltering for a fraction of a second. "I swear, the more you talk, the angrier I get," he growled. "But I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from you, Titania."

Then, there was a loud whoo, followed by a large glob of slime that came down from above, forcing Cobra to jump back to dodge, getting off of Erza's hand. The slime came from Sugarboy, who came flying down the ceiling land just in front of Erza. When he did, Erza immediately pulled herself up and summoned another sword, ready to continue the fight.

"Hot Dog! It looks like I came just in time!" Sugarboy grinned while speaking into his mic. "You all right there, Pretty Lady?"

"You're Sugarboy from the Legion Platoon," said Erza. "I'm surprised you're here, but I'm grateful for the save."

"Don't mention it," said Sugarboy. "Since the Archbishop's safe and sound, figured I repay the favor by giving you a hand."

"Well, that's really appreciated," said Erza. "You have my thanks."

Then Erza looked across to Cobra, who was now staying silent and not attacking, which puzzled her.

"What's the matter, Cobra?" wondered Erza. "Are you surrendering, or was all that talk about us having unfinished business a facade?"

Cobra then looked at Erza, his demeanor calm and composed. "Yes, we do, but not in the way that you're thinking, Titania," he said. "You and your friend may not believe this, but I don't intend on fighting you two anymore, at least not right now."

Erza scowled suspiciously. "Explain yourself."

"Aren't you all trying to stop the Infinity Clock?" responded Cobra. "And I'm willing to bet that you're also searching for one of your members. Well, I can help you find him and how to stop the clock."

Now, Erza was surprised, knowing who Cobra was talking about, and so was Sugarboy.

"What are you playing at? Besides, we already know how to stop the clock," she said. "And how do I know if what you're saying is the truth? For all I know, you could be leading us to a trap."

"It's up to you whether or not to trust me, but what I'm telling you is the truth," said Cobra. "You may have figured out how to stop the clock, but if I know you and the rest of your guild, you're also looking for Willy Falconer, am I right? If you hear me out, I can tell you where he is and Brain's true intentions with him."

"CRAZY!" Sugarboy screamed into his mic. "I can't believe what I'm hearing! Listen, Pretty Lady, I'm not so sure that you should trust Snake Boy over there. It's gotta be some trap. I say the two of us form a duet and serenade Snake Boy with a ditty of pain with your swords and my hound doggies. What do you say?"

Erza was doubtful, too, but she also could see that Cobra didn't appear to be lying or had any ulterior motives. "Answer me this, Cobra," she said. "Why are you doing this now? I doubt that it's because you had a sudden change of heart."

"I can hear the skepticism and doubt in your voice, so I get it why you feel that way," said Cobra. "And don't get the wrong idea. I'm not teaming up with you guys just for the hell of it. I only want to stick into that bastard Brain for what he did." A hint of sadness flickered in his eyes. "It's because of him that I lost the only friend I had ever since Nirvana. So if you don't want to believe me, that's fine, but we both have the same goal in mind and a common enemy. The moment this is over, it's back to business as usual. Sound fair to you?"

Erza stared at Cobra, pondering for a moment. Finally, she answered with a nod. "Very well, then," she said. "Consider our temporary alliance official, but if you even think of trying anything or if you're lying to me, you won't live to regret your actions. Are we clear?"

"As a crystal," replied Cobra.

Sugarboy could only stare with his mouth agape, not believing what he was hearing.

"Now, tell me what you know about Brain's plan," said Erza. "And don't leave out any details."

"Well, to start with, you're aware of Brain's reasoning for wanting the Infinity Clock. To gain control of it, so he can use the Real Nightmare spell to bring chaos," said Cobra. "However, there's at least two ways of stopping the Infinity Castle. The first is pretty straightforward, take out Brain before he has a chance to gain control. The second is a bit more time-consuming. You know those chains dangling outside? They serve two purposes, to spread the Real Nightmare spell on the Earth below, and absorb the magic power and memories of the castle's victims. In other words, if you break the chains, it should lessen the spell and make the castle lose power."

"Hold on a second, how do you know this stuff, Snake Boy?!" exclaimed Sugarboy. "That kind of info is something only Zentopia should know about!"

"First of all, your voice is damn annoying, and stop calling me Snake Boy, or I'll kill you," Cobra snapped. "And Brain's done his homework, as have I. There isn't anything we know about it any more than you."

"Well, at least that's something we can go on for the time being," said Erza. "Now, you said that you also knew where Willy was. Where is he, and what does Brain plan to do with him?"

But before Cobra could respond, he suddenly grew tense and on guard as he looked behind him. When he did, there was the sound of footsteps as someone walked towards them. Then, they all heard a voice.

"Well, well, well. This won't do at all, Cobra. You've got quite a lot of nerve fraternizing with the enemy like this. It's not like you."

Then, out from the shadows, Silver Beard stepped into the light, his glasses gleaming with malice and intent.

"It's Silver Beard!" scowled Erza.

"What are you doing here, Satoshi?" asked Cobra. "I thought you were holed up in your lab."

"I was. You see, I was putting the finishing touches on my greatest project, and I figured I'd take a walk and see how progress was," explained Satoshi. "But imagine my surprise when I saw you with Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail and..." He paused when he saw Suagrboy. "Well, I'll just assume you're one of Byro's... associates."

Sugarboy was indignant. "Hey! I have a name, you know!" he spoke crossly.

"Now, do you mind telling me what you're doing talking to the enemy like this, Cobra?" asked Silver Beard. "Or am I to assume that you've turned traitor on us?"

"And what if I am? It's none of your business anyway," countered Cobra. 'Besides, you already knew about what I was doing, so what does it matter to you?"

"I suppose you have a point there. However, I cannot turn a blind eye now that I'm aware of your betrayal," said Silver Beard. "So I'm afraid that I have no choice but to take action. Not only will I have to deal with you and your friends, but I'll have to report this to Brain."

"Like hell you are!" snapped Cobra, as he swung his hand, generating and firing several bullets of his poison magic.

But as they were about to strike their mark, Silver Beard suddenly disappeared in a split second, much to Erza and Sugarboy's surprise. Then, Silver Beard's voice came from above.

"My, my. As your name suggests, you're always quick to strike like when provoked, Cobra. That kind of impulsiveness is what got you beaten last time, or did you forget already?"

Erza then looked up and was surprised to see that Silver Beard now stood on top of one of the pillars to their right.

"How did he get up there?!" Erza gasped. "I didn't even see him move!"

"Yeah, he's a monster, even more so than us," said Cobra. "Listen, if you guys want to find Willy Falconer, then head for Silver Beard's lab. I'm pretty sure that's where he's got him holed up. If you keep going down the hall and turn left, you'll eventually find it."

"But hold on, aren't you coming with us?" asked Erza.

"Sorry, but I've got some a score to settle right now, so I'll be a little busy," said Cobra. "Worry about getting to that friend of yours and shutting this thing down. There's no time to waste, remember? Brain's getting close to gaining control of the Infinity Castle, and once that happens, we're screwed. So, beat it already."

Erza knew that Cobra was right. "Let's go, Sugarboy," she said. "We have to go!"

"Whatever you say, Pretty Lady," said Sugarboy.

Erza and Sugarboy then took off, leaving Cobra to square off against Silver Beard. Silver Beard then took off his lab coat, tossing it to the side.

"So, you intend to fight me, do you?" Silver Beard called down to Cobra. "Well, since I've got some time to kill before my project is complete, I suppose I could play with you for a while. After all, someone has to make sure that you suffer the consequences. Might as well be me."

"Shut up. You're the one who's going to suffer," Cobra spoke. "In fact, you don't stand a chance in hell against me. You're nothing but a senile older man with glasses who gets off on experimenting on people and even has a guy crush for a little boy. I'm willing to bet that you don't even know how to fight, considering you've been wasting your time in that lab of yours."

"Come now, Cobra. That hurts. If you've got nothing nice to say, then it's better if you don't say anything at all," Silver Beard spoke, feigning innocence. "Then again, you do like to hear yourself talk. After all, you're not exactly good with being social. I mean, all you had for a friend was that pathetic serpent."

Cobra was quickly overcome with anger as scales covered his arms and his hands turned into claws. "Don't you dare talk about Cubellios!" he snarled as he shot into the air, attacking with a fist full of poison.

Silver Beard calmly observed as Cobra came straight towards him, and when he was close enough, ducked to avoid him. Cobra, still enraged, continued to attack Silver Beard with hands cloaked in poison, but Silver Beard calmly avoided and dodged him, making sure to keep his distance.

"It would appear that I've touched a nerve," said Silver Beard. "I take it that you cared quite fondly for the thing. It's a shame that it was the only friend you had despite being surrounded by your fellow slaves back in the Tower of Heaven."

Cobra growled, growing angrier by the second from Silver Beard's words, but then, he realized that he was acting impulsively and calmed down. "I've got to calm down. I'm making myself look like an idiot with all the crap he's spouting," he thought. "All he's trying to do is get under my skin to throw me off. I need to calm down and focus on taking him down. All I need is one good hit from my Poison Magic, and it'll be over."

He then began to use his Hearing Magic to listen in on Silver Beard's soul as well as the muscles in his body, listening as carefully as he could. When it came to Silver Beard's mind, he couldn't hear anything, but he could hear his right leg muscles contracting, making Cobra believe that he would jump upwards. Cobra coiled his legs and jumped into the air believing that he could intercept him with an attack. As he predicted, Silver Beard did jump upward, and as he came towards him, Cobra went going upside down, gathered poison into his legs, and swung with a kick. But then, Silver Beard suddenly bent backward, Cobra's poison-coated foot barely missing him, and countered with a powerful kick to his stomach. The force sent Cobra plummeting down to the ground until he slammed straight into the wall.

Cobra was speechless as Silver Beard landed back on the ground.

"Oops. Sorry about that. I guess my body reacted on its own," said Silver Beard. "Then again, you are trying to kill me, so I suppose I shouldn't apologize."

"What the hell was that?!" Cobra thought. "I should have been able to see that coming! I know I heard his next move, so why couldn't I predict it?"

The Poison Dragon Slayer got back to his feet and tried again, dashing forward while listening closely to Silver Beard's mind. He crossed his arms, generating poison, and launched several snake-like masses of poison at his target. Then, just like before, Silver Beard unnaturally reacted by shooting forward and avoiding the masses with ease, getting close to Cobra, and slugging him with an uppercut. Cobra recoiled in pain, but not wanting to back down, swiped his hands while generating claw-like waves of poison in his wait. But once again, Silver Beard dodged the attacks with ease, without thinking of a single thought.

"What's this guy's deal?! I can't hear anything at all from this guy!" Cobra thought. "And the way he's fighting...! I can't make heads or tails of it! It's like he's fighting out of pure instinct!"

"You seem pretty shocked, Cobra," said Silver Beard. "So shocked that I'm willing to bet you're wondering how you're not able to read my thoughts to predict my moves and trying to make sense of my combat style, am I right? Well, it's pretty simple, really. You should know that I haven't just been "holed up" in my lab completing my experiments. To be efficient in my line of work, I had to undergo years of training, studying the ways of martial arts. Thanks to that, I'm now able to fight which such proficiency, my body can anticipate when my opponent's tactics and attack pattern. In other words, no matter how much you try, you won't be able to read my thoughts, therefore being unable to predict my moves before I make them."

Cobra's eyes went wide from disbelief as Silver Beard pushed up his glasses with the tip of his finger.

"Don't seem so surprised. After all, you may be a second-rate dragon slayer, but you're also a bit dangerous," went on Silver Beard. "So, naturally, I'd set up some countermeasures on how to deal with you should you ever turn traitor. You may be dangerous because of your enhanced hearing as well as your poison, but a bit of intelligence can go a long way. And speaking of which, can you predict what I'm about to do next? I'll even let you use your Hearing Magic if you want."

He then dug into his shirt and produced an item he was wearing around his neck, a long metal whistle. Cobra immediately knew what Silver Beard would do and shot forward to intercept, but it was already too late. Silver Beard put his mouth to the whistle and gave it a long and hard blow. The whistle let out a high-pitched and shrill that was so loud that Cobra began to scream in agony as he desperately tried covering his ears to block the noise out. Silver Beard blew into his whistle again, and Cobra writhed and screamed as he was subjected to the horrible noise.

Silver Beard then shot towards Cobra taking advantage, and gave him and swift jab to the sternum, his index and middle fingers extended. Cobra staggered in pain, feeling his breath catch into his throat while holding his chest in agony. However, he still found the strength to fight back, taking in a deep breath chuffing his cheeks, preparing to use his breath attack, but before he could, Silver Beard gave him a swift chop to his throat, interrupting him. Then, he delivered a barrage of punches onto his torso and sharply gave him an uppercut to his jaw, and finally, while getting behind him, finished with a sharp squeeze to the muscle between his shoulderblade and his neck. In seconds, Cobra crumbled to the ground, down and out.

"D-Damn it all..." Cobra rasped. "That was... dirty."

"Well, now. I'm impressed that you're still conscious," said Silver Beard. "Even after I hit your pressure points and blew my special whistle. But it goes to show that you may be able to predict your opponent's moves before they can make them, but there's a difference between actually stopping them and knowing when they'll happen. Oh, well. You live and learn, I suppose. Unfortunately for you, Cobra, your time is up."

Cobra coughed as a thin line of blood dribbled out of his mouth but remained defiant. "So, what? Are you going to kill me? Not sure if that's a wise idea," he spat weakly. "If you take me out, my seal will be taken off the clock, and I'm not sure the boss will be too happy about that."

Silver Beard looked down at Cobra being silent. Then, a dark and ominous look crossed his face. "And what does it matter? You act as if I care about that," he said quietly.

Cobra's eyes went wide as Silver Beard's glasses bore holes into them.

"Did you honestly think that using yourself as a bargaining chip would get you an advantage? Sorry, but that's the oldest trick in the book," continued Silver Beard. "Try all you want, but I intend to finish you here and now, Cobra. It is a pity, though. I did enjoy you and the rest of Seis being my subjects and helping me with my little project, but now I need you to do me a favor and sleep."

Silver Beard then clenched a fist and gave Cobra a powerful punch smack in the middle of his spine, causing Cobra to vomit a huge glob of spit and blood before falling unconscious.

The old man stared at Cobra's unconscious body. Then he brushed the dirt off of himself, walked over to his lab coat, picked it up, put it back on, and walked away, leaving Cobra's body behind.

"Now then, I think I should be heading back right about now," Silver Beard said to himself. "He should just about be finished now."

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And as always, thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.

Until then, Dragomaster, signing off!