Chapter 13
"That bastard!" He wasn't angry or mad. No, no. certainly he wasn't like that or anything like that. He was beyond livid! That blond bastard just had to prance along the way and fry him like a chicken with what? A thousand volts? There was no way Sael could radiate anger because what can describe him now was that he was seething and his blood is boiling like the lava commonly found in the depths of hell. Damn, whenever curiosity took the best of him and sneaked a teensy weensy bit of a glance at the mirror, praying to all the governing forces of nature that the damage is gone in his so-called hellhole of a hideout, all efforts of calming himself down was all but gone. Who on this blasted Earthland would be so pleased to see his reflection in the mirror contorted and twisted in the most inhuman feats possible? The answer is a definite no!
Curiosity once again overwhelmed him and he once again found himself looking at the mirror but no matter how many times he tried, the reflection still remains the same. His features were indiscernible. He can't even see a speck of his normal gray hair in that unusually burnt Afro. He might be old, that his skin was wrinkled but to be burnt and stinging as well? He hissed in pain. That over-lumped, blond bear will pay.
"BASTARD!" That was, well, uh, he lost count of how many tantrums he'd thrown the moment his magical mist reconstructed his body. Too bad, dear old magic mist didn't put his overall appearance in the reconstruction list. He may be a villain, he was well aware and informed of that very fact in the beginning but even a villain needs a perfect face and hygiene. He'd be the laughing stock of the members of villain club when they know of this humiliation. He could see it now, the joke of the century, 'Sael managed to conquer the world with a disfigured face.'
"Bastard, magic mist." He muttered under his breath. True to being a genius villain, he started to count the ways on how on God's green Earthland would he be able to undo this monstrosity but only then did he realize that, he might be a powerful mage that is capable of complex spells like Dark Magic, Sealing Magic, Magic Mist, Abyss Break and hell, he even created his own, self-titled Magic but he, for a fact, was incapable of Transformation Magic, Copy Magic or Healing, even his coveted Celestial Spirit Magic. If he did, there would be no need to waste precious time on that whiny wench.
Speaking of which, if there's one good thing that came out of this it's the fact that Blondie was still alive. Earlier, he was having second thoughts about finishing her insignificant life because if he remembered correctly, that girl possesses another container of power, her Spirit Energy. Maybe he could harvest that as well to ensure the success of his plan. Hopefully, his waiting won't backfire and blow right at his face. His face already had more than its fair share in the blowing up department. Thank you very much. Last time didn't go well with Blondie's immediate power-up. Who knew she had that kind of comeback?
"It should have been Bastard and Bitch, The Perfect Fairy Combination: Laxus Dreyar and Lucy Heartfilia!" He still can't forget what happened to him earlier. He'll make sure that both of those two will pay for what they've done.
Tucking all those thoughts away in the back of his mind, he began to review all of his plans. That over-muscled corn almost had him by his neck. There's no way he will plan an attack now, especially if the chance that they will laugh their asses off instead of seriously taking him is a 100 percent guarantee. No, can't do. He needs to lie low for them to feel that there's no threat and when they turn their backs in comfort, he'll surprise them with a monumental comeback.
The second day of the Grand Magic Games has finally come to an end and the scores are as follow:
Fairy Tail A = 7 + 1 = 8
Fairy Tail B = 9 + 1 = 10
Blue Pegasus = 2 + 1 = 3
Lamia Scale = 3
Mermaid Heel = 4
Sabertooth = 10 + 1 = 11
One might actually think that these points are quite low compared to the past years but the new rule to only provide a low point to challenge mages to push themselves to their limits is absolute. Before, they would casually put aside the fact that they lost a point but with this, no more chance for them to be a lazy ass or a Mr. Nice Guy. Go for the kill means go for the kill.
On the other hand, that was the last Fairy Tail Guild had to worry about. Right now, they were worrying about Sael. The Master, ever so joyful and merry had shifted his gears to become the stern parent he was mostly unknown as. He has rounded up the main people connected to this issue in a makeshift office inside the inn which he casted a soundproof magic on. Laxus and Lucy's teammates with the exception of Happy are all present. They need to make this as covert and secret as possible even to their blue cat friend. That guy's too talkative for his own good, that he doesn't know when and where to stop blurting things. They just can't risk the leakage of a valuable strategy. Of course, Natsu made a fuss about it but even he can see that they were mostly right. The most surprising thing was there's no need for the combined efforts of both Erza and Gray to calm him down. He did it himself which the both Dreyar gentlemen raised their eyebrows on. In the end, there's no need to involve sweet, innocent and Aye!-speaking nakama.
"Sael, you say." Makarov did himself the favor of making himself comfortable by sitting in a nearby chair with a table in front. Now, he did look like the Guild Master with that get up. Laxus was standing behind him, arms crossed.
"Yes, Master." Gray silently answered. Earlier, after he woke up from his deep sleep, the Master already gave his orders to meet with him along with his teammates. Coming back to the present, he stood across both Dreyar men with the bowed down, clearly disturbed Erza and an equally, clearly confused Natsu.
"So that's why there was only limited information we could gather about him." Makarov spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. He wasn't surprised at all but all of the team snapped their heads at him in surprise.
"And why's that, Gramps?" Natsu, ever so curious was the first to voice out the one million-question but instead of relieving the tense atmosphere, he increased it. Who knew innocent Natsu could do something…well, too mature.
"Sael….Sael Sonneillon" Makarov finally uttered it under his breath but the vehemence in it was too much that all of his supposed children winced at his harsh tone. When no one dared to speak, he continued. "He's a Dark Mage who has earned his fame and standing during our seven years of absence. One thing is quite peculiar and most dangerous about him is his rare form of Magic."
"Sealing Magic?" Erza quipped. Natsu, Gray and Laxus turned their heads towards her direction while the Master remained calm and collected.
"No, it is something far evil than the Black Arts." Attention was back to the old man.
"What?!" Natsu's eyes bulged out from its sockets.
"Shit!" Gray hissed.
"That's bullshit!" Laxus hollered.
"He created his own form of Magic. Creating a new form of Magic is dangerous in itself but the nature of what he has done is something vile and corrupt. He created Sonneillon Magic."
"That's unbelievable." Shock coursed through their bodies and crept on their spines. Never have they ever heard of someone creating their own Magic. Even though Magic is a common practice I their world, there were such things that can surprise them in many different ways. Combination like Unison Raids is uncommon and rare forms of Magic like Slayer Magic are being uncovered day by day but even that astound them into fifty shades of wonder. Now, there's actually someone capable of creating one? What in the world was happening?
"Don't be surprised. Considering that both of you…" The Master eyed both Gray and Erza which had them silence in a blink of an eye. "…were the first ones to feel the extent of his powers, I should be the one having that heart attack."
"Sorry, Master." Titania and Frost mumbled at the same time.
"Sorry about what?" Natsu asked. He was clearly puzzled by all of these happenings. He just wanted to spend a day with Lisanna and he was literally dragged into this by Laxus.
"They did something to Lucy." Laxus seethed. He remembered how Lucy was almost sliced into death by Erza last night and if he missed a second earlier, his fiancée would have been a pounded meat.
"What?!" And Natsu lost all of his supposed to be maturity. He threw a tantrum and unleashed a barrage of vulgar words among his teammates. When he calmed down and the fire was quelled in, he let out a sigh and spoke the words that dwarfed the uttered curses he had just vented. "After all the pain we've been through, how could you do that to her?"
The way Salamander spoke was silent, barely audible even, but its severity brought them into a standstill. It was like they were hit by a wrecking ball. Yes, they were guilty and wallowing in despair on what they have done. Dead or not, the deed is done. Lucy was hurt in all possible meaning of the word, physically, emotionally, psychologically. But for someone close to them to actually say those words, reality made a real, well-deserved, hard slap on their faces. Natsu's eyes spoke thousand of words in high volumes. How could they do this? How could they harm her?
Erza's eyes watered but determined to hold her pride as a feared mage, she stood her ground and fought all the urges to cry her hearts out. The same was true to Gray. What he did was unforgivable. He was everything worse than Deliora. To do harm against his unrequited love was the same as defiling her virtue. In that moment when he was controlled by Sael, did he really think of raping her? Try as he might to deny it, the truth is unyielding. Yes, he wanted to ravage every nook and cranny of her body. How disgusting of him. It was time like this that he wished Natsu to be back to his freaking idiot self. He can't resist punching himself that his rival defeated him in the maturity department.
"I'm sorry." He repeated it like a mantra whilst floodgates were released in eyes. He can't turn it off now. When on Earthland did he start to become a crybaby? The humiliation! The embarrassment!
"You should be." Laxus let out a small yet menacing growl. Gray winced but he knew he needed that. Needed the anger the blond was emitting because he himself was damn angry at his own weakness. It was thanks to this man that Lucy was saved from the frozen coffin he was supposed to deliver. Thank you, Laxus.
"Enough!" Having fed up of all the emotional bullshit of his children, Makarov silenced them with his deathly glare. "Don't fight among yourselves. You're only giving Sael more weapons against us!"
"And why's that, Gramps?" Natsu stopped his one-sided glaring contest at Gray and turned his attention to the Master.
"Soneillon Magic allows Sael to use jealousy, hatred, lust and any negative emotions to control his victims." It was a simple statement yet it explained everything that has happened.
'Jealousy…' Erza thought of how stupid she was in thinking that Jellal harbored romantic feelings for Lucy but in the end, he was just trying to defeat Sael once and for all and stop his metaphorical reign of terror in their hearts, especially their beloved Celestial Spirit Mage's.
'Lust…' Gray can't even speak. One word explained everything to him.
"Natsu, Laxus." Makarov called, snapping everyone from their daze. The men who were called simply nodded their heads in acknowledgment and listened to what their Master has to say. "Be careful, both of you. One of you is bound to be next."
"Master, Jellal has devised a strategy." Erza spoke up, trying to regain her honor.
"Knock, knock." A male voice came from her room, waking her in her daydreaming.
"Come in." Lucy sat up on her bed, carefully trying not to move her bandaged right arm. The door opened, revealing a blue-haired, tattooed man.
"Are you okay now?" Jellal spoke in a worried tone, closing the door and walking towards the blonde.
"Yes, I'm fine. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Actually, there is. We need to talk." He pulled a wooden chair and sat down.
A/N: Hello everyone! before I embark on my busy schedule, I have written another chapter in advance. Thanks by the way to Kuro-fudo-no-otoko for the PM and to those who reviewed Mromero18 and vampgirliegirl. You guys are the most loyal of them all. Love you! :D
Note: Sonneillon is a demon, the fourth prince of Thrones, who tempts men to hate.
