A/N: Hi Guys! I'm finally back from my long holiday. You know what that means XD. Updates will now resume as per normal, aka once every 1 or 2 weeks. Please pardon me because it's my final year at college and I will have to juggle between writing and school, so please forgive me if I don't update on time.
Now for some plot updates. The next two chapters will cover the last of Ryuga's team's mission before moving on to Aiden's, and that will be approximately 6-7 chapters also. In the mean time, there will be some recollections on Glaive's end as well as some sparring and fluff between guild mates. I hope you're as excited as me.
Oh and thousands of apologies. I noticed a small typo when I was writing the Christmas Special. You guys still remember Drake? And how I introduced him as the Shadow Dragon Slayer? It was supposed to be Shadow Dragon instead. My bad if I got any of you confused.
Love for all my reviewers and I hope yall enjoyed my Christmas special. Reviewer credits will continue as per normal next chapter onwards as its a bit messy now haha.
Please refer to Chapter 1 for disclaimers
Enjoy!
Scarlet Nova Guild House, Glaive's office
"What in Earthland is that!?"
"None of you will leave here alive!"
"Screw the mission, let's run while we can!"
"DAMN FILTH! RETURN TO THE UNDERWORLD!"
"I'm so sorry…"
"You didn't deserve this,"
"Tell Seras I'm sorry."
"Live for me, Glaive…"
Glaive instantly woke from his sleep with a gasp, eyes casting about frantically as he suppressed the urge to release the ethereal chains on his glove. He was still in his office, having fallen asleep while reviewing some past documents. Breathing heavily, he laid back into his chair, wiping his forehead and coming away with sweat.
"A dream," he wondered aloud, as he calmed himself while he remembered where he was.
"No…memories…"
It was just like it happened yesterday but he knew very well that the event he remembered was over 20 years ago. It was an event that he considered his biggest failure, right up there with failing to save the woman he loved.
No amount of power could have prepared himself or his team for what they faced that day. It was an unworldly force that held no equal, having slaughtered all those that came before them. With great difficulty, they finally managed to destroy their opponent and seal his weapon.
But it came at a great cost.
Of the five of them, two of them never returned from the mission. While the remaining three were hailed as heroes and given ranks amidst the Wizard Saints, it was not anything worth celebrating. One of them quit and retired as a mage almost immediately the next day, unable to take the guilt and pressure. The remaining two kept their posts, only at the insistence of the Magic Council and the promise they made to their team mates before they passed on.
One was now the Master of Fairy Tail.
The other was himself.
Glaive sighed as he rubbed his face with his hands. It's all over. There was no way he was ever coming back. He made sure personally to destroy every proof of its existence, living absolutely no means for him to revive.
And yet he still had the sick feeling in his gut that not everything was over just yet. Black Citadel and Kaguro. These two figures were totally either unknown or heard of till now. So why start a war with a legally established guild and a new one nonetheless. There had to be a link somewhere that he just was not seeing, but what it was Glaive still had no idea.
"Father," a voice interrupted his train of thoughts. "Is everything ok?"
"Yes dear, I'm fine. Just a nightmare." Glaive addressed Seras. She had been so quiet in the room throughout that Glaive barely registered her presence.
"You work too hard," Seras smiled as she patted Glaive on his back. "Let me go make you a nice cup of tea to help you relax."
Glaive nodded in acknowledgement, watching with sadness in his eyes as he saw Seras walk out of the office. He had yet to tell her about what happened to her mother all those years ago. Although she was all grown up, Glaive still found it hard to break it to her. He knew very well that she wasn't all that strong as she looked, fearing that she would crumble when he told her the truth behind her mother.
"Oh yeah Father," Seras quipped as she suddenly turned around. Glaive instantly banished the forlorn look in his eyes and listened intently. "The magic council has requested a meeting for all Guild Masters in Ea."
"I understand," Glaive replied swiftly as he immediately got out of his chair and began to pack his belongings. It was about time those ass-hats in the council sought the help of others. All the guilds needed to work together if they were going to stop Black Citadel. No one would be safe unless they were completely eradicated.
"Seras, you will be temporary head for the guild until I return." Glaive instructed, causing Seras to nod her head. "See to it that the S-classes get their map pieces on time."
"I'll do my best, I guess." Seras shrugged. She wasn't S-class nor as strong as the rest of the guild but she would definitely do her best to live up to her father's expectations. Just as Glaive was about to leave, he suddenly paused, addressing Seras once more.
"And help me book a ticket to Clover Town. I need to speak with some old friends of mine."
North of Valgore, passage way to Morgoth
"Are we there yet?" Judar asked for the hundredth time, a bored expression on his face as he yawned aloud.
"Not yet. Be patient and stay quiet." Hissed Asuna as she left another marking on the tunnel wall next to her.
"But we have been walking for ages," Judar sighed. "Are you sure we are going the right way?"
"Have a little faith Judar," Blitz replied though he was thinking the same thing as well. His team had entered the tunnels close to an hour ago as indicated by the map but so far they had not seen anything yet. No Black Citadel, no nothing. It really got him thinking if they were on the right track after all. By now they should have at least seen a marking or something.
"Well, I don't really mind," quipped Gemma. She enjoyed walking about in the cave. It was dark, cold and damp which suited her just fine. She would take this any day compared to the humid weather of Valgore.
"How are things looking Aiden?" Hanaku asked as she held her halberd closer to the S-class mage. Due to the tunnels stretching deep into the earth, there was practically no light at all. As such, Hanaku took the liberty of igniting one of her halberds to act as a light source. Though the fire wasn't really big due to her still being injured and conserving her energy, it still provide enough warmth and comfort for the rest of her team.
"Well, the map says we have to take another left here and we should be there." Aiden shrugged as he pointed in the general direction that they were supposed to go.
"ALRIGHT!" Judar hollered as he sped way ahead of his team, all pumped up and ready to go. He took off at breakneck speeds away from the group and made a left turn just as Aiden mentioned, only to find something strange.
He was no longer standing on solid ground and below him was nothing but a yawning pit of darkness.
"SHIT!" he screeched as he tried desperately to run back into the cave but he was way too far from the entrance already. That was until Floral swooped down and grabbed him by the collar, saving his ass just in time.
"Whew, thanks partner." Judar heaved a sigh of relief while Floral sighed at her partner's recklessness.
"That'll teach you to run off on your own," Asuna chided the Sand Dragon Slayer who smiled sheepishly as he landed to safety.
"But still, this is one ominous cave," commented Gemma. Even with their light, the entire place was still pitch dark. While Gemma could see better in the dark than the rest of her team, she could not make out any discerning features of the opening at all. It meant two things. Either there was really nothing there or the place was so big that she could not even see the end of it. And then there was that weird smell she had been smelling. It was like someone poured a ton of rotten eggs all over the opening, causing her to be unable to identify where the stench was coming from.
"Looks like we'll need a bigger light," Blitz remarked, receiving a nod from Hanaku. He immediately fished for a flash lacrima within his backpack, only for Aiden to hold a hand before him, signaling him to stop.
"Maybe we don't need any light at all," Aiden wondered out loud, earning him looks of curiosity and surprise from him team. "Hanaku, deactivate your magic."
"You sure about this?" Hanaku asked the doubt present in her voice. She felt more at ease with the light on and the rest of her team shared her sentiments. Being unable to see would be a major disadvantage if they ever ran into trouble.
"Trust me," Aiden gave a reassuring grin, causing Hanaku to relax slightly. She shrugged and despite the pleading looks from Judar, Flora and Asuna, she extinguished the fire surrounding her halberd.
Instantly, the empty space beneath them lit up with an eerie green hue, bathing the entire cavern with its light. Within seconds, the whole place was glowing green, providing the team with a clear view of the cavern. The place was massive to say at the least, easily stretching a few kilometers in diameter alone. The ceiling was so far up that all the light that was being released from beneath them was not enough to reach its peak, hitting only the halfway mark. Below them was an enormous green lagoon, large enough to fit a soccer field and then some. All around them there were no supporting rocks or platforms, indicating that there was only one way in and out of the place, which was where they came from.
"This is pretty," Gemma said as she observed her surroundings. It reminded her of the auroras she always read about it in story books. While this was not the real thing, it might as well have been.
Judar and Flora were also taking in the sight well, their eyes sparkling and mouths agape at the pretty view. Hanaku and Asuna were also seemingly enjoying themselves, small smiles etched on their faces as they observed the overlapping waves of light. On the other hand however, Blitz had a frown on his head.
"What's wrong Blitz," Asuna asked, noticing her teammate's furrowed brows.
"The map says that the artifact is right in the cavern but from what I can see, there is no sign of it here. If my guess is correct, the artifact is probably located within the lagoon beneath us." Blitz explained as he crossed his arms, gazing into the deep green "waters".
"What's wrong with that?" Gemma asked, her head tilting to a side in confusion. "Can't we just swim to get there?" As soon as those words left her mouth, Judar immediately started stripping, eager to jump headfirst into the lagoon.
"The problem is this," Aiden added, reaching into his pocket to remove a small stone. With a small toss, he hurled the stone into the lagoon. What happened next caught everyone off by surprise.
Instead of sinking into the water like everyone thought it would, the stone instantly vaporized upon contacting with the lagoon, dissipating into a jet of white mist.
"Holy crap." Judar swallowed hard. He could have ended up just like that if he wasn't careful. The supposed paradise he was looking at was actually a straight ticket to hell. Thank God he bothered listening to the rest of the explanation. "That ain't no water. That's bloody acid."
"Exactly," Blitz replied. "That's our main problem. If the artifact is below that, there is no way we can go retrieve it. We'll turn into bones before we can even reach it."
"Well there has to be a way to get there, isn't it?" Asuna retorted. "They placed the damn thing inside in the first place so there has to be a way to bypass the acid."
"Didn't Master Glaive say that there was a gate keeper here?" Hanaku asked. "Maybe we should ask him for directions."
"How can there be anyone living in here. It a pool of acid down there. Nothing can survive that." Gemma countered, earning a glare from Hanaku. She was dead sure that nothing could possibly be living beneath them.
Boy was she wrong.
At that very instant, the pool of acid began to bubble furiously. With each passing second, the cavern wall also began to shake violently, causing stalagmites to rain from the ceiling.
"Something's coming!" Aiden growled, feeling an immense presence beneath them. All around him, his team assumed battle stances, waiting for whatever was rising from beneath the pool of acid.
Flora, being curious, crept slowly to the ledge of the platform and gazed at the pool of acid. From there she saw a shadow that was slowly increasing in size, growing so big that it almost covered the entire lagoon. Her eyes instantly widened in fear, scrambling backwards to safety behind Judar.
With that, an enormous explosion resounded as something emerged from the water's surface and when Aiden's team saw it, they could honestly say that they were frightened. It was an enormous Deep Sea Hydra, so huge and thick that it almost filled up the entire cavern. It was so long that it even had to bend its head to avoid brushing the tip of the ceiling. It had two sets of crimson eyes with scarlet like irises and deep blue body lined with armored scales. A red and green sailed could be seen emerging from the back of its head, stretching down all the way from his spine. What scared the mages though were the bloodstained teeth that lined the beast's mouth, each sharp as diamond and as tall as each of them.
"Holy mother of Jesus," Aiden swore as the lined its face against the platform, watching the mages intently. Sure he had taken care of huge monsters and beasts before but this thing was on another level altogether. For one, it was armed to the teeth and extra fricking enormous. For another, he could sense a strong amount of mana radiating from within in, indicating that the beast was most likely capable of using magic. That was something new and Aiden did not want to find out what happened if he pissed it off.
A moment of deadly silence passed as both parties gazed at each other. For the mages, it was out of fright and being too afraid to move a muscle while for the Hydra, it was more of interest and curiosity.
So imagine their shock when they heard the Hydra speak.
"I am the Gate Keeper of Morgoth. My name is Aggra. What is your business here." the Hydra demanded telepathically.
"IT SPEAKS!" Gemma and Judar freaked simultaneously.
"Calm down, it's just talking to us through our heads." Blitz reminded as bravely as he could. A talking Hydra did not mean anything. If it did, it only meant that it was all the more dangerous.
"We are mages from Scarlet Nova. We wish to pass to Morgoth because we have to collect an artifact located down there." Aiden answered to the point, not wanting to risk angering the Hydra.
"And the toll?" the beast growled through their heads, causing all mages to quiver ever so slightly.
"You mean this?" Judar whimpered softly as he fished out the gold medallion from his pocket. The Hydra instinctively inched closer to take a closer look while Judar backed off as far as he could, closing his eyes tightly in fear that it might just eat him.
"Tch! That will do." The Hydra scowled as it backed off. "That man is always so stingy." It added, snorting in displeasure at the miserable amount of gold presented.
"Wait, you know Master Glaive?" Asuna questioned, her eyes widening in surprise but she never got time to answer her question.
In an instant, the Hydra plunged downwards, swooping all the Scarlet Nova Mages into its mouth. With that, it dived back into the lagoon of acid, leaving behind no evidence that the Scarlet Nova mages ever entered the cavern.
With Zephyr
"Hold still, I just wanna cut you up," Athena pleaded though the devious smile on her face said otherwise. With a wave of her hand she shot forth another wave of roots at Zephyr from all directions, hoping that at least one would impale him.
"No thanks," Zephyr growled as he zipped in between the fauna, barely evading them. "I would rather stay in one piece." Despite carrying both of team mates, he was still faster than the average mage, no doubt thanks to his Speed magic. However given his wounds, it was obvious that they were burdening him to a large extent.
"Too bad, we have to disagree. You could have made a nice play toy," Athena licked her lips as she surveyed Zephyr's body, her imagination running wild as she imagined how the boy would look like full of holes. It would have been so much fun. If only he could stand still for a second.
Beside her, Rin just rolled her eyes while she let loose another shot with her rifle, the wire bullet impacting just slightly off to Zephyr's left. She was not used to fighting in the open, preferring to strike from the shadows instead. Now that her cover was blown, she had lost the element of surprise, making it more difficult to make her shots connect. What's worse was that day was breaking, the sun's rays making it hard for her to focus her eyes.
Despite being able to see his opponents, Zephyr still found it tough to avoid their attacks. While they weren't all that powerful, they were pretty fast and he couldn't afford himself to get hit by any of them. Particularly Rin's bullets. He had seen what they could do to Vali and he wasn't going let himself suffer the same fate.
"Razor Leaf Storm!" Athena cackled as she unleashed a storm of leaves, each of them sharp as blades towards Zephyr. The leaf blades shredded at the ground around Zephyr, like bullets tearing through flesh, surprising the Speed mage at how sharp they were. Zephyr leapt from side to side, bending his head every now and then to avoid getting slashed by the nature projectiles. Unfortunately for him, the further he ran, the more surrounded he was. Very soon he found himself in a column of leaf blades, unable to move anywhere.
"Shit!" Zephyr cursed as he watched the blades enclose, being able to do anything at this point in time.
"It's over, running boy," Athena laughed as she snapped her fingers, signaling the storm of leaves to attack.
"Sorry guys," Zephyr muttered silently as he dropped both Vali and Liliana onto the ground. He had to do something or they'll all be toast. In the next moment, he knelt down on one knee, a silver magic circle forming beneath him. "Acceleration mode activate: Adamant Barrage." He whispered as a wispy silver aura enveloped his entire body.
For a moment he stood still.
In the next he moved.
Or to be more precise, in less than a moment. Within that single second it took Athena and Rin to blink, Zephyr had already made his move over a thousand times. Kicking, punching, twisting, Zephyr struck out at every single leaf that was surrounding him, making him practically a silver blur before the eyes of others.
From Athena's point of view, he was standing still, surrounded by her leaf blades in a second. In the next, her leaves were all instantly scattered.
"What the hell," she snarled; unable to comprehend what just happened before her eyes. Before she could make sense of anything, Zephyr vanished again, trailing a silver streak behind him. This time he reappeared right in front of her, fist cocked back.
"Eat this!" he roared, plummeting his fist into her cheek, sending the Nature Mage into the ground. By the time he was done with that, he was breathing rather raggedly. He really hated using Acceleration Mode, even when up against a strong enemy. While it granted him the speed of sound, it also took a massive toll on his body. He had only a minute to use the spell before his body collapsed on itself.
"Well, a minute's all I need." Zephyr grinned, vanishing again to avoid a close range shot by Rin. The girl's eyes widened as she watched Zephyr disappear. She instantly glanced around her, trying to spot any traces of him. Even with her superior eyesight, she was finding it difficult to track him.
"There!" she exclaimed, having caught a slight trace of his silver streaks. By then it was all too late. Zephyr was on her like white on rice, coming up from right beside her. His leg was poised and ready to strike, and Rin barely caught sight of it before Zephyr called out his spell.
"Axial Crash!" He delivered his axial kick to Rin's midsection, sending the younger mage flying.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Rin screamed in pain as she tumbled across the top of the giant tree. She eventually struck the side of the barrier hard, stopping her momentum but causing a major concussion to the side of head as well. While Zephyr's attacks were not the top of its class, getting hit by something at the speed of sound was no joking matter. That attack easily tore through the wire armor she was wearing underneath, shattering her rib in the process.
"Neo…" she whimpered before darkness enveloped her, her body unable to take the brunt of the attack.
"That's one down," Zephyr hissed as he glared at Rin's motionless body. While he would never admit it, he actual felt pretty darn good landing that strike. He did not bother holding back on that strike, anger fueling him from what she did to Vali. Using him as a puppet to hurt his friends, that was despicable and girl or not, she was going to pay for what she did.
"ENT!" Athena roared as unleashed another concentrated stream of magic roots at Zephyr's back, hoping to catch the mage by surprise. Instead, Zephyr simply moved out of the way, the roots crashing and embedding themselves in the ground instead.
"You're next!' he hissed as he appeared behind her, raising his leg in a drop kick. This time Athena was ready though, a golden and green magic circle already at her feet by the time she sensed Zephyr's appearance.
"Burial Drop!"
"Forest Wall!"
Zephyr winced as he felt his heel impact the dense wooden shield that shot out from behind Athena, guarding her from the near fatal blow. Smaller magic circles appeared on the wood itself, launching wooden stakes outwards at Zephyr. The speed mage instantly backpedalled, just in time to avoid them nicking his flesh.
"Damn, it's tough!" Zephyr growled as he nursed his throbbing heel. Even with the extra speed boost, he still did not have enough momentum to shatter her defenses. That coupled with her enhanced magic from the holy mana was going to be a major problem. She could keep this up for however long she wants but he was running on fumes already. He could not afford to get caught or his game would be up in an instant.
"I'm a member of Orochi for a reason, you know?" Athena snarled as she stood back up, the bruise on her cheek clearly visible to all. "DON"T YOU GO UNDERESTIMATING ME!" With that, she trusted both hands forward, launching yet another storm of leaf blades at Zephyr.
Zephyr was like a silver dancer, the silver streaks lining his body swaying as he darted in and out of the leaf storm. His face was a determined line, grimacing ever so slightly whenever a cut appeared across his body. Yet he always returned to the fray, refusing to let his opponent's superior strength or numbers overwhelm him. As long as his enhancement held, he was good to go.
On the other hand, Athena was more like a posing idol, her hands flowing freely as she commanded her nature legion against her enemy. While her leaf blades did not have the speed, their superior numbers gave her the advantage to enclose him. Slowly but surely, she was hurting him, though she knew it wasn't enough to slow him down.
The silver streaks along Zephyr's body were gradually disappearing, indicating that his time was almost up. Meanwhile, Athena's leaves were starting to get disarrayed or pulverized, courtesy of Zephyr's blows.
They both knew that the next move would determine the fate of the fight.
Without a word, both mages finalized their preparations for their strongest spells, eager to crush their foe before they had the time to make a move.
As though standing on air, Zephyr bent into his iconic hunter's crouch. A trail of red magic circles were scattered in front of him but slowly they were all beginning to align in a straight line, leading up to Athena. His body was shaking uncontrollably, feeling the adrenaline rush as his magic went into overdrive, pumping furiously in his blood and veins. Any normal person would have ruptured by now but Zephyr's magic made his body a good accommodator for it though it was limited to only a single shot.
His last chance at beating Athena.
Athena had also finished her preparation. From her back, several roots extended out and dug deep into the giant tree. They allowed her to tap the tree's holy mana directly, granting her even greater access to its powers. As a result her entire body and eyes were now glowing golden. However the influx of mana proved to be too great for her, causing blood to seep out of her mouth and eyes. Even so, she was laughing maniacally, enjoying the surge of power. She had never felt so good in her entire life and she was just itching to test her new found strength out.
"I guess I could thank the boy," she grinned to herself. "I can finally go all out and have no regrets about it."
Both mages held their breaths for a moment, before calling out the names of their greatest spells.
"BLAZE COMET!" Zephyr roared as he leapt off, shooting through the chain of magic circles. With each circle passed, his body went even faster, the extreme friction resulting in his body igniting as a result. From afar, he resembled a falling meteor, thus the name of his spell.
"GARDENS OF BABYLON!" Athena responded as a gigantic golden magic circle appeared before her. Before both their eyes, an entire forest sprouted at extremes speeds, rushing towards Zephyr. This was the same technique that she used to create the forest labyrinth, only now that it was much larger since Athena absorbed the mana directly.
Fiery fist clashed with golden fauna, unleashing waves of energy which exploded all around them. Both mages had determined looks on their faces as neither of them refuse to back down. This lasted for a moment or so, but by the end of it, it was clear who was buckling under the pressure.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Athena howled. Very slowly, Zephyr was tearing through the enhanced trees, his enhanced speed proving to be superior of the two. The forests were now nothing more than walls in his path and with each passing circle, he was tearing through them faster than they could regenerate.
But he knew that he probably wasn't going to make it. He only had seconds to spare before his magic would be depleted completely and he was not going fast enough. He had to end this now.
"COME ON!" Zephyr cried out as he forced out even more of his magic. His body started to turn very red, barely holding up any further but it did the trick. He was now impaling through the last of Athena's wooden barriers and very soon he came face to face with the Nature Manipulation mage.
"TAKE THIS!" he stretched out his fist, launching a powerful straight punch at Athena, attempting to finish her off. Athena gasped in horror, her eyes widening as she anticipated the fatal blow nearing her head.
But it never came.
"Damn it," Zephyr cursed as he felt his entire body go limp. His magic had finally run out, and at the worse possible timing also. He was so close to defeating her but yet so far from reaching his goal. Swearing silently, his body hit the ground completely devoid of any strength, unable to move an inch.
"Haha…Haha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Athena laughed uncontrollably as she stared at the helpless mage before her. She couldn't believe her luck. The tables were now turned in her favor. Even so, she knew that her body was also barely holding up. The sensory output was way too extreme for her and she was having trouble even trying to stand straight.
But she was still able to move and that was a win in her books already.
"Sweet Dreams…" she cackled uncontrollably as she waved her hand, a vine appearing by her side as she prepared to end Zephyr's life.
"Chrome Guardna." A voice uttered from below them.
"What?" Athena hissed as she instantly found her arms and legs bound in metallic walls, restricting her movement except for her wrists. There's no way that they could still be standing!
Zephyr heaved a sigh of relief when he recognized the magic. He though he was surely a goner. "What took you guys so long?" he chuckled weakly.
Below them, Liliana was panting slightly as she knelt on one foot, an arm raised with a white magic circle appearing in front of it. He was lucky that she managed to find enough strength to activate her magic. Given her wounds, the spell was not going to last much longer. Athena needed to fall now.
"Surrender," Vali echoed emotionless as he appeared from a black portal above Athena. Zephyr was having trouble viewing the Celestial Spirit mage but he was pretty sure Vali didn't look like that when he last left him. Vali was now dressed in a frayed black cloak, shrouding his entire body from view. Where his face was now held a silver skull mask that had red glowing eyes and his arms were now covered in jaded silver gauntlets. The same silver timer was strapped to his chest and despite the iconic symbol, that did not catch Zephyr's attention. What did was the enormous black and red scythe in Vali's hands, the blade of which resting against Athena's neck.
"Move and I will kill you," Vali growled lowly. He was not going to take any chances with his team mate's life, especially after what he did to him earlier.
Most mages would gladly retreat or back off in the face of such a prominent threat, eager to keep their lives and fight another day. Athena, on the other hand, was an exception to that rule.
"Surrender?" she cackled coldly. "A member of Orochi never surrenders. If I have to die, so be it!" She then slowly turned her attention to Zephyr, completely forgetting that there was a blade pressed against her jugular. "But if I'm gonna go, I WILL TAKE ONE OF YOU WITH ME!" she roared, her hand twitching ever so slightly as she motioned the root to strike.
"Don't do it!" Liliana yelled, the fear visible in her voice.
Vali on the other hand took the easier way out.
"Sorry," he uttered. Before Athena could make any sudden movement, he retracted the scythe, slashing her cleanly at the throat.
Athena wheezed and gurgled, the blood frothing out of her mouth and pouring from the fatal wound. She gasped for air desperately, choking on her own blood in the process. Sensing that she did not have much longer to live, Liliana released her magic, causing the Orochi member to fall to the ground.
Even in the face of death, Athena showed neither respite nor regret. Her face was still carved with a maniacal smile, her eyes bulging out of their sockets as she gazed at the Scarlet Nova mages.
"Heheh you Scarlet pansies," she gurgled, making out her last words with whatever strength she had left. "It doesn't matter if you kill me here because my way of life, my will never dies! It may take a day or a month, a year, hell a decade even but just know this! You can a kill person but you can never kill darkness or the evil in a person's heart. Someone will take my place and finish what I've started! So enjoy while you can, because Orochi will claim every last one of you!"
With that, she stopped struggling altogether, her body going limp. The fire in her eyes faded away, leaving nothing but a glazed expression as she stared into the sky.
Athena was finally dead, being the first of eight to fall in the war of the guilds.
With Ryuga and Neo
Being in the line of work known as a mage, it is often common sense that one needed to be equipped with the most basic of fighting skills. While most mages relied heavily on their magic and excelled at them, there were the small few who focused on toughen their bodies and minds, putting their effort into becoming physically strong enough to take an opponent barehanded if they had to. Then there were those who excelled at both, being masters of both hand to hand combat and their spells. These were the ones who usually ascended to S-class.
But the battle that was currently unfolding in the barren ground would just prove that they only had a long way to go.
The scarlet form of Neo roared wordlessly, a sick grin plastered on his face as he fought his opponent. His style was simple and head-on, striking powerfully and directly, Balrog swinging almost effortlessly as he brought both hands to bear. While he wasn't as fast as his opponent, staggering slightly under the barely blocked blows but he was just as powerful, staggering and forcing his foe back every now and then. Occasionally he would release a hand on his zweihandler, forming a claw of blood on the free limb in an attempt to catch his opponent by surprise. However no matter what form the blood took, it always left nothing more than mere scratches on his target's armor. With the minimal damage inflicted, his foe had long ignored his petty tricks, concentrating his full attention of guarding against the sword strikes.
Opposing Neo was the ominous black form of Ryuga, his body occasionally ignited by streaks of black lightning. While his brother was excited till the point of tripping himself, Ryuga felt no such feeling, his face plastered into an emotionless look. He moved like lightning, vanishing in bursts of static and reappearing where Neo least expected it. The jaws on his arms pulsated with lightning, unleashing controlled bursts each time he attacked. But by some dumb luck or probably Neo's skill with Balrog, he managed to deflect or evade the strikes each time, resulting in black streaks flashing across the sky or scorching the earth. Balrog scraped off his armor with a shower of sparks and despite any major damage, Ryuga knew all too well that it was dangerous to let that continue any further. Only a demonic weapon could hurt or destroy another, making it risky to take unnecessary hits.
With that thought in mind, Ryuga ducked beneath a sword strike from Neo. Wordlessly, he plowed his fist into Neo's gut, firing off a lightning infused punch. The result was Neo being sent flying, tumbling end over end in the dirt.
"Damn he hits like a truck," Neo grimaced, his body emitting sparks from the lightning strike. He placed his hand against his stomach, feeling the crystallized blood falling apart. That attack would have probably tore through him if not for his Blood Mist, so he felt rather lucky to be just aching only.
In the mean time, Yura had crept up against Ryuga. Silently she brought her sword down against his back, the blade glowing gold as her Explosion magic initiated. However when the blade did struck, no explosion took place. Instead her katana shattered into fragments, unable to withstand the density of Ryuga's armor. As if refusing to believe what had just happened, Yura stared dead at what's left of her weapon, unable to do anything as Ryuga turned around slowly.
In a swift motion, a jagged crimson blade fell out of Ryuga's right claw. Wordlessly, he stabbed it right through Yura, impaling his former lover. Ryuga watched as blood oozed from the wound, trickles of it leaving her eyes and mouth. While it pained him to kill her again, he knew it was necessary. Her soul was no longer there, and so her body should be put to rest as well.
"Return to the earth," Ryuga whispered as he watched Yura's body start to fragment and disappear. As her body vanished, Yura's face seemingly began to smile, as though thanking Ryuga for what he was doing. Ryuga watched with a forlorn look as Yura vanished completely, the last of her essence disappearing into the clear sky.
"Keep your eyes on me Brother!" Neo hissed as he leapt into the air. Blood spewed from his forearms, crystallizing and extending to form two elongated fangs. As he crossed his arms, the blades seemed to interlock, their tips curving over Ryuga's neck, giving the impression of a pair of giant bloody scissors.
"Blood Make: Carnage Scissors!" Neo roared as he swiped both his arms, attempting to decapitate Ryuga. Ryuga barely even took notice of the attack, simply raising his left arm as he guarded against it.
"Tch!" Neo snarled as he flexed his arm muscles, forcing out more blood in an attempt to strengthen the spell. However no matter how he tried, the twin blades did not budge against Ryuga.
"Futile," Ryuga muttered as he batted the blood blades away, causing them to shatter on impact. Neo's eyes widened in shock as he watched his spell crumble and dissipate. Through the fragments of blood, he briefly saw Ryuga vanish from his position. In a split second he was right in front of him, his right arm blade raised.
Before Neo could force out another Blood Shield, Ryuga brought his weapon down, slashing across Neo's chest with a lightning reinforced strike. Neo howled in pain as he felt the attacks cut deep, spraying a fountain of blood against Ryuga armor. Despite the injury, Neo still found the strength to back off, his limbs sliding against the ground as he attempted to put some distance between them.
"Damn!" he cursed as he placed his hand against the bloody gash. Where Ryuga had struck, black veins had started to creep all over it, corroding the flesh and bone. Under normal conditions, Neo would have easily dismissed the wound but there was something this time that made him very weary and afraid.
"The wound, it's not healing!" Neo ranted in his mind. By now he would have felt his regenerative powers kick in already. Although they were not completely gone, they were far slower than usual.
Before he could think any further, Ryuga was on to him already, his blade trusting out as he rushed forward. Neo barely had enough time to raise Balrog, placing it in between him and Ryuga to guard against the thrust. Even so he still found himself being pushed backwards, his heels dragging against the sand as he failed to withstand Ryuga's strike. Just as he was about to recover, he caught sight of a dark ball of energy being charged in the claw, straining to be released.
Without warning, a pillar of black lightning erupted from the sword, striking Neo at point blank. Not even Balrog could guard against an attack of such intensity at close range. The result was a black explosion which consumed both fighters. Neo backpedalled out of it a moment later, his body covered in severe burns. Ryuga on the other hand emerged unscathed, his eyes watching intently for any movement through the dust cloud.
"Screw this!" Neo growled as he dropped to the ground. Using his arm as a support, he propelled himself forward, the veins on his legs bursting as the blood coated it to form another blood blade.
"Blood Make: Feral!" he called out as he attempted to dropkick Ryuga. Ryuga just simply stood still, waiting for the bladed appendage to near and at the last second grabbing it. Neo's eyes widened it surprise as he felt Ryuga pull him in, his own body's momentum being useful at the wrong time. When Neo was in striking range, Ryuga swung his clawed fist, striking Neo in the solar plexus. As if that wasn't enough, he fired off yet another bolt of black lightning, forcing it through and out of Neo's body.
"Blaaargh!" Neo vomited out a copious amount of blood but even that did not earn him any respite from Ryuga. The latter followed up with a knee strike to his ribs, knocking the wind out of him. Even as Neo tried his catch his breath, he still swung Balrog in a wide arc, attempting to slash Ryuga. However as the sword neared, Ryuga simply vanished in a burst of static. Neo's eyes widened once more when he caught sight of Ryuga once again, his arm blade poised to strike.
Only this time, he showed no mercy. With a clean swing, he instantly cleaved through Neo's left arm, severing it and Balrog from him. There was loud clang followed by a thud as Balrog clattered to the ground, his dismembered arm falling next.
"FUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK!" Neo roared in pain as he grasped at the bloody stump that was once his left arm. Once more the black veins erupted all over the wound, preventing Neo from reattaching the fallen limb. Those precious seconds did not go unnoticed by Ryuga who took the opportunity to deliver an uppercut to Neo's chin, sending him spiraling into the sky.
"Alright, I'm ending this!" Neo roared as he caught his balance mid flight. Screw the fight. If he kept this up, he was going to be the one losing at this rate. Losing his regenerative powers was one thing but losing Balrog was another. Without the blade, he lost his only means of damaging Ryuga and the power boost that came with it. It was dangerous to keep battling any further and despite Neo's bloodthirsty nature, he knew very well when he should stop fooling around.
Flexing his back muscles, he forced even more blood out of them, allowing them to take the form of a single crystallized appendage. Using his momentum, he began to spiral, rocketing towards Ryuga in an attempt to settle things once and for all.
"Bloody Edge!" he cried out as he shot the blade appendage at his brother.
"Pathetic," Ryuga growled, speaking for the first time since he transformed. If you really want to die so badly, I will grant your wish." In that instant, a black magic circle appeared beneath Ryuga's feet, causing another wave of darkness to erupt. This time the darkness clung to the blades extending from Ryuga's claws, coating them in a thick black aura. Holding them in a cross, Ryuga waited for Neo to near, striking only when the blood blade was only inches from his face.
"End Waltz." He called out emotionlessly as he swung both arm blades.
The first swing unleashed a crescent wave of lightning that tore through Neo's spell, shattering the bladed appendage easily. Neo's eyes widened in horror as he watched his strongest magic splinter into nothingness, completely defenseless against the second strike. Like the first, the second swing also unleashed a crescent wave of black lightning, but this one tore through Neo's midsection, cleaving his body into two halves.
Neo's mouth yelled a silently scream as his two halves fell to the ground, the words never getting a chance to leave his throat. Ryuga watched emotionlessly as his brother's blood spattered all over his armor and the ground around him. Despite their past relation, Ryuga did not feel any hesitation when he swung his blade. Even as he watched Neo's pained expression in his last moments, he did not feel any regret or sadness. It was a weird sensation but Ryuga did not give any second thoughts about it.
"Finally, it's over." He breathed slowly, preparing to leave and join his team. Unfortunately for Ryuga, someone just wouldn't let him go.
"No, it's not over," a voice wheezed as Ryuga felt an arm grab his leg.
"Impossible," Ryuga thought to himself as he gazed downwards but what he saw confirmed his thoughts. Right in front of him was Neo's severed top, his arm grabbing tightly onto Ryuga leg. Despite the pool of blood that was pouring from his torso, Neo was still able to breathe and move, refusing to budge from his current position.
"You still live," Ryuga snarled, the anger in his voice barely contained. Neo just chuckled maniacally, his laughter occasionally interrupted by coughs of pain.
"Nice try Brother," Neo sneered. "But you aren't going to get rid of me so easily. Even if I am going to die, I will make sure that I will take someone out with me."
"You know very well that you can't kill me the way you are," Ryuga stated but his eyes narrowed as he spotted red cracks appearing all over Neo's body.
"That's true," Neo grinned, his face starting to fragment like the rest of his body. "But I'm pretty damn sure this is going to make you regret staying alive."
The words instantly struck a chord with Ryuga. Before his eyes, he watched as the mana flow within Neo's body accelerate rapidly, causing its concentration to reach dangerous levels. He had heard Neo speak of a final resort technique that he devised on his own back during their days in Phantom. It involved overloading his magic to critical levels to create a bomb of pure mana. While he had never seen Neo use it before, the way he spoke of it sent shivers down Ryuga's spine.
"You wouldn't."
"YES I WILL!" Neo roared with laughter as streams of lights beginning seeping out of the cracks in his body, signaling that the end was almost near. Ryuga instinctively tried to back off, only to realize that Neo was holding him still.
"BYE BYE BROTHER!" Neo cackled, causing Ryuga's eyes to widen in fear.
"CRIMSON GRAVE!"
The next instant, Neo's entire body exploded. A magnificent crimson flash of light bathed the entire area, engulfing Ryuga completely. From afar, the explosion resembled that of a giant cross, its shockwave reverberating for miles to come.
Nothing could compare to this. Getting stabbed, having his organs blown apart, all of it paled in comparison to the pain that was washing over Ryuga at the moment. While his armor did lessen the damage to a large extent, it still did not do much good. This was never ending, like the fire which consumed the sinful.
Ryuga could not remember the last time he screamed for his life.
A/N: Well that's it for this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Stay tuned for the next one and remember to review and favorite.
Death Obelisk signing off.
