A/N: And here's another chapter. Sorry for the lateness in posting this one. I finally managed to cough some time to write it amidst all the studying. I do apologize if I got some stuff mixed up or grammatical errors all over. Working at 1 am every night takes its toll. Nonetheless, I hope you guys will enjoy it XD.
Some minor updates. Do not expect the next chapter to be out so soon. Expected date of release would probably first week of March due to upcoming tests. If I can, I will try to cough up another chapter as soon as I finished my test on Thursday. Until then, please wait patiently
Lots of love for my reviewers but due to time constraints, I won't be doing any reviews this chapter. Hope yall can understand :P
Credits
Rina Saito : Snow Mistress 15
Bella Jane Sinclair: Snow Mistress 15
Olin Fox: King Katsu
Please refer to Chapter 1 for disclaimers
Enjoy!
Dark Continent, Black Citadel Guildhall
"And so we commemorate the loss of our fallen comrade." Kaguro said solemnly as he closed his eyes and bowed before the white coffin in front of him. Within it lay the body of Athena, the first Orochi member to have fallen in the battle of the two guilds. In his hands was a small white book that was presumably a bible and in his other was a single white orchid.
"Let us have a moment of silence, to remember her courage, her beauty, her… her…" Kaguro whispered when he suddenly became choked on his words. To an outsider, it looked as though he was overwhelmed with feelings for his fallen comrade.
But to the members of Black Citadel, they knew all the better than to let appearances fool them.
"HER WEAKNESS AND STUPIDITY! HER UTTER INCOMPETENCE AT COMEPLETEING THE MISSION AT HAND!" Kaguro roared, a sick grin on his face as he mocked the fallen Orochi member. He then proceeded to kick the coffin, causing her corpse to tumble down the stairs and onto the marbled floor.
Instantly, the members of Black Citadel erupted with laughter, sneering and mocking their fallen comrade. All around Kaguro, they hurled various objects at her body, the occasional screams of joy ringing out when they managed to land a direct hit.
"Ugh, remind me to never do this again," Kaguro rolled his eyes as he tossed aside the orchid and bible, returning to his seat on the pedestal. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the medical team that was on standby next to the stairwell.
"Remove that piece of trash from my sight," he said, the disdain and disgust in his eyes and voice for all to see and hear.
"Understood," Eiko responded as she moved in to collect the corpse, dodging ever so slightly to avoid the random objects hurled. She then ordered her other two team members to bring forth a luminous green container that was circular in shape. Carefully, she placed Athena's body within in before tapping the buttons on the side of it to seal it off.
Well the easy part was done. Now all that was left was to wait till the liquid drained her body completely dry of magic.
Eiko sighed inwardly as she ordered her team to remove the container and bring it back to the lab. Even in death, one could not find peace when one was part of Black Citadel. All members ranked A-class and above had to have their corpses retrieved and drained of magic if they happened to meet with, how should she say, unfortunate accidents. Kaguro had made it clear that all magic was precious and necessary for reviving their master, even if it meant that it had to come from their own comrades. All A-class mages and above possessed superior mana that would still be retained in the body even hours after death, making them valuable resources to be used.
Sometimes Eiko wished that she was just a normal grunt. At least if she passed on, there would be something left of her to remember.
"Well then, on to matter two." Kaguro smirked as he sat lazily in his seat, propping both his legs up against the arm rest. "Bring him in."
There was a certain yell coming from the ceiling before a moment of silence passed. Seconds later, something or someone fell through a hole in the ceiling, landing in the centre platform with a sickening thud. The Black Citadel mages instantly began to jeer and curse, hurling abuse at that certain person.
"Well, I am damned," Neo growled as he lifted himself off the floor with his one remaining arm. He never expected to be here again. They were currently in a special area located in the bowels of the fortress. Unlike the rest of the castle which was dark and gloomy, this place was rather bright, being lit up by light lacrima and having white stoned walls. Overall it resembled a lot like a Gladiator's arena. To his sides were hundreds of concrete seats, currently filled to the brim with Black Citadel mages who have come to watch the punishment. Before him was single flight of steps that led to a pedestal. On it were eight stone chairs, each with a number engraved on it.
"How ironic," Neo muttered under his breath. Not too long ago, he was seated up there, watching the execution of a former Orochi member. Now it was his turn to receive judgment. Karma sure was a bitch.
Surprisingly though, not all the seats were filled, save his own. He knew Ayumi and Vale were on their mission so there were no surprises there. If anything, he was wondering why Krom's seat was empty. The old man would have definitely enjoyed watching his downfall, so it kind of puzzled him as to his absence.
There were a few additional new faces. Neo spied Muldoom standing near a stone seat, grinning maniacally as he watched on in glee. How Neo wanted to smite his expression off his face was beyond anyone's comprehension. Further to his right, he saw another member of Orochi that was rarely seen. The mage went by the name Rina and she was the youngest member amongst the Orochi.
She had long black hair that had red highlights which she tied into two low twin tails. Her thick black bangs were swept to the right side, covering her large round shaped red eyes. She had a slim but healthy figure and stood at 5'5 feet although her pale skin tone says otherwise. She was currently wearing a red black bows Lolita dress, black see through stockings with black lace, and black boot heels with laces. With the outfit, she also wore a vintage gothic black lace choker necklace with a red rose and ruby pendant dangling below the red rose and a ruby ring. Her blood red guild mark was visible on her left shoulder blade while her Orochi rank, the number eight, was currently hidden, having been imprinted on her navel.
And then there were the regulars. Balto was present, seating on his chair with one knee crossed over the other. He was never one to miss out on such "thrilling events". Standing beside him was his subordinate who went by the name Olin. Neo didn't really know much about the kid, just that he was fiercely loyal to Balto. He stood at an average 5'6 with a slightly muscular body build for someone his age. He had spiky blue hair and blood red eyes. His skin was slightly tanned and he had sharp canines, similar to Neo's own. He was currently wearing a red buttoned up shirt, red pants, a red headband and red bandages wrapped around his feet, leaving the toes and heels free. His upper body had two blue markings snaking across it, visible due to his shirt being left unbuttoned.
"Looking good Neo," Balto mocked as he called out from his seat. "Of all the people here, I thought that you would be smart enough not to fail a mission."
"Can it Balto!" Neo snapped back. "You better watch your back one of these days. Cause if you don't, you might just wound up dead."
"Is that a threat," Balto sneered, the lust for battle lingering in his eyes. "You had better know your place when you only have an arm left."
"Trust me. That's all I need to kill you." Neo growled, blood already starting to trickle down his arm. Balto's grin just grew wider at that response, a black magic circle starting to form at his feet.
"Balto behave please," Kaguro smiled at his direction, causing the other Orochi member to cancel his magic immediately. Despite that smile on his face, Balto knew better than to challenge or deny Kaguro's orders.
"Pfffft, you're such a killjoy Kaguro," Balto sighed and shrugged his shoulders, blowing his fringe out of his face as he settled back into his chair.
"Your fun will come later," Kaguro responded "warmly", for the lack of a better turn. "Let's get to business shall we? Will the accused step forward?"
Neo let down his guard temporarily when he saw Balto undo his magic but instantly froze up once more when he heard Kaguro's voice. Wordlessly, he glared in the direction of Kaguro, staring daggers at him as he acknowledged his words.
"Neo Hiruko. You are hereby found guilty of acting out of line during your mission. Your actions have caused us to not only lose the artifact to Scarlet Nova but also one of our precious comrades,"
"One that you treated less than dirt just 5 minutes earlier," Neo deadpanned but Kaguro continued nonetheless.
"As such you will be receiving punishment and as head of Orochi, I will be deciding on your fate. Which is…" Kaguro paused dramatically, waiting for the tension to build up amongst the other mages in Black Citadel.
It was pretty much certain what the others wanted at this point. The grunts were yelling for his head to roll, chanting the word death over and over like a mantra. Balto's eyes were sparkling with excitement as he awaited the judgment, believing that it would involve blood being spilt regardless. Muldoom's eyes were gleaming as well, but for another reason altogether. If Neo was going to be killed, there would be an open spot amongst the Orochi. He was damn confident that he was going to have that spot. After all, he contributed enough financial aid to the guild now didn't he? It was high time he be rewarded for his efforts.
On the other hand, Eiko and Olin watched on with disinterest. They didn't really care much about such decisions, and after watching so many of these sessions, they knew very well that Kaguro's decision was probably one that would exceed their expectations. Rina had taken to speaking with a doll she carried by her side, completely ignoring what was transpiring around her.
Subconsciously, Neo was holding his breath as he awaited Kaguro's answer, a small part of him worried about the potential outcome. After what seemed like an eternity, Kaguro spoke once more.
"The punishment would be the revoking of his rank."
"WHAT!" Balto freaked as he almost fell out of his chair. That was not supposed to happen.
"YES!" Muldoom yelled excitedly. Only when he realized that all eyes were on him did he compose himself, clearing his throat and looking nonchalant. Deep inside though, he was almost tripping himself in happiness. This was all according to his expectations.
"You have got to be kidding me, Kaguro. Why should we still keep a failure like him in Black Citadel?" Balto protested. On the ground, cheers of support for Balto's words erupted. It was clear that no one wanted to see him walk away alive from this place.
Kaguro just closed his eyes, listening as the roars of dissent grew louder by the minute. Silently, he unsheathed three blades from the palm of his right hand. That action alone made the entire crowd go quiet, fear creeping into them as they expected what was to come.
Before anyone could react, Kaguro hurled all three tips in three different directions. One at Neo, one at Balto and the last at a random member grunt in the audience.
Even with his power halved, Neo could still sense the projectile way before he could see it. Instinctively he grabbed out into the empty space before him, catching it in between his fingertips. With a twitch of his fingers he snapped it into half, a clattering sound resonating as the pieces fell to the floor.
Balto didn't even bother to move. Instead he heated his body temperature to extreme heights, causing the air around him to distort and vibrate. As soon as the blade touched his skin, it instantly vaporized and erased any proof of its existence.
Unlike the two Orochi members, the audience grunt was not so lucky. She never saw the blade coming at all. In the same second that both members stopped the attack, her head popped open like a ripe cherry, splashing blood on the walls and onto her fellow mages.
"There's your answer," Kaguro declared proudly, amidst the screams of terror from some of the grunts. "Even if he has fallen, he is still more than a match for any of you out there. Talent like his should be placed to good use instead of being wasted in the lab."
"Are you satisfied now Balto?" Kaguro asked without even turning to look at him.
"Cheh! Do as you please." Balto snorted, slightly upset by the unusual turn of events. That and the other small fact that was displayed with the small exchange between them. Neo did not even have to use his magic to stop the projectile unlike him, even though he was still weak from losing an arm. It unsettled Balto knowing that there was still a gap between them but then again, it made sense given that he was the former third.
"Well then, let us get on with business." Kaguro chirped happily. "It's time to nominate someone to take a place in Orochi."
Muldoom's eyes were gleaming, listening intently at this point. He even took out a mirror and started styling his hair and straightening his shirt, all for the sake of looking good when his name was called.
"This member has contributed greatly to our guild, providing us with resources that are hard to come by. Their magic is unique and unrivalled in its domain. Above all, they have shown great loyalty for our cause."
As Kaguro continued to list the attributes of the soon new member, Muldoom was starting to drift off into his own fantasy. He imagined his name being called, earning the cheers of approval and swooning from the grunts. What a dream, he thought to himself. Maybe they were going to start a fan club of his. He should probably start learning how to sign autographs.
"I now present to you the new member of Orochi," Kaguro started.
"It's ShowTime," Muldoom grinned, making the last few adjustments to his hair as he prepared to walk elegantly up to the platform.
"Bella Sinclair" Kaguro finished.
"WHAT!" Muldoom squealed in a high pitched voice, thankfully no one heard him.
"Yay, Bella-chan!" Rina laughed heartily as she clapped her hands and smiled. For the first time this entire session, she actually looked like she was enjoying herself.
From the end of the platform, a small white door opened up to reveal the latest addition to Orochi. Bella had short but wavy light blonde hair that reached to her shoulders with her bangs covering her forehead and some part of her round shaped ocean blue eyes. She had a healthy thin figure with a height of 5'4 feet and a creamy white colored skin tone. She was wearing a long black jacket with a white button up shirt that was underneath a blue vest, a black infinity scarf and a simple black belt holding up a black skirt with white knee high socks and black boots. She also wore a large dark blue top hat with a pair of blue goggles wrapped around it and black gloves. She walked confidently towards the pedestal, bowing ever so slightly as she stood before Kaguro.
"Thank you, Sir" she said gently as she paid her respects to the Orochi leader.
"Do your best then," Kaguro grinned. "Is there any one that objects to her?"
There were murmurs amongst the grunts but as quickly as they came, they died down just as fast. Apparently no one was willing to speak up.
And then there was Muldoom.
"Kaguro sir! I object to her! Who the hell is she! I haven't seen her before in my entire career here!" Muldoom protested in anger, upset that a "nobody" just stole his spot in the Orochi.
Too bad that "nobody" was actually a "somebody". Muldoom caught the hint when the rest of the Orochi members started smirking and laughing.
"What's so funny!" he growled.
"You are!" Balto cackled with laughter, rolling about in his seat as he tried to suppress it. Even the stone face Olin was trying hard not to laugh and Rina was just giggling away. Muldoom had a look of confusion on his face, not knowing what the hell was going on."
Neo just sighed at his stupidity, deciding to explain things for once.
"Bella joined earlier than you jackass and she is almost never around the base, which probably explains why none of you have ever seen her. She's Rina's subordinate and she is tasked with information gathering in Fiore since she has a clean background. All the artifacts we have found thus far have been all thanks to her."
"So what!" Muldoom yelled. "That only shows she can gather information. I bet you that I can take her head on in combat! Someone that cannot fight should not be a part of Orochi!"
"Let's test that out shall we?" Kaguro smirked as he snapped his fingers. Balto instantly got up from his seat, a savage smile on his face as he walked up behind Muldoom.
"Wait, what?" Muldoom barely had anytime to register what was going to happen when Balto grabbed him by the collar and hurled him down onto the platform. Muldoom landed with a sickening thud, grimacing as he rubbed his sore head.
"Rina? May I?" Bella turned to her former master for advice. Rina just nodded her head slightly. "You may go all out. Do your best Bella-chan!"
"Yes," Bella replied simply before she leapt off as well. Unlike Muldoom, she landed gracefully onto the platform, her face maintain a calm look as she turned to face Muldoom.
"The winner of this fight gets to be the latest addition to Orochi." Kaguro declared elatedly. What better way to show off her strength and earn some respect than thru combat.
"I don't wish to hurt you," Bella said kindly, sincerely hoping that she did not have to settle this with a fight. "Please leave while you still can."
"Well I do," Muldoom snapped back, green magic circles appearing at his fingertips already. Thrusting both palms sideways, he called out the name of his spell.
"Emotion magic: Sway" He called out, firing thinly veiled green gas at some of the grunts seated near him. Those impacted by the gas instantly had green marks around their eyes, indicating that they were already under his influence. Originally silent, they suddenly became extremely aggressive, hurling words of abuse at Bella and some even throwing random objects at her. Against it, Bella seemed rather impasse. She merely just stared back and occasionally moved out of the way to avoid impending objects.
"Really? What a cheap trick." Olin muttered under his breath as he watched Muldoom's magic unfold. What was he trying to do? Scare her into losing the fight?
"Agreed," Balto nodded. Muldoom made a wrong choice in participating. His magic was not meant for direct confrontation. While it was true that his magic could influence others to do the fighting for him, it only worked on those who were weak in the mind. And it had a limited sphere of influence as well.
"Not fazing you? Then let's try something a little bit more aggressive. Emotion Magic: Amplification" Muldoom sneered, firing a more thick coat of gas at the grunts. As the green lines spread further down their cheeks, they suddenly grew more aggressive as well. While some of them drew their weapons and charged for Bella, others began firing bolts of elemental magic. Muldoom too drew a lacrima tazer from his back pocket and started firing off short sparks at Bella, hoping to stun her.
Bella just sighed slightly at the futile attempt. Spinning her index finger, she generated a small golden magic circle above her right palm. She waited, patiently observing the movements of her opponents as she calculated her odds of getting out unscathed.
"5 seconds. Chances of injury: 12%" she finally deduced.
With that, she moved.
As the first three grunts neared, she darted nimbly past each one of them, gently tapping the floor three times. As soon as she passed them, she tuned and landed a swift kick to each of their backs, sending them spiraling forward. The next four came charging with swords, hoping to use the range to their advantage. But even so Bella was still too quick for them. At the first sword thrust, she instantly leapt onto the blade and ran down it, kicking its wielder in the face. As the grunt toppled, she placed her palm against his face, smashing his head cavity into the platform. At this point, she tapped the ground once again. Although her back was faced against the next three grunts, she could still hear their footsteps clearly. She spun around instinctively, knocking all three of them off their feet.
And then came the magic blasts. Like a bee among flowers, Bella gracefully danced through the shower of mana, not even getting a stain on her clothes. While Bella managed to evade all of them, she could not escape the dust cloud that kicked up as a result of the explosions. It was at that moment did Muldoom choose to strike, charging in with his tazer. The surprise attack caught Bella off guard, allowing Muldoom to strike her squarely in the gut. Even so, Bella did not do so much as wince despite the huge current flowing through her body. Instead she simply cart wheeled backwards and out of the dust cloud, touching the ground thrice as she did so.
"Heh! Running away?" Muldoom jeered, having gotten cocky after that last attack. "Surrender and I might just spare you."
"There's no need for that," Bella replied with a smile.
"Huh?"
"The match has been decided already," she chirped as she snapped her fingers.
Instantly, seven golden magic circles appeared beneath Muldoom and the grunts. Muldoom's face instantly turned to confusion, glancing around in panic.
"That bitch! When did she plant those?" he growled angrily but it was no use now. The moment he saw the circles glowing, he knew the game was up
"Heavenly Body Magic: Grand Chariot" Bella called out.
The magic seals instantly connected with one another, forming a type of constellation. The next moment, powerful beams of light erupted from each seal, consuming almost the entire arena. Almost all the grunts that were blasted flew right smack into the ceiling, embedded in the thick walls of concrete from the impact. Muldoom on the other hand was slammed straight against the stairwell, a sickening crunch coming from his midsection.
"Fuck!" Muldoom cursed aloud as he felt a bone or two snap. He tried getting up, only to realize that his legs were broken, causing him to land flat on his face. This was not how things were supposed to go.
"Well I guess that concludes things," Kaguro announced. "The winner of this match has been decided."
"No wait! I can still fight…" Muldoom yelled, only for it to turn into a sharp scream when Balto leapt from his seat and dive kicked him in the chest.
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" Muldoom shrieked in agony as he felt his ribs shatter. Getting hit by the spell was one thing, but Balto's strength was another case on its own. The man had been known to snap trees with simple punches and now he was on the end of his beating stick.
"Don't be a sore loser Muldoom," Balto smirked as he grinded his foot further into Muldoom's chest. "If you really want to keep fighting, I will be your opponent."
"No no no no no, please no!" Muldoom pleaded, his hands desperately grabbing at Balto's foot as he tried to escape. "I surrender. Please let me off! I beg you!"
"Tch! Coward." Balto snorted in disgust as he removed his foot from Muldoom's chest, kicking him down the stairs and back onto the platform. The Emotion mage yelped with pain and curled into a ball, lying very still in a corner of the platform.
"Now then, let us welcome our new member of Orochi, Bella." Kaguro announced gleefully.
This time, the entire arena resonated with cheers and yells of support.
Within Aggra
"What's this," Vale grimaced as he suddenly felt a singe of pain on his chest. Or to be more precise, on his breastplate. It felt as though something searing hot was moving on it and it made Vale very uncomfortable just thinking about it.
He instinctively thought that some of the acid may have dripped in from a leak on Aggra, but when he took a quick glance around, he spotted no signs of the foul green liquid. Instead, his eyes caught notice of the pale light emanating from his chest plate.
Before his eyes, he watched as the snake mark on it came alive, twisting and thrashing about as it freed itself from the number it was conformed to. With a savage hiss, it began coiling into a new number before dying down and disappearing back into a mere mark. This time, Vale's number read the number six, instead of the former seven that was on it seconds ago.
"So it seems we have a new addition to our ranks," Vale remarked softly, though it was clear enough for Ayumi to take notice of. She nodded slightly in agreement, having noticed the change as well. The Orochi mark under her eye now read the number three, having been upgraded as well.
"Neo has fallen too," Ayumi replied emotionlessly as she observed the former Orochi's rank from the window's reflection. While they hardly got along or worked together, Ayumi respected the mage for his strength. For him to be defeated was something that she did not expect at the least. Despite so, she would be lying to say that she was secretly thrilled. It meant that there were stronger mages within the guild and that made her all the more excited for their upcoming fight.
On the end of the Scarlet Nova mages, they were getting pumped up too, though for different reasons. After travelling for about an hour or so, they finally caught sight of their final destination. As happy as they were to finally get some action done, they were also increasingly worried with what they were seeing.
"Did they say where exactly the artifact was supposed to be located?" Blitz asked, his eyes never leaving the window.
"Nope. They just mentioned that it is inside Morgoth, that's all." Asuna replied as she turned the map over and over, hoping to find any secret hints that they may have overlooked. No matter what she did, the image on the map did not change. The golden dot on the word Morgoth kept blinking, indicating that the artifact was indeed within the city.
"Well guys, we might have a problem." Hanaku declared, her eyes clouded with worry at the scene unfolding outside the window.
"You mean a big problem," Judar gulped nervously.
From where they were, they could finally see the city of Morgoth. When Judar said it was a big problem that was a major understatement. The city of Morgoth was freaking gigantic, easily covering the size of a small country. From what they could see, the city was resting against the ocean floor, a clear dome engulfing it. Within the dome, the mages could barely make out the black concrete floors and buildings, as well as the orange dots of lights that they presumed to be street lights. The outermost rim of the city was lined with pale sheets of metal, serving as the foundation that held the structure firmly in place. Oval like doors were located across each sheet, presumably the entrances to the city. What was most surprising though was the presence of what looked like clouds and a miniature sun in the centre of the dome. Even in the depths of the acid ocean, it still shone with enough light to illuminate the entire city, providing the mages with a clear view of the structure as well.
"It looks so…ancient…" Flora breathed, noting the trails of algae along the walls and that some of the sheets were cracking or had already started to corrode. While they all knew that the acid was deadly, for a city to be built underneath it, it had to be able to withstand the toxicity and immense pressure. For the city to show such signs was as testament to its age and establishment.
"That's the last of our worries now is it," Gemma spoke, her eyes widening slightly with each passing second. They were still miles away from it and the city still seemed to be growing bigger in size as they neared it. Just how the hell were they supposed to locate the artifact amongst all that? It would take god knows how long just to comb a portion of the city, let alone the whole place.
"Aggra, what is this place?" Aiden asked.
"Morgoth is known as the City of the Forgotten. That's because it was a place whereby all condemned criminals were sent to in the past. All those who committed heinous crimes were all sentenced to life imprisonment here, written off from the annals of human existence. That's also partially why the place is so big. Most of those sent here had extremely destructive powers and were all ranked S-class and above. This was essentially their playground. They could do anything in there but leave. Consider it the Council's last act of humanity towards them."
"You mean," Gemma swallowed nervously, "We are going to have to fight for our lives in there against monsters and still find the artifact? That's plain suicidal."
"Relax kiddo." Aggra growled. "That was over a hundred years ago. The place is now just a city for regular criminals to live and stay in. They are way more docile than those monsters and probably won't even bother fighting or killing you. If anything, they welcome outsiders since they bring profit and entertainment to the city. It's probably one of the most profitable places to get weapons and rare metals these days too."
"It still doesn't change the fact that it's a city full of criminals." Asuna deadpanned.
"Nor that we have to search for the artifact in it." Blitz added on.
"But still, at least we don't have to search for it in pitch darkness." Hanaku shrugged, hoping to find something positive to talk about. "That artificial sun helps a lot."
"Yeah, right." Aggra snorted.
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"That thing is a living time bomb lady," Aggra smirked. "If things get chaotic beyond control down there, that thing wills self destruct and level anything that moves within the city. If you don't die from the explosion, the acid pouring from the cracked dome or the sudden pressure change will."
"Great, just another list of ways to die." Judar remarked sarcastically as he slumped back into chair. This was suicidal after all. They probably shouldn't have come along n the first place.
"Aggra, you dropped Master Glaive and the artifact somewhere in the city before right?" Aiden inquired. "Do you know where the Council hid the artifact?"
"Can't say I do. Your master and I were only permitted to escort them to the central part of the city before being asked to leave. If you want to start, you should probably head there."
"That's the first piece of good news I heard all day. At least our search scope is narrowed," Blitz grinned. This would really aid in speeding up their tracking down of the artifact.
Or at least that was what they thought.
Unknown to them, Black Citadel was already one step ahead in that aspect.
"Remember the plan," Vale briefed the other members. "All are to split up and report to the Coliseum immediately upon arrival. If anyone happens to get lost, head to the observatory in the leftmost part of the city. Our liaison will be there waiting." The rest of them nodded wordlessly as they acknowledged.
"All according to plan," Vale reported to Ayumi after the briefing. "If anything, we can make sure that they do not participate in the tournament. If they try to interfere after it has started, the Gatekeepers will deal with them."
"Mmph," Ayumi muttered, her attention elsewhere once more. Nothing will get in their way of completing their master plan.
If there was, she would destroy it without hesitation.
Within Morgoth
"Well, I wish you all the best in your quest." Aggra growled as he let the mages out of his mouth. They were currently in the central port of Morgoth, the same location where he delivered Master Glaive 20 years ago.
"Thanks Aggra," all the mages quipped, glad that they were able to meet an old acquaintance of the Master. To top that off, he provided them with valuable information.
As they watched Aggra descend back into the depths, Aiden started to take in his surroundings. Just as the color suggested from afar, the city was mostly covered in black tiles and houses. Orange lacrima lamps decorated the streets and acted as lights when the artificial sun had set just like now. What was most surprising though was the amount of sounds and smells that were assaulting him from all over. For a Criminal City, he was pretty sure it would be very depressing and yet he was getting totally different vibes here. It seemed very lively and was bustling with business. It was as though he was standing back in Akaba district in Valgore, minus the black buildings.
"Well, I guess we should get started. Even if we have a general idea of where it is, this place is still bloody big. It could be anywhere." Judar quipped as he fiddled with his headband.
"Yeah. Let's not forget that we have Black Citadel right on our tails as well." Asuna added. It was very awkward and frightening to have their foes so close by. If not for their certain sense of chivalry, they might have all been sleeping with the fishes already.
"By the way, where is Black Citadel?" Gemma questioned.
Instantly all the mages began to look around frantically in search of their enemies. By some weird chance or luck, none of them were around. It was as though they had all vanished into thin air.
"They were just here seconds ago," Hanaku protested, having watched them exit from Aggra as well. "There's no way they could have ran off. It's almost impossible to find your way around this colossus."
"All the more we should start moving. If they are already gone, it means that they have a head start. Worse, they might already know where the artifact is." Blitz mentioned as he began loading his lacrima into his pockets. It was best to be prepared for a fight. Who knows where they might spawn from in this gigantic labyrinth of a city?
"He's right," Aiden commented. "Let's get going." Now that they were out of danger, the truce between him and Vale no longer held so they had better keep their guard up. There was nothing stopping Black Citadel from attacking them at this point so it would pay to be extremely cautious.
Just as the mages were about to depart, they were immediately stopped by a figure cloaked in black. Instinctively, magic circles started to flare, most of them believing that he was a member of Black Citadel.
"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. Easy with the magic! I'm just a promoter!" the figure protested, raising both hands up. As he did, Gemma caught sight of the brown rags that all prisoners wore, allowing her to relax slightly.
"He's not one of them," she announced, causing sighs of relief from the rest of her team.
"Welcome to Morgoth, dear travelers," the figure started with a raspy voice, rubbing his hands together as he spoke. "May I introduce you to the Black Market District? It's the best place for buying forbidden items and spoils of war."
"No thanks, we aren't interested." Aiden declined politely, attempting to find an excuse to leave but the figure continued to ramble on.
"What about the Red Light District. We have the finest broods from all over Fiore and some even from Alvarez…"
"Excuse you! That's rude and disgusting!" Gemma snarled as she glared daggers at the figure. Hanaku and Asuna both shared the same look as her, and if looks could kill, said figure would have withered there and then.
"Well…what about the coliseum? It's a good place for entertainment and to hone your skills. If you win, you might have a chance to pull something good out of the prize wheel."
"Listen, bub," Judar growled, "we really are in a hurry here so we aren't really interested in your stuff. Let us through man or we will have to do it by force."
"Ok, ok, ok." The figure whimpered as he finally stepped aside to let the mages pass. "At least take a flyer." He then proceeded to shove a piece of torn paper into Blitz's hands before taking his leave, vanishing into the shadows of another corner.
"Alright then, let's get going." Asuna declared. They had wasted enough time on that shrouded figure and time was really not on their side right now.
Just as the group proceeded to move out, Blitz suddenly called out from the back of the group.
"Guys, we should really go to the coliseum."
"Blitz, you know we are short on time. We can't afford to make any side stops." Gemma retorted but Blitz shook his head frantically, his eyes still glued to the flyer that the figure handed out.
"I'm dead serious. That's exactly where we should be going right now."
That got everyone's attention. The group began walking back towards their teammate, curious at his sudden insistence at visiting the coliseum. When they finally laid eyes on the flyer, they instantly drew the same conclusion as him.
There, shown as one of the prizes of the coliseum, was a black sword handle with red runes.
It was none other than the artifact that they were seeking for, the handle of Nulgath.
Clover Town, Guild Masters' Meeting
"This is an outrage! How many times have Scarlet Nova caused trouble for us!" One particular guild master shouted across the table.
"That is true," another echoed. "When we approved your setting up of a guild a decade ago, we were hoping that you could rein them in given your experience. And yet you let them run amok, just like back when you were in Fairy Tail."
"Now, now," Makarov spoke up, "There's no need to point fingers gentlemen. Glaive is not completely at fault this time. It may be true that his mages are as rowdy as mine, but that doesn't mean that they are the cause for all the trouble."
"Has age blinded your eyes Makarov?" a younger guild master snarled. "Look at all the company he has brought back. Let's not even get started on Sparda and Harbringer but even his two other S-class mages have a knack for violence."
"Don't forget the half-breed that he released into the wild nine years ago. He is a threat and we all know it, yet he allowed him to roam free without any restraint." A female guild master quipped, glaring arrogantly at Glaive.
"Johann is not a threat and neither is the rest of my family," Glaive growled, slamming both his hands on the table, causing the rest of his colleagues to recoil. Having kept silent this entire time, he simply could not stand them insulting his kin any further. "This is an enemy none of us have faced before. Instead of finding whose fault this lies in, we should be discussing our next move."
"Heh, you mean your move," a guild master snorted. "The enemy has clearly declared war on Scarlet Nova when they left that message during the raid on Era. This has nothing to do with the rest of us."
"Have you forgotten what they are capable off?" Makarov snapped, "They instantly leveled Sand Dune City, a place that had no affiliation to any of us. If you seriously think that they will leave the rest of us in peace, you are dead wrong!"
"So what do you suggest, Makarov, Glaive?" Bob, Master of Blue Pegasus spoke up. Next to him, Goldmine and Ooba nodded their heads in agreement. This was not a time for arguing, but rather finding a way to stop this crisis.
There was a moment of silence as Glaive collected his thoughts. In the next moment, he finally spoke, having come to a decision.
"Nothing," he started, causing gasps of shock and anger to reverberate across the table. "All guilds will continue operations as per usual."
"You must be out of your mind!"
"Madness!"
"You are as senile as your age suggests it seems."
"Everyone please calm down," Glaive pleaded, "Please let me finish."
For a moment, the other guild masters quieted down, allowing Glaive to continue.
"What I meant was for the guilds to continue operations so as to not rouse any suspicions. The attack on Sand Dune City was well planned. It knew exactly when Scarlet Nova was going to appear and ambushed us prior to our arrival. If we make any big movements now, it would be all the easier for Black Citadel to plan counter measures. So I suggest that we all operate from the shadows, watching for any signs of activity and quietly dispatching more mages to guard the artifacts, wherever they may be located."
Murmurs of agreement flowed across the table, a sign that the plan had certain logic behind it and that they were willing to follow it. However, not all the guild masters were appeased just yet.
"You seriously can't trust him, can you? He's the one who let Sparda and Harbringer out of their cells. They're even S-class mages now!"
"Are you suggesting that our security is lax Glaive? You had better watch what you are suggesting."
"Big words coming from the guy who failed to save his entire team 20 years ago,"
That last comment did not go unnoticed by those involved in that incident, no matter how soft it was. Instantly, Makarov leapt from his seat, his forehead bulging with veins as he glared at the insensible youngster. It was one thing insulting his former guild mate, but raking up that incident was a no go for him.
Glaive was taking things way worse, though it wasn't visible for all to see. Instead, they felt it, in the form of sweltering temperatures. The air in the room instantly dried up as temperatures spiked. The floor around Glaive was starting to turn to slush already and the seat he was seated on had long hardened and began disintegrating already. As Glaive stood up, the chair instantly turned to ash, causing gasps of horror and fear to come from those seated near him. Despite the calm feature on his face, it was clear that Glaive's eyes withheld a storm of emotions. Some anger, some fear but mostly sadness.
Too bad it was rage that was welling up within him right now.
"What did you say punk," Glaive muttered in a deathly whisper, his right hand already reaching for the ethereal chains that limited his magic. "I dare you to repeat it again."
Luckily for that young guild master, a root shot out from beneath the ground and wrapped itself around him, strangling him out of breath. All eyes instantly turned to the person seated behind Glaive, the owner of that particular magic. It was none other than Caillace Fleur, her left hand currently glowing with a green magic circle.
"Stand down Glaive. Or you're gonna kill everyone in this room." Caillace said as she walked forward, placing a hand on Glaive's back. The last thing she needed now was another catastrophe, one that involved the murder of the other 20 guild masters seated in the room.
Glaive took in a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. He was on the verge of bursting and if Caillace did not interfere, he was sure he would have slaughtered that younger guild master. Slowly, he released his grip on the ethereal chains, letting his arms slide back down. With that, the temperature in the room began to regulate once more, making the rest of them breathe a sigh of relief.
"Listen well, younglings and listen good." Caillace growled, her voice lacking its usual motherly tone. "That day was a day none of us could ever forget for as long as we live. Although we have won the fight, the cost was way too great for either of us to bear. Dear Glaive here lost his wife in that fight and I would suggest you to never mention this again, lest you want to meet her and apologize in person."
The young guild master frantically nodded his head, his face already turning purple from the lack of oxygen. Taking that as a somewhat satisfactionary answer, Caillace released her magic. The young guild master began to breathe haphazardly, afraid for losing his life.
"Thank you," Glaive muttered quietly as Caillace passed him, returning to her seat.
"That's what comrades are for," she smiled slightly in acknowledgement.
"Well, now that everything's out of the way let's run through the important stuff." Another guild master added with a scowl on his face, eager to leave the room already. "Based on the data collected from the ruins at Sand Dune City and the attack on the Magic Council, we have put together a possible list of mages that could have…"
Before the guild master could finish his sentence, a black katana pierced him through the head. With a swift flick, the guild master's body was spilt cleanly in half, his sides pouring blood as they fell.
"I'm afraid I can't let you have that list." An ominous voice echoed from outside the window.
With a shatter of glass, a cloaked figure burst into the room, causing shrills and screams to erupt from the rest of the guild masters who had just watched their colleague get murdered up close and personal. The figure then proceeded to remove his katana from the seat, simultaneously keeping the list on the table into his breast pocket.
"It would be bad news if the runts can't get into places they need now can they? After all they have a job to complete and Kaguro won't be pleased if they fail." Krom grinned as he unveiled his hood, showing his face to the rest of the world.
"No way,"
"Why him?"
Cries of panic ensued as the older members of the guild masters recognized Krom. They weren't so shocked about the fact that he was still alive but rather afraid that he had joined Orochi instead.
For Glaive, it was yet another trip down memory lane as he gazed at the man before him.
15 years ago, they were colleagues, working on making the magic world a better place.
10 years ago, he was one of the few who wished him all the best on his new journey.
8 years ago, he heard he resigned and went rogue, never to be seen again.
And now, he finally reappeared, standing before him not as a friend but as an enemy.
An enemy that he really did not wish to fight.
"It's been a long time Krom," Glaive started, the temperature of the room heating up once more as he assumed a battle stance. "Under normal circumstances, I would have been glad to see you."
"Indeed," Krom smiled sadly as he too drew his katana at ready. "I really wished that I could have that last cup coffee you offered me."
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.
