I'm back once again. I know, you all are probably wondering why I return to bring you tormented with another chapter. Who knows?
Enjoy, or not, I don't care you all have your opinions.
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Chapter Forty One: Mother and Daughter
Irene was making her way through to get to the Inquisitor demon. Natsu and the others she were with told her and Erza to go on ahead as they finished off the demons blocking their path. While Erza was a little bit behind her, she knew the S-Class Fairy Tail mage would catch up to her.
It didn't take long for her to arrive in a large opening, as she noticed the device of Face in the back. She looked to the side that was a bit far from her to see three of the younger mages fending off against a Fel Lord. Before she could go to their aid, thinking they were unable to handle it…
"Ah, if it isn't the Scarlet Despair of Alvarez herself?" Zeraful's voice was heard, getting Irene too turned to see the demon in front of Face.
"So this is where you ran to." Irene spoke as she made her way to where the demon was at. The Inquisitor simply chuckled.
"Ran to? It's hurtful to assume that I fled mortal," Zeraful told her as he grinned, "But enough about me. How's the dragon seed going for you?" His words got Irene's eyes to widen, before she glared at the demon before her.
"How do you know about that?" She questioned as she continued to simply walk to where the Inquisitor was at.
"We know everything about you Irene. We know about everything," Zeraful answered her as he turn to look at the large Face structure behind him, "We know about your birth. We know about your "Curse" as you call the dragon side of you. We know about you being the first of the dragon slayers. The Legion has seen all of it." The Inquisitor demon finished as he turned his attention back to the red haired woman.
Irene didn't reply, as she simply began to pick up her speed. She knew these demons couldn't be underestimated, the last few attacks told her that much. Next thing the demon knew, the strongest woman of Alvarez charged at him with quick speed. However the demon only grinned.
"…So foolish…" Zeraful spoke with a smile still present on his face as he put both of his hands and then shouted.
Irene eyes widen as she felt herself stopped moving. As if she was suddenly frozen in mid air. She tried to move, but she couldn't move a muscle. Next thing she knew she found herself being surrounded by an orb of fel energy.
"W-What is this?!" She demanded as she tried to break free from what she assumed was a type of paralysis attack of some kind. Zeraful laughed at seeing her trapped state.
"You should have been more careful. Now you're mine to break," The Inquisitor spoke with a sadistic grin as he went up to her. Irene couldn't only glare at the demon as she gritted her teeth in anger, "I could just erase you from existence. However we may have a use of your soul. For now… it's time you break." Irene could only watch as the demon in front of her began to lift his arms in front of her. As much as she tried, she couldn't break free from her frozen state.
Zeraful then started to channel a large amount of fel energy into the red haired woman. This caused Irene to cry out in pain as the destructive magic was poured into her body. It was unbearable, as if her body was being torn apart from the inside. Zeraful simply laughed at seeing her reduce to this state.
On the other end of the opening, Wendy, Chelia, and Romeo continued to fend off the demon. While this Fel Lord wasn't as powerful as the one who lead the attack on Margaret Town, the demon was still giving them trouble. Wendy however then noticed screaming coming from the center of the section they were all in. The blue haired sky dragon slayer looked to see a paralyzed Irene being tormented by Zeraful.
"Miss Irene!' She called out as she attempted to head over to where she was at.
However Thar'dul saw the sky dragon slayer attempting to get away from their battle. He swung his axe down, causing a slash of fel magic to be sent to the blue haired girl, causing her to stop in her tracks as the attack went by in front of her.
"You're not going anywhere little girl!" The Fel Lord shouted as he then threw his axe at Wendy. Luckily she was able to dodge the weapon being thrown at her.
Romeo charged in at the demon with his fists covered in Purple Flare. Before he could get a hit in however, the Fel Lord managed to grab the young fire mage with his hands. The demon roared as he slammed his head into Romeo's, causing the boy to cry out in pain. Thar'dul then threw the young fire mage into the ground a few yards from him. Chelia managed to run in and unleash a Sky God's Dance on the demon. Following up, Wendy fired off a Sky Dragon's Roar at the demon, thus slamming him into the nearby wall. Romeo, who's forehead was now bleeding as much as his back, managed to get back up and join the fight. The Fel Lord managed to recover from the attacks and made a leap to where his weapon was, managing to retrieve it. The demon then charged back at the younger mages.
As the three young mages were fighting Thar'dul, Zeraful simply laughed like a maniac as Irene continued to cry out in agony due to the immense amount of fel magic being forced into her. Cracks of fel began to appear on her body, signifying that Irene was unable to withstand it for much longer.
"Yes… now it's time you die!" Zeraful shouted with joy present in his voice as the only thing the red haired woman could do was scream in pain.
*SLASH*
"AUGH!" Zeraful shouted as a sword slashed at his chest, thus ceasing his action of pouring large amounts of fel magic into Irene.
Due to Zeraful loosing his focus from the sudden attack, the fel shield around Irene and the paralysis went away. However the red haired woman fell to the ground unconscious, as the fel magic was too much for her to stay awake against. The Inquisitor demon turned around only to see Erza in her Black Wing Armor glaring at the demon with hate.
"Well… it appears that another guest has arrived." Zeraful managed to speak after recovering from the sudden strike. The Inquisitor then glared at the red head Fairy Tail mage; however the demon was still smiling.
Erza didn't say anything as she looked to see Irene was still alive. However the fel cracks were still all over her body. She turned her attention back to the Inquisitor before her, still glaring at the demon.
"You have cause too much harm already demon, "Erza spoke as she got into a fighting stand, prepared to attack the demon in front of her once again, "It's time to put and end to your madness!"
"Hehehe…," Zeraful began to speak as he smirk as he glared at the woman in front of him, "Well then, looks like mommy's little brat is going to suffer."
Erza got confused by his words. What on Earthland did he mean by that?
"What are you talking about?" Erza questioned, however she didn't rule out that the demon may just be playing with her. Zeraful looked surprised, though it was since he didn't exactly had eyes to tell his expression that well. But then he grinned.
"Oh… so she didn't tell you." Zeraful asked her as the Inquisitor looked back at the unconscious Irene behind him. Erza didn't understand, what did Irene know that had to do with her?
"Tell me what demon?" The red haired woman demanded as Erza simply got ready to strike at the Inquisitor.
Inquisitor Zeraful simply turned back to look at Erza before smirking.
"Well Erza, have you ever wonder who your real parents were?" The demon asked her, catching her off guard by the question. Why would the demon ask something like that? In fact why would the Inquisitor even care? "Allow me to explain, the woman behind me is Irene Belserion… and she's your mother."
Erza froze as the words left the demon's mouth. Her eyes widen in surprised and shock from what Zeraful revealed.
"W-What?" She managed to question. One part of her told her that the demon may be only lying, but yet she felt like as if that wasn't the case.
"Allow me to explain. In fact, Irene indirectly had a part in E.N.D ending up the way he is today," Zeraful started to explain to the still shocked red head woman, "Four hundred years ago, before E.N.D appeared, humans and dragons lived in peace in some countries here in the continent of Ishgar. Irene was the queen of one of these countries called Dragnof. She married your father who was a general of a neighboring country for political reasons, but in the process she became pregnant with you. Now you might be wondering, how could she live that long ago, and how are you here in the present day? Well Erza, you see is because the Dragon Civil war broke out. Dragons who wished to destroy the humans against dragons who wished to live in peace. When the dragons who wished to protect the humans began to lose, Irene had a solution. To let the dragons bestow their power unto a human, and thus Irene in a sense became the founder of the Dragon Slayers. However, from this Acnologia arose and ended the war on both sides. Around this time, we gifted Zeref to create E.N.D, but then the demon went on to protect mortals and any dragon that were still alive. Eventually, Irene began to succumb to the dragonification of the dragon slaying magic. Because of this, she was shunned, beaten, and humiliated. You were still in her womb however, as she used her magic to prevent your growth. Eventually, your father attempted to cut you out, believing Irene to be carrying a monster. But this caused her to fully transform into a dragon. She killed your father and many other unfortunate souls that crossed her. Many years later, Zeref found her and reverted her back into her human body. However, due to the dragon seed in her, she was, or still is, a dragon, unable to taste or feel almost anything. And then, she gave birth to you Erza scarlet. However, afraid that she might put you in danger of her own dwindling sanity she took you to a church of Rosemary Village. And well… the rest is history." Zeraful finished explaining to the red head woman.
Erza simply stood still, trying to process what she was just told. The woman, who was unconscious behind the demon, was her mother? All of that happened? Erza's hair covered her eyes, so no one could see her expression. The Inquisitor demon simply smirked once again as he looked at the surprised woman.
"It must be shocking I will admit. But no matter… for in the end all of you souls will me mine." Zeraful spoke as he began to power up, planning on finishing off the mortals around him.
However, without warning Erza was suddenly in front of the demon before striking with enough force to sent the Inquisitor back a few yards. Zeraful looked up to see Erza no longer in her Black Wing Armor, but in her Clear Heart Clothing. Erza looked back at the demon; a determined looked on her face as she pointed her sword at the demon.
"I'm not going to deny what you said. Despite the monster you are, I can help but feel what you say is true," Erza started to speak, "However that only gives me a more reason to fight. I may not know her well enough, but so far she had done anything she can to help us fight against your kind. I do not care if my mother isn't human, as I don't care if Natsu is a demon. I should be grateful though. If it weren't for her actions, I would never meet the people I consider family. I would have never done all that I have done. I would have never met Natsu," She closed her eyes as an image of Natsu and Maria appeared in her mind, "To protect those I love, to protect the world, to protect the future," Erza opened her eyes as she dashed at the demon, "I will… defeat you!" She exclaimed with determination.
Zereaful simply grinned, before the demon charged at her as well.
Okay, there's that chapter.
See you all next time, whenever that will be.