I'm back again with another chapter for you all to either like or hate.
Enjoy, or not, I don't care you all have your opinions.
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Chapter Forty Three: Sacrifice
Garad charged in at the floating Beholder with a Fire Dragon Fist. Xhu'leth merely fired off an ice beam from one of his eyes at the dark brown haired male. The future son of Natsu and Cana couldn't dodge it in time as it sent him back to the ground. Cana fired off her Shuriken Cards at the Observer, hitting direct contact to the side of his face. The demon turned to attack the Card Mage only to be met with a Fire-Lighting Dragon's Roar to the face, courtesy of Marcel, who entered into his Lighting-Fire Dragon Mode. Following up the attack Rose summoned Flytraps Shots to fire upon the Beholder. Xhu'leth saw the barrage of seeds heading to him, as he fired off his own beams from his eyes to counter the attack. The two attacks collided, causing smoke to fill the air.
"Where is he?" Lucy questioned as she and the others tried to find the Observer in the smoke.
As soon as the blonde said that, the demon appeared right behind her ready to bite his teeth down upon her.
"Got you mortal!" Xhu'leth shouted with glee as the blonde turned around to see the Beholder about to chomp on her.
Luckily however Kamika dived in and tackled Lucy and herself out of the way. Xhu'leth gritted his teeth in anger from the two getting away from him. His attention was then turned onto Garad once more, due to him firing off a Fire Dragon's Roar at the floating demon.
"Are you alright?" Kamika asked Lucy, as the two of them got back on their feet.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Lucy assured the black haired woman, smiling at her, who returned the gesture.
A roar of fury got their attention once again as they looked to see the others still engage in battle with the Beholder. Kamika then charged back into the fray once more. Lucy grabbed one of her golden keys.
"Open: Gate of the Golden Bull!" Lucy exclaimed as she summoned Taurus. The humanoid cow spirit appeared before the blonde.
"Hello Lucy, you're body is as perfect as always!" Taurus commented with hearts in his eyes as he looked at the Celestial Spirit.
"We don't have time for that Taurus! We need to help the others!" She told them with a small tick mark on her head. The spirit looked to see the others engaged with the Beholder.
"Understood Lucy! I shall protect them and your body!" Taurus exclaimed as the spirit ran into the battle. Lucy only sighed from his words, lucky that Natsu wasn't around to hear him say that.
Xhu'luth fired off a beam of Arcane magic at the heroes before him, who managed to dodge. Kamika unleashed a Paper Blizzard: Red Dance at the Observer, colliding with the demon. Marcel followed up by running up to the demon and swinging a Lighting-Fire Dragon's Iron Fist at one of the Beholder's eyes. This naturally got the demon to let out a yell of pain and anger from his eye from being hit. Xhu'luth was about to retaliate but an axe came down on the demon's side courtesy of Taurus. The spirit was about to continue his assault but the Beholder grabbed Taurus with one of his tentacles. Taurus's eyes widen as he was then thrown at Rose, who was charging at the demon. The pink haired woman couldn't move out of way as the spirit collided with her. Xhu'luth fired off a beam of fire at the two, luckily though Cana intercepted the attack with her Card's Volley, causing smoke to fill the air once more. Xhu'luth tried to see through the smoke to see his targets, but a card came flying out of the smoke and collided with his face, detonating the card. Xhu'luth roared in fury from the explosive attack done by Cana.
"I think it's time we finish up don't you think Garad?" Marcel asked his brother with a smirk, who grinned back at the future son of Natsu and Kamika.
"I think you're right Marcel." Garad replied as he grabbed a small barrel from his waist. The dark brown haired male proceeded to drink it.
But then, his skinned became a grey color, as if he became stone. Garad smirked as he then ran at Xhu'luth, who noticed the empowered Garad heading toward him. Xhu'luth's eyes glowed again to show that he was about to fire off multiple beams at once. However Kamika unleashed her Paper Blizzard: Violet Dance on the Observer, thus causing him unable to move. Garad took this chance as he ran in close to the Beholder. The future son of Natsu and Cana unleashed a barrage of Fire Dragon's Fists at the multiple eyed demon. Due to his enhance strength he got from the drink, the attacks damaged Xhu'luth to an even greater extent than usual, getting him to scream in pain. Marcel then ran in and then unleashed a Lighting-Fire Dragon's Firing Hammer directly upon the Beholder, causing a massive explosion from the impact, which forced the others to cover their eyes from the shockwave. Marcel and Garad jumped back to get distance, waiting to see if the Beholder was still alive.
The smoke died down to reveal a gravely injured Xhu'leth on the ground. However a few moments later he managed to float back up. He glared at the others with pure hatred.
"You… dare… do this… to me?" Xhu'leth spoke as he attempted to get ready to fire off more beams of magic at them, "I… will…"
"You will do nothing." Rose spoke as she put her hands in front of her as she shouted her next words, "Flytrap!"
Xhu'leth then widens all of his eyes as he noticed a rather large flytrap appear right underneath him. He merely screamed as the plant closed its pedals on him.
The others watched in wariness as they waited to see if the demon would break out of the plant. However after a few moments, the flytrap then returned to the ground, withering away. But nothing remained of the demon, signifying that the flytrap finished off the Beholder.
"Man…," Garad began to speak, getting the others to look at him, "Nature is scary."
Rose merely grinned at her brother's words. Marcel didn't see it that way though.
"Meh, nature's mediocre at best." Marcel replied to his alcohol addicted brother, which got Rose to get a tick mark on her forehead.
"What did you say Marcel?!" The future daughter of Natsu and Cosmos shouted at the future son of Natsu and Kamika.
"You heard me! Nature is boring!" Marcel shouted back at his sister.
Everyone else could only sweat drop at the sight of the brother and sister arguing as Lucy dismiss Taurus.
'WITH GROUP FIVE'
"How pathetic," Cuzla mocked the group before her. Jellal, Meredy, Sting, Ruby, and Yukino merely glared at the Eredar before them. The group managed to clear out the waves of demon that Cuzla had with her, but the demon herself seemed to be on a different level compared to the other demons before her. The five had injuries due to their battle. While the Eredar also had injuries herself, they didn't seem to affect her that much, "Is this all that you got mortals? I thought you were better than this." She once again mocked them as she laughed.
"Shut up demon!" Ruby shouted, who was still in her Dragon Force Form, as she charged at the Eredar once again.
The future daughter of Natsu and Meredy threw punch after punch, but Cuzla managed to counter the barrage of fists with her own. The Eredar found an opening and slammed her fist into the pink haired woman's stomach, sending her flying back a little. Ruby could only glare at the demon. Sting then charged at her as well, hoping to get more hits in.
"This isn't going anywhere," Yuikino spoke as she watched Sting struggling against the Eredar, "This demon is clearly more powerful than the demons we fought before her. If we don't do something we're done for!"
"There must be a way to finish her off!" Meredy exclaimed as she saw Sting get swatted into a nearby wall by Cuzla. The White Dragon Slayer managed to get back up and charge back at her once again.
Jellal simply looked on as the Eredar fended off Sting. He knew that they need to get to Zeraful before he activated Face, but he also knew that they need to get rid of this Eredar or else she will be a threat to the others.
"…Ruby," Jellal spoke, getting the future daughter of Natsu and Meredy, as well as Meredy and Yukino to look at the blue haired wizard, "You are from the future. Am… am I still around in your time?" He asked her, getting her to be a bit surprised by the sudden question.
"Of course you are. Otherwise the others and I wouldn't have recognized you." Ruby answered him, not understanding why her Uncle would ask that out of the blue. Jellal smiled a little at that, before he got a serious look as he watched Sting still engage with Cuzla.
"Everyone, I need you all to move on ahead. You need to help the others to stop Zeraful." Jellal told them. The others widen their eyes in surprised.
"Wait, what about you Jellal?" Meredy asked him in worry. He wasn't planning on staying behind is he?
"I'll fend off the demon. I'll be right behind you." Jellal assured them as Sting was sent flying back to them.
"But-!" Meredy tried to respond, but Jellal powered up his magic, interrupting her.
"There's no time. Now go!" Jellal exclaimed as he activated his Meteor and charged at the smirking Eredar. The others merely watch as the blue haired male engaged the demon.
"…Come on," Ruby spoke, getting the others to look at her, "We need to get moving. He'll be fine."
"Are you sure he'll be fine on his own?' Sting asked the pink haired woman.
"I'm positive." Ruby assured the others.
Meredy merely look at her guild mate on worry, before nodding slowly in agreement. She just has to believe that Jellal will persevere. The four of them then moved on deeper into the cavern. Cuzla noticed the group leaving, but turned her attention back at Jellal.
"Sending them off to leave you, you must have a death wish." Cuzla replied to him as she smirked.
Jellal didn't reply as he charged at her with his Meteor once again. Cuzla fired off a Shadow Bolt at him, but he managed to dodge as he appeared above her. Without wasting anytime, he fired off a point blank Altairis at the Eredar below him. This caused a rather large explosion, smoke filling the air. Jellal got back onto the ground, as he turned around to look at the smoke, hoping that did something to the Eredar.
Unfortunately his eyes widen in shock as a large beam of Fel Magic shot out of the smoke toward the blue haired wizard. He was unable to dodge it as the attack collided with the mage, causing a large explosion to happen from the impact.
Cuzla, who only received minor wounds from his attack, merely grinned at the gravly hurt Jellal on the ground. She walked right to him as she proceeded to grabbed him by the ankle. Jellal then found himself hanging upside down as Cuzla laughed.
"How pathetic," She started to speak once again with a smirk, "Look at you, beaten and upside down. I think I should just finish you off right now."
To her surprised however, Jellal then chuckled, getting the Eredar to be surprised.
"What's so funny?" She questioned with a glare, as Jella merely smiling. Then she noticed a magic seal on his chest, "What is that supposed to be?" He didn't answer her as he thought of a certain red head, as well as his guild mate.
'Erza… Meredy… you're in good hands,' Jellal now knew that no matter what happens; both of them will be alright. Seeing the future kids, he knew that Erza and his friend would find happiness with Natsu, 'Natsu… it's up to you to protect them now.'
"Answer me mortal!" Curzla demanded, but he merely laughed softly as he look at the Eredar with a small smile as he spoke his final words.
"Square of Self-Destruction…" Were the only words he spoke as the magic seal on his chest glowed.
Cuzla widened her eyes in shock as the next thing she knew she and Jellal were engulfed by the light from the seal.
And then, a large explosion happened which covered the entire room.
Back with the other four, they noticed the large explosion as it was heard by them.
"What was that?" Yukino questioned.
"I don't know, but we don't have time to worry about that. We need to keep moving." Ruby informed them, believing that Jellal was alright.
The others merely nodded to her words as they went on. However Meredy couldn't help but get a sinking feeling in her stomach.
Yup. That happened.
See you all next time, whenever that will be.