Tartaros' plan to activate Face and get rid of the magic upon Ishgar has failed as this gives a major boost for Fairy Tail who are on the verge of defeating the dark guild whose numbers are dwindling by the passing moment.
As of now, Kyoka is on her way to awaken the Master of Tartaros; END. The most powerful demon of Zeref's books.
Currently, the green haired avian is in Mard Geer's presence as she kneels before him.
"Underworld King. Mard Geer-sama, the enemy is much stronger than we originally foresaw." Kyoka reported, her gaze on the ground. "The Face operation has failed. Franmalth and Ezel have also fallen in battle."
"As well as Sayla and Hell's Core. Along with you who managed to escape in humiliation" Mard Geer added in as this made Kyoka look up in surprise and in disbelieve.
"t-that is…" Kyoka spoke out before she looks back down. "Mard Geer-sama. we must summon Master END. We must.."
"We cannot do that." Mard Geer interrupted. "We lack the curse power necessary to do so. In order to revive END, we must eradicate all magic on the continent."
"the Face Project that would've allowed us to do so has failed." Said Kyoka. "there is no other.."
"you can't see it, can you?" Mard Geer interrupted once again as he leans against his throne while having a smile. "Once again your shortsightedness is to your detriment, Kyoka. You fail to see the big picture. That plan was but a point."
"a point?" Kyoka questioned.
"more than a point. Mard Geer is the ultimate strategist." He boasted out. "When put against the overall plan, the Face Operation was only one point. Failure in that regard means nothing in the grand scheme. All magic will still be eradicated from the continent."
"This one does not understand." Kyoka replied confusingly
"Kyoka. what are we?" Mard Geer stated
"We are Etherious." The demoness answered emphatically.
"what is our goal?" he asked again
"To revive Master END and return to Zeref." The demoness replied once again
"And what of humans?" Mard Geer raises an eyebrow in question
"beings that are lower than even the most basic insect." She replied while looking down.
"that is correct." Said Mard Geer before vines appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around Kyoka's limbs, neck, and abdomen; holding her in place as the thorns dug deep into her skin.
"Mard Geer-sama…w-w-what are you-?!" Kyoka grunted in pain as her arms get pulled aside and her head pulled by the neck. "agh!"
"you played with a human, didn't you?" Mard Geer asked
"That…that was only to extract information…" Kyoka replied before grunting in pain as the vines tightened again, further digging into the captured demon's body.
"You are too fond of humans." Said Mard Geer as his eyes are covered under the shadow of his bangs.
"No. I swear that isn't true.." Kyoka denied as the vines tightened even more to the point that they were creating cracks around her helmet.
"you have displeased me, Kyoka." Said Mard Geer. "I cannot stand the sight of a subordinate who plays with beings that are below insects. Consider this your punishment. Not for your conduct with the human, but for bringing discomfort to Mard Geer."
"This one has learned her lesson…" Kyoka said while in pain as the vines continues to tighten. "Thank you for your teachings!"
"humans…" Mard Geer thought aloud, paying no more attention to Kyoka who continues to cry in pain from the vines that digs their thorns upon her skin. "in the grand scheme, they pose no problem, but I do not like the idea of them befouling my garden." He raises his head and showed his eyes that were hardened. "I believe I will use Alegria".
at a part of Tartaros, Gray with Juvia are running in a hallway as they are trying to find the whereabouts of their friends.
"this place is like a damn maze!" said Gray as he feels like they were going around in circle. "just where are the others!?"
"Gray-sama, please stay calm." Juvia stated. "a frustrated mind will make rash decisions."
"I know! I am just!" said Gray before he was stopped by a voice coming from his head.
"Hey, can anyone hear me?!" Warren's voice out in Gray and Juvia's mind.
"Warren?" Gray called out as he stops in his place while placing a hand to his head.
"what is it, Warren-san?" Juvia spoke in the telepathy.
'I got some news to tell you guys.' Warren stated out. 'Genbu just came and informed me that Erza managed to stop Face in time!'
"what can you expect from the redhead!?" said Mira as she is currently fighting hand to hand against Tempester while Lucy, Wendy, and Charla are against Jackal.
"Nee-chan?! Is that you!? Are you alright!?" Elfman called out in the telepathy as he is with Macao, Wakaba, and Romeo, the group are at another part of Tartaros.
"I'm fine! Just a little busy with a fight right now!" Mira replied as she punches Tempester on the face before jumping away when the demon unleash a twister attack that she quickly dodges. "also, we could really use some help over here! I'm too busy with my opponent who I can handle but I can't say the same for Lucy and the others! They're up against a guy who makes things explode just by touching them! They could really use some help!"
"I got it! I'm on my way!" Elfman exclaimed as he begins to run down a hallway with Macao and the others quickly following behind.
"we're on our way too!" said Gray as he looks to the side. "Warren, think you can lead us to where Mira and the others are?"
"just a sec!" said Warren as he focuses his telepathy. "there! I showed you the way!"
"thanks!" Gray replied before he looks at Juvia. "let's go and help them, Juvia!"
"yes, Gray-sama!" Juvia nodded before she and Gray begins to run straight where the Hell's Core is.
'guys, before I forget. Is Natsu with any of you guys!?' Warren called out in the mind link. 'I'm trying to reach him, but I can't sense where he is.'
"isn't he trying to find Tartaros' guild Master?" said Gray as he and Juvia runs down a hallway then turns a corner. "maybe he's currently beating the bastard up?"
"that would make sense in a way." Said Mira. "but we got nothing to worry, this is Natsu, remember?" the Majin grins before she quickly ducks from a kick strike from Tempester who was given a punch to the face in return. "he's our ace in the hole who won't back down from a fight, remember?!"
'well that's true and all, but..ugh!?' Warren's voice began to crack up as static could be heard in the telepathy.
"Warren? Hey Warren!?" Gray called out as he and Juvia stops to listen to the static echoing in their mind. "hey! What's going on, Warren!?"
"this sound….just what could it be?" said Juvia.
Unbeknownst to any of the group inside of Tartaros, Warren who is with Laki, Nab, Max, Jet, and Vijeeter, is currently holding his head in pain as
Suddenly Warren's body twitched violently, worrying Lisanna. "Warren?" she called.
The telepath felt an intense pain in his head, and he cried out in pain. He clutched his head, his screams getting louder.
"Warren, what's going on?!" Jet asked.
"What's happening to him?" Laki inquired worriedly.
Everyone else on the receiving end of Warren's telepathy heard nothing but static.
"What is this?" said Gray as he looks completely confused as to why he is hearing nothing but static in his head.
Soon enough, Mard Geer's chuckle could be heard in the telepathy.
;So you're the wizard guild, Fairy Tail, are you?' Mard Geer asked as he hijacked the telepathy link.
"whose voice is this?!" Elfman shouted.
'I am the Underworld King, Mard Geer.' The demon answered as he continues to sit upon his throne. 'Though you needn't bother with remembering my name. For none of you vermin will exist tomorrow.' Mard Geer moved his extended fingers from his head and pointed them outward. "it is time for you humans to sleep….for eternity"
ALEGRIA
Mard Geer chanted and the Cube began to rumble and break apart while reforming part by part.
"What the hell is going on?!" Gray shouted, trying to keep his footing. He felt himself being pulled into the walls by tentacles that came out from nowhere. "Something's…pulling me in?!"
"Gray-sama!" Juvia cried out as she is in the same situation.
The two mages are getting sucked into the wall and are being watched by Keyes who appears from the shadows.
"The Underworld King is making his move." Keyes said. "interesting."
"you guys!" Lucy exclaimed as she is sinking down the floor.
"Charla!" Wendy cried out while getting pulled into the wall near her
"don't let go, Wendy!" Charla exclaimed while trying to pull Wendy out of the wall but she too was getting sucked into. "oh no!"
"everyone!" Mira exclaimed as she turns her attention away from Tempester who took it as a chance for a sneak attack.
"Gororo." Tempester spoke out and lightning instantly hits Mira right on.
"aagghh!" Mira screams in pain before she exploded and fell down to the floor where tentacles came out and latched onto her body then begins to pull her in. "d-damnit! This thing!"
"hahahaha! Seems that you humans are getting what you deserve!" Jackal exclaimed with a laugh while watching Lucy and the others getting sucked into the walls and floor. "goodbye, pathetic maggots!"
Every part of the Cube begins to twist and melt along with sucking in anyone who is within its vicinity. Not even Tartaros' henchmen were spared from this horrifying event.
"Mard Geer-sama!" Kyoka shouted, her body still bound. "If this continues to run its course, then even our soldiers will be…"
"Yes, engulfed." Mard Geer smirked.
"just what the heck is going on!?" Elfman shouted as he tried to fight against the tentacles that are pulling half of his body to the wall.
"dad! Help!" Romeo cried out.
"hang on! Just hang on!" Macao shouted as he and Wakaba tried their best to help the young man.
"there's nothing we can do!" Wakaba exclaimed. "We're stuck!"
"Death and Rebirth. Despair and Hope." Mard Geer mused. "You humans are a race of fools! The entirety of Cube itself is one massive dungeon house inside the beast known as Plutogrim!"
Outside of the Cube and in the air, Erza can be seen flying in the air as she is riding upon Byakko's back.
"hurry, Byakko!" Erza exclaimed "we need to warn the others!"
"I know." Byakko replied as the White Tiger Spirit runs in the air while heading straight for where Tartaros HQ is.
Erza watches in anticipation as she sees the Cube's figure from a far but when they were getting closer, her eyes widen and her expression grew a shocked and baffled look.
"w-what in the world…" Erza muttered out as the entire outside of the Cube has changed from what she had once seen before.
The Cube has fully transformed into a monster like being as it has dark protrusions resembling scaled tentacles stuck out from the bottom corners on the lower face. One of the sides also opened to reveal a mouth with large yellow teeth.
This monster roars loudly and rumbles its own body that is filled with the Fairy Tail wizards who were all trapped and frozen within the walls and floors. They lined the inside of the castle like horrific decorations, each of their faces twisted and their mouths open to no doubt show anger and fear.
Tartaros were no exception as most of their foot soldiers were caught in it except the Nine Demon Gates who were perfectly fine.
In one part of the reformed Cube, there is Silver who has been roaming within the large monster's body aimlessly.
"Allegria, huh?" said Silver as he checks his surroundings before he stops and sighs. "why did you have go and use that curse?" the demon of a man clicks his tongue. "Now we'll never meet up." He was about walk again but didn't when he sensed something. "this power…it's…"
Kyoka's eyes went wide from within Mard Geer's throne room as she sensed something unusual inside the Plutogrim.
Mard Geer was walking in a hallway as he was planning to advance his plans to revive his Master, but he stopped in his tracks when he sensed something unusual.
"Someone escaped the clutches of Allegria?" said Mard Geer as he looks to the side. "no..there are two…a human and…." He squinted his eyes a bit while glancing to the other side. "something that is no longer human."
Somewhere in Plutogrim, Lucy came falling out from the ceiling as she landed on the floor while crying in pain.
Lucy gets up with a hand to her head as she looks around all confused.
"where?" Lucy muttered out as she gets back up while looking at her surroundings. "What just happened? Where am I?" she then realized what she was doing before she was sucked in and spit out from the walls. "Wendy! Charla! Mira-san! everyone! Where are you?!"
Soon, Plutogrim begins to roar as Lucy hears it and feels the vibration.
"w-what the!?" Lucy cried out before she clasped her ears down. "so loud!"
Outside of the Plutogrim, the large monstrous being flies over Magnolia as it just roars so loudly.
A roar erupted from Plutogrim, echoing in the sky over Magnolia. The townspeople looked up at the monster in terror.
"What is that?!" "It's a monster!" "why is that near our town?!" the citizens scream from seeing the Plutogrim.
The monstrous being roars as it flies above the city, destroying buildings and buildings. Causing nothing but havoc and chaos.
At the Fairy Tail Guild, Ikaruga and her children sees the destruction from the inside as they look shocked to see the monster.
"it's a monster!" Haruka cried out while clinging to her mother.
"it's destroying our town!" Haruo exclaimed. "we have to do something!"
Ikaruga looks with a hard gaze at Plutogrim while protectively holding Ikki who is asleep in her arms. the pink haired woman looks upon the monster before she caught sight of something in the sky that made her smile.
Plutogrim keeps on creating destruction upon Magnolia before it gets hit on the side by a powerful twister that is summoned by Byakko who is flying beside it.
"Byakko! Get more closer!" Erza exclaimed as she rides the White Tiger Spirit who continues to unleash twisters upon the Plutogrim.
"hang on." Byakko replied as he runs and soars in the air before he roars to summon a powerful twister to come flying down and hit the Plutogrim right upon its head.
Erza looks with a serious face at Plutogrim as she tries to see any weak spots she could find and attack.
"just what is this monstrosity?" said Erza as she couldn't believe what the Cube had transformed into.
"I heard that it's called the Plutogrim. A Monster made by the Allegria Curse." A voice spoke from behind Erza whose eyes widen before a hand came from behind and instantly grips her mouth. The scarlet knight glance back and become surprised when she sees Minerva suddenly behind her. "hello there, Erza."
'Minerva!?' Erza looks in shock as she sees Minerva looking different from before. 'that form of yours!'
"like the new look?" Minerva asks with a smirk on her face. "thanks to Tartaros' Hell's core and their work of infusing demon particles into my body; I have become Neo Minerva, a demon!"
'a demon!?' Erza thought in shock before Minerva holds her up and then punches her on the face. "ugh!?"
Erza staggers back on top of Byakko but she didn't get a chance to regain her bearings because Minerva disappears and then reappears behind her in order to fire a magic blast straight at her back.
"agghh!" Erza screams in pain as the attack was direct and powerful.
"hahahahahahaha! More! more! scream even more, Erza!" Minerva exclaimed with a smirking face as she went and unleashed a powerful magic blast right upon Byakko's back, causing the White Tiger Spirit to roar in pain.
"Byakko!" Erza shouted out before she gets rammed by Minerva as this caused both to fall off the Tiger Spirit's back.
Erza and Minerva falls in the air as both landed right on top of Plutogrim, the two women gets dragged on top of the Plutogrim as they rolled around on the dirt surface before they break off and then faced one another.
"Minerva…you…" Erza spoke out as she stands back up and looks straight at Minerva while wielding a pair of katanas into her grasp. "just how low have you fallen, Minerva!?"
"it's Neo Minerva to you!" Minerva exclaimed as she raised her right hand and extends her fingers that are now sharp as claws. "and you shall bow before my new power, Erza!"
Erza hardens her gaze while readying herself into a battle stance against Minerva who did the same.
The two women stared at one another before they jumped and instantly clashed.
Meanwhile, within the Plutogrim. Lucy is all alone as she looks around the area in trying to find anyone from her guild.
"just where did everyone?" Lucy muttered as she looks side to side in trying to find her friends. "am I the only one here?"
"Attention all members of Tartaros." Mard Geer's voice suddenly echoes in the Plutogrim as Lucy looks up after hearing it. "Alegria has disposed of the invaders. We may now proceed with the Face operation as planned."
The remaining armored Tartaros members began to cheer.
"hail to the Underworld King!" they cheered in unison.
"What does he mean by disposed of the invaders?" Lucy spoke out. "and he said Face's plan can go as they planned…" she then looks to the side. "But I thought Erza took care of Face."
Lucy then hears the sound of water as she turns to the side and saw water coming from the fleshy looking walls where it came gushing out like crazy.
"W-wha?! Water!? What the heck?!" Lucy cried out as she gets washed away.
"There is one last thing." Mard Geer continued while Lucy is getting wash down the water into who knows where part of the Plutogrim. "It seems that a human has escaped Alegria's clutches and is still within these walls. The soldiers who kill them will be granted a position among the Nine Demon Gates."
Once again the armored troops began to hoot and holler.
"Did he say what I think he said?!" "Is he serious?!" "Awesome! I'm gonna be a Demon Gate!"
"In the event that members of the current Demon Gates disposes of them, then they will receive a reward from Mard Geer." Mard Geer continues his transmission as he walks in the hallway of Plutogrim. "That is all."
As of now, all that remains of Tartaros are now on the hunt for Lucy who is being washed away in the water as she is hanging onto a wooden log for support and her lifeline to not drown.
'I don't know what really happened, but everyone's alive, right?' Lucy gets on top of the log and rides on it. 'I just got to believe in it!'
As Lucy rides her wooden log, she hears something from behind and saw a couple of guards riding broken wood like surfboards.
"There she is!" one of them shouted out
"It's the human!" the other added.
"like I'll be going down when my friends are counting on me!" Lucy exclaimed as she rides the log like a surfboard before she wields her whip that she swings and start to knock her pursuers off their boards and into the water.
As Lucy gets rid of her pursuers, more guards came as they wield magical staffs that began to fire magic blasts straight for Lucy.
Lucy made a small gasp before she swings her whip up and wrapped it onto a nearby protrusion, she jumped from her board and swung around the protrusion, kicking one of the guards into the rushing waters and then riding onto the board.
"get her!" the rest of the guards close in as they went on the attack against Lucy who quickly prepared one of her golden celestial spirit key.
"Open The Gate of The Archer: Sagittarius!" Lucy exclaimed as she called the horseman who appears upon a top protrusion where he already readied several arrows on his bow.
"leave it to me, Moshimoshi!" said Sagittarius before he fires his arrows that flew and hit each of the guards on their boards; clearing a path for Lucy to go through.
Lucy smiles and nods to Sagittarius in thanking him, but she soon saw something coming as it drew closer and closer to reveal Lamy who is just spinning across the surface of the water.
"Promotion~! I'm going to get a promotion~!" the bunny-girl sang out with glee. "I'll become a member of the Nine Demon Gates~!"
"I'll take care of her!" Sagittarius declared. He shot three arrows at Lamy, but they were all deflected by her spinning to which surprised the spirits. "What?!"
"Projectile weapons don't work on my Slippery Curse!" The demon gleefully explained. "They bounce right off! See?!" the bunny eared girl began to spin faster before she launched herself from the water and into the air, flying straight for Sagittarius who was hit on the abdomen and off the perch where he had stand upon.
"Sagittarius, Gate Closure!" Lucy called out as Sagittarius faded back to the celestial world, the blonde mage then takes out another key. "Open the Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!"
In an instant of a flash, Virgo appears as she is surfing on a wooden board while wearing a bikini.
"Don't worry, Princess! I will handle this!" "Virgo exclaimed
"What are you?! Some kind of maid?!" Lamy exclaimed with a fuming expression. "your character's like a duplicate of mine!"
"how are we even alike?" Virgo questioned very confusingly.
Lucy hangs onto her board as she rides the wave but barely hanged on.
"Princess!" Virgo cried out as she saw something above Lucy. "there is something coming right at you!"
Lucy looks up to see a gleam of light from above and her eyes widen when she sees Torafuzar; the Shark man coming down with an arm pulled back.
"I open the gate of the Lion!" Lucy exclaimed while taking out another one of her Celestial Spirit Key that shines a golden light and Loke appears as he clashed against Torafuzar who swings one of his arm blades at the spirit. "Loke!"
"You took my blades with your bare hands?" Torafuzar stated with a rather surprised look.
"I'm surprised my Regulus couldn't take all of that." Loke commented with a grin as there is a wound on his right forearm
"are you alright, Loke!?" Lucy cried out.
"I'm fine" Loke replied while rolling his injured arm around.
"Oh! a hottie!" Lamy swooned, her eyes on Loke
"I am failing to see the resemblance between us." Virgo commented.
Lamy then turned her attention to the present Demon Gate.
"Master Torafuzar, please allow me to kill those humans." Lamy called out
"I do not care about things like that…" Torafuzar stated as he got into a stance and then slug a fist at Loke who dodged. "Only my duty!"
"Lucy! Leave this one to me!" Loke called out before he and Torafuzar begins to clash at one another.
"r-right.." Lucy replied a bit tiredly as she laid on her board while trying to catch her breath.
Seeing her state, Loke and Virgo realizes what was going on.
'Summoning two spirits at once for this long is taking its toll on her.' Virgo observed.
'Virgo and I take a lot of energy to summon.' Loke grimaced as he keeps on fighting Torafuzar
"For Lucy's/Princess' sake! Let's end this! Both spirits thought in sync as they went on a more ferocious attack pattern on their foe.
And just when things weren't already bad for Lucy and the others.
"I found you!" a voice shouted from up ahead as Lucy looks up and gasps in surprise to see Jackal standing on top of a protrusion above her. "yo."
"Jacka-kun!" Lamy swooned in seeing the dog eared demon.
"Another one?!" Virgo grimaced.
"Damn!" Loke cursed.
"You're not going anywhere!" Torafuzar shouted before swinging his blades at Loke who blocked.
"what's this? She's not even alone" said Jackal in seeing Loke and Virgo, he then looks at Lucy. "oh well"
"of all the enemies…" Lucy thought out loud in grimace as she really didn't want to face the demon who can make everything explode with a little touch. She gets up on the board and readies her whip. 'I don't have the help of Natsu and the others…I just have to..' she swings her whip to the side and then to the front, the weapon flying straight towards Jackal. 'do this!'
The whip flew and it wrapped around Jackal's right arm, the demon didn't look faze as he just looks amused.
"You haven't forgot my curse power, right?" said Jackal as he waves his wrapped up arm to the side and a chain of explosions erupted upon the whip that went straight to Lucy who gets blasted off her board from the shockwave.
"Lucy!/princess!" Loke and Virgo cried out in unison from seeing their Master going into the waters.
"Keep your eyes on your enemy!" Torafuzar shouted as he slash his blades at Loke who blocks it with his light coated fists.
Lucy swam in the water before she goes to her board and hangs on it.
"d-damnit…that hurts…" Lucy moaned in pain before she gasps when Jackal came flying in the air and then landed on her board, nearly making her let go of it but she hanged on tight. "y-you!"
"it's time for you to pay for what your pink haired friend did to me back then." said Jackal with a grin as he leaned down and grabs Lucy by the head before lifting her out of the water. The demon chuckles in seeing the blonde struggling against his grip as he pulls his left hand back and formed a hard fist that he slugged straight at the Celestial Spirit Mage's abdomen.
"aggh!" Lucy gasped in pain from the hit before she was kneed at the same place by Jackal. "ugh?!"
"Princess!" Virgo cried out. "I'm coming!" the Maid spirit was about to go to Lucy but was stopped by Lamy who grabbed and held her back in a choke hold. "ugh!"
"you're not going away~! Fufufu~!" Lamy stated with a creepy looking smile.
"Virgo!" Loke called out before he turns and quickly blocks a blade strike from Torafuzar.
"do you think you have time to care for your comrades!?" Torafuzar asked before he slash his blades once again.
Lucy gasped and groaned in pain as Jackal still holds her up by the head.
"don't worry, I won't make you go boom just yet." Said Jackal as he smirks darkly at Lucy. "I couldn't find your pink haired bastard of a friend, so you are going to have to do…" the demon then throws the blonde mage up and then spins before kicking her away. "for now!"
Lucy flew and then crashed to a wall before she fell upon some ground by the water.
"Princess!/Lucy!" Virgo and Loke cried out as they tried their best to break free from their opponents and go save their Master but their efforts proved to be futile.
Lucy grunts as she lies on the ground before struggling to get up but Jackal came and slammed his monstrous right foot down on her head, forcing her back down.
"come on~! Scream~! Cry~! Beg for mercy~!" Jackal exclaimed with a smirk as he grinds his foot down on Lucy's head, putting a lot of pressure on top of it. "plea for your pathetic life like any human would do~!"
"get off of her!" Loke shouted as he punched Torafuzar away before he jumped and get ready to slug a shining fist at Jackal. "Regulus Impact!"
"weak." said Jackal who simply wave a hand towards Loke's direction. "Explode!" a chain explosion instantly flashes as it engulfs Loke.
"aggghh!" Loke shouts in pain as the blast was too powerful that it caused the spirit to retreat to the Celestial Spirit World.
"Nii-san!" Virgo cried out to her brethren spirit as she looked away and this gave the opportunity for Lamy to pin her back. "ugh!"
"now, Torafuzar-sama!" Lamy cried out as Torafuzar jumps from his board and then came on theirs before slashing his blades at Virgo.
"ahhhh!" Virgo cried out in pain as a bloody deep slash mark appears from her right shoulder down to her left waist, the Maiden Spirit soon disappearing into sparkles and back to the Celestial Spirit World with Loke.
"V-Virgo…L-Loke…." Lucy cried out before she gasped in pain when Jackal slams his foot down to her back once and then again. "aghh!"
"now you're all alone." Jackal stated as he cackles while putting more pressure down on Lucy's back. "looks like you're out of options, girlie."
"fufufufu~! As expected of Jackal-kun~! So hot~!" Lamy squealed as she and Torafuzar came near the yellow dog demon.
"she is the last of the human enemies." Said Torafuzar while looking down at Lucy before raising his right arm that he pulls back. "I'll kill her with one strike."
"that's boring!" Jackal retorted as he kicked Lucy hard that she rolled away while coughing out blood. "this human along with her friends gave our guild so much trouble." He then cackles with a grin. "it's common sense to return the favor, right?"
"that's right~! Jackal-kun is so smart~!" Lamy cheered.
"enough!" Torafuzar exclaimed. "letting this linger on will have terrible consequences for the mission!" he then looks at Lucy. "if you won't do it quickly, then I will!"
"huh?" Jackal growled towards the shark demon. "hey, which side are you on? If you keep bugging me like that, I'll get rid of you first!"
In an instant, Torafuzar and Jackal stared at one another for a few moments very tensely before they felt the ground just shaking and vibrating.
"the heck?" Jackal looks away from Torafuzar and then to the ceiling that is just shaking and vibrating. "is something going on with Plutogrim?"
"maybe it got a stomachache from eating something?" Lamy stated in a random guess.
"no…this sensation…" Torafuzar muttered out as he glance to the right and then to the water that is just drying up. "something…something is harming Plutogrim from the inside."
This sensation was noticed by the other Nine Demon Gates and Mard Geer himself.
"something…" Kyoka spoke out after being freed from Mard Geer's thorn vines. The avian demon turns and looks at the shaking ceiling. "something not human nor demon is harming Plutogrim."
"a change of fate, is it?" Keyes whispered. "the destiny that was at hold; the clash between the light and the darkness has been tampered." The skeleton priest then looks to the side as to see cracks spreading all around the walls of the hallway that he was in. "now…something that is of the light and the darkness has come to lay waste on all."
Silver stays silent as he looks at his surroundings with a rather sceptic look.
"this sensation….this power…Mard Geer has sensed it before.." Mard Geer spoke as he squinted his eyes and tighten his hold on the Book of END. "this power….is nearly similar to that of Zeref."
Plutogrim roars as it flies in the sky, but for some reason; the large monster is acting very strangely.
On the top side of the flying monster, Erza and Minerva have been locked in a heated battle that is momentarily paused by the current event of Plutogrim shaking uncontrollably.
"what is going on inside this monster?" said Minerva as she looks around.
Erza checks and feels how strong the vibration coming from Plutogrim as she hangs on to the ground before noticing a weak golden glow coming from her hakama pants' right pocket.
"this glow…" Erza slips her hand into the pocket and takes out the Golden Celestial Gem that just glows repeatedly. "the Golden Celestial Gem…it's reacting to something.."
A second later, Plutogrim let out a loud roar that was not alike with its previous roars. This roar sounded like a pained roar.
"a howl of pain?" Erza whispers before she notices the Golden Celestial Gem floating off her hand and then went zooming straight through the ground. "ah!?"
Somewhere within Plutogrim that is deep and dark; the loud sounds of gulping noises are heard and is accompanied by flesh being ripped and munched on along with the few drops of liquid.
The sound just continues before it stops when the Golden Celestial Gem came flying through the ceiling walls and then into the shadows where it attached itself to a metal slot then shines a golden light that illuminate the shadow for a second and revealed the glimpse of a dragon skeletal face monster that growls while having fangs covered in dripping blood.
The light from the Gem dies down as the dark shadows return but a pair of glowing red demonic yet reptilian eyes appeared and flash.
The Plutogrim continues to shake and rumbles uncontrollably as something is causing the large monster to go out of control.
"just what in the world is going on!?" said Jackal as he steadies his body that is barely standing from all the shaking and vibrating from all directions.
"I don't know at all~!" Lamy cried out as she is panicking.
Torafuzar had a hand to a wall as he looks around and trying to see what was going on.
A few seconds later, everything stopped shaking as Plutogrim stopped roaring.
"it stopped.." Lamy spoke out in seeing how everything wasn't shaking anymore.
"just what was that all about?" said Jackal
Torafuzar glance side to side before he hears footsteps coming from behind. He turns and was given the sight of Sayla standing near the group but is nearly shrouded under the shadows.
"Sayla?" Torafuzar spoke out. "you are alright?"
The female demon merely stands in the shadows as she has her face shrouded under the bangs of her hair.
"what's wrong with her?" said Jackal as it was very unusual for them to see Sayla being so silent than usual.
"something is different." Said Torafuzar. "something…something very unusual."
The three demons look at Sayla who slowly lifts her head up and reveals her eyes that were demonically black while glowing very menacingly.
In an instant, Sayla let out a screaming roar as her body gets covered in a black and red aura that flares like fire.
Sayla's skin turned dark, her horns become larger, her hair becomes wilder, and the clothes around her torso disappears revealing her bare chest that is covered in tattoos, her lower body changes from a pair of legs into a pair of narrowed stilts that gradually widen up to her hips that has wing like protrusions, and her legs became sharp blades.
"w-w-w-why is she going into her Etherious form!?" Lamy cried out in surprise.
"wait a second…look at that." Said Jackal as he notices something very different about Sayla. The yellow haired dog demon pointed at the black skinned demon who now has black and red vein marks pulsing all around surface of her skin that are connected to her guild mark on her stomach that is now red and corrupted looking. "what the heck is going on with her!?"
"Aahhhh!" Sayla roared and rushed forward in an instant, ramming her fist into Jackal's stomach.
"gaah!?" Jackal coughs out blood before he was sent flying in the air and then crashed to a wall which he broke right through.
"Sayla! What are you doing!?" Torafuzar shouted before he raise his arms and defended against a claw strike from Sayla who roars loudly while swiping her claws repeatedly against the shark demon. "Sayla!"
The Black skinned demoness just furiously swipes her claws against Torafuzar's blades as sparks of fire flies each time they made contact with one another.
"raaaahh!" Sayla screams in a roar as she pulls her right arm back and a slit upon her palm opened to reveal a demonic red reptilian like eye that grew vein marks all around her hand. The demoness thrusts her arm forward and unleashed a powerful red energy blast right at Torafuzar who was pushed back and sent flying.
"agghh!" Torafuzar flew in the air before he came crashing to the ground.
"no way! Since when is Sayla-sama this powerful!?" Lamy exclaimed in shock with her hands to her face.
Sayla looks at where Torafuzar is before she slowly turns her head and looks at Lamy's direction.
"w-w-why is she looking at me like that?" Lamy asked stuttering as she nervously takes a step back. the bunny eared girl looking very uncomfortable from Sayla's gaze. She was about to move another step back when the black skinned demoness suddenly appears before her. "h-how did she!?"
Lamy didn't get to speak another word as Sayla grabs her by the face and then slams her to the ground.
"bugyah!" Lamy cried out in pain as Sayla slammed her 6 inches deep into the dirt before lifting her up.
"w-why are they fighting each other?" Lucy whispers as she watches Sayla holding up Lamy who is struggling against the gripping hold on her face.
"S-Sayla-sama! Why are you doing this!?" Lamy cried out as she struggled to break free.
ZWORSH!
In just a blink of an eye, a black claw covered in blood pierced through Lamy's body as Sayla had just thrusted her other hand right through the bunny eared demon.
This scene surprised both Lucy, Torafuzar, and Jackal who got back out of the rubble he crashed into.
"agghh!" Lamy coughs out blood as Sayla pulls her hand out of the bunny eared demon's body which went limp because she was instantly killed by the black skinned demon.
Lamy's body slowly transforms as she becomes black dust like particles.
"s-she…killed her…" Lucy muttered out while looking at the scene, but her eyes soon widens and mouth drops with a gasp as she sees something that shocked her.
Gulping noises were heard from Sayla who has her mouth opened to expose her sharp fang like dentures that has air and black particles going inside as the black skinned demoness is sucking in the particles that were once Lamy.
"h-hey…what the heck are you doing?" said Jackal as he and Torafuzar looks in complete shock from what they are seeing. "hey, Sayla…what the heck are you doing!? Are you eating her like she's food!?"
Sayla sucks in all the black particles before closing her mouth and then gulped loudly. the black skinned demoness soon screams in a roar as her body unleashes a powerful blackish red aura that creates a powerful energy shockwave that cause everything within Plutogrim to shake uncontrollably.
"her power grew!?" Torafuzar exclaimed as he raise a hand to his face to shield his eyes from the pulsing shockwave.
Sayla screams in her roar as dark energy particles began to gather in front of her opened mouth and formed an electric black energy ball that grew incredibly unstable.
"t-that move is…" Lucy muttered out as she remembers Natsu doing the same thing when he turned into a demonic monster back at Tenroujima.
"arrrhh!" Sayla roars as she swings her head back and then to the front, the electrical energy ball pointed straight at Jackal's direction.
"What!?" the dog demon's eyes widen before he gets engulfed in a black and red energy beam that was fired from Sayla.
Upon the top of Plutogrim, Erza and Minerva are still in their battle as both are locked in a clash of power.
"ERZA!" Minerva exclaimed before unleashing a blue magic beam at Erza who ducked to dodge the attack and then use her momentum to slide on the ground, then swings her weapon at the demonized woman who blocked with her bare hands or claws.
"Minerva!" Erza locked gaze with her foe as both butt heads while trying to push each other.
Both women continued to clash in power, neither giving an inch to the other.
Erza swings her katanas at Minerva who blocks with her bare claws; the two gritted their teeth as they tried to push through with their attacks, but their attention was soon taken from one another when they sensed a high concentration of power coming from underneath them.
The two foes pushed and then jumped away from one another as the ground that they were standing upon before had instantly grew before exploding as a black and red energy beam flew erupted into the air.
"What in the world!?" said Erza as she and Minerva looks in surprise to the energy beam that flies into the air, making a hole to a passing by cloud.
The energy beam keeps on erupting out of Plutogrim's top side before it begins to move.
"just what is this!?" Minerva exclaimed before she made a noise when she saw Byakko running in the air and then picks Erza onto its back. "ERZA!"
Erza watches the scene upon Byakko's back as the energy beam begins to move all around Plutogrim, the giant monster roaring as it was getting cut up from the inside out.
The large cube shaped monster began to fall from the sky with a trail of smoking dust following behind it. Plutogrim crashed upon a barren wasteland far from Magnolia as the monster had shattered and split apart upon its contact with the land.
As of now; all the occupants inside Plutogrim were still alright as they all managed to survive the crash.
"What has happened?" Kyoka spoke out while looking upon the rubble around her.
Silver looks at where Plutogrim had crashed as the man turns and glance to the side.
"whatever caused Plutogrim to be destroyed…" Silver whispered. "it definitely ain't an ally to Tartaros."
"what did those damn fairies do this time?" Tempester stated with an annoyed face.
"not the humans…" Mard Geer stated as he stands upon a large piece of broken rubble, the demon man looking down below as he sees something that made his eyes squint. "what ended Plutogrim…" his sights hardened upon a dome made out of shadow that is gathering black energy particles in its surroundings. "it was something that is an enemy to us Demons."
at one area where there is rubble everywhere; Horologium appears out of the rocks as the Clock Spirit has Lucy inside.
"H-Horologium…she says" Horologium spoke in speaking out what Lucy speaks inside of him. "are you alright, Lucy-sama?"
"Horologium…why?" Lucy muttered out inside as Horologium gently takes her out and place her to the ground. "what just…happened?"
"a few seconds ago, the Dark Guild's mode of transportation has begun to fall from the sky and this causes an imminent danger to nearly befall upon you, Lucy-sama." Horologium stated. "I had activated the emergency protect sequence and shielded your body before the crash."
"I see.. thanks Horologium" said Lucy with a nod and then looks around to see the rubble around her while Horologium disappears back to the Celestial Spirit World. "that blast was so powerful that it must've destroyed Tartaros' base." She slowly gets up and checks for any signs of the enemy. "I don't see anyone…that crash must've caused them to be trapped under the rubble or just gone somewhere else when the place crashed."
As Lucy continues to search for any signs of anyone in her surroundings; she hears footsteps from behind.
She turns around and gasps with wide eyes to see Jackal behind her; the yellow haired dog demon looking very weak as his entire right arm is gone and is leaking out blackish red blood.
"you survived that crash!?" said Lucy in surprise as she staggered back and then fell on her butt.
Lucy looks at Jackal who just looks down at her all emotionlessly and didn't speak another word.
"eh?" Lucy looks confused as she stares at Jackal who remains motionless "just what's…"
Before Lucy could speak another word, a claw pierced out of Jackal's chest as this caused the blonde gasp while seeing that Sayla is behind the dog demon who was raised up off the ground. The black skinned demoness having survived the crash and now has killed another one of her own kin.
Lucy now watches as Jackal's body begins to turn into black particles that gets sucked into Sayla's opened mouth.
More black particles begin to appear in the area as they all get sucked into Sayla's mouth.
Sayla sucks in all the black particles into her mouth before she closed and then swallowed them down her throat with a big gulp.
A second later Sayla begins to scream in a roar as her horns begin to grew longer and extend to the front like a bull's horn, the demoness' claws grew longer and become more like blades, bone like plates begin to appear out of the demoness' skin and around her body as they formed a sort of armor that covers her abdomen and breasts, but her guild mark is left opened, and lastly a spiky bone like tail appears behind the demon that waves around near the ground while making crackling noises when it bends and moves.
Lucy watches in gasping awe as Sayla's form become that of an even more demonic being that truly deserves to be called a monster and a demon together.
Sayla stops her screaming roar as she looks down at Lucy with her glowing black demonic eyes. The blonde mage looking tense from the glowing stare that felt like it was boring into her soul.
The Demoness keeps on staring at Lucy while letting out a low growling sound before she turns her head and looks at a direction east of her position.
Sayla looks east and then to Lucy who she growls at once before she turns and begins to fly straight east, leaving the blonde mage all alone.
"w-what was that all about?" Lucy muttered out as she looks at the direction where Sayla flew away. Her body trembling because she never had felt such terror coming from an enemy who could kill her own allies so easily.
"LUCY!" a voice called out to the blonde mage who turns and looks in surprise as Gray, Gajeel, Juvia, Wendy, and Charla could be seen coming straight for her.
"Gray! Juvia! Gajeel! Wendy! Charla!" Lucy cried back as she slowly gets up and went to them, but fell forward as her leg begin to give out from how she had exhausted her entire self from the battle against the demons of Tartaros.
"hey!" Gray hurried to Lucy who he quickly catches. "you ok?"
"y-yeah…" Lucy replied a bit weakly as Gray sat her down while Wendy came near and begins to use her healing magic on her. "j-just a bit tired..that's all."
"what the heck happened to you?" Charla asked the blonde. "you look so beaten up."
"I guess you can say that.." said Lucy with a small nod before she looks at the others. "by the way, what happened to you guys? I was all alone with the enemy a few minutes ago."
"Juvia wish we knew what has happened to us." Juvia replied as she looks confused while placing a hand to the side of her head. "at first, we were on our way to help you and Mira-san but then…"
"we don't remember what happened afterwards." Gray added in. "everything just went blank when we tried to get to you."
"then…you guys are here because?" Lucy asked.
"no clue." Gajeel stated while having his arms crossed on his chest. "the second we blacked out is the second we opened our eyes and find ourselves at this place." He waves a hand to motion their surroundings. "where are we anyway?"
"I don't know." said Lucy while shaking her head as she looks down. "that demon woman unleashed a powerful attack and.."
"demon woman? The enemy?" Wendy asked Lucy who nodded.
"yeah, but for some reason she was attacking her own comrades." Said Lucy before she shivers and holds herself. "and she…"
"Lucy, what's wrong?" Gray asked in seeing her reaction.
"sorry, it's just…" Lucy muttered out shakingly. "that woman just scares me and i…"
Everyone looks at the blonde all curiously and worriedly as they were sure that Lucy faced something terrifying while they were unconscious because of Allegria.
Gajeel looks sceptic at Lucy for a moment before he smells and hears something nearby that made his eyes turn hostile.
"look out!" Gajeel shouted as he turns his right arm into an Iron Dragon Sword that he swings and instantly clash with a blade arm from Torafuzar who appears behind him.
"more humans!" Torafuzar exclaimed as he push his arm blades against Gajeel's sword before he gets pushed back away.
Torafuzar flies in the air before he landed on the ground with a few skid marks as the shark demon stands up and is joined by Tempester and Keyes who appeared from the rubble nearby.
"seems that we got to cut the chit chat short." Said Gajeel as his Iron Dragon Sword disappears, and the man punches a fist to an open palm.
"it would seem so." Juvia nodded in agreement.
"Wendy, Charla. Get Lucy away from here and keep her safe." Said Gray to the duo as he, Gajeel, and Juvia face the three demons. "we'll handle these guys."
"yes! Please be careful!" said Wendy while Charla sprouted out her wings and carried Lucy up from her back.
Wendy and Charla moved Lucy and themselves away while Gray and the others went and got ready.
"to think that a single human could do this much damage…" Said Tempester. "they are truly creatures that need to be eliminated."
"agreed." Keyes nods while tapping his staff down to the ground causing the rings to jingle. "they were fated to be annihilated yet their destiny always gets hindered by unprecedented events. Truly curious."
"this time, the mission will be completed!" said Torafuzar while gripping his fists very hard.
Gray and the others got ready as both sides look sternly at one another before they lung in for the attack.
Meanwhile, somewhere around the rubble of Plutogrim.
Sayla flies and jumps around the rubble rocks as she stands upon top of a nearly broken down wall where she stands and looks down.
The black skinned demoness stares at the large black dome that is absorbing black particles in its surrounding area. Sayla gazes at the dome before she jumps and then hovers near it.
Sayla hovers by the dome before she pulls her head back and a big bulge can be seen coming up her throat and into her mouth that she opens to puke out a swirling black ball containing black particles.
The black ball of particles floats in front of Sayla before to the Black dome where it gets absorbed into.
The black dome started to grow bigger as black electricity dance around it for a moment.
Sayla growls a bit before she turns and flies away, leaving the black dome alone.
A growling noise is soon heard in the dome as there is only darkness within it.
The noise echoes inside before a puff of fire appears from a fanged skeletal mouth as a pair of glowing red demonic eyes soon appears.
A large monstrous shaped shadow rises in the dome that begins to have cracks that shines small rays of light within and reveal a bone covered skeletal monster that has pulsing black flesh with red pulsing vein marks.
That's a wrap!
Bye bye