Chapter 65
Plutogrim
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Magic"
Flashback
Location / Date / Time Skip
Hell's Core
"That hurt… why'd you hit me too?" Lamy groaned out from the destroyed lab.
"Has she lost control of herself?" Lisanna questioned.
Mirajane stood up just in time for Sayla to charge her. "She's… to strong!" She groaned out at as the demon dragged her around. Latching on, Mira gripped her arm in a desperate ploy. 'I need to take her over. It has to work.'
"What a fool." Sayla declared. "You will never take control of me." She came to a stop and pulled her arms back. "I give myself this command: tear my enemy limb from limb!" She swung her arms and slashed into Mirajane, spraying blood everywhere.
"STOP IT!" Lisanna begged before Lamy suddenly pinned her to the ground.
"You gotta watch this next part! This is where your sister gets completely wrecked!" The smaller demon chuckled. "I forgot to ask, any hot guys in your guild?"
A final pair of slashes forced Mirajane to the ground. She stopped her fall and charged, latching onto Sayla's leg. "Try as you might, you will never take control over me." The demon declared as the human glowed in power. "Let. GO!" The Etherious flexed her power and blasted Mirajane back.
'That weakness I just felt… was her Take Over spell working on me? Impossible! I'm an Etherious! She's too dangerous to let her live!' Energy started gathering around her hands as Mirajane forced herself up. All four eyes glowed on Sayla before she charged.
"This Marco curse…" Mirajane groaned out. "…once you control someone with it, you can do it anytime you want. That's what you said, right? I gave an order. Let's see if it works. Elfman, protect your family."
Sayla turned to see Elfman falling from the ceiling, a fist aimed at her. "So be it…" Sayla mumbled before snapping her eyes open. "My pet… rise to my aid!"
In the shadows of the lab, a figure stood up from a tub. Unleashing a monstrous roar, a snarling beast jumped and speared Elfman in the gut, sending him tumbling backwards. Mirajane and Lisanna gasped as Elfman pushed himself up. "No… it can't be…"
Circling Sayla on clawed hands and feet was another demon. Brown-grey stone scales covered the body and the eyes, leaving only a mouth of fangs. Brown hair flew from the top, a few short pale spikes sticking out as horns. A long tail burst out of his pants, ending in long pale spikes. A pendant dangled from around the neck as the scar over the mouth made it all to clear who this was. "Nicholas…?" Mirajane asked horror.
"That name means nothing to him now." Sayla declared as the feral beast nuzzled against her leg. "Now, he is one of us. A pure demon of destruction. I think I shall call him Abatu." She rubbed her hand under his chin, making him lean into it. "Now, join me and kill your former friends."
Kyouka kneeled on the ground before Mard Geer, shame in her eyes. "Lord Mard Geer, I bear bad news. It seems we underestimated our enemy. The Face plan has failed, and Ezel and Franmalth are defeated."
"Add the Hell's Core to that list." He declared. "Seems Sayla and your new pet are holding their own in its remains."
"Truly, that is good news." She replied. "But I fear it won't be enough. We must summon our master now."
"I'm afraid that we cannot." The leader said, confusing Kyouka. "There is a considerable obstruction to that goal in this world. I'm talking about Magic Power. In order to revive him, it must be eradicated."
"That's what we were trying to achieve with the detonation of Face, but it failed." She reminded him.
"I pity you, Kyouka." Mard Geer mumbled, confusing her again. "You've never been able to see the big picture, have you? Face was just a spec. A minuscule point in a much large strategy. One such as myself can see it quite clearly. Faces failure was just a small point among many. It's nothing worth our worry. In time, the world's magic power shall cease to exist."
"How can you be so sure?" She asked back.
"Kyouka, tell me what we are." He ordered, ignoring her question.
"We are Zeref's demons, Etherious." She answered.
"What is are goal?"
"To revive Master END, and return to Zeref." She replied.
"And what are humans?"
"Vile and disgusting creatures." She declared before green vines wrapped around her, making her scream in pain. "Lord Mard Geer, why are you-" Her mask cracked and she gasped in pain.
"You brought humans to our fortress and made them your playthings." He explained. "This fondness you have for humans will be your undoing. This behavior displeases me. I cannot abide my subordinate playing with such lowly insects. And thus, you must be punished for your crime. Not playing with them, but displeasing me."
"I understand, lord." She gasped out. "Thank you for the lesson."
"Those detestable humans…" Mard Geer growled. "Their ineffective actions do not concern me in the slightest. But the thought of them in my home disgusts me. Perhaps this calls for Alegria."
"Lord Mard Geer…" Kyouka gasped out. "The Alegria… it will kill our own soldiers."
"Consume everything." He replied, walking away from her. "Sacrifice. We are bearing witness to the cycle of death and rebirth. Those foolish humans were doomed from the second they stepped foot on our base. This cube is a prison from which none shall escape."
With Natsu And Lucy
The two raced down the hall as Lucy tried to cobble together something to cover herself. "Do you where were going?" She asked.
"Yeah, I can smell Mirajane nearby." He answered. "Same with Lisanna and Nicholas."
'Hello, can you hear me?' Warrens voice echoed through their heads. 'Still haven't found Mirajane yet, but we're getting close to where Elfman took off to.'
"Warren, I need to send a message to everyone. The blonde said. "Can you make it so that everyone heads my voice?"
'Gimme a second… go ahead.' He declared.
"Wendy and Carla pulled it off. I don't know how they did it, but they stopped Face!" She relayed, making everyone cheer.
'Master, can you hear me?' Happy asked. 'We meet the soul of Master Hades. He said even though we stopped Face, it's not over yet. Hades said to tell you to 'unleashed the light'.'
Before Makarov could question, Warren screamed in pain before a new voice spoke up. 'Pardon the interruption. I wish to speak to the Wizard Guild Fairy Tail.'
"Who the hell are you?"' Natsu growled.
'The Underworld King, Mard Geer.' The newcomer declared. 'But knowing who I am won't save you. For none of you shall live to see tomorrow. Alegria.'
The entire cube began shaking before the very walls seem to come alive, latching onto everyone it could. "The hell is this stuff!?" Natsu shouted as he sank into a wall.
"Natsu!" Lucy was blown back upwards, seeing even the Tartaros soldiers getting trapped in the membrane.
The shaking finally stopped as the members of Tartaros walked away from their now trapped opponents. "The boss sure likes using boring curses." Zero mumbled. "We probably won't meet again." He walked away, only for a feeling of magic to surprise him. "Magic Power… Someone actually survived. Not bad."
"Someone has escaped the Alegria…" Mard Geer mumbled. "The chances of surviving that curse less than one in a billion… Tragic fortune, one single soul left to suffer alone in the underworld."
Lucy fell to the floor and pushed herself up. "What is all this? What happened?" She questioned as she looked around the entire base.
"Are you alright, milady?" The blonde looked up to see Horolugium hanging among tendrils. "My instincts told me you were in danger, so I came at once to save you. Sadly, I won't be able to save you again. Take care."
The spirit returned to the Spirit world before the entire base started shaking and forced her to the ground. 'Members of Tartaros.' Mard Geer's voice echoed not only in her head but the entire base. 'We removed all the intruders within the Cube. The Face project may proceed as planned.'
A strange dark liquid flooded down the chamber, taking Lucy with it. 'However, it seems one human was able to escape the Alegria. I shall grant the title of Demon Gate to the one who kills her.' Clinging onto a piece of wood, Lucy pushed herself up and got out of the water. 'Should a Demon Gate kill her, Mard Geer will grant them a prize.'
'I don't know what's going on, but it looks like everyone is trapped.' Her mind was going a hundred miles a minute as soldiers started chasing her. Unfurling her whip, she cracked it and knocked the surfing men into the water, sending them down the stream.
"Open, Gate of the Archer - Sagittarius!"
The archer spirit appeared and peppered the guards before Lamy was shown spinning along the water. "I'll get a promotion! I'll get a promotion!" She sang aloud.
"Leave her to me." The costumed spirit fired a volley, only for the arrows to bounce off.
"Those things won't work on my slippery curse." Lamy chucked before bouncing into the chest.
"Sagittarius, close! Open, Gate of the Maiden - Virgo!"
The maid appeared and started surfing, angering Lamy. "Princess, something is here!" Virgo shouted as Torafuzar dived at the blonde. Countering, she summoned Loke who blocked the fin arm.
Demon and spirit stared each other down before they started trading punches. 'Lucy can't keep this up for much longer. She's already used a lot of power.' Loke thought. 'I have to end this now.'
"Well, lookie here." Lucy turned around to see Jackal standing above the river. "This won't be as much fun without pinky, but it'll do."
'Didn't he blow up?' The human asked as she unfurled her whip. Launching it, she was shocked as Jackal caught it.
"Did you forget what I can do?" The entire whip exploded, knocking her back in pain.
"Don't play with her. Just kill her." Torafuzar shouted.
"The fireball and the cat are dead, I gotta take out my anger on her." He chuckled back, sending an explosion that knocked her into the water.
Popping out with a key in her hand, Lucy growled in anger. "I can't lose! Not until I save everyone! Open, Gate of the Water Bearer - Aquarius!"
"Three gates at once!?" Loke was in shock as the mermaid appeared in the world.
"Idiot…" She growled in annoyance.
"She actually did it." Loke mumbled in shock.
"Stay back." Aquarius ordered as water swirled around her jug. Anger in her eyes, she swung her it and unleashed a torrent of water, blasting Jackal and Lamy into the drink.
"Lucy, that's enough!" Leo shouted.
"Close one of our gates while you can!" Virgo added
Aquarius looked down and gasped as the shark like demon was swimming towards them. "He can swim through my current!?"
"Water is my field of expertise." Torafuzar declared before breaching, slashing Aquarius in the shoulder.
"We're coming!" Leo and Virgo surfed over in a hurry.
"I won't let you…" Jackal said from behind before blasting both.
The dust settled and both Spirits stumbled forward. "With one attack…" Virgo mumbled as the two started returning to their world.
"Sorry, Lucy." Loke whispered as the two left, Lucy collapsing in exhaustion.
"What, summoning three of them was her trump card?" Jackal chuckled as the three demons looked down at her
"She probably can't move anymore cause she used too much magic." Lamy pointed out.
"I'll kill her with one blow." Torafuzar declared,
"Isn't that boring?" Jackal chuckled.
"Yeah, torture her some more!" Lamy cheered. "But I want to get the prize, kay?" Jackal waved his hand and a bomb went off on her leg, making the two laugh. "She looks so pathetic!"
"Enough if this. If you won't kill her, I will." Torafuzar declared.
Jackal slowly turned to the fish demon and glared back. "Weren't you on our side? You want me to kill you first?"
Torafuzar returned the glare before turning to leave. "It's pointless to talk to you."
"What are you gonna do next, Jackal?" Lamy asked, holding Lucy up by her arms. "How about her uselessly huge boobs? Make them go boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!" Jackal suddenly had his hands in her head and detonated a bomb, killing her.
"And now I can think." Jackal chuckled before water suddenly forced him back.
"Lucy, listen." Aquarius spoke up. "I can't stop him, none of us can. You're only hope is to summon the Celestial Spirit King. He's the strongest of all the spirits."
"But I don't have his key." Lucy declared.
"He doesn't have one." The mermaid explained. "You summon him by breaking a gold key as a tribute! But you need a strong level of trust between the two."
"I can't do something like that!" The blonde shouted.
"Break my key." Aquarius requested, shocking Lucy. "I'm not sure about trust, but we've been working together for a long time."
"I CAN'T DO THAT!" Lucy shouted as Jackal pushed against the water. "There has to be another way!"
"It's the only way." The spirit said back. "It's not like I'll be dead. You just won't be able to see me again. I'm looking forward to it."
"I'd stop talking if I were you." Jackal chuckled as he was within arm's reach.
"DO IT!"
Tears in her eyes, Lucy pulled out the key and held it tight. "OPEN, GATE OF THE KING!"
"I have faith in you, Lucy." Aquarius chuckled as she and the water vanished. A comet suddenly crashed into the Plutogrim, slicing it in half.
The pieces fell to the ground as Lucy cried over her loss, Jackal struggling to stand up. Floating in the air, the Spirit King looked down as Mard Geer stepped into view. "The Celestial Spirit King…"
It is really hard to get excited about a chapter when it centers on your LEAST favorite character in the whole show. Seriously, I have no idea how she RANDOMLY survived and all the useful characters got stuck in that membrane. So I added a believable explination amd moved on. On the plus side, did something interesting with an OC. That's pretty cool. See ya next time.
Beta read by General Feng Xiang