Of all the people to meet and battle within the slowly collapsing Council building, it had to be the two who perhaps had the most power of all the humans around, with a few exceptions. Evanee, the ace of Twilight Zone stood a few yards away from Wizard Saint candidate and member of Tartaros, Ur. Needless to say, the incoming battle was going to be extremely dangerous for more than one reason. "Move or I'll end you." Evanee stated shortly. She was clearly not in the mood for this, and she was planning on rushing right through Ur if she had to. The aura emitting from her body showed that she was ready to skip any warm ups and get serious.

"That's cute…" Ur simply replied, her arms dropping to her sides as a blue aura appeared around her person. Almost on cue, the temperature in the room began to drop as a cold, thin mist filled the area.

Sherry was standing off to the side, nearly trembling. Not from the cold, but from the sheer power she was getting from the two mages. She knew of Evanee's strength due to the Grand Magic Games, where Evanee ended being the last one standing against things no one could've imagined. And Lyon told stories of Ur often, so she could only imagine that Ur was much stronger since then. "It's best I stay out of this battle…I'd only get in Evanee's way…" She nodded to herself before thinking about Lyon; she remembered how she felt upon learning that his teach was revived and evil. "Lyon-sama…"

Ur took the first move. She slid into the ice make stance, gathering a mass of magic within her palm. "Ice Make: Petal Dance!" Ur threw her hands forward, unleashing a spiral of beautiful, yet sharp ice petals, all traveling towards Evanee.

"If that wasn't obvious enough already…" Evanee said aloud before taking the defensive. She held her hands above her hand, gathering a large amount of magic in her hands. After a few seconds, she placed her hands forward and fired off a highly concentrated beam of light magic towards the incoming ice petals. The attacks seemed evenly matched, clashing in a rough stalemate while trying to overpower the other. Eventually, an explosion occurred, creating a smoke cloud that quickly vanished. Evanee wasn't finished yet. As soon as Ur was within her sights, Evanee conjured up vectors of water from the ground below Ur, incasing her in a cube of water. "Aquarial Rage."

While trapped in the cube, Ur merely gave a smirk. The cube was set to explode once Evanee clenched her fist, which she did, but Ur emitted a cold aura powerful enough to freeze the water just in time, only for it to explode into ice chunks, leaving Ur unharmed. "You'll have to try better than that…"

"She's a quick thinker…" Sherry commented aloud.

"Be quiet…" Evanee demanded Sherry, her tone clearly saying that she wasn't going to repeat herself. She was already a little annoyed that Ur managed to escape her attack, but she had to expect it coming from someone of Ur's power. Evanee then took the offensive once again, charging Ur with a plethora of close combat maneuvers. Ur returned the favor, locking the two in close combat that seemed to never end. Every punch thrown was blocked, every kick avoided. Neither of the females could get a leg up on the other. After both realized it was useless, they both hopped back, glaring at each other. "This is going nowhere…"

"It would be much easier if you just lay down and died…" Ur suggested while rolling her shoulders.

"I already told you, I'm making this as quick as possible." Evanee replied, now taking a deep breath with her hands cupped over her mouth. "Fornax." She then exhaled, unleashing a cloud of powerful toxins towards Ur.

Ur raised a brow, watching as the dangerous cloud slowly came towards her. She reached out to see what it could do; only to wince with it burned her hand. "I see…!" She then took a few steps back, spreading her arms out. "Ice Make: Freeze!" After this exclamation, a cold wind would suddenly take over the room, slowly solidifying the toxins coming her way.

Evanee saw such a move coming, and with Ur's last action, things were falling into place for her. A large magic seal appeared under Ur and the slowly freezing toxin cloud. "Lake of Fire."

Ur's eyes widened. She realized it, but perhaps too late. "Clever bi-" The flames erupted, reacting mainly with the toxins near the ice make wizard, resulting in a near catastrophic explosion that shook the Council HQ building so hard it was almost as if an earthquake struck.

Evanee knew such a combo was a heavy hitting one, but she knew Ur wouldn't be down, much to her dislike. At least, she thought so. "Is that it…?" She spoke too soon. In the next second, she felt a sharp, stinging sensation all throughout her body as an ice geyser shot up from the ground, encasing her in it successfully. "…!"

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Ur was seen relatively okay in a defensive position. Her jacket was gone (whether she stripped it off or it was burned off was unknown), and her body was covered in moderate to slightly heavy burn marks. Small chunks of ice could be seen around her feet. "Clever move, but my ice make reaction times will not be bested by the likes of you…"

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Siegrain and Odin limped into a secret room within the building, resembling Siegrain's office to a T. Only the captains and Siegrain knew about this room. Siegrain walked over to a desk, slamming a fist on it in anger. "I didn't think Tartaros would be so bold to make a move such as this…"

"They've wiped out nearly all of our guards as well…" Odin replied while stroking his chin, entering deep thought. "I hope the other captains are alright. We're to meet in this very room in case of an event like this…"

"That's right…" Siegrain nodded. "We need to decide on a course of action, and quickly. Hopefully the others show up soon…" And almost on that cue, Lahar, Kemuri, and Doranbolt walked into the secret room. "Ah, there you two are."

"There's fighting all over the place, sir…" Lahar explained while pushing up his glasses. "I've used runes to seal off all top-secret areas. Along with Doranbolt, we managed to find the civilians and place them in a safe area, since leaving the building isn't an option just yet."

"Runes have been placed around the civilians; they are completely out of harm's way," Doranbolt nodded.

"Now we can start the counter attack, sir." Kemuri said while smoking a cigar. "Unfortunately, Correll isn't here. So either he's occupied, or...maybe the worst has befallen him."

"I hope that is not the case..." Lahar said while shaking his head.

"Excellent work, all of you." Siegrain gave a nod of approval before turning over to the emergency contact lacrima. "Now, I believe it's time to rally those who are still alive…"

"As long as it's not Full Bright…" Odin said with a nod. And, right after that, Bright himself crashed through the ceiling, landing on the floor.

"Justice…." Bright weakly said.

"Coincidence would have him burst through the ceiling right after I say that…" Odin sighed. He felt too old for this.

"Report!" Siegrain exclaimed.

"SIR!" Bright suddenly sprang up, giving a salute to Siegrain. "The building is set with fighting! All the mages, including Layanna have entered combat with powerful mages!"

"Layanna is still alive? To be expected…" Siegrain have a nod. "What about Correll? Have you seen him?"

"I haven't seen Captain Correll…" Bright said, poking his fingers together sheepishly. Kemuri simply nodded at his own assesment from earlier.

"That's not good…" Lahar's eyes narrowed before looking to Siegrain. "What do we do now, sir?"

"We call in the cavalry, of course," Siegrain replied, now activating the lacrima. ""They'll" be sure to respond to our call. In the meantime, you five go out and assist the other mages."

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Takeru assisted the injured Selene down a hallway, mentally cursing himself that he was the cause of her injuries. "Did the shadows help?" Takeru asked.

"Yeah…" Selene gave a slow nod, trying not to wince from the pain. "Should've known that something like this would've happened…"

"Don't blame yourself…" Takeru replied. "None of us saw it coming…the council looked pretty shocked by it all, too. All we can do for now is hope that the others are okay, which they should be."

Selene stayed quiet for a moment. She closed her eyes, trying to sense all the scents in the building; which ones were still around and which ones were not. "It looks like everyone's okay for now…" Selene gave a slow nod, opening her eyes shortly after. "But a scent or two has vanished…"

"Vanished…?" Takeru blinked, looking down at the diamond slayer with a slightly confused look. "What do you mean, exactly?"

"One scent is just gone, but it's no one from any guild as far as I know…but Kairi's scent is strange. Like that one angel from awhile back…" Selene nodded once again, but this time a serious expression on her face. "I don't think she'll be alright as long as that scent is around…"

"Great…" Takeru let out a sigh. "We have to get you fixed up first…if only we could find Aira or someone…"

"There are three healers around…" Selene replied. "There's Aira, Wendy, and that sky god slayer one…"

"Alright, let's go," Takeru nodded, leading Selene in a random direction, but one that most likely had one of these healers.

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"How long have we been walking…?" Cana asked while staggering from left to right.

"It's only been about 10 minutes…" Alexander replied, his patience with Cana's drunkenness wearing thin.

"Now, now…" Tristan said with a slightly nervous smile. "Let's keep calm, Alexander-san. I'm sure she could put up a fight if she needed to…"

"Yeah!" Cana slurred her words, drinking from the flask she had stored in her dress pocket. "Ahh…~"

"She's getting worse…" Hikaru pointed out.

"I can see that…" Tristan replied with a nervous sweat drop. A few minutes passed before a portal opened up before Cana. "Cana-san, watch out!" Tristan clapped his hands, using his teleportation magic to warp Cana just a few feet away of the portal, which unleashed a sharp katana that had the power to decapitate someone.

"Whoa!?" Cana lurched up, sober now that she had to be alert. "What the hell was that?!"

"A portal…?" Alexander blinked a few times. It was nothing like he'd ever seen before, so why was it here?

Rugal stepped from the portal, taking his katana back in his hands. "Impressive reflexes…"

"That's a Tartaros member!" Alexander exclaimed, getting into a battle ready position.

"Oi, oi!" Blues exclaimed, running over to Rugal, standing a few feet behind him. "You thought you could escape my nose!?

"The annoyance is back, I see…." Rugal let out a heavy sigh, but he kept his back to Blues.

"You three lookin' for a small group?" Blues pointed down the hallway he came down. "Got some people down there! Just let me deal with him!"

"I'll assist you," Tristan said while sliding into his Steel Make position. "You three go on ahead, we can deal with this."

"Alright," Hikaru nodded, now running off with Alexander and Cana. "Keep up you two."

"This could prove to be interesting…" Rugal said as a smirk appeared on his lips. He looked at Blues, then to Tristan. "Please, provide me with some form of entertainment…"

.

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"Dark Rondo." Brain called out silently, pointing the staff forward. From it, a spiraling beam of Darkness Magic shot out towards Leon, Aira, and Juvia.

"Split off!" Aira exclaimed, and the three did. Aira to the left, Juvia to the right, and Leon back. After jumping back, Aira swung her arms, sending a large blade of wind towards Brain. "Air Slash!"

"Hmph…" Brain simply swayed his body to the side, completely avoiding the slash of wind sent. His reaction time was excellent, as he noticed Leon coming in with an Acid Dragon's Steel Fist. The acid slayer swung, but that was a miss too. Brain lifted his knee, slamming it into Leon's gut. "Trash." Brain then swung the staff at Leon's head powerfully, sending the acid slayer skidding across the floor on his back.

"Leon…!" Aira cried out.

"Water Cane!" Juvia yelled, whipping her arm back into a water whip, which she swung violently at Brain to potentially knock him back a few steps.

Juvia's plan failed. Each and every swing was a miss, Brain effortlessly swaying from side to side and avoiding all of them. "Water mage…" Brain pointed the staff towards Juvia, unleashing piercing beam of dark magic in her direction. "Dark Caprico."

"Huh…?" Juvia prepared to defend against the beam, but she realized something. It was bad news, so she leapt to the side. She was a second too late, as the beam hit her side pretty hard, piercing her Water Body ability. Juvia let out a shriek of pain before hitting the nearest wall, gripping her now bleeding side in effort to stop the bleeding. "W-Water body…didn't work…?"

"An attack that pierces any kind of defense due to its sheer power…" Brain said with a smirk, pointing towards the defenseless Juvia once again.

"Yah..!" Aira shortly cried out, aiming a powerful axe kick towards Brain's head. Brain reacted to the surprise quickly, using Koldoa as a shield which Aira's heel connected with.

"Ow!? Watch it!" Koldoa exclaimed.

Internally, Juvia, Aira, and Leon were all questioning if the staff just talked before continuing. Aira rushed Brain with a series of punches and kicks, most of which Brain avoided. The ones he didn't were blocked by Koldoa (involuntarily). "(He's been in prison for all this time, yet his reflexes still seem sharp…)" Aira thought to herself before catching movement out the corner of her eye. She hopped back, avoiding an incoming stab via Koldoa.

"Acid Dragon's Steel Fist!" Leon exclaimed once again, slamming his acid coated fist into Brain's back, burning away at his cape and some of his skin, sending him stumbling forward as a result.

"Ngh…" Brain grunted, immediately turning to face Leon. "Annoyance…" Before anyone could make another move, the ceiling above the floor fell apart and caved in. All four jumped out the way before crushed. Layanna and Kairi were in battle, and it was very heated. Layanna pointed two twin pistols at Kairi, unleashing blinding shots of light towards the out of control angel. Kairi dodged, allowing the two spheres to hit and crush the wall behind her.

"Kairi!?" Aira's eyes popped wide open. "What are you doing!?"

Kairi was unresponsive. Her mind was out of control and she was only focused on the one thing before her; Layanna. Kairi cupped her hands to her sides, gathering a large mass of light magic. She fired it forward at Layanna, Layanna dodged, and the one behind her happened to be Brain. "Wh!?" Before Brain could finish, the attack struck him directly, leaving him in KO. Koldoa fled the scene immediately after but no one noticed.

"We have to get out of here…" Leon nodded, lifting Juvia up to support her. "Can you walk?"

"Mhm…" Juvia nodded.

"Let's hurry…" Aira nodded as the three hurried off to escape the chaotic battle.

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Erza and Byron leapt forward, blades clashing and sparks flying from the collision of metal. Erza and Bryon jumped back, but that's when Heartless took the time to make her attack, throwing a card in the middle of the two. "Bang." The card exploded violently, sending the two requip mages flying into the nearest walls. "Hehe…"

"Ngh…" Erza groaned, slowly pushing herself from the rubble. The attack was faster than she could requip, something she had to keep in mind.

"I'll show you a bang!" Byron exclaimed while jumping into the air, his Explosive Hammer equipped. "But you won't be ready for it!" Byron slammed his hammer on the ground, creating multiple magic seals beneath Heartless and Erza.

"Not this again!" Erza grunted before requipping into her Flame Empress Armor, just in the nick of time as the seals exploded, consuming both females. Erza was relatively unharmed by this second explosion, and it didn't seem as though Heartless was either. "Now's the time…" Erza thought, rushing towards Heartless while requipping into her Giant's Armor, pulling her fist back.

"Oh my…my clothes are all dirty…" Heartless sighed. Her clothes were charred, but she was pretty much unharmed from the explosion. She turned just as Erza threw her fist, catching it with one hand and didn't even slide back. "Oh, you can do better than that, surely…" She teased before showing off her immense strength. She hurled Erza (in her Giant's Armor still) into Byron.

"Nani?!" Byron's eyes widened before he received a face full of Erza, grumbling angrily while she sat on top of him.

"What strength…" Erza admitted, surprised that Heartless had the strength to throw her in such heavy armor. She hopped off of Byron, giving him a quick stomp to the stomach before entering her Heaven's Wheel armor, soaring high into the air while creating a multitude of swords. "Heaven's Wheel!" Erza threw her hands forward, sending the swords raining down on Heartless and Bryon.

"My, my…playing with sharp tools…" Heartless chuckled as a bright pink glow appeared around her hands. Whatever it was, it was as sharp as steel, allowing Heartless to easily deflect the incoming swords onto Byron, who used his Absorption Shield to take the blows.

"What the hell is this woman…!?" Byron groaned, holding onto his double edged blade. "It's like she's a demon or something! She's got a counter for everything and nothing done to her is fazing her!"

"Heheh…" Heartless giggled, dropping her guard while Erza fell to the floor, staring alert. "That's because I am a demon, sweet heart…"

"A demon…?" Bryon blinked a few times before grinning, evilly at that. He approached Heartless, pointing one end of his blade to her chest, specifically where her heart would be. "That's adorable. You think you're invincible then, is that it?"

"I don't think…" Heartless replied with a sweet smile. "I know…"

"Let's test that then!" Byron exclaimed, prompting shoving his blade into her chest after. Blood spurted out and began to trail down Heartless' lip after. She went limp in place, causing Erza's eyes to widen and Byron to smirk. "Big talk…"

"For a human, that is…" Heartless immediately responded, startling Byron. Heartless gripped onto the hilt of the dual edged blade, her strength keeping Byron's hands in place. "Humans talk so big when they get crazy ideas. I'll go slay a demon!" She said the last part in a mocking tone. "Some just aren't worthy of walking Earthland freely…" With that, Heartless pushed the blade out of her chest and stabbed the other one into Byron's chest. That was it, Byron was done. Heartless dropped Byron's now lifeless body onto the ground and dusted off her bloody hands, looking at Erza. "He was being a bit of an annoyance, wouldn't you say…?"

Erza remained silent for a second before entering a stance. "I didn't expect that I would fight you so soon…but I won't give you any mercy, I hope you know that. You've harmed those in my guild, and for that, you must pay…"

"I've been interested in seeing what Titania could do…" Heartless grinned, rolling her shoulders. The two auras of the females caused Siegrain's office to shake vigorously. "Now, let's get started."

Next time: Erza vs. Heartless!