"…And that's what love is about!" Chelia exclaimed, finishing her long winded explanation to Luke about what she believed love was.
"…I seriously regret asking now…" Luke said with a classic anime sweat drop on the side of his head.
"I have a little more to say…!" Chelia began.
"Oh please no this has been going on for about twenty minutes…" Luke groaned, hunching over as he walked.
"You seem like something is still bothering you whenever I bring love up…" Chelia said while tapping her chin. "You can let go of something and still love it, you know?"
"Huh…?" Luke blinked.
"Never mind…" Chelia sighed, placing her hands behind her head. "Where are we going…we've been wandering around for a while now. I don't think we've been making much progress…if any at all."
"You're telling me…" Luke let out a heavy sigh. "I've never been good with directions…"
"I've been following YOUR lead!" Chelia began to flail her arms around in a comical fashion. "You decide to tell me this NOW?"
"You never asked?" Luke replied.
"You two argue like siblings…" A familiar voice rang out, causing the two to snap their head sin that direction. Diana walked out while giving a slow clap, a bright smile on her face. "My, my…"
"Oh for the love of…" Luke started while sliding into a defensive stance.
"You're…" Chelia froze in fear. She remembered what she went through because of Diana in the past months.
"It's so good to see the both of you again~!" Diana chimed. Her happy expression only meant bad news for Luke and Chelia. "It's been too long…"
"Not long enough…" Luke replied. He then turned to Chelia and whispered. "Oi…let's make a break for it. It's never good when she has that bright smile plastered over her ugly mug…"
"Oh, no…you two aren't going anywhere quite yet…" Diana said in a disapproving tone while waving her finger around.
"Yet…?" Chelia blinked a few times.
"You both have something that belongs to me…" Diana stated, her tone growing much, much darker. "You, Luke, I can't do anything about. Aside from brutally murder you of course…But you…" Diana shifted her gaze to Chelia. "I remember giving you something awhile back, and I want it back now."
"N-Nani…?" Chelia blinked a few times before it clicked; the power that sent her out of control a few months ago. Black Sky. "You can't…"
"Give it to me…" Diana demanded while pointing two fingers forward, moving them in the "come here" motion.
"Wh…" Before Chelia could finish a word, her eyes went pitch black. Then, a black aura exploded around her body as she let out a high pitched scream. The dark aura began to push Luke back a bit.
"Oi…!? What the hell?!" Luke used his arm to cover himself from the sheer power erupting from the sky god slayer.
"Well this isn't good…" Diana frowned. "It appears my magic has been getting quite snug in your body…It's not going to remove itself if I keep going like this…"
"Then knock it off!" Luke shouted.
"Oh, but there's no fun in that…!" Diana replied as a smile suddenly replaced her frown. "I wanna see what happens if I do keep going!"
"Dammit…!" Luke cursed. The aura around Chelia was too strong for him to even make a move. He was stuck, and he couldn't do anything to help her. At this rate, another person would die under his watch.
.
.
Kairi sprinted down a large corridor. She wasn't running from anything, but she was certainly hurrying to see if she could find anyone. "Huff…huff…Why did I decide to wear heels…You know what." She stopped for a moment, kicking her heels off and carried them with her now. "Much better…" A slight sigh of relief escaped her lips before she continued running. This sprint continued for a few moments before she crashed into another person, falling on her butt. "oof…"
"Watch it…!" Correll exclaimed, rubbing his head after. He realized who it was and immediately dropped the attitude, sticking his hand out to help Kairi. "Oh, forgive me, Kairi. I didn't know it was you. This whole attack thing has me slightly on edge."
"Correll…" Kairi took the captain's hand, using it to stand up. "Don't worry about it…I'm just glad to see you're okay. I wish I could say the same for the others."
"I was heading to the security room," Correll stated, pointing in the direction Kairi came from. "It's back in that direction." He then began to walk, stopping a few yards away from Kairi before turning around. "How rude of me…Kairi, you should come with me. It's dangerous to be around here alone."
"Mhm…" Kairi nodded, taking a step forward…but then stopped as she felt a presence behind her. She was bound to her current location for some reason. "W-What's going on…? I-I can't move…"
"You're…" Correll started.
"Heartless of Dealer, yes." Heartless replied to Correll while standing behind Kairi, slowly tracing a symbol of a heart on her back. "My, my…Kairi Aryes, I'm surprised to see you here, at a Council event at all…especially after what happened to your guild mate."
"S-Shut up…" Kairi replied, attempting to free herself from the mysterious hold Heartless had on her, but she was struck.
"Release her this instant," Correll ordered, magic seals appearing on his fist which enlarged them to x3 their original size.
"Not yet, handsome," Heartless replied with a grin before going back to tracing her symbol on Kairi's back. "Now, now, Kairi…you should stop hiding how you really feel. I have the ability to sense emotions from you humans, you know; and might I say, you're quite the mess. Outside you're pretending to have gotten over the death of your guild mate, but on the inside…you're still seething with anger, and wretched with sadness. It's quite a mess in there, you know."
"But Skye was here…!" Kairi protested. "She's here in spirit, and I'm okay with that!"
"Stop lying to yourself." Heartless stated. "She may be here in spirit as you claim, but did she ever have to die in the first place?" Upon hearing that question, Kairi froze in place, eyes widening.
"Kairi, don't listen to her…" Correll said, attempting to sway Kairi away from Heartless' manipulation.
"Sssh, Captain…she's quite attentive now, don't ruin that." Heartless gave a small smile, halfway done with her trace now. "You see, Kairi…the Council took Skye away from you. And this man right here played a role in that. He even wanted to pull the switch. You weren't strong enough to protect Skye back then…but you know what you can do now…? You can unleash your anger…unleash Lucifer. Skye would be very happy to see that her death was not in vain…" After that, Heartless finished the trace of the heart on Kairi's back, which now began to glow a bright pink. "Done."
"What the hell did you do!?" Correll asked.
"Oh, you shouldn't be worried about me anymore…" Heartless aid as she began to walk off. "I think you should be more worried for yourself, pretty boy…~"
After Heartless left, a magic seal appeared above Kairi's head. The entire Council building (or at least that wing) began to shake violently. Kairi's body changed drastically, a white armored v-neck top appeared, extending her hands, which were fitted into red gloves. White, dress-like pants appeared around her legs, and red boots at her ankles. A black lightning bolt mark traveled from her left collar bone to her right cheek, finally ending with her hair becoming a darker shade of violet. She entered Takeover: Lucifer, and there was no stopping the incoming rage.
"W-Wait a minute…!" Correll pleaded. "Kairi, stop! Listen to me!"
.
.
Laxus, in his Dragon Force, slid back across the floor on a knee, panting heavily as he stared up at Daityas. Daityas was nothing like a foe Laxus faced before. Certainly stronger than Hades on Tenorujima. "G-Gah…"
"Impressive power for a human…" Daityas admitted while slowly walking towards Laxus. "But did you really think you could come at me with power like that?"
"You're a freakin' monster…" Laxus admitted while standing up once again, allowing lightning to form around his fist. "But I'll make sure ya pay for what ya did a few months ago…I hope you said your prayers."
"Oh…?" Daityas raised a brow, interested in what Laxus was about to do. "A monster, you say…? No, that's quite inaccurate. I am the devil."
"I don't give a damn what'cha are," Laxus replied. "I just know that I'm gonna end things right here." With that, Laxus activated Lightning Body, and charged forward with his lightning coated fist held back. "Secret Slayer Art: Roaring Thunder!" Once reaching Daityas, Laxus threw his fist forward.
"…." Daityas remained silent. When the attack came, he let it hit his cheek. Daityas only slid back a few feet as a thunderous shockwave boomed out. The electric shock was nothing more than an annoyance than anything else, but there was a bruise on his cheek. "Is that it…?"
"…!" Laxus' eyes narrowed. "So that's a love tap for you, is it?"
"Don't look so surprised now…" Daityas said while allowing his flames to appear around his hand, burning Laxus' hand as a result. Seconds later, he threw Laxus into a nearby wall, giving a slow, menacing walk. "You thought you could come at me with your "feelings" from what I did to your guild awhile back? How pathetic. If anyone in your guild couldn't even touch me back then, what makes you think you stood a chance?" Daityas then raised his hand up, allowing Hell Flames to surround it. "Remember that when I send you on a one way trip to hell. It's a treat, on me." Before Daityas could do anything else, a large explosion shook the area. "Hm…?" A body flew from the ceiling, causing Daityas to jump back. "What's this…?"
"Ngh…?" Laxus looked over at the body, slightly surprised at who it was. Correll. "What the hell happened now…!?"
"Oh, look at that…" Daityas chuckled. "He's dead." He then looked up, spotting Kairi in her Lucifer form descending to the ground. "Oh, what a bother…Looks like you get to live for today, Dreyar." After that, Daityas vanished in a blue flame.
"Oh great…" Laxus stood up again, glaring at Lucifer before him. "This thing again….lovely…"
"…." Kairi stared at Laxus before flying through the ceiling once again. She was going somewhere…
"I don't think I like the way this is going…"
.
.
"Ugh…" Zalen groaned, realizing he was lying in some rubble. "Great…" He sat up, dusting himself off. "I gotta make sure to wash down as soon as possible…"
"Need a hand…?" Mirajane asked with her usual smile, extending her hand towards Zalen.
"Oh, thanks…" Zalen gave his own smile while reaching for Mirajane's hand…only to pull away and give a suspicious look after. "…Did you wash your hands?"
"H-Huh…?" Mirajane blinked a few times before shaking her head. "I haven't had the time to since the party started…and then this started."
"Fair enough…" Zalen nodded. "At least put on a glove, first. I don't want to catch your germs."
"I don't…" Mirajane sighed. Heavily. She was actually starting to get just a little annoyed. "It's dangerous around here, ne? I don't think we have the time to be cautious about germs…"
"Maybe you don't, you germ infested woman! I'm not catching any diseases because of you!" Zalen replied. "But I'm not going to get sick just because no one thought about hygiene in the middle of a crisis!"
Suddenly, a purple aura would appear around Mirajane's person as a scowl replaced her smile. "Get moving."
The color drained away from Zalen's face as he stood up, dusting himself off with a nervous smile and nod. "A-As you wish!"
.
.
"We're so lost…" Carla sighed while walking around with the other exceeds; Happy, Lector, and Frosch.
"Who would've thought Tartaros and the Oracion Seis would've attacked…" Happy replied while looking around. "I hope everyone is okay…we're all separated."
"Sting-kun will be fine, and he'll be sure to protect anyone he's with!" Lector shouted with confidence.
"Rogue is strong to protect anyone too!" Frosch chimed in.
"The constant shaking of this building has me extremely worried nonetheless…" Carla replied. "Especially when I don't know where Wendy or Cynthia is…The last I saw of Cynthia was when that Sora girl had her wrapped in shadows…as for Wendy, I'm still concerned for her condition after that Hyde incident…I don't think she's ready to fight."
"Sounds like you worry too much!" Lector nodded, patting Carla on the back a few times in a reassuring fashion, but this only sparked slight jealously from Happy.
"Maybe…" Carla sighed, giving just a slight smile. "But still, who knows what could be happening to the others…"
.
.
Cana, Tristan, Alexander, and Hikaru were all stuck together in a corridor. The rubble blocked off one way, so they only had one other to go. Of course, out of the four of them, Cana was quite drunk. "Are we going the right waaaay~"
"Ugh…" Hikaru pinched her nose, groaning at the heavy scent of alcohol emanating off Cana. "The smell is so powerful…how much beer did you have…?"
"I lost count after 20…" Cana replied with a slur.
"Lovely…" Alexander sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Lost, stuck with a drunk, and we could be attacked from any angle at any time."
"If the smell of alcohol wasn't so strong I would be able to detect some people nearby…" Hikaru replied, actually silently cursing her sensitive nose for a time like this.
"We'll just have to be careful about every move we make, then," Tristan said with a nod. "There's four of us total, so we should be able to outmatch anyone who wishes to attack."
"Speaking of…" Alexander said while squinting at the other side of the hallway. "I think someone is approaching."
"Be ready…." Hikaru somehow managed to say without gagging.
"WAAAAIT!" A Council Guard ran towards the group, panting heavily. This council guard had blonde hair and wore sunglasses. "You four are in danger!"
"…No kidding." Alexander replied with the roll of his eyes.
"Who's this guy…?" Cana asked.
"IN JUSTICE WE TRUST!" The guard suddenly exclaimed, causing everyone to jump a bit.
"That didn't answer the question…" Tristan said while eying the male suspiciously.
"Oh, you asked for my name! That's easy! I am the shining example of justice within the Magic Council, Full Bright Justice!" The guard replied with a nod.
"Oh boy…" Hikaru let out a sigh. She could already tell what kind of person this guard was. "Wait a moment…we haven't seen a Council Guard since the attack happened. I thought they were all wiped out?"
"Is that so…? How unfortunate…" Bright nodded, giving a solemn nod. "But, I'll carry on their names in the name of justice!"
"I think he's missing the point…" Tristan said with a sigh. "So tell me, Bright-san…where were you at the party?"
"Oh, that's easy." Bright nodded a few times. "I was the one who was in charge of making sure no suspicious people made it through with my scanner!"
"…Wait, hold on a minute." Cana seemed to snap out of her drunken episode to reprimand the council guard. "The entire reason this is happening is BECAUSE people snuck into the party! And YOU were the one in charge of that!?"
"Hey, mistakes happen!" Bright said in a defensive tone. He poked his fingers together in a sheepish manner, looking down at the ground. "I may have lost my scanner somewhere….."
"So you're telling us that this entire situation is because you lost something that would've let everyone know those dark mages were here?" Hikaru asked with a brow raised.
"…Yes…" Bright replied with a slow nod.
"Unbelievable!" Cana threw her arms up as if she gave up on the current situation. "People's lives are at stake here! I'm more responsible than you when I'm balls to the wall drunk!"
"…Ma'am, would you happen to be "balls to the wall drunk" right now?" Bright asked.
"Yeah, so?" Cana replied while crossing her arms.
"Then I'm afraid I'll have to take you in for public intoxication. And in the Council HQ no less…shame…" Bright said while digging in his pockets for magic sealing cuffs.
"Oh, NOW you decide to be diligent in your duties! Okay!" Cana's expression was now a comical angry one.
"IN JUSTICE WE TRUST!" Bright exclaimed. "How else am I supposed to set a shining example of my justice to the other members of the Council!"
"That saying is starting to get annoying…" Hikaru admitted.
"Starting…?" Tristan replied with a raised brow towards Hikaru.
"I don't mean to interrupt this..." Alexander started. "But I believe we were in the middle of something…?"
"Oh right…" Cana placed her hand on Bright's face, and shoved him to the ground without a care. "Sorry, Justice Boy, but we've got more important matters." After that, Cana began to walk off, stumbling to the left and right down the hall…"
"I don't think you can just shove a council guard to the ground like that, Cana-san…" Tristan said with a slight sweat drop, but Cana was already gone by this point. "I guess we've no choice." Tristan and the others then began to follow behind the drunken Cana.
"How rude…" Bright said while rubbing his head. He then turned around, a slight smirk curling onto his lips. His teeth changed into fangs, vampire fangs no less. His body dipped into the shadows before his true form was revealed. "A tasty dinner…lovely…"
Just behind the mysterious assailant, Yumia and Yukia watched from the rubble that blocked part of the hallway. "Ooh boy…" Yumia said while leaning back against Yukia. "Looks like Shade got in here somehow…"
"This will be interesting…" Yukia replied. "I hope there's blood. Squeee…."