Lisia stood before Lucy, her eyes locked on the Celestial Mage. She smiled, taking a few steps forward. "So you've come. I must say, I didn't expect someone like you to arrive here. I would've expected someone far more powerful, if I am to be honest." She said, her voice low and soothing.
Lucy was taken aback by her words. She wasn't sure if she was being praised or mocked. Either way, it was clear that Lisia didn't see Lucy as much of a threat. "I-I'm stronger than I look!" Lucy declared, her fists clenched. "And I'm not going to let you get away with what you're doing!"
"I see. You're quite determined to stop me, aren't you? Well, that's fine. But...you don't have what it takes, do you? I can sense it. You're a Celestial Spirit Wizard...yet a rather weak one. I sense a strong amount of fear within you."
"...!" She wouldn't be off. Lucy was naturally intimidated by Lisia, who seemed to radiate an aura of power. Yet, she was able to keep her cool and not back down. Barely.
"Tell me, what do you hope to accomplish here? Why do you even bother?" Lisia asked, her eyes narrowing.
"I... want to stop you. And I also want to help Gray get Erza back. You took her away from our guild and even though I don't know her that much...even though I'm still a new member of Fairy Tail, I want to do what I can to save a fellow guildmate." Lucy answered, believing in her drive to save Erza and stop the Void Kingdom's advances. "That's what I want to accomplish."
"Hm. I understand. It is a pity, isn't it? Erza has suffered in such a short amount of time." Lisia looked away, her eyes closed. "But, it's all for the sake of Master Natsu. All for the sake of his goals, and his dreams. If Erza must be a part of it, so be it. But let it be known...that I do feel for her."
"You do?"
"I do. For every living thing, I feel great pity and sorrow. Every moment of pain and suffering, I feel sympathy." Lisia's voice grew softer, her eyes opening up. She looked at Lucy with a gentle expression. "But, if I must, I will go beyond such sympathy to ensure that Master Natsu succeeds. If Erza has to be a slave to that...then I have to do what I have to do."
"But if you feel that, then you should let her go! What kind of sympathy is that if you don't do anything about it?! If you really sympathize with Erza, you'd do something about it!" Lucy argued.
"I would. But, I know the outcome of all things. I've seen true despair in my life once. Despair of untold horrors. I know better and how life truly is for all. If I could relieve everyone of the eventual suffering...then and only then, will I know true peace and true love."
"...!" Lucy didn't understand what Lisia meant, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. She could tell that the woman was a lot older than she looked, and it seemed like she had a lot of experience with life. Lucy just shook her head, dismissing these thoughts as she got ready to take her on.
"You will feel the same. I will briefly end this...by taking your soul." Lisia held her hand out, prepared to unleash a soul blast at Lucy. However, she would be stopped from doing so. For, a moment later, Lucy's keys would start glowing. Her Celestial Keys started reacting to something, and the blonde knew just what it was. However, it seemed to be more intense than usual.
"What...?" Lucy gazed at her keys, seeing them glow. In reality, it was responding to Lisia's magic.
"Demonic Body: Soul Absorption." Her hand transformed into that demonic appearance once more, ready to steal Lucy's soul by unleashing a black and purple misty wave from her hand.
Lucy quickly ran to the side, narrowly avoiding Lisia's attack. The wave phased through the walls, missing its target. However, Lucy was quick to act, grabbing her key ring. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!"
Summoned to her aid was the bull, Taurus, who was as excited as always to see his favorite wizard.
"Hey Lucy, glad you've brought me out! I get to take a gander at you some more~." He said, giving his usual greeting. As soon as he locked onto his opponent, his eyes bulged out, stunned by the woman standing there. "M-M-MOOWWW~!" The bull was smitten with Lisia's beauty, not even bothering to take her seriously. "I think I'm in love with her, too!"
"L-Love?! Are you serious?!" Lucy exclaimed. "Now isn't the time for that!" She said. Taurus ignored her and instead charged straight at Lisia. His head lowered as he was prepared to strike with his axe. The cow was determined to impress her and win her heart.
"Hmmm...a rather simple-minded spirit, I see." Lisia simply scoffed at Taurus, raising her demonic arm and stopping the bull in its tracks, gripping his head with a single hand.
"M-Moo?" Taurus' expression was one of shock as he tried to push himself forward. He swung his axe around, but to no avail as it missed its mark entirely. Lisia effortlessly lifted the bull over her head and tossed him back towards Lucy. He crashed into the floor and rolled to a halt, groaning loudly.
"Taurus! Are you okay?!" Lucy rushed to her spirits side, helping him to his feet.
"Yeah...I'm alright...just a bit winded..." Taurus muttered as he stood up. However, as soon as he got up, looking at Lisia's arm, he gasped. The way that arm appeared shocked the Golden Bull as it correlated back to why the keys were glowing to begin with. "No way...!"
"What's wrong, Taurus? What is it?"
"That arm...Don't tell me she's got that kind of magic?! That ain't right!"
"What? What kind of magic?!" Lucy then looked over Lisia, soon focusing on her arm.
"Back in the Celestial Spirit World...we've got some stuff that's bad news. Way back then, we had a bad run-in with demons and their kind of magic." Taurus narrowed his eyes.
"D-Demons?!" The mere mention of such a name shocked Lucy instantly. She didn't think demons would be brought up. Then gain, she did hear Lisia say Demonic Body when using her magic.
"The Celestial Spirit is correct. What you see before you is a form of Lost Magic. Demonic Body." Lisia confirmed. "I've been given the gift to transform my body into a demonic form and use their kind of magic." She explained, pointing to her arm. The sight of such a thing made Lucy and even Taurus shudder.
"Y-You mean you can turn into a demon at will?"
"I can't turn completely...not that I'd want to in the first place. But this kind of power is enough to make my enemies shudder. However, you must be able to see why your spirit is so afraid, isn't it? Demonic magic has such a terrible and destructive nature, after all. Demons and Celestial Spirits have a history with one another, especially those related to Demonic Body Magic."
"That stuff's bad news to us Celestia Spirits, Lucy. But we're bad news to it too. Sucks I don't think I'm strong enough for it though."
"You have a point. It is why I acknowledged that you are a rather weak Celestial Spirit Wizard. You are not eligible to be a threat to me, I'm afraid." After saying that, Lisia continued her attack. "Demonic Body: Demonic Fire."
She held her palm out, creating a ball of purple and black flames. Taurus got in front of Lucy, holding up his axe. The fire was unleashed at them, as Taurus attempted to absorb the blow. But the demonic flames managed to burn through the axe and hit the spirit. "Mooooo!" Taurus cried out, burning away from Lisia's magic as he disappeared from this plane and back to the spirit realm.
"Taurus!" Lucy looked back to Lisia. Immediately, Lisia would advance on Lucy, deciding to get up close and personal. She crossed her arms, the Demonic Magic around her beginning to flow.
"Demonic Body...Demonic Flight." From her back, blackish-purple wings would emerge, stretching outwards and allowing Lisia to take off. Lucy watched in shock, her mouth open. Lisia would soon fly up and swoop down on her, grabbing the young mage and taking her to the air with her. The two were up in the sky in a flash, with Lisia carrying Lucy by the collar.
"W-W-Whoa!" Lucy yelped, hanging onto the demonic mage for dear life. "What are you gonna do with me!?"
"Hmmm..." Lisia's hands moved down to Lucy's breasts, groping them and fondling her nipples through the fabric.
"KYAAH!" She squirmed in Lisia's grasp. It was embarrassing, but also oddly stimulating to her. "S-Stop touching me!"
"Hush now...You'll like it, trust me..." She cooed.
"N-No, I won't!"
"Of course you will~. You'll love every second of this."
"Nngh..." Lucy panted. "You can't just- Ah! A-Ahhhh~" Lucy moaned, feeling Lisia's hands on her chest. The sensation sent a tingling feeling down to her core. "N-No...I can't..."
"For us, Celestial Spirit Wizards are a threat. The keys lighting up meant that a type of magic was attempting to stop me. Whatever it is, I'll have to stop it before it can get out of control. And taking your soul is a part of it."
Lisia continued to grope and fondle Lucy, feeling her up and toying with her breasts. Lucy's body was hot to the touch, her skin flushed red. "I can feel it...the spirit within you reacting. I'll make sure to end it before you get in our way." Lisia said. The Demonic Body Mage had felt that there was something inside Lucy that could stop her, but it wasn't coming out to do so.
"Nnnghhhh...! No, stop!" She moaned louder. Lisia was making her feel so good. Lucy was ashamed to admit that she was enjoying this. The pleasure coursing through her body was too great to deny.
"Don't resist me." Lisia said. "If you do...things will only get worse for you, understand?"
As Lucy continued to moan, more and more, her soul was beginning to leave her. Lisia noticed that the process was much longer compared to the others. Lucy was not as powerful as Tessia or the other Librarians here. But the reason was that something within Lucy was trying to stop the soul extraction.
It was the keys. Lisia saw that they kept on glowing, indicating that the keys were using their own magic to slow down the process. They specifically reacted to this Demonic Magic, attempting to stop it in its tracks.
However, it just wasn't strong enough. Lucy just wasn't strong enough, leaving her vulnerable to Lisia's magic. However, as Lucy soul was visibly being ripped from her, someone intervened.
A hand came from the side, using a spell to stop Lisia and return Lucy's soul back to her. Lucy was dropped from this intervention, Lisia moving back a bit
Lisia turned around to see a familiar woman.
It was Tessia.
She was able to stand, her soul still being out of her body. But she wasn't a soulless shell, thanks to whatever happened. Tessia had taken a deep breath and summoned what strength she had left to intervene. And she had saved Lucy's soul.
"Please...leave her...and this place alone...!"
"How did you manage to withstand that? I have your soul after all?" Lisia questioned, rather impressed that Tessia was still standing.
"Hah...Hah..." In her hands, Tessia held an item. Despite being physical, it counted as Lost Magic, allowing her to continue. "You should've killed the others while you had the chance. They got up and gave me this. And it's helping me keep myself from going into a state of nothingness, even for a while." She had a staff with her. One with a gem that was glowing. "It's not just standard magic that's categorized as Lost Magic here..."
"But you are clearly teetering. That item can only do so much for you." Lisia observed. "Why must you try and fight back when you know you couldn't even stop me at your best? I don't understand."
"Lucy!" Tessia looked over at Lucy before pulling her arm back, preparing to throw the item at Lisia. "Run!" With all of her might, the staff was thrown at Lucy.
Lisia flew down and caught it before it reached Lucy's hand, crushing the staff with her bare hand. Tessia fell to the floor, now in the same state as the other librarians, having nothing inside her soulless shell. "You didn't even think that through..."
But she did.
As soon as Lisia's Demonic Hand grabbed the staff, it reacted to her magic. Lisia suddenly felt a powerful magical surge and shock through her body
"Agh...!" She suddenly screamed out in pain and fell to the floor. "W-What is this...?!" Lisia's soul was suddenly reacting to this, the Demonic Soul in her reacting to the magical energy that was flowing through her body. It was not an attack, but the energy that was going through her body was affecting the demonic soul within. Specifically, the souls she had collected.
"Heh...it kept me stable by giving me a temporary soul..." Tessia weakly said while on the ground. "And now, it's attacking all those souls in you." After that, her eyes closed as that was all the energy she could muster.
"Ngh!" Lisia screamed, falling to the ground and rolling over onto her back as she held herself tightly, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if to keep her body intact. Lisia was suffering, her entire body feeling like it was on fire as she was wracked with pain and anguish from the effects of the magical item.
This was Lucy's chance. A chance to strike while Lisia was this vulnerable.
Lisia had left herself wide open. She was defenseless and completely helpless, unable to even fight back against Lucy's assault on her. And she had to act quickly, not wanting Lisia to recover and turn the tide of the battle again. "Open, Gate of the Weather Bearer: Aquarius!"
Lucy quickly grabbed the keys, looking to the nearest fountain in order to call forth the Mermaid Celestial Wizard. As the key reacted and glowed, Lucy could feel a powerful surge of magic energy running through her, as if she had tapped into an unknown well of strength and power that had previously been untapped. It was all due to the keys reacting to Lisia's magic, even though it was temporary.
Aquarius emerged from her realm and into the world, looking disgruntled as always. "What is it now, brat?! I swear if you don't make this worth it, I'll-"
"No time! I need you to hit her with all you have!"
Lisia's body was still convulsing in agony. Lucy's voice caught her attention, as Aquarius looked at Lisia and smirked. "Hmph. You're lucky this time. That right there's a Demonic Magic I sense. I'm not that annoyed to ignore something like that." She raised her urn and created a wave of water, launching it towards Lisia. Since the library's most valuable items have been cleared out, Aquarius's water wouldn't damage anything important thankfully.
"!" Lisia let out a light gasp, spotting the wave of water coming her way.
There wasn't any time for her to dodge or react to the powerful torrent of water headed her way.
Lisia was hit by a blast of water and thrown back against a nearby empty bookcase, which crumbled under her impact. The water soaked into her clothes, causing her dress to become wet. The entire room was covered in a raging wave.
Lisia was slammed into the wall with great force, the shock of the attack sending a shockwave of pain throughout her entire body. The force of the impact caused her head to slam into the hard stone wall, dazing her. The wave receded shortly, with Lucy being spared from the blast for once. The area around the library was a wet, soggy mess from the attack, with water dripping from the ceiling and the walls.
This allowed Lucy to advance onwards, moving past Lisia just to find Asher and the others.
"Thanks, Aquarius!" Lucy thanked the Celestial Wizard.
"Thank me by never summoning me like that again." Aquarius said, disappearing from the area, leaving Lucy to continue forward.
Gray and Juvia moved across the area, making their way towards the God's Library, thankfully having received enough time to escape thanks to Trevor's help. They drove Natsu back but not for long as the Fire Dragon Slayer had recovered and was now back on their tail. They needed a plan to keep Natsu from reaching the Library before them, or they'd lose any advantage.
"We can't lead Natsu back to the Library! We have to hold him off somehow." Gray stated, trying to think of a way to keep Natsu busy. Juvia was already a few steps ahead of him, looking back at him.
In the distance, they could hear the sound of fire, indicating that Natsu was getting closer and causing destruction along the way. People in the town were fleeing from the destruction the dragon slayer caused, as it looked like a wildfire was approaching the town.
"I'll distract Natsu while you get to the Library. You go warn Lucy and the others." She explained. Juvia was ready to go back and face Natsu.
"Wait, what? You can't take him by yourself!"
"I'm the one who caused him to chase us. It'd only be right that I be the one to face him. Even if for a moment, I'll do what I can to hold him back." Gray came to a screeching halt, turning around promptly. "There's a chance he's also greatly weakened from that, so I could take advantage!"
"But...!"
"Listen, Juvia." Gray halted her. "Thanks. I didn't think you'd be an ally ever since our guilds teamed up against the Void Kingdom. Even after that, you still chimed in and helped me out. I'd say...you're a Fairy Tail Wizard for sure." He turned around, giving off a smile. Those words captivated Juvia even more.
"Kyaa~!" Juvia's eyes would fill up with hearts. She was touched, blushing heavily. She felt as though her heart was beating faster and faster, and she felt so hot, like it would burst from her chest at any second. "For you, I'll go!" Due to that, Juvia was motivated to keep going.
Juvia advanced, getting closer to the God's Library, while Gray stayed back to face Natsu alone. So far, it would sem as if Juvia would get there without any obstacles, as she made her way through the city. However that was not the case.
Instead of Natsu coming across Gray as she initially thought, the opposite happened. Not in the sense that Gray came across Natsu once more, but rather, Natsu came across Juvia.
The Water Wizard gasped as she saw the figure of Natsu standing before her. The pink-haired dragon slayer had a large grin, his fanged teeth bared as he stood before the water mage. "You...?!" She was at a loss for words, surprised by his sudden appearance. She didn't expect him to get ahead of her, and now it seemed as if he was about to attack.
Naturally, he was rather furious. Refusing to go down like that or even be overpowered by those he sees as weaker than him. That combined assault aggravated Natsu, who had managed to recover and get ahead of Juvia. This was done through sheer willpower, and Natsu had decided to go after Juvia first due to his anger. "Man...you got me there. I didn't think I'd be pushed back at all. If I was, it would've been from someone tougher than you and that other guy."
"..." Juvia remained silent, glaring at him.
"But you aren't tougher. I got beat by you two working together and getting a boost from that one guy...I got pushed back by that..." Natsu clenched his hand, absolutely irritated at himself. Flames started sparking and manifesting on his hand due to his rage building up within.
Juvia shuddered, feeling that rage and power building up within Natsu. It was a frightening force to behold, but there was something else manifesting. That same power surge and sensation Natsu felt when he was rewarded with those two women. That same surge fueled him, merging with his building rage.
"W-What is this Magical Pressure...?!" Juvia stepped back.
"I promised myself I would be stronger than anyone else...Losing's not an option for me!"
Juvia had to prepare herself with the strength she currently had. But even Juvia knew that this power was exceeding her own, even more-so than it did when they first fought each other minutes ago. Natsu's power was growing, and it was becoming a problem. If he were to unleash that much power here, she would not be able to stop him. She was unsure of what she should do at this point. The only thing she could do was to try and hold off Natsu for as long as possible, giving her enough time for Gray to get to the others at the God's Library.
Juvia was a bit worried, but she was not afraid. Even if she knew she couldn't win this battle, she was going to fight him regardless.
"I hope you're ready!" Natsu suddenly grinned menacingly at her. The fire dragon slayer's body was glowing with an intense aura of power. The aura surrounding him was a deep crimson color. He leapt forward, launching a fire fist at Juvia.
She promptly conjured a water barrier around her, protecting herself from Natsu's attack.
The impact of Natsu's attack caused the water barrier to shake, and Juvia was forced to brace herself from the powerful strike. She was unable to move out of the way of the incoming attack, so instead, she had to take the brunt of the impact head on. However, from just the initial impact, the sheer heat and force of Natsu's attack was able to break Juvia's concentration, causing her to lose focus of her magic and have her water barrier shatter.
"Gaah!" Juvia screamed as she was blown away from the force, landing on her stomach. She got back up, holding her arms out to defend herself. Despite the fact that Natsu's attack had shattered her barrier, she was still able to withstand it and remain unharmed. But she was now vulnerable to another attack from him.
Juvia was surprised by how much more powerful Natsu was compared to their previous encounter. This sudden increase in power made her wonder just what happened to him in such a short amount of time.
"I'll take care of you before that guy!" He was ready to charge at Juvia once more, pulling both his arms back as they were covered in flames. "Fire Dragon Wing Slash!" He sent two massive torrents of fire towards Juvia, who quickly brought her hands up and created a wall of water.
The fire collided with the wall of water, creating an explosion that sent Juvia flying back. The water mage was knocked down to the ground, but not without taking a significant amount of damage from the force of the blast.
Juvia's dress was tattered and ripped, revealing the blue bra and panties she had on. Her clothes were scorched and burnt in many places, exposing her soft skin. Juvia slid and tumbled across the ground until coming to a halt.
She slowly rose to her feet, panting heavily from the pain she was feeling. Juvia's body ached, and she could barely stand up. She could feel the heat and flames of Natsu's attack still burning her skin. Her dress would soon be burnt away.
Natsu charged at Juvia, grabbing her by the hair. He yanked her up, forcing her to look at him. Juvia was in a daze, unable to react.
"..." Juvia's eyes widened, seeing how close Natsu was to her. His hot breath washed against her face, which caused her to blush heavily. Being grabbed like that was rather arousing for her. "What are you doing...?" Juvia asked, trying to remain defiant even in her current situation. Natsu's grip tightened on her hair and pulled her closer.
Natsu clenched his hand, his fist igniting in flames. With a quick motion, Natsu would seemingly strike at Juvia, causing her to flinch and close her eyes in response. However, the impact didn't come. Natsu stopped halfway, his flaming fist mere inches away from her face.
"..." Natsu's expression turned serious. Juvia opened her eyes, looking into Natsu's eyes, surprised by his actions. He would then let go of her, causing her to stumble forward. Juvia was surprised by his sudden mercy. "But...I'm not gonna kill you. I wanna become an emperor, I wanna make my future empire as strong as possible. Even though you had help, that was some power back there." He stepped forward, towering over her. "So I'm gonna add you to my team."
"T-To your team?! But my place is alongside my beloved Gray!" Juvia stepped back, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She was not about to join Natsu, no matter how much power he was displaying. Juvia was ready to fight against him if it meant she could remain with Gray.
"Whatever that team-up stuff you did was...it was strong. Even if it wasn't you doing it solo, I want that kind of power on my side." Despite how angered he was about that combo attack, Natsu wasn't going to pass up that kind of strength. He saw the power that could be harnessed from that kind of technique. He wanted to have someone by his side who could bring out his full potential. And with that, he would be able to defeat his rivals and become the ruler of the world. Erza was just the start due to her natural strength and now, he saw another type of strength he could have.
For that, he was about to knock Juvia out for the time being. Pulling his fist back, he would strike at Juvia's stomach to knock her out. Juvia coughed as she felt the air leave her body, the pain radiating from her stomach to her chest, causing her to wince in pain. She fell to the ground, clutching her midsection.
Juvia, unable to stay conscious, passed out. Her body collapsed to the ground, and Natsu smirked, looking down at her with a sense of satisfaction. But that satisfaction quickly faded as he wished to do more than this. He wanted to complete the mission he was sent here for. He would only be satisfied if he gets the Lost Magic.
Picking up Juvia, Natsu threw her over his shoulder and continued heading towards the God's Library. "Don't worry. You're gonna be stronger with me." He reassured her, despite the unconscious water mage not being able to hear him. "That guy's gonna be next on my list."
Natsu's expression darkened as he remembered Gray, who was the one that helped Juvia to overpower him. He was the next target on Natsu's list.
Speaking of Gray, he waited and waited for Natsu to show up, preparing himself. But of course, Natsu never came. Instead, Gray was left alone, waiting for a fight that was never going to come. By that time, Gray actually managed to replenish his strength and power, but he would seemingly not get to use it against Natsu once more.
"What's going on? Why isn't he showing up?" Gray said to himself. "There's no way he could've just given up on his chase...unless..." As Gray was thinking to himself, he felt a huge amount of magical energy and power coming from the distance. That same power was familiar to Gray. He had felt it before. It was that same power he felt when Juvia and him managed to push Natsu back. "This magical pressure..."
Gray was not going to waste anymore time. But right as he tried to leave, someone got in his way. Someone that caught him off guard completely once he saw her. "!" Gray gasped at the figure standing before him.
It was Erza.
"Erza..." Gray uttered her name, his voice shaky. He could feel his body trembling as he tried to keep himself composed. But right away, Erza pointed her sword at him, prepared to attack.
"Step aside, Fairy." Erza coldly commanded.
"Erza! It's me! Gray! You seriously don't recognize me?!" Gray was desperate. Erza didn't look any different than usual, except for that expressionless face of hers. He could feel that this Erza was different from the Erza he knew. This Erza was colder, emotionless, and more focused on her mission than anything else. This Erza would not hesitate to kill him if necessary.
"I told you and the other Fairies already. I serve Master Natsu and the Void Kingdom now. You're just in my way, so step aside." Erza's words were cold and calculating. She did not care about Gray or Fairy Tail at this point.
She was ready to attack Gray and anyone that stood in her way. She was not going to let her former guildmates stop her. Even if she had to kill them. She would not be held responsible for their deaths. Her loyalty belonged only to Natsu and the Void Kingdom. That was her mission, and that was what she would carry out to the fullest.
"Damn it...You really don't recognize me...?" Gray clenched his hand, angered and saddened by this. He didn't want to fight against Erza. He had to do something. "No. You've gotta be in there somewhere...I just know it!"
"If you won't move, then so be it. Requip!" Erza's body was surrounded in light, and soon, she was equipped with a different armor. Out emerged her Flame Empress Armor. Gray knew he had no choice but to fight her. He had to fight against his friend. He had to do whatever it takes to bring back the Erza he knew and loved.
"If you don't recognize me...then I'll just have to make you remember me." Gray closed his eyes, re-opening them. He figured that the best way to snap Erza out of it was by trying to remind her of who she is.
"You have a death wish then? You Fairies are so sure that you can supposedly save me with these irrelevant memories...how pointless." She said while raising her arm. The sword would ignite as Erza stabbed it into the ground, creating a trail of fire that headed straight for Gray.
Gray jumped away to dodge the attack, barely avoiding it. He summoned forth an ice weapon to attack Erza, but she deflected his attacks with her sword, not taking a scratch at all.
He created multiple swords of ice and tried attacking Erza with them, but she simply dodged each strike, slashing them with her fiery blade. Gray knew that Erza was a force to be reckoned with. He knew that she was stronger than him, but he still had to try. Gray didn't want to hurt his friend, but he would have no choice but to attack her in order to get her to stop.
Asher and the remaining Librarians hid from their pursuers. The librarians were instructed to lock up and hide themselves in the secret room below the library. All of the libraries books were compressed into a minuscule size, allowing them to be carried by the people in charge. While hiding, Asher and the Librarians were planning their next moves.
"We'll take some of the books with us and head somewhere else," Asher explained to one of the librarians. "We'll split them between us equally."
"How much space can you store them in?" A librarian asked. Asher smiled confidently at her question.
Asher's coat expanded outward and swallowed up some of the books laying around. His coat could expand indefinitely and swallow anything up that he could carry, allowing him to hide countless items within it.
"The spatial expansion inside it makes it endless." He patted the empty pocket on his jacket. "My brother made it for me, and I've used it ever since."
Another librarian walked over with more books, placing them in front of Asher's jacket. Without hesitating, Asher shoved his hand into the pockets, making all the books vanish inside.
"I wish we didn't have to run away from these people though...it's just the worst luck," the other librarian complained as she placed her hands on the table.
"It's a shame that they managed to know of our secrets here. Who knows how they could've found out?" Another librarian added.
"It doesn't matter now. What matters is that we get them as far away from the Void Kingdom and other terrible organizations as possible." Asher stated firmly. He reached down and grabbed a few more books off the ground before walking to his jacket again.
It seemed like they were safe for the time being, but nothing stays safe forever. Soon enough, the librarians noticed footsteps approaching them.
"Shhh!" One of them whispered sharply, immediately alerting the rest.
The group fell silent, listening closely to hear what was happening outside.
The doors suddenly opened. A girl stepped through and entered the room. Everyone instantly tensed up, fearing the worst. But their fears were thankfully staved off once they saw who appeared.
It was Lucy.
"Hah..." Asher sighed with relief, knowing it wasn't one of the Void Kingdom's Wizards. They could trust her, and she wasn't here to attack them. However, Lucy looked roughed up. Her legs were shaky, as if she was having trouble keeping herself upright. She looked like she ran for a mile, sweating profusely and panting hard. Asher quickly took notice of her disheveled appearance. Her clothes were wrinkled and torn, and some buttons on her blouse were missing.
"What happened to you?! Are you ok?" Asher asked with concern etched across his face. He hurried towards her, gently grasping hold of her shoulders to steady the exhausted girl. It was thanks to Lisia. Even though she managed to escape from her, the fact that her soul was nearly absorbed affected her. Thankfully, she was still able to move.
"I'll be fine...But you have to leave the library now!" Lucy grunted as she tried to regain her breath. She needed to warn Asher and everyone else as soon as possible, and it was imperative that they took the chance to escape. If not, it would be too late. They had to act fast if they wanted to survive.
After all, the Void Kingdom were still active and Lisia could potentially get back up at any minute. She wouldn't give up after being hit by all that water. She'd keep trying to hunt them down. Lucy managed to catch her breath finally and lifted her gaze upward, locking eyes with Asher.
"They're in here?!"
"One of them is...She nearly absorbed my soul. Aquarius managed to push back but I don't know for long..." She nodded her head, confirming Asher's suspicions.
Lucy knew it would be best to just evacuate. They needed to leave the place immediately, and she couldn't risk letting them get captured. Not only would they get the secrets to the Lost Magic here, but she'd never forgive herself for leaving Asher to be captured. After all, she made a promise with Asher, to protect the Lost Magic, and Lucy never went back on promises.
"Right...Alright everyone, listen up." Asher turned to face his fellow librarians, who looked confused at first until he began speaking. He explained to them that there was no time to waste, and that the enemy could reach them soon. They needed to leave the library, or they would be captured. Everyone understood this, and quickly began packing up.
Lucy walked up to Asher, who had already begun to pack his belongings into the bag that was slung across his shoulder. He stuffed whatever he could in his bag without thinking, his thoughts consumed by worry over what would happen once the enemy arrived. Once they were ready, they exited out the door.
"Where to now?"
"We'll head deeper into the mountains. Beyond the Clamorous Coast is a mountainside known as the Falleret Peaks." Asher pointed towards the large mountain in the distance. A thin layer of mist covered it, obscuring everything within it. "It'll be hard to traverse, but I'm sure the enemy won't expect us to go there. Mainly because we've used Lost Magic on it before, just in case of emergency.."
Asher had planned it out in his mind already. They could climb up the mountain and hide among the cliffs until the coast was clear. Once things calmed down, then they could come down. They would then travel far enough away from the area where they would find a way to travel across the ocean.
He wasn't certain about what to do once the Void Kingdom showed up again, but they'd have to figure that out along the way.
Lucy nodded her head, understanding what Asher meant. She didn't want the group to get caught by the Void Kingdom. If they did, then all of them would die, along with any hope of protecting the Lost Magic.
They had to move quickly if they wanted to survive this ordeal.
However, right outside was Natsu, who managed to reach the God's Library, still carrying Juvia. Placing Juvia down near a crater that was formed due to Lisia breaking the barrier, causing some destruction around. Now, it was time for Natsu to bring extra destruction.
There was no barrier to worry about. Natsu could easily enter the God's Library, but he wanted to make a real entrance. By blowing his way into it. Flames would surround Natsu's hands, growing in intensity before shooting a destructive blast that hit one of the walls of the God's Library.
Natsu broke right in with brute force, his flames creating a huge hole for him to step into the library. The loud explosion and crumbling wall would definitely catch the attention of those inside. And Natsu didn't care. He wanted to attract their attention, after all.
The library was mostly empty. All that were left behind were some books, but the librarians and staff were gone. Of course, this would not deter the pinkette. "Come out here!" His booming voice echoed throughout the entire library as his voice grew louder and more menacing.
He stomped forward, looking around him with a menacing glare. His gaze locked onto every single shelf of books he could see, scanning them thoroughly before moving onto the next row of shelves.
He didn't want anyone hiding behind those shelves, hoping to catch him by surprise. But no matter where Natsu looked, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. The place looked completely abandoned, but Natsu could still sense something was there.
All thanks to his senses. As a Dragon Slayer, his sense of smell was strong, being able to sense anything out of the ordinary.
In fact, there were definitely people nearby. Natsu could sense them. And he knew exactly what direction to head in. With his keen hearing, Natsu could also pick up their whispers as they were trying to sneak away.
"Well well, I don't know why you guys think I wouldn't find out." He chuckled and started to move. It was only a matter of seconds before he found the secret entrance. Natsu smirked, and with his fist ignited in flames, he destroyed the entrance, blowing it down with ease. It crumbled down, revealing a flight of stairs.
Natsu ran as fast as he could, making sure that he wouldn't be far behind. "I'm gonna win this...I'll bring the Lost Magic back for sure!" The Dragon Slayer muttered to himself with a smile on his face.
His eyes gleamed with excitement as his mind raced with ideas. He was eager to succeed and impress Alehot.
Asher sensed it. He paused for a moment, sensing a rapidly approaching Magical Presence. He sensed Natsu. He turned around and saw him coming, and he knew that things wouldn't end well.
"Head Librarian?! What's wrong?!" A Librarian called out to him. The rest of them noticed the change of Asher's demeanor. He looked worried.
"...This Magical Presence..." Asher's voice was shaky and uncertain, but the moment passed as he regained his composure. "It's getting closer! And it feels like Dragon Slayer Magic!"
"What?!" The Librarians all gasped in shock at Asher's statement. They didn't know how much time they had until Natsu would be on them.
"Keep going!" There was no time to slow down anyomre. They had to keep going now that that someone was closing in on them. The group of people kept running, moving through the hallways and out of sight of their pursuer.
All the while, Natsu was destroying everything. He rampaged through the halls, smashing and destroying everything he saw in his path. It was his way to lure them out, and the damage was immense.
Outburst of flames could be seen and felt in the distance. Natsu was using his Fire Dragon's Roar in every direction. The roar of the Dragon Slayer was a fearsome sight. Flames burst from Natsu's mouth, scorching the hallways, walls and the books in them. He was a force to be reckoned with. An unstoppable juggernaut on the hunt. Asher and the Librarians could only hope that the damage wouldn't be as severe as it seemed to be, and that their escape would be successful.
They had to keep running and get as far away from the raging beast that was chasing after them as they could. However, Natsu was still able to follow their scent and managed to keep pace with them. He wasn't planning on letting them get away that easily.
Asher knew this. He knew that at the pace they were moving at, Natsu would catch up to them. If it were anyone else, maybe they would've had a chance, but Natsu was fast enough to close the gap in no time.
"Damnit...We can't outpace whoever this is at this rate..." He mumbled. Asher was aware of the threat that the rampaging dragon slayer posed to the librarians, and his top priority was keeping the Lost Magic out of their enemies hands.
"Head Librarian?" A female librarian was curious about Asher's words and looked at him.
"...Everyone, go on ahead without me! I have an idea!" He exclaimed as he stopped in place. Everyone else did the same and looked back at him.
"Head Librarian!" One of them yelled in concern. They knew what he was trying to do. He was going to use himself as bait, but it would surely not end well.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine! Trust me!" He reassured the others, not wanting them to worry too much about him. "Just keep going and leave the rest to me."
"But we can't just leave you behind!" A male librarian spoke up in protest, but Asher wouldn't let anyone change his mind. "You know we can't do that!" He was worried that something bad would happen if he did.
"I'll be fine! I swear it!" The head librarian assured everyone. He looked at Lucy, who was also worried, but nodded her head. She understood that it was for the best, and she didn't want to lose her friend. "As Head Librarian, you should know what I'm capable of."
"...Alright then..." One of the Librarians agreed to it reluctantly and the rest of them followed suit, heading out the door and out the library. They didn't have the time to argue, and the decision had to be made fast.
"Lucy, wait." Asher halted Lucy, needing to do something before she left. "Take it all with you." Asher pointed towards his jacket.
Lucy was hesitant at first. She wasn't sure if it would be safe for her to carry all the books that Asher had been keeping in his coat. But she trusted Asher, so she went ahead and took them. She knew how important they were, and that was enough for her. Lucy took off Asher's coat and left with the rest.
"A-Alright... Please be careful." Lucy said to him as she ran with the others.
"I will. And good luck to you too." Asher watched as Lucy left the library. Now all that remained was to wait for the rampaging beast that would surely catch up.
And that beast was Natsu. Natsu eventually arrived in the area. Seeing the pinkette up close, Asher could sense just how powerful he truly was. Asher could see his magical presence. And the magical pressure was enough to send chills throughout his body. However, he wasn't going to be cowed. Not here and now.
Natsu's eyes glowed in the fiery smoke, locking onto Asher. "Finally. Found someone." Natsu menacingly smirked. His gaze was cold and menacing as his fists clenched. "I can tell...You know a lot of things about this Library."