"You don't honestly think you can break my skin with that, do you, Erza-senpai?" Ena tilted her head while staring at the Purgatory Sword within Erza's hands. "I don't think…" Before Ena could finish, Erza was already on her, swinging the mace violently towards her side. Ena was fast enough to defend against the blow with her scaled arm, though the impact was more than enough to cause her to wince and force her to skid to the side with a grunt. "Oh~"
"If I didn't know any better…" Meredy narrowed her eyes at Ena before getting somewhat of a risky idea. "It seems like either she's enjoying the pain…or she's not taking any damage at all…." The pinkette then formed a sensory link with Ena, who was quite unaware of anything that wasn't Erza.
Ena grinned as Erza moved in once again, aiming another swing. This time, the dragon leaned back and evaded the powerful swing while her wings spread apart. "Black Dragon's…Wing Slash!" She then slammed into Erza with her wing, jetting across the cave with Erza in tow.
"Gck…!" Erza let out a small cry of pain while dropping her sword which faded away. She was forced into the air. Before she knew it, Ena released her, only to turn quickly and slam Erza's back with her leg, which sent Titania crashing violently into the ground, creating a miniature earthquake.
"Come on, you can do better, Erza-senpai!" Ena lunged downward with her legs extended. This drop kick she was planning could finish Erza right then and there! However, at the last second, Erza requipped to her Adamantine Armor, which soaked the hit. "Eh…? This again? Your wardrobe is pretty wide, right…!?"
Just as she spoke, another light shrouded Erza, only to reveal her Giant's armor. Ena received yet another punch to the face, followed by a hammer fist right into the ground! Erza then leapt back, panting softly. "How tough is she…?" Erza questioned to herself with a serious expression.
"…It feels like I'm wearing heavy armor…" Meredy told the others. "I can feel what Ena feels physically...Erza is doing damage, but with that skin, it's like she's wearing some thick armor that will take forever to wear down….and I'm not sure Erza has the time for it…"
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"Eh…?" Laura blinked a few times while staring out the ship's window. She, just like everyone else, was curious about the sudden break in Night Tide. "When the hell did the sun come back out…?"
Brax yawned, leaning back in his seat while glancing out of the window. "Well, how about that…looks like there was some form of light lurking around this island after all! Now we just have to wait for Wes to come back with that blonde and we're good to go."
"Almost good to go." Laura spoke with a sly grin. "Don't forget what Lucius has in store once we gather more info~" She then glanced at Lex, who was quietly taking part in the conversation; rolling her green eyes. "Lex, stop being such a rock, geez…and where the hell is that lazy oaf? He should've been back by now…"
"Wes has been defeated." Lex responded with a brutish grunt. "His power has vanished off the face of the island."
"What's that now?" Brax took a second to take in the information.
"He's dead?" Laura blinked a few times, mouth hanging open…it was like the news stunned her. And then she let out the heartiest laugh humanly possible, slapping her knee before her arms wrapped around her stomach; her diaphragm was ill prepared for the news. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! HE'S DEAD!? THE LAZY BASTARD LOST!? OH MY GOD THAT'S RICH!" She and Wes never really did have an outstanding relationship…in fact; this just went to show how cruel the Commandants could be just to one another.
"That good for nothing…" Xen reappeared on the ship, slamming his fist on the ship's interior quite angrily. "He only had ONE job, which was to bring me that traitor's product! Yet he couldn't even do that correctly!"
"He did say we put the wrong person on the job…" Brax shrugged, trying his best to defend his fallen comrade. "We should've been more careful about it. I don't think His Majesty will enjoy hearing that we lost a Commandant...But this does provide us with some information. That woman is more dangerous than we originally thought."
"I will not STAND for this!" Xen had a vein ready to burst from his forehead.
"Then sit down." Laura immediately responded. The sheer audacity of the comment just made Xen's mood worse.
"And WHERE is Lucius…!?" Xen was so close to blowing a gasket. "He's been out and about on this island all day with no transmission report!"
"Some leader he is…" Laura rolled her eyes in slight annoyance.
"No point in waiting on him…" Lex said while standing up, causing everyone to turn in his direction. "Don't you feel it? The strong presence that just appeared on the island moments ago? It appeared shortly before Wes' power just vanished. There are many strong opponents on this isle…and I intend to crush them all under my boot."
"Oh, so I guess we're all moving out now!?" Laura grinned before looking towards Xen, since he was second in command while Lucius was away. "Eh, eh!?"
"You're all way too excited…" Xen shook his head before giving an eventual nod. "Yes, I suppose we should move out. With Wes down, I'm interested to see how these mages truly are…plus, Lucius should've been back by now. I suppose we'll receive something from him in due time…because we're all here for that ulterior motive as well…Lex, go on. You too, Brax. Laura, you're with me. Perhaps we can clean up the mess Wes made."
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Just as the sun appeared on the isle once again, Dealer managed to fend off the remaining dragon soldiers. Tia let out a heavy sigh and allowed her armor to fade away, taking a seat on the ground. "G-Geez…those things were way too strong, especially in that darkness…" She looked up at the sun, wearing a quizzical expression. "But it makes you wonder…where DID that darkness come from to begin with…? And where did it go…?"
"That's not important right now…" Ace said while glancing back at Wendy and Cynthia. "Wendy, is she okay…?"
Wendy took a moment to respond, looking over Cynthia before spotting something unsightly. "Ah…! H-Her shoulder…!" The red scales that were appearing on Cynthia's shoulder began spreading down her arm and slightly along her neck. The Dragonifcation process on Cynthia sped up slightly due to her use of magic. "Cynthia!"
"Ugh…" Cynthia groaned, eyes fluttering open while glancing at her shoulder. Her eyes widened slightly, though she tried not to let anyone see her panic. "I-I guess…that backfired a little…but on the bright side…that urge I have to tear at everything severely is gone now."
"This is no good." Heartless said while dusting off her dress. "We absolutely cannot stay here. We're surrounded on all ends and we can't keep defending Cynthia if her condition is getting worse. We'll have to meet with Erza's team and push to the Mystic Water so we can cure her."
"Erza's team isn't even on the radar right now…" Spade responded to Heartless' idea, and everyone looked at him with confusion. "Mii was with Erza's team…and shortly before Cana told us that she was the traitor the team vanished off the surface…"
"Greaaaat…" Diamond rolled her eyes, hands placing on her hips. "So our initial plan has been derailed a little…I think we should make an effort to find them anyway. Cynthia's not looking so good."
"I'm fine…what are you talking about…" Cynthia tried, but the cough she gave between words really erased her argument.
"I'm an idiot and even I can tell you're lying…" Strong stated bluntly.
"Cynthia..." Spark frowned. Although, there wasn't really anything he could do about this.
"You don't have to push yourself," Carla went to pat Cynthia on the arm gently, but the heat radiating off her body was too much for Carla to even get close…and the fact Wendy was still holding onto Cynthia… "Wendy, your hands…"
"I'm fine." Wendy immediately replied to Carla with a soft smile. "I'm used to it."
"So what are we doing!?" Jack interrupted with an annoyed grunt. "Are we staying here or are we moving? I don't want to be a sitting duck again; this area is WAY too exposed!"
"He's right." Ace nodded. "Spade, track where Erza's team was at last. We'll follow that trail and move from there."
"I'm on it…" Spade nodded while doing some research. "They were heading towards the city from this side…so…ah! I got it! Follow me, everyone!"
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"The darkness has receded…" Hisui stated while following closely behind Lucius. She didn't trust him whatsoever, but she found herself drawn into his presence and his voice. Plus he proved himself to be strong, so it would be wise for her own safety to follow him…at the same time, if trouble arose and he proved to be a bad guy, she'd be in a bad situation. All she could do was wait until one of the others found her.
After Hisui made her comment, Lucius turned, staring directly into the jade princess' eyes. "Ah, I'm glad. It allows me to see your beauty once again, Princess. Though there is no darkness in the world that can block out your radiance…" He began leaning in with a sly grin, causing Hisui's eyes to widen.
'Is he coming onto me…!?' She thought in a panic, slowly leaning away with a nervous sweat drop. She couldn't find herself to move because Lucius' voice was just so slick and smooth… "A-Ah…." And once Lucius was close, Hisui sneezed, though the pink haired male was fast enough to move back. "Ugh…I guess I'm still feeling a little sick…" Thank goodness for that cold she had. "Oh…before I forget to ask…how did you know I'm a Princess…?"
Lucius wrinkled his nose at Hisui's unexpected sneeze. For a moment, his brow twitched in annoyance, but he was able to hide it by running his hand through his hair. "Oh? Simple…" He pointed to the crown atop Hisui's head. "That's the crown of Fiore. Anyone who had any knowledge of the countries beyond Fiore would at least recognize that crown."
"Oh…" Hisui could believe that much.
"Come now, let us not dwell here any longer, Princess. We must get you to safety; facing Dhegensea now is not a wise idea…" Lucius said while continuing to lead the way.
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"These turn of events aren't supposed to be happening, right?" Venoma asked Drake and Enda while staring into the sky, where Dhegensea was doing battle with the Celestial Spirit King. She then turned to her fellow dragons while resting a hand on her hip. "Usually, you can tell things are going well by the way our king smiles…but did you see the look in his eyes? I don't think things are going well…"
"I don't quite understand what's happening…" Enda said with a look of indifference. "I just know it's quite a drag. Eizen going out and getting all the action while I just sit here waiting for commands."
"This is all too screwed up!" Drake began stomping in place like child, causing the two females to give him that look to make him simmer down. "Ugh…if it's not one thing, it's another! Especially that rotten Chosen! How could someone like her POSSBILY be the one to help us achieve our goals?! How does the King trust her!?"
"Oh, silly Drake…" Venoma let out a giggle, waltzing over to pat Drake on the shoulder. "You're mistaken if you think Dhegensea actually TRUSTS her. It's more so…he believes in her very existence, you understand? If all goes correctly, without these other humans throwing things off course…that Mii will bring our plans to fruition. In the end, it doesn't matter what she does, because it's all geared towards us getting what we were promised." She then began twirling a strand of her purple hair around a single finger. "Granted she is a little annoying and off beat…and I'm almost positive her hormones aren't in check…"
"Maybe it's just a façade," Edna shrugged while turning her back, beginning to walk off.
"Where are you going?" Drake questioned.
"I'm getting some sun. If you didn't notice, it was pretty dark out earlier. Even dragons need their vitamin D. You think I wake up with this kind of complexion? I may be amazing, but I'm not a miracle worker." Edna responded with a monotonous tone of voice before exiting the room.
"I hate her." Drake scoffed.
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Above the clouds, the Celestial Spirit King and Dhegensea were doing battle. The Spirit King pointed his blade forward, five seals appearing in a star-like formation on the tip of the blade. "Infinite Starlight!" The Celestial King exclaimed, unleashing large golden beams from the seals that rapidly flew towards Dhegensea; as the name suggested, this attack was indeed infinite.
"Ha…!" Dhegensea laughed at the incoming beams of magic. He displayed his incredible speed, a resounding boom echoing throughout the sky as he took off. His aerial mobility was impressive, maneuvering through the incoming beams with ease while closing in on the Spirit King. Once Dhegensea was close, he reared his arm back with darkness surrounding the limb. "Black Dragon's Claw!" He swung his arm forward, landing a direct hit on the chest of the Spirit King, but at the same time the King stopped his attack and swung his large fist at Dhegensea; the two hit each other, and as a result they flew back a few yards away from each other. "Oof, that was something…" Dhegensea grunted while crossing his arms, staring down the Spirit King.
"I can see your strength has improved these last 400 years, Black Dragon King." Spirit King uttered. "For a neutral party, you haven't lose your touch in a fight."
"Looks like you've been doing more than just opening gates," Dhegensea remarked with an annoyed visage. "What are you even doing here? You very well know you cannot remain here for long, and fate said nothing about your arrival. You may as well leave now."
"You and this scroll of fate…you should that these humans, my old friends…they do not abide by a written piece of paper." Spirit King responded with what looked like a grin. "You underestimate the power of humans, Dhegensea. Especially these ones."
Hearing those words just caused Dhegensea to let out a low, feral growl. "How DARE you speak in such a way!?" With another boom, Dhegensea flew forward with aggression, quickly closing in the distance between himself and the Spirit King. The Spirit King did the same, flying forward with his sword at the ready. The clash between titans continued…
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Back on the ground near the jungle, Lucy's head was resting on Yukino's lap. Lucy looked incredibly tired, her eyes were red and her cheeks puffed out from all her crying. Her breathing was heavy and she looked like she was going to pass out at any moment. "Lucy-sama…are you okay!?" Yukino questioned Lucy in worry.
"That fight really took a lot out of her…" Luke grunted while sitting up, staring at Lucy who was almost unresponsive. He then glanced towards Natsu's fight with Eizen with a slight frown. He hated sitting out of a fight, but he was too injured and he'd just weight Natsu down. "Damn it…"
"What happened…?" Happy asked while looking at Luke and Yukino.
"E-Etto…" Yukino shrugged. "I-I don't know…I just woke up and Luke-sama and Lucy-sama were fighting someone in a white coat…"
"I think Lucy would have the full story…I came in halfway…" Luke responded, though his mind flashed back to when Lucy sacrificed Aquarius. He still didn't understand entirely what happened, but he knew it was both a good and bad thing for her. "But she really doesn't look so good…"
"Fire Dragon's…" Natsu leapt up with both feet engulfed in flames. "TALONS!" He swung both of his feet in an axekick motion, aiming for Eizen's head. To his annoyance, Eizen brought up a single arm to block against Natsu's strike, though the ground underneath the sliver dragon caved in slightly. Natsu flipped away, cheeks inflating once again as he was upside down. "And…ROAR!" Opening his mouth, the fire dragon unleashed a massive funnel of flames that consumed the opposition while sending him backwards. After landing on his feet, Natsu wiped his mouth with the back of his hand while panting slightly, staring into the smoke to see the results of his attack.
"Dragon Slayer Magic…" Eizen smoke as the smoke cleared, merely using his hand to blow it all away. His clothes were singed and there were burn marks on his skin. Though his indifferent expression could have said he was unharmed, the slight annoyance buried within his tone said otherwise. "Those are the flames of Igneel…I've clashed with those flames once."
"You know about Igneel..!?" Natsu questioned with a glare. "Tell me!"
"Ha…" Eizen chuckled at Natsu's demand. "I'm sure you'd like to know…" Eizen then inhaled, quickly taking aim at Natsu as he unleashed a large beam of sliver energy towards the fire dragon that traveled at a rapid pace.
"So you do know something!" Natsu grunted before crossing his arms, feeling the Silver Dragon's Roar push him backwards a few yards before slowly coming to a halt. He kept his guard up even as Eizen's speed suddenly allowed him to appear behind Natsu. "…!" Natsu turned, though his body was slow to react.
"Sliver Dragon's…Slash!" Eizen exclaimed while thrusting his hand forward which was coated in a near blinding aura of sliver. The slash hit Natsu directly, sending the slayer flying forward. Eizen continued his assault and lunged forward while raising one leg. "And, Talon!" Payback for Natsu's earlier strike; Eizen brought his leg down on Natsu, creating a large crater on impact.
"Natsu…!" Lucy weakly shouted, though Yukino urged her to keep resting.
"He should've evaded that…" Luke murmured.
"My, is this all Igneel's prodigy has to offer…?" Eizen questioned while staring at Natsu, who slowly picked himself up. He then noticed it, the weighted breathing Natsu had. "Ah…so that's it…it looks like Nasir couldn't help himself with that air of his."
"Natsu?" Happy tilted his head in confusion.
"Tch…" Natsu panted heavily but he still looked like he was ready to fight as always.
"It would be a shame…" Eizen tilted his head towards Happy, Luke, Lucy, and Yukino with a slight grin. "If your friends were caught in the middle…" Extending one palm forward, a sphere of silver shot out, aiming to crash into all four of them for what would be a devastating explosion.
"Shit…!" Natsu yelled while trying to gather speed to intercept, but Eizen was not letting him go anywhere so all he could do was watch while the others braced for impact.
"White Dragon's…IRON FIST!" Sting threw his white magic coated arm forward, smacking the sphere away and let it explode in the sky. Next to him was Rogue, still wet from the temporary prison he was in but otherwise fine. "Whew, that was a close one. You look tired, Natsu-san. Let Rogue and I handle this one."
"Sting-sama…! Rogue-sama…!" Yukino's eyes lit up with happiness.
"It is very unwise…" Rogue began with a sinister glare.
"To lay a hand on our comrades…" Sting finished with the exact same glare. The Twin Dragons stared down the mildly uninterested Eizen.
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Back at Fairy Tail…
"I hope the others are okay…" Warren let out a slight sigh. "I wish I was more useful…"
"They'll be okay," Mavis said with an encouraging grin. "I have faith in them after all, and I don't believe things are as bad as it seems. Erza was really confident that this Ena would be an ally of ours."
"That's Erza for you…" Makarov said with a slight smile. "It matters not who it may be…if she trusts someone, she won't give up on them…"
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"Black Dragon's…" Ena inhaled once again, though this breath was much deeper than the last. "IRE!" Throwing her head forward, she released three consecutive beams of a blackish red magic towards Erza. Even those watching were unsafe as the strength of each beam threatened to collapse the cave; explosions occurred all around as everyone dodged for what could've been their life. "Come on, Erza-senpai! Play with me some more!"
"This girl's crazy…" Blues grunted.
"I have to finish this soon…" Erza thought while changing into her Flight Armor yet again, this time wielding the Lightning Lance, Water Sword, and Flame Sword in both hands. She ran circles around Ena, creating a watery cyclone soon infused with the power of lightning and fire, aiming to do massive damage with Ena trapped within the eye of the storm.
"Ngh…" Meredy flinched from feeling such force pile on her all at once, but overall she had yet to collapse from the pain which meant…
"Ha!" Ena extended her arms, forcibly breaking the tri elemental tornado. "Whew, that was getting a little dicey, I admit…"
"No way…" Erza grit her teeth. Everything she was throwing at Ena wasn't working. She thought about asking Blues for help on this now, but there was something telling her not to. That she needed to be the one to do this. Such foolish pride is something only a knight would have, yet that same pride kept her going.
"Does she have any weaknesses!?" Juvia asked Meredy.
"Dragon Slaying Magic…" Blues said in an annoyed fashion, though he remembered how his last attack went.
"Every time Ena gets hit…I hardly feel anything…" Meredy was desperate for a solution. "Although…when Erza hits her chest, I do feel a little something…"
"Her chest…" Aira uttered silently.
Erza was overhearing the conversation, as was Ena, though it didn't look like she particularly cared since Erza was on the losing end of this bout. "Wait…" Erza's eyes widened once she recalled Meredy's words, and looked at the mark on Ena's chest. The skin was weaker there; otherwise the marking from the impalement with the Lightning Lance shouldn't have existed. "That's it…!"
"Maybe you've figured it out too little…." Ena was in front of Ena with a blackish red aura around her fist. Before Erza could react, Ena slammed her fist into Erza's face, sending Titania flying backwards. Ena wasn't done yet, she was only just beginning. "Now for the move that Father taught me…" Arms spread apart, a large black seal appearing before the female dragon. "Black Dragon's…Darkness Cage!" A pitch black sphere suddenly formed around Erza, beginning to drain her of her vitality and her magic; the only thing Erza could do was let out a constant shout of pain while feeling her very life force being sucked out of her.
"ERZA!"
"Sssssh!" Ena shushed the others with a psychotic grin on her lips. "Erza-senpai is about to go to sleep…I just did her a favor and turned out the lights again. She deserves to rest…I won't let Father enslave her like all the others he wants to. She's too special a human…she's the only one I can save…so she will rest in the darkness until it's all over, then she can awaken…"
"What is she talking about…!?" Kuro stared at the others who were just as lost.
"H-Her mental state…" Meredy gripped her head, groaning in pain while falling to her knees. "I've been trying to ignore it this entire time…but she's too broken…I don't know what Dhegensea did to her but she's lost her mind…!" The link she shared with Ena was now broken, she had to severe it to keep her sanity. "But at the same time…her want to protect Erza…real…no matter how twisted it sounds here."
"What do we do…?" Aira asked.
"Don't underestimate Erza…" Was Juvia's comment.
Erza felt her mind floating in the abyss as everything went dark. She could hear it, however. She heard everyone outside, along with Ena's twisted words. Bottom line, Ena's feelings were genuine, though her current state didn't allow this to show properly. 'The only one you can save…?' That sentence echoed in her mind before she remembered the reason she even wanted to fight Ena in the first place. She wanted to free Ena's free spirit.
"Oh and…! That fight was incredible, Erza-senpai! You had me on the edge of my seat! When you unveiled that armor! And your final stand! I just…!"
'I won't fall into the darkness…because there is a light inside me that won't ever die…!' Erza's eyes snapped open as another heavenly glow appeared around her body; in that same instant, the sphere of darkness around her was cleaved in half, causing Ena to stagger backwards. "I won't let you sink into the darkness either, Ena!" Erza was in her Wingblade armor and right beside her? A large assortment of swords. "There is a light within you that I won't let die!" By throwing her arms forward, Erza commanded the swords to fly forward at breakneck speeds.
"Why won't you just let me save you!?" Ena questioned in irritation, a somewhat feral look appearing in her eyes as they shifted to a reptilian-like shape. She then sprinted forward while evading the blades, though most of them grazed her skin enough to make marks, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. "Your blades can't even bring me that much harm! You can't break my skin with this!"
Erza fell to a knee after unleashing her barrage of blades. So much magic and damage was finally catching up to her, but she wasn't done yet. Even though Ena was moving in with what looked like a finishing blow, she did not fret…instead, she wore a soft smile on her lips. "Maybe I can't break your skin…however…my sword is…one that pierces through evil."
Ena was just in front of Erza now, a heavy black aura radiating from her hand. She raised it up…and paused; eyes widened a she felt a sharp sensation of pain in her chest. She couldn't move, the pain was unlike anything she'd ever felt. "W-What…this pain…h-how…"
"…My swords can't hurt you…I don't think anything I do after this will…" Erza said while standing back up. "However…I have one sword that is enough to pierce through your darkness to reach your light. A blade that doesn't have to hit you to strike you. It stabbed right through your weak point." Another light wrapped around Erza, once again entering her Giant's Armor. "This is the best I can do…I can only salvage your light…so Ena…WAKE UP!" Erza swung her armored fist down at Ena's skull, a resounding shockwave occurring on the impact, creating a powerful tremor occurring that shook a small portion of the island. Erza buried Ena's face deep into the earth with the powerful blow, causing her wings and scales to recede; afterwards Erza reverted back to her standard clothing and collapsed onto the ground as her eyes shut. "Please…wake up…"
Ena laid face first in the dirt. She wasn't unconscious for long as she started to stand back up with a groan, causing everyone else to get on guard and fight. Her eyes were still closed which scared everyone the most. "Uh…" Ena's eyes slowly opened, revealing their normal look. She looked lost for a moment before realizing where she was and what she had been doing. "I…" She bit her lips, tears beginning to form in the corner of her eyes as she stared at Erza. "I…I….!"
"Why are you crying…?" Erza groaned as she turned over with a pained smile, managing to sit up. "Those tears…they don't look good on you at all…" Without thinking, Ena moved down and hugged Erza tightly, wailing loudly into her shoulder.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Erza-senpai! I couldn't control myself! I…I didn't mean to hurt you or your friends! I just wanted to protect you…!" Ena cried, the tears really streaming down her cheeks. This was the first time she'd ever shed tears over a human…or a friend for that matter.
"Sssh…" Erza patted Ena on the back during their hug. "It's okay…I understand…I felt your heart's true intentions as we fought, and I heard your voice. I'm just glad to see that you're finally awake again. I always knew you'd be our ally."
Ena pulled back from the hug with a sad smile on her face. "Thank you, Erza-senpai…for not losing faith in me…"
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Next Time: Revelations.