"S-S-SIDNEY!" Jaxon nearly screamed at the sight of Sidney being reduced to nothing but an infant. The sight was unreal and in this situation…it was just a nightmare. Fiore was in danger, Jikan was supposedly the only hope…and things went as south as they could possibly be.
"A-Ah shit…" Aloy's eyes widened at Jikan's show of power. There was no need to remind them why he was the master of the guild.
"Well…." Rail cleared his throat, having nothing to say on the matter because well…he couldn't say anything.
"Well!" Jikan was quite enjoying this situation even though the same could NOT be said for the others. He was laughing, turning to Jaxon slowly as he gradually came to a halt. "Let's try this again, because I'm willing to help for my own personal reasons. You there, kid. So me some humility and I MAY just save your pathetic asses from extinction."
There was no choice. Jaxon immediately fell to his knees, trying his best to even muster words. "P-P-Please…w-we need your h-help…! A-after this…w-we'll never bother you again, I-I promise…!" Jaxon was doing more than just showing humility; he was on his knees, beginning for Jikan to help.
…And the worst part of it? With Sidney in his arms, he was standing right behind Jaxon in the midst of his plea. There was no escape for either mage now. Jikan could pull the trigger right here and now and end the both of them if he wanted to. "…See Sidney? Why couldn't you have been like your friend here? All you had to do was ask a little nicer." Turning back to Jaxon after messing with the kid, he gave a shrug. "Alright, but I'll be there at my own pace. That should give you enough time to get everyone out of the guild, because I'm going to accelerate time in that space for thousands of years. You wouldn't want anyone turning to dust, would you? Also…I'll be holding onto this child as collateral until I'm finished."
….What just happened? Jaxon could not describe it in words. There WERE no words to describe what just occurred. The S class mage stood up immediately and nodded frantically. "...I..."
"You look like you have something to say." Jikan said while starting to walk. "I'll field you one question. There's enough time for that."
"W-Well...there's something that did have me confused. You've...said some strange words here and there. Like, again. And that you've been looking forward to it. That Sidney keeps making the same mistake. This...makes me wonder...did you...know about this? Have you seen this happen before?"
Jikan was silent for a moment, before letting out a small laugh. "Ah, so you clocked in on that! That's right. My time magic allows me to peer into different timelines. I've seen this scenario play out many times before. It always ends with Sidney refuses to kowtow out of his sense of pride...and he drags you along with it to make up for his weakness. How does it feel having the great Sidney Castle rely on you?"
"I...I, uh...never thought I'd see the day, honestly." Jaxon gulped, still unable to believe in this situation. "So if you've seen how this plays out...does this mean...we'll be okay?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Jikan said while stroking his chin. "Things in this timeline are a lot different than the previous one. Living through this one has been far more exciting. Now...are you going to get going? Or will you just stand here slackjawed? Because I'm not gonna stop."
Oh, shit. He got so caught up in Jikan's explanation, he nearly forgot he was supposed to leave. Jikan was really taking his time, which made him extremely nervous. He hated not knowing how this was going to turn out...! "T-Thank you…" The only two words he could muster before he hauled ass out of there…he had to warn everyone before it was too late.
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"You have another daughter?" Emeraude looked to Aiden in surprise as Alex made her entrance.
"Ah, yes. But she is adopted, as you can see. We have no blood relation." Aiden crossed his arms behind his back.
"We have no relation at all!" Alex snarled.
"I had no idea that you were visiting Fiore. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that Cynthia isn't here." Aiden turned his back to Alex, looking at the timer which displayed only 18 minutes left.
"Yeah, I know that!" Alex shouted back. "Your goon grabbed Wendy right in front of me. Why don't you ever learn! This never works for you. All you do is needlessly hurt people!"
"I've learned plenty, Alex." Aiden glanced over his shoulder. "This is the culmination of all the mistakes I've learned from. I was too lenient in the past. I gave everyone too much time, and because of that, I failed. The man who tried to corner Fiore mere weeks ago learned this lesson too late. I will not fail this time."
"...If Cynthia were here, she'd tear you apart herself. I remember those words she said to you, and yet you did it anyway." Alex clenched her hand into a fist. "You're taking advantage of her friends, her family, and the person she loves the most. So now it falls to me as her older sister to set this right."
"Always craving for attention." Aiden shrugged his shoulders. "Hyde, take care of her. I know she's been trained by a dragon, so perhaps we can make some use of her. Since she failed in her other operation."
"You..!" Alex narrowed her eyes and lunged forward, her fist enlargening due to her Prototype magic. She swung at Aiden's back, but she was intercepted by Hyde's cane.
"You are unwelcome in this production!" Hyde said with a wry grin. "It is time for you to exit stage left!" The two pushed back from one another, and Hyde swung his cape forward. "Phantom Slash!" A powerful whirlwind erupted from this motion. Alex crossed her arms, the whirlwind striking and pushing her backwards.
"Gh!" Alex grit her teeth as she slid back. But she covered herself in pitch black armor, allowing her to rush through the cyclone and throw a punch at Hyde. However, his body turned transparent and she struck nothing but air, tumbling through him. "Crap...! I forgot about that...!"
As Alex was recovering, Hyde's chest released a gigantic hand that flew towards the girl. "Phantom Claw!" The claw shot out and slashed Alex in the chest. Thanks to her armor, the damage was mitigated, but it still hurt. Before the claw could retract entirely, Alex grabbed it by the wrist, much to Hyde's shock. "Huh?"
"Haaaah!" She tugged Hyde forward, only to flip right over him. Earth appeared on her leg and she twisted her body. "Earth Dragon's Talon!" She slammed her leg right into Hyde's back, causing him to tumble across the ground before coming to a halt.
"Why you..." Hyde grimaced from the blow, but a single strike wasn't going to take him down.
As the fight raged on, Emeraude noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "Hm…?" Emeraude blinked, glancing out the window to the object approaching from the sky. "What is this…?" What was approaching? None other than Blue Pegasus' airship, the Christine! "It appears that a new player as entered the game…how will you respond?"
"Those pesky Pegasi again of all places…" Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. At every turn, it always seemed like Blue Pegasus was involved in foiling his plans! "I'll blast them out of the sky as many times as they wish! Unleash the Sky Cannon!" The cannon at the top of the tower changed its angle, pointing directly at the Christine; magic was being gathered from one dragon slayer this time…Wendy.
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"Ichiya-senpai…!" Eve pointed up ahead at the cannon aimed directly at them. "I think he's about to fire at us!"
"Men!" Ichiya gave a firm nod before pointing forward. "We mustn't allow that cannon to bring forth its destructive unhandsomeness! Eve, Ren, fire at will!"
"Target is locked, Ichiya-san." Hibiki nodded.
"Now's the time!" Jenny confirmed. Just as she did, a gigantic beam of Sky Dragon Slayer magic shot forth from the cannon directly at the airship with full intent to blow them out of the sky. "We won't be getting shot down again!"
Eve and Ren placed their hands on two separate components flooding their respective magic into it. The cannons on the ship were pointed forward and released a mixture of snow and air magic that formed a gigantic blizzard, clashing with the beam Aiden sent towards them only for it all to stalemate and result was a large-scale explosion in the sky.
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Wendy let out a sharp cry of pain as Aiden began to extract and amplify her magic. A bright green aura flared around the container than held Wendy and her magic was being directly funneled into the cannon. "S-STOP IT!" She was unconscious before, but now she was fully awake to experience this pain.
Wendy's cries of pain could be heard from the corridor that led to the room. Erza's eyes widened as she looked past Weavel to see that bright green light shining from behind him. "That's Wendy's voice…get out of my way, NOW!" She demanded while rushing towards Weavel, shifting into her Purgatory Armor and swinging her massive mace down at him with earth shattering force.
"Keh..!" Weavel grinned and leapt to the side, though he underestimated Erza's might. The blade the ground and sent a shockwave immediately after, throwing Weavel off his feet and onto the ground! "Guh..!? Strength that renders speed useless!?" Standing back up, Weavel quickly pulled his hands apart, creating a pitch black sphere that slowly expanded, covering the entire area in darkness. "I'll drag you into the darkness and finish you off in one fell swoop."
"Tch…" Erza glanced around, unable to detect Weavel within the darkness. She was in his domain now…and they'd be playing by his rules.
"This will be a simple dual. Charge straight ahead and meet your demise…or will I meet mine? Who knows…but I do know this. You cannot beat me in my world, Erza Scarlet." Weavel's voice echoed in the abyss.
"I have no choice…" Erza's body was enveloped in a glow that not even the darkness could smother. No one could see it, but she was within her Heaven's Wheel armor once again, holding one blade tightly as her eyes closed. This was going to be the final showdown. Seconds…a minute passed before her eyes snapped open and she lunged forward, aiming a slash at Weavel just as he did to her. The two slipped past each other and the darkness faded… "Urk…" Erza's armor shattered and several gashes appeared on her body; without a word Titania collapsed to the ground, eyes wide in pain.
"Heh…" Weavel chuckled as he turned around. "Like I said…you cannot beat me in my domain." With his blades in hand, he took slow steps forward to finish Erza off…but he felt a sharp pain in his chest. "…?! What is…!?"
"Heh…" Erza slowly stood up, wearing a wide grin. "For someone so fast…you were surprisingly slow in noticing it. An invisible blade that doesn't have to touch you do to damage…it was only a matter of time until you finally noticed the damage. This battle was won before it even began."
"Y-You…out sped me…" Weavel grunted before collapsing.
Erza shook her head before forcing her body to move. Heavy injuries or no, Wendy was up ahead and she was going to save her. "Hang on, Wendy…we're almost there…!"
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Micaiah, Reiss, and Tyson finally entered the tower's foyer, all three of them panting softly. "Geez…we're pretty behind! We better hurry up and back up the others!" Reiss said while shaking his head.
"No kidding…!" Micaiah nodded.
"Whoa, whoa!" Yumia narrowed her eyes at the trio that appeared. "Who the heck are you guys!?"
"The cavalry." Tyson said. "Sorry little ladies, but we don't have time to mess around with you, so if you would kindly get out of the way…"
"Pfft…!" Yukia snorted at Tyson's words. "How cute! They think they're the ones in charge here…!"
"I didn't think anyone could be more annoying than rich boy…" Tyson scoffed.
"What was that!?" Reiss glared at Tyson.
"Guys, guys…!" Micaiah took a step forward in attempt to break up the untimely fighting between her two friends…unfortunately her footing was off and she ended up stepping on one of the aforementioned springs that launched her down a corridor with a cute cry of surprise.
"Micaiah…?" Reiss blinked a few times. Before he and Tyson could say or do much, a combination of fire and water took them both off guard and sent them spiraling backwards before catching themselves. "Tch…!"
"Cheap shot…" Tyson grunted while using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth. "Didn't think you little ladies would play dirty like."
Yukia wagged her finger at Tyson's assumption. "No no. We may be cute little girls, but we're on a payroll here, so now we're cold, ruthless hunters. If you two weren't targets, I'd totally slip you my number. You're both kinda cute."
"This man does not need another female on him…" Tyson shook his head, his comment directed at Reiss. "Alright…how about we show these two just what they're in for…? If you can keep up."
"Heh…" Reiss gave a sly smirk. "Please, if anything, you should try not to fall behind…"
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"Which one of us is the true animal?" Blank taunted Elfman as several punches were aimed from the bulky Fairy at the Predator, who managed to swiftly evade the punches being thrown. "Because clearly, I don't see a hint of a beast within you."
"I don't see a hint of a man within you!" Elfman shouted while rearing his arm back, allowing it to take the form of his Beast Arm: Iron Bull. With ferocious might, he swung at Blank. "What kind of Man goes around and kidnaps little girls?! Such an action is unmanly and I will NEVER forgive you for laying a hand on my family!"
"…!" Blank crossed his arms, grunting in pain from the physical might Elfman contained. Sliding back several feet, the Predator shook his arm before facing the middle Strauss sibling with a widening grin. "Now this is looking to be a hunt…" Licking his lips, a magic seal formed above him before he shifted into a rhino, immediately charging forward with great speed and force.
"Takeover…" Elfman dug his feet into the floor and held his arms out. His body shifted the very second Blank slammed into him; while he did slide back the damage dealt was reduced significantly due to his Lizardman takeover. "Lizard Man…" With enhanced strength, he grabbed Blank by the horn and tossed him across the corridor where the Predator hit the ground, tumbling before regaining his balance.
"Yes, this is wonderful…" Blank's form shifted once again, his body shrouded in a dark veil as he ended up breaking the walls and ceiling around the corridor due to his increase in size. He turned into a bear once again, and charged at Lizard Man. The two of them entered a fierce physical clash, both of them trying to overpower the other. "Try as you might…I'm the predator, and you're the prey. And I always eat my prey."
"You think I care about that? I'm a Man and a wizard of Fairy Tail, so I'll always protect my family!" Elfman snarled in turn. Suddenly, Blank's form shifted and Elfman stumbled forward. Blank turned into a hawk to slip out of Elfman's grasp, only to appear under him. He transformed a second time, back into a rhino, and lifted his horn right into Elfman's chest. While Lizardman had great defensive scales, his chest wasn't so armored. "Agh...!"
"Come on, show me your bloodlust!" Blank leapt into the air, turning into a tiger and pounced on Elfman, clawing and biting at his chest, hoping to expose the jugular for a fatal shot. Unfortunately for him, Elfman turned into his Beast Soul, using his superior size and strength to swat Blank away. Blank landed on the ground after a harsh thud, but proceeded to stalk Elfman carefully.
"I'm not an animal like you." Elfman said as he turned into his Weretiger takeover, the two of them circling around each other slowly. Eventually, they both lunged. Elfman had superior speed and agility; he used this to strike first, clawing at Blank as fast as he could. Blank was faster than he thought, leaping and lunging through his attacks with ease. Blank saw his opening and clawed Elfman across the chest, leaving a nasty gash in the process. Elfman growled and turned around, only for Blank to hit him once again. "Agh...!"
"You're just a big target, easy to catch! Easy to hunt!" Blank taunted while leaping once more. But Elfman caught onto his timing and leaned to the side, slashing his claw against Blank's side. Blank's eyes widened, but he had a growl of delight when he landed on the ground. "But you've got some fight in you! That makes the hunt exciting!" He turned into a hawk once more, and took off as high as he could. Once airborne, he then shifted into a hippo, using that animal's weight as a weapon. He threatened to crash down onto Elfman and crush him.
"What the...!?" Elfman was surprised that such a tactic was being used, but he wasn't going to allow himself to be caught. With the speed of his Weretiger takeover, he was able to leap out of the way with ease. Blank crashed into the floor, creating a crater from the impact. Elfman thought he was safe, but Blank used the hippo's deceptive speed to rush him down and bite on his waist. "Ngh...!"
"A hippo's jaw is uber powerful!" Blank's voice was muffled, because he was planning to bite Elfman in half! A hppo was not an animal to be underestimated! Elfman shifted into his Lizardman takeover once again, the sharp scales digging into Blank's mouth...but despite the blood being drawn, he refused to let go. "I don't let go of my prey, no matter what! I am the ultimate Predator! The one who stands at the top of the food chain!"
"Gaaaaaah!" Elfman could feel that he wouldn't last long like this. Blank was going to bite him in half! "I'm not...letting you stop me...! As a Man, I will...protect my family and friends!" Elfman wasn't going to lose here! He simply had to play smart, and he had an idea. If he couldn't force Blank to let go...then he'd give him exactly what he wanted. Elfman's body started to change once more, his overall body shifting in size. He was turning into his Beast Soul, but allowing himself to get bigger and bigger...
"Ngk...!?" Despite how big Blank's jaw was as a hippo, it couldn't contain Elfman. His mouth was forced open, his jaw frozen in place as he released Elfman. He tried to transform into a different animal, but he didn't have the time.
"Beast Impact!" Elfman stood over Blank with both hands linked over his head. He slammed his large fists onto Blank's skull, a small shockwave booming out from the impact. Blank's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he reverted to his normal form, completely unconscious.
Elfman placed a hand on his side, grimacing at the damage he took...but he wore a victorious grin all the same. "That's the power of the Beast inside of me. A wild animal like you...could never hope to beat me."
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"These games are getting annoying…" A bruised Luke said while wiping at his mouth.
"I can agree, Luke-sama…" Yukino nodded. She was also equally banged up as he was. "We don't know the rules but we keep losing…"
"That's how my magic works." Kai began explaining with a subtle grin. "Prominence Domination. We play many games, all with different rules. All I have to do is state that the game is being played, and the loser suffers the consequences."
"Playing a game we don't even know the rules to…" Yukino grit her teeth in slight annoyance. At this rate…
"Perhaps you should learn quickly, otherwise the fun of it all goes away. How about we try with color next? This should be simple enough for you." Kai said with a nod, easing up on the two so he could keep the fun going for himself. "Let's begin with the color black. Color Cut." Right after he said that he swiped his hand forward, sending a slicing crescent of shadows towards Yukino.
"…!" Yukino quickly leaped to the side, however her side was still struck and the damage dealt was much more than before. Brown eyes widened and she had a rather rough landing on her feet while bringing her hand to her side. "W-What…that hurt more than before…" With a grunt of pain she quickly brushed it off and brought out a golden key. "Gate of the Scales, I open thee! Libra!" With a bell chime and a puff of smoke, Libra appeared before them. "Increase the gravity on that male!"
"As you wish…" Libra nodded and went to work, using her gravity to keep Kai stuck to the ground, creating an indent on the floor due to the amount of pressure.
Luke quickly brought his arm back, allowing a pitch black sphere to form within his palm. "Black God's Bomb!" Throwing his arm forward, the dense sphere raced across the air with Kai as the target; due to the increased gravity he was unable to avoid it and a large explosion followed suit, nearly flinging Kai backwards.
"Ngh…!" Kai grunted, yet kept his position firm. There was a smirk stretching long his lips. "You two should freeze…" It was this game once again; the mage who had the least amount of movement was the victor, and since Kai was stuck due the gravity…
Luke and Yukino both froze in place, finally abiding by one of the rules they actually knew, but it wasn't proving too useful for them. Kai had the upper hand…that was until… "Libra. To the side." Yukino mumbled.
On that cue, Libra changed the field of gravity and sent Kai into the wall, meaning that the mage who created the game…just broke his own rules. "Guh!?" Kai was in for a shock…for what came next was completely unexpected.
Yukino started giving him the work. A jab, an uppercut, and a straight punch to his gut to wind him occurred all within a second. "You are to get out of my way immediately, are we clear? I'm through playing these games." And right after said that she swung her leg violently for a roundhouse kick that slammed Kai into the wall once again. "Understand?"
Kai couldn't answer, because Yukino completely knocked him out.
"Holy…" Luke just blinked at Yukino went ham on Kai. He sure knew now not to get on the bad side of this woman…
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Cygnus swung his blade, Rebellion, towards Kara. The opposing female was easily capable of deflecting the slash with her rapier, sparks flying from steel kissing steel. Leaping back, the S class mage of White Eclipse ran a hand through his hair and let out a soft scoff. "Not bad with a sword…"
"I know." Kara replied confident before pointing at Cygnus' hair. "But what I do know…is what's up with that hair? It's pretty disgusting if I'm honest. You look like you're in your fifties."
Cygnus was getting tired of the disrespect he was constantly getting because of his white air. An annoyed tick mark appeared on his forehead while he grit his teeth. "I'm in my mid-twenties! But I can't say the same for you…you're probably late 30s." Oh, he definitely pressed some buttons there. Never insult a ladies age: that was the number one rule.
"That's it. I'm taking your head off and selling it for an extra few bucks." Kara grumbled before leaping at Cygnus, swinging her rapier, to unleash spears of ice in his direction. As stated, she was aiming right for his head to take it clean off.
"Heh…" Cygnus grinned slightly at the incoming spears. Taking Rebellion, he quickly flipped the sword by its hilt, causing the blade to spin rapidly in midair like a waterwheel to shatter the spears. With a thrust of his arm, Cygnus unleashed a burst of gravity that sent his blade towards Kara at rapid speeds. "Round Trip!"
"Tch…!" Kara quickly slashed her rapier diagonally, struggling for a second before deflecting the blade right back at Cygnus.
Cygnus did not miss a dime. Even as his sword was flung back at him he sped forward, grabbing the hilt of his blade as a red aura flared around the blade. "Stinger!" With a violent slide forward, Cygnus aimed to thrust his blade right into Kara's stomach. The blow was entirely successful as Kara blocked it; however she was thrown back from the amount of power packed within the strike. "Come on, I'm just getting started…!"
"So am I." Kara said while pointing at Cygnus's feet.
"Huh?" Cygnus looked down, only to see his legs were trapped within a glacier. "When did you-?"
"Don't underestimate a Predator!" Kara smirked while rushing forward, her rapier wrapped in ice once again. "Frost Breaker!" She slashed her rapier across Cygnus' chest in an X motion. This was a direct hit and Cygnus grunted in pain, feeling the icy blade cut deep into him. He couldn't even slide back since his legs were frozen. Kara was taking advantage of this to try and stab him directly in the heart and end this.
Cygnus, however, wasn't going to be put down by a single measly hit like that! Despite the pain, he thrust his hand out, pushing Kara back into the wall with a heavy push of gravity. This also shattered the ice around his legs. Cygnus then pulled his hand back, shifting Kara's gravity to pull her towards him, while he reared his free hand back. "Gravity God's Heavy Smash!" He slammed his fist right into Kara's stomach, causing the blue haired female to cough as she stumbled back. "Too much for you?"
"Grrr..." Kara grit her teeth before slashing at the ground. This sent multiple glaciers rushing towards Cygnus, but he evaded this by leaping into the air with ease. Kara smirked at this and flipped her rapier up. "You fell for it! Ice Spires!" The glaciers shattered, sharp shards of ice beginning to pelt and stab Cygnus in various locations.
"Ah! Damn! That hurts!" Cygnus grunted. Kara was no joke, her movements were swift and she knew her way around a weapon. Cygnus was getting stabbed and pelted by dozens and dozens of ice shards. Kara took advantage of his position and leapt towards him with her rapier, aiming for a fierce slash. To her dismay, Cygnus was able to parry her strike, while his cheeks inflated. "Gravity God's Bellow!" He exhaled a golden wave of gravity that struck Kara directly, knocking her back a second time. He landed on the ground, shivering a bit. "Wow, that's a little chilly...nothing compared to that mountain I live on, though."
"You're annoying." Kara had one eye shut. She was grinning. "It's been a while since prey has put up this much of a fight. You were unlucky in crossing paths with me. Because it doesn't matter what you are. A Predator will always Reign." As she said this, the temperature of the area began to drop considerably, which did make Cygnus shiver from the cold. Multiple spears of ice appeared all around Cygnus, growing larger with each passing second. "Frigid Coffin!" She swung her rapier down, causing these dozens of ice spires to rush towards Cygnus to skewer him!
"That's...!" Cygnus began with a look of shock. But then, a pulse boomed out, and the spires of ice stopped cold. Kara wore a look of confusion as she stared at Cygnus. His appearance changed slight, his silver hair wavering in the wind his transformation caused. "Not even close to being enough to beat me." He entered his God Trigger, state 2. The first state was more than enough, but he had a message he wanted to send.
"W-What...!?" Kara's eyes were wide and she took a step back. The force of Cygnus' gravity completely stopped her finishing move. "But how...what are you!?"
"Weren't you listening?" Cygnus walked forward slowly, gently nudging the spikes of ice away from his as he did so. "You call yourself a Predator, but you had no idea you were looking at the top of the food chain." As Cygnus spoke, his hands gathered a magic that was almost twilight in appearance. A strange mix of black and white, but it was far different than what Luke could produce. I've been itching to use this on someone! Here's a glimpse at the power White Eclipse has at it's disposal, a spell from the book of Calium! ECLIPSE HAMMER!"
A twilight magic seal appeared above Kara and she stared up at it with wide eyes, unsure of what to expect. From the seal, a large mass of Eclipse magic appeared, and it was controlled by Cygnus' gravity. He dropped it down on Kara without hesitation, and this mass displayed incredible, raw, destructive power. It completely drowned out any and all resistance Kara tried to muster. A bright flash of light hit Cygnus's eyes upon impact, and when it faded, Kara was face down on the floor, unconscious.
"Hah..." Cygnus laughed a bit. "Maybe I didn't need to go God Trigger after all. But let this be a lesson for you. Your arms are too short to box with a God."
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"Come on, come on…!" Little Marx of the Wizard Hunters was bouncing around, bouncy balls flying all over the corridor. This was making it exceptionally hard for Levy, Pantherlily, Happy, and Carla to move around as they wished since every ball they hit sent them ricocheting into another.
"This is stupid!" Carla complained while trying to maneuver throughout the bouncing balls by flying between them, but it was quite difficult as she and Happy were both thrown to the ground.
"Don't you just love the circus!?" Marx asked with childish, gleaming eyes. He may have been young…but the fact he was among elite Wizard Hunters meant that he was the real deal.
"Every time I try to move my hand I can't…" Levy grunted. The problem was soon seen as the bouncing balls slowly began to converge onto them, smothering all of the Fairies.
"This…" Pantherlily grunted, finding all of his movements restricted and his breathing was difficult. He wasn't going down like this; not to a child and not when Gajeel was in danger and he was the only one who could protect Levy during this time. It was a promise he made to his partner and it was not one he was going to fall back on soon. Before everyone could be completely smothered by the circus balls, Pantherlily shifted into his Battle Form and slashed his sword once, cutting through all of them. "It's going to take more than this to put me down!"
"Lily…!" Happy gasped for air, wearing a wide grin as the knight finally managed to stand up for combat.
"Stand back, I'll take care of this." Pantherlily gripped his sword while staring at Marx, who seemed a little upset his plan didn't go like he wanted. A childish boy who was clearly spoiled in some sense. "You…child. You will stand down."
"You…You're a big bully!" Marx shouted with crocodile tears in his eyes. What occurred next was a blur; the boy began preforming acrobatic flips around the narrow corridor. His movements were fast and he was literally bouncing off the walls! Pantherlily couldn't keep up and before he knew it the Exceed received a double kick to the chest strong enough to nearly send him toppling over! "Circus Magic is fun! How dare you take away my fun!?" Marx's magical aura steadily began to grow the angrier he became…there was some latent power within the child that made him a threat to be reckoned with…
With a grunt of pain, Pantherlily held his sword up while glaring at Marx. He was not going to back down, because he had an iron resolve he obtained from Gajeel himself…and right now Gajeel was in danger. They were the only ones who could save him, and nothing was going to stop him from doing just that. "It's time for bed, kid. Let me tuck you in.
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Next Time: Time's Up.