"So that's what happened…" Makarov nodded slowly. "They have been bolstering their forces from within even now. Tartarus is proving to be a very strong opponent this time…"
Happy was weeping, clinging to Lucy's chest after witnessing what happened to Natsu. Lucy was of course doing her best to console the Exceed. "It's okay Happy…we'll find a way to save Natsu, Erza, and Mira."
Soon there was a lacrima communication incoming from Lamia Scale. Upon answering, Kagura was on the other line, wrapped in bandages along with a few others in the background. "Is this working…?"
"Kagura?" Levy hadn't expected her to be the one to call. "How are things at Lamia Scale? Is everything okay!?"
"Everything is fine. We've fended off the demons that attempted to attack." Kagura's words felt like a rush of fresh air over everyone's worries. Slowly but surely they were pushing the demons back. "Also…we encountered Cynthia briefly."
Those were the words that caught Wendy's attention. "Really?! Is she with you!?"
Kagura shook her head slowly. "No…it looked like Chelia almost got through to her, but she managed to escaped. I apologize…"
"Ah…" Wendy's excited expression shifted to one of disappointment.
"That is all to report. I'll contact the others and update them as well." Kagura reported before the communication shut off.
"Then I think that's all the reason we need." Gajeel spoke with a widening grin, slowly cracking his knuckle. "We know where that castle is. So what's stopping us from charging in there right now? They've got some of our own captive; I don't see a reason why we shouldn't be storming on their front door right now like they did us. Besides, we can't stay on the defensive forever, we'll never stop their stupid plans that way."
"I agree with Gajeel!" Cana nodded firmly. "I'm gettin' sick of these demons running about like they own the place. I say its high time we put them in their place once and for all! If we don't…then it's the end of magic, right? We can't have that."
"If Natsu and Erza were here…I'm sure they'd say the same thing." Lucy said with a firm nod.
"I can even track the fastest route to the castle!" Levy snapped her fingers. "I'm sure the other guilds are going to be tired of sitting around and doing nothing, too. Let's get moving, right Master? First…?"
Makarov and Mavis looked at one another before nodding. They silently agreed to take action before Tartarus' forces had the chance to recover. "Very well. All forces, prepare for battle!" Right after Makarov said that, the doors creaked open slowly…eerily. Elfman slowly trudged forward with an exhausted look in his eyes. There was an unconscious Diamond over his shoulder.
"Elfman…?" Max tilted his head curiously. "Dude, you good? Did something happen? Where's Lisanna….? And is that Diamond?"
"We….got…separated during the attack on Black Phoenix…that's what happened." Elfman paused so many times it almost seemed like he was stalling for time. "I'm sorry…I just need to rest for a little bit…can you watch over Diamond? She was at Black Phoenix" Without elaborating, he set Diamond down on a chair and continued to walk off.
Lucy watched as Elfman made his way off. It was then that a voice only she could hear rang in her head. "You mustn't trust him…"
That voice echoed as a high pitched squeal echoed in her head for a split second. "Ooogh…what was…that…? Don't trust him…?" It was that voice again, but that wasn't important this time…what was important was Elfman's strange behavior. Cana also held suspicions about Elfman…just what was he hiding?
.
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Deep within the dungeons of Tartarus, a bound, bare Erza panted heavily. Kyouka was taking her sweet time with Titania, enjoying the sounds of her pained screams. It was like music to the demon's ears. "I'll keep asking until you answer me. I want to know everything you know, Erza~" Kyouka stroked Erza's cheek gently in contrast to the harsh torment she was receiving.
"I…I told you…I don't…know…" Sweat dripped from Erza's face as she panted heavily. How she was still conscious was nothing short of a miracle. "Y-You…tell me…where is Cynthia…?"
"That's not what I asked you." Kyouka hummed with a shake of her head. In the next instant her claws extended and she slashed Erza across the chest. With Erza's sense of pain multiplied tenfold, the aguish she felt could not be describe in words; only by the loud scream that she emitted. "Tell. Me. What. You. Know." Each word was accompanied by a slash, drowned out by Erza's cries of pain.
"She's really going to town on that one." Tayakata happened to pass by the chamber and only gave a mere shrug. "How humorous…I wonder how long she'll be able to last…" With a quiet chuckle she was off on her way.
Rose happened to pass by the chamber as well, though she came to a stop shortly after. Blinking slowly, she found herself staring at Erza's torture. "…."
"...I...don't know...what you want..." Erza said with one eye clenched shut. They already had Jellal! They took Cynthia from Fairy Tail!
In truth, Kyouka was doing this just for fun. Taunting and torturing such an immaculate wizard was more fun than she could imagine. Watching Erza's expression as she was trying to work out any possible answer was amusing. The mental scramble her victim was taking simply to try and get her to stop...how it was so, so enjoyable. There was no greater reason for this other than that she wanted to. "You're being very uncooperative. Such a shame, if only you would lend me a hand and I wouldn't have to harm you so severely…but your screams are quite blissful to my ears. So I don't mind doing whatever it is I need to do to make you talk, Erza~" Kyouka purred before snapping her fingers. "Give her another voltage."
From above Erza, a slime demon planted itself on the red headed female. Erza weakly lifted her head up, looking past Kyouka at Rose with widened eyes. "Cyn…!" And before she could utter another syllable, an abundance of high voltage electricity coursed through her body. A strangled cry of pain escaped her before she lost consciousness, falling to the floor with widened eyes, drool rolling down her lip.
"….!" Rose quickly turned away from the scene, shaking her head as she began to walk off. "It doesn't concern me…it doesn't concern me…" She told herself over and in some sort of denial.
"Who said you could pass out?" Kyouka shook her head and snapped her fingers. The demon shocked Erza once again, forcing her awake with a strangled cry of pain.
"S...stop...p..." Erza choked out.
Kyouka gently held Erza's chin within her hand, looking at her with a sweet, terrifying smile. "Stop? But my dear...we're only just getting started." The way Erza's face paled made Kyouka giggle. And then, another loud, shrill cry of pain echoed throughout the dungeons.
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"Our numbers are just dropping so rapidly…" Lamy let out an annoyed sigh. With all the other demons catching losses it was making it extremely difficult to focus on the task at hand within Hell's Core since they were inside the tubes to recover. Jackal was defeated, Keith was defeated which meant the loss of Silver as a result, Torafusa was defeated…somehow the humans were managing to hold onto their defenses.
"They are merely fighting to drag out their story as long as possible." Sayla remarked while flipping through the pages of a book. "Although no matter how they struggle, it will inevitable come to an end, such as all stories do." Closing the book in her possession, she stared at Mirajane who was unconscious within a tube. "And a new story will begin from their end. That is the essence of storytelling."
"Fwahaha…" Lamy's annoying laugh echoed throughout Hell's Core as her face pressed against the glass of Mirajane's tube. "She's so fuckin' pretty, isn't she? Oh man…" A twisted smile formed on the little lamb's face. "I'm going to enjoy turning her into the ugliest damn butterfly this world has ever seen…"
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"Is everything in order?" Marde questioned. With both Jellal and Crawford present, he was prepared to initiate his grand scheme.
"But of course." Crawford gave a shrewd smile and a nod. "I've taken the necessary steps needed to activate Face. It was a bit of a pesky process since Jellal does hold the key required to activate it." He looked to Jellal, who glared at him. "You were very smart, splitting the key in half when you remade Siegrain. Luckily, I had a feeling you might do that, and asked that Siegrain be spared when the Council was attacked. And now...I have removed it from him, and you therefore making the two of you useless! I am now the key to Face! Isn't it wonderful?"
"You traitorous…" Jellal clenched his hand into a fist, yet was halted by Marde.
"I see. Then Jellal…" A special lacrima appeared in front of the former wizard saint. "Jellal, I want you to place all of your magic into this crystal. I don't think I need to remind you of what's at stake if you don't comply…"
"Tch…" Jellal sucked his teeth before grasping onto the crystal. A golden glow wrapped around the crystal as he filled it with his magic. After a few moments it was finally complete; Jellal pulled back and panted a bit. "T-There…"
Marde merely grinned as Jellal complied with his demands. "As expected." With a snap of his fingers, a vine rose from the ground and pierced through Jellal's chest, rising into the ceiling to keep him pinned there, steadily bleeding out as a result.
"Agh...!" Jellal coughed up blood. He was stuck on the ceiling, looking down at Marde. But the real surprise was...Crawford suffered the same fate with a vine piercing his chest as well, nearly sending him through a wall as a result, which would begin the Face Counter. 60 minutes until the end of all magic. "You humans are both utterly foolish."
"W-What have you done...!?" Jellal said weakly.
"Activated Face." Marde said with a sinister smile. "You have exceeded your usefulness." And with a snap of his fingers, the vine that pinned Jellal threw him through a wall, leaving him there as rubble collapsed on top of him. "With a wound like that, you will perish. I do not intend to get my hands dirty crushing an insect." Unlike his other demons, he would not play with his food.
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In the prison section, Maggie was flaunting around Natsu's scarf in front of his eyes, and he couldn't do anything about it since he was locked behind bars with magic sealing cuffs slapped onto his wrists. "This is quite the fancy scarf you've got here, eh? I think it looks good on me…what do you think?" Draping the scarf around her neck, she grinned deviously at the clearly enraged dragon slayer.
"Give that back…!" Natsu roared before mindlessly charging headfirst into the prison bars, only to bounce backwards with a comical bump protruding from his head. "Ugh…!"
"Natsu…" Lisanna sat with her back turned, stripped of all clothing along with magic sealing cuffs also around her wrists. She had to look over her shoulder to see what was going on and she wasn't a fan of it one bit.
"Look at those losers!" Kiora appeared behind Maggie, slinging her arm around her companion with a wide grin. "Have you been enjoying your stay at Hotel Tartarus so far? If there's anything we can get for you, don't be afraid to ask."
"I suppose letting us go is out of the question?" Lisanna asked with a hopeful smile, but she was only met with a cackle from Kiora. Now she just felt embarrassed for even asking.
"No, no, please, go on. Maybe we'll be kind enough to grant you some last requests." Kiora snickered, although Lisanna didn't really like the sound of that.
"I think I'll be keeping this, loves. Come, Kiora. We've better things to do than taunt the caged animals." Maggie's grin grew wider before she started to walk off.
"You're right. I just wanted to have a little fun with them." The raven haired woman gave Natsu and Lisanna a mocking smile, before leaving with Maggie.
"Damn it…!" Natsu growled. "I can't believe this is happening…I just tried to save Mira and Erza and Tobias of all people caught me off guard…"
Now sitting back to back, the two childhood friends had nothing they could do. "I'm worried, Natsu…"
"Don't worry; we'll get out of here." Natsu was determined about this.
"Not about us…" Lisanna shook her head slowly. "I'm worried about Elf-nii…you see, something happened when we went over to Black Phoenix and…and…." Whatever Lisanna was about to say next…it didn't entail a happy ending.
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Roughly 30 minutes ago…:
Just out the outskirts of Clover Town sat Black Phoenix, home to the 9th Wizard Saint: Anri Varsua, guild master of Black Phoenix. The Void master let out a sigh, munching on a sandwich as Elfman and Lisanna made their acquaintances. "I said you could just leave everything to me. But I guess everyone is paranoid…whatever. Nice to meet you both."
"Is she always so frigid…?" Lisanna sweat slightly while whispering to Tristan, Black Phoenix's Ace.
"I apologize for her choice of words. Anri isn't one to mince them." Tristan replied with a nervous smile. "But your help is very appreciated, thank you."
"It's not a problem!" Elfman flexed his large muscles, grinning proudly to himself. "As a MAN, I will do everything I can!"
"As a man can you tone it down a bit? There's no need for you to be shouting like that." Lucia spoke with an irritated tone. "We all still have ears, believe it or not."
"I…uh…" Now the large man had no choice but to drop his tone of voice to accommodate for everyone's hearing pleasure.
"He's still a loud mouth…?" Diamond shook her head with a slight sigh.
Hearing the familiar voice, Lisanna turned and wore a shocked expression. "Huh…? Diamond!? What are you doing here?!"
"Nothing important, just here for a mission." Diamond replied by waving her hand. "But I heard things were getting pretty serious here so I figured I'd lend a hand! It's the least I can do."
"Your help will be appreciated." Lisanna's lips curved upwards and she bowed slightly. "Though with someone as strong as Anri I don't think that anyone would…" And before she could even finish her sentence a ring of hellish flames erupted around the guild hall, "…come here…."
"I see you've all gathered nicely for me. It makes this a little more fun seeing all of your terrified faces in the end…" Appearing within a flash of blue flames, Daityas and Sayla appeared, causing everyone to go on high alert. "Excellent. I've been a little hungry for a strong soul as of late…" Daityas spoke with a widening grin, slowly dragging his tongue across his lower lip while staring at Anri.
"I won't allow it!" Tristan slid his hands into the maker position and just…stood there, not moving a muscle after. "…? What…I can't…move my own body? What is the meaning of this…"
"Do not interfere…" Sayla spoke in a commanding tone. "This is a story that does not involve you. So you would do well not to taint it." Raising her finger, she continued to command Tristan. "My Macro will conduct this story properly. Human, if you would be so kind."
"Steel Make: Fortress Walls!" Tristan acted on against his will on Sayla's command. Throwing his arms forward, several steel walls several feet think spanned out horizontally, cutting Anri and Daityas off from everyone else.
"Tristan, the hell do you think you're doing!?" Lucia questioned.
"I-I don't know…!" Tristan responded with a growl. He tried to move his body but no matter what he did it just wouldn't respond. "Steel Make: Lance!" Slamming his fist into his palm once more, the Ace of Black Phoenix threw his arms forward, unleashing several spears composed of steel directly towards everyone in the building excluding Sayla.
"Look out!" Diamond shouted while throwing her arms to her sides, creating a wall of ice that shielded everyone from Tristan's lances. The shield shattered shortly after but it did its job in protecting everyone. "Geez…!"
"Release him this instant…!" Lisanna took a step forward, only to halt as Elfman's hand suddenly had a tight grasp around her neck. "…!?" Eyes widened and her gaze went to Elfman, who didn't even notice immediately. "E-Elf-nii…let me go…you're hurting me…! I can hardly breathe…"
"That giant hand shouldn't be around a tiny neck like that…" Lucia's offhand comment was very misplaced but also oddly fitting. She went to take a step forward but her legs wouldn't budge. "…H-Hey, what's the big idea?"
"I can't move either…?" Well…for Diamond, that was a yes and no. Sayla's Macro didn't have as strong of an influence on her since she was technically dead, and Sayla wasn't the best at controlling the bodies of the deceased. She was keeping Diamond at bay long enough to force Elfman's hand.
"Stop this!" Elfman pleaded as his grip on Lisanna's neck just grew tighter and tighter against his own will. Tears started to well in his eyes at the thought of having seriously injuring his beloved younger sister once again. "Please, I beg you!"
"No, don't beg a demon…!" Diamond tried to speak over Elfman, but it was too late. Sayla already heard those words.
"You beg me?" Sayla quirked a brow at Elfman's plea. "Do you know what happens when you beg a demon for mercy? Are you prepared to sell your soul to me?"
.
Behind the steel walls, Daityas grinned towards Anri, slowly walking towards her. The Wizard Saint refused to be intimidated by the demon king and merely stared the impending sense of death in the face. "If you want to kill me that's fine. But I prefer you keep my children out of this."
"Everyone always says that. But what fun would that be?" Hellish flames flared around Daityas' body as he stuck his hand out, wrapping it around Anri's throat, the flames around his hand burning her throat. "I just don't want you Wizard Saints dead…I want everyone dead in an infernal pyre."
"….!" Anri's eyes widened briefly, clasping her hands around Daityas' arm in attempt to pry his fingers from around her neck, but it was proving useless even with the inhumane strength she possessed.
"I'm also feeling a little hungry…it's been a while since I've eaten." With a maniacal grin Daityas stabbed his hand through Anri's chest; the Wizard Saint's eyes widened as he pulled out a small colorless sphere; her soul. Daityas swallowed Anri's soul whole before torching her now lifeless body beyond recognition. Licking his lips, he tossed Anri's corpse to the side before melting the steel walls that were before him with a simple wave of his hand. Right after he did that, a poisonous bullet exploded against his chest, causing him to fly backwards. "...!?"
Trinity stood in front of Datiyas with a scowl. "Brother. I believe I told you what would happen if you attacked." His brother glared straight at him.
"Trinity..." Sayla looked to Trinity with a slight frown. "Do you really wish for this to be where your story ends?"
"My story is here, at Black Phoenix." Trinity said as poison flowed around his body. "I will not let you burn it."
Daityas adjusted his suit. There was a large hole in it because of Trinity's attack, and he could even feel the poison in his system. But because they were brothers, it wasn't something that actually slowed him down. "Sayla. Let us kill them all. Trinity included."
"As you wish…" Sayla nodded slowly with an indifferent expression. "Excluding the two I've made special orders with…I'm afraid there will be rising from ashes, Black Phoenix. This is where your story comes to a close…"
"If you are going to do this, then I have no choice." Trinity said.
"Hah." Daityas laughed and stepped forward, rotating his arm. Hell's flames ignited on both arms and he then sprinted towards Trinity. Trinity was going to defend, but he found that he was literally unable to move. Daityas's fist collided against his cheek, violently snapping his head to the side, forcing him to take a step back.
"Sayla!?" Trinity growled. He was somewhat able to resist her Macro, but that only mustered in a weak defense that Daityas was easily capable of pummeling through.
"I did not wish for things to end this way." Sayla said while keeping her gaze on Trinity. "But you chose to end your story prematurely. As a former companion, the least I could do is prevent your struggle and let it end peacefully."
"Did you think this was going to be some grand battle of ideals!?" Daityas laughed as he continued to wail on Trinity, who couldn't muster a defense for himself. The conscious members of Black Phoenix could only watch in abject horror as one of their strongest was getting pummeled so easily. "No! We're demons! We don't play fair, we don't fight fair! The only thing we exist for is to kill and slaughter. I exist to burn everything down! It doesn't matter who or what you are! I will kill anyone I cross paths with, because that's what I desire the most!" The final punch struck Trinity in the gut, forcing him to slide backwards.
"There is no meaning...in a life like that..." Trinity cough blood up. He was doing his best to move, but he couldn't fight Sayla's Macro AND Daityas at the same time.
"Who are you to decide that? My life has a ton of meaning!" Daityas laughed.
"Daityas...why not just end this charade already?" Sayla asked. She felt like he was drawing it out, and she was right.
"Because I like to see the hope die in someone's eyes before they do." Daityas glanced around at the Black Phoenix members. "That gives my life meaning." He then inhaled, hell flames swirling around his mouth. "Hell Fire Demon's RAGE!" He exhaled, a powerful torrent of flames erupting from his mouth, completely consuming Trinity and melting everything in its wake. As the Rage died down, there was a severely burned Trinity, slumped over, but still standing. Daityas calmly walked over to him, and pierced his hand through his chest. Trinity let out a noise of pain, as Daityas pulled his hand out, letting his brother collapse to the ground. He turned around and began to walk off. "And just like that...I'm an only child."
"TRINITY!" The members of Black Phoenix cried out.
"And so, his story comes to a sad end." Sayla closed her eyes. "Farewell..." Although...Trinity did begin to stand up, slowly. His blonde hair created a shade over his eyes, and he lunged at Daityas. His poisonous hand stabbed through Daityas lower right side, surprising everyone. "What!?"
"...!?" Daityas snarled and turned around, punching Trinity in the face. But his body didn't react. "What's going on with you!?" Trinity didn't respond, but fired back a flurry of reckless, violent, poisonous punches that struck all over Daityas' body. "Sayla! What are you doing!?"
"I...I can't control him...!" Sayla said with widened eyes. "He's...he's dead..."
"Oh, I get it!" Daityas snarled, an irritated grin appearing on his lips as Trinity slammed more punches into him. Daityas gripped Trinity by the chest. "Your body's dead, but your soul really wants to fight for these disgusting humans, huh?! Then I'll rip your soul out and burn everything until you no longer exist!"
"Do not...underestimate the tenacity of humans..." Trinity said as his body began to glow purple. Before Daityas and Sayla could react, Trinity's body exploded in a mass of poison. Daityas was at the center of it all...and when it faded, he was drenched in toxins.
"..." There was nothing left of Trinity. He went out on his own terms. "How pitiful...my own brother tried to kill me and protect humans!" Daityas shook off the poison, but he did feel a bit...odd...no. It was nothing. But in his fit of rage, he would make sure Black Phoenix burned.
.
.
Black Phoenix was left in nothing but a blaze that all of Clover Town could see. The residents were scared beyond their wits and this was precisely the sort of panic that Daityas was aiming for. Letting Sayla doing whatever it was she pleased; Daityas went off on his own in search of other Wizard Saints to murder. Once he was just outside of Clover Town's gates, he met with a face that was all too familiar to him. "Hm…? Well well…what do we have here…?"
Leon stood in front of Daityas, however the acid slayer did not look at the demon king just yet. Instead he looked at the burning building off in the distance. "…Daityas. Did you do this?" Leon started breathing heavily, feeling his rage beginning to bubble up inside him.
"…Oh, that?" Daityas glanced over his shoulder and gave the most causal shrug in existence. "Yeah, I roasted all of them to a crisp. Ironic how the Phoenix died in flames, don't you think? Just proves how amusingly fragile you humans really are."
"…" That was all Leon needed to hear. A green aura exploded around him, acid dripping from every inch of his being. Just standing caused the grass and ground around his feet to corrode away. He was far past Acid Drive; he was in Dragon Force + Poison Acid Dual mode. With his reptilian green eyes staring into Daityas' very core, Leon only uttered a few words; "I'm going to kill you."
Daityas merely quirked a brow at Leon's remark before a slow, sadistic grin stretched onto his lips. "Oh…? Is that so? I'd like to see you try, kid."
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Next Time: Leon vs. Daityas!