Author's Note: Sorry…It's been a while. Thank you for all your support and patience :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Spells and attacks will be written in bold fonts.
Thoughts, flashbacks, and emphasized phrases will be italicize
Hanami Jomakushiki arc - Chapter 24 - Higanzakura
~Hoseki Shrine, Sakuragami Ward, Sakura City~
Since the Rite of Spring Flowers yesterday, Sakura City was blessed in a perpetual snowfall of pink petals.
Having the greatest number of cherry trees planted, this precipitation was particularly concentrated at the shrine grounds.
Underneath one particular cherry tree across the kagura-dan, Mai sat down with an opened copy of Sakura Monogatari resting atop her lap. Occasionally, she eyed the closed sliding door of the kagura-den as if waiting for someone to come out. Mai sighed before turning back to her beloved book.
...
"The Hanagami Sakuya taught her people magic that could directly manipulate magic particles, Ethernano, into a solid crystal just like the ones that floated in her mystical garden. The villagers had many uses for the solid ether crystals: they erected high walls protect the boundaries of their city, reinforced worn-out architecture, crafted, and crafted weapons for hunting."
"Unbeknownst to her human disciples, manipulating solids was simply one aspect of this Ethernano manipulation. The first step in teaching her disciples to harness their innate capacity to alter the Ethernano around them, the Hanagami Sakuya would instruct her disciples the following:"
" 'Envision yourself one of many blossoms atop one of sacred cherry trees. Imagine the gentle, mountain breeze blowing through your being, the song of birds, and the warmth of the morning sun.' "
" 'Imagine yourself a lone bloom being carried off your perch by a sudden gust. Flutter and flow with the wind like a feather. As you slowly sway and descend, picture landing gracefully into a still, clear pond. Upon landing, your contact with the water casting ripples.' "
" 'Even if you are detached from the tree you bloomed from, you are just as much a part of the tree and just as beloved. Although your life is fleeting, your life is still precious and beautiful. You are the Hanagami's- My- Ethereal Flower." '
"Five years after the settlement's establishment, the Hanagami Sakuya requested the villagers gather at the shrine one late winter's night."
"On that auspicious night, the stars' light reflected onto the crystals in the shrine grounds. The citizens gathered in front of a set-up their goddess prepared in front of the haiden. Four torches were set in a square formation in front of the oratory with the Hanagami standing in the middle."
"She conjured three armaments made of Ether crystals - a feathered veil, a kagura suzu, and a fan - and danced in front of her people."
"She coalesced the atmosphere over the village with Ether dust, set lights to the sky, and made the cherry blossoms around the city bloom."
"This was the first Rite of Spring Flowers - the hopeful omen of spring conquering he cold winter and blessing the land to grant the civilians a bountiful harvest..."
Although Mai knew this story line for line, the comfort she felt from reading it over and over again never diminished.
The kagura-den's sliding door abrupted slid ajar. From behind, Aria clad in shrine maiden attire stepped out. The pinkette looked to her with a nervous expression as she tightly gripped the robes, "I look weird, don't I?"
"Not at all," Mai's green eyes beamed with delight, "You really look the part! Did you feel anything familiar come over you when you tried it on?"
Aria sighed before casting her gaze downward, "Nope...Nothing at all..."
"Cheer up," Mai smiled at the other pinkette, "With both of our heads together, I'm sure we'll figure something out. Your past, what happened 4 years ago, the mental afflictions; we'll figure them all out. Please, feel free to lean on us."
Amidst the ripples of uncertainties that distorted the past, Aria found warmth in Mai's smile and reassurance. Something about it was soothing like none other. And long missed.
Aria returned Mai's smile with a meek one, "I-I- Thank you, Mai-chan."
"Hehe. That's the spirit," Mai held out an opened palm for Aria to take," Let's head to the shrine first to pay our respects to the Goddess. Then we can practice the steps to yesterday's Rite."
"O-okay..." Aria nodded.
The younger pinkette took the older miko's palm and tightly held onto it as she followed behind her. Their wooden geta clacked in harmony over the gray stone pavement as they walked towards the shrine behind the haiden.
Betwixt two, tall cherry blossom trees with amethystine, ether crystals embedded in their trunks, lay the main shrine painted in bright red. Hung beneath the black tiled roofing of the shrine, were strung an array of brass bells with long, red-and-white ribbons. They dangled above the wooden, offering box which the girls stood in front of.
Mai tossed two coins into the offering box.
She then looked to Aria, "Now, we bow twice to show our reverence like so."
Mai bowed to the shrine while clasping her palms together like she was praying two times.
Aria quietly nodded and mimicked the shrine maiden's movements.
"Then, we clap our hands twice," the older pinkette instructed, "After, we bow one more time before we ring the bells."
Per Mai's words, the two clapped their hands and bowed.
After showcasing their reverence, Mai stepped forward and shook the red-and-white string attached to the bell.
A gentle chime echoed through the shrine grounds. Hearing its ring made Aria feel something stir within her. The Fairy Tail mage looked up to the jingling bells affixed beneath the shrine roof.
"Is this...nostalgia?"
Mai looked back at Aria, "How are you feeling?"
"There's something about the ringing of the bells that brings up something familiar within me," The younger pinkette sweatdropped, "Unfortunately, my mind can't make out any pictures at the moment."
"That is to be expected, "Mai sighed as she casted a reassuring smile to Aria, "Let's see if practicing the steps to the Rite will jog anything in your mind."
Aria nodded before the two walked towards the haiden.
...
...
Atop one of the shrines building rooftops, Kikumon observed them per Lady Chigusa's orders. An array of watercolor brushes telekinetically floated and danced around a new, white canvas. A painting of two girls bowing to a red shrine in surrounded by the beautiful sakura trees slowly emerged. A paper crane shikigami levitated above his right shoulder.
A sudden staticky noise emanated from the paper crane, cutting his deadpan concentration on his painting short.
"...h-...omaly-...ked...-omentari-...
~Take No Ne Smithy & Barracks, Takeshita Ward, Sakura City~
As decided at the Sakuragami pavilion meeting, Takenobu and Shinji would examine the hidden weapons procured at one of the arson sites. Takeshita Ward's prefect forcefully took Shinji to a militia outpost in the city's periphery. Coincidentally, there was a forge conveniently located by the outpost to allow for weapon refinery.
Inside the forge, Takenobu and Shinji were examining the collected weapons alongside one of Takenone's blacksmiths, clad in black aprons, thick gloves, and boots over navy blue jinbei. An array of katanas and naginatas were set flat on a wide, rectangular table. Having been neglected for four years, the metal portions of the weapons were rusted with sporadic, browned stains. Their handles, grips, and tsubas were discolored and chipped from exposure to the elements without repair.
"Given the lack of maintenance on these weapons, it is nigh impossible to tell who crafted them at first glance, "the blacksmith grumbled before bowing to the blue-haired male, "My deepest apologies, Takenobu-sama, but this will take some time."
"It's alright, Mitake" the bespectacled prefect nodded whilst adjusting his glasses, "There are still other things we can discern from these items from immediate glances."
Takenobu opened his palm to reveal a paper crane shikigami. He looked to the blacksmith, "I intend to report my findings in real time. Is that okay?"
"O-Of course. By all means," the blacksmith sheepishly gave way.
"Wow...Even if he's a little forceful and uptight, Takenobu-san is actually really polite and diligent," Shinji grinned.
"You have my thanks," Takenobu smiled to his subject before he spoke into the paper crane, "Kikumon. Are you listening?"
"*yawn* Yes, Takenobu...Please make it short," the younger prefect's voice echoed form the paper crane shikigami.
"Neat..." Shinji was mildly puzzled, "So the Pict Magic replica actually works."
The blue-haired male examined the rust on the weapons, "There are many agents that cause rusting on metals, namely salts, moisture, and blood. The darker stains on a few of these blades visually look like blood splatters."
"Would that mean there was a conflict before the arson started?" Shinji pondered, "Like a resistance of sorts?"
"That is where our memories fail us," the old blacksmith sadly sighed, "I want to believe that our people were upstanding enough to try and stop things before they escalated. But that would also mean that our own people started burning things for reasons only the Goddess would know why."
"We've long speculated there was an inner turmoil amongst the people but couldn't pinpoint an adequate reason why," Takenobu grabbed the charred pages and read through their contents, "At most we thought there were people who didn't like being ruled under the Ward families. But that hatred seems to run much deeper. Which leads me to odd item of the bunch..."
Takenobu pointed to a set of worn-out pages bound to a blackened cover laid next to the weapons, "Why would anyone hide a book with a bunch of weapons?"
"Beats me," Shinji shrugged, "Do you think it's an actual relevant clue?"
"Something tells me we should read it," Takenobu suggested as he held up the damaged text, "Whatever words we can piece together at least..."
Before they could delve into the battered pages, a staticky sound abruptly transmitted from the paper crane shikigami floating above Takenobu's person.
"...h-...omaly-...ked...-omentari-...
~Umeboshi Library Archives, Umehana Ward, Sakura City~
Benizome Sakura
"Long, long ago during the Age of Gods..."
"The gods fought amongst each other to establish dominion over the land. Whenever they clashed, disaster struck. And all those beneath divinity suffered the consequences of their selfish whims. This filled humanity and other sentient lifeforms with an innate fear of the Divine."
"A lone group of humans led by a brave man named Iwao trekked up a perilous mountain to avoid the calamities sweeping the lower altitudes."
"Along the way, they found an expansive plateau covered in amethystine crystals and beautiful cherry blossom trees. A spot of natural beauty untouched by the ugliness of the world."
"Sitting atop a floating crystal in the ethereal garden, was a woman with flowing hair the same color as the flowers on the cherry trees clad in a dress made of violet crystals. Her blood-red eyes looked beyond the plateau with an apathetic expression."
"When Iwao and his people set foot on her territory, she trapped them in her crystal garden with sharp, jeweled vines pointed at their throats."
" 'How dare you set foot in my sacred land,' her voice bellowed like an angry earthquake."
" 'P-Please, Goddess,' Iwao kowtowed as he pleaded for the lives of his people, 'Please don't hurt my people. We simply wish sanctuary to escape the conflict of the gods. To survive and see yet another day.' "
" 'How pitiful...' A devious idea sprouted within the Goddess's mind, 'I, the Hanagami Sakuya, will allow you sanctuary in my domain under three conditions.' "
" 'T-Thank you, benevolent Hanagami Sakuya...' Iwao further prostrated his bow, 'W-What conditions do you seek from us mere mortals?' "
" ' In exchange for my protection...' The Goddess went on to list her imperial criteria, 'One, none shall desecrate my crystals or my cherry trees. Two, all shall worship me and serve as my subjects. Three, any who disobey my orders will suffer grave consequences.'"
"Fear instilled itself amongst the people. They had fled the god-born calamities at sea level only to walk into an entirely different hell from a different, cruel divinity."
"The years that followed were a facade of peace. A shrine was erected in the Hanagami Sakuya's crystal garden. Offerings of rice, sakura mochi, harvested crops were presented to the Goddess every day. Although the Goddess granted her people safety and sanctuary: those who resisted, those who could not contribute, and those who disagreed with the Goddess's conditions were mercilessly slaughtered and buried as fertilizer for the soils or lacrima, crystal ornaments to decorate her garden to punish their dissidence."
"On a lustful whim, she seduced Iwao and procreated with him to spawn an abominable lineage that would continue her oppressive regime - The Sakuragami Family. Their influence over the magic-less mortals heightened their asphyxiation over the common people. It was only a matter of time before the fear of death made the people turn against each other. The first families who garnered favor with the accursed goddess's brethren were re-established as the Ward Families."
" Although time's arrow moved forth..."
"Although this city isn't as it was back then, the land does not forget..."
"The Land cannot forget the innocent blood that dyed it red so unnecessarily in the name of that vile Goddess's will. Neither can the screams be drowned from the recesses of this ancient land."
"Please, if you hear their voices, don't you dare cover your ears..."
Carla closed the red-covered book. Chills crept down her spine at this book's chilling account.
"No wonder this is considered propaganda...Not only do they depict the Hanagami Sakuya as a tyrant, but they also throw dirt at the five Ward Families..."
"It is what it is..." Bachi sighed, "Some say this book was made to take a jab at the fact the Ward Families."
"I certainly don't think lineage should be a criterion to rule a city or a nation," Carla remarked, "Not in this modern age. It's more about one's skills, knowledge, and experience."
"I can understand why people think that way," Bachi noted, " Though as outdated as they are, Sakura City's old institutions have been what's kept this city flourishing."
"If this land's Goddess was truly cruel...Surely there would have been more accounts of her atrocities," Carla pondered.
"Speaking like that would get you into grave trouble with the folks from the Sakuragami Ward, "Bachi sweatdropped, "Especially Lady Chigusa..."
"Hmph. Her disdain doesn't faze me at all, "Carla spat her tongue out.
"Ha...ha..."Bachi nervously laughed, "I dare you to say that to her face, Carla-san."
Before the two could banter any longer, the entrance to the banned literature room was abruptly opened. Baika alongside her other personnel entered. in her hand, the patterns on the paper crane shikigami that Kikumon conjured were intermittently flashing red.
"We have an emergency on our hands...Ranmaru sent out a distress signal from Ryoran Hospital," the purple-kimono clad woman reported, " Kikumon contacted me soon after the transmission. He was unable to discern any intel on the situation there. Something is terribly amiss."
Carla's prim demeanor collapsed, "Wendy and Romeo are there...We must head their immediately."
Bachi glanced at Carla and then to his superior. He bowed his head, "Lady Baika. Please allow me to lend my assistance."
"Granted. The more help we have, the merrier," Baika allowed his request.
"Thank you," Bachi politely bowed again to the Umehana prefect.
...
Making haste, the three promptly exited the library into the petal-filled streets of the Umehana Ward. Strangely, not a single person was in sight. Baika led the way with Carla and Bachi in tow. Yet the fact something eerie was amok could not leave her mind.
Only a few yards away from the building, Baika abruptly stopped.
"L-Lady Baika, what is the matter?" Bachi sweatdropped nervously as he popped the question.
Carla felt a chill down her spine, "We're being followed, aren't we?"
At Carla's words, five hooded soldiers robed in black cloaks with red lycoris designs emerged from hiding and encircled them.
"We are..." The Umehana prefect sighed, "It's a little too coincidental that they anticipated our location..."
She turned around to glare at her subordinate, "Isn't it, Bachi of Higanzakura?"
"It was that obvious wasn't it. Tch... "the yellow-and-black haired male clicked his tongue from behind them, "My bad for being too helpful..."
"Helpful? You were abnormally forward today, "Baika frowned, "Your obsession over that red book was a dead giveaway. I'm rather surprised you didn't assault our esteemed guest while you were alone in the forbidden literature room with her."
"Just because we don't agree with the Ward Family's jurisdictions doesn't mean we go around committing murder," Bachi sighed before he switched into a cheeky grin.
"We? That doesn't just include you and your lackeys, no?" the white-haired cat girl interrogated.
"No. Of course not, "Bachi tossed away his spectacles and work clothes revealing brown eyes with piercing, hexagonal irises. Underneath the drab, gray yukata he wore while inside the library was a black tank-top and yellow cargo pants over white socks snug inside black geta. His toned arms were inked with different tattoos. An unfurled black, lycoris was engraved along his inner left arm while a black and gold, fanged wasp was tattooed into his right deltoid.
"A lycoris...So you must be a member of Higanzakura..." Baika clicked her tongue, "What a pain..."
Bachi then waved his hand at Carla and Baika. A flurry of gold, runic letters fluttered around them.
"Rune Magic...just like Freed's..." Carla muttered.
"Trying to trap us in with a Jutsu Shiki technique?" Baika smirked as she raised her hand, "How elementary..."
"That rich coming from the one who taught me!" the Higanzakura member rebutted.
The black-haired woman waved a hand back at Bachi. A flurry of purple, runic letters appeared and collided with the golden ones.
While superior and subordinate were at a stand-still, the cloaked figures closed in on Carla and Baika. They brandished their metal weaponry alike as they homed in on the two girls.
"Hey..." Baika sarcastically jeered while she continued to counteract Bachi's runes, "My hands are a tad tied right now. Think you can take care of the grunts in the meanwhile?"
"A-Ah, yes, sorry," Carla refocused herself on the enemies approaching from all angles. The Exceed drew out her sharp, silvery claws.
She shifted her gaze between the enemy combatants analyzing their arms, "All short-ranged weapons...Could it be they're also trying to reduce making a mess of the city by not using firearms?"
Carla's brown eyes flickered gold.
"Thairis Aer."
Just like during Lamia Scale's Thanksgiving fiasco, the world became overlayed with a dark blue hue that displayed various, slowed trajectories of what was yet to transpire. The intended paths of the cloaked peoples' katanas and naginatas, their pivots, formations, and footwork were all made apparent to Carla.
In this "world", all possibilities in a given "moment" were shown.
A glowing arrow showed her a circular path around the Umehana prefect who was locked in stalemate against their supposed ally. This "moment" told her that if she didn't act fast, the enemy's naginata would pierce through Baika before the swords.
Following the iridescent path, Carla glitched and phased through reality as she slashed through the polearms with her elongated claws.
Deactivating her premonitions, the world reverted back to real time. The enemies' naginata were broken within what seemed like the blink of an eye.
"What the-!" the disarmed henchmen dropped their guard upon learning they were disarmed.
Not allowing them to recompose themselves, Carla rotated her right leg and hips to deliver a 360-degree roundhouse kick.
"Oomph!" three of the black-cloaked figures were knocked into the wall of a nearby gray-plastered building.
When Carla steadied her stance, all she could see in front of her were two robed men gripping their katanas.
"Hmmmm...Be careful. This one is tougher than she looks..." One of the cloaked men warned his ally, "She moves like a bake-neko and fights like a nekomata. very dangerous."
"But can her claws cut our metal blades?" The other one raised a question.
"Normally, I'd back down. I am just a cat..."Carla downplayed herself.
"Oho~ We might just have a chance!" the second robed male readied his blade.
Carla then focused her gaze upon her opponents' blades. Her brown eyes flickered gold once more.
"Cait Sith!"
In a flicker, Carla phased through both the henchmen in glitch-like fashion. Their swords shattered into metallic pieces.
"W-What!?" Both of the robed enemies exclaimed in shock, "She actually broke out blades?!"
The white-haired cat girl looked back at them, "I suggest you leave if you don't want to get hurt. If my claws can cut through your blades, who knows how easily I can cut through your flesh?"
"Yeeeessshhh, let's bounce!" the two lackeys shuddered before fleeing the scene.
"Good choice..." Carla sweatdropped momentarily before switching her attention to Baika and Bachi's Letters Magic bout.
Electricity crackled whenever Bachi's auric runes collided with Baika's purple ones. Both Rune mages seemed on par as the runic scripts conjured from their fingertips met at equivalent speed.
Noticing Bachi was left wide-open, Carla rushed towards him with her claws out and ready, "You're next..."
Bachi smirked as he espied Carla approaching him, "I wouldn't say that was all she wrote just yet."
Adding his left fingers into the fray, a string of gilded letters undulated towards Carla.
Swiftly, she leapt out of the way.
The whip of runic alphabets stuck onto with the gray, stone pavement after missing their intended target.
"Carla, look out!" Baika called out to the Exceed, "It's far from over."
"Holy Scripture: Forbiddance!"
The magic letters rapidly scurried to rearrange themselves in a circular formation on the floor beneath Carla.
"What on earth-?"
The ring of golden letters shone before Carla could contemplate her surroundings. A subsequent pillar of light rained down from above the circle, crushing Carla with a force near akin to Bluenote's gravity.
"Gggghhhh..." The white-haired cat girl clenched her teeth at the crushing sensation.
Having gone through worse, she was still able to stand on both of her legs despite the downwards vector exerted on her, "This magic...it's almost like Freed's Dark Ecriture."
Bachi then swiped another line of script towards Carla.
However, the second line was intercepted by a string of purple text.
"Forgotten about me already?" Baika approached with a hand readied with dark purple letters.
"Just wanted to even the odds, "Bachi mockingly replied, "Two against one is kind of cowardly, no?"
"This isn't the Grand Magic Games..." the purple runes that swirled around Baika's hands melted into murky, black ink which coalesced around her as a floating ring.
Her eyes glinted towards her former pupil, "Cut the crap and tell me what your aim is now. Or else..."
"Or else what? " The yellow-and-black haired male challenged his former superior as golden letters gathered around his fingers.
"I'll have to employ unconventional means of getting you to speak."
~Ryouran Hospital, Rangekka Ward, Sakura City~
Red butterflies ominously flitted around the atmosphere in the psychiatric ward, casting a rubrous glow onto the interior walls.
The once pained groans of patients and diagnostic jargons of the medical staff fell silent after all the bodies dropped to the floor under Ageha's spell.
Romeo, Wendy, and Ranmaru were the only ones left conscious.
"Bring it, "the teen girl spat venom at the opposition, "You'll wish I drowned you in the sea of butterflies with the others."
"The sea of butterflies?" Wendy questioned.
"This magic of hers seems capable of affecting the cognitions by taking tangible forms, "Romeo eyed the bright psionic blades protruding from Ageha's hands then the ominous red insects flapping around them.
"Ageha, let's not escalate things, "Ranmaru tried to calm the young girl down, " I recognize your disdain and suspicions for the Ward Families. While it is justified, we all have been pouring effort into looking into the Memory Wipe issue non-stop over the past 4 years."
"I've gotten a little tired over the years hoping the Ward Families would do something that hasn't seriously afflicted their numbers, Uncle Ranmaru." Ageha glared at the brown-haired man and then to Wendy, "Now, finally, a sliver of a solution presents itself to me and you ask me to look away from it?"
"I-I'm not asking you or Master Higan to ignore alternate solutions. I was only hoping we could settle things civilly, "Ranmaru maintained a serene demeanor when talking to the teenage girl.
He then switched his gaze to Wendy, "Besides, even I can't ignore a potential solution when it presents itself in front of me either."
"W-What's that supposed to mean?" Wendy, a tad nervous by their suspicious glances took a step behind Romeo.
"No way..." Romeo narrowed his gaze at Ranmaru, "You're not..."
"Yes, I am, " Ranmaru sighed as he lowered his head, "Masquerade: Bake-no-Hana."
His hyottoko mask vanished into subspace. A noh mask halved by red and black lycoris flowers decorating the left half and simple white, porcelain on the right materialized over his face. A sinister, red magic aura permeated from Ranmaru's being. Red lycoris flowers sprung from the ground from around his feet.
"Even as one of the Ward family heads, there are truths I've become aware of that I can't brush off."
He crumbled something in his hands and tossed it onto the floor in front of Romeo and Wendy. That object in question was the paper crane shikigami Kikumon created for each of the prefects to safeguard for communications.
"Are you seriously staging a coup?" Romeo asked.
"Not a coup...Just a means to get the answers I want, "Ranmaru sternly replied, "As Rangekka Ward's prefects, I want to alleviate the people's suffering. Clear out our hospitals if you insist."
He waved his hands. A swarm of black vines adorned with red lycoris flowers darted towards Wendy and Romeo.
Romeo set fire to the dark tendrils. But his flames did not burn these vines as effectively as they would normally on plants.
"Sky Dragon's Claw!" Wendy whipped up spiraling winds around her legs as she kicked the black vines away.
The sudden gust inside the building caused medical equipment, curtains, patient beds, and even the picture frames on the walls to rattle incessantly.
Ranmaru glared at Wendy and Romeo from behind his mask, "For guild mages, you're both a little reckless...The patients may be unconscious, but that doesn't mean they won't get swept away or burnt."
Romeo and Wendy simultaneously sweatdropped.
The dark-violet haired male scratched the back of his head, "I wasn't thinking before I used my Fire Magic indoors..."
"Me neither..." Wendy agreed, "We'll have to refrain from using high-offensive spells for now."
"Hmmmm...And your innate good nature can be thus used to our advantage," Ranmaru grinned in satisfaction.
The Rangekka prefect then turned to his accomplice, "Take it away, Ageha-chan!"
The twin-tailed teenager sighed grumpily before she closed her eyes. A neon red visor shaped like a butterfly hovered in front of her shut eyes.
"Hivemind"
Every red butterfly fluttering in the free space of the medical ward flew onto an unconscious body, patients and medical staff alike, before sinking into them.
Red, neon visors similar to the one in front of Ageha's eyes appeared in front of the closed eyes of all the unconscious bodies.
When Ageha opened her eyes, they glowed bright pink. All other eyes occupied by a visor opened theirs, casting the same glowing hue.
"Get 'em!" Ageha prostrated an index finger at the Fairy Tail mages.
"Her psychic powers include mind control too?" Romeo was both fascinated and horrified by their opponent's magic.
"Using it on patients is still a low blow. We're in a pickle now..." Wendy sighed as a horde of hospital staff and patients rushed them in zombie-like fashion.
"Wendy, cover your nose. Quickly!" the Fire Mage called out to his partner.
"R-Right!" Wendy nodded and pinched her nostrils shut.
Seeing the Sky Dragon Slayer plugged her nose for safety, Romeo immediately conjured a ball of yellow flames that emitted a stench akin to rotten eggs.
Ageha and Ranmaru both gagged upon catching a whiff of the foul odor.
"Blegh...What the hell is that?!" the twin tailed girl covered her both with a back of her right hand. In the brief moment her attention veered away from the Fairy Tail mages, the mind-controlled masses, too, became distracted by the stench.
"Interesting..." Romeo took a mental note of this phenomenon.
"Flames that reek like sulfur..." Ranmaru observed, "Obnoxious, but well played."
"Sorry in advance. Fire in the hole!" " Romeo frowned to mass of mind-controlled patients, nurses, and doctors approaching them as he unleashed the flamey stink bomb onto the floor in front of him.
A noxious cascade of sulfuric smoke covered the entire floor, providing proper camouflage for Romeo and Wendy to make their escape.
Romeo took Wendy's hand as they hurried out of the room into a white walled hallway filled with bewildered medical staff. He spotted a row of windows along the hallway walls to left with daylight pouring in from outside.
"This way," he muttered the Wendy who nodded in kind, "We'll have to bust through those windows."
"Why does this feel familiar?" the Sky Dragon Slayer recalled breaking through a very expensive window with the Fire Mage back in Freesia Heights, "Oh..."
Romeo flung orange embers at the nearest hallway window. The embers flickered and sparked before detonating like pop rock candies. The targeted window and surrounding wall subsequently shattered. Medical staff and patients in the vicinity screamed as they ducked for cover.
"Can't be helped. Our first order of operations after we get out of here is to either find the others or report to Lady Chigusa," Romeo relayed his plans to his teammate.
"I would prefer we find our other friends first," Wendy suggested, "The things Ranmaru-san said still bother me."
"What if making us wary of Chigusa is a part of his trap?" Romeo replied.
"What if we can't trust her either?" Wendy rebutted, "What if the other Ward Families are in on this too?"
"Then I guess we can only search for the people we can trust. We have to retrieve Shinji and Aria," Romeo sighed before he looked into Wendy's brown marbled eyes, "You ready?"
"As long as I'm with you," Wendy smiled reassuringly to him.
"Ah-" A rosy tint adorned Romeo's cheeks. He shook his head to snap himself out of his embarrassment.
"Okay, let's go," Romeo carried Wendy's bridal style.
He set his feet ablaze with hot, red flames, "Red Carpet!"
Right when the two were about to escape the building, black vines erupted from the floor beneath them. The ebony tendrils latched onto their limbs before dragging them back to the floor.
"Ah!" Romeo and Wendy exclaimed at the sudden turn of events as they were slammed onto the hospital floor.
"Flower God's Culling Lullaby" Ranmaru's voice echoed from afar.
Red lycoris flowers bloomed from the black vines spewed red pollen that induced a sort of stupor onto both mages.
"Crap..." Romeo cursed under his breath as he felt the scarlet flames from his legs diminish into embers.
"W-What is...this..." Wendy too felt her constitution weaken upon exposure to the strange spores.
Before she cast Raise to remove the anomalous status from her body, she drifted out of consciousness.
When the two Fairy Tail mages fell asleep, the black vines carried them to their opposition.
"I didn't expect you to use the Flower God Slayer mask so soon," the younger Higanzakura member remarked.
"It was urgent," The eerie floral mask slowly dissipated from Ranmaru's face as he eyed the two sleeping wizards, "I wasn't sure how to incapacitate them otherwise without risking mass collateral damage to others in the facility. I'll have to thank Higan-sama for lending me his strength later."
"He should be walking towards Hoseki Shrine as we speak, "Ageha remarked before she turned to her superior, "What's our next move, Uncle Ranmaru?"
"We relocate. By now, one or two of the other prefects and mages are heading our way," the Rangekka prefect speculated, "I know for certain Bachi may be handling Baika's group right now. As for Takenobu's group...the two from Raven Tail will be intercepting him soon."
"Oh...those guys..." the twin-tailed teen glowered at the thought of them, "Those guys seem really messy."
"Speak for yourself, " Ranmaru cast Ageha a scornful look, "I recognize you have your own emotional gripes, but do refrain from acting so brashly next time. Cleaning up your messes is not in my job description."
"Couldn't help myself..." Ageha insouciantly shrugged as turned her eyes to Wendy's slumbering figure with a distorted look of longing in her eyes, "After all these years, I finally have the means to cure my grandpa's ailments...If anyone gets in my way, I'll scramble their brains until they can't see, touch, taste, or smell anything..."
Ranmaru sighed contritely as he redirected his gaze to the blue sky above, "And by taking responsibility. I hope I can repent. I'm sorry Mai-san, for you and little ones to get caught in our selfish mess."
~ Takeshita Ward En Route to Rangekka Ward, Sakura City~
Indigo roofed houses, shops, festive bamboo decorations, and sakura trees rushed by as Takenobu and Shinji hastened towards Ryoran Hospital. Their hurried sprint instilled curious glances from the onlookers they passed by.
Shinji glanced at Takenobu's furrowed brows as he followed behind the Takeshita prefect. Back at the Take No Ne Barracks and Smithy, they were only minutes into reading the strange red book before they were interrupted by the distorted, staticky transmission from the paper crane shikigami. Takenobu later identified it as a copy of the infamous Benizome Sakura - a work of literature illegalized as sacrilegious propaganda against the Hanagami Sakuya herself and the Ward families' jurisdiction.
Still, something irked the young Bladesmith within the back of his mind.
"This is really sus." Shinji eyed the back of Takenobu's head, "Why didn't Lady Chigusa or any of the other prefects bring up Benizome Sakura at the meeting?"
Nonetheless, the urgency of the hospital situation took priority. Shinji took a deep breath in, then exhaled. He cast his doubts aside. Sakura City's internal political strife was not his problem. His guildmates' safeties mattered more.
Just when the two were about the make a turn down the flat, gray stone path, they were abruptly stopped in their tracks by a volley of red spears that rained down from above in front of them. Both being experienced fighters, Takenobu and Shinji instinctively jumped back. Takenobu and Shinji briefly exchanged a mutual glance before scanning the surrounding area.
Shinji could barely discern the faint, metallic scent from the projectiles.
He couldn't shake off the foreboding feeling the red spears gave him.
"This magic...Get back!" Shinji followed his guts. He grabbed Takenobu by the back of his collar and pulled him back.
The blood javelins that anchored themselves in front of them liquified into sanguine blobs. Red liquid morphed and refashioned themselves into solid, rubrous stilettos which were hurled towards the Takeshita prefect and Fairy Tail mage.
Keeping in eyes on the incoming projectiles, Takenobu condensed water from the atmosphere into cerulean naginata. His glasses flashed as he adeptly spun his polearm around his arms and shoulders to knock away each and every blood-red stiletto until the blood blobs ran out of substance.
"You have my gratitude for the heads up, Shinji-dono," the blue-haired male expressed his thanks, partially turning his head back to the Bladesmith.
"No problem..." Shinji nodded, "Your skill with a naginata was superb."
The claps of a lone pair of hands halted their respectful exchange. The two then turned to the direction of the sounds.
Standing atop the rooftop of one of the indigo roofed buildings behind them was a woman clad in a crimson blazer dress with red and black locks braided into a low bun. Her arms were tattooed with red spider web motifs matched by ten crimson, metal finger prosthetics occupying where each digit were once stationed. Her orange, rhomboid irises leered down at Shinji as they were figuring out thirteen different ways to dissect him alive.
Shinji's sapphire eyes narrowed as he casted an icy glare back at someone he didn't expect to see again so soon.
This reunion wasn't a welcome one.
"Arvesque..."
"Tsk, tsk...So touched that you still remember me" the former Amdusias mage's polite linguistics betrayed her seething rage as she glared sharpened daggers at Shinji.
"You two know each other?" Takenobu raised a brow as he shifted his gaze from Arvesque back to Shinji.
"Don't let her poised visage fool you, Takenobu-dono," the raven-haired teen warned the Takeshita prefect, "She's a bloodthirsty wolf beneath sheep's clothing. A dark guild mage who created a child trafficking syndicate."
"A wolf? Ha!" Arvesque stifled a laugh, "I'd say a spider would be more suitable."
Hearing those words, Takenobu brandished his aqueous weapon, "This one seems...particularly proud of her misdeeds."
"That's just who she is..." Shinji materialized a black katana from subspace into his left palm.
The Blood Mage smiled wickedly as she outstretched her hands to display her ten metal fingers, "You don't have Jellal-san to back you up this time. Think you'll come out from this in one piece?"
Glowing, scarlet strings whipped out from her opened fingers. A myriad of bloody threads squiggled and intwined into elongated, red nails.
Shinji traced the body of his katana with his left middle finger and left index. The katana elucidated a light purple hue as it changed shape. In place of the black steel katana was a blade with a lavendar glow with an onyx tsuba and silver bindings for the hilt.
"He changed the shape of his blade!" Takenobu was baffled as he observed Shinji's magic up close.
"Bladesmith: Kaguya-hime!"
His icy sapphire eyes locked with Arvesque's orange rhombus irises.
"Bring it!"
The former Amdusias mage leapt down from the indigo rooftop towards the swordsman in one bound. The red-haired femme fatale channeled magical energy into her sanguine ligaments as she zoomed in for the attack. Her claws iridesced a foreboding deep red.
"She's fast!" Both Shinji and Takenobu internally exclaimed.
"Blut Schneider!"
Arvesque swiped her claws in front of Shinji, unleashing her stored magic power. Two bloody, crimson crescents forming a cross-shape converged upon the Fairy Tail mage with minimal room to dodge.
Shinji swung the Kaguya-hime through Arvesque's sanguine slash. Its lunar glow enabled him to slash through the bloody projectile like a hot knife through butter. Cutting through the hematic arcs with Kaguya-hime caused them to liquify and splatter all over the gray stone pavement, as if buckets of red paint were thrown about the premises.
Arvesque grimaced at the sight of the blade she was too familiar with. In anger, she swiftly kicked the swordsman square in the shoulder to create distance between them. Shinji staggered back a few yards backwards before regaining his stance. Arvesque's claws emitted another round of rubrous glow.
"Blut Schneider!"
She swiped her crimson claws multiple times, unleashing a volley of ten crimson crescents towards the Bladesmith and the Takenobu.
Shinji readied his blade, ready to handle the onslaught. Kaguya-hime's lunar glow intensified.
"There will be no need for that..." Takenobu stepped in front of him.
The blue-haired prefect brandished his water-forged polearm. Takenobu swung his naginata in front of himself and his ally.
"Suigetsu: Guardian Grove!"
Atmospheric vapor condensed into an aquatic veil with shadows resembling leafy bamboo shoots protected them from the impending Blood Magic strikes.
When Arvesque's blood magic touch the surface of Takenobu's water barrier, aqueous spires shoot from the barrier. Every hardened, blood crescent was pierced and shattered into rubrous fragments before hitting the pavement as red liquid splatter.
"Miss, you're at a disadvantage," Takenobu's pointed the blade of his water naginata in Arvesque's direction, "My Water Magic can dilute your blood constructs. And this young man's sword can cut through your magic with ease too. It's not too late to crawl back to where you came from..."
"You must think too highly of yourself, "Arvesque irately raised a brow at the Takeshita prefect, "If you were better though, you wouldn't make such a mess of your own streets..."
Takenobu was clueless as to what she meant.
On the other hand, Arvesque's words triggered some bad memories for Shinji. He knew all too well the perilous tactics Arvesque employs.
The raven-haired male immediately shifted his head to his surroundings. Like messy paint job, blood was splattered all over the Sakura City pavement outside the water veil.
"Takenobu-dono, stay in guard," Shinji quietly warned the blue-haired male.
"Blut Blumen..." Arvesque snapped her metallic thumb with her prosthetic middle finger.
Every red splatter that littered the gray stone pavement sinisterly effloresced into sanguine flowers.
Upon reaching full bloom, the crimson flowers detonated and engulfed the two mages in a downpour of bloody thorns.
~Hoseki Shrine, Sakuragami Ward, Sakura City~
A tall, red-haired man took slow, careful steps on the path leading to the Hoseki shrine grounds. His black cloak and gray cargo waved quietly in the spring breeze.
The city's backdrop was made vibrant and beautiful by the sakura petals falling from the now bloomed cherry trees. One particular petal that landed in his path was trampled by the soles of one of his green leather boots.
To that man, this city's beauty was an illusory farce. The pretty colors sickened him.
Truth could be distorted in the blink of an eye by the elite. Division, to this day, grants them the means to manipulate the masses. He could not look away. At this point, everything felt better off being portrayed in grayscale from his perspective.
As he passed beneath the first red torii into the hallowed grounds, Higan laid witness to two identical, pink-haired girls practicing the kagura of the Rite of Spring Flowers.
Looking at those two caused the world to temporarily glitch between the genuine, grayscale world he crafted and the false, vibrant world.
Within the world of fake colors, he saw two adults in place of the two shrine maidens. One was a green-eyed, pink-haired male in a white yukata with golden cherry blossom designs.
"Haruhiko..."
Standing by his side was a red-eyed woman with maroon hair. She wore a purple yukata with black lycoris designs and a matching haori. The woman clutched her stomach which noticeably bulged beneath her clothes.
"Aika..."
Haruhiko and Aika were both laughing as they gazed endearingly into each other's eyes. This memory clearly marked a cheerful occasion. Their smiles stopped as they gradually turned to Higan.
Aika's red eyes flickered eerily in the bygone memory.
Higan's memories abruptly glitched into a fire-filled land before switching back to reality.
In Haruhiko's and Aika's places stood Mai and Aria, respectively. Both stopped in their tracks as they looked at the Higanzakura leader.
Aria's red eyes glistened in the forlorn present.
"Just like Aika's..."
The pieces of the three different factions are moving.
Next Chapter: Burnt Petals Under Pyres
In case you didn't notice, this upcoming chapter's title is a call back to Chapter 19's title. Might implement some flashbacks. Stay tuned.
As always, please feel free to give me your constructive criticisms, feedback, suggestions, etc. But please, don't be too harsh with me. If you choose to, Takenobu will douse you with his arsenal of Water Magic weapons.
Takenobu: *conjures water naginata in style* I prefer making naginatas though. Having reach without worrying about my weapon being broken is advantageous. Don't you think?
Author: *rebuts in false sophistication* Oh ho ho, but what if your opponent is out of your weapon's reach?
Takenobu: *extends length of water polearm* Then I add more magic to extend my reach!
Author: Dude is insistent he sticks to naginatas...