"This isn't the first time I've snuck past some sort of curfew." said Mikoto. "You should see my dorm supervisor. She's like an angry Erza with glasses."
They continued to sneak around. But still, nobody seemed to be in the palace grounds at all.....most strange indeed.
"Maybe...everyone is inside?" said Hope apprehensively.
Mikoto nodded slowly. "Maybe..." Why did she have such an ominous feeling about this?
Mikoto and Elli slowly pushed the side entrance to the palace open. The usually lit up hallways within were nearly pitch black.
"Mikoto...I'm scared...." said Elli flying up to her spot on Mikoto's head.
"Don't worry Elli.....I'm sure everyone is fine." said Mikoto. "I hope..."
Mikoto unconsciously clutched the necklace that Nicole had given her. So far, the necklace determined that there was nobody within the 50 ft range of detection. Mikoto then sniffed the air nervously trying to see what her dragon senses could tell her. Her friend's scents were there, but faded enough to suggest that they probably weren't around.
"Come on..." said Mikoto. "We shouldn't just stand here."
Mikoto walked into the dark massive hallway as Hope followed. As they continued down the hall, Mikoto began to notice she was shivering, and it wasn't from the cold...it was fear. A steady fear that was building in her heart.
Suddenly, she felt a warm hand grasp around her own. It was Hope, she was also shivering slightly.
"I think we should check the throne room...." said Hope. "I-I have a feeling....there's something there."
"What makes you say that?" said Elli.
"J-just a feeling..."
It took only 3 minutes, but it felt like hours as they made their way to the throne room. When they came to the large dragon decorated doors, Mikoto's heart was beating like a drum. What was this horribly bad feeling she was getting?
Mikoto reached out a hand and pushed the door open slightly. The door opened to reveal the magnificent throne room.....There was a bright beam of light shining upon the throne at the very back . And sitting on the throne was...
"Constantine!?" said Hope. "What are you doing on the royal throne!? Only those of Thundaarix's blood are allowed to sit there!"
"Hello there your former majesties...." said Constantine with a sinister smile. "How I do love it when the tables turn.....don't you?"
"What's going on you old bag!?" growled Mikoto. "Where is everyone!?"
"Oh the gaurds and servents are just readying the town for your funeral....after all. You two are dead."
"Wh-what!?" said Elli. "But Hope and Mikoto are right here!"
"Well.....you see, I've gotten quite impatient with the assasins of late. "Said Constantine. "It was supposed to be quite a quick job, then you had to be a nuisance and hire those annoying guilds from Fiore!"
Constantine picked up something from by the throne and threw to the floor at Hope's feet. It was Arthur the exceed who was currently bruised and bound with a rough rope.
"ARTHUR!!" Hope picked the injured cat up in her arms.
"*koff* *koff*....I'm sorry M'lady..." said Arthur. "He caught me.....before I could....*koff*"
"Apparently he was trying fly out and warn you about the little trap I was setting." said Constantine. "You see, he was kind of eavesdropping as I was planning out your funerals....which should be going on now if I am accurate in my time estimation.....quite a beautiful setup I must say."
"You faked our deaths!?" said Mikoto angrilly. "You do know, that we can just go out and pretty much prove you wrong right!?"
"Actually I'm afraid you won't be walking out of here....just like your friends from those guilds....."
A lacrima screen suddenly opened up over the throne room, on it was the image of a building blowing to smithereens.
"It was quite easy to get rid of them once I told your little Salamander friend that the assasins had you two captured in the old abandoned mansion east of here.....and Grimmix is quite an expert in explosions..."3
"Y-you BASTARD!!!!" MIkoto screamed as her Thunder Dragon Wings activated. She leapt at Constantine, her fists engulfed in lightning. But before she could land a blow, Grimmix suddenly appeared out of nowhere and kicked Mikoto into the floor, creating cracks in the ground.
"Oh do be careful there." said Constantine. "I want my throne room to look as perfect as possible."
Mikoto got up and puffed up her cheeks. "ROAR OF THE THUNDER DRAGON!!"
Grimmix dissapeared again as the twister of lightning destroyed where he had been before. He reappeared behind Mikoto and knocked her forward with a well placed arm thrust.
"Interesting display of power." said Grimmix. "But my esper ability won't allow you to touch me..."
"Y-you're really a gemstone esper!?" exclaimed Mikoto. "But, you said you use magic to help you see...."
"And I do..." said Grimmix. "You see, with the science of Academy City...were able to develop a sort of device that allows me to use magic without overloading by blood." Grimmix pointed to a black collar on his neck. "It used to be that I had trouble using magic....so I had to rely on my copious amount of healing skills to constantly rejuvinate myself...but now....I don't have to worry about such a thing. You can say I'm a level 4 teleporter who can use magic now.....interesting...don't you think?"
Grimmix thrust his hand out. "Assasin's Decree: Remote Detonation."
Mikoto suddenly felt a burning sensation in the air around her, and a massive explosion erupted out of nowhere, engulfing her in a ginormous fireball. Mikoto fell to the ground coughing. The explosion had held an abnormal amount of magic power.
"Mikoto!!" Hope cried out activating the blades on her back and forearms.
But before Hope could make a single move, a hand with a knife made completely out of shadows moved in front of her neck.
"Don't move.." said Oblitesco. "It's over."
"LIKE HELL IT'S OVER!!!" Mikoto yelled getting up shakilly from the ground, her wings spreading out wider and sparking powerfully. "Let her go right now...or I swear I'll...."
"You'll what? Beat us to a pulp?" Aeros was standing a distance away, holding in hand and her gun to the cat's head. "So which one do you wish us to splatter all over the walls first? Your niece.....or your cat? Because we can start with either."
"D-don't listen to them Mikoto!" shouted Elli. "They'll only kill you too!!"
Mikoto looked between Elli and Hope, sweat pouring down her face as she faced this dillema and grieved for her friends at the same time.
"My, my, my...." said Constantine shaking his head. "I never had this much trouble when I killed the king."
"Wh-what!?" said Hope.
"Oh yes....you don't know!" said Constantine laughing. "Well you see, I've wanted the throne for quite a while.....But your father wasn't going to die of old age anytime soon....and you didn't seem particularly keen to snuff it either. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. It only took one knife to the back, nothing too complicated. And of course, after I payed off most of the gaurd, they were as loyal as dumb hounds. And now...all I need to do to claim the throne...is to make sure you and the Railgun never live to tell my tales..."
"Y-you killed Father?" said Hope with tears in her eyes. "H-he trusted you with his life...."
"Apparently, a very bad decision." Said Constantine breezily. "That old fool....eh?"
Constantine had just noticed Mikoto who was crackling with a powerful electric aura that cracked the floor around her.
"HOW.....DARE...YOU!!!!" MIkoto growled, a lightning bolt jumping out of her bangs and tearing up the floor with every syllable.
"I would act more calm if I were you...." said Constantine. "Lest you wish to see your friends without heads. Oh what am I saying...? Grimmix, dispose of that annoying so called electromaster now....I'm getting tired of all this waiting."
"Actually." said Grimmix, his blind eyes roving the area. "There has been a change of plans.....we aren't going to kill them..."
"Wh-what!?" said Constantine in surprise. "But I'm paying you to do it!!"
"Not anymore..." said Grimmix. "You see, someone else offered us a considerably larger amount to capture the princesses instead of killing them."
The doors opened again, and in walked a familiar black armored demonic figure.
"Hello steward..." said Diablo Etwatia. "I believe you are sitting on something that belongs to me." Behind Diablo, Aurumnus Rager walked in with an evil grin as Arachnis Widower scuttled along the wall,clicking and hissing.
"Who are you!?" Shouted Constantine. "What is the meaning of this!!?"
"I am merely a steward like yourself. " said Diablo. "Only, Dravis's throne is far larger then the pathetic one you wish to call your own. Fortunately, I will be taking it off your hands now...."
"Diablo!!" said Mikoto. "What is Hydra Head doing here!? What do you want!?"
"Why....at first we were merely here to create a nifty weapon....click click" exclaimed Arcachnis.
"But then we thought. While we're here, we might as well put another unsuspecting group of innocents under our control." said Aurumnus. "I mean, where do you think Hydra Head get's all it's assets? Money doesn't grow on trees you know."
"But our first objective remains ever the same...." said Diablo. "To capture you and the princess...so that we may perfect our weapon....."
"You know what?" said Mikoto. "You can do what you want with Constantine...BUT YOU LEAVE HOPE AND ME OUT OF THIS!!!!"
Mikoto took out a coin and rested it on her thumb, aiming it at Diablo. "Secret Art: RAILGUN METEOR OF THE THUNDER DRAGON!!!!"
There was a massive sonic boom, and the coin sped forward, turning into a ginormous dragon made of electricity before colliding with Diablo. However, when the smoke cleared, Diablo was holding the burning melted coin in between his spiked glove's fingers....not a scratch was on him.
"Hmpf.....it seems without your other friends...you are not as well matched against me as you were when we first fought....right now, you are weak." said Diablo. "I need not bother fighting weaklings...Gore, it is time."
"I see....." said a deep rumbling voice. There was an earth shaking crash, and the monstrous hulking muscular man known as Gore Beastwalker crashed through the cieling and landed with a boom behind Mikoto.
Gore bared his shark like teeth, his messed up matted hair tossled a little as he grabbed Mikoto with both arms, and restrained her against his chest, the electric wings also being crushed against his insulated tough house sized body.
Mikoto struggled, but to no avail. Gore was like a tank in comparison. A heavilly insulated tank.
"My word!" said Constantine falling out of his throne in fright. "Where did this beast come from!?"
Diablo walked past Gore and took Constantine by the robe collar. "Your services are no longer required."
Constantine suddenly yelled out in anguish as his robe and body disintegrated in a burst of molten energy. Finally his skeleton remained, burnt and twitching it's jaw bone. the eye sockets glowing.
"Now go and join your new service.....among my servants." said Diablo throwing the skeleton to the ground.
A fissure opened up next to the skeleton, and hundreds of similarly burned skeletal hands grabbed Constantine's new undead form and dragged him into fissure with them. The fissure then closed with a final cracking sound. (If you guys remember Devil's Art: Army Of The Damned from the last book, then you have just found out where Diablo got all his skeleton minions.)1
Diablo walked over to the throne and sat in it. The moment he touched the armrest, the golden throne twisted and morphed till it was a black throne made out of iron and bones, torches of blue flame adorned the sides. Then, the entire throne room morphed until it was in much the same design. On the now obsidian black walls, Thundaarix's carvings had now turned into designs of cackling dragon skeletons. Molten cracks now glowed red on the rough stone floor. And the insignia of Hydra Head was printed on a banner that hung behind the throne.
"Ahhh..." said Diablo. "Much better. Though Black Whisper might prefer a different design....I think this will do for now."
"Y-you.....monster!!" said Hope. "This room was designed by Thundaarix herself...you've perverted it with your foul loathsome.."
"Presence?" Diablo finished. "Actually, I would like to believe I have made some major improvements. But enough about redesigning homes...I believe we have a weapon that needs perfecting."
In a blur of unnatural speed, Exisio suddenly appeared in the middle of the Throne Room. "Yes.....my powers must become whole...."
Mikoto suddenly couldn't breathe, her heart started breathing unnaturally fast. This fear, this utter desire to cry and huddle in a corner for all of eternity.....this instinctual tormented feeling.......it was the same sort of fear she felt whenever she was in the presence of Dravis.
"Wh-what?" said Mikoto. "What are you....?"
Exisio eyed Mikoto for a moment then grinned, his razor sharp dragon teeth glinting in the blue torchlight of the throne. "I think I'll drain this girl first.....After all...when I was still Aim Burst...we had a certain connection you might say."
Exisio walked forward as Mikoto struggled harder against Gore Beastwalker's hold. She tried everything. She even shot a multibarrage of lightning from every part of her body. But Gore just stood there, taking the blows.
"It's useless." said Gore. "My master Black Whisper has perfected my immunity to lightning after my last fight with Laxus Dreyar.......I am immune to every blow throw at me."
Exisio was now only inches from Mikoto. He reached a hand out towards her forehead as Mikoto's heart began to beat faster and faster with fear.1
"ROAR OF THE FIRE DRAGON!!!!!" A massive twister of flame blaste Exisio from the side, causing him to fly into the wall and shatter one of the skeleton carvings.
Grimmix's blind eyes widened as he suddenly sensed Natsu Dragneel standing there with Happy the cat flying around nearby. "No!! I killed you!! I saw to it personally that building blew into smithereens!!"
"Killed us...?" said Natsu as he became cloaked in flames of rage. "You really think it's that easy to kill US!?"
Out of the shadows, came the rest of Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, and Blue Pegasus.
"I don't know what you're trying to do to Mikoto." growled Natsu as his eyes lit up with fury. "But none of us are just going to sit by and let you take her like this!!!!!!!!!!!"
In a flash, Erza and Jura both charged at Gore.
"Let's see how you take this!!" said Jura slamming his fist against the ground. A massive fist on a pillar made of iron hard rock shot out of the ground and rammed Gore in the face, causing him to let go of Mikoto.
Erza then requipped into her Giant's Armor and jabbed her massive lance at Gore, who caught it in one fist. But before he could counter against Erza, Jura smacked an Elbo straight into Gore's gut and caused him to crash into the stone ground, breaking it beneath him.
At the same time, Oblitesco was suddenly blown asside by a huge black twister from Chelia Blendy as Taurus the Celestial Spirit swung at Aeros with his axe, causing them both to let go of their hostages.
"No!!" Growled Grimmix pointing his hands at both Mikoto and Hope. "I will sooner have you die then let you escape!! Assasin's Decree: Remote Deto-"
Before Grimmix could finish his spell, Natsu moved in, his fists engulfed in powerful flames. "Iron Fist of The FIre Dragon!!!!"
Natsu punched Grimmix in the side of his face causing him to fly into the air. Before Grimmix hit the ground however, Natsu jumped up at him, his entire body covered in flames now.
"SWORD HORN OF THE FIRE DRAGON!!!!!!!!"
Natsu rammed into Grimmix's gut in mid air, causing the assasin to fly into the roof and then fall back to the floor with a sickening crack.
"ROAR OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON!!!" Aurumnus Rager suddenly jumped in front of Natsu and blasted a twister of molten gold at him.
But before the liquid metal could hit Natsu, Mikoto jumped in front of him and shielded them both with her wings, the gold blasted out arround the electric mass, unable to penetrate the powerful defense.
Gray and Lyon suddenly moved in, their hands in the motion for Ice Maker magic.
"ICE MAKE: FREEZE LANCER!!"
"ICE MAKE: SNOW DRAGON!!"
A massive dragon made out of ice and a rain of spear-like ice projectiles soared towards Aurumnus who crossed his arms together in an x like motion. "Shield of the Golden Dragon!!!"
A massive round golden shield spiralled out from the center of the x formation and blocked both Ice Make moves without much trouble.
"Ha!" scoffed Aurumnus. "You kiddies may outnumber us!! But we still outmatch you as long as Diablo's here!!"
And he was right, Because Diablo was now out of the throne, walking towards the battle scene slowly and deliberatly. His body eminated such immense magical power, that the entire building shook like the earth itself was afraid of him.
"I hate to admit it..." said Jura. "But he's right. I've fought Diablo before, and I don't think any of us can beat him the way we are now."
"Well then." said Nicole as she smacked aside Arachnis Widower with her Ghost Dragon Talons. "We had better retreat....."
"Leave that to me!!" said Ichiya. "Men!! I have been saving this for just such an occasion, everybody down!"
Ichiya took out one of his Parfum viles and broke it at his feet. Immediately, a blast of smoke filled the room.
"Whoah!" said Mikoto. "Is this some sort of Parfum of Concealment spell?"
"No!" said Ichiya. "Actually it's just an insignificant smoke bomb. We best start running now! MEN!!!!"
"Oh...."
When the smoke cleared, everyone had gone. Diablo's eyes burned with absolute fury. "Find them...do not stop for rest, for food, for any sort of insignificant distraction...FIND THEM!!!"
Exisio got up from where he had been lying. "Hehehehe......don't you worry yourself servant of my father.....I have just the means to track my prey......" Exisio looked at Aurumnus. "So what do you think Golden Dragon Slayer? Are you up for a chase?"
Aurumnus grinned. "As long as Gore comes along....I'm game."
Gore got up and shook himself slightly. "How annoying.....they can't run....yet they keep running.....how very annoying."
Somewhere near an outcropping near the cieling's structure beams, Mystia sat watching.
"Oh just you wait." said Mystia. "It's about to get a whole lot more annoying for you....."