Chapter 21

Chapter 21. The old tower.

-Not bad, but maybe we can add a couple more floors?

Architect of the Tower of Babel.

Sephiroth. It's still evening.

- Buee ... - Natsu "Fed the fish" for the third hour. In the eyes of the unfortunate dragonsleer there was an expression that was easily deciphered as "Well, finish me, please" (however, this could only be seen in rare moments when he raised his head above the edge of the side, which happened very rarely). The cat also had a hard time - Millianna did get to him and almost squeezed him to death, while happily naying and radiating into the world just tons of positive, as for me ... alas, there was no time to admire the girls now (maybe just a little) - I had to fight with light attacks of seasickness, simultaneously drawing up a plan of action and finding out about the forces of the enemy. As for the forces, the alignment turned out to be approximately equal. Elsa's old friends were pulling from strength to rank B, and even then, tightly enough, Natsu had already reached A +, Lucy ... still B, but already confident, and with Aquarius, then A + (if she is not drowned, little mermaid sometimes she's not in the mood), well, and Mira, Elsa and Juvia (at first they did not want to take her, but I pressed, motivating this matter by the fact that the sorceress wants to join us, which means that it will be quite normal if she helps us, for that he was awarded one grateful and three jealous looks) - S-wiki, who is a little weaker, who is stronger - not the essence. I assessed my level as a strong S (modesty is our everything), with competent battle planning and preparation - maybe I will go to the weak chosen one, it is a pity that it is impossible to "improve" the battlefield in advance. Now, as for the enemy - under a hundred "meat" of D and C levels, heels of weak B, two triples of "gloomy types" - a girl in a yukata, a man with an owl's head and an "aristocrat" with hair reaching the floor - these are the first three. Hmm, they are familiar from the canon, but there was also a second one - "a gloomy guy with a pineapple hairdo" (Kageyama? That's where the asshole surfaced?), A "parrot" and "people of indeterminate gender wrapped in some rags," as he put it a magician who escaped from minecraft and constantly inserts something about a dandy. The picture was completed by Jellal himself and the constantly sleeping magician on the flying carpet. Hmm, did Brain send Midnight? This is already bad, however, if he is only an observer ... then let him. Well, Ultear's data was confirmed, the question is, how do we act in the circumstances that have opened up? Let's say, leave the canon opponents, perhaps insure ours? Hardly. Natsu will go to beat the "pineapple" for anyone, if this is the same shady guy, or at least make sure that it is not him ... and then he will still beat him - well, do not apologize, in fact, they say, I'm sorry, buddy, I made a mistake ? So, let's take a bird for ourselves, by the way, an interesting way to bypass the Absorption restriction of our own kind, and even practically safe ... we definitely have something to talk about. But the "hairy" should be left to Lucy and Juvia - the jointly experienced fight brings them closer, I really need it from the point of view of psychological comfort in the team, and yes, I'm not at all interested in watching women's wrestling in the water, oh! True, you should be very careful - its magic is just based on sound, and if it is loud enough, but with the right frequency ... eh, it's a pity that full-fledged projections do not come out for me - I have practiced too little ... hmm, but to use one of the younger spirits of darkness ... an option, since Jose knew the guys very reminiscent of the unforgettable Warcraft "Shadows" ... Elsa and the swordwoman ... I don't know, there shouldn't be any problems, besides, the girl repeatedly sparred with me and picked up all sorts of ... interesting tricks. Here you need to watch and, if something happens, pull out, and, it seems to me, you will have to pull out Titania's opponent. What for? What do you mean why? If this girl really lives by the "samurai code" or something similar, then having her in debtors is very useful ... well, it will be sad if a pretty girl dies in her prime. Altogether, two, a parrot and a "gloomy creature in rags." I think Mira will cope with them, well, or at least oneof them, and by the time of the disassembly with the second one of ours may already arrive in time, but I will try to deal with Jellal. Elsa will have to deal with him - this is her past and her ... I do not know who, but here it is quite possible to twitch her nerves and whip up her strength. There remains a mere trifle - but how to make the "fights" go exactly according to my plan? We need intelligence. An airman, of course, would have coped with this easier, but we also know how to do something.

A little bit later. Ship, not far from the tower.

-More fish, pussy? - Millianna continued to radiate positive. The youngest in the team, she was the person who encouraged and supported the former slaves during the eight years they spent at the Tower.

- No ... - Happy, now resembling a specific blue kolobok, waved his tail listlessly - he could not move anything else.

- You know, Millie, a little more and he will burst, - warned her friend Elsa.

-But he was so cute and he looked so hungry ...

- Gosp ... Sephiroth, what are you doing ... - Juvia did not have time to finish her question, a stream of evil, cold wind passed through the ship.

"I'll be your eyes," a hissing lifeless voice. Mira managed to notice a shadow out of the corner of her eye, but as soon as she looked at it, the unidentified creature disappeared into the evening twilight.

-W-what was that? Lucy asked, slightly stammering.

-Small spirit from the Dark. Quite weak and harmless ... almost, but as a scout, such a creature is ideal.

- Why do we need him ... buee ... - Natsu honestly tried to take part in the conversation.

- Well, intelligence is always useful, besides ... everything is too simple and good. It is very likely that we are "invited" to visit such a marvelous architectural structure.

- I trust Simon and friends, - Elsa frowned.

-And I'm not saying that they deliberately drive us into a trap, such a sweet neko-girl who loves to play tie simply cannot be bad, - the magician brought the "iron" argument, casting a satisfied look at the blushing Millianna and receiving four incinerators as a reward look (later, these four persons looked at each other and clearly came to some kind of agreement, heh, and you also say that they do not have telepathy), - but, - as if nothing had happened, Sephiroth continued, - this is not means that they were not used "in the dark."

-Can you know more? - raised Mira's brows.

-Okay, look. What did Jellal order you when he sent for Elsa?

-Take her to the island. Accompanying - knock out ... or kill, - answered the "gambler".

- Who exactly will "accompany" her, he didn't tell you?

- No, - Simon frowned, it seems, already understanding something.

- How did he know that Elsa will be at that particular resort?

- Informants ... - the one-eyed magician clenched his fists, - according to Jellal's plan, Elsa would not have raised her hand against old friends.

-If they found out about Elsa, they could not have known about us. And the level of Natsu or mine ... there is a suspicion that Mr. Dragneel did not kill his opponent just out of philanthropy, well, but I ... first wanted to know if this was a personal initiative of one suicide or someone decided to joke like that. You could not fulfill your mission with all your desire.

"He might not know," Millie said, for a second looking up from scratching the cat.

-It is unlikely, as far as I know, he has a twin brother Siegrain. The Chosen One and the Magician of the Council, besides ...

"Siegrain hates Jellal himself ... we ... talked to him somehow," Elsa intervened. Hmm, not very polite, but oh well, you can understand her - nerves ...

-There is no relationship stronger than blood, cases when a brother goes to a brother, of course, are not rare, but much more often they act at the same time, no matter what anyone says. Plus ... where did Jellal get a brother from? Wasn't he in the Tower?

-N-no, but you never know ...

- Yes, everything is possible, but don't you think there are too many subtle moments in this story?

-How it was, in your opinion?

-Jerard and Siegrain work together, nevertheless, it is much more convenient to keep a network of informants, being in the Era, and not in a magical stronghold a day from the coast, and even in the territorial waters of another country. So cunning ... - the magician looked sideways at the girls, - cunning people with a high probability could find out about your plan, Simon, and use it accordingly.

-So ...

-In the port near the tower they will be waiting for us.

-What to do? - asked Mira.

-Well, I would have turned back, told everything to the Council I adored, - there were chuckles of the fairies, - and no need to laugh, they have already poured away so much money for me, how much you get for every ten-year task, so I really love and appreciate them. Well, I would report everything to the Council and enjoy the spectacle of this Tower being carried from Etherion. But there is a problem.

-What?

-If Jellal and Siegrain are doing one thing, then they had to foresee a similar scenario and somehow prepare for it. This means that a blow with Etherion, at best, will not bring any benefit. So I propose a workaround, - just then the spirit that was sent on reconnaissance returned and merged with the shadow of the magician, - that's how ... understandable.

-Have you learned something? - Elsa was focused and serious more than usual.

- Yes, they are really waiting for us in the port ... draw your own conclusions.

-Variants? - That's what I love the warrior most of all (no, except for the unbending will, inner timidity and the third dimension), so it is for the ability to quickly calculate the situation. On our joint missions, I had the pleasure of seeing this feature of her several times and each time I could not stop looking at the girl at such moments.

-There are two of them - we go for a breakthrough, simply crushing opponents with naked force. Pros - high speed. Cons - a quick glance at the Valkyrie's friends - some of ours may suffer, and, quite possibly, from "friendly fire".

"Doesn't fit," the scarlet-haired woman shook her head.

- Option two - break up into small groups and enter from several directions. Pros - the opponents will also have to split up, as a result of which the global carnage will no longer come out, there may be a chance for hidden penetration. Cons - in case of danger, there will be no one to cover you. And I do not like it. I really don't like it.

-But still, it's better than the first option, - the girls nodded in agreement.

-Eh, then look, - the magician drew the card to himself and began to mark on it with a magic pen pulled from a spatial pocket ...

Sephiroth. Storm.

The plan was pretty simple. Thanks to reconnaissance, I managed to find an "emergency exit" from the Tower, and also roughly find the "areas of responsibility" of the magicians of interest to me. Accordingly, it was relatively easy to lay our routes so that they ran into "canon" opponents or did not run into it at all, of course, collisions with reality will make its own adjustments, for me, it would be better just to quietly clean up everyone in the tower and calmly float away (not forgetting to capture a couple of tones of lacrima as souvenirs), but fakes will not go to this, the same Dragneel has already "ignited" and further in the text ... hmmm. Damn, how I do not want to let them go. What if something goes wrong, what if they need help? No, I need at least something to calm me down. Hmm ... as an option, not god knows what, but ...

- Just a minute of attention. Before we go, I would ask everyone to take a jar.

-What is it? - Lucy, with suspicion looked at small bottles with a suspiciously familiar black liquid.

-Let's just say, this little thing will help you survive even in a very difficult situation - Alchemy and Magic of Life. The main thing is not to lose your head - everything else is fixable ... theoretically.

-In terms of? - Peace ...

-If you suddenly get seriously injured, you will have to drink the liquid from these bottles, at worst, just pour the contents over yourself. As I said, the main thing is not to lose your head, and a torn heart or something similar, this liquid will cure ... Well, or it will allow you to hold out until I come.

-Elixir of Life? - the magician of the Zodiac thought, - I heard something ... a legend ... something like Zeref gave to his servants ... or not, it seems that it was not easy to get this.

- Everything can be, - I tactfully leave the Zeref theme, - but this particular composition was created by me and I would not give it to everyone in a row either - it can only be produced in very small portions and this is very ... unpleasant for the author, - still - a decrease in the number of my cells in the body above a certain level worsens control over this body, which is very unpleasant.

- I see ... thanks, - Lucy clutched the bottle to her. I shrug, feeling warmth and gratitude from the girls, oh, I would have stood, but time is already shrinking - it's time to move forward

And so gentlemen (and ladies) magicians began to act. A group of Elsa, Natsu, Lucy and Juvia (well, the cat is also with them - the poor fellow escaped from Millianna) come out from under the water through the "emergency exit". Mira and I are diverting attention at the port. Elsa's childhood friends are trying to survive and not let the little things ruin the ship. Oh, of course, they were against and were eager to fight. Even the persuasion of the Valkyrie did not help ...

-We'll go anyway! It is our duty, Jellal must answer for everything!

-It is very dangerous there, you can simply be maimed or killed! Damn, - the girl paced the deck in irritation, - you just don't have enough strength!

-It's all the same, - Simon stubbornly squealed. Well, yes, in which case, it's me to treat. The argument had been going on for about ten minutes, or rather, the same arguments were repeated in a circle, the spoiled mood continued to slide down. Damn, how long is it possible? In the end, I repeated the trick that Gildarts used at one time on Natsu ... hmm, more precisely, will apply. There is no point in pressing so that the earth cracks (we are on a ship, however), and I don't know how to throw out strength in this way, and now is not the best time and place for practice, but I can do something like Symbiote. Focusing on the feelings of the wearer - rage, lust for blood, hatred and hunger - the body experiences something like this cocktail of emotions from the hormones produced. And now throw it into an emophone along with a certain amount of mana, hmm, probably something like this should look like the notorious "Ki" or "Reyatsu pressure". The debaters immediately quieted down, the fairies somehow crept up and looked around, but Simon and Co. almost fell and were clearly frightened.

- Enough, - a cold and calm voice, the dragon's eyes burning with crimson carefully examine potential prey, - you still need to protect the ship. You are a fairly established group and your strength should be sufficient for this task. Leaving someone else here is irrational. Any other objections? Not? Then let's move forward. - relieve pressure and turn off the eyes.

-Sephiroth is crazy, - Happy was inspired.

-Aggas! - uh? Natsu usually only reacted to Elsa like that? It seems that in such cases it is necessary to say "Oops" ...

If all goes well, we will meet in the hall under the "throne room" if not ... then according to the circumstances. It was somewhat unpleasant to send girls into battle, but constantly leaving them behind is also not an option - fakes simply will not understand such a move, so let it be better to follow the "canon-tested path" with some safety net. Through the scouts, I accompanied Elsa's group to the entrance, and then there was no time for viewing - the "fun" began.

Two demons in the port were gathering a rich harvest - waves of darkness mixed with fiery ramparts that demolished everything in their path, and for the "lucky ones" who were able to come to close combat distance were prepared a sword blade (from my side) and a heavy tail, perfectly breaking bones and piercing light leather armor with one blow (damn, Mira does not restrain herself, approaching demonic "drunkenness" in battle - this is scary ... terribly delightful picture). Well, unlike a children's cartoon, here a blow of a tail pumped up by magic into the body of a weak magician did not lead to a bruise, but to crushing the aforementioned magician in half with all ... ahem ... the ensuing consequences, here's a fighting waitress, hmmm. This could not last long - those who wanted to kill themselves about us ran out pretty quickly, or rather, their composition changed somewhat.

-Oh, la-la, how ugly it is to come to visit and greet the owners so rudely, - some unpleasant voice ... I looked up at the one who was pronouncing these words ... your maaat. Well, why ?! I want to unsee THIS!

-Please tell me you're just a fan of Master Bob ...

- Oh, Master Bob, - something in a parrot outfit, suspiciously similar to a dress, licked its lips and closed its eyes - what a man, - judging by the emotions - it was not joking.

-I'm going to vomit now, - I still did not understand who said this phrase first - me, Mira, or the guy in a hoodie hiding his face that appeared behind the back of the "parrot".

- Fi, you do not understand anything about the subtle mental organization of a real creator! - my eye seemed to twitch. Having exchanged glances with Mira, we silently blasted at the guests - "Gehenna" and "Spear of Darkness" covered the area.

-Got it? - asked Mira.

-Oh yeah, you hit, my sweets!

-Lutz, leave me to have some fun, - a man in a hoodie emerged from the dust.

-Mmm, then I'll take this pretty boy, and you take care of the girl.

- Damn pervert, - answered the hoodie, - but ... I am satisfied with such a division, do not be bored, - the hoodie broke some stick - a dazzling flash and the magician disappeared ... along with Mirazhana.

- So we were left alone, - the creature licked its lips. Hmmm ... the plan was not enough, I hope Mira won't have any problems with the second, but the main thing for me is not to turn my back on my opponent. Better yet, shoot him preemptively.

It was not possible to shoot preventively. No, at first everything went relatively well. The creature a couple of times fell under streams of fire, damn it, it should have been incinerated on the spot and I really thought that this would be the end of our battle, but every time it somehow managed to dodge. I thought that I was confronted with a "distortion" user, like Midnight's, but no - the parrot managed to evade even direct physical attacks. Moreover, I attacked with full force and speed. What the hell is this? S rank and it would have already started to fizzle out on such loads on the body, checked by Elsa! And this one just grins. Plus, the constant flashes of light are annoying.

-It's useless, handsome, you cannot surpass the speed of Lucimer - the fastest in the "Turtles" - the head of the Right Wing of the Raven, - damn, how much pathos, it already brings teeth, - you better just relax and have fun! - What? What, trying to sneak up from behind again? All right, he got me. Hmm ... he is chattering something, he seemed to say much slower before, full acceleration? What's the difference. Combat mode. Calculation of the enemy's trajectory. The calculation is over. Output. A parrot in another flash of light comes out behind me, or rather, where I was less than a second ago. Calculations showed that the creature will go there with a probability of 84.5%, well, they turned out to be correct. And now I am behind him. And in my hands I have a healthy fire stake - with proper control, the magician is able to make his fire solid and durable, alas, only with control I still get very unstable forms, but if you add a little supporting structure from the "material illusion" ... blow. And the enemy starts screaming.

-You know ... five hundred years ago, in the land where I come from, people like you were planted on hot colas ... now I understand that there was definitely something in this tradition - however, I was not going to torture or torture my opponent, but count ... let's just say, this type was very unpleasant to me, but for the ritual it was required to hold him in place for some time, but here such a reliable fixation .. Effort of thought and on the ground below us a magic figure is burned out - a one-time option - a normal figure needs to be drawn manually, on a prepared surface, and so on, but this is quite enough, since I'm not going to call a demon.

With a slight crunch, the bone pin plunges into the heart of the "fastest Skull", now it is correct to support the ritual with mana through drawing for a couple of minutes and the first soul will go to my collection, it is disgusting, of course, to work with such material, but its speed intrigued me. In a minute it was all over and I put the filled "soul trap" into a spatial pocket, then the supportive weaving in the "fixing tool" was canceled and the opponent's body was burnt from the inside. Well, we need to move on.

Simon. Ship. A little earlier.

The spellcaster, in impotent rage, struck the pitifully crunching planks of the ship's bulkhead. The magician was stifled by jealousy. He didn't like this Sephiroth even at the moment of his acquaintance (and who would have liked the acquaintance that began with a blow to the head?), And his words, which boiled down to the banal "You are trash, wouldn't even make me sweat," clearly did not set me up for a friendly harmony. But, as if this was not enough, this bastard called Elsa hers and ... and the girl just liked it! The wizard gritted his teeth, but what did he even think of himself? Well, nothing, he will show, he will prove that Elsa deserves the best - him! But ... but then there was drawing up a plan and giving out roles, Simon tried to go with his beloved, but this Sephiroth ordered to guard the ship, as if someone needed him here, of course, Simon was indignant and tried to protest and then ... remember I didn't want to. Sephiroth just opened his emotions ... a whole storm of Darkness and hatred - ancient, mighty ... terrible, but it was not the worst, the worst began when he looked at Simon - two eyes blazing with otherworldly fire with vertical pupils and behind them - hunger, a real demon, who, they say, live somewhere in the depths of this element, looked at him, the Caster of Darkness, looked and wondered whether to devour him now or wait a little? My knees began to tremble. And, like a contrast shower - absolutely cold and calm words. Order. And something told Simon (most likely, the instinct of self-preservation) that it is better to carry out this order and not leave the ship.

The storming of the ship with "meat", as he called the guards of Sephiroth, Simon remembered in fits and starts - crowds of climbing people, quite successfully restrained by their efforts, sometimes cut through by the attacks of TWO demons (hmmm, here's a quiet sweet girl with white hair ... hmm, and are they not relatives for an hour?). When the Raven Tail mercenaries arrived, the alignment shifted slightly, and the battlefield shifted to the side. However, the battle itself was very short-lived - after a couple of minutes the defenders of valuable property heard a harsh human scream, rather a howl, then there was a particularly bright flash of light and ... a winged silhouette moving at high speed towards the tower.

-And what are we going to do, nya? - Millie, somewhat distressed by the loss (read, stampede) of the "kitty", was squeezing a plush toy in her hands.

-Sitting on the ship, waiting for the return of our ... friends, - Simon sighed, - there is clearly not our level, no matter how sad it is to admit it.

-Yes, the guys they have are strong, - the square magician remained true to his ideals of "dandy". The card-lover nodded in agreement, supporting his friend's opinion.

When the others dispersed around the ship, Simon, using his talent, moved to the foot of the tower.

- Even if it's not our level there, but sometimes even a small advantage can change the course of a battle ... and it's worth looking after Elsa ...

Mirazana Strauss.

After a flash of light, Mira found herself in a strange room - a small hall from which four aisles led. There was no port, no Sephiroth, no opponents around. The girl nervously slapped her tail across the floor, leaving deep scratches on it - she really didn't like it all.

-That's for you to rest on the beach, - the sensitive ear of the girl caught a strange grinding, as if hundreds of small legs with claws on them were diligently scraping the stone floor. And the sound was approaching. In a minute and from one of the passages tumbled down insects - hundreds, if not thousands of nasty, unpleasant creatures.

-Well, and an abomination, - a wave of a clawed paw and a wave of Darkness passed over the unpleasant visitors, carrying out hundreds of parasites. But something about the insects was wrong, but what? The girl did not have time to come up with an idea - various monsters tumbled down from the remaining passages - half-decayed zombies, slimy worms and just some disgusting freaks for every taste. Capable of causing disgust and fear in almost any girl.

Ten minutes passed, Mira had already started to get tired, and the monsters did not end, now the faces of her friends and acquaintances began to be guessed in their appearance, and the howl of the killed creatures more and more resembled the screams of people ... with voices similar to the voices of her family. Illusions - the girl understood. But understanding did not give anything - even an illusion can kill, and the girl did not know how to get to the author of all this disgrace, but staying in one place was not the best idea.

Gradually, the howling and screams of the destroyed creatures began to form into some kind of cacophony of sounds, and that, in turn, grew into whispers, seemingly penetrating into the very soul. Voices asked. Begged. They accused and demanded something. The climax was the moment when Lisanna came out of one passage to her - the way she remembered her.

- Why did you kill me, sister? - her voice, her facial expression. Mira closed her eyes, a lump in her throat. No, Lisanna is alive, even if somewhere far away, but ... Sephiroth believes much more than the enemy that is trying to play with her mind.

-I AM...

-Why, Mira, for what? - the girl stretched out her bloody hands to her sister, - after all, it was you who took that task, you brought us there.

Mirazana was at a loss, old wounds reopened, draining her remaining strength. The former confidence swayed, and suddenly ...

-It's just an illusion that drinks your powers. Will you let someone play with your feelings? - a distant, barely audible whisper, but in such a familiar voice. Mira remembered, right, because she is now in battle, and Lisanna is just a cunning haze of one bastard that dared to get into her head. An inhuman roar came from her throat, and a crimson veil of rage covered her eyes - Demoness Mirajane threw off the last restraining shackles of doubts and regrets and plunged into battle, screaming with rage.

The girl came to herself at the foot of the tower, the magic reserve showed the bottom, the body ached mercilessly. Nearby lay a broken figure in bloody rags - in vain this "Skull" tried to unbalance it - it is impossible to anger the demon with impunity. Never.

Sephiroth.

I sat down on one of the upper floors of the Tower and now, with the help of the Shadows (more precisely, the younger spirits of Darkness, but I like the name "Shadow" much more), I observed the most curious picture. Some hairy guy, hard cosplaying a musician from a death metal band, chased Lucy and Juvia. The inner troll offered to quickly change into the appearance of Krauser (anime Detroit Metal City, head of the corresponding music group * author's note) and arrange a "tournament", but the instinct of self-preservation suggested that with such a loudness this hairy would very quickly incapacitate me and put me in jar. Sadly, all that remained was to look ... well, and keep a small detachment of the Spirits of Darkness nearby - a dozen energy vampires would have been enough for the musician. But, to my deep satisfaction, there was no need to interfere. The girls managed to get into resonance and drown the lover of loud sounds. But what happened next ... ahem, I remember, in the canon, the girls just hugged, albeit very close, but then Aquarius "frightened" them away, now the Spirit just left, not bothering to say goodbye, and the girls ... the girls selflessly kissed. Heh, no, I saw Lucy glancing at Mira and Elsa sometimes, plus my bad influence, hehe. But Juvia ... or is it a consequence of the resonance of magic? In any case, it looks very nice and tempts to join. Oh, it seems that they came to their senses a little and ... this is the color, but Elsa's hair is less red, nooo, I will keep this picture in my memory and burn it on canvas at the first convenient opportunity. And I'll even show the girls, I wonder what reaction they will have?

Natsu successfully turned Kageyama into a kebab, I must admit, the dragonseer has grown a lot lately, and not in terms of magical power and control (although this is also, especially in control), but in the use of the head and tactical thinking. The guy quickly noticed that Kage was using the shadows of objects to direct his attacks and attacks from an unexpected angle, so he simply hung several dozen fireballs - lamps, which removed the vast majority of the shadows, and then methodically drove the enemy into a corner, where he turned him into an already fried one chop. And ... poured about half of my bottle on him, eh, Natsu, you're still too kind after all.

Only one thing bothered me - I could not find Elsa in any way - Shadows could not penetrate everywhere - the tower of lacrima is a very specific material, in some places the energy spirits simply dissolved, losing their strength. But judging by my cells in her bottle - so far everything is fine with her. I was distracted from staring at the tactical picture by the murmur and roar of the jetpack. The owl man did not bother himself with long speeches and performances, but simply rushed, gaping his mouth. And at that very moment a "message" came from the cells in Elsa's vial - a critical wound. The body is female. The condition is clinical death. The sternum was chopped, four ribs were chopped, the spine was chopped ... your mother, but she was almost cut in half. The bird has fallen sharply in my priorities - a step towards, a blow and a bone pin enters the victim's brain - without a ritual, the chance to pull out the soul is very small, and it will take a lot of time, but to hell with it. There is no time to look for a bypass route, we go in a straight line - an adamantium blade cuts out a piece of a wall or ceiling - a kick reinforced with magic and a symbiont - the next obstacle, repeat the operation. The main thing is to be in time.

Ikaruga of the Raven Tail Guild.

Consciousness slowly returned to the exhausted body. "Am I alive? But how?" - thoughts stupidly whirled in my head in search of an answer that was not. But there were memories ... at first everything went quite ordinary - ordinary hiring, the customer promised to give the opportunity to fight Titania herself! A worthy opponent for a duel, whatever you say. The case promised to be interesting, and it all started quite usually - she went out to meet her opponent, as it should be, introduced herself and demanded a duel for the right of passage. Alas, at first, she was not taken seriously, but what to do - the S-rank magician often neglects the weaker ones ... in vain. To demonstrate her powers, she cut her armor - the technique is actually not difficult - you just need to have a tool of a suitable sharpness, enchant it correctly ... and control your magic very well. But then ... what a surprise it was when the opponent, instead of using more powerful (and, therefore, costly to maintain) armor, summoned a simple blade in a sheath ... and stood up. Something like her own! Does she, too, own the "Young Moon", or, as she is called in these parts - "Striking"? But everything turned out to be much simpler and worse for Ikaruga - Scarlett simply disappeared from the field of view, and the next moment a terrible pain pierced her chest, judging by the severed legs, the spine was severed, and if the blow fell in the chest ... the girl squinted her eyes ... with such a wound, even a magician will live no more than a couple of minutes. The girl smiled - this is how a real fight should be - instant, tough, in one blow. Well, it will be a glorious death. But, while there is time, it is probably worth satisfying your curiosity and ... leaving alone turns out to be a little ... scary, and you should warn a worthy opponent.

- Nice blow, - the mercenary did not recognize her voice - wheezing and gurgling, although in her condition what she can say is already good, - it was ... a good fight ... only ... everything ... in vain. .. death from heaven ... will fall mercilessly.

-Eferion? - Scarlett didn't look surprised - so he was right ... again.

- Tell me ... what was that blow ... what magic? - it became more and more difficult to speak.

-It was not magic, - the scarlet-haired warrior took out a vial with some black liquid, as if absorbing light, - Sephiroth taught me this technique, my, - cheeks turned slightly pink, - friend. He called it battojutsu and tried to explain something about acceleration due to the stance, muscle tension and levers, but I didn't really go into the details - the liquid from the bottle moved directly to the mercenary's wound, for a moment it seemed as if ice water had been splashed there, but soon everything stopped, even the pain began to subside a little, - why did you warn about Aetherion? - the warrior changed the subject.

-You are a worthy enemy ... a warrior ... for me it was ... an honor to meet ... in a duel with you. You won by skill ... and merit ... kh, - something unpleasantly clicked in my chest, - you deserve to know. Better leave ... with a sword ... not overcome ...

-Let's see, - Elsa stubbornly pursed her lips, and the girl's look did not bode well for the author of this whole venture, - as you come to your senses - leave, I don't think that someone can pay you under the contract, - the warrior turned to the stairs up.

-Good ... joke, - smiled Ikaruga and lost consciousness - the symbiont reached the nerves and began to sew them, prudently "turning off" the healed one - the sensation when the nervous system is activated is very far from pleasant.

The girl came to herself from an incomprehensible roar. A terrible weakness was felt in her body, her legs ached mercilessly, although the very fact that she generally came to her senses can be regarded as a miracle, let alone a sensation from the legs ... but it is worth returning to the rumble, since its source was approaching, although still nothing to do - there is no strength even to move. But then the tip of the blade appears in the field of view - three swift strokes calmly dissecting the stone wall, then the sound of a blow is heard ... and a slab cut out by a triangle, weighing at least six hundred kilograms, rushes into the far end of the hall, where it crumbles with a terrible roar after a very close meeting with his whole friend. "It was with what force they hit her?" - thought the girl. A thin, silver-haired guy in a raincoat emerges from the opening. Their gazes meet ... and the face of an obviously very worried person is smoothed out, the stranger sighs with relief.

-Fuh, after all, not her, - the unknown put away the obviously magic blade (and what else could it be, since he was able to cut through a half-meter stone wall, and even so easily?) Into a spatial pocket and sat down next to the mercenary, - m, in the next once you have to give two bottles - they all tend to spend one on the enemy, - the magician complained about the fate, - and what to do now? - Ikaruga quickly compared the facts - a fatal wound - a black liquid in a bottle - she woke up still in this world, but she was not allowed to think of the chain - a strange force began to pour into her body, betraying vivacity and finally driving away the stupor - that's what, beauty, very soon there will be a small branch of Hell, so take the ship and sail away from here - anyway, no one can pay you for the work, - the girl involuntarily let out a quiet laugh, in response to which the magician only raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

-Titania said exactly the same phrase ... and ... are you not afraid to leave behind the enemy?

-Enemy? - The wizard raised an eyebrow again, - Skulls are mercenaries, there is no order - there is no reason to fight, right? In addition, - the magician became serious, - now you still do not pose a threat - exhaustion, and general weakness, and in the future there will be no motive. But enough talk, now you have enough strength, and I still need to catch up with Elsa.

-Wait, - the body really regained mobility, but there really was almost no magic left, - what is your name?

-Sephiroth, - the magician, already heading towards the stairs, looked around, hmm, and why did he have such an expression when looking at ordinary steps? - and please, if we meet again - do not deflate, when young girls begin to vomit you, you immediately feel like an old man - leaving Ikaruga to come to his senses, now no longer a stranger went after Scarlett.

Earlier in Era.

-Thus, we are left with no choice but to shoot the Aetherion! Siegrain raised his head proudly, for almost an hour he had been persuading the Council to use his trump card.

-But your brother is there! This is not to mention that the "P" System Tower is located in the territorial waters of another country! - Councilor Yama was clearly against the use of weapons.

-Yes, - Siegrain closed his eyes, - but I am ready to sacrifice him if it prevents the threat, - as for the attack, then according to the international treaty on countering the organizations of the Dark Mages ...

"It could still cause a scandal, not to mention the fact that the" opposition to the organization of the Dark Mages "just happens to be the magicians from" Fairy Tail "mentioned by the witnesses, - to Jellal's surprise, Ultear spoke out against his idea. however, the magician retained a mask of calm, mentally noting that the girl who showed self-will, and even so at the wrong time, should be eliminated - he brainwashed her well, but you never know ... you can't risk the Plan.

-By the way, which of our "favorite" Fairies went there?

-So, - Jellal pretended to remember intensely, - Dragneel, Strauss, Scarlett, as well as Heartfilia and ... Sephiroth, - at the sound of the last name, the Council grimaced in unison.

-Hartfilia ... is it not already the daughter of mister Heartfilia, it seems that his representatives have recently contacted us ...

-Yes, several dark magicians managed to penetrate very deeply into his company, in fact, he almost lost everything ... however, the dark ones for some reason retreated, and his security service revealed holes.

- Have you retreated? Dark?

-They say they were so intimidated that they themselves confessed and prayed for forgiveness ...

-Yeah ...

- Gentlemen, we have gathered to discuss the problem with the Tower, and not the strange behavior of the dark ones, - mentally the blue-haired magician gritted his teeth - the damn marasmatics were not eager to take on any responsibility and dragged out the process as much as they could, however, Jellal noticed that at the mention of the name of the silver-haired "nightmare of the Council", as Sephiroth was sometimes called, some of the members of the governing body of the magicians narrowed their eyes angrily (more precisely, they were distorted much more than the rest, was it possible that "compensation" was taken from their funds?) including Oog, acting as Head, while the Head of the Council himself somehow suspiciously "got sick" in time.

-Nevertheless, this is very important information - it is not worth it because of some vague threat to spoil relations with one of the richest people in the kingdom.

-Well, I didn't want to bother you in vain and raise a panic, but apparently I have to. The fact is that I know WHO wants to resurrect Jellal ... this is the old Dark Mage ... Warlock Zeref, - there was a deathly silence.

-Are you sure, Siegrain?

-Yes, and if we do not stop him, then some kind of discontent of a rich merchant will be the least of our problems. The people in the tower are doomed anyway, if we let Zeref resurrect, this monster will kill everyone! Therefore, I ask, no, I demand that Etherion be used as the only possible way to guarantee the destruction of the Tower.

- I see, then, I propose to arrange a vote. Who is in favor of using Etherion and destroying Zeref's threat along with ... the attendant losses? Jellal held his breath. Here one hand went up, followed by a second, third, fourth ... after some hesitation, Oug agreed ... five, taking into account him - six, this is quite enough, another voice that rose for the use of Aetherion did not decide anything.

-So, seven for, two against, - Oog cast a frown on Advisers Yama and Ultear, - for this, I allow the use of Etherion ...

Sephiroth after the stairs.

Who builds like this, well, that's who? Let me just get to the local architect and explain to him the depth of his mistake. A flash of bright light distracted me from heavy thoughts, and the tower shook so well, why the hell did they fuck so early? Or did I spend a long time with the swordsman, but didn't leave her in such a state? I do not like it when women and children suffer in vain, however, it seems that it is time to tie up with philosophizing. So, carefully, there is not much left, it is better not to attract attention.

When I entered the hall, the picture appeared before me very unhappy. Elsa was reliably fixed by some letters, judging by her condition, she had to endure a hard battle - the reserve is almost empty, abrasions, bruises. And I doubt that she got them in the battle with the Raven Tail mercenary, judging by the wound of the latter, they ended up with one blow, which means ... JERARRRR !!! It seems that this time the integrity of the body of his ex-girlfriend did not bother him much, so the bastard did not hold back, and no matter how tough Elsa was, it is still too early for her to go out against the Chosen One, albeit a relatively weak one, especially with an incomplete reserve. So, calm down, anger and rage are useful, but now it is better to act covertly. Damn, it's bad that I was a little late, however, while the blue hair is busy describing the "brilliant plan" and admitting that he and Siegrain are one and the same face (more precisely, the magician and his projection), you can carefully sneak up and stick something sharp in his back, one step, two steps, three ... your maaat, why the hell is this idiot climbing, and even with magic. Of course, he was burned and will now be killed. Damn, Elsa will be upset, which means she will have to protect ... it will hurt.

Elsa Scarlett.

It's so stupid to get caught, why, a childhood friend, almost a brother, with whom we have experienced so much ... and this very "brother" in just a few minutes brings down monstrous blows, captivates, and then, with a mocking smile, tells what I am fool! From resentment and the realization of my own stupidity, I wanted to howl or just burst into tears. Itself, itself led everyone into a trap, and in fact I was warned, but ... still come with me and now it is not clear what happened to the guys, are they okay? The body cannot move, and there is almost no magic left. So what is he talking about?

-... you know, initially I wanted to use your body for resurrection, - Jellal along the way carried out some complex manipulations with the central crystal of lacrima, - but then I found a better candidate, oh yes, he would fit perfectly - tenacious, strong enough, Zerefu it will be much easier to be reborn in him ... oh, Simon, how sweet it is that you decided to drop in to us, it's a pity, it's true that you betrayed me, but it's okay, it was fully included in my plans, great job, well done, - the godlike magician smiled good-naturedly.

-I won't let you harm her! - The caster of Darkness covered Elsa with his back, something stung in her chest, once, she already saw in this tower the back of a man covering her with himself and remembered what was left of this man ...

-I didn't mean to, but ... you can interfere, so I'm sorry, - the magician raised his hand, a careless pass and a wave of light hits ... into the hand of Sephiroth who appeared from nowhere.

-Idiot, - "politely" greeted the newcomer with Simon, - the wave of light quickly subsided, - well, hello, Jellal ... or is it better to contact you Siegrain?

-And here the body itself came, as planned, - Jellal bared his teeth in response, making the girl flinch - the madness she noticed eight years ago in the gaze of her best friend and did not think to become smaller, moreover, during this time it seemed to grow, turning a magician into a dangerous monster with an unbalanced psyche - can you give up and climb into the crystal yourself? I would not want to unnecessarily ... hurt you, - the godlike with some frightening curiosity looked at Sephiroth's hand covered with burns, in some places bare bones were visible.

-I have a better idea, - the silver-haired magician smiled, for some reason, at that moment all the girl's feelings literally screamed - run, escape, hide, she never saw such fierce anger in Sephiroth, even on the ship he seemed much calmer, however , there he clearly did not want to kill anyone ... in contrast to the current situation. The features of the magician gradually changed, the hair was shortened and darkened, and scarlet reflections began to flicker in the eyes, the damaged hand was first covered with a black viscous substance, and after the limb was replaced by a demonic paw, - In the presence of two magicians, I declare, God Chosen Siegrain, you are too pitiful and weak for such a high title. And I will take it from your motionless body, - Sephiroth uttered the words of the ancient ritual of challenge, and, moreover, one of the most "rough" versions of a duel.

-It will be interesting...

-Simon, grab Elsa and get out of here.

-I AM...

-Quickly! - rage covered the hall, and Sephiroth was already next to Jellal and was now taking tentative steps to probe the enemy's defense, using for this a terrible interweaving of the magic of Fire and Darkness, - the third time Simon did not need to repeat and the girl felt that she was being carried somewhere , resistance and demands to let go did not bring results.

-Here they are! Out of the corner of her eye, the paralyzed warrior noticed something blue and fluffy hanging over their heads.

-Elsa? - Natsu's voice, it means he's okay, that's already good.

- I can't move ... shackles, - it was also hard to speak, - how are you?

-Okay, what's that rumble there? Dragneel twitched his ear.

-Sephiroth and Jellal ...

- Did he do this to you? - Natsu noticed the traces of the battle and the voice of the fire magician instantly acquired the Arctic cold, however, the sharply deteriorated mood did not prevent the magician from giving the girl the remains of the elixir to drink.

- Yes, - instead of a Valkyrie, busy absorbing a tasteless, but very cold potion, answered the Darkspeaker.

- Damn, - Natsu hit his fist on the slightly glowing floor, - as I envy Sephiroth, he has the ability to beat the shit out of this bastard! - the dragonseer listened to the noise of the battle.

After twenty minutes of tense expectation, the noise died down and Elsa, with whom her numbness had already subsided, decided to go on reconnaissance, Natsu did not stand aside and simply declared in an ultimatum that he would go with her, well, and Simon, who looked extremely guilty, simply followed. In the ruined hall, a panting Sephiroth awaited them, in his normal form, sprawled on the floor in a starfish pose. The guy was clutching the twisted symbol of the God-Chosen Magician in his hand. Jellal was lying next to him, up to his ears chained in shackles absorbing magic (at the sight of the latter, the girl shuddered from unpleasant memories), in addition, there were traces of puncture wounds on his body, and the general appearance left much to be desired. The chained wizard was unconscious.

How she ended up next to the silver-haired, the girl did not understand, just at some point she suddenly realized that she was hugging Sephiroth, and he smiled tiredly, hugs her around the waist and strokes her head, whispers something in her ear and so well in my heart ... Alas, this moment did not last long, a powerful shock shook the entire tower.

-Uh? - Natsu expressed himself very clearly and thoroughly. Laughter rang out, eerie, half-mad.

-Energy from the tower has not gone anywhere, even if I cannot make fine adjustments and return Zeref to this world, but soon the lacrima will break down and explode and then we will get to Zeref!

-What tenacious, bastard, - Sephiroth kicked the lying magician in the temple, again turning off the "information", - and meanwhile the consciousness was scrolling through the variants of events. Escape? Judging by the aftershocks, we simply won't have time. Destroy the tower? Again, we will not have time, and there will be little sense, the energy will not go anywhere. This means that you need to direct it somewhere in the other direction, but this can be done only from within. A chill appeared in my stomach, but ... there is no other option. Elsa tried to approach the crystal. But...

-Do not even think! - Sephiroth ... sorry.

-I must, if not redirect the energy, then we will all perish! It is my duty, my fault, that I did not stop all this sooner!

-And what, are you going to kill yourself on the tower?

-We don't have time to talk, soon everything will collapse.

"You're right," the magician suddenly agreed, "time is short. Therefore, I want to say something. I love you.

- Wha ... - lips covered with something warm and soft, it became so nice, and then darkness fell.

Sephiroth. It's the same time.

Damn, this asshole was cool, how much easier it would have been to quietly drive a knife (preferably a ritual) in his back, but it didn't work, so I had to beat him like that. And I realized how far from perfect I am, yes, Jellal's reserve was somewhat less than mine, but the sophistication of the spells was unpleasantly striking - the homing "meteorite" was worth what, and there were more "entertaining" things, the lack of skill had to be compensated for by sophistication attacks and the danger of the elements I chose for the battle, but even this did not always help and often I had to press or defend with bare power, which, with such a big difference in reserves, would have led to the fact that I was tied down. Fortunately (for me, of course), Jellal still spent his powers, and at one truly wonderful moment, the saturation of his reserve was not large enough to burn out the cells of the symbiont instantly, this decided the outcome. A second shock to the nerves is very painful, and the paralysis comes, breaking the spell and, as a result, I have enough time to hit 'from the heart'. Well, then it's a matter of technology - to search the asshole for cunning stashes, hang him with magic shackles to the state of a caterpillar and pump more symbiont cells into the body, taking into account the steepness of Jellal, his memory will take a long time to read. Now everything is for sure, it remains to fulfill, perhaps, the narrowest part in the idea - to direct the energy of the tower to where I need it, in any case, I cannot allow Elsa to get into the lacrima - I have a chance to survive even in the worst situation. She doesn't. But ... just in case, it's better to tell her what I have long wanted now.

Kiss and press on one small point, turning off consciousness, heh, I remember, at the first demonstration sparring I did something similar, it seemed to be quite recently, but it seems as if a century ago, but that's enough, you can't pull further.

-Natsu, take Elsa and dump, - I transfer the girl (in a state of "valuable cargo") to a dragonsler who was somewhat taken aback by this development of events, - and here's another thing, - my sword in a symbiote sheath is fastened to the girl's belt, - I would not like it lose.

-You ... no, there must be another way! - Natsu stayed with Natsu, well, we will act as he used to, and just one wall is knocked out, hehe.

-Natsu ... get ready ...

-For what? - a powerful throw and a dragonsleer, squeezing the girl in his hands, flies out through a hole in the wall.

- To the flight ... - I turn to Simon, - will you go out yourself or help you? Just don't forget to grab this body, - a slight nod towards Jellal. It was not necessary to help the one-eyed man, the guy was much more accommodating and was not eager to test his flying skills.

Left alone, I exhaled and dived into the lacrima, I hope the plan will work, otherwise I will have to grow a new body, and it will be sooo gemorno. So, feel the flows and carefully integrate into them ...

Two weeks later.

For the second week it was raining in Magnolia, before the cheerful and reckless guild was in despondency and mourning. Elsa sat gloomily and stared at one point. How, why did it end so stupid? The guilt burned my soul, no one thought to accuse or scandalize her, but Mira averting her eyes, Lucy or Juvia, who had not joined the guild, but every day quietly sits in a corner and pays no attention to anyone .. shouts would be better. Simon and the guys stayed to support Elsa, but they did it frankly lousy. Even Ur, who convinced the girls that since there was no body, everything was not lost, it only made things worse ...

- It's time ... - gloomy Makarov, dressed in a mourning suit went to the exit, - it's time ...

The other Fairies followed the Master. Their path led to a small cemetery near the temple, where a new empty grave had recently appeared. That damn Tower just disappeared. No explosion, no flash - nothing, the structure just wrapped itself in itself.

Silence and despondency reigned at the cemetery, Makarov tried to make some kind of speech, but it turned out frankly bad, and no one listened, a change occurred when the Council approached the same place - in full force, with the exception of the Head, who was still ill and "Siegrain" awaiting his sentence in a cozy cell, it seems that he was damaged by reason, although the magicians did not care, most likely he would be sentenced to death, and why care about the mental health of the dead man?

-We ... decided to award him with one of the vacated seats in the Council and call him God's Chosen ... posthumously, - Oog delivered his speech with an expressionless face.

- Hypocritical motherfuckers! How did you even have the nerve to come here, because it was because of you ... because of you ... they were awarded ... posthumously ... but put this award in ...

-Natsu, - Makarov tried to calm down the dragon sler.

-Hmm ... dear Council, do you know that you violated several dozen regulations with your shot and that you won't get rid of me so easily? In addition, I took the God-Chosen from the body of the enemy myself, and where to shove the place among you, Mister Dragneel has already suggested to you, - a painfully familiar voice broke the established silence. The mages slowly turned their heads towards the fence. Leaning against the wall, Sephiroth stood - quite alive, he looked, however, very not very good, and the guy was obviously supporting the wall for a reason, but ... he was alive! A moment and the magician was buried under a mountain of merrily humming Fairies, led by a certain quartet, however, the rest were slightly behind.

-I am back!