Chapter 50:The Zero Hour

The Grimm stopped attacking as they were turning into dust and ash, Scarlet was now standing before Ed and the others as she had made it very clear that Hestia would be her new meal.

"M-Meal?" Hestia asked. "Gross, I don't taste good!" She stomps her foot as she glared at her. "If you're that hungry, go get something else to eat!"

Scarlet ignored what Hestia was saying as it was the perfect moment to use a certain move she borrowed from Nightmare. "Then how about we make this quick? I have other places to be..." She grins widely baring her fangs.

"Huh what do you mean?" Ed asked. "Make what quick?"

The shadow behind Hestia formed hands as they reached up to grab the Goddess. "Devouring Shadow." The hands wrapped around Hestia's legs as she screamed. Scarlet licked her lips as she snickered, she watched as Hestia was being slowly pulled in. Oh the thrill she had, but it was terror for the Goddess.

"Bell HELP!" Hestia yelled as she struggled. "I'm being dragged under!"

Bell tired to cut the hands off of Hestia but the knife's blade only went through the hands. "What the hell?"

Scarlet picked up a cut throat razor from the ground as she noticed it was still opened instead of closed, an idea sparked in her mind as she dashed forward not giving one anytime to react as she slit the throats of the other adventures as blood sprayed from their open wounds and rained all over Scarlet and the area, she saw Welf looking star struck as she threw the cut throat razor towards the idling fool. "Die!"

Welf turned his head as he barely had time to raise his sword up, the razor flew right into Welf's throat right smack dab in the center where his Adam's apple was. Blood sprayed out from his throat as he fell backwards, Scarlet laughed insanely. "Now then, who's going to try to save everyone? Hmm? Any volunteers?" She glances around. "No one? Well then...."

Hestia was waist high in the shadow as she struggled, but couldn't move. She screamed again trying to get free. "What the heck is this?"

"A certain power I borrowed from my wife~" Scarlet said as she walked over to Hestia. "And you Goddess are going to find yourself in a dark void full of death. And no one will help you... Not even your precious Bell.."

"W-What do you mean?" Hestia asked. "My Bell will beat you!"

Scarlet grins as she pushed Hestia deeper into the shadows. "Let's see if he can save you from the pit of my stomach then!" She kicked Hestia hard as the hands grabbed the Goddess pulling her in completely. "That's one less person to deal with."

~~~

Hestia was gone, Bell dropped his knife as he screamed loudly. Ed clinched his fist tightly as she ran towards Scarlet and punched her square in the jaw, he had hoped it would knock her back but it didn't even budge her.

"What do you hope from doing that Ed?" Scarlet asked glaring at him as she punched him hard in the gut. "Go to sleep Alchemist."

Ed spat up blood as he clinched his gut and fell to his knees. "Y-You.... You'll pay...."

Scarlet rolled her eyes as she kicked him away. "And you call yourself my rival... Please, my dimwitted sister Ruby Rose is much more of a rival than you ever will be." She stopped for a bit and thinks. "Scratch that.... She isn't, the only rival who can out rival you and anyone else is Android 21.." She snickered as she grins. "Is anyone else going to challenge me?"

Everyone looked at each other as Bell gritted his teeth, he activated Ox Slayer magic as all of his abilities had been increased. Activating Ox Slayer made him stronger than he normally is, he dashed quickly towards Scarlet as he jumped up and slammed his fist down on her head knocking her down. "You've killed Goddess Hestia.... You murdered my friends, you can't keep getting away with this!"

"Bell...." Lili said as she watched from the sidelines. "....It's not going to do you any good.... She's too strong.... Stop...."

Scarlet laughed as she sat up, Bell grabbed her by the air and slams her face into the ground over and over. He tossed her towards a cart full of freshly cooked potatoes as the fire was still burning as well.

Ed coughed as he got up, he wiped blood from his mouth as he shook his head, once he was up he noticed what Bell was doing. "Heh, I guess I should join in." His metal arm grew it's blade as he slid his other hand over it. "I'm coming to help Bell!"

The hot potatoes fell on Scarlet's head and lap as she was pissed, she was being humiliated by a mere human. She growled as her aura emitted off of her, the cries of lost souls could be heard, even the addition of Hestia's cries could be heard as well, it only angered Bell that she was gone. He had to make things right.

"Come at me, both of you! If you wish to die quickly then let me make your wish come true!" Scarlet barked as she had a twisted sinister grin on her face.

"Well just see about that!" Ed yelled as he rushes towards her, a spear grew out of the ground with his Alchemy. He pulled it out as he threw it in Scarlet's line of view, giving him a upper advantage to strike her down with his bladed arm.

Scarlet saw the spear coming towards her as she casually caught it without flinching, She noticed Ed was gone as Bell was now in front of her. Grinning Bell stuck his hand out in front of her. "Fire BOLT!"

The fire engulfed Scarlet as Ed jumps from behind her and swung his bladed arm down. "You're going to be the one who dies!"

~~~

There wasn't any sound from within the fire nor was there any sound of Ed's blade clashing with something, the fire was soon out as there had been a hole on the ground. Both realized that Scarlet had dug her way underground meaning they'd let their guards down, but where would she pop up at? Behind them? Left? Right? Or perhaps under their feet?

A magic spiral beam came shooting out from the ground from Bell's right side as it stung his hand, causing him to drop the knife, and with a quick blink his knife was no where on the ground. Then Ed's book on Alchemy was swept right from under his nose, not to mention the entire are that had the others on the side lines looked like a transmutation circle. None of them had noticed it yet, then Scarlet flew out from the ground as she had both the book and Bell's knife.

"Give that back!" Ed yelled. "That's not yours! You can't practice Alchemy again without any proper training!"

Scarlet glares down at him as she grins. "Ed... Edward Elric... Little Eddy, I have news for you." She cut her arm as a drop of her blood came down and splashed into a river of blood that surrounded the others. "I don't need any proper training if I know how to do it already? I'm the one who created the stone in your world and ingested that same stone... Or did that part of your history fly over your head?"

"No... You wouldn't." Ed said as he glares up at her. "Those are innocent people!"

Scarlet cackles as she dove down towards the massive transmutation circle. "I'm sure they're willing to die to become the new Philosopher's stone! All of this will happen right in front of yours and Bell's eyes!" She clapped her hands together as she slams her hands down on the outside of the circle. "You all shall become the stone!"

"NO!" Bell yelled.

The blood boiled as red sparks of lightning struck the surrounding area as the ground below Lili and everyone's feet glowed. Scarlet licked her lips as she grins widely, Lili looked over towards Bell and had a smile on her face and tears rolling down as well. "I had fun going on adventures Master Bell..... if only I was quicker...."

"Lili no!" Bell yelled. "STOP!"

Scarlet cackles as the transmutation circle was active, a ray of light shot up into the sky breaking through the clouds as everyone screamed before the light became blinding. Ed and Bell covered their eyes as there was soon silence. The stone dropped as Scarlet grabbed it in the palm of her hand. "Look at that, every last living person withing the stone is bringing back memories to me... Oh yes, now that I have the stone in my grasp, you can't return home Ed.. Your mission has failed, you're going to die here with Bell."

Scarlet turned as she saw the rift open up. "Already? I haven't yet killed these two... You're ruining my fun Demigra."

Ed and Bell stood there as they looked at each other, their were confused about it until the voice was heard. "You will obey and walk through! Do I have to remind you what will happen if you don't!"

Scarlet clinched her fist as she growled. "Don't you dare threaten Kurumi...." She was in a tight corner now, she had to do what Demigra told her or else she could kiss seeing Kurumi goodbye. "I'll do it... Just leave her out of this!"

"Good girl." Demigra spoke. "You're next world awaits, don't stall or I will draw closer and closer to Tengu city again and do as I please." He voice disappeared as the rift remained opened.

Scarlet scoffed as she glances back at Ed and Bell. "The stone is mine still, don't get any ideas that I'm going to give it up... In fact." She threw the Philosopher's stone into her mouth and gulped it down. "I'll just ingest the stone again." She glanced at the rift as she walked in without second thoughts on what she would come into.

The rift closed behind her as Ed and Bell were lost for words, they had no one else to turn too now. The entire town was a ghost town now. The dungeon monsters were never going to spawn again after the slaughtering Scarlet had done. Everything was messed up now, it was Ed's world all over again.