Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Kunugi.
December 1, x791.
Elicia, Erza, and Mirajane walked through a wooded area outside of Kunugi Town while carrying out the quest they accepted. As previously mentioned, they were out here to track down the magical beast that drove away the Nine-Tailed Fox Alfonzo, Lisanna, and Rika faced the day before.
"I can't believe that fox came this far to get away from whatever scared it." Mirajane said as she swept a vine out of her way. "Whatever its scared of must be pretty strong if it ran all the way from Kunugi to Shirotsume."
"Maybe it's not even a magical beast." Elicia said as she used her threads to pick up any movement on the forest floor. "I mean, we've seen all the tracks and signs that the Nine-Tailed Fox came this way, but none of us can sense anything that could possibly be strong enough to scare away an S-Class Magical Beast."
"Elicia may be correct." Erza added in her usual stern tone.
"Even if it's not, we should be able to feel something with [Magic Power Detection], though." Mirajane pointed out.
"I cannot argue that point." Erza replied as she cut through some low hanging branches in her way. "But it could also mean that the thing we are looking for is not in this forest, as well."
"Ugh! That would really suck." Elicia said with an annoyed pout. "We've been tracking on foot since we got to Onibus. If we have to walk any further, we might end up at Clover."
"I doubt that." Erza said while shaking her head. "If I remember correctly, there is a large ravine separating Oshibana and Clover. And I doubt that Nine-Tailed Fox Alfonzo is hunting would go that far to get away from its predator. More than likely, it would have fought back if it had to make the choice."
"That's not the point, Erza.' Elicia said in an exasperated tone. "The point is that we left Mira's Type-R back at Onibus, and we'll have to walk back before we can go back to Magnolia."
"Why not just ask Alfonzo to pick us up in the Blackbird?" Erza asked curiously. "That's what I thought we would do when we started walking in the first place."
Hearing that, Elicia opened her mouth to retort. A moment later, however, she closed it without a word. Then, she raised her left hand to her chin and took on a thinking pose.
"You know… I never thought about that." Elicia said in an embarrassed tone.
Hearing that, both Erza and Mirajane giggled at their sister-wife's habit of not thinking things all the way through.
"Speaking of the Nine-Tailed Fox." Mirajane said after getting her giggles under control. "I hope Lisanna was able to take it over. She needs more powerful [Take Overs]. Otherwise, she's never gonna make S-Class."
"That's the downside of having [Animal Soul: Take Over]." Elicia said while shaking her head. "Things classified as animals aren't generally all that strong. Then again, she's got that Harpy [Take Over]. And I'm pretty sure those are monsters, not animals. I wouldn't call a Nine-Tailed Fox an animal, either."
"That's the beauty of magic." Mirajane replied with a radiant smile.
"I believe Alfonzo would refer to it as 'the bullshit of magic'." Erza pointed out.
"And he's corrupted you, too." Elicia said, her exasperation growing.
"No, he hasn't." Erza replied without looking back. "I was simply quoting him. I do not use such language otherwise."
"*Sigh* That's how it started with Fonzie, too." Elicia said in a wistful tone. "He started his swearing by quoting his mom at first. However, as time went by, more and more of his foul language seeped into his normal dialogue."
"I don't know why Alfonzo's language bothers you so much." Mirajane said with a dainty little giggle. "I think it's cute."
"I wonder if you'll feel that way when BiBi starts cursing every other sentence." Elicia shot back.
Mirajane's steps came to an abrupt stop after Elicia's retort. However, it was not because of what she said. Instead, it was because of what she felt. Something that she was intimately familiar with thanks to her magic.
"Stop." Mirajane said quietly, yet loud enough to draw both Elicia's and Erza's attention.
"What's wrong?" Erza asked as she brought her sword up in a defensive position.
Elicia also took a defensive position, magical threads slithering from her fingertips as she looked around warily.
"I finally understand why we couldn't feel anything with [Magic Power Detection]." Mirajane said as she looked in a particular direction. "It's because there's no magic power to detect."
While Erza was confused by Mirajane's statement, Elicia understood immediately.
"So, we're dealing with a demon, huh?" Elicia asked rhetorically.
"Exactly." Mirajane replied.
"That still doesn't explain why we can't feel it with [Magic Power Detection]." Erza pointed out.
"It's because we're dealing with a REAL demon." Mirajane explained. "Not one of those man made things made by the Black Wizard. In fact, those aren't even technically demons… Despite the fact that my magic works on them."
"Yeah, those are Etherious, not demons." Elicia added. "They're a kind of subspecies, or something. At least, that's what Fonzie said."
"Right." Mirajane continued. "Real demons, although they also use magic power, they use it in a completely different way, making it almost impossible to detect if you don't know what you're looking for. And even if you can differentiate it, if you're not actually trying to find it, you'll have no luck."
"Then, how did you find it?" Erza asked. A moment later, however, she shook her head. "Never mind, I understand. It's because of your [Take Over Magic], right?"
"Precisely." Mirajane replied with a nod. "And this one feels powerful. Be ready to unseal your [soul Armaments] at any time."
"That's quite the interesting observation." A sinister male voice said from behind Mirajane. "I never thought I'd find a human who knows so much about my kin."
Immediately after hearing that voice, the three Fairy Tail wizards leapt away, taking distance from the voice's owner before turning around to see who had snuck up on them.
When they did, what they found was a tall, humanoid being with a slim, muscular physique, eyes set on the sides of its elongated head that seem to give it three hundred sixty degree vision, a pair of horns growing from the front of its skull, bright green scales covering its entire body, hands and feet, each with three digits, and a long, prehensile tail whipping around behind it.
"A lizard demon?" Erza asked as she channeled magic power into her [Soul Armament], Astraia.
"Looks like a chameleon to me." Elicia said. "A demonic chameleon."
"Oh, you're quite well learned." The demon replied With a grotesque smile spreading across its face. "And because you got it correct so quickly, I'll make sure to kill you before I eat you."
Reaching that point, the chameleon demon's eyes rotated to look at both Erza and Mirajane before its long tongue shot out of its mouth and licked its right eye.
"But those two…" The demon continued. "Well, let's just say I like my meals as fresh as possible. Heh heh heh."
"Yeah, no thank you." Elici said as she flicked her fingers. "I'd rather not be eaten at all, thank you. [Thread Magic: Thread Slicer]."
*Swish!*
Accompanying Elicia's chant was the sound of all the threads she laid while searching the forest cutting through the air converging on the chameleon demon's position. Yet, despite being able to hear the sounds of threads cutting through the air, the demon did not do anything to defend itself.
*Snap!* *Snap!* *Snap!* *Snap!* *Snap!*
"OH, that was quite the attack." The chameleon demon said while looking down at the threads that continuously snapped against its scales. "But that's not nearly enough to handle someone like me."
"It doesn't have to be." Elicia said with no signs of panic on her face.
"[Darkness Stream]." Mirajane, in her [Satan Soul] form, chanted while holding her right hand towards the chameleon demon.
With Mirajane's chant, a magic seal appeared on the ground beneath the chameleon demon, causing the demon to look down in intrigue.
"Oh, this is a demon spell." The chameleon said in an obviously interested tone. "To think that a human can use our magic. Yet, I don't smell the scent of one of those detestable Devil Slayers nearby. How curious."
While speaking, the chameleon demon looked up, surveying the three wizards. However, before it could satisfy its curiosity, it staggered backwards a step.
*Clang!*
At the same time, the sound of metal striking metal rang out through the forest. An instant later, Erza, clad in her [Black Wing Armor] while holding Astraia in her right hand and another sword in her left, reappeared behind the chameleon demon.
"[Black Wing: Moon Flash]." Erza said, naming her spell after the fact.
Yet, the sound of blood splattering that usually accompanied one of Erza's techniques never sounded. Instead…
*Shatter!*
…the sword in Erza's left hand shattered.
*Voom!*
"Luckily, I never expected to finish it off with that." Erza muttered as a column of [Darkness Magic] rose from the seal Mirajane made on the ground, completely engulfing the chameleon demon.
"Argh~~~~~~~~~~!" The demon's pained roar echoed throughout the forest so loudly that any nearby birds that had not already been scared away took to the skies with the kind of urgency that came before a natural disaster.
A few moments later, the pillar of [Darkness Magic] fizzled out, dispersing into motes of magic power. And when the visual phenomenon was completely gone, Elicia, Erza, and Mirajane looked to see the state of their foe.
Yet…
"No body?" Erza asked with her left eyebrow raised in confusion.
"That shouldn't' be possible." Mirajane said as she flared her magic power in preparation for a counterattack.
*Swish!*
"That's because it's not." Elicia said as she whipped a handful of threads at the spot directly behind Mirajane.
*Ting!* *Ting!**Ting!* *Ting!* *Ting!*
In the next instant, sparks erupted behind Mirajane along with the sound of thin impacts on metal.
Spreading her wings, Mirajane immediately flew up into the sky before looking down at the spot she just occupied. And what she, and the others saw was the chameleon demon fading into view.
"Great… he's got the stealth abilities of a chameleon, too." Elicia said in an annoyed tone. "Well, whatever… Two can play that game. [Camouflage Magic: Hiding in Plain Sight]."
Just as the chameleon demon was completely visible again, Elicia disappeared. However, unlike the demon, all signs of her disappeared, not just the visual feedback. Elicia emitted no scent or sound, either.
"Hmm… Interesting." The chameleon demon said while looking at the slight scorch marks on his scales. "You three are more powerful than I expected."
The chameleon demon then looked up at Erza and Mirajane. He tried looking for Elicia, as well, but was completely unable to perceive her existence. He then shook his head, sure that despite not being able to find her, Elicia was incapable of harming him in any meaningful way.
"One of you has run away." The chameleon demon continued. "Well, she was the one I deemed to be the most intelligent among you… Not that that says much about a short lived race like a human. No matter, my meal will just be a bit smaller. But since you two have so much magic power, that should be enough to--- Urgh!"
*Bang!*
Before the Chameleon demon could finish his sentence, he stumbled to his left after taking an attack on the right side of his head. At the same time, Elicia reappeared with her left leg extended after having just landed a powerful kick.
"Those scales are a serious pain." Elicia said as she lowered her leg. "They're probably good defense against cutting attacks and explosions of magic power. But what about blunt force? I bet they can't protect your brain from rattling around after getting kicked in the head, can they?"
*Hiss~~~~~~~~~!*
The angry hiss the chameleon demon let out in response was more than enough for Elicia to know she was right. And if that wasn't enough, the way the demon shook its head, looking as if it were trying to regain its senses after being kicked definitely answered her question.
"Blunt force, huh?" Erza said as she lowered her stance. "Then, this will be the perfect time to try out my new spell."
With that, Erza [Requipped] back into her [Heart Kreuz Armor] as she tossed away the shattered sword in her left hand. She then gripped Astraia with both hands while flaring her magic power.
"[Deliver Justice as Swiftly as the Wind, Astraia]." Erza chanted, releasing the first seal on her [Soul Armament].
In the next instant, powerful, gale-force winds spiraled around Erza as Astraia's fairy wing-shaped hand guard spread, forming two pairs of fairy wings at the top of the hilt.
"[Gale Step]." Erza chanted as she took a step forward.
*Swish!*
In the blink of an eye, Erza disappeared from where she stood, integrating with the wind, before reappearing in front of the chameleon demon with her sword raised.
"[Hammer of the Wind King]." Erza chanted as the wind swirling around her coalesced around Astraia's blade.
However, instead of creating a sharper edge for her sword, Erza gathered the entirety of the wind at its tip, creating something like the spherical head of a mace. Then, with all her might, Erza brought the condensed sphere of wind down on the chameleon demon's head.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Swoosh!*
The sound of the impact was deafening. And the force behind it was enough to slam the demon to the ground hard enough to create a perfectly circular crater three feet deep. ON top of that, the wind at the tip of Erza's sword dispersed shortly afterwards, the winds powerful enough to topple the nearby trees.
"Argh~~~~~!" The chameleon demon screamed in pain. "Damn you! Damn you all! I'll kill every last one of you!"
"Empty threats." Elicia said as she fell from above, both feet aimed at the demon's chest.
"What?" The chameleon demon shouted as it frantically raised its arms in front of its chest to defend itself.
"I don't think so." Mirajane said, flaring her magic power as she did so. "[Show the World the Power of Destruction, Bael]."
With Mirajane's chant, the tiara she wore into battle, her [Soul Armament], Beal, began to glow before that glow traveled down her neck and shoulders. The glow then transformed into a pair of long, white gloves on Mirajane's arms. She then raised her right hand, pointing her index finger at the chameleon demon's arms.
*Psst!* *Psst!*
From the tip of Mirajane's index finger, two beams of blackish-red magic power were fired. On impact, they completely destroyed the chameleon demon's arms, leaving a pair of bloody stumps where its arms used to be.
At the same time, Erza leapt away from the downed demon while the look on the demon's face was one of thorough confusion, the confusion so strong that it did not immediately register the pain of losing its arms.
Then...
*Bang!*
*Crack!*
*Boom!*
Elicia, after flinging herself high into the air with her threads, fell from high above with her feet coated in a dense layer of her magic power, and landed in the middle of the demon's chest, shattering most of the bones in its rib cage while deepening the crater it laid in by at least ten feet.
"Gah! *Cough* *Cough*" The chameleon demon groaned before coughing up a couple mouthfuls of bluish-black blood.
*Bang!*
At the same time, before Elicia could jump away, a green blur struck her from the side. Luckily, with her reflexes, she was able to raise her left arm, blocking the attack, which was the chameleon demon whipping his tail at her, before she was blown away.
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
"Kya!" Elicia yelped as she slammed into the edge of the crater.
After striking the crater, Elicia's momentum was not stopped. Instead, she rolled across the ground, digging a trench as she rolled before slamming hard into a thick tree.
"Ow!" Elicia groaned as she picked herself up from the base of the tree. "That really hurt. I'm gonnna have a bunch of bruises after this."
"[Tempest Slash]." Erza, who had been waiting for the opportunity to strike again, chanted as she dashed towards the downed demon.
*Shing!*
Then, with a concentrated glade of wind coating the edge of Astraia's blade, she slashed down at the chameleon demon's tail. Yet, even with a large amount of her magic power focused in that strike, she was only able to cut halfway through the demon's thick tail.
"Damn you~~~~~!" The chameleon demon shrieked in pain.
However, before it could try to retaliate, Erza leapt away, completely leaving the crater and landing next to Mirajane, who was standing at the crater's edge with her right arm raised and her hand glowing with the blackish-red magic power.
"[Destruction Wave]." Mirajane chanted as she swung her arm down.
The blackish-red magic power was fired in a wave along the path of Mirajane's arm. And at its end point was the cut Erza just made on the chameleon demon's tail.
*Psst!*
And to no one's surprise, when the wave of blackish-red magic power struck the cut, the chameleon demon's tail was severed while a gash was cut into the bottom of the crater. Though, saying that the ground was removed from existence would be more accurate, as Mirajane's power destroyed it on a molecular level.
"Argh~~~~~~~~~--- Mmph!" The demon began shouting before its mouth snapped shut.
"[Mend the Seams of Reality, Scylla]." Elicia's voice sounded from the distance. "[Ladder Stitching]."
The reason for the demon's sudden muffled scream was simple. Elicia, after releasing her [Soul Armament], Scylla, used its ability to transform her sewing techniques into spells, which she usedto sew the demon's mouth shut.
"You're too loud." Elicia said as she walked towards her guild mates.
"Lici, are you alright?" Mirajane asked in a concerned tone.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Elicia replied while waving off Mirajane's concern. She then continued with a pout. "That really hurt, though. I'm gonna have bruises all over because of that guy."
"I'm sure Shizuka would be willing to heal you once we return." Erza said while looking down at the chameleon demon. "Bruises should be no issue for her."
"I know..." Elicia replied. "It still hurts, though. I'm gonna make Fonzie give me a massage when we get home. Maybe I'll make him help me take a bath, too."
"That sounds like a good idea." Mirajane added with a smile.
"A massage would be welcome." Erza said with a nod. She then turned to Mirajane. "But I think we should focus on the matter at hand. That demon will more than likely regenerate before too long. It would be best if you used your magic on it before that were to happen."
"Right." Mirajane replied with a nod as she dispelled her [Take Over] and her [Soul Armament's] release.
Then, once she was back in her base form, Mirajane jumped down into the crater.
As Mirajane approached the chameleon demon, she could see the hatred in its eyes. Even so, with its arms and tail destroyed she knew there was very little it could do to her. Still, she once again unsealed her [Soul Armament] before firing two more beams of blackish-red magic power at its legs, leaving it as nothing more than a limbless head and torso.
"Just to be safe." Mirajane muttered to herself as she once again resealed Bael. "Now, let's make you part of my power."
Reaching the side of the struggling chameleon demon, Mirajane knelt down and placed a hand on its chest. Then, she cast her [Take Over Magic] before she was engulfed in a bright green light with black edges.
A few moments later, the light faded, revealing Mirajane in a new [Take Over] form with Bright green scales covering her neck, chest and pelvis, in the shape of bikini armor, arms, and legs. She also had sharp, black claws growing from her fer fingers and toes. There was a long lizard tail growing from her lower back, and a pair of black horns growing from her forehead.
"So, why are all your [Take Overs] so sexy?" Elicia sked from the edge of the crater.
"Yes, I've toyed with the idea of asking Elicia to make costumes that mimicked your [Take Overs] for me in the past." Erza added. "They really are quite fetching."
"No idea. But I'm not complaining." Mirajane replied while rolling her eyes at Erza and moving her limbs to get a feel for her new form. Then, once she was satisfied, she turned towards Erza with a provocative smile on her face. "Aww~! It's cute how Red wants to be more like me."
Hearing that, a vein bulged on Erza's forehead. Yet, before Erza could fire back like she used to in the past, Elicia smiled wryly before speaking up.
"Anyway, the quest is complete." Elicia said. "Let's go see the client then go home. I want Shizuka to get rid of these nasty bruises before I get a massage and a bath from Fonzie."