Chapter 54: The Counterattack Begins
The casino was a graveyard of broken glass and shattered dreams once the group from the tower vanished. Lucy remained on the floor, the glowing tubes of Millianna's magic still binding her tightly. She grunted, twisting her body in a desperate attempt to reach the keys hanging at her hip. If she could just reach Cancer, he could snip these restraints in a heartbeat.
Her fingers brushed the cold metal of a gate key, but before she could grasp it, a sharp prick against her side made her freeze. A blade was pressed against her ribs, emerging seemingly from thin air from one of the cards Sho had left scattered on the felt.
Suddenly, a man began to emerge from the card, his form shifting from a two dimensional image into a solid, three dimensional person. He looked like a common crook, likely one of the many patrons Sho had trapped earlier. Without a word, he used his knife to saw through the magical ropes, freeing Lucy from her bindings.
"You are a lifesaver," Lucy panted, rubbing her sore wrists as she stood up.
The man smirked, wiping his blade on his trousers. "I expect a reward for that, little lady. I want the kingdom to know I helped, and I think I deserve a kiss for my troubles."
Lucy looked at him flatly, then gestured toward the far side of the room where the scent of smoke was beginning to rise. "You want a kiss? Are you willing to fight my boyfriend for it? Because he can burn this entire building to the ground if he feels like it."
The man looked toward the source of the heat, then shrugged with a cocky grin. "I will take the promise to tell the kingdom then. I am not looking to get fried today."
Once the man retreated, Lucy scrambled across the floor toward Gray. He was standing perfectly still, his back to her. "Gray! Thank goodness you are okay!" she cried out, reaching out to grab his shoulder.
The moment her hand made contact, Gray's body shattered. Shards of ice exploded outward, tinkling against the floor like broken chandeliers. Lucy screamed, stumbling back in pure horror as she stared at the pile of frozen debris where her friend had just been standing. "GRAY! NO! HE IS GONE!"
"He is not gone, Lucy-san," a calm voice drifted from the side.
Juvia stood up from a nearby cluster of overturned chairs. Her body seemed to ripple and churn like a stormy sea, and then, with a fluid motion, she expelled Gray from her water body. He landed on his feet, perfectly dry and very much alive.
"Juvia was hiding Gray-sama inside her to keep him safe from the shadows," she explained.
Lucy stared at them, her chest heaving. "YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK! DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"
Gray ignored the outburst, reaching up to shed his shirt and tossing it aside as he prepared for a fight. "Where is Natsu? I saw that bastard take a shot to the face."
Before Lucy could answer, a massive roar of fire erupted from the distant hallway. A signature blast of flame tore through the air, melting the nearby slot machines.
"THAT WAS RUDE!" Natsu's voice boomed, echoing through the rafters. "WHO SHOOTS SOMEONE INSIDE THEIR MOUTH?! THAT IS TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR!"
Natsu sprinted into the main hall, his scarf singed but his eyes burning with a terrifying intensity. He did not stop until he reached Lucy. Without a word of warning, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her flush against him, crashing his lips onto hers in a deep, fierce kiss.
"I was worried those creeps would take you too," Natsu muttered against her mouth, his grip tightening as if he were trying to merge her into his very skin.
Juvia and Gray stood frozen, their jaws dropping in unison. The silence that followed was heavier than the darkness Simon had cast earlier.
"What the hell is this?" Gray demanded, pointing a trembling finger at the pair. "Natsu? Lucy? Since when?!"
Natsu did not let go of Lucy. He kept one arm draped over her shoulder, pulling her close against his side in a possessive hold that brooked no argument. "Lucy is my girlfriend, Gray. But we do not have time for your questions. We need to focus on Erza and Happy."
Gray was stunned. He looked at the way Natsu held Lucy, like he owned the very air she breathed, and the way Lucy stood by him without a hint of hesitation. It was a side of Natsu he had never seen, a raw, protective authority that changed the entire dynamic of their team.
Gray turned his gaze toward Juvia. She was staring at Natsu and Lucy with wide, sparkling eyes, clearly moved by the display of affection. Gray looked back at his rival and the blonde girl tucked under his arm.
'If Natsu can do this... then I can...'
He did not finish the thought, his mind racing as he looked back at Juvia, but the determination in his eyes had shifted.
---
Far away, shrouded in the salty mist of the ocean, the Tower of Heaven rose like a jagged tooth from the sea.
Jellal Fernandes sat upon his high throne, his chin resting on his hand as he stared into the flickering blue light of the chamber. The heavy doors groaned open, and Vidaldus Taka stepped inside, his long hair swaying as he bowed low.
"Reporting, Lord Jellal," Vidaldus said with a sharp grin. "The mission was a success. Erza Scarlet has been captured and brought within the walls."
Jellal began to laugh, a low, melodic sound that carried a chilling edge of insanity. He stood up, his robes flowing around him like shadows.
"Excellent work," Jellal whispered.
"May I ask, my lord," Vidaldus ventured, "why we did not simply kill her and the others at the casino? It would have been far more efficient."
Jellal turned his gaze toward the high windows of the tower, his eyes reflecting the dark water outside. "Because Erza has a much higher purpose than a simple death, Vidaldus. She is not just a prisoner. She is going to be the sacrifice that completes this tower."