space | fairy tail

58 | time against space

Mages held onto one another as the blast ripped through them, clinging to one another as they dropped to the ground. Clothes were ripped, hair was blown in every direction and debris went everywhere. A few trees were uprooted, crashing into the ground, causing people to have to roll out of the way in order to not get crushed. Those aboard the Christina docked nearby were quick to activate the ship's shields in order to blow their method of transport to bits.

Sting, holding Lector close to his chest, shared a look with Rogue who was doing the same. The force of the blast was tenfolds more powerful than the night Galatea had fled Sabertooth. Even the events from that night had continued to haunt them, but seeing it to this extent was so much more terrifying. It once again a reminder of just how terrifiying their former Guildmate could be.

The blast began to settle, and the mages struggled to get to their feet. As they righted themselves, their eyes worriedly searched for the hopefully still alive frame of Galatea.

And they found it.

Hunched over and on her knees, with her face in the ground and bloodied back to the sky. Standing above her, his boot covered foot slamming into her back to shove her further into the ground. A pathetic gasp let her mouth, low enough that the dragonslayers were having to have a hard time due to the ringing of their ears from the explosion.

"You are so, so pathetic my dear." Horatius mocked, grinding his heel into her back and pulling open more wounds on her back.

Her dress was essentially nothing at this point. The remainders of the skirt of her dress hung low on her hips, the bottom cut unevenly in tatters with two slits going up the front that went up just past the bottom of her shorts. The top half of her dress was torn much worse than the bottom. The stomach was completely gone, exposing her lacrima, and the back was almost completely gone. Only a strip across her shoulder blades just above her singular wing, holding her singular sleeve on as well as holding up the front of her dress-top. Parts of her top were torn in a little bit, revealing the smallest amount of blood-covered cleavage. All of her dark blue dress was stained in large patchy blobs with her own blood.

"For being such a wise and ancient mage, you truly are stupid. Shouldn't you, of all people, know that Time will always win in the battle of true control. It is the superior pillar of magic my darling! Those who spend their time wasting away with something as pathetic as Space will pay." Horatius cackled.

He summoned another blade of shadow, and despite the shouts of protest from the mages getting to their feet, slammed the blade into her shoulder blade. Blood squirted out further, as the blade fully pierced through her skin, exiting just bellow her collarbone, right through her guild mark. A sharp cough left her body, and he only grinned further for it.

"Let it be known, you pathetic mages, that I am the victor!" Horatius called out the awaiting wizards, pushing the sword in further to make his point, eliciting another, louder, groan from Galatea. "Some of you may known me by my name Horatius Fay, others here know me as the notorious King of Time. But my true name, dear mages of light, is the Keeper of Time!"

"What a bunch of pretentious bullshit!" Bickslow yelled in response.

"Oh but it is anything but bullshit, dear Bicksy! For I have been tasked with keeping the perfect timeline moving forwards. And for far too long, Andromeda and her human daughter have upset this timeline but escaping their intended fate. And now, once I am done here, not even Queen Andromeda will be able to stand against me!" Hotarius yelled.

He broke out into a fit of demonic cackles, pushing Galatea further into the ground as he leaned forward amidst all his bellowing of laughter.

"Time will always win!"