Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 69 - Rising Shadow

START OF ARC 5 - TARTAROS

***

Not all of Tartaros stood in the crater well beyond the capital city babysitting the new blood. It was an activity Mard Geer, nor even Kyoka, would ever bother with. And if it wasn't for her manipulative abilities, Seilah would probably never bother, either. Mirajane didn't want to be out there but wasn't surprised that she was.

Tempester and Ezel flanked the group to ensure their new recruit couldn't escape. Mirajane cut off the route heading directly back to the city while proud and bulky Jiemma stood like one of the mountains around them to block the passage west. Seilah was at the mouth of the crater next to a jittery Lamy, her and Seilah's assistant.

Seilah sighed. She closed shut the book she'd been reading then hoisted her hand over the crater and released waves of dazzling dark purple magic to sedate the boy.

"Lamy?"

The squiggly thing scrambled into the crater at once. Seilah went back to reading. Part of Mirajane wanted to feel sorry for Lamy, given how she got treated by others in the Division, particularly Kyoka and Seilah. But, in reality, Lamy deserved what came most of the time.

She placed a hand on their recruit's exposed back. He was naked, completely, to see and make sure the demonification was holding.

"It's that lacrima! Ugh! How annoying!"

"Well we can't remove it," Seilah said, "it's the whole reason the Captain asked us to keep this one alive." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Damn it. This can't delay things, Lamy."

"I need to bring him back to Hell's Core!"

"We can't," Tempester said. "Remember?"

"Then forget this one. He's weak, anyway," Jiemma said.

Jiemma thought he was far more important to Tartaros than he actually was. Where he saw rejuvenated strength and invigoration everyone, even Mira, saw a helpless desire for meager power.

"He's unprecedented, which is why it's taking a little more time," Seilah said. She raised her hand, and the boy raised his head. He was under her control; the exercise was meant to release that control while he came into his new demonic power.

"It's not the lacrima," Mirajane said. "It's his willpower."

"Oh?" Seilah asked.

"He's a survivor," Mira said. "Fighting back is all he knows. On some level, his body knows this is wrong. He doesn't have the same sense of...brutality that others who got this power do."

"But it was so easy for you," Ezel said.

"Because," Seilah said, "of her magic. I think you're wrong, Mirajane. It is the lacrima. It's something for him to hold onto. Some remnant of power to cling to and prevent the inevitable."

He was a heap of a mess in the crater. Shadowy scarring tore up his skin. It was far worse than the others they'd rerouted; but, then again, he was the most unique of the bunch. Conflict was inevitable.

"Try," Mira said before they could begin again, "influencing the bane particles around the lacrima, like it's creating a toxic bubble seal. Let him have the lacrima, let his body know it's there to tap into, but his heart will be claimed."

Lamy waited, and after a moment's hesitation, conceded the idea. Mirajane nodded to her superior, and continued watching. She studied his resilience until the bane participles finally formed a link around his heart to prevent any other influences from getting in. Seilah even lowered her hand, despite having had it up to sedate the recruit.