Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 121 - Lucy, Wielder of Stars

"Open, Gate of the Scorpion: Scorpio!"

"Diamond Dragon Roar!"

"Star Dress: Capricorn!"

Like most of the attacks throughout the fight, the latest stretch came in a brutal matter of seconds. Like most of the rest of the fight, it was a scramble to try to get any ground without leaving oneself completely exposed to a lethal attack.

And, like most of the fight, their strategies were proving impenetrable against one another.

The massive—much too large for what Axel used to be capable of—attack missed Lucy by a hair as she dove out of the way, her speed and agility enhanced thanks to the power of her new Star Dress. Scorpio had been summoned away from the attack and used his arrival to blast Axel with a heavy dose of Sand Magic.

Axel blocked it, his diamond coating already up and active. Lucy still closed the distance between the two of them. Her knuckles were practically bleeding from the different efforts she'd made to punch through his casing, each attack to no avail.

Strike true, Miss Lucy, she heard Capricorn whisper through their bond. There may be a weakness yet.

Axel was out of his stance, thanks to Scorpio, when Lucy darted in front of him. He snarled and lashed out wickedly with a kick that Lucy blocked. She managed to grab his leg and slam him to the ground, a move that Cana actually taught her during her half-year training with her, Natsu, Gildarts, and Happy.

But her opponent was a wild animal, a desperate man looking for any way to neutralize Lucy if not outright kill her. He tried to fling a diamond at Lucy, a move she thankfully saw coming. She flipped away.

Scorpio appeared in the sky above the two of them.

"Sand Buster!"

"Open, Gate of the Bull, Taurus!

In the blinding confusion, Axel wouldn't be able to discern two things: that Lucy dropped her Star Dress, and that, in doing so, she had more magic power with which to summon Taurus forth easily. The mad bull charged through the torrent of sand and slammed his axe into Axel, sending the Diamond Dragon Slayer careening into the hills.

Lucy slid back. Scorpio and Taurus landed on either side of Lucy. Taurus swung his axe around and let out a bellowing MOOOO while Scorpio laughed at Axel.

"Helps knowing he's still feeling pain under all that diamond, doesn't it?" Scorpio asked.

"Without a doubt," Lucy said.

She wiped away sweat. She was bleeding from a cut on her shoulder, and if not for the adrenaline pumping through her, she'd certainly be squealing about her ankle that was no doubt sprained. Her hair was a nightmarish mess, and her outfit had been almost torn to shreds, something Axel was keen to see done the moment the fight was underway.

Axel peeled himself out of the hill and got back to both feet. He roared, a frail, pathetic draconic one, and his silvery aura burst around him, glistening against his diamond skin. His eyes were tinged red, his scowl quite clear to see.

"Typical Lucy, doing her damn best just to avoid the inevitable," Axel said. "I gave you a little taste of the freedom I'm going to be sure you dream about every day when you're back in Crocus with me. You think any of your attacks are doing anything but pissing me off? I trained to fight Natsu. You're nothing compared to him, you little bitch."

"Real nice way to talk to the love of your life," Lucy said.

"Love of my life?" Axel said. "No, Lucy, I don't love you. I'm obsessed with you. I dreamt about you every day for the last year. I yearned for you with each other girl I was with that was insufficient to you. Not in body, but in mind and soul." Axel closed his fist. "Those girls were all weak, unable to muster the courage to give me what I need: a challenger. No, I don't crave domination; I crave the thrill of the hunt with you every day. Can I break you? Will you break me? Oh, who knows?"