Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 135 - Perspective

Hisui led the two queens on the quickest path to the throne room from the base of the palace. They were met with surprisingly no resistance. Not even a single Oni guard. While not at all mad, anxiety brewed in Hisui. Something had to give the Empire a reason to vacate its reserves from the palace, and something else had to take its place to defend the throne.

Sonya didn't cling to the Dawn Dagger, but her hand occasionally brushed it at her side to ensure it hadn't fallen away or anything.

They turned a sharp corner. Hisui knew these halls better than almost anything. The long march to the final staircase leading to the throne room.

She'd not been here in years, and it felt like longer. Everything was different. Some of the structure of the palace had changed, the banners were all replaced, the colors all gone and warped. Yet, enough of the bones were there for Hisui to know it, see it in her mind, clear as ever. As if by sheer will, the palace was still able to stand as it once did for her family.

Sonya said nothing. She also didn't have to follow Hisui, but ran alongside her. After all, Sonya knew the palace better than Hisui did, in its current form. Hisui opened her hand, summoning her starlit sword to her grasp while magic fluttered around her hands. Sonya's own magic power increased as well. Someone—Zeref, August—likely waited for them in the throne room. They weren't going to cede power so easily. It would be a fight, no matter what.

Better to come in swinging as hard as possible than feign an attempt at negotiation.

A red light formed at the end of the hallway, twinkling until it expanded, taking the shape of a star, and then shuddered all the way down the hallway. Hisui dove forward, stabbing her blade forward and obliterating the spell, giving Sonya the chance to run ahead.

Hisui tumbled forward, catching herself as she rolled along the wall, then dashed ahead anyway, running on the wall before propelling forward and charging up a spell of her own.

More beams of light formed down the hallway that was basked in shadow, and seemed to stretch on infinitely.

"Celestial Art: Dilation!"

"Stellanium Dragon Winged Rush!"

Sonya blitzed ahead of Hisui while the latter's blade filled with celestial light. Sonya tore through three of the attacks while Hisui stabbed into that infinite well of darkness that cracked, revealing the rest of the hallway through its seams.

"Stellanium Dragon Roar!"

Sonya shattered the darkness, but this gave way to the floor, upending on the two queens. Hisui swung down and shattered the stone and marble that comprised the immediate flooring, giving Sonay room to move on through the dust, debris, and torn furniture.

"Disappear."

A flash of red flared across the hallway, while the soft voice speaking the spell went with it. Sonya had no time, trying to divert before a slew of explosions sent her flying back. Hisui braced against them, flourishing her blade to disperse the smoke that filled the area.

"Equinox - Vernalis."

Hisui's aura flared with a brilliant light blue as her clothing changed similarly to match. She sprinted over to Sonya, who was slowly rejuvenated by being in Hisui's presence.

"Thanks," Sonya muttered.

"Don't mention it," Hisui said.

Sonya picked herself up all the way. A set of high heels clattered step by step toward the two on the undamaged part of the hallway.

"This is an impressive display, I must admit. Never in a thousand years would I have thought you two little pieces of royalty would have the resolve to stomach three of my attacks. Then again, having trained one and seen the other in action, I suppose I was getting ahead of myself."