Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 136 - The Blood of a Dragon

Irene whirled her staff around. "Let your stupidity come to an end at last, Sonya. You're playing at games far larger and grander than you can dream of. But, what else is new?"

Sonya tried to put up a defense, but Irene's blast punched her through the wall just behind Sonya. Hisui took her chance, darting at Irene as fast as she could. Irene raised a finger, and the stonework at her feet sprang to life. Hisui crashed into it, smashing the stone to bits, but it slowed her enough for Irene to swing her staff and crush Hisui's side. Hisui rolled along the ground and bounced back before Irene could vaporize Hisui's position.

"It's you," Irene said. "The real problem. You've inspired my daughter against me, galvanized an army that should be turned toward the righteous ideals of their Emperor. But instead you've pushed the greatest army the world has ever seen to...well, not the brink. You've whittled us down to our core, our most powerful assets."

Irene multiplied into four separate clones, but only one had the staff. The others still had magic, though, and each prepared an incantation that surrounded Hisui.

"I can deal with Sonya," Irene said. "But you must die, Princess Hisui."

The magic circles lit up. Hisui quickly flared all of her power and stabbed her sword at the nearest one, neutralizing it as the others all went off at the first sign of her magic being activated. Hisui flew toward Irene. She curled into a ball, then kicked out. Irene blocked the kick. The clones converged.

"Equinox - Autumnus!"

Her power shifted, and where there was a wellspring of life came instead a shudder of ruin, and the clones were destroyed. Irene felt none of that power and stepped into the surge. She brought her staff down, which Hisui easily blocked.

"You want me to begin exerting myself?" Irene asked. "I don't have magic to spare on you, Hisui."

"Seems like you do," Hisui said.

Hisui shoved Irene back and prepared her attack. Her sword glowed.

"Solstice - Aestas!"

A veil of fire burst around Hisui, an explosion that Irene easily stifled by turning the flames small. She aimed her staff at Hisui, who charged on anyway, flame surging behind her.

"Deus Nox."

"Celestial Art - Solaris Rotation!"

Hisui spun, her power spiraling around her until she met Irene head-on...with no magic.

"H—huh?"

"Checkmate, Hisui." Irene's hand shot forward and grabbed Hisui by the throat. "In the end, this was always going to be your fate. You punched up a little too far this time. You were better off staying home. Or, better yet, rotting away in your cell."

Darkness crept at the edges of Hisui's vision. Irene's grin widened. A red light formed in the orb of her staff. She...she had to fight. But her magic felt so distant. It was gone. She was just a queen again. Just a girl without any power.

Useless once more.

She heard, just faintly in the distance, a final cry:

"Photon Slicer!"

***

The beam of magic splintered the orb in her mother's staff as Irene, in shock, dropped Hisui, allowing Lucy and Carla to swoop in and catch the queen mere second before Erza arrived, her sword drawn and colliding with Irene's metallic arm.

"Erza," Irene seethed.

"Let's go," Erza said, and used the rest of her momentum to kick Irene further down the hall. She landed with a roll and turned to Lucy. "Get Hisui and Sonya to safety, then come right back! Wendy, on me!"