Earth Land, Ishgar, Stella, Altair.
October 9, x791.
Like Pakunoda and Shizuku, as Levy approached the two remaining members of the Phantom Troupe, she also flared her magic power. At the same time, she channeled her magic power into the Light Pen in her right hand before quickly writing a series of letters in the space in front of her.
"[Solid Script magic: Fireball]." Levy chanted calmly as she finished writing. She then continued to write as she began chanting once again. "[Solid Script magic: Thunderbolt]."
As she chanted her second spell, the first spell was cast as the "Fireball" she wrote in the sky streaked towards Pakunoda and Shizuku.
"Fwoosh!*
Before long, the letters began to spark, embers floating away from the word. Then, the entire word combusted and formed a reddish-orange fireball that was hot enough to distort the air around it as it hurdled towards the two Spiders.
Yet, neither Pakunoda nor Shizuku panicked. In fact, they barely even moved at all. Instead, Shizuku raised the vacuum cleaner in her hand. Then, with a sound familiar to anyone who owned a vacuum cleaner, the machine began to operate.
However, that was where things started to get strange. At least for Levy, they did.
As the vacuum cleaner's motor started, the fireball sped up. And it was clear to see that it was being sucked in by Shizuku's vacuum. Then… There was no then.
Shortly after the fireball was caught in the vacuum cleaner's pull, it was sucked into the vacuum and completely disappeared.
"Hmm... Interesting." Levy said as she tapped her Light Pen against the word "Thunderbolt" she had written in the air. "That could be troublesome if things are the way I think they are."
*Zap!*
In the next instant, the word, "Thunderbolt," glowed brightly. Then, it streaked forward in a flash of blue light. However, just like before, it was easily sucked into the vacuum cleaner Shizuku held.
"Hmph!" Pakunoda snorted disdainfully. "It's pointless. There's no way your magic will ever be able to touch us with Shizuku here."
"I see." Levy replied with a nod. "Then, it's just as I expected. That vacuum cleaner can consume magic. It probably works on any number of inanimate objects, too."
Reaching that point, Levy took a good look at the vacuum cleaner. And nothing about it looked special at all. Just a cylindrical base sitting on wheels for easy movement. Then, a hose extended from the base leading to a handle that connected to the nozzle that sucked in her two spells.
However, before she could use her [Magic Power Detection] to examine the vacuum cleaner any deeper, Levy was forced to leap to one side after Shizuku pointed the vacuum's nozzle at her.
"[Blinky: Regurgitate]." Shizuku called out.
*Zap!*
A moment later, a blue thunderbolt slammed into the spot where Levy stood only a moment ago, scorching the ground upon impact.
"So, she can shoot whatever she has the vacuum suck up back out, too." Levy muttered. "That could be a problem if I intend to continue fighting at this range. Then again, there's nothing saying that I have to fight at this range, is there?'
With that said, Levy dashed forward, her magic power saturating her legs and increasing her speed tremendously.
*Zing!*
At the same time, she shifted the grip on her Light Pen, now holding it like the hilt of a sword. Then, the tip extended into a thin blade made of light.
"This will be the first time I've actually had to use this in combat." Levy said as she glanced down at the pen in her hand. "Seriously, who would have thought that a few adjustments could turn a Light Pen into a melee weapon? And that was after it transformed from a [soul Armament Embryo], too. Alfonzo called it a Light Saber. Although the name fits, it looks more like an estoc than a saber."
Meanwhile, Shizuku, while watching Levy close the distance, adjusted her grip on the handle of her vacuum cleaner, Blinky. Then, she stepped forward with her left foot. Finally, just as Levy was within her range, she twisted her waist and swung her arms.
*Swoosh!*
Then, with Shizuku's movements, the vacuum cleaner's base was lifted off the ground and sent flying towards Levy like the head of a flail.
Eyes widening in surprise, Levy's combat instincts took over as she watched the vacuum cleaner come flying at her like the deadly weapon it had turned into. Dropping her center of gravity, Levy fell to her knees and slid under the flying object.
*Voom!*
Then, in one sharp motion, Levy shot up to her feet while swinging the light saber upwards, aiming tu cut the vacuum cleaner's hose.
However, before the blade of light could make contact, Shizuku turned the vacuum's handle, aiming the nozzle directly at the light saber's blade.
Immediately, the light making up the blade began to defuse before being sucked into the vacuum's nozzle.
Once again, Levy was surprised. Even so, her movements did not stall in the slightest. Instead, she stepped forward with her free arm pulled back to her waist. Then…
*Bang!*
Levy's arm shot forward, an open palm colliding violently with Shizuku's sternum.
"Gah!" Shizuku groaned, the air forced out of her lungs.
Even so, Shizuku did not pause either.
Whipping her arms around, Shizuku swung the handle of the vacuum at Levy's head, forcing the blue-haired girl to duck. She then spun once, bringing her arms over her head with the base of the vacuum following her movements. Then, she brought her arms down, the vacuum cleaner's body smashing down much faster than Shizuku's slender arms would suggest possible.
*Bang!*
The ground cratered from the impact, Levy sliding her feet to just barely avoid being smashed into it. Then, Levy's right leg lashed out, her shin aimed at the nerve cluster on the outside of Shizuku's left thigh.
*Bang!*(
Raising her leg, Shizuku checked Levy's kick. She then turned her body to avoid a thrust from the recently reignited light saber in Levy's right hand.
From there, the two continued their melee battle. Though, Levy really wanted to use her magic. She was already aware that her spells were basically useless against Shizuku and her conjured vacuum cleaner, Blinky.
Meanwhile, Pakunoda, who started out just watching the fight, had vanished from where she had been standing at some point during the face off. Unfortunately for her, thanks to [Magic Power Detection], she had never left any of the three Fairy Tail wizards' range of detection.
Not knowing that Levy knew exactly where she was, Pakunoda reached into her blazer, nearly exposing her left breast, and unholstered a magic gun, a revolver to be exact. Then, she popped open the cylinder and spun it.
*Whizz!*
As the revolver's cylinder spun, Pakunoda channeled her magic power into it, creating six bullets from the injected magic power. She then flicked her wrist and clicked the cylinder shut before taking aim at Levy in the distance.
"One shot should be more than enough." Pakunoda said coldly as she looked down the sights of her gun. "We'll kill two and leave the last one for information extraction. Then, we'll know exactly what happened to Uvogin and how many Fairy Tail wizards have come to Stella."
Saying that, Pakunoda continued to watch the close-quarters fight between Levy and Shizuku. Then, when she finally found the opening she was looking for, she calmly squeezed the revolver's trigger.
"[Memory Magic: memory Bomb]." Pakunoda chanted.
*Bang!*
Yet, the bullet never hit its target. And that left Pakunoda stunned momentarily.
The timing was perfect. The angle, even more so. On top of that, she fired from Levy's blind spot. Yet, just as the bullet entered Levy's range, the blue-haired wizard made a half turn, swung the light saber upwards, and bisected the [Memory Bomb], causing the two halves of the bullet to streak past her, one half almost hitting Shizuku as it did so.
Meanwhile, Gildarts and Ur simply watched the ongoing fight with amused smiles on their faces.
"Wow, that girl has really improved." Gildarts said with an impressed smile on his face. "That run in with Gajeel really lit a fire under her, didn't it?'
*Bang!*
"Yeah." Ur replied with a nod. "I remember when I first met her, just after you brought me, Tear, and Gray back from Isvan… She was barely passible as a wizard in training. And that didn't really change after she, jet and Droy became official wizards."
*Bang!*
"Right." Gildarts said with a nod of his own. "Though I hate to say this, those two really were holding her back. But look at her now... She's dealing with two notorious S-Class threats without breaking a sweat."
*Bang!*
"Well, there's nothing they can do about having less talent." Ur said with a shrug. "Still, they've done well for themselves ever since. Though, Droy could stand to lose a few pounds."
*Bang!*
"Yeah, stress eating can really be dangerous." Gildarts replied with another nod.
*Bang!*
Then, Gildarts raised his right hand nonchalantly before catching a bullet formed from magic power. Though, calling it catching the bullet would be a bit inaccurate. Instead, once the bullet came in contact with the magic power Gildarts passively released, it was broken down into motes of magic power before fading into the atmospheric Ethernano.
"Oh, she tried shooting at us since hitting Levy wasn't working, huh?" Gildarts asked as he glanced in Pakunoda's direction.
"Yeah, it's really cute that she thought it would work." Ur said while flicking her own glance in Pakunoda's direction. "That look on her face is priceless, though."
"It really is." Gildarts added.
As for the look on Pakunoda's face Gildarts and Ur were talking about…
Right now, Pakunoda could not look any more surprised if she tried. First, Levy cuts one of her bullets in half without even really looking. Then, she either dodged or cut four more bullets in half. Finally, when Pakunoda tried to attack the two onlookers, they dealt with her bullet even easier than the girl fighting Shizuku.
Deciding now was not the time to think about it, Pakunoda turned her attention back to Levy and Shizuku. Then, she quickly made a decision.
Rushing forward, Pakunoda reinforced her speed by cycling her magic power through her body. She then chose her moment and approached the two combatants.
*Voom!*
Yet, before she could even throw her fist punch, Levy spun on her heels and lashed out with her light saber, the lade aimed at the center of Pakunoda's chest.
Eyes opened wide in surprise, Pakunoda was just a moment too late to avoid the strike. Luckily, she was not fighting alone, as Shizuku, her desire to keep her companion safe burning in her eyes, lunged forward and used Blinky to inhale the blade ext3ending from Levy's Light Pen.
'This is so annoying.' Levy thought to herself as her eyes narrowed at the sight of Pakunoda, who had just regained her senses, lunging forward to grab her shoulder. 'But what's up with this blonde woman? She's not trying to hit me. Instead, she just seems to be trying to make physical contact. Just what kind of magic does she use?'
["Seems like she uses some kinda of mental magic."] An elderly male voice said from Levy's inner world. ["I noticed the fluctuations when you cut those bullets apart. It seems quite interesting."]
'Now's not the time, Ars Magna.' Levy replied as she twisted away from Pakunoda's outstretched hand. She then threw a back kick that Pakunoda stepped back to avoid as she continued. 'For now, we need to focus on defeating these two. I'd rather not need Gildarts and Ur to have to step in.'
["Actually, I think letting her touch you might be exactly what you need to do just that."] Levy's [Soul Armament Spirit] Ars Magna, replied with a chuckle. ["If you let her in, I'll take care of her for you."]
'Yeah, letting a murderous Dark Wizard into my head sounds like a great idea.' Levy replied as she spun on her heels, slashing her, once again, reignited Light Saber in a full circle that forced both Shizuku and Pakunoda to jump away, while rolling her eyes internally.
["Come on, Levy."] Ars Magna said with a smile. ["Just trust me. When have I ever led you down the wrong path?"]
'Well, there was that one time with Gajee when you told me I should---' Levy began to say while ducking under the base of Shizuku's vacuum cleaner.
["*Cough* *Cough* That was just a mistake."] Ars Magna replied quickly, cutting off Levy before she could finish what she was trying to say. ["When are you ever gonna let that go?"]
Levy's internal giggle let Ars Magna know that she was just messing with him, causing the [Armament Spirit] to chuckle in response.
From there, the fight continued with Levy fending off both Pakunoda and Shizuku while waiting for a moment to allow Pakunoda to make physical contact in a natural way. And before long, that opportunity finally presented itself when she was forced to twist at an odd angle to avoid both Blinky's hose and the base.
And just as Levy expected, Pakunoda did not waste the opportunity, darting in close before Levy could get her balance back with her right hand stretched out and a vicious smile on her face.
*Clap!*
"[Memory Magic: Psychometry]." Pakunoda chanted as her hand landed on Levy's left shoulder. "Now, let me see exactly what happened and how many of you are---"
Yet, before Pakunoda could finish, her eyes went blank as she stopped moving completely.
Meanwhile, Pakunoda's mental projection found itself standing in a sprawling library. Looking around, there were book shelves as far as the eye could see. In lines on the floor, against the walls, and lining the walls of a second-floor balcony. There were simply books everywhere.
"What is this?" Pakunoda asked herself as she walked between the bookshelves. "Is this how she organizes her memories? Quite interesting. This should make finding the relevant information easier. I won't have to search through all of her memories to find what I'm looking for."
Reaching that point, Pakunoda let her gaze run along the spines of the books on the nearest bookshelf. A few moments later, she eventually found what she was looking for and reached out to grab the book.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." An elderly voice said in warning.
Immediately, Pakunoda went on guard while looking around for the source of the voice.
"Who's there?" Pakunoda asked as her head snapped in the direction the voice came from.
Not receiving a response, Pakunoda hesitated to act. Unsure whether she should take the warning seriously and look for the voice or start scavenging through Levy's memories. But she eventually decided to search for the owner of that voice as she was getting a bad feeling whenever she moved to take a book off the bookshelf.
With the decision made, Pakunoda began walking towards the source of the voice she heard. The only sound in the library coming from the clicking of her high heels against the floor.
At least, the sound of her high heels was the only sound Pakunoda could hear until she got closer to the source of the voice. When she did, she heard the sound of pages turning. Faintly at first, but as she got closer, the sound became clearer.
"Ah, you're finally here." An elderly man with blue-tinted silver hair, a matching mustache and goatee, and a monocle over his left eye wearing a grey, three-piece suit with a black dress shirt and a grey tie that matched his suit said while sitting in a comfortable recliner while reading a book that lay across his lap. "Would you care for a cup of tea."
"Who are you?" Pakunoda asked while adopting a defensive stance.
"Oh, you're quite the impatient type, aren't you?" The elderly man, Ars Magna said with a chuckle as he slowly closed the book in his lap. "Honestly, you should accept the tea. It will be the last thing you ever enjoy, after all."
"Hmph!" Pakunoda snorted disdainfully. "Idle threats."
However, just as her words ended, Pakunoda's eyes opened wider than what could be considered normal as Ars Magna vanished from where he was sitting and reappeared less than a foot away from her with a Light Pen pressed against her left breast, right over her heart.
"*Sigh* Such a pity." Ars Magna said quietly while shaking his head in disappointment. "Had you accepted, we could have at least had a nice conversation before I send you on your way."
*Voom!*
Then, before Pakunoda could process what just happened, Ars magna ignited the Light Pen, extending the blade of the light saber modification. As a result, Pakunoda's mental image was pierced through the heart.
"Just... what... are... you?" Pakunoda asked through wheezing breaths.
"I'm afraid that is a secret of the Fairy Tail guild." Ars Magna said softly as he disengaged his weapon. "For now, just rest in peace. I'm sure the rest of your companions will be joining you soon enough."
With that, Pakunoda's mental image began to fade before it dissipated completely, leaving Ars Magna alone in the library that served as Levy's inner world.
"*Sigh* The first visitor other than Levy since I was born and she couldn't even wait long enough to have a cup of tea." Ars Magna said, once again shaking his head in disappointment. "Kids now-a-days are so impatient."
With that, Ars Magna returned to his seat, picked up the book he was reading, and sat down. Then, after opening the book to the page where he stopped, he raised his head and spoke to the air.
"Alright, she's been taken care of, Levy." Ars Magna said calmly. He then lowered his head to begin reading again. "Let's not drag this out any longer. Just call my name and bring this to an end."