"Taking Erza hostage works well against humans," Kyôka thought. She knew people—emotional creatures who could be broken simply by capturing one of their own.
But when she opened the cell door, she froze.
It was empty.
A gaping hole had been smashed through the wall, and the gecko-like monster who had been guarding Erza lay unconscious on the floor.
"What—?!"
Cold steel kissed her neck.
"Don't move, or I'll kill you where you stand," came Erza's voice.
Kyôka's eyes narrowed. "You… how did you—"
A shadow moved through the hole in the wall. Natsu stepped in, a massive sword strapped to his waist. He patted the blade with a grin.
"This sword's pretty powerful."
"The Blade of Zealot?!" Kyôka's eyes widened. How could one of Tartaros's prized weapons have ended up in their hands?
Natsu didn't know or care about the name. The earlier tremor had dropped him into a storage cell where the weapon was kept; he'd used it to smash his handcuffs and escape. The scent of Erza had led him here, and he'd torn through the wall to free her.
Erza wasted no time—she locked Kyôka in magic-sealing cuffs, the same way she'd been bound moments before.
"I'm going to repay you," Erza said coldly, "for what you did to me."
"What caused that shaking just now?" she demanded.
Kyôka smirked. "The first quake was Fez's seal breaking. The second… that was your long-haired companion, tearing our castle apart."
"Su Yan…" Natsu muttered. Only he could cause destruction on that scale.
Kyôka added, "All of your guildmates are here. I was planning to take you as hostages to deal with them."
Hearing that, Natsu bolted. "I'll check on them!"
But Erza's mind snagged on Kyôka's other words. "Fez's seal is lifted?! That weapon can erase all magic on the continent. What do you want with it?"
"It's all for Zeref," Kyôka said simply.
Her claws shot out, shredding the chain as if it were paper.
"You've been fooled—those cuffs seal magic, but they don't work on me!"
She lunged.
Erza blocked with the sword and kicked Kyôka back. "A blind worshiper of Zeref."
"I'm a Devil of the Book of Zeref—born from his love!" Kyôka snarled, her arms stretching like whips.
They clashed, Erza deflecting blow after blow. "It doesn't matter who made you. What matters is the choices you make yourself."
"Humans can't understand!"
"Humans have beliefs too—and the courage to never run away. The one who chooses my path… is me!"
Erza's armor flashed, shifting in an instant. A dragon lance formed in her hands, and she drove it forward, impaling Kyôka and sending her crashing into the ground.
Meanwhile, the battle between Fairy Tail and Tartaros raged. Even with many soldiers already felled by Su Yan, more poured in—elite warriors, hardened through years of service.
"Jumping around's annoying," Gray growled, slamming his hands to the ground. Spires of ice erupted, freezing a swath of enemies.
A soldier came at him from behind—only to be kicked away by Juvia. "I can't forgive anyone who tries to hug Gray from behind!"
"…Seriously?" Gray muttered.
Elsewhere, Gajeel's roar sent enemies flying, and Makarov, towering in giant form, crushed foes with each swing of his fists.
"How many are there?!"
"Too many!"
"Then we'll destroy them all—Tartaros will be wiped out!"
Another explosion tore through the field—Erza landed nearby, having blasted Kyôka through the floor.
"Erza?!"
"You're safe!"
She nodded. "Natsu's free too."
"That's great—now we can fight without holding back!"
Su Yan was already in the thick of it, cutting down swathes of soldiers.
Suddenly—a sharp slash tore toward him.
Su Yan caught it in his palm.
BOOM!
The attack shattered in his grip.
"Aahahahaha! Is this fun for you?!" a voice bellowed. "A mere human waltzing into the demon's domain?!"
"Chikichi—Ezel-sama!!" Tartaros soldiers shouted.
From the smoke emerged a towering figure—blue-skinned, four-armed, with eight black, tentacle-like legs.
Su Yan's eyes narrowed. "A demon of the Book of Zeref…"