Chapter 70: The Reassembled Strongest Alliance of Fiore (4)
Five minutes after Angel had left the villa, having "defeated" Ciel and Jura, the truth was revealed.
From the bodies sprawled lifeless on the floor, indigo mist began to seep upward. The "corpses" blurred, distorted, and then scattered into vapor—drifting up to the villa's second-floor balcony. The warped space shimmered, dispelled, and the true scene emerged: three men standing side by side.
"Ciel-dono's illusions… no matter how many times I see them, they're flawless."
"Ma~an! When Ciel-kun knocked me out in the washroom, I was shocked—but now that I've seen what kind of irresistible seduction he was baiting, I understand perfectly."
"Ku…fufufu. Gemini of the Celestial Spirits—that much is clear. Thanks to that, we've confirmed both Angel's abilities and the fact that Oración Seis is now aware of us."
Ciel stood calmly, a faint smile on his lips, drawing the drifting mist back into himself. The "defeat" at Angel's hands had been nothing more than carefully crafted illusion.
From the moment he sensed an extra presence in the villa, Ciel had acted. When Ichiya excused himself for the restroom, Ciel intercepted him, knocked him unconscious, and replaced him with a phantom double.
In the short respite before the operation resumed, he and Jura had relocated to the balcony, using illusion to mask themselves while they observed.
Jura gave him an admiring look, genuine respect in his tone.
"I'm impressed… your insight saved us all."
Ichiya, on the other hand, grumbled in disappointment.
"Ma~an… but still, if I'd been the one kissed by that beauty, I wouldn't complain!"
Ciel gave him a flat look, voice edged with dry humor.
"Ichiya, refrain from such thoughts. Had you been her target, you would have truly fallen—just as the illusion showed. That woman wielded a powerful charm spell crafted to neutralize illusionists."
"Ma! But surely, a kiss from such a beauty once in a lifetime wouldn't be so bad?"
"Kisses, hm…" Ciel pressed his temple, wincing at the memory. "They've lost any novelty for me. When I was a child, Wendy constantly kissed me during her games of house, and my mother, Phoenixia… she greeted me with kisses morning, noon, night—even before sleep. Ah… just recalling it gives me a headache."
Both Jura and Ichiya blinked at him. Jura muttered in awe:
"Then Phoenixia, the dragon who raised you… she must have doted on you greatly."
"An utter son-fool," Ciel answered with a weary smile.
With a flick of his hand, the Spear of Mist materialized. He turned, his expression sharpening into command.
"Ichiya, since our cover has been compromised, I've already prepared a phantom Christina as a decoy. It's flying in the same direction as Natsu's team. Deploy the real Christina to back it up. Jura—you'll shadow Natsu's group. If they encounter unexpected resistance, they may need your strength."
Ichiya puffed up, clutching his chest.
"Ma~an! It's been too long since I thrilled at a leader's orders!"
Jura gave a sober nod.
"Understood. But Ciel-dono, where will you be?"
A mischievous grin curved Ciel's lips.
"As for me… I'm going to repay a certain arrogant 'angel' who dared try to enthrall me. I'll show her what true corruption feels like."
"C… Ciel-dono?!" Jura blinked, unsettled by the cryptic words. But by then, Ciel's body had already dissolved into mist, drifting away into the night.
....
At the edge of the Worth Woodsea Forest, not far from Bob's villa—
Angel walked leisurely, humming to herself, scribbling the intelligence she'd stolen onto a slip of parchment. With a snap, she sent it away with her Celestial Spirit, Caelum of the Sculptor's Throne.
She despised running. Sweating, straining—those things were beneath her. Instead, she strolled with victory in her smile, savoring the illusion that her enemies lay broken behind her.
"Now that's done, their secret weapon—the magical bombardment ship Christina—will be sunk, and those dangerous individuals are taken care of, so nothing will stand in the way of Nirvana's activation."
She'd already sent the intel; in short order, the light-guild alliance's weapon, Christina, would be smashed to pieces.
And she'd eliminated the beings she judged most likely to interfere: the S-Class wizard Jura, Ciel, and even that lecherous Ichiya—one of the ten-year-quest heroes. With those obstacles gone, she was pleased with herself.
[Kufufufu… Is that really so? ]
"This voice…?!"
A creepy male voice that seemed to whisper in her ear made Angel flinch. She immediately called forth Gemini.
"Open, Celestial Spirit of the Twin Chamber, 'Gemini'!!"
"We're—"
"We're summoned~"
"Battle, transform now!"
At Angel's command, the twin spirit Gemini transformed into Jura and took up a defensive stance, scanning the surroundings.
Then a nasty indigo mist collected and condensed—and from within that vapor stepped the man she'd thought she'd killed.
Ciel walked out slowly into their midst.
She stared at him in horror. "How are you alive? I cast such a powerful charm that should have made you only think of me—so how could you possibly resist…?!"
"Oh my," Ciel said. "For one who's already been through a lot in life, that sort of thing is nothing but a child's peck. Thanks to your arrogance, we were given the chance to counterattack. I came personally to say my thanks."
"Wha—?!"
"You… you bastard!! Gemini!"
"Understood!"
Infuriated, Angel gestured to Gemini (now in Jura's form), and Gemini struck, recreating Jura's stone magic to crash down upon Ciel. Angel was determined to kill Ciel utterly—she had been toyed with by his illusion, and worse, had been denied the opening she'd expected to exploit. She would not forgive the man who had mocked her.
"Gemini, your transformation ability is commendable—"
"Kghaaah!!"
Just as Gemini thought it had pulverized its target like a sandwich, a voice from the stone startled it. The stone crumbled, and Ciel stepped free of the rubble. Before Gemini could react, Ciel drove a Spear of Mist straight into Gemini's heart. The spirit was sent back to the Celestial Realm before it could do anything.
Angel snatched for another Zodiac key—"Open, White Ram's Palace, Arie—" she began, but something interrupted her.
"Oh my, oh my… Arie… she was in your hand, wasn't she?"
Angel had tried to summon Aries, but Ciel moved faster: he darted in, struck the hand that held the Zodiac key, and knocked the key from Angel's grip. He shoved Angel back into the tree behind her and, with one hand, slammed the trunk.
Trapped, Angel's forehead broke out in cold sweat; her pride could not forgive being subdued by this man before she'd had a chance to properly use her strength.
Now, as a last resort, she attempted a charm spell. She looked up at Ciel, baring a coy smile.
"You know… I might have fallen for you just now~"
"That's a rather amusing remark."
"What if I said I want to kiss you for real—not an illusion, the real thing~♡♥♡"
"Did you really think that if you faced the real me instead of an illusion, I would fall for your spell of seduction? What an amusing assumption."
As he spoke, Angel saw the heavenly sigil in Ciel's crimson eyes shift into a new form—color.
The moment his eyes changed, all the fury she had been holding onto melted away, replaced by an indescribable stimulus coursing through her entire body.
Her pupils trembled, her body quivered, and her legs rubbed against each other as she looked up at Ciel's face.
"Why? Weren't you about to cast your spell of seduction?"
"T-That's…"
An uncontrollable sensation welled up inside her, making her chest feel like it would burst.
Ciel's breath grazed her ear, loosening her expression.
The murderous glare she once wore had vanished without a trace, leaving only a woman blushing furiously, breathing raggedly, and surrendering to her own desires.
"This power is not something I wish to use often, but since you provoked me first, I'll indulge you."
"W-What… are you going to do to me…?"
"Who knows? For now, just stand there and watch. Let's see how long you can endure the power of these eyes."
....
"…I see the forest!"
"Wait up, Natsu!"
"Nope~!"
"What are you thinking, running off alone like that?!"
"Hold on… you guys are… too fast…"
From the mansion, Natsu's group had sprinted at full speed until they finally reached the entrance of the forest.
At the lead was Natsu, with Gray and Erza chasing close behind.
To keep up with Natsu, everyone was running flat out.
Lucy and Wendy, struggling to match the stamina of such monsters, gasped for air side by side, trying to slow him down.
"If you're tired, I can carry you in my arms."
"I'll just hold your hand."
"Don't fall behind me."
"You guys! Is this really the time to mess around?! You're seriously pissing me off!!"
Lucy snapped at the Trimens, who had been flirting with her and Wendy while running effortlessly beside them.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over the group, forcing Natsu to stop in his tracks.
Everyone halted and lifted their gaze skyward.
"Ooooh!"
"The Magic Bomber Christina!!"
Erza's eyes sparkled in awe at the grand sight of the Pegasus airship soaring above them.
The others followed, their voices filled with admiration at the majestic appearance of Christina.
Its wings bristled with an array of magical cannons, its undercarriage lined with concentrated lacrima turrets, and its engines designed purely for speed and firepower.
A vessel built solely for battle, Christina's arrival filled their hearts with confidence.
"Incredible!"
"So that's the legendary… Pegasus!"
But before they could savor the moment, Christina's hull suddenly erupted in flames.
The airship was engulfed by fire and came crashing down right before their eyes.
The group stared in horror, frozen by the unexpected disaster.
Then, through the smoke, the sound of footsteps echoed—and five men emerged.
"What just happened?!"
"Someone's coming out!"
"Eeeek~!"
"Wendy!!"
The first was a white-haired man with bronzed skin and tattoos across his face.
Beside him stood a red-haired youth in a white long coat, a massive serpent coiling around his body.
Behind them followed a blond man with a mohawk dressed in racing gear, and a priest in clerical robes clutching a bizarre hexagonal-faced holy book.
A boy lay fast asleep, head drooped, on a flying carpet.
And before Natsu's group stood the very figures they had seen earlier through the Archive—
Oración Seis!
"Maggots swarming together, huh. Your entire operation has already been exposed. Jura, Ichiya, and Ciel… are already dead."
"What?!"
"No way!"
"Ciel was defeated?!"
At Brain's words—the leader of Oración Seis—Erza, Lyon, and Ren reacted in shock, their voices filled with denial.
Watching their shaken expressions, the Poison Dragon Cobra bared his teeth in a twisted smile.
"You're rattled. I can hear it all."
Behind him, Racer and Hoteye spoke in turn.
"Best to finish this quickly. And to do that, you lot… are in the way."
"Money is what makes people strong… let me teach you something. [The world runs on money…]"
"You should stay asleep, Hoteye."
"I never thought you'd all show up right here of your own will—ghhh?!?!"
Just as Erza steadied herself, regaining composure to confront Brain—
A massive light blazed down from the heavens, engulfing Oración Seis in a thunderous bombardment.
The blast shook the earth, sending a violent gust tearing through the clearing. Erza shielded her face with her arm, bracing herself against the storm of pressure.
"Ghhhaaahh…! What… what is this?!"
"Brain! Look above us!!"
"W-What the—?!"
"No… it can't be…!"
Thanks only to Hoteye hastily throwing up a barrier did Oración Seis avoid annihilation, but even so, the blast left them wounded.
Brain followed Cobra's pointing finger upward—and his jaw dropped.
It was Christina, the Magic Bomber, soaring proudly overhead. The very same Christina they had destroyed not long ago.
"H-how… how can that be?!"
"Look! Behind us— the wrecked ship we downed just now…!"
"This is… an illusion?!"
The Christina that had crashed behind them dissolved into mist, vanishing before their eyes.
As Brain faltered, rattled by the truth, Cobra and Racer prepared to launch a fresh assault against Natsu's group.
But then—
"Iron Rock Wall!"
"What—?!"
"Jura!!"
From the earth surged massive stone pillars, forcing Racer's charge and Cobra's advance to a halt.
Emerging behind Natsu's group, Jura stood tall, unscathed.
The Lamia Scale members erupted in cheers at the sight of him alive and well.
Brain, however, watched with his expression twisting into rage. Angel's report had said otherwise. Yet here Jura stood, completely unharmed.
"Jura… how are you still alive?!"
"All of it was Ciel-dono's plan. He sensed your infiltrator and created illusions of us as bait, knowing you would strike. Thanks to him, we were ready for this counterattack."
"Ciel… Illusian!! That bastard…!"
"As expected of Ciel!"
"To think he could even conjure an illusion of something that massive…!"
At Jura's words, Fairy Tail cheered triumphantly. Brain's face only darkened further.
The information had been false.
Had Angel been defeated?
No—the bio-link he shared with her had not been severed.
What on earth was going on?
The alliance stood on edge, weapons drawn, ready for battle.
[Ku…fufufufu… Brain, tell me—how does it feel? You tried to crush us with a preemptive strike, and yet here you are, utterly countered.]
"That voice…?!"
"Ciel!"
"Master Ciel!"
"Ciel…?"
"Eh…?"
"H-Huh?!"
Dark blue mist gathered in front of Brain, and from within it emerged Ciel himself.
But it wasn't just his reappearance that left both Oración Seis and the allied guilds speechless.
At his side, clinging to his arm with glassy eyes and a dazed smile, was none other than Angel, completely robbed of her reason.
"Your plan has gone up in smoke. Did you really think veterans of the alliance like us would fall for such a cheap ambush?"
"W-wait, wait—hold on a second!"
"Ciel! That woman… she's Oración Seis's Angel—"
"Why is Angel hanging off you like that?!"
"I… I can hear it… the melody… I… I can't speak anymore…"
"Ciel! What on earth happened?!"
"Hooh, Ciel! Did you subdue the enemy?!"
"L-Lord Ciel?!"
Both Oración Seis and the alliance erupted in shouts, bombarding Ciel and Angel with a storm of confused questions.
Even Ichiya, watching from Christina's cockpit, stopped his assault entirely just to witness the unfolding chaos.
Ciel merely smiled, unfazed by the storm of disbelief.
"What did I do? Why, nothing more than talk. I simply persuaded her to join our side."
"I love you, Lord Ciel~!" Angel chimed dreamily.
"…And that's how things turned out."
No one answered him.
Only Angel's fawning declaration echoed in the silence, until Lucy—staring in disbelief—finally broke down, pointing a trembling finger.
"What do you mean 'that's how things turned out'?!"
"Angel! Did you betray us?!"
"What did he do to you?!"
"Ciel, w-what did you do?! Explain yourself, now!"
"Just what… exactly… did you do to the enemy?!"
The battlefield had devolved into utter pandemonium.
But within the chaos—Angel panting as she clutched at his coat, enemies and allies alike reeling in confusion—Ciel only laughed, savoring the absurdity of it all.
"Ku…fufufufu… Well now~ Who's to say what I did?"
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