Fifth Floor, Devala Headquarters.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Needle Shield."
Teal Blades were being sent out in droves, aiming for Nullpudding who was still falling in the air. The purple humanoid could only block it directly with his formed spell, since it was too late to adjust his momentum.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
He grunted as soon as he made contact with these blades, not expecting them to hurt this much. His Needle Magic manifested within his physique, so it refined his skin to be more potent than the average human.
As a result, when he's going for a defensive stance during a fight, that potency would be further increased due to the Ethernano inside of him flowing towards the intended point of convergence on any chosen part of his body.
Nullpudding was extremely confident that he could even tank enhanced physical spells from decently skilled wizards, what more if it's energy-based?
The sudden pain caught him off-guard, yet it also wounded his pride. He dove through the blades with newfound vigor, boosting his descent in succession.
"Few would attempt to face this spell head-on. My analysis of the target is slightly off…"
Meredy gazed at his nearing figure, calmly waving her hand to divide her remaining blades' trajectory as they circled around his back.
Then she jumped away to avoid Nullpudding's impact of landing.
BOOOM!
Meredy skidded across the ground, following up with a downwards motion of her hand, signaling the blades to rain like hail on the purple humanoid who just touched the floor.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A decently sized dust cloud emerged due to the quantity of her spell, showcasing its power without fail. However, her eyes never strayed from Nullpudding's landing spot, already sensing his roiling magic power from within.
It was obvious that he wouldn't go down that easily, or else his status of being Raven Tail's elite will just become an empty shell.
Whoosh!
As if on cue with Meredy's thoughts, the front edge of the smoke parted, giving way for a purple spike that threatened to pierce her ruthlessly. But she already anticipated such a response, prompting her to cast Maguilty Sodom again.
She smoothly evaded sideways from the intended surprise attack, then instantly followed up with a counter by launching her blades towards the landing spot.
"Hm?"
However, Meredy noticed that the purple spike she dodged never retracted after its initial strike, and only manifested three smaller versions of itself across its surface.
Poof!
"I'm very intrigued by your magic, young miss."
Nullpudding exited the dust cloud and charged through the canopy of blades that were hitting his skin, yet most fell short due to his current appearance. Numerous purple spikes sprouted from his being, their sharpness utilized as a protective measure.
He swung his modified purple spiked axe, not giving the purple-haired young woman any window to respond in time.
"Ridiculous." Meredy frowned as chose to leap over the incoming purple spike, her focus never faltering. "Does he not feel pain at all?"
She calmly controlled the rest of the blades to overwhelm Nullpudding, returning the favor with an equal exchange.
"Oh, I feel it alright." Nullpudding's attack continued its momentum, doing a 180 as it teared through the walls, cubicles, and magical items that were within his range. It made the rounds until it clashed against the blades, shattering some of them in the process.
He clenched his left fist while enduring the relentless barrage, honing in on Meredy who was still in the air.
"Needle Shot."
Instead of his whole arm transforming into a weapon like all his other attacks, this spell only affects his hand, sacrificing his magic's versatility for speed.
The purple spike flew towards Meredy with swift precision, accurately targeting her torso. Its velocity would've surprised even experienced wizards if they weren't careful.
Needle Magic in paper maybe considered linear and easy to predict, but Nullpudding's usage of it made it truly lethal.
A simple concept required trickery alongside unpredictably, traits that he consistently developed to defeat opponents who were overconfident after just a short trade of blows, making it their downfall.
Unfortunately for him, Meredy wasn't one of those people.
She calmly stared at the trailing spell, her face displaying that same blank yet serious expression.
"Maguilty Rays."
Yellow blades appeared around her, emitting stronger pulses of Ethernano in their wake.
Wrrnggg! Wrrnngg! Wrrnngg!
They were sent out by Meredy into two groups, bolting like a bundle of deadly lasers. One half was hurled towards the purple spike, while the next half delivered a pincer formation to surround Nullpudding from all angles.
Boom!
The first set of yellow blades clashed against the purple spike, their unrelenting force enough to slow its momentum, giving Meredy an opportunity to safely land on the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Kughk!"
Nullpudding felt the full weight of these yellow blades, prompting him retract his purple spike. He immediately switched to defending, channeling his magic power to soften the blow.
But even with all of his concentration, the increased mystifying feeling of pain that originated from Meredy's blades disturbed it completely. This resulted in him getting pushed back through countless furniture, only stopping when he hit the wall of an office room.
As long as I keep a sufficient distance, his spikes can be avoided without problem.
Meredy observed the aftermath of her spell like a hawk, waiting for any hint of movement from the dark wizard.
She analyzed him during their exchange, and concluded that his attacks were straightforward but somehow flexible. That instant burst of a follow up relied on the target being distracted by other things, making his wits the most dangerous weapon in her eyes.
Yet there was another factor that kept her guard up, one that's related to the essence of her magic.
Maguilty Sense.
Lost Magic that has the ability to connect the senses of two individuals, and can be added on top of that. Whether it would be from a physical or emotional standpoint, as long as a person has feelings on both fronts, Meredy's spells will definitely work without a doubt.
Naturally, this meant that most wizards may consider this magic to be an auxiliary type to support allies, which wasn't truly wrong in terms of logic.
However, Hades taught her the value of maximizing one's creativity in their magic. It simply depended on the capability of the user, and their limits will only be shown when that innovative mindset reaches a conundrum.
As such, Meredy studied and trained rigorously to understand the possibilities of her magic. It was steady progress for the most part, helping with her insights.
She knew that in terms of combat potential, Maguilty Sense is in the middle, meaning that it's not recommended to recklessly confront enemies in a frontal manner. Unless it's a last resort for a hopeless situation.
Given that Hades widened her perspective about how to improve oneself, it wasn't that hard to overturn the intended use of her magic in a textbook application.
Sensation held both the emotional and physical aspects of a human, a fundamental part of themselves. They either bring out the best or worst within, showcasing their strengths and weaknesses.
Hence, Meredy balanced the arsenal of her spells to fully utilize her magic, a decision that elevated her capability to do well in live battle. But since she was previously an elite from Grimoire Heart, she commonly used these specific set of spells to deter anyone from eyeing her status as a Kin of Purgatory.
Ones that decreased an individual's tolerance of pain, and increasing their agony in exchange.
Many have begged for mercy under them due to being overwhelmed without rest. These spells were casted in droves, forming multiple weapons of Ethernano in the process.
A singular hit would double the pain, and if you couldn't dodge or block momentarily to steer clear of their trajectory, receiving successive blows at the same time will stack the effect.
It was expected for the target to become panicked or frightened because of it, letting her follow up with another spell of this type in response until they fall. A ruthless yet efficient fighting style she developed based on her constant learning.
Obviously, there were counters for every magic, even if they were as ancient as Lost Magic. Nothing is perfect, or else the building blocks of what made the World of Wizards in the first place will crumble beneath their feet.
The counter for Meredy's Maguilty Sense was very simple but also a challenge: Enduring the immense pain through sheer willpower, no matter how much they feel in their bones.
Wizards like Juvia were a great example, her unbreakable determination to win prompted her to completely ignore the Sensory Link to land heavy blows, accepting the pain in exchange.
Meredy wholeheartedly accepted her defeat against the water wizard in that regard, also not forgetting her words as she transitioned into this new life away from the underworld.
But there was just this… difference between Juvia and Nullpudding's approach of working around her magic.
The former still screamed in agony, because that was the normal reaction. The latter however, only grunted as he got hit with her spells, even maintaining that somehow polite and creepy smile of his.
She didn't like it one bit.
Whoosh!
Meredy watched the fading cloud of dust shift, but never saw Nullpudding's figure.
He's using his short stature to dart behind the intact furniture. She realized the cunning dark wizard's intention in a flash, circulating her magic power to expand her detection while listening to the quick footsteps that were echoing within the floor.
Her eyes locked in on the moving source of the sound, invoking a new set of teal blades as she trailed it steadily.
BAM!
A purple spike stabbed through the desk, aiming at Meredy with perfect accuracy.
She swiftly evaded to the left at the right moment, trusting in her instincts for danger. The tip grazed her right cheek, but her head was spared from being punctured mercilessly.
"Maguilty Sodom."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The pink-haired young woman wasted no time and responded the moment the attack was avoided, launching her spell at where the spike emerged from. Although Meredy never stopped seeking for his footsteps, and heard them go further and further.
This prompted her to match the hidden Nullpudding's pace, chasing him across the other remaining desks as she sent out her blades in smaller batches, hoping it could wear him down.
It was the same for Nullpudding who was taking cover behind them, casting bursts of purple spikes in tandem. Yet these clashes doesn't rid him of the pain he was currently experiencing.
Their stalemate lasted for a while, destroying the surroundings in the process. They both dodged or guarded against each of their attacks, trying to gain an advantage over the other.
"I never imagined that such fragile constructs of Ethernano would be able to hurt me to this extent." He continued this trade of non-stop attacks until there was enough space to leap backwards.
"I could return that statement back to you." Meredy noticed his retreat as she also ceased her assault. "I commend your ability to hold back a scream, since not everybody can endure my spells like that."
She judged the length of his voice, estimating it to be at least three rows from her position. Not being able to see him was a problem, but attempting to go for close combat would be more detrimental in her case.
"Very frightening of you to even say that, young miss." Nullpudding's amused chuckled reached her ears. "A cold and calculative disposition with lethal magic, I'm a bit curious about how that former councilor found a talent like you in the first place."
Meredy never bothered to respond afterwards, only focused on taking down the foe that was on the priority list.
"You're no fun." Nullpudding peered through the gaps to quietly observed her. "It's quite unfortunate that I'll have to incapacitate you to get what I want."
He lowered his right arm, morphing it again into a weapon. Decent amounts of his magic power flowed into the limb, slowly increasing its size and mass.
!!
Meredy managed to detect the accumulation of his attack, eliciting her to invoke her Maguilty Rays as a result.
Alas, the dark wizard wouldn't give her the chance to counter on the dot.
"Needle Expansion."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The familiar scene of purple spikes engulfing the fifth floor returned, their surfaces spreading like branches as they pierced anything blocked their path. Unlike previously, the purpose of this spell at present is to trap the young woman within the center of the chaos.
All spikes that protruded from his arm had no inkling of direction, yet their randomized and unpredictable trajectories could possibly rattle someone who's supposedly calm and collected.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Slash! Slash! Slash!
"Annoying." Meredy frowned as she waved her hand, evading and deflecting the purple spikes with her yellow blades. Accounting for every angle while piling up more small cuts in the process.
They successfully reached her this time due to the close distance between her and Nullpudding, compared to when he dropped down from above. If you add in the cramped area that's full of rubble and destroyed furniture, making a mistake in her footing wouldn't be ideal.
But Nullpudding was also in a similar situation.
In the end, these spikes were still a part of his body, so when they collided with the yellow blades, pain was transmitted to him continuously. An average wizard would definitely go unconscious from the powerful aftershocks, since he felt his nerves getting clobbered like there was no tomorrow.
He held his ground as he trudged along the spell, adjusting his posture to hide himself while Meredy was occupied by the spikes.
…. Someone of her caliber at such a young age. Nullpudding somberly thought. Master Ivan will be extremely pleased if I bring her to him. I must negotiate with Vandis after this.
Once he arrived at his preferred range, he immediately poured magic power into the entirety of his left arm, increasing its size and mass.
Then, Nullpudding retracted the spell altogether, intending to catch Meredy off-guard in the process.
It did for the briefest of moments, her stoic expression showing mild surprise, and that was already long enough for him to follow up with another strike.
"Needle Blast."
The purple humanoid swung with relentless vigor, aiming his now left inflated arm with spikes towards his target.
Meredy swiftly regained her composure, looking at the incoming that was eager to smash her into a pulp.
Unfortunately for the dark wizard, she could still react appropriately even when put in a disadvantage.
"Maguilty Reflection."
A teal shield manifested in front of her, intercepting the attack just at the right instant. Meredy also crossed her arms to add a layer for blocking afterwards, bracing for impact.
BAM!
CRASH! CRASH!
"Ghgk!" She felt her bones rattle from the dark wizard's strong spell even with the protection guarding against its force, getting hurled across the floor while passing through a few rows of cubicles.
Usually, an attack with that much momentum would be declared the winner in that type of exchange… but that wasn't the case for this one.
Pzzt!
"GAHHHH! Damn brat!"
Nullpudding finally let out a scream of pain, receiving an agonizing recoil by hitting the teal shield with full strength. Every single joint and nerve rumbled like gut wrenching fireworks, bringing him down to his knees.
The polite yet eerie smile was wiped off from his face, replacing it with an ugly strained expression that trembled alongside his entire being. He stood in place as he waited for the dreadful sensation to subside, and could only stare helplessly at Meredy who was recovering faster.
Cough!
Cough!
"Perfect." Meredy muttered as she slowly sat up, observing the current state of the purple humanoid. "I just need to maintain this momentum."
Maguilty Reflection was a spell that absorbs the initial output of an enemy's attack, then returns the favor by doubling it to transmit unimaginable pain after making contact.
It's included amongst the numerous ideas she came up with during these two months, stemming from her battle against Juvia.
Even though Sensory Link embodied the essence of her magic, and is one of her strongest spells--- She was aware of how much it can be a double-edged sword.
Firstly, the reason why Meredy didn't invoke it at the start was due to her cautious analysis regarding the partnership between Paramount Tide and Raven Tail.
Its activation may rely on strong emotions, but that doesn't mean it only hinges on the concept of love. Naturally, there were also others like camaraderie, loyalty, etc.
From a logical standpoint, she knew that it was impossible for such a thing with Nullpudding. Alliances between dark guilds were laid upon negotiations and benefits, an environment not compatible with these positive notions.
If Meredy did do it, she guessed that it would source itself directly to Ivan, which was not a scenario that both her and Ultear wanted. Their anonymity while targeting his network already brought them to this point, so a mistake like that wasn't acceptable.
Secondly, there were bound to be fearless foes like Fairy Tail's Water Wizard, completely ignoring the intended effects to win at all costs. This meant that connecting her own senses would put her at a huge disadvantage, considering Nullpudding is within that category.
Meredy was unlucky to not encounter these types of personalities when she held her title as a Kin of Purgatory. Whether it was their fear of Hades, or Grimoire Heart's influence, all those ambitious individuals that failed against her quickly surrendered once they realized they're outmatched.
Granted that she was somehow merciful compared to her peers, especially Zancrow, a lunatic who burned anything and anyone for fun.
It was simply a sign that she needed to expand her arsenal, going for more efficiency instead of potential recklessness.
"Don't celebrate too early, young miss." Nullpudding somehow grinned even with the increased pain. "Only do it when the fight is over."
"I'm not that naive." Meredy was already back on her feet as she circulated her magic power while still keeping distance. She mustn't hesitate on the opportunity to end the battle now when the opponent is currently in a weakened state.
But in the next moment, her sharp gaze noticed both of his feet exhibit some movement.
Krrk!
The ground beneath her cracked, prompting her to quickly look down.
"Needle Burrow."
BOOM!
"Tch!" She instinctively jumped backwards, avoiding the pair of purple spikes that pierce through under her by a hair's breadth. Unfortunately, one of them managed to graze the sole of her left foot, leaving a cut that started to bleed lightly.
They're like a second limb to him. I've underestimated his flexibility in using them. Meredy frowned as she felt the stinging sensation below.
However…
"Needle Shot."
Another one was immediately en route, ruthlessly intercepting her in mid-air. Nullpudding was extremely meticulous, timing his attacks once she was in an awkward position.
"Maguilty Reflection!"
Meredy invoked it again, hoping that this clash would completely incapacitate him.
"Huh?" Instead of the collision she expected, the purple spike abruptly paused its trajectory before it even touched her shield. Then it retracted just as fast, returning to its owner without fail.
She saw that Nullpudding wasn't in the same spot anymore, the spike tracing itself towards the direction he went to.
It was a distraction so he could hide his presence. Meredy knew that it was a glaring bait and chose to not chase. I can't hear any hint of footsteps… he's going for a more careful approach.
They may have caused untold destruction within the floor due to their strength, but that doesn't mean everything was in splinters. It was a mix of shattered debris and furniture that was of decent height, alongside areas that were still not affected.
Taking advantage of the environment to have an edge in the heat of battle wasn't new, yet even she couldn't stop herself from clicking her tongue in annoyance.
It's not every day that you encounter someone who's this short and can maneuver around seamlessly in a place with this kind of condition.
Meredy was an individual that can analyze a person's intent from their actions alone, and guessed Nullpudding's new method of assault.
She was obviously aware of her own spells' pros and cons, which developed her battle intuition for the most part.
Her Maguilty Reflection is something that could turn the tides in an instant, so being mindlessly aggressive in casting multitudes of spells will backfire immensely.
If she were to be in her enemy's perspective, she would save her energy to do instant bursts of attacks at each interval, giving her no chance to counter and being forced to dodge when pressured.
As such, this has now turned into a battle of patience and astuteness. It was only a matter of who would make a mistake first.
Did she figure out my plan instantly? Nullpudding mentally sighed as he observed her from a pile of debris. Well, let us find out on who's gonna falter between us.
There were still bouts of residual pain within his body, but he still powered through it to escape the pink-haired young woman's sight.
Rumble!
Rumble!
Both of them felt the huge amounts of magic power spilling from above, the shaking being an indication of two powerhouses clashing against each other.
"Ultear…" Meredy muttered in worry, then shook her head to regain her composure. She also trusted in her foster mother's strength, so it was best to translate that belief into taking down the dark wizard right now.
Given that the shockwaves also reached the fifth floor, it was no surprise that most things within it would produce sound.
Which was a chance to mask one's footsteps amongst the chaos.
Meredy slowly walked to a spot where it displayed a wide-open space, covering all of her angles. Although numerous furniture and debris surrounded her, there were few hindrances that could interrupt her flow of movement.
The cut underneath her left foot barely influenced her guarded posture. She simply deemed it a minor inconvenience, retaining her concentration to anticipate attacks from the shadows.
Meredy summoned her familiar batch of yellow blades, manipulating them into a circular formation that hovered behind her.
Then, she waited.
Waited for Nullpudding to resume their battle.
Tak! Tak!
A pebble quietly rolled over.
Krrk! Krrk!
BOOM!
Meredy leaped sideways, evading another purple spike that emerged below her. But before she could send out her blades in response, a surge of Ethernano already followed in succession.
A purple spike came from a pile of fractured cubicles, letting her know where Nullpudding was currently hiding.
BOOM!
One blade repelled the spike, ceasing its momentum. There was also a grunt of pain that echoed afterwards, prompting her to launch the next one towards the source.
BOOM!
The pile exploded into even smaller pieces once the blade landed, forming a dust cloud in the process. It parted for a brief second as the spike was pulled back, showing a purple blur that dashed for more cover.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
She traced the path of the dark wizard as she hurled at least three blades to intercept his retreat.
Meredy narrowed her eyes due to not hearing any sort of reaction, while steadily accumulating her magic power in tandem.
There was no need to throw all of her blades in large groups, considering that Nullpudding was passive thanks to Maguilty Reflection.
This was good for her, since she hasn't revealed all of her cards. She'll lead him on by attracting his attention to this spell, treating them as a last resort if push comes to shove.
Her pair of blade spells that directly targeted a person's sensation of pain doesn't drain too much of her reserves, yet they were lethal forms of offensive weapons.
Now that the battle has progressed to this stage, Meredy will only need to sustain her stamina.
CRASH!
BOOM! BOOM!
CRASH! CRASH!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Nullpudding did everything he could think of to outsmart the young talent.
Whether it would be from manipulating his spikes from abstruse angles.
Slicing through the rest of the furniture to aim at her.
Even invoking a bunch of surprise Needle Blasts to break the stalemate.
They were simply met with an unrelenting and agonizing blade.
Maguilty Reflection was never casted in this duration, as if she was mocking him.
I didn't expect to struggle against someone this young... Who is she? Nullpudding slumped on some rubble, his body wreaking with extreme pain from constant contact against those blades. He obviously intended to dodge most, if not all should it be possible.
However, the little monster was getting more and more precise instead. Her counters were measured and controlled, something that couldn't be seen in a regular prodigy.
How was she trained? That former councilor can't be the one who guided her! Nullpudding gritted his teeth, straining his neck to glance at Meredy who calmly stood there with her blades.
Obviously, their intense clashes wouldn't leave her spotless. Wounds could be seen on her arms and legs, alongside parts of her outfit that were teared off mildly.
But she was in a better condition compared to him.
The longer this draws out… I'll lose. Nullpudding grimly thought. Me? One of Master Ivan's Elites, losing to an unknown little girl. What an embarrassing state I've fallen into.
At this point, his options were limited. He could either fall back, or gamble on one of his strongest spells.
The choice was obvious, because his pride wouldn't allow such a pathetic performance any longer.
Nullpudding channeled his magic power to its maximum output.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Meredy detected the high amounts of Ethernano he was gathering and immediately locked in on his location as she directed her blades towards him.
"Needle Fury."
The pink-haired young woman's expression crumbled as she gazed upon what was happening, preparing to defend in haste.
"Maguilty Reflection!"
BOOOOOOOMMMM!
Nullpudding's whole body sprouted numerous purple spikes that extended beyond their normal reach, stabbing at every direction in an instant. Half of the fifth floor was covered, while some atop his head even touching the sixth floor.
It was a spell that used his being as a focal point, then shoots out his most powerful and tempered spikes simultaneously. This was an attack that dominantly punctured past enemies, giving them no chance to retaliate.
He was confident that Meredy got caught in it, so accepting the pain in exchange was not too bad.
Pzzt!
"AGGGGHHHH!"
Nullpudding wailed loudly, feeling the raw intensity of her infuriating spell. His bones were actually popping as he also experienced the sensation of having one's nerves get overloaded with extreme agony.
Sweat poured like a dam, alongside a blurry vision and a headache of ridiculous proportions. He heavily panted, getting distorted by the shock that was probably greater than the previous.
It was a miracle that Nullpudding was still conscious, but he needed to confirm Meredy's current situation. He didn't care if she was dead or alive, since bringing her to Master Ivan is his priority afterwards.
He slowly recovered as the blurriness started to clear, although his suffering wouldn't disappear anytime soon.
The dust began to settle, showing the young woman's silhouette at the fair distance who was supposedly overwhelmed from the multitudes of spikes that were etched all around.
Finall---!
"You would've succeeded if wasn't out of desperation." Once the haze was gone, Meredy could be seen leaning on a cracked wall, tightly gripping a spike that pierced through her right shoulder.
The rest surrounding her missed their mark by an exceedingly slight inch, sparing her fate of getting riddle with holes. However, they still grazed her other limbs with bigger cuts, so blood flowed steadily like a river.
Meredy was fortunate that she evaded most of them, with her fatal injury being only her shoulder, which was somehow bearable on her end.
She also let out small breaths of exhaustion, yet her stubborn and cold exterior landed on Nullpudding without fail.
"... You're right." Everything retracted on the purple humanoid's command, including the one on Meredy, who bit her lip to endure the pain.
Nullpudding could only chuckle in a strained manner, realizing that he was on the verge of collapse.
"How ridiculous… I can't believe I'll fall here out of all places." Even with his physique, the effects of Maguilty Reflection were no joke.
He tilted forward as encroaching darkness embraced him.
Thud!
Meredy cautiously observed the unconscious dark wizard, searching for any sign of acting.
After verifying that it wasn't the case, she also powerlessly fell on the ground, sitting silently on the cold surface.
Meredy rested her head on the wall while holding her shoulder, wanting to relax for a moment before finding a safe spot to recuperate.
"Target down."
--------------------------------------------
AN: Quick note by the way. I know you guys are curious about Natsu's harem, so I'll let you guys know ahead of time, only one OC is included while the rest are canon characters.