It Doesn't Matter || Sting Eucliffe Love Story (Book 1)

~ Chapter 41: Soul Link ~

Sting and Rogue glared down at Mard Geer as a low growl could be heard throughout the vicinity.

"Now that's a sound," Mard Geer said, glancing behind her.

The blonde commented "Kinda unsettling."

"Yeah, it is," Rogue agreed, eyes wide.

With each passing second, the growling got louder and louder as the ground began to shake just from the noise.

---

Akiko looked through Shiro's eyes, settling within his mind as she watched everything unfold. Her stomach coiled as she heard a disturbing sound, it sounded like a growl. She glanced around at what little vision she had through her snake's eyes, trying to find the source of the sound that it even shook the grounds. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

"No..."

---

Destruction blasted everywhere, created by a certain black dragon who went by the name of Acnologia. Showing no mercy in his relentless attacks.

---

Shiro froze as his blue eyes followed the movements of the flying dragon, shocked by its size but fascinated by its power. His mind was all mixed up, momentarily forgetting that Akiko was in his mind right at the moment and seeing and hearing everything that he ever sees or hears.

"It's...," Akiko said.

"Acnologia..."

---

Sting and Rogue were on their asses as their bodies pulsed, pain traveling through their body. Their hands on their chests where their hearts laid, their eyes wide, their faces sweating. None of the dragons slayers could comprehend what was going on, their only thought was their bodies were in pain as their heartbeats grew louder and louder in their ears.

---

Akiko growls, her hand on her white mark, created by Sting. It felt like it was burning her body, she hissed in pain. Before she knew it, her soul was thrown back into her body.

The black-haired female gasped, her eyes returning to its original red hues. "Akiko!"

Rufus asks "Akiko, are you alright? You don't seem to be so well. I have no memory of your skin being so pale."

"Ac... No... Lo.. Gia," she breathed out, her hand on her white mark.

Yukino asks "Acnologia? What?"

She shook her head, calming herself down as the seething burn from her white mark began to fade. However, the white mark on her neck was no more just a white spread of scale-like features. Instead, it was like a white-yellow dragon soaring through the sky frozen in time.

She didn't notice until Orga asks "Hey, what happened to your mark?"

"Huh?"

---

The two twin dragon slayers bodies stopped pulsing, their breathings became steady as the pain disappeared.

"Mine's calming down," Sting said. "How's yours?"

Rogue replied after a pause "I'm fine. Let's get moving. Where's that guy with the book?"

It was only then did they noticed that Mard Geer had disappeared.

The black-haired dragon slayer said "He was right here."

"He can't be too far," the blonde stated, getting up.

---

Shiro snapped out of his trance as he felt the soul link between him and Akiko disappear. What? Did the link break? Should I call her back?... No... I should leave her be... She could die if I'm not careful... I just hope she's ok back at the guild...

---

Akiko sighs, muttering "I don't even know half the shit that's going on."

So, first, I saw Acnologia appear in the Tartaros fight, then get a searing pain on my neck and get thrown out of my body, only to learn that my 'dragon' mark has been turned into an actual tattoo-like thing. Geez, my life is so twisted at the moment. Sting better have an explanation for this when he gets back!

She growled to herself, before returning to her 'watch the lacrima' position once more. Her guildmates sigh.

It seems she already forgot about us...

---

Shiro snapped his head over to Kyoka as he sees her extends her claws into the orb, pulling herself towards it.

What is she doing?

Kyoka stabs her fingers into the orb, cracks appear as it began to blow. A scream escaped her lips as her body glows along with it. Tiny yellow lights appeared all around her, representing some type of marking map. But what those lights mark, he had no idea.

"These are all the faces located throughout the continent," Kyoka said, hanging upside down on the orb. "And now the body link is complete, which means, you're looking at the official, new detonator."

What? No way...

"Did she say she used body link magic?" Happy asks in disbelief.

Frosch said "So that means.. She's apart of it?"

"Why would she do that?" Lector asks.

Minerva said in realisation "They must've wanted the Face's detonation accelerated."

A smile came across the last, standing demon. "I've just made things very easy for you," she said. "If you kill me, then you'll stop the Faces."

Is she insane? Shiro thought, staring at Kyoka in shock and confusion. Just why? Why would she sacrifice her life for something like this?

Just why?

A second later, Erza's Fairy Armour shattered just by Kyoka's demon talons. There time was limited now, in less than half an hour, Face was going to detonate.