Venomous Cure | Jerza {hiatus}

Chapter XXIV

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Jellal squinted his eyes, sputtering. He did not glance at Erza even though he saw from the corners of his vision that she was darting her gaze at him, and she was just as ready to fight then he is. Jellal remained his fixed sight toward Kokatsu, who breathed and powered himself up with black smoke gradually surrounding him.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Jellal's noses flared before he did the same thing. "You seem to forget that I have more advantages than you do," he said, and then finally looking over at Erza as she nodded, then he looked back at Kokatsu. "You are only fighting alone, and the magic that you are using does not belong to you."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Indeed, but I think I went a little too rabid on my sources," Kokatsu replies, as he slowly smiles. "That means that I gave it a little upgrade, I should say. And you know what I mean from what I said earlier. . . Erza, the purest flower of this whole display will most likely be kept in my hands — unless if you try to take her away from me."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Jellal made a guttural sound in his throat that sensed hostility in his upbringing at the moment. Although Jellal was not Erza, who was damaged for two years while mourning over his death, the only feeling that Jellal felt really came from his past experiences with the man that was in front of him — Kokatsu was the reason why all of these events were taking place.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Before anything else could happen, Kokatsu abruptly launched a spell heading towards Erza, as Jellal jerked. It was too sudden for him to react, as his eyes sparkled damply while feeling a stabbing pain in his stomach.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But that pain instantly disappeared.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Well, Erza was still Titania after all.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Erza immediately took action, as a sword appeared in front of her while she blocked the heavy spell. Kokatsu's muscles tightened, watching as the magic power around Erza continues to grow. He took a glimpse of the eye that slightly appeared behind the sword, and all he could see was the piercing rage that was labeled in those irises.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Erza's lips pulled back, continuing her magic as she glared at Kokatsu from the air. "From the very beginning, there was no point in your intentions — regardless if I allowed the agreement or not. The man you killed is standing right in front of you and you're still talking as if there is nothing to fear?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You've really got too much faith in him, don't you, darling?" Kokatsu smiled, as Erza noticed Jellal's malice at the loveable name he called his own wife, but he allowed Kokatsu to continue talking. "He's literally back from the dead, do you really think that he has enough power to defeat me? No matter how high his ranking was when he was the chairman of the Magic Council —"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I still am the chairman of the Magic Council," Jellal interfered, which stopped Kokatsu from holding his spell at Erza, now turning his attention to Jellal, as Jellal spoke. "The members are just not aware of the fact they were all under a spell in which caused them to think differently — you told Hensou that countless times. Or to be precise, you told me that as I was disguised as Hensou."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Kokatsu jerked. "But what can you do? I said that I have your power and made it more powerful — even Erza couldn't fight back —"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Again, he was interrupted by Jellal, who cleared his throat. "She couldn't fight back because she was under the impression that she was fighting me — you even told me that was what you thought when the moment happened, as I was disguised as Hensou. I'd have to say you're not entirely mindless from those assumptions, but I'll take a laugh for my ability to conceal myself through a corspe."