"Breathe in... Breathe out..." Gasping in pain, Lucy struggled as she concentrated on diverting her pain away from her thoughts.

Moments ago, a blast of meteor-like shower had hit the area where Gray and Lucy was standing. Apparently, it appeared just about a second after Lameria was gone with the wind. Gray was able to make an ice as a shield, but it happened so fast that the blast still managed to hurt them. Lucy raised her upper body, caressing each part to examine if she had incurred major injuries. Luckily, there was none. Although, she became worried for her partner.
"Gr...Raven...?" She huskily uttered his pseudonym. She called him a few times before he heard something behind a large rock. There was another impact. This time, it sounded like there was a commotion, and when she began to look over the rock, she instantly saw Gray. If there was truly something she had learned from her training, it was taking out the fear inside when it comes to battle. Unlike before, where, as much as possible, she would resort to hiding first prior to fighting, she managed to lessen the fear, or at some point ignore it.

Gray was now heavily sweating. The man he had now encountered was about a foot taller than him, his face was hidden behind an oddly looking mask, and all in all, he looked like a mercenary. The odds would have been in Gray's favor, if not for another mercenary who was about to attack his back.

"Behind you!..." Lucy was now approaching towards the direction of the fight. She was now attacking the first mercenary who fought Gray, while, the latter was dealing with the second one.

The blonde's aim was to cripple her opponent's ability to use his sword. Hence, she lure him into attacking her, then, when he was about to get lured, she swung her body to his right and instantly move away, making them switch positions. As soon as the man could not be able to turn towards her, Lucy kicked his shoulder that held the sword, which had then fell to the floor. Seizing such opportunity, the mage was about to throw a punch to end the training, yet, suddenly the mercenary had a dagger on his other hand. The dagger had sliced the woman's stomach. Lucy was stunned. She knew that there would be a chance for her opponent to throw such a stunt. For all she knew, it was still a training, she had not realized that they could really get killed. The mercenaries were there to murder them if they would not take them seriously.

"Gray, this is not just a simulation!" Lucy yelled at her comrade.

"Tell me about it!" Gray barely, responded. This time, he was knocked down by his opponent, and he was suffocating him with his big hands. After a while, Gray succeeded to stretch his hand, in order to throw a punch to the man who had assaulted him. It was a hard punch, enough for the man to let go of him and fall to the ground. Although, it was not long enough till both mercenaries stood up and got ready for another round.

"Damn, these men never get tired." The blonde mage whispered.
"Lucy, you might want to summon Loke now. I'll buy you some time for you to do it."

"There's no need for that!"
Loke appeared all of a sudden. His quirkiness was faint amidst the tension surrounding them.
"You've really gone stronger..." Gray commented.
"No, Lucy got stronger than she was back at the guild. As between me and her, summoning me through my gate is totally no longer needed." The Celestial spirit explained, and the ice mage only gave them a smirk. He thought of how proud he was for her girl. "Wait, what? Did he really say his girl?" Lucy and Loke gave the raven-haired a baffling look. After all, a blush was evident on the latter's face. "Hey, dude.." Loke was about to say something, but then, he was cut off by a sudden blast being thrown off them. This time, the three thought they were truly hit by such explosion . However, they happened to see that the blast did not descend towards them, and as soon as the sound could be heard, another mercenary came into sight.
"So, this will now be three on three.." Lucy spoke with sarcasm.
"Get ready..." Gray had sculpted a sword with a shield, preparing to fight one of the mercenaries. "Loke, you take the new guy."

"On it..." Loke prepared his fist for a fight. On the other hand, Lucy had temporarily hidden somewhere under the tree, even Loke could not find her, yet, he understood that his owner is up to something. "I think, I am about to take two... Hey, Gray, want to have a race, as to who can defeat either of them first?"
"You know you can count on me, buddy," said Gray, at least trying to ease their circumstance.

Lucy was on a cliff that was not far from the scene. Although, she was not scared, she was aware that she needed to plan her moves first. She already had an injury on the stomach and another one would be a burden. From that particular moment, she tested her theory. She could be correct in thinking that their enemies would increase in number as much as their team member could. But, she expected that it would not be that way if the mercenaries will not notice anything.
"Open the gate of Virgo." She quietly summoned the maiden.

"Hime... I'm ready to be punished." Virgo was now in the mood to serve her owner. Meanwhile, Lucy was thinking of ways for Virgo to get to the area stealthily.
"Virgo, can you dig really deep? Lucy queried.

"Sure, hime." The Celestial spirit was fast in digging six feet under. Then, underneath, she proceeded and succeeded to dig on the location of the battle. As soon as Virgo arrived, she cut the ground open from below, and suddenly jump off towards one of the mercenaries who was about to pierce Loke from the back.
"Do it now, hime!" The Celestial maiden signaled.

Lucy instantly attacked from above. She used her Celestial whip to constrain the enemy. She clinged into her whip and whirled it around the man until it reached to his neck, and from there, she released and shoot his head with her arrow. The man's head burst, yet, instead of blood, beads of magma-like particles exploded from his neck.

"They're not humans! You can aim to their heads." Lucy called out, informing her teammates.

"Let's finish this!" Gray yelled. He had now aimed his ice dagger towards the tallest mercenary, while preparing his left leg to kick him. Meanwhile, Loke had already defeated the third opponent with his Regulus Impact.
The team sighed in exhaustion. Their breathing was being erratic, but relief can be seen by each of their faces. Lucy intentionally collapsed herself on the ground, preparing to meditate. The three mages were about to rest, yet, the moment of relief soon ended upon the appearance of enormous walls, enclosing the place where they have settled. The walls trapped them.

The team has already been trapped for about an hour. It was a bit dark, but thanks to Loke's Regulus, the entire area was illuminated. Virgo already left to the Spirit world, yet she managed to dig something as a possible access to the outside. Although, before disappearing, she mentioned about a secret mission that made her owner got curious. Although, it was more urgent for them to get out of the trap. Loke and Gray kept on caressing the walls, looking for some clues or secret passageway.

Loke was able to touch something, he pushed the wall that felt like a button. The wall directed them to another dimension, which they thought would be the way out. Unfortunately, it was something else and far more dangerous.
All of a sudden, a giant, mythical-like creature appeared before them. It looked like a snake, but it was not.

"If you stay inside you die. Finding a way out without taking a step could cease your existence. The choice is yours." The creature began to speak. It had a voice of a woman.

"Is this some sort of a game?" Gray irritably asked the other.

"The one behind her looks like an exit." Loke softly tipped his comrades. "
"No, we have to be careful about looking for a way out. She said we will die. It only means that, we have to abide with her rules if we want to escape." The Celestial mage warned her spirit.

"Remind me again why I hate these kinds of game." Gray's brows furrowed.

"What are you?" Lucy demanded, glaring at the creature.

"I am, who I am. And I am Nymph Vodalia. I am the one who dwells hereof." The creature seethe.

"We play with your game, and we are free to go. Am I correct?" Lucy confirmed. She was determined to outsmart the one called Vodalia, even if it means her life being on the line.

"Yessss... If you fail, I will have to add you to my collection. Hahaha..." Vodalia laughed sinisterly, while showing the three of her entire collection. She revealed it, dragging along the side of a wall through her magic. Tons of water flowed out from the wall before a horrific sight emanated. It was terrible. Lucy dropped to the ground, at a loss of words. Tears dropping from her eyes. Gray and Loke grit in anger and frustration.
"What have you done?!" Loke attempted to attack Vodalia, but he was drifted away by her huge tail.
The sight was too much for the three mages. After all, it was their other comrades in Fairytail whom the horrible creature had mentioned. They were being hanged against a gigantic rock. Gray was even angrier when he saw Wendy, Carla, Levy and the rest of the other girls being displayed upside down. "I WILL LET YOU PAY FOR THIS..." He clenched his hand.
Lucy had now stopped from sobbing, and with a heavy heart, she had looked up and observed each of her friends. She observed that all the girls were being dangled upside down, while the boys, although being hanged, were properly placed in order to form a triangle. She let herself believed that her comrades were not yet dead. She also thought of a plan, so that they could all escape. "Hey. You talk too much. How about we start your, game, Vodalia..."
Delighted, Vodalia evilly glared at them. "Shall we? If you commit a mistake in my last question, I will make these two men of yours become part of me. Then you, woman, will cease to exist..."
Lucy nodded. "Then, you will have to deal with me alone..."

"Ahahaha... I am warning you, don't mess up. Now, hmm... Let see...Describe the one you love." Vodalia had now began her mind game, feeling evilly giddy inside.

Lucy was being careful in answering her question. She didn't want for her audience to know her secret, especially one person. Aside from that, she didn't want to risk either of her friends to be eaten or conjured by such morbid creature.
"Uhmm... That person never fails to help those he loves." The blonde mage declared. She made sure that her tone is unwavering.
"And, you're... NOT LYING..." Vodalia scorned. "But this time, it will be more difficult to all of you!" The monster pointed at them with her long, scaly and ugly arms.
"The next one will be related to the last question...." Vodalia grinned, but, there's no tint of beauty in her appearance. Her eyes moved back and forth, like that of an animatronic. "The three of you must answer."
"Wait, I told you, this is between you and me!" Lucy was irritated. Her bright aura emanated from her.
"Nonetheless, I did not agree to that!" The ugly woman drew the water, forming a tidal wave unto the area. "Now, listen to me!.. Who is on your mind?"
Vodalia glanced at Gray, then with her other hideous arm, she pointed at him. "Let us start with you, handsome lad."
Gray gulped, he didn't expect this game with such questions. "I am thinking of Lucy." Then, he mimicm a cough and continued, "I have faith in her, yet, I'm still afraid that she'll messed..."

"Enough!" Vodalia moved the water towards Gray that made the latter get hit by a medium-sized bolder. "I don't need an explanation.!" Then, she proceeded with Loke, who also answered the same. "Lucy. It wasn't that hard, I adore..."
"Stop!" Loke was stricken by Vodalia's leg. It was apparent now that the nymph had 4 long limbs, and a gigantic tail. She looked like a dragon-snake yet only hideous looking. "And you, WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?"

"Gray...
And Loke..." Lucy immediately answered. She was confused why she feels terrified, whether it was because of their circumstance, or because there must be something in her answer.
"No... Someone had lied. Identify the person who just lied, right now. State the name and your existence shall be in vain..!"

The ground had shaken and began to get filled with water. Lucy, Gray, and Loke had now braced themselves for the water's impact. They are bewildered as to how they're gonna answer the annoying nymph, until Lucy figured something out." Nymph Vodalia!"
The creature was puzzled. "What did you say?!"
"I said the one who lied was Nymph Vodalia. You just said it, identify the name of the person who lied." Lucy uttered. From the look in Vodalia's eyes, she knew that they had won. Then, just like a snap, the unattractive creature disappeared with the large pool of water. Although, the three was about to drown along with their friends, as the rocks where they had been dangled were falling under.
"Let's go get them..." Loke called out as he swam towards the pool with their bodies. As soon as they had all of their friends, a whirlpool forced them deep deep down. They found it strenuous to move back above. They were about to give up trying when Gray noticed something on the water-bed. Under them was a mirror. The Celestial lion illuminated his rings for his comrades to see, before signing them about what he just saw. What was underneath, is a glass-like structure that they could see their own reflections. Lucy tried to touch it and shoved half of her body through it. She came to suspect that it was a way out. Gray and Loke had then followed her. The three, along with their friends were now away from the depths of the water.