"speaking"
""thinking""
On with the story
The battle against August continued. Gildarts, and Cana were making progress against the Spriggan 12's strongest wizard, but they weren't able to close anything out.
Gildarts threw his arm forward, only to collide with August's staff once more.
"Ooooh!" Gildarts roared while trying to overpower August, but his efforts were for naught.
August scoffed before he pushes away Gildarts and fired magic blasts directly at him
"Gah!" Gildarts got sent skidding away but Cana threw some cards at August who used his staff to block the incoming projectiles
Gildarts held his hand forward as it glowed white
"Oru Kurashu!
A brilliant flash of crash magic erupted directly on August, taking the shape of a star with the sudden flash. August blocked the attack as he then flew forward, striking both Gildarts and Cana to knock them away in separate directions. "Whoa!"
"Kyaaah!" Cana felt that one. She tumbled along the ground, right onto her right side.
"What's going on here!?" Gildrats pulled himself to a knee while staring at August. "My magic isn't working on him…neither did Fairy Glitter, but…"
"Such a thing as love between parent and child…" August said as he holds his staff to his side
"STOP IIIIIIT!" Gildarts roared, forcing himself to move in front of Cana. In his mind, there was no other option but to take the staff as it stabbed through the left side of his chest.
"GILDARTS!" Cana cried out
"Guh…" Gildarts coughed up some blood, but managed to smirk despite his situation. "This part's already been eaten by Acnologia. It's fine. It's fine."
"Stop pushing yourself already!" Cana pleaded.
"I'll do anything for my own child." Gildarts said with a grin. "It's strange, but even though I've only been thinking of myself till now…once I got a kid, everything I've worked up for has been spent on the kid."
Gildarts' words caused August to lift a brow, as though he was taken aback by what was said.
"Cut the crap! You've walked away from us again anyway!" Cana scowled. Prior to this war, the last time Gildarts had been seen was during the Fight for Fiore incident, which was well over a year ago. "So much happened while you were away that we could have used your help in Tartaros!"
"I was thinking that I'd be in your way." Gildarts admitted. "If it's okay to be with you, Papa will always be with you."
"THAT'S ANNOYING!" Cana shrieked
"BUT!" Gildarts then began to sprint forward. Even though this caused the staff to pierce deeper into his body, but the man didn't care "I can do anything if it's for my kid! EVEN DRAGGING YOU DOWN TO HELL WITH ME!"
"GILDARTS!" Cana yelled.
"RRAAAAAAAAAAH!" Gildarts had a firm grip on August's staff as he holds it tight in his grip. There was a malicious smile on Gildarts' face as he closed the distance between them.
"Gildarts, stop it!" Cana pleaded, but Gildarts kept pushing forward. "PLEASE STOP, DAD!"
"are you insane?" August said to the Crash mage who merely grinned
"I'm a father!" Gildarts replied "and besides..i already figured out your magic!"
"what!?" August looks in surprise
"instantaneous copying of magic! At the same, this nullifies the magician's magic in front of you! I was wondering what was going on! My magic wasn't working, nor did Fairy Glitter! But you dodged Cana's cards!" Gildarts explained
Cana realized it as well when she remembered how August defended against her card attacks
"you can't copy Holder Type magic, right? That's why you can't copy Cana's magic! It's like Lucy who can only summon her spirits with her keys!" Gildarts exclaimed
"is that so!?" Cana exclaimed as she
flung several cards at August. Since he was too busy dealing with Gildarts, he couldn't dodge these and they exploded against his body, sending him flying back. "AND YOU! DON'T GO SHOWING OFF LIKE YOU WERE GOING TO DRAG SOMEONE TO DEATH!"
"I can't help it!" Gildarts said as a card was stuck on his head but it had hearts on it "for my daughter I would do anything for her bright smile!"
August looks in shock as Gildarts grinned at the man and sends a fury of punches at him
"now let's see if you can copy this attack!" Gildarts exclaimed as his prosthetic arm glowed
[Flashback]
"The child of Mavis…is Zeref the father? When did this? No, it may not seem so, but Mavis is a grown woman. That's not the problem. What to do with this child? An enormous magic power that's neither light nor dark. Was it perhaps a mistake to let it live…?" Precht thought as he looked to the child in the basket
"Precht abandoned me. But I don't hold a grudge against him. I've learned about Zeref and Mavis from my own memories, because I had the magic power just for that. I had a tough time in my childhood. It was a struggle just to live. But the person that saved me…was Father. Father did not know about me, but it was better that way. I became Father's assistant to create a country together. Father gave me a name…"
Zeref stood before a young boy. A boy who seemed oddly familiar. "I had some special time to spend with a certain girl. You remind me somewhat of that girl. That was during August…"
"Why was the King's child unloved? That was because…he never realized that he had one…"
[End flashback]
"Haja Kessen! Zetten!" Gildarts swung his metallic arm at August's chest as the Wizard King could not defend against the attack.
There was a violent explosion of crash magic upon impact. August let out a loud cry of pain as he flew back into the rubble, taken down by the efforts of Gildarts, and Cana
Meredy was on her way to Fairy Tail and have the intention to take down Zeref for Natsu
"wait for me! Zeref!" Meredy exclaimed before she saw a giant explosion near the site where Gildarts and Cana were battling
"this is like a total warzone!" Meredy exclaimed before she heard more explosions coming from the Fairy Tail guild hall
"is someone fighting against Zeref?!" Meredy said before she started running towards the guild
"Dad, are you okay!?" Cana rushed over to Gildarts while holding onto her right arm.
"Yes. It's just my left arm that's stopped moving…" Gildarts held onto his prosthetic arm.
It all look like the battle was over but that's when the sound of shifting rubble filled the air.
"What!?" Gildarts turned.
"It can't be!" Cana gasped in shock as August comes out of the rubble
"I was born with a mighty magic power. But I've thrown it away, neglected it. And eventually reached the barrier that every living being faces, but my life was saved by His Majesty." A sinister glow appeared around August, a malicious smile crossing his lips. "That's why even if this body decays, the most powerful mage of the Spriggan 12, August…will destroy this country with his power!"
"Wh…!?" Gildarts grunted out as blood splattered out from his mouth
"dad!" Cana screamed out
"Scatter and turn to ashes…along with my body…" August rose into the air, the area around him crumbling to nothing. The entirety of Magnolia was caught within this massive power.
"W-What is this!?" Max started choking.
"I…I can't breathe…!" Warren clutched his neck.
As Mavis ran, she suddenly tripped and placed a hand on her chest.
"Ah…!" She held her chest as she can sense a powerful magic force boiling her blood.
"A magic capable of evaporating the blood of living beings and melting the earth…is this the ancient magic Ars-Magia!?"
"Everyone, can you hear me!? This is an emergency! Make your powers go into defensive mode, this way…!" She couldn't finish. Her telepathic connection to everyone was cut off due to the intense heat in the air.
"I've been blocked…!" Mavis coughed up blood as Magnolia was withering away with each passing second, and very soon, there would be nothing and no one left. "Who…has this magical power…!?" Her gaze then lifted to the sky where August was. "August was this kind of mage…!?"
"Disappear." August said. Magnolia and everyone in it were going to melt to nothing.
Gildarts wrapped his good arm around Cana, holding her close. "Stay with me, Cana! No matter what happens, I will protect you! No matter what!"
August had full intentions of completing this spell. But he felt a familiar gaze on him. A gaze that he could not ignore.
August turned to face the gaze that looked upon him, and he saw her. Mavis.
The moment he saw her, the spell stopped, but August's body still disappeared into nothing.
"What was that…?" Gajeel asked
"I don't know…" Levy answered.
"Did he exhaust all his power?" Cana asked.
"No…" Gildarts shook his head "he saw something and stopped the incantation"
Mavis hadn't a clue what just happened. All she could do was speculate. "His magic power wasn't enough? But everyone is fine…I must hurry!"
"At least once would be enough. At least once…to be held in your arms…mom."
Mavis felt a familiar presence behind her. But when she turned, there was nothing. It was only there for a split second. The young boy who trod the path of neither light nor dark. The boy that simply wanted to be loved by his parents. The boy that never received love from his father; the boy never got to meet his mother
In the Fairy Tail Guild Hall
Zeref was slammed to the floor before getting dragged to the wall by Natsu as the man was an insane rabid beast
Natsu roared out as he threw Zeref to the bar before breathing out black flames from his mouth
BOOM!
The bar exploded as Zeref was still alive due to his immortality but the black flames burned him
"that's it, END." Zeref said while chuckling and laughing with a crazed grin "kill me!"
Natsu roared out as he swings his tail at Zeref as the jagged spikes pierced the man's stomach
"Gah!" Zeref coughs out blood before Natsu grabs Zeref's neck with his claws
Natsu roared at Zeref before the demon slammed him to the floor
He lifts up his feet and started stomping down Zeref numerous times
Natsu roars out as his body burst into black flames
"you've truly become the monster I wanted you to be"Zeref smiled as Natsu breathes out fire everywhere in the guild "you made me proud, Natsu…or rather E.N.D"
Flames started to gather in Natsu's mouth as the flames charged up in his mouth
"finally…I can die…" Zeref closes his eyes as he awaits death by his brother
The flames started to get larger as Natsu was about to fire it upon Zeref but stopped
Natsu staggered back as the demon looks to the door where Larcade stood
"Father…I've come to save you…" the man said as he had his hand up in a gesture
Natsu roared out at Larcade but the demon fell to his knees while grunting as his eyes were closing
"Larcade…" Zeref stared.
"Father…I made it in time." Larcade said with a content smile.
Natsu roared out as his flames were dying down
"Now, while the enemy is flustered!" Larcade's smile turned into an evil one. "HURRY UP AND KILL THIS HINDRANCE! AND BE RELEASED FROM THE CURSE OF YOUR YOUNGER BROTHER! LET HIS PURE WHITE SOUL ASCEND TO THE FREE HEAVENS!"
Larcade smiles so happily to his accomplishment but Zeref, he was not
Zeref pointed his hand forward and an explosion occurred from Larcade chest, blowing behind him as well.
"Wha!?" Larcade looks in shock as his so called father had attacked him
"Do not interrupt us." The Black Wizard snarled.
"Why…why…why Father…?" Larcade asked as Zeref stomped on his wounded chest violently. "Gah!"
"I have no child." Zeref glared down at Larcade.
Natsu looks to the scene as he growled out
"But…but…I'm…Father's…." Larcade sputtered.
"You're just a demon from the Book of Zeref." Zeref said as Larcade cried. "An experimental body used to create Natsu, and the one that turned out the best was given the name of Dragist, that's it."
"But I'm…" Larcade tried to pull himself up but his blood was pooling up
"And you've disrupted the fight between Natsu and I. my one wish was almost granted and your ruined it…YOU USELESS TRASH!" Zeref then violently kicked Larcade in his chest once again, forcing him back down to the ground.
"GAHAH!" Larcade cried out.
Natsu roared out as he stands back up and growls at Zeref
"wait just a minute, Natsu" Zeref said as his eyes glowed red "I just need a sec before you can kill me"
Larcade could do nothing but lie on the ground as he cried in tears.
"Dad…it hurts. It hurts…Dad…" Larcade cried out as he reached a hand towards Zeref
Zeref looks to Larcade who cried out to him. "Dad…stop this…"
"I don't have children." Zeref said. "I don't have a family either."
The Black Wizard pointed his palm forward, down at Larcade. "YOU'RE A BOOK I CREATED! A DEMON FROM IT! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
A brilliant flash of light erupted around Larcade as Zeref erased him from existence
"D-Dad…" those were Larcade's final words before he was erased from this world.
Natsu saw the scene as he ignites his claws in pitch black flames
"now that the obstruction is gone" Zeref said as he turned towards Natsu "let's continue, Natsu"
Natsu roared before he grabs Zeref's neck and lifts him up
"Raaaaaoooohhhh!" Natsu growls at Zeref as he lifts his black flaming claws
"at last…..death" Zeref said in tears as he smiled in joy "thank you Natsu….for keeping our promise"
Natsu swings his left claw back before he swings it forward towards Zeref's chest
Zeref closed his eyes and awaits his ever-longed death but something soon stopped Natsu
"FREEZE LANCER!"
Dozens of ice lances came flying towards Natsu as the lances breaks from impact
Natsu dropped Zeref as he looks to the one who attacked him ans it was Gray
"Natsu" Gray looks to the mad demon with Ultear and Aya behind him as Natsu growls in response
"Papa?" Aya called out to her father as she was terrified of his form
"snap out of it! You're not a demon!" Gray shouted out as Natsu merely roared in response before he ran towards Gray
Gray's Devil Slayer marks appeared as he pushed away Ultear and Aya before he blocked a flaming punch by Natsu
"Guuh!" Gray's feet slides back before he did several gestures and froze Natsu in a block of ice
The ice quickly cracked and then shattered as Natsu roared at Gray
"I'll stop you….." Gray said as he creates an ice sword "I'll stop you for good!"
Natsu let out a fiery roar before he breathes out a fire blast at Gray who creates an ice barrier but it was destroyed by Natsu who shattered it with his tail
Gray slashes his sword at Natsu as the sword instantly shattered upon contact to Natsu's skin
Natsu grabbed Gray and then threw him away
"Gah!" Gray got thrown to the wall before he quickly gets up and encased his hands in his Ice Devil Slayer magic
"it is futile…" Zeref said with a smile "…Natsu has returned to his original form…..a true demon…Devil Slayer Magic will no longer work on him"
Gray punches his fists at Natsu but the demon merely stood in his place as Gray sends fury of punches at him but it barely made Natsu wince
Natsu grabs Gray's fist before he kicks Gray to the floor then the demon punched Gray straight to the floor
"Guuah!" Gray coughs blood as Natsu roared out
"Uncle Gray!" Aya screamed out as Ultear holds her back
"Natsu!" Ultear called out to Natsu who turns to look at her and Aya "please stop this! You're not a monster! You're Natsu!"
Natsu growls as he made his way towards the two
Gray grabs a hold of Natsu's leg in attempts to stop him
"get away! Hurry!" Gray shouted out before Natsu grabs Gray and threw him away
"Uncle Gray!" Aya went to him as Ultear was face to face with Natsu
"Natsu..i know you can hear me! Please! Come back!" Ultear shouted to Natsu who growled in response as he lifted up his left claw and it was ignited in flames
"how foolish….you'll just die in vain" Zeref said as he slowly gets back up
"Natsu….please come back!" Ultear shouted as Natsu swings his claw at her
In that split second, in that split moment, Natsu's right claw grabbed his left claw as it stopped Natsu from hurting Ultear
Ultear saw the scene as she saw Natsu's right eye turned back to human
"Natsu…." Ultear looks to Natsu as tears stream down his right eye
"I'm…..so….rry…..i'….really….sorry" Natsu voice out to Ultear as he cried in tears
"Natsu…." Ultear look in tears as Natsu's left side rampaged with flames erupting from his left claw
Natsu roared as he slams his left claw to the ground with his right claw
"please…go…..away!...i….can't…..con….trol…my…body!" Natsu voice out as his tears keep pouring down like water fall
"you have to fight back! You have to fight it back, Natsu!" Ultear exclaimed as Natsu roared and started destroying nearby objects
"please! Run away!" Natsu roared at Ultear before he swings his claw and made a huge gash on Ultear's arm
"AAAAh!" Ultear screams in pain as blood spilled out from her wound
"Mama!" Aya screamed out as she tried to run to her mother but Gray hold her back
"don't! it's too dangerous!" Gray exclaimed
Natsu growls out as his right eye turned black and he was ignited in flames
"now, Natsu" Zeref said as he walks towards his brother "end this all"
Natsu open his mouth as flames stared to boil up in his mouth
"ZEREF!" Meredy came running in as she summons her magic blades and sends them flying towards Zeref as the blades pierced his body and imbedded him to the wall where Natsu's attack missed its target
"Meredy!? Why are you here?!" Gray exclaimed
"to take down Zeref! What else?!" Meredy exclaimed before she saw Natsu
"is that…!" Meredy looks in shock as Natsu roared at Meredy and swipes his claws at Meredy but she dodged it
"wha! What is going on?!" Meredy exclaimed in shock as Natsu roared "is that…Natsu?!"
"he transformed! We have to stop him before it's too late!" Gray exclaimed as he grabs Aya and jumps to the side when Natsu fired a fireball at them
"but how?!" Meredy exclaimed as Natsu swings his tail and threw tables at them
Ultear grips her bloodied arm as she stands back up
She looks to Natsu as the man rampaged around in the guild
She then had an idea as it was a suicidal idea but she had to take it
"Meredy! Your Sensory Link!" Ultear exclaimed to her daughter "linked me and Natsu!"
"but I don't know if it will work in his state" Meredy said
"just do it!" Ultear exclaimed as Natsu ran towards her
"here goes nothing!" Meredy exclaimed as she reached her hands forward and a pink chain wraps around Natsu's hand and Ultear's hand, a pink glow appeared as it was the Sensory bracelet
Natsu grabs a hold of Ultear's neck as the demon lifts her up
He roared out as he swings his right claw back
"Natsu…. I've heard everything from Durya" Ultear spoke to Natsu as the man just growls to her "I know everything about what you're trying to do"
Ultear reached out her hand to Natsu's cheek as she caressed it softly
"I know…..i know that you're trying to protect us….i know that you're doing everything just to keep us safe….but please…don't turn into a monster…you're not a monster"
Natsu merely growls as he tightened his hold on Ultear's neck as she started to suffocate
"Natsu….do you….remember our promise?" Ultear asked as she takes out her necklace and showed it to Natsu "you…..promised…we'd…..stay together…."
Natsu looks to the necklace as he saw the picture of him and Ultear in the pendant
"please….remember"
Natsu looks to the picture as his right eye turned back to normal
"Ul…tear" Natsu looks to her as the black markings shrank away from his skin
Natsu was in total darkness before the darkness started to crack and shatter as light started to shine within the darkness
"tO tHiNK ThAT lIGht wOuLD sHiNE His DaRKEst HouRs" Vlad said with a smirk
"I believe that your assistance would not be needed at the moment, brother" Drac said while crossing his arms
"hEh! SOONer Or LaTER hE wILl cALL uPoN My PowER OnCE mOre" Vlad said with a grin as he started to disappear from the light "bY tHEn, I WoN'T LeaVE A sINGle MemORY LeFT"
The whole darkness shines and Natsu stood within the light
"please…Natsu…..remember who you really are….." Ultear looks to Natsu as her tears drop to his face
Natsu's eyes widen as memories of Meredy, Aya, Ur, Gray and the others started to return to him
"I…." Natsu's transformation slowly regresses as his form slowly turned back to normal "I remember…."
Natsu let go of Ultear as his wings and tail disappeared and his claws turned back to human hands
"Natsu…" Ultear look to Natsu as the man turned back to normal
"that's impossible…she returned him back to normal"Zeref looks in surprise as Ultear went to Natsu and hugged him
"you're back..!" Ultear cried in tears as Natsu hugged her back
"I'm sorry…..for everything…" Natsu muttered out as Ultear hugs him tight
"Papa.." Aya went to Natsu as the child had his scarf in her hands
Natsu and Ultear looks to Aya as Natsu kneels down in front of her
"thank you for holding onto it" Natsu said to Aya as he patted her head "but I need you to hold on to it a bit longer"
Aya nodded as Natsu patted her head before he swings his hand to block a black sphere that came at him
Zeref broke free from Meredy's magic swords as the Black Mage walked towards Natsu
"get Gray and the others and leave" Natsu said as he summoned on Drac "I'll be handling him"
"but, Natsu.." Ultear tried to retort but Gray stopped her
"it's alright, he got this" Gray said as Ultear looks to him before looking to Natsu who nodded
"you better be alright the next time I see you!" Meredy said as she punches his shoulders
"I got it" Natsu said as he and Zeref got into a standoff where the two circled around each other
"be safe, Natsu" Ultear said before she carried Aya and went out of the guild with Gray and Meredy
"This was slightly surprising." A black aura wavered around Zeref's body as the man smirks at Natsu "to think that she was able to return you back to normal by mere words"
Natsu's fiery aura wavered around him once more, standing face to face with his brother as them fated battle rapidly approached his climax.
"it's time….that we end this for all" Natsu said as their aura clashed against each other
"You're right, Natsu." Zeref said. "No…END."
The two stared at each other before they clash their fist against each other as a powerful shockwave shook the guild
That's a wrap!
Bye bye