SailorStar9: We now continue with Chapter 167 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.

Chapter 167: Alvarez Empire Arc: The Vow of the Doors

"What was that just now?" Gildarts wondered, quivered by the shockwave.

"It came from the Guildhall." Cana noted.

"We should check it out." Gildarts suggested.

"Wait, jii-san." Laxus cut in.

"Laxus, everyone." Cana blinked at the reunited Guild members.

"Shodai told us to stay away from the Guildhall." Freed reminded. "We can assume she has a strategy in mind."

"I'd like to get him back to the Guildhall as soon as possible." Laxus looked at the immobile Makarov in his arms.

"Battle reports, everyone." Ulyo went into leader mode. "Cliff notes version, please."

"Didn't that August guy say he was the last of the Twelve?" Cana recalled.

"I managed to defeat Jacob and take him prisoner." Mirajane supplied.

"That Ajeel guy lost the will to fight." Elfman added. "He and his grandpa went off somewhere."

"I took care of Invel." Ulyo informed.

"What about the guy who controlled the dead?" Pantherlily inquired. "Historias, I think they were called. What happened to him?"

"I heart Natsu dealt with him." Carla answered. "And Erza subdued Irene. Lucy says Brandish and Dimaria have left the battle."

"Save the details for later." Ulyo stated." In other words, all that's left is Emperor Spriggan; Zeref and..."

"Acnologia." Evergreen finished the sentence. "The notorious Black Dragon himself."

"He's some serious trouble." Elfman agreed.

"What happened to him, anyway?" Gildarts asked. "I don't sense the black dragon anymore."

"I saw him chasing Blue Pegasus' ship." Laxus answered.

"And what about the others who aren't here?" Ulyo asked.

"Warren is looking for them right now." Freed replied.

With Lucy, Gray and Happy...

"What was that just now?" Gray winced, all three were knocked to the ground by the shockwave.

"It came from the Guildhall." Happy blinked. "Say Lucy, where's the writing the flew out?"

"It's all back in the book, it seems." Lucy replied. "I think Natsu and this book are connected by a highly advanced body-link spell. If I can just rewrite it..."

"Rewrite it?" Gray echoed. "That's crazy. There was a flood of information from just that one page. And even then, the info is still compressed."

"I don't think I need to rewrite all of it." Lucy corrected. "I'm sure there's a page somewhere that'll let me help Natsu. We have to find it. I think that's how we can help now." she reopened the book and set the letters free again.

In the Fairy Tail Guildhall...

"Shodai, the only option left now is to get rid of him." Natsu rested Mavis back on the ground and resumed his fight.

"Get rid of whom?" Zeref scoffed. "Me?"

"Who else would I be talking about?" Natsu snapped.

"You can't destroy me, remember?" Zeref reminded. "That's why I had to resort to this."

"Fire Dragon King Destruction Fist!" Natsu threw his flame-covered punch at Zeref. "Sorry, Gramps..." he muttered, his attack left a gaping hole on the Guildhall wall. "I destroyed the Guildhall again and Zeref with it."

Just then, 'Neo Eclipse' activated, rewinding time and reverting the destroyed Guildhall back to its original form, along with Zeref.

"He's completely back to normal." Natsu gawked.

"This is the power of the Fairy Heart." Zeref bragged. "Space and time belong entirely to me. Limitless, everlasting magic power. This power is the pinnacle of every form of magic that has ever existed. It's truly befitting of this world's end." with an Ankhselam Black Magic-covered hand, he stabbed Natsu in the stomach. "There's one last thing I forgot to mention." he added, proceeding to exit the Guildhall. "There was no need to apologize to Makarov. Because he's already dead. I hope you meet him in Heaven. Goodbye, Natsu."

With the Christina group...

"Wait, Jellal." Ichiya tried to dissuade the younger mage. "You needn't be our decoy. It's too dangerous. Let me handle this."

"No, this is something I have to do." Jellal insisted and took off. "Meteor." he activated his speed spell and slammed straight into Acnologia.

"I told you before." Acnologia started devouring Jellal's magic. "I have no magic type." he retaliated by firing off a beam of Heavenly Body magic at Jellal, who used 'Meteor' to try to dodge the attack. The Black Dragon then curved out a line into the ocean, splitting the sea into two.

"I was naive." Jellal admitted. "I thought I could buy some time if I kept dodging his attacks. But if he keeps this up, he'll obliterate every bit of land, too."

"Neither Jellal nor this ship can keep this up for much longer." Erza realized. "Haven't you opened the time rift, yet?" she turned to Anna.

"I keep reaching out to it." Anna replied, focusing. "Why won't it respond? Has someone purposely closed it?"

In the Fairy Tail Guildhall...

"This world is over." Zeref declared. "A new world is about to begin. Fairy Tail's front doorway; it shall be my entrance to the new world. I now link the time rift to the Guild's door. As soon as I walk through this door, this world will fall away and a new world; my world, will begin. People setting out, people coming back. So many have passed through this doorway. To think Fairy Tail's entrance will lead to this world's end and new beginning. It's so perfectly ironic. I'm going to retain my memories and relive my former life. I won't make the same mistake again. I'm going to save this world."

With Lucy, Gray and Happy...

"What happened?" Gray wondered when the letterings stopped moving and several letters exploded before vanishing. "Did something happen to Natsu?"

"A part of his body..." Lucy frowned. "Some part of his body's been seriously hurt."

"Did you figure out how to rewrite?" Gray asked.

"Not yet." Lucy pulled out her Light Pen. "But I'm going to rewrite the parts that just vanished."

"But how?" Happy wondered. "It happened so suddenly. There's no telling what they said before."

"It's okay." Lucy assured. "I have it all memorized." she started filling in the first character.

With Jellal and Acnologia...

"I'll shove him inside." Jellal shot straight towards Acnologia, now that the time rift is visible. "There is no other way."

In the Fairy Tail Guildhall...

"Thank you, world of the old." Zeref proceeded to walk towards the linked time gate when he felt a surge of magic power behind him.

"Gramps always told us; he told us to vow we would return whenever we left those doors." Natsu growled. "And to vow that we would live."

With Lucy, Gray and Happy...

Lucy had filled in the blanks within the lines.

"Lucy?" Happy blinked when the Celestial Spirit mage suddenly stopped moving as blood red veins crept up her arm to her cheek.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Gray barked.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.