Gray slammed a powerful purple sword down where Kai had been. The Dragon Slayer slid through the rubble around Gray, doding another manic attack. There was little preciseness to the moves at all. Gray was just looking to kill anything in his way to E.N.D.

To Natsu.

Kai ducked under another swing, though this one seared some of the tips of his hair. He stepped into another attack, managing to grab a hold of Gray's arm before he could attack again.

"Gray, cut this out," Kai said. "Do you even realize what you're doing, who you're fighting? This is exactly what Invel wants! For us to destroy each other!"

"I can destroy E.N.D.!" Gray shouted. "Get out of my way!"

Kai stiffened but Gray overwhelmed him with his power, knocking him back. Kai rolled over some rubble.

"Ice Demon Zero Destruction Fist!"

Kai glanced up and got a huge fist right in his chest, blasting him through several already-toppled buildings.

Kai came to a rolling stop, coughing up a fair bit of blood from the internal wound. He pushed to his knees, trying to regain his vision.

"I'm not going to fight you, Gray," Kai muttered.

Gray sprinted across the way at Kai, his purple aura streaking behind him while more of the dark magic crept over his body.

"I can't," Kai said. "I'm not here to fight fairies, I'm here to fight Spriggans."

Gray leapt into the air, holding aloft several ice spears over his head that all launched down at Kai. The Dragon Slayer summoned his sword and batted away most of them save for one, which cleaved through the air next to Kai.

He jumped back as Gray landed and spewed magic everywhere. Kai returned his sword and stayed on the balls of his feet.

How could he calm Gray down? Could he just wear Gray down?

"I can't hurt you," Kai said. "It's not right!"

"Then just get out of my way!"

"So you can kill Natsu?"

"E.N.D.!"

Kai dodged another attack, tempted to strike Gray and maybe knock him out, but resisted. Gray's power soared again. How was he only getting stronger as the fight went on?

Gray swung around and slammed Kai with another Ice Demon Fist. Kai dropped to the ground.

"Ice Dragon Glacier!"

Kai launched into the sky, Gray shattering the glacier beneath Kai. He used the momentum of Gray's powerful attack to flip back and land in front of Gray, who absorbed the magic Kai had just used.

His face contorted.

As Kai had suspected: neither could meaningful absorb the other's magic; at least, Kai could if Gray didn't just use his Demon Slayer abilities. As the fight stood, Kai had to use his own spells…but not to fight.

Damn it.

Kai lowered into a stance, a defensive one. Gray shook his head.

"This would be so much easier if you just let me go," Gray muttered.

"Absolutely not," Kai said.

"Even Acnologia is scared of what E.N.D. could be possible of," Gray said. Kai twitched at the use of the name. Low blow, Gray. "Zeref specifically made Natsu to kill him. That's the power we're dealing with, all in the hands of a demon."

"Do you hear yourself? You just said Natsu!"

Gray's aura wavered. "I have to. My father gave me this magic to slay demons. I have one left before Zeref."

"Your father wouldn't want you to kill your friends."

"My father died to give me this power."

"To kill your friends?"

"I'm not friends with E.N.D.! If I'd have known—"

Gray reached for his head, the magic on his body wavering.

Kai set his jaw and stepped forward.

"Think about it, Gray. Come on, even if there's something wrong with Natsu we can handle it, we can do something about it. Why wouldn't we have seen glimpses, why wouldn't Zeref have said something? Nothing's adding up. I'm not denying he's E.N.D. I'm just saying—"

Gray shouted and unleashed his magic, blowing Kai away several feet and onto Kai's back again.

The purple aura shot up into the sky around Gray while dark flecks also appeared in it.

"No more words. I know what I have to do."

Gray's eyes flashed purple.

"Juvia is gone. How many others in our guild are going to die today? All because I wasn't strong enough."

"No!" Kai shouted. He'd heard these words before…right out of his own mouth. "Gray, don't…"

Gray opened his hands and a purple bow appeared in them, with a massive arrow aimed right at Kai.

It generated more magic power than Kai believed Gray even had in him.

"I said…no more."

And he released the arrow.

Kai had maybe a second to react, and used that time to summon his blade and slice the arrow right down the middle, destroying two buildings behind Gray, but in doing so had to charge up his blade and launched a counterattack at Gray, who slapped it aside.

The Dragon Slayer rose to his feet.

"I'm sorry, Gray," Kai said.

Gray shifted the weapon into a sword. Kai glowered up at the once-sane Ice-wizard.

"Maybe if Juvia were here," Kai muttered. "Or Ultear, or Erza. But this is how we'll talk. With swords."

Gray slashed down. Kai ushered more power into his blade and raised it to block, the two clashing and shooting a gust of wind everywhere while flakes of purple and light-blue ice flaked away. Kai's arms trembled to keep Gray's blade from slicing all the way down.

Gray roared, something inhuman breaking free, and then the sword shattered. Kai tumbled back.

"Ice Demon's Rage!"

Just like a Dragon Roar or God Bellow, the Demon Rage blast shot from Gray's mouth in a powerful stream of magic. Kai's eyes widened. No time to dodge.

"Ice Dragon Roar!"

Their beams collided and spewed frozen chunks all over the area. Kai kept a firm footing, barely, as Gray leapt over the icy mists that'd formed around them.

Relentlessly, Gray shot down weapons after weapon in a barrage down at Kai, who could only do his best to dodge. Gray burst at Kai again, punching him hard across the face. Stars filled Kai's vision.

Gray caught Kai and flung him into the ground, an arrow aimed right at Kai.

"Do it," Kai muttered, resting his hand on the ground.

Gray noticed and released the arrow at Kai's hand, but it deflected off a high-concentration of Ice Dragon magic on Kai's hand.

"Gotcha."

Gray barely dodged Kai's sword as it soared back into the Dragon Slayer's hand. Gray slid along the ice, coming to a halt against some rubble.

"Come on, Gray," Kai muttered, breathing a little heavier. "You've gotta cut this out."

"Just step aside," Gray said.

Kai shook his head. There just wasn't any getting through to him.

Gray lowered into an offensive stance again. Kai didn't move.

A new scent filled Kai's nostrils, startling him.

"Ultear?"

He glanced around and Gray took his chance, launching an Ice Demon Zero Destruction Fist right at Kai, hitting him square in the side and propelling him into a nearby building.

Kai slammed through the wall, barely holding himself up.

He glanced up with blurry vision as Gray stalked toward him, his shadowy aura almost completely consuming him.

Ultear trudged behind him, holding someone in her arms. Juvia, who still held her side, barely alive.

"Get away!" Kai shouted.

Gray's face darkened as he thought Kai yelled at him. Kai pushed himself free of the wall and waved at Ultear.

"You have to leave!" Kai exclaimed.

Gray formed another bow in his hands.

"I told you, I'm not going anywhere," Gray said.

Kai almost swore but stopped as heat, and a searing one at that, approached. He dared steal a look over his shoulder.

Stalking toward him, melting everything in his path, came Natsu. But not the Dragon Slayer he'd grown up with: A long shadow cast over Natsu's brow and dark flames licked up the side of his head and hair. Talons replaced his arms and feet.

This wasn't Natsu.

It was E.N.D.

"Move," Natsu muttered, his voice little more than a growl.

"No," Kai said.

Natsu's aura flashed once before the entire area they were in exploded. Kai flipped end-over-end and landed hard on his back, the wind momentarily knocked out of him.

E.N.D. glowered across the way toward Gray, who just stared him down.

"Finally," Gray muttered.

"What are you doing?" Ultear shouted, and it gave Gray pause.

Kai pushed himself to his knees.

Gray turned a bit, his eyes widening when he saw Juvia, barely clinging to Ultear. The Rain Woman held a meek hand out to Gray.

"My love," she muttered.

Gray's mouth dropped and the bow dissipated from his hand. Then, his attention shifted back to E.N.D.

"No," he muttered. "This…"

"Look at him, Gray!" Kai shouted, pointing at E.N.D. "Look! Does that look like a demon, something Zeref would make? No! That's Natsu, and we need to save him! We need to stop whatever is turning him into a demon!"

Gray held his attention on Juvia, who continued to hold a hand out for Gray to take.

Natsu snarled, the flames gathering around him.

"I will destroy Zeref!" Natsu, or E.N.D. roared.

Kai winced. Maybe Natsu was too far gone. But nobody needed to kill him.

They could save him.

They had to.

Gray took a step toward Natsu. Juvia let out a cry, then shouted,

"Don't do this! Please, Gray!"

He halted, completely frozen in place.

"This isn't you, Gray," Ultear said. "What would my mother think?"

Gray remained stuck in place, but clear tears slid down his face. The darkness on his body retracted.

Natsu shouted the same sentiment, the desire, to kill Zeref once more.

"You're dying, Juvia," Gray said.

"Then go get Wendy," Kai said, pushing himself up and flaring his magic. "I'll distract Natsu."

"You can't defeat him."

"I didn't say defeat."

Gray looked back to E.N.D., hardly able to even do so.

"Natsu," he muttered, his voice trailing off.

Natsu roared. Kai moved in front of Gray, who handed Kai a massive shard of ice.

Kai wordlessly munched down on it, his magic refilling.

"You sure about this?" Gray asked.

"Find Wendy, heal Juvia, then kill that son of a bitch Zeref who did this to Natsu in the first place," Kai said. "Got it?"

"Got it."

Kai nodded and listened as Gray sprinted back over to Juvia and Ultear. He scooped Juvia up and ran with Ultear back into the ruins of town, leaving Natsu alone.

"I faced you once as a demon," Kai said. "Now I'll bring you back down to Earth." He kept his sword away but summoned his magic. "However I need to."

Natsu roared and his flames consumed him again, but were snuffed out by a massive blast of ice. Natsu's rage probably raised his strength considerably but didn't help him dodge Kai's first punch that sent him flying.

Natsu recovered fast and launched down at Kai.

Someone else was approaching, and fast: Erza. A bit of nerves pulsed through Kai. Depending on how strong Natsu had gotten, it may be too dangerous for her.

He blazed a roaring flame down at Kai, the magic easily melting through all the stone. It was like true dragon's flames.

Oh, if only Igneel could see Natsu now.

Kai ushered more strength than he cared to use—wanting to save it for the other Spriggans—and blocked Natsu's next attack before unleashing one back on Natsu, trying to bury Natsu in rubble that his flames continued to melt and absolutely obliterate.

Natsu fired a flurry of blows that Kai only barely dodged—they were too fast and too random for Kai to weave through.

One broke through, stunning Kai, and Natsu was almost able to capitalize. His spell nearly burned the clothes off Kai, and the demonic talon nearly destroyed Kai before a woman in brilliant fiery armor stepped in the way and blocked the fist with her sword, knocking Natsu back.

She caught Kai and the two landed. Kai spilled onto the ground, catching his breath.

Erza Scarlet towered in front of Kai, her sadness quite palpable. Tears streamed down her face.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Long story short? Natsu is a demon of the Book of Zeref. E.N.D. Etherious Natsu Dragneel. Gray was about to kill him but he cleared his mind. I'm having a tough time with Natsu at this therapy session."

Natsu's flames continued to sear through everything, causing ripples to rise in the air from the heat alone.

Erza, in her Flame Empress Armor, shifted her stance.

"This may not be as simple as talking him down, don't you think?" Erza asked.

"Probably not," Kai said. "He's fighting us, Erza, don't you think that would slow him down?"

"Well he hasn't attacked since I arrived," Erza muttered.

Natus, indeed, remained standing there. He unleashed a plume of flame into the air but that was all.

"Kill Zeref!" Natsu roared. "Kill Zeref! I must kill Zeref!"

"We need to just take him out and maybe Master can heal him," Kai said.

Erza visibly winced at that.

"K—Kai…"

Natsu roared again, and the situation dawned on Kai when he couldn't smell Master Makarov anymore. His scent was gone, vanished.

"No," Kai said. "Erza, we were just with him! I just spoke with him, I—"

"An enchantment had been cast over the enemy, overwhelming our forces, and he cast a powerful Fairy Law," Erza said. "He's gone."

Natsu roared once more.

Kai balled a fist and stepped forward. "You hear that, Natsu? Snap out of this! Master is dead, and we're here doing this? You're here fighting your family?"

Natsu continued to seeth. Erza maintained her stance, then dropped her sword.

"I can't do it," she muttered, staring at the ground. "I—I just can't…"

Natsu started toward them, walking slow. Kai stepped up next to Erza, but could sense the overwhelming power coming from Natsu.

Kai almost surged his power when Erza gripped his hand.

"Don't," she said. "This is Natsu. We can't fight our family after we've just lost…"

Kai tensed. Erza clung tight to Kai's hand. Natsu continued toward them.

"Natsu, please," Kai said, but didn't raise a hand to him. "Stop, right now!"

Pillars of flame erupted from the ground around Natsu. His power was shooting off the charts.

He opened his mouth to roar but stopped. Two arms clung tight to him from behind. He swung around, trying to get whoever it was off, but they wouldn't let up.

Lucy held tight to Natsu, her face buried against him, her arms locked.

"Don't, Natsu!" Lucy shouted through tears. "Stop this! Didn't you hear what Kai and Erza said? Please, you need to stop. We've lost so much already. Not you, too!"

Natsu tried to move but Lucy held him firm.

"N—no," Natsu growled.

Erza rosed and sprinted toward Natsu, also throwing her arms around him. Natsu tried to roar.

Kai joined them, and then came Happy, who flew in and landed on Natsu's head.

Natsu's flames suffocated but the heat remained, burning through the Fairy Tail members. He growled and grunted and couldn't move; not because of Fairy Tail, but because his body had locked.

Then, last of all, one more set of arms wrapped around Natsu, bringing a chill to the group:

Gray, who bowed his head and touched it to Natsu.

"You're more than this," he said. "Get it together, Natsu!"

Natsu raised his head and stared at Gray. The heat died down, and the muscles in Natsu's body relaxed. He loosened up.

Everyone but Lucy and Happy stepped back. Natsu's eyes went dormant, and he swiveled his head around to everyone. The shadow faded from his eyes; the talons had faded but left some scarring.

"I—I'm sorry," he muttered, and dropped to his knees before passing out.

Lucy was immediately down with him, checking his pulse and resting her head on his shoulder, tears sliding down his face.

"He passed out," Lucy muttered. "He's alive."

Happy nodded, also allowing tears down his face.

Kai sighed and faltered back a step. Gray reached out and caught him with Erza, handing him another piece of ice to fully refresh him.

Wendy, Juvia, Ultra, Carla, and Iggy came sprinting around one of the corners.

"You're okay," Kai said, smiling at Juvia.

She nodded and fell into place near Gray.

"Well, what do we do about this?" Ultear asked, gesturing down at Natsu.

"No idea," Erza said. "I would say we need to get him to the guild hall, but…"

"Zeref is there," Gray said. "And that's where I need to be."

"Don't be a fool, Gray," Ultear said.

"She's right," Juvia said. "You can't take on Zeref in this state!"

Gray pursed his lips and nodded.

Erza's scent strengthened in Kai's nostrils. He glanced at her, but she remained stern in her Flame Empress Armor, unchanging.

"Something the matter?" Erza asked.

"Wait, Kai, you noticed it too?" Wendy asked.

"Noticed what?" Erza asked.

"Your scent," Kai said. "It's as if it just magnified."

"Even if someone were casting a duplication spell it wouldn't act up," Wendy said. "I can still smell it?"

Erza adjusted the grip on her blade.

"We need to move Natsu," Erza said. "If something strange is afoot, we need to get the wounded out of here."

Lucy nodded and with Ultear's help got Natsu back up. The scent remained, and only continued to get stronger.

"What the hell is going on?" Kai muttered to Wendy, who shrugged.

"Get to shelter, at least," Erza said to Lucy and Ultear. "Happy, scout around and see if you spot anything weird."

"You mean…like that?"

He nervously raised a paw to the ridge over them. Everyone followed it, where a woman of dark scarlet hair stood. She held a long staff in hand and wore little clothing, some armored undergarments, really. She had a long hat with furs at the rim of it and a long, flowing cloak.

And her scent was undeniably similar to Erza's.

"I see you've taken care of His Majesty's little problem," she said. "Good. One less thing to get to."

She lowered her staff and in a blink, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy vanished.

"What have you done?" Carla shrieked.

"You said you wanted them to get to safety so I sent them across town," the woman said.

"Who are you?"

"I'm known in the Spriggan Twelve as the Scarlet Despair," the woman said, and slammed her staff down.

A powerful gale of wind surged from the red flash of magic that emanated from the bottom of her staff, blowing Gray, Juvia, and Ultear away. Kai snapped onto Erza, who clung tight to a rock.

The others took to the skies to avoid the attack, sliding away and landed when the winds died down.

"But my true name is Irene Belserion," the woman said, and dropped to the ground in front of them. Her eyes fell straight onto Erza. "And I have been waiting for this moment for quite some time."