Back with the continuation
"speaking"
""thinking""
On with the story
With Natsu and the others
Kyôka was shackled, with Lisanna, Erza, and Natsu watching over her.
"Where's Mira and Elfman?" Natsu demanded from her
"Elfman was captured as well?" Erza asked and was answered by Lisanna's nod.
Natsu pointed the tips of his hand at Kyoka's neck as the Demon sweated a bit to the close proximity "Where are they? Talk."
"This one knows not of an Elfman." Kyôka answered.
"But the one named Mira is located in the laboratory two levels above. However it may be too late to assist her"
"I'm going up there." Lisanna declared.
"Natsu, go with her." Erza ordered. "There may be trouble along the way. I will stay and deal with this one."
"got it" Natsu said as Erza nodded before the man runs to catch up with Lisanna
With those two gone, Erza and Kyôka were once again alone, though their roles were reversed.
"What was that shaking earlier?" Erza interrogated.
"That was our castle's reaction to Face's wards being removed."
Erza's eyes went wide with shock. "Face's wards removed? You don't mean that Jellal has-"
"He still lives." Kyôka interrupted. "The ward was vanquished through…other means."
"What are you hoping to accomplish through all of this? If Face has the power to eliminate all magic from the continent like the council said, then what could you possibly gain from activating it?"
Kyôka chuckled before answering the question.
"It will allow us to return to our Master, Zeref!" Before Erza had time to retort, the demon cut through her chains with her lengthened claws.
"You have deceived yourself! Those chains merely suppress magic power. They have no effect on those of us with curse power!" The demon swiped at Erza, but the redhead side-stepped, using her forearm to block. Erza then rose her leg and kicked Kyôka in the face, sending her to the ground.
"So…" Erza began, her eyes sharp. "You're all fanatical worshippers of Zeref?"
Kyôka looked back at Erza with sadistic joy. "Zeref used the written word to record his love. We demons, we are his words made flesh!" Kyôka extended her claws, but once again Erza dodged. She rushed forward and slashed at Erza, who blocked again. This time with her sword.
"Why should we not believe in our creator?" Kyôka inquired.
"Believe whatever you want." Erza retorted. The sounds of blades clanging rang throughout the vacant hall.
"But you should to look to your own heart when making your decisions!" Erza continued. "Not the honeyed words of a zealot!"
"Human's cannot comprehend what we demons feel," Kyôka told her
Erza knocked away Kyôka's hand, staggering the demon and allowing herself time to requip.
"Humans have beliefs too!" she stated.
"But you must never lose your own soul for those beliefs. Strive for the courage to think for yourself." Erza donned her Piercing armor and thrust her javelin into Kyôka's abdomen.
"And walk on your own two feet!" She forced Kyôka into the ground, the pressure from her armor's strength plunging both of them further underground.
On the underside of the Cube, Fairy Tail continued their battle with Tartaros' forces.
Gray found himself swarmed by the hordes of armored soldiers. "Dammit! Quit mobbing me!" he swung his arm, summoning a wall of spiked ice between him and his attackers.
"Get out of my way!" He was so focused on the enemies in front of him that the ice wizard failed to notice those coming from behind. One jumped into the air, his spear pointed at Gray's back.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia shouted. She turned into water and sped to his defense, kicking the armored attacker in face.
"Thanks for the save, Juvia." Gray said.
"You're welcome." she smiled, solidifying herself and standing back to back with him.
Everyone was giving it their all as the endless amount of soldiers keeps attacking them over and over
"How many of these guys are there?" Jet complained.
"They just keep coming!" Droy added.
"We're stuck!" Max shouted. "We gotta protect Laxus and the others!"
"We need to find a way in!" Romeo yelled.
"We can't use Aera in this gravitational field." Charla explained. "The force would just pull us back down."
"But we have to find a way to the top." Lily reminded.
"But how will we…?" Lucy asked, biting her lower lip in frustration.
"Have we not found a place to break through yet!" Makarov shouted.
Just as hope was beginning to dwindle, a portion of the ground began to rise. It then exploded out, a large hole appearing in its place.
"What was that?!" Levy exclaimed asked.
From hole emerged Erza, falling through the air with Kyôka floating just above the end of her javelin.
"Erza?!" Lucy blurted.
"Look!" Gray pointed to the hole. "She broke through! That's our way in!"
Erza fell a few meters more before she was pulled back to the cube. She landed on her feet, equipping back to her hakama and sarashi.
"What is with the gravity here?!"
"Erza!" Laki exclaimed happily.
"You're ok!" Warren shouted.
"everyone!?" Erza said before she looked up, seeing the town of Magnolia overhead. "What is going on?"
"We don't have to explain now!" Gray shouted. "We're going to head through the hole you made!"
"Right!" Erza acknowledged. "Lisanna and Natsu are safe as well. They're searching for Mirajane" She added.
"Where is Elfman?!"
"Right here!" he answered. He then jumped into the hole, the Fairy Tail wizards following behind him.
"I'm going to fix my mess!"
"Don't forget to retrieve the blood from the one with Devil Particles!" Porlyusica reminded.
"You got it!" everyone saluted before jumping into the hole.
Erza watched her friends, a grin on her face before she was grabbed by Kyôka and was lifted into the air.
"Erza!" Lucy shouted.
"Don't mind me! Just go!" Erza ordered. "Face's wards are gone! You have to stop it from activating!"
"Ok!" Lucy nodded before Ikaruga takes the twins and jumps in the whole with Lucy
Kyôka slammed Erza back to the ground, but the redhead grinned eagerly.
"I haven't properly expressed my gratitude to you yet, have I?" Erza asked.
Kyôka returned Erza's grin with a glare.
"This one has grown fond of you!" Kyôka said with a smirk
She then looked to her soldiers. "After them!" she commanded. "They must not reach the castle!"
"Yes ma'am!" The guards saluted. They ran towards the hole and jumps in
With Natsu and Lisanna
Natsu and Lisanna ran through the castle, soon coming upon a flight of stairs. "Up there, Natsu!" Lisanna pointed as they ascended the stone steps they were spotted by a group of guards.
"There they are!" one of them shouted. "Don't let the prisoners escape!"
Natsu stopped and turned to face them. "Lisanna, you go on ahead."
"But, Natsu…"
"Go…" Natsu jumped from the stairs to the guards. "Find Mira"
"Ok!" Lisanna nodded reluctantly and continued up the stairs.
Natsu clenched his armored fist tight as he pulled it back before punching it forward as a powerful gust of wind blew away the soldiers
Natsu sighs as he turns around and was about to walk away but stopped when he noticed that the guards he had defeated were floating in mid-air. It was as if time had stopped.
Then hollow footsteps echoed ominously through the hall.
"why are you here?" Natsu said as from behind him appeared Zeref "Niisan"
"I see that you found my bookshelf, Natsu" Zeref spoke to his brother
"you didn't answer my question" Natsu said to his brother with a stern look
Zeref smiled as he closes his eyes for a moment before opening them
"I believe that you already know why I am here" Zeref told him
Natsu stared at his brother who did the same as a moment of silence passed before Natsu turns around and walks away
"it's not your concern anymore, I will act as I want like I used to in the past" Natsu told to Zeref as he stopped his walking to look at his brother one last time "don't try to nose in on my life"
Zeref continued his smile to his brother as he was slowly disappearing as his body was turning transparent
"the time is coming…the time for the final battle….the battle which you cannot avoid…Natsu" Zeref spoke to Natsu before disappearing into thin air and time started to flow back regularly
Natsu looks to where Zeref was standing before as the man squinted his eye before turning around to head to where Lisanna went to
With Lisanna
Lisanna finally reached the laboratory and frantically called for her sister as she ran through the tube laden room. "Mira-nee?! Mira-nee! where are you?!"
The eldest Strauss sibling walked from the side of one of the pods, surprised to see her little sister. "Lisanna?!"
Lisanna leapt to her sister, wrapping her arms around her in a loving hug. "Thank goodness!" she cried.
"What are you doing here? And why are you in animal soul?"
Lisanna let her sister go, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I needed clothes."
"I don't understand."
"I was captured." Lisanna revealed. "Along with Natsu, Erza, and Elf-nicchan."
"What?!" Mirajane gasped in shock. "Where are they?!"
"Natsu and Erza are both ok, but we still have to find Elf, I was told he might be in here with you."
"But I haven't seen him." Mirajane said.
"That man was not captured." Sayla approached the sisters, her angered eyes focused on them.
"Be careful, Mira-nee!" Lisanna warned. "She can control people! She was the one who captured me and Elf and…"
"Get back." Mira said, stepping in front of her sister. She could sense how powerful Sayla was regardless of Lisanna's warning.
"I directed the one named Elfman to destroy your guild hall, and he did what I asked. Magnificently reducing your hall to rubble." The air began to shift and Sayla's mood worsened. "However, my plan failed. Not one wizard was killed."
Mirajane gave no answer, but Lisanna sighed in exasperation. She knew exactly what her sister was thinking. There were consequences for messing with their family, whether they blood or not.
Sayla gritted her teeth. "I was humiliated before Kyôka-sama, and that man is to blame! My tale is coming apart!" she looked Mirajane with hollow eyes. "So I will sate my vengeance by killing his elder sister!"
Mirajane's demonic glare matched Sayla's. "You had my brother do those things, huh? Then allow me to pay his debt in full."
In the monitor room
Franmalth typed away on the screens in the archive, finding more and more odd things by the second.
"How did Face appear so far from where we predicted?" he wondered. "I knew there would be a few small deviances, but nothing this big." He heard the door swing open in the distance.
"Who is that? Has Kyôka-sama returned?"
Lucy, Milo, Charla, and Wendy entered the archive room. All of them looking around in wonder.
"This is place the guard pointed us to, right?" Lucy asked for confirmation.
"nya" Milo meowed quietly as he pointed his paw to the holographic globe.
"Look at the huge globe." Wendy pointed. "It must be some kind of map."
"Perhaps this is some sort of control room?" Charla suggested.
Franmalth watched from behind a corner as the foursome walked to a control panel.
""The fairies have made it this far?"" He thought in a panic. ""How much have the guards failed us? How much?!""
"Look at this!" Lucy called to the others. She placed her hands on the stone keyboard and began to type, screens popping up left and right. "Erza was right. The wards on Face is gone."
"What are we going to do?" Wendy asked shakily.
"The controls are locked. There's nothing we can do to stop it" Charla pointed out
"It says here that Face can't be activated remotely, it can only be done manually at the site." Lucy recited from one of the screens. A light began to blink on the screen. "What?! It's starting up!"
Franmalth grinned from his hiding place. ""You sure are quick, Ezel.""
Wendy looked at one of the screens near Lucy.
"What do you see?" Lucy asked, worried about the pale look on the young dragon slayer's face.
"Face…" Wendy trailed off. "It says that it will go off in 41 minutes." Everyone gasped in shock.
"We've got to tell everyone!" Charla said as Lucy and the others nodded.
"It can only be stopped on-site!" Lucy reminded.
"then we don't have time to tell the others!" Charla shouted. "We just have to go ourselves!"
They then heard clinking metal like noise as they turned around and sees Keyes approaching them
"The prayers from these maidens in their gloom echo like a tolling bell in perdition. The brilliance of Demonic Light revives the lands and breathes life into the Morning Star." The skeleton spoke. "O fairy maidens who have fallen into the Underworld, shed your mortal forms and wander the paths of Purgatory!"
Both Lucy and Wendy shook in fear at the sight of the demon known as Keyes.
"I-is that a sk-sk-skeleton?" Lucy stammered.
"It's a mask." Wendy reasoned. "It has to be."
Lucy glanced over to the counter. Only 40 minutes remained until Face was activated. She and Wendy composed themselves.
"We don't have time for this." The blonde said. "As soon as we find an opening, we're making a run for it."
"Right." Wendy nodded.
Franmalth sauntered from his hiding spot to his fellow demon. "It looks like things have gotten pretty bad for you two young ladies."
"There were two of them?!" Wendy gasped.
"Leave it to me!" Lucy grabbed two of her zodiac keys, summoning both Taurus and Aries.
Aries rushed forward thrusting out her hand.
"Wool bomb!"
The wool covered the demons, shielding Taurus from their view. The cow man, gripped his axe tightly and swung around, capturing Aries' wool in the whirlwind.
"Wool Typhoon!"
"Now's our chance!" Lucy said to the others as they made a quick get away
"Do you know where Face is located?!" Wendy – who was already lifted into the air by Charla – asked Lucy.
"The screen it's located in the Great Caverns of Cowbane Canyon! Let's get there quick!"
"Ok!"
They run in the halls of the castle. As they wound down a curved hallway, Lucy was shocked to see Keyes standing in their path.
"He should still be in that control room!" Lucy shrieked.
"He probably found a way to cut us off!" Wendy deduced.
A dark aura began to flow from Keyes' body and he tapped his staff against the ground. "Regard, the star of destruction's-"Suddenly Keyes' speech was interrupted by Gray who appeared out of nowhere
"Out of my way!" the ice wizard shouted, punching through the archbishop.
"Gray!" Wendy exclaimed in relief.
"Great timing!" Lucy complimented.
Gray turned to his comrades, more than a little confused. "Lucy?! Wendy?! What are you-"He narrowly managed to duck as the girl's sped past him.
"Sorry!" Wendy apologized.
"We're in a hurry!" Lucy hollered.
"Thank you for helping us!" Wendy added. Soon the four were gone from the hall, leaving Gray even more confused.
"What was that about?" he asked.
Keyes reformed himself and faced Gray. He could feel a familiar power emanating from the ice wizard. "Thou must be Silver's…" he trailed off.
"Huh?" Gray questioned.
they reached the corner to turn, Lucy noticed a plume of wool inching from the corridor.
"Aries?" she called. Surprisingly Franmalth emerged from the corner, covered in Aries' wool and possessing what looked to be the spirit's horns on his head.
"You won't get away!" he shouted.
Lucy – distracted by the odd sight – collided into the wool along with Happy, stopping their momentum in an instant.
"What is Aries' wool doing here?!" she yelled as she struggled to free herself.
"Lucy-san!" Wendy shouted. She and Charla managed to avoid the obstacle.
"Don't worry about us!" Lucy yelled back. "Stop Face!"
"Ok, we're going!" Wendy nodded. She and Charla flew out of the window.
"Didn't I say you weren't getting away?!" Franmalth extended a wool arm towards the pair, but it suddenly blew apart, startling Franmalth, Milo, Wendy, and Lucy.
"remember me?" a dark voice spoke in the dust cloud before a black flaming punch strikes upon Franmalth and sends him crashing to the wall
"Natsu!" Lucy and the others exclaimed in surprise to see the Dragon Slayer with them
Franmalth came out of the rubble with a pissed look on him "You?! how did you escape?!"
"Natsu, Face…!" Lucy said as Natsu nodded
"I know. We just have to leave Face to Wendy and Charla" Natsu told her
Franmalth bellowed, catching the three wizards' attention. When they looked to him, they saw as his body began to morph and shift into something different. When he was done, his body resembled that of Taurus, save for his one-eye. "Revolution." He shouted.
"He's using Aries' and Taurus' magic !?" Lucy gasped.
Franmalth grinned evilly, relishing in the human's shock.
"I gain nutrition from the souls I absorb, and I can evolve using my Revolution curse! How much will you pay for letting those mice scurry away? How much?!"
"Give me back my spirits!" Lucy demanded.
"Never!" Franmalth objected. "How much is my precious collection worth? How much?"
Natsu drew back his fist, igniting it.
"then I'll punch you to the point of kingdom come!"
Natsu closed in on Franmalth, but the demon grinned. His face morphed, changing into Aries.
"Natsu-san." She whimpered.
"Aries?!" Lucy questioned in shock.
Natsu hesitated allowing Franmalth to change back and attack him. He clubbed Natsu on the head, driving him into the ground.
"I'll just do you a favor and suck your soul too!" Franmalth reached down, but Natsu managed to move out of the way.
The dragon slayer drew back another fist, and this time Franmalth changed into Taurus.
"Please stop, Natsu." The cow man pleaded.
Natsu let out a dark grin as he punches Taurus' face and caused Franmalth to crash through the hall.
"That wasn't very nice." Lucy commented as she felt sorry for her hostage spirits
"You little brat!" Franmalth shouted to Natsu. "For that, I'll show you the most valuable soul in my collection!" Franmalth's body changed again, but his new form shook the Fairy Tail wizards to their core.
"That's impossible…" Lucy gasped
Franmalth had changed into Master Hades…but with a few noticeable differences. First off, his body was still round like his demon form, and his tongue was stuck out. In reality the only thing that had changed was his head.
"Hades!? But how!?" Lucy exclaimed
"When Hades was master of Grimoire Heart it was the strongest dark guild in the world!" Franmalth reminded. "Even though he was a genius wizard, he delved too deep into darkness. I discovered his body by complete accident while searching for Zeref seven years go! Quite the fortunate find for me! He is the closest thing to a demon that a human can be! How much do think his soul is worth?! How much?! You have no hope of winning now!"
"Really?" Natsu said with a dark look on his face as he disappeared and reappeared behind Franmalth and hammered the cyclops to the floor before kicking him to the ceiling
"Guuuaaahhhhh!"
"for your information, I'm the one who beat Hades in the first place" Natsu told to Franmalth who got back up
"how about this!" Franmalth shouted as he held out his hand, summoning one of Hades' chains. "This is the power of someone who has glimpsed the true depths of magic!"
Natsu step to the side and grab a hold of the chain and then yanked Franmalth to him
"I know all of Hades' attacks, you really thought I didn't make any countermeasures?" Natsu said to Franmalth before he slams Drac right at Franmalth's face and caused the demon to grunt in pain
""this human! He's not any human at all! He's a demon like us!"" Franmalth looks at Natsu who had a glowing red dot in his eye
"We are demons from the book of Zeref! We are living weapons born from what he wrote long ago! Each of is powerful enough to take down the entire army of a country! Never forget that! Your puny magic doesn't stand a chance against the power of our curses!"
Lucy summoned Horologium to check on Wendy's status. "How much time is remaining before Face is activated?"
"9 minutes and 43 seconds, Miss." The spirit relayed.
Lucy looked down at the ground, fearing for the outcome of Face's activation. "The entire guild is fighting Tartaros right now. If Face is activated then…" She looked out to the window. "Please, Wendy…hurry"
With Wendy and Charla
The two have arrived to the location where Face is located as Wendy and Charla entered a cave that will lead them to Face
"I'm sorry, Wendy." Charla apologized while being carried by Wendy as the Exceed had run out of magic power
"That's ok." Wendy smiled to her as she walks in the cave with her
"Thank you for trying so hard." She said to her as they walk a path in the cavern
"How are we going to find Face?" she asked, looking side to side for anything resembling a magic-cancelling bomb.
"We don't know what it looks like or even how big it is!"
"Calm down, child." Charla tiredly chided. "If you concentrate, you should be able to sense its magic."
Wendy calmed down and continued onward.
As the pair walked further into the dank tunnel, Wendy took notice of the change in the surrounding air's composition. She opened her mouth, inhaling in some of the substance.
"The air is fresh in here." she announced with surprise. Usually a place this low in the earth would be rife with dust particles.
"That's because of the low temperature and high humidity." Charla lethargically explained. She was growing more tired by the second. She exhausted more energy than she previously thought.
A bug crawled up Wendy's leg, causing the young dragon slayer to squeal in fright. She hurriedly kicked the insect of off her, but she only shrieked louder when even more bugs flew around her. As if to take their comrades place.
"Humid areas also have a high concentration of bugs." The tabby informed.
"You don't have to tell me that now!" Wendy said.
While Wendy calmed her racing heart, Ezel clung to the ceiling, watching her in both disappointment and irritation.
He thought someone worthy of his time would come. Instead his prayers were answered by a child, and a cat. "What's with this little girl?" he griped.
"Is this Kyôka's idea of a joke? A tiny morsel like that would never fill me up! She just had to stick me with a petty task like this one!"
Wendy looked up, surprised to see the demon falling towards her. She jumped back just in time for the demon to fall to the ground where she previously stood. "Tartaros?" Wendy questioned, watching as Ezel rose up.
"He must have been the one who activated the process!" Charla deduced.
Ezel reached for Wendy, but she dodged again. She began to run away, the demon in hot pursuit. "What do I do?!" She asked Charla. "I don't have time to fight!"
"You need to run! You won't be able to face him alone!"
Wendy looked back briefly, Ezel was catching up fast. There was no way she would be able to outrun him and make it to Face in time. She stopped running. "I have no choice! He's too fast for me!"
"Wendy, don't!" Charla protested.
The dragon slayer placed her friend in a safe place and turned to face the demon. She summoned a magical circle as well as a barrier in front of herself.
"Deus Corona!" "Deus Eques!"
Wendy enchanted herself as her body glowed.
"Il Arms!" "Il Vernier!" "Il Armor!"
She boosted her abilities even more. This surprised Ezel.
"So you're an enchanter, huh?" Ezel smriked.
Wendy ignored his question and sucked in as much air as she could.
"Tenryu no! Hoko!"
The boosted tornado ripped through the tunnel, but to Wendy's shock Ezel cut through it with his hands.
"Can I have some fun too?!" The demon laughed manically. He was excited at Wendy's strength. Perhaps she would be worth the effort after all.
"Even though you're a little thing I can let loose with you, right?!"
""He's strong! I have to try and end this quick!"" Wendy jumped to Ezel, gathering air around her foot.
"Tenryu no Kagizume!
Wendy kicked Ezel on the face, but it didn't work as Ezel was unfazed by her attack.
"heheh!" Ezel grins as Wendy tried to attack again but Ezel blocked her attack before he crossed his four arms across his body.
"Tenga Goken!" he said
Charla's eyes widened. She felt the energy emanating from the demon's stance.
"Wendy, duck!" she shouted to the dragon slayer
"Onimaru!"
Ezel swung open his arms as an X shaped slash attack flies towards Wendy who sidestep at the last second, but was nearly knocked away from the wind.
She slowly looked behind and sees the wall behind her had a giant X slash like mark on it.
Ezel grins as he continued to attack Wendy, giving the dragon slayer no time to rest.
Wendy barely managed to dodge each of the air blades. One of them even managed to slice off one of her twin ponytails. Ezel then swung one of his tentacle legs, but Wendy used Skywalk to dodge it.
"You're fast for an appetizer!" Ezel shouted with evil grin. He increased the speed of his tentacles, but Wendy managed to dodge all of them in rapid succession.
Wendy landed on the ground and prepared to jump again, but slipped in a puddle that caused her to stumble back. In her misstep, one of Ezel's tentacles finally hit its mark, catching Wendy in the abdomen and slamming her into another wall.
Ezel crossed his upper arms and readied another attack, refusing to give Wendy time to evade again.
"Juzumaru!"
He swung his arms open again, unleashing a cross wave that sliced into where Wendy was launched.
"Wendy!" Charla cried out.
Unable to dodge at such close range, Wendy was caught in the blast. She crossed her arms over her face, hoping her enchantments would shield her from the worst of the attack. Sadly, they didn't.
""I enhanced my defenses as high as I could. So why is…?!""She cried out in pain as the cross exploded and sent her crashing to the ground and further in the tunnel.
Before she could get up. Ezel steps his tentacles on her wrists to hold her down.
"Look." Ezel said as he looks forward
Wendy tilted her head back, her eyes widening upon seeing a glowing stone head sticking up from the ground.
"This is Face." Ezel explained.
"Only five minutes until it goes off." He sniffed the air, his face twisting in disgust at it's potency.
"Since we're so close the air here is loaded with ethernanos. It stinks! But when you think about it, in just a little while this baby will wipe out all magic on the continent! And curse power will rule over all! So I guess a little stench isn't so bad." He began to laugh.
Wendy struggled to break free, but Ezel increased his pressure on her. "I'll do you a favor and crush you to dust before this thing goes off." He smirked.
"Let her go, you brute!" Charla demanded, launching herself towards Ezel.
"I mean it!" She then started using her claws to scratch at the demon's face, but this only annoyed Ezel.
"Charla…" Wendy rasped. "Stop…run away…"
"Let Wendy go now!" Charla cried, ignoring Wendy's pleas. Either that or she didn't hear them.
"Charla, run!" Wendy shouted.
Ezel grabbed Charla, stopping her flailing.
"What is this?" he asked. He squinted his eyes to get a better look. "A cat? Can I eat it?"
Wendy's eyes went wide. "No! Stop! Please!"
"Down the hatch!" Ezel opened his mouth wide, and began to place Charla's head inside.
"Stop!" Wendy pleaded with tears in her eyes as she watched the demon's teeth draw blood from her best friend's head. She tried to break free once again, but just like before it had no effect. "Charla~!"
""you really turned into a glutton, Ezel"" a voice spoke in Ezel's head as he stop for a moment
""that voice!?" Ezel's eyes widen as he knows that voice from anywhere
"Wendy…" Charla called weakly seizing the chance given to her. "Air."
"Air?" Wendy's eyes went wider in realization. ""That's right…the air here is fresh.""
She looked back to Face.
""Its density is different because of the ethernanos swirling around Face. It's mixed in with the air. She inhaled the air sharply. If I could take that mixture in...then maybe…I could be like Natsu. Maybe I could be like him…!""
Wendy clenched her fists and opened her mouth, expelling a plume of air that forced Ezel off of her and into the air.
He lets go of Charla and Wendy caught her as she fell, placing her safely on the ground.
"Just stay still." The girl smiled. "It's my turn to protect you."
Charla looked at her friend in awe as she sees Wendy's appearance slowly began to change before her eyes.
Her hair grew longer, and her blue hair turned to a bright shade of pink before it curved upward as if the wind was lifting it. scales began to form and stick out from her hands and wrists. They also sprang from her back and her feet.
""Wendy…""Charla smiled as she felt so proud of Wendy
""I knew you would achieve this one day…You used to be so timid and so afraid, but now...""
Wendy glares at Ezel as the wind dance around her
""she has Dragon Force!""
"What is that?!" Ezel shouted.
""I can hear the wind's voice, and the heartbeat of the atmosphere."" Wendy clenched her fists and the air began to swirl around her.
""Right now, the air here is mine to control!""
"Hey!" Ezel yelled. "You sleeping down there?! You're running out of time, human!"
Wendy suddenly disappeared before she re-appeared behind Ezel
"wha!?" Ezel exclaimed before Wendy punches him from the back
Ezel turns around in mid air with an angered look
"You little pest!" Ezel exclaimed as he swiped at Wendy, but she disappeared again.
She re-appears in front of Ezel as she sends a kick that creates a tornado right at Ezel's upper body
"Guuuuaaaahhhh!" Ezel was sent crashing to the grund as Charla looks in amazement
"Amazing." Charla said with a smile
Wendy landed gracefully on the ground and Ezel broke free from the rubble trapping him.
"This is good!" he smirked. He ran towards Wendy, but the dragon slayer was ready for him.
Charla looked to Face. The runes began to circle around the bomb as it grew brighter. Time was running out. "Wendy!"
"I know!" Wendy circled her arms in the air. "I'll finish this now!"
"You're a cocky morsel." Ezel then took notice of the vortex trapping him. "What is this? Wind?!"
"Metsuryu Ougi! Shoha! Tenskusen!"
The demon laughed at the attack. "My Yoto curse power can cut through anything!"
"Mikazuki!"
Ezel waved his hands around, cutting through Wendy's wind with his air blades.
He then grins as he crossed his arms and his body glowed and changed
"Zangeki! Modoo!"
"Now that I'm in Zangeki Mode, my Yoto will be even more powerful!"
Charla looked back at the clock on Face, it was under 4 minutes. "Wendy! The countdown!"
Wendy slid along the ground, stopping her momentum by placing her hands on the rocks.
""I'm almost out of power! I have to finish this!"" She held out her arms to her sides, summoning gust after gust of wind.
"Whatever you're planning won't work!" Ezel shouted. "I told you my Yoto is unstoppable!"
""More…I need more wind."" Her thoughts were akin to pleading.
"Looks like you need another demonstration!" Ezel sliced at one of the gusts surrounding him, but he was shocked when it cut off his blade.
"What?!"
Wendy pulled back her arms, her muscles nearly pulling apart from the centrifugal force of the winds she gathered.
""If I could just have a small amount of their power…please…lend it to me!""
She thrust her arms forward, fusing the winds gathered into a powerful torrent that violently ripped through the cavern.
It engulfed Ezel and Face, taking both down in spectacular fashion.
""I…I did it"" Wendy smiles as her Dragon Force came undone and she fell to the ground.
her victory was short lived when she saw Face's countdown still going.
"Why?" Charla questioned. "Face has been destroyed! Why is the clock still going?!"
Wendy stood up, but soon fell over onto her stomach. Dragon Force had exhausted nearly all of her energy. "My…body…I can't…move."
3 MINUTES
"This…can't be…" Wendy said.
2 MINUTES 40 SECONDS
"I'm so sorry, everyone…" she apologized, tears stinging her eyes.
The cube began to shake again, throwing everyone fighting off-balance.
"What is that?!" Natsu asked.
"It looks like your little friends were too late!" Franmalth cackled. "This is the Cube's reaction to Face! In just under three minutes, all magic on the continent will be gone forever!"
""Wendy!"" Lucy thought.
Erza and Kyôka battled above the outer structure of the castle. Both of them felt the rumbling as well.
"What's going on?" Erza questioned as the rumbling grew more fierce.
Kyôka smirked. "It has begun. Finally, it is the end for you, humans!"
Wendy and Charla watched helplessly as Face reached its final two minutes.
"We didn't do it in time." Wendy bit her lip in frustration.
"I'm so sorry." She apologized repeatedly.
"If Lucy-san or Natsu-san were here...they would have stopped it." She began to think of her weaknesses again.
""It's always this way. I always end up being a burden to everyone. I wasn't able to save Cait now Face will activate. All because I'm still so weak."" She began to cry. "I'm sorry…"
Charla slowly rose to her feet. "We're not completely out of options."
Wendy looked to her friend in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Face has absorbed an enormous amount of Ethernanos." Charla began to trudge towards the bomb.
"If we can somehow change the attributes of that energy, we can create a magical pattern that will cause Face to self-destruct."
"How do you know that will work?"
"I had a vision of it."
"A vision?"
"I saw…or rather searched for a future in which Face would not go off. After countless hours, I managed to find one where Face was stopped." Charla reached the bombs activation letters and began to rearrange them.
"That's amazing." Wendy said in awe. "You're incredible, Charla."
"I saw myself moving them like this…and then moving these two letters here and adding these here." Charla mumbled, deftly moving her paws across the letters.
"That means we'll be able to-"
"Then it ended." Charla interrupted.
"What do you mean?" Wendy asked.
"The future after this is blank. I saw…nothing."
"I still don't understand."
"We definitely destroy Face after I touch this final letter…but you and I…no one will come for us."
Wendy was shocked speechless.
1 MINUTE 20 SECONDS
"Can we live without magic?" Charla wondered. "I mean…they seemed to manage in Edolas…so why can't we…"
"No!" Wendy protested, staggering to her knees. "Our friends are fighting right now…without magic they would…"
"You're right." Charla nodded. She moved her paw to the final letter.
1 MINUTE 10 SECONDS
"I don't know how big the explosion will be…" Charla admitted. "You should escape, Wendy. Run as far as you can. I will finish this."
"What are you talking about?! I'm not leaving you behind, Charla!" Wendy struggled to her feet and took five steps before falling over once more.
"Please…?" Charla pleaded. "Save yourself."
"I'm not leaving you alone, Charla!" Wendy repeated.
1 MINUTE
"You have to!" Charla demanded. "How can set this off if you stay here?!"
"No! We've been together all this time, haven't we?!" Wendy argued.
Charla looked back to her friend, tears in her eyes as she watched Wendy crawl closer to her. "I don't have enough energy to fly…we won't be able to get away in time."
"I know…just look at me, I can barely move! So even if I did run I wouldn't get very far."
"Wendy…"
"So I'm not going anywhere!" Wendy reaffirmed. She then used her last gasp of energy to embrace Charla.
50 SECONDS
The tabby smiled, resting her paw on Wendy's arm. "I guess out adventure ends here, doesn't it?"
Wendy nodded, clutching Charla tighter. "But it was so much fun, because we were together."
"You're right." Charla agreed. The two released one another and turned to the bomb.
"So all we do is press this letter, right?" Wendy asked.
"Yes." Charla nodded.
"Then we'll do it together."
"Just like always."
As the pair reached for the letter, they remembered their life together. The moment they met when Charla's egg hatched.
Memories of Wendy happily running around Cait Shelter with baby Charla on her head. All of their good memories flashing back before their very eyes
These memories and others just as important flowed through both of their minds. They looked to one another one last time, tears flowing.
30 SECONDS
"Let's be friends in the next life, ok?" Wendy said.
"Always." Charla agreed. "Of course we will!"
As soon as they touched the letter, they felt something grab their bodies and spirit them away. Face exploded, the shockwave echoing for miles and miles. A pillar of light shot into the air, cutting through the clouds above before slowly fading away. On a plateau a good distance away from the explosion, Doranbolt appeared, holding both Wendy and Charla in his arms.
He exhaled in relief. "I didn't think I would make it in time." He looked down at the pair, smiling softly. "You two really overdid it." He then looked back to the crater where Face once was. "I never thought they would be able to destroy Face. So small, yet so brave."
With Natsu and the others
The rumbling stopped within the Cube and Franmalth cackled uproariously as he thought the victory was assured.
"Face has finally been activated! The time of humans is over!"
His celebration was cut short when he got a powerful flaming punch to the face by Natsu
"then why can I still use my magic, freak eye!?" Natsu shouted out
"What?! How is that possible?!"
Lucy reached for her keys, which glowed at her touch. "He's right! I can still feel my spirits!"
"looks like those two managed to do it on time" Natsu said with a grin
"How…?" Franmalth said deflated. "That's impossible." He fell onto his stomach.
"time to end this" Natsu said as he burst into flames
Franmalth suddenly darted towards Natsu.
"Your meddling will cost you 100,000 of your souls!" When the dragon slayer dodged, the demon began flailing around wildly. "Give me your soul! I'll take yours! Then yours!"
"He's completely lost it." Natsu said, dodging the frantic Franmalth's strikes.
"We have to stop him." Lucy asserted.
"You lot will never be able to beat me!" Franmalth exclaimed as he makes several gestures with his hands and magic circles appeared around him
"Amaterasu! Nijuhachi shiki!"
A giant explosion engulfed the Fairy Tail wizards as Franmalth stands while laughing
"take that, Fairy Tail!" Franmalth shouted before he sees Natsu standing in front of Lucy with a barrier protecting them from the blast
"what!?" Franmalth exclaimed in shock
"I had enough playing around" Natsu said as he dashed towards Franmalth with his right hand pulled back
"wha-Gaahhhh!" Franmalth screamed in pain as Natsu pierced through his head as a glowing aura appeared before Natsu pulled out his hand and grabs out Taurus and Aries
"eh?" "hueh?"
The two spirits look in confusion before they were sent back to their world
"gah! How?!" Franmalth shouted before he got a powerful black flaming punch from Natsu that sends him to the floor
""t-this power! There's no mistaking it! This human! He's!""
Natsu pulled back Drac as the Gauntlet burst into pitch black flames
"Akumaryu no!"
The flames swirls around Natsu's hand before he clenched it into a fist
"Ryusei Ken!"
Natsu punched Franmalth as the demon screams in pain and a big explosion was caused from Natsu's attack
The dust slowly settled as it was blown away by Natsu who stood over the defeated Franmalth
"you won!" Lucy said with a smile to the man
They then see hundreds of balls of light floating into the air.
"Those must be the souls he absorbed." Lucy figured as she and Natsu watches the souls flying to the sky
"It is not…over yet…"
A disembodied voice suddenly spoke behind her.
Natsu and Lucy turned around and saw Master Hades – or rather an afterimage of him – standing behind them.
"Face was not the true goal of Tartaros. Tell Makarov, that the time has come to release the light." With that warning given, Hades disappeared into the air.
"What was that who I think it was?" Lucy quivered in fright.
"hades' soul" Natsu said to her "What do you think he meant by 'release the light'?"
"no idea" Lucy said in reply
"anyway, let's Gramps know" Natsu said "Wendy and Charla stopped Face, so that's one less problem to deal with, but we still have to find Mira."
"yeah" Lucy said as she stands back up
"let's go" Natsu said as Lucy nodded and started running down the hallway
With Erza
Above the rafters outside of the castle
Erza and Kyôka continued their fierce battle as they were jumping from wooden beam to wooden beam, the two women waged war against each other.
Erza slashes her katana against Kyoka's claws as they duke it out
""That rumbling from earlier stopped. What was that?"" Erza thought as she and Kyoka jumps away from each other
"Tired?" Kyôka asked with a smirk.
"this one still requires entertainment." Kyôka licked her lips and watched as Erza leapt from the pillar and sped off across the beams once more. Kyôka followed behind and soon the two were running parallel to one another, their blades clashing again.
Kyôka stuck out her hand and extended her claws, but Erza managed to knock them away. Having fallen for the demon's feint, Erza was quickly grabbed by Kyôka's other hand and lifted into the air. The demon threw Erza downward with extra force, sending the knight crashing through the wooden beams and into the ground below like a rock.
Kyôka watched perplexed as Erza rushed towards her one more, now wielding two swords. The redhead thrust the hilt of her sword into the demon's cheek, knocking her through a few of the beams. Kyôka wrapped her lengthened claws around a stone pillar to stop her momentum. She moved to the top of the pillar and stood there, looking at Erza with intense confusion.
""She can still use magic?"" Kyôka questioned in shock. ""Has the Face operation failed?""
"tsk!" Kyôka clicked her tongue before she makes a get away
"running away!?" Erza exclaimed
Kyôka jumps away as she passed by a figure
"this battle is now yours to fight! Every Fairy must be eliminated!" Kyôka ordered the figure
"I would have done that anyway"
Erza's eyes widen in shock as to who she sees
"Minerva?!"
"Do you not think this is a fitting place for our reunion, Erza Scarlet?" Minerva said to her
"my name is Neo Minerva, I have been reborn as a demon, you will now have privilege of witnessing my new power!"
Erza found herself unable to process the new appearance of the woman before her. "What have you done to yourself?"
Kyôka continued her escape as she heads inside the castle
""this one has never accounted for the possibility of the Face Operation ending in failure."" Kyôka grimaced. ""must this one awaken Master END ahead of time!?""
With Lisanna and Mira
Mirajane battles Sayla as she had transformed in the Satan Soul, and tries to defeat Sayla who summoned books to attack her.
""She can even keep up with Mira-nee's Satan Soul?""Lisanna thought in worried astonishment.
""she's better than I thought!"" Mira thought as she couldn't attack because of Sayla's books
Sayla thrust out her arm, sending more books flying towards Mira as they flied more faster
""his must be the power of a real demon!""
"Mira-nee!" Lisanna tried to go and help but was stopped by Lamy.
"You should be worried about me right now." Lamy cackled to her.
"Get off of me!" Lisanna exclaimed as she struggled in Lamy's grip
"Not a chance!" Lamy retorted
"Lisanna!" Mira exclaimed as she sees her little sister fighting with Lamy
"Eyes front!" Sayla shouted, sending more books Mirajane's way.
Lisanna continued to squirm in Lamy's clutches.
"Get off me, you…!" Lisanna bent over before she jumped backwards as Lamy was slammed on the wall behind them and forcing the bunny girl to relinquish her grip.
Sayla and Mirajane stared one another down, the former preparing more books to attack with.
"What are you?" Sayla demanded Mira.
"I find it curious that my Macro has no effect on you."
"Macro?" Mirajane repeated in confusion.
"That's probably the magic she used to control Elf!" Lisanna said while holding down Lamy
"it's called curse power!" Lamy corrected her as the two girls were currently pulling and scratching at one another.
"Yes, though you have proven resistant to my Macro, your brother is another story. Would you like to know something else about my power?" Sayla inquired rhetorically.
"Once I cast it, I can control the affected from any distance. No matter how great."
"you can't mean.." Mira said as her eyes widen
"I can direct your brother to harm himself at will." Sayla told her
"No! Don't do it!" Mira shouted at her
The chamber beside Sayla suddenly bubbled and surprised her as she sees Ezel appearing in it.
"BUaaaahhhh!"
"Ezel-sama!?" Sayla said in surprise
"Revive me! Revive me now!" Ezel roared in the tube.
"That damn brat! That damn brat! That brat~!"
"what is this….?" Mira said in confusion
"Hurry up, Lamy!" Ezel demanded. "Revive me!"
Lamy was unavailable as Lisanna punched her with a right hook to the face
"Sayla!" Ezel roared out
"I am currently engaged in battle, Ezel-sama." Sayla politely explained to her enraged comrade. "I will tend to you later. Please be patient."
"Forget that! Revive me now!"
"Revive?" Mirajane questioned.
"That's right! this is Tartaros' respawn point, Hell's Core!" Lamy informed with a cheeky smile.
"Respawn point?" Mirajane repeated.
"according to our contracts with the Underworld King and Master, we can revive here in this laboratory when we've been killed. That makes us an immortal guild!" Lamy said in glee
"Underworld King? Revived? What the?" Lisanna said in confusion
"such things are better left unsaid, Lamy-sama." Sayla said to the bunny girl.
"te hee" Lamy said as she playfully stuck out her tongue and hit herself on the head. "Sorry."
"That could be trouble" Mira said as she transforms back to normal.
"it's look like my first priority should be wreck this place."
"You believe that is within your abilities?" Sayla questioned her
Mirajane smirked to her.
"it's easy enough." Mira replied before the chamber behind her shattered and exploded
"What?" Sayla gasped.
suddenly each chamber in Hell's Core was destroyed including the one Ezel was in.
"guaaaaaaaaahhh!" Ezel shouts in pain as he fades away
Franmatlh appeared in one chamber with a smirk
"yes yes yes, now if you would let us regenerate m- gaaah!" a second later his chamber also exploded
"My…..My lab!" Lamy panicked
"That was amazing, Mira-nee!" Lisanna praised her big sister
"what's going on!?" Franmalth screamed as he fades away
Sayla looked around at the destruction wrought by the Fairy Tail wizard. "How…how did you do this?"
"My takeover." Mira answered her.
"before you arrived here, I had already taken over and controlled the tentacles in the chamber" she explained to her with a smile
"Your takeover allows you to absorb demons?! Is that why my Macro has no effect on you?!" Sayla asked.
"It's possible. We're not so different, you and I." Mirajane explained. "My takeover doesn't seem to work on you either."
"that means…" Lamy said while still in the cat fight with Lisanna
"neither can use their best attacks" Lisanna said before Lamy's face went serious
"it intimates that naught but superior physical power may decide this battle!" Lamy declared surprising Lisanna
Mira changed into her Sitri form as she smirks
"so, it's hand to hand combat? That's girlish enough!" Mira declared
"there it is! Mirajane Sitri, the most powerful demon ever!" Lisanna declared with a smile
"'The most powerful demon'?" Lamy questioned with a dark glare.
"You've got some nerve saying that in front of one of the Nine Demon Gates. You know nothing of how fearsome the Nine Demon Gates can be!"
"This is a command." Sayla muttered.
"that won't work" Mira reminded her as Sayla continued her command
a bright blue light envelop around Sayla as a great build up of power surrounds her.
"I hereby order my limiter…" Sayla said as the energy build up was getting stronger
"She's using her ability on herself?" Mira exclaimed in surprise
"Released!" Sayla exclaimed as her body undergo changes that made Sayla look like a true demon.
Sayla screams before rushing forward Mira and ramming her fist into Mirajane's stomach.
"gah!?" Mira grunted in pain before Sayla pushed her back.
Sayla whirled around, hurling Mirajane into Lisanna and Lamy. Mirajane stuck her claws into the ground to stop herself, but as soon as she looked up, she saw Sayla already preparing her next attack.
Sayla lifts a hand up as it had a glowing circle appearing in her hands before an eye appeared next.
Sayla thrust her arm forward as a fierce blast of energy shoots out of her hand that eradicated everything in its path.
The dust settled as Mira, Lisanna and even Lamy were sprawled out on the ground
"what…is she" Lisanna said while trying to get up
Mira's take over came undone as she tried to move, but couldn't as she took too much damage from Sayla's attack.
"Sayla-sama…why did you get me too..?" Lamy asked as she had injuries all over her
"Did she lose control of herself?" Lisanna asked as Mira looks up at Sayla who charged towards Mira
Mira got rammed by Sayla as she tried to fight back
"how does she have all this power…!?" Mira said in pain "I can't beat her in a straight fight"
""if only I could do Takeover"" Mira thought as she place a hand on Sayla's back
"cease your efforts, takeover is not effective on me." Sayla reminded to her before she pushed away Mira
"I order myself to rend this enemy limb from limb!" Sayla ordered her body as she started slashing her claws as Mira who screamed in pain to the attack
"Mira-nee!" Lisanna watched in horror as Sayla continued her attacks, Mirajane's screams echoing through the ruined lab.
"Stop it!" Lisanna tried to go and help but was stopped by Lamy who forced Lisanna to the ground, holding her head down as she held the girl's arm behind her back.
"Take a good look! I want you to watch as your sister is slashed to pieces!" Lamy exclaimed whiel cakling.
"By the way…are there any cute guys in your guild?" Lamy asked her
Mirajane gasped when Sayla pushed her back, her consciousness beginning to fade.
""Demons…""she thought.
Her tragic past memories came flooding back to when she and her family was driven out of their own home and into the world as they had rejected Mira who has the power of the demon
But that past was overcome with Lisanna and Elfman and her family, Fairy Tail.
Mirajane caught herself as she slid along the floor with cuts and bruises on her body
""I used to hate my power. Sometimes I still do, but if I can use it save my family…!"" She lunged towards Sayla and grabs her leg.
""Then I'll become a demon, or even abandon my humanity to protect them!"" Mira declared
Sayla scoffed at her as she looks down on Mira
"How many times must I repeat myself? Takeover is not effective on me" Sayla told her
Mira ignores her words as she grips her leg tighter.
""I only need a little bit…if I could just get a small amount…"" Mira started to gather all her power as she tried to use Takeover on Sayla.
"Mira, run!" Lisanna shouted, she was still being held down by Lamy. "You have to get away! Please!"
"It's useless." Lamy laughed.
Mirajane's power began to spike as she cried out, her body starting to glow a pale green.
Sayla felt herself growing weaker all of the sudden as if something was being drained from her.
""What is this?!"" "Do no touch me!" she shouted, creating a shockwave that knocked Mirajane back.
""She drained some of my power? But how?! Her takeover should not work on me. I'm an etherious from the Book of Zeref!"" Sayla pressed the bottom of her palms together, ancient text once again circling her hands. ""She is dangerous! I must eradicate her now!""
"Mira-nee!" Lisanna cried out.
Mirajane slowly sat up on her elbows, her teeth clenched and her eyes narrowed in defiance.
""I believe in my power…I will protect my family!""
Sayla looked up lasers emitting from her eyes.
"Magan! Kaihou!"
She rushed towards the downed Mirajane, her arms drawn back to prepare her final attack. "BEGONE!"
"Your Macro…" Mirajane began. "You said you can control people under its influence even from a distance, right?"
Sayla's eyes went wide. ""Is that what she took over from me? That lone ability?""
"I thought so." Mirajane smirked. "That's how I gave my order."
"Impossible!" Sayla protested. "None other than me can issue a Macro command!"
"Elfman" Mira said before Elfman in his Beast Soul came jumping in as he slams his fist at Sayla's back
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhh!" Sayla screams in pain as she was sent crashing down to the ground by the force and the weight of the attack
"Come to your family!"
"Elf-nichan" Lisanna sees her brother, relief washed over her face.
Sayla reverts back to her previous form as she was defeated
"we lose…" Lamy said as she fell down
"I will.." Elfman said as he reverts back "protect my sisters!"
In Tartaros
Deep within the Tartaros guild hall rests a large black door. Behind this door is a single throne, and upon this throne sits one man, or rather, one demon. His mound of black hair was tied in a flowing pony tail that reached the collar of his white and black jacket. He leaned on the armrest of his throne, a sly grin on his lips as he clutched a book with the letters END on the front. This was the Underworld King, Mard Geer.
"At last…" he mused. "It has begun. Isn't that right, Master?" he clutched the book tighter to his body. "The darkness will flow forth from the doors of Tartaros, and all of this world's light will be blanketed within the cloak of darkness of the underworld!"
Before he could fully enthrall himself in the events to come, a knock came from Mard Geer's door. "You may enter."
The door slowly creaked open and Kyôka stepped inside.
"I have been expecting you, Kyôka."
The demon walked the carpet, kneeling before him. "Underworld King. Master Mard Geer, the enemy is much stronger than we originally foresaw." She reported, her gaze on the ground. The Face operation has failed. Franmalth and Ezel have also fallen in battle."
"As well as Sayla and Hell's Core." The king added, much to Kyôka's surprise..
Kyôka's eyes widened in disbelief, and she quickly looked up. "No!" She regained her faculties and looked back at the ground. "Then…we must summon the Master and-"
"We cannot do that." Mard Geer interrupted. "We lack the curse power necessary to do so. In order to revive END we must eradicate all magic on the continent."
"Our plan to do that ended in failure." Kyôka reminded.
"Once again your shortsightedness is to your detriment, Kyôka. You fail to see the big picture. That plan was but one point."
"One point?" Kyôka questioned.
"Mard Geer is the ultimate strategist." The king boasted. "When put against the overall plan, the Face Operation was only one point. Failure in that regard means nothing in the grand scheme. All magic will still be eradicated from the continent."
"This one does not understand."
"Kyôka…what are we?"
"We are Etherious." The demon answered emphatically.
"Yes, and what is our goal?"
"To revive Master END and return to Zeref."
"And what of humans?"
"They are lower than even the most basic insect."
It was at this answer that Mard Geer loosed a small huff amusement. Suddenly vines wrapped around Kyôka's limbs, neck, and abdomen; holding her in place as the thorns dug deep into her skin.
"Master Mard Geer…what are you-?!" Kyôka's air was gone when the vine around her neck tightened.
"You say humans are lower than insects, yet you amused yourself with one, didn't you?" Mard Geer wondered.
The vine noose loosened, allowing Kyôka to talk once more. "That…that was only to extract information…" The vines tightened again, further digging into the captured demon's body.
"You are too fond of humans." Mard Geer said.
"No." Kyôka denied. "This one has naught but contempt for-"once more the vines tightened around Kyôka, the pressure managing to crack her helm.
"There is also the matter of your experiment within Hell's Core, but Mard Geer will choose to ignore that for now."
"Thank you…" Kyôka said weakly.
"Do not take me so lightly. It brings Mard Geer great discomfort to see a subordinate lavish such attention on a creature viewed as 'lower than an insect'. Consider this your punishment. Not for your conduct with the human, but for bringing discomfort to Mard Geer."
"This one has learned her lesson…" Kyôka said. "Thank you for your teachings!" The vines around her continued to tighten.
"Those humans…" Mard Geer thought aloud, paying no more attention to Kyôka. "Realistically they pose no threat to our plans, but they are continuing to infest and poison my garden." he smirked again. "I suppose I will use Alegria to deal with them.
With Natsu
Natsu and Lucy traversed through another broken hall in their search for Mirajane.
"I'm sure Gray's still back there keeping the enemy from catching up to us." She said as they ran up some stairs.
"Yeah." Natsu said. "I think Mira's on this floor too."
the pair then heard a familiar voice in their heads as they stop in their tracks
"Hey, can anyone hear me?!" Warren asked.
"Warren?" Gray called, temporarily halting his battle with Keyes.
"Don't scare me like that!" Lucy shouted
"I can hear you." Erza answered. Her body focused on her battle with Minerva. "What's happening?"
"We've caught up with Mira. She's alright!" Warren was currently broadcasting from Hell's Core along with the reunited Strauss siblings, Jet, and Droy.
"I'm sorry I worried you all." Mirajane apologized.
"Lisanna and Elfman are here too."
"Thank goodness." Lucy sighed with relief. "Hey, Warren, can you patch me so everyone can hear me?"
"Yeah hold on." There was a brief pause before Warren spoke again. "Ok, good to go."
"Thanks. Wendy and Charla stopped Face! We successfully ruined Tartaros' plan." Lucy announced to everyone.
All the Fairy Tail wizards cheered at the news.
"There's something else…" Natsu told them "Warren patch me up with Gramps"
"Ok. Alright, you're good."
"We met Hades' soul." Natsu told them.
"His soul?" Laki frightfully questioned.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nab asked.
"He said stopping Face was enough to stop Tartaros. He said you need to 'Release the Light'!" Natsu continued on
Makarov froze up at the news. ""Release the light? He can't mean…Lumen Histoire?!""
"What did he mean by that!" the old man shouted in a panic.
Warren's ear rang. "Hey! Don't shout!"
"we'll think about that later. Right now, Tartaros" Natsu told them as everyone agreed
Natsu was about to head to where the others are before he remembered something
"Warren, are Ultear and the others with the others? Did they come back from their mission?" Natsu asked the telepath as he was concern for his wife and step daughter
"no, they didn't" Warren replied "they haven't come back from their mission and are probably still on their way back"
"I see…." Natsu said while clenching his fist a bit in anger for If something that might happen to them
"what about Aya and Ur-san? Where are they at?" Natsu called out
"they're with Master and the others, want me to patch you in?" Warren said to Natsu
"please do" Natsu replied as Warren linked the mind link with Ur and Aya
"Aya, Ur-san" Natsu called out to them as they replied
""Papa?"" ""Natsu? Is that you?""
"yeah, you guys ok?" Natsu asked them as he headed upstairs again with Lucy
"we're fine, we're with Macao and the others and are on our way to Mira's location" Ur told her son in law
"got it" Natsu replied before hearing Aya calling out to him
"Papa, when are we going to go home? This place is scary" Aya called out as the child sound scared
"don't worry, sweetheart. we will be home soon, alright? Just stay close to Grandma Ur and the others alright?" Natsu told her daughter with a soft voice "after this let's go and get some ice cream with Mama, Meredy and Grandma Ur, alright?"
"Ok" Aya replied "pinky promise?"
Natsu smiled to his daughter's request "Pinky promise"
The mind link was then cut off as Natsu could no longer hear his daughter's voice anymore
""I'll be ending this once and for all""
Dark markings slowly slithers around Natsu's neck before spreading to his shoulders then to his lower back
With Mira
Mirajane slowly began to stand up.
"You shouldn't be moving right now." Jet said.
"Yeah, you need to take it easy." Droy advised.
"I can't." Mirajane said. "I have to help Natsu find Aura."
"No." Elfman placed his hand on his sister's shoulder. "You stay and rest. I'll help. This is my fault anyway."
"Elfman…"
Suddenly Warren's body twitched violently, worrying Lisanna. "Warren?" she called.
The telepath felt an intense pain in his head and he cried out in pain. He clutched his head, his screams getting louder.
"Warren, what's going on?!" Jet asked.
"What's happening to him?" Mirajane inquired worriedly.
Everyone else on the receiving end of Warren's telepathy heard nothing but static.
"What is this?" Gray asked.
"Warren?!" Erza called. She too heard static. Soon a voice not belonging to Warren answered their hails.
"So you're the wizard guild, Fairy Tail, are you?" Mard Geer asked. He had hijacked Warren's telepathy
Natsu stopped running, Lucy nearly bumping into his back. "That doesn't sound like Warren."
"Who is this?' Lucy asked.
"Who the hell is this jerk?!" Elfman shouted.
"I am the Underworld King, Mard Geer." The demon answered. "Though you needn't bother with remembering my name. For none of you vermin will exist tomorrow." Mard Geer moved his extended fingers from his head and pointed them outward.
ALEGRIA
There was a rumbling before the Cube began to break apart and reform.
"We're falling!" Wakaba shouted out
"The damn gravity is gone!" Mickey hollered.
"Hurry! Take care of the wounded!" Makarov ordered.
"Everybody! grab onto something!" Cana yelled.
"What the hell is going on?!" Gray shouted, trying to keep his footing. He felt himself being pulled into the walls by tentacles made of stone. "Something's…pulling me in?!"
"The Underworld King is making his move." Keyes said.
Slowly the halls around Natsu and Lucy began to twist and melt.
"What is this?" Lucy shakily asked.
"Creepy." Natsu stated. The change in gravity was beginning to affect them and the pair were soon floating in opposite directions.
"Something is sucking us in!" Lucy yelled.
Natsu reached out his hand. "Lucy!"
"Natsu!"
Their fingertips barely touched before the pair were forcibly ripped away from each other. They weren't the only ones however. All of Fairy Tail were feeling the effects of this shift.
Gray yelled as he sunk into the floor, desperately reaching for something to grab on to.
Erza desperately fought to free herself from the tentacles holding her down. "What is this?!" Despite her hindered state, Minerva was still after her. For some reason she was not being pulled down.
"You won't get away from me, Erza!"
Erza managed to point her sword at her enemy. "Dammit!" She tried to attack, but her hands were soon rendered useless.
All over Cube Fairy Tail members were being sucked into the structure, each of them shouting to be freed. Even Tartaros' soldiers were not exempt from the horror.
"Master Mard Geer!" Kyôka shouted, her body still bound. "If this continues to run its course, then even our soldiers will be…"
"Yes, engulfed." Mard Geer smirked.
Minerva watched in anger as Erza was sucked into the ground. "Damn you, Tartaros! Return Erza to me now!" she demanded. "She is my prey!"
"Dammit! Come on~!" Natsu struggled against the force, but it was no use.
"Death and Rebirth. Despair and Hope." Mard Geer mused. "You humans are a race of fools! The entirety of Cube itself is one massive dungeon house inside the beast known as Plutogrim!"
From the outside the Cube had completely transformed. The islands on it had grown much bigger, and dark protrusions resembling scaled tentacles stuck out from the bottom corners on the lower face.
One of the side faces also opened to reveal a mouth with large yellow teeth. Inside the reformed cube, the Fairy Tail wizards were all trapped and frozen within the walls and floors.
They lined the inside of the castle like horrific decorations, each of their faces twisted and their mouths open to no doubt show anger and fear.
While their foot soldiers were caught, the Nine Demon Gates were perfectly fine.
Keyes looked on at the frozen Gray, Minerva knelt before the frozen Erza, angry that her revenge had been taken from her angry. Silver on the other hand was roaming the castle aimlessly.
"Why did you have gone and use that curse?" He groaned. "Now we'll never meet up." He felt faint traces of energy in the air. "Wait…I know this magic."
Kyôka's eyes went wide from within Mard Geer's throne room. She too recognized the magic.
Mard Geer found himself mildly surprised at this development. "Somehow two have escaped the effects of Alegria." His smirked returned. "The odds against this happening are one million to one, which drastically increase when two are involved. They must have an incredible amount of luck." He chuckled. "No, all alone in the middle of the underworld is more of a stroke of bad luck, is it not?"
"Ow!" Lucy shouted, falling onto her face on the ground. She quickly sat up on her knees, taking a look at her new surroundings. "What just happened? Where am I? It looks like everything is melted. Natsu!" she called. "Natsu, where are you?!"
The celestial mage then heard a rumbling and looked out of a nearby window. A roar erupted from Plutogrim, echoing in the sky over Magnolia. The townspeople looked up at the monster in terror.
"What is that?!"
"It's a monster!"
"Did that thing blow up the Fairy Tail guild?!"
A shockwave of sound followed the floating monsters roar, destroying building after building in the city. It slowly moved forward, its protrusions also wrecking the town. The townspeople ran away as fast as they could.
"It's destroying the Kardia Cathedral!"
"Run away!"
"That thing is destroying the whole town!"
"What was that?" Lucy asked. "It sounded like a monster."
"got to find the others!" Lucy was about to find her friends before Mard Geer's voice came out again.
"Attention all members of Tartaros." He announced. "Alegria has disposed of the invaders. We may now proceed with the Face operation as planned."
The remaining armored Tartaros members began to cheer.
"It's the Underworld King!"
"Yeah! He's come to help us!"
Yukino and Lucy looked at one another in bewilderment.
"What does he mean by disposed of the invaders?" the snow-haired celestial wizard asked.
"I don't know." Lucy shook her head. "But I thought Wendy and Carla took care of Face."
"There is one last thing." Mard Geer continued. "It seems that two humans have escaped Alegria's hands and are still within these walls. The soldiers who kill them will be granted a position among the Nine Demon Gates. In the event that members of the current Demon Gates dispose of them, then they will receive a reward from Mard Geer. That is all." With that, his transmission ended.
Once again the armored troops began to hoot and holler.
"Did he say what I think he said?!"
"Is he serious?!"
"Awesome! I'm gonna be a Demon Gate!"
Lucy heard the news and dreaded it "looks like I'm going to be the hunted"
She then heard water drops behind her as she looks behind and sees the wall cracking as gushes of water exploded out of the wall and nearly drowned her
Lucy floated up in the raging water as she gets a board and uses it as a surfing board
With Natsu
Natsu was in a dark place, a void of nothingness
"this is…." Natsu voice out before he heard footsteps behind him
He turns around and sees a shrouded figure basked in the shadows
Natsu squinted his eye to the shadow figure who stood behind him motionlessly
"what do you want?" Natsu demanded from the figure
"I demand none from you, I only ask for you to listen" a dark voice replied to Natsu as flames suddenly enveloped the whole darkness
"the time for war is coming….the time for light and darkness to clash each other….the time for the END is coming near…choose who you are…..the bright future of the world?...or the dark sealed past that thought to be forgotten?"
Natsu looks at the figure before everything was gone in the flames and Natsu woke up from his sleep and sees that he was in the ruins of plutogrim
"that was….." Natsu said before he heard explosions of high magic power coming from a few miles away from him
"that's magic….must be Lucy's!" Natsu stood up and dashed towards where he sensed the magic power
That's a wrap!
Bye bye