Sorry for no updates, work and trying to afford everything I need is taking a big toll on me. As of right now I need to pursue a driver's license, which is both very expensive and a tedious process where I live, rent, bills, and money for my own computer(I currently share one that I've built 1.5 year ago with my girlfriend, and little time I get to use it for is spent trying to disconnect from reality. My real writing time is on weekends, and even that is limited), all on an hourly wage with a fucking thief for a boss, who skimps out on both my hours and rate. Last month I brought home 6600SEK(roughly 612 bucks) because he wouldn't pay my vacation days due to a mistake. My September salary will be at best 8000. My rent, although split with my girlfriend, is 7000.

So I apologize for the horrendous gaps in updates. Truth to be told I could be writing more with my current schedule, it's just that I have no mental energy left after coming home. The spirit is willing, but both body and mind are tired and craving brainrot in shape of TV shows and TF2 pugs, just so I can get 2 hours where reality's not hanging over my head. I love this story and truly appreciate how many people have enjoyed and continue to enjoy it, and my passion for it has not diminished. I hope the quality of writing is still holding up, even though I update 3 times a year nowadays.

I hope you enjoy this one, as we're slowly entering the climax of this arc. Keep in mind that I am throwing this out rather loosely, all I mean is the pieces are falling into place and once they do, they will collapse fast.


Ezel cackled loudly and punched the ground so hard it split open. Wendy jumped out of his way and kicked him straight in the face, only to deal hardly any damage. Ezel grinned in response and landed a lightning fast backfist to Wendy's side that knocked the wind out of her so hard she threw up a mix of saliva, blood, and the inside of her stomach. The Dragon Slayer crashed into the wall of the cave and slid down along with the debris.

"I thought you'd have more spunk after your speech! Is this all you've got, kid?!" Ezel asked her with disappointment and slashed at her with his arm. Wendy released a strained mix between a scream and a painful wheeze and jumped out of the way of the slicing attack whilst still holding her aching torso, before landing on all fours and creating air bubbles under her feet. Pushing through pain with sheer determination and adrenaline, she then launched herself at the demon like an arrow with enough speed to leave him defenseless and kicked him straight in the chin.

SKY DRAGON'S TALON!

Ezel's head was blown back, which was a more satisfying result for Wendy. Unfortunately for her, the demon recollected himself and grabbed her by the leg with his clawed hand, scratching and squeezing it in the process, before throwing her across the entire cave. Wendy grit her teeth and turned around in the air and landed on the wall with her feet, only to then be forced to once again jump off of it to avoid more wind blades.

SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!

ONIMARU!

Wendy's roar clashed together with Ezel's X-shaped wind attack. As the two tried to overpower the other's wind, Carla watched them with a heavy chest. Wendy...

Much to her despair, Ezel's blades pushed through Wendy's torrent of wind and almost sliced her into pieces if she didn't jump away in time. One of the blades did catch her left shoulder, however, which split open and splurged blood over her cheek. Wendy grit her teeth to push through the itching, burning pain, and looked at the timer, which was now counting down from the 7-minute mark.

"Was that your strongest attack?" Ezel asked with a frown. "'Felt like it."

Wendy couldn't help but feel angry after that remark. "Far from it!" she announced and began to enchant herself. With her new speed and strength, she leaped across the cave and kicked at the demon's head. Ezel released a surprised grunt and before he could retaliate Wendy blasted him with a huge amount of wind from point-blank range. As he crashed into the ground, the wind began to close up on him like some sort of a cage, which confused him. Wendy began to chant, before unleashing her magic power upon him.

DRAGON SLAYER'S SECRET ART: SHATTERING LIGHT: SKY DRILL!

The wind attacked Ezel all at once, causing him to cry out in pain. Wendy continued to pump her magic power into the spell, as the intensity of Ezel's screams made her hair stand up. She hated it, but had no other choice: it was either him, or the entire continent.

Suddenly, Ezel's screams began to die down. He then grunted and released a deep sigh. "Nope, I can't. This is too boring."

Much to her utter shock, Wendy's spell was destroyed within a blink of an eye. She landed back on her feet and panted heavily, all whilst watching Ezel emerge from the dust cloud with basically no injuries on him. The cuts and bruises that she did cause were already healing and closing.

"This is bad." Carla gasped under her breath and materialized her wings with great difficulty.

"If this was your best, then there is no point in dragging this out." Ezel scoffed and began to channel his magic power. Suddenly Wendy struggled to breath, as the demon filled the already magic dense room with menacing, dark magic that felt like something rotten was placed inside of Wendy's chest. She instinctively took a step back and glanced at the clock, which showed that there were little over 6 minutes left. Pure terror flushed all over her, as she realized, that in just over a minute she'd accumulated serious damage to her insides, shoulder, leg, and lost a big chunk of her magic power, all for some minor scraps and bruises that healed within seconds and no progress being made towards stopping Face.

"Die, you midget!" Ezel roared and slashed at her with all four arms. Carla swooped in just at the nick of time and grabbed Wendy out of harm's way just mere inches away from the world of pain.

"Carla!" the girl gasped.

"You're no match for him. We have to think of something else!" the Exceed exclaimed in-between her fatigued breaths.

"There is nothing else!" Wendy argued while the two maneuvered in the air. "It's do or die, Carla! And I don't intend on letting everyone down!"

Carla took a deep breath. "Very well. I have an idea, and it has to go exactly as I say for it to work."

"Of course, anything!" Wendy said and listened as Carla explained her plan.


Gray coughed from the dust he'd inhaled whilst being dragged around. He was dropped to the ground by Silver, who then cracked his neck and walked away from the Maker. They were still inside the ruins, but far enough to almost make it into the outskirts of the forest.

"Sorry about that. It would have gotten too loud back there, and I really value privacy and silence." Silver said with a small smile.

Gray was not amused. He stared at the demon with a scowl and clenched his fist anxiously. "So, I suppose you'd rather I got straight to the point." he said and stood up.

"That'd be ideal." Silver said.

Gray sighed anxiously. "I'm not being crazy here, am I? You're my dad. Or rather someone who looks like him."

Silver gave him a sad smile. "In a sense, yes."

Gray grit his teeth. "Bullshit! I watched my old man die right in front of me!" he roared at the demon "I don't know if you're a shapeshifter or whatever, but cut the crap! Undo his form, before I grind you to a pulp!"

Silver chuckled. "Boy, that temper of yours has only gotten worse." he said, which only made Gray angrier. "Trust me, you don't want me to undo this form. Even if I did, I would still be Silver Fullbuster, only much uglier. I suspect you've already seen my face disfigured more than you should, Gray."

Gray inhaled though his nose. "This is a trick." he said and punched his palm. "I won't let myself be fooled by yet another demon!"

"If I wanted to fool you I would have told you I was Deliora or something." Silver laughed. "Like I said, I just wanted to do this in private. I wanted to talk to you, and only you."

Gray lowered his hands and stared at the man, his lips shaking. "So it's true? It is you?" he asked with a hint of vulnerability in his voice, but still kept his guard up.

"It is." Silver said with a note of sadness in his voice. "And as much as I'd love to just hug you and catch up, I can't. That madman Mard Geer and Kyouka activated Face, it will blow up within minutes. And even if it weren't for that, I'm not really in control here. Whether we want this or not, we must battle."

"No, we don't." Gray said with a shaky voice and gestured towards the ruins. "You could just come with me. With your help, we can stop Tartaros and Face!"

"Trust me, Gray, I want to." Silver said and smiled sadly. "There is nothing more I want in the world. But I can't. There was a time I had some freedom, but recently I've made a small mistake that cost me that freedom. You must fight, son. You have to put an end to this." he said and gestured at himself "Before they find out what we're doing here and I won't be able to stop myself."

Gray shook his head slowly and breathed deeply. "So after all this I'm just supposed to kill you? Watch you die again?" he asked at the brink of tears.

"You'll be giving me mercy." Silver said as icy mist started to come out of his hands. "And I'll make it easier for you!"

Silver placed his hand on the ground and erected a chain of ice spikes that quickly made their way towards Gray. He did the same, and the father and son clashed their ice magics into a stalemate. Silver smiled and gestured with his fingers, as pieces of his spikes broke off and attacked Gray, knocking him to the ground. He then jumped into the air and created a rain of ice daggers, which Gray then blocked with an ice shield.

Upon dispelling his shield Gray saw his father standing directly in front of him. A heavy punch to the dome rocked him like a bell, followed by a kick that sent him flying across the field. Silver then snapped his fingers and sent a chain of spikes after his son, one of which caught his leg and cut it. Gray hissed from pain and punched his palm before sending a giant ice hammer at Silver. He blocked it with with ice and then poured his own into it, making it bigger, before smashing Gray with it. The Maker was flown across the field like a rock and crashed into a tree, breaking it in half upon impact.

As Gray groaned and coughed from the pain, Silver slowly approached him. "This all you got?" he asked his son with a note of disappointment. "It's always the same with you. You can't give it your all unless your back's against the wall. I watched you during the Games, Gray. That battle in the library was the brightest I've ever seen you shine. I've never been prouder. But this? This isn't even worth my time."

Silver gestured at Gray, who managed to get out of harm's way at the last moment, as the area was swept by a thick layer of ice. Gray landed several meters away and conjured a set of cannons, which he then fired upon his father. Silver created a shield very similar to Gray's and waited through the onslaught. He then shifted his eyes to the side and sighed tiredly, before snapping his fingers again and stopping Gray's flank by smashing an ice pillar into his stomach. Gray wheezed from the impact and was raised high into the air, where he was then kicked in the face by Silver. He crashed into the ground and laid there motionless as his father landed by his side.

Suddenly, Silver found himself being skewered by several spikes coming from underneath. Or rather almost skewered, as they failed to penetrate his skin. Gray was shocked by this, but recollected himself quickly and jumped away.

Silver laughed nervously and freed himself. "Boy, would I be in trouble if I wasn't immune to regular ice." he said and dusted his armor off. "I almost shit myself."

Gray grit his teeth in frustration. "So, you're like Dragon and God Slayers. Ice won't hurt you."

"Nah, those god slaying guys are freaks of nature. Even I would be in for a tough time with my counterpart." Silver said. "But your Molding Magic is useless against me, yes. You'll have to think outside the box."

Gray inhaled nervously and pressed his fist against his palm, whilst Silver waited for his next move. Despair was slowly creeping into his heart, and in the worst ways possible.


Gajeel and Torafuza clashed their hardened heads and came to a stalemate. As they tried to overpower one another, Juvia jumped and pivoted away from Keith's staff and fog, as he cackled maniacally and pursued her.

"The father and son have met at last. Their fates collide and shall come crashing like waves against a cliff. The pieces are in place, the final act of the Fullbuster line is upon us!" he said and swung at Juvia, who ducked underneath and blasted him with a torrent of water. He dodged it by turning into mist and then maneuvering out of harm's way with a creepy, echoing laughter.

"What are you even talking about?!" Juvia asked him.

Keith cackled. "Silver Fullbuster, the man who kidnapped your beloved Gray, is his father." he revealed to the woman, whose eyes widened in shock. "After 19 long years the father and son reunite, the worlds of living and dead shall collide when these two battle to death. Which one prevails?"

Juvia grit her teeth in fury. "How could you be so cruel?!" she screamed at him "Do you have the faintest idea what you're doing?!"

"Juvia, calm down!" Gajeel called out to her. This little distraction caused him a right hook that blew his head aside. He grit his teeth in anger upon seeing his own blood fly into the air and retaliated with the same blow, only his was less effective, due to the demon's hardened skin. He then ducked underneath a left straight and hit Torafuza with a left uppercut, before blasting him away with a dual attack of his iron clubs. "He's tryin' to get into yer head! Don't listen to him!"

"My tale's final act is upon us. Once the chapter of father and son is concluded, I shall write a new one, in which I use your dead body to murder your comrades!" Keith said and swung his staff, as his fog turned into tentacles that surrounded Juvia and cut off her escape route.

"Why are you doing this?! Why do you want them to suffer?" she asked him.

Keith chuckled. "Silver Fullbuster is a miracle that bore fruit during my experiments. Out of hundreds of bodies I'd raised from the dead, he was exceptional. I'd given him freedom and a new purpose, not that of suffering being a human brings, but that of greatness and pride of an undead, a demon. He chose to betray me. Despite his betrayal, Mard Geer decided to accept him into Nine Demon Gates, essentially putting him on the same pedestal as me and spitting in my face. In retaliation, I chose to write Silver a new tale, one of pain and suffering he never wished to experience."

Keith's tentacles began to wrap around Juvia and restrain her, as she struggled to break free.

"Once I make him murder his own son, I will make him carry his corpse over here. Then, I shall raise Gray from the dead and have him kill you. Then, I shall bring you back and write a new tale, a tale of lovers not meant to be in life finally becoming one in death." Keith said with a chuckled to his voice. "Your wish shall finally become real!"

Juvia's upper right fang chipped itself from how tightly shut her jaw was. Her eyes expressed fury and killing intent that made Keith hesitate for a split second. This almost cost him his life, as Juvia managed to rip her right arm out of his restraints with brute strength alone and summoned her water in the shape of a whip with pressure so powerful it managed to cut through rock. The stream broke Keith's staff in two and managed to catch his left temple by just a little bit, before he managed to turn his physical body back into mist. This cost him the binding he had on Juvia, who was dropped back to the ground.

The demon touched his injured head and stared at the blood on his boney fingers with shock, then shifted his gaze at his broken staff. He then looked at Juvia, who rose from the ground and raised her arms along with a huge wave of water that towered over her like a mountain. Her face expressed bone chilling focus and blood lust that sent shivers down the spines of all demons present, as well as Gajeel.

"Release him at once." she ordered the demon, who clutched tight the remains of his staff.

"This is meaningless before me." he announced.

Juvia's eyebrow twitched. She then launched the wave directly at Keith, who'd then been washed away by the water, despite being in his mist form. Torafuza groaned at the sight and jumped at Juvia. "This woman is too dangerous!" he said and slashed at her with his elbow blade. The blade went straight through Juvia's face, but instead of slicing it open, it merely split it like water. Juvia slowly shifted her eyes at the demon before blasting him with a point-blank stream of water that sent him flying across the field.

Once he turned in the air and landed, he was met with a swift punch to the dome. Once recovered, he stopped Gajeel's next punch with his own. The two were even for a while, but the Dragon Slayer found himself struggling to keep the demon at bay, due to his Etherious form. Seeing no other choice, he decided to reach for a card he didn't want to play yet.

As the demon was about to overpower Gajeel he felt something strike him in the liver. Confused and in tremendous pain, he staggered back and looked around. The blow blindsided him so badly he needed to lean on a nearby rock for support, for it caught him completely off-guard. He noticed something shifting to his left on the rock and upon looking at it he noticed his shadow shift and turn, before a fist grew out of it and struck him directly in his nose. Torafuza was blown away with a blood trail left by his smashed nose left in the air and crashed into debris, as Gajeel retracted his right fist from the shadows and sighed.

His skin was covered by a layer of iron that coated him like armor. His eyes, now white and spikey, glowed in the night light like two omens of destruction. Shadows lingered over his limbs and hair like black mist, and his own was constantly changing and reshaping itself.

Torafuza grunted and spat to the side. "What are you?"

Gajeel snickered. "Hell if I know. I think Salamander called it being a dual-elemental Dragon Slayer. If that's true, then I guess ya can call me an Iron Shadow Dragon Slayer!"

"Iron and shadow? What an odd combination." Torafuza scoffed. "It's nothing but a cheap trick, easy to see through!" he said and charged at Gajeel.

The Dragon Slayer attacked with his club, which Torafuza ducked under. He then cocked his own punch, before being blasted from underneath directly in the chin, as Gajeel's club attacked him from within his own shadow. Gajeel then dashed forward and kicked Torafuza in the stomach, before showering him with a barrage of iron blades, that rendered the demon unable to move.

In the meantime, Keith struggled to free himself off Juvia's water. He was not receiving any damage, but he couldn't set himself free, either.

"You scum." Juvia said to him with pure disgust in her voice. "How many people have you disrespected, killed for your own gain?!"

"Do not lecture me, human. I can see deep into your heart!" Keith scoffed. "Would you have cared this much had I not bound the father of your loved one, but a random bystander? The human hypocrisy is what makes you lot lesser than bugs!"

"You don't know a single thing about me." Juvia said as Keith cackled to himself. She then gestured with her hands and completely swallowed Keith with her water. The demon's voice died down, and so did the wave, as Juvia listened for movement and signs of life. She failed, however, to notice black particles slowly begin to surround her feet, as they formed into the shape of a grinning skull.

Gajeel punched Torafuza away and tilted his head to his right. A group consisting of Cana, Lisanna, Lily, Erza and Levy arrived at the scene and immediately began to tend to injured, exhausted Lucy.

"What the hell?!" Lisanna asked and pointed at Gajeel's new form.

"We'll stay here, you can go all out!" Levy yelled at him and waved with her hand. Gajeel grinned in response and gave her a thumbs up, before throwing himself after Torafuza, only to pummel him with strikes once again.


Gray rolled on the ground to avoid spikes trying to skewer him from beneath. He then pushed himself off the ground and punched his palm, only to see his giant ice hammer stopped and eaten by his father. Growing desperate, he landed safely and took a deep, calming breath.

"You're running out of options here, Gray." Silver hummed and covered his hands with ice.

"No shit." Gray grunted and jumped out of harm's way, as a giant, spiked ice pillar arose from beneath. He punched his palm and sent two ice saucers at his father, who merely blocked them, before devouring them and returning them in shape of a roar. Gray blocked it on the air, but the attack was strong enough to break his shield and send him flying. Gray crashed in a pile of debris and coughed from pain, dust and the impact, all whilst Silver patiently strolled forward.

Gray was at a wit's end. He'd thrown quite literally every creation in his arsenal, to no avail. His magic power was diminishing and so was his sanity. Still, he was nowhere near giving up, as new ideas kept popping out in his mind, one of which he had to brace himself for and hated very much.

"If you don't stop me, I will go back to where your friends are and kill them. That's inevitable." Silver said. "I know you have more in you, Gray. You need-"

A piece of rock smashed Silver in the face so hard his head got blown back. He blinked in confusion and licked the blood off his cut lip, before looking back at his son. Only instead of Gray, he saw dozens of rocks flying towards him. Gray peppered Silver with rocks with the help of ice cannons for a few seconds, before the latter unleashed his magic and froze all incoming projectiles. He chuckled nervously and dusted himself off, wincing in pain from the fresh bruises and cuts.

"Clever." Silver praised Gray, who punched his palm in silence. He molded a big lance and threw it, but not in Silver's direction. The weapon passed him by and plunged itself into a giant boulder, which split in half and collapsed on top of the unsuspecting and amused Silver.

As the Devil Slayer emerged from the mountain of debris, Gray rushed forward and began to pummel him with his fists, which he enhanced with his magic power. Using the trick he'd picked up from Natsu, Gray kept the magic he'd normally use on his ice inside his body and unleashed it on his father's body with a barrage of strikes. With each punch his face contorted in more agony and pain and his eyes filled up with tears. With a desperate roar he threw one more right, only to have it caught by Silver with so little effort one could accuse the two of play-fighting.

"You're not getting anywhere with those love taps." Silver said, his voice heavy and shaking. "If you really want to help me, you need to hit me like this!" he shouted and struck Gray in the stomach so hard he lifted his feet off the ground. Silver grunted and threw a left, but Gray caught it. He held onto his father's hand tight and refused to let go, all while his father continued to beat on him with the other one. Gray's head bounced around, spraying blood all over the place with each landed strike, but he felt no pain. His heart was aching so much it was physically impossible to outweigh it. Still, he knew what had to be done, and as he held onto his father's fist for dear life, he made peace with his decision.

Silver's eyes widened as he noticed the look in Gray's eyes. Although his face was bloodied and bruised, his eyes remained strong, but pained. The moment of hesitation was all Gray needed, and he made a gesture he scolded his old friend Lyon countless times for.

Silver gasped in shock as several ice spears pierced him through from behind. Gray let go of his hand and revealed his other one, with which he molded the spears on the ground behind his father. Silver blinked in confusion and looked at the things sticking out of his chest; the ice was mixed in with debris, sand and metal pieces from the ship, all of which helped in bypassing his increased durability against regular ice. Due to one of the spears catching his spine, his legs gave out under his weight, so he simply hanged on the creations and looked at his son with a mix of disbelief, but also pride.

"Damn, son." he chuckled nervously. "That's pretty dark."

Gray reached his breaking point, both mentally and physically. The damage hit him like a train, and his knees gave out under him. As he collapsed to the ground, the dam he'd put up at the start of the fight broke and unleashed tears so powerful and big they completely took over his body.

Silver took a deep breath and simply watched, skewered and hanging on the spears like a doll hung on a wall after a play session.

"It's okay. Let it all out. For the both of us." he said with a sad smile.

Gray took a couple deep breaths and lifted his head to look at his dad. "Now what? Do I need to cut your head off, too?" he asked with a voice full of pain.

"No, this will do." Silver shook his head. "I can't move. Once the necromancer who keeps this hold on me dies, so will I. Now it's up to your friends to finish tearing the band-aid off."

Gray sniffed. He then made a gesture and dispelled his spears. Silver fell to the ground and landed on his knees in a way that allowed him to remain seated on the ground. The damage he'd received made it impossible for him to move anything other than his head and right arm, and even that came with great difficulty.

"Can I hug you?" Gray asked Silver with a voice so soft it almost sounded like he was five years old again.

The man blinked slowly. "You never have to ask me that, son. The answer's obvious." he said. A moment later he was almost knocked over by Gray, who hugged him tight and strong, almost as if he wanted to make up for all the lost years' worth. Silver simply smiled sadly and wrapped his arm around his sobbing son, as the two sat in silence.


"Stop running, damn it!" Ezel roared at Wendy and Carla and tried to slice them to ribbons with his wind, which they dodged.

The two have adopted a new strategy that, thus far, has proven itself to be successful. Carla's momentum allowed Wendy to land heavier, faster blows that actually put a dent in Ezel's defenses, if his bleeding face was an indication of anything. However, with each charge Ezel's counters came closer and closer, and the very last one came so close Wendy lost a small chunk of her hair, her left ponytail looking a bit thinner than the other one.

"At this rate he's going to catch us, Wendy!" Carla tried to reason with the impatient and desperate Wendy, as the timer closed in on 2 minutes.

The girl chose to ignore her and instead focused on smashing Ezel's face with her right foot. The demon's head was blown back by the impact, but he was waiting for it. He swiftly grabbed a hold of Wendy's foot and, with a loud cackle, tossed her across the cave like a pebble. The strength of his toss was so great Wendy didn't even get to register what was happening before slamming into the rock. As her unconscious body glued itself away from the wall, she began to free fall towards the ground, where Ezel waited for her with blades of wind in his hands.

"You did good kid, but I ain't got all day to play with you!" he said and threw them at Wendy.

Just at the neck of time Wendy woke up and used her wind to outmaneuver the attack. She then flipped in the air and landed on the ground, before being scooped up by Carla.

"Told you so." she said.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ezel roared and clapped his four hands. The cave began to be surrounded by a giant tornado that inevitably began to drag the Fairy Tail wizards inside, where Ezel waited for them. He charged at them at incredible speed and smacked them with a hammerfist that smashed them into the ground. Carla rolled on the ground, knocked out and injured, while Wendy held onto her consciousness by just a thread. She flipped back and jumped out of harm's way while Ezel crashed himself into her previous spot like a bullet, before chasing after her. Although she managed to dodge several of his strikes, the demon confused her with feints and managed to land a body blow so powerful it made her entire ribcage creak. He then landed a heavy right overhead on Wendy's head and then kicked her off the ground with one of his tentacles, before blasting her with his wind. All this took him less than half a second, and once he was done all the pain and trauma hit Wendy at once like a speeding train. The Dragon Slayer crashed into the still inactive Face and bounced off of its tough surface like a ball, before falling to the ground.

Wendy was done. Her entire body ached so much she couldn't stop tears from flowing down her face, nor could she move. The sound of the timer ticking away behind her drove her insane, each beep like an omen of impending doom, each progressively louder and more painful. However, despite all this, she couldn't shake this intrusive thought that came up to the surface of her mind each time she came close to this atrocity looming over her: each time she took a breath, her body felt relief and comfort she'd never experienced in her life. Even now, with her heart heavy and her body in shambles, the air she'd inhaled through her labored breathing soothed her distressed body and soul.

"You've gotten my hopes up for a moment there, kid." Ezel said as he landed next to her. "It's a shame nothin' came from it! You humans are always all talk, no bite!" he scoffed and raised his right hand to finish the girl off.

"No! Wendy!" the freshly awoken Carla cried and launched herself at the demon, who merely swatted her away like a bug. She crashed into Face and limply fell to the ground, exhausted and concussed. This sight brought up anger inside Wendy she'd never felt before and directed it toward Ezel with a glare.

"Damn mouse." Ezel scoffed. He then noticed Wendy's eyes and frowned. "Hey, hey, hey, kid. It's far too late to be givin' me those eyes! You had yer chance five ribs ago! No matter how willing the spirit is, yer body needs to be able to support it!"

Wendy tried to get up, but simply couldn't. Her body hurt so much lifting herself off the ground by just an inch brought pure agony.

"With your death, the era of men comes to an end." Ezel said. "Don't worry, I will make sure to savor your rat friend after I kill you. Tossing you around has made me hungry."

With some new-found strength, Wendy mustered her remaining strength and screamed through her teeth in pain as she pushed herself off the ground while continuing to drill her angry, determined eyes into him. All the while Ezel repeatedly blinked in confusion, before releasing a cackle. "If yer this eager to die standing, be my guest!" he roared and launched a wind-enhanced punch at Wendy.

Upon feeling contact, Ezel grinned. But much to his surprise, his fist never met Wendy's face, but instead an invisible wall of air. Wendy continued to glare at him with fiery, hateful eyes, which he could have sworn were a different color than before. She then took a deep breath and released it upon Ezel in the shape of a beast-like, furious Roar that echoed throughout the cave and absolutely tore him to shreds. The demon was blown away whilst crying out from the pain of his skin and flesh being torn by thousands, if not more, tiny cuts.

"Wendy..." Carla muttered with the last bit of her consciousness, before passing out with a small, proud smile on her face.

Wendy took in more air into her lungs, and as she did, her body began to change. Pale, pink scales began to cover her face like armor, alongside her arms, elbows and ankles, which formed into sharp spikes. Her hair became spikier and pink in color, and her teeth and nails longer and sharper. Her pupils changed into slits and her irises took a yellow color.

This air... This despair.. This anger. I'll make use of it!

Wendy grit her teeth and bent her knees, before launching herself at the still regenerating Ezel at incredible speed. The demon didn't even have enough time to lift his arms to defend himself and got his gut wrecked by Wendy's fist. He bent over and threw up, much like she did before, but did not falter. He took a swing at the girl with his arms, but Wendy was already gone. She flanked him and kicked him in the back, before creating an air bubble under her feet to propel herself ahead of him and kick him upwards.

Ezel screamed in pain as he was launched high into the air, the blood from his accumulated wounds spraying all over the walls, Wendy, and Face itself. "What the fuck's wrong with this kid?! Why does she look like that?! Where did this magic come from?!" he asked as he spun higher into the air. Calm down. Calm down, Ezel! Nothing has changed. She's still just a regular, human kid! The air in this place is out of the ordinary, this must be it! She must be using it to boost her magic. But even with that boost, she's still too weak to kill me!

Ezel watched carefully as Wendy made her way through the air towards him and felt blood leave his face, as his nerves cooled down. You may have jumped up a gear, but so can I! I've yet to show you the true nature of my Etherious form, little girl!

Ezel roared and clapped all of his hands. His body then exploded in a rain of blood, which took Wendy by surprise. She dug her hand into the rock and suspended herself in place whilst wiping Ezel's blood off her face. She remained cautious and felt confused by what she was looking at. She watched the demon's body change and mold into a different shape. Black, shiny armor plates began to emerge from underneath his skin and cloaked his body, which'd gotten even bigger. His arms turned into sharp, pointy blades, and his teeth have gotten even sharper. His magic increased, but as Wendy correctly picked up on, it started to diminish almost as soon as it rose. With barely any time left on the cloak, everyone inside the cave had their own time limit.

It was merely a matter of who could hold out the longest.

Ezel roared and used air to launched himself at Wendy, who did the same. The two clashed with their wind, seemingly even. Ezel's blades allowed him to push through the struggle and almost caught Wendy's face, cutting her cheek before she could properly dodge. She retaliated by hitting him with a Wing attack. It failed to break through his armor, which Wendy took note of. She jumped out of the way of his blades and tried to flank him, but Ezel expected this. He stabbed Wendy with one of his arm and continued with the others shortly after. In the meantime, Wendy dodged and tried to hit him with her fist in return. The two put themselves in a high-speed exchange of blows that sprayed strong winds all over the cave.

Wendy managed to sneak in a right hook to Ezel's exposed face, which cut it up and made it bleed enough to blind him. Ezel groaned and took a wild swing, catching Wendy's leg. She hissed and shifted her eyes towards the clock, which showed that there was less than 60 seconds remaining.

The Dragon Slayer blasted Ezel with her wind and forced him to the ground, where he crashed with enough force to split the ground into pieces. In the meantime, Wendy channeled all of her wind and remaining magic power into one powerful spell.

Carla, who'd began to wake up, watched her friend with pride and a smile on her face. "Wendy..." This power... I has to be...!

More! I need to gather more wind! Wendy chanted to herself as she collected more and more magic, This space belongs to me! I need to use it all!

"I'll tear you to shreds, you brat!" Ezel roared and readied his arms in a cross-shape. He unleashed his curse in all its might in the shape of dozens of wind blades. Wendy outmaneuvered all of them with the help of her own wind and got up close to Ezel, who struck at her with his dominant arm. The girl blocked it with her wind and shattered the blade into pieces, shocking the demon. While Ezel expressed his confusion and shock with screams and croaks, Wendy unleashed all the wind she'd build up and hit him so hard she obliterated his black armor within a second and tore his body to shreds. She smashed the demon against Face and unleashed a beastly roar whilst trying to use the now dead demon's corpse as means to destroy the weapon.

"It's no use!" she grunted to herself upon seeing no results and dispelled her wind. Ezel's remains splattered over the floor and Face itself, while the Dragon Slayer landed back on the ground and looked for alternative means of destroying the weapon. The clock was now showing less than 50 seconds remaining.

"Wendy, give it up..." Carla said weakly from the ground. "You can't destroy it, you can barely stand!"

"No!" Wendy muttered through her teeth. Her brain was running on all gears, as panic and andrenaline fueled her shaken and broken body. All of a sudden, she got it, and quickly put her magic to use.

"If I can't destroy it from the outside, I'll do it from the inside!" she announced and placed her hands on the bomb. There was a small crack, not much bigger than a foot long in its surface, a fruit born from her combined efforts "I'm going to pour all the air inside this cave into Face and overcharge it with magic!"

Carla's eyes widened in shock. "But Wendy, if you do that-!"

"I know! You have to get away from here, Carla!"

Carla groaned and pulled herself up to her paws. "No! I won't just leave you here!"

"I can't let you stay here!" Wendy argued.

Carla approached Wendy and sat next to her. Face was beginning to glow and crack under the pressure building up within. The Exceed smiled at the sight and looked at her old friend. "We promised, didn't we? Friends forever and wherever."

Wendy blinked. She wanted to argue, but the determination and resolve in Carla's eyes convinced her. It would've been rude to argue. The girl gulped and gently nodded, before averting her attention to Face.

" Always together, forever and ever."

Wendy blasted Face with the last bits of her magic. The weapon began to violently glow and crack, accompanied by a loud, whistling sound that felt like drills going into Wendy's head. As the last bits of magic left her body and Face's glow grew stronger, Wendy lost her newly acquired form and looked at Carla with her barely open eyes. She smiled at her friend and took her paw into her hand, squeezing it as to make sure they were never apart again.

"Well, ain't that precious."

These words were the last sound she'd registered before Face blew up in a giant explosion in the shape of a pillar of white, purifying light. The bomb's condensed magic had finally found its release and utterly obliterated everything in its path within a 1km radius. The pillar was so high and the explosion so strong, that it could be both seen and felt all the way form Magnolia.

"That was too close." a very tired man said as he placed both Wendy and Carla safely on the ground, before sitting on a rock himself. The man was revealed to be Racer, who was accompanied by Jellal and Ultear, whom Jellal carried in his arms. All of them panted heavily, exhausted from their rescue effort.

"I must agree." Ultear said and thanked Jellal once he put her back down. "If any of us was even a split second too late, we wouldn't have made it out."

"I didn't do shit. It was your magic that saved us." Racer admitted and wiped his sweaty forehead. "You slowed down time at the perfect moment. A blink too late and we would have been blown up."

Jellal blinked and watched Wendy. She was beyond exhausted, both physically and mentally. They both slept like babies, still unaware of their actual fate.

"To think she would defeat a member of Tartaros and destroy a weapon like Face..." Ultear said and gently caressed the girl's head. "She's grown so much."

"No kidding." Racer snorted and stood up. He narrowed his eyes and spotted a sea of white approaching them, with the ever so recognizable banners of the Council waving in the distance. "We should go. Where was the next one?"

"To the east. I don't think we'll be able to get there on foot, or with our magic for that matter." Ultear said.

"Train it is."

Jellal gave Wendy one last look, before smiling at the girl. He gave her a pat of his own and left with his comrades, leaving the girl alone- As the Council troops approached closer, their torches cast dim light onto her peaceful face, Carla's paw still sitting tightly in her hand. Although the end was still very far away, this battle was indeed their victory.


The Cube's control panel, Magnolia

"What is going on?!" Kyouka pondered as she clicked away at the keyboard alongside the undead Crawford. "Why did it not detonate?! The timer's gone off a minute ago!"

Her face was being lit up from time to time by the fighting that was going on throughout the ruins. She entered something into the console and opened a map with locations of each Face, as well as their status. To her horror, the Face that'd been scheduled for launch was no longer on the map, as if it never existed.

"Impossible.." she bit her lip in frustration "That explosion just now... Did someone manage to defeat Ezel and destroy it? Who?! Every notable member of their guild is right here, in Plutogrim!"

Kyouka struck the console in anger and turned to Crawford. Had he been alive we could have done something to speed up the process... Now we must start over, and it will take at least half an hour to activate another one! Ezel, Tempesta, Franmalth and Jackal are dead, and Master Mard Geer is nowhere to be found. I'll need to buy us some time!

With that thought the leader of the Nine Demon Gates left the control room in search of her enemies.


Juvia chased after Keith's wraith form with her water, but to no avail. The demon was too elusive to be taken in, and laughed as he dodged her every move.

Young lady, can you hear me? Young lady?

Juvia blinked in confusion and looked around; she didn't recognize that voice.

I'm in your head if that helps.

Who are you? she asked.

I'm Silver, the one who kidnapped Gray earlier. He's all right, don't blow up. Silver chuckled as he heard Juvia gather up air to explode inside her thoughts. I am his father.

Juvia's eyes widened. His father?!

Yes. I'm contacting you in complete privacy. Nobody besides us two knows about this link. I am reaching you to ask for a favor.

Juvia grunted and collapsed a giant wave of water atop Keith, who evaded it once again, his bones and staff clicking in the dark with a taunting song.

What do you want from me? she asked.

I think some ground work ought to be laid before I get to the point. I am a living corpse. I died seventeen years ago. The demon you are battling with, Keith, he is a necromancer. He's currently controlling my body and forcing me to do his bidding. As of right now I am in my son's arms, with my spine broken and my insides turned to mush. And yet I cannot pass, cannot join my wife in the afterlife, if that's even a thing. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but I can't bare to ask my son to do this. I need you to kill Keith and free me from this prison.

Juvia took a deep, anxious breath. Wouldn't I be killing you?

No. You'd be granting me mercy. This is something I want, and have wanted for a very long time.

Juvia bit her lip. Will Gray-

I'm sure he will. I can feel the love you have for him. He's a very lucky guy, that boy of mine. I can't say for sure he won't feel one way or another, but deep down he knows our time here is limited. I can't think of anybody else to grant me this mercy than you.

Juvia inhaled and blasted Keith with more water. Very well. I will do this, for the both of you.

Silver smiled in Gray's arms. Thank you.

Juvia grunted and unleashed even more water, as it submerged a big part of the area. Meanwhile, Keith chuckled. "Your emotions shall be your downfall. The love you feel for him is false, one-sided. You know this. Your tale of love for Gray Fullbuster has its end written in dry ink, you simply refuse to read it!"

"Shut your mouth!" Juvia exclaimed, but it was exactly what Keith waited for, for her to let emotions get the best of her, even if for just a split second.

Slimey, black tentacles arose from underneath the water and wrapped around -Juvia's arms and legs, as well as her torso and neck. The girl struggled to break out, but instead felt their knots tighten as they lifted her off the ground and revealed the scale of their size.

"While you wasted your time trying to trap me, I planted my curse like seeds under the disguise of your magic." he chuckled and rattled his staff. "Now, I shall slowly poison you until your body shuts down. Then, I will reanimate you and send you over to Gray, where I will have you slit his throat and drown him in his own blood and your water. You two shall be together until end of times, under my curse. A quite fitting end to your tale, don't you think?" he asked, his creepy laughter echoing inside his empty skull.

Juvia struggled, but with no result. Seeing as it was her only card left to play, she submerged her foot in the water and molded a spear that nearly pierced through Keith's currently solid head. The demon exclaimed in anger and pain as the water left a big gash on his forehead and began to violently squeeze Juvia with his curse.

"Juvia!" Gajeel called out to his friend as she bellowed in pain. He paid for his carelessness in the shape of a punch to the face, courtesy of Torafuza.

"This is bad." Cana muttered and rushed to Juvia's aid, but it was too late.

Much to everyone's terror, Juvia's body exploded into a watery mess, her remains splashing everywhere, including Keith. The demon began to laugh in triumph, both at his victory and the reactions of Juvia's horrified friends.

"And so your tale comes to an end! I wanted to write you a new chapter, but so be it! Not every tale ought to be a masterpiece. The result remains the same, no matter the conclusion!" he cackled and struck the floor with his staff. He turned to Cana and Lisanna, both ready for battle, before his expression changed. He grasped at his chest and took a couple steps back while grunting.

"What is the...meaning of...this?!" he mumbled, as the pain began to grow and spread. "N-no way!" he gasped as realization dawned onto him. "You stupid girl! You're trying to destroy me from within?!"

His torso expanded like a ball, as water began to flow out of every hole in his body. The demon began to violently throw up a mixture of water and black, poisonous blood. His staff, which he dropped in the act, toppled onto the ground with a loud, rattling sound. As he desperately clawed at his expanded chest, Keith stared ahead with one final look of panic on his face, before he exploded much like Juvia did, only in a mixture of blood, bones and black particles that glew in the moonlight like gentle snow in winter.

Juvia stood where Keith used to, covered in the demon's remains and her own water. She was completely still, with a stoic expression on her face. Her hair covered her eyes, through which she stared at the moon. "Go to hell." she hissed at the now deceased demon, her voice full of poison and hatred.

It's done, father. she relayed to Silver in her thoughts. Her inner voice sounded quiet and full of guilt.

Thank you. You've done more for me than you could ever imagine. I am happy someone like you is in Gray's life. I wish I had more time to get to know you, Juvia.

Juvia bit her lip. Likewise. Rest in peace.

Once their link was severed, Juvia violently coughed up blood, the result of Keith's poisonous fog entering her system during her little maneuver. As she collapsed to the ground, Cana and Lisanna rushed to her aid, terrified on the grounds of the state she was in.

Somewhere far away, Silver smiled. He pulled his son away from him and looked him in the eye. "We don't have much time left." he said with a sad smile.

Gray blinked. "What?"

"This is it for me, son." Silver said. His body began to break down into bright particles. "But there's one more thing I need to tell you before I leave. My magic is not like yours, or that of your friends' for that matter. I received it from someone, an old demon hunter I was sent to assassinate years ago. He was an old, dying man. We bonded over our mutual hatred for the species and as a result, he passed his Ice Devil Magic onto me. It's a magic so ancient one doesn't learn it, but must inherit it. I want you to carry the mantle and use it to protect those close to you."

Silver caressed Gray's forehead with his hand and focused his magic on the connection. Gray's eyes widened upon feeling foreign magic enter his body. He recoiled from his father and grabbed his now burning forehead, as the magic power settled down inside his body. It was an unpleasant feeling.

"Now, I can go and finally meet your mom." Silver said, as his body broke down even further. "I don't think I'm ready to face her, though!" he added with a nervous laugh.

Gray shook his head. "There's still so much I wish to tell you about!" he said. Tears swelled up in his eyes. "My friends, my guild, my master Ur, the guild... The girl that I like! I-"

"Way ahead of you on that last one, buddy." Silver interrupted him. "She's a great girl. Thank her for me one last time."

Gray blinked in confusion. Silver's body was almost completely gone. Seeing as there was time for only a couple more words, Gray bit his lip and swallowed the big ball in his throat.

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, son. I'll always be proud of you..."

Silver's last words echoed throughout the area as his body scattered into a sea of light particles. They made their way into the night sky, before extinguishing one after another, until none remained.

Gray took a deep breath to calm himself down. A black tattoo began to form on his right arm. His magic oozed from his body, freezing the grass and trees surrounding him. As his pain turned to anger and determination, he wiped his tears and glared in the direction of Plutogrim, where the fighting continued. With a new-found resolve and closure, he took his first step as a new man.

For Gray the Ice Devil Slayer was born.

Seeing yet another of his comrades getting killed, Torafuza released a roar so loud it nearly blew out Gajeel's ears. He raised his arms high in the air, before smashing them into the ground, as water began to appear from seemingly thin air. Black, polluted water began to quickly submerge everyone in the proximity, with a speed so great nobody had time to react.

"What is this?!" Lisanna wondered and tried to swim upwards, but there was so much water she found herself being submerged almost instantly, as was the rest of her group. Lucy and Erza, both sleeping, were floating aimlessly in the water. Cana, who'd already gathered up as much air in her lungs as she could, began to swim in their direction alongside battle-form Pantherlily.

Juvia, with her consciousness lingering by a single thread, managed to create a bubble that allowed Levy, Gajeel and Lisanna to breathe.

"What is happening?!" Levy asked.

"This has to be this guy's true curse." Gajeel said. "I knew there was more to him than just being big and hard!"

"What's up with this water?!" Lisanna asked. "It's black and slimy, almost like-"

She didn't get to finish her thought. She began to violently cough and scratch at her throat, as black particles appeared each time she coughed. Putting the pieces together, Levy turned to Cana and Lily, who'd left to get Lucy and Erza just a moment prior. "Do not breathe this water in!" she cried out to them.

But it was too late.

Cana and Lily were now limply floating next to the girls, having succumbed to Torafuza's toxic water. Cursing under his nose, Gajeel gathered as much air as he could and launched himself out of the bubble to get them to safety. On his way there he was hit by something huge and hard, with so much power he momentarily blacked out from just a single blow.

Having recollected himself, Gajeel found the culprit, as Torafuza floated just above his friends.

"Welcome to hell." he announced ans spread his freakishly huge arms to the sides in a welcoming gesture. ""Keith's curse made him tough to kill, but mine would be his downfall. By killing him you've doomed yourselves for a fate much worse than simple death!" Torafuza announced. "It may not be as poisonous as Keith's, but just one sip is enough to render humans unable to continue fighting. The longer your friends stay submerged, the bigger the effect it will have on them."

Gajeel glared at the demon and raised his guard. Torafuza scoffed at the sight.

"Now that we're underwater, your chances of winning have reached zero. A single blow to your stomach is enough to render you unable to continue. Then, I will finish you off, one by one, starting with the water woman!" he announced and launched himself at Gajeel like a torpedo.

Yet another race against the clock has begun.

End of Chapter 57. To be continued in Chapter 58: Despair.


As usual, if this gets updated within next 48h, it's because I found an error I missed in my previous two proof readings.