Four down and only three to go of E.R.7. remains. Gray was able to beat Jaccu and was able to get a hold of his key. Gray could still feel the force of colliding magi power in the levels above them. That meant that Erza was still fighting Kaemin.

"Erza can handle that guy." Gray said and looked further up. "Juvia and the others were heading up the tower and have three keys." He looked down at the one he had. "If this is the one they need to unlock Natalia's cuffs, I better hurry. Erza too. The guy she's fighting must be holding the last one."

"That's good. That means we're close to being done." Gray turned around and saw Laxus.

"There you are. Where've you been?" Gray said.

"Later. Let's go catch up with the others. Erza can handle the dude upstairs." Laxus said. Gray agreed with him there and the two of them hurried back up the stairs to catch everyone with else.

….

Natsu

While everything else was going on, Natsu was busy dealing with Rod. The problem is that Rod is the toughest out of everyone in E.R.7. Natsu tried to hit him, but Rod ducked to the side and drove his knee against Natsu's gut and sent him flying.

"That's it! Now I'm really getting mad!" Natsu shouted. "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" He unleashed some of his flames and had them whip and lash at Rod, but Rod used his teleportation magic and avoid the attack.

"That's it. Keep fighting." Rod said.

"I'm nowhere near over!" Natsu shouted as he ran right towards Rod. Rod held out his fingers and used his bullet magic again, but Natsu was ready for it. "Not this time." Natsu was able to avoid each one of Rod's attacks and Rod was a little shocked by it.

'Has he picked up the pattern of my attack? No. He's just relying on his instincts.' Rod thought as he kept firing at Natsu and picked up the speed, but Natsu was able to avoid each bullet. Natsu was able to get close enough and gave Rod an uppercut and pushed him back a little.

"I finally got a hit on you." Natsu said. He thought he finally got a good hit on Rod, but Natsu saw that Rod was still smirking. "What are you smiling about? It better not because you think Natalia is still doomed."

"It's not that." Rod said. "It's that look in your eyes. You hold such a strong fire in them. I've seen that in a lot of people. Flames of emotion and passion. Do you know what I like to see about those flames? I enjoy snuffing it out."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu said.

"I've seen that look in a lot of people's eyes." Rod said. "Are you wondering why I joined E.R. in the first place. It's for that very pleasure. People who hold that fire like you are so optimistic, naïve, and full of spirit. Some people think it would be problematic if they're lives suddenly came to an end, but the feeling I get from it is enticing. Death's cold grip grasping them and the feeling of their bodies going cold is such a thrilling feeling. That's another reason I wanted you of all people here. I wanted to put that fire out. I just can't get enough of watching the fire in people's eyes go out. Becoming part of E.R. certainly helps with obtaining that pleasurable feeling. As for that whole thing about Eclear, I couldn't really care less." Natsu might not have been the brightest, but he could see what Rod was saying.

"Are you trying to tell me that the only reason you joined this place is because you think it gives you the right to kill whoever you want?!" Natsu said. The sadistic look on Rod's face was all the answer Natsu needed. "You're sick."

"Do I look like I really care what you think?" Rod said. "Bottom line is that you're going to die here. So you'll be joining Natalia company in the foulest pits in Hell."

"Shut up!" Natsu shouted as he went to keep the fight going. "You're not going to hurt her or any of my friends! I'm putting an end to this fight!" Rod was much faster and grabbed him by the arm and slammed him against the ground.

"Do you honestly think you can beat me?" Rod said. "There is nothing you can really do against me." He held out his fingers again and started shooting Natsu at close range. Rod holds a strong obsession with killing and Natsu is next on his list.

….

Erza

Erza continued her fight with Kaemin, but there was no way of telling how this fight was going. Their speed was incredible as they kept swinging their swords at each other. Both of them jumped back from each other and they both had sustained some injuries.

"I'm impressed." Kaemin said. "You still keep fighting even though it appears to be hopeless."

"You don't know if it's really hopeless until the battle is over." Erza said. Kaemin gave it another go and kept slashing at her, but Erza was doing her best to block his attacks.

"You can't keep this up forever, Erza." Kaemin said.

"And you think you can last longer than I?" Erza said.

"I am a member of E.R. and we bring down anyone who would dare stand in our way not matter who they are." Kaemin said. "You can say Fairy Tail will do the same, but there's a difference. We're willing to take lives!" Kaemin swung both his swords down, but Erza blocked the attack and she slid back. However, her sword broke and the blade fell right off. "Ha! Looks like this is checkmate."

"You are a formidable opponent, but this battle isn't over quite yet." Erza said.

"Going to pull out another sword? You can have a thousand for all I care, but it seems like the one that just broke is your most powerful." Kaemin said. "You also have exerted a lot of your power. It's all over!" Kaemin went to deal the final blow. He was ready to end her, but something stopped him. For a moment, it seemed like he was facing with a fearful beast instead of Erza. 'What was that? It was just for a second, but it seemed like there was a monster there instead.'

"Why did you stop?" Erza taunted. Kaemin shook the fear off and kept his focus.

'Stop it. You were just seeing things.' Kaemin thought as he was finding his courage. 'She's only playing tricks on you.' Kaemin took a look at both his blades and saw parts of them had some tiny chips. 'She might have plenty of weapons, but I only have these two and this fight is taking their toll on them. I have to end this.'

"You said you're going to finish this. Aren't you going through with it?" Erza said.

"Don't taunt me. You're asking for it." Kaemin said. 'Just to be on the safe side, I better keep a distance. I'll use my best attack: Ring of Guillotine. She could barely block it last time and now that she's close to me, she won't be able to get out of the way or block it this time. It will all over soon enough.' He thought and started to spin around. "This is where it ends, Titania."

"Ha. I didn't think I would have to use this against an opponent like yourself." Erza said as she smiled.

"What are you talking about?" Kaemin said.

"Do you want to know something interesting about me?" Erza said. "My mother actually created dragon slayer magic. She made it possibly to slay such mighty beasts."

"What are you talking about? That had to have happened centuries ago." Kaemin said. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"I'm getting there." Erza said. "My mother ended up with the same fate as Acnologia, but she was still able to give birth to me. It's funny. She left me in a small town and up until then, I never really thought about her. Then, when I finally met her, we were enemies on the battlefield. She was a formidable opponent as well, but instead of ending my life, she ended her own because she recognized her feelings as a mother. It was at that moment I recognized her as my own." As Erza was talking, she built some magic power around her broken sword and a new blade was formed out of magic power.

'What?! What's going on with her sword?!' Kaemin thought.

"I named this weapon for two reasons." Erza said. "The first was in her tribute for being my mother and for creating the power that Natsu and the others possess. The second was because she said a dragon once held this very name and he aided in that creation for he was a dear friend of hers. This weapon was designed to have the same power as Natsu." The blade was formed and had some black lightning coming off of the blade. In that, Kaemin saw what he saw earlier and it was the face of a dragon.

'It's the same beast I saw earlier.' Kaemin thought as he was getting afraid again. 'What is she? She's too dangerous. I have to end this now!' He was about to release his attack, but Erza was faster and slashed against Kaemin.

"Dragon Slayer Sword: Belserion!" The power in that attack was all it took in a single strike to bring Kaemin down as he dropped to the ground. "This sword was developed to fight dragons and dragon slayers. So imagined what it could do to someone like you?" Kaemin was taking deep breaths and couldn't believe he was actually beaten.

"That's some sword. I could actually see a dragon when you used that attack." Kaemin said.

"Well, for some reason, people do see me as some sort of demon when I scold them." Erza said. "They all get so frighten. I'm not really sure why when all I'm doing is show my loving care."

"You really named that after you late mother?" Kaemin said.

"Yes." Erza said. "Her name was Irene Belserion when I met her. She may have been my enemy, but I suppose I can't ignore the fact that she was my mother and she did give up her life for mine when she had the chance to finish me."

"A weapon named after your own mother that was once your enemy." Kaemin said as he was beginning to see the kind of warrior Erza was. "You truly are a noble warrior Erza as well as a mistress of the blade." Kaemin reached for a pocket in his jacket and Erza could see it was the final key. "As a fellow swordsman, from one to another, I admit to my defeat. This key is yours." Erza walked over and took the last key from him just as he passed out.

"Thank you." Erza said as she too acknowledge the skill and honor that Kaemin had as a swordsman. Deep down, Erza was grateful to her mother as well.

….

Natalia

"Let's go!" Sonder said as he continued to drag Natalia. They were halfway through the platform and was closer and closer to that small boat. "We're almost home free." Natalia couldn't believe it. She refused to believe it. This can't really be how it ends for her.

"No!" Natalia said and decided to fight herself as she stomped down on his foot. Sonder screamed and Natalia was able to get free and started running. She declared she wants to live. She declared that she wants to stay in Fairy Tail and that's what she's going to do. 'Natsu's just up ahead. He might be fighting Rod, but I know there must be something I can do to help him.' Natalia tried to run as fast she could back to the stairs, but Sonder was faster as he grabbed her by the head and slammed her against the ground and held her down.

"You are so going to pay for that one." Sonder said. "Why do you keep resisting? Your fate is sealed and there's absolutely nothing you can do, but accept it."

"No!" Natalia said. "This is not my fate. I know it's not. From the moment I saw that flag shot, I finally saw there were people that cared about me. No one in Fairy Tail would accept a fate like this. They fight until they can't fight anymore. If I'm really a member of Fairy Tail, I need to do the same. They're coming. I know they are."

"You are such a pain!" Sonder said. "All that useless babble isn't going to save you and they can't save themselves. Look around. There's not a single one of them nearby. Just give it up." Natalia wasn't going to. Fairy Tail is keeping her spirit high and if she is a member, she has to keep it high, but she could really use them right about now.

'Natsu….anyone…..please help.' Natalia thought.

"Iron Dragon Club!" Sonder was hit right in the chest by an iron club that neither one of them was expecting as it knocked him right off her. Natalia looked up and saw Gajeel has arrived and her pleads were answered.

"Looks like I made it just in time." Gajeel said. Natalia was so happy that tears were practically coming out of her eyes for one of her friends made it and saved her.