Natsu took a deep breath, and then another. The cold, night air filled his lungs and soothed his still aching body, as the pain slowly began to subdue. His senses that have been screaming in agony for a while now, have started to sharpen and pick up things he previously couldn't sense, to the point where he felt slightly overwhelmed.

Behind him echoed the sounds of brutal battle going on between the Council and the demons. To his left was familiar magic of two of his old rivals, who battled an unknown to him enemy. And to his right was the magic power he loathed with all his being, as it battled against someone he remembered, but could not picture the face of.

With rage once again consuming his mind, Natsu took one last breath and stood up, having already made his choice. As he took the first step yet another magic power resurfaced, one that made him stop dead in his tracks and filled his heart with warmth and joy. With each passing second the magic grew stronger, with another, smaller, but just as bright next to it. His lips subconsciously curved into a smile upon sensing it, and as he realized it, he noticed that the pain was gone. Not the one still lingering in his muscles and bones, but the one that tortured his heart for most of the day.

The dark, cloudy thoughts in his head began to part, and just like that reason resurfaced from underneath. He stood there for a couple more seconds and took the warmth in, making sure he was not wrong. But as it continued to rise, his mind had begun to set and having decided that it was not his fight to pick, with complete trust and no doubts in his head, he turned to his left and began running towards the chaos with a small grin on his face.

His steps, along with his heart, have not felt this light in ages.

Sting and Rogue crashed into debris upon being smacked away by Mard Geer's thorns yet again. The demon was spotting blood on his chin, which has already dried up and the cut from which it came had already healed. He gestured with his hands and attacked the still incapacitated humans with his curse, before sensing something.

"So, she has done it..." he muttered under his breath, his smile gone. He then snapped his fingers and quickly extended his thorns and sent them into the darkness, where they continued to grow and expand.

Someplace else, Mirajane stood over a black smudge that used to be Seilah, her own body smoking and tattered. Her breathing was out of control and her whole body was shaking. It took everything Mirajane had in her, but she seemingly managed to succeed in her task of absorbing Seilah; it'd remain to be seen once she got a chance to rest and heal up. So far, she felt no different than before.

"Put up a fight till the very end, didn't ya?" she asked snarkily and fell to her knees in exhaustion. "Though it looked like she gave up at the end there... Maybe it was just my imagination."

In a different part of the ruins, Crawford's corpse continued clicking away on the keyboard, albeit slower and weaker with each second. In his very final moment he clicked the last button and collapsed to the floor, his strings finally cut. As he fell, the red color locked on the four remaining Faces turned green, and a countdown began yet again, with big, fat 30:00:00 taking up most of the screen.

Crawford's dead hand laid atop a thorn, which immediately sent information to Mard Geer, whose smile returned with the strength of a thousand suns.

"I see. In your last moments you gave the Chairman your last bits of magic power so that he could continue following your orders after your death... Well done, Seilah." he said and could now fully focus on his enemies, who'd decided to attack him once more.

He quickly gestured with both his hands and blocked their strikes with thorns. He then wrapped them around Rogue and cast him aside just as Sting's fist connected with his guard. The Dragon Slayer threw a barrage of strikes on the demon, who blocked or dodged all of them but the last punch, which landed flush on his jaw. He was then kicked from within his shadow by Rogue and blasted away with Sting's point-blank Roar.

As the white, laser-like spell tried to drill through Mard Geer's tough skin, it pushed him further and further away. He wrapped his thorns around his torso and then pushed them apart, successfully scattering it into pieces. He whistled and patted his burned robe, which revealed his naked, unharmed torso underneath.

"You're kidding me." Sting chuckled nervously.

"Do not pity yourself." Mard Geer said. "Your efforts are far beyond what I had originally expected. It was simply your bad luck that I was created to withstand punishment unimaginable for others, demon or human alike."

"You sure think highly of yourself." Rogue said.

"I must. As the current leader of Tartaros, it is within my duties to be at least close to our Master's level. In his absence, the responsibility lies on me."

"Your Master? That E.N.D guy?" Sting frowned. "Who is he?"

Mard Geer smiled. "The key. You see, in obtaining immortality, Zeref grew unhappy. He wished to die. Seeing as nobody, not even himself could end his misery, he had become obsessed with creating someone, or something, that could. In his pursuit of death he'd created countless demons, poisons, spells, enchantments, and even magics, most of which are still around to this day. All of this was for naught, but each failed creation brought him closer to his answer, and once he found it, he'd decided to document his journey in the form of a book. It starts with Zeref's birth, describes his long, eventful life, and ends in a way only Zeref himself could predict."

"If he'd found his answer, why is he still around?" Sting asked. "I thought he wanted to die. He's still very much not dead."

"We've yet to reach that part of the book." Mard Geer replied. The letters on the book's cover glimmered in the moonlight. "We are, however, reaching the climax."

"So your plan to detonate Face and litter the world of men with demons is also his plan?" Makarov asked from the sidelines.

"No. That is my will." Mard Geer said. "I've been created to kill Zeref. Upon my failure, I'd been cast aside, as have the rest of Tartaros. But that doesn't take away my...programming. My instincts will tell me to get in Zeref's way until the moment I die."

"So nothing's stopping him from marching in here and killing you." Rogue said.

Mard Geer smirked. "Seeing as he's yet to do so, I suppose he puts very little care into my plans. Or it could be that I am the one being played, and he is watching us as we speak, all for his own amusement. Needless to say, I'm not one to tell."

"'Is that part missing in his book?" Sting asked.

"It is not a gospel. Merely a biography of a yet to be dead wizard who'd been one of the few pillars of the magic world for hundreds of years. However, watching the world unfold throughout the years, it made me skeptical whether he truly had no insight into the future. The accuracy is...excitingly terrifying."

Mard Geer snapped his fingers and forced the Slayers to jump out of the way of his curse. "I do not have much time left to spare you. With all this ruckus I am expecting a rather terrifying guest. It'd be a shame if I were unprepared."

As Sting and Rogue tried to get close to the demon, he merely continued to smirk at them from behind his forest of razor sharp thorns.

Which only made Makarov even more terrified of what was to come.

Lucy stirred and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry and her entire body felt like it weighed a ton. It took everything she had just to turn her head towards the noises coming from her right. There she spotted a head of red hair staring at what couldn't have been anything else but a fight, but to Lucy, in her current state, was just a bunch of blurry moves.

"Erza...?" she muttered, her voice hoarse and low. It wasn't unheard, however, as Cana quickly came up to the blonde and gave her a hug full of relief.

"Lucy's awake!" Lisanna announced happily to everyone else. Wendy smiled.

"I'll be with you in a second!" she said, currently busy with Erza.

The knight turned to her friend and gently grabbed her hand, before squeezing it reassuringly with a warm smile on her face. She could tell the blonde was worried. Lucy squeezed back and closed her eyes to rest a bit more.

Kagura slid back on the ground and swung her blade to the side to kill the last bits of Kyouka's blow. Her arms were trembling, a testament to the demon's raw power. So far she'd been successful in making no physical contact with her claws, but as they battled, the strikes came closer and closer to nicking her skin.

Kyouka herself spotted a rather ugly bruise on her left ribs, which was already healing. She retracted her claws and dashed straight at Kagura, who delivered a horizontal slash. Kyouka ducked underneath it and was just about to stab Kagura's stomach with her right hand, but she suddenly felt many times heavier. Her body crashed into the ground with enormous force, and she barely had the time to catch Kagura's oncoming slash.

The blow smashed her deeper into the ground as the swordswoman used both her magic and physical strength to their max, pushing on the demon with all she had. Kyouka's bones began to creak and crack, and with a loud shriek she managed to push back just enough to utilize her tail. She wrapped it around Kagura's foot and tripped her, which freed the demon. She aggressively clawed at Kagura at incredible speed, but each of her strikes was blocked. Growing frustrated, Kyouka telegraphed one of her strikes, which allowed Kagura to position herself in a way that allowed her to slice Kyouka open from waist to shoulder.

The demon cried out in pain and staggered back as blood rained upon Kagura and everything else in front of her. She instinctively clutched her wound and jumped back, panting heavily from shock and pain.

Kagura merely blinked, her face calm and focused, and swung Archenemy to the side in order to rid it of her enemy's blood.

"She's strong..." Wendy said in awe as she continued to heal Erza's injuries. The knight said nothing.

"Seems like your healing abilities aren't as fast as I've been led to believe." Kagura said as she observed her enemy's still very much open chest. "I guess you lot can not regenerate forever."

Kyouka scowled. "Do not think of yourself too highly, human. It was my own mistake that granted you this blow, not your skill. This fluke will not happen again!"

She dashed at Kagura, who readied her blade. The demon then jumped out of the way of Kagura's gravity and blended in with the shadows for just a moment, before popping out behind the swordswoman, Kagura jumped over Kyouka, who used her tail to wrap it around her ankle and smash her into the ground. Kyouka then stomped on Kagura's sword hand, pinning it against the ground and clawed at her face with her left hand.

Kagura managed to just barely dodge the strike and kicked Kyouka in the back, which freed her sword arm. She took a swing at the demon, who blocked it and countered immediately after, which Kagura stopped with a block of her own. Kyouka threw one more attack with her right hand and almost immediately after Kagura screamed out in pain so loudly Wendy and Gajeel's ears almost burst.

Kyouka smirked and knocked Kagura away with a kick to the face. She had to flip in the air to kill the moment and land on her feet, which was a good twenty feet away from her enemy. With her breathing irregular and panicky, she quickly holstered Archenemy and reached for her inured right arm and aching face, expecting the worst. To her shock, the wound on her shoulder was barely deep enough to draw blood and her face was still intact. The pain had made her to believe her jaw was broken and her shoulder sliced open like a melon.

Kyouka smirked at the sight of the very much confused Kagura and licked her bloody claw. With that and her wounds being finally gone, her confidence and calmness returned.

"Is something the matter?" she asked, smirking.

Kagura said nothing. Instead, she held Archenemy close to her face and readied her stance for the next attack. The blade was shaking, as the pain was still there, throwing Kagura's senses off.

"Her ability is sensory enhancement!" Erza called out to her from the sidelines, which effectively knocked her out of the shock.

Kyouka slowly averted her gaze at the knight, with a small mix of amusement and pity plastered on her face.

"By just touching you she can sharpen your senses where the slightest of wounds feel like your limbs are being torn off! You can not let her touch you!" Erza continued.

"It appears there's still plenty of room to teach you, Erza." Kyouka said and licked her lips. "Do not worry. I will make sure you're back in my possession once this is all over."

Erza felt her hair stand up upon hearing the threat, but continued to meet the demon's eyes. Her determination confused Kyouka to the point her own gaze lost a huge chunk of its initial confidence, which only made Erza's that much stronger.

"I see." Kagura said. Her voice, as well as breathing, were back to normal again. Not even the smallest of twitches could be seen on Archenemy, as Kagura held it with utmost confidence. "That makes things easier. Thank you."

With that said she dashed at Kyouka and just as their blades were about to meet she crushed the demon with her gravity, which effectively made her miss. Kagura then circled around and swung her sword at Kyouka's neck, which she blocked. She did not, however, block a kick to her knee, which knocked her down to the ground. Kagura then raised Archenemy and brought it down upon Kyouka like a hammer, and only by crossing her claws in front of her face could she catch it. Kagura unleashed her magic's full potential and pushed down with everything she had, as Kyouka began to sink into the ground with a terrifying sound of breaking soil and bones, combined with her groans of strain and pain.

"She's got her!" Cana cheered from the sidelines.

Erza said nothing, instead clenching her fist. She then blinked in surprise and repeated the motion; her strength was returning.

Kyouka roared like a wild beast and brute forced her way out of harm's way. She circled around and unleashed a flurry of strikes on Kagura, who dodged or blocked them as they came. She did not, however, block a tail whip to her leg that left a cut on her right shin and knocked her off balance, which allowed Kyouka to sneak in a stab. As her right claws plunged into Kagura's left shoulder, her screams of agony spread so far even Sting and Rogue could pick them up.

Gritting her teeth and with great difficulty, Kagura kicked Kyouka away and jumped away to create some distance, her entire body going haywire from the enhanced sensations. Kyouka chuckled at the sight and dashed at the still rattled swordswoman, whose reaction was delayed due to the copious amounts of pain she was in. As Kyouka was about to deliver a slash over Kagura's sluggish guard, she found herself shocked upon seeing a second blade pop seemingly out of nowhere, as it pushed down on her strike and redirected it towards the ground. A wave of red hair covered her vision and before she could put the pieces together she felt her jaw shift to the left, before her entire body followed.

The spinning heel kick Erza landed on Kyouka felt so therapeutic and satisfying that the knight could not help cracking a small smile. The demon was knocked aside, with her blood and knocked out teeth leaving a small trail in the air as she flew away and crashed into ruins of a hallway several meters away.

Kagura blinked in confusion and looked at Erza, who was now wielding Benizakura in her right hand. She managed to Requip into a set of clothes that she could have sworn she'd seen somewhere, composed of black boots, white pants and a light-grey jacket. Her raggedy hair was tied into a ponytail.

"Do not celebrate just yet." Erza told Kagura and extended her hand. "I am probably going to be of no use, my body is still torn apart. This is the best I can do given the circumstances."

Kagura took a deep breath and accepted Erza's aid. She stomped her injured leg a couple times and nodded upon feeling that the now normal level of pain was of no trouble. "So you want me to take point, then?" she asked.

"I'm ashamed, but yes." Erza said and gripped Benizakura with both her hands, which were slightly shaking. "Being your support is my best chance at not getting in your way. The enemy is too cunning and dangerous to be faced alone."

Kyouka, who'd freed herself of rubble, whacked her tail against the ground and spat blood to the side. She then wiped her mouth and glared at Erza with a look so hateful even Wendy, who was not even the one fighting her, felt her hair stand up.

The swordswomen, on the other hand, met her gaze with intensity and hatred just as strong, and readied themselves for, what would surely happen soon, Kyouka's next move.

The fighting in the outskirts of Magnolia was getting ugly. The unpredictability of the demons made it impossible for the soldiers to follow standard formations, so the battle turned into a giant slugfest between thousands of combatants. The demons clawed, bit, and swung at the soldiers, who in return punched, wrestled, body slammed, and smashed them with weapons they weren't even issued with to begin with, but it was simply the closest one lying around on the ground, most likely from a former comrade who laid dead somewhere nearby, buried by other corpses.

Rickard watched through binoculars as one of his men picked up his warhammer and smashed it into the head of a demon, only to then have both his hands cut off by another demon, who was smart enough to pick up a sword and use it herself. That demon would then get stabbed in the neck from behind and the culprit would then get jumped by three other demons who swarmed him and ripped him apart within seconds. The very same demons would then get cut in half in one swing by a greatsword bearing soldier, who'd have gotten his head pierced by a spear thrown by one of the demons. His lifeless body fell right next to his comrade, who'd continued bashing a demon's head in with his shield whilst roaring at the top of his lungs.

The young Captain put down his equipment and gulped, his face pale and sweaty. Although this was not his first rodeo, the brutal fighting, combined with the painful and fearful screaming, was too much to handle at the moment, especially since it was by orders that made these men lay down their lives for Magnolia and its people.

"Looks like we've got things under control." John Springer's booming voice startled the Captain. His warhammer was hanging over his shoulder, dripping with blood. "I have secured the town and evacuated the people. They're on their way to Hargeon, where ships await if need comes to. We can now focus all our attention on these beasts in front of us." he said, then looked at the battlefield, then back at Rickard. "These things never feel good, kid. Don't think about it too much, we're doing a good thing here."

"What about reinforcements?" Rickard asked, having completely ignored the other part of John's speech.

"Org said they can't spare more men due to the fact a huge chunk of our forces in Fiore is already stationed here, but he also gave us permission to ask locals for help, like you did with those Saber boys. My men are trying to catch someone on the radio as we speak, though I wouldn't be holding my breath. Most useful guilds are too far away to pick up the signal of those old toasters. You got lucky with the three you brought here."

Rickard nodded. He lifted his binoculars and aimed them at the scenery that bugged him for a while now. Once he zoomed in, he noticed two young mages attempting to avoid or destroy countless razor sharp thorns, only to be swallowed by them and then tossed around like rag dolls. All the while a third, vile looking man, stood by and watched the scene with a merciless smile plastered on his face.

"You take point, then." Rickard said and gave his binoculars to his Squad Leader. "I'm going out."

"What do you mean, out?!" asked him the Squad Leader. "Captain?!" The already leaving Captain merely waved his hand and dashed forward, cutting several yards in just a second.

John laughed and patted Rickard's subordinate so hard he almost nailed him into the ground. "Once his mind's already made, nobody will change it!" he laughed so loud it hurt everybody's ears. "Although, can't blame the lad... This is just plain ugly." he added with a tired sigh upon watching the fighting that unfolded before him. "This is why only psychopaths get to be military commanders. They have no soul to be torn apart."

Mard Geer's head blew back from Sting's blow. He shook it and looked at his opponent, or rather what seemed like ten of him. Sting was using his great speed to leave afterimages that were so convincing even the Underworld King himself struggled in finding the original. The Sabertooth Master continued to land blow after blow, each so hard his knuckles turned red. Still, Mard Geer would simply not fall, as he carefully observed and calculated Sting's next move. With his magic power taking a dip from the increased movement, Sting felt the pressure growing. Maybe it was this moment of hesitation, maybe it was Mard Geer's sheer determination and skill, but his ankle was caught by a thorn mid-way through his movement. Sting grunted in pain as he felt his ankle crunch upon being suddenly caught, with his speed still carrying on in the rest of his body.

Seeing that he'd been caught for good, Sting would not let Mard Geer keep the pace and unleashed a barrage of light rays upon him, who outmaneuvered them with agility alone and managed to wrap his thorns around Sting's injured ankle even tighter than before. He raised and smashed the Dragon Slayer into the ground and then raised him again, only to then duck underneath Rogue's sneak attack and smash him with the restrained Sting. The two Dragon Slayers recovered quickly, but found stray pieces of thorns stuck to their clothing, which then erupted in quite powerful explosions.

Mard Geer stood up from the ground and dusted his clothes off. Sting and Rogue, although still in one piece, dropped to their knees from the shock and trauma of the previous attack. Sting breathed heavily and stared at the ground, blood dripping on his hand from his nose.

"It makes no sense..." Sting said under his breath, just loud enough for only Rogue to hear him. "His magic power is not that greater than ours, not in Dragon Force. Yet whenever I lay my hands on him it feels like I'm trying to punch a mountain!"

"He's got centuries of experience on us." Rogue said and stood up "He's probably fought countless people like us."

Sting groaned and stood up as well, his legs shaking, especially his right foot; he could no longer move like he used to. "Remember why we came here, Rogue... To pay our debts back to Fairy Tail! All this time we've been led to believe strength was all there was to being a guild, yet they showed us better. Even if I can be of use for just a couple minutes of bought time, so be it. I'm sure they will use it well. I will put my life on the line if it means they prevail!"

"Agreed." Rogue nodded.

They put up their guards and readied for another attack, but something stopped them, as their noses began to twitch and their faces twisted into frowns. They watched something behind Mard Geer with a mix of confusion and relief on their faces..

The oblivious demon chuckled and summoned his thorns. "It appears the fight is still very much in you. Good, your entertainment is still appreciated-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, for a giant hammer made out of ice fell flush on top of him, crushing him into the ground. The Dragon Slayers watched in confusion as Gray emerged from the dark and cracked his knuckles.

"Gray!" Makarov gasped in joy, glad to see he was okay.

"What took you so long, man?!" Max asked him with an annoyed smirk.

"Oh thank God, we won't have to get involved..." Wakaba said under his breath.

The Maker smiled at him and the others, before getting back to business, as his creation was blasted into smithereens by Mard Geer's curse. He stood up and dusted himself off, unharmed and slightly surprised.

"The son of Silver." Mard Geer said and turned to face the newcomer with a small smirk. "What an obvious surprise. I knew he couldn't bring himself to kill his own blood."

Gray said nothing. Instead, he punched the palm of his hand and sent dozens of ice spears at Mard Geer, all of which hit their target. However, the demon's tough skin proved too much for the creations, as they simply shattered upon impact like thin glass and achieved nothing but pushing him back by a couple feet with the broken shafts.

"I sure hope you've got more than that, buddy." Sting said nervously.

Gray again said nothing. He flared up his magic power and punched his palm once more, only this time he hid his right arm behind his back. The spears emerged from the ground one more time, and as Mard Geer watched them approach with a wide, pitiful even smile, all of a sudden he felt extreme cold. But not the physical kind, one that radiated from the ice creations, no, this one crept onto his neck, back, and hearts themselves. With barely a split second left to react, Mard Geer used his thorns to redirect some of the spears whilst dodging the others. The sole one he simply could not avoid managed to pass by his cheek and sliced it open, as blood began to violently flow down his face a moment later.

Mard Geer shattered the spears and jumped back. For the first time he expressed pure shock and his pale face was sweating profusely.

"You..." he hissed at Gray with so much poison in his voice it made everyone take a mental step back. Gray, on the other hand, simply blinked and revealed his right arm to the demon, as the black tattoos pulsated and expanded further and further, along with his magic power, which made everyone in proximity cold. Sting watched his breathing leave mist in the air and rubbed his shoulders, for they were slowly growing numb from the cold.

"I knew Silver would betray me, but this was beyond even my predictions." Mard Geer said, now significantly calmer. He wiped the blood off his cheek and sent several thorns in Gray's direction, but he simply froze them before they could even reach him. He then molded an ice sword and shattered the thorns into tiny pieces.

"I've come here to kill you." Gray proclaimed and aimed his sword at Mard Geer, who simply chuckled.

"How much has Silver blabbed, I wonder?" he asked, amused. "I'm quite curious about the extent of his research into our guild. I've made sure to let him on just the bare minimum."

"He told me just enough to make up my mind about killing you and that E.N.D you so desperately care about." Gray said. "You two, if you want to help, follow me!" he yelled to the Dragon Slayers and dashed toward Mard Geer.

"Who does he think he's talking to?!" Sting clicked his tongue, but followed in suit. Rogue said nothing and did the same.

The four men engaged in a high-speed, high-level flurry of spells, curses, punches, and kicks, as ice, thorns, light, and shadows splattered furiously every split second. Their combined magic power was so heavy the still very much nearby injured Thunder Legion continuously groaned in pain and discomfort. Laxus, the sole member capable of staying conscious, watched the battle whilst sitting up. His eyes followed every move and every spell, cautiously watching and observing. His right fist balled up by itself, itching to do something, as his pride as Master and a man was hurting.

Gray delivered a devastating punch on Mard Geer's face that knocked him back by a good couple feet. He gestured with his hands and managed to hit the new Devil Slayer with several of his thorns, effectively knocking him away. Sting and Rogue capitalized on the opportunity and delivered punches of their own, each encased in their respective element; Sting to the face, and Rogue to the stomach.

Mard Geer grunted and slid back on the balls of his feet, dull pain spreading over his body. He tried to retaliate, but was instead hit by a joint Roar from both Dragon Slayers that completely swept him off his feet and took him deep into the darkness of the forest, as he crashed through trees and debris alike. The two canceled their spells after a short while and breathed out heavily, their magic power dropping by a bit.

"He's not down yet." Sting said in-between his breaths and wiped his mouth. "What is this power, anyway?" he asked Gray. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Ice Devil Slayer Magic." he replied shortly. "I inherited it from my old man."

"Whatever it is, don't let it go out." Rogue said and readied his stance. "He's back already."

As he said that, the forest spat out a sea of razor sharp thorns. The Slayers destroyed the initial wave with their respective elements, but soon found themselves overwhelmed. Sting got wrapped up like a ham and lifted high in the air. Gray couldn't keep up with freezing them and soon found himself blasted away by one that exploded in his face and sent him flying above the other members of Fairy Tail. Rogue, on the other hand, became one with the shadows and evaded the onslaught. He traveled within his realm until his senses picked up his target. He quickly reemerged ready to strike, but found nothing before him. Having realized he'd been tricked, he tried to fall back, but the iron grip on his let arm made it impossible. Sharp thorns wrapped around his arms and legs and left numerous deep cuts that made him cry out in pain. Mard Geer then tossed him aside like a rock and simply walked over him.

"A valiant effort. But still meaningless." he said, although without his trademark, confident smirk. He then approached a nearby rock and placed the book he held onto ever so dearly down. "This charade comes to an end now. I am happy with the entertainment you've provided me, but I simply have no time left to waste on you." he said as he slid his hand across the book cover before walking away from it. "Now is the time to die."

Mard Geer raised his magic power to its highest, which made everyone in his proximity begin to feel crushed. Sting and Rogue, who were already on weak legs, simply collapsed to the ground, as has Laxus and other, weaker members of Fairy Tail. Makarov and Gray, who were affected the least, still grimaced at the unpleasant, cold feeling creeping onto their necks. It was definitely not the highest, heaviest magic power they came across, but it was most certainly the coldest and most vile.

"When you see Silver again, you should curse him. He granted you nothing but a prolonged, painful death." Mard Geer said to Gray and aimed his hand at him.

The Maker braced for impact, but for nothing. His body felt light again all of a sudden, as Mard Geer's magic dispersed like a bad rainstorm. As Gray blinked in confusion, he watched the demon's neck bend backwards at an unnatural angle. A cloud of blood exploded where his face used to be, as a flaming fist and a head of pink hair flashed before it.

Mard Geer released a groan of pain and shock and was launched into the ruins like a speeding bullet, crashing into everything in his path and leaving a trail of blood from his face in the air. Sting couldn't help but smirk at the familiar figure standing before him, and neither could Gray, as they watched Natsu take a deep breath and extinguish his flaming fist.

"You guys okay?" he asked as he turned around to look at his friends.

"Yeah." Gray said with a smirk.

Laxus snorted under his breath, but smiled. He put down his right hand and dispelled the lightning spear he was almost done molding out of his magic.

"Natsu, my boy. How glad I am to see you!" Makarov said.

Natsu smiled. "Me too. Erza and the others are safe, they joined up together not too far from here." he cut the elder off, almost anticipating his questions. He must have been right, for a giant wave of relief flushed over his face.

"All but one Demon Gate are dead and she's currently fighting Erza and that chick from Mermaid Heel. Making this asshole the only one left." Natsu continued and punched the palm of his hand. "Let's put him in the ground and go home already. I'm sick and tired of today."

A menacing chuckle echoed from within the darkness of the forest, followed by steps. Mard Geer emerged back into the light, his face bloodied but already setting itself back into proper shape.

"Ah, the brother. It appears almost all the pieces are in place." he said with a smirk, as the letters on the cover of the book in his grasp glimmered in the moonlight..

"What did you just call me?" Natsu frowned in confusion.

"'Tis not my reveal to make. I've already spoken too much. Soon everything shall make sense, and at the same time none at all."

Mard Geer then took his book and stuffed it behind his robe, which alerted Sting and Rogue.

"He has been holding this book the entire time he's been fighting us." Sting told the rest. "Be on your guard."

"The next minutes will dictate the fate of the world of men as you know it." Mard Geer said and sent his thorns towards Natsu and Gray, only this time unleashed like never before, almost as if the shackles of guarding the book weighed tons.

The two Fairy Tail mages used their magic to either freeze or burn them before they could even reach them. Natsu bent his knees and charged at Mard Geer at incredible speed, with Gray just a couple steps behind him. Natsu's fist connected with Mard Geer's forearm with so much force the shockwave could be felt by everyone in the proximity. Sting's pride was chipped, as he grew painfully aware that none of his previous blows produced such impact. Regardless, he was unwilling to just sit idly by and unleashed his light rays upon Mard Geer, successfully catching him off guard.

As the demon was rattled by the beams, Natsu used the opportunity to strike him in the face, with Gray adding one of his own, only with a hammer to the chest. Mard Geer staggered back right into Rogue's shadow, who grabbed him by the legs and pulled him down half-way into the ground and held him still. Sting, on the other hand, contributed by wrapping a beam of light around his torso, which successfully sealed his arms off, even if briefly.

Natsu and Gray immediately seized the opportunity and began to violently pummel the restrained demon with vicious blows to the face and torso, as his body contorted and shook with each landed blow. Both of them had their own share of pent up animosity towards the demons and with one presented to them on a silver platter, they used the chance to its fullest. Within seconds Mard Geer's face became purple and bloodied, as well as marked by burns, both by flame and freeze. His hair, previously neat, was now in disarray, raggedy and glued to his swollen face with blood and spit.

With one more punch Natsu blew his head back so hard his neck almost snapped, and so did he. With a deafening roar he unleashed his curse inside the shadow realm upon Rogue, with his thorns nearly nearing him to shreds. He jumped out of it, covered in blood, cuts, and lacerations, as his Dragon Force dispelled and left him completely defenseless. Mard Geer tried to capitalize on this and finish him off, but Natsu was faster. He quickly grabbed Rogue and kicked the demon directly at Gray, who froze him still inside an iceberg.

"Rogue!" Sting called out to his friend in worry. Natsu quickly ran up to him and placed Rogue by his side.

"You focus on his wounds, we'll handle Tartaros." he ordered Sabertooth's Master and ran back off, leaving Sting to tend to Rogue's wounds.

Mard Geer broke free with ease and glared at his remaining two opponents from behind his tangled, bloodied hair. "How long has it been since I've felt anger this strong?" he asked quietly.

"Fuck knows." Gray said.

"Don't care." Natsu chimed in and clenched his fist. His eyes were glaring at the demon with pure, utmost hatred. "You wanted war, you got it. Don't be so arrogant as to think you'll get through it without getting dirty yourself. I've already told your comrades, none of you will survive."

Gray looked at Natsu with a small concern. Not only him, Makarov's face frowned in sadness as well. With all the commotion nobody had the time to think about what Natsu'd been up to ever since the order to challenge Tartaros was given this morning.

Mard Geer laughed out loud, for the first time. "Allow me to return fire. Please, do not be as arrogant as to think I am in the same league as Jackal, Tempesta, or Franmalth. Where their power ends, mine begins!"

The air suddenly grew many times heavier, as well as denser. The gravity grew so stronger Gray's knees buckled, and all the weaker and injured members of Fairy Tail fainted. Makarov's wheelchair squeaked and croaked, with its owner's tight, worried grip on the handle only making it worse.

Mard Geer began to loudly roar into the sky, as his injuries closed and healed within seconds. His robe began to tear from underneath, as two pulsating masses began to form on his back, which soon turned into a pair of black and silver wings bursting out from underneath the skin in an explosion of blood. His shoes broke as his feet, as well as his entire body, grew in size, with at least a foot being added to his height. His skin started to tear and split, and as his clothes tore to shreds, they revealed plates of black armor with silver pieces, which started to coat his entire body head to toe. His toes and fingers, combined with the armor, turned into sharp, deadly claws. His face was gone, replaced by what could only be described as a helmet with two horns made out of metal sticking out to the sides, with his eyes being the only recognizable feature of his previous self. His magic power grew so much it crushed rocks and wood like thin ice, and made everyone take a couple steps back.

"This magic power..." Gray said quietly.

"It's easily the same as Jura's during the Games." Natsu said through his teeth and unleashed his flames in the form of a cloak.

Mard Geer exhaled loudly, the air rattling its way out through the metal on his face. He cracked his neck and stared at the two humans standing in front of him. "My name is Mard Geer Tartaros." he said, his voice lower and distorted. "As the King of the Underworld, I take a vow to grind you lot into dust!"

As he took his fist step, a deafening roar echoed throughout the sky. Natsu yelled out in pain and fell to his knees, followed by the other Dragon Slayers in the area, as they all covered their ears and grunted in pain.

"What the-?!" Gray exclaimed, confused and also in pain, although his was nowhere near that of the superhumans next to him. "What was that?!"

Mard Geer sighed. "I was too late." he said. He sounded tired. "I misjudged the time of his arrival. Now the fate is rattled, uncertain. Even I myself do not know what is going to happen next."

"What are you mumbling over there?!" Gray yelled at him.

"No..." Makarov's whisper of despair escaped before his mind even put the pieces together, as trauma and fear won the race. All of a sudden what remained of his missing leg began to violently itch. He watched the night sky split in half as something huge and black began to descend upon them, his red eyes and white teeth glowing in the moonlight like an omen of death that he was.

"Acnologia..."

The dragon descended upon Magnolia from the dark clouds, his roar deafening and terrifying. The Council troops started to panic and break whatever was left of their form, which did not go unpunished by the primitive, very much not caring demons, who started to gain the upper hand by mauling the distracted soldiers.

"What in the name of everything that is holy is this beast doing here?!" John Springer asked and raised his warhammer, prepared to fight, although his troops did not share his sentiment. They all began to drop their weapons and run away, much to the joy of the demons, who cared not for the newcomer and began to tear into the defenseless troops with their teeth and claws.

John jumped high in the air and raised his warhammer above his head. He then dragged it down and as it made contact with its prey, two dozen demons were instantly turned to bits of gunk and bloody flesh, as the ground split open like a coconut.

"Do not falter, men!" John roared as loud as he could, his voice amplified with magic. "Care not for what you can not change, but for what is in front of you! There's still an enemy to be beat! Do not look towards the skies whilst there are monsters on the ground, right in front of you!"

The soldiers, although terrified, dared not disobey their superior. They picked up their dropped weapons and shields in haste, and quickly turned back to face the enemy.

"Back in formation! Shields up! Spears forward!" John ordered, as the troops reassembled back into a wall. Those further back repeated the order to those who had not heard the Captain, and soon enough the majority of what remained of the Council's troops formed a unified formation similar to that from before, as the rest dispatched of enemies still stuck within their ranks.

"Repel these beasts and bring them closure! Not much else can we do for these poor souls!" John roared and as the demons flooded the shield wall once again, they soon found themselves repelled and struggling to break through.

Someplace else, Kyouka managed to shake off the swordswomen and jumped back, her eyes glued to the black dot soaring in the distance. "Acnologia... Never in my life would I expect to see him."

"The Black Dragon?!" Kagura asked and looked at him in shock. "Why is he here?!"

"Do not lose your focus!"

Erza's voice snapped Kagura out of it. She looked at the redhead, who continued to pay attention to their opponent, her stance ready and focused. However, no matter how hard she tried, Erza could not contain the cold sweat pouring down her face and the shaking that rattled her blade. Kagura'd heard rumors about the Tenrou Island incident from 7 years prior, but never gave the rumors a second thought, even after being told by Erza in short detail. However, seeing the seemingly fearless, ferocious knight in this state was just enough to tell her everything there was to say.

"Gajeel! What's wrong, Gajeel?!"

Levy's voice was yet another distraction, as she was hovering over Gajeel, who'd laid himself down in fetal position. His body was violently shaking, with cold sweat nearly drenching him within seconds. His eyes were misty and rid of light, and his mouth was agape, although no sound would come out.

"Wendy, you must-"

Levy's face paled as the very same fate met Wendy as well, only in her case with more force.

"Pull yourself together, Wendy!" Cana cried out and picked the girl up. "We need you! If there's anyone who can fight this beast, it's you guys! Please, get a hold of yourselves!" she started to panic, as painful, horrible memories started to flood her mind. "I can't do this without you!"

"Cana..." Lucy said, a tear flowing down her face. She prompted herself up best she could and put her hand on her friend's tense shoulder, before looking at the dragon herself. The dread she was feeling could not have been even close to that of Cana, or Makarov's, and she knew it, yet there was nothing she could do. And it was killing her.

Suddenly, Wendy and Gajeel opened their eyes and mouths as wide as they could. A torrent of black particles began to eject from their holes high into the sky, where it formed into two dense, huge clouds, as they lingered for a moment and for a second Lucy could have sworn she heard sounds that resembled words come from their direction. The clouds then traveled in separate directions at speed so great they vanished within seconds.

The Dragon Slayers calmed down, still pale and sweaty, as well as so exhausted they were barely unconscious. Wendy went limp in Cana's lap, her eyes lazily looking around in confusion.

"What the hell was that?!" Lisanna asked as she helped Levy tend to Gajeel, who was in similar state.

"Natsu, we don't have time for this!" Gray cried out as his ice shield began to give out from Mard Geer's pressure. His eyes were glued to the black dragon currently soaring towards them, as he was now within the range of his Roar attack.

Natsu was currently on the ground, in the exact same state as the rest of the Dragon Slayers. All but Laxus were currently out of commission, sprawled on the ground and violently shaking. Sting and Rogue met the same fate as Gajeel and Wendy, as their clouds left for someplace else as well.

The time has come.

Natsu's eyes widened violently as he began to scream at the top of his lungs, his head nearly splitting from the sheer volume of the voice currently speaking to those present from an unknown source. It was extremely hard to understand, as well as clouded, its only distinct features being that it was male and extremely low.

Although the conditions are far from planned, actions must be taken. The plan will commence now!

"Who's speaking?!" Gray roared in utter confusion.

Natsu's eyes and mouth began to eject black particles as well, as the voice grew clearer and more comprehensive. He now started to recognize it, and as the disbelief began to settle in, more words were spoken, which dispersed it in mere moments.

There are many things to be said, Natsu my boy. They shall wait, until this pest is no more!

The black cloud began to take shape, as red and black wings, red arms, and head emerged from within. The scar on his forehead beamed in the moonlight, as the dragon roared with all his might, matching that of Acnologia's.

The entirety of the vast battlefield watched as the two dragons clashed their heads with so much force the impact caused violent winds to shake down the ruins of Plutogrim, as well as the fields of Magnolia, where many humans and demons alike were knocked down to the ground.

Erza watched the battle with her mouth and eyes wide open. Benizakura slowly descended down to her side, as she carefully examined the new dragon in utter disbelief and confusion.

"A red dragon..." she whispered. "It can't be...!"

Mard Geer watched the commotion in pure astonishment. "This is beyond anything I could have anticipated." he said. "This changes everything. Nothing of the future I read about holds any value anymore."

Natsu sat on the floor, almost like a child. His body felt heavy and tired, and his thoughts were racing, in disarray. His heart, however, was beating like crazy, overflowing with many emotions, all changing every second.

As joy and relief reached the top for the moment, he couldn't help but unleash years worth of tears, which flooded his eyes so quickly he couldn't stop them even if he wanted to. He watched Igneel fight Acnologia high in the sky through the tears, as a single word could escape his closing throat.

"Dad..." he mumbled, much to Gray's shock, as he was now even more confused than before. They watched the two beasts battle from the ground, feeling much like ants must probably feel whenever faced with things beyond their imagination.

The more he watched, the more his joy faded, instead replaced by resent and anger rooted so deep he himself was not aware of its existence until now. Natsu dried his eyes and stood up, his magic power rising and turning scorching hot.

With a loud grunt he kicked the ground and turned his feet into flaming thrusters, as he made his way directly towards his father. As the rage nearly blinded him, along with the most horrid images of his past that he'd pushed into the very back of his mind in order not to go insane resurfacing with the strength of a thousand suns, a single question bounced off the walls of his mind at speed and strength so great it nearly erupted from his skull in a physical shape.

Why?

"Igneel!" his roar of pure fury unleashed every emotion currently polluting his mind, as its strength easily matched that of the beasts fighting in the sky. Igneel averted his gaze from Acnologia and locked it onto the approaching Natsu, as his tears left a glimmering trail in the sky, only to be evaporated by his hate fueled flames. The dragon's eyes softened and turned guilt-ridden, as he was very well aware of the source of his son's anger.

"Natsu..." he said quietly and awaited his son's arrival, all the while Acnologia screeched into the sky like a wild beast.

Erza watched as a small fireball made its way towards the red dragon and instinctively took a step forward. She heard the scream, everyone did, but she was confident that nobody understood its actual meaning like she did. And it was killing her, both what was happening to her loved one, but also because she could not be by his side to aid him in his difficult time, all because of the one obstacle still standing in her way.

With tears flowing down her face she reluctantly turned away from the scene and instead began feeling anger of the ugliest kinds. Her brown eyes focused on the still very agitated Kyouka, who sharpened her long claws against one another. This sight brought painful, fresh memories that still haunted her skin, and combined with everything else going on dug out fury Erza herself was not even aware of. Choosing to focus all of these feelings on one person, Erza lifted Benizakura once again and gave the demon a glare so fierce it broke her confident demeanor and instead planted a seed of fear in her soul.

For it was no longer Erza Scarlet she was facing.

End of Chapter 59. To be continued in Chapter 60: Regicide.