A/N: Episode 196.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: SIN AND SACRIFICE

"The only way to put the world back the way it was... is by killing Rogue..." Ultear told herself.

"I may not know the Future Rogue, but I do know the Rogue of now. He would never kill Luke, who has been his friend for years. Present-day Rogue hasn't done anything wrong."

"Kill him, you say... You want us to go down the wrong path, too?"

Both Sting and Natsu's words rang in Ultear's ears as she dropped to the ground, clenching her fist. "This... is me..." She thought, standing back up and continuing on her way.

Gray, Lyon, Alyssa, and Juvia dodged the incoming beam as Lyon leaped into the air, his fists placed together.

"Ice-Make: Snow Tiger!" Lyon called out as the beam destroyed the ice tiger,

"Ice Cannon!" Gray shouted as the ice cannon was destroyed.

"Gray-sama's Ice Cannon... was pulverized?" Juvia muttered to herself.

"Glacial Onslaught!" Alyssa shouted, firing smaller chunks of ice at the hatchlings before landing on the ground between Gray and Lyon.

"It's not in my nature to be on the defensive end like this. Let's go, Lyon, Alyssa!" Gray said.

"Of course!" Lyon agreed.

"Ready when you are!" Alyssa added.

"Ice-Make: Freeze Lancer!"

"Ice-Make: Snow Dragon!"

"Glacial Plummet!"

The three attacks combined, destroying three of the hatchlings and causing an explosion. However, three more showed up.

"Bastard!" Gray cursed.

"Secure the shields! Let's go!" Lyon said, rushing off.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia called for him.

"I know!" Gray responded as beams were shot at them. Lyon, Gray, and Alyssa used their Ice Magic to put up a large ice shield around them, blocking the beams.

"Damn things keep poppin' up... I'm sick of ya!" Wakaba blew out some smoke.

Macao and Romeo were blasting purple fire from their hands. "Keep it up, Romeo!" Macao encouraged.

"I know!" Romeo said.

Macao and Romeo's attacks combined with Wakaba's as it made an explosion. Two of the mini dragons fired their beams at them as the three of them ducked down.

"Dammit! Those sons of bitches are tough!" Macao claimed.

"There's no end to 'em! What do we do, Macao?!" Wakaba asked.

"You're asking me?" Macao questioned.

"Are you giving up, Pop?" Romeo asked. "Are you givin' up?!"

"Idiot, who said anything about that?!"

Romeo fell forwards as Macao caught him by the shoulders. "I'm not gonna let you die on me." He claimed.

"Don't treat me like a little kid." Romeo looked up at his father. "Pop, I'm a Fairy Tail wizard, too!"

"Hey, father and son! No time for a tender moment! We got incoming!" Wakaba informed as the beams fired at their hiding spot.

Macao had shielded Romeo from the blast. "Romeo..."

"I've still... got a long way to go..." Romeo stated.

"Dammit. That hurt." Macao groaned, falling back.

"Cripes... I'm gettin' old, too. Good grief..." Wakaba commented.

"Are you a Dragon Slayer?" The rock dragon asked Cobra.

"Don't address me so familiarly. Your vile voice makes my ears ring. I'm in high spirits after being locked up for so long. I wanna absorb many voices. So don't get in my way, stone monstrosity!" Cobra claimed.

"Cheeky human!"

Cobra avoided the attack as he leaped into the air. "I can hear your attack!"

"I'll lend you a hand!" Ichiya offered.

"Out of the way, you extra!" Cobra declined, poison coming from his fist as he slammed it down on the dragon. "Poison Dragon's Sharp Horn!"

"You're calling me an extra...?!" Ichiya said, offended as he narrowly avoided the poison coming at him. "My rear is cooking! Men!"

Ichiya flew up in the air. "I warned you to get out of the way." Cobra said as the dragon roared once more. "Bastard. So that didn't work?"

Sting was still riding on Ryujin. "You're built to last... but come on!" Sting challenged.

"One who has determination knows no defeat!" Future Rogue claimed.

"Is that right? Well, the same thing applies to me!" Sting said as Motherglare and Ryujin clashed.

Lucy was running through the debris holding a journal. "Where is everyone?!" She called out. "I have to tell them about this!"

A beam was suddenly shot at Lucy as she collapsed to the ground. "Ow..." She mumbled. Lucy looked up as she saw that she was surrounded by the mini dragons.

"The little dragons! Oh, no! I'm surrounded!" Lucy exclaimed as the dragons prepared to fire once more. "I don't have time to..."

A wave of water suddenly attacked the hatchlings, destroying them. Lucy glanced up to see Hana staring at her, a silver key in her hand.

"T-Thank you, Hana!" Lucy thanked the woman, who nodded as Lucy went on her way.

"Eridanus, return." Hana swiped Eridanus's key, returning him to the Celestial Spirit World.

"Take this!" Laxus shouted, firing lightning at Elexion. "Wretch! You're outclassed, dirty old man!"

"I wonder how long you'll be able to prattle, snot-nosed brat." Elexion claimed as Laxus continued firing lightning at him.

Elexion, however, fired the attack right back as everyone else ducked. Laxus was attacked as he fell to the ground.

"When you call someone a snot-nosed brat, be sure you're prepared to face the blowback that goes with it!" Laxus shouted, attacking Elexion with his lightning once more.

"Come! Bring it on, stripling!" Elexion challenged.

"Bastard..." Laxus muttered.

Erza continued to slash at the mini dragons before dodging the incoming beams. Jellal leaped into the air before attacking four of them with a black hole that expanded while Erza took down another.

"There are too many of them!" Erza informed.

"That's unusual. Are you complaining, Erza?" Jellal asked.

Erza slashed another dragon. "It's not a complaint!" She replied.

"That's fine." Jellal turned around. "With the two of us together... we'll fight to the very end!"

"I know! Let's go!" Erza said.

Jet was helping Droy stand up. "Stand up, Droy!" Jet said, trying to support him. "You're heavy!"

"I can't! My legs won't listen to me..." Droy informed.

"Dammit! Get ahold of yourself, Droy." Jet told him as he struggled to lift Droy up. "This is why I'm always tellin' you to go on a diet!"

"Jet... You've done enough. Leave me here." Droy said.

"Idiot! Like I could do that... I'll move you through will alone!"

Three dragons fired their beams at the two as they both laid on the ground. "Damn, that hurt!" Droy exclaimed.

"That was close..." Jet sat up. "Come on, stand up... while you have the chance."

"I'm telling you... I can't... I'm worried about Levy. Please, even if it's you alone... go help her..."

"Stand up!" Jet winced. "Jeez... You're not makin' this easy... Feels like I've got one foot in the grave myself... I'm not going to help Levy alone. The two of us are goin' together."

Jet stands up again, supporting Droy. "I swear... we're gonna help her together..." He continued.

"Sorry I'm so heavy..."

"Don't give in! If your spirit breaks, it's all over, Droy!"

Another dragon came up and fired their beam at them.

Lucy continued running. "I have to tell them! I have to tell them all!" She claimed.

Arcadios, Lily, and Ace were fighting off the mini dragons while the royal guards surrounded Hisui to protect her.

Elfman narrowly avoided the dragon's beam. "Elf-nii-chan! Are you okay?!" Lisanna asked in worry.

"Stay back, Lisanna!" Elfman told her.

Lisanna turned around. "If it's tough on one person, then two people..." She started to say.

"No, you support somebody else. There are too many of these things here. While I charge 'em, you get away!" Elfman charged forward. "I'm gonna show 'em just how damn strong Fairy Tail is!"

"Elf-nii-chan!" Lisanna screamed out.

"Man!"

"Take this! Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Shiro called out, attacking the dragon with a blast of blue lightning and causing an explosion. "Now, that had some effect."

However, the dragon was still standing. "Dammit! That didn't work either?"

In the sky, Mother Glare and Ryujin clashed again. "That's the way, Uncle!" Sting encouraged.

"Mother Glare!" Future Rogue shouted.

Mother Glare lifted into the sky before diving down, causing Ryujin and Sting to crash. Mother Glare lifted into the sky again.

"That's what happens when you underestimate Dragon Manipulation Magic." Future Rogue claimed.

Ryujin and Sting appeared from the smoke. "I'm only just gettin' started!" Sting shouted as Ryujin rammed into Mother Glare.

Blaze soon saw an explosion up ahead as Atlas groaned. "Atlas, you okay?" Nero asked in worry.

"I'm fine." Atlas reassured. "Jeez, it feels like winning the Grand Magic Games happened ages ago."

"Atlas, Nero, Eric! You're okay!" Blaze spoke in relief.

"Blaze!"

Debris soon fell on top of them as Atlas was clenching onto his shoulder in pain. "Dammit! My shoulder..." He muttered.

"All right. You're still unharmed, right?" Eric asked Blaze.

"I'll call for help! Wait here!" Blaze replied.

Blaze was about to fly away but Nero grabbed onto his tail, keeping him from going any further.

"What's wrong?" Blaze asked.

"We're fine. We don't need no help." Nero replied.

"But you're all beat up." Blaze argued.

"Don't worry about us."

"You heard Atlas. We don't need any help. Get going, Blaze." Eric said.

"But I can't leave you like this!"

"We're God Pegasus wizards! There's nothing we can't overcome!" Eric informed.

"Eric is right." Atlas chimed in.

"Atlas, you too?" Blaze questioned.

"We're fighting. Luke, Sting, and everyone else... Right now is the time to fight!" Atlas responded.

"Atlas... Got it! But promise me."

"Promise?" Eric quoted.

"Promise that you'll live through this!" Blaze said.

"Okay, you got it. I promise." Nero told him.

"Good!" Blaze nodded.

More debris fell on top of the three God Pegasus wizards as Blaze flew off.

Beams continued firing and causing explosions. "Juvia!" Meredy shouted out.

"Meredy!" Juvia exclaimed.

"Have you seen Ul? I got separated from her!" Meredy asked.

"I haven't seen her, but..." Juvia trailed off as beams were pointed right at Juvia and Meredy.

"Look out!" Gray warned as he grabbed onto Juvia and Meredy, making them duck for cover.

"Don't lose focus!" Lyon shouted as he froze another dragon.

"This is a battleground!" Alyssa added, freezing another hatchling solid.

Gray and Meredy stood up. "Sorry!" Meredy apologized.

Juvia's face was red. "Gray-sama touched Juvia's behind..." She muttered.

"Juvia..." Gray called out her name, getting her attention. "Juvia, I want to tell you something."

Juvia sat up. "W-W-What is it?" She asked.

"Oh, it's not important..."

"It may be important to Juvia!"

"I can already tell this involves a huge misunderstanding." Meredy commented.

"Maybe he's going to confess his love for me..." Juvia thought as she clasped her hands over her mouth. "W-What should I do?!"

"Juvia!" Lyon shouted out suddenly.

A dragon aimed its beam at Juvia as Gray grabbed onto Juvia's shoulder, pushing her down and causing the beam to strike him instead. Lyon, Alyssa, and Meredy watched with wide eyes.

More beams fired at him. "Huh?" Gray spoke in confusion.

Another beam soon struck Gray in the head as he collapsed to the ground.

"No!"

"Gray!"

Meanwhile, Ultear was still on her knees as a tear fell from her face. "I don't deserve... to live anymore..." She thinks to herself.

A/N: Another chapter is finished!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.