Chapter 70

Black Wings

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback

Location / Date / Time Skip

Igneel crashed into Acnologia and the two behemoths glared at each other. "That's… Igneel?" Lucy mumbled in fear.

The creatures roared at each other before crashing heads. "It… was in… you…" Juvia stuttered out. "What, how?"

"Gajeel? You okay?" Levy questioned.

"The pain… it stopped." He mumbled out as his body stopped shaking.

The entire battlefield, human and demon alike, stared in shock at the two reptilians slammed into each other. A mix of fear and wonder permeated the air as Mard Geer jumped away from his own fight. "The wings of darkness, Acnologia. The king of flames, Igneel. There's no way I'm letting you get in the way of my plans. You'll be among the forgotten ones when Face detonates."

Back in the frozen center, the five looked up in horror. "Gajeel, hang in there!" Levy begged.

"The hell is happening…" He mumbled before turning to Natsu. "Oi! Salamander! Was that Igneel!? What the hell was he doing in you!?"

Natsu was shaking as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "The hell I'd know…" He confessed. "And here I was, looking for him the whole time…" Fire shot out of his feet and he took to the sky in anger. "Don't screw with me, Igneel!"

He latched onto his father's tail and started climbing, much to his annoyance. "Fool! I told you we'd talk later!"

"No! We're talking now!" Natsu snapped back, now on his wing. "Why'd you go missing so suddenly!? You were in me the whole time!? Where're Gajeel, Wendy and Laki's dragons! What happened on July 7, 777!?"

"SHUT UP!" The Fire Dragon swung his tail and swatted Acnologia back. In annoyance, he grabbed Natsu in his claw before unleashing a torrent of flames. Natsu watched in horror as the Black Dragon was encased in a fiery explosion.

"Whoa… you did it." He mumbled in shock.

"No. It didn't even land a scratch on him." Igneel replied. True to his words, Acnologia flapped his wings and roared in defiance at the attack. "Now I'm fired up. Natsu, stay out of this."

"No way! It's been too long since we've seen each other and this is how you treat me!?" The human snapped back.

"Like I said boy, we'll talk later." Igneel replied. "For now, I have a job for you." Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "Heard you joined a guild or something? Consider this a request. Look."

He pointed down and Natsu stared at Mard Geer. "See that book in his hands? That's the book of E.N.D. Get it for me."

"Why would I do that?" Natsu asked back.

"Because it's something only you can do." His father answered. "Besides, that man is the cause of all this chaos and death. Isn't that reason enough to go after him?" Natsu nodded before turning to his father. "Listen well, NEVER open that book. Just take it from him. It shouldn't be in his hands."

"What's the reward?" Natsu asked, confusing the dragon. "I'm in a guild, you know…"

"…I'll tell you everything you wanted to know." Igneel answered.

"I'll do it!" Natsu said with a smirk. With a smile, Igneel pulled his arm back and threw Natsu towards Mard Geer. "You'd better keep your promise this time!" Mard Geer heard the screaming and turned and turned his head. "I'm all fired up!"

"And you are?" The demon questioned as fire erupted on Natsu's arm.

"I am Igneel's son!" He roared, slamming a blazing punch into Mard Geer.

The attack launched him back through the ruins of his guild, eyes wide in shock. "Did you say the dragon's son?" A kick ended his train of thought and hit him in the face.

"I'm taking that book!" Natsu declared, charging towards the dark guild leader. "And I'm putting an end to Face! Which means I'll also be kicking your ass!"

Mard Geer brush off the blow like nothing and stood up. Waving his hand, he summoned a wall of thorns from every angle. To his shock, Natsu actually dodged the attack. 'This is the first time he's seen my curse and yet… he was able to dodge it!?'

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu slammed his burning fist into Mard Geer's face, unaware that his father was doing the same to Acnologia.

Mard Geer slid back from the attack and smiled in excitement at the show of strength. 'Kyouka, can you hear me?'

Control Room

The bird demon slid back from a sword slash and froze at the voice in her head. 'Lord Mard Geer?'

'The dragons have become a problem.' He explained. 'Speed up the activation of Face. You are in the control room right now, along with your pet?'

'Yes… however, both Keyes and Sayla have been taken out.' She reported in shame. 'We no longer have anyone capable of controlling the chairman.'

'Worry not.' Mard Geer replied. 'It has already been brought online. Simply hastening its activation is well within even your power. In the center of the control room is the main lacrima. You shall form a Body Link with it.'

'A Body Link!?' Kyouka repeated in shock and horror.

'If you transform your body into the activation key, you can speed up the process.' He explained. 'And once Face activates, naturally all these mages will become powerless. I expect we will even be able to steal the dragons life force. And thus Master E.N.D. will be revived. Victory will be ours. Now go.'

'…Lord Mard Geer.' She whispered back. 'If I make a Body Link between this enormous magic power and my body… my own life becomes forfeit.'

'And what of it?' Mard Geer asked back, scaring Kyouka. 'Do you fear death so?'

'No, of course not.' She replied. 'But if I may be so bold as to suggest a small change in the plans?' She glanced over to see Abatu kick Brianna back, ending her transformation.

Mard Geer let out a chuckle at the twist. 'That is devious, even for you. I approve.' He replied. 'Everything is for Zeref…'

"Everything is for Zeref…" She repeated, confusing Erza. "Abatu!" The eyeless beast turned to his master as she pointed to the lacrima. "Fuse with it! And do not let go until you do so!"

Snarling in obedience, he leapt up and dug is claws into the orb, shocking his former guild mate. Abatu writhed in pain as his body glowed in power, a series of markers appearing around the room.

"What are those…?" Pantherlily questioned.

"These represent the number of Faces on the continent." Kyouka explained with a smirk as Abatu fell off the crystal, landing on all fours. "The Body Link is complete. Now he has become one with Face's activation counsel."

"What!?" Erza shouted in shock.

"Now the situation has become very simple." Kyouka said with a sick smile. "Kill him and you stop Face." 'Of course, once Face activates, he'll die anyway.'

"Someone's extremely confident." Erza stated.

"Of course I am." The demoness smirked back. "After all, your kind have always been squeamish about doing what is necessary for victory."

Abatu launched forward and sliced Erza's sword and armor to pieces. She slid next to Brianna and found that Abatu had changed. Spikes had grown over his hair and trailed down his spine. His tail had grown a solid club as he opened his mouth, disarticulating the bottom jaw and unleashing a roar. "Now, what will it be: his life, or all magic in the world?" Kyouka chuckled as the two charged at the humans.

"Nicholas, snap out of it!" Brianna shouted, transforming into her Scorpion Man form. Her pincers pinned him to the ground as her tail pointed at his neck. "You have to remember who you are!"

The demon merely roared and dug his feet into her body, flipping her over and sending her crashing into a wall. With a roar, the clock suddenly accelerated ahead nine minutes. "Tartaros doesn't have to defeat us, just wait us out." Minerva mumbled in fear. "Don't play around, just kill him!"

"Hey, shut up!" Slate shouted. "Before he was turned into… this, he was a member of our guild. It's not as simple as you make it sound."

"One life weighed against all the magic on the continent!?" Minerva asked. "It IS as simple as it sounds. If Abatu dies, we win!"

"His name is Nicholas, got it!?" Brianna growled as she and Erza, now in her Black Wing Armor, charged the demonic duo.

"You stand no chance against us!" Kyouka declared as Abatu slammed his tail club down. The shockwave tore the ground apart and forced them back as a green glow covered the two. "With my Enhancement Curse, the two of us will never stop gaining power. With your deaths, nothing will stand in Tartaros' way."

Abatu suddenly leapt up from the ground and punched Erza upwards before slamming his club into Brianna's face. Sliding backwards, she transformed into her Glaistig soul and dug into the ground. Waving her hands, vines shot up and wrapped around his arms and legs, holding him to the ground.

"Please, look at this!" She held up his pendant and dangled it in his face. "This was from your father! You never take it off because it means so much to you! You can't have forgotten him!"

"You're wasting your breath, human." Kyouka chuckled from behind. "Abatu is nothing but a mindless beast now!" With a swing of her talons, she sent Brianna crashing into a wall. Another swing freed Abatu from the plants as she turned back to the Take-Over Mage. "Go play with Erza for a while. I'll deal with her."

The stone demon growled and raced over to the redhead. "Don't… listen to her…" Brianna gasped out, her spell fading away.

"He has no choice!" Kyouka declared, her talons growing in size. "He obeys me and me alone. That's all he'll remember, and that's what he'll die doing!"

Kyouka charged at Brianna, talons pulled back to strike. "Remember… your promise…" She whispered, waiting for her death. Blood spattered onto her face, forcing her to open her eyes.

Kyouka was standing over her, a stone fist punched through her chest. "Im… possible…" She gagged out, blood spilling from her mouth. Abatu ripped his hand free before kicking her aside towards the stunned Erza.

Turning back to Brianna, he spasmed and twitched as his mouth opened. "I… promised… to protect… you…" He gasped out. "I promised… to protect you." Grabbing his head, Abatu started writhing in pain. Digging at his face, the living key tore off some of the scales, revealing a human eye filled with panic.

"Kill me!"

"You're back!" Brianna cheered, rushing forward.

"Stay back!" He shouted, the stone starting to regrow over his eye. "I… can't control it!" The transformed man peeled off the stone, blood pouring from his face. "This power… I can't stop Face. You have to kill me!"

"No! We'll find a way to save you!" Erza shouted.

"There's no time!" Nicholas shouted, dropping to his knees. "My life isn't worth destroying all magic. Do it, and you win!"

Erza let out a sigh and started walking over, a sword in her hand. "Erza, no!" Brianna shouted, tackling the redhead. "You can't do it!"

"It is his wish." She replied. "I can't rob him of that choice."

"I know!" Brianna shouted back, ripping the blade from her hand. "That's why I have to be the one to do it!"

The others stared at her in shock before she stood up. "Are you sure about this?" Erza asked. "This isn't something you can ever forget. Or forgive yourself for."

"I'll never forgive myself if I let someone else do this." Brianna replied. Erza gripped her hand and hugged her for her bravery. The Take-Over Mage rushed over to her oldest friend and stood before him. "I'll try to make it painless."

"It's alright…" Nicholas said back. "You could never hurt me." He looked up at her as the stone retook his eyes. "I just feel you."

"Thank you… for everything." Brianna raised the sword and swung at her lover, only to stop an inch from his neck. "…I can't do it…" She mumbled, dropping the blade. "I know it would save the world and all of magic…" Tears fell from her eyes as she hugged the man turned demon. "BUT I CAN'T JUST KILL THE MAN I LOVE!"

The tears hit his shoulder and he hugged her back. "…I understand." Minerva stood up, spinning Erza around. "Give me a sword. I'll take them both."

"Minerva, don't!" Erza shouted. "You just decided to return. You don't need anymore blood on your hand."

"That's why I have to do it." She replied. "You shouldn't be the one to kill your friends."

"Let her do it." Brianna said, catching their attention. "It'll be the first act of kindness in who knows how long." Minerva picked up a blade and rushed over, sword ready to stab. She turned to Nicholas and pecked his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He declared before the katana ran through both their chests. Minerva wiped the tears from her eyes as she let go of the blade.

"…No… No!" She shouted, looking up in horror. The others were confused until they followed her gaze. Amidst all the drama, no one had noticed that the timer had reached 0.

Yeah, how's this for a twist? I've been planning this for a while now as a replacement for the canon explanation because… I'll be honest, I'm less annoyed at the outcome as I am with the excuse. If they actually came up a good reason for why Erza won, I'd be fine. But the whole 'because she's Erza' thing is just so stupid.

I asked around for what was the less cliche option to do, and this was what was selected. I think it works for what the scene was, but what do you all think? Let me know and see ya next time.

Beta read by General Feng Xiang