As the war continued on and many battles fought, Natsu, Gray and Juvia were brought to a chamber where Porlyusica and Brandish attended their wounds. Lucy, Happy, Carla and Evergreen sat and kept watch over Dimaria, who was tied up and restrained. The Spriggan 12 member continued to spout insults to Natsu specifically, calling him a demon and whatnot while Lucy tried her hardest to restrain herself from beating the woman like crazy.
Because a lot of people's memory of Lucy's identity had been manipulated so that they forget everything about her being a dragon and Dragon Empress, no one from Alvarez knew of that fact as well. No one else besides Sting and Rogue was involved with the battle of Tartaros and those two remembered her identity so it was fine, but she knew that Zeref possibly knows of her identity considering the fact that Igneel had told her that Natsu had encountered him briefly amongst the battle.
Luckily, the blonde empress could relax as it seemed like Zeref had kept that information for himself. For what reason she did not know, but if he had told his army of her, then there was no way that they wouldn't prioritize getting rid of her before all else. She suspected that the immortal mage wanted to keep her around for if and/or when Acnologia returns. As she broke out of her thoughts, Lucy then noticed Happy's shaking body and brought him into her comforting arms.
"Even if Natsu was a demon, that doesn't change the fact that he fights for what he believes in, for his friends and family." Lucy spoke up, causing everyone to look at her. "He would rather die than become the cruel monster you say he is."
"Lucy is right." Carla agreed. "We must believe in him."
Meanwhile, within Natsu's subconsciousness, Zeref began telling him about their past. How they were a simple family of four, how he and his parents died when dragons raided their village and how Zeref revived him after so many years. Then the black magic mage began talking about how he entrusted Igneel with Natsu's care and how in the past, he knew Gajeel, Wendy, Sting and Rogue long ago thanks to their dragons bringing them together every once in awhile.
It was during those revelations that Natsu's body froze for a moment. It was then that Zeref's words about him reviving him finally processed in his head. He was E.N.D, a demon whom Zeref revived over 400 years ago. The most powerful demon out of all of Zeref's creations. The same demon that Gray sought to destroy. The same demon that Igneel couldn't kill all those years ago... because the Fire Dragon King thought of him as a son.
'He is not the monster or demon you may think he is.'
Lucy's words began to echo through his head. He recalled the look on her face when everyone protested against her words about how she refused to kill E.N.D. Lucy told all of them, with her whole chest and straight to their faces, that she would follow Igneel and not kill E.N.D. How she believed him not to be a monster like the all claimed. In the end, Natsu realized that Lucy was defending him when she said those words. She had known in that moment that he was a demon, but still believed him to be good.
"Lucy..."
"That's that blonde friend of yours right?" Zeref suddenly asked, pausing his story. "Since this is your mind and I'm just an illusion created from it, I already know that she knows who and what you are."
"But how come she couldn't tell me that!? It would've been nice to know that I'm apparently your brother and a demon, y'know!?"
Zeref didn't say anything at first and the dragon slayer looked at him with an angered look. "Tell me Natsu... how could she have told you?" He asked, causing Natsu to take a step back. "How could she, your partner, tell you that she learned that you were someone from 400 years in the past and that you would die once you took my life? It must've killed her inside to find out, don't you think?"
"It... killed her inside?"
"I'd assume so. Think about it." Zeref suggested. "She asks Igneel about E.N.D, about why he couldn't kill it. Then she finds out that you, her best friend and partner, is E.N.D and realizes that she doesn't want you to die. It must've hurt her like it did your blue feline friend that stopped you from killing me."
"Happy... Lucy..."
Everyone in the room (besides Lucy and Gray, who is now conscious) stared in shock as Happy took Natsu's head in his arms, begging for the kamis to spare Natsu's life. The blue exceed's sobs the only audible thing being heard within the room. He had just cried out that the fire dragon slayer would perish if he continued to go off and kill Zeref, something the others didn't expect. It was then that Porlyusica noticed that Lucy and Gray were the only ones unaffected by the news.
The healer concluded that Gray must have found something out during his and Natsu's fight, considering the fact that Lucy told her that the reason for their injuries was due to one another, but she couldn't place why the blonde seemed unfazed by Happy's outburst. To her, it seemed that Lucy had known of the fact but either refused to accept it or had wished that the truth had never gotten out. Luckily for the old woman, Evergreen was the one who broke the ice.
"Natsu... will die...!? What the heck are you talking about Happy!?" The light headed brunette asked as the exceed continued to sob. "Why would Natsu die if he kills Zeref!? That doesn't make sense at all!"
"Lucy! Make him come to his senses right-! Lucy?" Carla asked. "What's wrong? Why don't you seem surprised? Did you..."
"I already told you... didn't I?" The blonde said in a soft voice as Happy looked at her with tears still pouring from his cheeks. "I told you all... he is not and will never become the monster you think he is."
Evergreen and Carla's eyes widened at her words as they were the only other two who had heard what the blonde claimed when Lucy talked about the etherious demon back at the guild. Happy already understood her words so there was no need for him to go through that realization, but now he was glad that Lucy said it. Gray, on the other hand, just continued to remain still and not say a word as he began to reflect on his own. If it hadn't been for Erza, he might've been the one responsible for Natsu's demise.
"It's Natsu...!? Natsu is E.N.D!?" Evergreen cried as Lucy nodded in response.
"But how can that be!? It's impossible!" Carla added.
"Do you see now why I told you that I would not help kill E.N.D? Do you understand why Igneel couldn't do it so many years ago?" Lucy asked. "There is no way on Earthland that we could... We can't kill Natsu."
"B-But L-Lucy... N-Natsu's d-dying right now!" Happy cried. "He's dying right now and I don't know what to do to help him! What should we do!? We can't let him die right!"
"And we won't let him die Happy." She replied as she placed a hand on the blue exceed's head. "Let's go to the other room. Like Porlyusica said we need to keep him warm. C'mon Happy... you believe in him, don't you?"
Happy just stared at the blonde empress for a couple of seconds. Her eyes of burning determination that resembled Natsu's piercing his soul. Knowing that Natsu would hate for him to give up, Happy wipes his tears away and nods while narrowing his eyes. He knew Lucy was right and he wasn't going to disappoint Natsu any further by being a crybaby. And when Natsu woke up, knowing the pink headed slayer, it would be like nothing ever happened.
"Aye!"