A/N: Episode 261.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR: ABSOLUTE DEMON

'Lumen Histoire?' Lucy repeated.

'What's that?' Wendy questioned.

"There is no time to explain in detail. Return to the guild at once." Makarov responded as his eyes were closed.

"At once?" Lucy repeated. "Master?"

"But the guild was blown to pieces..." Droy reminded.

"Don't!" Jet scolded as Elfman had an unreadable expression.

"The guild's basement. Hurry!" Makarov instructed.

"I don't really understand it, but anyway, let's go!" Lucy informed.

"Right!" Wendy agreed.

"I'm staying here." Elfman said.

"Elf-nii-chan?" Lisanna spoke.

"Why?!" Lucy asked.

Elfman recalled what he had done.

"Hey! Elfman?!" Cana exclaimed.

"Don't interfere... Don't interfere! Don't interfere!" Elfman shouted.

Cana looked over, seeing the bomb. "A bomb?!"

"Die! Die, Fairy Tail!"

"Somebody!" Cana shouted.

Cana was thrown into the ground by Elfman's strength as he was breathing heavily.

"Is he being mind-controlled? At this rate..." Cana thinks to herself.

The Fairy Tail guild hall soon exploded.

Makarov had his eyes open as he sighed. "The guild's destruction isn't your fault." He reassured.

"Y-Yeah! Master's right!"

"Elf-nii-chan..." Lisanna muttered.

"If Levy had been taken hostage, I'm sure I would've..." Jet started to say.

"Even so, I..." Elfman trailed off.

'I understand. Do what feels right to you.' Makarov said.

"Master!" Jet exclaimed.

"We can't leave him here!" Warren complained.

'You come with us.' Makarov addresses Doranbolt privately.

"Individual telepathy?" Doranbolt thought before replying to Makarov. 'I'm not a member of your guild.'

'I'm going to need your power.' Makarov stated.

'My...?'

'After everything is safely settled, I want you to erase Lumen Histoire from the memories of all the guild members.' Makarov explained.

'And you're telling me to wipe my own memory, too?' Doranbolt asked.

'That's right. But I'm sure you will do it.' Makarov replied.

"Let's hurry!" Lucy informed.

"Elf-nii-chan, be careful!" Lisanna told him.

Wendy turned to look back at Doranbolt. "Doranbolt-san?" She questioned, snapping Doranbolt out of his thoughts.

"What is this Lumen Histoire?" Doranbolt wondered.

In the sky, Igneel and Acnologia continued on with their battle. "Still, I can't believe what's going on up there." Warren commented.

"Anyway, we have to get going." Droy said.

"Humans don't have any part to play in that." Jet added.

"The dragons that came out of Eclipse were terrifying, too." Elfman claimed.

"But those two are in a different class." Lisanna stated.

Igneel and Acnologia slammed their heads against one another as Igneel struck Acnologia with his tail. He flew up in the air with Acnologia right behind him.

"Look!" Lucy shouted.

"They're ascending!" Wendy noticed.

"You're not getting away." Acnologia claimed.

"I'm not trying to. Nor will I let you." Igneel said. "Fighting you up here, I don't have to hold back. And to beat you, I'll..."

"Fight? No. I am going to destroy you!" Acnologia exclaimed.

Natsu gritted his teeth in frustration. "He's strong." Sting commented.

"The four of us and still no effect?!" Rogue said before looking at Lucas who was next to him. "Lucas, any ideas on what we can do?"

Lucas sighs and shook his head. "He's very hard to read. My strategies only work on wizards, not demons." He answered, surprising both Sting and Rogue. "I'm sorry. I'm completely useless in this scenario."

"Don't beat yourself up for it, Luke." Sting reassured before he glanced over at Natsu. "Natsu-san, are you all right?"

"Of course! A second-rate attack like that doesn't even scratch me!" Natsu replied.

"It seems you can fight on." Rogue commented.

"You're damn right. This is a competition. I'm gonna be the one who takes him out." Natsu claimed.

"You still remembered that?!" Sting, Rogue, and Lucas exclaimed in disbelief.

"No way am I gonna lose to you guys!" Natsu said.

'Kyoka, aren't you finished yet? Hurry up and switch Face on.' Mard Geer spoke telepathically as the Book of END was shown.

Kyoka looks at a defeated Seilah. "If this is the way I can return to Zeref..." Kyoka started to think as she faced Erza, who was in her Purgatory Armor.

"That's our Kyoka-sama, Slave Star Empress of the Nine Demons!" Franmalth praised. "As her power increases by the second, how much is her strength worth? How much?!"

"Shut up!" Lily shouted, throwing a rock at Franmalth. "Anyway, there's no time! At this rate, Face will..."

"Erza, you can do it!" Happy cheered.

"Yes, I know." Erza said.

"Natsu is okay too, right?" Happy muttered.

"I'm also worried about Lucas..." Ace thought in worry.

Erza was requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor as she leaped into the air. "Mard Geer-sama said it was like a homing instinct. All of us were born from Zeref, and so we shall go back to him." Kyoka claimed.

"Nope. You chose death! You gave up on going forward with your comrades!" Erza stated.

"Silence!" Kyoka shouted, sending an attack straight at Erza.

"What is this?!" Erza wondered.

Rocks were soon destroyed nearby as green lightning continued attacking Erza. The lightning attacked the Exceeds as well as Minerva. Multiple explosions were soon heard. Kyoka only grinned at seeing their pain.

"What's this? She's so absorbed in battle that she's forgotten my voice. But at least it seems she's doing her job." Mard Geer stated.

"Hey, why the hell would you wanna wipe out Magic all across the continent?" Sting questioned.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? By removing all Magic, END's seal will also be broken." Mard Geer answered.

"That book..." Natsu mumbled.

"Right now, he is in that form, but END is the strongest demon of the Books of Zeref and the master of Tartaros. By reviving END, we shall be able to return to Zeref." Mard Geer explained.

"I still don't get it." Sting claimed.

"Incomprehensible." Rogue commented. "If you want to see your boss that badly, just go by yourself."

"You're doing all of this for Zeref, but it seems he doesn't really give a shit." Lucas added.

"Luke!"

"Lucas!"

Both Sting and Rogue called his name in warning as Lucas crossed his arms. "What? You two are gonna stand here and tell me I'm wrong? If he really gave a damn, he would show his face, would he not? Seems like he couldn't care less about his creations." He stated.

Mard Geer smirked, deciding to ignore Lucas's comment. "You call yourselves sons of dragons, but in the end, you are mere humans. Is it so difficult to understand?" He questioned.

"Watch the condescension, buddy!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Have you ever thought about why Zeref created us?" Mard Geer asked as the four Dragon Slayers stayed silent. "None of my underlings have realized it. We Etherious have something like a strong obsession that demands we 'return to Zeref.'"

"It is all so we can return to Zeref."

"It's an order on the genetic level. 'Return to Zeref,' 'I want to see Zeref,' 'for Zeref'... Those are feelings. All of them come down to one truth." Mard Geer started to say before smirking once more.

"Zeref cursed himself for becoming immortal and wished to die. The final destination of that wish was the creation of beings that could kill him. Those who were born to murder Zeref. They are... the demons of the Books of Zeref." Mard Geer continued to explain. "END was his masterpiece. But something must have happened, because he was sealed again in the book. A seal that could never be broken in Earthland, a world overflowing with Magic."

Mard Geer stood up from his throne. "However, when Face makes Magic all across the continent disappear, that seal will be broken and END will return." He claimed, stopping in front of the four as he had a crazed look in his eyes. "Then he will defeat Zeref. That is our wish, as well as Zeref's."

"A battle to beat Zeref?" Natsu repeated.

"And you involved humans in this business that has nothing to do with us!" Sting exclaimed while Lucas and Rogue just 'tch-ed' in annoyance.

"When you walk somewhere, do you go out of your way to avoid stepping on weeds in the path?" Mard Geer questioned as thorns grew.

"Bastard!" Sting insulted. However, his eyes widened as the thorns attacked him, Rogue, and Lucas.

"Sting! Rogue! Lucas!" Natsu called out before he got attacked by thorns as well, sending him to the wall.

"Natsu-san!" Sting shouted as him, Rogue, and Lucas were trapped in the thorns.

"What the hell is this?!" Natsu questioned as the thorns continued to grow, revealing a giant plant.

"A prison flower that blooms in the Underworld." Mard Geer responded as the flower charged forward.

"Dammit! I can't move!" Rogue exclaimed.

"Natsu! Dodge it!" Lucas warned.

The thorns grabbed onto Natsu. "This damn..." He trailed off as the flower headed towards him.

However, before it could strike him, purple lightning struck the flower and destroyed it, shocking Mard Geer.

"Lightning?" Natsu questioned as Sting, Rogue, and Lucas were soon released.

Natsu's scarf soon appeared on Natsu's shoulders. "This is... my scarf..." Natsu noticed.

"I found it." Gray's voice was soon heard. "If it's important to you, don't lose it again."

"Gray..." Natsu muttered.

"Gray-san!" Sting exclaimed, supporting Rogue.

"Yo, Luke!" Atlas's voice shouted, rushing towards Sting, Rogue, and Lucas. "Sorry, we're late!"

"Oh, Atlas!" Lucas greeted. "I thought I recognized that Magic. Is she-"

"Yeah." Atlas replied, knowing what he was gonna say.

A flash of dark purple hair sped by.

"Lightning Devil's Destruction!"

A pillar of purple and white lightning electrocuted Mard Geer, shocking Gray, Natsu, Sting, and Rogue.

"Hey... That Magic..." Rogue trailed off.

"...It's effecting him?!" Sting finished.

"Of course. Natsumi is a Devil Slayer. She has the power to slay demons." Atlas explained, causing Gray to widen his eyes.

"There's another one?" Gray thinks to himself.

Mard Geer smirked, also recognizing the Magic. "So we meet again... Natsumi Dawn." He greeted.

The dark purple-haired woman stepped forward, stopping next to Gray and Natsu.

"It's over for you, Mard Geer. There'll be no second chances. I'm going to kill you this time!" Natsumi claimed, clenching her fist tightly. "Then, I'm going to destroy that damn book so that bastard can never get released."

Gray gasps at the mention of END.

"By the way, where's Erza?" Atlas asked Lucas.

"Headed for the control room with Minerva and the Exceeds." Lucas replied.

"Right. Thanks. I'll head there now. I sense she needs my help." Atlas stated before taking off.

"I knew you would betray me one day. Fate is amusing indeed." Mard Geer claimed as thorns headed for Natsumi.

Purple lightning surrounded Natsumi as she destroyed the thorns headed towards her.

"She electrocuted those thorns in an instant!" Rogue exclaimed.

"Incredible!" Sting praised.

More thorns headed towards Natsumi as she crosses her arms, destroying those thorns as well.

"You think fate is amusing? Tch! You haven't changed a bit!" Natsumi claimed. "For the sake of the entire Magic world... I'll kill every single one of you!"

Natsumi's fist got coated in purple and white lightning. "Lightning Devil's Sting!" She called out, extending her hand forward, making it look like a blade as it stabs Mard Geer as Natsu, Gray, Sting, and Rogue looked in shock while Lucas just smirked.

Natsumi leaped into the air. "Die!" She exclaimed.

Two of the flowers soon exploded.

Natsumi charged at Mard Geer but soon got attacked by two familiar people.

"Natsumi!" Lucas shouted in worry as Natsumi crashed to the ground.

"You both made it in time." Mard Geer told the newcomers.

"Another one of 'em! And that smell..." Natsu trailed off.

"No..." Sting muttered.

"There's no way... But she's...!" Lucas exclaimed, widening his eyes.

"The one who was at the peak of your human guilds and the one who was apart of that dark guild... Naturally they were both reborn as demons." Mard Geer said.

The two newcomers were Jiemma and Milan.

"Jiemma and Milan!"

"Master..." Rogue mumbled.

"Milan..." Lucas muttered, narrowing his eyes as he recalled the fight with Milan. "I could've sworn I sealed her... These bastards must've revived her."

"That guy..." Natsu recalled fighting Jiemma after Yukino had gotten kicked out. "Wasn't he Saber's master?!"

"So they made you and Minerva both into demons, huh?" Gray asked.

"Milan... They made you one as well." Natsumi said, looking at her ex-guildmate who had a red Tartaros guild mark on the left side of her left thigh, where her former Lunar Fang guild mark used to be.

"Made me? Wrong." Jiemma denied. "I obtained this power of my own will. To become the strongest of all!"

"You gave up being human for that?" Rogue questioned.

"That's insane." Sting commented.

"Demons with the power that far surpasses the Nine Demon Gates. My new servants." Mard Geer said.

"Servant? My name is known throughout the land, and you call me servant..." Jiemma began to extert his power. "...Underworld King?! After I dispose of these whelps, you're next!"

Mard Geer only smirked in response.

"Don't be scared!" Natsu exclaimed, charging forward with a flaming fist. "There's no reason to be scared of this bozo! Charge!"

Natsu struck at Jiemma, who blocked it with his arm. "I have no business with you." Jiemma claimed as Natsu was skidding back before finally crashing into some debris.

"Natsu-san!" Sting called out, gritting his teeth.

"Weaklings! Weak! Weak!" Jiemma insulted.

Sting, Rogue, and Lucas charged forward. "I'm taking you down!" Sting shouted as Jiemma blasted them with his Magic and Milan blasted Lucas with hers, sending the three crashing to the ground.

"Weak, weak. You are weaklings, Triple Dragons. Instead of sons of dragons, you are more like sons of lizards." Jiemma insulted.

"Bastard..." Sting muttered.

"Sting. Rogue. I have longed for the day when I could dispatch you with my own hands." Jiemma claimed.

"Same goes for me, Prince. You'll pay for sealing me away." Milan added, causing Lucas to grit his teeth.

Both Jiemma and Milan attacked the three again.

"Sting! Rogue! Lucas!" Natsu yelled.

"We have nothing to fear. We're..."

Sting, Rogue, and Lucas appeared from the dust, attacking Jiemma and Milan.

"...gonna charge!"

"Leave them to us!" Sting informed.

"We'll beat them!" Rogue said.

"You are pathetic weaklings! Come then, Triple Dragons!" Jiemma challenged.

"We can do this, Sting, Lucas!" Rogue stated.

"Yeah. Let's clean house here, then take our lady back to the guild!" Sting said.

"Are you sure you two are gonna be okay against Jiemma?" Lucas asked in worry.

"Shouldn't we be asking you that?" Rogue questioned.

Lucas grinned. "Like hell I'm gonna lose against an opponent I've already defeated once!" He responded, making both Sting and Rogue smile.

Sting and Rogue were battling Jiemma while Lucas battled Milan.

Natsumi turned towards Natsu. "Natsu, go help Lucas with Milan." She instructed.

"Say what?!" Natsu exclaimed. "I'm doin' a job for Igneel! I gotta defeat this guy!"

"You don't got the Magic to do so." Natsumi insulted, causing Natsu to look at her in irritation. "My former guildmate was strong as a human, she'll be ten times more stronger as a demon. Lucas is strong in his own right, but he cannot defeat her on his own."

Natsu grumbles in complaint before reluctantly walking over towards Lucas. Natsumi turned to address Gray.

"Gray, right? You're a Devil Slayer as well?" Natsumi asked, making Gray nod. "Thought so. I felt your Magic when I arrived in Magnolia."

Natsumi looked back at Mard Geer. "We won't get to END without killing Mard Geer. What do you say we team-up?" She suggested.

Gray chuckled. "You've read my mind." He agreed as him and Natsumi faced off against Mard Geer.

"Oh, dear. It looks like I still don't have perfect control of my emotions." Mard Geer claimed.

"You're out of soldiers to protect you. I'm going to..." Gray started to say.

"You're not ready yet." Mard Geer interrupted as he began to glow purple. "Do you really think that power will work on the true form of Mard Geer?"

"Damn... Don't tell me..." Natsumi trailed off.

Mard Geer soon began to transform. "END is going to awaken for the first time in 400 years. This is a good time for me for me to wake up as well." He claimed as smoke appeared as well as wings appearing on Mard Geer.

"My name is Mard Geer Tartaros. King of the Underworld and an absolute demon." Mard Geer had transformed into his Etherious form, making both Natsumi and Gray grit their teeth.

"Natsumi..." Gray said as frost surrounded his arm.

"Yeah, I know." Natsumi told him, purple and white lightning engulfing her fist.

"For the sake of the Magic world, we're gonna take you down!" Natsumi exclaimed.

"Come, Devil Slayers." Mard Geer challenged. "This is the final battle."

A/N: Ah, I cannot wait to write Natsumi and Gray's battle with Mard Geer!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.