A/N: Episode 242.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE: LET LIVE OR KILL

Natsu and Zack both slowly turned around at the sound of Zeref's voice. "Zeref..." Natsu muttered.

"...Father." Zack thinks to himself.

"This guild was formed by the demons I created. Tartaros... otherwise known as Zeref's bookshelf. I didn't build the guild myself. It seems Master END did that." Zeref explained.

"END. The demon Igneel tried to kill." Natsu said.

"But couldn't. It was a mistake." Zeref stated.

Natsu got into a fighting stance. "Then I'll do it!" He charged forward. "I'll carry on... my dad's will!"

Natsu tried to attack Zeref but it had no effect as the Heat Blade broke. Zeref calmly looked at him.

"I know you can do it. However, there's one thing I want you to remember. Igneel couldn't kill him." Zeref said, confusing Natsu. "END, the strongest demon I've created. I'm sure you'll be confronted with a choice, too. To let him live or to kill him. You will choose. I'll be on my way."

"Wait! I don't know what you meant!" Natsu shouted.

"Tartaros is doing all this in order to see me. So if I just appeared in front of them, it would spoil the fun. Either you or END will reach me. See you again." Zeref said as he fades away and time went back to normal, the foot soldiers dropping to the ground.

"What was he going on about?" Natsu wondered.

Zack snorts. "He has something planned... I can feel it. But what?" He thought.

Ezekiel was suddenly pulled back to the Cube. "Ezekiel-sama!" Hana exclaimed.

"Then you're all right!" Akame said.

Ezekiel had changed back into his usual attire, falling to the ground. "Gravity..." He then looked around. "Everyone!"

Makarov stepped forward. "Thank you for opening a way for us to get in." He said.

"Master Makarov, what's going on here?" Ezekiel questioned.

"Sorry, but there's no time to explain now." Gray replied, turning around. "We're going inside through the hole Ezekiel made!"

Everyone cheered in agreement with Gray's statement. "Natsu, Zack, Lisanna, and Erza are all right." Ezekiel informed. "That leaves Mira and Elfman..."

"I'm okay." Elfman reassured. "And whatever happens, I'm gonna rescue my sister."

"All right! Let's storm the castle!" Makarov shouted.

"Let's go!" Gray said.

"Right!" Juvia nodded.

Gray and Juvia jumped into the hole, with the other Fairy Tail members following them.

"Don't forget to get blood from the one that has magic barrier particles!" Porlyusica reminded.

"We could never forget. In the meantime, tend to the wounded." Makarov said.

Porlyusica smiled. "That's my job." She stated.

Makarov soon jumps into the hole. Porlyusica looked over at Ezekiel. "You... don't need to be treated, do you?" She asked.

"I'm..." Ezekiel didn't get to finish his sentence as he was suddenly grabbed by Kyoka.

"Zeke!" Akame yelled.

"Don't worry about me! Just go!" Ezekiel shouted. "Face's seal has been lifted! Find a way to stop it!"

"Let's go, everyone!" Lucy informed.

"Right!" Wendy agreed.

Lucy, Wendy, Akame, Hana, Carla, Happy, Chii, and Jim soon jumped down into the hole as well.

Kyoka soon throws Ezekiel harshly onto the ground. He had stood up with his head down before looking up.

"I guess you didn't have enough yet?" He questioned.

"I like you." Kyoka claimed.

"Outta the way!" Gray shouted as he fired ice spikes at the Tartaros foot soldiers while Juvia threw water whips at them.

More soldiers were appearing behind Gray, Juvia, and Makarov.

"You guys go on ahead." Makarov ordered as everyone went in separate directions.

"All right. One more brawl." Makarov said as the ground soon shook. Makarov leaped up and slammed his foot on the machine, making it crumble.

"How do you like them apples, demons?!" Warren asked. "But you're still not going all out, Master!"

"Mira-nee!" Lisanna shouted out as she walks into the lab. Her and Erza had parted ways. "Mira-nee, where are you?!"

Lisanna continued walking as Mira appeared in front of her. "Mira-nee!" She exclaimed.

"Lisanna?" Mira questioned.

Lisanna rushed over, hugging her older sister. "Thank goodness!" She spoke in relief, sobbing a little.

"What are you doing here?" Mira asked.

"Natsu, Erza, Ezekiel, Zack, Elf-nii-chan, and I were all captured..." Lisanna responded, shocking Mira. "Natsu, Erza, Ezekiel, and Zack are fine. Now it's just Elf-nii-chan."

"He isn't a captive here."

Seilah soon arrived, facing the two sisters.

"Be careful! She can control people! She did it to both me and Elf-nii-chan!" Lisanna said.

"Get back, Lisanna." Mira ordered, stepping in front of Lisanna.

"I ordered the one called Elfman to blow up your guild." Seilah spoke, making both Mira and Lisanna widen their eyes. "He succeeded admirably in decimating it. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to kill anyone. That is my failure."

Lisanna sighed in relief. "I was ashamed in front of Kyoka-sama. It's his fault... that my tale is coming apart. The price of raising my ire is the life of his elder sister!" Seilah claimed.

Mira had a dark shadow casted over her face. "You made my brother do that?" She asked, lifting her head up as she had a scary look in her eyes. "Huh..."

Franmalth was pressing on some buttons in the control room. "What? What the heck? This doesn't make sense. It's showing the projected location of Face in a different area altogether. I assumed it would be off slightly, but not this much..." He mumbled to himself before hearing the door open.

Lucy, Wendy, Akame, Hana, Carla, Happy, Chii, and Jim soon walked in. "What's this room?" Lucy wondered.

"All kinds of charts are floating in the air." Happy noticed.

"That large sphere looks like a map." Wendy said as they looked up.

"Is this the control room?" Hana wondered.

Franmalth was hiding. "They made it this far already? How shoddy are the sentries? How much?" He asked himself.

"Look at this!" Akame pointed out. "It's just like Zeke said. Face's seal has apparently been lifted."

"W-What should we do?" Wendy wondered.

"We couldn't use this Magic Circle to reseal it?" Happy suggested.

"No. This is totally locked up. We can't do anything with it." Carla replied.

"Huh? Even though this says it can only be activated manually, on site... it's already activated?!" Lucy said.

Franmalth snickered to himself. "You work fast, Ezel-san." He thought.

"This is..." Wendy widened her eyes as she looked at the countdown that began at 41 minutes. "Face is going to go off... in 41 minutes."

Lucy widened her eyes as Happy screamed out loud in shock. "41 minutes?! In 41 minutes, Magic all across the continent..." Chii trailed off.

Happy waved his arms up and down frantically. "What should we do?! What should we do?! We have to tell everyone!" He exclaimed.

"Calm down, Happy!" Carla told him.

"Destroying this wouldn't do any good?"

"You can only activate and deactivate it on site."

"There's no time to inform everyone. The eight of us should just go!" Carla said.

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

A staff soon jingled. "Great timing!" Franmalth noted.

Keyes walked forward. "Do the prayers of a dusky maiden sound like bells ringing in Hell? Terrance Brilliant Magic is the breath of the morning star that will restore the land." He stopped walking. "Fairy maidens and phoenixes that have fallen into the Underworld. Become corpses and wonder through purgatory."

Lucy was freaked out. "S-Skeleton..."

Wendy was trembling as well. "That has to be a mask..."

Akame looked back at the countdown. "There's no time. Let's create an opening and escape!" He said.

"Right!" Wendy agreed.

"If we don't shut Face down fast..." Happy started to say.

"...a nightmare will come true!" Jim finished.

Franmalth soon appeared behind Keyes. "It has already come true!" He cackled.

"There's another one!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Leave it to me!" Lucy took out two gate keys. "Gate of the Golden Bull, I open thee! Gate of the Lamb, I open thee! Taurus!"

Taurus soon appeared in a golden light. "Moo! I get to see some action?" He asked.

"Aries!"

Aries appeared from the gate. "I'll do my best! Sorry!" She apologized, shocking Franmalth.

"I'm counting on both of you!" Lucy said.

"Right!"

"Moo!"

"Fluffy wool, 100%!" Aries shouted.

"Mooo!" Taurus exclaimed, gathering the wool with his axe. "Wool Typhoon!"

The wool typhoon engulfed Keyes and Franmalth. "Now's our chance!" Lucy informed.

"Aye!" Happy said.

"Us, too!" Carla told Wendy.

"Yeah!" Wendy nodded in agreement.

Carla supported Wendy as they flew into the air. "Do you know where Face is?" Wendy questioned.

"In a cavern in Cowbane Valley!" Carla replied.

Akame was being supported by Chii while Hana was being supported by Jim and Lucy was being supported by Happy. "Aries! Taurus! Don't let them leave this room!" She informed.

"Understood!"

Taurus had hearts in his eyes. "Moo! Lucy-san, what a beautiful view! Mooo!"

"Don't look!" Lucy shouted.

"Let's fly!" Happy said, making Lucy nod as they took off. Wendy, Carla, Akame, Chii, Hana, and Jim followed them.

"Let's hurry!" Lucy informed.

"Right!"

They all saw Keyes in front of them. "How?!" Wendy asked.

"It can't be... He was just in that other room!" Lucy said.

"Maybe he got a head start on us!" Akame guessed.

"Blow right by him, Happy!" Lucy said.

"Aye, sir!"

"Observe the malefic..."

"Move it!" Gray shouted, punching past Keyes. He turned back to see Keyes split in half.

"Gray-san!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Nice timing!" Lucy praised.

"Lucy! Wendy! Akame and Hana, too!" Gray said.

The four of them flew past Gray in a hurry, making him dodge. "Sorry, we're in a hurry!" Akame apologized.

"Thank you!" Wendy said.

"What the...?" Gray muttered.

"You are... Silver's..." Keyes started to say.

"Huh?" Gray questioned in confusion.

"The big hole to the outside should be right at the end of this passage!" Lucy said.

"Aye!"

Pink wool soon appeared, getting Lucy's attention. "You're not going anywhere!" Franmalth claimed, trapping Lucy, Akame, Hana, Chii, Jim, and Happy in wool.

"What's Aries's fur doing?!" Lucy wondered.

"Lucy-san! Akame-san! Hana-san!" Wendy shouted in worry.

"Happy! Chii! Jim!" Carla called out.

"Wendy! There's no time! Go!" Akame ordered.

"Carla! Be careful!" Happy added.

"Okay!" Wendy said before leaving through the hole.

"I said you're not going anywhere!" Franmalth said, throwing his arm out.

"Carla, he's chasing us!" Wendy informed.

Carla tried to get Franmalth off their trail. "He's stubborn!" Wendy exclaimed.

"I guarantee we'll lose him!" Carla said.

"Get away!" Lucy shouted.

"You can do it, Carla!" Happy encouraged.

Franmalth cackled. "Just a little more!" He said before his arm suddenly got blasted.

"What happened?!" Wendy wondered.

Zack and Natsu soon arrived, with Zack's fist covered in blue light. "We meet again, eyesore eyeball!" He insulted.

"Zack-sama!" Hana shouted in relief.

"You!" Franmalth exclaimed.

"You always come in the nick of time!" Akame said as Aries's wool dispersed.

"Natsu! Natsu!" Happy exclaimed.

"Zack!" Jim shouted.

"Thank you, Natsu-san! Zack-san!" Wendy thanked them and took off.

"They should be okay with Natsu and Zack there!" Carla said.

"Where's Wendy off to in such a hurry?" Natsu questioned.

"In fact, what are you guys doin' here?" Zack asked.

"Face is activated! We have to shut it down directly!" Akame responded.

"Wha...?! But I have to rescue Mira, too..." Natsu said.

"I know. We'll have to count on Wendy to deal with Face." Lucy said.

Franmalth let out a scream as he glowed and changed into Taurus. "Revolution!" He said.

"Don't tell me he..." Happy started to say.

"...absorbed Taurus and Aries?!" Lucy finished.

"I can create a revolution by taking nourishment from the souls I absorb!" Franmalth explained. "How much is the reward for an escaped rat? How much?"

"You're a dumbass! Wendy ain't no rat!" Natsu claimed.

"I know that!" Franmalth replied in irritation. "I can tell the difference between a human and a rat, at least! I was being metaphorical because she was sneaking around like a rat!"

"One more thing. Carla ain't a rat, either." Natsu added, completely disregarding what Franmalth said as Zack sighed.

"I said I'm fully aware of that!"

"Give me back Taurus and Aries!" Lucy demanded.

"Forget it! How much is my precious collection worth? How much?"

Natsu engulfs his hand in flames. "I'm gonna kick your ass until you cough up those souls... you rat bastard!" He shouted.

"It's okay to say I'm a rat?!" Franmalth exclaimed before changing his face into Aries.

"Natsu!"

"Aries!" Lucy shouted.

Natsu stops as Franmalth took the distraction and slammed him down on the ground.

"Natsu!" Happy yelled.

"I... I can't hit her!" Natsu said.

"That's fighting dirty!" Happy said.

"I'll absorb your soul, too!" Franmalth stated.

Natsu easily moves out of the way as he skids on the ground. "Bastard!" He shouted as Franmalth changed his face into Taurus.

"Please don't, Natsu-san!" He pleaded.

"Taurus!" Lucy shouted.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna hit ya!" Natsu said as he punched Taurus's face with flames, sending Franmalth to the ground.

"Cruel..." Lucy muttered.

"I know how he feels, but that was cruel." Happy said.

"You little brat!" Franmalth shouted. "Of all the souls inside me, I'm gonna show you my highest form!"

Franmalth glowed once more as Lucy covered her mouth in shock. "I don't believe it..." She mumbled.

"What's happening?" Happy asked. "Why is his soul..."

Wendy and Carla continued flying in the air towards face.

34 minutes left until Face goes off.

A/N: Another chapter is completed!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.