A/N: Episode 242.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE: LET LIVE OR KILL

Natsu slowly turned around at the sound of Zeref's voice. "Zeref..." He muttered.

"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 looked at him nonchalantly.

"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 henchmen dropping to the ground.

"What was he going on about?" Natsu asked himself.

Erza was suddenly pulled back to the Cube. "Erza!" Warren shouted.

"Then you're all right!" Laki exclaimed.

Erza had changed back into her Clear Heart Clothing Armor, falling to the ground. "Gravity..." She then looked around. "Everyone!"

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

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

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

Everyone cheered in agreement with Gray's statement. "Natsu and Lisanna are all right." Erza 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 in the hole. Porlyusica looks over at Erza. "You... don't need to be treated, do you?" She asked.

"I'm..." Erza didn't get to finish her sentence as she was suddenly grabbed by Kyoka.

"Erza!" Lucy yelled.

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

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

"Right!" Orion agreed.

Sebastian, Orion, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Happy, and Raden soon jumped down into the hole as well.

Kyoka soon throws Erza harshly onto the ground. She had stood up with her head down before looking up.

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

"I like you." Kyoka claimed.

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

More henchmen 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 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 called out as she walks into the lab. "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, Elf-nii-chan, and I were all captured..." Lisanna replied, shocking Mira. "Natsu and Erza 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 informed.

"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 exclaimed.

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, Sebastian, Orion, Carla, Happy, and Raden soon walked in. "What's this room?" Lucy wondered.

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

"The large sphere looks like a map." Wendy pointed out as they looked up.

"Is this the control room?" Sebastian wondered.

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

"Look at this!" Orion pointed out. "It's just like Erza 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 exclaimed.

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..." Raden 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 sight."

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

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

A staff soon jingled, grabbing their attention. "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 suns that have fallen into the Underworld. Become corpses and wander through purgatory."

THE NINE DEMON GATES OF TARTAROS / KEYES THE BLACK ARCHBISHOP.

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

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

Sebastian 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 down Face fast..." Happy started to say.

"...a nightmare will come true!" Raden 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 responded.

Sebastian was being supported by Raden while Lucy was being supported by Happy while Orion flies next to them. "Aries! Taurus! Don't let them leave this room!" Lucy instructed.

"Understood!" Aries said.

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, Sebastian, Raden, and Orion 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!" Sebastian 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! Sebastian and Orion, too!" Gray said.

The four of them flew past Gray in a hurry, making him dodge. "Apologies, Gray-san! But we're in a hurry!" Sebastian apologized.

"Thank you!" Wendy added.

"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, Sebastian, and Happy in wool. Raden and Orion managed to get out.

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

"Lucy-san!" Wendy shouted out in worry.

"Happy!" Carla called out.

"Seb!"

"Sebastian!"

Both Orion and Raden called out to Sebastian.

"Orion! There's no time! You and Raden follow Wendy and Carla!" Sebastian ordered.

"Carla! Be careful!" Happy added.

"Right!" Orion said as Raden grabbed onto Orion, leaving through the hole with Wendy and Carla following soon after.

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

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

Both Raden and Carla tried to get Franmalth off of their trail. "He's stubborn!" Orion exclaimed.

"I guarantee we'll lose him!" Raden 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.

Natsu soon arrived, with his fist covered in flames. "We meet again, eyesore eyeball!" He insulted.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted in relief.

"You!" Franmalth exclaimed.

"Just in the nick of time, cousin!" Sebastian said as Aries wool dispersed.

"Natsu! Natsu!" Happy exclaimed.

"Thank you, Natsu-san!" Wendy thanked him and took off, with Orion and Raden following.

"They should be okay with Natsu there!" Orion said.

"Where's Wendy and Orion off to in such a hurry?" Natsu questioned. "In fact, what are you guys doin' here?"

"Face is activated! We have to shut it down directly!" Sebastian answered.

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

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

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 two escaped rats? How much?"

"You're a dumbass! Wendy and Orion ain't no rats!" Natsu claimed.

"I know that!" Franmalth replied in irritation. "I can tell the difference between humans and rats, at least! I was being metaphorical because those two were sneaking around like rats!"

"One more thing. Carla and Raden ain't rats, either." Natsu added, completely disregarding what Franmalth said as Sebastian 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 exclaimed.

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

"Natsu!" Sebastian and Happy called out.

"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." Sebastian commented.

"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, Orion, Carla, and Raden continued flying in the air towards Face.

34 minutes left until Face goes off.

A/N: Yes, Orion is going to battle Ezel with Wendy since I don't want consistent repeats like in Twilight Phoenix.

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.