Chapter 51: Rage of the Fire Dragon

When Lucy managed to stabilize one of the letters the others began to take shape and stopped vanishing. "Amazing..." Gray whispered slightly amazed.

"The words are all back to normal!" Happy beamed.

Akame and Leone smiled proudly. "That's our Lucy for ya."

"Wow, incredible," Brook praised astonishingly.

Robin was about to say something until she noticed something was wrong with Lucy. "Lucy..." The young celestial wizard was seemingly spacing out and her right hand was just still not moving an inch.

Akame noticed something off about Lucy's arm and her eyes widened with shock "Look at her arm!" Strange veins were appearing on her arm which was hurting Lucy. "Ah...ah...ah...ahh...AH! She cried in pain as she had her arms crossed. "It...hurts...ow..."

Gray felt her arm and instantly took off when he felt something scorching. "Hot!" Steam began to emit from Lucy's body. "Haa...haa...haa...It's hot...something is burning me inside..."

Akame sensed a strong yet mysterious from the strange marks on Lucy's arm. "Wait, my aura senses something from those markings on her arm!"

Happy had a guess. "Natsu's flames..."

Gray had a similar thought. "Is it a demonic flame..."

"But this is a clue...uh...if I follow this page...then I could rewrite the demon inside Natsu..." Lucy theorized.

Robin felt intrigued. "Rewriting the demon within Natsu, how interesting."

Happy did understand but he was concerned about his friend's well-being. "Lucy...you're hurt though." He felt a hand on his head which belonged to Akame. "Let her do this..."

Brook took out his sword placing close to Lucy's arm. "I'll give the use the chilling coldness of the underworld to chill out the demonic flame." Her sword gave off a chilling coldness near Lucy's arm. "Thank you...Brook."

Gray smirked. "Good idea."

Leone had an idea and took hold of Lucy's arm but not too tightly. "Leone..." Lucy saw the burning sensation burn the blonde assassin and she felt her arm's pain slightly go away. "Leone...your hand is..." Leone just grinned. "Don't worry, my healing power will prevent me taking much damage...plus, it'll help you concrete on writing with the pain going to me."

Akame put her hands out creating shadow-like wrapping cloth around Lucy's burning arm which eased the pain a little. "Shadow...Make...Wrapping Cloth..." She smiled softly. "I'll use my shadow magic to ease in the pain on your arm." Lucy smiled sweetly at the other black haired girl. "Akame...thank you."

Gray had an idea and placed his right hand on Lucy's right shoulder using his magic to cool off her the intense demonic flames. "Let's save Natsu together..."

"Good idea, the more cold we use the less the demonic flames will intensify." Brook agreed keeping his sword close to Lucy's arm.

Lucy giggled and kept continuing writing on the letter.

Zeref was taken back by Natsu's wound which was gone. "His wound...how did it heal?" He noticed something was missing. "Wait...where is the Book of E.N.D...no...did someone rewrite it...I can't believe a human was capable of handling the demonic letters." He saw how impossible that could've happened and knew what fate would happen if anyone tried to rewrite a page. "Even so, the darkness contained within will corrupt them."

Natsu stood up despite he felt a little hurt. "I owe...you, Happy...Gray...Lucy..." He recalled the events that happened before he passed out even when Erza pleaded him and Gray to stop their fighting. "Stop this..foolishness...you both are friends...stop this..."

"Back then, I only cared about fighting Gray, and led to me being captured while my friends were in trouble," Natsu said panting as a sense of guilt was in his words. "Honestly, I only thought of myself...this war...might've caused me to forget that..." He clenched his fist tightly and gritted his teeth. "However, I remembered what reason we were fighting for all this time!" He stomped his foot with sheer determination. "EVERYTHING WE DO IS FOR FAIRY TAIL! THIS THOUGHT OF WILL BE OUR FINAL POWER AND ALSO OUR GREATEST POWER!"

M

Jellal slammed himself against Acnologia's chest pushing in the direction of the Rift of Time. "Oooooh!" He yelled.

Acnologia began to swallow Jellal's magic power. "You can't push for long...I'm the dragon of destruction...the Black dragon Acnologia!"

Usagi hovered with incredible speed and slashed Acnologia's face seemingly phasing him and briefly stopping him from swallowing Jellal's magic. "He's stopping..." Jellal thought. "Hey, Usagi, can you keep that up?"

"I'll keep doing as long as I can just keep pushing him toward the Rift of Time with every magic you have and I'll pull away you the moment he gets caught in the Rift!" Usagi replied as the former fugitive nodded in approval.

Their plan was working, Usagi kept slashing Acnologia's face seemingly damaging him and distracting him from swallowing Jellal's magic. The three were getting close to the hole.

"They're almost close to the Rift!" Anna pointed out.

"Jellal, Usagi, pull back quickly!" Erza commanded.

Usagi knew that was his cue. "Right...Jellal one final push now!" Jellal used every amount of magic power he had to push Acnologia once more as the wind current that was being blown from the Rift caught Acnologia.

"Damn...this can't...be happening..." Acnologia roared. "I won't be bested by two lowly creatures!" He quickly snatched Jellal in his hand. "Got ya!"

"Let him go!" Usagi hovered toward the evil dragon preparing to slash him once more until Acnologia's tail appeared in front of him and slammed against his body.

"Usagi no!" Erza yelled.

The impact from the dragon's tail knocked out Usagi and dropped his swords. "No!" Jellal shouted seeing his new friend fall into the ocean.

"I'd worry about myself if I were you..." Acnologia laughed cruelly as he gripped his hand tightly on Jellal seemingly crushing his body and causing him to cough out blood roughly.

Christina began to fall apart and explode everywhere inside causing other Blue Pegasus to panic and tumble over to the violent shaking. "Captain Ichiya, the ship can't take any more of this!" Eve reported.

"Everyone brace for impact!" Hibiki stated.

Erza saw no other solution. "Right, once we manage to land safely we must abandon the ship! Everyone is that understood?!"

"Yes ma'am!" The Blue Pegasus guild wizards replied all together.

The ship's bottom began to touch the ocean's surface as the ship continued to shake from all around even more so.

A figure was swimming across the ocean's surface. "So, this is where they are...good work Warren..." It was Rena quietly swimming and saw something fall from the sky. "Who is that falling?" She quickly took out a pair of binoculars and gasped when she identified the person. "Usagi...oh no..."

Natsu resumed his fight against Zeref throwing every fiery fist at his brother and was able to make contact. Zeref then headbutted with his brother. "How long do you plan to get in my way?"

Natsu pulled back his arm once more and delivered another fiery punch. "UNTIL THE DAY THAT EVERYBODY CAN LAUGH TOGETHER COMES!" Zeref pulled back his arm and developed it black magic. "Then I'll let you know that's the world I'm trying to create!" He managed to punch his brother causing him to skid away.

Natsu recovered wiping his face from the punch. "No...you're doing this for yourself! Don't you get it, you're taking everything we worked for...the things we fought for!" Zeref gritted his teeth feeling offended. "You and your friends could never understand what's it like to be rejected...from everyone in the world that rejects you in ever turn!"

Suddenly he was punched in the face but not by Natsu, it was Luffy. Zeref skidded a few steps away as he faced an angry Luffy. "SHUT UP! YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS YOU WERE STILL REJECTED! YOU FORGOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED YOU!" Those words managed to hit Zeref as images of Precht, Warrod, Yuri, Mavis, Anna, Roger, and Oden flashed into his mind each of their smiles.

Natsu smiled proudly and used this chance. "Thanks, Luffy...Ace...I'll take care of this..." The guild mark on his shoulder glowed brightly orange.

Luffy was starstruck. "Wow, your guild mark is glowing...SO COOL!"

"Yeah..." Flames emitted from his body grew scorched through the entire room. "Burn...every last bit and take every piece of the guild and turn it into fire!"

Zeref recollected himself and gathered his magic around his right hand. "May my curse...anger...and sorrow make all the darkness turn into...power..." He stopped abruptly when images of his old friends flashed before his eyes and he saw ghosts of them somehow. "I can't get distracted I must end Natsu right now."

Natsu's arms were covered in metal. Luffy saw that and was surprised. "Is that..."

"Armament Hardening..." Natsu's metal-like arms changed into fiery red then he pulled back his right arm. "Fire Dragon's King: Fire Hardening Destruction Fist!"

"NATSU!"

"ZEREF, THIS ENDS NOW!"

Zeref wasn't going to let his old friends distract him and continue powering up his magic.

The two threw their fist at each other clashing together and releasing a strong shockwave and bright light that shined from the guild.

"What is that?" Leone asked in awe.

"Is that Natsu's doing?" Akame questioned.

Lucy realized it was and continued writing through the book.

Natsu was gaining the upper arm as his power was being up and thanks to his Armament Haki. Zeref was amazed at the power he was feeling. "His Haki...it's the Armament Haki...though, it's different from the one that Roger and Oden used...is this his own Haki...and his flames are burning...my magic...time itself is being burned...he set out his soul on fire...these are Natsu's flames these are the guild's flames..."

Christina crashed into the ocean with every wizard inside managed to abandon the ship.

"Where is Usagi?" Wendy asked looking around.

"Can you sniff him out?" Erza asked.

"No...the ocean's scent is blocking my nose's scent..." Wendy replied.

Just then they heard a splash which some members of Blue Pegasus noticed. "Hey, something is swimming toward us?"

"Hey, Usagi is being dragged by something too!"

"Usagi!" Wendy swam over to the figure. Out of the water was Rena. "Rena...you're here!"

"Thank goodness...you guys are alright." Rena sighed in relief as the young dragon slayer hugged her.

"Wow, is that a mermaid?"

"She's beautiful!"

Two Blue Pegasus held two swords. "We got Usagi's swords!"

Acnologia continued to crush Jellal with his hand. "I'm coming..." Erza was about to make her move until the Christina was soon back in the air.

"Why is Christina moving?" Hibiki asked.

"Did someone steer it?" Eve asked.

Wendy realized someone wasn't with them. "Sensai...Anna...no!"

"Forgive me...I must do this...it's my duty to see this through..." Anna was steering the wheel.

Ren noticed someone else wasn't with them. "Hey guys, where is Ichiya?"

Anna attempted to steer the wheel but due to her lack of experience with it, she had trouble steering it and lost control of it causing her to stumble back. "I can't...give up..." She attempted to try again and was losing control again.

Just as she was about to fall back a pair of hands joined on the steering wheel. "Leave the flying to me..." Ichiya turned at Lucy's ancestor. "I can't let a lovely lady like you do this alone."

Anna smiled sweetly at the old man. "I appreciate it, you're such a gentleman."

"Sensai Anna...Mr. Ichiya!" Wendy cried.

Blue Pegasus didn't like where this was going.

"Master Ichiya!"

"Don't go!"

Ichiya fired the cannons once more forcing Ancologia to release Jellal from his grip. "Jellal! Live for the woman that needs you and keep protecting her!" Erza swam toward her childhood friend. "Also, tell Usagi that he did a splendid job, he's got more courage than I ever imagined."

Anna smiled. "Yeah, give Usagi my regards, Wendy Marvel."

Wendy felt her eyes get all tear eyed. "Sensei..."

Ichiya and Anna steered the Christina crashed into Acnologia pushing him closer to the Rift of Time. Electricity surged from the hole as they made contact with the hole. "This is over for you Acnologia!" Ichiya declared.

Anna glared at the black dragon. "Your terror ends here and now! The era of the Dragon King is over!"

"What is happening to me..." Aconlogia began to vanish with Christina and the Rift in Time vanished with them.

Blue Pegasus guild members began to grieve over their friend's sacrifice. "Captain Ichiya..."

"Sensei...Anna..." Wendy sniffled sadly.

Jessica sobbed with tears dripping down her cheeks. "We won...but... our friends."

Erza closed her eyes while holding Jellal. "We won't forget what you two have done."

Rena remembered how kind Ichiya was back when he assisted against the Twelve's puppet. "Ichiya..."

Natsu continued his wrath against Zeref. "Is this god flames...no...it's a raging fire of emotions..." With one final punch, Natsu was able to send his brother crashing through a few tables until he landed on his back.

Natsu panted heavily after that move. Zeref was seriously injured and unable to move leaving a stunned look on his face.

"YOU DID IT! Luffy cheered.

Ace was laughing. "Good job!"

"I can't...move...what have you done to me..." Zeref spoke in a rash tone not even moving an inch. "I can't die...even with my wounds they'll recover soon."

Mavis stood up as Natsu turned around but only glanced at her. "Will you take care of the rest?"

"Yeah..."

Natsu took a deep breath. "I'm exhausted...I want to see Happy and the others...Luffy...Ace...let's go."

"We want to stay here for a little while, we got something to say to Zeref," Ace said as Luffy nodded.

Natsu wasn't sure what the two wanted to say to Zeref, but, he accepted their answer. "Okay, I'll meet with you guys later..." He began to walk toward the entrance but not before waving his left arm. "Goodbye...big brother..."

Mavis approached her former lover trying to keep her balance up. "Sweet Mavis..." Zeref muttered.

"Zeref..."

Zeref is finally knocked down on his back by Natsu. Luffy and Ace decided to stay behind for a while their reasons are unknown for now. Mavis stays behind to finally take care of Zeref once and for all.

End of chapter.