A/N: Episode 259.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER EIGHTY: 00:00

Ezekiel's blade shattered as did his Hades Armor, leaving him in shock. "Ezekiel!" Bruno shouted.

"Zeke!" Erza called out.

"She broke through your armor with her bare hands?!" Jim questioned.

"That's one of his Big Three armors, too..." Chii muttered in shock.

"That form! How much is her power worth? How much?!" Franmalth asked.

"Ezekiel-san!" Lector exclaimed.

"Hang in there!" Frosch added.

"That's Kyoka, too?" Minerva questioned as Ezekiel changed back into his usual attire.

Kyoka was breathing heavily as she let out a roar and Face's activation began going down at a rapid pace. The dots soon began shining, grabbing Happy's attention.

"The time left until Face is activated..." Lily started to say.

"Time's disappearing!" Lector noticed.

"Oh no..." Frosch muttered.

"She's speeding up the time with her own will?!" Minerva exclaimed.

"Hurry, Zeke!" Erza told him.

"I know." Ezekiel said, requipping into his Ares Armor.

Ezekiel charges forward at Kyoka, who turned. "You cannot defeat me!" She exclaimed, sending an attack at the man, who leaped out of the way.

"Her power is increasing?!" Ezekiel noticed.

Kyoka soon glowed green. "My Curse power is 'Strengthening.' My power is rising by the second." She explained as she stopped glowing. Ezekiel gritted his teeth. "A demon whose power will increase without limit."

Kyoka sends another attack at Ezekiel, who dodges once more. "Certainly, your power is increasing again. Is this the Curse power that supposedly surpasses Magic?!" Minerva questioned.

"By forming a living link with the Face activation lacrima, my life will be spent when it is set in motion." Kyoka said.

"What?!"

Ezekiel tries to strike Kyoka, who leaps into the air. "But I have no regrets." She claimed as Ezekiel dodged an incoming attack from her. "If this will bring back Master END... If this is how we can go to Zeref..." Kyoka sends another attack at Ezekiel as his Ares Armor began to crack.

"The armor again!" Bruno noticed.

"How powerful is she?!" Jim wondered.

"Why are all of you going this far?!" Ezekiel questioned.

"It's fate!" Kyoka grabbed onto a boulder. "We demons of the Books of Zeref are destined to return to him!"

Ezekiel leaped over the boulder, requipping into his Zeus Armor as he charged forward. "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!" Ezekiel claimed.

"Silence!" Kyoka shouted, striking Ezekiel with green lightning.

"What is this?!" Ezekiel asked.

Kyoka continued yelling, destroying the debris. She attacked the Exceeds, Minerva, and Erza as well. Kyoka grinned upon seeing them in pain.

Explosions were soon heard as Acnologia and Igneel continued fighting. Acnologia fired a blue blast at Igneel who moved out of the way, sending a roar of flames right back at him. Acnologia dodged as he roared.

"I'll hit you one more time!" Igneel declared as their two attacks joined together, making a huge firey explosion in the sky.

"What's that?!" Jet questioned, holding onto one of the Lummy's.

"A flash of light over there?!" Droy asked, also holding onto two of the Lummy's.

"Shock wave?! Seriously?!"

Elfman punched one of the Lummy's. "Elf-nii-chan!" Lisanna exclaimed.

"Look out!" Elfman warned, holding Lisanna close from the explosion.

"I-It's hot! Incredibly hot!" Lisanna said.

All of the Lummy's were flying in the air. "I like this!" Jet stated.

"Blow away more of her!" Droy added.

Another firey explosion appeared. "It's over! It's all over!" Droy exclaimed.

"Don't give up, Droy!" Jet told him.

"Everyone, get behind a shelter! Anything will do!" Cana ordered.

Romeo, Laki, Wakaba, and Macao ducked for cover. "You've gotta be kidding me!" Macao exclaimed as the four of them ducked their heads to avoid the dust.

"F-Feels like I'm gonna be blown away!"

The explosion soon died down. Acnologia and Igneel faced each other.

"That red dragon isn't harmed at all..." Cana noticed as Acnologia and Igneel took off in the sky.

"You do not fear me?!" Igneel questioned as him and Acnologia butted heads before the two dragons crashed to the ground.

"Crap! Duck!" Cana warned as her, Kinana, and Nab ducked from the dust.

"What's happening?!" Wakaba asked.

"This is like a natural disaster!" Macao claimed.

"There's nothing more we can do. Nothing except for watching!" Cana stated.

"I can't believe what's going on..." Gajeel muttered.

"Yeah, you and me both." Akame agreed.

"Natsu..." Lucy mumbled.

"Where'd the Salamander go?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy shook her head. "I don't know... but knowing Natsu, I'm sure he's okay." She replied. An explosion was heard in the distance, grabbing the five's attention. "He'll be fine..."

"You're probably right." Zack agreed.

Gajeel looked at Laxus. "But Salamander aside, we've gotta do something about him right now." He added.

"Do you have the same flames as that dragon?" Mard Geer questioned Natsu.

"Yeah, since we're father and son." Natsu responded, charging forward as Mard Geer grinned before dodging Natsu's fists.

"The book that man is holding... It's the Book of END. Bring me that book. You're the only one who can. Listen. Whatever you do, don't open that book. And don't you dare destroy it, either. Just steal it from him. Your reward is learning everything you want to know."

Igneel's words rang in Natsu's ears. "I'll do the job, Dad." He promised. "I'll steal that book!"

Green lightning continued to strike Ezekiel. "M-My body..." Ezekiel stuttered out, wincing in pain.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Kyoka asked as Ezekiel collapsed to the ground. "I've increased your sensitivity to pain. So much that even the wind blowing makes you feel intense pain throughout your body."

Kyoka then looked around. "Dammit! I'm about to lose consciousness..." Lily claimed.

"It hurts!" Frosch complained.

"I... I can't take it..." Lector managed to get out as Minerva and Erza were struggling as well.

"I can't rein in my Curse power, so the others here are also getting a taste of it." Kyoka said, releasing a breath.

Ezekiel screamed out in pain. "It hurts! It hurts!" Happy exclaimed.

"Even moving slightly makes my whole body ache!" Jim stated.

"It hurts, Lector!" Frosch teared up.

"Me, too! But Ezekiel-san is getting it the worst!" Lector informed.

"Zeke..." Erza mumbled.

"Ezekiel! Endure it!" Minerva exclaimed.

Kyoka walked forward as Ezekiel fell backwards towards the ground in pain. Kyoka stomps on his stomach, causing him to scream out.

"Ezekiel!" Chii cried out.

"Dammit!" Bruno shouted.

"This brings back memories, doesn't it, Ezekiel?" Kyoka questioned. "Memories of being in that basement torture room..."

Ezekiel struggled to breathe as Face was at 18 minutes.

"Armor doesn't become you!" Kyoka slashed at Ezekiel's Zeus Armor, destroying it. "You've got beautiful skin."

"Stop it!" Erza yelled.

"Is this... the end?" Minerva wondered. "Is Ezekiel going to be defeated?"

Ezekiel's armor was shattered as his bangs covered his eyes. "You will be departing this life shortly, but this is your final torment. Feel more despair, Ezekiel. First I'll rob you of your sight." Kyoka claimed as Ezekiel widened his eyes, being met with darkness.

"Stop!" Bruno exclaimed.

"Next, your sense of touch." Kyoka continued. "Your sense of taste... Your sense of smell..."

"Stop it! You'll kill him!" Frosch begged.

"And your hearing." Kyoka said. "This'll be the last thing you ever hear."

Ezekiel soon found himself floating as Kyoka laughed. "This is my perfect victory! Even if I used up my soul, you humans have no future!" Kyoka exclaimed.

"Ezekiel..." Chii muttered.

"I'm not going to kill you! You will be experience an excruciating hell that is much worse than death! I'm going to turn you into a puppet for the Underworld King." Kyoka slammed his head down on the ground. "Day by day, he'll take his time tearing off pieces of your body and soul. I envy you. Tell me! You're delighted, aren't you?! Try to tell me you're delighted!"

Kyoka continued laughing as Ezekiel tried to speak. "I... can see you." He managed to get out as his hand twitched. "No matter what... you steal from me..."

Ezekiel struggled to get up. "...no one can take away the light... that shines on my path!" He claimed as he finally stood up.

"H-He stood up!" Minerva exclaimed. "Even after being stripped of the five senses..."

"I see..." Erza realized, causing Minerva to look at her in confusion.

"That's... impossible..." Kyoka muttered.

"Even if I can't see anything... Even if I can't hear anything..." Ezekiel continued as he changed into his usual attire, going barefoot. "...there's a light inside of me. The path I've walked down with my comrades... is illuminating my tomorrow!"

Ezekiel sent a punch to Kyoka's jaw. "I have nothing to fear! This doesn't even count as pain!" He claimed as Kyoka collapsed to the ground. "The ultimate pain is the pain of losing friends!"

"It can't be! You shouldn't be able to see!" Kyoka exclaimed.

"That's the way, Ezekiel!" Minerva cheered.

Acnologia and Igneel crashed to the ground. "What the...?!" Macao exclaimed.

"They crashed to the ground!" Romeo noticed.

"Igneel and Acnologia... are gone?" Lucy questioned.

Gajeel, Akame, and Zack all glanced down.

"What's wrong, Gajeel?" Levy asked.

"Are you all right, Akame-sama and Zack-sama?" Hana questioned.

"I hear something below." Gajeel responded.

"Same here." Akame agreed as Zack nodded in agreement.

"Underground?"

"Yeah. Both of them are underground!" Zack informed.

"They're fightin' down there!" Akame added.

"This isn't an earthquake, is it?" Elfman asked.

"An explosion?" Lisanna guessed.

"Yeah. Something's strange about it..." Jet realized.

"I've been feeling vibrations right under my feet!" Droy added.

"Something's down there..." Elfman said.

"The ground is hot!" Lisanna noticed.

"Monsters are running amok right under us!"

"Dad..." Romeo mumbled.

"Yeah." Macao said.

"Are we in danger?" Wakaba questioned.

"What is this?" Romeo noticed the rocks were moving.

"Underground tremors!" Cana exclaimed.

Firey explosions soon sprouted from under the ground. "Grab onto something! Anything!" Macao ordered.

"What the hell is happening?!" Cana wondered as everyone ducked down.

Lava soon appeared from the ground. "Dad, watch out!" Romeo warned.

"Is everybody all right?!"

More explosions were soon heard as Acnologia and Igneel rose up from the ground. Acnologia fired a blue blast at Igneel, who dodged.

"Seriously?!" Macao said.

"You're really doin' it up, Igneel." Natsu stated.

"They are both boisterous beasts." Mard Geer commented, looking up.

"Don't look like it's got nothin' to do with you!" Natsu claimed.

"This can't be. I sealed his five senses! And on top of that, my Curse power increased his pain sensitivity to the max!" Kyoka thought as Ezekiel charged forward, sending a kick to Kyoka's stomach, causing her to skid on the ground as green lightning came from Ezekiel's foot.

Minerva and Erza both smirked. "You shouldn't be able to see me!" Kyoka exclaimed. "You shouldn't be able to hear my voice! How do you know where I am?!"

"I guess you can only say he's using his sixth or seventh sense." Lily commented.

"You mean having his five senses stolen actually caused other senses to manifest?!" Lector said.

"I can explain it easier than that." Bruno claimed as Ezekiel got ready to throw a punch. "It's because he's Ezekiel!"

"I'm convinced." Lector, Frosch, and Lily spoke in unison.

Ezekiel threw a punch at Kyoka's face, sending her rolling on the ground. "Damn you!" Kyoka exclaimed.

The countdown on Face continued to move rapidly again.

"The time!" Minerva said.

"Ezekiel! The time!" Chii yelled.

"It's no good! He can't hear you!" Jim reminded.

Kyoka struck Ezekiel as he let out a scream of agony. "Ezekiel!" Bruno called out.

"A demon from the Books of Zeref will not be bested by a mere human!" Kyoka exclaimed as she continued striking at Ezekiel. "Learn your place!"

"This is bad! He's already been made more sensitive to pain, while the demon's attacks are getting more powerful!" Lily noticed.

"Her Curse power is making her stronger by the second." Minerva claimed.

Ezekiel dodged an oncoming attack before sending a backwards kick at Kyoka. "Does he... feel no pain at all? Does he feel no fear?" Kyoka wondered as Ezekiel requipped two swords in his hands before slashing at Kyoka.

"He's too strong!" Kyoka thought as Ezekiel looked back, seeing Kyoka crash to the ground.

"He did it..." Happy muttered.

Face was at 41 seconds.

"The time..." Lector started to say.

"...is almost up!" Frosch finished.

"You have to finish her off..." Lily stated.

"Ezekiel!" Minerva said.

Ezekiel fell forwards to the ground, collapsing as his swords went flying through the air.

"Zeke!" Erza yelled.

Face's activation continued going down as Minerva used her Magic to trade places with Ezekiel. She caught Ezekiel's sword in her hands, stabbing Kyoka.

"She's smiling..." Minerva noticed.

Minerva glanced up as the dots began to shine brightly.

"You did it! All of the Face bombs are turned on!" Franmalth announced.

00:00

Face ON.

Ezekiel widened his eyes, as did Minerva, Erza, and the Exceeds.

"Perfect victory! Magic will disappear, and our long-cherished wish will be fulfilled!" Franmalth cheered.

"Magic all over the world will vanish." Mira thinks to herself.

A/N: Another chapter is finished!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.