A/N: Episode 263.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT: DANCING OVER ISHGAR

"This is the ultimate Curse, Memento Mori." Mard Geer said as he soon saw a crater. The dust cleared, revealing Gray who took on a partial demonic form. Natsu and Sebastian both had their arms over their heads as they both stared at Gray in shock.

"Holy shit..." Sebastian muttered.

"Gray..." Natsu mumbled.

"It... can't be. Half of his body is demonic..." Mard Geer said. "Is that Silver's power? Then he was protected against my ultimate Curse?!"

Gray soon fell forward. "In order to create... the future... all I... can do..." Gray collapsed onto the ground. "...is believe in Natsu and Sebastian."

Natsu and Sebastian only stared at Gray. "Gray..." Sebastian muttered under his breath.

The Trimen, Ichiya, and Jenny were on board on Blue Pegasus's ship, Christina. "Status report, men." Ichiya said.

"Ichiya-san, surfacing okay." Hibiki informed.

"I saved the telepathic message from Fairy Tail." Eve said.

"Senpai, what should we do?" Ren asked.

"Use the communication lacrima to transmit the message to every possible guild." Ichiya replied.

"I see! That's our Ichiya-san!" Jenny cheered.

"At the end of the transmission, add this. 'The fate of the continent depends on this battle.' Right now, Blue Pegasus is heading for the destruction of Face!" Ichiya announced.

"Yeah!"

"What the hell are they?!"

"They're huge!"

"Is it some face?"

Kagura was running with her guildmates right behind her. "Are these giant things Face, Kagura-chan?" Millianna questioned. "Are they going to wipe out all Magic?!"

"Right now, action takes precedence over pondering. No matter what it takes, we will destroy Face." Kagura responded.

"Destroy them? But they're gigantic and all over the place!" Millianna said.

"Don't think. Just act." Kagura tells her.

"Right!" Millianna agreed.

"Let's go!" Kagura shouted.

Lamia Scale was glancing up at Face. "It looks like all of the villagers are done evacuating." Obaba said as Sherria rushed over to join them.

"Still, what a hideous sight."

"What the hell am I supposed to do alone against one of those humongous things?!" Toby exclaimed.

"Simmer down. Nobody's telling you to do anything by yourself." Yuka tells him.

"Don't be afraid just because they're huge! I'll spin you!" Obaba threatened.

"Get back! I'll do it." Lyon said, placing his fists together and activating his Magic.

"Wait!" Jura calls out. "According to Ichiya-dono's message, there are a myriad of them. We cannot spend our time on just one. We must hurry!"

"Right!" Lyon agreed.

"By the name of the Ten Wizard Saints, I will not let Magic be destroyed! Let us attack together all at once!" Jura declared.

The Lamia Scale Mages began exerting their Magic Power.

"Get fired up, everyone!" Lyon shouted.

"Drilling rock for you!" Rocker calls out.

"Plant Magic!" Yeager shouted as War Cry began sobbing.

Bacchus leaped into the air. "If all Magic disappeared, sake would be too nasty to drink! Let's go, you bastards!" He yelled. "Cleaving Hook Palm!"

"Wild Four!"

They all attacked Face. When the dust cleared, it still stood.

"Crap! So straightforward approach ain't gonna cut it?" Bacchus questioned.

Dobengal, Orga, Yukino, and Rufus were running down a hill. "Please!" Yukino told Rufus.

"Leave it to me!" Rufus said as he halted his tracks. "Memory Make: Shrine of the Raging Wind Fang!"

Tornadoes soon appeared as Orga powered up his lightning.

"Lightning God's Charged Particle Cannon!" He shouted.

The two attacks combined and caused an explosion. However, Face remained.

"Didn't even make a dent..." Dobengal muttered.

"Please don't give up! One more time!" Yukino encouraged.

In Bridgehollow, Helena and Kida both rushed up to their guildmates. "Have all the civilians evacuated?" Souta asked.

"Yes, Master! Kida-chan and I evacuated the town safely." Helena replied as the Black Sun Mages all glanced up at Face.

"Things would be a lot easier if Sebastian-nii and Orion-san were around." Aster pointed out.

"We have to believe they got things handled and are helping Fairy Tail with Tartaros. We need to do our part here." Kross reminded him.

Nox nods in agreement. "We can't have Magic disappear from the entire continent. Everyone, give it everything you've got!" He instructed.

"Dark Spikes Arrow!" Nox called out, creating a stake-like spike before throwing it in the air.

"Requip!" Massorao shouted as his Crystalline Death scythe appeared in his hand. "Evil Explosion!"

"Dino King's Royal Roar!" Aster releases his breath attack.

Massorao and Aster's attacks combined with Nox's stake-like spike and headed straight towards Face, creating an explosion. When the dust cleared, Face still remained intact.

"It didn't work!" Romin exclaimed.

"Don't back down! The fate of the entire Magic world is at stake!" Souta reminded his guild members.

"Roger!"

"All right, do it to it! This is Twilight Ogre's time to act!" Banaboster announced.

The Twilight Ogre Mages charged forward and began attacking Face, but it didn't make a single dent.

"Impossible!"

Natsu and Sebastian both breathed deeply, staring at an unconscious Gray as Mard Geer glowed dark purple. "A mere human?!" He exclaimed.

"Gray!" Natsu shouted.

Mard Geer transformed back into his Etherious form and flew up into the sky.

"Dammit!" Sebastian yelled as him and Natsu activated Dragon Force.

Natsu and Sebastian charged forward with their fists covered in flames as they both punched Mard Geer straight in the face, throwing him backwards and sending him crashing through pillars.

"What is this power?!" Mard Geer wondered.

Sebastian flew up in the air and sent a kick towards Mard Geer's jaw as golden flames surrounded Natsu's body and bright orange-red flames surrounded Sebastian's. "Dragon Force?!" Mard Geer exclaimed.

Natsu and Sebastian landed on slabs of debris. "Inherited directly from Igneel and Atlas!" Sebastian claimed.

"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art!" Natsu and Sebastian called out.

"Hidden Fire Form! Crimson Lotus Phoenix Blade!"

"Planetary Core: Inferno Overdrive!"

Natsu and Sebastian's attacks combined and struck Mard Geer in the chest. However, he wasn't fazed as both Natsu and Sebastian were falling. "It's not over!" Mard Geer shouted as both Natsu and Sebastian's Dragon Force deactivated. Mard Geer charged forward at them, grabbing them both.

"I'm going to demolish every inch of your bodies!" Mard Geer claimed.

"I am impressed... our Magic's... at zero." Natsu said.

"Die!" Mard Geer shouted.

"But... we believe, too." Sebastian muttered.

Gray had stood up, forming a bow made of purple ice. "Gray!" Both of the Fire Dragon Slayers screamed out.

Gray released the arrow, sending it straight at Mard Geer's chest. "Ice Devil Zero's Destruction Bow!" He called out.

Purple ice stabbed through Mard Geer, making Natsu, Sebastian, and Gray grin.

Erza requipped two swords, charging at Kyoka and slashing at her. "She's too strong!" Kyoka thought, crashing onto the ground.

"Kyoka..." Mard Geer thinks to himself.

Kyoka smiled to herself. "You needn't worry." She thought as Minerva was trying to regain her breathing.

"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.

Erza widened her eyes, as did Minerva 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.

Mard Geer was knocked out of his Etherious form as him, Natsu, and Sebastian crashed onto the ground. The black markings on Gray's body disappeared.

"You did it." Natsu muttered.

"Glad that's over." Sebastian sighs in relief.

"No. It isn't over yet. I have to destroy END." Gray informed.

"Oh, that's right! Igneel and Atlas Flame told us to give them that book." Natsu remembered as Sebastian nods in agreement while Gray held up the Book of END.

"Sorry, but like I said, I'm going to destroy it." Gray repeated.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, jackass!" Natsu claimed.

"Which one of us is the clown? This created Tartaros." Gray reminded the both of them. "And it's also the most powerful demon of the Books of Zeref! We should destroy it now, while we still can."

"We made a promise to our fathers. Give us that book." Sebastian ordered.

"I refuse." Gray said as him, Natsu, and Sebastian stared at one another.

The ground soon trembled. "What the...?" Natsu questioned in confusion.

"That's... Don't tell me... Face..." Sebastian mumbled.

"Didn't... make it in time..." Erza muttered.

"Oh, no! Magic is going to disappear?!" Happy asked. "I can't even imagine it!"

"Look at that!" Lily pointed out.

Thousands of red dots soon began to appear on the screen.

"The Faces around the continent are activating..." Lector noticed.

"W-What's going to happen?" Frosch questioned.

"Magic all across the continent will disappear." Mira said.

"The end of the world of Magic..." Minerva mumbled.

All of the Face bombs began to glow. "Face... is starting to glow?" Yukino noticed.

"What's happening? Our attacks have no effect, and now this weird glow..." Orga said.

"I don't have any memory of it, of course... but is Face activating?" Rufus guessed.

"Oh, no..." Yukino muttered.

Makarov was still standing in front of Lumen Histoire with his eyes closed. "Were we one step too late?" He wondered. "It's regrettable."

Lucy collapsed to the ground. "Lucy!" Lisanna shouted.

"I feel like... I'm losing power..." Lucy said.

"Oh, come on now! I can't turn on my power!" Jet exclaimed.

Warren had his fingers against his temple. "My telepathy isn't getting through!" He informed.

"Is it Face...?!" Droy wondered.

Lisanna's transformation soon wore off. "Wait! Oh, no! If my Animal Soul shuts off, I'll be..." Lisanna started to say.

"Um..." Lucy trailed off.

"D-Dad. I have no strength..." Romeo muttered.

"Pull yourself together, Romeo!" Macao tells him.

"Dammit! This is why I don't wanna get old!" Wakaba complained.

"Idiot! This isn't about that!" Macao scolded.

Elfman dropped to his knees. "Gimme a break! Without my strength, I'm no Man!" He claimed before finally collapsing on the ground. "Dammit!"

"Hey! Get a hold of yourself!" Gajeel tells Levy.

"It's no good... Gajeel... Magic is..." Levy started to say.

"This ain't... funny." Gajeel said.

"Apparently it has already begun." Porlyusica commented.

Doranbolt placed his coat over Lisanna's shoulders so she could cover up, making her blush. "Th-Thank you..." She thanked him.

"This is ridiculous... I can't... I can't get up!" Lucy said, struggling to pull herself up.

"The Ethernano is weakening. It's because of Face's activation..." Doranbolt explained.

Wind blew through Wendy. "This feeling..." She muttered.

"The Magic train derailed!"

"Run!"

"I can't use Magic!"

"I have no strength!"

"Is it because of that giant face?!"

"The lacrimas have stopped working!"

"Lights are going out all over the city!"

"Target is acquired!"

"Launch angle ready!"

"Hurry! We're losing energy!"

"Panicking over a little lost Magic isn't the Christina crew I know." Ichiya claimed. "Main battery... Fire!"

A blue blast shot out from Christina's cannon. The dust cleared as Face remained standing.

"No damage to the target!"

"We're not done yet! Second strike... Fire!" Ichiya ordered.

Another blue blast shot out from Christina's cannon, striking Face. "Men..." Ichiya said.

"This is only the beginning." Mard Geer spoke up, grabbing Natsu, Sebastian, and Gray's attention. "The extinction of Magic will soon become negative energy, and END will be revived. When the strongest Etherious comes back, you humans will have no Magic to defend yourselves."

Sting and Rogue gritted their teeth. "Dammit!" Natsu screamed out.

Acnologia crashed onto the ground, grabbing everyone's attention. "Acnologia!" Gray exclaimed.

Igneel and Atlas Flame both stomped on Acnologia's body. "Don't give up, humans!" Igneel said, making Natsu widen his eyes.

"That big-ass Face... It pisses me off." Ren commented.

"I can't believe we couldn't destroy it with Christine's cannons..." Eve said.

"Ichiya-san, what should we do?" Jenny asked.

"Never mind about the cannons. The ship's losing Magic fast." Hibiki informed. "We're gonna drop!"

"Is this where it ends?" Ichiya wondered, closing his eyes.

"Move back." A voice called out.

"Who's that?" Jenny questioned. "There!"

"Evasive action!" Ichiya shouted.

Grandeeney soon appeared, destroying the Face and shocking the Trimen.

"What was that?!" Ichiya exclaimed.

"A bird?" Jenny guessed.

"Grandeeney!" Wendy realized.

Crime Sorciere watched from below. "That's... a dragon." Jellal said. "What's it doing?"

"Anyway, let's hurry." Jellal informed. "To Magnolia..."

Big red X's appeared on the map. "The Face marks are disappearing one after another!" Happy noticed.

"What's happening?!" Erza wondered.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes. "Metallicana..." He muttered as Metallicana flew through a Face.

"I sense Weisslogia... but he should be dead..." Sting said.

"Skiadrum is here, too?" Rogue questioned to himself.

"Lockhardt..." Jade mutters under her breath in shock.

"The unleashed dragons... are dancing in the sky over Ishgar." Atlas Flame announced.

Wendy had her hand over her mouth. "It's a miracle..." She said as everyone felt relieved.

"Awesome..." Natsu spoke in awe.

A/N: First update of the new year! Hope everyone's 2025 is treating them well!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.