The wind was picking up fast as the once clear blue sky was now anything but blue. Gray dark clouds have filled the sky, covering every patch of sun that had once been seen. The petals were picked up by the wind as it scattered everywhere. Many of the people had already left, unaware of the ominous presence that was soon filling the sky. Sabertooth, Mavis, Zeref, Raijin, and Lucy could only watch on.
"It's spreading fast," Mavis said, her eyes stern.
"It's probably consuming all the magic around it that's in the air. That 'being' solely feeds on magic and nothing else," Raijin said.
"Lucy, what the hell is that thing?!" Sting said, shocked out of his mind.
"We call it 'Erit Ipsarum Major'. Otherwise known as the dimension eater. It's last appearance was in another dimension that I guarded, it destroyed everything there, reducing it to nothing but blackness," Lucy said, her fists shaking with anger. "If I could, I would've destroyed that 10,000 years ago."
"So how do we defeat it?" Minerva said.
Her eyes were glued onto the black thing that had appeared in the sky above. It looked like slime and was making its way through the sky, leaving nothing but itself behind. It was a monster, more gruesome and more fearsome than any other monster in Fiore. As the party continued to look at the sky, a voice shouted out in the distance.
"Yo, Lucy!"
Lucy turned around instantly, surprise reflected in her eyes. "Kouen!"
Coming from the east was the Kou Empire on their red flying carpets. Kouen was in the front along with Koumei and Kouha. Behind them were the household vessels of the Kou Empire, each one of them carrying their metal vessels with them as they began to wield it, transforming themselves.
"I'm lending you all the metal vessels of our Kou Empire," Kouen said, coming down and landing before Lucy. "I hope they will be of use to you."
Lucy nodded. "The more the better and the higher our chances will be of defeating it."
"Zeref," Kouen said, acknowledging him.
"Kouen," Zeref replied, nodding his head. In this grave situation, the two knew it wasn't the time for rivalry despite how much they wished to fight with one another.
"You called over the Alvarez Empire?" Kouen asked.
"Ah. I sent an emergency call to them. They should be arriving soon," Zeref said.
Just on time, behind the clouds started appearing a mass of black dots. Each one of them appearing on black flying carpets marked with the Alvarez Empire symbol. Leading them were the 12 Spriggans and behind them were specially trained mages. They landed beside the Kou Empire army and the two sides shook hands with one another, acknowledging each other's existence and presence. As of right now, they were fighting on the same side of the battle.
"Mama..." Nagi said, coming up to Lucy.
Lucy turned around and bent down as she sadly looked into Nagi's eyes. "Don't worry, Nagi. Mama, Zeref, and everyone will definitely win this fight. You stay out of this, we don't wish to involve you in this fight."
"But..." Nagi began to say but was ignored as Lucy turned back around to observe the oncoming monstrosity.
"From this distance, it looks pretty with its starry like appearance but too bad it has a rather disturbing nature," Kouen remarked as he glanced up. "It's a being that shouldn't have been born."
"Compared to last time, it's a lot bigger and faster," Zeref said. "How many did it take last time to defeat it?"
Lucy's eyes went cold and dark as she trembled. "The entire dimension. Millions and billions dead and...all it took to defeat it in the end was my sacrifice," Lucy said. "If I had known...I would've gladly given myself up for the sake of the rest of the innocent people."
"Lucy..." Zeref said, his voice sorrowful.
"Now's not the time to mourn. It's the time to fight!" Lucy said, her eyes brimming with anger and fierceness. "Divine form!"
In a matter of seconds, Lucy's long golden locks had untangled itself from its ponytail, growing and curling itself. A white gown laced with golden lines replaced her t-shirt and miniskirt. Golden jewelries with rubies lined her wist, her neck, and her arms. Hanging from her shoulders as it bellowed in the wind was a long white fur-lined cape, the symbol of the golden phoenix imprinted on the back. A long golden staff with a bright ruby in the middle appeared in her hand as a large pair of wings spread from her back. Her eyes were a bright golden as golden marks lined her body from head to toe.
Seeing her full divine form had blinded many of them and were unable to look at her. Those that were able to were mesmerized and captivated.
"Hurry up, we're going up front!" Lucy yelled as she went up.
"Ah!" Raijin yelled as he, too, changed into his divine form. His dirty blonde hair was now a pure blonde color with the side of his hair shaved into lightning bolts. His attire was now white and gold with gold marks covering his body, just like Lucy. Thunder crackled around him as he joined Lucy.
Soon, all the metal vessels and mages from both the Alvarez and Kou Empire joined in with Lucy, Raijin, and Kouen at the lead. Zeref and Mavis could only stand there and watch as they put up a shield in order to protect Sabertooth.
"Zeref, stop agitating the air," Mavis said. "It's hard to keep up this barrier."
However, he ignored her words and could only shake in anger and frustration at how useless he was at a time where she needed all the help she can get. "It's just frustrating...how I could only stand here and watch her go fight..." Zeref said as he shook in anger.
Mavis looked at him with pity, fully knowing what he was going through. He being a dark mage would only strengthen Erit Ipsarum Major while she on the other hand, had no physical body to fight with. "If you think you're the only one going through frustration, take a look around you," Mavis said. "All of us want to fight but we can't."
Zeref could only clench his jaw and ball his fists more. "I know that...I know that but still!"
Zeref looked up to where Lucy and the others were and even from a distance, he could tell which one was Lucy. Her radiant and gallant battle figure as she stood up to the growing monstrosity, pushing it back bit by bit as part of it was being shredded away. Of course, even then, there were injuries and deaths. It was eating away at anything that got close to it and the mages that touched it were as good as gone. Lucy's face was contorted with anguish and pain as she saw the mages screaming for help.
"Continue attacking!" Lucy ordered as she shut her eyes and ears to their plea of help. "She knew there was no way to save them."
"Thunder God's Lightning Storm!" Raijin yelled.
"Nyoi Rentou!" Kouha yelled as he slashed away with his scythe.
"Dante Al-Thais!" Koumei said as he tried preventing it from getting any further.
"Astor Inqerad!" Kouen said, as a white flamed dragon came sprinting out.
"It's no good! No matter how much we push it back, it just keeps on coming back stronger!" Dimaria yelled.
Lucy narrowed her eyes knowing that even at this second, it was eating away at their magic. She looked around her. The Spriggans were panting, Kouen, Koumei, and Kouha were running low on rukh, and thousands have already perished.
"Lucy, our forces won't be able to hold out for this long! A tenth were already devoured!" Brandish said. "My mass magic isn't working on it either!"
"Even if we continue attacking like this, there's no way we'll be able to drive it back. Besides, how are we going to defeat it?!" Invel said. "Even in ancient texts, there's nothing written on it."
"That's because it was all destroyed. No one was able to live to see it," Lucy said. Suddenly, the black being thrusted forward greatly, devouring a thousand mages that were in its path. Lucy and the others could only widen their eyes upon seeing the destructive nature of it. It was merciless.
"You guys go back and rest for a while! I'll handle things here!" Lucy commanded them.
The mages went back knowing that they weren't going to last long. The only ones staying was Kouen, Raijin, the 12 Spriggans, and the other household vessels from the Kou Empire. Lucy looked at them, her expression literally read: Do you guys all have a death wish?
"We're not backing down anytime soon," Kouen said with a smirk. "I'll continue fighting by your side even if it costs me my life."
"That's right, Lucy! Even though I can't compare to you, don't underestimate a thousand years of cultivation," Raijin said with a wide grin.
"You owe me a cake for helping you out," Irene said.
"I'm going to stay by you," Brandish said stoically.
"Don't underestimate the Ice General, Lucy-sama," Invel said as he pushed up his glasses. "The title of the 12 Spriggans is not to be underestimated so easily."
Lucy was baffled by their sudden will to fight with her but soon, her eyes softened as she smiled happily. "Thank you, guys," she replied before turning her attention back to the dimension eater. "I summon the gates of the twelve zodiacs!"
A bright light appeared as the 12 zodiacs all stood before her, including the Celestial King.
"You called for us, hime?" they all said.
"Old friend, it has been a long time," the Celestial King said with a grin. "Need help?"
Lucy nodded. "I request of you," she said. The spirits smiled as they got ready to fight it. As soon as they were ready, they began charging at it. Kouen, Raijin, and the others right behind them.
"My dragons! I summon thee!" Lucy yelled as she threw into the air the keys of Igneel, Grandeeney, Metalicana, Skiadrum, and Weisslogia. Each one of them appeared one by one and even without Lucy's orders, they knew what was going on.
"It's eating away at our dimension already," Grandeeney said, flying up to Lucy. "If we don't stop it now, it's going to start eating away at the celestial world."
"It's already spreading that fast?" Lucy murmured, her gaze full of worry.
Grandeeney nodded her head. "We'll help out as much as we can but..."
"I know. If worst comes to worst, I'll do something. The other dragons and celestial spirits have already evacuated to the heavenly realm, yes?" Lucy said as she threw a massive white light towards it with her staff.
Grandeeney nodded.
"Then that's good," Lucy replied. "Continue attacking!"
They all obeyed her commands. Though they were all panting and tired, they refused to back down and continued to fight against it, knowing full well what'll happen to them if things continue like this. For at least an hour, they continued fighting. Lucy backed off a little as she began preparing a spell.
The waves that span this continent,
The ground that weaves a path for the people,
The air that keeps things living,
The grass that bores vegetation,
The fire that represents the fierceness,
Gather your forces;
Erase those outsi-
But before she had the chance to finish casting it, something caught the corner of her eye. The Fairy Tail insignia. In the front was Natsu and heading their way was a tentacle of Erit Ipsarum Major. Lucy widened her eyes and on instinct, she began making her way towards them. The others saw where Lucy was headed and upon seeing what had happened, slowly widened their eyes in shock and dread. It was as if time was slowing down. Within a second, Lucy had appeared in front of the tentacle, preventing it from hitting Natsu and the others just on time.
"Thank god...I...made it," Lucy panted as she coughed up blood.
Realizing what it had just hit, the being slowly backed off. It was satisfied that it had hit such a large source of magic just like it did 10,000 years ago. It was ready to go back to its slumber.
"...Lucy!!!" Zeref cried out, breaking away the barrier and going up to Lucy.
"Zeref..." Lucy said slowly as she turned around to come face to face with Zeref. It had removed itself from her body and was now slowly eating away at her, desperately trying to devour her to satisfy its hunger.
"Mama!" Nagi shouted, petrified.
"Lucy!!!" everyone shouted as they realized what had just happened.
Lucy was soon enveloped by a golden light, her form slowly starting to disappear. Zeref could only watch on at the edge of the cliff as it slowly began devouring her. His eyes held a look of fear and pain as he watched her smile sadly at her..
"Honestly, I kind of wished for this to happen," Lucy said smiling. "Having one sacrifice is better than having millions of sacrifices. With this, it'll go back to its slumber. It's a happy ending, no?"
Zeref looked and screamed at her. "What the hell do you mean by a happy ending?! You're being devoured and yet you're still saying it's a happy ending?!"
Her smiling expression instantly turned to sadness and longing.
"I...don't want this but what else can we do!" Lucy said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "After everything, I wanted to hang out more with everyone! I wanted to go on more adventures with you and Nagi!"
"Then take my hand! It's still not too late!" Zeref screamed as he thruster his hand out, desperate to grasp Lucy's hand. The hand that he always held.
Lucy looked at his hand with longing but shook her head. "Its already too late."
Her lower half of the body was slowly being engulfed in the starry like being.
"What about us?! What about me?! Do you think we can continue living without you here?!" Zeref shouted as he tried to grab onto Lucy.
"Don't Zeref...if I could save you, Nagi, and everyone here with just me leaving...I wouldn't mind..." Lucy said as tears continued making her way down her cheeks.
"Lucy!" He screamed once again, but soon knew that there was no way to convince her. He just watched he hover there before her as he hung his head down.
"You're the first person that ever understood me," Lucy said. "I promised to protect our family no matter what and that's what I'll do."
"Mama..." Nagi said, tears forming.
"Zeref... promise me...that even after I'm gone you won't forget me," Lucy said as she raised her hand in Zeref's direction. "Because...I love you...you feel the same way...right...Zeref...?"
Lucy watched as Zeref just hung his head low without saying anything. No words, no movement. Soon after, all she saw was blackness as she slowly closed her eyes as the sea of coldness wrapped around her. In the end, she never got to hear his answer.
Zeref stood there as a lone tear streamed down his face. "Idiot...how could I not love you?!" he screamed towards the empty air. "You are my one and only empress after all..."
With that, he jumped off the cliff and plunged into Erit Ipsarum Major, heading to find Lucy.