"We have to go back." Jellal whispered to Erza as he looked at her.
She nodded heavily. "Let's go, then." Why are you even upset?! She was a horrible mother! She abandoned you! Erza cursed herself mentally and followed the others to the guild.
"Erza, I'm sorry..." Lucy said sadly.
"Oh, you're awake." She sighed. "Don't be sorry. I barely knew the woman."
Lucy watched Erza uncertainly as she struggled with her emotions.
"Master!" Wendy shouted as she and the others ran back into guild.
"Did you slay that dragon?!" He asked in surprise.
"Well, kind of. Erza and I turned her back human and then...she...killed herself..." She gulped.
He looked down. "That's tragic."
"Do you know where these berserkers came from?" Mavis asked Wendy.
"Irene did it, before she died." Carla explained. "That's another one of the 12 down."
"We took down God Serena, at the expense of Warrod's life and all of the other Wizard Saints." Mavis said tearfully.
"Bisca and Alzack took down a lot of the airships with the Jupiter cannon." Warren reported using telepathy.
"And Gajeel took down another of the 12. I think his name was Bloodman. He's badly injured, though." Mest said.
"Only a few more remain..." Makarov sighed. He looked out the window. "I can't bear to see my children suffer...every victory results in death."
Mavis looked at him. "I don't think we can do this much longer. Everyone is exhausted and Alvarez is overwhelming. We've defeated a lot of the 12, but there are still hundreds of thousands of soldiers left."
"That many!?" Happy cried in fear.
"I know what to do." Makarov muttered as he walked out of the guild.
"Wait, where are you going?" She cried.
"Don't interfere, First Master. I know you probably have a plan, but this is something I have to do. You know that."
"No..." She gasped as she came to realization.
"Master, what are you doing?" Erza shouted as he walked through the battlefield. The wizards were fighting the mass of berserker soldiers.
"Putting an end to your suffering." He stood in Fairy Law's stance.
"Yeah, now we're sure to win!" Romeo cheered.
"Is that Fairy Law?" Sting asked.
"That's incredible." Rogue whispered.
"Makarov, don't do it!" Mavis cried. "The enemy is too great! You'll die!"
"I'm sorry kids." Makarov sighed.
"Wait, we can't even talk about this?!" Wendy cried. "You're just going to do it?!"
"Stop!" Macao shouted.
"NO, MASTER!" Erza yelled. The other members watched in horror as they realized what was gonna happen.
"You can't just leave like that!" Gray yelled.
"We can beat them, Master, don't do it! We're gonna win!" Gajeel shouted before getting struck in the face.
"No we can't! Unless I do this!" Makarov yelled. "There are too many enemies and I refuse to lose any more of my children!"
"Gramps..." Laxus bit his lip.
"Listen to me, all of you. These past years have been the greatest of my life. I'm so happy I got to help all of you grow up and become strong, talented wizards. This journey has been full of fond memories, that I'll always cherish. Being your parent has been my greatest joy in life. And as a parent, it's my responsibility to protect my children. I know you this is sudden, but I can't bear to see any more of you die. Please, win this war, for each other." He closed his eyes before opening them. They were full of bright light. "Fairy Law."
"MASTER!" Erza wailed.
"Don't go!" Lucy and Wendy cried.
"No, Gramps..." Gray grunted as he pulled himself out of the guild hall. A tearful Happy followed.
"I love each and every one of you, so much." A bright light covered the battlefield, wiping out the squads and most of the soldiers. The guild watched in horror as Makarov used his remaining life force to extinguish the enemy.
"GRAMPS!" Natsu shouted as he appeared.
"No..." Erza cried. She stared at Makarov's body, which turned to ash and blew away in the wind. "No!" She fell on her knees.
The battlefield erupted in stunned silence. It was eeriely calm.
"He can't be gone!" Lucy covered her eyes and screamed. "NO!"
"Gramps!" Gray and Natsu yelled simultaneously.
"No!" Mavis wailed as she fell to her knees. "I had a plan...and...and..." She cried as she remembered naming him when he was a baby. "Makarov....." She sobbed uncontrollably at the loss. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up tearfully.
"Stand strong, First Master." Laxus helped her up with tears in his eyes. "He did all of this for us, so we have to keep fighting. It's what the old geezer would want."
She nodded as she wiped her face. "We have to win this, for him."
Natsu clenched his fist. "Someone's gonna pay for this." Lucy gasped as he turned into E.N.D. and approached August. "Starting with you..."
"No! Natsu stop!" Lucy cried.
"Where did he come from?!" Lisanna gasped.
"Do you feel his magic power?" Mest's eyes widened.
"Guys!" Mirajane shouted as she flew to them. "Was that light....what I think it was?"
Wendy nodded tearfully. "Fairy Law."
"Master..." Macao and Wakaba cried.
"It's very tragic that we've lost our comrades. About 80% of our soldiers were wiped out." August sighed. "I see you've lost yours too."
Natsu socked him in the face, only to have August throw his magic right back at him.
"Natsu! Stop!" Lucy yelled.
"Natsu!" Romeo looked at the demon in fear.
"How can he use Natsu's magic?" Erza murmured.
"What do you mean?" Jellal asked.
"It looks like he just used Natsu's magic."
"Solid Script: Fire!" Levy shouted as she joined the fight.
"Levy! You're okay." Lucy smiled in relief.
"Yep." She grinned before her eyes widened. "You might wanna take care of Natsu, before he kills us all."
"Natsu! Close, Gate of E.N.D.!" Lucy shouted as she forced his gate closed. She was out of magic power. "No, I can still fight. I have to, for Cana!"
"Iron Dragon's Roar!" Gajeel shouted. He watched in shock as August nullified the attack.
"Iron Dragon's Sword." August said as he entered his battle form.
Gajeel covered himself in scales and blocked it. "How the hell is he using my magic?!"
"Strange." Lily muttered as he swung at August.
"Solid Script: Hole!" Levy shrieked as August did the same to her. He sent blasts at other guild members, easily defeating them.
"I figured out his magic!" Erza exclaimed. "He can copy our magic and use it. That's why he's called the Wizard King..."
"You figured it out that quickly?!" Happy gasped.
"So basically, you're saying we can't win." Mirajane said dryly.
"Maybe there's a way..." She watched as Lucy fought with Loke.
"We have to win!" Laxus shouted. "We won't let Master's death be in vain!"
"Aren't you gonna help?!" Carla reprimanded Erza as she flew at August. "White Moon!"
"Right!"
"How are they still fighting?!" Rogue asked as he fought.
"Yeah, you'd think they'd be out of power." Sting muttered.
"Fairy Tail's always been resilient." Yukino smiled as she joined the two.
"JELLAL!" Sorano shouted as she and the rest of Crime Sorciere joined the fight.
Yukino's eyes widened. "Who...is that?"
"Is something wrong?" Minerva turned to the celestial wizard.
"I feel like I know her."
"She looks just like you!" Sting exclaimed. Lector nodded.
"I think so too!" Frosch smiled.
"Yeah..." Rogue frowned.
Sorano froze and stared at Yukino. "What? Why are you staring at me?"
Yukino's eyes lit up. "I think I know you."
"How?"
"Sorano?" Yukino asked hopefully.
Sorano stiffened. "What do you want?"
Her eyes filled with tears. "Big Sister?"
"No! You must have me confused with someone else. I don't know you." Sorano turned away.
Yukino grabbed her hand. "Wait! You do know me! You protected me! Don't you remember? You were taken away! You're my Big Sister Sorano!"
"I told you that's not me!" She shouted. "Go away!" Tears threatened to fall.
"Why are you being cruel? You know it's me!"
"Because I wanted you to forget about me!" Sorano shouted suddenly. "You don't need such a horrible older sister!"
"You're not horrible! You saved me!" Yukino cried.
"I've committed too many sins. You don't need someone like me in your life. Just leave me alone!" Tears ran down Sorano's face as she turned away.
"Please, Big Sister..." Yukino wept. "Don't leave me again!"
Sorano shook, conflicted. "I-"
Yukino hugged her tightly. "I missed you so much."
She sniffed before embracing her little sister. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be! I'm sorry too!"
The two sisters hugged tearfully.
"Sorry to interrupt this reunion, but where were you?" Jellal asked Sorano.
She sniffed. "We were fighting another one of the 12. He had weird magic. He was winning, when Zeref killed him! He also killed some of our guildmates." She said sadly.
"Do you remember his name?" Erza asked.
"Larcade Dragneel, I think. It was so strange, he called Zeref 'Father' and it sent Zeref into a fit of rage and then he just killed him!"
"Wait, really?!" Jellal gasped.
"Dragneel?" Erza mused.
"He thought he was Zeref's son apparently."
"How could Zeref possibly have a son?" Mira pondered. "Who would even be the mother?"
"It turns out he was just an Etherious demon that Zeref created."
"Where is Zeref?" Jellal asked.
"Heading over here, to kill the rest of us..." Sorano said worriedly.
"I'VE GOT IT!" Erza shouted. "He can't copy holder magic!"
"Huh?" Gray looked at her in confusion.
"Look, August hasn't copied Lucy's magic once because he can't!"
"So is that how we beat him?" Yukino asked. "Cause I can help. I still have plenty of magic." She summoned Libra and Pisces and helped Lucy. Between the two of them, they were able to land a few hits on August.
"Piercing Bullet!" August pointed at Gajeel, who was coming straight for his face.
Levy screamed as Gajeel took a deadly hit to the chest. "GAJEEL!"
"Wendy, can you heal him?" Lily asked as he flew towards her.
"I'll try, but I'm almost out of magic power." She said.
Suddenly, the ground shook. The Fairies gasped at the man who stomped towards them.
"Gildarts!" Laxus gasped.
"You kids get out of here." Gildarts said as he strode towards August. "Stop Zeref!"
"What about you?" Erza yelled.
"I'm gonna take care of this guy. Lucy, where's Cana? Is she okay?"
Lucy's eyes widened and filled with tears. "She's...she's dead..."
His face erupted in horror. "How?! Cana can't be dead!"
"One of the 12 killed her. I'm so sorry." She wept.
"My little girl...is dead?!" He turned to August, anger seeping out of him. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY!"
"Careful, he can copy magic!" Gray shouted.
"I'll just use brute force!" Tears streamed down his face as he matched August in hand-to-hand combat. "Cana...I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you." He look at Team Natsu. "Get out of here! NOW!" He socked August in the face.
"But we can help!" Lucy's face became conflicted with emotion.
"GO!"
"Come on, he'll be okay." Happy said as he picked her up.
"Melt!" August yelled as the battlefield erupted in a pillar of fire.
"It burns!" Mirajane winced. "Satan Soul! Evil Explosion!"
"Fire won't stop me!" Gildarts declared as he used his prosthetic arm.
"We need to get out of here." Gray said as he dragged Erza behind him.
"Yes, you're right. Wendy! Carla! Follow us!" Erza yelled. "We're going to find Zeref."
"NO!" August's eyes widened as he noticed the group leaving. "No one will touch His Majesty! ARS MAGIA!"
"What is that?!" Carla gasped.
"I was born with the power to destroy an entire country!" The town started melting as his body started breaking. "I'll die to protect Zeref!"
"I can't use my magic!" Yukino yelled.
"I can't either!" Laxus pounded his fist on the ground.
"Guys, get out of here!" Mavis shouted as she ran outside. "You're all going to die!"
August's eyes shifted to her location as he froze. "That's her voice...but where is she?"
"What's going on with him?" Elfman mumbled as he backed away.
"No! He's gonna kill us all!" Jellal yelled.
"First Master!" Erza shouted. "The town!"
"Get any citizens that remain!" Mavis instructed.
"Master Mavis, our magic is gone!" Lucy panicked.
"We're gonna die!" Wendy cried.
"Mavis? Mother..." August said softly as a tear slid down his cheek. He looked at her in joy.
Mavis, alert, looked at August in a mix of fear and surprise. "Who is that?"
He stopped his spell, joy and sadness overwhelming him. "I won't harm you. I can't." He smiled sadly as his body disappeared in ash. "Mother, if only you had known..."
Mavis looked in shock. "What? Mother? Does he mean...me?" She fell to the ground, suddenly feeling very weak and sorrowful.
"What happened?!" Erza whipped around. "He's gone?! Does that mean-"
"He stopped his spell!" Evergreen cheered.
"I think so too!" Frosch smiled.
"That means..." Wendy's face broke into a wide smile.
"ALL OF THE 12 ARE DOWN!" The battlefield erupted in glee.
"Yes, but many sacrifices were made to get there." Carla said grimly.
"Master..." Mest's shoulders shook.
"Juvia...Lyon..." Gray clenched his fists.
"Cana..." Lucy and Gildarts whispered.
Mavis composed herself. "I have to stand strong for the guild." She stood. "Go! Find Zeref! We'll treat the wounded."
"Aye aye to the sky!" Happy grinned as he flew off.
"STUPID CAT PUT ME DOWN!" Lucy yelled as they zoomed away from the guild.