Mest had gone to inform the other guilds and had left Erik and Wendy alone.

The two dragon slayers slowly made their way to the next face. They were nearly there when Erik shuttered and his legs gave out from under him.

"Oniichan," Wendy cried in horror quickly putting him down. He leaned back on a rock and was breathing heavily.

"Is he alright?" Charle asked weakly.

"I'm going to heal him," Wendy breathed putting her hands forward.

"Stop it," Erik breathed pushing Wendy's hands aside, "You hardly have enough magic energy left in you for a roar."

"But... but you're hurt," Wendy whimpered.

"You're mostly unscathed but you're out of magic energy, I'm hurt but I have large amounts of magic energy in me. One of us has to give the other something and you can't heal me," Erik breathed.

"No, I can, you can destroy the faces; I have en-"

"Wendy, listen to me," Erik pleaded, "You can take my magic and destroy these things, as many as you can."

"But, what about you? You're hurt really bad."

"I'll be fine, the world needs you, Wendy."

"I'm not as strong as you... it took all I had to destroy that one face," Wendy cried.

"And beat a demon that destroyed me in seconds, you have the strength to do it, Wendy, I know you can do it," Erik smiled weakly. He put out his hand and allowed the poison to surround it.

"You can do this Wendy," Charle smiled.

Wendy took a deep breath and took her brother's hand. Poison ran up her arm and engulfed her body. There was a sudden silence that filled the area as the air grew still. Then suddenly the landscape was filled with wind.

Wendy stood up awakening her dragon force once more. Now she looked different, her pink hair was streaked with maroon; her wings were bordered with the same color. Her eyes were a shade darker and the wind around her swirled with streaks of poison within it. She looked back; her eyes now looked reptilian in the dying daylight.

"Charle, please watch over him," she asked.

Erik was now unconscious and Charle nodded putting a paw on the dragon slayer, "I will Wendy."

"I will be back soon," Wendy said. With that, she flew through the air shattering faces left and right. Guilds and mages watched in awe as Acnologia and Wendy Marvel broke face after face.

"There's too many," Wendy panted meeting up with Acnologia.

"We can do this little one, just don't give up," Acnologia roared breaking through another one.

"The fantastic God has arrived!' Serena laughed from below them.

"Great, start breaking stuff!" Acnologia roared.

"I've waited years for you to say that," Serena grinned.

"Are you willing to do this to your beloved?" Keyes taunted.

"Juvia... Juvia will do what she must to protect her family," Juvia cried attacking the necromancer.

"Well then, let us see what was kind of trouble your beloved has when he faces you," Keyes laughed.

Juvia found herself bound, incapable of movement.

"You will be a fantastic test subject," Keyes pondered.

"No, Juvia," Lucy cried weakly.

"Hold on water woman," Gajeel yelled running towards Keyes.

"Not so fast," Torafuzar said jumping in between them.

"Out of my way!" Gajeel yelled slamming into Torafuzar to no prevail.

"Hold on Juvia," Natsu roared running towards Juvia and the necromancer.

"Rumble," Tempester said sending electricity coursing through Natsu's veins again.

"Juvia... knows... Juvia knows something," Juvia breathed as she was slowly wrapped up, then she disappeared from sight, it appeared that Keyes had killed her.

"Another story ended," Keyes smiled.

"Juvia knows something you don't" Juvia's voice shouted.

"What!?"

"Juvia knows that love continues on past death, the death of Gray's father will only make the distance between them longer, but they will love each other as if nothing happened... It is the same for any loved one family, friend, or lover... that is what Juvia believes!"

Keyes began filling with water, Juvia was somehow inside him making him burst.

"NO! I WILL NOT BE BEATEN BY A MERE HUMAN!" Keyes cried.

But it was too late, he burst and Juvia reappeared, she was crying, "That is what Juvia believes!" she cried again.

"She beat Keyes," Torafuzar said amazed.

Juvia coughed anti-magic out of her lungs and collapsed. Lucy summoned what strength she could and caught her.

"Gray-Sama," Juvia whimpered.

"Oh Juvia," Lucy choked not understanding what had happened but she could see it in Juvia's eyes - regret.

The two demons and dragon slayer squared up.

"So what's up, is she okay?" Natsu asked looking backward towards Lucy and Juvia.

"She's unconscious but alive," Lucy answered.

"We need you to get her out of here, fast," Natsu ordered.

"Yeah before the rampage begins," Gajeel gritted cracking his knuckled.

"I'm on it," Lucy nodded standing up and having Juvia lean on her, "but listen, you two, be carefu-"

"We know," both nodded.

"We're on, try to keep up," Natsu smiled.

"I'll leave you in the dust Salamander," Gajeel smiled.

Both lunged for the demons.

"Fire Dragon ROAR!" Natsu yelled aiming for Tempester.

"Swoosh," Tempester said sending Natsu's fire up in a vortex.

"Iron dragon club!" Gajeel yelled sending his club towards Torafuzar who deflected it easily.

"Got your second wind, have you?" Torafuzar smiled.

The four battled with neither side gaining.

"These guys suck, we should be on the next ones," Natsu spat.

"For once I agree with you," Gajeel snarled.

"You're simply too weak," Tempester frowned.

"What'd you just say?" Natsu asked.

"We should recognize their strength, it's clear these mages aren't human. They have more dragons within them then they do humanity," Torafuzar growled.

"Then-" Tempester said as he began to transform.

"Only the full power of the etherious can conquer such foes," Torafuzar finished.

Lucy was a few yards away.

"Watch out you two," She cried.

"Oh-ho, they got serious," Natsu chuckled.

"I guess we should show them what we're made of then," Gajeel chuckled.

"LIGHTNING FLAME DRAGON MODE!" Natsu cried unleashing his dual elements.

"IRON SHADOW DRAGON MODE!" Gajeel yelled doing the same.

Both dragon slayers roared in unearthly voices as did the etherious. So very quickly did the etherious learn that their opponents were incredibly strong... stronger than they were. Torafuzar was forced to unleash his curse enveloping all in a black sea. Natsu was unable to use his fire and swallowed some water that was, SURPRISE, poisonous. Soon Natsu was unconscious along with everyone else.

Gajeel fought Torafuzar for a few minutes but to no avail, he was slowly losing consciousness.

Levy turned from her place on a stairwell. Her heart had just become very heavy and she felt as though someone was calling out to her. Then she was certain that she heard Gajeel's voice and dove into the water.

Gajeel was given air from levy and in turn, was able to defeat Torafuzar absorbing a massive amount of highly toxic particles.

"Die already!" Sting cried giving Mard Geer a kick in the stomach.

The dust cleared and Sting saw Mard Geer giving him a terrifying smile. Sting's foot had been caught by Mard Geer; he flung him into a wall.

"Stay steady Sting!" Rogue cried sending shadows flooding towards Mard Geer.

"I'm gonna kill him!" Sting cried lunging forward.

"I've grown tired of you," Mard Geer sighed clenching his fists. A tower of vegetation knocked Sting into the sky, "goodbye," Mard Geer chuckled. Another vine slammed into Sting's side and sent him falling into rubble far from the fight.

"Dammit Sting," Rogue gritted as he watched his brother fall.

Sting shakily got to his feet and looked up to where Rogue was engaging Mard Geer, distant clouds of dust erupted into the sky.

"Jerk," Sting spat rubbing his head. A sudden smell caught his attention. Sting scrambled over the rubble and looked further below him. Tempester was going to attack a weakened Gajeel. Sting looked over the battlefield and saw that everyone else was incapacitated.

Suddenly a lightning bolt came down narrowly missing Tempester who jumped away. Laxus stepped in front of Gajeel.

"Laxus!" Gajeel laughed weakly.

"I have some unfinished business with this one," Laxus growled.

"Laxus!" Sting cried scrambling down causing all three to look to the mage.

"Sting?" both dragon slayers wondered.

"I'll finish you off," Tempester yelled lunging for Laxus.

Laxus was able to stop him and throw him back.

"Sting get everyone out of here!" Laxus ordered dodging another attack.

"But-" Sting objected.

"Do it, Sting!" Laxus ordered lunging for Tempester.

Sting dragged Natsu and the girls away from the battle zone and helped Gajeel to his feet.

"I need to help him," Sing gritted.

An explosion from the higher levels reminded Sting of the battle still raging above there between his brother and Mard Geer, "Oh no, I left Rogue fighting the freakin demon king!"

"Dual elements sting," Gajeel breathed.

"That's it, Gajeel you're a genius, protect these guys for me!" Sting cried plopping Gajeel down near Natsu and the girls before running off.

"Good luck," Gajeel waved, "Don't die," he murmured.

Laxus and Tempester were evenly matched, Laxus was weaker than usual and Tempester was just getting stronger.

"Laxus!" Sting cried.

The lightning mage didn't hear him, Tempester slammed into him knocking him into a stone wall. Laxus sat there a minute stunned.

"LAXUS!" Sting cried making a glowing ball in his hand, "You know what to do!" With that Sting threw the glowing ball towards Laxus who caught it. "I have to go help Rogue, don't die okay!" Sting cried running back towards the upper levels.

Laxus smiled looking at the glowing sphere.

"That's your hope, a fluorescent sphere to guide your way to the gates of death," Tempester sighed lunging again.

The light melted away in Laxus's hands and he inhaled it just as he did the anti-magic particles. Tempester was thrown aside by a bolt of white lightning.

Laxus slowly got to his feet, white streaks of lightning appeared around him.

"What are you," Tempester asked as he got to his feet, "the antimagic particles haven't killed you, the demons haven't killed you, you even ingest magic that was not your own. You should not be able to breathe!"

"My name is Laxus Dreyar, I am the holy lightning dragon slayer, and I see a demon my lightning should purge," Laxus growled.

Meanwhile, Erza and Minerva had met up with Kyoka who had linked herself to Face. For Erza to stop face, she would have to kill Kyoka... this proved to be slightly difficult but Erza did eventually emerge victorious after ... nearly dying. Unfortunately, Erza took too long and Face was begging to activate.

Wendy soared through the air shattering yet another Face before rushing off to the next. Acnologia shattered three as he flew through them. Serena used one of his eight dragon slayer magic's; his gale dragon slaying magic, he was able to use Wendy's strong winds that she created to fully use his magic and destroy all that lay in his path.

"We're almost done!" Wendy laughed happily bursting through another face.

"Was there any doubt?" Serena scoffed launching himself into the air and hurling himself at another Face, wind swirling around him.

"Don't stop, we have at least fifty more!" Acnologia shouted.

"I know... I am beaten," Tempester breathed as he closed his eyes.

"Hell yeah you are," Laxus growled studying the blood on his cloak. The lightning around him died down.

"You are making me frustrated," Mard Geer supposed as he sent another attack of vines hurling towards Sting and Rogue. The two were thrown aside.

"What haven't we done?" Rogue asked.

"We've used unison raid, dragon force, combos, tag team... we should do get help," Sting smiled.

"No," Rogue cried quickly.

"Let's do it," Sting nodded.

"It's horrible," Rogue cried.

"We're doing it."

(Yes it's a Marvel reference... I regret nothing!)

Mard Geer walked through the smoke and smiled when Sting emerged, Rogue slumped on his shoulder.

"Get help; please get help, my brothers dying!" Sting cried.

Mard Geer looked thoroughly confused.

Then Sting threw Rogue at Mard Geer. Rogue activated his shadow drive and slammed into Mard Geer with a shadow dragon talon, Sting then used a white dragon roar, Rogue slipped into the shadows while Mard Geer was engulfed with the blast.

Rogue materialized next to Sting, "I hate it," Rogue sighed.

"It's amazing," Sting chuckled.

"It's embarrassing."

"Not for me."

"That is enough," Mard Geer said trying to calm himself. He put another smile on his face, "come forward Jiemma."

"Jiemma?" both boys asked their eyes widening.

"I do not take orders-," a deep voice growled from behind them.

Sting and Rogue were hit from behind; both mages went flying crashing into a stone wall.

"But I will obey this order simply because I despise these two so deeply," Jiemma stood squared the two.

The dragon slayers stood up staring in horror at Jiemma.

"It... it can't be," Sting said shaking his head.

Rogue could only look in horror.

"The man that once stood at the helm of the strongest guild in this world, Jiemma," Mard Geer said smiling behind Jiemma. "He came to me after a certain dragon lord chased him out of his guild. He practically begged me to help him shed his humanity. How could I refuse? You once knew him as Jiemma."

"You," Rogue growled clenching his fists.

"The monsters... they turned him into a demon," Sting choked. "Just like they did to Minerva."

"It seems to suit him better," Rogue snarled.

"Of course it does, power has always suited me," Jiemma growled, "That's why I demanded to be transformed. Now look at me, I am the strongest demon to ever exist!"

"Was it worth it?" Rogue snarled, "abandoning your humanity only for power!?"

"The man's lost his freakin mind," Sting gritted.

"It's true, this new servant is more powerful than any of the others," Mard Geer smiled.

"My power stunts the heavens, I have no master for I have no equal, and no one calls me servant!" Jiemma growled an aura growing around him, "after I'm done with these insects I'll move to you!" Jiemma threatened.

Mard Geer only smiled in response.

"You think you scare me!?" Sting yelled his fists beginning to glow, "You think you're gonna stand in my way again?!"

"You will perish!" Rogue cried.

The two lunged for Jiemma but were easily thrown aside.

"You are weak, pathetic, feeble, unworthy to oppose me!" Jiemma growled marching towards the two. "You claim to be raised by dragons, but I think they were more like lizards."

"You dare insult Wiesslogia!" Sting growled.

"You aren't fit to look upon a dragon let alone talk of one!" Rogue snarled.

"I've been waiting for this day," Jiemma laughed.

"You dragged Minerva into this!" Sting cried.

"That brat, that pitiful excuse for a girl was completely useless. I hoped that she would be of some use if she was more demon then human, more dead than alive, but she proved herself to be weak, a sad excuse for a mage."

"But she is your child! You're daughter! She is your family!" Rogue cried.

"Child, you say?" Jiemma questioned, "She is nothing! The only thing she was ever going to be good for was continuing my bloodline."

"TAKE THAT BACK!" Sting cried lunging for Jiemma. Jiemma was hit in the face by one of Sting's glowing fists.

"Is that all you've got!?" Jiemma laughed throwing sting aside. Rogue materialized next to him but was also thrown aside.

"... You're wrong..." Rogue breathed picking himself up, "you didn't need to undergo this transformation... you were never human to begin with!"

"What are you talking about?' Jiemma scoffed.

"I can tell you about a great man, a dragon who is more powerful than anyone... but he is also more human than anyone I've ever met," Sting smiled as he got to his feet.

"He allowed seven weak, scared misfits into his home," Rogue chuckled.

"And he called them family," Sting finished.

"They drove him insane, but he was okay with that."

"He trained them, cared for them, helped them to confront their fears and pasts."

"He never gave up on them... he was always there for them."

"And... and because of that he's stronger then you'll ever be!" Sting cried.

"Ah, you speak of Acnologia," Jiemma laughed.

"Yes, the strongest mage in existence!" Rogue growled.

"I am the strongest mage!" Jiemma roared.

"Let's test that," a deep voice laughed from behind Jiemma. Mard Geer looked behind his throne and his eyes widened.

"Sorry Mard, I think I broke your toy," Acnologia laughed tossing Mard Geer a piece of Face.

"Uncle!" Sting smiled relieved.

"How is everyone?" Rogue asked.

"Erik's looking a bit worse for wear; Wendy's helping him as is Serena. Natsu is pissed off, but that's not unusual. Gajeel is writing a celebratory song, Laxus is being treated along with the rest of the Raijinshu, and... who am I forgetting?" Acnologia pondered.

Sting and Rogue looked at each other.

"Oh yes, you two were about to destroy this one, Acnologia laughed pointing to Jiemma.

"You," Jiemma snarled.

"Us?" Rogue asked.

"Yes, don't worry, I know you can. Me and Mard here are going to go for a little walk," Acnologia chuckled.

"We'll see you soon Uncle," Sting said as Acnologia walked away.

"Don't die, Natsu will kill you," Acnologia chuckled.

Acnologia walked up to Mard Geer.

"You dare face m-" Mard Geer began to snarl.

Acnologia grabbed him by the throat, "let's go for a walk," he growled in a low voice.

Mard Geer's and Acnologia's 'walk' was really a simple toss and catch up. Mard Geer was tossed a few miles and Acnologia caught up.

"Can I vent to you?" Acnologia asked suddenly as Mard Geer picked himself up trying to look as composed as possible.

"What?" Mard Geer asked.

"Look I have seven highly stressful dragon hatchlings as children so I need to get some steam off my chest or I might just level a continent."

"Uh-"

"Great. Do you have any idea how hard you just made my life?! Alvarez hasn't invaded us yet because of Face, do you know what they're gonna do now that Face is gone?"

"Invade you?"

"Yes, do you know how many people I'm gonna half to fight?!"

"A lot?"

"And you did this all to awaken E.N.D, who, oh, by the way, is asleep but he does not reside inside the book. Also, how did you go from 'let's open the book' to 'let's suck the magic out of Fiore' how did that happen!?"

"You see-"

"I don't want to know," Acnologia sighed massaging his head.

"Master E.N.D is-"

"Yes!" Acnologia growled.

"But... but ho-"

"He doesn't know who he is; if you open that book with the right incantation you can awaken his primal instincts which... you don't want, trust me, you don't want it," Acnologia sighed.

"Then you have seen master E.N.D!"

"You could say that."

"You know where he is!?"

"More or less."

"You know how to awaken him!?"

"I don't want to."

"But you ca-" Mard Geer cried completely geeking out. In a flash, Acnologia had reached out and grabbed Mard Geer by the neck.

"I'm gonna say this, and I'm only gonna say it once, E.N.D will not awaken in my lifetime," Acnologia growled.

"Now, now it's not nice to play with your food," someone scolded. It was a deep voice, a voice that had haunted Acnologia's nightmares for centuries.

"It can't be," Acnologia breathed looking around him, but there was no one except Mard Geer and himself.

"Have you forgotten about me boy? Have you forgotten my most basic teachings?" the voice chuckled.

"Tyregenium?" Acnologia asked.