A/N: Episode 197.

Enjoy!

edited on march 21st, 2025 @ 9:16pm

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚈-𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁,
𝓛𝙸𝙵𝙴 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴.

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𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗦 𝗗𝗢𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗔 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗢𝗡. "We're overrun here! We should retreat!" Rocker informed.

"Not yet! I wanna drink tasty booze with the Fairy Tail guys later on, so let's dig in one more..." Bacchus replied, not noticing a dragon was behind him.

"Bacchus! Behind you!" Rocker warned.

Bacchus leaped into the air to avoid the attack when the dragon struck him with its tail.

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"Hang in there, Droy! Somebody! Somebody, help! Droy isn't breathing! He's not breathing!" Jet shouted as dragons surrounded him.

Takashi ended up getting thrown against the wall as the purple flame in his hand went out. "Takashi-nii!" Romeo called out as both Macao and Wakaba prevented him from going further.

"Stay here, Romeo!" Macao ordered.

"But..."

"I'll go." Macao said. "Be right there, Takashi!"

"Don't worry about me! Romeo needs you!" Takashi shouted as the hatchlings surrounded him.

"Takashi-nii!" Romeo yelled as an explosion was soon heard, followed by Takashi's scream.

"Sherria! Where are you?!" Lyon called out as Gray's face was covered by his bangs, letting out sobs. Juvia was next to him in the same state he was.

"Sherria! Sherria! Sherria... We need your Healing Magic... Please! Sam's been..." Lyon trailed off as Samuel laid lifeless on the ground.

"It went... right through his head..." Meredy sobbed.

Somewhere else, Sting was battling Scissor Runner when he suddenly drops to the ground as he was hunched over, his body shaking.

"This feeling again... Something bad happened to Sam..." Sting thinks to himself.

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Atlas Flame flew into the air as Mother Glare flew in front of him. "Shall I deliver the finishing blow?" Future Rogue asked. "Do it! Mother Glare!"

Atlas Flame was able to dodge Mother Glare's attack as Future Samuel was on Mother Glare, breathing heavily as he placed his hands on his knees, looking down.

"I can feel myself getting weaker for some reason..." Future Samuel thought.

Future Rogue smirked upon seeing his state. "What's the matter? Slowing down already?" He taunted, sending an attack straight at Future Samuel, who screamed out as it hit him.

Atlas Flame caught Future Samuel on time. "Eat this!" Future Rogue shouted, sending another attack as Future Samuel leaped into the air.

"Don't look down on me, you son of a bitch." Future Samuel landed on Mother Glare's back and faced Future Rogue. "I made a promise and I intend to fulfill it!"

"A promise?" Future Rogue repeated.

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"Raging Volt!" Laxus shouted, attacking Zirconis as it had no effect.

"What's wrong?! This attack is unworthy of someone so high-spirited." Zirconis taunted.

"I'm just warmin' up." Laxus claimed as lightning cackled.

"Even Laxus's attack won't go through. That Zirconis is truly formidable." Lily commented.

"Even though he's a Dragon Slayer, that's no guarantee he'll beat the dragon, right?" Carla asked.

"If he can't do it alone, then maybe with my help." Wendy charged forward. "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!"

The wind soon combined with the lightning. "Nice one, Wendy!" Laxus praised, attacking Zirconis with lightning once more.

"Did it work?" Lily questioned.

"It was a palpable hit. This should do it right here!" Carla responded.

Zirconis was knocked to the ground. "Old man, it's almost too easy to end it here after all your boostful talk." Laxus said as Zirconis rose from the smoke.

"You struck a blow to my face... You stripling..."

"I don't believe it! That wasn't fatal?!" Lily exclaimed.

"Even though that same punch took down Jura?!" Carla added.

"You're actually starting to make me mad. I enjoy mocking girls, but I'll never enjoy bantering with males. I'll just devour you whole, clothes and all." Zirconis claimed as Wendy backed up.

"The man here looks unappetizing with his tough meat, but you..." Zirconis licked his lips and charged forward.

"Wendy, get away!" Laxus shielded Wendy from Zirconis.

"Laxus-san!"

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"Rogue! Give up and come with me!" Levia shouted.

"I refuse!" Rogue exclaimed, dodging his attack.

"Accept your fate! Eventually, your heart will be tainted with darkness!" Levia said.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen! As long as he's around..." Rogue looked down at Sting.

"How tough is this son of a bitch?!" Sting exclaimed, thrusting holy light forward as Scissor Runner dodged it.

The two dragons crashed into one another. "You would interfere with me? If you can't help me, fight elsewhere!" Levia said.

"This is my territory! Don't act so high and mighty, latecomer!" Scissor Runner retorted.

Sting landed on the ground. "Now, Rogue!"

"Yeah!"

Both Sting and Rogue activated their Magic, striking both Levia and Scissor Runner while they were distracted.

"We did it!"

"I don't feel a thing from an attack like that." Levia spoke.

"This is annoying. I think we should just finish this now." Scissor Runner said as Sting ended up getting thrown back.

"Sting!" Rogue called out.

"Rogue. I'm done trying to reason with you. Like it or not, you're coming with me." Levia claimed.

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"Iron Dragon's Sword!" Gajeel shouted, striking the dragon but he ended up getting thrown back.

The dragon soon took flight. "Right? Or left?" Gajeel asked himself. "Which way will it come from?!"

"Crap!"

The dragon struck Gajeel, piercing his claw into his chest as he flew back and crashed into a wall.

Cobra continued attacking the rock dragon. "Unless your poison can penetrate this body, it's useless! And I think it's about time for my turn."

Cobra ended up crashing to the ground.

"Prepare yourself!"

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Lucy continued running towards the palace. "I have to hurry! I need to tell everyone about that note!" She told herself.

She turned the corner, only to come face to face with a bunch of mini-dragons that surrounded her. "Oh no!" Lucy thought.

Ultear was still collapsed on her knees. "My life was cursed. I've deceived people, mocked them, and taken their lives. But, Gray... You gave me a chance to live as a human being. I intended the independent guild Crime Sorciére to be my way of atoning my sins. I meant to atone... but I didn't change. I'm still a witch who doesn't think twice about murdering someone. I... I don't deserve to live." She thinks to herself.

Ultear thought back to her time as a young girl in Grimoire Heart.

A younger Ultear was studying when she heard footsteps, causing her to turn and kneel when Hades walked in.

"I'm impressed by all the tomes of Magic you've gathered in such a short time." He said.

"Master Hades! I didn't know you were here."

"You needn't humble yourself. Come, stand up." Hades ordered as Ultear did so.

"Master Hades, before you told me about a kind of Magic that can restore lost happiness." She said.

"Perhaps you mean the Arc of Time?" Hades questioned.

"I finally got a clue!" Ultear held up a book. "I found a description of what's believed to be that Magic in here."

"Last Ages. That Magic must never be used."

"Why not? This is the Magic I've been searching for! This would let me turn back time and do it over again. I would do anything to learn this Magic..." Ultear said.

"Last Ages comes with a price that the caster must pay." Hades explained, looking at Ultear. "In exchange for turning back time, all of the spellcaster's time is stolen."

"Time?" Ultear quoted.

"In other words, 'life.' In turning back the clock of the world, the caster loses all of their time. Is that the world you desire?"

Ultear looked down. "I-I don't want that..." She admitted.

"But now... I do." She raised her hand. "If giving up my life can reset the world... I'll gladly offer it."

Ultear's hands began to glow as she slammed them onto the ground, energy swirling around her.

"Arc of Time! Last Ages!"

The clock soon struck.

Ultear screamed in pain as her body began to crack. "Tough it out! Think of the agony you inflicted on so many people! Compared to that, this pain is... Exquisite pain... running through my cells... one by one... Is this where I pay the price with my time... with my life?!" She wondered as she sat up.

"My life is flowing out of me... My time is vanishing... My life... My future is..."

Ultear screamed.

"It was a life tainted by villainy and vice, but looking back, someone was always there for me. Gray, Jellal, Meredy... It was more happiness than someone like me deserved. And yet, I didn't realize it. I spent my time and my life on foolish things. But it's not too late! I'll sacrifice the rest of my time for the sake of those who are dear to me! Please! Bring the world back... to at least before the portal was opened! Take my life in exchange for just a little time!"

Bright lights soon appeared before a large beam surrounded Crocus.

Once the spell was finished, Ultear turned to look at the clock. "Time... Time... went back..."

She saw that the clock had barely changed as she widened her eyes. "... one minute?! The value... of my life... is just one minute?!"

Ultear began to fall forward. "No... I couldn't save a single soul..." She realized, finally collapsing to the ground.

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"Look out!" Gray warned as he grabbed onto Juvia and Meredy, making them duck for cover.

"Don't lose focus!" Lyon shouted as he froze another dragon.

"This is a battleground!" Samuel reminded, freezing a hatchling solid.

Gray and Meredy stood up. "Sorry!" Meredy apologized.

Juvia's face was red. "Gray-sama touched Juvia's behind..." She muttered.

"Juvia..." Gray called out her name. However, before he continued, something flashed within everyone's minds as they saw a vision of Samuel dying.

"What was that just now?" Lyon asked.

"Sam's gonna be killed?" Gray questioned, looking at his younger brother.

"A dream?" Meredy guessed.

"Juvia saw it, too." Juvia informed.

"What the hell?! Suddenly getting a vision of my death is just too creepy!" Samuel exclaimed.

"The little dragons appear from over there..." Meredy stated, pointing to an area.

The dragons soon appeared, ready to fire the beam. "They really did show up!" Lyon exclaimed.

"Not my brother, you bastards!" Gray shouted, using his Magic to freeze the dragons before they could make an attack.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Samuel yelled.

"Did someone warn us?" Gray wondered. "Who could've done that?"

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Beams fired at Jet and Droy. "Whoa!" Jet exclaimed as him and Droy took cover in an alleyway.

"But what was that just now? It's like I caught a glimpse of the future." Droy said.

"A warning? Then it's dangerous here. Let's go over there!" Jet informed.

"Yeah!" Droy agreed.

"It can't have been a dream..." Romeo commented.

"It was like images from the future..." Wakaba stated.

"Then this area is dangerous." Takashi informed.

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That day, people all over the world saw one minute into their future.

However, like a dream, it quickly faded from memory, so not many people would dwell on this mysterious phenomenon.

But for the wizards who were in the middle of battle, seeing one minute into the future made the difference between life and death.

Zirconis charged forward. "What was that just now?" Wendy wondered.

"We can think about it later!" Laxus shouted as Wendy moved out of the way of Zirconis's jaws.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!"

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"

Wendy and Laxus's breath attacks combined, attacking Zirconis.

"Images... of the future..." Lily turned to Carla. "Was that your power, Carla?"

"It wasn't me." Carla responded.

"It wasn't me, either." Happy chimed in.

Lily and Carla sweat dropped. "We know that."

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"A vision?!" Bacchus muttered, moving out of the way in time.

"You did it, Bacchus! Awesome!" Rocker cheered.

That one minute...

"Right?!" Gajeel said to himself. "Here!"

Gajeel struck the dragon with his Iron Dragon's Club.

That one minute became the root of the human race's counterattack.

"What the...? For just an instant, I could see his movements." Gajeel mumbled.

"Take this!" Cobra shouted, striking the rock dragon.

"Here I come!" Sting yelled, attacking Scissor Runner with holy light.

"Where did you go, Rogue?! Come out!" Levia shouted as Rogue appeared from the shadows.

"I won't let you get your way! I refuse!" Rogue claimed, leaping into the air and attacking Levia with shadows.

Lucy continued running before she stopped. "What is this? If I turn that corner..." She paused as a vision of her being surrounded by dragons was shown.

"I can't turn there..." Lucy muttered as she went straight.

"What the...? There was just a ripple in the flow of time. Did something happen to Eclipse?" Future Rogue asked himself.

"Never look away in the middle of a fight!" Future Samuel calls out, coming down from Atlas Flame and punching Future Rogue in the face, causing him to crash to the ground.

"I'm gonna keep my promise!" Future Samuel claimed.

Future Rogue stood up. "Promise? What are you talking about?"

"I made a promise to the Future Lucy-san." Future Samuel replied, his fist being covered in frost. Future Rogue gritted his teeth as Future Samuel charged forward once more.

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The attack continued striking Zirconis as both Wendy and Laxus had determined looks.

"Princess, let's leave this to the wizards. Come." Arcadios said.

"I'll escort you." Yukino offered.

"No. Please let me stay here. I have a duty to watch what happens." Hisui informed.

"Princess... But..." Yukino began to protest.

"Everyone!" Lucy called out, getting their attention as they surrounded Lucy.

"Look! Look at this!"

"What is it?"

"A memo pad from the future me!" Lucy explained.

"Future you?"

"Here..." Lucy handed Yukino the memo pad.

"'If by chance the portal in this time period is destroyed, the Eclipse portal in the future will cease to exist. As part of a chain reaction, both Samuel and I will also disappear from existence.'" Yukino reads out loud.

"What does that mean?" Arcadios questioned.

"It's talking about what will happen if the portal in our time period is destroyed. Then the future will be painted over with a future in which the portal was destroyed. The portal will wink out of existence in the future. If that happens, Rogue won't have any means to come back to our time period." Lucy explained.

"But is it possible to stop what's already happened?" Hisui asked.

"If everything worked out, then both the dragons and Rogue would disappear from our time!" Happy replied.

"It's worth a shot!" Carla added.

"However, there's one big problem. How do we destroy a giant structure like that?" Arcadios questioned.

"It won't be an easy job." Lily responded.

"But if Rogue doesn't come from the future, the world should return to its proper history. We have to do it. And I have to keep my promise to my future self!" Lucy declared.

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A/N: Obviously Future Samuel felt himself getting weak due to his present-day self dying for those who don't know, but he didn't completely disappear due to Ultear's spell. 

Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2476 words.