Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 99 - Mard Geer Tartaros

"I'm sorry, Makarov, that my time here is at an end," the Celestial Spirit King said, his voice booming through Makarov's chest. "Lucy's power is at its limit, and I cannot risk her life for our sake. I have faith in you. You will win. A dawn is coming. Hold tight to each other and to your magic."

Makarov shoved a boulder of rubble off himself. Mard Geer, in his Etherious form, watched the Celestial Spirit King continue to fade into golden particles that swirled into the skies above. He shrugged off his tattered cloak.

His power was waning. He had a few good spells in him—or one powerful use of Fairy Law. But, with how fast his heart raced, how hard he was pushing his body...

"So long, Your Majesty," Mard Geer said. "Your contribution was noted. And useless."

"You will not survive this day, Mard Geer," the King said. His final words were, "Nor your Empire."

He was gone. The titan of cosmic power vanished, leaving behind a void between Mard Geer and Makarov. He was only able to keep up as well as he'd been because of the King's ability to divide Mard Geer's attention.

Makarov sighed. Well.

He wasn't a Wizard Saint for no reason.

Makarov's white aura burst around him.

"He didn't lie, Mard Geer, you are going to meet your end here, whether it be by my hand or one of my children," Makarov said.

"None of your children has remotely the strength to face me," Mard Geer said. "We Underworld Etherious are of another class compared to our kin." Mard Geer tapped his head. "Actually. I suppose there is one among you all that could stand a chance, if he ever got around to figuring out his true potential."

He was either talking about Gildarts—unlikely—or someone else that Makarov couldn't conceive of. Time and time again, his children had shown their ability to push far beyond their limits. How had none of them tapped into their true potential yet?

"You, a guild of righteous purity and friendship, indeed harbor something that made even Emperor Zeref tremble," Mard Geer said. "One who would have once led Tartaros, who would be king even over the Underworld Etherious."

"The pageantry isn't helping your case," Makarov said. Mirajane, maybe? No. Mard Geer said his potential.

"There is a demon known as E.N.D. who is the greatest of Zeref's creations," Mard Geer said, "because he is not a true, full Etherious. He is of human origin. He may even have a soul, what a ludicrous idea." Mard Geer folded his arms. "He is a wizard of Fairy Tail. Care to figure it out?"

E.N.D.? That couldn't be. Atlas Flame mentioned the entity as something the Fire Dragon King Igneel feared. Igneel hadn't been seen in fourteen years, according to Natsu, but Atlas Flame had been trapped in the Sun Village for hundreds of years, possibly without any contact with Igneel. That meant this demon had existed for over four hundred years.

Makarov and Porlyusica were by far the oldest members of Fairy Tail, followed by Gildarts...

Wait a moment.

That day that Laxus and the Thunder Tribe attacked the guild, who had been trapped with Makarov? The girls, yes, because they were turned to stone, but also Gajeel and Natsu...

Oh. 

"I don't care," Makarov said as he pushed that thought to the back of his mind, even if it latched to him, to his heart, in a way that tried to rip it free. "Demon or no, creation of Zeref or no, all of those wizards are my children. I love them all in spite of all that they are or could be. I won't fall for your games, Mard Geer, even if I wanted to believe you."