Fire and Spirit

Chapter 7: The Night of the Demon

With a grunt of exertion, Loke slammed his fist into a demonspawn's face, just as his emerald ring flashed with light that sent the creature crashing to the ground. The street was a mess of debris and flickering flames, casting shadows across the night as Loke ran quickly towards the Guild Hall. The demonspawn seemed to be thinning, but somehow that wasn't encouraging. Not when that hideous noise rang through the town…

It was the worst noise Loke had ever heard. It sounded like bloody nails screeching on a chalkboard, scraping down to the bone. It was so intense the Loke felt like his ears were about to bleed, but somehow he kept on running towards the toppled ruins of the Guild Hall. The Magic was thick in the air, dark and unnatural, resonating with the music.

The guild had been torn to pieces. The roof was ripped off in the wind and the walls collapsed to rubble. Loke felt his stomach churn in dread as he scrambled over the ruins. The whole place seemed eerily quiet. It was like that sound was sucking the life out of everything around him.

"Master?!" Loke shouted loudly, squinted as he peered into the gloom. "Mira?! Anyone here?"

There was no response. I should have been here, Loke thought furiously, I should have been able to protect the guild. After being trapped so long from the Spirit World, Loke's Magic had almost completely depleted. Even without it, Loke was still a very capable fighter and he could hold his own with his Lacrima ring, but he never had the strength he once possessed as 'Leo the Lion'. He was weaker now than he had ever been, and it had taken so long to fight through the demonspawn.

There was a faint noise from inside the guild, barely audible over the hideous music. Loke's eyes widened, before quickly leaping down the rubble and running towards the noise. "Master!" Loke shouted in relief, watching the old man stagger against the ruins of the debris.

Makarov looked older than Loke had ever seen him. His face was gaunt and pale, while his eyes were red. The old man was panting heavily as he struggled to stand, as if a huge weight was pressed onto his shoulders.

"…Loke?" Makarov murmured weakly, taking an unsteady step. He had ripped his hat in half and was using it for earmuffs. His ears were bleeding. "…How…?"

There were other noises around him. Loke glimpsed Laxus on the second floor, cursing repeatedly as staggered to his feet. The other guild members were littered around the room, all unconscious and pale. Cana was trembling slightly, but the rest looked dead to the world.

"Bastard…" Laxus growled in a weak but angry voice. "… I'll kill the bastard for this… I'll scorch him into cinders…!"

Lightning sparked around him, but it was a weak crackle compared to his usual thunder. Realisation struck as Loke felt the Magic around him. Whatever this noise was, it was disrupting everyone's Magic.

"Your Magic…" Loke muttered, grabbing Makarov's shoulders to steady him. "It's being drained…"

The Guild Master gulped as he looked at Loke with desperate eyes. "…This Curse… Demonic Magic…It's powerful…" He said in a strained voice. His Magic was being depleted faster than he could focus it. Only Makarov and Laxus had enough raw power that they could still move despite their Magic being drained, while everyone else was knocked out cold. Makarov focused on Loke with wide eyes. "… How are you immune…?"

Because this is obviously a type of Magic that affects humans, Loke almost answered. Spirit Magic was made out of a different stuff. "It's complicated," Loke replied lamely after a second's hesitation. He bent down to pick Makarov up. "Come on, I'll get you out of here."

"No!" Makarov snapped, pointing behind him. "Save them! Their souls won't last long in this."

"Souls?" Loke frowned, focusing on the unconscious Fairy Tail mages. Magic was the power from the soul. This music was sucking out people's souls by draining their Magic. The thought made Loke's muscles twitch and his heart pound.

For half a second, Loke hesitated with the complete hopelessness of the task. He couldn't carry everyone, and he had no safe place to take them anyways. There was no telling how far the sound would travel. He couldn't save everyone.

"Save the ones I can," he muttered quietly, before rushing to check Cana's pulse. Around him, Mages were starting to tremor and convulse in sharp seizures. He tried covering their ears, but the sound cut straight down to the bone. Loke could only stare helplessly, mind racing in desperation as he struggled for some solution.

One by one, they all started to convulse. Laxus managed clamber outside weakly, while Makarov struggled to perform a protective ward. Loke tried desperately to place the thrashing bodies out safely, all the while that hideous noise resonated around him and his comrades thrashed madly on the ground.

And then, Loke slowly realised that there was only one person in the room that was completely motionless. He frowned as he turned to face the white-haired woman, leaning against the bar with her head covered by her hands.

"…Mira?" Loke asked quietly, but she didn't respond. He had thought that Mirajane was unconscious, but she was far too still for that. She was sitting on the ground, hair a mess, slouched forward with her long legs dangling on the ground. Her dress was tattered and dirty, and Mirajane looked completely helpless, but there was just something… off about the picture.

"Mirajane, are you alright?" Loke asked, moving closer until he saw the faint, barely visible tremble in her hands. Slowly, she raised her head slightly, and Loke glimpse a blood red pupil hidden under a curtain of white hair.

This sound is demon Magic, Loke thought slowly. Mirajane's fingers gradually began to curl into claws. The air was saturated with pure demonic energy…

Of course there was one person in the guild who would be completely immune to it.

"…Um… Mira?" Loke asked nervously, edging backwards. Sharp horns started to grow from the halo of Mirajane's white hair. Her whole body was rippling. "…Are you… uh… human…?"

Mirajane's bones cracked and shifted. She moved her hands away from her face, revealing blood red lips and razor sharp teeth. Loke's eyes widened in shock, just as two huge, leathery wings burst from her back. Loke gasped. The Demon looked bloodthirsty.

"Holy…!"

Move, Lucy told herself desperately, but her body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside. Her vision started to blur as she fought frantically against the sound tearing through her soul.

Not even the thunderous howl of the wind could compare to soul-piercing sound. Lucy's vision started to blur as she glared upwards to the monsterous figure of Erigor, standing above them. Natsu was next to her, on his knees and struggling to stand, while Erza managed to stay standing but she was staggering weakly with every step. Both of their eyes were wide and panicked, bursting with pain as their whole bodies trembled.

The noise is killing them, Lucy realised, watching Natsu gasp for breath. Her heart was pounding like a drum in her chest. Above them, still standing on the steps of the train station, Erigor smirked as his demonic eyes glistened with joy.

"Beautiful!" The demon murmured hungrily. His scythe arm acted like a flute, pumping air out of the holes in his skin, while that unnatural energy was so intense it was paralysing. Erigor breathed in deeply, sucking the Magic out of the whole town. Lucy winced in pain.

"So much Magic! So rich!" Erigor was practically drooling as the awful music resonated around him. "Oh, there are so many strong souls here! This… is… delicious!"

Erza growled in protest, staggering forward quickly. Her eyes shone with fury and her scarlet hair was wild as she charged, yet Erigor just lightly swatted her to the ground. Erza looked like she was in agony, unable to use Magic, but her muscles clenched and her fists tightened as she fought to stand up again.

Erigor just scoffed. "Erza 'Titania', huh?" He mused. "You are strong. Most can't even move against this Lullaby." He looked at her curiously, like a bird of prey sizing up a particularly delicious rat. Erigor smirked smugly, his talons scraping against the stone ground. "I'll eat your soul, but it's such a shame to waste your body. Don't worry, I'll turn you into a demonspawn. I'm sure you'll be very…" Erigor licked his lips lecherously, his forked tongue rolling lecherously across pointed fangs. "…useful."

Erza snarled like an animal, hair cover one eye as the other dilated in rage. She couldn't Requip any weapons, but she still found the strength to jump forward, her fist swinging furiously. Erigor caught the blow almost lazily, before knocking her into a heap with a sharp kick.

"ERZA!" Natsu roared. Every vein bulged on his forehead and smoke billowed from his body. "DON'T YOU DARE HURT HER!"

Lucy could see the strain on his body as he staggered upwards, but the fire still flickered across his fists. He slammed his fist forward, catching Erigor on the side, but the demon simply knocked Natsu to the ground with a backhanded strike. The blade of the wooden scythe stabbed into Natsu's shoulder as he dropped to the ground.

"Fools," Erigor mocked, glaring between Natsu, Lucy and Erza like they were a group of insects. His eyes shone with insanity. "I am a demon now. An Etherious, born from the power of Zeref, if you want to be technical. With the power of Lullaby combined with mine, I can use both Magic and Curse. I am more than a demon, I am a GOD! This song is the Curse of Mass Murder – the power to devour the souls of everyone that hears this music!"

Both Erza and Natsu tried to stand up again. Lucy had no idea how they managed it. The agony was so intense she could barely breathe. "Think of it like a straw," Erigor taunted. "This Curse is like a straw that drains the Magic out of your body. When all of your Magic is gone, then it sucks out your soul instead. It is the most painful way to die possible."

His grin widened. "Of course…" Erigor continued, almost conversationally. "Over such a large area it is a bit less effective. You may have as much as ten whole minutes before you finally die."

Even if he was talking like a man, Lucy could see the demon underneath the surface. Erigor might think he was in control, but Lullaby was running the show. The cause didn't matter, Lullaby just loved killing. Erigor could feel the suffering around him and he loved it.

"They will be the most agonising ten minutes of your life," Erigor promised with a maniac smile.

The guild. The townspeople. The horror of the thought made Lucy's blood run cold. She tried to cover her ears but it was useless. Even if Makarov could find a way to protect the guild, everyone else didn't stand a chance. It would be a massacre.

"I am the scythe of vengeance," Erigor proclaimed, eyes glinting with fanatic frenzy. "It is time you legal guilds suffer the consequences of forcing us out of the light!"

Lucy's hands were twitching. Both Erza and Natsu were on their feet again, trembling madly, but Lucy couldn't even stand. In terms of raw Magic strength, the other two Mages were much stronger than she was. No one else was close enough; they had to defeat Erigor before everyone died. It was all on them.

No, Lucy thought with determination; it is all on us.

Suddenly, the image of Annika flashed before her eyes. The Celestial Dragon sparkled with starlight as she swirled beautifully in the air. Her body was translucent, and her wings shone like the night's sky as they washed over Lucy. She could instantly hear Annika's voice in the back of her mind, as calm and as quiet as ever.

The Celestial Dragon, the memory of Annika's voice was a clear as ever, is the only creature that exists in both worlds at the same time…

Just like that, clarity struck.

It took everything Lucy had, but slowly she managed to focus on the Spirit World, pulling it closer. She closed her eyes, concentrating as her heartbeat started to calm down and the Spirit Magic started to dance across her skin. The air sparkled as she phased herself into the other dimension, and then the pain vanished. The noise didn't disappear, but it couldn't cut through her anymore.

Slowly and carefully, Lucy stood up, her eyes narrowing in determination.

Erigor was laughing. He was laughing right up until the moment when Lucy slammed her fist into his skull.

"Celestial Dragon's…" Lucy screamed, forcing the starlight from her knuckles in a blast like a laser beam "…Claw!"

The impact shattered the stone pavement as the brilliant white light washed Erigor away. In an instant, the demon shot through the air, colliding with a stone pillar in a cloud of debris. Lucy took a deep breath. Erza and Natsu stared at Lucy in shock. She just tightened her fists, pushing her blond hair backwards and pulling off her jacket.

With a crack, Erigor crawled out of a demon-sized whole in the solid granite of the train station. He wasn't smug anymore. "But… But…" He stammered, staring at Lucy with disbelief. Her outline was sparkling with starlight. "… How could you…?"

"Because you drain human Magic only," Lucy replied coolly, dropping into a fighting stance. "Spirit Magic isn't so digestible."

The aura of the Spirit World surrounded her, glimmering in the darkness. Lucy was effectively summoning herself in the same way she summoned Celestial Spirits. It was a constant, exhausting drain on her energy, but it could protect her from Lullaby's curse.

Erigor's demonic face contorted with rage. "You think you can beat me just because you can use your Magic again?" He roared, drawing his scythe across his body. "I will devour you the old-fashioned way!"

The demon loomed over her. Sharp wooden teeth jutted from his mouth. He was monstrously large and hideously deformed, pulsing with demon energy. Lucy took a deep breath, trying to judge how much strength she had left. There wasn't much, and she was burning through it fast.

"No; I can't beat you," she muttered. She glanced towards Erza and Natsu, still wincing in pain with the sound. "Not alone."

She turned quickly, gathering Spirit Magic into both her hands and then grabbing Erza and Natsu by the shoulder. Her body protested with the exhaustion, but she fought through it. Lucy took a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Blessing of the Celestial Dragon!"

The white light was so intense it cut through the darkness. The power ripped through the Spirit World, and suddenly Lucy collapsed in exhaustion.

In an instant, strong arms caught her before she hit the ground. Natsu was above her, his body smouldering with determined flames. Erza was standing next to him, dual blades flashing into her hands as white armour appeared around her.

They were both surrounded in a halo of Celestial Magic, glaring at Erigor with pure rage.

"Lucy, you –" Natsu muttered, gently lowering her to the ground. The fire and starlight covered his body like a glittering shroud.

"You can thank me by pounding this punk into a pulp," Lucy interrupted with a smile, her hand lingering on Natsu's shoulder affectionately.

"How long will this last?" Erza demanded, glaring at Erigor with unblinking eyes. The aura of Spirit Magic covered everything, even her swords. The Armour Mage looked angrier than Natsu had ever seen her.

"Long enough," Lucy promised, as the three of them all focused on Erigor. Around them, Lullaby cut through the night. "We've got about nine minutes before everyone dies," Lucy warned darkly.

The night howled with wind and fury. Natsu's body exploded in flames, the fire burning so hot that the air crackled. His gaze was murderous.

"He's not going to survive nine minutes," the Fire Dragon Slayer muttered coldly, slamming his hands together as the street exploded in flames.

The blade of wind cut through the ground with ease, sending chunks of stone flying with every slash of his scythe. Even as the earth was shredded into chunks around them, Natsu and Erza charged together with a furious combo of fire and steel.

"Burn, wooden bastard!" Natsu screamed, just as his elbow exploded in fire, propelling his fist forward with breakneck speed. The wind wrapped around the demon like a tornado, suddenly lashing out with a ribbon of air that swiped Natsu away. "Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!"

The Fire Dragon Slayer hit the ground running, charging at Erigor without hesitation. "Fire Dragon's Claw!" He bellowed, slamming a burning foot upwards at Erigor's back. The wind deflected him easily and sent him scattering to the ground. Natsu just gritted his teeth and pulled himself up again.

"Fire Dragon's… Brilliant…" Natsu took a deep breath, generating fire in both palms. The heat caused the air to haze. "…Flame!"

His hands slammed together with enough force that ground cracked. An inferno of fury exploded outwards, but Erigor just smirked and waved his hand. There was a hiss of air. At once, the fire sizzled out and vanished before it could even get close.

"Fool," Erigor smirked, while Natsu just looked confused. "As if fire could ever beat wind."

Natsu growled as his whole body blazed red with fire. Erigor flexed his fingers again, and the fire sizzled out. Natsu's eyes bulged with shock, clutching at his throat as the air was pulled out his lungs.

"Fire can't survive without air," Erigor taunted, as Natsu's face slowly turned red. "And with the power of a demon behind me, I'm stronger than ever. My wind can rip the oxygen out of any area. Your Fire Magic is useless against me."

Natsu's face contorted in fury, every vein bulging as he staggered forward, desperate for breath. Erigor smirked, right up until the moment a flurry of blades collided against his arms. A dozen metal swords sliced into his wooden body, leaving a crisscross of cuts three inches deep. Erza was there in a second, clad in her Heaven's Wheel Armour as her swords flashed in the night's sky.

"You dare?" Erigor growled, slicing outwards with his scythe. The air slashed around him like a living animal, striking out with claws of wind. It was fast and brutal, but Erza danced around him. By the time Erigor even managed to react, a dozen swords buried themselves into Erigor's chest.

For just a moment, a flash of worry flickered across the demon's face. Erza was barely visible; the Titania was a storm of swords cutting from every side.

"Storm Mail!" Erigor bellowed, just as his body disappeared under a shroud of cutting wind. The force was enough to send Erza flying backwards, her blades clattering against the ground. A dozen projectiles of slashing air lashed outwards, so vicious that a dozen swords split into pieces.

"Wind Empress Armour!" Erza shouted, as her silver armour disappeared, to be replaced by loose fitting silvery robes with a yellow slash, clearly revealing her voluptuous body. A silver lance flashed smoothly into her hands and she was charging forward, cutting through the air and hacking forward with a blade of wind of her own.

"Dumb little fly," Erigor snarled as he swatted the attack away easily. "Die! Storm Shred!"

A barrage of spinning blades of win launched from his body. Erza barely had time to dodge as the wind cut up her robes, but she was behind Erigor in an instant, cutting downwards with her lance. Erigor twisted around quickly, blocking the lance with the blade of his scythe and pressing down against Erza. She grimaced as she clutched her blade with both hands to try and hold him back; his strength was insane.

"Dumb little fly," Erigor repeated quietly, his lips twisting upwards in a mocking grin as he inched his scythe closer to Erza's face. Her hands were trembling.

"You will not hurt her!" Natsu screamed loudly, jumping in from above as the flames spat around him. He took a deep breath. "Fire Dragon's–"

"I told you; it's useless!" Erigor snapped, flicking his wrists out as the fire extinguished with a dying gasp. Natsu's flames disappeared, leaving him helpless in mid-air as a whip of wind send him crashing to the ground.

Lucy screamed in shock, but a sudden gust of wind sent her scattering away. The wind was so powerful that each gust carved gouges into the ground. Even the solid stone of the train station was being torn apart. The night howled with the demonic music and the roar of the storm.

"Stay back, Natsu!" Erza ordered, as the lance disappeared and two curved blades Requipped into her hands. Erigor's scythe shot outwards, but Erza ducked underneath his arm and stabbed into his body with her blades. Erigor didn't even seem to feel the blow, charging into her with a shoulder barge and slamming the scythe downwards into her face. Erza had to drop her swords to grab a hold of the scythe blade. The knife-edge bit into the palm of her hands, drawing blood.

Erza kicked outwards, but Erigor took the blow like a monster. Quickly, his other hand shot outwards, clutching Erza by the neck. His clawed fingers bit into her skin as his hands wrapped all the way around her neck. Erza's aura of Spirit Magic flickered in protest against his touch; trying to absorb the damage as the glittering outline started to waver.

"Listen closely," Erigor muttered. The music was still pumping from the holes in his arm, fuelled by the air. His whole body was like a giant church organ, so loud that Erza's ears were nearly bleeding. "That sound… that is the sound of all those people dying in agony…"

His voice was unhinged and bloodthirsty. The demon was slowly consuming the man. Erigor grinned evilly. "It sounds delicious, doesn't it?"

She could feel his breath on her face. Erza fought against his grip, but his strength was insane and she could barely move as she held the scythe blade back. Her heart was pounding furiously. Erza's eyes were pure fury, red hair spilling madly, wrestling against the demon.

"You're going to die now," Erigor promised, inching the sharp wooden blade closer. "What a shame you won't get to hear the chorus, but it will be–"

A loud shriek split open the sky. Erigor frowned with confusion as he turned. Erza recognised the noise, but it was one that she had never expected to hear again. There was a barely a second's warning as an insane amount of Magic power dropped on to them.

Suddenly, Erigor disappeared and two demons collided with a howl of power. Erza's mouth dropped open as she recognised the locks of wild white hair whipping in the wind.

"Mira?!" Erza muttered in shock, but the Mage was no state to listen. Mirajane's eyes were bloodshot and primal, even as she slashed outwards with clawed hands. The raw Magic was suffocating.

It had been so many years since Erza had seen Mirajane release this side of herself. Erza had almost forgotten how completely terrifying it was.

Mirajane's body was completely transformed into her demon form, but it wasn't her well-refined Satan Soul. It reminded Erza more of her early years, before Mira learned to control her Demon Take Over. This form was wild and animalistic. Sharp horns jutted from her head, bat-like wings spilled from her shoulders and her body was covered in scales and claws. Her eyes were pointed and her pupils were slits. A large, spiked tail burst from her back, and her pointy teeth filled her mouth as she snarled. The friendly, absentminded barmaid was gone – Mirajane was completely demonic.

She lost control, Erza realised dumbly. Mirajane had always wrestled against the darker, demon persona. She kept the ruthlessness hidden under the surface, but it had never vanished. Every Take Over Mage feared actually becoming the beast, and Mirajane had always been the strongest Take Over Mage around. All the demonic energy in the air had pushed her over the edge – Mirajane had finally lost control.

"… Mira..." Erza asked uncertainly, barely audible over all the noise. The two demons clashed furiously, wrestling with monstrous strength. "… Are you… ummm… are you sane?"

She never answered. Mirajane was too busy trying to rip Erigor limb from limb.

"Who are you?!" Erigor demanded, all three eyes bugling in shock. Mirajane roared as her claws cut into Erigor's chest, throwing up sparks. Erigor cut out with his scythe, but Mirajane barely even noticed.

"You dare to face me?" Erigor demanded furiously, striking outwards with a blade of wind. "I am a demon, bitch!"

The blast of wind was as sharp as an axe. Mirajane swatted it inside easily as she barrelled towards Erigor, tearing through his Storm Mail with ease.

"You're not a demon…" Mirajane muttered in a deadly quiet voice, speaking for the first time. Her voice was cold and gravelly. Mirajane clutched his chest tightly, physically heaving his huge body into the ground like a ragdoll. The earth exploded into dust. Suddenly, Mirajane was on top of him, eyes glowing with fury.

Her knuckles slammed into Erigor's face with a dull shockwave. "…You just try too hard…"

Mirajane opened her mouth, generating a huge amount of Shadow Magic. The air shimmered as the power charged into a blast of pure darkness. In that brief moment before the world exploded, Erigor gulped. Mirajane's eyes were merciless.

"…bitch."

In an instant, everything blacked out. The raw Magic dissolved straight through the ground, pluming into a huge orb of Magic that swallowed the whole train station. Lucy could only stare at the scene in awe as the energy caused tingles to run down her spine. For a moment, the demonic music finally stopped.

When the dust settled, Mirajane was hovering in the sky, gliding on the updraft with gentle beats of her wings. Erza staggering upwards, glaring at the crater with dark eyes. For a few seconds, everything was quiet, but then there was a blast of air and the melody of Lullaby started again, slow, dark and terrible.

"No…" Lucy gasped, wincing as she felt the music try to cut through her blessing. Her Magic was running dangerously low. As soon as it ran out, Natsu and Erza wouldn't be able to fight anymore.

With slow footsteps, Erigor slowly walked out of the smog. He was bleeding from the forehead, or at least oozing. His blood was black and as thick as tree sap.

"I am beyond any mortal," Erigor growled slowly, his voice as low and as threatening as the rumble of a storm. His body was covered in scratched and cuts with half a dozen of Erza's blades still stuck in his chest. "I will send all of you flies into oblivion. I am beyond a demon."

The music was slowly building in crescendo, rumbling towards a chorus so loud that the earth rumbled and the sky split open. Erigor's three eyes shone purple as he glared towards Mirajane and Erza. "I am death…" Erigor muttered coldly.

There was a pause. Erza took a deep breath, and suddenly the Wind Empress Armour disappeared, replaced by black, heavy metal plate armour covered in spikes – the Purgatory Armour. Her left eye glinted in the darkness viciously.

"Mira, I don't care if you're sane anymore," Erza muttered quietly, as the Titania and the Demon took positions against Erigor. "First we'll kill this freak and then we'll sort everything else out later."

Erza took Mirajane's low growl as an agreement. Erigor roared in fury as the wind howled around him, so powerful that foundations of the train station were torn apart in an enormous tornado. It was a met by a blast of Shadow Magic erupting from Mirajane's hand, tearing the wind apart as Erza charged in. Instantly, there was a giant spiked mace in her hands, as she slammed it downwards towards Erigor.

The earth trembled.

Mirajane and Erza fought like monsters. Natsu vaguely recalled the stories of the fights of their youth; explosive duels that lasted for days on end. For the majority of Natsu's time in Fairy Tail, Mirajane had been the kind, considerate woman that the whole guild turned to for comfort. The sight of the other side of her personality left him speechless.

The battle was immense. They tore through the ground and burst across the streets. Natsu and Lucy were left watching from the outside of the station, while the fight carried into the railways towards the west side of the town. Even at this distance, the wind slashed around them furiously. Natsu could barely see Erza dancing through the air in a flurry of blades, while Mirajane launched wave after wave of purple Shadow Magic blasts. Erigor never gave an inch, parrying blows with his scythe as the wind only grew in intensity.

Natsu could only watch in amazement. He had prided himself at holding his own against Erza while she was fighting at full strength. Apparently, she had been holding back.

This is an S-Class level battle. The sight left him speechless.

"Wow," he muttered dumbly, feeling the ground rumbling around him. And I thought I was the same level. Am I really this far behind?

Lucy was next to him, her face pale as she struggled against the drain of Magic. She could barely move with the exhaustion. "Natsu…" Lucy croaked quietly. "The blessing won't last much longer."

Natsu hesitated, glancing down at his hand. The glistening aura of Spirit Magic still covered his skin, but it was fading quickly. Once Lucy ran out of Magic, both Erza and Natsu would be vulnerable to Lullaby's Curse. After that, Mira would have trouble beating Erigor by herself.

How long before the Mass Murder Curse finally kills everyone in the town? There couldn't be much time left.

His hands tightened into fists. His whole body tensed as he glared towards Erigor. "Just stay safe," Natsu muttered quietly, pausing to kiss Lucy on the cheek. Her skin was pale and sweaty. "It's time to finish this."

"Natsu…!" Lucy exclaimed, but he was already running away, feet pounding off the ground as he sprinted towards the whirlwind. The wind threatened to sweep him away, but Natsu's feet exploded with fire that propelled him forward.

He could see Erigor. The demon was clad in furious air currents covering him like a shroud, repelling Erza's attacks with his scythe as the wind fought to restrain Mirajane. Erigor took every blow and just kept on going, while Erza struggled to break through the Storm Mail. Natsu could barely breathe as he forced his way forward.

"Natsu!" Erza shouted in concern, flashing her mace back and forth in immensely destructive blows. "Be careful!"

"Brat!" Erigor looked smug even as he fought three against one. With a flick of his wrist, a vacuum of air hit Natsu with destructive force. The flames vanished in a dying flutter but Natsu didn't stop powering his way through the headwind. "Your Magic is useless against me!"

The force nearly pulverised Natsu into the ground, yet the adrenaline powered him forward. I'm not at S-Class level, he thought with gritted teeth, as he jumped forward into the wind; but I will be!

Erigor didn't even have time to look surprised. The wind shredded the skin on his arm, but Natsu couldn't even feel it over the pounding of his heart. In an instant, Natsu's hand punched through the Storm Mail and grabbed a hold of Erigor's throat.

"Magic?!" Natsu growled, just as his other hand slammed into Erigor's face. "Who the hell needs Magic to beat the crap out of you?"

The blow took Erigor completely off-guard. It was enough for him to lose his focus and for Mirajane to break through the wall of wind. Mirajane went left while Erza swung right, and the combined assault sent Erigor crashing into the ground.

Natsu never lost his grip on Erigor's throat. Even as the demon clattered to the ground, Natsu was on top of him. His fist was slamming down even before Erigor hit the earth.

"Fire Dragon's Grip Strike!" He screamed, punching his knuckles downwards at close range. His fist landed with a satisfying crunch.

His arm was pouring with blood. His whole body was exhausted. Natsu was gasping for breath as he straightened upwards, standing between Mirajane and Erza coldly.

Erza's gaze was surprisingly gentle as she glanced towards Natsu. "Natsu, are you ok?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Natsu forced a grin against the pain. "Of course I am," he said simply, lightly touching Erza's hand. "Now let's finish this bastard."

A low growl burst from Erigor's throat as he staggered upwards, oozing from a dozen wounds. Two of his three eyes had been punched out, but the third one shone with furious intensity. The demon looked absolutely crazed. The demonic Magic only grew more intense.

"Foolish human…" Erigor muttered, but his voice had changed. It sounded colder, more wooden, and even less human. "Can't do anything right…"

Mirajane charged, slashing out with her clawed hand in an arcing uppercut. The demon caught the blow and slammed his elbow into Mirajane's chest with a dull thud.

"Erigor obviously failed," the demon muttered coldly, pulling the scythe upwards and his mouth twisted in an insane grin. "Pathetic humans can't do anything right. Lullaby is in control now!"

Erza smashed her mace down, but the demon – Lullaby now – parried the blow with his scythe. "Give it up!" Erza bellowed. "It's over!"

"Oh yes, it is," Lullaby laughed maniacally, face contorted in evil delight. "You're out of time!"

It took a few seconds for Erza to realise what he meant. Slowly, she felt her body freeze up as a sudden force pierced through her body. The music had always been there, but now she could feel it again. Her face paled as she glimpsed the final glimmers of the Spirit Magic aura flicker away. Within seconds, her strength faded as Lullaby's Curse cut through into her soul.

Both Erza and Natsu dropped to the floor at the same time, twitching as they struggled against the Curse draining their Magic.

"I guess this means that that Celestial Mage has finally ran out of Magic," Lullaby said gleefully, casually kicking Erza away. He raised his scythe, ready to strike downwards. "Oh well – you die now."

He struck downwards, but Mirajane was there in an instant. She shoulder barged Lullaby and tried to force him to the ground, but he turned and struck outwards. The demons wrestled furiously, struggling together in a storm of wind, shadows and claws.

The music felt like it was carving up Natsu's flesh. His heart was pounding, his lungs were gasping, and his muscles were twitching, but he couldn't move. It took everything he had just to stay conscious against the pain that tore through his body.

Erza was lying next him. Without Magic, the Purgatory Armour was falling off her. She was trying to stagger upwards, but her limbs were trembling so badly she could barely move. Her face was pale and her ears were bleeding. Natsu had never seen her look so weak before. The sight caused his blood to boil.

"…Er…za…" Natsu groaned weakly, quietly reaching out towards her. Even as he stretched out his fingertips, they couldn't touch.

The melody was reaching its peak, louder and more terrible than ever. It hurt worse than ever. Natsu thought desperately how much time was left. There wasn't much. There must be less than three minutes left before the whole town lost their souls.

Move, he thought furiously, driving his limbs to respond by pure force of will. I have to move now!

Slowly, Natsu managed to crawl upwards, weakly pulling himself over the lumps of debris scattering the railways. Lucy, he thought desperately. He had to reach the Celestial Dragon Slayer again. I need the Blessing of the Celestial Dragon to finish this fight.

There was a sudden crash behind him as Mirajane slammed into the earth. Natsu never even saw the fight, but then Lullaby was walking away triumphantly. His heart was pounded furiously as he tried to crawl away, staggering over the rubble, while the heavy footsteps approached from behind.

"Well, this has been annoying," Lullaby chuckled, as the music intensified around him. "But it's worth it! This town is so delicious! A beautiful banquet! I don't really care about Erigor's whole crusade, but he picked a tasty target."

Erigor was right behind Natsu now, and walking slowly. Natsu was in no state to fight; he just had to reach Lucy. The demon looked almost amused.

"There's one minute fifty-five seconds left now, if you're curious," Lullaby said happily, raising his leg lazily. "But don't worry – you won't live to see it. You annoy me, brat, so I'm just going to kill you now!"

Bird-like talons rose into the air, before striking downwards with sledgehammer force. Natsu's heart stopped. His eyes bulged. Time seemed to slow down. He couldn't move, he couldn't dodge, and then those claws were slashing into him.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to blaze. He wanted to fight. He had never felt so helplessly weak in that moment when the claws shot towards him. Images of Igneel, of the guild, of the old man, of Lucy and of Erza all flashed before him.

I'm so sorry.

"NATSU!"

There was a dull thud, a crunch of bone, and a sickening scream.

Natsu blinked, and suddenly Erza was in his arms. He had no idea how she managed to move so fast. He could barely move, but somehow Erza managed to shoot across the railway. Her foot slammed upwards, catching Erigor's blow in a desperate attempt to shield Natsu.

Her leg cracked trying to stop the attack. Suddenly Erza was in Natsu's arms; her leg broken, mangled and twisted the wrong way as she screamed in agony.

Natsu had never heard Erza scream in pain before, not like this. It was a sound that overpowered Lullaby.

"…Erza…" Natsu muttered breathlessly, staring at the red head clutching his chest tightly. Her right leg looked completely shattered. Erza was whimpering in pain. The Fire Dragon Slayer felt his mind go blank.

This is wrong, he thought dumbly, Erza can't ever be in pain.

"Natsu, just…" Erza's voice trailed off helplessly.

Lullaby was laughing. The sound caused Natsu's blood to boil. His heart kicked started again, pounding with a vengeance. Erza needs me. The thought alone was enough to force him to move even despite every muscle and nerve screaming in agony.

He had no idea where he found the strength from, but somehow he managed to stagger to his feet, clutching Erza so tightly his fingers left marks on her shoulders. Every step felt like a goliath task, but he just put one foot in front of the other until he shambling towards the ruins of the train station.

"Don't worry, Erza," he gasped weakly, cradling her body in her arms. She felt so light without her armour. Her skin was deathly pale. "It'll be alright…"

The demon was still chuckling. "Sixty seconds, brat!" Lullaby jeered, casually strolling behind him. Natsu just gulped and get on walking.

Mirajane was down, Erza was injured, Lucy was exhausted. Everyone else was incapacitated, and there would be thousands of deaths unless he did something. It was all on him.

My friends need me. The thought was as powerful as a bulldozer running through his head.

And I need them far too much to ever let them down.

"You are a fool," Lullaby taunted, walking after Natsu calmly. "You could never beat me. I am from the Book of Zeref – I was the final creation from the Black Wizard himself before his 'sealing'. I might have been left incomplete for four hundred years, but make no mistake, brat; I should have been one of Demon Gates of Tartarus itself."

Natsu had no time to listen. It took everything he had just to put one foot in front of the other. Lullaby sounded almost drunk with ecstasy with all the Magic he was devouring. "You humans have no idea what's coming," Lullaby mocked. "I was there four hundred years ago. My Curse was made as a means of unsealing E.N.D. itself, before that whole debacle with Zeref and his brother. As soon as I've regenerated my full power again, I will take my place at the Gates of Hell."

I will not let you hurt anyone I care about, Natsu thought furiously, but he didn't have the breath to say anything. He just gritted his teeth and kept on walking.

"It will be glorious!" Lullaby screamed, and the hurricane roared in agreement. The devastated town start to echo with screams as all those souls were levered out of their bodies. Natsu winced, trying desperately to fight against the Mass Murder Curse. "I've already kick-started the end of the world! My awakening is only the first – Tartarus itself will be rising out of the underworld early!"

The demon hesitated, glaring at Natsu curiously and realising the Dragon Slayer wasn't listening. "Oh well, not that you care," Lullaby conceded. "You only have thirty seconds left to live."

Natsu shambled through the ruins of the train station and staggered towards the devastated steps. Around him, the town was screaming. Lucy was lying draped across the granite steps, unconscious and shivering. Natsu almost collapsed as he approached, still cradling Erza in his arms. Erigor stood at the top of the stairs, watching him with vague amusement.

"Lucy!" He bellowed, shaking the Celestial Dragon Slayer roughly. She groaned, but there was no time to be gentle. "I need the Blessing of the Celestial Dragon Slayer right now!"

Her eyes were unfocused and weak. She was suffering massive Magic depletion. Natsu felt his stomach clench in dread. "Lucy!" He screamed desperately, dropping the unconscious Erza to the ground as he clutched Lucy's shoulders. "Now, there's not much time left!"

Lucy blinked. Her face was pale and sweaty; her blond hair was a mess that draped across her head. Her pupils were dilated, struggling to focus. "I don't have much Magic left…" Lucy admitted weakly, slurring her words.

Around him, Natsu glimpses silvery translucent shapes soaring through the night's sky; souls torn out of their bodies by the music. Lullaby was laughing furiously, mouth wide open to feast. Natsu felt so weak he could barely breathe. It felt like his heart was being torn out of his chest.

Lucy hands clutched his shoulder tightly. They were sitting right next to each other, so close he could see the fear in her eyes and feel her breath on his face. "… but you can take whatever I have…" Lucy whispered quietly, just as she pressed her lips onto his.

The kiss was so sudden it took Natsu completely off-guard. Her taste was overwhelming, her lips soft and gentle, and then she breathed into him and time seemed to stop.

Starlight, so brilliantly white and pure, rushed out of her lips and into his. Without even thinking about it, Natsu swallowed.

The feeling of their Magic meshing together was a rush of exhilaration that set his blood ablaze. Natsu's eyes shot open, feeling the burning flames and the glistening starlight dance over his skin.

It was pure power the likes of which he had never felt before. It felt like he had swallowed the heavens itself. Suddenly, he was connected straight to the Spirit World, and then it all exploded into flames.

Lucy fell limply out his arms. Natsu couldn't even control he influx of power, but he managed to aim it. He turned to face Lullaby with furious determination, slamming his hands outwards as his whole body blazed into radiantly white flames.

Even the demon flinched with the intensity of the light. Quickly, Lullaby flicked his hand forward and Natsu felt all of the oxygen pull away from him. The pressure nearly crushed every bone in Natsu's body, but the Dragon Slayer was far too high to feel anything as mundane as pain.

"Don't bother!" The demon crowed. "Your Magic is useless against mine! Fire can't burn without air!"

Actually, that's not true, Natsu thought with a weird serenity, as he felt the power swell within him. It was like a chain reaction bursting in size exponentially. There was one type of fire that could blaze even without oxygen…

Fire and Celestial Magic meshed together like it had never done before. The one type of explosion that could dominate the night's sky…

With every scrape of strength that he had left, Natsu slammed his hands together. All of that energy detonated out of him. At the top of his lungs, he bellowed a single word…

"SUPERNOVA!"

In an instant, the whole town was flooded by spectacularly white, unbelievably hot flames.

Then, everything went black for Natsu.

Six hours later…

In the remains of the guild building, the Mages of Fairy Tail stirred sluggishly. They had all been seconds away from having their souls devoured, and most woke up so exhausted they could barely think. The Mages were all suffering severe Magic depletion, and the assault had been so sudden that they couldn't even remember it properly.

The building was wrecked. There were barely any walls still standing and the roof had been ripped straight off. The whole town of Magnolia looked like it had been bombed into ruins.

Loke was the only Mage just about completely unaffected. He was left playing nursemaid to the bomb-shelled Mages, while also rummaging through the town for survivors. Erza, Natsu, Lucy and Mirajane were all missing, and nobody had the manpower or the strength to start a search party.

It was early dawn by the time Loke managed to even stop for breath, but the work was just beginning. Most Mages were only just starting to wake up, yet Magnolia was wrecked. The townspeople would need aid, and the guild had barely survived itself.

The only other Mage to stay conscious the entire night was Makarov. It was a testament to his strength that the Guild Master managed to resist Lullaby's Curse. The old man spent the storm standing at the front of the building, desperately trying to cast sealing spells and wards to protect his family from the Mass Murder Curse. Makarov had been so delirious with panic and exhaustion that he still wasn't sure if his efforts had actually accomplished anything.

No one was certain what happened. The most anyone could say for definite was that they had been attacked and that there was a storm. Everything else still had to be pieced together.

"Master!" Loke called, panting breathlessly as he ran up to Makarov. "I've checked everyone over; most of the guild seems alright. They're exhausted, but their souls seem intact."

Makarov nodded distractedly. The short old man was standing on a chunk of rubble, staring out over the horizon. The morning sunlight was still creeping over the town.

"Have I gone senile, Loke?" Makarov asked quietly, staring unblinkingly off into the distance.

Loke stared at him in confusion. "What?"

"How about Alzheimer's?" Makarov pressed. "Some sort of brain damage, maybe?"

"No!" Loke protested, before hesitating slightly. "…Well, I don't think so, at least. What's going on?"

Makarov slowly raised his hand and pointed towards the west horizon, into the distance on the other side of Magnolia. Loke turned to stare at the empty landscape, staring confusedly.

"I know that I'm old…" Makarov admitted slowly, scratching his head. Everything west of the train station on the edge of the town had seemingly vanished. "… But I was pretty damn sure that there used to be a mountain range over there…"

Author Notes

This is an apology to all my readers. My updates have been absolutely abysmal lately, and I'm really sorry about that. This story in particular has so much that I want to write but I haven't the time. I would love to be able say that updates will get better from now on, but I honestly can't guarantee it, so instead I'll just promise that I'll try my best :)

I've been building up to this chapter for a while now, and I actually really like this one. From now on there's a lot of story that I'm so looking forward to writing.

Next chapter: 'Strawberry Cake'...