Natsu still feels sick from the fight. "Are you awake, Natsu?" Simon is carrying Natsu on his back while climbing the stairs outside the tower.
"I remember I was caught by some weird moving vehicle and..." Natsu is about to throw up on Simon's shoulder.
"Stop! You can't get nausea from memories!" Simon shouted. "After that you were eaten by Fukuro, and Aira had to save you."
"Aira?!" Natsu exclaimed.
"But Aira took a lot of damage." Simon informed.
"Erza..." Aira is carried by Cain by his tail.
"You're heavier than usual... Didn't I tell you to cut back on the sweets, Aira?" Cain sweat drops as he struggles to carry his partner by his tail.
"Shut up..." Aira weakly said.
"That cat is taking him out of here." Simon said.
Happy sees the ships leave the tower. "The ships are leaving...!"
"Look below you!" Aira said.
Happy looks down and sees a boat. "I found a ship!"
"That's the one we came on." Aira stated.
"I can't believe this! I lost, and Aira won?!" Natsu argued.
"You didn't really lose. You were eaten." Simon commented.
"He's gonna hold this over me for a month! He's really petty like that... Damn it!" Natsu panics as he realizes that he's the weaker Dragon Slayer.
"Come on now..." Simon added.
"There's only one thing to do! Revenge! I'll fight that birdbrain again and get my revenge!" Natsu plans out his attack while furiously screaming.
Simon yanks Natsu's scarf, dragging him along the stairs. "We don't have time for that!"
"Oh yeah... Who are you?" Natsu asked.
"Simon. An old friend of Erza's." He replied.
"Oh, okay. Nice to meetcha." Natsu greeted. Simon feels a sharp pain in his abdomen. "You're injured?"
"Don't worry about me. Listen carefully, Natsu. Wall sent me a message before. He said he found Lucy and Juvia collapsed, along with a defeated member of the Trinity Raven." Simon stated. "They didn't know what was going on, so they took your two friends outside the tower."
"Weren't these the enemy?" Wally asked as he carries Juvia on his back.
Millanna drags Lucy with a rope tied around her body. "But Simon said they're our allies."
"So then, why is she tying me up and dragging me?" Lucy asks herself.
"And I've already been contacted by Sho that Trinity Raven have all been defeated." Simon informed.
"I didn't do a thing!" Natsu commented, upset that he wasn't able to beat anyone.
"All that's left is Jellal himself. Erza is heading toward him now." Simon stated. "She is trying to end this all by herself. Those two have been connected by date for 8 years. Their destiny may be to do a battle." Erza is making her way towards Jellal. "However Jellal is too powerful. Please... save Erza."
"Hell no." Natsu refused.
"What?!" Simon screamed, shocked to hear that Natsu refuses to help.
Whist the others are arguing, Erza reaches Jellal. Jellal seems calm, even though he is very much aware of the immient collision. Erza's final hope is to keep Jellal busy for as long as it takes for Etherion to fall, so that they may both perish together. Jellal brushes her off, claiming that it is her destiny to be used as Zeref's sacrifice. Erza then questions whether Etherion will fall at all, but Jellal insists that it will. The two then begin their fight.
"Damn it! Turn the ship around!" Aira demanded.
"I can't do that, okay?" Wally replied.
"We were told to get away from here." Millianna said.
"But Erza is still inside..." Lucy argued. "And Natsu, too!"
"I'm sure she will be fine." Sho replied. "I have to trust her."
"I can't leave her to just Natsu!" Aira argued.
"There's nothing to be done. Simon is also with him... They'll handle it somehow." Wally stated.
"Somehow? What's that supposed to mean?!" Lucy yelled.
"Don't yell!" Millanna yelled.
"Everyone, calm down!" Sho said.
"Shut up! Turn the boat around now! I've got to save Erza!" Aira demanded.
"Hurry, there's no time!" Lucy said.
"I said it's no use!" Wally stated.
"Shut up!" Happy screamed at everyone which quiets them down. "What's with you?! I want to go back, too! But there's no point... Etherion will be fired at any moment! I just know that Natsu will bring Erza back! That's what Simon told me! If Salamander's true power awakens, even Jellal wouldn't..."
Natsu starts arguing with Simon. Simon wants him to go and help Erza, but Natsu refuses, saying that she needs to conquer her own demons. Simon continues by saying that Erza will not beat Jellal, as she wants to save him, and Jellal will try to use it against her. He voices his concerns of Erza's kamikaze plans, and Natsu, at this point furious, demands to be brought to her.
In a room at the top of the tower Erza and Jellal have continue to battle. Jellal is amused by Erza's perseverance, and after a series of small blows he finally cages her with one of his spells. Remembering her comrades of Fairy Tail and the tower, Erza blasts out of the cage and knocks Jellal down. Shocked, he asks himself if this was the real Erza.
Erza questions Jellal's actions. He could not complete the R-System due to the insufficiency of Magic needed to activate it. Despite that and the Magic Council's threat of using Etherion, Jellal choses to hold his place. Erza is however unwilling to kill him, and tells him that she will wait with him for Etherion to fall and end them both. Jellal replies that she can say anything she wants, as her words will not reach him. He states he was possessed by Zeref's spirit and is nothing more than a puppet. He claims that everything was over before it even began and that there is no freedom anywhere.
Meanwhile, Etherion is ready to be fired. Everyone in the Council lowers their heads to pray to the light, and the countdown begins.
When Jellal surrenders his life to Erza, she releases him out of pity and they prepare for Etherion's blast. They both declare themselves sacrifices; Erza because she couldn't save Jellal, and Jellal because he gave in to his weakness. In the final moments before the collision, they hug, wanting to die together.
Etherion is released and in the moment before it hits, Jellal shows his true face, knowing all along that the Etherion would not kill anyone.
However, after the blast clears, everyone in the tower remains conscious and alive. As Erza looks around and questions what occured, Jellal smirks and laughs.
"A crystal...?" Happy looks at the large crystal tower.
"No, it's a magic crystal..." Aira muttered. "A lacrima..."
"They're all right, right?! Natsu and Erza and that Simon guy...?!" Lucy asked, worried for her friends.
It seems that the metal outside of the tower was actually a cover up for the real form of the Tower of Heaven; a giant Lacrima. Having absorbed the incredible amount of Magic Power Etherion possessed, the R-System is completed.
At the council, Siegrain suddenly vanishes.
Meanwhile, Siegrain reappears beside Jellal and is revealed to have just been a Thought Projection made by Jellal so that he could infiltrate the Council and fire Etherion on the Tower of Heaven. After being reunited with his Thought Projection, Jellal's Magic Power returns.
Meanwhile, Ultear is using her Arc of Time Magic to demolish the Magic Council and Etherion's site. She is revealed to be one of Jellal's most passionate followers, willing to give her life for Jellal's dream.
"This is the R-System?!" Aira asked.
"Yeah. It's the true form of the R-System we built. You know?" Wally responded.
"It's active!" Millianna pointed out.
"Active?! Does that mean Zeref is going to be revived?!" Lucy asked.
"We don't know. This is the first time we've ever seen it active too..." Sho replied.
"Natsu and Erza are inside there!" Aira stated.
"Simon, too... And Jellal." Sho said.
As Erza comes close to losing to Jellal, Natsu comes to rescue her and takes the battle into his hands.
"I hope Natsu and Erza are okay!" Lucy's still worried about her friends.
"They're fine! They're both Fairy Tail wizards, after all!" Happy stated.
"Yeah. All we can do now is have faith in them!" Aira added.
As Natsu battles Jellal, anger builds up inside him as he eats Etheiors that contains the element fire. He successfully enters Dragon Force.
The others from the ocean notice that the Tower is being destroyed. "What in the world...?!" Sho is shocked to see the explosions.
"What's going on?!" Wally asked.
"That has to be Natsu!" Happy exclaimed.
"Yeah! I think so too!" Lucy agreed.
"But are they gonna be okay?" Millianna asked.
"I'd like to think so, but he's really going on a rampage...!" Aira said. "So, Natsu finally entered Dragon Force, huh?"
As the debris clears, Jellal lies unconscious on the ground, and Erza recognizes this as Natsu's true power. Natsu, exhausted, suddenly collapses on the ground. Erza approaches him, hugs him and tells him that he was really incredible.
The Tower starts to shine. "Pretty!" Millianna commented.
"No, this is...!" Wally gasped.
"That light... There is incredible magic coming from it!" Juvia said.
"Oh, crap! Don't tell me the Etherion's out of control now...?!" Aira stated.
"Out of control?! How come?!" Lucy asked.
"The Etherion's magic energy..." Sho responded.
"That much powerful magic all in one spot can't stay stable for long!" Happy stated.
"With nowhere to go, that maelstrom of magic energy will burst and cause a tremendous explosion." Juvia said.
"Hold on! At this distance, it'll take us out too!" Wally waves his arms up and down as he cries.
"What about Sister and the others?!" Sho asked.
"There's no point worrying about who'll make it and who won't! It's gonna wipe us all out!" Aira responded.
However, the use of so much Magic Power proves to be too much for Natsu's body and he collapses. Not only that, but also the tower, having absorbed too much Etherion, is becoming increasingly unstable. The tremors are so strong that the group outside is feeling them, so Erza vows to get Natsu out before the tower collapses on them. This is pointless, as, even if they left, the explosion caused by the Magic release would envelop them. She concludes that she has to become one with the Etherion, and hopes she will have the strength to channel the fleeting energy upwards into the sky. As she begins to fuse herself with the Lacrima, Natsu wakes up.
Natsu tries to stop her from fusing her body, but Erza states that this is the only way to protect those she loves, and that if it means the protection of everyone she would gladly give her body and life. Her fusion is then complete and she gives Natsu her farewell as the tower around her explodes.
The Tower is about to explode as light comes out of it. "It's exploding!" Wally yelled as Millianna hugs him, crying in tears.
"No, it's not! Etherion is heading up into the sky!" Aira pointed out.
A huge wave washes them farther away from the Tower. Fukuro is flying with his jetpack while carrying Vidaldus and Ikaruga.
"It disappeared!" Happy cannot see the Tower anymore.
"Etherion went into the sky!" Sho said.
"Erza! Natsu!" Lucy cried out.
Past...
There is a memory of the time Master Makarov took Erza to Porlyusica to heal her eye after it was injured while she was tortured in the Tower of Heaven. Porlyusica did heal it, but apparently something went wrong as Erza could only cry out of her left eye. Porlyusica offered to redo the medicine to try and fix it, but Erza brushed the idea off, saying that she already cried out half of her tears and that she didn't mind her eye being that way.
Present...
Erza later awakes from her flashback in a white dress and wonders where she is. Looking below, she sees all the members of Fairy Tail gathered around the statue of a knight on a horse, mourning. "I see now... I'm dead?"
"Erza Scarlet... In God's grace; God fearing; her heart was as wide as the eternal sky. Her sword shined nobly for her loved ones... Her figure is a dancing, fluttering fairy. Her beauty was a match for nature itself... Love makes us stronger, and it is love that makes us weak as well... I..." Master Makarov starts to cry.
"Master..." Erza watches her master suffer in tears.
"She was like a daughter to me..." Master Makarov tries to hold his tears back, but couldn't.
"The council has decided to award one of the two empty council seats to her in perpetuity." The Magic Council arrives to the funeral. "And name Erza Scarlet as one of the 10 Wizard Saints."
"Screw this!" Natsu stomps his foot on the ground, furiously yelling. "What the hell is everyone doing?!"
"Natsu..."
Natsu kicks the flowers off of the grave. "Stop this, Natsu!" Master Makarov demanded.
"Natsu, stop!" Lucy yelled.
"Why, you..." Aira grunted as he runs at Natsu.
"Erza ain't dead!" Natsu still doesn't want to admit it.
"Please, Natsu... Stop..." Lucy begged, breaking down into tears.
"There's no way in hell she's dead!" Natsu shouted. Aira, Macao, and Wakaba pin Natsu to the ground.
"Face reality, Natsu!" Lucy yelled.
"Lemme go!" Natsu demanded. "Erza's alive!"
"I... I did this for your future and everyone else's, Natsu... And yet..." Erza begins to cry as well. "This isn't the future I wanted to see... I just... I wanted to see everyone smile... I didn't want this..." A light shines down on Erza as a hand reaches out for her.
Later, Erza wakes up and wonders where she is again. Glancing around, she notices all her friends, from both Fairy Tail and the Tower of Heaven, running towards her, relieved that she is fine. "Erza!"
"What happened?" Erza asks herself. "I'm... alive?" Erza realizes that she on the beach in Natsu's arms. "Natsu? You... saved me..." A tear comes out of her eye. "He found me inside that vortex of magical power. Incredible..."
Natsu falls down on his knees. "We're the same." He remembers what Erza said in the Tower about not being able to live without her friends and states that they all feel the same way. "We're all the same. Never do something like that again."
"Natsu..." Erza muttered.
"Never again!" Natsu begged.
"Natsu... Thank you." Erza agrees and promises him not to throw her life away again. "You don't die for your friends. You live for your friends!" A tear finally comes out of her right eye. "Because that's how you create a happy future!"
Natsu is wrapped in bandages, snoring loudly as he rests on the bed. "Is he okay?" Aira watches Natsu snore out loud.
"He's slept for three days straight..." Lucy commented.
"That's what the freak gets for eating Etherion." Aira sighed.
"What'd you just say, Aira?!" Natsu jolts up from the bed.
"He's awake!" Happy flies to him. Natsu falls back asleep. "He's asleep!"
"If you don't have it in you to pick a fight, don't get up!" Aira shouted. Lucy laughs at them.
"I really caused everyone a lot of trouble this time, didn't I?" Erza said, feeling guilty about the whole situation.
"C'mon now, how many times have you said that already?" Lucy brushes her words off.
"Speaking of which, what happened to her?" Erza asked.
"Oh, you mean Juvia? She's headed back already. She said something about wanting to join Fairy Tail as soon as possible, or something..." Aira replied. "She also wanted to reunite with her one true love..."
"I see." Erza looks down.
Hours later, Erza extends an invitation to the former prisoners of the Tower of Heaven, offering them a place in Fairy Tail, if they have nowhere else to go. At first they agree, and Erza is left with the impression that Jellal spoke to her. Believing this is to be impossible, she tells Lucy that once Zeref's spirit left Jellal's body, it was him who redirected the Etherion into the sky. She tells her it was him who saved her, losing his life in the process.
That night, Erza's former comrades decide to leave Erza's side, saying that they have caused her too much pain. Erza denies it, stating that there were good memories as well. She then prepares the official Fairy Tail's Farewell Ceremony for them and cries out of both eyes as she watches them off, with a promise to meet again.
A Few Days Later...
When the group arrives at the guild, they see that much has changed. The guild has been completely rebuilt with a new design. "This is a surprise."
"They finished it?!" Natsu and Happy explained. The guild is twice as large.
"Our new Fairy Tail!" Aira added. They go inside to check everything out. "Is this an outdoor cafe?"
"There's even a goods shop?" Lucy is amused by this.
"Welcome! Oh, it's you guys. Welcome back!" The Salesman greeted.
"Look, you're a salesman now, Max!" Happy flies to the shop. "And wait, how long has it been again?"
"I've been out studying business on Master's orders." Max replied.
"Max Alors? You've been in Weekly Sorcerer!" Lucy fan girls a bit.
"Since we've just met, glad to be of service." Max acts flirty with her.
"I don't even want to imagine what he's heard about me..." Lucy crawls away.
"Hey, what are you selling?" Happy asked, looking around the shop.
"T-Shirts, wristbands, mugs, towels... And the most popular is..." Max replied.
"It's a figure of Lucy!" Happy holds a miniature size of Lucy.
"Don't go making something like that without my permission!" Lucy commented, embarrass to see herself as a miniature figure.
"And of course, the clothes are cast-off!" Max stated. The clothes on the figure pop off as Lucy shrieks.
The inside of the guild is bigger and shinier. "How beautiful!" Lucy and Happy admire all of it.
"Yes, this is wonderful." Erza agreed.
Aira notices that Natsu is scowling, hiding his face in his scarf. "What's the matter, Natsu?"
"It's different than it was." Natsu replied, muttering under his breath.
"Lu-chan, welcome back!" Levy greeted.
"Levy-chan!" Lucy greeted back.
"Great, huh? In the back of the drinking hall is a pool!" Levy shows them the pool.
"Welcome back!" Romeo greeted.
"Why is there a pool?" Lucy asked.
"It's totally different." Natsu complained.
"There's a game popular in the basement." Levy shows them where Reedus, Macao, and Wakaba are playing.
"It's got everything..." Lucy commented.
"It's different." Natsu complains some more.
"And the biggest change is the second floor. Anyone can go up there now!" Levy shows them as Elfman greets them back. "Of course you still have to be with an S-Class wizard to go on an S-Class quest."
"You've returned, you bunch of fools?" Master Makarov greeted. "This is our new member, Juvia. Ain't she a cutie?"
"Juvia is glad to be of service!" Juvia greeted cheerfully.
"So you really joined?" Aira asked.
"You helped us a lot at Akane." Erza appreciates the help from Juvia.
"It's all thanks to you! Juvia will work hard!" Juvia gives them a cheerful, warm smile.
"Glad to have you!" Lucy smiles back.
"Love rival!" Juvia growled, staring at Lucy with a dark aura.
"Actually, I'm not..." Lucy commented as Juvia continues to stare at her.
"And we have two more new members." Master Makarov stated. "Come on, both of you. Say hi to everyone."
"There's two others?" Happy asked.
Lucy and Aira are shocked to see them. "Hey! You got to be joking!" The two new members happen to be the Iron Dragon Slayer, Gajeel and the Earth Dragon Slayer, Satsuki.
"Gajeel!" Natsu and Aira positions themselves in a fighting stance.
"Why are they..." Aira growled.
"Wait! Juvia recommended them!" Juvia interrupted, informing them.
"Juvia is one thing, but they're the very people who destroyed the guild!" Erza angrily glares at Gajeel and Satsuki as they look away with disinterest.
"Now, now... They say yesterday's enemies are tomorrow's friends, yes?" Master Makarov stated.
"Yeah... I d-don't mind at a-all..." Levy hides next to the table. Jet and Droy glare at Gajeel and Satsuki with anger.
"This has got to be some joke! You expect me to go on jobs with this guy?!" Natsu slams his hand on the table where Gajeel and Satsuki are sitting.
"Same goes for her..." Aira muttered.
"Don't worry. I ain't sharing my work!" Gajeel glares back at him.
"Cold as steel!" Natsu commented.
"I just want jobs, that's all. I can't believe I ended up here in the most annoying guild of all..." Gajeel stands up from the table.
"I should've joined a different guild..." Satsuki said, crossing her arms and sighing.
"Say that again!" Natsu threatened.
"Poor Gajeel-kun and Satsuki-san were always alone and Juvia couldn't leave them like that so... It's not that kind of relationship though, really!" Juvia talks fast, trying to come up with different reasons as she sweats nervously.
"It's the role of we elders to guild youth from the wrong path to the right one. Deep down, even they're good." Master Makarov stated. "...or so I'd like to believe."
"If that's your decision, Master... But I think it's best to watch them carefully for now." Erza said.
"As you wish." Master Makarov doesn't mind. Natsu and Gajeel continue to stare at each other while Aira and Satsuki glare at each other.
"I just don't feel at home here anymore..." Natsu complained, muttering. All of the sudden the lights turn off as the stage curtains open up to reveal Mira. Natsu turns and looks at Mira. "We're back, Mira!" He calls out from the crowd.
"Welcome back! I will now sing a song commemorating the new guild and to welcome back Natsu's team." Mira plays her guitar as the guild mates cheer for her. She starts singing with her beautiful voice. They all watch her sing, admiring her voice.
"Glad you all are back..." Master Makarov is glad to see his children safe. "Fairy Tail's children are sure to continue to grow... It may be time for me to start thinking about it..." The guild mates relax as they hear beautiful music and singing. They cheer for her when she finishes.
"Great! Who's next?!" Macao shouted from the crowd. The light shines onto Gajeel in a white suit while holding a guitar. They stand there in utter shock, not expecting Gajeel to show up.
"Wh-What the...?!" Natsu is shocked as well.
"This is a little ditty I wrote called "Best Friend." Give it a listen." Gajeel announced. The guild mates refused to listen to him, throwing things at him. Gajeel starts to sing his song, playing the guitar as well.
"He's pretty good!" Elfman complimented.
"Way to go, Gajeel-kun!" Juvia cheered on.
"That's Gajeel for you..." Satsuki added, smirking at her longtime friend.
"This is great!" Macao, Wakaba, and Max cheer as well. Gajeel continues to sing, not caring about what the crowd thinks.
"I've never heard a song this bad in my life!" Natsu covers his ears. A guitar gets thrown at Natsu's face. Gajeel starts playing the harmonica. "You want a piece of me?!"
"Shoo-bee-doo-ba!" Gajeel and Natsu begin fighting.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Natsu gets caught in a brawl.
"Shoo-bee-doo-ba, you loser!" Gajeel shouted.
"Stop that!" Master Makarov worries about the guild being broken down again.
A mug of booze gets thrown at Natsu's face. "All right, who threw that?!"
Aira stands up from his seat, accidently bumping into Erza which makes her strawberry cake fall out of her plate. "Natsu! Quit screwing around!"
Erza's traumatized when she sees her strawberry cake on the floor. "My... strawberry cake..."
Elfman accidently steps on the cake, but doesn't realize it. "Quit your shrieking if you consider yourselves real men!"
Erza kicks him away. "Shut up!" Magic is now being used inside the guild. Erza goes on a rampage as everybody else joins the fight. Lucy and Happy hide behind the bar from the brawl. Master Makarov starts to cry a waterfall.
Natsu realizes what's going on, thinking to himself. He gives a toothy grin as he speaks. "Now this is the Fairy Tail I-" An iron pillar hits Natsu in the face. The guild finishes the day with a normal fight.
Later on the South Gate Park, Jet and Droy want to get even with Gajeel and Satsuki. They both let them hit them, but Levy continuously proclaims that she has no problem with them. While they are fighting, Laxus intervenes, saying that the bad reputation Fairy Tail has gotten in the past weeks are Gajeel and Satsuki's fault. Levy, Jet, and Droy then figure out that Gajeel and Satsuki weren't fighting back to gain their trust, and so they'd see them as comrades. Jet and Droy then yell that Laxus is going too far. Enraged, Laxus turns around and blasts a shot of lightning at Levy, but Gajeel blocks the attack. He then walks away with Satsuki following and says "Leave me alone". Laxus then walks away and comments to himself, stating that the Fairy Tail he envisioned was not like this.
Lucy is walking down the street with her faithful Celestial Spirit companion, complaining that she doesn't have the money to pay her rent. She returns him with Plue, and after finishing her daily activities, she lies down, only to find Natsu and Happy already in her bed. Natsu is apparently still suffering from the consequences of eating Etherion. Before he leaves with Natsu, Happy gives Lucy a flyer advertising the Miss Fairy Tail contest, in which the winner gets 500,000 Jewel. Lucy decides to participate since the money will enable her to pay her rent.
Elsewhere, in the town of Shirotsume, Laxus' personal bodyguards and fellow Fairy Tail Mages, the Rajin Tribe, wipe out the entire Ghoul Spirit Guild, claiming that they were too weak to be considered a guild. They speak of something Laxus is about to do with much anticipation.