User blog comment:CNBA3/Operation Face/@comment-24603221-20140605195010

It is possible even Mashima doesn't know. While it has been indicated that Fairy Tail won't go on forever, given that he is launching a new Fairy Tail magazine, even with Fairy Tail 0 in the works, the current plot is likely to crank on for a couple of more years. Right now, they are confronting Tartarus, likely, END will show up much later, as will a final confrontation with Acnologia and Zeref. Given that Mashima's style is to do a serious arc, and then some more relationship-humor stuff in between (I wonder if anybody is going to get married before the series ends?), we are talking possible a couple of years yet for END to show up. And, I suspect, END will finally be dealt with near the end of the series. I do suspect that Mashima listens to fan input. People have been complaining for some time that Lucy was pretty, but not nearly enough of a tough lady to be on the same team with the others, and that Natsu was always saving her - never the other way around. And guess what, Lucy comes out as one heck of a bad ass, and she saves Natsu. From what I understand, Mashima is fluent in English, does he ever read this Wiki?