User blog comment:Miskos3/Fairy Tail Chapter 380: Hell's Core, Review/@comment-4718355-20140411154829/@comment-24066070-20140412075251

It would be better for Makarov to fight E.N.D. and not Marde, since E.N.D.'s victory over Makarov would be far more acceptable than when some bookbearer beats Makarov.

That Marde guy should be left for Laxus (if he recovers), Gildarts/Jellal (if they bother showing up) or Silver (if he really would betray Tartarus)

Makarov should only be fighting the main villain in a 1-on-1, all-out battle OR fight several of the elites at the same time. For example, a couple of Demon Gates team up, release their limiters/true forms and threaten to lay waste to Makarov's kids and then he decides to fight/defeat all of them at the same time.

In my opinion, this Arc would be a good time for Makarov to die, but he should go in an epic battle and not in some random way.