Chapter Text
Dragon And God Combine
***POTD***
After spending half of the day walking to the safe-house run by Blue Pegasus, Team Natsu finally managed to locate it.
To say that it stuck out like a sore thumb would have been an understatement. It was practically a lavish mansion, dropped right in the middle of a dense forest. The grounds were perfectly maintained, despite the fact that there were no groundskeepers to be seen, nor staff of any kind, for that matter.
“Is this the place?”
“According to the directions gramps gave us, this is definitely their safe-house,” Natsu replied as they arrived at the front gate. “See, even the gate has the Guild Mark of Blue Pegasus on it?”
“Kinda weird to have something this fancy way out in the middle of nowhere, isn’t it?”
“Who cares Gray,” Erza chimed in as she pushed open the gates. “What matters is that this is the place we need to be.”
“Seems we must be early though,” Eliza mused idly. “The place feels almost entirely deserted…”
“I’d say the members of Blue Pegasus probably have some way to instantly get here,” Natsu replied easily, as the quartet entered into a lavish entrance hall, complete with a red carpet that led to the grand staircase. “Speak of the Devils…”
“The Saint certainly does have a knack for sensing our parfum, does he not,” a suave voice hummed, as three others chimed in.
“Most definitely. To think that someone of such class would grace our lowly Guild with their mere presence is…”
“Absolutely amazing!”
“Yeah, its cool … I guess?”
Atop the second story balcony, four figures appeared. Each of them were wearing expensive looking suits, with the shortest man at the front immediately having Erza on edge.
“Hey, Erza, what’s wrong,” Natsu asked, noticing that she had frozen up upon seeing the shortest member of the quartet.
“Fear not, dearest Saint! My honey is simply reminiscing on the time we spent together, and-!”
Before the man could even finish his sentence, Natsu was behind him, shocking all four of them with how quickly he’d moved. Leaning down to get into the face of the shortest man, Natsu spoke softly, yet in a way that conveyed his distaste for what he was doing.
“Here’s a little advice… When a woman is shivering just by hearing you speak, then she clearly doesn’t want anything to do with you. Also, saying that she’s your honey in front of me probably isn’t in your best interests… You can head on down now.”
Natsu reappeared behind Erza, and gave her a reassuring smile, as the four Mages quickly came down to the ground level.
“Natsu dear, I’m impressed. Not even ten minutes in, and the first Guild is already terrified of you.”
“Eliza… I thought I told you to cut the dear thing out? Honestly, you look young enough to be our age, so stop creeping me out,” Natsu huffed in response, though it was clearly more playful banter than anything else.
“Eugh I knew it was that creep,” Erza muttered with a hint of annoyance and disgust in her voice.
S Class Mage Of The Blue Pegasus Guild
Leader Of The Trimens
Leader Of Team Blue Pegasus
A Man With A Most Potent Parfum
Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki
“Ichiya huh? Well, who are the rest of your team,” Natsu asked, as he looked over to the three younger men.
“W-Well… We’re the Blue Pegasus Trimens, and my names Hibiki.”
“I’m Eve, and who might you be Princess,” Eve replied as he appeared behind Eliza with a bouquet of flowers.
“Dear, you’re literally a thousand years from being worth my time and affections,” the War Goddess replied coldly. “Unless you can blow up an island at the bare minimum with your power, I’m not even remotely interested.”
“Here, I got you this,” the third one chimed in, as he held out a gold ring to Eliza. “It’s not like I like you or anything though…. Names Ren by the way….”
“Natsu? May I obliterate these Humans and we can cover it up by saying the Oracion Seis did it,” Eliza asked, her left eyelid twitching slightly, as Natsu began to laugh.
Just as the two Guilds seemed to settle into some sort of strange peace, a powerful Magical Signature had everyone immediately on edge, save for Natsu and Eliza, who knew exactly who it was.
“I’m glad we made it just in time,” Jura grinned as he strolled on through. “Good to see you again, Natsu!”
“Likewise Jura,” Natsu grinned back, as the pair shook hands. “Have trouble finding the place?”
“Not really. I’ve actually come here before, so I knew the way,” Jura replied, before motioning toward the door. “Apparently, I come this time bearing familiar faces?”
At the mention of familiar faces, several more Lamia Scale Mages walk in, with one in particular getting an immediate rise out of Gray.
“Lyon! What the hell are you doing here!?”
“Honestly Gray, mouthing off as per usual,” Lyon smirked, as he walked in alongside his friends they’d encountered on Galuna Island. “Perhaps you should run along back to Magnolia, since we only need the strong along for this mission…?”
“What was that!? You wanna come over here and say that, ya bastard-!?”
“Silence,” Erza snapped, as everyone but Natsu and Jura fell silent.
“So, now we wait for the representatives of Cait Shelter,” Jura hummed, as Gray and Lyon continued to bicker quietly off in a corner.
“Do you know anything about Cait Shelter,” Natsu asked curiously. “I haven’t heard of them, but I assume they’re relatively new?”
“Unfortunately, I probably know about as much as you do,” Jura shrugged in response, surprising the Dragon Slayer. “Curiously though, from what I’ve heard, they’re only sending one member from their Guild?”
“One person? Surely that isn’t correct? Unless this person is extremely powerful…?
“I think they might just be the latter,” Jura replied, as both men narrowed their eyes. “You’ve felt it too, right?”
“Yeah. There’s been a steadily rising power approaching for a good while now, hasn’t there?”
“Seems like they’ll be here any minute,” Jura nodded, as the entire room turned to the entrance, as the doors slowly opened.
Natsu froze, eyes widening slightly, as a young girl slowly wandered in, appearing rather nervous and unsure of herself.
Standing at five foot five, the young girl had long, dark blue hair that reached down to her waist, brown colored eyes, and wore a rather simple forest green dress with a wavy stripe pattern around the chest region.
“S-So sorry for being late everyone-!”
The girl paused, mid-sentence, as she sniffed the air, before freezing in place, much like Natsu had upon her arrival. Unfortunately, this had the unexpected result of the young girl tripping mid-step, and falling flat on her face.
“A young girl,” Jura muttered under his breath, before realizing Natsu was quickly moving toward her. “Natsu?”
Everyone watched as Natsu knelt down next to the girl, sniffing the air, before surprisingly laying down flat on his stomach in front of her. Resting his head on his crossed forearms, the girl sniffed and looked up at him, wide eyed.
“You’re not late, little one… In fact, I’d say you’re right on time,” Natsu replied gently, grinning in such a way that it showed off his pronounced canines.
“That smell,” the girl whispered almost fearfully. “It’s you…?”
“Hello, I’m Natsu, Son of the Fire Dragon King Igneel.”
“Y-You were raised by a Dragon,” the girl asked, her shy demeanor slowly fading away as she crawled closer. “Really!?”
“Yeah.”
“D-Do you know what happened to my-!?”
“I’m afraid I don’t,” Natsu replied, cutting the girl off as she almost immediately deflated, though she didn’t shy away from him. “However, I can tell you that you aren’t the only Dragon Slayer who seems to have lost their Dragon Parent.”
“You too?”
“Yeah,” Natsu nodded in reply. “But, enough about that, let me help you up!”
Natsu was on his feet in an instant, and gently helped the young girl to her feet. She was shocked at just how tall he was in comparison to her, having to step back slightly to meet his gaze.
“Wow… You’re so tall and strong,” the girl blurted out, before blushing furiously and spinning around to try and cover up her embarrassment. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!”
“You’re rather cute, what’s your name,” Natsu laughed, as the young girl slowly turned around to face him once again, still embarrassed, yet not wanting to seem rude by not introducing herself.
The Sole Representative Of The Cait Shelter Guild
Daughter Of The Sky Dragon Monarch Grandina
The Sky Sorceress
Wendy Marvell
“This is all so… strange,” Wendy stuttered out, as she began gently poking his leg. “You’re real… An actual Dragon Slayer, just like me…?”
“We aren’t the only Dragon Slayers around,” Natsu replied, shocking the young girl as she took a step backward in surprise. “Back home at Fairy Tail, there’s the Son of Metalicana, the Metal Dragon King.”
“Seriously!? I can’t believe it…”
“So, you’re a Sky Dragon Slayer then?”
“Y-Yes, I am. Grandina taught me a lot about Sky Dragon Slayer Magic. A lot of what I can do is support based, like Healing Magic,” Wendy admitted with a slight blush. “B-But I know some offensive stuff too!”
“Ah, so your Dragon must have taught you in an all-rounder type fashion, rather than purely focus you into one of the specific categories? My Dragon, Igneel, focused all my training on combat.”
“Wow! You must be super strong then,” Wendy gushed, eliciting an amused chuckle from Natsu.
“Well, I like to think I am,” he replied, right as Erza made her way over to the pair. “What do you think Erza, am I strong?”
“What kind of question is that,” the scarlet-haired Mage scoffed. “You’re the strongest person in the building, if what Jura says is accurate?”
“Y-You’re Erza Scarlett,” Wendy squeaked, looking up at the Requip Mage with sparkling eyes. “Oh my gosh, I’ve always wanted to meet you!”
“Well now, look at that,” Natsu chuckled, as he moved aside. “Looks like you’ve got a number one fan here Erza?”
“It seems that I do,” Erza smiled in response, dropping down to one knee and beginning to pet Wendy’s head gently. “You must be my most adorable fan?”
“Oh, my goodness,” Wendy gasped, looking like she was about to pass out. “Miss Erza is petting my head…”
As Natsu watched Erza fawn over Wendy, he sniffed the air again, before making his way back toward Jura. Once he was sure the others weren’t listening in, he motioned for his fellow Saint to listen.
“What’s the problem Natsu?”
“Well, honestly, I’d say it’s more than just a problem,” came his curt response, as everyone started to file out of the Guild Hall, leaving the pair behind. “Did you guys discuss any sort of plan while I was speaking with Wendy?”
“Lyon, Ichiya, Erza, and myself, all discussed one, yes?”
“It’s likely compromised then,” Natsu sighed with a shake of his head, eliciting a gasp in surprise from the larger man.
“What do you mean Natsu!?”
“What I mean, is that there was someone here that was listening in to whatever it was you all discussed just now,” Natsu replied as he motioned to the group that were now outside. “They aren’t here now, most likely scurrying back to the Oracion Seis as we speak? Or, whoever they work for?”
“I see,” Jura hummed in response. “I’d be a fool not to trust your senses on this. I assume you have some kind of plan?”
“The beginnings of one,” Natsu replied with a slight shrug. “Eliza is with the other group, and I doubt anyone is catching her off guard, so I’m thinking we try and plan around whatever inevitable trap is coming up?”
“Ah I see what your plan is… Whilst it is unfortunate, and risky, to use our comrades as bait,” Jura began, as the pair slowly moved toward the exit. “They will be bait that the enemy cannot afford to resist…”
“That’s right,” Natsu nodded quietly. “The two of us should be able to pull this off.”
“Agreed. Let’s move out at a steady pace,” Jura nodded firmly. “No doubt our lack of presence among the group will be enough to bait the enemy into attacking earlier.”
“Great minds think alike man,” Natsu grinned, as the pair bumped fists. “Let’s do this…”
***POTD***
As Natsu and Jura purposely fell back, the rest of the group proceeded on ahead. After discussing a plan to scout the area, they all had a rough idea of where they should start searching for either the enemy, or, whatever it was they were looking for?
“I wonder what’s keeping Natsu and that other man,” Wendy asked curiously, as she stuck close to Erza. “I hope everything is alright…?”
“Don’t worry about them Wendy,” Erza replied with a wave of her hand. “I’m sure they just had some important Wizard Saint stuff to talk about?”
“No… I think I know why Natsu and the other Saint stayed behind,” Wendy replied with a firm shake of her head. “There was on odd smell back at the safe-house. It was one that, at first, I didn’t know what it was? But now, now I’m certain it was bad.”
“You smelt it? Wendy, are you the same as Natsu?”
“Yes, I’m a Sky Dragon Slayer,” she replied with an adorable nod. “Though, I don’t doubt that Natsu’s abilities far outpace my own…”
“Come now Wendy, there’s no need to go putting yourself down like that,” Erza replied kindly, as she gently placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “You’re still rather young and learning, right?”
“Well…”
“And, despite that,” Erza continued, before the girl could respond. “You are already gifted with great potential. Your raw Magical Power, just from feel alone, is far beyond what almost anyone else your age could usually hope to possess, right?”
“Really? I haven’t exactly had anyone to compare myself to, because-.”
Before Wendy could finish speaking, several large explosions went off ahead of the group, as multiple high powered Magical signatures flared up, seemingly out of nowhere.
“What the hell is that,” Gray hissed, as Lyon answered the question for him.
“Isn’t it obvious Gray? The enemy has decided to come to us.”
The group of Guild Mages watched, as five Dark Mages emerged from the central explosion. Four of them appeared highly amused at what was happening, with the fifth seemingly being asleep atop a flying carpet.
“That’s them, for they exert a most foul parfum,” Ichiya muttered darkly. “The Oracion Seis…”
“So, these are the main members of one of the three pillars of the Bharam Alliance,” Lyon mused, as everyone looked between the Dark Mages. “They certainly exude the power of veteran Dark Mages…”
“Their thoughts are pretty interesting,” a tall, maroon haired man smirked, as he gently stroked the head of a massive snake that was currently coiled around his body. “Ain’t that right Cubellios?”
Member Of The Oracion Seis
One Of The Six Tainted Seals
SS Rank Dark Mage
Cobra
“That man,” Wendy whispered, clearly in shock. “H-He’s a Dragon Slayer!?”
“What,” Erza gasped, eliciting only an amused smirk from Cobra, who looked over toward the man next to him.
“Oi? I reckon we should be able to wrap this up real quick, eh?”
“Undoubtedly. The vast majority of the ones here are just far too slow to be of any real threat,” a tall, blonde-haired man replied, adjusting the goggles around his eyes. “I doubt even two of us will be necessary for this? My guess is … thirty seconds. Tops.”
Member Of The Oracion Seis
One Of The Six Tainted Seals
SS Rank Dark Mage
Racer
“Oh my, only two of us will be needed, you think,” another of the group chimed in. “May I volunteer to face them? Some of them would be worth quite a bit, perhaps even fetching us some substantial Jewel?”
The man who spoke was the strangest looking of the group. He was the second tallest Mage present, aside from Eliza, standing at twelve feet tall. His body was bulky, and, most curiously, was seemingly made up of strange geometrical shapes, rather than the usual smooth skin Humans possessed.
Member Of The Oracion Seis
One Of The Six Tainted Seals
SS Rank Dark Mage
Hoteye
“You can do whatever you like Hoteye,” the only female of the group yawned as she placed her hands on her hips. “I’ve about had it with slumming in this forest anyway, so you can waste the time and energy to corral the scum. I, on the other hand, will gladly torture them into submission once you do catch them, since I can do so from the comfort of my own abode…”
The girl stood at six foot two, and had long white hair that went just past her shoulders, and wore an extremely white frilly dress that exposed much of her cleavage and midriff. Her dark purple eyes scanned the group across from her momentarily, before she sneered in disgust.
“Tsk. As much of a bitch as ever,” Cobra snickered, prompting the much shorter girl to kick the side of his leg.
“Shut up slimy!”
Member Of The Oracion Seis
One Of The Six Tainted Seals
SS Rank Dark Mage
Angel
The last member remained upon the carpet, still in what appeared to be a state of deep slumber. None of his companions even bothered addressing him, leaving him a mystery for the moment.
“Good, they’re all here,” Gray grinned. “Now we can take them out in one go!”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” Lyon replied with a firm shake of his head, as another two figures emerged through the smoke, prompting everyone, save Eliza, to freeze up on the spot.
“So, this is the best an alliance between four Guilds could muster,” a tall, muscular, dark-skinned man hummed, as he gently twirled his staff between his fingers. “How utterly pathetic.”
At his left, was a man that many present were all too familiar with. Eliza’s eyes narrowed as she saw him, her usually aloof demeanor cracking as she grit her teeth.
“Kidomaru…”
“Oh, look at that,” Kidomaru smirked, as the rest visibly paled at the sight of the Guild Master of Death’s Head Caucus. “I’m surprised that the bitch managed to survive that!?”
“Sloppy work, Kido? How very unlike you,” the dark-skinned man hummed, as he moved to stand before the rest of the Oracion Seis. “It seems there has been a lot of sloppy work, as of late? I shall be sure to rectify that…”
Guild Master Of The Oracion Seis
One Of The Three Great Dark Lords
One Of The Founders Of The Bharam Alliance
SSSS Rank Dark Mage
Brain
“It’s him,” Erza muttered, somewhat shocked. “The Guild Master of the Oracion Seis…”
“Legal Mages of Ishgar, heed my words! Today, the Bharam Alliance shall be conducting an important operation within this region,” Brain spoke confidently, as the rest of his Guild smirked behind him. “We will not tolerate any more interference, such as those the Alliance has suffered in the last month, for the time of Dark Ascension is at hand!”
“The hell are you talking about,” Gray snapped, only for Brain to chuckle lightly.
“What I mean, little Fairy, is that the age of the Magic Council, the age of oppression toward Magic… and the age of Legal Guilds, shall come to a close,” Brain replied excitedly, raising his arms into the air before slamming the end of his staff into the ground, shaking the entire area. “The Bharam Alliance shall become the dominant force across all Ishgar!”
The smoke generated by the explosions from earlier was blown away, as every last one of the Legal Mages present felt their blood run cold. Behind the Oracion Seis, were thousands of Dark Mages, with hundreds of varying Dark Guild banners.
“No way,” Lyon muttered, completely flabbergasted at the sight before them. “There’s so many…”
“The Bharam Alliance is no longer playing around,” Brain continued. “This is the end of your interference with our plans, Legal Mages of Ishgar…”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that?”
All eyes moved to the far left, with everyone spotting Natsu. He was casually leaning against the trunk of a tree, standing atop one of the branches as he lazily ate an apple.
“Though you do indeed possess the numerical advantage… Such a thing does not equate to skill.”
Everyone looked to the far right, to see Jura standing atop a rock that was jutting out the side of the nearby cliff face. He appeared completely unbothered by the sheer amount of Dark Mages present, as well as the Oracion Seis, as Eliza giggled in amusem*nt.
“I was wondering when the two of you were planning to show yourselves? Quite a shame I was left out of the planning stage of this little dramatic entrance of yours, since I do so love to do them?”
“Had to have someone of your power down there with the others, didn’t I?”
“Fair point,” Eliza smirked, as Cobra stepped up toward Natsu’s position.
“You’re the Salamander,” Cobra grinned savagely. “Finally! I’ve been waiting a long time to hear the thoughts of a man like you…”
The man fell silent and closed his eyes, only to open them moments later, the smug grin on his face twisting into a mixture of horror and fear. Clutching his head, he stumbled backward slightly, grunting in pain.
“What the f*ck!? Your thoughts… What the hell happened to your mind that you could possibly produce something like that!?”
“That’s my business, not yours. But, if you liked that little snippet of my life, I’ll gladly share more,” Natsu replied with a sad*stic smirk, as the others, including Jura, looked between the pair in shock.
“Enough of this foolishness,” Brain huffed, deciding to move on from the strange moment between the two Dragon Slayers. “Regardless of the fact that there are two Wizard Saints present, our combined might will rend them asunder!”
“Guess we’re doing this,” Natsu sighed, shaking his head. “All right you guys, leave the Oracion Seis to Jura, Eliza, and myself. The rest of you, hold back the rest of the trash!”
“I’m not one to avoid a fight, but we should definitely do as Natsu says,” Erza agreed, with the allied Legal Guild Mages all nodding stiffly in agreement. “If they go all out, we’ll just be liabilities.”
Erza scooped up Wendy, much to the young Dragon Slayer’s shock and embarrassment, and began to run.
“I-Is carrying me really necessary,” the young girl squeaked, as the entire area began to shake violently from the combined release of multiple high powered Mages.
“Does that answer your question,” Erza replied, as she looked over her shoulder to the others. “All of you, fall back immediately!”
“Such overwhelming power,” Lyon gasped, as Natsu and Jura appeared next to Eliza, beginning to power up themselves. “Did Natsu even try against Deliora!?”
“I knew that Natsu was packing some serious firepower, but this is the strongest I’ve ever felt him,” Gray replied as everyone cleared some distance.
“The three of you intend to fight all of us alone,” Brain sneered, clenching his staff a little tighter. “I’m feeling rather insulted that you believe yourselves to be capable of defeating us…”
“If we were ordinary Mages, I’d probably agree with you that it would be an insult,” Natsu replied with a slight growl. “However…”
The ground around Natsu began to crack, as he began to power up even further. Scales slowly started to appear along his body, followed by wings, as he entered Dragon Force.
“We’re anything but ordinary, Brain…”
“Well now, I may be one rank behind him, but I can’t let Natsu show me up,” Jura smiled, as he too fully opened his reserves, the earth itself seemingly trembling for the coming fight.
“Ah, now this is the type of fight I was waiting for! No point in holding in my power, if the two of you aren’t, is there?”
Once Eliza began to power up, it was like an earthquake, as all the others watched the display in a mixture of awe and fear.
Wendy’s focus was entirely on Natsu, however, as she watched him enter the Dragon Force. Normally, such power would frighten her. However, it looked and felt oddly comforting, in a rather strange way…
Was it was the fact that Natsu resembled a Dragon? Or, was it the fact that this was power that she could potentially achieve? Either way, she was fascinated by the display Natsu was putting on.
“Wendy, are you okay,” Erza asked, clearly concerned, as she noticed her eyes locked onto Natsu.
“I-I’m fine. It’s just… I didn’t realize a Dragon Slayer could be that strong…”
“You’re not scared of Natsu, are you?”
“No, I’m not,” the young Dragon Slayer replied, her eyes drinking in every scale on his form as she struggled to hold herself back from approaching him in that state. “In fact, I’m-.”
Before Wendy could even fully respond, the entirety of the Oracion Seis rushed the trio. Only Erza actually saw the speed at which they’d moved, due to her being the fourth strongest present.
Natsu had immediately engaged Guild Master Brain, Cobra, and Racer, as the four quickly vanished deeper into the forest. The only sign of the group’s movements being the near constant barrage of explosions that went off in their general vicinity.
Jura vanished moments later to the West, engaging Angel and Hoteye. This left Eliza alone with Kidomaru and the strange man who was still asleep on the carpet.
“Guess its just us now, isn’t it,” Kidomaru smirked, eliciting an annoyed glare from the War Goddess. “Aww, what’s wrong!? I thought we were gonna have an interesting rivalry going on, given our last encounter!?”
Eliza didn’t respond verbally, instead merely vanishing and reappearing right in front of Kidomaru, who immediately flickered, before vanishing.
“Blasted Projection Magic,” the War Goddess hissed, as he Armageddon Fist struck the man on the flying carpet. However, to her surprise, the attack bounced off of him, and was sent flying off to the right.
“Well now, that’s an interesting form of Magic,” Eliza mused, as a small crack appeared in the man’s defenses.
“It seems…. you are no ordinary opponent,” the man whispered, his eyes opening just a crack, before closing once more.
“Naturally…”
***POTD***
As the battle raged on across the forest, Natsu found himself using every last bit of skill and instinct he had, just to keep pace with the three combatants he’d found himself up against. He’d already identified the order he planned on taking them out, but actually doing so would be a little tricky.
“The infamous Natsu Dragneel,” Brain grunted, as the pair started trading a series of brutal blows, before the Dark Guild Master skidded backward, and let Cobra take over. “Tartaros and Grimoire Heart will be delighted to know that I will have disposed of you!”
“Well, they’ll be sorely disappointed when they read your obituary then, won’t they,” Natsu snapped back as he slugged Cobra across the face, sending the Dragon Slayer skidding backward. “And as for you, why the hell do you keep trying to read my thoughts!?”
“It’s how I fight, idiot! The thoughts of an opponent make it easier to predict their every move!”
“Well, regardless of that fact,” Natsu huffed, as he leapt backward and cleared some distance from the three Dark Mages. “It won’t be enough to catch me off guard! You’d be better off retreating before I kill you!”
“As if I’d retreat because of some punk! Darkness Magic – Dark Capriccio!”
Brain fired a large beam of darkness at Natsu from the staff in his right hand. To his shock, however, Natsu easily shattered it, by holding out his right hand and putting up a Crash Barrier.
“Pathetic! Fire Dragon King’s Quaking Roar!”
Firing his roar directly at the three Dark Mages, Racer was easily able to avoid the attack, whilst Brain and Cobra were forced to take the brunt of the attack, as they had been the closest to it.
“You think you’re getting away,” Natsu smirked as he vanished, and appeared right in front of Racer, who gasped at Natsu’s sudden burst of speed. “Fire Dragon King’s Quaking Demolition Fist!”
Racer watched in slow motion, as Natsu appeared before him, the attack already fully formed on his right fist. He watched as Natsu deployed the punch, the attack rapidly increasing in size, and travelling at such a speed that he was unable to evade it.
The attack completely engulfed Racer, the Dark Mage screaming as he was set on fire, moments before the Demolition Fist exploded. Racer was then blasted off far into the forest, smashing through countless trees and through a river, before coming to a stop near where the fight first started.
“Such power… No wonder Valthiem fell, and Bluenote failed to defeat you within the specified time-frame,” Brain hummed, as one of the markings on the man’s face slowly started to disappear. “You’ve certainly proven yourself to be a rather interesting foe, Natsu Dragneel. However, you’d better pray all of these markings don’t vanish before you defeat me… Otherwise, I’ll show you true Hell!”
Hell, eh? Why wait to experience Hell, when I can bring it to us right now,” Natsu smirked extended both of his arms outward, his palms igniting, as fire escaped from his mouth. “Fire Dragon King’s Inferno Wave!”
Waving his arms in a circular motion whilst exhaling, Natsu released a powerful, almost wind-like attack at the two remaining Dark Mages. The attack was like a visible blanket, one that charred everything in its path black, as the two Dark Mages quickly moved to get out of the attack’s radius.
Brain and Cobra barely managed to escape its path, as it tore past them, narrowly escaping being turned into charcoal like everything else. Once they had the chance to see the sheer destruction first hand, Brain looked toward Cobra.
“Have you retrieved the girl?”
“Cubellios just picked her up,” Cobra replied with a stiff nod.
“Good! We’ll need to use the Sky Maiden’s power if we’re going to even the playing field,” Brain muttered in response. “If we bring him back, we can defeat Dragneel!”
“Wait, what!? Who did you take,” Natsu snarled, as he advanced toward the pair.
“Looks like we angered the Dragon,” Brain chuckled darkly. “We shouldn’t be surprised though, considering just how rare of a resource they are these days…?”
Natsu’s eyes widened, as he realized who they were referring to, and clenched his fists.
“Wendy,” Natsu snarled, teeth grit so tightly that one would wonder how he didn’t damage them, and claw-like fists clenched so hard his palms started bleeding. “You won’t have her!”
Natsu vanished in an impressive burst of speed, prompting both Brain, and Cobra, to breathe a sigh of relief.
“That kid sure is something else,” Cobra sighed as he dropped to one knee. “We need to get that guy revived, and quick…”
“Agreed. His power is far beyond what was initially projected by the Bharam Alliance. Also, I wasn’t expecting him to come at us like that, or I’d have asked you all to release the seals.”
“Oi, you can’t be serious,” Cobra hissed, as he rose back to his full height. “You remember how hard he was just to seal-!?
“That’s irrelevant at this point,” Brain replied dismissively, cutting off Cobra’s protests. “Go and rally the other Dark Guilds to hold off the others rest of the trash. We need to focus on the Saints, as well as that other woman. Also, Erza Scarlett could be a problem, now that we’ve removed the Sky Maiden from her…”
“Oh, don’t worry about Scarlett,” Cobra chuckled darkly. “Cubellios left her a little gift before she snatched the Sky Maiden…”
***POTD***
As the battles raged on all around the place, one rather strange battle had yet to leave its starting location.
“Nightmare Magic? Once again dear, that won’t work against me,” Eliza replied in amusem*nt, responding to the man’s failed attempt to ensnare her. “Although, I’ll admit, it was a good try.”
“I sense something otherworldly about you… You’re no ordinary woman, to be sure.”
“I would love to converse with you longer, but my darling Daughter has been barking in my ear since she woke up. I need to devote more of my time to her, so I’m afraid I’ll need to be wrapping up this little encounter now,” Eliza replied, idly massaging her temples.
“Looking down upon our Guild will only lead to the deaths of all who followed the foolish Saints here,” the man replied darkly, eliciting an amused roll of the eyes from the War Goddess.
“Honestly, I’m not really inclined to feel fear from any of you. So, go ahead, have a free hit?”
The man seemed somewhat surprised, but did exactly as she requested, slashing at the air with his right hand, which in turn slice Eliza clean in half from the hips.
“An unsurprising result,” the man muttered with a shake of his head. “Perhaps next time, you should actually back up your trash talk?”
“Is that so? Perhaps I shall, when you actually figure out that you need to follow up your attacks to ensure your target is defeated, or even fazed?”
“How are you not dead,” the man gasped,” as Eliza’s entire lower half regenerated in an instant, with the original vanishing.
“That right there, that is what I relish about the battle the most… The fear the enemy feels once they realize they’re outclassed is such an intoxicating feeling! You are a strong Mage, I’ll give you that. In fact, out of your little group, you’re probably second to the Master himself. Unfortunately, you got the worst opponent to face. Well, let’s be honest you, all did actually.”
“You’re all fools! You’re all busy playing hero, but don’t realize you’re walking clean into a trap! You might defeat me, but its meaningless. Nirvana will be revived, regardless of what happens here...”
“I assume you’re happy to be defeated due to the binds on that man that are linked to all of you? Sorry to say this, but I already know about that. I’m quite happy for him to be unsealed, since it means I’ll get to watch another enjoyable battle between Natsu and that man.”
“Heh. Looking down on us like this will be your undoing,” the man smirked as he fully sat up, eyes now wide open. “Once you all get ensnared in the trap, it’ll be too late to even gloat about how I told you so!”
Member Of The Oracion Seis
One Of The Six Tainted Seals
SSS Rank Dark Mage
Midnight
“A trap is only effective when it catches its victims unaware,” Eliza replied dryly. “And, last I checked, I am fully aware of the entire situation.”
“You can choose to believe whatever you wish,” Midnight replied dismissively, as he began to slowly fade away. “Regardless, now is not the time to be trading words with you, since Master Brain needs me. So, I’ll be seeing you...”
“Once again dear, you don’t understand the gravity of the situation,” Eliza chuckled darkly as she summoned an ebony blade, and began to advance forward. “You were beaten the moment I was chosen as your opponent. War God’s Hacking Winds!”
Swinging the sword from left to right, the wind began to pick up. Several moments later, it began to cut everything before it. In no time at all, Midnight was visible again, having been forced to reveal himself, in order to use his reflection ability.
“You aren’t going anywhere I’m afraid,” Eliza stated plainly, as Midnight shot her a glare.
“You’d fit in with Tartaros,” Midnight scoffed. “They love freaks like you...”
“Sorry dear, but I’m already in a Guild,” Eliza sniffed in reply. “And the one I’m in now provides me with all the amusem*nt I need.”
“Amusem*nt? You’re a real bitch, you know that?”
“Well, you’re charming, aren’t you,” Eliza smirked in reply, as she summoned an ebony javelin. “Nasty little boys like you need to be punished for daring to disrespect your betters like that. War God’s Shattering Impact!”
The javelin was thrown with so much power behind it, that the moment it hit that Midnight’s Magic, it simply couldn’t reflect it. The javelin smashed right through the invisible reflection barrier, and pierced through his shoulder, pinning him to a tree.
“You’re … definitely an annoying one,” Midnight growled, as he looked at the javelin sticking out of his shoulder.
“Well, you called me such an offensive name,” Eliza shrugged in response. “I simply had no choice but to teach you a lesson, did I?”
“You win… I already knew I stood no chance,” Midnight huffed as he started to lose consciousness from blood loss. “Remember though, that you won’t be able to stop … what’s coming …”
Eliza didn’t even bother responding to the man, as he slumped to the ground the moment the ebony javelin vanished. Sighing, Eliza looked up at the sky, and placed her hands on her hips.
“Honestly… Why can’t there be more strong opponents like Natsu around-?”
“MOTHER!”
Eliza winced at the near deafening roar of Elise within her mind, causing her to halt in place as she finally decided to speak with her directly.
“Your yelling is becoming too loud, even for me Elise,” the War Goddess huffed. “What do you want?”
“I’m conscious again, and I want control of my body so I can help everyone else!”
“I told you why I’m not letting you back in yet Elise,” Eliza sighed, shaking her head. “It’s for your own good-.”
“You don’t know that will happen if I take over, so just let me take control! If it does, you can force me out again, can’t you?”
“Well, I could, but I told you I didn’t like doing that, didn’t I? So, I’d rather not.”
“But I’m giving you my permission this time! Please! Everyone’s having such a fun time, while I’ve been stuck in here for ages!”
“Did you know that Natsu become one of those Wizard Saints while you were out?”
“WHAT!? HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN OUT!? LET ME TAKE OVER AGAIN-!”
“Alright,” Eliza snapped, silencing her hyperactive Daughter. “Once I take us back to Erza and the others, I’ll let you take control. How does that sound?”
“Hold on, you said that if I come back unprepared, I could flip out, right? So, shouldn’t we do that away from them?”
“True. I suppose I’ll stop, and we can just do it here.”
“I’ll be fine Mother. If I can harass you for ages, I should be mentally stable, right?”
“That is highly debatable,” Eliza replied dryly. “Still, that aside, you know not to use that form until we can train it, correct?”
“Yes Mother, I understand. Besides, you already took out that Midnight guy, and Natsu is fighting the leader, right? So, I shouldn’t need to use it, should I?”
“As long as you understand, Elise.”
***POTD***
Natsu raced through the forest, using his abilities to their fullest, in order to hit his top speed. Arriving at the area where Erza and Wendy were previously, he began to sniff the air for a scent.
“Damn… The scents seem to converge here,” Natsu hissed, as he looked around the immediate area. “Better find Erza first to make sure she’s alright?”
Natsu began to follow Erza’s scent, until he came across her, eyes widening in shock.
She was surrounded by Dark Mages; many having been cut down by her. And yet, there was something clearly wrong, as a portion of her skin had gone a sickly purple color, and she was clearly fighting them off like a wounded animal, rather than the way she normally fights.
“Erza!”
With a powerful burst of speed, Natsu barrelled right through the Dark Mages, roasting several alive with a cloak of fire around himself, as the rest immediately fled. He ignored those ones, instead focusing entirely on Erza, who immediately collapsed into his arms.
“Erza… Hey, Erza … I’m here,” Natsu panted shakily, as the scarlet-haired Mage looked into his eyes.
“N-Natsu … They took her…. the snake…. save Wendy … She’s just a young girl Natsu-!”
His eyes moved to the focal point of the sickly purple pigmentation to her skin, noticing a bite mark near her neck. His mind flashed back to the purple snake that had been with Cobra, as he felt himself beginning to grow angrier.
“Enemy came through…. He was really fast…. Gray and Lyon were holding him off….”
“Damn, I thought that guy was done after I got him,” Natsu hissed, knowing full well that Gray and Lyon were likely fighting Racer. “What should I do? I can’t just leave you behind Erza, not in this state...”
“Natsu … listen…. save Wendy,” Erza gasped. Don’t let her end up … the same as me!”
Natsu was surprised at Erza’s statement, as she fell unconscious. Sensing someone coming, Natsu prepared to fight, before sighing in relief.
“Well, I was expecting Eliza, but I’m glad to see you. It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Elise?”
“Never mind that now, what’s wrong with Erza,” Elise asked seriously as she crouched down next to her. “She looks really sick?”
“She got bitten by a snake; and the only person who can heal her got taken by the Oracion Seis.” Natsu replied with a deep frown. “Can you look after her, so I can go get her back to heal Erza?”
“Sure thing Natsu. Is there anything else you need me to do?”
“Nothing more than I’ve already done. If anyone tries to attack her while I’m gone though, feel free to kill them.”
“Of course,” Elise replied seriously, knowing full well how important it was to handle this situation seriously. “You can count on me.”
“That look in his eyes dear, that is the look of someone who is going to raise hell,” Eliza said in Elise’s head, with a hint of laughter in her voice.
“I have Wendy’s scent, so it shouldn’t take me too long to find her. Gray might be back soon too, so fill him in if he gets back before me,” Natsu added, before he disappeared into the forest.
“Mother,” Elise muttered, as she looked between Erza, and the direction Natsu had vanished. “Do you think you can keep an eye on Natsu? I’m a little bit worried about him. These aren’t regular Dark Mages, this is the Oracion Seis, and-.”
“You need not explain your reasoning, Elise, for I understand it well. Natsu is important to you, just as Erza and Gray are. So, if that’s what my darling Daughter wishes, to have me watch over her friends, then who am I to say no? You won’t hear from me for a bit dear, but I’ll be back soon.
“Of course Mother,” Elise hummed in reply. “Thanks for this.”
“Think nothing of it dear. I’m quite curious to watch events through Natsu’s eyes, and see just what it’s like…”
Elise felt Eliza’s presence slowly vanish from her, along with the usual connection they shared as well. Normally, when Eliza shifts her gaze, she still leaves a part of herself within Elise’s being, but this time, she had fully moved herself out of the War God Slayer.
“This feels … strange? It almost feels like there’s a void inside me,” Elise muttered quietly, before shaking her head. “Makes sense, considering how she’s always been there. But still … I feel … strange?”
***POTD***
Natsu sprinted through the forest, tracking Wendy’s scent from where she’d been taken. He couldn’t help but feel protective over the young Dragon Slayer, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on why that was exactly…
As he ran, he felt a presence slowly settle itself into him, and almost immediately knew who it was.
“You know, you’d make a rather dashing God of War, provided you were trained properly…”
“Not now Eliza, I’m a bit busy,” Natsu huffed in reply, eliciting a bout of amused laughter from the War Goddess.
“Dear, I’m here to help you find the girl. Besides, you might find this little trick useful…”
“Hey wait, what are you-?”
Natsu’s vision began to change, as he suddenly saw himself from high above the forest. The scent he was following seemed to appear as a sort of trail, one that he found himself easily following.
“What the hell did you just do?”
“This is how Elise always manages to get around so quickly,” Eliza explained, sensing his intrigue. “It never hurts to have a different perspective on things. Look there, the girl is over in that cave. You can tell by the line that leads towards her. Also, see the red signatures? Those are hostiles, and anyone else who is hostile will come up like that.”
“Huh. Interesting… So, what does that grey signature mean?”
“Well, it appears they’ve already killed someone. Those who are deceased appear as grey.”
“Why are you doing this for me?”
“Well Natsu, let’s just say I too don’t want to see Erza die, and the Sky Dragon Slayer is the best bet to see her healed. I also I get to see you in action firsthand this time, which will be a treat for me. Just remember, you won’t be able to hold back dear. These Mages will kill the girl, or you, should you falter.”
“I understand,” Natsu nodded seriously. “I’ll save Wendy, at the very least…”
“Also, you may not have noticed it, but whilst I’ve been here, your Magic reserves have been increasing. That’s an effect I seem to have when I merge with someone, although I don’t really see a downside...”
“Next thing you know, I’ll be a God Slayer,” Natsu joked, eliciting an amused giggle from the War Goddess.
“Perhaps when Elise no longer has anything to learn from me, I’d consider it? After all, I don’t really have the effort level to train multiple students. And knowing you, I’d be getting hard pressed for training.”
“Relax, I was kidding. Maybe one day I’d learn from you, but as it stands now, I’m way too busy to start learning another style of fighting.”
“I agree. But then again, who knows just what Fate has in store for you,” Eliza replied cryptically. “Ah, we’re here.”
Natsu stopped just outside the cave sensing multiple high powered Magical signatures, as well as Wendy’s own. Peering inside, he couldn’t help but gasp in shock.
“Well now, that certainly wasn’t what I was expecting,” Eliza admitted, as they watched Brain and Cobra step back from a coffin, dragging Wendy with them.
“Oh, it looks like you finally found us then,” Brain chuckled, as he pushed Wendy away from them, and off into a corner. “We no longer have need of the girl, so you can have her. We now have the one who will open the way to what we seek!”
The lid of the coffin burst open, and, to Natsu’s shock, Jellal stepped out, looking similar to how he did right before he’d sacrificed himself at the Tower Of Heaven.
The eyes of the previously deceased Jellal opened slowly, a look of confusion on his face. Eyeing everyone present, he placed a hand to the side of his head, and groaned.
“Who …. am I?”
“He’s lost his memories? I don’t know if that’s good or bad for us at this point though,” Natsu muttered darkly, as Eliza chimed in.
“Ah, I see what’s happened here. They’ve used little Wendy’s unique ability to revive Jellal here. However, due to the injuries sustained in his previous battle with you, and the ensuing explosion of the Tower of Heaven, his mind has been shattered.”
“But Eliza, how could a girl her age actually revive someone? I’ve never even heard of such a spell?”
“It’s a spell unique to her Sky Dragon Slaying repertoire, Natsu. The Sky Dragon Queen Grandina knows her stuff, that’s for certain I’d say there was some sort of cost associated with reviving him, but that would be a better question to ask little Wendy after all this is settled, don’t you agree?”
“Yeah. If that Brain guy has got control of Jellal, then things are about to get a lot worse… With Wendy here, I’m gonna have heaps of trouble fighting off the two of them at once…”
“Jellal, you must assist me in resurrecting Nirvana! That is what we were doing before this man came and hurt you,” Brain spoke in a voice that sounded like he was pleading with the man. “We tried everything to get you back, but it seems your mind is still clouded my friend!”
“That man …. is my enemy?”
“sh*t… He’s done it now.”
“Best get ready dear, this is about to get dangerous,” Eliza warned him, as Natsu quickly dragged Wendy behind him.
“Wendy! Use your nose to find the others,” Natsu hissed, as the young girl stared up at him in a mixture of fear and relief. “Follow my scent back to them, quickly! There’s no time to stand around, these guys are dangerous!”
“I-I’m sorry Natsu,” Wendy sniffed. “He didn’t give me a choice!”
“It’s okay Wendy, Erza told me what happened. But I need you to be brave right now, and go find her. She’s dying Wendy, and only your Healing Magic can save her! I’ll hold these guys off so you can get back, but promise me you’ll hurry!”
“I-I’ll do my best,” Wendy replied shakily, as she began to sprint out of the cave.
“That child has some real potential,” Eliza noted as Wendy left.
“Yeah, she’s a little shy, and a bit timid. But if she can outgrow that, she’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
“Hey Salamander what’s with you? When I read your mind just now, there’s another voice?”
“That’s right, Cobra’s here too,” Natsu sighed, as all three men before him slowly rounded on him, as he scanned them all with his Wizard Saint’s Ring. “Well sh*t, this is definitely gonna get ugly…”
Cobra – 112,772 MPI
Jellal Fernandes – 165,292 MPI
Brain – 214,447 MPI
“Natsu, you realise that your stronger now than you were when you fought Jellal? Besides, I can provide you with extra reserves so you can fight harder. To pay me back, I’ll have a little favor I want to ask later…”
“Of course there’s a catch,” Natsu muttered, as he slowly backed himself toward the exit of the cave, with the three Mages advancing upon him.
“You shouldn’t have come here alone, Saint,” Brain smirked evilly..
“I won’t let you hurt my friends,” Jellal growled, as he began powering up, surrounding his body in a golden light.
“He just had to have amnesia, didn’t he,” Natsu sighed as he began to unleash his reserves in full. “Wow? The Dragon Force has never felt this easy to use before! Is this your doing, Eliza!?”
“Focus Natsu,” Eliza snapped, as he caught a punch from Jellal, before being blasted back into the forest by an attack from Brain.
“Right… Fight now, questions later,” Natsu huffed as he righted himself.
Shooting back toward his three foes, Natsu prepared himself for the grueling fight to come. He wouldn’t hold back, because he needed Wendy to get to safety and heal Erza. Having Eliza in his corner was definitely a boon. But it almost felt like there was something he was missing…
“Poison Dragon’s Roar”
“Darkness Magic - Dark Capriccio!”
“Fire Dragon King’s Quaking Roar!
Natsu’s attack clashed with Brain and Cobra’s own, with his attack dwarfing both of theirs by a considerable margin. However, Natsu’s attack quickly broke through. Right as it did, Jellal flashed in front of him, as the pair began trading a series of intensely quick blows, before Natsu finally managed to slip around his guard.
“Fire Dragon King’s Quaking Iron Fist!”
Striking Jellal in the chest, he sent him flying off into a nearby cliff, as Brain appeared behind him, and the two began to exchange a quick flurry of attacks.
“Give up Dragneel, you stand no chance against us!”
“Piss off Brain! As if I’d let you all go, knowing that you’re all planning to do something nefarious!”
Cobra appeared behind Natsu, and threw a punch covered in poison at the back of his head. Before it made contact, Natsu ducked, and it narrowly missed Brain, who jumped several meters back.
“And as for you! This is what I’m gonna do to that damn snake if I catch it," Natsu snarled. "Fire Dragon King’s Quaking Talon!”
Kicking Cobra in the face, his head was smashed into the ground, as Natsu followed up by kicking him in the chest, sending the Dragon Slayer flying through multiple trees. Brain, seeing Cobra cop a brutal attack, stepped in, and reengaged Natsu directly, as the pair started flashing all around the area.
“Just die you fool! Do you really think you stand a chance against the Bharam Alliance!?”
“I’ll take my chances,” Natsu snarled in response. “Fire Dragon King’s Reverberating Iron Fist!”
Natsu hit Brain in the jaw with a brutal uppercut, one that saw the very ground beneath Natsu shatter into cubes. As Brain was launched high into the air, Jellal suddenly re-entered the fight, kicking Natsu in the face, and sending him skidding backward.
“True Heavenly Body Magic – Meteor!”
“Seriously,” Natsu hissed, as he was bombarded by a series of rapid attacks by the amnesiac man. “He doesn’t remember me, but he remembers how to fight!? What type of crap is that!?”
“Perhaps its instinct? Either way, we’re doing well so far. Although, I have noticed that more of the lines on that Brain fellow have disappeared as we have been fighting.”
“Any idea what that means?”
“From what I understand, if they all disappear, Brain’s true power will be unleashed,” Eliza replied calmly. “I was told this by the member I defeated earlier.”
“So, in other words, we need to hurry this up then? That’s easier said than done. If it was just one of them, then it’d be easy. But Jellal and Brain together are proving to be a real problem,” Natsu sighed as he continued to try fending off the combined attacks of Brain and Jellal. “If we can remove Cobra from the fight, I wouldn’t be at risk of being poisoned. But I can’t let any of them out of my sight until I’m sure Wendy got away.”
“It is a rather curious predicament we’re in, since we have no real way of knowing just how much progress young Wendy has made. Combine that with the fact that, should you falter here, Brain or Jellal could easily kill you.”
“Damn… It’s hard enough fighting Jellal when he’s using Meteor, but having to worry about Wendy on top of that’s making this a lot harder,” Natsu panted as he blocked a blast of Dark Magic from Brain, before getting struck in the chest by Jellal, and sent skidding backward. “sh*t… Wait, I smell something…”
“Oh dear, this battle just turned in their favor,” Eliza murmured, as hundreds of Dark Mages began spilling out of the nearby tree line, launching all manner of spells in Natsu’s direction.
“What the f*ck!? Where the hell did they come from,” Natsu snapped, only to grit his teeth as he saw Cobra at the head of the group. “That dirty bastard!”
“It seems they were fully prepared to face you, and I’d wager this isn’t the full amount of their forces coming to face you, Natsu. That being said, we have two options here. We can either run now, and hope that we bought enough time? Or… we can try something extremely risky?”
“What’s the risky option,” Natsu panted as he took blow after blow from Brain and Jellal, before being blasted through a small hill, skidding to a stop on the other side.
“We temporarily combine our power together, and hope it doesn’t backfire on us,” Eliza suggested, astonishing Natsu at the mere suggestion. “If it does backfire, we’ll both likely perish though?”
“You don’t seem too concerned with doing it,” Natsu noted, as he saw the advancing Mages in the distance. “But, more importantly, why are you suggesting it? I’m surprised you’re already helping me as much as you are?”
“Well, to be honest… I’ve come to respect you, Natsu. I suppose the human term for it, is that I consider you a friend,” Eliza replied honestly, which brought a small smile to the Dragon Slayer’s lips.
“Friends huh? Well, I wasn’t really expecting that, but I’m glad you want to see me that way, because I feel the same,” Natsu grinned. “Now, how about we mark our friendship by doing what we do best, eh!?”
“Of course,” Eliza giggled in response, before adopting a more serious demeanor. “Just remember, this will only be temporary, and you won’t have this power once this is over?”
“If it doesn’t backfire on us, you mean?”
“Well, if it doesn’t, then we have a new strategy for the future we can use if we come across similar situations, don’t we? And if it does … Well, I’ll fetch your soul, and bring you over to my realm, and we can hang out?”
“You sound less and less like a Mother, and more like someone my age every day,” Natsu laughed.
“I’ll admit that you are all certainly rubbing off on me by now,” Eliza smirked in reply.
“Does that work for a God?”
“Who knows? Regardless of that fact, let’s do this!”
“Right! So, how does this work exactly?”
“This might feel awkward, but I’m dividing control of your body between us. Keep using your half to fight off enemies, and I’ll use my half. Next, I’ll begin pouring my power into you…”
Before Natsu had a chance to say anything, he was engulfed in a golden light. Every Mage in the area took a step back, as Natsu rose into the air, before the blinding light reached its peak, and disappeared in a flash.
Once the light disappeared, Natsu was standing in the center of all the hostile Dark Mages, though he looked different. He was now fourteen feet tall, similarly how Eliza appears whenever she would take control over Elise's form, and his usual salmon-pink hair had streaks of white throughout it.
His Wizard Saint clothing had become more armored, with ebony plating seemingly built into it, along with some extra additions around his face. Namely, he was now sporting Eliza’s pointed ears.
“Wow… I feel … incredible!”
“It seems the merge was a success; I knew it would work with you. You possess enough raw power, strength, and untapped potential to pull this off,” Eliza noted, as Natsu tested his newfound form by performing several basic movements.
“So, we’ve managed to merge our powers together,” Natsu mused. “So, what exactly does that entail?
“Well, our abilities have now combined, giving us access to both our full repertoires,” Eliza noted. “You gain the most out of this, since you should be able to fully make use of your Slayer and Crash Magic.”
“Wow,” Natsu muttered. “With this power, we definitely should be able to put an end to the Oracion Seis!”
“It seems that whilst we were transforming, Brain, Jellal, and Cobra, all fled, leaving their subordinates to deal with us,” Eliza noted. “Let’s use them to work out any kinks in our combined fighting styles before we go to stop them.”
“Agreed. Though, we definitely should make this quick. Undoubtedly, they’re going to go an activate whatever this Nirvana is, and we probably should stop that?”
“Agreed.”
“Right then,” Natsu grinned, as power exploded from his new form. “Let’s do this!”
***POTD***
Wendy had been running almost nonstop for the last twenty minutes, fearful that the man who had come to save her might be in danger. She shook her head of those thoughts, and continued running, determined to do as he’d asked.
“He’ll be fine… After all, he looked very strong,” Wendy muttered to herself. “I need to find Miss Erza!”
Wendy couldn’t help but feel worried though. The sudden shift in the wind told her of an unnatural occurrence, one that she didn’t know what to make of?
Arriving back at the area where she last saw Erza, she was shocked to see Erza’s unconscious form, and another woman standing guard over her.
“Um, excuse me? Are you a friend of Natsu’s,” Wendy asked, as the woman looked over at her with a mixture of surprise, and curiosity.
“Are you the one who Natsu said can heal Erza,” the woman asked, as Wendy nodded. “Please do what you can; she’s been getting worse since I got here. Oh, by the way, my name is Elise.”
“My names Wendy, pleased to meet you,” she replied politely, as she began examining Erza’s arm.
“Hey Wendy, can I ask you something?”
“What is it,” Wendy asked in reply, as she began to apply Healing Magic to Erza.
“When you last saw Natsu, did anything seem strange to you?”
“Well, the last time I saw him, he was fighting three people. The leader, the man with the snake, and a guy called Jellal,” Wendy replied, as Elise’s eyes shot open.
“Jellal!? Are you sure that was his name!?”
“Y-Yes, I’m positive that was him…”
“How… He should have been dead? Natsu barely defeated him back at the Tower in a one-on-one fight? So, how could he fight him, plus two more, unless…. Oh, Mother … of course!”
Wendy looked at the woman with confusion, prompting Elise to shake her head.
“It would take far too long to explain it all, but don’t worry, Natsu’s fine. Once Erza’s awake, we can get moving to them. Honestly Mother, you tell me not to do anything risky, yet you pull a stunt as dangerous as that on someone who hasn’t trained in the War God path?”
Wendy finished healing Erza, as the poison began to recede. As it did so, Erza groaned, her eyes fluttering open to see Wendy and Elise hovering over her.
“W-Wendy and …. Elise? Is that you,” Erza asked groggily, as she slowly rose to a sitting position.
“Oh boy, are you going to be pissed at Natsu when you hear this Erza,” Elise responded with a sigh.
Before Erza could even attempt to reply to Elise’s words, the ground began to shake, as a giant pillar of energy deeper into the forest.
“What on Earthland is that!?”
“That must be Nirvana, Erza. Mother told me about it before she left with Natsu.”
“Left with Natsu? How does that work?”
“She essentially entered his being, I suppose. It’s similar to how she does with me, she’s helping him fight.”
“For those two to have to team up, it must be quite the opponent they’re facing? By the way why would I be angry at Natsu?”
“Well, it’s not just Natsu you will be angry with, but Mother as well. They combined their power for some reason?”
“Combined their power? What do you mean?”
“Basically, Mother has the ability to partially merge herself with someone she is currently connected with. The person she does this with becomes a Demigod, of sorts. However, this is extremely dangerous, and could have killed them both. Surprisingly, it was successful, and they are still currently fighting a large Magical presence to the east. We should regroup with him as soon as we can.”
“Um… I’m sorry Erza for leaving him, but he made me come to heal you,” Wendy stuttered, as Erza sighed and gave her a pat on the head.
“It’s not your fault Wendy. To be fair, Natsu was right in sending you back anyway.”
“He said that fighting the snake man, the Master, and Jellal, at the same time, would mean-.”
“Did you just say Jellal!? Guy with blue hair, and has a weird tattoo near his eye?”
“Yes. They forced me to revive him from death, just so they could use him to summon that big pillar of light over there. He seems to have lost his memory though, and the Master tricked him into fighting Natsu.”
“Elise… You said I’d be mad at Natsu, right? After hearing that, I’m anything but. Jellal by himself is strong enough to fight Natsu, so the fact he isn’t dead means I owe Eliza one, unfortunately.”
“Well, that’s a surprise? Normally you get mad at Natsu for pulling a life-threatening stunt.”
“Well, this is an exception. Which reminds me, you’re not off the hook yet either for the stunt you pulled back at the tower!”
“Hey, wait a minute! That was different!”
“Um? Shouldn’t we go help Natsu?”
“Wendy’s right,” Erza sighed, as the two girls stopped bickering. “We need to back Natsu up as quick as we can.”
The three began to run back towards the last place Wendy had seen Natsu, unaware that a large-scale battle was currently being fought. One that none of them could have possibly imagined.
