Sorry for the delay, everyone…*rubs neck awkwardly* I've sort of been on a…hiatus, you could call it. But now I'm back with the next chapter of The Magic Challenger!

Please enjoy!


PART VII

The train was quiet aside from the train tracks and Natsu groaning. Romeo and Wendy sat beside each other, whilst Natsu lay on the floor where he had collapsed earlier.

"Not a lot of people, huh?" Romeo said jokingly, glancing around the empty train cart.

Wendy didn't say anything. For a second, the boy thought he said something wrong, before Wendy decided to speak up.

"Romeo…what was it like? Being attacked by the Magic Challenger…"

At first, he was taken aback by the question.

'She must be worried.' Romeo realized, 'Time for some reassurance.'

"I'll be honest with you, Wendy-he scared me. A lot," he said, as he clenched his fists, "But if he shows up, he'll have to go through me-with or without magic.

The Sky Dragon Slayer perked up, "How will you fight, anyway?

He reached down under his seat to take out a long iron pipe. "This, remember?"

"Oh…right."

Romeo frowned. She must have been really concerned if she didn't notice that giant piece of junk.

He smiled, "Don't you worry. I'll…I-I mean…me and Natsu-nii will protect you, Wendy."

"Th-thanks." Wendy blushed as she averted her gaze to the window. It was then that she noticed that they had arrived.

"We're here, Natsu-san! Wake up!" she shook the other Dragon Slayer.

"FINALLY!" he sprung to life as the train came to a stop.


"Sir, please help! My little girl is gone!"

Doranbalt froze in his tracks, turning to the woman who called out to him.

"Ma'am, your daughter is missing?"

"She went out to play with the other children in town before someone said she went to the forest! And with that man stealing magic out there…"

His eyes widened, "Your daughter's a mage?"

"Yes!" she cried in distress.

Doranbalt turned to his troops, "Head towards the forest, quickly!"


"Phew! Another completed mission!" Natsu grinned, placing his arms behind his head, "Go, Team Rainbow Dragon!"

Wendy giggled at their 'team' name, "Good job not destroying anything this time, Natsu-san!"

"Well, except that door," Romeo mentioned, remembering how Natsu kicked their client's door down once they were finished, "I'm glad they didn't lower the reward. They were nice."

"Yeah," Wendy agreed, but suddenly gasped, "What's that? !"

The two males followed her finger, to see a small girl on the ground.

They ran up to her immediately, Natsu cradling her carefully, "Hey, you alright?"

Her blue eyes slowly cracked open, "Who…"

"Don't worry. I'm going to heal you, okay?" Wendy said softly at the same time she put her hands out.

A light blue glow enveloped the little girl.

Romeo crouched down to her level, "Are you from the town outside the forest?" he asked softly.

The girl just nodded as she closed her eyes, leaning into Natsu's torso.

The dark-haired boy smiled sadly at the now sleeping girl, "I bet she got her magic taken in this forest…"

Natsu nodded, "Yeah. I ain't sensing any magic from her."

"It's finished," Wendy told the two males, "Luckily, her injuries aren't too severe. We should probably take her home."

"Good call."


Doranbalt sighed heavily before knocking on the woman's door. How was he going to tell her…

The door opened, "Oh, you're back!"

He sighed again at her happy face, "Ma'am, we couldn't-"

"Mom!"

A little girl covered in bandages ran up to her mother, to the Councilman's surprise.

"Dear, you shouldn't be up just yet!" the woman scolded, "Now, be a good girl and go back to bed."

As the mother turned back to Doranbalt, he suddenly asked, "Was that…your daughter?"

The woman laughed lightly, "Yes. Thank you so much for your help, sir, but earlier today, three Fairy Tail mages brought her home."

The man smiled warmly as he shook the mother's hand, before walking towards his troops.

"Alright, men! It's time to move out!"

"Yes sir!" they saluted.

The Council Investigation Team leader walked tall in the front of the group. 'Three Fairy Tail mages…I should've known. That Guild is everywhere nowadays. And with the girl's good condition…could it have been Wendy?'

He looked up at the starry sky with a thoughtful expression.

'Perhaps I'll never know.'


A harsh wind blew the trees of the forest back and forth. The moon shone brightly in the midnight sky, almost looking serene. Underneath the same sky, in the harmony of swaying trees, was a man in a silver mask.

He had but one thought on his mind:

A light blue glow enveloping the body of a little girl.