CHAPTER TEN

"You are an idiot-" said Felix, laughing at Natsu. Felix then looks back at Lux, hoping to see that she'd deny such a request. He was shocked to see that she was actually considering something taking him on. "Aw, come on Lux, are you seriously going to fight this kid?"

Lux laughs a little, "Maybe," she said waving away Felix from worry. "I do want to see what a Fairy Tail Mage is about. Maybe I am just greedy?" She shrugs and nods at Natsu to show that she is, in fact, up for a brawl.

"Awesome. You and me, let's go outside and see who really is the most powerful mage," yells Natsu running outside like an over eager child full of natural zeal.

Lux just smiles and follows him outside. The others follow to, interested in what was about to happen. Lux and Natsu go out into the open tundra area near the barn and face each other, bowing out of common courtesy. Natsu has an excited grin, but Lux remains completely calm and composed, as always.

"I have to warn you," said Lux, putting a strand of hair behind her ear, "Since you requested a duel with me, we will do it on Septagram terms, which is why I will accept to fight you. Firstly, in Septagram, you can demand a match with a higher ranked member to take their spot, two people, one-on-one, until the other is defeated. Secondly, you can do whatever you need to do to beat this person, in order to show your strength. And Thirdly, you accept the consequences of the outcome. Do you accept the terms?"

"Hell yes," said Natsu, cracking his knuckles against his palm. They seemed rather fair to a confident person like Natsu. He actually did not care for formalities, he just purely enjoyed fighting.

Lux just smiled again before the wind started to blow around her in a circular motion. A magic circle appeared beneath her, and a bright light began to shine. All but Felix looked away for he was used to her transformation into her battle form, Valkyrie Soul.

It was indeed an impressive transformation. She now stood before Natsu fully armored in the similar blue and silver-lined colors that Erza had witnessed before. In truth, looking on, Erza admired the beauty and style of this woman's armor.

She wore a helmet that framed her face with accentuated feathers on the side pointing up, almost like wings. Her armor consisted of a chest piece and shoulder pieces, arm guards, and sturdy plated boots. A cream colored cloth with blue lining and two opposing thigh high slits reached down to her knees, covering her mid region. Her eyes were even brighter than before, and there was a new look of power in her that went along with the armor. Two broad angle-like wings stretched out behind her as the most impressive aspect of her transformation.

"Alright then, let's go," yelled Natsu, preparing himself to attack. Crouching, he eyes his target ready to pounce at her and win this match easily. Impressive Armor, of course, did not win a match; skill does. He runs toward her yelling incoherently in a Fire Dragon Iron Fist move, fist ablaze and face vicious to win.

But just as he is about to land the first blow, Lux disappears, catching Natsu off balance. He foolishly forgot again about her teleportation.

Then, Lux all of a sudden appears right behind him, grabbing him by his back arm and yanking him back over her head and onto the ground in one swift movement. She was so strong and did this so effortlessly.

But Natsu is also keenly fast and quickly rolls to the side to stand up again. Now he is prepared, now he knows her style. Evade then assault.

He prepares for Fire Dragon's Roar breathing in heavily and placing his two fists before his mouth to blow the flames out from. And then a brilliant blast of flame emerges heading toward Lux with amazing speed and power.

But just as it reaches Lux, she raises one hand and a translucent white wall appears before her. Shield. It completely disperses the flames like rushing waves against a sea wall. The flames go in every direction except towards Lux.

She had blocked it with absolutely no effort. No flinch, no lack of power, no fear at all were present in that woman's gaze.

"My turn-" she said with a touch, just a touch, of sadism. She pointed her index finger toward Natsu, enacting a Death Mark on him. This would greatly reduce his skills in battle, making his overall odds of winning unfavorable.

Unaware of exactly what Lux had done, Natsu readies himself with the next step of intensity. He came at her charging, fists ablaze and ready to strike. Yet, just as he was about to approach, he fell flat on his face.

Natsu was surprised to say the least. He was never this uncoordinated in fighting, how could something so simple as running cause him to err?

"What did you do to me?" he yelled, realizing the stroke of bad fate must have been Lux's doings.

"Turned your chances of falling higher, your chances of missing higher. Anything that may help you win this battle by chance are all working against you," she said, getting ready for her next final move. Smite.

Check mate.

Lux rushes forward faster than Natsu can respond and attacks from her outstretched fingers a bright light that smites Natsu with a perfectly on spot hit. The smite sends Natsu back with such force and light that he completely falls defeated from her attack. He is utterly and completely destroyed and defeated by that one attack with no chance of evading it. Lux stands triumphantly before walking over to Natsu.

There is a bright scar-like remnant of the smite across his chest from his neck diagonal to his waste, and he looks awfully beat up. He lays unconscious in the dirt in a small crater his impact created.

"Natsu!" yells Lucy, running forward to him. She is enraged and panicking that he might be seriously injured. From where she was, the outcome looked too drastic. "Why the hell would you attack him so brutally, you demon?" yelled Lucy.

Although that term made her flinch a little, Lux just knelt down by Natsu's side, placing her hands on his chest and closed her eyes. Felix, understanding what she is doing, pulls away the hysterical Lucy and shocked Gray and Erza, speechless as well this whole time.

As Lux's rests her hands on him, Natsu's body begins to heal itself rapidly. Cuts close and the glowing mark of the smite fades just as quickly. In only a minute's time, Natsu is completely back to normal and beginning to wake up. As he does, Lux transforms back into her usual self, still kneeling at his side and helps him sit up.

"What did you do?" said Erza, quietly and completely in shock from the aftermath.

"I healed him," she said, still looking at Natsu with apologetic eyes. Perhaps she did go overboard, but she accepted the consequences of her victory and used her power, as always, to heal the person that challenged her. "I told you, I'm only half demon, I can heal just as well as I can destroy. I am two halves of two different worlds," she said turning to the waking Natsu, "Do you feel alright?"

Natsu's eyes opened to see everyone around him.

"I'm great," he said, quietly before his eyes shot open with the same sparky personality they all knew and loved. "But you, Lux, you're fucking awesome."

Lux laughed along with him and everyone else in that moment.

A.N. - I'm on a roll tonight, but that's all for now!

P.S. I added this chapter because I felt like there needed to be some action at least. I was getting too philosophical, which can get boring, I know.