Back with the continuation

"speaking"

""thinking""

On with the story

With Natsu's team

Within a few hours of leaving the Fairy Tail guild, Natsu and his team arrived at the house of Michello, the former third seat of the Magic Council. After "persuading" him to let them inside his home, they explained the situation to him in full. Suffice to say, the cat-man was less than amused.

"…And that's why we're here, to protect you." Lucy finished.

"We're your bodyguards." Natsu clarified. "So you better let us do our job, old man"

"That's nice of you to offer…" Michello sardonically began. "But you'll just be in the way."

"He's a stubborn one, isn't he?" Charla said as North barked in agreement

"Wait!" Michello realized. "I know who you are. You're from that problematic Fairy Tail guild. You're just using me as bait in some destructive scheme, aren't you?" he accused. "Well I'll have no part in it!"

Natsu sighs as he remembers that this one was a very stubborn old man

"Whether we are here or not you will be attacked by Tartaros. That is not the same as being bait." Charla told the man

"Bah!" Michello snapped. "What fool waits around when he knows he's going to be attacked?! I'm leaving! Don't try to find me again!"

"Grandfather!" Michello's granddaughter, Michellia came in while holding a tray full of drinks

"These nice people have come to visit us and keep you safe, and here you are being rude."

"Michelia." Michello mumbled in guilt.

"Let them help you." Michelia suggested. "Someone murdered the entire magic council. How can you allow that to stand?"

Michello just grumbled in reply

"So…do you know why you would all be targeted like this?" Lucy asked the former councilman

"There's too many possibilities to list." Michello replied curtly. "Dark guilds aren't the only ones with grudges against the council."

"I don't think this is merely a grudge." Charla contended.

"With these kinds of attacks, I'm certain they are after something that only council members know of."

"Nothing comes to mind…" Michello pondered. Slowly his eyes widened in realization.

"Wait…" He began to quake in fear at the possibility, a cold sweat dripping down his face. "Could they be after Face?"

""Face?"" Natsu thought for a moment before his nose caught a whiff of something and he went on alert, tackling both Wendy and Lucy to the ground.

"Natsu-san?!" Wendy squeaked.

"What are you doing?!" Lucy questioned.

"Get down!" he ordered. He then turned to Michello and his granddaughter, tackling them as well. "You guys get down too!"

"Unhand me, you buffoon!" Michello shouted. Michelia shrieked in surprise.

Natsu looked up, his nostrils flaring again. "That smell!"

"What is it?!" Lucy called to him before

KA-BOOM!

Michello's house exploded as the exploded debris flied around

"M-my house!" he exclaimed while Michellia screamed

"What's going on?" Wendy asked.

Once the dust settled, everyone began to regain their bearings.

"Is everyone all right?!" Charla called out.

"arf!" North barked as the wolf shakes his body to get rid of the dust on his fur

"The house just exploded!" Michelia shouted. "How in the world did we survive?"

"That would be because of me."

Michelia looked up, seeing Natsu standing in front of her with Drac on his right arm

"just in time." He said as all of the flames had been absorbed into the gauntlet

"That's a surprise." A voice said from above. "I thought that would have blown you all to hell. Just like the council."

"Who are you?!" Lucy demanded.

Natsu looked up at their assailant as he sees Jackal

""so this is the one who blew up the council"" Natsu thought as he ignites his hand on fire

"you're Tartaros, aren't you?" Natsu said to the demon

"huh? Who're you?" Jackal said

"I'm Natsu from Fairy Tail" Natsu said with a glare

"Who is this scoundrel?!" Michello shouted, angrily waving his fist in the air. "Look what he did to our house! I knew Fairy Tail was nothing but trouble!"

"Grandfather!" Michelia scolded.

"He must be the one who destroyed the council in Era." Charla said with cautious

"get them out of here before I blow this place to kingdom come!" Natsu shouted as he dashed towards Jackal

"He's after you!" Lucy shouted to Michello. "We have to get you out of here!"

"You don't think I know that?!" the former councilman snapped back as he started to rung away

"We should do as Natsu says and leave this fight to him." Wendy reminded. She and the others moved to the exit.

Jackal grinned at their attempt to escape. Suddenly he swiped his arm, setting off a chain of explosions that circled around the city. The people began to run around in a panic.

"What was that?!"

"Something just exploded!"

"What's happening?!"

"The buildings are all falling apart!"

"Help~!"

"The town has nothing to do with this!" Lucy yelled to the smirking demon. "Stop!"

Natsu glared at Jackal as he threw his hands back "bastard!"

The demon thrust his arm towards Natsu. "Explode!" In an instant, Natsu's body was engulfed by intense flames.

"He got him!" Michello shouted in fear.

"It's all right." Lucy assured her "Natsu uses fire-magic, so something like that won't work on him!"

Natsu inhaled the flames around him, surprising Jackal.

"What's the deal with this guy? He ate my explosion?"

Natsu gave a hard punch to Jackal's face before delivering a powerful left hook that sends the demon to the ground

Natsu then dashed towards Jackal who moved out of the way.

"That was close." He then grinned in intrigue. "That guy's like a fireball or something." He tried to gain distance, but was soon caught off guard when he noticed something moving under the floor.

"You gotta be kidding me!"

Natsu emerged from the ground, striking Jackal under the chin with a flaming knee that sent the demon reeling.

Michello looked on in disbelief.

""This is first time I've seen Dragist fight up close!"" He shakily tightened the grip on his cane. ""I had no idea he was this strong…""

Jackal cackled as he slid on all fours along the broken floor. "You're pretty fun." He complimented. "But there's one thing I need to tell ya." Before he could begin, Natsu's fist was in his face. "Wait…"

Natsu punched him away before he dashed and started punching more and more.

"ooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Natsu shouted as he kept punching Jackal with no mercy

"Incredible…" Michello gasped.

"N-Natsu-san…" Wendy nervously called. "He's already…"

"He always goes overboard." Lucy sighed in annoyance. "Wasn't he trying to say something earlier?"

"he could have held back just a little." Charla commented.

Natsu stands up after he finished beating the crap out of Jackal

"to think that demons would go against me" Natsu muttered out

Michello began to sweat even more as the second passed.

""If Tartaros is truly after Face…then this will only end terribly. Only a handful of council members know about the White Inheritance. How is it that they were able to find out…?"" Michello thought in fear as he was shaking

""I have to hide myself!"" He began to storm off, much to everyone's confusion and suspicion.

"I'll leave you wizards to clean this up! I will check on the former council members!"

"Grandpa?" Michelia called with concern. "What's wrong?"

"Come along, Michelia! Now!"

"If you know something about why they're after you, old guy, you better tell us now."

"I don't know anything!" Michello denied forcefully.

"Is that right?" Jackal sighed, to the surprise of everyone he was still conscious after the beating Natsu gave him. He sat up, rotating his shoulder to get the stiffness out.

"Are you sure? If you tell me what I wanna know, I may just let you live."

"You…" Natsu growled with his eye glowing red

"I don't know anything!" Michello lied again. "Honest! Ask someone else! Really, I know nothing!"

Jackal looked back at the old man, a sadistic grin on his lips. "I get it. I guess that means you gotta die then, right?"

"Hey!" Michello shouted at the Fairy Tail wizards. "What are you lot doing?! He's up again, you know! Take him down, you nitwits! Aren't you supposed to be my bodyguards?!"

"shut up" Natsu said as this shuts Michello up

"You!" Jackal stood up, pointing at Natsu. "Next time listen when a guy's talking, would ya?!"

Natsu looks to his hands as they were glowing and so was his legs "this is…"

"My curse power." Jackal informed. "Whoever touches me becomes a bomb. The more they do it, the stronger the bomb becomes. Refresh my memory, how many times did you hit me again?"

The strange light began to cover Natsu's body.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted out

"Everyone, get away from me!" Natsu commanded, he could feel the dark energies building within him.

"But…" Lucy began to protest.

"Just go!" the glow grew intense as everyone runs for cover

KA-BOOM!

Jackal laughed manically at the scene, watching with sadistic glee as Natsu fell to the ground in defeat from the explosion

"No way…" Lucy gasped, still holding onto Wendy.

"Natsu-san!" the young dragon slayer reached out.

"Wow, how about that?! His body didn't even blow up! You can't help but be impressed with that!" he cackled. "That's a fireball for ya!"

Lucy glared at the demon, clenching her teeth as she reached for her gate keys.

Michello looked at the scene wide-eyed, his entire body shaking. "I'm done for…"

Jackal looked at the old man, his sadistic grin widening to a sick smile. "If you hand over the info, the only one I'll kill will be your granddaughter. See? I can be a nice guy after all."

Michello took a few steps back before turning and running away at top speed. Leaving the Fairy Tail wizards, as well as his own granddaughter, to fend for themselves.

"Elder Michello!" Lucy shouted.

"Grandpa!" Michelia called after.

Jackal took off after the fleeing old man. "You're not getting away."

Lucy and Wendy moved to intercept him, as they readied their attack

"Tenryu no Hoko!"

Jackal smirked. "Think that'll stop me?" he held out his hand towards the tornado, summoning an explosion that was able to dissipate it.

Wendy looked on in disbelief at the feat. "He used an explosion to counter my roar?"

Lucy held her gold key as it began to glow.

"open! The gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!"

"we are!" Scorpio appeared as he was on all four.

"a celestial spirit?" Jackal said with a bit of surprise "you sure have interesting stuff there"

"Sand Buster!"

Jackal swiped his hand in the air, once again countering an attack with his explosions. He looked at the wounded Wendy and Lucy and began to laugh again.

"I guess I forgot to tell ya! Me and the others in Tartaros don't even bother with all that magic crap! We use curses! They make magic look like kid's stuff!"

"Curses?!" Lucy repeated.

Jackal raised his arm into the air, his power swelling. "No wizard can compete with us!" He then swung his arm downward.

"Bakurasen!"

A torrent of explosions engulfed both Wendy and Lucy and sends them flying in different directions amongst the debris of the destroyed home.

"Lucy! "Wendy!" Carla yelled in worry.

Jackal then started chasing after Michello as he ran towards the city.

"See ya!"

"I'm so sorry." Michellia apologized, tears stinging her eyes. "This…this is all Grandpa's fault. If he just-"

"No! It's not his fault!" Lucy interrupted. "This is a fight about our honor!" She briefly looked back to Wendy, who had also made it to her feet. "Wendy, go check on Natsu! I'll follow Jackal!"

"Right!" The young dragon slayer acknowledged and was about to go and heal Natsu who was no longer where he was

"where did Natsu-san go?!" Wendy panicked as she looks around the place

With Natsu

Natsu was in an alleyway as the man had his eye closed

"That dog is going to get it" Natsu said as he opened his eye that turned pure black

In the town

Michello ran into the middle of town, his exhausted breaths echoing through the near empty streets.

""Have to get away! Have to get away!""

"He's trying to kill me!" he shouted into the streets to anyone who would listen. "Somebody help me!" Luckily his words made some of the bystanders curious.

"What's that sound?" One of the townspeople asked.

"Who is that old guy? I've never seen him before."

"He looks really scared. Does this have to do with those explosions from earlier?"

Michello stopped at the first man who happened to cross his path. "Hey you!" he shouted. "Find me a place to hide!"

"What are you talking about?" the man asked in confusion.

"Someone is trying to kill me, you dolt!"

"How is that my problem?"

"Listen, you! I was in the magic council! That means I have been protecting your sorry hides this whole time! Now it's your turn to protect mine!"

"Game's up, old man!" Jackal shouted from a nearby rooftop as Michello screeched in fright and took off running once again but failed as he trips on a rock

He looked back at the demon, his eyes watering from fear. "I don't know anything! I swear! I got nothing to do with any of it!" He scurried away, jumping into a nearby river and attempting to swim away. "I just want to live a peaceful life with my granddaughter!"

"You mean the granddaughter you left high and dry?" Jackal reminded with mocking laughter.

"There he is!" Lucy exclaimed as she was about to a gate key.

"Open…!" Before she could finish, Lucy found herself standing in the middle of a strange magic circle.

"I wouldn't budge if I were you." Jackal sarcastically advised.

"What is this?" Lucy questioned.

Jackal looked to the blonde. "It's my landmine curse. The instant you move…boom!"

The townspeople were more confused than frightened at the scene playing out before them.

"What's going on?"

"It looks like some kind of wizard fight."

"You're all in danger!" Lucy warned the spectators. "You have to get out of here now! Get away from here!" Once again the townsfolk seemed unfazed by the danger around them.

"Haven't I seen her before?" one of the men asked about Lucy.

"She was in the Grand Magic Games!" Another one marveled.

"There are lots of humans around here." Jackal pondered. "I think I have an idea." He stood up and pointed towards Michello, lifting him up in a translucent purple ball.

"No! Let me go!" Michello flailed around uselessly.

Next Jackal pointed at a random woman in the crowd, lifting her in a ball just as he did Michello. His victims chosen, the demon began to explain his terms. "I have two bombs here."

"Did he say bombs?!" A bystander asked.

"I'm not sticking around for this!"

The crowds started running away as the only ones left were only Lucy, Jackal, and his two victims.

"Why did everyone run away?" Jackal said with a taunting smirk as he turned his attention to Lucy.

"They were just about to see just how heartless humans can be." He then pointed his index finger at the captured blonde.

"Here's the game, I'll only make one explode, but you have to choose which one."

Lucy's eyes went wide in shock. "What?" she managed.

"Help me, please!" the woman pleaded. "I'm pregnant!"

Michello frantically pounded on the inside of the bomb. "Your job is to protect me isn't it?!" He shouted to Lucy. "Hurry up and get me outta here!"

"Why are you doing this?!" Lucy demanded of Jackal. "What could you possibly have to gain from torturing people like this?!"

Jackal jumped down from the roof of the building before he looks at Lucy

"Gain? Nothing. This is all just for fun. It's a game. You humans are nothing but toys to me."

"Why can't you just release me and fight fair, and-" Lucy said but was cut off by Jackal

"Ten seconds." Jackal interrupted with a sadistic smirk. "Clock's ticking."

Lucy looks in fear as she had to choose who to save

The captured woman began to sob. "Why is this happening to me?"

"Why are you hesitating?!" Michello screamed at Lucy. "I'm a former member of the council! My life is much more important than some random woman!"

"Don't forget…" Jackal reminded. "You move from that circle you go kaboom! As will they."

The woman clutched her stomach, internally praying for some sort of miracle to save her and her baby from this terrible fate. "Don't worry..." she reassured her unborn child. "Mommy will not let anything happen to you."

"You have to save me!" Michello shouted. "That's your job! Protect me! Which of the two of us has done more good in this world?! There shouldn't even be a need to think about it!"

Lucy clenched her teeth in frustration and she looked away in shame.

"Well?!" Jackal prodded with a sadistic smile. "Who is going to be saved…Fairy Tail?!"

"hey" a dark voice spoke behind Jackal as the demon turns around only to be punched away by Natsu who had a pissed look

"Natsu?!" Lucy called out in disbelief, but also a relief.

"Are you ok, Lucy-san?!" Wendy asked, running towards her friend.

The two orbs disappeared, dropping both the woman and Michello to the ground. The circle beneath Lucy went away as well. "The bombs have all been disarmed!" she noted.

The pregnant woman fell to her knees and covered her face, tears of relief flowing from her eyes. "Oh god…" she cried.

"You're ok now," Charla told the woman North barked to her

"Well done!" Michello praised.

"I'm alive! I'm really alive! I can't believe you-"Natsu punched Michello on the top of his head, knocking the old man out.

"shut up" Natsu told the cat like man

Jackal rose from the ground, wiping the dirt on his cheeks

"You're a real slow learner, aren't ya? You already forgot about my curse?!"

Natsu's right fist glowed as he raise it up

"won't work on me anymore" Natsu said to Jackal

"What are you talking about?" Jackal questioned before his eyes widen in shock when the curse marks got absorbed into Drac

"See?" he asked the surprised Jackal.

Jackal was floored by the display. "No way! That's impossible!"

Natsu smirked eagerly at the stunned demon as he started to walk towards Jackal

"What in the world…are you…" Jackal stared at Natsu in utter awe, feeling something familiar something demonic about the dragon slayer.

"I'm Natsu" he replied before Natsu dashed towards Jackal as he sends another punch straight at the face

Jackal fell to the ground, but once again rose with a smirk. "You hit me again! Ready to go boom?!"

Natsu looked at his glowing fist as it glowed brighter and brighter before it got absorbed into Drac again

"is this the best you can give, dog?" Natsu said

Jackal stared at Natsu in disbelief and wide.

""What the hell is with this guy…?"" Jackal though as he was shaking in fear

""How can a human make me shiver?"" Jackal looks at Natsu as he felt extreme fear rising in him

""Is this guy even human? There's no way he's human! He can't be!""

Jackal let out a fierce roar and his body began to change. His height increased by several meters, his muscle mass increasing as well. The hair on his head began to cover his body, his face morphing to represent the animal he was named after.

"Natsu-san, watch out! There's something wrong with him!" Wendy exclaimed as Natsu looks at Jackal who looks to have transformed into a monster

The demon lunged towards Natsu, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he drew back his clawed hand.

""this is his Etherious Form, huh?"" Natsu thought as he blocked a punch from Jackal

""his strength and power got increased as well"" Natsu thought as soon as Jackal punched him an explosion went off at the point of impact from his punch.

The explosion was much bigger than of the previous ones, destroying many of the buildings in town. Wendy and Lucy dived for cover, while Michello was blown into a building by the debris-laden winds.

Natsu got skidded back as he caught his ground

Jackal hammered his fist at Natsu who guarded as a crater was formed bellow them

"You humans should learn your place!" Jackal roared. "You should know better than to pick a fight with us demons!"

"really?" Natsu said as he showed Jackal his glowing black eye

"that..!? you're.?!" Jackal shouted before Natsu pushes him back

"Guren! Bakuraijin!" Natsu sends a torrent of lightning and fire at Jackal as the demon got sent blasting away to a house before destroying it upon his crash to it

"He got carried away again." Lucy shook her head with a smile.

"I'll say." Wendy sighed before seeing Milo and Charla walking to them

"We managed to evacuate all of the people in town," Charla informed. "What happened here?"

"That Jackal guy was a really tough opponent. It took everything Natsu had to fight him to a draw." Lucy answered.

"who said that it was a draw?" Natsu said to Lucy as he turns to look at her

"So you say." Wendy laughed.

"We still have to get information out of him. " Charla reminded.

Jackal laid on his stomach in the rubble of his defeat, but he still managed a laugh. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"Yeah, he got me pretty good." Jackal said as he praised Natsu.

"No one's ever gotten this far with me before." The ground beneath him began to erupt. The early stages of an explosion. One that was proving to be his biggest one yet. Soon pillars of light sprang up all over town.

"Sorry, Kyôka." Jackal apologized. "I failed my mission, but at least I can take all of these humans with me when I go!"

"Wh-what's going on?" Lucy feared as she looked around the glowing city.

"What's he doing?" Wendy asked, equally frightened.

"Is he trying to blow up the entire town?!" Carla worried.

"Don't do this!" Wendy implored.

"No…can do." Jackal smirked, still prone.

"It's too late to stop it. My body itself is the bomb. You could kill me now, but that wouldn't stop it from going off." The rumbling increased its intensity, rocking the entire town. "I'll see you all in hell!"

"What are we going to do?" Lucy asked. "At this rate the entire town will…"

"he won't" Natsu said as he grabs a hold of Jackal before lifting him up

"You!?" Jackal growled. "Let go of me!"

"fly away" Natsu said to the demon before he threw him towards the sky

"Karyu no!" Natsu chanted out as flames appeared on both of his hands and then form a giant flaming sphere

"Koen!"

Natsu threw the flaming sphere at Jackal in the sky as the flames overtook him

"BASTARDDDD!" Jackal shouted out before he disintegrated into ashes and the lights around the town disappeared

"he did it!" Lucy cheered as Natsu had just saved the town from being destroyed

That's a wrap!

Bye bye