Natsu was using everything he could to defend Wendy and the others. They were badly injured, so they weren't able to defend themselves or help them out, but thankfully they weren't in complete critical condition. Happy was busy tricking the Grimoire Heart soldiers to miss him and hit each other while he laid down the heavy blows, using his Fire Dragon Slaying Magic to take out the hordes of dark mages one by one.
He made a comment about how pissed off he was not just because they were attacking the island, but because he's in a bad mood now that his scarf is black, causing the soldiers to lash out at Natsu for venting on them. One of the mages appeared behind him and casted a fire spell named "Fire Bullet", releasing a torrent of flames from his palm that raced towards Natsu.
The dragon slayer grinned and gave a little excited squeal. "Come to papa!" The torrent reached his destination and was engulfed in flames. Everyone cheered at the supposed victory of their comrade, with the fire wizard bragging about his magic being hot enough to melt rock. He was about to go on when the flames died down and he turned around in shock to see Natsu devouring the flames.
"What the hell?!"
"What is this guy?!"
"He's eating fire?!"
"Impossible!
The soldiers cried out in shock, not believing their enemy to be eating hot plasma right in front of their eyes.
"Wait. Is he the one everyone talks about?!" One mage said. Natsu wiped his mouth and let out a satisfying sigh. He turned over to his foes and flashed another wicked smile.
"Thanks for the snack, now I got a fire in my belly!" He jumped down in front of the squadron as their leader realized who he was.
"The Dragon Slayer, Natsu the Salamander?!" The aforementioned dragon slayer rushed towards them and unleashed another spell, knocking them back. The dark mages realized it was hopeless fighting against him, even calling him a monster. That comment got Natsu to turn his head toward them with a ferocious snarl.
"Who are you calling a monster?" The dark mages stepped back in fear.
"Enough already!" Everyone turned to the top of the cliff to see a figure walking towards the edge.
"I can't watch anymore." The figure revealed himself to be Zancrow, much to the soldiers delight and Natsu's confusion. Zancrow ordered the squad to leave Natsu to him while they look for Zeref, saying this will be over quickly. This confirmed the Dark Guild's goal is to locate the legendary Black Wizard.
"Natsu, Wendy!" The group turned to see Armin and Mikasa showing up just in time to help.
"Are you guys okay?" Mikasa said.
"We're fine Mikasa, thanks." Wendy replied. Armin looked at them and Natsu, then to the dark mages.
'Must be soldiers from Grimoire. Huh? Who's that?' Armin looked up to see a scruffy blonde-hair guy on top of the cliff.
"Well would you look at that, more pests for me to crush." Zancrow declared. Mikasa's gaze hardened as she had her hand on the operating device of her gear.
"I'll take care of them too, just go." The dark mage ordered. The squadron thanked him for taking the lift. Some made a couple of comments about how they couldn't believe Fairy Tail had someone this strong. Unfortunately, Zancrow heard those remarks and he didn't take too kindly to them.
"Hold it right there!" The soldiers jumped in fear as they turned to their superior. "He's strong? This Fairy Tail pansy, SCARES YOU?!" The soldier tried to apologize for the slip up, but Zancrow was having none of it. The wizard went on a tirade on how Grimoire Heart was the strongest there is, and how no guild can come close to its strength. He released his magic in anger, surprising the light mages and scouts.
"Black flames?" Natsu muttered
"What kind of fire is that?" Armin said. He's seen different colors of magical flames before, but these ones were giving off a different vibe and power.
"If you think he's stronger than us then you don't belong here!" Everyone could see the glowing red eyes emitting from the silhouette behind the fire.
"Do you feel that power?" Carla mentioned.
"I don't like the looks of this." Happy added.
"What is this heat?" Mikasa mumbled, her knuckles turning white from gripping her sword handle for so long.
"And as of now. You're all out of the guild!" Dark fire emerged from the ground where the Grimoire Heart soldiers were standing, shrouding them in its presence before blowing them away, much to everyone's shock and horror.
"No way, he just wasted his own men!" Lily said exasperatedly. Zancrow laughed maniacally as Natsu looked on in disbelief.
"You jerk! How could you do that to your friends?"
"They weren't my friends!" His opponent replied, giving a confused and mocking look. "It's not your business anyway, and if I were as weak as you I'd be careful who I run my mouth to." Zancrow swiped his hand and a big beam of black fire raced towards Natsu.
Natsu wiped his scarf to the side and scoffed accordingly to Zancrow's comment "What a joke. Don't you know you're fire ain't gonna hurt me?!" He prepared himself, ready to devour the fire in front of him. Until Wendy shouted.
"Natsu! Stay back! Those flames are bad news, don't let them touch you!" She cried out, trying to reach her friend. Natsu gasped as he realized that Wendy was telling the truth, because as they got closer, Natsu could feel the energy coming from the flames that didn't feel right to him.
He grunted when they made impact. When Natsu tried to eat them, he was gagging as if something was lodged down his throat. He started coughing as the flames weren't going down like they were supposed to.
"Can he not eat those flames?!" Armin gasped.
"Why can't I eat it?" Natsu choked, confirming Armin's words. "What is this?! You tricked me!" He shouted, looking at the user that produced the flames.
"That's what you get for being so cocky!" Zancrow scolded with a smirk. "Now it's time for the main course!" Zancrow conjured a large fireball in his hand before throwing it down at the Dragon Slayer, causing another explosion.
Everyone blocked their faces with their arms as the blast hit them. Happy cried out for his best friend's safety while Carla was confused on why Natsu couldn't eat the black fire. When the dust settled, Natsu looked to be alright as he lowered his arms, but was still reeling a little from the pressure.
Zancrow jumped down in front of him as he gave another laugh. "Serves you right for trying to eat above your stature, you lowly dragon hunter!" He reprimanded.
"You like my divine flames?" The mage asked mockingly.
"What do you mean divine flames?" Natsu asked as he lowered his arm.
"Exactly what it sounds like. My magic is way out of your league." Zancrow looked up with a deranged look.
"You're up against a God Slayer. Make peace with your own fast!" Natsu gasped.
"A God Slayer?" Wendy asked nervously.
Zancrow lit himself up in his "divine flames", Natsu responding in kind with his dragon flames.
"Bring it on runt! Let's see if I can scrounge a meal out of those pathetic flames!" Zancrow challenged.
"I look forward to seeing you choking on them freak! My fist will be the main course!" Natsu countered, raising his fist to his face. Mikasa and Armin stood behind them, ready to back him up while protecting their injured friends. They knew things were about to get ugly from here on out.
"Solid Script: Heal!" Armin took out a Magic Pen that Levy gave to him when he was training. The word formed out of green, friendly-looking energy before it flew over to Wendy and the Exceeds. The aura seemed to heal most of their wounds, the group feeling much better.
"You have to go find the others." Armin told them, before turning over to Zancrow. "We can handle this guy."
"But Armin." Wendy pleaded, turning her attention from him to the main threat.
"Letter Magic, huh? Definitely fits your type, a scrawny weakling that can't use his fists for jack!" Zancrow mocked. Armin gasped at the insult.
"Hey don't go insulting my friends you punk!" Natsu shouted, rushing towards him, with Mikasa following behind, not taking too kindly to the insult either.
The two Fire Slayers charged, throwing punches and kicks at each other, although not getting an upper hand against one another. Natsu did two spinning kicks aimed towards the head that Zancrow easily dodged. Natsu wasn't fast enough and he was sent flying by a punch straight to his face.
"You left yourself wide open dumbass!" Natsu grunted from Zancrow's insult and wasn't going to let that go. He landed on his feet and readied himself.
From behind, Mikasa tried to slash at him. Although she was speedy, Zancrow was faster and dodged her sword swing aimed at his head. He kicked her in the stomach, sending her back.
"Stay out of this, girly!" The God Slayer said. Mikasa gritted her teeth as he turned around to face Natsu.
"I was expecting more power from a dragon hunter like you. You're not holding back on me, are yah?" Zancrow asked.
"You just wait." Natsu replied with a grin. "Now that my body's warmed up, I'm ready to fight! You're gonna wish you didn't ask that question!"
"Careful Natsu."
"He'll be fine 'cause the enemy doesn't stand a chance when he's all fired up like he is right now!"
"But his attacks haven't had any effect. How is that fiend?"
"He just referred to himself as a God Slayer. But I'm not really sure if that's his power or he's trying to talk tough."
Wendy, Happy, Carla, and Lily said from the sidelines respectively. The soldiers watched the fight as they came to their own conclusions.
"This guy… his power is like Natsu's, but is different somehow. Could this be what he means about being a God Slayer"? Armin muttered to himself.
"God Slayer or no. I won't let him get away alive." Mikasa whispered.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm one of Grimoire Hearts Seven Kin, and the guy who's gonna kick your ass! I'm known as the God Slayer, named Zancrow!" The Dark Mage said dangerously.
"Well I'm known as the Dragon Slayer! I'm Natsu of Fairy Tail!" Natsu responded.
"Hahaha. I know who you are, dragon breath! You're famous in the Balam Alliance because of all the destruction you leave in your wake!"
"Say what!" Natsu shouted.
Lily was confused about the nature of the Balam Alliance so Happy and Carla filled him in: They're an alliance of the three most powerful Dark Guilds in Earthland; Oracion Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. Wendy mentioned how they took down the first of the three before, but weren't sure if they could defeat Grimoire since they were the strongest of the trio.
Mikasa and Armin learned about the Oración Seis and the other two Dark Guilds, as well as the concept of Dark Guilds and guilds in general from their time in Earthland and the stories the Fairy Tail members told them. To think they would've encountered them this soon.
Zancrow then listed all the things that Natsu and Fairy Tail accomplished that got in the way of the alliance's plans: Taking down the Demon Lullaby, preventing the resurrection of Deliora another powerful demon, and destroying the R-System and Nirvana, two powerful devices and magic respectively the alliance was going to use for their own means.
He warned Natsu that just because he took down the head of the operations for those powers, Jellal and Zero respectively, then he shouldn't feel all that high and mighty because they weren't nothing compared to him. Natsu scoffed. While the two were having their conversation, Armin got out his magical pen and one of his ODM blades ready.
"I can take you."
"You're just a lowly dragon hunter, don't be so cocky!" Zancrow replied.
"No one's cocky calling yourself a God Slayer!" Natsu seethed, cracking his fists.
"Solid Script: Arrow!" The two turned their heads to the source as Armin wrote out the word, being composed of many arrows. They unfolded and shot at Zancrow, though he didn't seem concerned in the least.
"Hah!" He swung his arms to the side, a large plume of black fire appearing in front of him. The arrows didn't stand a chance as they instantly burned up when they touched the fire.
"Not good enough "Mop Boy". My divine flames can burn anything you throw at me without a second thought." The blond scolded the other blonde. Armin gasped in shock at his spell being taken care of, but that didn't discourage him.
"In that case, let's try something that fire can't burn. Solid Script: Water!" Armin wrote out the word in midair, this time with his ODM sword, which he practiced as an alternate means in case his pen was no good. The water from the magical word was aimed at the dark mage. Zancrow still had his menacing grin as he lit his body on fire and to Armin's shock, the water evaporated instantly.
"What did I tell you?! My divine flames are at such a high level, they conquered fire's natural weaknesses! They can't be put out by some measly water or anything else!" He laughed. Armin was stunned. Zancrow laughed as a plume of black fire erupted from his palm, before throwing it over at the other blonde. Armin gasped as he quickly wrote out another word.
"Flame God Kindle Spark!"
"Solid Script: Shield!" Using his magic pen, Armin wrote out the magical word, which was made in a fashion similar to various shield designs. Although the word left visible openings, the magic did its job and blocked the attack. However, Zancrow's Fire God Slayer Magic was more powerful. When the flame made contact, it instantly exploded into a bigger wildfire that broke through the shield, knocking the soldier back considerably. Armin rolled around before stopping.
The scout got back up from the damage he sustained. He tried to find another way to deal with this guy, when he saw a shadow appearing behind Zancrow.
"Huh?" Zancrow turned around to see Mikasa, with a big, ice sword on her back. A giant, curved, single-edged two-handed sword to be specific.
"Ice-Make: Nodachi!" Mikasa created the ice blade when Armin was keeping the Grimoire Heart wizard busy. She was planning on cutting him clean while she had the chance. With her inhuman strength, she swung her giant sword at Zancrow.
The dark wizard grabbed the edge of the blade before he was sliced. Mikasa gasped at her failed attack. Zancrow stared at her as he gave a low chuckle
"The Mop Boy might be a weakling, but I'm guessing he's the smart one between you two, because that was pretty stupid what you just did. If water wasn't going to work on me, what makes you think ice will?" Mikasa gasped as Zancrow cocked back his fist and aimed it straight at her face.
"Flame God Mercury Fist!" Lighting his fist on fire, Zancrow gave a mean jab at Mikasa's face, knocking the girl back as skidded on the group before coming to a halt. The oriental held her face as she felt the intense heat from the attack. Mikasa groaned as she lifted her head to her opponent.
The soldier got on her feet and using her gear, flew into the air, blades at the ready. Mikasa covered them in ice, making sure that the freezing, solid element was smooth and sharp so that it could cut cleanly.
The Scout lunged towards Zancrow, intending to cut him cleanly. When it looked like she had a clear shot at him, she took it.
"I don't think so." Zancrow caught the blades with his bare hand. Mikasa didn't let up as she struggled to release them, causing the edges to carve into the skin. Zancrow flinched a little as the cuts were being formed, but he still retained his crazy grin as he melted the swords into slabs. Mikasa gasped as he kicked her into the stomach. The soldier flew a few feet back before stopping herself. The dark mage laughed evilly as she replaced her blades.
"My flames are the highest level fire can go! They are a representation of why God Slayer Magic is so powerful, and why I'm one of the strongest there is!" The spiky blonde boasted. Natsu gritted his teeth as he rushed towards his more vile counterpart. He jabbed toward his face, but Zancrow saw it coming and blocked it with his hands and magic, but was pushed back a little.
"What's that even mean?! You expect us to believe a god trained you?!"
The two mages went at it, ending the battle with a stalemated kick, resulting in a bright white glow. The light mage and dark mage jumped and backed away from each other.
"I guess if you call Master Hades a god, then yeah 'cause he's the one who trained me to use this awesome Lost Magic!" Zancrow boasted, though the situation was actually a bit appropriate considering his Master's name and the magic he wields.
"Give me a break. You're master ain't a god, he's just a regular old person! Unlike you, everything I know about Dragon Slayer Magic, I learned from an actual dragon!" Natsu counters, lighting himself on fire.
Zancrow didn't look phased. "You really think I give a crap? Dragons are just flying lizards. Wanna ask this little guy if he's got any magic?" He asked, holding up one of the native lizards of the island that was trying to get out of his grasp.
"Hey man! Igneel's not a freaking lizard!" Natsu shouted.
"Yeah, you tell him! Grandeeny's not a lizard either you big meanie!" Wendy supported.
"Don't encourage him, Wendy!" Carla told her.
"I'd shut up and sit pretty if I were you! I got my hands full with pinky, but as soon as I'm through with him, you're gonna be up next. You and those other pests you Fairy Tail scum decided to take off the streets!" Zancrow laughed. The soldiers gasped at that last remark, Mikasa giving a menacing glare at the spiky blonde. Wendy looked shocked while Carla and Lily stood firmly in front of her, with Happy reeled back in fear. The soldiers on the other hand were on their guard.
"He's not messing around!" Happy whimpered.
"I won't let you lay a finger on this child!" Carla declared.
"Hey you! Don't go getting distracted!" Natsu attacked from above, aiming a kick towards Zancrow's head. Another clash occurred, when the latter used his magic to defend himself, resulting in the flames colliding into a white glow before Zancrow got Natsu off of him.
Mikasa clasped her hands together as icy magic energy began to form in between them.
"Ice Make: Chakram!" In each of her hands, two medium-sized, sharp, decorated rings appeared in each of her hands. Mikasa threw one at Zancrow's head, making him tilt his head to the left to avoid it making contact.
Mikasa grunted and charged with the other chakram in her head, unsheathing her blade in the other that she put away earlier to make the spell. Mikasa swung her weapons in many different directions, trying to land a hit on the God Slayer, but was unable to. The dark mage grunted a little.
"Get out of here you worthless pest!" He shot a beam of black, godlike fire at the soldier. Mikasa widened her eyes and used her ODM gear to shoot a hook and cable, and reel herself out of the way. Another beam was launched and Mikasa gracefully moved out of the way, but she could tell the flames were getting dangerously close to her.
Mikasa saw an opening and rushed towards the dark mage again. Zancrow scoffed and evaded another attack.
"Not good enough, sunshine!" Mikasa gasped as Zancrow jumped into the air and twisted his body until he was above the soldier perpendicular to her body. He raised his leg and covered it in godlike flames.
"Flame God's Edge!" Zancrow kicked Mikasa in the chest in an arc-like fashion, causing severe burns on the hip section and sending the girl crashing into the cliff wall. When the dust was clear, Mikasa was alright, but she was getting seriously injured as blood was dripping from her head and she held her right hip, the area where she was struck. Natsu stared in shock before gritting his teeth.
Seeing an opportunity, Natsu rushed forward to try and attack Zancrow from the back of the head, but the blonde easily caught his fist and retaliated with an uppercut that sent him back. Natsu got back up and kept his eye on the enemy.
"Ice-Make: Lance!" Mikasa clasped her hands together, forming another spell. This time one of Gray's signature moves that was one of the first things he taught her. The ice formed multiple spires that shot out like bullets. Zancrow didn't seem bothered as he waved his hand, black fire appearing before him that dealt with all the lances easily. Mikasa gritted her teeth as the dark mage turned back to face Natsu.
Everyone watched as the two stared each other down, still reeling a little bit from the shock that Natsu was essentially fighting a godlike counterpart to himself. Natsu looked at Wendy and the Exceeds before turning his attention to his allies from the Scouts. He gritted his teeth as he turned back to Zancrow.
"You guys gotta get out of here Wendy!" Natsu shouted, bursting into flames. Zancrow grinned as he made a challenging pose.
"Finally bring out the big guns, huh?" He asked teasingly. Natsu put his hands together as a fireball started forming in between them.
"With the flame on my left hand and the flame on my right! Put them together and you get!" Zancrow then started mirroring Natsu's actions.
"I ask you scorch all from the far west to the far east! Oh breath of god!" He chanted.
Wendy grabbed the Exceeds and started to run to get away from the impact of the collision that was sure to blow up the whole area. Mikasa and Armin used their gear to try and fly out of there.
"Fire Dragon!"
"Flame God!"
The two slayers readied their spell, waiting to unleash them.
"Brilliant Flame!"
"Kagutsuchi!"
The two fireballs erupted from their fists, enveloping their users as they started clashing. The heat from the attacks were starting to affect everything in the surrounding vicinity.
"What tremendous heat!" Carla shouted.
"The powers of a dragon and god are colliding." Wendy said.
"How can he be this powerful?" Armin said in shock.
Mikasa was also stunned. So far, they weren't able to land a hit on him, neither was Natsu able to. She hoped he would this time, but from what things were looking, it didn't seem good.
Natsu was struggling to match Zancrow's power. Although he was able to force a stalemate, he felt his edge slowly slipping away.
"Oh no you don't!" He refused, putting in more power to overpower Zancrow's spell. That didn't last long as Natsu was pushed back and his own spell cancelled out. The others were shocked by his sudden defeat.
"Natsu!" Wendy and the soldiers shouted.
"No way." Carla gasped.
"He was overpowered!" Happy gasped. Zancrow looked over as grinned.
"Enough with the play by play." He lifted his arm to sprout more black flames towards the cat trio and the bluenette. "Get lost cats!" The mages screamed as they were shrouded in the fire, sending them to the ground.
"Don't think I forgot about you!" Zancrow shouted. He did the same to the soldier duo, who used their gear to evade the oncoming attack. However, Zancrow shot more and they hit their targets.
Natsu gasped as he saw his friends lying on the ground with smoke coming off of them. Zancrow gave another laugh as he relished in the pain the Fairy Tail mages and Survey Corps soldiers were feeling.
"Uh oh, it wasn't just cats! That puny little brat's a dragon hunter too. Oh well, that'll teach her not to mess with me! And Mop Boy and Emo Girl have finally learned their lesson after their attacks didn't do a damn thing to me!"
"Wendy, are you alright!" Carla asked her companion.
"Mikasa, how are you doing?" Armin said.
"I'm… I'm fine." Mikasa replied, although it was apparent that the flames really did a number on her.
'I didn't think someone whose power can rival Gajeel's can be outclassed this easily. I've never seen anything like it. Guess that's the power of Lost Magic.' Lily said in his head. Natsu got up from their clash as he growled out.
"I'll show you." He took in a deep breath, his body inflating significantly.
"Fire Dragon Roar!" A beam of fire exploded from his mouth and shot towards his opponent. Zancrow didn't look all that fazed though.
"How lame. Didn't you know that it was the divine that granted humans the knowledge of fire?" The God Slayer said to his draconic counterpart. "The flames weren't created by humans or dragons: it was the Gods!" The fire hit him and for a second Natsu felt happy that he got a clean shot on his foe. Until he heard a noise, the familiar sound of a magic being devoured. Everyone watched in horror when Natsu's fire was being eaten by the God Slayer.
"Are you kidding? No way!" Natsu gasped.
"He ate all of Natsu's flames!" Wendy exasperated.
"He has no manners!" Carla remarked.
"How. He said that Natsu's fire couldn't affect him, but to be able to consume them too." Mikasa gasped. Armin was just as stunned.
"Ah, that was a nice meal. I love the feeling of violent, never-ending flames!" Zancrow backhanded complimented. "Even if you have enough power to slay a dragon, you could never slay a god!"
"No way." Natsu muttered. He never expected his magic to be eaten just like that. Now he knew how his enemies felt whenever he consumed their magic.
Mikasa didn't waste any time, she had a clear shot, she needed to take it. Using her magic, she created a giant ice cannon in her hands. She lined it up until she had the God Slayer in her sights.
"Ice-Make: Cannon!" She fired an icy projectile at the dark mage, which this time actually hit him. Zancrow growled at the constant attacks from the blindside.
"I had enough of you! Die already!" Zancrow shot out a plume of black fire at the girl, making Mikasa gasp as she tried to form a shield with her magic. But the spell was too fast and she was blown back.
"Mikasa!" Armin shouted. Zancrow gave a low chuckle as his Magic Power began building up.
"This is the true power of Grimoire Heart! Flame God Bellow!" Zancrow's eyes glowed a ghastly white as he unleashed his own breath attack in response, a bellow powerful enough to match a roar. The black, divine flames emitted from his mouth as it raced towards Natsu, who couldn't pull the same defense his enemy just did.
The surrounding area between Natsu and his friends burst into flames as a big explosion lifted them into the air and went flying, going in separate directions. Soon that part of the island was destroyed and all that was left was Zancrow standing on top of the cliff. Happy cried out for his friend, but it was no use.
"Well, well. Guess those dragon hunters and pathetic excuses of soldiers have hit rock bottom!" He let out another evil laugh as he looked down, admiring his work as he left the cliffside to continue his job of destroying Fairy Tail and their allies.
The soldier duo was lying down, knocked out from the large-scale attack. Armin's eyes were twitching until they opened.
"Uh, huh what?" He sat up trying to comprehend what was happening. Armin sat there for a moment until the last few minutes flashed through his mind. He got on his feet and went over to Mikasa.
"Mikasa, wake up. Please, get up." The blonde urged. Mikasa went under the same process Armin did when she was finally awake. She turned over to the boy looking over her.
"Armin?"
"We have to go, Mikasa. The others are injured and that Zancrow guy is still lurking around the woods." At the mention of the God Slayers name, the soldier immediately jumped up, startling her comrade.
Mikasa checked her gear. Despite the blast, it thankfully was directed at her so her ODM gear was still combat-ready. But the thought of Zancrow put a bitter taste in her mouth. She remembered none of her attacks doing a damn thing against him, neither her swords or her magic, which would melt before they could hit him. Not only that, Zancrow was really speedy and strong, able to evenly match and even surpass her physical abilities. It was the first in a long time that she was that outmatched.
"Mikasa, wait." She turned to Armin.
"I know you want to find Zancrow. But we need to find Wendy, Natsu and the others. They could've been seriously hurt badly. We need to make sure they are okay before we go back to battle." He explained. Mikasa took his words into consideration and saw the logic behind them. She calmed down as Armin got on his feet.
"Is your gear alright, Armin?" Mikasa asked. Armin nodded and the two went into the woods to try and find their Fairy Tail friends. Although they needed to find them, the soldiers were discouraged at their inability to do a thing to Zancrow, especially Mikasa who was downright pissed. Even with all that training, it wasn't enough.
They needed to get stronger if they wanted to help out their allies from this strange world.
"Uh, ah man. That's guy hardcore. It's been a long time since fire actually felt hot to me." Natsu said to himself. After being separated from the others, he walked through the forest while reflecting on his fight so far with the Grimoire Heart mage. He stopped for a moment.
"Wait, where the heck am I?" Natsu looked up when his nose caught something.
"I know that smell." Natsu ran over to the location of where the scent was coming from. When he saw the figure up ahead, it confirmed his suspicions.
"What are you doing here?" He asked Makarov. Natsu stopped when he realized the condition his guild master was in.
"Woah, gramps, no way." Natsu said in shock. He quickly picked up the pace. "Are you okay?" He asked, only to trip on feet, falling face first. The force of the fall caused the tiny master to awaken from his slumber.
"Natsu. It's you."
"What in the world happened to you? Oh crap, you're hurt real bad aren't yah? I'm kinda scared to move you, but we gotta get you to Wendy. Maybe Krista and Armin can help with their new magic. Of course that's a lot easier said than done 'cause I have no idea where we are right now!" Natsu rambled to himself, looking around to try to figure out his location only to finish his rambling in frustration.
"Natsu." The Dragon Slayer stopped.
"How you'd get so beat up? Can you tell me who did this to you?"
"Natsu." The guild master spoke. "Listen, the chances of us defeating Grimoire Heart are null." Natsu gasped.
"You must be outta of your mind right now! The gramps I know would never say something like that!" He shouted, throwing his arms into the air and ranting.
"You're injured my boy. Who did that to you?" Makarov interrupted.
"This ain't nothing compared to what I'm going to do to him." Natsu answered. "The next time I see that chump it's on!"
"I beg you, Natsu." Natsu stopped his little temper tantrum to look down at Makarov. "Gather all the others and leave while you can."
Natsu punched the ground. "Would you quit talking like that?" He demanded softly, his head hanging. "We're not through with the S-Class Trial. As Fairy Tail's Master, you're supposed to support us, not tell us we can't win." He reasoned.
"Besides, we have the Scouts with us. They can help us take down Grimoire Heart!" Natsu added. Makarov took that last part into consideration before replying.
"While that's true. There are times when the best thing to do, is retreat." Makarov responded. Natsu's eyes widened when he heard those words, as he recalled Zancrow blasting him with his own breath attack after eating his.
"Master." Natsu mutters, his body shaking. He heard something as he turned to his left as saw a black wisp crashing down next to them.
"Hahahaha, well, well, well. Looks like Master Hades did a number on you eh Makarum?" Zancrow mocked rhetorically, doing a weird dance.
"He's the one that did this?" Natsu asked, getting up on his feet.
"Let it go my boy. Remember what I just told you." Makarov pleaded.
"I ain't backing down." Natsu meekly responded. The guild master turned to Natsu and saw his whole body was shaking in terror.
'Natsu. He's trembling in fear?!' Makarov said in his mind. For all his time he's known the Dragon Slayer, being fearful (and not just being scared of Erza) was not something that he's recognized for.
"You're having a hard time, dragon hunter? Looks like you're freaking out 'cause there's sweat dripping from every pour." Zancrow belittled. Natsu grunted, remembering his time with Gildarts when he truly felt fear for the first time.
Natsu raised his hands to see them shaking. "This feeling. This is fear."
"Natsu." Makarov said in concern. Zancrow roared in another laughing fit.
"Hahahaha! You're trembling in fear. Can't say I blame yah. If I were facing myself, I'd be quaking in my boots too!" Zancrow mocked.
'You've done enough. Get out of here.' Makarov pleaded. Natsu continued to shake until he activated his magic and lit his body on fire.
"He's right. Yeah, this is fear I'm feeling. But it's not the same kind of fear that Gildarts was talking about." Natsu shouted, getting Zancrow to tilt his head and give a small "huh?" in confusion. The Fairy Tail mage gritted his teeth as his fangs became more noticeable.
"I'm ain't trembling because of you! I'm afraid that someone is going to do the punk that hurts Gramps in before I can get a few licks in." Makarov stared at his child in worry.
"You're gonna pay. I'm not gonna let you guys get away with this!" Natsu shouted, his shadow being visible through the fiery aura with glowing, white eyes. He looked up at Zancrow, burning with fury both figuratively and literally.
"I'll be the one who takes down Master Hades!" Natsu declared.
Zancrow laughed crazily as he lit himself on fire. "You, take down Master Hades?! Hah! Don't make me laugh!" The two Fire Slayers stared each other down, Natsu having a calm, but storming expression in his eyes while Zancrow still had his signature crazed look. They butted heads as the latter's expression turned into a frown.
"You think you can beat Master Hades when you have no chance against me punk! Then, I'll make sure you can't say stuff like that ever again!"
Natsu raised his fist in the air, having enough of his rival Slayer's talking. He smacked Zancrow down before following with an uppercut, then a straight punch to the face, finally getting a few clean hits on him after their first battle.
Zancrow skidded back, but he still had his crazy grin. "I told you, your dragon flames have no effect on me." He stopped himself to see Natsu in his magical aura jumping from tree to tree. Natsu lunged forward to give a mean kick, but Zancrow easily put his hands together to block it with his own flames before pushing him back.
'No it can't be. He can use Fire Magic too?' Makarov thought, noticing the similarities between Natsu's and the dark mage's power.
"You're dragon fire got nothing on my divine flames! They're on a completely different level!" Zancrow boasted, hitting Natsu and sending him flying.
"Shut up! If your fire really is supposed to be of a higher hierarchy than mine. Then all I have to do is make my flames surpass yours!" Natsu declared, as he fell slowly to the ground. Zancrow grinned.
"You know my divine flames do more than just burn stuff." Zancrow mentioned moving his arms in a circular pattern, leaving behind wispy trails as he used his fire to form a giant scythe.
"They are like a weapon of fire, leaving behind destruction in their wake." He then laughed as he lunged and swung at Natsu, leaving behind a large number of trees that were cut down swiftly. The dragon slayer jumped from tree to tree until he got on top of one. Using his magic, Natsu punched down the giant log until it crushed his opponent.
He stood there for a second until a large crack appeared near the side of the cut-down tree, and a rush of black fire emerged from them. Zancrow broke through the tree, punching Natsu right in the gut as he laughed sadistically.
"Got yah!" Natsu grunted in pain as he was pushed back. Zancrow laughed more as his magic transformed into two large jaws that had glowing red eyes, looking ready to kill. "My divine flames like the taste of dragon hunters. You're goin' down!" He boasted, slamming the two jaws together to resemble it eating viciously. Zancrow lunged at him.
"Flame God's Supper!" He shouted as the two flaming maws closed in on Natsu. He wasn't about to let them devour him like that. He gathered his own flames in his hands as he defended himself.
"Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" The orange flames erupted from the fists of their user as they formed long whips. The whips curled up into spiraling circles as they blocked the jaws from clamping on Natsu. The pinkette groaned as the power of the jaws was still being felt despite the protection. He looked over to see Zancrow still giving a crazed look in his eyes while still giving a shit-eating grin.
With one push, Natsu pushed the jaws back as he jumped up in time, the semi-sentient spell missing their target. The crazy-eyed dark mage saw Natsu once again in the air.
"Oh no. You're not getting away from me!" He declared as Zancrow brought his arms together, the flaming jaws and teeth appearing again, eager to get to their prey. But Natsu wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.
"Fire Dragon Sword Horn!" He cloaked himself in fire as he raced to the side, evading the jaws once more. The spell chased him as Zancrow was trying to get his opponent in his grasp. He gritted his teeth as Natsu proved to be faster than he thought. At one point, he lost sight of him.
Makarov watched the whole thing. From what he could gather, the enemy had a magic that was a counterpart to Natsu's, but the composition was different. As a result, the blonde's magic appeared to be a superior version of Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, something that his child was clearly having trouble with. It was almost as if Natsu was fighting himself in some case, but much more stronger and bloodthirsty.
"Where did you go, you lowly dragon whelp?!" He spoke. He would get his answer soon enough.
"Over here!" Zancrow let out a "huh?" as he was shoved in the back by a rushing force. Natsu slammed into him with his spell when he was finally out of his line of sight. It felt good getting another hit since he was the one taking the beating for most of the fight.
Zancrow tched. "Nice shot, but you're not getting out of my sight again!" He stated. The Dragon Slayer wasn't going to let himself be trapped like that and with a quick burst of his magic, flew out of reach just as the jaws were about to come down on him. His godlike counterpart watched as his prey got away from him yet again.
Natsu was flying through the woods, making sure not to let Zancrow out of his sights while he still could see him. He was racking his brain trying to find a way to defeat him, let alone making sure to actually hit the bastard so that it affected him. He gasped as he had a realization as he remembered the equipment the Scouts used to fly. Natsu looked at his hands and clenched his fists as he had an idea.
"Fire Dragon Wing Attack!"
Natsu formed the flame whips, but this time used them to wrap around two of the many nearby trees, stopping himself from going any further. When he reached the furthest he could go, Natsu slingshotted his body as he was sent flying forward to where his foe was.
The God Slayer squinted his eyes as he saw something coming from the distance, and it was coming fast. Before he knew it, a flaming force came crashing into him, socking him hard in the stomach as he let out a hard gasp. Natsu had in fact headbutted him hard, using the added momentum to his advantage.
While he had the chance, Natsu lit his foot on fire and gave an upwards front kick to the chin, getting another hit in. Zancrow however, was going to make sure that was the last. He raised his fist in the air, alight by his black flames, and knocked Natsu hard on the head, sending the Dragon Slayer crashing into the ground.
The pinkette got back up on his feet and the blonde came crashing down, landing on his own. Natsu and Zancrow bared their teeth at each other, one a snarl while the other was a grin. They both took in a large breath of air before letting the other have it.
"Fire Dragon…"
"Flame God…"
"ROAR/BELLOW!"
The two breath attacks collided, much like the previous attacks their users had done, and just like before, a faint white glow formed in the middle. Unlike before, Natsu was having an easier time putting up against Zancrow's power, pushing his beam back more comfortably. Despite all that, Zancrow was still stronger, and eventually, his attack won out, pushing Natsu's beam back considerably then hitting the Dragon Slayer himself.
Natsu grunted as he was sent back, rolling harshly on the ground. He stopped himself and moaned in pain as he looked up. From the smoke clouds, he could see the silhouette of Zancrow and something else. When he looked closer at the shadow, his eyes widened as he knew what it was.
Zancrow summoned his giant fire jaws and this time Natsu couldn't escape in time as they clamped down on him, trapping him in a giant fiery sphere as the smoke cleared. He let out a loud cry of pain as the godlike fire was hurting his skin.
"Heh, you can't escape now! No wizard has been able to escape this spell. Since you're a fire wizard, it will take some time for it to fully kill, but that's alright with me as I can watch as you squirm helplessly." Zancrow told him.
"Well then I'll just eat my way out here then!" Natsu responded.
"Go ahead! Didn't I tell you that you can't eat my divine flames?" Zancrow challenged.
Natsu took another bite out of the black flames, intending to eat them fully this time. Only to get a giant pain in his head as soon as they went down his mouth, causing him to scream in agony.
"What did I tell you? You can't eat my fire!" Zancrow laughed. Natsu grunted as he took another attempt at eating his foe's magic.
'Damn it. Scarf it down already! I won't be beaten by some stupid fake god and his so-called divine flames!' Natsu shouted angrily. Zancrow's attitude was really pissing him off. First he turns his back on his comrades just because they were weaker, he attacks his friends while they were still recovering, and to top it all off, he had the gall to look down on him and his magic just because he was a Dragon Slayer and Zancrow was a God Slayer.
He still didn't know why he wasn't able to eat Zancrow's flames, yet he could eat his. Other than the hierarchy stuff, Natsu couldn't put his finger on it. The first time he tried, he was coughing as soon as the fire hit his throat. It's like the fire itself was trying to force itself out of the system and up the windpipe. When he tried to eat it now, he was able to consume more, but it gave him a painful headache. Natsu was so close to fully eating them, but there was something that was blocking the absorption from going through, a restriction that his fellow, yet enemy Fire Slayer unfortunately wasn't under.
'I don't really get it. I was able to eat the Ethernano from that lacrima back and it was full of different types of elemental magic from what Erza said, even if I was knocked out back then. So why can't I eat this?! It's my own element for crying out loud!' Zancrow laughed as Natsu was struggling inside of his capsule spell.
"What did I tell you? A dragon hunter like you can't eat my divine flames!" He boldly declared. He lost his cruel grin when he felt a crushing force constricting his lower body. The dark mage looked over to see the tiny guild master with a large arm grabbing him, and a furious look on his face. The look of a papa wolf ready to slaughter any who dared to hurt his cubs.
"A giant, huh?" Zancrow muttered.
"Do you have no sense of dignity?! How dare you hurt one of my children before my very eyes!" Makarov shouted in anger, crushing the dark fire mage in his giant fist even more. The blonde screamed out in pain as his bones were being tested on their durability.
"I will squash you like an insect!"
"I'd be careful if I were you old man! Don't want to lose that arm now, do we?" Zancrow mocked rhetorically. His body ignited in his magic, causing Makarov insane pain as he held on, his arm shriveling from the unique properties of the godlike flames.
"Are you out of your mind?! Do you really want to lose that arm?!" The Fire God Slayer said surprised, keeping his magic active.
"If that's what it takes to protect my family then so be it! Makarov countered. Natsu tried to shout for his master to let go of his counterpart, but like him, Fairy Tail's master was stubborn to the end.
"Let me go!" The God Slayer demanded.
"I'm begging you. Let go!" The Dragon Slayer pleaded.
The soldiers were running, trying to ignore their wounds and diminishing stamina, trying to find their lost friends after being separated in that explosion. Armin was losing a lot more than Mikasa due to the latter's inhuman capabilities. Still, she was also injured badly from their first encounter with Zancrow. The cadet was still reeling from not being able to do much to him.
Armin looked over and saw a black, purplish flicker in the distance between the woods. "Mikasa!" He called over. His comrade turned over and saw what he was seeing. They looked at each other and nodded, Mikasa immediately sprinting and grabbing her friend's arm as they ran, dragging Armin with her as he tried to keep up with her speed.
Natsu growled, frustrated that he and Gramps got themselves in this mess with no clear way out. He looked over and saw his friends from the Survey Corps coming towards them.
"Armin? Mikasa?" He said. The other two looked over to the young soldiers.
"Natsu! Master Makarov!" Armin called back. He gasped when he saw the predicament the two were in and who else was with them. Mikasa glared deadly as she got her blades, ready to slice the God Slayer in pieces. Zancrow snickered.
"Well well, if it isn't "Mop Boy" and "Emo Girl". I wouldn't do that if I were you." He warned, putting out more of his flames that caused Makarov to groan in agony. Mikasa hesitated until Armin put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head, telling her the message. She looked over to the state of their friends and relented. She fell down, the exhaustion catching up to her, Armin following behind. Zancrow laughed maniacally.
"Now, it looks like one of us is biting the dust first! Who will it be: the dragon hunter, Makarov, or me?" The three were in a stalemate, unable to go any further to try and damage one another than the state they were in and escape. The soldier duo couldn't do anything but watch as their Fairy Tail comrades were helpless and they couldn't try to help without risking putting them in more danger since Zancrow could hurt both Natsu and Makarov despite being in a dire state himself.
Natsu growled as he attempted to eat Zancrow's flames for a third time. Said God Slayer scoffed in disbelief.
"How many times do I have to tell you? You can't eat my godlike flames. They are just too high a level for your lungs to be able to devour them. But if you want to go out the quick way, be my guest. Hope you enjoy your death row meal." He mocked. Makarov glared at the dark mage.
"I pity you young man." Everyone turned to the elderly master who was still keeping his crocodile-like grip on Grimoire Heart's slayer despite the burns. "You don't know anything about the power of family!" He loudly declared. Mikasa and Armin gasped, especially the former as those words struck a chord within her. She was reminded of their missing childhood friend and her last remaining family, looking down with a somber look. Armin looked at her, surprised at her expression and tried to comfort her. The dragon slayer also gasped at the declaration.
He looked at the cage that he was in. Natsu was able to keep down some of the magic just before Gramps spoke. It was hard, but he managed. It was like trying to keep down a new piece of food that could be eaten, but still didn't exactly sit right with your body.
Natsu's eyes widened, having an idea of how to get out of here. If it doesn't work…
With a loud scream, the mage erupted his magic from his body, the flames pulsating as they grew bigger and bigger, trying to break out of the black flames that ensnared its user. The fire kept pushing until it couldn't go any longer. He laid lifeless in the purplish fiery domain as his friends and family looked in terror.
"No." Makarov gasped. "Natsu's magic power is gone!" Armin and Mikasa gasped at the statement, looking at the fiery pinkette's silhouette through the dark holy flames in fear. Zancrow just laughed maliciously.
"HAH HAH HAHA! Looks like the dragon hunter is the first one to go!" The dark mage chuckled. Mikasa gripped her sword handles in anger, trying to get herself up while Armin still looked in disbelief.
'Do we really don't have a chance against these guys?' He thought fearfully. He couldn't believe that one of their new comrades was going to die not long after meeting them. It was no different from their own world. His eyes widened when he heard a loud gulp from inside the black sphere, like someone just took a big sip of water. This got everyone's attention.
"What the-?" Mikasa didn't finish her sentence as the scene in front of her left speechless.
The Fire God Slaying spell slowly broke down as its captive was set free, the remains of the magical fiery prison being steadily devoured in the prisoner's mouth. Everyone was in shock and awe as Natsu was eating the God Slayer Magic!
"Impossible! A dragon hunter shouldn't eat my flames!" Zancrow shouted. The soldiers were sorta feeling the same way, remembering how Natsu had trouble eating those exact flames earlier, only to fail at completely consuming them.
'Amazing' Makarov thought. 'By emptying out his magic power, he turned into a vessel, and was able to devour previously inedible fire!' Natsu wiped his mouth with his hand.
"I see, I had no idea that there was a trick to eating certain kinds of fire!" Makarov thought otherwise.
'I wouldn't call that a mere trick, not with that level of magic! He drained out his Magic Container, using it for the enemy's power to build up inside of him.' The guild master then shouted in anger.
"What were you thinking, Natsu?! Do you want to die?!" Makarov let go of Zancrow, sending him comedically flying in the air while doing cartwheels. Natsu sighed deeply as his left hand was now doused in the other Slayer Magic, while his right hand was smoldering with his signature magic.
"I have no intention of dying today, Gramps. No one's going to die on my watch! We are going back home to Fairy Tail!" He turned to his friends from the other side.
"And we need to make sure they get back to their home too." Natsu stated, turning his head back to Zancrow. The scouts looked at him as he made his declaration, then to each other as they nodded. Using the remains of their strength, they got on their feet to provide assistance.
"Solid Script: Fire! Solid Script: Flame!" Using his sword and magic pen, Armin wrote the words, transforming into an orange and blue fire respectively. "Let me give you more power Natsu!" The flames raced towards Natsu, who looked stunned but then grinned as he ate them right up.
"Thanks for the boost Armin!" He said gratefully, Armin nodding. While he did that, Mikasa clasped her hands together as icy magical energy began to form. She used her gear to fly up towards Zancrow and pay him back for what he did to them earlier.
"Ice-Make: Frozen Katana!" From her palms formed a light, but powerful katana made out of ice that looked freshly sharpened, ready to cut anything in its path, which its owner was intending to do. With one swift strike, Mikasa slashed her icy blade down on her enemy in a diagonal fashion, leaving a deep, bloody gash across his body that made Zancrow gasp in pain. Natsu nodded.
"Thanks Mikasa." He said softly, before straightening his body posture as he looked up to the sky.
Natsu roared with fury, his fists generating the orange and black flames until they became giant spheres of power. He jumped up into the air after Zancrow as he chanted.
"Dragon and Divine flames! Come together to become one!" The Dragon Slayer appeared in front of his evil God Slayer counterpart with scathing anger. Zancrow looked at him in shock and a little fear, knowing that there was no way to dodge this, not with the dragon hunter being so close and that girl cutting him painfully.
"DRAGON GOD!" Natsu slammed the large masses of fire into Zancrow, sandwiching him in like a compressor
"BRILLIANT FLAME!" The two magics of powerful, mythical creatures. Once opposing each other now fighting together for one goal. The flames danced around until a white glow was created from the mixture, enveloping Natsu's target and pushing him back.
The Fire God Slayer laughed crazily as the combined power of the two Slayer magics overwhelmed him and he was sent flying into the ground, unconscious and defeated for good. The three spectators looked on in shock and awe as they gasped, not believing what they'd just seen.
Natsu landed on his feet, breathing heavily from the fusion spell. He looked over at Zancrow's defeated body. Although it wasn't exactly shown on his face, Natsu was relieved that he was able to finally defeat the God Slayer.
Makarov looked at his son in pride. He's seen the fiery pinkette cross leap-and-bounds and he was proud to say that the young Dragon Slayer has grown into an amazing wizard.
Armin was flabbergasted as Natsu's latest achievement. Despite all odds, he made the impossible possible and was able to use both his and his enemy's power to defeat him once and for all. This gave the blond brainiac hope that they could win this.
Mikasa was dumbfounded. She and Armin weren't able to do much, but Natsu was able to put down that swirly, red-eyed freak for good. While Mikasa was proud of her friend's victory, she was frustrated that she couldn't do anything to protect him, Armin, Master Makarov, Wendy, or the Exceeds, let alone beat the Fire God Slayer. She vowed to be stronger than this, so she wouldn't have to lose her only family again.
The Fire Dragon Slayer shouted in triumph.
"Alright! I did it!"
Magic:
Armin;
Solid Script;
Solid Script: Heal;
The user writes out the word "heal" in a green energy, then can use that energy to heal wounds. The more experienced the user, the more powerful the spell can be and the more serious the wounds it can heal
Solid Script: Arrow;
The user writes out the word "arrow" in a bunch of arrows, then the word unfolds to release and fire the arrows and more in a quick barrage. The more experienced the user, the more arrows they can summon with this spell, and the powerful, durable, and fast they are
Solid Script: Water;
The user writes out the word "water" in the liquid of the same name, then shoots it out towards the opponent. The more experienced the user, the more mass of water they can produce, the larger the quantity, and the more pressure the water will have
Solid Script: Shield;
The user writes out the word "shield" with each of the words being designed after various shield types. This spell can be used to defend against practically any attack. The more experienced the user, the stronger the defense the spell will provide and the more type of attacks it can defend against
Mikasa;
Ice-Make;
Ice-Make; Nodachi; The user forms a giant, single-edged two-handed sword made out of ice that has extreme cutting power and strength behind it
Ice-Make; Chakrams; The user forms two giant, thin, neatly decorated and sharp rings made out of ice around their hands. Can be used in hand-to-hand combat and throw it far for long ranged attacks
Ice-Make: Frozen Katana; The user forms a sharp, deadly and thin single-edged curved sword made out of ice that is light enough for faster movements, but strong enough to leave behind devastating blows
Zancrow;
Fire God Slayer Magic;
Flame (Fire) God Kindle Spark; The user conjures up a small black fire in their hands, then throws it at the target, the fire erupting and growing bigger upon contact. Official Spell, known as "Fire God Exploding Flame" as a placeholder
Flame (Fire) God Mercury Fist; The user covers their fist in a black, godlike flame, then strikes the target with it, leaving being a nasty bruise
Flame (Fire) God Edge; The user covers their leg in godlike flames, then kicks the target in a arc-like fashion
Author's Note:
So here we have the iconic "Natsu vs Zancrow" fight and the first of the Grimoire Heart battles. Well, maybe not iconic, but notable for the premise. I have quite a few things to say about this.
For one, I'll expand and explain more on the nature of Slayer magics and their relationship with each other in later chapters and future author notes. Although I don't blame people for having this impression, I don't believe the way Natsu was able to eat Zancrow's flames was an "asspull" as many people put it as. I do think the logic of how he does it works, but it definitely could've been explained better. When it comes to Mashima's writing, while there are definitely flaws, I do think some people sell it too short. When it comes to the moments where fans like to call out "plot armor", "asspulls", and "deus ex machina" without really thinking, I don't think some of those moments are as they seem. Although some of those moments are what people say they are, I also think that Mashima made the explanations too vague and a bit too "subtle" that the viewer wouldn't really get it if it wasn't spelled out for them point blank.
I hoped I'd remedy the problem by giving more detail on how Natsu was able to eat or "absorb" Zancrow's Fire God Slayer Magic. Natsu was able to actually physically eat the flames, but it wouldn't go down his system like when he usually consumes flames, which give a bit more credence to him having to empty out his Magic Container to consume them properly, but as it's shown, it's more complicated than that. This is backed up in both the manga and anime version, although it's harder to see Natsu attempting to eat Zancrow's fire the first time when the second time it's shown more clearly, which is flopped in the original manga.
Another thing I want to point out is how Armin and Mikasa were shown in this chapter. They'll have more moments to shine later, but the reason I'd put them in a vulnerable position is to show how powerful the Fairy Tail world is compared to the Attack on Titan world. The Aot characters have just learned their magic powers recently and despite their previous combat experience, they still have quite a ways to go before they can go head-to-head with the wizards of the Fairy Tail universe. So don't expect the Aot cast, especially the Ackermans, to just be "badasses" and take down the threats effortlessly. They are in a different league than dealing with Titans and they have to learn to adapt accordingly. I still wanted them to play a role in the defeat of Zancrow and not just let Natsu, as well as Makarov, do all the work hence the ending.
I hope this gives an idea on what I have planned for the crossover and how much I'm taking it seriously. I'm really looking forward to showcasing my work and to make this a really good story, let alone a really good crossover. Despite this being a fanfiction, I don't want it to become "fanfictiony" if you get what I mean. I would like to introduce my own ideas for "A Happy Ending", while making them seem believable and genuine, and trying to stay faithful to canon as much as possible at the same time.
As I said in my very long author's note in "Eren Jaeger vs Natsu Dragneel", the selection of current Fairy Tail/Attack on Titan crossover stories are mostly lacking in quality. One of my main goals is to create a genuine and well-written crossover between these two series that takes full advantage of their plotlines and characters, and hopefully remedy the problems that are common in the current archive. I'm not trying to be arrogant and say that the other crossover stories are bad, but they have a lot of common issues I want to try and avoid if I can help it. As for my other reason for writing this story, you'll find out soon enough.
That's all I have to say. Until then, see you next chapter.