Haloha, everyone! Hope you're having a good day! Once again, thank you so much for the reviews, they're highly appreciated and motivate me to keep this story going!

Goku275, I'm really glad to hear that! I'm definitely going to see this story to its end! I hope you'll stick around by then~


REVISION 03/07/2021: Previously, I had specified my own ages for these characters. I've decided to leave the age of the characters up to the interpretation of the readers.


Chapter 5: Enemy Encounter!


The Fairy Tail wizards had been teleported into the heart of Nightglades' forests. Surrounding them were trees of varying heights covering the skies, as well as diverse plants and dense bushes. The shades of green filled the scenery as far as the eye could see. Waterfalls still could be heard in the distance.

"Ouch!" Natsu had somehow teleported face first into the ground, his face colliding with stones.

"Natsu!" Happy began pulling his leg.

"Natsu, are you okay?" Wendy reached out to him.

"That's a landing if I've ever seen one." Gray smirked at him. The others have teleported safely, standing on solid ground.

Natsu quickly stood up, dusting himself off and shaking his head. He then took a good look at his surroundings. "Where are we? Weren't we in that underground-cave-place-thing just now?"

Lucy facepalmed. "We teleported just moments ago, Natsu! Did your head hit the ground that hard?" She looked around, confirming their surroundings. "We're in Nightglades now."

"Oh, right! We did!" Natsu exclaimed. "Where's the Whippersnapper?! Let me at him!" Eagerly, Natsu began charging at a random direction.

Before he could go out of her reach, Erza strongly held his shoulder, almost crushing it into bits. "Don't be reckless, Natsu. We don't know what's waiting for us out here. Also, it's the Whisperer." She warned and corrected him.

"Y-Yes sir!" Natsu groaned from her grip. She let go and he rubbed his pained shoulder. That's no fun…

"Danger isn't in that barbarian's dictionary." Carla huffed, flying besides Wendy.

Erza sighed, bringing her hand to her forehead. "Let's devise a plan first." She scanned her surroundings. "Miss Celia said she teleported us to the Whisperer's location, so it must be nearby. Keep your guard up." She summoned her iron sword.

"Where do we go from here, though? This forest seems like some maze." Gray looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He saw hundreds of trees and bushes as far as his eyes could see. There wasn't any distinguishable path in this terrain. It felt like they were in the middle of nowhere.

"This place gives me the creeps…" Lucy said, looking up to the sky covered by the massive trees. There was barely any light passing through them, giving off an eerie atmosphere.

"Let's explore." Erza began walking forward. "The Whisperer is sensitive to dense magical power, so I believe it'll come to us eventually."

"Guess we'll play the waiting game, then." Gray followed behind Erza, putting his hands in his pockets.

"I so do not want to meet with this Whisperer." Lucy said worriedly, walking besides Gray.

"Stick together with the group, child." Carla advised.

"Yes, Carla." Wendy walked behind Lucy and Gray.

"In the event we do encounter the Whisperer, I do not want any of you to charge recklessly into danger. We do not know what its capable of." Erza said authoritatively. "Especially you, Natsu. Do you understand?" Erza directed the question at him.

…No response.

"Natsu?" Erza stopped and spun around in place, her eyes looking for the fire dragon slayer.

"Hey, Natsu… you got some guts staying silen-…" Gray turned around, intentionally provoking him.

"Natsu… Erza's talking to yo-…" Wendy softly said and followed.

They couldn't finish their sentences. Everyone's eyes looked at the spot where a certain dragon slayer and blue cat were supposed to be. But there was no one. Everyone froze for a bit upon realizing that…

"THAT IDIOT! WHERE IS HE?" Erza shouted in anger. "DID HE GO OFF ON HIS OWN?" Erza's nerves snapped.

"Is he seriously trying to fight the Whisperer himself?!" Gray ruffled his hair.

"Natsu, oh no…" Wendy said worriedly. She didn't want anything bad to happen to him. She knew he was a capable fighter but going alone wasn't a smart choice on his part, especially since no one knew what kind of enemy they were dealing with. Did he already catch the scent of the Whisperer?

"So much for telling him not to charge into danger…" Lucy scoffed. "He just went out on his own."

"I'm going to tear him apart once I get my hands on him…." Erza's eyes were raging. Her grip on the sword was shaking. Gray and Lucy took a few steps back from the dangerous aura she was emitting from her glare.

"Please don't do that…" Wendy said quietly and shook her head.

Erza sharply turned her head to her. "WENDY!"

"Eeep! Y-Yes, ma'am!" Wendy reflexively straightened her posture and stood still. She was feeling the serious pressure from Erza's glare. If looks could kill, she would be dead. Please don't kill me…

"Track his scent. He shouldn't be too far. We might be able to catch up with him before he engages with the Whisperer." Erza commanded.

"Y-Yes, leave it to me!" Wendy hastily replied. She began sniffing the air around her, trying to catch a whiff of the fire dragon slayer's scent.

"Any luck?" Carla asked, scouting above and searching for Natsu.

"There's so many unfamiliar smells here… " Wendy continued sniffing, trying to pick up on his scent. Smells of the soil, leaves, flowers, rocks, and various other things crossed her nose. One thing his scent could do that others can't was bring Wendy a sense of comfort and assurance. She relied on those qualities to distinguish the various scents present in the forest.

"Ah!" Wendy's eyes widened.

"You figured out where he is, Wendy?" Gray asked, facing the direction her eyes were pointed at.

"I think… he's over there. His scent's very faint, but it's coming from that direction." Wendy motioned towards the direction she thought Natsu was at.

"Let's get going! I'm going to give him a stern beating!" Erza began charging swiftly, leaving the others behind and a trail of dust.

"Erza, wait for us!" Lucy cried. She and the others began chasing Erza.

"She's so fast…" Gray said, running with Lucy. Erza was already many miles ahead.

"Let's go, Wendy!" Carla flew alongside them.

"Right!" Wendy answered, keeping her pace with the others. Please be safe, Natsu.


..

.

"Hey, Natsu… I'm not sure if it was a good idea to split from the group…" Happy asked anxiously. He was flying above Natsu, checking his surroundings for any predators.

"Don't sweat it. I wanna be the first one to knock that Whippersnapper out!" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes full of excitement. He had broken off from the group on his own, trying to track the Whisperer. Earlier, he found a scent that was rather… strange and unsettling, so he immediately took off from the group.

"But didn't you hear Erza?" Happy flew to Natsu's shoulder-level. "She's definitely going to kill you once she finds you." He warned him.

"W-well… um…" Natsu's eyes darted away and he slowed down his pace. It's true. He's already set off the bomb that is Erza Scarlet. There was no escaping her wrath once she finds him. He's in for a world of hurt. "L-Let's just find this Whippersnapper and get this over with! M-Maybe she will praise me for completing the job on my own!" Natsu said nervously, trying to excuse himself.

"Aye, sir…" Happy weakly replied. "So how do we find the Whisperer?"

Natsu pointed at his face. "With my nose, of course!" Natsu sniffed a few times. "Over there, let's go!" He quickened his pace, Happy flying close by.

Natsu ventured into a much darker area. Streams of nearby rivers could be heard and seen. Most of the surrounding environment had taken on a paler color, giving it an ominous feel. It's as if he entered a completely different forest, yet this was all still Nightglades.

"Hey, Natsu?" Happy asked, noticing the changes in the forests.

"Yeah?" Natsu replied.

"Doesn't everything look… scarier and darker?" Happy pointed at the trees.

"Huh… you're right!" Natsu stopped running abruptly, taking in the environment. The scenery wasn't as vibrant as before. It felt so…lifeless…dead. The atmosphere was quiet and lonesome. There were no signs of any other living creature. Only the sounds of the rustling of trees and the streams of the river could be heard.

Happy perched on Natsu's shoulder. "This is a bad idea… we should get back with the others."

"…." Natsu stood silent, his gaze fixed on the trees above.

"Natsu?" Happy asked, poking his face.

"Sshh!" Natsu put a finger to his lips, signaling Happy to be quiet. "I can smell something… we're not alone."

Natsu rapidly darted his eyes around, trying to minimize any subtle movements from his body. He was alert. Happy looked around, unsure if they were actually alone or not… but that was soon confirmed.

"N-Natsu…" A shaking Happy poked Natsu's cheek.

Natsu turned around in response. His eyes were met with many others… glowing in the distance.

"What the…" Natsu's eyes widened.

Cloaked, shadowy figures were encircling the pair. Their eyes glowed a dangerous red. They seem to be floating above the ground, like ethereal beings… like a ghost. Their bodies were emanating black miasma, killing the nearby plants and trees, causing them to go pale and shrivel up. Their scent had sent chills to Natsu, now fully aware of what he got himself involved with.

His eyes scanned around rapidly, mentally calculating how many of them were there. One…five… ten… way too many to count. I didn't learn math that well. They had been surrounded by the cloaked figures. There were no openings for Natsu and Happy to make a break for it… not that Natsu was ever interested in that option.

"N-Natsu… we've got a big problem here…" Happy's teeth were trembling.

"Yeah, there is a problem here…" Natsu scratched his neck. "I thought there was supposed to be one of them?" He said nonchalantly, ignoring the potentially dangerous situation he's in.

"That's your problem?!" Happy shouted in disbelief, drawing the attention of the cloaked figures as they encroached on the pair.

"Well…" Natsu clenched his fists, engulfing them in fiery flames. "I ain't complaining. This just got a lot more exciting! I'm going to take all of them down!" He exclaimed, raring to go. "I'm all fired up!"

Happy simply spread his wings and clung onto his back. Typical Natsu…

"You ready, Happy?"

"Aye, sir!"

The cloaked figures simultaneously charged against him, unleashing a screeching roar. Within their cloaks, long and bony claws had extended.

"FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"Natsu swiped his hands forward, releasing two blazing torrents of fire resembling wings. Upon contact with the cloaked figures in front of him, an explosion was generated, completely destroying them.

"There's more where that came from! FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" Natsu unleashed a fiery blast of flames from his mouth, decimating the area around him and burning the cloaked figures.

The cloaked figures slowly burnt out of existence one by one.

"It doesn't matter how many of you come at me! I'll burn you all!" Natsu shouted, his flames burning brighter.

"H-Hey, Natsu…" Happy said weakly.

"Yeah, buddy?" Natsu replied, still keeping his attention on his opponents.

"Why do there seem to be even more of them now?"

Natsu looked around. Indeed, there were more cloaked figures surrounding them then there were before. Despite him defeating many of them, their numbers seemed to be increasing rapidly.

"I'll just have to turn up the hea-" Before Natsu could incinerate his body in flames, a piercing violet beam was shot towards his abdomen, barely grazing it and leaving it to bleed.

"Agh!" Natsu's eyes widened in pain. He stumbled over, but quickly caught himself. He reflexively held his abdomen. Although that attack barely missed him, it sent him a wave of excruciating pain, spreading from his right abdomen.

"Natsu! Are you alright?!" Happy shouted.

Natsu spun around rapidly, trying to find where that violet beam was shot from. I couldn't even sense the attack…heck, I didn't even see it! It was just a single attack!

"Yeah, I'm alri-ugh!" Natsu dropped on one knee, still clutching his bleeding abdomen.

"Natsu, look out!" Multiple violet beams were shot towards him.

Natsu ducked down and dodged to the side swiftly, rolling over.

"We should get away!" Happy clung to his back, trying to fly him away, but Natsu struggled out of his grip.

"No…ugh… I can handle this!" Still clutching his abdomen, Natsu engulfed his free hand in flames. "FIRE DRAGON KING DESTRUCTION FIST!" Natsu punched forward, releasing a gigantic stream of flames, burning everything in its path. The fire and smoke soon cleared out, revealing a trail of destruction left by the attack. The cloaked figures, however, kept increasing in numbers. It's as if after one dies, many more come in its place.

"They just keep coming, huh? I'll burn every single one of them!"


..

.

"Erza, wait up!" Gray shouted, panting heavily. He stopped on a nearby tree, resting his hand on it for support.

"I'm beat… I can't keep going on…" Lucy slowly followed behind, dragging her feet. Her knees collapsed on to the floor from exhaustion.

"She's too fast…" Wendy dropped her hands to her knees.

"That woman is doing more damage to this forest than Natsu is!" Carla flew to the ground next to Wendy.

Erza had been cutting down everything in her sight every now and then on her path. Broken trees and plants were scattered behind her trail. How she gets the energy to keep on running while destroying everything in her path is beyond anyone.

Soon after, Erza returned to the group, a disappointed look appearing on her face. "No luck. I can't find him anywhere. Wendy, can you still track his scent?"

Wendy tried sniffing the air… but she couldn't detect his scent at all. This worried her a lot. "No, Erza… sorry." She frowned at herself. Without Natsu nearby, she couldn't keep herself calm. If only my senses were sharper… Natsu, where are you? I hope you're alright…

"Hmmm… this is troublesome." Erza put a chin to her hand, appearing in deep thought.

"Erza, maybe we should change our plans. It's impossible to find Natsu at this rate." Lucy slowly walked up to her, catching her breath. "You know how unpredictable he is…"

Erza sighed deeply. She knew all too well they wouldn't be able to find Natsu like this. "I see. What do you propose we should do then?"

"Well… " Lucy tilted her head, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't really know eith-"

BOOM!

The forests quaked a bit. Multiple explosions could be heard in the distance.

The group directed their attention towards the explosion, then to each other, as if thinking the same thing.

"There's only one person that could be!" Lucy exclaimed.

"He's already begun destroying things…" Carla crossed her arms.

"Do you think he's met with the Whisperer already?" Gray asked.

"Let's go!" Erza began charging towards the explosion, leaving the others behind.

"Wait, Erza!... How does she still have so much energy…" Gray sighed, following after her.

"Can't we just take a break for a moment?" Lucy said, taking a breather.

"Hmmm… Ah!" Wendy stood up, a light bulb appearing over her head. "Why don't I cast an enchantment to increase our speed?" Wendy clapped her hands.

Gray and Lucy turned their heads to Wendy, staring at her for a good few seconds.

"W-what is it, guys?" Wendy asked nervously, shifting uncomfortably under their stares.

"We should have done that from the beginning!" Gray exclaimed, vigor returning to his legs.

"That would be very helpful right now." Lucy said tiredly, doing her best to stand up.

"Okay, just leave it to me!" Wendy smiled and shifted into her casting stance for Vernier, a spell that increases one's speed.


..

.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" Natsu roared out a burst of flames around him, trying to kill off the nearby cloaked figures. More violet beams were shot at him, to which Natsu barely dodged due to his sustained injury.

"Grrr! You guys are pissing me off!" Natsu smashed the ground in anger, creating a fiery shockwave around him.

The cloaked figures suddenly began dashing around him, trapping him in a whirlwind that was closing in on him. The cloaked figures soon merged into one, spiraling force of death.

"Natsu! AHH!" Happy tried to carry Natsu away but was blown out of the whirlwind due to the spiraling motion.

"Gugh… Happy!" Natsu shouted, but the whirlwind was drowning his voice out. He couldn't see anything pass the rapid whirlwind he was surrounded in.

Fine then, I'll just have to break through!

Natsu reached out to the whirlwind with his left hand, but was instantly met with multiple slashes and cuts, nearly immobilizing his arm. He screamed out and pulled his arm back quickly in response. Every subtle movement sent his arm a horrific wave of pain, dropping him down to both of his knees.

I'll just have to burn everything!

Struggling, Natsu put both of his hands on the ground, ignoring the pain in his left arm.

Rise! Natsu engulfed the ground below him in flames, dragging it above out of the whirlwind, forming a mound beneath him. He dashed upwards kicking the mound, successfully escaping the whirlwind's wrath. He turned downwards, raising both his arms above his head. "FIRE DRAGON BRILLIANT FLA-ARGH!" The pain in his left arm was too great to bear, causing Natsu to stumble directly into the devastating whirlwind. He closed his eyes, bracing for impact until…

"PHOTON SLICER!" A lightning blast pierced through the whirlwind, completely electrifying it and causing it to fade out of existence.

Expecting to meet the whirlwind, Natsu fell back-first on solid ground, confused for a moment. I…survived? He heard footsteps approaching and slowly opened his eyes to see a scarlet-haired woman.

"E-Erza…" He said weakly.

"Natsu, you idiot! What happened to you?!" Erza requipped into her Heart Kreuz armor and helped Natsu stand up, supporting him with her arm.

"Haha…" Natsu chuckled. "Just a little fight." He put his arm over Erza's shoulders, trying to stand up.

"This is no laughing matter, I told you not to be reckless!" Erza said worriedly.

"Natsuuuu!" Happy crashed into his chest. "You're alright!"

"Hey, Happy…" Natsu smiled at him, caressing his head.

"It seems the Whisperer was too much for you to handle…" Erza said, looking at his wounds.

"Yeah, about that…ugh… " Natsu groaned, clutching the wound in his abdomen.

"Here, sit against the tree." Erza helped him to sit down, resting his back on the tree.

"I'm not done yet… I can still fight…" Natsu said weakly, struggling to stand up.

"Natsu…" Happy said sadly. He didn't want his best friend to push himself.

"Look at the state you're in. You're in no condition to fight." Erza said strongly. "If I arrived just a second later…" Tears began to well up in her eyes. Seeing Erza cry always made Natsu's heart sad. He never wanted to see her cry ever again, especially after the battle at Tower of Heaven, and especially not because of him. He wanted to protect her smile at all costs because that's the Erza he knows the best. Sensing her sadness, he gently held her hand with his right to comfort her.

"Thank you, Erza. You saved me big time." He weakly grinned at her.

"…Yeah. I'm glad you're safe." Erza weakly smiled, holding his hand in return.

"Natsu! Happy! Erza!" A voice called out to them.

"There you guys are!" Another voice called out to them.

They turned their attention towards the voices. It was Lucy, Gray, Wendy, and Carla approaching them.

"We finally caught up to yo-… woah, what the hell happened to you, man?" Gray abruptly stopped in front of Natsu, noticing his wounds on his left arm and right abdomen.

"He had an unfortunate encounter with the Whisperer." Erza answered for him.

"The Whisperer did this?!" Lucy asked, afraid. She hurriedly walked up to him, sitting down in front of him. "Natsu… you shouldn't have broken off from the group." She said with concern in her voice.

"Ahaha, come on… it wasn't that bad…" Natsu shrugged it off.

As soon as Wendy reached him, her eyes widened in shock when she saw Natsu's state. Without thinking, she had rushed to his side, worried sick for him. "Natsu! Are you okay?" She gasped, looking at his wounds.

"Don't… worry, Wendy. I'll be alright..." Natsu softly said. Even if he didn't admit it, Wendy could sense the strain in his voice. Her heart ached weakly seeing him like this.

"You are not alright, Natsu." Erza turned her head to Wendy. "Wendy, could you heal his wounds?"

Wendy nodded. She put both her hands towards each of his wounds. Her hands began to glow a calming light blue, but then Natsu put a hand in front of her, intending to stop her.

"Natsu?" Wendy asked with concern, confused about his gesture.

"Don't, Wendy. I'll be fine soon. See?" Natsu struggled standing up, putting strain on his wounds, but he managed, using the tree behind him as support.

"Why are you so stubborn, just let Wendy heal you!" Carla jumped in, fuming at him.

"Natsu, please let me heal you." Wendy asked, tears about to well up in her eyes. She didn't like how Natsu was forcing himself. She especially didn't like how he was rejecting her help. She frowned, feeling slightly hurt.

"Natsu…" Happy hugged his chest tightly. He was already in tears.

Natsu stood silently, his attention fixed at something in the distance. In fact, it seemed he didn't care what others were saying right now. More accurately, something else was stealing his attention.

"Hey, Natsu?" Happy looked up to him.

"You should at least say something, you know? We're worried about you." Lucy questioned, wondering about his lack of responses.

Immediately, Natsu's eye's widened, his pupils diminishing in size.

"Natsu?" Wendy called out worriedly. Why is he so quiet?

"EVERYONE, GET DOWN!" With blazing speed, Natsu hugged Wendy, Carla, and Happy tightly, quickly diving out of the way.

Erza sensed the incoming danger and reacted almost instantly, grabbing Lucy and Gray by the back of their heads, and shoved them down to the ground with her.

A massive plasma blade was shot from above at lightspeed where Natsu was standing, completely destroying the tree and exploding on impact. Erza, Lucy, and Gray seemed to be caught in the explosion.

Natsu rolled Wendy and the two Exceeds out of harm's way in his arms. He groaned in pain, straining his already injured body. Still, he prioritized his friends' safety. "Are you alright?!"

Wendy opened her eyes, still processing what just happened. She then realized she was in Natsu's tight embrace. Her face flushed a deep red, heat immensely rising in her cheeks. Her heart rate sped up. We're so close! Her chest was so close to his, she was hoping he wouldn't be able to hear her beating heart.

"Wendy?" Natsu called out.

"W-Wawawa, I'm alright!" Wendy snapped out of it, realizing the severity of the situation. This isn't the time to be daydreaming!

Natsu turned his head to the explosion. "Lucy! Everyone!"

The smoke slowly cleared out, revealing a figure in navy and heavy armor, holding two shields above her body.

"We're alright!" Erza shouted, confirming they're safe. She had requipped into her Adamantine armor right before the explosion. This armor was the most durable out of all her equipment, possessing ultimate defensive capabilities. It comes equipped with two giant shields.

"What just happened?!" Gray lifted his face off the ground.

"An attack?" Lucy followed, rubbing the dirt off her eyes.

Gray and Lucy stood up, dusting themselves off. Erza requipped back into her default armor.

"I'm sensing a powerful being nearby… we're not alone." Erza warily said, darting her eyes around.

Natsu stood up, helping Wendy off the ground and letting his arms go. The two Exceeds spread their wings and stayed near their dragon slayers, sensing danger nearby.

An unsettling scent breezed by Natsu's nostrils. "This smell… it's them again." Natsu warned everyone, his eyes sharpened. He instinctively held out his hand to cover Wendy.

"Is this the Whisperer?!" Lucy quickly grabbed hold of her key pouch.

"… I don't know." Natsu said, unsure.

"You don't know? Didn't you just fight it before?" Gray asked, confused.

Multiple cloaked figures started appearing around them, their eyes glowing red with killing intent.

"Wha… there's more than one?!" Gray's eyes widened in shock.

The group looked around, noticing there were these cloaked figures appearing in every corner of the forests.

"Is this why you had a tough time, Natsu?" Erza inquired. "You weren't dealing with one, you were dealing with many of them."

"But wasn't there supposed to be one of them? Was our information wrong?" Lucy asked, taking one of her golden keys.

"… There is only one of them." Erza stated, realizing something.

"Huh? I'm sure we're pretty surrounded right now, Erza." Gray said, looking around and trying to find an opening.

"Natsu, Wendy." Erza turned her neck, her body still facing forward. "Do you notice anything strange about their scents?"

"Hmmm…" Natsu looked around. He began sniffing the air. Wendy followed suit. Slowly, they both also realized the same thing.

"These guys smell weird, but there's definitely another smell nearby… and it annoys me." Natsu's brows furrowed. He looked upwards.

"Yeah… I can smell it too." Wendy said, following Natsu's gaze.

"Indeed." Erza nodded to herself. "Although I'm not fully certain, these entities aren't Whisperers… they're minions controlled by someone else. I believe this is the doing of the Whisperer. And judging how summoning magic works…"

"So, you're saying the Whisperer is nearby, watching us." Gray interjected.

"And if we destroy the Whisperer…" Lucy said.

"Then all these minions should disappear as well." Erza finished. "Though, this will be difficult to-"

"Let me fight the Whisperer." Natsu interrupted her, walking forward. He ignored his wounds.

"No, you aren't in a state to fight. You should back down and let us handle it." Erza commanded.

"You expect me to sit down while everyone else fights on the frontlines? No way. I'm fighting." Natsu walked up to her, closing the distance between their faces. The two glared daggers at each other.

"G-Guys…. This isn't the time for this. And you, Natsu. You shouldn't be pushing yourself." Lucy moved in between them and pushed them apart, hoping to diffuse the tension.

"Lucy…" Natsu said weakly.

Erza sighed, knowing they shouldn't waste time. "Then take care of things here. I'll take on the Whisperer myself. I'm not going to let you fight the Whisperer with those injuries." She said strictly.

Natsu wanted to come with her, but he knew Erza wouldn't change her mind. He reluctantly nodded.

"Natsu, let me heal you first." Wendy tugged his sleeve, worried for his condition.

"No, there's not enough time." Natsu said sharply.

"But…"

The minions began approaching them steadily, extending their bony claws and letting out screeching roars.

"You can heal me after this battle." Natsu turned his attention to the minions.

Wendy frowned. She was quite reluctant to agree. She wanted to heal him as soon as possible. She hated seeing Natsu like this. Seeing his wounds filled her heart with worries.

"Wendy, they're coming." Carla alerted her.

Noticing the dark figures were getting ready to attack, Wendy sighed dejectedly, leaving her no choice. "Promise?"

"Promise." Natsu grinned.

Lucy stood beside Natsu, gently taking hold of his hand. "Don't worry, Natsu, I'll protect you. I won't let them hurt you." Lucy said bravely, tightening her grip on his hand.

Not wanting to be upstaged, Wendy also stood beside Natsu and held his sleeve. "I-I'll keep you safe too, Natsu!"

"I'll be fine on my own. Don't worry." Natsu grinned.

Erza smiled amusingly at their interactions. "Well then, how about we have some fun and go all out for a change." The group formed a circle, their backs facing each other, protecting each other's blind spots.

Natsu clenched his fists and grit his teeth, increasing his magical power level. Soon, bursts of flames and sparks of lightning manifested around him. His body engulfed into blazing flames with rapid lightning currents flowing around him. "LIGHTNING FIRE DRAGON MODE!"

"Let's beat these guys down." Black markings slowly covered Gray's body partially, spreading from his right hand up to his face, surrounding him in a demonic aura. Ice Demon Slayer Mode.

"Loke, lend me your strength! STAR DRESS : LEO FORM!" Lucy pointed the Leo key inwards to her chest, surrounding herself in golden light and transforming her attire into an elegant and frilly black ball gown.

"REQUIP! HEAVEN'S WHEEL ARMOR!" A glowing light surrounded Erza. Metal plates covered Erza's chest, with a large metal flower on it. She wore a large skirt with metal plating covering the upper area. Attached to her back were metal wings formed with numerous individual blades.

Wendy took a deep and concentrated breath. The air around her started to spiral, emitting visible pressure outwards. Her body flashed a burst of purple light. Her eyes and hair became pink, her hair becoming longer and curving upwards. Small white scales covered her hands and feet. Dragon Force.

We're all fired up now!