Chapter 5: The Power to Control
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail
"Ugh, everything hurts so much" Wendy complains as she slams her head on a table in the guild. The others around her look at the young bluenette with pity in their eyes.
"Trust me Wendy that pain and soreness you're feeling is how you know your training is going well." Natsu said with a proud smile on his face. "If you think this is tough just wait until you start learning how to fight or some of the more advanced spells"
Wendy could only groan in response, even then she barely had the strength for that.
"Didn't you say that you were going to take it easy on her?" Mira asked, slightly glaring at the older dragon slayer. She knew how seriously Natsu took training from the time she spent training with him. Sure, he said that he was going to take it easy on Wendy for now, but he never specified what he considered "easy".
"I am, we just have a magic that is very physically demanding" Natsu stated in an attempt to defend himself.
"He's been making me run ten miles and destroy trees and boulders by punching them every morning" Wendy groaned out, not having enough strength to lift her head from the table that was quickly becoming the most comfortable thing in the world to her in that moment. Hearing this, everyone at the table glared at Natsu while also feeling an overwhelming amount of sympathy for poor little Wendy.
"What, that's easy compared to what I went through at her age" Natsu said in an attempt to defend himself. "At least I'm letting Wendy use her magic to destroy things instead of her bare fist." He finished getting a deadpanned stare from everyone.
"Of course you would think that's easy," Mira said plainly.
"Compared to what I went through, it is."
"You know, from what I've heard of your training, I'm convinced that you're not actually human." Cana said, questioning the pinkette's continued state of existence.
"Hey Wendy, are you sure that you can handle this kind of training?" Lisanna asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Yes" Wendy says, having not moved from her spot, not that she had the energy to do so if she wanted to. "I already agreed to do this; I don't want to give up after only a week."
"That's the spirit. This is only the basics; once you get used to it the rest will come more naturally." Natsu said. Hearing this, Wendy's spirit was lifted quite a bit. "Then we can get to the more difficult lessons and advanced techniques. Once we get there, you're really going to feel it then." He continues with excitement in his voice. Hearing this, whatever was left of Wendy's spirit had shattered as she somehow managed to sink further into the table. Seeing how the bluenette had reacted, everyone once again glared at Natsu. Even the older slayer seemed to notice how Wendy had reacted and he couldn't help but think back to the days when he didn't have the strength to move a muscle. "On the bright side I'm giving you a couple days off so that you can recover."
"Yay" Wendy barely groans out.
"While I admit that Natsu's way of training is a bit excessive, to say the least, I can't argue with how effective it will be in the long run. Surely if you keep up with your training then I have no doubt that you will become a truly talented mage in the future Wendy." Makarov said as he approached the group.
"Do you really think so Master?" Wendy asked as she turned her head to face the old man, a feat that required more strength than she would like to admit.
"Of course my dear, I have no doubt about it."
"So what's up Gramps, do you need something?" Natsu asks.
"That I do. Natsu, would you please come to my office, there is something that I need to discuss with you."
"Sure" He answered as the two made their way to Makarov's office
"What do you think Master wants to talk to Natsu about?" Lisanna asked
"He probably has another mission for him. That's usually the only reason why Natsu goes to his office." Mira answers.
"That and when he is in trouble for destroying something." Cana said
"That too" Mira adds on while shaking her head in agreement.
In Makarov's office
"So what's up Gramps?" Natsu asks, really hoping that he isn't about to get chewed out for something.
"You can relax Natsu, you're not in trouble for anything" Makarov said. Hearing this Natsu lets a sigh of relief, earning an amused chuckle from the old man. "Before we get into the reason why you're here, let me ask you something. How is Wendy's training going?" he asks with genuine curiosity. Every time the younger dragon slayer had come to the guild after one of her training sessions with the pinkette, she appears to be incredibly exhausted. While she does occasionally complain about her soreness, she always seemed eager for her next lesson.
"Great, she was a little slow when we started but she's doing great now. Hell, I'm surprised by how quick she's picking up a few of the spells that I've showed her." Natsu said. He couldn't deny how much Wendy has progressed in the short time she has been training with him. Even though they are still working through the basics, he couldn't help but notice how quickly she seems to pick up on everything. "I might even go as far as saying that she's a natural."
"That's amazing; I can't wait to see what kind of mage she becomes in the future."
"Neither can I. So what did you need to talk to me about?"
"I have another job from the council and I believe you're the best person for it that's currently here."
"It must be serious then. So, what's the job?"
"According to the council, there is a group of cultist who are in the process of either freeing or summoning a demon. What they intend to do with it is still unclear at the moment. You are to take care of these cultists before they can carry out whatever they have planned. In the case that the demon is released, you are to eliminate it as soon as possible."
"This sounds like it's going to be a fun mission" Natsu said with a smirk appearing on face.
"Do not take this so casually." Makarov said as he narrowed his eyes on the pinkette, his tone alone telling Natsu just how serious this is. "From what I have been told this is a very dangerous group of cultists that are not to be taken lightly. In fact, this job ranks just below the average s-class quest. Under normal circumstances I would have sent one of our s-class mages on this job just to be safe."
"Then why send me? Why not just send one of them?"
"Two reasons. The first being that they are currently unavailable and it would take too long for them to drop what they are doing to go take care of this job. The second reason is I believe you are capable enough to handle a job of this magnitude. And since you haven't had a mission that has given you a proper challenge yet, this may be a great opportunity for you."
"Thanks for the opportunity then. So, do you want me to get someone to tag along then?"
"Not this time. While the guild has no shortage of talented mages, most of them aren't ready for a mission of this caliber just yet. You however, are ready for something like this. Not to mention I know you are far stronger than you have showed us."
Natsu couldn't help but chuckle at the last part of what Makarov had said. "I really can't hide anything from you, can I?"
"You should give yourself more credit; you're doing a far better job than you think." Makarov said while also chuckling before turning serious once again. "Before you leave, I want you to promise me that you'll be careful. You're free to do whatever you deem necessary to not only accomplish this mission but to survive as well."
"I promise. One last thing, do you want me to capture these cultists alive?"
"If at all possible then yes. However; given their reputation, I don't believe it'll be possible to do so this time." Makarov said as he released a deep sigh at the end, much to Natsu's shock.
"For someone who's so keen on sparing everyone, I'm surprised to hear you say that. What changed?"
"Given the reputation of these cultists and not knowing what they intend to do with this demon; it may prove too hazardous to try to capture them alive."
"Fair enough. Still, it's surprising to hear that you are okay with me killing these cultists."
"Don't get me wrong, by no means am I ok with taking a life nor will I ever see killing as a good thing. However; I have lived long enough to know that there is a difference between what is "right and wrong" and what is "necessary and unnecessary" and have learned there are times when taking a life are an unfortunate necessity." He said as let out a deep sigh at the end of what he said. He couldn't help but think back on the times when he was put into situations where he had to take someone's life. He could clearly remember the emotions that he felt after those times, primarily the guilt. While he has long since come to terms with those emotions and has moved on, those memories still lingered.
"Then why have you been so against me killing?" Natsu asked in genuine curiosity. The topic of the pinkette's stance on killing had been a frequent topic of conversation between the two.
"That's just the old man in me that wants to shield everyone in the guild from things like that, killing in particular. I know first-hand how psychologically and emotionally devastating taking a life can be and have seen plenty of people be destroyed by the guilt of what they had done. It's something that I want to protect our guild mates from as much as possible for as long as possible."
"Why try to keep from killing? You know I don't have a problem with a taking a life."
"Like I said, it's just the old man in me. But there is another reason. While it has not been an issue yet, killing every dark mages you come across will go against your duty as a mage of Fairy Tail."
"What duty is that?"
"When you see someone going down a dark path it is your duty to try to bring them back to the light."
"And what if they don't want to be brought back or don't deserve to be?"
"Then I'll leave what to do up to you. Regardless, everyone at least deserves a chance of redemption. While there are plenty of people that choose that path, some people are lead astray at some point in their life and didn't have anyone to turn to when they needed it most. That is what Fairy Tail is meant to be, a home for those that have lost their way, a place they can find the support they need."
This is a lot to take in for the pinkette. While he now understands why Makarov is opposed to killing, there is something that leaves him with questions. "Are you telling me that you want me to spare every dark mage I fight?"
"Of course not, I know that not everyone can change and some are too far gone to help them turn away from their path. I've had to learn this lesson the hard way throughout my life. However; most of those that I have been able to help, have changed for the better. All I'm asking is that you give them a chance. You already give people a chance to surrender before you kill them; how is what I'm asking of you any different."
"Fine, I'll give it a try. I'm not saying I'll spare every dark mage I come across; but I'll try to help who I can."
"Thank you Natsu, that's all I'm asking. Besides, if I expected you to spare every dark mage you come across, then why would I have told you to do whatever you need to with those cultists? Speaking of which, don't you have job to accomplish."
"Wow, trying to get of me already?" Natsu said with a light chuckle
"Of course, I've already wasted enough time as it is and this job is important, so hurry up and get going." Makarov said, enjoying their usual banter.
"Have any idea where I can find them?"
"There are rumors that they are currently held up somewhere outside of Aramore. Unfortunately I have no other information. "
"Eh, I'll find them. Let me talk to Wendy and I'll get going." Natsu said, happy that Wendy had a spell like Troia at her disposal.
"Good luck my boy and be safe."
"Come on Gramps, it's me."
"I know, that's why I'm telling you."
Sometime later
After arriving in Aramore, Natsu did some looking around in attempt to find any kind of rumor. After an hour of searching he heard a rumor of some strange people lurking around a few miles northeast of the town near an abandoned church. Deciding that it was the best lead that he had Natsu made his way to check out the legitimacy of this rumor. After walking towards their supposed location, Natsu picked up a scent that caught his attention. From what he could tell, there are a lot of people in a single area.
'Found 'em' Natsu thought, slightly smirking. From what he could tell from their scents, all of these people were as far from peaceful and gentle as possible. He could literally smell the blood on them from where he is, despite still being a few miles from them.
As he approached their locations, the pinkette saw what remained of an abandoned church that looked as though it could collapse at any moment. Curiosity getting the better of him, Natsu sneaks in to see what these cultists are up to. Finding a collapsed wall to hide behind, the dragon slayer eavesdrops on the currently unsuspecting cultists.
"Today is the day my brothers and sisters." One of the cultists announced to the rest. This cultist appeared to be their leader from the way he is talking. "After months of searching we have finally acquired a book containing a demon created by our lord Zeref himself." He announced, getting a cheer from the rest of the cultists. "With this demon, we will one step closer to reuniting with our lord."
'So they have one of Zeref's demons. I wonder how strong it is' Natsu thought in genuine curiosity. He was told that he was told to stop these cultists from whatever they had planned for the demon. However; he hasn't had a real challenge in a while and fighting this demon and cultists at the same time could be fun. What to do, what to do. Choose the smart option and take care of the cultists before they can do anything with the demon or the fun option and let them release the demon and just wing it. Tough choice.
"I release you, Goddess of the Chill Moon" the cultist's leader yells dramatically, holding the demons book. Light filled the run downed church.
'Fun options it is.' Natsu thought, having been brought out of his internal debate.
When the light faded, everyone was surprised by what they saw. Everyone, minus the pinkette, was expecting a demon with a large and imposing figure whose very presence could instill unparalleled fear in those within its vicinity, if the legends were anything to go by. Having grown up practically surrounded by demons and knowing what they're really like, Natsu didn't know what to expect.
Standing before everyone wasn't a large and intimidating monster but a young girl. She has long black hair and purple eyes and is wearing a sleeveless purple kimono. She has a circular symbol on her forehead along with matching markings on her shoulders. She looks no older than the dragon slayer hiding behind the collapsed wall. The only physical attribute that proves that she is a demon are the golden horns sticking out both sides of her head.
Looking at the cultists in front of her, the demon is immediately… unimpressed, if the bored look on her face is anything to go by.
"Now that you are free, tell us what we must do to accomplish our goals" the leader said. After decades of studying everything there is about Zeref, what he has accomplished, and the months of work it took to acquire one of his idol's infamous books, he is closer to achieving his dreams than ever before.
"Nope" the demon said as she started making her way towards the nearest exit, not bothering to spare another glance towards the cultist that was already starting to annoy her. The exit she is walking towards just happens to be near a certain collapsed wall.
"What? Why would you not help us reunite with Zeref? You are one of his demons, why would you not want to reunite with your creator?" The leader asks. Years of hard work going out the window, all because of some ungrateful demon that couldn't repay their kindness for freeing her.
"Simple, I don't care."
"Please, you have to help us. You are the key to us reuniting with Zeref" the leader pleads.
The demon lets out and huff before turning towards the leader, her eyes showing just how little she cares for these annoying cultists. "Give me one good reason why I should bother helping you."
"A good reason, we freed you and you owe us. What better reason do we need? I'd say you are more than obligated to repay our kindness." The leader says, seething in anger.
"It's clear that you are not intelligent enough to understand what I said so let me repeat myself. Give me a "good" reason why I should you help you. Should I repeat myself again, you simpleton." The demon said with cold tone and a slight edge in her voice.
"What?" the leader ask, his widening at what the demon said.
"You see, I don't care about finding Zeref since it was him who sealed me away and helping such pathetic beings like all of you would be a waste of my time. Even acknowledging your existence is pointless and a complete waste." She said as she started making her way towards the exit once again.
"Fine, if you won't help us then we'll just force you to." The leader yells, no longer able to contain his anger. "What are you idiots waiting for, grab that demon!"
Following their leader's orders; two of the cultists rush towards the demon in an attempt to grab her. When they were an inch away from grabbing the demon; the demon stopped dead in her tracks and both of the cultist's head had instantly spun a full 180 degrees, the sound of their necks snapping loud enough for all to hear.
"What a pitiful ending to a pathetic story." The demon said, turning to face cultists. "I doubt any of you will have a more interesting ending than your comrades." She said as she started staring down the cultists
After a couple seconds, though for the cultists it felt like hours, the tension was broken by a certain pinkette making his presence known.
"You know, for a bunch of cultists who worship a guy that makes demons, it's amazing that none of you know anything about the demons he's made." Natsu said as he stepped away from his hiding spot, walking up to beside the demon.
"Who are you?" The leader asks, not in the mood for any more surprises.
"Someone who was sent to stop you from doing whatever you planned on doing with her." The pinkette said while gesturing to the demon beside him. "Though it looks like you got this covered." He said while looking at the demon.
She didn't respond but instead just stared at him blankly, feeling as though that she knows the pinkette from somewhere.
"Great, just what I need. Another obstacle in my way." The leader seethed in anger. He is no mood for anything else unexpected. "What are all of you waiting for?! Kill him and capture that damn demon! It'll help us whether it wants us to or not!" he bellows out to the rest of the cultists.
"Wait!" Natsu yells out, stopping the cultists' dead in their tracks and getting a confused look from everyone there. "I'm giving all of you one chance to surrender."
No one there could believe what they had just heard. "Are you serious?" the leader ask, disbelief clear on his face.
"Yep, it's the only way any of you will live past today."
"Would you idiots just kill him already!" The leader yells out. Magic circles appear in front of most of the Cultist's hands, each of them firing off their own respective ranged attacks.
"Guess that's a no." Natsu says as he takes cover behind the collapsed wall he was previously hiding behind. Though he notices he isn't the only one to do so. Looking to the side he sees the demon taking cover besides him. "So, how's it going?"
"We're being attacked and that's all you have to ask?" she says plainly.
"Why not? I'm waiting for them to use up their magic and have nothing to do until then."
"Fair enough"
"So, you got a name?"
"What?"
"I asked what your name is."
"Why would you want to know that?"
"Just curious, would you rather I just call you demon instead?"
"Sayla" the now named Sayla said just as the cultists attack stops.
"Good to meet you, I'm Natsu. So you ready for a fight?" he said with a smirk while picking up a piece of ruble.
"Yes" Sayla said, eager to get rid of the cultists that has annoyed her too much in the short time she has unfortunately known them.
"Are they dead?" one of the cultists asks. They see a piece of rubble flying up in the air, coming from behind the collapsed wall. Once the rubble reached its peak in the air it shot towards the head of one of the cultists, causing it burst on contact. The other cultists could only stare in shock as looked at the headless corpse that is spurting blood out of what remained of the head before the body fell to the floor.
"Nice shot" Natsu said, feeling genuinely impressed.
"Thank you" Sayla said, enjoying the shocked expressions on the cultists face.
"So you can control things?"
"And people."
"That'll be useful." Natsu said as he saw that cultists are getting over their shock. "Let's hurry up and take care of them." He said as he started smirking. Seeing that one of the cultists is only a few feet from him. He rushes towards the poor fool and grabs them by the head and slams it straight into the stone floor, shattering the cultist's skull instantly. Seeing two more cultists lunging towards him to attack, the pinkette grows one of his claws and stares down the two as they draw closer. Once they are only a couple feet away Natsu disappears once again only to reappear behind them, crouching on the ground. As soon as he retracts his claw both cultist's throats split open with large amounts of spraying out.
Out of the corner of the dragon slayers eye he sees three more cultists charging towards him from behind intending to cut him down with the bladed weapons in their respective hands. However; before Natsu could attack the three, the cultists in the middle thrusts their sword towards their comrade to their right. Before the cultists on the right could realize what is happening, he was stabbed through his chest, killing him instantly.
"Angela, what are you doing!?" the cultists on the left yells out in confusion.
"I don't know my body moved on its own." She says as turns to other cultist, raising her sword to attack.
"What are you doing? Stop!" the other cultist yells, trying to bring up his weapon to protect himself but to no avail. It's like he wasn't in control of his own body.
"I can't" she yells as she swings her sword, decapitating him. Desperately trying to figure out what is happening the cultist looks around in attempt to understand what is happening. As she looks around she spots the demon starring her down holding out her hand towards her. Before she could comprehend what's happening, she notices movement out of the corner of her eye. She sees the cultist that she had just decapitated moving to swing his axe towards. The axe cuts straight through her stomach, causing her organs to spill out onto the floor.
Seeing this, Natsu couldn't help but be impressed by the level of control that Sayla is showing. Looking towards the demon, he sees that a cultist that has managed to sneak up behind her. He throws a small ball of fire towards the sneaking cultist, reducing him to ash immediately
Seeing the attack was sent right past her, Sayla turns to see what remains of the cultist being reduced to ash. Internally thanking the pinkette, she sees another of the cultist behind Natsu, trying to attack him while he is off guard.
Hearing some movement behind him, Natsu turns around and sees a cultist attempting to attack him. The dragon slayer cocks his arm back, ready to throw an attack of his own. But before he could do so, an axe is sent flying from behind the slayer and imbeds itself deep with the cultist's head. Recognizing the axe, Natsu once again turns towards Sayla, sending her his own thanks towards her.
"Is it just me or is it kind of disappointing how weak these guys are?" Natsu said as he walked up besides Sayla and looks at the remaining cultists.
"I agree, I knew that this would be a boring fight but I didn't think it would be this easy." Sayla said, feeling rather let down by how week these cultists really are. At least she is pleasantly surprised by the pinkette beside her. 'He's pretty strong, for a human.' She thought.
"What do you say we finish this then?"
"Sounds good"
"Then I'll take this half" Natsu said as he cocks his fist back. "Fire Fist" he yells as he fires a pillar of red and orange flames towards the cultists, wiping out half of them in an instant. "How's that" he said with a proud grin as he stared down the remaining half of the cultists who were surprised by how powerful a single child is.
"Not bad, but…" Sayla said as she pointed towards two stone walls on opposite sides of the cultists. Each of them trying to figure out what the demon is planning so they can try to survive it. Before they could put more thought into it, the walls Sayla was pointing at had dislodged themselves and flew towards each other. The cultists were squished between the two solid stone walls, resulting in blood spraying out the sides. "My attack was cooler" she finished with a proud grin of her own.
"Hmph, show off" Natsu pouted.
"Like you're any different." Sayla said as she rolled her eyes at the pinkette's antics
"If you want something done right you have to do it yourself." The cult leader said, making his presence known for the first time since the fight started. To say he is angry would be an understatement. After seeing his comrades wiped out at the hands of these two before him that were also undermining decades of research and work he is far beyond angry at this point.
"Wait, you're still alive?" Natsu asked in genuine confusion. He could've sworn this guy was one of the first ones killed.
"I must admit that I forgot about him as well. Then again, his tale isn't one worth remembering to begin with." Sayla said as she stared blankly at the remaining cultists, immediately understanding why it was so easy for her to forget about him.
"To think two runts could undermine years of hard work in a matter of minutes. It is simply inexcusable to suffer such an indignity."
"It's not our fault that you have no idea what you're doing." Natsu said while getting a nod of agreement from Sayla.
"Doesn't matter anymore, I'll personally make sure that the two of you pay for this." The leader said as his magic started flaring. As the leader's magic started giving off more magic, both Natsu and Sayla realize that not only is he the brains of this but the power behind it as well.
"I'm sure that will work as well as your other plans have" Sayla said, already bored from this conversation.
"I'll see to it that the both of you pay for what you have done" he said through clenched teeth
"Do you want to take him or can I?" Natsu asks.
"You can take him, I'm going to see if they have any books" Sayla said as she went off to search through their supplies.
"Thanks have fun" Natsu said, excited that he may finally get a challenging fight. While the leader of these cultists may look unimpressive, the magical power he was giving off lead him to believe otherwise. The pinkette may have to take this fight seriously. "Fire Fist" Natsu shouts as he fires another pillar of flames towards the remaining cultist.
As the pillar of flames closes in the cult leader, he swipes his hand to the side, hitting the pillar of flames and redirecting them to away from himself. "Do not think that I will be done in so easily." He says before dashing towards the pinkette with one of his hands cocked back, encased in a white light.
Natsu, though surprised by the cultists speed, crosses his arms to block the attack. While the block was enough to keep him from being seriously harmed, it wasn't enough to keep him from being launched back towards a stone wall, resulting in a small dust cloud to be kicked up.
The lone cultists stared towards the dust cloud in anticipation. Under normal circumstances he would be confidant that his attack would have significantly injured a normal mage. But judging from what he has seen of the pinkette, he is anything but normal.
"Finally, someone that actually knows how to throw a punch" Natsu said, walking out of the dust cloud while wiping some dust off his shoulder, looking none the worse. "Though; it would be more fun if you were that strong without having to rely on magic."
"You still doubt my strength."
"Of course" Natsu said before disappearing again only reappear before the leader, throwing a powerful punch of his own. Seeing this, the cultist crosses his arms, with a familiar white light covering them, in attempt to protect him. The punch was strong enough send him flying back, almost colliding with the wall opposite the one the pinkette had crashed into.
The cultist could only look on in shock, amazed and terrified by how much raw strength the pinkette had without magic.
"And now I know how your magic works." Natsu said, happy that he now knew exactly how to deal with this last cultist.
"What are you talking about? There is no way you could have figured it out after only seeing me use it twice." The cultist said, assuming the pinkette was bluffing.
"You use a type of Enhancement magic that increases physical abilities. That punch I threw would have been more than enough to kill a normal mage. All I have to do is overpower whatever spell you use." Natsu said with a confidant smirk.
The cultist could only stare in shock that some child has figured out how his magic works in such a short time. "Doesn't matter, you still have no chance of defeating me."
"Want to bet on that?" Natsu said as his hand was engulfed in purple and black flames. "Fire Devils Destruction Fist" he yells out as he punches the cultists again. Seeing this, the cultist crosses his arms again and covers them with more white light than before. The punch was more than powerful enough to cause the cultist to collide with the wall behind him, resulting in him coughing up some blood.
The cultist couldn't believe what kind of power he is going up against. The sharp pain he's feeling is enough of to prove that true. If it wasn't for his spell defending him, he would have been lucky if that attack only shattered his arms. He's going to need a new strategy if wants to win. "Do you honestly believe that was strong enough to injure me?" he bluffed.
"You know, you're terrible liar." Natsu said with a knowing look.
"Then I'll to put everything I have into my attacks." He replied while his right hand is once again being encased in white light. However; his hand was surrounded by more light than what has been shown from before.
"If that's the case, I'll start taking it this seriously." The pinkette said as his right hand is encased in red and orange flames with gold embers. The magic the younger mage is giving off is much more than he has shown in a while.
"What?" The cultist couldn't believe what kind of power he is feeling; it easily surpassed anything that he himself is capable of.
"It's been awhile since I used my strongest magic. If you don't put everything you have into what you do next, you will die." The dragon slayer said with a sinister smirk. "Let's finish this; this fight has gone on long enough."
"Fine" the cultist said as he rushed towards the pinkette. "Maximum Impact" he yells.
Not one to be outdone, Natsu rushes towards the cultist as well. "Fire Dragons Iron Fist"
Their fists collided with each other, causing a shockwave to be sent through the church and a crater to form underneath the two mages. Locked in a stalemate, both attacks seemed to be completely even in terms of power. Well, they did for a couple seconds before Natsu's attack completely overpowered the other attack, resulting in quite an impressive explosion of power.
When the dust cleared, Natsu emerged, completely unharmed. The cultist however; isn't as fortunate as his opponent. The arm the leader had used to attack had been reduced to a charred and broken mess with multiple tears in the skin with copious amounts of blood pouring out. Half of his face hand been covered in severe burns with one of eyes appearing to be damaged beyond repair. The rest of his body isn't fairing much better with numerous severe burns covering him. The most surprising thing though, the cultist had somehow managed to survive that attack.
"How?" the cultist asked, his tone barely above a whisper and his pupils so small, Natsu could barely see them.
"Simple, I'm stronger" the dragon slayer said as he approached the downed cultist. "Though I have to admit. You're stronger than I thought you were. I'm actually impressed" he finished as he crouched down right in front of him. The pinkette raises one of his hands and the cultist could see that it was changing into a claw.
"Wait, please spare me. I haven't accomplished my goals!" the cultist pleads.
"Then you should have taken my offer before the fight started. I would have spared you and your comrades. I hope you find peace in the afterlife." Natsu says as he plunges his claw into the cultist's heart, killing him instantly. Standing up, he feels someone standing behind him. Turning around, he sees Sayla standing a few feet from him empty handed. "I take it you didn't find any interesting books."
"Unfortunately not." She said as she looked at the damaged caused to the church by the fight. It's a surprise that the building is still standing given its current condition. "So, what now?" she ask as she focuses her attention on the pinkette.
"Well, I was told to kill you if these cultists had managed to set you free." The dragon slayer said casually.
"I see" Sayla said as she prepared herself for another fight.
"Relax; I'm not actually going to kill you."
"Really, why not? Isn't that what you were told to do." She asked.
"I'm not the best at doing things I don't want to do. Besides; fighting beside was a lot of fun."
"But won't you get in trouble?"
"Probably, odd are I'll just get chewed out. I'm use to that so it's not that big of a deal."
"Then to repay your kindness… I won't kill you."
"How generous" Natsu said sarcastically while rolling his eyes
"Go to sleep" Sayla said, using her Macro. After a couple seconds, nothing happened
"Um, is something supposed to happen?" Natsu asked, confused if something was supposed to happen or not.
"Why hasn't my Macro worked?" Sayla asked herself, having never met someone who could resist her curse.
"Render yourself unconscious"
"Knock yourself out"
"Don't be awake!" she yells out, getting more and more frustrated with each failed attempt. "Why doesn't my Macro have any effect on you?!"
"Maybe it's because I'm really stubborn" Natsu suggest, still confused about what is happening.
"That shouldn't matter!" She yells out angrily again before rubbing her temple in frustration. "Fine, if I can't knock you out with my Macro, then I'll have to choose a more direct alternative." She said as she made a large piece of rubble levitate.
All this is happening right behind Natsu, who is still unaware of what's happening.
"Sorry for this." Sayla said as she made the piece of rubble shoot straight towards the back of Natsu's head. Right before impact, the pinkette effortlessly dodged the surprise attack. Shocked by the sudden dodge, Sayla could only stare in shock as she saw the rubble heading straight towards her face. Stuck in surprise, Sayla couldn't act fast enough to stop herself from getting hit. Luckily for her, Natsu had much better reflexes and managed to catch the rubble only when it was only a couple inches from striking Sayla.
Dropping the piece of rubble to the ground the dragon slayer stared the brunette who was still in a state of shock. He flicks her on the forehead in retaliation.
"Ow!" she squeaks out, hold her forehead with comically large eyes and a few tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. "What was that for?"
"For trying to knock me out for no reason. Why else would I do that" Natsu said with an incredulous expression on his face.
"That's mean" she whines
"Really… Look, there's a town a few miles from here, want to get something to eat?"
"I don't need your charity" Sayla said in attempt to save face. However; her stomach had other plans and decided to make its opinion known. Hearing her stomach grumble, she couldn't hide the fierce blush that appeared on her face. The pinkette's shit eating grin wasn't helping anything.
"What was that?" Natsu asked, fully enjoying the demons embarrassment.
"You didn't hear that!" Sayla said while glaring dangerously at the pinkette.
"No, I definitely heard… "
"You didn't hear that!" She repeated herself while using her Macro.
"Hear what?" Natsu said while tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"Right answer." the demon said, happy that her Macro was finally effect the pinkette.
"You know there's to be embarrassed about." Natsu said, revealing that he was just messing with the poor demon. Said demon crashed to the floor with a cloud of depression hanging over her head. "Come on, let's go, it'll be my treat." Natsu said as he made his way towards the exit with Sayla following shortly behind him. As they were leaving, the dragon slayer set fire to the church to burn away the bodies they left behind.
A couple hours later
"There, feel better" Natsu said as he finished one of his many dishes.
"Yes, thanks for the food." Sayla said as she had finished her meal. Before the two had arrived at the restaurant she had changed her appearance by making her horns disappear so that she wouldn't scare anyone.
"So, what are you going to do after this?"
"Don't know, probably just wander around and look for some good books."
"If that's it, why don't you come with me and join Fairy Tail?"
"Come again?"
"I said why don't you join Fairy Tail? I know from experience that it's better than just wandering around with nothing to do."
"You may be right, but would they accept me? I am a demon after all."
"They'll accept you; Fairy Tail would never turn away anyone that wants to join."
"I guess I'll give it a try, not like I have anything else going on. Besides if I don't like it, I can just leave."
"Let's get going then"
Later at Fairy Tail
"So you're telling me that these cultists had manage to acquire a book containing one of Zeref's demons, successfully released said demon, and you teamed up with her to kill the cultists before bringing her to our guild so that she can join" Makarov said while pinching the bridge of his nose. Out of all the ways this day could have gone, the older man could safely say this was indeed the last thing that he would expect. But here he is, sitting in his office with a troublesome dragon slayer and demon created by one of the most evil men in history. He's going to need a stiff drink after this.
"Yeah, that's what happened" Natsu said, acting as though everything that he had just said is completely normal. A feat the old man admits is impressive at times.
"At least you keep things interesting. I'm curious, you are aware that because this is in fact a council quest that I am required to turn in a report about has happened during the mission."
"Of course I know that."
"So what do you suggest I tell them. Because I can't just tell them that we have a demon from the book of Zeref and expect there would be no consequences because of that. No offense Sayla, I'm just stating the obvious to be sure Natsu is aware of might happen should the council learn of your being here."
"No offense taken, I assumed me being a demon would cause some sort of issue." Sayla replied, fully aware of the potential risk of her being here.
"Who's to say that you have to tell them the truth? Just tell the council that the cultists released the demon before I got there, it killed them all, and I killed it while it was in a weakened state after fighting the cultist."
"Before I agree to that option, there is something that I must ask first." Makarov said as he turned his gaze towards Sayla, a serious expression on his face. "Do you want to join our guild?"
"Yes sir"
"Then Welcome to Fairy Tail; where do you want your guild mark and in what color?"
"Wait, that's it?!" Sayla said in complete disbelief. She assumed that would have been either turned away or turned in to the council.
"Of course my dear; Fairy Tail would never turn away someone that wants to" Makarov said with a warm smile.
"See, just like I told you" Natsu said with a smile matching Gramps.
"Thank you sir. I would like my guild stamp in purple on my forearm, please."
"There's no need to call me sir now Sayla, you're part of our family now. You can drop the formalities if you'd like." Makarov said as he pulled the magic stamper from his desk to give his newest child her guild mark. "But there is a pressing matter that we must discuss." He said after giving Sayla her guild mark. "I have no problem with lying to the council; I have done it many times before. But I must ask that we keep your being a demon a secret. If the council were to find out that we are harboring a demon; it will cause a lot problems for the guild and potentially get us disbanded. I'm fully aware that I am asking you to hide who you really are and how terrible such a thing is. But I am asking you to do this, not just for your safety but for the safety of the rest of the guild as well." He finished with a serious expression. Telling one of his children to hide who she is something that he is not proud of doing; however, it's safer than basically announcing to the world that they have a demon from the book of Zeref as a member in their guild.
"I understand Master" Sayla said. While not happy that she has to keep her heritage a secret, she understands the dangers, especially if there are more people like those cultists out there.
"Thank you my dear, I know what I'm asking isn't fair or easy. Now that that's settled, there is one last order of business." Makarov said, feeling extremely grateful for Sayla's understanding.
"And what would that be?" Sayla asked, curious as to what that would be, not noticing Natsu's knowing grin.
"We need to celebrate you joining Fairy Tail of course" he said with a happy grin, earning from a small smile from his newest child.
There it is, finally done with this chapter. Sorry this chapter took longer than I said it would but this chapter was a pain in the ass to write. I wasn't happy with what I originally wrote and had to start over, twice. Even then this went through a couple revisions. That being said I'm happy with how it turned out. Please let me know what all of you think. There were a lot of things that had to happen and hopefully I pulled it off.
Last chapter it was mentioned that Makarov is going to try to convince Natsu to start forgiving people and giving them a chance at redemption and I think some people interpreted that as I was going to have Natsu stop killing in general. Well, that's not the case, not entirely anyways. While there will be people he will spare, there will be plenty that won't be so lucky. Hopefully I explained that a little better in this chapter, I completely understand if that was misinterpreted, I'm not always the best at explaining things.
Don't forget I have a poll on whether Juvia should be a dragon slayer or not and I'll leave that up until the next chapter comes out.
On to Harem news, like always if you if you're not interest in that part of this story than just skip over this part. Reading over the last chapters AN I realized that I wrote something that may have been misinterpreted. Granted it was most likely misinterpreted because I did a poor job explaining it. The four girls that were listed in the last AN were merely girls that I thought would be: interesting to add, easiest to add, or most commonly voted for. I also forgot to include Juvia on that list, dammit. Feel free to vote for whoever you want to and that still includes the two OCs that have been previous mentioned. In case you forgot, one of those OCs is inspired by Velvet Crowe (Tales of Berseria) and the other is Laxus's sister. Next chapter I will list the girls that are officially in the harem.
On to reviews
Carmelo Hernandez: As of right now I'm not entirely sure how I want to explain Natsu's motivation. At this moment, I'm thinking it would be better to simply explain it; however, that can change by the time I get there.
Xerzo LotCN: Sorry for misspelling your name, I didn't realize it was misspelt until I read your review. I fully admit that god like was the wrong way to describe what I meant. The reason why I'm hesitant on giving Natsu Lightning Devil Slayer magic is because I don't want to make him too OP. As he is now, Natsu already moves at speeds faster than what most people can perceive and I don't want to make him untouchable. That being said, I do like your suggestion of learning it after he joins the guild and trains with it over time. Also after putting some thought into it, I did come up with a way to introduce this new magic that would work for this story. I'm not confirming that he will learn it yet, but I am putting a lot of thought into it. You had some really good suggestions on how to handle Juvia being a water dragon slayer, one of which isn't too far off from what I have planned depending on how the poll go's. If you want to know what they are just send me a PM or just wait to see what I have planned, though the wait is going to be a long one.
The Anonymous FanFic Author: I included Bisca because she is rarely paired up with Natsu and it's a pairing that I have been liking a lot lately. Mavis will be aged up when she officially joins the harem; though, I'm not sure if I'll keep her petite or make her a little curvier.
Guest: it's because of what happened in the last chapter and what I have planned for future that Erza wasn't immediately included in the harem. That being said, things are going to be bit bumpy between her and Natsu for a while but it will all work out later on.
That's it for reviews. Thank you to everyone who has read up to this point, as well everyone that has favorited, followed and left a review since the last chapter.
As always, hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know how I did. If you have a question either leave a review and I'll answer it in the next AN or send me a PM and I'll respond as soon as I can.
Till next time
Mreh