A creature named Rarran was flying through the sky. He was keeping his guard up and was keeping an eye open for someone. The truth of the matter is that Rarran was actually Natsu in the middle of a drone battle.

'This is my last chance. I can't lose here.' Natsu thought. Rarran looked around, but was blasted and blown back. He looked down and was faced with his opponent who was using Siado.

"Ready to lose, Fire-Dragneel?" Siado taunted.

"Inferno Gust!" Rarren unleashed a cloud of poison. He unleashed it at Siado, but Siado turned invisible and he couldn't see him anymore. Rarren was trying to find him, but Siado reappeared with a Torwegg on his back.

"Cyclone Slam!" Siado unleashed a blast of a cyclone and it hit Rarran. Rarran couldn't hold on and ended up being coded. That ended up being the end of a match and Natsu took the loss pretty hard.

...

The Portcourt

Natsu met up with his friends back at the court and was pretty bummed about his match. It wasn't just with this match either. Natsu's actually been losing a lot lately.

"Man. That's the fourth match I lost in a row." Natsu said. "I've got a real losing streak going. I couldn't take out a single one of my opponent's creatures."

"I'm sorry, Natsu." Lucy said.

"I don't get it. What am I doing wrong?" Natsu said. "It's like people know how to beat me." When Natsu said that, the others were a little hesitant to say something.

"Natsu...they actually do." Zach said.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"Natsu, you're strategies are...obvious, direct, and easy to read." Erza said. "You've been battling the same way and it's becoming clear to everyone. That makes it easier for them to beat you. You always make sure your creatures use fire attacks. It's almost like you don't give much thought into strategy either."

"For real, Natsu." Zach said. "You're focusing too much on brute force. You need to become more flexible, change things up a little."

"You also don't seem to take to account your creatures recklessness, the amount of damage you do to yourself every time you attack." Lucy said. "Magmon and Chargola are examples of that."

"What are you saying? Are you saying I'm becoming a weak player?" Natsu asked.

"No, but you can't use the same strategies you've been using over and over again." Lucy said. "Otherwise, people will know about it and it will be harder and harder to win. Especially in a codemaster match."

"What's a codemaster match?" Natsu asked. As soon as he said that, they were all baffled about it.

"How does he not know about a codemaster match?" Zach said.

"Lucy, didn't you say anything?" Erza asked.

"I thought he already knew. I thought one of you told him about codemaster matches." Lucy said. The three of them went back and forth about that and it was getting on Natsu's nerves.

"What the heck is a codemaster match?!" Natsu shouted.

"Other than the Beta Drone, there are seven drones that have a codemaster in them." Zach said.

"If you win seven matches in that drone, you can challenge a codemaster or they challenge you." Erza said.

"And if you win, you get a location scan most players don't have." Lucy said. "That way, you can add to your arsenal with new creatures, mugic, and battlegear."

"Have any of you been in a codemaster match?" Natsu asked.

"I tried against Codemaster Hotekk, but his creatures were savage." Zach said.

"Same with Codemaster Crellen. His creatures were Jurassic." Lucy said.

"I battled Codemaster Oron, but I ended up getting crushed." Erza said.

"Even you couldn't beat one, Erza?" Natsu said.

"Goes to show you how good they are." Erza said. "It takes a lot to beat a codemaster."

"But with how you've been going into battles, it doesn't seem like that's going to happen." Zach said. As soon as he said that, Natsu felt annoyed and bothered by that.

"I can get those seven wins. I can beat the codemasters." Natsu said. "I just need to get better scans, like Igneel! I know if I had him, I could be unbeatable."

"Natsu, it's not just the scans. It's how you use them." Erza said.

"I know what I'm doing. I just need something like Igneel. I'm going to find him." Natsu said. Natsu thinks his friends were saying that he doesn't know how to play the game, but he think he just need some new scans.

...

Natsu

It was night and Natsu was in a place called Rock River Canyon. He looked around for Igneel as he believes he can win every match with him.

"Maybe I should have scanned Igneel when I had the chance." Natsu said as he can't find him anywhere. "I'll show them. I'll show them that I still got game. Igneel?! Igneel?!" Natsu started making his way up to try and get a better view of the place. "Igneel?!" Igneel looked around, but he Igneel was nowhere to be seen. Igneel travels a lot and is not easy to find. Natsu wasn't even looking where he was going and ended up stepping over the edge. "Whoa!" Natsu grabbed on the cliff and was holding on for dear life, but he was beginning to slip, but someone grabbed his arm.

"I've got you!" He looked up and saw a girl with brown hair wearing a pink shirt and black shorts. She helped him up and pulled Natsu up to safety.

"Thanks." Natsu said.

"No problem." The girl said. After saving his life, they started a little fire and Natsu explained to her what he was doing. "You're trying to get a scan of Igneel? That's a hard creature to find, let alone scan."

"I know, but he be a big help." Natsu said. "I've been on a real losing streak lately and I need to up my game."

"I've seen your battles, Natsu." The girl said. "You could have the most powerful deck and you could still lose."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"You've got good instincts, but you can't win on that alone." The girl said. "Your strategies are too predictable, too direct. You need to be more flexible. You also seem to favor the fire element. It wouldn't hurt to use the other elements as well. You also got to take account for your creature's recklessness."

"What about in a codemaster match?" Natsu asked.

"In a codemaster match, you need to use everything you've learned and more. Codemasters will have tons of surprises. You need to have a few of your own."

"Have you been in any?" Natsu asked.

"I've had a few."

"Well, I think I'm doing just fine. I just need some great new scans to help me out." Natsu said.

"It takes more than just scans, Natsu. You need to know how to use them."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"There's one way to show you what your problem is." Natsu had a pretty good idea on what that was.

...

The Beta Drone

Natsu and the mystery girl ported back to Chaotic. A match was just what they needed and went to an open spot in the Beta Drone.

"Okay. Let's get started." They set their scanners and begin to build their teams.

'I don't know anything about this girl. She's seen my matches, but I haven't seen hers.' Natsu thought. 'You know what, who cares? I'll show them all that I know what I'm doing.' Natsu is still sticking to his way and built his team. 'I'll use my heavy hitters up front: Magmon, Chargola, and Barath Beyond. I'll also use Rarren and Dardemus. In the back, I'll put in another heavy hitter. Bladez will do. Now for battlegear. I'll give Magmon a whepcrack and Chargola a pyroblaster.' As Natsu set his team, the mystery girl watched how he did and it seemed to go just as she expected as he finished up. 'No way am I losing here.'

"If you're ready, lock your deck." Both of them locked their decks, but Natsu noticed something wrong. She only has one creature.

"Hey. I thought this was a six-on-six match." Natsu said. "Look, I don't need a handicap." Natsu felt offended, but also confused about something. "Who is that creature anyway? I've never seen her before."

"Her name is Sinta. You'll see what she can do soon enough. You attack first." Natsu didn't like this, but he went with it and spun for a location. It stopped at the Lava Pond.

"The Lava Pond, sweet. Magmon attacks Sinta!" They both became their creatures with Natsu getting a good look at Sinta. She was a cougar-like creature with flowing auburn hair and black stripes over her face. She had clothing around her upper chest and waist with a crown-like piece on her head.

"Now to really test you." Sinta said. The match started and they were now in the Lava Pond. Magmon searched around and was keeping his eyes open for this creature he knows nothing about. However, Sinta jumped on a rock without being seen and a piece of battlegear appeared. It was a sash around her body with a turquoise gem attached to it. She jumped down and got his attention. "Delerium!" She fired a beam from her mind and it blasted Magmon with him getting all dizzy.

"That won't stop me. Lavalanche!" He launched lava, but he kept missing his aim.

"All you're doing is wasting Magmon's energy from his recklessness." Sinta said. Magmon pulled himself together and pulled out his whepcrack.

"How about now?" Magmon said as he used the power of the whepcrack and unleashed some flames, but he was surprised when a barrier blocked the attack. "What happened?"

"It's this." Sinta said as she tapped the gem. "It's called chogar's amulet. It blocks the element of my choice and I chose fire. That means your fire attacks can't work. Rock Wave!" She slammed the ground and caused rocks to rise and slam against Magmon and coded him. Natsu couldn't believe how fast that all went.

"No way. Where did you even get a scan of that?" Natsu said.

"You'll see." The girl chose the next location and it was one Natsu didn't know about. "Under Cavern Jungle."

"Under Cavern Jungle? I've never heard of that location." Natsu said.

"Bad for you. It's Sinta's home. Sinta attacks Chargola." They entered a mysterious jungle and it appeared to be underground. It also appeared it was night with a series of large crystals glowing like moonlight to see. Natsu would have been impressed if he wasn't in the middle of a battle. Chargola used his pyroblaster, but every attack was being blocked by the amulet.

"Try all you want. Your fire attacks won't work and you're just wasting power." Sinta said. Chargola was getting annoyed.

'She's right. None of my fire attacks are working.' Natsu thought and wasn't so sure what to do.

"Ember Swarm!" Sinta used her own fire attack and launched fire at him. Chargola moved around and was avoiding her attacks. Sinta launched more flames, but Chargola ducked down. He was going to attack again, but he was grabbed some vines.

"Now what?" Chargola said.

"I forgot to mention. There are some plants here that are very sensitive to heat." Sinta said. Chargola was lifted up by a giant plant and swallowed Chargola with him getting coded.

"What's going on?" Natsu said as she changed back. "I'm looking at Sinta's stats and she can't use fire attacks. All she can do is earth attacks."

"It's another effect of the amulet. If the equipped creature is an overworlder, that creature gains the element I blocked out. So your fire attacks can't work on me, but they can work on you." Natsu didn't like the sound of that. "Your attack." Natsu made the next location and it was a place called the Stormgrounds. It was Barath Beyond against Sinta and he used a piece of battlegear called a Windstrider to attack from the air. Sinta kept avoiding his attacks as Barath rode the air.

"I've got you now!" Barath said as he launched a beam that blasted near Sinta and knocked her down. Barath thought he had her, but she had a surprise up her sleeve.

"Improvisational Melody!" She cast mugic that used both her mugicians. The mugic played Barath Beyond got caught in it and he lost control of his windstrider. Barath Beyond couldn't get control and ended up smashing against a stone pillar and got coded.

"How did you do that? Improvisational Melody is underworld mugic." Natsu said.

"It's Sinta's special ability. She's able to cast mugic from the same tribe as the creature she's battling against." Natsu couldn't believe this was happening. Whoever she is, she's good.

"I'm not done yet." Natsu said. He kept the battle going. He tried using Rarran, but he ended up getting coded by Pebble Storm. He also tried Dardemus with a viledriver, but he ended getting knocked over an edge and got coded as well. "I can't believe this! I can't take out that creature, but you've beaten five of mine."

"You're not adapting, Natsu. You can't win like this."

"Yes I can! I know I can!" Natsu said.

"It's good that you believe in yourself, but you're not seeing the problem. You can't win unless you adapt and add to your style, especially against a codemaster."

"How would you know?!" Natsu said in frustration. That was the time when the girl showed who she really was as she held out a card with a symbol on it. The entire drone had power coursing through it and the girl's appearance changed into one with a white robe with a light blue collar. She also had a blue helmet over her head with yellow ridges.

"Because I am one. I am Codemaster Amzen."

"Codemaster Amzen?!" Natsu said as he couldn't believe he was facing her the whole time.

"You are a great player, Fire-Dragneel, but we all have room to improve. When something doesn't work, we make changes. Simply being stubborn about it isn't going to do any good. Do you still wish to continue?"

"No way I'm backing down now." Natsu said.

"Very good. Sinta attacks Bladez." They went to finish this battle back in Under Cavern Jungle. Bladez went on the offense as he attacked Sinta, but Sinta jumped back.

"Shadow Strike!" Bladez unleashed his shadow and it smashed against Sinta with her hitting a tree. "Wind Slash!" He unleashed blades of wind. Sinta tried moving out of the way of the attack.

"Freeze Flash!" Sinta unleashed a blast of cold air, but Bladez held out his shield and was able to block the attack. Bladez unleashed an energy blast from his blade and hit Sinta again.

"I've got you now!" Bladez said as he went to finish her, but Sinta was a step ahead of him. She jumped up and launched some Flash Kicks at him and blasted him. Sinta jumped on a branch and kept some distance.

"Vine Lash!" She unleashed some vines and they wrapped around Bladez with him getting squeezed. Bladez tried to get out, but it held tight. "You are a great Chaotic player, Natsu. You show a lot of potential. Don't forget what happened here. Plasmarrow!" She unleashed arrows made of plasma and ended up coding Bladez. When the battle over, Amzen vanished.

"Codemaster?" Natsu said. It was a hard lost, but it might have shown Natsu what he needed to know.

...

The Next Day

"After that, she vanished." Natsu said as he finished explaining to his friends what happened between him and Amzen.

"I can't believe that girl was really Codemaster Amzen." Erza said.

"She must have known about Natsu's problem and tried to him, but why would she do that?" Zach questioned.

"I guess there's something about you, Natsu, that caught her interest." Lucy said. Natsu wasn't sure, but it showed him what he needed to know. Natsu stood outside the Amzen Drone and thought what Amzen has done for him. He now sees he does need to improve because he's been holding himself back by being stubborn about this.

"I now see I still have a lot to learn. I need to up my game in more ways than I thought." Natsu said. "I will get better. I will get stronger. I will get those seven wins so I can battle you again...and win. I'll be ready, Codemaster Amzen."