Natsu was challenged to a codemaster match by Codemaster Amzen. This was a chance to show how far he's really come. Natsu appeared to have done well as he was able to code Screamer, but when he thought he had Sinta, she somehow came back.
"How did Sinta come back? I already coded her?" Natsu said.
"Did you really think you could beat Sinta that easily?" Amzen questioned. "You can try, but you won't be able to beat her as easily as you think." Amzen went and selected the next location. "Skeletal Springs. A rematch as Sinta attacks Vyll." They became the same creatures they battled as before and it was going differently. Sinta was more than a match for Vyll.
"Granite Balls!" Sinta launched the attack from her eyes and they hit Vyll as they knocked him out of the air. Vyll was having a harder time against Sinta than he did before.
"I'm not done yet." Vyll said as he tried using his cyclance against her, but Sinta jumped over the attack. Sinta unleashed a blast of fire and it blasted Vyll into a batch of acid and it coded him. It went very different than it did before.
"I told you that beating her wouldn't be easy." Amzen said.
...
Outside
"I don't get it." Zach said as he and a lot of others watched the battle unfold. "Natsu coded Sinta before. How did she come back?"
"She must have let Natsu win that last battle so she could show that Sinta can come back." Lucy said. "We just need to figure out how she does it and help Natsu out."
"Yeah right." Clyde said as he and Krystal were enjoying Natsu's downfall. "We're talking about a codemaster. It's not going to be easy to figure it out.
"If Natsu can't beat Sinta, he can't win Codemaster Amzen." Krystal said.
"They're starting the next battle." Lucy said.
"Khybon attacks Sinta!" Khybon and Sinta battle each other again and Khybon was able to hold his own against Sinta. As they battled it out in Underworld City, Khybon swung around. Sinta tried blasting Khybon with Lavalanche, but Khybon swung around and avoided the attack. Khybon unleahsed a Power Pulse attack on a building and it caused it to collapse and she was coded.
...
The Battle
"That should have done it." Natsu said, but Sinta came back again. "No! I don't get it! How is Sinta coming back?"
"I'm afraid I can't answer that." Amzen said. "It's part of the game to figure out your opponents strategy." This wasn't looking good for Natsu. If he can't beat Sinta, he can't win. "Sinta attacks Khybon." Sinta and Khybon battled each other again at Rock River Canyon, but it wasn't looking good for Natsu.
"Delerium!" Khybon used the attack, but Sinta jumped up and avoided the attack and used Flash Kick. It hit Khybon and he was knocked off a cliff. Khybon tried to get back up, but she wasn't going to allow him.
"Rock Wave!" She caused a rock slide to happen with that attack and it all fell on Khybon with him getting coded.
...
Outside
"There must be some sort of explanation for this." Erza said. "How does Sinta come back?"
"Natsu better figure it out fast. It's three against five in there." Zach said. Lucy looked over the battle board and the creatures that Amzen was using.
"Wait. The way she places her creatures is rather strange." Lucy said as she looked over how Amzen had her creatures placed. She thought of something and thinks she has it together.
...
The Battle
Natsu was getting frustrated. Sinta was the one creature Natsu wanted to beat, but it seems like that's not going to happen. Natsu was going to attack again, but he heard his scanner go off and saw it was Lucy.
"Hey, Lucy. I can't talk now." Natsu said.
"Natsu, I think I figure out why Sinta is coming back." Lucy said and that got his attention. "Haven't you noticed how Amzen moves her creatures? She hasn't moved any of the creatures she's keeping in the back. Why do you think that is?"
"In the back?" Natsu said. He looked and saw she was right. None of the three creatures in the back have moved. "I get it now! I bet the reason Sinta keeps coming back is because it has something to do with that bat-like underworlder you have in the back!"
"Nicely done. You figure it out." Amzen admitted. "If you want to beat Sinta, you'll have to get rid of Raxin first and I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen."
"We'll see about that. At least now I know what's going on." Natsu said. "So let's kick off where we left off." Natsu went and selected the next location now that he knows what he really needs to do.
"The next location...the Lava Pond."
"Magmon attacks Scorilla!" Natsu became Magmon and Amzen became a large black gorilla with a scorpion stinger. They battled it out with Magmon running from Scorilla.
"Fireram!" Magmon turned around and tried blasting him with fire, but Scorilla pushed through and tried to hit him. Magmon acted fast and pulled out the ring of nar'rin and formed a barrier around himself and blocked the punch. Scorilla tried again and was able to break through. Scorilla used his stinger and fired an energy blast that blew Magmon back and hit a stone column. Scorilla was going to attack again, but Magmon had something else planned. "Canon of Casualty!" Magmon played mugic and it came down on Scorilla and it did some damage. "Gladiator's Fire!" Magmon used another fire attack and blasted Scorilla with him getting coded.
"Sinta attacks Magmon." Sinta and Magmon battled it out in Gloomuck Swamp and her earth attacks were stronger. Magmon didn't stand a chance there, but he kept the fight going.
"Harnessed Rage!" Magmon used the attack and blasted Sinta with it, but she was able to endure it.
"Plasma Arrow!" Sinta used the attack and it blasted Magmon with him getting knocked down. "Minor Roar!" Sinta used a soundwave attack and it blasted Magmon with him getting coded as well.
"Ornathor attacks Joque!" This battle was taking place in Everrain. Now Natsu was battling a jaguar-like creature. Joque walked around the place and spotted some water Ornathor might have been hiding in, but Ornathor appeared behind some plants.
"Flood Force!" Ornathor used his liquilizer and fired a beam into the water. It caused the water to surround Joque and trapped him in a bubble.
"Coil Crush!" Joque stretched out his claw and forced his way out the bubble and reached out for Ornathor. Ornathor avoided attack and headed for the water. Joque tried using Velocitrap to stop him, but Ornathor launched a Sludge Gush attack and blasted Joque with it. It was a good distraction as he dived into the water. "You can't hide from me." Joque was about to step in, but the water rose straight up in a spiral and came down on Joque and coded him.
"Sinta attacks Ornathor."
...
Outside
Natsu's friends continued to watch the battle unfold, but it wasn't looking good for Ornathor either.
"This is bad. Whenever Natsu codes one creature, he gets coded by Sinta." Zach said.
"That creature is so powerful." Erza said.
"Come on. Did you expect anything less?" Clyde said. "Natsu never stood a chance against Amzen in the first place."
"He's not beaten yet. He's still got Ornathor and Igneel. He can still win." Lucy said, at least she was hoping. They watch the battle go on as Ornathor tried using his liquilizer against Sinta, but Sinta avoided his attacks. Sinta used an attack called Symmetry Slam and hit Ornathor with it as he was knocked down by it. Sinta finished it with Lavalanche and he got coded.
"What were you saying?" Krystal said as she loved seeing Lucy wrong.
"Natsu only has Igneel left." Erza said.
"He can still win." Zach said as he tried to keep hope alive.
"Igneel attacks Eagrin!"
"Eagrin?!" Zach said. "Eagrin has that battlegear that does damage for every mugician the opponent has! Igneel has three!"
"Natsu doesn't have a choice." Erza said.
"Ha! He should have just saved himself the humiliation and surrendered." Clyde said.
...
The Battle
Natsu might be down to his last creature, but he's going to keep the fight going. Eagrin tried blast Igneel in a cave, but Igneel used the rocks as shields and was able to avoid each attack. Igneel went around a corner and Eagrin went after him, but Eagrin lost sight of him.
"Where did he go?" Eagrin said as he looked around and didn't see him.
"Here!" Igneel called as he appeared behind Eagrin and used a whepcrack. He finally caught a break and his battle gear knocked Eagrin's out of his hands. "Inferno Gust!" Igneel used the attack and blasted Eagrin with him getting coded.
"Almost there." Natsu said. "I know I have to get past Sinta first and battle her again when she's coded, but I'm close to Raxin."
"You've actually done very well." Amzen said. "For all your hard work, I'll indulge you and show you why Raxin keeps bring Sinta back." She went and selected the next location and decided to reward Natsu with all that he's done so far.
"The next location...Grassy Plains."
"Raxin attacks Igneel." They both became their creatures with Amzen becoming a humanoid bat. "Be careful, Raxin can be a tricky little creature."
"I'm ready." Igneel said. They were sent to a grass field with Igneel walking around and trying to find Raxin. "That flying rodent is around here somewhere."
"Over here!" Igneel turned around and saw Raxin in the air. "Shadow Strike!" Raxin's shadow stretched out and smashed against Igneel with him getting knocked down. Igneel looked up and saw Raxin holding a wooden scepter with purple gems in it.
"What is that thing?" Igneel questioned.
"This is why Sinta kept coming back." Raxin said. "This is called the necro scepter. In the game, it can constantly bring one creature back as long as the creature equipped to it is still in play. Windslash!" Raxin used another attack and hit Igneel with it. Igneel fought back as he pulled out his whepcrack and lashed it at Raxin, but Raxin dived under the grass and remained hidden.
"Now where did he go?" Igneel said as he looked around, but attacks kept coming from different directions and kept striking Igneel.
'I've got to take down Raxin if I want to beat Sinta.' Natsu thought. 'He might be able to hide from my attacks, but not from mugic.'
"Consuming Cacophony!" Igneel used two of his mugicians, but it was worth it as it came down and revealed Raxin with him taking major damage. "There you are!" He used the whepcrack and it got it around Raxin's ankle and kept him from going anywhere. Raxin didn't had much energy left, but had one last trick.
"Song of Destination!" Raxin cast mugic before Igneel used a flame attack and was able to code Raxin. Igneel became Natsu, but he wasn't happy about his victory.
"Why did you use Song of Destination? What is that?" Natsu said.
"I knew I wouldn't be able to last much longer after you used your mugic." Amzen said. "So I cast a mugic of my own that allows me to lock in the next location even when it's not my turn." All of Amzen's locations were shown, but she already had one in mind. "I think I know the perfect location to finish this." She selected the location and it was one Natsu knew as well.
"The next location...Under Cavern Jungle." Natsu and Amzen selected Igneel and Sinta and it was all coming down to one battle.
"Let's get chaotic, shall we?" Sinta said.
"Let's finish this." Igneel said. The area changed to Under Cavern Jungle and Igneel was giving it all. He launched Flash Kicks at her. Sinta avoided them, but they did graze her. Sinta used Power Pulse and blasted Igneel with him getting knocked down.
"Viperlash!" Igneel created some snakes and lashed them against her, but she pushed through.
"Ash Torrent!" Sinta blasted Igneel again and he landed on the ground. "Now to finish this with the same mugic you used. Consuming Cacophony!"
...
Outside
"Not that mugic!" Lucy said.
"Since Sinta can use fire attacks now, that deals thirty damage!" Zach said.
"Ha! Even if she didn't have, all Igneel had was fire." Clyde said. "Her battlegear protects her from fire. On top of that, they're in a location where Sinta had the advantage, using fire is dangerous there, and she belongs to Amzen."
"Face it, losers. Natsu lost." Krystal said. The mugic came down on Igneel and everyone thought that was it, but Igneel didn't get coded. In fact, the mugic looks like it didn't do any damage.
"What?! How did he do that?!" Clyde said.
"How indeed." Erza said.
"Check it out." Lucy said as she pulled out Igneel's stats on her scanner. "It's Igneel's ability. If his courage is higher than his opponent's, he's immune to mugic."
"Immune to mugic?!" Zach said as they had a look. "Sinta's courage is at eighty-five, but Igneel's courage is at...one-hundred! So mugic can't work on him!"
"He might still have a chance!" Lucy said.
...
The Battle
"You were saying?" Igneel said as he pulled out his whepcrack again. He whipped it at her, but she jumped out of the way.
Nice try, but I still have chogar's amulet." Sinta said.
"I think it is time you faced the mugic. I've been saving this mugic just for this. Discord of Disarming!" Sinta was surprised by that mugic. The mugic came down and the amulet was destroyed. "Now I can use fire attacks and you lost yours. Megaroar!" Igneel unleashed a powerful roar and blasted Sinta as she was blown back from the attack and slammed against a tree. Igneel flew up and readied his whip for one more attack.
"Well done." Sinta said.
"Flame Orb!" Igneel unleashed one more attack and blasted Sinta with it and she ended up getting coded.
"The winner: Fire-Dragneel." Igneel roared in victory as he became Natsu again with everyone cheering for him. His friends were proud, his enemies were shocked, and Gray was real impressed.
"Congratulations, Fire-Dragneel." Amzen said. "Using Discord of Disarming the way you did was...brilliant. It certainly was a surprise. Here's your reward for winning." She transferred a scan to him and it was a new location.
"Under Cavern Jungle!" Natsu said.
"I know you're more of underworlder player, but this will open the way to new possibilities." Amzen said.
"Thank you." Natsu said as he felt like a real chaotic player. Natsu stepped out and everyone cheered for his victory, but not everyone was happy.
"No way!" Clyde said. "You had to have cheated somehow."
"No I didn't." Natsu said. "I battled, I won, and I get two new scans." Clyde seemed like he didn't get it. "Did you forget our little wager? You owe me a scan too. Don't bother weaseling your way out of it because I will come at you every hour. Do you really want me to constantly annoy you about it for days?" Natsu already knew the answer to that. "I'll meet you in an hour to get that scan." He left him and Krystal and annoyed and himself feeling good.
"Oh yeah, Natsu!" Zach said.
"Way to go." Lucy said.
"Did you get it?" Erza said. Natsu held out his scanner and showed his new location scan. This also means that Natsu has a new goal.
"I know there are six other codemasters, but I'll beat them all one day. It's going to get...chaotic." Natsu said. He won his battle, but this isn't the end of this chaotic journey. It's just beginning.