One's Road to Remembrance

by Insane Dominator

For 4 years, a lone guy has been suffering from memory-loss, and can only remember his name: Craig Crius. The 4 years have been very unfriendly, and in turn has become rather desolate. With the help of Cana Alberona and from Fairy Tail, Craig will endure horrific hardships, take on dangerous tasks, and unleash power he never knew he had in order to understand who he was. OCxCana.

57. Targets

The door to the locker room quietly opened, where Craig ventured inside and went to a nearby bench. He slumped down and hunched over, fingers intertwined with his two thumbs pressed against his forehead. If he was in the mood to sigh, he would've, but instead just quietly contemplated the predicament. Things, apparently, were much worse than he'd expected them to be.

Footsteps approached from the direction he came from, and he looked up from his thinking to see several members of his team coming around. Mainly they were Makarov, Team Fairy Tail, Gray, Juvia, Cana, the Exceeds, Wendy, Lucy, and Gildarts in tow.

Craig stayed quiet as they all gathered around him, showing anything less than worry for his sake. "Cranky…" Cana started.

Craig looked up at her and everybody with a straight but also seemingly annoyed expression. "What?" he tiredly asked.

"Don't 'what' us." Erza scolded. "You know what. What happened out there?"

Craig gave no verbal reply; only putting a hand to his chin and resting his elbow on his knee.

"Yeah, I was really worried out there." Lucy admitted. "You were fighting against that Scythe guy pretty harsh. Weren't you supposed to stay on the raft?"

"If you ask me, it looked like you and that guy were trying to kill each other." Gajeel bluntly said.

"What was your first clue?" Craig sarcastically sniped.

Laxus processed what he said and gave him a straight face. "So then I guess that's pointing out the obvious. Gotta say, that was pretty intense with you doing all that." He tried to make it sound less dreadful than it appealed to be by making some commentary as such, but no one was buying the digression.

Erza sighed. "Why?" she asked him.

Craig shot her a tired look. "Don't look at me, he's the one who struck first. I'm sure you understood that these battles I go through, they aren't like the ones you have to take on. I'm not playing for my own fun and games you know. The people out there, that so-called competition, they're not so sportive than you think, you pieces of dipshit."

"Hey, watch it!" Natsu retorted.

"Yeah, be reasonable man." Gray retorted. "Besides, from how you looked at first, weren't you on defense because of the water?"

Craig's brow furrowed in heavy disgust. "And what about it?"

Natsu pointed a thumb at himself and beamed. "Admit it man, you can't swim!" he boasted. From the look on Craig's twisted face, he hit the nail on the head. "Haha! Finally, looks like we know how to beat you now!"

Craig rolled his eyes away and didn't bother to grip Natsu's throat. What he said wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. Cana knew, and she remembered seeing it, too. He could swim…just not well. But adding fuel to the fire that was Natsu, Craig chose to shut up and let him run his own mouth. He just wasn't worth it if he blabbed about his pride. Pride doesn't win battles after all.

Natsu raised his fists. "I bet I could take that Scythe guy! I mean as long as it's on solid ground and all, but I'll make sure he gets roasted before he gets even a few feet ahead of me."

"That's putting yourself out there, Natsu." Happy warned. "You saw that guy? He's so fast."

Pantherlily nodded. "And that level of magic that we've sensed. There's no doubt in my mind that whoever was beneath that cloak was more then what can be a capable match if he could level with Craig there."

"Very unsettling indeed." Carla said.

Wendy turned towards Lucy. "Do you think we'll be okay out there?"

"Well I just hope we'll never have to face those guys head on."

Makarov nodded at the blonde's conclusion. "This predicament has gotten out of hand. This enemy that we're new to, this competition; I was hoping we'd be able to press ourselves to a higher standpoint against Sabertooth at first, but it looks like even them has been overrun by this guild." He turned towards Craig, seeing the cold look on his face. "What you said before, about the competition, what were you trying to say?"

Rather speak up, Craig instead stood up. "I could only explain it once, and even that's something I wouldn't expect you to get. We don't have the luxury to sit around and ask each other these questions you know."

"What are you saying, Craig?" Gildarts asked. "That's something we want to know. We don't get what you're trying to say to us. Speak English."

"Are you saying we should just watch instead of ask?" Juvia questioned.

"I'm saying instead of asking me all these freaking 20 questions, maybe it's best that you shut those mouths and just be patient." He began to walk out of the doorway, bypassing everyone, even Gildarts.

"What?" Gray asked.

"Hey, where the heck are you going?! We wanna know more of this beef those guys have with ya!"

Craig didn't bother stopping. He didn't stop, but the words he wanted to say just didn't flow. He wanted to rebuff the others, but explaining his history he had with them would only complicate things. He didn't wnt to leave them hanging like that, but he was just like them at one point.

He was weak. He was inexperienced. He didn't know the true dangers that the world held, but when he stuck his nose in all the wrong places, he ended up either burdening himself, or he was too cowardly to face it. He knew when he saw their faces when he fought against Scythe. He knew what fear felt like, and looked like. And that's what he saw in everyone there. Gildarts and Makarov had Magic Power, but what they all felt was something beyond even the likes of their own strength.

This was something only Craig knew, and watching him go on, Cana gave in a concerned look. She knew the exact reason why and what beef Fallen Prometheus – especially Scythe – had with Craig. She recalled the threats again, and knew it was best to stay quiet. Better safe than sorry.

Makarov sighed in frustration. "What is going on, seriously?"

---

Walking down the tunnel, Craig was shifting through the darkness. He made quick work in getting closer to the tunnel where it would take him to the balcony where he was supposed to be, but within the darkness that lied behind, he knew something else was approaching and rather swiftly.

He stopped in place, looking over his shoulder to see that it was a certain lush who went after him. The brunette closed in and stood meters apart from him. With her facing his back, she could see the hint of frustration but also resolution inside his eyes.

She crossed her arms, giving him a rather scolding look. Craig simply groaned as he looked at the ground. "Yeah, I know. Don't say it."

"Why didn't you explain it?" she still asked.

The look on Craig's face turned to a deadpan groan. "Geez, how annoying are you? That's why I didn't say it." He turned back towards her. "You know how people are. They're much happier when they're a bunch of clueless duds."

Cana opened her mouth to counter, but she froze in place. She wanted to say something against Craig, but after all the philosophy and the enemies he had to face – alone, including past allies who eventually died for him – it became sound logic by now.

"Some things are just best left unsaid." He said. "Maybe I should've told them, but you know who and what they want…and you also saw what happens when people between them get in their way. They'll do whatever it takes to make sure nobody stands between me and them next time. This competition may be our fight, but Fallen Prometheus…if you guys wanna join in, that's up to you, but I'm not stopping you. If anything happens to you, it'll be on your own accord…but don't think that I'll enjoy it." he slowly trailed off as he veered away towards the tunnel. Without having to explain, he slowly took the steps upwards.

Cana watched as Craig ventured along. In a way, she could understand where this was going. She had to admit he ha a point, even if it was against Fairy Tail's principles. These guys want him dead, and even Minerva wasn't able to get their attention, and she was stringer than her even. But knowing people like Natsu, he'd probably barge right into Craig's defense and potentially get killed for just being there. This wasn't a pretty predicament.

But unlike them, she had to put her faith in Craig. "I know." She murmured.

---

Repairs to the colosseum were soon fixed, and the trenches were filled in with dirt. The energy that expelled during that death battle still lingered, so much that the competitors were still murmuring about to some. However, Raven Tail and Sabertooth were the only guilds who stayed silent; for their reasons were their own.

"Well, we apologize for the long wait everybody, but that was a very interesting contest, right pumpkins?" Mato stated. "But now that's out of the way, what do you say we move right along to the next part, the double battles!"

At the mention, the crowds began to get riled up some more.

Back up on Fairy Tail's balcony, the team was looking at the fixed arena with surprise. "Wait, double battles?" Natsu repeated.

"That's right, I forgot that today was a scheduled double battle round." Erza said.

"Then this means it'll be two people per team against another." Craig noted. "This should be interesting."

"That's saying something." Laxus said.

"Now then, let's see the lineup for today's exciting battles, shall we?" Lola commented. "Everyone, turn your attention to the monitor atop!" They all did as told and looked at the holographic lineup in bold letters.

Quatro Cerberus VS Blue Pegasus

Lamia Scale VS Mermaid Heel

Raven Tail VS Fallen Prometheus

Sabertooth VS Fairy Tail

The matchups were making a lot of people excited. They were getting absolutely thrilled over the last two battles. The many teams were shooting glares at either Fairy Tail or the cloaked individuals that were Fallen Prometheus. Neither team was fixed on the others, but the dark and powerful mages were focused on one person in particular, and he was only glaring mildly back at the quintuple threat.

"This is looking to be a very exciting match, wouldn't you say, Mr. Yajima?" Lola asked.

Yajima smiled as he nodded. "I'd be reckoning we'll be seeing some great competitive play out there, so all of you play nice." By the sound of his voice, many new it was more of a demand, and it was pretty obvious as to why.

"If that's what will get up around the competition." Orga said with heavy sarcasm.

Minerva stayed absolutely silent.

"milady, are you well?" Rufus asked. He knew that being beaten so easily in the Rift Raft contest was shocking, but the level she was against was out of boundaries she didn't know existed. Rufus' small sense of comfort went unanswered. Even Sting and Rogue were unable to speak up.

Lector and Frosch stared worriedly at the cloaked deities, their little hairs standing on edge.

"We need to be extra vigilant to where we go from here." Jura told his team.

Lyon nodded. "I couldn't agree more."

"Alright then! Let's get on with the exciting double battles! It's time to put two against two to the test out there! We'll be having from Quatro Cerberus, Bacchus and Rocker…"

"WILD!" They both shouted.

"…against Blue Pegasus' very own Ichiya, and the bombshell that's dazzling as bright as stars, Jenny Realight!"

Ichiya sparkled as he posed. Jenny was right behind him, waving out to the crowd in a nice, dry dress, not to mention fresh makeup that made her extra rich in appearance. She looked so rich that she could be full on sugar.

"Let's just hope her dolling up does wonders for our points." Ren said.

"Don't worry, sir Ichiya won't let us down!" Eve assured.

"Men!" Ichiya posed.

The four competitors were gathered in the center of the stadium. They all looked at one another with some form of either smirk or competitive expression. They were set and fixed or the eyes on the prize. They were set to do some damage, but they knew the rules.

"Gentlemen." Ichiya called out. "Shall we make this a gentlemen sport?"

Bacchus and Rocker looked at Ichiya with raised brows and blinked in unison. They seemed to be confused by the aspect of gentlemen, but they were wild, but not sick animals. "Eh…sure." Bacchus readied himself. "Whatever you say, pretty boy!"

"But don't expect us to go easy because you got yourself a chick, got it?" Rocker warned.

Jenny put a hand to her hip and smirked. "I'd be insulted if you did." She remarked.

"Alright battle fans…let the match begin!" Lola announced, the gong going off to kick off the battle.

As Rocket and Bacchus made way for the Blue Pegasus opponents, Fairy Tail and everyone was watching the battle carefully. They were all cheering loudly, even the likes of Natsu was getting raptured into the battle as he screamed for action. Erza and the rest were inspecting very carefully for any signs of openings that they could exploit. They needed to see what everyone would be capable off.

As Quatro Cerberus was going off of offense, they were getting good and close calls left and right. However, each booming physical blow dealt only served to be ignored as someone from the stands was looking at a certain someone else. The brunette that had a drinking had a deep frown as she looked at Craig, who in turn was having some meek gazes set on her. "…if you guys wanna join in, that's up to you, but I'm not stopping you. If anything happens to you, it'll be on your own accord…but don't think that I'll enjoy it." Those words rang through her head like a bell. Every time she thought about those very words, she was only stuck on the retrospect of it all.

In the past, when it came to the Essence incident, Craig did his own thing while showing up everybody else, but not in an arrogant sort of way. It was just how he was. He didn't stop them from fighting, but he joined in against the three kings. Then came the battle against Silver Cauldron, where he and her teamed up and stormed against the entire guild and Laxus. Even after learning his bitter past failures and battles, did that stop him? No, even during the Tahunga incident, even he cooperated to a reasonable degree with the team brought up by Ace and Andrea. He worked pretty well with her and the others, and even then, when they couldn't do much, he didn't tell them to back off. They chose that themselves. The Historia incident was another matter. It wasn't just him that left an impact, it was Cana. They worked together, even when she wasn't of much help other than transforming him. Through all of that, and the displays of bravado that he was unleashing upon many foes that he's come across before, there wasn't a single time he told everyone to leave a fight to him.

He wasn't selfish like that. He would want them to help if they felt like it, but the deeper she thought about all those flashbacks, the more she recalled how Craig was oftentimes pushed or shoved away by his superiors for deeming him useless and watching them die with pride. That explained a bit when she saw the look on Natsu for a brief second.

He wasn't someone of pride, but he knew the pain of not being able to help someone if they were going to die. If you were weak then, you can get strong now from learning. Getting stronger alone was never his intention. He never was alone, for he had good friends and allies, and he learned that if they want to fight…let them.

As Ichiya was palm struck in the background, Cana and Craig alike were thinking the same thing. Their minds were bouncing to their conversation in the tunnel. "If anything happens to you, it'll be on your own accord…but don't think that I'll enjoy it." That message was clear enough for Cana to understand. He wasn't responsible for his life, and neither was Craig. No matter how much Craig would hate himself or feel obliged to beside Cana as promised to Cornelia, if she wanted to fight alongside him against Fallen Prometheus eventually, he wouldn't stop her, but he'd be a broken piece of eggshell if she ended up dead. She was that important, and she could tell.

Gildarts looked over at Cana as he noticed the look of concern on her face. "Huh? Hey, Cana, everything alright?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, the Card Mage blinked and looked at her father. "Hm? Uh, yeah. I'm fine."

He didn't seem to buy it. "That look on your face says otherwise. Did Craig say something?"

She looked to the ground, thinking heavily. In a way, he wasn't wrong, but she didn't want to look like a fool by thinking o Craig's allowance. "…yeah, what he said before. You think he's saying about that one guild being shifted as the focus, right?"

Gildarts put a hand to his chin, thinking about her words. "Maybe…but you know, that guy is hard enough to figure out as he is. Who knows what he's saying? Let's just try another time and see if he can draw his own conclusions.'

Cana looked away from Gildarts, mentally cursing him and everyone. Her gaze went towards Craig. 'He can speak. It's just his way that we just can't understand…' her brow furrowed. 'But I can.'

"Hiyaaa!" Bacchus and Rocker went into the air, diving down on Ichiya as he had his footing beneath anchor him.

"It looks like Bacchus and Rocker are going in for the kill!" Lola exclaimed. "Will this last attack finally knock Blue Pegasus' Ace right out of the match? He's looking pale folks…"

As he tried to stand tall and strong, the stout man glared up as he reached for the small tube beside him. "This is it…" He began to take in the yellow liquid as it was bubbling. They were being shoved up his nose, the nostrils starting to tickle.

"What's he doing?" Natsu exasperated.

Bacchus and Rocker continued downwards, but as they drew in, Ichiya called out. "Now, Jenny!"

"Aye, sir!" The model slipped in front of Ichiya, giving a blockade for Bacchus and Rocker to fall into. As they drew in, Jenny's body began to glow and she transformed. In front everybody, as the smoke started to clear up, they were seeing a nice pair of slender legs and a posing Jenny in a tiger pattern pink bikini. She sparkled with a wink at the two males,

"Hi, boys." She cooed.

Both Bacchus and Rocket literally froze in midair, their bodies completely stunned as they saw the bombshell with hearts in their eyes. They smiled doofus-like, and apparently it wasn't just them, but a majority – if not all – of the male watchers in the colosseum had hearts and blood driping down from their noses.

Master Makarov panted like a dog, much to Romeo's dismay. "Pull yourself together, would ya?" He told, but even he had to put his dad and Wakaba on their own leashes/

"I-It looks like Jenny is making quite the appeal!" Lola squealed with blushing cheeks. "Just what kind of a battle is this!"

Jenny kept posing as she had her eyes set on the prize ahead. "Alright, go right ahead."

On cue, Ichiya slid to the side, his entire body enveloped in static. "Men! Thank you, now let us unleash the parfume of victory!" He put his two fingers forward, where all the static around him began to converge to a single point at the fingertips.

"Justice Thunder Men!"

A lightning bolt shot from the fingers, zapping up towards the distracted men with hormones. They received a deadly dose of the shock that made their bodies twitch constantly as they went soaring far away. Their screams and fried bodies were equalized by many feeling stunned themselves. Both competitors fell out of the sky in billowing smoke. They landed with powerful thuds, their bodies sizzling and twitching as they had blank expressions.

Quatro Cerberus was once again baffled. The look of deep shock and despair was all clear on their faces.

"And Quatro Cerberus is out!" Lola shouted as the gong signaled Blue Pegasus' win. "The winner! Blue Pegasus! What a 'shocking; turn of events this turned out to be!"

Ichiya struck a pose as he blew kisses at everyone. "Men~!"

The crowd cheered in utter delight over the circumstances. It was both a very interesting and rather developing fight. Even Erza was surprised by the results.

"Ichiya took out Bacchus?"

"Both him and his buddy. Damn." Gajeel said.

Natsu smiled. "That totally awesome!" He clutched his own fist. "Now I wanna fight him even more!"

Gajeel smirked. "Get in line."

"Not too shabby." Craig admitted.

Nearby, Gray looked down at Blue Pegasus' Ace with his own smirk. "Guess that guy isn't such a pushover after all."

"Yes, I must agree with you there." Juvia said.

"Well, that was a spectacular battle, if I do say so myself." Lola said. "A nice way to kick off these battles, right Mr. Yajima?"

"Hmm…in that sort of aspect, yes." He spoke, though his tone didn't say much out of it.

"Well then, with that battle, Quatro Cerberus gets no points, while Blue Pegasus shoots up by 10 points! Now, onto the next riveting battle! We have Lamia Scales' very own Lyon and Yuka…"

The crowd cheered as both contenders began to walk out of the tunnel.

"Versus Mermaid Heel's top dog and top cat…Kagura and Millianna!"

Both swordswoman and cat-like woman made way out of their tunnel, the former completely composed while Millianna cheerfully waved back at the crowd in their support. Erza kept her focus on Kagura, while Gray and others looked at Lyon.

As their battle git underway, Craig's mind began to wander. While the battle was important, he leaned back against the side of the wall, his focus adverting towards the balcony that housed a certain rival guild at 1 o' clock. The way they looked beneath their hoods, he didn't know before, but now he was certain.

Something…just something…came back to him, a long while ago.

1 5/12 months ago

A place with a golden shine to it, a place that was constructed by gold, and having beautiful rays of sun. A massive palace befitting god of such elegant stature, the place that was said to be heaven. In a way, it was to the mortals who were handpicked by the gods themselves; a place known as Valhalla. The realm of gods and goddesses.

However, the golden palace was not a place of rejoice, at least to the screaming and terror brought on by many of men inside.

The estate that was being evacuated by the remainder of people trying to escape were all being cut down by swords and blades of golden accents. They were all silver and white, with several ghostly armored soldiers doing the dirty work.

"HIYA~!" A four-armed creature wearing a silver and gold crown with devil horns and a golden cape swung the four huge blades he wielded. In a single slash, the gods consisting of many elements were cut down. The smirk on the god widened as blood tainted his blades. With that, he advanced.

Stepping from behind was someone who had shaggy silver hair and bangs covering his entire forehead. He was fully armored in pure gold, his cape streaming massive silver streamers that flowed like water with every step he took. He also appeared to have spectacles with silver framing.

He approached the larger, gargantuan god who was dressed like a Viking. He held up a giant axe and roared down at the man as he reached to attack.

The assailant reached up, and with a single compressed golden blast, the attacking projectile launched went straight through the forehead of the beast, beaming up towards the ceiling, where the beam continued on for an endless period of time into outer space.

He watched as the giant fell backwards, just as the debris from the hole created crushed the dead body like a tin can. It buried the beastly god guardian, leaving the man to move around the obstacle like it wasn't even there.

He said nothing as many people around him were either in normal clothes, being slaughtered by armored silver and gold ghastly beasts, or perhaps some were being held in ethereal cages with bars of such odd energy. The bars held them in, while a snap of fingers made the people inside get swallowed in an erupted blast, reducing them to ash. This was the retribution that he sought, and he wasn't fulfilled. Not until every single soul was slaughtered. One way or another, red was going to decorate the place.

Far below Valhalla, there lied a huge open gate with dark covering it and gold embroidery. It was so massive that one would've needed the world's biggest crowbar to undo it. Leading to the gated was a collection of stone steps floating place and making a staircase from plain rock at what looked like the top of a plateau or mountain.

Taking steps forward, someone who was looking around 16 had what looked like a set of black armor in gold accents and edging. It was heavily detailed that it made him look like a knight, and adorned a blood red cape. He had no helmet, revealing his slicked black hair and sea-blue eyes. At this point, he did sport a completely white bandana on his forehead with…a happy smile written on its front.

Beside him stood a taller, dark-skinned man who had no hair on his head, but had a black goatee and a mature complexion. Unlike the younger associate, he had gold armor with black accents, almost like a complete inverse f the other's attire. He sported a black cape with a gold lightning symbol on the back that struck what looked like a hammer in a zigzag mountain atop.

Behind them, there were what looked like hundreds, if not thousands of less armored folk that piled on the mountain trail. They seemed to have gone on endlessly, and some of them were even looking like feather-winged dark-skinned devils with gladiator armor and horns. Some were of gray Pegasus with a mixture of gods, mortals, and devils that also ride them, or carried them in cooperation.

Craig looked up at the opened gates, hearing the sounds of thunder and screams coming from the other side.

"It looks like Prometheus has made it." The taller associate said.

Craig kept his gaze solid, even as unsure as he was. "…Alator." The god turned to look down at the mortal. "We know what we have to do…we didn't go to the Underworld to just meet and stop Brigit."

Understanding of what had to befall his life – the mistake he's made – Alator nodded. He placed a hand on Craig's shoulder. "If Prometheus were to bring Ragnarok, Valhalla would rather be a place that is lower than the pits of fire themselves. You chose this path, and I dare to free my home."

Craig looked behind to see all the gods, goddesses, and many other animals that were coated in armor. They all chose this path because they wanted to follow Craig. Some sought to destroy Valhalla and make havoc, but in this situation, they hated Prometheus even more. What he did when broken free of his prison and seeking to slay Zeus, even they knew it would be the end of everything.

Behind them, holding onto a pair of bagpipes, there looked like someone in a golden Celtic skirt. He was a burly man with gold shoulder armor and long armbands that covered his huge arms. He had bodily upper armor, but instead of a helmet, he had a Celtic beret.

"AYE~! T'is this land be the justice of injustice. What scrutiny!" he boasted. "I wouldn't peg a two-legged goat to climb that shriveling crackerjack dome!" This was another god, though questionable as he was. Maponus, the Celtic god of music and poetry. And boy did he have an attitude.

"That'd be about right in my books." Craig said. He stepped forward, tightening the bandana on his forehead. "This story of a heaven is coming to a bad ending."

"Aye." Maponus stepped up, beside Alator. "Time to sing the tunes of ye fallen grace…"

Nobody said anything. They all instead stayed silent as Craig lowered his head, and closed his eyes. Alator followed in the pre-mourn. This was going to be very hard, but this wasn't just for those inside, but also for all those behind Craig. Maponus took in a large breath, inhaling heaping amount f air before at last exhaling into the pipe.

The melody began, and the bagpipes signaled the mourning. They all stayed listened, and even the demons and humanoid animals bowed their heads in respect for the melody that stretched far down to the mountain mist. They all bowed as the mourning melody went through their ear canals, the very tune that means the loss that was perhaps to come.

As the tune went on, Craig and Alator kept their heads bowed, but even after the exotic voyage to Valhalla by sheer accident-turned-fate, it was the most exquisite honor to behold.

Slowly, each man stood beside their singing buddy in arms. There would be no time to say goodbyes when they get up there. When they do, it's fight. This was their one chance to show their trust. They each put a hand on the shoulders of Maponus, the god continuing his melody with a softened look in his eyes.

Slowly, one by one, the front row of those behind looked towards one another. Even as different species they came together at this glorious time. This too was their one chance at showing appreciation. They all put hands on their shoulders and bowed their heads. As if it flowed like an echo through a cave, all the creatures behind that row put their hands on the other's shoulders. Then the next row, and then the next, until all of the entire Ragnarok Army was joining arms in comradery.

"…it has been an honor…" Craig said.

"The honor…is all ours." Alator spoke for everyone.

At last, the melody Maponus played had at last ended on a very long note. The time had finally come.

The look Craig gave turned dark and serious. He was ready to end it all; end Prometheus and save Valhalla.

"Now…let's go screw some shit over these assholes!"

All warriors and creatures beside and behind Craig raised their weapons and unleashed battle cries that shook the mountain. The level of energy that was in each warrior was completely unorthodox. He was still baffled that he was here to feel and use the power of the heavens and underworld alike embodied in the sword that was sheathed in the black scabbard. His other swords were left behind on Earth Land, but that was just his dumb luck.

Craig slowly sheathed the mighty blade known as Excalibur, pointing it at the staircase leading to the fallen solace of the heavenly gods. "TO VALHALLA~!"

"HYYAAAH!" Alator roared as he pointed his own blade ahead. Craig began the charge with everyone starting to follow.

As they raced towards the battle, Maponus raised his bagpipes. "TO ME DESTINY~!" he bellowed before he started playing a fast-action Celtic tune in the bagpipes. With the music flowing through the air, all warriors charged with the energy to take on Prometheus' revenge…

DING!

The sound of a bell went off, bringing Craig out of his memory. He looked ahead to see Lyon in midair as a huge gravity magic seal was overhead, and Kagura's sheathed Archenemy was mere inches from connecting with his face.

"And that's it, the match is a draw!" Mato exclaimed. "That means both teams only get 5 points each!"

The audience cheered at the results, seemingly satisfied with how it all turned out. Both Lyon and Kagura descended back down to the battlefield, becoming feet apart. They each stared calmly at one another, though from the looks of things, it looked like Lyon was on the defense.

"Wow, that was…crazy!" Chelia exclaimed. "Wait to go, Lyon!"

"He did well covering for Yuka." Jura stated. "However…"

"Our girl Kagura has it where it counts. I knew she could beat him." Risley beamed.

"But even when it looked like it, she was still holding back." Arana said.

"Can't blame her though, she only draws that sword against the one who she swears it on." Beth explained. "The others just got really lucky this time. If she pulled out her Archenemy, there'd be no way anyone could stop her!"

Watching carefully, Erza took in everything she saw about Kagura and her strength. She took in how she was extremely fast, and how swift every strike was. The way she moved about and striking down all those icy creations was an ensemble that rivaled her own. 'Kagura Mikazuchi…'

The two teams went back towards their tunnels, but Lyon and Yuka were more unsound with how the results were. Craig could see it as clear as day. The only reason they tied was because of time. They would've been beaten by Kagura; it was written all over them, and his attention went towards the stoic woman. The way she moved, and the way she acted with a straight face, he knew what went on. It was reserved for disgust. Anger…deprivation…vengeance.

He got all of that just from looking at her. He showed nothing less than a frown.

"Now it's time for the third battle of the day!" Lola exclaimed. "I promise you all that you're going to enjoy this one! It's the black night hunters! The birds of prey…give it up for Alexei and Nullpudding of Raven Tail!"

The audience clapped as the two contestants representing Raven Tail showed themselves.

"Against the terrors that have rendered us all bowing! The mystery that has been concealing behind these black shades that block out the sun! Give it up…for Shinigami and Scythe of Fallen Prometheus!"

The audience cheered loudly for the two cloaked individuals who came forth on the right side of the battlefield. Some were kept quiet due to Scythe giving a massive amount of magic that left them scared, and some were mind blown and shouting out of fright.

"So it's come to this then, huh?" Laxus said.

"Looks like it. Those jerks against those maniacs." By Gajeel's definition, the maniacs were the cloaked individuals.

Natsu leaned over the wall, giving a scrutinizing look. "Those Raven Tail jerks…and those guys…" He began to grip the stadium ledge tighter. "I wanna beat them both so bad…"

Erza gave a discerning look of her own. "One guild who is against us, and one who remains a complete mystery. Now they're intersecting here right before us."

"Yeah. Looks like it." Craig said.

Alexei and his guild was as silent as night, as was Fallen Prometheus themselves. They were all completely silent, and Master Makarov was keeping a very close eye on the match. They knew that by now things were going to get crazy, although crazy would be an understatement. It was a lot to take in, especially considering both guilds had it in for Fairy Tail, and someone who resides in it for the time being. The gong was going off in the background, but the suspense was building up fairly quick.

Through it all, Craig kept a calm gaze, his eyes so sharp he was seeing it all in his own scornful silence.

"Begin!" Mato called out.

Scythe kept his axe over his shoulder. "Heh, this'll be good to vent out some of my anger. I was hoping to get back at that damned freak over there…" he pulled his weapon to the side. "But you'll have to do."

"As crude as it may seem, we apologize if nothing goes as you-!"

Shinigami was silenced to everyone's shock when Alexei suddenly closed the distance in speeds that rivaled Jet. He raked his armored gauntlets with dark trails following, sending Shinigami back. Natsu, Gray, basically everyone had surprised looks on their faces; even Laxus was surprised.

"What?!" Scythe looked at the attack when Nullpudding closed the distance as swiftly as Alexei. His fist collided with his face hidden inside the hood.

"W-What was that?!" Lola bellowed. "Both Shinigami and Scythe were caught completely off guard by the attacks Alexei and Nullpudding had just unleashed! What caused them to lose momentum like this?!"

Sting looked ahead with wide eyes. It wasn't just him, but also Rogue and all of Sabertooth who had blistering shocked looks on their faces. That was recognizable was also how Minerva looked stone cold.

"No way! How did Raven Tail just do that?!" Lector exclaimed.

"I don't know…" Frosch muttered, the green Exceed's eyes shaking in shock.

Both Scythe and Shinigami caught themselves in a slide, but Nullpudding swung his arm again, colliding with Scythe and sending him slamming into Shinigami. Both were completely distraught over the shock as Alexei unleashed a dark blast of magic, hitting them so hard that they went shooting back.

"Raven Tail is completely gaining foot over these titans!" Lola announced. "I can't believe what I'm seeing!"

Natsu looked over the balcony in utter shock and horror. "Just what the hell is all this?!"

"Yeah, aren't those yahoos supposed to be tougher than them? What gives?" Gajeel said.

Erza put a hand to her chin, discerning the battle. She couldn't draw conclusions, but something felt off. Her gut said so.

Craig, however, was a completely different story. In his eyes, he was focusing. He wasn't fooled, not in the slightest. He could see that the background was all hazy, and even the Raven Tail members that were watching in the background were also hazy. This wasn't just simple illusions that everyone was played fool by, no, but this was something that never escaped his eyes.

He was hearing it all. Seeing it all. No matter how delusional he was in the past, he had reached peace with himself a very long time ago when confronted by gurus. Eyes casted by a figment of colors, but of one really allowed the situation and feelings to flow, the lake that was rippling would soon settle and clear. This experience was allowed his mind to look pass the illusions, and heard everything that was going on with the real four.

Scythe and Shinigami watched as the illusions created were trying to dodge and veer away. From the looks on their faces, they weren't very amused. "The hell is this?" Scythe irritably asked. "If this is a joke, you're very poor at it."

"Indeed." Shinigami agreed.

"You both better listen to this." Nullpudding said. "There's something we'd like to address to you more personally."

Shinigami raised a brow. "Oh?"

"This is my Illusion Magic that you're seeing." Alexei explained. "This makes things more private for us to discuss."

The fake Shinigami veered left and right, dodging beneath the hood. However, the fake Nullpudding got him from behind, forcing him to lurch forward into the uppercut of the fake Alexei. The fake Scythe was standing off to the side, looking for an opening to attack.

The sounds of cheers and protests were going rapid through the ear canals of everyone present. However, the likes of Craig was unaffected. He watched diligently through the illusion like it wasn't even there. Instead of protesting like Natsu right beside him, he was staring calmly at the four.

Scythe looked at the scene, his fake-self jumping in only to get sucker punched by a pivoting Nullpudding. "Tch, you idiots sure are bold to pull something like this." He boasted.

"If you're trying to impress your fellow spectators, then I'm afraid that your method is rather sully, even for the likes of you, wouldn't you say?" Shinigami advised.

"Our methods we couldn't care less about." Alexei said.

Shinigami didn't seem mused. "But your methods still make up your character."

"Heh, so you're saying being sneaky and pulling fast ones on your enemies isn't part of a fight?" Nullpudding retorted.

Scythe smirked. "Maybe to some people, but maybe you guys just lack the judgement."

"Ah, but it's not our judgement that's being tested." Alexei said. "It's everybody else who's watching. Now, who would you think would be shocked if they found out that Raven Tail had hidden away all their strength until the last day? Riddle me that."

The fake Shinigami jumped away from the fake Alexei, evading the slash. When he unleashed another pulse wave of invisible magic, Alexei covered up as he was pushed back by the rippling force.

Shinigami looked at the fake counterpart before frowning at the cheaters. "Was there something you'd want from us?" he sounded so chill and calm about the situation, even through his inquiry. It wasn't that he didn't care, but genuinely curious.

"And more…" Alexei's voice trailed off as eerie shadows began to roll in front behind him and Nullpudding. Both contenders soon became surrounded by the remainder of Raven Tail, which was comprised of Obra, Flare, and Kurohebi.

Shinigami and Scythe rolled their eyes over to look at the Raven Tail balcony. They saw the hazy illusions that were distorted. Apparently even they weren't buying it. They looked back at the opponents with frowns on their faces, even the bloodthirsty Scythe was calm.

"So that's it then?" he questioned. "You're just going to convince the crowd that you two single-handedly beat us?"

"It's still fair play." Alexei explained. "It's not cheating if anyone knows the real results."

"So it's only cheating if you get caught, huh?" Shinigami surmised. "Well, as much as I am very much pleased that you've arranged this just for us, I'm afraid you're still violating the tournament rules."

Alexei began to reached for his helmet. "Rules…" he grabbed his helmet, slowly lifting it. "All these rules…do you really think rules matter when there's something far more valuable than an idiotic title? You see, you're not the only one concealing secrets too, you know."

Slowly, the helmet came off and went off to the side. It was plopped on the ground, making a loud metallic sound that was followed out by another fake blast by the fake Alexei in the background. The person revealed himself, smirking and showing a distasteful look in his eyes.

The person revealed was none other than the Master of Raven Tail himself, Ivan. "Greetings to you, Fallen Prometheus." He sneered.

Watching from the stands quietly, Craig kept a straight face. 'So that's it.'

Shinigami's frowning expression didn't recede. "Well…"

"Yes?" Scythe asked.

"What do you think of all this?"

Scythe looked ahead, his hooded form barely showing his frown. "…this isn't even a joke. They're such weaklings who think gaining up in front of us behind a façade is a big mistake."

Shinigami nodded. "My thoughts precisely."

Ivan heard their commotion and kept a dark glare fixed. "I think it's time we share a few confessions, don't you think?" he inquired. "You know, personally, Raven Tail was in this tournament for one reason…to crush and humiliate the likes of Fairy Tail." He clutched his fist to make the point of bitter vengeance. The way he looked so peeved and yet so lust-filled was something that Scythe and Shinigami knew of all too well. These were mortal feelings. These were principles of those who sought only power and ambition. It was true, they, too, knew these feelings, and exhibited them, but they aren't so dark as to deceit their own eyes. Like Raven Tail, they came here for someone, but at least they knew even to keep secrets to themselves.

"But you know…" Ivan continued. "Ever since that first day, our priorities began to…unfold. Your power. That untamed strength that's been boiling me, just where did you get it?"

Fallen Prometheus watched through the illusion. They all kept straight if not unamused faces.

Shinigami glared at his opponent. "That's something even you will never obtain."

"Don't play coy with me." Ivan said irritably. "There's always a way to obtain great power, but what I want to know is how you're so powerful. I've sensed magic at such intense levels before, but what I feel from you is unlike anything I've ever felt. So enlighten me, just who or what are you? Where did you get such indominable Magic Power from?"

Shinigami looked far beyond ecstatic. "So that's all you want to know?"

"Not only that, but we want to know where you go to get it. If you tell us all this, then we might let you achieve your victory yet. Sounds like a reasonable bargain, right?" Ivan reached out towards them. "So what do you say?"

There was brief silence before Shinigami started to snicker, which caught Ivan off guard. He and Raven Tail from behind were astonished by the light snicker that was made by their enemy.

"You know, I always pegged you for being low." Shinigami smirked. "But I never pegged you for being so highly arrogant, that a mere mortal such as yourself would even think he could possibly contain Magic Power from actual realms by gods."

"What was that?!" Ivan shouted, his teeth gritting in anger.

"Perhaps I need to make this clear; your decision to choose to pursue this power we have over your feeble ambition for something that was your original goal is useless. Though I understand where you're going with this. You're afraid."

Ivan's eyes widened. "What…?"

"You're frightened. You're scared. Everybody here in this entire colosseum is aware of this power. Because even they have no clue what limits there are to these that we are. Do you not get it by now?" The cloak around him began to shift, an increase in pressure starting to shift between distorted realms. The ground was beginning to shake, and the magic level only increased a little. But a little was enough to make Ivan feel completely paralyzed.

The magic was so powerful that the illusionary fight everybody was seeing was beginning to fade. It was once flickers, but it became visible after so many flashes. Ivan's very own magic level was so outclassed that the small waves of energy was kicking up dust that blew at all of Raven Tail's feet.

With the illusions visible, everyone was completely shocked at the results. "What's this?!" Lola gasped. "Wh…why is all of Raven Tail down there?!"

Makarov's eyes widened. "Wait, is that…?" He looked to where Ivan was supposed to be, but realized the spot was completely vacant.

"No way…" Levy muttered. "Is that Raven Tail's Master Ivan?"

"No way." Lucy gasped.

"Say what?!" Natsu and Gajeel exasperated.

Erza's eyes narrowed. "I knew something wasn't right." She looked towards Laxus, but all she saw from him was a straight glare fixed on what he considered his 'deadbeat Dad'. The way he looked so calm was relevant to hidden anger he's feeling inside.

"W-wha-what?!" Mato panicked as he held onto his pumpkin-shaped head. "Master Ivan is down there, and he's wearing Alexei's suit of armor!" The realization finally dawned upon him. "Wait! This means…!"

"Ivan and Alexei were the same person?!" Lisanna realized.

Orga from Sabertooth crossed his arms. "Well how about that?"

"Well this certainly made things interesting rather fast." Rufus pointed out. "Seems this crow's poem of somber is playing a wrong tune for the wrong recipient."

Minerva and Sting said nothing. They silently stared down at the fray; although Minerva took a sharp look at Craig to see him calmly looking down.

"Inconceivable! All of Raven Tail is down there!" Carla exclaimed.

Mr. Yajima gave the scene a very intense glare. "What kind of malarkey this this I don't know, but what is confirmed here is that Raven Tail has illegally violated the rules in which has been set into place."

Navice watched from his guild with his expression hidden. "How unfortunate…"

"Quite right you are." Monarch said. "Quite right indeed."

The audience and spectators were giving the other uneasy looks of confusion as Raven Tail was revealed, but Ivan was having none of it.

"You…you insolent…" he snarled. A spherical paper-like energy started to form from his palm. He began to draw in more and more magic energy, despite the consistency being dilating due to the magic pressure that was keeping his focus off balance. "We entered this tournament solemnly to destroy that pesky and idiotic Fairy Tail! Everything else was meaningless to us; not these rules, not these points; what mattered was how he crushed them! But here, you came along, and we found something even greater! Just what kind of potential have you been hiding from us?!" He bellowed.

Shinigami turned towards Scythe, the two sharing the same frown. They glanced back to see the scared Ivan make his move.

"Who are you?! Answer me!" He thrust his arm forward, sending shikagami streams at the two contestants. They drew closer and kicked up a dust wave that shrouded the whole area. "Just tell me where you got your power! I will need it! Fools who just hide it behind those damned hoods forever like you don't deserve it if you aren't going to use it for something far greater than just displays!" He increased the vast number of shikagami that was fired. "JUST WHAT YOU HDIDNG UNDER THOSE HOODS! SHOW ME-!"

Suddenly, both Shinigami and Scythe both widened their eyes for a brief moment. In that one moment, another, far more powerful wave of magic was unleashed. Just like in the battle against Minerva, Shinigami used only a small percentage, as did Scythe. Their combined pulse waves made the ground beneath depress in a large area, and the pulse disintegrated the paper heading towards them. All of Raven Tail's members were shot back in the powerful blast that smashed each individual into the wall, or some made trails and slid along the dirt. Ivan, Obra, and Kurohebi crashed inti the wall with no remorse, while Nullpudding and Flare tumbled along the ground. The excessive flow of power also made the walls around the colosseum once again crack. The shockwaves were apparently overboard for everyone's liking.

Once again, no one was left with a straight face. Shock and terror once again filled the air. Bodies trembled from the vibrating magic flow given off that quickly receded back beneath the cloaks of the two fighters within the arena. Once again, for the 4th day in a row, Shinigami nor Scythe had to lift a single finger to repulse the failures that were shriveled ambitious worms.

"No way!" Natsu yelled.

"All five in one blow?!" Lucy gasped.

"So…powerful…" Wendy's eyes shuddered. Even Carla shared the same shock as her partner.

Master Makarov was completely startled by the pulse, as well as his own son that was revealed. "Ivan…" the fact that he was hidden as an illusion the entire time was one thing, but being in the games and drawn to great, untamed power was something no one, not even him, could've thought been foolhardy. "This is what happens to those who seek power in the wrong ways. Disgraceful."

Ivan was completely in shock, his mouth gaping as eyes were devoid of pupils. "Im…possible…" He fell to the ground with a hard thud, completely unconscious.

Lola was caught completely by surprise, but managed to get himself to control himself. "Uh, w-well, looks like that's it! Both Shinigami and Scythe has earned 10 points for defeating the likes of Raven Tail, and after this shocking reveal, the committee declared that Raven Tail is hereby disqualified from the Grand Magic Games!"

"Good riddance." Yajima snorted.

As officials went to drag off Raven Tail's defeated members, both Shinigami and Scythe turned away, giving quick glances at Craig for a second as they turned. They saw the calm but knowing look in his eyes, and they only kept themselves contained as they started walking back towards their tunnel.

"And you said I went overboard." Scythe snorted. "Just what was that?"

Shinigami smirked. "My apologies. Seems his compulsive lust for power just left me annoyed. Some lessons are best taught harshly, right?"

Scythe looked ahead. "Whatever. All that matters is that we're still shrouded and we got a clear way towards that Craig."

They both entered the tunnel, disregarding the cheers that were pouring out towards them for uncovering the identities of Raven Tail's demise. "Patience, remember what I said." Shinigami informed. "Do you feel better at least now that you've vented?"

Scythe snickered as he faded into the darkness with his associate. "Heh, that was entertaining. Guess that'll do…for now."

"Good."

As the Rune Knights dragged off the incapacitated Raven Tail members, the unconscious members were taken by two people at a time, while Obra was limper compared to the others. The black animal that was on him pounced out of the coat with the guards looking away and landed on all fours. He looked around and darted off to confines unknown.

Craig watched with a crude look as the black animal ran into a tunnel, heading far off.

"Well, s-sorry about all that folks! We, uh, had no idea things would go out of hand like that!" Mato apologized. "But hey! There's still the final battle for the day!"

"That's right! The final match for Day 4!" Lola exclaimed. "And I'm sure you're all gonna take a good guess at who's left!"

The audience completely forgot about the incident as their cheers made the stadium roar. They were going nuts for the final match that was sure to make for an interesting battle indeed.

"Looks like it's our turn now." Cana said.

Gildarts sat back in his seat. "Looks like it. This is gonna be something."

"Here we go." Makarov spoke with a determined fire in his eyes. "This will prove to Sabertooth who they're messing with."

Jiemma glared at Makarov darkly.

In Fairy Tail's tunnel, there two figures who were perched in front of the light. They were all set, with one fixing his scarf, while the other had fists balled up for anticipation.

"You ready?" one asked.

The other had a serious frown plastered on his face. "Like you know it." His hells started, and both contenders drew ever closer towards the outside. Similar to Sabertooth's tunnel, two figures were walking out side by side into the action-packed arena.

The audience went almost violent as they greeted the four contestants chosen to do battle in the tournament. "This is it, ladies and gentlemen. It's time for the moment that we've all been waiting for." Lola said, his voice as subtle and serious as could get. "The one guild who has been clawing up the ranks to strive for that spot above Sabertooth, and the guild who's been duking hard to drive themselves back to the top ranks. This will be a battle to test both Fairy Tail and Sabertooth, for it is not just their chances of reaching the top but the prides that these three contenders behold. This is Natsu and Gajeel of Fairy Tail, against Sting and Rogue of Sabertooth. This is not just a battle of guilds, but also a battle against Dragon Slayers."

Gajeel and Natsu finally reached the end of the trail, looking at Sting and Rogue, who were meters away from them. They were both frowning, with serious looks on their faces.

"Go, Sting!" Lector cheered.

"You go, too, Rogue!" Frosch shouted.

Sting said nothing as he harshly glared at Natsu. The tone he was giving off was very intense. So intense that it was hard to tell what he was thinking. 'I shouldn't be bothered by those guys right now. This is my chance. Natsu's right in front of me.' He thought with such hopeful ecstasy, but then came the images of the roaring Craig giving off his own intense pressure and then there was Scythe's Magic Power unleashed at that moment in the contest.

'Gajeel.' Rogue thought.

Gajeel glared back at Rogue, his own set of red eyes piercing daggers.

"This is gonna rock!" Gray pumped a fist. "Give them a thrashing you guys!"

"Get some hits in for all of us out there!" Lisanna cheered.

"Go get 'em, Natsu~!" Happy vigorously cheered.

"Gajeel…" Levy murmured.

Pantherlily nodded at the matchup. "If anyone can do this, it's Gajeel."

Craig looked down at the battle. He looked passive as he saw the fierce fire in all their eyes. "Here we go then." He said.

Leaning over the balcony beside him, Erza gave a loud shout to Natsu. "Natsu! You be careful out there!"

Hearing the redhead's call, he faced his opponents with a grin. "Don't worry. I will."

Sting shared his own grin. "Is that so? Well I wouldn't bet on that, Natsu. I've been looking forward to this for a very long time. You have no idea how enjoyable this will be for me."

Natsu's grin grew into a wider smirk. "That makes two of us."

The entire stadium cheered as it was the final match of the day, the two teams that was to decide who was to take the silver for the day.

"Alright, here we go! 30 minutes to seal this deal!" Mato brought his hand down in a chop. "Alright, begin!"

Sting pressed a foot ahead. "Alright, let's go!"

"Right!"

Both Sting and Rogue began to stride ahead, however, to their and everyone's shock, Natsu and Gajeel were already zipping ahead of them. They slugged their faces across, getting the first blow in for Fairy Tail, and to Sabertooth's dismay.

Sting doubled back and slid across the dirt. However, Natsu kept his advance and got another kick in, sending him crashing into Rogue.

"Iron Dragon's Club!"

Gajeel shouted as his arm morphed into a thick iron column that went shooting at Rogue and Sting alike. It smashed into them, sending them backwards.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah~!" Happy cheered vigorously.

"Now that's how you open to a glorified battle." Pantherlily spoke.

Sting and Rogue eventually found their footing once more; Rogue landed on his heels while Sting landed on all fours. The latter opened his mouth as white energy began to glisten to a compressed point.

"White Dragon's Roar!"

A white beam shot out of his mouth and towards Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer brought his head back as the beam aimed for the head. It only missed him literally by a hair. It continued and blasted the wall far ahead.

Realizing his position, he got low to the ground and rolled over onto his heels again before taking off. Sting, however, wasn't so easily willing as to let him get away. He moved his head, dragging the white laser across and following Natsu. The recipient continued his dash as he looked back, seeing the long line dragging itself closer.

"Crap! He's not gonna make it!" Macao shouted.

"Come on, Natsu! Think!" Lucy cheered.

As it drew closer, Natsu looked ahead and continued his course. The next step he took suddenly ignited, and a burst of flames came from the heel. It caused him to shoot up like a rocket and fling right over the roar, right above Sting. The White Dragon looked up as he saw the anxious fighter twisting his body as the same heel trailed in fire.

"Fire Dragon's Claw!"

At the last second, Sting dodged a flaming axe kick from Natsu, which crushed the rock beneath him. A cloud of embers and dust kicked up, leaving Sting to cover up so as not to sustain blindness. Within the dust, a silhouette burst out, an arm circling around with flames jutting ahead.

"Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!"

Natsu's elbow embedded in searing flames as the momentum thrust into Sting's gut. The impact was so strong that it made him gag and shoot across the battlefield.

As that happened, Gajeel was trying to get some blows of his own in as his arm was in an Iron Dragon's Sword, but Rogue was too fast. He was like a shadow as he nimbly and calmly dodged each slash of Gajeel's sword. With one more jab forward, Gajeel attempted to pierce Rogue, but the recipient suddenly dropped into the ground, into his own shadow.

"What? Where'd he go?" Gajeel looked left and right to look for Rogue, but saw no sign of him.

Unknowingly a small shadowy circle made way around Gajeel and connected with his own shadow. A head of black hair slowly protruded, showing beaming red eyes. By the time Gajeel turned around it was too late.

"Shadow Dragon's Slash!"

Rogue's hand drenched in shadows and slashed against Gajeel's face. The surprise move made Gajeel step off to the side, facing away from his opponent. Rogue glared ahead to see Gajeel's recoil, but the Iron Dragon didn't respond.

"…heh." He snickered.

"What?" Rogue gasped.

Gajeel looked back at him with an angrier expression. "Like that was supposed to rust me over!" With a hostile shout, Gajeel planted his boot on Rogue's chest and sent him flying backwards. The Fairy Tail group was completely shocked and overjoyed by the turnaround their First Generation Dragon Slayers were presenting, everybody was. They all watched as Rogue dug his heels back into the ground at the same time Sting did.

Jumping back to back, Natsu and Gajeel were facing their respective opponents. With Sting on one end and Rogue on the other, both Twin Dragons went lunging at them both.

"Natsu!"

"Gajeel!"

As their fists pulled back and coated in their respective magic, Natsu and Gajeel held their positions until the opportunity came. They both slid in opposite directions, giving clear passage for the Twin Dragons to consequently spring into the other. At the last second, they leaned back and slowed down, but the playout was just what the Fairy Tail Dragons wanted.

At the same time, Natsu and Gajeel's fists connected into Sting and Rogue's cheekbones. Their heads bashed together, knocking their shock into a world of black, while Gajeel backed off while Natsu slid between and began to spin with flames trailing in his hands.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

A spiral of spinning flames cindered parts of the Twin Dragons as they were picked up and soared skyward, the attack dealing damage while making strong embers surge in the space around him.

"Absolutely incredible folks!" Lola exclaimed. "It looks like Sabertooth's Twin Dragons are being overwhelmed by Fairy Tail's Salamander and Black Steel fusion!" The crowd was absolutely thrilled as they watched the battle twist and turn about.

"Yeah! That's the way, Natsu!" Romeo smiled.

"Wait to go, Gajeel!" Levy cheered happily. "You go get them!"

"Woohoo! In their faces!" Makarov skipped and cheered in a single spot on the balcony.

Sabertooth was silent as they watched their Dragon Slayers double back and thud on the ground. The crowds cheering didn't serve to help their predicament.

Slowly coming around, Sting and Rogue were beginning to slouch up. They were a little dizzy, but after some quick pops in their shoulders, they stood straight up once more.

Sting eyed Natsu carefully, the idol that he looked up to having a serious look on his face. 'Looks like these guys mean serious business. Can't believe they're actually making us trip ourselves this early. Gotta turn this around and fast…' His mind flashed over to Fallen Prometheus and their abominable battle style. 'But…even if-'

"Looks like we'll be giving them more credit. They're a lot more skilled than we thought." Rogue explained to the distraught Sting. "Looks like we'll have to step it up now…Sting?"

"H-huh? Oh, right." Getting back to focusing, Sting clutched a fist as he feigned a confident smirk. "Don't worry, this'll be over quick."

"Heh? What are you saying about this being over?" Natsu asked.

"You heard me. Time for this warmup to end. It's time we get serious on you rejects." As he began to surge in power, a white glow embodied Sting's entity, while another surge of dark aura embodied Rogue. One was a holy white, and another was as dark as night itself.

Natsu and Gajeel glared as they felt the pressure change around them.

"White Drive."

"Shadow Drive."

The glows around their bodies were starting to make their clothes and hair shift. Everyone in the area could feel their Magic Power rising, as if it was unlocked. Watching from the stands of Sabertooth, Jiemma folded his arms and glared darkly still at everyone down beneath him. 'This is it, Makarov. Your guild will know no mercy.' He focused a sharp look at Fallen Prometheus. 'And soon, so shall them.'

Makarov glared at Sting and Rogue's energy release.

"Hey, is anyone feeling that?" Lucy asked uneasily.

"Yeah, I think I do." Levy said.

"I know I feel it." Gray admitted. "Guess things are getting serious now for them."

Erza watched from the balcony of her team, she was keeping a very watchful eye on Natsu, but also observing the Twin Dragons. She could feel the energy spike, but kept clear faith in Natsu. He could do it. He had to.

Natsu and Gajeel were on guard as they waited for the next move, but both Dragon Slayers were baffled when Sting and Rogue suddenly closed the distant; Sting more so behind than Rogue. Their knees struck their chins, causing both First Generation dragons to reel back.

"Crap!" Gajeel grunted, but found no room when Rogue in the dark shadowy aura appeared in front and kicked him in the chest, sending him back some more.

"Keep your eyes on the shadows." Rogue said, his voice sounding more like an echo inside the darkness. His wispy body began to turn black and stretch around Gajeel, making him turn in all directions.

Completely cut off from Natsu, he realized the change in dynamics. "Damnit." He cursed. "Where's this guy coming from?"

"Shadow Dragon's Waxwing Flash!"

Gajeel's eyes widened as he turned around at the shout, but a torrent of shadows rushed for him. He was blasted and sent spinning as a whirlwind of shadows followed Rogue as he stretched out of the shadows in a physical form, streams of shadows flowing from all around.

"Hmph." He stifled.

"Gajeel, no!" Natsu turned around, as well, proving to be a mistake as an appearance by Sting in midair left his side open to a kick. He yelled out as the blow broke into his ribs and stumbled off to the side.

Sting landed in a crouch and cockily smirked. "You gotta start paying more attention, Natsu." He lunged at the staggering Dragon Slayer, brining his glowing fist forward and dealing an uppercut to Natsu's abdomen.

"Gah!" Natsu gagged as the shock made him see white.

Sting smirk only served to ignite as he got Natsu right where he wanted him. He dealt blow after blow, completely stopping Natsu from getting a guard up.

"It may have been a shaky beginning, but it now appears Sting and Rogue are countering Natsu and Gajeel! The Twin Dragons are mowing through them!"

"How did they get stronger all of a sudden?!" Pantherlily exclaimed. "It just doesn't make sense!"

"It's gotta be that drive thing they just did!" Happy answered hastily.

Makarov inspected the battle with a hardened look. "Their powers were magnified by that sheer release. It looks like the properties of their magic have also been morphed and enhanced." He watched as Gajeel twisted and turned to find Rogue, but the shadow kept popping in and out of sight like a ghost. "This will be tough…"

"Yeah, you show them, Sting!" Lector punched forward. "Break them!"

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch agreed.

Minerva's glare hardened as she watched the battle. "Obliterate those weaklings."

Natsu reeled back from the latest blow dealt by Sting, staggering to a halt while Sting landed in front of him. He reeled his fist back in his magic and cried out.

Before he could fully land a punch, however, the vivid flow of magic he thought Fallen Prometheus had sprouted again in his mind. The way they were after Craig when he even bested them was what slowed him down that one second, his eyes momentarily hazy.

Taking notice of his opponent's delayed attack, Natsu ducked beneath the arm and pulled a flaming fist back. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He socked Sting square in the gut, sending a heated shock through his body and went flying backwards.

Sting slid across the ground to a stop, his vision returning to Natsu. He grunted as he clutched where Natsu struck.

A foot pressed forward, Sting looking up to Natsu's serious eyes. "What's wrong? You're looking a little fixed there." He pointed out. "You ain't wussing out on me already, aren't you?"

The blonde's brows furrowed. He had a moment's hesitation before responding. "What are you on about? I'm perfectly fine." He lied.

"Your face says otherwise."

"Well I could ask you the same thing." Sting spread his legs apart. "If you're really trying against us, then how about you prove it to our faces. Shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Natsu flashed a smirk of his own. "Alright. You want proof?" He jumped into the air above, bringing his hands up to create an expanding fireball. The mistaken sun was making heat waves that reached down to a surprised Sting. The smirk on Natsu was gone, replaced by a serious frown. "Then here it is! Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

The fireball was thrown down towards Sting, expanding and discharging a large amount of heat. His reflexes completely of guard, Sting stepped back and balanced himself. "White Dragon's Roar!" His mouth opened wide, and he unleashed another glistening white beam diagonally up at the fireball. The two attacks met in the dead center, where a flash generated and expelled a ripple in midair. The ripple was followed by a massive, bright burst of hot light in the center of the arena, rattling everything ranging from Natsu in midair down to Sting down below. The whole stadium shuddered from that burst of energy, making even Gajeel nearby stop his struggles for a moment to look over at the stalemate unleashed.

The whole stadium was in awe at the bursting clash between the two attacks.

"Whoa! What just happened?! The two attacks of flames and light completely intersected! I can't see anything!" Lola announced.

With the loud shrouding even the likes of Erza, she was unable to tell what was happening. Craig's eyes narrowed as he tried to get a view of what happened inside, seeing the faint images of the people still clashing.

Still in midair, Natsu was blinded by the bright rays, forcing his guard up. As the bright flash was beginning to dissipate, the openings starting to reveal themselves had someone lunging up. He reached up and grabbed Natsu by the throat, completely throwing the Dragon Slayer off guard. In slow motion, Sting was revealed, and he had a bad look on his face.

"And Sting has caught Natsu by the throat! What's gonna happen now?!" Lola exclaimed.

"So where's your focus now?!" He threw Natsu towards the ground, crashing into the dirt with a massive cloud shrouding him.

As that happened, Gajeel was still recovering from that blinding light as he rubbed his eyes. "Damnit, what the hell was that all about?" He grunted, but he was thrown off guard when a dark shadow hovered behind, its boot planting against Gajeel's back. "Ack!" He crashed on his stomach hard, completely unknowing that Rogue snuck the blow in.

"You were feeble minded there."

Levy looked at the scene with growing shock. "Oh no! Gajeel!"

"Crap! This looks bad you guys!" Jet admitted.

"Yeah, we need a plan, and quick!" Droy prayed.

Gajeel grunted as he tried to get to his hands and knees, but the shock he took into his iron body was slowing him down. Rogue hovered over him with a dejected look.

"I was hoping you would put up a better fight than this. To be honest, many of us were." He raised a hand, where shadows were beginning to compress. "You may have been an idol that has been revered to me, but that was history. This is the Third generation of Dragon Slayers, and we won't be outclassed by an older generation that can't learn to harness its true power."

Gajeel's glare went over his shoulder, his tongue completely silenced.

"I won't look up to you anymore. This time, it's you who'll be looked down on…Gajee~l!" Rogue thrust the compressed arm of shadows down on the Iron Dragon Slayer. The attack closed in so fast that it was almost impossible to read it.

CRUSH!

A massive, bone-breaking sound went through the area. All were looking surprised at the sight before them, especially Pantherlily and Levy. They all stared in deep shock as they saw what Rogue's attack did, even Sabertooth was looking startled.

Rogue's eyes slowly widened when he realized what happened to his arm. The attack he unleashed didn't do anything to harm Gajeel. Instead it was gripped upon, tightly. Gajeel's gloved hand was holding onto the wrist as he looked away, as if he knew where it would strike. He looked from the corner of his eye at Rogue.

"No way…!" Before fully processing the realization, Gajeel's other fist hardened into an Iron Dragon's Hard Fist and pivoted, scoring a loud blow to Rogue's abdomen. The shock from the attack was making Rogue gag loudly with bits of blood jumping out of his mouth.

He shot backwards, sliding across the ground as Gajeel stood on his two feet once more. His neck craned, cracking the iron bones. "You know kid…you run your mouth a lot."

Sting, having landed on the ground, looked at the massive dust cloud where Natsu had crashed in. The smirk he had was all too cocky. "I wasn't unfocused. I was just thinking." He told the opponent. "I was thinking…thinking about how awesome it would be if I could finally beat you and prove to the world of the true strength of Dragon Slayers." He watched the dust settle, wanting to see the damage that he's dealt. He couldn't wait to see Natsu at his knees and outmatched.

Soon enough, the dust settled, and what was revealed was a scarf and a frown. "That's a boldfaced lie." The person inside retorted.

Sting's eyes widened. "What?" A pillar of fire suddenly dissipated the remainder of the dust, forcing him to cover up. He could feel a lot of heat resonate from the flames. He looked back, in the center of the flames revealing Natsu as he balled his fists and his scarf flaring around his collar. His shock never failed to increase. 'No way…he wasn't supposed to handle all that!'

Natsu stepped forward, the rock beneath him steaming.

"What's this crap you're saying?" Sting tried to act tough, but in the glaring eyes of Natsu, it wasn't working.

"I know that look on anyone's face when I see it. Whatever's going on in that head, you better snap out of it, otherwise you're going to lose!" To prove his point, he got to a knee and crouched. The fire around him compressed into his head that went all over his body. He shot Sting another harsh look, one he wasn't prepared for.

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" With a blitzing dash, he headbutted Sting square in the chest. The impact was so harsh that a surge of shock went through his whole core. Sting gagged as he went flying backwards, spiraling out of control.

Lector went wide-eyed at the assault.

The dust trail created slowly faded away, revealing Rogue with his Shadow Drive aura completely faded. Like Gajeel a moment ago, he had trouble standing from the shock in his body. 'How did he do that? Did he…did he just wait until my body's permeability was most noticeable?'

Frosch's eyes dilated out of shock.

Fairy Tail cheered on for both competitors as they were once again on offense.

"And what another turnaround!" Lola shouted. "Natsu and Gajeel are once again turning the tables! This is nothing but sheer back and forth for these two teams!"

"What the hell is all this?" Orga questioned. "Shouldn't those two be doing the ass whooping?"

"It would appear that our pride of Sabertooth has some unsettling setbacks to mull over." Rufus said.

Rogue slowly got back up, finally getting his second wind. Sting was no different. Both were cut short of breath when Natsu and Gajeel hit them with their fists respectively across their faces. The Twin Dragons doubled over for the umpteenth time as they were found on the defensive end.

"Look pal, I don't know what your game is, or why you aren't pay attention to me, but you should know I'm right in front of you." Natsu testified. "So fight me if you really mean it!"

Sting stumbled back up, trying to balance himself. The crowd's cheering was beginning to grow deaf in his ears. He couldn't even make out the hearing of the others.

Lector watched from the balcony with his team, his eyes beginning to water out of worry. "Sting…"

Sting hunched over, his bangs shrouding his eyes from view. 'Don't worry, Lector…' he started to get back up. 'I'm not done here, not yet.' With himself on his feet once more, Sting's fists began to ball tighter. For another time at this point, he envisioned Fallen Prometheus, and the chances of Sabertooth's score to reach them. 'I won't have us left behind. We can't afford setbacks like these anymore. If we're going to really try and take on those guys, then I'll need to take down Natsu first.'

Natsu took notice of Sting's stance chance, his face starting to grow solid.

Sting smirked once more. "Alright then, you want me to get even more serious? Well you asked for it." With that warning, Sting's entire body began to give off a massive pressure. His arm drew back, the air around said arm beginning to distort as light spiraled into the clutched fist.

Makarov's eyes widened upon reading the pressure. "What is happening now?"

"I feel a lot of pressure surging." Mirajane said.

"Something tells me that we might need to watch out, you guys." Lisanna nervously warned.

Minerva's frown had finally turn to a smirk. "Yes. Show no mercy. Make them wish they never met you."

The atmosphere behind Sting was like that of a sun. It was all white, and he began to run towards Natsu with the rocks all around beginning to defy gravity. It was a lot of pressure took in, and he was bringing it all forward. He sprung up and gave out a loud shout. Upon closing in with Natsu, he brought the fist of pure light forward.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art - Holy Nova!"

Sting released all the energy in one blast. All the magic was expelled in point-blank range, discharging an explosion of pure light that had tremendous force. The shockwaves were tremendous, reaching far out to encompass the whole arena floor. The earth shuddered as everyone in the balconies and stands covered up as the tremendous waves were blinding them now.

"What the heck is that?!" Lucy shouted through the dust storm.

Wendy struggled to find cover as she held onto Carla to keep her from being blown away. The same couldn't be said for Happy, however.

The energy released finally began to dissipate. The sound of thunder started to settle amongst the dust, and Sting looked ahead with his smirk more determined than ever. "How's that?" he questioned. In his satisfaction, there was something in the dust that caught him by surprise. A hand. It was gripping his fist, stopping it cold. His eyes widened, and the look of mortification covered him all the way to the ears. As the last cloud faded, standing in front of him was Natsu once more, a deep frown on his face still.

"Wow! That attack did a number in the battlefield, but Natsu Dragneel…he stopped the attack with just one bare hand!" Lola shrieked. "Incredible!"

Sting was paralyzed out of sheer shock.

"That's better." Natsu smirked.

Erza nodded. 'I knew he could do it.'

"S-Sting's blow was stopped cold?" Lector almost fumbled over his shock.

"No way." Frosch murmured.

"Just what the hell now?!" Orga groaned, his patience as thin as paper.

Rufus tipped his cap with a frown. "Seems I haven't recalled such an attack nullified."

Minerva's confidence fell short. She would've scoffed if she could, but her attention went to the unaffected guild they wanted to beat. Their hoods shrouded their lack of care was making her own sense of superiority challenged.

Laxus watched the fight with his own smirk forming. "About time we get a few good hooks in."

Natsu continued to hold a shocked Sting, his grip tightening. "Still wanna take this seriously?" To this, he kicked Sting in the chin, causing a gawk to expel as the White Dragon fell back. He landed on his feet. "Then bring it!"

Rogue pounced for Gajeel head on. "Gajeel!" He zipped in swiftly, but the Iron Dragon did what Natsu did and used his hand and stopped a downwards slash of the hand. He pivoted and slammed Rogue into the earth behind, making the rock beneath dent.

Frosch began to shudder. "Rogue…"

Natsu backhanded a shocked Sting, sending him back more feet.

"Sting." Lector worried.

The Twin Dragon's backs hit one another, and Natsu and Gajeel got to one side and drew their fists back again. Together, they dealt another blow to their faces, sending them into the ground.

The crowd was completely stunned once more for Day 4. The competition was heavy, but they didn't think this heavy. "I can't believe what I'm seeing out there at this very moment!" Lola intervened. "The Twin Dragons of Sabertooth are completely turned around as they have been on the receiving end of some heavy fire power! It looks like Fairy Tail has gotten some serious bite into these tigers, or should I say these dragons!"

Frosch and Lector looked at the scene with their hopes starting to fade. They were shuddering as they watched their drive powers diminish around them. No words could be said as they watched them struggle to their feet.

"We can't…let it end like this…" Rogue muttered as he slowly stood. "We won't…have Fairy Tail take this one."

Sting slouched about. His vision was getting hazy, but even within his swaying, he could still make out his surroundings. He could see the many crowds that looked like beads in the background. He definitely got a look at Natsu and Gajeel. But there was something more, something more prominent that stood out in his vision. When he looked pass Natsu, he saw a faint object in the background, alongside a red and blonde head. A black-haired person, and he had a casual frown on his face. The look, the recognition, the very feeling; it's these concepts that was making him feel something he hasn't felt in a while: Fear.

He stood back up, more jerkish than Rogue. The haste didn't go unnoticed by his partner. "Sting?"

"No…we can't lose…" he muttered. "…no, not again!"

Gajeel looked at the Twin Dragon in distress, his brow furrowing.

"You think you're so special, huh? Well…" Sting's fists balled so tight that his fists were practically quaking. It was no clear indication who he was speaking to. "Well tell you what, you're not so special. You hear me?!"

Far away, out of earshot, Craig's sharp blue eyes were just laid-back, but Sting only took it as a challenge as his only sharpened.

"We won't lose like this! Time to show you the true might that we dragons possess! Right Rogue?!" He took another stance, this one being firm.

The Shadow Dragon chose to dismiss the outcry and took the indication. "Right!"

Once again, both underwent another change of pressure. Their clothes began to shift, and the auras around their bodies began to return; however, the auras were thicker, and something about the quality in their magic felt…off. Everyone watching could feel it, even Craig could tell the quality chanced to a richer filament. It wasn't tough to explain, but the looks of shock everyone gave was clear they had no idea the Twin Dragons had this much power.

Although, through it all, Shinigami just spectated with amusement.

The bodies of Sting and Rogue began to morph, streaming white and black at the same time. They grew black and white scales for their respective elements, covering the sides of their faces, arms, legs, and abdomen.

Natsu's eyes widened. "No way…"

Gajeel showed equal surprise. "You've gotta be kidding me." He muttered.

Erza leaned over the balcony, her worries for Natsu starting to rise. "Wait, this sensation…"

"Well, didn't see this coming." Laxus' straight face wasn't changed, but even he had shock in his tone.

Gildarts raised his head to get a better view. "Hold on, is that what I think it is?"

"I think it is." Warren answered.

"You mean to tell me, that these two boys could actually do that?" Makarov asked with wide horror.

Wendy was speechless. "No way…"

"Is that…" Lucy was unable to finish.

From the Sabertooth balcony, Minerva's frown was dark and heavy, but within that darkness was a small tug on the corner of her lips. Her eyes narrowed on her vision of the transformed Twin Dragons. "Dragon Force."

The two transformed men were glaring deep daggers at the opponents. They were dead serious and ready to finish what they started. No longer were they going to be messing around. This was the look in their red and blue eyes, and everyone could feel it.

"This isn't what I was expecting one bit." Lola commentated. "The Twin Dragons have gone and unleashed their trump card! The Dragon Force! Mr. Yajima, any comments?"

Yajima crossed his arms and hummed into the mic. "The tides certainly are shifting a lot today. However, in this case, Fairy Tail is going to be in a whole lot of trouble if they don't find some ground soon." He warned.

"This doesn't look good." Bickslow said.

"Dragon Force." Freed repeated. "The final form of ultimate Dragon Slayer potential if I remember correctly."

"Well if you ask me, there's been enough dragon nuisance from my history." Evergreen huffed, although she'd rathe not do a recap of the whole Tahunga and the revival of Igneel and other dragon project. Those two instances wore down her impatience for dragons for a while.

Craig's eyes narrowed, but showed no shock as he continued to watch the battle. He was paying attention for certain…at least it was enough to draw attention from Fallen Prometheus for a while.

Sting stepped forward. "Alright, let's go."

"Understood." Rogue nodded.

The competitive nature that was felt between Natsu and Gajeel was beginning to wear on them. They didn't know what was going on with this Dragon Force, but whatever the case, they weren't willing to take chances. Not this time around.

Natsu balled a fist tight. "Crap! We gotta take them out! Now!"

"I'm all for that one, Salamander." Gajeel spoke. However, something dark shifted behind him, his eyes widening as time slowed down.

"…you're mistaken." The voice said from behind. "Losing…is not the option here."

A cyclone of shadows whirled around Gajeel, picking up powerful winds of dust that kept Natsu in a complete standstill. The shockwaves roared like a midnight howl that pierced his ears. As the maelstrom picked up on the ground, Gajeel was sent soaring high into the air. When he reached full kinetic energy, his body was limp and suspended. Rogue reappeared right above, landing a shadow-encased chop right over Gajeel's back and sending him downwards, crashing into the earth.

"Gajeel!" Levy cried.

Natsu turned towards the dust cloud formed by the fallen Iron Dragon, but he was intercepted by Sting. "Not so fast!" He flipped into the air once and came down with an axe kick on the back of Natsu's head, sending his face into the rock beneath. The recoil left him to feel his nose crack, and Sting didn't even give him time to gag before a light-coated fist scored and uppercut square in the chin, sending Natsu soaring back.

Erza's eyes were wide with shock and devastation as she saw Natsu getting hammered. "Natsu…"

Natsu regained his footing as he panted in a slide across the dirt. When he reached the end of the trail, he went sprinting back at Sting with fists embedded in searing flames. He yelled with every punch he threw, but Sting dodged every volley effortlessly.

With an opening, Sting kneed Natsu's abdomen and kicked after, reeling him back a foot. While in midair, he leaned back and stamped his foot on Natsu's forehead and sent him falling on his back, while he landed on all fours.

As the dust cleared for Gajeel, he was found having a hard time standing. He kept one eye open as his body ached with such a sore flow. He grunted as looked up, but found the airspace vacant.

"Look down." Rogue appeared in front of Gajeel.

"Huh-?!" By the time he looked down, Gajeel was struck in the chest by a slicing shadow by Rogue's hand. He stumbled back from the assault and Rogue kept the offense going by morphing into a shadow and swerving downwards into the ground, the black shadow completely out of Gajeel's sight. He looked around to see where the attack would come from, but once again, he never pegged to look down at his own shadow.

There, black hair surfaced and a mouth opened.

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!"

Gajeel looked down just as a torrent of shadows blasted him. The shadows wailed and hissed with searing pulses that expanded. It was a gigantic volume that expanded into a blanket across the sky, and Gajeel's screams were hollowed out by them.

"Oh no! Gajeel!" Pantherlily panicked.

"This is bad! Their Magic Power just spiked big time!" Happy exclaimed.

Gajeel crashed into the ground with another thud. As he laid on his side, Rogue unemotionally frowned.

"Oh my goodness, the Twin Dragons have reclaimed their dominance once again!" Lola yelled.

"Heh, about time." Orga sneered. "I was wondering when they'd get serious."

"Yes, as was I." Rufus admitted. "Although, there is the matter of time left, isn't there?"

The audience was so raptured by the battle that they didn't realize how much time was passing. When one looked at a watch, they could've mistaken it already being like 10 minutes passing and going, when really it was like 22. With every second that passed, Natsu and Gajeel were hammered by a different blow, either by a fist or a foot; it didn't matter. Whatever the case was, Natsu was trying frivolously to get a few good jabs in, but Sting grabbed the wrist and threw Natsu to the side. When he went to bounce back with a flaming right hook, Sting pivoted and leaned off to the side, where he delivered a downward elbow onto the shoulder. Natsu recoiled in with the shock and Sting played with it by smirking wide and kicking him hard, sending him away.

Gajeel was barely making note of his surroundings. Everything was hazy in his perspective, but he saw black clearly. He roared out as his arm morphed into an elongated Iron Dragon's Sword that went for Rogue, however, and to Gajeel's shock, the sword phased right through.

"What?"

Rogue's entire body became shadows and he spiraled down the sides of the sword until he reached Gajeel. He zipped so fast as he reappeared as a physical form again and passed him with his arm out again, black streaks following his Shadow Dragon's Slash. Gajeel's screams were all too clear as a harsh pain went through his side.

Levy looked on in fright, her eyes wide to the horror unfolding. "Gajeel!"

Gajeel was brought to a knee, his head down as he clutched the side where Rogue slashed into. "Damn you…" he grunted.

Sting smirked. "Oh come on! Is that all you got?!" he yelled as he jumped into the air. He dealt another kick to Natsu's chest, sending him crashing to the ground again.

"This an amazing struggle from both teams left and right. This battle had its twists and turns, but looks like we're close to the wrap up, folks!" Lola warned. "We're already breaching the 5-minute mark. Will Natsu and Gajeel be able to persevere for that long? Or will Sabertooth skin the scales off the First Generation Dragon Slayers?"

The crowds cheered in excitement, but among them, Jiemma was glaring searing daggers at his Twin Dragons. He looked unamused as ever, but his patience was beyond gone. "Sting. Rogue. End this here and now." He demanded in a grotesque growl.

Natsu and Gajeel were once again wobbling upright. They could feel their bodies hurt with every blow that was dealt towards them. It was a lot of straining they were putting up with, but they couldn't afford to lose, not like this.

Together, both puffed in their cheeks, taking in large amounts of air.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

"Iron Dragon's Roar!"

The two blistering attacks comprised of expansive fire and metallic substance quaked the land and air alike as they went bolting at Sting and Rogue. The attacks made dust blow off on either side as they drew closer, and the Twin Dragons stood in place as their eyes glared deeply into the oncoming roars.

Sting leaned forward. "Let's show them what a real roar is all about." He said.

Rogue copied. "Agreed."

Both men got a foot behind themselves, holding their ground as the two roars were bleak, bright rays that were starting to envelope them.

"White Dragon's Holy Breath!"

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!"

In the midst of the flash, the fire and metallic energy unleashed suddenly tore apart. They dissipated as a tremendous white blast of pure light raced across the battlefield. Its atmospheric composition was far greater than a usual roar, as it ripped a trail into the battlefield. It was not only closing in on them, but there was also a cyclone of spinning shadow mixed in that came from Rogue's roar as a boost. The two spells compressed into a flashy, spiraling blast of energy that shook the entire area.

Natsu and Gajeel were wide-eyed as they saw the attack incoming. The last thing they picked up on was a bright light.

A few flickers were seen resonating from the Domus Flau colosseum, which exploded into a pillar of black and white that went skyward. The whole colosseum erupted with roaring, shaking, and debris falling upwards. Everyone could've seen it from Crocus even; it was a beacon of light and darkness at the same time. All eyes turned towards it, while many eyes in the stadium were covered as many tried to hold onto their seats.

Fairy Tail and everyone was covering up, while others were trying to get a peek through the explosion.

"WHAT KIND OF CRAZY POWER IS THIS?!" Lola shouted. He tried to keep his toupee from flying off. "The Twin Dragons had unleashed a devastating attack! What has happened?! I can't see anything!"

Through the roaring, Jiemma glared down at the sight with a stiff face. Even now it seemed unchanged, but inside he knew he wanted to see the look on Fallen Prometheus' face. In the faintest of light, he saw their hoods shifting, but didn't cast emotion.

Inside their balcony, no one was wide-eyed, but some of them raised their brows at the spectacle.

"Tch, showoffs much." Monarch huffed.

"Absolutely." Shinigami tested.

The smoke and dust began to subside, allowing everyone to get a clear picture of the results. The battlefield cleared out to have a huge cave-in trail that went across and towards a crater the size of Fairy Tail's guild hall, but as deep as a bathtub. In the dead center of it all was Natsu and Gajeel, both dragons faced down and not moving.

Erza's eyes widened in sheer shock of the results. She was completely speechless.

The crowd's worried shock began to rise to satisfaction shouts. They all cheered loudly over the battle, and Lector and Frosch's watery eyes widened with smiles. Meanwhile, Fairy Tail was frowning and grimacing.

"Natsu…?" Happy murmured.

Carla closed her eyes and looked down.

"Come on, Gajeel. Not yet." Pantherlily persisted.

"It…it looks like…" Lola could barely make out his own speech. He was equally as befuddled. "Sting and Rogue…they have dominated Fairy Tail's dragons! This time, it looks like it's permanent!"

Sting and Rogue's breathing went subtle. However, their Dragon Force didn't fade just yet. Sting smirked over his handiwork, seeing Natsu lied down and completely immobile. 'I finally did it…I actually beat Natsu.' He looked towards Lector, seeing the proud cheer that he was seeing from afar. He showed a genuine smile as he looked at his best friend. 'It took some long roads, but I knew I never could've let you down. Thanks for being there for me, buddy.'

Lector sniffled, seeing the proud smile on his face.

Craig watched the two downed dragons representing them. He kept a calm look as he stayed just as silent as they were. He wasn't exactly the cheering kind of guy, but he could definitely feel it. Something inside of him was keeping sheer faith; as he always had that got him through the hellish times. Faith – the one word that he gained full principle of. In the hells in which were some scary mists that housed man-eating monsters, cursed domains with riddles that resulted in one person's life at stake; sickening diseases that spelled disbelief in any numerous ways, there were a lot of times where he lost hope, but then things rested on his shoulders. It may have been pushed on in most cases, but faith – and luck – was what dragged his heels out of out-of-this-world struggles.

"…" The look on his face didn't change, but his eyes showed a fierce look of fire.

"Gajeel!" Levy cried out, tears forming in her eyes.

Rogue took a few steps forward, advancing towards Gajeel. "Change will always come and go. There's no way to prevent it." He looked towards Gajeel's fallen body. "And this here is lying proof."

"That dunce. Is he napping on the job?" Pantherlily exasperated.

Sting smiled at Natsu, his white scales slowly beginning to slowly dissipate. "That was a good fight. Thanks, even if it was a little rough…"

"Natsu! Get up! Please!" Romeo exclaimed. "You can't quit now!"

"That idiot." Gray scoffed.

"Are they really down for the count?" Juvia worried.

Cana narrowed her eyes. "This can't be right."

"I know." Gildarts said. "It's gotta take more to put him down."

Erza leaned over the balcony to her team more. She was looking serious if not tempered. "Listen to me! You guys need to pull yourselves together! You can do this, we believe in you! Fairy Tail believes you! Natsu!"

Her call of encouragement fell into silence as Sting and Rogue overlooked them, their eyes closed and their smiles soft…

"I hear ya…Erza."

The voice shot both set of eyes open at the sound of the voice. Sting and Rogue went wide-eyed as they saw both Gajeel and Natsu starting to slouch back up, the crowds responding with deafening cheers of adrenaline shooting through their bodies. They were all mind blown as fire and iron were back on their feet, their eyes covered by their hair. In unison, both smirked.

"Yeah! That's our boys!" Wakaba exclaimed.

"I knew it all along! They weren't out yet!" Macao screamed.

"That's it, Natsu~~!" Happy squealed.

Pantherlily smiled. "I knew he wasn't done yet!" Beside him, Levy was quivering in joy.

"Yeah, now we got ourselves a party!" Cana grinned.

"The two still breaking their bones over this. They got guts alright." Craig remarked. "Alright, let's see what fuel's left in their tanks."

Erza backed away from the balcony, a knowing smirk growing on her face.

Natsu rolled his shoulder about, making popping sounds. "Man, I'm sure sore right there." He obviously exaggerated. If he was honest, it was hurting so much that he could barely feel it. But he didn't want to look like a wimp in front of his guild, especially a certain redhead who's been cheering him on the whole way. He powered on regardless, a wide smirk on his face. "I think I may have sprung myself in all the wrong places." He teased.

This worked as Sting and Rogue's eyes sharpened, the scales that were receding on Sting starting to resurface once more.

Gajeel looked up, his smirk equally as gratifying. "We're not out yet chumps." He almost lost balance as he spread his legs apart. "If you guys were the only one holding an ace up your sleeves…then you got some rethinking to do."

Sting's eyes went wider as he saw Natsu and Gajeel stand against all odds. The way they smirked and toughed it out was not how he imagined them to be. His mind again flashed to the scary power during the contest that the cloaked figures gave off. He started to get a foot back, doubt rising. "No…no way…!"

Natsu balled his fists. "Yes way!"

Rogue looked at Gajeel as he saw him struggle, his anger beginning to boil. "This is ridiculous. That attack should've at least put you down." His tone began to rise with his frustration. "Whatever game this is, I'm not falling for it! GAJEEL!" He reached out towards the Iron Dragon, all the shadows that were around him and his opponent starting to close in. They stretched over the ground and fused with Gajeel's shadow, and slowly, they began to coil and constrict around his legs and work its way up the body.

"Huh?" Gajeel looked down at his body, seeing how he wasn't able to move.

"You will be swallowed by your own misfortune. I won't look up to you anymore, do you understand?"

Gajeel smirked.

"What are you so happy about now?" Rogue asked impatiently.

"Nothing really…just thinking is all." Despite how the shadows were engrossing him, he was very calm and relaxed. "You see, Salamander's got a parlor trick, and now it's time for me to get my own!" At this insinuation, his fists began to ball and took in a very large, heaping breath of air. With his mouth wide and lungs expanding, Gajeel was shockingly drawing in the shadows that were beginning to swallow him.

Rogue's eyes widened at the display. "What?"

Natsu watched as Gajeel began to take in the shadowy element, smirking. "Is that so? Better show you how it's done then." He faced Sting, a smirk as his determined eyes began to crackle with some embers. The embers that were starting to ignite around his body also started to give off their own element – lightning. Static discharged as flames around Natsu's body began to burst.

Sting watched in horror as he felt magic levels rise. "No way…"

Laxus smirked at the sight.

Makarov's eyes were wide open with deep shock, seeing both Dragon Slayers starting to transform. "Iron and fire…and is that lightning around Natsu? But I've never seen anything like it."

"It seems Natsu is using his trump card now." Freed evaluated.

"Hell yeah! Looks like a crackling bonfire!" Bickslow screamed.

Evergreen smirked. "Well, there's a big surprise. But for Gajeel…"

Gajeel finished up sucking in all the shadows, his Adam's Apple bobbing up and then down at the last gulp. He sighed heavily and his head swung back down, hunched over as he got to a knee. His hand pressed against the ground as he anchored himself from the energy that was flowing inside.

Slowly, Levy and everyone started to see a change in Gajeel. Black streaming shadows started to flow from his body.

"Are you seeing this?" Lola's voice held great anticipation.

"Yes." Yajima nodded, his usually blank eyes wide at the sight.

Gajeel slowly started to stand, the shadows darkening on his body. "I don't know what changed, but what I do know is that you got stronger…Ryos."

Rogue's lips parted upon the name.

"You say that you looked up to me, that you respected me. But sure as hell know that ain't the truth." Slowly, the dark shadows around him were streaming a dark silver, which began to grow on his body as a whole. His entire skin became dark silver iron, his eyes losing the pupils as his hair started to stand up straight. The tone he gave, and the smirk on his face were what were sending shocks of fear right through the Twin Dragons. "Maybe it's time I show you both…just how terrifying I am!"

"That makes two of us." Natsu snarled, flames and lightning coursing around his body.

The crowd was going nuts over the changeup, but Sabertooth was at a loss for words. Even Rufus was so surprised that he couldn't process it. Minerva frowned heavily, her eyes showing surprise.

"No way. Did he really eat Rogue's shadows?" Lector muttered.

Frosch's tail stood straight up.

"That's just crazy!" Beth exclaimed.

"I'll say. I've never seen anything like it." Risley admitted.

Kagura's composition didn't change. She stood and stared with only her glare fixed on the change in magical properties. "So this is the power of Dragon Slayer lungs." She bluntly said.

"I-It looks like Natsu Dragneel has transformed into a Lightning Flame Dragon!" Lola shrieked. "And Gajeel just now consumed Rogue's shadows before our very eyes! He looks like an Iron Shadow Dragon now! Just what kind of a battle change is this?!"

Sting swallowed and shook himself awake. Realizing there was still a chance, he balled his fist. "Doesn't matter. There's only like two minutes left from my count." He said.

"We can either beat them in those two minutes…or they can try and even it." Rogue opted. "Still, we must win if we're to-!"

He didn't finish when both Natsu and Gajeel suddenly slugged across their faces with deafening blows. The impact was so strong that both Twin Dragons went spiraling across the earth and tumbled into the dirt several feet away. Natsu and Gajeel recalled their fist as they glared at their respective opponents.

"We won't need two minutes." Gajeel said.

"We just need half that." Natsu boasted.

The dust cleared around Sting, revealing himself on a knee and holding onto his cheek. 'That punch…just what was in there? It was so strong…'

Rogue got up, regaining his balance and glared at Gajeel. "You can ingest my element? You're crazy." He reached out, sending out crescents of shadows that went at Gajeel, however, the Iron Shadow Dragon smirked as his body suddenly faded into black shadows. "What?"

"He's gone!" Nab shouted.

"No, I think he became a shadow instead." Romeo corrected.

Rogue looked around, wondering where Gajeel was. "Where'd he go?" Looking left and right as he was, he wasn't aware as the tables were turned, with someone's head protruding from his shadow now.

"Boo."

Rogue turned around at the sound with his reflexes making shadows around his hand, but found his shadow vacant. He was caught deeply in shock that he didn't catch up to something materializing above. It was Gajeel, and he roundhouse kicked Rogue in the back, sending him into the ground with tremendous force.

"Gah!" Rogue gagged blood as the shock went through his body.

"Rogue?!" Frosch blinked.

Sting refocused and glared at Natsu. He was over that last blow and was ready to go another round. "So that's how you want it? Just a minute? I doubt it, but let's see you back it up." He retorted with his mouth opening wide to unleash a blast of pure light, his roar so great in volume that it didn't loo plausible to surmount.

Natsu pulled his fist back, his glare hardening as fire spiraled in his fist, lightning crackling. "Lightning Flame Dragon's Firing Hammer!" He punched straight forward, unleashing a head-on blitz of fire and lightning that pulsated across the dirt. Like the Holy Breath, it tore through the earth as it rushed at the roar. It completely barreled through and bisected, approaching a shocked Sting and enveloping him in an explosion of fire and static that encompassed the area.

Through the smoke that went surging, Sting's body went sailing through the air, the limbs and neck crackling static. 'I…can't move!' Paralyzed, he didn't notice a lightning bolt zip next to him and morph back into Natsu, a Lightning Flame Dragon's Claw ready to kick.

'Crap!'

The kick swung around hard, sending Sting in a steep descent that smashed into the ground. As rock dented and crushed at the fall, the impact made him bounce off the ground with a gag.

Lector's eyes were showing water again. "Sting…?"

Sting and Rogue both stood on a knee, but when they looked up, Natsu and Gajeel both came down with large battle cries and rammed their fists into their chests. The impacts of shadowy iron and electrified fire felt immeasurable to the Twin Dragons as they went flying back. Natsu and Gajeel didn't let up as one became a shadow and one became lightning and caught up to them in midair. They morphed and began to deal a series of magic-filled barrages that the Sabertooth twins were unable to escape from.

"This is completely crazy! Now it is Fairy Tail who's crushing Sabertooth! This is just insane beyond words! Sting is hammered by Natsu's blows, and Gajeel's turned Rogue's strength into his own weakness. These guys are just back and forth! HOW MANY TIMES TO THESE GUYS HAVE TO KEEP DEFYING THE LOGIC?!"

"Well, hopefully we'll never have to find out." Yajima answered.

With a punch across the face, Sting went tumbling along his back, and Gajeel made an Iron Shadow Dragon's Club that got Rogue in the back. Rogue fell forward, almost tripping into his shadow.

They both looked back at their opponents, seeing the lightning and the shadows that were streaming and crackling from their bodies.

"These guys…"

"Just what are they?"

Gajeel dated for Rogue. Astonished and unable to face him, he dove back into his shadow. He streamed across the battlefield around Gajeel, making him turn and see him go. Gajeel only smirked as he, too, morphed into shadows and streamed across the battlefield, zipping after Rogue.

"Rogue, look out!" Sting shouted. With his guard down, Natsu reappeared in front and had a lightning-coated fire in his fist.

"Same to you." His warning wasn't as fast as he brought it overhead and struck Sting in the back of his neck. Once again, Sting smashed into the ground with a bone-breaking sound that startled the audience.

The shadow that was Rogue went zipping left and right, swerving as he tried to get away from Gajeel. He hurried swiftly, but no matter what turns he made, it wasn't enough to shake his tracker.

'How is he able to adapt to my magic so quickly?' he thought. 'I can't believe I'm fleeing, but I can't fight my own element!'

Craig crossed his arms as he grinned. "Use your enemy's force against them." For the briefest moment, he thought about his own usage of chi and how he could do the same thing; his trademark ability.

Gajeel's shadow narrowed and he caught up to Rogue's shadow. An arm slowly reached out of Gajeel's shadow and into physical form, where it dove into Rogue's shadow and gripped on tight, much to everyone's shock.

"What the?!" Orga gasped.

Rogue was slowly being dragged out of his shadow, his eyes wide when he couldn't even see the red in Gajeel's eyes. As they were being dragged by Gajeel's shadow now, the look on Rogue's face spelled true fright. 'Even in my Dragon Force, he still had this much power. Is this really the same Gajeel?'

Natsu picked up Sting in his tired state, looking at Gajeel. "Hey, Gajeel! Ya ready!"

Gajeel came running out of the shadows like an escalator, running across the ground while dragging Rogue. "You read my mind, punk! HRAH!" With all his might, Gajeel pivoted and threw Rogue skyward. Natsu followed with his own shout, using all the momentum he had to slingshot him upwards.

Both Dragon Slayers went sailing into the air, the looks of shock on their faces as their Dragon Force was starting to dilate. As they looked down, they saw both their cheeks puffing.

'Their power…'

'They're…this strong…'

"Lightning Flame Dragon's…"

"Iron Shadow Dragon's…"

"ROAR~!" Both Dragon Slayers opened their mouths and unleashed their own fused elements. A solid pure beam of energy expelled from Gajeel, while flames and lightning erupted out of Natsu's mouth. Both attacks made so much force that the ground beneath depressed them as they fired. They expanded into massive volumes, looking like a unison massive blast that encompassed the whole stadium. The attacks soared skywards to no end, unlike Sting and Rogue's previous attack. Their screams of pain and deep anguish were only faint, as the sounds of thunder and sound barriers breaking were echoing all throughout Crocus' skies.

Everyone gaped their mouths as they looked up at the battle. Fairy Tail had shocked but also satisfied smiles on their faces at the sight, Levy and Erza especially. Sabertooth looked up in disbelief as they watched the two roars faded into thin air. Though the sounds still went on, the debris and two bodies falling were a sheer indication as to who they were.

Natsu and Gajeel's bodies began to revert back to normal, both of them falling to their knees and panting heavily out of exhaustion, however, they had smirks on their faces as Sting and Rogue fell into the dust on the ground, their thuds echoing loudly.

All eyes were waiting to see the dust clear, but what they saw completely startled all fans of the competition. The dust settled to reveal both Twin Dragons on their backs, their scales gone and devoid of pupils and strength.

The fight had finally been decided.

Lola's mouth was gaping in intense shock, which soon grew into a large smile. "The…the…the match is over! I repeat! I fight is over! The winner…is Fairy Tail's Natsu and Gajeel~!"

The bell went off, and the crowd roared at the stunning battle. Fairy Tail's cheers of excitement went far and wide as they felt the victory fill them with such joy. Jet and Droy laughed and cheered as Happy bounced left and right with happiness and praise. Cana had hands to her hips and smirked wide, while Gildarts nodded in approval of the way it all turned out.

Erza smiled in pleasure as he saw Natsu's victorious smile. 'You've really made me proud…Natsu.'

"With that, Fairy Tail has gained 10 points, and not a moment too soon! They're now in 2nd place, what a turnaround for this guild. I don't think any of us saw this one coming! These contenders gave off just an incredible display all around! We may have seen quite the few setbacks, but now it looks like we have ourselves some top-notch competition that'll strive for Day 5 coming up! You guys just can't miss it!"

The scoreboard changed once again, this time giving the results everyone's been dying to see.

Fallen Prometheus – 67

Fairy Tail – 46

Sabertooth – 41

Blue Pegasus – 36

Lamia Scale - 33

Mermaid Heel – 32

Quatro Cerberus - 13

Raven Tail – DISQUALIFIED

"Oh wow! Fairy Tail's finally kickin' tail!"

"They actually beat Sabertooth!"

"Yeah, but it looks like they still got that crazy group of guys in rags to go!"

"Yeah, but who knows what those guys have up their sleeves now!"

"That's the conclusion of the exciting Day 4, ladies and gentlemen!" Lola announced. "We're going to go on the traditional one day break, so the intermission will give all our fighters the chance to prepare for the 5th and final day of the Grand Magic Games! It'll be an all or nothing challenge where the last team standing will prove who earns the title of number one in Fiore! Stay tuned, and this is Chapati Lola, bringing you all the exciting new happening!"

"Have a nice rest, everybody." Yajima waved.

While the other competitors were watching in anticipation, many knew the competition form here on wasn't going to be easy, not with Fairy Tail staying on top. But there was one thing that was still the main objective: Stop Fallen Prometheus. Jura and many others knew they had to step up their game if it meant getting above the likes of the magic they had, but the five cloaked beasts did nothing but accept the challenge with amused if not expressionless faces beneath the hoods.

"Well that was interesting." Monarch hummed.

"Maybe so, but it doesn't change anything." Navice reminded. "No matter the display, they matter not."

"Still, we should take measures to ensure this final day is the last for someone in mind." Gates' inquiry turned towards a certain someone who was watching his teammates take the victory with smiles. The way he grinned at them was making him feel unsound.

Monarch sighed in annoyance. "I suppose we just continue with whole prowling thing then huh."

Shinigami turned away and faced the darkness. "For now. Why don't we discuss how we will…handle this predicament." He went on into the tunnel with his teammates camouflaging into black with him. "This last day, let's end it with something to remember for these mortals."

Natsu walked towards the defeated Sting and Rogue, looking down at them with his frown turning into a wide grin. "Let's do this again sometime." He cheekily said.

Gajeel sighed as he turned around. Apparently he's had enough and chose to resign himself to getting something more indulging like iron. He could really use it right about now.

Lector and Frosch looked at their fallen friends with shock still on their faces. They couldn't believe it, not ever. Their friends had the toughest fights ever and they still lost. It was heartbreaking, but they did their best to stay strong, although they didn't do a good job at it. Tears streamed down their faces.

"Well that happened." Orga groaned with an elbow to the balcony. "Man, those two sucked."

"Perhaps" Rufus smirked. "But this little error has been good for my memory.

Orga smirked. "They won't live this down."

Minerva had a dark look in her eyes. She chose to suppress it as she turned and walked back into her tunnel, unable to take the reality that was unfolding. First it was her being shamed by Craig and Scythe, second, their power completely overwhelming every single mage that she's ever fought and more, lastly, their guild's pride being humbled to a less likely standpoint. There was no way she was going to let this slide. Not ever.

Apparently she wasn't the only one. The area around Jiemma had long since evacuated due to rage he was unleashing. A purple aura flared with his temper as he felt nothing but anger.

Back up in the stands, Natsu and Gajeel finally made way through the tunnel, the former having a proud smile on his face as he was high-fived by Happy. "Wait a go, pal!" the Exceed chirped.

"Bah, that was nothing. That was a cakewalk!" he beamed. "I could've done it with my eyes closed."

Gajeel snickered at Natsu's boasting. "Well don't let me stop you from seeing your nose beat a few more breaks."

"What was that?!" Natsu glared at Gajeel, getting into his face. A flame-like aura was around him and the smirking dragon.

"You heard me! You couldn't beat them solo unless you pulled that trick out from the start!"

"Oh yeah?! Well I could've done it with one arm!"

"Well I'd use only a pinky and I'd still give them a concussion!"

"I'd just use my face!"

"And how would you even do that?!"

"I don't know! You try it and then I'll see how I can do better than that!"

Hearing their bickering from afar, Lucy nervously sweatdropped. "Well, at least they still got energy to spare."

"I'll say. The guys actually had me worried for a minute." Gray said.

"Yeah, you guys were great out there." Wendy praised.

Carla smiled in her arms. "While I thought it was all barbaric, you did tough it out. Good job."

Natsu pumped a fist with a beaming smile. "No sweat!" He was suddenly grabbed by the back of the hed by an armored hand and brought to a certain someone's chestplate. The pain went through him incredulously as Erza's patented 'hugs' left him dazed.

"You really are something else, Natsu." She smiled. "What you did deserves nothing less than genuine praise."

"T-thanks…" he muttered in her grip. "Owie…"

Everyone around shared a good laugh, just as the rest of the guild came around to congratulate the fighters.

"Well done you two, very well done." Makarov praised the two. "You both did well in getting Fairy Tail closer to where it was needed to be."

Having been let go by Erza's affection – for now – Natsu stood tall with a grin. "Sure thing, gramps."

"Not to shabby, Natsu. You've gotten me speechless there, I admit." Gildarts said.

The Dragon Slayer turned towards his old friend and pointed a thumb towards himself. "Really? If that's the case, why don't we have a fight when this is all over? Just me and you."

Gildarts chuckled. "I'll be waiting, kid."

"Knew we were gonna kick ass today." Cana grinned.

Craig stood nearby, his arms folded. "Yeah."

"There's still that day of rest tomorrow that we have." Erza reminded. "We'll be needing it if we're having hopes of triumphing for the final day."

Gajeel folded his arms and gave his own smirk. "I hear ya. So then we better fuel up for tomorrow then, huh."

Natsu began to shadowbox in the air. "Well I say bring it on already! It better be tomorrow because I can't contain myself!" Of course unlike the others, Natsu had a lot of energy, and that was enough to wear them down.

"Idiot." Gray groaned.

"I was getting tired from just looking at the fights." Evergreen exasperated. "Honestly, do you men have any decency?"

While the others talked and readied for the day of rest, Cana was looking rather mused. She was proud for the guild earning 2nd place, but something felt wrong. She knew that everybody knew, but they could only mask the reality of it: Fallen Prometheus. That guild with all that power, the power that took out power levels like Minerva, and she had enough as she did. If that were the case, then the last day may not be so kind.

She looked towards Craig, who was leaned against the wall with arms folded and looking at her. He looked ever so calm, but within those sharp eyes she knew that he knew that she knew that there was a solemn reason why that guild was here. And they will take down anyone…dead or alive.

For this last day, it may as well be somebody's last day as well.

---

Happy 2018 to all my loyal peeps out there! I am so glad to have gotten this leg of the arc done! I was worried I'd never get to here, in my mindset it'd take so long…which it kind of did, but otherwise, I did it! So here's the turning point and conclusion of Day 4, so now we are off for the day of rest and then onto Day 5, and trust me, it will be complicated.

Since it is the new year, I am hoping that I keep to my word, and my very latest for finishing up this once story, I pray, it is no longer than the beginning of March. By then, I should have it done and maybe a few good chapters into my Bakugan fanfic. But for now, and thanks to my calculating, I have about until chapter 64, if not 65. That's reasonable, so if I get about 7 chapters in about 4-6 days, then that means we have 26-42 days, so that's about the end of January to Mid-February, but only if I stick with this story solemnly, which is not so likely.

Still, hope you guys enjoyed the remake of Natsu and Gajeel VS Sting and Rogue, and I gave leeway for Craig's history with Fallen Prometheus.

One more thing, for those who like Pokémon, I made a small one-shot that's OCxCynthia, so if generous, look at it if you want. It's a nice break I need from Fairy Tail that I did.

So until next chapter, keep being awesome guys!