Two of the control towers have been brought down by Wendy and Laxus. Now it was Natsu's turn. He arrived at the third tower where Zancrow was. Natsu stepped forward as he was ready for battle.
"Hey, servant of darkness! I'm here! Get out here and start dueling." Natsu called out. The others moved up on a bridge so they would be safe from anything that would come. "I'm talking to you!"
"I'm up here, idiot!" Natsu looked up and saw Zancrow standing at the top of the tower. He jumped down and was faced against Natsu. "You're that pinky-head idiot that couldn't even beat a couple old men. Out of all of them, you chose me to face. You must want to meet your demise."
"I came to shut that arrogant mouth of yours." Natsu said. "I wanted to go after your boss first, but it looked like I wasn't' allow. That won't be a problem. Once I beat you, I'm going for Hades."
"You think you can still take on Hades?" Zancrow said. "There is no way that's going to happen if you won't even be able to beat me. I hope you're ready to be lost in darkness."
"Enough talking." Natsu said as he pounded his fists together. "I'm getting all fired up. I came out here for one reason. So let's get right to it."
"You're that eager to be destroyed? You got it!" Zancrow said as he held out his duel disk. Natsu did the same and both of them activated it.
"Let's duel!" Both of them said and ready for action. Another one of the energy fields was formed and took the shape of a bat with Natsu's mark glowing.
"You guys really think Natsu can really take that guy?" Wendy said.
"There's nothing we can do, but hope for the best." Erza said. "Natsu's pulled through so far."
"Yeah, but that Zancrow guy must have some skill or else he wouldn't be here as a dark servant." Lucy said.
"We'll see. They're about to start." Gray said. They both had 4000LP and it looked like Zancrow was going to take the first turn.
"Let's get this started." Zancrow said as he drew his first card. "I summon Black Flame Warrior in attack mode." A black flame in the form of a human with glowing red eyes rose on the field with 1700atk points. "Next, I'm activating the continuous spell, Black Flame Burning. As long as there's at least one Black Flame monster on the field, you're going to get blasted with 500 points of damage." A black flame was shot out and Natsu got blasted and his life points dropped to 3500.
"Not good. The duel just started and Natsu is already starting to fall behind." Lucy said.
"Don't worry. The more his opponent pushes him down, the more Natsu comes back stronger than before." Erza said.
"I place one card facedown and that will be enough for now." Zancrow said.
"It's my turn." Natsu said as he drew his card. "I think I'll start this duel by summoning Dragon Girl in attack mode." A girl with a scale designed top and skirt with a tail-like extension and wings. She flew out with 1300atk points.
"A girl? You've got to be kidding me?" Zancrow said.
"Why not? She's tough." Natsu said.
"Girls don't belong in dueling. They don't have the power." Zancrow said. That little statement struck a nerve Lucy and the others.
"Suddenly, I don't feel bad if Natsu makes this guy disappear forever." Lucy said.
"Me either." Wendy said.
"Agreed." Erza said. Gray got a little nervous from the dangerous aura the three of them were admitting.
"I'll just be over here." Gray said as he took a few steps away.
"She might be weaker than your monster now, but that's about to change." Natsu said. "I use my Brilliant Flame spell card and that will give her 800 more attack points." His monster was surrounded by flames and her attack points went up to 2100. "Dragon Girl, attack with Feminine Dragon Flame!" She combusted in flames and dived at Black Flame Warrior.
"Hahah! You just walked right into my trap, dimwit." Zancrow said. "I activate my Black Flame Incinerate! When you attack a Black Flame, this trap destroys your attacking monster." Lack flames shot out from the trap and destroyed Dragon Girl.
"I'll place two cards facedown to end my turn." Natsu said.
"My turn!" Zancrow said. "I'll start by using the effects of Black Flame Burning." More black flames shot out and blasted Natsu with his life points dropped again to 3000. Natsu can felt the flames burning against his skin and it was starting to get irritated. "So what do you think of my divine flames?"
"Divine flames?" Natsu said.
"That's right." Zancrow said. "It is said that black flames came from the gods themselves. With the power of the gods at my disposable, you don't stand a chance. I summon Black Flame Supper." A black flame the size of a boulder came out with glowing red eyes, chomping teeth, and 1000atk points. "Black Flame Warrior, attack!" His human flame formed a sword-shaped flame and slashed against Natsu with his life points dropping to 1300. "Next is my Black Flame Supper and when he attacks, he can deal an additional 300 points of damage."
"No! If Natsu doesn't stop him, he's done for!" Erza said.
"I knew you were no match for me." Zancrow said. "If this is how tough you guys are, those who have already fallen must have been more weak and pathetic than I thought. Black Flame Supper, attack Devouring Suffer!" The fireball started chomping its way towards Natsu.
"I play my trap: Combusted Battle!" Natsu said. "This brings back one monster that's in my graveyard and it becomes the target of your attack. I'm bringing back Dragon Girl!" His girl came back on the field. Since she was stronger, she held out hands of fire and destroyed Black Flame Supper and Zancrow's life points dropped to 3700.
"Fine. I'll let you have that, but you still won't win." Zancrow said.
"Here I go!" Natsu said as he drew his next card. "I'll sacrifice my Dragon Girl so that I can summon out Pyro Maniac." A blue skin man with a black vest and pants with flames on his hands and head came on the field and had 2000atk points. "I'm doing some real damage to you because I'm activating the Gift Left Behind trap. When one monster on the field leaves because another was summoned, the attack points of the monster that was sent to the graveyard is added to this one's attack points."
"In other words, Dragon Girl's attack points are added to Pyro Maniac's." Gray said and Pyro Maniac's attack points went up to 3300.
"Pyro Maniac, take down his Black Flame Warrior with Insanity Fire!" Natsu said. Pyro Maniac unleashed a giant stream of fire and blasted Black Flame Warrior with it getting destroyed and Zancrow being pushed back from the impact with him now having 2100LP. "Pyro Maniac's special ability can now activate. After he destroys a monster, he can destroy an additional card on the field. So I'm taking out that spell of yours." His monster tossed a fireball and destroyed Zancrow's spell. "I'll end my turn and since I've reached the end phase, the effect of Gift Left Behind is over." Pyro Maniac's attack points dropped down to 2000. "That will teach you."
"Teach me what?" Zancrow said.
"For calling your friends weak." Natsu said. "They're your friends. You shouldn't talk about them like that."
"It's none of your business anyway." Zancrow said. "Why do you care what people say about those who are suppose to be your enemies?"
"I don't, but I do when it's coming from someone who treats their friends poorly." Natsu said.
"Showing emotions like that is why you won't be able to win." Zancrow said. "It's my turn now and I'll start by playing my Archetype Converge. This spell will allow me to gain 600LP if I take monsters in my graveyard with the same name and remove them from play. I'll take out Black Flame Warrior and Black Flame Supper." He removed both of them from his grave and his life points went up 3300. "Then, I'm summoning Black Flame Crusader." A second human black flame rose on the field and was wielding a large scythe made out of flames as well. It also had 1800atk points. "Let's see you get through this guy because he can't be destroyed by monsters that are the fire attribute."
"That's going to be a real problem for Natsu." Lucy said.
"You can say that again. He hardly has any monsters that aren't that attribute." Gray said.
"It also means that Pyro Maniac's ability is useless since it needs to destroy a monster to destroy another card." Erza said.
"That ability doesn't scare me. Pyro Maniac is still the stronger monster." Natsu said.
"We'll see about that." Zancrow said. "I activate Magical Mallet. So I'll send the last card in my hand back to my deck. Then, I can shuffle up and draw one more." The deck shuffled around and he drew the card. "I activate Zero to Six. Since I have no cards in my hand, I'm allowed to draw cards based on the level of one monster on the field as long as it's level six or lower. Since your Pyro Maniac is level five, I get five new cards." He drew those five cards and Natsu was getting irritated.
"You going to make a move or not?" Natsu said.
"How's this? I activate Burn Backfire." Zancrow said. "Since I got a Black Fire on the field, your monster is going to lose 1000atk points." Black flames burned against Pyro Maniac and his attack points dropped to 1000. "He's done for. Black Flame Crusader, destroy his Pyro Maniac!" His monster slashed against Pyro Maniac and destroyed it with Natsu's life points dropping to a mere 500. "There's more. Since Black Fire Crusader destroyed a fire attribute monster, he gains another 300atk points." His Crusader's attack points went up to 2100. "You scared yet?"
"Scared? No way." Natsu said as he was starting to get cheerful. "Your Black Fire Crusader seems like a cool monster. Wanna trade me for him or something."
"No, I won't trade." Zancrow said. "What's the matter with you? You should be terrified of him."
"How can be of a monster like that?" Natsu said.
"You are one strange guy, but I'm not surprised. Weaklings have weak and simple minds." Zancrow said. "Just make your next turn."
"Sure." Natsu said as he drew his next card. 'Of course, as cool as his Black Flame Crusader might be, I've got to beat it somehow.' He thought 'However, since my fire attribute monsters can't destroy it, I'll just have to hope my deck comes through for me.' He looked at the card he drew. 'Dragon Fusion? This card can't help me. So what am I going to do?'
"I'm waiting or are you already admitting defeat?" Zancrow said.
"Fine. I'm going." Natsu said. "I'll just summon Scale Guard in defense mode." His dragon-like creature came on the field and had 1900def points.
"You think that little lizard is going to stop me?" Zancrow said.
"He should at least by me another round because thanks to his special ability, he can survive an attack once every turn." Natsu said. "I'll end my turn with just that."
"That's it? I thought you wanted to take me down. Do you just lack the power to do that?" Zancrow said.
"Will you quit flapping those gums?" Natsu said.
"I guess this is as far as your suffering goes." Zancrow said.
"What do you mean?" Natsu said. "What's your deal with me? I don't even know you. So why are you acting like you hate me?"
"Not everything is about you, pinky." Zancrow said. "My enjoyment has nothing to do with you accept your suffering?"
"My suffering?" Natsu questioned. It didn't take Natsu long to figure out what he was talking about. "You sicko. You enjoy seeing people suffer, don't you?"
"You can say that again. Part of the reason I signed up for this." Zancrow said. "My least favorite part is when it has to end." He drew his next card and was ready to end this. "Say hello to my Black Flame Exploder." A spiral of black flames with glowing red eyes shot out of the field and it had 1800atk points. "Thanks to Exploder's ability, your monster will lose 600 attack and defense points." Exploder blazed against Scale Guard and it's defense points dropped to 1300. "This is it. Your last line of defense is done for. Attack!"
"Scale Guard!" Natsu called out as the two monsters went to attack. Can Natsu extinguish these black flames?
To Be Continued…