I feel sadistic to be torturing our poor Natsu.

Chapter 18: The Broken Chain of Destiny

Tsuna challenged "Jellal" once more. "Jellal" was really infuriated. He swore to make him regret standing up again.

Meanwhile, the girl lying unconscious stirred. She opened her eyes slowly. "Jellal?" She murmured. She gradually picked herself up. She was shocked to see Tsuna battling her dear Jellal. The ground trembled due to their clashes in battle. Erza watched on. Looking around, she found the salmon-haired figure lying across her and her eyes scanned to where Tsuna was.

"Natsu?" Erza cried out. He must be defeated by Jellal. How can he hurt Natsu who is weak in magic power? Tsuna will not take this lying down. But wait. Her Jellal will never do that. He is supposed to protect the weak and innocent. Erza watched the duo in confusion. She noticed that Tsuna had been destroying the structure of the Tower intentionally.

Tsuna movement had improved from before. He could almost get a hang of his Teacher's speed. Using all his senses, he tried to sense where his Teacher would attack next.

"Over there! Fire Dragon's Roar!" It almost hit but "Jellal" vanished on time and reappeared right behind Tsuna charging him from his back. Tsuna screamed in pain. He staggered and balanced himself, bracing for his incoming waves of lights. He dodged. "Jellal" sent him another attack which Tsuna ran at him blocking it heads-on. He managed to repel taking "Jellal" by surprise.

"Brilliant Braze of Fire Dragon!" Tsuna yelled. Before "Jellal" could react, explosion occurred around him. He watched while the Lacrima erupted with the magic power leaking all over. Tsuna landed to the ground on a knee sneering him feeling proud of his work.

"Jellal" clenched his fist in anger. "How dare you? How dare you try to destroy the Tower I'm guarding?"

Tsuna chuckled. "What a shame? I said before. Destroying things are my specialty. "

Erza realized Tsuna could barely stand.

"You won't get away with this!" "Jellal" was seen crossing his arms above his head. He was really pissed off. He prepared to cast one of his strongest spell which Tsuna had not seen before.

"What is this magic power? It's making me sick." Tsuna commented blocking himself from the gust of wind created from the spell "Jellal" was casting. Erza realized he was trying to cast that.

"Oh no, this magic is…" Erza widened her eyes in fear.

"Fall into the depth of darkness, you damn disciple!" The shadows are drawn towards "Jellal", forming a small black orb which rapidly grows in size. As he prepared to fire point-blank at Tsuna, a figure appeared.

"JELLAL!"

"Will you kill me as well?" Erza appeared in front of Tsuna with her arms wide.

"Dear?" "Jellal" gasped.

Flashes of memories flowed through his mind. His trip with Erza to watch the sunset.

"That's a promise. We will come here again once I return from my mission." Jellal was delighted that Erza was giving him a chance, he was willing to climb no matter how high the mountain was.

Erza offered her hand to Jellal who took it despite his fear of height. "That is a promise!" With that, they shook their hands as a pledge of their promise by the sunset.

"Jellal" was mumbling to himself. "That isn't me. That is Jellal. And Erza is his wife not mine. Why did I see this memory now? Why do I feel so upset?" "Jellal" did not understand this "feeling" he had. He became very worked up and frustrated. He continued building up magic power on the orb he created.

"Erza, move!" Tsuna pleaded her. He was the one who provoked "Jellal" not her so he should be the one facing the consequences.

"You have nothing to fear. I will protect you. After this, take Natsu and leave." Erza smiled feeling proud that she could play the role of the wife of her Teacher except that his Teacher would be the one she was protecting him from.

"Stop it!" Tsuna yelled.

"Shut up! All of you shall die together! Heavenly Body Magic: Altairis!" "Jellal" unleashed the orb towards them.

"Erza!" Tsuna cried. Erza thought she saw a figure standing in front of her. The trio watched as the attack hit and the explosion occurred.

Both Erza and Tsuna realized that they were unharmed from the attack. How on earth? The smoke cleared and they realized someone else had taken the hit for them. They were shocked.

"I'm glad that I made it on time." The boy muttered as he staggered backwards and collapsed.

"Still crawling around here. You idiot! You should have stayed down." "Jellal" jeered at him.

"Natsu! Brother!" They cried in unison. Erza and Tsuna ran to his side.

"Why are you so foolish, Brother?" If it was not that his brother was critically injured from "Jellal's" attack, he would have reprimanded him hard. Natsu coughed as he tried to answer him. "Because… you are my younger brother, I can't let anything bad happen to you." Natsu began to cough out blood. Tsuna's eyes widened in fear for the worst. He noticed the extent of damages he had received because of him. He regretted having insulted him by saying that he would never master his magic even if he worked himself to death, thinking that he should just come under his protection because he was stronger. He witnessed his fight and he was impressed by his brother as a mage. That was how he was able to support him all these years.

"Brother! I'm sorry for saying those hurtful words to you. He brushed his brother hair patting his head. You will be fine. I'm taking you to the Sky Sorceress. I bet she is around since you are here." Tsuna prepared to carry his brother but Natsu shook his head.

"NO… "Natsu choked in his blood and he was finding hard to breathe as he stuttered. "I'm supposed… to be dead. I was… given… another chance… to live in order to change... yours and Erza's... fate. I'll… return to… where I belong. That… Jellal… is not… our Teacher. He… is a… clone. I believe… our Teacher is still… alive somewhere..." Natsu raised his hand to reach for Tsuna who caught his trembling hand in an instant. He wanted to feel his face. "I…can't… see… your… face?"

Tsuna shuddered. So that was the effect of "Jellal's" attack. He was shocked. His body was breaking down. His brother had yet to fully recover from the damage he received from the Kingdom Empire incident yet he was adding on to his injuries. He did not want to believe that his brother was on his dying breath.

"Erza… please… take care… of my brother. If… you… ever… see Jellal… again, please… thank… him for… me. Thank him… for saving… my life… and… take an… idiot like me… as his disciple. I had let him down… for… not being…able to… master my magic... I had… been… embarrassing… him. I… wish both… of… you… happiness…" Natsu was gasping hard for air.

"Don't speak. It's going to be alright." Erza had been wiping off blood which was flowing out profusely from the side of his mouth and patting his head to try and calm the boy down.

"Tsuna…" Natsu forced a weak smile at the thought of the Celestial mage he was so fond of. "Please… don't bug… Lu…cy… anymore. I'm the… one you… wish to challenge… Your… brother… is a… coward… who just… won't… admit… he likes… Lucy…. "

"So my brother likes Lucy? Lucy likes my brother too?" Tsuna could not react in this situation. Even his naïve and innocent elder brother can fall in love. Why telling him this only now? He looked down when Natsu's hand was released from his and fell limp at his side with his eyes closed.

"Brother?" He shook him. "Brother, please open your eyes!" Tsuna noticed that tears were flowing down from the corner of his closed eyes down his pale cheek.

"NO! Natsu, please don't." Erza cried. Her tears fell heavily. She had wanted to protect the twins.

"Ahahaha! That's why I call him an idiot. As expected from his dim-witted disciple. Can't you see that only idiot like him court his own death?" "Jellal" started to mock Natsu on his stupidity.

Tsuna appeared before him punching him with great strength sending him flying across a distance before crashing down against a Lacrima.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT?! You are not allowed to impersonate as my Teacher and speak ill about my dearest brother using his face. My Teacher had never given up on him even though he can never master his magic with his loss of magic power. To think you use his face to tarnish his reputation, hurting everyone of us and even killing my brother. Because of that, I will never forgive you. I will pay any price just to defeat you. I'm not me of the past your so-called data had of!"

Tsuna was desperate. He needed more power in order to defeat him. Subconsciously, he picked up one of the broken Lacrima which was filled with the power of Etherion and started biting on it.

"Jellal" watched in astonishment as he saw Tsuna eating the Lacrima.

"Are you crazy?"