Hello, and welcome to this brand-new chapter!
I'm overjoyed by all the good responses I've been getting lately, so as a thank you for all of your support, I bring you this chapter sooner than what I first anticipated.
Many of you are curious as to who was the one speaking to Natsu in the ending of the last chapter, which is no surprise. And spoilers, but for those who don't remember, he appeared in the manga back when Natsu was dying due to the Dragon seed and the Demon seed trying to mix.
Some questions will be answered in this chapter. But there will be more questions. Hehe, I'm evil, I know. There were a few other questions that I've been asked, but it would be better if I didn't answer them for now. Spoilers and all that.
Anyway, don't forget to tell me what you think and, as always, constructive criticism is more than welcome. Also, any ideas or suggestions you may have are welcome as well, so don't hesitate to share them.
With all that said, please, enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 4: Dormant Power
It has been done.
Acnologia has won.
And Natsu Dragneel is no more.
The extraction process has finally been completed, and the last remains of Natsu's soul have been taken from his now lifeless body.
"One ant crushed. Six more to go."
The pink-haired Dragon Slayer fought with everything he had until his very last breath. But it was simply not enough.
To say that Acnologia felt in some way disappointed with how things turned out wouldn't be far from the truth. He had actually come to believe that the pink-haired boy would turn out to be a real challenge. But it appeared that he was wrong all along.
No matter. What's done was done. Maybe in a few hundred years more, someone strong would appear. That was, if anybody survived the destruction that he was about to unleash upon the entire world.
He turned around, ready to hunt down his next prey. But then something made him stop abruptly in his tracks.
What…what is this…sensation?
He clutched his stomach as something started to circulate inside him. "What is...happening?!" Without warning, Acnologia was assaulted by a powerful need to throw up.
He covered his mouth with his hand, trying to prevent himself from vomiting. But that did little to stop what soon came out of it.
It was fire.
Wild, burning fire began to come out of his mouth without showing any signs of stopping. But this was no regular fire. Unlike the bright red and orange flames that one would normally see, these ones were pitch black.
Before he could even figure out what was happening, a clawed hand came out of his mouth. A hand that was covered in black flames.
"ACNOLOGIA!"
"Help me?" Looking at the form of his late father standing before him, Natsu could not help but question.
"That's right."
The Dragon Slayer seemed to consider for a moment what he was told, and he was actually quite curious as to what the figure of his late father meant by that. However, another question then struck his mind.
"Before that, there's something that I really want to ask you first. Last time I was here, you said that we were inside my heart, right?" It was clear that the he was talking about the volcanic landscape around them.
"People call it by many names. It could be your heart, it could be your mind, or even your soul. But since we are inside you, it doesn't matter which one you choose. So, you can call it whatever you like."
Natsu nodded in understanding. "Does that mean that I'm dying again?" he asked with a serious look.
"Not exactly, if that's what you are concerned about. "
The answer managed to ease his worries quite a bit, allowing him to release a deep breath that he didn't know he was holding.
"But you may be in great danger."
"Uh? What do you mean?"
"That man. The one you were fighting before I brought you here. He is dangerous."
"Dangerous?" The figure nodded before answering.
"He is a Shinigami."
"Again with that crap?" He was seriously starting to get really sick of hearing all of that stuff about the Shinigami and how one shouldn't mess with them. "I'm so tired of hearing that word! What's a Shinigami anyway?!"
"The Shinigami are gods of death."
The reveal caused Natsu to stop his momentary outburst while his eyes went wide in shock. "W-Wha...?"
"They are powerful beings whose job is to maintain the balance between life and death." He explained. "They guide the souls of the dead, bringing them here to the Soul Society so they may rest."
"H-Hold on a second!" Natsu had to interrupt him right there. His face turned complete pale when he realized what the figure was implying. "D-Does that mean that… Rukia, Renji and the others are…that they actually are..."
"Dead? Yes, they are. And so are you."
"...Uh?"
Outside Natsu. Forest near the Inuzuri district...
"Let go of me, you brat!"
"No!"
Refusing to obey the Shinigami's orders, Rukia continued to pull at the Captain's haori with as much force as she could muster.
"I said let go!"
"And I said that I wouldn't let go until you leave him alone!"
Shinji huffed in annoyance at the girl's persistence. It would seem that she had no intention of letting him go any time soon. This is getting ridiculous! The blond tried to pull his haori back from the girl's grasp, but she was proving to be very difficult to handle.
He wanted nothing more than to be done with this job, but this girl from the Rukongai was proving to be too much of a bother.
It wasn't like he could just get rid of her. He wasn't a heartless bastard that would kill a child just for the sake of it. Although the idea was proving to be more appealing each passing second.
"Ouch! No, no, no. Stop it!" Shinji could only yell in pain even more, as Rukia finally decided to let go of his haori...only to start pulling on something else. "Let go of my hair! You little demon! Agh-!"
Inside Natsu's Heart...
"What do you mean, I'm dead!?" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs as he held his hands over his head in panic.
"It is exactly what I said. You died."
"But how?! I'm standing right here! See? I don't feel dead at all!"
"That's because you are a soul now," he answered with a solid expression. "Your entire body is made out of Reishi. Just like everything else in the Soul Society."
"Made of what? I don´t understand what you are saying at all!"
The Dragon Slayer felt as if his head was being saturated with lots and lots of information. His mind could barely keep up with it all. There was just so much to take in; he didn't know where to start!
"Listen. Whether you died or not, at this point, it really doesn't matter anymore. What's important right now is that if you die as a soul, then it will really be the end of you. You'll disappear from existence. Forever."
The figure knew that discovering that he died would be a lot to take in, but he needed Natsu to get over it as soon as possible.
There were still a great deal of other things that they needed to discuss, and time was short, so they needed to get into the main reason why he wanted to talk to him in the first place. And knowing him, he knew that he'd have to explain things as simply as he could for the pinkette to be able to understand.
"Right now, the only thing that you need to understand about Reishi, is that thanks to the fact that all of the Soul Society is basically made out it, your body was able to adapt to it the same way it did to the Ethernano back in Earthland. Which is the main reason why I am finally able to speak to you more freely than before."
"Uh? What do you mean? Couldn't you have just said hi or something? I really would have liked to know there was somebody living inside me the whole time."
"No, because I did not possess the means to do so, due to the lack of Reishi in your body. But now that's no longer an issue. Now, I can finally help you access your Reiryoku." The figure then began to change its form, slowly decreasing its size while its voice began to change. "And with it, you will receive a power much greater. A power that only a select few can acquire. A power even less can use."
The figure soon reached Natsu's size, losing its reptilian features as it began to take the form of a person. A person whose only recognizable characteristic was a never-ending flame that ignited his entire body, covering him from head to toe in raging fire.
"What is this power you are talking about?"
"It's a power that has always been inside you, from the moment you were born." The figure then took a step closer, closing the distance between them while looking directly into his eyes. "The power of a Shinigami."
Having heard this, Natsu's eyes slowly widened. Did I...did I hear that right?
"The power of a... Shinigami?" Natsu by no means could believe what he just heard. It did not only sound stupidly absurd, but it made no sense at all! Why would he have Shinigami powers?
"I know that you must be confused. You probably have a lot of questions regarding this power, but that will have to wait for another time. As we speak, the Shinigami you were fighting before I brought you here is already making his way towards you. So, we cannot afford to waste any more time." The man then stretched his hand towards Natsu. "Take my hand. Embrace this part of yourself that has remained dormant for far too long, and become what you were always meant to be."
The figure paused for a moment to look straight at the Dragon Slayer's dark eyes.
"Become the Soul of Fire."
Natsu glanced at the outstretched hand with uncertainty, not sure if he was ready to accept this kind of power. There was just too much to take in, he couldn't help but feel some degree of hesitation.
But why was he hesitating in the first place? Perhaps he was afraid of what he could become if he accepted this power. But putting all of his doubts aside, all hesitation soon faded when he remembered the words the man told him.
...If you die again as a soul, then it will really be the end of you. You'll disappear from existence. Forever…
A part of him knew that the figure wasn't lying when he said that. Maybe it had something to do with the man being a part of him and all that. Still, he knew that if he really wanted to win this fight, then he would need all the help he could get.
"I...I accept this power."
With newfound determination, Natsu took hold of the man's burning hand and a blaze of golden fire soon began to surround their handshake, covering both of their hands before making its way around Natsu's arm.
"I'm glad. After all this time of watching you struggle, seeing you face numerous impossible odds, I'm glad that I'll finally be able to help you, Natsu."
The Dragon Slayer wasn't sure, but he could swear that he heard a hint of happiness in his voice.
The golden fire reached his chest and entered his body like an arrow, but he felt no pain. On the contrary, he was feeling incredible! For once in his life, Natsu Dragneel felt complete.
"Now go, I've done my part. The rest is up to you."
And with those last parting words, the world around Natsu turned bright.
Outside Natsu. Forest near the Inuzuri district...
"Uh? What's that?" Halting his childish fight with the petite girl, Shinji felt a sudden rise of an unknown Reiatsu.
Without warning, the ground started to shake uncontrollably. Cracks began to appear while trees collapsed. But none of that could compare to how suffocating the surrounding air turned, making it almost impossible to breath.
Falling to her knees due to her legs no longer being able to support her own weight, Rukia succumbed to the immense pressure that began to surround her.
"W-What…what's going on?" Her voice came out as a whisper, as she found herself struggling to breath.
"Don't move. You will only hurt yourself." Standing unaffected by the strong spiritual pressure that was threatening to crush every living being around them, Shinji turned his attention to the place he felt that the immense Reiatsu coming from.
He wasn't surprised when his eyes landed on a familiar group of demolished trees.
"Quite the persistent one, isn't he?" Sighing in annoyance, the blond withdrew his sword once more. "Guess we're doing this again, then."
Smoke began to slowly pour from the wood of the demolished trees. It wasn't until a second later that they all were incinerated by a powerful storm of fire that erupted from underneath.
Even Shinji had to admit that the size of the Reiatsu was truly impressive. The heat of the flames was no laughing matter either. They were something otherworldly.
Shinji could feel the surrounding temperature rise to a point that even he would have a hard time being near it for too long. And it was just a few moments later that the fire began to fade away, leaving behind a large cloud of smoke in its place.
Nothing could be seen there, except for the lone silhouette of a person, standing between the remains of smoke and fire.
When everything began to clear up, the first thing that one could see was a white scarf moving in symphony with the wind.
Watching the scene unfold before her very own eyes, Rukia recognized the unmistakable sight of familiar messy pink hair. "N-Natsu?" A weak yet grateful smile soon formed on her face while a sense of relief overtook her.
She was glad. Glad of knowing that at the very least, her pink-haired friend was alright. However, no longer able to keep herself awake any longer, Rukia fell unconscious soon after.
Watching as the smoke continued to fly away into the sky, Shinji allowed himself to sigh once more. "Damn, can't you make this any easier?" he mumbled with a tired tone.
But as the smoke continued to clear, what he saw next caused his blood to freeze in shock. What the...?
Standing on the middle of the clearing was Natsu.
Ony this time, there was something different about him.
For starters, his clothes took a drastic change. His white pants and the bandages that once covered his entire body were gone, replaced by a black colored shihakushō, along with a long sheath tied to his back.
The only thing that remained unchanged was his scarf, as it continued to rest around his neck just like it has always been. But it was not just his clothes that looked different, but all of his previous wounds were now completely gone as well. It was almost as if he had never gotten hurt during their fight.
But the main thing that drew the blond Captain's attention was neither one of those things, but something else entirely.
This can't be…
What caught his attention the most was the long, curved two-handed Nodachi sword that the boy was holding on his right hand. The end of the blade stuck into the ground in a vertical direction.
A... Zanpakuto? But… But how? Nothing in Shinji's head could even comprehend how something like this was even possible. Nobody could obtain a Zanpakuto just like that.
Nobody.
Not unless he was a…no, no way. Could this boy actually be...
"Seems like I made it back. And I sure made quite a mess, didn't I?"
Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light, it wasn't long before Natsu took notice of the new set of black clothes that he was now wearing.
He found it quite odd, as he was sure that he was wearing something completely different. But he didn't give it much thought until he realized that he was holding onto something.
His head turned to the side in curiosity, only to find out that what his hand was actually holding was in fact a large sword.
Uh? When did I get this thing? He lifted the katana in curiosity, taking a closer look at the blade in his hands. The design was quite elegant, even for his taste. The handle was red and its end was in the shape of a dragon's head with a ring clenched between the teeth of its jaw.
A major difference that it had to other swords that he had seen before, which was mainly from Erza, was that the blade was not only longer than a normal one, but it was slightly curved as well.
Is this what people call a two-handed sword?
He tried to feel its weight, balancing it between his two hands so he could adjust to it. It was heavy, probably due to its abnormally large size. But he didn't have much of a problem holding it.
He raised his free hand, looking at his open palm before closing it into a tight fist. It would seem that his wounds had healed as well. His right arm included.
But even so, there were a great deal of questions circulating around Natsu's mind. His memory then recalled everything that the man covered in fire told him. "So, these are my new powers, huh?"
Holding his new sword by his side, Natsu's eyes traveled across the destroyed forest, moving all the way across until they landed on his opponent.
The Dragon Slayer grinned in anticipation. "So, ready for round two?"
"You know, I'm really starting to believe that you are far more trouble than what you are worth."
Natsu only shrugged. "Yeah, I tend to get that a lot."
"But I have to ask." Spoke Shinji. "Where did you get that Zanpakuto?"
"Is that what is called?" Natsu looked at the sword in his hand, staring down at his own reflection on the blade before grinning once more. "Well, if you really want to find out, then why don't you come over here and see if you can get the answer out of me?"
"Tch. You sure are a stubborn one." Raising his sword above his waist, Shinji took a fighting stance. "But if that's how you want it, then be my guest. Just don't blame me if I end up hurting you too much."
Natsu's excitement only grew at this. "Alright! I'm all fired up!"
The Dragon Slayer's body temperature slowly began to heat up, producing powerful flames that wildly danced around him while he released his power, burning anything that stood anywhere near him. He was able to feel how his magical power began to continuously increase, making his fire much stronger.
But then he felt something.
It was another unknown source of power residing deep inside him, similar to his magic container. This must be it! The power that guy told me about! he thought in realization.
Focusing on that exact energy, Natsu began to draw from it as much power as he could, adding it to his own.
He could feel how his power received a major boost due to this new energy, causing his flames to turn even more powerful. Something that Shinji did not fail to take notice of.
Increasing his Reiatsu, Natsu roared in defiance. "I hope you're ready! Cause this time, things are going to be a whole lot different!"
Without warning, Natsu moved almost instantly in front of a surprised Shinji. The Captain was forced to raise his sword just in time to block Natsu's frontal attack, creating sparks as their swords came in contact with one another.
He got faster.
The attack packed quite the punch, as it was able to push Shinji back. But it wasn't anything that the Captain couldn´t handle. However, it was not long before he found himself blocking another strike from Natsu, who was now holding his sword with both hands.
The two of them began to trade blow after blow. Metal clashed against metal as the Dragon Slayer continued to unleash his assault on the Shinigami. But neither of them were able to land a successful hit.
For what Shinji could tell from their current exchange was that the boy didn't seem to have any real experience when it came to handling a sword. His moves were stiff and clumsy, but he was making up for it with brute force.
The Captain knew that he couldn't let himself get beaten by this brat.
Stepping to the side, he was able to parry Natsu's sword, knocking him off-balance so he could go for a horizontal slash towards the middle of his chest. But his strategy was ruined when Natsu's flaming left fist came out of nowhere and managed to land a successful hit on his lower jaw.
"Ouch!" Taking a few steps back to regain some distance, Shinji could not help but growl in pain.
"What? I never said I was only going to use my sword. Did I?"
Shinji only groaned in annoyance. "Don't get cocky, kid."
"I'm not!" Natsu then sprinted forward without giving the blond a second to breath. The two of them soon found themselves clashing swords again. "But you should stop taking me so lightly and start being serious."
"Oh really? Then try and make me, then."
"Is that a challenge I hear?"
"Maybe it is."
"Then challenge accepted!" Adding more strength to his arms, Natsu began to push forward. Shinji quickly took notice of this and immediately tried to fight back, trying to firmly hold his ground. But the Dragon Slayer's strength proved to be too much, even for him.
Shinji gritted teeth in frustration. H-He is overpowering me?
In the end, Shinji was unable to hold his footing and skid backwards. "D-Dammit!"
"Hyaaaahhh—!" Roaring with all of his strength, Natsu continued to push back the other Shinigami, sending them both crashing through multiple trees, continuing their path without stopping.
"This…this is getting ridiculous!" Managing to get himself out of their lock, Shinji immediately withdrew some distance from his opponent.
Unfortunately for him, the destruction of multiple trees had created a huge cloud of debris, which ended up blocking his line of vision and preventing him from seeing anything beyond five meters.
But the worst part of that was that he had completely lost track of Natsu.
Clicking his teeth in frustration, Shinji spoke. "Oh great, exactly what I needed. Where the hell is this brat now?"
"Up here!" Startled by the voice, Shinji's eyes immediately went up.
He was surprised when he saw the form of Natsu high in the air and falling right towards him with his Zanpakuto now back in its sheath.
"Got a little something for you!" With both of his hands now free, Natsu got ready to perform one of his strongest spells by igniting both of his hands. He coated them in fire before joining them together, forming a much larger flame around them.
"Karyū no—" began Natsu, before slamming his attack right where Shinji stood. "—Kōen!"
The resulting explosion of flames was large enough that it ended up destroying many more of the surrounding trees and catching the surviving ones on fire.
When the attack began to die down, only Natsu remained standing, completely unaffected by the attack. But he was still on alert.
He saw no sign of the blond Shinigami anywhere. His only guess was that he was able to get out of the way in time. Closing his eyes for a moment, Natsu steadied his breathing and began to use his other senses to find his opponent.
Smell. Sound. He allowed his instincts to take control over his body as he stood like that for a few seconds.
His eyes shot open.
"There!" Natsu spun around, just so he could stop an incoming blade with nothing but his naked hand. "Got you!"
"What?" Shinji could barely believe what he was seeing. Not only was the boy able to locate him after moving using Shunpo, but he was also capable of releasing his Reiatsu to the point where he was able to stop his Zanpakuto with his bare hand.
Just…how strong is he?
Shinji tried to take his sword back to get some distance from his opponent. But Natsu was able to get a firm hold on the blade, preventing him from going anywhere without leaving his sword.
"Don't act too surprised. I've seen your disappearance trick enough times that I was just waiting for you to do it again." Before Shinji could even realize what was happening, Natsu's free hand suddenly began to charge with energy, releasing a quantity of magic power so large that even the forest around them began to burn. "And you fell right for it!"
Dragon Slayer then brought his fist forward.
"Enryūō no Hōken!"
That was the last thing Shinji heard before he was sent flying across the battlefield. The entire area was engulfed in flames, leaving nothing but devastation due to the enormous range of the attack. Nothing could be seen except for a path of burning destruction that didn't seem to have an end.
Having finished discharging his attack, the Dragon Slayer returned his smoking fist to his side.
"I think I went a little overboard." Looking at all the destruction that he just caused, Natsu couldn't help but scratch his head in embarrassment as he chuckled. "Oh well. At least I won, didn't I?"
"That you did."
Natsu's head immediately darted to where the unknown voice came from, only to find a man wearing the exact same clothes as him. The only exception was a badge attached to his arm and a pair of glasses.
"I must say, I'm really impressed. To actually manage to harm Captain Hirako. And with such a devastating attack? Now that is not an easy feat to accomplish, of that I can assure you." The man complimented while his face carried a kind smile.
At first Natsu looked at the man in confusion, but that soon faded away when he noticed the sword the man was carrying on his waist.
He was a Shinigami too.
"Who are you?" questioned the Dragon Slayer.
"That's not really important right now. But I must say, I'm truly looking forward in knowing you better, Natsu Dragneel." Having said that, the man's hand reached for his sword, causing Natsu's body to stiffen in response. "After all, you have proven to be quite interesting."
Not liking where this conversation was headed, the Dragon Slayer didn´t waste any time and dashed forward, ready to attack.
"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu."
CHAPTER END
Wow, so many things happened this chapter that I can hardly believe it myself.
Natsu has gotten Shinigami powers, who would have thought? Probably something that I will have lots of fun writing about. And it would seem that there are still some secrets lurking inside Natsu, but that topic will have to wait for another time.
Also, I'm pretty sure you all know who or what the 'man covered in fire' is, and I hope you guys like that idea. It also works as a great theory as to who it was in the manga, so it really is fun to play with those kinds of facts.
Anyway. Regarding the fight, I really hope you guys like it, as I must say, it wasn't easy to write. But I guess things do look a lot easier when you imagine them in your mind.
And fucking Aizen though. Who knows what that sneaky bastard is planning right now? Still, if there is something that I wanted to show in this fight, is that Natsu will not rely on one power more than the other. There will be a complete balance of the two.
Also, Natsu's last attack was in fact the 'Fire Dragon King's Demolition Fist', for those who didn't know.
But if I thought this part was hard to write, then oh boy, I'm sure going to have a hard time with next chapter. It doesn't make it any less fun though. Well, I guess that's all for now.
Don't forget to share your opinion or ideas, let me know what you think and please, do have a nice day. See you all next time!