Duel and an Old Friend
In the fields of Dawn Winery is an individual with great power, a person who has the power to rival the Archons with his strength alone. This person's name is Natsu Dragneel, and today, he's training two children, that will one day be future Knights of the Knights of Favonious.
"Gah!" Diluc staggered as he was pushed away by the force of Natsu's counterattack. The Dragonslayer spun to his back to see Kaeya attempting to get a hit off of him. But sadly for the Blue-haired boy, his luck ran out as Natsu easily dodged Kaeya's wooden sword.
Natsu grabbed the sword off of Kaeya's hand, attempting to disarm the boy, but to his surprise Kaeya's grip was strong. The Dragonslayer's eyes widened, his senses were picking up, and they told him to move out of the way.
Letting go of the wooden sword by the Dragonslayer's grip, he pushed the Blue-haired boy back with a punch, which the boy let an audible cry of pain. Natsu dodged to his left, as the place where he previously stood met another wooden sword that was held by Diluc.
The Redhead silently cursed because he missed his attack. But it didn't stop him from continuing his relentless assault on Natsu. Slash after slash was met with blocks and dodges from the Dragonslayer.
Kaeya assisted the Redhead's attacks with his own slashes as well. The two of them are completely in sync with each other.
Both children continued their assault on the pink-haired man. Kaeya's swift strikes made quick work of trying to lower Natsu's defense, together with Diluc's heavy blows causing the Dragonslayer to stagger, albeit just a bit.
Natsu smirked, "Good, they're in sync with each other," his smirk, however, soon disappeared as it was soon replaced with a frown, "However…"
Before their wooden swords could reach the Dragonslayer, Natsu caught their attack with his bare hands. Kaeya and Diluc both tried to pull, but Natsu's grip was as strong as iron.
As they continued to pull, hoping that the Slayer would soon let go of their weapons. Natsu then suddenly grabbed both the boys' heads and slammed them to the ground causing them to cry out in pain.
"They're still not ready for the advance training I've prepared," Natsu released his hands on the two boys who were on the ground.
"Alright, that's enough, we're done for today," Natsu said to the two boys who stood with shaky legs, clearly exhausted by Natsu's training no doubt.
"We… we can still… continue," Diluc said, panting between words as sweat poured down like a waterfall on his body.
Kaeya nodded weakly at that.
Natsu rolled his eyes, "You two can barely stand up, how do you expect to continue if your body gave up on you?" He said as the Dragonslayer gave the two a look of disapproval.
Without saying another word, both their bodies fell on the soft grassy ground. Their bodies were exhausted beyond words, their panting getting softer and softer as the two lay their heads down on the ground smiling at the progress they made.
The Dragonslayer stared at the two, clearly observing them with critical eyes. He continued his look before he grinned. Good, they're working together now.
With the situation in Dragonspine resolved, Crepus had to ask Natsu to train the two of them. Initially, he wanted to refuse as he was not the mentoring type, he never had a student aside from Wendy, but she was an exception to Natsu as she was a Dragonslayer, the same type of magic Natsu has. Add that to the fact that Dragonslayers have a high aptitude for the durability factor, and Natsu wouldn't have to worry about hurting her all too much.
And besides, his destructive capabilities were on par with Gildarts, which is enough to destroy a city or even a mountain if he's not careful, and he wouldn't want to hurt the people that showed him kindness.
But Crepus said that wouldn't bother him at all, as he completely trusts Natsu in the safety of his kids. Though many times the Dragonslayer says it would be too dangerous, the Patriarch has complete trust in the man.
Ever since Natsu began to train the two, all they ever did was get at each other's throats. Diluc completely rushed into Natsu blindly, while Kaeya took a smarter approach of assessing the Dragonslayer carefully. That, in turn, caused them to argue with each other saying that each other's plan is stupid, it even got to the point where the two of them would fight each other instead of Natsu.
Natsu of course had to separate the two, for a while. The Dragonslayer had to talk to them on a one-on-one basis to see if there was a problem between the two.
He talked with Diluc, the redhead explained that Kaeya was always the better brother than him. Ever since the Ragnvindyr clan adopted Kaeya, he has always excelled in everything, he'd sometimes been jealous of Kaeya since he'd always get praised by his father. So, maybe by proving his strength to Natsu, maybe he'd praise him like Crepus once did.
The situation in Dragonspine didn't help with his self-confidence as he proved to be useless in the situation they were in previously. He couldn't stay calm like Kaeya, all he ever did was cry his eyes out.
Natsu understood how the redhead felt. It was always like that with Natsu in Fairy Tail. Every day he'd improve himself just so that he can stand beside those he'd admired. The strength of those who are above him was worlds apart compared to him. Erza was an example.
He'd always been jealous of her strength. Ever since he'd joined, he was always trying to pick a fight with her, just to prove to the Requip Mage that he wasn't weak and didn't need protecting. But it always ended up with Erza winning against him. Their fights were always one-sided.
Looking back now, he wondered if he could beat Erza with his newfound power. With him defeating Acnologia, he wondered how strong he became, it had been a long time since he battled Erza after all.
Kaeya on the other hand was hard to understand.
His swordsmanship is really on another level compared to Diluc, Natsu could even go as far as saying that Kaeya is on par with Erza when they were little. If it was any normal person they'd assume that Kaeya was a prodigy in the ways of the sword, but Natsu isn't exactly normal, thanks to his Draconic senses and years of battle experience he concluded that Kaeya was taught by someone. But from who, he does not know, but it didn't stop him from wandering.
From what he'd heard about the boy so far, Kaeya was adopted by Crepus when he found him near his home, he was standing alone in the rain, and his eyes seemed lifeless from what the father told him. The Patriarch asks questions regarding the boy's past but Kaeya keeps dodging the question whenever someone asks him about it.
The Dragonslayer would sometimes catch a glimpse of Kaeya's face. The look he had, it's like he had a face of burden and responsibility weighing him down, but from what? Natsu didn't know.
But whatever it is, he'll wait and see the development for now.
"By the way, have you seen your Crepus? I haven't seen him since yesterday." Natsu asks the two boys who were slowly getting up after their series of panting and sweats.
"But Natsu, why do you still call father by his name? He legally adopted you, you know." Diluc teased, which earned a chuckle from Kaeya, and a grumble from Natsu.
"You two are never going to drop that, aren't you?" Natsu asks with mild annoyance.
"Not at all," Kaeya smirked.
Natsu sent a glare to Kaeya which immediately got the boy to close his mouth.
The Dragonslayer sighed. It was completely unexpected. Natsu and the kids were having dinner the other night, a well-deserved meal after the intense training they had that day.
Everything was going great until HE came along and broke down the news.
An entire feast was prepared for all three of them and quickly, Natsu began munching away at the various amounts of food. Kaeya ate like a proper noble would, gentle, sophisticated, and elegant. But what surprised Natsu was Diluc, who also ate his food like him.
While Kaeya ate his food properly, Diluc was the polar opposite. Barbaric. It looked like he was just given food for his entire life. The maids beg for Diluc to slow down in consuming the food that was given to him, but he paid them no mind and continued munching away with no sign of him stopping whatsoever.
It seems like Natsu's presence influenced the boy and started to act like his idol.
That said, while they continued to eat, Crepus came barging at the door, with a paper in hand. His face grinning like a madman as he approached Natsu.
Crepus then slammed the paper onto the table, making the three of them turn in the Patriarch's direction.
"Congratulations boy, you're now part of the family," Crepus said with glee.
"What?" Natsu asks, confusion clearly showing on his face.
Crepus' grin became even more comprehensive, "I legally adopted you and I even changed your name to Natsu Ragnvindyr."
Natsu's eyes widened and stood up from his seat, disregarding the fact that his plate fell from the table, "You what!?"
"I changed your name and I legally adopted you, so better start calling me daddy, dragon boy," Crepus said, carefully emphasizing each word while waving the paper in a way to taunt Natsu.
Both Kaeya and Diluc clapped their hands and danced like fools, cheering at the fact that Natsu will now be their big brother.
"Don't I get a say in this!?" Natsu all but yelled, still not believing the situation.
"Hmm, nope." He casually said, all while grinning.
In the end, it ended with Natsu having to chase Crepus all around the manor, making threats saying "I'll burn you alive!" And "Once I get you I'm going to burn that paper!" All while also having to worry about the kids that held on tight to his legs.
Clearly, they were on board with their father's antics.
Natsu's eye twitched at the memory as veins started to appear on his face. If the opportunity presents itself, he'll get back at Crepus for what he did.
His eyes turned to the two, who were still tired from the rigorous training he put them through. Natsu smirked, "Call it payback for ganging up on me that night," he silently said. He still hasn't forgiven them for what they did.
Natsu's thought was interrupted by the sounds of footsteps, headed in their direction. He spun his head and looked from behind.
He immediately growled.
Crepus along with the Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonious, Varka.
"Ugh, how often do I have to tell you old man? I AM NOT. I REPEAT. I AM NOT JOINING YOUR BAND OF KNIGHTS!" Natsu roared, causing the kids behind him to flinch.
The Grandmaster sighed, "Look kid, if it were up to me, we wouldn't be doing this right now," Varka said. "But those damn nobles had a unanimous vote and wanted you to join the knights. It's basically out of my jurisdiction regarding these types of stuff."
Words spread so fast, do they? Everyday. Every damn day. Varka has pestered him since he rescued those kids from those bandits. The word got out that he single-handedly saved all those kids. Most of the parents came up to him and thanked him for his help, others were interested in who this savior was to the point where it got the attention of the nobles in Mondstadt.
"Aren't you supposed to be the Grandmaster or something, how the fuck is this out of your jurisdiction?" Natsu growled, causing the Grandmaster to sigh once more.
"Let me tell you about our history in Mondstadt Natsu." The Dragonslayer's attention then turned to the Patriarch of the Ragnvindyr house.
"Old Mondstadt was ruled by a tyrannical god Decarabanian, you know of him right?" Crepus asks, to which Natsu nodded.
"Yes, as I said, Decarabanian ruled Mondstadt with an iron fist. But as they say, tyranny will always give birth to rebels, and a rebellion it was. With the support of Barbatos, the people of Mondstadt gathered together and overthrew the hierarchy. Decarabanian was killed in the end and Barbatos took over, but he doesn't directly control the nation whatsoever."
"Wait, what do you mean he doesn't control the country?" Natsu asks.
"I'm getting to that. But yes, he does not control the nation in any way shape, or form, if anything, he's just a religious figure, due to Barbatos sadly dying in the Archon war 500 years ago. Are you with me so far?"
Natsu nodded.
"As I was saying, Barbatos died, and the people were in need of leadership. That's when the three main noble houses come into play."
Natsu raised a brow, "Three noble houses?"
"Yes, the three noble houses, and it just so happens to be that the Ragnvindyr house is also part of said group," Crepus answered with pride.
"So you were behind this!" Natsu said accusingly, pointing a finger at the Patriarch.
"Now, now, before you jump to conclusions, I was actually against this. I even went as far as to say that you already left, but unfortunately, Fredrica threatened me to break every bone in my body," He said, raising both of his arms and shivering at the thought.
"Who the fuck is Fredrica?!" Natsu said angrily.
Varka coughed at the mention of her name which Natsu noticed from the man, "That would be my sister and Jean's mother," the Grandmaster said, chuckling nervously.
Crepus' composure returned, taking a breath he continued, "As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted," He said eyeing Natsu, "With Barbatos gone, the three houses took control of most of the land in Mondstadt, Ragnvindyr took the south, the Gunnhildr the west, and the Lawrence clan took both north and east of Mondstadt."
"How the fuck does me knowing the geology of Mondstadt relate to my current situation?!" Natsu growled.
Crepus' eye twitched in annoyance and glared, "I'm getting there dammit. If you interrupt my story again I'll kick your arse a thousand times over!"
"Oh, I'd like to see you try goat face," Natsu glared. Both Dragonslayer and Patriarch eyed each other as both their eyes sparked with electricity.
"Ok, as much as I want to see you two fight, we have urgent matters to discuss," Varka said, getting in between the two of them.
Natsu sighed, "Look, what's even in it for me, what benefits do I get in joining your band of knights?"
"Well, with your current situation, your resources are pretty much limited," Varka said, "I've heard from Crepus that you have no knowledge of Teyvat and that you're pretty much clueless about our culture. But with you in our ranks, you can benefit from the title and can have access to any amount of information about, well, just about anything."
Natsu was silent for a moment. The offer does sound beneficial to him, and if the Grandmaster does give him his independence he can finally investigate Dragonspine. Yes, he has been meaning to have the chance to go to the mountain by himself because he felt something there, an aura of some sort, it felt so… Draconic and something more. His senses have been acting up lately, it was never this bad before he went to Dragonspine, which was concerning.
Whatever it was, he hopes to resolve the issue.
But never the less, the offer was far too good to be true, it rubbed him the wrong way as to why they were so adamant in keeping him in Mondstadt, especially this Fredrica person. What could she possibly want with him, why go to such great lengths to the point of using threats against his savior?
"Also, I wouldn't try and make another option, this will only make things harder for the both of us," The Grandmaster warned with narrowed eyes.
"So what you're saying is that I have to come with you and if I don't you're legally allowed to use force?"
"That's the gist of it, yeah." The Grandmaster admitted as he shrugged in response.
Natsu can only sigh in frustration as he put a hand on his head to cover his face. He never wanted to be the center of attention, he just did what was right. But on the bright side, he and the rest of the Ragnvindyr family are going to Mondstadt for this so-called "Duel," maybe he can get some more information about Teyvat.
"Maybe it won't be so bad after all." The Dragonslayer said, hoping.
There is no god, there is no higher being. Because if there is one then they have just forsaken the Dragonslayer.
Natsu was already regretting his decision already. Currently, he's stuck in place as the carriage made its way to Mondstadt with thundering hooves and creaking wheels. His face was beginning to turn green, his mouth began to puff, and he started to panic.
He needed to throw up.
Without hesitation, he slouched over and opened the window, he poked his head out as he released everything he had eaten for breakfast.
All of the Ragnvindyr family members laughed at Natsu's luck, increasing his regret of ever coming with them. He silently cursed at Igneel's name for giving him this stupid weakness.
If only he could use Wendy's Troia spell then the trip could be a bit more bearable, but she's neither here nor there to teach him about it. Great, just great. He could only hope that his suffering could end sooner.
Arriving at Mondstadt, Natsu jumped out of the carriage immediately and planted his face on the ground.
"Ah the ground, don't ever leave me again!" Natsu cried out comically as he kissed the concrete ground and hugged it. The spectators could only stare in confusion at the Dragoslayer's action.
Crepus snickered behind Natsu's back which is unfortunate for him because Natsu quickly shut him up with a glare.
Natsu sighed as he got off the floor and turned around to see his surroundings. The houses around him were big but not too big for Natsu's taste. If anything it reminded him of Lucy's block where her apartment is. He and Happy would secretly sneak into her home. That would always earn him a Lucy kick from the Celestial Mage.
Speaking of Lucy, he wonders what she's doing right now. Millions of questions started to run through the Dragonslayer's mind. And one question among those millions of questions was, how was she?
His thoughts ran rampant on how she would react to his death. He had been friends with Lucy ever since she began her journey as a Fairy Tail member, sharing the same hardships and success from then on.
That day when Acnologia brought his last attack on him. He was sure that blast was enough to kill anyone, it even put a hole in his chest, even with the durability of a Dragonslayer won't be able to withstand the attack. So, being alive and well in an unknown subject was all too confusing for him.
Natsu sighed. It's not like he feared death, but he fears what will happen if he's gone.
Will they be alright? Will they be able to move on without him? So many questions, yet not a single one can be answered.
"Sorry Lucy, I guess it's just you and Happy going on adventures for now," Natsu muttered, making sure no one heard him
"Natsu," The Dragonslayer turned in Crepus' direction, "Catch!" The Patriarch threw a pouch at him. Natsu responded by catching said item easily.
Looking inside the pouch, he was greeted by a bag of a handful of Mora. Natsu looked with surprise, his head spun in Crepus' direction once more as the man gave him a smile.
"Why don't you explore Mondstadt before the Initiation ceremony, maybe you'll find something interesting," Crepus said as he turned around and entered the tavern, but just as he was about to enter, the Slayer called him out.
"Why would you give me this?" Natsu asks.
"Is it not common for a father to give his son an allowance?" The Patriarch said in a faining voice with innocence as he gave Natsu a Cheshire grin.
Kaeya and Diluc giggled in response to their father's statement, Natsu turned his head to the both of them and gave them a glare which immediately shut the two up.
"Don't play dumb with me," the Dragonslayer growled, clearly irritated.
Crepus ceased his teasing, his face adopting a more serious look as he frowned, "You never got any rewards for your trouble back at Dragonspine, this is the least I can do for saving my boys."
Natsu sighed, "Look, I appreciate the thought of you giving me a reward, I really do, but I don't need it, a thank you is enough for me," he said with a small smile.
"You really are a selfless person," Crepus said in a whispering manner.
"It's just the right thing to do," Natsu shrugged, "I was taught at a young age to help anyone in need, whether they're friends or enemies."
Crepus hummed at Natsu's response, "You never stop to amaze, keep it, and I won't take no for an answer this time." Crepus said, pushing the bag onto Natsu's chest.
Natsu was about to protest but Crepus cut him off.
"Ah ah, none of that. Now, why don't you enjoy your time here in Mondstadt, have Diluc and Kaeya show you around the city," Crepus said, before finally entering the tavern."
Natsu watched as the man entered the tavern, he sighed at the Patriarch's eccentric personality. Well, if Crepus was going to give some Mora, he might as well burn it. He turned in Diluc and Kaeya's direction.
"Mind showing me around Mondstadt?"
Both of them smiled.
Walking around Monstadt city feels so nostalgic to Natsu. The Dragonslayer felt as if he was in Magnolia Town all over again, the memories he shared with the people he cared about made him smile.
Looking around, he noticed that there were many vendors selling their goods. He couldn't help but grin at them, he and Happy would always steal something from merchants whenever the opportunity presented itself to them.
He turned in Kaeya's direction, "I assume that this is the marketplace?
Kaeya nodded, "We know how much you love food, so we thought that this was a good place to start."
Natsu smiled at the thoughtfulness of the boy, "That's nice of you."
Diluc then grabbed Natsu's hand and started dragging him around. They'd met a lot of people around Mondstadt, many of them were pleasant enough for Natsu to get to know them, like the boy he met, Bennett.
He seemed like a good kid, he thought. His positive attitude regardless of any situation reminded him of Romeo and from what he learned about Bennett, he wants to become an adventurer.
A good goal if you ask Natsu.
They also met two young girls named Noelle and Amber. Just like Bennett, they both seemed like good girls. Noelle's hardened determination and enthusiastic nature left a positive impression on Natsu.
Amber as well. She has the qualities of a good person, kind, sweet, caring, you name it. That girl is now on Natsu's good list.
While these are some of the people that left a positive impression on the Dragonslayer, the same couldn't be said for a few people he encountered.
Like those kids who were picking on a girl. Good thing he step in to help the poor girl, but before he could help the girl stand up to her feet, she immediately ran away from him.
Eula was rather rude in his opinion. She has this feeling of entitlement around her, the maids did everything she said without questions, and she was rude to the people around her except for Diluc. The redhead explained that she's a part of the Lawrence clan and she's the only daughter of the Matriarch of the clan.
Natsu frowned. So another noble who thinks they're above everyone, how typical. They always think they're so much better than everyone else, disregarding anybody they hurt.
Shaking his head, he decided to walk alone for a while, he went and told the kids to go on ahead without him, saying he needs to think for a minute.
The brothers were reluctant, but they gave him some space. The look on Natsu's face told them enough.
Sitting at a bench nearby, Natsu looked at the city, it really felt like he was in Magnolia all over again. A sad smile appeared on his face, leaning back, he took a moment of silence to appreciate the scenery before sighing.
"I miss you guys so much…" Natsu said, covering his eyes with his arm before a tear ran down his face.
"Uhm, excuse me, mister," a voice said.
That seemed to get Natsu's attention as it shifted toward the voice. Looking beside him, he saw a little girl.
The little girl wears a red coat with a darker red embellishment and keyhole shapes in the hem over a white dress and shorts, as well as a fluffy scarf with a pom-pom, gloves, knee socks, boots, and a brown messenger bag. Her skin was pale skin and light red eyes. She has pale blonde hair tied in pigtails with prominent cowlick and elf ears.
"Oh, hello there, is there something you need from me?" Natsu asks the girl with a fake smile.
"I saw you look sad, mister, so I thought I might cheer you up!" The girl said with enthusiasm.
Natsu chuckled at the girl's personality "Well that was kind of you miss- I'm sorry what's your name?"
"Klee, that's Klee's name!" The girl now named Klee said with joy.
Natsu smiled at the girl "Klee huh, that's a nice name."
Klee giggled at the compliment "It really is, mommy gave it to Klee."
Natsu's mood became brighter by Klee's presence. He always had a soft spot for kids and it didn't help when little Asuka would always pull his heartstrings.
The two would talk some more, Klee showing off her toys to Natsu. The latter was seemingly lost in the conversation that he lost track of time. As their conversation continued, their talk was broken by the interruption of another.
"Ah Klee, there you are."
Both Natsu and Klee looked at the newcomer, the young girl looked rather happy to see the stranger.
He wore a long white coat with short sleeves and a black hood. Under this, he wears an indigo shirt and a pair of black shorts, embellished thigh-high black boots with silver accents, and long black gloves. He wears his Vision right below the collar of his shirt.
"Big brother Albedo!" Klee said with enthusiasm as he jumped down the bench and went to Albedo, hugging his leg.
Albedo smiled at the girl "Hello Klee, I sure hope you've been a good girl."
"Uh huh, I've been good. Big brother Natsu here has been keeping me company!" Klee said as he pointed to Natsu with her little fingers.
"That's great then," Albedo smiled at the girl before turning his attention to Natsu "Hello, my name is Albedo and I'm the chief alchemist of Mondstadt. Thank you for taking care of Klee while I was gone and I'm sorry if Klee caused you any trouble."
"Natsu Dragneel, and nah don't mention it. If anything, I should thank the little girl for keeping me company," The Dragonslayer said to the Alchemist.
Albedo hummed in response before coming to a realization, "Hey, aren't you the person that was supposed to duel Grandmaster Varka?"
"Huh, oh yeah, I suppose I am," Natsu said, shrugging.
"Then what are you still doing here? The match is about to start," Albedo said with his usual monotoned voice.
Natsu's eyes widen as he checked the time with a nearby clock. Their fight was supposed to be held at 3:00 pm, it was now 2:55 pm, "Oh crap I forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me Albedo!" Natsu said to Alchemist as he ran off in a hurry.
Albedo looked at the running figure with slight interest. Although his curiosity was halted by a tug on his pants.
"Did Klee do something to make big brother Natsu run away?" The young elf said with innocence.
"No Klee, you didn't do anything to make him run away," Albedo said as he shook his head before patting her, reassuring the young girl
"Then why was he running away then?" Klee asks the Alchemist.
"He needs to fight," Albedo simply said.
At Angel's Share, the Patriarch has just about been doing his business. He had just finished his daily check within the establishment, and so far everything seems to be working in order. He told Charles to go home early because he chose to close early, he didn't want to miss Natsu's fight after all.
Charles, the bartender, asks if he needed help with closing, but Crepus denied his help, saying he can take care of it from here.
With that, Charles had left Crepus alone. The man took a deep breath, he looked over the mess the customers had made, tables were broken, chairs were thrown, and wooden mugs with ale leaking out. But then again, it came with the job, it's not like he can just change careers, and even if he did, then all of Mondstadt will come for him and talk some sense into his brain.
He chuckled at the thought.
"I must say, this place is quite lively as I remember," A new voice said.
Turning to the source of the voice, Crepus smirked. Frederica Gunnhildr, a long friend of his.
She stood tall wearing a long dress with a beautiful dandelion pattern decorated with a golden hue, she wore a well-endowed sunhat on her head and her hair was not held by restrains as it flowed, and her eye was ethereal azure-colored. This was Frederica Gunnhildr, the Matriarch of the Gunnhildr clan.
"It comes with the job," Crepus said shrugging.
Frederica laughed at what her friend had said, "Glad I didn't start a wine business then, can you imagine the amount of stress that'll pile on me?"
Crepus sighed at what the Gunnhildr lady had said, "Look Frederica, why are you here, don't you have to attend to your daughters?" He scowled at her, crossing his arms in annoyance.
"I suppose I had my fun, now there's matter to discuss," Frederica said, "That boy, Natsu was it? Yes, him, he's a strange boy don't you think?"
"I suppose he is," Crepus said before adopting a suspicious look "Why the sudden interest in the boy?"
"I heard from your boys that they've seen him use his power, how about you?" Frederica ask
Crepus huffed, "Yes, although just a glimmer of it. He used it to light us a fire when we were at Dragonspine. I admit, it was quite shocking at first but I managed to overcome my shock and ask him more about it."
"I see. That's good," Frederica hummed, satisfied by Crepus' answer.
"You know, I'm rather quite curious. Why are you so adamant about keeping Natsu here in Mondstadt?" Crepus questioned the Gunnhildr lady.
"Do you know you kidnapped your boys?" Fredrica said, her joyous expression turning into a frown.
Crepus frowned at the mention "Yes, Adelar was it? I heard that he was finally captured, which serves him right. There's no place for scums like that in the world"
Fredrica nodded "Yes, he was captured, but did you know how he was captured?"
"No, I don't. Do enlighten me," Crepus said, raising a brow.
"Varka told me that he wasn't the one that subdued Adelar, it was Natsu. He said that after his men fended off an ambush, he went to their base along with a couple of his men. But when he got there, a quarter of Dragonspine almost burned down, and when Varka tried to interrogate the kidnapper, Adelar's mind was broken."
Crepus looked at Frederica in shock. This is the first he had heard of this, "What do you mean by that?"
Frederica shook her head, "It's as I said, whatever the boy did to the scum must have traumatized him. He keeps on repeating the same thing "Monster, Devil, Demon" basically anything to describe something terrifying."
"And whatever Natsu may be, then we'll have to prepare for the worse that's to come," Frederica finished.
"Are you saying that he's a danger to Mondstadt?" Crepus growled, and a wave of growing anger was evident to the Patriarch.
"I am not saying that Natsu he's a danger Crepus. I'm saying that he COULD be one, and my brother would feel the same way," Frederica said to the man.
His eyes widen in realization. It finally dawned on the redhead what was finally going on.
"You were not the only one interested in keeping him here in the first place, Varka too wanted to observe the boy," Crepus said to her in a whisper-like manner.
Frederica nodded "Yes, Varka had asked me to use my power to keep Natsu in Mondstadt." She said, "He knew that if he alone would try to convince the boy to join the Knights of Favonius, he would fail."
"So he used his connections with you. By binding Natsu using the legal system, then Natsu is basically now a part of Mondstadt's judicial system in which he's eligible to be arrested and prosecuted," Crepus growled at the woman.
"Yes, he is," Frederica's head was cast down in shame. "I am really sorry about this Crepus, I really am. I know that Natsu is important to you, but when I heard from Varka that Natsu solely defeated all those human traffickers, I knew I had to take action. Again, I'm sorry I did this, but this is for the safety of Mondstadt."
"I know you are Frederica. If I had realized that this was Varka's plan from the very beginning then I would've sent Natsu away," Crepus said, closing his eyes and sighing as he placed a hand on his forehead.
Frederica didn't say anything, how could she? She was one of the reasons that caused all these many problems for Crepus. She admits she feels guilty for what she has done to her friend, but until she knows that Natsu isn't a threat, then she can be at ease.
"What's your plan now?" Frederica said, breaking the silence.
"What do you think? Watch Natsu pummel Varka, that's what." Crepus answered, causing the Gunnhildr woman to laugh out loud.
"You sure put a lot of faith in the boy," She said, wiping a tear out of her eye.
"You've no idea," Crepus said, smiling at the woman.
Natsu looked around the small arena before him, his eyes turning left to right, scanning everything before turning his attention to the audience.
He looked around at the audience, his eyes scanning if there were any familiar faces he knew and to his luck, there were people in the audience that he knew of.
The first are definitely Diluc, Kaeya, and Jean. Natsu saw that there was someone besides Jean, a young girl that looked about four years old, and a woman who looked exactly like her. Who could they be, Natsu did not know. But if he had to guess by how the four-year-old is holding onto Jean tightly and how the woman is holding Jean's hand, he came to the conclusion that they were Jean's family.
Natsu narrowed his eyes at the woman. This must be Fredrica who he heard so much about earlier.
Now, what could the Gunnhildr woman want with him? Why was she so adamant about meeting him? So many questions yet no conclusions, shaking his head, he got rid of the thoughts for now.
Aside from them, he also sees Klee playing with her doll, Dodoco, and Albedo, drawing something on his paper as they sat beside each other.
He also spotted Bennett, Amber, and Noelle from the crowd who looked excited about the fight.
But as he looked over to the piling crowd, he heard some people doubting him.
"Do you really think the boy has a chance?" A stranger asks his friend.
"Please, if anything, I doubt he can even scratch the Grandmaster," The friend replied.
Their words reminded him of the past. The time when the world moved on for seven years without them.
When the first master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermillion cast Fairy Sphere, the most powerful members of the guild went underwent a chronostasis for seven years.
When they woke up, there were so many things they missed in the past years. Alzack and Bisca getting married and having their own child Asuka, Romeo growing up, and so much more.
However, with them being asleep, the guild's reputation also went under.
With the disappearance of the strongest members of Fairy Tail, there wasn't anybody that could lead them. Macao took it upon himself to save Fairy Tail. Under his leadership, he tried to save as much as he could, the guild, the jobs, and the members. But it was clear that he was not cut for the job as Master.
With Fairy Tail's declining reputation, there were fewer and fewer members in the guild. Some had left and some had joined other guilds. Most notably, Sabertooth.
But in the wake of their return, they come up with the plan to join the Grand Magic Games, where the guilds of the continent join to battle each other, and in which guild wins, they were given the prize of over 300,000,000 jewels.
He remembered that Master Makarov cried in tears of joy when he heard about the prize and to say that they were determined would be an understatement. Because they will give it their all to bring back Fairy Tail's former glory.
However, it wasn't going to be easy. Seeing as they were the underdogs of the tournament, they were up against the strongest of guilds in the past seven years.
In the end, they won it all. With Fairy Tail winning, they proved themselves once again that they were number one.
Natsu smirked at the memory. They proved to the world that a seven-year time gap between them and the new generations of mages didn't matter, as they will always triumph no matter the odds are stacked against them.
His attention snapped back to Varka, his sword in the Grandmaster's hand. Natsu took a deep breath, he can tell that this person isn't a pushover like that one guy he fought in Dragonspine.
Taking a step forward, he readied himself for a fight.
"As per tradition, we at the Knights of Favonious introduce ourselves to our opponents when a duel commences," Varka said, "My name is Varka Gunnhildr, Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonious, Knight of Boreas, and…" Varka stared at his sister and his nieces, "an uncle."
Jean and Barbara smiled at that.
"Well, if we're going to have formalities, I might as well play along," Natsu said scratching the back of his head, "My name is Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail Wizard, Dragonslayer, and… " Natsu paused for a second, his eyes wandered towards the sky, his thoughts started to fill the image of his foster father, Igneel. He smiled as he looked back at his opponent, "Son of the Fire Dragon King, Igneel."
Natsu's words made Varka and most of the audience confused. Fairy Tail Wizard, Dragonslayer, and Dragon King? What could he mean by those words? If anything, they just thought of him as a delusional child.
"Hold on, where's your weapon?" Varka asks the boy.
Natsu looked at the man with a curious look before smiling.
"Oh yeah, about that," Natsu said, his smile never leaving his face. Balling one of his fists, he raised it in front of his face, his smile now turned into a grin, "I don't need any weapons, the only weapons I need are my fists."
Most of the spectators aside from the Ragnvindyr were shocked by his statement and everyone who watched could only think of one thing for the boy: "He is so dead."
Jean felt a growing concern over Natsu, going into battle was so unheard of, looking beside her, she noticed Kaeya and Diluc sighed before smiling.
"Uhm, aren't you at least a bit concern about sir Natsu's well-being?" Jean asks the boys.
"Nope, not really," Kaeya replied, shrugging in response.
Jean's mouth ran agape at Kaeya's statement "But, he's going into battle without any weapons, how could you just casually say that?!"
"Oh don't worry about that Jean, Natsu likes to fight with his bare hands, and if anything, it should be the Grandmaster who you should worry about," Diluc replied to the blonde whose face was filled with confusion.
"What does he mean by that? Is he saying that I should worry about my uncle instead of Natsu? Is he really that powerful to go toe to toe with him?" Jean thought, her mind becoming uneasy.
"Just watch Jean," Diluc said with a small smile.
Varka laughed at the boy, he has guts, and he likes him "You sure are quite confident in your abilities," The Grandmaster complimented "However, it's your last chance, are you sure you don't want to pick up a weapon?"
"Heh, you'd be surprised as to what I can do, old man," Natsu said, causing Varka to make one of his eyes twitch.
"I'm not that old," Varka muttered.
"Well, we don't have all day, let's start already," Natsu said, as he prepared himself for battle.
Varka smirked at the boy's eagerness "Took the words right off my mouth kid."
Without another word, Natsu got up in Varka's face before sending a right hook to Varka's face. Luckily for the Grandmaster, he blocked the punch with his claymore but skidded a few feet away from his opponent.
Varka looked at Natsu with a surprised face, the same goes for the audience. To think that boy was able to push him away, and that was only from one punch. Varka wonders what would happen if he got hit by the attack and judging from the strength it brought down, it was not going to be a pretty sight.
Natsu continued with his assault on the Grandmaster, fist met blade, as a flurry of punches came down on Varka with precise precision. Varka blocked most of the attack with his claymore but some attacks slipped through his defenses hitting him in his stomach and face.
Varka grunted in pain, but he paid no mind to it as he prepared his counterattack on the Dragonslayer.
As Natsu slowed down his attack, Varka took the opportunity to strike. He then lifted his claymore up in the air before dropping it back down, causing Natsu to dodge the heavy blade. But he didn't stop there, Varka then grabbed Natsu by his scarf and headbutted the boy causing the Dragonslayer to stagger.
Natsu then dodged a series of attacks from Varka, the heavy claymore causing damage to the arena with each swing that was brought down.
When the claymore was brought down the Dragonslayer then used it as a platform to jump as Natsu performed an ax kick hitting Varka right on the head, causing the Grandmaster to drop down on one of his knees.
"Heh, you're a tough one old man, but I know you're not going all out on me, so let me see what the Grandmaster can do," Natsu said to the downed Varka.
The Grandmaster gave him a smirk "Guess you're right, it's time for me to stop holding back."
Before Natsu knew it, the temperature dropped down exponentially, making the spectators shiver at the sheer coldness of his aura. Varka then infused his claymore with a thick layer of ice as a way to have his attacks be denser with each swing, but that's not all, as a manifestation of cryo a wolf began to appear right besides the Grandmaster.
"Ice eh? Heh, not bad, but I've faced a lot of ice mages in my life and unfortunately for me, one of those ice mages is a stripper," Natsu said as he thought of his rival, Gray. "And unfortunately for you as well, you picked the wrong element to use ice against me."
Natsu then channeled his magic, fire slowly crept up to his body before finally engulfing him in flame. The Dragonslayer smirked "I'm all fired up now!" Natsu yelled as the fire combusted, increasing his power by a large margin.
Everyone was shocked at the display of power Natsu showed. Each and every single one dared not to make a sound as they intensely watched as their power clashed with each other. The silhouette behind their power started to take shape in the form of a Wolf and a Dragon.
"Here I go!" Natsu yelled out, before blazing through the arena with great speed.
"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu launched himself from the ground and immediately got in front of Varka's face and sent a devastating punch to the Grandmaster.
The Grandmaster was sent flying but quickly recovered by planting his claymore down the ground, skidding a few feet away. But Natsu wasn't quite done with his attacks just yet.
"Fire Dragon's Talons!" Natsu got up into the air, but before he dropped an axe kick onto the Grandmaster's head, however, Varka was quick on his feet as he dodge the kick in the nick of time.
Before Natsu can fire up another punch to the Grandmaster, Varka had the ice wolf ambush Natsu from behind.
The Dragonslayer struggled for a bit as the wolf bit his leg. Natsu grunted with gritted teeth, but he managed to shake off the wolf with a swift kick sending it flying into the air.
"Glacial Waltz!" Varka summoned icicles that launched like missiles toward Natsu.
But Natsu was quick on his feet, dodging ice like spears with ease.
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Natsu lit his body aflame as he blazed through the arena with blinding speed causing Natsu to crash into the Grandmaster.
Varka let out a cry of pain as he spat out blood before the both of them crashed onto multiple buildings until they stopped at the walls of the city.
The Dragonslayer stood up from the rubble. He looked at the Grandmaster, waiting if he was going to keep fighting.
"I… surrender," Varka said, as he fainted, finally caving into the injuries he sustained from Natsu.
Meanwhile, Natsu was breathing heavily. The fight took a toll on his body, but how much magic he used during the fight could explain his exhaustion.
With one final breath, he began and tried to make his body move, but to his utter shock, he seemed paralyzed. Natsu didn't need to be the smartest person in the world to know what was going on with his body, but if he had to guess, it was a magic deficiency, an effect that wears the magic user down if they used more than what their magic container can handle. It was probably due to him using one of his heavy-hitting magic.
But then again, all of his arsenal of magic are heavy hitters, so he shouldn't be surprised that excessive use of his magic will lead to him being unconscious.
Natsu's body started to stumble down in it of himself, his vision was getting blurry and his head was spinning like crazy as if the world was shaking.
Both Diluc and Kaeya's eyes widen, they knew what this all meant for the Dragonslayer. He's about to faint.
Without any word, both brothers rushed to the Dragonslayer's side, ignoring the shouts of their father and Elzer. Just as they were about to reach Natsu's side, someone already beat them to the punch to their shock.
The person was a beautiful-looking woman, with long dark hair that was tied to two ribbons to her side, porcelain fair skin, and a body that puts any woman to shame and any man would kill just to have a taste of it. Her face was pretty, with crimson eyes and a soft facial expression.
Her outfit now consists of little more than a tabard-like garment that exposes her back. The attire is open on both sides of her body except for a small attachment at her waist, and she dons long black boots that leave her upper thighs bare.
"Oh, hey Ultear," Natsu said weakly while giving her a weak grin, his eyes finally closing as he finally gave in to his exhaustion.
The Time Mage smiled warmly as the Dragonslayer laid his head on her lap. "It's good to see you again, Natsu."
There are many things to describe Ultear Milkovich. A headstrong woman that can handle her own in a fight, a beautiful young woman whose beauty surpasses the majority, a once manipulative person who will do anything to accomplish her goals, but above all, she is a woman who was broken by the world but was able to rebuild herself by the help of her daughter and friends.
Ultear was once a woman who was misguided. A woman whose hatred led her to take a dark path that she came to regret later on in her life. Many lives were lost by her hands, and the screams of those she killed always keep her up at night, haunting her.
Despite her nightmares, she tries her best by redeeming herself along with her adopted daughter, Meredy, and Jellal.
Yes, for the past seven or so years she and her new guild, Crime Sorciere, had been doing everything in their power to take out Dark Guilds, but mainly, they target those who worship Zeref.
But in the end, no matter how many times she helps people, no matter how many times she tells herself that she can be redeemed, she'll never find happiness. Not when there is blood on her hands.
She sometimes thinks that her using Last Ages on Gray was a way to end the suffering and nightmares that haunt her every night. Nevertheless, she never regretted the decision of sacrificing herself to save her mother's student.
Again, just as she was sure that her death would come once she used the spell, it seems that fate says otherwise. Somehow, she was still alive, despite her body withering away in the real world, her consciousness was still alive in the Rift of Space and Time.
It was one year after her supposed death when the war between Fiore and Alvarez broke out.
It was during the middle of the war when Alvarez invaded the continent of Fiore. There, both Wendy and Chelia had just defeated Dimaria Yesta, a fellow Time Mage such as herself. The wounded Spriggan however wouldn't just go down, as her ace had been revealed when the Goddess of Time, Chronos, appeared right before her, possessing Dimaria and changing her appearance.
Chronos' power turned the tide of battle, and the once victor Sky Sisters and Time Mage faced a dilemma that all three of them couldn't foresee at all. Winds and Time magic were thrown at the battlefield as the destruction of the Time Rift was affecting the flow of time in the world. Their opponent was strong, but even a god could not tame the resolve of both Wind Mages and Time Mage.
Ultear asks the two mages if they are willing to sacrifice their magic, just to win the battle. Both Wendy and Chelia answered, and it was a yes. The Time Mage asks the two to give her enough time to cast Third Origin, which is what Sky Sisters did.
The fight continued on and they became the victor in the end. But as Ultear said, the price of using Third Origin will deprive you of the magic inside a person's body and it seemed that Chelia was the only one affected by the effect.
The Goddess of course would not go down so easily, however. She took great pride as a being of primordial power that any mortals would wish to possess. It honestly made her angry that she was defeated by a bunch of children and a mortal who had a fraction of her power.
With one last attack in her system, she lifted her right arm and aimed at the powerless God Slayer with the intent to kill.
"Age Scratch," Chronos said, releasing the last of her powers as she fainted in exhaustion changing back to Dimaria in the process as well.
Ultear, noticing Chronos' attack, immediately moved her body to block the attack aimed at Chelia.
Luckily for the former God Slayer, Chronos' attack didn't reach her, however, the same couldn't be said about Ultear.
Ultear wreath in and she screamed in pain. She never experienced anything more painful in her entire life, the pain was unbearable wishing it would all end. But she remembered what Dimaria had said about the spell. Apparently, Age Scratch was a spell that was able to recall every pain, injury, and wounds of the target's life, and unfortunately, Ultear was the said target.
Her consciousness was already beginning to fade, the spell wasn't going to stop any time sooner, but perhaps this was for the best, she thought to herself.
All her life, all she was given was misfortunes by the world. Nothing ever came well with her life, not one bit.
But even so, she remembered the happy times, the times when things were simple, when she was with Meredy and Jellal, the time when she met a certain pink-haired man eight years ago, she admitted that she did find him adorable and endearing, and the times when her mother was there.
A single tear dropped down her face as she smiled through the pain. "Life wasn't so bad after all," Ultear said as her eyelids finally closed, but not before hearing cries before her consciousness gave out.
"Sorry kids it looks like I won't see through this war after all," those were her last words.
Or so she thought.
She was sure that her death wasn't avoidable this time, she already said her goodbyes to her allies, but imagine her surprise when she woke up in a forest, completely unscathed from the battle against the Valkyrie and Goddess.
Ultear screamed profanities into the sky, cursing any higher beings as if this was some kind of sick joke. All her life she only wanted redemption and seeing as it was not possible due to her past she did the only thing, sacrifice herself to save her mother's student, but it seems that wasn't enough for the world.
Again she took the for Chelia back then but even that couldn't kill her. She continued to scream to the heavens, asking questions with venom in her voice.
Tired of all the screaming, she dropped her body down to the grassy ground, closing her eyes for a minute. She let the sound of nature carry on as she thought for a moment.
This isn't how it was supposed to go for her. This is all too cruel, why can't she just die? Why does the world hate her so much to the point where it can't even let her go? Those were the thoughts that ran through her mind.
Minutes pass, Ultear still lying on the ground with closed eyes. The mental frustration she had started to take effect on her face as lines appeared. Opening her eyes, the ray of sunshine shone on her face and blinded her. She blocked the ray with her hand before slowly lifting herself back up.
Her vision was then filled with a number of trees, and a path leads to who knows where. Ultear took a moment to assess her situation, where could this lead, she does not know, but with her options limited, she might as well take the risk and hope that no one recognizes her.
Getting up from the ground, she walked and followed the path. Ultear sighed as she continued to walk the path that was before her. Hours had passed since she'd been walking to who knows where in this god-forsaken forest.
Seeing that there was no choice, Ultear used her magic to sense anything around her radius, and to her much-admitted displeasure, there was none. Although it was quite strange that the ethernano around the place seems to be left untouched.
Yes, usually, when magic is used, the flow of ethernano would funnel to the user as a way to slowly fill their magic container and their reserve container. She theorized that this place was left untouched by mages, causing nature to do its course by slowly refilling it with the fauna and flora around her.
She sighed in frustration.
"If there's any higher being out there, give me some sort of sign so I can guess where I am," Ultear said jokingly not expecting anything to help her.
Then a large burst of explosion was heard. Ultear's eyes widen, and her attention turned to where the explosion is. The once stilled flow of ethernano drastically changed from calm to moving like the waves of the ocean.
"That explosion, it's caused by magic!" She said as she rushed towards the source.
Her once-filled vision of trees and rays of the sun was now a full view of grass and hills, the sun meeting her skin, and her once-cold skin was now warm. But she paid no attention to her surroundings as she continued to run to where the explosion was located.
Over the horizon, she saw a city that was surrounded by a large lake, the city was protected with walls and was connected by a concrete bridge. She'd guess that's where the explosion occurred and so she went.
Sneaking inside was pretty easy. She was able to sneak past the guard who in Ultear's honest opinion, was not very good at his job. Whoever put the guard on duty should honestly question the security of the place, because as far as Ultear can see, their defenses are so outdated.
Shaking her head, she continued to walk inside the city, but not before covering herself with her cloak, can't have anyone find out that she was a wanted criminal after all.
As she continued to walk inside, the pulse in the air indicated that her destination was close as the source continued to fluctuate with magic energy. She continued on and the more she got closer to the center, the more she felt its magical pressure.
"What could be the cause of all of this?" She said to herself as she ran towards the source of the magical pressure.
After a few more seconds of running, she saw many people gathered at the plaza of the city, and at the center of it all was none other than Natsu Dragneel.
Ultear smiled at the sight of her ally, she hasn't seen her in a long time, and she wonders how he would react to her if they meet again. He probably hugged her immediately since that was his first action whenever they met.
But the thoughts were short-lived as the Dragonslayer started to stumble down, his face clearly exhausted, but with the almost empty amount of magic energy in his body, she shouldn't be surprised.
She immediately moved, pushing the crowd away as she made his way to the center. Luckily for her, she made it just in time before Natsu was in her arms. The pain in Natsu's face made Ultear frown, no wonder the ethernano got all worked up, it was restoring his magic container.
Natsu's eyes slowly open, blinking slowly, his attention turned to Ultear. His pained face turned into a weak grin, "Oh, hey Ultear," He said to her, before finally giving in as his consciousness gave out.
Ultear smiled at the Dragonslayer. It had been a long time since she had interacted with Natsu, and it feels good to talk to someone she can trust "It's good to see you again, Natsu."
The crowd was silent as to what had just transpired. Never in modern Mondstadt history has ever defeated the one and only Grandmaster. Most of them were slacked in their jaws due to shock, while others cheered for Natsu's victory.
However, some individuals were quite interested in Natsu's demonstration of power.
Lisa started to write on her notes. Yes, this was perfect for her.
Originally she planned to go to Sumeru and study under the Akademiya. The prestigious school in Sumeru wouldn't just let anyone enroll from any nation, however.
The Akademiya is one of the best schools that Teyvat has to offer. The graduation rate within the sanctum was guaranteed 100% success.
But that doesn't mean anything if you fail the entrance exam.
Contrary to what many people believe, graduating from the Akademiya is a cakewalk. She'd heard stories from her mother when she was young, that graduating was the easy part and that the hardest part of the Akademiya was the entrance exam.
Each student was given a year to make a thesis that could lead to a breakthrough in the field of knowledge.
She'd been struggling with what topics she could choose. Initially, she wanted to study Hypostasis behavior, but she was already beaten to the punch by one of the people she encountered in the sanctum, Cyno.
She still remembers that insufferable grin Cyno made to her, which caused the young girl to twitch her eyes.
But all hope was not lost as a blessing appeared right before her very eyes. Natsu Dragneel.
Yes, the ethereal Pink-haired man was an enigma to everyone in Mondstadt, aside from the patriarch of the Ragnvindyr clan. Imagine her and everyone's surprise that the Ragnvindyr clan adopted him. She was also shocked to hear that he'll be fighting the Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius.
She thought of him as foolish and an idiot, you have to be some kind of special fool to try and fight Varka, it was practically suicide.
But once again, the Dragonslayer had proved her wrong.
Not only did the Dragonslayer manage to beat Varka, but he also had the power to control the pyro element without needing a vision.
She knew there are delusions as well to substitute visions, but if he did have one, its effect would've been visible to everyone.
Her thoughts ran rampant with theories in mind. She needed to get to the bottom of this.
"Natsu Dragneel, you'll be my key to getting into the Akademiya," Lisa said with a smirk.
Jean in her life was never easily surprised. As the daughter born from the Gunnhildr clan, she is expected to be always calm and collected in most situations, although she might let her emotion dictate her decisions, she is still a growing girl with many things to learn from this world.
But to say that she was shocked to see her uncle lose would be an understatement of Jean. Her uncle, Varka, the Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonious, is one of the most powerful people ever since the dawn of the new Mondstadt.
She had been under his wing as a disciple, Varka training her was a privilege that came with her name. And seeing her uncle lose to Natsu, a stranger of unknown background, made her realize that she has a long way to go.
Jean had heard from both Kaeya and Diluc that Natsu was training both of them, maybe asking the Dragonslayer to teach her under his wing as well.
With a nod to herself, she is determined to get stronger, and this time, with guidance from the strongest Dragonslayer, Natsu Dragneel.
"For Mondstadt," Jean said to herself.
Klee looked at Natsu with starry eyes. Never had she seen such a big explosion in her life.
She made it her life's mission to make the biggest explosion that the world so that she, Alice, and Big Brother Albedo can see it together and nothing was going to stop her from achieving that.
She'd been working on her bombs for the past few months that she'd sneak away from solitary confinement just so that she could test her new bombs, with the watchful eyes of big brother Albedo of course.
So far, the results were still the same with her arsenal of explosives. She's not seeing any progress after months of testing, whatsoever.
However, with the presence of the Dragonslayer and his power, she's determined to be his student in the art of explosives.
Natsu's power was the perfect example of what her explosions could be like and she's determined to see her dream come true.
"Looks like we're gonna have a new friend Dodoco!" Klee said as she played with her toy, barely containing her excitement.
It happened all too suddenly for Amy. Natsu came into her defense after many kids tried to bully her earlier. She never thanked him for his help, and immediately ran away from his savior. She was a shy girl.
While she was grateful for his help she thought that it was best to never see him again. What would the other kids say about him? It was already worse that she was suffering from all the bullying and she didn't want to drag another person into her mess just because she helped her.
But if she has the opportunity to meet him again, even for a second, she would gladly give her thanks to the man that saved her.
And it looks like the opportunity just presented itself
Her parents had dragged her out of her bedroom and forced her to come with them to see a duel it seems. Apparently, the Grandmaster is going to duel a stranger.
She scoffed. Now, who could be the fool to challenge the Grandmaster in a fight? They were brave, she could give them that, but they would be foolish to think that they were in the same league as Grandmaster Varka.
Boy oh boy was she wrong.
Not only did it turn out that it was a stranger that helped her back then that was going to fight Varka, but he'd also managed to exceed her expectation by beating Varka.
Amy had never run so fast in her life. Never mind that the people are cheering for the victorious and never mind that she left her parents along with the crowd, she needed to home and write.
For the longest time, she had been obsessed with her story. A typical princess, ruler of many many subjects of a forgotten kingdom, a kingdom that is in need of a prince. Yes, that's what Amy needed, that's why she feels her story is so lacking. It needed a prince and it just so happens that the said prince is Natsu.
"Long have I awaited for this day for thee, for many moons I waited for a savior to free me from the shackles that bind me. And today, I wait no longer, Prince Natsu, for I the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, grace you with her presence." The young girl said with a slight blush on her face as she continued to scurry back to her home.
Eula could be described as a girl who lived a privileged life. She was someone who has never had to work anything in her entire life as everything was given to her on a silver platter. You'd think that having everything around you is a pretty good life, but in the eyes of Eula, it's nothing but a curse, a curse that led to some issues growing up.
As part of the three noble houses of Mondstadt, she is always to be expected to be up to high standards, and with standards came expectations.
The training she had when she was a young girl left a scar on her heart and resentment toward her parents.
But even with her personal problems bubbling, it's not like anybody would care. After all, she's part of the Lawrence clan.
The Lawrence clan had always been an outcast. Histories of evil deeds stemmed from her name, slave trading, executions, torture, and the list goes on and on.
Because of that, she'd always been looked down upon by the majority of people of Mondstadt, like some sort of sub-human.
But here she witnessed Natsu getting recognition, the same recognition she wished she had.
How is it fair that a stranger like Natsu was able to get the trust of the people of Mondstadt? How is it fair that she is ousted, when she works so hard to have at least some sort of approval from anyone? It's not fair at all.
Eula glared at the sleeping Natsu with hatred. One day, she will have her vengeance.
"Mark my words, vengeance will be mine," Eula said, huffing.
Albedo, in his entire life, was never easily surprised. As a synthetic human, he was programmed to never fully express emotions whatsoever. But to say that he's surprised would be the greatest understatement of his entire life. He was shocked actually. The shock that someone was able to control the elemental particles without needing a vision.
Originally, he wasn't supposed to be here. He was already occupied with his research in Dragonspine, the blood of Durin was affecting the wildlife of the mountain and someone needed to find a solution to that. But unfortunately, his research came to a halt when a part of Dragonspine was destroyed.
He heard that the person who destroy half of Dragonspine was supposedly in Mondstadt, so naturally, he needed to investigate the man. So far, he seemed kind in nature to the point where he even gave Klee company.
But what really shocked him is his prowess in combat. Not only did he defeat the Grandmaster, but almost destroyed Mondstadt in the process.
Just like Lisa, took down notes and looked at both Ultear and Natsu with interest, his eyes carefully scanning them. How strange indeed. These people, Natsu and Ultear, are not bound by the laws of Teyvat.
"The both of them. They are not from this world." Albedo said as he eyed the two.
Well, this took longer than I expected. But aside from that, hey this just proves that I'm not at least dead or rather still interested in this fic, but yeah it's good to be back.
Now, let's get on with business, shall we? First off, yes, I took another gamble by guessing Varka's vision. Initially, I wanted it to be Anemo since Boreas was a part of the Four Winds of Mondstadt. But I decided to change it to Cryo.
Second, yes, Ultear is now in Teyvat, because I need her for the plot. Now you might be wondering why I chose Ultear instead of some other characters, well that's quite simple really because she's the only time mage that can see working with Natsu. So yeah, Dimaria is a no go since he fucking traumatized her during Alvarez arc. Zeref is dead, Irene I have plans for her, and Acnologia I don't need to explain.
Third, is that this story will not be Natsu x harem. Romance isn't really the main focus of the story, but there will be some Natsu x Ultear in later the story, so stay tuned for that.
Finally, before you ask, yes, END will also be part of the story, as I already came up with an idea on how to bring the king of etherious back.
I want to address some things in the comments.
To Quinlan2004: While those ideas sound amazing, unfortunately, I won't be using any of them in the future as I already planned out what his weapon of choice is and no I will not be giving him a vision because Natsu is not part of the world, so he's a special case.
So yeah, that's about it. I hope you all love the chapter, until next time. Whenever that will be.