When Natsu and Lucy stepped through the red pane of swirling light, they found themselves in an elaborate courtyard, filled with hedges, stone walkways, flower gardens, and a fountain in the center. The portal had vanished behind them.
The first thing they noticed was the fact that their magic power stopped draining. It was slow to replenish, but both breathed a sigh of relief as they felt their power rise back up again.
That relief was swiftly cut short at the sound of an alarm going off.
"What's going on?" Lucy whirled around, her eyes widening as soldiers in full plate armor started surrounding them.
"Looks like they're here for a fight!" Natsu's hand lit with flames.
"Hold on, Natsu!" Lucy held her arm in front of him, "We don't know where we are or what's happening. Maybe we can talk to them; if not, feel free to go all out."
"Heh, fine," Natsu smirked, "We'll do it your way. Now, let's get some answers!"
"HEY!" Natsu shouted at the top of his lungs, causing Lucy to cover her ears; Seriously, how is he so loud? "Which one of you froze Happy and the others!? Tell me, now!"
The soldiers surrounding them brandished spears and swords; one that was wearing a fancier set of armor responded, "Shut up and put your hands in the air!"
"Looks like they aren't much for talking," Natsu smirked as flames danced in his eyes.
"Not when you shout at them, idiot!" Lucy slapped his shoulder, turning to the supposed leader who spoke to them, "I'm sorry about him. We appear to be a little lost, would you be able to help us out?"
"You appeared out of nowhere," A younger voice sounded; a young man dressed in robes stepped beside the Commander, "You both contain traces of draconic magic. You especially," the young man pointed at Natsu, "Are saturated, practically oozing with draconic magic. You can't hide from us, lizard. I can sense what you are!"
"The hell is his problem?" Natsu raised a brow as his arms folded.
"Please, we mean no harm-" Lucy started, only to be interrupted.
"Liars!" A magic circle appeared in the man's hand which he aimed at Natsu and Lucy, "I will have revenge for the people you killed!"
Blue flames erupted from the boy's hand. Natsu's smile could only be described as vicious.
Lucy just sighed as the flames nearly enveloped them, "Oh, boy…"
The Young apprentice turned to the Commander as the blue flames enveloped the intruders, "Get your soldiers to higher ground, along the walls of the courtyard! Shoot the beast down if it transforms into a dragon form."
"You're saying that pink-haired boy is the dragon in disguise?" The Commander's deep voice questioned.
"Undoubtedly," The Younger apprentice nodded, "My master's spell went off right where they appeared. Not to mention draconic magic is practically leaking from him."
"You heard him, men!" The Commander turned to address the soldiers, "Get to your positions-!"
The Commander was cut short as they heard a…slurping sound?
"What…?" The Young apprentice's eyes widened when he turned in the sound's direction.
The pink haired man was…devouring the flames!?
"Ah…" He smirked as they disappeared in his mouth, "Just what the doctor ordered!" Orange flames danced around him, before enveloping his arms. He charged the soldiers, several of them getting consumed with the flames, "I'm gettin' all fired up!"
The blonde woman just deadpanned as a sigh escaped her lips.
"Move, now!" The Young apprentice ordered, casting another circle, "Should've known…fire won't work on a dragon!"
The pink haired man appeared out of nowhere from within his flames, "Ya got that right, kid!"
"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" The man's flaming fist slammed into the boy's magic circle, knocking him back several paces and into some fleeing soldiers.
"This won't stop me!" The Young apprentice raised his hands in a somatic gesture as he readied another spell.
Lucy sighed again as she watched Natsu face off against the magic caster.
Why couldn't they ever talk through things? Though, something was bothering her…the young man claimed both of them had traces of draconic power. She could understand why someone would accuse Natsu of that, but was he referring to her, too…?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soldier charging at her with a spear, screaming like a barbarian.
"Charge, men!" He sounded off, "She's allied with the beast!" The soldiers all let out war cries as they rushed her, causing her to panic a bit.
"Aw, c'mon!" Lucy brandished one of her keys, "This is no way to catch a girl, ya know!" She slashed the key through the air, "Take 'em down, Taurus!"
"Moooo!" Taurus' massive form came from nowhere; he slammed his giant ax into the nearest batch of soldiers, "My, you are rockin' that outfit, Lady Luuucy," He flashed her a thumbs up.
"Less flirting, more smashing!" Lucy demanded indignantly, pointing towards the remaining soldiers.
"If I do, will you give me a smooooch?" Taurus asked as he jumped up and smashed into the ground, breaking the immediate area and causing the soldiers to trip on their own two feet.
Lucy ignored him in favor of checking on Natsu. He was engaged in an increasingly heated battle with the wizard he was fighting.
"Moo!" Taurus charged through squad after squad of soldiers, but a lot of them kept getting back up. They were tough, but it was nothing the bull spirit couldn't handle. That is, until a blast of condensed water smacked his head, ramming him straight into a wall.
"Taurus!" Lucy cried out.
"Sorry Lady Luuucy…" He strained to say as parts of the now busted wall fell on top of him, sending him back to the spirit world. Something wasn't right...he shouldn't have gone down in one hit like that! Was he weaker because Lucy didn't have much magic left? Or was that attack just strong...?
"Back me up, soldiers!" A feminine voice called out. Lucy turned to see their new attacker. It was a young woman a few years older than her, "Ally of the beast, we will apprehend you. You will face the King's justice for your misdeeds!"
"What the heck are you even talking about!? We didn't do anything!" Lucy shouted back, slashing a second key through the air, "Loke!"
"You called, M'lady?" Loke materialized out of nowhere, his flirtatious eyes catching sight of the young woman, "Oho? Our opponent is this pretty little thing? I'm all for that!"
"Not the time, Leo!" Lucy reprimanded, "She wields some kind of water magic, watch out!"
"Not a problem," Loke's fists lit with the light of Regulus.
The supposed water mage branded her wand, settling into a stance.
A nearby explosion, however, made everyone pause momentarily. A fireball had blown up part of the courtyard's inner walls.
Natsu breathed heavily as he finished throwing the large fireball, which missed as his opponent barely dodged. The Fire Dragonslayer never paused in his movements as he dodged a bolt of light the young wizard launched at him. This was fun at first, but now it's getting tedious.
His magic power may have been restored, but he was still injured from fighting Hades and Acnologia. The numerous intense battles were starting to catch up to his body.
He looked over towards Lucy, who was panting as well, but holding her own. For now. She could barely keep Loke's gate open.
His attention was brought back to his opponent as he dodged another attack, a lightning spell this time. This kid was good with magic; Natsu couldn't deny his skill and versatility. But he was lacking in physical and raw prowess, a weakness that Natsu exploited as he charged up his own spell.
"Fire Dragon Sword Horn!" He cried out as flames enveloped his body and propelled him towards his target.
The young wizard tried to conjure a barrier, but he wasn't fast enough. Natsu's attack nailed him straight in the gut, causing the boy to flinch, but not back down.
Not letting him regain his footing, Natsu immediately followed through with a, "Fire Dragon Talon!" Kicking him directly atop his head, "ROOOOAAAR!" Flames shot from Natsu's open mouth, enveloping the young wizard.
"Gaah!" The man was blown back by that last attack. His body smashed into the wall, and he collapsed, motionless.
"Stay down, kid," Natsu breathed out, turning around and running over to Lucy.
She was panting when he reached her. Her hand was shaking as she held Loke's glowing key high. She strained to keep the gate open as Loke held the soldiers and the water mage at bay. Her magic was almost completely drained.
"Natsu…" She whispered in a hoarse voice as Loke suddenly disappeared, her arm falling limp. She was out of power.
"On it," Natsu's eyes narrowed as his clenched fists ignited with flames. He braced his legs as he charged the mage and the soldiers.
He leapt, ramming straight into the group, "FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"
His flames twisted and danced as he poured an exceptional amount of magic into the attack, burning and blasting the soldiers away. The young water mage wasn't able to block in time either.
He continued knocking the soldiers back, one by one, group by group, but they just kept on coming. At this point, they were going to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers! Natsu was holding his own, though, keeping them away from an exhausted Lucy, but he came to a decision.
"Alright then…" Natsu conceded. He needed to get Lucy away from here! In that case, he'll carve an escape route. If this works...He'll have to thank Laxus later.
The flames around him began cackling with electricity. He clenched his fists as he reared his head back, "LIGHTNING FLAME DRAGON, ROAR!"
The resulting explosion of flame and lightning shook the entire capital as a draconic roar erupted from Natsu, subtly following the destructive spell that began to overwhelm the soldiers and walls of the castle. The light of the cone of fire and electricity shone over the whole city.
He didn't relent, keeping the roar going for a few seconds before the flames and lightning died down.
Natsu was panting as the last of his flames left him. He was grinning though, covered in more wounds with his clothes torn to shreds, save for his scarf.
His smile vanished instantly as the smoke cleared. The walls of the courtyard were undamaged! They were now surrounded by a blue barrier.
The grounds themselves were on fire, and quite a few soldiers did get caught and killed in his attack, but the remainder had the same barrier surrounding them.
"Are you…freaking kidding me?" Natsu heaved out, panting as he took in massive amounts of smoky air.
"It seems I barely made it in time," A regal voice sounded from Natsu and Lucy's left. They turned to see a man with graying hair, dressed in robes and wielding a short staff, whose gem was glowing. The barrier disappeared as the light from the gem did.
"No way…" Natsu's eyes widened. This guy's magic…it was on par with Hades!
"Natsu…" Lucy softly whispered again as she slowly dragged herself to her feet.
Natsu glared at the man before him. This won't be easy…
"Everyone, retreat!" The Archmage called out to the soldiers, "Take the wounded, then retreat to his majesty's side. I will deal with this threat personally."
"Master…" The younger wizard had climbed to his feet, covered in burns and draped in scorched robes, "Let me-"
"Go," The older man said, "We will discuss your disobedience later."
The young man grit his teeth as he reluctantly followed the dispersing crowd.
"So," The older wizard turned to Natsu and Lucy, "You've taken a human form, dragon? That explains why it's been so difficult to find you-"
"I don't care what kinda crap you're spewing, geezer!" Natsu charged him down as fast as his aching legs would let him, "Tell us what you did to our friends, now!"
The old wizard sent a blast of magical energy at Natsu as he charged. It was too quick for Natsu to react properly.
"Glerhk!" Natsu's face scrunched up as he was sent flying into the wall behind Lucy.
"Natsu!" Lucy protested as tears welled up in her eyes, "You don't have any magic left! You can't fight him!"
"Like hell!" Natsu immediately jumped back to his feet; one of his eyes wasn't opening all the way, "I don't need magic to beat up an old man!"
He immediately charged again. The wizard sent another blast of energy, but Natsu narrowly dodged it this time. Just before his fist met the geezer's face, however, an invisible force suddenly threw him back.
Natsu let out a noise of protest as he was flung back over his head. His arms shot out towards the ground as he used them to skid in a handstand, pushing up and landing back on his feet. He charged the old man again, only to be sent flying back into the wall.
"Natsu…" Lucy's tears were streaming down her face. She desperately wanted to help, but had no power left in her. Her body was still covered in wounds, and Natsu was only accumulating even more.
"If this is all the power you have," The old man suddenly spoke up, "Then it's a wonder you managed to destroy the Elven Nation."
He thrust his staff in the air, manifesting ethereal chains that wrapped themselves around Natsu and Lucy respectively at lightning speeds. The chains that grappled onto Natsu were harsher in restraining him as he thrashed and struggled.
"I cannot deny your tenacity," The old man acknowledged, "But I'm finishing this."
"Yeah right!" Natsu's exposed muscle bulged as he strained against the chains, "This ain't over yet, pal!"
"If you do not cooperate, beast," His hand thrust into the air, causing the chains binding Lucy to harshly pull her into his grip, "Your companion here will suffer for it."
"Lucy!" Natsu protested, "Rotten coward! Don't you touch her!"
"Then cooperate," He threatened as he cast another magic circle, enveloping the three of them in white light.
When the light faded, Natsu and Lucy found themselves inside a massive throne room, still bound in chains. Lucy was panting, trying to regain her footing after being teleported. Natsu stood by her side, sneering at the people he found staring down at them. But his exhaustion was swiftly catching up to him as the adrenaline died down.
The elegant hall contained numerous warriors bound in plate armor, nobles adorned in fine robes, and a few mages draped in cloaks, including the three Natsu and Lucy fought. All of them had looks of disdain or disgust written in their features.
Sitting atop the throne itself, was a powerfully built middle-aged man wearing a gold crown, adorned in bright silver armor. To his left, stood a young woman in an elegant gown, and to his right, stood a young man bound in similar armor with his sword drawn.
The middle-aged man, the King, looked to his Archmage, "What is the meaning of this?" He questioned with a deep voice full of authority, "Are you not meant to be apprehending a dragon?"
"We believe the boy here to be the dragon in human form," The Archmage explained, "He is radiating draconic magic. The woman is an accomplice to the creature. It is unclear if she is acting of her own will or is being manipulated by the beast somehow. History has shown that dragons are capable of-"
"What the hell are you even talkin' about!?" Natsu demanded as he glared.
"Silence, foul creature!" The young man to the King's right, the Prince, ordered, "You will not speak unless spoken to in the King's Court!"
"You wanna go, tin can!?" Natsu rose to his feet, only to tense and grunt in pain as his chains sent a sharp electric shock tearing through his body. He dropped to the ground smoking.
"Natsu!" Lucy fell to her knees next to him, making sure he was okay before turning her angry, tearful eyes to the throne, "Cut it out! What do you want from us-AGH!"
A similar, less potent, shock wracked Lucy's body for a split second, silencing her as well. Ethereal gags shaped like metal collars bound across both her and Natsu's heads, sealing their mouths shut.
"As I was saying," The Archmage put down his pointed finger when the collars finished manifesting, "It seems the draconic beast has been weathered down by our soldiers' efforts, leaving it in a weakened state by the time I arrived on the scene. We are fortunate it wasn't at full strength. I now leave it to your majesty to decide their fates."
"Hm…" The King leaned forward, "The beast will be executed immediately; while it would be ideal to break and tame it, we cannot afford risking its escape," The memory of the cone of fire and lightning was fresh in his mind, "The girl will be examined and evaluated; if found fit for duty, she will be enslaved."
"MMMNNMN!" Natsu's angry protests went unheard, while Lucy could only widen her eyes in horror.
"Allow me to execute this fiend, father," The Prince brandished his sword, approaching Natsu.
"Careful, prince," The Archmage warned, as he conjured more chains to bind the pink haired man so his arms were being pulled away from his body, "Though bound, this beast is still tenacious."
"NNNMMM! MMMNNN!" Lucy protested, thrusting her body over Natsu's, prompting the Archmage to conjure more chains and pull her away as she kicked and struggled.
The Prince was lording over Natsu now. Natsu's fierce eyes never backed down, staring the Prince directly in the eye. Veins could be seen bulging from his forehead as anger boiled inside him.
The Prince had raised his sword to slice Natsu's head off, but he suddenly hesitated. Even though Natsu was bound, gagged, and powerless, the Prince couldn't shake the feeling of the massive presence and pressure he suddenly felt emanating from the pink-haired man.
Those eyes…they promised pain. He felt as though he was facing a raging, uncontrollable beast…a demon.
"Well?" The Prince was snapped from his stupor by his father's voice. He shook his head to reorient himself, raising his sword again. He aimed for Natsu's neck.
"What is that?" A noble suddenly spoke.
Before anyone could reprimand him, a soft rumbling noise made itself known. A stronger vibration rumbled through the castle, shaking dust from the ceiling.
A split second of pure silence followed, before the ceiling caved in on itself.
Debris smashed into the majority of the soldiers and nobles; those who weren't hit had frozen in shock, barely registering what just happened.
An ear-splitting roar nearly made everyone's eardrums rupture.
Charging from the dust and debris, a large black dragon with swirling red scales rushed the Prince. Before anyone could react, the beast sank its teeth into his neck, silencing him forever.
Natsu and Lucy, dumbfounded, confused, and bound, watched in shock as Kilgara, who was now the size of a horse, flicked the headless body away. He roared a challenge to all who dared approach, blood still dripping from his teeth.
Kilgara reared his head as he breathed a stream of wispy, fiery-red light on the chains binding Natsu and Lucy. The ethereal restraints faded as they evaporated and burned away.
A blonde woman who Lucy didn't see before suddenly jumped off of Kilgara's back, kneeling next to her.
"Are you okay?" She asked as she helped her to her feet.
"Yeah…" Lucy turned over to Natsu, who was shaking and struggling to get to his feet.
"Let's go," The blonde said, "Kilgara can-"
"No one is leaving," The Archmage conjured a barrier around the perimeter of the throne room, as the King ran to his side with his own sword drawn, "We will protect our people! You will all be disposed of here and now!"
Kilgara sneered, his red scales pulsating with a faint glow.
The Archmage
Race: Human
Level: 650
HP: 55,000
MP: 500,000
SP: 40,000
The King
Level 600
Race: Human
Level: 500
HP: 100,000
MP: 10,000
SP: 100,000
I snarled at the two 'monsters' in front of me. There's no way these guys are normal humans, not with stats like that.
Even without Observe, I can see and sense the potent magic rolling off this 'Archmage' guy in waves. The King has the highest SP count I've seen, second only to Ymir.
I quickly glanced at Natsu and Lucy.
Natsu Dragneel
Race: Etherious Demon
Level: 108
HP: 1,980/36,260
MP: 32/55,660
SP: 100/45,350
Lucy Heartfilia
Race: Human
Level: 91
HP: 4,990/8,550
MP: 50/65,620
SP: 1,300/8,030
They've both gone up about six levels, but that wasn't my focus right now. Natsu is more than half-dead, and both are dangerously low on stamina and magic.
I have to get rid of this barrier so Ymir can get them out of here. All I need is to create an opening.
I growled at the King and Archmage; we stood in a staring contest as the last of the nobles and soldiers surrounded us, each baring their own weapon.
First things first, then.
I flicked my tail, casting Conjure Golem on the debris; stone giants immediately formed, charging the crowds around us before they even finished morphing into existence.
I saw the Archmage raise his staff in their direction, but I was moving before the first golem formed.
I roared as I charged the King, covering the ground in a second.
The Archmage abandoned his spell in favor of casting another barrier in reaction to my attack, though it was destroyed after being exposed to the red, flame-like light I spewed in his direction, causing him to stagger.
The King saw my approach and slashed his sword at my neck as he tensed up in a stance. I dropped, letting gravity take me to the ground, narrowly dodging his blade as it skimmed my scales; before I even hit the floor, I rolled over, extending my right wing in a flash to sweep the King off his feet.
Quick as lightning, I folded my wing back into my body as I used my forelimbs to lift and twist around my body, bashing the Archmage's face with my tail, using my whole body like an oversized whip. The King rolled onto his own feet, sword still in hand.
The Archmage staggered from my hit, but cast a lightning spell which rammed into my side. The force of the spell caused me to stagger, but the lightning itself had no effect; guess that answers my question regarding Elemental Resistance. Arcane Resistance might be a factor too.
The King aimed to stab at my arms and shoulders, to which I responded by rolling to my right, away from the Archmage; I cast the spell Forcecage on the King; an ethereal cube manifested around him, stopping him in his tracks as he tried to charge me down again.
"Sire!" The Archmage hovered for a split second, surprising me by retreating several dozen feet, "Now!" He held his staff high as it glowed with power; the barrier surrounding the King dissolved, and his sword and armor began glowing.
My eyes narrowed as I activated Arcane Eyes. The Archmage seems to have shifted to a support roll, and was casting several enchantments on the King's sword and armor. Let's take care of that.
I roared again, exhaling a strong breath of fiery-red light which enveloped the King as he stood his ground. The Archmage strained as he fought to keep his enchantments intact.
Still roaring, I cast Hidden as they were distracted. Cutting off my breath, I ran around them. Rushing at the King, I raised my invisible talon to strike; but the Archmage was undeterred.
"Hiding won't help you," He pointed his staff in my direction. My body began flashing back into existence; he was dispelling Hidden. Looks like he can sense my magic as I can his.
As my body flashed back into a visible state, my talon came into contact with the King's sword which he raised to parry my strike.
My claws strained against his blade. Using Arcane Manipulation, I let magic flow through my talon to prevent the sword from cutting through it.
Both of us were locked in a pushing contest, sword against claw, a battle of brute strength and dominance.
I sneered at the man's scowl, smirking internally as I began pushing him back. I'm a dragon that's growing bigger than the horses this dude rides. Even without magic, a human's muscles and physiology will never be able to compare to the kind of muscular fiber and structure a dragon inherits!
So you can imagine my confusion when the King started pushing me back.
I could sense magic conversing around the King; my Arcane Eyes confirmed that the Archmage was bolstering his strength again. Simultaneously, it seemed he was trying to hex me, though most of his spells weren't strong enough to affect me, I felt a few take hold on me.
Notice!
You have been afflicted with Slow, Weakened, Negated Magic and Heavy Body status effects.
I roared as I felt the King nearly overpower me; in response, I hooked my talons around the blade, using his own momentum to steer his strike off course. I struck like a snake, aiming to sink my teeth into the King's exposed neck.
The King grunted in pain as my teeth began to pierce his skin, but my bite was held back at the last microsecond.
The Archmage had his hand and staff raised; while bolstering the King's power with support spells and afflicting me with hexes, he was simultaneously using a form of the Mage Hand spell to hold my mouth open, preventing me from biting down.
I narrowed my eyes. Clearly, these two weren't used to fighting dragons. Rule number one: Never be in front of a dragon's open jaw.
My red scales flared as I unleashed a torrent of arcane flames point blank on the King, burning away the Archmage's hold on me while the support spells evaporated from the King's body.
The King cried out in agony as we were suddenly ripped away from each other. The Archmage managed to re-cast his mage hand and use it to shove me away from the King. I skidded to a halt as my talons dug into the floor, my red eyes never leaving my target.
My Seismic Sense told me that Lucy, Ymir, and Natsu had moved a fair distance away; the Golems I conjured were holding their own, fending off several soldiers, but the Kingdom still had the advantage of numbers.
A few knights and a couple mages broke away from the Golems, heading straight towards Lucy and Ymir. Natsu was struggling to even stay on his knees at this point.
Without looking away from the Archmage, who was whispering to the King, I flipped Tyrfina's card out of my inventory, holding it between two clawed fingers.
The King panted in pain as the Archmage yanked him away from the black beast. His neck was bleeding slightly, and though his enchanted armor protected him from the worst of the damage, a mana-burn still pulsed painfully on the side of his face.
"Sire," The Archmage said, lifting two fingers up to his wounds as they glowed with yellow light, "We need to change our strategy."
"Agreed," The King flinched before a small sense of relief came from his healing neck, "I've never fought a beast like this. The way it moves is unlike anything I've seen before."
"It utilizes every aspect of its anatomy," The Archmage confirmed, his eyes never leaving the creature, "No movement is wasted, and it counters your strikes with your own momentum while its breath negates my magic; on top of that, its casting multiple spells," He chanced a glance around the throne room, briefly skimming over the golems and the knights about to engage the pink haired man.
Raea was right. This creature is diversely skilled in ways he never could have imagined.
"How is it possible for a beast to do this all at once?" The King rose to his feet, "What do you suggest? I know you well enough, what's your plan?"
"We need to limit its movements," The Archmage watched the creature as its front talon twitched, "I've been able to counter the majority of its magic; if we can slow it down before it casts any more spells, we'll have a solid shot to strike it. I'll hold it down while you move in for the kill."
The King nodded.
Suddenly, the dragon roared as it reared its talon, as if preparing to throw a frisbee, before it flicked something…behind it?
A single card fell in front of the knights who were engaging with the two blondes and the pink haired man (who was not the dragon, evidently). The card glowed sharply as a beastwoman of vulpine nature materialized from nowhere with a massive black and blue greatsword.
"Dammit!" The King readied his sword, "Do it now!"
"Sir!" The Archmage thrust out his staff, casting his spells before the reptile could throw out any more tricks.
Lucy struggled to stay on her feet as she helped drag an exhausted Natsu. Even with help from this blonde girl, Ymir, they were struggling to make any kind of ground.
Kilgara was engaged in a fierce fight between the old wizard and the king, and was unable to assist them.
"We…" Natsu started, breathing heavily as he leaned on the two blondes for support, "Have to…help him…"
"I want to," Lucy's eyes screwed shut, tears and shame streaming down her face, "But we can't…not like this. You can barely move, Natsu! And I don't have any magic left…"
"I don't…care," Natsu shrugged out of Lucy and Ymir's grip, dropping to his stomach. With shaking arms and a raspy breath, he began crawling his way to where Kilgara was fighting.
He stopped when he felt a soft hand push on his shoulder, "You'll only get in his way like this," Ymir looked over at the dragon, whose talon was currently locked in a contest of strength with the King's sword.
"Who…are you?" Natsu tried to shrug her off, but he couldn't muster the strength under her grip.
"Ymir," The young woman answered, "I'm-"
She was interrupted by the sound of clanking armor and footsteps getting louder and louder. Her head whipped around, causing Natsu and Lucy to look over as well.
Soldiers in full plate-armor were charging their position with their weapons drawn.
"We have to move-!" Lucy bent down to hoist Natsu up, before being interrupted by a loud roar; she looked up in time to see Kilgara flick something in their direction.
Not even a moment later, a card of some kind landed between them and the knights. It glowed for half a second as a dirty blonde woman with fox ears and a large sword manifested.
"Tyrfina?" Ymir's eyes widened in recognition.
"Reporting for duty!" The vulpine woman grinned as she immediately charged the soldiers, "Now's your chance! Run!"
"Let's go," Ymir said after a moment. She helped Lucy hoist Natsu up as Tyrfina engaged with the knights.
However, the they didn't make it two steps before Kilgara's roaring caught their attention again, causing the trio to look in his direction.
Ethereal chains, all of them purple this time, were constantly being summoned and wrapping themselves around Kilgara's body wherever they could grasp. A magic circle had manifested beneath his feet.
Kilgara roared as he exhaled his arcane breath, burning as many magical restraints as he could. But more and more were being conjured, and it was becoming clear he was struggling to destroy them in time as he frantically flailed his head around his body.
"Kilgara!" Lucy and Natsu cried out in unison. Even they could tell they were multiple spells being cast on the dragon. This old wizard…is dangerous.
The Archmage made a motion with his arm as he brandished two fingers, causing another magic circle of some kind to appear underneath Kilgara. A sudden, heavy pressure brought the black dragon to his belly. The ground cracked beneath him as the Archmage's spell increased the gravity around him. He continued applying all the jinxes he knew to keep the creature sluggish and restrained.
Meanwhile, the King activated a spell of his own, which triggered the enchantments in his sword and armor, causing it to glow an other-worldly silver. His sword now dripped with a misty, black energy.
He let out a battle cry as he leapt with all his strength, hoisting his sword high above his head. Swinging it in an arc, he brought the blade of the now black weapon within the effects of the gravity spell. It went straight for Kilgara's head.
But the black dragon was not idle. While the King was leaping, he prepared a couple spells of his own.
Orange flames ignited in his left talon. A golden-white power manifested in his right. Mustering all his accessible strength (and a little of his arcane breath) he forced his fiery palms together, his red scales flaring.
"A Unison Reid…?" Lucy questioned under her breath just as Kilgara roared as loud as his lungs could handle. Everyone flinched while some covered their ears.
To everyone else, it just sounded like a defiant battle cry. But to Ymir, who was learning the Draconic Language, she heard, "NATSU!"
Her eyes widened as Kilgara threw the now golden flames in their direction, just as the King's sword made contact with his head.
CLANG!
"Master! Ymir!" Tyrfina cried out in shock as the flames barreled towards them.
Ymir barreled into Lucy, causing the two of them to fall to the ground as a fiery explosion reigned above them. Covering Lucy as best she could, Ymir braced for pain, counting on her regeneration to keep her alive.
But the pain never came.
The intense heat of the flames never reached them. Instead, a loud slurping overtook their senses.
Natsu rose to his feet as his body reinvigorated itself; he slurped and chomped on the golden flames like he'd never eaten before! They were the most divine thing he'd ever tasted! His wounds vanished as his magic power restored itself to new heights!
"Woah…now that's gettin' me all fired up!" This was like when he ate Jellal's magic. No…it was more than that! Ten times more! He had never felt so alive!
The flames surrounding Natsu burned bright. Red scales suddenly burst across his arms and forehead as his eyes turned to slits. His attention immediately turned to the Archmage and the King as power swelled in him.
Blood dripped from Kilgrara's head; the wound was leaking black mist, his limbs were shaking to fight the gravity spell, and he struggled to use his horns to veer the King's sword away from him. The Archmage was focused, continuing to cast ethereal chains and hexes to bind the dragon as the King fought to drive his sword home.
"Fire Dragon…" Natsu sneered under his breath before roaring, "SWORD HORN!" His body ignited as he was propelled forward.
"Majesty-!" The Archmage was too slow in his warning, barely noticing the living fireball barreling toward them. Natsu's attack nailed the King directly in his side.
CRACK!
The King felt his ribs shatter as his armor dented underneath the intense heat and pressure from the fire wizard's attack. He coughed blood as his lung was punctured.
"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu cried out as his fist lit with intense flames. Said fist immediately made contact with the King's face, sending him flying into the wall in an explosion of fire and heat.
Without pausing, Natsu turned his head toward the Archmage, his mouth smoking as it opened wide, "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"
The flames enveloped the Archmage, breaking his concentration on Kilgara, who was still struggling to free himself.
"Did that get him?" Lucy breathed heavily as Ymir helped her to her feet again.
As if in response to her question, the flames died down as the Archmage threw off his burning cloak, revealing a muscled torso as he brandished his staff at Natsu and Kilgara.
Kilgara and Natsu sneered in unison; Natsu bent into a fighting stance, while Kilgara, bleeding and snarling, crouched around him. Blood dripped from his festering wound as he prepared to pounce.
"Impressive," The Archmage acknowledged, "So you gain strength from fire-"
Kilgara roared as he leapt into the air, causing Natsu to do the same. They wasted no time in striking while the iron was hot.
To the Archmage's surprise, the pink-haired boy charged at him while the dragon leapt towards the King!
He readied his staff to defend his comrade and lord, only for Natsu to reach him with surprising speed, "Oh no you don't!" He yelled, "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!"
Flames sprouted from his arms and surrounded the Archmage, forcing him to defend himself. How had the boy become so powerful so quickly!?
In the same instance, as the King was hoisting himself off the ground using his sword as a cane, Kilgara smashed into his back.
The King grunted in pain as his enchanted armor creaked from the impact and he was sent flying to the ground. The twelve-hundred pound reptile pressed him further into the floor, causing cracks to appear as his armor and spine groaned under the pressure.
Quick as a bullet, Kilgara raised his front claw and smashed it into the King's head. Blood sprayed as the Kingdom's ruler came to an end.
"We can't win…" The Archmage said so quietly, not even Natsu's sensitive ears picked it up as he engaged in combat with the old wizard.
Suddenly, the Archmage sent out a wall of pure arcane force; Natsu staggered while Kilgara struggled to hold his ground under the immense magical pressure that emanated from the Archmage.
"I'm sorry, my pupils…" Cracks appeared in his skin as he gathered all the magic he could. He looked over to where his apprentices lay; The Eldest was down, having been knocked out by the debris when the dragon first attacked. The Younger was next to her as he held her head, staring at him with shock and no small amount of horror. Blood poured from a wound on his head.
"The hell…I can't move…" Natsu's flames intensified as he tried moving in the Archmage's direction, but he kept getting pushed back.
"May the gods have mercy for what I am about to do!" The Archmage reared his head back, "RAAAGH!" He yelled as he threw his arms up, his hands forming a claw-like pose.
Kilgara abruptly roared, flinching in pain as raw, red magical energy began pouring out of him like slow flowing water. It was bright and almost painful to look at.
"Kilgar-RAGH!" Natsu cried out as the same thing began happening to him. His magic started flowing out of him like an orange river of lava.
Lucy suddenly keeled over as her magic started tugging out of her; the golden energy conversed out like a dimly lit flow as her face scrunched over in pain.
"Lucy!" Ymir kneeled down, raising her hands to help, only to hear Tyrfina keel over as well. She was screaming in pain, clenching her torso as brown energy started pouring out of her.
It wasn't just them, though. Everyone, the remaining soldiers, the Apprentices, even the bodies of the deceased had differing colors of energy flowing out of them, and all were screaming in pain.
The strange, ethereal energy all flowed together, conversing to a single point; the body of the Archmage.
He grunted in pain as his body started cracking and struggled to hold up. He gathered the magic to a single point: his heart, the core of his soul. It was difficult; the magic from the dragon in particular was resisting as if it had a will of its own.
Ymir's eyes widened as the Archmage began to turn white; the pressure in the area was increasing.
"Can't…" Someone said in Draconic.
Ymir looked over to Kilgara. The dragon was struggling to move; his injuries must be worse than he was letting on. That wound on his head was particularly nasty. Manipulating magic was his specialty, but in his current state, he was struggling to keep his own magic in check.
"Can't…" Kilgara sneered again, "Let him…do this!" The dragon roared as the pressure increased drastically.
Ymir grunted as she was almost brought to her knees.
She didn't know what made her do it. She couldn't even tell you how she did it. By all accounts and purposes, she should have been crying out in pain as well. For some reason, whatever was happening wasn't affecting her.
She moved one foot in front of her; she struggled to drag her other foot across the ground. Nonetheless, she started walking over, her eyes tearing up as the pressure mounted against her. She approached the Archmage, coming closer as he was getting ready to blow.
The Archmage was so focused on retaining the immense magic and casting his volatile spell, that he didn't notice Ymir until she was about twenty feet away.
Tears ran down Ymir's face as yellow, lightning-like energy suddenly sparked around her.
Kilgara's eyes widened. He abandoned everything as he thrust out a talon and jerked his tail, using the last of his strength to bend and conjure the earth in front of him, Natsu, and Lucy as he recalled Tyrfina to her card.
A dull sense of dread abruptly permeated the atmosphere as out of nowhere, yellow lightning descended from the heavens. A roar unlike any other deafened the Kingdom as the Founding Titan manifested for the first time in years.
As the titan formed, it grabbed the Archmage, who lost all thought and control as he stared in shock and horror as Ymir's titan body burst through the remaining roof of the castle, destroying the majority of the structure. The massive being, now well over two-hundred meters tall, reared him back.
With strength to rival the gods, Ymir's titan roared as she threw the body of the mage as hard as her arm would allow; her shoulder dislocated and her wrist broke with the force of the throw.
The Archmage's body turned pure white as his spell activated while he flew across the sky, soaring so high even dragons would envy. His body disintegrated as a near-nuclear explosion of pure mana went off, blanketing the sky in arc-fire across half the continent.
The wind blasted as the blue light of the explosion lit Ymir's skull face. Her blonde hair blew back as her arm healed itself immediately. Her protruding ribs creaked as she shrugged the now healed arm.
Back below, far beneath Ymir's massive feet, was Lucy and Natsu, who were staring at the skull face of the giant with wide mouths and shocked eyes. The scales on Natsu's body had long vanished.
Kilgara, smirking slightly, collapsed as he succumbed to his injury and the numerous hexes cast on him. His red scales pulsed faintly as black mist permeated the wound. He lost consciousness, having spent the last of his strength protecting them from Ymir's transformation.
A red portal appeared right next to them, causing the Fairy Tail wizards to flinch out of their stupor.
"That's the portal that brought us here!" Lucy cried out. Her attention was brought back to Ymir by a massive amount of steam discharging from the body of the sexless, feminine giant. Steam and heat released in waves as the giant seemed to evaporate.
No one moved as the steam cleared. The giant was gone, revealing Ymir as she ran over.
"Are you all okay?" She asked.
"HOLY CRAP!" Natsu yelled out, causing her to flinch a little, with a massive grin adorning his face, "That was AWESOME! What kind of magic was that?"
"Uh…" Ymir hesitated, not sure how to respond.
"We can ask questions later, Natsu," Lucy pointed at the red portal, "We need to leave. We don't know how long this gate thing will stay open."
"She's right," Ymir acknowledged, "Let's-oh no! Kilgara…" Ymir rushed to the dragon's dormant body. His head was caked with dry blood. The wound was oozing with black, misty energy.
"Don't worry, he's breathing," Natsu confirmed from the slow rising of the reptile's chest, "But we have to move him. Help me push him through this portal thingy."
It took them a while, but Natsu, Lucy, and Ymir all managed to push Kilgara through the portal as they too went through.
The smoking, dusty environment of the demolished castle was replaced with the orange ambiance of Tenrou Island.
"That was kind of abrupt," Lucy observed as the portal disappeared in an instant.
"We've got bigger problems than that!" Natsu shouted as he flailed his arms around, "Look!"
"Huh…?" Lucy looked around and saw that they were back in the forest, near where the beach was, but everything was still frozen. And their magic was being drained again while their guild marks glowed.
"But we beat the bad guys!" Natsu ruffled his hair in frustration, "What the heck are we supposed to do now?"
"Natsu…I'm all out of-" Lucy suddenly froze, her eyes wide and panicked, as her body took on the same orange ambiance of the island.
"Lucy!" Natsu turned his head to her as he cried out, only to notice that Ymir had stopped moving too, "Ymir! Damnit!" His magic was about to give out as well…that last move the old guy pulled drained what power Kilgara gave him.
"Damnit…" Natsu repeated softly as he too froze with the rest of the island.
Kilgara, still out cold, continued to breathe steadily.
A/N: Has anyone else had trouble with FanFiction lately? A lot of their tabs, stats, and programs haven't been working properly for me. I'd have had this chapter posted sooner if they weren't having issues. Anyone know what's going on?