A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter!

Enjoy!

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: FOUR DRAGONS

"Sting and Rogue, the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth... Dragon Slayers, like Akame and Zack... Let's see what happens." Harumi stated.

"I think they're done testing each other. From here on in, they're going to get serious, so let's really cheer them on!" Atguia informed.

"It's over, garbage guild." Jiemma said to himself.

"Sting..." Rogue muttered.

"Yeah..." Sting nodded.

"Alright, the silent face-off continues... but the entire arena is filled with tension. Which side will make the first move?!" Chapati asked.

As if answering him, Sting charges forward and strikes Akame with holy light, who blocks it with his arms. "Sabertooth's Sting makes his move! Twilight Phoenix's Akame held it back!" Chapati announced.

"Receive Holy White Judgment!" Sting shouted before punching Akame rapidly.

"Akame!" Zack called out to him in worry as Rogue moved around him. He tried to attack Rogue before Rogue appeared behind him and sent a kick, making Zack stumble back.

"Oh, my! It looks like Twilight Phoenix's Zack is at the mercy of Rogue's Shadow Drive!" Chapati said.

"You can't get ahold of shadows." Rogue claimed before disappearing.

"Take this!" Zack shouted as his attack went through Rogue, who punched him.

Akame ended up getting kicked by Sting as him and Zack crashed into each other. "Don't get in my way!" The two of them shouted before they heard laughing from above them.

"Squabbling in the middle of a match?! You guys sure have confidence!" Sting informed as him and Rogue crashed down onto them.

"Their power has suddenly increased." Jim muttered.

"Take care of business, Akame!" Chii shouted.

Sting soon struck Akame with Magic. "Come on, come on, Blood Dragon! You call that defense?!" He taunted before sending a kick towards his back while Rogue was doing the same with Zack.

"What on Earthland...?" Makarov questioned.

"It's a magic amplification technique. On top of that, their combination skills are seamless." Mavis explained.

"This isn't as thrilling as I thought it'd be." Orga commented.

"Compared to those two, it seems Twilight Phoenix's duo aren't in sync with each other." Rufus said as Sting and Rogue kept attacking Akame and Zack.

"Go! You're in your assured victory pattern!" Lector cheered.

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch added.

Sting was punching Akame with his Magic. "What was it you said, Blood Dragon? That you'd give me hell?" He raised Akame in the air. "It doesn't look like you're doing much!"

"Akame!" Atlas shouted.

"That attack just now... There's something different about it compared to previous attacks." Ezekiel said.

"What do you mean?" Atlas asked as they saw something white on Akame's chest. "And what the hell is that?! It looks like a Magic Circle..."

"C-Can't..." Akame struggled to move. "...move!"

"The White Dragon's Claw is a holy attack. A body that marked by it's stigmata loses its freedom. And with this, you're gone!" Sting declared.

Zack was still aiming his attacks at Rogue, who dodged. "The dragon that becomes shadow hides its form. It always takes down its prey!" Rogue claimed before Zack caught his wrist.

"It always takes down..." Zack gave him a dark look. "What is it?"

"Yeah!" Riku cheered.

"That's the way, Zack!" Dusk shouted.

"He caught him! Even though before, he wasn't even able to land a hit!" Ajar stated.

"Of course! After fighting for a while, Zack gets used to it." Jim commented.

"Akame can do the same thing with ease! Get 'im Akame!" Bruno encouraged.

Akame smirked before punching Sting in the face with his fist covered in red mist. "How can you move?!" Sting asked as it showed Akame had completely dissolved it. "You destroyed the stigmata!"

"Not too shabby... But you've got a ways to go." Akame cracked his knuckles.

"He dissolved it... That guy knows no bounds..." Nero grinned.

"'Only the Blood Dragon King could do that...' I guess I should say..." Ezekiel said.

"Don't get too stuck on yourselves, brats." Zack paused before striking Rogue in the face. "And don't make light of Twilight Phoenix!"

Akame and Zack both sent Sting and Rogue crashing into the arena wall.

"Just like that! Go! Go!" Chii cheered.

"Oh, my! The course of the battle has just shifted again!" Chapati announced.

"You guys really are the best." Sting began glowing his element. "We have to give this our all and then some. The White Dragon's Fist can destroy anything."

"What is that magic?! The pressure is incredible!" Loji commented.

"I don't like this... I think it might be..." Chii trailed off.

"S-So bright! Yajima-san, what is this?!" Chapati questioned.

"Sting-kun is concentrating his magic into a single point." Yajima replied.

"Here I go, Blood Dragon! Dragon Slayer Arcana! Holy Nova!" Sting shouted as the arena was covered in holy light.

Sting smirked but was shocked when it was revealed Akame had blocked his attack. "Whoa! What's this?! He stopped that tremendous attack with one hand!" Chapati said.

"I-I don't believe it..." Lector said.

"Huh?" Frosch added.

"No way..." Orga muttered.

"I have no memory of that skill ever being blocked." Rufus commented.

"I see... Now it makes sense why he would storm into our inn on his own. I wonder what I could have seen if I hadn't stopped him then..." Minerva said.

"Sting-kun..." Lector teared up.

"Yajima-san, what do you make of this?!" Chapati asked.

"Zack!" Rogue shouted out before Zack punched him back.

"Rogue..." Frosch mumbled.

Akame and Zack continued attacking Sting and Rogue. "They've definitely gotten stronger since last year." Harumi claimed.

"They belong to totally different ranks." Yajima announced as the audience cheered.

Sting and Rogue were on the ground, struggling to get up. "W-Who could have foreseen this development?! The Twin Dragons of Sabertooth, helpless before Twilight Phoenix! Will the match end like this?!" Chapati asked.

Rogue stood up. "Like hell it'll end..." He mumbled.

"Yeah... I knew this wasn't gonna be an easy wall to get over..." Sting agreed as an image of Lector appeared in his mind.

"Sting-kun..." Lector mumbled as Sting stood up.

"I know, Lector... We made a promise, right?" Sting muttered.

"Huh?"

"I'm not gonna lose." Sting claimed as him and Rogue got covered in their elements and their face and arms were covered in scales. Their hair also spiked up. "I can't lose... For Lector's sake."

"I see... So they're finally using that, huh?" Akame mumbled. "Damn... I didn't think they'd use it this early."

"That's true." Zack agreed.

"Tremble at the true power of the Third Generation." Minerva commented.

"Impossible! They can activate it with their own will?!" Jellal exclaimed in shock.

"This is the Third Generation of Dragon Slayers." Minerva claimed as Sting and Rogue stopped glowing their elements.

"Rogue, hang back. I can take both of them on by myself." Sting declared, stepping forward.

"U-Until just a minute ago, Sabertooth was being dominated! Unbelievably, he's challenged both of them!" Chapati announced.

"That's how much confidence he has, huh?" Yajima questioned.

"That's right! Sting-kun and Rogue-kun have Dragon Force. There's no way they can lose!" Lector claimed with his arms crossed. "I was worried for nothing!"

"Fro forgot about Dragon Force, too!" Frosch admitted.

"They're lookin' down on us..." Zack mumbled.

"But this feeling... He's strong." Akame stated.

A gust of wind blew through the four Dragon Slayers before Sting charged forward, making Akame widen his eyes. Sting sent a punch towards Akame, sending him flying in the air. Zack tried to send a kick his way but Sting avoided it and sent a blast of holy light in his direction.

Akame used his red mist as a boost to kick off the arena wall while Zack skidded on the ground. The two of them charged forward as Sting continued to deflect their attacks.

"I-It's different..." Atugia muttered.

"Totally different from before!" Chii exclaimed.

"Akame..." Dusk mumbled as Sting flew into the air.

"White Dragon's Holy Breath!" He called out, causing a ball of holy light to erupt in the arena and the floor of the arena to crumble.

Akame and Zack fell down the hole. "Zack!" Loji and Jim shouted.

"Akame!" Dusk and Chii called out.

"It seems the battlefield is moving underneath the arena, but the match will continue! Everyone, please enjoy it on Lacrima-Vision!" Chapati announced as the Lacrima screens appeared.

"I'm just getting started!" Sting exclaimed.

Akame dropped on one of the falling pieces before he shouted, "Blood Dragon's Capillary Net!"

Akame's skin rips apart, sending blood constructs with intent on trapping Sting into a net while Zack appeared behind him. "Azure Dragon's Roar!" He released a giant beam of blue light from his mouth, causing Sting to land on the ground.

"The light of the White Dragon purifies all things..." Sting began as a ball of holy light appeared in his hands. "Holy Ray!"

Both Akame and Zack soon got attacked. "Holy attribute magic..." Mavis muttered.

Akame crashed to the ground before charging at Sting, who attacked him again. "Fly." He said as Akame crashed into a wall.

"Akame can't guard against him?!" Ajar exclaimed.

"What happened to that confident mood from just before?!" Riku wondered.

Sting kicked Zack back before sending Akame back down as the fight resumed. Sting sent another attack at them, causing an explosion.

"Sting-kun really is strong, huh?" Lector grinned.

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch agreed.

Akame and Zack were shown to be knocked out as Sting raised his fist. "Are you watching this, Lector?!" Sting asked.

"I'm watching, Sting-kun!" Lector teared up.

Rogue soon joined Sting underneath the arena. "Times change. The span of seven years has allowed us to develop into true Dragon Slayers. The time of the old generation is over." He muttered.

"Yeah." Sting agreed.

"Uh-oh! They're not even twitching! It's been a breathless seesaw battle, but has Twilight Phoenix run out of steam?!" Chapati asked.

"Akame..." Chii mumbled.

"What do you think you're doing? The fight isn't over yet, you're not allowed to quit!" Jim said.

"Not again..." Loji muttered.

"I was starting to think we had a chance..." Ajar added.

"Get up! You can't lose like this!" Dusk shouted as Sting deactivated his Dragon Force.

"But you really were strong, Akame... Zack..." Sting told them.

"Are both of them down?!" Chapati questioned.

"Stand up, Akame! Zack!" Nero shouted.

"Sting!" Rogue said, hopping down to join him.

"Yeah... Sorry I took Zack down, too." Sting apologized.

"Not so fast, asshole."

Sting and Rogue turned in shock and widened their eyes as Zack was standing, causing the audience to cheer.

"Twilight Phoenix!"

"Awesome! I knew they could do it!" Atugia said.

"They're standing!" Chii waved her arms in joy.

"We'd be in a bind if they weren't." Jim commented.

"Hey, blood sucker! How long are you going to stay asleep?" Zack scolded, stretching his arms up and wincing when he heard his bones crack.

"Shut up... My head is pounding. Ow..." Akame muttered, standing up and rubbing his head.

"Incredibly, they're alive and kicking!" Chapati announced.

Akame then smirked. "But I saw through all of your habits." He claimed.

"What?!" Sting exclaimed.

"No way... It can't be... This is a bad dream..." Lector said in disbelief.

"Fro thinks so, too..." Frosch agreed.

"Your attack timing... Your posture when you defend... Even the rhythm of your breathing..." Akame said.

"What?! That's ridiculous! I'm using Dragon Force!" Sting exclaimed.

"Yeah, and it packs a wallop! My body aches all over, dammit!" Akame said, popping his shoulder as to prove his point.

"Don't get rattled, Sting. He's bluffing." Rogue informed.

"Bluffin', you say?" Zack countered, looking at Akame. "You really think the blood sucker can pull off a trick that requires usin' his brain?!"

"Oh, shut up!" Akame shot back. "For example, when you attack, your pivot foot is facing 11:00."

"Nah, it's 10:00." Zack corrected.

"It's 11:00!"

Akame and Zack clashed their heads together. "Are you blind it was 10:30 at most, were you even watching him?" Zack argued.

"I think you were hit too hard! It's 23:00!"

"That's the same thing, you moron!"

Akame and Zack soon began fighting as Sting and Rogue sweat dropped, as well as Twilight Phoenix.

"What are those two fools doing?!" Harumi wondered.

"They've got energy to spare. And that means they've still got fight left in them." Atugia told her.

"Clam it, already!" Akame exclaimed, pushing Zack into a mine cart and it started to move.

"Wha...?! Hey! You bastard!" Zack shouted as his motion sickness kicked in and disappeared. Akame turned around and grinned mischievously.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Sting questioned.

"Zack..." Rogue muttered.

"I've totally gotta pay you back for lookin' down on us." Akame said as his fingers were covered in red mist.

"I can take both of you on by myself. Go ahead, attack me at the same time!"

His declaration shocked Sting and Rogue as the red mist disappeared.

"Oh, boy! Now Akame Ketsu of Twilight Phoenix is challenging the two of them to a battle!" Chapati announced.

"Your blood is boiling, ain't it?" Akame grinned.

A/N: Can't wait to write Akame's rage in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.