(Edited 17/01/24)
(Edited 14/03/24)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
From Trial To Survival
***POTD***
"Fuck…"
Natsu grunted as he plunged himself balls deep inside Mirajane, releasing another thick load of cum into her eager womb. The white-haired Mage simply laid back and moaned, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she accepted all he could give, her legs having stopped working a long time ago.
Next to them, Erza lay on her side, having fallen asleep once again, her body covered in both Natsu's cum and Mirajane's juices. Unlike Natsu and Mira, Erza just didn't have the beastly stamina to keep going, though she certainly lasted longer than any regular Human ought to.
Collapsing on top of Mira, the white-haired Mage sighed contentedly, as she felt his tongue idly playing with her left nipple. Gently running a hand through his hair, he enjoyed the feeling of his warm seed completely packing her insides.
"Is this going to be a tradition," Natsu mumbled between her bountiful chest. "An early morning fuck after we pass out from hours and hours of rough sex?"
"Gods I hope so," Mira laughed, her face flush red as she struggled to catch her breath. "I'm surprised Erza lasted so long?"
"She's got better stamina than she gets credit for," Natsu replied, pulling out of Mira and rolling in-between the pair of S Class beauties. "I swear, I must be dreaming this shit…"
"Not a dream," Mira giggled lightly in response, rolling over to drape herself over him, her head resting on his chest. "We should probably get ready for today; the sun will be rising soon…"
"Maybe," Natsu replied quietly, as he gently placed a hand on Mira's head. "I still haven't gotten to have another round with Erza yet."
"Now you're getting greedy," Mira replied with an amused smirk. "How do you even know she'd want that?"
"She would," came the immediate response, as he reached over and pulled Erza toward him, causing the scarlet-haired Mage to mumble something incoherent. "For now though, I'm thinking its time for another nap…"
"You know what," Mira yawned tiredly. "You're right…"
The pair quickly fell asleep once more, with Mira casting an Alarm Spell right as she passed out, a content smile on her face.
***POTD***
After another few hours of sleep, the trio had woken to prepare for the arrival of the rest of those chosen for the S Class Promotion Trials. They were now fully dressed, despite the tropical heat, and waiting for the arrival of Gildarts.
"You girls gonna be okay to participate-?"
"Shut up," Erza huffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm surprised your hips even work right now?"
"When I said we shouldn't go overboard, I didn't mean for that to happen, did I," Natsu laughed in response, as Mira pointed toward a ship that was slowly approaching the island. "Looks like they're here…"
"I'm interested to see who got picked," Mira replied, as a small boat broke off from the ship, headed in their direction.
"I can guess at least a few of the ones who were picked," Natsu replied, as they lightly discussed potential candidates until the boat arrived.
"Everything all set up you three," Gildarts asked, casually jumping thirty meters to reach their position.
"Its all good to go Gildarts," Natsu replied, as the man turned around, firing a green flare into the air.
"Good. You all head on over to your assigned positions, they'll be along pretty soon."
The trio merely nodded in response, as all four of them walked to the four diverging paths on the trail.
"Good luck everyone, we're gonna need it," Gildarts joked, looking back toward the approaching ship. "This year's groups are some real tough customers…"
"Don't go pulling your hip old man," Natsu grinned, making his way along the far-left path. "I'd hate to see you forced into an early retirement."
"Funny guy," Gildarts snorted in response, eliciting amused giggles from Erza and Mira, as they all split up to their respective posts.
***POTD***
Two hours later, Natsu was sitting in position, waiting for his respective opponents. He got the beach on the eastern shoreline, and was currently sitting on a rock that was ten meters out to sea.
He'd felt Magic Spikes from both Erza and Mira, and knew that both of them had begun testing their respective opponents, which only made him more eager for his own test. It was his first time doing this, and he planned on doing it right.
Hearing footsteps, Natsu looked up from his place on the rock, an amused smirk on his face as he rested his head in his right hand. He watched as the pair walked out onto the sandy beach, looking around, before noticing his presence.
"Welcome," Natsu smirked, as both his opponents smirked and shook their heads.
"Oh, it looks like we've run into some real trouble, doesn't it?"
"That's putting it lightly," the other one grinned, before looking toward her partner. "Let's do our best though!"
"What an interesting combination," Natsu noted, not shifting from his place on the rock. "Perhaps I'll be the one in trouble? The combo of the two of you could prove to be quite devastating…"
Elise and Ur stood before him, both knowing full well that they had encountered one of the harder challenges. Despite this, both seemed eager to try it, a plus in his book.
"First things first," Natsu began formally. "Which one of you was chosen for the S Class Promotion Trial? Both of you could easily be considered for it, so I need to know for the test?"
"Its me," Elise declared sharply, stepping forward. "Ur said she didn't want to go for S Class this year."
"Fair enough," Natsu replied with a curt nod in Ur's direction. "I'm sure she has her reasons for that stance. Either way, let me break down how this trial is going to go…"
"We're ready to hear it Natsu," Elise replied firmly, with Ur nodding behind her, showing her support for the God Slayer.
"Because its you Elise, there are a few extra conditions that have to be imposed for you to complete this trial. First off, Eliza cannot help you in any way, shape or form. This includes mentally supporting you during our battle," Natsu explained. "This is a test meant for you Elise, to show what YOU are capable of. Can you fight and demonstrate the qualities of an S Class Mage… I'm interested to find out?"
"I understand Natsu, and you don't need to worry about Mother helping me," Elise replied. "She told me she wasn't going to help me with this trial, since its going to be a good test to see if I've understood everything that she's taught me up until now."
"Very good. Onto the next thing then, and that's your partner, Ur. Now, I want you to understand that you can't have Ur carry you through the fight," Natsu explained, holding his hand up before Elise could protest his words. "What I mean is that she cannot take the lead on this. You are the leader, and it will be up to you to coordinate with Ur, who will follow your lead."
"Oh, that's fair enough," Elise nodded, eliciting an amused grin from Natsu.
"As for the rest, well, I'll just say that as your examiner, I won't be taking it easy on you, nor will I take it easy on Ur either. That being said, this is still an exam. If I tell you to stop, and that the exam is over, you must both heed those words. Am I clear?"
"Understood Natsu," Elise replied with a firm nod, as Ur merely nodded in response.
"Good. My job here is to make you understand what it truly means to be an S Class Mage of the Fairy Tail Guild," Natsu said, slowly rising to his feet as both girls took a step backward, feeling a shift in the air around them. "You possess the power Elise… but can you handle the responsibility of said power!?"
Tapping his fists together, his hair flicked upward, scales emerging through his skin, as the sea beneath him began to bubble, steam rising from the surface as he entered an all too familiar form.
Natsu Dragneel (Flame Drive, Gravity Seal x4 Inactive, Suppressed) – 411,199 MPI
"I've always wanted a serious fight against you," Elise smirked, as both she and Ur began to power up. "Let's do this!"
"Be careful Elise, Natsu is an extremely formidable opponent! You can't let your guard down for even a moment," Ur warned her, knowing full well just how strong Natsu was when pressed.
"Don't worry Ur, we can do this… together," Elise cried, as she both activated her God's Aura, and was enveloped in a bright, white light. "God's Aura: War God's Divine Requip – Inferno Armor!"
Natsu was surprised at Elise's use of Requip Magic, but figured Erza had to have taught it to her during their six months of training. The God Slayer stepped out of the bright light, clad in form fitting Armor that glowed bright red in coloration.
Elise Faulkner (God's Aura, 60% Fire Resistance) – 305,292 MPI
"So, you're using Fire Resistant Armor against me," Natsu smirked in response. "A smart move, but unfortunately, I still have an arsenal of other abilities I can make use of. Still, let's see how things go…"
"Less talking, more fighting," Elise huffed, as she rushed Natsu's position atop the rock. Smirking, he waited until she was close, before vanishing, reappearing on the shoreline, right as Elise struck the rock, blasting it apart.
"Not bad," Natsu teased, before looking down and noticing a faint chill sweeping across the area. "Not bad at all…"
Ur had begun to freeze the area, her ice completely resistant to the heat he was currently generating from his Flame Drive. Looking over in her direction, he smirked.
"Impressive Ice as always Ur, even my current temperature won't melt it! Still, I'm not even close to trying yet, so we'll have to see how it holds up, eh?"
"You saw some of my abilities during the Phantom attack Natsu, so you know not to underestimate me either!"
"Believe me," Natsu smirked, leaping backward to avoid another strike from Elise. "I never was…"
Landing on the sand, Natsu cleared some extra distance, before extending his right middle and index fingers outward, a deep purple aura coating them.
"Let's see what you girls can do," Natsu smirked, as he made an upward motion, the ground behind him being forcefully uprooted, shaking the entire area as two massive, sandy boulders were torn from the earth. "How about a little of this!?"
The two massive sandy boulders orbited his form several times, rapidly picking up speed, before being launched in Elise and Ur's direction.
"Ur!?"
"Right," the Ice Make Mage snapped, as she stomped her heel into the ground, a massive wall of glossy ice shooting up in front of them. "Ice Make – Glassy Mirror!"
Ur (Etherious Aura Sealed, Base Form, Heavily Suppressed) – 299,500 MPI
Natsu smirked as his sandy boulders smacked against Ur's shield, only for them to immediately bounce back at him. The two boulders were poised to strike him directly, but instead, spun around him instead.
"What-!?"
The two boulders, already bolstered by the initial speed Natsu had deployed them, combined with the rebound force, gained further speed, and were fired back at the girls with devastating speed and force.
"Get down," Elise hissed, as they smashed right through Ur's Glassy Mirror, narrowly missing the pair, as they hit the entrance to the cave they'd come through, blocking it off. "Damn it-!"
Elise charged toward Natsu's position, with the Dragon Slayer immediately doing the same, as they both cocked their right fists back.
"God's Aura: War God's Armageddon Fist!"
"Gravity Dragon's Zero Graviton Fist!"
The two attacks collided, creating a small crater beneath them, before Elise found herself suddenly thrown into the air. Moments later, gravity immediately reversed, and she was smashed down into the ground, as Natsu vanished.
Reappearing behind Ur, his left fist ablaze, the Ice Make Mage was caught off guard.
"Fire Dragon King's Iron Fist!"
Striking Ur in the center of her chest, Natsu was surprised to find his attack went right through, and Ur turned into solid ice, freezing him in place.
"God's Aura: War God's Piercing Arrows!"
Elise summoned a bow, firing several volleys of arrows at the frozen form of Natsu. However, before they landed, the ice cube seemed to break into a dozen large pieces, spinning around Natsu's form and intercepting the arrows.
"Not a bad combo, but you'll have to do better," Natsu said, as the ice dropped to the ground, full of arrows.
Ur reappeared at Elise's side; the latter having dragged herself out of the crater she'd found herself in. The pair immediately entered defensive stances, as Elise finally spoke up.
"I thought we might have actually been able to tag you with that," Elise huffed, cracking her neck to relieve some built up pressure. "I suppose we've got to go all out then…"
"Not a bad spot of teamwork you two, but you made the fatal mistake of putting all your eggs in the one basket," Natsu replied, as the left half of Ur's body became coated in ice, indicating that she was now getting serious.
Likewise, Elise summoned two Ebony Swords, one the typical black, and the other white in coloration. She then entered an offensive stance, as Ur raised her right hand.
"Let's do it Ur!"
"Right," the Ice Make Mage snapped. "Ice Make – Powdered Snow!"
The wind in the area picked up, as the ice shards around Natsu broke down, reforming into Ur's signature Powdered Snow attack. This genuinely caught him off guard, as he immediately flared his Gravity Magic, before too much of it could stick to him.
As he began trying to deal with it, Elise charged Natsu's position, as the pair began exchanging a fierce series of attacks that shook the entire area. Once Powdered Snow was in full effect, Ur summoned two ice-based swords, and joined Elise, the pair's combined assault forcing him back on the defensive.
'Tch-! If this Powdered Snow keeps up, they might actually slow me down enough to land a blow,' Natsu thought to himself, noticing his movements had indeed been impaired by what was stuck to him. 'I'm gonna have to make a quick play…'
In the blink of an eye, Natsu suddenly shifted his movements in a drastic enough way, that he managed to kick one of Elise's swords out of her hand. Natsu grabbed it, and blocked Elise's other strike, before catching Ur's Ice Make Sword between his feet.
"Now this is the kind of teamwork I was looking for," Natsu grinned, as his free left arm exploded in crimson fire. "Fire Dragon King's Wing Attack!"
The pair, still locked mid-clash, were wholly unprepared for Natsu, as he hit the two directly with his attack. The pair were blasted across the beach, as Natsu immediately regained his footing, leaping over twenty meters into the air, and throwing Elise's sword back at her with considerable force.
Managing to just barely right herself, Elise was shocked as the sword pierced right through her right pauldron, just narrowly avoiding her skin, as it embedded itself into the dirt behind her.
"That was too close," Elise panted, as both girls shakily rose to their feet. "Ur, I have a plan."
"Oh yeah…?"
"I'm going to push him back into the water, then I'll need you to back me up, okay," Elise muttered, before whispering her plan to the Ice Make Mage.
"Oh… I like that idea! This might actually have a shot of working," the Ice Make Mage grinned. "You think you can do it?"
"I know I can do at least that much," the War God Slayer replied, as she yanked her other blade out of the dirt. "Just get ready for it…"
Ur nodded, as Elise entered an offensive stance, her Magical Power exploding out of her, surprising Natsu himself, who hadn't actually expected that much power from her.
Elise Faulkner (God's Aura, 60% Fire Resistance, Full Power) – 344,808 MPI
"This is it Natsu, I'm gonna win," Elise declared boldly, as she brought both her blades out before her, forming a X shape, as she slowly started to jog toward him, before suddenly vanishing in a burst of speed that had Natsu immediately moving to counter.
Everything moved in slow motion, as he watched her approach, her power reaching its peak, as her form became cloaked in a blackish blue hue.
"God's Aura: War God Slayer's Secret Art – Vermilion Catastrophe Cross!"
"Fire Dragon King's Reverberating Flame Elbow!"
The only option available for Natsu, was to attempt to block the strike, as Elise was moving at a speed he had not anticipated her being capable of. As her blades came within inches of striking him, he spun around and matched her attack with a fierce elbow.
Crash Magic saw the entire area rendered into cubes, as their Magic clashed against one another. Natsu was stunned as he actually felt her attack shifting him, his footing having already been unstable due to the surprise of her attack.
"This is… I'm absolutely thrilled," Natsu grinned savagely, as he was blown right back. "This is exactly what I wanted to see!"
Quickly righting himself with several flips midair, Natsu was about to place his feet within the shallows of the sea beneath him, when Elise appeared before him in another astonishing display of speed.
"God's Aura: War God's Armageddon Kick!"
Crossing both his arms out in front of him, Natsu blocked the kick, but was still sent flying out into the ocean regardless, hitting the surface and generating a sizeable splash upon impact.
"Ice Make – Ice Age!"
Showcasing her Grand Wizard position, her mastery over her Ice Make Magic, Ur instantly froze the entire ocean as far as the eye could see. Even Elise couldn't help but gape at the feat, as the Ice Make Mage cursed briefly.
"Whoops… I wasn't meant to use that much as a support," Ur laughed awkwardly. "I got a little too into it I guess!?"
Elise couldn't help but giggle, as she returned to her side, panting heavily after using everything she had to make Natsu budge.
"Do you think we did it?"
"I don't know? Wasn't he the one who was meant to tell us that we passed-?"
The entire area began to shake, but this time, it felt like an earthquake was hitting Tenrou Island. Ur stiffened considerably, as a powerful, almost malicious force slammed down onto them like a tonne of bricks, right as the ice began to crack.
From within the cracks, bright light began to filter through, as massive chunks of the ocean began slowly lifting up into the air before them. Both girls gasped, as fiery pillars erupted from the ground all around them.
"W-What's going on," Elise gasped, only for Ur to motion out toward the sea. "What…"
Elise watched in a mixture of awe and fear, as Natsu slowly rose up from the shattered ocean. He was now in the Dragon Force, his index finger extended outward, as he stood on a piece of the ocean floor.
The massive chunks of the frozen sea itself orbited his position, as a solid pillar of white light engulfed him. More pillars of fire erupted from the frozen seafloor as violent bursts of Crash Magic ripped apart the area all around them, as dark clouds began to form over the area.
"Holy shit," Elise mumbled, dropping to her knees, as Ur watched on, stunned, though more in an impressed kind of way. "I give up…"
The moment those words left her lips, the oppressive presence vanished entirely, along with the violent bursts of Crash Magic, and the fiery pillars around them. The chunks of the ocean slowly fell back down where they belonged, as Natsu lowered the section of the seafloor he had picked up back where it belonged.
He appeared before Elise, his form reverting to his base, as the shaken God Slayer looked up at him tearfully.
"Congratulations Elise, you pass."
"What…?"
"You pass," Natsu smiled, as he knelt down before her. "You've demonstrated great teamwork and leadership with Ur, great combat ability, and a sharp mind. All of these things are important traits for any S Class Mage. But what really matters, is knowing when to draw the line, and recognize that you are better off surrendering or fleeing."
"Really," Elise sniffed, as Natsu helped her to her feet. "I really pass?"
"Really," Natsu smiled, as she pulled him in for a tight hug.
"You scared me for a minute… but I'm glad you did," the God Slayer whispered quietly. "I'll do my best to remember that."
"I know you will," Natsu smiled as he looked over toward Ur, who was clearly impressed.
"You continue to amaze me Natsu. To have that amount of power at your age is beyond my understanding," the Ice Make Mage smirked.
"Well, sacrifices were made to get this far Ur, another thing that an S Class Mage needs to know. Know when it's necessary to make a sacrifice for the good of others."
"So, where do we go now Natsu?"
"There is a cave just up ahead, it'll lead you to a spot where a bunch of signposts will be placed. Follow that to the end, and gramps should be there waiting for all of you."
With that, Natsu released the teary-eyed Elise, who immediately hugged Ur, and vanished, leaving them alone to contemplate their success, and what would be required of them moving forward.
***POTD***
Making his way over to the camp, Natsu spotted Mira and Erza preparing meals, and was seated before they even noticed he was there. When Erza turned around, she nearly threw a plate at him before sighing, shaking her head at his antics.
"Honestly Natsu, we get that you're fast, but could you at least announce yourself when you arrive?"
"Nah, it's more fun this way. So, what's for lunch?"
"Well, what do you want? We've got a little bit of everything at the moment, with more coming off the fire soon," Mira replied cheerfully, as she pointed to the table behind her.
"That large power spike earlier… That was you, wasn't it Natsu," Erza asked, as Natsu nodded.
"Who did you end up going against that forced you to go that far?"
"Elise and Ur combo, and I only did it to test Elise," Natsu replied easily. "I wanted to see if she'd try and take me on when I'm clearly demonstrating that she's got no chance of winning."
"I'm guessing she backed down then, which meant she passed? You know, since she's not here," Erza asked, eliciting a proud nod from Natsu.
"She's come a long way from when we first met her on that Valtheim Job. I don't think the Elise we first met would have backed down, she'd have just called on Eliza to get her out of a jam instead."
"Its good to see she's really coming into her own," Mira agreed. "I'm sure Eliza is very proud of her progress too?"
"Speaking of progress, who did you guys get, I'm curious?"
"I got Juvia and Cana," Erza chimed in as she stirred a large broth, a small smile on her face. "Cana was apparently the one who was chosen by the Master, and she managed to put on an impressive display of teamwork with Juvia. They didn't beat me, but they showed me they had what it took to pass on to the next round."
"Well, I got Elfman and Evergreen," Mira gushed. "Did you know those two are dating Natsu!? I can't believe it!"
"For the last time Mira, they tricked you," Erza sighed, shaking her head as Mira totally ignored her.
"You didn't seriously pass them because of that, did you?"
"Of course not," Mira huffed. "Hecate did."
Natsu couldn't help but laugh, eliciting another annoyed groan from Erza, as the area fell into a calm silence.
"You know, I've been thinking," Mira muttered, no longer smiling as she drew the attention of both Natsu and Erza to herself. "Don't you find it strange that no one has arrived here yet?"
"That's… Actually, that's a good point Mira," Erza hummed, eyes narrowed. "For that matter, where's the Master?"
"Seems strange he's not here yet," Natsu noted, also now somewhat suspicious. "I don't believe for a second that he's lost or anything either."
"Natsu… Can you use your speed to do a quick runaround of the area around here," Mira asked, slowly standing up. "Hecate… Apologies for talking over Mirajane, but I sense something amiss."
"Its fine Hecate," Natsu replied, instantly on his feet. "I'll return the moment I either find someone, or have news. Stay alert, both of you."
Natsu disabled his Gravity Seal, vanishing on the spot, as Erza took the broth away from the fire.
"The more I think about this, the more I don't like it," Erza noted, only for Natsu to suddenly reappear, now holding a shaken and scuffed up Levy.
"Levy," Mira gasped. "Are you alright!?"
"I found her in the woods unconscious," Natsu explained, as both Erza and Mira quickly examined her. "I can smell Gajeel's scent on her, so I'm going to track it and find him."
"N-Natsu…"
"Levy," Natsu replied gently, as the blue-haired Mage gently gripped his coat.
"It's Gajeel Natsu… Gajeel's in trouble-!"
"Shh. Settle down Levy, focus, and explain to us what happened," Natsu murmured, as Mira went and got her something to drink.
"We were following the trail together, when all of a sudden we were attacked," Levy began, as she took the offered drink. "There was this strange Samurai, and a weird chicken looking thing… Anyway, Gajeel seemed to recognize that they weren't part of the trial, because they had Guild Marks on their clothes."
"He'd be right," Natsu nodded in response. "Only Fairy Tail Mages are supposed to be here.
"They said they were scouts for a main force," Levy continued, eyes narrowed. "Gajeel told me to run, and took both of them on, you've got to help him-!"
"I will Levy, don't worry," Natsu replied firmly. "We'll get to the bottom of this. I've got Gajeel's scent, I'll find him."
Natsu vanished yet again, as Erza Requiped into her base Armor. Mira knew Erza was going to likely backtrack to find Cana and Juvia.
"Be careful Erza, I'll wait here in case anyone manages to show up."
"Right," Erza nodded, before taking off into the forest, leaving Mira to look after Levy.
She could only hope that this was just a minor incident, but somehow, she felt like Hecate's warning was just a prelude to something far worse…
***POTD***
"N-No…"
Gajeel grunted as he pulled his arm from the body of a man dressed in full Samurai Armor, his wakizashi shattered nearby. Turning around, he faced down a strange chicken humanoid, his entire arm completely coated with the other man's blood.
"Now, I reckon we've got a few choices here," Gajeel smirked, slowly advancing on the chicken humanoid. "I can tear ya apart and make a chicken sandwich outta ya? Or-?"
The strange chicken humanoid quaked with fear, as it was suddenly pinned up against the tree behind it, a buzzing saw-blade pressed up against its neck, as Gajeel transformed his arm into the frightening torture tool.
"-you can tell me why the fuck two Grimoire Heart cronies are on Tenrou!?"
"Pepepepepe Please, don't kill me," the thing begged, thoroughly annoying Gajeel, who despised things begging for their lives.
"Well now, what do we have here…"
The chicken like humanoid went white as a sheet, with Gajeel merely smirking evilly, bringing the saw-blade even closer to its neck, as Natsu slowly approached Gajeel's position.
"Bout time you got here Salamander, I'm gettin ready to pluck a chicken…"
"Th-The Wizard Saint-peron," the creature squawked.
"Blacksteel, take its legs off first if it refuses to speak, because I'd very much like to know the answer to your question…"
"Gihihi… You got it Salamander," the Dragon Slayer chuckled darkly, as he lowered the saw down to his upper thighs.
"I-I'll squawk-I-I mean talk!"
"Then speak," Natsu said coldly. "And if I even suspect that you're hiding anything from us, I'll bump Gajeel's arm between your legs…"
"G-Grimoire H-Heart is invading T-Tenrou Island," the chicken cried out in terror. "Our Guild Master asked us to scout the place so the Seven K-Kin can take out all resistance-peron!"
"Is that right," Natsu hummed thoughtfully. "Why? What does Grimoire Heart want? Revenge?"
"Th-That isn't why we're here-peron! B-But I can't tell you why, our Guild Master has sealed the ability of anyone not of the Seven Kin to speak of it!"
"So, in other words… you're useless to us now?"
"Wh-What!?"
"If you can't tell me anything else, then you're useless to me," Natsu replied coldly, as he looked toward Gajeel. "Kill him."
"You sure?"
"Wizard Saint's Authority, I permit the kill," Natsu replied without so much as a second thought, utterly terrifying the now crying chicken. "He's a member of the Bharam Alliance, he dies."
"Fair enough," Gajeel shrugged, raising the saw-blade and decapitating the chicken.
The pair watched as its body ran off into the forest, before they shared a somewhat surprised look.
"Guess he was a chicken?"
"That aside, you alright Blacksteel?"
"Against these two chumps? Yeah," Natsu smirked, as Natsu motioned for him to follow along. "I assume you found the shrimp?"
"Yeah. I tracked your scent from her, though its strange that she was unconscious…"
"Unconscious," Gajeel hissed. "Dunno how that would've happened, considering I was fightin these two punks?"
The duo stopped in place, as dozens upon dozens of masked people emerged from thin air all around them. Natsu wasn't even phased by their presence, finding it more an annoyance than anything else.
"Look at that Gajeel, more trash," Natsu scoffed. "I'm guessing all of you are either from Grimoire Heart directly, or made up of their sub-Guilds? Regardless, it doesn't matter, because you all don't belong here. Tenrou Island is sacred ground, not meant for the feet of filthy Dark Mages like you…"
"Your island might be sacred, but not for reasons relating to your pathetic Legal Guild," one of the soldiers shouted, as Natsu snapped his attention toward him. "You Legal Scum are-!"
Extending his right hand out, the man's entire body folded in on itself, as the gravity around him intensified to the point that his body almost looked two dimensional. The soldiers around him were horrified, as his now liquefied organs seeped through his flattened form.
"Damn Salamander, what's with you…?"
"I'm sick of these Dark Mages Blacksteel, I'm done letting them do as they please," Natsu huffed in response. "What did that idiot mean by what he said?"
"What he meant, is that this island houses something of vaaaaalue," a voice replied calmly, as a fifteen-foot tall, goat-like Humanoid emerged from thin air.
The creature wore a short black jacket that only covered his upper chest, exposing his six pack, black pants that only went just below his goat-like knees, and a pair of black rimmed sunglasses.
"There's something strange about this one," Natsu muttered, as the figure strode through the sea of troops, who immediately parted for him.
"It seems that I shall be the one to eliminate you, Natsu Draaaaagneel, in the name of the Seven Kin!"
Member Of Grimoire Heart
One Of The Seven Kin Of Purgatory
SS Rank Dark Mage
The Corrupted Celestial
Caprico
"Is that so? Tell me, do you honestly believe that you can actually defeat me," Natsu replied, crossing his arms as he stared down the much taller creature. "Honestly?"
"Grimore Heart is not like the Oraaaacion Seis, Dragneel," Caprico replied with a smirk. "You shall soon learn this lesson well…"
"What an idiot," Gajeel scoffed. "Salamander, if you get rid of the fodder, I'll handle this clown?"
"You sure?"
"I'm worried about the shrimp, as well as the little one."
Natsu's eyes widened at that.
"Wendy's here!?"
"Yeah. She got picked to be Mest's partner-."
"Wait, who the Hell is Mest?"
"Huh? What are ya on about? You know Mest, right? He's…"
"…"
"I know him," Gajeel muttered, eyes narrowed in deep thought as Natsu's blood ran deathly cold.
"If I find out anyone has harmed so much as a single hair on her head Blacksteel-."
Gajeel took a step back as Natsu's skin began to emit steam, his skin reddening slightly, as he tried to calm Natsu down.
"Settle down Salamander, we don't know if anythin happened to her," the Dragon Slayer snapped, though it went wholly ignored, as orange sparks shot out of his form.
"I'm going to look for Wendy, kill this idiot," Natsu snapped, as a solid pillar of light formed around the pair. "Crash Arts: Crash Calamity!"
What followed was complete chaos, as the attack started expanding outward, enveloping all the soldiers in the immediate area, sparing only Caprico. Stray body parts, blood, and other bits of gore were flung onto nearby trees, bushes and rocks, as the light dissipated, revealing Natsu had vanished.
"Such power," Caprico whispered. "I caaaaan see now why Bluenote spoke so highly of him."
Gajeel couldn't help but shiver, however. Fearful of what might happen if Wendy was actually hurt. Something had clearly happened to Natsu since they last worked together. Whereas before, he would only kill if it were necessary, he was now merciless against anyone calling themselves a Dark Mage, showing zero remorse in slaughtering them.
There was a loud rumbling sound, prompting both Gajeel and Caprico to look upward, as a massive airship slowly approached the island.
"The fuck…?"
"It won't be long now," Caprico muttered. "We are just the scouts. Once our Guild Maaaaaster gets here, it's over."
"Well then," Gajeel grunted, turning his attention back toward Caprico. "Guess I'd better kill you before he touches down!"
"You caaaaan try," Caprico smirked, as the pair vanished, reappearing mid clash, as their battle began.
***POTD***
Elsewhere across Tenrou Island, Erza had fought her way through hundreds of soldiers, having no idea what was going on. As she fought her way through wave after wave, acting on pure instinct, she was suddenly interrupted by the call of familiar voices.
"Miss Erza!?"
"Juvia! Cana," Erza called out in relief, dropping down before them, her blades dripping with blood.
"Oi Erza, what the Hell is going on here!? We've been getting attacked by all sorts of freaks in weird outfits," Cana all but demanded to know, eliciting an equally as confused shrug from the scarlet-haired Mage.
"I have no idea, but we need to make our way back to the camp immediately and regroup-!"
"There is no escape, Number Seven, Erza Scarlett," a cold voice snapped from within the nearby tree-line, putting all three of them on the defensive.
"Who's there," Juvia called out, only for the mysterious figure to sigh audibly.
"It's none of your concern, Number Eleven, Juvia Lockser. Just stand still and prepare for your termination."
"The heck is wrong with you," Cana snapped back. "Why the Hell are ya calling us by numbers, ya damn creep!?"
"Because, Number Twelve, Cana Alberona, that is the order for which you are scaled. Specifically, by level of threat."
"Your list must be pretty shit if Erza's at Number Seven then!?"
"No," the voice replied firmly. "My list is completely accurate!"
Number Seventeen – Levy McGarden
Number Sixteen – Elfman Strauss
Number Fifteen – Evergreen
Number Fourteen – Cana Alberona
Number Thirteen – Juvia Lockser
Number Twelve – Wendy Marvell
Number Eleven – Bickslow
Number Ten – Freed Justine
Number Nine – Gajeel Redfox
Number Eight – Mirajane Strauss
Number Seven – Erza Scarlett
Number Six – Elise Faulkner
Number Five – Makarov Dreyar
Number Four – Natsu Dragneel
Number Three – Gildarts Clive
Number Two – Ur
Number One – Gray Fullbuster
"Hold on, you're placing Ur and Gray above the Master, Natsu, and Gildarts!? Why would you consider them more dangerous," Erza asked clearly confused.
"Because they present the greatest threat to her, to Ultear! Ur abandoned Ultear in favor of Gray Fullbuster! In order to spare her from having to bear the suffering of even seeing either of them, I'll kill them well before they can hurt her any further!"
"Ur had a daughter," Erza gasped in shock, as a young, pink haired girl, walked out of the tree-line.
Member Of Grimoire Heart
One Of The Seven Kin Of Purgatory
SS Rank Dark Mage
The Robotic Child
Meredy Milkovitch
The girl glared at the trio with a dead stare, though there was a fierce fire behind her dark green eyes that told another story entirely.
"So, she even refuses to acknowledge Ultear's existence!? Both she and Gray deserve nothing less than death for what they have done to Ultear!"
"Did you just say that you were going to …. kill Gray," Juvia asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as both Cana and Juvia stepped backward in surprise, feeling a sudden spike in her Magical Power.
"I did. They will pay for what they've done to Ultear!"
Rain clouds began to form high above them, and it became clear to both Cana and Erza, that Juvia was not happy with that response… at all.
"You would dare to harm a hair on my beloved Gray's head," Juvia hissed, as the entire lake behind them lifted right out of place, forming a solid sphere behind Juvia startling even Meredy, though only for the briefest of moments.
"How can you call someone that despicable your beloved," the girl spat back, as Juvia barred her teeth in anger, her eyes appearing almost as if she were insane.
"How dare you… How DARE you," Juvia screeched, as she fell back into the sphere of water, seemingly melting into it, with the top half of her body reforming at the top part of it. "Gray is the nicest, kindest man I know, to whom I owe my very life!"
"What is this," Erza whispered, as she gently moved Cana away from Juvia's position. "I didn't know Juvia had power like this…?"
Juvia Lockser (5000 Liters Of Water Absorbed, Enraged) – 113,782 MPI
"Anyone who tries to get in the way of my beloved Gray and I … is better off DEAD," Juvia screeched, as she fired out a city blocked sized version of her Water Slicer attack, forcing Meredy to dodge, as Juvia looked back toward Erza and Cana. "I'll deal with this bitch, so go and make sure Gray and the others are safe!"
Cana was about to protest when Erza nodded in agreement, motioning for her to be silent, and instead, seemingly playing along with Juvia's delusions.
"Don't die Juvia, because Gray still needs you, just as much as you need him!"
Juvia nodded, smiling for the briefest moment, before turning her attention back on Meredy, who was quickly advancing toward her position.
"Your attempts to resist are futile. You are merely Number Twelve, after all?"
"To Hell with your numbers… and to Hell with YOU," Juvia screeched, as she started putting the lake she'd just absorbed to good use.
Cana and Erza ran, determined to reach the camp before being ambushed by anyone else.
Little did they know, that all of Tenrou Island, was about to become an all out war zone…