(Edited 22/04/24)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
Natsu Versus God Serena
***POTD***
'So, this is the power of the strongest Wizard Saint… A title well earned,' Natsu thought to himself as the pair broke off their clash, skidding backward.
"Most impressive. To be capable of matching a blow from me is no easy feat," Serena noted, a small smirk etching its way onto his face. But I wonder if you truly have what it takes to stand before the might of eight Dragons?"
"Eight Dragons?"
"Ah, yes, you don't know about that, do you? I suppose no one does," Serena chuckled softly to himself. "You see, I too possess the same Magic as yours, the power of a Dragon Slayer. However, I possess far more than one mere element! For one such a I could settle for no less than eight different Dragon Slayer elements!"
"Eight!? I find that very hard to believe," Natsu replied with a frown. "Four I could believe, but not eight?"
"It seems you need a demonstration of my skills, so prepare yourself, Natsu," Serena smirked, his Magical Power shooting up as the ground began to shake violently, rattling Natsu's vision. "Cavern Dragon's Earth Collapse!"
Raising both his hands high into the air, Serena slammed them down onto the ground as the shaking increased in its intensity. Just as Natsu manage to acclimatize himself to the shaking, the ground started to collapse in on itself, as he leapt into the air.
Serena seemed momentarily surprised as Natsu instantly launched himself a good kilometer in the air without Magical assistance, before smirking, realizing that he would see the full effect of his attack.
And Natsu indeed did see it. With Serena at the centre on a lone pillar of earth, everything within a one-kilometer radius of him had collapsed, creating a massive crater full of earthen rubble and forested debris.
Narrowing his eyes, fire exploded from his feet as he shot toward Serena, who had summoned a mud brown Magic Circle before him and begun launching much of the earth at him.
Increasing his Crash Barrier, Natsu easily smashed through them, quickly inching closer to Serena's position. The Wizard Saint didn't seem all to bothered by this though, as he held two fingers out to his right and made a swinging motion with them, the wind picking up in the process.
"Gale Dragon's Backblast!"
Natsu felt his momentum decrease by half as his position was struck by a powerful blast of wind. Having heard Serena refer to it as Gale Dragon Slayer Magic, he couldn't help but chuckle at the similarities it had with Wendy's Magic.
Suddenly, Natsu's speed increased back to what it had been previously, surprising Serena momentarily, before he adopted an offensive stance.
"It seems you know how to work around the power of wind, no doubt thanks to that girl who refers to herself as your student," Serena huffed, as Natsu's fist exploded into flame.
"Yeah. I wouldn't be a very good teacher if I couldn't work my way around her Magic," Natsu smirked, as Serena's right hand clenched into a fist, a watery substance beginning to pour out of it as the two were now mere meters away.
"Fire Dragon King's Reverberating Iron Fist!"
"Sea King Dragon's Aquapressure Strike!"
The two attacks clashed, immediately setting off a sizeable explosion that clouded the pair in scalding steam. Within the steam, their shadowed figures could be seen exchanging a series of blows within, before one blocked a kick from the other and skidded out of its boundary.
"Now THIS is the kind of fight I was waiting for," Serena's voice boomed, as another powerful blast of wind pushed the steam aside, revealing the pair standing across from one another, nary a scratch on either of them.
Natsu Dragneel (PTS + Base Form + Second Origin Sealed + Full Power) – 98.47 Million MPI
God Serena (Base Form + Second Origin Sealed + Suppressed) – 112.2 Million MPI
Natsu cautiously observed his foe, knowing full well that Serena's power was no mere boast. Even suppressing his E.N.D abilities, his power was still far beyond the vast majority of Mages.
But Serena… Serena represented the next level he had to surpass. He was the pinnacle of Magic Power on Ishgar, and Alvarez housed many just as powerful as he, if not more powerful…
"Yeah," Natsu smirked, cracking his knuckles as he felt his body tremble slightly with anticipation. "You're a powerful opponent…"
***POTD***
Back in the Domus Flau arena, everyone was stunned into silence. Every single eye was wide open, even the usually stoic such as Jura, Kagura or Laxus couldn't help but gape at what they'd just seen.
Makarov was visibly shaken by what he saw, the Lacrima feed showing Natsu standing before the strongest Wizard Saint after multiple clashes without so much as a scratch. The idea that he could have grown this powerful raised many questions in the old man's mind.
Looking toward his Guild, he couldn't help but stifle a snort at the smug look Wendy had, the youngest Slayer having told them all Natsu would be capable of standing up to the inhuman strength of God Serena.
"The world is watching Natsu," Makarov muttered to himself, looking back up toward the screen. "Give it your all…"
***POTD***
Serena arched his neck as a bright golden light shone forth from his mouth. Natsu knew exactly what this was, entering a tense offensive stance as he waited for the attack.
"Lightray Dragon's Roar!"
Firing the powerful breath attack at Natsu's position, he just barely managed to dodge it, immediately dodging the light speed attack as fire spewed forth from his own mouth.
"Fire Dragon King's Reverberating Roar!"
"Sea King Dragon's Roar!"
Both men fired their respective breath attacks, generating a massive explosion of steam that quickly blanketed the crater Serena had created earlier. Some of the Lacrima within the attack were destroyed in the process, footage snapping to multiple backup Lacrima as the crowd remained on the edge of their seats.
Natsu immediately made his way to the edge of the steam cloud he was closest to, dodging a series of powerful air blasts fired at him by Serena. Once he finally got out, he was narrowly able to avoid a thirty-meter-long aerial slash attack made from pure wind, watching as it gouged out a section of the mountain ahead of him.
'Damn… This many separate Dragon Slaying Elements are tough to counter,' Natsu thought to himself as he watched Serena slowly emerge from the steam cloud, a smirk on his face. 'I've got no choice but to kick this up a notch!'
"Flame Drive!"
Serena's smirk vanished, his eyes narrowing as Natsu's form exploded with crimson fire. The entire area shook violently as a light set of red scales formed across his arms, legs, upper neck and cheeks.
The entire area shook violently, God Serena's eyes wide as Natsu felt the power flow through him. He looked toward Serena, sliding into an offensive stance, ready for round two.
Natsu Dragneel (Flame Drive + Second Origin Sealed + Full Power) – 196.94 Million MPI
Vanishing from his previous position, he appeared in front of Serena in an instant, fist cocked back and an attack fully charged and ready to go. The Wizard Saint however managed to dodge at the last moment, as Natsu's fist struck the earth.
From his position in the air, Serena was impressed as he watched Natsu form a similarly sized crater to the one he had created earlier, the two linking up to form a much larger one, as Crash Magic shattered a one-kilometer radius into cubes.
It was at that moment, Serena realized what Natsu's true objective had been with that attack.
Smirking, Natsu made an upward motion with his index and middle finger, as millions of brick sized cubes all shot in Serena's direction, the Wizard Saint immediately preparing a counter as they smashed into him.
"So, that's how it is!? Purgatory Dragon's Blazing Barrier!"
Spinning around in a circle as the attack struck him, the earth was slowly turned into molten slag as it began to orbit Serena's position before being dumped down into the crater. Natsu immediately leapt into the air, avoiding being caught in the molten sea of boiling slag.
He watched as the crater filled up with the deadly substance, Serena landing nearby, panting slightly. The two men knew that this was just the beginning of their battle, and this landscape wouldn't survive what was going to come.
"I can see why you've caused such a stir in the world, there are few who could stand against you," Serena smirked as they slowly moved toward one another. It seems that the Ten Wizard Saints top six positions are to be filled with monsters…"
"As it always should have been," Natsu replied evenly, eliciting a slightly raised eyebrow from the Rank One Saint. "The Ten Wizard Saints are supposed to be the strongest and most powerful Mages this continent has to offer. There are threats out there that the Ten will one day be forced to face, and they should have the monstrous power necessary to defend the people from those threats."
"Heh. That's certainly an interesting point of view," Serena smirked, vanishing and appearing right in front of Natsu. "Cavern Dragon's Impact Fist!"
The ground behind Natsu was uplifted as a powerful shock-wave tore through it like a mobile quake. Serena, however, was surprised to see Natsu had blocked the strike with his forearm, not budging an inch.
"Your senses serve you well… I can count on one hand the number of Mages who've faced me and gone unscathed for this long."
"It's only been around fifteen minutes though?"
"I'm aware."
The pair vanished and suddenly clashed once again; their fists locked in place as the Rank One Saint barely stifled a laugh.
"Let's do this," Serena barked out as they disappeared with blinding speed, the landscape being torn to shreds as they flashed in and out of view on the Lacrima, only the most powerful of Mages capable of seeing what occurred during those brief flashes, as the two powerful Mages struggled to land a decisive blow on one another.
"Fire Dragon King's Talon!"
"Lightray Dragon's Blinding Claw!"
The pair spun around simultaneously, their legs clashing as the ground beneath them cratered from the sheer force behind their respective blows. Both men felt the strength behind their opponent's blows, with Serena breaking off quickly and immediately going on the offensive, forcing Natsu onto the defensive.
'Figures. I have the power advantage right now, but Serena is faster thanks to that Lightray Dragon Slaying Magic he has allowing him to remain at the speed of light for longer periods of time than I can. Still, I can sense his attacks, which means I still have a fair shot!'
"Still aren't scathed, Dragneel," Serena smirked, reappearing nearby as he struck the ground with a fly kick, splitting the earth open as multiple pieces of rubble shot up before him. "Let's see just how good your reflexes truly are!? Cavern Dragon's Stalagmite Shards"
From the chunks of the earth between them, Serena used his Magic to fire razor sharp stalagmites at him, forcing him firmly onto the defensive as he dashed between the barrage, letting his Crash Barrier shatter any stray shards whilst moving closer to Serena's position.
"Still not enough for you!? Then how about a little of my Gale Dragon's Razor Wind!?"
Jumping into the air, Serena made several kicking motions with his legs, and with each one came a razor-sharp gust of wind that Natsu was forced to dodge in addition to the stalagmite shards. The gusts of wind, upon making impact with the ground, gouged out large chunks of it, scarring the landscape even further in the process.
And, it made Natsu inwardly shudder at Wendy's hypothetical peak, should she master her own Sky Dragon Slayer abilities.
Deciding enough was enough, he prepared himself for a counterattack, now within range of the Wizard Saint. Crimson flame exploded around his form as he shot up toward Serena's exposed position, the Wizard Saint immediately adopting a defensive stance.
"Fire Dragon King's Reverberating Sword Horn!"
Serena blocked the attack using both hands, but was still propelled even higher into the sky. However, he was shocked when Natsu suddenly appeared behind him, his right arm coated in crimson fire.
"Fire Dragon King's Reverberating Wing Attack!"
Blocking the attack, this time with both his arms out in front of him in a cross formation, the Wizard Saint barely blocked the attack, being blasted down to the ground below. Upon impact, he skidded briefly before performing a flip as he arched his neck backward.
"Lightray Dragon's Lightspeed Barrage!"
Right as he regained his footing, Serena fired out a barrage of raw light directly at Natsu's position. Natsu immediately dropped to the ground, raising his Crash Barrier to its maximum, as he began deflecting as many as he could, forcing Crash Magic into them as explosions rocked the surrounding area.
Black smoke blanketed the area as Natsu emerged still unscathed, much to Serena's chagrin, the Wizard Saint huffing with a shake of his head.
"Fine then, it seems I have no other choice but to use it," the Wizard Saint huffed, as a raw pillar of Magic Power erupted around his form. "Prepare yourself for the might of the Eight Dragon's Drive!"
"What-!?"
Natsu was forced to fall back as the entire area became extremely unstable. Serena's power skyrocketed as multicolored scales began to emerge across his form much in the same way they had for Natsu. Red, Gold, White, Black, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Brown and Dark Purple. These were the colors that now covered the scaled form of Serena, his eyes now also more draconian, sporting a combination of the eight colors.
God Serena (Eight Dragons Drive + Second Origin Sealed + Full Power) – 785.4 Million MPI
"Damn it… Guess we're really doing this," Natsu replied shakily, as he fully opened up his reserves, his body beginning to bulk up as he groaned under the strain. "You want a fight on this level Serena!? Here it comes!"
Natsu's height increased to well over twenty-five feet tall and a body as bulky as a Lacrima Car, Natsu's power drastically increased as the land around him became charred black, his spiked tail smacking the ground and melting right through the surface.
"This is my Dragon Force Stage II Serena!"
Natsu Dragneel (Dragon Force Stage II + Second Origin Sealed + Full Power) – 787.76 Million MPI
"So, you held a trump card too, eh," Serena laughed aloud, as both men prepared themselves for what was clearly going to be a brutal battle. "Which one of us will fall I wonder!? KEHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
***POTD***
Back in Domus Flau, the arena was dead silent as they watched the unbelievable match unfold before their eyes. The two transformed titans charged one another as they clashed brutally and relentlessly, entire hectares of land being blasted apart in the process.
Even within Natsu's own Guild, only Wendy remained composed. Everyone else was reduced to gaping messes. Even Elise, who had assumed she was somewhat relative to Natsu, quickly found herself lacking sorely by comparison.
However, atop the ring of the Colosseum, several figures watched the battle. Each of them varied vastly in their appearance, yet all four of them were likewise unbothered by the titanic display.
Three of them had been standing there watching the battle from the moment it had started, with the fourth joining them only mere moments before the two competitors had transformed. The oldest looking member of the group turned to look at the newcomer with an amused smirk.
"Took your time getting here, didn't you?"
"I was busy exterminating The Third Circle Warrod, remember?"
"I remember," the Number Four Wizard Saint remarked with his usual smirk. "And I fail to see your point?"
"She's referring to the fact that she had to cross half the continent in two days, Warrod."
"Come now Draculos, I was only joking! Ke he heh! You know I was just joking, right?"
"Of course I knew," the fourth member smirked in response. "That being said, any opportunity to have you chastised is always worth it!"
"You're always stirring the pot, aren't you? I must say, its both amusing and irksome."
The fourth member looked toward the man who spoke, a small smirk on her face as she looked down at the older man who wore a simple dark green robe with a large baggy hat atop his head. The man stroked his beard thoughtfully as he looked toward her, waiting for her inevitable retort.
"Come now, you know you appreciate my being here to shake things up! After all, if it wasn't for me, you'd be at Warrod's throat all day like usual, wouldn't you, Wolfheim?"
One Of The Ten Wizard Saints
The Lord Of Destruction
One Of The Ishgar Five
Wizard Saint Rank Three
Wolfheim
"I'm not falling for your bait today," Wolfheim sniffed, adjusting his glasses with a huff as he looked back toward the screen to see Natsu knock Serena through a mountain. "That young man possesses almost frightening power…"
"Yes. I met him seven years ago, and even then I could sense potential," Draculos agreed with a short hum. "But to reach Serena's level despite being gone for seven years… Not even I could have predicted such a feat."
"Ke he heh! Well, I could have," Warrod chimed in with a raspy chuckle. "After all, don't we have another among our ranks who has done similarly?"
"Similarly, yes," Draculos agreed, looking toward their fourth member. "However, even as powerful as she is, the jump in power is nothing compared to Natsu's. Am I right, Ur?"
One Of The Ten Wizard Saints
The Lady Of Glaciation
One Of The Ishgar Five
S Class Mage Of Fairy Tail
Wizard Saint Rank Five
Ur
Ur smirked, running a hand through her hair as she looked back toward the battle taking place, before all four of them looked off into the distance to see a massive dome of fire eclipse one of the mountains, shaking Crocus itself from the force of the attack.
"Anyone who doubted his potential was, quite frankly, a fucking idiot."
Draculos lowered his head, but smiled. Wolfheim seemed almost offended at the way she worded her statement, but didn't even try to refute it. And Warrod laughed, even as the dome shook from the force of the explosion.
"It seems that we all might be dropping back a rank following this battle," Draculos mused aloud, eliciting a giggle from Ur and an aged, raspy chuckle from Warrod, as the Saints continued to observe the battle with great interest.
***POTD***
Natsu flew over the scarred earth, landing amidst the shattered earth as lava spewed forth from multiple gouges that ran deep into the planet's crust. Looking over at the mountain he'd just shot Serena into, he could still sense the Wizard Saint, and knew that this was far from over.
And, sure enough, the Wizard Saint reappeared once again, landing a short distance away, though clearly sporting visible battle damage.
"Well done," Serena panted, flicking some blood off to the side as blood oozed forth from a gash in his arm. "You've done well to make it this far!"
Natsu winced, feeling multiple wounds across his body that the man had inflicted, knowing full well that Serena knew of them as well.
"That form of yours might be a more advanced stage of the Dragon Force. However, it has a crucial weakness…"
"I know," Natsu huffed, as magma erupted behind him, spewing off to the left as the ground roared in protest of their battle. "The drawback to even the base Dragon Force is that if another Slayer, or even a Dragon, were to strike me, I take more damage. The Stage II form inches close to that of a full Dragon, meaning I'm taking double the damage from all your attacks…"
Natsu suddenly vanished, reappearing right in front of Serena and uppercutting the Wizard Saint, and sending him flying high into the air.
"Fire Dragon King's Grip Strike!"
Natsu shot toward Serena, intending to follow up his initial attack with a follow up, only for Serena to suddenly exhale, spewing out a large twister that sucked Natsu right into the eye of the storm.
"Gale Dragon's Twister!"
Natsu grit his teeth as the twister swung around and flung him into the side of a mountain, his body smashing right through it as he smashed into the forested region behind it, ripping up half a hectare worth of land as he skidded to a stop.
"Ugh… Okay, that actually hurt," Natsu mumbled as he shakily rose to his feet, wincing as he felt his left side stinging. "A shame I can't use my other abilities to regenerate…"
Leaping out of the crater, a jagged gash was torn into the ground, followed by several more, as dark purple, claw-like blasts attempted to strike him. Looking around, he saw Serena standing within the hole in the mountain he'd been blasted through, slashing at the air wildly.
"How does it feel Dragneel," Serena grinned as he continued to slash away at the air. "Psion Dragon's Psionic Slash!"
Natsu charged forward, raising his Crash Barrier to maximum as he blocked or avoided as many of the blows as he could. However, he wasn't prepared for Serena to also go on the offensive, the Wizard Saint suddenly disappearing.
"What-!?"
Natsu coughed up blood as he was kicked brutally in the chest, being smashed back into the ground as the Wizard Saint formed two light blue Magic Circles around his wrists, aiming them down toward his downed position.
"You are strong, but you aren't ready for this level Natsu! Tundra Dragon's Hell Blizzard!"
All around his position, temperatures immediately dropped into the negative degrees, forcing Natsu to rapidly raise his body temperature as he felt his blood beginning to freeze.
'My blood is freezing!? Impossible-!?'
It became apparent rather quickly that his legs had been frozen over, pinning him in place as Serena struck him in the chest with a fierce blow. Blood poured from his mouth as he lurched forward, but he wasn't done just yet, delivering a brutal chop to Serena's neck with his right hand.
"ARGH-!?"
Serena dropped, a loud crack echoing across the area as Natsu fell forward, the ice melting around his legs, allowing him to drop to his knees. As for Serena, he clutched his neck, blood dripping from his right ear and nose as he clutched the right side of his neck.
"You…You nearly broke my fucking neck!?"
"…You broke two of my ribs jackass," Natsu coughed back, both men slowly rising to their knees. "Get what you give…"
"Oh yeah," Serena chuckled darkly, lunging forward and slashing Natsu's chest. "Holy Dragon's Sealing Strike!"
Natsu clutched his chest as blood sprayed across the ground, Serena laughing almost in a maniacal manner as he slowly rose to his feet. It was then that he began to feel his form shrinking down, his scales receding as the Wizard Saint stood over him triumphantly.
"What… I can't feel my flames," Natsu gasped, coughing up more blood as he reverted to his base form. "What!?"
"Of course you can't feel your flames," Serena smirked triumphantly. "My Holy Dragon Slayer Magic has the ability to seal the Magic of my opponents, including other Dragon Slayer Elements! Of course, I can only seal off one element at a time, but it should be more than sufficient to incapacitate you!"
"Hehehehe…"
Panting heavily as he rose to his feet, Natsu shot an amused, bloody smirk toward the Wizard Saint, before bursting into a fit of laughter.
"I see now… Your Holy Dragon Slayer Magic is the more advanced version of Sting's White Dragon Slayer Magic. You have the sealing ability, minus the seal," the Dragon Slayer chuckled, running a hand across his slashed chest, smearing his own blood across his body. "I can see what your plan was. You knew I could use Crash Magic, and you knew it would be useless in reversing your seal… Very well played."
"If you think its well-played, then why are you laughing?"
"I'm laughing because I knew a situation where I wouldn't be able to access my Fire Dragon Slayer Magic and its abilities would come about," the Dragon Slayer replied, holding a bloodied hand out before clenching his fist. "Which means you're going to be the first person who gets to see this…"
Serena was surprised as he felt Natsu's Magical Power begin to shoot up once again, the area beginning to shake violently as Natsu's form began to change, though not quite in the way anyone would have expected.
Instead of bulking up, it began to slim down slightly as deep purple scales emerged all across his body. His fingers began to lengthen, long and spindly with fifteen-centimeter-long nails, his feet doubling in length with his nails extending by an additional ten centimeters. His hair also lengthened, slowly and visibly turning a deep purple color that flowed like he were underwater.
Two three-meter-long wings emerged from his back, the skin along the membrane all tattered, the remains sporting deep purple veins that pulsed randomly. A long, thin tail slowly emerged from his tailbone, a single long spike at the tip that sported a strange purple glow to it, as a pair of thin purple horns emerged from the top of his head, gnarled back as another horn jutted out of his chin, the same purple glow emitting from its tip.
Slowly opening his eyes, they were now longer the draconian red they had once been, now a deep purple instead, as he slowly began to float up off of the ground.
"Impossible… How can you access the Dragon Force!?"
"You sealed my Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, that much is true," Natsu smirked in response. "My Gravity Dragon Slayer Magic is still very much accessible. This… is the power of my Gravity Dragon Force!"
'A shame I can't use my E.N.D abilities, or this would be over much quicker,' the Dragon Slayer thought to himself as he felt the power of Gravity flowing through him. 'Lykyria wasn't kidding when she said this is what the Gravity Dragon Force was like… Gravity itself is my plaything, my toy! If this was my first time using this, I could cause some serious damage.'
"You really are full of surprises Natsu," Serena growled, still clutching his neck as he stumbled forward. "To think that you still had another element up your sleeve?"
"Well, if you think that's a surprise," Natsu chuckled as yellow sparks started to dance across his scales, making them almost shimmer. "See, I wasn't using this before because my Stage II Dragon Force is usually enough to handle most things… But now, I'm gonna need everything!"
Thunder roared as lightning crashed down around Natsu's form, striking the ground as the Wizard Saint took a hesitant step backward, eyes narrowed as he slowly opened up his reserves to match Natsu's own.
Natsu Dragneel (Gravity Dragon Force + Lightning Mode + Wounded + Fatigued) – 414.2 Million MPI
God Serena (Eight Dragons Drive + Wounded + Fatigued) – 438.8 Million MPI
"This will be it Serena," Natsu muttered, flapping his wings as the Wizard Saint slid into a basic stance. "I plan on paying you back for that last punch tenfold…"
"Just try it Dragneel," Serena snapped back, as the pair vanished, closing the distance between one another instantly, as Serena tried to land a blow against Natsu. "What-!?"
Throwing a punch directly at Natsu's face, Serena was shocked when his fist was suddenly pulled off course, causing him to stumble forward, right into Natsu's knee. The Saint coughed up blood as Natsu's scaled knee smashed into his sternum, before he was grabbed roughly by the hair and thrown several hundred feet away, right through several rock formations.
Regaining his balance, the Saint flipped several times and skidded to a stop, eyes wide as Natsu floated toward him, a faint purple pulse emanating from the tip of his tail.
"He used Gravity to throw my punch off course…"
"That's right," Natsu smirked in response as the Wizard Saint clenched his fists, a raw fury clear in his eyes.
"How dare you embarrass me in such a manner… HOW DARE YOU!"
A twister surrounded Serena's position as Natsu paused in his approach, the temperature around the area dropping well below zero as the Wizard Saint prepared his next attack. His form became quickly obscured, as the entire area was suddenly enveloped by a vicious blizzard.
"Gale Tundra Dragon's Eternal Blizzard!"
'Have to admit, that's impressive. He whipped that up almost instantly,' Natsu thought to himself as he extended both arms outward, his eyes glowing a deep purple. 'But…'
Serena was stunned as his blizzard suddenly found itself unable to strike at Natsu, being redirected off to either side of him, as the Dragon Slayer slowly advanced forward. Gritting his teeth, Serena increased the output and density of his attack, only for Natsu to apply more Magic into redirecting the attack in turn.
"Imp-possible," Serena snarled, as Natsu cocked back, preparing to strike at his position. "No…I won't allow this…!"
Beneath Serena, a golden Magic Circle manifested itself, giving Natsu immediate pause.
"Holy Dragon's Speed Enchant," Serena huffed, arching his neck back as bright light shone forth from his mouth. "Lightray Dragon's Roar!"
Firing a lightspeed attack that had been buffed with a Holy Speed Enchantment at near point-blank range might have seemed like overkill to most. However, Serena was no fool, and knew that this would be an important test to see just how good Natsu's defensive capabilities in this form were.
Sure enough, the attack moved at faster than light speed, only to immediately drop to a snails pace around a meter before Natsu. The Dragon Slayer slowly arched his neck to the left as it sailed past, reacquiring its faster than light speed upon exiting the one meter radius as it set off numerous town sized explosions in the distance.
'Just as I thought, it's a barrier! I can work with that…Hoho…I have one trick left that will put you down Dragneel!'
Serena suddenly fell through the ground; the blizzard being immediately dispelled as Natsu instantly adopted a defensive position. He could still sense Serena, though he couldn't figure out exactly where he was, as his signature bounced all around the area.
"Over here Dragneel!"
Natsu's attention snapped toward the booming voice as he saw the faint outline of Serena standing atop one of the nearby mountains, panting heavily and bleeding profusely, much like he himself was. "I will not lose to an upstart like you… I worked too hard to get here, only to lose my spot at the top!"
The skies darkened as Serena prepared what Natsu assumed would be his final attack. The trembling of the earth could be felt half way across Fiore as the man proved why he was ordained as the Rank One Wizard Saint.
The mountain beneath him was suddenly rocked by a series of explosions, as eight Dragon-like elemental manifestations burst forth from its depths, each representing one of the Dragon Slaying Elements Serena could wield.
"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Wrath Of The Sacred Eight!"
Natsu watched, almost in awe, as the colossal manifestations fully emerged, some coiling around the mountain, others looming over it. Regardless of where they ended up though, Natsu knew this was it.
"Do you see this, Natsu!? THIS is what it means to stand at the top, at the peak of Magical Power," Serena's voice boomed, as all of Fiore watched in a mixture of awe and outright fear, all sitting on the edge of their seats. "Can you match such power!?"
Standing upon the ruined landscape from their battle, Natsu took a deep breath and sighed.
"I won't back down Serena, I can't afford to lose to you. If I can't hold my own against you, then what hope do I have against the greater threat that looms upon the horizon!?"
"You mean Alvarez," Serena asked coolly, his arrogant and cocky tone momentarily fading as the two men shared blank looks. "Heh."
The Eight Dragons suddenly shot down from Serena's place upon the mountaintop, letting loose ear shattering roars as they went. Natsu was prepared however, dropping down to all fours as he arched his neck back in a very inhuman way.
"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Violet Cosmos – Black Hole!"
Natsu's jaw dropped open, far beyond that any ordinary Human's ought to, exposing the entirety of his throat for all those watching to see. Everyone was shocked as it suddenly turned pitch black in there, a swirling mass of black and deep purple stirring within his maw, forming a giant deep purple sphere that sat perfectly between his canines, deep purple and black lightning shooting out in all directions.
Black spirals began to form as the attack started sucking in absolutely everything in front of him as he began to sweat profusely, the veins on his forehead popping as the Eight Dragons met his Black Hole.
One by one, they were sucked in, just like everything else, as Natsu held firm against the gravitational forces at play all around him. Serena could only gape as he watched his ultimate attack be sucked up by Natsu's, until it was completely gone.
"I-Impossible," Serena gasped, dropping to his knees as a pool of blood flowed freely from his mouth, the result of multiple internal injuries. "How could I, a God, be defeated by…"
Serena collapsed into unconsciousness right as Natsu closed his mouth, ceasing his attack as a two of the veins on his forehead burst, instantly sending him into a state of unconsciousness as his blood quickly began to pool all around his head.
His last thought was one of relief, knowing that he wouldn't die from such an injury, as his E.N.D abilities would heal him. With that, he was content.
***POTD***
Silence reigned throughout the arena. The Magic Council and King Toma were no longer sitting, and instead stood firmly upright in utter shock and disbelief.
Down with the Guilds in the arena, the other competing Guilds were in similar positions to that of the Council and the King, struggling to process the sheer scale of what they had just witnessed. Even the entire group from the mysterious Highfather Guild were stunned at the display.
With the Fairy Tail teams, Laxus, Gajeel and Gray were all slack jawed, unable to believe what they'd just witnessed. Elise was mulling over what her Mother had said about Natsu's near infinite potential, finally realizing just how literal that statement had been. Wendy was somewhat shocked, but more concerned over Natsu's well-being, having known he had such a trump card up his sleeve since their three month training trip together.
But the most surprised of all was Erza, who was feeling a whole range of mixed emotions.
Concern for Natsu's well-being. Pride at how far the once weak boy she used to easily best had come. Envy for the overwhelmingly monstrous power at his command. And concern for her boyfriend, who was probably bleeding out as she stood there like a gaping idiot.
However, Erza was also feeling a rather strange amount of lust as well. Having seen a man she called hers fighting on par with the Rank One Wizard Saint… Well, it certainly made her not want to use contraceptive spells anymore, that's for sure…
As everyone processed what had just gone down, Chapati's stunned voice cut through the silence like a knife.
"Uh… So, what exactly does this result mean? Would the…uh…Would the Council please comment on this?"
All eyes across Fiore were upon Chairman Org, who seemed totally caught off guard as he scrambled for some kind of response.
"W-Well, er… Ah! As you can clearly see, Natsu Dragneel has definitely proven himself more than capable to serve among the Ten! So, the Council will need to convene and decide upon his new placement! …at a time that's not…now."
The crowd didn't really know how to process what Org meant, but they didn't really care as King Toma stepped into view to address all those who were watching, both live and at home.
"That was the greatest battle I've ever had the pleasure to bear witness to in my entire life! Never before have I seen such a display from two talented Mages, and I most certainly want to thank both competitors from the bottom of my heart, for treating us to such a masterful display of their abilities!"
The crowd immediately erupted into thunderous applause, finally getting over the shock of what they'd just seen, as Toma continued to speak.
"Now then, I want people out there to attend to those two immediately! They both have sustained severe injuries, and I will NOT have them left out there to succumb to them! GUARDS! Send out medical teams to retrieve these two extraordinary men!"
The crowd's cheers seemed to only increase as King Toma assured the public that the two would be well looked after. Once Toma resumed his seat, the Lacrima shifted to Yajima, who was the only one who had retained any modicum of sanity at this point.
"Alright folks, I'll bet that performance was worth the wait, now wasn't it!? This brings Day Three to a close everyone, so please make sure you all exit the stadium in a safe and orderly manner! We'll see you all back here tomorrow for some more exciting announcements, so look forward to it!"
The crowds slowly began to depart from Domus Flau, as all of Crocus found themselves out in the streets, partying and discussing the absolute thriller of a match well into the night. As they did, the subjects of their discussions were picked up by the Royal Guards and brought back to Crocus to receive the finest medical care Fiore had to offer.
***POTD***
The sound of muffled conversation slowly hit Natsu's senses, as the Dragon Slayer began to wake. A deep thumping in his head quickly followed, as his face scrunched up whilst he ran a hand through his hair.
"-think he's waking up!?"
"So soon? The Doctors said he'd lost an inconceivable amount of blood from the veins that had burst on his head?"
Taking a deep, audible breath, Natsu forced himself up into a sitting position, eliciting a gasp from the onlookers, as he slowly opened his eyes. Sighing, he held his head in his right hand as his vision came into focus.
"Guess I still have to work on that last technique a little," Natsu grumbled, before looking off to his right, his visible eye widening in surprise at the pair standing by his bedside. "Oh…"
"Oh indeed Dragneel," the taller, middle aged and heavily armored man replied firmly, arms crossed. "You're lucky we found you when we did, else you'd have bled to death."
Captain Of The Royal Guard Of Fiore
Chief Of The Sacred Cherry Blossom Knights
The White Knight Of Crocus
Arcadios
"What have I done in my life to wake up to your face Arcadios," Natsu groaned, eliciting a scowl from the man, who promptly bopped him on the shoulder. "Oi!"
"In all these years you STILL have failed to learn respect! As a fellow Knight, you should be thankful for my assistance!"
"Well, if you want to be technical, I would actually outrank you in position…"
"T-That isn't the point!"
"Arcadios, Natsu, please," the third person in the room sighed, clearly used to their antics. "Now is not the time for arguing amongst ourselves! And Arcadios, apologize for hitting Natsu at once!"
"B-But-!"
Arcadios froze at a firm, all consuming frown. A frown so powerful that it threatened to shatter his very being down into little more than dust particles…
"Fine… I'm sorry Natsu."
"Good," the woman chirped, pushing Arcadios out of the way as she leapt onto Natsu's bed, hugging the life out of him. "I'm so glad you're safe!"
"P-Princess! This is most improper," Arcadios blustered, clearly caught off guard by the woman's behavior, as she reluctantly let Natsu go and stood back up, allowing him to finally take in her full appearance.
The woman stood at a modest five foot seven and had long flowing dark green hair with matching green eyes. She wore a short, strapless dress that exposed a rather modest amount of her bust, a pair of long, white gloves that bore frills along the elbow portion, as well as substantial amount of jewellery.
Atop her forehead, holding her bangs in place, was a golden tiara adorned with seven gemstones, as well as a pair of earrings with large diamonds in them.
"Well, age has only done wonders for you, hasn't it," Natsu joked, eliciting a slight blush from the Princess, and an offended retort from Arcadios.
"How dare you speak to the Princess in such a casual manner Dragneel-!"
"Enough Arcadios," the Princess snapped, stunning the man into silence. "I appreciate his honest manner of speaking… I always have, as you very well know."
One Of The Princesses Of Ishgar
A Woman Beloved By The People
A Longtime Friend
Princess Of Fiore
Hisui E. Fiore
"I-I understand Princess," Arcadios sighed, begrudgingly admitting defeat as the Princess looked toward him.
"Please let my Father know that Natsu has woken, and that I shall bring him to the throne shortly?"
"As you command," Arcadios bowed, not sparing Natsu another glance as he strode from the room.
"Sorry about Arcadios," Hisui sighed, sitting back down on Natsu's bed. "You know he hasn't liked you since-."
"He caught me, what was the word he used…?"
"Defiling?"
"Heh. Yeah, when I was in the process of defiling your maidenhood," Natsu snorted, meeting her gaze as the pair shared a brief chuckle. "If only he knew who the instigator of such a thorough defiling truly was…"
"Be quiet you," Hisui sniffed, tilting her head upward with a sly look. "No one would believe you over me anyway."
"To be fair, I was a menace back then. My Dragon Blood used to make my hormones go into a frenzy."
"I know, I was the one on the receiving end," the Princess giggled lightly. "Our secret."
"Quite," came the snooty reply, as the pair devolved into a fit of giggles once again.
"That tone definitely doesn't suit you Natsu, but I appreciate the effort," Hisui laughed, though her happy demeanor dimmed somewhat, as Natsu knew what she was about to bring up. "Father told me about Scarlione. I'm… I'm sorry for your loss, Queen Illyandra was such a wonderful woman."
"Mmhm."
"I-I heard about Serenity's fate about a month after it happened," the Princess continued, looking down at her lap. "Having heard the news of your Guild on Tenrou, then Serenity's fate…"
"I'm sorry Hisui-."
"Sorry? What are you sorry for? Neither of those incidents are your fault in any way Natsu," Hisui replied as she took his hand with her own. "You managed to outplay a monster like Achnologia, what more could anyone asked of you!?"
"Right…"
"As for Serenity's fate, well… I'll admit that I've dwelled upon it often. Dwelled upon thoughts of…"
"Alvarez?"
"Yes," Hisui whispered, looking back up to meet his gaze. "Father said that you've fought them alongside Gildarts. I know its probably foolish of me to worry so much, but I fear for the safety of my own Kingdom… for the safety of my future subjects-!"
"Take it from me when I say you have every right to fear for them Hisui," Natsu replied gently, placing a hand on her cheek. "They will eventually come for Fiore, as they have for every other Kingdom on their own continent of Alakitasia, and as they did to Scarlione."
"…I don't want Fiore to become like Scarlione, Natsu."
"I can't promise you that it won't, Hisui. But I can promise you that there are those who will fight back, should Alvarez try to invade Fiore."
"I know," Hisui sniffed, shaking her head as she slowly rose to her feet, smacking her palms against her cheeks as she pulled herself together. "Goodness, that was a moment, wasn't it!?"
"There's nothing wrong with needing to vent your emotions Hisui, you've got a tough job, despite what many might assume. Your head and heart are in the right place, with that of the people."
"You always say the nicest things," Hisui sniffed, as Natsu slowly rose to his feet. "My goodness, you really have gotten tall!"
"Yeah, well, I always did tell you I was due a growth spurt at some point," the Dragon Slayer chuckled, looking over his form. "I think we've kept your Father waiting long enough, don't you?"
"R-Right," Hisui blushed, still astonished at just how tall he was up close. "Sorry, I'm just… I USED TO BE TALLER THAN YOU!?"
Natsu chuckled as the pair left the room, with Natsu using Requip Magic to manifest a new set of clothes, replacing his tattered ones in the process.
***POTD***
After around ten minutes worth of dawdling, the pair arrived at the throne room. Hisui held onto his hand, shaking her head as she motioned toward the throne where a bored looking Toma was conversing with another older man.
"Hmm?"
"We should wait."
"Why?"
"That's Darton, the Defense Minister. He often gets rather angry when he's interrupted…"
"Is that right," Natsu smirked, as Hisui felt him pull her forward. "Time for a little fun…"
As he approached, Natsu made sure to make his footsteps as loud as possible on the stone floor, a move which almost immediately set off the shorter, older man. The Defense Minster spun around, prepared to spout all manner of vitriol, only to freeze in place upon seeing who it was.
"Ah, Natsu," Toma grinned, clearly happy that Darton had finally been silenced. "I'm glad you're back with us!"
"Glad to be back King Toma. I came as quickly as I could, once Hisui finished marveling at my gigantic form, that is."
"Yes, I thought as much," Toma laughed, causing Hisui to blush slightly and avoid her Father's gaze. "Er, Darton, we'll have to finish this discussion another time. I have rather important business here with Natsu."
"B-But-!"
"That will be all, Darton," Toma replied more firmly, as the shorter man bowed quickly, before scurrying away. "Thank the Gods…"
"That bad huh?"
"You have no idea," Toma blurted out, before coughing abruptly and shaking his head. "Er, anyway, thank you for coming Natsu."
"No problem. So, what did you need to see me for?"
"Here isn't quite appropriate for this conversation," Toma replied quietly, as he motioned for both Natsu and Hisui to follow him behind the throne and into his private study.
Once inside, the King shut the door and locked it, before taking a seat at his desk, both Natsu and Hisui taking their own seats across from him.
"Now, I want to preface this conversation by informing you that what I'm about to tell you is in confidence. You are to not repeat this to ANYONE until the time is right."
"Understood."
"Good," Toma sighed, tapping his fingers against his wooden desk, clearly in thought. "Now, where to begin… Alright. Tell me Natsu, what do you know of the Dragon King Festival?"
Meeting Natsu's gaze, Toma was surprised to see the man's eyes had hardened as he leaned forward in his seat, his voice a whole decibel lower than he'd ever heard it before.
"How do you know of that?"
"Before I answer that question, am I to assume all Dragon Slayers are aware of it?"
"Only those who were raised by Dragons would know of it," Natsu replied calmly. "So, that begs the question… How do you know of it, King Toma?"
"A strange man appeared within the palace about a year ago, slipping past all our security, just to deliver a message. He spoke about how the Dragon King Festival was nigh, and that the Gate shall be opened once more."
"What did this person look like?"
"I'm afraid that I couldn't tell you a thing about his appearance. He was covered in a pitch-black shadow, almost as if he didn't have a body at all?"
"And the Gate? Do you know what he meant by that?"
"Now that is something I can tell you about," Toma nodded stiffly. "Tell me, have you ever heard of something called the Eclipse Gate before?"
Natsu's eyes narrowed, his mind cranking backward. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"I see you might, but I'll tell you about it regardless. You see, the Eclipse Gate is, in fact, located within Mercurius itself, and has been safeguarded by my family for centuries. We don't know what it does, aside from the fact that it seems to absorb any Magic that gets too close to it… including Magic directly from living beings."
"I see…"
"With the apparent approach of this Dragon King Festival, and how the Gate would supposedly be opened as a result, I've decided to enlist the help of strong, capable Mages such as yourself."
"To put a stop to whatever might come of it?"
"Correct. I had hoped to ask God Serena for aid as well, but he refused to even see me, leaving shortly after he woke."
"Right," Natsu sighed, his eyes narrowing as he pondered this new development. "You know, this actually makes quite a lot of sense. The other day, some friends of mine and I had a run in with a few people who have been snooping about the palace."
"You believe these people are searching for the Eclipse Gate?"
"It can't be a mere coincidence, given what this shadowy person told you, can it?"
"Indeed. We'll have to triple the guard around the Eclipse Gate then," Toma hummed thoughtfully. "If I need your assistance, would I be able to summon you at a moment's notice Natsu?"
"Of course. If you even remotely suspect something is going down, call for me right away."
"Thank you Natsu," Toma smiled gratefully. "Do this for me, and I'll forgive you for destroying nearly fifty kilometers worth of my kingdom."
"…what?"
"Nothing important," Toma smiled casually. "Now then, it's getting rather late, and I'm sure you want to get back to your Guild, right!?"
"Does my Guild even know I'm here?"
"Well, your Guild Master was informed, so I suppose it depends on what he told the rest of your friends?"
"Right," Natsu nodded, slowly rising to his feet. "Well, keep me updated on what's going on. I'm going to go and get some more rest for the moment."
"Of course Natsu! And thank you so much for agreeing to help!"
"Not a problem King Toma," Natsu smiled, as he casually walked over toward the window and jumped out, shocking the pair as he vanished from sight.
The moment he'd left, his entire demeanor shifted drastically. Despite promising Toma he'd keep quiet about it, he knew there were a few people who had to be informed about what was going on.
And so, he took off toward the outskirts of Crocus, determined to make sure he did what he could to prepare for the inevitable trouble on the horizon.
***POTD***
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Crocus, another meeting was taking place. Two cloaked figures stood before God Serena, who sported a fierce glare on his face.
"There, I've done my part," Serena huffed. "You all saw what Dragneel was capable of, and I even roughed him up a bit in the process. I trust that will be all you require of me, Varnik? I do have my own orders, after all?"
"Your assistance is most appreciated Serena. However, I must say, it looks like Dragneel did a number on you as well? To bring someone of your level of power to his knees is quite the feat, no?"
"Oh please Varnik, I hardly tried against the little upstart!"
"Is that so? I cannot recall the last time you were forced to use your trump card…"
"Ever heard of being theatrical, Varnik? Or are you too old for stuff like that," Serena scoffed dismissively. "Dragneel might be stronger than intel first suggested, but he's hardly a threat. The rumors that he forced Irene Belserion to retreat back to Alvarez are undoubtedly mere exaggerations…"
"You know not the full truth of the matter, Serena. If you did, then you may not have fought Dragneel at all," Varnik replied in a warning tone, lighting a cigar and taking a drag. "Thank the almighty he didn't know your real allegiance, or else you would have been killed."
"What did you just say," Serena hissed, rounding on Varnik, who was wholly unmoved by his rage.
"You might be able to fool the lower half of the Spriggan and Leichart about your level of power, but we veterans know better."
"How dare you Varnik! You're lucky we aren't back in Alvarez, or I'd show you my full power-!"
"Trust me Serena, there would be no need for that, as you've already showcased most of it today," Varnik replied in a dismissive tone. "I'm fully aware you have another technique at your disposal. But the fact that Dragneel was able to negate one of your trump cards with one of his own, whilst only using around half his confirmed full power-."
"Are you going senile!? Dragneel was rendered unconscious because of his last attack, yet you say he only used HALF his power against me!?"
"Perhaps if you actually tried to find information on those of high import to the Emperor, you might actually understand the truth. But once more, you fall short Serena," Varnik sighed, shaking his head. "Power you may have, but the knowledge on how best to apply it still remains beyond your grasp…"
"Shut it you old fool! From where I was standing, that washout Jellal gave you a right thrashing! Who are you to lecture me about anything!?"
"This. This is why you will never be held in as high regard as Sir August or Lady Irene," Varnik scoffed in response. "When facing an opponent, no matter who that opponent may be, you must always view them as a threat to your life. Jellal was indeed far stronger than Alvarez Intelligence indicated, and he clearly has the ability to match many of the Spriggan and Leichart Twelve. He possesses a Magic that can overcome mine, it is a simple fact, and I will not deny it."
"So, you admit your own weakness!?"
"Tell me then Serena? If a man hurls a meteor at you, how exactly would you respond to it in the heat of the moment?"
"I would blast it out of the sky, obviously!"
"Precisely. And, in the process, you would doom yourself," Varnik replied immediately, further angering Serena. "What if your attack wasn't strong enough to destroy the meteor? What if it punched through, but merely fragmented it instead? Its these variables and more that gave Jellal the advantage against me in our battle, since my Magic is unable to comprehend the correct counter when a vast, or even potentially near infinite, amount of possibilities await at the result of said action."
"Perhaps you should train more then, instead of insulting those who are actually able to PROVE their power!?"
"If only you truly understood the concept of training Serena? Having eight Dragon Lacrima infused into your body doesn't cunt as training with your abilities. It can take years, decades of hard work to reach such a level," Varnik replied firmly. "Sir August and Lady Irene are prime examples of what I am referring to, having honed their abilities over countless years!"
"Tch…"
"Anyway, I've had enough of dealing with you," Varnik growled, flicking his cigar aside. "Your part is done. Stay out of Crocus for the next week."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Serena snarled back, vanishing in a burst of light, leaving Varnik and Granvill alone.
"Come Granvill, we have work to do," the Leichart member sighed, shaking his head as they slowly vanished into the dark forest, preparing for the next stage of the plan…