(Edited 02/05/24)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does
The Grand Magic Games Day Four
***POTD***
Natsu grumbled as he felt himself slowly begin to wake, his headache returning almost full force as he returned to the land of the living.
After informing Jellal, Ultear and Meredy of the situation, he'd slipped back into the Honey Bone Inn around one in the morning, finding the place all closed up for the night. Upon sneaking into bed, he was immediately wrapped up by Erza, who had been sleeping heavily, no doubt recovering the Magic she'd spent during Pandemonium.
He could sense Erza was laying atop him, his eyes slowly opening to meet her own.
"Hey…"
"Hey," Erza muttered back, resting her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. "How's your head doing?"
"Sore as fuck," came the rather blunt reply, one that eliciting a quiet giggle from the scarlet haired Mage.
"Probably a good think I didn't give you a good smack for worrying me so much then, isn't it?"
"Less of that would be very much appreciate in these trying times," came the amused reply, as Erza leaned forward, planting a chaste kiss on his lips.
"I can't believe you actually managed to fight God Serena and draw him to a standstill… It almost seems like yesterday when we were kids and I used to smack you silly with a training sword."
"How wonderful life would be if all I ever got hit with were those wooden sticks," Natsu sighed wistfully. "Such is life I suppose, eh?"
"That it is," Erza agreed, running a hand back and forth along his chest absentmindedly. "By the way, Mira and I have spoken to Elise…"
"About the thing, right?"
"Right. Should nothing go awry tonight, the four of us will meet up with Kiara at a private suite in the leisure district…"
"So, it's on then," Natsu asked slowly, earning a slow and clearly amused nod in return. "Well, suddenly my head hurts a lot less now…"
"I bet it does," the Requip Mage smiled knowingly, kissing his forehead gently several times. "Hopefully you don't have to do any fighting today?"
"I doubt I will, given what I did yesterday."
"Speaking of yesterday, you were taken to Mercurius Palace, right?"
"I was, yeah."
"…"
"You want to know what happened-?"
"-I want to know what happened, yes."
"Well, I woke up and spoke with Princess Hisui for a bit-."
"Princess Hisui? You haven't spoken to her in quite some time, have you?"
"Not since that one gala I told you about, yeah. She was quite busy gaping at how tall I am now."
"I'll bet she was, you're like a damn giant at this point," Erza chuckled, wriggling her way up his body. "I have to half climb you these days."
"It's one of my many fun features!"
"So, what else happened after you spoke to the Princess?"
"Well, I went and spoke with King Toma. Apparently leveling a section of his country warrants a meeting," Natsu laughed awkwardly, avoiding the truth of their meeting entirely. "Everything is all good, he was just making sure I was alright."
"Well, I'm sure the Master will be relieved to hear that. Regardless of that though, we're all so amazed by what you did yesterday Natsu. And honestly… I'm glad that despite your level of fame and power, you've still chosen me to be your girl."
"You don't need to keep reassuring yourself Erza. I made the commitment to be with you, and I won't waver from it," Natsu replied firmly, as his hands snaked their way down her naked form toward her thick ass, giving her cheeks a firm squeeze. "Besides, what other girl is as generous as you when it comes to letting other girls in on the fun, hmm?"
"Damn those rough hands of yours," Erza sighed, resting her head on his chest as he massaged her lovely rear. "If we didn't have to be up and ready to go to Domus Flau in the next half hour, I'd milk that cock of yours for all it's worth~."
In response, Natsu's eyes briefly glowed a deep purple, lifting both himself and Erza upward off the bed, eliciting a startled gasp from the Requip Mage. The naked pair floated for several moments before she was in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck as he walked to the bathroom.
"W-What are you doing," Erza half laughed, half spluttered, as the door was kicked open. "Natsu!"
"Shower sex. Now!"
"You're lucky I'm still horny from yesterday mister," Erza giggled, squealing as Natsu nipped at her neck, kicking the door shut as they proceeded to have a lengthy shower… just with less cleaning.
***POTD***
"Why am I not surprised," Mira replied with an amused shake of her head, as the Guild made their way into Domus Flau.
Natsu and Erza trailed behind, the former having a suspiciously red neck, and the latter a noticeable limp with a dumb look on her face.
"Quiet you, or you'll be next to have yourself impaled," Natsu joked, eliciting a snort from Elise who was several metres ahead of them.
"Don't make a promise you can't keep Natsu," Mira winked playfully in turn, as the Guild arrived at their usual spot in the arena.
As they took their seats, the Chapati's voice began to blare out across the arena signalling the beginning of the second last day of the games.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of Fiore, we're back here live at Domus Flau for Day Four of the Grand Magic Games! As always, I'm your host, Chapati Lola! With me in the commentators box as per usual is Mister Yajima!"
"Way to recycle content from the first day of the games Chapati. Regardless, I'm glad we're all still here after yesterday's explosive final match, because today we've got some more hot ones coming right up!"
"And that's a low blow from Mister Yajima! That aside though, with us today we have a rather special guest. She's a liaison for the Magic Council, Sister to one of the Ishgar Five and a Wizard Saint candidate in her own right! Let's have a warm welcome to Miss Bathory Hyberion!"
Natsu was surprised as the crowd gave Bathory quite the cheer. He hadn't expected many would have known the woman, let alone liked her.
Looking up to the commentator's box, the woman shot him an amused wink, before taking her Lacrima and speaking into it.
"Thank you everyone, I'm honored to be here today. King Toma sends his regards by the way, matters of state have unfortunately impeded his ability to attend today's match. However, in exchange, he has procured me from my humble abode for your audial and visual pleasure!"
"And what a pleasure it is indeed! Miss Hyberion is going to be worth her weight in gold today folks, because kicking things off, we have another scorching battle for you all!"
"That's right Chapati. Miss Hyberion's expertise and knowledge will come in handy when explaining what may happen between our first two competitors? That's right, I'm talking about the Wizard Saint, Jura Neekis, and Highfather's Lysandre Latore!"
The crowd roared, eager to see another amazing battle, as the two respective competitors made their way down into the arena proper, both clearly confident, and ready for battle.
***POTD***
As the pair reached the arena floor, Jura immediately began assessing his opponent, taking in his full appearance, mannerisms, and anything else that might give so much as a hint to what kind of foe he would be.
The man stood at an impressive seven foot three and bore a rather muscular build. He wore a black, orange pinstriped business suit with a matching orange tie. In his front coat pocket, the man possessed several small knives instead of a handkerchief, and he had his collar raised to cover his neck.
The man had short orange hair with matching orange eyes as well. The more he took in the man's appearance, the more he realized that there was a clear theme in his choice of appearance, something the man seemed to nod to, despite no words having been exchanged up until that very moment.
"Many opponents I have faced in the past have underestimated me due to my rather formal appearance… It is good to see that there are Mages in Fiore who possess a modicum of intelligence and are capable of correctly assessing their opponent before a battle."
"Indeed. I'm looking forward to a brilliant battle, Lysandre," Jura nodded with a slight bow in respect. "If the trend continues, you should indeed prove to be quite the formidable opponent for me to face?"
"We shall see, Jura Neekis…"
S Class Mage Of The Highfather Guild
A Member Of Team Highfather
The Molten Magician
Lysandre Latore
The two men stood opposite one another as the crowd fell into a tense silence. After several moments, Chapati's voice rang out across the area, signalling the beginning of the match.
"Let's start off with a little of this… Earth Magic – Valley Of Rock!"
Holding out his right hand, Jura moved his index and middle fingers in an upward motion as the arena began to rumble. Suddenly, Lysandre was on the move, avoiding dozens of razor sharp rock formations that started erupting from the ground.
After a full minute, Lysandre was finally able to come to a stop, noticing almost immediately that Jura had turned the arena into the attack's namesake, a valley of rock all around his position.
As for Jura himself, he'd raised the earth at his current position, now towering over the battlefield on a solid column of earth, bringing a small smirk to the Highfather Mage.
"And Jura is off to a rocky start Ladies and Gentlemen, terraforming the battlefield and showing us all why he's known as Iron Rock Jura!"
"I don't think you quite realize what being off to a rocky start means Chapati, but I'll agree that Jura is living up to his namesake. Just feel that power!"
Jura Neekis (PTS + Second Origin Sealed + Heavily Suppressed) – 77.5 Million MPI
"Very impressive," Lysandre praised, beholding Jura's terraforming attack. "To conjure this much with such little effort is proof of your position as one of the Ten Wizard Saints… However, it won't be enough to deter me."
"Oh?"
"Indeed. Prepare yourself, Jura Neekis, and behold my own power," Lysandre proclaimed, extending his right arm outward as a dark orange Magic Circle manifested before him. "Magma Magic – Magma Launcher!"
A veritable flood of magma spewed forth from the Magic Circle, beginning to quickly flood the area as it began to melt through Jura's Valley Of Rock. The Wizard Saint was forced to leap from his perch as the pillar he stood on collapsed as a result.
"Magma eh? I can see why you were so confident," Jura huffed in reply, landing atop another earthen pillar. "However, my earth will be more than a match! Earth Magic – Supreme King Rock Crush!"
Moving one of his hands to Lysandre's position, some of the pillars shattered, their debris flinging toward his foe. Lysandre blocked the attack, the stones melting upon contact with his arms.
"It is futile to try and strike me with mere earth, Saint Jura! My magma burns at temperatures so great that not even the earth itself can endure it's searing power!"
Lysandre Latore (Second Origin Sealed + Suppressed) – 34.28 Million MPI
"Well now, this is interesting," Jura mused aloud, watching as the last of his attack was reduced to liquid slag. "It seems I walked right into this one…"
"Indeed you have," Lysandre smirked, the melted earth rising up before Lysandre as it bubbled and steamed. "All this magma is mine to control! Any melted down substance is also mine to freely control as well. So, let's see how you endure it!? Magma Magic – Molten River!"
Jura watched as the mass of magma was pushed into his direction, immediately preparing a counter as he clasped both his hands together firmly.
"Earth Magic: Iron Rock Wall – Continuous Formation!"
Pointing at the ground with his middle and index fingers, Jura motioned for it to rise up as barrier after barrier was erected between himself and the impending tide of searing magma. A final barrier then erupted around Jura's immediately vicinity, as the man clasped both hands together once again.
"Earth Magic – Iron Rock Dome!"
Jura was quickly sealed into a dome of earth, right as the magma broke through. Lysandre was surprised as it effortlessly crumbled, shocking the crowd as they though Jura had just been incinerated.
"What-!?"
"I don't believe it Ladies and Gentlemen! Lysandre appears to have accidentally killed the Wizard Saint Jura Neekis!?"
"I wouldn't be too sure of that Chapati."
"Yajima's right Chapati, Jura isn't quite out of the fight just yet…"
The entire crowd was stunned as, in the blink of an eye, the entire arena shook violently, knocking many people over in the process. Looking back down to the arena, everyone was shocked to see Jura standing behind Lysandre.
Very few had seen it, but Jura had actually emerged from the ground behind Lysandre, grabbed the back of his head, and slammed it into a small rock he'd manifested below the man's face.
The members of the Highfather Guild seemed genuinely surprised, barring their Captain, who seemed almost indifferent to the display. The other Guilds however, simply retained a shocked look, mimicking the crowd perfectly.
"You are certainly a skilled and powerful opponent Lysandre… However, what you boast in offensive power, you lack in defense."
Rising back to his full height, Lysandre didn't move, having been knocked unconscious in a single blow.
"INSANITY! Jura has just defeated Highfather's Lysandre Latore in ONE HIT FOLKS! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?"
The crowd roared in approval, seemingly satisfied with the battle they'd witnessed, as Jura slowly departed the arena floor, leaving the unconscious Lysandre to be removed by tournament staff.
***POTD***
As the match concluded, Natsu looked to the Highfather Guild, his gaze meeting with their Team Captain once again. The woman smirked his way, prompting him to narrow his eyes in mild confusion.
Despite one of her S Class teammates getting demolished, her eyes were solely on him? It was certainly strange behavior, but he decided to ignore the woman for the moment and take a walk to clear his head.
Leaving the viewers box, he made his way down toward the food stalls nearby. Getting into line, he looked down at the person ahead of him and realized that they seemed rather familiar.
Said familiar person seemed to have sensed his gaze, as they abruptly turned around, eyes widening as they were forced to arch their neck to look up at him.
"You're the Wizard Saint, Natsu Dragneel…"
"There's no need for the whole Saint part, just Natsu is fine," Natsu replied politely. "I'm not one for titles."
"You say such contradictory things," the woman replied, placing a hand on her hip. "You bear many titles. And, after yesterday, you'll likely be given even more since you managed to go blow for blow against the strongest Wizard Saint?"
"Well, things just kind of ended up like that," Natsu chuckled awkwardly. "I never really asked for any of it, I just do what I have to do for the sake of my Guild and my friends, you know?"
"I do," the woman smiled, extending her hand. "My name is Kagura Mikazuchi, S Class Mage of the Mermaid Heel Guild."
"Yes, I'm well aware of who you are Kagura," Natsu smiled as the pair shook hands. "Kiara spoke highly of you each time you were discussed. Though, funnily enough, your name itself eluded me until I saw your match the other day."
"I owe quite a lot to her," Kagura smiled, looking away for a brief moment before meeting his gaze once again. "Are you busy at all?"
"Not particular at this moment?"
"May we speak somewhere in private?"
"Sure," Natsu nodded, not seeing the harm as they left the line and made their way into a vacant section of the seating at the far end of the eating area.
The pair took seats across from one another, Kagura resting her sheathed blade up against the table, before she began to speak.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
Kagura took a deep breath, seemingly steeling herself for what was going to be a tough conversation. Tapping her fingers against the table, she finally approached what Natsu could tell was a rough topic for her.
"Do you happen to remember a man by the name of Simon, by any chance?"
"Simon… I do remember a Simon from a very long time ago, yes."
"The Tower of Heaven?"
"…Correct."
"You should know that Simon…Simon is my Brother," Kagura replied softly, genuinely shocking Natsu as the woman took his hands with her own. "Natsu, I owe you a debt I can NEVER repay for saving him! He told me about how you tore apart that Tower and saved not just my Brother, his friends Wally, Sho and Milliana too, despite what they had done."
"Well, they were relatively innocent in all of it," Natsu replied genuinely. "In the end, even Jellal was just being manipulated by the Bharam Alliance…"
"Yes, I remember Simon mentioning that part," Kagura sighed, letting go of Natsu's hands as she looked toward her blade. "I spent years thinking that, one day, I would face Jellal and kill him for the fate of my Brother. But then, Simon appeared, and he told me the full story of what happened that day."
"So, Simon told you the full story then?"
"Actually, Milliana told me the vast majority of it," Kagura chuckled in reply. "As you probably remember, Simon is…"
"Rather stoic?"
"Yes. He talks when he needs to, but prefers being quiet."
"How is Simon doing by the way?"
"Well, after we spent some weeks together catching up, he set out on a journey with his friends, Wally and Sho. I wanted Simon to stay with me, but Mermaid Heel is a Guild only for women, so…"
"I understand."
"He's out there, somewhere, having a good time with his friends. I know he told you before, but he never really had the chance to do that prior to the fall of the Tower of Heaven, so…"
"Well, I'm sure that wherever he is, he's having a blast."
"Yes, I believe he is too," Kagura smiled, redirecting her full attention back toward him. "Before he left, Simon made three requests of me. The first was to look after Milliana, who you can tell is…"
"Confident," Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow, noticing the slight blush on Kagura's cheeks and immediately realizing what she was referring to.
"Right. The second request is what I'm doing now, thanking you for what you did on his behalf. Though, I already planned on one day thanking you personally, regardless of Simon asking me to do so."
"Well, I accept your thanks Kagura," Natsu grinned, finding it amusing to see such a stoic person appear somewhat flustered. "Take your time."
"Right," Kagura sighed, taking a deep breath and calming her thoughts. "The last thing was that he wanted me to meet Erza Scarlett."
"Really? Why's that?"
"Well," Kagura mumbled, fidgeting in her seat as Natsu put the pieces together. "She…Um…"
"You look up to her, don't you?"
"…Yes," Kagura whispered, a fierce blush on her face as she looked around, making sure no eyes were upon her. "I knew she too had been enslaved at the Tower of Heaven, but escaped. Ever since then, she has been a powerful Mage, an inspiration for women across Fiore. I always wanted to be strong like she was…"
"But you are?"
Kagura's jaw dropped, her face going beet red at Natsu's blunt honesty. Ordinarily, she wouldn't have reacted in such a manner. However, this man was different. He was the one who saved Simon, a Wizard Saint, and one of the most powerful Mages on Ishgar.
"I-I don't know what to say…"
"Erza agrees with me," Natsu continued, further shocking the S Class Mage. "We saw when you defeated Yukino some of your power. You're impressive."
"D-Do you think you could introduce me t-to her," Kagura stuttered, her mind still struggling to process what was happening.
"To Erza? Sure. I know she'd love to meet you as well, especially since you're Simon's Sister and all. Plus, I know she's definitely interested in that sword of yours too?"
"My sword? Well, I suppose my blade, Archenemy, is rather unique, isn't it? Its original purpose was to find and kill the man who I thought was responsible for killing my Brother. But now that I know the truth, I use this blade to ensure no others suffer the same fate as Rosemary Village."
"That's a noble goal. Slavery is one of the vilest practices I've come across, aside from maybe Necromancy. I think you and Erza will get along just find Kagura," Natsu smiled, forcing Kagura to look away for a moment in mild embarrassment from all the praise.
"This is so strange… I don't normally get so flustered like this?"
"You're Human, Kagura. Its perfectly normal to feel that way, especially after the conversation we just had," Natsu replied kindly, as he took her hands with his own. "Just take a minute to process it all, alright?"
"…You know, you aren't so bad, being a man and all," Kagura smiled after several moments. "Our Guild is…I'll just put it bluntly, we have a strange double standard when it comes to men."
"Oh?"
"Our previous Guild Master founded our Guild on the belief that all men wanted was to get into a girl's pants. I suppose she had a bad experience with whatever Guild she was with prior to founding Mermaid Heel. Either way, her views bled into our Guild itself… Though, that view has changed ever since Kiara started working for Sorcerer Weekly."
"I can imagine," Natsu laughed awkwardly, noticing the way Kagura was looking him up and down. "Just say it…"
"I have a copy of your shoot with Mirajane," Kagura blurted out, once again embarrassed, before quickly following up her statement with another one that caught Natsu off guard. "B-But all the girls at Mermaid Heel do, so I'm not special or anything!"
"Wait… ALL OF THEM have a copy of the edition with my shoot in it!?"
"It was… popular."
"…How popular?"
"I think its probably better if I don't answer that question," came the curt reply, one that Natsu found himself actually appreciating.
"Well then, if you liked Natsu's shoot from back then, I've got some good news for you…"
Both Natsu and Kagura were startled, their heads snapping to the right to see an amused Erza standing there, hands on her hips and shaking her head.
"E-Erza S-Scarlett!"
"Hello Kagura," Erza smirked, approaching the table as the thoroughly embarrassed S Class Mage shakily rose to her feet. "No need to be so worried, I won't bite?"
"S-Sorry," Kagura replied, shaking her head a she smacked her cheeks, taking a deep breath as she steeled herself. "I'm honored to finally meet you Erza!"
"Likewise," Erza smiled as the pair shook hands. "I've had my eye on you since I saw you take down that Celestial Spirit. I'm hoping we get a chance to face one another at some point during the games?"
"If we do, it'll likely be during the final day," Kagura smiled, having fully recomposed herself. "Did you hear what I told Natsu earlier about-?"
"How you're Simon's Sister? Yes, I did," Erza replied as the pair sat down at the table. "He often spoke of his little Sister Kagura, wondering if she was alright, back at the Tower, I mean. I'm glad to see his sacrifice to save you paid off."
"I-I really hated myself for not being able to do something to stop those Dark Mages from taking him all those years ago. I still remember after the child hunt, standing in the ruins of Rosemary Village as it burned around me. I was frightened, weak, and devastated… But then she came through the flames, covered in the blood of some Dark Mages…"
"Who," Erza asked curiously, eliciting a small, wistful smile from the stoic S Class Mage.
"Kiara."
"Wait, seriously," Natsu asked, not having expected Kiara and Kagura to have met so early on.
"Yes. Kiara was the one who saved me from the destruction of Rosemary Village. I still remember how she ran through the flames to get to me, scooping me up and scaling my home to leap over the fire and escape… I was in awe at how she did it without so much as a second thought, like clockwork."
"Kiara would've been younger than you are now when she saved you, wouldn't she?"
"She was twenty, and had only just made S Class of Mermaid Heel at the time," Kagura replied softly. "She took me back to Mermaid Heel and told the First Master that I was joining."
"She didn't even ask you huh," Natsu chuckled. "Sounds like something she'd do."
"Yes, but I was grateful for everything she did for me. Kiara gave me a new home, helped me buy new clothes… She helped me find my way again, taking me under her wing and training me to be strong like her."
"And now here you are all these years later, a powerful S Class Mage yourself, eh," Natsu smiled as both he and Erza shared a look. "I'm sure Simon was proud when the two of you finally reunited?"
"Proud is putting it mildly," Kagura replied with a shake of her head. "But listen, both of you… I can't thank either of you enough for finally putting an end to the Tower and saving my Brother and his friends. It is a debt I will never be able to repay-."
"No debt," Erza replied, shaking her head. "When I was in that Tower, slaving away day by day, I formed bonds with the other children there. Simon, Wally, Sho, Milliana… and yes, even Jellal. All of us worked together to survive, to free ourselves from those chains that bound us… We became family, Kagura…"
"Erza…"
"To fight to save family… there is no debt to be paid for something like that, Kagura. I would do it again a thousand times for free before I ever let any of them suffer such a fate!"
Natsu remained silent, leaning back in his seat as he observed the two women. Though he wasn't part of what happened there, he knew this was an important moment for both of them, and one Kagura clearly needed.
"Then… If you will not accept a debt, perhaps my friendship will suffice?"
"I refuse."
"What-!?"
"You and I can't be friends, Kagura… because we're already family," Erza replied with a small smile, as the Mermaid Heel Mage's eyes widened ever so slightly, a faint twitch in her eyelids as she felt a single tear escape her.
"I-I don't know what to say…"
"You don't have to say anything Kagura," Erza smiled as she took the other woman's hand. "Nothing at all."
"Well then, I won't say anything Erza," Kagura smiled, gently squeezing Erza's hand in response as she looked toward Natsu. "But what about you?"
"Me? You don't have to do anything for me either. I've always been against Slavery and Dark Mages, so it was my honor to put an end to the Tower of Heaven."
"You know, I wish more men acted like you," Kagura replied genuinely. "Most men in my experience would have used something like this to-."
"I think it might do you some good to explore what men are actually like outside of what your former Guild Master taught you," Natsu replied with a wave of his hand. "Sure, some men would use it, but they're the minority. You went through something truly terrible, something no ordinary person should. A real man wouldn't use something like that against you Kagura, they'd just be happy to help."
"He's right. Though, its not like he doesn't get more than his fair share of sex either," Erza agreed, shocking Kagura as her eyes darted between Erza and Natsu.
"Wait… WHAT!?"
"Erza…"
"What? I'm not embarrassed about you-?"
"That's not it."
"What do you mean then?"
"She probably doesn't even know we're dating, let alone all the other stuff?"
"You two are a couple!?"
"We are," Erza nodded proudly. "Took longer than I expected for it to become official, but we are!"
"To clarify what she meant earlier, Erza was referring to an arrangement we have where we sometimes allow other women into our bed. It's a rather exclusive list though."
"Wait, seriously!? And you just trust him not to take advantage of that?"
"I know he won't," Erza replied instantly, surprising Kagura as the Mermaid Heel Mage looked toward Natsu. "He promised me he would always gently let down any girls hitting on him. Any women who I think deserve to have some fun with him, I allow it to happen."
"Quite generous, wouldn't you agree?"
"B-But why would you allow him to be your boyfriend, yet sleep with other women!?"
"The truth is, Natsu's not like most men. His Dragon Slayer Magic gives him traits similar to that of a real Dragon. That includes their more… intimate, details."
"Oh…"
"Natsu can last upward of nine hours straight in bed, is capable of climaxing at least forty times, and he's quite large," Erza continued, either not noticing or outright ignoring the fierce blush on Kagura's face as she now struggled to look Natsu in the face. "I'm a strong woman, but I simply can't handle that much sex in one go all the time."
"Erza, as much as I enjoy you singing my praises, is there a reason you need to go into such detail about it with Kagura?"
"Well, I suppose there isn't," Erza pondered for a moment, before shrugging. "It doesn't matter, Kiara would probably tell her at some point after tonight anyway?"
"WHAT-!?"
"You had to have worded it that way on purpose Erza," Natsu sighed, shaking his head. "At least give her some damn context!?"
"Fine. Tonight, after the events are over, Natsu, Mira, Elise and myself, are all meeting Kiara at a hotel in the leisure district in order to shoot a very special edition of Sorcerer Weekly."
Natsu rolled his eyes, noticing Kagura's brain had either switched off, or melted entirely. Looking back to Erza, he could tell that she didn't quite get just how rare of a scenario she had just described truly was.
"I give up…"
"So do I," Kagura mumbled, shaking her head as she looked toward Natsu, still blushing. "Friends?"
"Friends," Natsu chuckled awkwardly, as the pair shook hands.
"This is so nice," Erza gushed as she rose from her seat and moved around the table to wrap an arm around both of them, banging their heads against her Armor. "If only Simon were here!"
"Probably for the best he isn't," Natsu replied, as both he and Kagura shared a look from their respective places against Erza's breastplate, sharing a chuckle.
"Thank you both for being so kind to me, and for wanting to be my friends," Kagura said as she managed to free herself from Erza's side. "Aside from Kiara, Milliana is my only other real friend, so I'm not exactly the best at these sorts of situations…"
"Believe me, this is far from how these things go normally," Natsu replied bluntly, his ears twitching slightly as he picked up on something back in the arena. "Hold on…"
"What is it?"
"Wendy just got called up for a match," Natsu grinned, vanishing on the spot almost instantly, much to the shock of Kagura, who didn't even see him making a motion to move.
"Did he just teleport?"
"No. Natsu's just that fast he can instantly up and vanish," Erza smiled as she took Kagura's hand. "Come on, let's go watch the match together?"
Kagura nodded, grabbing Archenemy as Erza practically dragged her back out to the main arena where they could see Natsu sitting on the edge of the railing. The pair moved to stand next to him, as they eyed the two combatants down in the arena.
"Wendy Marvell… She's Natsu's apprentice, right," Kagura asked Erza quietly as Natsu focused his full attention down onto the arena.
"Yes. He's very invested in her, so much so that some of us wonder what his true goal with her even is," Erza whispered back, as the pair looked between Natsu and Wendy. "Just look at how he looks at her?"
"It's… almost in a familial way, isn't it?"
Erza nodded in response, as the sound of Chapati's voice cut through their conversation like a knife.
"That's right Ladies and Gentlemen, we've got a great match up next! From Team Fairy Tail, we've got Wendy Marvell! And her opponent is none other than Lamia Scale's Sherria Blendy!"
The crowd cheered, many remarking how adorable the two girls were from both sides. Though many hadn't forgotten how Wendy had utterly crushed the Twin Dragons earlier in the week, and knew that Sherria was likely chosen because the officials thought she could compete.
Either way, the crowd was pumped for another exciting match, as all eyes fell upon the two girls in the arena.
***POTD***
As Wendy took her place across from her opponent, she couldn't help but take in her appearance. Sherria was a petite, five-foot eight teen with medium length pink hair that she had done up into pigtails.
She bore an almost childlike expression on her face, her bright blue eyes sparkling as she practically skipped to her starting position. She wore a pale blue mini skirt, a light pink sleeveless top that was dark blue at the center and a pair of long black stockings with a pair of black shoes with pink accents and laces.
The girl grinned as she reached her starting position, eyes sparkling as she waved to Wendy directly.
"Oh wow! You have no idea just how excited I am to get to fight you!? You have Slayer Magic, just like me!"
"Really," Wendy asked curiously, eliciting an enthusiastic nod from the teen. "What type of Slayer Magic do you use?"
"I'm a Sky God Slayer," the girl replied cheerfully, surprising several people in the audience.
From a quick glance, Wendy could see that both Elise, as well as Orga from Sabertooth, were now much more interested in the girl. Looking toward Natsu, she could see he was intrigued, but not too concerned, something that brought a small smile to her face.
"A Sky God Slayer? First or Second Generation?"
"Second," the girl smiled in response. "But don't think that means I'm gonna be a pushover, I'm plenty strong!"
"You're a God Slayer," Wendy replied with a firm shake of her head. "You're definitely not someone I can afford to mess around with. Trust me, I'm not going to underestimate you…"
"Great," the girl grinned, clearly happy Wendy wasn't planning on underestimating her abilities. "After seeing you rip apart the Twin Dragons, I'm so excited to fight you Wendy! Let's have a clean, fair fight!"
Wendy couldn't help but smile, happy that this girl seemed to be just a nice person, and not a douche like many of the other Mages in the games she'd met so far.
"May the best Slayer win… Sherria!"
A Member Of The Lamia Scale Guild
Member Of Team Lamia Scale
The Sky Goddess
Sherria Blendy
Wendy and Sherria nodded to one another, as Chapati's voice called for the start of the match.
Almost immediately, the wind picked up drastically, as both girls vanished, meeting at the center point of the arena, their fists locked firmly together as powerful gusts of wind were propelled out in all directions.
"W-Wow! You actually matched my punch Wendy!? Not even Lyon can do that," Sherria gasped, as they pushed off of each other's fists, skidding backward as Wendy immediately went on the offensive.
Appearing in front of Sherria, she spun around and attempted to kick her across the face, only for the Sky God Slayer to duck to avoid the attack. She then countered with another punch that Wendy blocked with her shin.
Holding out her right hand, Wendy slashed at the air, firing off several high-pressure gusts of wind as she pushed off of Sherria's fist to gain some distance.
"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!"
Sherria barely managed to dodge Wendy's attack, the tips of her pigtails being sliced clean off as she avoided the follow up slash by rolling off to the right, shooting toward Wendy as black wind surrounded her form.
"Wow! You know, you're really good at this Wendy! But now, its my turn! Sky God's Dance!"
Sherria rushed toward Wendy, spinning around rapidly once she got close as she seemingly threw a massive current of black air at the Dragon Slayer's position. Wendy could only guard against it as it launched her high into the sky, the winds cutting slightly into her as she went.
However, much to Sherria's surprise, Wendy didn't show any sign of pain, even as she increased the density of her wind whilst moving in to land a solid strike against the Dragon Slayer.
However, right before Sherria could get too close, Wendy acted, spinning around at the last moment and landing a brutal kick to Sherria's chest, propelling her back to the ground as she rapidly started flicking her feet to fire off multiple sharp wind gusts.
Sherria hit the ground, skidding slightly before flipping back onto her feet and skidding several more meters, generating a barrier of wind that negated Wendy's attacks. The God Slayer watched as Wendy landed several feet away, both girls not even panting, both sporting minor scuff marks and little else, as they shared matching smirks.
"You're good Wendy… You're really good."
"So are you Sherria. That wind of yours is strong…"
Wendy Marvell (Base Form + Second Origin Sealed + Full Power) – 1.13 Million MPI
Sherria Blendy (Base Form + Second Origin Sealed + Full Power) – 1.15 Million MPI
"You definitely live up to being a Sky Dragon Slayer," Sherria smirked, running a hand over her pigtails which were now slightly shorter. "The air is kind of your forte too, isn't it?"
"I could say the exact same thing to you Sherria," Wendy replied, running her left hand across her right arm and feeling the slightly scratched skin. "You're going to make me really work for this… I'm excited!"
Sherria matched Wendy's smirk, not unnerved at Wendy's now pointed teeth, knowing full well she was fighting a Dragon Slayer, and that Wendy was beginning to get into the fight proper.
"That's enough of a warm up," Sherria declared, cocking her right hand back as she leapt into the air. "Let's see how you handle this!? Sky God's Boreas!"
Wendy dropped into a semi crouch as Sherria fired a massive vertical whirlwind directly at her. The whirlwind moved in a spiral pattern as it made to engulf her position. However, Wendy's next move would surprise many.
Dropping down onto all fours, Wendy shockingly launched herself at Sherria's Boreas, grabbing onto the outer edge of the attack as she began to ride it, using the air current to propel herself around the attack, before suddenly shooting toward Sherria at blinding speed.
"Sky Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Sherria barely managed to raise her guard in time, her right arm coating itself in the black wind as Wendy's attack smashed into it. They remained locked in a clash for several moments, before Wendy abruptly broke it off and the two girls began trading a series of numerous blows.
The arena shook from the force behind them as the two powerhouse teens tried and failed to land a hit on one another, matching every punch and kick blow for blow. Eventually, both teens skidded backward, with Wendy dropping into a slight crouch, as Sherria remained in a guarded stance.
"No good."
"We can't hit each other," Sherria agreed, both girls giggling slightly at the revelation.
"I guess I've got no choice but to go one step further," Wendy replied, as scales slowly began to form across her body. "Sky Drive!"
Sherria didn't flinch, even as the powerful gusts of wind tore through Domus Flau. In fact, her eyes shimmered with excitement, eagerness to fight Wendy more, as they met the now draconian ones of her foe.
Wendy Marvel (Sky Drive + Full Power) – 2.26 Million MPI
Not even giving Sherria a moment, Wendy vanished, reappearing in front of the Sky God Slayer and delivering a brutal upward kick that sent the Slayer airborne. Leaping into the air, Wendy began tearing into her, smacking away at the God Slayer with several brutal strikes before flipping and striking her in the side of the neck with a slow kick, one backed by a powerful grey wind.
"Sky Dragon's Crashing Claw!"
Sherria was belted across the stadium, smashing into the ground and skidding along the dirt before smashing through the arena wall, causing the stadium to shake violently. Landing shortly after, Wendy dropped to one knee, eyes narrowed as she waited for the dust to settle.
However, what followed, surprised many in the arena, as the dust began to form a vortex centered solely around the hole in the wall. Everyone could feel a surge in power as black wind swept through Domus Flau.
Spectators were forced to grab onto their seats as multiple dust tornadoes flared up, black wind mixing with them to form a rather terrifying attack. It was then that everyone saw it, the cause of the chaotic wind, as Sherria returned to the arena…
"That was a really good attack Wendy, I couldn't have done anything about it," Sherria spoke, her voice taking on a much deeper tone as she strode into the arena, shocking many in the process. "I've only ever used this against Mister Jura but… I really want to fight you with it too!"
***POTD***
"Holy shit," Gajeel grunted, leaning forward in his place at the Fairy Tail section of the stands. "That kid has some serious skill…"
"Yeah," Laxus agreed, as several eyes turned toward Elise, who hadn't said a word. "What do you think?"
"I think she might be a good rival for Wendy," Elise murmured, her eyes transfixed on Sherria's form. "Yes…"
Everyone seemed confused by the War God Slayer's response, unaware that she wasn't viewing Sherria from a transformation perspective. No, Elise was studying the parallels between Sherria and Wendy, as well as the nature of both Sky Dragon and Sky God Slayer Magics.
"I suppose the legends are true after all… Beware the skies, for they pose some of the greatest dangers known to mankind, both here and beyond."
Elise's mutterings only further confused the Guild, who all decided to go back to watching the fight instead.
***POTD***
Wendy studied Sherria's appearance, and quickly deduced what she had done.
Her pigtails were gone, her pink hair now flared upright and constantly covered by a swirling mass of black wind, along with her eyebrows, wrists and ankles. She looked slightly older as well, her height having increased to six foot four, and her voice deepening as well, almost like she'd grown older with the transformation.
"Let's see how you handle my Sky God's Champion form, Wendy," Sherria smirked, sliding into a ready stance. "Go ahead, use the Dragon Force, and let's settle this fight!"
The Sky Dragon Slayer didn't need to be told twice, quickly entering the Dragon Force as the arena watched in a mixture of fascination and horror, as the two previously adorable fighters rapidly mutated into absurdly powerful, monstrous fighters.
"Yeah, let's settle this Sherria," Wendy smirked in response, dropping to all fours as she licked her lips, showing off her razor-sharp teeth as her Draconic blood began to increase her adrenaline for the fight to come. "Let's go!"
"Yeah," Sherria shouted in response, as the two combatants vanished, reappearing at the center of the arena as their crossed forearms, nearly blowing everyone off their seats in the process.
Wendy Marvell (Dragon Force + Full Power) – 4.52 Million MPI
Sherria Blendy (Sky God's Champion + Full Power) – 4.6 Million MPI
Both girls pushed off one another, skidding backward momentarily before leaping at one another with their fists fully charged with their elements and ready to go.
"Sky Dragon Queen's Crashing Gale Fist!"
"Sky God's Tempest Fist!"
Their fists collided in a near deafening clash, as the sound of thunder boomed across all of Crocus. Sherria seemed surprised Wendy's Magic was actually matching her own, as she felt her Sky God Magic failing to outright overwhelm Wendy's supposedly inferior Magic.
"Natsu…taught me how to fight…God Slayers," Wendy said through grit teeth, as neither could gain ground over the other. "Your Magic…as well as your regenerative abilities…can be countered!"
Both girls were blasted back as their attacks exploded, as powerful winds tore through Domus Flau. However, to those who weren't cowed by it, they could see that the girls were already fighting once again, matching each other blow for blow as they darted around in the air.
"Impressive," Sherria grinned, slugging Wendy across the face before receiving a kick to the ribs. "You're so strong! Fight me more!"
In response, Wendy simply laughed, seemingly running around in the air as she took several swipes at Sherria, who managed to evade the attacks before kneeing the Dragon Slayer in the face. Wendy grabbed onto said knee, throwing Sherria down to the arena floor with significant force as she arched her neck back.
"Sky Dragon Queen's Crashing Roar!"
Sherria hit the ground and immediately rolled, flipping onto her feet and skidding backward as she too arched her neck back, preparing to match the Dragon Slayer.
"Sky God's Bellow!"
The two breath attacks quickly clashed, pushing back and forth against one another as the Slayers poured more Magic into them. Eventually, the center of their clash began to expand, before exploding, releasing more powerful gusts of wind onto the arena as the girls leapt right into the explosion.
The smoke was quickly blown aside, as Wendy and Sherria continued to exchange a series of rapid blows, culminating with the pair rearing back and simultaneously headbutting one another.
The entire area shook as the pair slowly floated downward until they were standing firmly on the ground, their foreheads still pressed together as they panted heavily. Neither Mage made a move to strike the other in this moment, merely content to lean against the other for a moment, likely somewhat dazed from their respective headbutts.
"You bleed good Sherria…"
"So do you, Wendy," the God Slayer panted in reply, the pair both giggling as they each stumbled backward, their foreheads now a sickly purple with blood oozing from the central point of impact. "That Crash Magic of yours…its annoying, but genius. I can't regenerate my wounds because of it…"
"Natsu taught me that all Magic and techniques have a weakness, no matter how powerful they might appear at first. But even still, it doesn't guarantee victory even knowing a weakness like that…"
"It might not," Sherria panted, her eyes sparking as she extended her arms outward, black currents of air beginning to spiral around them as she slowly lifted off the ground once again. "You haven't won just yet Wendy. I've got one last technique up my sleeve, and I'm gonna use it on you!"
Floating higher and higher into the sky, the wind around her wrists flared up to envelop her arms entirely, a massive sphere of chaotic black wind manifesting between her shrouded hands.
"This is my ultimate technique, Wendy! Will you try to stop it, or, will you forfeit!?"
"I have one move left to match it," Wendy replied, as she began to perform similar motions as she extended her arms outward, a bright blue Magic Circle appearing around her feet. "But I want to say one thing, before we do this?"
"And what's that?"
"Regardless of who wins this, I want us to be good friends Sherria. I-I hope you feel the same way?"
"Wendy," Sherria smirked, raising the sphere above her head as it doubled in size. "You're so cute. How could I say no?"
Wendy blushed slightly, even as she brought her hands together, forming a sphere of sky-blue Magic in-between her hands as it rapidly grew in size.
"You and I are totally meeting up tonight, assuming we don't knock each other out," the Sky God Slayer joked as Wendy slowly began to float up off of the ground until she matched Sherria's position. "Loser's shout for dinner?"
"Deal," Wendy smirked in reply, as the pair prepared to launch their respective final attacks.
"God Slayer's Secret Art: The Great Cleansing Wind – Breath Of Parshath!"
"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Shattering Light – Great Sky Drill!"
Sherria smirked as she fired the massive sphere at Wendy, who, in turn, fired a massive blast of air at it.
The two attacks smashed into one another, both girls physically jostled by the force behind them, as they poured their reserves into their respective attacks, determined to win. As the two attacks pushed back and forth against one another, they slowly began to sink into one another, unbeknownst to the girls.
"Ngh-!"
"Argh-!"
The girls felt their power receding, as their forms slowly reverted. Using almost all their Magic, they eventually fell unconscious, dropping out of the sky as their attacks slowly melded together into one super-storm.
The crowd watched in horror as the girls fell, only for Natsu to suddenly appear, catching both of them. Looking up toward the super-storm above him, he watched as black lightning began to shoot out, striking the arena below as powerful gusts of wind shook the place to its core.
Looking to the two girls he held in his arms; the older Slayer couldn't help but shake his head. Reappearing back down on the arena floor, he looked toward Jura, who had also deduced what had happened.
"I'll shield them," the Wizard Saint called out, clasping his hands together as the entire top of the arena shook, large stone slabs emerging from their outer surface. "You dispel it!"
"Right," Natsu agreed, shooting through the top of what was a rapidly forming defensive dome, and charging directly into the eye of the super-storm itself. "Damn kids still have some training to do it seems…"
Feeling as the wind slashed at his skin, he ignored it, reaching the eye of the storm as he began to channel his Crash Magic. Closing his eyes, orange sparks poured from his body, as he unleashed his Magical Power.
"Crash Repulse!"
Extending both arms outward, he fired a monstrous blast of Crash Magic that tore the super-storm apart, shattering it into tiny cubes as the dome Jura had erected was battered relentlessly by wind gusts so strong, it was stripping away entire layers of the earth used to create it.
It took several minutes for the attack to be fully dispersed, with Jura removing the barrier once he could no longer sense it, allowing Natsu to land back in the arena itself.
As he stood over the unconscious forms of Wendy and Sherria, he could hear Jura approaching his position. Looking upward, he could see the amused smirk on the man's face.
"Rather reckless of them, wasn't it?"
"I don't think they had predicted their Magic to be so compatible," Natsu replied, shaking his head. "In the process of trying to overpower the other, they inadvertently formed a Unison Raid."
"In a way, its quite nice to see that they are so compatible," Jura chuckled as he picked up Sherria. "I don't doubt that, sometime in the future, these two will be perfect for inter-Guild cooperation."
"I don't doubt it. Still, that's a conversation for another time," Natsu smiled, gently picking up Wendy. "Thanks for helping shield the place Jura."
"Not a problem," the Wizard Saint replied with a nod. "Come, let's get these girls some medical attention."
Natsu nodded as the pair made their way off of the arena floor, stunning the crowd as Chapati's shaky voice managed to find itself.
"W-Well then… I don't think anyone was expecting something quite so destructive to come about through Wendy and Sherria's battle?"
"Indeed. And, it seems that the girls fell unconscious at the same time, meaning that their match was a tie Chapati."
"Well folks, that's where Day Four ends! We hope you enjoyed that last fight, because its likely a preview for what's coming tomorrow for the last day of the Grand Magic Games!"
"That's right Chapati. Tomorrow will be the last chance for all our teams to show you all why they deserve to be considered Fiore's strongest! We hope to see you all there bright and early!"
"That's right Mister Yajima! Tomorrow will be the final event, so make sure you all get a good night's rest!"
The crowd roared in approval as the commentators signed off for Day Four, unaware that the event had been observed by multiple parties…
***POTD***
As the stadium began to empty for the night, two cloaked figures stood atop one of the spires of Castle Mercurius, having observed the battle from afar.
"It seems the list just keeps growing by the day, doesn't it, Granvill," Varnik mused as he wrote something down. "Serena often spoke that Fiore was full of weaklings, that the country would be a cakewalk compared to Scarlione…"
"Clearly he was wrong," Granvill grunted in reply, as Varnik lit a cigar. "This is why its more imperative than ever we succeed."
"Indeed. Our allies have been given their orders," Varnik replied, taking a drag from his cigar. "Return to base Granvill, inform the others of what happened here."
"Of course Sir," Granvill replied firmly, the larger man vanishing on the spot as the elder returned his gaze to Domus Flau.
"The Emperor's will shall not be denied any longer… Tomorrow, it all ends."
***POTD***
Unbeknownst to all, the Grand Magic Games had a rather unique spectator. Unlike the others though, this one knew he wouldn't have been welcome to join the crowds in the stadium, or even observe the games with the various gathered crowds across the city.
No, this one kept to the shadows…
Currently, he was trailing Natsu, observing the man as he entered a hotel alongside multiple well known Mages. Mirajane Strauss, Erza Scarlett, Elise Faulkner, Kagura Mikazuchi and Kiara Lynnes.
He couldn't help but smirk at that.
However, before he had a chance to laugh, he found himself warping away in a mixture of surprise and genuine shock, as Natsu seemed to stop in place. The man had looked right in his direction, almost instinctively, before being dragged inside by the women who were with him.
"Heh. To think you've grown skilled enough with your Demonic abilities to sense my presence, even when I am actively suppressing it…"
Reappearing on a faraway rooftop, Zeref smiled, clearly pleased at Natsu's development.
"It seems you're progressing nicely. Tomorrow shall be a good test of just what you're truly capable of," the Black Wizard mused, silently stepping off of the rooftop and gracefully landing in an alleyway.
Turning around, to walk off, he found himself almost bumping into Eliza, the War Goddess towering over him, unblinkingly, her gaze hard and her form stock still like a statue.
To basically anyone else, such a threatening presence would cow them. However, Zeref was unbothered, and merely met her gaze neutrally.
"Eliza Faulkner?"
"Zeref…"
"To what do I owe the-?"
"Leave this place at once."
"…I see. You know, that's rather rude, I haven't even done anything-?"
"You will," Eliza snarled, cutting him off yet again. "Take your scheming elsewhere!"
"Do the Gods still intend to interfere with my plans," Zeref sighed tiredly, shaking his head. "I warned you all to keep away last time, remember?"
"You killed three Seraphim!"
"I thought that was a clear enough warning, didn't you?"
"Oh, you were very clear," Eliza replied bluntly. "But do you truly think that by doing such a thing, you've cowed the Gods of Creation and Destruction?"
"Come now Eliza, don't be so foolish as to try and threaten me with them," Zeref replied, shaking his head. "They won't do anything, they never do."
"Do not tempt Fate, Zeref."
"Do not tempt me," he countered in turn, activating his Hybrid's Aura as Eliza activated her God's Aura. "If they continue to interfere in my grand plan, I will remind them of that which they fear most…"
"They do not fear you as much as they feared him, Zeref. And right now, they fear what Achnologia is, and what he very well could become, far more than even his return," Eliza replied firmly. "I know what you are planning to do, and such a resurrection will fail!"
"If you truly believe so, then you are as blind as ever," the Black Wizard chuckled, clearly amused at her response. "Tomorrow, the next important piece of my grand design shall take place, and there isn't a thing anyone from Terminus or Tartarus can do about it."
"Not yet," Eliza responded darkly in turn. "We are watching…"
Eliza vanished on the spot, leaving Zeref alone once more as he looked up to the night sky, an amused smirk on his face.
"Good. Observe, Gods of Terminus! Watch as I fix this world into how it always should have been…"
Zeref looked over toward Mercurius, his eyes showing an almost unhinged mania for the briefest of moments as he clenched his fists, his eyelids twitching ever so slightly.
"I'll fix everything in due time… But it all begins, with the Eclipse Gate…"