Standing with a smile on his face, Apollo stood as he witnessed Natsu take on a new appearance.

"So what do you think!?" Natsu shouts at him from across the arena. "Usually I just save my Black Fire Dragon Mode until much later in the fight, but since I'm fighting the literal God of the Sun, it won't matter if I hold back!"

Apollo then began to laugh. Catching Natsu off guard. He certainly wasn't expecting this reaction. "What's so funny!? You know you're not gonna be laughing for much longer, right!?"

Apollo ran his fingers through his hair. "Hehe… I truly couldn't ask for a more beautiful opponent to go up against today. You sir… are simply dazzling!"

For a brief moment, a small blush could be seen on Natsu's face. He isn't used to people complimenting him in the middle of a fight. Maybe this Apollo guy isn't who he thinks he is after all…

He then shook his head. "Oh I see what you're trying to do! You're trying to soften me up so that I make a mistake! Well it's not going to work! You wanna see dazzling! I'll SHOW you dazzling!"

Apollo took a defensive stance as Natsu began to close the distance between them.

"Let's see how you like THIS!" Natsu shouted. "DRAGON GOD… BRILLIANT FLAME!"

In an instant, half of the arena ignited into flames. Nothing could be seen through the thick black smoke that appeared as a result of Natsu's attack.

"Natsu strikes with a wonderful counter attack!" Heimdall yells to the crowd. "Now if only we could get a good look at him right now… since we can't see anything at the moment."

Mash scratches his head. "I don't understand what was so brilliant about that attack. It's just a bunch of smoke."

It was then that he saw Apollo jump out of the thick smoke cloud. At first he wasn't able to recognize him. The reason why became obvious.

"Uh… folks, it would appear that Lord Apollo…" Heimdall is at a loss for words. "The most beautiful god in the Heavens definitely looks like he's seen better days."

The impact of Natsu's attack left Apollo badly burned. Clumps of his hair began to fall off as the crowd started to look away from his burnt up face.

"Ugh… It's like he's trapped himself in an oven… at 250c." Mash shook his head. "Looks like I had Natsu figured out all wrong. Just like Raiden."

Just as the black cloud started to vanish, Natsu walked out of it. "Just stay down… If you start begging me for mercy, I might just spare your life. Don't make this any more harder than it has to be, Apollo."

Looking down at the hair that had fallen off his head, Apollo spoke. "Natsu… was it? What I have just felt right now is the fire that burns your very soul. It's so… passionate… It's so… wonderful…"

He then lifts his head up and gives Natsu a smile. Natsu couldn't help but feel a little weirded out by this guy. Nobody has ever taken an attack like that and managed to smile after. Apollo really is something.

"You've made me… BEAUTIFUL!" Apollo shouts out.

"BEAUTIFUL!?" Natsu shouts back. "I burned more than half your flesh off! I don't think beautiful is a word that can describe you right now! You're hideous!"

"That's where you'd be wrong, my unenlightened friend!" Apollo lets out a chuckle. "I have seen your beauty… and it has absolutely nothing to do with what your appearance is! Your beauty is what you ARE!"

Natsu's face began blushing again. "Well… if you put it like that… Then I guess, yeah, I think you're very beautiful…"

"I KNOW I AM!" Apollo points at himself. "Because I am not afraid of change! And I'm not afraid to know what I lack!"

"Hoh hoh hoh." Zeus laughs to himself while looking down at his son. "It is only when you know yourself… That you can surpass yourself. That is what makes you strong… Apollo."

"Just more now than yesterday." Apollo continues. "And this moment… More than the one before… In order to become even more beautiful… I will burn my soul!"

Natsu couldn't help but smile back at him. "Okay… I've never fought anybody who's anything like you before… and if I ever get back home, I don't think I'll be fighting anybody who's just like you again… I have no regrets coming here!"

'Oh, I can feel your fiery spirit already!" Apollo said cheerfully. "It goes without saying that whoever's spirit shines brighter… will live on to see the end of this day!"

"This is it." Brunhilde leans forward. "It all comes down to this… Natsu… or Apollo… I hope he's prepared to take on whatever's coming."

It was then that Apollo's weapon started shining, causing Natsu to shield his eyes. "Hey, what's the big idea!? You trying to blind me!?"

"And shut you out of the beauty in front of you? No, I'm not cruel like that." Said Apollo. "Artemis… Moonlight Glow."

"Wait… what is that!?" Heimdall yells. "A gigantic statue of a goddess has just appeared behind Apollo!"

Greek Mythology says… The Twins Apollo and Artemis used a gigantic golden bow to kill the titans.

Heimdall speaks again. "In Apollo's hands… Now there's an enormous shining bow!"

"A bow?" Natsu couldn't help but smirk as he sees Apollo take aim at him. "I've dealt with a lot of stuff my entire life. I've fought people using all different kinds of magic. And now you're telling me you're going to kill me with a bow of all things? I mean come-"

It was at that moment that Natsu felt an intense pain in his right shoulder. His right arm is now hanging limp and isn't listening to his brain. "Augh! AAHHH!"

"What… what just happened!?" Yells Heimdall. "At the same time the shining arrow from the bow disappeared, it appears to have pierced through Natsu's shoulder!"

"Apollo's golden arrows." Said a smirking Ares. "As fast as light itself."

"The fastest hit in the divine realm." Said Hermes.

Zeus combs his beard with his fingers. "It's a technique which even defeated the titans without any struggle." He chuckles. "I'm the only one in the divine realm who can stop that arrow."

"YOU BASTARD!" Natsu yelled while holding onto his shoulder. "You knew I wouldn't see it coming!"

"I'm just as surprised as you are!" Apollo yells back. "You should have died before feeling any pain!"

"My pride doesn't allow me to die!" Using his left hand, Natsu ignites the air in front of him. "Those arrows won't work on me again!"

"Oh really?" Apollo smiled playfully. "I'd like to see if there's any truth in that statement! Golden Arrow of the Radiant Meteor!"

It turns out that Natsu wasn't lying. Each arrow shot by Apollo instantly gets vaporized when it comes into contact with the air affected by Natsu's magic.

"Oh, this is using so much of my energy!" Natsu thought.

"And there goes Apollo on the offensive! Shooting arrow after arrow after arrow!" Heimdall yells. "While Natsu is keeping himself from being hit again! It's just a question on how long he can keep it up!"

"Ugh. What's with this guy!?" Natsu questions to himself. "I'll finish this right now!"

He then leaps forward. His left hand is still in front of his face. Apollo stops shooting. "What's this now?"

"Dragon King's Demolition Fist!"

Natsu may only have one functioning arm, but it was enough for him to keep fighting. Apollo simply raises his bow to defend himself. "This is a divine weapon. No amount of a mortal's strength will be able to break it."

What Apollo thought was true. Natsu wasn't strong enough to break the divine bow. But he was strong enough to force his hands to move backward. Natsu had been underestimated again.

"I can't believe it, folks!" Yells Heimdall. "Natsu had just hit Apollo with his own bow! With a hit to the face like that, it's not going to be easy to recover!"

Tossing his bow to the side, Apollo felt his nose starting to fall from his face. Natsu had broken it. "Forgive me for speaking in the way that I am now. But right now it is starting to look like you've taken more of a beating than I am."

He wasn't wrong. Natsu's right arm had gone entirely numb while his left is in agonizing pain. He got a few lucky shots in, but at this point he might need to face reality: Everything that he has just isn't enough to defeat the God of the Sun in battle.

He couldn't help but smile. Sure, he may never see any of his friends again. But at the same time, this life he chose for himself, he couldn't think of a better way to die. "Yeah… You've beaten me up pretty bad… But this fight still isn't over yet!"

He opened his mouth and began to inhale a ton of air.

"Oh…" Apollo smiles. "You're planning to finish me off with another one of those roar attacks. It's a beautiful last attempt."

The Legend of Apollo continues…

Phoebus Apollo… Who shines every second, as beautiful and marvelous as the sun.

He places himself on Artemis' Bow…

And turns into a 'silver arrow.' Capable of destroying even the defenses of Argus.

"He's planning to launch himself forward with those threads of his!" Thought Natsu. "Well then… It looks like I'll just have to incinerate him before he gets to me!

FIRE DRAGON KING'S…"

The exact moment he saw Apollo launch himself towards him was the moment he knew that he needed to unleash his attack. "SILVER ARROW: PENETRATING SOUL!" "ROAR!"

Natsu planted his feet firmly on the ground as he unleashed a devastating amount of fire straight from his mouth. The flames were a direct hit on Apollo, hurting him even more badly than before. He could feel what remains of his nose getting scorched off of his face.

As painful as it may be, it wasn't nearly enough to kill him. In fact, it wasn't even enough to slow him down. Apollo ended up doing exactly what he set out to do. With one hit, he manages to dive deeper into the flames and cut them off at its source.

Whoever Natsu's friends may be, they're sure going to miss him. At the very least, Apollo made sure Natsu died before he knew what hit him. He owes him that much.

Brunhilde and Goll stood with their mouths hanging wide open as Natsu's headless body crashed onto the ground below. Zeus, on the other hand, was pumping his fist in the air in excitement.

"YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET, VALKYRIE! WOO! WOO! NO MATTER WHAT UNIVERSE WE'RE IN, THE GODS ALWAYS COME OUT ON TOP IN THE END! WOO!"

"And that's it for Ragnarok, Round 9!" Yells Heimdall. "For the first time since the tournament started, the Gods have finally taken the lead! Humanity is now one step closer to its extinction… As the Gods only need two more wins to claim victory in Ragnarok!"

The gods watching in the stands began chanting. "TWO MORE WINS! TWO MORE WINS! TWO MORE WINS! TWO MORE WINS!"

Heimdall continues. "Don't you go anywhere then, folks! We will be right back!"

Mash let out a long sigh. "It's such a shame that we couldn't meet, Natsu. You have my respect."

Apollo VS Natsu Dragneel

Match Length: 8 Minutes and 57 Seconds.

Finishing Move: The Silver Arrow That Penetrates The Soul.

Winner: Apollo.