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

Enjoy!

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: FOUR DRAGONS

"You know, I really don't get it..." Izumi spoke, getting Eric and Lex's attention. "Lucas has the exact same power as Sting and Rogue, right? Natsu aside, he can take over this match and win."

"That would be too easy and not really entertaining, if I'm being honest." Eric told her, with Lex humming in agreement.

"Let's not forget he's fighting the two very people he's close to, as well. I can't even imagine what's going through his head right now." Lex added.

"It's over, Kaiba... Garbage guild..." Jiemma spoke to himself.

"Sting..." Rogue muttered.

"Yeah..." Sting nodded.

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

As if answering him, Sting charges forward and strikes Natsu with white light, who blocks it with his arms. "Sabertooth's Sting makes his move! Fairy Tail's Natsu held it back!" Chapati announced.

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

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

"Oh, my! It looks like God Pegasus's Lucas is at the mercy of Rogue's Shadow Drive!" Chapati said.

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

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

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

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

"Their power has suddenly increased." Lily pointed out. "Is that a kind of Dragon Slayer Magic?"

"Take care of business, Natsu!" Happy cheered.

"What the hell?! You've gotten faster for some reason..." Natsu commented.

Sting soon struck him with Magic. "Come on, come on, Natsu-san! You call that defense?!" He taunted before sending a kick towards his back while Rogue was doing the same with Gajeel.

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

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

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

"Compared to those two, it seems Natsu and Lucas aren't in sync with each other." Rufus said as Sting and Rogue kept attacking Natsu and Lucas.

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

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch added.

Sting was punching Natsu with his Magic. "I admired you for the longest time!" He raised Natsu in the air. "And then I set my sights on surpassing you! Now is that time!"

"Natsu!" Gray shouted.

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

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

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

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

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

"Are you sure about that?" Lucas questioned in a dark tone.

"Yeah!" Drake cheered.

"That's the way, Lucas!" Eric said.

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

"Of course! Lucas does know Rogue like the back of his hand, after all." Ace commented.

Natsu smirked before punching Sting in the face with his fist covered in flames. "How can you move?!" Sting asked as it showed Natsu had burned it off. "You burned off the stigmata!"

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

"He burned it off... That guy knows no bounds..." Gray grinned.

"'Only the Salamander could do that...' I guess I should say..." Erza said.

"What's the matter, Rogue? You were all cocky just a minute ago." Lucas paused as he struck Rogue in the face. "Don't you dare frown upon me, jackass!"

Natsu and Lucas both sent Sting and Rogue crashing into the arena wall.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Here I go, Natsu-san! Dragon Slayer Arcana! Holy Nova!" Sting shouted as the arena was covered in white light.

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

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

"Huh?" Frosch added.

"No way..." Orga muttered.

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

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

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

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

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

"Rogue..." Frosch mumbled.

Natsu and Lucas continued attacking Sting and Rogue.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Huh?"

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

"...Shit." Lucas commented.

"They're..." Natsu trailed off.

"Wh-What's is this...?" Makarov questioned.

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

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

"Dragon Force..." Mavis muttered.

"Natsu kinda looked like that at the Tower of Heaven..." Gray remembered.

"Yeah. Except..." Erza paused.

"...he gained the power then by eating Etherion. And that time with Zero too, he unleashed that power by eating all of my magic. But they're able to release the power of the Dragon by willing it?" Jellal asked himself.

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

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

"God, I really hate his cocky attitude..." Lucas thinks to himself.

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

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

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

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

"Hey... Lucas is a Third Generation too, right? How come he's not activiating it? He could give him and Natsu the advantage they need." Nero pointed out.

Atlas crosses his arms. "His emotions are holding him back." He replied as Nero let out a noise of confusion.

"You mean he's not even taking this seriously? Damn that crystal breath... If he throws this match, I'm electrocuting him." Shiro threatened as Atlas narrowed his eyes.

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

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

Lucas hummed. "Well, you're not wrong there." He agreed.

A gust of wind blew through the four Dragon Slayers before Sting charged forward, making Natsu widen his eyes. Sting sent a punch towards Natsu, sending him flying in the air. Lucas tried to attack him next as Sting blasted holy light at him.

Natsu used his flames as a boost to kick off the arena wall while Lucas skidded on the ground. The two of them charged forward as Sting continued to deflect their attacks.

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

"Totally different from before!" Happy agreed.

"Natsu-nii..." Romeo mumbled as Sting flew into the air.

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

"Oh, dear! What is going on here?! The floor of the arena is..." Chapati trailed off.

"...crumbling?!" Makarov finished.

"That was one fierce breath..." Mavis stated.

"What incredible force..." Erza said.

"This is the power of the Third Generation Dragon Slayers?!" Gray exclaimed.

Natsu and Lucas fell down the hole. "Lucas!" Ace and Bruno shouted.

"Natsu!" Happy and Romeo called out.

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

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

Natsu dropped on one of the falling pieces as he lowered himself to the ground and shouted, "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"

He charged forward and head-butted Sting while Lucas appeared behind him. "Jade Dragon's Roar!" He released a blast of green energy from his mouth, causing Sting to land on the ground.

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

Both Natsu and Lucas soon got attacked. "Light?!" Erza questioned.

"Holy attribute magic…" Mavis muttered.

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

"Natsu can't guard against him?!" Droy exclaimed.

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

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

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

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch agreed.

"Lector… I made you a promise… so I'm definitely gonna win!" Sting thinks to himself.

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

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

Rogue soon joined Sting underneath the arena. "I admit, I was expecting more from Lucas. It seems his emotions on fighting us held him back." He muttered.

"Yeah." Sting agreed.

"Uh-oh! They're not even twitching! It's been a breathless seesaw battle, but have both Fairy Tail and God Pegasus run out of steam?!" Chapati asked.

"Natsu..." Happy said.

"Lucas..." Eric muttered.

"What's wrong? Get up!" Ace exclaimed. "You're stronger than this!"

"Natsu-nii! Stand up!" Romeo shouted as Sting deactivated his Dragon Force.

"But you really were strong, Natsu-san. Luke... Sorry. I'll make it up to you. Promise." Sting told his mate. "Perhaps I went a little overboard with him..."

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

"Stand up, Lucas!" Olga shouted.

"We know that's not nearly enough to take you out, crystal breathing bastard!" Shiro exclaimed.

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

"Yeah... Sorry I took Luke down, too. But, y'know..." Sting turned around. "...I kept my promise."

"Don't be too hasty..."

Sting and Rogue turned in shock and widened their eyes as both Natsu and Lucas were standing, causing the audience to cheer.

"Fairy Tail!"

"God Pegasus!"

"He's standing!" Drake exclaimed.

"I knew Lucas wasn't out of this yet." Ace grinned.

"Ow..." Natsu rubbed his head while Lucas stretched, groaning in pain when he heard his bones crack.

"I'll be feeling that for a week." Lucas muttered.

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

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

"What?!" Sting exclaimed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Bluffin', you say?" Lucas countered, looking at Natsu. "You really think the Salamander is smart enough to bluff?"

"I'm smart! Just watch!" Natsu shot back. "For example, when you attack, your pivot foot is facing 11:00."

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

"It's 11:00!"

Natsu and Lucas clashed their heads together. "I could let you slide with 10:30, but not 11:00!" Lucas argued.

"I say it's 11:00! 23:00 is fine, too!"

"That's going around 360 degrees!"

Natsu and Lucas soon began fighting as Sting and Rogue sweat dropped, as well as Fairy Tail and God Pegasus.

"So it isn't just Shiro who Lucas will fight with..." Eric sighed.

"It seems so." Drake said.

"Arguing in a middle of a battle... Sounds like Lucas. How childish." Shiro commented.

"You're one to talk, Shiro. I can't count how many times you and Lucas have fought just like that." Alyssa stated.

Shiro deadpanned. "Yeah, but we don't do it in front of everyone to see." He said.

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

"Wha...?! Hey! You bastard!" Natsu shouted as his motion sickness kicked in and disappeared.

"Remind me to apologize to him and Fairy Tail after the battle." Lucas stated.

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

"That's low, even for you, Lucas." Rogue claimed.

"It's about time I finally become serious." Lucas said as his fist became crystalized.

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

His declaration shocked Sting and Rogue as Lucas gave them a serious look.

"Oh, boy! Now Lucas Ray of God Pegasus is challenging the two of them to a battle!" Chapati announced while Lucas only grinned.

A/N: And Lucas is finally getting serious!

I've already made the decision that Sting will tag along with the Rescue Team. Because while he does care about Lector, I kinda feel like he would prioritize his soulmate first, especially if he got abducted. Does that make sense? (It also gives him a chance to meet Rogue and Lucas's future selves).

That also means it'll be troublesome to figure out the battles to make God Pegasus victorious, so let me know if you have any ideas for that.

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.