*Comes out of the closet with a cosplay of Yusei.*
LET'S REV IT UP!
*Sees the readers giving blank face*
Random reader: Oh brother… THIS GUY STINKS!
*Cries anime tears and changes back to normal clothes*
Welcome back to Dueling Tail, and the start of a new chapter. Sorry for the long wait, but life just found a way to screw with me. But, I am back and I plan on updating some things before 2025 hits.
Onto the reviews!
Yogaratw607: Glad you're liking the story. But no, I have not heard of that series, but I might watch it one day.
Dragon king156: Things got real last time, but it'll keep growing. And expect an epic duel near the end. One day, I will set up a dueling tournament and I will face you off with my Lightsworn/Shaddoll deck.
Warriors of six blades: Glad to see you again, old pal! Hope you're ready to see a bigger improvement on the original story.
To recap: Finally, the five guilds that were assembled to defeat the Oracion Seis arrived, though not without Stardust having a sudden reunion with another duel spirit named Black Rose Dragon. The two spirits left the humans to discuss things in private, leaving poor Wendy and her feline companion Carla alone. After some introductions, Jura of Lamia Scale began to inform everyone about the Oracion Seis. Once they were briefed, Natsu led the charge, with everyone else following suit. Unfortunately, it seemed like the Oracion Seis, as well as Damien and Ultear, ambushed them, taking down everyone one after another. When Wendy was harmed, Black Rose Dragon appeared and entangled the members of the Oracion Seis.
How will the wizards recover from such a battle? And what things will Black Rose do to them? Time to find out…
There are many things to be naturally afraid of in the world.
Insects, the walking dead, bad food.
However, above all that was the angry mother/mother figure.
And Black Rose Dragon was LIVID!
"WHO HURT WENDY!" Black Rose growled so deeply that the very earth rumbled under her breath. Even though most of the humans around her couldn't exactly see her, the amount of pressure she was emitting was enough to give them an idea.
"H-H-Holy crap…" Natsu gulped as he felt his stomach grow heavy. He kind of expected a dragon like Black Rose to be powerful, but being in her presence felt like he was drowning in the ocean with boulders tied around his ankles.
"This… is bad." Stardust appeared next to his partner, watching his old flame going on a rampage with a cold sweat running down his head.
As great as it was to see her helping, the look in her eyes made him worry about the collateral damage.
"What… is… going on?!" Brain groaned as he felt the vines tighten around him, the thorns getting close to piercing his skin. To his knowledge, none of the wizards present could use plant magic, let alone to this degree. Whoever it was, they were powerful.
"Black Rose, you need to calm down…" Stardust tried reasoning with his old flame. "If you do this in front of Wendy, it will scar her for life."
"They tried to hurt her… you saw!" Black Rose growled in anger as she kept tightening her vines around the Oracion Seis and their two allies.
"As fun as this is, we do have a schedule to keep…" Draven smiled as he was able to sneak his hand to his belt, reaching into a deck box he had. Opening it, he slipped his fingers and took out a certain card. "Fiendish… Chain…"
Suddenly, several chains shot out of the ground, wrapping around the invisible duel spirit. Black Rose groaned in pain as she felt her strength being sapped away.
"I… Can't…" Due to the chains, Black Rose's vines slowly began to whittle away, freeing the Oracion Seis and their allies.
"What's going on?!" Lucy shouted as she and the others looked at the chains. Much to her surprise, she could vaguely see something flickering in and out of existence. 'What the heck is that?'
"You can summon chains?" Brain asked as he was finally able to catch his breath. Looking up, his eyes widened as he saw Wendy, who seemed to be hiding behind a rock during all of the chaos. "The Sky Maiden… Wendy."
"Oh, so that's who you wanted to find." Draven whistled at the convenience of the situation. 'And judging by that dragon's reaction, I'd say little miss Wendy's her partner. Now this is starting to get fun.'
"W-Why is he looking at me?" Wendy gulped in fear, having a bad feeling in her gut.
"We've made quite a find, my friends." Brain chuckled as he extended his staff towards Wendy. "Grab her!" Then, green magic energy suddenly shot out of the staff, moving through the air until it wrapped around Wendy.
"WENDY!" Carla called out in horror as she ran after her.
"LET HER GO!" Shay and some of the others tried to stand up to help.
"Apologies, but we have more important things to do. OH YEAH!" Hoteye said as he used his magic, causing the ground to turn into a wave-like substance, knocking everyone down.
"CARLA, BLACK ROSE! HELP!" Wendy called out as she tried to reach for a hand.
Only to end up grabbing the paw of Happy, who tried to go after Wendy.
"THAT'S THE WRONG CAT!" Carla yelled in frustration before she suddenly fell on her knees while holding her bruised stomach.
"Uh oh." Was all Happy was able to say as he and Wendy were dragged into Brain's staff, disappearing without a trace.
"We have no further use for any of you. BEGONE!" Brain declared as he unleashed a barrage of green magic beams. "DARK RONDO!"
Hibiki quickly brought Lucy under his body while Ren moved in to shield them.
Lyon tried to move a lovestruck Sherry out of the way.
Ishizu quickly tried using her Wjat's Protection on herself, Shay, Erza and Gray.
"Grrrrrrr…" Natsu gritted his teeth as he saw the oncoming attack. "AHHHH, DAMNIT!" Deciding he had no other option, Natsu reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. Something only Stardust and a struggling Black Rose noticed.
"Natsu, wait!" Stardust warned Natsu, only for it to fall on deaf ears.
"I ACTIVATE SWORDS OF BURNING LIGHT!" Natsu shouted, coating the card with his magic in a last ditch effort. Much to his relief, several large white flame swords shot out of the ground, deflecting all of Brain's attack.
"What the?!" Cobra and Racer's eyes widened.
"Those aren't Salamander's flames!" Angel added, her eyes also widening.
"Oh… no?" Hoteye seemed just as confused by this.
'That was a spell card!' Ultear thought with a surprised expression, though her mask hid it from the world.
'Ahhh. So Dragneel's able to use cards outside of a duel.' Draven thought as he began to smile. 'Good. This whole thing might be even more fun than I thought.'
Soon, the Dark Rondo attack ceased, leaving nothing but a large cloud of smoke in the air. Natsu sighed as his spell card began to disappear. "That was a close one…"
"N-Natsu?" Hearing his name being called out, Natsu turned around and saw everyone looking at him with a shocked expression, excluding Shay and Ishizu.
"What the hell was all that?! Where'd those swords come from?!" Gray questioned as he pushed himself up.
'Crap. I knew they'd see.' Natsu mentally scolded himself before he composed himself. "That was… a new spell I came up with! In secret!"
"It looked a lot like Maker Magic, yet the scale is something entirely different." Lyon pointed out.
"Plus, I didn't see you put your hands together or anything. And I KNOW you don't give a rat's ass about Maker Magic." Gray added in with narrowed eyes.
"I could've sworn I heard you say something about activating before they appeared." Eve chimed in with a thoughtful expression.
"That isn't important right now!" Carla's words caught everyone's attention as she stood up, despite the pain she was in from Draven's kick. "They've taken Wendy!" She pointed to where the Oracion Seis were, though said wizards couldn't be found anywhere. "We need to find her!"
"On that, we can agree." A familiar voice called out from behind. The wizards turned around and saw Jura and Ichiya standing there, looking worse for wear.
"Jura!" Lyon and Sherry quickly rushed over to their guildmate, who fell on one knee.
"What happened? Are you alright?" Sherry asked with a concerned tone.
"I'll live, but they knew." Jura revealed with a groan. "They knew where we would meet up… what our secret weapon was… the Oracion Seis knew…"
"But how? We made sure to keep everything under wraps." Hibiki asked with a frown.
"Wait, one of them had a spirit that can transform." Lucy pointed out before gasping. "Do you think they used it to spy on us?!"
"Exactly. When you all left, Ichiya paralyzed me." Jura informed everyone, much to their shock. "It was then I realized the person I was speaking with wasn't the real Ichiya." He then looked over to said person, who was posing dramatically. "Luckily, thanks to Sir Ichiya's Painkiller Parfum, I don't feel as much pain. Without it, I wouldn't be able to stand."
"Think nothing of it, my friend!" Ichiya told him with a pose.
"Striking down the strongest threat before a battle. As much as I'd hate to admit this, their plan was foolproof." Ishizu confessed with a hand over her necklace.
"Tch. There were only eight of them, but they wiped the floor with us." Shay scoffed as he stood up, furious that they were taken down so easily. He then slightly glanced over to where Black Rose was, noticing said spirit and the chains wrapped around her were gone before she disappeared. 'If it wasn't for her, we'd probably be dead.'
"They even took down Christina. How powerful are they?" Sherry asked out loud.
"Luckily, no lives were lost. Otherwise, it would be a much more dire situation." Jura said with a relieved tone.
"But what about the people in there?" Lucy called out as she looked at the fallen aircraft.
"Oh, don't worry about it." Eve spoke up with a smile. "Christina has a remote control function, so there wasn't anyone inside."
"The plan was to climb aboard and find their base, but it looks like we'll need to improvise." Hibiki added on.
"Before we can strike back, take a whiff of this!" Ichiya took out a vial before opening it, spreading a green aroma around the area.
"Oh… what a refreshing smell…" Ishizu admitted with a smile.
"Yeah. I'm starting to feel better now." Lucy spoke up, the aching pain she felt from the fight slowly fading away.
"So this Ichiya can use magic that can ease one's pain? Interesting…' Stardust thought as he flew next to Natsu, who glared at the direction the Oracion Seis ran to.
"Damnit… those punks have Wendy and Happy!" Natsu stood up and began to run towards the heart of the forest. "I'm coming!"
"Hold on! Don't go alone, Natsu!" Lucy called out, only to follow on deaf ears. Before Natsu could reach the forest, a dark shadowy rope wrapped around his leg, causing him to fall flat on his face.
"Owww!" Natsu groaned in pain before he turned around and glared at the person who tripped him. "What the hell's your problem?!"
"Don't you realize all this is your fault?" Shay said with a heated glare, his magic subsiding as he stood over Natsu. "If you didn't rush in to fight the Oracion Seis, we could've come up with a plan. Hell, we could've figured out that the Ichiya we talked to was a fake if we were still there." His green eyes stared daggers into Natsu. "But because of you, not only did we get our asses kicked, we lost the kid and your cat."
"I'll get them back! But you stopped me!" Natsu shot back as he stood up, marching up to match Shay's glare. "We can find them together. I know Happy's smell, so I can track him. We need to hurry."
"I agree with the pink haired buffoon." Carla spoke up while sprouting her own set of wings, flying up in the air.
"She has wings?" Ren asked with a bewildered expression.
"I take it none of you have seen Aero Magic before." Carla said, not fazed by the attention she was getting. "Though I am concerned about finding Wendy and the tomcat, we cannot go hearfirst like before. These are powerful wizards, so we must come up with a plan of attack."
"I agree wholeheartedly, lady Carla." Jura nodded. "The Oracion Seis is stronger, so a plan will definitely be needed."
"But first…" Carla turned her head somberly to Erza, who was leaning against a tree, still donning her Speed Armor. However, what got the most attention was the large purple mark on Erza's right arm, which seemed to be slowly spreading.
"ERZA!" Lucy and Ishizu quickly rushed over to Erza, helping her sit down against a tree.
"What the hell happened to you?" Natsu asked with a worried tone.
"C-C-Cobra…" Erza stuttered, pain evident in her voice.
"The poison is spreading fast. And judging by her temperature, it's bad." Ishizu summarized with a deep frown. 'I saw this in my vision as well. If we don't cure Erza, then we may lose her.'
"Please stand back! My Parfum will assist you, my love!" Ichiya took out another vial and opened it, spreading the aroma to Erza.
"Genius, sir." Hibiki complimented his 'boss' with a smile. "Because of the cleansing effect of your Parfum, it should help expel the toxin from her arm."
However, rather than relax, Erza screamed in agony as the poison seemed to actually spread more.
"It's not working. Cover it up!" Shay shouted, to which Ichiya compiled.
"I was afraid of this. It seems we can't cure the poison with Ichiya's magic." Ishizu explained.
"But then what CAN we do?!" Natsu shouted in frustration. He then turned over to Stardust "Hey. Do you have any healing magic that can help her?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have the power to heal wounds, much less poison." Stardust confessed with a regretful tone. "Black Rose may have a technique she can use, but those chains from early sapped her energy, so she needs time to heal."
"Lucy… forgive… me…" Erza muttered before she grabbed Lucy's belt and pulled it off, much to Lucy's horror and the Trimens' joy. Tightening it around her arm, Erza extended her poisoned limb while placing her sword on the ground. "Cut it off!"
"At least give us time to figure something out!" Gray shouted in shock as everyone looked at Erza like she was insane. Even Shay seemed surprised by this request.
"We don't… have time…" Erza replied, wincing in pain. "Do it now!"
"Very well." Lyon stepped up and grabbed the handle of the sword, lifting it up. "I'll do it."
"Put it down, Lyon. We don't need to do it." Gray stepped in front of Lyon, blocking him from Erza's path.
"We can't afford to lose her, Gray." Lyon shot back with a glare. "You heard what Jura said. The Oracion Seis is too powerful, and we need everyone."
"Just let it happen. Otherwise, your friend is going to die." Sherry scoffed.
"He's gonna die if he cuts off her arm!" Lucy yelled back.
"Please, don't do it!" Eve tried to run in to stop this, only for Jura to hold him back.
"If this is miss Scarlet's wish, we must respect it." Jura told him sternly.
"Get ready…" Lyon raised the sword high and brought it down…
CLANG*
Only for the blade to suddenly get knocked out of his hands, impaling a nearby tree.
"You know, I thought Blue Pegasus was stupid, but I never thought Lamia Scale would pull a stunt like this." Shay spoke up, his Ebony Blade in hand as he stood behind Lyon, a deep glare on his face. "How would you feel if it was your arm on the line? Would you be okay with losing it?"
"Erza's suffering and I'm merely trying to honor her wish." Lyon told him.
"And you gave up so easily, not even bothering to think of a way to help Erza. I wonder how long it'll be until you get so scared of the Oracion Seis, you and your friends'll be running back with your tails between your legs." Shay finished, only angering Lyon.
"Shay. That's enough." Ishizu called out while standing up. "This is no time to fight amongst ourselves."
Erza, unable to stay conscious, passed out from the pain. "Erza, no!" Lucy quickly kneeled down to check on her. "Her breathing's so shallow… Is there anything we can do?"
"There is." Carla said out loud as she walked up to the group. "Wendy's healing magic is capable of healing your friend. Ishizu is correct, we shouldn't be fighting each other."
"Really? She can cure poison?" Ren asked curiously.
"Not just poison. She can heal fevers, relieve pain and heal wounds." Carla answered while turning her head.
"That can't be. Healing magic's a lost art, so there's no way a little girl like her can use it." Sherry shot down the thought.
"But Brain did call her the Sky Maiden, so it is possible Wendy has the power." Ishizu countered before looking at Carla. "Have you seen her at work?"
"Yes, of course." Carla told her before continuing. "That little girl is the Sky Dragon Slayer."
Those words caused everyone, even the stoic Jura, to gasp in complete shock. But none were more shocked than Natsu.
"S-She's… a Dragon Slayer?" Natsu asked as if he had misheard her. So far, the only Dragon Slayers he knew of were himself and Gajeel. But to think Wendy of all people was one too… 'Is that why she seemed familiar?'
"Yes, yes. I'll fill you in on the details later." Carla quickly got everyone's attention again as she looked at Erza. "Wendy is the only wizard capable of saving your friend, so we need to go find her. And that tomcat too, I suppose. But it seems like the Oracion Seis need her for something too, though I'm not sure what."
It was at this moment all the wizards had the same goal in mind.
Rescue Wendy and Happy.
Cure Erza.
And take down the Oracion Seis and any one who fights with them.
'Deep within the Worth Woodsea'
In the middle of the Worth woodsea was a series of waterfalls, which has a small island in the middle. Although it once had a small village that was the capital of an ancient civilization, it was now the hideout for the Oracion Seis.
Thud*
Wendy and Happy groaned as they were thrown rather hard against a stone altar. Brain stood over them, chuckling rather darkly at the success of his mission.
"Hey, take it easy! She's just a little girl!" Happy shouted while standing up, glaring at Brain. However, Brain grabbed the blue cat by the face and began squeezing him like a toy.
"Wait! Let him go!" Wendy begged, to which Brain complied as he tossed Happy on the floor. "Are you okay?"
"D-Don't worry about me, little lady." Happy reassured Wendy, despite the pain he was in. "I'll find a way out for both of us."
"Blurting out your plan isn't exactly a smart move, kitty cat." Draven called out as he walked over to them, standing next to Brain. "Otherwise, we might just need to chain you up. Maybe put you over a cage full of hungry dogs. I'm sure they'd LOVE to tear you apart." He chuckled as he saw Happy go pale.
"Okay, what's the big deal? Why is this kid so damn important?" Racer asked as he sat on the floor.
"Does she have something to do with Nirvana?" Cobra was the next to ask.
"I'm not sure. She doesn't look all that special to me." Angel added while looking at Wendy with a disinterested expression.
"Oh! Maybe she's worth a ton of money and you plan on selling her to the highest bidder? Am I right?!" Hoteye asked, pounding his open palm.
"Money isn't the answer to everything, ya know." Cobra pointed out with a flat tone.
"Yes it can. Because money can get you anything in this world, even love!" Hoteye told him while smiling brightly, his body glowing for some reason.
'These are some of the strongest wizards in the Barham Alliance? Pathetic.' Ultear thought to herself while leaning against the cave wall. 'I could destroy these fools with a finger. Though, I admit they weren't too awful against Fairy Tail and the other guilds…'
"This girl uses something called Sky Magic." Brain answered everyone. "It gives her the power to heal others." This seems to surprise the other members, including Draven and Ultear.
'A lost art… yeah right.' Draven thought with an inner chuckle. 'Still, a kid like this, being able to use healing magic is pretty rare. I'll have to let Deagon know.'
"What good is it to have a healer with us?" Cobra questioned while stepping up to Brain. "In case you didn't notice, none of us have even a scratch." However, it only took him a second to realize what Brain had in mind. "Wair, you don't mean-!"
"She is the key. With her power, we shall revive him!" Brain declared while throwing his arms in the air. Every member of the Oracion Seis, minus Midnight, smiled in agreement.
"Revive who? What are you talking about?" Happy demanded while standing protectively in front of Wendy.
"If you're asking me to help you, then forget it!" Wendy shouted back while giving the Oracion Seis her own glare. "I'd never do anything for jerks like you!"
"Believe me, kiddo. You will. But first…" Draven went over to Wendy, kneeling down to her level. Before Wendy could say anything, Draven grabbed her wrists with one hand, pinning them against the wall and up high so she couldn't reach down.
"H-Hey! Stop!" Wendy shouted as she began thrashing around to escape.
"Woah. Dude, are you gonna…" Racer asked with a disgusted tone, which seemed to be shared by the other Oracion Seis members aside from Brain.
"Oh shut up. I'm not like that. I'd much prefer my women to be a bit more stacked." Draven quickly told them before focusing his attention on Wendy. "There's a certain thing she has in her pocket that means the world to her. And if we have it, then she'll definitely listen."
"Hmmm. Wise decision." Brain nodded in agreement. Draven began to look through Wendy's pockets, much to her dismay.
"Here we go…" A smirk grew on Draven's face as he took out a certain card. Wendy gasped in horror as Draven had her Black Rose Dragon card between his fingers.
"Wait! GIVE THAT BACK!" Wendy squirmed as she tried to slip out of Draven's grip. But he was simply too strong for her.
"A playing card?" Angel asked with a frown. "What's so special about that?"
"Trust me. It is important." Draven looked down at Wendy. "Here's the deal: you do whatever Brain says, and I'll make sure to give you back your card. If you refuse…" A dark energy surrounded Draven's fingers, slowly spreading to the card. "Let's just say your FRIEND is gonna have a very bad day."
Happy gulped in concern. He wanted more than anything to stop Draven, but due to his intense aura and the fear of exposing more about the world of Duel Monsters kept him quiet.
As for Wendy, she seemed to be taking this much worse. She knew how dangerous these guys were and now they had the card of her partner, Black Rose. If Draven were to rip her card… what would happen to Black Rose?
With small tears in her eyes, Wendy lowered her head. "Okay… I'll do what you want."
"Don't seem so distraught, child." Brain chuckled in amusement. "As soon as you see who we are referring to, you'll be more than willing to do so. Come along."
"Hold on." Cobra spoke up as he glared at Draven. "Something's been bothering me for a while. Those vines that wrapped around us. I doubt it came from any of those wizards. Then those chains just magically came out of the ground."
"Now that you mention it, it is kinda weird." Racer agreed as he looked over to Draven. "You act like that card's worth something to the kid, but there's more to it, isn't there?"
"Oh? Finally decided to use that thing you call a brain? And all by yourself?" Draven looked over to the two Oracion Seis members and smirked. "Here I thought you two were just mindless lackeys."
"They're not the only ones who are curious." Angel said while putting a hand on her hip. "You know a lot more about what happened than the rest of us. If it's so important, maybe we should all know."
"Oh, I know! It's a powerful spell that's worth millions! Oh yeah!" Hoteye interjected while pointing a finger at Draven.
"I admit even I find the circumstances interesting." Brain spoke up before tapping the floor with his staff. "However, we have little time to question it. As long as we obtain Nirvana in the end, none of that matters." However, he then gave a serious expression. "But if what you know endangers our mission, then we WILL retaliate. Understood?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be a good boy." Draven waved off Brain's threat. 'At least until we get Nirvana.'
"Racer, go get him." Brain commanded as Racer nodded.
"Fine, but even with my speed, it might take me some time. So you'd better get comfy." With that, Racer rushed out of the cave.
"Cobra, Hoteye, Angel. I'd like the three of you to continue searching for Nirvana." Brain ordered the trio before looking over to Ultear. "Miss Ayane, you go as well. Midnight, Draven and I will remain here to guard the girl."
"How about you tell us who you guys are talking about!" Happy shouted in annoyance, only to get ignored by everyone else.
"Alright. I guess we should get going, you guys." Cobra shrugged as Cubelios wrapped around him before he and the others left the cave.
"Hey, be honest." Happy whispered to Wendy, catching her attention. "Do you have any idea what they're talking about?"
"No clue." Wendy shook her head before looking at Brain. "Please tell us about Nirvana. You can at least say that much."
"Oh, I suppose that's fair." Brain chuckled before looking at them. "It is a powerful spell that can swap light for darkness."
The news shocked Wendy and Happy as the leader of the Oracion Seis chuckled. If what he said was true, then would all their friends suddenly turn evil? 'And worse… What would happen to Stardust?' Happy thought with a gulp as he imagined Natsu's Duel Spirit going on a rampage.
'Black Rose… I'm scared…' Wendy thought with a terrified expression. Draven seemed to notice this and chuckled.
"I'll go act as a lookout in case one of those wizards somehow finds us. Be right back." Draven said as he too left the cave. Once he was out, Draven looked around to see if anyone was watching, only to find no one. "Can't let those weaklings find us that easily." Reaching into his back pocket, Draven took out a deck of Duel Monsters cards. Searching through it, he found the monster cards that he needed. "Ahhh… You'll do just fine." Pouring some of his magic into the cards, Draven threw them in the air. Then, a dark energy formed around them before several creatures emerged, standing in front of the duelist. "It's hunting season, fellas! Go out and have some fun. But if you find those three duelists, bring them to me. Everyone else is fair game."
The creatures seemed to understand before they all rushed into the forest, ready to tear apart anyone in their path.
'With Natsu'
"I can still smell Happy's scent! They went through here!" Natsu called out as he and his group ran through the Worth Woodsea.
In order to cover more ground, the five guilds decided to split into groups.
Natsu, Shay, Ishizu and Carla were group one.
Lyon, Sherry, Gray and Jura were group two.
Ichiya, Ren and Eve were group three.
And finally, Hibiki and Lucy stayed behind to watch over Erza in case her condition got worse.
"So, I gotta ask." Natsu said as he looked over to Carla, who was flying next to him. "If Wendy's a Dragon Slayer, what does she eat for power?"
"Air, obviously." Carla answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well… does it taste good?" Natsu couldn't help but ask.
"How would I know?" Carla scoffed.
'It doesn't sound any different from breathing.' Shay thought with a flat expression.
"You know, the only reason she even wanted to come on this mission was to meet you." Carla sharply told Natsu, much to his surprise. "Since you're a fellow Dragon Slayer, she wanted to know if you knew the whereabouts of the dragon who raised her. Apparently, she disappeared seven years ago."
'It happened to Wendy too, huh?' Natsu thought with a sad frown, knowing full well the sadness of being abandoned by a parent figure.
'She was abandoned? That poor girl…' Ishizu thought with her own frown. Even Shay seemed to feel sorry for Wendy.
"Before we keep going…" Natsu stopped running, prompting the others to stop as well. He then looked over to Shay and Ishizu. "There's something I gotta ask you two."
"Let me guess: it has something to do with your Duel Spirit?" Shay asked rhetorically as Natsu widened his eyes. "And I'm guessing you know about it too, don't you cat?"
"My name is Carla." The Cait Shelter feline answered with a frown. "And of course I'm aware. Wendy is terrible at keeping secrets. Plus, I have seen her Duel Spirit."
"So we are all aware then." Ishizu said before looking at Natsu. "You don't need to hide anymore, sir Stardust."
The moment she said that, Stardust's spirit appeared next to his partner before giving a bow. "Apologize. I was hoping to speak with the two of you and Wendy when we had the chance, but given the current situation, our meeting had to be delayed. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The honor is ours." Ishizu bowed her head to the spirit. "We were told much about you."
"From who?" Natsu asked with a raised brow.
"From us." Two spirits suddenly appeared next to Shay and Ishizu.
The one next to Ishizu was a human woman with dark skin, wearing a white priestess-like attire with a golden design and jewelry. She also had a hedjet with a gold eye on the forehead, with her eyes before shielded by a black blindfold. In her hand was a golden serpent staff.
The one next to Shay was much different. It was a brown owl-like creature, covered in what looked like armor, with dark blue talons, a blue crown and a purple beak.
"Hello, Stardust Dragon." Ishizu's spirit greeted with a respectful tone. "I am Gravekeeper's Priestess."
"So you're one of the five Signer dragons. I can tell you're strong." Shay's spirit confessed. "I'm part of the Raidraptor group. Call me Force Strix."
"Gravekeeper's Priestess. And Raidraptor - Force Strix. I can tell just by looking that you have strong bonds with Ishizu and Shay." Stardust complimented with a smile. "You may have heard his name, but this is my partner, Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail."
"This is crazy. I mean I didn't think there were any other duelists out there." Natsu admitted as he looked at Priestess and Force Strix. "When did you guys meet them? I met Stardust a few weeks ago."
"A few weeks. So you're still a newbie." Shay pointed out. "Have you ever dueled before?"
"Yeah, I dueled plenty of times!" Natsu defended with a glare. "I mean yeah I lost my first duel… then the next two practice ones after that… but I beat that Dark Jeff guy!"
"Dark Greipher." Stardust corrected.
"Yeah, him! I beat him in a Shadow Duel by myself… kinda." Natsu finished telling them, though the last fact surprised Ishizu and Shay.
"Sir Natsu, you took part in a Shadow Duel?" Ishizu questioned as Natsu and Stardust nodded. "I see…"
"Shadow Duels are very dangerous. Especially to one who has only just begun dueling. To survive on your own is a remarkable feat." Priestess admitted.
"I'm curious." Stardust spoke up as his amber eyes narrowed. "Are there other duelists in your guild? Besides the two of you, the only other person we have come across is Wendy and Black Rose."
"Speaking of, where is she?" Shay asked, not seeing the rose-covered dragon around.
"It's probably the Fiendish Chain that was activated." Force Strix answered with a frown. "That trap negates the powers of us monsters, so Black Rose must be recovering in her invisible form." A thought then crossed his mind. "But you do know what that means?"
"It means we can't simply track Wendy with Black Rose." Carla spoke up with her paws crossed. "She told me once that as long as Wendy holds her card, she can sense where she is."
"While you are correct, that isn't what Force Strix was implying." Priestess countered.
"The chains didn't appear out of nowhere. They were activated by one of the Oracion Seis." Stardust revealed rather grimly, much to Natsu's shock.
"Wait, you're saying one of THEM'S a duelist too?!" Natsu blurted out. "Which one?"
"I believe it's the one I fought." Ishizu said with her hands cupped in front of her. "During our fight, he asked if Wendy and I were duelists."
"Then there's that ninja I fought." Shay was the next to speak up. "She was a good fighter, but I can sense a bit of dueling energy from her. So it's possible we're dealing with two of them."
"As for your question earlier, Stardust. Yes, there are other duelists in our guild." Ishizu answered the Duel Spirit. "In fact, our guildmaster is one as well."
"Interesting. A guild full of duelists…" Stardust hummed at the thought of other duelists in the world. If these duelists were part of one of the official guilds like Ortu Solis, then he and Natsu may be able to form some kind of alliance with them. One that may be strong enough to fight back against Deagon. "For now, we should focus on the situation at hand."
"Yeah. If those guys wanna duel, then we can take em!" Natsu declared with a clenched fist.
"Why don't you let us duel for you, Dragneel?" Shay offered as he began to walk past Natsu.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Natsu asked with narrowed eyes as he, Carla and Ishizu began to follow him.
"You've only been in one Shadow Duel." Shay started as he looked over his shoulder. "I've dueled in ten. And Ishizu's been in seven. That means we know how to handle ourselves and we don't need a newbie holding us back."
"Hey, I can duel! In fact…" Natsu took out his bracelet and put it on. "How about I show you?"
"Do you really wanna be laid on your ass that badly? Then again, I shouldn't be surprised given your reputation." Shay shot back. "Plus, you're the dumbass who used a card in front of other people. You were lucky we're pressed for time."
"I saved us, didn't I?!"
"For now."
"Natsu, this isn't the time." Stardust scolded his partner as he flew in front of Natsu.
"He's right, Shay. We shouldn't fight one another." Force Strix agreed as Shay scoffed.
"If the two of you are done arguing, we still need to find Wendy." Carla told them as she began to fly forward, only to stop with a gasp.
"Carla, what's wrong?" Ishizu asked as everyone went next to her to see what surprised the white cat.
The moment they did, the group joined in her surprise as they stared at what could only be described as a black fog. It was so thick, they could barely make out the trees within as everything else was a blur.
"What in the world is this?" Ishizu asked.
"The trees… they're all black." Shay added, a small bead of sweat running down his cheek.
"Stardust, what are we looking at?" Natsu asked his partner.
"Evil magic." Stardust darkly replied as he, Priestess and Force Strix glared at the strange fog. "Whatever you do, don't step inside."
"Could this be the Nirvana spell the Oracion Seis are searching for?" Priestess questioned with a worried tone.
"Wait… we aren't alone." Force Strix muttered as he turned his head towards the back.
"Hehehehe… looks like you caught me~" A dark chuckle echoed through the forest as the three duelists got into fighting stances. They could hear footsteps through the trees as a lone figure appeared.
They were anything but human. It was a humanoid-demon with dark purple skin, long green fingers, a dark coat around its body, bone-like 'hair' and a twisted grin on its face.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't my lucky day." The creature chuckled in glee as he looked at the three duelists. "I was ordered to find the three duelists and here you all are, in one big group. It looks like fortune favors me. Hahahahaha!"
"Who or what the hell is that?" Natsu asked suspiciously. The vibes he was getting from this freak reminded him way too much of Dark Greipher.
"Brron. He's a member of the Dark World monsters." Stardust growled as he stared at the monster. "But for him to manifest in your world would take too much energy, and he isn't that powerful."
"Which could only mean he was summoned." Force Strix finished as Brron grinned.
"Ahhh. So one of the spirits bonded to these humans is Stardust Dragon. Oh, the fun we'll have, draining your energy. It'll be much more entertaining than those pathetic heaps of trash behind me." Brron said as he moved to the right, causing everyone to gasp.
Lying on the ground and hanging from some of the trees were dozens of bodies. They looked human, yet their skin were so black and dry that it was hard to tell. However, what caught everyone's attention were the looks of horror on their faces.
"Wh… What did you do?!" Natsu demanded with an angry tone.
"Don't be so mad. In fact, you should thank me." Brron waved off his words. "These weaklings were looking for you, and since I had some time on my hand, I figured I would indulge myself with their souls. Though to be honest, they weren't anything special." His green eyes glimmered as he looked at the trio. "Unlike you three…"
"If it's a fight you want, then we'll take you on." Shay replied as his shadow magic coated his hands.
"But what about Wendy?" Carla asked with a frown. "She still needs help."
"And we will do our best to help her. But for now, we can't allow this monster to stay in the physical realm." Ishizu told her as she prepared her own magic.
"After all the training Colossal Fighter put me through, taking on a real duel monster now's something I've been waiting for." Natsu said with a challenging grin.
"Three against one? Doesn't seem that fair." Brron told them before a dark smile grin on his face. "Oh boys~"
"Wait… HE'S NOT ALONE!" Stardust shouted, causing the three duelists to tense up. Picking up a sound in the distance, Natsu turned his head and widened his eyes.
"LOOK OUT!" Natsu shouted as he, Ishizu, Shay and Carla jumped out of the way as a large gold axe landed in the spot they were in. "What was-"
"NATSU!" Stardust's warning came too late as a large arm swung around and hit Natsu, making him wheeze as he crashed into a tree. Sliding down, Natsu opened his stomach as he looked at his attacker.
It was another creature, though unlike Brron, it was much larger. It had a golden color scheme with sharp shoulders, two golden tusks, red eyes, a large cape and the same axe as before, which it called to its side via telekinesis.
"Shit. Another Dark World monster?" Shay muttered as he slid a few feet away from Natsu.
"Shay, behind you!" Force Strix called out as Shay summoned his Ebony Blade.
Clang*
He was fortunately to have reacted in time as he was currently holding back a large silver dagger from stabbing his chest. His attacker was much different from the one who attacked Natsu as it had a jet black body with silver armor around it. It also had a black cape, two silver tusks and long silver hair with a skull helmet on top. Pushing Shay back, the creature roared as it began attacking, forcing the human on defense.
"How do you like my reinforcements?" Brron asked Ishizu and Carla. "Goldd and Sillva may be rivals, but they know good prey when they see it. Which leaves you all by your lonesome." He then began to chuckle as black lightning before to spark in his hands. "Do me a favor and scream. I LOVE when you humans beg for mercy."
"Carla, please hide." Ishizu commanded the cat with a serious tone. "This will not be an easy battle."
With that, the fight between humans and Duel Monsters has now begun.
Freaking finally. I was able to update this thing after a year! What is wrong with me sometimes? Procrastination, am I right?
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as it mostly stuck to canon. But as you saw near the end, instead of the heroes facing off against some nameless grunts paid off by the Oracion Seis, they'll be dealing with actual Duel Monsters. Before you ask, there will NOT be a duel next time. I do plan on one at the end of the arc, but for now, we'll have wizards vs monsters.
Me and my beta reader, Earth Dragon Arnighte, recently made a new story called Yu-Gi-Oh! Multiveral Tournament, which has several characters from different anime facing off. If you guys haven't checked it out, I implore you as we are currently working on the second duel of round one.
Follow, Fav, Review and PM for anything.
Next time: Wizards vs Monsters.