Natsu stared down Jargund and his concubines, his fists ignited. They burned, and the smoke from his flames filled the air. "So you want a real challenge? Let's see how long you'll last, kid. Don't die too early!" Jargund smiled widely as he stood there, cracking his neck. The women that were attached to him quickly separated from their master's side and gave him space to fight, knowing how much of a force their master was. "JARGUND THE BEAST MASTER IS HERE!" He roared loudly, his muscles flexing. With that, the fight began.

Jargund's concubine slaves were ordered to move away to a safe distance as their owner was going to engage in a duel. He cracked his neck and his knuckles, preparing himself for battle. Natsu had already assumed a fighting position and was eager to start. With a ferocious look in his eyes, the pinkette rushed forward. He swung his arm to deliver a blow. His opponent had no problem dodging him. In retaliation, Jargund delivered his own attack. He sent a barrage of punches towards Natsu, his fists blurring and the sound of the air being punched was loud.

As Natsu attempted to retaliate, the beast master intercepted him, slamming a fist into the young man's chest. The sheer impact caused Natsu to skid backwards, nearly tripping. He managed to regain his footing, however, and immediately retaliated, unleashing his Fire Dragon Slayer magic, and sending a burst of fiery energy in his direction. The attack exploded on the target. However, his foe emerged from the explosion unscathed. He had blocked and taken the hit head on.

"HA HA HA HA! Is that all you got? You gotta try harder if ya wanna beat me!"

With that, the two of them began a flurry of attacks and counters. They exchanged blows, dodged and weaved around each other's attacks, and parried. It was an intense, fast-paced battle. Both were trying to outdo each other, but neither seemed to have the upper hand. Suddenly, the older warrior changed the game by transforming. His form grew bigger, his body became more muscular and his clothes disappeared, and the tattoos that covered his skin started glowing with an ominous light. His eyes turned golden, his teeth became sharper and longer, and his skin took on an almost animalistic, scaly appearance.

"Ancient Beast Soul, Armored Basilisk!" he roared. The transformation was instantaneous. Natsu looked up in awe. Jargund was a massive basilisk. A huge reptilian creature with thick scales covering his entire body. The scales themselves were made of a strange metal and were extremely tough. It had a long, thick tail, a large mouth and four clawed limbs, each ending in a powerful set of claws. Its eyes were cold and reptilian, and its fangs dripped with deadly venom. He towered above Natsu. And was about the size of the house behind them.

"Man...I've never seen your magic in action before!"

"Take a good long look. Ancient Beast Soul is my pride and joy. With it, I can take on any form and aspect of the creatures of myth and legend. Beings that have gone extinct, I can manifest them to their truest state. This is an extension of the magic Take-Over. So consider it an honor that I'm showing you this." Jargund's voice was distorted, sounding more like a combination of grunting and hissing than anything human. The transformation was complete, and Natsu knew that now, he would face the true might of the Beastmaster.

"Hmph. So what? The best creature of all..." Natsu's hands would light up with flames. "Is a Dragon!" He jumped and leapt at his foe, the flaming dragon slayer unleashed his wrath on Jargund. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" His attack was strong. The basilisk's stomach would be hit with a hard, burning, punch.

Jargund's metallic scales were hot, and the heat of his flames was causing his enemy pain, but his defense was so high that it barely damaged him. He laughed at Natsu, only being pushed back slightly. Jargund's tail swished in a quick motion, knocking the younger man aside. He landed on the ground in a heap of dust and rubble.

Afterwards, Jargund suddenly opened his mouth, aiming his snout towards the boy. He was preparing to breathe a toxic cloud that would melt him away.

Natsu recovered and saw this, grimacing. "Eugh!" Using his Fire Dragon Roar, Natsu countered the poison breath attack. His flames would be engulfing his right foot and he was going to strike at the creature. Jumping, the young male was in front of the basilisk. "Fire Dragon Talon!"

Natsu's attack would connect to the underside of the basilisk's jaw. A powerful, fiery kick, it struck him with a hard, fiery, blow to his jaw. Jargund's head was rocked, and the creature was forced to shut his mouth. It would seem that Natsu's attacks were starting to have an effect on the monster.

"Heh...Seems like you've got some oomph to your attacks. Especially up close." Jargund chuckled lightly, and the scales on his chest were dented. However, they weren't broken. There were also small burns and scratches on his scales. The creature then attacked Natsu, bringing a heavy claw down upon the fire wizard, and attempting to smash him. The force of his blow shook the earth. "Grrrah!"

Natsu was caught in the shockwaves. The ground trembled beneath him. But he quickly regained his footing. Flames appeared around his feet and legs. Using the speed boost that the Fire Dragon Slayers magic provided, Natsu avoided the swipe of the claw. Leaping up, his body was engulfed in flames, his eyes were burning with determination.

"Fire Dragon Gripping Strike!" As he came down on the Basilisk, Natsu's leg slammed against his head. Jargund let out a low roar. He stumbled backward, the flames burned his face. A portion of his armored hide was damaged. Small cracks formed, the heat was slowly affecting him.

"Guh!?" Natsu's attack had left him momentarily stunned, but he was soon able to recover. "Heh...You've been lucky so far, Salamander." He smirked. His eyes glowed ominously as his gaze fixed on Natsu. Then, he flexed his arms. A large gust of wind was blown in the direction of Natsu, his clothes flapping in the wind. A barrier of winds surrounded his foe. Jargund then prepared his next move.

"Armored Whirlwind!" He spun rapidly in place, causing the wind barrier to expand, and the surrounding area to become a vortex of swirling air currents, and sharp, jagged rocks that were cutting his flesh. "And now for my trump card, Armored Hurricane!" A huge tornado erupted from the center of the whirlwind. The wind was powerful. The wind would lift up and toss the nearby trees, houses and people around, scattering them across the landscape. Buildings crumbled under the pressure of the cyclone. The sky darkened, lightning crackled through the air, and the sound of the gale-force winds was deafening.

Natsu's expression changed to shock, he was caught off-guard by this attack, and his defenses were inadequate. The force of the hurricane ripped him apart. Ripping and tearing at his skin, drawing blood. Natsu's eyes widened. "Damn it!" Natsu roared in agony, feeling his bones shattering and his organs being crushed. The tornado carried him, and he could do little but endure the punishment.

"You really think I'm going to partner up with you?! Not a chance!" Jargund yelled. He was laughing. His body began to glow with the energy of his Ancient Beast Soul. "You're going to be torn to shreds! And your precious Erza will be mine!"

"You keep your hands over her...!"

"Ah, that anger. That's the anger of someone who knows what their property is! And you've got the nerve to tell me otherwise? You wanna be emperor don't you kid?! You wanna rule entire nations under your name! For that, you've gotta make yourself better and superior than anything! So much better than you see everyone else as objects and things to use!"

Natsu was silent. His eyes stared into Jargund's coldly. The young man clenched his fist. Flames ignited around him. They flickered brightly. Natsu grit his teeth. "I'm not like you."

"Oh, please! You're a Void Kingdom Wizard boy! You'll always be like us! Succeed by being above everyone else! That's what I say! And what I always do!" Jargund would suddenly rush in at high speeds, throwing his arm back for a massive incoming punch to the face of the Salamander. It connected. With great force, the punch sent the young wizard soaring. Natsu flew back. The impact of his body was enough to send him crashing into the stone walls. The flames on him were still there. They were covering his skin, and the temperature of the flames was increasing, and they burned him. Natsu was breathing heavily, and the air smelled of charred flesh.

Natsu had taken the brunt of the blow, and the stone wall behind him had shattered. Shards of stone and rock were flying in every direction. The woman of Jargund's harem squeaked in amazement and arousal at his power. A couple of the women were clutching themselves and moaning softly at the sight of such a mighty beast.

Many were staring lustily at the spectacle, licking their lips in excitement and stroking their thighs and hips. Natsu laid there against the rubble of the stone wall, completely silent. "Heh. That way of thinking is never gonna work. You'll always get pushed down and beaten, no matter how hard you fight. Even the best of us, end up in the mud, ya know?" His tone was serious as he turned away, believing this to be over. "If you're dead, then I don't mind getting a scolding from King Alehot. Come on, ladies. We've got unfinished busi-"

"As if." Suddenly, Natsu's voice was heard, and a loud crash was heard from the stone walls, and a powerful explosion erupted, and the ground rumbled, and a wave of heat and smoke blasted out. From within that cloud, a fiery silhouette could be seen. It was Natsu, and his eyes were glowing brightly, and he looked fierce, ready to attack again. His body was covered in wounds and scars, but the flame on him had increased, and he looked to have more power.

"Hoh?" Jargund raised an eyebrow.

"I'll be at the top. That's for sure. But...I'm gonna reach it with Erza. Not just with Erza. But everyone I'm gonna add to my team! Erza's gonna help me reach the top, so she's not just some thing! She's all kinds of tough! I've seen it myself!" Natsu shouted, his voice ringing in the room, the fire crackling around him. "So that's why I'm fighting here! I'll be the best in my own way! No way I'm listening to someone like you!"

"Ha! Such nonsense. All women are good for is sex, food, and pleasure! There is nothing to be said otherwise! If that's what you're saying to yourself, then you are no different to the common rabble of the world!" Jargund sneered, his eyes blazing and his body quaking with a burning desire to prove his superiority, and to destroy his foe. "I'll break you and make your bitch mine-"

"You talk too much!" Suddenly, Natsu leapt off the ground, leaving behind a small shockwave from his leap. In the blink of an eye, Natsu had jumped towards the man. Jargund's eyes opened wide as a flurry of punches came his way, each one landing and making a thudding sound. He staggered backwards. Then, Natsu landed, and kicked his legs into a whirlwind of motion, spinning rapidly. A trail of flames was left behind in the shape of a tornado.

"Wh-What the hell!? This is a whole different level of speed and strength! What's going on-?!" The man was being pummeled. The blows kept raining down on him, and he couldn't escape the pain. Natsu's fists were striking him at the speed of light. Each impact felt like a hundred blows at once. Jargund couldn't even react in time, his brain couldn't register the blows in time. Natsu continued his assault, relentlessly pounding the man's head, chest and stomach. "Y-You damn brat!"

"I'll be the best! With Erza by my side! And that starts by being better than YOU!" Natsu's voice elevated as his flames suddenly intensified for one major punch. At that moment, by the skin of his teeth, Jargund managed to just barely increase his defenses. The punch went through, igniting a large flaming explosion and sent the muscular man through the walls of the house, smashing into the inside. Many of the women cried and shrieked in terror. Natsu stood in place and panted heavily, looking at where Jargund was.

By raising his defense, Jargund managed to withstand it. His chest was smoking as he was down on one knee. The flames on his torso were gone and revealed his chiseled and muscular abs. He had a bruise forming on his chin. His hair was messy and disheveled and blood ran from the corner of his lip. He glared at the pink haired wizard.

The women watched as Jargund returned to his normal state, slowly walking over to Natsu with a slow gait, a murderous look on his face. He stood before Natsu, looking down at him. There was a bit of silence as all the women simply watched.

"Brat...You really think you'll get somewhere with that way of thinking?"

"I will." Natsu said with no doubt in his mind or voice.

"Hmph. It'll get you killed sooner than you think. But whatever. You've shown me that you've got the power. I'll help you out on your future mission, but I won't enjoy it. Maybe during that mission, you'll see things my way. See reality for how it is." Jargund scoffed and walked away. The girls in the room followed after him, leaving Natsu to catch his breath and recover from his injuries, but the main person on his mind was...

"Erza..."

Speaking of Erza, she sat in Natsu's room, staying completely silent with her eyes closed. Since she was a slave to the Void Kingdom, there was little she could do. Erza found no enjoyment at this time, simply waiting for orders from Natsu or Alehot. Tigha would come by to torment her and use her like a toy. As a slave to the Void, her willpower and resistance was eroded.

But right now, the thought of her battle against Gray was now in her mind. In that moment when she had the chance to kill him, she hesitated, lightly saying his name. Erza groaned, holding her head. Her thoughts were still mixed up. On the surface, her memories were altered to make her a slave to the kingdom, but a tiny, tiny part of her that was buried underneath her psyche still remained and it tried to fight against the mental manipulation done to her. Even after Tigha tried breaking her, that one part of Erza still remained, fighting back against the magic placed on her.

"Why...I should only focus on Master Natsu?!" Erza yelled, unable to understand it, even though her true self should understand it perfectly. "Why is it so hard to forget them?!"

As she went through this, suddenly, Natsu entered the room, seeing her like this. Upon seeing Natsu, Erza snapped out of this perplexed state, looking at him and bowing on her knees. Natsu, in the other hand, was looking at her in a concerned way. Seeing him like this caused the Titania's heartbeat to quicken, wondering if her master saw the turmoil that she was going through and if he'd tell King Alehot.

"M-Master Natsu..." Erza nervously spoke.

"...Are you alright?" He asked.

"...Master...I don't know. That man. Gray.. I should've killed him. I should've ended his life. But I didn't..." She confessed. Natsu had a good guess at what was happening. "I failed you...I'm sorry. I don't know why but I failed to kill him and-"

Suddenly, Natsu would get on one knee, placing his hand on Erza's head. The scarlet-haired female would be confused at the gesture. It was gentle, almost kind. She couldn't feel it from her master.

"Don't worry about it. I can guess why. You still remember him, don't you?" Natsu said. "I guess that orb just couldn't really keep it permanent."

"But I..."

"I don't know what to think about it myself, Erza. I wanna beat Fairy Tail. Beating them is just one step closer to becoming Emperor. Beating every guild will bring me closer. I can't speak much about this...but one thing's for sure. You'll stick by my side. I still wanna grow strong. But I wanna grow strong with you on my side."

"With...you?"

"Yeah. Those Fairy Tail guys are obviously close to you. So maybe...I can just recruit some of 'em for ya when I get the chance. I don't know if that'll do the trick. To be honest, I don't really get the whole bonds thing all that much." Natsu scratched his hair.

"...I..." The Golden Tear orb within Erza was starting to pulsate, reacting to this. It didn't get rid of the memories of Fairy Tail, but it did do something else. It gave her more devotion to Natsu, a burning love. Even the smallest kindness was enough to send the Titania over the moon for her Master, making her fall for him harder, to the point where she was willing to do anything to be in his good graces. And she had the perfect idea. Erza's breathing grew labored, her chest rising up and down.

"Please..." She said. "...Use me. Just the way you want."

"Nah. From this point on Erza..." Natsu suddenly held his fist out. "You and I are gonna be the best partners around. We'll go to the top together, so that I can rule the world. You're not my slave. You're my partner."

"!" Erza was blown away from this,. It wasn't what she expected. And yet, she accepted it. It was far better than a slave that's for sure. The whole thing was still saddening since an entire person has been taken away from her friends, but Natsu didn't understand that. However, there was a part of him that did understand one thing: Erza wasn't an object. She was his partner.

"Yes! I will be yours! I will stand alongside you, Master Natsu, and we will rise to the top together!" Erza declared.

"Hm. Let's do it." Natsu grinned as he and Erza would fist bump. This would signify their relationship. Natsu abandoned the slave concept and chose a path of his own.

At Alehot's throne room, he had arrived. The man from the Magic Council, Siegrain, here to have an audience with the King himself. Alehot looked down upon the council member, crossing his arms. Vaddeus and Tigha stood by, looking at him.

"It's been quite a while Alehot." Siegrain spoke. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important. I'm just here for important council business, that's all."

"Cease that talk already. You and I both know you don't need to do any of that around me..." Alehot replied before suddenly speaking a different name. A name that wasn't Siegrain. "Jellal..."

"Ha, I knew that you were a smart man, King Flareout. That's exactly the reason I came here to talk to you." Jellal chuckled, shaking his head. His voice became slightly more serious. "Now then, the real reason that I am here is to speak to you. You've been active recently. I'm guessing you're done gearing up for things now."

"Precisely. But as for you...for you to be here, what are you here for?"

"You know why I'm here. I'm here for the woman you captured not too long ago. I'm here for Erza Scarlet." Jellal responded. Alehot was intrigued to hear this. "It's almost time. I just know it. Zeref's revival."

"Hmph. Still on that plan after all these years, eh?" Alehot smirked. "I admire that patience of yours. A shame you aren't a member of our kingdom, Jellal."

"I need Erza as a sacrifice for Zeref's resurrection. She was once a slave of the Tower of Heaven all those years ago. Much like all the other slaves there, she helped build the R-System. The time for her to fulfil her duty to the tower is near. So, I just need to borrow her. Obviously, she won't be returning since her life will be exchanged for Zeref's return."

"Hm. I am in full support of bringing the Black Wizard Zeref back, yes. It will be easy for you to take Erza Scarlet with you. I'd easily allow it." Alehot turned around.

"For you to say that, there's a catch, isn't there?"

"There is. Currently, Erza Scarlet is a slave to Master Natsu." Tigha stepped forward, speaking to Jellal. "And the Golden Tear Orb is inside her body. For us to let her go, Natsu will have to accept that decision first. You'll need to find a suitable replacement for her. I'd hate for Master Natsu to lose his plaything."

"Aah...Is that so?" Jellal scratched his hair. "Well, that's a bit of a pain...You can't just ask him to pass Erza over?"

"I doubt Natsu is that attached to her." Alehot uttered. "She is but a slave. She's expendable. Granted, she is rather powerful and loosing her would mean losing some firepower to our kingdom. But it won't be too tremendous. I will request Natsu to give her to you. But as for her life...perhaps there is a way to sacrifice her without having to end her life, no?"

"Is that even possible? I doubt it." Jellal shrugged while shaking his head. "You can't possibly have something to get around that, do you?"

"Hm-hm." Alehot smirked. "The recent mission they had at the God's Library says otherwise." Indeed, Alehot did have something. Something that could potentially cheat the system. And it involved one of the many books that were stolen from the God's Library.

As nightfall arrived, Lucy had just finished having a shower, walking out with just her towel on. The Book of AED was sitting peacefully with the other books in her room, which weren't too many. "Hah...What an experience that was." As she opened her eyes, she witnessed someone sitting in her couch, topless.

"Yo." Gray raised his hand. He didn't have a shirt on.

"DON'T YO ME!" Lucy roared as she delivered a kick to Gray's face. However, her towel dropped and her bare breasts were in Gray's sight. The mage saw her naked, prompting his jaw to drop and his face to turn beet red. Lucy covered her breasts quickly and blushed heavily. "DON'T LOOK!"

"Geez. Just a greeting..."

"W-why are you in my house anyway!? I told you that you shouldn't just barge into my house anymore!"

"I just came here to talk. That's all. It's about Erza."

"Erza? Did something come up?"

"Nah. We already talked about how Erza's still in there since she didn't kill me when she had the chance. To be honest with you...when we got back home to Magnolia...I was grinning from ear to ear." Gray closed his eyes while smiling.

"You were? Even after nearly dying you can still smile after that?" Lucy sighed.

"Yeah. It just showed that there's still a chance. A chance to get Erza back. But to be honest, it's still pretty lonely without her around Fairy Tail. I thought that maybe, if you and the others joined, things would have livened up. Not that the guild is quiet or anything. Plus...I thought it'd be nice to stick around you right now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I used to stick around Erza a lot when were were kids. Even as we got older, when she gets back from her missions, we still hand out." Gray scratched his head. "Hanging out with her is something special. But to be honest...hanging out with you is pretty fun too, Lucy."

"I-It is?!" Lucy froze for a moment, blushing a bit.

"Yeah. That quest we took on when we stopped Erigor and Lullaby, stopped Lyon and Deliora...the last one, you really had to save my skin there."

"Trying to take your self out was stupid to begin with." Lucy smiled, approaching him. Gray was on the ground, leaning on her chair. "But if you like hanging around me, I guess I don't mind hanging around you either. Even though my life's been put in dancer twice now." Both of them laughed. "We'll get Erza back."

"Yeah. We will-" Right as Gray finished his sentence, the presence of another was acknowledged. They turned to head to see Juvia standing there, glaring daggers at Lucy, who yelped. "GAAAH!" The duo screamed, prompting Lucy to drop her towel, exposing her curvy body again, much to her dismay. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE TOO, JUVIA!?" Gray yelled.

"..." Juvia simply looked on with that same expression, seeing only one thing. Lucy being naked in front of Gray. "...Juvia is sure of her suspicions. Lucy is indeed her love rival. To be caught in this act of indecency..."

"TH-THIS ISN'T AN INDECENT ACT!" Lucy yelled, trying to cover her private areas. "He just broke in, and...WAIT! WHY ARE YOU HERE?! DIDN'T WE ESTABLISH THAT NOBODY BREAKS INTO MY HOUSE?!"

"If we're all having less clothes or no clothes at all...then Juvia will do the same to come out on top!" Juvia roared, instantly removing her top, exposing her own large breasts, causing Gray to freeze on the spot. He was currently surrounded by two naked women. Juvia threw her bra off and approached Gray.

"Huh!? What the hell are you doing!?" Gray exclaimed as a ruckus could be heard indoors. The neighbours and those outside could only hear the sound of three people yelling at the top of their lungs

"JUVIA! STOP! GAH!"

"GRAY WILL BE JUVIAS!"

"GET THE HELL OUT!"

"WHAT?!" Natsu got the news immediately. After Siegrain requested for Erza, Alehot came directly to the Dragon Slayer, informing him right away. And Natsu's reaction was predictable, to say the least.

"Well, first of all, calm yourself down." Alehot ordered. "You heard me correctly, Natsu. The revival of the one known as Zeref is something we the Void Kingdom are involved in."

"But...sacrificing Erza?! You're not serious, are ya?! Sacrificing Erza to bring him back?!"

"It was a unanimous vote that we have taken. And it will be done. But Natsu...when did you suddenly care for her? Let alone care for a slave that you own?"

"When did I...?" Suddenly, Natsu was silent, looking away. He had his fist clenched tightly and gritted his teeth. He wasn't saying a word at the moment, which prompted the King to chuckle in amusement.

"Ah, so you do have some kind of attachment already I see." Alehot noticed. "That's a surprise, honestly. And here I thought you wouldn't be the type to form an attachment. I wonder why that is the case with her?"

"I promised Erza that she was gonna help me reach the top! I'm going to become an emperor, remember?!"

"And to get that title, you have to make a sacrifice, Natsu." Natsu's face went pale, his mouth gaped open. He was unable to speak at that moment. His eyes widened. Sacrificing her meant giving her to the man that the Void was intending to bring back to this world. But he had to sacrifice her. No way in Hell that was happening. Erza was his to use as a slave. Not theirs. "Don't forget, the title is just that. A title. Even then, I will remain a prominent figure in the Void." Alehot chuckled and turned his back on Natsu, making his leave. The dragon slayer's hands were clenched and shook rapidly.

"I...have no qualms with it, Master Natsu." Suddenly, Erza appeared in the room, speaking up. As all attention was turned to her, Erza looked directly at Siegrain. Or as he is truly known as. Jellal. And upon seeing him, Erza gasped. She was frozen, paralyzed on the spot. For a minute, the memories that had resurfaced in the Tower of Heaven flashed in her mind. How Jellal had tricked her into summoning Zeref to this world. The death of her friend Simon. All of the painful experiences in the tower came to a climax and the scarlet-haired slave felt tears run down her eyes.

"...J-Jellal..." Erza muttered, the name escaping from her lips, her voice shaky and quiet. "J...JELLAL!"

"Oh? She actually remembers me? Even with the Golden Tear Orb at play?" Jellal questioned.

"It seems that memories of Fairy Tail were mainly targeted since they only had positive things within them." Tigha said. "The orb must've ignored anything negative that she had."

"W-What's going on?! What is the meaning of this!?" Natsu demanded, his tone of voice changing. Erza had to be subdued quickly by the other female wizards in the room, her eyes turning to the young man who claimed to have rescued her from the life of a slave. A life of abuse and pain, from what Natsu has been telling her.

"You're not getting her. No way!" Natsu yelled. Erza's breathing started to pick up. She didn't understand, but hearing Natsu speak in a different voice gave her hope.

"No questions. As King, I order it, Natsu. And besides...you will find other powerful people in the world to join up with. Losing one will not be the end of it. Take her." Alehot ordered as some Void Kingdom Wizards stepped in front of the dragon slayer, surrounding him. He was in the center, facing Jellal, and could do nothing but stand and watch. "Take the slave and go. That is an order, boy. You will obey or else there will be consequences. Don't think that your status in this kingdom is unshakable, Natsu." With a grin, he left, along with Erza. Tigha followed, and the king's entourage did the same, leaving Natsu alone.

He slammed the floor with his fists, grunting in frustration and anger. Natsu felt powerless. After the promise had had made to Erza, just like that, it was quickly destroyed by the king himself. The promise of helping him grow in power was broken. Everyone else had left the room with Erza looking back at Natsu with sadness in her eyes.

And soon, the room was silent.

Erza was gone. Soon to be sacrificed to bring back someone Natsu had no clue of. He couldn't do anything since Alehot was the king. All that for nothing. For once in his life, Natsu felt like he couldn't do anything and lacked the power to change his current situation.

At least, for a while. But something was brewing in Natsu's mind. Something that he felt like he had to do. He had yet to realize or even think of it, but it was coming. And it involved Erza's life, of course.