Chapter 59...

"Hmmm, I see!" Mero nodded her head in understanding after getting the whole story from Callan. The group decided to head back to the inn to further discuss the events that led them to this point. The weather was taking a turn for the worst. Ikaruga was able to make a rift for them to travel back to town, and they arrived in moments, but she was weakened from having to use her spell to travel with so many people. Natsu sat next to her while she was currently resting on the bed. "So, your dragon had you look for Lost Dragon Slayers on the list, but you aren't sure what for." Mero stuck out a finger. "Then the snowlady told you that one of the Lost Dragons was some big baddy. But you aren't sure who's it is." She held up another finger while striking a thinking pose "And then you came upon me, and you want me to join to help search for the fifth Lost Dragon Slayer." She held out another finger.

"That more or less sums it up." Callan nodded.

"Wowee. And there are five of us total, huh?" Mero hummed while scanning all members of Natsu's party. "Must have been one heck of a coincidence when you ran into each other."

"Yeah, I'll say." Callan scoffed. "So anyway, that's the story."

"Interesting." The twin-tailed girl blinked simply and then suddenly stood up. "MY CURIOSITY HAS BEEN PIQUED!" She announced abruptly, which startled Flare. The spark of inspiration radiated from her like the intensity of the sun. "AS AN ARCHAEOLOGIST AND EXPLORER OF THE UNKNOWN-but mostly my insatiable urge to discover every mystery under the sun-MERO WOULD LOVE TO...is what I want to say." She seemed deflated like a balloon after that bold statement. "But, I got a few more days to take care of something." She revealed.

"We heard you were looking for a magic bug or something?" Callan assumed.

"Ah, the Moonferry Moth!" Mero clapped. "Mero is here because of that, yes." She nodded. "But, it's not that I'm looking for it, but for a different reason entirely!" She explained.

"You don't say?" Treya more or less did not care. Her stone-cold gaze was trained on her. For some reason, she didn't take a shine to the brat that they just picked up. Even if she was one of them.

"Well, you gonna tell us?" Callan egged her on.

"Mmmm...i-it's not that I don't trust you, but, I had a run-in with an...illegal...creature acquisitions group." She sheepishly tapped her fingertips together.

"Poachers? In this remote area?" Ikaruga raised a curious eye.

"Iiiii wasn't gonna say it, but, yeah." She reluctantly admitted. She did not seem to like speaking ill of people. "They kept trying to make me show them where to find the Moth. Then they tried to, uh, take me with them." She gave off the impression of a child who did something bad from her display. "Sooo, Mero had to tell them no...and then it kind of, well...okay, so, Mero may have had to smack them around a bit." She bobbed her head.

"You kicked their asses." The slayer of ice scratched his cheek.

"Well...uh...if you put it like that." Mero tilted her head and stroked one of her long twin-tails.

"You don't have to worry. I assure you though, we may look suspicious, but we're really not too bad once you get to know us." Callan smiled his best.

"I'm all for a gangbang, as long as Nats-." Treya quickly pointed out.

"Shut. The hell...UP." Natsu held up a gouging finger and pointed at her threateningly, while an icy tone whispered through his teeth.

"Hmm?" Treya tilted her head. Curious why he was upset. "I've heard many rapists, and deprived lechers use that line, and others like it many times. I assumed he was suggesting we begin violating everyone in this room. We could just go one at a time if you don't like being seen by others-no, unless that excites you." She placed a fist in her palm.

"Would you get your mind out of the gutter already?!" Natsu had a tick mark pulsate at the back of his head.

"The rapist said it, not me." Treya shrugged.

"I AM NOT A RAPIST, YOU STUPID BITCH!" Callan angrily shouted at her. "I don't know how the hell you came to that conclusion, but that's the furthest thing from my mind!"

"Oh, that's right. You like to be on the receiving end." Treya simply said as she twirled her finger in her long ponytail.

"WHY I OUGHTA-!"

"Callan, chill," Natsu ordered in monotone. "Do not give her any more ammunition to use against you."

"But she-"

"She is just gonna keep going till you lose your shit. Trust me. We've only known each other for a few days, but I can tell you right now, you are wasting your time." Natsu sighed.

"Grrr!" Callan stomped back to his seat. "I thought you weren't going to bother me this whole trip!?" He sneered at her.

"I thought you weren't bothered by ravishing young children."

"Where the hell did you come up with THAT!?"

"Okay, the two of you knock it off." Natsu said a bit more sternly. "Treya? No one is suggesting what you're thinking. Just because Callan LOOKS like a rapist-"

"You double dealin' dick." Callan stood up.

"SIT. DOWN. I got this." Natsu quickly ordered him. Callan grumbled and complied, crossing his arms and legs. "Does not mean that he is one. Just because someone says it that way, does not mean they are that kind of person. He was trying to assure Mero that we are not shady. He was not trying to take advantage of her in any way, shape, or form."

"...so we're not doing this?"

"No."

"...oh." Treya seemed a bit bummed out.

"Don't act like you're hurt." Natsu had another tick mark form.

"Anyway, we're not bad guys. We're just a very, normal group of people, trying to track you, and another person down." Callan said to her. Mero was watching their banter unfold with a fascinated expression.

"It's not very convincing when you put it like that." Natsu deadpanned.

"What are you talking about? What part of us looks off?" Callan protested.

"I'm a wanderer. You're a wannabe gangster, Ikaruga's a dark mage, and Treya is a mercenary. The only innocent one among us is Flare." Natsu gave a quick reminder to him.

"Who's a wannabe?! I AM a gangster!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Frosty." Natsu scratched his cheek with his finger.

"You all seem very nice! It's not that I don't believe you! Mero just...mmmghh..." Mero seemed deeply troubled by her disposition. From her apologetic tone to her lack of eye contact, everyone could see she was struggling to decide whether or not to trust them.

"...you don't want to tell us, that's fine." Natsu spoke up, picking up she was getting uncomfortable.

"...?" Mero perked up to him, where he was sitting on the bed with Ikaruga lying next to him.

"For all you know, we could be trying to trick you, so I get where you're coming from. Just us knowing you're alive and well is enough." He waved it off like nothing else.

"Oi, aren't you supposed to convince her to join us? That was the whole point in coming down here!" Callan disagreed.

"Layoff, Frostbite. It's not our business if she doesn't wanna tell us. Besides, at least we know she's here. We can just move on to finding Angelo next." Natsu reasoned.

"Wouldn't it be faster if she was with us though?"

"Not really. We still got one more to track down. Even if she followed us, it's pointless unless we all head back to Winter. So if she wants to stay, and not tell us anything, that's her call." Natsu dismissed.

"...Man, fine." Callan sighed and sat back on his chair.

...

...

...

...

"Did you really want to flaunt it in front of her that badly?" Treya pointed out to him.

"I will fucking end you. I swear it." Callan was doing his best to hold himself back, but she was getting under his skin so easily, he couldn't think of anything to say, other than beating the shit out of her.

"Um..." Mero spoke up. "So, which one of you is the leader of everyone?" Mero asked Natsu curiously. All five fingers pointed. Natsu was pointing at Callan, since this was more or less his idea, to begin with. He only saw himself as a tag along. But to his surprise, all fingers except Mero's were pointing at Natsu.

"...guys, I told you already-" Natsu was facepalming.

"Why are you reluctant?" Ikaruga giggled.

"It is only natural." Treya said swiftly.

"I-I'm following you, Cherry Hair." Flare nervously spoke.

"Is it that big a shock? I may have given you the idea, but you tracked down Treya no prob and then led us to find Mero. I had this list for years and didn't find shit." Callan thought his reaction was dumb. "Plus, I'm better suited to doing what I'm told, then taking the lead."

"Masochist." The stoic female assassin scoffed.

"Shut the fuck up, Treya!" Callan growled at her.

"If I am to go along with their logic..." Ikaruga spoke, prompting Natsu to turn around. "I follow you because I am interested to see where this dance between good and evil leaves you."

"I sure as hell ain't dancing to that." Natsu made a slashing gesture across his throat. "The only reason you're here is because the old man just doesn't trust you with anyone else. Not even Erza."

"That much I picked up on, but don't you trust me?"

"About as much as the next dark wizard." Natsu rolled his eye.

"Even though we crossed blades, and sworn camaraderie before Fairy Tail...what desires do you have that would earn me your seal of approval?" The pink-haired Swordswoman asked after slipping her shoulder free of her kimono, barely showing off her cleavage.

"...you know? I think I trust you even LESS than I trust Treya." Natsu simply put, shrugging off her half-hearted attempt to seduce him.

"Why thank you for the compliment." She smiled in satisfaction.

"I don't see why you brought this bitch. If anything, she's got nothing to do with us." Treya glanced a soulless look in Ikaruga's direction.

"I don't have anything to do with you, Bloody Jewel, but I, unlike you, have certainly something to do with him." Ikaruga was unfazed and retorted. "His innocent touch upon my skin is the only thing that keeps me entertained."

"You malicious slut." Treya hissed and the floorboards cracked all the way over to the bed.

"Eeeeeeck!" Flare lost her footing and grasped tightly to Natsu's leg from the floor. She looked like she was gonna cry from their overwhelming aura of death.

"Both of you, stop. NOW." Natsu stood up and was very serious from the tone of his voice, and the annoyance in his eye. Both women ceased hostilities and just huffed away from each other. "(Sigh)." Natsu sat back down. "You two are gonna be the death of me, I swear." He rested his arms on his lap. "Ikaruga. What part of do not start any shit was I not clear on?"

"Oh, you were clear as water. It's not my fault she takes everything I say as a threat." She feigned a clueless look.

"Maybe you shouldn't talk in a way that suggests otherwise."

"I never would make the first move. If she attacks me, I'll be forced to defend myself, and regrettably end her sorry existence."

"So you're just working a way around to justify killing her?"

"She is not of your guild. I thought she was just another boot licking mercenary, following because of some contract."

"Who she is is irrelevant. I don't give a crap if she's Fairy Tail or not. She's with us now, she's an ally and a friend. End of story."

"I remember your rules. I do not believe I've broken any of them. Maybe bend a few, but that is it." Ikaruga crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air.

"...(sigh)." Natsu just scratched his head. "Just...stop trying to aggravate her."

"Of course. I merely wish to have fun every now and then." She smiled with a blush.

"...you see? She is just in it to annoy me." Natsu looked to Callan and pointed a finger at Ikaruga.

"Just goes to show you're better in charge than me." Frostbite smirked.

"You wanna switch?"

"Hell no."

"Urrgh, it's like babysitting, every last one of you." Natsu said in annoyance and drooped his head. His eye fell upon Flare who looked like she was frowning at him. "Except you. Out of everyone here, you're my favorite." Natsu patted her head and rubbed it comfortingly. Flare blushed and was secretly happy he was, in her own mind, affectionate towards her. She felt safer the closer he was.

"Hehehe~! So you're the head honcho here!" Mero put her gloved hands on her hips and stood in front of him.

"I'm not in charge of anyone here. These misfits just follow me because they got nothing better to do." Natsu referred to them all.

"You don't mean that!" Callan propped his feet on the table. "That cold attitude is better geared towards me, because-"

"Callan, if you pop another dumbass ice joke, your ass, is going out, THAT window." He pointed his thumb behind him.

"I-I wasn't going to!" Callan nervously laughed it off.

"He totally was." They all thought in unison.

"So, who among you is the strongest then?" Mero asked Natsu.

"I'd say...we all are equal in our own way." Natsu shrugged.

"..."

"..." Callan and Treya both looked at him with a disappointed look.

"You two got something to add now?" Natsu had a tick mark pulsate on his head.

"He has beaten everyone here in a fight." Treya revealed to Mero. "We are all in agreement with that, yes?"

"...meh, sure. More like, it was cut short for me, though." Callan shrugged.

"..I suppose that is true." Ikaruga admitted.

"I-I never fought him. I-I-I never want to fight Cherry Hair!" Flare quickly shook her head.

"Makes sense! You are the one in charge, so naturally, that means you're the best fighter out of everyone!" Mero seemed to agree with their statements.

"Look, I'm not the lead-" Natsu was trying so hard to deny it, but from an outside perspective, everyone could see he was clearly the glue holding them together.

"I'll help you out!" Mero clasped his hands. "On two conditions!" She pointed out.

"Sorry?" Natsu tilted his head.

"You let me finish up what I'm doing here, and I'll join your team!"

"And the second thing?"

"Fight me." She said, which everyone was suddenly wide-eyed at.

"..I'm sorry, what?" Natsu innocently asked.

"You're one too, aren't you?" She smiled with an eager look in her eyes.

"One too?"

"A Lost Dragon Slayer. You give off a very familiar scent. You've definitely been around a dragon before! That smell stays with you forever!" She smirked."Plus, I saw your name on the list that Callan over there showed me!"

"Well, I am, but, why me?" Natsu didn't see the point.

"Because I wanna see how tough you really are. And what made these people wanna follow ya."

"Man, you're like a babe magnet. If you're not sleeping with women, you have to fight them too." Callan teased.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Natsu glared at him.

"I'm just calling it as I see it."

"You make it sound like I plan for this stuff to happen."

"I don't see you saying no."

"..okay, fair point." Natsu grumbled.

"Then it is settled!" Mero said in a decisive tone. "Fight me, Natsu Dranigon! I wanna see how powerful a Lost Dragon Slayer is!"

"...never a dull moment, huh?" Natsu uttered under his breath.

Outskirts...

The group wasted no time heading outside, and headed to a remote area, so as to not accidentally destroy anything. As Mero and Natsu were preparing themselves, the spectators were voicing their opinions on how this fight would play out.

"Who do you think is going to win?" Callan asked Treya.

"Obviously him." Treya deadpanned.

"Not surprising. I guess I'd say the same, but who knows what that girl has up her sleeve."

"Ultimately, it would boil down to whoever has had the most experience in dealing with the abilities that both sides have." Ikaruga stood there with her umbrella.

"..." Flare stayed silent while worrying about Natsu.

"She said Nightfall. What kinda element is that?" Callan wondered.

"If I had to guess, probably a dark element. But she was extremely fast when she tackled him out of that cave. It looked like a silver flash of light." Treya folded her arms and eyed Mero closely.

"Yo, Callan!" Natsu called out. "You mind clearing out the storm?"

"Got it." Callan nodded and looked up. "Blizzard Dragon's Roar!" He inhaled deeply and expelled a surging beam of ice into the sky. After a minute, it cleared a hole in the center of the storm, creating an opening in the epicenter of the clouds. The rain subsided temporarily, and the combatants were no longer bothered by the heavy downpour.

"Oooooo~! I knew ice and wind dragons could quell storms, but that was awesome to see!" Mero watched in awe as her eyes lit up with stars and applauded.

"Yeah, he's useful every now and then." Natsu said while digging in his ear.

"Say what?!" Callan barked with a tick mark.

"You sure you don't wanna fight Treya, or Callan? I think they're just as good if not better." Natsu asked once more.

"No! I want to fight YOU! You're the big boss of the group! If I don't take this opportunity to test myself against you, I'll regret it for the rest of my life!" She clenched her small, finger-less gloved hands. "Be warned! I may look like a shorty, but I can still pack a mean wallop!" She spun her arm around as if she was getting ready to throw a punch. "If I hit you with all I got, I'll send you straight to the moon and back!"

"Alright, alright. Go easy on me." Natsu held a hand up and faced his side toward her.

"I'll show you everything Yoma taught me!...IN-COMMIIIIIING!" She stomped forth and then shot towards him in a burst of speed, cloaking herself in silver-colored energy. Natsu instinctively crossed his arms and guarded her hit, but he was swept off his feet and knocked back quite a ways.

"WHA-?!" Callan was flabbergasted.

"...!" Treya widened her eyes.

"Whoa, I was not ready for th-" Natsu couldn't finish his thought, because now his body bent backward, from her landing a solid hit on his back. "OWWk!" He yelped out in pain, while she pressed her palm into his back. "HOLY FU-MY EYE CAN'T EVEN FOLLOW HER!" He was then sent flying forward. She zipped ahead of him, and she had a serious look on her face as she twirled around and landed a spinning kick into his stomach. Causing him to cough up saliva. He skidded back until he caught the ground and clenched on to it. He scraped the dirt to a standstill, and he was breathing heavily.

"HIYAAAA!" Mero was above him and then jetted straight down with a poised out elbow.

"Aw, shit!" Natsu jumped back and Mero hit the ground with a large explosion. Everyone shielded their eyes from the dust.

"THAT, CAME FROM A PIPSQUEAK LIKE THAT!?" Callan shouted in disbelief.

"..." Treya's emotionless demeanor left her, and she now had a furrowed eye at Mero. Her eyes lit up pink, so she could get a better look. The dust cleared, and Mero was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did she go?!" Natsu wondered out loud while scanning every direction around them. "Don't tell me she's faster than that?!" Natsu assumed the worst. Right off the bat, he was thrown off. That was his first time not being able to react to his opponent's first move.

"MMMMpf!"

"Huh?" Natsu looked again and saw the petite slayer struggling to hoist her entire arm out of the ground.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMpf-PAH!" Mero gritted her teeth and pulled out her arm like it was stuck in between a cushion, and caused the ground to erupt into a geyser of dirt. She spun her arm around like a propeller to get all the dirt and mud off. "You dodged before Mero could finish her combination~! No one has ever gotten away from that before!" She exclaimed "Although in hindsight I guess I wouldn't need to worry about digging you out like everyone before you. I guess I didn't need to bring the shovel this time." Mero's eyes closed and she seemed to be reflecting.

"If anyone was hit with that, why would you bother digging them up?" Flare and Callan both had a bead of sweat roll down their heads.

"That took me off guard. She's faster than Jellal!" Natsu figured as he thought about it. "You're very fast, Mero. That might have been the most number of times I was hit in a second." Natsu praised.

"Heheheh~! Ya wide awake now, mister Natsu?" She giggled and stuck out her tongue.

"I'm shaking in my boots." Natsu smiled.

"Well, now...HERE I COME AGAIN~!" She bellowed before zipping towards Natsu.

"...!" Natsu kept his eye on her until she flew past him in a silver flash. She was flying all around him. It sounded like a high pitched humming noise. She had him pinned to his current position, trying to throw him off. His eye darting up, down, left, and right. "She's just trying to confuse me. But even if you do have that much speed..."

"HAA!" Mero shouted before zipping toward his front. She outstretched her tiny fist, and came to a solid stop, sending a shock wave through the air around them. Natsu blocked the hit, but he braced himself this time, and he held his ground, holding back her small fist with his forearm.

"OW!" Mero was knocked out of her cloak of light magic and was looking at her steaming fist. "How'd you do that?!" Mero whipped her hand of the pain. "That was like striking iron with a toothpick~!" She began blowing on her hand.

"How come that didn't do anything?" Flare asked.

"He focused all his magic into his arms to harden his muscles to withstand the force of her hit within the last second," Ikaruga explained to her. "Even if she was moving at high speed, the power was no different if she threw a punch at a standstill. Still, the fact there was that much power behind it, shows that the girl has a lot more strength then she lets on."

"So...Twin Tail's attack was no different, than hitting him from standing still?" Flare tried to understand.

"Indeed. You see, there are two types of movement spells that light magic has. You can move your body with magic, without having to physically do anything, or you use it to increase the speed of your body."

"...uhm."

"Think of it as transportation. The magic is the vehicle, and you are the passenger. You, yourself are not moving, but the magic around you is moving you, and vice versa. Though you'd have to be pretty sturdy if you amplified your body with it, otherwise, you'd just be a red stain on any wall or flat surface from that speed she's demonstrating." Ikaruga put a hand to her chin and tilted her head.

"Ohh, I see." Flare nodded after Ikaruga simplified it.

"Wehehehelll~, you look like you mastered some kind of martial art that uses magic. I shouldn't have done that recklessly, now Mero's fist feels numb...Mmmmmgh~!" Mero looked at her hand and had a distraught look on her face. "Ah well, no use crying over spilled milk!" Her demeanor changed from a troubled look to a narrowed one. She also cracked a smirk. "Guess Mero will swing a teeeeny~ bit harder."

"...oh boy." Natsu took a step back and was getting ready for the next thing she threw at him. He knew that look. One that an opponent gives him when they start taking things a bit more seriously.

"You really know how to absorb damage with your magic." She commended.

"Just a little trick I was taught." Natsu shrugged.

"Then, you must be able to take a decent hit to the midsection, right?" She asked.

"I...don't like the way you said that." Natsu sweated a little. Was she seriously going to hit him in the chest? Her speed was blinding, so she could probably get one in.

"I was a little worried because I never fought you before, but when I hit your forearms, that was about um...hmm, I guess that strike would shatter a four-inch steel plate." She compared while she drew circles with her finger on the side of her head. "And ya didn't even budge." An ominous look was all that was shown on her face while noting his reaction to her attack. She looked like she was staring into his soul.

"Trust me I felt it." Natsu quickly assured her.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." He quickly nodded.

"You suuure?" She took another step forward.

"Positive." Natsu nodded.

"YOU SUUUUURRRRREEE~?" She had a cutesy voice all of a sudden, and an innocent expression, but the monstrous aura that was creeping behind her was making him feel very uneasy.

"I'm reeling in pain, I'm just not showing it." Natsu said in an unconvincing manner.

"MMmgh~!" Mero stuck out her lip. "I know I'm on the small side, but you can take me more seriously than that." She pouted with puffed cheeks.

"If you're moving at that speed, how can I reac-" Natsu wanted to point out his disposition, but Mero wasn't having none of it.

"Liar~! Liar, Liar, pants on fire~! You're just waiting for me to drop my guard!" She pointed at him in an accusing manner. "I don't even know what element your dragon slayer magic is! One careless mistake, and I'll be the one on the defensive!" She stated.

"(SIGH). Fine. You're right." Natsu gave up.

"Hahaha, you're a real comedian, Dranigon. There's no way in hell you're catching that little girl when she's that fas-"

"Hey! Mero is 17!~ I am a young lady!" Mero squeaked out at Callan.

"Y-yeah, sure, whatever." Callan thought that was a strange thing to get upset about. Could you blame him? She looked no older than a 14-year-old."A-anyhow looks like she's got you beat in terms of speed."

"...hmm." Natsu just hummed and looked back at Mero. He furrowed his eye at her. He then assumed a fighting stance.

"Wait. He's...is he seriously going for it?" Callan noticed his demeanor changed.

"..." Treya observed his expression. "He's studying her. Just like he did with me when we fought." Treya could see he was now taking it seriously. He must have acknowledged that her speed and power were a threat.

"Oh? You are taking this seriously!" Mero lit up with happiness. "Well, best not stand on ceremony! At times like these...YOU MUST RUSH IN WITH RECKLESS ABANDON~!" She placed a hand on the ground and blasted towards him. She was cloaked in light and she landed a high kick to the side of his head, making him whip it back.

"Let's see how long you hold out! Nightfall Dragon's Fist!" She then began punching rapidly at him with glowing silver energy, trying to wear him down. His face was hidden as she landed strike after strike.

"Errgh!" Natsu growled as she kept up her relentless assault. "She's punching fast! Plus the fact her hands are small, make them able to sneak around my guard!" Natsu could barely see, but he knew that the speed of her fists was faster than anyone he's come across. Dealing with her raw power was one thing, but the fact she could land that many hits in such a small time frame made it difficult to counter-attack.

"No friggin' way. He's getting pushed back from just a little punch!?" Callan was stupefied. He could see Natsu clearly getting pushed back. The ground had drag marks from his feet.

"HYAA!" Mero then uppercut and made his arms break out of their defensive posture.

"Wha-!?" Natsu was wide-eyed.

"Nightfall Dragon's Black Moon Fist!" Suddenly her right hand spiraled with dark energy, and she lunged forth. She landed a powerful strike to Natsu's chest, blasting him back with a large explosion of dark energy. He slid on his back to a stop quite a distance away from them.

"What the-?! TWO elements!?" Callan once again was shocked as his green eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Hey, Treya! That was Black Dragon Slayer Magic, wasn't it?!" He turned to her for an answer.

"It was. The Nightfall Dragon must be a duel element dragon." Treya deduced as she slowly clenched and loosed her fist. She knew this was just a friendly sparring match, but she felt annoyed at Mero. She couldn't describe it, but her instincts were telling her that she was...intruding on something of hers. "What is this...suppressed anger I feel? Every hit she lands on him, makes me feel uneasy. And yet, it's not as if she would intentionally wound him gravely. I've never felt this way before." Treya could not understand why she felt the way she did, but it was making her unnerved.

"Is he okay?" Flare wondered. She noticed he wasn't moving when he was flat on his back.

"...is that it?" Mero raised one of her eyebrows. "Granted I hit ya with a lot of power, but gee, I didn't think you'd-"

"Oof." Natsu coughed, and slowly began getting back up. He stood to his feet once more and was brushing himself off. "God-DAMN, that was a doozy." He growled through his teeth.

"He's not even fazed." Ikaruga could see no visible injury, apart from getting dirtied. Granted, being at ground zero of the impact of that fist would spell instant death for a normal person, but when you also factored in the devastating effects of the dark magic...well, he would have been obliterated.

"...not bad, kid. Not bad at all." His tone sounded more serious while stretching his arm. "How the hell are there this many powerhouses I haven't even heard of yet?" He complained under his breath. As much as he enjoyed fighting, being challenged by these slayers was on the cataclysmic level of bullshit. Why did he always have to be the one to prove his ability?!

"Wow-wee! You are tough!" Mero complimented. "Everyone that took a hit like that was down instantly, but you just got back up like it was just a bug bite!" She shook her head. "Heehee~ You are more than meets the eye, mister Natsu!" She grinned and winked.

"..." Natsu was silent as he eyed her. "Alright. I think I got it now." He quietly said as he raised his hands up in a fighting stance.

"Hmm? Got what?" Mero blinked with a blank expression.

"I figured out your fighting style." Natsu simply said. "You use fast-paced strikes to disorientate your opponent. Then you use that same speed to attack them from the opposite direction. Since it takes time to re-position themselves, they're wide open trying to pin you down, while you wait for the golden opportunity to end it with a powerful move."

"...interesting!" Mero smiled. "I like the look in your eye! Makes me feel like I don't need to hold back!" She gleefully said. "KEEP IT COMING~!" She darted forward with a dropkick at him, but then circled around him. She then flew toward his back, intending on finishing him off from behind. Natsu's eye turned red for a brief moment, which made Mero instinctively shoot around him in mid-air. "...!?" She gasped silently and had a nervous sweat.

"Huh? Did she just fake him out?" Callan didn't know why she just aborted her attack and flew away from him.

"No." Treya narrowed her eyes. "I don't know how...but he just predicted her move." She deduced.

"..." Ikaruga was silent, but she agreed.

"He..did?" Callan looked back at him. Natsu was laser-focused, but he didn't look any different than he normally did.

"When you fought, did it not seem like he was weaker than you at the beginning, but, after a few minutes you felt like he was holding back, and then put you on the defensive?" Treya asked him.

"Well...yeah. Now that you mention it, I got a few licks in, but then he pushed back twice as hard out of nowhere." Callan recalled the fight a while ago with his brief encounter. "I thought maybe it was a fluke, but honestly, the longer I get to know him...I don't even know how much he holds out against someone. He hits like a bitch the first few minutes. Then he just plows right through ya."

"..." Natsu turned around and faced Mero again with the same stance.

"I never felt that feeling in a looong time. Yoma told me to never follow through if I feel that chill. Natsu...wait? Where have I heard that name before? I never forget a name. Especially if it was someone like this. Hmmmmm..." She seemed lost in her own world, while standing away from him. She then scanned his whole body, looking for an opening. "I can't weave around him anymore. Hitting him head-on might prompt a counter-attack. And he also is wary from that hit I landed on his back at the beginning. Man, I never saw anyone last this long against Yoma's magic! He is truly a bon-a-fide dragon slayer."

"You gonna make a move?" Natsu called out.

"Oh, soowwwy~!" She snapped out of her train of thought and bonked her head playfully, prompting a star to come out. "I'll be honest! I never had anyone last this long before! I don't know how to attack you without getting hit!" She confessed.

"..heh." Natsu chuckled.

"Hmm. Okay, Plan B...RELENTLESS ASSAULT~!" She shouted before jumping forth in a burst of light. She spun her body around and was going to land a kick, but she had it blocked by his forearm. She gasped. "He blocked it at this speed? Oh crap, he's gonna grab my leg!" She escaped a quick grab from him and flew around and went for his legs with a sweep. He jumped high in the air, dodging it completely. "Oh no, you don't! Nightfall Dragon's Roar!" She let out a massive, glittering, white beam from her mouth, toward him.

"Azure Dragon's..." Natsu took a deep breath. "..DESTRUCTION ROAR!" He bellowed as a fiery beam of equal power met Mero's. She was shocked yet again by the reveal of his flames. She blasted away in her light form to dodge the overpowering beam of his fire. The beam collided with the ground and a massive explosion blanketed the area.

"WHOA, THAT'S NEW!" Callan stomped on the ground to bring up a giant wall of ice to block all the debris sent towards them. In the distance, the bluish explosion could be seen and heard from miles away.

Mero landed back down on the ground as well as Natsu. Mero's jaw could be seen hitting the ground. "F-fire?" She exclaimed.

"Yeah. My Lost Dragon's element is fire. He was Venigon, the Azure Dragon." Natsu stated. "Ffwooof~! Never had to use that move twice in a week." Natsu wiped his mouth before letting steam out of his mouth.

"..."

"Uh, Mero?"

"...I.."

"Eh?"

"I...I-I-In-INCREDIBLE!" Mero exploded with awe and excitement. She zoomed over to him in no time flat with a starry gaze, stopping just before she crashed into him. "I've never seen fire magic of that scale! That was pure dragon flames, wasn't it?! THAT WAS SUPER DUPER AWESOME!" She praised him heavily from his display.

"Uh, sure." Natsu felt a bit awkward from her switch in the mood. She was acting like it was the coolest thing she ever saw.

"That fire must have engulfed my roar instantly! Any other attack would just get pierced through!"

"Well, I kinda had to ramp it up, because the flames don't do enough damage unless I hit it with enough-"

"A focused condensed flame can push back against other energy blasts! But that flame was more like a laser, than fire, hahahah~!" Mero was so entertained that she was liking the fight more than she let on. "You take firepower to a whole new level there, mister Natsu!" She flashed a grin his way.

"Well, thanks, Mero." Natsu took the compliment. Not many people saw his destruction as art, other than him.

"Show me more! More, MOOOOAAAR!~~" She hopped up and down as her long twin tails wagged happily.

"Whoa, calm down, Mero! I just reacted because I was desperate there." Natsu held his arm up to stop her.

"Desperate?...hmmm.." Mero hummed as if she were thinking really hard. "So if I make you desperate, will you show me more?" She blinked expectantly.

"Whoawhoawhoawhoa, hold u-" Natsu immediately knew what she was talking about and did not want to take this sparring match to the next level.

"I'll show you more of my magic! Try this on for size!" She beckoned, and then placed a hand up, and a small energy ball formed. "CHECK THIS OUT~!" She had a glint in her eye and she threw the glittering silver at him like a high-speed baseball.

"Erk!" Natsu watched as the ball zoomed toward him. The condensed light zipped past him and flew quite a ways before exploding at a hilltop that they went over to get there. When the smoke cleared, the hill itself was no more than a smoking crater, and they could see the view of the town off in the distance that the hill obstructed.

"...okay this is getting out of-" Natsu wanted to stop and admit defeat before this turned into an actual fight, but the twin-tailed slayer was already forming more of those high explosive balls of silver energy. "Huh?" Was all he could say at the sight.

"I got more~!" Mero smiled innocently.

"...HUH?" Natsu turned pale as a ghost. "Hey, Mero! One of us is going to get badly hurt if you keep kicking up the power level!"

"What are you saying? You can dodge these! Besides, I would never use any more power than necessary to blow you up." She assured him.

"WHAT!?" Natsu shouted in disbelief. "Why are you trying to blow me up!?"

"You said if you got desperate, you'd use more of your dragon slayer magic." Mero blinked innocently.

"I SAID I 'WAS' DESPERATE! I NEVER SAID YOU COULD 'MAKE' ME DESPERATE!" Natsu yelled back with a tick mark

"This brat does not know when to reign it in." Callan shook his head. "How much magic power is she packing?"

"I don't know." Treya said through her teeth. Callan noticed she was looking a little annoyed.

"What's with you?" He asked curiously. It was strange to see her stone-cold facade make a different expression.

"I'm annoyed."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"What? At the kid?" Callan pointed to Mero.

"Why is he not brushing her off?" She asked.

"What do you mean? He's got his back pressed against the wal-"

"I refuse to believe he is taking this many hits because she's faster than him."

"You lost me." The blue-haired young man was confused.

"Even if he can't react in time, he can still predict where she's about to strike. I'm watching, and I believe I could get her if she charged me recklessly like that. So why is he not doing anything?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. She can literally alter her direction at any time. Even I would have trouble trying to swat her out of the air." He huffed. "...wait a minute.." Callan suddenly had a look of realization. "Are you jealous?"

"What?" Treya turned to him with a look of disgust.

"Well, I mean, is she doing better, compared to you?"

"Don't be ridicules. I landed way more blows on him, and they were twice as hard."

"She's very powerful." Callan noted.

"So am I."

"She's younger than us."

"I'm more experienced."

"I don't think she's taken a hit yet." Callan shrugged.

"Mgh..." Treya recoiled from that remark.

"...she's also kinda cute-"

"WHAT would that have to do with anything?" An empty void of a stare that promised nothing shy of obliteration was in her eyes as she looked to Callan.

"Calm the fuck down, I was just saying." Callan held his hands up in defense. "She looks old enough to be his younger sister. I didn't say she was gonna bang him." He let out a sigh.

"..." Treya looked back to the two. "Doesn't matter. One way or another, he will give in to me-hm?...am I...being possessive?" Treya stopped to reexamine her current state of mind, but decided to just focus on the match.

"Here they come~!" Mero made the light balls levitate in a group next to her, and she let loose a barrage.

"Oh crap." Natsu ducked and sidestepped and jumped to dodge at least twelve of those miniature orbs of death. "Yikes! Damn that was close-" He went to take a breath, but the corner of his eye suddenly noticed they were moving in reverse after they passed him. "ARE YOU KIDDIN-!?"

"Heheh~!" Mero waved her hand back, and the light balls darted back towards him.

"That's cheating!" Natsu yelled. He summoned his sword and then drew it in an instant. He slashed all twelve of the energy balls that jetted towards him. They dissipated into harmless ether after passing through his sword.

"Oh, you have a sword too!?" Mero was like a kid watching fireworks. Fascination at his reaction to her attacks.

"Huh?" Natsu was dumbfounded. He looked at his glowing blue blade and then back to Mero. "You tricked me. You little-you actually tricked me." He scoffed and sheathed his blade.

"SOWWWY~! I just wanted see what you would do! I would never risk hitting you with energy balls that powerful. I'd be very sad if they hurt you, mister Natsu." She explained. "I know how to hold back. This is just a good ol' way to feel each other out." She flashed a smile with her canine showing.

"...pfth, hahaha, ya got me." Natsu began chuckling.

"Feeling each other ou-IS SHE FLIRTING?" Treya bit her fingernail, and a jagged spike of deep blue crystal shot out of the ground.

"Ara, our leader is certainly a handsome devil. But it would appear that no woman is safe from him." Ikaruga giggled and thought it was hilarious.

"I don't know what you two are seeing here, but I don't think it's what you think it is." Callan deadpanned at the two.

"Well, thanks for humoring Mero! By the way, is that your Dragon Arms?" Mero pointed at him in a cutesy manner.

"Yeah. It's Dorruga. Dragon Sword in-"

"Gavil dialect, right? I'm a bit of a history nut when it comes to them." She finished saying to him.

"So you know it too, eh? Well, this is getting interesting." Natsu scoffed. The more of these slayers he rounded up, the more the pieces started to fit together.

"Wow. Hey do you mind if I see your sword for a sec? I just wanna see what it feels like." She walked over.

"SHE'S DEAD." Treya was marching toward them, But Callan held her back by the black sash of her kimono.

"Hold up. What the hell do you think she just said?" He knew that this green-haired lass was misunderstanding something entirely. Given her ability to see innuendo at the most random of times, he wouldn't put it past her if she took the innocent words of a young girl and twisted them into a lecherous meaning.

"Here." Natsu handed the blade to her when she came up. Mero pulled the sword out slightly, and then completely out. She focused her blue eyes on the weapon.

"Wow. I feel a bit heavy when I hold this." She noted as she slowly swung the single-edged blade in different directions.

"It sucks in magic when it's out of its scabbard. That's why you gotta maintain focus on your own magic when you use it. When it absorbs a certain amount, it discharges the energy from the blade's edge." Natsu explained.

"Hm. Most magic blades operate on the same principle. It sucks it all up, and it then goes pew~!" Mero nodded after whipping the blade in a slicing motion. "Can I try it out? I'll show you mine afterward." She requested.

"That's it." Treya had enough. "I'm gonna cut off her head."

"Get your mind out of the gutter already." Callan had a drop of sweat roll down his head.

"Hmmmmph~!" Mero focused her magic into the blade. "GETSUGA-"

"Whoa, hold up a second." Natsu stopped her and grabbed the handle and her hand. "What are you doing?"

"Mmrgh~ I just wanted to see how big I could make it!" Mero stuck her lip out.

"You could slice the mountain open, so please keep the damage to a minimum, if you can." Natsu requested.

"Fiiine~!" Mero casually said and then slashed his sword horizontally. A small ray of silver energy jetted toward a boulder that got blown out of the ground from their sparring. It sliced clean in half, and it slid off to the side and crushed the ground beneath it.

"Heh, nifty!" Mero smiled and then sheathed the sword.

"It gets the job done." Natsu bobbed his head.

"Alrighto! Time for close combat!" She then leaped high in the air and landed away from him. She then unhooked the black rod that was on her back the whole time. "I will warn you, mister Natsu! I have great faith in my ability to bonk you with this stick!" She twirled her staff around her body, and arms effortlessly and held it behind her with one hand. The staff was indeed a black rod, but it had a silver dragon figurine at the end, and a silver band, with a rounded, white jewel at the other end.

"Great." Natsu let out a sigh and kept his sword in his good hand. He didn't unsheathe it, and decided it was not necessary to use in this situation.

"I trained really hard to make this a part of my fighting style." She smiled and held up her other arm. "Prepare for Mero's...RELENTLESS BARRAGE!"

"How many of those tactics do you have?" Natsu held up his sword and narrowed his eye. She lunged forth and thrust her staff countless times, making Natsu weave and step back to avoid the speedy thrusts. She stopped thrusting and grabbed one end of her staff and swung it widely in front of her, and over her head. Natsu ducked and noticed she was coming back with another wide swing. He blocked it with his sword handle, but then was pushed away, prompting him to slide across the wet dirt. He kept a close eye on her as she jumped in the air and held back her staff.

"HEEEYAAGH!" She shouted in defiance as she chopped downward onto him with the war staff. He blocked it above him horizontally. His good eye widened with surprise yet again, prompting him to hold up his sheathed sword with his other hand. The ground crumbled beneath, and an earth-shattering shock wave whipped around them, shaking the very ground beneath them.

"Heeerrgh~" Mero was suspended in midair from holding her staff down on his sword. She growled with determination. "COME OOOON!" Her battle cry rang out as she pressed harder to break his guard.

"Tch!" Natsu grunted as he re-affirmed his stance after slipping slightly. "Gotta...try..harder...then...THAT!" Natsu built up power in his sword and flames ignited along his sword. He pushed her back up and slashed out a fiery, azure fang. She was blasted into the air, trying to hold back the blade-shaped energy.

"Errrgh~! Guess I better respond in kind!"She suddenly closed her eyes after deciding there was no other way.

"Huh?" Callan focused on the rod she was holding. It looked like the figurine changed.

"She's finally using it." Treya paid close attention.

"What?" Natsu kept a close eye.

"Akkrium Stance: Ether Disrupter!" She chanted, and suddenly, Natsu's attack just dissipated like a flame being blown out. The dragon figurine on Mero's staff flashed green eyes, and coated the staff in jade-colored energy.

"She canceled it out?!" Natsu's mouth hung open. "I've never seen Venigon's flames get canceled out before! Normally they would devour any magic that comes into contact with 'em!" This was a first for Natsu. Every spell he encountered to this day has never posed a problem for his magic eating flames. But something must have stopped it from devouring.

"Here comes the boom!" She announced as she spun it above her head. She was still in the air and held back the staff in one hand as if she were going to throw it. The little silver dragon figurine's eyes lit up red, and scarlet-colored energy engulfed it. A surge of pressure in the atmosphere could be felt all around them.

"There's more?!" Natsu shouted.

"Xal Stance: Nightfall Strike!" She took aim and threw with all her might, and the crimson-coated staff was let loose like an arrow of godly destruction. "I'd dodge if I were you!" She winked with a toothy smile.

"Oh fuck me." Natsu stared in awe of the staff of destruction, plummeting towards him. "So much for holding back!" Natsu still had time to pull off one more move. But he had to match it with all his might. He only had a few seconds. He stretched his legs apart and got into a quickdraw stance. He exhaled and his sword was glowing blue.

"Huh?" Mero was wondering why he wasn't moving.

"HMPH!" Natsu's eye was red like Venigon's, and he jumped upward toward the Dragon Arm's with his hand on his sword handle. He was close to the rod, and it was heading towards him. Time slowed as he drew his sword, and his blade struck the staff, and he altered the path of the rod, making it veer off away from them, and head toward another hill. As soon as it struck though...

"Cover."

"FUCKING TAKE COVER!" Callan held up his hands with Treya, and they both made reinforced walls of crystal and ice to shield them from the impending blast.

However, that was not the case.

"Huh?" Natsu seemed flabbergasted and looked back to the rod. There was NO power behind that throw. The staff was no more harmless than a stick in the ground now. He whipped his head around and then saw Mero, who was now close to him gave him a friendly smile as they fell down from a great height.

"Sowwwy~! But, the power you felt was me~*." She winked at him.

"...please don't-OOOF!" Natsu felt her sink her fist into his gut, and both were sent crashing down into the ground with a strong impact that made a crater deep enough to bury a three-story building. The staff stuck harmlessly into the ground away from them.

"Wha-" Callan was confused as hell. "W-WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?" He demanded an answer.

"I..think SHE was the attack." Treya sweated a little from misjudging the nature of Mero's move. "The staff coated her body in condensed magic, turning herself into a human-sized bullet of mass destruction." Treya shrugged. "She knows how to fight. And throw people off. The staff was the misdirection."

"I don't...wait, what?" Callan turned to her for a more simple answer.

"The staff energized her. That's what the red energy was doing. Empowering her next strike. She threw it to make him target it, so she could get close and attack him when his guard was down. That's why she didn't try to press a frontal assault. She tricked him, the little minx." She clenched her hand tightly.

"I-Is he okay!?" Flare voiced nervously and walked over to the pit. She peered down into it and saw the two down there.

"I'm so sorrry~!" Mero cried out.

"Huh?" Callan heard the distress in her voice and ran over. They all looked down into the hole and saw Natsu clutching his bruised stomach.

"(Cough)." Was all Natsu responded with. The look of pain was all over his face.

"I-I-I thought you were a bit sturdier than that!" Mero shook with terror as she apologized profusely. "D-d-do you need a bandage, or-or-or I also have healing ointment-"

"I-oof-I'm fine. I thought I had you figured out, but boy, I was wrong." Natsu slowly got back. "Shit, Mero." He rubbed and patted his gut.

"You guys okay?" Callan asked from up high.

"Yeah." Natsu gave him a thumbs up. "Alright, let's keep going." He shrugged it off and patted his stomach.

"Eh?" Mero blinked in confusion.

"Hm? Don't you wanna keep going?" Natsu looked back down to her.

"Y-y-you're okay?" Mero stuttered. She thought she might have accidentally broke one of his bones.

"..yeah? I mean, that hit hurt like hell, but it's gonna take more than that." Natsu thought it was no big deal.

"...Haaah, thank goodness." Mero let out a sigh of relief. "I...well, uh..." She clenched her hands together in a troubled manner.

"Hm?" Natsu noticed she was hesitant about something.

"You..."

"..."

"You-you're very strong!" She stated loudly.

"Mm." Natsu nodded at the compliment.

"So much to the point I...I got excited a bit too much. I've never met a person who could fight me for longer than a couple minutes. It w-"

"It was fun, right?" Natsu finished her sentence.

"Eh?" Mero peered upward at him.

"I think I'm having fun too." Natsu couldn't help but chuckle with a toothy grin. Mero's eyes widened in awe. Her ever-expanding smile as well.

"Yeah! It really was!" She happily responded. "Hehee!"

"Heh!" Natsu and Mero both smirked with a glint in their eyes, and jumped out of the hole away from each other. Mero snatched her staff and whipped it to her side. The match between the two was far from over.

"I'm ready when you are!" Mero called out to him.

"Here I come." Natsu summoned his sword and prepared to draw. He then shot forth and drew his sword at lightning speed. A loud metallic clang rang out, and the two Dragon Arms, along with their respective owners were in a power struggle with each other. Mero had his blade hooked onto the little dragon figurine at the end of her staff while using both hands to hold her staff steady. It slid off and she swung high, and Natsu's sword met her staff again, sending a blast of wind around them from the force of the impact. Mero broke out of their lock and began striking high and low with the end of her staff at Natsu. She was swinging her staff so fast she was practically looking like a wild, out-of-control propeller. Natsu kept up with her. It easy for him because most of her attacks had to be wide because she was smaller than him, but they were blistering fast.

The two collided again.

"RRRrrrrrgh~!" Mero was slowly pushing him back, but Natsu was also putting up more of a struggle.

"HrrGH!" Natsu brushed her staff to the side and kicked outward toward her, and hit the dead center of her small body.

"OOgh!" She felt like the wind was knocked out of her, and she was sent flying back. She recovered and lit up with a cloak of light. She darted forth and gritted her teeth. She thrust with great strength with the jeweled end of her staff at Natsu. Natsu just moved to the side to dodge her.

"..he...dodged?" Mero thought as she bolted past him. She then used her light form to fly around behind him to smack the back of his head. But he raised his scabbard behind him, and it blocked her quick hit. "He blocked that too!?"

"There!" Natsu announced as he swung his blade in her direction behind him. He caught nothing but air, and noticed she was on the ground away from him.

"Wow! Do you got eyes in the back of your head!? How'd you know I was gonna do that!?" Mero was just absolutely stunned at Natsu's combat prowess.

"I can read your moves. The same trick won't work on me twice." Natsu simply said and sheathed his sword.

"Wait..are you reading Mero's mind?" Mero stopped for a moment to ask him.

"No."

"How are you doing it then~!? It's making me super curious!" Mero begged for an answer.

"..." Natsu looked down at his sword and just propped it up like a cane to rest his hands on its pommel. "I'm learning."

"What?"

"Learning." Natsu repeated to her. "Studying. Observing."

"You figured out my moves in that short amount of time from just watching?"

"Not your attacks," Natsu explained to her. "Your habits. What I watch for is your instinctual movement. People, animals. It all boils down to muscle memory. From your perspective, you never repeat yourself that often. But I see the same way you grab your weapon after you swing it. I see the way you tense up before you throw a punch. The way you prefer to dodge when an unblock-able attack is heading towards you." He gave her a detailed explanation. "I see a lot of things when I fight people. Once I know you're committed to what action you take, I break it down, and find the shortest path to dealing with it."

"Ehh, not sure I quite get what you mean. But it sounds like you understand my attacks after only seeing them once." Mero put a finger on her head, and a swirl of confusion was above her head. "But that's crazy cool! Mero moves faster than you, and you can still make out what I do in that split second?! You must have loads of experience dealing with fast opponents!" Mero complimented him after raising a fist.

"I trained to fight lightning attacks mostly. As long as I perceive where the strike is going, I have a pretty high chance of dodging or intercepting it." Natsu held his sword backhanded.

"Lightning?" Mero blinked.

"Mm." Natsu frowned a bit as he nodded.

"...well if that's the case.." She then stuck her staff in the ground, and then lowered her self. She widened her stance, and held a hand up to her lip, and had her other hand below her skirt. She then had a silver and black energy spiral around her, and combine into a moon-pale color. Her body absorbed the energy and exploded outward into a sliver ring that dissipated out from them. Her body underwent some changes. Notably, her hair had pure white strands that look like frosted-tips of snow that hung at the end of her twin tails. She also had white patches of skin that were akin to scales on her neck. Her body had a glowing black outline of energy, but at the same time, light was seen shining forth from her figure. Her eyes were also now red reptilian slits.

"..!" Natsu widened his eye at such power.

"I simply must rival the speed of lightning." Mero declared. Her face was now serious, and her demeanor had the aura of a long, pale Chinese-style dragon getting ready to lunge at their opponent.

"Dragon Force. So that little snot can use it too." Callan recognized the feeling.

"I had her pegged as the hatch-ling of your kind, but...this...I feel as if she's ready to let loose the wrath of a full-fledged dragon." Ikaruga sweated at the overwhelming pressure she emitted. As her black and white hair and clothes fluttered in the wind, her body kept a stern, flawless stance toward Natsu.

"This is above and beyond a simple sparring match." Treya crossed her arms. "Now its a matter of who's superior." Treya gritted her teeth behind her lips.

"Seriously?!" Natsu exclaimed at the surge of magic power that Mero gave off. He reaffirmed himself before getting ready to engage her again. "You can wound a dragon, but not it's pride, eh? I think now I know what you meant, old man." He scoffed as he thought back to his days with Venigon.

"Do it."

"Huh?"

"Show me your Dragon Force. I don't want to hit you at full power if you aren't. Please, show me!" Mero requested.

"Why...are you using Dragon Force?"

"Well, I don't know what to say...Mero can't win against you if I don't go all out." She regrettably said. "My experience in fighting actual people isn't much compared to you, but I can tell your form is nearly flawless."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Mero can see it." She said as she sized him up. "You don't waste much movement. And you don't rely on magic, except, to enhance your strikes and blocks. And even now...I feel like you're still holding back."

"..." Natsu just stayed silent.

"You're a Fire Dragon Slayer. You should be using your flames more aggressively. This whole area should be scorched or a sea of flames by now, which is how Mero knows you are holding back!" She accused.

"What is the little one referring to?" Ikaruga turned to Treya and Callan. "Does your element determine your fighting style?"

"Well, sorta." Callan shrugged.

"A dragon's element determines how the slayer fights." Treya began to explain, even though she didn't like the swordswoman. "For example, if Frostbite here is an ice element, his traits enable him to not feel pain that much when taking direct hits. Because the ice element numbs the pain to a point where he can't even flinch from taking a hit. Meaning he can fight without fear of flinching, or reeling in pain."

"No pain, my ass. I can still feel it when YOU hit me." Callan scoffed in disagreement.

"Maybe you're just a bitch, snowflake." Treya deadpanned.

"How 'bout you say that to my fist?" Callan glared daggers at her.

"A-and you? H-how does Green Hair fight?" Flare perked up, interested in their conversation.

"My crystal element is suited to molding whatever shape I choose, and reflecting energy-based attack spells. Remember when the runt's beam bounced off my mirror?" She recalled. "Though, in the end, it pierced through because my affinity for Dragon Slayer Magic is not as high. Were it Ravalla at that moment, the crystal would have absorbed, and reflected it back in an instant." She lamented.

"Hm. I see. So your elements are more than just types of magic, they also decide what type of attack methods are properly utilized." Ikaruga put a hand to her chin. "Well, in that case, what of the young girl than?"

"Uhhh, hard to say." Callan scratched his head. "Light Dragons normally prioritize speed, but she's also using Black Dragon Slayer Magic. "

"Might I guess that she uses the light attributes for speed and dark attributes for power?" Ikaruga assumed.

"Yeah. The traits of Light Dragons are agility and speed. But I guess since she uses Black, or Dark Dragon Slayer Magic too, she has speed AND power." Callan scratched his head. "That would explain why she hits so hard despite her size." He put a hand to his chin.

"What's so special about Dark Dragons?"

"Their darkness magic is the top of the chain in terms of destructive capability. They also power up during the night. And Light Dragons vice versa, during the day. I don't know much about her type of dragon, but he must have been one of the most powerful dragons to ever exist if he's a duel element dragon. And a 'Lost' one to boot." Callan shook his head.

"I see. And our fearless leader, what style of fighting does he wield?"

"..." Callan looked to Treya.

"..." Treya glanced at him.

"You really think he's holding back?" Callan asked Treya.

"He entered the state when I fought him." She resumed watching them as she answered his question.

"But, he didn't even know until he fought me. You telling me he mastered it in that amount of time?" Callan sounded doubtful.

"I wouldn't say that."

"And? How strong was he?"

"...I never stood a chance when he entered that state." She clenched her arm. "He wasn't even trying to kill me at that time. And I recall only a handful of attacks to knock me out of Dragon Force."

"Seriously?"

"Oi, don't ignore me, you buffoon." Ikaruga was insulted they suddenly ignored her.

"Oh, uh, right." Callan realized and resumed explaining. "Well, fire is more or less the main branch of Dragon Slayer Magic. Back when mankind was at war with dragons, most of them were fire dragon slayers. If the stories that Gromell told me were true...well I'm surprised that he hasn't burnt everything around us yet." Callan crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Natsu. "I think he's holding back. He's not even hitting her with any of his flames. Landed a decent kick on her though."

"..hmm." Ikaruga thought hard on the info she just got. Natsu clicked his tongue and was just trying to think up a plan. But then he remembered...

"...uh, Natsa?" Natsu mentally called.

"(Sigh). Are you really this useless?" The familiar voice of his subconscious comrade spoke in an annoyed tone.

"I just need you to trigger that feeling just this once!" Natsu pleaded in his head.

"Look, if I keep doing this, you ain't gonna learn how to do this yourself!"

"If Venigon wanted me to learn this Dragon Force thing, he would have given me some pointers, let alone tell me what Dragon Force really is! These guys had years of training with it! I never even knew what it was!" Natsu argued.

"Fair enough. But you can't keep having me trigger this power so much! Besides, after this, he wanted you to learn something else entirely."

"Right, that Dragon Archon power you mentioned before. Well, I haven't had time to work with it yet, so I gotta make do!"

"Just let her win! Besides, fighting against an opponent who has it, and experiencing it will be crucial to your growth!"

"This is a LOST Dragon Slayer! She'll flatten me in seconds if I don't use Dragon Force! You saw how powerful Treya was when she entered it! And this one specializes in speed! I'll never be able to catch her if I don't enhance my physical abilities!"

"Isn't this just a sparring session?"

"Believe me I thought the same thing. It has gone WAY beyond that!"

"..."

"Natsa, please!"

"FINE. Might as well teach you while we're at it."

"Thanks!" Natsu gratefully thanked Natsa for aiding him.

"Alright, just focus on gathering power into your magic container. It should be easier for you since you already have a massive reserve. Then, when you feel like your body gets heavy, release it all at once to trigger it! However, in order to maintain it, you have to let the magic pour out until it's steady enough to remain in that state. In other words, partner, no more being reserved, and don't worry about your magic power leaking out! you show that little bundle of joy you are not holding back!"

"That's...surprisingly simple."

"If you're gonna enter Dragon Force, you're gonna do it right this time! Now concentrate, idiot!"

"Righto." Natsu closed his eye and focused.

"Hm? Wait, don't tell me-!?" Callan seemed to be surprised at Natsu. "Did he...learn how to do it?"

"..." Treya just eyed him with interest.

"...(Inhales). Here goes." Natsu stood straight and pumped both his arms back. "HYYAAAAAAA!" He roared and felt a skyrocketing feeling of power tingle throughout his body, and then suddenly a bluish aura enveloped him, and he whipped both his arms to his side, and then a pillar of flame engulfed him and seared the ground beneath them. It vanished, and the familiar scale-like characteristics formed on his forehead, and beneath his eyes. He made his eyepatch disappear, and he once again could see with his other eye. A red reptilian slit similar to Mero's showed itself.

"Whoa-!?" Mero was startled from the heatwave that blew past her. The rained on grass evaporated around them, and the area around Natsu was pale ashes of other grass with the charcoal-colored ground beneath it. "What power-! This is intense!" She re-affirmed her stance and held fast to the ground.

"So that's his Dragon Force." Callan stared in awe of Natsu transformation. "The magic power...it's off the charts!" He shook his head.

"Yes. That's exactly how I felt when he first used it." Treya nodded in agreement.

"Incredible." Flare was shaking at the lashing flames and power that consumed Natsu.

"Shitshitshit, I'm burning everything!" Natsu tried to keep his flames from torching the area around them by putting them out in an awkward display. He let out a sigh of relief and looked back to Mero. His scarred eye red, and his good eye green. "Well, hit me with your best shot." He motioned for her to come at him.

"...heheheheh." She began giggling in a giddy, cute manner.

"Hm?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"Sowwy~. Mero's battle butterflies are kicking in~!" She had a huge smile on her face, with her bottom canine showing. "I honestly think you got me beat in terms of magic power. But still..." She crumbled the ground beneath her. She reared her head up with a fired-up expression. "I HAVE NEVER WANTED TO GIVE IT MY ALL UP UNTIL NOW~!" She happily announced. "HRRRRRAAAAAA!" She let out her battle cry, and then blasted towards him. Natsu brushed away her hand with the back of his after she attempted to punch him right in the face. She then brought her knee up to his chin, but he caught it with his other hand. The mere contact from their blocks and blows produced a shockwave so intense, it caused everyone on the sidelines to shield their eyes.

"..huh?" Mero blinked.

"You're gonna feel this one." Natsu forewarned her with a serious look. He spun his body around to her back and at the same time struck his forearm and fist to the back of her head. It hit and sent out a shockwave, clearing the burnt-up grass, whipping it in the air like a snowstorm, and Mero was sent crashing into a hill.

"Wow!" Callan and the rest watched with shock and awe.

"I'm just getting warmed up!" Mero emerged from the mound of earth that she was buried under and zoomed like a beam of light toward Natsu. "Nightfall Dragon's..."

"Azure Dragon's...

"FIST!"

"FIST!" The two smashed their respective elemental fists into each other and sent out a ripple through the air that cracked the ground beneath them, and all the way towards the spectators.

"Break...THROOOOUGH~!" Mero was determined to push Natsu back with her fist, that she let out a jet trail of silver energy, pushing him along the ground. It was like Natsu was holding back a silver missile in mid-flight.

"RRrrrrgh!" Natsu growled as they glared into each other's eyes.

"Heh!" Mero smiled, showing that she was having a blast.

"Teh!" Natsu returned it with a toothy grin of his own. Mero got out of the air and beneath him and went for an uppercut. He caught her small hand and swung his fist back at her, which she expectantly caught. She planted her feet firmly into the ground and was pushing with all her might up at him.

"This little..!" Natsu didn't want to admit it, but he was having a hard time trying to overpower her. Despite her childish size, she held her ground to him, and matched his strength.

"GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU GOT, NATSU DRANIGON!" She screamed at him. The two grabbed each other's hands, and were now trying to push the other one back.

"I AIM TOO!" Natsu complied. The contest of strength was nearly matched, but Natsu began to push her back.

"This is...unreal." Callan shook his head. "That half pipe is trying to overpower him."

"..." Treya just watched and a sour look slowly crept to her face. Mero then slipped her hands out and then flipped herself forward, and landed a powerful heel drop on the top of Natsu head.

"AACK-!" Natsu blanked out for a split second from his brain getting scrambled from the impact. Another shock wave whipped out from the impact. But before he hit the ground face first, he caught himself with one hand on the ground, and kart-wheeled toward her and landed downward kick of his own on her head.

"AAh-~*!" Mero was equally disorientated. But she gritted her teeth and then sprung forth and the two slammed into each other's heads. They both dropped to their knees and fell down next to each other.

"Shiiiiit..." Natsu grunted in pain.

"Uuuuhh~..." Mero gripped her head tightly while spirals replaced her eyes.

"You got a cannonball for a head or something?" Natsu exhaled and lied flat on the ground.

"Mmmnngh, Mero could say the same abo-whoops! Almost blanked out there~..." Mero agreed after standing up with a halo of stars circling her noggin. They both undid their transformations, and slowly, but clumsily stood up next to each other. "Whooo~! I haven't given it my all since my training days with Yoma! You got a hit clean off the top of Mero's melon!" Mero's tongue hung out and she rubbed her head.

"No kidding. I nearly blacked out for a second there myself. Remind me to never look down on you ever again." Natsu complimented.

"Heheh~ I told you I pack a mean wallop!" She pumped her hand and grinned.

"I must admit, I was a little hesitant, but you are quite the powerhouse. Not many people I know ever pushed me into a test of pure strength." He recalled the last minute of their fight.

"Thanks 'fer going along with it~" She dusted herself off. "Your Dragon Force is very strong mister Natsu! You affected the environment so much, I thought the heat was gonna make everything turn to cinders." She noted.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I'm still trying to get the hang of it. This is only my third time using it." Natsu confessed.

"...SAY WHaaaaaT!?" Mero's jaw hit the floor. "You were like a natural though! Give yourself a pat on the back! In fact, I'm giving you one right now!" She lept forth and gave him a strong smack on his back.

"Thanks, but I can't use it for long. So it's kind of a one-off in battle until I get the hang of it." Natsu shrugged. "I was taught mostly to reserve and contain my magic to make a massive reserve, so I can use it when the time comes." Natsu explained briefly. "You saw me tap into it when we used our Roars at each other. Gotta catch my breath after each time, though. Wears me out fast." He exhaled deeply.

"Well butter my biscuit~! No wonder you're so dang tough!" Mero crossed her arms and nodded. "I kind of had a feeling that your Dragon Force would be several times stronger than mine after our first engagement, but hoowee~! I would have been creamed for sure if I fought you head on!" She sighed in defeat. "Even though I charged you anyway, teheh~!" She chuckled for her reckless behavior and scratched her head where they hit each other. "Apart from speed, you pretty much outclass me in every other category. Guess being fast isn't the only thing that wins a fight."

"I could tell you didn't really have much experience fighting stronger opponents," Natsu noted. "But with enough experience, I bet you'd floor me in an instant. I could barely catch you as you are now. I was mostly just guessing." He nervously chuckled.

"Wellll, Mero prefers to shake hands than throw em'! But you're right! Everyone I fought up to this point ate the dirt in just two seconds."

"I can see why." Natsu popped his neck.

"Well, I'm convinced! You are a genuine Lost Dragon Slayer! You got the body, the magic, and enhanced senses!" Mero numbered off the reasons as the rest of the group approached. "And a cool attitude to add to it! You passed my test!"

"Test?" Callan spoke up.

"Mm! I wanted to push him to the brink, too see the extent of his power, but I was the one who ended up biting off more than I could chew." She lamented. "It's strange though." She then frowned curiously. "I sensed almost no magic from you at first, up until you used Dragon Force. You're the first person I know that's this strong that keeps their presence heavily suppressed."

"I was taught that by my dragon. Venigon wanted me to consolidate, and hold in magic."

"What for?"

"I...well that's a long story." Natsu scratched his head.

"Well, aren't you just chock-full of mystery. I got so many questions for you." She eagerly awaited to ask. "Hm?" She looked back up and noticed the heavy rain coming down again. "Which you can answer when we get indoors!" She hurriedly headed back to town. "C'mon! We'll get to know each other some more over some piping hot tea!" She smiled before charging up with energy and blasting off toward the town.

"...Hm." Natsu was interested in getting to know more about this new Lost Slayer. But mostly he was in disbelief that she just acted like she wasn't even fazed after that clash. "Let's head back." Natsu motioned them all to follow him.

"Man, that little badass put on a show! I'm never gonna look at another chick that small the same way ever again! Kinda got me fired up just watching!" Callan smirked. Satisfied with what he got to see.

"Just don't go challenging every young maiden to a brawl." Ikaruga teased.

"I would never do that!" Callan followed Ikaruga back with Flare behind him. Natsu stayed behind a moment to collect his thoughts. He crossed his arms and looked around at the area riddled with battle damage. His eye then fell upon Treya who was still standing on the sidelines. "You coming?" He called out.

"..." Treya was silent as she stared at the ground. Her hair was starting to get in her eyes.

"Treya?" Natsu walked over to check on her. "Hey, you alright?" He placed a hand on her arm and gave her a gentle shake. He then saw her slowly place a hand over his while keeping her eyes focused on the ground.

"..." She looked up to him with the same blank look.

"...?" Natsu was filled with nothing but innocent confusion.

A thunderous boom ran out above them, and a flash of oddly colored lightning that was more orange-ish than white flashed in the corner of his eye, prompting Natsu to reflexively dart his vision to the sky. His heartbeat was in his throat and he let go of Treya and looked frantically around. He felt his chest-thumping and the outside world was just a hum. He was waiting for that familiar flash of lightning that plagued his memory from years ago.

There was nothing.

"...hey." Treya touched him. He snapped out of it and looked at her with a look Treya saw many times in her career as an assassin.

The look of those that saw impending death.

"Is there an enemy nearby?" She asked him.

"...n-no." Nasu shook his head and tried to recompose himself. He walked away from her and stopped. He placed a hand over his chest. "It's like a drum beating the shit out of my stomach. Why did I...? Th-there's no way...that couldn't have been him." He was trying to convince himself that the Storm Dragon himself was not in that thunderhead. Treya tilted her head and was not convinced.

"You're trembling."

"Reflex. Storm spooked me."

"..." Treya looked back up and saw another flash of lighting, and Natsu didn't react. "Are you sure?"

"..."

"...I don't think "what" you thought was in that storm." Treya assured him. "Come. Let's head back." She whispered in his ear before leaving. Natsu slowly gazed back up at the mountain with a serious look. The encroaching grey clouds gathering towards them was smothering the mountain tops.

Top of the mountain...

The cover of the storm nearly consumed the higher portions of the mountains, and slowly crept down the jagged formations. Perched right at the top of the peak of spiked out rocks, was E.N.D. He had his foot propped atop of a protruding rock while gazing down with a serious look. His eyes closed slightly as he looked down at the area that Natsu looked up from. His burning red eyes fixated at Natsu, his expression mirroring his.

"..." He remained silent as the clouds moved in and engulfed him. Right after he could see no more, a crack of thunder rang out, and a flash of dark orange was seen behind the cover of the clouds.

And E.N.D vanished.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. It was one of those things where I just kept finding more to add to the chapter, lol.

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