What's up, everybody?! The 3rd dragneel, returning with the third chapter of the Dueling Tail reboot. I hope everyone is doing okay, what with California finally opening more and more places. Honestly, this whole quarantine has really given me a new appreciation for everything like gyms and going out to eat. Hopeful, everything goes back to normal by the end of this pandemic.

JauneArc354: I do like the idea of Natsu with Dark Magician Girl as that was hinted at in the original story.

JCarrasco: I will.

Yogaratw607: They're an alright pairing. Not my top favorite, but Nali isn't bad. Nah, I don't know much of Final Fantasy, so I wouldn't be able to write a crossover in regards to that.

Guest: Erza might be added. I still have to think.

Cdavis32: Hey, I can like other pairings, pal.

Guest number 2: Red Dragon could be added with Natsu's deck, though I might also give it to Gajeel.

Jocoleman2017: I'll update as much as I can.

Rebellion Rose: Thanks. The duels from here on out will be even better.

To recap: In order to explain what the Duel Monsters were, Stardust Dragon had Natsu duel against an exact copy of him in order to see if he was worthy. Armed with the Fire Fist deck, Natsu did his best to outplay his opponent, but clone Natsu's Blue Eyes deck was too much and the son of Igneel was defeated. Despite this, Stardust still saw potential in the dragon slayer and decided to form a partnership with him in exchange for not sharing this information to anyone else.

How will Natsu and Happy handle such a big secret? And will they be prepared for another duel? Let's find out.

'Fairy Tail Guild, the next day'

"Here you go, Lucy. Just the way you like it." Mirjane said with her ever so sweet smile as she placed a cup of hot cocoa for Lucy, who smiled in joy.

"Thanks, Mira." Lucy thanked her idol while taking a sip from her cup, moaning in satisfaction. It was a relatively peaceful time for the Fairy Tail guild. Many members were either out on jobs or simply taking the day off. Considering how the guild was forced to face each other due to the Thunder Legion's attempt at control, having a day off was a blessing.

"So, no job today? I was sure you, Natsu and the others would be out fighting monsters." Mira asked curiously, though given the fact team Natsu just finished a job yesterday, it was only natural they would decide to take a break.

"Natsu and Happy were supposed to meet up yesterday to talk about going on a quest, but they never showed up." Lucy said with a small sigh. "If they wanna stay home today, let them. It's nice to just stay here and chat with my friends."

"If that's what you want." Mira said before a thought appeared on her mind, allowing a smile to appear on her face. "Unless, you want me to tell you where they live so you can pay them a visit. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"Please don't." Lucy said with a groan. She didn't want people to constantly ship her with Natsu, even though he wasn't the worst looking guy in the guild. "Still, I wonder what they're doing."

'With Natsu and Happy'

"Check it out, Happy. I think I figured out a way to win my next duel." Natsu said out loud while sitting on the floor, cross legged. He had his new Fire Fist deck in front of him, as well as several cards laid out. "So if I summon Fire Fist Eland, Swan and Tiger with Fire Formation Tensen, Kaiyo and Tenken, then I'll be able to take down the other guy in one turn!"

"But what if they destroy all your monsters?" Happy questioned while landing on Natsu's head, looking at the cards.

"That's why I have Eland since it can stop one card." Natsu said confidently.

"But if Eland makes you get rid of one of your traps, wouldn't your monsters get weaker? And what if they stop Eland from even using his ability?" Happy questioned once again.

"Then I'll… ummmm…" Natsu lost his confident smile as he looked at the cards before facepalming. "Ahhh, dammit it! I didn't think about that!"

"Why are you doing this, anyways? Won't it be hard to do this combo in a real duel?" Happy asked as Natsu began shuffling the cards back together.

"I know, but after yesterday, I couldn't stop thinking about dueling. It's a real rush." Natsu said with a smile as he drew the top card of his deck, revealing Bear. "Plus, if dueling can help me fight guys like Deagon, then I have to do it." His smile soon began to grow wider as a thought appeared in his mind. "Plus, I'll be stronger than Gray and Erza. Maybe even Gildarts when he comes back."

"Okay, try to think of something REAL, Natsu. We both know Erza and Gildarts are still stronger, even if you have these cards." Happy shot down Natsu's confidence with a lazy paw wave. He knew that Natsu could get strong with enough training, but chances of him actually surpassing the two strongest members of Fairy Tail are still slim to none.

*Rumble*Rumble*

The ground suddenly began shaking, catching the two off guard. Their house began to shake, several of the items on their shelves slowly began to fall. "WHAT'S. GOING. ON?!" Happy asked in a shaky tone while Natsu stood up.

"LET'S. GO. CHECK. IT. OUT!" Natsu yelled as he attempted to walk towards the door, wobbling a few times and nearly falling over. Eventually, he reached the door just as the ground ceased with its shaking. The duo looked at each other with raised brows before Natsu grabbed the door handle and opened it. "Hell-" But before he could finish… a massive white hand reached out and grabbed the Dragon Slayer whole, much to his shock. "WHAT THE?!"

The hand pulled Natsu away from the house, tossing him like he weighed nothing. All Natsu could do was scream as he sailed through the air, crashing into a nearby tree.

"Natsu!" Happy exclaimed while flying in the air, hovering over his best friend as he slid down the tree, groaning in pain.

"What the hell happened?" Natsu moaned as he opened his eyes… only to widen them at the sight of the culprit.

The attacker was a MASSIVE white goliath. It stood twelve feet tall with several blue stones on its arms and chest, large gauntlets and a green visor. Just looking at the goliath made Natsu and Happy feel like ants in comparison.

"Slow reaction time. If this was an actual attack, you would've been killed." The goliath said in a deep and disappointed tone that could send shivers down anyone's spine.

"I… What?" Natsu asked, still lying on the ground while looking at the titan upside down. Sighing in annoyance, the stranger marched towards Natsu, each step making the ground shake a bit. He reached down and grabbed Natsu by the legs, lifting him up.

"Honestly, I don't know why Stardust would choose a partner like you. So young, yet so naive to the world." The goliath said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Wait, you know Stardust?" Happy asked with a surprised tone. Natsu narrowed his eyes a bit before he gasped.

"Hang on… You're a duel monster!" Natsu exclaimed, to which the goliath nodded.

"Ahh, I see you can sense spirits if you concentrate hard enough. That's right, I am the Synchro monster, Colossal Fighter." Colossal Fighter revealed as he put Natsu down, allowing him to stand on his own two feet. "Since Stardust couldn't be around, he asked me to help train your body."

"Because it'll help him in duels?" Happy asked with a raised paw.

"Because it can help him unlock his potential." Colossal Fighter said in a sagely tone, much to the confusion of the other two. "Dueling does more than let you play cards. It helps draw out your magic power. The more duels you're in, the stronger you and your magic will become. A way to speed up this process is through physical training with duel monsters, like me."

"Okay, okay. I think I'm starting to get it. But I have to ask." Natsu started with his arms crossed. "How come you can touch me and make the ground shake? Stardust was untouchable when we met him."

"That's because we want to keep out identities a secret." Colossal Fighter said in a deeply serious tone. "After years of entering your world and absorbing Ethernano, duel spirits are capable of materializing our physical bodies into it so we become flesh and blood, like you." Natsu and Happy began nodding their heads in response. It at least made more sense than most of the stuff they learned so far. "If I gave you a grade on your performance in regards to how you reacted, I'd give you an F."

"Says the guy who threw me out of my house!" Natsu shouted with a glare. "Anyways, what do you want me to do?"

"One word: Block." Colossal Fighter said simply before he threw a punch towards Natsu, who barely had time to dodge as the fist slammed against the tree, easily ripping it in half. "Better. Now dodge again."

"WHAT THE HELL, YOU PSYCHO?! STOP!" Natsu shouted as he dodged another punch, followed by a quick jab to the left. Thanks to the size difference, Natsu was able to dodge each strike faster than Colossal Fighter can throw them.

Yet even with that fact, he still struggled not to get crushed.

'Unknown location'

Elsewhere, in a rather bleak and hollow place, a single coin was being flipped in the air before a hand caught it, moving the currency between the fingers. A heavy sigh followed as the carrier of the coin looked at it with a bored expression. It was a male, possibly in his thirties, with shoulder length light brown hair with wild bangs and grey eyes. His attire consisted of a sleeveless black vest over a tattered red shirt, brown paints, ruined black shoes, a poncho that hung on his shoulders and a tan cowboy style hat. "Another day, another boring hunt. Can't these wizards at least make the fight interesting?" The stranger said in utmost boredom, flipping the coin in the air yet again.

But before he could catch the coin, someone else caught it, giggling in response.

"Awww, it looks like someone's lonely. If you want, I could keep you company~" A teasing, yet flirtatious female voice spoke up from the stranger's right side, prompting him to turn around. The second newcomer was female, a bit older than the man, with crimson hair tied in a ponytail, dark skin and black eyes, with her bangs covering her left eyes. She wore a pink sleeveless leather shirt that hugged her figure, white removable sleeves on both arms, black short shorts with a clear skirt over it, black boots and a strange silver necklace around her neck.

"Oh, Moria. I was wondering whether you died or not. Would you mind giving me my coin back?" The man said without a care in the world, though the female pouted a bit.

"You thought I died? Don't you care about me?" The woman known as Moria questioned in a false hurt tone before she regained her smile. "Anyways, collecting the souls weren't as hard as the wizards in Sin. They were fun. What about you, Darius? Did you have fun or were you being lazy as usual?"

"Lazy? Not really." Darius said before he reached into his pocket, taking out seven cards before showing them to Moria. Each card had an image of a different person, each looking horrified.

"Ohhh, there's some cuties right here. Hey, do you think Deagon would mind if I let some of them out?" Moria asked innocently, getting a blank look from Darius.

"You really think Deagon would let you do that? The same guy who can crush someone's neck without a care in the world?" Darius questioned with a raised brow.

"Maybe if I talk him into it." Moria said with a small giggle. Darius merely rolled his eyes as he put the cards away. No matter what he or anyone else did, Moria would always resort to flirting her way through certain situations, even the most impossible ones.

"Sorry, Moria. But every soul counts." Both Darius and Moria looked up to see Deagon flying down towards them, a casual smile on his face.

"Deagon, sweetie." Moria said with a small coo as she walked towards Deagon, swaying her hips to entice him. "You don't mind if I have some fun with our little friends, do you~?" Deagon reached out and brushed her cheeks as softly as he could be before stepping back.

"As I said, every soul counts. If you toy around with even one, the chances of them dying is high. Besides, I think I found someone interesting for all of us." Deagon said, peaking the interest of his allies.

"Oh? Is it one of those Wizard Saints? Cause even you have to admit they would be a challenge." Darius admitted as he stood up from his spot. In response, Deagon extended his left arm before opening his palm, revealing a black crystal.

"One of our spies found an interesting source of Duel Spirit energy near the town of Magnolia." Deagon explained as the crystal began to glow, revealing a large see through map of Magnolia. Near the edge of the town was a glowing spot, which indicate a Duel Spirit.

"A Duel Spirit wanted to come to our world, again? What's so special about this one?" Moria asked curiously.

"Because it was the Stardust Dragon, and he formed a connection with a human." Deagon said in an all too serious tone. This actually got a reaction as Moria gasped in surprise while Darius slightly widened his eyes. To think a spirit as powerful as Stardust Dragon would willingly bond with a wizard, especially when that wizard wasn't even on the same level as the Wizard Saints. "We need to see who this is and why Stardust would bond with him or her."

"And you need one of us to go and play with them for a bit? Can I go?" Moria suggested with an excited tone. If she was given the chance to duel someone, then she would jump at the opportunity, especially if this person was good looking.

"No." Deagon shot down, much to Moria's disappointment. "If I sent you or Darius or any of our other duelists, then we would be exposing critical tactics and I'd rather avoid unwanted attention. But, that doesn't mean we can't send someone to test this person out." Seeing the raised brows from his allies, Deagon took out a single card, staring at it with cold eyes. "I call upon you, warrior whose heart has turned black as night and whose resolve is to destroy any in your path. Come forth and serve me in thy quest to learn of thy enemy. I summon… DARK GEIPHER!" With that, Deagon covered the card in dark magic before throwing it in the air. It spun like a shuriken before it stabbed the ground, forming a large shadowy puddle. Slowly, it began to form the shape of a humanoid figure, whose head was leaned down as if they were in pain. "Go and challenge this warrior of light to duel. Draw out as much power as you can… even if that means killing him." The shadow nodded emotionlessly before it turned around, leaping high in the air like it weighed nothing.

"If you don't mind, I'll go and see this little duel in person. Better than staying here." Darius said with a yawn before a black and purple portal appeared in front of him, which he proceeded to walk through.

"Well, now that we're alone…" Moria said with a seductive tone, only to find Deagon had disappeared, making her pout. "I hate teasers!"

'Magnolia forest, several hours later'

The past few hours have been intense for the son of Igneel, and that's putting it lightly.

Colossal Fighter was not the kind of teacher that held back. Honestly, he reminded Natsu of Erza when she started teaching him how to read and write… and that already scared the crap out of him.

The area of the forest when Colossal Fighter ended up bringing them was completely demolished. Trees were either left in splinters or barely standing, the ground had multiple holes on it and the animals all ran away.

"Come on… Is… That… All… You got?!" Natsu called out through a series of pants, standing up while leaning against one of the few untouched trees. He had multiple scratches all over his body, his vest torn and his right sandal was missing. As for Natsu's face… he had a swollen right eye and a missing tooth, yet despite this, he was still resisting defeat.

"Not bad, kid. You're a lot more durable than I thought you'd be." Colossal Fighter complimented while brushing off his injured left arm. Much to his surprise, during their whole sparring session, Natsu was able to get a few good hits in, and Colossal FELT them. 'Then again, since he is a Dragon Slayer, I should've known he would be stronger than the average wizard.'

"Yeah, fighting you… is awesome." Natsu panted while wiping away some sweat, only to ignite his right fist. "BUT THIS FIGHT ISN'T OVER!" With that, Natsu rushed towards the Synchro monster, leaping in the air for an aerial advantage. In response, Colossal Fighter raised his good arm to block it, resulting in a small shockwave between them. However, Natsu was quick to respond as he spun around, kicking Colossal on the head with a flame foot, causing the goliath to grunt a bit.

"Don't get cocky!" Colossal shouted before he reached out to grab Natsu, who stood on his arm and leaped back. Clenching his hand, Colossal Fighter slammed it onto the ground, unleashing a wave of energy that tore through the ground at high speed.

"Fire Dragon Roar!" To counter, Natsu launched his signature breath attack on Colossal Fighter's magic attack, creating an explosion that sent the Dragon Slayer back. He skidded on the ground, digging his feet onto the soil before he came to a stop. Looking up, Natsu widened his eyes as Colossal Fighter threw a fist towards him, fully intent on crushing him.

But then… it stopped just a few inches from his face.

"That's good enough for today." Colossal Fighter said as he pulled his fist away, surprising Natsu.

"Wait, that's it?" Natsu asked in utter confusion, looking up at the Synchro monster while scratching his head.

"Of course. If we kept going, I would've killed you. And if I did that, Stardust and the council would have my head. Not to mention my older brother would kill me." Colossal Fighter said while rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh… wait, Council? Older brother?" Natsu questioned while scratching his cheek.

"So Stardust didn't even mention them, huh? To be fair, it doesn't concern you at all. But, I might as well tell you." Colossal said with a shrug. "There's a council of Duel Monsters who act as the leaders of the Spirit World. Stardust and my older brother, Colossal Fighter Assault Mode, are two of the members. The only way you could be chosen was for Stardust to convince the entire council to agree, and that was a pain in the ass."

"Your brother… has your name… but with 'Assault Mode' at the end?" Natsu asked with a sweatdrop. He has heard of crazier names before, but wasn't Assault Mode a pair of words instead of an actual name? Man, Duel Monsters are so weird.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who came up with these names. Blame the creator." Colossal retorted before he noticed Natsu's condition. "Well, I can't have you go around with those wounds. Hang on." The Synchro monster opened his right arm, focusing his magic into it. Slowly, a single spell card with the image of a blue haired old woman holding an orb of energy. "I activate Dian Keto, the cure master."

"Dian, what?" Natsu questioned before the card and his body began to glow in a bright aura. His eyes widened in shock as a warm feeling began to surround his very soul, like a blanket made from Igneel's scales. Due to the warmth, Natsu closed his eyes, giving into the feeling, feeling all the soreness of the day's training going away. After a good five minutes, the warm feeling disappeared, allowing Natsu to open his eyes. "Woah, that was so… Wow."

"With some more training, you might be able to use spells like this. The only way I'm able to do this is because I'm a Duel Spirit and my body is full of Ethernano." Colossal explained as the card disappeared. "Normally, wizards would have a tough time using these cards outside of a duel, but since you're a Dragon Slayer, it might be easier for you." Natsu's eyes sparkled in excitement at the thought of using different spell and trap cards. "Look, you did alright for your first day, kid. But don't think this'll be the last. From now on, we'll train until the sun goes down. Stardust will handle your dueling practice while I handle your physical training. If you keep to our schedule, then you should be able to use cards on your own. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Train, duel, get stronger. I got it." Natsu said while standing up, his usual grin plastered on his face. "Man, this is going to be so awesome, fighting you and Stardust. Maybe one day, I'll be able to find Igneel and show him how strong I've gotten."

"Yeah, he told me about that. Look kid, maybe you shouldn't get your hopes up." Colossal explained. "Chances of actually finding a dragon here are slim, even if you learn to use cards." He didn't want to be THAT guy, but if there was one thing Colossal Fighter was, it's honest.

"I'm not giving up! A Fairy Tail wizard never gives up!" Natsu declared with a fist in the air, as if he didn't hear what his new teacher told him. Either because he wanted to prove him wrong or he just ignored it entirely. Colossal merely sighed, deciding to let it slip for now.

"Whatever, kid. See you tomorrow." With that, a bright light surrounded Colossal Fighter before he disappeared, leaving Natsu alone in the woods.

"See ya." Natsu said with a simple wave of his hand. Despite being rather harsh during the sparring match, Colossal Fighter turned out to be a cool guy. At least he was able to help Natsu find some weaknesses in his fighting style so the next time they sparred, he would have the advantage.

"Natsu!" Happy's girly voice called out as he flew towards his 'father,' who smiled a bit. "Are you done?"

"Yeah. We're done for today. Colossal left just now." Natsu explained as Natsu landed on his shoulder, examining the Dragon Slayer's body.

"Was there a healer? Why don't you look beat up?" Happy asked, to which Natsu grinned in delight.

"Oh, Happy. You have no idea how awesome these spell cards are. Colossal just-"

*Whoosh*

Before Natsu could have a chance to finish, a feeling of dread suddenly crossed his heart, making him tense up and look around. "Natsu?" Happy asked with a concern expression.

"Ssshhh. I think someone's here." Natsu whispered to the cat, black eyes looking around. He didn't know how, but he felt something malice nearby. Before, he would only rely on his hearing and smell, yet it would seem that bonding with Stardust gave him a sort of sixth sense. A gust of wind brushed past the two as they continued to look around.

*Whoosh*

"Got ya!" Igniting his fist, Natsu swung it towards the right, just in time to stop a sword from cutting his head.

"Destroy…" Due to his quick reaction to stopping the attack, Natsu was able to fully see who it was he sensed, and needless to say, he was surprised. The attacker had the appearance of a human male, with pitch black skin, short white hair and red eyes. He wore demonic, skeletal armor, black arm guards, matching boots and a long purple sword with a back handle. Just looking at the guy sent a shiver down Happy's spine.

"W-W-Who is that?" Happy stuttered as Natsu held the attacker's sword as long as he could.

"I don't know, but something tells me he isn't human." Natsu told the cat before glaring at the attacker. "Who are you? And why are you trying to kill me? I don't have money."

"Must… Destroy…" The warrior said in a raspy tone, much to Natsu and Happy's confusion. "Must… Destroy… Must… Destroy…" Suddenly, the warrior raised his head, a look of fury in his eyes. "MUST DESTROY FOR DEAGON!"

"Deagon?!" Natsu asked before the warrior slammed his foot into the Dragon Slayer's chest, sending him and Happy skidding several feet away. "OOF!"

"DESTROY!" With a battle cry, the warrior jumped in the air, grabbing his sword with both hands with the intent to stab Natsu. Seeing this, Natsu launched a Fire Dragon's Roar, engulfing his attacker in flames and sending him away. However, the attacker landed on his feet, barely a scorch mark on him.

"Natsu, what do we do?!" Happy practically shouted in Natsu's ear, making him wince as he stood up.

"I'm going to pound this guy to the ground until he tells me what he knows about Deagon." Natsu said in a serious tone while cracking his knuckles. "I think he's another Duel Spirit."

"Like the ones who Deagon works for?" Happy questioned as Natsu and the attacker began to circle one another, daring the other to attack.

"Maybe. We just need to be careful." Natsu said before the attacker rushed in for another swing, which Natsu dodged. However, the attacker was attacking with much for ferocity, swinging at a fast pace. Despite Natsu's best efforts, he was unable to dodge each other and was given several cuts as a result. "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" Covering his arms in flames, Natsu swung them at the attacker, who blocked it with their sword. "And now… Fire Dragon Headbutt!" Due to the close proximity, Natsu was able to slam his head onto his attacker's head, which actually got them to groan and step back. "Fire Dragon Grip Strike!" Natsu then thrusted a palm forward before unleashing a wave of fire, pushing the attack back a few more feet. Lowering the intensity of his flames, Natsu and Happy watched as their attacker slashed the air, this time, having mild burn marks. Just as the attacker was about to strike again, he suddenly stopped.

"Don't forget your mission, Dark Grepher." Darius' voice spoke up from Dark Greipher's mind. "Duel the idiot and draw out as much potential as he has. If he doesn't give you a fight, kill him."

"Hey, are you even listening to me?!" Natsu shouted with a tick mark on his head, getting no response from his attacker. "I said what's your deal with Deagon? Where is he?!"

"Duel…" Dark Grepher said in a monotone voice, catching Natsu and Happy off guard.

"Wait, does he wanna duel you? Can that even work?" Happy asked in pure confusion, not understanding the function of dueling that involved duel spirits actually dueling.

"Duel me… AND DIE!" Dark Grepher extended his left arm while pressing his arm against his sword, which began to manifest into a silver duel disk. Then, a large ring of white flames formed around the trio, surprising Natsu and Happy.

"WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON?! WHERE DID THESE FLAMES COME FROM?!" Happy freaked out while hugging Natsu's head. Neither he nor Natsu expected white flames to appear, especially since it didn't happen in the latter's duel yesterday.

"I don't know, but let me try eating it." Natsu suggested as he opened his mouth and began sucking in as much air as he could in an attempt to eat the flames. However, as hard as he tried, the flames never actually moved from their spot. "Huh? What the hell's going on?" Curious, Natsu walked up to the flames and stuck his arm in, only to pull it back with a pain filled gasp. "AHH!"

"Natsu, what happened?!" Happy asked in concern. Flames shouldn't even have an effect on Natsu, yet these ones actually burned him?!

"That burned." Natsu said as he looked at his hand… Only to see that it was perfectly fine. "Okay, this is just weird. I felt it burn."

"No talk… NO TALK! DUEL!" Dark Grepher shouted as the white flames briefly grew, triggered by his anger.

"Happy, you might wanna get down, pal." Natsu said as he gently grabbed Happy and put him on the ground, facing his opponent with a serious expression. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"But Natsu, are you sure you can do this. You only had one duel and lost big time!" Happy called out, getting a sweatdrop from his friend.

"Thanks, but I have to do this. Besides…" Natsu looked at Dark Grepher with narrowed eyes. "I don't think this guy will let us go, even if we asked." Reaching into his pocket, Natsu took out his bracelet before slamming it on his left wrist. He put some of his magic into it, causing his duel disk to appear as he took out his deck, inserting it in. Dark Grepher used his own magic to summon his deck inside his duel disk, with both sides drawing five cards.

"DUEL/DUEL!"

Natsu: 8000 LP

Dark Grepher: 8000 LP

"I'll start things right now!" Natsu declared as he drew his sixth card, examining it. "I'll put this monster face down." A card appeared in front of Natsu sideways. "Then, I activate the spell Card of the Fire Formation!" Behind the facedown card appeared a spell card with an image of nine fireballs formed in the shape of a circle. "It doesn't do anything now, but you'll see. For now, I end my turn."

"That wasn't much of a move." Happy told Natsu, though he had to admit, the Dragon Slayer didn't do horribly. At least he didn't try bringing out a strong monster right away. That would just give Dark Grepher an advantage.

"Draw." Dark Grepher drew his sixth card. "Activate spell card: Call of the Mummy." A spell card with the image of mummies escaping their coffins.

"Z-Z-Z-Zombies?!" Happy shouted as he shook like a leaf. If there was one thing Happy was most afraid of, it was zombies.

"Call of the Mummy activates. Since there are no monsters on my field, special summon one zombie in hand." Dark Grepher said before grabbing the card on the far right. "Special summon Pyramid Turtle in attack mode."

The ground in front of Dark Grepher suddenly began to crack before a pyramid shot out of it. Under the pyramid climbed out an aged turtle that looked like it was about to die, indicated by the way it moaned.

Pyramid Turtle: Lv 4. Att: 1200/Def: 1400

"Okay, that is just creepy." Natsu commented with a look of disgust on his face.

"Summon Mezuki in attack mode." Dark Grepher said as he grabbed another card and put it on his duel disk. Once again, the ground began to shake before a new zombie monster appeared. This time, it was a minotaur-like creature with gold arm bands, a torn skirt, a gold nose ring and a large axe in its hands.

Mezuki: LV 4. Att: 1700/Def: 800

"He summoned two monsters in one turn! This is really bad!" Happy gasped while cupping his cheeks while Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"Mezuki, destroy facedown monster!" Darl Grepher ordered as Mezuki let out a battle cry, leaping in the air. It brought its axe down as Natsu's facedown monster flipped face up…

… Only to block the axe.

"I got ya!" Natsu declared with a grin as his monster was revealed. It was a human male, dressed in a tight purple robe, grey pants, bare feet, a blue bead necklace, chin length blue hair that was held down by a head piece and a belt with a talisman on it.

Brotherhood of the Fire Fist-Wolf: LV 3. Att: 0/Def: 1900

Mezuki tried to cut down Natsu's monster, only for it to strike the zombie's axe, chipping a piece that was sent to Dark Grepher, stabbing his shoulder.

Dark Grepher: 8000-7800

"And since you flipped up Wolf, I get to set a Fire Formation Trap from my deck to the field!" Taking out his deck, Natsu skimmed through it before taking out a card, setting it on the field as he shuffled the rest of the cards. "Guess you should've brought out a strong-huh?" Looking back at Dark Grepher, Natsu and Happy noticed the dark warrior holding his shoulder.

"Natsu, something's wrong." Happy commented, curious about what happened.

"I… set one card." Dark Grepher said with an angry tone, putting a card facedown. "Turn end."

"I don't know what happened, but I'm not stopping!" Natsu shouted as he drew his card, grinning at it. "Awesome. I have just what I need. First, I activate Fire Formation-Tenki!" Natsu activated the iconic Fire Formation spell, adding another Fire Fist from his deck to his hand. Then, a fireball appeared in front of Card of the Fire Formation.

"What's that?" Happy couldn't help but ask Natsu, who smiled wider.

"That's the power of Card of the Fire Formation." Natsu started explaining. "See, whenever a Fire Formation spell and trap is played, this card gets a flame counter. When it gets enough, I can draw cards up to the number of flame counters it has."

"Wow… You actually thought of this?! Who are you and what have you done with the real Natsu?!" Happy dramatically shouted while pointing an accusing paw towards the Dragon Slayer, who frowned in response.

"Come on, I can think too!" Natsu shot back before turning back to Dark Grepher. "And since I played a Fire Formation spell, I can special summon this guy: Brotherhood of the Fire Fist-Panda!" A burst of white flames appeared next to Wolf, revealing a warrior with mustache and goatee, wearing gold armor with two golden staffs, one in each hand. Behind him was the spirit of a panda.

Brotherhood of the Fire Fist-Panda: LV 5. Att: 2100-2200/Def: 400

"Then, I normal summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist-Raven in attack mode!" A yellow flame burst next to Panda, allowing another human warrior, dressed in black armor with gold outlines, a gold headpiece with his long hair tied in a ponytail and golden flame in the shape of a raven on his shoulder.

Brotherhood of the Fire Fist-Raven: LV 3. Att: 200-300/Def: 1800

"Now, I Overlay Fire Fist Wolf and Raven!" Both monsters turned into two blobs of red energy as a black portal appeared on the ground. The blobs then swirled in the air before entering the portal. "With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network and XYZ summon… Brotherhood of the Fire Fist-Lion Emperor!" The portal suddenly erupted as a pillar of fire shot straight in the air. A lone figure leaped out of it, flipping in the air before it landed on the field. The flames around the new monster disappeared, revealing their white lion-like armor, along with his yellow mane and long white kitana.

Brotherhood of the Fire Fist-Lion Emperor: Rank 3. Att: 2200-2300/Def: 200

"Woah, that's so awesome, Natsu!" Happy gasped with wide eyes, full of awe. He wasn't expecting Natsu to pull a new summon like that, especially something as powerful as Lion Emperor.

"That's nothing." Natsu said with a look of excitement on his face. "Now, it's time to fight. Panda, take down Mezuki!" The level five monster spun his sticks before letting out a battle cry, launching the fire panda forward. Mezuki swung its axe to retaliate, but the flames completely engulfed it, destroying it whole.

Dark Grepher: 7800-7300

"Lion Emperor, slice up Pyramid Turtle!" The XYZ monster placed his hand on his katana, dragging his hand on it before it ignited in deep red fire. "And to add a little boost, I activate the trap Fire Formation-Tensen!" Natsu's facedown card rose, covering Lion Emperor in even more intense flames.

Brotherhood of the Fire Fist-Lion Emperor: Att: 2300-3000-3300

With a swing, Lion Emperor launched the flames at Pyramid Turtle, who moaned in pain before disappearing.

Dark Grepher: 7300-5200

"Nice one, Natsu!" Happy cheered while jumping in the air. "But shouldn't you have used Tensen BEFORE attacking? It gives all your monsters more attack points."

"I… Awww crap." Natsu facepalmed at his own idiocy. Even when he pulled a good move, he still made rookie mistakes. Still, at least he was able to clear out Dark Grepher's field.

*Crack*

The sound of the ground cracking caught his attack as another Pyramid Turtle appeared on the field in a defensive position. "Hey! I just took out that monster! How is it back?"

"Special ability." Dark Grepher said, his body shaking from the amount of pain inflicted from Natsu's attacks. "When Pyramid Turtle is destroyed, another zombie takes its place, including another copy."

"So every time Natsu destroys one, another zombie will take its place. This is starting to get bad." Happy gulped as he hid behind Natsu's leg.

"I end my turn." Natsu said simply before Dark Grepher drew his card.

"The card needed to win is here… ACTIVATE ZOMBIE WORLD!" Dark Grepher shouted as he inserted one card into his duel disk.

"Zombie World?" Natsu and Happy both said in confusion before a dark mist suddenly began to cover the air. A rancid smell entered their noses as they covered up.

"What's going on?! And what's that smell?" Happy asked as he took a step back…

*Crack*

Only to step on something, breaking it. Turning around, the blue cat could only widen his eyes as he saw that he stepped on a skull, which had moss growing out of it. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! DEAD GUY!"

"What the?" Natsu rubbed his eyes before he finally got a look at his surroundings, and needless to say, he was shocked.

The grassy area had changed dramatically. Now, the trio were in the middle of a swamp, a purple mist surrounding them and several rotting corpses could be seen every few feet. It looked like something straight out of one of those horror movies Lacrima Elfman tried watching(and got nightmares about).

"Zombie World turns all monsters on the field and graveyard into Zombies." Dark Grepher told Natsu and Happy. True to his word, all of Natsu's monsters slowly began to form wrinkles on their faces as parts of their skin fell off. "I tribute Pyramid Turtle to summon a new, powerful zombie monster. One that can be summoned with one tribute." Pyramid Turtle began to crumble away as a light began to form inside of it. With a final moan, the zombie monster disappeared, allowing a large creature to appear, its red eyes looking at Natsu and Happy.

Whatever it was… it felt like a real challenge for Natsu Dragneel.

Cliffhanger, cliffhanger, CLIFFHANGER! I'm pretty sure that's what all of you are feeling about this chapter. I apologize, but I want to leave you guys with something that'll make you wanna come back for more.

So, a bit of an introduction to Natsu's new training schedule, as well as two new characters that will appear in the story. I want to expand the magic of Earthland with this story, so having OCs can help with that. Don't worry, I won't make them too overpowered. Just enough to make them interesting.

I am still taking deck requests and reviews for whatever you guys think would make this story interesting.

Follow, Fav, Review and PM for anything. And please, check out Yugioh 5ds Heroes and my friend Earth Dragon Arnighte's story, Black Clover: Rise of the Monsters.

Next time: Revenge of the dead!