"Relax," Natsu said confidently, pounding his chest. "I won't lose to anyone!"
Right after, he took a deep breath. His abdomen sank in sharply, and his chest expanded with tremendous force.
Within him, the fire of the dragon began to surge and coil, gathering immense power. Then, from deep within his lungs, it erupted outward in a blazing torrent.
This was his proudest technique—"Roar of the Fire Dragon."
With a thunderous roar, a column of golden-red flame burst from Natsu's mouth, so fierce and alive it seemed as if a true dragon were breathing fire.
The scorching blast tore through the air, making the trees on both sides tremble violently, their leaves shivering in the heatwave.
The atmosphere grew dry and suffocating. In a blink, the searing fireball was already in front of Wes Elwin.
Wes calmly raised his right hand. The violent flames suddenly halted midair—then began to swirl into his palm, compressing tighter and tighter until they condensed into a blinding golden sphere, dazzling like a miniature sun.
Lucy and Happy stared in shock, utterly speechless.
"Natsu's ultimate move… was caught?!" Lucy stammered, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Happy, who had grown up alongside Natsu, couldn't close his wide, round eyes. Never in his life had he seen anyone catch that attack—let alone so effortlessly.
Feeling the immense energy pulsing from the orb in his hand, Wes commented calmly, "The power's impressive—stronger than your average fire magic. But that's all it is."
Before his words even faded, Wes hurled the golden fireball back toward Natsu.
But Natsu didn't flinch. Instead, he charged straight ahead.
The fireball exploded midair, sending waves of crimson flame soaring upward—only for all of it to vanish the next instant, sucked into Natsu's mouth as he devoured every spark.
"Hah! Idiot," Lucy shouted smugly. "Natsu's Dragon Slayer Magic lets him eat flames to restore his magic power!"
Of course, Wes already knew that. But he had wanted to see it for himself.
After swallowing the inferno, Natsu wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grinning. "You're interesting! I've never fought a mage like you before!"
His excitement surged, his fighting spirit blazing like wildfire. His sharp, fiery eyes made him look even more ferocious.
"So," Wes asked suddenly, voice cool, "how did it taste?"
"Huh?" Natsu blinked, confused.
"I'm asking—how did your own fire taste?"
Though the question sounded ridiculous, and the two were still in combat, Natsu actually paused to think about it.
"Hmm…" he said seriously. "Kinda tastes like… pumpkin soup. Warm, you know?"
"Idiot!" Lucy screamed, baring her sharp teeth. "He's your enemy! Why are you chatting with him?!"
"Ah—right!" Natsu snapped back to reality. "That was close. You're a sneaky one, huh?"
Wes sighed wordlessly.
Then Natsu refocused, taking a deep breath as flames ignited around him once more. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"
The blast this time was even stronger—hotter, faster, more devastating.
Wes didn't even move. He simply waved his wand.
"Path of the Fire God."
A radiant beam of golden light shot out like a divine blade, slicing Natsu's flames cleanly in half. Not a single ember reached him.
"Using the same attack again?" Wes said calmly. "Isn't that a bit naive, boy?"
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing with faint amusement.
"Or is that all Dragon Slayer Magic has to offer?"
Wes's last remark completely enraged Natsu.
"Don't you dare insult Igneel! Dragon Slayer magic is the strongest magic of all!" Natsu roared, his body erupting in blazing flames. His hair lifted wildly though there was no wind.
"Natsu, calm down! He's provoking you on purpose!" Lucy called out anxiously from the side.
"It's useless," Happy said, holding her back. "Once Natsu gets fired up, no one can stop him. Besides, that guy uses fire magic too—Natsu won't lose!"
Happy always had unshakable faith in Natsu.
Flames coiled around Natsu's arms and legs as he launched himself forward, propelling his body with explosive speed.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Wes's left flank.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu shouted, his right elbow wreathed in flame. Using the recoil from the flames bursting out of his elbow, he drove it straight toward Wes's ribs.
If that hit landed, Wes would be completely incapacitated.
But just as Natsu's strike was about to connect, Wes suddenly vanished from sight.
Natsu's blow hit nothing but air, and he nearly stumbled to the ground.
"What the—?! Why did that guy just disappear?!" Lucy grabbed Happy and shook him violently, as if trying to shake the answer out of him.
Happy dangled in her grip like a rag doll, though he managed to stay calm.
"Lucy—stop shaking me! I'm gonna hurl!" he pleaded helplessly.
Lucy froze and let go immediately, though her face was still filled with worry.
"Happy, do you think… Natsu will be alright?"
"That was teleportation," Happy explained. "That mage uses space magic."
He might not have been strong in combat himself, but growing up in Fairy Tail had given him a keen eye for identifying magic.
"But don't worry," he added confidently. "That guy's main element is still fire. There's no way Natsu loses to someone like that!"
Hearing this, Lucy managed to calm down a little, though she still watched the battlefield with anxious eyes.
Natsu's nose twitched continuously as he tried to catch Wes's scent. His sense of smell was far sharper than a normal human's—but this time, he couldn't smell anything.
(He used magic to erase his scent.)
Wes was now cloaked under the Phantom Body Spell, blending completely into the air itself. As long as he didn't make a sound or disturb the flow of mana, not even Natsu could detect him.
That earlier elbow strike had nearly hit him, but he'd managed to dodge just in time using Phantom Shift.
(Now it's my turn.)
Raising his wand, the air around Wes grew heavy and still.
"Avada Kedavra."
He whispered the deadly incantation, and a flash of green light shot toward Natsu's back.
But Natsu wasn't so easily caught off guard. The instant danger prickled his instincts, his body moved on reflex—he twisted aside, narrowly dodging the killing curse.
The green light grazed his cloak, leaving a scorched mark on the ground.
Realizing his opponent was right behind him, Natsu immediately retaliated.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
He roared furiously, thrusting his palms forward as a torrent of scorching flames erupted from his mouth, spreading outward in a massive wave of fire.
This time, he deliberately widened the attack range—to flush out the hidden enemy.
Wes was forced to evade. His invisible form shimmered faintly amidst the blaze, a transparent silhouette flickering into view.
That was all the opening Natsu needed.
"Found you, you bastard!" he shouted, charging forward with his fists ablaze, ready to deliver a decisive blow.
°°°
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