Galuna Island was a lush tropical rainforest island, its thick canopy blotting out nearly all sunlight.
From every direction, massive tree roots surged forward, twisting and striking at Natsu and Bull like living beasts.
Though the two fought fiercely, they soon realized something alarming—they were getting farther and farther away from Wes Elwin.
"This isn't good," Natsu muttered as another wave of roots lunged toward them.
He clenched his fists, wrapping them in blazing dragon fire. The flames roared to life, spreading like a pair of burning wings.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
With a mighty sweep of his arms, Natsu unleashed twin arcs of fire that sliced through the forest, scorching every branch and root in their path.
As the flames cleared, the thick undergrowth parted, finally revealing a glimpse of the road ahead—and the distant figure of Wes Elwin.
"Nice one!" Bull shouted, raising his battle axe as he prepared to strike with his ultimate technique.
But just then, a sharp pain shot through his ankle.
Looking down, he saw thorned vines—dark and pulsing—coiling around his leg. The barbed thorns had already cut into his skin, and blood trickled down his ankle.
Worse still, he could feel his magic power being drained away.
"Damn it!" Bull roared, trying to tear the vines off, but the harder he struggled, the tighter they constricted.
The vines, now gorged on his magic, began to grow rapidly, spreading up his legs and across his torso in seconds.
Natsu, too, found himself caught in the same predicament.
"What the hell are these things?!" he shouted, trying to pull the vines off his arms. His palms were shredded and bleeding, yet he refused to stop.
But the vines had already siphoned so much of his energy that his movements grew heavy—each breath felt like dragging his body through molasses.
And all of this… was Wes Elwin's doing.
These thorned vines weren't ordinary plants—they were magical hybrids, carefully cultivated by Wes himself.
Originally, they came from the world of Delicious Dungeon—a species of carnivorous magic flora. But after years of experimentation, Wes had crossbred them with the Devil's Snare from the Harry Potter world, creating an entirely new species.
The resulting vines were monstrous: their thorns could pierce through magical beasts' hides and absorb mana to grow stronger.
They were parasitic by nature—if left unchecked, they could eventually kill their host.
When Bull entered the battlefield earlier, Wes had already scattered the seeds across the forest floor.
Natsu and Bull, both too focused on their fight, hadn't noticed the tiny seeds clinging to their skin.
By the time they realized it, the vines had already sprouted and begun feeding on their magic.
"Moo… Lucy, I'm sorry. My magic's almost gone," Bull groaned. In the next moment, his body shimmered and vanished—returning to the Celestial Spirit World.
(Just like the summoning beasts in Naruto—when they're critically wounded, they return automatically. Seems this is a mutual contract.)
Lucy had no time to think about that.
Natsu, however, wasn't so lucky. The vines continued to feed on him relentlessly, creeping up his body and nearly covering him entirely.
"Natsu!!" Happy cried out, tears welling in his eyes. "Lucy, do something! Call out the maid—hurry!"
Lucy couldn't bear to look at Natsu—his skin was covered in black, vine-like marks that writhed as they greedily devoured his life force.
"I've already run out of magic… Summoning Taurus took everything I had left."
If I'd known it would turn out like this, I never should've broken the rules to accept that S-Class mission.
Lucy's heart ached. She wished desperately that she could do something—anything—to save Natsu, even if it meant putting herself in danger.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from nearby.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?"
"Let go of that fire-breathing idiot, or I'll take your friend's head off!" Gray's voice was sharp and cold as his ice blade gleamed in the light. Beside him, Yuka was completely frozen solid, only his head left sticking out—making him look both pitiful and strangely comical.
Seeing this, Lucy and Happy were instantly overwhelmed with emotion. Tears welled up as they ran toward Gray.
"Gray, you're finally here!" Lucy cried.
Happy leapt onto his shoulder, batting at his face with his tiny paws.
"Ow! Don't touch me, you little idiot!" Gray grumbled, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.
In truth, he was covered in cuts and bruises himself. Capturing Yuka alive hadn't come without cost. Sweat and blood mixed down his neck as he caught his breath.
"Let Natsu go, or else…" Happy tried to sound intimidating, waving his paws menacingly—but his tiny, fluffy form ruined any attempt at being threatening.
Even Yuka couldn't help but glance at him, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He hung his head in shame. Never had he imagined becoming the bargaining chip in someone else's threat.
"You've got it all wrong," said Wes Elwin coolly, his lips curling into a half-smile. "That guy's no ally of mine. In fact, he's been spying on me this whole time."
"What??"
The three of them froze. What had seemed like a clear victory suddenly became confusing and unpredictable.
"You're lying!" Lucy snapped back, glaring at him. "You must think we're stupid enough to fall for that! You're just trying to trick us and rescue your partner while we're distracted!"
At that, Yuka spoke up weakly, "He's telling the truth… He's not my partner. Just like you, he appeared on this island out of nowhere. I don't believe for a second he cares what happens to me."
"What… no way!" Lucy sank to her knees, covering her face with trembling hands. "Natsu… is he really gone?"
Tears streamed down her cheeks. Though she hadn't known Natsu long, he had already become an irreplaceable part of her world.
"No matter what, I'll save him," she whispered fiercely, clutching the Aquarius key in her hand—the strongest of her Celestial Spirits. "Even if it costs me my life!"
But Lucy's magic reserves were pitifully low—far from enough to summon a Zodiac Spirit.
Still, for Natsu's sake, she was willing to risk everything.
Seeing her pull out the golden key, Gray and Happy panicked.
"Lucy, stop! Calm down!" Gray shouted. "You don't have enough magic to summon a Zodiac! You'll destroy yourself!"
Lucy hesitated, biting her lip, but determination burned in her eyes as she began to channel what little magic she had left.
Just then, the black thorns binding Natsu suddenly caught fire. The flames spread rapidly, devouring the vines until they crumbled to ash.
From within the blaze, a battered figure staggered out—his body covered in cuts, blood dripping down his arms.
Even so, his grin was bright and full of life.
"Lucy! I'm back!"
"Natsu!!" Lucy and Happy cried out together as they threw themselves into his arms.
"I thought you were dead!" Happy sniffled, tears welling in his big blue eyes.
Lucy sobbed softly, her shoulders shaking as she clung to him tightly, afraid to let go.
Natsu patted Happy's fluffy head with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I told you—I'm not that easy to kill."
"…So this is the power of friendship, huh?"
Wes Elwin's voice cut through the emotional reunion, calm and amused.
°°°
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