At Kunuki Railway Station, nearly a hundred wizards from the Iron Forest lay scattered across the ground. Their faces bore swollen lumps, their bodies carried wounds of various depths, and their mouths released groans of pain in different pitches.
But none of them could stand.
"How can this guy be so strong?"
"One person actually took all of us out..."
"This heat... Could he really be the Fire Dragon King from Fairy Tail that the rumors speak of?"
"He's too much for us. Only Lord Eligore can handle him now..."
Natsu sat casually on the station steps, resting as he waited for a more challenging opponent. His scarf, a gift from Igneel, remained spotless, as if the fight hadn't even happened.
These Iron Forest wizards were weak, barely even worth a warm-up for someone used to the roughhousing of Fairy Tail.
"Erza and the others are taking forever," Natsu grumbled, cracking his knuckles. "And this Eligore guy hasn't even shown up yet!"
Happy, nibbling on a fish nearby, nodded in agreement. "Aye, they're so slow!"
Suddenly, a fierce wind swept through the station. The gust was so powerful that even the defeated wizards were nearly blown away.
"The boss is here!"
"Get up! You have to warn him about this guy!"
"Lord Eligore won't let him get away with this!"
Sensing the shift in the air, Natsu looked up. A tall, thin man with a large scythe descended from the sky, his long bangs obscuring much of his face.
"You're the one who beat all my men?" Eligore's voice carried an air of disdain, his gaze filled with arrogance.
Natsu grinned. His hands ignited in flames as he stood. "Yeah, that was me! I'm Natsu from Fairy Tail!"
Eligore hovered in mid-air, using his wind magic to remain aloft. Flying gave him a sense of superiority, a thrill that surged through his veins as he looked down on others.
To Eligore, being above everyone wasn't just a physical position—it was a manifestation of his dominance. His followers were nothing more than pawns crawling on the ground, while he alone soared in the heavens.
But this brat, this insolent child who dared to challenge him, needed to be eliminated.
Eligore raised his scythe, summoning a fierce gale. The wind blades spiraled into a massive tornado, engulfing the train station and threatening to destroy everything in its path.
The collateral damage didn't concern him. Whether it was his underlings or the bystanders, their lives were inconsequential. All that mattered was asserting his strength and crushing this intruder.
"Why is Fairy Tail interfering in my plans?" Eligore demanded, his voice cutting through the howling wind.
Natsu didn't even flinch. "You're after Larabai, aren't you? And you're targeting the regular meeting of the guild leaders!"
Eligore's face darkened. The brat knew too much. Had someone betrayed him? Or had the secret somehow leaked out?
"Where did you hear that?" Eligore growled, gripping his scythe tighter.
Natsu smirked, his flames flaring brighter. "Happy, let's go!"
"Aye, sir!" Happy grabbed Natsu by the back of his scarf and flew straight at Eligore.
"The Fire Dragon's... Iron Fist!"
Natsu's fist ignited into a blazing inferno as he struck. The fiery punch connected with Eligore's face, sending the wind mage hurtling to the ground like a meteor.
BOOM!
The impact shook the station. The ground cracked and debris flew in all directions as Eligore landed in a crater, dazed and bleeding.
"What?!" the remaining members of the Iron Forest gasped in unison.
Eligore stood shakily, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. Rage burned in his eyes as he roared, "You'll pay for that, you little brat!"
Natsu grinned, flames dancing around him. "I'm fired up!"
Meanwhile, the train carrying Erza, Kira, Gray, and Lucy was pulling into Kunuki Station.
"Dear passengers, we are arriving at Kunuki Railway Station. Please prepare to disembark..."
"We're here," Erza said, sticking her head out the window. The strong wind whipped through her hair, but she seemed unfazed.
The group quickly disembarked and surveyed the scene. Scattered on the ground were dozens of unconscious Iron Forest wizards, their injuries clearly inflicted by fire magic.
"This looks like Natsu's handiwork," Gray remarked, crouching to examine the scorch marks.
Erza nodded. "It seems Natsu's already engaged with them. Let's move quickly."
Kira glanced around, sensing the heat in the air. "With Natsu, we're probably not needed," he said nonchalantly. "But let's hurry anyway. It'd be fun to steal some of his glory."
Lucy blinked in disbelief. "Do you even take this seriously?"
As they approached the battlefield, the intense heat grew even more oppressive. The flames from Natsu's magic clashed with Eligore's wind, creating a turbulent and stifling environment.
When they arrived, they found Natsu locked in combat with Eligore. The Fire Dragon Slayer's clothes were tattered, and he was visibly winded, but his spirit remained unbroken.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Blade!" Natsu shouted, unleashing a torrent of flame shaped like a spinning blade. The fiery attack slashed through Eligore's wind magic, sending a wave of scorching heat across the station.
The attack connected, but Eligore wasn't down yet. The wind mage stood his ground, albeit looking worse for wear.
"Not bad," Eligore sneered. "But I'm not done yet!"
Natsu, panting but determined, grinned back. "Bring it on!"
From the sidelines, Happy cheered, "Go, Natsu!"
Kira crossed his arms, observing the fight. "He's holding up well," he remarked. "But maybe we should step in soon."
Erza nodded, her expression stern. "Let's wait for the right moment. Natsu needs to prove himself, but we can't let him face this alone if things get worse."
Gray smirked. "He'd never let us hear the end of it if we interfered too soon."
Lucy, meanwhile, looked between the battle and her companions, trying to gauge just how serious this was. "You guys are way too calm about this!"
Kira chuckled, placing a reassuring hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Relax. This is Natsu we're talking about. He's tougher than he looks."
Lucy sighed. "I sure hope so..."
The battle raged on, the clash of fire and wind filling the air with roaring heat and sharp gusts. Natsu's determination burned brighter than ever, but Eligore wasn't backing down.
And just beyond the battlefield, his companions waited, ready to jump in the moment he needed them.
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