Fairy Tail: Igneel's eldest son in Anime Multiverse

After defeating Lullaby, Charles got dragged away by Makarov!

The reason? Well… Charles's Crimson Lotus Phoenix Blade not only incinerated Lullaby, it also leveled the entire venue where the guild masters were holding their meeting.

So, they all made a hasty retreat—straight back to Fairy Tail in Magnolia.

There, Makarov took the guild's official stamp and pressed it onto Charles's shoulder. When he removed it, a special red emblem remained.

It was the mark of Fairy Tail—with that, Charles was now an official member.

Makarov jumped up onto the bar and shouted, "We've got a new member! Let's have a party!"

"YEAH!" The atmosphere turned boisterous in an instant.

As soon as everyone returned to the guild, word spread fast that Charles had singlehandedly taken down Lullaby—thanks to a certain blue cat.

And on top of that, Charles was Natsu's big brother. Naturally, everyone welcomed him with open arms.

Leaning against the bar, drink in hand, Charles couldn't help but smile at the lively scene.

To be honest, it had been a long time since he'd felt this kind of lighthearted joy. The last time might've been back in Black Bull.

Maybe sensing Charles's gaze, Natsu pried himself away from his brawl with Gray and stormed up to him, brimming with energy.

"Charles! Let's settle this with a fight!"

The moment Natsu threw down his challenge, the whole room went silent for a second—then erupted into cheers.

Fairy Tail was, as always, a guild of rowdy troublemakers who never passed up a good fight.

With a pipe in his mouth, Wakaba grinned. "Same ol' Natsu—still full of fire. But I heard the new guy's no joke either."

Short-haired Macao added, "Yeah, they say he took down Lullaby all by himself. This'll be fun to watch."

"Real men fight!" muscled Elfman roared in approval.

From the second-floor railing, a young man in a fur-lined coat with headphones tilted his head and peered down. "Let's see if this newbie's really that strong."

"Time to place your bets!" the ever-tipsy Cana yelled, launching an impromptu gambling ring.

"I'm betting on Natsu!"

"No way, the new guy's got it! I'm all in on him!"

Happy folded his arms as he watched the two face off, then strutted over to Cana.

"I'm betting everything on Charles!"

Lucy couldn't help but mutter, "That's one cold-hearted cat…"

Charles stood up and said, "Alright—but don't cry when you lose, got it?"

"I'm fired up!!" Natsu practically started breathing fire on the spot.

A crowd followed them out to the training grounds behind the guild. Makarov took up the role of referee and signaled the start of the match.

Charles and Natsu charged at each other simultaneously, using the exact same move.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" ×2

Their fists collided with a thunderous boom, flames bursting outward. The crowd hurriedly backed off to avoid getting caught in the shockwave.

"Evenly matched?" Lucy asked, watching their fists grind against each other.

Erza shook her head. "No—Natsu's being overwhelmed."

Sure enough, Natsu's full-force punch felt like it had slammed into solid steel. It didn't even budge Charles—on the contrary, it sent a dull ache up his arm.

"Natsu, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't charge in head-on when you know you're outmatched!"

Flames erupted from Charles's fist, blasting Natsu backward.

In mid-air, Natsu tried to regain control—only to see Charles vanish from his sight.

"Damn it!"

Flames burst from Natsu's legs, using their force to twist his body as he kicked behind him.

"Nice reflexes. But your guard's wide open."

Charles had indeed appeared behind him, but with a low duck, he effortlessly dodged the kick.

Before Natsu could recover, a crushing force slammed into his abdomen. Charles grabbed him and hurled him into the ground like a ragdoll.

Makarov sighed and shook his head. The gap between the two was clear—not just in strength, but in technique. This wasn't even a real fight. From the very beginning, Natsu had been dancing in the palm of Charles's hand.

From the crater he'd created, flames suddenly surged upward as Natsu leapt out and charged at Charles with a roar.

"You really don't learn, huh?" Charles muttered, blurring forward like a mirage.

Natsu had leapt too high—his opening even wider than before. Charles slipped in effortlessly, fist cocked like a cannon.

"I was waiting for this!"

Suddenly, the flames around Natsu's feet erupted, propelling him even higher—just enough to dodge Charles's punch.

"Right back at you!" Natsu shouted, bringing his leg down in a fiery axe kick.

"So you used your own weakness as bait to lure me in and counter? Not bad."

Charles chuckled. Natsu really was sharp—his ability to adapt mid-fight was a rare talent.

"But let me teach you something. In a real fight, power is what counts most."

"Fire Dragon's Talon!"

Even though Charles launched his move a beat later, his strike hit first.

Natsu was kicked hard and slammed back into the earth, shaking the ground with a loud boom.

But from the dust cloud, Charles sensed an intense surge of magic.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

A pillar of flame burst out, blowing away the dust and engulfing Charles in searing fire.

Natsu's face lit up with hope—until he realized something was wrong.

"Wait… my flames… they're disappearing?!"

Lucy gasped. "But fire shouldn't hurt either of them—they're both Dragon Slayers!"

Charles calmly stepped out of the flames, unscathed. He'd swallowed all of it.

"Thanks for the meal. That hit the spot," he said, wiping his mouth.

"Hey! That's my line!" Natsu shouted, hopping mad.

"Yeah?" Charles smirked. "Then come try and take it from me."

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Charles let out his own breath attack—a far larger, more intense blaze surged toward Natsu.

Unshaken, Natsu opened his mouth wide, planning to eat the flames just like Charles had.

Except…

"HOT!!"

Natsu screamed, tumbling out of the way as he caught fire himself.

Lucy's jaw dropped. "He got burned?! But Natsu eats fire!"

Makarov explained, "Their flames aren't on the same level. It's no surprise Natsu can't handle Charles's fire."

Still sizzling, Natsu glared. "What the hell? Why can't I eat your flames?!"

Charles replied coolly, "Like I said—you're still too naive. The conviction in our fire is completely different. How could you possibly consume mine?"

There was no way Natsu would accept that. He immediately charged in for another round—while Charles cracked his knuckles, ready to rough up his little brother a bit more.

"Enough! All of you—STOP!"

Just before they collided again, a voice rang out, halting the battle.

Charles turned toward it and blinked. "So cats can talk… and now frogs too?"

Sure enough, the figure that stopped them was a frog-like creature, humanoid in size and dressed in a fine, ornate robe.

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