The Magic Merchant in Fairy Tail

Natsu's peculiar physiology—like much in the world of Fairy Tail—allowed him to imprint different enhanced states into his body. Techniques like Thunder Fire Dragon Mode and Flame Dragon King Mode, initially thought to be one-time transformations, became modes he could freely enter later. Although he couldn't yet fully access the power of a dragon, his progress was evident. Compared to the original timeline, he was now half a level stronger than Gajeel, making their duel more one-sided.

After several minutes of intense, blow-for-blow combat, Natsu and Gajeel prepared their ultimate moves.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Blade!!!"

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Iron Demon's Karma Sword!!!"

Both fighters poured their remaining magic into their attacks. Natsu's fiery blade glowed with destructive heat, while Gajeel's forty-meter iron sword gleamed menacingly, ready to cleave anything in its path.

The collision of fire and iron was a spectacle that could not be ignored, drawing the attention of everyone on the battlefield.

"Is it over there?"

"It looks like that iron dragon guy isn't as easy to deal with as we thought."

"Let's go check it out!"

Gray was the first to rush toward the fiery clash, the sound of their battle echoing through the air.

The fire and iron stalemate lasted over ten seconds before dissipating, revealing two figures amidst the settling dust.

Unlike the original timeline where they were evenly matched, Natsu now stood victorious. Gajeel, beaten and unable to continue, slumped to the ground while Natsu remained standing, though visibly fatigued.

Natsu, panting heavily, turned to Gajeel. "Huff... Gajeel... who did you learn Dragon Slayer magic from?"

The question seemed to take Gajeel by surprise. After a moment of silence, they exchanged fragmented thoughts about dragons and their magic.

"You said you saw a dragon before?"

"Yeah. Kira said its name was Acnologia."

Gajeel furrowed his brow. "Acnologia? Never heard of it."

"It's strong," Natsu admitted, his tone grim. "I couldn't even scratch it."

Gajeel didn't respond with bravado as he might have before. His battle with Natsu had revealed the latter's overwhelming strength, and he couldn't underestimate an opponent even Natsu feared.

Still, his pride wouldn't let him admit it outright. "Hmph, doesn't matter. If that thing comes for me, it'll find out that Gajeel Redfox isn't a pushover!"

Gray arrived just in time to hear their exchange. His frustration boiled over as he yelled, "Natsu! What are you doing?! Don't you know the guild is in trouble?!"

Natsu blinked. "Huh? Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

Gray's voice grew louder. "Joseph is attacking with the magic cannon—his target is Lucy!"

The mention of Lucy jolted Natsu into action. "Lucy?! What did you say?!" He grabbed Gajeel by the collar. "Why are you after Lucy?!"

Gajeel remained silent, turning his head away.

Frustrated, Natsu punched him. "Happy! Let's go!"

Happy swooped in, grabbing Natsu and flying toward Magnolia at top speed.

Gray watched them take off, fuming. "This idiot! He made us wait all this time, and now he just flies off?!"

Gray quickly returned to report the situation to Kira, who sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "Forget it. Natsu's gonna do what he wants. Let's move!"

The distance between Magnolia and Woku City was vast, stretching from the south to the northeast of Fiore. By Kira's calculations, they wouldn't reach the guild until nightfall.

"Let's speed this up," Kira said, summoning his Fairy Airship No. 1. The group boarded swiftly, and with a deafening roar, the airship soared toward Magnolia at maximum speed.

Lingering Thoughts

Watching the airship disappear into the horizon, the members of Phantom Lord were left in silence.

"It's over, isn't it?" someone muttered.

Their guild's fate seemed inevitable—disbandment was likely after this failed attack.

Gajeel lay on his back, staring at the sky. For the first time, he felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness. The defeat weighed heavily on him, but strangely, it was accompanied by a faint sense of relief.

At the Guild

The scene at Fairy Tail's guild was grim. The defensive magic circle Kira had placed was holding, but Joseph's relentless attacks were wearing it down.

Mira, Lucy, and the remaining guild members watched anxiously. Mistgun stood outside, facing Joseph head-on.

"Mistgun," Joseph sneered, wiping sweat from his brow. "I've heard of you. With magic like yours, you'd be better off joining Phantom Lord. Fairy Tail doesn't deserve someone of your caliber."

Mistgun didn't respond, merely raising his staff again.

Joseph's face twisted in anger. "So stubborn. Is it really worth risking your life for people you barely know?"

Inside the tavern, Lucy clutched Mira's hand tightly.

"This is my fault," Lucy murmured. "If I weren't here, none of this would've happened..."

Mira shook her head firmly. "Lucy, stop blaming yourself. From the moment you joined Fairy Tail, you became one of us. Family."

Mira's voice was gentle but unwavering. "We don't do this out of obligation or rules. We do it because we care about each other. That's what it means to be part of Fairy Tail."

Outside, the battle intensified. Mistgun's magic was powerful, but his reliance on his staff left him vulnerable. When Joseph shattered his staff, Mistgun's ability to cast magic was severely hindered.

Joseph grinned maliciously, black magic swirling at his fingertips. "This is the end for you, Mistgun."

He pointed his finger, releasing his ultimate spell. "Dark Shot!"

Mistgun managed to summon a triple-layered magic circle. "Mirror Water!" The spell rebounded, but Joseph redirected it, sending multiple attacks from different angles.

Mistgun's eyes widened as the magic closed in on him.

The Turning Point

At that critical moment, time seemed to slow.

Was this the end for Mistgun?

A blinding light erupted in the distance, followed by a familiar roar:

"Fire Dragon's Roar!!!"

The fiery blast intercepted the dark magic, dispersing it in an explosion of heat and shadow.

Natsu landed with a crash, his fists ablaze.

"You're not hurting my family!" he shouted, flames licking at his arms.

Mistgun straightened, his masked face turning slightly toward Natsu.

Joseph's face contorted in fury. "You again?! Fine, I'll take you both down!"

But Natsu's grin only widened. "Bring it on, old man! This dragon's just getting started!"

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