A/N: Episode 174.

Enjoy!

edited on september 13th, 2024 @ 9:27pm

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈-𝙾𝙽𝙴,
𝓕𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙳𝚁𝙰𝙶𝙾𝙽𝚂.    

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"𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗨𝗘, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗛... Dragon Slayers, like Natsu and Gajeel... but their Magic is still an unknown... Well, let's see what happens..." Makarov said.

"I think they're done testing each other. From here on in, they're going to get serious, so let's really cheer them on!" Mavis informed.

"It's over, garbage guild." Jiemma said to himself.

"Sting..." Rogue muttered.

"Yeah..." Sting nodded.

"Alright, the silent face-off continues... but the entire arena is filled with tension. Which side will make the first move?!" Chapati asked.

As if answering him, Sting charges forward and strikes Natsu with holy light, who blocks it with his arms. "Sabertooth's Sting makes his move! Fairy Tail's Natsu held it back!" Chapati announced.

"Receive Holy White Judgment!" Sting shouted before punching Natsu rapidly.

"Salamander!" Gajeel called out to him in worry as Rogue moved around him. He tried to attack Rogue before Rogue appeared behind him and sent a kick, making Gajeel stumble back.

"Oh, my! It looks like Fairy Tail's Gajeel is at the mercy of Rogue's Shadow Drive!" Chapati said.

"You can't get ahold of shadows." Rogue claimed before disappearing.

"Take this!" Gajeel shouted as his attack went through Rogue, who punched him.

Natsu ended up getting kicked by Sting as him and Gajeel crashed into each other. "Don't get in my way!" The two of them shouted before they heard laughing from above them.

"Squabbling in the middle of a match?! You guys sure have confidence!" Sting informed as him and Rogue crashed down onto them.

"Their power has suddenly increased." Lily pointed out. "Is that a kind of Dragon Slayer Magic?"

"Take care of business, Natsu!" Happy cheered.

"What the hell?! You've gotten faster for some reason..." Natsu commented.

Sting soon struck him with Magic. "Come on, come on, Natsu-san! You call that defense?!" He taunted before sending a kick towards his back while Rogue was doing the same with Gajeel.

"What on Earthland...?" Makarov questioned.

"It's a Magic amplification technique. On top of that, their combination skills are seamless." Mavis explained.

"This isn't as thrilling as I thought it'd be." Orga commented.

"Compared to those two, it seems Fairy Tail's duo aren't in sync with each other." Rufus said as Sting and Rogue kept attacking Natsu and Gajeel.

"Go! You're in your assured victory pattern!" Lector cheered.

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch added.

Sting was punching Natsu with his Magic. "I admired you for the longest time!" He raised Natsu in the air. "And then I set my sights on surpassing you! Now is that time!"

"Natsu!" Gray shouted.

"That attack just now... There's something different about it compared to previous attacks." Erza said.

"What do you mean?" Gray asked as they saw something white on Natsu's chest. "And what the hell is that?! It looks like a Magic Circle..."

"C-Can't..." Natsu struggled to move. "... move!"

"The White Dragon's Claw is a holy attack. A body that marked by it's stigmata loses its freedom. And with this, I'll surpass you!" Sting declared.

Gajeel was still aiming his attacks at Rogue, who dodged. "The dragon that becomes shadow hides its form. It always takes down its prey!" Rogue claimed before Gajeel caught his wrist.

"It always takes down..." Gajeel gave him a dark look. "What is it?"

"Yeah!" Jet cheered.

"That's the way, Gajeel!" Droy encouraged.

"He caught him! Even though before, he wasn't even able to land a hit!" Levy said while rubbing Lily's head.

"Of course! After fighting for a while, Gajeel gets used to it." Lily commented.

"Natsu can do the same thing with ease! Get 'im Natsu!" Happy cheered.

Natsu smirked before punching Sting in the face with his fist covered in flames. "How can you move?!" Sting asked as it showed Natsu had burned it off. "You burned off the stigmata!"

"Not too shabby... But you've got a ways to go." Natsu cracked his knuckles.

"He burned it off... That guy knows no bounds..." Gray grinned.

"'Only the Salamander could do that...' I guess I should say..." Erza said.

"Don't get too stuck on yourselves, brats." Gajeel paused before striking Rogue in the face. "And don't make light of Fairy Tail!"

Natsu and Gajeel both sent Sting and Rogue crashing into the arena wall.

"Just like that! Go! Go!" Happy cheered.

"That was great, Gajeel!" Levy hugged Lily tightly.

"I-I can't breathe... Calm down, Levy!" Lily said.

"Oh, my! The course of the battle has just shifted again!" Chapati announced.

"You guys really are the best." Sting began glowing his element. "We have to give this our all and then some. The White Dragon's Fist even reduces flames to smithereens."

"What is that Magic?! The pressure is incredible!" Romeo commented.

"I don't like this... I think it might be..." Happy trailed off.

"S-So bright! Yajima-san, what is this?!" Chapati questioned.

"Sting-kun is concentrating his Magic into a single point." Yajima replied.

"Here I go, Natsu-san! Dragon Slayer Arcana! Holy Nova!" Sting shouted as the arena was covered in white light.

Sting smirked but was shocked when it was revealed Natsu had blocked his attack. "Whoa! What's this?! He stopped that tremendous attack with one hand!" Chapati said.

"I-I don't believe it..." Lector said.

"Huh?" Frosch added.

"No way..." Orga muttered.

"I have no memory of that skill ever being blocked." Rufus commented.

"I see... Now it makes sense why he would storm into our inn on his own. I wonder what I could have seen if I hadn't stopped him then..." Minerva said.

"Sting-kun..." Lector teared up.

"Yajima-san, what do you make of this?!" Chapati asked.

"Gajeel!" Rogue shouted out before Gajeel punched him back.

"Rogue..." Frosch mumbled.

Natsu and Gajeel continued attacking Sting and Rogue. "So three months of training and Second Origin made these two this strong, eh?" Makarov asked.

"They belong to totally different ranks." Yajima announced as the audience cheered.

Sting and Rogue were on the ground, struggling to get up. "W-Who could have foreseen this development?! The Twin Dragons of Sabertooth, helpless before Fairy Tail! Will the match end like this?!" Chapati asked.

Rogue stood up. "Like hell it'll end..." He mumbled.

"Yeah... I knew this wasn't gonna be an easy wall to get over..." Sting agreed as an image of Lector appeared in his mind.

"Sting-kun..." Lector mumbled as Sting stood up.

"I know, Lector... We made a promise, right?" Sting muttered.

"Huh?"

"I'm not gonna lose." Sting claimed as him and Rogue got covered in their elements. They had scales on their face and arms and their hair also spiked up. "I can't lose... For Lector's sake."

"What the hell is this Magic?!" Gajeel questioned.

"They're..." Natsu trailed off.

"Wh-What's this?!" Makarov asked.

"Tremble at the true power of the Third Generation." Minerva commented.

"Impossible! They can activate it with their own will?!" Jellal exclaimed in shock.

"Dragon Force..." Mavis muttered.

"Natsu kinda looked like that at the Tower of Heaven..." Gray remembered.

"Yeah. Except..." Erza paused.

"... he gained the power then by eating Etherion. And that time with Zero too, he unleashed that power by eating all of my Magic. But they're able to release the power of the Dragon by willing it?" Jellal asked himself.

"This is the Third Generation of Dragon Slayers." Minerva claimed as Sting and Rogue stopped glowing their elements.

"Rogue, hang back. I can take both of them on by myself." Sting declared, stepping forward.

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"U-Until just a minute ago, Sabertooth was being dominated! Unbelievably, he's challenged both of them!" Chapati announced.

"That's how much confidence he has, huh?" Yajima questioned.

"That's right! Sting-kun and Rogue-kun have Dragon Force. There's no way they can lose!" Lector claimed with his arms crossed. "I was worried for nothing!"

"Fro forgot about Dragon Force, too!" Frosch admitted.

"I haven't seen it yet, but is it really all that?" Gray asked.

"Yeah. At this rate, the odds are against them." Erza responded.

"They're lookin' down on us..." Gajeel mumbled.

"But this feeling... He's strong." Natsu stated.

A gust of wind blew through the four Dragon Slayers before Sting charged forward, making Natsu widen his eyes. Sting sent a punch towards Natsu, sending him flying in the air. Gajeel tried to send a kick his way but Sting avoided it and sent a blast of holy light in his direction.

Natsu used his flames as a boost to kick off the arena wall while Gajeel skidded on the ground. The two of them charged forward as Sting continued to deflect their attacks.

"I-It's different..." Levy muttered.

"Totally different from before!" Happy agreed.

"Natsu-nii..." Romeo mumbled as Sting flew into the air.

"White Dragon's Holy Breath!" He called out, causing a ball of holy light to erupt in the arena and the floor of the arena to crumble.

"Oh, dear! What is going on here?! The floor of the arena is..." Chapati started to say.

"... crumbling?!" Makarov finished.

"That was one fierce breath..." Mavis said.

"What incredible force..." Erza stated.

"Is this the power of the Third Generation Dragon Slayers?!" Gray exclaimed.  

Natsu and Gajeel fell down the hole. "Gajeel!" Levy and Lily shouted.

"Natsu!" Happy and Romeo called out.

"It seems the battlefield is moving underneath the arena, but the match will continue! Everyone, please enjoy it on Lacrima-Vision!" Chapati announced as the Lacrima screens appeared.

"I'm just getting started!" Sting exclaimed.

Natsu dropped on one of the falling pieces as he lowered himself to the ground and shouted, "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"

He charged forward and head-butted Sting while Gajeel appeared behind him. "Iron Dragon's Roar!" He released his breath attack from his mouth, causing Sting to land on the ground.

"The light of the White Dragon purifies all things..." Sting began as a ball of holy light appeared in his hands. "Holy Ray!"

Both Natsu and Gajeel soon got attacked. "Light?!" Erza questioned.

"Holy attribute Magic..." Mavis muttered.

Natsu crashed to the ground before charging at Sting, who attacked him again. "Fly." He said as Natsu crashed into a wall.

"Natsu can't guard against him?!" Droy exclaimed.

"What happened to that confident mood from just before?!" Jet wondered.

Sting kicked Gajeel back before sending Natsu back down as the fight resumed. Sting sent another attack at them, causing an explosion.

"Sting-kun really is strong, huh?" Lector grinned.

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch agreed.

"Lector... I made you a promise... so I'm definitely gonna win!" Sting thinks to himself.

Natsu and Gajeel were shown to be knocked out as Sting raised his fist. "Are you watching this, Lector?!" Sting asked.

"I'm watching, Sting-kun!" Lector teared up.

Rogue soon joined Sting underneath the arena. "Times change. The span of seven years has allowed us to develop into true Dragon Slayers. The time of the old generation is over." He muttered.

"Yeah." Sting agreed.

"Uh-oh! They're not even twitching! It's been a breathless seesaw battle, but has Fairy Tail run out of steam?!" Chapati asked.

"Natsu..." Happy said.

"Gajeel..." Levy had her hand over her mouth.

"What's wrong? Get up!" Lily exclaimed.

"Quit lying there! You've got a fight to finish!" Takashi yelled.

"Even Natsu and Gajeel can't beat them?!" Wakaba asked.

"Damn, this sticks in my craw..." Macao muttered.

"Natsu-nii! Stand up!" Romeo shouted as Sting deactivated his Dragon Force.

"But you really were strong, Natsu-san... Gajeel-san..." Sting told them.

"Are both of them down?!" Chapati questioned.

"Stand up, Natsu! Gajeel!" Gray shouted.

"You've faced a lot more stronger opponents in the past, Natsu-san! I know this isn't enough to take you out! You're stronger than that! Both you and Gajeel-san!" Samuel called out. Sting scowls upon hearing the voice of his boyfriend.

"Why can't he just be happy that I won?" He questioned more to himself.

"You can hear our voices, can't you?! The guild's thoughts are one!" Erza yelled.

Minerva narrowed her eyes. "They're one with you!" She claimed.

"Sting!" Rogue said, hopping down to join him.

"Yeah... Sorry I took Gajeel-san down, too. But, y'know..." Sting turned around. "... I kept my promise."

"Don't be too hasty..."

Sting and Rogue turned in shock and widened their eyes as both Natsu and Gajeel were standing, causing the audience to cheer.

"Fairy Tail!"

"Awesome! I knew they could do it!" Droy exclaimed.

"Look at that, Levy! Our voices reached 'em!" Jet said.

"They're standing!" Happy waved his arms.

"We'd be in a bind if they weren't." Lily commented.

"Ow..." Natsu rubbed his head while Gajeel popped his neck.

"You're better than I thought." Gajeel stated.

"Incredibly, they're alive and kicking!" Chapati announced.

Natsu smirked. "But I saw through all of your habits." He claimed.

"What?!" Sting exclaimed.

"No way... It can't be... This is a bad dream..." Lector said in disbelief.

"Fro thinks so, too..." Frosch agreed.

"Your attack timing... Your posture when you defend... Even the rhythm of your breathing..." Natsu said.

"What?! That's ridiculous! I'm using Dragon Force!" Sting exclaimed.

"Yeah, and it packs a wallop! My body aches all over, dammit!" Natsu said, popping his shoulder as to prove his point.

"Don't get rattled, Sting. He's bluffing." Rogue informed.

"Bluffin', you say?" Gajeel countered, looking at Natsu. "You really think the Salamander can pull off a trick that requires usin' his brain?!"

"Oh, shut up!" Natsu shot back. "For example, when you attack, your pivot foot is facing 11:00."

"Nah, it's 10:00." Gajeel corrected.

"It's 11:00!"

Natsu and Gajeel clashed their heads together. "I could let you slide with 10:30, but not 11:00!" Gajeel argued.

"I say it's 11:00! 23:00 is fine, too!"

"That's going around 360 degrees!"

Natsu and Gajeel soon began fighting as Sting and Rogue sweat dropped, as well as Fairy Tail.

"What are those two fools doing?!" Makarov wondered.

"They've got energy to spare. And that means they've still got fight left in them." Mavis told him.

"Arguing at a time like this... Yeesh, they make me wanna crawl in a hole..." Gray commented.

"Oh, don't be like that. You and Natsu are two of a kind." Erza said.

Gray deadpanned. "When you look at me objectively, that's what you see?" He asked.

"Clam it, already!" Natsu exclaimed, pushing Gajeel into a mine cart and it started to move.

"Wha...?! Hey! You bastard!" Gajeel shouted as his motion sickness kicked in and disappeared. Natsu turned around and grinned mischievously.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Sting questioned.

"Gajeel..." Rogue muttered.

"I've totally gotta pay you back for lookin' down on us." Natsu said as his fingers were covered in flames.

"I can take both of you on by myself. Go ahead, attack me at the same time!"

His declaration shocked Sting and Rogue as the flames went out.

"Oh, boy! Now Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail is challenging the two of them to a battle!" Chapati announced.

"You're fired up, ain'tcha?" Natsu grinned.

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A/N: Another chapter is finished! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2327 words.