A/N: Episode 175.

Enjoy!

edited on september 20th, 2024 @ 8:35pm

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈-𝚃𝚆𝙾,
𝓝𝙰𝚃𝚂𝚄 𝚅𝚂. 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚃𝚆𝙸𝙽 𝙳𝚁𝙰𝙶𝙾𝙽𝚂.

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"𝗚𝗢, 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗦𝗨!" Happy cheered as the rest of Fairy Tail did the same.

"What happened to Gajeel?!" Lily asked.

"Gray-sama! You're wonderful!" Juvia cheered.

"Although Natsu is the one who's fighting..." Mira told her sheepishly.

"Rogue..." Frosch muttered.

"Sting-kun! The fight's just getting started!" Lector encouraged.

Everyone in the audience began cheering. In the audience, a tear fell from a hooded figure's eye, dropping to the ground and causing Jellal to turn around in alarm.

"This is..." Jellal thinks to himself. "Him?"

"It feels like Zeref, but it's different somehow." Ultear pointed out.

"He's in the stadium again, isn't he?" Meredy questioned.

Jellal took off running. 'Jellal, don't let him get away this time!' Ultear spoke telepathically.

'I know! I'm concerned about the match, but right now...' Jellal trailed off.

"You can take us on by yourself? You're just messin' with us..." Sting stated.

"I have no business with you. Let me fight Gajeel." Rogue said.

"You want Gajeel, you gotta go through me." Natsu claimed.

Sting and Rogue soon re-activated Dragon Force. "Dragon Force is the power of a dragon. There's nothing more powerful in this world!" Sting exclaimed as he charged forward, but Natsu was quick to counter it.

"Maybe your power's half-baked..." Natsu said as red electricity surrounded him.

"My power is complete! This is the power I used to kill Weisslogia!" Sting exclaimed.

"I see. Then I'll use my power..." Natsu paused as he got covered in flames. "... to fight for my friends who were laughed at."

Natsu soon struck a flaming fist towards Sting's face as Rogue appeared behind him. "Look out, Natsu!" Takashi warned.

"Behind you!" Kali called out.

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!" Rogue shouted, releasing a blast of black shadows.

Natsu turned around. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" He called out, cancelling out Rogue's attack as it hit him, causing an explosion.

"That was nothing!" Sting claimed, charging forward once more.

"Frosch... I... I can still fight!" Rogue declared.

Natsu raised his hand as he grinned. "Bring it on." He challenged as Sting and Rogue charged forward once more.

"Yeesh. That guy..." Gray commented. "Look at that gleeful mug..."

"Those two definitely aren't weak, but Natsu responds to stronger opponents by becoming more powerful than he already is." Erza stated as they watched Natsu continue to fight Sting and Rogue.

"His opponents are tough, too. They don't give up. Very impressive." Makarov complimented.

"Both sides are quite something." Mavis added as Natsu released a fireball.

"Marvelous..." Jura said.

"I'd forgotten. That guy's a blockhead, but when it comes to fighting, his mind is a steel trap." Lyon claimed as Sting and Rogue appeared from the flames and Natsu continued fighting them off.

"Wonderful parfum, Natsu-kun..." Ichiya commented.

"Damn, how strong is that guy?" Ren wondered out loud.

Natsu soon sent a punch towards Sting's face. "H-He's strong..." Lily stuttered.

"That's Natsu!" Happy claimed.

Lily deadpanned. "But where did Gajeel go?!" He questioned.

"I'm scared of what'll happen when he comes back..." Happy replied as Natsu punched both Sting and Rogue.

Sting sent a white beam towards Natsu who dodged it and sent a blast of fire right back at him, hitting Sting as he was sent flying.

"Hey, is this for real?!" Orga asked.

"I have no memory of seeing the power of the Dragon Force losing ground like this." Rufus said.

"Power, eh?" Minerva questioned more to herself as the fight between the three Dragon Slayers resumed.

Lector was looking at the Lacrima screen with tears flowing from his eyes. "Sting-kun!" Lector thinks to himself. A memory of when he first met Sting played in his mind.

"Sting-kun..." Lector sniffed.

"Sting!" Rogue shouted, summoning a ball of shadows.

"Yeah!" Sting agreed, summoning a ball of holy light right after.

"This feeling... The quality of the Magic has changed again." Juvia pointed out.

"The Magic of those two have begun to merge." Mira said.

"In the end, I wasn't able to get strong, but I love watching strong Sting-kun!" Lector thought.

"Are they doing..." Kali gasped in realization.

"A Unison Raid? Yeah." Takashi finished, knowing what he was thinking.

Samuel hummed, placing a hand on his chin in thought. "Huh... Sting's told me about this attack before, but I've never seen it in person." He commented.

"Now's not the time to be impressed." Takashi and Kali said in unison, both of them sweat dropping.

"Their will, breathing, and Magic have combined perfectly into one power. But..." Mavis trailed off.

"Natsu! Dodge!" Happy called out.

"Rogue, hang in there!" Frosch said.

"Sting-kun... Sting-kun, you're the strongest!" Lector exclaimed.

"There are walls the power alone can't break through..." Mavis thinks to herself.

The gigantic balls of Magic soon disappeared. In Sting and Rogue's hands were tiny but extremely powerful balls of Magic as they combined together, creating a brilliant shade of orange which soon turned into a dark purple with traces of white in it.

"Yajima-san, what the heck is that?!" Chapati questioned.

"Unison Raid. It's a so-called Uniting Magic. It's high level Magic that in general can't be mastered even if you devote your whole life to it." Yajima explained.

"This is the power of the Twin Dragons... However..." Minerva trailed off.

"Holy Shadow Dragon's Fang Flash!" Sting and Rogue shouted in unison, thrusting their attack forward as it headed straight towards Natsu.

"He's not moving! He intends to take it?!" Lily questioned as Happy looked worried.

"Natsu!"

"Happy, is something wrong?" Natsu asked.

"You here to see him off? I'm gonna head out." Gajeel informed.

"Not especially..." Happy replied.

"Really? Then I'll see ya later!" Natsu turned around.

"I'm not gonna say anything!" Happy exclaimed. "I'm not gonna say anything!"

"Yeah." Natsu turned back to face him. "I got it... partner."

Happy holds his index and thumb in the air as Natsu returned the gesture while walking out to the arena.

An explosion was then heard.

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"It's Fiore's strongest guild, Sabertooth, vs. the strongest guild seven years ago, Fairy Tail! And taking the challenge of this tag battle are four dragons!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Although one of them has gone off somewhere..." Yajima reminded.

"Currently, below the arena, Natsu and the Twin Dragons are locked in fierce battle!" Chapati said.

Makarov placed his thumb and index finger in the air as the rest of the Fairy Tail members did the same gesture. "There are walls that can't be broken through power alone. But if there is a power that can break through those walls, it's..." Mavis thought.

"Holy Shadow Dragon's Fang Flash!" Sting and Rogue shouted in unison, thrusting their attack forward as it headed straight towards Natsu.

"... the power of feelings!"

Natsu leaned back as flames appeared from his hand. "Dragon Slayer's Secret Art!" He called out. "Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Edge!"

The flames eventually overpowered the Unison Raid and engulfed Sting and Rogue, causing an explosion.

"Oh, my! It looks like the mega-moves of both sides ended the match... It's like an earthquake here! Apparently, the live feed lacrima is experiencing technical difficulties, so please sit tight a little longer!" Chapati announced.

Finally, the lacrima screens turned back on. "Oh, my! Thank you for your patience! It seems Lacrima-Vision is back up!" Chapati said.

Rogue stumbled back. "Natsu Dragneel... Your power is... immeasurable..." He thinks to himself, falling forward.

Sting fell to his knees. "Lector... He's too strong... Natsu-san..." He thought.

Sting and Rogue both collapsed to the ground in sync. "Th-This is... The last one standing is Natsu Dragneel!" Chapati announced.

"A guild is a place where that nurtures feelings." Mavis noted.

The gong soon rang out as Natsu cheered in victory. "It's Fairy Tail! He broke the Twin Dragons! The winner is Fairy Tail! With this, they've leaped to first place! And this brings an end to the fourth day of the Grand Magic Games! After one day off, we'll be back the day after tomorrow with the final battle! The last day... will feature a survival battle, with all of the members participating! Which guild will achieve victory in the end?! Don't anyone miss it!" Chapati exclaimed.

The scoreboard showed Fairy Tail taking the first place spot, leaving Sabertooth in second.

"I figured it would turn out like this!" Bob exclaimed.

"That's what I expected, I guess I should say..." Goldmine said.

"Our goal for the final day has changed!" Obaba said, spinning her finger around.

Makarov grinned. "Bring it!" He challenged.

"Defeat Fairy Tail!"

"You're mine, Gray!" Lyon claimed.

"Laxus... Makarov-dono's grandchild..." Jura said.

"Erza..." Kagura muttered.

"Gajeel..." Ren stated.

"Let's have some fun, Natsu-kun..." Ichiya said.

Meanwhile, Lector was sobbing. "Lector..." Frosch mumbled before he started tearing up as well.

"I can't believe those two lost..." Orga commented.

Rufus chuckled. "It was an interesting match. I've thoroughly memorized it." He said.

"This'll keep us in the spotlight for a while." Orga grinned.

"'For a while'... If they have a while..." Minerva informed.

"Th-That guy..."

Jiemma was seething, having a dark aura around him and scaring the nearby spectators.

"Saber's master!"

Minerva was walking in the tunnels before she stopped and turned. "The power of feelings, eh?" She noted.

"Go ahead. I'll give this match to you. After this one, we're gonna keep winning anyway. We're not gonna miss one or two points."

"Don't cry about that one point later, kid!"

Sting clenched his fist as he recalled what Gajeel had said during the Chariot event. Natsu walked forward, stopping in front of them as he grinned.

"Let's fight again sometime!" He exclaimed.

"Total defeat... If Gajeel has the same fighting strength as Natsu... Just how arrogant am I?" Rogue thought as people were leaving the stadium. Jellal was following the hooded figure.

"You did it, Natsu!" Happy cheered, giving his partner a high five.

"I gotta hurry up and tell Lucy!" Natsu stated.

Gray walked up to him. "You did it, Natsu!" He said.

Natsu chuckled. "Yeah, well..." He trailed off as Erza joined his side.

"Today, I'll give you honest praise, Natsu. You're incredible." Erza complimented as Gray sweat dropped.

"R-Really?" Natsu questioned.

"Don't be modest!" Erza replied, bashing Natsu's head against her armor.

"You gave us a good show, but what happened to Gajeel?!" Lily asked.

"Come to think of it... He took off during the middle of it! Doesn't he know the meaning of 'tag battle'?!" Natsu responded, completely forgetting that he pushed Gajeel into a mine cart.

Lily deadpanned. "Have you forgotten what you did?!" He questioned.

"That's Natsu!" Happy exclaimed.

"Get plenty of rest tomorrow to prepare for the final day's survival battle." Erza informed.

"The final battle, huh? I'm gonna win it for sure!" Gray claimed.

"Victory first! After that, I'm gonna fight you two, Erza and Gray!" Natsu declared, pointing a finger at them.

Erza chuckled. "Fine with me." She agreed.

"I think you're putting the horse before the carriage or whatever..." Gray said.

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"Are you awake, Sting?"

Sting groans as he sits up, seeing that Samuel was sitting in a chair next to him. "Sam? What are you doing here?" He questioned.

"Did you really think I'd leave you and Rogue underneath the arena? I had Lector and Frosch help carry you up." Samuel responded, referring to the red-colored Exceed that was on the other side of Sting. Frosch was also next to Rogue.

"I can't believe I lost against Natsu-san." Sting muttered.

"Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, Sting. Including you." Samuel said. "You'll do better next time."

"There is no next time for us."

Samuel flinched upon hearing Rogue's voice who was beginning to move. "Right. I forgot about that part." He sighed. "By the way, we haven't met. I'm—"

"Samuel Fullbuster, right? Sting's boyfriend?" Rogue interrupted.

"Yeah. Nice to finally meet you, Rogue. Heard great things about you. Wish our first meeting was during better circumstances." Samuel said with Rogue nodding in agreement. "I should probably let you guys rest. I need to head back to join my guildmates anyway."

Samuel lets go of Sting's hand, the cold sensation of his hand leaving Sting's. He blows a kiss to Sting, who pretends to catch it. Samuel chuckles before leaving the infirmary.

Rogue gave Sting a smug look. "Man, you're so in love." He commented.

"Yeah, I am..." Sting agreed in his head.

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Underneath the arena . . .

"Dammit... Salamander... You're dead." Gajeel muttered to himself. "Anyway, where the hell am I? Under the arena?"

Gajeel stopped in his tracks. "Wha..." He began in surprise. "What the hell is this?!"

In front of him was a cave full of dragon skeletons.

"A dragon... graveyard?!"

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Meanwhile . . .

'Jellal, what's happening?' Ultear asked.

'Don't tell me he got away again?' Meredy questioned.

'No, I put some distance between us, and I'm on his trail. I'm thinking I'll make my move where there aren't any other people around.' Jellal replied.

'Roger.'

Jellal cuts off communication with Ultear and Meredy. "You're not getting away this time... You possess Magic similar to Zeref's... Who the hell are you?!" He thought.

"So Sabertooth's been defeated... by Natsu-sama..." Yukino mumbled.

"You must have mixed feelings, Sergeant Yukino."

"No. I no longer feel any attachment to the guild. That aside, I just can't get used to being addressed as 'Sergeant'." Yukino admitted, turning around.

"My apologises. Participating in the Eclipse Project... requires a temporary rank."

"The Eclipse Project... If my power may be of use, then I'm prepared to wield it to the utmost. For the sake of Arcadios-sama, too, who invited me to join." Yukino then realized something. "I suppose I should refer to him as 'Colonel'."

"That's all right. I call him 'Captain' myself. And his old friends call him 'Dio'."

"Really?" Yukino looked out into the palace gardens. "But he's socially awkward, isn't he? Even though he's trying to save the world, no one is aware of it..."

Jellal continued to follow the hooded figure from a distance, who knew he was being followed.

That day, we believed in victory. The final day was a really hard-fought battle.

Do you remember it, Samuel?

And then... July 7th. We lost... to fate.

That person died... And Kali, too...

Future Takashi was shown to be writing a letter as tears fell from his eyes.

I can't express in words... Samuel... I can't take it anymore... Somebody, help me!

"Tch!" The hooded figure thinks to themselves. "I'm gonna have to face him at some point. He's not getting off of my trail and I need to meet up with Lucy-san."

The hooded figure finally stopped above the steps, getting a good view of the moon.

"Do you need something from me, Jellal-san? You've been following me since I left the arena." The hooded figure spoke first, catching Jellal by surprise.

"This person... He knows who I am." Jellal thought, removing his mask. "It seems you already know my identity. Now you reveal yours."

A gust of wind blew through their cloaks as Jellal looked down, seeing the person's right arm looked like a demons. "A claw..." He noted as the wind stopped.

The figure raised their non-demonic arm and turned around slowly, removing their hood. Jellal's eyes widened upon seeing who the person was.

"It can't be..."

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A/N: You all probably already know who the hooded figure is :)

Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2444 words.