"Natsu's Challenge"
After defeating Lullaby, Drake was dragged away by Makarov!
The reason… Drake's Crimson Phoenix Sword had not only incinerated Lullaby but also completely leveled the guild masters' meeting venue.
So, they all took off, running back to the Fairy Tail guild in Magnolia.
Makarov took a stamp and pressed it onto Drake's shoulder. When he lifted the stamp, a red mark remained—the Fairy Tail guild mark. Drake was officially a member.
Makarov jumped onto the bar and announced loudly, "We have a new member today! Let's have a feast!"
"Yay!" The atmosphere immediately became lively.
As soon as everyone returned to Fairy Tail, news of Drake single-handedly defeating Lullaby spread, with credit given to a certain blue cat.
And since Drake was Natsu's older brother, everyone was extremely welcoming of his addition to the guild.
Leaning against the bar, Drake held a glass, watching the lively scene and couldn't help but smile.
Honestly, Drake hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time; the last time might have been when he was with the Black Bulls.
Perhaps sensing Drake's gaze, Natsu broke away from his scuffle with Gray. Turning to face Drake, he declared aggressively, "Drake, let's settle this!"
Natsu's challenge silenced everyone for a moment, before immediate cheers erupted.
Fairy Tail was indeed a group of people who loved a good spectacle; a fight immediately excited them.
Wakaba, puffing on his pipe, said, "Natsu's as energetic as ever! But I heard the newcomer is quite skilled."
Makao, the short-haired older man, chimed in, "That's right, I heard this guy took down Lullaby all by himself. Looks like it'll be a very interesting fight!"
"Men must fight!" Elfman declared, flexing his considerable muscles.
From the railing on the second floor of the guild, a young man in a frayed coat and headphones tilted his head downwards, commenting, "Perfect opportunity to see if this newcomer is truly powerful!"
"Let's place our bets, everyone! Let's place our bets!"
Cana, the guild's resident drunkard, immediately started taking bets on who would win the fight.
"I'm betting on Natsu!"
"The newcomer looks incredibly strong; I'm betting on him!"
Happy, arms crossed, watched Natsu and Drake, before turning to Cana.
"I'm putting everything on Drake!"
Lucy couldn't help but comment, "What a heartless cat!"
Drake stood up. "Alright! But don't cry if you lose!"
"I'm fired up!" Upon hearing Drake accept the challenge, Natsu was practically spitting fire.
A crowd of people escorted the two to a clearing outside the guild, where Makarov, acting as referee, announced the beginning of the fight.
Drake and Natsu simultaneously charged towards each other, unleashing the same technique.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" ×2
Their two fists collided, a tremendous boom echoing out along with a burst of flames. The onlookers quickly retreated further to avoid any accidental injuries.
"Is it evenly matched?" Lucy asked, watching the two whose fists remained locked together.
Erza shook her head. "No, Natsu is being suppressed!"
As Erza had said, the exchange of blows had already determined the victor.
Natsu's full-powered punch felt like it had hit an iron wall; not only did it fail to break through, but a dull pain shot through his fist.
"Natsu, how many times have I told you! When you know you're weaker, don't recklessly charge in!"
Drake's fist surged with even more power, sending Natsu flying backward.
Before Natsu could even regain his posture in mid-air, he saw Drake disappear from across from him.
"Damn it!"
Natsu's legs erupted in flames; using the thrust of the flames, he twisted his body and delivered a powerful kick towards the rear.
"Sharp reflexes, but you've left yourself wide open!"
Drake did indeed appear in the direction of Natsu's attack, but with a simple duck, he easily evaded the blow.
Natsu felt a tremendous force impact his abdomen; Drake's palm clamped down on his body, and he was spun around and slammed into the ground.
Makarov shook his head; these two were simply not on the same level. It wasn't just strength; their techniques were worlds apart as well.
Let alone fighting seriously, Natsu had been completely under Drake's control from the start.
A large amount of flame erupted from the crater created by the impact; Natsu jumped out of it, roaring as he charged towards Drake!
"You really have no memory; you can't even remember the lesson from just now."
Drake said, closing the distance to Natsu like a phantom.
Natsu had jumped so high; his opening was even bigger than before. Drake, naturally, mercilessly exploited this opening, his fist striking like a cannonball.
"I've been waiting for that move!"
The flames on Natsu's feet suddenly intensified, propelling him even higher, perfectly evading Drake's fist.
"I'll return the favor!" Natsu yelled, raising his leg to deliver a powerful downward strike.
"Using your own opening as bait to lure me into attacking and revealing my own opening?"
Drake laughed; Natsu was indeed clever. His ability to adapt on the fly during a battle was a rare talent.
"But let me teach you something else; in battle, strength is paramount!"
"Fire Dragon's Hook Claw!"
Drake, despite initiating his attack later than Natsu, struck Natsu first.
Natsu was kicked flying to the ground, creating a resounding boom as he hit the earth.
However, amidst the dust and smoke, Drake sensed a surge of immense magical power.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
A pillar of fire shot forth, instantly dispersing all the dust. Drake was completely engulfed by the suddenly appearing flames.
Before Natsu could even begin to celebrate, he discovered that his own flames were rapidly disappearing.
"Almost forgot, both Drake and Natsu are Fire Dragon Slayers; flames are useless against them!"
Drake swallowed all the flames and landed back on the ground.
"Thank you for the meal; my power has surged!" Drake said, wiping the corner of his mouth.
Natsu stamped his foot. "Drake, that's my line!"
"Is it?" Drake said with a smile. "Then you try it!"
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Drake countered with the same roar, a larger pillar of fire shooting towards Natsu.
But Natsu wasn't afraid at all; why would he be afraid of flames? So, he mimicked Drake's earlier action, opening his mouth wide to try and swallow Drake's flames as well.
But…
"So hot!"
Natsu screamed, rolling away to avoid the searing heat.
Lucy exclaimed in surprise, "Hot? How is that possible? Doesn't Natsu eat flames too?"
Makarov shook his head. "Their flames are of completely different levels; it's perfectly normal that Natsu can't eat Drake's flames!"
Natsu glared at Drake. "What's going on? Why can't I eat Drake's flames?!"
Drake said coldly, "I've told you, you're still too naive; the resolve in our flames is different; how could you possibly eat my fire?!"
Natsu couldn't possibly accept defeat; he was about to charge at Drake again. Drake was eager to further "discipline" his younger brother.
"Everyone, stop!"
But before the two could clash again, a voice halted the fight.
Drake turned to look, and couldn't help but say, "So, besides cats, even frogs can talk now?"
Indeed, the one who had stopped the fight was a frog-like creature. However, this frog was human-sized and wore a rather refined-looking robe.
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