A/N: Heya! Wassup guys! wiErD here and I've got the next chapter for you guys.

Hope ya like it! Have Fun and Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own FT or any of its elements... All goes to Hiro Mashima. Support the official release.

- We Shall Take Over the Top -

The preliminary event continues to unfold. The last stages of the preliminary are found at the large floating island with a huge tower-like structure that surrounds it. Multiple guild teams have come and go through the challenges but even then, they weren't expecting to solve their way out with the premise of getting separated with their team once they stepped inside. Many had suspicions at the complex rules established in the game but as luck would not have it, they would have to go along with it regardless if they finish the game or not in order to make to the next event.

Because of this harsh rule, teams that successfully conquered the outer islands gave up in fear. The other guilds risked themselves and plunged right into the impossible maze of mystery.

Somewhere within the massive tower, Wendy and Lucy find themselves isolated within a dark room after entering from the entrance. The sight of their other team members instantly disappearing had already taken place, which resulted in their separation. There was no time for any explanations as to why it had happened.

They could only proceed on their own.

A few minutes had passed and they slowly trudged their way over through the dark labyrinth in caution with Lucy summoning Loke to serve as their light and bodyguard while the other two taking the lead as well as planning their way out of the dark labyrinth.

So far, they've been well enough to press forward without worrying about the obstacles the labyrinth has in store for them and the monsters they've fought were somehow easy to defeat thanks to their team effort. Although, they shouldn't put a hold of their guard despite having an easy cakewalk throughout the maze for quite some time. One mistake might've put themselves in danger if they weren't careful enough, especially when all of their strongest team members are not here at the moment. Their team chemistry isn't that much affected despite not having the other three beside them. The two could still perfectly do well in their own combat prowess in a face of a battle as of now.

Seems like the training back at the beach really paid off.

"Nngh... It's been too long since we got separated. Do you think the others are alright?" Lucy began to speak as soon as she thought about the rest of the team. Her face plastering the look of a worried person over her friends that were separated from the group.

"We'll never know for sure. But I'm sure they're alright. If possible, they might reunite with each other halfway. The only thing we needed to do is to push forward and meet up with them there." Loke reassured.

"I think so too... B-But, we've been encountering some weird monsters for quite some time. I'm just worried that they might have run into some of them like we have." Wendy added with a face of concern.

"Well, that's certainly a possibility but knowing them, I think they'll be fine. Something like this isn't going to stop them from making that top seed. And we shall do so as well." Lucy reassured with a smile on her face as her determination washed away the bluenette's worries and finally decided to press forward.

"You're right!"

"Then, let's get going! We still have our own problems to deal with!"

And with that, the trio pressed on.

...

On some other part of the labyrinth, a battle was taking place.

CLASH* SHING*

CLASH* SHING*

Sounds of colliding steel resounded in the silent darkness. Sparks flew in every collision, releasing a small patch of light in a brief moment before being swallowed in the shadows. Because of the dim surrounding, there is difficulty in spotting the combatants and the mere spark simply revealed their afterimage before fading yet again in darkness. At first glance, it may seem like a film but in the eyes of the warriors fighting on both sides, it's a battle of finishing the other.

The fighters don't seem to have any difficulty in engaging each other, judging from their impressive movements in a poorly-lit room. Not every step was wasted in fighting each other without missing their target. The resulting battle was merely a series of parries from both sides.

"Nngh... What the hell do you guys want?!"

Frustration filled in the voice of Gray as he launched multiple ice spears towards the unknown assailants with his magic. The ice gave a bluish glow as it soared towards the cloaked figures in high speeds. However, the attackers easily leaped out of danger and disappeared yet again in the shadows.

Gray widened his eyes in surprise as soon as he spun around and instantly summoned an ice shield right in front of him to block several projectiles headed his way. A cloaked figure tried to slice him down with a dagger as he revealed himself right in front of his eyes. The weapon struck down at the ice shield, making a cracking sound as the force of the dagger was stopped easily. The shield may look fragile due to the materials it was made out of but its appearance is always quite deceiving to the eyes of its enemies. Gray's Molding Magic has improved to the point where he can create almost any weapon with the same hardness or possibly even higher. Not to mention, his creativity in creating objects with his ice is something that makes him a versatile fighter. At the face of any battle situation, he can quickly adapt to his enemy's movements and attacks in just a few minutes.

Because the weapon was struck at the shield, the figure was left open in midair, giving Gray the chance to blow him away with a swing.

"Take this!" Coating his other free arm in an ice-shaped gauntlet, Gray slammed his fist towards the figure's abdomen, sending him crashing towards a wall.

A small tremor vibrated within the walls as the figure was buried in the emerging dust cloud whilst also leaving a small crater right behind his back after taking a deadly hit. Soon afterward, he emerged from the aftermath before falling down, seemingly out of action.

Gray slightly panted as he looked at his enemy before his eyes immediately drew away from the sight, sensing another danger.

"!"

A warning soon got the ice mage looking over at his back as another figure quickly crept behind him with a sword at hand to slash him down. He clasped both his hands together as cold mist surrounded his figure, seemingly summoning another magic.

CLANG*

A deafening sound was heard as soon as two weapons collided each other. Gray managed to mold an ice sword in a short amount of time, preventing his attacker from hitting him off guard. The durability of the ice sword was seemingly strong as opposed to its steel counterpart that is struggling to break it into pieces despite only being made of ice.

"Why don't you just go down already?!"

Moving his other free hand to create another ice sword, Gray tried to slash the mysterious hooded person but he easily leaped away in a distance, forcing him to give up on the power struggle against the ice mage.

"!"

CLANG*

His attention was suddenly cut off as the cloaked figure immediately raised his sword to his side, deflecting a sword that was sent on his way however at the same time, releasing his hold from his own weapon due to the force of the sword aimed towards him. He skidded a few meters away before his attention traced back on the direction where the sword came from.

This prompted the ice mage to create an opening as he prepares another spell.

"Ice-make: Hammer!"

A large ice-molded hammer was created in his hands and was immediately struck down to the unguarded cloaked assailant.

"Stay down, you bastard!" Gray shouted as the hammer smashed to the ground along with the figure, creating a small shockwave as the ground cracked up into tiny little pieces upon impact.

Moments later, the dust settled and revealed the unconscious enemy right at the center of the small crater. The rest of the attackers eventually retreated some distance away from the mage as they saw their two comrades defeated.

A sound of steel boots was soon heard from the shadows as another figure came into view, turning their battle into a halt.

"Do you still persist in fighting against us? Because if you do, it's gonna take more than just a beating from us after what you've done." Erza began as she lifted up her sword and pointed it towards them with a hardened expression.

Her stern face sent a cold warning towards the assailants which some of them slightly taking a step back after seeing the seriousness in her words―much like how everyone in the guild would feel if they happen to witness this side of hers.

There was a moment of silence between them until the assailants quickly retreated into the shadows, seemingly ending the fight against the two mages who have gained the upper hand. The tense atmosphere began to disappear as Gray and Erza let down their guard after having a long battle.

"They're gone..." Gray spoke, noticing the lack of any presence towards the direction where the cloaked figures disappeared into.

"They probably retreated... They're not stupid enough to keep attacking us head-on, knowing that we easily defeated four of their men." Erza requipped her sword back to her inventory and walked towards one of the defeated men in the vicinity.

"So they won't be coming then."

"Probably so..."

"But doesn't it look strange? They happen to know where our locations are despite being separated at the entrance. Not to mention, their numbers as well. It's impossible to regroup that easily and form an attack against us. What the hell is going on?" Gray started to ponder after analyzing the course of events that transpired during their brief moments inside the labyrinth.

"Not only that. But the timing of the attack as well. The moment we got ourselves separated, they started on their move against us and pointed their coordinated attacks. I don't think they're part of the obstacles that were laid out on the labyrinth either... Judging from their actions, they know what they're doing and were intent on slowing us down or else..." Erza narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Then that means, the others too―" Gray realized.

"There's a possibility that they may have encountered them already but the question right now is why?"

"You don't think someone out there is trying to kill one of our members in this event. We haven't done anything bad now are we?" Gray lightly joked.

"Not that I ever knew... It's been a long time since we had that kind of thing." Erza replied, pondering few speculations behind such as an attack towards them. The possibility of a hostile guild presented towards them was something they haven't heard of for quite awhile. The last guild battle has already happened 7 years ago with Phantom Lord. Since then, the guild has established a good relationship with other guilds with the exception of the Magic Council of course for obvious reasons. She can't think of any other people who would hold a grudge towards their guild.

"Then what should we do now? We don't know their motives are. We don't even know when they're coming back for us." Gray asked.

"For starters, let's see if we can learn something from these people. And why they're targeting us." She proceeded to remove the hood of the cloak to reveal the identity of the person until―

PPPPPPSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH*

"What the?!" The two were forced to take a step back as the cloaked figure simply turned into sand. The effect quickly spread through the body until it was left with a pile of sand, leaving only the cloak behind. They tried to look over for the other three but unfortunately, they also turned into sand as well, leaving nothing but their cloaks as if their bodies were mysteriously turned for some reason.

"What the hell's wrong with these people?!"

"Clones... Or rather, a replication magic that can copy one person in clear resemblance." Erza analyzed as she recognized the type of magic was used.

"No wonder they're easy to defeat." Gray flexed his muscles in confidence but the female knight had a rather different thought of their attacks against them.

"Iyaa... It looks like they're monitoring our movements. Learning our attacking capabilities and such. It would make sense that they would try to fall back after analyzing our powers. They're hiding something." Erza guessed.

Their movements weren't exactly serious in the first place. After all, they haven't used any magic against them and simply resorted to weapons to fight them. By attacking them, they were able to discern their magic and would definitely try to exploit its weakness.

However, one thing bothered her as she thought that assumption. To what end would they try to learn about their powers?

Those people aren't exactly the type who would show up in the games due to their discreet nature. The games were supposed to be held within an open area so revealing themselves out in the open doesn't exactly fit in with the best course of action. It would be easy to identify them like that and would cause their plans to fail right off the bat.

Erza narrowed her eyes once again as she thought deeply until a realization struck her head. "Don't tell me―"

"What's wrong, Erza?"

"We should hurry with the others..." She stood up and started to walk her way towards the tunnel with haste, leaving the ice mage confused as he asked.

"Why?"

"These people are most probably agents from some guild that is trying to prevent us from getting to the games. The reason behind the attack is to slow us down from getting to the slots. That's why we should hurry up and find the others as soon as possible. Since we're all separated, there's no telling who they might target next." She explained.

"Shit... So it has come to this, huh?" Gray sighed in irritation as they both started to continue their journey down within the labyrinth.

"There has to be someone out there who's trying to prevent us from getting to the games at all cost. I don't know the reason behind such motive but we cannot afford to play right at their hands. We can worry about the rest for later. Right now, we should focus on regrouping with the rest and secure that seed." She ordered.

"Right with you!"

Gray nodded as they both went for a sprint across the dark hallway and decided to find the others as fast as possible.

...

The journey between Natsu and Kagura had been eerily silent so far. After the whole discussion with the latter, the pinkette didn't make any sort of chances to talk with her. The same would probably apply for the swordswoman as well, judging from her serious expression. There's no time to be dawdling around since there's still an ongoing event. Talking would only waste further of their time here in the labyrinth, considering that the preliminary games are still ongoing.

Natsu could only recall back their conversation awhile ago.

...

The way she was like during their brief talk about Jellal is somewhat similar to what he saw in her back then during their reunion. He knew something's going on with Kagura that made her that way when she mentioned the former Wizard Saint's name for some reason... And he wanted to know why.

What happened during the last seven years that made her this different? The image of that innocent girl he met and made a promise with on the beach is no longer present in his eyes.

Of course, time could change a person in that span of years but it's not what he would expect her to be after all that's happened. The murderous intent was clear in her eyes which is something unlike of her to acquire as soon as she mentioned the former dark guild member.

It wouldn't be plausible to assume that she and Jellal clashed at some point. From what he heard with the others, Jellal has formed some sort of a guild that operates within the shadows, taking down dark guilds over the last few years. It's impossible to think that Kagura had been involved in that kind of thing since she's part of legal guilds that are recognized by the Magic Council. And more importantly, Jellal would never do anything to get involved in a fight while redeeming his past crimes.

There's just no way for them to actually meet at some point but then again, he could only speculate. One more option would be like Kagura had some sort of a history with the man, same as Erza though he's hesitant to ask her about it, fearing that it might make her condition worse.

They took another flight of stairs circling all the way to the top as they try to make their way back. The travel was rather longer than expected as they walked along the middle floors where they could see the bottom and the top from there. A hollow space occupies the middle as the floors moved in a spiral pattern, leaving numerous halls along the way. The place seemed to be the center of the tower itself and all the halls leading to it are probably where the other teams are transported. It's a solving puzzle for those who entered inside. And Natsu was glad that they were able to find this place quickly.

They've been walking for about an hour now and the silence continued to linger in the atmosphere until Natsu finally decided to break the awkward silence.

"S-So, uhh... Kagura, how are things?"

"What do you mean things?" Her voice echoed in the air as she glanced at him. It almost seemed like she was also uncomfortable with the silence.

"I mean, what are you doing during the last few years? I knew you joined a guild and all but I'm curious about your other hobbies."

Kagura could only quirk her brow in interest at the sudden question. "Why would you want to ask?"

"Well, uhhh... I was thinking about how to cope up with you, after all that's happened in the last few years I was gone. You know, take some time off with you after the games." He voiced out.

However, after hearing those words, Kagura felt her cheeks blushing as she briefly lost her composure before quickly averting her gaze from him to avoid from getting noticed.

"W-Why would you want to ask me? There are other people out there in your guild who you can spend time with, right?" She stuttered.

She then saw him scratching his head.

"Well, that's true but I feel like I missed a lot of time. I made you wait for so long so I thought I should prioritize my time with you when all of this is over..." His tone sounded regretful after speaking as he looked at the sides much to the girl's surprise.

Even Kagura was speechless of what he just said to her. Her cheeks remained cherry-colored but due to the dim lighting of the place, it was hard for the dragonslayer to notice. This is the first time she actually been asked out by a guy. Although despite the circumstances, it was still technically obvious with the same thing. Kagura knew that it was only out of concern from him but she couldn't shake the feeling of getting flustered over his reply just now as if she was looking forward to it. Obviously, this is not like her at all.

Never in her life would she spend so much time with other people even to her guildmates since she sees it as nothing but a waste of time. She would always go out and do job requests on her own to kill time and hone her skills to avenge her brother. There was no time for her to settle down like the others. She would've normally declined the offer but for some reason, she finds it hard to answer when it comes to him. She suppressed her emotions to a minimal degree in order to keep composed all the time but when talking to him, her emotions seem to flow freely within her. S

he didn't know but she couldn't help but act normally around him. It was only to him that she was able to calm down and feel at peace at times. Her thirst for revenge was something that culminated inside her heart for so long but it was easily replaced by his honest smile. She felt like he carries something that eats away the darkness of other people's hearts.

And that's what concerns her.

"D-Do you really mean it like that?" She suddenly blurted out which is something she wouldn't suppose to say.

'Just what is wrong with me?' She thought, inwardly slapping her cheeks out of embarrassment.

"Well, I guess so but I'm not sure about you. I thought you would dislike that kind of thing."

"Well, I cannot say I dislike it but... being asked out by someone is a bit strange for me." She answered honestly as the pinkette saw her agitated expression.

"Is that so? I do get asked a lot by my friends so I thought it's a normal thing for everyone. I guess this is your first time, right?" He assumed to which she nodded in response but then her eyes strangely locked unto his gaze for some reason after speaking.

"I didn't know you were that sociable. I assume these friends of yours are acquainted male members of your guild."

"Nah, I kinda hate hanging too long with them, especially that stripper. Mira and Lisanna mostly invite me often during my spare time though." He explained though not noticing the swordswoman's silence as her expression immediately shadowed.

"Oh, I see..."

"Don't worry, they mostly invite me to sightsee some cool landmarks around town even though I knew them but I find it strange when they tease me often sometimes. I also hang out with Lucy together with Happy in her apartment. We get most of our food there and the bed was so comfy so it's fun―Huh?" He stopped as soon he felt a rather unshakable fear after noticing the dark pinkish aura of the person right in front of him.

"A-Ah, K-Kagura?"

"Natsu... Can you kindly explain yourself?"

"W-What?"

"What you just said."

It's obvious that he did something wrong. Otherwise, Kagura wouldn't have to move into her stance as if she was ready to cut him down any moment now. It only made him sweat in fear as he recalled a similar experience from the redhead though this one is a bit scarier since this is the first time he'd ever gotten to piss off the Mermaid Heel swordswoman.

Where did he go wrong?

"W-Wait a moment, Kagura! W-Why are you angry all of a sudden?! I didn't do anything!"

He frantically flailed his arms as if his life was on the line, hoping to calm down the woman who was about to beat the life out of him. Surprisingly, she somehow lowered her seething aura and regained her composure. She finally released her hand on the grip before looking back to the original direction.

"Nevermind... I shouldn't react like that."

"Eh?"

Natsu was only able to stutter a response as he saw her continued her pace along the stairs and ignored him for some reason. Her wrath somewhat ended in a flash.

"Is there something wrong with what I said earlier?"

No reply.

"Hey, Kagura..."

"What?"

Thank Mavis she finally noticed him but her foul mood is still evident.

"A-Are you perhaps mad to what I said earlier?"

"I certainly did not." An out straight response without much of a falter in between was heard from her along with a strict voice.

"Iya, but you were just about to slice me open because I talked about my friends."

"You're imagining things."

"Come on, Kagura... I'm your friend, right? You can tell me what's wrong."

Upon that response, the swordswoman stopped in her tracks as if reliving the words he just said to her. A sudden change of expression was noticed by the pinkette as he looked at her in confusion.

"I... don't have any friends, Natsu."

She turned her face back towards him as she begins to speak.

"Eh?"

"You're a more than just a friend to me but other than that, I have not called anyone or anybody a friend until now."

The puzzled look on his face soon turned to a concerned one.

"What do you mean?"

There was a short pause between them until Kagura turned her face towards him. Her expression bearing a sincere one which is something Natsu had longed for her to do yet the next words had gotten him a much different atmosphere of doubt and worry.

"Natsu... I've lost everything from when I heard that my brother died. You weren't there at that time so I knew you wouldn't understand but I knew that you did everything you could and still remembered our promise. I knew that when I first saw you on that beach. Your actions saved me when I was in despair that's why to me; you're not just a person or a friend. You are my savior."

Her voice softened as she declared those words to him. A fluttering feeling welled up inside his heart as he gazed into her eyes. Natsu didn't know how to handle these kinds of situations so he simply stood on the same spot, listening to every word she said to him.

"Kagura..."

"But things are different now... I managed to find my own way outside all of this yet all I could see is nothing but cruel things. There are people who would take advantage of the kindness of others. People who regard the lives of others as nothing but wasted dispensable things. People who kill for their own personal gain." This is what she saw to the world after hearing the news of his brother's death. She concluded that nothing could be gain in this world in such an act of kindness and care. The reality of the suffering and despair was shown right to her; to a small innocent child.

Without a family to shelter her from these dangers, she was tainted in sorrow. The purity of her heart was replaced by a cold-blooded thirst for revenge that fueled her desire to seek the person responsible for the death of her family. This is what became of that girl after seven years.

No matter how much she is surrounded by many people who see her as a reliable friend, she would always carry a darkness within her.

The darkness that drove her down to this path; the path of revenge.

No matter how much she could feel the warmth from the pinkette, it's always the negative emotions that get into her eventually.

―All because of one man that killed the only family she had.

Right now, she only believed that every turn of events is influenced by her own decisions. Every action she took has taken her to the path she wanted to trudge on. To her, there's no such thing as a miracle. Only her and her strength alone can forge that path in the future.

Natsu felt nothing but her resolution behind those words.

Indeed, she's no longer the girl he met on that day. That crying girl who was extremely vulnerable to anything was already long gone.

Because he wasn't able to come back that day.

Because he didn't fulfill that promise.

Because of him... she went through a lot that she wouldn't suppose to experience.

Because he left her alone, she became someone else.

The guilt struck him at that moment of realization. He had it because he knew that he was the source. He was the sole reason why she changed so much. Yet she still called him a savior. He doesn't deserve to be called like that. How could he be called a savior if he left her out there and made her wait all these years?

'No, you're wrong... I'm the one who forgotten our promise. Because of me... I failed to save you.' Those thoughts culminated inside his mind as he clenched his fists hard in regret. However, he still wanted to save her no matter what. He didn't want her to continue leading down this path.

"Kagura, I―" He tried to speak but was then cut off as soon as they heard a huge presence looming over the bottom stairs. The two of them felt an intimidating magic power as all noise between them died down in the silence. Their eyes followed down on the dark floor below where they felt the unnatural presence.

Natsu then remembered what he heard from the announcer back then at the start of the preliminaries. Indeed, there was no such information about what lies inside the labyrinthian tower in which they had to speculate about the dangers that lie ahead.

As simple as it sounds, it's easy to assume that traps and other dead ends might be the only dangers that reside inside but―after encountering a monster from earlier, he knew that it isn't the only type of monster that roamed around this massive labyrinth.

Those assumptions only confirmed his fears.

RRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR*

Suddenly, a deafening sound blasted from below, vibrating to every wall of the tower as contestants stopped in their tracks in both disbelief and fright.

Natsu widened his eyes as soon as he picked up the danger and tackled Kagura away from the ledge before a huge body rose up from the floors, slamming to several stairs as it moved its way up at the very top.

Series of stairways collapsed from its enormous body, cutting off any passage that leads further down or above.

The pinkette immediately let go of his hold on the girl and merely gazed up the large monster that just appeared from the ground. His widened eyes turned into disbelief at the size of the creature above him. Kagura was the same as well.

What kind of magic used to create such a beast?

This isn't like the usual monsters that they fought with earlier. It's massive size vary the size of a small fortress and the appearance of which it had resembled something that the pinkette recognized.

"D-Dragon?"

The dragon-like monster roared violently once again through the narrow space, sending powerful shockwaves that brought down several hallways to where it was pointing. The walls collapsed due to the powerful shockwave it emitted.

Clearly, this is another obstacle that blocks any of the paths leading to the finish line.

Unless any team wanted to claim the spot, they'll have to confront it. However, as scattered as they are throughout the tower, they needed to avoid it as much as possible until they could reform their group,

Natsu knew that well as he turned to sprint towards a hallway located on the right side of the staircase, grabbing the swordswoman's hand to avoid them from getting spotted.

"Let's go! We're gonna get spotted if we stayed there."

"U-Uhh, yeah..."

The woman, on the other hand, didn't utter any single word, assuming that she agrees with his decision but her expression was rather strange than before. Unbeknownst to him, her eyes trailed over to their intertwined hands as they sprinted through the dark hallway.

They soon reached another large room which was part of the labyrinth. The roaring of the monster outside continued to vibrate through the walls.

It seems like it's not planning on following them but judging from its position, it might be guarding the eight exits leading outside the maze.

Until they reunite with their group, they'll have to avoid confronting it head-on.

Natsu let go of his hold from his hand and heaved a sigh of relief. His back rested against the wall behind him as he tried to recompose himself.

"What the hell was that monster? I didn't expect that there's something like that inside."

"Hnn..." She nodded in agreement. "In any case, we should try to rethink our plan. That thing is not pursuing us even though we're out in the open. I assume that it's supposed to guard the exits."

"I think so... Man, I wish they would find us already."

He slid down as he sat on the floor with a lot of things inside his head. Kagura noticed the worried look on his face as he stared right into open space, probably thinking about his friends who were separated just like him.

A curious mind popped into her head as she started speaking.

"I've been meaning to ask you something back then... What does having a friend mean to you?"

"Huh?" Finding her question to be quite strange, Natsu could only wear a puzzled look on his face.

"I-I mean, what does having a friend benefit you? I already said that I don't have one so I couldn't really tell how it felt like."

Natsu knew where she was going at. Since her question doesn't delve on the negative side of her change, he decided to answer her in his honest opinion.

He looked up at the dark ceiling in wonder.

"Having a friend... is like having someone who would look after you like a family. You could say that all of my friends are like my family." He chuckled, flashing his toothy grin as he looked at her with joy.

"Family?"

"Yep... Ever since I was left alone by my father, I was traveling by myself until Gramps took me in and introduced me to a lot of great people. Starting from there, I became part of that family and had a lot of fun together with them. We laugh a lot, cry a lot and even fight a lot with each other. I guess there's just too many things that I could ask for having a friend. They comfort you when you're sad and they also stand beside you, never having to feel the same loneliness that I got when I was alone..." He paused.

"... The same goes for you too, Kagura."

"Me?"

"Even though you said that you don't have friends, there are people who wanted to look after you. After all, you're in a guild, right? It's a place where everyone can find happiness and shelter. It's a place for the lost and the weak and by that, those people band together to cover that weakness... and even their loneliness."

He wanted her to understand that.

As he promised to both himself and Happy, he will do everything to not let her go astray. He just couldn't leave her. That's what he felt even before he met her for the first time 7 years ago. The look on her smiling face wanted him to do something; to keep it as it is.

He failed at that so if there's one thing he wanted to wish, it would be seeing that smile one more time.

He didn't want her to regret her actions. He didn't want to stain her hands with blood. He'd seen a lot of people turning empty inside once that driven revenge was past them. Their purpose was only meant on that killing that person alone without any regard to what to do from now on.

Not only she'd be weighted down by the guilt and emptiness in her heart but also she would lose any purpose to live on.

At the very least, he wanted to prevent that―break that chain before anything worse happens to her.

"Kagura... Even though it's not my position to speak but let me tell you this... I'm not giving up on you!"

He made a declaration that caused her full façade to crumble right in front of him. What came after was a shade of crimson on her cheeks as her lips quivered in embarrassment from his words just now.

"W-Wha―W-W-What are you saying?!"

Ignoring her stuttered reply, he merely continued on.

"This time, I'll make sure to fulfill my promise. Until then, don't do anything reckless."

"W-What?"

"Promise?"

"U-Uhhnnn..." Not understanding the true intention of his words, Kagura reluctantly nodded almost non-stop, seeing how serious he was to her.

For her, the way he spoke just now is something she didn't expect from him completely. I mean, it sounded like a confession or something and she could not help but feel flustered throughout that conversation.

This couldn't be it, right?

She could only think of different interpretations that might've gone through that conversation but she kept it all to herself.

Natsu heaved a contented sigh as he stood up, having to find his determination.

"Yosh, time to get out of this place."

"Huh?"

Without any warning, flames suddenly burst out from his body, rising up high as he released his true power for the first time. Kagura was taken aback by the sudden surge of heat, causing her to take a step back before gazing at the pinkette in shock.

The bright flames shone throughout the dark room and eventually expanded instantly, catching both her and the rest of the room on fire. However, she didn't feel any sort of burning from her body despite the flame's powerful heat. Only a soft warmth was felt throughout her body as she turned to look at him in wonder.

She knew magic works well on the emotions of their user. In her perspective, Natsu's flames don't necessarily harm other people around him and instead, envelops them with his warmth. She could feel his emotions running through those flames as if they were surrounding her.

A bright and hopeful flame that cleanses any sort of darkness from her heart.

This was the reason why she felt so calm when she was together with him.

"Time to show them the results of my training! I'm all fired up!" Followed by a fearless resolve, Natsu suddenly flew out of the room with the help of his flames.

"Natsu!"

Kagura watched him soar through the wall, heading straight back to the center of the tower where the dragon was located. His appearance caught its attention as it turned its dark red eyes towards him but Natsu had already the element of surprise so it was too late for it to turn for a counterattack and got blasted back by a flaming headbutt towards its chin.

The dragon lost its balance but it immediately regains its composure and roared violently in anger. It opened its mouth as a huge stream of hot red flames burst out from it and engulfed the dragonslayer in a sea of fire.

"Natsu!" Kagura watched in disbelief as the sight of the pinkette was enveloped in a massive wave of fire right in front of her.

SSSLLLLLUUURRRRRPPP* SSSSLLLLLLUUUUURRRRPPPP*

A disturbing sound soon echoed within the flames as the swordswoman witnessed the magic being eaten away by the fire dragonslayer who took in all of the magic right inside of him, negating the effects of the dragon roar just now.

"Thanks for the meal!" Wiping off the excess magic fire from his mouth, Natsu sported a confident grin as he gazed right back at the monster back his right fist, a surge of flames circled around his body and then into his right arm, amplifying the power of his fist in the process.

Within moments, he dashed back again as he traded blows against the monster with the same sheer intensity. Natsu's small body was able to dodge away from the huge strikes made by the dragon followed by his own devastating attacks as well, making him a dangerous opponent to fight head on.

Booming shockwaves zoomed past the giant room as the two combatants traded heavy blows at each other in quick succession. Kagura could see multiple instances where the pinkette would get slammed back into a wall after taking a hit, causing her to feel worried only then to be replaced with awe as he quickly regained his footing and confronted the dragon once again.

Kagura knew that fighting a monster like that alone would spell defeat in her eyes but the persistence displayed by the pinkette was something that shocked her in the process. It was also the same reason why she wasn't able to jump into the fight and aid him.

It is as if she was prevented to do so.

...

On the other hand, Natsu gritted in frustration as he found himself unable to overpower the beast solely.

For a fake like that, it sure does pack quite a punch. No wonder why it served as the last floor boss of this tower. It required teamwork and effort to defeat this creature. However, Natsu wasn't leaning on the option of getting help. He was always the type who would fight alone regardless how hopeless the situation is. But then again, months of training his powers made him realize to keep himself level-headed in the face of a difficult situation. He learned how to fight evenly without the need of doing things recklessly as he did from before.

Knowing that he gazed at the glaring dragon as he managed to grab himself a place above it to examine its features. For a dragon like that, it surely does mimic not only its power but its appearance as well.

"Guess I'll have to try something." Releasing his hold, he let his figure fall above the dragon as it opened its mouth, seemingly preparing some sort of a roar to blast him away.

Natsu smirked as he blasted both his feet on fire, propelling him straight down to the monster's mouth and released his own version of roar. The speed of his descent took the monster by surprise as the pinkette released his spell at point-blank range.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" With a shout, a stream of flames erupted from his mouth, burning through the dragon's mouth as the fire blew down onto its own body, inflating it in the process.

However, the spell didn't have enough power as the dragon's body receded back to its normal condition, easily negating the pinkette's attack as well. Natsu expected for the body to blow up into pieces if he poured more power inside it to explode but it seemed like it was built to be as durable as well.

He hasn't fought anything like this since that metal dragon from Edolas only then, he was successful with the help of the other two dragonslayers.

Natsu groaned, looking at the dragon in irritation. Dealing it alone would've probably be harder than he thought. Is there really no other choice? He gritted his teeth, looking like he has to release his trump card for this kind of event. However, the importance of getting his guild to secure that slot briefly entered his mind as he had cleared all his hesitations at the moment.

"It can't be helped." He said to himself, moving into a stance.

However, just as he was about to use his power, an explosion from the side of the wall was heard as a series of ice spears were launched to the back of the dragon, effectively catching his attention as it turned towards it. Natsu gazed further, recognizing the two figures that came from the hold of the wall. A smile was traced across his lips as he called out to his friends.

"Gray! Erza!"

At the same time, another blast was heard from the other side as two other female figures emerged from the wall.

"Wendy and Lucy too! How did you get here?!"

"Not just us." The celestial mage paused as several more walls were blown up from their hold, revealing other mages from other guilds that reunited with their own members. "All of the remaining eight guilds are already here."

"It looks like your little fight with this monster here has caught all our attention," Gray answered, molding an ice bazooka hoisted upon his shoulder.

"Just what you would've expected from him. He does serve as a great bait, don't you think?" Gajeel laughed with his usual 'gi-hi' style which also caught the pinkette's attention towards the other members right beside him.

"Laxus? Why are there two Fairy Tail teams here?" Said person still having his arms crossed with his jacket fluttering around his back. His collected composure is obviously evident in spite of the situation. And he is not just alone. Along with Gajeel, there's also Mirajane and Juvia in the fray. Even some of the other 6 guilds were quite surprised to find two teams under the same banner.

The other team seemed to be not surprised as the pinkette as Erza opened her mouth to explain. "Well, we didn't really expect it either. Though it seems Master had some plans of his own in winning these games. Who would've thought about getting another set of team of the same guild?"

She smiled as if looking a bit more confident with the presence of her other fellow guildmates fighting for the same goal. Her eyes darted back on the four members, seemingly curious. "Although, it doesn't seem like your team isn't completed yet."

When she asked that, Gajeel smirked as he simply pointed his finger up top.

"Gihi, he's already here. He's just making an introduction."

As if to answer her question, a series of magic circles erupted above the dragon's head as a shadowy cloaked figure emerged from the top, pointing several staves around him in a floating fashion. The others looked up at the sight of the magic circles as they activated within seconds.

"Five Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song!" Within moments of its activation, the dragon was immediately engulfed in a large beam of concentrated magic, causing it to shriek out loud and stand in disarray. A couple of heads turned at the beam in awe as the magic continued to damage the dragon with every bit of power it can muster.

The figure dropped on a nearby broken ledge facing the beast. At the same time, the rest of the team were able to ascertain the man's identity, judging from its shady presence and the five staves hung around his back.

There's no mistaking it.

"M-Mystogan?!" That was the first reaction of Team Natsu with the exception of the red scarlet knight. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she noticed his gaze staring down at her with utter silence. In her mind, she was clear who it was behind that mask.

However, before any of them could even proceed to think, the sight of the other guilds caught their attention as they now helped dismantle the remaining monster inside the tower. Guilds like Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and other familiar ones joined in the fray as the beam signaled their moment of attack. Even Sabertooth had no problems with the combined assault though they simply stood away from the fight, seemingly in watch as the rest of the participating guilds moved into battle.

The last guild team, however, also stood from their positions but they paid no attention to the threat of the dragon monster and simply observed the unfolding situation. One particular figure that stands out was a golden armor-clad knight who seems to be staring down at the two Fairy Tail teams in silence. One could notice the intense gaze as if feeling some sort of a dreadful feeling if one happens to meet up with its gaze, however, the highlight of the combined fight made them little less recognizable as small figures surrounded the monsters with their own set of magic ready to release against it.

On the other hand, Erza and the others soon got themselves wrapped up in the flow of the battle as multiple mages began leaping into the fray.

"So this is the final boss, huh?"

"Let's put him down with our magic combined. Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen~~"

"Let's gooooo!"

"WILD!"

Natsu turned back in horror, seeing how the rest of the guilds are slowly taking away his opponent with sheer power and coordination. Turning his eyes over to the solitary cloaked figure, he made a shout.

"Oi oi oi! Don't go showing off like that! This is my kill!" With vain declaration, the remaining guilds quickly cornered the beast as large pillars of rock moved in to subdue its movements. Looking at the familiar magic, Natsu stared at a solitary mage from the distance with his hand moved into a stance while the other rests upon the sleeves of his kimono.

Jura stood calmly on the sidelines, bearing his second introduction to the fray by restricting the dragon with the use of his Earth Magic. The presence of the makeshift pillars and the two large walls erected onto both sides of the monster is proof of its overwhelming advantage against large opponents.

A pained roar erupted from the monster as the walls changed around it, pinning its movements further as the mage swiped his used hand for another spell.

"Now's the time to eliminate that monster. Pour everything you've got, young ones!" He shouted, giving the rest of the guilds the attack signal as they rushed down to damage the monster. Even Gray and the others have begun rushing down into the large room for their own contribution.

Natsu sighed in defeat. He was looking forward to taking the beast on his own but it seems that chance wouldn't be sailing back to him anytime soon. However, a lack of a certain purple-haired woman soon came into his thoughts and quickly sniffed the air to track her scent.

Surprisingly, he simply found her in the usual spot where they had left. The swordswoman stood solely, her eyes darting off the distance and onto him for some reason.

"Oi! Hurry up and join up your ass up here, Flame-bearded monkey!" An annoying voice caused his thoughts to shatter. A twitch in his head formed as he snapped at the ice mage, using his magic to freeze off one of the dragon's foot alongside with Lyon. Apparently, they're involved in a brief rivalry between students of Ur but that's his concern right now.

The call made him realize that the dragon seemed to be tougher than it was expected.

Down below, Kagura wanted to follow but at that time was completely interrupted when a burst of lightning and fire circled around the pinkette above. Her eyes stared in disbelief at the immense surge of magic happening around him as she could clearly feel the pressure being emitted. Other guild members seemed to have noticed it as well, turning their gaze to the emerging light from the distance as Natsu began using his newly-found power.

Even Team Natsu or the other team opened their eyes in shock at the unprecedented change.

"What the hell is that?" A set of confusion went along those witnessed the light but the most notable shock was from the two dragonslayers from Sabertooth as they felt through his intense power. This was not what they would expect from him but then again, it would've been boring if he didn't turn out to be this strong. However, the immense pressure gave them a sign of something they didn't expect from him; a truly formidable dragonslayer from the first generation.

Natsu stared at the weakened dragon monster with glaring eyes as he slowly balled his right fist, focusing the flow of magic within it in both lightning and fire. "Even though you looked like one, you're not the same as that of my dad or any of the dragons."

He taunted as he finished his spell. His flames taking the form of a massive red dragon that roared defiantly against its counterpart. It's like the very magic itself manifested under the will of his power.

Kagura stood in awe as she watched him from the distance. Indeed what she's seeing was a mage capable of slaying dragons. Mages that inherited the power of the dragons. This is what the once rumored Salamander of Fiore is supposed to be. The one person leaving nothing but destruction in its wake, whether it be a town or any place.

That's right. He is a―

"Dragonslayer..."

Natsu confronted the dragon with his right arm stretched wide above him, causing the flames to surge high into the ceiling as he floated above its head. Lightning sparks emerged along with the blazing fire as he locked his eyes towards the monster. With a dash straight down to the ground, he released his spell.

"Lightning Flame Dragon's Firing Hammer!"

With a shout, Natsu buried his fist right towards the dragon's belly, easily piercing it with so much force that the flames clad in lightning went through it, causing a huge hole. Outside the tower, the flames burst right through from one of the walls as indicated by the spell's firepower. Many of the onlookers were astonished as they saw the streaming fire from the tower before it faded.

Inside, the dragon let out a huge cry as it plummets to the side of the walls, causing huge debris to fall right back to the ground. A massive shockwave resulted as it crashed further to the ground, leaving many astounded at the sight. A spell like that was enough to knock out multiple mages in the vicinity if not for their evasive actions. A lot of eyes darted right onto the descending pinkette as he landed right next to it with fierce eyes.

With a fatal blow, the dragon-like monster suddenly faded into dust. The huge body was suddenly turned into nothingness as it lost its urge to move any further after taking that devastating blow.

Natsu stood safely in one of the still-intact staircases as he watched the monster disappeared without a trace.

And in just like that, the biggest monster that they saw just now was already gone. All done in by a single mage in just a single attack.

Kagura watched him from a few meters away in which he also turned his gaze right back at her before gesturing a thumbs-up, seemingly referring to the threat being dealt with. For him to easily destroy that monster is not just a simple feat. His power could go beyond that of an S-Class mage. The same level of power as hers.

'So this is your true power, Natsu...'

However, just as she was about to try and regroup with him, a familiar voice soon called her name from below.

"Oooooiiiiiiiiiii! Kagura!"

"Risley?"

She looked down and saw her guildmates across the stairway, seemingly one floor below her as they emerged from a room located there. It seems like they were able to locate after all that commotion. Moreover, the rest of her guildmates seemed to be together as shown that they consisted of four altogether alongside with the others. She then looked at the pinkette who already noticed the voice calling him as well.

"Natsu!"

Lucy and the others eventually emerged from the vicinity alongside Erza and the rest of the group. It seemed like they reunited with each other halfway and had been looking for him since then.

"Everyone!"

"Come on, the others are waiting! The exit's just this way!" Lucy called out as they waved their hands at him.

The dragonslayer looked back at Kagura who merely gave an expression.

'Go.'

Unfortunately, he still had a lot of things he needed to tell right away but it seems like it could go around for some other time. Seeing that they both found their respected members, the two mages eventually parted as Natsu followed upward to reunite with his friends. "Where the hell you've been? We've been looking everywhere for you. Lucky for us, we both regrouped with Lucy and Wendy along the way before stumbling to you."

Gray started with a cold remark as soon as he approached them.

"Something came up and I got lost. But it seems we're all fine now." Natsu replied.

"We've encountered some monsters along the way. I guess they're part of the obstacles here but I didn't expect a giant monster like that inside this tower." Erza voiced in concern.

"And to top it all, you defeated it. Did you happen to encounter it while you're finding your way around the tower?" Lucy asked.

"Nope. I just wanna defeat it." He deadpanned, causing the others to sweatdrop.

"You... there's really nothing but fighting inside there, aren't you? At least save up some for me, blockhead!" Gray answered upsettingly. The whole fight was definitely centered on that decisive blow against the dragon-like monster. It made all other mages seemed irrelevant after that spectacular sight.

"That's Natsu-san for you," Wendy added with praise and admiration towards her elder dragonslayer.

"In any case, I'm glad you're all okay. And just in time, we've reached the exit above. We should all hurry before any more teams try to get past us." Erza spoke as they all nodded in unison.

"Yes!"

...

With the dragon monster gone, the path towards the exit is already right ahead of them. The group eventually reached the top of the tower where they encountered the same mascot who appeared in the preliminaries above town via lacrima-vision. Beside him, was the door leading to the outside of the tower and a banner of congratulations hanging right above it.

"Congratulations on reaching the exit-kabo!"

The group all wore prideful smirks as they completed their first game.

"Among all the remaining teams that made it to the floor and defeated the monster, you're now part of the eight guild teams that will be participating in the next part of the games."

A series of shouts and fist-pumping resounded within the group.

"YOSHA!"

"However, this is just the beginning. The day of the first Grand Magic Games is about to start-kabo."

The team all looked at one another as they faced the door. Their hearts are now fully prepared and the goal of restoring their guild back to its former glory grew stronger.

This is the start of their Grand Magic Games.

A/N: Alright and chapter stops from here! There's bound to be a lot of work to do here from now on since I would need to start thinking about the matchups and the twists I needed to further develop their character as the event goes by. Of course, fights will still be included in the mix aside from romances.

Anyways, the story's off to a fresh start in its first arc so let's see how it turns out here from now on despite how long it is since its last update. Really sorry for that. Deviations will come by as we progress each chapter so look forward to it.

As always, thanks again for reading and I'll see you all in the next chapter.

- The wiErDos send their regards...