Chapter 296: Rock-Paper-Scissors
"Who could have seen this twist coming?!"
Chapati Lola's voice blasted through the lacrima speakers, echoing the absolute shock of the tens of thousands of spectators in the Domus Flau.
"Sabertooth's Twin Dragons, the undisputed champions of the Grand Magic Games, are completely powerless before Fairy Tail! Is the match already over?!"
"No way… Pumpkin!"
Even Mato the Pumpkin Head, the usually energetic master of ceremonies and referee, was left utterly dumbfounded. He gripped his oversized mask, staring at the battered forms of the two Dragon Slayers.
"Hah… hah… it can't end like this…"
Rogue Cheney struggled to his feet, his breathing ragged and heavy. The dark shadows that usually clung to his body flickered weakly, reflecting the sheer exhaustion setting into his bones.
Every muscle screamed in protest, but the pride of Sabertooth forced him to stand.
"Aaah… I always knew this wall wouldn't be easy to climb," Sting Eucliffe muttered, wiping a trail of blood from his chin.
He looked down at his trembling hands, his mind flashing back to a small, red Exceed cheering for him.
"I promised Lector—I won't lose. No matter what it takes, for Lector's sake, I absolutely will not lose!"
Suddenly, the atmospheric pressure in the arena plummeted.
Intricate, scale-like patterns aggressively flared across Sting and Rogue's bodies. Their magical power, previously depleted, began shifting violently, surging upward at an unnatural, terrifying rate.
"Wh-what is this?!"
Up in the Fairy Tail viewing balcony, Erza Scarlet took a step forward, her brow furrowing deeply. She sensed something incredibly heavy and familiar—she'd felt this suffocating aura before, back in the Tower of Heaven.
"It's Dragon Force," Ren said calmly, leaning against the railing.
His eyes narrowed as he analyzed the white and black magical energy spiraling around the two Sabertooth mages. He had seen that exact type of raw, primal power before on the ancient dragon that had broken its seal in the Kingdom of Sofia.
That beast had come straight for the humans, treating them like mere insects, so Ren had stepped up and decisively cut it down.
"Dragon Force!!"
Laxus Dreyar was stunned, his golden eyes widening slightly as he watched the transformation unfold below.
Dragon Force was widely known as the ultimate, final form of a Dragon Slayer Mage. It allowed a human to fully wield the destructive might of a literal dragon, granting them scales, enhanced senses, and explosive magical output.
Legends said that only by achieving this state could a dragon be truly harmed by human hands.
"See this power?" Sting yelled, his voice now carrying a strange, draconic reverberation. The white scales on his cheeks caught the stadium light.
"This is the real thing, Natsu! This is the absolute strength that can kill dragons. Unlike you First-Generation lot who rely on external factors, we can tap into Dragon Force at will."
Sting clenched his glowing white fists, a cocky grin returning to his face. "That's exactly why we're confident we can kill Acnologia."
"Kill Acnologia?"
Gajeel Redfox sneered, spitting a glob of blood onto the stone floor. His red eyes glared at the glowing twins with a mixture of amusement and deep irritation.
"Tch, snot-nosed brats, quit joking around. You can't even beat us, and you seriously want to fight the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse?"
Gajeel cracked his metallic knuckles. "We'd be one-shot by him right now, let alone you weaklings."
Sting ignored the taunt, his eyes blazing with blinding white magic. "There's no point explaining it to them. Rogue, stay out of this. I'll handle this alone."
Rogue remained silent, the dark aura around him pulsing steadily, but he took a small step back, honoring his partner's request.
"I'll make them feel the absolute gulf between our generations once Dragon Force is in play," Sting declared, pointing a clawed finger at Natsu.
"Unbelievable!" Chapati Lola screamed into his microphone. "Sabertooth, who was on the ropes just moments ago, just declared he'll take on two Fairy Tail powerhouses at once!"
Former Council Member Yajima stroked his chin, musing softly, "Looks like they're pretty confident in this new form."
"We're being underestimated," Gajeel growled, his iron-hard muscles tensing with extreme annoyance.
Natsu Dragneel's face, usually set in a goofy grin, was dead serious. "Don't let your guard down, Gajeel. This magic feels insanely strong."
"Here I come!!"
Sting shot forward, completely vanishing from sight.
Before Natsu could even track his movement, a heavy, light-infused fist slammed into his gut. The sheer kinetic force of the blow lifted Natsu off his feet, sending the Fire Dragon Slayer flying backward across the arena.
"Iron Dragon's Club!"
Gajeel reacted instantly. His arm transformed into a massive, elongated steel pillar, sweeping in a wide, devastating arc aimed directly at Sting's ribs.
Sting ducked fluidly under the heavy Iron Dragon's Club, his movements light and entirely unpredictable. As he slipped past the attack, he raised a glowing finger and fired a concentrated magic bullet directly into Gajeel's face.
"White Dragon's Holy Breath!!"
Leaping high into the air, Sting gathered an immense amount of blinding white light in his mouth. He blasted a fierce, concentrated energy sphere down at the two Fairy Tail mages.
BOOM!
The arena floor was instantly shattered, reduced to fine dust as the holy light consumed the ground where Natsu and Gajeel stood.
"What terrifying power!"
The massive crowd gasped simultaneously at the sheer scale of the destruction.
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
Suddenly, flames roared viciously from within the dust cloud. Natsu charged out, wreathed entirely in crimson fire, propelling himself forward headfirst like a blazing meteor.
"Iron Dragon's Roar!!"
From the opposite side, Gajeel unleashed a devastating tornado of razor-sharp iron shards, creating a deadly crossfire that knocked Sting roughly out of the sky.
Sting tumbled through the air but quickly righted himself, his white scales glowing brighter as he tapped deeper into his draconic reserves.
"The White Dragon's light purifies all!" Sting chanted, bringing his hands together in a blinding flash.
"White Dragon's Holy Ray!!"
Hundreds of concentrated beams of piercing white light rained down upon the battlefield, homing in relentlessly on Natsu and Gajeel. The attack offered no blind spots, raining down like a divine punishment.
"Aaaagh!"
"Ughaaah!"
Both Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers yelled in pain as the holy lasers pierced their defenses, tearing through their clothes and scorching their skin.
Yet, the very moment their boots hit the ground, they retaliated with a fiery punch and an iron kick. Sting managed to hold them off for a while, utilizing the immense speed and power of his Dragon Force.
The three-way brawl was a chaotic blur of light, fire, and iron. The arena shook with every impact, the stone floor rapidly turning into a cratered wasteland.
But soon, the relentless barrage of Holy Ray took its toll. Natsu and Gajeel were finally forced onto the ground, panting heavily amidst the rubble.
Rogue looked down at them from his vantage point, his shadow magic swirling ominously. "Times change. For seven years, we trained relentlessly to become true Dragon Slayer Mages."
Rogue narrowed his eyes. "The old era is over. You fairies belong to the past."
"Both down? Then this match is…" Chapati Lola began, ready to call the upset.
"Hold it right there!!"
Natsu pushed himself up, his hands pressing against the scorched earth. Beside him, Gajeel rose to his feet, a dark, competitive grin spreading across his face.
Natsu bared his sharp teeth, cracking his neck loudly. "That power's nasty, I'll give you that. Every inch of me aches!"
Gajeel scratched the back of his head casually, spitting out some dust. "Heh, you're tougher than I thought, kid. But you seriously think that's enough to fight Acnologia?"
Gajeel let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Don't make me laugh. You're barely warming us up."
"Impossible! I was using Dragon Force!!"
Sting couldn't believe his eyes. He'd held absolutely nothing back, burning through his ultimate trump card, yet these two monsters from a forgotten era were still standing, looking more annoyed than defeated.
"Sure, your Dragon Force is strong," Natsu stated, wiping soot from his forehead. "But your being strong doesn't automatically mean I'm weak!"
"Damn, I should've blocked that light shower with Iron Dragon Scales," Gajeel muttered, annoyed at his own miscalculation. "Getting pummeled into the dirt by a couple of shiny punks—how embarrassing."
Gajeel stepped forward, his arm turning back into solid iron. "Gajeel, stay back. I'll take them both down myself."
"Like hell you will!" Natsu snapped, bumping shoulders with the iron mage. "I'm fighting! You back off and watch me crush them into paste."
"Rock-paper-scissors?" Natsu suddenly suggested, raising his fist.
"Bring it on—I'm not losing to a hothead like you!"
Gajeel smirked confidently. He was absolutely certain he'd beat Natsu at a simple game of rock-paper-scissors. It was a matter of pride now.
"Rock-paper-scissors!"
Right in the middle of the grand arena, with the fate of the Grand Magic Games hanging in the balance, the two legendary Dragon Slayers completely ignored their opponents and started playing a children's hand game.
The entire crowd, from the King of Fiore down to the peanut gallery, simply stared in dead silence. Was the decision for this epic battle really going to be this casually decided?
First round: Natsu threw scissors, Gajeel threw scissors. It was a tie.
"Rock-paper-scissors!"
Second round: Gajeel threw a solid rock, Natsu threw a flat paper.
"I win!!"
Natsu whooped loudly, pumping his fist into the air triumphantly.
Beside him, Gajeel slumped forward dramatically, utterly stunned and devastated that he'd actually lost the crucial match of rock-paper-scissors. The psychological damage was far greater than any of Sting's attacks.
Standing a few meters away, Sting and Rogue burned with extreme humiliation. They were being completely ignored. Their ultimate Dragon Force was being treated as a mere backdrop to a playground game.
Clenching his teeth so hard his gums bled, Sting snapped, "You said one of you is enough—quit spouting crap! Stop looking down on us!"
Rogue, finally losing his cool demeanor, shouted directly at Natsu, "I'm not here for you! Gajeel, step up and fight me!"
"Then come take me down if you can!"
Natsu beckoned both of them with a mocking, crooked finger, his body bursting into intense, heat-distorting flames.
"Dragon Force equals the absolute power of a true dragon—nothing stronger exists in this world!"
Sting channeled every ounce of his remaining holy might, his white aura flaring violently as he charged forward like a speeding comet.
Natsu didn't even flinch. He casually raised a burning arm and perfectly blocked Sting's light-infused punch.
"You're short-sighted," Natsu said softly, the flames in his eyes reflecting his unwavering conviction.
"This world has powers that easily match Dragon Force. And no matter how great the raw strength is, its true value depends entirely on who wields it."
With a terrifying roar, Natsu's fiery fist smashed brutally into Sting's face, completely shattering his momentum.
"Shadow Dragon's Roar!!"
Rogue took advantage of the opening, unleashing a massive torrent of destructive shadows aimed at Natsu's blind spot.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!!"
Natsu spun around, inhaling deeply before unleashing a massive vortex of crimson flames. The two draconic roars collided violently in the center of the arena.
Without hesitation, Natsu's intense, emotionally fueled flames devoured Rogue's shadows completely, the fire swallowing the Sabertooth mage whole.
"Ughaaaaah!!" Rogue screamed as he was blasted backward.
"We're not done yet!"
Sting desperately rushed Natsu again, throwing a flurry of blinding punches, only to be effortlessly overpowered and thrown aside once more.
Rogue recovered and joined the fray. Yet, even fighting together, synchronizing their Dragon Force attacks perfectly, the Twin Dragons found themselves completely suppressed by Natsu's overwhelming, singular might.
"Sting!" Rogue called out, realizing physical attacks were useless.
"On it!"
Sting rushed to his partner's side. The two Dragon Slayers clasped their hands together, intertwining their fingers. The blinding white light and the abyssal black shadows began swirling together in a perfect, chaotic harmony.
"Unison Raid?!"
Up on the balcony, Makarov exclaimed, his small hands gripping the railing tightly. Unison Raid was an incredibly difficult technique that completely combined two different magics, exponentially multiplying their destructive might.
It was the exact same principle as the Magic Council's Etherion cannon, just operating with a smaller scale of elements.
"Holy Shadow Dragon's Flash Fang!!" Sting and Rogue roared in perfect unison, unleashing a massive, twisting beam of destructive light and shadow.
"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art – Crimson Lotus: Blazing Blade!!" Natsu roared back, his arms moving in a rapid, circular motion as he unleashed a spiraling torrent of explosive, concentrated fire to meet them.
[Akarin Note:
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