The hotheaded Natsu wasn't about to just stand there and listen to Erigor's trash talk.
The moment he heard the insult, he started shouting right back.
If there was one thing Natsu understood deeply, it was the meaning of bonds—the connections between friends and family.
More than anyone else in the guild, he valued these ties.
Because of this, even though Natsu wasn't as powerful as the top-tier S-Class Mages, he was still one of the most trusted and reliable members.
Everyone knew Natsu would always have their back.
And now, someone he saw as an older brother and a dear friend—Ankh—was being disrespected by some random stranger? Natsu couldn't let that slide!
Before Erigor could even finish his arrogant threat, Natsu's fist was already blazing with fire.
He didn't hesitate.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Natsu's burning punch landed squarely on Erigor's face before the man could react.
The force sent Erigor flying backward, crashing into the ground and kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
Eisenwald's gang of thugs stood frozen, completely stunned.
Did... did their boss just get knocked flying in one hit?
Erigor scrambled out of the dust, coughing.
Seeing his useless underlings just standing there, he roared in fury.
"What are you idiots waiting for?! Attack! Kill them and get Lullaby back!"
His shout snapped them out of it. Their eyes locked onto the skull-shaped flute in Ankh's hand.
As one, they charged.
But Natsu wasn't interested in these small fries.
He looked up and shouted, "Happy!"
"Aye, sir!" came the cheerful reply from above.
A flash of blue shot down from the sky.
Happy grabbed Natsu's shoulder, and with perfect teamwork, the duo soared into the air, easily dodging the swarming enemies.
They headed straight for Erigor, who was now gathering wind magic around himself for defense.
"Happy, use that move!" Natsu yelled, his eyes focused.
Happy understood immediately. His usually wide, cute eyes narrowed with determination.
"Max speed!" he yelled back, putting all his magic into one burst.
Happy pulled Natsu forward, and their speed shot through the roof, creating a sonic boom.
At the same moment, fire erupted all over Natsu's body.
Using Happy's incredible speed as a boost, Natsu became a living comet of flame.
He shot toward Erigor like a blazing arrow, his roar tearing through the air.
"Fire Dragon's... Sword Horn!"
Erigor's eyes went wide with shock and pain.
The impact knocked the air right out of his lungs, and his face turned a sickly gray.
Then, with a spray of blood, Erigor was sent flying once more, tumbling through the air before crashing somewhere far in the distance.
Happy's "Max Speed" used up almost all of the cat's magic power.
Combined with Natsu's powerful, concentrated "Sword Horn" attack, it was a devastating combo.
If an ordinary mage took that hit, they wouldn't get back up.
On the battlefield, the Dark Guild members watched their boss get launched into the sky again.
A heavy, awkward silence fell over them.
'...Was there even any point in fighting now?'
Erza swung her massive sword effortlessly, knocking back another wave of attackers.
She shook her head. "That Natsu. he's always so reckless."
Ankh, watching with a smile, reassured her. "Don't worry. No matter how scary Erigor's reputation might be, he's all talk. Natsu will win."
He wasn't just saying that.
A guy like Erigor might give Natsu a bit of trouble, but actually beating him? No way.
Countless much stronger villains in the original story had tried and failed to put Natsu down for good.
With Erza leading Gray and Lucy, just three of them managed to hold off the entire charging Dark Guild force.
They were clearly in control.
The Eisenwald members, being pushed back by only three people, started to panic.
Their boss was gone. They were facing the famous "Titania," one of Fairy Tail's most powerful mages.
How could they possibly win?
They might have had numbers on their side... but their numbers weren't nearly enough to make up for the huge gap in skill and power.
Eisenwald's fighting spirit quickly died.
Before long, these weak-willed thugs were completely defeated.
They broke ranks and fled in every direction, desperate to get away.
What kind of loyalty or courage could you expect from people like this? They were just selfish scum who joined a Dark Guild to feel powerful and break the rules.
When real trouble came, they ran.
Erza with her Knight Sword, Gray with his Ice-Make magic, and Lucy with her summoned Celestial Spirits had won an easy victory against a much larger group.
Ankh, who had been leaning against a broken train car watching the whole thing, enjoyed the show.
He occasionally chatted in his mind with Seram.
As for why Ankh didn't lift a finger to help with the small fry... that was simple.
What were underlings and younger guild members for, if not to handle this kind of thing?
Just as Ankh was getting bored watching the last of Eisenwald's men run away, his ever-thoughtful other half, Seram, spoke up in his mind.
[That disgusting thing in your hand... it's planning something.]
Ankh blinked, then immediately felt it.
The magic flute in his hand was oozing a thick, nasty dark energy.
Suddenly, it jerked out of his grip and shot into the air.
"You ignorant, pathetic humans!" a deep, raspy voice boomed from above.
A huge, dark purple magic circle appeared in the sky, crackling with evil-looking lightning.
The skull-shaped flute melted into the center of the circle.
Then, from beneath the glowing circle, an enormous figure began to rise.
A terrible, rotting smell filled the air—like old graves and decay.
It was disgusting.
"You're all so slow! I can't wait any longer!" the giant thing roared, its voice shaking the ground. "I'm going to devour every last one of your mage souls!"
Erza stared up at the newly transformed Lullaby, her expression serious.
"What... is this thing?" she asked, her voice tense.
Ankh looked up at the giant demon with a look of pure scorn.
"A demon. Created from the magic in Zeref's books, according to the stories. This is Lullaby's true form."
The giant demon skull in the sky slowly turned. I
ts empty eye sockets glowed with a bloody red light, fixing directly on Ankh.
It spoke in a mocking, whispering voice that echoed in everyone's heads.
"You're just a mere human... I'll start by feasting on your soul!"
A confident smile spread across Ankh's face.
He answered softly, but his voice carried clearly. "My soul? You're not strong enough to handle it."
A mere artificial demon, created by dark magic, thought it could consume the dual souls of a being who was once a god? The idea was laughable.
The demon, however, didn't see the joke.
It threw its head back and let out a ground-shaking roar directed at Ankh.
"Once I devour you, you will understand true agony!"
Ankh's eyes finally turned cold, all patience gone.
He held out a hand, stopping Erza, who was ready to leap into battle, sword in hand.
"This demon," Ankh said, his voice calm but final. "I'll deal with it myself."
'By himself?'
Erza was startled for a moment, but then she nodded and took a step back.
If this demon was so eager to throw its life away... then Ankh would be happy to send it straight to oblivion.