Kael watched as the massive wave threatened to engulf the entire harbor. With two fingers glowing, he deftly used his magic to calm the raging sea, leaving only the cruise ship overturned on the sandy beach.
"Truly deserving of a Saint Ten," Lucy thought, sneaking a glance at Kael. He held Happy in one arm while stuffing handfuls of peeled chestnuts into his mouth, a playful smile tugging at his eyes.
Lucy clenched her fists, pumping herself up. "Alright, let's go! Stay sharp!" Her gaze returned to the unfolding chaos below.
"What's going on?"
"The ship… it ran aground!"
"Cough, cough… damn it… what happened?"
Bora pushed himself up from the ground, clutching his head in confusion. He had no idea how a giant wave had suddenly appeared and smashed into the harbor.
"You call yourself a Fairy Tail mage?!" Natsu gripped a mast and leapt onto it, looming above Bora with a glare full of disgust.
"So what if I am? Minions, get him!"
Bora's subordinates obeyed instantly, their eyes filled with malice. Two charged forward first.
"Let me see your face properly," Natsu muttered, his contempt turning cold. Anyone daring to call themselves a Fairy Tail mage deserved no mercy. Stripping off his jacket to reveal his battle vest, he assumed a combat stance.
"Swish~"
The two subordinates threw simultaneous punches at Natsu. Unfazed, Natsu's rapid strikes sent them flying past Bora, crashing into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
"I'm Natsu of Fairy Tail. I've never heard of you—remember who you're dealing with!" Natsu displayed the Fairy Tail emblem on his arm, his gaze deadly serious as he fixed Bora with his eyes.
"That mark…"
"Looks real… Boss Bora," one bald subordinate whispered, tears streaming as his legs shook uncontrollably, bewildered at the situation.
The others, too, hesitated, unsure what to do. Fairy Tail was the strongest guild in Fiore Kingdom—there was no way they could win this.
"Damn… don't call my name now," Bora yelled in fear, realizing the morale of his men had collapsed. He turned to Natsu, thoughts racing: "Damn it… I need to escape."
High above the harbor…
"Red Sky Bora… the one exiled by the Giant's Nose," Happy muttered, instantly recognizing him.
"What about Natsu?" Lucy's voice held worry as she watched Natsu advance toward Bora with unstoppable force.
"Don't worry. Even if there were a hundred or a thousand Boras, they wouldn't stand a chance against Natsu," Happy said confidently, patting his chest.
"Wow… Natsu's that strong?!" Lucy gasped.
"Happy, you really are Natsu's loyal little brother. Not bad," Kael chuckled, nodding in agreement, then gestured for them to keep watching.
"Daring to use Fairy Tail's name to scam people? Unforgivable," Natsu muttered, stepping closer, the pressure from his presence building with each step.
"You little brat… what can you possibly do to me? I don't believe you're that strong," Bora spat back, summoning his magic.
With both hands extended, he unleashed Flame Magic—Inferno Tornado. A towering purple vortex of fire erupted around Natsu, scorching the ship and the surrounding air.
"Boss is serious! Starting with this powerful magic!" one of Bora's men whispered, alarmed. Normally, Bora would open with something weaker.
"Natsu!!" Lucy leapt up, ready to intervene, but Kael extended a hand to stop her.
"Ha! Thought you were strong? Just talk, no action. Minions, retreat."
Seeing Natsu unmoved, Bora relaxed, smugly tossing his cloak over his shoulders and walking away with his hands in his pockets.
"I thought you were a Fire Mage? Ugh… this fire tastes awful," Natsu muttered.
"What? Impossible!" The onlookers were dumbstruck as Natsu inhaled the flames deeply, devouring them with excitement.
One bite, and the inferno tornado shrank, vanishing into Natsu's stomach.
"Thanks for the meal," Natsu quipped.
"What… what is this guy?" Bora's subordinates stammered, terrified.
The power surged within Natsu. He clenched his fists, forming a magic circle, and positioned his hands around his cheeks.
"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"
A torrent of flames, stronger than the tornado, burst from Natsu's mouth, barreling toward Bora and his men.
"Boom! Smoke everywhere!"
"Too fast… can't dodge!" Bora shouted, propelling himself into the air with his fire magic, tossing his burning cloak aside, and intensifying his flames to escape.
But his men lay scattered on the ground, defeated.
"Too late to escape." Natsu's eyes glowed red, and with a forceful leap, he closed the distance. Flames coalesced around his fists.
"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"
Bora desperately summoned a Wall of Flames, but Natsu's punch shattered it, sending Bora plummeting like a deflated balloon.
"Boom!"
"What… eating fire and spitting it back… is this really magic?" Lucy gawked, stunned.
"The Dragon's lungs breathe fire; its scales repel flames. This is the ancient lost magic—Dragon Slayer Magic, meant to counter dragons," Happy explained, adopting a scholarly tone.
"Yes. And it's not just fire… other elements exist. You'll see someday," Kael added.
"Now the battle's over. Let's head down." Kael deactivated his magic, and the group teleported to the beach.
"Damn… my new clothes! Huh? Where are Happy and Lucy?" Natsu muttered, noticing they weren't beside him.
"Happy? Lucy? Where are you?" Natsu called out, unaware that Kael, Happy, and Lucy had already appeared on the sand behind him.
"Not bad, Natsu… looks like you've trained hard these past two years," a familiar voice praised, halting Natsu mid-step.
"Kael's back," Happy confirmed, and Natsu's fists glowed brighter than before, the sand beneath crystallizing from the heat.
"What…" Lucy looked at Natsu, puzzled by his unusual display.
"Let's spar, Kael!" Natsu exclaimed, excitement written all over his face.
"No time, Natsu. The army's coming. We need to leave," Kael said, glancing toward the distant town, resigned.
A huge magic circle appeared under their feet. Golden light enveloped Natsu and the others, and Kael suppressed their flames.
"Whoa! What's happening?!" Lucy cried.
"Don't worry, Lucy. This is Kael's magic," Happy reassured her.
"Ready? We're heading back to Fairy Tail Guild." Kael waved his hand, and in an instant, the group vanished from the beach.