"Um…"
Lucy was a bit taken aback by the bizarre self-proclaimed title.
"Hey, Fire Dragon Cat, over here!"
Dark Magician Girl smiled and tossed a grilled fish toward Na-Happy.
"You should call me Lord Fire Dragon Cat!"
Even as he said it, the smell immediately got a reaction out of Na-Happy.
With a single step, he leaped up, caught the grilled fish mid-arc, and brought it to his mouth, happily chowing down.
Dark Magician Girl beamed and turned back to report to Chase. "Master, he definitely inherited Happy's habits!"
Lucy: "…"
She had no evidence, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this was like training a dog.
"Haha, let's do some more testing then."
Chase clapped his hands and walked over to the corner of Lucy's apartment where the fridge was. Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled out the only remaining fish head.
Lucy: How do you know this place so well? And that was…
That was mine! I was going to make fish head soup!!
Though her silent protest was deafening, it was ultimately useless.
Chase casually swung his arm back. Under Na-Happy's eager gaze, he hurled the fish head out the window.
Whoosh~!
Almost simultaneously, a magical circle appeared behind Na-Happy, and a pair of white-to-pink Exceed wings sprouted from his back.
With a flap of his wings, Na-Happy transformed into a streak of light, chasing after the fish head. He intercepted it mid-air over the street outside, catching it firmly in his hand.
The next second, searing flames erupted from his mouth.
Once the frozen fish head was properly roasted, he began gnawing on it with great relish.
He was surprisingly particular.
"Not just his personality and appearance—he can freely use both of their original magics too…"
"Based on the magic consumption, it's roughly the total of Natsu and Happy combined."
Chase's eyes narrowed as he analyzed the situation. "That means activating Fusion is related to my magic power and the magic power of the fusion materials."
Based on this judgment, Igneel, hiding inside Natsu, was likely still in a sealed state, unaffected by the fusion.
After all, even Acnologia couldn't detect him. It was probably some kind of advanced spatial magic?
"Aye! I can feel power welling up after eating!!"
While Chase was deep in thought, Na-Happy finished the fish head and suddenly became extremely confident. His slanted eyes burned with fighting spirit, and fierce flames erupted all around his body.
"...There are way too many things to criticize here!"
The familiar yet strangely off-putting line left Lucy unsure where to even begin.
"Anyway, let's fight, Chase! I'm invincible now!"
Hum!
As Na-Happy unleashed his powerful magic, the flames surrounding him were drawn toward the red and white wings behind him.
The wings spread slowly within the blazing, profound flames, creating a rather stunning visual effect.
From a distance, there was even a hint of Dragon Force Natsu about him!
Of course, that was only if you ignored the ridiculous Happy-colored skin.
"Good courage. Very well, I accept your challenge, Dragon Cat."
Chase smoothly flipped out the window in one fluid motion, landing in the empty street.
"W-Wait, a fight? Here?!" Lucy was startled.
"Don't worry, Lucy. It should be over quickly," Dark Magician Girl said with a smile.
"You should call me Lord Invincible Dragon Cat!"
Na-Happy, hovering in mid-air, emphasized seriously before turning sideways into a fighting stance. "Try this one on for size, Chase!"
"Fish-Slaying Secret Art: Happy Fire Style—"
"Crimson Lotus·Flying Fish Blade!! "
Hum!!
A torrent of flames erupted, illuminating the night-shrouded street and casting the canal in a deep red glow.
Na-Happy, wreathed in flames, mimicked the form of an intensely burning flying fish, descending from the sky with terrifying force, charging straight toward Chase.
Chase took a deep breath. Magic gathered in his right arm, and the pattern of the Right Arm of the Forbidden One emerged.
With one clean, decisive punch, he broke through the "Crimson Lotus Flying Fish" and struck Na-Happy square in the abdomen.
Thud.
Na-Happy's flames dispersed, and he collapsed to the ground.
"That was so weak! That was way too weak!" Lucy was utterly stunned.
From her perspective, the entire sequence was: Lord Invincible Dragon Cat attacked, Chase threw a punch, Lord Invincible Dragon Cat went down…
"So in the end, it's not much different from when Natsu challenges Erza,"
Lucy sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Honestly, and here I was mentally preparing to flee in the middle of the night if my place got caught in the crossfire!"
"No matter how impressive his aura is, Natsu and Happy together are still just… that," Dark Magician Girl explained.
"That's true. Since his opponent is Chase, even two Natsus wouldn't stand a chance," Lucy said in realization.
Down on the street, Na-Happy seemed to have passed out. A small white soul holding a white flag drifted out of his mouth.
"Natsu and Happy can't really help me gauge the combat boost from Fusion, huh," Chase murmured to himself.
The issue was Happy, of course, but Natsu's poor record in internal guild fights also played a part.
To test this properly, he'd probably need to find someone on Natsu's level to fuse. That way, he could see the difference.
Chase wasn't in a hurry. He'd already gathered plenty of useful information from Na-Happy.
With the testing done, he immediately raised his hand to dispel the fusion magic on Natsu and Happy.
This was one advantage of activating cards with his own magic power—unlike with monster cards, he didn't need a separate De-Fusion Spell Card.
A magic circle lit up, light flashed, and Na-Happy, lying on the ground, split into two.
"Damn it! This is all your fault for being so weak, Natsu! If you weren't, I could've beaten Chase!"
"Huh? You're the one who was holding us back, Happy! If two of me fused, I'd be invincible!"
"Your fault, your fault, all your fault!"
"Idiot! The facts speak for themselves, don't they?!"
The now-separated Natsu and Happy immediately started blaming each other, arguing fiercely.
Standing by the window, Lucy twitched. "You two have such a fragile relationship. How unsurprising."
"My, my. They're as cute as little children," Dark Magician Girl said, flashing the same amused smile Mira often wore.
"Hey, Chase. I don't want to fuse with Natsu anymore. Fuse me with Lucy instead!"
Happy abandoned the argument and came up to Chase.
Whoosh!
A pink slipper flew from the windowsill, smacking him square in his blue forehead.
"Stupid cat! How many times do I have to tell you not to use weird words like that?!" Lucy shouted, shaking her fist angrily.
"Happy's right, Chase! Fuse me and Lucy together, then I'll fight you again!"
Natsu followed closely behind.
Whoosh!
The other pink slipper came flying.
Lucy, her mouth full of jagged lines, yelled, "Would you two asking mind for MY opinion first?!"
Natsu and Happy, clutching their heads, bowed deeply toward the window. "Sumimasen, hontou ni sumimasen."
"Clearly, Lucy doesn't want to 'fuse' with either of you."
Chase shrugged with a smile, then looked up at the starry night sky. "Let's call it here for today. I'm getting tired."
"Dark Magician Girl, let's go."
"OK!"
After bidding farewell to Lucy, Dark Magician Girl turned into a streak of pink light and followed Chase.
"Something's weird… I feel like I forgot something really important…"
Lucy looked at Chase and Dark Magician Girl's fading figures, then at Natsu and Happy, who had started arguing again. It suddenly hit her.
"Hey! Chase! Take these two idiots with you, aaahhh!!"
***
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