Ten Minutes Ago · Above Hargeon Port
Happy's small paw gently pressed on Natsu's back, and a white magic circle spread out like ripples, transforming into a pair of giant wings attached to Natsu's back.
The little blue cat's body gradually became ethereal, finally turning into a semi-transparent spirit form, lightly sitting on Natsu's shoulder, his tail wagging happily.
"Aye! This way of flying is faster!" Happy shouted excitedly, his voice particularly clear in the howling wind.
Natsu grinned, revealing his signature fangs, and with a powerful flap of the white wings on his back, he shot through the clouds like an arrow, speeding towards Hargeon Port.
The cold wind whistled past his ears, ruffling his cherry-blossom hair, but he didn't feel cold at all; instead, he was filled with fervent excitement at the thought of seeing his foster father, a fire burning in his chest.
"Igneel..." Natsu whispered the name, his eyes sparkling with anticipation, as if he could already see the majestic Fire Dragon waiting for him.
However, when they arrived above the port, Natsu's brow furrowed.
He hovered in the air, his wings gently flapping, creating waves of heat.
"Something's not right..." he murmured, a hint of confusion in his voice.
He took a deep breath, his Dragon Slayer Mage's enhanced sense of smell fully activated, carefully discerning every scent in the air—the salty tang of the sea, the charred aroma of grilled fish, the sweaty smell of the crowd... he could even smell the faint scent of ale wafting from a distant tavern.
But there was no trace of the familiar, scorching aura of Igneel, the Fire Dragon King.
"Happy, do you smell anything?" Natsu asked, turning to look at the little blue cat on his shoulder.
Happy sniffed, his pink nose twitching slightly, then shook his head: "Aye, no scent of a Dragon."
His ears drooped, looking a bit disappointed.
Natsu's frown deepened. He looked around; the port was peaceful, vendors' cries rose and fell, ships were neatly docked at the pier, and sailors were busy loading and unloading cargo.
There was no sign of the chaos that would accompany a Dragon's appearance.
"The Council's enforcement team isn't making any moves either..." Natsu muttered to himself, unconsciously rubbing his chin, "If a Dragon really appeared, they wouldn't be this quiet."
Happy tilted his head in thought, his blue tail gently tapping Natsu's shoulder: "Could the information be wrong?"
Natsu sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly, and the wings on his back also seemed a bit listless: "Maybe the guild's intelligence was mistaken..."
His voice carried obvious disappointment.
Just as he was feeling discouraged, a sudden commotion erupted from the park below the port.
"Lord Fire Dragon! How amazing!"
"Oh my god, are those flame roses? They're so beautiful!"
Natsu and Happy both froze, looking down to see a group of young girls surrounding a man in a flamboyant cloak. The man was constantly releasing pink flame roses from his hands, causing the girls around him to shriek with excitement, their faces flushed unnaturally.
"Aye?" Happy blinked, his little paw pointing downwards, "That person calls himself the 'Fire Dragon'?"
Natsu's mouth twitched, and several veins popped on his forehead: "Huh? Using my name to swindle people?"
His voice was filled with incredulous anger.
"I'm going to let him know..." Flames rose in Natsu's eyes, but the next second, the flames paused and then slowly extinguished.
Natsu silently watched the noisy crowd, then turned to look at Happy on his shoulder, his expression slowly returning to calm, "Forget it, there's no need."
"Aye... Natsu..." Happy gently hugged Natsu's face, "Then let's go back."
Natsu nodded, his wings flapping, ready to fly in the direction of Magnolia, but just then, a magical fluctuation came from below.
"Huh?" Natsu stopped flapping his wings and turned to look back.
He had originally intended to fly away directly—such a minor character was not worth his time.
However, the moment he turned, a pink, hemispherical magic barrier suddenly rose from the park below, enveloping all the girls.
Strange patterns flowed on the surface of the barrier, making it look very ominous.
Natsu's movements stopped, his red pupils slightly constricted.
"Happy," his voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a hint of danger, "The human trafficking group EZ mentioned earlier, they operate around Hargeon Port, right?"
Happy's expression also became serious, his blue fur standing slightly on end: "Aye, that's right. I heard they hired some Mages to capture ordinary people."
Natsu's eyes suddenly sharpened, and the white wings on his back ignited with scorching flames with a "boom," the surrounding air distorting from the high temperature.
"Go!"
"Fire Dragons Wing Attack!"
He transformed into a fiery meteor, descending from the sky, directly crashing into the pink barrier with astonishing momentum.
"Bang—!!"
The barrier exploded like fragile glass, pink magical fragments scattering everywhere, like a strange rain.
Natsu landed steadily on the ground, the stone slabs beneath his feet glowing red from the high temperature, emitting wisps of white smoke.
The moment he landed, Natsu understood he hadn't guessed wrong, seeing the dozen or so unconscious girls and the Mages with various weapons, looking malevolent.
As the flames dissipated, he looked up, his gaze fixed on the dumbfounded imposter in front of him.
"So you're the one called Fire Dragon?"
Natsu's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the entire park, as if even the wind had stopped.
The fake Fire Dragon's face turned pale, and the pink rose in his hand extinguished with a "snap," turning into a wisp of smoke that dissipated into the air.
He took two steps back, his lips trembling, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead: "You, you are..."
"Natsu Dragneel." Natsu clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking, flames coiling around his arm, "Fairy Tail—Fire Dragon Natsu Dragneel!"
Happy floated in mid-air, hands on his hips, adding: "Aye! The imposter is in for it!"
The fake Fire Dragon's expression twisted for a moment, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes, then he suddenly sneered: "Heh... so what if you're real?"
He abruptly waved his hand, shouting in a sharp voice: "Get him!"
A dozen grey-robed Mages rushed from all directions, their magical weapons gleaming with dangerous light.
Some wielded staves inlaid with amethysts, some held poisoned daggers, and others had dark purple energy spheres condensed in their palms.
Natsu didn't even bat an eyelid, a disdainful smirk playing on his lips.
"Fire Dragon's—"
He took a deep breath, his chest visibly swelling, the surrounding air seemingly sucked dry.
"Roar!!!"
A torrent of brilliant white flames erupted, instantly engulfing all the charging enemies.
The high temperature warped the air, the grey robes turned to ash in the flames, and the magical weapons melted directly into molten iron, dripping onto the ground with a sizzling sound.
The fake Fire Dragon stood frozen, his legs trembling uncontrollably, his flamboyant cloak flapping wildly from the heatwave.
Natsu walked towards him step by step; with each step, a burning footprint was left on the ground, and the surrounding temperature rose accordingly.
"Using my name to deceive people?" Natsu's voice was low, filled with suppressed fury.
"Using charm magic to control innocent girls?" His fist tightened, flames coiling even more fiercely around his arm.
"And insulting the name of Fairy Tail?" The last sentence was almost a roar, Natsu's eyes burning with angry flames.
The fake Fire Dragon finally broke down; he turned to flee but was suddenly ensnared by a golden whip around his ankle with a "swish," falling to the ground with a "thud," his face hitting the cobblestone path hard.
"Trying to run?" Lucy stood not far away, her golden whip sparkling, a victorious smile on her lips, "Did you ask me first?"
The fake Fire Dragon slumped on the ground in despair, watching Natsu approach step by step, finally realizing—
Today, he had provoked someone he shouldn't have.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"