Hello, everyone! ~♥ Guess what? This is the second-to-last chapter in this book! There's only one more chapter to go, and then this stories done! It's baisically going to be an epilogue, haha! ^.^ To be honest, I'm really excited for my next story, but I never want this one to end. ♥ Lol, it seemed like it went on forever, huh? What with the final battle against Virel being over six chapters! cx I got attached to this one a lot, too! I hope I lived up to it's expectations from it's first story, "Invincible Will and Feelings"! ^.^;
Multimedia is a picture and a song. c: I think the song fits really well with this overall story, and I used this song a lot to make a small little AMV in my head when I was anxiously waiting to write it! ^.^ I hope you all like it!
I dedicate this second-to-last chapter to emeralddrop; thanks for being such a good friend of mine! Your complements always make me happy! c': ♥ I hope you all enjoy this story, and please give me some feedback, ne? Until next time, everyone~!
cяypтιc_єyєs || яy-cнαη
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❝тнє иαℓυ ωяιтєя❞
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"Dragon Force..." Lucy breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. "Astarot brought out Natsu's strongest form...to finish Virel?"
Natsu stared Virel down, his power still growing as the ground around him cracked, his magic's force pressing in on the air.
Lucy's hair whipped across her face from the jagged wind currents. "Incredible..."
"What is this?" Virel exclaimed, outraged. "Dragon Force? Like it matters--!"
Lucy gasped, unable to believe her eyes.
In the short time that she blinked, Natsu had lunged for Virel, flying across the room and slamming his fist into his face. Virel was sent skipping like a stone across the ground, slamming into one of the walls across the room. Natsu dropped to the ground, making his flames grow in intensity.
"Impossible..." Virel muttered, his eyes wide with anger as he pulled himself up from the pile of stones.
"It's about time you realized something instead of us, Virel." Natsu growled, surrounded in flames.
"What?"
Natsu took another step forward, his power overwhelming. He didn't know what Lucy had done to give him Dragon Force, but whatever she had done, Natsu was going to use it to save her.
Natsu growled low in his throat. "You don't understand anything, do you? You think that power overcomes everything else? Well, you're wrong!"
But already, Natsu was flying forward, his body on fire as his teeth clenched tightly. Virel made a noise of surprise, but he didn't have any time to move before Natsu advanced on him.
"Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist!"
Natsu surfaced under Virel, punching him multiple times in rapid patterns, until Virel soared up into the air because of the blows.
Virel's face was strained. "I'm not done yet!"
"Cimmerian Faceet: Ray of Darkness!"
Natsu crossed his arms above his head as the large column of magic slammed into him from above. The force was so large that Natsu's feet sank into the ground; however, he didn't let up. Clutching on eye shut, Natsu's lit body intensified under the column of black magic, and he jumped into the air.
As soon as he did so, Virel's magic evaporated, since Natsu had broken through it. Virel stared, in shock, as Natsu sailed towards him, blazing brightly.
"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!" Natsu exclaimed, swinging his arms forward as he sailed straight for Virel.
Virel crossed his arms, but was still hit heavily. Plummeting to the ground, Virel caused an eruption of dirt to fly into the air, and he gurgled in pain as the air was knocked from his lungs.
Natsu landed on the wall on all fours, filling his mouth with fire.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Lucy watched in happiness as the battle continued, while Wendy and Charle were smiling. Erza and Gray smirked, as if knowing all along this would happen. Happy was cheering Natsu on, raising his paw into the air.
"How can you still be fighting...?!" Virel sputtered, pulling himself to his feet. "You're magic should be gone!"
Natsu's feet slammed to the ground; his eyes were wild and deadly, though his expression was strangely calm. "You don't understand anything, after all. When I make a promise, I keep it. I don't care if it's life-threatening; I'll do it for my friends!"
Virel snarled in disgust, and send small ovals of black magic at Natsu.
However, Natsu dodged out of the way, running along the ground with his arms behing him. However, some hit him and in front of him, so he stopped abruptly. But when the smoke cleared, Natsu's eyes were devilish, yet his expression was ghostly calm. He was on all fours again, and his hands were in the tight position of claws.
Virel felt frustration rise within him. "Power is the full extent of someone's will! I don't want to hear your foolish words!"
Natsu stood on his two feet, swaying slightly. "Oh? Then let me just tell you..."
Images flashed through Natsu's mind.
One was of Lucy and him at the guild, laughing at the fact that Gray lost his clothes again. Another was of when he saw Lucy after the summoning temple was destroyed, and how he had hugged her in relief.
When Natsu intruded in her bedroom.
When Natsu had kissed Lucy to tease her inside the guild.
Natsu clenched his fists, and Lucy watched with puzzlement. "...I'm not letting you move any farther. Your plans end here! I'm not going to let you take the world or the guild away!"
Natsu jumped into the air, lighting his fist on fire as he sailed down back towards Virel.
"This is the end of the road!" Natsu exclaimed. "I won't break my most important promise!"
Virel chsked. "Cimmerian Faceet: Rays of Retaliation!"
A gigantic beam exploded into the air, sailing right for Natsu. However, Natsu didn't let up, and sailed right into it, a few feet above Virel.
"Damn you..." Virel muttered, his eyes wild. "I will resurrect the Black Being! I will destroy Fairy Tail! I was brought back for this and this only!"
Natsu yelled a battle cry, and pushed as hard as he ever had. His body was suddenly submerged in flames, and Natsu's lightning sparked to life. Natsu's Dragon Force and his Lightning Flame Dragon Mode added together, and a boom resounded through the room as a circle of air exploded from the magic wall between Virel and Natsu.
"I won't ever let you hurt my friends! Lucy worked so hard to keep the Black Being dispersed; I won't let you waste her effort!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Natsu...!" Lucy murmured from emotion.
More images flashed through Natsu's mind, but they were painful ones.
Lucy sacrificing her life to destroy the Black Being.
Him crying so heavily he couldn't see.
The empty feeling in his chest.
Natsu's anger grew, and he roared again. The wall began to crack, and Virel's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible!" Virel exclaimed. "You're...overpowering me?!"
The wall cracked further, and Natsu's flames sparked even brighter because of his feelings.
Lucy crying flashed through his mind.
The image triggered something in Natsu, and he roared his response. "I won't let you take Lucy away again!"
Virel clenched his teeth, but was blinded by Natsu's flames. Once again, Natsu yelled a battle cry, and the wall completely shattered, Virel's magic diminishing and Natsu's taking over. Virel was overcome in Natsu's flames, and Natsu charged through it, delivering the final blow as Virel exclaimed loudly in anger and defeat.
"Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu roared, his voice loud and rough.
A giant column of Natsu's flames escaped upwards, at least seventy feet wide and hundreds of feet into the air. The column slammed into the ceiling and burst into the night sky, flying hundreds of feet above it. A dragon appeared in the fire, and it roared before disappearing, along with the bright column of fire that expanded in the sky.
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Everyone watched in awe as a ring of clouds resided where Natsu had overcome Virel, which just so happened to be in the front of the room on the raised platform.
"Did he do it...?" Erza murmured, one eye clenched shut.
Gray, Wendy, Happy, and Charle all looked, waiting.
Lucy watched, her expression impassive.
As the smoke began to clear, everyone saw a flash of a scarf, a black vest, and pink hair. They all started smiling in hope, and when the smoke almost completely cleared, Lucy began to smile in realization, hoping what she saw was the truth.
When she saw Natsu standing over Virel with an instense gaze, who was unconscious, tears of relief and joy spilled from her eyes, and her eyes shook in amazement.
"Natsu..!" Lucy murmured, but it was just enough for Natsu to hear.
He turned from facing away from her, and gave her a look of childishness. He flashed the grin Lucy knew so well, and Lucy felt so relieved she couldn't speak.
"I kept my promise. Lucy." Natsu replied, smiling at her.
Lucy's tears flowed even more fluently, and she looked down at the ground, realizing that it was really over. Though how severly injured everyone was, with Natsu tattered clothes and blood-stained skin, they were all alive.
The nightmare was over.
Natsu slowly walked over to Lucy, and dropped to his knees heavily next to her. When he reached for the chains, they crumpled away like nothing, leaving Lucy staring in awe at her wrists while happy tears still fell from her eyes.
"Natsu..." Lucy whispered, slowly looking up at him. "You did it...!"
Natsu nodded at her, his expression exhausted but endearing. "Ah. Sorry it took me so long, Lucy."
Lucy's lip quivered, and she lunged at him, surprising him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, crying loudly into his shoulder.
"Stupid!" Lucy exclaimed, sounding sad yet crying because she was happy. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
Natsu grinned, resting his hand on her head lightly as he buried his face in the crown of her hair. His expression was relieved, but also pained because Lucy was so hurt like this.
But, he laughed slightly. "I guess I am."
.
.
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The battle is finally over! Virel is defeated and everyone is safe! What will happen now?
Find out what happens in the final chapter of this book, Chapter 27: A Kiss and A New Promise.