Part 1: Shadows of Magic (Rogue Cheney Love Story)

Chapter 30

Third Person's P. O. V:

As the flames continue to swirl violently around an angered Natsu, Gajeel chuckles, grinning.

"I guess it ain't too hard to catch a Salamander, if you use the right bait!" Gajeel states.

Natsu retorts, standing protectively in front of Lucy, fists clenched, "Unlike you Phantom creeps, I watch out for my friends! I won't let you lay a hand on her!"

Lucy murmurs in relief, smiling a little, "Natsu...!"

She blinks her brown eyes once and looks up at him.

Natsu tells Lucy without looking back at her, "Stay back. This could get ugly."

"Gajeel...!" Boze calls.

"This one's mine!" The black haired teen says before he launches himself at Natsu, still grinning.

Bending his knees and creating a crater and shockwave from the impact of his flames, Natsu shouts challengingly right before he meets Gajeel in the air, "OH, YEAH...?!"

Natsu wraps his flame covered hands around an iron club that is shot at him from Gajeel's right arm. He swings his whole body around to the right, bringing Gajeel with him, and upon finishing the spin, Natsu releases Gajeel with a cry.

The Iron Dragon Slayer manages to backflip and land against the wall on his feet, making small crates where his feet landed. With another cry, Natsu launches himself at Gajeel and punches his right flame covered hand forward, but Gajeel throws up his iron club turned arm to block it. The impact of fire hitting iron causes the brunette to get pushed back into the wall with a boom, making a bigger crater and a giant dust and smoke cloud that causes the other Phantom Lord members scream as they turn and run.

"We've gotta get outta here!!"

Gajeel launches out of the dust and smoke clouds, but Natsu is very close behind him. Looming up in front of the Iron Dragon Slayer, Natsu punches his right fist against Gajeel's cheek, sending him flying across the room.

Gajeel's back slams into the wall, making a crater. He swipes his right hand across the side of his mouth, grunting. He glares at Natsu.

Natsu rises through the air in front of Gajeel, forward flipping as he brings up his flame covered right leg, his eyes glowing red. "FIRE DRAGON: TALON!!"

Natsu brings his leg down on Gajeel, and Gajeel blocks it by throwing his iron club turned arm above his head, the flames spurting outward.

Natsu grunts.

A mini explosion causes Natsu to get thrown back from Gajeel.

Sitting on her knees not too far away, Lucy gasps, watching with wide eyes as the two Dragon Slayers duke it out, "Whoa...!"

"Hey, are you alright?!" Happy asks as he runs up to her, holding up his right arm.

Lucy smiles at him as she says, "Happy!" She then looks back at the battling Dragon Slayers.

"Is something wrong?" Happy turns and follows her gaze.

"No, it's just... I've never seen Natsu like this..." Lucy replies as Natsu stalks towards his opponent, a glare on his face, his fists clenched.

"Aye! He's more fired up than ever before! I wouldn't wanna be that other guy," Happy responds, paws on his hips as he frowns.

Lucy blinks her eyes as she clutches her left elbow, watching Natsu and Gajeel with a determined expression.

Gajeel grips his chin and cracks his neck as he rests his right hand on his hip, and tells Natsu, "For being Fairy scum, you sure are cocky."