Mirajane and the others had just arrived when Natsu noticed them, but he was too busy fighting Gajeel to greet them properly.
"No help needed here! I'll take him down myself!" Natsu shouted, stretching out his arm to signal Lucy, who was about to step in and assist, to stay back.
In reality, due to the destructive power of Gajeel's Iron Dragon's Sword, Natsu didn't dare to engage directly and could only continuously dodge the lethal swings.
Watching Natsu leap back several times to create distance, Gajeel looked at him with interest and said.
"You're surprisingly agile. I've always heard about the Salamander, so it's time we settled things between us."
Fairy Tail's "Fire Dragon" and Phantom Lord's "Iron Dragon" were often compared, though before today, Gajeel had always looked down on Natsu.
After all, he was the renowned ace of Phantom Lord, while Natsu hadn't even managed to become an S-Class Mage in Fairy Tail.
"I'm all fired up too, you iron scrap bastard!"
Lucy watched Natsu with a worried expression.
"A duel between two dragons? How... how is this going to turn out?"
Mirajane on the other hand wore an amused look, squinting her eyes and smiling calmly.
"Both are Dragon Slayer Mages who transform their bodies into dragon-like body, so this seems like it'll be quite an exciting match."
"I'm getting serious now! Gihi..."
As Gajeel spoke, a green magic circle appeared beneath his feet, and his entire body became covered in metallic scales.
"Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!"
Natsu was forced back by the punch, clutching his forearm in pain.
CLANG—
The sound of Natsu's fist striking Gajeel's chin echoed like a hammer hitting an anvil.
Gajeel didn't even take half a step back from Natsu's powerful punch, as the iron scales not only enhanced his defense but also increased his weight significantly.
"Those scales are like steel—the so-called Iron Dragon, huh?" Mirajane squinted, observing the metallic sheen on Gajeel's arms and cheeks.
"Iron scales render all attacks ineffective," Gajeel boasted.
"Then try this! Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"Iron Dragon's Roar!"
The shockwaves from the two roars colliding blasted apart the remaining walls, but the two dragon slayers ignored the destruction and began engaging in brutal close combat.
Covered in wounds, Natsu was soon panting heavily, his Magical Power nearly depleted from the extended battle.
"You're so sneaky, eating all by yourself!" Natsu angrily accused Gajeel, who was dismantling the building debris and eating the steel beams to recharge.
"He really does eat iron, just like Natsu eats fire!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Gihi, after eating, I'm fired up!" Gajeel said with a somewhat mischievous tone while mocking Natsu.
"Don't copy me, you bastard!" Natsu protested, claiming this was his line.
"Whatever," Gajeel shrugged.
After finishing the steel, Gajeel unleashed his full Magic Power.
Happy dutifully explained to Lucy, "Dragon Slayer Mages can restore stamina, Magic Power, and enhance their abilities by eating items of their own attribute."
"Natsu can't eat his own fire, so what should we do???" Lucy looked back and forth between Mirajane and Gray as she asked in panic.
Mirajane could only shake her head helplessly. "Let's watch for now, and we'll step in if it really comes to that."
"Iron Dragon's Sword: Demon Logs!"
"Iron Dragon's Roar!"
"Iron Dragon's Club!"
With his magical power restored, Gajeel recklessly unleashed spells without restraint.
Under the relentless assault, Natsu quickly fell into a disadvantage, forced into a passive defense as his injuries steadily worsened.
"Fire... a Celestial Spirit that uses fire," Lucy muttered, frantically searching through her small pouch for a key that could summon a fire-wielding spirit to feed Natsu.
"Nothing... even Sagittarius is just an archer."
After rummaging through all her keys without finding a useful one, Lucy slumped into despair.
"Hey now, chin up!" Happy exclaimed, sweating nervously at Lucy's sudden despondence.
Crossing his arms and tilting his head, Gray shouted in a mocking tone to provoke his rival.
"Hey Natsu, if you can't handle this, I'll take over! How can such a weak opponent give you so much trouble? I'd finish this in one round!"
The battle had become completely one-sided, and Natsu couldn't even fight back anymore, now barely able to stand.
'Natsu... weak... let me take over... finish in one round...'
These words echoed in Natsu's mind as he lay motionless on the ground.
Then, his fingers twitched.
"What did you say... GRAY!!!"
Battered and bruised, Natsu struggled to his feet, swaying unsteadily.
"I'll show you how I finish him right now!"
Clenching his fists tightly, Natsu roared with all his might.
Dragon scales began emerging across his face and arms as his magic power surged, causing the white scarf around his neck to flutter wildly.
Though he had no external flame source, the fire of his emotions granted him temporary explosive power.
For the first time without elemental assistance, he had spontaneously activated a pseudo-Dragon Force.
Natsu stared curiously at the scales covering his arms, flexing his hands to feel the unprecedented power—though he didn't fully understand what this transformation meant.
"Oh?" Gajeel watched with interest as scales manifested across Natsu's body.
While he could similarly produce iron scales, his were metallic transformations, whereas Natsu's seemed to grow directly from his skin.
Though visually similar, Gajeel sensed this was fundamentally different from his own Iron Dragon scales.
"Bring it on," Natsu taunted, crooking his finger at Gajeel.
"Don't think growing some scales makes you special!" Gajeel charged at Natsu while shouting.
Natsu's right fist wreathed in intense crimson flames and he swung it to meet the charge, sending Gajeel flying uncontrollably into a massive boulder, shattering it on impact.
"I'm paying back every bit of debt you owe!" Natsu declared, his entire body burning with furious flames as he slowly advanced toward Gajeel.
"Attacking Fairy Tail was your biggest mistake!"
"Who do you think you are, bastard!" Gajeel roared, gathering all his remaining magical power to leap high into the air.
"Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!"
As their fists collided, the iron scales covering Gajeel's arms began shattering upward from the impact of Natsu's overwhelming heat.
"This ends now! Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist!"
The guild's destruction, attacking Fairy Tail members, attempting to kidnap Lucy, and Gray's mockery—all Natsu's fury transformed into raw power, each punch carrying his rage as he pummeled Gajeel relentlessly!
ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!!
Lucy lost count of how many punches Gajeel had taken.
BAM!
With Natsu's final uppercut connecting with Gajeel's chin, the Iron Dragon Slayer was sent flying backward through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, creating a crater.
Natsu's flaming fists danced through the air, their movements visible even to the Guild members watching from below.
"Dammit... I actually... lost."
Gajeel lost consciousness, his entire body glowing red from the heat.
Natsu's punches carried not only immense force but also scorching heat, leaving severe burns across his upper body.
"We won!!!" Happy flew up to high-five Lucy in celebration.
"Now we're even."
Natsu barely managed to glance at the fallen Gajeel and the shattered remains of the Magic Giant.
He had reached his absolute limit.
Staggering before collapsing to the ground, he smiled weakly at the tattered Fairy Tail flag waving in the wind.