Galuna Island, Part Nine

Ink-black flames erupted from Riyao's body, the jet-black flames licking and leaping on his scales like ink paintings.

The ink-black flames dripped onto the ground, hissing and burning deep holes that emitted black smoke, melting the stone slabs as if they were being corroded by strong acid.

Buzz~

Using the flames it spewed, Riyao instantly appeared beside Erza, moving as fast as a black lightning bolt.

He raised his leg and kicked out, his leg enveloped in surging dark flames, creating a visible shockwave in the air.

Bang~

Erza instantly switched to the Flame Emperor's Armor to defend herself. The red armor with flame patterns took shape in the light, and she raised her sword to protect herself.

The dark flames and the raging fire exploded at the point of impact, and the shockwave sent her flying backward. Her feet carved two deep furrows in the ground, and she barely managed to regain her balance by hitting her heels on the rubble.

Mirajane looked confused, but still raised his hand to condense a black energy ball. The purplish-black magic rotated and compressed in his palm, like a miniature black hole, and slammed into the Riyao.

The Riyao disappeared from its spot at such a speed that it could not be seen with the naked eye.

The black energy ball slammed into the empty platform, blasting a crater three meters in diameter, sending debris flying everywhere.

"Watch out, Natsu!"

Erza hadn't even finished her warning when Riyao appeared in front of Natsu.

Natsu's pupils contracted sharply, and before he could react, a punch landed on his stomach.

Bang!

Natsu was sent flying backward, his body crashing into the cave wall like a cannonball. The impact created a human-shaped dent in the stone wall, and spiderweb-like cracks spread outwards.

Immediately afterwards, a stream of dark flame shot out from Riyao's fingertip and struck Natsu precisely.

The flames burned relentlessly, seemingly never to be extinguished, the black tongues of fire spreading across Natsu's body.

Erza and Mirajane rushed over to engage Riyao, attacking from the left and right.

Erza slashed horizontally with her twin swords, while Mirajane attacked with her claws; the two coordinated perfectly, their offense and defense complementing each other.

Riyao nimbly dodged, his figure weaving between the two like a fish swimming in water, each dodge perfectly timed, missing by only a hair's breadth.

"This monster is only fast in a straight line; attack it at close range," Erza analyzed in a deep voice after observing it for a few rounds.

"Oh, um." Mirajane nodded, flapped her bat wings, and accelerated forward.

Riyao single-handedly withstood attacks from two S-Class enemies, handling the situation with ease and even managing to counterattack.

His claws darted back and forth between the two men, each attack carrying scorching black flames, forcing them to focus on defense.

When hitting Mirajane, he pretended to fight, his claws could have cut much deeper, but he always held back just right, leaving only shallow marks on her body.

The attacks on Erza were normal, each punch landing with brutal force, forcing Erza to frequently Requip her defensive gear.

Mirajane thought to herself, "Just as I thought," and a knowing smile appeared on her lips.

She met Riyao's attack head-on, neither dodging nor avoiding, and took the heavy punch head-on. She was sent flying backward and crashed into the water, splashing a huge spray.

"Mira!" Erza exclaimed, a hint of anxiety flashing in her brown eyes.

Natsu on the wall absorbed all the dark flames on his body, the flames sliding down his throat and into his body, like parched earth greedily sucking up rainwater.

He wiped his mouth, smacked his lips, and looked puzzled.

"Why does this taste the same as my fire?"

Natsu also saw Mirajane being thrown into the water, and his anger reached its peak.

His eyes were red-rimmed, his teeth were grinding together, and tiny dragon scales appeared on his body, faintly visible beneath his skin. His magical energy surged dramatically.

He stomped through the wall, the stone beneath his feet crumbling like a biscuit, and charged straight at Riyao, punching him in the chest.

The fist, imbued with the Dragon Force, carried a scorching shockwave as it slammed into the black scales, producing a dull metallic clang.

Riyao saw that Natsu had activated the Dragon Force, his smile widened even more.

Excitement gleamed from between its fangs, and its vertical pupils contracted slightly, like a hunter spotting its prey.

To others, that smile appeared incredibly sinister.

Natsu and Riyao exchanged punches, each blow landing with a resounding thud.

Natsu's face was twisted, his cheek swollen high, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but he gritted his teeth and punched back, his fist engulfed in flames, slamming into Riyao 'Riyao chin.

"Erza, go find Mira," Natsu called out without turning his head, his voice hoarse but firm.

"But Natsu, can you do it?" Erza hesitated, gripping and releasing her sword.

Natsu took a deep breath, and the dragon scales spread even more across his arms, flames dancing between his fingers as if they would never go out.

"I feel a surge of power welling up inside me! Go save Mira!"

Erza finally nodded and said in a deep voice, "Hold on."

Then she turned and jumped into the water, her long red hair drawing an arc in the air, splashing water everywhere.

Natsu puffed out his cheeks, flames spilling from the corners of his mouth, orange-red flames dancing around his lips.

He took a deep breath, his chest bulging, and magic surged and boiled within him.

"The Fire Dragon's Roar!"

A blazing flame erupted from its mouth, a pillar of orange-red fire mixed with black, carrying destructive power as it hurtled towards the Riyao.

Riyao clenched his fists, gathering flames in his palms. The inky flames spun and compressed in his palms, the temperature so high that it distorted the space around them, and the air churned as if it were being boiled.

"Ink Flame Heaven-Burning Kill!"

A massive jet-black flame shot out from his palm, colliding head-on with Natsu's Fire Dragon Roar, the black flame eroding the orange-red flame.

Boom!

The two flames collided, creating a scorching shockwave that swept through the entire cave, causing boiling bubbles to rise to the surface of the water, which gurgled and churned.

The cave trembled incessantly, and boulders fell from above, splashing water as they hit the surface.

The two flames remained locked in a stalemate for several seconds, their orange-red and pitch-black colors intertwining, like two giant dragons locked in a battle in the air.

While Natsu was still breathing fire and couldn't see the other side, Riyao had already used the thrust of the Ink Flame to flash behind Natsu.

"Natsu, has anyone ever said that when you roar, you shouldn't just look ahead?"

Riyao's voice came from behind, tinged with a hint of mockery.

Natsu's pupils constricted in horror. He was about to turn around when he was struck by a barrage of Riyao punches, forcing him to stagger backward.

Each punch, enveloped in dark flames, slammed into Natsu's back, shoulders, and waist, creating a series of muffled thuds like a dense drumbeat.

Natsu braced himself with both hands on the ground, using the momentum to execute a spinning kick. The flames on his ankles drew an arc, forcing Riyao back.

Riyao dodged by leaning back, its claws carving deep furrows in the ground as it created distance.

The two sides distanced themselves, and Riyao wanted to see if Natsu could unleash his Dragon Slayer Secret Art at this moment.

He tilted his head, a hint of expectation flashing in his vertical pupils.

Two people were watching the fight from the shadows, eating sunflower seeds.

Natsu's arms flamed violently, dragon scales spreading across his entire arms, orange-red flames and jet-black flames intertwining and swirling, forming swirling fiery blades on his arms.

He pushed off the ground with both feet, his body spinning at high speed, unleashing spiraling flame slashes from his arms with a piercing shriek that tore through the air.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art - Jet Black Blazing Blade"

The spiraling flames slashed like a roaring Fire Dragon, carrying earth-shattering power as Riyao sun, cutting through the ground and burning rocks to ashes wherever it passed.

Riyao bared its fangs, its hands making grasping motions in the air, while jet-black flames erupted from its palms, transforming into an invisible vortex of gravity.

The vortex, like a black hole, forcibly pulled and imprisoned everything around it, gathering flying debris, ice, and even air in front of it.

Then, with a fierce horizontal slash, the dark flames transformed into several strikes that collided head-on with the spiraling flames.

"Ink Ember Soul-Binding Slash"

Boom!!

A cataclysmic explosion erupted in the center of the cave, the shockwave causing the entire cave to tremble. Huge cracks appeared in the overhead rock walls, and debris rained down.

The icy water on the surface was ripped up by the shock wave, forming a water wall several meters high.

The smoke of battle has cleared.

Natsu was slashed and sent flying, his body tumbling several times in the air before crashing heavily to the ground, sliding more than ten meters away.

Several bloody gashes were slashed across his chest, and blood gushed from the wounds, staining his tattered clothes red.

His eyes rolled back, and he fell into a coma. The flames were completely extinguished, and the dragon scales slowly faded away.

Mirajane and Erza emerged from the shadows.

Mirajane had reverted to her Satan Soul form, her long silver hair plastered to her cheeks.

Erza had changed back into her everyday clothes, her red hair still wet and hanging down her shoulders.

Erza helped Natsu up, letting him lean on her shoulder, and looked up at Riyao, her brown eyes filled with a hint of helplessness and reproach.

"Riyao! Aren't you going too far with this?"

As Riyao stood on the platform, his demonic form began to slowly fade away, his dark scales peeling off one by one, like a molting process.

His voice came from between his fangs, with a hint of nonchalance.

"I held back, which was a good way to teach them a lesson and punish them as well. Grandpa won't expel them from the guild when we get back."

Mirajane walked over to Riyao and poked at the scales on his body that hadn't completely faded, feeling a cold touch on her fingertip.

She tilted her head, her silver eyelashes fluttering gently, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"Wasn't your last demonic transformation a matching set with mine? Why the different look this time?"

Riyao bared his teeth, his fangs still somewhat intact, and grinned with a guilty look on his face.

"If I don't change my appearance, they'll recognize me, hahaha..."

Mirajane rolled her eyes at him.

Riyao shed its Demon Form; its black scales vanished completely, its horns retracted to the top of its head, and its claws transformed back into slender fingers.

His golden hair fluttered in the breeze. He stretched and loosened his limbs, then squatted down in front of Natsu and placed his hand on his chest.

A warm, gentle emerald light flowed from his palm, slowly seeping into Natsu's body.

The bloodstains on his chest healed at a visible speed, his swollen cheeks gradually subsided, Natsu's furrowed brows slowly relaxed.