Questioning Everything

The crimson and cyan colors completely overwhelmed the black and white. The Holy Shadow Dragon Fang Flash could only withstand the Azure Flame Dragon's Roar for less than two seconds before being torn apart and disintegrated into countless black and white fragments.

The Azure Flame Dragon's Roar and charge showed no signs of abating, carrying a scorching heat that distorted the air as it charged straight toward Sting and Rogue.

Boom!

The two were confident that Holy Shadow Dragon Fang Flash would win, so they did not make full preparations.

There was no time to dodge; it crashed through several trees, snapping them in the process, the sound of breaking trunks echoing as wood chips and leaves flew everywhere.

Finally, the two crashed heavily into the trunk of a large tree, bringing them to a stop. The impact even cracked the trunk.

Sting lay on his back beside the tree roots, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. His chest heaved violently, each breath accompanied by a burning pain.

Rogue lay prone in the grass a few meters away, half of his body charred black, his fingers still twitching slightly.

Lector and Frosch looked anxious, their short legs moving quickly as they ran over. Lector pounced on Sting, patting his cheeks with his little paws, his voice trembling with urgency.

"Sting! Sting, are you alright?!"

Frosch crouched down next to Rogue's head, gently nudging his shoulder with her little hands, her soft voice carrying a rare hint of panic.

"Rogue... Rogue, wake up..."

Natsu scratched his head, looked at the destruction he had caused, chuckled a little sheepishly, and then called out in the direction of Riyao, his tone tinged with guilt.

"Riyao, please help me out, you're using too much force."

Riyao jumped down from the boulder, dusted himself off, and instead of showing surprise, smiled with satisfaction.

"Not bad, not bad, I can finally use my Azure Flame."

After he finished speaking, he walked towards Sting and Rogue, his steps unhurried, his hands in his pockets, looking like he was taking a leisurely stroll.

When Lector saw Riyao approaching, he immediately became agitated, his fur standing on end as he spread his arms to block Sting. His small body was taut, his beard trembled with anger, and although his voice trembled, his attitude was resolute.

"I'm not afraid of you! Don't even think about hurting Sting and Rogue!"

"Frosch thinks so too."

Frosch also stood in front of Rogue, her little hands clenched into fists and raised to her chest, her expression serious and obedient, but her little legs were trembling slightly, clearly she was also afraid, but she stubbornly refused to back down.

Riyao looked down at the two kittens blocking his way, and his lips twitched.

"What are you thinking? I'm a healing mage, give them a treatment."

Lector paused for a moment, and before he could react, Riyao had already stepped over the two cats and squatted between Sting and Rogue.

He stretched out his hands, and a jade-green magic circle appeared in his palms. The green light, representing healing, gently seeped into their bodies like spring water.

Where the green light passed, the charred skin began to peel off, revealing the new, tender skin underneath. The broken bones made a soft cracking sound as they rejoined under the guidance of magic, and the bruises and bloodstains slowly disappeared like the receding tide.

Sting and Rogue's injuries were quickly healed, leaving no scars, only the scorch marks on their clothes serving as a reminder of what had just happened.

Sting pushed himself up and sat up, his movements still a little slow, not because of the pain, but because his mind hadn't quite processed what was happening.

He looked down at his perfectly intact hands, then looked up at Natsu's back as he stood on the beach. His lips moved, but he couldn't say a word.

The two began to question the meaning of life.

"I can't even beat Mr. Natsu, how could I possibly kill Weisslogia?"

His voice was very soft, almost carried away by the sea breeze. There was no anger or resentment in his tone, only a deep sense of confusion and self-doubt.

Riyao stood up, looked down at him, and spoke in a flat tone, as if stating a very simple fact.

"A dragon lies there letting you attack it hundreds of times, and its scales don't even fall off. What are you thinking?"

Sting fell silent, opening his mouth as if to refute, but couldn't find any reason to do so.

The battle just now proved everything. Even when he and Rogue joined forces, they couldn't defeat Natsu alone, let alone a dragon.

Rogue, lost in thought, sat on the ground without saying a word, his head bowed, his fingers unconsciously stroking Frosch's head, Frosch nestling obediently in his hand.

Natsu walked over, laughing carefree, completely unaware of how hurtful his words were. He put his hands behind his head, looking completely nonchalant.

"Hahaha, you can't possibly kill a dragon! Wait till I kill one and show you!"

He spoke with such confidence, as if he were stating what he was going to eat tomorrow, his lips curled into a wide grin. His naive yet arrogant self-assurance left one unsure whether to be angry or speechless.

Gray stood to the side, arms crossed, shook his head silently, and sighed, his tone full of weariness from having seen through the ways of the world.

Does Dragon Slayer Magic affect intelligence?

Wendy looked at Gray innocently and blinked her big eyes.

Gray realized he had misspoke and quickly waved his hand, speaking faster.

"Hey, I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about Natsu, Gajeel, Laxus, and these two."

He pointed at Natsu and Stingrog, who was still lying on the ground, with a look of disgust as if he were pointing out some pests.

"Ice-faced guy, who are you calling stupid?!"

Upon hearing this, Natsu instantly bristled, veins bulging on his forehead, and shoved his hand into Gray's face, nose to nose.

Gray wasn't about to back down either, pressing his forehead against Natsu's, a palpable tension emanating between them, neither willing to yield an inch.

"So, what about you?"

The two started fighting, Natsu punched Gray in the shoulder, and Gray retaliated by elbowing Natsu in the ribs.

The two rolled around on the beach like two bulls, churning up sand that flew everywhere. People nearby quickly stepped back to avoid them, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

Erza stepped forward, expressionless, and flicked each of them on the forehead with both hands. The sound of her knuckles striking their skulls was crisp and clear, the force precise and irresistible.

"No fighting!"

The two of them simultaneously clutched the large bumps on their heads and squatted down, seeing stars and grinning, while also glaring at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

Lucy couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight, her shoulders shaking. After laughing, she didn't forget to add insult to injury.

"Your IQ isn't much higher either."

Gray covered his head and snorted coldly, turning his head away, but his ears were slightly red, clearly because he had been touched on a sore spot.

Juvia immediately moved closer to Gray, cupping her cheeks in her hands, her face flushed, and spoke with a sincerity that sounded like she was making a vow.

Juvia believes Gray has the highest IQ in the guild!

Gray's lips twitched slightly, unsure whether to be touched or helpless, so he simply gave a mumbled hum in response.

Natsu pursed his lips, no longer bothering with Gray, turned and walked towards Sting, squatted down and continued to ask about the dragon, his tone urgent and serious.

"Hey, what do you mean by the White Dragon Weisslogia and the Shadow Dragon Skiadrum? Have you ever seen a red Fire Dragon?"

Still lost in self-doubt, Sting shook his head blankly when he heard Natsu's question.

Riyao yawned, his mouth wide open, a tear squeezing out from the corner of his eye. After eating, drinking, and watching the show, sleepiness washed over him like a tide. He stretched lazily, his joints cracking.

"Mira, let's go back to sleep, I'm so sleepy."

Mirajane also stood up, brushed the grass clippings off her skirt, and naturally took Riyao's arm, resting her head on his shoulder, her voice soft and languid.

"Then let's go back."

Riyao pulled Mirajane along, and the two walked side by side toward the camp, their shadows stretched long by the moonlight.

Carla jumped down from the rock and flew to Wendy's side, grabbing Wendy's hand with her little paws, her tone carrying a hint of "Don't hang out with these idiots."

"Wendy, let's go back to sleep and ignore these idiots."

"Carla..."

Wendy smiled helplessly as Carla pulled her towards the camp. She glanced back at Sting and Rogue with a hint of worry in her eyes, but said nothing more.

Happy followed Carla around happily, his short legs moving incredibly fast, his tail wagging like a rattle, and he was shouting all the while.

"Wait for me, Carla ~"

Natsu turned around and called out.

"Happy, you traitor! You didn't even wait for me!"

Happy didn't even turn his head; he simply raised one of his little paws and waved it—a gesture that was both elegant and ruthless.