Dragon Force—Abyss

"Roar!" With a miserable cry, the giant python slammed heavily into the mountain.

The next second, the giant python flew into a rage. An Azure Magic Bullet shot from its mouth and hurtled straight at Feng Lan.

Feng Lan raised his right hand and drew a large circle before himself. "Water Make—Round Shield!" A circular shield made of water appeared before him, completely blocking the attack.

"Grrr..." Feng Lan's stomach suddenly growled. "Oh dear, I'm hungry. Come to think of it, we didn't eat lunch..."

Mira's face immediately darkened. "What? Are you saying you don't want to fight anymore? You want to eat first, then keep fighting?"

"Of course not! I'm saying I don't want to play with it slowly anymore." Feng Lan looked at the giant python with utter contempt. "Hey! Stinky Snake, you seem to have started transforming into a dragon, haven't you? That's why you're acting so arrogant."

"Roar!" As though it understood him, the giant python roared at Feng Lan. He paid it no mind and began warming up at the side. "I have no idea what you're acting so tough about..."

After finishing his warm-up, Feng Lan slowly walked toward the giant python. "After all... your degree of dragonification probably isn't even as high as mine." Then he stomped hard, and terrifying magic power instantly burst from his body.

"Enter... Abyss Mode!" The magic power around Feng Lan surged again. A pair of deep-blue wings with a wingspan of no less than three meters sprouted from his back, along with a blue tail about one and a half meters long—not thick, but long. Distinct dragon scales grew over his arms and along both sides of his body. His hands became dragon claws, his feet became dragon talons, and a pair of uneven dragon horns grew from his head—the right one long and curved, the left one short and straight. Azure Dragon Marks surfaced on his face. The pupil in his right eye grew deeper, while even the white of that eye turned faintly blue and gave off a subtle blue glow. His left pupil narrowed into a long vertical slit.

At that moment, Feng Lan looked utterly eerie and terrifying. The next second, he vanished from everyone's sight, only to appear above the giant python's head.

"Water Dragon's Crashing Fist!" Feng Lan's hand—or rather, claw—became wrapped in water as he punched the giant python flying.

"Roar, roar!!!" A miserable cry rang out. The giant python glared furiously at Feng Lan, but the next second, he vanished from sight again.

"Where are you looking, Little Earthworm?" This time, Feng Lan appeared beneath the giant python's jaw. "Water Dragon's Raging Torrent!" A fierce wave of water-element energy blasted the entire giant python into the sky.

"Now it's time to test my knife skills." Feng Lan flashed before the giant python once more. "Water Dragon's Shattering Fangs! And Water Dragon's Winged Strike!"

The instant Feng Lan finished casting his magic, the giant python was sliced into more than a dozen pieces, utterly devoid of life.

"All right, time to eat. We can have an extra dish now!" Feng Lan hoisted a chunk of meat onto his shoulder and said to Mira and the others, "What are you standing around for? Start a fire."

"Huh? Oh!" Mira stared at Feng Lan's relaxed expression, utterly stunned. Setting Lisanna and Elfman aside, Mira knew perfectly well that she probably could not defeat that giant python herself. Yet Feng Lan had killed it so easily, treating the fight like a game.

"Big Brother Feng Lan is amazing!" Lisanna came up to Feng Lan with a face full of admiration.

"Yeah, he took down that huge snake so easily!" Elfman said, his eyes shining.

"By the way, Big Brother Feng Lan, was that the same kind of Take Over Magic as Sister Mira's?" Lisanna still clung to Feng Lan.

"No. It was Dragon Slayer Magic—Dragon Force. It's an ability that turns your body into a dragon." Feng Lan patiently explained it to Lisanna.

"Huh!? That's Dragon Slayer Magic too? But I've never seen Natsu use it!" Lisanna asked curiously.

"That kid doesn't know how," Feng Lan answered bluntly.

"As expected, Big Brother Feng Lan has greater magical talent," Elfman said, scratching his head.

"Not really. Natsu's talent isn't inferior to mine at all. He has Dragon Force too, and the one who taught me was the Water Dragon King, while the one who taught Natsu was the Fire Dragon King. His magic is no weaker than mine, and he can create plenty of his own spells too. He just lacks training and real combat experience." Feng Lan patted Lisanna and Elfman on the heads. "But I'll make sure he masters it as soon as possible."

"See? Natsu really is amazing too!" Lisanna said excitedly.

"Looks like you and Natsu are pretty close, Lisanna!" Feng Lan chatted with her curiously.

"Mm, after all, I'm going to be Natsu's bride someday." Lisanna once again said something utterly shocking with innocent childishness.

"Mm... huh? Huh!?" Feng Lan gradually realized something was off about Lisanna's words and hurriedly looked at Mira and Elfman.

Mira merely smiled and continued tending the fire without saying anything. Elfman hurriedly explained, "Don't worry, Big Brother Feng Lan. Lisanna just says things like that. Natsu knows too... probably."

"Hah, I was wondering when that kid Natsu became so capable." Feng Lan patted Lisanna's head again.

"I'm not making it up. Natsu and I already agreed on it," Lisanna said unhappily, puffing out her cheeks.

What the hell has Uncle Igneel been teaching Natsu? How did he make girls so obsessed with him? And Natsu too—he learns whatever he's taught without thinking before using it. Is he going to end up juggling several girls at once? (Igneel and Natsu: We're innocent!) Slokard too. Why didn't he ask around and teach me? It's not like I can go ask Natsu about this kind of thing myself, right? (Slokard: ??? So you just wanted to learn it yourself!)

"All right, the fire's ready. Let's grill the meat!" Mira called the three of them over to eat.

"Yeah! Time to eat!" Lisanna ran over excitedly.

"My stomach's practically flat from hunger," Elfman said as he walked over too.

Feng Lan dragged the meat over as well. "I'll grill it. I'm pretty good at grilling meat."

"Sure, but how are we supposed to cut the meat without a knife?" Mira naturally agreed, since she could not be bothered to grill it herself.

"Easy." Feng Lan stretched out his right hand. "Requip!" A blue-dominant katana appeared in his hand. "I'll have to trouble you again, Onikiri. I'll take care of you once we get back."

"You know Requip Magic too!?" Mira asked in surprise.

"Yeah, but I rarely use it. I only use it when I'm requipping Onikiri." Feng Lan casually sliced the meat, threaded it onto branches, and began grilling it.

That evening, Feng Lan and the other three returned to the client's home.

"You really completed the request!?" William asked in shock.

"That's right. This is one of the giant python's teeth, proof of completion." Feng Lan took out a small piece of fang.

"Thank you so much. Here is the request payment, and this bag is an apology for my previous rude behavior."

"How could we accept this?" Mira said politely as she took the money bag, then led Lisanna and Elfman outside, leaving Feng Lan alone in awkward silence.

"My friend's personality..."

"Haha, it's fine. It was meant for you anyway. Go on, don't keep them waiting too long!"

"Mm, thank you." Feng Lan hurriedly fled the awkward situation.

"Big Brother Feng Lan!" When Lisanna saw him come out, she quickly ran over. "Big Brother Feng Lan, you promised that once the request was over, you'd take me out to play."

"Mm, of course. But it's too late today. How about we find somewhere to stay tonight, and tomorrow I'll take you out for the whole day before we head back? Sound good?" Feng Lan pinched Lisanna's little cheek.

"Okay, Big Brother Feng Lan is the best! Unlike Sister Mira, who tricks me every time..." Lisanna said, glancing at Mira.

"Well! All right, let's go find an inn!" Mira awkwardly changed the subject at once. Lisanna said nothing more and followed her.

Feng Lan looked at the three before him and remembered how Slokard would awkwardly change the subject whenever he had finished messing with him as a child. Back then, Feng Lan had been a little kid and was easily fooled by Slokard. "The topic you loved using most was making me watch the moon with you." Feng Lan looked up at the moon in the sky. "I can't believe I'm thinking about that guy. Honestly..." He chuckled and ran after Mira and the two little ones.