Just as Allen had said before, once everyone entered the Trial Magic Circle, their trial opponents were assigned at random. So, if Natsu and the others wanted to fight the same opponents as before, they would have to rely on luck.
When Allen saw the thoroughly displeased look on Natsu's face, he knew Natsu had not fought Fire Dragon. Most likely, he had fought Wartortle. Considering Wartortle's defense and Water-type resistance against Fire-type attacks, Natsu's battle must have been extremely frustrating.
Sure enough, by the time Allen walked over, Natsu had already begun complaining.
"That Wartortle was just too damn annoying! Whenever I used Fire Dragon's Roar, it used Hydro Pump. Whenever I went in for close combat, it hid behind its shell and defended itself. Even when I hit it, I couldn't deal much damage, and then it kept attacking me with Water Pulse! Aaaaaah!!!"
The more Natsu spoke, the more frantic he became. The other three were not doing much better. Gajeel had faced Fire Dragon, and at full power, he had experienced Fire Dragon's Fire-type attacks, which were completely different from Natsu's. Gajeel's Iron Dragon Slayer Magic was somewhat countered by Fire-type magic, though overcoming that resistance required a considerable level of difficulty.
Gray had encountered Desert Dragonfly this time. He had also experienced Dragon-type moves that were different from Dragon Slayer Magic, and was ultimately knocked out of the Trial Magic Circle by a single Dragon Dive.
Lyon's trial opponent was Leomon. Although he had still lost to Leomon, he had also been captivated by the bold and heroic aura surrounding the beast. As a result, he felt no resentment after losing. He merely looked at Allen with an expression that suggested he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to.
Allen also noticed that