The Characteristics of Fire Dragon Slayer Magic

On the grass beside the guild's lake, Makarov and the others looked up at the streak of flame returning to them. The intermittent sputter of flames jetting from Hughes's feet reached their ears.

Growing more and more adept, Hughes showed off his moves in the air like a peacock displaying its feathers.

One moment he flew in an S-shaped path over Natsu, who was sneaking fish; the next, he left an X-shaped trail of fire in the sky above Makarov and the others watching below.

Gray and the other boys looked on, their envy plain to see.

"Master~ We want to learn that too!"

Hughes thought he was a genius. How had he come up with such a great combination? Geppo and his self-created Flame Jet were a perfect match.

He controlled his flight speed with the jets of flame from his feet and used Geppo to control his direction. He could go practically anywhere he wanted in the sky, free as a bird and fast, too. The master would never have to worry about him being late for a job again.

Oh, right, he didn't have to pay a low-altitude flight fee here either~

In such high spirits, Hughes wanted to find a mage with flight magic and challenge them to a contest.

"Master, is Hughes using flame flight magic?"

Faced with Gray's question, Makarov pretended to cough a few times, then nodded.

For now, Makarov had no intention of revealing that Hughes was from another world and had mastered an otherworldly system of cultivation similar to magic.

In his youth, he had traveled all over Earth-land and witnessed more darkness than he could count. Makarov knew the world was far from as wonderful as it seemed.

If people with ulterior motives learned about Hughes, there was no telling what schemes might be waiting for him, especially from those dark mages who had fallen into darkness and gone mad.

Even Laxus, following his instructions, presented his magic as lightning elemental magic while out on jobs, rather than Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic.

Though that little secret of Laxus's had come to light after his fight with Hughes...

At that thought, Makarov looked toward Natsu, who was still eating fish in the lake. Ever since the boy learned that Laxus was also a Dragon Slayer, he had stuck to Laxus's heels, constantly shouting questions about dragons. He had annoyed Laxus so much that he didn't dare come to the guild today.

While Gray's question kept Makarov lost in thought, Hughes, who was having a wonderful time playing in the sky, swooped toward the lake. Before long, he came to a stop in midair in front of Natsu.

"Hughes, do you want some fish too?" Natsu beamed and held out a fish he had specially heated with his flames.

Hughes: ...That black, charred lump is a fish?

As expected of a demon raised by a dragon, he's got quite an appetite. He doesn't even eat like a normal person.

A demon... oh, right! Hughes was shaken. He had almost forgotten Natsu's other identity!

The boy was more than a dragon's son. He was also END, the strongest demon Zeref had created.

Demon equals progress in strength...

Meanwhile, Happy flew over and kicked the charred fish out of Natsu's hand. "Hey, Natsu, eating burnt fish will make you sick!"

Natsu: "Ah~"

Hughes shook his head, pushing the stray thoughts aside. He had come to Natsu for a reason.

Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic had two characteristics: one was devouring, and the other was strengthening the body. The latter was especially apparent when flames covered his hands, making his fists heavier and harder.

Both of them used fire, but the flames Hughes produced with the Flame-Flame Fruit lacked those characteristics. So Hughes had come to learn from Natsu and see whether their flames had anything in common.

With a physique the system had enhanced three times as his foundation, if he could learn those two characteristics of Natsu's flames, the upper limit of his strength could rise considerably.

Maybe taking down a demon with one punch won't be a pipe dream anymore~

As Natsu looked on in confusion, Hughes grabbed him and tossed him near Makarov and the others.

Hughes turned his palm over, and a ball of deep-colored flame drifted from it, landing perfectly on Natsu and drying him off.

Natsu sniffed, his eyes lighting up at the delicious scent of Hughes's flames. He promptly opened his mouth wide and swallowed them in one gulp.

Natsu: "Burp~"

"Natsu, hit me with Fire Dragon's Iron Fist and Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Hughes said earnestly, looking Natsu in the eye.

To increase the power of Natsu's flames, Hughes kept feeding him more flames to swallow.

Natsu, who had grown so round he was indistinguishable from a fat pig, hurriedly waved his hands. "Hughes, I can't eat any more~"

If he ate any more, he really would throw up!

Without Hughes's flames to nourish him, Natsu quickly returned to his normal size. The speed alone was enough to make anyone trying to lose weight weep with envy.

Natsu, who had inherited a dragon's love of fighting, had flames burning in his eyes and magic power surging through his body. In moments, explosive flames enveloped both his fists.

"Here I come, Hughes!"

Natsu had long wanted to fight Hughes, so he didn't stop to ask why Hughes wanted him to hit him.

Natsu leaped high, drew his right fist back, charged it to its fullest, and slammed it down.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

As he shouted, a faint dragon's roar seemed to sound from the flames. His fist, wrapped in explosive fire, crashed into Hughes's chest.

Bang!

Without using Elementalization or Tekkai, Hughes staggered back several steps, taking the attack head-on with his monstrous physique.

Personally experiencing a magic technique was always the most effective way to understand it!

"Hey, Hughes, aren't you going to use that body magic that makes you as hard as steel?"

After steadying himself, Hughes merely put his hands behind his back and answered Natsu calmly, "Keep it coming, Natsu. I don't need Tekkai to deal with you as you are now!"

"Damn you, Hughes! Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Quick to ignite, Natsu was instantly provoked into a rage, and the flames around him grew several degrees stronger.

He curled both hands into claws and charged angrily at Hughes. His vicious, flaming claw strikes raked Hughes's chest, knocking him back several more steps!

Hughes looked down at his chest. Several white scratches were already fading.

Alas! I'm still too powerful~

"Master, is Hughes having another episode?" Mira asked anxiously as she watched the fight.

Mira's blindness to what's right in front of her seems to be getting worse! Makarov sighed helplessly, already reserving a bed for Mira at Porlyusica's in his mind.

Going blind so young just won't do!

There wasn't the slightest sign of Hughes having an episode. If anything, Natsu was about to have one from sheer anger...

"Damn you, Hughes, use your body magic already! Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

"Fire Dragon's Claw!"

"Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow... Damn it, why isn't anything working?!"

Hughes, who was silently feeling Natsu's flames, shrugged. He didn't want to discourage Natsu either.

Right now, he was taking Natsu's attacks with his body alone. He really hadn't activated Tekkai!

He could only say that Natsu's strength really wasn't up to much right now~

Dame, dame~

Worried that he would shatter the boy's confidence, Hughes pressed a hand down on his head the moment Natsu attacked again.

"Natsu, let's leave it there for today. I'll come find you again in a while." After directly experiencing Natsu's flames with his body, Hughes had already begun to get a grasp on their characteristics.