20 Chapter 20

"So this is it," Natsu muttered, staring at the floating the staff. As he took a breath, he couldn't help but frown in displeasure, "It reeks of malice. This staff is way too dangerous."

He guessed being bathed in the lingering anger and regret of the dead dragons really turned this artifact into something so foul.

He couldn't even imagine the devastation it will cause if all that energy was released at once, forget about a kingdom, the continent would probably be in danger.

"How do we take it?" Asked Natsu, "I am pretty sure if I tried to just take it then some sort of alarm would go off."

"It doesn't matter," said Kaori as she approached the staff, "We're still in our disguise, no one would recognize us."

That was true. Natsu still has the whole "son of businessman" look and Kaori and Wanda both looks like old men in butler outfit.

"Once I grab the staff, prepare to leave." Said Kaori, "Like Master Dragneel said, it would surely send out an alarm."

Natsu tapped her shoulder, "You two go on ahead, I still have something I need to do."

Wanda frowned, "Master Dragneel, we absolutely cannot leave you behind. That would be dangerous for all of us."

"Don't worry about me," said Natsu as he prepared to leave, "I'll meet you up at the outskirts of the city, north from here. I just have something I need to find."

With that, Natsu left the room, leaving the two old women on their own.

The pink haired dragon slayer quickly ran as he followed where the source of "fear" and "awe" that was being felt by his own Ten Thousand Beast Flame.

This sensation was similar to the one he felt when Atlas Flame took out the Living Spirit Flame, his own essence Flame couldn't help but submit.

Now, his own flame was once again giving off this submissive feeling so he knew that a higher ranking, and much stronger essence flame is currently nearby.

That was his target. That was a huge part of the reason why he even accepted this job from the council.

Suddenly, Natsu halted his steps as the whole castle seems to have let out loud siren noises with the Stellarium decorations releasing a blinking red light.

"So they already took it huh," he muttered, before shaking his head as he resumed his run, "Better hurry up as well."

As Natsu felt like he was getting nearer the essence flame, he came across guards holding guns and they immediately pointed it at him and fired.

Thunderous gunshots echoed throughout the hall but Natsu easily dodges the magic bullet. His fist was then engulfed in flames as he cocked his fist.

"Move aside!" He roared. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

A loud explosion occurred as his burning fist came contact with the knights, blowing them away.

He did not even as much as stop or slowed down his pace as he continued to follow where he sensed the essence flame.

'It's close ...I can feel it!'

...…

...

…

"Paper Blizzard: Green Dance!" Kaori releases a torrent of green-colored papers, surrounding a group of knights.

Soon after, the papers manifested into poisonous gas, poisoning the knights as they all fell down to the ground, writhing in pain and agony.

"Stop!"

"Hand over the staff you thieves!"

Knights blocked the way in front of Kaori, but she just coldly snorted and summoned a yellow card and threw it towards the group of knights.

"Paper Blizzard: Yellow Dance!" The yellow paper explodes into more paper pieces before it released several flashes of lightning, electrocuting and burning the knights.

"Riko!" Wanda called over—this is Kaori's nickname disguised as an old butler—with the woman waving the staff, "Catch! I can't fight properly with it!"

With that, Wanda threw the staff towards Kaori, with the kunoichi easily catching the staff and resumed her rub.

However, Kaori did not managed to run long as a man appeared in front of her, forcing her to halt her steps.

"Zash Caine," Kaori narrowed her eyes.

Zash smiled, "It seems like my reputation precedes me, I didn't even know my name have already spread internationally."

Kaori narrowed her eyes, "It wasn't anything favorable, you sicko."

Zash smirked, "It seems like you have gotten old gramps, that you have forgotten one thing."

He spreads his arms wide, as if enjoying an applause, "I am the strongest man in this kingdom. The people doesn't need to like me, they just have to fear me and everything will work out fine!"

"Paper Blizzard: Fire Dance!"

Kaori slips a red paper into her index and middle fingers and then releases it into the wind as she blows it, creating a wave of red-colored papers towards the target.

Zash narrowed his eyes, "Paper Blizzard? Hmph, you remind me of that annoying woman who chased me to Stella before."

Of course, Zash easily dodged the flames before darting towards Kaori to engage her in hand-to-hand combat.

"Tsk." Kaori cliked her tongue as she dodges a swipe straight at her cheeks as she countered with a kick which Zash easily blocked.

The fought like a masters in martial arts, neither showing in signs of backing down or even taking a break.

Even Kaori, a master in Taijutsu, was surprised by the skill learned by Zash. It wasn't a "proper" martial arts, but more like a skill developed from various fights he had come out alive.

"Riko! Hurr—!" Wanda screamed after dealing the guards on her side, but his eyes widened when she turned towards her friend, who was currently engaged in a hand-to-hand combat with a man that Wanda knows well.

"Wan—urgh!?"

"Do not look away from your opponent! What a rookie mistake." Zash frowned, before proceeding to kicking her on the cheek, sending her flying to the side.

"Riko!" Wanda screamed in shock before glaring at Zash, "You —, you sick son of a bitch!"

"Pietro! Don't—"

Pietro, the name of Wanda in this disguise as a male butler to Natsu's.

Wanda ignored her friend and immediately used her magic, "Plant Flytrap!"

Wanda summons a large flytrap from the ground, roughly the size of a human, consisting of four massive "petals", with a row of rounded teeth on their inner sides from below Zash, much to his shock.

Then, the plant closed its "mouth".

...…

...

…

"It's here, I can feel it." Said Natsu as he arrived in some sort of dungeon, with his own flame just suddenly "quieting" down as if afraid to make a noise.

And, as Natsu ventured deeper into the dungeon, he finally saw it.

There, flickering on an altar was a dark purple flame, and a man with blonde hair sitting in front of it, as if praying.

The man's body seems to be being bathed and cleansed by the heat of the flame …and since the man did not take the flame for himself means the flame is currently ownerless.

'Base on its appearance, I can now confidently say that it's the Three Thousand Burning flame …worthy of its rank, really.'

Natsu was not exaggerating when he thought this. But just from residual heat of the flame, the man seems to getting healthier and stronger.

Natsu hid on the corner as a young blonde woman approached the man.

"Your majesty," the woman called out, interrupting the man from his prayers, but his eyes remained close and still completely was still going.

"Sonya?" The man muttered, who based on how the girl Sonia called him, is the king of Stella, Animus.

"Yes. Your majesty, the staff has been stolen."

That interrupted The king from his prayers as his eyes widened in shock and anger, "What was that bastard Zash doing!? What were the guards doing!?"

"Lord Zash has already pursued the thieves, but he requests for you to deploy the three stars for help, your majesty." Replied Sonya.

"Tsk." The king clicked his tongue, "What a bunch of useless people."

He stood up, "Let's go to the surface. Since I felt great recently, I guess I should start stretching his muscles."

With that, the king and the woman left, leaving Natsu with the flame.

'Hehehe.' He smirked. 'This is going to be easy.'

Famous last words.

But Natsu has no way of knowing this now.