15

"You all set," Makarov asked, as the pair stood at Magnolia Station, the sunlight just barely peeking over the mountains to bring the light of day to the town.

"I've checked the maps, reread the mission details like a thousand times, and Erza has been informed regarding my departure," Natsu replied, checking each point off on his fingers. "You ever been to Easthearth before?"

"I have actually, yes. It was around a decade ago though, so what I know most certainly wouldn't be useful."

"Fair enough, was just curious," Natsu replied, as they looked out at the train tracks, waiting for one to arrive.

"What's your plan going into this?"

"You mean based on the job description," Natsu asked, eliciting a nod from the old man. "It says here that it's a strange case of Necromancy, a kind that has the Department of Magical Sciences completely stumped. So, I've decided to just start by investigating the town itself."

"I see, that does make sense, considering the … unique circumstances of the situation. The dead rising from their graves is alarming on its own, but for the dead to make their way down into Easthearth, only to act like they aren't actually dead…"

"The thing that stumps me though is this detail," Natsu replied, as he pointed to a certain section of the job. "It says here that the townspeople hired a group of local Mages to exterminate them, which they did, reducing them to less than ash. The next morning, the same undead that had been obliterated seemed to have returned, now with the hired Mages among them…"

"It is certainly an alarming situation," Makarov hummed, before looking up at the Dragon Slayer. "I don't have to tell you to be careful, since you're not an idiot. I'm sure there's some logical explanation for all of this, just use your head and you'll be fine."

"Will do gramps," Natsu smiled, as both Saints looked up to see a train come around the bend, headed toward the station platform. "Well, here's my ride."

"And that other thing you're doing beforehand in Crocus," Makarov added, as Natsu rose to his feet. "I hope it goes well for you…"

Natsu returned Makarov's words with a strained smile, the old man understanding his response all too well, having delivered a similar one numerous times. He watched as Natsu boarded the train, head held high, inwardly praying for his safety.

Having drilled Natsu on how Jobs given to Wizard Saints differ from regular Jobs, he knew Natsu wasn't going into this blindly. He couldn't simply ignore the risks all tasks assigned to Wizard Saints carried, however.

"You're on your own from here Natsu, but I'll be with you in spirit," Makarov muttered to himself, as he watched the train quickly pull out of the station, bound for the capital of Fiore.

***POTD***

Having disembarked the train at Crocus, Natsu hardened his gaze, knowing full well what he was about to walk back into, as he made his way down a fancy cobblestone street.

All around were various Nobles, foreign dignitaries, and other wealthy or notable individuals. He hated dealing with their kind, and the way they flaunted their worthless titles and meaningless wealth.

Half of them were probably planning the assassination of the other half as he strode past them.

Seeing the Royal Palace of Crocus, Natsu knew he was close, as he followed the directions given to him through the letter he'd received six months prior. It didn't take him long to find the place he was looking for, since it stuck out, even by the standards in this district.

"Right then," Natsu sighed, stopping before a large set of ornate gates, made from what appeared to be tree branches.

Placing his right hand directly at the centre of the gates, the branches instinctively stuck to him, gently moving like vines as he felt the tiniest sapping of his Magical Reserves.

Almost immediately, the gates retracted, and swung open, granting him access as the gardens themselves moved out of his way. Many of the elite of Crocus looked on in surprise, not that Natsu paid them any mind, however.

The structure before him was a small tree, with its branches providing shade to the garden that covered every square inch of the perimeter inside the fence line around the property. The wooden doors slowly opened, as two young maids exited, followed by a smartly dressed woman.

The woman stood at six foot two, had medium length violet colored hair, and matching colored eyes, covered by a pair of smart half moon spectacles. She was slightly pale, and had freckles across her face, and a warm smile on her face, though it was not she who addressed him.

The two maids stepped forward, bowing, and speaking, in unison.

"Knight Commander Dragneel, it is an honor to have you here at the Scarlione Embassy."

"Elsie, Lysette," Natsu replied gently, as he stopped between the two maids, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm glad to see you both."

"Thank you, Knight Commander," Elise, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed maid replied with a slight blush.

"You look far more imposing than when we last met, Knight Commander," Lysette, the black-haired, blue-eyed maid added, also sporting a slight blush.

"Come now girls, surely our Knight Commander would like to come inside," the middle-aged woman standing at the entryway to the Embassy giggled lightly. "Come Natsu, we're long overdue for a chat, you and I…"

Ambassador From The Scarlione Empire

A Member Of The Scarlione Royal Court

The Countess Of Lanstar City

Lorelei Lanstar von Scarlione IV

Nodding respectfully, Lorelei led him inside and up the spiral staircase housed at the center of the tree. They quickly ended up in what was undoubtedly Lorelei's office, with Natsu's eyes immediately darting to a small bauble on her windowsill that elicited and amused chuckle from him.

"You still have that?"

"Of course I do," Lorelei sniffed in response, gently picking up the bauble and placing it between them on her desk. "You may have the sense to sleep on time, but I have always been a fool in that regard."

"What would you be now Lorelei? Forty? Don't tell me you still haven't figured out what a sleep schedule is?"

"If I were any less of a woman, I'd have given you a veritable tongue lashing for mentioning my age," the Ambassador huffed, though the amused smile on her face belied her annoyed demeanor. "Still, I must say, this certainly is a momentous occasion, is it not?"

"Fit it firmly into the NOT category, if you please…"

"Duly noted, and denied," Lorelei smirked, as Elsie entered the office with some hot tea and biscuits. "Thank you kindly, Elsie. Has Lysette begun preparations?"

"She has ma'am," Elsie replied, bowing slightly to the pair, before leaving the room.

"Six months Natsu, a new personal record…"

"Don't start," Natsu groaned, sipping his tea with narrowed eyes. "You should know better than anyone that I've been busy!"

"Indeed you have. Back in Fiore not even two months and you go from being nothing, to a Wizard Saint, toppling one of the three Lords of the Bharam Alliance, defeating two Wizard Saints, slaying countless Demons and more! Her Majesty was most interested to hear of these occurrences…"

"You ratty bitch-!"

"Tsk, such language," Lorelei smirked, adjusting her glasses slightly. "I was merely following orders, as you know."

"Orders," Natsu scoffed, as Lorelei opened one of the draws on her desk, withdrawing a magazine that had his blood run cold. "You…"

"Very exciting stuff in this edition of Sorcerer Weekly, wouldn't you say?"

"…"

"Elsie and Lysette each have copies for their own private use as well," Lorelei smirked. "Quite the heartthrob you've become…"

"Please tell me this isn't going where I think it's about to go…?"

"Her Majesty naturally was sent a copy-."

"I want to die…"

"Come now, this is some of the best content to come out of Sorcerer Weekly in years," Lorelei replied genuinely. "I must admit, no one saw you doing this, especially not with Mirajane Strauss, Sorcerer Weekly's most sought-after model. I suppose being in Fairy Tail has its perks though, since she was on record as stating she'd never do a shoot with a man…"

"No comment, let's move on," Natsu replied robotically, still processing the sheer awkwardness that had just been dropped onto him.

"You're still no fun," Lorelei pouted, putting the magazine away. "Very well, onto another topic I suppose. How about you explain to me why you haven't spoken with Shrikke at all since you got back?"

"What?"

"You know Shrikke lives in Magnolia as well, don't you?"

"I do, yes."

"Yet you haven't even attempted to speak with him at all," Lorelei continued, clearly curious, as they sipped on their tea. "Gildarts spoke to him the day you both returned to Magnolia…"

"I assume Shrikke himself mentioned this to you?"

"He brought up the topic," Lorelei replied slowly, eliciting a tired sigh from the Dragon Slayer. "Do you have a reason?"

"I have a reason," Natsu replied slowly, his eyes narrowed. "Its not him, I just …"

"Needed time away from anything Scarlione?"

"Yeah…"

"Gildarts said as much," Lorelei sighed, a sad smile on her face as Natsu's eyes snapped toward her own. "He told me about how you reacted when you read the Queen's letter. It was for this reason that I did not formally request your presence."

"You know that if you actually did do that, I'd be even less inclined to show up, right?"

"You'd still show," Lorelei countered knowingly. "Despite what you say, I know that if push comes to shove, you act if the name Illyandra Scarlione is involved."

"And your point with all this is what exactly?"

"When you speak with her… I expect to hear that you've apologized, and profusely at that!"

"…Fair enough."

"That… Are you being serious?"

"What?"

"Are you being serious? Will you actually apologize to Her Majesty for making her wait to speak with you?"

"If she indicates that she wants one, then I will," Natsu replied plainly, eliciting a tired sigh from the Ambassador.

"I've forgotten what its like dealing with you…"

"I'm an adult now, Countess Lanstar von Scarlione de Fourthio," Natsu smirked in reply, poking his tongue out at her playfully. "How is Lanstar doing by the way?"

"As fine as can be expected, considering that there's a war on," came the dry response. "My Sister has been sending me quarterly reports on Lanstar, and all seems well."

"Madeline? You made her Regent in your stead," Natsu asked, clearly surprised at the news, eliciting an amused giggle from the Ambassador.

"I always get that reaction from anyone that knows her. Still, she's not as immature as she was when you last met her at the Ichor Palace, she's doing a fine job in my place."

"Well, I suppose I can't argue with actual evidence, now can I," Natsu replied lightly, as the pair shared a short laugh.

Just as Lorelei was about to continue, Lysette walked in, bowing to them both.

"Contact has been made Ambassador…"

"And?"

"They're waiting for Sir Dragneel," the maid replied, nodding in his direction.

"I see. Very well then, I suppose we shall have to catch up another time then," the Ambassador sighed. "It is so rare I get to speak to interesting people…"

"I'll try to stop by more, though I can't promise anything…"

"I understand Natsu," the Ambassador sighed. "You've become someone of great import, which I suppose I should be thankful for. It was either that, or you'd regress into delinquency."

"Gee, thanks," Natsu snorted, as the trio left her office, returning to the main entrance of the Embassy. "Down?"

"Yes," Lysette replied, motioning for him to descend the staircase alone into the underground section of the Embassy.

With a silent nod, Natsu walked down the spiral stairs, surprised at having to walk for a good five minutes before finding anything. Once he reached the bottom, he couldn't help but chuckle, as he walked into the illusion of an open meadow.

"You always did like flexing your ability to terraform, but this is a bit ridiculous, don't you think," Natsu spoke aloud whilst walking toward the single tree at the center of the meadow.

"You used to find my Magic mystical and exciting when you were younger, such a shame you've lost that spark of whimsy and merriment…"

Stepping out from behind the tree, clad in a beautiful emerald green dress, was none other, than Queen Illyandra herself.

Her long golden hair flowed on an unseen wind, as she slowly looked up to meet his gaze. Though she smiled, there was a slight tension in the air between the pair, as if neither knew how to actually approach the other.

The Queen knitted her fingers together, arms out before her, as she looked him up and down. It had been some time since they'd last seen each other. And, although Illyandra only ever changed clothes, he had changed drastically in appearance since they'd last been face to face.

"My dear Knight Commander…"

"Ma'am."

"At ease… Natsu."

Letting go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding, Natsu adopted a slightly more relaxed posture, as the Queen gracefully walked toward him. She stopped at arm's length, her right arm half extended out, before retracting back, almost as if she were unsure of her next action.

Natsu looked into her eyes again, his eyes narrowing not in any form of hostility, but rather, as he felt a strange feeling well up inside of him from the way she was looking at him.

"You look quite dashing," the Queen whispered, tentatively reaching out and smoothing out a crease in his Wizard Saint coat. "How are you?"

"…Tired," Natsu replied honestly, with the Queen merely smiling sadly in response, a look of understanding on her face.

"Come, let us sit," Illyandra replied gently, as she motioned for him to join her on a small blanket at the base of the tree. "I had Lysette prepare lunch."

Merely smiling in response, Natsu sat down on the blanket, with Illyandra sitting next to him, as he opened up the picnic basket that Lysette had placed there for them.

"You remembered," Natsu chuckled idly, pulling out a sandwich that brought a twinkle to his eyes.

"Roast beef, cheese, carrot, onion, lettuce and tomato, all held in by wholemeal bread," Illyandra smiled. "The sandwich that-."

"-stopped an assassination," Natsu chuckled as he took a bite out of it. "I still remember that like it was yesterday…"

"I still can't believe that if you hadn't ordered that sandwich, we wouldn't have met," Illyandra laughed, as Natsu pulled out a bottle of tree sap, passing it to her. "I suppose that just goes to show you that no matter what you do, life can throw you the strangest curve-balls, can't it?"

"Tell me about it," Natsu grumbled, eating the rest of the sandwich in a few bites as he watched Illyandra start drinking the tree sap. "Just because you can drink that stuff, doesn't mean that you should drink it…"

"Its an acquired taste, as you very well know," Illyandra smirked, humming in content with her tree sap. "Diet aside, congratulations on becoming one of the Ten Wizard Saints!"

"I only had to kill two of them to get the position," Natsu scoffed. "Though saying I killed them seriously dilutes the reality of what happened…"

"I don't doubt it. Still, Lorelei has kept me in the loop regarding your activities since your return to Fiore," Illyandra replied, sipping on her tree sap. "Three Demons of Zeref slain, two Wizard Saints defeated, the destruction of not just the intermediary of the Bharam Alliance, but the destruction of the Oracion Seis as well. You've been a very busy boy, haven't you?"

"No different than what I was doing back in Scarlione, is it?"

"Well," Illyandra smirked playfully. "I know for a fact that had I discovered even half of what you were doing, I'd have you locked away within my palace to stop you from playing hero!"

"Of course you would," he snorted in response. "You would lock me away, and I would inevitably escape, only to wind up in yet another life-or-death situation. Then, the might of Queen Scarlione would roll on in and crush the foe I faced, returning me to the castle to repeat the process."

"It wasn't quite like that…"

"…"

"Okay, fine! Perhaps I get a little protective at times," Illyandra admitted with a huff. "At least you clearly don't need me to step in to help you anymore, unlike that time."

"Right," Natsu replied, knowing exactly what the Queen was referring to. "I doubt I'll end up in that kind of situation ever again."

"You never know Natsu what life might throw at you," Illyandra replied seriously. "Still, I'm glad to see that you appear to be more than capable of handling your own affairs now."

Speaking of affairs, how is Scarlione doing?"

"You just had to ask," the Queen sighed. "I've been made aware that August is coming up, and its going to be worse than last time…"

"What are the analysts predicting?"

"Around three million casualties… at the bare minimum."

"Shit," Natsu muttered. "You'll find a way to pull through, you always do."

"That is most kind of you to say, but, I'm afraid that the longer the war drags on, the bleaker things start to seem for Scarlione…"

"Do you-?"

"No! No… No Natsu," Illyandra replied, shaking her head as she placed her hand atop his own. "I couldn't bear to recall you two, not after you just returned to Fairy Tail. I promised you both I would only do so as an absolute last resort, and I fully intend to honor that promise!"

"I was just asking," Natsu replied in a placating manner. "No need to get so worked up over it, you know that Gildarts and I would both return if asked?"

"I do know, which is why I intend to honor my promise," Illyandra huffed. "Your loyalty is something I cherish, and I won't abuse it."

"I know, which is why you have it," Natsu replied gently, eliciting a warm smile from the Queen. "I do have to ask though…"

"Felix," Illyandra sighed, already well aware of what he was about to ask. "Gildarts and Shrikke both asked when I spoke with them, and my answer is very much the same. Currently, Felix is missing, and undoubtedly causing havoc wherever he did go."

"How was his mental state when he disappeared? Does he even know who he is?"

"Hard to say, since he had his good and bad days," the Queen sighed. "I can't spare much in the way of manpower to go find him either due to the war, which only adds further worry to his current state."

"This might sound harsh, but I think you need to focus on the war over Felix…"

"I-I agree," Illyandra replied slowly. "I have discussed as much with the others, and they all suggested similarly. The fact is, Felix's mind was completely shattered by Achnologia, so much so that we have no idea the true extent of the damage done. He will likely never be Felix again…"

"I don't know what the others think when it comes to Felix," Natsu began slowly, looking down at his lap. "But I think it might be for the best that he be … put out of his misery."

Illyandra didn't respond, merely squeezing his hand with hers, as the pair sat in a depressing silence. There was no real response either could have given to his words, as they both knew that it would be a mercy to do so, considering all that their friend had suffered.

"After I'm done here, I have to go out on a job as part of my position as a Wizard Saint," Natsu muttered, breaking the silence.

"Throwing yourself back into the fray again," Illyandra replied, shaking her head. "From all that I have seen, and all that I have heard, I know that you'll persevere in the face of any trial put before you."

"Well, I'll certainly try," Natsu chuckled lightly, meeting her gaze briefly. "Something tells me that things are only going to get worse from here on out though. Its that same feeling I got right before…"

"Achnologia?"

"Yeah."

"Trust your instincts, Natsu," Illyandra replied gently. "They have always served you well. Do not allow them to solely guide your hand, however, or else you will perish."

"I know," Natsu sighed, as he looked up at the false sky above him. "Its time."

"I see…"

"I wish I had the time to talk with you at length, but the Council has a deadline for when they want this mission completed."

"I understand," Illyandra replied sadly, as they both rose to their feet. "I miss when we could just spend time together like this all the time…"

"So do I," came his sincere response, as the Queen placed a gentle hand on his cheek.

"You're a good man Natsu, and I'm proud of how much you've grown since we last spoke," the Queen said, as she stepped back toward the tree. "I'm going to sever the connection, but I want to ask one last thing?"

"What is it?"

"Please return and speak to me… I miss you."

Natsu's eyes twitched, his lip quivering ever so slightly at the Queen took another step back toward the tree. He watched as the body suddenly froze in place, with only the head still being mobile.

"I promise."

"Good boy," Illyandra smiled, as her body flickered on the spot, before shriveling up into a small tree.

Turning on his heel, Natsu took a deep breath, sighing, as he composed himself. Walking toward the stairs, he turned back to look at the small tree that had been left behind.

"I'll do my best to return Illy… I promise."

With that, Natsu departed the place, as the Magic of the room slowly dimmed, fading away to leave a nearly pitch black cavern in its place.

***POTD***

It was currently nightfall, as Natsu slowly trudged down the old cobblestone road that his map indicated he needed to follow. Supposedly, the town he was looking for lay at the end of it, though it was hard to tell exactly where since a thick fog had rolled in.

"I'm in a dark forest, its foggy as all Hell, and there are supposed to be dead rising from their graves," Natsu mumbled to himself, shaking his head. "You really have a knack for getting yourself deep into shit, don't you Natsu…"

"That's hardly the confidence you should have when marching toward a town that is overrun by an army of the damned, now is it," an amused voice spoke casually, startling Natsu, who immediately spun around to confront the individual who had spooked him.

"Damn it Eliza, why the Hell would you sneak up on me like that!? Don't you have an important job to do, instead of spooking people!?"

"I'm always doing my job Natsu, always. However, I am allowed breaks during said work," the War Goddess replied with a small smirk. "Considering I know you, and we have the same kind of mental link that Elise and I share, I found what you were doing to be far more interesting than what I was doing, and decided to observe.

"Seriously? You realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?"

"You can't tell me that watching you go up against an army of the dead doesn't sound fun," Eliza countered with an amused smirk. "Just look at how much trouble you were causing in Edolas, that was great to watch!"

"You were watching the Edolas stuff?"

"Oh yes, it was really exciting stuff. Seeing you all show your power after your training was thrilling, I must say!"

"Surely you have better things to do than to watch us all day," Natsu asked as he stopped and looked toward the War Goddess. "How do you not get in trouble for not working?

"Well, that's because I technically am working. You have exceptional combat ability, so I observe you, then use a Lacrima to create a version of you that I can train the War Class with," Eliza explained. "After you beat the entire barracks, the young ones have been itching for a rematch. So, this is my way of staving them off. Naturally, it doesn't compare to the real thing, but we can't have the best of both worlds. We must all make do with what we have, right?"

"I guess that makes sense," Natsu admitted with a slight nod. "Still, if you're gonna observe me, can you be invisible for it. Apparently, I'm supposed to be alone doing this, or so the Council Request says."

"Fair enough," Eliza shrugged, instantly rendering herself invisible. "I'd rather not hinder you on this, I'm just an outside observer."

"Thanks Eliza, I'll talk to you a bit later," Natsu smiled, noticing the outline of a structure begin to come into view. "Looks like I've found the place…"

***POTD***

Making his way toward what appeared to be a town checkpoint, Natsu noticed multiple armed figures spread out across it. Once he counted the approximate amount, he continued moving forward.

"Here's hoping they don't attack on sight," Natsu muttered to himself, as a small arrow flew past his head, "I guess they are the shoot first kind…"

"That's far enough! Who are you, and why are you here," a panicked voice cried out, prompting Natsu to raise his hands in a gesture of peace.

"I'm a Wizard Saint," he replied calmly. "My name is Natsu Dragneel, I've been sent by the Magic Council to deal with the undead problem you've got."

"Thank the old Gods, it's a Wizard Saint! Quick, let everyone in town know a Wizard Saint is here to save us," the same panicked man from before cheered, as several people near the gate left. "Please come inside the gate, Lord Dragneel!"

Natsu walked inside the gate and into the small encampment the townspeople had set up just outside of town, as the man who was up on the wall came down to greet him.

"It's good to meet you Lord Dragneel Sir," the man smiled grimly. "I'm Felix, and I'm what's left of the law here in Easthearth. The rest have been …. well, they are amongst the dead now."

"Yeah, I've been told that the dead were rising and acting as if they were alive," Natsu replied, shaking his head that the man's name happened to be Felix. "Can you explain to me some of the behaviors these undead are showing?"

"Of course! When it first started, Gravetender Filion said that they would simply come out of their graves, shuffle around the graveyard, then go back in. But after a few days, they started coming into town and simply standing around, it was quite the sight."

"So, I'm guessing that the next step was they started doing something other than shuffling?"

"You betcha they did! Over there at the market was the first time it happened," Felix nodded sternly. "Lork was unloading a cart full of wood we'd just brought in for construction purposes, when one of the undead started helping him! I've never seen anything like it in all my life!"

"So, how long were the undead passive for exactly? More specifically, when did they turn hostile?"

"Hmm? Well, I'd say it was about two weeks ago when one really old one came down from the graveyard with a sword in his hand. This one must've been long dead since he was just bones. The bastard managed to walk right on in and kill three guards before we were even able to get the weapon from him."

"I've heard that they can't be beaten by normal means? Apparently, you lot hired some local Mages to take them out, and they reduced them to less than ashes, only to have them re appear the next day. Also, I've been told that the Mages went to investigate the graveyard itself, and are also now a part of the undead group, correct?"

"Group… Lord Dragneel, the situation has gotten much worse since we sent that last report," Felix replied gravely, a she motioned to the hill behind the town. "The amount of undead roaming around up there could very well be into the hundreds, thousands even, if they are rising from the mausoleums as well?"

"And I'm guessing that you've been getting attacked daily, which is why you have such high security at the main gate?"

"Even though the graveyard is in the opposite direction, we know these bastards are learning, so we didn't want to take any chances. A precaution, just in case they figured out we had other entrances."

"That's fair enough," Natsu agreed, understanding the logic behind it. "I'm just glad I was able to get here before you were all completely overrun by these things. "Earlier, you mentioned a Gravetender named Filion, is he still alive?"

"Sadly, he was the first to be taken by the undead when they emerged from the graveyard with the intention of killing and converting us. He kept mentioning that there was a hidden path inside the mausoleums that may hold some answers, but they got him before he even made it halfway up the hill."

"I'm terribly sorry for his death, but what you just said may give me some clues as to how I can stop this madness. Keep up your defenses, and if I don't return, inform the Council that this mission has elevated to Century status, and the Ishgar Four should be dispatched."

"Of course Lord Dragneel, I'll take you to the gate leading to the graveyard," Felix replied gratefully, as Natsu followed the man.

The two arrived at a gate that had clearly seen better days. It looked as if it was about to fall off its hinges, the front facing the town itself littered with arrows and weapons from what Natsu assumed were the undead.

"Bloody hell, here they come again," a man on the wall shouted, as he pressed a Lacrima next to him, which set off an alarm.

"Felix, you and your men stay behind the barricade, I'll deal with this," Natsu said, as he jumped over the wall, to the shock of everyone present.

Landing on the ground in front of the secure checkpoint, Natsu looked out toward the town to see what appeared to be four squads of undead approaching. They were in varying states of decay, with some clearly being former townsfolk.

"So, these are the undead of Easthearth," Natsu muttered, as a volley of arrows shattered against his Crash Barrier. "Suppose I should handle this quickly…"

His form was coated in a deep purplish aura, as Natsu extended his right hand outward, freezing all the undead in place using his Gravity Magic. Making an upward motion with his finger, they were lifted slightly into the air, as orange sparks burst from Natsu's left hand.

"Crash Arts – Crash Wave!"

Letting loose a burst of Crash Magic, Natsu easily reduced the undead to nothing, as the soldiers on the wall cheered for his overwhelming victory against them. Turning back, he looked up to see Felix.

"I'll make my way to the graveyard myself, just sit tight Felix!"

"We'll do that Lord Dragneel, and thank you so much for coming," the soldier replied gratefully, as Natsu turned on his heel and made his way toward the hill.

Circling around the town, he started making his way up the hill toward what he assumed was the town mausoleum. As he made his way upward, the occasional undead would try to ambush him, only to instantly be ripped to shreds by his Crash Magic.

Arriving at the entrance to the graveyard itself, he wasn't surprised to see that the gates had been torn clean off, leaving the place wide open. Looking around, he noted the sheer amount of undead that were just standing around, with some dressed like Guild Mages.

"My Midair Suspension technique won't work on beings that have control over their Magic, which means I'll have to get creative on how I want to take these damn undead Mages out…"

Just as he was about to continue forward, a disturbing hissing sound hit his sensitive ears, eliciting an immediate frown. Looking around once again, his eyes landed on the central mausoleum.

And he was rather disturbed, to say the least.

A fifteen-foot tall, extremely grotesque looking monster slowly exited through the main entrance of the mausoleum. Just one look at it, and Natsu knew that this thing is what most likely killed the Mages who had come to try and stop all this.

"An undead Chimera," he muttered darkly, as the abomination hissed and growled, shuffling around. "If all these Guild Mages fought were undead villagers and soldiers, this thing definitely would have caught them off guard…"

As Natsu looked at it, he began to identify the various species of animal used to create it.

"A snake tail, a bird head, along with a Human head, and … Why the hell does it have a bull's head sticking out of its chest!? This thing definitely was made using Black Magic, there's no two ways about it!"

The beast suddenly stilled, before quickly spotting Natsu, almost immediately making a strange roaring, hissing, squawking and high-pitched human scream noise. The combined sounds melded into one terrible screech that sent chills up his spine.

"Shit," Natsu hissed, quickly leaping backward from it, as the beast tried to hit him with its oversized, meaty, club-like left hand. "Let's see how you like this!?"

Using his Gravity Magic, Natsu set the density to twenty times the planet's standard, but was shocked to see that it didn't affect it in the slightest. The beast completely shrugged it off, and kept charging without issue, which all but confirmed his suspicions of Dark Arts involvement.

"Yeah, this all but confirms it! Those Mages who came here stood no chance against this thing," Natsu hissed as he released the Gravity Seals on himself. "I guess I should start by removing the tail!"

Natsu continued to dodge the creature and study its attack patterns, but failing, as it seemed to just jerk around violently with all its body parts, not a shred of rhyme nor reason in its actions.

"Let's see how it handles fire then!? Fire Dragon King's Piercing Claw!"

Darting behind the beast, Natsu sliced off the snake tail, and quickly cleared some distance to see the results of his attack. To his disappointment, the undead snake seemed to just slither around on the ground as if it were an ordinary snake, even though its insides were being left behind as it went.

"Eugh, that's disgusting," Natsu spat, as the creature recovered, and charged him again. "Alright, each part will still move even if I cut it off, so if I'm gonna cut something off, it should be something that won't bite me in the ass!"

Natsu couldn't help but cringe, as the strange cry of the beast filled his ears once again. He also couldn't help but look at the Human head, which seemed to have an unblinking fixed gaze on him, as its mouth just hung open uselessly.

"Who the hell could do that to a Human… to any living thing? I guess I should take the legs out next then… Fire Dragon King's Piercing Claw!"

Picking up speed, Natsu dashed past the beast, as he cut one of its legs clean off, causing it to let out the horrible cry it had made several times before.

Turning around to see if he'd been successful, Natsu felt like he wanted to vomit. The leg he'd just severed simply rolled around on the ground, trying to stand up, then falling down again, in an effort to attack him.

Gritting his teeth, Natsu started to get angry, disgusted at the repulsive sight before him.

"This has gone on long enough," he shouted, as he kicked the leg into the bull's face, which was immediately gored by one of its horns. The beast then stood up on one leg and tried to run, but fell over, not even making it anywhere, as Natsu took a deep breath.

"Fire Dragon King's Reverberating Roar!"

Releasing an enormous torrent of fire that was laced with Crash Magic, the beast was quickly enveloped, as it began to cry out again, slowly being torn apart. Eventually, its body started to break down, as Natsu dared finally approach the inferno.

Looked at the pile of ash that was the beast, Natsu couldn't help but sneer in disgust. He was about to walk toward the mausoleum, before hearing that hissing noise again. Realizing that the snake tail was still slithering towards him, Natsu blew a small torrent of flame from his mouth, immediately incinerating it.

With one last look at the rest of the undead in the graveyard that had yet to even react to his presence, Natsu turned his focus to the central mausoleum.

"Whatever caused all this, I'm certain it came from in there," Natsu muttered to himself, as he slowly advanced toward the aged, decrepit structure.

Whatever was causing this to occur was definitely still in there somewhere, and Natsu fully intended to get to the bottom of it. Whatever was down there would suffer, just like these undead were no doubt suffering…

He'd make sure of that