Extra 15: Dragon & Dragon Maids (52)

A day later, the group was reconvening at the guild.

"I feel so strange" - Natsu muttered with a frown - "I feel like I don't fit in."

"That's normal, Natsu" - replied Kurama as Mirajane handed him a jar of juice for Kanna, who was sitting happily on his legs - "Seven years is a long time, things change"

"I feel so good now that I don't have to pay rent" - Lucy said excitedly as she discovered how her father had bought the whole building she was renting - "Although I feel a little strange to be spoiled so much"

"Like I said, 7 years is a long time" - replied Kurama as he poured some juice for his daughter.

"Yeah, I noticed how excited he was after seeing me" - muttered Lucy as she watched Laxus walk next to Laki and Makarov - "I think it's time we pay attention."

"?" - Natsu gave her a confused look before watching as Laxus stood at the podium with a huge smile.

"Good morning, members of [Fairy Tail], I'm sure many of you know what's about to happen, and those of you who don't know, don't worry, I'm about to inform you" - Laxus said as he looked in the direction of the people who had been missing for 7 years - "As you may know, the magical games are just around the corner, and we've been fighting tooth and nail against [Sabertooth]"

Natsu frowned when he heard this because such seemed that a new guild had emerged during their absence, [Sabertooth], a guild that had won half of the magic games while they won the other half.

"This year's rules have been handed out, and I'm honestly surprised that guilds can send more than one team" - Laxus continued with a frown - "Though to keep things even, we've decided to send just one team, member-wise"

"I'll be one!" - Natsu exclaimed as his eyes glowed like two powerful eternal flames.

"I'm sorry, but it's impossible" - replied Laxus as he frowned - "At least not in your current state."

"What do you mean?" - Natsu asked with a frown.

"That the way you are, you're not going to be able to do anything against the other guilds" - Laxus answered seriously - "Unless you release your second origin."

"Second origin?" - Natsu repeated, confused by the blond's words.

"That I can explain in more detail" - said Ultear with a huge smile - "You see, the second origin is a second magical awakening in mages, during this process, a second magical core appears inside us while our first core expands slightly, this can even double or even triple our power, the problem is that not all people can awaken their second origin naturally."

"From your words, I can deduce that there are ways to do it artificially" - Erza replied while folding her arms.

"Exactly, although it's extremely painful, but seeing that we don't have much time, I think it's the fastest way and the one that gives the best results" - Ultear answered while looking at the people who were trapped in temporal stasis - "The question now is, do you want to try it?"

"Of course!" - Natsu exclaimed, only to drop to the ground and start screaming as strange red marks appeared all over his body.

"You could have told him to get ready" - sighed Laxus as he shook his head.

"Yes, but that would have only made him more aware of the pain" - replied Ultear as she shook her head - "Who's next?"

"Can't we go somewhere more private?" - Lucy asked with embarrassment because she didn't want her friends to see her.

"Sure" - nodded Ultear as she motioned for them to follow her - "Master Laxus, I recommend that when the idiot wakes up, you let him absorb your lightning, after seeing how Gajeel was able to consume and make [Sabertooth]'s [Dragon Slayer] darkness magic his own, it's possible that he can do the same with your power."

"Ok, I'm going to do it" - nodded Laxus calmly as he watched the group retreat, leaving only Kurama, Kanna and the other dragons that had followed him.

"Kurama-san, I'd like to talk to you about the games" - said Laxus seriously.

"Ok" - nodded Kurama as he took Kanna and put her over his shoulder.

By the way, Gildarts and Kana had disappeared, possibly so they could make up for lost time, though that was a story for another time.

* * * * *

"It was painful, but the results are obvious" - Natsu said as he saw how his flames now had lightning bolts around them - "Dual [Dragon Slayer]"

"Yes, but your power is still insignificant" - Iruru replied bored as she dodged the pink-haired young man's attacks with utmost ease because Kurama had asked her to train him even though she wasn't very happy with the idea, though she did so because he had promised her one thing she asked for.

A week had passed since Ultear had started releasing the second origins of Natsu and the others, time they had used, so they could get used to their powers.

Juvia and Lucy were training their bodies so that they could have better stamina and physical power, since with the new increased magical power, they could use their abilities with utmost ease.

Gray was training with Ultear, who during the 7 years seeing that she could not keep increasing her mastery with her magic [Ark of Time], decided to start training her mother's magic without rest, and now she was practically at the same level.

The Strauss brothers were training in the forest with some seals that Kurama had given them because their magics reflected directly on their bodies, that meant that the stronger these were, the stronger they would be in their transformations.

Levy had decided not to accept Ultear's baptism to awaken her second origin because she had many things to review during these 7 years, not to mention that she wanted to talk to her old friends.

That left us with Erza, who was breathing heavily on the floor, with her whole body sweating.

"I think that's all for now" - Kurama said while shaking his head - "You have talent, but I feel that you can't release it completely because something is holding you back."

Erza didn't answer, she just watched the white-haired man who was helping her train.

"Is it because you still hate me?" - Kurama asked as he looked at the girl - "I understand, no matter how much people say it's been 7 years already, for us, it was only a few seconds."

Erza maintained her silence as Kurama shook his head.

"Anyway, I can only give you one piece of advice, release everything that torments you and try to leave your inhibitions behind, so you can exploit all your power" - Kurama said before turning around, only to hear how the girl stood up with difficulty.

"Why?" - Erza asked while looking at the back of the person who was helping her train - "Why did you do it? And don't lie, please, I know you killed him intentionally."

Kurama was silent before saying - "Why should I spare a villain's life?"

"We don't decide who lives, and who dies!" - Erza exclaimed as she clenched her fist - "You shouldn't give your judgment against a person."

"That's where you're wrong" - replied Kurama as he gave the red haired girl a blank look - "You can't let your emotions cloud your judgment. To you, he was a friend who could be saved, but to me, Simon and the others, as well as to the rest of the world, he was a bastard who should be eradicated, so he wouldn't continue to cause harm"

Erza bit her lip before sighing regretfully - "I don't hate you."

"I know, I can feel other people's emotions" - Kurama replied as he looked up at the sky - "But that doesn't mean you don't hold a grudge against me"

Erza was silent when she heard this, as she sighed with regret - "What should I do?"

"That's a question I can't answer" - Kurama said as he shook his head - "You're the one who needs to find your answer."

"You're the second person to tell me the same thing" - Erza muttered as she turned around and left silently.

Kurama gave her a careful look before shaking his head, though when he saw that she had disappeared from his range of vision, he looked around with a serious expression - "You can come out."

"Interesting, I thought I had concealed my presence" - a slightly seductive female voice said, though Kurama could feel the darkness surrounding this person.

She was dangerous, not to him, but to others.

"I have waited a long time to meet you, traveler from another world" - said the woman as she walked from the shadows.

Kurama raised an eyebrow as he saw that this stranger, was the spitting image of Erza, no, it was quite the opposite, Erza was the spitting image of this woman.

"Her mother?" - Kurama asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"You could say so" - nodded the stranger as she narrowed her eyes with a sadistic expression.

Kurama frowned at this because he could feel a swirl of conflicting emotions inside this woman, it was as if she wished to see her daughter, but was afraid to do so.