Pursuit

Meliodas, Natsu, Erza, Happy, and Carla teamed up into one group and split up with the others to try and find Wendy. The group ran through the forest with haste in their step as Natsu desperately sniffed the air.

"Natsu are you able to track her by her scent?" Erza asked. As they ran, Natsu took a few deep sniffs of the air around him.

"No. I can't get her scent." Natsu replied.

"It must be because she got absorbed into a separate space from that rod Brain was holding." Carla said.

"Aye Carla you're so smart. Do you want a fish?" Happy asked with lovestruck eyes.

"No male cat, this isn't the time for this!" Carla exclaimed.

"Hey hold on, Wendy is a Dragon slayer right?" Natsu asked.

"Yes she is a Sky Dragon Slayer. I had her take this mission in hopes that she met you." Carla replied.

"Hey there's something up ahead. Stay sharp." Erza warned. She and the group stopped in their tracks as they were stunned at the sight of the forest ahead of them. The normally lush, green trees had turned black, rotting as if the life got sucked out of them. The bushes and other greenery had also turned into a black color, with the ground beneath their feet showing a lack of any life.

"I don't like the feel of this." Meliodas said with a serious tone.

"This might be the work of Nirvana. We could be close." Carla commented. The group began to walk forward towards the trees but stopped as they heard a voice.

"Well, if it isn't Fairy Tail!" A voice said as a man came out from behind a tree. He was a large, robust man with an afro, wearing sunglasses and a suit. Several more men with apeish appearances stepped out from behind the trees and the Fairy Tail group soon found themselves surrounded all around them up to the treetops.

"Woah they're monkeys!" Natsu exclaimed, commenting on their appearance.

"No! We're Naked Mummy, one of the guilds working under the Oracion Seis!" One of the henchmen retorted.

"Why are you called Naked Mummy?" Meliodas asked curiously.

"Is that really what you want to know right now…" Carla asked nervously. "We've fallen into a trap!"

"Who cares! This will make it easier for us!" Natsu said enthusiastically with a large grin as he ignited his hands.

"That's a good point. Let's just force them to tell us." Meliodas replied, cracking his knuckles.

"Indeed. We'll take them down now." Erza commented as she stepped right up next to Meliodas and Natsu.

"Big brother Zato...that's Titania." One of the henchmen whispered nervously to the man with an afro.

"Titania? Heh that doesn't matter. She can't take us all on." Zato smirked and raised his hand giving the signal to attack.

"I will make you give us Wendy back." Erza glared as she requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor and summoned dozens of swords floating above her. "Take them out, but leave their leader conscious."

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu grinned as he charged in, with everyone behind him.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

"Circle Sword!"

An explosion of fire and swords blew away the surroundings. The dead trees fell to the ground as dozens of Naked Mummy members were sent flying into the air as the Erza and Natsu them charged in. From further back, Zato spectacted with another apeish looking man with the word "Salsa" on one of his shoulderguards.

"This is crazy… They are fighting an entire guild…" Carla commented as she spectated while hiding behind one of the dead trees next to Happy.

"They're quite capable aren't they, Big Brother Gato?" Zato commented.

"Wasn't there one more of them, Big Brother Zato?" Gato asked.

"Yo!" A voice said from behind them. Both of the Naked Mummy brothers froze and their eyes widened. They quickly turned around and saw Meliodas standing there.

"When did you-" Before Gato could finish talking, Meliodas leaped forward, headbutting Gato in the face, knocking him back. He kept crashing through several trees before finally losing momentum and hitting the ground, leaving a trail of upheaved dirt.

"You little shit!" Zato yelled angrily. He raised his hand and pointed it at Meliodas. It began to glow brightly as he fired a large magic blast from it at Meliodas. Meliodas raised his palm towards it in response. The blast instantly vanished without a trace. Zato froze in disbelief at what he had just witnessed.

Before Zato could do anything else, Meliodas grabbed him by the face, smashing him into the ground and creating a small crater in the shape of his face.

Meliodas plucked Zato's face out of the ground and looked him in the eyes through his shattered sunglasses.

"So where is the Oracion Seis based at?" Meliodas asked.

Zato was frightened beyond belief. He didn't sense any magic from the last attack Meliodas had used. Meliodas had simply grabbed his face and smashed him into the ground. He was barely conscious when Meliodas questioned him.

"Wahahaha! I don't know. I was only called here to keep you lot away!" Zato cried before falling unconscious. Meliodas shrugged his shoulders and dropped Zato on the ground. He looked up and saw Natsu and Erza had finished dealing with the rest of the dark guild.

"Looks like that guy didn't know anything." Meliodas said as he joined back up with the rest of the group.

"Then I guess we are still searching blindly for Wendy…" Erza commented.

"What should we do? This forest is huge" Happy asked.

"Dammit I-" Natsu stopped yelling abruptly as he started sniffing the air around him as everyone watched him. "That's her! I can suddenly smell her scent!" Natsu exclaimed as he began running deeper into the forest.

"Come on let's go!" Erza said as the rest of them followed Natsu.

The group followed Natsu as he darted through the trees, trying to track the scent. After several minutes of running without interruption, they reached a cliffside. Below them were the remnants of a small mining town with many destroyed buildings.

"WENDY!!!!" Natsu yelled as loud as he could.

"Hold on! The enemy is going to hear us!" Carla warned. The group looked down the cliff and saw Racer running quickly towards them. Racer suddenly dashed up the side of the cliff.

Natsu, Happy, and Carla were knocked back and swept off their feet as Racer blitzed by them with his speed. He set his sights on Meliodas and charged straight towards him.

With a clenched fist, he aimed a punch at Meliodas' head.

Meliodas put his hands out in front of him and blocked Racer's strike as he firmly planted his feet on the ground. Meliodas quickly retaliated with a punch at Racer's head, only for Racer to move his head and jump backwards. Racer's eyes widened underneath his goggles as he realized Meliodas had nicked his cheek. 'He can keep up with me?!'

"I can take care of him. You guys save Wendy!" Meliodas shouted.

"Happy, let's go!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I won't let you!" Racer shouted. He lunged towards Natsu but stopped and sidestepped as Meliodas came crashing in from above him. Racer looked at Meliodas, his eyes wide with surprise underneath his goggles. 'Why is he moving that fast inside of my slow magic?!'

"Aye sir!" Happy responded. He and Carla went to pick up Natsu and Erza as they flew them down the cliffside while Meliodas kept Racer off of them.

Natsu and Erza quickly descended to the mining town at the bottom of the cliff. Natsu began sniffing the air and picked up on her scent again.

"This way!" He exclaimed as he started running towards a cave. Erza, Happy, and Carla chased after Natsu only to stop as Natsu froze at the mouth of the cave.

"Natsu…?" Erza asked as she looked towards the cave entrance.

"What the hell is this?!" Natsu shouted angrily. Erza's eyes widened as she saw a familiar blue haired man standing next to Brain. On the ground next to them, was Wendy who was unconscious.

---

Meliodas and Racer clashed in the air. Meliodas unleashed a flurry of punches at Racer, with Racer ducking out of the way of each punch. Racer jumped back and distanced himself from Meliodas.

"You're fast, but you're not as fast as me." Racer commented. He charged at Meliodas, moving seemingly faster than before and unleashed a barrage of punches on Meliodas before reappearing behind him. Meliodas turned around, unfazed by the attack.

"You're pretty fast, but you don't hit very hard." Meliodas commented with a cheeky smile.

"Then let's see if you come out unscathed with this." Racer said as he reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a double edged knife with no handguard. Without warning, he seemingly vanished from his spot and reappeared in front of Meliodas. Meliodas punched forward at Racer, with Racer ducking the punch at the last second.

"Your speed is no match for mine. I can see you like you're in slow motion." Racer taunted. With his knife in hand, he jabbed at Meliodas's torso.

Meliodas grabbed Racer's hand firmly, stopping the knife from reaching him. Meliodas looked Racer in the eyes and gave Racer a friendly grin.

"Really? So can I." Meliodas retorted. Racer stared at Meliodas wide eyed as Meliodas wound his fist back and delivered a devastating punch to Racer's face. The punch sent Racer flying into the forest, colliding into several trees and knocking each one down before landing on the ground.

"You were fast, but I think Laxus was a bit faster than you." Meliodas commented as he walked up to Racer. Upon closer inspection, he could see that Racer was completely unconscious. Meliodas turned around and faced the cliffside again before running off after Natsu and Erza.