Chapter 47: Chemistry

Beta read by Shigiya and Darklord331

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-Magnolia-

"Where is it…" 

Broly moved through the dense woods on the outskirts of town, a lone figure cutting through the stillness. His eyes scanned the trees, the underbrush, the occasional rustle of wildlife—most creatures kept their distance, though a few brave souls paused to eye him with cautious curiosity. The forest hummed with its usual rhythm, indifferent to his presence or his search for whoever—or whatever—he was after.

"Strange, I'm certain I felt her Ki signature somewhere around here." 

After he and Irene split ways, her presence was always tracked by him. While he could not guess her exact location, he knew that the woman resided somewhere around here for the past few days. Yet strangely enough as he approached the area, there was no sign of any shed, house, or any kind of structure. 

It was as if she was never here. 

"..." 

But his guts kept telling him that he was here somewhere and that he just needed to find her first. "Hm?" His nose twitched as he passed by a particularly large boulder. 

It was mostly unassuming no matter how you'd look at it, covered in overgrown vines, plants, and dirt. But unlike everything around it, the Saiyan noticed something particularly odd about it. "It does not have any smell." After having lived amongst the vegetation for quite a few years, his senses had adapted to the environment which is much more welcoming and pleasant than Vampa. 

Learning to navigate and hunt in these conditions without needing to rely on flying was one of the many things he tried and his sense of smell proved a crucial tool in such things. Which was why for something that was covered with plants and various kinds of other plants, it was weird that there was no sense at all. Not even the dirt had any smell. "She's here." 

He pressed his palm against the boulder and sent a surge of energy through it. The rock vanished in an instant—not a single pebble left behind—revealing a set of stairs leading down into a shadowy tunnel. No hesitation. He descended, his boots echoing faintly as he moved through the dim passage until it opened into another room. 

"—!"

Expecting a dank, musty cave, Broly was caught off guard when he stepped into something entirely different. The room was vast—two stories tall—and looked like it belonged in a cozy estate rather than underground. Bookshelves lined the walls, cluttered with tomes and trinkets. Chemistry sets bubbled quietly in one corner, while a fireplace crackled nearby. Chairs and tables were scattered about, giving the place an oddly homely feel. But what really threw him were the massive glass windows, sunlight streaming through them, illuminating the space as if it were above ground. For a moment, he just stood there, wondering how the hell windows even worked down here.

"Space magic along with a bit of conjuration and illusion magic. What you see and feel is but an artificial recreation of the Sun and the outside is merely an illusion of what I would usually see in Alvarez. The entire space around you on the other hand is no illusion, it is not exactly as big as my place back in the kingdom but for temporary refuge, it will suffice."

A melodious voice came from the fireplace, Broly found the red-headed woman.

Comfortably sitting by a large fireplace, the tall and well-endowed beauty was seen on a comfortable couch and holding a glass of red wine. Irene wore a tight, dark blue dress that clung to her curvy body, accentuating her generous hips and breasts. Her cleavage was rather revealing, giving a nice view of her creamy skin and a small window to the soft valley of her breasts.

A large slit on the side exposed her long, smooth and creamy thigh. She wore a pair of high-heeled, black ankle boots. The woman was a total knockout, her voluptuous figure was very seductive and the way her dress was cut accentuated her curves and left little to the imagination.

Broly had to admit, her overall presence and sense of fashion deferred greatly from Erza. He, on the other hand, didn't particularly think much about the clothing, finding it a bit constricting to be worn during battle. Then again, he wasn't one to talk,given his lack of clothing in most scenarios.

"I was curious to see how long it would take you to find me. Boredom is a universal enemy that affects everyone, I was half the mind to find you myself had you not arrived today. I am curious as to how you managed to uncover the entrance, multiple spells were placed around the interior to block my presence and energy from leaking to the outside world and from exterior interference."

"The boulder smelled different from its surroundings, it had no scent," Broly answered honestly, walking over to the woman and grabbing one of the fruits she had placed on the table before taking a bite. The entire time Irene did not even look at him once or break her focus from the book in her hand. 

"Scent you say? That is an interesting way to uncover my secret base. Honestly, I should have realized this flaw from the beginning, though I thank you for reminding me. By the way, you seem to be having fun lately with your little friends from the guild." 

To his surprise, Irene shut the book with a sharp snap and flicked her fingers. Another book materialized in front of him, its pages flipping open to reveal a photo of him shirtless, standing next to Mirajane, who was in a bikini and looking distinctly flustered. 'So she did come to Magnolia,' Broly muttered, glancing at the image. 'Had to be today—this wasn't out yesterday.'

He grabbed the magazine of the Sorcerer Weekly, turning the pages to discover that nearly half of this entire magazine was just him without his shirt holding various forms with either Mirajane or one of the other girls. He was not sure whether to feel embarrassed or worried about it. 

"The last thing I expected from you was being a model of all things. That surprised me in more ways than one." Again, it was hard to tell what she meant by that. 

"I was just on the quest and wanted to help out a friend. It got a bit out of control towards the end and I ended up as one of the models for some reason." Unlike Mirajane, he was no model on how to pose perfectly and have the right expression in front of the camera. Looking at himself in the picture, it truly felt that there was no need to have him in the magazine, and it probably ruined the entire thing. "In any case, how are you doing?"

"Is that really what you want to ask me?" Irene finally turned her attention to him, brown eyes staring back at him intently. 

"Yes," He genuinely had no idea what she was trying to say. It was mostly a simple question asked out of curiosity and worry in case she was having trouble fitting in with the new environment. "You have been quiet for the past few days, not even attempting to contact me. I was afraid you may have gone back on your promise and came to check on you… just in case."

"Just in case I went back to being an enemy and you would come for my life." She finished, this not even being a question but rather a statement. 

He nodded his head, as much Broly disliked the idea of taking that path, if necessary he was willing to push aside his discomfort to make sure an individual capable of twisting his mind like last time and would not do it again. 

"Oh? Color me impressed, I half-believed you would not say that. Fairy Tail has a rule against killing, don't they?" 

"I don't like it, but it's to protect them." He said after a moment of silence, not disagreeing with Irene.

"Protect them from me or you?" 

"Me," another swift answer for this was no secret nor was it a lie he wanted to make for himself. What was the point of all these questions? "You are strong, but I believe Erza and the others are still capable of beating you."

Woosh! 

A flash of red light filled the room, raising his palm the Saiyan casually grabbed a wave of crimson destructive magic. His Ki wrapped around the sphere, growing smaller and smaller while Irene's magic struggled to keep its shape. His feet sunk further beneath the earth without his body moving an inch, using more Ki he ended up crushing it within his palm in a single second. 

A powerful shockwave spread across the room, shattering nearby glassware and woodwork. A thin film of energy surrounded Irene who continued to sip her tea without care. 

Opening his hands, not a trace of burned marks could be spotted on his skin, leaving nothing but black smoke of what remained of that spell. His eyes narrowed, opening and closing his hand after that move, checking the damage done to the area around him. 

"You want to test that statement of yours?" She challenged, making him hesitate this time. Whatever that spell was, he knew it held enough power to destroy the entire Fairy Tail guild — all of that power released from a single flick of her fingers.

As much as he hated to admit it, other than the Master, no one in the guild was capable enough to counter this alone. 

"Enchantment magic if you're curious. It creates several explosion enchantments concentrated in a single point, overloaded by a surplus of energy that is enough to make anything I want disappear. If I recall correctly, you have something similar as well." 

It dawned on him she was talking about, "I do." The Eraser Canon is an attack where he gathers his energy from around his body onto a single point before throwing it. "Did you copy it after seeing it once?" 

"Don't insult me," Irene placed the cup back on the table and got up from her chair, pushing strands of hair behind her ear and grabbing onto the staff next to her. "It's just a coincidence we have an attack that just looks similar. Enchantment magic is particularly complex and requires several formulas to create even a simple spark let alone several explosions. Yours I suspect is just pure energy condensed until it reaches a culmination point at which point all of what energy is released at once."

He titled his head at that part, as if able to read his mind, Irene sighed. 

"It means while both of our attacks achieve a similar level of destruction, mine takes a more complex route and uses less energy comparatively while yours is the opposite." With a snap of her fingers, the scene around him started to distort and change. He remained calm and observed patiently, seeing them now being present outside. 

A flat land of nothing but grass spanning for as far as the eyes could see. "This… we are not in Magnolia anymore." 

The redhead looked surprised, "You noticed? Don't tell me it's because of the smell again."

She definitely was not willing to let the smell part go any time soon. But fortunately for her, it was not that part that made him figure it out. "I no longer sense Natsu and Lucy's energy." 

Yet as he touched the grass below, the sensation was definitely real and not fake. 

"Your ability to sense magic is intriguing, I'll keep note of that. You don't need to worry, we are still within the lands of Fiore. I came across the space recently and it is isolated enough for no one and nothing to disturb us." 

After having gotten a good look at her surroundings, Broly wondered just what she was trying to do. "Is there a point in bringing me here?" He was certain she was not trying to harm him in the first place, he knew that the woman understood the gap between them better than anyone else. 

She raised her eyebrow, "Don't you recall? We had a deal, it's the only reason why I came here in the first place."

Of course, he remembered the deal between them, where you were willing for her to attempt to understand his powers and make it her own if she desired. At the end of the day, what he used was simply Ki, a source of power available to everyone and he was also hoping to understand how it worked in this world with mages. As he was in the middle of his thoughts, an object flew in the air and he caught it as it was thrown towards him. Surprised, he gazed at his hands to have a better look. 

"A crystal ball?"

"Not just a crystal ball, this is a lacrima orb. Surely you have seen some of these lying around in that guild of yours." as she mentioned, he remembered seeing this item used by many people including Lucy. Though they all looked slightly different from one another. "Use it to store your energy within, that's all I ask." 

"That is how you will study it when I'm not here?"

"No, it's just to get a better close-up observation of your powers. Do it as slowly as you can and don't try to blow up the place." He left out a forced smile, she didn't have to mention that last part — it wasn't like he was destroying entire lands regularly. Regardless, he followed her instructions and concentrated his Ki from within his body onto the orb in question. 

"—!"

The orb reacted, glowing a gentle white light, continuing to grow brighter by the second until he had to squint. A faint sound of a sharp noise rang from the lacrima, growing louder in parallel to the light. "Don't stop, keep going until the very end." 

"It's going to blow up." He warned the woman, still continuing to push more of his Ki into the orb till it began to tremble. 

"I know." 

As soon as she said that, what he expected to happen occurred, it cracked before exploding into hundreds if not thousands of shards. He shielded his face to not get any in his eyes, sensing his Ki within it dispersing in the air. "I know I agreed to help you, but I don't see how you will understand my power by having me destroy such things." 

She did not answer him, merely walking over and picking up one of the many pieces scattered across the ground. Several magic circles for me on her hand as the peace started to float and pass through them. 

Her expression was hard to read, he couldn't tell just what was going through her mind at all. Still, he kept his silence and let her focus while he took the time to meditate for a few minutes. 

"Strange, while the lacrima reacts to the source of energy as it would with any magic, this feels more like yours is forcing it to work as it would have with ethernano putting a lot of stress on it. In the long run, this would basically destroy the item no matter how little you used it. I saw you use your power and yet it is not the same as last time. The energy is far less destructive and more… calm to say the least. In fact, even appearance-wise this differs quite a bit from last time, where it had a more green colour. Are you holding back on me?" 

That was a surprise, he never put too much thought on how his Ki could even work with some of the magical devices in this world. Unfortunately he never owned any magical item long enough to see it start to break apart. 'Wait, is that why that coat I bought only stayed green? No wonder I could never have it change color.' 

"Yes," he answered, almost guessing what she was about to ask next. "That power is beyond your control, I advise you to forget about trying to replicate it or even harness it. You saw for yourself the kind of damage it has done to this world." 

Irene hummed, not angry at his answer and looked upwards at the remains of the moon and what little remained of it. 

"I remember you calling it Ki, care to elaborate for me a bit?" Broly opened his eyes, feeling the shift around him, and found Irene standing in front of him. The lacrima shard was discarded without much care, simple curiosity visible on her face as she drew closer and placed her hand on his chest. A wave of… something passed all over his body, sending a tingling sensation across his skin. 

The foreign magic was not harmful as far as he could tell. 

"It's the life force, an energy that is present within everything and all living beings. I harness it, control it, and push it outwards if I want to use it." He gave the same explanation Paragus gave him. "You get it from the moment you are born, it grows stronger with time and it's important to learn to control it and not have it be the other way around."

"Obviously that is not the case," she said calmly, "At no point in human history has a child been born with power like yours. Unless we are talking about demons, dragons, or an etherious." 

"Etherious?" He never heard of that word, or perhaps had in the past but could no longer recall. Demons on the other hand were familiar to him, given the villagers on Galuna Island were exactly that. As for dragons… well he experienced firsthand how dangerous they were. 

"You can think of them as demons, failed creations of Zeref's in the past. They hold the power of curses, which shares the same origin with regular magic — both of them being simply an aspect of the One Magic. It's their main weapon, tricky to deal with and they are born with it." Her fingers slid upwards until they reached his chin, "But you're definitely not one of his creations or a demon. Or else he wouldn't be here." 

"I am a Saiyan," he said, his voice calm and matter-of-fact, drawing Irene's curious gaze.

"A Saiyan?" she echoed, her brow furrowing slightly. The word foreign on her tongue."I've never heard of such a thing. And from the way you speak, it's clear you're not from Edolas. What exactly is a Saiyan?"

He paused for a moment, considering how best to explain something he barely thought about himself. "To put it simply, we're a race of space-traveling warriors," he said bluntly. "Born on a long destroyed planet called Vegeta. We were raised to conquer worlds—sent to destroy civilizations across the galaxy from an early age. At least… most of us were."

Irene's eyes widened, her lips parting slightly in shock. "Conquer worlds?" she repeated, her tone sharp.

"Yes," Broly nodded, his expression unreadable. "From what I've been told, when a Saiyan is born, they're sent to a distant planet. If the inhabitants are weak enough, the child is expected to destroy them. Once the task is done, they return to their people, stronger from the experience. The planet is sold off and has the resources harvested."

Irene crossed her arms, her sharp eyes studying him and her voice measured. "Go on."

He met her gaze without hesitation, his tone as steady as ever. "We're not human, even though we look at it. We grow stronger after every fight—especially after being injured. We also have tails. Mine was cut off by my father when I was young." 

His hand brushed absently at his lower back, though his voice remained detached. It happened so long ago that the man only had faint memories of still having a tail. The tail was cut off shortly after Ba's death. 

"The tail makes us dangerous during a full moon. It triggers a transformation, turning us into something… destructive. I imagine the planet wouldn't still exist if my father hadn't cut mine off."

Irene's expression wavered for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line. The woman started to massage her temples, letting out an amused smile. "Not even Zeref would make a casual comment about destroying a planet… same goes for gods. You've painted a picture of a very… brutal race." 

"Are you afraid?" 

She scoffed, "I am not one to be ruled by fear. Since Earthland has not fallen yet and we have not been slaughtered — I take it you chose to spare us for some reason." 

A chuckle escaped his lips, "You were the one who nearly made that happen." 

She did not disagree with him. "But why do you speak of your people like this? You don't seem attached to their ways—or to them at all."

"I'm not," he said bluntly.

She blinked at his straightforwardness, and he continued without a hint of hesitation. "I don't remember them. No, it's better to say that I never knew them. I wasn't sent to conquer anything. I was sent to die."

Her eyes widened slightly at his words, but his demeanor remained entirely neutral. "They didn't expect me to survive," he explained as if he were reciting a dull fact rather than a significant event. "According to my father, I was banished to a far-off planet at a young age because they feared my potential. Regardless of their reasons, it doesn't matter to me."

His voice stayed steady, no trace of bitterness or regret. To him, the banishment wasn't some tragic tale—just a fact of life, like the weather or the color of the sky. He shrugged it off, casual as if he were talking about forgetting his keys somewhere. Paragus, on the other hand, could never let it go. Broly figured some people just liked holding onto things, even if it only weighed them down.

"My father found me eventually, but his ship was destroyed and we were stranded. He raised me and told me a few things about the Saiyans. That's the only reason I even know what I've told you. Otherwise, I wouldn't care about them."

Irene stared at him, taken aback by his indifference. She searched his face for any sign of hidden emotion but found none. Finally, she spoke, her tone softer than before. "And yet, despite your indifference, you've shared all of this with me."

He scratched the back of his head, offering a small shrug. 

"Does she know?" 

It took him a few seconds to understand who she was talking about, "You mean Erza? Your siste—"

"I am not her sister!" She waved her staff, firing a fire bolt straight at his face. "If you keep insisting on that ridiculous notion I will drop a meteor on your face!" 

"You even get angry like her…" he said, getting back up with no injuries or burn marks on his face, just some soot from the blast. A smile for me which visibly irked the redhead. "It would have been much easier for you to just tell me what your relationship with her is." 

"That's none of your business, insolent fool." 

Raising his hands in defeat, remembering how Gretel always advised him to not get on a woman's bad side regardless of how more powerful he was. "Okay okay, I'll stop. To answer your question, she doesn't know. In fact, no one other than you knows about the details of my past before I came here." 

Broly didn't often dwell on keeping secrets, especially about himself. It wasn't out of shame or reluctance—it simply didn't occur to him to share. No one had pushed him to reveal his past, nor had they seemed particularly curious. If Lucy were to ask, he wouldn't hesitate to tell her the same things he'd mentioned to Irene, though he suspected she'd be far more emotional about it. He could already imagine her wide eyes and trembling voice, and he had no interest in making her feel sad for him.

"Really?" Irene interrupted his thoughts, her tone laced with subtle amusement. "I suppose the girl is naive enough not to ask questions to a strange case like yours."

"Erza's not naive," Broly shot back immediately, his voice firm, his brow furrowing slightly.

She raised a delicate eyebrow, her lips curving into a faint smirk. "She is, to me."

"Well, you're wrong."

Her smile widened, and her voice dipped, teasing him. "Oh? How am I wrong?"

"Because I said so," he replied without hesitation, his tone steady, his gaze unwavering. "Erza's very smart. Smarter than you."

For a moment, Irene stared at him, then laughed softly, the sound equal parts amused and incredulous. "You're comparing me to that child?" she said, drawing out the words as though she couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "You do realize you're talking to one of the strongest wizards in the world? As far as I can tell, all Erza can do is use basic telekinetic magic and Requip." Her tone was sharp, almost indignant, though a glint of amusement sparkled in her eyes.

Broly shrugged, his reply immediate and resolute. "She could still beat you. You still owe her and everyone in the guild an apology for what you did before."

"Again with that nonsense," Irene's smirk faltered for a split second before returning in full force, sharper now. "If she has a death wish, she's welcome to try."

"Then let's go meet her," he said, leaning forward slightly, his tone calm but edged with playful challenge. "You can prove to me that you're not secretly her sister while you're at it. I dare you."

The redhead's smile froze, and for a moment, she simply stared at him, her crimson eyes narrowing. Then, she leaned in slightly, her voice low and dangerous. "I thought I was talking to a warrior, not a child."

"And I thought I was talking to a calm, wise wizard," Broly replied evenly, the faintest hint of a challenging smirk tugging at his lips.

The tension in the air shifted, Irene tilted her head, her smirk softening into something more curious, her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer before she spoke again. "You're a strange one, Saiyan. Strange and... infuriating."

"And you're the one acting stubborn like a child," he said, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest.

The woman rolled her eyes, the faintest flicker of amusement dancing across her features despite herself. "Whatever," she muttered, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a dramatic flair. "It makes no difference to me whether you agree with my words or not."

Her face darkened slightly, traces of frustration flashing in her brown eyes, but she made no move to lash out. Broly simply watched her, his calm demeanor unshaken, as if he found her reactions more amusing than threatening.

Her lips curved into a forced smile, though it wasn't one of mockery or triumph. "Regardless, you are a peculiar man indeed," she murmured. "A race of monsters capable of destroying entire worlds, the people on Earthland will never accept such a thing. Hahaha…, oh how vast the world truly is. Even after living for so long it still holds so many surprises for me to discover."

She looked at the sky, for a moment her expression softened enough for him to see the image of Erza layering over hers. "Is our world truly that weak?" 

"No," he answered immediately, getting the redhead to look at him. "I never saw anything similar to what magic can accomplish in my world with Ki. Your way is more versatile and can be used in many different ways, unlike Ki."

"Yet less powerful when it comes down to pure power." She said with a smile. "Unless we bring into the equations magic lost to time or the very source of it all. Or if it is a question of whether or not I can destroy the world, a large enough meteor pulled from the vacuum of space is the best I can do — but that would mean potentially killing myself. Tell me, just how dangerous are other Saiyans if some were to one day visit this world? Given you are with Fairy Tail, surely you would protect your current homeworld." 

"..." Broly stayed quiet, memories of his fight with the blue-haired Saiyan emerging back. "I am not the strongest, I have been beaten before and nearly died."

A moment of silence past amongst them, The woman once more had an expression of disbelief and gazed at him to see whether or not he was telling the truth. After a moment, it became clear that his words were not a lie and that only shocked her further.

"How frightening," Irene took a deep breath, "This is a lot to take in, I admit. While the concept of other worlds and their existence is not new to me, I have never come across one like yours. Traveling civilization capable of conquering planets by sending their children? Had I not seen your power, this would have been one of the worst jokes anyone utter to my face without being crushed dust for their insolence." 

She was quick to accept his explanation, now looking at him with a different light in her eyes, walking around his body and eyeing every inch of it. 

"Hah, going back to your species. You are definitely very similar to a human unless the species you come from is of similar height as yours."

"Hehehe, that is not the case. Those that I have met are smaller and of a similar height to yours. I guess I just eat a lot more." his little attempt at humor went completely unnoticed by Irine, making him feel a bit saddened. 

"Amazing, for a child to have enough power to conquer a world all by themselves? Ki… it is most definitely nothing like magic and of course that transformation of yours."

He purposefully made sure to not mention the Great Ape, given what he mentioned already was heavy enough and he worried it might overwhelm her. 

"Yes, I also remember you mentioning that you could sense that I was not a human by sensing my Ki. If that is the case, then I should be able to use this power as well unless you're species is the only one capable of pushing it so far."

"No, we are the only ones." Having met the likes of Frieza and other soldiers when he traveled inside the spaceship, it was safe to say that Ki manipulation was not specifically reserved for Saiyans."Ki manipulation isn't exclusive to Saiyans. But as you are now, I don't think you're capable of harnessing it."

Irene raised an eyebrow at his bluntness. "And why is that?"

"You don't have any muscles," Broly said flatly as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Without warning, he reached out and pinched her forearm, his fingers sinking into her soft skin.

Her expression froze in shock as he tilted his head, observing her with the detached curiosity of someone inspecting a specimen. "See? Soft. No muscle at all." Before she could react, he poked her abdomen a few times, each prod firm yet impersonal. "Here too. No tone. Even Lucy has some muscle, and she's far weaker than me. You might have survived when I crushed you, but I'm pretty sure that was because of magic, not physical resilience. Your legs on the other hand are pretty ton—"

Woosh!

A sudden surge of energy filled the air, thick and oppressive, like a storm brewing in an instant. Broly blinked, stepping back as a massive tsunami of Ethernano surrounded Irene, swirling around her like a vengeful force. Her calm demeanor had vanished, replaced by a cold, terrifying smile that made even Broly pause.

Her staff glowed with an eerie red light, and the intricate designs of multiple magic circles materialized beneath their feet, pulsing with power. "You have five minutes to give me a very good explanation for your actions just now," Irene said, her voice low and menacing. "If I'm not satisfied, I'll summon a meteor big enough to bury you underground. It might not kill you, but it will hurt."

A pillar of light shot skyward, splitting the clouds as the sheer magnitude of her power shook the air around them.

Broly raised his hands immediately, his expression having a trace of genuine panic since he was surprised by her sudden shift in mood. Also, such an attack would have everyone in Magnolia notice it and he did not want to deal with the Magic Council again. "Wait, wait! I was just checking to see if your body was fit enough!" he said plainly.

Her eyes narrowed, the glow of her staff intensifying.

Her lips curled into a tight, humorless smile, and her voice dropped into a saccharine tone dripping with malice. "Oh, I have a much better way to let you know~"

Broly's expression remained unchanged, but something about her shifted. He could feel it—the Ki within her stirring, growing erratic and aggressive, colliding with the overwhelming surge of Ethernano that flooded her body. The sheer force of it made the ground tremble, and for the first time, he narrowed his eyes in wary curiosity.

'What is she doing to her body?'

"—!?"

Before he could react, she moved.

It happened in an instant. One moment, Irene stood several feet away, her presence immense but contained. The next, the entirety of his vision was consumed by a massive, white-scaled claw that appeared out of nowhere. It struck him point-blank, the impact so sudden and overwhelming that his body was lifted off the ground like a ragdoll.

What?!

The force was monumental, a crushing blow that sent him hurtling through the air like a comet. He barely registered the ground beneath him as his back slammed into it, carving a massive trench across the landscape. The impact threw up clouds of dust and debris, and his momentum only slowed as his body burrowed several meters deep into the earth, the ground groaning under the force.

For a moment, there was silence, save for the faint hum of residual magic lingering in the air. Then, from deep within the crater he had created, Broly stirred. That kind of strength was not present during their first fight, it was far too overwhelming to what she had shown previously and was not something humanly possible. 

It neared the strength of that black drago—

▅▅ーーー!

The sky above darkened, and a massive shadow loomed over him. Descending with incredible speed, the figure revealed itself in the light—a majestic dragon, its red and white scales shimmering like gemstones in the sun. Its enormous wings spanned dozens of meters, and fiery red hair cascaded along its back like a living flame.

For a brief moment, Broly found himself captivated by the creature's appearance. Unlike the ominous malice of the black dragon he had encountered before, this one radiated a different kind of power—pure, untamed strength wrapped in an aura of regal majesty.

"Oof!"

A massive white claw slammed into him, pinning his body beneath its weight. The sheer force of the impact created a massive crater, reshaping the land and sending tremors far enough that he was sure Magnolia would feel it. The dragon bore down on him, its claws keeping his body restrained, save for his head, which was free to look up into piercing red reptilian eyes.

"Is this powerful enough for you, Saiyan?"

The voice was commanding, yet unmistakably feminine. It sent a ripple of recognition through him before her familiar Ki confirmed it. The vibrant, unrestrained energy was the same as before but now magnified a hundredfold.

"You're a dragon…" he murmured, the realization dawning on him. Everything made sense now—why her presence had always reminded him of Acnologia. She wasn't just like him; she was a creature thought long extinct. The same kind Natsu sought to find his father.

But if she was a dragon, then what did that mean for Erza? Her Ki was entirely different, yet his instincts told him there was still a connection between them. Irene's defensiveness whenever Erza was brought up only deepened the mystery.

"Since you've shared your secret with me, I thought it only fair to do the same," Irene said, her voice laced with pride. Her dragon form shifted slightly as she leaned closer, the sheer weight of her presence pressing down on him. "And to remind you that I am not weak. Far from it."

Broly had to admit, that with this level of power combined with her magic, no one in Fairy Tail—not Natsu, not even Gildarts—would stand a chance. He finally understood why dragons were so revered and feared in every book Lucy had forced him to read, even the ones he'd skimmed out of boredom.

How could such a powerful species go extinct?

He doubted it was Dragon Slayer Magic. Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel together couldn't even come close to matching her strength.

"Are you afraid?" Irene asked her tone a mix of teasing and provocation. "Has the Queen of Dragons managed to shake the heart of a mighty Saiyan? It's only natural. This form of mine isn't something I reveal lightly. Other than you, only Zeref has seen my true self. Empires crumbled beneath my reign centuries ago, and I—"

A loud growl interrupted her speech, the sound echoing awkwardly in the silence.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Irene's red eyes blinked in disbelief, staring down at him as his stomach growled again, louder this time.

Broly felt his cheeks grow warm—a rare display of embarrassment. "Um… I was worried about you earlier this morning and planned to only visit for a few minutes. I, uh, ended up skipping breakfast," he explained, his tone sheepish. Just the thought of Mirajane's cooking made his mouth water.

Irene stared at him in silence, her regal aura seemingly stunned into confusion.

Suddenly, an interesting idea came to his mind. "How about this—we both go have lunch in Magnolia? I'll show you around while we're at it. You must get bored staying in that cave of yours. Besides, I didn't smell anything cooking in your room earlier, so you must be starving too. What do you think?"

Her massive dragon eyes narrowed, her expression unreadable as the seconds ticked by. 

▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■■ーー!!

He got his answer with Irene opening her jaw and firing a powerful burst of a destructive breath attack of pure condensed crimson magic that engulfed his body and the entire crater itself.

{Break}

-Magnolia-

"Where is he?" 

Walking on the streets of Magnolia, a certain blonde celestial wizard couldn't help but murmur with slight disappointment in her tone as she looked around for her giant companion. 

"You really think you'll find him by just walking around town? He did say he was going to check up on someone and flew away, I doubt he was talking about someone in this town. Don't waste your time, Lucy." 

Next to her, Cana trudged along with a flask in hand, looking thoroughly bored as she'd been trailing Lucy for a solid half hour. They'd already combed through the quest board twice, and she'd sat through Lucy's failed interrogation of Mirajane about her plans for Broly. That had been particularly painful to watch—the She-devil had deflected every question with her trademark smile, never revealing a thing while somehow making Lucy feel like she'd gotten an answer.

The entire early morning went by in the blink of an eye with it already being noon by now. 

"No, you don't understand. Broly would never go somewhere far away without telling me or anyone else for that matter. He is extremely protective of me and does not like to stay away for long periods of time. So for him to be gone this long is strange!" She said, making Cana release a powerless sigh. "Not to mention that he skipped breakfast! I had to pinch myself in order to truly believe he would actually do something like that!"

"Not gonna lie, was pretty surprised about that too.. The guy loves his food and for him to skip it is like Natsu doing something similar. Maybe he went on a date with Mirajane secretly." She said with a large grin on her face. "That should explain why she was looking at the clock several times today, and she even wore makeup and had a new set of clothes. Most of the guys and few girls were tripping over themselves at her appearance."

"Don't jinx it! How is it possible that she is after him?" 

"Why wouldn't she be?" Lucy was about to retort but found herself speechless, "think about it. The guy has a pretty handsome face attached to that rocking body of his. Even if you put that aside, he is pretty innocent and is not a pervert. He is kind, caring, and cute… I can see why Mirajane would be interested in him."

Lucy hated how She agreed with the brunette. But still had the pout on her face, "then by that logic why isn't she interested in Natsu? He and Broly are plenty similar."

"Pft-hahahaha! You can't be serious, Lucy!" Her laughter went on for a few more seconds, the mirror idea of it being so ridiculous that she had to take a moment to calm herself down. "Come on now, she sees him like an annoying little brother. You should have been there a few years ago, Mirajane would practically torture the poor dude out of boredom. There was a reason why both he and Gray are so terrified of her."

"Seriously?" 

The sweet angel that served food and drinks to everyone in the guild being such a terror? She heard it a few times from other members but even now it was hard to accept such an image of her idol. The woman gave her the impression of being someone with not a single evil bone in her body. 

"I am not joking, she was the polar opposite. But you see, Broly is a newcomer and maybe she got interested in the new guy, coupled with his gentle personality and the impression he gave her at first must have swooned her a bit. Can't say I was not affected as well, hard to ignore a guy who can beat you in a drinking game." 

"Cana!?" 

"Shit, you weren't supposed to hear that. Ignore it, it's just the alcohol talking." 

"You're not drinking!" 

"I'm always drunk!" She flipped her hair and crossed her arms with slight discontent showing on her face. "And what's so bad about me being interested in him as well? It's not like I will try to get in between you two. We can both share him, his big enough to satisfy both of us isn't he~?" 

Lucy's face went crimson red after hearing what the card wizard kept saying, not a hint of shame on her face from uttering such a thing in the middle of public.

"Don't say that out loud! People are already looking at us suspiciously!" 

"People always look at us. I mean it's obvious why, two beautiful girls with large tits walking down the street will definitely add some looks." She continued to tease the blonde, finding her reaction cute and a good way to pass the time. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you summon that celestial spirit of yours? You mentioned how she'll drown you if you keep cockblocking her." 

Immediately, a guilty look filled Lucy's face, and tried but failed to hide her reaction — this made Cana give her a dry look.

"You're trying to delay her summon as much as possible aren't you…"

She hit the mark when the busty blonde flinched. She truly started to question just who exactly was the boss between the summoner and the spirit. "Ouch!" Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice Lucy suddenly coming to a halt and bumped into her by accident. "Ah, sorry about that, why did sto—huh?" 

She did not even need to ask a question when the answer to that walked towards them and caught her attention immediately. That being none other than the Saiyan walking on the streets while attracting far more attention from every passerby whilst carrying a bag filled with meat skewers.

Cana followed Lucy's line of sight, her expression morphing into one of disbelief. Both women stood frozen, their attention locked on the unfamiliar figure beside Broly. 

It was a woman—elegant and composed, with braided, bow-adorned, black hair and a voluptuous figure that made her stand out. An outfit consisted of a simple black and red themed dress with a diamond-shaped cutout on her cleavage. 

To Lucy, she looked very familiar. Yet the girl couldn't pinpoint where she had seen this woman before, but the chill she got made her feel extremely cautious of her. 

"Here," Broly said abruptly, breaking the silence. He held out a skewer of roasted meat, the Vulcan's charred flesh gleaming in the sunlight. "Try this. It's Vulcan meat. A bit tough, but it's good."

The woman beside him wrinkled her nose and leaned back slightly, her tone dripping with disdain. "Get this disgusting thing away from my face."

Broly's expression didn't change, though there was the faintest flicker of disappointment in his eyes. "You don't like it? Strange. Lucy loved it, and Cana ate two."

"I'm regretting my choice," the woman muttered, crossing her arms as she side-stepped his outstretched hand. "I am leaving."

"Don't think you're getting out of it that easily," Broly said matter-of-factly, stepping into her path and holding the skewer closer. "At least try. You might like it, we haven't even reached the guild."

The woman narrowed her eyes, a dangerous challenge gleaming within them. "And if I don't?"

"You can try." 

"Tch," she scoffed but leaned forward just enough to take the smallest bite, chewing with exaggerated slowness. Her expression remained neutral for a moment before her gaze shifted away, a subtle sign of approval, making Broly smile.

From a distance, Lucy and Cana exchanged incredulous looks.

"Who is that?" Lucy asked in a whisper, her wide eyes darting between the woman and Broly. This looked no different to a date between lovers! Wasn't she supposed to be worrying about Mirajane? Then who was this strange woman!?

"I was just heading toward the guild," he said, his deep voice as relaxed as his stride. "Sorry, I'm late. I got held up with some matters with…" He paused, glancing at the woman standing beside him as if searching for the right words. "A friend?"

The woman raised a single, perfectly arched brow and replied with an air of authority. "No."

Broly blinked at her bluntness, tilting his head slightly. "Acquaintance?" he tried again.

"...Good enough," she replied after some consideration.

Lucy and Cana exchanged a quick, bewildered glance before turning their attention back to the two.

"Um, Broly," Lucy began tentatively, her eyes darting toward the unfamiliar woman, "who's… she?"

"Irene," the woman answered instead, her sharp stare making both women feel a deep sense of dread for a brief moment until Broly placed his hand on Irene's shoulder. That sensation immediately disappeared and made them gasp, their faces dripping with sweat. "Don't mind me, I won't be here for long. You will forget me after this meeting." 

That sounded more like a command than a simple statement.

"A-Ah… I see," was all that Lucy could say at the moment. That irksome feeling inside her mind kept growing as she continued to observe the woman, other than her being familiar with Broly which was odd since she never saw her in the past, it still felt like they met before. 

But for the life of her, she could not recall any person with such a face. 

"U-Um…, are you the p-person Broly…"

Understanding what she was trying to say, Broly nodded his head. "Yes, I met her recently and she accompanied me on my way back from the Magic Council headquarters to Magnolia. I just wanted to check up on her and show her around the town today." 

Lucy looked at him carefully. One thing she knew about the Saiyan was his inability to lie. Not that he was a bad liar, but he just never truly lied to her face, but that did not mean he would not occasionally withhold certain things from her. Yet it was easy to tell when he was doing such a thing, and the way he kept looking anywhere but in her eyes told her that there was more to this woman than he was letting on. 

'Is she blackmailing him or something? No, that can't be it. He is pretty relaxed around here from the looks of it.' 

Ring! 

The sound of a doorbell ringing managed to break the tension in the air that Lucy and Cana were feeling at the moment. 

"Oh, it's you guys. What are you doing here?" 

They all heard the familiar voice of Erza, looking around to find their S-class mage coming out of a bakery shop holding what seemed to be several boxesof an entire strawberry shortcake. The redhead's expression grew confused when she stared at the woman next to Broly with a similar sense of familiarity washing over her. 

Lucy then felt as if a knife was pressed against her throat, for the strange woman's temperament seemed to have shifted a tiny bit. 

{Break}

-Outskirts of Magnolia-

More than an hour away from the town, quietly gliding over the dense forest surrounding the region, a giant dark airship glided across the sky heading straight for Magnolia. On its deck, several figures gathered, some of which were familiar people Broly and the other members of Fairy Tail had met with in the past and others they did not. 

Amongst them, Ultear's figure was the most discernible. Looking carefully at the figure sitting on top of the throne. 

"Hade-sama, we will soon reach the town. But might I suggest that we take a more stealth approach instead? It would be unwise to have the magic council become aware of our presence and send their best mages." She advised, hoping that this mission would go as smoothly as possible without raising too many heads. 

"Oh, shut it, you nagging bitch! Always whining about caution and stealth like we're some bunch of cowards skulking in the shadows. Since when do we give a damn about the Magic Council? Let's march straight into that town, unleash the troops, and watch it burn to ash! Hahaha!" The man cackled, black flames flaring from his hands as his manic energy filled the air. Ultear shot him a glare, her patience wearing thinner by the second.

"You're the one who should be shutting up for talking to her like that!" 

Another person came to her defense, Meredy having a face that promised pain if the guy didn't shut up. 

Another voice decided to add their input. 

"It would be a shame to see such a magnificent Jewel be reduced to ashes. Let's not waste unneeded efforts to flatten a bed of flowers and just pick out the worm by sending one of us quickly?" The man who spoke, his hands going through his Canon-shaped hair, continuously trying to shape it perfectly, announced calmly. "And I have to agree with Ultear. Don't want to step on the Magic Council's foot, these insects are already troublesome enough as it is. We just need to capture a single man, no need to go to war over the dead." 

"Boring! BORING!"

"Shouting won't make your point more valid, Zancrow!" She shouted, slowly being pushed to her limit when dealing with this frustrating pest at any point in time. But she remembered that in the older to have her wish granted, this was one of the easiest options around. They just needed to capture him, not kill him. 

"Hm, calm down, Zancrow. Your time for battle will come, but for now, Ultear has a point. Trying to attack Fairy Tail in its home base is no different to suicide, do not let their reputation deceive you for they carry one of the most powerful weapons known to humankind. I doubt Maky will use it, but desperate times can call for desperate measures." Hades spoke, stroking his beard calmly and wanting to plan the next move. 

"Rustyrose, you will be going first. Can you handle it?" 

The guy who initially agreed with Ultear's method stepped forward. Bowing to the old and raised his hand to showcase a sphere of light that soon showcased Broly's face. 

"This is the guy, right? It shouldn't be an issue, I'll get it done in a matter of hours." 

"Don't underestimate him," the woman warned, "while he may be a member of the Fairy Tail guild, he is more than capable of hurting you and will not be holding back. So be very careful." 

"Don't need to remind me, I like to live my life on the edge. No matter how big or powerful an individual is, they will stand no chance against my magic regardless." 

Hades hummed with agreement after seeing the group come to s general consensus. Even those that did not talk willing to respect his command. 

"Still, I'd rather stay on the more cautious side and agree to have at least another one of our members accompany you. Make sure to not disappoint us, Rustyrose — bring the one they call Broly back to me alive. He may be the answer I was looking for this entire time." 

"Yes!"

And just like that, his figure disappeared leaving Ultear to look at the second person who left with Rusty. "I don't understand, Hades-sama. No matter how I look at it, you should have just sent me instead. I have known him the longest and I have become moderately familiar with his personality. Surely telling me to go there would have been a much more logical way." 

Had he grown less trustful of her planning? If that was the case then this frightened her. 

Hades on the other hand waved his hands, "think of this as a test of sorts. If he performs well, then he will get the treatment he deserves. If not, then I will handle him personally." 

Though he said that, she couldn't help but grow slightly worried about all of this. 

"Comfortable" wasn't a word she'd use to describe how she felt right now. More like "dreadfully afraid."

------------

The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.