Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 63 - Midnight

Zash's flames didn't burn as hot as Salamander's, but the guy was physically more impactful. His fist collided with Gajeel's, and most other people would've been forced back or at least been stunned momentarily, but Zash pushed through it and launched his knee into Gajeel's gut. Gajeel narrowly blocked it with his own and stepped back, giving them some space. Zash let out a guttural chuckle before diving back in.

He didn't seem to know much in the way of martial arts, though that didn't help Gajeel at all since he didn't, either. He was a bruiser, using his flames as a means less to harm his opponents and more to keep others away. He had to lock Gajeel in and keep the fight close—at range, Zash had little means of getting to Gajeel.

Their gap in Dragon Slayer was probably insurmountable, but this Zash guy didn't seem like much of an idiot like Axel or Kiyl. Those two knuckleheads ran into battle against Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy thinking they could match up. Those other two from the capital got the upper hand on Gajeel and Wendy only because of a sneak attack and were quickly outmatched. They played to their strengths but gave the Fairies enough room to breathe and figure things out.

Zash was doing no such thing. He was a Dragon Slayer, sure, but not primarily. He wanted to beat the shit out of his opponents, both on the battlefield and mentally.

Gajeel couldn't ignore the cries of the Exceeds while their village burned and Kagura, Lily, Millianna, and the Exceed soldiers did everything to hold back the onslaught of troops. Each time Kagura seemed to knock down a squad, a fresh new one would get up, or the old one would also rise back up, their eyes flaring red.

Gajeel was helpless to get over there. Zash had him locked in, his furious fists flurrying all across Gajeel's vision while he put up defense after defense, jabbing and trying to find a way through to break Zash's stance. But the man was built like a freight train and took command of their tiny ring of fire.

Finally, Gajeel managed a hit, a solid one, just under Zash's chin that seemed to stun him temporarily. Zash took a few steps back. Gajeel leaped backward, through the flames.

"Iron Dragon Slayer Roar!"

The spell slammed into Zash, who took it head-on and stumbled out of the ring of flames. It dissipated back into Zash's hand before warping to his other and the man shot it at Gajeel. Gajeel sliced through it, feeling the singe of its heat on his metal arm. Gajeel rushed Zash but knew he had to get out of his grasp quickly if he had any chance of keeping the fight beyond what Zash wanted.

He slammed his fist into the ground and punched at Zash twice, both of which missed, but that was fine, as it did force Zash to take a step back. He slammed his hand on the ground, and Gajeel recklessly charged forward again. The guy was wide open.

"Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!"

"Purgatory Dragon's Blazing Inferno!"

Zash took the hit as the ground beneath Gajeel erupted in a massive ball of fire that completely engulfed him and sent him soaring into the air. Zash blasted up to meet him, punching him once more. Gajeel quickly activated his iron scales and plummeted, landing long before Zash did. He summoned multiple fireballs around him, and with a roaring laugh, launched them all around.

A few hit his soldiers, but they easily deflected them. Most were aimed at Exceeds. Gajeel dove to protect a small bunch that'd been running away, and was rewarded with another fireball to the chest that sent him spinning. Gajeel flipped to catch himself as Zash landed on the ground and charged Gajeel. His sprint was slow, by comparison, but had a ton of build-up and power to it. Gajeel charged him as well.

The two slammed into one another and grappled for a moment, neither able to get a firm hold on the other nor land a solid enough hit until Gajeel crashed his head into Zash's nose, shattering it. Zash used that pain, though, as fuel, and reared around with his flaming hand to smack Gajeel across the side. Gajeel slid to a halt.