With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilty

Chapter 46

As soon as Natsu recovered from his ordeal with the symbiote, he and Gray launched a relentless search for any remaining traces of the black ooze. But finding something that could blend seamlessly into the grime of a sprawling city was easier said than done.

Their first stop was the church, where the whole nightmare had begun. They scoured every corner, every shadow, but there was no sign of it. Natsu tried to track it by scent, but the symbiote had no smell—no trace to follow.

For hours, they ran across rooftops and swung between buildings under the cover of night, but still, nothing.

"Any luck?" Natsu asked, calling Gray.

"Nope. Sorry," Gray replied. "Think it might have gone underground... like into the sewers?"

"I really hope not. I'm not going back into that nasty place."

"Hey, is it cool if I call my part of the search off early? Aunt Ur just bought a new TV, and she wants me to help install it before she hurts herself."

"Sure thing. I'll call you if anything comes up."

They hung up, and Natsu kept searching alone. Days passed with no sign of the symbiote. He was beginning to believe Erza might have been right—that it had simply fizzled out.

He was just about to give up when, without warning, something lunged at him from the shadows, slamming him hard onto the rooftop. Natsu scrambled to his feet, heart pounding—and then he saw it. Something so terrifying, it sent a chill straight to his core.

What had attacked him was a massive, hulking figure cloaked in writhing black, shaped like a dragon but twisted and grotesque. Its reptilian eyes glowed with a malevolent fire, its talons sharp as razors, teeth bared in a feral snarl, and a forked tongue flickered like a serpent's. It resembled Natsu in some terrifying way—but this creature was darker, far more dangerous, and filled with pure, seething hatred.

Natsu's heart sank as he recognized it instantly. The symbiote. And it had come for a fierce reckoning.

"Did you miss us, Red?" The monstrous voice hissed, cold and inhuman.

Natsu's breath caught. "You... you ensnared another human?"

The creature snarled, tightening its grip as it grabbed Natsu and began pounding his face with brutal punches. "One more—better suited to our gifts."

"We have one mission: destroy you for rejecting us—and destroy your partner for driving you to do so! Our new host is more than willing to help us accomplish that. After all, he wants you two do-gooders destroyed as well!"

"What do you mean?" Natsu struggled, barely able to breathe.

The symbiote shifted and peeled back slightly, revealing the face beneath.

To Natsu's horror, it was Laxus Dreyar. The last person he wanted infected with this darkness.

"Hey, Dragneel," Laxus said with a sickening grin.

"Oh my God, Laxus!" Natsu gasped, disbelief and dread crashing over him.

"No! Not Laxus!" he whispered. "It's Black Dragon now."

The symbiote surged forward, covering Laxus's face once more as he lunged, pinning Natsu harshly to the concrete.

"Laxus, stop! You don't know what you're doing!" Natsu cried out, pain flashing through him. "You don't want to kill me!"

The voice hissed in Natsu's ear, dripping with venomous intent. "You're right—we don't. Not yet, anyway. Killing you would be too easy. You haven't suffered enough. We intend to dismantle you... piece by piece."