Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Three Dragon Force Mode
"Three Dragon Force Mode?"
Everyone exchanged glances, turning expectantly to Nate for an explanation.
"Is it the fusion of three types of Dragon Slayer magic?" Mirajane speculated. "Laxus's Lightning Dragon magic, Gajeel's Iron Dragon magic, and Natsu's own Fire Dragon magic."
Since they could only see the screen and couldn't feel the magic's intensity directly, Mirajane couldn't be sure if it was truly a magic fusion. Merging two different types of magic was already incredibly difficult. For three... the complexity would increase exponentially.
"This is extremely risky," Erza observed calmly. "But if it succeeds, it could bring an immense power boost. It's likely only in the [Magic Arena] that they would try something this reckless."
Attempting this in the real world, she noted, could lead to serious bodily harm if it failed.
Nate thought to himself, 'They're both pretty much spot-on, one after the other.'
"Well, to explain, this all started with Laxus…"
Nate then began to clarify for everyone.
A while ago, Laxus had challenged him, and the two sparred in the battlegrounds. Laxus had tried using his "Lightning Flame Dragon Mode" but ultimately lost to Nate. Afterward, Laxus decided that if two types of Dragon Slayer magic weren't enough, he would try three—or even four. Thus, he set up a chat group called the "Dragon Slayer Research Institute." Only four people were in the group: Laxus, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy.
Through continuous experimentation, the four Dragon Slayers eventually developed a method to combine the Fire, Lightning, and Iron Dragon Slayer magics.
After Nate finished explaining, Wendy added, "Natsu wanted to try this in reality, but Laxus stopped him. So for now, it's only used in the [Magic Arena]. We're still not sure if it would work in the real world."
"However, in the [Magic Arena], even if it fails, there's no risk."
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
"What a maniac! Natsu's a total maniac!"
"Three Dragon Force Mode? This is too intense!"
"Even though we can't feel the power directly, it's clear that Gildarts is completely overwhelmed!"
"Oh my god! Natsu is actually beating Gildarts!"
On the screen, black flames wrapped around Natsu's entire body as he moved at speeds too fast for the visuals to keep up. It almost looked like teleportation; he would appear suddenly within Gildarts's line of sight. Each punch and kick delivered enough force to cause massive destruction.
Gildarts was getting tossed around like a rag doll, one moment being thrown into the sky, the next smashed down into the sea.
Makarov watched, speechless. But soon, he noticed something wasn't right.
"This form is unstable. He won't be able to hold it for long."
"Aye~," Happy immediately exposed Natsu's weakness, "Right now, he can only hold it for a minute. Once the time's up, he'll lose."
Nate calculated silently. "Fifteen seconds left."
The guild members began counting down for Natsu.
'Can he win in 15 seconds?'
...
[Seaside Battleground]
'Boom!!'
Gildarts's face took another direct punch, sending him skipping across the surface of the sea like a stone, bouncing several hundred meters away.
"This is unbelievable… so this is Natsu's potential?"
"Fusing three types of magic power… it's nearly impossible under normal conditions."
"Is it only possible because of the simulation in the battleground?"
The fact that it could even be simulated suggested that, at least theoretically, it could also be achieved in reality…
Gildarts calmly analyzed the situation. As a seasoned warrior, he remained composed despite Natsu's overwhelming power. For now, his plan was to defend and wait Natsu out. He sensed that Natsu's "Three Dragon Force Mode" was unstable and wouldn't last long.
"Fifty seconds in, and he's still going…" Gildarts steadied himself after being thrown halfway across the map, finally coming to a halt. Standing on the surface of the ocean, supported by his magic, he looked 300 meters across the water.
Natsu took a deep breath, his chest swelling with crimson flames, almost like an inflating balloon.
"Three Dragons'…"
At that moment, shadows of three dragons appeared behind him, created from the dark flames: the Fire Dragon, Igneel; the Iron Dragon, Metalicana; and an unnamed Thunder Dragon.
"Roar!!"
A massive jet of black flames entwined with lightning shot forward, instantly crossing the 300-meter distance and splitting the ocean in two. Just the shockwave of the roar caused the seawater to evaporate.
"What immense power… I could dodge it, but… let's give it a try!" Gildarts grinned, thrusting both hands forward.
"Crush!"
His super magic allowed him to shatter anything he touched into fragments instantly.
The next second, the black roar reached him.
Gildarts poured all his magic into a protective barrier formed around his hands.
'Boom!'
The ground shook—no, the entire game map was trembling. The seawater evaporated in the shockwave, creating massive tidal waves. The clash of energies lasted for about seven seconds.
Then, the black flames pierced Gildarts' barrier, swallowing him completely before slamming into the boundary wall of the map.
…
Outside the Game
The spectators were left stunned.
"Natsu… won?" Gray murmured in shock. He suddenly felt a wave of pressure; just a moment ago, he and Natsu were on similar levels, but now Natsu was taking down Gildarts?
"Did he just… break the map?" Mira wondered worriedly.
"No, the map's reinforced," Nate reassured them with a shake of his head. "And anyway… Natsu's about to lose."
In the game, the black flames were fading quickly.
Natsu's eyes rolled back, and his body fell from the sky toward the shoreline, the dragon scales on his face disappearing.
With a thud, he crashed onto the sand.
Meanwhile, standing on the exposed seabed, left bare by the evaporated water, Gildarts slowly got to his feet, his body covered in wounds.
"You nearly had me, Natsu," he said, wiping blood from his face and tasting it. "Even the taste of blood is so realistic…"
Just then, both he and Natsu were ejected from the game map.
[Winner]: Gone Fishing
The game declared Gildarts as the victor.
"Whoa, that was incredible!"
"Natsu and Gildarts are both absolutely powerful!" someone exclaimed.
"Is this what the [Magic Arena] is meant for?" someone else chimed in. "Using magic recovery potions to find compatible magic and achieve fusion!"
Nate thought to himself, 'That's probably a unique ability for Dragon Slayers. Normal mages wouldn't be able to handle this…' The game simulation had lowered the difficulty, and for Natsu to pull off the "Three Dragon Force Mode" in real life, he'd need a lot more—maybe even his own theme music.
...
Back in reality, Gildarts opened his eyes, returning to the present. He glanced down to see Natsu lying on the ground, fast asleep.
"Your consciousness goes into the game, so injuries don't carry over to the real world, but exhaustion does, huh?"
Without disturbing Natsu's rest, Gildarts thought about Nate. He'd barely been back for a day, but the "Internet Creator" had already impressed him.
The Magic Net was everything it was rumored to be—and more. In fact, he was sure he had only scratched the surface.
Then he thought of the other game he'd heard about.
"Celestial Pokémon."
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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