Chapter Text
"Looks like our first fight for the day is gonna be start off with a bang! Representing Fairy Tail's A Team is a man who's magic runs as hot as his blood! He's a hothead in both the figurative and literal meaning of the word! The infamous Salamander - NATSU DRAGNEEL!!!"
Natsu smirked as he entered the ring. Out of all the events of the Grand Magic Games, this event was one he was looking forward to the most. No tricks. No weird rules. Just him and the unlucky sap pitted against him, duking it out until one of them was knocked out. This was his chance to show everyone that Fairy Tail was still the most badass wizard guild in all of Fiore! And he got to do it by beating the crap out of someone! That was a win in his book.
He was antsy to see who he was fighting! Apparently it was some lady from that all-women Mermaid Heel guild. Someone name Riku....or Rio....Ri-something! Whatever! Didn't matter if it was a guy or a girl! He was gonna go all out no matter what!
"And now his opponent!" Jason began to say. "She's the eldest of Mermaid Heel's infamous Psycho Sisters! Towering over the competition and packing enough strength to dent even the strongest steel! She's a walking arsenal that's never been dismantled! Give it up for....RIKO SENA!!!"
'Riko! That's it!' Natsu thought to himself before he saw someone leap from the guild observing sections and landing in the ring. The impact created a massive cloud of dust and could be heard all across the arena. Natsu covered his eyes and waited as the dust settled. He was trying to think who this Riko chick was. Maybe it was that chubby woman with the big hair? That green-haired lady? It definitely wasn't that little farm girl.
However, Natsu got his answer when the smoke cleared. The pink-haired wizard was ready to start some trash-talking, but then stopped halfway through, his mouth open as he saw who he was fighting. “...uuuuugggggghhh…”
For the first time in his life, Natsu Dragneel found himself enchanted by a woman’s looks. He never really cared about how the women around him looked, even though he was aware that Lucy, Erza, and the other ladies in his guild were pretty. But this woman in front of him just struck him with her looks.
First off, she had scruffy, dirty blonde that ended just below her neck. A shiver went down his spine as he saw her green eyes sizing him up, feeling like those of a beast sizing up her new prey.
And then there was her body, which was the main reason why Natsu was rendered speechless. For he had never encountered a lady with a body like this. Her lightly-tanned skin was filled with absolutely jacked muscles! This woman was about not about three feet taller than him, but she had a physique that could give guys like Elfman and Laxus a run for their money. Broad shoulders connected to thick, muscular arms. And the fact that said huge arms were adorned with awesome-looking dragon tattoos made them look even better to him. Huge ripped thighs with calves five times thicker than his arms. And a ripped stomach area topped off with the most impressive six-pack set of abs Natsu had ever seen. But her body didn’t look dehydrated at all. She had a healthy layer of fat in combination with her muscles, which looked even more amazing to the dragon slayer.
This was evident by the fact that while this woman had huge muscles, they didn’t detract from her femininity. Aside from her pretty face, this lady had an nice set of wide hips that, if anything, were enhanced by her buff physique. And then there were her breasts. Sweet Gods, Natsu thought, those things were something else. Happy often joked that Lucy’s breasts were ridiculously huge, but this woman’s bosom was on a whole ‘nother level! Just one clothed mammary was as big as his head. And yet, they didn’t look out of place, as they were supported by equally huge pecs, and actually fit with how big the rest of her body was.
And judging by this woman’s choice of clothing, she clearly had no problem showing off her impressive physique. Her atheltic top was black and dark purple, with the Mermaid Heel emblem embedded in the center. Her matching atheltic shorts clung to her thighs, making them stand out even more. She had no shoes, and clearly wasn't bothered by her large feet against the cracked ground. She dusted herself off with her fingerless black gloves and smirked at her opponent.
“Hope you're ready for a beatdown, Lizard Boy." Riko Sena said, looking down at Natsu as she walked closer to him. "Just don't go down too fast. I want to have somewhat of a challenge."
“I….ugh…huge…ah…” For the first time in his life, Natsu found himself tongue-tied, and a light blush appeared on his face. Riko was confused by this, tilting her head as she looked at him.
"Yo, Fairy Tail!" She shouted into the crowd. "I think your guy is broken!"
The rest of the Fairy Tail guild was a bit confused at Natsu's reaction. True, their fire-breathing friend could be over the top with his reactions, but they had rarely seen him stunned like this.
"What's up with Natsu?" Lucy asked. "He's fought bigger foes that this girl." Honestly, Lucy thought this would be more her thing to be weirded out/intimidated at the sight of that huge Riko lady.
"Maybe this woman has some kind of mental magic." Erza said with absolutely sincerity, while Gray just rubbed his chin, thinking the same thing.
"Natsu! Quit gawking and get your fighting face on!" Elfman shouted boisterously.
"Aye!" Happy shouted. That seemingly did the trick as Natsu shook his head and leaped away from Riko, raising his fists in a fighting stance, his blush gone.
"You're not the first person I've fought that underestimated me!" His fight-hungry smirk appeared and his fists ignited with fire. "And you're gonna end up burnt like them."
Riko gave a toothy smirk of her own as she cracked her knuckles. "Now that's more like it!"
"FIGHT!!!"
With the go-ahead given, Natsu blasted forward towards his bigger opponent. Riko threw a punch, but he evaded. But based on the strong wind, he could tell that punch would've hurt.
"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!!" Natsu shouted, his fist engulfed in flames as he punched Riko right in the stomach. Riko flinched a bit from both the impact and the heat, but still stood straight, shocking Natsu.
"You call that an 'Iron Fist?'" The towering blonde reared her right arm back. "Try this!"
Natsu put his forearms in front of him to brace himself....but he was unprepared for the sheer force Riko's punch had. The impact sent him flying across the battle ground, making him slam against the arena wall.
"Natsu!" Lucy and Happy shouted in worry for their friend.
"Holy crap!" Gray said with wide eyes. "Either this chick's got some crazy super strength magic, or she's just monstrously strong."
Natsu groaned as he removed himself from the him-sized indent in the wall. The Salamander was no stranger to being hit hard. He had battled crazy strong wizards like Laxus and big monsters before. And Riko was giving him that same sense of intensity. Not to mention his arms were stinging like hell, with bruises already beginning to form.
He looked into the distance and saw her walking in his direction, her heavy footsteps reaching his ears, and that same hungry smirk on her face. Natsu felt his chest getting all fuzzy as he looked at her, his face warming up aga-
'No Natsu! Snap out of it!' The pinkette shook his head as he readied himself. 'You can't get distracted by her insanely pretty smile or her big beautiful mus-STOP IT!!! Fairy Tail's reputation is on the line! Get serious!"
Riko looked at Natsu, seeing the gears turning in his head. She was honestly curious about how he would react. She had never fought a dragon-slayer before. It would be the closest she would probably ever get to fighting a real dragon. She really wanted him to do something nuts!
Natsu sucked in his breath and launched his next spell. "Fire Dragon Roar!"
Riko braced herself as she became engulfed in a cone of flames. The heat was intense, but nothing she couldn't handle. But as the flames faded, she saw Natsu had leaped into the air, coming down towards her with flames around his left leg.
"Fire Dragon Talon!"
But to Natsu's shock, Riko grabbed his leg and slammed him down on the ground, creating another crater. She raised her foot to stomp on him, but thankfully, Natsu was able to roll out of the way, avoiding the force that shattered the ground where he was a few seconds ago.
Natsu gathered more intense crimson red flames in both of his hands. He was done playing around! And even from her stop, Riko could feel the intense heat radiating from her foe.
"FLAME LOTUS - EXPLODING FLAME STRIKE!!!"
Before Riko knew it, she was being engulfed in an even larger cone of fire, the raw force of it being enough to send her flying into the air. Explosions began to ignite all around her, making her scream out in pain as she was sent flying, crashing down onto the ground with a heavy impact.
"That's more like it, Flamebrain!" Gray cheered on.
"Not bad, Salamander." Gajeel said from Team B's watching booth.
"Oh no! Riko's down!" Beth, the youngest of the Mermaid Heel wizards, said with concern.
"Naw, no way she's going down that easy." The chubby Risley said to comfort their youngest member.
"Risley's right." A ripped blonde woman with bandages covering chest and baggy white pants said as she looked down at the bigger blonde. "Big Sis hasn't even started to go all out. In fact, that last spell probably sealed his fate."
Natsu caught his breath after that last spell. He saw Riko get up, some parts of her outfit burnt, a few light burn marks on her skin, but standing up just fine. Her smile was even bigger now.
"Hot damn, Lizard Boy! Your dragon magic's something else!" And Riko legitimately meant that as a complement. She felt the raw power of his magic in that last spell. She couldn't even recall the last time someone had done that to her.
The massively muscular blonde looked at her smaller foe, really taking in his firm stance. For some reason, looking at him was making her chest feel weird. His short pink hair, black eyes, and youthful face gave him a handsome look. Not to mention that since his vest had been ripped open from her attacks, his toned & muscular arms, muscular chest, and his own set of abs were on full display. This guy was about 100 pounds smaller than her in terms of muscle mass, but the last few minutes proved that there was immense magical might behind him.
"I could say the same thing about whatever the fuck your magic is." Natsu said with a smile on his own. Riko blinked in confusion before bursting out laughing. "What's so funny?!"
"Just the fact that I haven't used any magic yet."
Natsu's eyes widened and his breath hitched. "....what?"
"Yup." Riko struck a most muscular pose, her head-sized biceps engorged and veins appearing across her forearms. "All that raw force I hit you with is all natural, pinky."
Her expression changed from a teasing smile to that dangerous smirk once more. "But I can already tell that ain't gonna be enough to take ya down."
Riko's body began to glow with green magical energy, covering her entire being as Natsu felt this wave of magic. Elfman, Mirajane, Lisanna and Jenny Realight saw the way the magic was segmenting around her, feeling an instant sense of familiarity.
"No way!" Lisanna shouted.
"This magic!" Elfman exclaimed.
"It's Take-Over Magic!" Mirajane proclaimed.
"MACHINA SOUL..." Riko chanted. "....SPEED DEMON!"
When the light faded, Riko's arms and legs were now clad in black & grey metal, with tires now adorned on her heels. A black metal chasis covered her chest, four engine pipes emerged from her wide back, and she now had a motorcycle helmet covering her face.
"And there you have it folks! Riko Sena's Machina Soul magic is what earned her the moniker of the one-woman arsenal! Jenny, if I'm correct, this is the same magic you have, right?"
"T-That's right." The blonde announcer said, taken aback by someone else using her magic. Though Riko's Take-Over wasn't nearly as elegant as hers. "This is known as Take-Over: Machina Soul. It allows the caster to take on the properties of any machine. In this case, Riko's chosen to take on the properties of the Speed Demon Mk. 1 Magi-Cycle, a model known for its overwhelming racing performance!"
"Wait what?!" Natsu shouted. Fate was really screwing with him! He was fighting someone channeling the power of the nightmare machines that always made him lose his lunch.
"Round Two, Lizard Boy!" Riko shouted as her heel wheels reeved up, blasting at Natsu with supernatural speed. He barely had time to evade her attack. But Riko followed up raising her foot and kicking forward. Natsu grabbed her foot, but that proved to be a mistake as the heel wheel, spun making Natsu shout in pain as his palms got all cut up. He backed away and blasted Riko with another roar spell. But his opponent’s massive arms emerged from the flames and grabbed his head. The next thing Natsu knew, Riko slammed her helmeted head against his face. The dragon-slayer groaned as blood began to spill from his nose.
But Riko wasn't done, holding her armored hands up above her head before slamming them down on her smaller foe. Once again, Natsu found himself inside a crater, his body screaming in pain as he felt quite a few of his bones being broken.
“I’d stay down if I were you, Lizard Boy. Wouldn't want to damage that cute face of yours even more.” But as soon as she said that, Riko paused. ‘Cute? Where did that come from?’
Natsu growled as lightning began to spark around him along with his fire. He unleashed a point-blank Roar that pushed Riko back a bit. The dragon-slayer stood up and charge at his amazonian opponent.
“Flame Lotus - Fire Lightning Dragon Iron Fist!!!”
Riko used her metal forearms to block the attack, but Natsu didn't relent. He punched her again, and again, and again! He was relentless, unleashing punch after punch, each containing a roaring flame mixed with a high voltage lightning bolt. And Riko felt the power behind each blow, the metal coating her arms being burnt from the dual-elemental magic. Didn't help that the lightning was conducting through her metal either. But when she flinched from one of the attacks, Natsu punched her right in the face, shattering the glass of her helmet and pushing her back several feet.
"There's something you need to know about me, Riko." Natsu said as the skin around his eyes and forearms became scale-like, his knuckles raised despite how bruised and bloody they were. “I don't give up easily. Especially when I’m fighting someone crazy strong like you.” A toothy smirk fooled that statement. “I’m way too fired up to quit!”
Riko’s cheeks turned pink as she looked at her foe. A genuine smile appeared on her face before she wiped the blood from her mouth. She was excited as fuck! No one besides Kagura ever gave her this much of a fight! Not only that, but he was matching her enthusiasm for a good brawl too!
“Not bad, Liz....Nat~su.”
Natsu shivered at the way she said his name. Whether it was out of intimidation or excitement, he couldn't tell.
Riko stood up and her body began to glow green once more. “Machina Soul - Gungrir!”
Up with the rest of the Mermaid Heel gang, Riku laughed like a maniac. “Fuckin’ hell, sis! You don’t got to kill him!”
The new form Riko had taken now had her limbs covered in cobalt blue metal with silver highlights. On her shoulders were silver metal boxes, a cobalt headband adorned her forehead, and six silver metallic wings had emerged from her back.
“Oh my!” Jenny proclaimed from the announcer booth. “Ms. Sena has taken on the properties of the FAS-56 Gungrir, one of the most celebrated airships in Fiore’s military history!”
“So cool!!” Jason shouted.
“Missile Rain!” The boxes on Riko's shoulders opened up to reveal missile ports. And each one of them fired a missile that flew down towards Natsu. The dragon-slayer was quick to dodge the attacks, which caused small explosions whenever they hit....just as he had hoped! Natsu opened his mouth and the fire from the explosions flew through the air and into his maw, with him slurping it up like spaghetti.
"Huh?!" Riko said, legitimately dumbfounded.
"Oh, yeah! Now I got a fire in my belly!!!" Natsu shouted as the fire around him became a raging inferno. Even members of the audience were starting to feel the heat. Fire gathered under his feet until he blasted into the air and towards Riko.
"Fire Lightning Dragon Sword Horn!" Natsu swung his arm up in an arc, unleashing a massive arc of fire & lightning that Riko was forced to dodge by flying backwards. She tried to punch Natsu, only to him to use the fire under his feet to dodge out of the way. Natsu then blasted towards her before kicking her right in the chest, leaving burn marks on the chassis. Riko growled as she grabbed Natsu by the legs and spun him around, only letting go to toss him into the ground.
Natsu reacted fast by blasting the ground with a Roar spell, softening his landing. A large magic circle appeared under him as he began to channel his biggest spell yet.
"With the flames in my left hand, and the flames in my right..."
Riko decided to prepare her own big spell. She started by raising her arms above her head and clasping her hands. She channeled every bit of both her magical and physical might into her arms, flexing to the point where the metal began to strain.
"Prepare to feel the fists of the gods..."
"...put the two together, and this is what you get!" Natsu proclaimed as a massive ball of fire was channeled in his hands.
"GUNGRIR GIGATON..." Riko chanted before blasting down towards her foe with the force of a meteor.
"FIRE DRAGON..."
"IMPACT!!!"
"BRILLIANT FLAME!!!"
The massive ball of fire collided with the fullmetal impact. The collision of these two powerful magics caused a shockwave that forced everyone in the audience to cover themselves from the colossal dust storm that resulted from the attack. It would be over a minute before anyone could see what had happened.
And when the dust did finally fade away, they could finally see what happened to Natsu and Riko. The massively muscular woman's joined fists were resting on her foe's head, the impact evident by the blood dripping down from his forehead. But Natsu had also made his mark, as Riko's chest armor had been completely burned away, and her top was singed in parts, with burnt marks on her abs.
The two stood as still as statues for a bit....but then, they both began to fall to the ground, Natsu falling to his side, and Riko falling onto her back. Neither of the two looked like they could get back up.
"Unbelievable, folks! We have a double-knockout for the first fight of the day!!!"
The crowd cheered at this, amped up by seeing such high-level magics clash with each other. As the crowd cheered, Natsu couldn't help but smile. Even though the fight ended in a tie, and his body felt shattered in multiple places, this was one of the most enjoyable fights he had ever had.
"Riko..." He groaned out.
"What's up....little dude?" The big beauty groaned back.
"That was awesome."
Riko gave a big smile that matched Natsu's own. "Fuck yeah it was."
"Natsu!"
"Big Sis!"
The two wizards' respective teams arrived to usher their downed comrades to the medical wing. Kagura and Riku helped up Riko while Elfman hefted up Natsu up by his armpits.
"Damn, Sis. I thought you guys were gonna blowup the whole arena for a second there." Riku commented. Kagura nodded in agreement.
"Salamander was definitely stronger than any of us anticipated."
Riko let out a sigh that the two had never heard her make before. "Uhuh." Riko had a blush and a loving expression on her face, a hand on her cheek and her eyes soft as she looked at Natsu. "He really is something else." Suffice to say, Riku and Kagura were baffled as they had never seen their heavymetal guildmate have that look on her face.
"Damn, she really did a number on you." Gray commented as the Fairy Tail gang began to drag Natsu away. And the gang were surprised as Natsu let out a soft sigh and his face took on an expression that none of them had ever seen him have before....lovestruck!
"Yeah. She's awesome." He said with the biggest, goofiest smile on his face.
While their fight may have ended in a tie, both Natsu and Riko had won something else that day. What that was...well, they had the rest of the Grand Magic Games to find that out.