"Don't worry about this matter," Su Yan said firmly. "Leave it to me."
When he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki earlier, he had also sensed a few familiar auras inside the Tartaros headquarters.
Natsu, meanwhile, was running through the twisting halls, lost as usual. He suddenly skidded to a stop in front of a strange room.
"What the heck is this place…?" he muttered. Glyphs and runes floated across the walls, spells layered one over another. Even Natsu, who rarely cared about such things, froze at the sight.
Hidden in the shadows, Franmalth held his breath. He had chosen to hide when he first heard footsteps.
"How did this brat get in here?!" Franmalth thought, startled. "Wasn't he sealed up by Silver?!"
Natsu clenched his fists, a grin spreading across his face. "Forget it. Doesn't matter what this is—I'll just smash it all!!"
Flames roared to life around his fists.
"STOP!!!"
Franmalth burst out.
Natsu's eyes lit up. "Eyeball bastard!! We meet again!!"
"You—! How did you get out, brat?! You should've been sealed away!!"
"Who cares, eyeball freak!!" Natsu barked, throwing a fiery punch at the nearest machine.
BOOM!!
The device exploded into pieces, the glowing screens flickering out.
"Gyaaaah!! Do you know how much that was worth?! That machine was worth tens of thousands of souls!!!" Franmalth wailed.
He lunged, smashing another device himself in the process.
"Yahaha! That wasn't me this time!" Natsu laughed. "So how much is that one worth, huh?!"
"Grrr!! Don't mock me, brat!! I'll devour your soul instead!!"
Franmalth charged. Their fight ripped through the control room, shattering walls and instruments alike. Though Franmalth could take a beating, he spent most of the battle being pummeled by Natsu's fists.
"Is this really your strength? Doesn't seem like much," Natsu taunted.
"Arrogant whelp! I'll show you one of my prized collections!!"
A black flame ignited across Franmalth's body. His form warped—his hair grew long, his face reshaping into someone Natsu instantly recognized.
"That guy…!!"
It was the face of Zancrow, the Flame God Slayer. Only the pudgy, round body of Franmalth remained unchanged.
"You… you ate his soul," Natsu said grimly.
Even though Zancrow had been a rival from Grimoire Heart, Natsu couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. He had been a worthy opponent who wielded fire.
Franmalth smirked with Zancrow's voice. "So you're the Fire Dragon Slayer, huh? Then tell me—are you better at slaying dragons… or slaying gods?"
"I don't care what you call yourself," Natsu snarled, flames blazing across his body. "I'm not here to compete—I'm here to beat you down!!"
In a burst of fire, he appeared in front of Franmalth, driving a fist forward.
Franmalth countered with black flames.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
The clash shook the entire room.
"Damn brat!!" Franmalth cursed. The black flames scorched the air, but his control was clumsy compared to Zancrow's own mastery.
Natsu grinned through the flames. "This is your soul magic? Compared to the real guy, you're way weaker!!"
"Shut up!! I'll show you my greatest collection!!"
His body warped again—this time, his face took on the form of an old man with a long beard.
"That's… Hades?!" Natsu's eyes widened.
Though he hadn't fought Hades directly on Tenrou Island, he remembered him clearly.
"The proportions are all wrong!!" Natsu said bluntly.
"Size doesn't matter!!!" Franmalth roared. "This is Hades! The master of Grimoire Heart!! Once the strongest dark guild in existence! Seven years ago, while searching for Lord Zeref, I found this soul!"
"The closest human to becoming a demon… a genius wizard drowned in the abyss of darkness!"
Natsu didn't flinch. "That guy was the one our guild defeated!! And I'll smash you too!!!"
He charged again, slamming Franmalth through several walls.
Dark chains lashed out from Franmalth's arms, forcing Natsu to dodge. One chain suddenly coiled around his leg, yanking him back.
"Got you! Your soul is mine!!"
"In your dreams!!" Natsu roared, blasting a fireball straight into Franmalth's face.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!!!"
BOOOOM!!
The flames engulfed Franmalth, only for him to absorb them whole. His body flickered with Natsu's own fire.
"What?!" Natsu's eyes widened. "You can absorb even this?!"
Franmalth laughed, his chubby body burning with dragon fire. "Magnificent!! Such a soul!! I'll devour it all!!"
Natsu clenched his fists tighter, gritting his teeth. "Tch… this is getting troublesome…"
Franmalth's voice deepened, echoing with malice. "Don't forget, brat—we are demons born from the Book of Zeref. Living weapons! Each of us is worth an army!"
His grin widened. "And you're just one boy. Let's see how long you can last."