MARVEL I AM DRAGON GOD

Arthur and his team stood in the Edolas forest, the air thin and quiet. Natsu Dragneel, despite his magical handicap, was their guide, his senses the only reliable map in this strange dimension.

Arthur possessed the ability to locate them through his senses, yet he permitted Natsu to undertake the task, deeming it necessary for his development.

This was also essential for the growth of the other members of Fairy Tail.

"I can smell them,"

Natsu declared, pointing northeast.

"It's faint, but it smells like a massive city. That must be where they're being taken!"

Arthur felt the invisible strings of fate pulling at the scene. His infinite power could instantly pinpoint the exact location of the captured mages—the Royal Army Base—and even Erza's position. He could end this entire arc in a single moment.

However, Arthur's goal was not merely rescue; it was evolution. Fairy Tail, and specifically the two Dragon Slayers, Natsu and Gajeel, needed to face this crucible to unlock their true potential. They needed the pain of helplessness in Edolas to grow stronger for the darker threats looming on Earthland's horizon (Acnologia, Zeref, etc.).

Arthur looked at Natsu, whose fury and desperation were palpable. He needed to be tested.

"Your instinct is correct, Natsu,"

Arthur confirmed, keeping his power contained.

"They're being held in the Capital City, probably at the Royal Army's main base. But, we won't be teleporting straight there."

Arthur stepped forward, his voice resonating with strategic certainty.

"Hey Natsu, getting to the city is your chance to really grow. You've got to show everyone that being a hero isn't just about magic. You and your friends need to count on their own strength, smarts, and guts. This tough journey is exactly what Fairy Tail needs to get even stronger."

Rimuru then said.

"We are here to ensure you do not fail, but we will follow your lead, Natsu. This is your fight to start."

Natsu, though momentarily confused by Arthur's tactical passivity, understood the challenge in the Dragon God's eyes. It was a test of his resolve.

"Fine,"

Natsu growled, already moving.

"We'll walk. Just follow my scent. I'm going to punch my way through every damn thing that gets between me and my family!"

Arthur gave the command to his team, not to intervene, but to shield and support from the shadows.

Natsu, filled with determination, began running through the forest, heading toward the Capital, relying entirely on his own physical strength and instinct.

Arthur, Rimuru and Ultear moved alongside Natsu, cloaking themselves in an Absolute Concealment field.

They would allow Natsu to struggle, but the moment his life was in genuine, non-plot-necessary danger, they would intervene. Their core function was to ensure the Edolas forces did not gain a permanent advantage, and to monitor the location of Erza, who was already raising chaos nearby.

Ultear utilized her Arc of Time to maintain a constant, low-level scrying of the dimensional battlefield, confirming the locations of the captive mages and tracking Erza's movements, providing Arthur with real-time tactical awareness.

Arthur took one last deep breath of the Edolas air. He had the power to end the conflict, but he would not steal the opportunity for growth. He would let the plot unfold, guided by the raw, chaotic energy of the Fire Dragon Slayer.

…

Erza Scarlet moved like a whirlwind of frustrated fury.

Her Heart Kreuz Armor felt like lead in the thin atmosphere, and every Re-quip was a slow, grinding process, but the rage over her captured family fueled her movements.

She was locked in a brutal duel with her merciless counterpart, Erza Knightwalker.

Knightwalker was faster, lighter, and supremely adapted to Edolas. She used her long, glowing spear, powered by captured Lacrima, with ruthless efficiency. Each strike was aimed to maim, not merely subdue.

"Your persistence is illogical, Earthland Fairy!"

Erza K. shouted, forcing Erza S. back with a sweeping electric strike.

"Your pathetic magic is dragging you down! Surrender!"

"My magic may be heavy, but it is mine!"

Erza S. countered, re-equipping her Flame Empress Armor. The fire resistance was useless here, but the physical defense was vital. She met Erza K's spear with her massive blade, the resulting shockwave tearing through the metallic trees of the Edolas forest.

Erza S. was bleeding and exhausted. Erza K. was closing in, readying a devastating final blow.

Just as Knightwalker lunged, a sudden distraction erupted. A small squad of individuals, clad in worn leather and armed with large, oddly shaped non-magical mechanical weapons, burst through the tree line.

"Royal Army, stop the execution!"

A familiar, stern voice yelled.

It was Edolas Fairy Tail.

…

Natsu Dragneel, driven by raw adrenaline and fury, barreled through the silent forest, his lungs burning with the unfamiliar, thin air. Arthur, Rimuru, and Ultear shadowed him, an invisible, conceptual force moving with impossible silence.

After nearly an hour of relentless running, Natsu burst onto a wide, metallic road—the main thoroughfare leading to the Capital. He stumbled, his legs screaming from the effort.

"Almost there,"

Natsu gasped, relying purely on his physical strength, his Dragon Slayer instincts screaming for his lost power.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and a harsh, grinding sound echoed down the road.

Rounding a bend was a heavily armed Royal Army transport caravan: a massive, blocky vehicle made of thick metal, rolling on powerful, spiked wheels. It was completely mechanical, fueled by small, embedded Lacrima batteries, and bristled with rotating cannons and heavy plating.

The lead vehicle spotted the lone figure of Natsu. The driver, a Royal Army soldier, sneered.

"Another Earthland trespasser! Halt, you mageless pest!"

A turret on the front vehicle swiveled and fired a stream of high-velocity, metallic projectiles—a chain-gun using compressed air and shrapnel, a primitive but effective weapon in this world.

Natsu reacted on pure instinct. He tried to summon his fire, a useless habit that only produced a hot breath of air.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

He roared, throwing his entire body into a charge.

The projectiles slammed into him, tearing through his clothes and scarring his skin.

But the attack only fueled his rage, the pain momentarily overriding his exhaustion. Natsu hit the front of the transport, not with magic, but with the full, dense weight of a Dragon Slayer's hardened fist.

The metal groaned, buckling inward with a deafening CRUNCH. Natsu was thrown back, his knuckles raw and bleeding, but the transport ground to a halt.

Cloaked nearby, Arthur watched the scene with intense focus. Natsu struggled, but he was learning. He was forced to use technique, leverage, and sheer endurance rather than relying on his infinite external mana. This was the growth he needed.

"He's strong, but their weapons are mechanical. They won't stop, and he'll be exhausted before he reaches the city,"

Rimuru noted quietly to Arthur.

"Let him struggle. His spirit needs to win first,"

Arthur replied.

"But we will ensure he doesn't fail."

As Natsu braced himself for a second charge against the still-functional vehicle, a figure descended from the forest canopy with silent grace, landing between Natsu and the Royal Army transport.

It was Mystogan, the Earthland Jellal's counterpart, the sole mage who traveled freely between the two worlds. He was clad in his hooded cloak and mask, radiating an aura of caution and urgency.

He carried a staff, which he slammed into the metallic road, not with magic, but with incredible precision. The road cracked, forcing the Royal Army transport to halt completely.

"The dimensional trespasser is under my jurisdiction,"

Mystogan's deep, muffled voice stated, addressing the Royal Army.

"Return to the Capital."

The Royal Army soldiers, recognizing the authority of the powerful, mysterious mage who usually acted on the King's behalf, hesitated.

Mystogan ignored them, turning his head sharply toward the exact point where Arthur's Absolute Concealment field was located. He could not see them, but his intimate knowledge of the dimensional fabric made him acutely aware of the impossible, hidden power source nearby.

"I know you are here, Arthur Leywin Stark,"

Mystogan spoke, his voice dropping low, intended only for the invisible trio.

"I need to speak with you. Immediately. The situation is far worse than you know."

He knew that to save Earthland's magic, he had to speak to the Dragon God.