Natsu Dragneel vs. Cyclops Monster

Previous:	Gray Fullbuster vs. Doriate
Concurrent:	Erza Scarlet vs. Minerva Orland: Rematch
Next:	Laxus Dreyar, Thunder God Tribe & Yajima vs. Tempester
Natsu Dragneel vs. Cyclops Monster
Arc:	Sun Village arc
Place:	Sun Village
Outcome:	Natsu Dragneel is victorious.
Combatants
Natsu Dragneel
Cyclops Monster †
Powers and Abilities
Natsu Dragneel Fire Dragon Slayer Magic Hand-to-Hand Combat
Cyclops Monster Flight Eye Laser
Damage Sustained/Casualties
Natsu Dragneel is slightly injured.
The Cyclops Monster is killed.

Natsu Dragneel vs. Cyclops Monster is a fight fought between Fairy Tail Mage Natsu Dragneel and the Cyclops Monster.

Prologue

Following Gray's victory over Succubus Eye Mage, and Demon, Doriate, Natsu is returned to his original state and meets up with Lucy, Wendy and Flare, the latter of whom he snaps at due to her previous affiliation with Raven Tail, which sends the young woman scurrying behind Lucy in fright; Lucy, however, calms Natsu down and explains that Flare isn't an enemy, but is rather a citizen of the Sun Village. Curious, Natsu asks Flare if she, like the other residents, is a Giant, but she states that that isn't the case, with Wendy adding that Flare was raised by the Giants. Natsu then moves up close to Flare, which disturbs her, and tells the woman that Fairy Tail will resolve the problems surrounding the Sun Village. Acknowledging that the village's current predicament isn't particularly easy for Flare to manage, the Fire Dragon Slayer states that Fairy Tail's reputation is at stake and that they will return everything to normal, awing Flare.

The mountain is revealed to be the Eternal Flame

Wendy and Lucy then proceed to tell Natsu that Flare was guiding them to the Eternal Flame as there is a possibility that with its restoration, the village can be returned to normal. Natsu acknowledges their statement, but states that he hear a voice coming from the nearby mountain. Flare, however, tells Natsu that it isn't a mountain, but the Eternal Flame itself, shocking all those present; with Natsu confused, Lucy explains that since the flame is frozen solid, its appearance resembles that of a mountain's. With Wendy discouraged, Lucy then begins to state that they placed their hopes on saving the village by using the Eternal Flame, but is interrupted by Gray, who screams for them to look out.

	Gray and Natsu begin their respective tasks

With Happy and Carla running behind Gray, the group soon sees a gigantic Cyclops Monster running after the three, which causes them immediate distress. Upon Lucy asking what the creature is, Happy states that he doesn't know and that it wants to eat them. Natsu then asks Gray to knock the creature out, but Gray retorts that he can't use Magic Power that he doesn't have, however, he mentions that he could melt the surrounding ice. With Flare in disbelief over this statement, Gray notices her and asks her if she was the girl from Raven Tail as well as wondering aloud what she's doing in the Sun Village, but his thought is washed away by Natsu, who asks if Gray truly can melt the ice. Gray replies that he doesn't know if he can but that he'll try, to which Natsu states that in his stead, he'll defeat the creature. Running towards each other, Natsu informs Gray that the large ice mountain is the Eternal Flame and asks if he can melt it; said question is met to with a reply of "yes". The two then run past each other and slap their hands, telling the other to take of their respective business. With his feet now lit in flame, Natsu charges at the Cyclops Monster full speed and strikes it in its sole eye, beginning his coverage for Gray.

Battle

The Eternal Flame vanishes

The Cyclops Monster is sent flying backwards, though it spreads its wings and quickly recovers before rushing, full-speed, at Natsu. The creature takes its talons and pins Natsu to the ground; Natsu is swiftly kicked into the air, earning him the concern of Lucy, though he dismisses her concern and tells her that Eternal Flame is their top priority. Swinging both his fists down onto the creature's eye, Natsu screams that the Eternal Flame is what will save the village. With the bird spiraling downward from the sky, Gray is given the time he needs to thaw the Eternal Flame. Though he eventually does so, via Ice-Make, the Eternal Flame disappears.

Natsu states he'll restore the Eternal Flame

With everyone still taken aback by the event, Wendy quells their fears by stating that their is still strong residual thought left on the altar; she points to a small blaze where the once mighty Eternal Flame stood. With everyone worried over the small amount of flames left, Wendy tells them that Natsu can rekindle the great fire. Above, still doing battle with the creature, Natsu hears Lucy's cry and eagerly states that, for sure, he'll restore the Eternal Flame.

However, at that moment, the Cyclops Monster spins its body, sending Natsu spiraling off of it. Rushing at Natsu, the creature swings its tail and hits Natsu in the abdomen; Natsu grabs the tail and throws the creature down towards the ground. The creature, however, fires a laser from its eye which strikes Natsu; the creature twists its body once more and sends the laser spiraling with it, cutting through everything it comes in contact with. With the laser about to hit the Giants, Natsu lets loose his Fire Dragon's Roar at the creature, both hitting it and subsequently causing the laser to redirect. With the creature stunned, Natsu leaps backwards and uses one of the nearby Giants' head (apologizing while doing so) to propel himself forward, giving him the needed momentum to land a devastating headbutt.

The Eternal Flame is revealed to be Atlas Flame

Struggling to keep the momentum going, Natsu hits the Cyclops Monster onto the altar of the Eternal Flame before furiously releasing a barrage of Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flames. With his attacks being felt all throughout the Sun Village and causing mayhem around his friends below, Natsu screams at the top of his lungs and rears back, gathering a torrent of flame around his hands while doing so; Natsu releases his Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade, both leaving the Cyclops Monster as little more than ash and restoring the Eternal Flame to its original, blazing glory. Everyone, however, is shocked to see what lies inside of the Eternal Flame, most notably Wendy and Natsu, the former of whom kneels and clasps her hands together, saying she saying the she finally understands. Natsu, however, unlike the other, smiles at the revelation that the Eternal Flame is none other than his Dragon companion from the events of the Fated Day, Atlas Flame, who greets the son of Igneel like an old friend after 400 years of being apart.

Aftermath

Atlas greets Natsu

Everyone recognizes the Dragon to be one of the seven that entered the past via the Eclipse Gate; Atlas, upon hearing Carla state that he should have gone back 400 years in time, states that his flames have continued to burn strong for 400 years. Happy to see his friend, Natsu asks Atlas if he's alive, though he replies that that isn't entirely correct. Wendy then interjects, explaining that Atlas' current state is only visible to them due to her own Milky Way spell. Puzzled, Atlas puts his claw to his chin and slowly states that he is no longer of this world, but then curiously adds that that is something from the distant past; he notes that his memory is in pieces, an occurrence attributed to his spirit being frozen in the ice.

Atlas tells Natsu about E.N.D.

Hearing the word "ice", Atlas' memory begins to come back to him, with his first memory being that "the world", or rather, the Sun Village, was frozen. With his story being asked for telling, Atlas shamefully recalls his defeat at the hands of the single human who froze his "world". This fact shocks those present, Gray in particular, and Atlas explains that the human thought that Atlas was a "Demon" instead of a "Dragon", and therefore froze the entire village to eradicate him; Atlas states that the Mage was an Exorcist Mage, a Devil Slayer, a fact which only adds on to the shock of the situation. Atlas, however, tries to recall once more what he was, and upon hearing Flare's plea that he, the guardian of the Sun Village, restore his home and people to normal, Atlas states his name and the fact that he created the Sun Village. Adding that his village's misfortune and sorrow are his pain and tears, as well as that with his final lingering sentiment and the flames of Igneel's son, he will set the village free. Shouting that he is The Fire Dragon and the Guardian Dragon of the village, Atlas releases a flurry of flames that thaws the entire village and its inhabitants. Disappearing into the fire, Atlas lists several important terms: Igneel, Dragon King, Acnologia and Zeref; Atlas tells Natsu that he remembers everything: 400 years ago, Igneel was unable to destroy Zeref's most vile Demon: E.N.D., leaving Natsu highly disturbed.

The Giants and Natsu celebrate

Soon after, Natsu is seen laughing with the Giants whilst sitting atop one of their heads; the Giants make a joking remark about their saving at the hands of "pipsqueaks", earning them remarks in return. Erza Scarlet then asks the Giants what happened, though Lucy explains that they were frozen by an Ice Devil Slayer; the Giants state that they picked up their weapons to fight, but don't remember anything past that. Lucy continues by explaining that Atlas Flame was the Eternal Flame and that he was mistaken for a Demon and frozen, prompting Erza to state that such a horrible assumption makes for a feeble excuse. Gray, however, chimes in and states his motives are still, at this point, indiscernible, and that the Devil Slayer was most likely from Tartaros, as Succubus Eye is one of their subordinate Dark Guilds, meaning that they were most likely ordered to keep people out of the Sun Village until further notice.

Flare is welcomed home

Though Wendy and Carla find themselves unable to find another reason as to why the man would freeze the village, Natsu states that their job is done; Lucy notices that Flare is missing, however she quickly finds her hiding behind a tree. The Giants, upon hearing her name, seemingly ascend into a rage, loudly asking if she is truly present. Though Lucy coaxes her out of hiding under the presumption that the Giants won't be angry with her abrupt departure, the gaze of one makes her think otherwise. The Giants soon begin to marvel at her increase in size, though the make the point that she is still much smaller than they are. She is then asked by one giant about how the outside world was, to which Flare responds that it was both fun and scary at the same time; the Giants smile upon hearing this. The giant then leans down and smiles at Flare, stating that such things will always be true no matter where you are in the world. The other Giants then chime in, saying that independence is good and that the Sun Village will always be her home. Now all smiling, the Giants warmly welcome Flare home, prompting her to smile back in the utmost happiness. The Fairy Tail Mages then party with the Giants until morning, forgetting all about both the Devil Slayer and E.N.D.