I love Fairy Tail power scaling because it's not like absurd. Their first two main villains (Bora and Everlue) are bad and scummy people but also like pretty normal. A scamming human trafficker and self-centered unchecked rich asshole.
Then there's Eisenwald and Lullaby, murder criminals and literal demon that's also a flute, which seems like a lot more but we also gain Gray and Erza. Even when they do fight all of Einsenwald its pretty clear that it's mostly just Erigor, some decently helpful guys, and essentially cannon fodder (especially against Erza). Then the deadly demonic flute turns into a real demon, big guy too, even makes the approaching army force flee with like one attack. A towering demon, that could kill everyone nearby with a few notes of a song. AND THEY'RE GONNA KILL IT BEFORE ITS EVEN EPISODE 10???!!?!? But that's not actually what happens. They defeat Lullaby and save the day, not through killing or even seriously maiming it but by having three wizards already known to be very strong within the guild throw enough powerful attacks and fucking it up just enough that it can't use its primary weapon of deadly music.
It also helps that they end up befriending or at least making allies with so many of their former enemies. Because then it's like yeah they struggled initially to defeat this person but through the power of friendship they won. Then both Fairy Tail and former-enemy-now-friend get stronger, they work against the same new enemy and their now-friend, the person they struggled to defeat before, is also struggling against this new guy.
Avatar is kind of an exception though, but for good reason. They don't really struggle with Avatar, it's not a walk in the park but it's no where near most other arcs, especially the closer later ones. I mean Natsu fuckin two shots a battle god like it's no big deal. However, Avatar is pretty young and seems to only have really picked up steam around a year before. They proclaim themselves the successors to the freshly killed but far older and more powerful Baram Alliance. Avatar is the young upstart lordling who hears of the final warlord's defeat and trouble within the hero's ranks and decides it is their divine right to go play warlord. They had their fun, thinking they've filled and out grown the bloody boots of the fallen warlords. Then the heroes come calling and the lordling sneers at them, they are far better, stronger, more powerful then their predecessors, they will not fall to such pitiful 'heroes'. They find quite quickly though that their imposing sword is too heavy for true battle, their armor little better than ornamentation, and those bloodied boots keep slipping off their feet. Avatar were a bunch of wannabes who thought they could hack it.
Finally in Alvarez Arc, the Finale, facing down the biggest bads and the greatest evils. So many are braving their past and all are praying for the future. Fairy Tail starts with fighting foul but kind of unremarkable guys and ends with them killing Lucifer and Satan in the same week.
Look I have maintained for a long time that Happy should carry around a gun, magical or non-magical I don't care. He has his little backpack, if he can fit a fish or two he can fit a glock in there.
From the earlier days it would be helpful because a lot of their opponents just ignore him so why not make use of that. I mean like during Phantom Lord Arc, Natsu and Totomaru are doing their little fire dance and Totomaru is not really paying attention to Happy. He could have shot the lacrima and had a great laugh over Totomaru's inevitable shock. Or he could have shot Totomaru which might have given Natsu an opening if he knew a bullet wouldn't break it.
After the year apart though he's now the Fairy Tail exceed with the lowest combat capability. Pantherlily has always had his battle form and Carla's humanoid form allows her to do more actual fighting. Exceeds had great support capability but now that the other two have more combat ability a gun would allow Happy to also get in on the action. I mean Happy's lack of combat form or regular transformation make sense logically and for his character but that's a whole nother post.
You also can't tell me it wouldn't be something he'd be at least slightly interested in because
Helping Natsu
Being able to hold his own better
Probably think it would impress Carla or something
Terrorizing People (especially Lucy) because Gremlin-ness
I could see him getting bored from trying to learn and ultimately not using it. But yeah GIVE HAPPY A GLOCK
Ok, I may not have done much today but I did successfully restrain myself from calling Loke a "Manwhore" when talking to my dad which I would count as a win
I will always clown the Oracion Seis because there's all this emphasis on being six but every time there's at least one "secret extra member." Like babe that's not six...
Was watching Fairy Tail, specifically Grand Magic Games arc when they're fighting dragons. My sibling (who does Not watch Fairy Tail) walks by while Sting is on screen and immediately says, "Ok he's gay right?" continuing on to say "Because I have eyes" and references his crop top and single earring. I told them that people do generally dress cooler in this show but a lot of people also think he's gay, it has unfortunately just never been confirmed. This all happened while the show was still playing and my dad (who I was watching it with) was about the same distance from me as them.
During the opening theme of the next episode I did walk over to them and explain that the most popular ship with him is with Rogue, who was also on screen at the time. I was mad when they missed Rogue saying some kind of gay shit (I guess it can also be interpreted as friendship if that's your vibe though). Something about how he isn't going to turn evil because he has Sting by his side.
So Sting Eucliffe, my King, you got clocked as gay by someone who is A. a queer teenager B. doesn't watch the show and therefore does not know you at all. Sorry that you got absolutely vibe checked but they're not exactly wrong are they.
Something I find interesting related to the Sub Zero Emperor / Galuna Island arc is that they tell us that demons can't even get close to the Moon Temple. But that's not completely true...
Because Etherious can get close to the Temple and they are also classified as demons. So it must be only normal demons that can't get near it. After all Natsu was clearly able to get into the Temple. I would also argue that it can't just be chalked up to whether or not Mashima decided to have Natsu actually be a demon when the arc was created, because Deliora was arguably closer to the temple than any of the demon villagers ever got. Deliora is also an Etherious literally known as the "Demon of Destruction."
Makes me wonder about demon classifications. Like I guess Mirajane and Minerva might still be able to get into the Temple despite having more demonic essence than the average human. Since their demonic essence is more compared to or related to Etherious than the Galuna demons.
Anyway I just thought it was interesting that natural demons have "too much darkness" and therefore can't go to holy lands but artificial demons like Etherious are some how fine?
Exactly this! I've had a lot of thoughts too, on how etherious and demons are different and how they're lumped together in Fairy Tail. I think the only instance we see natural demons was during Galuna—which, considering how Zeref's etherious act, and how they're reviled to the point of having Slayers specifically for killing them, has some ominous implications for demon populations on the mainland. It's just speculation, since we don't have much from Mashima about demons, but considering humans' hatred for Zeref—again, to the point where they have Slayers specifically for killing demons, for all that Gray is the only Devil Slayer we see in the series—I absolutely would not dismiss the possibility that the reason we only see the demons of Galuna, who are physically isolated from humans by several miles of water, is because demons not separated from humans got murdered.
Think about it. Zeref's etherious are so hated that they have Slayers for them (and, I forgot to mention, are dehumanized enough that it's acceptable to use their souls for Takeover Magic), and etherious and demons are apparently pretty similar, enough for etherious to be lumped in as a subclass of demons. Why the hell would humans, who fired a superweapon at the Tower of Heaven because it was Zeref's R-System in there, tolerate even the barest implication that beings associated with his Books were just walking around on the mainland? I'm pretty wholly convinced that enough demons got killed because of fear of etherious that they either got nearly wiped out, fled, or hid well enough to fly under the radar. Natural demons are apparently really good at transformation, after all; it isn't out of the realm of possibility that they started disguising themselves so they wouldn't be killed for having horns.
It doesn't explain why the Galuna demons couldn't get close to the temple, but it could explain why they're the only demons we see. It could also explain why they're on the island in the first place—why would they build a temple that's anathema to them? The temple was there before them, but if their ancestors emigrated to the island to put distance between them and the humans, they could've decided that the temple saying 'no, you can't come here, go away' was a lot better than humans chasing them down, and put up with it.
One potential explanation I can see being plausible is that Zeref specifically designed the demons he made to be stronger than natural demons. Lacking the inherent weaknesses.
His demons were created with the sole purpose of killing him, so that draws a clear distinction between them and regular demons. Those of Galuna Island had a community, families and relationships. They have a sense of morals and free will that the Etherious don't. The Galuna demons had no qualms having been helped and aided by humans whereas the demons created by Zeref all share feelings of superiority over humans. Zeref programed them like that, to be weapons of death and destruction rather than their own persons as natural demons are.
Regarding Natsu specifically, it would probably be one part his Etherious nature trumping the temple protections and another part his demonic nature being suppressed and inactive.
That's interesting I never considered that perhaps the Etherious were more powerful than the holy magic. Mostly because that magic in this case is based off the Moon which just seems like and probably actually is very powerful. Though it does make more sense than them some how being "less dark" than a natural demon even though they were literally created (generally malevolently) by the dark wizard. Your arguments of it being strength or suppression (or both) do kind of make sense to me in these situations.
Strength: In the argument of Etherious being stronger or more powerful than the Holy Magic seems possible but I am still a little hesitant because the Holy Ground Magic in this case is based on the Moon (I don't know maybe I just have too much respect for or are too obsessed with the Moon). But with Zeref's power it is quite possible. Though I wonder if its really a case of all Etherious being stronger than the Holy Magic or just the stronger ones. I don't really know where Deliora ranks on the power scale of the Etherious but I'd imagine he's generally pretty powerful, seems pretty unlikely he'd be in the bottom tiers. Natsu is obviously END, the most powerful guy around so he would be fine as Dimaria says "He has the power of a God." I also wouldn't be surprised if there's different levels of Holiness. But yeah if its a too strong for the Holy Magic case it would be interesting if it was tied to their level of power. It seems like a waste after all to give Holy Magic trumping power to the "common" Etherious.
Suppression: If Natsu was able to run wild in the Temple due to his demon-ness being suppressed/inactive. While he definitely wasn't full demon mode in the temple I'm pretty sure he wasn't actively using demon power in the Tartaros Arc when he was eating curses, which seems a bit extreme even for a dragon slayer. Especially since from my understanding curses aren't magic and dragon slayers eat their element and in extreme cases magic, so not curses. (Forgive me, I'm not as familiar with the later part of the series but I am in the middle of slowly rewatching) So it seems like he may have some passive Etherious abilities? As for Deliora, I had been thinking even right after I posted that his demonic aura may have been suppressed by Iced Shell. It doesn't seem like that much of a stretch and it would allow them to get him that close to the Temple.
So overall the theory of Power Strength + Power Suppression might be possible. It does make me continue to think about cases like Mirajane and Minerva. I wonder if it makes a difference whether Mira is in her normal or take over form. Would her human form count as "suppressed" or powerful enough if it was one or the other. For her power level would it just be taking into account the active form? In Minerva's case it doesn't seem like a converted then mostly reverted demon would be strong enough to overcome Holy Magic. Her being reverted might count towards suppression if Mira's does but who knows. But yeah either of the theories make more sense then the natural demons having "too much darkness" and Etherious some how not. Which was the only thing I could think of even if I didn't agree and obviously found the idea hilarious. RIP I've been rambling a bit too hard oh well
I've always wondered why Natsu doesn't carry around a lighter. Like I understand that the little flame isn't going to be enough but its not like he's against arson or not going to cause a shit ton of fire damage anyway. Or like why don't one of his team mates carry one around? I get that if he's in like a cave or something there's not much to light on fire and it might not be the fastest process but still?? It seems like something that would be good to have in an emergency??
I mean like for the seven dragon slayers there's different levels of how available their elements are to just consume in the middle of a fight. There are the ones that are pretty much ever-present like Air and Shadow, so Wendy and Rogue seem like they might be better off since ya know it's much more likely for their element to naturally be there and to have none available seems like they're in kind of extreme circumstances. Then there's Lightning, Metal, Poison, and White which aren't exactly guaranteed to be in all places. Making Laxus, Gajeel, Cobra, and Sting's ability to refuel more circumstantial and up to chance. Natsu is kind of between those two types though as Fire is not ever-present but it's not that hard to make fire. Also Fire spreads, if it can there's going to be more, making it even more unlike the other Circumstantial ones which are generally limited in quantity.
All this to say, he should just carry around a regular ass lighter.
Something I find interesting related to the Sub Zero Emperor / Galuna Island arc is that they tell us that demons can't even get close to the Moon Temple. But that's not completely true...
Because Etherious can get close to the Temple and they are also classified as demons. So it must be only normal demons that can't get near it. After all Natsu was clearly able to get into the Temple. I would also argue that it can't just be chalked up to whether or not Mashima decided to have Natsu actually be a demon when the arc was created, because Deliora was arguably closer to the temple than any of the demon villagers ever got. Deliora is also an Etherious literally known as the "Demon of Destruction."
Makes me wonder about demon classifications. Like I guess Mirajane and Minerva might still be able to get into the Temple despite having more demonic essence than the average human. Since their demonic essence is more compared to or related to Etherious than the Galuna demons.
Anyway I just thought it was interesting that natural demons have "too much darkness" and therefore can't go to holy lands but artificial demons like Etherious are some how fine?
Now I might be wrong but I was thinking about it and...
I'm pretty sure by the end of Fairy Tail Cobra/Erik is biologically the oldest of the 7 Dragon Slayers but the youngest of them chronologically/by birthdate.
areudirty
vaporwave
snowghoul
andulkaphoto
annaxmalina
stormborns
