User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 294: Battle of the Dragon Slayers, Review./@comment-4047931-20120816213620

Well I felt that this chapter was better than the previous pile of crap we saw but still pretty mediocre and that's mainly because the fight annoyed for being too one sided but a strange thing happened this chapter; I began to like Sting. It's weird considering he was a massive knob in the previous chapters but I began liking him none the less. Incidentally I've now began to like Natsu less than before. Anyway the chapter has me now routing for Sabertooth in this battle. Now on to the chapter.

So we see the two tag-teams staring each other down and from the sidelines Makarov and Jiemma give words of support which really showed the contrast between the guilds. Then the gong goes and the match starts. This is where things get rather disappointing and annoying for me. When Natsu and Gajeel got the first punch in it was unexpected and good as it had me thinking it was going to be a tough fight for both sides. Pity I was wrong. Natsu and Gajeel just kept on dishing it and pretty much brushing off anything the Twin Dragon Slayers threw at them with ease. Didn't those two both kill a Dragon? Anyway seeing Sting and Rogue taking a beating like was just lame. It's just stupid building up strength of characters like that and then just have their asses handed to them. Still Sting and Rogue's magic was pretty awesome. It's one of the reasons I began to like Sting and I really like how Rogue's element isn't darkness but actual shadow. Anyway even with these awesome powers it feels a bit of a waste.

Lucky as the fight progressed Sting and Rogue had a trump card, White and Shadow Drive. Even if this power up was introduced a bit too quickly the fact they just amplify their power was awesome with no newly added powers or drastic change to the appearance of the user. Now I really enjoyed this moment as it gave me some hope to that the battle would stop being one-sided. Sting's left hook into Natsu's face, Rogue kicking Gajeel and best of all seeing Rogue fade when Gajeel tried to fight back was pretty damn sweet. So with the tides turned things became more enjoyable even if we had to witness the most saddening and heartbreaking death in Fairy Tail since Simon. Yes I'm talking about Gajeel's headband. It’s just so sad. Now we got to see Natsu and Gajeel against the ropes and just as Sting uses his unusual yet very interesting Stigmata things take a step back with Natsu burning away the Stigmata and Gajeel blocking Rogue's attack. Now with this I'd expect the battle to be more even but sadly this was not the case when Sting used his Secret Art leading to an aftermath which ruined the fight so far. Just how Natsu blocked it with one hand was just ridiculous. It just returned to beating the crap out of Sting and Rogue. I absolutely hate how Hiro made Sting and Rogue to be these powerful mages able to KILL A DRAGON and bring a guild which was nothing special up from the dirt to be the strongest in an entire country just to have them look like pussies of the Quatro Puppy standard. This arc is just getting disappointing now with these last few chapters. No wonder Lector and Frosch were crying.

Now this seemed like the end but the there was still hope. I was so happy to see that Sting and Rogue hadn't kicked the bucket yet and that this would actually mean that they would show the strength they were meant to have. Dragon Force, the power that made Jellal and Zero look like a child trying to fight John Joe Nevin when Natsu used it. Sting and Rogue looked pretty awesome in this form, just how all their injuries had just disappeared too meant everything was still to play for in this fight. Even with the disappointing fight at the start this moment was good and Sting’s little speech about his promise got me pumped for the rest of this fight even if it was a bit contradicting, still better than all of the stuff Rogue was spouting. I really hope the fight doesn’t turn into Fairy Tail winning through BS methods and plot armour.

Now this was a good and bad chapter. I liked it but it does disappoint though. It was a disappointing battle and it was a shame that it wasn't what I was expecting to be but I do like some of the little things shown. Sting’s motive was interesting. I really like the idea of how he just appears to be someone wanting to surpass his idol. It’s like a young kid wanting to pass Usain Bolt in sprinting. It made me think of him as someone aspiring to be all they can in life and it overshadowed his past. Also his Exceed was being rather cute this chapter and I like the bond that’s being developed between these two. Sting made a promise; I want him to keep it.

Overall so-so chapter. Very annoying battle but good to see everyone powers though with Sting and Rogues powers being awesome and the results of Gajeel’s training seeing that he appears to have full grasp of his powers now. I still have high hopes for the rest of the fight and hope things would become more equal but I want a Sabertooth victory. Next chapter should be good learning of Stings past.