"Ms. Scarlet, can you bring this bowl to Mr. Shidou? The man has to be hungry after everything." The scarlet-haired heroine accepted the task with a smile as she took the bowl and fork and started to make her way to the room the tiandi was given.
After the bandits were disposed of, the village of Crust spent most of the remaining evening doing clean up work, wiping away the blood and swiping away the rubble. Once the authorities arrived to gather bandit leader and the dead bodies of his goons, Erza thought to start the real reason why she was here, but when Alvin's mother and father suggested to rest for a little, she accepted.
Not that she was that overexerted. The bandit leader had been tricky, but not overly troublesome to the point that she had to go all out. Rather, she accepted this small reprieve to question Shidou. From what she had gathered from the surrounding chatter, he was out of touch with the world to the point the existence of magic evaded him completely.
That, and because she could've sworn she had heard his name before. And she needed to confirm this as soon as possible.
Her three knocks were gentle despite her metal gauntlets. "You may enter." She opened the door to her surprise, and on a small part embarrassment, she saw the tiandi looking over his body in a full-body mirror. Alvin's mother's healing magic did its best, but the necessity of bandages were used after. Most of his upper body was wrapped in a medical white cloth and slung over his right shoulder. But that wasn't the center of Shidou's attention. It was the tattoo on this right arm.
It was probably one of the best tattoos Erza had ever seen. It was a dark purple dragon coiling around the entirety of his right arm, the tail peaking on the top of his hand with the head just below his right shoulder. It's eyes were a lighter shade of purple. It was a detailed dragon, with every scale painstakingly etched into his skin.
Shidou knew he was being watched, but the ink took first precedent. In the meanwhile, Erza drank in ever other detail of the man. The way his back muscles stretched told her just how much he trained, as did his arms. His body was tight and lean yet was toned to the high heavens. She was used to the sight of muscled men thanks to a certain duo of mages, specifically a certain ice mage, yet the faint rosy tint on her cheeks took form without her consent. She lightly shook her head. "It's beautiful." she softly complimented.
At first she thought he didn't hear her. She was about to say something else when Shidou then opened his mouth, his hand gliding all over the dragon that rested on his arm. "... It is. Yet I don't remember getting it."
"Really now?" she slightly gaped. "A piece like that would have to take numerous hours and breaks to complete. Unless you were inebriated for weeks on ends, it's highly unlikely you got this without your knowing."
"I agree." He squeezed his bicep, but stopped immediately. He didn't know why, but when he squeezed, it just felt... weird. Like he was gripping something sacred. He shook his head. In the face of not knowing how he got this tremendous tattoo, he found its appearance of little impact towards his ability to fight, so it could stay. "I see you brought food. Thank you."
Erza nodded and gave him the bowl. It was simple bowl of noodles with a chicken broth. He sat at the table the room provided, but before he could dig in, the S-class wizard gently closed the door, locking herself and the tiandi in together. "Forgive my forwardness, but may I ask you a series of questions."
Her tone was formal yet her eyes held intent. She suspect him. For what, he did not know, but he decided to answer as honestly as he can. "Depends on what you wish to ask." He nodded at her. "Shoot."
"What is your full name?" she first asked.
"Qin Shidou."
He saw her eyes widen, but they relaxed to their original state. "How old are you?"
He was about to say 19, but just as quick as he could blink, a... strange memory popped in his head.
"Happy birthday, big brother!" a child with spikey salmon hair. His name escaped him, but he knew he was connected to him. More than he should.
Shidou smiled fondly as the child embraced him. He ruffled his hair. "Thank you. Though I'm surprised. You usually don't remember much if doesn't involve fighting or eating."
"Hey! That's not true!" he child pouted as he crossed his arms over his small chest. Shidou merely laughed some more.
"You know, you can be such a tease when you want to be." a voice chimed in. He looked over and saw a beautiful woman. Her lengthy blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and she had an elegant hourglass figure. In her hands was a roasted duck dish, but she set it down on the table as she approached him. "Try not to make him too upset, or he'll accidently burn the house." she then jested. Just like the child, he didn't know her name, but her presence gave him a sense of calm.
She then embraced him, but unlike the pink-haired child whose hug was like that of younger brother to an older brother, her hug was more mature to an extent Shidou couldn't quite place. "Happy 24th birthday, Shidou."
He didn't realize he was grasping his head until Erza laid a concerned hand on his shoulder. He heavily sighed as he patted her hand. "I'm 24." She took her limb off him, but Shidou could still see the worry in her face. "It's nothing. My mind is just a bit addled at the moment. Any other questions?"
"...Right. Last question: do you know a Natsu Dragneel?"
Shidou leaned back in his chair and searched his mind for any reference regarding a Natsu Dragneel, but his memory was so hazy, he couldn't even gather a silhouette. The name sounded familiar on his tongue, recognition just on the tip, but overall he couldn't say he knew someone by that name. "I'm sorry, but no. As far as I'm concerned, this is the first I've ever heard of this man."
A hand clasped on the redhead's chin in consideration. She looked Shidou over as she did this. The man matched only one of the criterias given, which was his name. His age and memory of a certain dragon slayer was off though. Natsu had said he was 19 before he disappeared along with Igneel when they were children, but that was several years ago. That should make Shidou about 26, a few years off from his stated age. And the fact he claimed to have never heard of the dragon slayer was a stark contrast to the how warmly Natsu would talk about him.
"Is there a reason why I should know him?" Shidou questioned.
"Oh... no, I thought you were someone else." Erza had stated, almost glumly. She bid him farewell and exited the room.
The chinese warrior curved an eyebrow but shrugged, going to his still piping hot bowl. He forked a piece of chicken and ate it, rich juices flowing in his food-depraved body. He shivered and made a mental note to thank Alvin's mother. His mouth made an error, however, as it did not stop moving as the food moved down his throat, and he bit his tongue. A common mistake anyone could make, but the pain that followed was way more than Shidou experienced prior. He recoiled as it felt like he just bit a tiny hole through his tongue. He looked in the mirror, and to his shock he saw two things: his strangely sharp canine teeth, and a little bleeding hole near the tip of his tongue. "The hell...?"
When he had heard some loud shuffling from the outside of the house, he paused to look out the window only to ogle at the sight of Erza charting a hefty amount of luggage behind her. 'Is she planning on moving in or something' he thought flatly before rolling his eyes and exiting the room in search for Alvin's mother. His bleeding pink appendage needed some healing.
After the S-class mage moved her stuff near Alvin's home, she went to the resident's mother in order to gain a better picture of the monster she was tasked to hunt. "What do you all know of this beast?"
Alvin was beside her peeling apples as she was mincing vegetables. "I know just as much as everyone else." she started off. "It appeared a week ago in the Crust mines. The miners said it was two times bigger than this house and started reeking havoc." She then sighed in relief. "My husband was one of the miners. Thank goodness he made it out in one piece."
"That is very fortunate." Erza retorted. "Do you have anything else to detail about this monster?"
"Hmmm... I think-"
"The monster shoots laser!" Alvin chimed in. "Remember, mom? Dad said it shot lasers as it was smashing the mines! It was like a vulcan, but even more buff and even more ugly!"
"What my son said." the mother chuckled.
Erza smiled at the little boy. "I most appreciate your input, Alvin. It'll serve me well in slaying the beast."
"Please hurry." the mother implored. "Not only does the mines it dwells in our town's most sacred resource, it's been taking nearly all the livestock in town. With that monster's appetite, I wouldn't doubt it'll start chowing on us soon."
Erza nodded, fully understanding the severity of the situation. After she received directions for the mines she left without haste, oblivious to the listening ears of the tiandi.
Even without directions, she could still have tracked the beast. What with the destructive path it left in its wake and its ginormous footprints. The creature obvious lacked any tact, preferring to rely on its size and brute strength.
A rustle in the bushes caught her attention for a moment, but thought it was just a wild animal. But when she sensed magical energy off this figure, far more than any mere animal, she gripped her sword even tighter. The slight musk of a man flew into her nostrils and she turned, throwing her weapon at her stalker. A quick sound told her her weapon stabbed into a tree. She moved closer.
"Quite the arm you have." commented the man behind the bushes. She pushed the bushes aside, surprise crossing her features as she saw Shidou up against the tree, her sword embedded in the tree very close underneath his left armpit. Could've pierced his heart if she wasn't off by a few inches.
Her face of surprise turned into a scowl. "What're you doing here? It's dangerous and you're still injured."
"Actually, I feel fine. Gave it some time and my wounds eventually patched themselves up." he stated to Erza's surprise. "Magic really does wonders, does it?" he then added on the off hand.
The redhead retrieved her sword. "Which brings me to another point: you never even heard of magic before now. What is running through that mind of yours as you walk into a hostile environment with a MAGICAL beast running amuck?"
"Have you forgotten I also possess magical power? Besides, it clear from all the destruction this creature has wrought that it lacks any form of finesse or wit. I will use that to my advantage."
The knight uttered a groan. She didn't have time to bring him back to the village and she didn't want to cause him any unnecessary harm. For now, as long as he didn't prove to be a nuisance, she won't knock him out. "Do you even know what your magical power is?" She turned to continue her way towards the mine with Shidou following behind.
"That is part of the reason I followed. To ask you, a mage of high notoriety, what powers I possess."
Erza looked over her shoulder and studied him for a moment. She didn't know what powers he specifically have, but she could tell it was one thing, judging by how the surrounding ethernano around them was being funneled more towards him. "I do not know for certain, but from what I could sense from your body and magical energy, it seems you have the ability to absorb ethernano far better than most. Even me."
"Ethernano?"
Understanding how out of touch he was, she explained the fundamentals. "It's the source of magical power for all mages. It dwells in all living organisms, even the atmosphere. Within every mage is called an origin. Think of it as a container of sort. Every person has a 'container' in their body that determines the limits of their magic. If the magic in that 'container' runs dry, the ethernano in the atmosphere will refill it given time."
"I see..." His mind drifted back to his encounter with the bandits. "Earlier during my confrontation with the bandits, I was able to absorb the energy of an incoming attack and redirect it back. With what you have previously stated, I must have absorbed the ethernano of said attack." he concluded.
"Not just that, but your affinity with ethernano may have played a vital role in your recovery as well. A concept never heard of before. Even with Alvin's mother's healing magic, the wounds you sustained should have left you bed-ridden for a couple more days at least. Yet here you are now."
Shidou digested all that was said. After a brief review, he said, "Quite a potent magic power seeing as the air is so rich of this ethernano.."
Erza agreed without argument. "The potential is quite evident, but I advise you maintain a level head. Your power still has its limits, as evidence by your last fight with that bandit leader. Going into battle with the belief you'll conquer every obstacle in your path with ease will only lead to your downfall. You still don't know how much energy you could absorb or if your body could handle it."
"Dully noted." His voice did not allude to it, but he was curious at how much he could push this new power of his. Perhaps after this mission, he could find other dangerous foes to experiment with. "Oh. We're here."
"Huh?" Erza looked up and true to Shidou's words, they were at the entrance of the mines. It was as large as two houses. No wonder the creature made its home inside.
"What are we waiting for? Lets kill a monster." A part of the tiandi couldn't help but brim with curiosity at the prospect of facing an actual, real-life monster. Shidou took a couple steps ahead before he was jolted back when Erza grabbed the back of his collar.
"Hold on! Before we take another step, we need to form a strategy." she declared.
"Couldn't have said so before grabbing me..." the tiandi muttered. "Alright. What do you suggest?"
"Despite your ability to adapt and the nature of your abilities, it clear your experience with magic is virtually nonexistent which puts you at a greater risk seeing as the beast will utilize magic. However, before my timely rescue, you have demonstrated a proficiency in swordsmanship." she first stated. "That is why I suggest an attack on two fronts. I will take attack first and focus most of its attention on me while you sneak behind or attack from above." Alvin's father informed her about the mine layout prior to her leaving. The room the monster appeared in was a large open cavern with multiple floors leading to different parts of the mine. In the middle should be a series of railways meant to transports minerals from up and down the mine. That is where Shidou would make his move.
Shidou merely nodded and started his way into the mines. Erza arched an eyebrow, finding his lack reaction up to this point mildly concerning and peculiar. The man had claimed to be essentially a hermit, closed off from the world. The fact he faced a group of bandits and now a hostile creature without even batting an eye pointed to several conclusions: he could be overly confident to the point of arrogance, he could be fearless to the point of reckless, or he could be just plain suicidal.
She swayed her head from side to side. It couldn't be the last one. It just couldn't.
The Crust mines are some of the largest in Fiore. Deep and ever-expanding as time goes on. As Shidou and Erza the trail they traversed diverged into three direction. Above each path were hanging signs labeled "A", "B", and "C". The queen of the fairies frowned and crossed her arms. If only she brought Natsu along. He would've sniffed out the monster's trail. "Well this is bothersome. The creature could be down any one of these paths. I think-"
"It's B"
Erza stared at Shidou as he went ahead on path B. "Don't just randomly select a direction. The last thing we need is to get lost." From what she had been told, the mines were practically a labyrinth to those unfamiliar of the layout.
"But I didn't pick randomly" Shidou frowned as he stopped. "You don't smell it? It's the stench of an animal and blood." He said it as if it were obvious such smells were in the air, when really they weren't.
"I don't smell anything. Are you sure its down this path?" Erza said, her voice laced with skepticism.
Shidou smelled down path A, then C, before finally coming back to B. He nodded. "Yep. Definitely B."
Seeing as they had no other choice in the matter, Erza sighed and agreed. "If we get lost. I earn the right to slap you."
"Which won't be ever. I know what I smell." Shidou stated with confidence. "Still don't get why you can't..."
Shidou and Erza continued their journey deeper into the mines. Shidou whistled at the expansive tunnel. He had no idea how long Crust has lived for, but it had to be long if they were able to make progress this big. It made the mines in Ashfeld look like child's play.
"So... Fairy Tail."
He kept his eyes forward and his senses clear in case of a sneak attack. Erza looked up him. "You have questions regarding the guild?"
"Yes. As you are aware by now, I am estranged from the world. Learning anything I can will prove vital to my journey."
Erza nodded with a smile. Talking about her beloved guild always brought a sense of calm to the otherwise stoic woman, and she was more than happy to give the newcomer an idea of the guild. "Where do I start? It's a big and tumultuous band of misfits, orphans, and wild characters, but they're family nonetheless."
"Family?" Shidou said, an eyebrow arched.
"You doubt our comradery?"
"No. I have no reason to take what you said as a farce. It's just that previous groups I've met used the same expression, but practiced it to a far lesser degree. I've met very few groups that actually took the time to call their fellow man anything other than a means to an end." Some prominent groups stood out to him like the Ion Legion, a legion of knights sworn to protect Ashfeld. They were one of the better groups, though even they have much blood on their hands.
"...You said you were estranged from the world, yet it's clear you speak from experience. Too much experience to qualify you as a recluse."
There were many red flags Erza noticed in relation to this man. Not only did he share a name a certain dragon slayer knew with fondness, but his fighting, his swordsmanship, his armor, and everything else told Erza an entirely different story. This man was no hermit, she could confidently say.
"Quite observant of you. You're the first one to call my origins into question." Shidou commended. "Is that a problem, perhaps?"
"Not at the moment, no. I will admit I'm curious as to where you truly originate from. Unless that secret posed a danger to innocent people, I will not press any further."
To be frank, Shidou did not mind talking about the fact he was in a different world. This world is a magical world after all. Otherworlders like him might be a common sight not worthy to bat an eye at. That, and he did respect this warrior. Shidou would not mind taking some time to explain himself and his situation.
His face suddenly recoiled in disgust. He reluctantly took two whiffs of the air, finding that the smell of rain-beaten animal even more intense. "I will gladly explain myself in due time, but it seems we are closing in on our target."
There was a nearby minecart, derailed from the tracks. The knight and the tiandi hid behind the cart and looked over at the beast. It was indeed the size of two houses, just as most of the descriptions told. It was humanoid in shape and was bulky in shape, like that of a bodybuilder. It resembled a giant gorilla with the exception of the maroon-colored hair and the pair of bull-like horns on the side of its head. It munched on the dead carcass of a deer, eating everything down to the bone.
It was a truly imposing creature to Shidou. A beast that defied reason with enough brute power to destroy an entire legion of knights or clan of vikings. He couldn't help but ogle it for a bit longer before Erza snapped her armored fingers in his face. "Focus" she said. "I will move in first. As we agreed before, I will distract the beast and you deal the sneaking blow." It was in Erza's hope that if Shidou couldn't deal a lethal blow, it would at least open a window of opportunity for her to finish the fight.
With that, she vaulted over the cart and charged the giant creature with a hearty battle cry. "Have at thee!" The roared as it stopped its meal to face Erza. The redhead dodged a doubled-handed slam and sliced the beast's wrist, but found its hide to be its ironclad defense. "You're more arduous than I gave you credit for, beast." The creature merely roared in regards to her words. Its horns emitted a red glow and formed a red sphere in the middle of its forehead. The small orb of power erupted into a laser beam, its destination Erza.
Titania jumped back. While in mid air, her angelic sword glowed white, before a giant battle axe took its place. With a roar she reengaged the creature. The axe proved more staggering for the beast as it stumbled back upon getting hit on the chest. Dazed, Erza raced to its head using it arm. She kicked the monster on its noggin and back-flipped off before the monster's hand could grab her.
"Requip!" A white glow surrounded her body while in mid-air. Shidou was in the midst of climbing to the nearest ledge in order to get the drop on the beast when Erza used her magic. He paused a blinding light blasted his eyes for but a moment until they finally died down. He looked over at Erza, and his mind stumbled upon her new look.
It was similar to the black-winged armor she used against the bandit leader in that she had wings, but dissimilar in many ways. It consisted of plate armor that covered her breast, arms, legs, and waist, and she wore a billowing white skirt under the plate. Her wings were also metal, but other than that, it was... quite revealing. Her stomach and neck were exposed, giving the knight of Fairy Tail an alluring feminine appearance.
'Is this how armors typically are in this world?' It wasn't that he doubted the armor's utility; he just doubted if it was practical. The exposed parts of her presented large target points for her enemies to exploit, but Shidou amended his thoughts soon after. "She should know what's she is doing." Perhaps she already knew how to counter the counters to her armor. He just had to wait and see.
And wait he did not do as Erza flew around the beast, slashing wherever she could. The creature swatted at her like that of human trying to kill a fly, she was quicker. That did not mean the beast didn't come close though. Its giant hands came a few inches too close to crushing Erza if it wasn't for her better speed.
She summoned more than twenty swords around her. "Dance, my blades!" With that command the swords began spinning rapidly around Erza. The beast paused for a moment, mesmerized by the action. She then sent the blades towards the beast in a disc formation. The attack rang true as it connected with the creature's front, forcing it to stumble back closer to the bottom of the ledge Shidou was climbing towards.
The prince hurried himself to complete his climb. The creature was still dazed from Erza's Circle Sword attack which gave Shidou the perfect window to attack. He looked down and he saw the beast tilted its head down, showing Shidou his vulnerable nape. With his destination set, he jumped off the ledge.
He was plummeting at an alarming speed, he neared the beast's nape. He landed rather roughly on the creature's thick and furry hide, but better than ending up as red paste on the floor. Upon landing, the prince was able to stab into the creature, getting about half his blade into the nape. Shidou predicted his attack would pierce, but what he failed to take into account was his sword getting stuck.
And to his and Erza's surprise, the beast was still alive and kicking. It roared as it felt Shidou embed himself and started to flail about. Shidou held on for dear life, gripping his sword handle and the creature's fur to keep himself from flying off.
He gritted his teeth and forced more of his sword into the creature. It announced its pain in a loud howl and flailed even harder. Shidou gripped ever harder on the beast and continued to play the world's deadliest form of rodeo. To his credit, he lasted long, but his hold could only last so long. Finally, to the beast's relief and Shidou's misfortune, the beast tossed itself so hard it flung Shidou off.
Erza swooped in action. She saved him before he could collide with a wall. "This creature is durable." she said.
"Quite. We need to-"
The creature suddenly roared and smashed its fists on the ground. Its horns began to glow red as they charged with magical energy.
"If that thing fires off into the wall, it'll collapse the entire cave!" Erza yelled.
"Too late..."
A red circle formed in front of the creature's forehead. It grew larger until it erupted into a red beam of energy heading straight towards them.
Shidou acted and pushed Erza behind him. He raised his sword and the energy beam connected with great force. The wu lin tried to hold his ground, but in comparison to the bandit leader's boulder, this was much more unrelenting. He stumbled back, still blocking the attack, but the possibility of falling down was high. Erza saw this and backed Shidou up, holding him back to keep him from falling down.
Shidou was absorbing so much more energy than he did with the lightning bandit. He didn't know how much more he could take before he felt filled up.
When the beast saw the two humans still standing, it moved forward to press down on them even more, but its leg was suddenly snagged by a foreign vine that wasn't there before and the beast fell. It lost its concentration on energy beam as it face-planted with the ground.
Dazed, he looked at the beast to see it facing away from them, growling at something else. He moved his eyes in the direction of its head and saw an unwanted surprise.
Alvin, who had apparently tailed behind them, to his surprise, had grown a vine to trip up the beast. When the beast let off its energy attack, Alvin attempted to scamper off and hide, but tripped. The beast saw Alvin and became even more enraged. It started its way towards the boy, ready to eat him whole.
"ALVIN!" The burst of adrenaline came surging through Shidou's veins and he rushed to Alvin's position. Shidou and Erza were farther away than the beast, but they made up for it in speed.
The beast was large, but from Alvin's position, it was ginormous. He scrambled backwards in the dirt, the beast reaching for him with its giant hand. He could tell by the size that he'll be crushed instantly if he was grabbed. Crushed, killed, and probably eaten. Alvin couldn't help but voice his terror.
When the scream reached Shidou's ears, he gritted his teeth as he focused the energy in his blade. it glowed violent was its owner put everything inside even down to the edge. He reached Alvin and the beast's offending limb. He jumped, both hands on his sword and sliced downward.
The merciless hand came barring down towards him ready to grab until... it fell, severed from the beast. Green blood spewed from the flat stump and the beast roared as it reared back, looking at his wound with shock. It recovered from its shock quickly and was about to fire an energy blast at Shidou, but Erza kicked its head, forcing its attention on her as Shidou saw to Alvin.
Before any words could be said, Shidou took it upon himself to discipline the child for his unwanted and hazardous appearance with a karate chop to his head. Not hard enough to even bruise, but enough to hurt. "OW!"
"What are you doing here?" Shidou harshly questioned. He pulled him behind the mine cart as he scolded the child.
"I just wanted to see you guys kill the monster, but when I saw you pinned down, I had to do something! Besides I was gonna run and hide, but..."
"You fell"
"Yep"
A roar drew the boys attention. They peeked over the cart to see Erza flying circles around the beast and cutting in as many places she can. The beast was bleeding from its hand stump, but proved to be of little inconvenience. Erza targeted all her swords to the beast's head, surely puncturing at least an eye, but the beast acted quick and brought an arm to up to block. The blades bounced off its hide doing minimal damage.
"She's so cool!" Alvin gushed, his eyes sparkling when Erza continued to slash at the beast.
Shidou continued to observe how Erza's attack, while powerful, were proving futile. He looked over the green blood on his sword and knew what he needed to do. "You stay here. I'm going back in."
"No arguments here" Alvin complied.
Shidou ran back out into the open. "Erza! Direct the beast towards me!"
Titania looked at the otherworldly warrior and nodded. She fly like an annoying gnat around the head of the beast, cutting it up a few times before flying in Shidou's direction. The monster and man lock eyes, and the beast roared as it remembered the pain he inflicted. It quickly charged its horns and fired an energy beam, not as powerful as the last, but devasting nonetheless.
The beam was faster this time, to Shidou's shock. He almost didn't block it in time, but fortune smiled upon him. He stood his ground as he took on the onslaught of aggressive ethernano. He grunted as he pushed back a step.
"Alright, that's quite enough" Erza then flew at the beast's distracted side of its head. "Requip!"
She transformed her armor again, swapping into a golden armor with blue trim. The pauldrons were massive with a pointed shoulders pointing upwards. In some parts, were lined with white fur. She also swapped her weapon, now sporting an extravagant spear with gold embellishments.
With a spirited battle roar, she threw the spear at the creature's head. It wasn't powerful enough to pierce, but it did stop its laser.
An opportunity to attack opened and Shidou focused on the energy again. He slashed the air, casting the attack in a diagonal line. The beast had o time to dodge and took on the full force Shidou's magic. A giant cloud of dust erupted from impact, and all was quiet. For six whole seconds, the three humans thought the beast had fallen
That is, until it football-kicked Erza into a wall.
Shidou gaped, but the beast wasn't done. It emerged from the dust cloud, its skin charred heavily from its belly to the bottom of its face. It charged Shidou, killing intent just pouring from every orifice of its being. It was pissed before, but now it was the embodiment of anger.
The beast acted quick, slamming his only good hand as soon as he neared Shidou's position. Shidou dodged, his swords sailing to cut a not even shallow cut on the beast. A gigantic foot came racing towards him, but Shidou had no room to dodge. He raised his sword and while it absorbed most of the kinetic force, it still threw Shidou into a wall.
The beast charged again, but Shidou was still reeling from the impact, his body slumping forward as the border of his vision blurred.
Alvin gasped and without going too far from the mine cart, grew vines in the way of the beast. Its foot was caught in the trap and with a deep yelp, face-planted to the ground in front of Shidou. The rumbles that resulted from the impact vibrated Shidou's body, and to his shock and confusion, saw the beast's face with swirls for eyes.
He acted quick and stabbed one of its eyes. It roared in searing pain, and Shidou cringed from the foul smell of its breathe. Its saliva and blood flew on his body and Shidou twisted the sword.
One of its hands came down, almost crushing Shidou, but Erza came in, back in her Heaven's Wheel armor, and swatted the hand away.
He withdrew his sword and escaped the close proximity of the beast. The beast wouldn't have it as it tried to grab the runaway, but Erza swooped in and carried him up in the air.
"He's tiring out" stated Erza. Shidou looked and agreed. The beast was losing vigor, panting from all the damage its been tanking. "You need to absorb one more attack, but you have to call out the attack this time."
Shidou looked over his shoulder dryly. "Are you serious?"
"Magic attacks deal more damage when you call out its name or command."
The concept left him in exasperated disbelief. Why was that a thing? "Uh... Hocus Pocus, death-you-strokus."
He received a disapproving gut punch. Despite wearing armor made from the most talented blacksmiths, she was able to hit him with a bare fist and make him wince. "This is no joking matter!" she admonished.
"I wasn't joking."
"The name needs to be in-synch with the nature of the attack. Just giving it some random label will be fruitless."
"Again, inexperienced with magic."
A roar accompanied with a collection of magic energy took the warriors attention. The beast had charged another red sphere of energy. "Here's our chance." Erza said. She gripped the man in her arms harder, perhaps a bit too hard as Shidou lost some breathe as she did so. Nevertheless, he readied himself.
The red beam came, but now that there wasn't any ground beneath them, the force of the blast forced Erza and Shidou back immensely. The energy beam pushed and pushed until Erza came close to crashing into the ceiling. Her wings flapped with such ferocity, they were blurring.
"ERZA! I'M NEARING MY LIMIT!"
The redhead grunted. "SURPASS THEM!"
The two warriors fought at their own ends, Shidou taking on the incursion of red hot and dangerous energy, and Erza keeping them airborne. The effort the two expended was reaching fatal levels, exhaustion beginning to take hold of them. Alvin watched with hopeful, pleading eyes, praying to any and everything that these mages would come out superior in this battle of attrition.
His sword was shaking, not just from the energy beam, but because this was the most ethernano he has ever gathered. And so early in his arrival as well. It was taxing on Shidou's body. Erza had described the origin as a container, and right now that container was overflowing, the lid itching to burst any second if this attack doesn't stop-
And it stopped! Just when Shidou's arms were about to break, the beast broke down first, panting from the exertion and blood loss.
Erza moved not a second too late. Even while carrying a man heavier than her, she still flew with grace and speed towards the beast. "NOW!" She then spun around, building momentum before launching Shidou straight at the beast,
'Calling out a name. How childish' Erza said to give it a name that fits the attacks nature. Random words wouldn't do. It had to come from the heart, from the soul.
He could take an enemies opposing ethernano and redirect back at them. What title would accommodate that role correctly?
In Shidou's eyes, the beast loomed closer at a painstakingly slow pace. His senses were going into overdrive, adrenaline forcing his heart and mind to operate at unhealthy levels. The beast opened its maw to possibly catch him in his mouth. He had to think quick. He had to counter or he will be eaten to death.
Counter... counter...
Shidou's eyes narrowed. He found it.
"Crushing Counter!"
He slashed down, purple energy radiating off his blade. The distance between him and the beast was short so the energy attack didn't travel so far. The energy sliced into the beast's face before that slice descended down to the stem. The beast was cut into perfect symmetrical halves.
Shidou kept racing, traveling between the perfect halves of the corpse he made until hitting the ground. He rolled a few times before finally stopping on his back. His helmet rolled off him and his eyes drooped closed.
And for what felt like hours, but in reality was a few minutes, he saw him again.
That salmon-haired child.
His clothes were grayed out and his eyes were hidden beneath his hair, but it was him. And he was just smiling at him.
It was neither mocking nor mischievous. He flashed his teeth as he smiled, as if he saw something amazing just happen.
"That attack was so awesome, big bro!"
"'Big bro'?" Shidou reechoed. "Why are you calling me that?"
The boy quirked his head to side, but his smile remained. "Because you're my big bro. What else am I suppose to call ya?"
"Well, just stop. You shouldn't look up to someone like me" He tone was like that of a chastising guardian. "I don't deserve any of your admiration."
"Of course you do! You're awesome! And no matter how many times you say it, I'm still gonna say you're awesome until the end of time!"
"LEAVE ME BE!" That set him off. The way this child respected him brought a renewed sense of sickness in his pit. He sickness he couldn't stomach.
The child pouted, as if the tiandi's words weren't anything biting. "Fine. You're gonna wake up anyway. I'm gonna go find Igneel and see if he wants to play."
And with that, he was gone.
When Shidou suddenly lurched back awake with a raspy gasp, it caught Erza and Alvin off guard. And Erza couldn't stop years of reflex training.
Just as fast as he got back up, he was slapped in the face and was brought back down again. "Yes, add more injuries to my growing collection. Oh please do."
A faint blush adorned Titania's cheeks at her blunder. "You simply surprised me is all."
"Are you okay?"
Shidou sensed Alvin's disposition and simply smiled. He ruffled the boy's hair as he said, "Honestly, shugokis are much more worse in comparison. I'm fine."
"What's a shugoki?" Alvin asked.
Oh yeah, that's right. Wrong world. "That's not important. I take it the beast is..." He looked over at the very dead giant. "Right."
"ALVIN!"
Said boy looked to see his parents running towards them. His father was running at a brisk speed, but his mother made him look like a turtle in comparison. A look of terror formed on Alvin's face and before he knew it, his mom was there, bending him over her knee and spanking him with all her fury.
"WHAT WERE YOU THIKING?! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP WHEN YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO GO TO BED EARLY! WHY ON EARTH DID YOU FOLLOW THEM?! YOU COULD'VE DIED!"
"OWWWW! Mom, stop! Look! They killed it! They killed it!"
The mother stopped, and she and her husband looked at the bifurcated creature.
"HOLY CRAP, IT"S DEAD!" the parent yelled together.
Props on them focusing solely on their child, but come on.
"Ms. Scarlet, Mr. Shidou, on behalf of our entire village, we cannot thank you enough. Thanks to you, we can return to our livelihood." Alvin's father praised.
"I will go inform the village. We must hold a celebration in your honor!" Alvin's mother then said.
Erza smiled in the face of their gratefulness and praise. "There is no need. Me and Shidou were happy to help put a stop to this menace."
The tiandi observed the exchange. He noted how dignified and poised Erza was. She was revered as a powerful mage and a woman of great beauty. Shidou had seen plenty of women in power. Not all of them, but a good portion, he found, were smug, or overly proud, but not her. She didn't talk talk down to these people. She spoke to them with respect, as equals.
Shidou paused his thought for later. "And really, having a celebration is a tad bit much, isn't it?"
"Please, we insist. Besides, we don't want to waste the meat off this thing, so we might as well!"
"You're planning to eat that?" Shidou looked somewhat disgusted at the prospect.
"If you're all so adamant about this, very well. I am feeling a bit famished." Erza commented. She looked to Shidou. "Come now, let us enjoy this moment. All of us."
Shidou sighed. He plopped down to the floor to sit. As they waited for the rest of the village. "Whatever."
To his decent surprise, the meat the villagers harvested from the beast was delicious. After checking it for any diseases, the villager prepared a most luxurious banquet using almost everything from the beast. Even the bone marrow.
The horns couldn't be eaten, but some of the artisans of the village bejeweled them in their honor. Their monstrous size made them unwieldly to be carried by regular humans, but Erza accepted the gift and carried it away with one hand. Shidou, though, politely declined.
It was also during this party that Shidou found out he had a surprisingly humungous appetite. The villagers, and him included, were shocked when Shidou scarfed down five large plates worth of food. Even after cleaning the plates of each, he still had a bit more room for dessert.
His alcohol tolerance was also increased. After drinking two barrel worth of beer, the tiandi at most felt buzzed. Copious amount of liquid like that would be enough to down a regular human.
As the party continued around him, Shidou mulled over these sudden changes to his metabolism as he ate a whole leg of mutton (he still felt a bit peckish). Were these normal by Earthland standards, or was there something up with him specifically? He knew it had to be a change brought about in this world because if he tried eating this much back in his original world, he would be throwing up for days.
And his sword. It was laying beside him and it felt like a stranger and a friend at the same time. It was another aspect brought about by Earthland he had no clue how he acquired it.
His nose then picked up the scent of strawberries. Erza sits down next with two plates of strawberry cake. "Here. It's from the bakery in town."
"Strawberry cake. How fortunate. I like strawberries." He first had strawberries when he came to Ashfeld and grew to like them during his stay.
"It's the pinnacle of confectionary treats!" the swordswoman beamed. "I'm so glad we are in agreement." Shidou quickly finished his mutton and joined Erza in the consumption of cake.
Though his eyes were on the cake, he felt Erza's eyes glancing at him every so often. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but just couldn't put out the right words.
"If you have something to say, then say it." Shidou said, giving her the go-ahead. But even with that, Erza had to choose her words carefully otherwise she would risk offending Shidou.
"You're a runner, aren't you?" From the moment she met him, he looked as if he had a past he wanted to look away from. To forever walk even when he had no more energy to expend. But had a destination. Even if he didn't know to get to it.
For that, they shared. As she too had demons she wanted to walk away from.
Shidou turned to her, an unreadable expression on his face. "Let's say, for hypothetical reasons, that it's a yes. Why does that matter?"
It wasn't so much defensive, but it definitely was evasive, Erza noticed. "It tends to get rather tiring forever running as you do. How about I offer you a place to rest, at least for a while."
"... You want me to join Fairy Tail." It wasn't a question. From what Erza had said, it was clear that was the intended message.
Said redhead confirmed his words with a nod. Shidou continued on by asking her, "Why?"
"I don't know what it is you seek, but I know a lonely soul when I see one. You've proven your care for others, which tells me how you would care about Fairy Tail, should you decide to join." Flashes of Shidou coming to save the villagers or Alvin came to mind. "Plus, perhaps we can help you gain that which you seek."
It wasn't the idea of family Shidou was against. Far from it. If this Fairy Tail really puts emphasis on calling your fellow guildmates more than just coworkers, then that's something to respect, even if, from Shidou's experiences, shouldn't be possible.
It was idea of him in that sort of environment that unsettled him. Simply put... he was trash. Fairy Tail, or really any well-meaning group, doesn't deserve the baggage he carried with him.
"I... I don't think that would be a wise choice, Erza. I have too many demons trailing behind me. Some more heinous than others."
Erza wasn't dissuaded. If there was a chance, she will go for it. She will accept his answer, but she refused to back down without knowing she did her best. This wasn't just for him, it was for Natsu too. If there was a chance this Shidou was Natsu's Shidou, she must do everything to get the two to meet.
Erza's hand found Shidou's, which was laying right next to hers. Her hand was soft and smooth in comparison to his harden one. Shidou's hand gave a light twitch when Erza gently squeezed it.
He knew what she was trying to do, to comfort him, and he cursed himself for feeling a smidget of relief. "And as a family, we will accept and assist you in confronting those demons."
'You wouldn't if I told you exactly what they are.' He felt obligated to, but his heart couldn't stop feeling over her words.
Erza looked up into the night sky and smiled at the beautiful sight. "It's getting quite late. As much as I want to continue mingling with everyone, I must return back to the guild." She stood up and took her empty plate with her. "Think it over, Shidou. But even if you do not choose today, please know our door is always open to you." And with that, she left.
Sleep was not an easy affair. It rarely was, Shidou found, after all the mess he made. It was like his heart was always pumped full of adrenaline, as if his body was rearing for another fight. That was usually the case, but tonight, it was different.
Like any sane human being who were dropped into a new world, many questions were swimming in his head. There was the usual 'How did he get here?' and 'Why was he here?', but the question he was most pondering was, "Who was that child?"
The boy spoke to him so familiarly, as if he had known him for most of his life. He called him brother. Which, again, made Shidou feel sick. He was there in his vision and after he blacked out for a moment. Could he be just a figment of his imagination? The possibility wasn't unlikely considering he was practically insane.
'No." he revoked. 'That vision... it was memory. I did meet that boy.'
A child with hair like his, how could he forget? Someone like that would be hard to forget, after all. Shidou alwasy had good memory, so it was ironic he had the case of amnesia.
And that blonde woman. She looked Ashfeldian. Shidou couldn't even begin to think what their relationship was.
As for the other questions he had, he dismissed them. "Doesn't really matter how I came here now that I think about it." He was here now and most likely stuck too. Shidou was fine with that, though. This world would surely bring him the end he so desired. He came close two times just today. Who knows what else Earthland would throw at him.
Our door is always open to you
Fairy Tail. Erza had mentioned this was a mission given to her by her guild. If this was the sort of stuff a regular guild in this world encounters, then his end-all-be-all fight would come as well. A constant flow of missions that could finally lead him to the death he rightfully deserves. And if they were as well-meaning as Erza had boasted, then he wouldn't have to worry so much about joining some corrupt organization.
Family...
'NO!' This was a purely selfish and tactical decision. Fairy Tail would provide him an avenue to fulfill his desire and they would gain his servitude, at least until he dies. A rather fair deal, Shidou thought.
The child, however...
Whoever he is, wherever he is, he's better off without him.
It was early morning when Erza woke up. But not through her own volition. By the hard knocking coming from her door.
She opened it and saw Shidou in full armor with his sword by his side. "I have but one question: will Fairy Tail provide me the battles I seek?"
Ahh. So he's a fighter type, Erza thought. Not surprising, as Fairy Tail contained more than its fair share of battle-hungry mages. She nodded. "If its fighting you crave, then Fairy Tail can provide. There will always be quests that require our attention and challenge our abilities. We're actually infamous for our destructiveness and property damages." She then muttered, "Unfortunately."
"Good." He smiled then, finding immense pleasure in her answer. 'My end will come' he thought, morbid joy filling his body. Finally, a glorious end will befall him, and Fairy Tail is going to help.
It was an eventful morning as Erza and Shidou said their goodbyes to ever thankful village of Crust. Many wished them a safe travel to which they gratefully accepted.
They were on their way, Erza hauling both her cart of luggage and the ornamented horn.
"You seem to be carrying more than your fair share. Here. Allow me to pull the cart."
"Oh, this is of no trouble for me." Erza politely declined.
"I'm sure." He was more than sure, actually. Especially after all he had seen of the woman. "Nevertheless, it would be remiss of me to ignore a companion in need. We are travelling together, so allow me to help."
Erza let out a soft chuckle. "Quite gentlemanly of you. Very well then. Take caution, however. It is heavy."
"I was able to severely wound a hulking behemoth. I'm sure a cart of luggage is of no challenge." Shidou said dryly. It was actually heavier than what Shidou had estimated, but his words, for the most part, rang true.
They continued on until they heard a loud and approaching, "HOLD UP!"
The two looked behind them to see Alvin and his father jogging towards towards them. Alvin was holding a burlap sack and it swayed from side to side as they moved. When they finally stopped, Alvin was out of breathe, but his father was in a much better shape. "Man, you two walk pretty fast considering you're carrying so much!" the father chuckled.
"What is it?" Shidou questioned, his voice a bit harsh. He was impatient, but hid it well. There were battles awaiting him and he must face them.
Alvin father patted his son's back and beckoned him forward with a smile on his face. He reached into the sack and pulled out a horn similar to Erza's, but much smaller. It was adorned with similar jems, diamond-shaped yellow and green jems dotted around the piece. The tip of the horn was covered with a gold plate and the a gold lid covered the hollowed out interior. It was like one of the viking drinking horns only more suited for travel.
"This is for you."
"Oh. That's okay, Alvin. A beautiful piece like this deserves-"
"But we made it for you specifically!" Alvin pressed. "None of us in Crust want you to forget us since you're definitely gonna become a top-ranked wizard, so we made this for you to remember us by."
"And since you didn't want the first horn due to the size, we miniaturized it for you." Alvin's father then added. "Consider it thanks for taking care of those bandits and monster."
Well, they certainly put Shidou in an awkward position. The horn cup was definitely a beauty, one Shidou in his young would buy at a whim, but wasn't the feast enough?
He looked behind him at Erza. She gave a simile and nodded. He then sighed and accepted their gift.
After he attaches it to the back of his belt, he was then embraced by the young boy. He looked down to see his loop-sided smile. "It was awesome meeting you Mr. Shidou. I hope you'll come back, but until then, I'll never forget you." He then maneuvered his head to look at Erza. "You too Ms. Scarlet!"
Praise like that would've made his younger self smirk and say it was a given. But all his praise hurt him a bit. A man like him didn't deserve an ounce of praise like that. He disguised it under a smile as he ruffled Alvin's hair. "I'm sure you will. Take care Alvin. Listen to your parents and stay out of trouble, you hear me?"
Alvin nodded with enthusiasm. Alvin patted Shidou shoulder and gave him a silent show of gratitude before taking his son and went on their way back to Crust. Alvin looked behind him as he walked and waved him goodbye as their figures became smaller and smaller until they were gone.
Shidou went back to the cart's reins and pulled. The two continued, but Shidou saw the way Erza's lips were curved upwards and asked, "What?"
"Nothing. It's just impressive how much of an impression you left on him. It's rather cute."
Shidou swayed his head. "I'm nothing special. He's young. Most likely I'll end up as a fading memory at best."
"You don't give yourself enough credit." Erza sighed. She understood it if he wanted to be humble about his exploits, but it seems more than that. It was like he was down-playing himself to seem insignificant. "Anyway. It's going to take some time before we reach Magnolia. Let us get acquainted with one another."
Shidou side-eyed her. "...Okay. Have you heard of a place called Healthmoor?"
"I can't say I have."
"Well then, there's something you need to know."