A/N: Sup guys, wiErD here. Back again with another chapter.
Have fun and Happy Reading ^^
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my plots. Everything else is owned by their respective authors. Support the official releases.
- God's Meddle -
"I see. So you two just started your party, huh?" Welf spoke light-heartedly. He laughed as he walked beside his two new companions through the upper floors. Natsu and Wendy went along as they too were also on their way back. Accompanying him was a lot of safer after that whole dangerous encounter back on the 10th floor.
The two party members looked at each other briefly before looking back at the newcomer.
"Umm, Welf-san. If I may ask, what are you doing on the 10th floor alone?" Wendy began. Their pace went unhindered as they conversed with each other.
"Hmm? Well, I guess I wanted to try out looking for stronger monsters for bigger experiences. I mean, that's how it's all about adventurers. Perhaps I was little too ahead of myself." He replied with a sheepish look. A hand rested on the back of his head as he said that.
"So you're soloing." Natsu joined in.
"You got that right. I underestimated those monsters. It would've been worse if you two weren't nearby. So yeah, thanks again."
"No problem." Natsu and Wendy smiled in content.
They reached the 4th floor in just a few minutes with the group dispatching all monsters that come on their way. It was an added bonus of experience since going down and up from the dungeon usually takes a lot of time for new ones to respawn.
Natsu and Wendy made no effort to collect the magic stones for their own since they already filled their stash all the way down to the 10th floor. Instead, they gave them to Welf who had no problems accepting it at first if it wasn't for them doing all the hard work. The two easily made short work on the monsters before Welf could even lend a hand.
Needless to say, the red-haired adventurer was impressed by their coordination as a team.
Usually, a party of rookie Level 1s would have a hard time dealing with groups of monsters that were greater in number. The fear of being overwhelmed was always the first indication that came to mind when they were faced with such a situation. Members lost their ability to focus and would endanger the rest of the party if one was paralyzed on the spot.
The dungeon, especially on the lower floors, housed many of these situations that even a well-coordinated party would break formation in the face of terror or unexpected situations.
In light of these unexpected large increase of monsters, the Guild would often call such a phenomenon, a Monster Party.
...
Welf stared oddly at the two as they quickly dismantled another group of monsters on their way as if they were nothing. While he wasn't hungry for experience, he'd wanted to at least help around along the way.
"I'm maybe late for asking this but are you sure you're Level 1s? Because to me, you looked like you're no rookie adventurer." He asked as the two glanced their heads around, seemingly confused at the sudden question he imposed.
"What makes you think that?" Natsu asked.
"Well, it's just that you were working pretty damn well for a rookie. And what's with that magic? It's too convenient than a traditional mage." His eyes fell upon the pinkette who had been using nothing but his fists to blast away monsters into crisps for the past few minutes. As far as he knew, mages swing staves not fists, and most certainly don't go in the front line as they generally lack the experience to fight like that of a warrior or a fighter. However, their firepower in magic was the only thing that rivals in the strength and skills of a warrior.
The pinkette seemed to be a fighter, judging from the lack of weapon he had in his gear. It made sense that his primary choice of attack would be close range and hand-to-hand combat but his ability to use magic at long range as well as cast it on his fists was something new.
There were similar cases of adventurers embedding magic to increase their fighting capabilities; the existence of magic weapons. For adventurers who need magic to boost their fighting power against stronger monsters, those weapons were essential in the overall survivability of the party. Additionally, equipment was also done in the same way to mitigate physical damage which was why most adventurers needed some gear to protect themselves.
Natsu, in particular, didn't even seem to have those. Aside from his light clothes, he didn't have anything to protect himself.
Welf felt like he was meddling too much, judging from the pause of the pinkette's response to his question.
"Ah, a secret then."
Natsu offered a light apologetic expression. "Sorry about that. I was told to never share with anyone about my magic."
"It's alright. I kinda understand." Welf smiled candidly. "Everyone has a secret each on their own."
"That reminds me. You said you're a smith?" Natsu soon changed the subject which caught the red-haired man on a pause before speaking.
"Yeah. I make weapons and stuff although, like the other people out there who started out from day one, I'm just a rookie. A rookie blacksmith to be exact."
"So you sell these things for a living."
"Well, one of the reasons. But the main reason is just to spread my own brand of weapons and armor to anyone and consider them as one of top quality."
...
Natsu hadn't known much about smiths or their nature in general. He was only given a general outline of their job which was working their way to the top by crafting and selling weapons and armors that would deem as one of the top and best quality for any adventurer to have. It was one of the occupations that were also largely practiced around Orario. Coupled with the fact that the city also housed some of the renowned gods of smith and hammer, it was no wonder the city were not short of talented and skilled craftsmen.
As with their craftsmanship from cutting-edge weapons and adamantine armors, it was obvious that their purpose was a big benefit to the city and its adventurers.
Just like adventurers, smiths also need experiences to unlock their skills in craftsmanship. The more they accumulate skills and experiences, the better the weapon or armor they can produce. Knowledge of the subject is also a necessity for the overall process of creation as well as the quality of ingredients.
Natsu understood this as he nodded his head in agreement. "I see. By having yours bought by many, it would cause a big deal for being one of the best."
"Bingo."
"Welf-san is amazing." Wendy followed with a look of great respect.
"Well, it's nothing grand about it. There are little customers that I occasionally acquainted with but most don't seem to like the craft and just return it back." Welf answered sheepishly, a faint look of dejection occupied his expression.
Wendy paused to speak but felt against it after hearing all that from him, fearing she would mean it the wrong way.
"Well, either they're idiots or just too stupid to appreciate a weapon made by you." Natsu puffed out, surprising both Wendy and Welf.
"You described it twice, Natsu-san. They're two of the same thing." Wendy giggled. Her face forming a cute chuckle at the fellow party member's remark.
"Huh? Is that so? I swore that they're two different meanings."
"No, they're not."
...
As the two go about their conversation, Welf could only observe them in close glances. The mood was lighting up as seen from Welf's face who eventually smiled in appreciation of the pinkette's comment.
"Thanks, Natsu." Said person tilted his head in confusion at the out-of-nowhere gratitude but quickly discarded the feeling as soon as Welf changed topics. "That reminds me, it seems you guys don't have a lot of gear in you."
Natsu and Wendy briefly looked at each other before going back to him. "Yeah, we didn't thought about getting some."
"I see. Would you mind I work out something for you two? Just a gift for saving me back then. I'll craft any piece of weapon or armor of your choice free of charge. I'll only leave the gathering of materials to you, seeing you handle yourselves out here."
"Really? You'll do that?!" Wendy asked with expectant eyes.
"Yup. If you have the time to visit me at my forge, then perhaps we could talk more."
"Then tomorrow. We'll drop by to your forge in the morning." Natsu spoke.
"Great! It's just a few blocks on the West Main. Just three forges past it and you'll see mine."
With their conversation taking another set of minutes, they finally arrived at the dungeon entrance. It was already nighttime and the city lights flared all around. The group parted ways after exchanging their loot from the Guild building. They exchanged a few words before returning to their respective familias.
Natsu paced through the streets with little haste, dropping by at the Hostess of Fertility for his usual roundabout of dinner meals and talks with Syr. It was a normal cycle that he began to grow used to. Sometimes, Hestia would come around and eat dinner with him in the same place. The reason why he's going alone is that it was getting late. He already informed his Goddess beforehand so he probably assumed that she already ate somewhere and is now waiting for his return.
He finished his dinner and bade his farewells with the tenants of the pub and began walking again. He recalled the same place where he and that girl met face to face. While she didn't appear before him like last time, he didn't seem to mind it. After all, he knew her as would any other adventurer here in Orario did and it's not hard to recognize her.
Her doll-like appearance.
Her monstrous strength.
Her reputation.
"Kenki... huh."
The pinkette thought to himself.
The name that the gods gave her for her way of the sword. The name that equalizes the name given to her by the adventurers for her unbelievable strength, War Princess (Senki). A name that feared many adventurers because of her reputation as one of the strongest adventurers in this city to date.
A lot of people looked upon her alias as something admirable and fearful.
The young man saw it as simple as an inspiration.
Somewhere at the peak of Babel Tower
"He's progressing faster than we thought. At this rate, his potential will become clear."
A voice resonated on the dark shadows of the room, revealing a large silhouette of a man standing behind the dark curtains with his gaze observing the entirety of Orario.
"He is. As it is expected of him. However, it isn't enough." The woman spoke with her glass of wine visible from the palm of her hand thanks to the faint reflections of the city lights below. She sat on a chair befitting reverence. Her presence and beauty decreed it to be so. A smile plastered on her lips with a hint of admiration.
Truly, her expression enticed with ecstasy, enamored at the sight of the ball floating in front of her that revealed the person. In her eyes, that person was something that caught her attention. So much that she couldn't help but take action for the sake of his growth but thankfully, her restraints ruled above her desire which was the reason why she hasn't claimed him.
At least, not yet.
Still, she wasn't disappointed.
She wanted to see him grow stronger. She wanted to see his soul shine brightly. Like a raging flame burning away all doubts and uncertainties. None of the people in this city possessed such a soul. That is why he piqued her interest.
With such a soul like that, she realized that he was too good to be under that goddess's care.
Her love for him grew once again.
"Still, it seems that even his challenges don't pose a threat to him as of now. I guess a more appropriate adversary must be decided in order to push his limits." She said.
"He is strong but in his current state, it'll take time before he could break his own shell." The man commented.
"Indeed, but you know me. I'm not one who favors patience. Perhaps, you would know of something that would help me witness another spectacular sight." She turned to him, a hint of anticipation hung on her face as she waited for the man to speak.
"There's no need. He challenges the dungeon every day. I'm sure it would give him something that would test his resolve rather than our intervention."
The woman paused in awe at the man's response.
"Hoh ~ Is that so? Never took you for a prophet, Ottar. What makes you think that?"
"Nothing. My opinions bear little compared to yours. I merely obey." Ottar shook his head.
"Well, it's fine. I'll leave it to your words."
...
It was morning as usual. Natsu and Wendy had gone out their way to the West Main and into the forge sector where all smiths establish their very own place of work. Walking further, they received a series of similar houses but thanks to Welf's instructions, they didn't fail to recognize the place where he's currently at.
"Ah, there he is."
A shade of red caught their attention, spotting the blacksmith just outside his forge.
Upon calling him, the blacksmith glanced around, noticing them as they approached him. "Natsu! Wendy-chan! It's good to see you here. Come in, let's talk inside."
He urged them to the door which they nodded. The trio entered inside with Natsu and Wendy making themselves comfortable around the vacant seats while Welf went to get some food for the guests. It was their first time seeing the interior of a blacksmith's shop; a small forge along with a set of tools such as hammer and anvil are located amongst them.
"Sorry about the mess here. I just had some experimenting going on." Welf called out from the other room. After a few seconds, he came back with a small tray with some food and placed them on the table.
"I-It's fine, Welf-san. We just came a bit early than usual." Wendy answered timidly. Her hands flailing as a sign assurance to his welcoming.
"Is that so? Well, help yourselves. You must be tired from your dungeon exploring." He grinned widely as he sat right across while the two grabbed to eat. Natsu was the first one to dig in as he began munching down food after food to satisfy his hunger.
Welf smiled wryly at his unspoken eating habits. Not even aware that he might just eat the whole food without Wendy's share. Thankfully, he stopped as soon as his stomach met satisfaction and let the girl take the rest.
"So this is your place, huh? It's quite different when I visit others."
"How come?" Welf raised a brow in curiosity.
Natsu held a hand on his chin, pondering. "Well, it's simple. I mean, I don't have anything to say, to be honest."
"Natsu-san!" Wendy lightly reprimanded.
Welf, on the other hand, laughed fully at the adventurer's response. "Ah, don't sweat it. Actually, I'd like it a bit more if you could talk to me normally and not some high-ranking holier-than-thou person."
Wendy relented as she took a sit quietly and let go of the subject. As soon as they finished eating, Welf started. "So, now that you've seen my work, is there something that can pique your interest? Better yet, if you want me to make something, I'll be happy to work with you."
"Hmm… That's a nice offer. Is there a catch?" Natsu asked.
"Not at all!" He assured. "As I said, I owe you two so the least I can do is make something that should cover the lack of equipment you have in you."
"Yeah about that... Actually, we haven't really thought about it yet. We've been pretty good so far with our current gear and have been also running it down ever since."
"Well, in that case, we should start by looking at your fighting styles," Welf said, catching the two confused at his statement.
"Fighting styles?"
"Hnn…" He nodded. "From what I remember, you're a long-range supporter, aren't you, Wendy-chan?" He said, looking at the petite supporter who repeatedly nodded.
"Y-Yes. I'm also able to do magic but we still have a lot of openings at the party so I can't use it freely and just rely on my crossbow."
"May I see your weapon?" He asked.
Wendy turned to her small backpack and took out her crossbow, presenting it to the blacksmith.
"I see. This is a pristine built. It's light enough to be carried easily by anyone while sturdy enough to shoot bolts."
"It's a gift from my familia. Robaul-sama said that it would be much useful in my hands so he entrusted it to me."
"I see. Well, you're a pretty sharp shooter yourself. At such a young age no less! Even now, I can see that you're already turning out a fine supporter yourself." Welf complimented. "However, it seems that you have little experience when it comes to close-combat."
"Yes," Wendy said with a slightly dispirited voice.
"In viewpoint, both you and Natsu rely on each other to cover their weaknesses but I guess Natsu himself has adequate on both ends, judging from that fight yesterday." He took a glance at the pinkette who gave a smug look as soon as they made contact, catching the other two a cold sweat in response.
Turning his attention back at the girl, Welf continued.
"Well, I could make you some weapon that could help you in that pinch. I could also probably help to improve your crossbow so you could have better comfort in using it for long periods of time. I guess you should start there and if you develop your magic to help compensate that weakness, the better, alright?"
"Yes!" Wendy happily nodded, having to take advice on the older adventurer who smiled in response.
"Now then, onto you, Natsu."
"I don't need anything."
"Eh?" Welf blinked.
"I don't need anything yet."
"I understand that you have some useful magic but magic alone will only get you so far."
"Honestly, I don't have anything to think about it. I'm fine with just Wendy's benefit. I've taken hard hits and cuts from monsters but I'm actually fine in my current outfit. I just punch and kick some monsters and boom. Easy, right?"
"You… you're a muscle-brain, aren't you?" Welf deadpanned.
"I don't know what you mean but I'm all for beating and wrecking things up if that's what you're saying."
"THAT'S EXACTLY WHY YOU'RE ONE!"
...
After a couple of hours, the group had to eventually return back to their homes. The visit had cost them a day of no earnings but they had fun hanging out with Welf who gave them some tips and things during their stay.
The two were at the door as they set their farewells with each other. The sun was already setting and it just made in time for Wendy's newly-improved bow to be finished as well as the new shortsword that was given to her by Welf.
"We'll see you tomorrow," Natsu said.
"Eh?" A rather surprised look dawned on the blacksmith's face as soon as he heard the pinkette speaking.
"What? You'll go to the dungeon too, right? Wanna form a party with us?"
"R-Really? I mean, is it okay? I'm just a stranger to you yesterday."
"Not anymore. Plus, it would be cool to have another party member." Natsu grinned widely.
"W-Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait. That's not how party relationships work, you know! How are so open about this?!"
"Huh? Is there something wrong with what I just said?" Natsu tilted his head in confusion. A question mark hanging above his head, trying to understand the blacksmith's reaction towards him.
"Of course it is! Just how are you so trusting to me?"
Natsu pondered for a moment, attempting to answer his question before turning his face towards him. "Well, it's nothing serious really. I just figured that you're a good person and want to invite you. Isn't that hard to understand?"
...
Welf, on the other hand, remained baffled at the exchange. Just how easy it is for him to invite him out in the blue just after a few meetings. This is the first time he'd seen an adventurer this open to party up with someone he barely knew in just two days.
Most adventurers have an air of distrust to any stranger who would want to party with them. Both Natsu and Wendy seemed different from those people. They carried a warm and open air around them.
The smith was unsure of what to think as he had always encountered a lot of people having such greed due to his secret although it was not related to how the current situation is unfolding right now. Seeing the pinkette reach out a hand to him willingly without hesitation shows that he trusts him enough to become a member of their party.
"Ah, anyway, you don't have to accept it right away. I know it's weird getting asked to join on someone's party right off the bat. I mean, I've been there too." Natsu said, casting off a teasing glance at the petite girl beside him who pouted in response.
"Natsu-saaaaaan!"
"I-I see... I'll think about it."
"Alright."
After that, they parted ways. Welf returned to his forge but not before taking a glimpse of the fleeting two figures who were happily talking to each other as they walk. A sense of wonder appeared on his mind as he watched them from the distance.
What a strange guy…
The next day
The mist on the 10th floor remained as if it was its natural habitat. Natsu and Wendy dashed forth to the horde of monsters as the two began their usual monster slaying.
"It seems there's more of them in the front. I'll support you from behind, Natsu-san!" Wendy called out as she readied her crossbow in the process.
"There's no need for that," Natsu said as he gave a fierce gaze towards the horde with such vigor as flames coated his body before growing larger that somehow melted the whole grass around him.
He dashed to the horde as he spun his body around, directing the flames in the same manner that created a large stream of fire that shaped like a sharp tip with his head at the front. His words intoned another spell as soon as he came within close range.
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
A huge explosion rocked the floor, shaking the ground just a few moments as flames ravaged through the monsters, enveloping them wholly before turning into dust. Wendy shielded her eyes as she tried to maintain her stand as the wind blew back everything. A look of shock was plastered on her face as she witnessed the destructive power of the spell released just now.
A moment later, the dust settled, revealing a patch of burnt and upturned ground from which the horde once stood. The pinkette emerged later in front of the scene. A fulfilled smile was seen on his face as he took a quick look at his work.
Wendy followed suit as soon as the fight ended.
"How's that, Wendy?! Isn't it awesome?! I was practicing this trick for the whole week and wanted to try it out on the monsters. What do you think? Is it powerful?" He turned to her for a compliment.
"I-It was great but…" She paused, taking another careful look at the destruction around them as little embers emerged from the devastated ground. "Isn't this a bit overboard?"
Natsu laughed proudly at her reply as if treating her response as something positive although it was clear as blue that the girl doesn't know anything else to say other than overdoing it too much. Even the magic stones were left in the dust due to the intensity of the flames.
"Nah it's alright. I'm sure those monsters can take a fireball or two."
"Not in your case, Natsu-san," Wendy remarked.
"Hehe…" Natsu sheepishly replied with an embarrassed look. "Ah, I forgot about the magic stones. Sorry about that, Wendy."
"It's okay. We had our haul for today. Should we go back?"
"There's still time but I guess we can call it a day here."
The two soon got up and turned towards the upper floors. They made their way to the fifth floor in just a few minutes as Natsu continued speaking with his fellow party member along the way.
"So how's the new weapon coming up?"
"It's working nicely. I'm still not used it fighting with a sword but I'm trying to learn as many as I can from the others." Wendy replied. Her eyes fell to the shortsword strapped on her side.
"I see. But with this, wouldn't that make you an adventurer already rather than a supporter?" He asked.
"I guess but I don't want to lose focus on my role as a supporter yet. I want to take as much experience in my magic so I could help other people in the future." Wendy lightly smiled as she answered that statement with a sincere look.
Natsu paused for a moment, catching the last part of her statement in thought. "Other people, huh?"
"Is something wrong?" Wendy turned to ask, noticing his spaced-out expression.
"Ah, it's nothing. I'm just wondering if we'll ever get another party member with us. You know, the more we have, the deeper we can go, right? We can't just go down with just the two of us." Natsu explained. The lessons he learned from Eina provided him just enough sense of just how dangerous the dungeon is.
Even in his current power or his current status as a Level 1 adventurer, he didn't want to underestimate the dangers that lie ahead beneath the Upper Floors. If he had been careless enough, he wouldn't just be endangering his own life but to Wendy as well.
While his goal of becoming stronger hung around in his mind, he considered a lot of things to ensure the safety of his party. It's one thing that he always prioritized every time he heads down together with her.
"I see. Do you think that Welf-san might join our party as well?" His thoughts were cut short as soon as he heard the bluenette mention the blacksmith.
"It would take time but I'm sure that he'll come around," Natsu said with an optimistic voice.
But as they continued their conversation, a sudden burst of caution erupted within the pinkette's eyes as his head quickly spun around from behind, revealing an empty corridor with multiple pathways that lead to other sections of the floor.
His eyes stared alarmingly at the area as a wave of warning came into him in a flash. For a moment, he felt an atmosphere of animosity driven towards him for reasons unknown. He tried tracking with his heightened nose for any trace of scent but the floor's abundance of monsters made it hard for him to distinguish the faint ones.
"Is something wrong?" Wendy soon asked, noticing the pinkette's change of expression just now.
"It's nothing. Come, let's hurry back."
Natsu turned around and left the area along with Wendy. The former urging his partner to walk up to their pace. They returned to the surface shortly after and decided to stick together until they're able to exchange all their magic stones at the Guild.
Wendy had parted ways from the pinkette a few minutes later, leaving him alone as night came about a couple of minutes later with the city lighting up its vibrant lights and shops. The joyful chatter of its inhabitants continued on as the activity never ceased even at its night shift.
Natsu kept his caution for some reason after what happened back at the dungeon. There was a clear hostility that was directed towards him at that time and he couldn't help but be cautious of his surroundings as he returned to the surface. He even made sure to put Wendy out of the situation by urging her to return to her familia as soon as they exchanged their magic stones earlier.
He walked through the streets with a silent presence, making glimpses to his back to make sure he wasn't being followed.
Because of the bustling crowd, it was hard for him to shake off the anxious feeling, knowing that if he passed it off tonight, it would come later in the following day. He didn't want to feel worried unless he figured out who or what was coming at him. If he decided to dodge this one, it would no doubt come to him sooner.
He'll have to deal with this on his own.
Turning his direction from the busy streets, he made his way to an alleyway as the noises of the busy streets slowly died down. The lack of lights permeating in these corners made it a perfect place for an unexpected ambush.
Natsu stopped as soon as he made his distance away from the crowd. It was at that time he noticed several footsteps tailing him all around since coming from the surface.
Turning his face to his unknown pursuers, he confronted them with a slight tone of intimidation.
"So… what the hell do you want from me?"
The unidentified group paused for a moment before each and one of them slowly approached the pinkette for a better view. A group of people who seemed to be adventurers just like him, judging from the equipment strapped under their bodies. Natsu counted about five people, each seemed to be equivalent to a Level 1 adventurer due to their sloppy movements.
"Good job getting yourself isolated. You seem the type who knows if something's up. I'm impressed." One decided to speak in a rather condescending manner as he sized up to the pinkette with his tall size. Judging from his muscular built, he looks to be the ringleader of the group.
"I don't know you but it seems you have some business with me." Natsu ignored the intimidation and simply went straight to the topic.
"Well, to be frank, this is the first time we met." The leader said.
"Indeed. Otherwise, you wouldn't be stalking me and my friend in the dungeon earlier. Is that all most people do nowadays? Stalk other people like some creepy old fella."
His taunt seemed to rile up some of the members of the group but the leader quickly lifted out an arm to stop them from ganging up from him.
"Looks like you're good with your tongue as you are with your fists."
"Thanks, I guess." Natsu passively replied.
"There's been rumors about you, kid."
"Rumors? Me?"
"That incident at that Monsterphilia. It looks like the stories don't seem that true to me. Coming from a fellow Level 1 adventurer like you, it almost seemed too real to believe that you took those monsters on your own." The leader said.
"So what does that have to do with you following me around?" Natsu asked but he's clearly aware of what this situation is going to turn out.
"Well… we just happen to give you an offer. A joint party to be exact.
"What?"
"You see, we're planning on going to the Middle Floors tomorrow and we need someone who has good experience as our vanguard. You know how a party works in handling different formations, right? There are some stronger monsters you can fight and greater loots to collect. We're giving you the liberty of becoming our vanguard so you can face them on our behalf. If what the rumors say about you then there's no other reason for us to reach out to you than to lend us your strength. So what do you say?"
"I refuse."
"Huh?"
"Sorry but I'm already in another party, you see. I'm currently fine with my partner so no thanks." Natsu bluntly replied.
"I don't see why you should refuse my offer. Clearly, a mere two-member party is no better than five. A little child nonetheless." The leader reasoned but was cut short when Natsu interrupted him.
"Heh, will you just cut that attitude? It's making me more annoyed. I know exactly what you're planning ever since you stalked us back in the dungeon. Do you think I wouldn't notice? I know adventurers like you. Why not just drop the act and come at me already?" Natsu glared, a clear shot of hostility was already dawning on his face, surprising the group for a moment before regaining their composure.
Their leader, on the other hand, let out a laugh before following a smirk.
"Hahahaha! I see it now! We have ourselves a smartass here. It seems like he knows it all like just as he thought it would. I wonder if he has any more secrets to show us. Isn't that right boys?" He turned to his companions who simply mocked him with laughing remarks.
"But you know, don't think for a second that you're in control of this situation. We could easily corner you and break you if you don't play your cards right." He added. A threatening gaze was put upon his face.
"Yeah, yeah. Can we start already? If we're just gonna stay around talking all night, I think I won't have any time to listen or Goddess might come looking for me worried." A sudden reply was given to the group as Natsu scratched his head, seemingly tired of the long conversation he was having with them.
"T-This bastard." The group glowered at the boy's uncaring attitude.
"Just so you know, I'm not known for holding back even to humans," Natsu warned.
"Hah! Say that if you can even get yourself out in that spot, you cocky brat!" One of the adventurers suddenly lashed out with a knife.
Natsu's battle senses have already kicked in as he remained in position and anticipated the first assailant who had a weapon pointed at him. Waiting at the right moment, he quickly ducked underneath while dodging to the side as the adventurer struck for a mid-thrust. He took advantage of the huge opening and simply touched his abdomen where his hand suddenly burst in flames, emitting a short but powerful blast that sent the adventurer crashing to a stack of crates.
As this was going on, the other two charged at the same time, seeing their companion had been easily taken out. While unaware of their abilities, they're still Level 1s and Natsu had grown past the point of an average Level 1 adventurer and is still growing. This is the secret advantage that he has despite against them. The sole adventurer had sharper instincts and experience compared to them. Coupled that with his magic makes him already a difficult opponent to fight against.
"You're gonna pay for that!"
Natsu slid past the first attacker to the side, dodging his thrust and grabbed his other hand and threw him off balance. His figure was sent careening to the ground towards the other assailant, causing them to stumble to the ground, leading to only the leader and his last member standing his way.
It was at that moment when he noticed their leader hoisted something out of his pocket. A small glowing knife that was seemingly different from all usual types that don't have any glow in them. He quickly deduced it to be a magic weapon that suddenly caused him to narrow his eyes in the process.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, prick!" The leader shouted, not knowing the scale of the magic released in a cramped area.
"Hey, hey. Are you trying to burn the whole place down?"
"Shut up! Shut up and die, you conceited piece of shit! When I'm done with you, that party member of yours is next!"
A large burst of flames spewed out from the small weapon as it soared high in the air, catching the attention of several people in the vicinity in the process.
However, a gulping sound was heard in the conflagration. The two found themselves staring dumbfoundedly at the sight before them. The flames themselves soon turned to a spiral formation, completely negating its effect, and circled around the lone figure whom they thought was caught in the fire.
"Wha―What the hell is that?!"
After a few seconds, the flames vanished. All of it now swallowed by the pinkette who was lightly stuffing his stomach as if treating it like food.
"Thanks for the meal."
"What? WHAT KIND OF MAGIC IS THAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! WHY DID THIS STUPID WEAPON HAVE TO FAIL?!" The adventurer cursed underneath his breath, stomping furiously at the turn of events.
"Hey."
Then, he heard his voice, prompting him to look up before a hand stomped him in his face as Natsu dashed past their distance shortly. The man's body flew backward as his head was slammed down to the ground, visibly cracking the pavement due to the force. The ground lightly shook upon impact and the leader was finally put out of commission.
A few seconds passed, the dust settled.
Natsu slowly lifted his hand away from the downed adventurer with his face finally washed with a sense of calmness.
The last adventurer took the small opening as he snuck behind the pinkette with a knife in hand.
The pinkette, realizing that he was too focused on the leader, tried to turn himself to confront the knife with his own hands when a small projectile zoomed from the distance and hit the adventurer by the neck, effectively knocking him out cold just before he could make the stab in his back. His body quickly went limp as soon as his consciousness faded and crashed just right near him along with the weapon.
"I made it in time." A voice emanated from the opposite direction, catching the pinkette's attention as soon as he turned towards it with a discerning gaze.
It didn't take long before the figure revealed itself to him, catching him off guard as he slowly began to remember. "Ah. Aren't you―"
"It looks like you got yourself into some kind of trouble, Dragneel-san."
"Ryuu!" He said, pointing at the elf waitress as soon as he recalled her name. "What are you doing here?"
"I was running on errands on buying supplies for the pub when I heard an explosion from here. I had to at least check out and unexpectedly found you here." She paused, looking at the other adventurers who were with him. "I assume these were your attackers?"
"Y-Yeah." He said, surprised at her keen perception of the situation.
A soft sigh escaped from her lips. "Well, I guess we better report it to the authorities. Can't leave everything as it is."
...
After reporting the incident, the five adventurers were arrested, and eventually, the Ganesha Familia took over the scene. The two were given a few questions about the incident but were released afterward, seeing they were the victims at the start. Although Natsu was requested by Ryuu to not reveal her intervention on the matter for some reason.
The two were walking back towards the pub until Natsu started asking.
"So… were you an adventurer, Ryuu?" His question slightly threw the elf woman off guard before responding with a question of her own.
"What makes you assume that I am one?"
"Well, the way you threw that stick to that man earlier. That was some precise aim. You even knew where to hit it to knock them out unconscious so I assumed."
"I'm surprised that you know about it." She said with a slightly astonished look. "And so in that assumption of me having that experience made you think that I'm an adventurer."
"Yeah, I guess." He paused. "Is there a reason why you don't want to share it back then?"
He asked, recalling back her request of not revealing to the investigation of her intervention to the fight.
Ryuu paused in her words, looking briefly away for a moment before turning her eyes back on him. "There's… a secret that I've been wanting to hide from everyone."
"Secret?"
"Hnn…" She nodded. "I'm not prepared to share it with anyone just yet. Even to you, Dragneel-san. No, rather it's better that you don't need to know about it if you want to see me the same way."
"I see." Natsu muttered, a little bit disappointed at the reply he was given. He was hoping that he could help but he didn't want to push her into revealing it to him who was just an acquaintance.
"Well, if you don't want to, then it's fine. I'm not really pushing you to tell me. I mean, I'm just your regular customer after all." He said with a laugh.
"Is that so?" Ryuu pondered for a moment. Her expression slightly hung low after hearing his response.
"But."
"But what?" She replied, confusingly.
"If you ever have the need to talk to someone about it, don't hesitate to consult me, okay? You're Syr's friend, after all so that also makes you my friend." He grinned wide.
"Eh?" Was the only thing Ryuu could muster in response as the pinkette walked beside her with a warm smile. Even throughout the trip, she couldn't comprehend what he just said to her awhile back, leading to her silence.
...
They arrived at the Hostess of Fertility just a few minutes, only to find several figures waiting on them from the entrance.
"Goddess?" Natsu exclaimed.
The petite goddess ran towards him as soon as she noticed his figure in the distance.
"Natsu~ I was so worried! I heard about what's happened. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Did they do some bad things to you?"
"I'm fine, Goddess." Natsu assured, softly patting her head in response which calmed her fears almost immediately.
Meanwhile, Ryuu was also greeted by her peers with the same level of worry.
"I heard of what's happened. I honestly didn't expect you two to meet each other." Mia expressed her worries though in an intimidating manner which doesn't seem like a sign of concern at all from an outside perspective.
"Sorry for running late." Ryuu bowed in front of the two without much of a word.
"It's fine now. I have to actually thank you for saving Natsu-san back there. I wouldn't want to know if you weren't there to save him." Syr assured.
"I could've gotten him though." Natsu huffed peevishly.
"You dimwit. Picking out fights better than you sure is a difficult habit. Always jumping into trouble wherever you are, huh?" Mia lightly tapped the boy's back with a hearty laugh though the tap was a little bit more of a smack than what it is.
"Err, this one is a bit different though." Natsu deadpanned.
"I know, lad. Don't go ruining my speech for you." Another light tap and the pinkette was sent to the ground twitching. The others could only make a cold sweat in their foreheads at the sight.
"Really… A lot of people in this city are just troublemakers. It's good that the incident was solved quickly but could you learn not to make it a scene next time. Otherwise, you're gonna catch a lot of attention if you're not careful." Mia warned with a hand placed on her face. "Well, all's well that ends well. You must be hungry from all that questioning. Come, on let's head inside. We have warm food and drinks for you to enjoy."
The group eventually nodded and enjoyed their dinner throughout the night.
Somewhere on the 12th Dungeon Floor
The misty dungeon continues to fill its habitat as defeated monsters are replaced with new ones with fresh magic stones that supply their bodies. Newly spawned monsters oftentimes appear on the walls of the dungeon or on the ground itself. They operate according to their positions and sometimes attack when their territory is intruded.
However, in some cases, there are monsters that are formed unnaturally from the natural order. Mutated creatures that are spawned by chance and are vastly different from their normal counterparts are seen rarely by many. Because of that small percentage, adventurers tend to disregard the probability of encountering them on their adventures.
Since the dungeon has a lot of mysteries revolving around its very nature, it is obvious that the risks involved in trudging deeper are also unknown. In every anomaly found by adventurers on their journeys are recorded by the Guild to take precautions. However, it is hard to ascertain how these anomalies pose a threat as well as the number of them occurring in the dungeon.
Eventually, the gods had taken to call it, Irregulars.
Spawned monsters that appear in a slim chance inside the dungeon, causing mayhem and destruction wherever they went. Many careless adventurers fell to their deaths due to the great danger these monsters had. Even high-level adventurers would have a hard time dealing with it and would require at least a group to defeat one.
Irregulars sometimes come from a new breed of species that evolved by eating other monsters, however, the majority of them happen to appear on the deeper floors.
A dark atmosphere is slowly creeping through the 12th floor as a black creature slowly emerged from the walls as if like a portal. A large snout appeared, opening its mouth with sharp fangs followed by a low snarl. Surrounding monsters cleared away at its line of sight as if frightened by its appearance. Apart from these monsters, the creature was several meters bigger, making its size undoubtedly intimidating from the rest. Slowly after, its head pushed forward, revealing a large neck with blackened scales as well as a huge body with four limbs supporting it.
The ground lightly shook at its march as it pushed forward, showing more of its large body to the dungeon. Dark wings folded around its back. And moments later, the irregular finally revealed its true splendor.
A pair of red orbs began to glow its eyes before releasing yet another menacing growl as soon as it made its appearance.
It tastes of hunger.
It tastes of human flesh.
And it just so happens to spot unsuspecting adventurers who were oblivious to its presence.
Truly a perfect place to start its first rampage to the seemingly peaceful dungeon floor.
It was at that moment, the terror of the 12th Floor began.
...
A/N: And there you have it. We're now already moving on to the second arc of the story which probably involves with Natsu mainly. I probably forgot to mention it but Ais' history will be important to the story as well as it would be connected to Natsu's history. At least, that's the only thing I can hint right now for the future since it'll cover more chapters before we could move to that event.
Anyways, I see you all in the next chapter. ^^
- The wiErDos send their regards…