Chapter 10:

Two days passed since the incident in Clover town.

Makarov has not left the bar since, crying to Mira about bills the seven has caused. Mira smiled at the master as she said ''I thought you were aware of the possibility this would happen. Erza, Gray, and Natsu are all highly destructive and you forced them on the same team''

Makarov pouted ''It should've been fun''

Wendy giggled, hearing this, from her spot near the two, a glass filled with apple juice in her hands.

Natsu, who was beside her, released a soundless sigh, the only sign of it the slight movement of his shoulders and parted lips. 'I'm right here Mira'

The dragon slayer looked at the cup of coffee in his hands as he tuned out the conversation around him, moving his senses further through the guild toward the window where nightingale sat, a song flowing through its beak.

As he listened to the song of the bird his eyes drifted to his left hand, warped in black bandages all the way up to his elbow.

He was rudely pulled out of his thoughts as a hand slammed on the bar next to his cup, spilling the hot liquid over his hands, still clasped around the cup.

The dragon slayer's eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked at the offender. Erza looked back at him, either ignoring or not noticing the glare, as she demanded ''Fight me!''

Natsu's eye twitched. 'Can't one have a moment of peace in this guild?'

After such request guild went silent. After all, this kind of demands usually ended up with Natsu ignoring Erza completely or Erza in the infirmary for the rest of the week. Needless to say, everyone stayed quiet carefully listening dragon slayer's response.

"No" Natsu deadpanned as he slowly removed his hands from the cup taking a napkin from Mira with a nod of his head in thanks before whipping the hot drink from his fingers.

"Oh, come on!" Troy pleaded. If Natsu didn't say 'yes' to this, Erza might vent her frustration on them. Certainly not something they looked forward to.

"No" was his simple answer to their pleas.

"You're no fun at all!" shouted Cana as she swung her hand on the barrel in her lap.

"Hey, sis! You can get some sense in him!" Elfman said with a grin as he walked to Mira from Wendy's other side. Mira smirked as she circled around the bar and moved behind Natsu whose back tensed up when Mira's hand ran down his spine.

"Come on Natsu, everyone wants to see it" Mira whispered knowing full well Natsu will hear her as her hand traveled from the base of his spine up to his head ending in his hair. Natsu's eye twitched again. If it was anyone else but Mira they would probably need a new arm. Mira is and has been his weak point since they were kids, and everyone knew it.

All except Lucy, who was shocked to the point that her mouth hanged open. "How can she do that?!"

"No one is sure how she does it, but I think it's because Mira was one of the first aside Wendy who started talking to him simply because she wanted to" Levy explained from her spot next to Lucy, looking at the scene before her.

Lucy nodded. What else could she do?

Natsu stayed quiet for a good minute or so before finally nodding his head. "Fine, I'll do it. But do not blame me when I put her in infirmary again"

Natsu said stoically as he glared half-heartedly at Mira who smiled at him in response. The dragon slayer sighed again. Another waste of his time.

Even before the first word left his everyone cheered, moving out towards the backyard closely followed by smug looking Erza and Mira.

The last to exit was Natsu still wondering how he let this happen.

When everyone got outside Erza took her fighting position but unlike her, Natsu didn't even bother to take him and sat down on the ground looking at Erza.

"Why don't you take me on seriously?! I'm not somebody you should underestimate!" Erza said annoyed.

"Neither am I," Natsu said still sitting on ground shifting his eyes for a second to the doors that lead back inside the guild 'I didn't even manage to finish my coffee' he thought with a sigh.

"Requip! Purgatory Armor!" Erza cried, anger clearly visible on her face. Golden light wrapped around her body. As it disappeared her regular armor was replaced by a black armor that was covered in spikes.

"Whoa! That's one of Erza's strongest armors!" Jet shouted excitedly.

"She takes this really seriously! She's a REAL MAN!" Elfman yelled as he pumped a right fist in the air.

Gray, sighed. "She's a girl"

Lucy looked at them before she facepalmed. "Gray, your clothes"

"Ahh man... Shit... I'll look for it later. I want to watch this!" Gray said, the desire to watch the fight too big to look for a shirt he probably won't find.

Erza rushed towards Natsu who didn't so much as twitch. When her blade was mare few inches from Natsu's forehead, he leaned back before planting his hands on the ground behind his head lifting himself from the ground in a handstand swinging his feet at Erza who moved to the side in order to avoid the kick.

Natsu pushed himself off of the ground just as Erza's oversized sword crashed into the ground where he stood. The dragon slayer landed on his feet and looked at Erza with an expressionless face, still not falling in any sort of fighting stance.

Erza yelled in anger as she jerked the sword from the ground ready to persuade her opponent again but the said opponent disappeared from right in front of her, reappearing behind her delivering a strong palm strike at the base of her skull.

Erza's eyes widened as she stumbled forward, managing to catch herself with her sword, using it as a crutch while she tried to regain her balance.

Erza looked at him in shock once she managed to see only one of them. ''How-?'' the question was cut short as a fist connected with her jaw, lifting her feet off the ground. The scarlet-haired girl caught herself, spun in midair and landed in a crunch rubbing her sore jaw that was without a doubt at least cracked.

She looked at Natsu who didn't move from the spot where he hit her. The lack of magic on his part was soon noticed by the requip mage.

''Why are you not using your magic?''

Natsu raised his eyebrow at her, the expression didn't change but the tone sounded almost mocking ''Do I need it?''

She narrowed her eyes at him as she rushed toward him once again, her blade ready to strike but once again Nastu bent backward, avoiding the blade completely. Not the one to make the same mistake twice Erza didn't wait for Natsu to make another move as she moved closer in his space just as he started moving his legs away, twisting his body to the side. Her sword was still extended, unable to get such massive blade above her opponent in time she swung her fist at Natsu just as Natsu extended another palm strike at her chest. Her fist connected with Natsu's shoulder but the dragon slayer's punch sent her flying back jet again, this time a crack resonated around them, her armor now sporting a large crack in the middle spreading itself like a spider web.

She slowly stood up from her fallen position as she clenched her jaw and looked at Natsu as their eyes locked. It was one of the few things she truly hated about him. She never could see anything in his eyes. It looked so unnatural, almost as if she was staring at the porcelain doll and not a human.

She grunted as she lifted her sword again, pointing it at him. Natsu cocked his head to the side as Erza's eyes narrowed even more. It was unnerving, staring at him. His movements were always so restricted, controlled. Always, unless he was fighting. That was the time when he released whatever ropes hold him tied. That was the time when he moved with such grace and beauty it was as if he was born to do it.

But the eyes didn't change. So fake.

''Didn't you learn until now that this won't work?'' he asked in his usual monotone, low voice.

Erza was ready to sneer at him. Throw some insult, sure he was mocking her. But she stopped. He wasn't mocking her. He was teaching her.

She smirked 'Who would've thought?'

''Requip! Lightning Empress Armor!''

This was not about defense. It won't work against someone like him. She shook her head. She should've realized this before. She needs speed.

Natsu's lips twitched up for a second before falling back down, as if a smile requires too much effort on his part.

Erza looked at Natsu in her new blue armor with a golden outline, fixing the spear in front of herself.

She rushed at him again, this time her speed matching the speed the dragon slayer moved a few moments ago as he leaned to the side over the slash of the spear before jumping up over the spear as it was moved down at his feet.

''I will win this time!'' Erza exclaimed as she moved in a motion ready to stab the dragon slayer in the stomach only to stab his afterimage.

She stared in shock at the empty air in front of herself. She was matching his speed until a moment ago and now he proved he was capable of even greater speed. It was unnerving, again. Everything about him made her blood boil. So much power... for what?! He didn't care about it. He never used it fully. Never!

She growled as she turned around, barely having enough time to duck under his leg, moving her spear at his one leg that stood on the ground as the other finished the circular motion that was a kick that missed her head.

The dragon slayer bent back again, planting his palms on the ground again ready to lift the leg and hit the redhead in the head in the process.

Erza smirked as she dodged the foot and slammed the spear into the ground.

''Thunderstrike!'' She exclaimed as the small bolt of lightning traveled toward the dragon slayer whose only sign of surprise was the barely visible widening of his eyes before his lips twitched up again.

The lightning reached his fingers as he was blasted from the ground into the air, a small trail of smoke raised from his palms while Erza jumped in the air, leg bent at knee ready to deliver a strike to the stomach.

Her own eyes widened as their eyes met again, Natsu catching her knee not even an inch before his stomach and twisted his body in the air, spinning Titania around and before she could react he let go of her leg as she crashed into the ground, the stone beneath cracking from the impact.

Natsu landed on his feet as he looked at his right hand, the skin intact.

''Interesting idea'' he commented before his fist warped in chaos energy for the first time since the fight began. Erza's eyes widened as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

His pupils elongated as the black and blue energy moved up his arm, all the way to his shoulder.

''Chaos dragon's wing attack'' he said as he moved the energy warped hand at Erza in slash like motion, the single beam of energy meeting its mark as Erza was sent flying backwards with a cry of pain, the energy burning in her skin and through her armor as it cracked and broke under the impact.

Once she stopped her fall she looked at the sky before her eyes drifted to her own spear pressed against her throat, Natsu standing above her with eyes blank as ever.

''You die'' Natsu said as a matter of fact and Erza had little doubt if this was a real fight between enemies it wouldn't be true.

She nodded as she let her head drop back, her armor disappearing into golden light, replaced by her Heart Kruz armor. Natsu released the spear and as soon as he did it disappeared in the same gold light as her armor.

"And I lost once again" Erza muttered as she sat up, Natsu moving few steps back to give her some space.

''Did you expect a different outcome?'' Natsu questioned as he looked at her. Erza turned to glare at him but stopped once again. Was he really mocking her?

The guild members around them stayed quiet for another moment before they all began clapping and screaming in delight.

Makarov smiled as Erza raised to her feet stumbling slightly from the wound beneath her armor.

He had little doubt that Erza and Natsu will one day come to an understanding.

Laxus beside him kept his eyes stubbornly fixed on Natsu who seemed to ignore him completely. He hated him. If there was one person who he truly hated it was the pinkhead in front of him. Always so calm, even when insulting someone.

But he couldn't help but respect the man. One of the few truly strong members, worthy of wearing Fairy tail symbol. Laxus snorted. Prick.

His attention was pulled from the dragon slayer who was now conversing with his 'sister', who insisted to take a look at him while he refused it as elegantly as an elephant walking in a house made of glass, by exclamations of some members as they moved out of the way of a frog-like man.

The frog-man clapped his hands ''That was truly impressive. Indeed it was. Bravo''

"The Council?" Makarov said after seeing rune knights behind the frog.

The frog-man cleared his throat "Ah yes. We are here to arrest Natsu Souleater under charges of destroying public property in Clover town''

The silence lasted only a second.

"WHAT?!"

End of chapter 10.

Rewritten

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