A/N: Wowie I didn't expect a whole lotta people showing so much interest in this story in a matter of days, but hey thank you so much for those who favorited, followed, and dropped a review! To answer a question that caught my eye, I will add an author's note to show my hunters stats soon. I'm still grinding him out. Now, without further ado, enjoy the next chapter!
...
"Well then, what's an outsider like you doing here in Yharnam?" asked a figure in a wheelchair, his head slightly tilted in curiosity.
"I heard that the city is home to the blood ministration. The Healing Church practices blood healing, do they not?"
The figure leaned back in his wheelchair and gripped the handlebars on the wheels, bringing himself closer to the outsider who sat on a medical table, "You haven't answered my question young man. As the Blood Minister, I'm sure that you're here to cure that nasty disease of yours, but there is another reason why. I can see it by that look in your eyes."
The outsider looked at the Blood Minister with a frown for a moment before his eyes suddenly bulged out. He quickly brought a hand to his lips and coughed violently, feeling claws digging into the back of his throat with each violent cough released. Once he stopped he took a deep breath and wiped the evident blood on his trousers, the same frown returning to his face once more.
"Paleblood. I'm…I'm in search for Paleblood," he replied reluctantly.
The Blood Minister sat in silence for a moment, staring at the outsider in a way that made him uncomfortable. He swore he could see a small grin forming on his shrouded face.
"Oh, yes…Paleblood," he finally spoke with a slight chuckle, bringing his hands to the wheels and rolling himself to the outsider. "Well, you've come to the right place. Yharnam is the home of blood ministration, established by the Healing Church of course. You need only unravel its mystery."
The Blood Minister was now close enough to reveal himself to be an old man wearing an old ragged coat and a top hat, his eyes covered in bandages. To be fair, this wasn't the first time the outsider saw someone with bandages around their face. On his journey to the clinic earlier there were a handful of Yharnamites who had their faces coated in decaying bandages and hair growing unnaturally, making their appearance very disturbing. Some even snarled at him, causing other onlookers to push those who did away from him.
What did he get himself into?
"But where is an outsider like yourself to begin?" the Blood Minister leaned closer to the outsider who leaned away from him, a glint of fear in his eyes. "Easy, with a bit of Yharnam blood of your own you'll be good as new so you can search for Paleblood, but first…"
He trailed off and reached into his coat, pulling out a document and handing it over to the young man who grabbed it.
"You'll need a contract."
The Outsider looked at the Blood Minister skeptically before looking back at the document, the dim lighting in the room making it difficult to read. He squinted his eyes and brought it closer to his face, making out poorly written cursive and ink splotches everywhere. There were some flecks conveniently placed on the important parts of the document, and that made him quirk a brow suspiciously. He was slowly but surely regretting his decision coming here for his cure and search for knowledge, on the verge of dropping the contract and walking right out the doors of the clinic. However, his sudden coughing fit told him to stay seated and sign that contract if he wanted to live.
Grabbing the pen offered by the Blood Minister, he filled out all the required spaces on the contract quickly, giving both items back.
"Good. All signed and sealed," he took the two items from the young man and slid them behind his coat. "Now, let's begin the transfusion."
The Blood Minister beckoned the young man to lie down on the table, the latter nodding before taking a deep breath and resting his back on the cold metal underneath him. He looked up at the wooden ceiling before his eyes flicked to the Blood Minister who hovered above him, unable to see what he was holding underneath.
"Oh, don't you worry this will be over in no time," he chuckled while he placed something cold and sharp on the Outsiders vein, causing him to swallow visibly. "Whatever happens...you may think it all a mere bad dream…"
The Outsider flinched when he felt the prick of the needle slide through his skin and pierce his vein, instantly feeling the rush of Yharnam blood invading his bloodstream. Everything was fine for the first few seconds before his vision grew blurry in the blink of an eye, followed by his body and mind becoming numb. He tried to fight it by shaking his head and taking deep breaths, but he only found it more difficult to breathe with each passing second. While he struggled to stay awake, he heard the Blood Minister release a wheeze, soon laughing with his head lowered.
Gritting his teeth the Outsider mustered his strength to sit up, only making little progress before a sudden jolt forced demanded his body to shut down. The shock forced his head to slam down on the metal with an audible 'clang', his eyes rolling to the back of his head with the world around him going dark.
...
The Hunter stirred awake with the sound of Yharnam bells ringing above him, feeling himself lying down in a slouched position on top of a set of small steps. The first thing that came to mind was pain, but it wasn't the type of pain he felt during the hunt. It was the type that told him that his body was rebelling. His stomach had knots tied around begging for food, alongside his dry throat begging for water. Every time he swallowed there was the sensation of rusty nails being shoved down his throat with its pointed tips scratching his esophagus. The unpleasant feeling made him wince, now wanting to find food and water to alleviate this pain.
He was about to adjust the cap blocking his vision to take in his surroundings, only to stop when felt someone standing dangerously close in front of him, followed by the Yharnam bells suddenly ceasing their activity. The Hunter expected to hear the final toll echo across the city, but it echoed through the walls of a cathedral instead.
What? Was he back at the Cathedral Ward? That's odd, Gherman told him he would awake under the morning sun. Wait...why does he remember Gherman, the Cathedral Ward, and the deathly echoes of the streets of Yharnam?
Then all at once those horrific memories of the Hunt came crashing down on his hazy mind. The demented Yharnamites, the Scourge Beasts, Eileen, Alfred, the little girl, the Hunters Dream...his deaths. Gherman told him he would forget the dream, and he believed that along with the dream he would forget the horrors of the Hunt.
If he told him he would forget, then why the hell does he still remember?! That old bastard lied to him!
"NATSU!"
The Hunter was snapped out of his forthcoming rage when he heard a young lady scream out someone's name, followed by a young man yelping.
"E-Erza?!"
Natsu? Erza? Where in the world did Gherman send him to?!
He snapped his hand out and felt someone's wrist, firmly grabbing it and pulling the owner close to him. He then jerked his head up to inspect the individual he grabbed, seeing a young man who was about 17 years old with spiky pink hair and brown eyes. His attire was interesting; he wore an open waistcoat with black and gold trimmings, white knee-length pants, black sandals, and a white scale patterned scarf wrapped around his neck.
The Hunter saw the surprised look in the boy's eyes, his own traveling to the wrist he grabbed. It appeared that he was going to touch him or remove his cap, and the thought of that made him narrow his eyes. There was one thing in the entire world that he hated with a burning passion, the same level of hatred he had for Kin.
He hated being touched.
"Hands...off," he rasped, forcing the young man's arm to his own chest and shoving him away.
The pink-haired boy stumbled away and nearly lost his footing, quickly looking back at the Hunter who was slowly standing up. He placed his hands on the stone ground beneath him and used them as support while he stood up, his legs slightly buckling underneath. After shaking his head to remove the slight daze that clouded his vision, the Hunter looked around and found himself standing within a cathedral. Though, this cathedral looked different from the ones in Yharnam. It didn't have any statues worshipping the Great Ones or show any signs of decay; this cathedral looked…normal.
"Hey, you!" yelled the boy, gaining the Hunter's attention. "Who are you and why the hell were you ringing those bells?"
The Hunter stared at him silently for a moment, processing the question that he was just asked. He? Ringing the bells? The bloody hell was this boy on about him 'ringing the bells'?
His reply was him quirking a brow, silently telling him he did not understand what he was talking about. Unfortunately, the boy misinterpreted the look on his face and clenched his fists, lowering himself and flashing a wicked grin.
"Not gonna talk, eh?" he said with his fists suddenly bursting into flames, his sudden act alarming the Hunter. "Fine, then I'll force the words right outta your mouth!"
He yelled and lunged at the Hunter, reeling his flaming fist back and launching it right at his head. Spreading his legs and getting into his stance, the Hunter quickly sidestepped the attack, the pink-haired boys fist flying right past him. With another yell he ignited his foot and twisted his body, sending the Hunter a flaming kick in which he dodged by leaping back. The Hunter landed on the steps that he once rested on and turned himself in the opposite direction, sprinting away from the pink haired boy.
He has learned many things in his time at Yharnam with each painful death and intense fight, and this young man's flaming fists reminded him of not one, not two, but three creatures he had to fight.
Why was he running? Because he didn't want to relive the experience of being burned alive countless times. Also, he didn't have any of his trick weapons on him.
"Erza, he's making a break for it!" the pink haired boy warned his scarlet haired companion who was standing at the doorway leading to the sun.
"Not for long!" the scarlet-haired female yelled, extending her armored arm and opening a metallic hand. "Halt!"
In a flash of light, a broadsword appeared in her hand out of thin air, causing the Hunter to widen his eyes in shock. She summoned her sword out of thin air! The hell kind of Arcane was she using?!
She pointed the blade's tip right at him and stood her ground, giving off a menacing look that sent a shiver down his spine. He got a good look at her while he sprinted closer, seeing that she was wearing an armored breastplate that had a strange red symbol on its left side, followed by a yellow cross overlapping the symbol.
A rune perhaps?
The scarlet haired swordswoman also had shoulder plates and gauntlets, followed by an armored skirt and knee-length boots. To be honest, she looked very attractive being a girl near his age, despite giving off that menacing look that still sent shivers down his spine. The Hunter shook his head and glared, slightly leaning his body forward to gain momentum. If she would not move out of the way, then he must go around her.
"He's not stopping!" warned a childlike voice, the source coming from…a blue cat with wings hovering next to her?!
'Good grief, Gherman...where the hell did you send me? If this is home, then I don't recall flying, talking cats!' The Hunter mentally exclaimed before looking off to the side, his thoughts drifting deeper. 'Unless my disease was rotting away part of my mind to where I don't remember…home.'
While the Hunter continued to think deeply, at the worst time possible, he failed to notice the scarlet swordswoman still standing her ground with her blade still pointing straight at him. She narrowed her eyes and slightly gritted her teeth, realizing that the Hunter would not stop soon. Having no other choice, she adjusted her weapon in hand and hung it low behind her, now sprinting quickly at the Hunter. With a yell, she tightened her grip around the handle and swung at him diagonally.
Her battle cry snapped him out of his stupor, widening his eyes in panic seeing her sword coming right at him. With his muscle memory taking over he firmly planted his foot on the ground beneath him and leapt to the side, gritting his teeth as her sword barely grazed his shoulder. Once he landed, she quickly followed up with another attack, swiping her sword vertically at the Hunter. She believed that her attack would strike him, but to her surprise he rolled out of the way before her sword reached mid swing.
Using the momentum he gained from the roll he got back up on his feet and sprinted at a faster pace, bolting right through the wooden doors. The intense light of the sun filled his vision once he sprinted outside, forcing him to yell in pain and shut his eyes tightly.
"STOP!" the scarlet-haired woman ordered, now giving him a chase with the pink haired boy and flying cat not too far behind.
The Hunter fluttered his eyes open and adjusted to the bright sunlight, glancing back at the three who were chasing him. The three of them had determined looks on their eyes, clearly showing him they would not give up anytime soon. Their determination reminded him of the befallen Hunters that he had slain traveling through Yharnam, including that filthy Bloody Crow of Cainhurst. He gritted his teeth underneath his mask and looked back ahead, turning a sharp corner which led to a bustling marketplace. The crowd turned to him with surprised looks on their faces, some yelling while the Hunter shoved past them. He really didn't want to do this, but those three gave him no choice.
Never hunt a Hunter...unless you were Eileen.
...
The three Fairy Tail mages expected to see the masked male trapped in an alleyway when he rounded the corner, but unfortunately they were met by a sea of dazed people. There were a handful of them being helped by others, presumably shoved out of the way by the male. Erza unsummoned her broadsword and approached an aging brunette who held her head.
"Are you alright ma'am?" she asked while gently grabbing her shoulder and lifting her up.
"Oh, I am dear. Thank you so much," the brunette smiled sweetly and nodded. "That young man was in quite a rush… I suppose that you three were after him?"
Erza nodded and scanned over the crowd, finding no sign of a frilled cap anywhere. He must of ran a good few feet before settling in to be part of the crowd, a clever move on his part. She knew well enough that it would be a waste of time searching through a large group of people just to find one person over a minor inconvenience that annoyed everyone in the guild. There were much more important issues to deal with, and there was one specifically that she needed quickly solve before it was too late.
However, she couldn't help but replay what had happened in the cathedral. The way how he avoided their attacks stuck to her mind, especially hers. He was quick on his feet and anticipated their attacks from the start, and there was even a moment where she found herself wide open for him to attack. He had the opportunity to do so, but he kept on running away from them instead. That masked man was very unusual, and deep down she knew she'll be seeing him again.
Just not today.
"Whydah stop?! Come on he's getting away!" Natsu eagerly exclaimed while rushing past Erza.
The scarlet haired mage glared at Natsu before grabbing the collar of his waistcoat, the sudden force stopping him right in his tracks. He growled and stubbornly fought against her grip, digging his sandals into the ground and comically flailing his arms in front of him.
"Let go! He made Mira mad and didn't fight like a man!" he strained.
"Natsu, if you don't stop struggling right now then I'll give you a reason to… " Erza dangerously growled at him with a menacing shadow draped over her eyes. "Do you understand?"
The Dragon Slayer immediately stopped struggling and released an audible gulp, feeling his heart skip a beat once he saw the red glint glowing where her eyes were. He nodded meekly and quickly saluted, "A-Aye, Erza!"
"Good, now let's head back to the guild," Erza nodded and began to drag Natsu across the ground. "We have much more pressing matters to deal with."
"Um, how pressing is it?" Happy asked while hovering next to her.
She turned and gave Happy a look that made him swallow audibly too. It was a look that told him that whatever the situation was; it was a life or death scenario. It was as if the entire world depended on it if it was that serious!
"Extremely."
20 Minutes Later
Finally!
After searching through the entirety of Fiore for ages, he had found a spot to sell the best vegetables known to man! Also, this wasn't just any spot, it was located in the heart of the most famous city in the entire kingdom! Now he can finally sell his most prized vegetables to the people of Fiore without even having to worry about getting jumped by bandits or having anything destroyed. He already had the cart set up, so now all he had to do was empty the bags and stock up!
He hummed a happy tune and walked behind his cart with his eyes closed, rubbing his hands together excitedly as he reached for the first bag. He expected to feel the knot, but he felt nothing. With an eye popping open he was hoping to see the bag remaining in its place, but to his horror it was gone! The bag was gone without a trace!
He swore he left it right here once he arrived, and he made sure that it would be the first thing he would empty since it held his most prized vegetables! It wasn't his radishes, potatoes, carrots, or beans.
The merchant fell to his knees and gripped the bandana on his head, clutching it tightly while he shook his head. Those vegetables were going to be the foundation of his business, and someone stole them!
Someone…someone stole-
"MY CABBAGES!"
...
The Hunter heard the distant scream of 'cabbages', glancing back at the source and quirking a brow. He was beginning to wonder if that unsuspecting merchant was going to notice the missing bag of cabbages, almost believing that he completely forgot about them. Oh well, it wasn't his fault he was practically starving while he hid from those three kids, and that the merchant completely left the bag unattended. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to grab water without being seen, but thankfully the cabbages would somewhat quench his thirst thanks to them containing some water.
Adjusting the bag over his shoulder, the Hunter focused back on the road in front of him, now taking in the sights and buildings that surrounded him. The architecture was much more lively than Yharnams. There were no gothic spires, caged windows, or anything dark that made up the homes and churches of the rotting city. All the houses in this town had color and life to them, and the foundation that they were built upon showed no signs of decay.
This was a much needed change of scenery. There were no crucified beasts, chained coffins, or malformed corpses lying around. There were children laughing in the streets and couples walking together, barmaids tending to hungry customers with smiles on their faces. The amount of life radiating off the city and its people could make any man smile.
But not him.
Why would a man who has walked through a plain worse than hell even smile, seeing and witnessing things that could break any man within the first 10 minutes? He would have been if Gherman was actually true to his word.
Gherman...lying old bastard.
The Hunter walked through the city streets with a frown hidden beneath his mask, ignoring the nervous looks that people gave him before quickly walking away. There was even a small child who was quickly pulled away by her mother. It was funny seeing everyone quickly walked away from him as if he was a beast among them, and it was ironic. Because he was a beast, just like Djuria told him before receiving a bullet through his skull to end his suffering.
He scoffed to himself and continued his trek in silence, entering a small plaza surrounded by buildings. There were some painted in pink and green, most of them being shops selling clothing or food. Speaking of food, he felt his stomach bark at him for the cabbages he had.
"Alright, alright," he grumbled under his breath while gripping it. "I'll feed you...fucking animal."
He removed his hand from his gut and peered around the plaza, trying to find a secluded place to eat in silence. Lucky for him he spotted a three story library with stained glass windows at the very corner hidden away from all the bustling shops; It was the perfect place for him. Nodding to himself the Hunter made his way to the library, reading the sign that said 'Magnolia Public Library.'
Magnolia. A fitting name for a city filled with bustling positivity. The name was foreign to the Hunter obviously, but he'll get used to it the longer he stayed.
He diverted his attention away from the sign and planted his hand on the wooden door, forcing it open and stepping inside. Immediately he was met by the sweet silence he was looking for, noting how vast the library was. There were rows upon rows of shelves containing books of all kinds. Fiction, non-fiction, history, and more. This was the perfect place to eat in peace and read about the land he woke up in. The Hunter made his way through the library in silence, once more ignoring the nervous looks readers were giving him.
"Lets see, a history book would be nice," he muttered as he made his way into one row, dragging his finger across the neatly placed books. "Hopefully there's one explaining that redheads Arcane."
The Hunter was surprised when he saw the woman summon a sword out of thin air, but it didn't come close to the many things that boggled his mind to the core, whether it be slaying big blue headed celestials, falling through the moonside lake, or witnessing a centipede like creature firing burning meteors at you. However, he was curious to know how it was possible to achieve such a feat without going mad.
Then he saw it, the book he was looking for to answer his question. He pulled it out from the shelf and dusted it off, reading the title carefully.
"The History of Fiore and Magic," he hummed, opening the book and skimming through the pages that contained the information he needed. "Hmm, two birds with one stone."
The Hunter shut the book audibly and tucked it underneath his arm. Now with that out of the way, all he had to do was find a spot to read and eat in peace. Maybe the third floor will do.
And so he dragged himself to the center of the library, spotting the staircase that led up to the upper floors. As he climbed up, he glanced at the many old portraits that had the faces of authors holding onto their books, one of them looking terribly grotesque in appearance. Their eyeless face bore into his while gripping onto a rotten book, long tentacles emerging from its mouth.
'Hmm, who in the world would paint such an abomination,' the Hunter thought as he rounded the corner, climbing up the next flight before stopping in his tracks. 'Wait...WHAT THE FUCK?!'
Upon realizing what that thing was he felt his breath hitch, nearly losing his grip on the bag of cabbages. He quickly scrambled down the stairs to where the portrait was, looking over it with a frantic look in his eyes. The frame now just had a painting of a woman smiling innocently at the scarred Hunter, holding onto her book like how the others were.
The Hunter swallowed the lump in his throat and released a tired sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a gloved hand. His mind...his mind was just playing tricks. Y-Yeah just playing tricks that's all! All he needed was to do was eat and read to ease his mind. Surely, this will be the only time such an occurrence happens...right?
'No,' he slapped himself and took a deep breath, resuming his trek up the stairs to the third floor, 'It'll only happen once, that's it.'
The Hunter exhaled slowly to calm his nerves, repeating the same process over and over once he reached the third floor. He stepped out from the stairs and looked around, seeing many tables littering the entire floor. This place was indeed the reading floor for those who just wished to read in peace, and much to his relief there was nobody occupying any of the tables. It was just him all alone. His eyes wandered through the tables before stopping at the one he was looking for, it tucked away perfectly in the very corner.
Releasing a muffled sigh he walked over to the table and sat down on the lone chair, dropping the bag of cabbages right next to him. Quietly, he placed the book on the wooden surface and slid his hand across it, scooting his seat closer to the table. The book was thick now that he got a closer look at it, so this would take a while to read. It would be worth it at the end though.
Wasting no more time the Hunter opened the book and began to read in silence, his other hand reaching down to open the bag so he could finally swallow something other than his own blood.
1 Day Later
"You will die, forget the dream, and awake under the morning sun."
The Hunter stood before Gherman as he heard those words, those damned words that he believed. He was just so desperate at the moment he couldn't think. All he wanted was to be free from this curse, forget the hell that was Yharnam and the beasts he faced. With a tearful look in his eyes, the Hunter fell on his knees and looked down, submitting his life to the keeper of the Hunter's Dream.
He waited for him to stand and grant him his mercy, but suddenly he felt himself growing weightless. Quickly looking up he found himself surrounded by darkness, soon feeling the wind blowing harshly against his face.
Was he falling?!
The Hunter gasped and flailed his arms in panic, shouting as he suddenly began to spin out of control. He desperately tried to get himself out of the violent spin, but what he was trying to do only made it worse.
"Hmph, I wouldn't call yourself a hunter. You're a bloody killer."
"Oh moi oh mon! It appears we have a beast among the fairies!"
"Oh, it's so fun to play with you humans! Especially with you, dear hunter."
"Just think about it, all the power you will have when you're with me! Why waste your breath with these pathetic worms?"
"Good Hunter, please for our sake...purge the source of the nightmare. Lest the Kingdom of Fiore suffer the fate of Yharnam for all eternity."
"Your home? Pfft, that place is long gone young man...thanks to the plague that ravaged your people."
All at once more voices began to screech and yell into his ears, followed by the cries and roars of the many beasts he has faced. The Hunter shut his eyes and clamped his hands over his ears, desperately trying to block out the haunting roars that echoed inside his head. Suddenly he felt the hard ground ram into him, the stone cracking underneath. His entire body screamed in pain, finding it severely painful to move a muscle.
Mustering up what little strength he had left he slowly lifted his head and looked up, widening his eyes to find himself right before the cathedral he woke up in. The bells chimed in all their glory at his arrival, a paleblood moon rising directly behind it. Groaning the Hunter lifted himself with his arms, gasping as a dark figure formed before his very eyes. It was frail and lanky, its entire form composed of human flesh and bones...saved for its head which had large tentacles for 'hair.' The being descended onto the cathedral roof, looking down at the Hunter while grabbing one of the many bells that rang. It continued to chime the bell, the chiming growing louder and louder all around the young man.
"It's time to wake up, Ervin."
DOOOOONG!
"Uh, sir? Are you alri-"
"GRAH!"
The Hunter yelled and snapped his head up from the book, looking around with his eyes full of terror. He panted heavily into his mask, gripping onto the chair tightly underneath him. That dream...what the hell was that dream?! What were those voices trying to tell him, and what the fuck was that beast he saw in the dream?! Dammit all Ghermam, what have you done?!
"Ehh, sir?" called someone.
"WHAT?!" the Hunter looked at the direction of the voice and yelled in aggravation, his terror stricken eyes meeting feminine brown ones, which showed worry and concern.
"Are you alright? You've been twitching and shouting in your sleep."
The Hunter groaned and brought a hand to his face, mentally telling himself that it was just a stupid dream. It had to be his mind playing stupid tricks on him again. This was the first time he slept in a while, so maybe it was common to have a nightmare after not resting for a while.
"I'm fine," he muttered while glancing at the table, finding both the surface and the book littered with pieces of cabbage. "I have the tendency to lucid dream."
"Well, whatever you were dreaming must have been pretty-"
The young girl wasn't even able to finish her sentence due to the Hunter suddenly standing up and walking past her, leaving the book he was reading and an empty bag behind. He really wasn't in the mood to speak with her, let alone speak with anybody. It was best to keep himself away from people, not let them get involved in his life or associate with him.
The Good Hunter descended the stairs at a quick pace, hearing another second set of steps following not too far behind. It sounded like she was struggling to keep up, most likely trying to prevent the stack of books she had from slipping out of her arms. He picked up the pace and strode through the library's main lobby, opening the door to find himself under the morning sun.
"H-Hey! Wait up!" he heard the girl call out, glancing back to see her nearly stumble over.
Great, another one of these persistent people. Just ignore them and they'll eventually screw off, that's how things usually work around here right?
And so he did. He continuously walked in a straight line with his hands stuffed into his coat pockets, acting uninterested and ignoring her calls to stop. The Hunter really hoped she would get the hint and leave him alone, but that petite runt kept on calling him out and continuously asking him if he was 'alright.'
The young man growled in aggravation and looked up into the sky, silently begging to any higher up to make this woman stop following him. He just wanted to be left alone for crying out loud! All he's asking for is a permanent life of peace and quiet, so why is it so hard to achieve that?! It's like he's a magnet for persistent people!
"Sir, please! If you need any help, I'll be more than happy to help you!" she called out once more, the very sentence that she said snapping the thin line that was the Hunter's patience.
'Oh for the love of-'
The Hunter stopped mid-stride and spun around, startling the blue-haired girl who stopped right behind him. Taking a deep breath, he firmly placed his hands onto her shoulders, refraining himself from squeezing onto them to release all of his pent up stress and aggravation. He stared at her with the eyes of a man who has seen many things that no human should ever see, seeing a bead of sweat form on the girl's brow.
"You want to help me, right?" he asked lowly, receiving a slow nod from the girl. "Then you can help me by leaving me alone."
The Good Hunter pushed the petite lady away, quickly lifting a finger up once she saw her opening her mouth to protest. He slowly backed away from her, making sure that she stayed right where she was standing. Nodding to himself, the Hunter turned around and continued his path down the stone road, leaving a nervous but concerned Levy McGarden behind.
'Was...was that the guy Natsu was talking about?' she held her books close to her chest, watching the infamous masked man Natsu talked about walking deeper into Magnolia.
A/N: And that's that. Once more thank you to those who favorited, followed, and reviewed! I hope to see you all in the next chapter!