*Hello again! Thanks to everyone for bringing this story up to 43 favorites and 50 follows. I really appreciate it and hope you guys enjoy this current chapter! It's a bit longer than the others, so I think it'll be worth the read.
Chapter 3: A Fire in their Bellies
Once he reached the Request Board, Goku looked upon it with a sense of curiosity. It didn't look like anything special. It was merely a large wooden frame filled with various fliers and posters. These posters displayed images relating to a specific request and the exact reward offered for completing it. He did, however, notice that certain papers were separated into different categories from one another. One category displayed much higher amounts of money than usual for some reason.
Erza, noticing that Goku's focus was trailing off, abruptly cleared her throat to get his attention. "Ahem!"
Goku suddenly looked up in surprise. "Oops. Sorry, Erza. I was just looking at the huge numbers some of these papers have."
"That's quite alright, Goku. It's normal that you'd be interested in the amount of money offered for completing these Jobs. I was when I first joined the guild too." Erza said in understanding.
"Is Job another word for these request thingies?" Goku asked while gesturing to each of the papers posted on the board. Although somewhat displeased by the way he phrased that sentence, Erza nodded her head in confirmation.
"Correct. Mages of any guild typically glance over the Request Board and complete Jobs for clients who are in need of service. After completing these Jobs, clients will give us Jewel as a reward for our efforts." Erza explained the basic job system followed by every guild.
"Ah, that makes sense. Jewel is Earth Land's version of money then, right?"
"Well, the type of money in Fiore, specifically, but yes. Other kingdoms and continents have their own currencies that are slightly different from ours." Erza briefly elaborated.
Goku lightly scratched the side of his face in puzzlement. "Other continents, huh? That's interesting. Back home, I think my master mentioned that the world was all just one large landmass ruled by a single old guy. He called him King Furry or something like that."
Intrigued by this information, Erza turned around to look at the boy. It was fascinating to learn about another world completely distinct from Earth Land.
"Oh? A supercontinent ruled by a single king and no one else?" She wondered.
"Yep. The whole world used something called Zeni as a form of money there." Goku replied informatively.
A universal currency was a concept the young Mage couldn't begin to comprehend. The implications behind a global government itself were quite hard to swallow, but considering Goku's naïve nature, she figured he wouldn't have much knowledge about its history. She'd have to ask Baba about it once she returned.
"Hmm, I see. With that type of government, it seems like there wouldn't be much conflict in your world." Erza thoughtfully assumed. A world without the threat of slavery or war did seem amazing from her perspective.
Although Erza's inference had some truth to it, Goku ultimately shook his head in denial. "I wouldn't say that. There were still a ton of evil people I had to fight. The Red Ribbon Army jerks were especially up to no good."
Goku tightly balled his fists just thinking of all the horrible things they did. The actions of the coldblooded assassin, Mercenary Tao, were particularly unforgivable in his eyes.
Erza lightly frowned and asked, "Was that the army Master Makarov said you defeated all by yourself?"
"Yeah. They had hundreds of soldiers at their base, so it took everything I had to stop them all. Their leader even fought me in a big robot suit of all things." Goku recalled the events of his final confrontation with Staff Officer Black and the Battle Jacket.
The redheaded Mage wasn't certain what Goku meant by "a big robot suit", but she assumed it had something to do with his world having much more advanced technology than Earth Land. Exactly how advanced was something she wished to find out later on.
"Still hard to believe that you're only 13-years-old. Anyone else our age wouldn't even dream of facing such a massive threat by themselves." chuckled Erza in astoundment.
"Actually, I just turned 13 a few days ago. I was 12 during most of my fights with the Red Ribbon Army." Goku revealed his exact age. Erza nodded, figuring that he must be slightly younger than her by a few months or more.
"Regardless, my point still stands. Your strength is undeniably impressive." She said.
"Heh, thanks! I'm sure you're pretty strong too." Goku stated, basing his observation on the high amount of energy Erza had. This might have been Magic Power, of course, but it still felt promising in a sense.
"Hmph. You'll find out soon enough, hopefully…" Erza muttered under her breath, smirking. She then adjusted her hair and looked back at the Request Board.
"Anyway, as I was saying, the amount of Jewel you earn depends on the Job's specified rank and difficulty." Erza continued to explain. She then gestured her hand to the Request Board's different sections. "For this reason, Jobs are broken down into five individual categories. There's Normal Jobs, S-Class Jobs, SS-Class Jobs, 10 Year Jobs, and 100 Year Jobs. The latter four can mainly be found on the Guild Hall's second floor."
As she pointed out each category, Goku noticed that the amount of jewel became higher and higher the further it got from Normal Jobs.
"What do you mean by S-Class Jobs, Erza?"
"Those Jobs can only be completed by Wizards with the S-Class rank bestowed upon them. S-Class Wizards are exceptionally powerful individuals who are considered far stronger than other members of the guild. Due to this immense strength, they're the only ones skilled enough to take on the most dangerous missions, some of which could result in death under more extreme circumstances."
"Woah. They sound really tough! Are there any guys in Fairy Tail with that rank?" Goku questioned excitedly.
"Apart from the master himself, only two, but one of them has been away on a mission for some time. The rest of us, including me, are still working to achieve that rank. However, Makarov's grandson, Laxus, is planning to take the S-Class trial later this year." Erza briefly informed.
"Huh. I didn't know gramps had a grandson." Goku murmured in surprise.
"He's currently out on a mission with his team, The Thunder Legion. You'll meet them all eventually, along with his father, Ivan, the second S-Class mage I referenced. I believe he's on business somewhere as well."
Goku would have a hard time remembering all of these names, but nevertheless, he understood mostly everything Erza said so far.
"Would you say they're all super strong?" Goku wondered with the utmost enthusiasm. Erza simply rolled her eyes in response.
"Yes, Goku. I'd say they're all fairly strong in their own ways, especially Laxus and his dad." Erza sighed.
Hearing this, Goku pumped his fist in evident anticipation. "That's good to know then. I can't wait to figh…erm…I mean, meet all of them! Yeah!"
"Right. I'm sure you are." Erza sarcastically chuckled.
"So, aside from these S-Class jobs, what are the other categories like?"
"There's not much to say, unfortunately. SS-Class Jobs are even tougher than normal S-Class Jobs while 10 Year Jobs and 100 Year Jobs dwarf both of them in terms of absolute danger. The latter have been available for a set amount of years, yet have never been completed. Most of those who set out to complete them, in fact, never return alive." Erza warned in a deadly serious tone.
Ironically, Goku's response was far from having the same level of seriousness.
"Now, those sound like fun! Maybe I can go on one of those 10 Year or 100 Year Jobs someday! Haha!" Goku laughed at the prospect of such a dangerous mission.
Not expecting this, Erza's body shook in rage before she powerfully smacked him across the head.
"Don't be a moron! Did you even hear what I just said?!" She hissed angrily.
"Owww! You didn't have to take what I said so seriously, Erza!" Goku whined as he massaged the prominent bruise resting on his scalp.
"Well, you shouldn't take these 100 Year Jobs so lightly, Goku. Countless Mages have lost their lives trying to complete them; some of which probably had far more experience in combat than you. Understand?" Erza chastised the boy on his error in judgement. He then apologetically glanced down at the floor in sudden regret.
"Yeah. I understand…" Goku whispered.
Once she could tell Goku got the message, Erza's expression and tone ever-so-slightly softened.
"Right then. For a new member like yourself, I recommend starting out with any of Normal Jobs posted here. You just need to get it approved either by Enno or Makarov and you'll be good to go." Erza exclaimed with a light grin. "I get that you're powerful, Goku, but during your stay at Fairy Tail, you'll need to complete some smaller missions in order to make a living for yourself. You do need to eat, after all."
Coincidentally, Goku's stomach loudly roared in response to the brief mention of eating. It was extremely loud, causing everyone to look around the guild in a mix of confusion and alarm.
"Speaking of which, I'm getting kinda hungry…" Goku sheepishly mumbled. He began to rub his stomach, an action that Erza felt a bit agitated by.
"Really? You can't wait until after I'm done showing you around the guild?"
Goku slowly shook his head. "I don't think so. I haven't eaten anything since Baba sent me here."
Assuming that this equated to a few hours at most, Erza crossed her arms, sighing.
"Fine. I suppose I can show you more of the bar and kitchen area," She relented. The female Mage then directed Goku back to the guild's bar, pointing out some of its main features as they both sat down.
"For members of Fairy Tail who are older than us, the bar is mainly used for leisure time. Food and beverages are prepared in the kitchen back there by Enno, the guild's longtime waitress. She usually takes orders and passes them out to each of the lunch hall's tables. As I mentioned before, you can also get lower ranked Jobs approved at the bar if Makarov isn't available." Erza explained. In a way, she was a bit famished herself, so this short lunch break didn't seem too bad.
Spotting Enno, she waved a hand to get her attention. The waitress went over to both kids with a kind smile etched on her lips.
"How can I help you guys?" She inquired sweetly.
Erza nonchalantly jerked a thumb at the boy sitting next to her. "Goku here's a bit hungry, so just put anything he orders on my tab. I'll make sure to cover it."
Goku looked at Erza in surprise. The last time someone covered his entire meal was Master Roshi a few months back, so Erza suddenly offering to do it caught him off-guard.
"Are you sure about that, Erza? I think you're underestimating how hungry I can get…"
"It's my treat, Goku. Consider it a small welcoming present for your first day at the guild. I have more than enough Jewel from my previous Jobs, believe me." Erza kindly assured him. Delighted at the prospect of eating tons of food, Goku beamed in absolute delight.
"That's real nice of you, Erza! Thanks!" He said. Erza just smiled back and looked towards Enno.
"I'll have the usual, Enno. It's been ages since I've had a strawberry cake all to myself." She requested. Her mouth was starting to water just thinking of the dessert's exquisite taste and delectability.
Enno nervously grinned at this reaction. She just hoped Erza wouldn't get any excess drool on the countertop.
"Coming right up!" Enno smiled in reply. She then leaned forward to ask Goku what he'd want to eat. "And what would you like, handsome? Tell me anything you want on this menu and I'll cook it."
She handed Goku a small booklet filled with various options for food and drinks. Despite the fact that he didn't really read that much, Goku took time to glance through the menu, regardless.
"Hmmm…" Goku hummed as he rested a hand over his chin. After a few seconds, he finally came to a decision.
"I'll have a little of everything, please!" Goku shouted out. Erza, Enno, and the other Mages of Fairy Tail all stared at Goku in complete disbelief.
"A-A little of what now?! You…you can't be serious." Erza stammered incredulously. She was beginning to pray for the safety of her poor wallet at this point.
"Nope. I'm completely serious. I did tell you not to underestimate how hungry I was, Erza. Cause when I'm hungry, I'm really, really hungry." Goku reminded her in an uncharacteristically serious tone.
"B-But, it's just not possible. No matter how big of an appetite you have, no one can take in all of this food by themselves. You'd blow up like some kind of living hot air balloon!" Erza cried, trying her best to reason with Goku's asinine eating habits.
"Then, I guess I'll just have to help him out then, huh?"
Erza and Goku swiveled around in their seats to see Natsu standing before them. He sported a confident, challenging smirk as he folded one arm over the other.
"Oh man. This ought to be good…" Gray groaned. He had a feeling this situation was about to become an even bigger mess.
"Now's not the time, Natsu." Erza sighed.
"Look, just hear me out! Since Goku wants to pig out on all the food here, I have a little challenge for him." He proclaimed.
"What kind of challenge?" Goku wondered in newfound curiosity. The Fire Dragon Slayer rested a thumb on his chest while pointing directly at Goku with another hand.
"As one big eater to another, I challenge you to an official eating contest! If you win, I'll help Erza pay for everything on the menu. But, if I win…" Suddenly, flames began to enshroud Natsu's hands and body. He then clenched both of his fists together and toothily smiled.
"…you're gonna have to fight me one-on-one in front of the entire guild! That way, we'll both be able to show off our skills and go all out! Sound good?" Natsu unveiled the final conditions of his wager.
Unsurprisingly, Goku looked pleased with this challenge. Fighting with a Mage from Earth Land could definitely be a good start for his training.
"Yeah. I accept your challenge, Natsu!" Goku replied with heightened exhilaration. Relieved, Natsu gave him a thumbs up as a sign of approval.
"Good to hear! Now, move over to a table and we'll get this party started!" He said. Goku then did as instructed and sat in a seat opposite from Natsu's. Like before, Levy, Cana, and Gray occupied the remaining seats of this particular table.
Erza, on the other hand, stood there and pinched the bridge of her nose. She wondered if continuing the tour without interruption would have been a better option.
"Great. Now, I have to deal with two idiots who like to fight and eat." She thought in displeasure. Continuing to sigh even deeper, the redhead stomped over to the table and sat down in between both competitors.
"Just make sure to bring me that cake, Enno. I think I'm going to need it pretty soon." Erza grumbled aloud.
"Not a problem! I'll just…erm…cook everything else first…I think…" The waitress trailed off in uncertainty. She then shook her and smiled at the two kids. "It'll be a while, guys, so sit tight and talk amongst yourselves."
Before she could head for the kitchen, Macao suddenly slid into view with a determined look on his face.
He coughed, ruffling his spiky blue hair. "Erhem! Do you need any help with cooking the food, Enno?"
Enno blinked a few times, mentally trying her best to remember this guy's name. She's served him plenty of times at the guild, but he sort of blended in with all the guys who previously attempted to hit on her.
"Oh, that's sweet of you, Marco, but I'll just use my magic to speed up the process a bit. Thanks for offering, though!" Enno giggled as she shooed him away with her hand. She then left for the kitchen, much to Macao's immense disappointment.
"It's…it's Macao, but…okay…" Macao muttered. He slumped his shoulders in defeat while Wakaba sympathetically patted him on the back once again.
"You tried, man. You tried." Wakaba said. The others just looked upon this scene in secondhand embarrassment, wondering why Macao didn't just ask her out already and get it over with. Goku and Natsu, in contrast, didn't exactly take much notice of what happened. They were too excited for the food and potential fight to really care.
Similarly oblivious to Macao's depressed state, Enno glanced over each of the recipes in her cookbook and then, began to dance. She gracefully tapped her feet on the wooden floorboards, causing the pink petals in her floral wreath to slowly fly off. These petals all clumped together into separate sections that were able to prepare multiple dishes and pots simultaneously. The longer Enno danced, the more proficient and manageable these torrents of flower petals became. Some removed plates from their cabinets, placed certain contents in the oven, and much more beyond that.
The fact that she was able to dance and cook so efficiently showed how experienced she was as a Mage in Fairy Tail. It also made most of the guild's male members, including Macao, to lustfully gape at her. Although, it didn't help that each movement was causing her large breasts to bounce ever-so-slightly.
Goku was kind of intrigued by Enno's style of magic. He'd never really seen anything like it before.
"So, what kind of magic does Enno use anyway?" He collectively asked the group.
"It's a variant of Dancer Magic called Hula Dancer. She uses the movement of her body to control and manipulate flower petals from the headdress she wears. Although it can prove useful for cooking and handling the bar when it's busy, it also has combative capabilities." Erza summarized the functionality of Enno's magic.
"What kind of capabilities do you mean?"
"For one, she can increase the morale and fighting abilities of nearby allies while dancing. Those flower petals can also sharpen to that of thorns, I believe." Erza explained from what she's heard around the guild. "But, to be fair, Enno has never really gone on many missions, so most of her skills in a fight are unclear to me. It'd probably be better if you asked her yourself."
"Alright. I'll have to remember to do that." Goku noted.
Natsu yawned and rested his feet on the table. "Eh, I wouldn't worry about it too much, Goku. It's just some girly dancing or whatever, after all."
Enno, overhearing this remark, turned her head to playfully glare at him.
"Remember who's making your food, Natsu." She proclaimed in what could be interpreted as a small threat. Given the speed of her cooking, it appeared that she was nearly half-way done.
"Oops. Guess I should have kept my mouth shut." Natsu muttered in temporary embarrassment.
"Feh. The guild would be a much quieter place if you did, Flame Brain." Gray joked with a condescending smirk.
"Whatever. At least I have the common decency to keep my clothes on in public." The Fire Dragon Slayer spat back.
"Speaking of which, I know Erza said I'd find out when I go on missions with everyone, but what kind of magic do you guys use? I'm curious to know." Goku said.
"Heh! As if I'd tell you! You'll just have to see all the cool stuff I can do during our fight!" Natsu chuckled with a wag of his finger.
"If that fight even happens, anyway…" Cana muttered. She then smiled, pulling out a deck of cards. "To answer your question, Goku, I've been dabbling with a type of Holder Magic called Magic Card. Each card I draw can cast different spells and generate different elemental properties. I can also combine some cards together, but I'm still working on that technique, unfortunately. I've been able to perform some fortunetelling too, if you're interested."
"That's pretty cool, Cana! You'll need to show me a few of those cards sometime." Goku exclaimed intriguingly.
"Hehe, thanks. I'll be sure to." She replied with a similarly enthusiastic smile.
Goku then turned toward Levy, who he just noticed was comparatively shorter than everyone else in Fairy Tail, Makarov included.
"I specialize in Letter Magic. Any word I write down can be manipulated using my own Ethernano and Magic Power. This includes Solid Script, which allows me to project the properties of whatever word I jot down." Levy explained while pulling out a small pen.
"So, if I perform Solid Script: Fire, for instance," She wrote out all four letters until the whole word was written out in midair. Then, within a matter of seconds, each one started to burn up like real fire. "The letters will burst into flames just like that! Neat, huh?"
Goku gazed at these letters in amazement until they were abruptly slurped up by Natsu. To his shock, Natsu was able to consume the fiery letters without any pain or irritation. If anything, it actually seemed like he enjoyed it.
"Ahhhh, thanks for the appetizer, Levy!" The Fire Dragon Slayer belched, causing smoke to billow out of his mouth. Confused, Goku attempted to ask Natsu how he exactly did that, but Gray stopped him at the last second.
"Ignore that. It has something to do with his magic." Gray carelessly informed. "As for me, I use a combination of Ice Magic and Maker Magic called Ice-Make. I can change my ice into a number of different objects and weapons, depending on how much Magic Power I have."
Goku nodded at this, anxiously awaiting the moment he'd be able to witness those abilities in person.
"How 'bout you, Erza?" He figured to ask.
"Like I told you before, Goku, you'll find out, eventually. I'd rather keep that information confidential until we face each other in combat." Erza stated with a glare that pierced through Goku's very soul. "And make no mistake, I do want to challenge you when the time comes for it. You'd be a more than worthwhile opponent, I believe."
Goku displayed a determined look of his own, smirking. If there was anyone he'd want to fight next, it would definitely be Erza. There was also Makarov and his grandson, of course, but those prospective battles would most likely need to wait.
Plus, it wasn't every day that he saw a girl with such clear interest in fighting. Compared to Chi-Chi and Launch's bad side, Erza seemed to be a nice change of pace, which made a fight with her all the more exciting.
"I'm down to fight you too, Erza. I think you'll be a good opponent." Goku respectfully claimed.
"Glad you accept. For now, though, your first challenge is about to begin." Erza said as she pointed over to the bar.
Goku looked back with figurate stars in his eyes. In seemingly perfect timing, Enno's waves of sentient flower petals set down multiple dishes next to Goku and Natsu. There was a wide assortment of delicacies ranging from ribeye steaks and hamburgers to noodles and large bowls filled with coleslaw. They kept piling up until every item on Fairy Tail's menu was split between both kids.
Looking utterly exhausted, Enno danced for a few more moments before standing up straight to rest. The petals then returned to her floral wreath in a flash of pink energy.
She sighed, fanning herself to stop some of the sweat from beading down. She also gracefully threw her purple hair back, much to Macao's visible delight. He almost looked a bit too excited by it, unfortunately.
"Phew! Now, that was a workout." Enno cried out in exhaustion. She cracked her aching joints and then, picked up a single slice of strawberry cake from the countertop.
"Here's your cake as well, Erza." Enno set the plate down after walking over to the table. "Hope you boys enjoy all of this food. I really put my heart and soul into it."
"Oh, I will, Enno! Especially once I eat it all before Goku! Haha!" Natsu laughed as he greedily rubbed his hands together
"Mmhmm! Everything looks soooo good, Enno!" Goku cried. He shakily reached his hand for one of the plates, but Enno smacked it away.
"Hold on a minute, mister! You can't eat anything until I tell you guys to." Enno chastised. She then looked up at the clock hanging above the Guild Hall's entrance. "I'll give you guys…erm…about 15 minutes to finish all of this up. How does that sound?"
Mostly everyone in the guild looked at Enno as if she were absolutely insane. Did she even comprehend how many calories all of this food would add up to?
"Are you thinking straight, Enno?! Who in the world could eat all of that in 15 minutes?" Wakaba questioned.
"Well, Goku did casually order everything on the menu, so I'm assuming he's gone through bigger meals before." Enno pointed out. She then lightly grinned when addressing Natsu. "And we all know how Natsu is with food."
"15 minutes is actually longer than usual for me." Goku further disproved Wakaba's question. He shook his head, wondering if this kid was even human or not.
"P-Point taken then." The Smoke Mage stuttered out. He then sat down and anxiously lit up another cigarette.
Afterwards, Enno stood in the center between Goku and Natsu's respective seats. "So, I guess the rules for this eating contest are simple enough then. The first one to eat all of their food within the time limit, wins. You guys got that?"
"Yep! I think so!" Goku nodded.
"Let's get this started already! I'm starving here!" Natsu whined. Seeing that both kids' mouths were dripping with saliva, Enno squirmed a bit and decided to officially start the countdown.
"Alright then. On your marks, get set…" Enno paused for dramatic effect. She held her arm up and then, quickly swiped it downward.
"EAT!"
Upon Enno's command, an absolute massacre took place. Goku and Natsu relentlessly devoured each of their dishes, causing scraps of food and broken plates to be flung about in various directions. Both of them ate the biggest pieces of food, including a whole turkey, in one giant gulp, so they could move onto the next dish without any delay. Slurps, belches, and chews could now be heard throughout the entire lunch hall, much to everyone's shared disgust. And the worst part was that only a minute had passed since this contest even began.
Enno watched this display in shock. She figured Goku was a big eater, but this took the mere concept of eating to a whole other level. It honestly astounded and mortified her at the same time. She just wasn't sure if she needed a barf bag soon.
Ironically, Macao's eyes were fully widened to the size of dinner plates. He never thought he'd see the day where someone had a potentially even larger appetite than Natsu himself. Frankly, it was one of those bizarre moments he wanted to remember for years to come (especially once he and Enno had a bunch of babies, of course).
He looked back toward a tall, skinny man wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt and black pants. He had poofy, brown hair and wore a witch's hat that directly matched the color of his pants, albeit with some gold trimming thrown in. The man was seated in front of a blank canvas with his trusty paintbrush and paints abound.
Macao speedily sidled up to him and whispered, "Psst. You might want to sketch some of this stuff down, Reedus."
The newly revealed Reedus Jonah, a painter specializing in Pict Magic, nodded his head. "Oui."
He then adjusted the position of his easel and began painting an artistic recreation of the contest taking place before him. Unfortunately for Reedus, this proved to be easier said than done.
For one, Goku and Natsu's movements were just simply too fast. Both of them managed to finish up half of their meals at about the 5-minute mark, and didn't show any signs of stopping after that point. They just continued trucking along while everyone else had to evade excess crumbs and debris. Poor Levy and Cana had to hide under the table just to keep themselves untouched by said onslaught.
Erza, on the other hand, was in her own little world. Even though her wallet's life was on the line, she seemed far too preoccupied with how delicious this strawberry cake was to really care.
"Mmmmmm! Soooo yummy!" Erza swooned in her head. Her cheeks blushed a rosy red as she took in more bites of the delectable dessert. However, this moment of euphoria came to a sudden end once small pieces of food flew onto her face and armor.
Frowning, she set down her fork and glared at the two mannerless eaters. They kept gorging down meal after meal in quick succession, but while Goku maintained a steady, consistent pace, it appeared that Natsu was beginning to slow down.
His small body was inflated like that of a blimp, causing his stomach to hang out of his shirt in a fairly unflattering manner. Natsu groaned in pain.
"No…I can't stop…I have to keep…eating…" He gasped in exhaustion. Since there were only three plates remaining for him, the Fire Dragon Slayer tried with all his might to reach for a chicken drumstick.
"Alright…bottoms up…" Natsu mumbled weakly. He managed to successfully stick the whole leg in his mouth, but while chewing it, the boy grew bug-eyed and collapsed onto the table. A bit of drool trickled out of his mouth as he groaned even louder.
Goku, in contrast, showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever. With a content smile on his face, he consumed the rest of his food and Natsu's as well. The martial artist then burped and rubbed his bulging stomach in pure satisfaction.
Enno, stunned speechless by the bottomless pit that was Goku's stomach, glanced back at the clock. "Huh, what do you know? I guess 15 minutes was too long for him. He ate all of that with 7 minutes to spare."
She beamed at Goku and kindly patted him on the back. Meanwhile, Natsu was still struggling to get up from his food coma.
"Welp, looks like you won, Goku! Congratulations, sweetie!" Enno congratulated him on his victory. Everyone wasn't sure if they should clap or give Goku some kind of medical checkup, but they did so anyway.
Rather than directly address these cheers, Goku held up an empty bowl in front of Enno's face.
"Do you mind if I have some more, please?" He asked with a big smile. The Mages of Fairy Tail, including Enno, all fell on their backs in astonishment.
"You want more after all that?!" Erza shouted angrily. She was already sacrificing enough Jewel as is. She would not stand to lose any more after everything that just took place.
"Yeah…don't joke like that, man. I already have to help pay for this…" Natsu hiccupped as he slowly rolled himself out of his seat.
Goku puffed up his cheeks in frustration. "But, it wasn't a joke. I'm serious, guys."
"That's alright, hon. I can make some more food for you around dinnertime." Enno promised the ever-hungry warrior.
"Dinner? Aww. I guess I can wait til' then." Goku begrudgingly complied with Enno's terms. She winked at Goku and walked back to the bar for some cleaning supplies.
"Man, this stinks! I was really looking forward to that fight!" Natsu stamped his foot on the ground in disappointment.
"What do you mean? Aren't we fighting still?" Goku obliviously asked.
"Uh, no? Remember my part of the wager? If I won, we'd be having a one-on-one fight. But, I lost, so…" Natsu trailed off with a downcast expression. Goku crossed his arms in thought, admittedly letting that part of the deal slip his mind.
"Hmm. Well, how about we have one anyway? After you were able to eat Levy's fire, I'm really interested in seeing how your magic works." Goku offered.
Natsu looked at his new opponent in pleasant surprise. "You're serious?! Awesome! Let's go right now!"
The two boys then headed straight for the Guild Hall's front entrance, but were stopped dead in their tracks by Erza.
"Not so fast, boys! Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked while still eating pieces of her cake.
Not having the foggiest idea what she was referring to, Natsu glanced at Goku and shrugged.
"Oh right. Thanks for…uh…the food, Enno. I appreciate—"
"No, not that! The other thing relating to this fight." Erza interjected. Finally realizing what she meant, Natsu impatiently waved her away with his hand.
"Yeah, yeah. We need to ask gramps for permission and junk. I've got it covered." He grunted.
Natsu walked over to the door of Makarov's office and, to Erza's horror, knocked on it with as much force as humanly possible.
"Hey, old man! Me and Goku wanna fight each other! Can you let us do it outside?!" Natsu shouted loudly. After continuously knocking with both of his hands, an irate Makarov slammed the door open and glared at Natsu.
He then grew to the size of a giant with glowing, yellow eyes and stamped his foot down on top of said Fire Dragon Slayer. Goku found it somewhat similar to Master Roshi's 100% Full Power form in a way.
"Glugh!" Natsu yelped.
"SHUT THAT DAMN RACKET, BOY! Didn't I tell you that I have important business to—" He turned his head to see that all of Fairy Tail was covered with broken glass and splatters of previously eaten food.
"W-WHAT IN THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY GUILD?!" Makarov cried out in despair. He shrunk back down to further examine the towers of empty plates resting atop a single table.
Erza got up from her seat to summarize what happened. "To make a long story short, Goku and Natsu ate everything on the bar's menu in an eating contest they set up. Goku ended up winning, but both of their poor eating habits contributed to this mess you see here."
"And was there any good reason for this eating contest to happen in the first place?" Makarov asked.
"Like I told you, gramps, it was to decide if Goku and I would be able to fight each other. We just need your approval and we'll be duking it out pronto!" Natsu stated excitedly. "Oh and Goku hasn't eaten in a long time. That was another reason for it."
Makarov stroked his moustache in uncertainty. He didn't think Erza's guided tour of the Guild Hall would stray off course this fast.
"My original intention was to have Goku get more familiar with the guild before anything like this happened, but then again, a part of me does want to see what the boy is capable of." He gruffly admitted.
The old man sighed and darted his eyes from Goku to Natsu. He then reluctantly nodded in approval of their current bout.
"Very well then. I suppose I can spectate your fight for a few minutes at most. However, as the Guild Master, I will be able to intervene and stop the fight at any point I see fit." Makarov threatened the two in a stern, yet considerate tone.
"Alright. Seems pretty fair to me." Goku responded.
"Good. You two can go outside now. Just wait for the entire guild to file out the door and your match can start. You can't have a fight between guildmates without the others cheering you on, after all." Makarov ordered in amusement. Toothily smirking, Natsu slammed both fists together and bobbed his head as a signal for Goku to follow.
"Kay then! Let's go, Goku!" He shouted.
"Right!"
Both of them then swung open the entrance to Fairy Tail and went outside. They were eagerly anticipating this fight for a wide number of reasons, but the big one was getting an idea of how powerful they truly were. Goku was far superior, obviously, but Natsu didn't seem that far off in terms of potential either.
"I'm going to have my hands full with those two, aren't I?" Makarov sighed in a low grumble.
"Yes, you are, Master. But, at least they seem to be getting along so far." Erza said in relief.
"Are you all that surprised? They're practically the same person." Gray chuckled.
"Maybe in terms of general attitude and their practically inhuman levels of hunger, but they're still different in their own ways. We'll be seeing more of those differences in the way they fight, I bet." Erza replied in a perceptive manner.
With this final thought in mind, Master Makarov pushed open the doors and headed outside. Everyone else in Fairy Tail quickly followed suit as they eagerly anticipated Goku's first fight as a member of Fairy Tail. If Natsu wasn't able to best him in terms of eating abilities, how would the Fire Dragon Slayer fare in a good old fashioned clash of fists with the martial artist? Erza, in particular, was interested to discover the very answer to that question. It'd be useful information to have when preparing for her own fight against Goku.
Magnolia, Directly outside of Fairy Tail
Within seconds, the Mages of Fairy Tail formed a large circle around Goku and Natsu. While Enno stayed inside to clean up the mess they left behind, Macao, Wakaba, and other older members were standing on one side of the group. Reedus also sat down somewhere with his easel and paintbrush, preparing to create another painting of this challenge after the first attempt didn't go directly as planned.
On the other side, Erza, Gray, and the younger Mages stood. Levy, alongside Cana, was currently accompanied by two other kids. One was a 12-year-old boy with spiky orange hair and a purple shirt. He also wore black shorts and was, for some reason, jogging repetitively in place. The other kid standing next to Levy was a 12-year-old with short black hair, a white T-shirt, and green shorts. A little plant stuck out of his shirt as well. These two were known as Jet and Droy, childhood friends of Levy's before they joined Fairy Tail sometime earlier this year.
While each kid eagerly anticipated how this fight would turn out, Goku and Natsu themselves were, unquestionably, the most excited by far. They both stared at one other with confident smirks, neither one daring to move their eyes away. Although Goku could tell that Natsu wasn't exactly the most experienced fighter out there, he was definitely given some form of training. What this training entailed was something Goku was eager to discover, especially if it had something to do with Natsu's ability to eat and experience nourishment from fire.
During this little stare down, Makarov stood directly in front of Fairy Tail's entrance. He was there to both serve as a spectator and to make certain the amount of damage resulting from this fight was minimal at best. The guild simply couldn't afford to pay off any more repairs.
"Step back a bit, everyone. I feel that these two might need some extra space." Makarov ordered. Doing as their master instructed, everyone stepped back and as a result, made the circle around both combatants much bigger.
"You ready to see what I'm made of, Goku?" Natsu cockily asked.
"Yeah. I'm more than ready, Natsu." Goku replied.
The two then got into their respective fighting stances. While Natsu squatted down and held both fists in front of him, Goku displayed the Turtle School's trademark pose. His right fist was clenched at his side while the other hand was shaped into that of a claw. He rested it along the side of his head, an action which caught Erza by surprise.
"That stance…" Erza mused in curiosity.
"What about it?" Gray wondered.
"I've…never really seen one like it before. It looks so simple, yet it effectively protects all of Goku's vital areas." She described the utter versality of Goku's fighting stance.
"So, it covers everything both offensively and defensively at the same time?" Gray asked in surprise.
"Yes. I think so."
"Geez. I don't think Natsu understands what he's getting into here." The Ice-Make Wizard muttered in slight concern.
"He might still have a chance. After all, Goku doesn't know anything about Dragon Slayer Magic yet." Erza reminded him. Gray slightly nodded his head before they both watched the fight begin in silence.
The wind brushed past Goku and Natsu's hair, causing each one to flow backward as both fighters displayed their individual stances. After a while, an aura of intense surrounded Natsu's entire body.
Makarov remained completely still. His eyes were shut, but once the all-encompassing wind passed over, they opened with sudden ferocity.
"Begin!"
With the utterance of that single word, both kids sprang into action. Natsu slammed his fists together, creating a red magic circle with the likeness of a dragon's head in its center.
"Let me show you what a Fire Dragon Slayer is capable of, Goku!" He shouted. "Fire Dragon…"
Natsu inhaled, puffing up his cheeks as fire gradually built up within his mouth. He then placed both hands over his mouth to gather the flames into a single, combined stream.
"…ROAR!" Natsu fully unleashed this stream in the form of a massive blast of fire. It grew larger in size as it headed directly toward Goku.
"Woah!" The martial artist yelped. He removed the Power Pole from its holster and positioned it in front of him.
"A staff?" Erza murmured in confusion.
As Natsu's Fire Dragon Roar reached its intended target, Goku skillfully spun his magical staff around at unprecedented speeds.
"Hyaaah!" He yelled. The flames made contact with the spinning Power Pole, causing it to be redirected away from Goku's face. This progressed to a degree where the Fire Dragon Roar was completely extinguished.
"Huh?! No way!" Natsu gasped in befuddlement. "I put most of my Magic Power into that attack!"
Watching from the crowd, Macao sighed. It seemed that even after the advice he gave to Natsu about properly conserving his fire, the boy still had a lot left to learn. Maybe this fight would be the proper wakeup call he needed to grow stronger as a Wizard.
"While that Fire Dragon Roar thing did look pretty cool, it was a bit too slow. I was able to see it coming pretty much when you first blasted it." Goku acknowledged the flaws of Natsu's spell. Not taking the speed of his move into account, Natsu bared his teeth in frustration.
"Ergh! That's not all I've got!" He snarled, coating one of his fists in white-hot flames. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Natsu, in spite of his short stature, dashed toward Goku and wound up his fist. Rather than counterattack, Goku just stood there with a small frown. He could already tell that Natsu was running low on Magic Power after using those two spells. This was evident from the fact Natsu was both panting and sweating bullets from being engulfed in his own fire.
As the pink-haired 11-year-old prepared to punch his face in, Goku dissipated into thin air. He seemingly vanished without a trace, much to Natsu's utter disbelief.
"What the? Where'd he go?" Natsu stated as he swiveled his body around to look at the entire area.
Everyone else was equally confused by Goku's disappearing act, but not Makarov. He was perceptive enough to know it wasn't teleportation magic, High Speed Magic, or anything of the sort.
It was a direct result of Goku's intense martial arts training. More specifically, the massive weights he placed on his body for many months at a time.
"Astounding. Goku has become so fast that his movements are practically invisible to the naked eye, even for Wizards like us." Makarov presumed in admiration. He glanced at the floor, spotting traces of Goku's body appear in and out for 1-second intervals.
Erza took notice of these instantaneous movements as well. She squinted her eyes, trying to pinpoint Goku's current location.
"Come on, dude! Just show yourself already and fight me!" Natsu rashly growled.
Unbeknownst to Natsu, however, Goku had already reappeared. He was positioned right behind the Fire Dragon Slayer, an action which couldn't be properly accounted for. Now, all Natsu could do was spin around and share direct eye contact with him.
"Y-You…were moving around the entire time?" He stammered in realization.
Goku simply smirked and stuck his staff into the ground. "Power Pole, Extend!"
Grabbing ahold of the Power Pole as it grew, Goku's fist rocketed straight into the bottom of Natsu's chin. The propulsion of this powerful attack sent him flying in a series of rapid spins as fresh saliva splattered out his mouth. He didn't stop spinning until his head smacked straight into the pavement, leaving a fairly sizable crater in the process. As a result, Natsu was knocked completely unconscious.
Goku then let go of the Power Pole and put it back inside of its container. He winced at the amount of damage he brought upon Natsu and the surrounding area.
"Uh oh. Guess I should have held back a bit more than I did." Goku gulped nervously. Considering the ludicrous amounts power and speed Goku just displayed, this comment flabbergasted mostly everyone in Fairy Tail, especially Erza.
"That…was holding back?!" Erza whispered under breath. Her brown eyes widened to even greater levels of amazement and admittedly, fear.
"Yikes. And I thought I was fast." Jet whistled nervously from the sidelines. Levy and Droy both nodded in agreement, looking just as unnerved by Goku's skills.
The Mages then talked amongst themselves, some of which comprised of conversations discussing how incredible Goku was. In contrast, Makarov just preferred to remain silent, so he could mull over the fight's results.
"Well, congratulations on winning the fight, Goku. I'm sure Natsu will appreciate you for not going easy on him." The old man said.
Goku seemed to have mixed feelings about this outcome. "Thanks, I guess. I still feel kinda bad for hitting him that hard, though."
"Ah, he'll be fine. All he needs is a bit of rest in the infirmary. Erza will help you bring him there, I'm sure." Makarov kindly eased his worries. He then winked directly at Erza, much to her initial reluctance.
"Let's make that the next stop on tour then, Goku. Help me pick him up." Erza instructed. They both walked over to Natsu's badly beaten form and rested him along their shoulders.
Makarov nodded at this. "Let's all head back now, everyone."
He then led all of Fairy Tail back into the Guild Hall in an organized fashion. Goku and Erza took their time picking up Natsu, so they were the last to come back in.
The redheaded Mage grinned down at Natsu's sleeping form. "You tried your best, Natsu, but…"
She glanced over at Goku's calm, yet determined expression. Beneath that lighthearted goofball was a seasoned warrior with loads of experience in battle. In a sense, it was quite overwhelming for her.
"…Goku's on a far higher level than most of us, even myself." Erza sadly admitted. The only thing she could do was try her best to reach that level of skill, regardless of whether it required ki or Ethernano. And once she did, Goku would most definitely meet his match in more ways than one.
*And that's a wrap for Chapter 3! Plenty of stuff happened in this chapter, I think. There was a discussion about Jobs and their respective classifications, Erza learning more information about Goku's world, and finally, Goku's eating contest/fight against Natsu. Although it was brief, I tried to effectively capture the difference in power between Natsu and Goku since at 11-years-old, Natsu wasn't nearly as strong as he was in Fairy Tail Episode 1. He'll be improving as the story goes along, especially in terms of learning to use a more refined Fire Dragon Roar. This will come into play on the missions Natsu will inevitably go on with Goku, Gray, Erza, and everyone else.
Another piece of information I referenced was Ivan Dreyar being an S-Class Mage in Fairy Tail. This was only implied in the original series, so I wanted to experiment with the idea of Ivan having a potential rivarly with Gildarts. This will allow him to have more appearances and character development before he's excommunicated from the guild by Makarov. I thought him and Raven Tail were such a missed opportunity in the original, so I wanted to give more depth and importance to him as an antagonist for this story. For that reason, his motivations for being evil in the first place will be adjusted a bit, but I'll get into that later on.
Once again, please leave a favorite, follow, and/or review to tell me your thoughts on this story so far. I really do appreciate the feedback, whether it be positive or constructive criticism. Catch you later, guys. :)
P.S. Ultear being the top poll result for Goku's third love interest is a bit surprising lol. I'm interested in seeing how the poll progresses as I continue to post more chapters in the future.
