Man, it's been a while since I last updated this story, I do apologize for the long wait. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it. Unless it doesn't, then that's fine too.
Anyway, enjoy, or not, I don't care you all have your opinions.
Everything belongs to their respective owners.
Chapter Fifteen: New Home
"Whoa…" The entirety of Team Natsu muttered in surprised by the large apartment they were now going to be living in.
They were now standing in the living room, which was opened up along with the large kitchen, which had a double oven built into the wall, a fridge, a long counter, and all the other things a kitchen would have. The living room itself was large enough as it had a large table in the center of the room, surrounded by a long couch and a couple of chairs. Connected to the living room to the right were five doors, each leading to a bedroom with a personal bathroom in each of them. To the left of the living room and dining room was the dining room with a large circular table and chairs for them all to eat at when it was time to eat.
All in all, it was impressive and amazing for the group that they were able to afford all of this for such an inexpensive price.
"This place is amazing!" Lucy exclaimed as she looked around the living room. This was way better than she thought it would be. They were even five bedrooms for each of them to have, so no one was forced to share a room thankfully!
"The color of the place could be improved though." Erza stated, finding the grey, red, and white color of the apartment a bit too tasteless in her personal opinion.
Natsu, Gray, and Happy however already went to check out the bedroom to see which one was the better one for them to take for themselves. And naturally to no one's surprised, it wasn't long before the two rivals started to bicker at one other when they both found a bedroom they liked while Happy watched.
"What do you mean you call dibs on this room?! This room is obviously going to be mine Ice Stripper!" Natsu exclaimed at the Ice Maker Mage, as the two butted heads at one another.
"In your dreams Flamebrain! I call this room! You can have a different one!" Gray responded back to his fire breathing rival, as both of them continued to grit their teeth in anger at one another.
It did came no surprised for Lucy, Wendy, Carla, and Happy then saw Erza making her way over to them before punching them both in the skulls, as the others sweat drop from the sight.
"I'll be taking this room. You both can pick a different one." Erza told them, figuring it was the only way to get the two idiots to stop fighting.
A groan emitting from the two males answered her, as they had no choice but to give in and let the red head have the room for herself, as the others watching only sweat dropped once more from the sight before them all.
In the end, it didn't take long for the team to settle and claim their own rooms. The first door to the left was Lucy's Bedroom, with hers having a window that showed the outside world, next to her to the right was Erza's bedroom, which Natsu and Gray wanted in the first place but failed to achieve, then it was Natsu's and Happy's room, next was Gray's room, and last but not least to the far right of the other doors was Wendy's and Carla's room.
With Natsu, the Fire Dragon Slayer looked to check out the bathroom that was attached to his and Happy's room, which wasn't really much. It had a shower with a glass door, a toilet, and one sink and a small counter and circle mirror above the sink. But to the pink haired male, he didn't mind, as his original home didn't really have much either originally.
"Man, this is going to take some getting used too." Natsu muttered to himself. Happy aside, the Fire Dragon Slayer wasn't used to be living in the same building with other people. But hey, he was excited as well, thinking it could be fun.
As he looked at the mirror over the sink and counter, he couldn't help but remember what he and the others were told about the fate of Magnolia, and all of their friends who perished by this E.N.D demon's hands. Not to mention the damage that was apparently done to the rest of the planet caused by the demon, or the damaging effects of the demon's actions.
He balled his hands into fists from the information he and the others were given. Their friends, their family, died because of this demon.
'I don't know who you think you are E.N.D, but I will make you pay for what you did!' Natsu thought to himself, before he turned around and got ready to leave the bathroom and back into his room where Happy was at.
'I'm looking forward for you to try.'
Natsu halted his movement as his eyes widened in surprised, before looking around to see what the source of the voice was only to see nothing unusual around him.
'What the heck was that?' The pink haired Fire Dragon Slayer thought to himself with confusion and caution. Where did that weird voice come from? And why did it sound so sinister?
"Natsu come on!" The Dragon Slayer was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Erza's voice calling out from the living room, "We're heading back to the guild!" He heard the red head exclaimed.
"I'm coming Erza!" Natsu replied, as he ran out of the bathroom and his bedroom, not wanting to anger the woman and incur her wrath.
As he entered the living room, the rest of Team Natsu was already gathered as Natsu ran toward them. Seeing everyone now present, Erza then spoke up once more loud enough for the others to hear her.
"Alright, now that we have acquired a place to stay, let's head back to the guild and discuss out next move with everyone else." Erza told the rest of the team, who nodded in agreement with the red haired woman.
And with that, the group then exited the apartment, with Lucy locking the door behind them, as they all headed to the stairs to head back down to the first floor.
Wendy however stopped for a moment as the others kept going ahead, as the blue haired Sky Dragon Slayer turned her head to look behind her at the door that was next to their own apartment door, where Romeo resided in with a frown on her face.
"Wendy, come on." Wendy jumped a little when she heard Carla's voice calling to her, getting her to look back at the White Exceed and the others.
"Sorry!" The blue haired girl replied back as she glanced really quickly at Romeo's door, before heading back and following the others.
It didn't take them long before they arrived in the lobby of the building once more, as they all got ready to head back to the guild once more.
Before they could take another step forward to the doors of the building however…
"GRAY-SAMA!"
"Heh?!" Gray shouted as he turned around only for a certain blue haired Water Mage to tackle right into him, much to the Ice Maker Mage's discomfort and annoyance.
The others blinked in confusion before noticing it was Juvia that appeared and was now hugging Gray as she smiled happily, while Gray was flailing around trying to get her to let go to no success.
"Oh Juvia," Erza spoke up, getting the woman to look up from her "Gray-Sama" before looking at the red head woman, "We weren't expecting you to be here."
"Juvia got a room here on the second floor. Juvia didn't know that any of you all would be here. But now Juvia knows that Gray-Sama lives in the same building as her, we can finally stay together!" Juvia exclaimed happily with hearts in her eyes, imagining her and Gray eating in the lobby for breakfast every morning together, then they would go on with doing many wonderful things together afterwards.
"Let go of me!" Gray pleaded as he wanted out of the blue haired woman's grip to no success or valid, much to Natsu's amusement.
Though the Fire Dragon Slayer was also confused as he didn't know why Gray wouldn't give Juvia a try, since she obviously likes him. Why she does like the stripper in the first place, the pink haired male may never know.
'WITH ROMEO'
In his apartment, in his bedroom, the dark purple haired boy was seen sitting cross legs on the floor in the middle of the room while closing his eyes. He didn't have any lights on, and the window was closed as well, leaving the room rather dark. The only thing that was giving off light was the dark blue aura that was emitting off of him, while also giving off a feel as if death itself was present in the room.
'My Lord, you wish for my attention once more?' Romeo thought to himself, as if he was communicating with someone else through his mind.
This would be true as a dark and ancient powerful voice was then heard by the child of death in his head.
'Champion,' The voice of the King of the Dead filled Romeo's mind as his master went on to speak, 'I can see much through the eyes of the dead, both those who walk once more and those who still slumber in death. Through this, I have detected something that may prove useful to me.'
Romeo didn't reply, as he would find that disrespectful for his Lord, though his face did warped into slight confusion despite him focusing and his eyes being closed. As if the King sensed his champion's confusion, he went on to give more information.
'In the Capital City of Fiore, Crocus, I sense the presence of the spirits and remains of dragons that lie below the city's foundations. Much like the dragon graveyard you have found recently in the nation of Bellum, here too lies the remains of powerful dragons that will prove useful to me.' The King informed Romeo.
'Do you wish for me to venture to the city and raise them from death?' Romeo asked his master, as that is what he told him and a fellow Death Knight named Gerru Cautt helped raise the last dragon graveyard they found in Bellum into undead to serve in the King's name.
'Not yet,' The King of the Dead told Romeo, surprising the younger male. However, the King then went on before Romeo could voice his confusion about his answer, 'In three months time, the Queen of Fiore will be hosting a tournament between the guilds of Fiore, and it will be known as the Grand Magic Games. While the nation and its inhabitants will be focus on the Games, you and others I will send will venture into the graveyard where the remains of the dragons reside. You will bind their souls to you, and then you will raise them as instruments of my will. For now though, you will wait until the Games start.'
Romeo, while surprised by his Lord's intent to wait before sending him and the others to claim the remains of the dragons, still understood and obeyed his master's command.
'I understand my Lord. My will is your own.' Romeo responded to the King in his mind.
And with that, the aura around Romeo ceased, and the telepathic link to his master was cut off by his Lord, leaving Romeo alone in his thoughts once more. Like his King ordered, he will wait until the games start before claiming the spirits and remains of the dragons that reside below the city.
And it will be one step closer to not only bring the world under his King's hand, but also one step closer to put an end to the Fel Demon E.N.D. The demon will pay, Romeo will make sure of it.
There we go, chapter done. So what did you all think? Good? Bad? Want me to jump off a cliff? Let me know.
See you all next time, whenever that will be.