Natsu and his five companions walked up to the cheering crowd, the mayor stepped forward.
"How much longer till you can all get out of here?" Natsu asked.
"We are only waiting on two or three families," The Rounded man responded worriedly "They should be here by now."
"Where are their homes?" Natsu asked quickly
"Um, Two live on the east side of the village the others are on the west." The Mayor replied.
"Erza, you take the west side," Natsu spun and yelled back "The rest of you stay here I will get the east."
Natsu ran down the darkened alley in between and large in and a brewery, He hit the street and slid to a stop kicking dirt up as he stumbled and rolled backwards as a black skinned hand clawed at his neck he continued to roll back. Finally getting back to his feet as Karite morphed in his hand and he cut down the single former, an ear piercing scream brought his attention behind him, he spun quickly, two children huddled behind the dress of a woman with black hair an older man stood a little ahead of the attempting to stave off an approaching horde of monsters. Natsu gritted his teeth and shot forward slamming into a large wagon halted a small distance down the street, the thing lurched and rolled forward blocking the horde off for a second as they started moving through the wood at a much slower than previous pace "Run! Get to the south gate and leave." Natsu shouted behind him, the man stumbled slightly before nodding and pulling his family along with him. Natsu turned to the steadily approaching army of shambling corpses, the whizz of metal caught his ear and he jerked his head back as a dark black blade flew past his head, not thinking and reacting he slammed his foot into the stomach of his attacker, the thing latched its open hand onto his leg and his struggled to breath as it felt like the pressure was pilling him out of himself, he ground his teeth and flicked the scythe across his arm slicing the appendage free of his leg before spinning on his heel watching the body tumble before it hissed and melted away.
Natsu's vision darkened and he caught himself on his palms before his face hit the ground drawing long breaths and trying to settle his heartbeat and head, their touch was at the same time ripping you apart as it was beckoning you to accept it his limps ached with cold and his muscle's felt like they had been liquefied, he forced himself to his knee bring one leg up and glaring at the slowing encroaching horde around him, he didn't know when feeling was going to return to his body and he didn't have time to worry about it, he gripped Karite tighter his knuckles turning white as he forced himself to focus on something, he brought his hand along the blade pain pulling his head into reality and bring a meager amount of feeling back to his limbs as an axe head descended for him, he slammed Karite into the ground as rolled along the haft before twirling him like a top and clearing the circle around him a grin of adrenaline set on his face as his mind kicked itself into overdrive. Natsu set his feet and widened his stance before firing down the street like a bolt of lightning, turning chopping and slamming into a wall at the end of the street he spun to face the now lined up horde, his body still ached, but he forced it from his mind as he watched the horde in front of him.
Erza rounded the corner and spun as a sword flew past her body embedding into the wood behind her, the former cocked its head at her as if examining her appearance before reaching out towards her, she whipped the curve of her Hookswords around its neck before slicing clean, its body hissing away as it fell, she spotted the two remained families at little ways down the street, the male of the group impaled one of the black figures into the ground with a pitchfork, it tugged and pulled at the weapon as it tried to free itself from the ground, he did not noticed the hand reaching for his neck until it had pulled him off the ground, his eyes fixed on the hollowed out black eyes of the thing that held him and his eyes rolled into eh back of his head his foot barely twitching as Erza flipped her weapon and threw it down the street severing the former's limb at the elbow before her weapon embedded into the wall, Erza shot forward ending the two incapacitated former in the blink of an eye.
"Get to the South Gate as fast as you can!" Erza shouted pulling the mother and two children down the street before giving them a shove, their feet followed after each other, on second inspection of the currently writhing man he appeared to be in his teens maybe an older brother? She frowned at him unsure of what to do.
"He is dying, slowly and painfully," Amaria announced sadly "I think it is best to end him."
Erza nodded and leaned down, placing the hook of the blade at his neck the boy grit his teeth and forced his body to lay still "W-W-Was I at least useful?" He groaned out "D-Did my F-family make it?"
She nodded "You did good, it's alright to rest now…We will take it from here."
The boy had an oddly calming smile as his breathing stopped, she stayed still for a minute before the rasping of metal drew her attention.
"How did they even get in here?" Erza growled as she wrenched her weapon free from the wood.
"I believe you were not spread wide enough at the northern gate and the fighting was ignored in favor of getting into the village." Amaria announced.
Erza looked back down the street the rasping of metal being dragged growing steadily louder, she watched the corner intently and waited for her enemy, a red clawed hand gripped the corner as the head of the thing came into view, it turned its eyeless gaze to her, and let out a high pitched snarl before dropping onto all fours like a lizard, chains were wrapped tightly on its arms and slid behind it as it watched her at the end of the street, with an ear shattering screech it leapt at her and she charged it, as the neared each other she slid down raising the straight of her blade above her head, the blade cut through clean and dropped the innards of the creature on her, painted her red she spat some of it and wiped at her face pulling the blood from her eyes, Another screech rang out in the street and she dived as the red blur flew past her slipping her shoulder and opening a wide gash across her arm as she slammed into the wall with a click her shoulder dislocated, Amaria shifted back into a gauntlet to avoid being dropped and Erza glared down the street at the smaller red lizard like creature, She stumbled into the street before running back towards the southern gate, one arm useless from the gash the other dislocated, she grit her teeth against the burning pain as she stepped into an alley and drew a few sharp breaths, she leaned her head back and took another long breath before forcing the bleeding arm to her dislocated one, she grit her teeth as she pushed upwards before knocking her shoulder back against the building, with a crunch the bone clicked back into place and all the air left her in a pained scream, she slid down the wall and breathed heavily not attempting to move either arm, she stared at the roof above her as the sound of the rasping metal being dragged got closer, the clawed hand locked around the gutter above her and the eyeless gaze of the thing locked on her as she glared defiantly up at the thing, it's mouth opened in an almost mocking screech that sounded like nail's on a chalkboard, it's movements were slow and obvious clear that's its prey was not running from its fate. Erza kept her defiant glare trained on the creature.
Four resounded heavy thud's snapped the creature's head up before it's eyes seemed to widen as the chained was pulled tight and it was yanked out of the roof of the alley, Erza frowned and clawed her way pit of the alley, Loud boisterous laughter reached her ear's and she turned to the source, a large man stood on the roof, his shoulder wider than most cart's she had seen in the village, he smiled widely as he swung the chain attached to the lizard like creature around before whipping it up and slamming it into the stone paving of the west side of the village, he dropped from the building with a heavy thud and gave her the thumbs up, he wore black pants and had nothing covering his incredibly well built upper body accept a few blew markings in the shape of a shield painted on his chest, he placed his knuckles against his hips taking an almost heroic pose as he rolled his neck. The popping was loud enough for Erza to hear from the opposite side of the street. The creature staggered around as if concuss before shaking itself and screeching at him, it circled him and he kept his gaze on it, the happy grin on his face never wavered as the thing scraped at the ground and shot towards him, he raised an open palm as its head neared him he closed his hand, a loud pop rang out as the creatures body went slack against his hold, his chest painted with gore not at all unlike Erza's.
Another few screeches sounded in the distance and the man watched the road calmly "He, Get back you your friends and get treated…Tell Natsu Justice needs a weapon." He boomed and chuckled slightly.
Erza just stared at him in shock and he turned around with a frown "Of you go girly, run along." He made a shooing movement that looked quite odd, Erza shook her head before running toward the south gate.
Erza stumbled around the corner and Ayame ran to her, helping her sit down Erza stared around groggily having lost quite a bit of blood "W-here's Natsu?" She breathed tiredly.
"He isn't back yet," Ayame said quickly "Sit still." She commanded as she wrapped the shoulder in bandages, the white of the cloth stained red quickly.
Natsu slammed the scythe head into the ground and used it as a lever to plant both his feet into eh chest of the front enemy in the thing Alley he had been forced into, the thing flew back through its comrades giving him enough room to jump from eh walls and claw onto the roof, he jumped into the main street and shot down the road towards south gate, as He near her spotted Erza being bandaged and her already being soaked in what looked like blood.
She caught sight of him and actually smiled "There is a big man looking for you." She announced, spreading her hands to the sides like a child and wincing as it hurt her shoulders.
Natsu frowned before looking towards the west of town "Former were all over the east of town, they are coming this way…Mayor is everyone here?"
The rounded man nodded.
"Then time for your people to leave, we cannot keep you safe if you stay." Natsu said flatly.
The man nodded before turning to his people to make the announcement to leave, Natsu ran towards the west the way Erza had come from, a little ways down he found the large and laughing man seemingly enjoying using two red lizard like creatures as weapons to fight a larger group of the same thing, Natsu took a few moment's to process the scene in front of himself before shooting forward and slicing through a section of the unsuspecting demons sliding back to back with the larger man, who ripped down on the chains the two creatures he had been twirling twitched slightly but did not move.
"I understand you have something for me?" The man boomed.
Natsu nodded, pulling the lion medallion from his coat and flicking it up like a coin, the man caught it and it glowed a bright blue almost white as it morphed in his hand, going straight into a weapon over the usual gauntlet. The man smiled as he hoisted the massive shield on his arm, his other hand covered in what appeared to be a solid metal glove, The man smiled at him before his eyes snapped open worriedly.
"Duck!" He ordered rearing his fist back, Natsu dropped low almost instantly and the creature was sent into a pulp against a far wall as the large man drew his fist back, Natsu looked up and whipped to his feet pulling the larger man out of the way and flicking the Scythe straight up to the sky slicing the thing through, its two halves falling to the ground beside him.
"Ah, Looks like we are even Young Death," The man announced loudly "But I think I will have killed more by the end of the day than you."
Natsu flourished the Scythe and sent a few of the creatures back "You think you can beat Death at killing things, Justice?"
The man nodded and let out a acknowledging grunt.
Natsu smirked "All right, don't get too upset one I win though!"
"Hah, a fire burns within you!" The man announced cockily.
Natsu shot into the pack of monsters, slicing them apart easily enough after predicting their movements.
The large man, laughed as he brought the edge of the shield down like a guillotine crushing the head of the much smaller thing, he reared his fist back and slammed another into the stone with enough force that the ground crack underneath him he rolled his shoulder's when the last one died.
"I got 19!" He shouted in his loud voice.
"22," Natsu responded "You are going to need to step up your game."
"Ah, Plenty more fighting to be done!" The man announced excitedly.
The two ran back towards the southern gate, the sound of fighting could be heard before the rounded the corner, the Former shuffled down the street slowly in a large row formation of sorts, Rikimaru sliced his as Ayame darted in and out cleaving a few here and there.
"The competition still stands Death!" Justice announced excitedly, Before charging forward and slamming the gargantuan shield into a line scattering Former back down the street, one fell at his feet and he brought his fist down into its face crushing it against the pavement.
"Oi! Big guy, you need to cut off their heads to kill them! A shield ain't going to help!" Grey shouted in annoyance.
"Ah, Valor, a head as thin as paper does is not much of a head." The man retorted with a laugh.
Grey just scoffed as he pressed a set of swords off himself and swing his weapon in a wide arc, The Six cut down the street with vigor, clearing the road in only minutes, Natsu fell against a building and breathed heavily.
"I-I think w-we," Ayame paused to breathe "Got em all."
Rikimaru nodded "Yeah, this means we won't have to deal with another attack for three more days."
The large man seemed barely winded "Hm, I think you may be right."
"Oh, I'm Grey," Grey introduced to the larger man "That's Rikimaru and Ayame," He pointed at the pair "Natsu and the red-head is Erza."
The large man smiled "Nice to make your acquaintances, I guess we will be fighting together for some time…My name is Berthold."
The five bowed their heads slightly "Nice to meet you."
"Mm! Now Where does a man get a drink around here?!" He asked boisterously.
A/N: And the Six are together! What did you think? I hope you all enjoyed and I will see you next week! Peace!