Nox could not believe it. Dark guilds were even worse than weeds. They spurted from the ground like mushrooms. Seven years had been enough to undo her own work, even if there were almost no relics anymore. At least, thought the woman, these dark guilds are weak.

They say that old habits die hard, I guess this is true. Soon enough, the hooded form that was seven years' ago Midnight Fear's master and unique member was slaughtering again.

She started off with the Twilight Ogre. They were a dark guild that had been causing trouble to the people all over the country and often ransacked towns and villages. Nox started there.

After seven years of slumber, her powers were at their highest again. Her agility had increased thanks to the training she had put upon herself during the months preceding the S-class exam and the guild did not pose as much of a threat. After all, who could compete with a dragon out for revenge?

Nox licked her sword clean. She loved the smell of blood and the metallic taste of the liquid upon her weapons often was enough to put her in a good mood. Around her, headless corpses were thrown carelessly on the ground. Heads were rolling and limbs had been torn apart. Blood had spattered the walls in gigantic arcs of crimson and the woman took the time to take in the beautiful sight. She stepped outside and set the building ablaze.

The most beautiful things had to be ephemeral to stay beautiful.

.

She was gazing at the high flames licking the remainders of the walls that had long crumbled down when she heard noise. A team of wizards. Not wanting to talk, and still feeling the xenophobia against those who shunned her and forsook her in the past, Nox vanished into the shadows of the forest without a sound. The only thing that was left behind was her trail of destruction.

She couldn't put a name on the two people standing in front of her. Her brow creased under her hood, and she thought hard. What would two creatures like these ones do in the woods anyway? She peeked again from between the leaves of a bush, and looked in detail at the animals in front of her. They stood on their two rear feet and wore clothes. She was pretty positive she had seen some of that kind before but their smells were different. They smelt like dragons.

The snap of a twig pulled the woman out of her reverie.

"_hello there, girly."

If Nox could have jumped, she most surely would have. Her nonexistent heartbeat sped up, as she slowly turned around. A blond was standing behind her. His hair was tousled from the forest, and his abs were being shown off by his cut off turtle neck.

Nox's finger probed his arm.

"_Holy Shit!" she shouted, this time almost stepping back. "It's moving!" she carefully poked the arm and recoiled quickly, waiting to see if it was going to move. Her eyes were opened wide under her hood.

This was the first time in what felt like millennia since she had seen a man.

Or any human being for that matter.

The person she had been touching growled, making the cloaked figure stand up to her full height. Just below his nose...

"_Oi, I am no 'it'"

"_by Apopis! It is SPEAKING!"

Fluttering like a fairy around the man, Nox probed, pinched and slapped the flesh exposed, trying to get a reaction out of him.

"_do you think it is alive?" she asked to no one in particular. "Most likely. I didn't kill it. Yeah, but it s not moving! Did I kill it by accident? Oh my god! Did I do it again? Oi Blondie is anyone in there?" seeing no response from a seemingly shocked dragon slayer, she turned around.

"_Oh! There is another one! Do you think it is alive as well?" slowly making her way toward the second figure, Nox seized him up. "Funny, it smells the same. What do you think they are? Could they be? No! Could it be a human?!"

Both guys face palmed.

.

Nox cocked her head to the side. After a moment of reflexion during which she intently stared at the two little cats accompanying the humans, she turned around and started walking away.

"_for what I care... humans are deceivers."

Both dragon slayers watched the hooded figure walk away from them with total incomprehension. What was that?!

They shared a disbelieving look, and suddenly the black haired dragon-smelling human said to his friend:

"_that was... funny?"

"_do you think she actually meant it?"

"_what are you talking about?"

"_when she didn't know we were humans."

"_I don't know, but we have a job waiting for us so I would suggest getting a move on."

"_yeah yeah, coming."

Nox was not on a tight schedule to kick arses, since she had been at it for now two weeks and had started clearing things up nicely, and she took her time to reach the next dark guild she was about to bring down: Black Death.

They were situated in the middle of the forest, much like any other black guild. These mages had the reputation of being merciless killers who ransomed towns and even once or twice tried attacking members from official guilds. Recently, they had ganged up on a girl from Sabertooth and had killed her after raping her. This was partly why Nox has chosen this guild to be her next target. She neared the building at the late hours of the night, enjoying having the shadows as her companions in battles. As she passed the doorstep, she was greeted with a huge fight. Two men seemed to be kicking arses in there and having a really good time. Nox was content with just letting them to do the job, since she supposed they were from the guild the girl came from, and was about to turn around when a scream was heard.

"_MIDNIGHT FEAR!"

Then, it was chaos. Black mages turned around, trying to escape through windows and burning holes in the grounds just to get away from her.

"_quiet." Everyone froze. The two men from earlier turned to her in wonder as she neared a man.

"_am I scary?"

He nodded.

"_wrong answer." His head rolled to the floor.

"_hey!" she turned to the blond one of the duo who had called her. "He was mine!" she laughed heartily.

"_apologies, human. Here, have the rest."

.

Nox was sitting on the bar counter, watching the two men-that-smelt-like-dragons fight. She enjoyed their techniques, which were dragon-like and suddenly her mind put the puzzle pieces together. These were dragon slayers! Men who had been brought up by dragons. It explained their appearance and odour. Satisfied with her reasoning, Nox sat back and enjoyed the show.

.

The dragon slayers were finishing up the last mages when Nox poured two more glasses of alcohol. She set the down on the counter next to where she was sitting and filled her own glass up.

.

"_come on, guys. Tell me what you are doing here." The blond dragon slayer was about to retort something rude when the black haired one pulled his arm and dragged him along. Out of nowhere came to little flying cats, which Nox recognised as Exceeds and they sat on the counter top, in front of their respective dragon slayers.

"_Frosch thinks Rogue was very good." The black haired dragon slayer blushed a bit at the cuteness of his companion and patted her head.

"_thanks, Frosch."

"_of course, Sting-kun was the best!" said the brown Exceed to Frosch.

"_hahahaha, thank you Lector!" said the blond. He patted the Exceed's head and Nox's voice rose in the room.

"_I like your frog outfit, Frosch."

"_oh, really?! Frosch likes it too!" said the little cat, flying to the hooded woman. She landed on her laps and Nox did her best to pat the Exceed without putting too much strength into it. She was used to killing and fighting, not cute little fur balls. Rogue, sensing her unease and having already taken a liking to her since she spoke nicely to his Exceed said;

"_what is your name?"

"_for the moment, Nox. I seemed to understand that you guys are Rogue and Sting. And that the Exceed here is Lector. Are you from that girl's guild?"

"_yeah. That's why the master sent us here. No one messes with Sabertooth's name." Replied the blond one.

"_name or nakama?" asked Nox. There was a silence.

"_I would like to say nakama" carried on Rogue, "but I fear Sting has it right. No one messes with Sabertooth's name."

"_that's... sad. And pathetic." Her words were harsh and cold, but Rogue did not take offence. He agreed with the woman.

"_it might be, but is it the strongest guild in all Fiore. And that is something" replied Sting. Nox shook her head.

"_hardly the strongest. But no, being number one is nothing. Power isn't happiness. Number one won't make you happy. On the contrary, it will slowly consume you and drive you to madness." Look at me, she thought bitterly. After a while of silence, Nox started again; "however, nakamas make you happy. Because even when they die, they are still with you and are still what drives you forward. Nakamas are worth all the number ones of the world. They are the real strength behind magic. Trust and friendship."

"_that's bullshit. Who needs nakama who are weak? They will only drag you down. They will be your weakness." Rogue shook his head from side to side.

"_so, Lector and Frosch don't matter?" her voice was cold, full of malice and bite.

"_no, I never said that! Lector is like family to me! I would never replace him!"

She smiled.

"_see, nakamas. You would fight for Lector. You would fucking get right back up even if it meant to be token down again. That's what nakamas are. And that is why you cannot be the strongest guild in Fiore, tigers. Because there is no love."

Nox jumped down the counter top. She stretched, and felt a hand on her biceps. More like a paw.

"_Frosch likes you. Frosch wants you to stay." She chuckled.

"_you are definitely too cute for my own good."

And she took a sit on a stool beside Sting.