Chapter 9: The moon shines, and sees above all

"-E-Erza...I- I swear I didn't do it...he just.." the man drops his own weight to the ground, now shaking. The armored woman rushed to his side and tried to hold his stare unto hers. In front of them was a soldier, from the kingdom whose group came earlier to investigate the evidences gathered by the them. The papers, the statements, the mark...all of them were taken care of the kingdom's forces to be sent for analysis along with the Magic Council. But how did a dead man end up here? Not just an ordinary soldier, but some damned high-ranked officer.

Jellal's hands were slick with red fluid not his own. His pupils and irises had gone the smallest, almost disappearing, and cold sweat ran buckets from his forehead.

"What happened? Tell me what happened here, answer me-Jellal!" she continued to shake him.

"I don't -I DON'T KNOW! I saw that mark...accidentally..and then I didn't know what happened next. When I came to, the dagger-it's on my hands.. I could've-I didn't- I killed him...!?"

"No, I believe in you! We'll-"

"Jellal, Erza!-what's going on-waa-"

"What happened here!?"

"It was my fault... I should've been more alert.." Jellal hung his head, hands tightened into fists."

"No. It's too early to put blame on anyone. I already have someone to look into it. Please, worry no more. Take this opportunity to rest, okay?" With that they took their leave. It's already evening. They ought to stay in inns but the master had insisted they stay up the rooms constructed in the recent renovation of the guild's building.

"Good night, guys!~yawns~"

"See you tomorrow, then."

Gray shifted his long gray coat to keep his calm. He scowled in annoyance as he leaned in the concrete wall of one of the inns located in the small town of Nevir. He had just arrived the place and he was all but glad to have come. Truth is, Nevir was all but a pleasant town with crowded streets, dirty surroundings, foul and intoxicating scent all over the place, add the people who greeted him with indifference and tool the liberty of running him over without muttering any other word than an ugly smug in the face, and even stole from him. He lost his clothes, his good amount of money, ran into troublesome delinquents, and stepped into something rather not appealing. All in one day.

Now, here he was, standing beside a choking and smelly garbage can. He dragged his hood down to keep his face, and all the while talking to a shadow hiding in the dark alley behind him.

"Ya sure ran to quite a lot trouble earlier." came a husky voice that sounded like metal clashing.

"You have no idea." He replied nonchalantly. He could almost make out the other man smirking at the shadows.

"Whatever. What have you got for me?" Gray crossed his arms.

The man moved to retrieve something out of his pocket and handed a piece of crumpled paper swiftly like a wind. "Everything ya need to survive, kid." he said.

Gray reached for it. Once kept safe, he began heading his way. "I'll be going, then." he said.

"Good luck, kid. Ya gotta need many of those." And then, in a blink of an eye, the figure vanished without by trail of presence left behind.

Gray heaved another sigh before walking mindlessly through the sleep. He looked up the sky idly, seeing the full moon bright and clear above the sky. First thing, He needed a place to stay for the night and it looks like he had no quite options with the same inns infested by rats, dotted with holes, and decorated with dirt. Next morning, he'll begin his task. A trip to hell, where if you make a wrong move, you'll be missing the next sunrise and then forever.

He thought of many things as he entered his room, placed his belongings, took a shower, and even now that he's plopped to his bed who answered a sound of wood creaking and it looks like it's barely hanging together, after reading the note from earlier. Aside from that, it was so quiet. So quiet that it wasn't helping him at ease. It felt so cold. He's been to missions alone, each mission getting dangerous each time, specially now that he's finally got the access to the second floor. He's grown into a much reliable, independent, and strong mage of a caliber. Honestly, he can't believe how he was able to do these kind of thins he never ought to imagine , not until he gained the title of an S-class. He's become a versatile mage, now not only capable of fighting, but also concealing. He didn't wonder why Master Makarov recommended to give him this mission, as he was seldom given these types of missions along with Gajeel unlike Natsu whom Macao and Makarov trusts to be at the frontline. It perfectly suits his magic, too. But sometimes, this silence is quite unhelpful.

He took one last glance outside as the moon peeked through the dusty window. And then after that, he didn't remember falling asleep.

The wind rustles throughout the forest, resounding a mile or so. Birds flocked away from the trees at the vibrations caused by human movements. One lone man ran across branches and more branches. His job's done, and he could not afford to waste time or his cover will be blown. Then, he heard movements from his east, he fastened his pace. Now there's West.

Never mind worrying about his cover to be blown, it looks like it was now.

'Shit. There's up ahead, too!' the man cursed under his breath. He stopped. It was hopeless to run away. He was now surrounded. The evening breeze continues to pass each group of twigs and leaves.

"Up for an evening walk, man?" one voice sounded through the thick shadow. The full moon didn't even help as clouds began to obstruct its path.

The man gritted in response. His hands tightened into fists as he stances in defense. His unruly long jet black hair swaying by the wind.

"You'll make up for a good hunting prey..." another voice came. A hundred? Five? What a number of smug-faced rogue mages.

'Must be from a dark guild.' he thought.

"Fancy some last words, mate?" one brisk, manlier voice added. The whole gang could almost break into snickers when they saw the lone enemy tremble inside their group circle like a new-born chick lost in the woods. Oh, boy how wrong could that be...

"Gihehehehhe!- that's one brave last word ya got. But I guess you'll never have the chance to change that when I cut your loose tongues." The iron dragonslayer smirked evilly, a dark glint shone in his steely orbs that screamed bloodlust that it almost made all the surrounding enemy piss unmanly in their pants. "Come on, ya filthy bunch of thugs! I'll show you how to hunt and choose your prey properly!" he grinned, showing his fangs.

All of them pounced at once to the iron dragonslayer. So much for the trouble of being a part time double agent, he thought. He actually gave them credit for blowing his cover sooner, although still same bunch of thugs for their attacking cliché. He summoned his iron-god sword and swung it, swatting a good number of them. He grabbed one mage's collar and threw it across another incoming group. Blood's pounding in his ears and he can't help but feel all giddy and excited. Gajeel elbowed another random man's nose before sending his iron dragonslayer's roar, wiping them out. He leaped to dodge magical knives thrown at his feet, and Gajeel was steady on air.

That's when a sharp clank rang out.

BANG. All went still. Gajeel almost lost his balance before landing on his good feet. You don't realize your attacks using metal won't work on me, do you?" he glanced at a long distance where he theorized the perpetuator of the blow hid.

"No. But I doubt you're resistant to magic, are you?"

The world was spinning. Gajeel's smirk had fell into agape. "What's happening.-" he staggered.

Before he could react, another shot rang through the air and there was another gaping hole at his right shoulder blade. Hr had dug out the lodged bullets off his body, but the effects were stinging him now. Fortunately, it also looked like the enemy had exhausted their minimal supply of those bullets. But that doesn't turn the good side to him.

"Attack!"

Oh. Too much time skips. Sorry'bout that. I'm a little crazier right now 'coz my dearest enemy is once again messing with me head, so pray to God that I won't go far more than that or I'll be slaughtering off guild and kill the main character. Ha. April fools, guys. But who knows? The next update will be another back-to-back.

Thank you for sticking up this long, everyone! You have no idea how it inspires me to conquer my enemy every time I think of this. Review?