Lucy had spent the past two days training with Azariah, honing her speed and reflexes to an impressive level. She had made remarkable progress, now capable of effortlessly dodging the acorns thrown by Azariah at half of his maximum speed. They weren't bullets yet, but she was pretty sure they'd leave a serious welt if any of them hit her, given the dents in the trees and the divots in the dirt.

Around noon, Lucy decided to make good on something she'd said before. As they stood in their little woodland training area, she wore a determined expression.

"Alright, Azariah! Let's see how you stack up against me now!"

Azariah gave her a blank look while Caspenar burst out laughing. Lucy gave the imp no reaction. Instead, she opened her belt pouch and grabbed her key hoop.

"And by 'me', I mean open, Gate of the Golden Bull!" She thrust the golden key in front of herself. "TAURUS!"

A golden spell circle appeared on the ground and out rose the brutish spirit with a mighty bovine low.

Azariah shrugged and knotted the red draw string of his sapphire blue sack, securing it to his belt.

"What're you in the moo-ooood for, Miss Lucy?" he asked.

Lucy uncoiled the whip from her hip and pointed at Azariah. "This guy wants a rematch! Give him the business!"

"I'm moo-ooovin' in!" Taurus charged at the same time that Lucy snapped her whip, aiming at Azariah's upraised fist.

Azariah looked up past his hand, unfazed as Lucy tried and failed to pull him off-balance. Taurus closed in and swept his ax at Azariah's waist. The tanned fighter jumped up and pinwheeled his arms into a snap jab at Taurus's chest. The bull spirit seized up, mid swing, a dumbstruck expression frozen on his face. Landing on the flat of Taurus's axe, Azariah reached into the sack, grasped a black handle that poked out of the opening, and-

"How?!" Lucy shrieked as Azariah pulled a full-length, mirror-sheen katana from a bag no longer than his forearm. Azariah ignored her, instead flicking his wrist and slicing Taurus across the chest. White spirit energy gushed from the wound and Taurus soon faded back through his gate.

Lucy got a very bad feeling as Azariah dropped to the ground, gripped the whip that still pulled at his arm, and yanked it out of her grip. The next moment, he was in front of her.

Lucy swallowed as she felt the cold metal of the sword flop onto her bare shoulder, no more than a hand's breadth from her neck.

"Fight's over," he said, before returning the sword to… Ah, it had a scabbard, too, one whose top was still poking out of the sack.

Lucy fell on her well-maintained posterior, gawking into the existential crisis she just had. A vulcan gave her a hard enough time when she appeared to have a fighting chance. Now with a noticeable boost in her speed and confidence, she was still leagues away from…

She looked up at Azariah. "Have… Have you ever actually lost a fight?"

"Yes."

"No!" Caspenar insisted. "Great One does not loses! He either chooses not to wins or calls a time-out!"

Azariah knelt down in front of his flabbergasted pupil. "You've improved a lot, Lucy. Your speed and reflexes have definitely gotten better."

He stood up straight, literally looking down on her. "But there's more to power than speed. Speed is worthless if the blow it delivers is weak."

Lucy, panting heavily as she came down from a combat high she hadn't even noticed, nodded in acknowledgment. She had underestimated Azariah's true capabilities, never thinking that he'd faked his fall against Natsu. The strength, the weight she'd felt while trying to pull his arm with her whip, completely recalibrated her personal power scale. Though disappointed in her defeat, she felt a newfound respect for her mentor and the wider world of danger he represented.

As she caught her breaths, Azariah regarded the whip that Lucy had used during their spar. He gently tugged it off himself, examining the well-worn leather. "Your current weapon doesn't do much good when facing physically stronger opponents. Ever considered using a bow?"

Lucy blinked in surprise. "A bow? I never really thought about it. Do you think it would suit me?"

Azariah shrugged. "With your agility and precision, a bow would compliment you. It's also a much more threatening weapon than a whip."

Lucy got up and looked at the coiled leather being held out to her. "Aw, but I really like this. It's got range but it's nonlethal. I hate the idea of hurting one of my spirits."

"If you want to fight better, either learn a new weapon or start building muscle."

Lucy thought for a moment. Unbidden, the image popped into her head of herself as a musclebound brute, with a neck like an oak and shoulders like two cannonballs hollowed into shoulder pads. Grotesque, misshapen lumps protruded from her arms and legs like oversized tumors. Her cute, feminine figure was nowhere to be seen under the mountain of muscle.

Lucy wrinkled her nose. "Weapon. Definitely weapon. Let's head to town and find a suitable one."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As they entered the bustling streets, Lucy couldn't help but wonder about Azariah's financial situation. Good bows were expensive, and she couldn't fathom how he thought she could afford it. Nevertheless, she pushed the thought aside and focused on the task at hand.

After browsing through several shops, they finally found a beautifully crafted bow that caught Lucy's eye. It was admittedly a short bow, made for horseback riding more than standing, but mobility was more important than range for a Celestial Wizard like Lucy. It had an elegant design, sloping into the tips with not a nick or twist along its length. The shopkeeper explained its excellent durability and accuracy, assuring them it was a perfect choice for a skilled archer like Lucy.

"Well…" Lucy pursed her lips and eyed the legs of the table she stood before. "...I'm not exactly what you would call 'skilled'."

"Can you string it?" Azariah asked.

Lucy blinked and looked at him. The reason it had a string was because Lucy herself had put it on.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Can you draw it?"

"You literally just saw me!"

"Then it's a good choice," said Azariah, fishing a wad of Fiore jewel from his blue sack.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Returning to Fairy Tail, Lucy and Azariah arrived just in time to witness the chaos of an impending arrival.

"Gotta hide the mess!" Natsu shrieked, sprinting up and down the guild hall with a brush broom, sweeping broken pieces of wood into a pile.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Gray yelled, down to his shorts and socks as he ran around, righting all the tipped tables.

Cana calmly sipped her mug at the bar. "If you two wouldn't fight so much, this wouldn't be a problem."

The two pointed at each other. "HE STARTED IT!"

Lucy felt a little queasy, but asked nonetheless. "Um… What's going on here?"

"Erza's on her way!" Natsu cried fearfully.

Frowning, Lucy turned around. "Hey, Aza-"

Her words lodged in her throat as she saw his cheek twitch.

"Wait… the Erza?" Lucy said. "The strongest woman in Fairy Tail?"

"Yup!" Mirajane glided by, tray in hand as she delivered a pair of mugs to Wakaba and Macao, two older wizards at a table together. "The very same!"

"It's enough to drive a man to drink," Wakaba remarked, his pompadour hair swaying as he leaned back and downed a swig.

"Yes! Got it!" Natsu finished sweeping, having gathered a decent pile of what used to be chairs and tables, now reduced to kindling. Then to ash, as he wound up his fist and threw fire onto it.

"Indoors?!" Lucy cried. Fire streamed from Natsu's hand and within seconds, the debris was naught but cinders.

"Now to hide the evidence," Natsu grinned, then stopped. Not just him, but the whole guild froze as a sound reached their ears.

The sound of armored footsteps.

"That must be her," Mira said, her sunny disposition a little dimmed.

"Yeesh, it's like the air itself grew still," Lucy said. "Hey, where's Azariah?"

It was then that Lucy realized all eyes were on her.

…No, not on her, for the footsteps had ceased.

Erza Scarlet, known as the Queen of the Fairies, stood at the guild's entrance with an aura of authority. Her piercing gaze swept across the room as she observed the guild's members. A massive bejeweled… Horn? Tusk? Whatever it was, it was bigger than Erza's whole plate-mailed body by at least three times. Yet, she carried it on one shoulder, like it was no more than a sack of flour.

Lucy couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and nervousness, so much that she backed away as Erza strode past. She had heard numerous stories about Erza's incredible strength and unwavering determination. Now, here she was, standing before them, her presence demanding attention. Not to mention…

"Wow, she's pretty," Lucy murmured. Indeed, for such an intimidating figure, Erza also cut a striking one. Her flawless crimson hair parted at the middle and flowed past her face. Her eyes were piercing but large, expressive. Her Heart Kreuz plate mail was noticeably enlarged around the front, more so than the typical female armor models Lucy saw at the weapons shop. Her blue skirt was plain but enhanced the unmistakably feminine look of her knee-high leather boots, armored feet or not. From the gaps under her pauldrons, Lucy saw that Erza's skin was smooth, creamy, and well-kept everywhere, not just her face. Everything about her made Lucy wonder why her photos never appeared in Sorcerer Weekly.

BOOM.

"I have returned," she declared, setting the giant parcel on the floor. "Where is Master Makarov?"

"Welcome back, Erza," Mira said with a smile. "The master's at a guild master conference. He should be back in a few days."

"I see."

Lucy was getting similar vibes from her that she got from Azariah. Except, Erza had no qualms with showing her strength.

"So, uh, what's that big thing you got?" asked one of the guild members.

"The horn of a monster I defeated," she said. "The locals were short on reward money, so they decorated the horn as my payment."

Definitely looks like she got her money's worth, Lucy thought, scanning the various sapphires and gold trim embedded into the horn's base.

Erza's eyes narrowed as they fell upon the guild. There was an audible collective of swallowing.

"Now then…" Even Lucy shrank before the impending wrath she sensed. "While I was away, I heard several disturbing things about the conduct of our guild! Everyone has been talking about Fairy Tail's penchant for damage, and while the Master may choose to ignore the guild's reputation, I most certainly do not!"

An armored finger picked the first victim. "CANA!"

The beautifully tanned mage nearly bit the barrel she supped from.

"Your drinking habits are out of control! Reign them in!" Erza chided. "WAKABA! If you're going to use that pipe, then take your filthy habit outside! NAB! Stop dawdling in front of the request board. Pick a job. Azariah!"

Lucy's teacher, who was sitting at the bar, enjoying a forkful of chocolate cake, shrunk a little.

Uh oh, Lucy thought, shuffling her way towards him. She'd been slowly levering open the shell she'd found Azariah in when they'd first met. The last thing she wanted was for Erza to slam it shut again.

Erza strode purposefully toward him, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "I've heard you've become more sociable lately. What's the reason behind this sudden change?"

Azariah's eyes widened, momentarily caught off guard by Erza's directness. He swallowed his bite of cake before responding. "I've been helping. We got a new member here."

Erza's eyebrow arched in surprise, her gaze shifting between Azariah and Lucy. "Is that all?" Curiosity getting the better of her, Erza inquired further. "And I heard you gave Mirajane a flower for her hair. Is there a reason behind that, too?"

Azariah's cheeks flushed slightly. "I thought it would suit her, and she seemed to like it."

A knowing smile played on Erza's lips. She had long ago noticed Mirajane's subtle attempts to gain Azariah's attention. It seemed the guild's resident shipwright (as Happy once called her) had found a potential challenge.

Azariah picked up his cake and mumbled an excuse to leave the bar.

"Much like how strawberry would better suit you?" Erza said.

"Chocolate supremacy," he rumbled back.

He slunk off to his usual corner of the guild hall. Erza turned her attention to Lucy, still observing the interaction with great interest.

"Well… That was…" She approached Erza and flipped a finger between her and Azariah's corner. "Something going on between you two?"

"Azariah continues to deny the bliss of Mirajane's strawberry shortcake," Erza explained.

Mirajane nodded. "Everyone has a hill to die on, and for Azariah, it's his insistence that my triple chocolate cake is better."

Lucy couldn't resist a mischievous grin. "Well well well, who'd have thought he was a junk food connoisseur?"

Erza leered at her. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Lucy's throat clamped up. "...No?" she croaked.

The aura of menace faded away. "Good," Erza said. "I am Erza. Pleased to welcome you to our family."

Lucy extended a hand, which Erza did not crush in her iron grip, thankfully. "Lucy."

"Pleased to be here?" Mira chuckled teasingly.

A wicked thought entered Lucy's brain. "You know, Erza, Mirajane seems to be pretty... fond of Azariah. She keeps trying to catch his attention. Any thoughts on that, Erza?"

Erza's gaze shifted to Mira, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. She leaned closer to Lucy, her voice lowered to a conspiratorial tone. "Matters of the heart can be quite complicated, don't you think? Sometimes, even the strongest warriors find themselves captivated by unexpected affections."

Mira put her hands on her hips. "You know I'm still here, right?"

Erza looked at her. "Stop us when we speak untruthfully."

Mira rolled her eyes, not so much with what Lucy said next.

"In all seriousness, Mira, do you like him?"

Mira blushed and studied her shoes. "Is he so hard to like?"

"Yes," Erza said. "I find his refusal to try new things appalling. NATSU! GRAY!"

Erza stomped off to corner the two mages, who had their arms around each other's backs, pretending to be best friends.

"By 'new things'," Mira explained, "she means sweets. All he ever eats around here is chocolate cake. I sometimes wish he'd ask me for real food."

Lucy kept her attention on Mira. "To answer your question… He wants to think he's hard to like. I got him angry enough to admit he thinks people shouldn't like him."

Mira nodded, watching the self-made pariah eat his cake in the corner. "He certainly tries." She put a hand to her mouth and giggled. "He's no fun at all around here!"

Lucy followed Mira as the guild's rotund Pict Mage, Reedus, flagged the waitress down. "If he's no fun, what exactly do you see in him?"

"Oh, nothing," Mira lied through her smiling teeth.

Lucy's eyelids drooped. "Come on, Mira. I've heard the others talk about you, and your gossip."

Mira took down Reedus's order, which was always easy as he'd simply use his paintbrush to paint the list onto the canvas of his torso. Then, the list would spring into being for Mira to collect. His conjurations could be eaten if things were desperate, but they tasted like oily nothing on the tongue.

Lucy cut her off at the swinging counter door. "What do you know about him that I don't? Tell me? Please?"

Mira shooed Lucy aside and made her way to the magical flame stove at the back wall. "Would you take a raincheck on that question if I offered you something on the house?"

"Yeaaaah, no," Lucy said, putting an elbow on the bar. "Look, if you're worried about competition-"

Mirajane spun, a devilish leering grin on her face. "Oh? You think you can compete with me?"

Lucy smirked right back. "You're not escaping this question, Mira."

Mira's demonic appearance dissolved into familiar sweetness. "Well, if you must know…"

"I must, I must!" said Lucy playfully.

"You see…"

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