Chapter 5: The Redhead
Gray frowned as he sat beside Cana. The young Ice Magic user stared at the back of one Hadrian Potter, the resident Devil Slayer.
"Why does he always carry that sword?" Gray asks the young Card Mage.
The brown haired girl made a noise in response, not really caring as to why the young Devil Slayer was always armed.
"I think it might have to do with his Demon parent" Levy says, causing both Gray and Cana to turn to her.
A dark expression formed on Gray's face at the mention of Demon.
"Demon parent?" Gray asks, eyes narrowed.
Levy, not noticing the change in behaviour, nodded her head.
"Yep. I found out that Harry is a Devil Slayer. So either he has a lacrima or he has a Demon parent. And with that sword, I think it's the latter" Levy responds, turning her attention back to her book.
Gray looked down, a scowl prominent on his face. Before becoming a member of Fairy Tail, Gray had lost his family to a Demon who had rampaged his hometown, killing his family, from there the young Ice Mage met his master, from there Gray was trained in Ice Make Magic until Gray discovered that the same Demon that had killed his family had been spotted, filled with rage and desire for revenge, the young boy attempted to kill the Demon, only to find himself to weak to do so, as a result he had lost his Master to the Demon as she sacrificed herself to stop it.
Standing up from his seat, Gray stormed over to Hadrian and grabbed his shoulder and pulled, forcing the young Devil Slayer to turn around.
Bang
Gray had no time to react as he found his head smashed into the bar table, Hadrian's hand pressed against her skull.
"Now here is a lesson I guess I must teach you. I can be patient, I can be understanding. But do not, even for a moment, think that storming towards me and pulling me like that will be accepted. So you either get my attention like a normal person or I will put you in your place. Is that clear?" Hadrian growled.
Gray remained silent until he winced as he felt Hadrian's grip tighten around his skull.
"Is… That… Clear?" Hadrian growled, unseen by many, the young Devil Slayer's nails grew slightly, partially resembling claws as the young Slayer's anger grew.
"Y-Yes" Gray stuttered, afraid that the young Potter would truly hurt him.
With a slight huff, Hadrian released the Ice Mage as he took a step back, his nails going back to its previous state.
"Now, what did you come here for?" Hadrian demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.
Gray sighed as he rubbed his head, slightly pained by how hard the young Devil Slayer slammed his head.
"Levy says that your a Devil Slayer. She said that because of that you might have had a Lacrima or Demon Parent" Gray states, causing the young Devil Slayer to cock an eyebrow.
"That's it? You stormed over to me and grabbed my shoulder just for that? Geez, you're an idiot" Hadrian sighed, shaking his head in disappointment "And for your information. I am a True Devil Slayer. It is impossible to have a Lacrima implanted in us so yes, I had a Demon guardian"
Levy, who was paying attention to the conversation, frowned as she stood up, making her way to the duo with a confused expression on her face.
"What do you mean Demon guardian? Don't you mean parent?" The young bluenette asks, confused.
Hadrian snorted as he shook his head.
"No. Lilith had no intention of having me seeing her as a parent" The young Devil Slayer says, causing both Gray and Levy to tilt their heads in confusion.
"Ok, now I am confused. What do you mean that the Demon" "Lilith" Levy cuts Gray off, causing the young boy to turn and glare at Levy who looked away, whistling a tune "*Sigh* Lilith. Didn't want you to see her as a parent?" Gray asks, confused.
"When Lilith found me, she stole me from some old man with the intention to make me a Devil Slayer. Her reason for doing so was so that when I became older, I would be her mate" The young Devil Slayer answers bluntly.
The effect was immediate as all around the Guild Hall, many members that were drinking did a spit take, looking at the young Devil Slayer in complete shock.
WHAT!?
The members of Fairy Tail yelled out in unison. Surprising the young Potter who was not aware that others were listening in.
"My boy. Please do not be upset but did you just say that Lilith not only kidnapped you but basically groomed you to be her husband?" Makarov asks, looking at the young Devil Slayer with worry.
Hadrian stared at the old man and nodded his head in confirmation.
"Pretty much, yeah" The True Devil Slayer confirms, much to the shock of everyone.
"And… You're just… Fine with that?" Levy asks, a frown on her face.
Hadrian cocked an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah. I am. Lilith never hid from me that she intended for me to be her mate and she made sure that I always remembered it. It was just something I grew up with the knowledge of" The young Devil Slayer says, much to the confusion and worry of everyone else.
That is wrong on so many levels The Guild members thought in unison.
-Break-
Makarov frowned as he found himself in a massive library, belonging to that of the Magic Council.
Looking through the many books, the Guild Master let out a tired sigh as he read book after book, page after page in search of anything relating to True Devil Slayers.
Even in the massive library containing many books of ancient History and stories of many Magic Users, nearly none had contained information on True Devil Slayers. Those that did always warned others of their power. True Devil Slayers were far more ruthless than Dragon and God Slayers, in terms of sheer raw power they are not as powerful as Dragon Slayers or God Slayers, but they make up for it with their incredible healing abilities. Able to heal even the most life-threatening of wounds in seconds, True Devil Slayers are trained to the point where losing an arm is merely an inconvenience to them and continue on with the battle, making them far harder to restrain or take down.
Each of the 3 Slayers have different types of training methods in the Times of Old, Dragon Slayers have the least intense of the 3, having only focus on their inner Dragon and the sheer raw power they contain. God Slayers focus on their divinity, the world around them and their versatility in their Magic. But True Devil Slayers have the hardest, focusing on their body, mind, Magic, the world around them and the Demon within them, True Devil Slayers are trained intensely to the point where their nerves are burning and muscles are torn, constantly being healed by their Magic, it was practically torture, True Devil Slayers have the most intense and painful training methods, causing them to surpass most Slayers due to their dedication and willpower to survive their training. But out of all the 3 Slayers, what makes history purposefully avoid even mentioning them is their sheer ruthlessness, strength of will, power and also their precision. When being trained in their Magic, all Devil Slayers are trained to keep their Magic in complete control, making their very attacks far more concentrated and potent, with all of these factors plus their pain tolerance and Demonic Healing, True Devil Slayers were the pinnacle of being unstoppable.
Perhaps they still are, Makarov thought to himself, recalling how the young Potter would come back to the Guild, unharmed and completely fine, even in the worst A class quests, bordering onto S.
-Break-
Sitting atop the mountain above his home, Hadrian took a deep breath as he relaxed his body and mind, focusing on the Magic within him.
Feeling the dark energy within him, the young Slayer allowed the Cursed power to flow through his entire body, empowering him as flickers of dark blue flames formed across parts of his body, threatening to grow in size if not controlled.
Taking another deep breath, Hadrian's eyes snapped open, revealing the young boy's emerald green eyes, with dark web-like cracks across his sclera.
Feeling all positive emotions become suppressed by his Curse/Magic, the young boy lifted his hand up and watched as dark blue flames ignited around his fist, threatening to burn anything in sight.
"I have grown stronger" The young Devil Slayer spoke out loud before forcing his flames to burn out, leaving nothing but smoke behind as it vanished.
Slowly the young boy's eyes began to return to normal as the dark cracks faded away, leaving the young boy's eyes perfectly normal.
Looking off to the side, the young Potter spotted his sword, laying against a rock, sheathed.
How long until you can no longer hold back my Demon Form? The young boy wondered before sighing, standing up from his spot and making his way towards the sword and strapping it to his back.
Might as well get some quests in The True Devil Slayer thought to himself, tightening the strap of his scabbard.
-Break-
Looking at the Quest board, Hadrian sighed in frustration as he failed to find anything of interest, most being collection quests or guarding quests, none of which suit the Devil Slayer's style.
"You could try to do things other then kill quests" A voice spoke out, causing Hadrian to look to the side and see a familiar bluenette.
"I was trained as a Slayer, Levy. Killing is what I do best, especially if they are Demon related" Hadrian states to the young girl.
Sighing to herself, Levy shook her head with an unamused expression on her face.
"That may be the case but you also need to try other things. Maybe you will even like them" The young girl suggests, causing Hadrian to cock an eyebrow at the young girl.
"I have tried a guarding quest before. I nearly throttled the bastard. Bloody arrogant piss ant" Hadrian growled at the last part.
Levy blinked in surprise but shook her head with a sigh.
"Fine, I guess that won't work for you. What about retrieval quests? I know you did one for the Master" The young girl says, referring to the Guild Master.
Hadrian took a deep breath as he found his frustrations growing.
"I only did it because we had suspicions that a Dark Wizard was doing some incredibly dark experiments. The job was to find the bastard, destroy his research, take him down and find a stone tablet that he had taken. That's it" The young Devil Slayer states.
Levy looked up at the older boy and shook her head.
"If you are going to be so stubborn at least let me help you" The bluenette says, causing Hadrian to pause.
"Excuse me?" The True Devil Slayer asks, confusion evident in his voice.
Rolling her eyes, Levy grabbed a book from her bag, shoving the title into Hadrian's face.
Leaning his head back, the True Devil Slayer blinked as he looked at the title.
Rune beginnings
"And why would I need this?" The dark haired boy asks with a raised eyebrow.
Levy smugly grinned in response.
"Because 99% of the time you work alone. Like you are one of the very few people that works alone, hell even Laxus works with people more than you do. Because of that, I decided I am going to teach you runes. With that if you find yourself in a situation where you are in a trap, you can use Runes to escape" The young girl says proudly.
Hadrian merely sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
If I were to fall for something like that, I can just use my fires to burn the Magic away, after all despite calling it Magic it is still Curse, Magic's opposite. With that all I had to do was focus on my Curse then corrupt and burn the Magic away, easy as that. Hadrian thought to himself before pausing.
"Magic is just like tools. The more you have and the more you master, the more versatile you become" The voice of Lilith echoed in Hadrian's mind, causing the young Devil Slayer to sigh.
"Ok… You can teach me" The young Potter says, causing Levy to smile brightly at the young boy.
-Age 12-
"Gray, your clothes" Cana says with a sigh.
Looking down at himself, the Ice Mage let out a scream of surprise as he ran around the guild, picking up his clothes that somehow were scattered across the floor and even on the bar.
Not too far away from the comotion, Hadrian sat on one of the stools, drinking a glass of chocolate milkshake as Makarov sat on the bar, not too far away from the young Slayer.
"How does he always strip like that?" The Guild Master couldn't help but wonder out loud.
Snorting into his drink, Hadrian shook his head with a small amused smile on his face.
"Who knows. Let's just hope that he doesn't have an exhibitionist kink when he gets older" The True Devil Slayer commented, causing Makarov to snort into his drink, coughing as he laughed at the response from the young boy.
"Oh, that would be terrible, if he subconsciously strips that fast then I fear what he would do if he had a kink like that" The Guild Master says, still coughing from Hadrian's response.
Letting out a chuckle of amusement, Hadrian went to drink his milkshake just as the doors slammed open.
Bang
The loud noise caught everyone's attention, causing the Guild to turn and see a young redheaded girl, wearing what looked to be a torn dress and an eyepatch over one of her eyes.
Both Makarov and Hadrian found themselves curious as the young girl made her way towards the Guild Master.
"Are you Makarov?" The redhead asks, causing said Guild Master to raise an eyebrow.
"I am indeed my dear, can I help you with anything?" The old man asks, curious.
The young girl nodded her head in response.
"Yes, I want to join" She responds shortly.
Makarov blinked in surprise and sensed the young girl's Magic.
After a few moments the old man nodded his head with a smile on his face.
"Then all I have to say is welcome to the Guild, my dear" Makarov says with a smile.
The effect was immediate as everyone who heard what their Guild Master had said began to celebrate, causing the young girl to blink in surprise as she looked around, confusion evident in her eye.
Just then, the young girl flinched as the bartender placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder, something that both Hadrian and Makarov noticed.
"Come, let's get your Guild Mark" The Bartender says with a smile on her face.
The red head looked up at the bartender then slowly nodded her head.
Something happened to her Both Hadrian and Makarov thought in unison.
-Time Skip-
Erza Scarlet, that was the name of the new member of Fairy Tail.
If Hadrian were to be honest, she was cold, closed off and didn't want to be near anyone.
For the young Potter, that was to be expected for 'him', as the Curse power when actively used suppresses positive emotions, making him colder, more ruthless and unforgiving. Even without actively using the dark power, it can have some effect on the user, making them harder to read. Or in Lilith's words, gives them a permanent resting bitch face.
But as the young Slayer looked over at Erza, he noted that while she may be Magically powerful, she was as closed off as a royal castle, won't let anyone in, which means for everyone in the Guild, they couldn't even get close to her.
Several of the other kids tried to talk to her, hoping to get to know her. All in vain, as she either insulted them or just flat out ignored them.
Having done simple quests, the young girl was able to acquire new clothes with a simple chestplate over her shirt, something that the dark haired Slayer didn't really care about, unlike some people who had found it odd.
As the young Devil Slayer was consumed by thoughts, he didn't notice as a wild Gray walked up to the young redhead, only wearing boxers.
"Hey, you know that it is rude to ignore everyone and sit in a corner by yourself" The young Ice Mage says bluntly.
Broken from his thoughts the young Devil Slayer face palmed as he shook his head in disbelief.
Seriously? She has done quests and doesn't hurt anyone, why does it matter if she prefers to be alone? The young Potter wondered.
Erza looked up at Gray, an emotionless expression on her face.
"It does not matter, just leave me alone" The redheaded girl stated as she stood up.
Narrowing his eyes, Gray stepped forward and grasped the young girl's arm, not noticing the sudden fear in her eye.
"You don't need to be such a jerk. You ignore or insult everyone in the Guild, as if you are better than everyone here, but guess what, you are not" Gray states, a scowl on his face.
The young girl took a breath, hiding the fear that was once present in her eye.
"Maybe not but at least I have the decency to wear something, that's more than I can say for you perv" Erza retorted.
Gray immediately recoiled as if he were slapped before looking down, realising that he was in fact only in his underwear.
"Ahh!" The Ice Mage let out a scream as he ran around, looking for his clothes.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Erza made her way towards the Quest board, searching for anything of interest.
Grabbing one of the quests, Erza made her way to the bar where Hadrian sat as the bartender cleaned one of the mugs.
Placing the quest on the table, the redheaded girl watched as the bartender looked at the quest, still cleaning the mug with practised profesciency.
A frown marred the bartender's face as she looked over the quest.
"Sorry, I can't authorise this without the Master's say so" The Bartender apologised to the young girl.
Erza frowned at that as she looked at the job in question.
It was a C class quest, to search and bring down a group of bandits that had been terrorising a nearby town with an estimation of at least 10 bandits.
"What's the problem?" The young girl asks the bartender with a confused gaze.
"You aren't a C class Wizard yet" Hadrian spoke, just as the bartender opened her mouth to answer.
Nodding in confirmation the bartender turned to Erza.
"That is right, you are an E class going into D class Wizard. Right now you can only do D class quests and that's only with the Master's permission and you definitely can't do a C class quest without the Master's say so" The bartender informs the young girl with an apologetic look.
Erza let out a frustrated sigh as she looked down at the quest.
"And how do I convince the Master to let me do the job?" The redhead asks.
If Erza were to be honest, the jobs that she had been doing for the past weak were mediocre and boring, as of now she can't grow stronger as the most dangerous thing she ever did was fight a simple wolf and that was because it was eating a town's livestock. Without a proper challenge she cannot grow in skill and power, something that the young girl would not allow, she didn't want to be weak, not now or ever again.
"You must take someone with you" A voice spoke out, causing Erza to turn and see the Guild Master, walking towards the Bar with a small smile.
Erza blinked in surprise as Makarov jumped onto the bar just as the bartender placed a mug of alcohol next to him.
Nodding the young woman in thanks, Makarov grabbed the mug and took a sip of the drink, letting out a relaxed sigh.
"Take someone with me?" Erza asks, surprised.
The Guild Master took another sip of his drink before nodding his head in confirmation.
"That is right. As you cannot go on a D class quest without me looking over it, you definitely cannot go on a C class quest, especially not alone or with an inexperienced Wizard" Makarov informed the young girl.
Erza sighed as she looked down at the quest. While the young girl wanted to grow stronger and handle tougher jobs that would help her grow stronger, the idea of taking anyone along left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"And who should I take?" Erza asks, still looking down at the quest.
"Hmm, if you want to have gramps to let you on another C class job anytime soon I would suggest our dark swordsman here" A voice spoke out, causing everyone to turn to see Laxus, grinning at the group as he threw his arm over Hadrian's shoulder as the young Devil Slayer drank his milkshake, not even blinking at the sudden arm that was now over his shoulder.
Erza blinked in surprise as the older boy grinned down at Hadrian.
"Hello Laxus, I see you just got back. How was your job?" Makarov asks with a small smile.
Chuckling Laxus, sat atop the bar, resting his head against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at his grandfather.
"Eh, it was like taking candy from a baby. So, I see we got a newbie huh? Well, if you plan to take a dangerous quest above your rank, take this guy, if he finds you interesting he might even train you" Laxus says, gesturing to the young Devil Slayer.
Erza looked between Laxus and Hadrian, noticing that despite being older, Laxus seemed to respect Hadrian.
"Hadrian, are you willing to go with Erza on this job?" The Fairy Tail Guild Master asks with a raised eyebrow.
The resident Devil Slayer sighed as he finished his drink, looking at the newest Fairy Tail member with a critical eye.
"Depends on her, doesn't it? I prefer working alone but I can work in a team, but I need to know if Erza will be able to handle doing the job" The young Potter says.
Narrowing her eye at that, the young redhead turned to Makarov and nodded her head.
"I will take him and do the job" Erza states, firmly.
Noticing the sudden change in Erza's behaviour, Makarov looked at the bartender who looked back at him.
After a few moments the woman slowly nodded her head, answering the Guild Master's unspoken question.
"*Sigh* Very well. But I expect you both to come back safely" Makarov says as he pushes the quest towards the bartender who reaches under the bar and pulls out a stamp, slamming it onto the quest sheet and leaving a mark on it.
With this all copies of the job will now signify that it has been taken by Fairy Tail, allowing for fewer people to take the job and reduce problems for all Guilds around the land.
Letting out a sigh, Hadrian turned around in his seat and stepped off, tightening the strap of his scabbard and looking at Erza from over his shoulder.
"So, are we going or what?" The young Devil Slayer asks, noticing that the redhead had yet to move.
Erza blinked in surprise but nodded her head, silently walking past Hadrian as she made her way towards the exit.
Looking at Makarov, the Devil Slayer nodded his head to the Guild Master before turning back around and following Erza out of the Guild.
"What do you need to grab before we leave?" The young Potter asks, walking beside the redhead.
"I'm ready to go" Erza responded shortly, eliciting a raised eyebrow from the young boy.
"Very well then. Then let's head to the Train Station. I will pay for your ticket and my own" The True Devil Slayer informed the young girl.
"I can pay for my own" Erza stated, narrowing her eye at the dark haired boy.
"I wasn't asking," Hadrian states.
-Back On Earth-
It has now been over 8 years since the disappearance of one Hadrian Potter.
Things haven't been going well for the Potter family, for both Lily and James, they were filled with regret and longing to see their eldest child, to hold him in their arms and to never let the boy go.
For Alex and Violet, the twins had been searching and trying to find a way to get their older brother back, to unite their family once more.
"Is it going to work?" Violet asks, worry in her eyes as she looks at her twin brother.
Beside the young girl, Alex sighed as he shrugged his shoulders. In the young boy's hand was a small broom, one typically used for babies, the same one that their older brother used before their parents had to go into hiding.
"I don't know. But the best we can do is somehow track Harry's Magic Signature. From what I could understand we could try to use this to track him" The young male Potter says, placing the small broom in a circle, runes written across the circle that softly pulsed with Magic.
"But I do know one thing, we have to try," Alex says with a firm gaze.
Violet frowned but nodded her head, knowing that doing nothing would be worse for their family.
The Potter twins watched as slowly the broom began to glow while the circle turned white, Magic coursing through both as it began to grow.
With a deep breath, both Alex and Violet stepped into the circle, placing a hand onto the broom as they began to glow.
Alex and Violet both blinked in surprise as they found themselves in a completely different place.
"What the? Where are we?" Violet asks, confused.
Alex opened his mouth but shut it as he had no clue as to what was going on.
"So what Magic do you use?" A voice asked, causing the twins to turn, only to gape as they saw the owner of the voice.
A young boy with long messy dark hair, a sword on his back and familiar emerald green eyes.
Harry Both siblings thought in complete shock.
By the young boy's side was a young girl with crimson red hair wearing a dress and a chestplate over it.
"I use Re-Equip" The young girl answered shortly.
Hadrian hummed as he crossed his arms, the both of them walking towards the train station, unaware of the twins before him.
"And what about you? I assume it has to do something with the sword" Erza asks, raising an eyebrow at the young boy.
"I use Devil Slayer Magic. The sword was a gift" Hadrian answers.
"Harry!" Violet calls out, in the hopes that the young Devil Slayer would hear her.
But much to the confusion of the twins, Hadrian did not even react.
Wanting to meet his brother, Alex ran stopping in front of the Devil Slayer, only to gasp in surprise as the older Potter sibling somehow walked through Alex, like he wasn't even there.
Alex frowned as he looked down at himself, realising what had happened.
"What happened?" Violet asks, confused.
"We aren't actually here, Violet. We can only see what is happening here" Alex says, just as the world around them began to fade, revealing the room where they had used the spell to locate their older brother.
"So what now?" The female Potter asks with a frown.
Alex sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"While we may not have actually made contact with Harry, we know he is safe and alive. Though he looks older than I thought he was" The male twin says in surprise.
Violet frowned as she looked down, the young girl tyen perked up as she remembered something.
"Didn't Harry say something about Magic? He said he uses Devil Slayer Magic, does that have anything to do with the lady that took him?" Violet asks, curious.
Alex blinked in surprise before crossing his arms, his eyebrows scrunched together in thought.
"Yes, I think he did. That woman that stole him must have taught him Magic, but why would she do that?" Alex wondered.
Violet sighed as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know but maybe we should talk to the Headmaster. Maybe he can help us find Harry" The young gir suggested.
Alex raised an eyebrow as he looked at Violet, looking at the young girl with a questioning gaze.
"Do you think he might be able to help us? After all he is busy handling the school and all his positions" The young boy asks.
The young girl merely shrugged her shoulders in response.
"It's worth a shot isn't it?" Violet asks.
Alex sighed but nodded his head in agreement.
"Yeah. I think it is best" The young boy responded.
Looking at each other the twins looked into each other's eyes with determination burning in them. One goal in mind, to find a way to get to their brother.
-Back in Earthland-
The 12 year old Potter sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.
Before the Devil Slayer, Erza fidgeted under the young boy's frustrated gaze.
"So you're telling me that you use Magic that you can't even use in a fight right now?" The dark haired boy asks, annoyed.
The young redhead winced but nodded her head in confirmation.
Hadrian groaned as he looked up, letting out an annoyed sigh.
"What made you think fighting a group of bandits without any way to actually fight them would be a good idea?" The Devil Slayer asks, looking at the young girl like she was an idiot.
"Just get me a sword and I will fight them" The young redhead states with determination in her eyes.
Hadrian groaned and shook his head in frustration.
"Fine, there is a blacksmith I know who takes care of Armageddon, maybe you can find something of use for you there" The Devil Slayer says, causing Erza to perk up as she looks at the blade on the young boy's back.
Maybe I will, The young redhead thought to herself.
-Break-
Sitting atop a tree branch in the middle of the night, Hadrian stared down at a camp with a group of armed men surrounding it.
The young Devil Slayer's eyes shone silver as his vision was altered, allowing him to see in the dark. A trait that all Devil Slayer shared, after all, what can of Devil Slayer can't fight a being of darkness in the dark.
No signs of a Magic user, all seem to rely on swords and other sorts of melee weapons. It would be easy work to take them all out in a surprise attack Hadrian thought to himself, slowly shifting his feet and turning around, jumping off the branch and onto another separate tree.
After a few more jumps, with the campsite slowly disappearing off the distance, Hadrian landed on the ground with a thud. Causing a familiar redhead to stumble back in surprise.
"None of the bandits seem to use Magic. We take them out with a surprise attack, take as many of them out and take down whoever was able to gain their bearings" Hadrian states.
Erza blinked in surprise but nodded her head firmly, Armageddon gripped tightly in her hands.
"Be careful with that blade. It was given to me by a friend and the last thing I want is to lose it. After this I will take you to a place to get you a sword" The young Devil Slayer states.
The young girl nodded her head, a fire burning in her eyes.
This is my first step, to becoming stronger, The redheaded girl thought, tightening her grip around Armageddon.
-Break-
Within the bandit camp, laughter can be heard as they celebrated another successful job, having robbed a nearby carriage.
As alcohol was drunk, none of the bandits were able to react as two of their own were suddenly smashed into the ground, courtesy of a young dark haired boy.
From the trees, a young girl wearing a metal chestplate landed between the ground, a sword in hand as she slammed the pommel of the blade into the face of a Bandit, following it up with a slash across the chest, the sealed power of the Armogeddon causing the Bandit to let out a scream of pain as he was sent flying back, crashing into a nearby tree.
Bringing his fist up, Hadrian's arm was engulfed with blue fire.
"Hellfire Demon: Destruction Fist!" The young Devil Slayer yelled as he struck a Bandit in the face.
Erza twisted Armageddon around her hand and swung the sword with a skilled grace belonging to a natural swordsman.
Taking out 3 bandits with 3 powerful slashes.
Looking down at the sword in her hand, the young redhead felt a sense of protection as she held the sword, something she didn't have before.
Hadrian grunted as he ducked under a stray sword as his entire body was covered in fire.
"Hellfire Demon: Wrath" Hadrian yelled out as he launched forward, slamming his entire body into the bandit.
The bandit was sent flying from the force of the impact.
Erza raised her arm high and struck a Bandit with a powerful strike, sending the man following to the ground.
Hadrian looked around and crossed his arms as he looked at the many bandits laying across the ground, unconscious.
Normally the young Devil Slayer would have killed them but he knew that it might cause some problems with Erza, the newest member of the Guild.
And besides, they only stole, not killed. Well from what the reports say The young boy thought to himself.
-Break-
Cling
The sound of a bell was heard as Hadrian and Erza entered a shop.
The young redhead looked around in awe as she saw weapons and armour of numerous qualities around the shop.
"Well well, do my eyes deceive me? Hadrian Potter himself graces my shop" A voice joked, causing a small smile to grow on Hadrian's face.
"Anthony. How have you been?" The young Devil Slayer asks, making his way towards the man.
The man in question was tanned with dark blonde hair with forest green eyes. He was wearing a blacksmith's robe that showed off his decently sized muscles with dark blue pants.
"So, what can I do for you today?" The man asks, leaning on the countertop, a smile on his face.
Without a word, Hadrian drew Armeggedon and placed it onto the counter.
Anthony hummed as he inspected the sword.
"Looks good. Could use a bit more sharpening. Seals need to be strengthened as well… You are getting stronger" The blacksmith says with a chuckle.
As the blacksmith began to sharpen the sword, Erza looked around, inspecting the many weapons and armour on display.
Eventually the young girl paused as she saw something that caught her eye. A beautiful armour piece with detailed markings. But what surprised the young redhead was the bust area, it was large, one for females with large breasts.
"Ah, I see that has caught your attention" Anthony says, catching Erza's attention.
Turning to the blacksmith, Erza watched as the man handed Hadrian his sword, who began to inspect it before nodding with an appreciative expression.
"Yes. Did you make it?" The one eyed girl asks, curious.
Anthony shook his head in response.
"No, actually this was made by my daughter. Its impressive craftsmanship, well made and capable of taking decent blows from both Magic and weapons. Though it does need some work here and there, but it is impressive for her first proper armour piece" The man says with a smile.
"So, Elizabeth actually started her dream huh?" Hadrian asks, sheathing Armeggedon onto his back, crossing both arms as he stood beside the blacksmith.
Anthony laughed but nodded his head in confirmation.
"Yep, she has always wanted to be like her daddy and learned as much as she could from me" The blacksmith says with a smile.
"I want one," Erza states.
Anthony blinked in surprise before turning to the young girl.
"It would need to be custom made. This one was meant to be for an adult female. Though my daughter certainly made it… For well endowed women" Anthony says, his eyes zeroing in on the bust area.
Hadrian snorted as he shook his head with an amused smile.
"Doesn't matter," Erza states firmly.
Anthony shrugged his shoulders before turning his head.
"ELIZABETH!" Anthony yelled out, causing Erza to wince at the volume.
"WHAT!?" A female voice yelled out.
"COME HERE, YOU GOT A CUSTOMER!" The blacksmith yelled.
Loud footsteps can be heard as a young girl with brown hair ran into the room, eyes wide with shock.
Elizabeth was a beautiful girl around the age of 15, with hair that reached down to her shoulders and a generous bust size, somewhat similar to the armour piece that she made.
"What really?" The young girl asks, shocked and excited.
Anthony merely smiled and gestured to Erza.
"Meet your new customer. She wants a custom made of armour piece. You two can hash out the details" The blacksmith says with a smile.
Elizabeth smiled as she turned to Erza.
"Well come on then, give me the details and I will make it" The brunette says with a smile.
Erza blinked in surprise as she was suddenly pulled along by Elizabeth into the other room.
Anthony chuckled while Hadrian yanwed.
"I will pay for the maintenance and whatever the custom armour she buys" Hadrian says, placing 2500 jewels onto the counter top.
"Don't worry my friend, just the maintenance. I have reason to believe that your red haired friend might become a regular" Anthony says with a chuckle.
"No, I will pay for both. Consider the money for the custom made armour piece for your daughter. It will give her a drive to further improve her craft" The young Devil Slayer states firmly.
Anthony looked down at Hadrian before letting out a chuckle, nodding his head.
"Very well. You are very good at convincing people my friend. Though I do have to ask, how come you brought someone here? Aren't you more of a lone Wolf type of person?" Anthony asks, cocking an eyebrow.
Hadrian let out a breath as he looked up at the blacksmith.
"I am. Though I have been requested by the Guild Master to help out with certain jobs with other Wizards as I am already one of the more powerful members of the Guild" The young Devil Slayer answered, arms crossed.
The blacksmith hummed in thought as he looked off to the side, inspecting the many items on display.
"I understand that. But why bring her here? Not that I am complaining, after all from the looks of things my daughter might just gain a regular if she exceeds the young girl's expectation. But it just doesn't seem like you, to get involved with these types of things" Anthony says.
Hadrian merely grunted in response.
"She is new in the Guild. Comes in with practically nothing but tattered clothing with a patch over her eye. I am no idiot, something happened to her before she arrived and I know it wasn't good. Explains why she is so insistent on wearing that armour everywhere she goes" The young boy states.
Anthony frowned but nodded his head.
"Very well. How long do you think you will stay?" The blacksmith asks, curious.
"Depends on your daughter. If she can make whatever Erza requests in a day then I am going to spend the night at a tavern. If it's longer then I pay in advance and head back and Erza can come pick it up when it is ready" Hadrian states.
At that moment, both Erza and Elizabeth entered, a small smile on the redhead's face.
"Ok, I will be able to make an armour piece for Erza. It will take at least a day and an all nighter but it will be done by tomorrow" Elizabeth says with a beaming smile.
Hadrian nodded his head and looked over to Erza.
"I will get us a tavern for the night. Tomorrow we will pick up your armour and I will pay for it" Hadrian states.
Erza opened her mouth, more than likely to protest only to pause as Hadrian raised a hand.
"No arguing. You are new here and I am sure I can afford a custom armour piece" The young Devil Slayer states.
Anthony chuckled in amusement and looked over at his daughter.
"How much are you charging for this?" The blacksmith asks Elizabeth.
"Around 15,000 jewels, it will be reinforced with a tougher steel so that any blow that Erza might take will be reduced" The young brunette answers.
Without a word, Hadrian steps forward, pulling out a pouch and placing 16 stacks of rolled up currency onto the counter.
"An extra 1,000 for the quick job" The young Devil Slayer states.
Elizabeth blinked in surprise while Anthony laughed in amusement.
"As always Harry, you seem to think like a proper business man" The blacksmith says with an amused grin on his face.
With a nod to both father and daughter, the dark haired boy left the shop with Erza following right behind him.
Elizabeth frowned as she looked over at her father.
"What did you mean that he was thinking like a proper business man? The young girl asks, confused.
"He paid upfront while also giving you a bonus. This will encourage you to do a better job. He did the same thing with me when he came to have his sword checked when we first met" Anthony says with. chuckle.
The young brunette blinked in surprise as she looked over at the rolled up jewels, all in a stack of 1,000.
As the young girl looked at it, she felt a surge of pride and excitement fill her.
This was her first proper job and she saw how much she was handed, the young girl clenched her fists as determination burned in her eyes. She was going to make the armour as best as she could, the dark haired boy had trusted her to do a good job and paid her upfront with a bonus. There was no way she was going to betray that trust.
Not too far away from the girl, Anthony chuckled in amusement as his daughter left to work on her first armour piece.
Just like me The father thought to himself, recalling how a young boy entered his store, his very aura screaming of power as he inspected the shop.
At the time Anthony wasn't a well known Blacksmith but eventually with Hadrian being a recurring customer, some Wizards found themselves curious as to why such a young child kept going to that specific Blacksmith. This in turn allowed Anthony to gain some more customers who found themselves purchasing and acquiring armour and weapons from his store eventually leading him to be a well known Blacksmith and one of the most trusted among the Guilds in the country. And it was all thanks to the same tactics that Hadrian had employed with his daughter. Pay upfront with an extra incentive of 1,000 jewels.
Maybe she will be just like me, The father thought to himself with a chuckle.
-Break-
"Hello, will you have one room or two?" A lovely young lady asks as she stood from behind a desk, looking down at the two young children who had just entered the tavern.
Hadrian looked to his side, silently asking Erza what she wanted.
"I will pay" The young Devil Slayer says, surprising Erza.
"Oh, uhm. Is there one room with two beds?" The young girl asks, curious.
The lady smiled as she looked down at a sheet with the available rooms and nodded her head in confirmation.
"Yes we do. That will be 500 jewels for the night" The lary informed the two.
Wordlessly, Hadrian put his hand in his pocket, pulled out a stack of rolled up jewels and took it off, untying the jewels.
Placing the jewels in hand, the young Devil Slayer wordlessly counted the jewels before giving the woman exactly half.
The young lady counted the jewels and nodded her head with a smile.
"Follow me, your room is number 16" She says, leading both Hadrian and Erza to a decently sized room with two beds on opposite ends of the room.
With the door closing behind them, Hadrian took of his coat off and unstrapped his sword, resting it on the stand next to his bed.
Without so much as a sound, the young Devil Slayer layed down on his bed, placing the covers over him as he relaxed.
"Hey uhm. Harry?" Erza hesitantly called out.
"Hmm?" Hadrian responded.
"Why did you pay for my stuff? It isn't normal for people to do that" The red haired girl asks, a frown on her face.
Hadrian merely grunted as he relaxed on the back.
"You're new here so you don't know much about the members of the Guild. But I am an A-class Wizard, bordering on S-class, that means that most of my jobs pay a lot and with the fact that I don't pay rent, I have a lot of money saved up as a result. What's a few ten thousand jewels when I have several hundred thousand at home?" Hadrian answers, shrugging his shoulders.
Erza frowned but remained silent, thinking on what the young Devil Slayer had said.
"Well, if you plan to take a dangerous quest above your rank, take this guy, if he finds you interesting he might even train you" Laxus' voice rang in the young girl's head.
He is an A-class Wizard bordering on S-class. Is that why Laxus respects him? Erza wondered.
"Seals need to be strengthened as well… You are getting stronger" Anthony's statement came into Erza's mind.
Seals? Why does the sword need a Seal let alone more than one? The young girl wondered.
As her mind questioned the statements of the people around her, Erza slowly felt herself drifting off, sleep beginning to overwhelm her as she slept on the soft bed.
-Break-
Erza smiled brightly as she gazed down at her new armour.
Currently heading towards the Train Station, Erza had picked up her custom made armour and found it perfect in the young girl's eyes.
"So, Elizabeth plans to make her own buisness huh?" Hadrian asks, walking beside the scarlet haired girl.
Erza smiled and nodded her head in confirmation, giddy with excitement.
"Yep, she says she is going to call it Heart Kruz. A shop for female only armour, clothes and accessories" Erza says with a bright smile.
Hadrian hummed in thought but nodded his head in understanding.
"Sounds interesting. Maybe she will learn how to improve upon her father's work" The young Devil Slayer says, catching Erza's attention.
"What do you mean?" The red headed girl asks, curious.
Hadrian snorted as he turned his head slightly to Erza.
"Anthony has this unique ability to fuse Magic and Armour together, making the wearer far more dangerous. The armour or accessory could increase their strength, speed, agility or even the potency of their Magic. Of course they are expensive as hell but I heard they are good" The young boy says with a shrug.
Erza blinked in surprise as she placed a hand on her chin, stroking it in thought.
"Hmm, maybe I should get myself some of these armours" The red haired girl says to herself.
A snort broke Erza from her thoughts as she looked over to see Hadrian with a small smile of amusement on his face.
"And what is so funny?" The scarlet haired girl asks, narrowing her eye at the dark haired boy.
"If you want those pieces you are going to have to pay a lot of money. Those types of armours don't come cheap. I think the weakest is around 150,000 jewels and that is to receive a minor boost in speed. So if you want a really good armour or sword, find one in an ancient labyrinth, forge it yourself or fork over millions of Jewels because trust me, really powerful magically enhanced armours and accessories don't come cheap" Hadrian states.
Erza merely cocked an eyebrow, her eyes drifting towards the sword on his back.
"And Armageddon? I know for a fact that the sword is not a normal one" The scarlet haired girl stated, crossing her arms over her chest.
Hadrian stopped, his head turning slightly as he stared at her with narrowed eyes.
"My sword is not Magically enhanced. I know you heard about the seals that Anthony strengthened but they are not to power the sword. They are meant to hold my power back. When we were fighting I saw your eyes widening at the power of your attacks and the strength behind them. That is not because the sword was enhanced. That increased strength you felt is the seals that currently hold a large portion of my Magical power. The sword contains the power I hold and seals make sure that it is not released, but the stronger I get, the more power is released, increasing the wielders abilities until either the seals or sword break or seals are strengthened" Hadrian states.
Erza's eye widens in complete shock at the Devil Slayer's statement, her eye locking onto Hadrian, noticing the dark like cracks beginning to form in his sclera.
The scarlet haired girl gulped but nodded her head, feeling her heart race with both fear and awe.
He is that powerful that he needs a seal? Erza couldn't help but wonder as Hadrian turned around and walked off, heading towards the train station.
-Break-
"It is good to see that you are back" Makarov says with a smile as both Erza and Hadrian stand before the Guild Master.
"Yes, we are. The mission was complete with no complications" Hadrian answers formally.
The old man cocked an eyebrow as an amused grin grew on his face.
"You're doing that to annoy me aren't you?" The Guild Master asks, causing Erza to blink in surprise as she turns to Hadrian, a questioning expression on her face.
"Of course" Hadrian responds as if it was the most obvious thing, knowing how annoyed the old man gets when he goes all formal on him.
A tick mark grew on Makarov's head as he glared at the young Devil Slayer before him.
"Sometimes I wonder if I should just see how far I can throw you with how often you try to annoy me" The Guild Master growls, though the small grin on his face shows his amusement.
"Of course, but then you will have to deal with the possible damage that could be caused by my landing. With how often the rest of the Guild destroyed public property, you practically thank the gods that I arrived as I have the most control over my power, resulting in far less destruction and less bills for you to pay" The young Devil Slayer says, causing Makarov to deadpan at the dark haired boy.
"I hate it when your right" The old man grumbled, causing a smirk to grow on the Devil Slayer's face.
Sighing slightly, Makarov turned to Erza and smiled at the young girl.
"Congratulations on coming back from your quest. I see that you have a new piece of armour, that is good. It is best that you stay safe, unlike this idiot" The old man says, gesturing to Hadrian.
"Last I recall, I rarely, if ever actually get hurt" Hadrian commented, which Makarov ignored, causing chuckles to be heard from nearby members.
"So good job on that. Now, I am aware that you received your pay and from the looks of things you aren't happy about it" The Guild Master says with a knowing look.
Erza sighed but nodded her head in confirmation.
"Then what is the problem, my child?" Makarov asks, worry present on his face.
"I intended to receive half the reward and hand the other half to Harry but he had refused and forced me to have the entire pay" Erza says, her eyes filled with guilt.
Makarov merely turned to Hadrian with a raised eyebrow.
The young Devil Slayer shrugged his shoulders in response to the old man's silent question.
"What do you want me to say? I already have a lot of money and this was Erza's first C-class mission and she is the newest member of the Guild. A hundred thousand jewels isn't going to bother me since Erza needs it more than I do" The young Devil Slayer states.
"But you already paid for the tickets, my armour and our room" Erza protested.
Makarov blinked in surprise before he turned to Hadrian with a sly grin on his face.
"Well Harry, I didn't know you had it in ya. Making the moves already huh?" The old man asks with a pervy grin.
Bang
Makarov had no time to react as a fist slammed into his face, causing him to stumble back and off the bar. Hadrian merely shook his hand as he lowered it, placing it into his pocket.
"Y-Y-You, j-just hit the M-Master!?" Erza exclaimed, wide eyed.
A chuckle was heard as Makarov pulled himself up onto the bar as he grinned at Hadrian.
"Nice punch there Harry. Though I don't think I deserved that" The Guild Master says, causing Erza's jae to drop in shock.
The bartender merely rolled her eyes in amusement, grateful that someone was willing to put Makarov in his place when he gets pervy.
"You do" The young Devil Slayer responds, causing Makarov to deadpan at Hadrian.
"If you say so" The old man grumbled, knowing that arguing with the Devil Slayer was a pointless endeavour as he was as stubborn as a mule.
"So, back on topic. Erza, you must understand that Hadrian has done so because you are new, if you had been here for longer then he most certainly would have taken half" Makarov says, causing Hadrian to nod his head in confirmation. "See. Anyways, due to your successful mission, you have now been promoted to a D-class Wizard. That means all D-class quests are now available to you. Though C-class quests need to be approved by me"Makarov says with a stern glare.
Erza nodded her head, though silently wondering why she was receiving a glare.
A smile made its way onto the old man's face as he clapped his hands.
"Then this calls for a celebration!" Makarov said as cheers echoed through the Guild Hall as drinks were drunk, much to Erza's confusion.
"They celebrate everything and anything. You get used to it" Hadrian answers with a shrug as he makes his way towards the Bar, dodging the now flying mugs and glass bottles as a brawl begins.
I never thought I would ever be happy again, The scarlet haired girl thought to herself, a small smile growing on her face, only for a mug to hit her in the face.
