Chapter 1: Sword Meets Girl
POV: ???
Location: ???
I jolted awake to the sound of rushing water and the feeling of being utterly drenched. I coughed and sputtered, soon realizing that instead of the warm comfort of my bed, I was lying face-first in the chilling water of a river. I shot up to my feet and panted harshly, as I began to panic. Only then, did I lurch forward as a wave of nausea and a killer headache assaulted me. My skull throbbed and my vision swam, and it took all of my willpower not to scream in pain as memories forced their way into my brain.
I fell to my knees and gasped, my eyes wide, and body trembling. "... What the hell was that?"
I stared at my reflection in the river. A boy no older than 11 or 12 stared back at me, with wide silver eyes and olive-colored skin. With wild, almost gravity-defying two-toned black and blue hair, dressed in a dark navy blue tunic with gold trim and beige undershirt, with brown leather arm guards and fingerless gloves, baggy pants, and brown leather boots. I gulped audibly.
This body--my body, went by the name of Taruko Hikari, the son of two powerful wandering mages. Hailing from some unknown village in the countryside of Fiore called Ginger Village, his parents died on a job request, leaving him orphaned. He was lucky to be placed in the local orphanage but had begun dedicating his time to learning magic and the way of the sword to follow in the footsteps of his parents.
He ran away on his eleventh birthday to pursue his dreams of becoming a powerful mage and swordsman but ended up getting swindled by a group of bandits, gravely wounded, and tossed into a river to bleed to death.
A man with armored skin had done the deed.
"... Fuck." I groaned, burying my face into my hands. I just got ROB'd and tossed into the body of a dead kid...
Going to suppress that deep into my subconscious so I don't have another panic attack.
I slowly stood up and flexed my hands, grimacing. I knew exactly what world I was unexpectedly thrown into too. Fairy Tail. The world of magic, dragons, the power of friendship, and hot anime babes...
Honestly not the worst place to end up.
I pulled my shirt up and was pleasantly surprised to see the signs of defined abs developing.
I wasn't overweight or anything in my old body, but I was scrawny, even though I worked out a lot to stay in shape. I was self-conscious about that, considering all the other dudes around me in my life were built like bodybuilders. Including my friends.
Now though? No worries here!
"Now if only I knew where the hell I am..." I grunted, stepping out of the water and shaking the water off my boots. It was going to take a while for these clothes to dry... "Or when I am."
For all I knew, I could be around during Mavis' time. The first order of business was finding out where I was, and what the date was. That was essential. After that? Well... Fairy Tail was always open for new members, regardless of age, right?
I grinned and began walking with a pep in my step. Emotional turmoil over being sent to another world aside, this was a new lease on life. I'd miss my family and friends, but there was a whole new world out there to see! Fantasies to make real!
I'm gonna make the most of it.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
I paused in my steps, perking up at the high-pitched scream that echoed throughout the forest. My ears rang and I winced, rubbing at them to soothe the aching feeling. Slowly, I turned in the direction of it.
"Not even five minutes, and already, I'm throwing myself knee-deep into the fire," I muttered, bemused.
Without another thought, I ran in the direction of the scream.
X-X-X-X-X-X
POV: Erza Scarlet
Location: ???
Erza was tired.
Practically being born into slavery, she was among many who were forced to build a powerful magic tower. There were days when she couldn't sleep, there were days when she didn't eat. Worked to the bone until her muscles were weak. Many around her would die from overexertion or sickness. Her slavers cared not for such things. The weak died and were tossed aside like trash. The strong lived. That was how it typically worked in the Tower of Heaven. But she'd grown tired of it, being taught of the outside world and its wonders. A place full of magic. She wanted to see it and experience it with her friends. She was tired of being used as a tool, so she staged a revolt.
It was a long and grueling battle. Most of the slaves didn't make it out alive. In the end, she was betrayed by her best friend. Barely escaping with her own life and stranded at sea on a flimsy boat... separated from her friends. Alone. But she trudged on, eventually directing her boat onto the shoreline and finding land in a dense forest with no signs of civilization...
She had no choice but to continue moving, hoping to find a way to Fairy Tail. She was lost, tired, and hungry. She found some wild berries that... seemed to be edible, but it was hardly a filling meal. She remembered her friends, as she stared at the stars. Wondering where they were. If they were okay. And the betrayal, fresh on her mind, left a deep, aching feeling in her chest that made her queasy just thinking about it all.
She cried herself to sleep that night.
When she'd awoken, she found herself surrounded by what could only be a bandit gang. She'd been told stories of bandits by Rob. No good thieves killed and pillaged helpless villages for their selfish greed. They were muttering in hushed whispers, while some kept a close eye on her. The looks on their faces, the rugged smirks as they eyed her up and down... it disgusted her.
"I'm tellin' ya, we could fetch a good price for selling her! You don't normally see girls like her with red hair, and she'll grow up to be a fine young woman. I'm thinking a couple hundred thousand..."
"Doubt it. Have you seen that eye patch? She's damaged goods. We'd be lucky to get within the normal price range with someone like her. Not worth it."
"Then what do we do with her?"
"Heh... I think we can find some uses."
The dirty men chuckled. Vile, slimy things that made her skin crawl. But most of all, it made her blood boil. Sell her? She wasn't some object to be used! Some kind of toy! The fact they would insinuate such enraged Erza to no end. She refused to be a slave to anyone, not when freedom was just within reach. She refused. Not again. SHE WOULDN'T BE A SLAVE AGAIN!
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Erza screamed, her magic power exploding from her body like a raging monsoon. The bandits backed up in sudden fright as their weapons were lifted off the ground by some invisible force, and fired off like bullets. Many of the men went down in a single blow, others were gravely wounded and scared off, forced to retreat.
Erza, as powerful as her magic was, meant nothing when she was malnourished and exhausted both mentally and physically. Her magic power expended, the scarlet-haired girl dropped to her knees and panted harshly, sweat dripping down her brow.
"D-Damn brat...!" Erza gasped, her eyes widening in fright as one of the bandits slowly stood to his feet, blood dripping down his lips as his face morphed into a vicious snarl like some rabid animal. His scowl morphed into a dark grin. "I didn't expect you to have any magic. But you aren't the only one! I think after I take you out, me and the boys will have our way with you and sell you to the highest bidder!"
Erza wanted no part in that, weakly scrambling back and looking for any place to escape. Or a weapon she could use. The bandit stalked his way toward her, eyes wild and crazed as the magic in his hands crackled and sparked uncontrollably. Erza's heart pounded harshly in her chest and she felt a whimper build up in her throat. She clenched her eyes shut and waited for the pain to come.
"OUTTA THE WAY, BOZO!"
... except it didn't.
Erza's eyes snapped open just in time to see some boy drop down from the heavens and drop-kick the bandit right in the back. The man let out a sharp cry of pain as he crashed harshly against the ground. She didn't flinch as she heard a painful crunch and a muffled scream of pain, with the man spinning onto his back and cradling a bloody broken nose.
"Y-YOU BROKE MY FUCKING NOSE!"
The boy looked incredulous. "Oh. Ya don't say?"
The bandit growled and raised one of his hands, charging up a ball of magic energy. "BLAST MAGIC-!"
Erza's eyes widened in horror and she was about to call out to the boy to move, but he beat her to the punch. He suddenly sprinted up to the man just as he was about to cast his spell and kicked him in the head. Hard. The bandit's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he slumped against the ground with a 'thump!'.
The boy sighed, dusting his hands off and glancing around before he spotted Erza and grinned, "Hey, there! What brings you to these fine woods, madam?"
Erza could only stare at the boy in front of her in stunned silence. His smile, the confidence he held, his blue hair... he was almost like...
Like...
Her vision suddenly blurred, only managed to hear a quiet yelp of alarm before she suddenly lost consciousness.
X-X-X-X-X-X
The scent of food roused Erza from her slumber. She felt warm, her ears twitching at the sound of crackling fire. She groaned weakly and slowly sat up. Crickets chirped, and she looked up towards the sky, black and filled with twinkling stars. She blinked slowly. How long had she been out?
"Oh, hey! You're awake."
She flinched and backed up against the nearest tree, locking eyes with the boy who had saved her before. At first glance, she nearly mistook the boy for... Him. While His hair was pure cobalt, the boy in front of her had two-toned hair. The front portion of his hair was a light blue, while the rest was a common black. Where He was pale, the boy had dark skin. Where He had dark brown eyes, the boy had bright silver eyes, like that of steel.
Two sheathed short words rested against the tree behind him, making Erza more wary. He didn't have that before, so she could only assume he stole it from one of the bandits.
He blinked at her and shrugged, taking a seat near the fire. Erza watched him with caution, only for her nose to twitch at the smell of cooked food. Her eyes widened and her mouth began to water as she saw rows of fish skewered on a stick hovering over the fire. Her stomach growled loudly, and she squeaked, cradling her stomach and blushing in embarrassment.
The boy looked amused as he grabbed one of the fish and offered it to her. "Want one?"
Erza stared at him in silence. Hesitant, gauging his actions. While he did save her, the events she'd experienced over the past couple of days - weeks? - were fresh in her mind. She was cautious. Wary.
"I know you're hungry. It's not like I poisoned this or anything." the boy rolled his eyes. Then he smirked. "A wise woman once said 'Hunger is the enemy'."
Erza frowned and slowly reached for the offered fish. She hesitated for the briefest of moments... but hunger one over caution as she snatched it from his hands and began to bite into the fish. Her eyes widened in shock at the flavor that assaulted her taste buds. The young girl resisted the urge to squeal as she devoured her food in seconds.
Erza blinked in surprise when she found her hands empty. Had she...?
"Pfft--HAHAHAHA!"
She flinched, glancing at the boy who burst out into a laughing fit. Erza felt her face heat up as indignation and embarrassment wormed their way into her heart. "D-Do not make fun of me!"
"I'm--heh, I-I'm not! Just... hoo, man, that's adorable!"
"Heh?!" Erza's eyes widened. Adorable? What?!
"Sorry, sorry..." he snickered, rubbing the bottom of his nose and waving his hand through the air in a nonchalant fashion. "Eat as much as you want. I made sure to catch a lot,"
Erza gulped, glancing down at the row of fish and reaching for another. The two began to eat in silence. The only sounds accompanying them were the fire and crickets. Erza gulped down the last of her fish and let out a relieved sigh, rubbing her stomach. "Yummy..."
She quietly glanced at the boy, feeling more inclined to talk, now that she knew he meant her no harm. "Ah... t-thank you, erm..."
"Taruko, and as I said, don't worry about it." he smiled, tossing his stick into a nearby bush. "You were hungry. So I got food. Nothing more, nothing less."
Erza pursed her lips into a thin line, glancing down at her lap and fiddling with the hem of her dress. "... Erza."
"Hm?"
"My name," she muttered, glancing back up at him. "is Erza. Erza Scarlet."
Taruko blinked, then grinned cheerfully and held his hand out. "Nice 'ta meetcha, Erza!"
She couldn't help but smile slightly at his exuberance before her face settled into a neutral expression. She reached out and shook his hand. "... Likewise."
"So," Taruko poked at the fire with another stick, stoking the flames. "What's a young girl like you doing out here?"
Erza paused, memories of the Tower of Heaven flashing in her mind. Her gaze dropped to the fire, as a prominent frown wormed its way onto her face. "... I'm... lost."
"Same," Taruko huffed, leaning his cheek against his upraised palm. "Got swindled by some bandits and dumped in a river."
Erza blinked. "Ah."
Awkward silence. Taruko smirked at her. "Not the talkative type, are you?"
Erza grimaced, her cheeks turning pink. "N-No, it's not that. Just..." she sighed. "I'm tired."
Sympathy flashed in his silver eyes and he leaned back, crossing his arms. "Right... I can tell you've been through a lot." he looked around, rolling his shoulders. "You can sleep, I'll be on night duty for a bit."
"... Why?" Erza muttered.
"Hm?" Taruko blinked. "What?"
"Why are you helping me?" Erza squinted at him, her brows creasing. "I'm... grateful for you sharing your food, but why-?"
"Just felt like it," Taruko said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.
Erza blinked, stupefied. "You... you felt like it."
"Yup." Taruko popped, grinning. "Just felt like it."
Erza stared at him, bewildered. The boy shrugged again and folded his arms behind his head, getting into a comfortable position against the tree. Erza continued to stare before she slowly laid down and curled up near the fire. Closing her eyes, sleep came far quicker than she thought, as a wave of drowsiness washed over her.
Taruko sighed as Erza finally fell asleep. Staring at the fire in silence.
X-X-X-X-X-X
POV: Taruko Hikari
Location: ???
I yawned, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as the crisp morning breeze jolted me awake. The campfire I'd made had long since died out. I turned towards Erza's sleeping form and blinked. The poor girl was shivering. To be fair, it was cold. My guess is it was around Spring.
I ended up taking off my tunic and draping it over her as a makeshift blanket before backing up. Leaving me in just the undershirt. She wasn't shivering as bad as before, so that was good...
Now I knew where I was in the timeline. Before the start of canon, approximately 8 years, since Erza was around my age right now.
I couldn't help but frown as I stared at her poor state, a stark contrast to the strong and capable woman she'd end up becoming. She looked so... vulnerable and frail. Those tattered robes of a 'dress', and all those scars and bandages. Her eye... no girl her age should have had to go through what she went through.
No kid in general should have to suffer a fate like that.
It pissed me off.
Then and there, I'd made my decision. I'm joining Fairy Tail, and I'm gonna make sure Erza gets there safe and sound. She was already strong for her age and made her way to the guild just fine on her own in canon. But fuck canon, me just being near her right now was already throwing that out the window, so who gives a damn?
I sighed, standing up to my feet and slowly moving through the bushes to make my way to the nearest ravine. Crouching down, I splashed water against my face scooped up some of the water in my hands, and took a drink. It was fresh and felt like heaven. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was until just now...
"Those brats have to be around here somewhere, boss! I'm telling you!"
I stiffened. My ears perked up at the annoying, nasally voice. I clicked my tongue and looked around. On the other side of the river, past the foliage, I could make out the silhouettes of grown men. It was those bandits, no doubt. They can't let shit go, can they?
I backed up slowly, sipping into the bushes and making sure I was out of sight before running towards Erza. "Erza!"
She squirmed but didn't wake up. I hurriedly rushed up to her side and shook her. "Erza, wake up. We need to go. Now!"
"Mmm..." her eye cracked open, blinking blearily. "Taruko...?"
"Those bandits are back and looking for us, we have to go," I said grimly.
That woke her up instantly, her face morphing into a look of alarm. I reached out and grabbed one of the swords I'd stolen from the bandits and tossed it to her. She clumsily caught it, adjusting to the weight. "W-What? What do you mean they're back?!"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" I snarked lightly, quickly clipping my sword to my belt and shoving my tunic into her hands. "Hurry up and put that on."
She blinked owlishly but quickly threw the article of clothing on. I nodded in satisfaction. Much better than the dish rag she called a dress. "C'mon, let's go!"
And we ran. As far as our small legs could carry us. Jumping through bushes and shifting through trees. The goal was to get as far away from those bastards as possible. From what I heard, the leader of their group was with them, too. I did not doubt in my mind that we could handle a few of them, but if they had magic, and their leader was strong, Erza and I's odds of making it out alive would drop significantly.
It didn't help that I currently held no magic to my name whatsoever. I don't know if Taruko had magic before his demise and my migration into his body. Our melded memories only gave me so much. And even if I did have magic, I didn't know how to exactly trigger it.
"What was that?"
"It's those brats!"
Son of a bitch.
I clicked my tongue at the sound of pounding feet. That only made me and Erza quicken our pace in a desperate attempt to outrun them. No doubt they saw us running through the forest, our hair wasn't hard to make out through the dense pack of greenery.
My eyes widened as a group of bandits jumped out of the treeline in front of us. Me and I came to an abrupt halt, stumbling over ourselves but quickly standing straight up. On instinct, my hand went towards the sword holstered at my hip. Soon enough, we were surrounded.
"Hoh? These are the brats that gave you so much trouble?"
A voice like rumbling earth made my entire body freeze. Slowly, and turned around to see a man larger than all the other men around us step into view, with muscles the size of tree trunks and a monstrous build. He easily towered over me and Erza, standing at a solid 6'4", with a shaved head, dark skin, and a crooked nose. Dressed in nothing but a muscle shirt, pants, and combat boots, he smirked imperiously.
My head throbbed at the memory that resurfaced. Phantom pains laced up my chest, but I paid them no need.
This was the guy who had killed Taruko. Killed me. No doubt about it.
Fuck, he was a lot more imposing in person.
"I was expecting more from you lot! The Steel Sabre Bandits done in by two children?" the man scoffed, crossing his muscular arms over his broad chest. "Disappointing. And... hm."
He stared at me. Coal grey eyes narrowed before a smirk tugged at his lips. "Well, this is a surprise. I thought I killed you, brat?"
Erza jolted in her spot, no doubt turning to me in surprise. I ignored her watchful gaze and gripped my sword tight enough to cause the leather to creak. "I'm tough to kill. Mind giving me my shit back?"
The man let out a sharp bark of laughter. "PFHAH! And a little bit more bite, too. What little good that'll do ya." he rolled his shoulders and clenched his massive fists. "Tell you what brat. Drop your weapon, hand over the girl, and I'll leave you to my men. Diaval especially might want to take a crack at you."
... I spared a glance to the side, eyeing the dude whose face I kicked in. I looked back at the massive man, standing in front of Erza. "What kind of shitty ultimatum is that? No deal. If you wanna get to Erza, you'll have to try and kill me first."
I smirked. "But you already failed the first time, didn't you?"
His face twitched for a solid second and turned neutral. Then, a vicious snarl left his lips, followed by a grin that I could only describe as malicious. "Suit yourself. I'll simply show you why they call me Rakkör the Ruthless!"
... Christ, that is just so stupid.
"We're gonna have to fight. You ready?" I called out to Erza, not taking my eyes off the opponent as I unsheathed my sword and settled into an appropriate stance as though it were second nature.
Erza looked around as the men around us raised their weapons, and in some cases, conjured up their magic. She looked back at me. For the smallest of seconds, I returned her stare and grinned. It was scary for sure, but also thrilling in a way.
What better way to start this new life of adventure than with an epic battle?
What little hesitation Erza had left vanished. Her face settled into a stone-cold mask, with her lone visible eye sharpening with an edge skin to steel. She silently pulled out her sword and stood at my side. I smirked, reaffirming my stance, and glared at Rakkör.
His grin turned jagged as he thrust his arms out. "ARMOR MAGIC: IRON BODY!"
Like water, liquid metal seeped out of his skin and coalesced around his body in a firm, protective shell. Turning him into a literal metal man. I couldn't help but be reminded of Colossus from X-Men.
A less badass Colossus, that is.
The ground cracked as Rakkör launched forward with a surprising burst of speed. He roared and threw out a fist. Both Erza and I leaped out of the way, and just like that, the battle began. With several bandits rushing in from all angles, Rakkör honed in on me, I backpedaled, dodging his fast punches and parrying them with my sword to the best of my ability. I could feel the air shift around his fists as they grazed past me.
I couldn't get hit, no matter what.
I spared Erza a glance, noting that she was plowing through the horde of bandits with sheer brute strength, no doubt enhanced by her magical abilities. Her swings from her sword held no actual technique or finesse, but it mattered little when those swings could send grown men flying like they weighed absolutely nothing in the first place.
I instinctively rolled out of the way of a heavy swing from Rakkör and retaliated with a horizontal swing toward his abdomen. I shouldn't have been surprised when my blade skidded off his body, only managing to tear through his shirt but nothing else.
He let out a mocking laugh and stopped at the ground, rupturing the earth and forcing me to back away in a panic. "Idiot! I would have thought you learned the last time. My Armor Magic makes my skin as tough as the strongest metals in Fiore! A basic sword like that won't pierce through."
I remained silent, my lips peeling back into a distasteful frown. Of course, I had to fight the guy with impenetrable skin and no fucking armor. Whatever, guess I'll have to improvise.
Rakkör rushed me again, but I was ready. Shifting my body to the side, I flipped my sword into a reverse grip hooked the guard and blade in between his wrist, and tugged down. Using the larger man's momentum against him to drive him into the dirt with a thunderous slam. Taruko and I were the same. His memories were my own, and vice versa. That went from experience as well. I had no skill with a sword, but he did. I was wholly reliant on his competent skill as a swordsman, no matter how young he was.
It was the only thing keeping me alive against someone vastly stronger than me.
I heard a muffled snarl and leaned back as he swiped at me furiously. Another lightning-fast punch forced me to use the flat of my blade to block it. The force made my bones rattle, I nearly felt my arms go numb as my body sailed through the air and crashed against a tree painfully.
My back took the brunt of the force and left me dazed. I shakily kept a firm grip on my sword and rolled out of the way of another punch that destroyed the tree behind me. I shot up to my feet and raised my sword defensively as Rakkör turned to me and snarled. "Armor Magic: Blade!"
His arms glowed with magical energy and sharpened. Razor-sharp blades jutted out from his elbows and gleamed menacingly under the sun's rays. Rakkör shifted his stance and lunged at me with a fearsome roar. "I'll turn you into mincemeat!"
I narrowed my eyes in focus and met him in the middle of his charge. He swung one of his blades at me and I ducked low, feeling it whizz past my head and clip some of my hair. I pushed forward and kicked at the back of Rakkör's shin with all my weight. While it didn't harm him, it did make him stumble over himself. I capitalized on that and slammed the pommel of my sword against his nose, driving him towards the ground.
He was quick to retaliate, launching his body back and shifting into an elbow strike. I swerved, one of the blades clipping my arm and drawing blood, I ignored the pain and lowered my sword against the ground. As soon as Rakkör turned to face me, I dug my blade into the ground and swung upwards, kicking up dirt right into his eyes.
"AARGH!" he roared in pain, rubbing furiously at his eyes to get rid of the dirt. I smirked. His skin may have protected him from bladed weapons and blunt force, but cheap tactics weren't out of the quest. I took the opportunity to strike and leaped at his face. The Gods graced me as he lowered his arms to locate where I was. Only to get a boot straight to the face!
I should have expected that to do nothing, honestly. It didn't. The man barely even budged from the strike. Fueled by nothing but anger, he grabbed me by the face, his hand eclipsing my head due to its sheer size. He dug his feet into the ground, and with a forceful heave, LAUNCHED me through several trees.
All I knew was pain. I didn't know when I had stopped flying. One moment I was in the air, the next I was on the ground lying in a crater of my own making. The pain was agonizing, and I knew that if it weren't thanks to bullshit anime durability, I'd likely be dead right now.
I think I now know where he got the title 'Ruthless' from.
I wasn't even going to bother trying to assess my injuries. It all fucking hurt. It was a challenge just to move my body. Let alone my eyes.
Panic rang through my very being as the ground shook, and I slowly craned my head in the direction of the source. Rakkör was running towards me like a raging bull. Each step was shaking the very earth. If that wasn't bad enough, he looked livid. The ground shattered as he leaped into the air and clasped his hands together, coming down upon me with a hammer strike. If that landed, I was dead. There was no sugarcoating it. I was going to die.
I was led by nothing but instinct. I refused to die, not after just getting here. There was so much I wanted to do and see. There were people I wanted to meet and adventures to go on... this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I wasn't going to squander it! I refused to die. NOT UNTIL I LIVED MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST!
Something within me stirred, then. Like a dam bursting, a flood of power exploded from my body as I reached for my sword and swung at Rakkör wildly. A wave of energy erupted from the blade and slammed into Rakkör, sending him flying back which he came!
I blinked owlishly, slowly lowering my gaze to the sword in my hand. The blade shined with an ethereal glow before fading away. But the power within remained, burning, and raging to be unleashed.
I almost laughed.
Magic.
Of course, I unlocked magic in a life-or-death situation.
Through the pain, I forced myself to stand and gripped my weapon with purpose. Eyes sharp with determination, I dashed right back into the fight, stronger than ever.
X-X-X-X-X-X
No POV.
They came in swarms.
Erza weaved through daggers and swords, swinging her own and sending men flying with her monstrous strength. She blocked another strike with her sword. Metal sang as they clashed, with the man before her snarling in an attempt to possibly scare her.
She was undeterred.
She shoved him back and drove a fist into his stomach. Instantly he fell to his knees gasping for air, and she delivered a sharp kick to the jaw. Sending him sprawling onto his back and knocking him out cold. Instincts drove her to whirl around and slash straight through a blast of magical energy. She gripped her sword as she locked eyes with Diaval. The very same man who threatened to sell her.
"I wanted to blast that blue-haired brat to pieces, but I guess I'll settle for you," he growled, sparks of energy sparking between his fingers. "This all would have been so simple if you'd just stayed down like a good girl."
Erza stilled, then scowled. Walking near one of the unconscious men, she snatched their sword and flicked the sheath off, before facing Diaval with an expression full of righteous fury. "So that you could use me? Sell me to the highest bidder? The fact you would treat human lives as a means of making money disgusts me!"
Her expression turned thunderous. "You are nothing but scum."
Diaval snorted, then laughed loudly, running a hand through his dirty hair. "I've heard that before, kid. You'll soon find out it's a dog-eat-dog world out there. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive." he scowled. "You'll learn that soon enough."
Erza inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. Her face morphed into a neutral frown and she dug her feet into the ground. Without uttering another word, she rocketed towards Diaval and swung her swords at him wildly. The bandit dodged with surprising speech and flexibility, making Erza raise a brow, before narrowing her eyes.
She and Taruko had only gotten those hits in through the element of surprise. Now he knew of their capabilities and was prepared. It was obvious he was experienced in battle, so she would have to give this all she had. Diaval wore an aggravating smirk on his face that grated on Erza's nerves. "You'll want to try much harder than that, brat! Blast Magic: Renegade!"
Diaval thrust his arms out and fired off a barrage of energy blasts. Erza jumped back and dodged to the best of her ability, but got grazed and slammed by a few. The impact made her gasp as the magical energy exploded on impact, sending her flying through the air. She forced her body to take action and flipped around, aiming her feet toward the ground for a safe landing.
"Blast Magic: Outburst!" he was already upon her. Erza side-stepped his outstretched arm as an explosive wave of energy tore through the air and created a smoldering crater where she once stood. Erza pounced, driving her knee into his stomach and forcing him onto his knees. Her leg snapped upwards and slammed against his jaw, earning a cry of pain and sending him flying into the air.
She launched herself after him and brought her swords down upon him in a downward slash. Diaval panicked and unleashed a haphazard spell, engulfing Erza in an explosion of magical energy. The force sent her crashing back to earth, but likewise sent him spiraling into a tree.
Erza coughed, body twitching in pain from taking an explosion point-blank, but she stood up and raised her swords in preparation. She dared to look away, to see where Taruko was and how he was doing. Her eyes widened in horror when she witnessed Rakkör grab the boy by the face and launch him deeper into the forest like some human spear.
Trepidation filled her heart. She had not known the boy for long, but he'd treated her with unwavering kindness. He seemed a bit childish, but it was endearing. It reminded her of her friends back at the Tower of Heaven. To see him hurt, and potentially die, when she had the power to stop it...
No. She couldn't let that happen.
As she moved to give chase, a ball of energy whizzed past her face and stopped her in her tracks. She turned towards Diaval who clicked his tongue at her and waved his finger mockingly. "Nuh-uh-uh. We're not finished yet, brat. You've still got to pay your dues... that boy's fate has already been sealed!"
He laughed maniacally, splaying his arms out wildly. "Anyone who's stood up to Rakkör died at his hands! The moment you two brats chose to fight, you were already DEAD! PFAHAHAHA!"
Erza's body shook. Not out of fear, but out of anger. "You dare..."
Diaval continued to laugh, as his magic began to bubble uncontrollably in his hands. His eyes are frantic and wild. His arms raised threateningly, and he roared. "I WAS GONNA KEEP YOU ALIVE, BUT NOW I DON'T GIVE A FUCK! BLAST MAGIC: RENEGADE NOVA!"
As he unleashed a volley of blasts upon her, far more powerful and supercharged in comparison to the original spell, Erza's rage peaked. Her hair floated, as though drifting through the wind, as a raging tempest of magical energy bled from her body in waves. "DO NOT INSULT US!" her magic lashed out, carrying with it the swords of countless fallen men. With a flex of her will, a barrage of steel intercepted the torrent of energy in a thunderous collision that shook the very earth.
Erza pushed forward with an explosive burst of speed, jumping through the smoke generated by the blasts and swinging her swords down. Diaval panicked and raised his arms in defense, charging up his magic. Flesh tore, and the man could only pause in shock as his magic failed to fire despite him compelling it to.
With trembling eyes, he looked down to see blood gushing from bloody stumps. His hands lay on the ground. Limp and unmoving. The pain finally registered, and he screamed. "A--AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
Diaval stumbled over himself and collapsed onto his backside in horror. "M-My hands! YOU CUT OFF MY FUCKING HA-!" whatever rage he had died as swiftly as it came as he faced Erza.
His heart nearly stopped beating. He looked at the girl and came face to face with a murderous glare. Potent magical energy sparked around her body, and her lips were peeled back into a venomous snarl. Her one functioning eye was nothing but a glowing red dot that spoke volumes of her tempestuous anger. He choked on his tongue.
That was no child. That was a demon in human skin. Diaval let out a hysteric scream, panic, and adrenaline overriding his body as he scrambled back in a pitiful attempt to escape. "S-STAY BACK! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, M-MONSTER! STAY AWAY!"
Erza stalked towards him until his back pressed up against a tree. He stared at her within primal fear, and Erza's eyes narrowed. She raised her leg and brutally kicked him in the face, snapping his jaw and knocking him out cold. The red-haired girl took a step back and exhaled slowly, as she tried to get a grip on her raging heart.
Her face scrunched up in disgust at the smell of urine. The man likely soiled himself out of fear. Disgusting.
"!" Erza blinked, snapping out of her reverie and turning in the direction that Rakkör and Taruko went. "Taruko...!"
Her worry for the boy was cut short when Rakkör's massive body sailed overhead, carried by a wave of magical energy that exploded with a trembling shockwave that sent him crashing into the ground. She blinked languidly, and her expression shifted into one of surprise and relief as Taruko leaped into view, rolling his shoulders.
The boy blinked, bright silver eyes locking onto her. He looked around and grinned. "You finished up already? Nice! I knew you could do it."
Erza blinked again. He had such confidence in her? "Y-Yes." she fumbled over her words, rushing up to his side. "Are you okay?"
"What? Never took a ride through the woods?" He quipped with a smirk. She stared at him with a squint, and he sweat-dropped. "Okay, geez. I'm alright. More worried about the guy in front of us."
Erza focused on Rakkör, who sat up with a groan and hissed in pain. On closer inspection, she could see a large superheated gash running along his chest. She blinked. Taruko did that?
She spared the boy a glance. He seemed just as surprised. Erza sweat-dropped. Did he do that unintentionally?
"Ugh... so you can use magic?" Rakkör grunted, ripping off his damaged shirt and rolling his shoulders. "It won't matter in the end."
Taruko rolled his eyes and raised his sword defensively. "Whatever you say, guy." he glanced at Erza. "Mind giving me a hand?"
Erza paused, staring into his eyes. She saw no traces of fear, only determination and confidence. It emboldened her, and she nodded, taking a stance next to him and staring at Rakkör with her own look of determination.
Rakkör clashed his fists together, sending off sparks as metal ground against metal. Then he moved. With a burst of speed, he lunged at them and swung his fists with all his weight. If they dodged, they would be struck by his elbow blades. That wasn't a problem.
Taruko poured magical energy into his sword, giving the blade a mysterious glow. As he moved to the side, and Rakkör's blade came into view, he swung his sword and cleaved straight through like a hot knife through butter. Erza blocked instead, digging her feet into the ground to keep herself grounded. In unison, both she and Taruko lashed out with a kick to the abdomen, sending Rakkör flying back.
Rakkör dug his fingers into the ground, bleeding out his momentum and driving his fist through the earth. The ground exploded in a shower of debris as he used his superhuman strength to generate a roaring shockwave. The two children lost their balance and flew through the air, and Rakkör took his chance. With a powerful jump, he slammed his fist against Taruko's chest and sent him crashing into the ground.
As he whirled around to slash at Erza with his remaining elbow blade, she flipped over his arm and kicked him in the jaw, making the larger man stumble over himself as he rubbed at his bruised jaw. "Damn brat can hit hard..."
Erza rushed over to Taruko and was quick to help the groaning boy stand. "Are you alright? Can you still fight?"
"No, and yes..." he hissed, rubbing his damaged ribs and stabbing his sword into the ground to keep himself from falling. "I might have an idea."
Erza blinked and leaned in when he began whispering into her ear. She nodded slowly and gripped her swords tightly. "... Okay." she stood up and faced Rakkör. "I will engage first."
Before Taruko could even refute it, she was already rushing the man. Rakkör noticed her charge and swung in retaliation. Erza ducked low and pushed forward, swinging her swords and reinforcing the blades with magical energy. Small gashes dug into the bandit's armored skin and he began to backpedal in alarm. She continued her assault, using her raw strength and speed to deliver a flurry of slashes upon the man.
Small cuts littered his frame, and he snarled, folding his arms to block her next strike and shoving back. As Erza stumbled, he threw his massive fist towards her. She crossed her swords and used the flat of her blades to block the hit. Her legs trembled, but she refused to buckle under the weight. Then she screamed. "SWITCH!"
Rakkör's confusion didn't last long as Taruko blurred into view. Erza backed up, making Rakkör stumble as he found nothing to push his weight against, falling right into an upward slash from the two-tone-haired boy. Rakkör howled in pain as a wave of energy was unleashed from the edge of his blade, carving into his skin. "SWITCH!"
Erza swooped in and delivered another slash. This process repeated as Rakkör tried to retaliate. The moment he struck at one, they'd already moved and the other moved to pick up where they left off. They were far too fast for him to pick up. The cuts and gashes grew larger, and all the fearsome bandit could do was roar in pain as they attacked him from every angle. Eventually, the pain was too much for him to handle, and he dropped to his knees.
"D-Damn it..." Rakkör grits his teeth in anger and agony, panting harshly as he tries to stand. It was futile. He craned his head up to see the two brats stalking towards him. "You... you are not normal. No child should be this strong!"
Taruko and Erza made no sound. Only glaring at the man in silence. The last thing Rakkör saw was the two of them rush at him in unison and swing their swords. Waves of magic exploded from their blades and slammed into Rakkör. The man whited out from pain, as a large X-shaped scar dug into his chest from their combined attack. His magic was deactivated, and the metal armor seemed to melt off his skin.
Rakkör collapsed, and Taruko let out a sigh of relief, soon falling onto his back and taking in greedy gulps of air. "Holy shit... that was intense!" he laughed. "AWESOME!"
Erza cocked her head to the side at his odd enthusiasm. She blinked when he craned his head up at her. "You were awesome out there, too. Seriously, how are you so strong?!"
Erza paused, staring at the swords in her hands, and frowning. "... I had to be this strong."
Taruko stared at her in silence and shrugged his shoulders. "Seems legit." Erza blinked in confusion at his words, but he ignored them in favor of standing up and looking around. "Let's see..."
Erza's eyes widened in surprise as she watched the boy begin to pickpocket the unconscious bandits. "W-What are you doing?!"
"Looting." Taruko shrugged. He sent her a cheeky smirk. "Why?"
"T-That's..." Erza choked on her words, twitching and frowning.
"Hey, they probably stole all this stuff from other people! It's fair game." Taruko laughed as he took out thin sheets of paper. "Booyah! Jewel!"
Erza walked over and squinted at the odd paper. "... Jewel?"
"Yup." Taruko popped, and began looting the other bandits of their cash and trinkets, "Jewel is our currency. We use it to buy stuff like clothes, food, rent out places to stay, all kinds of stuff."
Erza nodded slowly in understanding. "I see..."
As the boy pocketed the money, he glanced at her. "So, whatcha plan on doing?"
"Huh?" Erza blinked.
"Well, you aren't gonna thug it out in the woods, are you?" Taruko snorted. "What do you plan on doing when you get out of here?"
Erza paused, frowning in thought. "I was... going to go to Fairy Tail. I made a promise to get there."
"The number one guild in Fiore? Sheesh, trying to make it big, huh?" Taruko snickered, cupping his chin and humming to himself. "Fairy Tail... always wondered what it'd be like over there."
Erza stared at him quietly and paused, chewing the inside of her cheek. "Do you... want to go with me?"
"Hm?"
"I-" Erza stammered, grimacing and tugging at the hem of the tunic given to her by the boy. "I was supposed to go there... with my friends. But we-" she choked on her words, as painful memories resurfaced. She squashed the heart-wrenching feeling down, inhaling. "-they are not with me."
Taruko stayed quiet, eyeing the red-haired girl for a moment. Erza failed to meet his gaze, so she missed the broad grin that stretched across his face, "Sure!"
Erza stumbled. "Huh?"
"I said sure! Who wouldn't want to join the number one guild?" he joked, shrugging his shoulders before sheathing his sword and folding his arms behind his head. "I left home seeking a life of adventure and to polish up my skills as a swordsman. This sounds like fun. So let's do it!"
Erza stared at him in surprise and only mustered up a slow nod. "...O...Okay."
Taruko's grin nodded and he suddenly bolted off with a laugh. "The first one to make it to Fairy Tail is a rotten egg!"
Etza squawked and stammered as she stared at his retreating. "Wait! Don't just run off, you could get lost!" she shouted in exasperation as she gave chase, leaving the battlefield battle.
Yet, despite her exasperation, she couldn't help but smile at his exuberance. The confidence and goofy attitude reminded her of better times when she was surrounded by friends. People she considered her family... most of all, he reminded her of Him. Conflicting emotions came from such a thought, but there was also a comfortable warmth that came with it. Taruko shared a lot of similarities with Him.
The one that gave her the name Scarlet.
This was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Popped up in my head and then I couldn't stop writing the moment I made a draft.
Fucking wild.