"NATSU!!!" Erza screamed to the top of her lungs as she rushed into the billowing smoke that burned her lungs. Tears streamed down the corner of her eyes as she searched frantically through the smoke for her friend. 'Please Kami, let me find him!' She thought in panic, her eyes scanning anywhere and everywhere around her. "Natsu, where are you?!"
A groan caused her to stop in her tracks. With a heavy heart she moved as fast as her legs could take her to his location. The smoke finally began to clear as she stopped dead in her tracks, cupping her hand over her mouth in horror. Natsu was against one of the many trees, his head dipped down as his dirty, bloodied hair shadowed his eyes. There were multiple burn marks all over his body, blood running down the side of his head. His arms were littered in small cuts from the gravel that shot out from the explosion.
"Natsu!" Erza quickly rushed to her companion, kneeling in front of him with tears restricting her vision. He slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze, she took a sharp gasp, her eyes wide in horror. Blood was dripping from the gaping hole where his left eye used to be. "Oh god! Natsu, you fucking idiot why did you do that?!"
He slowly lifted his head, cracking a weak smile her way. "I have to.. protect my friends... no matter what."
She heard someone hit the ground behind her as she whipped around with her sword in hand, ready to defend Natsu to her dying breath. To her relief it was just Gray who gawked in horror at the state Natsu was in. "Holy shit, NATSU!" He rushed over with Carla. "What the hell happened?! Carla, go get Wendy NOW!"
"R-right!" She took off at the speed of light, leaving the two mages to look in horror in at Natsu's battered body.
Gray immediately started tearing off his parts of his pants. wrapping them around the wounds that he could, tears almost on the verge of spilling out. Erza summoned a first aid kit from her re-quip space, grabbing many things of gauze and ointment. "Natsu this is gonna hurt please bear with me..." she whispered, using some alchol to pour on his cuts as Natsu's body jerked as he let out the most horrendous screams they ever heard from the slayer. She quickly wrapped his arm completely in gauze, working as fast as she could. "Dammit Natsu! Why did you push me away, I could've summoned my adamantium shield to protect us!"
"What the hell happened Erza?" Gray asked with a shaky voice, clenching his fists so tight they were white.
"W-we were walking to the camp before Natsu stopped suddenly... he took one more step and a magic circle mine appeared below his feet... He.. he shoved me out of the way and took the explosion head on..." She finished in a shaky voice, tears spilling out from her eyes as she felt her heart on the near verge of shattering.
Gray lifted Natsu by his scarf with a weak glare, tearing up as his hands clenched tightly to the piece of fabric. "You damn idiot, what were you thinking?!"
Natsu was on the verge of losing consciousness, only able to look through one eye. His breathing was shallow. "I.. I'm.. sorry..." his eyes shut as his body slumped forward into Gray who immediately panicked, shaking the slamon haired mage desperately.
"Don't you even think about going on me, Natsu!"
"Dammit, I was hoping that would've killed him, oh well guess a dragon slayer's body is much more durable than I once thought."
Gray and Erza whipped their heads around to two individuals who stepped out of the clearing of the woods. One of them was about Natsu's height, a small black beard that covered his face that complimented his haggard look. The other wore a cloak, but you could see the maniacal grin that spread across his lips. "Who are you?!" Erza demanded in a shaky tone, her stoic demeanor completely gone at this point.
"Does it really matter who we are?" The man scoffed with a amusing grin. "You'll be dead before you even say a word."
SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!
A barrage of wind hit the duo, sending them flying back as Erza and Lucy shot their heads up in glee. "Wendy!"
Wendy landed on the ground, immediately rushing over to Natsu with tears in her eyes. It didn't take seconds to see the horrid state he was in. She pushed Gray out of the way as a green light emitted from her hands, clenching her teeth tightly. "Please... Natsu..."
"That was a lucky shot kid!"
Erza turned on her heel to block a dagger with her sword that was inches from her eyes. She shoved the man back as she rushed forward to slash at the man, who moved to the side, plunging a fist into her gut as she was gasped for air. She growled, kicking the man away from her as a golden glow surrounded her body, leaving her in a metallic angelic armor. "Heavens Wheel!"
Gray smacked his fist into his palm, an icy aura surrounding his body. "You guys messed with the wrong guild!"
Ice Make LANCE!
He shot forward a multitude of ice lances that streamed past Erza's opponent who struck the man in the cloak. "Damn this kid! Better watch your step if you don't want to end up like your friend!"
"Then let's go off the ground shall we?" Carla grabbed a hold of Gray as he punched his palm.
ICE MAKE PILLAR!
With wide eyes, a giant pillar pushed the cloaked man off the ground high into the air with Gray and Carla trailing after him.
"Dance my blades!" Erza called to the weapons that circled her body, before flying towards her opponent.
He dodged each and everyone, flipping his body over a blade that grazed off his beard. "Gonna have to try better than that kid!" He turned his head with wide eyes as Erza's furious face was already in front of him, wearing a different kind armor that resembled a cheetah.
Erza slashed his chest, causing blood to gush out from the man's wound as he slid back along the ground. She tore off the ground in a furious rage, clenching her blade tightly in her grasp. "YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO NATSU!"
The man widened his eyes before he felt a blade plunge into his shoulder, piercing straight through. "F-fuck!" He hacked up blood that built up in his lungs as he growled, a magical aura surrounding his body. "PLAY TIMES OVER!"
He pushed the knight back with a shockwave that knocked her on her back. As he wielded his dagger, disappearing completely into thin air. "Let's see if you can strike what you can't see!" He cackled maniacally as Erza frantically tried to search for her opponent.
The man circled around her like a wolf, waiting to pounce on it's prey. He lunged forward, slicing at Erza's shoulder as she gritted her teeth, but he didn't stop there, he bounced off the trees like a pinball, riddling her body in cuts all over her body. She dropped to one knee, her armor giving away to her heart kreuz armor.
Meanwhile, Gray mercilessly slashed at the man in the cloak with blades he formed on his elbows, roaring in anger as he tore the man's body apart with slashes. "If you got no ground, then no mines! Now you'll pay for what you did to my BROTHER!" He roared to the top of his lungs, landing on the pillar as he shoved his fist into the man's jaw, hearing a crack. He didn't stop there as he slashed at the man's knees, causing him to buckle over. He was at Gray's mercy. There was only one option left.
He slid his hand underneath his cloak, placing a mine on his chest. "Sorry Marco..." he muttered before throwing his body forward towards Gray who's eyes widened, noticing the magic circle on his chest begin to emit a glow.
ICE MAKE GIANT SHIELD!
Gray frantically formed a giant shield as the explosion went off, blood, guts and more raining down from the sky as he was sent flying back.
Erza's head shot up to the sky with wide eyes. "GRAY!"
'Now is my chance...' Marco thought with a savage grin, leaping forward with his dagger pointed straight to Erza's heart. "ITS OVER RED HEAD!"
Erza looked straight at the sound of the voice, trying to lift her sword to no avail. She clenched her eyes shut and awaited the blow to come. The sound of metal clashing against something hard, made her eyes shoot open. With wide eyes she saw Natsu who was clenching the man's dagger in his hand that was surrounded by flames, blood dripped on the ground. "N-natsu?"
"You're gonna pay for what you did to Erza..." Natsu snarled, glaring deep into the man's soul with one eye who trembled under the pressure that formed between the two. He was not staring at a man, but a monster in the flesh, a demon that was raised from the dephs of hell to exact his punishment. "Now... BURN!" He grabbed a hold of the man tightly as flames encircled his whole body.
He tried his best to pry himself from Natsu's iron grasp, but it was useless. His flames only grew hotter, peeling off his skin, agonizing screams to follow. Erza watched in horror as Natsu's flames only grew brighter, bringing more agonizing torture to the man in front of him. "N-natsu stop!"
Her words fell on deaf ears as she screamed to the top of her lungs. "NATSU STOP!"
Natsu's flames immediately dissipated as he dropped the third, maybe even fourth degree burned man on the ground who's breathing was shallow at best, staring wide eyed in pure terror like he just looked into the eyes of a pure monster. He slowly turned towards Erza. "Er..za.." his knees buckled forward as he fell forward, Erza immediately reaching out to catch him.
"Natsu..." She clenched onto the man tightly with tears streaming down her eyes. "T-thank you... for saving me again."
Gray landed next to the duo, glancing around with a tired expression, wiping the blood off his arms. He grimaced at the scene before him. This mission wasn't even high grade, but they were almost done in by two mages. With a sigh, he turned turned Erza and Natsu with a deep frown.
"What a fucking shit show."
Man! What a chapter this was. I enjoyed writing this honestly. I know a lot of you are gonna attack me on that Natsu wouldn't of gotten that hurt due to his tough skin. His opponents were none the ordinary. Those mines were specialized for dragon slayers because they pose the most threat to any dark guild. Plus this is a mature fic, filled with angst so why not add it huh? By the way my goal of every chapter is at least 2k words, or even more if I think it needs it. I'm not made of talent to make 10k word chapters a piece. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all in the next one. Later :)