Chapter 101: Returning Back!

"Yo! I'm back!" Natsu tried to greet them with a casual expression, but everyone just rolled their eyes at him. How could he be so relaxed after all the previous events?

"Natsu!!" "Natsu-sama!!"

Erza and Kagura didn't care about others and hurriedly approached him before checking his body for any injuries. They'd regained consciousness just a while ago and were worried sick after noticing his absence.

"Chill out, girls! I'm fine." Natsu assured, making them relieved. Then, he put down Juvia, who felt a bit sad, missing his bodily warmth. Erza and Kagura looked at her suspiciously, making her a little uncomfortable under their gazes, but Simon saved her from further awkwardness by calling out to him.

"Salamander!! Since you're here, does that mean you defeated Jellal?" Simon's question made everyone focus their attention on Natsu. Sho, Wally, and Millianna had an angry look on their face while thinking about their former boss.

"Yeah, tell us what happened there, Natsu. I hope you were able to stop him and his plans." Erza also asked with a serious expression. Gray and Lucy just looked at his direction expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Sigh, well, if you're worried about his plans, then yeah, he failed. I managed to stop his ambitions by destroying the whole tower. He wanted to use my body to resurrect Zeref, but unfortunately for him, I'm not so easy of a target. Thankfully you managed to return back, Erza. Otherwise, he might have switched his attention back to you." Natsu explained while retelling the previous events, making everyone listen carefully.

"So, what really happened to Jellal? Is he dead or alive? If he's alive, then I will make him pay for his sins." Sho asked with a hateful expression making Wally and Millanna nod in agreement. Simon seemed not to care whatever happened to Jellal. He was more focused on Erza and his little sister, Kagura.

"To be honest, I don't know. Before destroying the island, I sent him crashing down to the bottom floor. I have no idea whether he managed to escape or not." Natsu replied with a casual expression while shrugging his shoulders. He didn't care what happened to that bastard.

Erza was a little uncomfortable hearing this, but she could only sigh and pray for his safety. No matter what, he was still her childhood friend. She wished he would turn a new leaf if he managed to escape from the island.

"Umm, everyone? Can we please leave this place already? It's getting cold in here." Lucy said, making everyone realize their current predicament. They were still out on the ocean.

"That's right. We should leave this place as soon as possible. Everyone, gather around me! I'll teleport us to the resort. We can talk more inside the warm hotel." Natsu said, making everyone gather in front of him. Then, one-by-one, he teleported everyone back to the hotel. The first one to go was obviously Erza, and then Kagura.

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All of them were back to the Akane Resort. Natsu told everyone except Erza to rest for the night since all of them looked pretty worn out, and it was almost nearing 2 AM. Plus, he had a late-night date scheduled with Erza.

Soon, Erza and Natsu left the hotel to go to the beach. Erza didn't wear anything fancy, just her usual armor. Natsu also didn't change into fancy clothes and wore just his usual sleeveless waistcoat and baggy pants with his typical scaly scarf on top of it.

They walked around the beach in silence. Erza was thinking about their previous encounters in the Tower of Heaven, whereas Natsu didn't want to disturb her thoughts.

After a while, Erza finally concluded her thoughts with a heavy sigh.

"Why aren't you saying anything, Natsu?" Erza asked Natsu when she noticed the silence.

"You looked lost in your thoughts. I didn't want to disturb you when you looked like that." Natsu answered her casually while walking beside her. Erza sighed again and walked beside him in another silence.

After a while, she couldn't stop herself from asking a question. "Natsu! Uhm… Do you think I could have done better? I left Sho, Simon, Wally, and Millianna alone in that nightmarish place for more than a decade. Maybe If I had gone back, something would have changed. Now, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about it."

Erza said, returning back to silence. She couldn't stop herself from feeling responsible for all the horrible events that happened to her friends due to her absence. Natsu looked at her deprecating smile and sighed.

"I can't answer that. Maybe some things really would have changed for the better if you went there, but there's also another chance that it would have turned in for the worse. Sometimes, some things are meant to happen, no matter what. I know you're feeling guilty, that you're somehow responsible for all the events related to Jellal, but instead of drowning yourself in the guilt, why not use it to better your friend's lives. They finally got back their freedom, and now's the time for you to help them out." Natsu answered, making her wide-eyed. She couldn't help herself from thinking about his words.

"You're right, Natsu. Instead of blaming myself, I should make sure that my friends live their new lives the way they were meant to. Thank you for all the help, Natsu." Erza said with a determined expression. Natsu smiled when he saw the spark he loved returned to her eyes.

"Don't worry about it. It's getting late. I guess this means the end of our late-night date. Let's go back to the hotel." Natsu said, making Erza surprised. She forgot that they were supposed to be on a date.

"I'm sorry for ruining it." Erza had a downcast expression while thinking about it. This date meant a lot to her, and now she ruined it.

When Natsu saw her expression, he couldn't stop himself from embracing her. It felt a little odd due to the cold exterior of her armor. Still, he ignored the uncomfortable feeling and just comforted her.

Erza felt a little tense when he hugged her but soon melted into his warm and comforting embrace. No matter how strong she appeared to others, she was still a traumatized child at heart. Natsu's presence helped soothe all her worries and anxieties.

After a while, Erza meekly spoke, trying to break free from the hug. "Uhm… I'm fine now, Natsu. Let's return to the hotel. I'm feeling pretty tired."

Natsu smiled when he heard her and gently kissed her rosy lips, warming them up. Erza blushed due to the sudden kiss, but before she could return it he pulled away, grabbing her hands.

"You're right. Let's head back. I'm also mentally tired out after all the fighting." Natsu replied, leading her back to the hotel. Erza smiled, tightening her hold on Natsu's warm hands. Both of them returned back to the hotel in silence before he guided her to her room.

"Here's your room, Erza. Make sure to rest properly. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night!" Natsu wished her a good night and wanted to leave, but Erza suddenly pulled his waistcoat from behind, stopping him in his tracks. When he turned back, he saw her looking at him with a deep blush.

"Uhm… C-Can you stay for a while? Y-Your room is pretty far from here, and it's getting pretty l-late. I-I was wondering if you would like to spend the night with me." Erza said while stuttering. She had deep shades of red in her cheeks, asking him. She couldn't stop herself from looking downward due to the embarrassment.

Natsu was taken aback by her sudden suggestion, but his grin soon returned. He understood Erza's intentions and was glad to partake in it.

"Sure, if that's what you want. I'd be glad to join you for the night." Natsu replied with a playful smirk making Erza feel even more embarrassed, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling when he accepted her request.

Then, both of them entered the room, holding each other's hands. It was the beginning of a heated night for the duo, which they would remember throughout their life. It was the start of a beautiful relationship between a dragon and his knight.

(A/N: I'm gonna start limiting the harem now. I think I'll add at max 2 more girls in FT. I feel like I'll probably ruin the story even more with more girls. Kagura is a must since she's one of my favorite. I'll leave voting for the remaining girl in the auxiliary chapter. Anyway leave your opinion down below. I need your comments!)