Chapter 4: The Wrath of the Wyverns

As I sat on the train, I barely noticed something... I was still covered in blood. I'll have to explain this to the guild as well. Tch, I should probably find a place to stay—I've been crashing at the guild for three days, and that's not healthy.

I barely managed to drag myself off the train. I know that soon enough, even this will be impossible... For now, I can barely move on public transportation, but I feel like soon I won't even be able to do that...

After getting off the train, I pulled myself together and headed straight for the guild. Master Makarov was there to meet me.

Makarov:

"Oh, so you've returned. I trust the blood on you belongs to an animal?"

One of the rules of Fairy Tail is to never kill... I suppose I can stick to that.

Soma:

"Yes, Master, you're right. It's my own blood, and the blood of some strange wolves. I've never seen wolves like those before..."

Makarov:

"Oh, now I'm even more curious. Tell me, how was your adventure?"

After I told Makarov what happened, he seemed almost proud.

Makarov:

"Incredible, my boy. No one your age has ever survived an encounter with a Shiva Wolf no, wolves with just minor injuries... and you fought three of them? These creatures are extremely rare; encountering three at once is practically unheard of."

Soma:

"Damn, I wish I'd brought their bodies with me. I didn't know they were valuable. Master, do we have a bestiary that I could borrow?"

Makarov:

"Of course, my boy. I'll personally give it to you tomorrow."

I looked around the guild and noticed it was unusually empty... there was no one here.

Soma:

"Master, I just realized... where are the other members? They would normally be here."

Makarov:

"Oh, it's strange, but it's just a coincidence they all left on missions at the same time you did. Gray and Cana, unusually, took on a mission together. They should be back by now, but they're late... Oh, look, someone's coming."

Suddenly, the door opened, and... Erza? Oh, so she escaped from the tower.

The moment Erza entered, she looked at us and said:

Erza:

"P-please help..."

Right after saying that, she collapsed. Master caught her before she hit the ground. Wait a minute, wasn't he just with me? Master's strength is unbelievable!

Makarov:

"What have they done to this child... She's missing an eye... her body is damaged... and she's used far too much magic power... The fact that she made it this far is a miracle! Soma, get some food ready for the girl. We don't know when she'll wake up."

Soma:

"Alright, Master, but let me do something first."

I approached Erza and poured water from my bottle over her. With the water, I was able to heal her slightly, at least her minor wounds should be healed...

Soma:

"Master, I've managed to heal her minor injuries, but there's nothing more I can do. I'll prepare some food now."

Makarov:

"Oh, you can heal too? You're truly remarkable, my boy! Alright, I'll take the girl to my room. Leave the food there and then you can go."

After following the Master's instructions, I left the guild. I really needed a place to stay... I plan to rent somewhere for now and buy a plot of land in the future.

After wandering for a while, I found a place close to the guild for 50,000 jewels a month. It was a bit small, but it would do. The landlord said I could move in immediately since I'll be paying the first month's rent at the end of the month, which was great.

After sorting out the housing situation, I returned to the guild, which was busier than before. Everyone's attention was focused on Erza, who was eating alone.

I walked into the guild and sat next to Erza. When she noticed I sat down...

Erza:

"Get up... I want to eat alone."

Soma:

"Oh, you're really cold... I almost froze. Welcome to the guild ...?"

Erza:

"Erza... Erza Scarlet."

She seemed sad as she said that. Of course, she had just escaped that place, and remembering the surname she got there must be painful.

Soma:

"Oh, Erza Scarlet. That's a nice name. I'm Soma... Just Soma. Nice to meet you; I hope we get along, Erza..."

Erza:

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to continue eating. Alone."

After that, I got up and went to join Gray and Cana.

Gray:

"Hmph, who does she think she is? What's with the arrogance? She joined the guild and didn't even introduce herself to us."

Soma:

"Give her some time, Gray..."

Cana:

"I've been trying to talk to her since she got here, but she just ignores me... I'm surprised she spoke to you, Soma."

Soma:

"What can I say? My charisma is overwhelming, haha."

Cana and Gray:

"Yeah, right..."

Three days passed, but Erza remained as cold as ever, and eventually, Gray couldn't take it anymore.

Gray:

"Hmph, who do you think you are? You joined the guild and still haven't introduced yourself to the magnificent Gray-sama! Now... introduce yourself."

Realizing she wasn't going to respond, Gray got even angrier and flipped over the table she was eating at.

Erza:

"... What do you think you're doing?"

Gray:

"This is a mage's guild... not an armor guild or a place to wear armor..."

Erza:

"Then why aren't you wearing anything? Is this a perverts' guild?"

Gray had stripped down in the middle of the argument, hahaha.

Everyone started laughing after hearing that.

Gray:

"Damn it..."

Erza:

"It's none of your business what I wear or do."

Gray:

"Ice-Make..."

Erza noticed Gray was about to attack and was ready to counter, but before that could happen...

Soma:

"That's enough, Gray!"

I stepped between them, stopping Gray's attack.

Gray halted his attack:

"Tch, whatever..."

Soma:

"I'm sorry about him, Erza. He can be a jerk sometimes, but you're not helping either..."

Erza:

"Hmph, I have no reason to talk to him."

Soma:

"Actually, you do... That tattoo on your left arm... it shows that you're part of this family. Never forget that, no matter what we're family!"

Erza looked surprised but still chose to remain silent. I left her alone and went over to Gray.

Gray:

"Tch, who does she think she is?"

Soma:

"You went too far, Gray... Teasing is one thing, knocking over her food is another, but attacking her? That's too much..."

Gray:

"I know, but... I got so mad."

Soma:

"Come with me tonight; I need to show you something..."

That night, I showed Gray where Erza was sitting by the lake. I turned to Gray and said:

"Go over to her, Gray."

Gray:

"Huh, why? Fine, I'll do it, I guess?"

As Gray approached Erza, she noticed him and turned around. And... Erza was crying.

Gray:

"..."

Erza:

"Have you come to fight? Fine, let's see what you've got."

But Gray blushed, haha, I think someone's in love...

Gray:

"Well... no."

Erza:

"What's the matter? Giving up already?"

Gray:

"Why... why are you always alone?"

Erza seemed surprised by the question...

Erza:

"I like being alone... When people are around, I feel uneasy."

Gray:

"THEN... why are you crying when you're alone?!"

this time erza was shocked again pfft

Gray walked over to Erza and sat down next to her. Seeing this, Erza smiled slightly and sat next to him without saying a word...

I guess my work here is done. Now I can go home.

After a great rest at home, I woke up to find it was already noon? I must've really slept in. I guess I'm tiring myself out more than I realize lately. I went back to the guild to take on another job. These days, all I do is take jobs or have fun at the guild, but today I'll take on a challenging mission.

And this time, Erza had both her eyes. I guess she had surgery this morning...

This time, it was my turn to approach Erza

Soma:

Hey, Erza.

Erza:

Hmm?

Soma:

I'm going on a mission. Do you want to come with me? Your help would be great, and we can split the reward.

Erza:

I guess I could. I've never been on a mission before. It would be good to get some experience.

Soma:

Great. I'll let you choose the mission. Pick one from the mission board and meet me at the gate.

Erza:

Alright...

While I was waiting at the gate, Erza made her choice really quickly; I think she must have come straight to me.

Erza:

Okay, I've chosen the mission. Here, take a look...

Soma:

Hmm...

Mission:

Destroy the wyvern near the village!

Reward: 100,000 Jewels

 this is a tough mission, but I think the two of us can handle it. After all, my Dragon Slayer magic should work against the wyvern too, right?

When we got on the train, the nausea hit me hard again... Erza seemed concerned as she watched me.

Soma:

The... downside... of having... Lost magic... it makes me... weak to transportation... Ugh...

I covered my mouth to keep from throwing up. Erza must have found it funny because she smiled.

Soma:

Let me know... when we get there... I'm going to rest a bit...

Erza nodded, and I closed my eyes to try and relax.

When we arrived at the village, I let Erza handle the talking. After all, she's the one who needs the experience. The mission will be tough, but it's nothing we can't handle...

She got straight to the point and asked about the nest's location. After finding out, she immediately headed towards the nest without saying a word. Of course, I was right behind her and caught up.

As we approached the nest, I caught a scent. I think it was the wyvern's scent, but... there was more than one? If my senses aren't deceiving me, there should be more than one wyvern...

Soma:

Erza... be careful. This mission is harder than we thought. We're missing some information—there might be more than one wyvern.

Erza took my words seriously and stayed on high alert. When we finally reached the nest, just as I suspected, there were two wyverns...

Damn it, this mission is going to be really tough!

Soma, with his natural connection to dragons, sensed something strange in the air with his heightened instincts. Erza, though not yet a seasoned warrior, could tell something was wrong from Soma's tense posture.

Erza:

"Soma, do you feel that? Something's not right."

Soma nodded, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings. "Yeah, I feel it too. It's like... there's something big here. And it's not friendly."

Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath their feet, and a deafening roar echoed through the forest. The trees shook as two massive wyverns burst out of the underbrush, their wings so powerful they uprooted plants. The creatures were terrifying, their scales gleaming like polished metal, and their eyes burned with a predatory hunger.

Soma immediately recognized the threat. "Wyverns... They're like dragons but smaller. Still dangerous, though."

Erza gripped the hilt of her small sword, feeling her heart race in her chest. "We have to fight them, Soma. We can't let them reach Village!"

The wyverns circled the two young mages, snapping their jaws and lashing their tails through the air. A power surged within Soma, his body instinctively reacting to the presence of the draconic creatures. He knew his Dragon Slayer abilities would give them an edge, but these wyverns were not to be underestimated.

The first wyvern lunged at Erza, its jaws wide open, sharp teeth gleaming. Erza barely dodged the attack, but the wyvern was relentless, striking at her with its tail. The powerful blow sent Erza crashing into a nearby tree. She groaned in pain, struggling to get back on her feet.

Soma's eyes flashed with anger. "Stay away from her!" he shouted, charging at the wyvern. With a swift motion, he summoned a wave of water and ice, forming a massive spear and hurling it at the creature. The attack pierced the wyvern's side, shattering its scales and causing it to scream in agony.

The second wyvern, seeing its companion wounded, roared in fury and turned its attention to Soma. It launched itself at him with terrifying speed, claws extended. Soma barely evaded the attack, but the wyvern was quick, striking him with its tail. The impact was so strong that it knocked Soma to the ground, dragging him several meters.

Despite the pain in her body, Erza pulled herself together and rushed to Soma's side. "Soma, are you okay?"

Soma gritted his teeth, blood trickling down his forehead. "I'm fine... but these things are strong. We need to be careful."

The wyverns regrouped, their eyes fixed on the young mages. They could sense the power within Soma, the draconic energy that was both a threat and a challenge.

Soma stood up with determination. "Erza, I'll take the lead. My magic is more effective against them. Just be ready to watch my back."

Erza nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "Got it. Let's finish this."

The battle intensified. Soma expertly used his Dragon Slayer magic, combining water and ice to push the wyverns back. He moved with a graceful fluidity, his attacks sharp and powerful. Every blow he landed weakened the wyverns, cracking their scales.

But the wyverns weren't easy to defeat. The first one, now severely injured, let out a desperate roar and charged at Soma with all its remaining strength. Soma was ready to counter, but at that moment, the second wyvern feigned retreat and suddenly turned its focus on Erza. It saw her as the weaker target and lunged at her with terrifying speed.

Erza was caught off guard. She tried to raise her sword, but it was too late. The massive form of the wyvern loomed over her, its claws poised to strike. Time seemed to slow down as she braced herself for the impact.

But the blow never came.

Soma, acting on pure instinct, threw himself in front of Erza. He took the full force of the wyvern's attack, its claws cutting deep into his back and side. The pain was excruciating, but Soma didn't fall. With one last surge of strength, he struck the wyvern with a massive wave of ice and water, sending it crashing to the ground.

The wyvern, stunned and severely injured, began to retreat, dragging its wounded body away. The other wyvern, seeing its companion defeated, let out a mournful cry and followed. Within minutes, the forest was silent again, with only the sound of the two young mages' labored breathing.

Erza, filled with fear, rushed to Soma's side. "Soma! Soma, are you okay? Please, hold on!"

Soma weakly smiled, his body trembling from the pain and blood loss. "I'm... fine... just a little... worse for wear. Haha."

Tears welled up in Erza's eyes as she gently helped Soma to his feet. "You saved me... But you got hurt because of it."

Soma:

Didn't I tell you... we're family, of course, I'd protect you... Just give me a bit of time, I'll heal...

Erza nodded, her resolve strengthening. "I'll get you back. You're going to be okay, Soma. I promise."

With Erza's support, Soma slowly made his way back to the village. The battle had taken a toll on both of them, but they had survived. And in that moment, their bond, forged in the fire of battle, began to take shape; a bond that would only grow stronger with time.

When they reached the village, Soma immediately passed out. When he woke up, he was in the village's infirmary with the doctor by his side.

Doctor:

Oh, you're awake. I must say, young man, surviving those wounds is incredible... Even though you're healed, a scar will remain... Despite knowing healing magic, I couldn't fully close it.

Soma:

Oh... So now I've got a cool scar on my back, haha. I wonder how Erza is...

I got out of bed and walked outside, ignoring the doctor's instructions to rest.

Erza was waiting for me at the door. She smiled when she saw me, but then her expression turned sad again because of my foolishness—I had come out without a shirt, and the scar on my back was very noticeable.

Erza:

It's... It's my fault... I've let someone down again...

Soma:

No, you didn't let me down at all. And it's not your fault, so stop blaming yourself. And hey, look on the bright side, I've got a cool scar on my back. Come on, cheer up a bit. Now, I'm going to talk to the village chief.

The village chief admitted that he didn't know about the second wyvern, but he also said it was his fault. He doubled our reward due to the trouble we faced. Well, that works out for me...

Erza and I set off, and after getting on that damned train again, we finally returned to the guild...