章 3: 3/3
"What's the matter?" Bambietta asked, her voice carrying a mocking tone. "Is the big bad Dragon Slayer scared of little old me? Come on, go for it, man!"
Natsu began to inch his feet forward, his thoughts playing against him. One voice was screaming that he take the opportunity for what it was worth, the other warning that it could very well be a trap. However, the Dragon Slayer was never one for playing it safe and he sided with the first option.
"You want it? You got it!" The Dragon Slayer lunged forward then and his fist found its mark, crashing into Bambietta's face with such force that the Quincy's feet were dragged away from their purchase in the ground. She went sailing back through the air until at last her body slammed into a snow bank. The Dragon Slayer stood there, blinking a few dozen times as he waited for some form of movement to signal that his opponent was all right. "Hey, are you okay?"
Bambietta, to her credit, was relatively fine as she lay covered in trace amounts of snow. The Quincy had let that punch connect without any resistance, be it born from simply dodging or activating Blut Vene. She had wanted to get a taste of what Natsu could administer first; it was as simple as that. Now she knew.
"Not bad," the Quincy muttered under her breath. She could feel the pain, the familiar stinging sensation enveloping her face. She began to stand up then, a playful smirk beginning to form on her face before suddenly stopping. "Okay, hurts to smile. That stinks."
Bambietta brought her fists out to her side then, forcing herself to grin despite any pain. Her eyes locked with Natsu's own.
"Now that we've each gotten a measure of what the other can do," the Quincy began to say with the utmost confidence, "I don't think I need to play around anymore."
"Funny," Natsu replied with a smile all his own, the Dragon Slayer cracking his knuckles, "I was just thinking the same thing!"
Natsu was ready to go again, yet he was caught off guard by Bambietta completely vanishing from sight. Then, without warning, the Dragon Slayer felt a punch slam into his stomach with such force that it pushed him back. He gasped in pain, catching sight of the Quincy standing directly before him, as if she had appeared out of thin air.
The Dragon Slayer was initially confused, but not so much that he could not properly counterattack. He lashed out with a kick, only for him to be left striking nothing but thin air, Bambietta disappearing in an instant once again.
"What's the matter?" Bambietta asked, suddenly appearing behind Natsu and tapping him on the shoulder. "Is my Hirenkyaku too fast for you to comprehend?"
"That some kind of teleportation magic?" Gray asked, his eyes all but focused on the progressing fight.
"No, I don't think so," Levy replied, her gaze intently following Bambietta. "There's some kind of buildup of energy around her feet each time she's done it. If I didn't know any better I'd almost think it was some form of high speed movement."
"It may as well be teleportation if Natsu can't hope to follow her movements," Macao offered up. "And if that's the case, he's going to lose."
"Okay, so you're fast," Natsu said with some degree of hesitancy, "but I bet you can't dodge this!"
The Dragon Slayer turned around sharply then, lashing out with a punch. It was the same as before and Bambietta was prepared for it. Then did something proved very different this time.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Bambietta retreated with Hirenkyaku, taking note of the brilliant flames that were now wrapping around Natsu's right hand. The Quincy could not help but smile then, a fleeting memory of a past life and a comrade now lost to her forever coming to mind. "Pink hair, a loud mouth and you can use fire attacks too? I think I might be beginning to like you, Dragon Slayer!"
Bambietta stopped in her tracks then, her eyes going wide with the satisfaction of a true battle, her teeth bared.
"But just because that's the case, don't think I won't kick your butt all over this mountain!"
Bambietta launched herself forward with Hirenkyaku once more, surprising the Dragon Slayer again. She pounced then, striking him across the face with a quick kick. She disappeared from sight once more, appearing behind Natsu and striking him in the small of her back with a closed fist.
Again and again did Bambietta come into view for a split second, striking the Dragon Slayer before vanishing from sight again. It was all Natsu could do to roll with the attacks, minimizing the damage as best he could.
The Quincy continued her assault, all the while surprised by the Dragon Slayer's resiliency. Bambietta began to question her own tactics then. She had already experienced one of Natsu's base attacks and she had no interest in finding out what kind of pain his flame enhanced strength could inflict if it managed to slip past her superior speed. She had no desire in tempting either fate or Natsu's luck. Yet now she was beginning to wonder if that had been so wise. It was clear he could not keep up with her, the Quincy's attacks slipping through unabated. Bambietta had to wonder if she could afford to perhaps switch from Blut Vene to the offensive Arterie variation and end this battle quickly.
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
Natsu's feet suddenly came alive with flames, the right leg lashing out in a kicking motion. Bambietta saw it coming and began to slip away with Hirenkyaku again but then did she feel the Dragon's Slayers foot slam into her stomach, pushing the Quincy away.
"How the hell did he manage that?" Bambietta gasped as she stumbled away, thankful that she had kept Blut Vene activated after all.
"Go Natsu!" Happy exclaimed, cheering on his friend.
"Did he just manage to hit her?" Lucy was simply stunned by the spectacle of it all.
"Looks like the numbskull figured out he could use that attack to keep up with her technique," Gray explained to the newcomer. "Makes sense. Every time he used that Claw skill when we've fought it did seem to increase his general movement speed."
"That's Natsu for you," Levy offered up, simply caught up in what she was witnessing. "He's always been good under pressure."
Bambietta could not help but laugh, her shoulders rising and falling with each one. "You know, I just wanted to win, that's all, but I think you're right, Natsu."
The Dragon Slayer glanced towards Bambietta then, taking note of the truly devilish expression that was upon her now.
"This," she said, her voice belaying her eerie satisfaction, "is going to be so much fun."
Natsu felt a shiver run down his spine then. "Oh come on! I totally caught you off guard with that kick! The least you could do is say is 'ouch!' Seriously, that had to have stung!"
Bambietta raised her right arm then, allowing Natsu to get a good look at the skin that was uncovered by either her glove or her sleeve. The Dragon Slayer too notice of it then, the blue lines of energy that were running across the flesh, as if light was emanating from below the surface.
"Blut Vene, kid," Bambietta explained.
"Blut what?"
"In other words," the Quincy continued, "you can't hope to hurt me."
It was a lie, Bambietta knew that, as her defensive technique had only lessened the attack from Natsu, not negate it completely, but that did not mean she had to admit as such to him. A little fear in her opponent would go a long way after all.
Yet Natsu did not continue to show any trace amounts of fright. Instead he seemed to get angry. "Oh come on!" the Dragon Slayer protested, all but stomping his feet in the snow. "So you can hurt me but I can't hurt you? How fair is that?"
"Oh, stop whining," Bambietta replied as she motioned towards Natsu with her right hand. "Just bring it already."
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
Fire burst forth from the soles of Natsu's feet once more, propelling him towards Bambietta with such great speed that even the Quincy had to admit she was impressed. She had not expected the Dragon Slayer to cover that much distance in such a short amount of time.
Still the Quincy was not concerned in the least. She knew now that her opponent could only produce great speed with his legs, so kicking attacks were all she had to worry about working to avoid. She kept her eyes locked on Natsu's sandal covered feet then, prepared for what she knew was coming.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
That the Quincy had not been prepared for. Twin streams of fire burst forth from Natsu's hands quite suddenly. He swung them forward then as he approached at a breakneck speed, leaving Bambietta little time to evade.
"Damn it!" The Quincy stepped back with her own speed but still did one of the tendrils of flame strike her before she completely vanished from Natsu's sight. When she reappeared several yards away she went flying back from the force of the attack.
The Quincy began to consider then materializing her sword but she thought better of it. This was a friendly sparring match after all, nothing more. She had trained to kill proficiently with the blade and that was all. It would not serve her well in this encounter. Besides, it was not as if her opponent was using any melee weapons of his own.
Bambietta's back collided with the snow covered ground then, the Quincy rolling until she made it into a crouching position. She slammed both hands forward, allowing Blut Arterie to give her the strength to dig her fingers easily into the frozen ground and slow her momentum.
"You think this is getting just a bit out of hand?" Lucy asked as she continued to keep her eyes glued on the madness that was progressing. "I mean, I know I saw the fight that broke out at the guild hall today but this is getting a little intense, don't you all think?"
"But Natsu's having so much fun!" Happy shouted, hovering about to and fro.
"I agree with Lucy," Levy interjected. "I mean, I understand these two want to fight and all but I really don't want to have to explain to Master Makarov that one or two of our wizards are going to be in hospitalized for months, you know?"
"You all worry too much," Gray said suddenly. "Natsu and I have done way worse to each other. And Erza's done much worse to us both."
Levy was exasperated now. "Yeah, and don't think I forgot about how the both of you spent six months out of action when you last tried to fight her!"
"Calm yourself, Levy," Macao said. "This is simply how Natsu communicates, that's all."
Bambietta stood up to her full height. "Question!"
Natsu tilted his head in response, not expecting that in the least. "What? Right now?"
"Do you actually have to yell out the names of your attacks to perform them," Bambietta began to ask, legitimately unsure, "or do you just do it for fun?"
Natsu was dumbfounded in response, something Bambietta had been expecting. "I don't know! Igneel always just told me to yell with all my heart when I was fighting!"
"Okay then." Bambietta had wondered if the abilities of a Dragon Slayer were similar to those of a Soul Reaper, the power increased by the wielder knowing and uttering the names of their abilities, but she could safely rule that out then. "So it's just for fun. Oh well, we all have a flair for the dramatic. Me? I just love a dramatic ending!"
Bambietta vanished from sight once more, bursting into view by Natsu's right as she threw out a punch empowered with Blut Arterie. This, she knew, would end the battle at long last.
"What?" Much to Bambietta's surprise, her fist was caught in the palm of one of Natsu's hands. His arm was shaking to hold back the attack but still had he managed it. The Dragon Slayer glared at her then, a confident look on his face. "How the heck did you manage to block that?"
"Easy," Natsu answered. "Even an idiot could tell you that you always come at my right side when you attack!"
Bambietta could not help but sigh. "Do you even listen to yourself when you talk?"
"Sometimes. And I know I love hearing what's next." Natsu threw out a fiery punch towards Bambietta, all the while keeping a tight grip on her hand. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Bambietta's eyes widened in shock then, the Quincy quickly shifting her body back to Blut Vene. She reached out with her one free hand, catching Natsu's own. The flames licked at her arm but still did she manage to hold back the attack. Then she and Natsu simply stood there, each of them holding back a punch as they stared at each other.
"Well that just happened," Natsu said simply. "You want to call it a draw?"
"What do you think?" Bambietta pulled her hands away from Natsu then, realizing that close quarters combat was going absolutely nowhere with the Dragon Slayer. She skipped back several yards away with Hirenkyaku. The necessary distance put between them, Bambietta reached out with her right hand, drawing energy towards it. Soon did a luminous bow appear within her palm, the trademark technique of the Quincy. She brought the weapon forward then, an arrow of blue light appearing alongside it. She took aim, knowing that unlike her sword she could attack in a nonfatal way with this weapon if need be. Pulling back on the arrow, Bambietta let it fly forward.
"Pure Blood Quincy's Arrow of Awesomeness!"
Yes, Bambietta had to admit, it was fun to yell out names for attacks. Though that still did not keep her face from turning bright red at the thought of anyone around hearing her actually yell out something so silly. Still, it was all she could think up on the spot.
The arrow flew straight and true, catching Natsu in one of the Dragon Slayer's knees. At the maximum strength it may have torn through flesh and bone but Bambietta was holding back on her strength. A little pain, however, was par for the course. Natsu stumbled forward, a cry of agony slipping away from him as he fought to steady himself. The Dragon Slayer could see Bambietta then, not far away and preparing another arrow.
"Game, set, match," Bambietta whispered, realizing that at a distance she had this fight in the bag. Then did she notice a fiery red aura appearing around Natsu. "Now what's that goofball up to?"
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"Oh yeah, roaring. That's a scary power." The Quincy could not help but laugh for a moment but then did she see the massive stream of fire that burst forth from Natsu's mouth. More importantly, however, she could see that it was flying directly at her. "Oh fudge."
Bambietta activated Blut Vene quickly, discarding her bow and allowing it to dissipate into thin air. Dodging was out of the question, the speed of the oncoming attack greater than she imagined, and the Quincy knew she would have to take it head on.
The flames struck her, Bambietta's body withstanding the attack as best it could. The power of Blut Vene held up magnificently, but still did the attack tear away at Bambietta. The concussive force pushed against her, the Quincy's boots slid across the snow as she fell back. Try as she might she was unable to hold her ground. Her body struck the side of the mountain then, Bambietta pinned in place.
"This," she began to shout, all the while trying so very hard to resist the attack, "is nothing!"
Then did the flames stop, leaving Bambietta to stand alone, smoke from the attack moving through the air around her, melted snow by her sides. She gasped slightly, looking towards Natsu with a grin.
"Is that," she began to say, trying to catch her breath, "the best you've got?"
Bambietta began to take one step forward, trying to will herself to continue fighting. However, while her spirit was strong, her body had been pushed to its very limits. The Quincy fell forward then, her face hitting the snow before her.
"I lost?" Bambietta's right hand tightened into a fist and she slammed it against the ground with what little strength she had left. She could not help it, the feeling of being sore at her defeat, but more importantly she hated how weak she felt now. Her powers were no longer at their apex, that much was true, but now she could see how far she had fallen. The Quincy had felt a rush of confidence when she had successfully completed her first mission in this new world; she had felt herself capable of contending with whatever Fairy Tail could throw at her. Now, however, could she tell that she had a long way to go in her quest to be all that she could.
Then, quite suddenly, did Bambietta feel an onrush of cold around her, snow from the mountain sliding down and covering her, no doubt loosened from its perch on a cliff above thanks to Natsu's attack. It was one last moment of indignity that the Quincy was subjected to in defeat, even if it was unintentional.
"Hey, Bambietta!" Natsu shouted, seeing his opponent buried underneath a pile of snow. "Are you all right?"
"Oh yeah," Bambietta shouted back, her voice muffled by the snow around her. "Feels good after that fire attack, don't you know? It's all rainbows and unicorns in here!"
"Oh, there's unicorns on this mountain too?"
Bambietta was quiet for a moment, speaking only when her disbelief was overwhelmed by irritation. "I'm surrounded by complete morons, aren't I?"
"I thought you said you were surrounded by rainbows and unicorns?"
Bambietta's temper at last came out in full then. She screamed in irritation, forcing first one arm to burst forth from the snow's cold embrace, her entire body rising to join it. The Quincy stood there on wobbling legs, looking at Natsu in an enraged daze. She took another step forward then, only to fall forward once more. "My first true fight here and I lose? It's completely unacceptable."
The Quincy forced herself to roll on to her back, looking up into the bright blue sky above. She had seen that sight once before when last she had lost a battle and it was something she never would get used to or appreciate, she knew that much. Then did Bambietta see it, someone walking over to her and coming into her line of sight.
"You okay?"
Bambietta's eyesight was slowly beginning to clear from the daze she had been in, the Quincy slowly making out the sight of someone who was casting their gaze upon her. It was in that moment, however, that past and present, memory and reality, came crashing together. She could see it then, her old friends glaring down at her defeated form, the battle with Captain Sajin Komamura having taken a great deal out of her. Giselle, Candice, Liltotto and Meninas. All of them looking down at Bambietta in her time of need, their expressions as any true friends should have been, but their actions something else entirely.
"No!" Bambietta was unsure then if she were truly speaking or simply screaming alone in her thoughts. "Stay away!"
The vision of memories dissipated then, leaving Bambietta to stare up towards one she knew in this world. Natsu reached down with one hand, concern evident in the look he carried on his face. It was then that Bambietta was sure she had spoken her fears aloud.
"I just want to help you," Natsu said. "And is it really that bad to lose?"
"No, I guess not." The Quincy smiled slightly, realizing that unlike those she had left behind, she had nothing to fear of Natsu even in a moment of weakness. She reached out then and clasped her hand with his. "So happy you won?"
"Well I'm happy I had a good fight!"
Bambietta pulled her hand away from Natsu then as she made it up to her feet, wrapping her arms across her chest as she turned away. "Good! But just so you know, I'm just a newbie! I'm going to get a whole lot stronger and then we'll see who really is Fairy Tail's best!"
"You think I'm Fairy Tail's best?" Natsu could not help but laugh a little bit.
Bambietta turned around then, getting a little irritated. "What's so damn funny?"
"Oh, it's nothing," Natsu said, trying to reign himself in. "It's just... I appreciate you thinking I'm so strong but I'm hardly the best this guild has to offer."
"But that silly cat of yours said you were the toughest one around!"
"And you believed him? Oh, someday Happy is just going to have to get that I'm not the best in the world! There are a couple of wizards in Fairy Tail much stronger than me! Even one stronger than Master Makarov!"
Bambietta very nearly dropped her face into the palms of her hands. "How far down the totem pole have I really dropped in this world? I totally aced that A-Class mission!"
"And so could Natsu," Levy answered as she walked closer. "It's just A-Class isn't the top tier in Fairy Tail. I mean, you kind of almost picked a fight with an S-Class wizard today."
Bambietta's eyes grew wide, realizing just what dire straits she had almost gotten herself into earlier. "You mean the jerk with the silly fur coat?"
Natsu suddenly perked up then, moving close. "Laxus?" The Dragon Slayer suddenly smiled widely as he moved in close to Bambietta and draped an arm over her shoulders. "So let me get this straight. First you beat up Gray-"
"It was one punch!"
"Then you go and try and pick a fight with Laxus?" Natsu continued, once more ignoring the Ice-Make wizard. "Oh, I think you and I are going to get along just fine, Bambi."
"Uh huh." Bambietta did not know what to make of that and simply slipped away from Natsu and turned to Levy. "Hat?"
"Here we go, safe and sound," the Solid Script mage said as she returned it. "No creases, no folds."
"Oh good." Bambietta slipped it atop her head then, making sure it was secure. "Now then, shall we go make that Romeo kid back in Magnolia as happy as can be."
Time moved on and Bambietta stood against the entrance wall of Fairy Tail, her cloak once more draped across her shoulders. She kept her head low but continued to peak out from underneath the visor of her hat. She could see Romeo hugging his father, joy evident in the young boy's face. It warmed the Quincy's heart but she still kept her distance. Despite her best intentions, she accomplished nothing in the rescue mission. All it had done was grant her a chance to fight the Dragon Slayer she had been so desperate to battle. Bambietta felt she deserved no thanks, no gratitude. That was for Natsu. Even if he was not the strongest person here, he was clearly the hero this day.
The Quincy watched then as the young boy thanked the Fire Dragon Slayer, speaking to him at great length. Bambietta became lost in her own thoughts, questioning herself. She had miles to go if she wanted to become the best Fairy Tail had to offer, she could see that now, and the Quincy had to realize that this was just one guild among many. She had lost so much strength, so much stature. Whether it was from being returned to life from her zombified state thanks to Porlyusica or simply from whatever forces had brought her to this world she did not know. Whatever the case was she simply had to become strong again. Strong enough to return home and exact her revenge or, if that was an impossibility, to make the rules in this world as she saw fit.
"Yes, first S-Rank, then the world." Bambietta smiled then, looking at the wizards around her. They were a means to an end, nothing more. At least that was what the thoughts she buried away felt, the ones she would not project to those around her, yet there was another layer deeper than that, one trying to shine through the darkness of her soul, that was crying out for a simple life here. The moment Bambietta saw Levy and Lucy waving to her from across the guild hall did it spark to life once more, the Quincy unable to hold herself back from waving in return.
She sighed then, closing her eyes and wondering just what she was going to do. Her future was in flux, Bambietta could see that clearly, and even she did not know what fate had in store for her. Even now, she could not understand why she had been brought to this world. Was there some grand purpose or was it a simple errant mistake on a universal scale?
"Miss?"
The Quincy slowly opened her eyes then, catching sight of Romeo looking up to her. His was a face clearly displaying innocence, an honest smile adorning it.
"Yes?" Bambietta asked, the Quincy having a feeling where this was going.
"I just wanted to say thank you for helping bring my dad back," the young boy replied. "Natsu said you went all the way there to try and help him."
"I was no help," Bambietta replied. "I was too late. Natsu did all the work."
"But you tried," Romeo retorted. "Isn't that what Fairy Tail is all about?"
"I suppose so." Bambietta smiled warmly then, knowing it just would not do to act coldly to Romeo. "You're welcome."
Then did the child run off back to his father. Bambietta watched, taking notice of Natsu and Happy approaching. Her smile faded then, the Quincy trying to play it cool. "And what do you want?"
"Natsu just wanted to see if you were feeling okay after that fight," Happy exclaimed.
"Oh, isn't that sweet." Bambietta very nearly rolled her eyes, happy that her hat's visor would no doubt hide her action. "Yeah, I'm healing up just fine, thank you very much."
"Well that's good!" Natsu exclaimed, brandishing a grin. "I was kind of worried, since you were hanging out all alone over here. Thought maybe you weren't feeling all that great, Bambietta!"
"I suppose it would be rude of me to keep my distance from everyone, huh?" Bambietta returned the smile then, forcing herself to move away from the wall and walk forward. "And by the way, my Fairy Tail friends call me Bambi."
As they began to walk back towards the center of the guild hall, Natsu looked over to Bambietta then. "Okay, I can do that. But why are you telling me your nickname now all of a sudden?"
Bambietta chuckled slightly, considering speaking up. Yet before she could, Happy floated by, his wings once more in action. The cat was giggling, his paws over his mouth.
"Because Bambi loves you!"
"Shut it, cat!" Bambietta shouted, her eyes narrowing as her face went flush with red. "And who said you were one of my Fairy Tail friends, huh?"
Now, I know some of you may be disappointed with Bambietta losing like she did. Well, keep in mind she's lost her schift ability. That's something she LOVES to use. Fighting without that is going to take some getting used to. Also, her lack of using her sword also contributed.
However, even then, lets not forget, the more angry Natsu gets the stronger he is. This wasn't going to be an easy battle regardless.
Besides, this gives her a rival, a goal to make herself stronger. A main character is boring if they start out super strong from the start and have no need to train...One Punch man aside that is.
Also, as you can see, the betrayl she went through still has left its mark on her. As it should, no one is going to get over that kind f thing ANY time soon.
But its for that very reason, why she's her in the first place.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to leave a review, they make me and Ankoholic strive to do better, be the review positive or negative.
週次パワーステータス
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