Dawn crept in slowly, painting the horizon in pale shades of amber and gray. The cold mountain wind rustled through the trees, and the soft crackle of the last dying embers in the campfire sounded like a quiet reminder that the night was finally ending.
Natsu stretched slowly, his body lengthening in the icy early-morning air. He felt refreshed; the exhaustion from the previous night had almost completely vanished, a clear sign that his energy had fully recovered after the heavy use of [Subjective Reality]. A large part of that recovery was thanks to one of the new abilities he had acquired through it.
During the night, while Juvia slept peacefully, he had decided to push the limits of his power.
Up until then, he had only used it to obtain knowledge and items. This time, however, he tried something different: he wanted to acquire abilities directly.
He instinctively understood the boundaries of what he could materialize with [Subjective Reality], so he spent a good while recalling skills that fit within those limits—something that would be genuinely useful.
After some thought, he acquired the following abilities: [Ultra-Speed Regeneration], [Universal Perception], [Thought Acceleration], and [Magicules Manipulation]. All four came from the Tensura light novels and were extraordinarily useful, each in its own way.
[Ultra-Speed Regeneration] granted the user exceptional regenerative properties; any injury, no matter how severe, would heal in a matter of seconds as long as it didn't kill him instantly. Deep cuts, broken bones, or burns would simply vanish—he could even regrow lost limbs.
[Universal Perception] allowed the user to sense practically everything within a vast radius around them, providing a complete 360-degree view with no blind spots. Beyond light and sound, it detected killing intent, heat, sound waves, and other subtle forms of energy over an impressive range.
[Thought Acceleration] dramatically increased the speed of the user's thinking. The level of acceleration could be freely adjusted and even extended to others. Depending on the individual, mental processing speed could be multiplied by hundreds, millions, or even hundreds of millions of times—though on average, the user could accelerate their thoughts up to a thousandfold.
Finally, [Magicules Manipulation] gave the user refined control over their magical energy, allowing them to manipulate internal power flow with exceptional precision. With it, one could alter air molecules, control and wield various elements, directly interfere with others' magical power, and even disrupt their spellcasting.
Together, these four abilities formed an almost perfect combination—a balance of power, perception, speed, and control. But they weren't the only ones he had acquired. He also gained two more: the [Requip] magic from his own world, and the [Flying Thunder God Technique] from the world of Naruto.
[Requip] magic allowed the user to store weapons, armor, and items in a pocket dimension and summon them instantly at will. It offered tremendous versatility, especially in battle; a single thought was enough to swap armor or draw a new sword. However, the dimensional space had limits, requiring some restraint in what was stored. Many mages used it simply to change clothes quickly, but for experienced warriors, its true potential lay in combat, where every second could decide the outcome of a fight.
The [Flying Thunder God Technique], on the other hand, was something Natsu had always dreamed of mastering. The idea of instantly moving between locations without long journeys was irresistible to someone with his restless spirit. The technique required the user to mark a target with a "technique formula" applied with a simple touch. Once marked, the formula became permanent—even after the user's death. There was no limit to how many marks could exist.
When activated, he could cross dimensional voids and teleport to any marked location, no matter the distance—whether across the continent or even to another dimension. For someone who hated waiting and long travels, it was the perfect ability.
All of these skills had cost far less energy to manifest than even the first volume of [Stellar Transformation] had. Compared to the initial practice of a technique capable of creating an entire universe inside one's own body, these new abilities seemed almost trivial.
Natsu snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a soft sound behind him—the gentle rustle of someone turning over beneath the blanket.
Juvia stirred slowly, her blue hair falling in waves across her face. Still drowsy, she blinked a few times before lifting her gaze toward him.
"…Natsu-san?" Her voice was soft, thick with sleep.
"Ah, you're awake." He replied with a half-smile. "Sleep well?"
She sat up, rubbing her eyes with her fingertips. "Juvia… slept better than she expected. It was a peaceful night."
"Good to hear." He turned and stamped out the remaining embers with his foot. "I thought the cold might bother you."
"A little," she admitted, pulling his coat tighter around herself. "But Juvia could feel the warmth of Natsu-san's coat… and fell asleep quickly."
Natsu scratched the back of his neck, hiding the small smile that threatened to appear.
"That's good…"
Juvia blushed faintly as she remembered she was still wearing his coat. "Ah… Juvia almost forgot. This is Natsu-san's coat. She should return it before we leave."
Natsu glanced at her, then at the coat in her hands, and shook his head with a small smile. "Keep it for now. It's still pretty cold, and you feel it more than I do."
"But… what about Natsu-san?" she asked, clutching the fabric a little tighter.
"Me? Heh, I've got plenty of fire to spare." He grinned, lightly tapping his chest. "Don't worry, Juvia. It looks better on you anyway."
Her cheeks flushed instantly. "E-Eh?! B-Better on Juvia?"
"Yeah, obviously." He said casually, adjusting the backpack on his shoulders. "It looks comfortable on you. Suits you, even."
For a moment, Juvia didn't know how to respond. The simple words, spoken so naturally, made her heart beat faster. She pressed the fabric a little closer to her body, looking away to hide her shy smile.
"…Then Juvia will wear it just a little longer," she murmured, almost as if asking permission.
Natsu laughed, already starting to walk. "Fine by me. Just don't keep it forever, okay?"
"Juvia didn't promise anything," she replied softly, but the playful tone in her voice betrayed her good mood.
The silence that followed was light and comfortable.
After putting the coat on properly, Juvia watched Natsu for a while—the carefree way he moved, the steady look in his eyes even in simple moments. There was something about him that made her feel safe, even if she didn't fully understand why.
"Natsu-san… you stayed awake all night, didn't you?"
"Yeah." He answered naturally, without bragging. "Wanted to test a few things while you were sleeping."
"Test…?"
Natsu shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Yeah… I was trying to learn some new magic."
"New magic?" She repeated, her blue eyes sparkling faintly. "Is Natsu-san really going to learn it?"
"Well…" He scratched the back of his neck, looking away for a second. "Actually… I was trying to learn Erza's [Requip]. She taught me once a long time ago, but I never really tried. Thought it might be useful for traveling…"
It wasn't exactly a lie. He remembered that, as a child, Erza really had tried to teach him Requip when he begged her because he thought it was "cool"—though the experience had been traumatic for his predecessor. Either way, it was the perfect excuse to suddenly reveal his mastery of [Requip] without anyone questioning how he'd learned it so fast.
He just had to be careful with his explanation. After all, learning this magic could easily be attributed to the changes he went through after Happy's death—an emotional justification no one would challenge.
Juvia's eyes widened, and a curious smile appeared on her face. "T-The [Requip]? Erza-san's?!"
"That's the one." He replied with a half-smile, not elaborating too much. "Just testing it out. You know, swapping weapons and armor out of nowhere seems pretty cool, right? Wanted to see if I could do it too."
Juvia fell silent for a moment, taking it in. "Natsu-san really is amazing… He can learn so many different things… in such little time."
She was referring to everything she had seen from him over the past few days they had traveled together. Natsu had changed completely compared to before, showing a more mature and thoughtful side that surprised even those who had known him for years.
He shrugged, trying to look modest, though a hint of pride slipped through. "Heh… just trying to get by. It's not that big a deal."
"But it is!" She insisted, smiling shyly while still clutching the coat. "Juvia thinks you'll get it, Natsu-san. You always do, don't you?"
He grinned, his eyes lighting up with contagious enthusiasm. "Actually… I already did."
Juvia's eyes went wide, a mix of surprise and excitement. "You already learned it… for real?"
"Yep!" Natsu answered confidently. He picked up the skewer that was still resting over the extinguished embers, made a simple, casual gesture—and it vanished, as if it had evaporated into thin air.
Juvia blinked, confused for a second until she realized the skewer was gone. "…Where did the skewer go?"
Natsu gave a half-smirk.
With a quick motion, he pulled the skewer back out of the pocket dimension created by [Requip].
"See? Just stored it and took it out again. No effort, no wait." He spun the skewer in his hand, showing how simple and practical the technique was. "That's how it works. I can store a bunch of stuff and pull it out whenever I want."
Juvia's mouth fell open, a blush rising to her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled as if she'd just witnessed a magic trick.
"That's incredible… Natsu-san really is incredible…" she said, her voice soft, almost a whisper, but filled with genuine admiration.
Natsu scratched the back of his neck, looking away with an embarrassed smile. "Heh, it's not that big a deal. Just a little thing."
"It's not little!" Juvia replied quickly, her face flushing deeper. "Juvia has never seen anyone learn something so fast. Natsu-san… really is someone special."
The praise made his smile widen a bit more.
"If you keep complimenting me like that, I might start believing it," he teased, a light laugh in his voice.
Juvia giggled softly—a sweet, almost shy sound. "Juvia is only telling the truth."
He looked at her, and for a moment their eyes met. Juvia quickly looked away, her heart beating faster.
The next sound broke the gentle tension: a loud, unmistakable growl echoed through the quiet morning.
Juvia's eyes shot open and she pressed her hands to her stomach, blushing all the way to her ears. "A-Ah…!"
Natsu blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Sounds like someone's hungry."
"J-Juvia didn't—" she stammered, staring at the ground, mortified.
"No need to be embarrassed," he said, still chuckling. "Lucky for you, I brought some stuff."
He extended his hand and, with a small flash, materialized several fresh fruits—apples and peaches—brought into reality through his [Subjective Reality]. His [Requip] magic was also handy in situations like this; he could just claim he had stored them earlier in his pocket dimension.
"Grabbed these last night. Eat as much as you want."
Juvia's eyes lit up in surprise. "Natsu-san… brought all this for Juvia?"
"For both of us, actually." He sat down beside her and bit into an apple. "But you look like you need it more than me right now."
She took one of the fruits, still blushing, and took a small bite. "It's sweet… really sweet."
"Of course, I only picked the best ones," he replied with a proud tone.
Juvia laughed, gradually relaxing. The cold felt less biting, and the morning seemed brighter. They talked about simple things—the mission ahead, the weather, how Erza would probably scold Natsu for practicing magic without her.
"Erza-san will be angry if she finds out Natsu-san learned her magic without her teaching him," Juvia commented, giggling softly.
"Ah, she always gets mad. But she forgives me eventually…" he replied, shrugging.
That was very possible, knowing Erza's personality…
"Juvia thinks it's because, deep down, she trusts you a lot…" she said, glancing at him sideways.
Natsu paused mid-chew for a second, caught off guard by the gentleness in her words. "…Maybe."
A light breeze blew, stirring Juvia's hair. For a little while, the two of them just sat there side by side, finishing their breakfast without hurry.
When the sun finally rose fully, Natsu stood up and stretched his arms. "Ready to hit the road?"
"Yes." Juvia answered with a soft smile, her eyes gentle. "Juvia is ready."
He extended his hand to help her up. She hesitated for just a second before taking it.
The touch was brief—warm, firm, reassuring.
As they walked together down the trail, the sound of their footsteps mingled with birdsong and the rustle of leaves. Juvia glanced at Natsu, and a small smile curved her lips.
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