After the initial surprise caused by Natsu's words about his "change" and all the commotion sparked by the guild members' reactions and support, the rest of the time passed quickly. Most of them had genuinely supported him, but certain old habits were hard to break.
For example: when Natsu casually mentioned to Mirajane that he wanted to know more details about the mission with Juvia and remarked that he had gotten much stronger over the past two weeks, Gajeel couldn't resist. He tried to provoke him into a fight, as he always did. But, to his utter dismay, it led to absolutely nothing. The pink-haired mage simply ignored the provocation and continued talking with his old friend and rival as if it were... irrelevant.
This left Gajeel deeply upset, almost offended. It felt like he was being made a fool of. And no matter how much he insisted, nothing changed: his taunts, his "accidental" table throws, or the classic "oops, I bumped into you"... Natsu dodged everything naturally, without losing focus on the conversation, without giving a sideways glare, without showing the slightest irritation.
That was when the Iron Dragon Slayer finally swallowed his pride and admitted to himself: Natsu had truly become stronger. Much stronger. He could now casually block or counter all his tricks almost automatically, making it impossible to catch him off guard. And beyond that, there was the most striking change of all: his mindset. Natsu no longer took the bait on provocations, no longer reacted as before, no longer lost his temper or flared up at the slightest jab to his ego... He had truly evolved!
Annoyed and competitive as ever, Gajeel marched over to the mission board, ripped off the first request he saw, and announced as if it were a public challenge: "I'm going out to train! There's no way in hell I'm falling behind that Salamander!"
And he stormed out of the guild, stomping heavily, completely determined to catch up to him or die trying.
But the episode with Gajeel wasn't the only one to show how certain old habits kept resurfacing. After Gray returned—this time properly dressed—he also tried to provoke Natsu, as he always did. However, the pink-haired mage remained unfazed, not falling for any of the jabs, frustrating any expectation of conflict between the two.
Still, the situation ended in a way no one expected.
At that moment, Natsu was explaining to the Master that he had learned some new magics. The mere idea that he had sat down to read books had already shocked the entire guild—after all, it wasn't exactly the habit most associated with him. Even so, Juvia confirmed it was true, without having witnessed it herself; according to "Natsu-sama" himself, he studied in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep. And she believed him without hesitation.
Right after that, to demonstrate one of those new magics, Natsu shrank Gray to the size of an orange, doing so with such disconcerting ease that the entire hall froze for a few seconds.
Tiny Gray on the floor could barely react from sheer bewilderment, while the rest of the guild wavered between astonishment, confused murmurs, and stifled laughter. Lucy, who had undergone an identical transformation just hours earlier, was the first to recognize what was happening. The vivid memory of being small enough to fit in the palm of Natsu's hand came rushing back, making her face flush as she explained to the others what this new magic was that everyone was trying to understand...
It was then that Juvia realized Lucy knew more than she should about Natsu's new abilities—information that even she, despite being so close to her beloved "Natsu-sama," didn't have. She was obviously uncomfortable upon learning how intimate the two were, and that discomfort only grew the more the blonde spoke.
Knowing that Natsu hadn't told her anything, but that Lucy had already experienced the magic and even received his help while shrunken, hit her hard...
Driven by wounded pride and boldness, Juvia ended up asking Natsu to do the same to her. The pink-haired mage complied without hesitation, shrinking her to the same tiny size and holding her with the same care he had shown Lucy earlier.
The situation quickly turned into something quite bizarre: Juvia satisfied and blushing from the attention, Lucy clearly bothered by seeing the gesture repeated, Gray trying to figure out how he'd been defeated without even noticing, and the rest of the guild alternating between shock, laughter, and disbelief.
After Natsu returned both to normal size, Gray obviously didn't accept the defeat so easily and tried to challenge him again, now prepared to deal with his new magic. But the result was exactly the same. After another humiliating loss, the ice mage left the guild visibly irritated. He grabbed a mission in a hurry and made a point of grumbling that he would get stronger—strong enough to instantly freeze that hothead, who, according to him, had only won because he'd learned a new magic and caught him off guard...
Everyone just shook their heads in amusement at the ice mage's wounded pride.
But after the incident with Gray, one thing became clear: besides subtly showing that Natsu was stronger and had even learned new magics, it was also evident that certain old habits had come to an end. After all, now only Gray and the Iron Dragon Slayer still had the courage (or stubbornness) to provoke and challenge Natsu, since he himself seemed quite indifferent to it...
Between one incident and another, Natsu ended up drinking quite a bit alongside Makarov and Cana, who approached curiously to test his "alcohol resistance." The three went glass after glass, but to the surprise of the guild's two most notorious drinkers, the Fire Dragon Slayer didn't seem the least bit affected by even the strongest drinks.
The drinking session only ended when the incidents related to old habits wrapped up—that is, when Gajeel and Gray had left.
After that, Natsu spent a good while chatting with various other guild members, and little by little, everyone started getting used to this new version of him.
Among those he talked to—besides Lucy and Juvia, who stayed by his side the whole time—the first was Mirajane. They discussed various topics; he asked about Lisanna and learned that she had left on a mission a little earlier, after hearing from Juvia that he was okay. It was something she had already accepted and couldn't cancel because it was somewhat urgent. They continued talking about other things, and for the bartender, getting to know this new version of him seemed truly interesting, as she was clearly curious and attentive to every detail.
He naturally reciprocated the attention—after all, any single man would react that way to a beautiful woman showing interest in him. And, let's just say... that made two certain girls, whose growing feelings he had already noticed, quite jealous...
But what he didn't know was that it only made Mirajane start seeing him even more as a man, very different from the noisy, troublesome little brother figure she used to know...
He also chatted briefly with Elfman and Romeo, who had come to pick up his father so they could head home. Then he exchanged a few words with Wendy and Carla, who had left before he arrived but showed up again much later; from the Dragon Slayer's wet hair, it was obvious she had gone to the dormitory to take a shower. He even spoke with Lily, who came to ask where Gajeel was. Upon learning that the Iron Dragon Slayer had left on a mission, the Exceed immediately set off after him.
After that, Natsu talked a bit with Bisca and Alzack, who soon had to leave because little Asuka had fallen asleep. He got to know Kinana better—she was the former "snake" transformed into a human who had belonged to a past enemy—and even exchanged a few words with Laki, who had changed a lot compared to seven years ago...
But the biggest surprise of all came when he started talking with Levy. He approached her asking about various books and, to her astonishment, showed genuine interest in the subject. More than that, he revealed a theoretical knowledge of magic that left her completely fascinated and shocked. Levy even playfully tapped his arm, joking that maybe some great mage had transformed into Natsu, because she never imagined he'd be a "book person."
Lucy, who had been by his side the whole time, felt a slight jealousy seeing him get close to her friend and, trying to stand out, made a point of showing off her own reading experience. Juvia, not wanting to be left behind, tried to join the conversation as well...
In any case, everyone began to get used to the "new version" of their companion.
.
.
.
.
.
The enormous, luminous moon, almost too quiet, seemed to follow him as Natsu walked along the empty road leading to his house. The silence of the night in Magnolia was broken only by the gentle rustle of leaves swaying and the rhythmic sound of his shoes on the ground. After so much noise, so much chaos, so many people talking at once... that calm felt strange. Good, but strange...
Lucy and Juvia had left just a few minutes earlier. To be honest, it was more like he had walked the two of them home and only then headed back himself. Let's say it was... a unique trip. It wasn't the first time he'd walked two girls home, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, but this was undoubtedly the first time he'd walked two girls who were in love with him and jealous of each other.
Hm? Juvia... well, he'd noticed her feelings a while ago. As for Lucy, during the walk to the guild, he had finally realized she liked him much more than just as a friend. In fact, he'd gotten pretty concrete proof of it...
And what would he do about it?
He'd probably end up with both. I mean... why not? This was a world of magic; practically anything was possible, including polygamy. But he wasn't in a hurry. Things would align at the right time, and everything would happen naturally. In the end, he'd always been good at winning over women.
As for the feelings he had for Lucy and Juvia—if he didn't truly like both for their beauty and personalities—he would never have even considered the possibility of something between them. He might have been a womanizer in his past life, but that didn't mean he went for just any woman who came along. Besides, he did have feelings for both. For Juvia, ever since that mission they'd done together; and in Lucy's case, because of how easily the two of them clicked from the start—he'd probably inherited some of the old Natsu's feelings...
But since he wasn't exactly someone "good with feelings," his attention wasn't focused on that right now. For the time being, his priority was getting stronger and, eventually, traveling to other worlds, making the most of the second chance he'd been given...
Natsu let out a light sigh, one laced with silent irony, and shook his head as he walked.
"Tch... two girls fighting over me... again, huh?" he murmured with a crooked half-smile, more amused than surprised. "Do they really think I don't have the patience to deal with this every day...? Of course I do. But I'm not admitting it out loud..."
"As a friend of mine used to say... being a playboy trains the mind, having an affair trains the heart, chasing girls prevents old age, flirting is therapeutic, having a crush keeps your heart young, and being addicted to love... is the cure for insomnia."
He let out a low chuckle.
"I wonder how that idiot is doing... I'd bet he'd be shocked to hear I got reincarnated in an anime world with a completely overpowered ability..."
The night wind blew against his face, refreshing, almost complicit in the self-teasing he'd just indulged in. His steps continued slow and relaxed, as if matching the rhythm of Magnolia's silent night.
He shook his head and kept walking toward his house, taking just a few minutes to leave Magnolia behind and follow the trail leading to his cabin.
The final curve in the path appeared under the faint moonlight... and that was when Natsu noticed a silhouette standing right in front of his door.
He froze mid-trail.
Not because it was some unknown enemy or anything threatening—quite the opposite. He stopped because he immediately recognized the presence at his door. Someone familiar to the old Natsu... and, by extension, to him as well.
But unexpectedly, she was far more beautiful than in the memories he'd inherited.
It was Erza Scarlet.
Her scarlet hair fell loose down to her waist, straight and heavy, with a red so vivid it seemed to catch the moonlight and reflect it back like strands of liquid fire. Some shorter strands framed her face, further highlighting her intense brown eyes. The face itself was the same as always—delicate yet strong features, naturally elegant eyebrows, straight nose, full lips that rarely showed a genuine smile. Her fair skin had a slight flush on her cheeks from the cold night wind.
But it wasn't just the face that drew attention...
Her body... well, "extremely beautiful" was the closest to a fair description.
The black long-sleeved cotton blouse was fitted enough to outline every curve without ever seeming vulgar—the absurdly slim waist, the high and firm breasts that lifted the fabric just right, the impeccable posture that further accentuated her silhouette. The dark jeans hugged her strong, long thighs, shaping her wide hips and legs that were simply perfect.
He blinked once.
Then again.
...Damn.
In the old Natsu's memories, Erza had always been... well, Erza. Strong enough to split a mountain with her fists. Ruthless enough to silence the entire guild with a single glare. Elegant in her own way, yes, but always wrapped in that aura of authority that made anyone straighten their posture instantly.
But this Erza here...
It was almost unfair.
The loose scarlet hair made her look younger, more... human. Her face without the armor seemed softer, almost delicate. And the simple, dark casual clothes, lightly clinging to her body, highlighted everything his predecessor had never really stopped to notice: the perfectly defined feminine curves...
She was beautiful in a way that any man with a shred of good sense would notice.
And he, who had always been a womanizer in his past life, definitely noticed.
Hm. Was she holding a cake?
Had she come to visit him...?
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