Erza's hand, holding a fork, froze just a centimeter from her cake. The happy pink aura surrounding her seemed to pop like a bubble with a soft poof.
She turned her head ever so slowly, her face—once beaming with sugary bliss—now dark enough to make it seem like storm clouds were brewing. A bit of cream still clung to the corner of her mouth, but her lips curled into a chilling, "kind" smile that dropped the temperature of the entire guild hall.
Her voice was ice-cold, each word squeezed out through gritted teeth:
"GO—PICK—AN—E-RANK—MISSION—YOURSELF!!!"
BOOM!
An invisible wave of terrifying pressure crashed over Natsu! His feet felt glued to the floor, cold sweat pouring down his back like a waterfall, soaking his clothes in seconds.
His body shook uncontrollably, teeth chattering, the fiery courage he'd felt moments ago now frozen into icy shards.
"Y-Yes! S-Sorry!! I'll go right now!!" Natsu's voice cracked with panic as he scrambled, practically tripping over himself, to escape Erza's deadly glare. He bolted back to the mission board in a frantic, clumsy sprint.
Leaning against the cold wall, Natsu gasped for air, clutching his chest as his heart threatened to leap out of his throat.
"Just… just now… I thought I was done for! So… so scary!!!" he wheezed.
"Pfft!" A snicker came from nearby. Cana's amused voice cut through. "You've got some serious guts, Natsu, messing with Erza during her sacred cake time."
"Mind your own business…" Natsu muttered, ready to snap back, but when he turned, he saw Cana grinning, holding out a tempting slice of cake.
"Here, have some. This bakery's cakes are insanely good!"
Natsu's retort died in his throat. Staring at the sweet, fragrant cake and Cana's friendly smile, some of his fear and frustration melted away.
He ducked his head, mumbling, "Th-Thanks," as he took the cake.
"No problem!" Cana waved it off, then leaned in closer, her voice dropping with a teasing curiosity. "Hey, Natsu… when you were looking at the mission board earlier, don't tell me… you couldn't actually read the words, could you?"
"Of course I can!" Natsu's face flushed red up to his ears, his voice rising like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Igneel taught me how to read! I just… forgot how the mission ranks work, that's all…" His voice trailed off, growing quieter with every word, betraying his guilt.
Cana blinked, genuinely surprised. "Wait, a dragon taught a human kid how to read?"
"Of course!" Natsu puffed out his chest, a spark of pride returning at the mention of Igneel. "Igneel didn't just teach me to read—he taught me to write, too! I was pretty good at it, you know."
"Wow…" Cana's eyes sparkled with amazement, her voice stretching out. "That's so cool! A dragon teaching a kid magic and how to read and write? It's like something straight out of a fairy tale."
Natsu nibbled on the sweet cake, stealing a glance at Erza, who was now calmly enjoying her cake in the corner. Still shaken, he whispered, "Is Erza… always that scary?"
Cana stifled a laugh, covering her mouth. "She's usually fine! You just had the worst luck, interrupting her limited-edition strawberry cake day and her sacred tasting ritual. That's why she went off like that."
She paused for effect, lowering her voice. "Normally, if you mess with her cake time, she'll just beat you half to death and call it a day. But if you interrupt one of her sacred moments? You're getting barely alive treatment."
Natsu's mouth twitched. "Half to death… barely alive… what's the difference?"
"Oh, there's a big difference!" Cana raised a finger, grinning like she was letting him in on a guild secret. "Half to death means she knocks you out and leaves you to recover on your own. But barely alive?" Her grin turned wicked. "That's when she knocks you out, wakes you up, knocks you out again… rinse and repeat, at least three times. You'll know what it means to beg for mercy."
A cold shiver shot from Natsu's feet to the top of his head. He rubbed the goosebumps on his arms, the cake in his hand suddenly losing its appeal.
He glanced nervously at Erza again, swallowing hard. "I-I think I'll just… go pick an E-rank mission."
"Challenging her? Yeah, maybe when I'm ten times—no, a hundred times stronger!"
With that, he turned back to the mission board, staring at the words that might as well have been ancient runes, determined to figure them out.
Cana chuckled, watching Natsu's serious expression. "This newbie's gonna be fun," she muttered to herself, humming as she sauntered off toward Kagura.
The guild was definitely about to get a lot more interesting.
---
Time flew by like a dragon soaring through the sky. A year later, in X778, Roger and Erza paused to rest in a peaceful forest clearing after completing a mission.
"Picnic~ Picnic~ Let's have a picnic~" Erza hummed a cheerful, slightly off-key tune as she spread out a large checkered picnic blanket with swift, practiced movements.
Her eyes sharpened, and she called out, "Up!"
Four flashes of red light streaked across the sky. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Four gleaming silver swords plunged into the ground, pinning the corners of the blanket perfectly in place.
Erza stood with her hands on her hips, nodding in satisfaction. "Perfect!"
She plopped down in the center of the blanket, then waved at Roger, who was organizing their gear nearby. Patting the spot next to her, she called out, "Roger! Come sit here! This spot's got the best sunlight and the best view!"
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, her face glowing with pure joy.
"Mmm… the breeze feels so nice, carrying the scent of leaves and earth… the birds are chirping, and I can hear the stream flowing nearby… Picnics are just the best~!"
---