Chapter 37: I'm Not Scared of You
"No, no, no, both mages are very talented."
"I apologize! However, they weren't qualified to accept this quest due to their rank. They snuck onto the second floor of the guild to steal the request form and came here without permission. I'm now responsible for completing this mission."
Hearing that his quest was about to be taken away, Natsu immediately protested: "Wait a minute! Dino, I'm obviously the one who took it—"
Dino's eyes narrowed dangerously. A pale white halo appeared around his clenched fist, and with a swift motion—"Crack!"
"Gyaaah!" Natsu's body rocketed backward.
"CRASH!" He smashed clean through the wall, leaving a person-shaped hole.
"EHHH?!" Everyone's jaws dropped in shock.
Happy quickly flew over to Dino, tears streaming down his face. "D-Dino, this has nothing to do with me! Natsu and Lucy made me do it!"
Lucy's head whipped toward the traitorous cat. "You backstabbing fleabag!"
"Do you three have ANY idea how dangerous S-Class quests are?! You had the nerve to take one without authorization?! What were you thinking, breaking the guild's rules like that?!"
"Rumble rumble rumble!"
The entire island trembled violently. Everyone froze in terror. Even the hot-headed Natsu didn't dare utter a word. Lucy had never seen Dino this furious before. He was usually so easygoing—even when she'd witnessed him in battle, he'd still seemed approachable afterward.
But now she truly understood what it meant when Dino got angry. Just his rage alone seemed to make the very world shake. No—it was shaking.
"Do you realize how many people at the guild will worry about you because of this stunt? If you're not strong enough, then train harder! If you want to take S-Class quests, then work your way up to becoming an S-Class mage! What do you think would happen to the guild if everyone tried taking shortcuts like you?!"
"The Master is already eighty-eight years old, and his health isn't what it used to be. As his children, it's fine to cause him some trouble, but you should NEVER make him worry like this!"
Gray stepped in as peacemaker, holding up his hands. "Dino, calm down! Natsu and the others know they messed up." He shot a meaningful look at the guilty trio.
Understanding immediately, they all bowed deeply. "We're sorry! We were wrong!"
Gray pressed, "Louder!"
"WE'RE SORRY! WE WERE WRONG!"
"See, Dino? They admitted their mistake. Don't get too worked up, or you might actually destroy the island."
Dino took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his anger subsiding. He was on the verge of awakening his Devil Fruit ability. Full awakening didn't require training—just gradual absorption and control. Strong emotional fluctuations could trigger the awakening prematurely, and accidentally destroying an island was a real possibility.
"I hope this is the last time something like this happens. After we complete this mission, you're all coming back to the guild with me to apologize to the Master in person. Whether you can continue being part of Fairy Tail depends on his decision. Village Chief, please explain the mission details."
The village chief and all the villagers had prostrated themselves on the ground in terror. They looked at Dino as if he were a deity—only a god could possess such overwhelming power.
"Y-yes, of course!" The village chief began explaining the quest and the curse in detail. Right before Dino and the others, the villagers transformed into demons. Even the experienced Dino was momentarily startled by the sight, though something about it felt strangely familiar—like he'd seen this scenario before, perhaps in an old memory. The realistic transformation was quite different from any mental image he might have had.
"It's getting late. You mages must be exhausted from traveling all day. Please, rest in your rooms."
Dino and the group entered their assigned quarters. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were still visibly shaken from Dino's earlier outburst.
"Why do you all look so scared? I'm not some monster."
The three shook their heads rapidly while thinking in unison: You're WAY scarier than a monster! All the demons in this village combined aren't half as terrifying as you!
"Alright, everyone get some sleep. We'll explore the island tomorrow to investigate the source of the curse." Dino normally avoided troublesome quests like this. He usually preferred subjugation missions—kill the monster or defeat the villains and you're done. Anything involving complex magic or curses was outside his expertise.
They laid out sleeping bags on the floor. Natsu and Gray immediately grabbed the spots farthest from Dino and were snoring within minutes, leaving Lucy with the space closest to him.
Lucy silently cursed those two traitors for abandoning her, but felt herself relax when she noticed Dino had already closed his eyes to rest.
She stole a glance at his sleeping face. He looked peaceful, almost innocent—hard to believe this was the same person who'd made the earth itself tremble with his anger just moments ago.
Though… he did look pretty cool when he was angry, she thought, her cheeks warming. Even if his strength is monstrously terrifying, lying next to him somehow feels… safe. Like you'd want to stay by his side forever.
Suddenly Lucy's heart skipped a beat, and her face flushed crimson. What am I thinking?! No, no, no, that's impossible! I've barely known him! Could this be… love at first sight? No way, absolutely not!
Everyone woke early the next morning to find breakfast already prepared. The villagers treated Dino with immense reverence, which puzzled him. After finishing their meal, he asked someone to open the gates so they could investigate the island. The entire village lined up to see them off respectfully.
Dino remarked, "The people in this village are really polite!"
The others thought in unison: That's because you scared them half to death!