Two hours had passed since they left Magnolia.
The road now narrowed amid a forest of tall canopies, where sunlight filtered through in golden beams that danced on the leaf-covered ground. The distant song of birds blended with the rhythmic sound of their footsteps.
Juvia, walking beside Natsu, broke the silence.
"...Natsu-san, why didn't we take a train? Or even a magical carriage? We would have arrived faster..."
Natsu huffed softly, hands in his pockets, without slowing his pace.
"First... it's not that far. Second..." He turned his face, making a discreet grimace: "I have issues with motion. I'd spend the whole trip vomiting; it's not worth it. Third... I want to take it slow. Get my head in order."
He looked up at the sky at the end of his words.
Juvia glanced at him sideways for a few seconds but didn't insist. She walked in silence beside him, just listening to the wind passing through the trees.
Then, with a gentle gesture, she clutched the long sleeves of her blue dress, as if gathering courage, and spoke:
"...If Natsu-san is going slowly to organize his thoughts... then Juvia is here for that too. To help."
Natsu shifted his gaze to her, arching an eyebrow.
"Why?"
She smiled faintly, a sweet smile, but still marked by melancholy.
"...Because Natsu-san helped Juvia before, when she was sad. So... Juvia would also like to do that for you."
Natsu stayed silent for a few seconds, just observing her demeanor. Her blue hair swayed with the forest breeze, and those eyes carried a sincerity that asked for nothing in return.
He let out a short, nasal laugh, almost ironic.
"The way you said it... It's like I'm some kind of poor guy needing consolation."
Juvia blinked, surprised. "N-no, that's not what Juvia meant..."
"I know." He interrupted her calmly, turning back to face the road.
"I'm just kidding. But..." he shrugged, "don't worry so much about me. I know how to handle my own head."
Juvia lowered her eyes, but didn't seem offended. She just walked closer to him, almost brushing her arm against his.
"...Even so, Juvia wants to be by Natsu-san's side."
Natsu sighed deeply, adjusting the scarf.
Juvia walked in silence for a few moments, lightly biting her lower lip, before gathering the courage to ask:
"...So... What was Natsu-san trying to organize in his mind? You told Juvia that this was one of the reasons for walking to the mission; it's not just because of everything that happened with Happy, right...?"
He took a while to respond, his gaze fixed on the leaf-covered road stretching ahead. The sun pierced through the tree canopies, painting golden reflections on his pink hair.
"...Yes, you're right. I didn't just fail to protect Happy. I'm a failure as a Dragon Slayer."
Juvia stopped for a second, surprised, before hurrying her step to catch up with him again. Her eyes widened, full of concern.
"How... how can Natsu-san say that?"
He laughed softly, but there was no joy in the sound.
"I couldn't even fulfill the one thing that should be a Dragon Slayer's duty. I didn't kill Acnologia...."
These were his predecessor's "thoughts" regarding this.
On the other hand, he knew that Acnologia wasn't just an enemy, but an impossible monster, whose defeat, in another reality, only came through the absurd power of friendship. But that world was different. The proofs were everywhere: Happy had died; Juvia, instead of clinging even more to Gray after the bond created by Meredy, had given up on him completely. Nothing followed the same path as the story he remembered. There, the "power of friendship" didn't exist to save everyone.
Fortunately, he had the abilities he brought with his reincarnation....
The silence that followed was heavy, only broken by the rustling of the wind and the noise of their footsteps. Juvia kept her gaze on him, trying to find the right words.
"...But that doesn't make Natsu-san a failure." Her voice came out soft, but firm, as if she had gathered all the courage she possessed to say that. "Dragon Slayer or not, Natsu-san has already protected so many people, saved so many lives... Doesn't that count?"
He averted his gaze, almost uncomfortable.
.... Somehow, he felt that it had affected him more than he would like.
"Saving people doesn't erase the fact that I failed at what I was created to be."
Juvia extended her hand instinctively, as if to touch his arm, but pulled back at the last instant, just getting closer.
"...Juvia doesn't believe it's like that." She spoke in a low voice, but each syllable carried a sincerity that left no room for doubt. "If Natsu-san can't see the value he has... then Juvia will remind you, as many times as needed."
He stayed silent, his gaze fixed ahead, but something in his expression softened for a brief moment. An almost imperceptible trace of a smile.
"You know talking is easy, right?"
Juvia smiled faintly, her eyes shining with tenderness.
"...With Natsu-san, nothing is difficult."
He let out a long sigh, but didn't respond immediately.
The road continued ahead of them, winding and covered in dancing shadows as the sun advanced toward the horizon. The silence between the two was no longer heavy, but rather peaceful, as if the words already spoken had opened a new, more comfortable space.
Juvia, true to what she had promised, didn't stray from him even for an instant. On the contrary, she sought to talk about simple things: the weather, the rivers cutting through the forest, the funny stories she had heard from Lucy, and even some trivial details about her own magic. Gradually, the conversation flowed, breaking any remaining stiffness.
Natsu, even with his direct way, ended up falling into her rhythm. He answered the questions, made carefree comments, and even laughed at one or two memories that Juvia shared. It was strange... but that light interaction, without great pressures, brought him a calm he hadn't felt in a long time.
Time passed without them noticing. When the light began to give way to twilight, they were already closer, both physically and in the way they spoke. There was no forced intimacy, just a naturalness that seemed to grow step by step.
When night finally fell, Natsu decided to stop. They found a discreet clearing, sheltered by denser trees, where the wind was blocked and the ground wasn't so damp. There, they improvised a small camp.
Natsu had gone ahead and, with the skill of someone who had lived many journeys, hunted some rabbits in the surroundings. Now, sitting in front of a freshly lit bonfire, he skewered the meat on improvised branches, letting the slow heat brown it.
Juvia approached and sat beside him, the skirt of her blue dress carefully arranged on the ground. The glow of the flames reflected in her clear eyes, which watched the fire dance with an almost hypnotic calm.
The smell of the roasting meat mixed with the aroma of the crackling wood, and the silence there was different: serene, intimate, as if the entire world had been left behind.
Natsu adjusted one of the skewers, tilting it so the heat would hit better.
"It'll take a while," he commented, almost automatically.
Juvia smiled faintly, leaning just enough so that her shoulder almost touched his.
"...Juvia doesn't mind waiting."
The roasted meat was soon ready, golden and with an aroma that spread through the clearing. Natsu handed one of the skewers to Juvia, who received it with a soft smile and a slight nod of her head.
They ate in silence at first, just letting the warm flavor of the meal and the heat of the bonfire fill the moment. After a while, Juvia commented on how she couldn't remember the last time she had tasted something so simple, yet so comforting. Natsu laughed softly, saying that hunting and cooking was part of any trip of his.
It didn't take long for the two to finish, and the night advanced peacefully, covered by the distant glow of the stars and the constant sound of crickets.
Juvia, warmed by the fire and even more by the heat emanating from Natsu beside her, began to feel the weight of fatigue. Her eyes closed for a few moments, but soon opened again, as if she didn't want to give in to sleep. Still, her head drooped slightly forward, and she nearly fell.
Before she could startle, Natsu's firm hand held her by the shoulder, preventing the fall.
"Careful..." He murmured, almost in an instinctive tone.
Juvia blinked slowly, sleepy, and before she even realized, Natsu adjusted her position, allowing her head to rest on his lap. She didn't protest; on the contrary, she seemed to relax immediately, letting out a soft sigh, as if she had finally found a safe shelter.
It was then that, in a whisper almost inaudible, she murmured:
"...Gray-sama..."
A solitary tear rolled down the corner of her closed eye, reflecting the glow of the bonfire.
Natsu stayed silent for a moment, staring at that shining drop. He let out a soft sigh and, with a hesitant gesture, brought his hand to her face, wiping the tear with the tip of his finger.
Upon feeling the touch, Juvia moved slightly, as if unconsciously seeking that presence. Her lips trembled in an almost dreamed whisper:
"...Natsu-sama..."
His eyes widened slightly, surprised. For an instant, he just observed her peaceful expression, the serene breathing, and the unexpected delicacy of that moment.
The heat of the bonfire no longer seemed enough to justify what he felt in his chest.
Natsu averted his gaze to the stars above, trying to stifle the confusion rising within him. But, upon turning his eyes back to Juvia, still resting gently on his lap, he couldn't avoid letting a trace of tenderness escape in his expression.
His eyes scanned the blue hair spread in waves over his lap, the delicate face illuminated by the orange glow of the flames, the soft breathing that made her chest rise and fall. Involuntarily, his eyes slipped downward. The blue dress, as simple as it was, outlined her body well. The feminine curves were there, so close that it would be impossible not to notice. The breast that rose discreetly under the fabric, the slim waist, the way she seemed to fit against him naturally.
Natsu swallowed hard.
He wasn't blind, nor a saint. He liked women, he liked sex, and that scene stirred him in a way he couldn't deny.
But, at the same time, he wasn't an idiot.
".... Gray was lucky, huh...." Natsu murmured softly enough for only him to hear.
He shook his head negatively afterward, as if pushing away that thought before it deepened. His eyes closed, and the hot air escaped from his lungs in a long sigh.
It was easy to get lost in that proximity. Too easy. But he couldn't afford to let himself be carried away like any ordinary boy.
Not now.
Although he hadn't planned for Juvia to accompany him, it mattered little. Her presence didn't change the purpose of the trip: to see the world with his own eyes and train to become stronger.
That was what he wanted to do at that moment, taking advantage of her resting...
Calmly, Natsu placed his hand on his free knee and allowed the energy within him to begin flowing. Since he had absorbed the "pill" earlier, the [Curse Power] had been unleashed, granting him a new reservoir beyond his [Magic Power]. This energy, being that of a supreme Demon created from Zeref's Book, was incomparably vaster and more intense. Thanks to that, his possibilities of using it to materialize whatever he desired through [Subjective Reality] had expanded unimaginably.
He needed a more effective method to train his internal power, in order to refine and balance both the [Curse Power] and the [Magic Power].
Therefore, he decided to resort to a cultivation method he knew from his readings of Chinese novels in his past life. Among all the options, he chose the [Stellar Transformation], from the work Stellar Transformations.
Natsu breathed deeply and let everything be sucked in by the [Subjective Reality]. His [Magic Power], his [Curse Power]... every drop of energy was drained until almost nothing remained.
In exchange, something emerged in his mind. Not a physical book, nor shining pages, but clear instructions engraved directly into his consciousness.
The [Stellar Transformation].
Unfortunately, due to the little energy he possessed, he couldn't obtain the complete method, only a part of it. He got only the first volume; the other two were far beyond what he could afford at that moment. Still, that was already enough.
Moreover, the method automatically adjusted to suit the internal energy he possessed at the moment, harmonizing with both his [Magic Power] and his [Curse Power]. It seemed that this was another effect of his [Subjective Reality]: everything he materialized would be altered automatically, becoming usable in any world he was in....
Natsu opened his eyes slowly, as if returning from a deep dive. The sigh escaped without him noticing, and his gaze got lost in the starry sky above the clearing.
The stars twinkled almost provocatively, as if challenging him to reach them.
And, deep in his chest, he felt exactly that: a desire to go beyond, not to settle just for the ground he walked on.
A smile appeared on his lips, before he closed his eyes and began to recover the energy spent on his ability.
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