Fairy Tail: The Divine Soul

A few days later, Ryuu Kurogane found himself outside the guild, facing an S-class mission imposed by Makarov. His mind was boiling with frustration, but he knew, as usual, that the Master wouldn't have allowed him to skip this mission.

Flashback:

Makarov had approached Ryuu in the main hall of the guild, his usually kind face now tinged with a hint of seriousness.

"Ryuu," he said in a firm tone, "you have the skills to complete this mission, and I'm not going to let you get out of it so easily. The guild needs you."

Ryuu, arms crossed and a sulky pout on his face, stood up. "But it's not fair! Why me?! I don't want to do this!"

Makarov shrugged with a mischievous smile. "Because you need this. Training doesn't hurt. And besides, you don't have a choice. It's an S-class mission. It's time to prove what you're capable of."

Ryuu grimaced, but he knew he couldn't really refuse. With a grumble, he reluctantly agreed.

"You'll do fine, Ryuu," Makarov concluded, gently pushing him toward the exit.

End of flashback.

Now, Ryuu was walking through an abandoned fortress, its crumbling walls and scattered stones around him. The smell of war lingered in the air. The nearby village had been attacked by a horde of dangerous creatures. Ryuu's mission was simple: eliminate the threat.

He walked for several minutes, chewing on the inside of his cheek, irritated by the obligation to carry out this mission. His anger bubbled with every step he took in the ruins of the fortress, every growl from the creatures that inhabited the place felt like a bee sting on his nerves.

Eventually, he stumbled upon a group of about twenty monstrous beasts. These creatures, massive bodies covered in sharp claws, stared at him menacingly. Ryuu clenched his fists, his breath growing heavier, as the childish anger he felt exploded.

"Thunder God," he muttered through gritted teeth. In an instant, his hair turned white as snow, two strands transforming into crackling bolts of lightning. A dark cloud appeared around his shoulders, as if the sky itself was responding to Ryuu's fury.

He activated his Godspeed, his speed reaching incredible heights. His muscles tensed, every fiber of his body igniting with power.

"You're going to regret making me do this," he declared, a gleam of defiance in his eyes. "Thunder God's Wrath!"

In the blink of an eye, he rushed toward the beasts, the air whistling around him. The creatures didn't even have time to react before he reached the first one. With a deafening explosion, a powerful punch tore through the creature, causing it to burst into pieces. BOOM

He spun around, his foot landing violently on another beast that had attempted to attack him. KABOOM The blow resonated like a lightning strike hitting the earth, sending the creature crashing into a ruined wall.

The other beasts tried to encircle him, but their slowness was their downfall. Ryuu moved with almost imperceptible speed, each movement a blur. He dodged a swipe of claws and took a step forward, sending a lightning strike of pure force. CRACK The impact was as brutal as a thunderbolt hitting the ground.

"Thunderclap!"

He propelled himself toward another beast, striking it with overwhelming force. BANG The creature was sent flying into shards, pulverized by Ryuu's immense power.

In the blink of an eye, he had eliminated half of the beasts. Each strike accompanied by powerful sounds: KABOOM, BANG, BOOM, like a rain of lightning falling to the earth. He never slowed down, each attack faster and more precise than the last.

The remaining beasts, terrified by Ryuu's speed and power, tried to flee, but he caught them all, striking them with bolts of fury. CRASH One last blow and the final beast collapsed, leaving only a mist of dust and flashes of light in its wake.

Ryuu finally stopped, breathing deeply, the anger still palpable in his gaze. He had ended the threat in a lightning-fast manner, but the frustration of being forced into this mission still lingered.

"Mission accomplished," he said with a sigh, before turning and walking away, leaving the carcasses of the frightened creatures behind him.

He knew that no matter how many times he saved the day, he would never appreciate these forced missions.

After completing the mission, Ryuu headed towards the nearby village to collect his reward. Upon arriving at the town hall, he met the mayor, a rather corpulent man with a warm smile, though the worry in his eyes was evident. He handed Ryuu a large red velvet bag, its contents gleaming with a special shine.

"Ryuu Kurogane, here is your reward for saving our village," the mayor said with a broad smile. "We've suffered a lot, but thanks to you and your speed, we've regained our peace. These jewels are well-deserved."

Ryuu, with a nonchalant air but a mischievous smile, looked at the enormous jewel being offered to him. He took the bag, gave it a slight shake, and watched the jewel sparkle under the sunlight. It was a gigantic gem, probably one of the most precious he had ever seen.

"Wow, this is huge!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He couldn't help but act like a child who had just received a gift. He tossed the jewel in his hands, completely absorbed by its brilliance. "Awesome, I'm gonna buy tons of food with this!"

The mayor laughed heartily, clearly pleased to see Ryuu so happy. "I suppose it's the least we could do. Thanks again for your help."

After a few joyful jumps, Ryuu turned toward the village and began heading back to the guild. He was no longer as concerned about the mission he had completed, and the thought of returning to the guild with his treasure filled him with childish joy.

As he approached the guild, he noticed a large horn planted at the entrance. Intrigued, he stepped closer, but what caught his attention even more was the scene inside. As soon as he entered, he saw Erza at the center of the room, surrounded by guild members with a stern look on her face. She was wearing her red and silver armor, her imposing sword on her back, and her red hair as sharp as ever.

"What's this mess?!" she shouted, hands on her hips, glaring at the guild members. "You've turned this room into a battlefield again!"

Ryuu, seeing an opportunity to tease his former teammate, approached her and, with a mocking smile, said:

"You haven't changed, huh, Erza? Still lecturing everyone."

Erza immediately turned toward him, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw him. A smile involuntarily spread across her face before she rushed toward him and hugged him. "Ryuu! I've missed you so much!"

Ryuu, a genuine smile on his face, returned the hug for a moment before responding teasingly: "I missed you too, Erza."

Erza instantly blushed, realizing they were in the guild and all eyes were on her. She quickly straightened up, stammering, "I... I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me."

Ryuu burst into laughter, continuing in a mocking tone: "Don't worry, you're adorable when you blush."

The blush on Erza's face became even more intense, but she tried to regain her composure. "Well, Ryuu, if you really want to tease me, you know what you have to do."

At that moment, Natsu, who had been watching the scene with curiosity, stood up and challenged Ryuu: "Hey, Ryuu, you look like you've put on some muscle! How about a little fight to test it out?"

Ryuu grinned widely, still with his mischievous air. "You want to go at it, Natsu? Fine, let's do it!" He immediately charged at him, ready for a fight.

The room turned into chaos as other guild members joined the general brawl, with laughter, magic bursts, and explosions blending into an atmosphere of pure joy and camaraderie.

Erza, seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, shook her head with a sigh, but couldn't help smiling. "Really... you guys never change."

And so, Fairy Tail's guild once again found itself immersed in the chaos of a full-blown brawl, where the overflowing energy of its members made the atmosphere as chaotic as it was fun.

As the brawl raged on in the guild, Erza, arms crossed, watched the scene with a stern eye. She had no intention of letting this situation escalate any further. With a swift motion, she made her way toward Natsu and Gray, who were exchanging punches, and landed two powerful blows to their heads, causing a dull thud to echo through the room.

"Are you done?" she said in a cold voice, her piercing gaze fixed on them. The two boys rubbed their heads, stunned.

After Natsu and Gray were stopped in their fight by Erza, calm returned to the guild. Lucy, a bit surprised, watched the two boys rub their heads before their expressions turned more serious.

"Listen up, this mission is crucial," Erza said, her voice as firm as always. "The Master is in a meeting with the other guilds, so it's up to us to handle this mission. We need to retrieve Zeref's Demonic Lullaby. A mission of the highest importance."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Zeref's Demonic Lullaby?! But... that's... it's a powerful and dangerous artifact, right?"

"Exactly," Erza replied, looking at the three mages. "That's why I asked you to come with me."

"Oh, it's not the first time we've had such a dangerous mission, right?" Natsu said with a big smile, as confident as ever.

"And you, do you really want to go on a mission with these two?" Gray teased, looking at Natsu with a mocking expression.

Erza simply ignored them and gave Natsu and Gray a stern look. "You're meeting at the station in 30 minutes, get ready."

"Okay, okay, we're going," Natsu said casually, turning to Gray. "Come on, are you ready to fight?"

"Whenever you are," Gray responded, just as relaxed.

Erza shot them a stern look. "No fooling around on the way."

Mirajane, who had been watching the scene with a smile, turned to Lucy. "You know, Lucy, when these three are together, they're probably the best team in Fairy Tail. You're going to do great."

Lucy smiled, slightly nervous but also excited about the mission. "I hope so..."

Before the team could prepare to leave, Erza turned her head to spot Ryuu, who was lying on a table, apparently resting after his previous mission. However, he didn't seem interested in joining this new adventure.

Erza walked over to him, stopping next to the table where he was resting. She stared at him for a moment, and without warning, she yanked his hood forcefully, making him fall off the bench and slide to the floor.

"Hey! Erza, that's not fair! Why are you pulling me like that?" Ryuu shouted, flailing his arms like a child refusing to get up.

"You're coming with us," Erza said in an authoritative voice, not giving in.

Ryuu rolled his eyes as he slowly got up. "I just finished my mission, I just got back… Leave me alone!"

"No," Erza insisted, but Ryuu, with a quick motion, stood up and began to back away.

"Good luck with your mission. I'm out," Ryuu said, smiling mischievously. He quickly turned on his heels and left, his figure disappearing into the streets of Magnolia before anyone could stop him.

"Where did he go now...?" Gray muttered, rolling his eyes.

Erza, a bit irritated, sighed. "As usual... but it's not important. We have a mission to accomplish."

Lucy watched Ryuu walk away, a slight worry showing on her face. "It's really strange that he left like that..."

"He's always been like that," Natsu replied with a smile. "Don't worry. When he's ready to help, he'll come back."

"Come on, let's go! We don't have time to waste!" Erza exclaimed, quickly changing the subject.