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"I- I don't know her that well, Mira!" I stammered nervously, backing away from the grinning she-devil. I decided to make a mental note to not mess with Mira.
"Awww, how sweet! He's blushing!" she cackled, before walking in the direction towards the castle. Lucy sniggered and followed.
I, on the other hand, had doubts, especially after that werewolf attack. I had possibly taken this whole 'Vampire Kingdom' to grant.
"Hey! Hurry up, Jellal." Lucy called, beckoning me. I sighed and walked after them. I absolutely didn't feel like turning around and running after Erza.
Not even a bit.
Absolutely...
Not.
Mira shot me a grin as if she could read minds. I again made a mental note that she was probably a pure-blood, and they all had their perks.
Would this count as discrimination?
Shaking my head, I swiped my fringe back and followed the girls. It was abnormal- well, even more, quieter than usual inside the castle. That was probably because Gray wasn't around. And Gajeel and Juvia, for the matter.
Chuckling to myself, I turned to Mira.
"Where're we going?"
She smiled, and slung her arm around Lucy's shoulders, a leather choker jingling softly on her neck. It caught my attention, causing Mira to fiddle with it, hiding it away from me.
Strange...
"Well, for starters!" she said, "You need to get ready. You have a busy day, today. Haven't you heard the saying, to live with a vampire, you need to become one?"
"Uh, no-"
"Good, 'cause I just made it up. Now-" she clapped her hands in a dismissive gesture, and ushered me into our room, "Get ready! You have sword-fighting with the one and only..."
"Gildarts Clive!"
~~~
"Come on! Show some spirit!" Gildarts yelled in my face rather cheerfully, while I spat out dirt. After around ten minutes, I was sweaty, smelly, and ready to practically bury myself in the foul-smelling sword-training arena.
Lucy was positively smirking, as she sat on the banisters, awaiting her turn. Gildarts had this thing for one v one, as 'It was easier to teach'. I personally thought he just wanted to use us like dummies.
"Jellal! C' mon! Is this how you're going to beat enemies?!" He thrust his sword at me, and I rolled away just in time, from the corner of my eye, I spotted a certain pink-haired man joining Lucy, and the 'make-fun-of-Jellal' club.
"What enemies are you talking about?" I attempted to converse with him, edging towards the sword I had long abandoned, "It's not like you're expecting Lucy and me to fight against what's his face- A-"
Natsu, growling, made his way to us, where even Gildarts looked like he was fuming for once, "What's your problem, Fernandes? Don't you understand in one time, names have power!"
"Yeah, they do..." I muttered under my breath. I wasn't sure whether Natsu heard, and I didn't want to find out either, so I trudged out of the arena.
I was about to leave if only I hadn't walked face-first into Gray Fullbuster, himself. Complete in his unclothed glory.
"You stink!" he snorted and walked past me with a grin on his face, which I watched wiping off, as he met eyes with Natsu.
I turned, and exchanged a look with Lucy, as she got up from the banisters. "Hey, look who's here! Now stalking Lucy, are you, slanty-eyes!"
Natsu was already irritated by me, and these words were enough to send him into a frenzy, as he charged towards Gray.
I gulped, revising in my head that Natsu was a pure-blooded Vampire, and he too, not unlike Erza, would have certain magical powers.
"If you've got the balls, Elsa!" Natsu spat, "Then fight me yourself!"
"Gladly!" Gray, completely ignoring that he had no knowledge whatsoever of sword fighting, easily picked up the sword (that I had abandoned), and brandished it.
The tip of the sword immediately caught a ray of sunlight, oddly glowing ice-blue, lighting up the arena with an air of cold.
Natsu gasped, hesitating for a second, before grinding his teeth again, baring them.
"Cool dig you got here, Jellal!" Gray smirked, grinning back at me for a while, before returning to meet eyes with Natsu. Gildarts was leaning on the banisters, this time, his eyes trained on the duo.
There was definitely something up.
"It isn't his," Natsu shot me a withering look, "Looks like- never mind." He shook his head, eyes softening strangely, and muttered something.
"Heh, come on, Salamander! You aren't one to hesitate before a fight!" Gildarts jeered, while I sweat-dropped. He wasn't making matters better. I wonder what Erza would do in a situation like this...
I thought about what Gildarts had called Natsu. 'Salamander'. I guess it could do with people's habits of calling him an idiotic lizard... perhaps. But, Salamanders were thought to be able to live, love and breathe in fire. That only meant...
"GRAY!" I shouted together with Lucy, she had figured it out too, as Natsu grew a warning scarlet, "FIRE! HE'S GOING TO USE FIRE-"
Too late as we were, Natsu threw a fireball, the size of around thirty basketballs at Gray, and laughed.
