1 The Man Death Fears

As he walked over the burned, destroyed rubble he couldn't help but remember the hellish nightmare of his painful and gruesome past. This is similar to how my town was purged…, "General Natsu! We found something!" a soldier yelled. Natsu's attention was drawn to the soldier. As he walked over he asked, "What is it?". When he got to the soldier he was surprised to see a child lying in the rubble, she looked no more than 10 years old, and her long, filthy, tangled black hair was as long as her body. She also had the strangest set of horns. "She's still breathing," Natsu said in his usual deep, emotionless voice. Man, you're a tough one, he thought as he pulled her out of the rubble. The girl was only 120 cm in height, her clothes were slashed as if she'd been attacked with a longsword. She was startled awake, jumping out of Natsu's arms and looking around frantically, then picked up a sword protruding out of the rubble, running at Natsu at full speed, ready to kill him.

Just as the blade was about to hit him, he completely vanished from her view, appearing behind her at the exact moment, shattering the sword simultaneously. Everyone around her was surprisingly calm, some were even chuckling. "Calm down kid. We're here to help. What's your name?" Natsu calmly asked. "How do I know you are here to help me?" she asked demandingly. "Jeez, you're a stubborn one. Alright then. I'm Grand General Natsu, of the Demon King army. And who might you be?" her face immediately changed. She looked surprised and scared, and rightfully so. General Natsu was famous for being extremely powerful and violent, with more than 9 billion people dead because of him, earning him the name 'Grim Reaper'. Being a Demon-Dragon hybrid he is taller than anyone else in his division, standing at 222 cm tall. He can run at the speed of light and obliterate a mountain with one punch. His glowing red eyes and long crimson horns can scare the strongest of men to the brink of death.

A shiver ran down her spine, almost paralyzing her. "And now I ask again, what's your name?" Natsu asked in a calm, well-mannered voice. " I-I'm H-Hatsune," Hatsune said nervously. "Hatsune, huh? That's a cute name…" he said, she then blushed a little. "You got any family left alive?" Natsu asked. Her expression changed to a sad, lonely one. "No," she said somberly. 'Sigh' "Well, that's disappointing," he looked around as if looking for something. "Welp," he said while standing up, brushing off some dust. "Why don't you come with us back to the capital? Surely we can find a home for you there," he said kindly. "Thank you," she said, a tear rolling down her face. "But I can't. I'm a half-Demon. No one would accept me." Hatsune said in a sad voice. When she looked up at Natsu she was surprised to see him with a severe look on his face. "That never stopped me. Or anyone else here."

She looked confused when he said that, unsure of what he was talking about. She then looked around and saw that everyone around her were all Half-Demons. "You're all…" "Hybrids!" someone yelled. "I'm half-orc!" "I'm half-salamander!" "I'm a quarter-giant!" "I'm half-elf!" "See kid? You're not the only outcast here." Natsu said with a grin. "We're all outcasts from society one way or another." A sudden wave of calmness rushed in her. She then realized that she was safe with them. "That's amazing! You were able to combine so many people under one idea, that you're all outcasts!" she said excitedly. "Thanks, kid." "Anyway, I think we should get going. It's almost dark." Natsu said. "All right then, let's move out men!!" he shouted at the other men. They all started the long trek back to the Demon King's palace.

On their way back to the palace they stopped to rest in a grove of trees that was also next to a river and had an excellent cover due to the thick-based tree trunks, which were ideal for bathing. "We'll rest here for the night. Men wash first, ladies set up camp," Natsu said. Hatsune was surprised at how Natsu led the company. It was fascinating to her that he cared so much about his company without caring at all. When all of the men left to wash in the river she asked one of the female soldiers about her curiosities. "Oh, Natsu was like that since we were assigned to him. Of course, we were initially confused by his behavior, but we soon learned that it was much more complicated than we had ever imagined." The soldier then left Hatsune to her thoughts.

Meanwhile, the men were having a blast 'bathing' themselves at the river, splashing around in the water, wrestling each other, and comparing dick sizes. Natsu was the only one washing and cleaning himself, using a small waterfall upstream. As the water rushed down his back, he once again found himself regurgitating the suppressed emotions of his past. "Fuck, not again," he said as he finished washing his hair. "Hey, Natsu. Come join us," a soldier yelled from downstream. Natsu stood up with a sigh and walked over to them. Even after years of serving with him, the menacing aura surrounding him still unnerved them. It didn't help that he towered over them, his giant wings and tail were also a big factor, as they were both twice the size of the men around them. Many scars could also be found all across his body, varying in size and shape. They knew very little about them, only that the wounds were from Natsu's past, something he never talked about.

When the men returned from bathing the women started walking to it, getting various glances from the men passing by. Hatsune was on the opposite side of the path, not wanting the same kind of attention, even though the others assured her that none of them were like that and they were all very nice, she was still cautious. Meanwhile, the men were scuttling about camp, hunting in the nearby woods, and trying to get a quick peek at the women bathing, who were all unsuccessful because of Natsu's efforts. "Come on sir, just one little peek?" one of the soldiers asked in a whiny voice. "No," Natsu said, "You already had your fun time, it's time to get back to work," Natsu's threatening eyes stared down at them, crushing them with a familiar pressure, one that surrounded Natsu constantly, but was still pants shitingly terrifying of them. So they reluctantly returned to the campsite, pants soaked with their urine.

By the time the women had finished bathing the men had prepared a sizable meal, so they all enjoyed a nice dinner, drinking, singing, eating, and wrestling. As everyone was having a good time, Hatsune couldn't help but look on in envy, remembering her memories of her family. "I know what you're thinking, kid," Natsu said as he sat beside her. "You're envious of them. You're thinking about your family, friends, all the people you lost," he said. "How did you…" she began, "You're not the only one who has lost everything," Natsu said, "But it's times like these that make it worth the sacrifice," she looked at him confused, not understanding what he meant. "Why don't you go spend some time with them, huh? I think it'd be good for you," he said, standing up and looking down at her. She nodded her head with a sigh as she stood up, then walked over to everyone else with Natsu and proceeded to have one of the best nights of her life.

They all woke up bright and early the following day, all of them groaning and grumbling as they all took down the camp. Natsu seemed to be the only one wholly awake and ready, while everyone else was still trying to figure out who they were. They had breakfast, finished taking down camp, loaded everything up, and restarted their journey. It took a while for them to wake up, but it made the trip much more enjoyable when they did. They sang songs, told stories, made jokes, and lifted their morals. They were great for long journeys like such because they always had something new to talk about, and it always lifted whatever spirits Natsu had left, as he would usually just listen. Hatsune, on the other hand, loved this, as she would sing along with them, and listen to stories; and she had the cutest smile. Watching her made Natsu start having memories of his sister. "Hehe, shit," he said with a sigh.

As the journey went on, it became increasingly dull, seeing the same rolling hills with the same trees sprouting out of them, the company soon lulled themselves to silence, the only noise being the steady squeak of the wagon's wheels, but for Natsu, it was refreshing because he was able to sense the spirits and creatures that lived there. "Stop the wagon. Now," he said to the driver. The driver complied and stopped, halting the entire company. "Everyone, stay in the carts! It's dangerous!" Natsu yelled to the others. Everyone was confused but still listened because of their faith in him. As Natsu jumped out of the wagon, he grabbed a strange box and opened it to reveal a beautiful red-sheathed katana, which he fashioned to his waist. "Sir?" one of the soldiers asked. It appeared to Hatsune that this was a first for them as well, for they looked on in astonishment. As Natsu walked to the front of the company the soldiers looked at it in awe, for they had never seen the sword before.

He walked no more than 20 feet from the lead wagon when a giant earthworm burst from the ground charging at them. Natsu just calmly kept on walking, not seeming to care. The worm's mouth was about 100 feet in diameter, making it the most giant earthworm ever. The soldiers looked on in fear as it slowly closed the gap between them. Then Natsu slowly unsheathed his blade, revealing a wonderful red and black blade that glistened in the sun. "lightning magic:..." he started to say, with small lightning bolts suddenly forming around him. He then vanished, the worm stopping altogether. A few seconds later the worm and a nearby mountain were cut in half. "...arcane bolt slash," Natsu finished, sheathing his sword at the other side of the worm, walking over, and reinstating himself in his wagon. Hatsune notest an inscription on the blade that read, 'Chinokawaki', and when she asked him about it, he said it was the sword's name. "In our ancestral language it means 'bloodlust', and it has served me for many millennia," he said as he put it back in the strange box.

It was a tranquil ride after that, everyone in shock at what happened, Natsu was taking a nap, and as Hatsune watched him sleep peacefully she noticed that he looked innocent and peaceful. Looking at him now, it's impossible to think that he could commit any kind of violent act, but after seeing what he can do, and knowing the stories and rumors about him, I can't help but think about how many stories are true, she thought. She then realized that she'd been staring at him for a long time and had caught the other people's attention in the wagon. Filled with embarrassment she stuffed her head into her legs, her face bright red. They all laughed, making her even more embarrassed, "Don't worry kid, I'm used to it," Natsu said sitting up, which made her fall over and temporarily pass out due to embarrassment. She then sprung right back up, so overwhelmed with embarrassment that she used her hair as a curtain to hide her face, and stayed like this for the rest of the day.

When they finally stopped to rest for the night she had calmed down but hadn't completely recovered from the embarrassment. But she was completely over it when they finished setting up camp. They all enjoyed a nice feast, laughing and singing, and soon they partied themselves to sleep, all but a few were still awake–Natsu and Hatsune being the most– and had the unfortunate task of putting everyone in their tents. This didn't take very long though because of Natsu's incredible strength, so they finished quickly and had a good night's rest. Except for Hatsune, who had been having nightmares, lying awake trying to forget the painful memories until she decided to get up and take a walk. She sneaked into the nearby forest where she almost ran into Natsu, who was kneeling without a shirt on, exposing many scars all across his body, the biggest one being what seemed to be a stab wound that was right in between the base of his wings, one could assume that the sword went all the way through him, destroying his heart and spine.

"What the hell happened to you?" she whispered, staring at him with fear and aw. He seemed to be meditating, sitting there motionless when suddenly he lifted his head, gazing at the black void in front of him when bright lights suddenly appeared, approaching him carelessly. When they got closer they started to take shape, becoming more and more humanoid as they went. They were spirits, an incredible sight because they are never seen. When they finally meet with Natsu he bows his head and the spirits do the same. They all started talking with him as if they were siblings, which surprised her even more as no one had ever done something like this. "I thought I told you guys to make sure we weren't attacked," he said demandingly, "We're sorry, but you can't expect us to have control over everything here. Have you already forgotten that earthworms don't have souls or auras?" they said in retaliation "I'm quite aware of that," he returned.

They sat there for a while talking between themselves, the spirits not seeming to mind his many scars, though they were still wary of him. Hatsune assumed that it was because of his unnervingly powerful aura, which even from about 15 feet away she could still feel the same menacing feeling that emanated off of him. He suddenly stood up, bowed to the spirits, and started back to the camp. Hatsune quickly hid behind a close tree, waiting until he passed by, then made her way back to the camp. And when she laid down her mind was plagued with other thoughts. She was filled with questions, like: How did he get those scars?, where did he get them?, who gave them to him?, How long has he had them for? So many questions filled her head, making it even harder to sleep. She then noticed a dark figure come up to the tent, and given its giant stature, she presumed it to be Natsu. "What do you want now?" she whispered under her breath as he slowly made his way over to her.

When he knelt beside her she could feel his warm breath flow over her like waves of a fiery ocean, pulling her into an abyss of darkness and death. As her vision started to fade to black she realized that he wasn't breathing on her, the feeling was his aura. His aura was so strong that it could materialize into a physical thing. She suddenly awoke in a strange area, the sky tainted with blood. She looked up horrified to see mountains of dead bodies surrounding her, and at the top of the tallest mountain stood Natsu, looking down at her with the same somber eyes that he always wore. "This is what I am. A monster," Natsu said as if he was right next to her. All she could do was repeat the word, "No," to herself, repeating it louder and louder, waiting for the nightmare to end. Natsu suddenly appeared in front of her, shaking her and begging her to wake up, with a voice not familiar to her, so she closed her eyes as hard as she could in a last-ditch effort to leave.

She burst awake in a frenzy, rolling over off her bed sheets and showing everyone in the tent what she had eaten that night. When she had finished the pungent odor had spread through the tent, but that was the least of their worries, as Hatsune was still in shock about what happened in her nightmare. When she finished digesting what had happened she explained what she saw to the others, who were chill about it. "Welcome to the club then," one of them said. "What do you mean by that?" Hatsune asked. "Well, it was something that Natsu did on all of us to show us what we were being led by," she said. Now it was clear to Hatsune what Natsu was doing, he was showing her a terrible truth; she would have to restart her life. Everything she had, everything she hoped to be, was gone. She'd have to start anew. That fact terrified her, so much that she almost threw up again. He showed her the dark reality of the world she was now in, one of malice and hate; one of evil, death, and destruction.

When morning came around Hatsune tried to find Natsu in order to confront him about the night before, but remembering what she had witnessed she decided against it. Besides, they were only half a day away from the palace, so she had little time to worry. She was excited about going to the capital of the demon kingdom because she had only ever heard stories about it. 'I wonder what it'll be like.' She thought. She had never been outside her village before, so she had many hopes for the capital city. She was so excited that she had totally forgotten about where she was, completely immersed in her own thoughts. Natsu found this amusing, as she had completely recovered from the test he put on her. I guess it makes sense. She is only a child, after all, he thought. "Hey kid, we're here," he said while nudging her out of her trance. She looked up in awe as the Demon King Palace came into view, and butterflies started forming in her stomach.