Cursed Soul: Ch.25

“So, what the hell was with you attacking me like that?”, I asked as I rode on the giant's shoulder, watching over the forest we passed with ease while also looking at the red hound Betsy trotting beside us.

“Oh, we had an incident a few days ago when people tried to enter our village so we're still on edge.”

“Really? What did they want?”

“They didn't say, but the chief thinks that they were here for our Eternal Flame. Oh, you're not here to steal it, right?”, He asked as he turned his head and I chuckled while shaking my head.

“You don't have to worry. If I can talk or just see the spirit in action, I would be pleased, but I just came here because my adoptive father told me of this place. A Matteo Adonna?”

“Can't say the name rings a bell, but I'm sure the chief would know the name.”

“Okay. Well, I'll guess I have to ask him, then.”

“Still, it's nice to meet another human other than Flare.”

'And there's the person I'm looking for,' Flare Corona was arguably one of my favourite characters in the Fairy Tail anime, partly because she used her hair to fight like my favourite Yandere Yukako from JJBA but also because she had the signature red hair that I loved.

From Shanks of One Piece all the way to Akashi from Kuroko no Basket. There were so many red-haired characters that I had in my top ten favourite anime characters of all time and while she wasn't top ten, she was still pretty high up just for the fact that she had red hair.

'And the hair magic as well which reminds me of Yukako from JJBA. Huh, and she acts like Yukako who is also one of my favourite characters…Do I just have a thing for psychotic girls? Is that…is that normal?'

“Flare? Are they also a human?”, I asked, tuning out of my existential crisis as the giant grinned and nodded.

“Yep, she's been with us since she was young and it was from the flame that she learned her magic. I think she wanted to leave in a few months, but the chief wants her to wait a bit more before she can go.”

'Okay, so she's not with Raven Tail yet. Cool, that means that she is not the crazy girl Ivan forced her to be.'

“Oh, that's pretty awesome. I wonder if she would want to go with me back to civilization, then.”

“Are you with bad guys?”, The giant asked and I scoffed while shaking my head.

“No, I used to fight against bad guys, but something happened and I decided to try and join a guild. Before I do that, though, I wanted to come here and look at the flame like Matteo did.”

“Oh, then the chief will definitely let you speak with her. If she wants to go is on her though so no forcing her,” The giant said with a frown and I nodded with a smile before looking forward as we finally entered the village.

I was in awe at the dozens of gigantic giants dressed in black overalls walking around, each having a red hound walking at their side and an axe on their back.

Some of them saw me, but paid me no mind while others waved. I smiled and waved back before turning my head as the giant turned the corner, the two of us continuing down a long path past more giants before finally arriving at a large building that had the words Chief written on the door.

“All right, you just go in and talk to the chief and he'll take it from there.”

“Thanks again,” I spoke with a smile as the giant opened the door without knocking, the bearded giant sitting behind the desk in the office looking used to it as he sighed and looked up.

“Dro, what is it now?”

“Hey, Chief Druwat, I got a human for you here,” Dro the giant spoke as he held a hand to his shoulder, letting me hop onto it before he placed me on the table of the chief who looked at me with a frown.

“Hey, Chief. I was hoping to be able to see the Eternal Flame, if that's okay?”

“Who are you to ask for such a thing?”

“Eric Adonna-Creed, adoptive son of Matteo and Lisa Adonna.”

“The Rune Knight captain, Matteo Adonna?”, He asked as the tension in the room faded, to which I smiled before I blinked as he grinned and slapped the desk with a laugh.

I think that he forgot that I was a simple human as I created a Hymn of Hera screen in front of it, letting it block the attack while smirking when he noticed and gave a sheepish smile.

“Ah, forgot about that.”

“Eh, don't worry about it. So, you actually know the old man, then?”

“Yeah, he came here once to look for information on his wife, but I see that he managed to save her.”

“Yeah, we were in the same Zeref Cult camp before we escaped.”

“Wait, you were in a Zeref camp?”, Druwat asked with a frown and I gave a thumbs-up as I vanished the Hera screen and sat cross-legged on the floor with a smirk.

“For a little over a decade I think. It was a bit torture, but we managed to make it through to the other side and I hear that most of the group are now mostly getting used to living normal lives.”

“I see. Well, I am glad to hear that he had managed to get his beloved. Now, you wanted to see the Eternal Flame, yes?”, He asked and I grinned as I hopped onto his outstretched hand before he placed me on his shoulder.

“Dro, go and tell the patrol units to look out for those bandits.”

“Will do, Chief! See ya, Eric!”

“See ya, Dro!”, I waved with a grin, the three of us leaving the office before the Chief and I turned one direction while Dro went the other.

“I see you and Dro have become close friends.”

“I think so too, but I've learned that he tends to do his own thing,” I spoke and Druwat nodded with a hearty chuckle before I looked forward as we began walking through the forest and towards the large inferno burning on the mountain in front of us.

Well, it was a mountain for me, but for Druwat, it was just a small hill as it took him only a few seconds of walking before we stopped in front of the flames.

Despite the fact that we were a few hundred meters away from the flames, the scorching heat still washed over us as Druwat helped place me down in front of the inferno, feeling awe at the majestic form of magic in front of me.

'Its ethernano is quite literally off the charts,' I have scanned many types of ethernano during my time with the Rune Knights, but all of those combined were not even half of the ethernano being exuded by the flames in front of me.

'And this is just supposed to be a decayed form of Atlas Flame after Acnologia destroyed his body. It really makes me wonder just how fucking powerful the actual big bosses of this world is.'

“Who is this, Druwat?”, A deep voice echoed from inside the flames and I flinched as the heat intensified before a dragon skull with four long horns extended from the flames while Druwar bowed his head.

“Master Atlas, this is Eric Adonna Creed, son to Matteo Creed who came to ask if you had any information on finding his wife.”

“The Rune Knight? You look far too old to be his son and he did not mention any blood relatives.”

“I'm adoptive, sir. He did so after his wife and I escaped from one of the Zeref Cultist Camp.”

“Of course it was those bastards. They never learn that their lord is gone.”

'Uh, I wouldn't say that,' Last I checked, Zeref was in Alakitasia preparing his army and his Spriggan 12 for a final attempt to get the Fairy Heart and cast the spell Neo Eclipse.

Most people would expect me to train hard, go over there and then stop Zeref before this could happen and to them, I say this.

Zeref, August, Irene, Larcade, Dimaria, Brandish. Just those six bastards alone would be enough to take on the entirety of Fiore on their own so there is no fucking way I'm surviving a single second against them.

I'm brave, not a fool.

“Yeah, but I made sure to take care of the last bastard that tried to burn me alive,” I spoke with a grin, which Atlas shared before he looked to Druwat.

“You can leave us, Druwat. The boy is not here to steal the Eternal Flame.”

“As you wish. Come to my office when you're done, Eric. I wish to speak to you further.”

“Sure, meet you when I'm done here,” I nodded, watching as the giant descended down the mountain with ease before turning back only to reel back as Atlas' flaming head was right in my face.

“Uh, is something the matter?”

“No, you just smell like the Space Between Time.”

'…Isn't that the thing that Acnologia devoured to split himself into two?'

“What is that?”

“If you don't now, then it's nothing for you to be concerned about.”

'Okay, so it's definitely that thing Acnologia ate up.'

“So, what is it that you need from me?”, He asked as he retracted his head a bit and I reoriented myself before shaking my head.

“Well, I've come here because I wanted to see if there was actually a spirit sealed in the flames like Matteo was saying.”

“And now that you've seen that?”

“I'm probably just going to head back home now.”

“…So, you really just came here to see me? Not for my magic or anything?”, He asked and I could detect the disappointment in his tone before shrugging.

“Do you want me to ask for it?”

“Ah, okay. You drive a hard bargain, but I suppose if you insist, I shall grant you a part of my magic.”

“I didn't even say anything,” I muttered, but Atlas didn't seem to care as tendrils of flame extended from the pyre before two touched my chest while a third touched my abdomen.

'No, my ethernano container, my Second Origin and…is my abdomen where my Third Origin is?', I thought with a frown as I could feel his ethernano flowing into my form, activating my Archive and smiling as I saw the bar for the spell I had in mind filling up rapidly.

'Okay, that's good. With this, my Hymns are about to reach another level.'

“So, uh…what did you just do to me?”

“Oh, I simply changed your body's composition to where you are now my new Hellfire Dragon Slayer.”

“…What?”, I asked even as I looked at my body, flaming tribal tattoos covering me from head to toe with a red sun over my heart before I frowned as they faded away.

“Wait, you could turn me into a Dragon Slayer just like that.”

“Yes, it was not an action I take lightly, but it's an action that I do not regret.”

“I just wanted to see the Eternal Flame. Why did you do this instead?”, I know I sounded ungrateful, but I didn't want a target on my back from the Black Dragon himself.

“Yes, but now you are its successor, its bearer. My flame will live on in you so make sure you burn wildly. Besides, I'm sure there's a bigger reason for you wanting to come see me than just wanting to see a giant flame.”

“…You would say that,” I murmured as an Archive screen appeared in front of me, creating a keyboard as well before I began to edit the last of the Hymns with a smile.

“Hymn of the Dragon,” I whispered, the screen turning a deep breath before the head of a red-scaled dragon grew out from the screen and spat out a torrent of flames into the sky.

And just like that, I have a new attack.

“So, what now? I just leave and that's it?”

“That's it. Unless you wish to continue this conversation?”, Atlas asked with a smirk before cackling as I shook my head and watched the dragon vanish back into the flames.

'I'm a Dragon Slayer and I have my Hymns. Today was a good day. Now, it's time to see what Druwat wanted.'

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'A warning would have been nice.'

“Eric, glad to see the meeting went well. Did you get what you seek?”

“That and then some,” I answered as the Hymn of Demeter grew out vines that helped me climb onto the table, but my gaze was more focused on the girl standing on the desk in front of me.

Her blood red hair was a darker shade than Erza's scarlet red hair and I didn't catch a hint of the madness in her eyes that I knew her for, but her low-cut red dress with the slit up the legs was far too iconic for me not to recognize Flare Corona looking at me with a furrowed brow.

“Chief, who is this?”

“Ah, right. Flare, this is Eric Adonna-Creed, son to an old friend. Eric, this is Flare Corona, a human girl that has been living with us since she was but a wee lass.”

“Pleased to meet you, Ms. Flare,” I spoke with a smile and a bow, noting her doing the same with a shaky smile before I looked to Druwat to see the calculating look in his eyes.

'Is he going to ask me what I think he's going to ask?'

“Now that you two have been introduced, I would like to ask something of you.”

“Druwat, I already know what you're going to ask and I told you that I wanted to go when I am ready.”

“And when will that be?”, I decided to stay quiet and let the two of them talk this out, watching as Flare's hair extended and lifted her up to where she and Druwat were eye-level with each other.

“When I am ready.”

“You've said that for the past two years despite the fact that you turned 18 two years ago.”

“And I'll continue to say it until I am.”

“Uh, new guy here. What exactly are we talking about here?”, I called out, watching as both of them looked at me before Flare flushed slightly at her outburst while Druwat sighed.

“This one here wants to be a mage in a guild, but she's too scared to go on her own.”

“And you want her to come with me? Are we sure that's a good choice?”

“Thank you. See, even he's on my side.”

“He asks that because he's scared of what I would do to him should something happen to you.”

“That is 100% the truth,” I agreed with a nod, my blunt response making Druwat smirk while Flare let out a soft giggle.

“You don't have to worry. I would not bring harm to the son of a friend. Terrify you? Yes, but never harm.”

“Okay, good. So, when do you want to leave?”, I asked as I looked at Flare, who blinked in surprise at my words before shaking her head.

“I'm staying.”

“You sure? Would you rather be in this village where you can live out your dreary life day in and day out? Or would you rather be on the road, getting to join a guild and go on a different and exciting adventure every day of your life? Eat new food? Meet new people? Make new friends?”, I asked, smiling as she looked intrigued despite her attempts to not show it.

“When you're in this village, you feel safe yet bored. Out there where there are no walls to protect you from harm, it's terrifying, yes. I'll admit that, but the excitement for something new always outweighs that terror. There is nothing better than getting to save someone and then hearing them thank you for doing so.

If you want to stay here and live out the rest of your years in peace, that's good. However, you can also come along and begin the next chapter of your life. Which will it be, Flare Corona?”, I asked with a grin, watching the uncertainty dancing in her eyes before I caught sight of the desire for something new behind it.

“You talk like you've lived that life.”

“I did. Some of it was pain and most of it was hard, but I do not regret a single step I took in my life. I've done it once and I can say that while there are a few things I'd like to change, I would do it again.”

“It is your choice, Flare, as it's always been,” Druwat spoke with a smile from where he was seated and I watched as she looked at him before turning to me with a sign.

“I'll come with you.”

“…Wait, what?”

“I said I'll come with you, but on one condition. You join the same guild that I want to,” She said with a smirk and I looked at her before nodding with a grin.

“Deal.”

“Also, you train me.”

“…Okay, that's a deal too.”

“Wonderful! Now, go. You're already taking up space,” Druwat spoke with a huff and I chuckled as I dropped down, blinking as hair wrapped around my waist before looking up as Flare put me down with a smile.

“Thanks for that.”

“Anytime. Now, let's get this journey started!”, She exclaimed with an excited smile as she rushed to the door and I watched her leave before looking up to see Druwat's amused smile.

“She doesn't know, does she?”

“Bless her heart. She'll learn the horrors of travelling soon enough.”

A/N: And we end it off here~!! Eric is now a Dragon Slayer, his Hymns are stronger and he's ready to train.

Next chapter: Joining a Guild and here, you guys can say: Cerberus, Lamia or any of the others.

As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…

Ba-Bye~!!