Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
I watched as the last of the three arrows struck the intended target, landing precisely at the center.
"Seems like you're back in full force," Cana remarked, her voice carrying encouragement from behind me.
It had been three weeks since the S-Class test, and I was finally allowed out of bed to train again. Cana had been tasked with keeping an eye on me, ensuring I didn't push myself too far.
"According to Granny, if you do light training for a few days, you'll recover completely and be back to normal," Cana continued.
"I hope so too. Lying in bed all the time is getting boring," I sighed.
Cana's voice suddenly turned cold. "So spending time with me is boring?"
"Wait—no! No, that's not what I meant!" I quickly corrected myself, panic creeping into my tone.
Cana had been taking care of me for the past three weeks, and during that time, our relationship had grown steadily. Even with the looming threat of an invasive inter-dimensional species, moments like these helped calm me down.
Just as I was about to say more, a teasing voice interrupted.
"Oh? Lovebirds are already flirting first thing in the morning?" Ur smirked.
"Yup, seems like they can't keep away from each other anymore," Ultear added with a grin.
Gray scowled slightly. "Get a room, will you?" A faint blush near his ears betrayed his embarrassment.
Erza, who stood silently beside them, merely smiled at us. However, from the way she moved, I could tell she was still stiff—her body tense and highly aware of her surroundings. Her trauma must still linger, though perhaps, in the long run, it would sharpen her instincts and improve her sword and martial arts skills.
"Not that you're unwelcome, but why are all of you here?" I asked, glad that Ur's sudden entrance had successfully distracted Cana from my earlier slip-up.
Ur smirked. "I thought I'd bring the kids to fight the new S-Class wizard, see what he can do."
"But Granny told him not to do anything serious for a few days!" Cana protested.
"Don't worry," Ur dismissed her concerns with a wave of her hand.
"Porlyusica isn't here right now, and the kid doesn't need to hold back under any extra conditions."
"But he—" Cana started again, only for me to interrupt.
"It's alright, Cana. I want to warm up a bit too."
She let out a resigned sigh. "Alright, fine. But you stop if it gets dangerous, alright?"
I smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Fine," she muttered, stepping back, though she started pouting a little. Man, she's cute.
I then turned my attention to the three standing in front of me.
"Be prepared to lose this time," Gray declared.
"You might not win this time, Karna," Ultear added confidently.
"Please take care of us," Erza said with a polite nod.
Ur raised a hand. "And—start!"
In an instant, all three of them charged at me. Some might think an archer standing in the open was in a weakened position, but with my skill set, I could handle this easily.
Erza, the fastest, reached me first. Dual swords in hand, she slashed at me. I dodged swiftly and pulled a smoke arrow, releasing it at the ground. A thick cloud of smoke enveloped us.
"Hey, no fair!" Gray complained from somewhere within the haze.
Taking the opportunity, I leaped back, creating distance. I nocked an explosive arrow—50% air, 30% fire, 20% earth—and released it at the ground. The resulting explosion sent rocks and dirt scattering in all directions.
Erza deflected them with her blades, Gray conjured an ice shield, and Ur hid behind it.
"Maker Magic: Gatling Gun!" Gray shouted, summoning a self-made ice firearm and opening fire. However, he missed every shot.
Then, out of the smoke, Erza emerged—faster than before. I barely had time to react, dodging with more effort than expected.
"Wait a minute…" I muttered. "Did you guys—?"
Ur's voice rang out, laughing. "Yeah, we did!"
Flashback
"Hey, Ultear, Erza—want me to show you a new way to fight?"
"A new way?" Ultear asked, intrigued.
"Yeah, a combination of both of your skills. If it works, that is."
"Tell us now!" Ultear demanded eagerly.
"Alright," I began. "Ultear, you can manipulate the time of non-sentient beings, and Erza, you're a close-combat wizard. Now, what if Ultear fast-forwards Erza's armor while she's wearing it?"
Ultear frowned. "It wouldn't move much since Erza's wearing it."
"It doesn't need to," I explained. "If I'm right, the armor moves according to Erza's body. If you fast-forward its future state, Erza won't have to consciously adjust her movements—she'll only need to focus on the power behind them. If you time it right, you'll make Erza move faster than she normally can."
Erza and Ultear exchanged glances, fire lighting up in their eyes.
"Don't worry—we'll perfect it," Erza declared.
"Yeah, we will," Ultear agreed.
That day would later be remembered as the birth of Fairy Tail's Battle Queens.
Flashback End
Erza smiled. "We trained really hard to reach this level."
"We'll beat you this time!" Gray added, swinging a massive ice hammer.
I smiled. They were growing up fast. But if I let them think S-Class wizards were easy to defeat, I'd only be doing them a disservice.
"Alright," I said, cracking my knuckles. "Time to get serious."
A/N- hope you like the rewrite and every 100 powerstone gets extra chapter of Jason