Frozen Heart
Chapter 63
Gajeel tracked the perpetrators down in a matter of hours, their sickly-sweet scent-like old perfume and decay-easy to follow even over a great distance.
The Iron Dragon Slayer identified the horde of creatures easily; yuki-onna, female monsters that take the form of beautiful dark-haired women in white kimonos to lure in unsuspecting mortals.
Only a close glance revealed the rows of needle-like fangs or the dagger-sized claws.
Even now they were licking those claws clean of purplish-red blood, giggling to each other, and Gajeel saw red.
They had attacked Snowie, outnumbered her fifty-to-one, slashed her open and laughed…
The next thing he knew, ten of them were already dead.
Black blood sprayed the white mountain snow like ink, the creatures shrieking as they were dismembered with extreme prejudice, losing arms and legs and heads faster than most beings could blink.
The yuki-onna did not go down quietly; they hissed and bit and slashed, eyes utterly black from pupil to sclera and tongues lashing out like leathery whips.
Gajeel felt none of it.
All he knew was the rage, the thought that they had hurt Jack and no one hurt Jack-
“Snow Magic: Blizzard!”
The entire world suddenly went white, and the monsters screeched in discordant notes as Gajeel faltered.
“Solid Script: Blade!”
“Wind!”
Stumbling, disoriented at the lack of opponents as the yuki-onna fell silent, he was deafened as wind’s howl drowned out whatever noise their bodies made over the rush of snowfall and hail.
“Gajeel!”
Everything suddenly cleared, and the Dragon Slayer found himself looking into Levy’s worried face, and when had he ended up on the ground?
“You big idiot!” The Script mage scolded, voice wavering as she grabbed his arm in an attempt to keep the man from toppling over. “What did you think you were doing, going after a horde of yuki-onna?!”
And there was Jack, clean of blood but unbandaged, only a fresh shirt hiding the wounds and marks.
“I can’t believe you, you great big idiot!” She fumed, wind lashing out around her ankles. “These are Winter Spirits! Even minor ones like them could have killed you if we hadn’t gotten here in time!”
As if to prove her point, every wound flared to catch his attention, like hot pinpricks across every muscle, and Gajeel grit his teeth against the pain.
Yes, it had been foolish to go after the yuki-onna once he realized what they were, but…
“They hurt you.” He growled out, looking up into those big blue eyes as the pupils expanded in surprise. “I wasn’t going to let them get away with it.”
Levy’s grip tightened on his forearm, throat closing with emotion.
“Gajeel…”
Jack stared for a long time, snowflakes and ice-shards trembling in her irises, before she leapt into his chest, apparently oblivious to the fresh blood.
“Idiot…” The winter guardian muttered, overwhelmed.
Gajeel figured it was alright, being an idiot, if it meant Jack knew how much they cared about her.
The Iron Dragon Slayer identified the horde of creatures easily; yuki-onna, female monsters that take the form of beautiful dark-haired women in white kimonos to lure in unsuspecting mortals.
Only a close glance revealed the rows of needle-like fangs or the dagger-sized claws.
Even now they were licking those claws clean of purplish-red blood, giggling to each other, and Gajeel saw red.
They had attacked Snowie, outnumbered her fifty-to-one, slashed her open and laughed…
The next thing he knew, ten of them were already dead.
Black blood sprayed the white mountain snow like ink, the creatures shrieking as they were dismembered with extreme prejudice, losing arms and legs and heads faster than most beings could blink.
The yuki-onna did not go down quietly; they hissed and bit and slashed, eyes utterly black from pupil to sclera and tongues lashing out like leathery whips.
Gajeel felt none of it.
All he knew was the rage, the thought that they had hurt Jack and no one hurt Jack-
“Snow Magic: Blizzard!”
The entire world suddenly went white, and the monsters screeched in discordant notes as Gajeel faltered.
“Solid Script: Blade!”
“Wind!”
Stumbling, disoriented at the lack of opponents as the yuki-onna fell silent, he was deafened as wind’s howl drowned out whatever noise their bodies made over the rush of snowfall and hail.
“Gajeel!”
Everything suddenly cleared, and the Dragon Slayer found himself looking into Levy’s worried face, and when had he ended up on the ground?
“You big idiot!” The Script mage scolded, voice wavering as she grabbed his arm in an attempt to keep the man from toppling over. “What did you think you were doing, going after a horde of yuki-onna?!”
And there was Jack, clean of blood but unbandaged, only a fresh shirt hiding the wounds and marks.
“I can’t believe you, you great big idiot!” She fumed, wind lashing out around her ankles. “These are Winter Spirits! Even minor ones like them could have killed you if we hadn’t gotten here in time!”
As if to prove her point, every wound flared to catch his attention, like hot pinpricks across every muscle, and Gajeel grit his teeth against the pain.
Yes, it had been foolish to go after the yuki-onna once he realized what they were, but…
“They hurt you.” He growled out, looking up into those big blue eyes as the pupils expanded in surprise. “I wasn’t going to let them get away with it.”
Levy’s grip tightened on his forearm, throat closing with emotion.
“Gajeel…”
Jack stared for a long time, snowflakes and ice-shards trembling in her irises, before she leapt into his chest, apparently oblivious to the fresh blood.
“Idiot…” The winter guardian muttered, overwhelmed.
Gajeel figured it was alright, being an idiot, if it meant Jack knew how much they cared about her.