Chapter 16: Gajeel vs. Mikio

Heyo! So just to let you know, these next couple of chapters will be shorter and only focusing on one battle each. Like this one is Gajeel and Mikio's battle. I may update more since they probably will be shorter, like I may update again on Monday, but I don't know yet. Anyways, thanks for the reads! Now, onto the story...

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~Gajeel's POV~

Greeny blocks my punch with his arm and takes a swing at me with his other. I dodge it and jump back.

I take the opportunity to size him up. He's quite tall, taller than me, and looks kind of... tree-ish. His hair is green and sort of looks like leaves atop his meaty head. I notice that the part of his arm that he used to block me has changed texture. It looks as though its made of bark.

"What? Are you some sort of tree-hugger mage?" I snicker, and he just scowls.

"Gajeel of Fairy Tail!" he yells out. "I am Mikio of the Wood."

"The what?"

He just rolls his eyes and suddenly jumps up onto a tree, landing on a branch quite high up.

"And how do you know my name?" I shout at him, frustration growing.

"The elements know all," he says, looking off in the distance.

Now its my turn to scowl and roll my eyes. "So you are a tree-hugger mage."

He looks at me. "That doesn't matter. And may I ask why you are so cocky?"

"Huh?"

"I don't know why you are so confident when the guy Natsu, who is quite small compared to you, kicked your ass."

Oh that did it. I smirk at him, "Oh, since you love that battle so much you creepy stalker, I'll hand your ass to you just as hard. Gottcha?"

He smiles, "You can try."

I turn my arm to a metal blade and swipe at his tree's trunk. It's cut clean off it's stump, and it topples over with a loud crash. He springs off the branch with ease, landing directly in front of me.

We go a couple rounds of dodging and punching, and I end up cutting down three other trees. He stands in front of me again. And the cocky bastard starts laughing.

"What is it?" I snarl.

"Look down, why don't you?"

I do as he suggests and see thick wooden vines sprouting from the ground and wrapping around my legs, they're grip impeccably strong.

"What the hell?" I growl, trying to cut them away, but more and more just take their place. They work so fast that in a matter of seconds my entire lower body is wrapped in the vines.

"Let's get back to the punching shall we? It might be trickier to dodge now," he laughs, and turns his arms back into raw wooden logs. I dodge his first punch, and manage to get a cut in his shoulder, which creepily enough starts to seep gooey sap. I think I like blood better...

"Ooh, tricky," he quips, but brings his arms together on both sides of my head. The impact stings and makes my head throb. But out of no where I here someone yelling.

"SOLID SCRIPT: FIRE!" the familiar voice shouts, and the vines around my legs ignite and burn away.

The little shrimp lands on the ground next to me. She doesn't look at me as she talks, "Way to get your ass handed to you, eh Gajeel?"

"What are you doing here?" I ask her, kind of angry and thankful at the same time.

"Saving your butt," she replies flatly.

"You're gonna get yourself killed!" I say harshly, and she doesn't reply.

"Are you two done?" Mikio asks tiredly, and I turn back to him. "Thanks for joining us pipsqueak, now I'll get an even greater satisfaction when I beat you both!" He laughs hysterically and goes for Levy first, tree arms at the ready. She stands there unmoving, but watching.

As he gets closer she extends her arm and then, just as he reaches her she shouts: "Solid Script: Hole!"

A hole appears in the ground under Mikio and he falls through it, and we don't hear the thud until a couple seconds pass.

I look over at Levy, frozen to the spot. She could do that?

She drops to her knees, panting. "I'm so glad that worked," she pants. "I had no idea that he'd actually fall in it." She stands and peers over the hole, smiling.

Mikio lays at the bottom of it, at least 10 feet down. "Should I leave him there? Alive?" she asks me quietly.

I join her, looking in the hole myself. Then, and idea pops into my head. "Well, he seems to like trees a lot, so why don't we cut some of those up and dump them in there with him?" I laugh.

She smiles, but I can see the weariness in her eyes. "No."

"What?" I say.

"They stole Lucy from us. He's not leaving alive," she says solemnly. "Solid Script: Fire!" she shouts. The poor bastard lights of fire, and lays there, burning alive.

She turns her back on him and walks away. I follow her, eventually walking at her side.

"Thank you," I mutter.

"You're welcome."

We walk in silence. I sneak glances at her from the corner of my eye. She looks worn out, exhausted even.

I stop walking, and she does too. I turn to her and sigh. "You could've been killed, Levy."

"I know," she says.

"Then why?"

She turns to me and looks up at me, her eyes boring into mine. "You know why," she murmurs quietly.

Did I know why? Yes. But I wanted to hear her say it.

"Do I?" I ask, a small smile playing on my lips.

"I think you do."

"Well, why don't you say it so we're both on the same page?" I stifle a laugh as she rolls her eyes.

"Well," she pauses. Butterflies flutter in my stomach. Is she really going to say it?

She looks down at her hands nervously. I grit my teeth and roll a thought around in my mind.

Just grow a pair and do it!

I lightly take ahold of her thin chin and tilt her head back to look at me. Then, not even thinking, I bring my lips down to hers.

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Hi!

You're so very welcome for that Gale moment.

I hope you liked the chapter! Comment and vote if you did!

Love you all!

~Aleyna~