The Life and Death of Erza Scarlet, ch 3

This is a commissioned fan fiction. Anyone critiquing is asked to consider this.



The impact felt like it could shatter bones. The hollow bore down on Erza, tackling her, trying to bring her to the ground- but she pushed back, the soles of her feet burning as they scraped across the ground, leaving dirty, heavy skid marks on the forest floor. Letting out a cry, she grabbed the hollow’s clawed arm with one hand, slamming her iron pipe down, onto its mask with her other arm. It was futile; it was nowhere near enough to crack it- but at the same time, she could feel something resonate, something humming with power as she struck. Suddenly, she could almost see it- everything was spirit; the trees were spirit, the ground was spirit, the grass was spirit, and at the core of everything was the spiritual energy of the hollow and herself, clashing against each other- that was what this afterlife was, energies clashing against one another-
And then her brief moment of realization was overridden by her combat instinct, Erza somersaulting backwards to avoid a swipe of the hollow’s claws. It let out a deep, fierce, malicious growl, and she could feel its claws just grazing her back, narrowly avoiding an injury greater than a scratch. She couldn’t let herself be distracted- a single moment of hesitation, a single mistake, and she would be dead- again, presumably permanently.

But at the same time, the fear she had felt earlier was gone. Here she was, face to face, and her body was reacting on its own, her muscles working in patterns buried deep in her brain, ingrained in her from childhood, and she felt not fear, only caution. Not hesitance, only focus.
The hollow lunged forward again, reaching for her with its clawed arms. Reading its movement, she calculated its momentum, jumped, and sailed past its claws entirely, above its head, landing at the back of its neck. Knowing she had just a split second, she let her energy rise- remarkable, what control this dangerous situation had given her- and brought her pipe down at the hollow’s neck, hard. There was a dull thud, and she could feel it- the bony head was thick and strong, but the neck was soft, full of bone, sinew and muscle that could be hurt.

The hollow howled, spinning around, thrashing, and Erza was flung off, but she found her balance mid-air, and let herself hit the ground in a roll, getting to her feet almost instantly. The hollow was rearing, turning towards her, but she was not letting it take the initiative. Immediately, she charged towards it, holding her pipe in both hands, slamming it down on the hollow’s head, again and again and again. The hollow let out a frustrated sound, slashing at her with its left arm furiously, but the swipe was broad, too strong and too wide, and Erza ducked under it, immediately lunging forward, slamming a fist into the monster’s chest. And to her surprise, the monster staggered backward. She felt strong, stronger than ever- her power was rising, flaring like a beacon of force.

”You think yourself strong, little maggot? The monster hissed. ”I will feast on your innards and drink from your skull!”

“I’m not the one who stopped the fight to talk.” Erza said, holding her pipe up like a sword. “But since we’re talking- why don’t I say something?”
”Speak, then.” The hollow said, pacing around her , licking its teeth again.

Carefully rotating to match the hollow’s steps, Erza continued,
“I know why you hit me from an ambush.”

”Oh?”

“I thought I was the one who was afraid- but it was you, wasn’t it? If I was so beneath you, you would just have walked up and killed me- but you hit me from behind, because you’re afraid of me.” She said confidently. She had no idea if it was really true, but perhaps she could provoke it to make one false step…

…and it worked. Roaring, all semblance of speech and threat forgotten, the hollow charged. Like an animal, it lunged, and she could see its open jaws, its fierce teeth, that maw aiming to take her head…

And she felt calm. At the last second, she hopped to the left, then into the air to avoid another swipe- and mid-air, she struck down on its arm, as hard as she could. She felt the impact in her arms, the force of it hurting her, but she was rewarded with the sound of bone cracking. As she landed on the ground, the monster let out a howl.

”Scum!” It shrieked. “Petty, filthy little soul scum! I will kill you- I will make you watch as I eat that child! I will violate you, destroy you! I will eat-“

Quickly, Erza charged it, slamming her pipe down on its already injured leg. “Talk is cheap!” She shouted. Now on the defensive, the hollow backed up, turning its right, uninjured side towards her. But now it had one less limb to hurt her with, and she was faster- not much, but fast enough.

And again it came, hopping forward, clawing at her. She was prepared- when suddenly, her power faltered. Unable to respond, she could only block, being sent flying, slamming into a tree. Inwardly, she cursed- she had let too much energy be used at once, blazing it away too carelessly. Focusing, she got up on her feet, forcing more energy out. Again, her power rose- and just in time, as Erza had to crouch into a roll to avoid getting hit. Behind her, the tree she had crashed into was broken, its trunk shattered under the force of the hollow’s claws. Quickly, she turned to face the hollow.

”Something the matter?” It said maliciously. ”You were so full of yourself just a second ago, little soul.”

“Come and see what I’m full of, then.” Erza said grimly, straining herself to keep her power up. This was bad- it could last only a few more minutes.

”Gladly.” The monster said, charging forward, leaping through the air towards her.

Everything seemed to move at a snail’s pace; like the world had gotten down to slow motion. It was a familiar feeling, somehow- she had sensed it many times before, her senses getting sharper in battle- there was nothing like staking your life to make you feel alive. A flicker of fright crossed Erza’s mind, as the towering monster came towards her, sailing through the air, but she dismissed it. Thinking quickly, she dashed forward, as if to greet the monster mid-air- but she went into a roll, skipping forward, the hollow passing over her entirely. Instantly on her feet, Erza turned around, dashing forward, refusing to let that towering, bulky beast get the initiative- it was far too strong to be let run wild, especially when she was weakening.

Letting out a loud, spirited battle cry, she slammed her makeshift weapon down on the monster, who blocked it with its good arm- but as if on instinct, Erza ducked under its arm, slamming the other end of the pipe in its eye. The monster roared with pain, stepping backward, and Erza continued her assault, furiously bashing the iron pipe on its mask, over and over again. Her arms hurt from the impact, she was getting tired, but she barely noticed it- she was almost losing herself in a berserker rage. Visions of the hollow’s victims blurred through her mind, and she hit, again and again, the monster forced on the defensive. It tried to lash out, stab at her, but she jumped over the sweep, quickly exploiting the opening to hit at its injured arm again, before hammering at its mask again. She shouted, roared, letting just enough anger flow through her- this was do or die, right here; if she faltered, then she could die easily.

Finally, the hollow let out a frustrated howl, hopping back.

”You filthy, conceited little soul!” He shrieked. ”I will not forget this- I will come back for you, and for every pathetic soul you protect!”

“We’re finishing this.” Erza said resolutely, swinging her pipe outward, just like a sword. She noticed a small bone fragment falling off, and with a triumphant look on her face, she turned her gaze to the hollow’s mask. There was a crack- several cracks, caused by her assault. She grinned.
She was running on fumes, though, and she knew it. She was already fighting off an impulse to collapse, her legs trembling slightly with adrenaline, her power already fading.

”I am anything but finished with you, you petty little thing,” The hollow said, clutching its broken arm, ”but this fight ends for now. Rest assured, this will not be the last we see of each other!”
It spat- or let out a spit-sounding kind of sound, as much as a creature without lips could- and moved its good arm, bringing it down through the air, and suddenly, a black rift opened. It looked strange- odd, unnatural, out of place, just wrong.

”Good bye, little ape.” The hollow cackled, moving into the portal.

Erza immediately charged forward. Later, when asked why, she would have no real answer- it would have been so easy to let it run, and there would have been so shame in it; she had won and was already exhausted, but somewhere inside she knew she couldn’t let it be, couldn’t let it go; knowing she had to at least try-

And in an instant she was there. The hollow was almost through the portal, which was already closing- only its tail was not through. Quickly, without hesitating, Erza dug her feet into the ground, grabbing a solid hold of the tail, pulling hard. The hollow roared, and the portal stopped closing.

”Let go, you filthy creature!” it cried.

“Never!” Erza shouted back, pulling harder. It was like pulling at a massive boulder- but she was shifting it, just barely, tugging the tail back inch by inch. The hollow struggled, thrashed, but didn’t have much room to move- it was stuck, Erza stubbornly keeping it anchored in the Soul Society.

After at least a minute’s worth of deadly tug-of-war, the portal widened, and Erza got a quick glance of what looked like a narrow cave, its mouth overlooking a colourless landscape- an all grey landscape, a desert stretching to the horizon. And then she could see it no more, because the hollow hopped forward through the portal, right back at her.

Thinking on her feet, Erza grabbed its tail firmly, tugging even harder, and the creature, its momentum doubled by its own charge towards Erza, practically flew through the portal, tumbling over on its side. Quickly, Erza took the pipe in both hands, and hopped after it, sailing through the air. Almost- she was almost done. Exhaustion could wait. And again, for just a second, everything moved in slow motion. She could see the hollow lying on its back, its right arm hanging at a crooked, wrong angle. There was its ugly, scaled belly- and its soft-looking neck, with a lot of loose skin, hanging freely.
And down she came, slamming her weapon down onto its neck with all the strength she could muster. She could her nothing break- it was a dull, inoffensive kind of sound, like a club hitting a sack of potatoes. But damage had been done, no doubt, because the monster, scrambling to get up on its feet, was coughing, hacking, wobbling even as it got to its feet. It didn’t even have a hateful retort- it just looked at her, and for the first time she was sure she had been right- there was fear in its eyes. Letting out a final battlecry, a roar from the tips of her toes up to her head, like an amazon she charged forward, finally losing herself entirely. She was all but spent, but this had to be done, she had to finish or she and everyone else was dead. The world became a blur, and she vaguely registered bringing her club up and down over and over, like a frenzied reaper cutting down harvest. She registered pain, in her arms and her body, but it wasn’t hers, not hers at all- it was someone else whose arms ached, whose body was aching.
Later, she wouldn’t remember anything at all of that moment, not what she thought or felt, only that she was doing what had to be done- it was all a blur, a fine, blood-covered mist on her memory.

And finally she stopped. Her arms slowed down, finally coming to a halt. And as if waking up from a dream, she saw the hollow- its head reduced to a bloody pulp, her clothes and face and arms covered in blood. Breathing heavily, she took a careful look at it, making sure it was dead. A closer inspection showed her there was no need to worry- its head was all but completely destroyed, its other arm shattered, presumably when it had tried to defend itself. She had done it- she had beaten it…

Exhausted, Erza fell down face first onto the brain-stained, bloody grass, finally allowing herself the luxury of unconsciousness.


**************************************


Shimura Shinpachi, Tenth seat of division six, looked down the hill, peering through his glasses. He had followed a distress call sent two days ago, regarding an especially vicious hollow preying on souls down in the forty-sixth district. It had already claimed several, he had been told, and was bold enough to linger here in the Soul Society. It could not be tolerated- he had set out, prepared to fight it to the death in the name of division six and Kuchiki Ginrei-taicho. He had traced its signature for miles- it had left a fairly obvious trace; it was bold, no doubt. And after hours and hours of tracking, he had found it, just past a hill, fluctuating. He had hurried to the hilltop. There were many things Shinpachi would have expected- maybe the monster toying with its prey, or wreaking havoc, or possibly fighting someone else- although he knew of no other shinigami in the vicinity.
It was no small surprise, then, to see the quickly dissolving corpse of a reptilian-looking hollow dissolving on the forest floor, its head beaten to a red, bloody unrecognizable mess. The mask was entirely gone, and judging by its reiatsu, the corpse would soon disintegrate. Hurrying down the hill, Shinpachi ran to get a closer look.


****************************************


She was in limbo, some kind of non-awake state- not dreaming, but not conscious either. She couldn’t feel her body, but her mind was hers, not subject to the whims of her subconscious. She was floating in a sightless nothingness, trying to gather her thoughts.

Who was she?

’I am Erza Scarlet.’

Why was she here?

‘The hollow.’ She reminded herself.

We won, didn’t we?

‘If we didn’t, would we- I- be here?’

Then suddenly, she was hit by an enormous wave, a massive tide of data, of old memories showering across her very being. There were names. There were… people, who she knew but didn’t quite remember.

Natsu Dragneel. Lucy Heartfilia. Gray Fullbuster. Master Makarov. Jellal Fernandes…

She remembered.  She had been a mage in life, she had live in a guild, she had had friends and these were all their names-

And then it all slipped, the data flickering away from her. It was like looking into a treasure chest, only for its lid to slam shut- she wanted to shout with frustration, but she couldn’t, couldn’t move or talk or feel-
And slowly, Erza awoke, opening her eyes. Quickly, she focused on her memories- ‘Fairy Tail! Fairy Tail! Natsu Lucy Gray Jellal!” She thought, feverishly burning what little she had left into her brain, as she came back to the world of the dead, feeling all the pain that came with it.

“Uuurgh…” She groaned. Now that she was conscious, she could feel every blow her body had taken- the injury in her side, bruises, and her arms hurt like crazy- she might as well have been run over by a train.
Trains. There had been trains.

“Careful.” It was a gentle voice, sounding young. She looked up. It was a man, wearing glasses, and a completely black kimono. He had a sword by his side, and was kneeling by her. “Don’t strain yourself- you are very weak.”

“Who are you?” She mumbled.

“Shimura Shinpachi.” He said, applying some sort of salve to her wound. She wasn’t near the hollow- she could still see it, but she herself had been moved to the edge of the glade. She noticed her kimono had been pulled down; she was almost naked. She glared at him. “I’m sorry.” He said nervously. “You were in a bad state when I found you- you lost a lot of blood, and I had to treat you.”

“…makes sense.” She murmured.

Shinpachi began applying a bandage, very carefully. “You almost completely burned out your reishi, you know that?” He said, in an almost chiding tone. “It’s surprising you’re still alive.”

“What woulda happened if I did?”

“…you would be dead.” Shinpachi said. “Your body would have decayed, and your energy would have dispersed and become part of the Soul Society.”

“Oh.” She said. She really had been reckless.

“I’m Erza Scarlet.” She said finally.

“Pleased to meet you, miss Scarlet.” He said courteously.

Then, something struck Erza. “Where’s Kitsu?!” She exclaimed. The little boy- where had he gone? Had he lived- please god, let him be alive…

“Who?”

“A little boy!” She said emphatically, trying to sit up. Gently but firmly, Shinpachi pushed her down.

“The boy is fine.” He said. “I told him to hide under a tree a bit further away- this isn’t something children should see.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “So… I really killed it?”

He nodded. “You beat it to death. I can’t really believe it myself.”

“I guess it was a very strong pipe.” She said, smiling to herself.

He shook his head. “No- a simple weapon is just a conduit for your own power. You did this on your own. Remarkable, I have to say.”

“It was nothing special.”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t say so.” He stood up. “Listen, I’ve cleaned your wounds and done what I can. I’ll send a medic when I get back- but for now, I have to get back, and report.” He smiled at her. Then, he reached into his kimono, and produced a small package. “Here- this is the food I prepared for myself later. You need it more than I do, and you already did my job for me.”

“If you’re sure you don’t need it…”

“I am sure.” He said, and bowed to her. “Please get a lot of rest, and eat when you’re feeling stronger. Do not try to walk until you feel stronger. It would be a shame for you to succumb to your injuries after a feat like this.”

“I will. Thank you.” She said, feeling a little surprised, receiving such kindness from a stranger.

“It was nothing.” He said, turning around. “See you later, Miss Scarlet.”

With that, the man walked away, leaving Erza lying under her tree.


Erza took a deep breath, lying back. She still hurt, but she wasn’t bleeding- it wasn’t unbearable by any means. Closing her eyes, she took in everything. She had overcome her fear. She had faced the hollow, and she had beaten it- with brute force, no less. Out loud, she wouldn’t have said so, but she was pretty impressed with herself- it felt special, and it probably was. She smiled, despite the aches in her body. The village would be safe, Kitsu would live, and so would she. And she alone had achieved this, by her own strength. In just this one moment, she allowed herself some pride, the feeling that she was good; good enough to fight off monsters, and good enough to be worth her place in the village. She had… really done it.

And somehow, her memories were coming back. The faces and names of her friends- she could still see them clearly, and while she had felt frustrated that the rest of it had slipped away from her, she decided to be hopeful- her memories would come back with time.

A little while later, little Kitsu came up to her, finally venturing up from his hiding place. He was all right, by the looks of him, except a nasty-looking gash on his arm.

“Sis.” He said quietly, and it occurred to Erza that she must look terrible- beaten up, wounded, drying blood on her half-naked body, “it wasn’t a great idea to come along, was it?”

“Shush.” She said, trying to sound comforting. “We’re both alive, and the monster is dead. That’s all we need to think about.”

“But, you-“ Kitsu said, and she could hear him choking up.

“That’s all we need to think about.” She said firmly. “Sit down and get some rest. I should be able to walk tomorrow.”


*********************************


As it turned out, it took more than one night’s worth of rest, and plenty of food and water, before Erza had recovered. By the next evening, Erza finally managed to stand, and felt well enough that starting a gingerly walk wouldn’t be beyond her. It was remarkable to her- she remembered being injured before, when she was alive, and she would have expected it to take longer than this- but even though it hurt, the pain was somehow different- lesser, as if wounds weren’t the same in the afterlife. That would be one bonus to being dead, at least.

It took a full two days for the two of them to walk back, slowly and carefully, stopping to rest very often. By the time she could see the village, they were both hungry- but they were back, safe at home. It was just as well- Kitsu’s arm wasn’t looking great, and she herself needed a bed.

And so finally, when they staggered back into the village, she was greeted by what looked like the entire village, waiting for her. Kitsu’s mother, looking besides herself with worry, snatched the child, no doubt to lecture him, fuss over him, or both at once. Erza herself was left to account for what had happened- she knew she wasn’t looking great, bloody, worn down and her clothes torn, but the news were good enough that nobody seemed to mind. People swarmed around her, cheering, shouting her name- she was Erza, the protector, the hero who killed the monster and got revenge. It took Erza quite some time to get the message through that what she needed most now was rest, and eventually she got back to her bed, where she collapsed into a deep, deep sleep.

The next day, she would wake to a bedside filled with gifts- food, new clothes, all sorts of useful trinkets, and on top of it all a medic in a shinigami’s robes- Shinpachi had kept his promise, apparently.

The next two weeks were spent mainly in bed rest, Erza slowly recovering fully. As she recovered, as her wounds healed, she felt… strong, as if the ordeal had left her a better fighter. Not much of anything happened- the village was quiet, and Erza slowly returned to normal life, doing what chores the villagers would let her, injured as she was. And eventually, a feast was held. Good food, drinks, and toasts in her honour- it made for memories worth remembering.

And so, some more time passed. Life was simple, but happy.


Life, of course, seldom remains simple for heroes.

*******************************


“So you’re tellin’ me,” said warlord Amatsuki Kansei, peeling an apple, “that this… protector is keeping Farmsworth Village from paying their dues.” He looked down at the thug before him- a petty little man who was ruthless and underhanded enough to have become leader of his own gang, the Blue Lizards. And currently, Kansei noted, failing in his duties.

“It can’t be helped, my lord.” The gang leader said, bowing his head deep. His name was Takami, or something like that- he couldn’t remember why he had seen fit to promote this rat to begin with. “Whenever we try and get what’s ours, she beats us up but good.”

“So send more!” Kansei snapped irritably, brushing some dirt off his purple kimono. It was a fine thing, woven in silk and imported directly from the Gotei Thirteen, a symbol of his status.

“I tried that, my lord.” Takami said. “The result was always the same.”

Kansei bit into the apple. “You really are useless, you know that?”

“Yes, my lord!”

Kansei chewed slowly, pondering what to do. He had half a mind to have Takami killed- but finding halfway decent gang leaders was a pain in the ass, and he still brought in good money.
“Tell you what, Takami,” he said, sounding menacing, “since you can't handle your own problems, I'm stepping in personally- I'm going to send a party of dependable men right there, get what we want, and then you'll make up for what you've lost from that shitty little village- with interest. Understood?”

“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!” Takami exclaimed, sounding relieved.

“Dismissed.” Kansei said, making no effort to hide his contempt. Honestly, people these days...

Still, it wouldn't do to let anybody get away with defiance. If one village got uppity, then so could another, and another after that. They had to know their place- depending on how it went, he might have to make an example of them.


***********************


With a heavy thud, another thug slammed into the mud on the village's main street. Erza swung her pipe out to the side, readying herself to hit again. Twelve men already lay unconscious in the dirt, and the five that remained looked noticeably hesitant about continuing their attack. Twenty of them had come- big, burly, hard-boiled men, the kind that had 'thug' practically tattooed on their foreheads, the kind you'd see working for gang leaders, Legitimate Businessmen, or possibly law enforcement. They had all been better dressed than most bandits she had driven off, Erza had noticed, and they had carried themselves with a pride and confidence that was atypical for the local thieves, killers-for-hire and all around scum that could be found nearby.

One of them, tall, broad of shoulder, wearing a black-and-white kimono, stepped up, a long knife in his hand. “You'll regret that, bitch.” He snarled, and lunged forward, aiming to stab her.
Erza didn't bother knocking him over the head, simply catching his hand as it came in. The man struggled to push her back, but Erza was stronger, and soon he found himself pushed back- and then Erza twisted, pushed forward, and the man was on one knee. Erza held his hand in an iron grip, and he let out a small whine, struggling to break free.

“That doesn't feel very good, does it?” Erza said coolly, and there was steel in her voice.

“N-no!” The thug said, desperately looking to his allies for help. His fellow thugs looked strangely preoccupied with the weather, the local architecture, or anything that wasn't the red-headed, buxom avatar of fury standing before them.

“Do you think the merchant whose stall you knocked over felt very good?” Erza said, tightening her grip. The man made a pained face.

“I- no!” He said, trying to pull himself free.

“You said everyone in the village was going to pay.” She said, and the thug looked at her, a look of aw and dread in his face. “You said that we needed to learn some manners. Then you tried setting a house on fire.”

“I- no-”

“Oh? You didn't?” Erza said, her grip tightening. The thug squealed with pain.

“No- no- we did, yes! Please let me go!”

“Who sent you?” Erza said, mercilessly keeping her grip on the man's hand.

“Warlord Amatsuki!” The man shrieked. “The village- you haven't been paying your dues!”

“Dues?” Erza said ferociously, glaring a you-are-about-to-suffer kind of glare.

“Everyone- ack!- pays up to the local boss, see? And the bosses pay up to the warlord. 'S how it works arrgharrgharrgh please-”

Finally, Erza let go of the man's hand, and the thug collapsed, clutching his squashed limb.

Erza turned to the seven remaining men, who had gone from hesitant to terrified.

“I'm warning you!” the closest one said, clutching a rusty, jagged sword. “We'll-”

What he would do would forever be a mystery, because Erza dashed forward, swatting aside his clumsy attack with ease, slamming her pipe down on his skull just hard enough that it wouldn't crack, but no lighter than that. He collapsed, but Erza wasn't done- she was already on the move to bring down the next. In a matter of seconds, she had beaten down three more, leaving them with black eyes, broken bones, and what would soon be very large, painful bruises.

Only three remained now- three ugly, vicious little thugs who had had the nerve to come to her village and disrupt the peace, to bully and threaten...

“H-hey, I give up!” The closest one said, dropping his weapon- a simple club, nothing more. He held his hands up in surrender, and his two friends quickly followed suit.

For a moment, Erza felt the urge to smash their faces in anyhow- they were thugs, thieves, bullies, and probably far worse than that... but she repressed that sentiment, dismissing it as quick as it had come up. They might be low-lives, but she was not.

“Lord Amatsuki sent you, did he?”

“Y-yes!” One of them stuttered. “Ya gotta understand miss, we don't got no choice- if we don't do as he says, we're dog food.”

“Shut up!” Erza snapped. “You'll go back to him, and you'll tell him he's got no claim to this place. If he wants 'dues', then he can shove it- so long as I'm here, I'm not going to let people like you do whatever you want. Got that?”

“Yes, miss!”
Soon, a train of moaning, badly bruised and humiliated thugs made its way out of her village. Erza sternly looked at them as they left, to remind them exactly why they were running- or rather, staggering- away with their tails behind their legs. Come what may, she would protect this place. It was her home now, full of people- people who deserved more than to live in fear.


The next day, Erza rose early, half prepared to fight off an invasion. Anyone who titled himself “warlord” was bound to have a big ego, and big egos were easily bruised. Instead, after having a simple breakfast, she found by the village gates not an invasion force, but a single man. He was well dressed, his black hair looking like it had received the attention of a professional recently. Judging by his blue-and-white kimono, he was probably rich- at least richer than the people who lived around here. He didn’t look like he was carrying a weapon, but Erza wasn’t one to take any risks. Brandishing her pipe, she walked closer.

“Who are you?” She demanded, her tone stern and to the point.

“Oh, how dangerous you sound.” The man said, sounding amused. His voice was light, almost effeminate. “No wonder you sent the boys packing the other day.” He looked her up and down. “But oh my, you’re quite the beauty, aren’t you? You should smile more often.”

“I said, who are you?” Erza said, ignoring his comments.

“I’m Sagun.” The man said, bowing deeply- not without a strong hint of mockery, Erza suspected. “I work for his grace, the most enlightened warlord Amatsuki Kansei.”

In an instant, Erza held her pipe up, ready to do battle. The man just waved his hands though, saying,
“Now now, I’m not a fighter. Anything but, to be honest! I only serve as his grace’s emissary. His voice, if you will.” He waved his hand theatrically.

“And what does his voice want with me?”

“His grace wishes to know why you have stolen his property.” Sagun said, chuckling slightly.

“I’ve stolen nothing.” She said, slowly lowering her pipe. She sensed no particular power from this man- if he pulled out a concealed weapon, she would handle it.

“Oh, but you have.” He gestured towards the village. “This village rightfully belongs to my lord, and look what you did- snatching it right out from under him. Naughty, naughty! This village would supply the Blue Lizards with a lot of crops, water, and tools… and here you are, greedily keeping it for yourself.”

“I’m not keeping anything, and these people belong to themselves. I’m only here to protect them.”

“Oh!” Sagun exclaimed, giggling slightly. “A knight in shining armour? Well, sir Knight, you may have beaten a lot of weaklings- but strength can only take you so far. You are given this one chance- this one and only chance-“

“No.” Erza said flatly.

“You didn’t even let me finish.” Sagun said, pouting. “Well, I’ll finish anyway- you have one chance: go away now, and you’ll be free to go.”

“And this village?”

“Oh, they’d have to pay some penalty fees, I imagine. They are overdue with their payments, after all. Don’t worry, though- they wouldn’t be killed. Dead souls cannot pay. Well, not that many, at least.”

“No.”

Sagun sighed. “I figured you’d say that.” And suddenly, his leisurely tone, his glib face dropped, and he continued,
“so here’s the deal: you’re going to die. We have people who can fight- fight for real. And when you’re beaten, we’ll make you watch as we kill everyone in here. Except two or three, who will live to tell the tale of what happens to those who refuse the authority of lord Amatsuki. And when that’s done, you’ll die, slowly.”

Erza grit her teeth, staring at him, the grip on her pipe tightening.

“You-“

“One week.” He said, pointing his finger at her. “One week. When that’s out, everyone here will die.” He turned around, slowly walking out of the village grounds. “One week, sir Knight!”

Erza watched him leave, her body trembling with rage. Everyone here dead- because she had done what she knew was right, protected those who couldn’t protect themselves. And because she had, they would die.
She couldn’t let that happen, not ever. Gripping her pipe tightly, she hurried back to old man Getsu.


The old man had just woken when Erza had come to him, explaining the state of things. The old man nodded, listening, finally suggesting they take this to the village head. Erza hadn’t known they had one- but apparently there was,  for situations like these. Or something like it. And soon, they were before the village head, an elderly, balding man, wearing clothes just as worn and dirty as any of the villagers. His name was Katani, Erza remembered.

“This is dire.” He mumbled. “I… I don’t know what we should do. We can’t very well evict you- you’ve done so much for us…”

“And they’d kill us anyway, you know that!” Getsu snapped.

“Yes, yes,” Katani murmured. “I am at a loss- what can we do?”

“We- I take it to them. He said one week- I’ll go find them long before that.”

“Erza!” Getsu said, his eyes widening. “You can’t- it’ll be too much, even for you?”

“What choice do we have?” Erza said grimly. “Something has to be done- and I’d rather die trying to do something than curl up and die.”

“In that case,” Katani said, “let us at least give you what we can, yes?”

“I’m listening.” Erza said, nodding.


*********************************


Genzi the guardsman was having a day as good as any. It was simple- sit on your ass until the boss said not to, and keep an eye out for people coming to the gates. This place was nice- not really a palace or a fortress (not that that’s something anybody would say to the big boss), but it had thick walls and nobody really bothered them. Solid job- he got paid, and that was as much as he could ask for.

Which was why his day suddenly took a turn for the worse when he saw the stranger approaching the gates.

At first he couldn’t quite make out what kind of person it was, but as the figure got closer, the outline got clearer: It was a woman, most definitely a woman. She wore black pants, simple sandals, and her chest was covered with white wraps. Over her shoulders was draped a bright red cloak of some kind, lined with orange, held together with a metal band of some sort. She had bright red hair, and carried an iron pipe.
And suddenly it clicked in his mind that this looked exactly like the girl the others had been talking about, the one that had the big boss all rattled- and quickly, he scrambled to his feet, leaning over the wall, shouting, “Oi! Stop!”

The woman ignored him, walking right up to the gate.

“I said stop!” Genzi cried, not really sure what he was supposed to do. “You ain’t welcome here-“

Erza simply raised her arm, and let her spiritual energy rise. The gates looked sturdy, made of wood- but that wouldn’t be much of a bother. Blazing her power on full for just a second, she took a swing at the gate.

There was a thunderous boom, and the gates rattled. Genzi was knocked off his feet, and when he got up he saw the gates, blasted off their hinges, lying broken inside the fortress. Deciding that shouting no longer was in his best interest, he kept his head down.

As the dust began to settle, Erza surveyed the scene. It was a crude fortification- thick, wooden walls all around, set on high ground, big boulders naturally part of its defense. Inside were several houses, what looked like barns, perhaps an armoury- and it was teeming with people, most of them carrying weapons. She felt an anger inside her- one she had let build up on her way there, carefully cultivated. It was a good way of pushing away the thoughts of how stupid it would be to charge headlong into the lion’s den alone. Stepping forward, she took a moment to try and sense for spiritual energy. There were lots of little fires- bigger than that of the villagers she knew from home, but compared to her they were like matchsticks next to a torch. Maybe then, just maybe, she could do this…

The soldiers, who had been shocked frozen by her sudden appearance, began to react. Massing like one, into a large crowd, they brandished their weapons- jagged swords, clubs, hatchets, axes. They wore a wide variety of clothes, better done than any she had seen in the village- stolen, probably. More men were streaming out of the house, and the crowd was only getting bigger. Time to do something…

“I have come for Amatsuki Kansei!” She declared loudly, and with more boldness than she really felt. “Get out of my way, and you will not be hurt.” She smacked the pipe against her palm, ready to charge.

“That’s some nerve.” One of the men in the front said. “One lil’ girl, full of herself ‘cos she beat up some losers, comin’ to beat the lot of us?”

There was a wave of approving jeers from the men in the crowd, and it was obvious they weren’t backing down. Not that Erza had counted on it. The hard way it was, then.

“Get her!” The command came, and the men advanced, brandishing their weapons. Erza steeled herself. However strong she was, there would be no way for her to win if she got surrounded, bogged down- no, there was only one way: shock and awe.

Instantly, she let her reiatsu rise and flare. The dust on the ground around her swirled and scattered, but Erza didn’t notice- she had time only to feel the vicious, brutal cruelty of a melee. Putting one foot in front of the other, she hopped forward. She couldn’t stop this charge, not let the momentum falter for one moment. She had to break through, or she would be weighed down, beaten.
And like a white-hot knife through butter, she carved through the mass of men, each swing from her pipe sending one of them flying, the momentum of her charge carrying her ever forward, almost as if there were no-one there to stop her. Erza swung, struck, hit, like a lumberjack cutting at an especially contemptible tree, and before she knew it, she had passed right through the crowd. Snapping out of her focus for just one second, she saw what she had wrought: at least a dozen men lay on the ground, groaning or unconscious. The crowd had turned to face her, but suddenly looked much less confident. Not letting them take the time to reconsider, Erza bore down on them like a fury, her weapon slamming into one fighter after another. Very carefully, she made sure not to go too far, staying at the crowd’s outskirts, dodging the occasional counterattack.

It went on for nearly ten minutes, the crowd of men every now and then getting its courage back, rallying to fight her- and each time, she broke away, finding a new angle to fight, never getting cornered. Whatever memories she had lost, she still remembered how to fight, as it if was written into every cell in her body.

And then, finally, when the little fort’s courtyard was full of broken bodies- broken, not dead- they seemed to lose their appetite for combat. Crying out in despair, with phrases like “She’s a monster!”, or “It’s no use!”, they turned tail and fled, scattering to whatever shelter they might find. Good.

Walking further in, still on alert, Erza looked around. It was impressive in a way how this was built- this afterlife seemed to have almost none of the technology she remembered, but still this had been built; people had organized and made it happen.
And instead of being used for defense, it was being used to oppress. She grit her teeth.

Her musings were soon interrupted, though, by a loud, boisterous voice.

“That’s far enough, young lady!”

She looked toward the voice. It was a man- a ludicrously tall man, probably no shorter than eight feet. His sleeveless kimono showed off bulging muscles, and his bald head showed scars, enough that it at least gave the impression that his look wasn’t just for show. And more importantly, she could feel some strength in him- definitely much more than from the punks she had just trashed.

The man pointed at her, with a large, wooden club- it looked more like a small tree, actually- and said,
“You go no further than this! I am Junei, his lordship’s bodyguard- you will not pass!”

“Out of my way.” Erza said coldly.

“Over my dead body!” The man exclaimed. “You may have beaten the others- but I am not like them. I will crush you, for my master!”

Erza stood up straight, not really bothering to take a stance. “Come on, then.”

Junei charged, and he really was faster than he looked- but she was not impressed. Quickly, she let her reiatsu rise. Junei’s club came down, and… it shattered, breaking in two where it hit Erza across her shoulder.

“What- you-“ The giant said, bewildered. “Impossible!”

Erza jumped, and slammed a foot into the man’s chest, releasing a burst of reiatsu as she did. He staggered back, toppling into a wall.

“You come to my home, and threaten my people with slavery and death.” She said coldly. “Just who the hell do you think I am?!”

Junei grunted, mumbling something incoherent.

“Don’t get up.” Erza said, walking past him.


Erza walked further in, into the largest building inside the fortification’s walls- no doubt where the warlord was hiding. She felt surprised at how easy it had been so far- that bodyguard, she had felt his power as he struck and felt like there was no force behind his attack at all. Was he weak, or was she strong?

Deciding not to get distracted, she looked around. Here inside, there was a great hall- high ceiling, with little window hatches letting light in. It was poorly lit, though, the rays of light only emphasizing how many shadowy corners there were. There was a rug on the floor, long and large, and towards its end there was a chair- large, and probably quite expensive by the standards of this district. And sitting upon it was a man, who looked not old, but certainly not young. Black hair, tied in a ponytail, with a thin mustache. He wore a purple kimono, and had a sword by his side. Was this he?

“Amatsuki Kansei?” Erza said, walking up closer.

“You’re Erza Scarlet.” The man said, sounding irritated. “Yes, it is me- and you’ve caused me quite a few problems, little girl.”

“I came to warn you.” Erza said resolutely. “Leave my village alone, or-“

“Or what?” The warlod spat. “You beat a lot of people, but you didn’t kill anyone- I ain’t afraid of threats from softies.”

“I’ll turn you over to the Gotei Thirteen.”

Kansei laughed, long and hard. “Oh, that’s a good one!” He wiped a tear from his eye. “Priceless, girl, priceless- but that’s enough. You’ve done too much already- I’m gonna have to make an example out of you.”

“If that’s the way it has to be.” Erza said, holding her pipe up.

“I won’t fight you myself.” He said, snapping his fingers. “Tokkun here’ll do that just fine.”

From out the shadows stepped another man- one she hadn’t sensed at all before, nor seen. Her eyes widened- he wore a black kimono and black pants, just like that Shinpachi had- was he too a shinigami?
But he looked different. His face was thin and scarred, and he had the look of a man with no scruples or hesitations. His uniform was tattered, worn and raggedy, and he looked lean and lanky. His hair was light brown, neatly tied up.

“Good day.” He said curtly, but with a sharp tone. “I am Toku. As fate would have it, I am required to kill you.”

“Are you a shinigami?” She said, readying herself. “Why are you with… these people?”

“I left that title behind a long time ago.” Toku said, drawing his sword. Slowly, he walked up towards her, and Erza tried to assess what she could. He moved with confidence, showing the signs of a practiced fighter- well balanced, good posture, his sword held low.

“So now you’re a sellsword?” She held her pipe up, as if it were a sword. This was not great- a sword was the better weapon in every instance.

“One must still make a living.” He said dispassionately, and quickly, like a striking snake, he lunged. Only reflex saved her- quickly, she took a step back, just barely catching his blade as it stabbed forward, redirecting it past her neck. There was no over commitment to exploit, though, no more force in the attack than necessary- and like lightning, he stabbed, again, again, again. Stepping back, again and again, Erza parried.

There was no room to really think. There was no room to do anything but fight, try to stay alive, try not to be cut down. She had fought since she had come to this afterlife, and fought well- but those had been thugs, unrefined and weak. There had been the hollow, but it had been huge, so much slower to fight. This man, this ex-shinigami was quick on his feet, and fought with precision and form- rapid thrusts, followed by feints, quick slashes, repeating over and over.

Finally, she managed to catch the blade for just a split second, pushing back. Quickly she lashed out with her foot, kicking at his knee. Toku stepped back, keeping his balance, but the momentum of his attack was broken, and she was not about to let him take it back. Letting out a loud cry, she hopped forward, slamming her pipe down on him with brute force. That was the one thing she had, force- and she had to capitalize on any advantage she could get.

Toku, looking unimpressed, caught her wild swing as it came down, let it slide down the length of her blade, and Erza’s attack bounced off. Before she could turn back, Toku moved forward lightning fast, cutting- and Erza felt the unmistakable, burning flash of pain. She staggered back, clutching at her side, where blood was flowing freely.

“My apologies.” Toku said, swatting the blood off his sword.

“I’m not done yet!” She said, gritting her teeth. This was going badly- up till now, she had been able to rely on strength alone, but this man had enough power to at least match her own, and he was fast and experienced.

“Very well.” The man said, charging forward. It was hell- it had been hard to parry before, her instincts having served her just well enough to counter his strikes, but now, every movement she made, made her body burn with pain, blood spilling down her side with every heartbeat. Desperately, she parried, trying to stay alive.
Toku came down with a hard slash from above, and she tried to parry- but at the last second, he feinted, and stabbed forward. She moved her head aside, narrowly avoiding a fatal wound. Again he came, with strong, slower slashes, hammering down on her. Desperately, she lashed out, trying to make something happen- but with calm and precision, he caught her attack, used its momentum, and made her swing go high. Quickly, before she could raise her guard, he slashed again, this time across her chest- another inch, and it would have been her neck.

Erza groaned, staggering backward. This was no good. The pipe was too heavy, too poor a suit to a sword, and this man was experienced, a good swordsman. What could she really do?

Then, an idea came to her- a crazy, desperate idea…

Looking as if she was about to collapse, she let her arms slacken, her weapon lowering.

“Finish her!” Amatsuki commanded, and Toku lunged forward. The sword stabbed forward, stabbing into her gut-

And then, just as she could feel it begin to pierce her, Erza lunged forward with her left hand, grabbing Toku by the wrist. The sword had run through her, but she had a firm grip. Roaring, screaming with pain and anger, she raised her right hand, and let the pipe come down. Toku tugged, desperately trying to dodge- but there was no way out, not with Erza’s grip. The pipe slammed into Toku’s head, once, twice, three times, and the swordsman collapsed, blood running from his forehead.

Erza breathed heavily, trying to stay on her feet. The swordsman was down, but the sword was still in her- this would hurt…
Firmly grabbing the blade with both hands, she pulled it out, centimeter by centimeter. It hurt; she felt like she would lose consciousness there and then- but she grit her teeth, forced herself to focus, and finally the sword came out. It burned, more blood pouring out- but she wasn’t done. And now, she had a weapon. Slowly, she grabbed the weapon’s hilt, the familiar feeling of a blade resonating with her through the pain. She looked up. The warlord looked shocked- she was still there, still standing. Putting one foot of the other, sword in hand, she walked towards him. Pain or no pain, blood or no blood, she couldn’t stop here.

“Wait!” He cried. “Don’t you dare-“

The look on her face silenced him. It was a look of doom, of fury, pain and general unpleasantness.
Fumbling, Amatsuki grabbed his own sword. He managed to draw it, but Erza swatted it aside. She slammed the hilt of her sword into his forehead, and the warlord sunk to his knees. Erza grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up.

“Destroy the village, was it?”

“To hell with you!” Amatsuki spat.

“Your rule ends here.” Erza said, shoving him back to the floor.

“You better kill me, then.” Amatsuki said, letting out a wheezing laugh. “Go on, then- there’s no way I’ll let those people live!”

Erza raised her sword. It would be easy- one strike, and one evil man would be dead. Everyone would be safe.  One death for many lives. It should be right.

But she hesitated, because she knew it wasn’t. It couldn’t be.

“Go on, then!” Amatsuki roared. “What do you think you’ll do? Hand me over to the shinigami? They don’t care! They’d never convict me- hell, I got an understanding with them!”

Erza’s grip on the sword tightened, but finally, she lowered her blade.

“I knew it.” Amatsuki said, spitting at her. He looked less than impressive on the floor, beaten and pitiful, but he didn’t quite act like he had lost at all. And to be quite honest, she couldn’t say she had won. What could she do?

“Well then,” Amatsuki said, getting to his feet, “unless you intend to do something, then I think-“

And suddenly, his voice was cut short, ending in a wheeze. Erza snapped out of her thoughts, looking at the man. He had collapsed, a pool of blood forming where he lay. Behind him stood a short woman, no taller than five feet. She wore black, and her face was cold and hard.

“What?!” Erza exclaimed. “You- you killed him!”

“I did what you did not have the courage to do.” The assassin said indifferently, shrugging. “Holding a deserter- he really should have known better.”

“What about the people he killed?” Erza demanded.

“I do not answer to commoners.”

With that, the woman turned around, leaving a bewildered Erza behind.


****************************


Elsewhere, in an office in the Gotei Thirteen, seventh seat Nakita of division six was looking through the papers of a recent report.

“You say the hollow was dead when you arrived?” He said, addressing the young lad before him- Shimura.

“Yes, sir.” Shimura nodded.

“And this… girl had killed it?”

“Woman, sir. Definitely a woman.”

Nakita shrugged. “So… some random soul beat a hollow to death. With a metal pipe.”

“That is the assessment I will stand by, sir.”

Nakita nodded, intrigued. “Interesting. Make a note of her- what was her name?”

“Erza Scarlet, sir.”

Nakita couldn’t help but feel curious. Then again, it was a curiosity that would be sated soon- recruitment season was just around the corner.