The grassy slopes of the Tidal Forest were bathed in a warm, golden glow from the setting sun. Natsu lay sprawled out in the ankle-deep grass, his limbs splayed wide. Half-dried alpaca drool still clung to his face, and his hair was dusted with fine bits of grass. Even his eyes, which usually shone like little flames, were wilted into two lifeless slits, looking just like a little wolf that had just had its last piece of grilled fish stolen.
Riyao, clutching a large bundle of freshly picked star-moon grass, bounded to the edge of the slope first. He spotted the sprawled-out Natsu at a glance and couldn't hold back his laughter. With a snort, he dropped the grass on the ground and rolled into the grass, clutching his stomach. "Pfft~ Hahahaha, Natsu, why do you look like you've been ravaged!"
Gray, who was leaning against a nearby oak tree rubbing his sore stomach while taking a break, glanced up and saw Natsu's miserable state. His tense expression instantly collapsed into a grin. He laughed until tears squeezed out, his shoulders shaking like a sieve, and he tugged on Riyao's tattered sleeve to add insult to injury. "Hahaha... Natsu, you're not clean anymore. I bet even your breath smells like alpaca drool!"
Natsu, who had been lying there, heard this and sprang up violently. Splatters of drool flew from his face. Little orange flames instantly flickered in the depths of his eyes. With a howl, he pounced over, claws bared, looking as if he intended to take them down with him. "You dare laugh at me! Just wait until I spray you with the same thing!"
Riyao's reaction was absurdly fast. He grabbed Gray, who was beside him, and shoved him in front of Natsu like a sandbag, shouting loudly. "Human-Make! Shield! Block him! Don't let him rub that on my clothes!"
Gray had still been laughing and hadn't reacted at all. When he was pulled over, he lost his balance and was tackled head-on by Natsu. He clutched his head, kicking his legs and screaming. "Ah!!! Let go of me! You jerk, Riyao!! You jerk, Natsu!!"
"Who told you to laugh at me! Ptooey ptooey ptooey!" Natsu said, rubbing himself against Gray.
Gray, having broken free, was so angry his hair stood on end. He chased after Riyao along with Natsu. Riyao scrambled quickly up the dirt slope of the grassy hill, turning back to make faces from time to time. However, he didn't notice when he slipped on some dew-covered grass blades. With a thud, he fell onto the grass and was tackled squarely by the two of them.
They messed around until the sky was completely dark and the fireflies in the forest began to drift up. The three of them finally lay panting against the leeward oak tree, covered in grass clippings and the smell of sweat. Even their hair was stained with the drool they had flung at each other, looking as if they had just rolled in the mud.
The three of them gathered branches to build a campfire. Just as they lit it, they were dragged by Riyao toward the shallow, clear stream they had passed in the afternoon. Today's grilled fish depended on it.
Natsu rushed to show off his skills, but ended up scaring all the fish at the bottom of the water away. He pursed his lips and muttered, "Why are these fish so timid!"
Fish: Do you even understand the concept of treating captives well?! Zero stars!
Gray squatted by the river, feeling for pebbles, and rolled his eyes. "You call that fishing?"
Riyao didn't answer. He simply dipped his grass-stained feet into the river water and quietly exuded a trace of pale green life force. The little fish that had been hiding in the crevices of the rocks immediately swarmed up, and a few even circled around his ankles. The water surface rippled, looking like a mini whirlpool of fish.
Fish: That's awesome, buddy!
Gray looked disgusted. "Riyao, can you not use your feet next time?"
"Oh, don't worry about such small details." Riyao laughed, dangling his feet, while the little fish at the bottom of the river swam happily around them.
Natsu's eyes lit up, and he reached out to scoop one up, but he slipped on a pebble at the bottom of the river and fell half his body into the water. When he climbed up, he was soaked, holding a slippery little fish in his hand. But as soon as he raised it, it went "plop" and fell back into the river, making him stomp his feet with puffed-out cheeks in anger.
In the end, they relied on Riyao's method to catch a few chubby little river fish. They placed them on the campfire to roast, and oil splattered into the flames, crackling and popping noisily.
The three sat around the campfire. Natsu's face was still stained with charcoal ash, and he gripped a golden-roasted fish in his hand. Every time he took a bite, he smeared oil on his chin, and he didn't forget to rub his own drool onto the fish next to him.
"Are you disgusting or what!" Riyao said, looking disgusted.
Gray quickly snatched his grilled fish away and used his fingertips to create a small shard of ice to scrape off the drool Natsu had rubbed onto it. "Don't use your drool as seasoning! This fish is all dirty because of you!"
The three of them got into a scuffle again. The campfire crackled, warming the night air in the forest, and even the breeze carried the aroma of grilled fish.
...
The Tidal Forest in the early morning was still wrapped in a thin layer of mist. The grass pile where the three had roasted their fire last night was still stained with fish oil and pine needles when suddenly, a sticky, warm sensation smacked onto their faces.
Riyao, still sleepy, was the first to spring up. Upon opening his eyes, he was met with a bear head larger than a millstone. Its iron-black mane stood like steel needles, and hot air puffed from its large nose. Drool dripped down from its sharp fangs, landing with a plop on Riyao's tattered jacket, hot enough to make him wince.
"Damn! So the 'Tidal' in Tidal Forest refers to a tide of drool?!" Riyao rolled to the side, stood up, and complained.
"Argh! How annoying!" Gray wiped the drool off his face.
"Watch me burn you to a crisp!" Natsu shouted angrily!
Riyao instantly activated the Hundred Battles Technique. In his early years, he couldn't precisely control his superhuman strength, which easily hurt people and destroyed furniture. Now, it had become an instinct, treated as a passive skill. He clashed fists with the magic bear, the force of the blow sending shockwaves!
"City Destroyer!"
With a dull thud, the magic bear was knocked back half a step, its claws raking two deep furrows into the ground.
Gray also struck a pose, kneeling and pressing his hands onto the damp soil. Pale blue frost spread from his fingertips like icy vines, entangling the magic bear's front paws and instantly freezing them into the mud. He shouted out his technique: "Ice-Make: Ice Geyser!" Several sharp ice pillars immediately shot up from the ground, stabbing the magic bear and making it howl.
Natsu used the ice pillars for leverage, leaping onto the magic bear's head. His fists were wrapped in even more intense flames as he punched the mane next to the bear's eye, sending sparks flying everywhere. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Following the momentum, he used a claw-shaped fist to slash open the bear's tough hide. "Fire Dragon's Claw!" An elbow strike hit the bear's chin, vibrating its head backward. "Fire Dragon's Elbow Strike!" Finally, he kicked the bear in the stomach, sending it stumbling forward.
Seeing that Natsu was about to be hit by the magic bear, Riyao made a split-second decision. "Life Link."
Natsu was sent flying by the magic bear, knocking down several large trees, but he rushed back over, refusing to give up.
Riyao distracted the bear while casting spells. "Enchantment Magic: Strength, Speed, Magic Power Boost, Flame Boost, Frost Boost..."
Gray felt a surge of cold energy rush through his body, and the surrounding air even condensed into ice fog. He pushed off the ground to stand up, pressing his hands together above his head. A pale blue magic circle with a diameter of over two meters appeared above him, and a five-meter-long ice spear emerged from the circle, its tip gleaming with a cold light.
Gritting his teeth, he shouted his technique: "Ice-Make: Super Giant Ice Spear!" The ice spear slammed toward the magic bear's head with a sound of tearing air. With a "clang," it smashed the magic bear, forcing it to kneel forward, and a large patch of its iron mane was scraped off by ice shards.
Natsu had already gathered his strength, his cheeks puffed out like an inflated pufferfish. Sparks spilled from the corners of his mouth and fell down his cheeks. He suddenly opened his mouth and spewed a column of crimson fire. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"
The fire column, carrying a wave of heat, rushed toward the magic bear's face, causing its iron mane to sizzle and smoke. The magic bear howled and struggled twice before finally collapsing completely onto the ground, its flesh roasted to a fragrant, charred perfection.
Riyao leaned in to sniff it and licked his lips. "This bear meat smells delicious."
Gray kicked the magic bear's corpse and rolled his eyes. "Seems okay, I guess."
Natsu had already pounced on it and taken a bite of the bear leg, his mouth glistening with oil. "If it smells good, that's all that matters! Who cares about anything else!"
The early bear gets eaten.