Chapter 121

["I didn't use magic power, just swung the sword down. Who knew this thing was so brittle?"]

[Erza's eyelids jumped wildly.]

["How much strength do you have, guy??"]

[Silently complaining, Erza shook her head.]

["So, this is the consequence of insufficient force control. You have to think about how much force you should use? Sometimes pouring out all your strength is not a good thing."]

["Only by retaining spare strength can you deal with ever-changing battles."]

["Control of force..."]

[Black Natsu tightened the sword blade he was holding.]

[The corners of his mouth rose slightly, his expression somewhat excited.]

["Interesting!"]

["I understand, let me try again."]

[Erza nodded lightly.]

["You practice, I'll go see how Mirajane and the others are doing with their meditation."]

[Erza said goodbye to Black Natsu.]

[And Black Natsu, left alone in place, put his gaze on the new stump, his expression lost in thought.]

[After a while, he began to try again.]

[This time! The stump was cut off halfway, but the sword blade in Black Natsu's hand also appeared with notches.]

[Black Natsu frowned slightly.]

[He threw away the sword blade in his hand and picked up a new sword.]

[Continued to try.]

[Swish!!]

[This time, the stump broke completely, but it was far from the horizontal line.]

["Is the precision still not enough?"]

[Black Natsu looked at the cut stump and fell into thought again.]

Erza: "See, it's not that easy."]

["Back then, every morning, I practiced basic actions like swinging and chopping for a whole morning. Such days lasted for several years before I practiced basic actions to a state of perfection."]

Lily: "Indeed, everyone can swing a sword, but there are not many who can get started, and even fewer who can master it."]

["For me, it took three months to get started, and it took ten years to thoroughly master it."]

Wendy: "Ten years to sharpen a sword. No wonder Lily is so strong."]

Gajeel: "Lily, I remember you and I also competed in sword skills, I shouldn't be bad either, right?"]

[Inside the Fairy Tail guild.]

[The black cat Lily looked at Gajeel in disbelief.]

["Uh... that doesn't count as sword skills, right? It's just turning your arm into a sword and swinging it at will, it has nothing to do with the path of the sword."]

Gajeel: "Ah?? No... no connection??"

Natsu: "Haha, you'd better stop trying to touch porcelain. Your Iron Dragon Sword, even a cripple could dodge it, okay?"]

Gajeel: "If you don't speak, no one will treat you as a mute. Look at how diligent Black Natsu is over there, and look at how leisurely you are?"]

Natsu: "I am..."]

Igneel: "Gajeel is right, such good talent placed on you is purely a waste, sigh..."]

[Time passed slowly during the group's training.]

[The sky was approaching evening.]

[The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the earth.]

[In the mountain path, Erza and Mirajane's group were walking here.]

[Mirajane still looked at her arm from time to time.]

[Today she made great progress, already roughly perceiving the magic power existing in her body, and being able to carry out shallow mobilization.]

[Such a discovery made Mirajane very happy.]

[The day when her arm completely returns to normal seems to be getting closer and closer.]

[Therefore, along the way, Mirajane was smiling.]

[As for Lisanna and Elfman.]

[It's a pity, the two meditated for a day, without the slightest progress.]

[However, according to Erza, wanting to feel magic power is the first step to becoming a Black Mage.]

[Even for people with the talent to become mages, it's not easy to perceive it, let alone this is only the first day.]

[Historically, there have been people who meditated for several years before perceiving magic power and becoming mages, so Lisanna and Elfman were not panicked.]

[As for Mirajane, she had already awakened magic, and there was magic power in her body, she just didn't know how to use it.]

[And, Mirajane's talent is also surprisingly amazing, the truly amazing kind, so Lisanna and Elfman cannot compare with Mirajane.]

["By the way, where is Brother Natsu?"]

[Lisanna asked curiously.]

["I haven't seen him all day today."]

["That guy, he clearly said he would teach me, but where did he run off to?"]

[Mirajane also looked at Erza.]

["Him, he's learning to chop."]

[Erza responded.]

["I don't know how the situation is, he should be able to reach the point of not destroying the stump with one sword strike, right?"]

[Erza thought while pushing aside the leaves blocking her.]

[Leading the group to an open space full of abandoned stumps.]

[Just arrived here!]

[Erza's eyes widened instantly!]

[Shocked, looking at the dozen or so stumps piled not far away.]

[Each stump was neatly placed there, the exposed surface smooth as can be.]

[At the edge of the stump, there was still a part of the lines drawn by magic power, enough to prove that this was a stump cut along the lines.]

["This... how is this possible? Could it be that he did it?"]

[Erza's gaze turned, and she soon found Black Natsu standing in front of a new stump.]

[At this moment, all his heart and soul seemed to have been placed on the stump in front of him.]

[The sword blade in his hand slowly raised.]

[Then his gaze locked onto the lines on the stump,]

[One sword fell!]

[Erza only felt a sword light flash before her eyes.]

[Following that, the upper end of the stump began to slide down along the magic lines.]

[The knife fell, crisp and neat, the cut surface smooth as can be.]

[The most critical thing is that Erza didn't even feel any fluctuation of magic power.]

[Swallowing a mouthful of saliva secretly.]

[Erza's face had already been replaced by shock.]

["This guy... what kind of monster is he?!!"]

Outside the sky screen, countless people looked at the scene in the screen.]

Everyone was stunned in place.]

Gajeel: "Ah?? That Lily, how long did you say it took you to get started back then?"]

Lily: "Three... three months..."]

Mirajane: "Hiss! Then what's going on with this one day?"]

Millianna: "So, this Black Natsu has already started?"]