Fairy Tail: This Healing Mage's hits hurt so much!

The grassy slopes of the Tidal Forest were bathed in a warm, golden glow from the setting sun, and Natsu lay sprawled out on a pile of grass up to his ankles.

His face was still covered in half-dried alpaca saliva, and his hair was covered with bits of grass.

Even his eyes, which were usually bright like little flames, were now dull and lifeless slits, making him look like a little wolf whose last piece of grilled fish had just been stolen.

Riyao, clutching a large bundle of freshly picked Star Moon Grass, hopped to the edge of the grassy slope and immediately spotted Natsu lying there, bursting into laughter.

"Pfft"

He threw the grass on the ground with a thud, then rolled into it, clutching his stomach: "Pfft~ Hahahaha, Natsu, you look like you've been abused!"

Gray, who was resting against a nearby oak tree, rubbing his sore stomach, glanced up and saw Natsu's miserable state. His tense face instantly broke into a smile, and he even squeezed out tears from laughing.

His shoulders were shaking like a leaf, and he grabbed Sunrise's tattered sleeve to add insult to injury: "Hahaha... Natsu, you're not clean anymore, even your breath smells like alpaca drool!"

Upon hearing this, Natsu, who had been lying down, suddenly sat up, drool flying from his face in several streams.

A small orange flame instantly ignited in its eyes, and with a howl, it lunged forward, baring its fangs and claws, as if it wanted to take the person down with it.

"You dare laugh at me! I'll spray you all with the same paint!"

Sunlight reacted incredibly quickly, grabbing Gray from the side and shoving him in front of Natsu like a sandbag, shouting loudly.

"Human form! Shield! Quick, block it! Don't let it touch my clothes!"

Gray was still laughing and didn't react at all. When he was pulled over, he lost his balance and was caught in Natsu's arms. He covered his head, kicked his legs, and screamed.

"Ah!!! Let me go! You bastard Sunburst!! You bastard Natsu!!"

"Who told you to laugh at me! Tui~tui~tui!"

Natsu rubbed against Gray as he spoke.

Gray, who had broken free, was so angry that his hair stood on end. He and Natsu chased after Sunrise. Sunrise sped up on the grassy slope, occasionally turning back to make faces.

He didn't notice and slipped on the dewy grass, falling to the ground with a "plop," where he was caught by the two men.

They made a ruckus until it was completely dark, and the fireflies in the woods were already twinkling in the air. Only then did the three of them collapse, panting heavily, under a sheltered oak tree.

He was covered in grass clippings and smelled of sweat, with even his hair covered in the saliva the other person had thrown at him, looking like he had just rolled in the mud.

The three of them gathered branches and built a campfire. Just as they lit the fire, Riyao dragged them to the shallow stream they had passed in the afternoon. Today's grilled fish would depend on it.

Natsu was eager to show off his skills, but he scared all the fish away. He pouted and muttered, "Why are these fish so timid!"

Fish: Don't you understand the concept of treating prisoners of war well?! Thumbs down!

Gray squatted by the river, touching the pebbles, and rolled his eyes: "You're not catching fish like that."

Riyao didn't say anything, but simply put his feet, which were covered in grass clippings, into the river, where a faint green vitality quietly emerged.

The small fish that had been hiding in the crevices of the rocks immediately swarmed around him, and a few even circled around his ankles, creating tiny ripples on the water's surface, just like a miniature whirlpool of fish.

Fish: That's really cool, bro!

Gray looked disgusted: "Sunshine, could you please not use your feet next time?"

"Oh, don't worry about such a small thing." Riyao swung his feet and laughed, while the little fish at the bottom of the river swam happily around his feet.

Natsu's eyes lit up, and he reached out to grab it, but he slipped on the pebbles at the bottom of the river and fell halfway into the water. When he got up, he was soaking wet.

He was holding a slippery little fish in his hand, but as soon as he lifted it up, it fell back into the river with a "plop," making him so angry that he puffed out his cheeks and stomped his feet.

In the end, thanks to Riyao's method, the three of them caught a few plump little river fish, which they roasted over the campfire, the oil splattering and crackling noisily in the fire.

The three of them sat around the campfire. Natsu's face was still covered in charcoal ash. He held a golden-brown grilled fish in his hand, took a bite, smeared the oil on his chin, and even wiped his saliva on the grilled fish next to him.

"How disgusting!" Riyao said with a look of disgust.

Gray quickly snatched his grilled fish away, rubbing a small piece of ice between his fingers to wipe away the saliva he'd smeared on it: "Don't use your saliva as seasoning! You've made this fish all dirty!"

The three of them started fooling around again, the campfire crackling and burning, making the night in the forest warm and cozy, and even the aroma of grilled fish wafting in the wind.

...

The Tidal Forest was still shrouded in a thin mist in the early morning. The haystack where the three of them had warmed themselves by the fire last night was still covered with fish oil and pine needles. Suddenly, a sticky, warm sensation hit their faces.

Still half asleep, Riyao was the first to jump up. When he opened his eyes, he was met with a bear head bigger than a millstone. Its iron-black mane was like steel needles, and hot air was blowing from its big nose.

Saliva was dripping down his sharp teeth, splashing onto Riyao's tattered coat with a thud, burning him and making him grimace.

"Damn! So the 'tide' in this Tidal Forest is a saliva tide?!" Riyao rolled to the side, stood up, and complained.

"Ugh! How annoying!" Gray wiped the drool off his face.

"I'll burn you to ashes!" Natsu roared angrily!

The Sunburst Instantly Unleashes a Hundred Tactical Movement; its monstrous strength, once difficult to control precisely, easily injured people and damaged furniture. Now, it has become instinctive, a passive skill, used to create powerful shockwaves when exchanging punches with the Demon Bear!

"Destroy the city!"

With a muffled thud, the demonic bear was forced back half a step, its claws digging two deep furrows in the ground.

Gray also assumed a fighting stance, kneeling on the ground with his hands pressed against the damp earth. Pale blue frost spread from his fingertips like ice vines, wrapping around the demonic bear's front paws and instantly freezing them into the mud. He shouted out his move.

"Ice-themed Design - Ice-Induced Spring!"

Several sharp icicles immediately shot up from the ground, causing the demonic bear to howl in pain.

Using the ice pillars for leverage, Natsu leaped onto the bear's head, his fists engulfed in even more intense flames. He slammed one fist into the mane next to the bear's eye, sending sparks flying everywhere.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Then, he used his claw-shaped fist to slice open the hard bear skin.

"The Fire Dragon's Claw!"

The elbow strike landed on the bear's chin, causing its head to tilt back.

"Fire Dragon's Elbow Strike!"

The final kick landed on the bear's belly, causing the demon bear to stagger forward.

When Sunburst saw that Natsu was about to be hit by the Demon Bear, he made a decisive move.

"Life Connection".

Natsu was sent flying by the demonic bear, crashing into several large trees, but it relentlessly charged forward again.

Sunlight restrains the enemy while casting spells.

"Enhanced Magic: Strength, Speed, Mana Amplification, Fire Amplification, Frost Amplification..."

Gray felt a chill surge up his body instantly, and even the surrounding air condensed into icy mist.

He pushed himself up from the ground, clasped his hands together and raised them above his head. A blue, ice-blue magic circle with a diameter of more than two meters appeared above his head, and a five-meter-long ice spear emerged from the circle, its tip gleaming coldly.

He gritted his teeth and shouted out his move: "Ice Form - Giant Ice Spear!"

The ice spear whistled through the air as it slammed into the demonic bear's head, knocking it to its knees with a loud crash. A large patch of its iron mane was scraped off by the ice shards.

Natsu had been gathering his strength for a while, his cheeks puffed out like an inflated pufferfish, sparks dripping from the corners of his mouth and dripping down his cheeks. Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide and spewed out a pillar of crimson fire: "Roar of the Fire Dragon!"

The pillar of fire, carrying waves of heat, rushed towards the demonic bear's face, sizzling and smoking its iron mane. The demonic bear roared and struggled twice before finally collapsing to the ground, its flesh roasted until it smelled deliciously charred.

Riyao leaned closer to smell it, then licked his lips: "This bear meat smells delicious."

Gray kicked the bear's corpse and rolled his eyes. "It seems alright."

Natsu pounced on the bear leg and took a bite, his mouth glistening with oil: "It smells good, that's all that matters! Who cares!"

The early-rising bear gets eaten.