Village Life

To prepare for the inevitable invasion, Katakuri spent most of his time training in the village and hunting in the wilderness, sometimes crossing over between the two.

During this time, he could more actively feel this innate sight and had begun to train it with makeshift obstacles such as rocks rigged up to trees that would swing towards him or simply by having Erza throw sticks at him.

At first, she was opposed to this but after some coaxing she agreed, and then seeing his progress as he went from being hit every time to dodging every time, she also wanted to try it.

Unfortunately, it would seem that she was not able to learn this causing them to give up and focus on other things.

His sight had given him a great advantage in his hunts allowing him to dodge attacks and sense creatures without 'seeing' them as such.

Erza had grown up slightly, her originally skinny figure became more healthy growing slightly plump from the skin and bone look she originally had.

The village lacked food, roads were poorly constructed through the woods leading to monster attacks, coupled on top of the far distance from any town, trade was few and far between.

Before Katakuri had become self-sufficient, Erza had helped him with what meager rations she had however, it wasn't much considering there weren't many hunters in the village due to the difficulty of dealing with magical creatures in the woods, it was a truly desperate time.

Distress turned to joy, sadness into happiness, Katakuri grew up and began to hunt meat and fur that could be traded to the various villagers for coin.

His heart warmed after seeing Erza happily tucking into a neat fur blanket for the first time or when she first ate roasted meat with a satisfied smile on her face.

Erza also introduced Katakuri to some of her friends, Simon and Kagura, one was a gruff scrawny brown-haired boy and the other was a cute purple-headed girl, slightly shy but oozing with childish curiosity.

Katakuri's training had also stagnated since he had no real teacher to awaken magic, he had tried it himself but remained unsuccessful.

Furthermore, without the direction of mages, he could not develop his combat skills properly as he mainly dealt with simple animals or village ruffians.

Attachment is his downfall in this regard as he continued with his vow to protect the village to repay his gratitude, after that he could be free to move around and search for a magic teacher.

Losing that thought, Erza was waiting for him, posted up at the village entrance, waiting with tired eyes.

Before and after every hunt she seemed to do this despite his repeated insistence that it was unnecessary, her stubbornness even continuing despite snow and rain much to his distress.

Trotting evenly, she habitually appeared by his side.

"Morning Katakuri!"

Looking at the well-behaved, friendly Erza, Katakuri's mouth cracked up as his hand reached out to caress her silky smooth hair.

"You don't need to wait here every time, I'm afraid you'll get a cold one of these days"

Erza fastened her smile as her small head rubbed into his hands

"I have to make sure you come back." Erza retorted with a slight pout.

Lacking parents, Erza had formed an exceptional familial attachment to him.

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"

Exasperated, Katakuri stared at the stubborn Erza and with a warm smile, continued to turn her hair into a bird coop causing Erza to glare at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Katakuri slightly turned his body as his head snapped into the trees, raising his hand in a symbolic wave as he began his daily regime.

Looking at his slowly fading back, Erza crossed her arms and shouted "Hm, you better come back safe or I'll snatch all your doughnuts!"

Crimson eyes flashed dangerously as his body tensed up in vigilance.

Passing through the brush, time had passed, and thanks to his vigilance,

He could faintly feel something not far away from him, a sizable pig-like creature that was suspected to be a wild boar.

Moving with a shuffle near the mass, his body lowered crouching stealthily in long weeds shooting from the ground.

Licking his lips under the scarf, he waited, silent, trots of the boar growing ever closer as he prepared to pounce.

*Huff*

Found,

The boar charged with a mad dash into the unknown, jagged ivory stabbing out wildly.

Dodging back into the weeds, his hands reached down by his waist into leather pockets, grabbing an assortment of hard-colored candies he'd collected and enjoyed over the years from the scarce trade.

Putting it neatly between his index fingers, he snapped firing out a jade-colored candy bullet piercing between the eyes of the enraged creature.

*Squeeeall*

Flailing on the floor, blood pooled up turning green grass red as the boar made one last desperate struggle using its hindlegs to leap toward him.

Eyes flashed a vicious crimson as he sidestepped causing the boar to once again fall on the ground.

*Crack*

Studded boots pressed forcefully against the spine of the boar causing bones to let out a shattering crunch.

Silence.

No more thrashing only silence as the last of the vitality left the boar.

Tying up the boar with a stern face, it dragged on the floor as he made his way back through the canopy heading back the way he had arrived.

A wry smile forced its way onto his serious face as he noticed Erza along with a few villagers waiting for his arrival with a gossipy, excited look on their faces.

"Look, It's Katakuri!"

One of the villagers exclaimed upon seeing the figure approaching

"What is that on his back, It's massive!"

A gruff villager with a short bow exclaimed, markings of a hunter on his vestige.

"Hm, my brother Katakuri is the best"

Erza pointed and said with great relish with a smug smile on her face

Erza then trotted up to the figure she looked at the boar that seemed to never stop growing as it got closer.

Her mouth watered as she thought of roasting the pig and eating more than she could.

"It's the biggest one I've gotten yet!"

Katakuri smiled proudly under his scarf as he stretched out his hand and rubbed Erza's head, as she followed him side by side towards their home.

A few of the village children looked at the big boar in awe as they felt a deep wave of respect for Katakuri in their hearts.

A house stood plainly in the middle of the street a warm light peeking out through the loose crack under an orderly wooden door, all previous sense of depression in the house removed due to refurbishment from newly increased income.

"Erza spread this out to the villagers." Katakuri droned out as he skilfully dissected the creature

Putting away his tools and the best cuts of meat for the village elders who had given some support in his worst days, Katakuri turned around handing over several hastily wrapped brown packages to Erza.

Sliding out of the creakless door, Erza vanished again to the exterior of the homestead.

A fire, a skewer, and a happy Katakuri sat awaiting in the house waiting for the busy scarlet-haired woman.

Shortly after, the door opened revealing a famished Erza, saliva pooling at the corners of her mouth as the roasted scent wafted out in the air.

"Well! Let's eat!" Erza wasted no time before devouring her cut of the food.

Watching her tuck in happily, Katakuri raised his scarf showing his shark-like teeth as he began to tear into the meat.

Mumbling in satisfaction the two talked and laughed as the night pressed on

"Hey, Katakuri?"

In a low voice, Erza looked deeply into his eyes firmly.

"Hm?" Katakuri grumbled back lightly

"Let's always be together, as a family." Erza looked at Katakuri dead in his crimson eyes as he cracked a small smile from his exposed mouth.

"It will be, we will always be together."

After hearing this Erza nodded happily before stopping and looking back with a slightly red face.

Shortly after, the silence was disrupted by her rushed voice.

"It's getting late so I'll go back! See you tomorrow!"

Erza stood up, taking one last look at the warmth before fanning the door open and walking out into the darkness of night.

Gazing on, Katakuri's face flickered inexplicably in the waning fire as he walked back towards the fur-lined bed, resting his weary eyes as he began to get a good night's rest.