Alex had a wet dream after seeing Erza Scarlet's curvaceous body. With that large chest and those shapely hips sleeping right beside him, dreaming about her seemed inevitable.
The next morning, he felt his underwear was slightly damp and sticky… he truly wanted to vanish from the sheer embarrassment. He scrambled out of bed without giving Erza a second look and bolted into the bathroom to wash away the traces of his dream.
To his misfortune, before he could even start, Erza appeared beside him like a ghost out of nowhere, snatching the clothes right out of his hands.
"You don't need to worry about washing your clothes. Leave the housework to me," Erza said. "I said I would take care of you, and something as small as laundry doesn't bother me."
Alex covered his crotch as he watched Erza leave the bathroom with his stained clothes. He couldn't wrestle them away because he knew he stood no chance against her strength, so he could only resign himself and swallow his shame, praying that Erza's innocence would keep her from realizing what those stains on his shorts actually were.
With nothing else to do, he took his bath and went to the dining room for breakfast. Erza washed Alex's clothes but ignored the spots, simply assuming they were sweat.
….
At noon, after lunch, Erza and Alex sat in the dining room. "Have you thought about what you want to do from now on, Alex?"
Alex nodded. He didn't have much of a choice since he was tied to Erza, and she was part of Fairy Tail. "I want to learn magic and, if possible, join Fairy Tail. I never want to feel weak again."
Erza was happy to hear his words, but she saddened slightly at his last sentence. "Very well. Before you start learning magic, you should first train your body. As a man, you can't be a weakling without strength; a mage must have a well-trained physique."
"Besides, the Guild Master is away on business. When he returns, I'll ask him to help you awaken your magic. In the meantime, we'll do physical training. I will help you personally."
Alex felt a small shiver. Training with Erza can't be that bad, can it?
...
"This isn't training, this is physical and mental torture!" Alex thought. Everything started fine; Erza gave him sportswear to change into, and she put on something light for running.
They started with a "light warm-up" according to Erza, which involved going to the outskirts of the city to run around a forest… the problem was that he had to run for two hours without rest or water.
Every time Alex stopped to catch his breath, Erza struck him with a whip that appeared out of nowhere. Her outfit had changed too—she was no longer in training gear, but in a full-piece dominatrix suit that, as usual, featured a plunging neckline and showed off her legs and part of her rear…
Alex couldn't complain about Erza's provocative attire, but the lashing was uncalled for. Even when she was supposed to be "caring" for him, her personality didn't change she was just as aggressive and focused as in the manga.
"Very well, the warm-up is over! Now we move on to push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and finally, sword swings until dusk!" Erza declared, leaving no room for negotiation.
"You've got to be kidding me, I'm going to die at this rate! Give me a break at least!" Alex pleaded.
Erza nodded and pulled out a small snack. "Here, eat a bit. I prepared a light bento. Thirty minutes of rest, and then back to training," she said, cracking her whip against the ground to assert her dominance.
...
Around 6:00 PM, Erza and Alex entered the Fairy Tail guild. Both went for some dinner before heading home. When they reached the bar, the others turned to look at Alex.
He was in tatters, his clothes shredded, sweat soaking his entire body, and he walked with his head down as if taking a single step were an impossible task.
"According to Mira, Erza was supposed to be 'taking care' of the kid, so why does it look like he's in his final moments of life?" Cana asked while sipping her beer.
At the same table, Macao and Wakaba watched the pair at the bar. "Judging by his clothes and the sweat, it's obvious Erza forced him into some kind of hellish training. Just looking at him makes me pity the guy," Macao said.
The others agreed. Erza was known for pushing training to the limit, but forcing a youth who was recently in a coma… they could only pray for his poor soul. No one dared to step in to help; Erza wasn't exactly someone you could reason with civilly, as any disagreement usually ended with a punch.
"My, someone looks like they're at death's door today..." Mira said, seeing Alex slumped at the bar.
Erza ignored the comment and ordered two plates of food. Alex didn't even have the strength to reply. So Mirajane went to the kitchen to ask for her order.
Erza saw the guild somewhat calm when she arrived, "today it seems that there will be no fights Alex so you don't have to worry about something flying towards you."
Alex "…"
"Fufufu"
"Natsu, Gray, Elfman, and Levy's team are out on missions, so today is actually quite peaceful. Besides, the Master's order still stands; as long as you're in the guild, the boys will behave… for now," Mirajane said.
"How was your day, young man...?" Mira asked, trying to get his name.
"You can call me Alex."
"So Alex is your name. I'm Mirajane, but everyone calls me Mira, so you can too."
"Today was... intense. Not even when I worked in the mines did I feel this tired," Alex muttered. "I think I should start writing my will, even if I have nothing to leave behind."
Erza saw that Alex was truly exhausted and thought she should perhaps lower the intensity a bit. "Alright, if you're that tired, take tomorrow off. I'll go on a mission to earn some money."
Mirajane, seeing Erza truly worrying over Alex, smiled mischievously. It was as if she had found a new source of entertainment. Since she couldn't go on missions because her magic wasn't responding the same way, she often stirred things up in the guild for her own amusement.
She just had to watch them until an opportunity arose to mess with Erza not to cause real trouble, but just to make her a bit uncomfortable. After all, she was the one who occasionally nudged Natsu and Gray to fight, or made sure Loke got a beating from Erza for being a womanizer.
Alex felt another shiver. "You've got to be kidding me. Why am I scared now? Who's the bastard targeting me?" Alex looked around the guild tables but found nothing.
Unknown to him, the person causing the chills was right in front of him, smiling. A beautiful woman with a tempting body. She was going to help him in a way he couldn't imagine and if he knew, he would be grateful to her for the rest of his life.