Night had fallen, and the sky shimmered with a blanket of stars. Moonlight spilled gently across the sea, silvering the waves as they rose and fell against the battered shore. Each splash against the sand brought with it a quiet sense of healing, as if the ocean itself was trying to soothe the wounds of a long and bitter battle.
The tourist island, once lively and full of laughter, was now a wasteland of fractured ruins and deep, cratered scars. The heart of the destruction lay in the center a massive pit carved by the final clash. There, unmoving and lifeless, rested the shattered form of the Eighteen-Fights Divine Drum of the Evil Demon. Its breath of life had been extinguished completely.
Chase and Mira had claimed victory.
Crackling faintly in the still air, electric sparks danced across Mira's white demon armor. Bit by bit, her transformation faded. As the sea breeze brushed past, the armor dissolved into light and vanished, revealing her original form once again.
But there was no celebration in her eyes.
Her gaze was distant, somber, heavy with unspoken thoughts. The solemn expression on her face showed no trace of triumph, no relief only exhaustion and something deeper.
Her bare feet, scratched and bruised, sank softly into the sand as she walked slowly toward Chase. He noticed the shift in her energy immediately, the seriousness in her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say a word, Mira reached out, placed her hand gently on his shoulder and gave him a small, deliberate push.
His body, already at its limit after everything they'd endured, offered no resistance. His knees buckled and he fell backward, hitting the soft sand without even trying to catch himself. The sky spun overhead until it settled on a vast canvas of stars, twinkling in peaceful silence.
But the view didn't last long.
A curtain of soft, white hair drifted into view, and then her face.
Mira leaned over him, pale and beautiful, her expression unreadable as she straddled his waist and placed her hands down on either side of his head. Her eyes locked onto his.
She didn't say a word.
But her presence was overwhelming.
Her body trembled slightly, knees pressed into the sand on either side of him. Though she said nothing at first, the subtle quiver in her shoulders made her emotions plain.
Chase looked up, concern tightening in his chest. "Mira… what's wrong?"
She didn't respond immediately. Her long white hair had fallen forward, veiling her face like a curtain, making it impossible to read her expression. Then, in a voice muffled but firm, she asked, "Chase , tell me honestly… could you use card magic from the beginning?"
The question hit hard. For a moment, Chase blinked in surprise but then he nodded slowly, guilt and clarity surfacing in his eyes. "Yeah… I could."
He took a breath, lifting his head slightly as he tried to explain. "I thought… if I held back at first, if I gave you the space to rise up again and face your power, maybe it would help you see what you're really capable of. You've always had that strength, Mira. I just " His voice caught briefly. " I just didn't want you to keep hiding it."
He smiled faintly, even though his energy was all but spent. "Maybe you really do love your current job. But that's not a reason to cut yourself off from who you were. From your magic. From your friends. I always believed "
His words were abruptly cut off.
"No! No, no, no!" Mira shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. "Demons… power… it doesn't matter what it is!"
A soft click echoed as a drop of water hit his cheek.
Then another.
Cold, clear droplets fell on Chase's face, splashing across his skin like morning dew.
Finally, he saw her face her real face no longer hidden by her hair.
Mira's expression was twisted with sorrow, and her eyes overflowed with tears.
"Please, Chase…" she whispered, voice trembling as she leaned closer, her forehead nearly touching his. "Don't ever do something that reckless again…"
She didn't yell.
She didn't scold him for lying or for pushing her to awaken the demonic power she'd sealed away.
None of that mattered to her.
All she felt was fear fear that she might have lost him. Worry that he might never have come back.
She didn't care about magic, or demons, or victory.
She just cared about him.
If I hadn't reached her in time… if she hadn't awakened the Satan Soul in that moment…
What would have happened to me, crushed in the palm of that demon's hand?
The thought struck Chase like lightning.
As Mira's tears continued to fall silently onto his face, he stared upward in a daze, finally understanding the truth he'd refused to see. Up until now, he had acted with unwavering confidence as someone who knew the events of the story, a time traveler certain of what would happen next. He had believed, without a shadow of doubt, that at the crucial moment Mira would successfully receive the soul of Satan and come to save him.
And even if something went wrong… there was always Resurrection of the Dead, a backup plan that ensured he'd be fine no matter what.
In his mind, there was nothing to fear.
But for Mira… it hadn't been like that at all.
For her, the outcome was uncertain. She hadn't known whether she would be able to summon that power again. She didn't know if she'd succeed in time, or if she'd fail. For her, every second was filled with doubt, fear, and the overwhelming terror that she might lose him forever.
She had been standing on the edge of despair.
And he… had ignored that.
"I'm sorry, Mira," he murmured, guilt lacing his voice. "I was selfish. I put you through all that… and I didn't even realize how scared you must've been."
At those words, Mira's composure finally crumbled.
Her body collapsed into his, and she sobbed openly in his arms releasing the pain, the fear, the helplessness she had buried since the moment that monstrous hand closed around him. Her tears were warm against his skin, her grip trembling.
Only after she had let it all out after she had allowed herself to feel everything did the two of them move again.
Chase gently summoned his Sky Guardian Pterosaur, and the pair flew into the night, leaving the shattered island behind them. Mira said nothing for most of the flight. She simply leaned against him, silent and thoughtful, her gaze fixed upward at the vast sky above.
The stars glittered above the sea like scattered crystals, stretching endlessly in every direction.
It wasn't until the distant light of a lighthouse came into view on the edge of the coastline marking their approach to the port city of Hargeon that Mira finally spoke, her voice soft and tinged with quiet emotion.
"Chase… that brightest star you once pointed out in the sky…"
She hesitated, her eyes reflecting the starlight.
"…Was that Lisanna?"
The moment Mira received the Devil's Summon into herself, she had inevitably been reminded of another her long-lost sister, Lisanna. The sensation of wielding Satan Soul again, of embracing that darkness she had long sealed away, brought back memories she had tried for years to keep at bay. Her voice trembled as she spoke, and a shimmer passed through her eyes.
"…Was that brightest star Lisanna?"
For a moment, silence lingered between them, just the sound of the wind brushing past and the steady beating of wings beneath them.
"No," Chase replied quietly.
The word was so soft yet so direct, it caught Mira off guard.
When he arrived in this world, the tragedy had already unfolded. He had never met Lisanna never seen the warmth in her smile, never witnessed her gentle strength.
Mira's expression crumpled in quiet disappointment. She had known the answer deep down, of course. But part of her, selfishly, had hoped he would say yes. That he had met her in some other version of their world. That maybe, in some cosmic way, she still existed somewhere.
Without another word, Mira lowered her head, burying her face against Chase's chest, her emotions flickering behind closed eyes.
"Stars are often said to represent the dead," Chase murmured, folding his arms behind his head as he lay back on the Sky Guardian Pterosaur. "But maybe… just maybe, Lisanna didn't die. Maybe she's alive somewhere, in some other world."
Mira blinked, her pupils widening. She looked up at him sharply, uncertain whether she had heard him correctly.
"I heard from the Master," Chase continued, his gaze fixed on the stars above, "that Lisanna vanished in your arms… turned into light, didn't she? That's not exactly how humans are supposed to die."
Mira froze.
That thought no, that possibility was something she and Elfman had considered a long time ago. After the accident, they had scoured the forest where it happened, overturned every rock, searched for days without rest… and found nothing. No blood. No body. Not even a trace of her magic. Just a memory of her fading away in a gentle beam of light.
"Chase… what are you saying?" Mira's voice trembled as she moved closer, grabbing his arm tightly. There was urgency in her grip fear, but also hope.
"I'm not saying anything for sure," Chase replied, his expression calm but thoughtful. "It's just a theory. A guess."
But even a guess… was enough to reignite a spark.
Chase had no intention of telling Mira about the existence of the parallel world Edolas. It wasn't a matter of trust. He trusted Mira with everything. But explaining something as bizarre and fantastical as a mirror world where their friends lived alternate lives? That was another matter entirely. It was the kind of truth that wasn't just difficult to accept it was dangerous.
And more than that, if Mira and Elfman learned that Lisanna might truly be alive somewhere, in some other version of their world… there was no doubt they'd stop at nothing to reach her. They'd cross dimensions without hesitation. And Edolas he knew from memory wasn't a place one could walk into lightly.
Maybe, he thought, when the time is right, I could speak to Mistgun. Ask him about "Anima" that celestial phenomenon that connects Earthland and Edolas.
But that wasn't a journey for today.
Chase turned his gaze to the stars and spoke softly, firmly. "Mira… if Lisanna is still alive somewhere out there, I know she wouldn't want you and Elfman to carry that guilt forever."
He looked up at the sky glowing with starlight, his voice carrying through the quiet. "So it's time to move forward. Let your heart break free from the pain. Let your stagnant time start to move again."
He turned his head slightly, eyes meeting hers. "Just like you did today, when you used Satan Soul to save me."
Mira lowered her eyes, saying nothing. Her hand still held his arm gently.
But after a long pause, something shifted in her.
She exhaled, wiped away the last of her tears, and gave him a tired but genuine smile. " Chase, you really love doing unnecessary things, don't you?"
There was no anger in her voice only warmth. Her smile, soft as always, now carried a flicker of life in it. A small but unmistakable spark of something rekindled.
"…But thank you."
Chase smiled, content.
Then he paused, his eyes narrowing a little. "Actually, now that you say that…"
He suddenly sat up straight and turned to face her, his expression sharp and serious. "Mira, now that you've accepted your powers again, you can use Receiving Magic freely, right?"
Mira tilted her head slightly. "Yes… I think I can."
She caught the look in his eyes burning with challenge and instantly had a bad feeling.
Chase grinned. "Then once we get back to the guild…"
He raised a finger, pointing straight at her.
"…Let's have a match!"
Chase clenched his fists, eyes gleaming with excitement. "You're the only S-Class wizard in the entire guild I haven't fought yet!"
There was no doubt about it Demon Mirajane was incredibly strong. If he could get a proper card out of her in a duel, it would be a guaranteed win. He was already imagining it: a card that could match even Erza's Titania form or Laxus's Lightning Body. With a Mirajane card in his deck, he'd be invincible!
Mira, though prepared for whatever ridiculous thing he might say, still felt a twitch tug at the corner of her mouth.
She sighed.
And then without hesitation WHACK!
Her fist came down on top of his head with a satisfying thud.
"Bagachis!" she snapped, cheeks puffing slightly in frustration.
Chase winced, clutching the top of his head as he slid sideways on the pterosaur's back. "Oww! Mira! What was that for?!"
"You want to fight me just to turn me into a card?" she grumbled, folding her arms with a huff. "You're not even hiding your motives anymore!"
"But it's for strategic reasons!" he argued with mock sincerity. "Imagine how cool it would be 'Demon Summoner Mirajane, S-Rank Fusion Spirit Card!'" He raised his arms as if envisioning the title in shining gold letters.
Mira rolled her eyes. "You really are impossible."
But she couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips.
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