A faint glow pulsed as a magic circle lit up at the entrance of the Fairy Tail guild.
Moments later, Chase, Mira, and the Dark Magician Girl descended gracefully, landing atop the broad shoulders of a towering stone soldier. As the construct dissolved into motes of golden light, their feet touched the cobblestone street.
"The people of Magnolia are as enthusiastic as ever," Chase muttered with a sigh, glancing at the bustling crowd behind them. "Seriously, there's just no stopping these guys."
He turned to Mira, who stood beside him in a wine-red dress, her silvery hair swaying in the breeze. Smiling, he added, "See? This is what you get when you go on a mission with me."
Mira looked over her shoulder at the cheering townspeople and responded with her trademark serene smile. "They were a little too enthusiastic, though~"
As Fairy Tail's poster girl and a longtime fan-favorite of Sorcerer Weekly, Mira was no stranger to attention. Still, she couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the unique reception she'd received today one clearly directed at Chase.
"I don't get it!" the Dark Magician Girl huffed, cheeks puffed in indignation. "Even when I team up with Mira, the people here only care about him! What's the deal with that?"
She crossed her arms in a pout, frustration radiating off her petite form.
Despite walking side-by-side with two stunning girls, Chase had stolen the show from beginning to end. The streets echoed with nothing but cheers of "Welcome back, Chase!" and "You're amazing, Chase!" a heavy blow to the pride of the ever-confident and adorable Magician Girl.
Normally, she would've returned to the deck to rest her spirit still strained from the battle on the Demon Ruins. While not destroyed, her magical form needed time to stabilize.
But Chase, unable to say no to her curiosity about how things would unfold after the battle, had used even more of his magic to temporarily summon her again. She had insisted on accompanying them back to Magnolia.
Plus, she'd wanted to see through the photoshoot job with Mira to the very end.
Now that they had returned to the guild, all she could do was grit her teeth and fume as the town's favorite chaos magnet basked in yet another round of applause.
"Maybe it's because the Rock Giants were too tall," Mira said thoughtfully, resting her chin in her hand. "The townsfolk probably didn't even see us standing on their shoulders. So they just assumed it was all Chase."
She wasn't trying to console the Dark Magician Girl it was an honest observation.
After all, she was Mira Jane. Her popularity in Magnolia was never in doubt.
The two beautiful girls exchanged a glance, then nodded in perfect sync.
Yes! That has to be it.
Before Chase could say a word, the newly repaired doors of the Fairy Tail guild creaked open.
From inside, excited voices erupted the moment they recognized the familiar sound of rock magic fading in the distance.
"Ohhh! Chase is back!" someone shouted.
"What a legend! We saw everything in the papers so cool!"
"You fought off a legendary demon and saved all the tourists... You're a real hero, Chase!"
Naturally, Natsu was the one barreling out in front, shouting nonsense with that same explosive energy of his.
Trailing behind him, Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in her usual exasperated tone. "No, no, no. I think Chase is the legendary monster here…"
She hadn't gotten over the dramatic headlines plastered across today's newspaper, nor the full-page illustrations of Chase standing boldly in front of a burning demon, his magic crackling through the air.
Just picturing it made Lucy's imagination run wild.
She saw herself in his place arms outstretched, cloak billowing in the wind, the ruined cityscape behind her. She would stand tall and shout: "This world is under my protection… by the will of Queen Lucy!"
The image made her heart race. She practically swooned at how cool she looked in her mind.
"Hey, Lucy," came a teasing voice from behind. "Usually in that situation, you're the first one to get flattened~"
Gray chuckled, while Happy flew a little loop overhead, snickering.
"Aye, that's because you don't dodge!"
Happy's blunt words were like a knife straight to Lucy's heart.
"So cruel… You didn't even let me finish dreaming…"
Lucy stood frozen in place, completely shattered.
Meanwhile, Chase was instantly swarmed by guild members, their cheers and praise overwhelming. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"Ahaha… You all found out already?"
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Magic Weekly really doesn't waste any time, huh…"
Mira glanced over and saw the rolled-up newspaper clutched in Makao's hand. "They must've rewritten the whole issue overnight."
"Tch! If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have taken that dumb book-burning job!" Natsu yelled, clenching his fists. "I'd have grabbed Chase's mission instead!"
Lucy gave him a deadpan look. You just wanted to fight the Eighteen Fighting Gods of Evil, didn't you?
Also… that was an S-Class job, genius.
At that moment, Elfman dropped to his knees dramatically, fists pounding the floor.
"I let my sister face danger alone… Waaah! I'm a failure as a man!"
Lucy couldn't help but mutter, "Ugh, classic sister complex."
"And to think… Protecting terrified civilians should've been a task reserved for someone as dazzlingly handsome as me," Loki said, slicking back his hair with a smug grin and adjusting his gleaming glasses.
Lucy rolled her eyes. You just wanted to spend time with Mira-san and that cute Dark Magician Girl…
Then, as if he could feel the daggers of judgment in Lucy's stare, Loki froze.
"Wha—Lucy?! You were here this whole time?!"
The moment their eyes met, all the flair and confidence drained from Loki's face. With a terrified yelp, he darted away and hid behind a column like a guilty child.
After all, this was the same Celestial Spirit who'd once been banished to the Celestial Realm for misconduct. And now he was awkwardly avoiding his own Celestial Spirit Mage.
Lucy blinked slowly, utterly baffled by his reaction. "What the heck is his problem now…?"
"Please, use that candle head of yours to think for once," Gray said, arms crossed as he stepped forward. His black leggings shimmered under the sun.
At some point, his shirt had mysteriously vanished again.
"What was that, Ice Cube?!" Natsu growled, a flame bursting to life in his clenched fist. "You got a problem with me?!"
He turned, sweeping a defiant gaze across the crowd.
"A bunch of cowards trembling at the mention of S-Class jobs... None of you are worthy rivals for me! Wahahaha!"
And just like that, his taunt stirred the hornet's nest.
"Who are you calling a coward?!"
"Say that again, firebrain!"
The entire front of the guild erupted into chaos. Sleeves rolled up. Punches thrown. A flurry of roars and magic sparks filled the air.
Meanwhile, Chase well aware of just how wild this group could get only smiled faintly and slipped past the brawl.
He had more important things to do.
His mission report to Master Makarov about the Demon Ruins couldn't wait.
Walking calmly into the quiet guild hall, Chase was joined by Mira and the Dark Magician Girl, while Lucy trailed behind them with cautious steps, peeking nervously at the chaos behind her.
Inside, the scene was far more peaceful. Only a few members remained, scattered at their usual spots.
"Yo, Chase. Back already?" came a familiar voice.
Kana looked up from her corner.
Gone was the half-drunken slouch. She sat upright, a feather quill poised in her hand and a thick book opened before her The Book of Secret Arts, which Chase had lent her not long ago.
She wasn't drinking from a barrel of booze this time, and her aura felt calm, focused, and surprisingly refined.
It was a completely different vibe from her usual self.
Clearly, something had changed.
"Kana, how do you feel?" Chase asked with a friendly smile.
"I'd say… pretty good," she replied, placing her quill aside. "Feels like I've finally got a shot this time. Thanks."
Then, with a dreamy look in her eyes, she leaned back, propped her legs up on the table, and added, "I heard about the Island of Ruins. You really are something else."
Just like that, the calm and scholarly vibe she'd built up vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Not just the master!" the Dark Magician Girl interjected, bouncing forward and flashing a playful V-sign. "Mira and I were also super important!"
And that wasn't just her fishing for praise she was right. If she and Mira hadn't held the line as long as they did, the Drum of Emptiness would've absorbed far more sacrifices by the time Chase arrived. At that point, it might've reached its peak form… and things would've turned out very differently.
"Haha, that's fair," Kana nodded with a chuckle.
Even if she was a summoned monster brought to life by Chase's magic, the Black Magician Girl was undeniably powerful and insightful. Kana had spent hours chatting with her about magic theory and had found herself inspired by the girl's unconventional, yet brilliant perspectives.
She'd learned a lot that no ordinary textbook could teach.
"I seriously feel like she's way too powerful…" Lucy muttered to herself.
She looks younger than me, and yet…
"Lucy, you've gotta keep it together," she added quickly in her own head. "You still need to catch up. You've got this!"
"That's right, Lucy."
Chase suddenly turned around, catching her off guard.
Startled, she looked up as he asked, "Didn't Nazhabi take a job recently? I remember hearing they wanted you on the team. How'd that go?"
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