Since the nearby train station had been destroyed during Erza and the others' pursuit of the Dark Guild, the next day, Chase and his group chose to drive a magic four-wheeler back to Magnolia.
On the way, they passed through the treacherous Kroba Grand Canyon, a place notorious for throwing off travelers' sense of direction. There, they encountered a village that had been transformed by monsters, which naturally led to another series of chaotic events.
By the time they finally returned to Magnolia, the moon was already high in the night sky.
"Another day full of adventures and weirdness..."After freshening up, Lucy sat at her desk with a quill in hand, reflecting on the whirlwind of events that had taken place over the past two days.
The strongest team. A dark guild. A demon from Zeref's book. A village turned into monsters...
"It's all exciting, but..." she mumbled to herself, "it's also nice to have moments like this, just quietly writing in my room."
She dipped the quill in ink and continued scribbling in her novel, reminding herself, Work hard, but also take time to rest.
Elsewhere, Natsu finally worn out from the long journey had taken Happy and gone back early to their house in the forest outside the city.
Erza, on the other hand, was last seen dragging an entire cart of luggage back to the guild's girls' dormitory. She'd declared with conviction that she needed to "get everything in order."
Lucy paused, quill in mid-air."...But was she talking about tidying her room or straightening out the other girls in the dorm?"
She could practically see Erza's stern, no-nonsense expression in her mind.
Yeah. Definitely the latter.
"And then there's Chase."Lucy leaned back in her chair, eyes drifting toward the window.
They'd said goodbye earlier that evening at the riverside near the city center. By now, he was probably fast asleep.
...At least, she hoped he was, considering what the Dark Magician Girl had shouted in public something about "warming her master's bed tonight."
Just thinking about it made Lucy's face heat up. She slapped her cheeks, trying to cool down the blush.
"They're really close..." she muttered, puffing out her cheeks. "Ugh, I want to know all of Chase's juicy secrets!"
As she spun wild scenarios in her mind ranging from steamy gossip to magical misunderstandings a sudden voice broke through her thoughts.
"Hey, Lucy!"
"Wha--?!"Lucy's eyes snapped open. Her quill almost flew from her hand.
Someone had called her name.
Did someone just break in?! she thought in alarm.
Natsu? Gray? Or… was it Chase?!
Lucy instinctively clutched the manuscript on her desk to her chest, bolting upright as her eyes darted warily around the room.
The events of a few nights ago still haunted her. Ever since that disturbing break-in, she'd been like a startled sparrow at the drop of a pin.
She scanned every corner of the room, tense and alert... but found nothing.
The house was quiet.
Peaceful.
Not a trace of perverted intruders.
"…So it really was just my imagination," Lucy exhaled, letting her guard down. "Guess I'm just exhausted…"
Suddenly bam! the wooden floor shook beneath her.
A puff of starlight burst open as a muscular, horned figure leapt up from the summoning circle.
"Moo! I sensed danger! Lucy, I came as fast as I could!" roared the overly enthusiastic Taurus, striking a flexed pose.
His bull eyes, now shaped like hearts, locked on to Lucy with laser focus.
Lucy froze.
Then trembled.
Then snapped.
"You are the danger!!" she screamed, yanking out his Gate Key and brandishing it like a weapon. Her eyes gleamed with rage, and fangs practically erupted from her jawline.
Taurus paled. "Moooo~"
With another flash of starlight, he was instantly banished back to the Celestial Spirit Realm before he could say another word.
Lucy collapsed back into her chair and sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
"One after another… every single one of them is a walking headache."
But just as she started to settle again, that mysterious voice floated into her ears once more.
"Lucy, can you hear me?"
Her heart skipped a beat.
The voice was gentle, but clear closer now. And this time, Lucy recognized it.
A mix of confusion and disbelief crossed her face as she hurried to the window that overlooked the street.
She pushed open the shutter with a creak, letting the moonlight spill into the room.
Beyond the gently rippling river that shimmered under the stars, she spotted a familiar figure sitting on the second-floor windowsill of the house diagonally across from hers.
Chase.
He smiled and waved casually across the quiet street.
"It's really you!!" Lucy cried out, jaw dropping in disbelief.
She was frozen for a second, half-shocked, half-speechless.
"Hey Lucy, good evening~" Chase called out, cheerful as ever.
The Dark Magician Girl's head suddenly popped out beside Chase, her hands waving cheerfully through the air.
Her sweet, melodious voice echoed down the otherwise silent street like a bell.
Lucy, mortified, immediately noticed with her keen senses that several nearby house lights were switching on one by one.
"I get it, I get it! Stop shouting! You're going to embarrass me to death!!"
The crushing weight of social humiliation hit her like a ton of bricks.
Without hesitation, Lucy slammed her window shut, dashed to the door, and bolted from her home faster than most could blink. She crossed the bridge over the moonlit river with silent urgency, darting through the shadows like a trained spy, until she finally arrived at Chase's house.
Panting and flushed, she burst into the room.
"Okay, fine! Dark Magician Girl is cute, so I'll let it slide. But you, Brother Chess you call me over this late at night and make a scene?! I could sue you for harassment!"
Hands on her hips, chest rising and falling from the sprint, Lucy launched her complaints like a barrage of arrows.
Chase chuckled and casually placed a cup of hot tea in her hands.
"Come on, I just had something to talk about. Since I was nearby, I thought I'd give you a shout."
He grinned playfully. "Although, I'll admit, maybe I was a bit too direct."
Despite her grumbling, Lucy accepted the tea with a small sigh and took a seat opposite him on the sofa.
"Lucy, cuteness can't feed you. You really should scold me properly. I'm sorry for disturbing you this late at night," said the Dark Magician Girl, who now sat primly on the couch, back straight and face stern.
Her tone was serious uncannily so.
Pfft!
Lucy choked on her tea and accidentally spit it across the table, splattering it all over Chase's face.
"Is this really the same Dark Magician Girl I know?! Has she been possessed by some ancient spirit?! Or did Baluge sneak in and swap her soul?!"
Scoreboard update:Chez Daily Face Interface Tea: 1/1
Despite the spray, the Dark Magician Girl's face didn't flinch. She remained in the same upright position, with a gracious smile still plastered across her face.
But Lucy noticed it.
Those gorgeous violet eyes were twitching twitching violently.
There was no mistaking it: she was trying to signal something.
Receiving the message loud and clear, Lucy slowly turned her gaze to the far corner of the room.
In the corner of the room stood a solemn man clad in a dark purple magic robe. His arms were crossed, and in his right hand, he held a long, ancient-looking magic staff.
Just from his upright, commanding posture alone, one could immediately tell this man was no ordinary mage. He radiated strength.
"Whoa… that aura…"
Lucy's breath hitched the moment she laid eyes on him. She hadn't noticed earlier, but now that her focus had shifted, she finally sensed it clearly.
The sheer magical pressure filling the room was overwhelming.
The same robe. The same wand. The same aura of mystery and power.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Could this be… the master that the Dark Magician Girl mentioned before?
The Dark Magician himself?!
Just from his aura alone, it was clear this was not someone who got along easily with others.
Lucy instinctively shrank back a little and grumbled softly, "I get the feeling he's not the type who's easy to talk to..."
Noticing the tension crackling in the air, Chase walked over with a relaxed smile, patting the Dark Magician on the shoulder like an old friend.
"This is Lucy the one I mentioned to you before. Sure, she's kind of weak and acts a little ditzy, but she's my partner. Think you can help her improve a bit?"
Back at the guild, the Dark Magician Girl had once promised Lucy that she could ask her master to help guide her training.
But truthfully, that was something Chase had already planned long ago.
Setting aside whether Lucy could awaken powerful cards after her growth, Chase had always felt she deserved proper training.
After all, in the original story, Lucy constantly found herself in danger, often on the receiving end of pain and punishment.
He couldn't just stand by and let that be her fate here too.
The Dark Magician an ancient sage who had spent centuries refining his understanding of magic was the perfect person to help.
Even though Chase's current magic power wasn't yet strong enough to let the Dark Magician fight at his full potential, nor ascend into his higher forms like Dark Sage or Magician of Chaos, the mage's core insights into magic remained deeply profound.
And as they say, all roads of power dark or light ultimately lead to the same destination.
Even though the world of Fairy Tail operated on a different magical system than the Yu-Gi-Oh! world, the Dark Magician's vast experience and knowledge could absolutely offer Lucy meaningful guidance.
Chase didn't doubt it for a second.
In fact, from a purely magical standpoint, the Dark Magician was like half a master to him someone who had helped him avoid countless pitfalls and setbacks after he first crossed into this world.
It was the same for many others in Fairy Tail as well.
Though the mage rarely showed himself, several guild members had received quiet guidance from him, and in their hearts, all of them deeply respected the Dark Magician as a figure of immense wisdom and strength.
Keep supporting me with your comments and if you like the story please drop a power stone and your support is very much appreciated.
If we reach 20+ reviews in this week I will drop extra 5 chapters.
Want to read, chapters ahead , share your fandom thoughts, or just fuel my translation caffeine habit? or if you want to support me please Join me on Patreon here! :
patreon.com/Keep_ItUp