After taking a moment to compose herself, Mira asked softly, "Chase, you've already figured something out, haven't you? This assassination… is it really connected to Lucy?"
When she had suggested taking the Three Crows back for separate interrogation, she had sensed something off in Chase's behavior. There had been no urgency to begin questioning right away.
And then, when he quickly dismissed the others afterward, her suspicions deepened. Chase likely already knew who was pulling the strings.
"So you caught on after all? I should've known you would," Chase admitted after a brief pause, letting out a small sigh.
Was that the real reason he'd "helped" Elfman to bed so quickly?
Instead of answering right away, Chase poured tea for both of them, setting the warm cup in front of Mira before speaking in a low voice. "When I was… persuading the bird-headed guy, I got some information about the person behind it all."
He hesitated briefly, then said, "It's not Lucy they're after… it's "
"Erza," Mira finished for him, her pupils shrinking in shock. "Erza?!"
"Yes. And the situation is more serious than I thought. Can we contact the Master right now?"
"Yes, I have an emergency communication crystal," Mira replied at once.
"Good. We'll explain once he's here."
"Understood."
Before long, Makarov arrived in a rush, wearing pajamas far too cute for his age.
Chase greeted him respectfully and handed over a steaming cup of tea.
After a sip to clear his head, Makarov's expression turned grave. "Mira, what's this about? How is Erza connected to an assassination guild?"
Mira briefly recapped the night's events, then glanced at Chase.
"Let's hear it from the Three Crows," the Master said.
With a flick of his wrist, Chase threw down a card, releasing the three assassins.
"Come on, you pervert! Even if you try that filthy trick on me " Tarajima started, but before she could finish, the magic circle flared and locked her and Vidaludas back into a fresh card. Only the owl-headed man remained.
Whether by luck or sheer stubbornness, this one hadn't broken completely under Chase's earlier magic.
Under Chase's cold gaze, the dazed assassin began to spill everything: Jellal, the Tower of Paradise, the ghost of Zeref…
"Wasn't the R-System dismantled by the Magic Council years ago?!" Mira gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
She knew the name. The R-System was a project from ten years ago, designed to resurrect the Black Mage Zeref, and it had several locations.
"I never imagined one of those towers would still be active… and nearly complete," Makarov muttered, his voice grim.
Even for someone as battle-hardened as him, the implications were chilling. If the R-System were finished, the resulting chaos could shatter the stability of the entire magical world.
According to the owl-headed assassin, this particular tower was the same one where Rob had lost his life… and from which Erza had escaped.
"But what's her role in all this?" Mira pressed.
"When she was locked up during the Lullaby incident, Erza told me about her past," Chase said, setting down his cup. He began to recount Erza's history with Jellal and the Tower of Paradise.
Mira's smile faded, her expression turning grave.
"I understand now… I've never heard Erza speak of these things before."
Makarov's brow furrowed.
He only knew that Erza had escaped the Tower of Paradise thanks to Rob's sacrifice. The details of what had happened inside were unknown to him.
Carrying the weight of her childhood friends' lives, Erza had never dared to mention Jellal's name, let alone risk dragging Fairy Tail into her past. Before the Tower of Paradise incident, she had been "living in pain," even willing to sacrifice her own life if it meant ensuring their safety.
"But that makes things… complicated," Makarov muttered, staring into the rippling tea in his cup.
They couldn't allow Jellal to complete the R-System not when it involved Erza and innocent lives. Yet reporting directly to the Magic Council was risky. The Council's loyalties were uncertain, especially with the wild card of Siegrain Jellal's twin within its ranks.
(The Three Crows had no idea Siegrain and Jellal were one and the same.)
"It's not that complicated, actually."
Chase clenched his fists, a determined fire in his eyes. "Master, let me go. I'll take that cursed tower apart brick by brick!"
One reason the Tower of Paradise had remained unresolved before was that he'd been caught up in the matters of Ul and the Phantom Lord conflict. But the larger reason had been doubt doubt that he could defeat Jellal.
The strength of a Wizard Saint was nothing to take lightly. Even if their powers were equal, Jellal's mastery of Heavenly Body Magic and unmatched speed made him a nightmare opponent. With a spell like Meteor, he could close the gap before Chase's card magic even had time to activate.
But now… things were different.
Chase's growing mastery over the Sky Dragon's God Slayer Magic had closed the one gap in his arsenal. The battle against the Ice Flame Dragon had sharpened his combat instincts. Card magic, god-slaying techniques, and a deep reserve of magic power together they gave him near-total confidence that Jellal could be brought down.
"Chase! Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?" Makarov barked.
"Partners' problems are the guild's problems," Chase shot back. "Old man, you really want to watch Erza keep living with that kind of pain and guilt?"
That struck home. Makarov fell silent, his shoulders slumping with a heavy sigh.
When it came down to it, there was no better option.
But the risk still weighed on him until Mira spoke up, her voice steady. "Master, let me go with Chase."
"Wait," Chase said quickly, "Mira, you shouldn't get involved in this."
Even with his confidence, having an S-Class mage at his side would make the mission far safer. Erza herself couldn't go, Mistgun was nowhere to be found, and Laxus was still in the midst of his rebellious phase.
Which left Mira… the most reliable partner he could ask for.
"Don't refuse, Chase!" Mira stepped forward, her eyes resolute. "If it weren't for Erza's help, I might still be wandering alone like a monster. Now it's my turn to help her!"
When she'd first joined Fairy Tail, she'd lived in shame and fear, the aftereffects of awakening and accepting her demon arm leaving her isolated. Erza had seen it, and instead of pity, she had pushed Mira through quarrels, and even through fights to break down those walls and join the guild's family.
Those fights had eventually turned into personal grudges, but that too was part of Erza's strange, gentle way.
And Mira would not stand by and watch Erza be threatened, trapped, and stripped of her freedom.
"Stop playing double act over there, you two troublemakers!"
Of course Makarov could see that Mira's words were aimed at him.
By now, he had already decided to approve Chase's proposal. Knowing Mira would be going along eased much of his concern.
But when he thought of sweet, obedient Mira his "good girl" standing so firmly on Chase's side without hesitation, the old man's heart twinged. Am I really just some foolish parent who can't understand his child's feelings?
"I'll allow the mission to the Tower of Paradise, but "
Makarov pushed aside his melancholy, straightened his posture, and fixed them both with a stern look.
"You act with your own safety as your top priority. No pushing yourselves past the limit. And no reckless heroics!"
Chase and Mira exchanged a look, and answered together, full of resolve, "Yes, Master!"
....
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