Chapter 296: He Broke Up With Us
"Loke, huh? Did he make a pass at you?" Erza asked thoughtfully.
"No." Lucy shook her head.
"If you don't want him pursuing you, just beat him half to death. That way, he won't try again." Erza offered Lucy advice based on her personal experience.
"Is... is that true, Noah?" Lucy, startled by Erza's extreme advice, quickly turned to Noah for confirmation.
"Absolutely. I remember Loke tried to flirt with Erza once. She beat him so badly he almost died. Since then, he runs away the moment he sees her." Noah laughed.
"Ahaha... that certainly sounds like Erza," Lucy laughed awkwardly.
After chatting with Noah and the others, her anger had largely subsided.
"You saw Loke. Did he say anything?" Noah asked.
"Nothing important."
Because Loke had angered her, she had dismissed everything he said as a pick-up line, so she hadn't taken his comment about dying seriously.
"I see."
Hearing this, Noah realized Loke still hadn't revealed the truth to Lucy. She would have to discover it herself.
Noah and Erza continued cleaning up the room, and Lucy joined in. Later, Natsu and Gray recovered enough to help too.
Once they were done, everyone went back to their own rooms to rest.
The next day, they returned to Fairy Tail.
"What happened to them?"
Elfman stared at Natsu and Gray, who were covered in bandages. They were pressing their foreheads together, eyes burning with mutual fury.
"They played a pillow fight at the inn and got injured," Mirajane explained from behind the counter, giggling. She had heard the story from Noah and Erza.
"How hard do you have to throw a pillow to cause injuries like that?" Elfman looked at the bandaged duo helplessly.
"You bastard! It was just a pillow fight! Why did you get so serious?!"
"I give 100% in everything I do!"
"But you still lost, didn't you?!"
"Hah? You're the one who lost!"
Gray and Natsu shouted at each other.
"Lucy! I won, didn't I?!"
Unable to convince each other, they dragged Lucy into the argument since she was sitting nearby.
"Shut up," Lucy said irritably, glaring at them. Both boys flinched.
"S-Sorry!"
"Whoa! Someone other than Erza and Master can stop those two!"
"Lucy's got skills."
The other guild members marveled at the sight.
"Wait, didn't I win the pillow fight last night? Why aren't they asking me?" Noah asked, watching the dejected Natsu and Gray walk away.
"They probably only care about beating each other since they both lost to you anyway," Mirajane laughed.
"So you were there too, Noah. No wonder they're hurt so badly," Elfman commented, as if it all made sense now.
"Hey, don't slander me. Every time those two fight, don't they end up like this? Why blame me? I controlled my strength perfectly last night," Noah retorted. He wasn't taking the blame for their idiocy.
"How hard did you throw the pillows?" Elfman asked.
"As hard as they threw them at me."
Elfman nodded knowingly. Confirmed. Noah was definitely part of the reason for their injuries.
"Lucy, you look down," Noah heard Happy say to Lucy, who was leaning on the counter.
"Do I? Not really," Lucy replied expressionlessly.
"Are you still mad about my prank?"
"NO! Do you think I'm that petty?" Lucy snapped.
"Ah... sorry... It just feels like you have a lot on your mind lately."
"Talk to me about it!" Happy raised his paw, volunteering.
"No thanks. But thank you," Lucy declined.
Stomp, stomp, stomp!
Hearing a stampede of footsteps, Noah looked up to see seven or eight girls running into the guild.
"Hey, is Loke here?" one of them asked Mirajane at the counter.
"Where's Loke?"
"Loke is too cruel!"
"Who are you people?"
"I should be asking you that!"
"Loke! Where are you?!"
Without waiting for an answer, they all started talking at once.
"What's going on?" Lucy asked Happy.
"Those are girls from Magnolia. They all claim to be Loke's girlfriends," Happy explained.
"Last night, he suddenly said he wanted to break up!"
"Eeeh?! Even though I hate to admit it, me too!"
"Me too!"
"Same here!"
"Why did he say that all of a sudden?"
"Did he find 'The One'?"
"Who is she? Is she in this guild?"
The girls bombarded Mirajane with questions about Loke.
"W-Well..."
Mirajane looked overwhelmed by their aggressive questioning. She immediately looked at Noah for help.
"Don't look at me. I don't know," Noah shrugged, spreading his hands.
Mirajane puffed out her cheeks. He definitely knew something but refused to say it. She glared at him.
"Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough," Noah's voice echoed in her mind via Telepathy.
Mirajane relaxed slightly, but she still had to deal with Loke's angry exes. She looked around, and her eyes lit up when she spotted the perfect scapegoat.
"Lucy! Help me!"
Lucy panicked hearing her name.
"Who is that woman?"
"She's kinda cute..."
"Big boobs!"
"Is she Loke's 'True Love'?!"
The mob of girls instantly surrounded Lucy, scrutinizing her.
"Geez! Don't dump your problems on me, Mirajane!"
Lucy fled, with Happy flying after her. The mob of girls chased after them.
Once they were gone, Mirajane sighed in relief.
"But still... for Loke to break up with all of them... something must have happened," she mused. Loke usually juggled multiple girlfriends without issue. Breaking up with all of them at once was unheard of.
Since Noah wouldn't talk, she started thinking on her own.
"I gave Lucy the clue. Let's see if she can figure it out," Noah said lazily, resting his head on the counter.
"Lucy? Something to do with Celestial Spirit Wizards? But Loke hates them..." Mirajane pondered but couldn't connect the dots.
"Loke won't be in danger, right?" she asked Noah seriously.
"No. If Lucy can't figure it out, I'll tell her. And if she can't solve it even then, I have a backup plan." Noah assured her. He wouldn't let Loke die.
"That's good." Mirajane smiled.
By evening, Noah was training in the practice hall when Mirajane rushed in, looking anxious.
"Loke left a note this afternoon and disappeared! It says he's quitting Fairy Tail! Everyone is looking for him. Noah, please find him!"
"Quitting the guild? Let me check."
Noah opened his Archive Magic and scanned the locations of the guild members. He saw everyone moving around frantically.
Loke had stopped at a specific location. And Lucy was heading straight for him.
"Found him. Looks like Lucy figured it out."
"That's a relief." Mirajane relaxed.
"You guys wanted to know what happened with Loke, right? It should be resolved today. I'll take you there."
Noah took Mirajane's hand and teleported to where Erza, Natsu, and Gray were searching. He grabbed them too and teleported everyone to a cluster of trees near Loke's location.
Natsu spotted Loke immediately, standing in front of a grave in the distance.
He opened his mouth to shout, but Noah clamped a hand over it.
"Quiet. Lucy is almost there. Listen to them, and you'll understand everything."
Everyone fell silent.
Tap, tap, tap!
Lucy ran up behind Loke. Hearing footsteps, Loke turned around and was shocked to see her.
"Lucy!"
"Everyone is looking for you!" Lucy said. She then looked at the grave in front of him and said softly, "Karen's grave is here, isn't it?"
She paused, then continued, "Karen Lilica, the Celestial Spirit Wizard. She was your owner.
"Celestial Spirit Loke... No. Your true name is Leo the Lion."
Loke broke out in a cold sweat.
Beside Noah, Mirajane and the others gasped in shock.
"WHAT?!"
Natsu and Gray shouted out loud. Fortunately, Noah was quick enough to cast a sound-blocking barrier around them, preventing Lucy and Loke from hearing their outburst.
~~~
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