Even though he knew perfectly well that little Kagura had never liked him much, Shane had just been rejected by one "god" after another and badly needed a change of mood, so he stepped out to greet her.
The moment he reached the living room, another bright, lively voice crashed into his ears.
"Master! I missed you so much! I've been practicing every single day exactly the way you taught me!!"
There was Kagura, with her straight-cut bangs and black hair flowing down like a waterfall, throwing herself into Erza's arms without the slightest restraint.
It had only been a short while, but the girl had clearly grown a lot taller. The top of her head now just barely reached Erza's chest.
At the moment, she looked like a clingy little cat finally reunited with its owner, happily wrapping both arms around Erza's waist and rubbing her face hard against her with pure affection.
Leaning against the doorframe, Shane watched the excellent "yuri development" unfolding before him with great interest and couldn't help marveling inwardly.
Erza's popularity with women was honestly ridiculous.
First there was the silver-haired rival who was always conscious of her and constantly looking for a fight. Then there was the bad woman with the horrible personality who, for some reason, treated Erza differently from everyone else. And now there was this number-one little fangirl who admired and respected Erza almost like a religion.
If the genders were different, this was basically the full light-novel male-lead treatment.
"Shane…"
Seemingly noticing his stare from the doorway, Erza—still tightly trapped in Kagura's hug—managed to raise her head with some difficulty.
On her usually sharp, knightly face was now a look almost like a plea for help.
"This child… why is she so clingy?"
Under the influence of the chaotic master-disciple disaster pair that were Shane and Mira, Erza's understanding of teacher-student relationships had apparently gone in a very strange direction.
In her mind, wasn't that sort of bond supposed to be filled with bickering, mutual provocation, and constant thoughts of how to pick on each other?
And yet after all this time apart, Kagura hadn't become rebellious at all. If anything, she'd become even clingier.
"Because she likes you, idiot."
Shane rolled his eyes.
His thoughts couldn't help drifting to Mira, that "wayward disciple" who bared her teeth at him every chance she got. Compared to the obedient, soft little Kagura before him, he suddenly felt bone-deep exhausted.
Some people really were enough to make you die of envy.
Shaking off the stray thoughts, Shane looked around the entryway, only to find that the other faces he had expected weren't there.
"Where are Simon and Jellal? They didn't come with Kagura?"
Before he even finished asking, the half-closed door was pushed open gently.
"I brought Kagura here on my own."
With that steady voice, a tall figure in a traveling cloak stepped across the threshold.
Jellal pulled back his hood, revealing his unmistakable short blue hair.
"As for Simon and the others, I had them remain at the Tower of Paradise."
That only made Erza more confused.
Still stroking Kagura's soft hair, she asked, "But New Year's is just around the corner. Wouldn't it be better if everyone came to Magnolia to celebrate together?"
Jellal shook his head and, instead of answering directly, dropped a much heavier topic.
"Brain contacted me not long ago. He asked me to go meet him in that forest you mentioned before, Shane—the one hiding 'Nirvana.'"
"Really?"
Erza's hand stopped mid-stroke.
The helplessness in her eyes vanished at once, replaced by a sharp, cutting edge.
"Mm." Jellal nodded. "I'm worried it's a trap Brain set, so just in case, Simon and the others volunteered to stay behind and keep an eye on everyone still at the Tower."
"But if they stay there, won't that put them in danger too?" Erza's brows drew together slightly.
"They'll be fine. Because I've already decided—I'm going."
He said it calmly, then shifted his gaze toward Shane, who had stayed quiet and seemed to be thinking.
"Shane, what do you think?"
Feeling the weight of that gaze, Shane raised his head, his eyes perfectly clear.
"It's been too long. With Brain's personality, there's no way that old fox hasn't already noticed that his 'good disciple' has turned on him."
"The fact that he's exposing his own location and asking you to come see him? That absolutely reeks of a trap."
"Yeah. I thought the same thing. That's why I made preparations for the worst-case scenario and brought Kagura here first to make sure she'd be safe."
Jellal gave a composed little smile.
"And while I was here… I thought I'd ask the most reliable people I know for help."
He looked at Shane and Erza in turn.
"So, what do you say? Are you willing to accept a dangerous request like this?"
Shane walked over and punched him lightly in the shoulder.
"Quit saying stuff that sounds so distant. We want to bury Brain in the dirt even more than you do."
"No matter what, now that he's finally shown his tail, we have to go." Erza nodded hard, her tone completely decisive. "This time, we absolutely can't let him get away."
Seeing the two of them agree without hesitation, the shadow lingering between Jellal's brows finally eased, and a look of relief appeared on his face.
With Shane—whose strength now rivaled that of the Ten Wizard Saints—Erza, whose combat ability was overwhelming, and Jellal himself…
with a lineup like that, no matter what kind of trap Brain had prepared, he had the confidence to walk straight into it.
"You can count me in too."
At that moment, a lazy but icy female voice drifted in from outside.
Everyone turned.
Ultear appeared in the doorway at an unhurried pace.
Today she was wearing a fitted pencil-skirt outfit, and the over-the-knee stockings on her long legs created just enough pressure at her thighs to leave a soft, tantalizing fullness.
That perfectly measured strip of exposed skin between skirt and stocking was so pale and smooth in the light it was almost dazzling.
She had originally just come by, following her recent habit of exchanging curse-related information with Shane.
But before entering, she had happened to overhear this rather interesting "hunting plan."
Still, when her gaze finally drifted toward Shane, she realized his attention wasn't on her at all.
Remembering how he had been looking right through her the past few days, Ultear clicked her tongue almost imperceptibly and quietly smothered the strange irritation that rose inside her.
"I have an old debt to settle with Brain too."
She stepped into the room on those long legs, her tone icy.
Jellal lifted a brow at the uninvited Ultear.
Given the grudge between them from the Tower of Paradise days, they were hardly on friendly terms—but he knew perfectly well how capable and dangerous she was.
At a moment like this, more powerful help meant more insurance.
Jellal gave a slight nod, silently accepting her participation.
"Then it's settled. We leave in three days."
"Don't underestimate this." Shane cut in at the right moment.
"If he's daring enough to expose himself like this, then he's definitely fully prepared. And besides, he recently formed a guild. That was the group stirring up trouble in all those cities not long ago."
Hearing that warning, the people in the room exchanged glances, their expressions growing serious as they nodded.
At the side, however, Erza lowered her head a little, looking at Kagura beside her with some concern.
Discussing the danger Kagura's older brother might face, right in front of her, without the slightest attempt to hide it—wouldn't that frighten the girl?
But Kagura simply looked up and met Erza's eyes.
There was no fear in that little, delicate face.
Instead, it was full of a seriousness and certainty far beyond her age.
"I already know all that. But… as long as Master is there, no one will get hurt, right? Master is the strongest!"
"Don't worry." Jellal's expression softened. "This child is stronger than you think."
"And please don't mistake her for someone who needs protecting. In terms of swordsmanship alone… she might already be the strongest person left in our Tower."
At the praise, Kagura lifted her chest slightly like a proud little swan.
"Obviously." Shane instantly ruined the moment. "Other than Kagura, nobody in your Tower even properly trains with a sword in the first place."
Pfft!
The serious atmosphere shattered on the spot, and Erza couldn't help laughing.
"..."
Kagura, who had just been delighted to receive praise in front of Erza, froze stiff.
She turned and glared at Shane angrily.
She really had always hated this guy!
He always said irritating things, and he was always stealing her master's attention.
Unfortunately, the face that still hadn't quite lost its baby fat could only do so much. Even with all her effort, the "fierce" expression she made looked more like a puffed-up pufferfish than anything actually threatening.
Seeing that the glare had no effect at all, Kagura bit down on her lip in frustration and silently hugged Erza's arm even tighter.
~~~
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