Night had fallen, and the sky was filled with countless stars.
The bright moonlight spilled across the sea surface, ripping into countless light waves.
The tides washed over the beach, bringing a sense of tranquility and comfort after the great battle.
The once bustling and lively tourist island was now scarred and battered. The ruins at its center were completely shattered, replaced by a deep crater covered in profound fissures.
Inside the deep crater lay the Eighteen Demon Gods Sky Drum, its life force completely severed.
Chase and Mira had certainly won the final victory!
Faint electric arcs leaped. The white demon armor on Mira gradually dissipated with the sea breeze, reverting to her original form.
At this moment, her gaze was gloomy and her expression solemn—completely devoid of the joy that should have accompanied defeating Sky Drum.
Her fair feet, bearing light scrapes, trod across the sand, step by step approaching Chase.
Chase sensed the girl's unusual demeanor. Just as he was about to speak, Mira reached out first, pressing her hand against his shoulder and gently pushing.
After successive fierce battles, his body had reached its limit. Even simply standing was extremely difficult.
So, without any ability to resist, he was pushed down on the spot.
His vision spun, the world turning upside down, eventually freeze on the brilliant starry sky.
But soon, strands of soft white hair cascaded down, and the starry scene was quickly obscured by Mira's fair, flawless face.
Mira sat directly on Chase, her hands planted on either side of his head.
Her body was trembling slightly.
"What's wrong, Mira?" Chase asked, somewhat nervously.
Her white hair covered Mira's face, making it impossible to see her expression beneath.
"Chase, tell me honestly—could you use card magic from the very beginning?" Mira demanded.
Hearing this, Chase was momentarily stunned, then nodded in acknowledgment.
"I thought that this way, Mira, you could face the power you possess and use it to protect your companions."
"Maybe you genuinely love your current job, but that's no reason to seal yourself away for so many years. I've always believed that..."
Before he could finish, Mira suddenly roared, interrupting him.
"No, no, no! Demon this, power that—none of that matters!!"
Plip.
Cold droplets fell onto Chase's face, splashing into crystalline drops of water.
Chase finally sees the beautiful face so close to him—now already brimming with tears.
"Please, Chase... From now on, don't do such dangerous things anymore..."
Mira sobbed, speaking in a voice almost pleading, her tone low.
She didn't blame Chase for deceiving her, nor did she care that he had pushed her to unlock her demon power.
She was simply worried—simply terrified in hindsight.
If she hadn't made it in time back then, what would have become of Chase, crushed in that palm?!
The tears falling onto his face left Chase stunned on the spot.
Only now did he belatedly realize a fatal mistake.
As a time traveler who knew the storyline, he had firmly believed that at such a critical moment, Mira would surely succeed in taking in Satan Soul and save him.
Even in the worst-case scenario, if some unexpected situation arose, he had Monster Reborn as a safety net, ensuring no accidents would happen.
Thus, he could be fearless.
But for Mira...
Whether she could mobilize her magic, whether the Take Over would fail, the life or death of her companion—all of it was shrouded in uncertainty.
Hopeless uncertainty!
He had overlooked the pressure and fear she had to endure...
"Sorry, Mira. I was too reckless. I made you worry."
Finally hearing the answer she wanted, Mira could no longer contain her panicked, fearful emotions. She collapsed onto Chase's chest and wept loudly.
After the release...
Chase summoned Guardian of the Fortress, taking Mira away from the shattered island and heading to the nearest port city, Hargeon.
Mira remained silent the entire time, gazing up at the brilliant starry sky dotted with countless stars.
Until the light of a lighthouse appeared at the edge of the coastline, she finally spoke quietly, her thoughts were complicated:
"Chase, do you think that brightest star... could it be Lisanna?"
Re-taking in Satan Soul had inevitably made her think of her deceased younger sister, Lisanna. Tears glistened in her eyes.
"No."
By the time Chase had traveled over, Lisanna's death had already occurred.
So he had never truly met Mira and Elfman's younger sister.
Although this was purely his own beautiful fantasy, Mira hadn't expected Chase to answer so directly.
After a moment of stunned silence, she lowered her head in dismay, burying it deep in her chest.
"Stars are used to describe the dead, you know? Maybe Lisanna is still alive in some world?"
Chase rested his head on his hands, simply lying flat on Guardian of the Fortress's back.
Glancing at Mira, whose pupils had widened, he changed his tone, "I heard from the Master that Lisanna finally turned into light and disappeared in your arms, right?"
"That doesn't seem like the proper way for a human to die..."
Mira had naturally considered this question and had once spent countless energy searching with Elfman.
But even after turning the forest where Lisanna's accident occurred upside down, they still found no trace of Lisanna.
Not even a cold corpse!
"Chase, what do you mean!?"
Mira's emotions became somewhat agitated. She shifted closer and gripped Chase's arm.
"This is just my speculation, really."
Chase had no intention of revealing the parallel world of Edolas to Mira.
Not that he didn't trust Mira—aside from such a fantastical matter being very troublesome to explain...
More importantly, once they learned of Lisanna's existence, Mira and Elfman would surely risk everything to go to Edolas. That would be far too dangerous.
Perhaps he could find an opportunity to ask Mystogan about the traces of Anima, the celestial phenomenon that allowed to travel to Edolas?
But that wasn't something to do now.
"However, Mira, assuming Lisanna really is alive, she definitely wouldn't want to see you and Elfman live in guilt forever."
Chase looked up at the starry sky above and spoke calmly, "So, it's time to free yourselves from the pain. Let your stagnant time begin to move."
"Just like today, when you used Satan Soul to save me."
Mira lowered her head and remained silent for a long while.
After a long time, understanding the meaning behind Chase's words, she raised her hand to wipe away the tears glistening at the corners of her eyes and complained, "Chase, you really do like doing unnecessary things, don't you?"
"But... thank you."
The smile on the girl's lips was as gentle as ever, only now, compared to before, it vaguely carried a bit more vitality.
"We're buddies. Saying things like that makes it sound a bit formal, y'know?"
Chase suddenly sat up, gazing intently at Mira with a serious expression. "Speaking of which, Mira, you can use Take Over magic anytime now, right?"
"I-I should be able to?"
Looking at those passionate eyes, Mira vaguely guessed what was coming.
"Then when we get back to the guild, let's have a fight!"
Chase clenched his fists excitedly. "You're the only S-class in the whole guild I haven't sparsed with yet!"
Demon Mirajane's combat prowess went without saying. If he could reveal a card, it would be a guaranteed profit!
Although she had anticipated it, hearing these words come out of Chase's mouth still made Mira's mouth twitch uncontrollably.
She punched him right on the forehead.
"Baka Chase!"
***
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