Demon Ruins Island.
Slowly rotating magic arrays dispelled the darkness along the coastline.
Three magical vessels docked at the shore, the flags of the Magic Council and the Guild Alliance swaying in the sea breeze.
After receiving the report, the Magic Council immediately classified the awakening of the Eighteen Demon Gods as a major incident, organizing and dispatching a subjugation force.
Due to delays in personnel deployment, they had only just arrived.
"What in the world..."
Looking at the island, covered everywhere with traces of fierce battle, and the shattered remains of the Demon God, the subjugation force stood frozen in place.
Having already prepared themselves for a brutal fight—even sacrifice—they could hardly believe the scene before them. Their hearts were filled with both shock and relief.
Shock that, according to the evacuated tourists' descriptions, the Fairy Tail mage Chase who fought the Demon God had actually managed to annihilate this ancient War God;
Relief that they themselves were spared from a perilous battle, unlike the fearful anticipation they'd felt on the way here!
"Everyone, listen up! Maintain alert and process the battlefield quickly. Inspect the Demon God's corpse and check if there are any survivors on the island!"
The subjugation force captain suppressed his inner shock. After briefly analyzing the situation, he issued orders to the group.
Only after the troops had begun their work in an orderly fashion did the captain call over his accompanying adjutant.
"You mentioned earlier that among the evacuated island tourists, someone awakened magic suspected to be the Demon War Gods and nearly caused a disturbance. What exactly happened?" he asked.
"It was a little girl. The specific reason for her awakening is still unknown. It seems she was gifted in this area—she comprehended the magic just by witnessing the Demon God's spells."
"Is her background clean? Could it be some special means left behind by the Demon God?"
"That should be impossible."
The adjutant's expression was grim as he truthfully reported the investigation results. "That child is the daughter of the newly established guild Sabertooth's master. I believe her name is..."
"Minerva Orland?"
Meanwhile, Chase and Mira arrived in Hargeon smoothly.
Walking through the half-constructed port area, the two reached the town's central district.
It was already late at night, and the trains back to Magnolia had long since stopped running. Coupled with their exhaustion after the fierce battle...
Chase and Mira decided to find an inn to stay for the night and report to the Master about the Eighteen Demon Gods tomorrow.
——The incident was so major that the Magic Council would certainly conduct a thorough investigation.
Whether news of the Eighteen Demon Gods' resurrection had already spread through town, or whether Hargeon's nights were simply like this...
The city streets felt unusually deserted. Even some taverns that relied on nighttime business had closed their doors early.
After wandering around, they finally found an inn with its sign still lit.
The innkeeper was a middle-aged uncle with a slightly wretched appearance.
As soon as Chase and Mira walked in, the uncle's apologetic voice reached them first.
"Sorry, you two. The inn is fully booked. I was just about to take down the sign."
Hearing this, Mira frowned slightly. "If I remember correctly, inns in Hargeon rarely have full occupancy, right?"
"Ah, haven't you two heard yet?"
The middle-aged uncle sighed softly. "Something big happened on the nearby ruins island. A large number of evacuated tourists have flooded into Hargeon. All the inns are pretty much the same."
So that was the reason...
Mira suddenly understood.
"It's such a big inn. Can't you try to squeeze us in somehow?" Chase said.
He just wanted to take a comfortable shower and sleep—he really couldn't be bothered to keep walking.
As he spoke, he pulled a wad of bills from his pocket, placed them on the counter, and slid them toward the owner.
Seeing the amount, several times the ordinary room rate, the middle-aged uncle's eyes immediately lit up.
"Seeing as you two have nowhere to go so late... Alright, I'll free up a room reserved by a distinguished guest earlier and let you stay there first."
His words barely suggested reluctance, but his hands moved swiftly, discreetly slipping the cash into the counter.
And so, under the owner's guidance, Chase and Mira successfully checked into the inn.
The room wasn't particularly spacious, but it had all the amenities—a private bathroom, a TV cabinet, and even a balcony facing the sea.
After all, they were intimate partners, and given their personalities, Mira didn't particularly share mind a room with Chase. She simply tidied up a bit and then headed for the bathroom.
Loving cleanliness was natural for all girls.
Chase stood by the balcony, actively blocking out the bathroom water sounds that might easily lead to Reverie. With a flip of his hand, a brand new card immediately floated in the air.
[Brain Control]: Magic Card. Allows secret manipulation and alteration of the target's consciousness. The lower the target's magical power and the weaker their spirit, the higher the success rate of brainwashing.
This was the new card he'd popped from Sky Drum.
"A mind-control ability. Hmm, not a bad card."
Chase returned the card to his deck with satisfaction.
With Brain Control, dealing with incidents like the "Eighteen Demon Gods" that didn't appear in the original work would be much simpler in the future.
For example, directly brainwashing some pirate lackey or the dark guild master Cluny.
Moreover, gaining two new cards in a single day had also raised his magical power ceiling by a notch.
Completely unexpected surprises!
Soon, the sound of water from the bathroom stopped, and the door was gently pushed open.
Mira emerged, wrapped in a towel.
Her fair, delicate skin was dotted with beads of water. Her long white hair hung loosely, cascading over her fragrant shoulders and resting on her chest, stretching into exaggerated arcs.
That signature upright strand of ahoge had now turned into a soft front fringe covering her forehead, adding an unusual style to the freshly bathed Mira.
Chase was momentarily stunned.
It wasn't that he was captivated by her beauty—after all, just last night, Lucy had appeared in the same attire at his house.
He had never seen Mira like this before.
Yeah, that's right!
"Chase, your turn."
Mira smiled gently, acting extremely calm.
Only when Chase snapped out of it, nodded, and walked into the bathroom did the forcibly maintained composure on the girl's face instantly vanish. Blushing, she sat by the bed, her heart was beating wildly.
In the end...
Chase naturally gave up the only bed to Mira, finding a corner to sleep on the floor.
For someone performing year-round commissions in wilderness and deep forests, this was actually pretty decent conditions!
After exchanging goodnights, the room's lights went out.
In the darkness, Mira lay on the soft bed. Deep in her mind, scenes from today flashed.
From the photoshoot to the Demon God's emergence, from Chase's heavenly descent to save her to her using Take Over magic, from the reversal of the situation to taking in Summoned Demon and fighting alongside Chase...
Although only a few hours had passed, the experiences felt longer than a week.
And more importantly, she truly seemed to have stepped out of the shadows of the past, no longer afraid to think of Lisanna.
Yet similar words had been spoken before by the Master and others in the guild.
So, it really was because of Chase...
Thinking that Chase was still sleeping on the cold floor, Mira poked her head out from under the covers. Taking a deep breath, she mustered her courage and whispered:
"Chase, maybe you... should come up?"
The faint, melodious voice echoed in the pitch-black room. Then, dead silence.
And then... nothing.
Chase was genuinely too tired. He'd fallen asleep the moment his head hit the floor and didn't hear Mira's words at all.
"What an idiot..."
Mira sighed helplessly. She could only quietly get up, fetch a blanket, and cover Chase with it.
***
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