After painstaking explanations, the misunderstanding was finally resolved.
Dark Magician Girl and Virgo immediately hit it off, sitting in a corner whispering, occasionally glancing at Chase and Lucy.
As fellow summoned beings, they seemed born to get along.
"Oh, Chase! Now that Lucy's back, we can check this out, right?"
Natsu casually picked up a stack of papers covered in writing from the bookshelf in the living room.
"My novel!!"
Lucy sprayed the tea she'd been drinking everywhere. Her little universe instantly exploded as she leaped and stomped Natsu to the ground with her foot.
CRACK.
The sound of the floor breaking followed.
"Seriously! Can you stop trying to get your hands on that?!"
Lucy clutched the retrieved manuscript protectively to her chest, transforming into a fierce demon with sharp teeth and claws.
"Yes! I'm so sorry..." Natsu's white soul floated in the air, having left his body.
"Lucy, I heard about it. You're writing a novel, right?"
Chase calmly pulled out a tissue and wiped the tea from his face. "Don't worry, with me here, I definitely won't let Natsu peek."
"After all, I'm also a creator with my own dreams. I completely understand that unspeakable embarrassment when something you've secretly created is discovered."
Hearing this, Lucy instantly felt she'd found a kindred spirit. Tears streamed down her face.
"Waaah! Chase, please come by often when you have time—especially when this guy Natsu is around!"
After glaring viciously at Natsu, she suddenly realized something and exclaimed excitedly, "Wait, Chase! You mentioned creation earlier—are you also a writer?!"
As she spoke, she tried to imagine Chase quietly sitting at a desk, earnestly writing with a quill.
Then she gave up immediately: She couldn't picture it at all!!
"Not exactly. Writing novels and such... that's not something humans can do." Chase said seriously.
"Ah, aha, right, right."
Lucy responded with an embarrassed smile. "Then what did you mean by creation, Chase?"
"There's a magic music town on the Guiltina continent."
Dark Magician Girl raised a finger and answered for Chase. "So during this year of doing a Ten-Year Quest, Master tried his hand at writing songs."
"Huh? Writing songs? Music??"
This time, not only Lucy, but even Natsu and Happy—who knew Chase well—were stunned.
The two looked at each other, then covered their mouths with their hands, unable to suppress a snort of laughter.
In some ways, imagining Chase playing the piano was even harder than picturing him writing a novel!
"That's right!"
Chase cleared his throat, stood up from the sofa, anticipation shining in his eyes. "Fighting enemies against a passionate musical backdrop—no matter how you look at it, that's an invincible combination!"
Hearing this, Natsu and Happy blinked, immediately picturing Chase, like a monster, hoisting a speaker and smashing enemies into meat paste with it.
Yeah, that made way more sense!
"Since when does that make sense?! That imagery is way too bloody!"
Lucy tore their imagined scene in half. "Even mages who specialize in music magic couldn't fight while carrying a speaker!"
"That's not right, Lucy. As a novelist, you should have a more vivid imagination." Chase shot her a puzzled look.
"Oh, Chase, even though I'm creating, I'm not really an official novelist yet."
Lucy suddenly became shy, feeling a bit floating.
"Lucy's so weird. Chase was saying you don't have a vivid imagination." Happy quietly commented.
"Shut up, you damn cat!!"
"Although this is a reserved piece for the Harvest Festival, and we still don't have enough performers yet... however..."
"Since the mood is right, I'll grant you a special preview of my work."
Under Natsu, Lucy, and Happy's incredulous gazes, Chase raised his hand and pulled out a blank ordinary card.
A magic array flashed, and a specially made Magic Guitar materialized in his hand, while beside him appeared a Magic Piano.
"Master, let me accompany you!"
Dark Magician Girl raised her hand high and hopped over to sit at the Magic Piano.
Immersed in the path of magic, she wasn't particularly skilled in music—in fact, her foundation in this area was infinitely close to zero.
The reason she'd learned to play was simply because she was interested in the magical instruments themselves, which could be used by input magic. After some research, she'd picked up a few fur.
Actually, Chase's situation was pretty much the same. His sheet music was all professionals from the music city on the Guiltina continent helping him out.
"No way! That Chase actually knows how to play an instrument?"
Watching Chase expertly sling the Magic Guitar over his shoulder, Lucy couldn't help but marvel.
"This is bad, Happy! Cover your ears—that's definitely going to be soul-snatching music!"
In contrast, Natsu and Happy, who knew Chase better, covered their ears in terror.
In their eyes, Chase preparing to perform so seriously was far too unfamiliar.
Too unfamiliar to believe!
"Hey, do you really have to be this dramatic.
.."
Lucy shot them a disdainful look. "No matter what, that's just so rude!"
That said, she was actually a bit nervous too, unconsciously stepping back two paces.
The corners of Chase's mouth lifted slightly. He didn't scold Natsu and Happy, instead showing great confidence.
The reason was simple: what he was about to play was the most soul-stirring, most passionate theme music from Fairy Tail!
"Listen well, Natsu. Try not to get fired up."
After nodding to Dark Magician Girl, who was ready, Chase adjusted his Magic Guitar and entered performance mode.
Dun dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun dun.
The moment the light, melodious prelude sounded, as if awakening some genes deeply buried in their bloodline, Natsu and Happy froze on the spot. Their hands covering their ears involuntarily dropped.
"Wait, this music..."
Lucy's eyes widened in disbelief as well.
As a wealthy young lady, she had naturally heard countless rock songs, but she had never experienced anything like this: the blood in her veins was rapidly boiling, following the ups and downs of melody!
This was a wonderful state that is hard to describe in words!
Could Chase's composition actually boost morale when used in battle?!
Immersed in the music, Lucy was secretly amazed.
"Princess, you're on fire."
Virgo's utterly calm reminder interrupted her thoughts.
"I really do feel excited!"
"I meant your skirt."
"Huh? HUH?!!"
Lucy startled, looking down at her skirt. It really was on fire!
Was Chase also a mage who could use music for magical attacks?
No! That wasn't it!
Lucy followed the trail of fire back to its source and was scared out of her wits.
There stood Natsu, fists clenched in excitement, his entire body bathed in roaring flames!
"No, stop! Chase, stop! Natsu really fired up!"
"Lucy, Master has this setting that once he starts playing, he can't be interrupted."
"Is that kind of setting really appropriate for someone who 'feels embarrassed when discovered'?!"
"Hahaha! I'm fired up!"
"My house! My house! AAAAAH!"
"Aye!"
"Aye my ass!"
In an instant, chaos erupted.