Jellal: "..."
Erza: "..."
"My bad, my bad. I'm just naturally curious. Hope I'm not interrupting?"
Chase's eyes stared directly at Jellal.
The distance between their gazes was less than a finger's width.
"You've thoroughly interrupted, damn it!"
With Lucy absent, the toad-man envoy stepped in as the spit character.
"Heh, Chase. I'll remember you."
Jellal snorted coldly, waved his hand, and turned to leave.
"Keep that matter confidential, Erza. It's beneficial for both of us."
His warning and threat echoed as he departed.
Erza's expression dimmed as she lowered her head, complex emotions flickering deep in her eyes.
Soon, they were led into the courtroom.
Seated in a row on the high platform were the nine council members. Ultear, in plain white clothes, was among them.
Occupying the highest central seat was the current Magic Council Chairman—Crawford Seam.
The same foolish bearded man who had transferred the "Face" key to himself using the Ancient Grimoire, only to have his heart ripped out by Tartaros on the spot.
As Jellal had said, they were all ordinary Thought Projections.
Chase and Erza stood side by side before the defendant's stand, their gazes sweeping over the high councilors.
Aside from a few marginal figures he had no real impression of, he basically recognized them all.
Crawford helplessly glanced at Chase, who was looking around as if sightseeing, and sighed.
Assaulting a Magic Council envoy could be treated as a major or minor offense.
For an ordinary guild, they could lock him up for ten days to half a month. But Chase was the hero of the ruins island incident, who had just earned widespread praise from the Council—and a troublesome member of Fairy Tail to boot.
He really didn't want to expend brainpower on this. He just wanted to quickly finish Erza's proceedings and send these two back where they came from.
So, he raised his gavel and tapped the podium.
Tap. Tap.
The crisp sound echoed through the empty quiet hall.
"The defendant, Erza Scarlet. Regarding the recent Cursed Song Incident caused by Eisenwald."
"Destroying part of Osibana Station, damaging the railway at Rushika Canyon, and completely demolishing the meeting mansion in Crocus."
"You are suspected of the above charges. According to witness descriptions, the perpetrator was an armor-clad red-haired woman..."
BOOM!!
Just as Crawford was about to announce the verdict, an explosion suddenly sounded at the hall's tightly shut main doors.
"That's right! I'm that armor-clad red-haired woman—Erza Scarlet!!"
A strange figure clad in a mishmash of scrap metal charged in, shouting nonstop.
From the blazing flames in his mouth and his wild tone, the Council members instantly recognized him.
"Natsu?!" Erza looked bewildered.
"Hahaha! Finally showed up, huh? Natsu—I mean, Erza." Chase, having anticipated this, laughed heartily.
"...Your words somehow feel offensive."
Erza pointed at Natsu and sighed heavily.
What part of that mess looks like me?!
In the end, unsurprisingly.
Thanks to Natsu's intrusion, Chase and Erza, who could have gone home today, were instead Xiti Deluxe Suite at the Magic Council for the night.
Inside the prison.
"I'm so done with you!"
Erza sat on the ground, holding her forehead in despair.
After a laborious explanation, Natsu finally understood and scratched his hair in frustration.
"Hahaha! Nice one, Natsu! I'd probably do the same." Chase laughed and gave a thumbs up.
"Should I really praise you two for being birds of a feather?" Erza said, her exasperation deepening.
Honestly, she still couldn't figure out whether Chase had come specifically to accompany her out of kindness, or simply wanted to watch the fun!
"Putting aside the facts, don't you think risking everything for a companion is pretty cool, Erza?" Chase asked.
Hearing this, Erza looked up at cute Natsu. The corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted, revealing a relaxed and relieved smile.
"Yeah... it is."
"Anyway, Chase, Natsu... thank you for today."
With that, she reached out and gently embraced the two before her.
DING! DONG!
Two crisp sounds—the painful wails of foreheads colliding with steel armor.
"So hard!!" x2
After the commotion, Natsu peacefully lay down and fell asleep.
Snoring soon followed. The guy had the constitution to sleep soundly anywhere, without a care.
"What a cute kid."
Erza crouched beside Natsu, occasionally poking his cheek with her finger, then using both hands to stretch his face into the likeness of that toad-man envoy.
The famously formidable Fairy Queen played tirelessly. It seemed she'd enjoyed bullying Natsu since they were very young.
Chase quietly watched from the side.
When Erza had finally had her fun, he slowly spoke.
"You're still bothered by it, aren't you?"
Chase's expression turned slightly serious. "Erza, when you saw Jellal earlier, I could clearly sense panic from you—even fear."
"That matter he mentioned... what is it?"
When they were first locked up, Chase had carefully observed their surroundings.
This was the lowest security prison in the Magic Council—almost unguarded, with no monitoring magic crystal balls.
The moment she heard this, Erza's pupils contracted. Her expression drastically changed. Her arms, hugging her knees, unconsciously tightened.
"Please, Chase... don't ask."
Her crimson hair fell, covering her face, hiding her expression.
Her voice was very weak, carrying a slight tremor. She was completely devoid of the Fairy Queen's usual demeanor.
The Tower of Paradise was the pain of Erza's life. Even though she had escaped that nightmare place and gained "freedom"...
She still bore the weight of her former companions' lives, and everyone in that tower.
Chase shifted his gaze from Erza, who was slightly huddled in the corner, and looked up at the narrow window high on the prison wall.
The bright moonlight streamed in, casting a gentle but not deserted glow over the entire cell.
"Carrying all that pain alone must be incredibly hard, right? If you don't speak of it, you'll never be able to receive anyone's help."
Chase looked back at Erza and spoke calmly, "Erza... will you trust me?"
Staring blankly at the smiling man bathed in moonlight, Erza's body trembled. She could no longer conceal the vulnerability within, nor the depression of so many years. A single tear slid down her cheek, falling onto her cold, hard armor.
That night, she opened up to Chase. For the first time, she bared her soul and told someone about the painful, painful past of the Tower of Paradise.
***
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