When Gajeel returned to the guild, he was already covered in wounds. His clothes were torn and ragged. He walked unsteadily, as if he might collapse at any moment.
The members drinking and chatting noticed Gajeel's condition, but no one came forward to ask.
Although they had accepted Gajeel joining, they hadn't yet completely regarded this dangerous individual as a comrade. They still kept some caution.
Except for Juvia, who had also been a member of Phantom Lord.
Her sudden emergence from under the table startedled Lucy.
"What happened? Gajeel, how did you get so injured just from going out?" Juvia's face was full of worry as she blocked Gajeel's path.
She clearly remembered that during the guild's daily brawling earlier, Mr. Chase hadn't hit him that hard!
"Nothing... happened."
Gajeel reluctantly opened his eyelids. He took heavy steps to bypass Juvia. His hoarse voice came out, "I... have to go to work."
Under everyone's gaze, he walked to the guild's request board, pushed aside the NPC Nab blocking his view, glanced briefly, tore off a job, and went to Mira at the counter to register.
"This... I'll take this one."
Mira looked at the job in his hand, frowned, and said seriously, "You're not in any condition to take a job right now. You should get treatment first."
"It's just minor injuries." Gajeel's voice was weak, completely devoid of the arrogance and wildness he had shown when passionately singing half an hour ago.
"No! Since the master approved your joining, you are a member of this guild. I can't register this." Mira shook her head.
After all, she had been the one to stamp the Fairy Tail emblem on his arm. Being kind-hearted, she was worried something might go wrong.
Even though the job Gajeel had taken was a safe, ordinary one — giving magic course explanations — more suited for someone like Lucy.
Hearing this, Gajeel couldn't be bothered to argue. He put the job sheet away and turned toward the guild entrance.
With his personality, he naturally wasn't going to obediently listen to Mira. Informing her was enough.
Mira quickly walked out from behind the counter. Just as she was about to stop him, Chase's voice interrupted.
"Let him go if he won't listen, Mira."
Others didn't know the reason, but Chase — who had watched Gajeel leave with Shadow Gear — knew that it was most likely an enraged Laxus who had struck.
This was corroborated by the lightning burns on Gajeel's body.
Gajeel cast a grateful look at Chase and left the guild despite Juvia's protests.
Although she completely trusted Chase's judgment, watching that lonely, retreating figure, Mira's worry didn't diminish.
Natsu, Lucy, and the others were also confused. They couldn't understand how the iron dragon, who had been so lively just moments ago, could have ended up in such a pitiful state in the blink of an eye.
"Um... it's our fault..."
A weak voice sounded. Levy, Jet, and Droy came before everyone.
"Since we're going to be guildmates from now on, Jet and I approached him to settle our grudge — for the sneak attack and the guild destruction."
Jet's eyes flickered, his expression very solemn. "At first, we just wanted to fight it out, win or lose. But in the middle..."
"Laxus suddenly appeared. He accused the master of accepting anyone, saying it made him lose face in front of outsiders. Then he attacked Gajeel."
After briefly hearing the whole story, everyone immediately understood.
"That guy's really unlucky, running into Laxus." Natsu, who had been beaten countless times, was quite qualified to speak.
"Even though Gajeel is only slightly weaker than me, isn't Laxus going too far?" Gray added.
"No..."
Droy recalled the scene just now. His expression was complex. "He seemed to really want to become our comrade. He didn't fight back at all."
"Levy only said a few words trying to mediate, and Laxus mercilessly hit her with lightning magic."
Jet clenched his fist, gritting his teeth. "Gajeel's injuries... he drew the lightning away with his own body."
Even though he was incredibly frustrated, without Gajeel — having never expected Laxus to be so crazy — he wouldn't have been able to protect Levy!
And he was supposed to be a speed-type wizard!
Hearing this, everyone's still-calm expressions changed instantly.
"To go this far... Laxus is becoming more and more excessive!" The good-natured Mira couldn't help but angrily rebuke.
It was understandable if he only targeted Gajeel. Even she still maintained basic alert toward this former enemy.
But Levy — she was "family" they had grown up with!
"I'll go find him."
Erza's eyes were terrifyingly dark. She silently put down her strawberry cake and stood up.
Mira glanced at Chase, who hadn't moved, and said firmly, "I'll go with you!"
On one hand, she felt that Laxus, whose personality had clearly become twisted, really needed a good "education." On the other hand, she wasn't comfortable letting Erza face such a dangerous person who would easily attack comrades alone.
Regardless of everything else, as the master's own grandson,
Laxus was simply too powerful!
"We're going too!" Natsu and Gray, aggrieved, followed close behind.
"W-Wait! Shouldn't we report this to the master first?!"
The suddenly tense atmosphere made Lucy panic. She didn't know Laxus's personality as well as they did, nor did she know that Makarov had already tried to persuade him countless times.
Levy's team and the other guild members were also overwhelmed, frozen in place. They hadn't expected things to escalate this far.
Mira and Erza at the front seemed not to hear Lucy's words. They kept their heads down and continued walking.
Just as the four were about to walk out the guild entrance, Lucy was frantic, not knowing whether to follow or not.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Chase and Dark Magician Girl sitting motionless across from her.
At a time like this, why was Chase — who should be the most impulsive — being so abnormal?
Just as this question arose in her mind, Chase picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "That guy clearly isn't coming to the guild. You won't find him if you go now."
Hearing this, Mira and Erza stopped in their tracks.
Natsu, following behind, turned back angrily. "Even if I have to use my nose, I'll sniff that bastard out!"
"And then? Can you beat Laxus?" Chase said.
Natsu's head drooped dimly.
Even though he was usually the loudest, he had no doubt about Laxus's strength.
"But Mira and Erza are here!" Gray sounded confident.
They weren't just one or two people!
"So if Laxus really won't listen to reason, Mira, Erza — what do you plan to do?"
Chase slowly set down his teacup. Dark gold magic power bloomed from within him, and he asked the soul-searching question.
Setting aside whether the two of them together could restrain a rampage Laxus — even if they could, given how much they cherished their comrades, they probably wouldn't be able to go all out.
They would probably just destroy the surrounding area and then start reasoning with him.
The result was obvious. Doing so would only make Laxus, in his rebellious phase, even more crazy. It would be completely useless!
After hearing Chase's words, Mira and Erza's eyes both dimmed. They didn't know how to answer.
The guild fell into silence.
"Stop here. This is the last time."
Chase withdrew his oppressive magic power and said, suppressing his anger, "If Laxus remains stubbornly persistent in this error, I will — on the master's behalf — expel him from the guild!"
The Fairy Tail civil war was the turning point where Laxus completely recognized his own heart.
If he didn't know that this rebellious, stubborn-mouthed guy would become so reliable later, he would have gone the moment he heard Levy was attacked. Erza and the others wouldn't have had a chance.
"Chase..."
Mira tightened the hem of her wine-red dress.
The reason she had been so impulsive, not listening to Lucy about reporting to the master, was that she was worried Chase would go after Laxus first.
Given their personalities, if they really fought, it wouldn't be a minor scuffle like Natsu challenging Laxus. They wouldn't stop until the other was completely unable to fight. It might even result in death!
Angry as she was, Mira didn't want — or rather, was very afraid of — guild comrades fighting to the death happening!
Hearing the words "expulsion from the guild," Erza and the others were also stunned. Especially Natsu. He never imagined such severe words would come from Chase's mouth.
Even when Laxus had started the civil war, threatening comrades' lives, Natsu still regarded him as a "very bad comrade" — not an outsider or an enemy!
Thanks to Chase's intervention, the conflict indirectly triggered by Shadow Gear was calmed.
At dusk, the setting sun's afterglow fell on the river in Magnolia, casting faint shimmering light.
As previously agreed, Chase took Mira and Dark Magician Girl down the empty street to his new house.
The new house only had the last bit of inconsequential soft furnishings left. It already had basic living functions and could be moved into at any time.
The boatman passing by on the river, as usual, kindly advised the two young, beautiful girls to stay away from Chase, the "danger source."
Whether he was doing it on purpose or accidentally, he somehow didn't recognize Mira and Dark Magician Girl, who had high recognizability in Magnolia.
Either way, Mira found him quite annoying...
"Wow, Master! Is this our new home?!"
Looking at the brand new three-story building with a backyard and a terrace, Dark Magician Girl couldn't help but gasp.
During this time, her own master had "restricted her freedom." She hadn't been here before.
"The gray-and-white contrasting exterior colors look very nice."
Mira's eyes sparkled with expectation and excitement. She urged Chase, "Hurry, let us see the inside!"
Chase nodded, pulled out his keys, and opened the specially reinforced door.
Why specially reinforced?
For a certain idiot who liked to kick doors open, of course.
Pushing the door open, a faint, pleasant scent greeted them first. No unplea
sant formaldehyde smell — that was the work of a magic air-purifying sachet.
Past the entrance, a spacious, bright living room came into view.
Unlike the prevalent medieval architecture of Magnolia, the interior decoration style was more modern. The walls, ceilings, chandeliers, and furniture all had a refreshing feel.
After all, this was a place to live. Chase, a civil engineering dog, had added many modern elements to Mira's design, incorporating various practical magic appliances.
Mira was very excited. Like a hostess, she took Dark Magician Girl on a tour, tirelessly explaining which parts were her ideas.
Having lost all sense of novelty, Chase couldn't be bothered to join. He simply sat down on the rosewood sofa in the living room and started boiling water for tea.
Before he could even drink a few sips, the slightly ajar front door was carefully pushed open.
Lucy's head poked through the crack. Seeing Chase at home, she immediately slipped inside.
"So beautiful! Chase, is this your new home?" Arriving in the living room, she couldn't help but exclaim.
Her rented house was diagonally opposite. She naturally knew the progress of Chase's new house very well. She had been wanting to visit for a while, but various things had delayed her.
And since Lucy appeared, it was obvious others would follow.
Sure enough, the blue cat flew in right after, followed by a curious Natsu, a bare-chested Gray, and Erza in her armor.
Compared to the relatively polite Lucy, these few acted as if they were in their own home, even wandering around knocking on things without saying hello.
"Hey, Chase, why doesn't your new house have a fireplace like Lucy's for burning fire and heating?!" Natsu was the first to complain.
In his view, no fireplace meant no fire buffet. Such a place was completely substandard!
"There's underfloor heating, Natsu."
Hearing the commotion, Mira and Dark Magician Girl came down the stairs from the second floor.
"Tch. Underfloor heating isn't tasty." Natsu crossed his arms, pouting disinterestedly.
His simple mind didn't notice something very off.
"Huh?! Mira-nee, you're here too?" Lucy jumped, gasping.
Yes. That was a normal person's reaction.
"Having a leg~!" Happy, who was pulling the double-door refrigerator, turned his head and covered his mouth with both paws, making a rolled-R sound.
"M-M-M-Mira... does that mean you and Chase have already already—"
Erza seemed to be imagining something terrible. Her face turned bright red, steam kept coming out. Her entire being briefly entered crashed mode.
"No. Chase asked me to design the new house earlier. I'm just here to check if the workers did a good job." Mira smiled.
Chase, making tea: I remember you volunteering...
He didn't say it out loud.
"So Mira designed this house? Not bad. At least I'm very satisfied with this bathtub."
Following the sound of running water, everyone saw Gray lying comfortably in the bathtub in the bathroom, the door wide open.
"So fast! That's way too fast! And how did you find the bathroom?!!"
Lucy's eyes nearly popped out.
Not because of Gray's "pot body" obscured by the steam, but because of his incredibly rude behavior.
"Hmm... the interior decoration is indeed very nice, but it feels like something's missing."
Back to normal, Erza propped her chin on her hand. After a moment of thought, she said seriously, "Right! We should put a custom statue in the living room!"
Chase: "..."
Good idea. Please never mention it again!
Such strange ideas were almost as bad as Mira wanting a chibi statue on the roof!
He had never known that Fairy Tail's female S-Class wizards had such special quirks!
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