"Hey, Chase, let's go see Erza!" Mira suddenly suggested.
Although they had officially laid their cards on the table, even now, she didn't really know how to face the romantic situation between the three of them.
She had private desires to have Chase all to herself, yet she also didn't want Erza to get hurt. If Chase had made a choice himself, that would be one thing, but this guy was just so greedy, so shameless!
Mira could clearly feel that Erza's current state was similar to hers, perhaps even more complex.
Despite Erza's ability to gaze upon Natsu and Gray's naked bodies without a flicker of emotion, when it came to the person she liked, her brain would immediately short-circuit!
There was still a critical catalyst missing for their relationship to progress further, or for Mira and Erza to truly accept it from the bottom of their hearts.
And this, in fact, was why Chase hadn't made any further moves after his "I want both" declaration.
Aside from using this buffer time to become stronger and better protect them, it also gave them space to consider.
Domineering as he was, he respected their choices. He didn't want to, and wouldn't, engage in any complicated, dragging entanglements.
And so, Chase and Mira stood up and headed toward the exam area Erza was responsible for.
Emerging from the dense forest, the view suddenly opened up.
Before them lay a sea of flowers, exuding a light fragrance.
Mira was immediately drawn to the beautiful scene. She happily ran over, crouching down to gently sniff the flowers.
To the outside world, she was the infamous Demon. To Elfman and Lisanna, she was a mature, reliable older sister. But in truth, she was still just a nineteen-year-old teenage girl.
Chase stopped walking and stood quietly, watching Mira dart among the flowers, inwardly remarking.
"What do you think, Chase? Isn't this flower beautiful?"
Mira picked a light purple flower and came over to Chase, showing it off. "Smell it! It smells so good!"
Seeing Chase take the flower and gently sniff it, she tilted her head, deliberately revealing her clean, adornment-free long white hair.
"It does smell very nice. But Mira, why are you winking at me?"
"When you see this flower, Chase, doesn't give you any special ideas?"
"For making tea, there's probably a proper process, right? Can you just brew it directly?"
"Heh, heh. Full Take Over: Satan Soul! "
"Now. Right now. Immediately. Use those damn hands of yours, that only ever think about tea, to pin this flower in my hair!!"
By the time the two arrived at the southwest corner of Tenrou Island, Erza, now in miner's gear with a hard hat, was frantically digging into the designated exam area.
Her work efficiency was truly astounding. In just one morning, she had completed nearly thirty percent of the progress, faster than Dark Magician Girl and the other two combined!
"Chase, Mira. What are you two doing here?"
Erza immediately noticed the large bump on Chase's head and the pretty floral adornment tucked into Mira's bangs.
"We have free labor doing our work. We thought you might be struggling alone, so we came to help," Mira said with a smile.
But Erza's gaze never left Mira's hair. "So... so pretty!"
Loving beautiful things was natural for all girls, even the Fairy Queen and Fairy Tail's disciplinary committee member.
"Pretty, isn't it? Chase gave it to me~" Mira said, puffing out her chest in a show of show off.
She hadn't sought out Erza just for this, of course. She was simply being her usual mischievous self, wanting to tease her old rival from childhood.
"Ch-Ch-Ch-Chase gave it to you? H-he actually thought to give you something like that?!"
To Mira's surprise, Erza's first reaction wasn't sadness or dejection, but a stuttering, deafening questioning.
If even Erza, who's as clueless as a blank sheet of paper when it comes to romance, thinks that way, dear card nerd, just how deeply ingrained are your oblivious, straightforward tendencies...
Mira sighed deeply. Looking at Chase scratching his head with an awkward smile, she suddenly lost the desire to keep "teasing" Erza.
"Stop laughing. Hurry up and put the flower you picked for Erza in her hair!" She jabbed Chase hard with her elbow.
Seeing Chase pull out a pure white, snow-like flower, Erza's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. Her face flushed. "I-I get one too?"
Though oblivious, Chase was well aware of the importance of not favoring one over the other. To use Elfman's words, a man must take responsibility for what he says!
So, after pinning the adornment in Mira's hair, Chase took the initiative to pick a flower with a color that suited Erza's crimson hair, without needing Mira's reminder.
"W-wait!" Erza suddenly stopped Chase's movement.
The light of Requip magic bloomed. When it faded, her plain work clothes had transformed into an elegant, noble gown. Her flowing crimson hair was carefully pinned up.
This was the first time Chase was putting a hair adornment on her. Even if it was just a wildflower picked by the roadside, she felt she had to treat it seriously.
Erza slightly bowed her head, leaning closer. The heat radiating from her was astonishing. "Please... go ahead."
Her behavior was so formal, as if she were about to put on a wedding ring, that it caught Chase off guard. He suddenly worried that if he pinned the flower in, it might immediately wither and die.
Fortunately, the naturally resilient white flower withstood the rolling waves of heat. It became the perfect accessory for her crimson hair, highlighting the overflowing happiness of the Fairy Queen at that moment.
"Thank you, Chase. I... I'll store it in my Requip space and treasure it forever!" Erza said, carefully touching the flower in her hair.
"Hmph. Just treasuring it? That's still not good enough, Erza. I've decided to use my Take Over magic to merge it with myself~"
"Th-then, I'll have the most skilled artisan in Fiore make it into a dress for me to wear!"
"That's impossible. You can't do something that sounds so unrealistic."
"Oh? And can Mira's magic take over flowers and plants?"
Seeing the two suddenly at odds with each other again, Chase raised his hand to intervene. "Um... it's just a flower. If you two really like them, I can—"
"Shut up, you damn card nerd!!" x2
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Northwest corner of Tenrou Island.
"How strange. I've been walking for so long, and I still haven't reached the exam site marked on the map?"
Gildarts looked at the vast, surging sea ahead, scratching his disheveled hair in frustration.
Behind him, a straight, unobstructed path cut through most of the forest. He had carved it out with his Crash magic.
If he had to guess, this guy was probably lost.
Amidst the relaxed and leisurely work and island life, a week quietly passed.
With the newly reborn Zeref leaving Tenrou Island by boat, Fairy Tail's thrilling S-Class Mage Trial officially began!
***
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