Time passed in a flash, and more than a month slipped by. Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman had fully integrated into Fairy Tail.
Mira's talent quickly became apparent—she mastered full-body Take Over in no time. With her arm restored, her personality brightened as well, returning to her original lively self.
Though… that change gave Arlen a bit of a headache.
Back then, it was just Natsu and Gray constantly fighting. Now, there were two more—Mira and Erza.
No one knew how those two could go from arguing to outright brawling so fast. Especially since, when Mira and her siblings had first moved into the villa, everything had been perfectly peaceful.
"Damn you, Gray—die!" Natsu shouted, throwing a punch straight into Gray's face.
"Natsu, today I'm definitely going to teach you a lesson!" Gray shot back, returning the punch without hesitation.
"You underwear freak!"
"You flame idiot!"
The two exchanged blows while hurling insults at each other.
"…Wow, that's really low-level," Cana muttered.
This kind of scene didn't just happen once—it was practically routine. And the only one who could stop them was—
"You two, stop fighting! We're companions—we should get along!"
Erza stepped in, clad in armor with a magic sword at her waist. Then—bam, bam—two punches landed cleanly.
"S-Sorry…" x2
Natsu and Gray instantly clutched their heads, large bumps forming as tears welled up from the pain.
"Good. That's how companions should behave," Erza nodded in satisfaction.
"Erza's as strict as ever… though she does space out sometimes," Ultear said as she plopped down beside Arlen with a smile.
"Erza! Today I'm definitely going to beat you—prepare yourself!" Mira suddenly leapt out from behind Arlen, dressed like a rebellious girl, charging forward with a provocative grin.
"…You two are fighting again?" Lisanna sighed helplessly.
"Oh? Then come at me, Mira!" Erza's demeanor instantly shifted, her battle spirit igniting as she charged as well.
The two collided head-on like crashing waves, neither giving an inch. Punches and kicks flew back and forth, each strike heavy and unrelenting.
"Stiff, annoying woman!" Mira shouted, landing a powerful kick that sent Erza flying through tables and chairs.
"Midriff-showing delinquent!" Erza shot back, springing up and retaliating with a kick that sent Mira crashing into more furniture. Plates, drinks, and utensils scattered everywhere.
"Cold-hearted woman!"
"Scrawny woman!"
"Pig!"
"Four-eyes!"
"Armor freak!"
"Delinquent brat!"
Locked in a clash, their hands pressed together as they struggled for dominance—while continuing their childish insults. Honestly, they weren't any better than Natsu and Gray.
"Seriously… Erza tells us not to fight, yet she's doing the same thing," Gray complained with a deadpan look.
"Exactly! Next time, I'll beat both Mira and Erza!" Natsu grumbled.
"You? Yeah… no, not happening," Gray said dismissively, waving his hand.
"What did you say, you bastard?! You wanna fight?!" Natsu exploded again.
"Bring it on!" Gray stripped off the clothes he had just put on and charged forward.
"Hey, hey… those two aren't even done yet, and you're starting another fight?" Cana said, rubbing her forehead.
"…Looks like I'll have to trouble you again, Ultear," Arlen said with a helpless smile.
"By the way, shouldn't the First Master stop them?" Kagura asked, looking at Mavis, who was chatting with Ur.
"No need. This is fun, isn't it?" Mavis said cheerfully. "If they can fight like this, it just means they're really close."
"Exactly. Just let them be," Ur added calmly.
"I can already imagine it—if Ultear didn't clean this up with Arc of Time, Master would cry his eyes out," Lisanna giggled.
"Go, Natsu! Beat Gray up!" Macao cheered.
"Erza! Mira! Take it easy—Master's going to faint when he sees this!" Wakaba shouted, pipe in mouth.
"…What a chaotic day," Arlen muttered, stroking his chin. "But what started this fight between Mira and Erza anyway?"
"Their personalities don't really match," Ultear explained.
"I see… Mira's fiery, rebellious, and competitive. Erza is strict, disciplined, and equally competitive. Both strong, both stubborn… no wonder they clash," Arlen nodded.
In the end, Mira and Erza's fight ended in a draw, both declaring they'd settle it next time.
Natsu and Gray, however, weren't so lucky—they got beaten up by both Mira and Erza afterward for various "reasons."
Arlen, Kagura, and the others couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them.
When everything finally settled, the guild hall was a complete disaster. Tables, chairs, dishes—almost everything was broken or overturned. Aside from the table Arlen and the others were sitting at, there was barely anything intact.
Erza finally snapped out of it, looking at the mess with embarrassment. She walked over to Ultear and bowed her head.
"…Sorry, Ultear. I caused trouble again. You can punish me—I won't resist."
"…No need. Just go rest with Mira," Ultear replied, twitching slightly.
"Ahh, that felt great!" Mira walked over, grabbed the drink from Arlen's hand, and downed it in one go.
Arlen rolled his eyes, poured himself another drink… only for Erza to walk over and take that one too, drinking it just as quickly.
Arlen paused.
…Are they doing this on purpose?
So he poured two drinks… just for them?
But what could he say? Nothing.
"Hehe… something's going on," Lisanna whispered with a giggle, covering her mouth.
"Huh? What did you say, Lisanna?" Elfman asked.
"Nothing, big brother," she waved it off.
Elfman didn't catch it—but Ur, Mavis, Cana, Kagura… and even Arlen, Mira, Erza, and Ultear, who had just returned, all heard it clearly.
Arlen looked a bit awkward.
Mira and Erza, meanwhile, turned bright red and quickly made excuses before rushing out of the guild.
Mavis's eyes sparkled as she looked between Arlen and the others. Cana lowered her head, lost in thought. Kagura stared quietly at her blade.
Only Ur and Ultear smiled knowingly at each other.
Some things didn't need to be said out loud.
Let them unfold naturally.
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