Night had fallen. Thin clouds covered the moonlight, and cold winds occasionally swept through the empty city streets.
Whether it was due to the destruction of Fairy Tail's guild hall or a foreboding of the crisis lurking in the darkness, Magnolia was extra quiet tonight.
Chase's Detached House.
In the brightly lit first-floor living room, the glow of a magic circle slowly shimmered.
"Ta-da! Dark Magician Girl makes her dazzling appearance!"
Dressed in her pink and blue robes, Dark Magician Girl hopped out, striking her usual playful, cute peace sign.
Chase sat on the sofa, calmly sipping tea. He had long since given up trying to lecture this airhead—she wouldn't listen, and even if she did, she wouldn't act on it.
"Heheh, nothing beats the fresh air out here~"
After a contented sigh, Dark Magician Girl casually walked over to the cabinet, pulled out a bag of chips, tore it open, and tossed a barbecue-flavored chip into her mouth.
Crunching away on her chips, she strolled over to the sofa beside Chase, flopped down without any regard for her image, and crossed her legs.
Having endured Dark Magician's lectures back in the card space, she immediately let loose the moment she returned to Chase's side.
She looked exactly like a college girl coming home.
Chase shook his head helplessly, poured a cup of hot tea, and handed it to her. "So, tell me—what's so important that you wanted to come out?"
Even without summoning his Card Monsters, he could still communicate with his deck.
Usually, unless something was really important, the Card Monsters wouldn't try to slip out for fresh air like Dark Magician Girl had.
"That horrible Dark Magician stuffed another pile of magic books into my room!"
At this, Dark Magician Girl puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "I just finished the last batch!"
"Oh, right! Whatever you do, don't tell him I came out, or I'll get lectured again!"
Hearing this, Chase sat up straight and stretched. "Dark Magician mentioned something to me... hmm..."
"My shoulders are suddenly a bit sore. Let me think... what did he say again..."
"On it!"
Dark Magician Girl immediately dropped her chips, jumped up, and ran over to massage Chase's shoulders.
Her soft yet firm hands felt quite nice—especially the pleasant, light fragrance of barbecue chips...
Wait a minute!
"...Never mind. Go sit on the sofa. And wipe your hands first."
Chase gave a disgusted glance at her hands, still dusted with barbecue seasoning.
If he didn't know how naturally ditzy Dark Magician Girl was, he'd suspect she'd done it on purpose!
Fortunately, he hadn't showered yet, so his clothes were still on.
Dark Magician Girl giggled a few times and flopped back onto her spot on the sofa.
"Hey, Kuriboh told me you gave cards to everyone in the guild," Dark Magician Girl said, blinking.
"That's right. If nothing unexpected happens, Phantom Lord should make their move tonight."
Chase brushed the barbecue dust off his shoulder, took a sip of tea, and briefly explained the Phantom Lord situation to Dark Magician Girl.
"I can't believe there's such a despicable guild!" Dark Magician Girl clenched her fists indignantly.
Because of Chase's influence and her own personality, she was quite familiar with the Fairy Tail members. She was practically half a member herself.
Hearing that cute little Levy might be attacked naturally made her angry.
"Gajeel's situation is... complicated. You'll understand later."
Chase set down his cup, his eyes gleaming. "For now, though... if he dares to show up, I'll have to show him how cruel the world can be."
Dark Magician Girl noticed the mischievous smile curling at his lips and couldn't help feeling a bit of sympathy.
"Something tells me this guy is in for a rough time..."
Just then—BAM!—the closed door was kicked open.
Without even looking, everyone knew exactly who it was from that sound.
"Hey! Chase! We're here!"
Natsu strode in as if he owned the place.
"Yo, Natsu. And everyone else. You all came." Chase greeted with a smile.
Right behind Natsu, Erza in casual clothes, Lucy holding Plue, and Gray without his shirt all poked their heads in.
Happy, showing no reservations whatsoever, glanced around before heading straight to the fridge to find fish.
—As unbelievable as it sounded, Chase occasionally cooked some hometown dishes to satisfy his own cravings.
"Natsu! Don't be so rude. This is Chase's home!"
Erza scolded Natsu sternly, then...
She casually sat across from Chase and started brewing tea as naturally as could be.
"Chase's place is so much bigger. Lucy's apartment is basically unlivable."
Gray sighed as he sat down next to Erza. "Thanks. I'll have a cup too."
"No problem. The water will be ready in a moment." Erza nodded.
Before Chase had left for his Ten-Year Quest, they used to visit him often. They were very familiar with this detached house.
"Hey, don't you guys think you're being a bit too comfortable here?"
"And what right does a pervert who sneaks into other people's homes to read novels have to look so disgusted?!"
Lucy's mouth twitched as she launched into her usual twitching.
"Here you go." Erza handed her a cup of hot tea.
"Th-thanks."
And just like that, Lucy took her seat as a matter of course.
The already spacious living room suddenly became a bit cramped and lively.
Chase certainly didn't mind this little "home invasion." That's just how it was between comrades—no need for so many formalities.
He wasn't some delicate maiden like Lucy, with her need for privacy.
Of course, objectively speaking, Natsu was definitely paying for that broken door!
"Lucy, Erza, what brings you here?" Dark Magician Girl sat up a little straighter.
At this question, the lively atmosphere immediately grew heavy.
Natsu slumped over the coffee table, puffing out his cheeks in frustration.
"Mira said Phantom Lord might still be in town. They might have found out where we live. She wants us to stay together." Lucy explained.
On the way over, Erza had already filled her in on the details.
Though they had Chase's cards, this was still an extra layer of security. Times like these called for caution.
"We were going to stay at Lucy's place, but it's a bit cramped."
Erza took a calm sip of tea, relaxing her brow with a look of contentment. "Since your place is closer, Chase, we decided to come here instead."
"Grouping up for safety? How come I didn't get that message?" Chase asked curiously.
Erza put down her cup and said seriously, "How desperate would Phantom Lord have to be to come after you?"
She had sparred with Chase not long ago and was very aware of his strength.
If Phantom Lord's people were foolish enough to attack this house, it would only mean one thing: they had lost all will to live!
"Now that you mention it, I'm kind of looking forward to it." Chase knocked his fists together and laughed.
Erza observed his expression thoughtfully. After a few seconds of silence, she remarked, "I must say, though, I didn't expect you to be even calmer than Lucy about this, Chase."
Lucy nearly spit out her tea: How am I the reference point again?!
"The master made his position pretty clear. A war between the two guilds would have serious consequences."
Chase leaned back on the sofa, snatching a chip from Dark Magician Girl and tossing it into his mouth. "Besides, Jose, Phantom Lord's master, is one of the top Ten Wizard Saints. I'm not confident I could take someone like him."
That was the truth.
As poorly as Jose might have performed in the original story, he was still an old-school powerhouse that even Jura—also a Ten Wizard Saint—acknowledged as superior.
In that situation back then, if Makarov hadn't recovered, no one else could have handled Jose.
All one could say was that Fairy Law—a spell that consumed life force—was simply too unreasonable.
Of course, not confident didn't mean he would back down. If Jose dared to come after him, he'd be ready.
***
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