Night fell. Magical lamps emitted a soft, gentle glow, dotting Magnolia as it lay shrouded in darkness.
The small building by the riverbank was brightly lit. Chase sat on his sofa with his legs crossed, reminiscing about today's chaotic "Fairy Tail civil war."
On the mahogany coffee table in front of him sat a freshly brewed cup of black tea. A faint, pleasant tea fragrance drifted through the air, bringing with it a rare sense of tranquility and comfort.
Next to the black tea, four cards were laid out in a square: [Left Arm of the Forbidden One], [Right Arm of the Forbidden One], [Left Leg of the Forbidden One], and [Right Leg of the Forbidden One].
Although he had mentally prepared himself in advance, Chase still found it a bit unbelievable when the cards actually dropped from Mira.
Do the S-Class mages of the guild really correspond to the body parts of the Dark Master—Exodia?!
If that's the case, then based on this "mechanic," wouldn't that mean the final piece, [Exodia the Forbidden One], could be obtained from Gildarts?
Chase took a sip of his black tea and fell into thought.
The possibility of this guess was certainly not low. Of course, it could also just be a simple coincidence. So, his state of mind remained calm fairly.
But still, even if Gildarts wasn't bound to [Exodia the Forbidden One], this long-anticipated fight would definitely happen. As long as he could get cards to drop, that was a good thing!
"It would be so much easier if I had something like a system interface..." Chase sighed silently.
"If that were the case, the stupid master's actions would be too predictable," Dark Magician Girl said from beside him.
She was lying on the long sofa, with little regard for her lady-like image, her fair long legs dangling casually under her robe. "Besides, the unknown is more worth exploring. Knowing everything in advance would be boring~"
As the card spirit who had been with Chase the longest, she knew many things and understood exactly what a so-called "system" was.
"Oh? That's a bit surprising. I didn't expect you to have such insight," Chase said, slightly taken aback.
On the topic of systems, his view happened to align perfectly with Dark Magician Girl's.
"Don't underestimate me! I'm a genius magical girl recognized by Master, you know!"
"Is that so? Then how about I call Dark Magician out here to see how the 'genius magical girl' is lying on the sofa, eating potato chips and scattering crumbs everywhere?"
"Ahem, that won't be necessary..."
Dark Magician Girl bolted upright from the sofa and sat up straight.
Lately, Dark Magician had been dragging her along to study the spatial-temporal magic they had obtained from Edolas. She had finally managed to get permission to come out for some fresh air. She couldn't afford to get "caught" and dragged back in!
"Look at you, so pathetic," Chase said, shaking his head with a smile.
"But this stuff is pretty tasty," came a cool, aloof onee-san voice from another direction.
There, Silent Magician, still in her white robe, grabbed a potato chip and put it in her mouth. After eating it, she very professionally sucked the seasoning powder off her fingers.
Having spent the entire afternoon perusing books in the Fairy Tail library, she hadn't returned to the Card Space. Instead, she had followed Chase home.
According to her, while magical research was certainly important, one also needed to leave enough time for rest. (In reality, she just wanted to see Chase's house.)
"Setting that aside, why do you suck your fingers after eating?" Chase asked curiously.
He felt that such an action somewhat ruined Silent Magician's elegant aura.
"Dark Magician Girl told me to. What, is this not the correct way to eat them?" Silent Magician said, tilting her head in confusion while holding up the chip bag.
Unexpectedly adorable...
"That's true. It does taste better that way," Chase admitted.
He glanced at Dark Magician Girl, who had already flopped back onto the sofa like a pile of goo. After a few seconds of hesitation, out of consideration for Silent Magician's image, he couldn't help but add, "Don't get too close to this one."
"Hah? What do you mean by that, stupid master?!" Dark Magician Girl, with chip crumbs still at the corner of her mouth, immediately took offense.
Chase simply ignored her, acting as if he hadn't heard, and looked at Silent Magician. "By the way, how did you find the guild's magical books?"
Hearing this, although Silent Magician was still puzzled by his earlier comment, she nodded slightly and said with a serious expression, "Very good. The magic of this world has many differences from the magic I know. Whether it's the types, attributes, or the principles of casting, there's much worth studying—especially the so-called Ultra-Magic."
"After all, they are two completely different worlds," Chase marked with a hint of emotion. He then asked, "How is Éclair?"
"That child's talent is even higher than I imagined. In just one afternoon, she was already able to construct the basic framework of a Silent Magic array," Silent Magician said, a glimmer of approval appearing deep in her beautiful eyes. "At this rate, she should be able to cast complete Silent Magic very soon."
"Sure enough, silence is the magic best suited for her," Chase said, unsurprised by Éclair's performance.
She was, after all, a Phoenix Priestess who had lived for hundreds of years and possessed the power of immortality. That alone destined her ceiling to be incredibly high!
Moreover, the magic of the Fairy Tail world emphasized the power of "heart and will," while Silent Magic perfectly aligned with Éclair's belief that "magic brings misfortune." No wonder she was learning it at such an astonishing speed.
"Hehe, that's all thanks to the good foundation Master and I laid for her~" Dark Magician Girl popped up again to assert her relevance.
"Yeah, yeah, all thanks to you," Chase said, not ignoring her this time, though his response was perfunctory.
Although it sounded a bit self-congratulatory, the silly girl was actually telling the truth. Before meeting the Silent Magician, Éclair's magical aptitude had indeed improved tremendously through the training plan that the Dark Magician had devised.
"So, Chase, I'll need to come out periodically during this time to guide the child," Silent Magician said, popping two more chips into her mouth.
Back at the Fairy Tail library, she had already formally taken Éclair on as her apprentice.
"No problem. Do as you please," Chase said, waving his hand.
He had never restricted the card spirit companions from coming and going freely.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, a knock came from outside.
"Chase-nii, are you home?" Lucy's voice came through the door.
"The door's unlocked. Come on in," Chase replied.
The door immediately pushed open, and Lucy, wearing blue and white striped casual clothes, entered the living room.
"Hey, Lucy. How come you didn't kick the door open this time?" Dark Magician Girl greeted her.
"That's something Natsu would do!" Lucy felt deeply offended.
That idiot Natsu had ruined her reputation!
"Sorry for the intrusion, Chase-nii."
After making herself comfortable on the sofa—she knew the place well—Lucy finally noticed Silent Magician sitting nearby with perfect posture and a spotless face. "Oh? Silent Magician-san is here too?"
"Mm," Silent Magician nodded quietly.
Lucy, still wearing a smile, was momentarily frozen in awkwardness. She couldn't help but mutter inwardly: She really is super cold and aloof. The child form is so much easier to get along with!
But that was a misunderstanding on Lucy's part.
Silent Magician had actually wanted to say "good evening," but she had been so busy wiping her mouth and hands that she had forgotten to swallow the chip crumbs still in her mouth. To maintain her image, she was having quite a difficult time herself...
***
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