"I—I'm the same," Erza said, having calmed down a little.
Her cascading crimson hair covered her flawless profile, hiding whatever expression she wore at that moment.
"Came to see me?"
Chase felt that these two were acting a bit strange tonight, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "You could do that anytime, couldn't you? Or are you not used to staying in your own homes?"
"Of course not. They're familiar places after all," Mira said.
"The girls' dormitory hasn't changed much either," Erza added thoughtfully. "But seeing my own face interacting with everyone feels a little awkward."
Though she had experienced something similar before, Edolas's Knightwalker at least had a different personality, and she had appeared as an enemy of Fairy Tail from the very beginning—completely different from being a comrade.
"Looking at it from another angle, being able to see your true self from a third-person perspective isn't a bad experience," Chase mused unconsciously.
That was exactly why Makarov had agreed to let the members act independently.
"It's not a good experience at all! Chase is always like this—always thinking about everyone else!"
As if angered by his words, Mira's voice suddenly rose several octaves, carrying both grievance and frustration. Then, like a roller coaster, it quickly softened. "You... you promised after the Demon Ruins Island incident. You promised you wouldn't recklessly risk your life..."
Beside her, Erza's hands, resting on her thighs, subtly curled into fists.
She remembered the Tower of Paradise, when Chase had deliberately taken on serious injuries just to tear down that tower, which held so many painful memories for her.
The shift in her feelings toward Chase—the secret affection that had quietly taken root—perhaps began right then.
Chase was taken aback. He hadn't expected Mira to bring that up out of nowhere. He could only offer an appeasing smile. "But I'm still alive and well now, aren't I?"
On Demon Ruins Island and at the Tower of Paradise, he had at least gone in with some degree of confidence. But this time on Tenrou Island had been completely different.
Although burning his life force to forcibly summon Exodia had been incredibly reckless, in the face of an unknown god with no prior intelligence, it was the only way he could think of to protect everyone.
Even if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn't hesitate!
Mira and Erza understood that logic perfectly well. If they had the power, they would have made the exact same choice in his position.
But—
"But we also feel fear and terror..." Erza quietly gripped the hem of her clothes.
The usually strong Fairy Queen laid bare her vulnerable side without reservation.
"Even if it's not the same world, a future without Chase—just thinking about it makes my body tremble uncontrollably," Mira said, her accumulated negative emotions from the entire day finally erupting. "It doesn't matter if Chase doesn't like me, or if I have to share him with Erza—"
"This one thing, I absolutely cannot accept!"
"A future without Chase is not a future I want!!"
Her voice, filled with tears, carried both determination and sorrow as it echoed through the suddenly silent living room.
Chase hadn't expected their emotions to spiral so out of control. Only now did he suddenly realize something he had been overlooking.
Because he knew the plot of the original timeline seven years later, the moment he realized they had traveled here, his mind had been consumed with how to return to their original world and what would happen during the Grand Magic Games.
But for Mira, Erza, and the others, this world was both familiar and utterly foreign—under his intervention, so many things had turned out differently.
Arriving in a place like this and hearing about these things would unsettle anyone. Especially having just gone through a life-and-death crisis like the one on Tenrou Island!
After sorting through the reasons, Chase let out a heavy sigh and slowly rose, walking toward Mira and Erza.
"Don't worry. In your future, I will always be there."
Apologies and promises meant nothing at a time like this. The girls had already said everything they needed to say. If he kept hesitating, he would be doing them a disservice.
"So, Mira, Erza—will you be my girlfriends?"
The sudden confession left Mira and Erza, who had just poured out their emotions, frozen in place.
At a loss, they lifted their heads, staring blankly at the hand extended toward them. Tears still shimmered deep within their eyes.
"Think carefully. This is your last chance to refuse. From now on, if you ever want to back out, you'll have to beat me first!"
"How tyrannical! And this is supposed to be a romantic confession!" Mira was the first to snap out of it, puffing her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
"This is nothing like what I imagined..." Erza looked profoundly disappointed.
Ever since Chase had openly expressed his feelings, the girls had often fantasized—during their private discussions—about how Chase would confess to them.
Mira had imagined Chase inviting her to the Dark Castle, confessing his love beneath a red moon with the blessings of magical creatures.
Erza had pictured Chase appearing on a white horse at the end of a flower-strewn path, then inviting her to the seaside to watch a beautiful sunrise.
And yet, this guy just charged straight in, even declaring that backing out meant having to fight him!
"Ahem, ahem. So, my two beautiful ladies—what is your answer?" Chase had no idea what they were thinking at that moment.
To be honest, he was a little nervous too. After all, this was the first time he was confessing to two girls at once—and under such "sudden circumstances."
At his words, Mira and Erza exchanged a glance. Seeing the same determination in each other's eyes, they simultaneously reached out, their tear-streaked faces blossoming into radiant smiles:
"Yes!" x2
Even though it was completely different from the romantic scenes they had imagined—this was the Chase they loved.
In the end, Mira and Erza, now feeling much lighter, didn't return to their own places. Instead, they slept in Chase's room.
As punishment for being "not romantic enough," Chase was obviously not allowed on the bed. They banished him to sleep on the cold floor.
Chase protested—a noble Card Nerd should not suffer such indignity in his own home!
So he helpfully added a cushion for himself.
After all, they had only just officially become a couple. Given Mira and Erza's personalities, the fact that they had made the decision to stay over together already showed tremendous courage and resolve. The so-called "punishment" was just an excuse to cover their flustered uncertainty.
Everything had its proper order, and being in another world wasn't exactly the right time for more. So, Chase felt that tonight was just fine the way it was.
***
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