Chapter 318: The S-Rank Assessment Begins!
Chapter 318: The S-Rank Assessment Begins!
Chapter 318: The S-Rank Assessment Begins!
"Hey Chase, let's go see Erza!" Mira suddenly suggested.
Although she has now formally laid everything out, she still doesn't know how to deal with the relationship issues between the three of them.
He harbors selfish desires to possess Chess exclusively, yet he doesn't want Erza to get hurt—if it were Chess's own choice, there would be no problem, but this guy is so greedy and shameless!
Mira could clearly sense that Erza's current state was similar to hers, or perhaps even more complicated.
Don't be fooled by Erza's ability to stare at Natsume's naked body without any reaction; when she meets someone she likes, her brain immediately short-circuits!
The relationship between the three of them is about to take another step forward, or rather, for Mira and Erza to fully accept each other from the bottom of their hearts. They are just one crucial catalyst away from taking it a step further.
This is actually why Chase didn't make any further statements after his "I want them all" remark.
Besides using this buffer period to become stronger and better protect them, it also gives them room to think things through.
He may be domineering, but he respects their choices and has no intention of getting involved in any complicated or convoluted situations.
And so, Chase and Mira got up and headed to the testing area that Erza was in charge of.
Emerging from the dense forest, the view suddenly opened up.
What comes into view is a sea of flowers exuding a faint fragrance.
Mira was immediately captivated by the beautiful scenery before her, and happily ran over, squatted down, and gently smelled the fragrance of the flowers.
To the outside world, she is a notorious demon; to Elfman and Lisanna, she is a mature and reliable older sister. But in terms of age, she is actually just a nineteen-year-old young girl.
Chase stopped and stood quietly watching Mira wander through the sea of flowers, sighing to himself.
"How is it, Chess? Isn't this flower beautiful?"
Mira picked a light purple flower and showed it off to Chess, "Smell it, it smells so good!"
Seeing Chess take the flower, hold it in his palm, and sniff it twice, she tilted her head, deliberately showing off her long, clean, unadorned white hair. "It does smell very nice, but Mira, why did you wink at me?"
"Didn't Chase have any particular thoughts when he saw this flower?"
"If I'm going to use it to make flower tea, there must be a specific process, right? Can I just brew it directly?"
"Heh, heh heh, receive the entire soul of Satan!"
"Right now, immediately, right now, use those damn, tea-obsessed hands of yours to pin a flower in my hair!!"
When the two arrived at the southwest corner of Tenrou Island, Erza, dressed in miner's clothes and wearing a hard hat, was frantically digging at the site designated as the examination venue.
Her work efficiency is truly amazing. In just one morning, she completed nearly 30% of the progress, which is faster than the three Dark Magician Girls combined!
"Chess, Mira, what brings you here?"
Erza immediately noticed the large bag on Chase's head and the pretty flower ornament pinned to Mira's bangs.
"We have free labor to do the work, and we thought it would be too hard for you to do it alone, so we came to help," Mira said with a smile.
Erza's gaze never left her head: "Yes, very beautiful!"
A love of beauty is innate in all girls, even the Fairy Queen and Fairy Tail Disciplinary Committee member.
"Isn't it beautiful? It was a gift from Chess~" Mira puffed out her chest, pretending to show off.
She certainly wouldn't have offered to find Erza for something like that; she was simply being cunning and wanted to play a trick on her childhood rival.
"Was this a gift from Chechecheche? He...he would actually think of giving you something like this?!"
To Mira's surprise, Erza's first reaction was not to be heartbroken and devastated, but to stammer out a deafening question.
Even Erza, who's practically a blank slate when it comes to matters of the heart, thinks this way. My dear Mr. Dead Card Player, just how deeply ingrained is your straight-male nature?!
Mira sighed deeply, and looking at Chase scratching his head and laughing awkwardly, she immediately lost the mood to continue "teasing" Erza.
"Still laughing? Hurry up and put the flower you chose on Erza's head!" She nudged Chess hard with her elbow.
Seeing Chess pull out a snow-white flower from his robes, Erza's heart raced, and her face flushed crimson. "Me... do I have one too?"
Although he was a bit blunt, Chase was very clear about the principle of not showing favoritism. In Elfman's words, a man must be responsible for what he says!
So, after pinning the flower ornament on Mira, without Mira reminding him, he took the initiative to choose a flower for Erza whose color was more suitable for her long crimson hair.
"Wait, wait a minute!" Erza suddenly called out, stopping Chess's actions.
The magical light of the transformation shone brightly, and when it faded, the simple work clothes had transformed into a luxurious and elegant dress, and her flowing scarlet hair was exquisitely styled.
This was the first time Chase had ever worn a headdress, and even though it was just a wildflower picked from the roadside, she felt she had to take it seriously.
Erza bowed slightly, her head radiating an intense heat as she leaned closer: "Please, please."
The formality, like wearing a wedding ring, left Chase bewildered. He suddenly worried that if he just pinned the flowers on, they might wither and die on the spot.
Fortunately, the naturally resilient white flower withstood the scorching heat, becoming the perfect accessory for the crimson hair, highlighting the fairy queen's overflowing joy.
"Thank you, Chase. I will treasure it in the dressing room!" Erza carefully stroked the flower on her head.
"Hmph, just keeping it as a treasure? That's far from enough, Erza. I've decided to use absorption magic to merge with it~"
"Then, I'll have Fiore's most skilled craftsmen forge clothes for me to wear!"
"That's impossible. It sounds like something that can't be done."
"Oh? Does that mean Mira's magic can receive the power of flowers and plants?"
Seeing the two suddenly start arguing, Chase raised his hand to try to stop them: "Well, it's just a flower. If you really like it—"
"Shut up, you deadbeat!!" x2
Meanwhile, on the other side...
Northwest corner of Tianlang Island.
"Strange, why haven't we reached the exam venue indicated on the map after walking for so long?"
Gildarts gazed at the vast, surging sea ahead, scratching his disheveled hair in frustration.
Behind him, a straight, unobstructed road stretched across most of the forest—it was carved out by him using shattering magic.
If I'm not mistaken, this guy is probably lost.
A week passed quietly amidst the relaxed work and island life.
With Zeref, now reborn, leaving Tenrou Island by ship, Fairy Tail's tense and exciting S-class mage exam officially begins!
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