Chapter 27: A Feeling of Reassurance

The flames disappeared shortly after they appeared, and the surrounding violent magic gradually subsided.

Erza was the only one left standing, while Mirajane, unable to maintain her demon form, had reverted to her original self and collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

At this moment, Erza was clad in her now shattered red armor.

The "Flame Empress Armor" possessed the ability to resist high temperatures, but even armor specifically designed to resist heat was completely broken, its fragments scattered everywhere.

In her hand, she held a massive shield from her strongest defensive armor, the "Adamantine Armor." This shield was now covered in cracks, as if it would shatter at any moment.

Despite being on the verge of collapse, Erza was indeed the only one still standing.

"Erza, you've really become much stronger," Alex remarked with admiration.

"Congratulations. The time is up, and you are the only one still standing. You are now... an S-Class Mage," Alex said with a smile.

At this moment, Erza could no longer hold on and fell to the ground.

"Master, the flames have dissipated," Cana observed the gradually calming surroundings at the seaside. "I wonder who will become an S-Class Mage?"

Makarov closed his eyes in contemplation. "I don't know either. Let's wait for them to come out." The video transmission lacrima had been damaged when Alex released Ryūjin Jakka, so even Makarov was unaware of the current situation.

Alex jogged over to the two, quickly checking their injuries. He found that even Erza had passed out, but they were generally fine and would recover after some rest. Alex felt relieved.

"Sigh, let's get them back first." Saying this, Alex supported both of them and headed towards the seaside.

...

A ship bearing the Fairy Tail emblem was sailing on the sea, carrying Alex and his group back.

In the resting area on the ship, two figures lay quietly on the beds, with Alex sitting between them, peeling an apple.

After displaying a skillful knife technique, the apple peel was removed in one complete piece.

Satisfied with the perfect apple in his hand, Alex was about to eat it.

Erza's eyelids twitched slightly.

Noticing Erza's movement, Alex placed the apple on the table.

"Erza, how are you feeling? Can you hear me?" Alex gently shook Erza.

Shortly after, Erza opened her eyes to see the ceiling of the room. Memories of that crimson world and her being the last one standing flashed in her mind.

Turning her head to see Alex's worried expression, she asked, "Alex? Did I pass?"

Alex smiled slightly, touching Erza's scarlet hair. "You were the last one standing, so now... you are an S-Class Mage."

Erza closed her eyes gently, seemingly enjoying the moment, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

"Rest well," Alex said as he prepared to leave, not wanting to disturb the two girls' rest. He had just come to check if they had woken up.

Seeing that they were generally fine, with Mirajane still unconscious but breathing steadily, Alex felt reassured.

As he withdrew his hand, Alex said, "I'll be going then."

"Wait... wait a moment... okay?" Erza opened her eyes, watching Alex's figure as he stood up, and quickly said, "Can you not take your hand away?"

"I want to enjoy this feeling of reassurance a little longer." Perhaps because there was no one else around, Erza, who usually had a queen-like demeanor, showed a side of herself that no one had ever seen, one of vulnerability.

In essence, she was just a 15-year-old girl who had been through nightmares. How strong could she really be? She would secretly cry in solitude, just like now.

Alex was stunned for a moment. Seeing Erza's shimmering eyes, he withdrew his step and sat back down on the edge of her bed.

He reached out and gently stroked Erza's hair.

Feeling this familiar sense of security, Erza closed her eyes in relief.

"You're just a child after all," Alex chuckled.

...

At Fairy Tail Guild, a month had passed since Erza became an S-Class Mage. After recovering from her injuries, Erza immediately started her first S-Class mission.

Originally, Alex and Erza were a team, planning to go together, but Erza refused, saying she wanted to complete the S-Class Mage mission on her own.

Faced with Erza's determination, Alex reluctantly agreed to let her go alone.

However, Alex wasn't too worried. After all, they had completed many S-Class missions together before, so they had experience.

Sure enough, Erza returned safely after a few days, although she apparently caused a lot of damage, making Makarov shake his head repeatedly.

Makarov muttered to himself that the guild had gained another destructive force, looking at the younger generation and worrying about his old age.

For Mirajane, the fact that Erza became an S-Class Mage first was quite upsetting.

When Mirajane had just woken up, she anxiously asked, "So, who became the S-Class Mage first, me or Erza? It must be me, right?"

But upon learning it was Erza, Mirajane was completely unsettled. Losing to anyone but Erza was unacceptable to her.

In the end, Alex explained in detail that their strengths were actually quite similar, but Mirajane's strength was more focused on attack power.

As for Erza, her Adamantine Armor's shield had exceptionally high defensive power, and combined with her specialized anti-flame armor, it was normal for her to outlast Mirajane.

However, Mirajane was still unhappy.

So, early this morning, Mirajane approached Alex.

"Alex, where's Erza? Didn't she come back yesterday? I want to duel her!!" Mirajane demanded, standing fiercely in front of Alex.

"Erza? She already went out on a mission today," Alex recalled seeing Erza take a mission from the second floor before leaving the guild.

She was probably at the station by now.

Alex couldn't help but admire Erza's diligence since becoming an S-Class Mage.

A rather laid-back Alex took a sip of his milk and sighed with admiration.

"Alex, it seems you've been idle for quite a while now," Makarov suddenly commented from across the table.

"Huh? Not that long, only about a month, right?" Alex retorted.

Makarov knocked Alex on the head with his cane and said, "Only a month? The last mission you took was one I had to assign to you. It was to act as an examiner for Mirajane and the others. If you were half as diligent as Erza, I'd be laughing in my sleep."

"Yes, yes, I get it," Alex continued to brush him off. The feeling of indulgence was something one couldn't understand without experiencing it first.

Before becoming an S-Class Mage, Alex considered himself quite diligent. After all, he needed the money. But after becoming an S-Class Mage, everything changed. Completing one S-Class mission was worth many regular ones.

The saying "one big job every three years" perfectly described his situation.

Moreover, Alex found hanging around the guild, chatting and relaxing, quite enjoyable.

"Alex, take me on an S-Class mission," Mirajane suddenly grabbed Alex's arm and said with a serious expression.

"?? Have you been hit on the head or something?" Alex felt her forehead and then his own, confirming she didn't have a fever.

Mirajane had never teamed up with him before, always doing missions with her siblings.

Mirajane slapped Alex's hand away and said, "I'm serious. Erza has been showing off in front of me lately. It's driving me crazy."

"Really?" Alex recalled that Erza didn't seem to be flaunting anything.

"Of course it's true! That uptight girl always says things like, 'I completed another S-Class mission today. S-Class, you know? What about you, Mira? Oh, right, you're not S-Class yet, so you wouldn't understand, hahaha.' It's infuriating!"

Mirajane imitated Erza's tone and mannerisms, pulling off a one-woman show.

Alex, with a head full of black lines, said, "But I feel so tired right now. How about resting for another couple of days?"

"A guy who spends all day in the guild drinking milk can feel tired?" Mirajane crossed her arms and looked at Alex with suspicion.

Makarov chimed in, "I think Mirajane's suggestion is good. You should take her on an S-Class mission."

"Sigh, fine, let's go on a mission," Alex agreed reluctantly.

Just then, Alex felt his eyelids growing heavy.

"Yawn~~ Why do I suddenly feel so sleepy?" Macao yawned from across the guild.

"Did you get drunk?" Cana, currently in a drinking contest with Macao, teased.

"Haha, did you do something shady last night?" Wakaba laughed, exhaling smoke.

"Get lost! What shady thing? Am I that kind of person?" Macao retorted, shaking his head.

"Now that you mention it, I feel a bit sleepy too," Wakaba said, feeling drowsy.

"Mira, what's wrong?" Alex saw Mirajane standing beside him, holding her forehead with one hand and his shoulder with the other, her body swaying.

"I don't know, I feel sleepy," Mirajane said, shaking her head to try to stay awake.

"Thud—" Someone collapsed to the ground, and it seemed to trigger a chain reaction as one by one, the guild members who had been chatting and drinking enthusiastically fell unconscious.

Alex, with his sharp senses, detected a wave of magic spreading through the guild, causing everyone to fall asleep.

Using his strong magic, Alex shielded himself from the sleep-inducing magic.

But Mirajane, without such powerful magic, started to collapse. Quick on his feet, Alex caught her before she hit the ground, holding her in his arms.

___