In that instant, the Fairy Queen's mind went completely blank. She stood frozen, stiff as a board.
The pounding of her heart was even louder than the Drum of Liberation from that pirate series next door, and waves of heat radiated from her.
Even through her white dress, Chase—still in the middle of the act—could clearly feel that heartbeat and warmth.
For a moment, he was genuinely worried that Erza might trigger her body's self-defense mechanism and pass out.
Helpless, he raised his hand and gently stroked her crimson hair, signaling her to calm down.
But stopping wasn't an option.
Though Erza's tendency to blush and get flustered in romantic situations was one of her endearing qualities as the Fairy Queen, they were already a couple. They couldn't very well ask Porlyusica to stand guard every time they wanted to kiss.
The mood was right—he could use this opportunity to help her adjust and get used to it.
Yes, it definitely wasn't because he was greedy!
With Chase's reassurance, Erza finally regained her senses. She closed her eyes shyly and responded in kind.
Even so, her hands gripping Chase's clothes betrayed her lingering nervousness.
Once again, Lucy's devilish whisper echoed in her mind: "Listen up, Erza. A kiss between a couple isn't just lip-to-lip. It's—"
Like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline, Erza—now completely incapable of rational thought—found herself inexplicably following the strategist's description. She parted her lips slightly.
And so, Chase, who had only intended to keep it brief, suddenly felt something soft and warm carefully slip into his mouth!
"I-I-I'm going back! S-See you tomorrow!!!"
The moment they parted, Erza turned and bolted, crashing straight through a flower bed and a streetlamp before disappearing into the night in an instant.
Chase watched the dust-filled, chaotic street and shook his head with a smile.
He was actually curious how Erza had known to do that.
With zero—or even negative—romantic experience, she probably wouldn't have known on her own. And even if she did, she wouldn't have had the courage to put it into practice.
You just enjoy it, you Card Nerd! — Lucy the Strategist.
Erza ran all the way back to Team A's designated inn—literally in one breath.
"Erza! How'd it go? How'd it go? Did everything go well with Chase?"
The moment she walked in, the gossip-hungry Lucy rushed over—and as expected, was sent flying by Erza's startled punch, embedded in the ceiling like a spread-eagled starfish.
"S-Scary!"
Natsu, Gray, and Future Gray retreated to the corners, trembling and huddling together.
Hearing their startled cries snapped Erza back to her senses. She frantically bowed to Lucy as she peeled herself off the ceiling, apologizing over and over: "I'm sorry, Lucy! I'm really sorry! I was just too excited!"
Lucy, finally getting a taste of what Natsu went through regularly, held her aching back and thought: At least my physical conditioning has improved.
The next moment, catching the implication in Erza's words, her eyes lit up: "You did it?! That thing?!"
"Yes..." Erza's voice was barely a whisper.
"That's amazing! Tell me everything! What did it feel like? Where did it happen? How did Chase react?"
Lucy grabbed Erza's hands excitedly, firing off questions, completely forgetting her pain.
Natsu, Happy, Future Lucy, and the others immediately perked up their ears. Both Wendys held their breath, blushing. Even Future Erza subtly scooted closer to them.
But before Erza could answer, the closed door was violently kicked open again.
Everyone in the room jumped—their counterparts hadn't returned to the cards yet.
Fortunately, it was only Future Natsu, carrying Future Happy.
"Ugh! If it weren't for that 'Miss,' I'd have definitely beaten that bastard master who doesn't care about his comrades!"
"Aye... sorry, Natsu. I held you back."
"It's not Happy's fault!"
Miss? Bastard master? Beaten?!
Hearing their exchange, the group's burning curiosity instantly dissipated.
Erza's expression shifted to a serious one in an instant. She stepped forward to ask what had happened.
Through Happy's indignant account, the full story emerged.
Makarov had arrived at the tavern and stopped the impending mass brawl. In his anger, he had sent all the troublemakers back to the inn.
On their way back, Future Natsu and Future Lucy had run into Sabertooth's Celestial Spirit Mage, Yukino.
Just like in the original story, after her defeat in today's battle, she had been stripped of her guild emblem and thrown out by Master Jiemon, who believed only the strong deserved to stay.
In truth, if it had only been about losing points, she wouldn't have suffered such a harsh fate—at most a verbal lashing, like Future Rufus and Future Sting after their poor performance in the competitive events.
If failure meant expulsion, Sabertooth would have no members left.
What had truly infuriated Jiemon was that Yukino—who had bet her life—had ended up being "pitied" by her opponent!
That was essentially rubbing Sabertooth's face as the strongest guild into the dirt!
So, with nowhere else to go, Future Yukino had come specifically to offer her Twelve Golden Keys to Lucy, believing they would be better suited to her.
Future Lucy, seeing Yukino's deep bond with her Celestial Spirits, naturally refused.
Future Natsu had secretly followed to apologize to Yukino—he had previously assumed everyone in Sabertooth was bad.
After learning about her treatment at Sabertooth, he had marched straight to the inn where Sabertooth was staying and picked a fight.
(Future Minerva had arrived after cutting her quest short upon seeing the Grand Magic Games rankings.)
"Wait, Natsu—that 'Miss' you mentioned—"
After the initial shock, Lucy caught a crucial detail: "What's her name?"
She had found it strange when Sabertooth had appeared in the preliminaries—Minerva hadn't been among the participants.
"Huh? I didn't say," Natsu said, confused.
"I wasn't asking you!!" Lucy snapped.
Future Natsu struggled to recall: "I think it was... Mi—what was it? Midora?"
"Aye! It's Miraba!" Future Happy said, giving Future Natsu a disgusted look. "Natsu can't even remember a name!"
"Isn't it Minerva?"
Gray's single sentence silenced the smug cat.
The look of dawning realization on their faces said it all.
"Just as I thought..." Lucy sighed.
"You know her?" Future Erza asked.
She knew that in the other world, Sabertooth's master was Ur, but she had never heard the name "Minerva."
"Yes, I've met her before. She's a girl who really cares about her comrades," Lucy said with a smile.
"Um, Natsu—what is Minerva like now?" Wendy asked curiously, her big eyes blinking.
During the Oración Seis operation, she had fought alongside Minerva to defeat Eisenwald's Erigor. They had formed a close friendship and promised to visit each other's guilds someday.
So hearing about her friend in this future world made Wendy happy.
Future Natsu thought for a moment, then summed it up simply: "That bastard looks really strong."
"S-Strong..."
Wendy's mind went blank. She took two steps back.
In her head, she pictured Elfman with Minerva's face.
"Aye~ Natsu means she's powerful. If you're asking about her body, it's way sexier than Lucy's~" Future Happy added mischievously.
"What does that have to do with me?!"
"How am I sexy?!"
Both Lucys shouted.
"Sexier than Lucy—"
Wendy's hands hovered over her nonexistent chest, tears welling up in her eyes.
Future Wendy, meanwhile, squatted despairingly in the corner of the bed—even though she didn't even know Minerva.
"Hey, Lucy, Wendy—I don't know what she's like on your side," Future Natsu said, his expression suddenly turning serious. "But that person from Sabertooth... her scent—"
"Is disgusting."
***
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