Captain Shukapoi, we've found Captain Erza.
As the dust of battle settled, the kingdom's soldiers only dared to breathe once they confirmed Mirajane had left. None of them made a sound during her presence.
Only after she was gone did they move, carrying out Shukapoi's orders to clean the battlefield and search for Knightwalker—whether alive or dead.
In the end, they discovered her lying in a massive crater, utterly exhausted.
"Mm… looks like your condition isn't too bad."
Shukapoi dropped down into the pit and sat wearily beside her, studying her injuries with a heavy tone.
A strong physique was one of the requirements for becoming a powerful mage—and that held even for the people of Edolas, who had no innate magic power.
Though Knightwalker's wounds looked severe, with her body's toughness, some rest would be enough to recover.
But that wasn't what mattered…
Shukapoi let out a long sigh. Eternal magic…
"Haha, that woman knows nothing."
Flat on her back, staring up at the sky, Knightwalker's expression showed no surprise at Shukapoi's sudden change of mood. She had never felt as free as she did today.
The turquoise-blue heavens looked more beautiful than ever, and even the enormous stars she'd grown tired of gazing at now seemed strangely captivating.
"What… did you just say?!"
Shukapoi froze, whipping his head toward her.
"Ha… cough… that woman knows nothing. Her appearance was pure accident."
Knightwalker pulled her gaze back from the sky, explained briefly, then forced herself to her feet and staggered toward her mount.
"But that makes no sense! We tested it—Aslanteans can't use magic in Edolas. The only way is by taking those 'X-Balls.' If they used magic here, that proves they knew Edolas.
If it were an accident, how could they use magic? And how could they 'accidentally' appear right in front of us?"
Shukapoi muttered to himself, confusion clouding his mind.
Like Knightwalker, he had believed Mirajane came from Aslant. With power that overwhelming, surely she had learned of Edolas's plan against Aslant and had come here deliberately to put an end to it.
It was the perfect, even romantic narrative.
But reality had chosen to mock them—this was just an accident?
"That's not something for us to decide. We just need to report everything to His Majesty. The rest is up to him."
Knightwalker's steps faltered for a moment. Shukapoi's doubts mirrored her own.
None of this added up. From any angle, it didn't make sense.
Unless Aslant, like another world—Earthland—possessed individuals so strong they could traverse dimensions at will.
Her expression hardened as the thought struck her. Perhaps it wasn't impossible. That mysterious figure at Mirajane's side—the one whose features couldn't be seen—behind him seemed to shimmer like a gateway to another dimension.
"We may be in serious trouble," Knightwalker said gravely. If her suspicions were correct, the entirety of Edolas could be in danger.
She quickened her pace, climbing onto the head of a massive beast. "Return to the capital!" she commanded.
"ROAR!!"
The creature let out an earth-shaking bellow, kicking off the ground and flapping its wings. Gale-force winds churned the battlefield into a storm of dust once more.
"Captain Shukapoi, what should we do now?" one of the soldiers asked.
"Head back to the capital as well."
Shukapoi stroked his chin, lips pressed tight as he considered. The king hadn't given orders yet, but with a situation this urgent, returning immediately was the safest choice.
"Yes, sir!"
Moments later, beast after beast took to the skies. Under the vast heavens, their silhouettes dwindled into tiny black specks against the horizon.
Meanwhile, inside the Fairy Tail guild of Edolas, PaiPai lowered his gaze. He had seen enough. Edolas's schemes didn't concern him, nor did they require his involvement. There would always be someone eager to step forward and play the hero. With that thought, he returned calmly to his book.
At that moment, a pink-haired boy with glasses on his forehead approached hesitantly. After stammering for some time, he finally asked:
"Um… I heard you're close to me from the other world. What… what is he like?"
"Impulsive. Brave. Fiercely protective. A glutton. Reckless, hot-blooded, confident to a fault. Afraid of vehicles. Loves fighting. All in all… not bad."
PaiPai answered casually, eyes still on his book.
"Really? Sounds like the complete opposite of me…"
This world's Natsu scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed.
"Pretty much."
Their conversation drifted idly, while elsewhere the Strauss siblings—both sets of them—suddenly burst into lively laughter.
"Seriously? You have magic like that in your world, to make people more beautiful?"
"Of course! Skin treatments, wrinkle removal, weight-loss spells—no problem. Though services like that from guilds or shops usually cost quite a lot. I'd recommend Transformation Magic. Even if the duration's limited, it covers all of that.
And that's not all. We even have magic and enchanted items just for changing clothes—any color, any style you like."
"Really? There's more? Tell us, tell us!"
…
The excited chatter grew so loud that even PaiPai glanced up from his book, bewildered.
He couldn't understand how the topic had wandered so far. Weren't they just on the verge of a tearful farewell a moment ago? And now it was beauty treatments and fashion?
He shook his head and went back to reading.
"How about this," Mirajane said suddenly, "I'll take you all to Aslant and let you experience it for yourselves."
"Eh… wouldn't that be… inappropriate?" Mirajane (Edolas) hesitated.
"Inappropriate? Why?" the Aslant Mirajane asked without a second thought.
"Well… we're from two different worlds, aren't we? And our currencies aren't the same either. If so many of us go together, then you…" Mirajane trailed off, clearly worried about the burden falling on her counterpart's wallet.
"No problem at all. Our guild master is a kind man. If he hears that Fairy Tail from another world came to visit, he'll be thrilled." Aslant Mirajane sold out Makarov without hesitation.
"That's… not right." Mirajane (Edolas) couldn't just shamelessly accept that. "We can bring some local specialties from this side and sell them over there. That way, we'll have money to spend. Oh, does your world accept gold?"
"Gold is no problem. Other specialties should work too. That's a great idea." Aslant Mirajane nodded approvingly, then shot a glance at her siblings. They immediately caught on.
Meanwhile, she stepped up to PaiPai, preparing to clear the last obstacle for their interworld trip.
"Elder… when we return, could you bring the members of this Fairy Tail to our world as well?"
"The marks on your arms can already do that," PaiPai replied without looking up. "They open a lasting channel. The cost in magic and stamina will be higher, but manageable. Just don't use it more than twice a day."
Thank you. Mirajane bowed deeply.