In the blink of an eye, two years had passed, and it was now X774.
Inside the Fairy Tail guild hall, Cana sat at a table, her face deadly serious as she stared at the pentagram pattern laid out before her. She took a deep breath, placed her hand on the table, and fixed her gaze on the magic crystal at the center.
"My turn! Draw!" she declared.
With a shout, a green magic circle flared to life! Above the crystal, countless white card shadows materialized, swirling and shuffling in midair as if guided by an invisible hand. They filled a small patch of space above her head.
As the tenth card's outline solidified, the shadows erupted in a blinding white light!
Crack! A sound like shattering glass echoed.
The light faded like a receding tide, and the spinning cards swooped down with a faint whoosh, landing neatly in Cana's outstretched palm.
Eyes squeezed shut, Cana's chest heaved as she braced herself. Slowly, she lifted the hand covering the cards, peeking through a tiny slit…
"Ahhh!! Why is it slimes again?!"
Her face contorted in agony as she let out a wail of despair. Her fingers flipped through the cards at lightning speed, each one raising her voice another octave:
"Slime! Slime! Slime! Beginner's iron sword? Beginner's cloth armor? Beginner's straw sandals?!"
"Comic book… comic book… a coupon for Ichiraku Ramen? A voice-changing bowtie??"
"Where am I even supposed to use an Ichiraku Ramen coupon?!"
"Ugh—" Cana collapsed onto the cold wooden table with a thud, her cheek pressed against the surface, her voice muffled and dripping with defeat. "I even shouted my ultimate draw technique! Why can't I get anything useful? Where's my luck hiding?!"
"Cana, you're drawing cards again?" Kagura sidled up, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Did you get a comic this time?"
"Here," Cana muttered weakly, lifting two fingers to hand Kagura a couple of cards, her enthusiasm long gone.
"Wow!" Kagura grabbed them eagerly, but as her eyes scanned the covers, the spark in her gaze fizzled out.
Her shoulders slumped, and she mimicked Cana, flopping onto the table with a thwap. "Ugh, it's not Pokémon! It's been three months since I got that one! I'm dying to know if Charmander evolved yet!"
Cana propped her head up with her elbow, leaning closer to Kagura with a sly whisper. "How about… we take on a week-long mission? Let's grab some monster-hunting jobs. If we score a magic recovery potion, I'm sure we'll pull something good!"
"No way!" Kagura shook her head like a rattle, her lips pursed in a pout. "Last time I went with you for a month of missions, you swore we'd get a comic. I drew a hundred times—nothing but fifty slimes!"
"I'd rather ask Roger! He pulls better cards with one try than your so-called 'ultimate technique'!"
"Who said that?!" Cana shot upright, her face flushing like a cat with its tail stepped on. "My luck's great!" She glanced around sneakily before leaning in to whisper, "I'll let you in on a secret. I recently… pulled something amazing."
With a mischievous grin, she slipped a card from her pouch and placed it in front of Kagura. The card showed a shiny red apple.
"Apple wine!" Cana's eyes gleamed with pride. "It looks like an apple, but it's not fruit inside—it's wine! Sweet, fizzy apple wine with a burst of flavor on your tongue. Ten times better than juice!"
"You stole—" Kagura's eyes widened, but before she could finish, Cana's sweaty palm clamped over her mouth.
"Shhh!" Cana's face paled, her eyes darting around in panic. "You trying to get me killed?! If Erza finds out, I'm toast!"
She eased her hand off but kept scanning the room nervously, lowering her voice to a tempting murmur. "I'm sharing 'cause I'm nice! I swear, it's delicious. I've got one more. It's super sweet—wanna try a sip?"
Kagura eyed her suspiciously, her face full of doubt. "For real? Last time you said your drink was sweet, it was bitter!"
"I swear!" Cana slung an arm around Kagura's shoulder, all buddy-buddy. "If it's even a tiny bit bitter, you can rat me out to Erza right away. Deal?"
"You two—"
A calm, steady female voice cut in from behind them.
"!!!"
Cana and Kagura froze like statues, cold sweat pouring down their backs, hearts pounding.
Cana's neck creaked like a rusty gear as she slowly turned. She forced a smile uglier than a sob, her lips twitching. "E-Erza… w-what's up?" Her voice was dry as dust.
Erza stood with her arms crossed, her armor glinting coldly. She tilted her head, her sharp brows rising in confusion. "Is it hot in here?" Her gaze landed on the beads of sweat on Cana's forehead.
"Huh? Oh! N-no, not really!" Cana's eyes darted to the ceiling, her hand frantically wiping her brow. "Just, uh… got a bit excited from drawing cards! Yeah, super excited!"
"Oh?" A flicker of interest crossed Erza's eyes. "Did you pull a cool comic?"
"Yeah! Totally!" Cana seized the lifeline, scrambling to pick up the two comic cards. She infused them with magic, and with a flash of white light, the cards turned into actual comic books.
She shoved them into Erza's hands, her face plastered with an overly sincere grin. "Here they are! Check 'em out!"
Erza took the comics, glanced at the covers, then looked up at Kagura, who was still sprawled on the table like an ostrich. "What's with Kagura? Why's she just lying there?"
Oh no! Cana's internal alarm blared. Kagura's terrible at lying—she'll spill everything! And the apple wine card is still on the table! If Erza steps closer, she'll see it!
Cana practically lunged forward, grabbing Erza's armored arm. The cold metal made her flinch, but she held on tight. "Oh, Kagura's just tired from training! Kids, y'know, they need their naps."
She quickly changed the subject, her voice pitching higher. "So, uh, what did you need me for?"
Erza, distracted by the arm grab, refocused. "The Master wants to know when Uncle Gildarts is coming back."
"Dad?" Cana blinked, racking her brain. "He said… three days from when he left?"
"Yeah, that'd be today." She tilted her head curiously. "Does the Master need him for something?"
Erza nodded. "It's about Roger's S-Class exam. The Master needs to discuss the arrangements with Gildarts."