Elfman clenched his fists, looking at his sister with a flicker of reluctance. "But… Mirajane, your arm was changed by magic. If we just explain to everyone, tell them the demon's gone, they… they'll go back to normal, right?" A faint glimmer of hope lingered in his eyes.
Mirajane shook her head firmly, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow over her eyes.
When she looked up again, her gaze was resolute but heavy with exhaustion and sorrow. "It's no use, Elfman," she said, her voice low and clear.
"They won't believe us. Even if my arm turned back to normal right now, they'd call it a demon's trick, a new curse."
"Once fear takes root, it only grows into deeper malice. Without the 'demon' to blame, judging by how they've acted lately, it won't be long before they do something even worse."
"How could…" Elfman's strength seemed to drain away. His shoulders slumped, and he lowered his head, his fists loosening helplessly.
At that moment, a burly man leading the crowd outside roared in a hoarse voice, "Last warning!"
"This is your final chance! Come out now, or we'll set this cursed shack ablaze and burn all the filth inside to ashes!"
Mirajane's body trembled, her teeth clenching with a faint grinding sound.
Her fists tightened so hard her knuckles turned white, as if she were crushing all her frustration and anger in her palms.
But in the next moment, as if her strength had run dry or she'd made a painful decision, her fists relaxed.
She took a deep breath, the air thick with the dusty, stale scent of the old house.
Her eyes lingered on the walls of what was once called "home," a deep, unshakable sadness flashing through them.
Finally, she turned to Roger and Erza, her voice carrying an almost resolute calm. "Let's… go together."
"There's a hole in the back wall. Lisanna and I dug it out—it's just big enough to crawl through. They won't notice us if we go that way."
Hearing her words, Roger and Erza let out a playful chuckle in unison, exchanging a glance.
"It's not us who'll be leaving," they said at the same time.
"Huh?" The Strauss siblings froze, their three pairs of eyes widening in confusion.
"Aren't you underestimating magic just a bit?" Roger's sharp gaze swept over the angry mob outside, a smirk tugging at his lips.
He tilted his head and asked, "Come on, tell me—who's been bullying you the worst? Point them out."
Lisanna's eyes lit up like tiny flames. She darted to the window, stood on her tiptoes, and pointed without hesitation at a sleazy-looking man leaning on a crutch. "Him! Wagg! He's the one spreading rumors about us, shouting the loudest, the nastiest! And he's the one who just mentioned poisoning us!"
Her finger quickly shifted to a yellow-haired kid peeking out from the crowd. "That yellow-haired punk! He's stolen our dried mushrooms multiple times! And he's always leading a group of kids to throw rocks at our windows!"
Her hand moved again, pointing at a heavyset woman with a spiteful expression at the back of the crowd. "That's his mom! She's always badmouthing us behind our backs with the ugliest words!"
"One time, when Elfman and I ran into her in the forest, she snatched all the mushrooms and berries we'd worked so hard to gather!"
Finally, she pointed out a few others in the front. "And Evan! June! Darl! They've all bullied us!"
"Got it." Roger ruffled Lisanna's soft hair and gave her a quick wink.
"While the Magic Council says we can't just use magic on regular folks…" he drawled, his tone shifting, "when people are trying to burn us alive, that's a clear threat to our lives—self-defense!"
"A little 'response' to teach them a lesson shouldn't be too much, right?"
"Exactly!" Erza stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Roger, her heroic face sporting a smile that was anything but gentle.
"Attempted murder and arson are serious crimes. Using magic to protect ourselves and others' lives and property is perfectly in line with guild rules and self-defense principles!"
The other two exchanged a glance and slowly moved toward the window.
Outside, the burly man's patience ran out as the house stayed silent. A ruthless glint flashed in his narrowed eyes as he struck a flint, lighting a torch with a sharp chick.
"I gave you your chance! If you'd rather die inside, don't blame us for being ruthless!"
With a fierce wave of his hand, he shouted, "Burn it! Burn it clean!"
The eager crowd let out an excited howl. Countless flaming torches soared like catapulted fireballs, carrying smoke and malice, crashing into the rickety wooden house!
Boom! Crackle!
The flames, like a ravenous beast, licked the dry wood and thatch, erupting with explosive sounds. The fire spread at an unnatural speed, thick smoke billowing upward!
"Burn! Burn the demons! The village will be safe!" someone shouted fanatically.
"Wait!" The burly man frowned, watching the flames leap to the roof beams, nearly swallowing the entire house. A sudden unease gripped him.
"This fire… it's spreading too fast. Something's off."
A young man beside him scoffed, reaching to pat his shoulder. "Uncle, what're you scared of? The faster it burns, the better! The demons'll die quicker—"
Before he could finish—
BOOM!
The flames, which had only been clinging to the house, roared to life as if injected with wild energy! They surged upward, spinning and expanding, transforming in an instant into a massive, sky-high tornado of fire!
The crimson, raging flames shot toward the heavens, igniting the dusk sky into a terrifying blood-red hue! Scorching heat waves slammed into the crowd like an invisible giant's palm!
"Ahh—!"
"My clothes!!"
"My hair! My hair's on fire!!"
"It's so hot! Help!!"
"Water! Get water!!"
"There's no water here!! Put it out! Roll on the ground!!"
The burly man roared in panic, "Quick! Use dirt! Bury the fire in dirt!!"
The crowd descended into chaos. People on fire stumbled like headless flies, rolling on the ground, while others frantically scooped dirt to smother the flames on their bodies and heads.
Dust flew, and screams filled the air.
After several chaotic minutes, the flames on the people were finally extinguished, leaving them filthy, singed, and tattered.
Just then, a young man with half his hair burned off, now nearly bald, pointed a trembling, soot-covered finger at the crimson sky, his voice warped with terror.
"G-Gods… look up there!!"
"Is… is that a person?!"