Following Lucy's gaze, as the corners of her mouth twitched uncontrollably—
Under the purple moonlight, four people—no, to be precise, four perverts.
Their clothes had mysteriously vanished, leaving them in nothing but their basic undergarments, utterly unshamed of their state of undress!
"Oh, don't mind such trivial matters. It just feels a bit cooler this way."
Ur was the first to notice Lucy's flushed face. She fanned herself with her pale arm and sighed contentedly. "Even my tangled emotions have calmed down quite a bit."
"It's been a while. Feels pretty good." Gray nodded in agreement.
"It's like returning to the old days."
Having come to terms with himself, Lyon had become much more cheerful, no longer wearing that grim expression. He spread his arms wide, greeting the refreshing night sea breeze with his bare chest.
Lucy: "..."
She realized she might have figured out exactly where Gray's stripping habit came from.
"I can understand those three, but even Miss Ultear..."
After a brief pause, Lucy's gaze skipped past the three perverted master and disciples and landed on Ultear.
Though this was their first meeting, a woman's intuition told her that Miss Ultear should be the elegant, dignified type—clearly not cut from the same cloth as the other three.
"I-it just feels like if I didn't do this, I wouldn't fit in."
Ultear's cheeks grew warm under Lucy's stare. She brushed her long black hair aside and murmured quietly, "Besides, it really is cooler this way."
Having only just learned the truth about her "abandonment" today, she was indeed in desperate need of cooling down.
Lucy understood her feelings, but found it difficult to relate to such an unconventional approach.
"Setting aside such trivial matters..."
Ur stepped forward and approached Chase. "I've heard everything from Gray and Lyon. Chase, I truly can't thank you enough. You gave me a second chance at life—the chance to see my two foolish disciples again."
"And my daughter, Ultear."
With that, her expression solemn and earnest, she bowed deeply to Chase.
Ultear followed suit, bowing to Chase with equal gratitude.
Though her expression was hidden behind her flowing black hair, it was even more reverent and thankful.
If Chase had saved Ur's life, then for Ultear, he had redeemed her will and her very beliefs.
Ur's resurrection had made her profoundly aware that the world she now inhabited was real, tangible, and difficult to change.
Without this man before her, she might have sunk deeper into the dream of the "Great Magical World," committing more unforgivable sins...
Thinking of Jellal, whom she had manipulated, and Meredy, whose homeland she had personally destroyed, the sorrow on Ultear's face deepened.
It seemed she had made a decision.
"Hard to believe that someone like you, Chase, belongs to the same guild as Gray, that idiot of a junior disciple."
Lyon expressed his gratitude sincerely as well, then took the opportunity to insult Gray.
"Hey! Don't let Chase's appearance fool you! He's our guild's number one destructive maniac!"
Gray's face reddened as he retorted.
Unlike Ur and the others, he knew Chase far too well. Being serious and thanking him felt awkward and uncomfortable.
In the end, he found the awkwardness too much and simply looked away, silently engraving his debt of gratitude in his heart.
"Hmm..."
Looking at the four before him, Chase rested his chin on his hand in brief contemplation.
"That's all? Just thanks?" He didn't bother with flowery formalities.
"I can never repay you for giving me my life back. Whatever I can do, anything at all." Ur said earnestly.
"I feel the same." Ultear added her promise.
Lyon and Gray said nothing, but their resolute expressions made their positions clear.
"Anything at all?"
Chase studied the sincere faces before him, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Yes!" Ur and Ultear nodded firmly without hesitation.
Only Lucy frowned slightly, vaguely guessing where this was going.
"Then, once you've rested up and recovered, how about a good fight with me?" Chase grinned.
After two exhausting days, he deserved something in return, right?
If luck was on his side, Ur and Ultear—both at Ten Wizard Saint level—should yield some pretty good cards.
Lyon was S-Class, though a bit lacking, still passable.
As for Gray...
Well, let's just pretend he wasn't there.
"Huh?"
Having mentally prepared themselves for all sorts of requests, the mother-daughter duo and Lyon were utterly bewildered.
The guild members, however, exploded.
"Of course it's that! Chase, you battle maniac!!"
"Hey, Chase! That look of yours—that dismissive look—it's seriously pissing me off!"
"Hahaha! We're fighting? Gray's master seems like a worthy opponent! I'm fired up!"
"Aye~!"
"...You really came running the moment you smelled a fight."
"Heh, a little flame like you, who belongs on a birthday cake, thinks you can challenge Ur? How delusional."
"What did you say?! You pervy saggy-eyes!"
"Hey Lucy, did you smell something? Want some fish?"
"I was talking about Natsu!"
Before long, Natsu and Gray were already at each other's throats.
Having anticipated this development, Lucy had politely declined the super-spicy fish Happy pulled from his pocket and wisely retreated to a safe distance.
The trio watched the scene, utterly dumbfounded as the atmosphere inexplicably grew heated.
***
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