Over the next few days, Byakuran, having just completed a mission, entered another period of rest.
Every day, he stayed at the guild, browsing through magic books while studying Card Magic with Cana.
His life was quite comfortable.
However, peaceful days always had their share of lively little interludes.
During these days, Gray’s pride had been thoroughly wounded.
To save face, he challenged Erza every day, only to be beaten down and defeated by her without exception.
Watching from the sidelines, Byakuran couldn’t help sighing in amazement.
Gray truly lived up to his future reputation as someone who could stand alongside Natsu as one of Fairy Tail’s biggest troublemakers.
His perseverance and refusal to give up despite repeated failures were genuinely admirable.
However, since Byakuran had accepted the task of looking after Erza, he always wanted to do something to help her integrate into the guild.
Directly “picking a fight” with her like Gray was obviously out of the question.
But if he simply tried to talk to her, the current Erza wouldn’t pay him any attention at all.
After thinking about it for a long time, Byakuran suddenly remembered that Erza in the original story seemed to have an extraordinary obsession with sweets.
If that was the case, why not use cake as a breakthrough point?
Therefore, every morning before coming to the guild, Byakuran deliberately bought several exquisite cakes.
Once he arrived, he would take one out, place it in front of Erza, smile, and say,
“It’s delicious. Give it a try.”
Then he would quietly walk away.
The remaining cakes were shared with Cana and the others.
Byakuran figured that treating everyone to cake together would make his actions toward Erza seem less abrupt.
During the first few days, Erza remained completely indifferent to the cake in front of her.
She never touched it, not even when she was about to leave the guild.
This left Byakuran somewhat helpless.
In the end, he could only eat the remaining cake himself.
Fortunately, he had a sweet tooth as well, so it wasn’t much of a problem.
However, considering Erza’s personality, Byakuran felt that perhaps she simply hadn’t experienced the joy of sweets yet.
Once her love for sweets was awakened, she would naturally become attached to them.
With that thought in mind, Byakuran refused to give up.
Every day, he continued bringing a fresh cake and placing it in front of her.
That day, Byakuran pulled out a chair and sat opposite Cana, preparing to begin that day’s Card Magic training.
Looking at the sliced cake on the table, Cana rubbed her temples and sighed helplessly.
“Do you really think this method is going to work? By the time Erza finally integrates into the guild, the two of us are going to have gained an entire circle around our waists!”
“Haha. We’re still growing. What’s there to worry about if we eat a little more?”
Byakuran smiled before muttering thoughtfully,
“Although… eating cake every day really does get tiring. Let’s keep trying for a few more days. If there’s still no progress, I’ll try a different food.”
A trace of worry flashed through Cana’s eyes.
“Sigh. I know you want to help Erza become part of the guild, but it feels like you’ve been doing all this for nothing.”
“I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I feel like Erza has become even more withdrawn lately. She’s also spending less and less time in the guild.”
Byakuran’s expression froze.
“Uh… Don’t make it sound like I’m the main culprit.”
He coughed awkwardly.
“Erza’s reluctance to stay in the guild is probably because of Gray. Ever since he was defeated by Erza that day, he’s challenged her every single day. He gets beaten black and blue but still refuses to give up.”
“Erza is probably just annoyed by him.”
As they spoke, a familiar commotion suddenly sounded nearby.
Sure enough, Gray was once again charging toward Erza.
“Erza! I want to challenge you!”
Not long afterward, the guild doors were pushed open.
Erza walked outside with a cold expression, leaving the battered and bruised Gray standing behind her with lingering resentment.
“Damn it…”
Everyone around them had grown accustomed to the scene and immediately burst into laughter.
Recently, this had practically become everyone’s favorite after-meal entertainment.
The bruised and battered Gray sat at an empty table in the center of the guild, gritting his teeth with a face full of unwillingness.
Being easily and instantly defeated time and time again by Erza—the person he couldn’t stand—made it incredibly difficult for Gray to save face.
At that moment, Wakaba and Macao came over and decided to add fuel to the fire.
“Beaten by Erza again, Gray?”
Macao grinned mischievously.
Wakaba had a cigarette hanging from his mouth and wore his usual lecherous smile.
“You really don’t know when to give up, do you? I’m starting to wonder… Have you fallen for her?”
“Shut up!”
Gray flew into a helpless rage.
But those two shameless old men completely ignored his protest and continued teasing him.
“That girl can beat Gray up this badly? She’s really something.”
“Is this the person who will shoulder the future of Fairy Tail? Lady Erza?”
Hearing this, all the anger Gray had accumulated finally erupted.
He violently kicked his chair aside, stood up, and roared at the two men.
“Even if I die, I won’t acknowledge that woman as my comrade!” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“I’ll defeat her!”
After shouting those words, Gray stormed out of the guild without looking back, apparently intending to find Erza and continue their duel.
Byakuran watched him leave, his brows furrowing slightly.
He couldn’t help feeling worried.
If this continued, wouldn’t those two awkward children end up harboring a genuine grudge against each other?
And would this really help Erza open her heart?
Putting himself in Erza’s position, even Byakuran—who knew that Gray wasn’t actually a bad person—would have trouble tolerating someone pestering him for a fight every single day.
For Erza, who currently knew almost nothing about the others and was already extremely guarded, it would be even worse.
“I’m a little worried. I’ll go find Gray and stop him.”
Byakuran stood up.
“Don’t let him actually start a fight with Erza somewhere outside, or he might end up lying dead somewhere in the suburbs.”
“Pfft!”
Cana couldn’t help laughing.
“That’s true. I’ll go with you.”
With that, the two picked up the untouched cake from the table and walked out of the guild side by side.
Evening
The setting sun slowly sank toward the horizon.
The distant river shimmered like countless strips of finely shattered gold beneath the fading sunlight, while the evening breeze swept across the long riverbank, carrying a faintly cool mist from the water.
Gray wandered aimlessly along the embankment.
Although he had rushed out of the guild with the burning determination to find Erza and fight her again, once he was outside, he realized he didn’t even know where she might have gone.
As a result, he wandered around for most of the day.
The anger that had been building inside him gradually dissipated after walking aimlessly for so long, leaving behind nothing but an indescribable sense of irritation.
He angrily kicked a pebble at his feet and muttered a curse at himself for being an idiot.
Even so, he still didn’t turn back.
Then, by chance, Gray glanced toward the riverbank.
A scarlet figure caught his attention.
Erza was sitting alone beneath the embankment.
Her petite body was slightly hunched over, and with the setting sun behind her, she looked exceptionally lonely.
Gray’s spirits immediately lifted.
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
“I finally found you, Erza!”
He shouted and rushed down the embankment toward her.
“Erza, let’s settle this! I’ll definitely defeat you today!”
Hearing the commotion behind her, Erza abruptly turned her head.
At that moment, she hadn’t had time to hide the sorrow and vulnerability on her face.
Her single visible eye shimmered with tears, and scalding drops streamed uncontrollably down her cheek.
She no longer looked like the cold-faced girl from the guild who kept everyone at a distance.
Instead, she looked like a heartbroken little girl—lonelier than anyone else.
Gray abruptly stopped.
He froze in shock.
His clenched fists slowly loosened.
The provocative words stuck in his throat.
A feeling of panic and helplessness that he had never experienced before surged from his chest straight into his mind.
“So… it’s you.”
Erza seemed to finally realize who had approached her.
A trace of helplessness flashed through her eyes.
Then she calmly stood up and raised a hand to wipe away her tears.
The movement was quick, as though she wanted to erase both the tears and the weakness she had just shown.
“Jeez. You’re the guy who never learns his lesson.”
Erza put her usual cold expression back on and stared at Gray.
“No problem. Come on.”
Gray’s brain seemed to short-circuit.
His face immediately flushed bright red.
He stared blankly at Erza and opened his mouth, but for a long time, no words came out.
Erza looked at the dazed Gray and frowned in confusion.
“What’s wrong? Are you surrendering?”
Gray finally snapped out of his trance.
His cheeks were still burning, but his gaze remained fixed on Erza’s red-rimmed eye.
Then, without even knowing where the words had come from, he blurted out,
“I’m asking you… why are you always by yourself?”
Erza froze.
She clearly hadn’t expected him to ask that.
After a moment of silence, she lowered her head and spoke quietly.
“I like being alone.”
As she said those words, the deep, unshakable sorrow returned to her face.
“Being with other people… actually makes me uncomfortable.” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Gray gritted his teeth.
His chest heaved violently.
At that moment, he finally understood.
The female tyrant standing before him—the girl who could send him flying with a single punch—was carrying an untouchable, painful past deep within her heart.
Just like him.
Gray saw straight through her disguise.
“If you really like being alone, then why are you hiding here and crying by yourself?!”
Erza was struck as if by lightning.
She stared blankly at Gray.
Gray’s face flushed.
He silently stepped forward and sat down beside her without hesitation.
He didn’t need to say anything.
His actions already expressed his feelings.
Precisely because his own heart had been hurt, he understood that one needed to stay by the side of one’s companions even more during such moments.
Having lost everything in the past, Gray understood this better than anyone.
At this moment, the scarlet-haired girl before him was no longer an opponent he wanted to defeat.
She was a companion who needed to be understood and protected.
Erza turned her head and looked at Gray sitting beside her.
The sturdy armor surrounding her heart silently cracked open, revealing a small, tender gap beneath the evening breeze.
For the first time, the corners of her mouth curved into the faintest smile in front of a companion.
“Aren’t you looking for a fight with me today?”
“Why do you care so much?!”
Gray turned his head away.
His tone remained proud and slightly tsundere, but the tips of his ears were bright red.
When Byakuran and Cana arrived, they happened to see Gray rushing down the embankment.
Cana was just about to call out to him when Byakuran raised a hand and gently pressed it against her shoulder.
He had already noticed the tears in Erza’s eyes.
He knew that this fight wasn’t going to happen.
So the two quietly watched from a short distance away.
When they saw how things ended, smiles naturally appeared on their faces.
Byakuran couldn’t help remembering the harsh words Gray had shouted that morning.
Humans really couldn’t escape the consequences of eating their own words.
Amused by the thought, Byakuran turned toward Cana.
“Let’s go. We’ll join them too.”
Byakuran led Cana down the embankment.
Their footsteps on the grass produced a soft rustling sound.
Hearing them approach, Gray suddenly jumped to his feet as if he’d been electrocuted.
His face turned bright red.
“Y-You guys were following me?!”
“Following your head!”
Cana rolled her eyes.
“You rushed out of the guild like a madman. We came because we were worried you’d get beaten flat somewhere outside.”
Byakuran sat down beside Gray and Erza.
He patted the grass beside him and nodded toward Cana, who was still standing.
Cana hesitated for a moment before carelessly sitting down as well.
The four of them sat side by side along the riverbank, facing the sparkling surface of the river.
The evening breeze swept past them, scattering the golden reflections across the water into a swaying brilliance.
Erza turned her head and looked at the three people beside her.
She didn’t say anything.
Nor did she defensively pull away as she usually did.
Her tense body gradually relaxed, and the expression in her single eye became softer than ever before.
Cana took the cake from Byakuran, cut off a piece, and held it out toward Erza.
“Here… for you.”
She glanced at Erza and quietly added,
“It’s really delicious.”
Erza stared at the exquisite strawberry cake.
Her fair fingers moved slightly.
Under the gazes of the three people beside her, she finally reached out and accepted it.
She then nodded slightly.
“Thank you.”
She opened her mouth and cautiously took a small bite.
The next second, Byakuran clearly saw her single eye light up.
It was as though countless stars had suddenly appeared within it.
Then Erza’s speed of eating the cake doubled.
She quickly devoured the remaining cake, almost as if she were sweeping away an entire storm, before finally licking the cream from her fingertips with obvious satisfaction.
Seeing this, Byakuran was finally completely relieved.
The afterglow of the setting sun stretched the shadows of the four children long across the riverbank.
Sitting side by side beneath the setting sun, they formed a warm and harmonious picture.