A few days later, at the Fairy Tail guild hall…
Cana lay half-sprawled across a table, practically surrounded by a gloomy aura.
“…Hey, Gray.
Don’t you think Erza and Aito have gotten a little too close lately?” Gray was collapsed across the other side of the table, radiating the same gloomy energy.
“Have they?
Didn’t notice.” “All I know is Erza’s crazy strong.
I’m wondering if I really can’t beat her…” “Do you even need to wonder?
She dropped you with one punch, you useless—” Cana suddenly shot upright.
“Ah!
AAAAAH!
Damn you, Erza!” “She’s holding hands with Aito!
When did they get that close?!
I’m supposed to be Aito’s big sister!” Cana started biting a handkerchief as she glared at the pair of “siblings” following Makarov back into the guild.
“Erza!
This time I’m definitely beating you!” Gray immediately jumped in front of her.
Then he noticed something different.
“Huh?
Erza, your eye is healed?” “Congratulations…
Now fight me again!” “You really are stubborn.” Erza sighed.
“Fine.
I’ll take your challenge seriously.” “Aito, give me a sword.” Erza wasn’t wearing armor today.
Instead, she wore a neat casual dress that made her look almost like a young noble lady.
A longsword suddenly appeared in Aito’s hand.
He had retrieved it from Little Garden through Requip Magic.
“Here.” Five seconds later, the fight was over.
A black-haired porcupine was embedded in the guild wall.
Erza smiled and handed the sword back to Aito.
“Your magic is incredibly convenient.
It works really well with mine.” “You have to teach me next time.” “No problem.
With your talent, Big Sis Erza, you’ll learn it quickly.” Erza’s naturally awakened magic was called [The Knight].
Aito, however, preferred to call it [Sword Control].
It was a form of magic that used Magic Power to control and enhance weapons.
Aito had studied it himself, and then— [Magic Power Control LV1: 3708/10000] [The Knight LV0: 3/1000] The Knight had appeared directly after Magic Power Control.
That meant it was essentially an advanced application of Magic Power Control, specifically specialized toward metal weapons.
Aito suspected The Knight itself was another composite magic.
If he raised it to LV1, it would probably separate into experience for Magic Power Control plus some kind of Metal Control skill.
Magic Power Control itself was incredibly versatile.
Raising its level improved Aito’s overall control over practically every type of magic he possessed.
Erza’s naturally awakened [The Knight] was at least LV3.
In other words, she effectively possessed LV3 Magic Power Control plus LV3 Metal Control from the very beginning.
That was why she could reinforce her body with Magic Power almost instinctively.
It was basically as though awakening her magic had thrown in LV1 Enhancement Magic for free.
Then there was Erza’s naturally large Magic Power reserve and exceptionally sharp combat instincts.
Even without any systematic magical training, she could easily crush Gray through sheer numerical superiority.
Aito was genuinely a little jealous of her talent.
Her starting Magic Power was even slightly higher than his had been when he awakened.
She didn’t possess any LV4 skill, but one LV3 composite skill was worth several ordinary abilities.
And she even came with natural combat talent.
Her starting build was more luxurious than Aito’s.
‘Heaven is practically chasing her around and shoving food into her mouth.’ ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was the protagonist.’ “Wow.
Gray lost that easily.” “Looks like Erza might be carrying the next generation of Fairy Tail.” “Terrifying.
Kids these days just keep getting stronger.” Listening to everyone praise Erza, Makarov leaned on his staff with a grin threatening to split his face.
His eyes practically sparkled.
‘Wahahahaha!
Those old geezers are going to die of jealousy!’ ‘In a few years, I’ll bring Erza to one of our regular meetings and show her off!
Hahahahaha!’ Earlier that day, Aito had accompanied Erza and Makarov deep into the eastern forest.
They had gone to visit Makarov’s old flame, Porlyusica.
She was an eccentric old woman with pink hair and extraordinary medicine-making skills.
She was also an exceptionally talented pharmacist.
Porlyusica had healed Erza’s injured eye.
There were still a few minor imperfections, but it could now function normally in everyday life.
Erza was extremely grateful to her.
Aito, meanwhile, had become very interested in Porlyusica’s medical knowledge.
Unfortunately, the moment he asked her to teach him pharmaceutics, she threw him out.
Apparently, the old woman simply hated humans.
Aito had no intention of giving up.
He’d been in this world for quite a while now and had encountered all kinds of bizarre magic.
Yet he’d never seen proper healing magic.
Whenever he asked about it, everyone said it had been lost.
According to legend, gods had once existed in this world.
Priests serving their churches supposedly knew Healing Magic.
Then the gods all died, and the art eventually disappeared with them.
As a result, modern treatment relied on bandages and doctors.
There wasn’t even anything particularly magical about it.
It was basically pure science.
Porlyusica’s Potioncraft was currently the most useful healing technique Aito knew existed.
Fortunately, he’d already left a spatial coordinate near her home.
His plan was simple.
He would teleport over every so often and bother her until, someday, she finally taught him something.
Meanwhile, after Aito’s little counseling session, Erza had already escaped her confused and withdrawn state.
She no longer hid alone in corners.
Instead, she’d become remarkably confident and straightforward.
Erza was serious and strongly believed in doing what was right.
However, she was much stricter with herself than with others and rarely forced her own standards onto everyone around her.
She was almost like a discipline monitor.
For example…
Right now, she’d caught a certain black-haired porcupine who had been embedded in the wall.
Erza forced Gray’s clothes back over his head while occasionally giving him another punch to remind him to keep them on.
Poor Gray trembled beneath Erza’s iron fist.
Even his eyes had become unusually clear and innocent.
“Little Aito, come sit with Big Sis.” Cana immediately took advantage of the opportunity and pulled Aito aside.
She pouted jealously.
“Aito…” “Tell me.
Who’s your best big sister?” “Me or Erza?” ‘I-I-I’m Aito’s real big sister!
Me and nobody else!’ “…” Aito started sweating.
‘Little girls are really troublesome.’ ‘She can even get jealous over this?’ “I like Big Sis Levy more.” Cana: “?” “Haha!
I heard that!
I heard it!” Levy suddenly popped out from behind Aito and wrapped her arms around him.
“I like little Aito best too!” “Noooo!
Absolutely not!” Cana immediately lunged forward.
“Damn you, Levy!
Give Aito back!” Aito was completely enveloped in a soft and fragrant embrace, being snatched back and forth by the two girls.
He was utterly delighted by the blissful chaos.
“Stop messing around, Big Sis Cana.” Aito finally escaped.
“Can I see your Guild Mark for a second?” “Huh?” Cana’s cheeks reddened slightly.
After a moment of hesitation, she lifted the hem of her shirt just enough to reveal the Guild Mark at her waist.
“Here.
If Aito wants to look, then—eep!” “Little Aito, what are you doing?” Aito placed his palm directly over the Guild Mark.
Waves of Magic Power flowed from his hand.
When he finally moved it away, the black Fairy Tail emblem at Cana’s waist had gained a faint pink outline.
It was so subtle that most people wouldn’t notice without looking carefully.
“This is something I developed by combining my research into Script Magic and Spatial Magic.” Aito proudly announced its name.
[Aito’s Flying Thunder God Space-Time Flash First-Form Seal] “Of course…” “You can also just call it [Aito’s Mark].” “?” Cana froze.
Then her face rapidly turned red.
“W-What kind of ridiculous name is that?!” She touched the mark.
“Does that mean…
Aito marked me?” “It’s actually just a spatial coordinate.” “As long as you activate it with Magic Power, I’ll immediately sense your location.” Aito waved his fingers dramatically.
“And then—whoosh!” “I’ll appear right beside you.” He raised two fingers in a V-sign.
“My current maximum teleportation range is a little over fifty kilometers.” “As long as you’re inside that range, I can sense the fluctuation from your activated mark and reach you immediately.” “Pretty amazing, right?” In reality, Aito could vaguely sense nearby marked coordinates even without the bearer deliberately activating them.
There was no particular reason to mention that, though.
So he didn’t.
Cana gently touched the mark at her waist.
Realizing that Aito had created it because he cared about her safety filled her heart with warmth.
She couldn’t suppress the smile spreading across her face.
“I-I see.” “But Big Sis would never ask her little brother to save her!” “I’m supposed to be the one protecting Aito!” Cana puffed out her chest before immediately softening again.
“Still…
since little Aito went through all this trouble for me, Big Sis will happily accept it~” Levy’s eyes immediately lit up with envy.
“Aito!” “I want one too!” “Okay, okay.” Aito waved his hands.
“Don’t worry.
Everyone gets one~” …
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