— — — — — —
After a while, everyone began to head home. Romeo helped his father back to rest, and Makarov shuffled off to bed, still grumbling.
"Tomorrow my ears are gonna suffer again... those Magic Council geezers will nag me nonstop," he muttered as he left. "All that boy Kazuma's fault…"
But even as he complained, he didn't mean a word of blame. The kids caused trouble, sure—but he was the one who'd always clean up after them. That was a guild master's duty.
Lucy had had enough for one day. Between freezing weather, giant monsters, and nearly dying twice, she was ready to collapse.
After saying goodbye to Kazuma, she headed out to find an inn for the night.
Before long, only two people remained in the quiet guild hall: Mirajane and Kazuma.
"You probably haven't eaten yet, huh?" Mira said with a soft smile. "What do you want? I'll cook something for you. On the house—special service from your favorite barmaid."
"Anything's fine. Just no chili peppers," Kazuma replied, leaning against the bar. "Whatever's left in the kitchen will do."
"Got it. Sit tight, I'll whip something up."
She disappeared into the kitchen.
A faint ding echoed in Kazuma's head:
[Mission Complete.]
[Reward: Magic Capacity Buff +10%]
He looked out at the rain tapping against the window. "Still coming down, huh? Guess this storm's gonna last a while. Man, I'm starving. How long's that food gonna take?"
"Almost done," Mira called from the kitchen. "If you're really that hungry, there's juice and snacks behind the bar. Help yourself."
"Snacks and juice, huh?" Kazuma leaned over the counter and rummaged around. "I knew you were hiding something back here. So this is what you sneak while pretending to polish glasses."
Sure enough, he pulled out a half-empty bag of chips and an unopened bottle of fruit juice.
"I'm starting to think this guild has serious management issues. The barmaid eats on the job, the members destroy buildings... Fairy Tail's a ticking time bomb."
He took a sip of juice. "Guess it's up to me to save it. Gotta get the old man to retire soon so I can take over. For the good of the guild, of course. A true hero, destined by fate—and gifted with divine cheat codes."
He chuckled, munching on snacks until Mira returned, carrying a tray.
"The pantry's almost empty, so this is all I could make," she said, setting it down with a smile. "Soup to warm you up, rice with stew, a grilled fish, and some pickled veggies."
The aroma filled the air. Kazuma didn't hesitate—he dug in immediately.
"This is amazing," he said with his mouth full. "You know, I was gonna treat you next time, but it looks like you beat me to it."
He gave her a thumbs-up, grinning. Honestly, before joining Fairy Tail, he'd assumed Mirajane couldn't cook—too cute, too gentle, too airheaded. But the food proved him wrong. It was delicious, and clearly made with care.
"Hmm, feeling a little embarrassed now?" Mira teased, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him eat.
Normally, Kazuma was always out doing missions. They'd spoken plenty, but only about work—requests, rewards, paperwork. This was their first real conversation.
She found herself curious. What did someone like him look like when he wasn't doing missions?
"Embarrassed? Nah~ It's just dinner," he said casually. "If it bothers you, I'll treat you twice next time."
She giggled. "You really don't know shame, do you?"
"Thick skin means good defense. Better survival stats. Less chance of injury on missions." He wiped his mouth and leaned back. "Speaking of which, could you check if there are any suitable requests for tomorrow? I'll nap after this, then head out again."
"You never stop, do you?" Mira sighed softly. "I don't get it. You've already earned more than enough. Why keep pushing yourself so hard?"
"I know you're strong, but even the strongest people run into danger someday."
Her tone grew quiet. She looked at him, really looked at him—the stubborn determination in his eyes, the fire that never seemed to go out—and couldn't help but shake her head.
No matter how powerful someone was, no one could avoid mistakes forever. She knew that better than anyone.
Once, she'd been just like him—young, gifted, confident. An S-Class mage at a shockingly early age.
And because of that pride, she'd lost the person she loved most.
She didn't want to see Kazuma end up the same way.
"Hahaha, Mira, thanks for worrying about me—but trust me, no one treasures his own life more than I do."
Kazuma smiled at her anxious expression. Sometimes, it really did feel good to have someone care.
"If that's true, then why do you still—" Before she could finish, Kazuma cut her off.
"Mira, danger's like the tide. You can't just ignore it and hope it goes away. Most times, the longer you run, the higher it rises."
He leaned forward, eyes steady. "We're like sailors on a tiny boat in the open sea. It might look calm now, but a storm can hit anytime."
"I don't expect luck to save me. I don't pray for fate to take my side. And I sure as hell don't expect danger to spare me."
"The only thing I believe in is myself—and the weapons in my hands."
"I keep getting stronger for one reason: so that when danger shows up, I won't be the one crying helplessly. I'll face it head-on, with my guns blazing, and protect the people and things I care about."
His voice was firm, eyes unwavering. He knew that real danger was coming someday—but hiding wasn't an option.
Sure, he could probably run. He might even survive that way. But what about everyone else?
Makarov, who took him in? Mira, who cooked him dinner? The rowdy guildmates who fought and laughed beside him?
Would they survive if he wasn't there?
He didn't know. But he refused to leave their fate to luck or destiny.
When danger arrived, he'd fight until his last breath before ever running away.
For him, fate existed only within his firing range.
.
.
.