"Because of that accident, our souls ended up resonating… a communion of souls," Rain explained calmly.
"It meant that everything we experienced—each other's lives, emotions, memories—we understood all of it."
That explanation made everything clear.
"A… communion of souls?"
After hearing that, a trace of realization appeared on Erza's face. She finally understood what that strange scene from earlier truly meant.
A communion of souls was no trivial matter.
In fact, it was one of the most dangerous things imaginable.
The soul itself was the most essential form of existence.
A body could be injured, even lose parts, and still survive if one endured the pain—but the soul was different. Lose even a fragment of it, and the consequences were irreversible.
Trying to exist with a damaged soul was simply impossible.
All things considered, the compatibility between Rain and Dimaria had to be extraordinarily high.
Perhaps it was because both of them were magic-borne beings—people who had received power from higher forces—that they were able to survive such a reckless experience.
In short, the process itself was extremely dangerous, but the two of them still managed to get through it safely.
The problem was the aftermath.
No… calling it "a problem" wasn't quite right.
From now on, it would probably be impossible for Dimaria to ever leave Rain's side again.
Of course, that wasn't just because of the communion itself—it also involved Rain and Dimaria's own feelings.
"…That's really complicated."
Erza rubbed her forehead, her expression turning into a rare look of genuine distress. Even for her, this situation felt difficult to deal with.
Then—suddenly—she froze.
"Wait… why am I even worrying about this?"
Only then did Erza realize something was off.
She wasn't the main wife, so why was she stressing over this like it was her problem?
Shouldn't this kind of headache be Mirajane's responsibility?
What was she doing, thinking herself into knots over someone else's mess?
"…Since when did I just assume Mira was the main wife?"
Erza frowned slightly, seriously questioning her own thoughts.
Was something wrong with her head?
Was she really just… surrendering without a fight?
That didn't make sense.
She could fight too.
"I said, Erza."
Seeing Erza lost in her own thoughts, Rain suddenly leaned closer, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"What—what is it?!"
Startled by his sudden closeness, Erza snapped back to reality, her face instantly flushing red.
Sometimes, even she couldn't understand herself anymore.
In just two months with Rain, she had blushed more than she had in the past ten years combined.
Get a grip, Erza. Be a little tougher.
"Erza… you wouldn't happen to be jealous, would you?"
Rain asked with a teasing smile.
Her reaction was honestly way too obvious.
"J-jealous?! What nonsense are you talking about?! Who would get jealous over you?! Are you shameless?!"
Erza exploded instantly, clearly struck right at the heart of the matter.
She would never admit it. Absolutely not.
"I'm telling you, I am absolutely—mmph!"
Her words were cut off mid-sentence.
The next moment, she was completely speechless.
"…This guy… he really only knows how to bully me."
That thought flashed through Erza's mind—but for some reason, the corners of her lips lifted anyway.
Despite everything, she felt… happy.
For someone like Erza, who had endured so much since childhood, Rain's appearance was like a warm light—quietly dispelling the loneliness and unease she had carried for years.
It made her feel safe.
Comforted.
And something else… something different.
She realized that she liked this feeling.
So instead of retreating from Rain's closeness, she slowly learned to accept it—bit by bit.
The frozen seed buried deep within her heart had already begun to thaw.
Under gentle warmth, it took root… and quietly started to grow.
Someday—sooner or later—this delicate rose would bloom in full.
After a long while, Rain finally pulled back, looking at Erza with a hint of concern.
"…You're not angry anymore, right?"
"Who said I was angry?!"
Erza replied stubbornly, turning her head away.
"Alright, then. Dimaria's situation is settled."
Rain smiled as he spoke.
"What about Brandish?" Erza suddenly asked, her spirit instantly revived.
"You called her 'Lante' so casually."
"…Brandish?" Rain replied seriously. "Don't you think she's kind of funny?"
"…Hmph."
Erza studied his expression for a moment, trying—and failing—to figure out what was going on in his head.
"You really are greedy."
She said it bluntly, shooting him a disdainful look.
"I admit it," Rain replied calmly. "I am greedy. But you know this—I'm serious."
He looked straight into her eyes.
Erza let out a quiet sigh.
"…I know."
And because she knew, she couldn't say anything else.
"Forget it. Let Mira deal with this kind of thing."
Just like that, Erza suddenly calmed down.
Really—why was she the one worrying about this?
This was exactly the sort of disaster Mirajane should be handling.
"…Uh—"
Rain's expression immediately stiffened.
Because the moment he imagined Mirajane finding out about Erza, Brandish, and Dimaria…
Cold sweat slid down his back.
With Mira's personality, it honestly wasn't impossible that she'd kill him on the spot.
No—thinking about it carefully—
Yeah. That was absolutely possible.
"Hmph."
Seeing Rain drenched in cold sweat, Erza finally smiled.
Why should she be the only one worried and scared?
He deserved to carry some of that burden too.
With that thought, Erza turned away cheerfully, patted the seat behind her, and went to sleep without a care in the world.
Left behind, Rain stared after her, his expression complicated.
"…Erza really has changed a lot."
The Erza from before never showed emotions like this.
But...
That had to be a good thing.
Right?
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