Early the next morning, a steady, rhythmic knock sounded from outside the door.
Shane was still wrestling with sleep in the bedroom, but Erza was already awake.
She rubbed her eyes. A flash of Requip magic shimmered, and a simple T-shirt and long pants replaced the silk robe she'd been wearing.
With a creak, the door swung open.
Standing outside in the morning light was Ultear.
The black-haired girl hadn't dressed up—just practical clothes for movement, her pretty face as expressionless as ever.
"Here for Shane? Come in," Erza said warmly, stepping aside.
Shane had told her yesterday that Ultear would be coming, so she wasn't surprised.
Ultear gave a slight nod and walked inside.
Her gaze swept the tidy living room without drawing attention to itself. Then she watched as Erza, as naturally as a hostess, invited her to sit, before turning to the kitchen and efficiently preparing hot tea.
Watching Erza's busy back, Ultear blinked in quiet confusion.
She'd grown up drifting from place to place, and she was unusually sensitive to how people interacted.
She could clearly tell that Erza's attitude toward her had shifted—just slightly—from their last meeting.
The goodwill and warmth were still there, but underneath it was a faint restraint, barely perceptible.
It didn't feel like targeted hostility—more like instinct.
Like a lioness in her territory, scenting another female whose presence could threaten her standing.
Ultear didn't understand why the change had happened, but strangely enough, she didn't dislike it.
It wasn't that she hated Erza. She was simply terrible at dealing with warmth that was too pure, too earnest, too unguarded.
This version of Erza—kind, but with a sliver of distance—actually made Ultear feel more comfortable. It sat right inside her comfort zone.
"Here's your tea," Erza said, gently setting a steaming cup of black tea in front of Ultear.
"Thank you," Ultear replied, lifting the cup. Rarely, she gave Erza a small nod and a soft word of gratitude.
"Haa… is Ultear here?"
Right then, Shane—woken by the noise—staggered out of the bedroom rubbing his eyes. He heard that last line.
In an instant, the sleep drained from his face and his expression changed.
Almost reflexively, he flicked his wrist. Lancer's water-blue twin short spears manifested in his hands, as if to suppress any enchantment magic nearby.
"Who are you?" Shane stared at the black-haired girl, fully alert and suspicious. "The Ultear I know wouldn't say thank you."
He even turned his head to warn Erza, "Be careful. She might've been mind-controlled by something."
A vein throbbed on Ultear's smooth forehead at Shane's over-the-top reaction.
With a bang, she slammed her teacup onto the table. Then she drew a deep breath and repeated to herself: This is a trial. A test of composure. Don't let this man bait you.
After that internal pep talk, she forced down her temper and returned to her usual icy calm. "When can we depart?"
Erza watched Ultear's emotions snap shut again, and a flicker of regret passed through her eyes.
She honestly thought the Ultear from a moment ago—the one who could smile and say thanks, who could get annoyed when provoked—was better than this cold, sealed-off version.
Shane, meanwhile, stared in disbelief.
She didn't explode… even after that?
Ultear's changes lately were getting harder and harder for him to wrap his head around.
Was this really the same hair-trigger, gloomy girl he knew?
Shane's senses were sharp enough to tell she was genuinely Ultear—no impersonation. His little performance just now was, frankly… him being a brat. He wanted to see her get flustered.
Wow, I'm childish, he silently roasted himself.
Then he dropped the act and turned serious. "If you're not in a rush, I want to leave in two more days."
"Why?" Ultear frowned. "And why didn't you say so yesterday?"
"You hung up so fast yesterday—when was I supposed to say it?" Shane shrugged innocently, then explained, "Because I've got a spell that should break through in the next day or two. I want to wait."
As he spoke, he naturally pulled Erza—who'd drifted a bit away to host their guest—back to his side and sat her down beside him.
Feeling the ripples in his "inner sea" stir more actively from the closeness, Shane did a quick mental estimate: that "lock" on Lancer would break today or tomorrow.
What kind of spell required staying home to train?
Ultear didn't get it, but Shane didn't look like he was lying. She reluctantly nodded. "Fine. Leaving tomorrow is also acceptable."
"Good. Then I'll make breakfast." Shane, in a great mood now that she'd agreed, headed for the kitchen. "You're a guest, after all. We should at least treat you."
But when breakfast was served and the three of them sat around the table, the atmosphere turned strangely stiff.
Ultear was naturally silent—cold by default.
And Erza, who would normally chat a bit with Shane, also kept her head down and ate since nobody started the conversation.
Shane looked at the two girls—both quiet, yet radiating totally different vibes—and couldn't stand the weird silence. He forced a topic.
"Ultear, since you're here in Magnolia anyway, want to come see our guild?"
Ultear set down her bowl and chopsticks. After a brief pause, her refusal was already on her lips. "No—"
Before she could finish, Shane—like he'd anticipated it—added, "Gray went even with Natsu yesterday. They both felt it wasn't a real win, so they took a job together last night to 'settle it' again. So even if you wanted to see him, you can't.
Oh, and Natsu's a new member. You probably haven't met him. He's got way too much energy—basically just really loud."
Once he started talking about the guild, Shane found the topic opened up naturally, and he got chattier, sharing little stories.
Erza had just finished chewing and joined in too. "I think Gray will win."
"Why?" Shane protested a bit—after all, Natsu was someone he'd personally "hammer-trained."
"Because if Gray loses," Erza lifted her eyes, her tone calm and ominous, "I'll double his training."
Why is the demon-instructor mode still active? Does she actually enjoy it? Shane complained internally.
Their back-and-forth loosened the mood around the table.
Ultear watched their interaction, hesitated, and finally nodded. "Fine…"
Her feelings toward Fairy Tail were complicated.
That way of living—people interacting with no walls between them—was something she'd never seen and couldn't quite understand.
It felt like instinctively wanting to move closer to sunlight, while also fearing that the light was too hot and would burn her.
A contradiction—through and through.