After the three "old kids" left, Erza immediately put all her attention back on the fruit tart she was halfway through. She nibbled at it in small bites, so focused it was like nothing had happened.
Shane couldn't help laughing.
"No wonder you're the guild's 'super rookie.' The master just laid out that brutal level of competition, and you're still this calm."
Erza didn't catch the teasing at all. She stuck out her rosy tongue and lightly licked the cream at the corner of her mouth, then looked at him in confusion.
"Hm? Calm?"
Shane got choked up by how naturally clueless that reaction was, so he spelled it out.
"Didn't you hear what the master said? The S-Class exam only has one passing slot each year!"
He deliberately put on a stern face, acting like a rival.
"Just so we're clear—even if it's you, Erza, I'm not holding back!"
"…Ah."
Only then did Erza seem to realize what he meant. She blinked, then—in a few quick bites—finished the rest of her fruit tart. Her cheeks puffed out like a hamster stuffing its mouth full.
"Mmph… mmph…"
She tried to speak with her mouth full, the words coming out muffled:
"I also… mmph… won't hold back!"
After declaring her resolve, Erza licked her lips, but her gaze drifted—almost uncontrollably—toward the untouched fruit tart in Shane's hands.
She remembered he didn't really like sweets…
"…" Under that moist, hopeful stare, Shane lasted exactly two seconds before he surrendered.
"Fine, fine."
With a sigh, he handed his tart over.
"Just don't mind that I already—"
Whoosh!
Before he could finish, his hand suddenly felt light. The tart had transferred into Erza's hands at an absurd speed—fast, precise, clean.
Shane's instincts kicked in like he'd been ambushed.
'That hand speed… If I run into her in the S-Class exam, I seriously can't let my guard down.'
…
With sugar in her system, Erza was clearly in a great mood. But there was still time before the magical parade started—no point just standing around.
"Come on," Shane said. "Let's walk somewhere else."
When Erza finished eating, Shane naturally took her hand, and they wandered through the festival streets without a destination.
"Hmm… that street over there's giving off cold air and I hear explosions—Gray and Natsu again. Avoid, avoid."
"And over there—huh? Why is that house missing half its wall? That demolition style feels familiar… Gildarts is here too? Avoid, avoid!"
"And there's a girl sneaking around with a bottle in a dark corner… avoid—wait. No, hold on."
Shane stopped abruptly.
He narrowed his eyes at the figure hiding in the shadows with her back to the crowd, quietly released Erza's hand, and slipped over like a cat.
"What are you doing?"
His voice drifted out behind her.
"Wah?!"
Cana nearly jumped out of her skin. Like a startled rabbit, she sprang up and hurriedly shoved whatever she was holding behind her back, turning her face away.
"N-Nothing! I'm not doing anything! I just… I'm just getting some air!"
"Air?"
Shane eyed her bulging "nothing," then leaned in and sniffed suspiciously.
A faint, unmistakable rich aroma—boozy and mature—slid straight into his nose.
"Hey!"
Cana leapt back, both hands clamped over her chest, glaring.
"What are you doing?! I'm warning you, I'm not Erza! Sniff me again and I'll report you to the master for sexual harassment!"
"…" Shane rolled his eyes.
That reverse-accusation skill was honestly impressive. And the fact she was acting tough only made him more certain she was hiding something. Normal Cana wouldn't get flustered over details like this.
"Cut it out."
He pointed straight at her.
"You're sneaking alcohol, aren't you?"
It wasn't a question. It was a verdict.
Seeing she couldn't hide it, Cana pulled the bottle out and stopped pretending. She lifted her chin, shamelessly proud for no reason.
"Yeah. I'm drinking. So what?"
Shane stared at her, baffled at what she thought she was winning.
"So what? The law says you have to be fifteen to drink. How old are you?"
"So what?" Cana stuck out her tongue and waved the bottle.
"No guards saw me. And those old guys in the guild drink every day like it's the best thing in the world. I've been curious what it tastes like!"
That was a lie.
It wasn't just curiosity. It was because Gildarts was back.
Watching her father keep treating her like some ordinary kid—never looking at her the way she wanted—left her frustration and hurt overflowing. If she didn't drink a little to vent, she felt like she'd explode.
"Honestly, you…"
Shane was completely out of words. He couldn't exactly go report her, either.
He turned to Erza, who'd been standing nearby the whole time, looking for backup.
"Erza, say something! You're basically the guild's discipline officer—aren't you supposed to step in here?"
Erza walked up, stared at Cana with her serious eyes for a few seconds, and then said—perfectly straight-faced:
"Cana, you shouldn't drink before you're fifteen. It's bad for your body."
"Oh. Got it." Cana nodded with maximum insincerity.
And then… nothing. That was it.
Erza simply turned away like she hadn't seen anything.
"Huh?!" Shane almost choked.
He wasn't even that obsessed with laws—he was just mad that Cana got to drink while he couldn't.
Fuming, he marched up to Erza, ready to argue for his "rights."
"No."
Before he could open his mouth, Erza's cool voice cut in—two words, no negotiation.
"I…"
Shane's eye twitched.
That blatant double standard made him so angry that…
…he got angry.
That's all. He couldn't do anything about this stubborn girl.
He genuinely didn't understand why Erza hated him drinking so much. She was usually pretty indulgent with him, wasn't she?
Erza watched him sulk, and the corner of her mouth lifted—so slightly it was almost invisible.
Of course she wasn't going to tell him the real reason: she liked the clean, fresh smell he always had, and she didn't want that nasty alcohol stink on him.
"Hmph!"
Shane shot Cana—who was holding her bottle like a champion—an offended glare, then grabbed Erza's hand.
"Let's go. We're leaving this little drunk alone!"
…
They kept wandering, stopping here and there at festival stalls you'd never see on ordinary days.
Without noticing, it was already five in the evening.
Fwoosh—pop!
The first fireworks burst in the sky.
And with that, the long-awaited Magical Parade finally began.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Heavy footsteps made the ground tremble. People gasped and looked up.
Makarov had used Giant magic to become a towering figure tens of meters tall, striding in from beyond the city gates.
Cradled in his hands was an ornate parade float—like a moving castle. He carefully set it down in the center of the street.
Then he shrank back down into his usual tiny self, hopped into the float, and began conducting the band.
"Woooo—!!"
Cheers erupted like a tidal wave.
The float rolled forward to roaring music and dazzling spell effects. On both sides of the street—locals, visitors, and even Goldmine and Yajima—everyone watched with wide eyes.
"Look over there!"
Someone pointed at the sky.
Laxus—who rarely showed up—was actually part of the parade. With a casual gesture, he called down thunder, lightning ripping the clouds.
And at the exact moment that thunder struck—
Gildarts leapt into the air laughing, threw a punch, and shattered the lightning itself.
The broken sparks became countless golden droplets, raining gently over the crowd—leaving only a faint tingling, not a single injury.
"So cool!!"
As the atmosphere hit its peak, Gray and Natsu took the stage—fire and ice colliding, blasting out clouds of steaming mist.
Reedus painted. Wakaba blew smoke. Purple-red flames danced to Macao's gestures.
Even Laki and Levy carefully shaped a tiny rune-carved tree together.
"Our turn!"
Shane seized the moment, wrapped an arm around Erza's waist, and snapped open his mechanical dragon wings.
In midair, Erza slipped free of his hold—dozens of swords appearing around her.
"Sword dance!"
To the rhythm of the music, the blades moved like living fish, weaving brilliant arcs of steel light—until they formed a blooming flower made of metal.
At the climax—
Shane switched his power. The dragon wings vanished, replaced by the blazing heat of Muramasa's fire.
They plunged.
Below, Makarov understood instantly—his hand enlarged, catching them both safely in his palm.
Standing on the giant's hand, Shane curled his lips into a grin and snapped his fingers.
"Flame!"
Snap!
Countless red flames appeared in the sky at once, racing and stitching together in a giant pattern.
In a single heartbeat, a massive burning emblem filled everyone's vision—
A fairy with a tail.
It was—
Fairy Tail.