Lucy pressed herself back against the window again, staring in surprise at the scene inside the guild, where young Kabe impatiently waved Laki and the others away.
"So big brother Kabe was already an S Class mage at such a young age? That is amazing."
Happy suddenly remembered something and gasped.
"Oh! I remember now! This year is X778. I was born this year too!"
Once he said it, a little disappointment crept onto his face.
"I kind of wanted to see what I looked like as a newborn. What a shame."
"So where are we exactly in this point in time?" Lucy wondered aloud.
"Yeah, on this day, if I remember right, I was in the guild," Natsu added.
Now that they had confirmed the date, Gray and Natsu got even more anxious to find their younger selves.
But no matter how they searched, they did not see themselves anywhere.
Erza folded her arms and thought it over, then said uncertainly,
"The three of us and Cana... I think we went out to prepare a gift for Kabe.
If I am not mistaken, we should be arriving soon."
Hearing that, the boys immediately looked toward the guild doors, anticipation in their eyes.
Sure enough, just as Erza had said, four small figures soon appeared at the entrance.
The moment little Erza stepped into the guild, she ran straight toward Kabe.
Standing in front of him under his puzzled gaze, she took out a key, her face burning red as she offered it to him with both hands.
"Kabe, I rented another place outside. This is the key to my room... please accept it."
"That is not how this is supposed to go at all! Are you giving yourself away as the present?!"
Gray roared in outrage, and Natsu also jabbed a finger at the exhausted younger version of himself slumped behind Erza, tongue hanging out like a dead dog.
"I remember now. Early that morning, Gray and I got roped in as muscle to help Erza move.
Her whole house was full of ridiculously heavy armor. We almost died carrying it all!"
When he finished, both boys shot Erza a pair of deeply resentful looks.
Lucy covered her mouth and whispered,
"Wow. Even little Erza is super bold."
Erza's face turned bright red and she quietly lowered her head.
...
Inside the guild, Erza's bold move blew everyone up again.
A few of the still single uncles watched Kabe being all close and ambiguous with Mira, while also receiving Erza's open declaration, and their jealousy was about to crush their teeth.
"Why him? What does that brat even have?!"
"Yeah! Smooth talking little punks like him are the least reliable.
Real dependability comes from mature men like us!"
"Kabe, I challenge you to a duel!"
Kabe was already numb from all the shouting, but that still was not the worst part.
The true problem came when Mira exploded right beside him.
"Armor girl! Y-you... you actually cut in and stole my man!
Everyone in the guild knows Kabe lives in my house. What is the meaning of you giving him your room key?!"
Thanks to Cana's persuasion last night, Erza had already figured things out.
If she liked someone, she should chase him bravely. Even if her rival was a guild mate, she would not back down.
"Stole your man? Do not flatter yourself.
Kabe just took pity on you and lives with you to help pay the rent, that is all.
Giving him my key has nothing to do with you.
And another thing, the place I rented is right next door to your house.
As long as he wants, he can drop by my place anytime."
"Wuuuu..."
Seeing Mira's face heat up in an instant, steam practically rising from her head, Kabe could almost hear the whistle of a steam locomotive in his mind.
He did not even need to guess what would happen next.
"You shameless armor girl!"
"You fake pitiful delinquent brat!"
They shouted at the same time as they lunged forward, fists swinging.
The next second, the two of them were throwing punches and kicks at each other in a full on brawl.
Watching the two girls who usually glared at each other like sworn enemies now beating on each other for his sake, Kabe suddenly felt a wave of irritation.
Then he raised his voice and roared,
"Enough! What do you take me for, something you can fight over whenever you like?!"
His angry question made both of them freeze in place.
In more than two years together, this was the first time anyone had seen Kabe this angry.
Erza immediately fidgeted, nervously twisting the hem of her skirt.
Mira lowered her head uneasily, stealing small glances at his expression.
Looking at the two girls suddenly acting like children who had been caught doing something wrong, Kabe frowned, his voice low and tense, as if crushing down his temper.
"You two..."
Gulp.
Both girls swallowed at the same time.
"When did I ever say I had to choose only one of you?
A man as handsome, stylish, powerful, and reliable as me should obviously have all of it.
So there is no need to fight. You can both become my wings."
He spread his arms as he spoke, clearly intending to pull them both into his embrace.
Hearing that sudden shift in tone and feeling the pure narcissism dripping from his words, the whole guild fell dead silent.
Veins bulged on Mira and Erza's foreheads at the same time.
"Keep dreaming, you disgusting piece of trash!"
The two girls moved in perfect sync.
Mira punched, Erza kicked, unleashing a combined attack that brutally pounded the scumbag into the floor.
After a series of miserable screams, Kabe was sent flying out of the guild with one last heavy kick.
"Idiot, do not let me see you in the guild again today.
If I see you, I will beat you every time."
"Trash."
Leaving those harsh words behind, the two women glanced at each other, then clasped hands and walked away side by side.
At the window, Lucy and Happy both stared, completely stunned.
Lucy whispered,
"T-that... really does look like Kabe."
Happy nodded solemnly.
"Yeah. Kabe is the real man of the guild."
Natsu and Gray stayed quiet, only sighing in their hearts.
There it is. Mira and Erza's first legendary reconciliation.
All four of them turned to look at the present Erza, whose face was full of gentle nostalgia, and carefully observed her expression.
"So that is how it was...
You saw Mira and me, both Fairy Tail mages, fighting each other like that and could not stand it.
In the end you used yourself as the target, letting us beat up the same person so we would reconcile.
Back then I was too angry to think about it, but now I see.
Even at that time, Kabe already understood what it meant to sacrifice himself for others."