Shane's movement of picking up food paused slightly in mid-air, then continued as if nothing happened, only the chewing speed slowed down a bit.
Didn't expect Ultear to act so fast—does she hate me that much? He subconsciously touched his cheek, muttering in his heart.
Moreover, his gaze turned to the dejected Gray.
Reasonably speaking, Ultear shouldn't know Gray is with me. She's actually paying special attention to him? Could it be—this guy is really her master's daughter?
Stared at by Shane's thoughtful gaze, Gray felt his back prickling and couldn't help looking up. "W-What's wrong?"
Shane withdrew his gaze and waved his hand. "Nothing." His tone was flat but carried an unquestionable tone. "However, from now on, you will act with me; don't be alone."
"Why?" Gray immediately became dissatisfied. Stay in the blacksmith shop forging iron with Shane? Might as well go swimming in the sea and feed the fish!
"Are you stupid?" Shane glanced at him. "We're being watched, and you still want to act alone?"
Gray reacted, somewhat incredulous. "You mean, that gaze on the sea—was Ultear?"
"Otherwise?" Shane asked back. "Besides her, who else would be peeping from behind?"
"So what." A trace of defiance appeared on Gray's face.
He knew Ultear was about the same age as him. Speaking of Ice-Make Magic, he didn't think he would lose to any peer.
"If she really comes looking, I might not necessarily lose to her—"
"Rest assured," Shane interrupted his fantasy mercilessly, "you are far behind Ultear."
Looking at Gray's instantly collapsed face, he issued a final ultimatum. "Anyway, just follow me and don't go anywhere. There is no room for discussion on this matter."
Completely suppressed by Shane's dictatorship, Gray lowered his head resentfully, secretly swearing never to act with this guy again in the future.
Shane couldn't be bothered with his little emotions; he was the one who insisted on following.
Early the next morning, Shane took the two into the blacksmith shop again.
The clang-clang sound of hammering lasted the whole morning.
Erza got the rapier forged with another piece of Lacrima as she wished.
This "Magic Breaking" rapier had an elegant and slender shape. The sword body flowed with a faint purple halo, completely different in style from the previous heavy "Iron Cutting" sword.
Erza waved it gently, unable to put it down, feeling the sensation of the sword body breaking through the air.
Gray squatted sulkily by the door, eagerly looking at people coming and going outside, looking exactly like an abandoned puppy.
Seeing his appearance, Shane finally couldn't help sighing. "Let's go. Take us to that sea area you went to yesterday. Maybe we can find some traces of the Winter Tail Fish."
However, the so-called search was more like going through the motions.
Shane just stood at the bow, his gaze sweeping carelessly over the sparkling waves. In less than two hours, he announced giving up. "Seems luck is bad today. Let's go ashore and find a place to train."
The three came to a secluded beach nearby.
Shane pointed to Gray and Erza. "You two spar. Gray use your Ice-Make; Erza just happens to get familiar with the new weapon."
Gray didn't know Erza's strength and wasn't very interested at first, but when they actually engaged, the scene was almost one-sided.
Holding "Magic Breaking," Erza moved agilely. Every time the purple sword light flashed, it could accurately shatter the ice shields, ice lances, and even more complex creations condensed by Gray.
Forcing Gray to put away his contempt and deal with it fully, yet he still couldn't find a chance to counterattack.
Shane watched from the side with his arms crossed, nodding in satisfaction.
Gray, this kid, was indeed a bit too weak. It was just right to take this opportunity to strengthen him. Erza could also take advantage of the situation to get used to the new weapon, killing two birds with one stone.
For the next few days, the three's lives became unusually regular.
In the morning, they would take a boat out to sea and circle that sea area routinely. In the afternoon, they would come to this beach without fail, with Erza "guiding" Gray.
During this period, not only Gray, but even Shane caught that faint feeling of peeping several times.
But he didn't point it out, pretending not to know, still repeating the same itinerary at the same time, in the same sea area, and on the same beach every day.
Until this day, the three came to the familiar beach again.
Everything seemed no different from usual; the sea breeze was gentle, the sound of waves steady.
But as soon as Shane's foot stepped on the sand, a subtle strangeness passed through his heart.
Because the ability of "Eyes of Karma" was too conspicuous, he quietly switched to Arash's Clairvoyance, his extraordinary vision sweeping silently across the entire beach.
Sure enough, there's something. Shane thought to himself.
Buried under the sand were seeds and saplings that didn't belong to this beach.
This reminded Shane of Ultear's method of raiding him with instantly growing trees last time, leaving him speechless.
Does she still want to use this move to get back at me?
At this time, Gray was still unaware, habitually rushing toward the center of the beach like the previous days, ready to start today's "getting beaten" training.
Given that Gray never wore a shirt, Shane had to grab his waistband and pull him back.
"Not training today for now." Shane let go, his tone calm. "Show you something else."
He gave Erza a look. The latter understood and quietly retreated half a step.
Shane walked forward alone with steady steps.
The moment he stepped into the center area—the sand surged abruptly!
On the beach of dozens of square meters, countless green saplings broke through the soil, growing rapidly in the wind.
In the blink of an eye, they turned into countless twisted dancing trunks and vines, like a ferocious green wave, swallowing Shane completely.
What's the situation?
Gray watched dumbfounded. "Th—this is what he wanted to show me?"
Almost simultaneously, a cold female voice carrying resentment sounded from an empty place not far away: "Clearly sensed the anomaly, yet still walked in—Shane, you are as arrogant as ever."
Ultear's figure slowly appeared. She let down her long hair, wrapped in a white robe like a yukata, revealing a seductiveness inconsistent with her age.
"Ur—Ur?" Gray looked incredulously at that face extremely similar to his master.
"Don't call me that name! Especially you, Gray!" Ultear seemed to have touched some unhappy memory, anger rising suddenly in her eyes.
She raised one hand, and dozens of crystal balls floated in front of her like stars.
"Don't you use Ice-Make Magic?" Gray was puzzled.
"Who would learn that woman's magic." Ultear glanced coldly at the direction where Shane was trapped by plants, obviously knowing he revealed it, noting another debt against him in her heart.
With a wave of her hand, the crystal balls shot toward Erza and Gray like meteors.
Gray gritted his teeth, just about to cross his fists and palms to use Ice-Make to counterattack, but was put in a headlock by Erza. "We leave first."
"But Shane is still inside!" Gray said anxiously.
Although he and Shane didn't see eye to eye, they were still guild comrades; how could he leave him behind?
Moreover, Ultear attacked mercilessly, completely different from what he imagined, which also shook his heart.
"Don't rush," Erza pulled him back rapidly. "Take a good look at Shane's true strength."
Before her voice fell, the situation in the field changed again.
Thick smoke suddenly seeped out from the gaps of that airtight plant cage, followed by a dense sizzle sound, as if moisture was being evaporated rapidly.
The originally verdant vines withered, yellowed, and charred at a speed visible to the naked eye.
A suffocating heat spread.
Next second—
BOOM!!
Raging crimson flames shot up into the sky like a wild beast breaking free from a cage, instantly tearing and swallowing the withered vines, turning them into black debris flying all over the sky.
Scorching heat waves rolled and scattered, even pushing away a circle of fine sand on the beach surface.
In the center of the flames, a white cloak danced with the heat.
Shane stood quietly on the spot, surrounded by undissipated sparks and heat currents.
"Waited for you for a long time, Ultear."