Judgment

Mira was stunned. "What does this have to do with me? I've never even met your sister."

"Because of fate!" Ailiya cried out.

"Just like the person you like couldn't save that girl, it's all fate's arrangement! Do you understand fate? It's something that leaves you... powerless..." Her voice lowered, filled with... a sense of helplessness.

Mira opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't comfort her at all.

Feeling powerless...

She recalled that snowy winter, and felt the same sense of helplessness.

"Actually, you don't want to replace your sister at all... right?" Mira squatted on the grass and said softly.

"Hmm..." After a long, long time, Ailiya finally let out a soft "hmm".

"Actually, you wanted to secretly kill me, so that you could escape this so-called fate. Although... I don't even know what I did to your sister," Mira said.

"You will Take Over my sister's body with your magic," Ailiya said. "Your arrival proves that my sister is already beyond saving."

"Why would I Take Over your sister in?" Mira frowned. "There's absolutely no reason."

"No reason is needed, this is the result," Ailiya said softly.

"What a load of rubbish!" Mira cursed, then stood up again, pushing Ailiya's wheelchair. "I'll take you to see my companions. If what you said is true, then I won't be turning into a demon so easily, and therefore I won't hurt them."

"Having adapted to the power of the Demon God Halphas in battle, you too are a monster."

I can't take that as a compliment.

The two chatted idly, but the rustling sounds around them caught their attention.

"Who goes there?!" Mira hissed, but her body tensed. After the battle, both of them had very little magic left.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

A crisp round of applause rang out in the night, and then a plump middle-aged man emerged from the jungle, followed by a group of guards carrying long spears.

"Village chief?" Mira frowned.

"As expected of Fairy Tail mage, not only did they suppress the demon's power in battle, but they also defeated it." The village chief said with a broad smile.

"I remember you seemed to want to hunt me down," Mira said coldly.

"But you have completely mastered the power of the demon, so you are no longer our enemy." The village chief smiled broadly, "So... please hand over the mission objective to us..."

"The mission target?" Mira was taken aback, then realized, "She's the mission target?"

"That's right."

"What do you plan to do after you hand her over to us?" Mira sensed a slight unease.

"Of course, we'll leave it to the gods to handle," the village chief said with a smile.

"Does the goddess just stay at your shrine and sleep soundly? And then you send the demon there to judge her?"

The village chief's smile was somewhat stiff, but he still didn't lose his temper, saying, "We will send it to the gods with fire, so that the gods can deal with it."

"So that's burning at the stake?"

"Good."

"But I think she's just a naughty child." Mira glanced at everyone's faces and said calmly, "Isn't burning her at the stake too cruel?"

"She's a demon!" the village chief emphasized, his voice sharp. "And she's killed people!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Mira asked Ailiya.

"They deserve to die!" Ailiya's face contorted with rage.

"Did you see that? This is what it really looks like!" the village chief exclaimed. "Get out of the way!"

Mira slowly entered her Satan Soul Form, standing in front of Ailiya and calmly saying to the village chief, "Could we wait for my companions to arrive before making a decision?"

"Are you deliberately trying to protect her?" The village chief's expression turned completely cold.

"I guess so, because she's a bit like me back then." Mira smiled, then her eyes gradually turned cold.

"Then don't blame me for being impolite!" the village chief said coldly. "Attack!"

Everyone rushed forward. Mira gritted her teeth, and just as she was preparing to fight, a huge fireball fell from the sky, repelling all the guards.

In the Kakkō, a familiar figure appeared. The figure turned around, revealing a familiar face and a familiar smile.

Mira suddenly threw herself into his arms.

She raised her pretty face, blinked, and said, "You've been looking for me?"

"Otherwise what?" Chiba said irritably, "Running so fast, you think you can hurt me with your pathetic skills?"

"But I did hurt you." Mira muttered, "Who told you to let go, you idiot? Let go! Weren't you afraid I would have killed you back then?" As she spoke, she pinched Chiba's waist hard.

Chiba grinned and said, "Everyone says you're only a novice, how could you possibly kill me?!"

"Hmph! Your skills are nothing but a lousy amateur! You bastard!"

"Hateful!"

From within the flames came the village chief's angry shouts.

Chiba released Mira and then walked towards the village chief.

The flames were quickly extinguished by the guards, who were all mages. Destroying Chiba was merely an attempt to stop their Great Fireball Technique, so it wasn't too difficult for them.

"Village Chief, may we have a talk?" Chiba said loudly.

Surrounded by the crowd, the village chief strode over, sneering, "Negotiation? You even want to kill us, how can we negotiate? I'm going to take this to the Magic Council and accuse Fairy Tail of their crimes."

"Don't try that on me. I didn't lift a finger, and you don't need to threaten me with the guild." Chiba said calmly, "Of course, as mages in the guild, we will definitely do our best to solve the client's mission."

"Then hand that guy over to us," the village chief said coldly. "Give us the guy, and I'll pay you immediately. We'll keep to ourselves from now on."

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. Helping you solve your problem isn't just about handing her over to you." Chiba glanced at Ailiya and said, "Taking her away will solve your problem just as well."

"What did you say?! Take her away?! She killed our villagers!"

"It was her sister who killed your villagers; it had nothing to do with her," Chiba said calmly.

"No!" the village chief immediately refused. "It must be judged by us!"

"Then... there's nothing we can do..."

Chiba smiled faintly, "Then let's see if you can beat me."

"You!" The village chief's voice trailed off.

He remembered; the boy's strength was simply...

"Get them!" But he gritted his teeth and gave a low shout.

"Yes!"

The guards rushed forward, but Chiba formed the Ren seal with his hands.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

He used his Shadow Clone Technique to walk towards Ailiya; dealing with these small fry didn't require his personal intervention at all.

Ailiya gritted her teeth. "Why won't you hand me over? Do you think I'll thank you for that?!"

Chiba shrugged. "I saw your sister."

Ailiya was stunned.