Night Talk

At night.

"Knock knock!"

A knock on the door, neither too loud nor too soft, entered the room, waking Chiba from his research. Chiba quickly went to the door and opened it.

"Mr. Ailong?" Chiba looked puzzled, wondering why the other man would come to see him so late at night.

"Is it convenient for me to come in?" Ailong asked somewhat awkwardly, standing at the doorway.

"Of course." Chiba stepped aside and let Ailong into the house.

"Wood Release!" He clasped his hands together, and the wooden plank extended, eventually forming the shape of a stool.

Ailong looked at him with considerable surprise. In his opinion, Chiba, who looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, actually knew so many elemental techniques at such a young age.

"You're saying you're not using magic?" Ailong sat down, suddenly remembering what Chiba had said to Kamuer that day.

"Yes, it's Ninjutsu." Chiba also created a stool and sat opposite Ailong.

"Ninjutsu... I've seen it in some novels..." Ailong smiled, then asked, "Where's Miss Mirajane?"

"The bathroom? I created it using my abilities," Chiba replied succinctly.

"No wonder it felt so warm when I came in." Ailong seemed to have noticed the lava in the corner as well.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Ailong?" Chiba asked, getting straight to the point.

From the moment he entered, Ailong kept rambling incoherently. He seemed to want to say something, but also looked somewhat embarrassed.

And so, Ailong fell silent.

"We'll reach our destination tomorrow..."

Chiba's expression hardened; he sensed helplessness and... something inexplicable in Ailong's tone.

"To be honest, I'm still a bit skeptical of what Labi said. I think if they really wanted to kill us, the Throne should have come to hunt us down after Kamuer left. Because if it were truly a dead end, we might have chosen to fight to the death now instead of walking into their trap," Ailong suddenly said.

But then, as if unable to convince himself, he chose to remain silent again.

Chiba knew why he was silent.

Because in the face of absolute power, whether you flee halfway or reach your destination, you will die.

Running away halfway means death. Reaching the destination also means death. Why not choose to live a little longer?

Those people are toying with them.

Those people didn't care at all; perhaps they were using some kind of power to monitor them. They sat around a table eating hotpot, betting on whether the group would choose to run away halfway or reach their destination, whether they would die prematurely or prolong their lives, just like they had toyed with the Labi and his companions.

Those people don't care what choices they make; to them, it's just a cat-and-mouse game, because the outcome is already predetermined.

After a long silence, Ailong finally said slowly, "Lixi and Koi... I'm counting on you!"

Chiba was stunned.

"Mr. Ailong, what... do you mean by that?" He didn't understand the meaning behind Ailong's words, as if... he was about to die soon.

Ailong gave a wry smile and said, "I admit... I'm a coward. Ever since that day, I've lived in constant fear, terrified of the Shadow Skull. And it's not just me... almost all three of us are like that."

"Our guild... 'Spirit Realm of Wind' once clashed with a dark guild under Shadow Skull. At first, they were evenly matched, and we even had a slight advantage. But later, Shadow Skull deployed a Throne, and just one mage, he utterly crushed our entire guild. A few of us barely survived, but we were left with psychological trauma."

"On this mission, we are highly likely to be hunted by the Shadow Skull. Although I considered escaping halfway, I ultimately lacked the courage in the shadow of that behemoth. This is a feast we must attend, and it is destined to be a road of no return. If there is any possibility of survival, I believe that possibility is you."

At this point, Ailong looked into Chiba's eyes and said, "The boy who can kill the 'Throne of Wind' definitely has that possibility."

Chiba remained silent.

In his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation form, taking down one or two thrones wouldn't be a problem. But he would then fall into a coma, at which point no one could withstand the Shadow Skull's attacks, especially since there wasn't a single S-Class member in their team.

Ailong stood up and said with utmost seriousness, "If that time really comes, I hope you can protect Lixi and Koi."

Please!

As he spoke, he bowed deeply to him.

Chiba remained silent.

After a long silence, Chiba also stood up. He looked at the man who was much taller than him and said, "At least for now... we're still a team. I won't abandon you, and I hope you won't abandon us when we're in danger."

Ailong paused for a moment, then said, "Of course not!"

After seeing Ailong off, Mira came out of the bathroom. Chiba turned to look at her and said, "You heard everything?"

Mira pursed her lips and said, "Mmm."

Chiba looked towards the doorway again, seemingly sighing, "How could such a seemingly calm and resolute man be so terrified of the Shadow Skull?"

"Everyone has their own fears, and only when they truly face them can their vulnerability beneath the armor be revealed," Mira said softly. "No matter how resilient he is."

"Perhaps..."

Chiba looked out the window at the night view, and a virtual panel appeared before his eyes.

[Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu]: Completion: 100%

[Water Release, Rasengan]: Completion: 35% (Rasengan incorporating water attribute elements, effective against Fire Style, and possessing stronger cutting capabilities.)

Fairy Tail.

As the year draws to a close, the guild is always busier than usual. Guild members begin to decorate the tavern with lanterns and colorful decorations. The old man Makarov sits at the counter, drunkenly drinking, his dim yellow eyes sweeping over the noisy children in the guild, a knowing smile on his face.

"Hey! Where did Chiba go? I haven't seen him for days!!"

Natsu looked around the guild and shouted frantically.

"You bastard, don't you live with Chiba? Don't you know where that guy is?" Gray, shirtless, said from the side of the table.

"Ah! You don't understand! Chiba is always training in the forest, I never see him. He said he'd teach me Shuriken, but he's nowhere to be found, damn it!" Natsu was even more frustrated.

"Brother Chiba and Sister Mira have gone on a mission. They should be back by tomorrow at the latest, maybe even this afternoon. Natsu ~ Don't worry~" Little Lisanna said with a smile, standing behind Natsu.