Jiang Bai Awakens

Makarov moved quickly. For such a small man, he possessed unimaginable speed and endurance.

He never stopped along the way. Even after reaching Magnolia, the most prosperous magic town in the Kingdom of Fiore, he did not return directly to the bustling guild.

Instead, with Jiang Bai on his back and Erza by the hand, he went straight through the familiar streets toward a secluded cottage in the forest to the east.

Erza held his hand, half running and half stumbling to keep up.

It was her first time in such a prosperous town. People crowded the streets, unfamiliar shops and magic items were everywhere, and the air was filled with a sense of freedom and liveliness.

But she was in no mood to look at any of it.

Every few seconds, she glanced worriedly at the unconscious figure on Makarov's back.

Jiang Bai was as pale as paper, his eyes tightly shut. If his chest had not still been rising and falling, Erza would almost have thought he was...

She did not dare think any further.

Soon, a strange cottage surrounded by exotic flowers and plants appeared before them.

Before they even reached the door, Makarov raised his voice and shouted, so loudly that he hardly sounded like a short old man.

"Porlyusica! Open the door! Someone needs saving!"

"Quiet!"

An extremely impatient elderly woman's voice came from inside. Footsteps followed, and the wooden door creaked open.

An equally elderly woman stood in the doorway, a broom in her hand and a keep-away expression written all over her face.

"I hate humans more than anything, Makarov. Don't come here unless you have to!"

"A life is at stake!"

His face full of anxiety, Makarov turned sideways to show her Jiang Bai on his back.

"Porlyusica, please, save this child!"

He knew his old friend of many years had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She might say she hated humans, but she was more softhearted than anyone.

Sure enough, when Porlyusica's gaze fell on Jiang Bai's bloodless face, her impatient expression visibly froze.

"Hmph, fighting and killing again... That's why I hate humans."

She continued to complain, but her actions told a different story as she turned and moved out of the doorway.

Makarov understood at once. Still carrying Jiang Bai, he hurried inside, carefully leading Erza after him.

A rich herbal fragrance filled the cottage. Shelves along the walls were packed with bottles and jars, some bubbling in strange colors.

Erza nervously clutched the hem of her clothes as she looked around.

The old woman looked frightening and spoke harshly, but for some reason, Erza felt a strange warmth here. It was like... like a strict mother scolding her disobedient child.

She did not want this old woman, who seemed very capable, to misunderstand Jiang Bai.

After Makarov gently laid Jiang Bai on a wooden bed covered with hay, Erza summoned her courage and went up to Porlyusica. She raised her little face, still streaked with tears, looked her straight in the eyes, and spoke in a trembling but resolute voice.

"Ma'am, Jiang Bai ended up like this because he was protecting me! Please, you have to save him!"

Porlyusica looked down at the little girl with scarlet hair before her.

Her clear, determined eyes were full of an unquestionable resolve to protect him.

The heart of the woman who claimed to "hate humans" could not help but be moved.

She could never resist a child who was both well-behaved and strong.

Her tone unconsciously softened a little.

"Don't worry. He won't die."

Porlyusica went to the bedside, carefully examined Jiang Bai's condition, and lifted his eyelids.

"This brat just exhausted his magic power and fell asleep to protect himself. As for the rest... Hmph, they're only superficial wounds."

She turned and took a bottle of emerald-green liquid from a shelf. Returning to the bed, she pried Jiang Bai's mouth open roughly but with exceptional care and poured the medicine down his throat.

When she was done, she straightened up, her impatient expression returning as she waved the broom in her hand.

"All right, he's fine! You, Makarov, get out of here!"

"All right, all right, we're leaving." Makarov replied with a smile and reached for Ersa. "Erza, let's go. We shouldn't disturb Porlyusica."

But unexpectedly, Porlyusica spoke again.

"I said you should get out. On your own."

Her gaze shifted to Erza, softening for a rare moment. "The little girl can stay."

Makarov's eyes widened, and he pointed at his own nose, his face full of disbelief.

After all that, was he the unwanted fool here?

The old rascal's stubborn streak flared up at once.

"I'm not leaving!" He found a wooden stump and plopped down on it, refusing to budge. "Didn't you say Jiang Bai would wake up soon? Then I'll wait here. Once he wakes up, I can take both of them back to the guild and save myself another trip!"

Porlyusica glanced at him but said nothing more, tacitly allowing him to stay.

For a while, the cottage fell quiet.

Erza brought over a small stool and sat beside Jiang Bai's bed, keeping watch over him without moving.

Time passed, second by second.

Finally, after about two hours, Jiang Bai's finger twitched gently.

He slowly opened his heavy eyelids.

An unfamiliar wooden ceiling came into view, and a herbal scent he had never smelled before lingered around his nose.

I'm still alive...

Erza and I both made it.

The moment the thought appeared, he jolted and became much more alert.

Erza!

Where's Erza? How is she?

Jiang Bai sat bolt upright. The sudden movement pulled at the wound on his chest, and he sucked in a sharp breath from the pain.

He turned his head urgently, his gaze sweeping quickly around the room.

A fierce-looking old woman, a very short old man... Then he saw her.

He saw the scarlet-haired figure sitting by the bed, frozen by his sudden movement, her eyes quickly reddening.

The heart that had been lodged in Jiang Bai's throat finally dropped back into place.

It seemed the spatial fluctuation he had sensed before completely losing consciousness had not been an illusion.

He really had awakened an extraordinary magic, and at the last moment, he had managed to escape with Erza.

"Jiang Bai!"

Erza could hold back no longer. She threw herself at him with a sob in her voice and hugged him tightly.

"You're finally awake... You're finally awake! What would I have done if you'd never woken up again...? Sob..."

Warm tears soaked Jiang Bai's shoulder.

He could feel the small body in his arms trembling violently with lingering fear after their narrow escape and the wild joy of regaining what she had lost.

Jiang Bai raised his hand and patted Erza's back, a little stiffly but with immense tenderness.

"There, there. Don't cry."

His voice was still a little hoarse, but it was full of reassuring strength.

"See? I'm all right now."