Mira Opens Up

As the final magic circle shattered completely, the suffocating feeling of vacuum and loss of magic power vanished.

Fresh air rushed in again, and after a short while, Lisanna and Elfman, who had been unconscious due to lack of oxygen and depletion of magic, slowly woke up one after the other.

The group embarked on their journey home.

"Sister, let me carry Jiang Bai on my back. A real man should be put to good use in times like this!"

Elfman looked at Jiang Bai, who was being carefully carried on Mirajane's back, and volunteered.

However, Mirajane refused without even thinking about it.

"No need, I can handle it."

Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

The group boarded the train back to Magnolia.

For the entire three-day journey, Jiang Bai remained in a deep coma.

Mirajane stayed by his side without leaving for a moment, silent as a statue.

She simply gazed quietly at his pale, sleeping face, her eyes filled with complex emotions—sometimes worry, sometimes heartache, and sometimes a tenderness she herself was unaware of.

The train rattled along the tracks, and just as it was about to reach its final stop, Jiang Bai's eyelids finally twitched slightly.

He woke up.

Mirajane, who had been watching him intently, noticed it immediately.

A hint of undisguised joy flashed in her eyes. She quickly took out a bottle of water from her bag, unscrewed the cap, and carefully held it to Jiang Bai's lips, feeding him little by little with an almost reverent attitude.

The train slowly pulled into Magnolia station.

Before getting off the bus, Mirajane remained silent, her heavy heart weighing on her like a boulder, making it hard for her to breathe.

When the train arrived at the station, Lisanna looked at her older sister's hesitant expression, and then at Jiang Bai, who was being supported by her sister. The quick-witted girl instantly understood what was going on.

"Brother, let's go report to the president first!"

Without a word, Lisanna grabbed Elfman's hand and hurried towards the guild, "Let's go!"

On the platform, only Mirajane and Jiang Bai, whom she was supporting, remained.

A cool evening breeze blew by.

There's no one else here now.

Jiang Bai's slightly hoarse voice broke the silence.

"Um."

Mirajane simply responded softly, her head bowed, avoiding his eyes.

Jiang Bai looked at her distraught appearance and sighed helplessly.

"What? One setback has made you lose confidence?"

Upon hearing this, Mirajane's body trembled violently. She finally raised her head, her beautiful eyes filled with self-doubt and pain.

She finally dropped all her pretenses and revealed her most vulnerable side to this man.

Am I... too weak?

Her voice trembled slightly, filled with endless frustration.

"Just one raiding mission and I've ended up like this, needing you to save me... I..."

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Jiang Bai couldn't help but laugh, and said in his usual teasing tone:

Even a rebellious girl can doubt herself.

"You..." Mirajane's eyes instantly reddened. She bit her lip and punched Jiang Bai's chest lightly, though the force was weak. "I'm serious!"

"Alright."

Jiang Bai's smile faded, and his eyes became gentle and serious.

He looked into her eyes and spoke slowly.

Do you think I'm strong?

Mirajane nodded without hesitation. "Strong."

"But I'm seriously injured now too."

Jiang Bai pointed to himself and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Mira, you have to understand, this mission isn't ordinary. That guy named Wayne is an unconventional genius. Even if we make a mistake, it doesn't mean we're weak, especially when someone is caught off guard."

"This setback won't make me lose confidence."

Jiang Bai looked at her with a gentle smile on his face. He raised his hand, wanting to ruffle her hair as usual, but found that he could barely lift his arm.

His words were like a warm current, slightly dispelling the chill in Mirajane's heart, but the sense of defeat at his own weakness still lingered.

Jiang Bai looked at her still furrowed brows and sighed softly.

Then, his eyes, which always carried a hint of laziness, suddenly burst forth with an unparalleled arrogance and confidence, as if he could trample the entire world under his feet.

"Besides, you don't need to think about these things at all."

"Because I will become the strongest."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable, absolute domineering quality, as if stating an established fact.

Mirajane froze, staring blankly at him.

"I will become the ceiling of this world, a wall that no one can cross."

Jiang Bai looked into her eyes and said, word by word, "So, you don't need to worry about any enemies, and you don't need to be hard on yourself because of one mistake."

Mira, all you need to do is... do what you want to do.

"Go pursue your dreams, live the life you want. Leave the rest to me."

These words, without passionate encouragement or expectations of becoming stronger, resonated with Mirajane more deeply than any other words.

Why has she been striving so hard to become stronger?

It was so that I could stand by his side, so that I could protect my companions, so that I could share his pain.

But now, this man is telling her that none of that is needed anymore.

She no longer needs to bear those heavy responsibilities, no longer needs to use the title of "Demon" to shield herself; she only needs to be herself.

An indescribable warm current instantly washed away all her unease, frustration, and self-doubt.

It wasn't the comfort of being protected, but an indescribable feeling of being completely understood and embraced.

She could no longer hold back her tears, which slid down her cheeks.

But this time, it wasn't tears of sorrow.

Mirajane didn't speak, but simply rested her head gently on Jiang Bai's shoulder, tightening her grip on his arm.

In a voice only she could hear, she spoke softly, yet with unwavering determination.

"Um."