Pinky Swear

Lu Chongwei stood in the night, his black trench coat flapping in the evening breeze. Facing the mayor's accusations, filled with prejudice and fear, he merely let out a cold snort. The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

"Enough."

Lu Chongwei interrupted the mayor's incessant chatter, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a blade.

"The so-called demons, the so-called curses, are nothing more than figments of your imagination born from ignorance. As the head of this town, instead of seeking the truth, you lead the persecution of a few helpless children. Is this your way of governing?"

The mayor, intimidated by Lu Chongwei's imposing presence, opened his mouth to retort but couldn't make a sound. The villagers behind him exchanged nervous glances, their earlier arrogance significantly diminished under the pressure of the S-Class Mage.

"Facts speak louder than words."

Lu Chongwei lowered his head and looked at Lisanna beside him, his previously stern gaze instantly softening.

"Lisanna, take me to that church. I want to see for myself what this so-called 'source of the demon' truly is."

Lisanna looked up at Lu Chongwei's eyes, filled with trust, and nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Big brother, follow me!"

Lisanna wiped the tears from her face. Though her body still trembled slightly, her steps became firm. She turned and walked towards the dark silhouette of the mountain at the edge of the town.

Lu Chongwei followed.

The mayor and the villagers stood in place, hesitating for a moment.

"Mayor, what do we do? That mage is really going to the forbidden area!"

"What if... what if he lets the demon out?"

The villagers whispered amongst themselves, fear etched on their faces.

The mayor gritted his teeth, a flicker of ruthlessness and unwillingness in his eyes.

"Follow them! If we don't keep an eye on him, who knows what he'll do! If something really goes wrong, we can... we can..."

He wanted to say "we can stop him," but the terrifying aura Lu Chongwei had unleashed moments ago made the words impossible to utter.

"In any case, let's follow and see!"

And so, on this dark night, a strange procession made its way towards the abandoned church on the back mountain. At the front was a ragged little girl and a tall mage, followed at a distance by a group of timid villagers armed with farming tools.

The mountain path was rugged, and the surrounding trees swayed in the night wind, rustling like countless ghostly figures baring their fangs.

After about twenty minutes, a dilapidated church appeared before them.

Half of the church's roof had collapsed, withered vines crawled up the walls, and the once solemn stained-glass windows were now just dark, gaping holes, like monstrous eyes peering down at the human world.

A chilling, decaying aura washed over them.

"It's here..."

Lisanna stopped and pointed to a broken angel statue in the center of the church hall.

At the base of the statue was a bottomless black hole, with scattered rubble around it.

"That day... sister jumped into this hole alone to save everyone..."

Lisanna's voice trembled slightly, as if recalling the terrifying scene from that day.

Lu Chongwei walked to the edge of the hole and crouched down, observing it carefully.

There were some scorched marks around the opening, and a faint but violent fluctuation of magic power lingered in the air.

"What happened that day? Tell me everything you saw and heard," Lu Chongwei asked in a deep voice.

Lisanna took a deep breath, clutching the hem of her skirt tightly, trying to steady her voice.

"After my sister jumped down that day, not long after, a huge burst of light suddenly erupted from the hole... It was purple fire, so terrifying..."

"Then... then I heard voices..."

Lisanna's pupils contracted slightly, clearly a nightmare she couldn't shake.

"It was the whispers of demons... so many voices speaking, screaming, laughing madly... like countless monsters fighting below..."

Hearing this, the villagers behind them turned pale with fright and instinctively took a few steps back.

"See! I told you it was a demon!" the mayor exclaimed, pointing a trembling finger at the hole. "The priest was right, this leads straight to hell!"

Lu Chongwei ignored the mayor's outburst and continued to look at Lisanna.

"And then?"

"Then... the light suddenly disappeared, and the terrible voices were gone."

Lisanna lowered her head, tears welling up again.

"Sister climbed back up... but, but her right hand... it became so terrifying... it became like a monster's claw..."

"Sister kept crying, kept saying she had become a monster... then the villagers came, with torches and stones..."

Lu Chongwei stood up, his brow slightly unfurrowed.

Purple flames, whispers like multiple personalities, localized physical mutations.

These characteristics, strung together, formed a clear deduction in his mind.

This was not a case of demonic possession, nor was it a curse.

This was magic.

And it was a very rare, very powerful type of "Take Over Magic."

The girl named Mirajane had, in a moment of crisis, inadvertently taken over the power of some creature—perhaps a true demon—sealed at the bottom of the cave.

It was only because she was too young, lacked sufficient magic power, or had suffered a mental shock that the Take Over was incomplete, leaving her unable to control it freely and stuck in that half-human, half-demon form.

So that's how it is.

Lu Chongwei felt confident now.

Since it was a magical issue, it was easy to handle.

"Lisanna."

Lu Chongwei turned around, looked at the poor little girl, and said earnestly.

"Take me to your sister. I have a way to help her."

Hearing the words "have a way," Lisanna suddenly looked up, her eyes bursting with a glimmer of hope.

"R-really? Can you cure my sister, big brother?"

"It's not a cure, because she isn't sick at all."

Lu Chongwei smiled confidently.

"But I can make her return to her original self, and perhaps... even make her stronger."

Lisanna was so excited she wanted to agree immediately, but then, a trace of hesitation and worry appeared on her small face.

She glanced at the fierce-looking villagers behind her, then at the long sword at Lu Chongwei's waist that radiated a chilling aura.

"But... my sister is very afraid of people right now... and Elfman is there too..."

"Big brother... you really won't hurt my sister, will you?"

Lisanna's voice was very small, carrying a hint of timid probing.

After all, in her understanding, mages were all here to hunt down monsters. What if this big brother saw her sister's form, decided she was a monster, and struck her down with his blade?

Lu Chongwei looked at Lisanna's uneasy eyes, and his heart softened.

He crouched down so his gaze was level with hers.

"I promise you."

Lu Chongwei extended his right pinky finger toward Lisanna.

"I am a mage of Fairy Tail. People in our guild never raise their blades against companions or innocent people."

"I will protect you, and I will protect your sister and brother as well."

"This is our promise."

Lisanna stared blankly at that finger.

In this world filled with malice and exclusion, this big brother's promise was like the warm sun in winter, instantly melting the ice in her heart.

Lisanna sniffled, extended her own dirty little pinky, and carefully hooked it around Lu Chongwei's finger.

"Pinky swear... it won't change for a hundred years..."

The two fingers were hooked tightly together.

Lu Chongwei smiled, and his thumb gently pressed against Lisanna's thumb.

"Seal."

Lisanna looked at Lu Chongwei's smile, and her tense little face finally blossomed with a long-lost, genuine smile.

Although the smile still carried tear stains, it was exceptionally radiant.

"Mm! I believe you, big brother!"

Lu Chongwei stood up and patted Lisanna on the head.

Then, he turned to face the group of villagers who were still craning their necks to watch, the smile on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by an unquestionable majesty.

"Alright, have you seen enough of the show?"

Lu Chongwei's voice rang out coldly.

"What follows involves the secrets of a mage; all unrelated personnel are to leave immediately."

"This..." The mayor was somewhat unwilling. "But that demon..."

"I will resolve the issue of the demon."

Lu Chongwei's fingers rested lightly on the hilt of his sword, and a scorching aura faintly radiated outward.

"Or perhaps, you would like to stay and greet the demon yourselves?"

Hearing this, the villagers shuddered instantly.

"No, no, no! We're going home!"

"Since the mage has said so, let's go quickly!"

The group acted as if they had been granted a reprieve, scrambling down the mountain in a frantic rush, terrified that a moment's hesitation would see them devoured by a demon.

In the blink of an eye, only Lu Chongwei and Lisanna remained in front of the church.

The world was finally quiet.

"Alright, lead the way."

Lu Chongwei brushed the dust from his hands.

"We're going to find your sister."