Luring Her In—I'm Serious

[Stop peeking into my thoughts! Otherwise, even if you're a child, I'll get angry!]

[Don't worry, my ability has limits too. I can only hear thoughts within a hundred meters. Right now, I'm just using Telepathy Magic to talk to you. If you focus carefully, you can sever the connection one-sidedly. But Sister Erza hasn't learned that technique yet, so you can't refuse me.]

[...I see. Then I'll learn it as soon as possible! Wait, no one at the guild is listening right now, are they?!]

[Nope. This is our private whisper time, so don't be mad, Sister.]

[Fine. I wasn't that angry to begin with, but I really do have a lot of secrets I can't let others know. You'll respect that, won't you, Aibo?]

[Of course. I won't tell anyone Sister Erza's secrets.]

[I mean you're not allowed to pry into my secrets!!]

Erza was furious. She realized that even with thick armor on, she still didn't feel safe at all.

How could such a shameless kind of magic exist in this world?!

[Sister Erza~]

[What is it?!]

[You don't want everyone in the guild hearing your thoughts again in the future, do you?]

[...Urgh! Y-you, what do you want?]

[I want Sister Erza to agree to one thing~]

[...Fine, as long as it isn't too unreasonable...]

[Sister Erza, you're guarded against this world and distrust everyone. I guess you probably either lived in an environment filled with malice before, or you were betrayed by someone close to you. That's why you've become so sensitive.]

Erza buried her face between her knees and hugged herself tightly. Scenes from the past rose before her eyes, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

[Aibo, are you really... just a child?]

Yesterday, Erza had actually learned a few things about Aibo. A six-year-old prodigy mage who had been in the guild for less than three months, could use many kinds of magic, had no surname like she once had...

But now, that "prodigy" seemed a little too terrifying.

Erza was too far from the guild now for Aibo to hear her thoughts, but he could guess what she was thinking. People at the guild often called him a monster and said he didn't act like a child.

Aibo didn't care in the slightest. He even scoffed at it.

All you people do is overthink things. Have you ever been a child prodigy? Do you think pretending to be a kid every day isn't tiring? Can't you cut me some slack?

[I've only been six years old in this life, so of course I'm a child~]

But Aibo's next words made Erza jerk her head up.

[I was captured by the Dark Magic Cult before too. If some lecherous uncle from the guild hadn't saved me, I probably would have gone through the same thing as you, Sister. No... maybe I would've just died, hahaha.]

[You... too...?]

Erza's heart clenched. In an instant, she imagined all sorts of things and felt guilty for doubting a child's "maturity."

[My luck was a little better, but I can understand how Sister Erza feels. That feeling... of losing everything, of having your mind in turmoil and being utterly lost.]

Even across the distance, Erza could feel the sorrow on the other end of their connection. Her heart ached even more.

This child experienced that kind of pain too? Then Aibo is far stronger than I am...

Something deep within Erza's heart was fiercely stirred.

[Aibo... I... I'm sorry...]

[Why is Sister apologizing? The pain of the past isn't worth remembering. People should always look forward.]

What Aibo was actually recalling was the time when his memories had just awakened.

Though he wasn't entirely sure what Erza had gone through, the helpless isolation she felt at this moment must have been very much like his own back then.

That was why Aibo was confident he could persuade her to move on.

[When you feel lost, all you need is a new goal. Once you have a new destination, you can temporarily forget your troubles and keep moving forward. So tell me, what does Sister Erza want most right now?]

That was right. Fear and hesitation couldn't solve anything. Even a child understood that.

If there isn't an answer, then I'll find one myself. Until then, I need to become strong enough!

The confusion in Erza's heart gradually faded, and her gaze turned firm.

[I want to become stronger! Aibo, I want to become stronger than anyone else, and then...]

(Then I'll return to that place once more and settle everything.)

Back at the guild, Aibo stretched and gave Cana an OK sign.

With that, the task the Guild Master had assigned him was complete. It hadn't been hard at all. Who knew I had the talent to be a caring little brother?

But Aibo didn't end this round of "counseling" and continued chatting with Erza.

[Hehe, it looks like Sister Erza has found her answer. But that goal might not be so easy to achieve.]

[Don't underestimate me, Aibo. I'll prove it to you!]

[No, no, no. What I mean is, the strongest person in this guild's future will definitely be me, Aibo!]

"...Pfft, hahahaha!"

Erza suddenly laughed by the riverbank, raising a hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.

For some reason, imagining those words coming from tiny little Aibo's mouth made her think he was incredibly adorable.

[Were you laughing at me just now, Sister Erza?]

[No, no. I've received your declaration, Aibo. Let's become stronger together!]

[Hmph, Sister Erza, you can try trusting me a little more. Well then, since we're having such a good talk, I'll tell you one of my secrets!]

[Huh?! W-what?] (Expectant.)

[Actually, I am—Family! Hero!]

Erza froze.

[Family... Hero?]

[That's right. We're comrades in the same guild, aren't we? A guild is family! Whenever family needs help, I'll appear right by their side! I heard Sister Erza calling for help, so I came to help you. That's true today, and it'll be true in the future as well, so—]

"So, Sister Erza, can you agree to one thing for me?"

Erza turned and looked up, only to realize that Aibo had somehow already arrived at the riverbank. He stood above her, smiling warmly.

"When one day Sister Erza decides to make Fairy Tail your home; when one day you're willing to become family with me, family who can entrust themselves to one another...

When that day comes, will you tell me about your past, Sister?"

Erza's vision blurred. At that moment, what she remembered was not the suffering she had endured in the Tower of Heaven, but memories from even earlier...

She had been abandoned in Rosemary Village and taken in by the church. She had no surname, didn't know who her parents were, and had been cast aside for no reason at all.

Once, she had dreamed of having a family. At the Tower of Heaven, she had even briefly believed she had grasped that illusion. Yet... the person who had given her the surname Scarlet had abandoned her once again.

"I betrayed my companions for freedom"... "I only bring misfortune to others"... "I'm someone nobody needs"... "Is this really the freedom I wanted?"...

Those thoughts had echoed through her mind again and again on the road to Magnolia.

Countless times, Erza had asked herself, "Does living like this really have any meaning?"

But now, a child like her who had no surname, yet was even younger than her, had come before her. He had seen through her fragile armor at a glance, yet he hadn't pressed her about her miserable past. Instead, he had pointed her toward a path forward.

Then he had extended his hand and invited her... invited her to become his family.

"Family... someone like me... can have a family too?"

Looking at the tearful girl before him, Aibo knew what she needed most right now.

So Aibo stepped forward and embraced her, answering calmly,

"Of course. From today onward, we're family."

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Sister Erza."