Vacation

The next day, inside the guild.

"What! So you're a Celestial Spirit!" Gray said in shock.

"Yes, I am Leo of the Golden Twelve Houses. I am now Lucy's guardian. Whenever she is in danger, I will step forward to protect her."

Happy said, "Lions are just grown-up cats, right?"

Leo rubbed Happy's head. "That's right."

"Alright, I might not be at the guild all the time for a while. Don't miss me too much."

"Who would miss you?!"

"Oh, right! Ye, take this. I was planning to take my girlfriends to the beach, but I don't need it now. You guys can have it!"

--------------------Scene Break------------------------

Akane Beach, a vacation resort.

"Oh, sea, you are full of water! Beach, you are full of legs!"

Hearing Ye shout that, Natsu and the others awkwardly pretended not to know him.

"You guys, we're at the beach. We don't have to work at the guild, so shouldn't you let loose properly?"

Ye looked speechlessly at the completely naked Gray. "Gray, I told you to let loose, not turn into a pervert. At least put on some underwear."

"Huh? When did that happen?!"

The group played volleyball, swam, smashed watermelons, and played all sorts of games by the sea. Happy times were always short, and night had already fallen.

Erza lay on a beach chair. For some reason, painful memories surged into her mind, startling her awake.

Natsu said regretfully, "Ah~ It's already nighttime? I haven't had enough fun yet."

Gray said, "There's a casino under the hotel. We can go there and play."

Erza said, "Then let's go. I'll come with you too."

Ye looked at Erza. "Erza, are you alright? You're sweating a lot."

"I'm fine. Let's go."

"Oh!! Let's go, let's go!"

At that moment, in the underground casino.

Whoosh~ Whoosh, whoosh~

"Sir, please don't do that."

Natsu was desperately blowing at the roulette wheel, trying to blow the little ball back onto it.

"It clearly stopped on seventeen just now."

"Sir, you're putting me in a difficult position."

Watching Natsu make such a fool of himself, Gray said, "You really are beyond saving."

Natsu had lost every last bit of money he had and was now pestering the dealer.

Suddenly, someone said, "Boy, in an adult's playground, one must not lack gentlemanly manners!"

"Square! So square!"

Natsu and Happy could not help commenting on how bizarre the man's appearance was.

With a tap of his foot, the man spun around in his chair. "Boy, let me tell you, men only have two paths to walk. Either live elegantly..."

He suddenly grabbed Natsu's scarf and shoved a gun barrel into Natsu's mouth. "Or stop walking and die. Understand?"

"Boom."

"Murder! Run!" The people around them immediately began fleeing in panic.

Elsewhere, Gray encountered a blue-haired girl at the bar counter.

"Aren't you one of Phantom Lord's Four Elements?"

"Why are you here? I heard Phantom Lord was disbanded."

"Yes, so I am now a freelance wizard."

"So you want to join Fairy Tail?"

"Yes, Lord Gray! Juvia really wants to join."

"After what happened, it isn't something I can decide. We'll have to ask Ye or the guild master."

"Juvia is willing to do anything!"

At the time, Ye had been tearing through everyone in his path. Gray thought that although she was from Phantom Lord, she was still a girl, so he took her and fled with her.

When Juvia saw Ye fighting the guild master, she finally understood why that young wizard had taken her away.

He was also exactly her type. It was like a fated encounter, a forbidden love between two enemies from a picture book, and Juvia was utterly captivated.

After Phantom Lord disbanded, she had been the happiest of all. With nothing holding her back, she could finally love someone properly, so she had been secretly watching Gray from afar.

When she learned that Gray had come to the vacation resort, she immediately bought a ticket and rushed over.

At that moment, a tall figure appeared behind Gray and Juvia, casually slapping Juvia flying.

"Bastard, what are you doing?!"

"You are Gray Fullbuster, aren't you? Where is Erza?"

Back on Ye's side, the dealer was shaking dice with cold sweat running down his face.

"No more bets."

Ye took a look. "Big."

A crowd around Ye all bet on big.

"Five, six, six. Seventeen points, big."

"Oh! Sir, you're incredible."

Ye took a sip of water. "Again!"

The dealer continued shaking the dice. "No more bets!"

Ye looked again. "Big."

The crowd continued betting on big.

Then a different voice suddenly spoke up.

"I bet on small."

"Miss, this gentleman's gambling skills are very strong."

"It's fine!"

"Open it!"

"Four, five, six. Fifteen points, big."

"See, miss? You lost."

The girl casually changed the dice to one, two, three.

"See? Now I've won."

"Miss, that doesn't follow the rules."

"What rules?!"

"If you don't understand anything, don't make trouble here. Get down."

He then tried to pull the girl down from the table.

A rope lashed out from the girl's hand and struck the man. He was sent flying backward, and it was unknown whether he lived or died.

"Waaaaah!"

Seeing the scene before them, everyone fled in all directions.

"Kitty Bind."

Ye was immediately tied up.

"What are you trying to do, little girl?"

"You're Ye, right? Where is little Erza?"

"Little Erza? You mean Erza? Why are you looking for her?"

"Of course, to take little Erza back."

"Take Erza where?"

"Of course, to Paradise Tower! No, why am I telling you? I'm the one asking you!"

When Ye heard "Paradise Tower," Conqueror's Haki instantly erupted, enveloping the catgirl.

Ye knew Erza had painful childhood memories, and Paradise Tower was what had brought her those memories.

I'll die! I'll die! I'll definitely die! the catgirl thought.

With a slight exertion, Ye snapped the restraints. Looking down at the catgirl, he said, "Take me to Paradise Tower!"

Over on Erza's side.

Erza, dressed in a sexy cheongsam, was playing cards.

"Looks like I'm having good luck today. A royal flush." When she revealed her hand, everyone was stunned.

Lucy said excitedly, "Amazing, we won! So much money! My rent is covered!"

A mysterious voice suddenly said, "Then how about changing dealers?"

Erza said confidently, "I fear nothing now. It makes no difference who comes."

"Then let's change the game. Let's bet on something else."

The blond boy rapidly shuffled the cards, then casually drew five. The letters on the backs formed the word "death."

"How about betting your life?"

Hearing the voice, Erza looked up. Seeing the familiar face before her, she trembled. "Sho!"

"Long time no see, Sister."

Lucy said in shock, "Sister?! Erza, you have a younger brother?"

"You... you're safe?"

The casino lights suddenly went out. When they came back on, everyone in the room except Erza and Lucy had disappeared.

Lucy said in shock, "Where did everyone go? How did they all disappear?"

"They're here."

Sho held up the cards in his hand. The vanished people were imprisoned inside them, frantically pounding against the cards.

Erza stared at Sho in disbelief. "Sho, you...!"

"It's magic. Can't believe it? Can't believe I can use magic?"

A card shot toward Lucy, trapping her inside it.

"What are you doing, Sho? Let Lucy out! She's my companion!"

"I was once your companion too, you traitor!"

Lucy heard every word clearly from inside the card.

Companion? Betrayal? Lucy wondered.

Hearing Sho call her that, Erza's painful memories surged forth once more, making her body tremble.

A voice then said, "Alright, Sho. A mature man should know how to control his temper."

That square-looking man from before came to stand in front of Erza.

Erza said in surprise, "You're Wally? ...You can use magic too?"

A magic circle appeared on the ground. "It's nothing. As long as you grasp the trick, anyone can use magic."

"Simon!"

"Erza, who are they? What is going on? Sister, what is this?"

"They were my former companions, brothers with no blood relation to me."

"Didn't you grow up in Fairy Tail?"

"That was before I came to Fairy Tail."

"Sho, let Lucy out now!"

"We came to take you back, Sister. Back to Paradise Tower."

At the mention of Paradise Tower, Erza's expression changed. "Paradise Tower... You..."

"That's right. Paradise Tower has already been completed, so we came to take you back."

A voice rang out. "None of you are going anywhere."