That phrase, "The sleeping 'Demon' should awaken now," exploded like a thunderclap in her heart, which had been calm for too long.
Mirajane's body stiffened for a moment.
She slowly turned her head, her blue eyes, which always held a gentle smile, now filled with a deep, unfathomable complexity of emotions.
Shock, confusion, and a hint of pain from an old wound being touched.
"I..." Mirajane's voice was a little dry, "..."
Lorne just blinked at her, said nothing more, and then prepared to return to his room.
He knew that a few words were enough.
Too many words would only cause unnecessary trouble.
He just wanted to plant a seed in advance, a seed that would allow this former "Demon" to find herself again.
After all, they would later have to face the Phantom Lord Guild and the guild civil war initiated by that idiot Laxus.
If Mira could overcome her psychological trauma earlier, then when Laxus started the guild civil war, he shouldn't be able to beat him up.
Mirajane watched Lorne's retreating back, her hand clutching the cup tightening unconsciously.
Lucy looked from one to the other, completely bewildered by the strange atmosphere between them.
She just felt that the Mirajane she saw for a moment just now was so unfamiliar!
Beneath the calm of the night, there were always those who couldn't stand the quiet.
After Natsu was punched into the floor by the Master, it was as if countless ants were crawling in his heart.
"As long as I complete an S-class mission, the old man will have nothing to say, right!"
Natsu grew more excited as he spoke, "By then, I'll be the strongest in the Guild!"
When Lucy left the Guild and returned to her rented apartment, Natsu and Happy were already waiting for her at her place.
"Ah!"
"Can't you two just go home?"
"I've decided!" Natsu suddenly stood up, pulled a request form from his pocket, and slapped it on the table,
"Let's go complete an S-class mission, Lucy!"
When she saw the "S" mark at the top of the request form, her entire body froze.
"What's going on? You're not supposed to go to the second floor!"
Happy: "I took it without permission."
"Huh?! An S-class mission? Are you crazy! Absolutely not!"
Lucy jumped back like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, making a big 'X' with her hands in front of her chest,
"We don't have the qualifications to take on an S-class mission!"
"Tch, how boring." Natsu pouted, leaped off the bed, "Happy, let's go!"
"Aye!"
The man and the cat jumped directly out of Lucy's window.
"Honestly, those two idiots..." Lucy sighed helplessly, bending down to tidy the table Natsu had messed up, only to find the request form "accidentally" left on the floor.
She picked it up, intending to chase after them to return it, but her gaze was drawn to the contents of the request form.
"Request Details: Lift the curse on Galuna Island. Requester: Residents of Galuna Island. Reward: 7 million J, and... a Golden Zodiac Key?!"
Lucy's breath hitched for a moment, her eyes fixed on that line of small print.
She was a Celestial Spirit Mage, and a Golden Zodiac Key!
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
To go, or not to go?
Reason and desire battled within her; after only three seconds, reason was defeated.
"Natsu, Happy, wait up!"
Lucy grabbed the request form and rushed out... The next day, at the Fairy Tail Guild.
Lorne yawned and sat in his usual spot at the bar.
He had just finished cleaning the entire Guild hall and was now enjoying his well-deserved reward—a glass of lemon sparkling water personally made by Mirajane.
"Yo, Lorne, on logistics duty again today?"
Macao, cigarette in mouth, leaned over to tease him.
Lorne didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, shaking the ice cubes in his glass: "Can't be helped!"
The hall was as lively as ever, until Mirajane came down from the second floor, a hint of panic on her face.
"This is bad!"
"Master, one of the request forms on the second floor is missing."
"Pfft!!!"
Makarov's tea, which he had just drunk, sprayed out radially, precisely drenching the face of a nearby Guild member.
Lorne looked at the member's uncomfortable expression and secretly sighed: "Good thing I'm far away!"
The Mages around them heard the commotion and also quieted down.
There were only a few in the entire Guild bold enough to touch the mission requests on the second floor.
"Posted on the second floor, that must be an S-class mission!"
"Which idiot would take something like that!"
Makarov frowned deeply; he already had a suspicion in his heart, and that ominous premonition made his temples throb.
Lorne, however, was calm, even having the leisure to move his cup aside to avoid being affected.
"Who could have done it... there shouldn't be such an ignorant idiot in the Guild..."
Makarov was so anxious he was pulling at his beard.
"Hmph, haven't there always been idiots?"
On the second floor, that familiar and arrogant voice rang out again.
Laxus was leaning against the railing, looking down at the chaotic crowd below.
"Laxus!"
"You, do you know something!"
Laxus sneered, ignoring their questions, and slowly uttered two words:
"A cat."
He paused, seeming to enjoy their confused expressions, before continuing:
"I saw a winged cat tear it off and run away!"
The entire Guild instantly fell into dead silence.
A small blue cat with wings... who else could it be but Happy!
And where Happy appeared, that Natsu guy was bound to be there!
Then, everyone roared in unison: "It's Natsu and Happy!!!"
"What are those guys thinking! Taking an S-class mission without permission!"
"Though I knew he was an idiot, I didn't think he was this stupid."
Laxus looked at the anxious faces of the crowd below, the mockery on his face growing stronger:
"This is a serious violation of rules. Old man, they'll be expelled from the Guild when they return, right! But with their level of strength taking on an S-class mission, it's unlikely they'll even return!"
"Laxus!"
A clear, cold shout of anger interrupted his mockery.
Everyone turned back in surprise, finding that it was Mirajane who had spoken.
At this moment, Mirajane's face no longer held a trace of a gentle smile.
Her eyes were icy, and an almost imperceptible black aura seemed to emanate from her, a chilling sense of oppression.
Lorne watched this scene, a smile playing on his lips that no one else saw.
See, the seed was stimulated and sprouted.
"You clearly saw it, why didn't you stop him?"
Mirajane's voice was devoid of any warmth.
"I only saw what looked like a thieving cat running off with a paper! I didn't realize it was Happy."
Laxus turned his head, meeting Mirajane's gloomy expression, and far from being afraid, he showed an excited smile,
"That expression of yours is really long overdue!"
Makarov asked with a solemn expression:
"This is bad! Which request is missing?"
"The Cursed Island, Galuna!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd in the Guild erupted again.
"Enough!"
Makarov slammed the table, roaring, "Laxus, go immediately and bring that idiot Natsu back to me!"
"Sorry, old man."
Laxus shrugged, turning to walk deeper into the staircase, "I'm about to leave for a mission myself, I don't have time!"
"You!" Makarov's beard trembled with anger,
"Who else here besides you can drag Natsu back by force?"
Hearing this, Gray stepped forward,
"Old man, I can't pretend I didn't hear that!"
"I'll go, I'll definitely bring him back!"
With that, he rushed out of the Guild doors without looking back.
Watching Gray's departing back, Makarov still looked worried.
If Gray went, he feared those two wouldn't return before they had fought a world-shattering battle.
His gaze swept around the Guild, finally settling on Lorne at the bar, who was minding his own business, even having the leisure to drink.
Lorne's body stiffened.
He felt that gaze, trying to maintain a relaxed posture, attempting to shrink himself into an irrelevant background.
"Lorne!" the Master called out with full vigor.
Lorne's hand, holding the cup, paused in mid-air.
He slowly turned around, forcing an extremely innocent expression onto his face:
"Master, did you call me?"
"Stop pretending!"
Makarov's finger was practically poking his nose, his tone brooking no argument,
"You go too! I don't trust Gray alone, you follow them, and make sure to bring both of those idiots back in one piece!"
Lorne's relaxed expression instantly crumpled.
He wailed inwardly, I knew it! Is it that hard to slack off a bit?!
Lorne put down his cup, stood up, stretched with a big yawn, and sighed helplessly:
"Honestly, I just finished cleaning, and now I have to go on a business trip again?"
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