Chapter 84: Getting to Know Each Other
"He's… dead?"
"We actually killed him!"
"Does this mean… we're finally free?"
"Good riddance. Do you have any idea how much blood money those Dark Guild bastards poured into this R-System? How many innocent lives were sacrificed for their twisted ambitions?"
BOOM!
The Tower of Heaven shuddered violently. The structural damage from the battle had finally exceeded its limits.
"Everyone, get out now! The whole tower's coming down!"
Within minutes, the group evacuated to their ship. Behind them, the Tower of Heaven groaned and buckled, collapsing floor by floor into rubble.
Erza stood at the ship's railing, watching the tower crumble. The prison that had cast its shadow over eight years of her life was finally being destroyed. Her expression shifted through a dozen emotions at once—relief, sorrow, anger, grief—all tangled together in a way she couldn't quite untangle.
Simon, Wally, Millianna, and Sho watched with similarly complicated feelings. They'd poured eight years of their lives into this cursed island, believing in a lie. Even with Jellal dead and the tower destroyed, the betrayal still burned hot in their chests. That kind of resentment wouldn't fade overnight.
Dino clenched his fists and punched the air beside him.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The space itself fractured where his fist struck. The sea responded immediately—the water churned and rose, massive waves surging toward the island like the wrath of an angry god.
Everyone watched in stunned silence as the tsunami completely engulfed the island. When the water finally settled, the island had vanished entirely, erased from the map.
It should have been shocking. Under normal circumstances, watching someone erase an island from existence would leave anyone speechless. But after watching Dino single-handedly block the Etherion blast—the Magic Council's ultimate weapon—something like this barely registered. Their sense of normal had been completely recalibrated.
By the time they returned to the resort hotel, more than a day had passed since they'd first arrived, and none of them had gotten proper rest. The moment they checked back in, everyone crashed hard.
That evening, Dino was jolted awake by knocking.
Knock knock knock.
"Dino-kun? Are you awake?"
Erza's voice filtered through the door.
Dino sat up immediately and opened it. Erza stood in the hallway wearing an elegant evening dress, her eyes darting nervously, cheeks faintly pink.
"Come in." Dino took her hand gently and led her inside, closing the door behind them.
The room only had one bed to sit on. Erza perched on its edge, her face growing redder by the second.
Dino poured her a glass of water. "It's pretty late. And you got all dressed up… couldn't sleep?"
Being alone in a hotel room with Dino made Erza's usual confidence evaporate. She clutched the glass, rubbing her thumbs against its surface. "I… that is… D-Dino-kun… thank you. For everything."
"You don't need to thank me. We're way past that, aren't we?"
"I'm also sorry. For not telling you sooner about… about all of it." Her voice grew smaller. "I didn't mean to hide things from you. I was just… scared. So scared…"
As memories of her childhood slavery surfaced, genuine fear crossed Erza's face. Her hands trembled, making the water in her glass ripple.
Seeing her like this made Dino's chest ache. He pulled her into his arms, holding her close.
Erza told him everything—every memory she had from those dark years, including all the complicated feelings about Jellal. She seemed almost afraid of Dino's reaction as she carefully explained that Jellal had been her childhood hope, the pillar that kept her going through the nightmare of slavery.
Dino felt a twinge of jealousy, sure, but he wasn't really bothered. Childhood memories were just that—memories. What mattered was the future, and he fully intended to be part of hers.
Erza continued, voice thick with regret. "Before… before you killed him, I actually thought about just capturing Jellal. Handing him over to the Magic Council for a proper trial. But that moment of weakness almost got everyone I care about killed."
Her voice cracked. "You risked your life to protect all of us, and I nearly threw that away because I couldn't let go. I'm so sorry…"
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
Dino hated seeing girls cry. It always made him panic, made his usually steady hands feel useless. He did his best to comfort her, brushing away her tears, murmuring reassurances.
At some point, their eyes met. Under the soft lamplight, their breathing synchronized, then quickened.
Where were they? A romantic seaside resort hotel.
What kind of room? A private one.
Who was here? A young man and woman who'd known each other for years, who'd been dancing around their mutual feelings for far too long.
Dino didn't need anyone to tell him what to do next.
The world of mages wasn't much different from anywhere else—maybe even a bit more open about these things. After all, Loke had managed multiple girlfriends simultaneously without anyone batting an eye.
Mages lived by their hearts, following their desires more freely than most. When the heart decided something, the body followed naturally.
Though Dino and Erza's relationship hadn't been love at first sight, they'd been building toward this for years.
Both had learned to guard their hearts carefully—Erza because of her traumatic past, Dino because… well, he had his own reasons. Letting someone in completely meant tying your fate to theirs, trusting them with the most vulnerable parts of yourself.
The journey from acquaintances to friends to something more hadn't been easy, but it also hadn't been rushed. And tonight, finally, they'd truly come together.
The next morning, Dino woke to find the bed empty beside him. If not for Erza's lingering scent and the vivid memories burned into his mind, he might have thought it was all a beautiful dream.
When he saw Erza again at breakfast, she'd returned to her usual strong, confident self—the Titania everyone knew. Only when they were alone together did she let that softer, more vulnerable side show.
They still had several days left on their resort vouchers, and everyone agreed they should actually enjoy their vacation this time. Sure, they'd nearly died fighting a deranged Dark Mage and stopping a super-weapon, but that was no reason to waste a perfectly good beach holiday! If anything, almost dying made relaxation even more important.
When the week finally ended, the group prepared to return to the guild.
The incident would definitely have consequences. A traitor within the Magic Council, an Etherion blast fired on foreign soil—heads were going to roll. The entire Council would probably be reshuffled, possibly replaced entirely.
On the boat ride back, Lucy approached Erza with a disappointed expression. "I still can't believe they decided to leave."
After reuniting with her childhood friends—Simon, Wally, Millianna, and Sho—Lucy had assumed they'd all join Fairy Tail together. Finding out they'd chosen to go their separate ways had caught her off guard.
Erza smiled softly, though her eyes held a hint of melancholy. "They were trapped on that island for eight years, Lucy-san. There's a whole world out there they want to see, experiences they need to have. I can't cage them in like Jellal did. They deserve their freedom."
She gazed out at the ocean, hair whipping in the sea breeze. "Sure, I'll miss them. But I have all of you—my guild family. As long as we're all alive and free, we'll meet again someday. I'm certain of it."