Feeling Rain's concern, Lisanna's heart warmed at first.
But that warmth quickly twisted into something else... a quiet, aching sadness.
Because when she looked into Rain's eyes… she knew.
He wasn't looking at her as a woman.
He was looking at her the way he looked at a younger sister.
And that... more than anything — hurt.
She didn't want to be his "little sister."
She wanted to be seen. To be desired. To be someone who could stand beside him — not behind him.
If she was just his sister… then there'd never be a chance at all.
"Brother Rain."
The words slipped out before she could stop herself. Her pulse quickened, her voice trembling with an emotion she could no longer hide.
Rain blinked in surprise. "Hm? What's wrong, Lisanna?"
Lisanna hesitated, then clenched her fists. "Can you… please stop thinking of me as your sister?"
Rain froze. For a moment, he just stared — as if his brain had short-circuited.
"…What?"
Her eyes shimmered with a faint, desperate light. "I don't want you to treat me like that anymore. I… I want you to look at me the same way you look at other women."
"Lisanna…"
Rain's voice trailed off, uncertain.
He hadn't expected this.
Was he misunderstanding? Or had she truly meant
"Brother Rain," she whispered again, her tone softer this time, almost pleading. "Please… treat me as a woman, not as your sister. Okay?"
Rain swallowed hard, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and realization.
"…Lisanna…"
How was he supposed to answer that?
"Would you please, Brother Rain?"
Lisanna's voice was soft — trembling just enough to sound vulnerable. Her blue eyes shimmered with that pleading light again.
Rain hesitated. For a moment, his mind went blank.
Then he let out a quiet breath and nodded. "...Of course. It's possible."
The words seemed to unlock something inside her.
"Thank you, Brother Rain!"
Lisanna's face bloomed with a radiant smile — bright, warm, and so full of life that even Rain found himself momentarily stunned.
For a few seconds, he just stood there, caught off guard, his mind struggling to process how someone could look that cute.
"Hee hee hee~"
Lisanna giggled softly, covering her mouth as she noticed Rain's dazed expression.
Inside, she felt a quiet thrill.
So… Brother Rain did react to her.
It wasn't the look he'd give a sister — not this time.
"Brother Rain," she said suddenly, leaning closer with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "don't tell Sister Mira about this, okay? Let's keep it as our little secret."
Before Rain could even respond, Lisanna turned and ran off, leaving behind only a faint trail of fragrance in the air — and a very confused Rain standing there.
"Lisanna…" he muttered under his breath, watching her figure disappear around the corner.
Did his charm just… go up again?
Why else would she look at him like that?
He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Forget it. Don't think too much."
Shaking his head, Rain finally turned back toward his room — pretending not to feel the strange warmth still lingering in his chest.
Tonight, he'd rest.
Tomorrow… he'd have to deal with Lisanna again.
And maybe, just maybe... things wouldn't feel so simple anymore.
The next morning, Rain and Mira were up before sunrise.
The air was crisp, the sky painted with a faint golden hue as the two began their usual routine strengthening their bodies and refining the power they'd brought back from the pirate world.
Their focus today was Haki.
Rain, of course, had already mastered Roger's legendary swordsmanship, his control over the blade far sharper than most swordsmen could ever dream of.
In the past, Rain only saw swordsmanship as brute strength — a simple slash backed by overwhelming power.
But after his clash with Im, he'd come to understand something vital: true swordsmanship was more than muscle. It was precision, spirit, and will.
Even in the worlds of anime he once watched, there were swordsmen whose blades could tear space itself.Their strikes were more terrifying than most devil fruits.
That kind of skill… even Rain treated with respect.
"Zzzzzzzt—!"
A sharp crackle of electricity split through the morning silence.
Thunder roared across the training ground, followed by a blinding flash of blue lightning that tore through the forest trees.
In the next instant, a figure appeared before them — graceful, radiant, and brimming with raw energy.
It was Lisanna.
"What a powerful force… especially at that speed!" Rain murmured in surprise.
Lisanna grinned, unable to contain her excitement. Sparks of lightning danced across her fingertips as she raised her hand.
She never thought that the disgusting fruit she'd eaten yesterday would give her this much power.
"This is unreal…! I can move like lightning itself!"
Rain nodded approvingly, watching the arcs of thunder shimmer around her. "That's quite the ability. It may be weak against seawater, but aside from that, it's solid — almost flawless."
Lisanna clenched her fists, her eyes glowing with determination. "I'll make good use of it, Brother Rain. I promise!"
To her, this wasn't just power.
This was his gift — her chance to stand beside him as an equal.
If she could help him, protect him… maybe, just maybe, he'd never leave her behind.
A warm smile crossed her face at the thought, her lightning flickering gently like a heartbeat.
"..."
Mira on the side looked at Lisanna and narrowed her eyes slightly, but then her expression returned to normal, as if she didn't notice anything.
After letting Mira train with Lisanna, Rain decided to take care of another matter.
He found Elfman — the perfect "volunteer."
Or, in Rain's own words… a test subject.
"Alright, Elfman," Rain said, stretching his arms with a grin that looked way too suspicious.
"We're going to find out if normal humans in this world can develop Haki."
Elfman blinked, already uneasy. "Uh… w-what do you mean by 'find out', Brother Rain?"
"In theory," Rain began seriously, "Haki is the power of will — the fusion of mind and body. It shouldn't be exclusive to pirates or marines. Mira awakened all three types, didn't she? And she's 100% Fairy Tail."
That logic made sense.
If Mira, a mage born and raised in Magnolia, could develop Haki… then anyone in Fairy Tail should have that same potential.
Rain crossed his arms thoughtfully. "If even you can awaken it, Elfman, then everyone else will have no problem."
Elfman flinched. "Wait—what do you mean 'even me'?!'"
"Alright, let's start."
Before Elfman could protest further—
BOOM!
A solid punch coated in Armament Haki landed squarely on his head.
Elfman staggered, stars spinning around him. "GAAH! Brother Rain! W-What are you doing?!"
"Observation test," Rain replied calmly. "So? Did you feel anything? A presence? A spark of willpower?"
Elfman rubbed his scalp, tears almost welling up. "N-No! Nothing at all!"
"Hmm… I see."
Rain raised his fist again.
"W-Wait, hold on—!"
BOOM!
Another clean hit.
Elfman's hair stood on end. His eyes glazed over. "Brother Rain… I'm starting to feel something…"
Rain leaned in, hopeful. "Really?"
"…Yeah. I feel… dizzy."
Rain sighed. "No progress yet."
He cracked his knuckles again, utterly unfazed.
Elfman's expression turned pale. "B-Brother Rain, please! I'll awaken something at this rate — but it won't be Haki!"
Rain smirked faintly. "That's the spirit. Keep enduring. If even an idiot can awaken Haki, Fairy Tail will become unstoppable."
"Wh—what kind of motivation is that?!"
BOOM!
Another thundering punch echoed across the training field.
Mira, watching from afar, sighed deeply.
"…Poor Elfman," she muttered. "Enduring Rain's experiment is truly manly."
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Every 100 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.