With the help of sea beasts, Rain and Erza crossed the ocean in just three hours and arrived on the Western Continent.
This was the land ruled by the Alvarez Empire.
Garakul Island.
After setting foot on what was technically a border island of the empire, Erza instinctively looked around, a hint of curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"Is this… the Western Continent?"
At first glance, nothing seemed particularly strange.
But if she looked closer—there was something different.
The island was patrolled entirely by magicians.
Not guards. Not soldiers.
Magicians.
"That's the army of the Alvarez Empire," Rain said quietly. "Unlike Ishgar, their nation was formed by the complete unification of all guilds."
"In other words, there are no guilds here anymore."
"It's a single, massive magical empire."
A trace of seriousness appeared on Rain's face—though it was only fleeting.
For someone like him, there weren't many people in the world worth truly worrying about. Only monsters on the level of those individuals deserved his attention.
"That's… terrifying."
Erza's expression tightened instantly.
Even without knowing Alvarez's exact strength, the idea alone was enough to make her tense.
Seven hundred guilds.
If even one S-Class mage came from each…
That would mean at least seven hundred S-Class opponents.
It was a number Erza couldn't even begin to imagine facing.
"Let's go," Rain said calmly. "Before our presence draws attention."
He grabbed Erza's hand without hesitation—and the two vanished on the spot.
...
"Hmm?"
At the same moment they disappeared, a woman standing at an ice cream stall blinked slightly.
She had short green hair and was patiently waiting in line.
Her presence was ordinary—almost lazy—but hidden beneath that calm exterior was an incomparably dense magic power, perfectly restrained.
Brandish.
"This customer, your Starburst Ice Cream."
The vendor placed the brightly colored ice cream in front of her.
"Thanks."
Brandish took it, her attention immediately shifting away from everything else. The faint disturbance she had sensed earlier?
She didn't bother thinking about it anymore.
Strong, sure—but nothing worth stressing over.
She wasn't the ruler of the empire. She just collected a paycheck.
Risking her life for work? No thanks.
Enjoying ice cream quietly sounded far better.
"Ah—!"
"Mmm~~~"
Her face softened as she took a bite.
"So this is the famous Starburst Ice Cream…"
"No wonder it's so popular. The taste really is different."
At that moment, Brandish looked nothing like one of the Spriggan Twelve.
Just a girl who really, really loved ice cream.
...
"She didn't follow us."
Erza finally relaxed after sensing that no one was giving chase. The pressure in her chest eased slightly.
"This continent is dangerous," she said seriously. "We landed on a random island and immediately ran into someone that strong."
Even though it was brief, she had felt it clearly.
That woman's magic power was on par with—or possibly even greater than—Master Makarov's.
"Relax," Rain replied. "Even the Alvarez Empire can't have many monsters like that. There can't be more than twenty at most."
"We were just… unbelievably unlucky."
Though Rain himself hadn't expected to run into Brandish of all people.
You came here for ice cream back then… and you're still coming here years later, he thought dryly.
How obsessed are you with this place?
Then another thought crossed his mind.
If I ever have to fight her… could I just bring Starburst Ice Cream and skip the battle entirely?
…But that raised a very serious problem.
How exactly would he preserve it?
"Erza," Rain suddenly asked, "if I put ice cream into your Armor Storage, would it melt when I take it out?"
"Of course it would!" Erza shot him an annoyed look. "Time doesn't stop inside my space!"
What—was he actually planning to store ice cream in there?
What if it got all over her armor?!
"Too bad…"
Rain sighed in disappointment.
Erza's mouth twitched.
He was seriously considering it…
"Hey—wait! How long are you planning to hold my hand?!"
Only then did Erza realize the strange sensation still lingering in her palm.
"…Huh?"
Rain blinked, looked down—and noticed he was still holding her hand.
"That's just a precaution," he said calmly, not letting go. "If something happens, I can react immediately."
"That doesn't make sense! She didn't even chase us—!"
Erza was about to finish her sentence—
When suddenly—
"About there."
Brandish took the last bite of her ice cream and casually raised her hand.
"Form Magic—Shrink."
The island beneath her feet rapidly compressed, collapsing into a stone barely five meters wide.
In an instant, the distance between Brandish, Rain, and Erza vanished.
They appeared face-to-face.
"Restore."
The land expanded again, returning everything to normal.
Yet Rain and Erza remained right where they were—standing firmly on the ground.
"Gulp…"
Erza swallowed hard, her entire body tense.
Just that single casual display of magic was more than enough to make her nerves scream.
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