Natsu and Gray froze at Erza's sudden invitation to team up, then exploded into disbelief and delight.
'Team up... with Erza?!' Natsu jabbed a thumb at his own nose, eyes round as saucers.
Gray's voice cracked with excitement. 'R-really, Erza?'
Everyone else in the hall was just as stunned.
After all, Erza always worked alone. As an S-Class mage she was strong enough that she almost never needed partners.
'Erza needs backup?'
'What on earth is happening?'
'An S-Class mission? Worth dying for!'
'If those three band together, the Thunder God Tribe might lose their spot as the guild's strongest team!'
'Laxus is going to flip...'
'...'
The matter seemed urgent; the moment Natsu and Gray agreed, Erza hustled them off to pack, insisting they leave that very day.
What surprised Hope—who'd been watching the whole show—was that Natsu roped Happy and Lucy into the squad as well.
Taking Happy made sense; he'd been glued to Natsu since birth and his flight was indispensable.
But Lucy was a rookie who'd joined only days ago. Erza hadn't spelled out the details, yet anyone could tell that a quest an S-Class mage couldn't handle solo would be soaked in danger.
Whatever. Protagonist logic didn't need explaining.
Hope watched them depart, shook his head, and was heading for the storeroom for more booze when he noticed Mirajane behind the counter looking pale.
'Feeling sick?'
Hope leaned in, voice low. 'Want to rest? I've got the front desk covered.'
'Thanks, Hope, I'm fine.'
Mirajane forced a smile, then grimaced. 'It's just—those three on one team. I feel sorry for the master.'
Hope blinked in confusion.
He knew Natsu loved wrecking things, but with Erza keeping a tight rein nothing should go wrong.
Cana ambled over, bottle in arms, and flopped onto the counter. 'You don't get it, do you? Think Natsu's the biggest destroyer of the three?'
Hope raised an eyebrow. 'Who else? Gray?'
'Heh, you really don't know.'
Cana's grin turned sly. 'Erza's the one with the most collateral damage.'
Hope gaped; only Mirajane's solemn nod kept him from dismissing it as drunken nonsense.
The stern knight—like Natsu?
Mirajane sighed. 'Our fighting styles are... rough. We break things. Erza tops the charts. Every few weeks the Magic Council files a major complaint, sends officers to arrest her, tries her, and locks her up.'
'Jail?!' Hope's voice cracked.
'Just overnight in the Council's cells,' Mirajane shrugged.
Cana chimed in, 'She says the food's decent. Makes me want a stay-cation, but I'm not destructive enough.'
You're jealous?!
Hope kept the retort to himself. He understood: Makarov was one of the Ten Wizard Saints; arresting Erza placated complainants, releasing her the next day placated him. The Council played perfect politics.
Still, as the supposed guardians of magical order, they'd clearly lost their bite.
'Ah, almost forgot!'
Mirajane produced a recording lacrima and filmed a short clip announcing the trio's team-up.
She pressed the crystal into Hope's palm. 'Take this to the regular council hall in Clover Town. Give it to the master. Better he hears early and braces himself.'
She rummaged beneath the counter and produced a tiny vial. 'Emergency heart drops Porlyusica gave him—he's never needed them, but take them anyway.'
The gravity—Mirajane even filming evidence—finally hit Hope. He straightened. 'I'll get it there fast.'
'Wait, I'm coming!'
Cana scrambled after him, not for safety but for the rumored open bar at council meetings. Ten minutes later.
At Magnolia Station a four-leaf-bound magi-train hissed and rolled.
Only Hope and Cana occupied the last car.
It was Hope's first ride on this world's transport.
The carriage rattled like the old green trains back home, but powered by mana crystals.
In this magic-saturated world, mana was the cheapest, most convenient fuel. Common devices ran on replaceable crystals—cheap as batteries.
Cana toyed with two spent crystals she'd yanked from her dorm lamp; she'd left in such a rush she'd forgotten her booze.
'Cana, can I see those?'
She tossed them over. 'Knock yourself out—they're almost dry.'
Hope thanked her, curious; he'd never handled the stuff.
The instant his fingers closed around them a cold mechanical voice rang in his skull.
[Ding—]
[Pure mana detected.]
[Analysing...]
Analysis complete: the stored mana can marginally accelerate decryption. Use it?]
Hope nearly jumped. Pure mana could speed spell-cracking?
He selected yes, feeding the leftover energy into the [God Step] decryption. The crystals dimmed to grey.
[Ding—]
[One minute saved.]
[Spell 'God Step' remaining: 7 days 11 h 43 min...]
Only sixty seconds, but Hope was elated—it meant, given enough mana, he could break any spell instantly.