Chapter 18
A few days later, inside the Fairy Tail guildhall...
Cana lay sprawled halfway across a table, a gloomy cloud practically hanging over her head.
"...Hey, Gray. Don’t you think Erza and Marshall have gotten a little too close lately?"
Gray was slumped across the other side of the table, surrounded by an equally miserable atmosphere.
"Have they? I haven’t noticed. I’m still trying to figure out whether I really can’t beat Erza..."
"What’s there to figure out? She dropped you with one punch, you useless—"
Cana suddenly shot upright.
"Ah! No! That damn Erza is holding Marshall’s hand! When did they get that close?! I’m supposed to be Marshall’s big sister!"
She began biting down on a handkerchief as she glared at the pair following Makarov back into the guildhall.
"Erza!" Gray leaped to his feet and rushed over. "This time, I’m definitely beating you!"
Only after stopping in front of her did he realize she was no longer wearing her eyepatch.
"Huh? Erza, your eye’s healed? Congratulations! Now fight me again!"
"You’re certainly persistent." Erza nodded seriously. "Very well. I’ll accept your challenge properly this time. Marshall, give me a sword."
Erza was not wearing armor today. Instead, she had on a neat dress that made her look like a young noblewoman.
A longsword suddenly appeared in Marshall’s hand through his Requip Magic.
"Here."
...
Five seconds later, the battle was over.
A black-haired porcupine was now embedded in the guildhall wall!
Erza smiled and handed the sword back to Marshall.
"Your magic is incredibly useful. It works perfectly with mine. You have to teach me sometime."
"No problem! With your talent, Erza, you’ll learn it in no time."
The magic Erza had awakened was called The Knight, though Marshall personally preferred to think of it as sword control.
It was a form of magic that used magic power to manipulate and enhance weapons. Marshall had tried learning it himself, which caused the following to appear on his panel:
[Magic Power Control LV1: 3,708/10,000] — [The Knight LV0: 3/1,000]
The Knight had appeared directly beside Magic Power Control.
That meant it was essentially an advanced application of magic power, one specifically designed for metal weapons.
Marshall suspected The Knight was another composite form of magic.
Once he raised it to Level One, it would probably split into additional Magic Power Control experience and some kind of Metal Manipulation skill.
Magic Power Control itself was an extremely versatile ability. The higher its level rose, the better his control over every form of magic would become.
Erza’s naturally awakened The Knight was at least Level Three.
In other words, she effectively possessed Level Three Magic Power Control and Level Three Metal Manipulation from the start.
That was why she could reinforce her body with magic power almost instinctively, as though awakening her magic had also handed her Level One Enhancement Magic for free.
Combined with her already impressive reserves of magic power and natural combat instincts, Erza could easily crush Gray despite never receiving formal magical training.
It was pure statistical superiority.
Honestly, Marshall was a little jealous of her talent.
Her magic power had been slightly higher than his when he first awakened.
She might not possess a Level Four skill, but a single Level Three composite ability was worth several ordinary ones, and it came with incredible natural fighting talent.
Her starting build was even more ridiculous than his.
It was as though fate itself were shoving food directly into her mouth. Anyone who did not know better might think Erza was the protagonist.
"Wow, Gray lost that easily. Looks like Erza will be carrying Fairy Tail’s next generation."
"Terrifying! Kids these days just keep getting stronger."
Listening to the guild members praise her, Makarov leaned on his staff with a grin so wide it nearly reached his ears.
His eyes positively sparkled.
’Bwahahaha! Those old fossils are going to die of jealousy! In a few years, I’ll take Erza to one of our regular meetings and show her off! Hahahaha!’
Earlier that day, Marshall had accompanied Makarov and Erza deep into the eastern forest to visit the Guild Master’s old friend, Porlyusica.
She was an eccentric elderly woman with pink hair and extraordinary pharmaceutical skills—a truly gifted healer.
Porlyusica had treated Erza’s injured eye. It was not completely perfect, but she could now use it normally in everyday life.
Erza was deeply grateful to her.
Marshall, meanwhile, had become intensely interested in her medicinal knowledge.
Unfortunately, the moment he asked Porlyusica to teach him, she threw him out.
Apparently, the old woman simply disliked humans.
But Marshall had no intention of giving up.
He had been in this world long enough to encounter all kinds of bizarre magic, yet he had never once seen true Healing Magic.
Every time he asked, people told him it had been lost.
According to legend, gods had once existed in this world, and priests serving their churches had known healing spells.
After the gods vanished, however, those spells disappeared with them.
As a result, modern treatment relied entirely on bandages, doctors, and ordinary medicine.
There was barely anything magical about it.
Porlyusica’s pharmacology was the most effective healing method Marshall had discovered so far.
Fortunately, he had already left a spatial coordinate near her home. He planned to teleport over and bother her from time to time until she eventually agreed to teach him something.
After Marshall’s conversation with her, Erza had finally begun to emerge from her confusion.
She no longer hid alone in the corner and had instead become confident and decisive.
Erza was serious and strongly guided by what she believed was right, but she was generally stricter with herself than with others.
She did not force everyone else to meet her standards.
She felt more like an overly dedicated class representative.
For example, she had just pulled the black-haired porcupine out of the wall and was forcing his clothes over his head.
Every few seconds, she added another punch while firmly reminding him to remain dressed.
Poor Gray trembled beneath Erza’s iron fists, his eyes growing clearer with every blow.
"Marshall, come sit with your big sister."
Cana immediately took the opportunity to lure him away. She pulled him to her side, puffing out her cheeks with obvious jealousy.
"Marshall, tell me honestly. Who’s your favorite big sis? Me or Erza?"
’Waaah! I’m Marshall’s real big sister! Me and no one else!’
"..."
Marshall began sweating.
’Girls are so difficult. She can even get jealous over this?’
"I like Levy best."
Cana stared at him.
"????"
"Haha! I heard that!" Levy suddenly popped up behind Marshall and wrapped both arms around him, pressing her cheek against his.
"I love my Marshall most too!"
"No! This can’t be happening!" Cana cried. "Damn you, Levy! Give Marshall back to me!"
Marshall found himself buried in warmth and softness as the two girls fought over him.
It was exhausting.
But also wonderful!
"Stop fighting, Cana. Could you show me your guild mark?"
"Huh?"
Cana’s face reddened slightly.
After a moment of hesitation, she lifted the edge of her shirt and exposed her slender waist.
"Here. You can look if you want—eek! Marshall, what are you doing?"
Marshall pressed his palm directly over the Fairy Tail emblem on Cana’s lower abdomen.
Waves of magic power pulsed from his hand.
When he lifted it away, the black guild mark now had a faint pink outline around it. The change was so subtle that it would be difficult to notice without looking closely.
"This is a technique I developed by combining Script Magic and Spatial Magic—Marshall’s Flying Thunder God: Space-Time Flash, First-Form Seal!"
Marshall paused proudly.
"Or you can just call it Marshall’s Mark."
"?"
Cana froze.
Then blood rushed to her face as she stammered, "W-What kind of ridiculous name is that?! Are you saying you marked me as yours?"
"It’s really just a spatial coordinate. Whenever you activate it with magic power, I’ll be able to sense your location."
Marshall raised two fingers in a victory sign and swung his hand through the air.
"Then—whoosh!—I can teleport straight to you."
He grinned.
"My maximum teleportation range is already over fifty kilometers. As long as you’re within that distance, I’ll sense the mark’s magic power and reach you immediately. Pretty amazing, right?"
In truth, Marshall could vaguely sense nearby marks even when they had not been activated.
There was no need to mention that part and he had no intention of doing so.
Cana gently touched the mark on her waist.
Feeling the concern behind Marshall’s gift, warmth filled her chest, and she could not keep the smile from spreading across her face.
"I-I see. But your big sister would never need to ask her little brother for help! I’m supposed to be the one protecting you!"
She turned her head away with a proud little huff.
"Still... since you worked so hard on it, I suppose I’ll accept it~"
Levy’s eyes immediately lit up with envy.
"Marshall! I want one too!"
"All right, all right! Don’t worry—everyone gets one!"