AN: Ok, before we begin, Reviewer Replies and a rather unfortunate announcement.

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Raidentensho: You just had to guess it didn't you? I couldn't possibly put out a chapter with so obvious a plot that you'd be able to guess it from a single sentence. Had to completely toss my plans for this chapter and come up with something new.

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Now a rather unfortunate announcement: Due to work related circumstances I will almost certainly be moving within the next few weeks, so my odds of missing my weekly updates just skyrocketed.

Also, given that I have no idea where I'll even be moving TO or what's waiting for me when I get there, my writing time may be getting severely reduced for the next few months until I get settled in and things start to smooth out.

I'm out of backlogged chapters, and as I've said before, I've no interest in sacrificing quality to keep to such a killer schedule, so if I have to go to biweekly or even (shudders) monthly updates in order to continue churning out a quality story, then that's what I'll do.

I will of course still try to make my weekly updates, but I want to warn everyone in advance, my odds of being able to keep to the schedule are probably about to plummet.

To make up for that gloomy announcement, Happy Memorial Day! Here's a whopper that even surprised ME.

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Chapter 39: Fishing and Hunting

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Two Days Later, October 4th

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Master gave us the most incredibly dry look then he looked over his shoulder, "Mira, would you make sure none of the S-Class jobs are missing?" Mira looked at him in surprise and then pulled a stack of papers from under the bar to start flipping through them.

Cana almost snorted booze out her nose and only narrowly managed to swallow her drink without choking on it. Elfman looked confused and Natsu, Happy, Gray and I all flushed in embarrassment at the implication.

I raised my hands in an X, "No, I swear to god, THIS TIME we are actually going fishing."

"FISHING IS MANLY!" Elfman declared loudly.

Natsu and Gray nodded in unison, the sight of them actually agreeing on the matter was apparently shocking enough for Master to consider that we might be telling the truth. Unfortunately, the smug grins on their faces at what I could hear them thinking to be Elfman's impeccable logic made them look guilty as all get out.

Master nodded with his eyes closed thoughtfully, "Yes, I quite agree. So, to ensure that your overwhelming aura of manliness doesn't cause absurd amounts of damage that will incur fresh debts after we've so recently paid them all off, I'm sending Erza along with you." The others started to protest and then Master cracked one eye and raised an eyebrow, "That won't be a problem will it?"

"Nope!" Gray, Natsu and Happy chorused. Elfman was too busy all but weeping with joy over Master's declaration of our 'overwhelming aura of manliness', the sarcasm of which had been completely and utterly lost on him.

Mira finished checking the job fliers, "Nope, they're all here."

Master glanced over at her, "Hmm…I'm still sending Erza to keep an eye on you lot. ERZA!" Across what would be the main assembly hall when the building was finished, Erza looked up from her cake. "I need you to go with these wackos and make sure they actually go fishing and don't destroy anything!"

"Will there be a picnic?" Erza demanded.

"We can arrange something," I called back.

"I'M IN!"

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That Afternoon

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Honestly, I didn't give a hoot about fishing. I had only agreed to tag along for the exact same reason Master had sent Erza: To keep Gray and Natsu from killing each other.

Now though as Erza and I sat on the shore with Gray in one boat at one end of the cove, Elfman in another at the other end, and Natsu and Happy in the middle on the little stone jetty I'd conjured, it seemed like there was actually… nothing to worry about!

Between Natsu and Gray both sitting stiller than I'd ever seen them except to yank fish out of the water and Elfman being unusually still and quiet as well, I was able to sit down on the blanket and stretch out like a cat before slumping and enjoying the sun on my front as I pulled the brim of my hat over my eyes.

"I didn't expect things to go this peacefully," Erza mused, "But I'm very glad they are! Now we can enjoy this wonderful picnic!"

"It probably helps that I've been quietly bathing everyone with calming magic since we stepped out of the Guild Hall," I noted quietly, "They couldn't get worked up right now if they wanted to."

Erza looked over at me in surprise and then smiled, "Oh? How very sneaky of you."

I grinned, "The only thing we have to watch for now is to make sure they don't fall in. In the meantime, we can enjoy ourselves."

We sat in silence for a while and then Erza asked, "Is there anything we're supposed to do on a picnic?"

"Eat, enjoy the company, maybe a game if we're in a gaming mood," I listed quietly, "Never really went on many picnics, was more of an indoor guy. The other thing is that when I was a kid, they never cleaned the outside tables at my school, so since the tables were under a bunch of trees, there was always bird crap all over the tables and benches, and the shade meant the bugs loved it. It was quite enough to put me off eating outside at a very early age."

Erza grimaced, "So, games huh? What should we play?" I could tell she was very excited by the idea when she said it, "Ooh! How about Spin the Bottle? Master won't let us play in the Guild Hall because of how many fights it starts, but out here there's nothing around to destroy so we can play as much as we like!"

I lifted the brim of my hat and then sat up to look at her, "Erza, there's only two of us."

Erza pouted, "Oh poo, you're right. It wouldn't be much fun with only two of us…" She took a bite of her sandwich and started chewing in annoyance as she tried to think of another game.

I raised an eyebrow, "Actually I think that would just mean we take the bottle out of the equation and start making out."

Erza flushed as red as her hair and almost choked on her sandwich. I teleported the food clogging her airway out and tossed it into the lake as I laid a concerned hand on her back, "You alright Erza?"

"Wh-WHAT DOES MAKING OUT HAVE TO DO WITH SPIN THE BOTTLE?!" Erza demanded.

I raised an eyebrow, "Where I'm from Spin the Bottle is a game where whoever spins the bottle has to kiss whoever it lands on, or whoever they've got a crush on depending on who's playing. Either way, it ends with us making out."

Erza blushed a little bit redder, "O-oh…here you have to either answer a question or take a dare!"

I nodded, "Ah so here they've mixed 'Spin the Bottle' with 'Truth or Dare', I get it. Well yes, truth or dare can certainly be played with only two people. So, I'll go with truth. Ask away."

Erza took a moment to recompose herself and then she took another to think of a question, "Ok…um…do you pick your nose?"

"Only when I'm alone," I replied, "there are some obstructions that mere blowing can't clear, but I'd rather not embarrass or gross out Mira or Cana, or any other ladies I might be around." Erza considered that and I told her, "Okay, your turn. Truth or Dare?"

"Mmm…dare!" Erza declared confidently, "I'm not afraid!"

"Dare you to take off your armor and not put any on for the rest of the game," I replied without missing a beat.

Erza's eyes popped wide open and she immediately went pale and her mind immediately screamed panic, "Um, I uh…"

I immediately scooted over and wrapped her in a hug, "You use your armor as a security blanket huh? Well I guess that counts as a truth, so we'll move onto my turn. Dare."

Erza's pulse settled down as she realized she wasn't going to have to take her armor off. Then she blushed lightly, "Um…take off your shirt."

I blinked, "Eh? Ah well, turn about's fair play I suppose." Off went the shirt and I folded my cape closed around myself so that only my head was poking out of my tent of a cape with a grin, "Your turn!"

"I think I should go with truth this time," Erza declared, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

"What was your first date like?"

Erza blushed and then glanced off to the side, "I've…never actually been on a date."

I tilted my head to the side, "Eh? But you're amazing, how have…" then it hit me, "Ohhh never found a guy you like huh?"

Erza closed her eyes and shook her head, "No, I've…had one since I was a child."

It hit me like a mallet as I realized who she was talking about, "Oh…um…shit. I'm just asking all the wrong questions today ain't I?"

Erza exhaled, "It's not your fault. It is your turn though."

I thought for a second, "Dare."

"I dare you to pick me a bouquet!" I blinked in surprise at the dare and then closed my eyes and stretched out a hand, my magic quickly scanning the forest behind us. I snapped my fingers as Archive located over a dozen flowers and little screens appeared to neatly sever the stems before they were yanked to my hand with telekinesis. I curled my fingers around them and presented them to Erza, "For you."

Erza accepted the bundle of blue aster and red dianthus with a blush, "That didn't buy me nearly as much time as I'd hoped," she muttered into the flowers before taking a deep breath, "I believe it's my turn again. Dare."

I thought for a moment, "I dare you to…drink." I offered her a bottle I pulled from inside my cape. Erza's blush immediately deepened, "W-why do you have that?"

"Fishing and drinking go hand in hand," I replied with a smile, "I didn't realize when me and the guys decided to come fishing that we'd have you along. We were planning to drink while we fished, but Natsu and Gray are scared you'll kick both their asses if they get drunk and start fighting. Mira and Cana say you're an incredibly violent drunk when you're not alone, but since right now it's just you and me…" I wagged the bottle at her, "Care to see what happens?"

Erza blushed a little pinker and then accepted the bottle, quickly taking a sip before handing it back with a grimace, "Your turn."

I thought for a second, "Truth."

"Do you actually like me or is it just your guilt over Erica?"

That was kind of a punch in the gut. I thought for a second, "Yes Erza, I like you very much. I liked you from the day we met, and certainly well before I figured out the connection between you and her." Erza blushed a bit more and hid her face in her flowers. I couldn't help but smile at how cute this sudden shyness was, "Your turn."

"Truth!" Erza declared.

I thought for a moment, "What's your favorite armor?"

Light suddenly flashed around Erza and she was suddenly wearing a set of pink armor that was very knightly and covered her whole body aside from a small gap between the light pink skirt and the armored boots that came up over her knees. She had on a pale lavender cape and two pink feather like decorations in her suddenly braided hair. The whole thing had a feathery feel to it that belied the nature of the enchanted steel that comprised it.

"Armadura Fairy," she explained quietly, "I had it made to represent my pride as a Fairy Tail wizard. It's my strongest armor and I only take it out for really desperate situations because it's my favorite and I don't want it getting messed up."

I smiled, "It looks great on you, I see why you like it."

"Your turn," Erza told me.

"I'll go with truth again," I decided after a moment.

"Why did you leave when we woke up in each other's arms at the Magic Council building?"

Mallet. Face. That one knocked me for a loop for a second. I exhaled, "Honestly Erza? The exact reason I gave you then. If I hadn't left when I did, I would've done everything in my power to be making love to you right then and there, sense and restraint and decency be damned."

"What have those got to do with anything?!" Erza pouted.

I blinked in surprise and then I snorted, "You were fresh out of an extremely traumatizing experience and it would be rude and cruel to take advantage of your desire to latch onto something familiar in search of comfort. I point blank refuse to betray your trust like that." Erza looked very surprised and then tried to hide her blush behind her flowers. I took a second to enjoy how absolutely adorable she was and then smiled, "Your turn again."

"Dare."

I thought for a moment, "I dare you to close your eyes until I say you can open them, hold perfectly still, and trust me." Erza closed her eyes and in the blink of an eye I teleported back across the lake to Magnolia, specifically the bakery. I quickly shelled out two thousand jewel (about twenty bucks) for a strawberry cake I'd seen in the window on our way out of town and then teleported back, pleased to see that Erza's eyes were still closed. I set the cake down between us and smiled, "You can open your eyes now."

Erza's eyes popped open and immediately riveted themselves to the cake, "How long have you had that?"

"About sixty seconds," I grinned, "Teleportation's pretty useful."

"Can I…eat that?" Erza asked tentatively.

I smiled and offered her a fork, "As much as you like."

Erza accepted the fork and delicately selected her first bite. She raised it to her lips and if the expression of pure bliss hadn't convinced me she liked it, the near orgasmic little moan that found its way to my ears certainly did. I'm vaguely surprised my hat didn't fall off from the way every hair on my body stood on end in response to that moan. Some part of my brain churned out that this must be what animals felt like when they heard a really good mating call. I know that's not how she intended that but holy hell did it kick my baser instincts into overdrive.

Erza noticed me blushing and fidgeting a few moments later, "Is something wrong?"

"I didn't realize it was possible to be turned on by someone eating strawberry cake," I admitted, "I think that was the happiest sound I've ever heard not in a bedroom."

Erza blushed as she took her next bite and then a thought visibly crossed her mind. She swallowed and then, "Oh, I just remembered. There's something I want your help with next time you get an opportunity."

My ears pricked up, "Go ahead."

"There is a certain breed of strawberry that are known as Maximum Sweet Strawberries," Erza explained, "They're legendary among bakers for how good they are. I've never had a chance to taste one and I've only heard about it as a passing rumor from a baker who once had an opportunity to use one he bought from a passing wizard. I thought they were just a myth, but while we were docked that day at Puerta Samba, I met a young woman named Jack who challenged me to a fight with a map to the location where those legendary berries grow as the prize if I won. She claimed she knew the route by heart and that her father used to take her every year. Unfortunately I lost, so I wasn't able to, what's that look?"

"You lost?" I asked in shock.

Erza pouted at me, "Yes. It does happen sometimes. She was extremely fast and a teleporter like you. I think she may have been from the future."

I tilted my head, "The future? Interesting theory, some would say crazy. I on the other hand have been yanked across the dimensional barrier and I know that time magic is a thing. That said, may I ask how you arrived at that conclusion?"

"I'm pretty sure that she was yours and Mira's daughter," Erza replied bluntly as she took another bite of cake.

It's a damn good thing I wasn't drinking or eating anything. I would've spewed it, choked or both, "COME AGAIN?!"

"She had snow white hair like Mira, cut like a cuter version of yours, her eyes were the same color as yours and she used what I'm pretty sure was your brand of teleportation magic," Erza ticked off nonchalantly, "Add to that the fact that she was talking to her younger brother about something that I now realize to be a time loop being apparently stable, the fact that she was from Fairy Tail even though I've never seen her before, and I'd say it adds up."

Then she added, "Oh and Lucy and Levy spotted two boys who looked disturbingly similar to Natsu and Gray, who were apprehended by a woman who looked a lot like the daughter Alzack and Bisca don't have yet that knew Levy and Lucy on sight, along with Gajeel chasing after a young girl with black hair like his who hugged Levy for no reason before running away from him laughing that he all but refuses to talk about, aaand given that at least Jack disappeared in a flash of golden light that didn't look like an ordinary teleport and I'd wager the others did too..."

She took another bite, "Oh, and she mentioned that her brother's name was Gil, which if my theory is right would probably be short for…"

"Gilgamesh," I finished in shock, "Exactly what I'd name my firstborn son. Erza, why, why didn't you tell me?" Then something hit me, "Wait, Jack?"

Erza nodded, "That's the name she gave me."

"I would've named my first born daughter either Mordred or Artoria," I mused, then I shrugged, "Might've been a false name, or maybe her middle name. Can you show her to me?"

Erza closed her eyes and thought about the girl she'd claimed to be my daughter. I closed my eyes and gently touched her consciousness to look at the memory and felt my breath hitch as I saw her gleefully victorious grin, "I think you're right. That's exactly who that is…" I pressed my palms to my eyes as I felt tears of pride start forming, "My baby girl…she's so beautiful…she, you said she beat you?"

Erza showed me the incredibly quick fight and the conversation leading up to it. I started laughing out of pride as I watched her display so may of what I recognized as my own mannerisms and then kick Erza's ass like an absolute little boss, "She's amazing!" I folded my hands in my lap and sat there for a moment, crying my eyes out and grinning from ear to ear as my heart tried to swell its way out of my chest with pride, "My little girl…I can't wait to meet her…She's not even here yet and I'm already so proud…"

"She also stole my underwear as a trophy," Erza noted a moment later.

The water works cut off immediately as that hit me. I snorted with laughter, then I started rolling around cackling, "HAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT'S MY GIRL! HAHAHAHAHA! HOHOHOLY SHIT ARE YOU SERIOUS?! HAHAHAHAHA! OH MY GOD THAT'S AMAZING! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

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The Next Night

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I hadn't wasted any time in throwing myself into research about the Maximum Sweet Strawberry when we got back from fishing, and the results told me that if there were any handy then the forest Vulcans would almost certainly know where they were since they were all possessed of a near obsessive love of berries. I'd immediately resolved to hunt down as many Vulcans as I needed to and keep scouring as many of their minds as I needed to in order to find those berries. My baby girl was getting her strawberry picking trips.

That thought was quickly pushed to the back of my mind though as I started researching the Vulcans more so I could find one, and my almost bloodthirsty eagerness quickly curdled into a stone cold murderous vendetta as I learned more about the beasts called Vulcans.

They were basically spirits who possessed travelers and civilians to enjoy the sensations of physical bodies. Interestingly, their possession abilities were basically the same as what Mira and Elfman described their Take Over magic as being, except with the rather disturbing distinction of being geared towards humans instead of beasts or demons.

They were apparently extremely dangerous with it, even Macao, who I knew to be at least a decently formidable wizard even by Fairy Tail's admittedly high standards, had been possessed and gone missing for over a week around the time Lucy and I joined the guild. Apparently Natsu and Lucy had gone and rescued him while I was on the Everlue case with Team Shadowgear, or he might still be missing. I'd learned that Vulcans had to be basically beaten out of bodies they'd possessed, which while unfortunate, meant the only chance of freeing their hosts came with a significant chance of hurting them. I needed information, but there was no way in hell I was leaving innocent people trapped like this.

I'd find some other way to find the Maximum Sweet Strawberries. Not one more person is going to go missing because of these brutes, I glowered on the high branch I'd come to rest on as I raised a finger gun. Then I grinned as white light manifested around my fingertips illuminating the night, BOOM.

Not even a blink later, the clearing erupted with light as my first shot struck home, dispersing the first and biggest of the bunch instantly along with the three nearest him. The rest immediately tried to scatter only to find themselves being lifted off the ground. I flew into the air over the clearing and lit it up, my arms crossed and blazing like a searchlight as I hovered over the four victims who had been freed, "Oh no, you're turning those bodies loose. NOW." BOOM.

The Vulcans only had an instant to be horrified before I slammed them into the ground like shots from cannons. My eyes darted about as I confirmed, all seventeen hosts had been freed. I was then presented with another problem, seventeen very angry mental signatures forming up as shadows of malicious magical energy. That was okay though, I had a perfect counter to that. "Blackout Stream."

The ribbon of Devouring ripped through the Vulcan's spirit forms and ground them to magic chuck, their magic and thus their consciousness were eradicated and consumed in an instant. Most wizards had to settle for just freeing Vulcans' hosts and driving them off, normally only people armed with Exorcism magic could hope to truly slay them because of their nature as malignant spirits. I was glad my hunch about my Devouring magic was right, it would make eradicating them just that much easier.

Once the malignant energy signatures had been completely eradicated, I toned down the glow and floated down, "Is everyone alright?"

No answer was immediately forthcoming, so I pulsed Sense of Security and almost immediately jumped back into the air as the tears and sobs started all at once. Then my telepathy picked up on the overwhelming relief and joy of the poor souls I had just set free for the first time in who knew how long. I smiled and raised a card to my lips, "Hey Master? First batch is heading your way."

"ALREADY?!"

I smiled, "Get those blankets ready and maybe some hot cocoa. I'm sending them to you in three, two, one…" I snapped my fingers and the newly freed hosts disappeared, reappearing over at the Guild Hall nearly ten miles away. "They all there? There should be seventeen."

"Yes they've all arrived," Master replied a second later, "Are you sure about this? Vulcan hunting is dangerous."

My expression hardened, "Take one look at those people in front of you Master. Who knows how many more victims like that there are? I may not be able to clear the entire country tonight, but with Meteor, Archive and my Devouring magic which can actually kill them instead of just scaring them off? I can damn sure put a dent in it."

Master was quiet for a moment and then, "Good luck boy, and god speed."

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The Next Morning

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One night of hunting and about three metric shit tons of dead Vulcans later, just as the sun was coming up, I came in for a landing on the street leading up to the Guild Hall, noting that the entire town seemed like a refugee camp. I guess technically it was. It would've warmed my heart no end to see my guild mates out helping comfort and try to set up rides home for the Vulcans' victims, but right then, I was too tired to do much more than force one foot in front of the other. If I'd tried to fly any further, I'd have crashed into something.

There was a lot of commotion and then suddenly two people caught me under either arm and helped me down the street as I stumbled. My momentum hadn't worn off and my just knees weren't doing the whole 'hold me up' thing right then. I'd pushed myself way too hard, I could barely pick my head up and if that was rain I was hearing, I couldn't feel it. "Thanks…" I mumbled to the two guys all but carrying me down the street, "really…" I yawned and shook my head, "…really tired. Can you guys…help me to the Guild Hall? Need…need ta report…six thousand six hundred and twenty one…didn't…didn't get whole country…might be more…northwest…found…" another yawn, "…found strawberries…big ones…"

Given that I can't remember anything else, I think I must've passed out pretty quickly thereafter.

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That Afternoon

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"HA?! WHAT?!" I sat bolt upright, suddenly wide awake and alert as something crashed into something else. It took me a second to get my bearings and I found myself in the Guild Archive with a very embarrassed Elfman sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, "Oh shit! Elfman are you alright?!"

"I'm fine," he grumbled as he straightened up and waved off the hand I offered him as I teleported over. He glanced up at me, "So you're finally awake huh? That was a pretty manly stunt you pulled last night. How many Vulcans did you kill? The rumor mill's going crazy, some folks are saying six hundred and others are saying sixty thousand."

"Six thousand six hundred and twenty one," I replied as the number popped into my head, "How are the victims? Is everyone alright?"

"A lot of them are pretty shaken up, and they're having to get used to having control of their bodies again, but they're all alive," Elfman told me as he stood up before musing, "Man, I never realized those things were such a menace. That one really big batch you sent around midnight was an entire village, even the little kids!"

I scowled as the horror of seeing children where Vulcans had been flashed fresh in my mind, "Damn ghost monkeys…" I turned and started up the stairs, "As soon as I eat I'm going out again!"

"Uh, actually, the Council's kinda here to see you?" Elfman declared tentatively, "That's why I came down to get you. We'd have let you sleep as long as you needed to otherwise."

I looked over my shoulder at him, "What do they want?"

Elfman shrugged, "Dunno, but Mystogan's here too so…"

I raised an eyebrow, "He is? Huh. Well, guess I'd better go see what's…" GROAAAAOOGH "…cookin' because I am very hungry. Then I'll see what the Council wants. Thanks for wakin' me up. You good?"

Elfman scratched his head and shuffled something behind his feet, "Oh ah, yeah yeah. I'm good." I elected not to mention the bits of shattered plate I had just noticed he was trying to hide. He wasn't bleeding and clearly wanted to pretend nothing had happened.

I grinned, "Thanks bro. Guess I better get up there." I turned and bounced up the rest of the stairs, striding down the hallway to the main meeting hall and teleporting from the doorway to my usual stool at the bar. I immediately started looking around and felt myself start instinctively sweating as I noticed the absurd number of uniformed Rune Knights in the Guild Hall. Then the 'oh shit' feeling got a hundred times worse as everyone in the room suddenly looked right at me.

I sat forward and spread my hands with a friendly smile in the direction of the Magic Council, "Ah, am I in trouble? Cause, just me, this seems like a pretty silly thing to get in trouble for."

Everyone started looking around at each other and I could feel the confusion in the air. Then Chairman Seam laughed, "No, no! Quite the opposite actually! According to my scans, you've hunted one of the most common and dangerous threats to the citizens of this kingdom to the brink of extinction in a single night, saving all their victims and doing everything within your power to get them home and back to living their lives! We have not come to scold. We have come to congratulate!"

I tilted my head in curiosity, "Oh? Well ah, thanks, I guess. If you really want to thank me though, all these guys you brought with you would be a big help in getting everybody home safe. I'm sure y'all have already thought of that though since you brought so many. I can start firing up portals once I know where everyone needs to go."

Chairman Seam looked at me in surprise for a moment and then turned a smug little grin on Org who looked utterly stunned. Then Org crossed his arms and looked away with a small pout, "Fine. I change my vote."

Belno cleared her throat with a small smile, "I too believe I have heard what I needed to. I shall vote in favor."

I furrowed my brow in confusion that was only compounded by Master's head whipping around so fast I was worried he might actually give himself whiplash. "Ah, vote in favor of what?" I asked a tad nervously.

Chairman Seam grinned, "Jerry Granger of Fairy Tail, in light of your defeat of the man known as Jellal, a seat has opened among the Ten Wizard Saints. In light of your efforts last night and previously over the course of the last few months, we have elected you to take the title Jellal once wrongfully held. Congratulations Mr. Granger, I, Crawford Seam, chairman of the Magic Council, hereby declare you a member of the Ten Wizard Saints."

If my eyes had gone any wider, I think they would've popped out of my head, and Mira picked up my jaw off the floor with a kiss on the cheek right before she stuck the little medal on me. My only thought on the matter?

"HUH?!"

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No preview this week. Keep your fingers crossed everybody, hope to see you all next week! :)