Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Takanosu.
October, x785.
After the battle outside the Takagi mansion came to an end, Alfonzo, Elicia, Saeko, and Kiriko decided to make their way back to the primary school to give the others the good news. Saya, on the other hand, chose to stay with her parents for the night. Meanwhile, the knights, led by Rika, decided to follow Alfonzo and Elicia.
There were two reasons behind the knights decision. And neither of them had anything to do with their duties as knights.
The first was the fact that Elicia told Rika that she had been staying with Shizuka for the last few days. So, she knew that if she followed Elicia back to where they were staying, she would, more than likely, be able to see Shizuka, as well.
Second, before leaving the shelter on the other side of the river, Rika told Captain Miyamoto that she would check for information about his wife and daughter. And since she already Found his wife, Kiriko, she only needed to see about his daughter, Rei, who should be at the primary school, as well.
Meanwhile, Shido, with his legs still encased in black steel and his torso restrained with an anti-magic harness, was taken to the dungeon under Takagi mansion. And once the anti-communications barrier was disabled, the Magic Council and the kingdom would be notified of his transgressions.
On top of that, Souichiro would have his best interrogator working on getting even more information about the ritual, and any co-conspirators Shido worked with to perform it.
Back at the primary school, while the children and most of the adults had gone to bed, Takashi, Rei, Kohta, and Asami were awake on night watch. Meanwhile, Sayuri decided to stay awake to accompany her son. Shizuka, on the other hand, was also awake, wanting to check anyone who might come back for injuries. Though, she was dozing off at the moment.
"So, how do you think the battle went?" Rei asked curiously.
"They probably won." Asami replied. "I mean, Fairy Tail's Team Steel Threads is their strongest team, you know."
"Steel Threads?" Rei asked. "Is that really what they're called?"
"Yeah, that's the team name they used in the Battle of Fairy Tail tournament last year." Kohta replied with a nod. "Man, I wish I could have been there to see the match between Alfonzo and the Third Master of Fairy Tail's grandson, Laxus Dreyar. From the way it was described in Sorcerer Weekly, it was pretty epic."
"Yeah, I would have loved to be there, too." Asami said with a nod. "They even had a beauty pageant and the Fantasia Parade on the same day."
"Oh, I've heard about the Fantasia Parade before." Rei said excitedly. "My mom said she went a long time ago. She said it was incredible."
"Really?" Takashi asked in an interested tone. Then, he turned to his mother. "Mom, have you seen it before?"
"I have." Sayuri replied with a nod and a smile. "Back when your father was stationed at a town near Magnolia, we went to see it on one of his off days. And Rei's mother was right, it was incredible."
"Damn, now I wanna see it, too." Takashi muttered.
"Yeah, I've never seen it either." Kohta replied. "I wanna see it, too."
"Hmm... A parade?" Shizuka asked while rubbing her eyes. "Where? I love parades."
"Oh, we were talking about the parade Fairy Tail puts on during Magnolia's Harvest Festival." Sayuri replied with a smile.
"Oh!" Shizuka exclaimed, waking up fully in an instant. "Lici told me about that. I'm gonna go see it. Maybe I'll be part of it, too!"
"Huh?" Everyone exclaimed in confusion.
"But that's for members of Fairy Tail." Rei said. "How are you going to participate, Miss Shizuka?"
"Oh, When Fonzie and Lici leave, I'm gonna go with them and join Fairy Tail." Shizuka said happily. "Lici said they could use another nurse. Plus, there will never be a bunch of zombies in Magnolia trying to eat me."
Hearing that, Takashi, Rei, Kohta, Sayuri, and Asami looked at Shizuka with shocked expression with their eyes and mouths open in dumbfounded amazement. Eventually, Rei was the first to come back to her senses.
"But what about your job at the school?" Rei asked.
"I don't think anyone will mind." Shizuka said while tilting her head cutely. "I mean, my boss got eaten by those yucky zombies. It's good, though. Now he won't look at me like that anymore."
This time, everyone looked at Rei blankly.
"Yeah, I know." Rei said with a slight blush on her face. "Don't look at me like that, I already realize how dumb that question was."
"Besides, Shizuka, that look you're talking about." Sayuri said. "I'm sure you'll get that look from men anywhere you go. Especially with your... assets."
That statement naturally drew everyone's gaze to Shizuka's breasts, hips, and thighs. However, no one spent too much time staring. Though, Kohta did have to look up at the ceiling and pinch his nose.
"Hmph!" Asami snorted as she looked away.
"Fonzie doesn't look at me like that, though." Shizuka said while tilting her head once again.
"But now that you mention it, joining Fairy Tail doesn't sound like a bad idea." Kohta muttered. "I mean, because of my size, it's not like the knights will accept me."
"Yeah, but if you worked really hard, you could still become a knight." Asami said, almost sounding disappointed that Kohta would consider not joining the knights any longer.
As it turns out, Kohta and Asami clicked quite well ever since he, Elicia, and Rei brought her and her group back from the shopping outlet. And they clicked especially well as they both aspired to be knights.
"Yeah, but I'm sure Fairy Tail would accept me right now." Kohta replied while smiling wryly. "And I doubt weight loss will be a requirement to join, either."
"I guess, but..." Asami muttered.
Meanwhile, Takashi, Rei, Sayuri, and Shizuka did not feel it would be right for them to interfere in this conversation.
"Hey, do you think she..." Takashi asked in a whisper.
"I'm pretty sure." Rei replied while whispering as well.
"Rei is right." Sayuri said while shaking her head gently. "But it looks like Hirano can't tell."
Before any of the ongoing conversations could continue, however, the sound of a vehicle stopping outside the primary school's gate could be heard. But when that sound was followed by another, everyone went on guard.
"Someone's here." Kohta said, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. "And we only had one vehicle out. So, there's a chance it's not Alfonzo."
"Then, who do you think it could be?" Sayuri asked in a slightly concerned tone.
"Who knows." Kohta said as he picked up the magic rifle Alfonzo made for him on the first day. "But we need to protect the school."
"Kohta's right." Asami said as she drew her magic pistol. "We can't let anyone hurt the children."
With that, both Kohta and Asami sprinted up to the school's second floor. Unfortunately, they would be unable to see past the wall surrounding the building had they stayed on the first floor.
Eventually, the duo reached the second floor and crept to a windows facing the front gate. Then, with their postures kept low, they looked through the windows.
"It's too dark. I can barely see anything at all." Asami said quietly. "What about you? Can you see anything, Hirano?"
"I can make out that there are two vehicles." Kohta replied. "And there is a total of seven... No, eight people who just climbed out of them."
"No idea who, though, huh?" Asami asked.
"Unfortunately, no." Kohta replied. "Just to be safe, though. Be ready to fire."
"Understood." Asami replied.
Like that, Kohta and Asami waited for the group of nine to draw nearer. However, they did not have to wait long. One of the figures raised his hand, creating a few arcs of electricity between his fingers.
With the light the electricity produced, seeing his face, as well as the faces of the others, became much easier.
"*Sigh* We can stand down, Miss Nakaoka." Kohta said in a relieved tone. "They're back. And it looks like they brought guests."
"Yeah, and some of those guests appear to be knights, too." Asami replied with a smile.
Smiling in return, Kohta stood up. Then, with Asami following behind him and engaging him in small talk, he returned to the first floor.
"So, is it something we need to worry about?" Takashi asked as soon as he saw Kohta and Asami.
"No, nothing to worry about." Kohta replied with a smile. "They're back."
Hearing that, the others smiled as well. Then, Sayuri stood up.
"Well then, let's welcome them back properly." Sayuri said with a smile.
Agreeing with the teacher, the others stood up as well. Then, as a group, they all moved towards the primary school's front entrance.
Arriving at the door, Sayuri opened it with little hesitation. And just as she did, Alfonzo and Elicia were standing in front of it.
"Hey, Mrs. Komuro, we're back." Elicia said with a smile.
"Welcome back.' Sayuri replied. "And I see you brought back more people."
"Yeah, and some of them are dying to see some of the people inside." Alfonzo said playfully.
With that, Alfonzo and Elicia both stepped to the side, revealing Kiriko and Rika, who were standing directly behind them, respectively.
"Mom!" Rei shouted as she rushed past Sayuri and jumped at Kiriko.
"It's good to see you, too, Rei." Kiriko said as she opened her arms and caught her daughter. Then, while hugging Rei, Kiriko turned her head towards Takashi and Sayuri as she continued. "It's good to see that the two of you are safe, too, Sayuri and Takashi."
"You, too, Kiriko." Sayuri said with a smile.
Meanwhile, Takashi nodded politely.
While that reunion was going on, another was taking place, as well. As Rei rushed past Sayuri, Rika also stepped forward and entered the primary school after seeing Shizuka.
"Shizuka, I heard you were safe but seeing you un hurt is a real relief." Rika said as she pulled Shizuka into a hug.
"Ow!" Kohta yelped in pain with a bit of blood leaking from his nose.
The reason for Kohta's nosebleed and yelp were actually quite simple. As soon as Rika pulled Shizuka into a hug, Rika's relatively large breasts, that were no longer restrained as she removed her armor after the battle, and Shizuka's enormous breasts were smashed together and deformed in shape. And naturally, Kohta saw it, resulting in his nosebleed and a lecherous smile.
A moment later, after noticing Kohta's expression, Asami pinched and twisted his side. As a result, Kohta could not help but yelp in pain.
However, no one, other than Asami, could blame him for his reaction. Shizuka's and Rika's breasts were more than impressive, after all.
"Yeah, I'm glad you're okay, too, Rika." Shizuka replied with a smile as she returned the hug. "But if it wasn't for Lici and Fonzie, I would have been zombie food a couple of days ago."
Though he was in no way involved in Shizuka and Rika's conversation, Alfonzo froze at Shizuka's term of address. At the same time, Elicia could not help but giggle, gaining aglare from Alfonzo.
"don't look at me like that, Fonzie." Elicia said while trying to stifle her giggles. "I didn't tell her to call you that."
"Yeah, I actually believe that." Alfonzo said while still glaring at Elicia. "But it's still your fault so many people call me that now. First, it was Cana. Then, it was Marin. And now Shizuka. And you know how much I hate that nickname."
"But you let me call you that." Elicia replied, still trying not to laugh.
"No, I couldn't' get you to stop." Alfonzo replied. "There's a difference."
["Now that he mentions it..."] Scylla muttered from Elicia's inner world. ["He's right about that. He's never liked that nickname, but you wouldn't stop, and he couldn't stop you. But he stopped everyone else in your past life."]
'Huh?" Elicia exclaimed internally. 'But I thought he let me say it because I was special.'
["Nope, he never liked it."] Scylla said. ["He just got used to it."]
'Then, why didn't he stop Cana and Marin?' Elicia asked.
["Because, like you, they wouldn't have stopped even if he tried."] Scylla replied.
'Yeah, that's probably true.' Elicia said with an internal nod. Then, she had to stifle another fit of giggles when she saw Alfonzo's annoyed face. 'Still, it's cute. So, it stays.'
["Agreed."] Scylla replied with a nod of her own.
At the same time, Rika noticed the annoyed expression on Alfonzo's face after Shizuka called him by his nickname, as well. And when she did, a mischievous smile appeared on her face. Before she could say anything, however, Shizuka's next words made her snap her head back in her best friend's direction.
"Oh, and Lici invited me to join Fairy Tail." Shizuka said excitedly. "She said they could always use more healers. And I accepted her offer. So, when all the zombies are gone, I'm gonna move to Magnolia."
"What?" Rika exclaimed in surprise. Then, she swung her head in Alfonzo and Elicia's direction fast enough that her ponytail slapped Shizuka in the face.
"Ow!" Shizuka yelped, more in surprise than pain.
"Is that true?" Rika asked in a serious tone.
"Uh... I guess?" Alfonzo replied in an unsure tone while glancing at Elicia.
"Yup, I invited her." Elicia replied with a nod. "But this is the first time I've heard that she accepted."
"I see..." Rika said as she unwrapped her arms from around Shizuka. "Well, if she wants to go, it's not like I can stop her. But..."
At that point, Rika started walking back towards the primary school's entrance while muttering to herself in deep contemplation.
"Rika, are you okay?" Shizuka asked while tilting her head cutely.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Rika replied while waving back at Shizuka. "Well, now that I got to see that you're safe, it's time for us to go back."
"Aww~~~! Do you have to go already?" Shizuka whined.
"Unfortunately, I do." Rika said, turning back with a smile. "When this is all over, make sure to bring my Humvee back, okay? That way I'll be able to see you before you move to Magnolia."
"Okay~~~~." Shizuka said with a visible pout on her face. "I'll come see you before we go."
"Good." Rika said with a nod. "Then, she nodded at Alfonzo and Elicia. "Seriously, thanks for saving her. She's my best friend and the closest thing to family I have left. So, if I had found out she was dead, I probably would have broken down completely."
"You really don't have to thank us, Rika." Elicia said with a smile.
"Yeah, don't worry about it." Alfonzo added.
Smiling back, Rika eventually turned around and ordered her squad to load up. Then, after a few more moments, the knights' Humvee drove off towards the shelter on the other side of the bridge.
Back in the school, after the knights left, Alfonzo and Elicia exchanged glances.
"A hundred thousand jewels say she's gonna quit the knights and follow us back to Magnolia." Alfonzo said.
"I'm not into losing money, Fonzie." Elicia said with a wry smile. "So, I won't' be taking that bet."
Shizuka, on the other hand, was too busy pouting about Rika leaving to notice Alfonzo and Elicia's speculations.