Previously, because Roy and Erigor were flying too fast, Erza lost track of them temporarily. She could only continue heading in the general direction they had gone.
Fortunately, Erza heard the sound of Roy slamming Erigor into the bottom of a pit. This allowed her to pinpoint Roy's location.
As she rushed toward Roy, Erza and Lucy were astonished to see a hideous demon, towering 60 to 70 meters tall, appear between heaven and earth.
Before they could guess the identity of this demon, its figure vanished from their sight amidst towering flames and deafening explosions.
Seeing this scene, Erza and Lucy exchanged glances, both seeing shock in the other's eyes.
That enormous demon and the huge explosion—what was going on?
Was it defeated by Roy?
Although neither spoke, both women had the same thought.
If it was defeated by Roy, that would be a relief. If not...
A sense of unease grew in Erza's heart, and she intensified the magic extraction from her body to fuel the magic vehicle.
Magic continuously surged from Erza into the vehicle's engine, pushing its speed to new heights.
While Roy was counting his Justice Points, Erza finally arrived with Lucy.
Due to the high speed of their approach, the magic vehicle could not stop in time when Erza saw Roy standing by the pit. While relieved to see him unharmed, the vehicle hurtled toward the pit at full speed.
If they crashed into the pit walls at this speed, Erza would be fine, but Lucy might not be so lucky.
Given Lucy's current strength, her physical durability couldn't withstand such a powerful impact.
With a stern expression, Erza tried to control the vehicle's speed, hoping to reduce the force of impact as they descended into the pit.
At least it might lessen Lucy's injuries.
Meanwhile, Lucy had already closed her eyes and was shouting in panic.
"Save me, senpai!"
After all, she was just a B-class rookie with little experience in dangerous situations. Her mental resilience was understandably limited.
Thus, when faced with danger, Lucy immediately thought of her senior.
It was clear that in Lucy's heart, Roy gave her a strong sense of security.
Seeing the magic vehicle about to plummet into the pit and result in a crash, Roy made his move.
With a light tap of his toes, Roy instantly appeared in front of the speeding magic vehicle.
With a simple push of his hands, the once-ferocious steel beast turned into an obedient kitten.
Roy effortlessly stopped the magic vehicle in its tracks.
Feeling the vibrations beneath her settle, Lucy nervously opened her eyes.
Through the windshield, she saw the heroic red figure standing before the vehicle, hands pressed lightly against it.
After Roy dealt with Erigor and Lullaby, the remaining tasks were straightforward.
Erza took charge of escorting the members of Eisenwald to the regional prisons set up by the Magic Council. Meanwhile, Roy and Lucy returned to Magnolia.
"Even though I didn't say it these past two days, senpai has been doing pretty well at night. But tonight, no peeking upstairs, okay?" Lucy said cheerfully as she walked into the house without looking back.
Roy was baffled. Lucy had never said anything like this before. What was going on today?
"Who would even peek at you? With my integrity, I'd never do something like that. Rest assured!" Roy retorted with mild annoyance.
Peek? Am I that kind of person?
If I look, I'd do it openly.
Questioning your senior's character—Lucy, you must be itching for a spanking!
"Oh, is that so? Then I wonder who, during their first mission with me, put their hand *there*?" Lucy teased, pointing at her rosy lips with her slender finger, her eyes full of mischief.
Her gaze made Roy's face flush slightly, but he tried to argue.
"Who are you talking about? Do I know them? I have no idea what you mean."
Lucy clasped her hands behind her back and stepped closer, gazing up at him with an inquisitive look.
Initially, Roy maintained his thick-skinned demeanor and met her eyes confidently.
However, her pure and beautiful gaze seemed to stir a slight pang of guilt in his heart.
Unable to hold her gaze, he eventually looked away, his face reddening again.
Seeing this, Lucy grinned triumphantly, her face alight with joy.
"So, if senpai says so, it must not be senpai. And even if it were senpai, it surely wasn't intentional, right?"
"Ahem, well, a slip of the hand doesn't count as intentional, does it?"
Roy scratched his head, trying to mask his embarrassment.
"Fine, I'll let it slide! You're forgiven, you naughty senpai."
With a laugh, Lucy lightly punched Roy's chest before turning toward the stairs.
As she ascended, Lucy muttered something under her breath, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"But… if it's senpai, I suppose it's okay…"
Recalling the heroic figure that stopped the magic vehicle and saved her from harm earlier, Lucy felt her heart soften.
Although her senior could be mischievous at times, he always appeared just in time to protect her.
"Very reliable, senpai."
"What did you say?"
Lucy's voice was so soft that Roy couldn't hear her clearly. Frowning, he asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing! Senpai is an idiot! Hehe!"
Lucy turned around, glanced at Roy, who was left dumbfounded by her words, and ran upstairs with a smile. Her flowing golden hair shimmered beautifully under the light, dazzling to behold.
"This girl… I really can't figure out what's going on in her head all day long."
After Lucy's figure disappeared at the top of the stairs, Roy shook his head helplessly and chuckled to himself.
Then, Roy entered his room to rest.
The night passed without incident.