"Yee-yeah!" shouted Scorpio as he burst onto the scene, his signature, beat-dropping intro loud and proud like a magic-powered DJ.
"A Celestial Spirit Mage?!" one of the traffickers exclaimed, clearly startled. Despite their criminal path, even they knew what a Celestial Spirit was, and how dangerous they could be in battle.
But what made them nervous wasn't just the presence of a Star Spirit. It was the fact that their supposed ally, the Black Bear, was now standing guard in front of the cloaked summoner, clearly not on their side anymore.
"We've come this far. Don't worry about the Spirit, just take down the summoner!" one of them yelled in desperation.
The Black Bear didn't even flinch. Instead, Scorpio raised his massive scorpion tail and unleashed a violent sandstorm. A roaring tornado of sand erupted across the clearing, battering all four traffickers with force strong enough to send them flying through the trees.
None of them got back up.
And just as quickly as it started, the towering beast vanished, replaced by two identical, round-faced blue figures.
"Beep, beep, mission complete!" they chorused in sync.
It was Gemini, Gemi and Mini, the twin Celestial Spirits of duality and mimicry.
Rhodes, still concealed and observing from a distance, spotted the golden Celestial Key in the cloaked summoner's hand. His eyes narrowed in surprise. Not only had she summoned Scorpio, whose sand magic was leagues stronger than Lucy's Taurus or Cancer, but she also had Gemini. That meant she held at least two Zodiac Keys.
And if Gemini could perfectly mimic someone like the Black Bear, along with his transformation magic and brute strength, then the tactical value was tremendous. Though he suspected there were likely limits to what or whom they could copy, depending on strength and memory.
"There should be no one else," the cloaked woman said coolly, walking toward the shack. But as she approached, she suddenly stopped, eyes narrowing beneath her hood.
Inside, Mira, still in disguise as a blue-haired little girl, was curled up in the corner.
The woman squinted suspiciously. "How did those idiots even manage to bag someone like you?"
Realizing she'd been found out, the little girl stuck out her tongue. A puff of white smoke rose up as her disguise vanished, revealing the real Mirajane Strauss, smiling with her usual grace.
The cloaked woman took a small step back in visible surprise. "You're... the Demon Mirajane?"
"Yep, I'm the real Mirajane. S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail," she said brightly. "I came here on request to investigate the missing children."
That was the power of a reputation. Mira had been instantly recognized, even without her full magic revealed.
Mira gave a calm, gentle nod. "What about you?"
Her tone remained warm, since this person had just helped defeat the traffickers and protect the children. But Mira also chose not to mention Rhodes, who was still hidden nearby, just in case.
If this woman had any hostile intent, Rhodes was likely planning to knock her out with a sneak attack.
The cloaked summoner, however, seemed uninterested in further conversation. "I see. Had I known you were on the job, I wouldn't have bothered interfering."
She turned to leave, calling her Spirits back to her.
"Wait!" Mira called after her. "Weren't you here because you took the job too?"
The woman paused only slightly. "No. Just happened to pass by. Not interested in the rest of this. Since you're here on official work, I'll leave the aftermath to you."
Mira asked again, "What's your name? At least tell me your guild, so I can thank you later."
"No need. We're just a small guild with only a few members. A big name like you might scare my companions."
The cloaked woman walked away, her voice fading with each step.
Mira stood quietly for a moment, watching her go. She couldn't shake the feeling that the woman was wary of her. Was it because of the title "Demon" Mirajane? Or did Fairy Tail's reputation intimidate her?
Inside the hut, a slightly older girl stepped hesitantly to the door and asked, "Big sister, did you come to save us?"
Mira turned to her with a warm smile. "Yes. It's all right now. I'll take you all home soon."
Tears immediately welled up in the girl's eyes.
Suddenly, all eight girls inside the hut burst into tears. For the past few days, they hadn't dared to cry. Now that it was over, everything came out at once.
Mira began comforting them one by one. She did her best, but she was clearly flustered trying to calm so many at once.
Placing her hands on her hips, she shouted toward the door, "Are you seriously not coming out to help me?"
"I'm coming," Rhode's voice answered as he rose from the ground. He brushed off some dirt and added, "I was just thinking about how strange that woman was."
Mira gave him a sharp look. "You didn't send your wolves to follow her, did you?"
"Uh..." Rhode looked up at the sky, visibly sheepish. "They were already out tracking Black Bear... so when they saw her, they just followed. Not exactly my fault."
His expression suddenly shifted to surprise. He seemed conflicted.
"They're gone," he said.
Mira raised an eyebrow. "She killed them?"
"Yeah," Rhode admitted. "She noticed them that fast and eliminated them... without even making a scene."
Mira frowned. "So she's very cautious."
Rhode nodded. "Too cautious. She backed away when she saw you, didn't send her spirits back to the Celestial Realm when leaving, and her magic power... It's not just strong. It's refined. Her Scorpio was much more powerful than Lucy's Taurus or Cancer, and those Gemini spirits copied the Black Bear and used his transformation magic perfectly."
He crossed his arms, deep in thought. "I need to check known Celestial Spirit mages when we get back. Someone that skilled, with more than one Zodiac key, can't be a nobody."
Mira placed a hand on his arm. "Think about it later. Right now, let's get the children home."
"Right," Rhode said, snapping out of it. He summoned Warm.
Sure enough, even though it was a little big, the round, fluffy creature immediately won the hearts of the children.
Especially when Warm rolled over and revealed its soft, pink, heart-shaped belly, inviting them to give it gentle pats, the girls completely melted.
They nearly forgot their recent fears, surrounding Warm excitedly and showering him with pets and hugs.
Thankfully, Warm had grown bigger. Otherwise, eight kids clinging to him would have overwhelmed the poor thing.
Rhodes watched from the side, completely reassured. Warm was not just a freeloader, he was the perfect creature for comforting little ones.
If he ever received another mission involving children, he would definitely send Warm out first.
Meanwhile, the cloaked woman who had just taken out the wolves let out a quiet breath. She recognized them for what they were, summoned beasts belonging to the one they called the "Tamer." Lately, he'd gained a new nickname—"Fairy Strategist."
She wasn't surprised. That man was known for being cautious and troublesome.
Her role in her own guild involved intelligence gathering and battle strategy, so she made a habit of memorizing key information about powerful wizards from rival guilds.
Still, even after dealing with the wolves, she didn't lower her guard. She pretended to send her Celestial Spirits back to the Spirit Realm, but she kept a firm grip on the keys.
Rather than returning to her base immediately, she took a long, roundabout path.
Once she felt she'd put enough distance between herself and any potential tail, she sent a signal to request contact with their "leader" through telepathy.
Not long after, a young man with reddish-brown hair descended from the sky, riding a massive purple serpent with leathery wings.
"Angel, you've been gone too long," he said as he landed.
"Don't just blurt out my name like that the moment you arrive," she snapped.
"Relax. I already checked the area. No one's watching, and I didn't sense any magic beasts either," he replied with casual confidence.
Angel, now clearly the woman in the cloak, exhaled slowly, her grip loosening slightly.
Before she could say anything else, the young man nodded knowingly.
"I get it. You ran into someone tricky. Didn't the leader warn us not to get involved with unnecessary conflicts?"
Angel sighed. "If I didn't get involved, someone from a regular guild would have. If they started digging and found our trail, it would've been a disaster. And yet... I was too slow. Worse, I almost got exposed."
"You say one thing, but your actions say something else."
"What did you just say?"
The young man tapped his ear with a mischievous smile. "You know me. I hear everything."
Angel rolled her eyes. "Sometimes, your ears are really annoying."
"Do you think so?" he replied softly, stroking the head of his massive serpent mount. His tone shifted, quiet and introspective. "But sometimes, I feel like they're not sharp enough. I still miss things."
"Huh?" Angel tilted her head. "What did you say?"
He chuckled again, voice light and teasing. "See? That's what I mean. It's the downside of not having sensitive ears."
Angel muttered under her breath, fighting the urge to slap him.
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