Chapter 182

Chapter 182: Chapter 182

Juvia was made of water.

Over the past few years, with Marshall’s help, she had developed her Water Magic in an extremely comprehensive direction and pushed it beyond the limits she would normally have reached on her own.

Her strength ranked fairly high even within Fairy Tail.

Otherwise, Marshall wouldn’t have brought her along when they fought Jose.

The problem was that Water Magic still lacked overwhelming force in direct combat.

Even the Water Severing Wave, a high-pressure water jet Juvia had developed herself, could only cut through steel.

And in this magical world, there were plenty of things harder than steel.

Natsu’s muscles, once enhanced with Magic, were tougher than steel.

Because of that, Juvia had only barely reached S-Class combat strength.

Within Fairy Tail, she belonged more to the second tier and sat roughly alongside people like Natsu and Gray.

Water Magic might be somewhat lacking in destructive power, but its versatility was another matter entirely.

Combined with Juvia’s natural talent for stalking people, if they were judging purely by infiltration and tracking ability, she was unquestionably one of the best in the entire guild.

So...

Juvia very easily kidnapped Levy from the neighboring dormitory.

She tied the unconscious Levy to a chair in her room and smiled in a way that looked deeply unsettling.

Levy had secretly kissed Marshall!

That had crossed the absolute bottom line of Marshall’s fan club.

If Juvia posted the photograph in their group, Levy would probably be dragged straight onto a bonfire by the other fans.

Juvia had no intention of doing that.

Because she was selfish too.

She didn’t want anyone else finding out that Marshall would kiss another girl.

So instead...

Levy was getting a little private punishment.

Juvia transformed one hand into a ball of water and splashed Levy’s face.

Levy slowly woke up.

The moment she opened her eyes, she found two blue-haired girls glaring viciously at her.

"Juvia?"

She blinked.

"What... is going on?"

"Hmph!"

Juvia immediately held up the photograph.

"Levy! You’ve been exposed!"

She shoved it in front of her.

"You recognize this picture, don’t you?! You actually dared to secretly kiss Marshall behind everyone’s backs!"

Juvia pointed accusingly.

"That is a serious violation of the rules established by the fan club! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"..."

Levy stared at the photograph in silence.

She had been so careful.

How had she forgotten there was an obsessive stalker wandering around the guild with a camera?

’This was a little troublesome.’

Then Levy shrugged.

"So what?"

Juvia froze.

"If you found out, you found out."

Levy looked completely unconcerned.

"It happened. I’ve got nothing to deny."

"What?!"

Juvia immediately broke.

"That’s not how this is supposed to go!"

She grabbed Levy by the collar and started shaking her back and forth.

"You’re supposed to make excuses!"

"Why?!"

Juvia’s eyes filled with tears.

"Why does a flat, short little shrimp with no boobs and no butt get to kiss Marshall?!"

A vein appeared on Levy’s forehead.

"You must have used some dirty trick!"

Juvia shook her harder.

"You used Magic to confuse Marshall, didn’t you?! You had to! Admit it!"

Levy’s expression darkened.

Her figure had always been a sore point.

Her height hadn’t changed in two years, and at this rate, it probably never would. People constantly mistook her for someone around Wendy’s age.

It was one of Levy’s deepest wounds.

She had already been forced to accept reality and had mostly made peace with herself.

But having Juvia point directly at that scar still made her blood pressure spike.

’Marshall said I’m cute because I’m small!’

Levy glared at Juvia.

’Damn you, giant-boobed Juvia!’

’Go drown with that impossible dream of yours!’

Levy suddenly smiled smugly.

"Hehehe."

Juvia stopped.

Levy raised her chin.

"Unfortunately for you, Marshall and I are already much closer than that."

Juvia’s face stiffened.

"We’ve even done... that kind of thing together~"

Juvia’s pupils shrank.

Levy grinned triumphantly.

"Marshall and I have already secretly pledged ourselves to each other."

Her smile became increasingly wicked.

"You losers don’t have a chance anymore!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Juvia grabbed her head.

"I’M NOT LISTENING! I’M NOT LISTENING! I’M NOT LISTENING!"

She looked as though her soul was about to leave her body.

"You’re lying!"

Juvia nearly collapsed from heartbreak.

Then, just before her consciousness disappeared entirely, she noticed the crucial flaw.

"Wait!"

Her eyes suddenly widened.

"That’s not right!"

Levy paused.

Juvia’s thoughts rapidly cleared.

"You didn’t announce any of this!"

She pointed at Levy.

"That means your relationship with Marshall hasn’t actually changed in any fundamental way!"

Levy’s expression stiffened slightly.

"And Marshall hasn’t been treating anyone else differently these past few days either!"

Juvia grew increasingly confident.

"So all that nonsense about secretly pledging yourselves to each other is just something you claimed!"

Her eyes burned.

"Which means—you’re lying!"

Juvia nearly sagged in relief.

She had almost fallen for it!

That wicked woman Levy had actually tried to destroy her faith with lies.

As expected of a five-star enemy.

Extremely difficult to deal with!

Levy clicked her tongue.

"Hmph."

She refused to back down.

"Everything I said is going to happen sooner or later."

She smiled smugly.

"I’m already way ahead of all of you."

"You sneaky little thief!"

Juvia exploded again.

"You broke the agreement and secretly jumped ahead!"

She pointed furiously.

"Doesn’t your conscience hurt?! Everyone is going to condemn you!"

"Hehehe."

Levy laughed.

"Love is war."

Juvia froze.

"People who don’t know how to seize an opportunity will never win anything."

Levy looked completely shameless.

"Only an idiot would obediently follow such a stupid rule!"

Then she paused.

"And strictly speaking, I didn’t even break it."

Juvia narrowed her eyes.

"What?"

"The rule only says we aren’t allowed to make a move on Marshall without permission."

Levy smiled.

"But if Marshall wants to kiss me, why should I refuse?"

Her expression became unbearably smug.

"So I didn’t do anything wrong."

Juvia stared.

"What did you say?"

Levy crossed her arms.

"Anyway, I kissed him."

She leaned back.

"Deal with it however you want."

Then her eyes sharpened.

"And you’d better let me go quickly, or I’m telling Marshall!"

Levy glared at her.

"You creepy, romance-brained stalker who ambushes her own guildmates!"

Halfway through her rant, Levy suddenly noticed something.

Juvia’s expression had changed.

She was no longer furious.

Her eyes were sparkling instead.

Juvia grabbed Levy by both shoulders.

"You just said..."

Levy stiffened.

"Marshall wanted to kiss you?"

Juvia leaned closer.

"It was Marshall who wanted to kiss, right?"

Levy suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Wait."

Her eyes widened.

"Juvia, what are you planning?!"

Juvia released her.

Levy immediately panicked.

"You’re not thinking about making a move on Marshall too, are you?!"

Juvia turned toward the door.

"Don’t run!"

Levy struggled against the bindings.

"You shameless woman! Let me go!"

Juvia looked toward Envy.

"Envy, watch her for me!"

Her expression became extremely serious.

"Don’t let her escape."

"I’m going out to take care of something!"

Those were the only words she left behind before her body transformed into water and disappeared.

Levy and Envy stared at each other.

"Nooooo!!!"

Levy began struggling wildly.

"JUVIA! COME BACK HERE!"

Unfortunately, the increasingly frantic Levy had no idea that, only moments earlier, the body of the little Envy standing in front of her had contained another consciousness.

Marshall.

He had listened to the entire battle between them.

...

In fact, Marshall had known about Juvia’s plan to kidnap Levy before she even carried it out.

Because Envy herself had reported it to him.

Marshall was always the Apostles’ highest authority.

Although he had ordered them to obey the girls temporarily, he had also commanded them to protect Fairy Tail’s members and report anything abnormal to him immediately.

So the moment Juvia made her move, Envy had contacted him.

[Envy: Reporting to my lord. Juvia has unlawfully abducted guild member Levy. Both have already chosen the path of death. I request permission to execute them both.]

Marshall: ’???’

The report left him completely bewildered.

So he immediately decided to use God Descent on Envy and see what the hell was happening.

That was the real reason Envy had remained silent throughout the entire confrontation.

Marshall had been watching the whole show through her.

Unfortunately...

Marshall was not laughing.

The moment Juvia disappeared, he knew exactly where she was going.

She was coming for him!

Marshall felt an immediate headache.

His bad premonition had been completely accurate.

The chain reaction caused by Levy was continuing.

And now—the third round was rapidly heading straight toward him.

At this rate, there would undoubtedly be countless new problems piling up one after another.

The protective aura of his precious "innocent little brother" status was already on the verge of shattering.

And once it finally broke... Trouble.

Serious trouble!

Marshall sighed.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?