Chapter 448: The Calm Before the Final Stage

Was Finn going to lie to Erza?

No. He laid everything out. It wasn’t that he was bad at keeping secrets; rather, he understood exactly how much Erza cared for her family in Fairy Tail. He knew that entrusting her with a secret that could protect them would only deepen her affection for him.

He knew it was slightly manipulative, but there was no denying that Erza held a special place in his heart. The sheer thrill he experienced when he was with her was simply mind-blowing.

"Do you need my help?" Hearing the weight of his situation, Erza immediately offered her assistance.

"No, I’ve got it handled." Finn looked at her for a moment before sighing helplessly. "You’re a terrible spy, Erza. You’d probably expose the entire operation before it even started."

"...."

Erza opened her mouth to argue, but snapped it shut a second later. She knew he was completely right. If she told her guildmates now, someone would be bound to blabber it to the wrong person. Keeping it a secret was the safest route.

"More importantly, you need to keep a close eye on Lucy. She’s going to find herself in a very troublesome situation soon."

"Lucy?" Erza blinked in surprise, her protective instincts instantly flaring. "What’s wrong with her?"

"The Eclipse Gate. Let me explain," Finn said. He held nothing back, detailing the royal family’s covert plans, the looming threat, their ultimate goal, and exactly how they intended to open the massive magical doors.

"...They need a Celestial Spirit Mage to open this gate?" Erza asked, utterly dumbfounded. "If they put Lucy in danger, I swear I’ll—"

"Don’t worry. They aren’t planning to sacrifice her to open the gate." Finn knew the mechanics of this world perfectly; the royal family simply needed the twelve Zodiac keys owned by Lucy and Yukino, not their lives. "Besides, I already have a spy planted inside the royal palace. If your friend does get captured, I have a guaranteed way to pull her out."

"Thank you."

Erza let out a long sigh of relief, melting against his bare chest. She marveled at how peaceful she felt in his arms. In the guild, she was constantly burdened by worry and responsibility, but by his side, she found a messy, beautiful tranquility. Their intimacy had practically burned all her stress away.

"No worries."

Finn gently caressed Erza’s vibrant scarlet hair, his mind briefly wandering to her past. Jellal had given her the surname "Scarlet" because of her hair. While it gave her an identity when she had none, it didn’t just spring from nowhere. Finn knew the truth about her mother, Irene Belserion. Should he tell her?

Better not, he decided. While he knew everything about this world, some secrets were best left alone. Furthermore, treating Erza too differently from his other lovers felt unfair, considering how much the others had sacrificed for him.

I should probably head back soon, Finn thought, realizing how long he had been away from Heavenly Blue. But before he could move, Erza looked up at him.

"By the way, regarding the Grand Magic Games finals..." Her gaze hardened with fierce pride. "Don’t hold back, okay? I don’t want a pity victory. If you can win, then win."

"I won’t hold back," Finn promised. He had originally planned to just erase Fairy Tail’s debt entirely regardless of the tournament’s outcome, but Erza clearly had other ideas.

"Also, if you win, do not erase our debt."

"...You really want to teach them a lesson, huh?"

"As I told you, they’ll never learn if everything is handed to them easily." Erza snuggled closer, her cheek resting perfectly over his heart. "And for the record, I am going to do everything in my power to defeat you."

"Do your best," Finn replied casually.

Erza pouted at his flimsy, unbothered tone. He clearly wasn’t taking her threat seriously. "I’ll defeat you in bed, too!"

"I think that’s impossible," Finn chuckled, knowing she didn’t stand a chance against his stamina.

"You’ll see! True power doesn’t just come from the body or magic! It comes from the heart!"

"..."

There it is, Finn thought, utterly speechless at her blatant declaration of Plot Armor. Out of everyone in Fairy Tail, Erza was undeniably the one who relied on it the most. No matter how badly she was beaten, she somehow always found the strength to stand back up and turn the tide. Unlike Natsu, who was biologically modified, or Gray with his suicidal techniques, Erza would take catastrophic damage and simply return the next day completely fine.

"Just don’t force yourself," Finn warned, his tone turning serious. "Frankly, this is just competition. I know Fairy Tail’s honor is important to you, and I know you’d give everything for them, but if you throw your life away for a tournament, no one is going to be happy."

"...Yeah," Erza murmured, looking slightly guilty. It felt as though Finn could see right through her. She honestly couldn’t imagine herself doing something so reckless, even throwing her life away just to secure the championship for her guild.

Suddenly, Erza shifted on the bed, her expression changing. "By the way, tomorrow is a rest day, right? Stay here with me."

"Huh?" Finn looked down at her in shock. He intended to head back to his place and spend his day with Flare, Sorano, Ultear, and Meredy, though.

"Let’s just stay in bed all day tomorrow, okay~?" Erza whispered, her beautiful eyes practically swimming with lust. She looked fully prepared to drain him dry for the next twenty-four hours.

"....."

Finn knew he was supposed to treat all his lovers equally, but faced with such a blatant, tempting invitation from Erza Scarlet, he could only surrender. Nodding in agreement, the two of them pulled the sheets close, choosing to drown in each other and blissfully ignore the kingdom-shattering troubles brewing just outside their door as the tournament arc moved toward its climax.