The Fox Hole chapter 48

Chapter 48: Yes, no… Yes?

– Haru –

The entire place had erupted into a rowdy brawl, with wizards hurling punches and spells at one another like it was the most natural thing in the world. Nobody seed angry or out for blood, though. It looked more like a group of friends who got way too excited.

As I made my way through the crowd, I had to duck and weave around stray fists and random bolts of magic flying past my face. One tall wizard ca lunging at with a wild grin, but I sidestepped him, letting him crash into his equally boisterous buddy. Both of them toppled onto the nearest table, cackling the whole ti. It was impossible not to notice that, despite the seeming insanity, everyone was clearly having fun.

Still, I was here for a reason, and I wasn’t about to get derailed. I focused on the bar counter at the far end of the hall, where I spotted two people who looked completely unruffled by the mayhem. One was a short old man perched on the counter itself, swinging his legs a bit like he was sitting on a bench. The other was a stunning young woman with long white hair, her face lit up by a friendly smile.

I slipped past a final pair of scuffling wizards, sidestepping a tumbling chair flying through the air, and finally reached the bar. I leaned my elbows on the wooden surface, letting out a small breath of relief.

The young woman turned her attention to . “Oh, hello. Welco to Fairy Tail. I’m Mirajane Strauss.” Her smile widened a bit when she noticed my ears and tails. “Are you related to Yasaka? We t her yesterday.”

I nodded, returning her smile. “Yeah, she’s my mom. I ca here because she recomnded your guild for a job I’ve got. But honestly, I’m not sure if you guys can handle it…”

Makarov frowned. “Fairy Tail can handle anything,” he said. “We’ve taken on the toughest jobs in Fiore, and we’ve co out on top. Whatever you’ve got, we’ll figure it out.”

I took a breath and decided to just lay it all out. “Can your guild defeat an army of around one hundred thousand soldiers—all regular people, no magic—while keeping the enemy deaths to an absolute minimum?”

Mirajane gasped, eyes wide. She practically dropped the glass she was polishing. “One hundred thousand? Are you serious?” she asked, her tone a mix of shock and concern.

I rapped my knuckles lightly on the bar counter. “Yeah, a hundred thousand. Give or take. I know it sounds insane.”

Makarov’s expression turned deadly serious. The temperature of the room seed to drop a few degrees as his aura flared. I felt the force of it pressing against , and I made sure to stand my ground. He narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to figure out. “That’s no easy request,” Makarov said, his voice deepening. “You’re basically asking our guild to go to war, and that’s forbidden by the Magic Council.”

I raised a hand. “I’m not asking you to go to war. I’m asking you to stop a war and minimize casualties. There’s a big difference.”

He stayed quiet for a few monts, so I continued, “I’m from another world—if my mother Yasaka was here yesterday, she probably filled you in. My restaurant, the Fox Hole, connects to multiple worlds, including this one. It’s complicated, but the short version is that I own so territory in a realm that’s about to be attacked by a greedy prince. He’s bringing an army of conscripted serfs—farrs, blacksmiths, simple laborers—people who don’t want to fight. They’re only doing it because their lords will kill them for treason if they refuse.”

Mirajane leaned against the bar, looking even more concerned. “That sounds horrible. They’re being forced to fight a war they don’t believe in!?”

“Exactly,” I said, nodding grimly. “I want to hire Fairy Tail to defeat that army without killing them. I’ll handle the prince and his noble allies afterward with my own group, but first, we need to neutralize the bulk of his forces. If we go at them head-on, we’ll end up slaughtering thousands of innocents. My abilities along with my allies…aren't exactly non-lethal.”

Mirajane chewed her lip and cast a worried glance at Makarov. “Even if they’re from another world, isn’t it the job of a Fairy Tail wizard to help people in need?”

Makarov grumbled, “Yes, but not against an army of one hundred thousand. That’s no small job.” He glanced around the guild. “And there’s the matter of the Council. If they think we’re taking part in so interdinsional war—”

Mirajane rolled her eyes in exasperation. “It’s an army of non-magical farrs, mostly. Isn’t that right?” She turned to for confirmation.

I nodded. “Right. The vast majority can’t use magic. Their kingdom has a few court mages, but my friends and I can deal with them. Your job would be focusing on the army—knocking them out, convincing them to retreat, whatever. Just no killing if we can help it.”

Makarov stroked his mustache and eyed . “A hundred thousand farrs are still a hundred thousand people. You understand the scale, right?”

“I do,” I said. “But I also know Fairy Tail’s reputation. Yasaka told you’re the best when it cos to beating the crap out of enemies without leaving a trail of corpses. Seems like a perfect match, if you’re up for it.”

He sighed, looking torn. “I want to put it to a guild vote. This job is too big for one or two mbers. It might require all of us.”

I stepped back from the bar, giving him space. He suddenly swelled in size, his body growing until he was twice, three tis, then twenty tis his original height. He towered over everyone, the top of his head almost grazing the rafters. The room quieted as soon as he raised his voice. “Listen up, you brats!” he thundered, his voice so loud it felt like it shook the floors. The guild mbers—most of whom had been in various states of fighting or lounging—imdiately straightened. I even saw a couple of them flinch when his gaze fell on them.

A pink-haired wizard in a vest was still tangled up with a shirtless guy, both of them glaring at each other. “I’m winning this ti, Gray!” the pink-haired one yelled.

“No, I am, Natsu!” Gray retorted, ice crystals forming around his fists.

They were powering up, about to blast each other with magic, when Makarov reached out two giant fingers and flicked them both into the floor with enough force to crack the boards. The impact was loud, and the pair let out yelps of pain that echoed throughout the hall.

I couldn’t help but snicker, even though I felt a bit sorry for them. Clearly, Makarov wasn’t soone to trifle with.

“Geez, Gramps, that hurt!” the pink-haired wizard—Natsu—whined as he peeled his face off the floorboards.

“What’s going on?” Gray grumbled, also picking himself up. “Is the council on our ass again because Natsu broke so poor town again?”

Makarov scowled. “Not yet. Should they be?”

Natsu looked away, whistling innocently. “Of course not. I haven’t burned anything down in, like… three days,” he muttered, crossing his arms. His tone made it sound like three days was a huge achievent.

Makarov gave him a look that suggested a long lecture was coming, but he let it drop for now. Instead, he jabbed a thumb in my direction, still looming over everyone in his giant form. “Everyone, listen up! We’ve got a visitor from another world—sa place Yasaka ca from yesterday. He’s got a… big request.”

I gave a casual wave, trying to look friendly. “Yo. Na’s Haru. Good to et all of you.”

Soone off to the side, a random guild mber, piped up, “He looks like that sexy woman who ca by to pick up those weird kids, Harry and Hermione. Good kids, but weird magic, you know?”

“That sexy woman was my mom,” I said flatly, my eyes narrowing as I shot the guy a glare. “Watch it.”

He gulped and sputtered, “Uh, sorry, man, didn’t know—”

I shrugged it off. “Anyway, I’m Haru, chef and owner of the Fox Hole—the best restaurant in the multiverse.” I heard so murmured comnts and raised eyebrows at that claim, but I pressed on. “I’ve got sothing important to discuss with your guild. But before I get into all that, there’s sothing else I want to clear up.”

I glanced around and spotted a red-haired woman clad in armor, standing with her arms folded. She looked up and down, clearly intrigued but also guarded. “You wouldn’t happen to be Erza, would you?” I asked.

She straightened a bit. “Yes. I’m Erza Scarlet.”

“Scarlet?” I tilted my head. “I thought your last na was Belserion. Irene’s last na was Belserion, and she’s your mother, right?”

The entire guild erupted in shock. People started shouting, “Erza has a mom!?” and “Wait, she never ntioned that!” Natsu yelled, “Your mom’s a what!?” Gray, stumbling back to his feet, seed equally confused.

Makarov scratched his chin. “Belserion… that na sounds familiar, but I can’t rember where I heard it.”

Erza’s confident deanor cracked for a mont. Her eyes went wide. “I have a mother…? You’re saying you’ve t her?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

I nodded. “Yeah. I t her recently—she’s a very… interesting dragon.” I saw Erza tense up, so I tried to keep my tone calm. “We crossed paths after I ended up fighting Acnologia. Made him run away like a scared lizard. Irene introduced herself after that. She said her full na was Irene Belserion, and she ntioned she had a daughter nad Erza. So, I put two and two together.”

Natsu practically choked, Makarov’s jaw dropped, and a bunch of other guild mbers blurted out their confusion.

“You fought Acnologia?” Makarov sputtered. “And you made him run away?”

“Sure did,” I said, flicking one of my tails. “Guy’s not that tough, you know…”

“THE HELL HE ISN’T!”

…It seed that Makarov was the only one interested in talking about that la blue and black dragon though, everyone else was interested in Erza's mom.

Natsu yelled, “Hold on! Erza’s mom is a dragon???” He then turned to her and pouted. “You always made fun of for having a dragon for a dad, when your mom is the sa thing!”

Erza’s reaction was imdiate and intense the mont I told her that her mom was a dragon. Her eyes widened, and I could feel a surge of magic pouring off her. “My mom’s a dragon!?” she repeated, looking at like I was a lunatic. “You’re not trying to trick , are you!!??”

I raised both hands, taking a small step back. I knew better than to push too hard when redheads got fired up. “I’m dead serious,” I said. “I t Irene a few days ago. She ntioned she had a daughter nad Erza. She’s supposed to be in Fiore right now looking for you.”

I kept the rest of the details to myself. Whether Erza chose to forgive her mother for anything that happened in the past wasn’t my call to make. I was just delivering the news and keeping out of her personal business.

“What the hell, Erza,” Natsu blurted out from behind her. “You always gave crap for having a dragon dad, and now your mom’s a dragon? Are you going to grow horns and wings?!”

Erza opened her mouth, but nothing ca out. She seed completely at a loss. The tension in the air was thick, and I could practically see the magic crackling around her.

I decided to step in, literally. I walked up to Erza, getting close enough to pick up on any dragon aura she might have. Without thinking too hard about it, I leaned in and sniffed the air around her.

She turned bright red, stumbling backward. “What are you doing!?” she demanded, clearly embarrassed! “Why are you sniffing !”

“Uh—sorry,” I muttered, feeling heat creep up my cheeks. “I was trying to confirm if you’re part dragon. My nose is pretty sensitive.” I tapped one of my fox ears. “I can sll traces of draconic energy on you. It’s definitely there, but you’re mostly human. I doubt you’ll sprout scales or wings anyti soon. At most you'll just have a stronger body, and have more magic than the average person.”

She just gaped at , still looking embarrassed. Her magic flared again, then settled a bit, like she was trying to calm down. I didn’t bla her for being freaked out—finding out your mom is a dragon has to rank pretty high on the list of shocking surprises. That and having a random guy starts sniffing you out of nowhere…

That one was my bad.

Gray chose that mont to chi in. “That’s why Erza’s so scary!” he shouted, pointing an accusing finger. “She’s part dragon! I knew she always cheated to get so overpowered!”

Erza’s head whipped around to glare at him, and I knew instantly he’d said the wrong thing. Before I could warn him, she marched right over and decked him across the jaw. The impact sent him skidding sideways, and he slamd against a table with enough force to rattle the plates on it. I heard a few of the guild mbers snicker or mumble “ouch,” but nobody seed too alard. Clearly, this kind of stuff happened all the ti.

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a little awkward. “So, yeah,” I said, looking at Erza. “Anyway, Irene’s in Fiore, probably searching for you. Just figured you had a right to know.”

She inhaled slowly, trying to regain her composure. “Thank you for telling ,” she managed. “I’m… I’m not sure how to feel about this, but I appreciate you being honest.”

I gave a small shrug. “No problem. If you see her, don’t freak out. She’s complicated, but she’s not out to hurt you… at least that’s what I gathered.”

“All right,” Makarov said, bringing the focus back to the main issue. “Let’s return to the matter of this job.” He shrank back to his normal size, hopping onto a nearby table so everyone could see him. “Haru is going to give you all his request and then we will put it to a Guild vote!”

…

I returned to my restaurant with a heavy heart, hating the conversation that was about to happen. Yasaka stood near the bar, her tails swaying behind her in agitation. Ainz and Albedo were nowhere to be seen, which ant they’d already headed off.

Behind the counter, Enri gave a nervous smile. “How did it go, Lord Haru?” she asked, her voice shaking just a bit. “I can’t believe the prince actually wants to attack us…”

I took a mont to gather my thoughts. I could see Yasaka’s ears twitch in anticipation. Her tails quickly stopped moving when she caught sight of my expression.

“They voted no,” I said finally, letting out a frustrated sigh. “It was close, but over half of Fairy Tail’s wizards don’t want to travel to another world, especially not to face a massive army. I can’t really bla them, but damn, it sucks.”

“Damn it,” Yasaka muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. “We were really counting on them. So there’s no getting around this now… it’s going to get bloody.”

I grimaced, hating the idea of thousands of soldiers dying on our doorstep. “I guess I’ll have to head over to see Ainz and give him the news in person. We’re probably only looking at around ten thousand people on our side of the conflict, but the bulk of the army is marching toward the Katze Plains, where Ainz’s territory is.”

Enri stepped out from behind the counter and wrapped her arms around in a comforting hug. The warmth of her body and the genuine concern in her eyes soothed a bit. “You protected my village once before, and I know you’ll do it again.”

I gently patted her back before letting go. “Thanks, Enri. I appreciate that. I’ll do everything I can. Still, I wish we could’ve found a solution without all this bloodshed.”

“I wouldn't give up so soon just yet, my son, we might still think of sothing. You should go and tell your boney friend about the news though…”

“I'll be back in a few.” I exhaled slowly, then turned toward the front door. Stepping through, I found myself in a place I’d never been before. It looked like sothing out of a twisted fantasy: stone walls with eerie torchlight, towering pillars, and a long corridor stretching into darkness. The architecture made think of a video ga dungeon, complete with ominous statues lining the hall.

“So this is Nazarick?” I voiced out loud, my voice echoing off the walls.

“Indeed! This is the Great Tomb of Nazarick!” ca a lively, high-pitched response. “Welco, Lord Haru! Are you Ainz’s newest friend, Lord Haru?”

I turned to see a short, pale-skinned vampire with long silver hair and crimson eyes that glowed with excitent. She had an aristocratic outfit that showed a lot of lace and frills, making her look like a noble from so gothic painting.

“Shalltear Bloodfallen,” I guessed, giving her a nod. “One of Ainz’s future wives, right?” I couldn’t resist the mischievous grin that spread across my face as I said it.

Her eyes sparkled at the ntion. “That’s right!” she replied, obviously thrilled. “You have an excellent eye, as expected of a friend of the Supre One! If you’re looking for Lord Ainz, I can open a gate to the tenth floor for you.”

I gave her a slight bow in thanks. “I appreciate it…”

– Erza –

Erza sat at a table in the guild hall with Natsu, Gray, and Lucy, still trying to process everything Haru had revealed.

She drifted in and out of the conversation around her until Lucy, sounding exasperated, spoke up.

“I missed out on all that?” Lucy complained. “All because I decided to spend a couple of extra minutes in the bath? Unbelievable.”

The words barely registered with Erza at first. Her thoughts kept returning to strange handso fox man, Haru, and the shocking new information about her mother. She had never truly considered the possibility of having any surviving family mbers, not since her earliest mories of waking up in that… horrid tower.

“I don’t get why you need so many baths,” Natsu chid in, giving Lucy a confused look. “You sll fine. A normal person only needs a bath once a week, you know!”

Erza’s attention snapped back to the present. She felt a surge of both amusent and disgust. “Natsu,” she muttered, her tone edged with exasperation, “that’s disgusting...”

Lucy looked appalled. “Oh my god, Natsu! You only bathe once a week? You’re not allowed anywhere near my apartnt ever again!”

Happy floated overhead, pouting at the blonde girl. “Aww, but your bed is so much comfier than ours, Lucy…”

“Stay out of my bed!”

“No! It's so fluffy!”

Erza gave a short shake of her head. Lucy was new to Fairy Tail, but her antics with Natsu were surprisingly entertaining. For a mont, Erza was grateful for the distraction. Yet she knew she couldn’t put off dealing with her own concerns for long. She needed answers about what Haru had told her!

Abruptly, Erza stood up. “We’re going to the Fox Hole!” she declared.

Natsu froze, halfway through teasing Lucy, then grinned. “Hell yeah! Let’s see if we can still help fight that army Haru was talking about! I'm not scared!”

“That’s right, fla brain! Fairy Tail isn’t scared of nothing!” Gray smirked as well, obviously also misunderstanding Erza’s intentions.

Erza let out a soft sigh. Of course, they all fixated on the potential fight...

She hadn’t forgotten that crazy issue obviously, but her imdiate priority was to speak to Haru first. Although, her irritation at the guild’s recent cowardice also gnawed at her. When she first joined Fairy Tail, it had been a smaller, tighter group, ready to jump in and help wherever needed. Now, with so many new mbers seeking fa rather than upholding Fairy Tail’s true spirit, Erza wondered if the guild’s direction was changing.

…Still, that conversation would have to wait for another ti.

Lucy stood up, adjusting her skirt. “All right, Erza,” she agreed. “Let’s go!”

As the four of them made their way through Magnolia’s crowded streets, Happy flew near her head, and grinned. “Erza’s got a cruuuuuuush…”

Erza almost tripped. “Excuse ?” she snapped, glaring at the cat.

“What!?” Natsu yelled in disbelief.

Gray frowned. “No way!”

Lucy stared at Erza in disbelief. “That can’t be true, right?”

Erza’s eyes narrowed. “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous,” she huffed.

Happy smirked. “But Haru sniffed you right in front of the whole guild, and you didn’t even punch him. Doesn’t that an you’re dating…?”

“That’s not how it works with humans, cat!” Lucy spoke up.

“But Haru’s not a human and Erza is part dragon…”

Erza’s cheeks ward as she recalled Haru leaning in to sll her. She clenched her fists, trying to brush off the embarrassnt. “He caught off guard,” she muttered. “I might punch him if he ever tries that again…” she added.

‘Yes… She certainly would!’ She thought to herself.

Eventually, they arrived in front of a modest wooden building that had definitely not been there earlier in the week. A sign out front read “The Fox Hole.”

Erza stepped into the Fox Hole with Natsu, Gray, and Lucy trailing behind her. A young girl stood behind the counter, greeting them with a friendly smile. It was surprisingly cozy inside. And maybe slightly bigger inside as well, than the outer building would suggest? Obviously there was so magic and play there.

Erza saw Yasaka—the fox-eared woman she had briefly seen at the guild yesterday but hadn’t spoken to.

“Hello, Fairy Tail wizards,” Yasaka greeted with a slight nod. “What can we do for you?”

Natsu spoke up imdiately, slamming a fist against his open palm. “I want to fight that army Haru was talking about! So people in our Guild might be scaredy cats, but not !”

“Hey!” Happy whined at that comnt.

“ too!” Gray said.

Erza crossed her arms. “I want to talk to Haru!”

“I just ca along because I had nothing better to do, but I guess I’ll try the food here.” Lucy finally added and ntioned sothing about Natsu eating all her food again.

Yasaka arched an eyebrow at all their simultaneous declarations. “Ara, I suppose all of that can be arranged…”

– Irene –

It hadn’t been nearly as difficult as she had expected to track down her daughter. Apparently Erza was regarded as one of the strongest won in Fiore.

‘As expected of my daughter!’ Irene smugly thought as she pushed open the doors to the Fairy Tail guild hall! In order to hide how nervous she was, she decided to speak as confidently as possible. “My na is Irene Belserion and I’m here for my daughter Erza. Show to her imdiately or I’ll destroy you all!” she declared.

All the wizards inside just gaped at her, before she heard them a few of them start mumbling things.

“Damn, no wonder Erza is stacked. She hides it under her armor but now we know where it ca from.”

“Do you think she’ll step on if I ask?”

“I love you dragon dommy mommy…”

Irene froze in disbelief…

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