Shane casually set the plate down on the porch, dusted off his hands, and strolled over to the "depressed mushroom" on the grass.
Sensing soone approaching, Mira turned her face away in a sulky huff, ssy hair covering her cheeks, leaving Shane nothing but a stubborn back of the head.
"Seriously?" Shane laughed at her. "It's not like you lost to . What are you embarrassed about?"
"…" No answer.
When she refused to respond, Shane didn't care. He shalessly circled around, squatted down in her line of sight, then—being the absolute nace he was—poked the very obvious bruise on her waist.
"Does it hurt that much?"
"Or is it… that you're really not over it?"
"Ghh—!"
The poke hit the bruise dead-on. Mira sucked in a sharp breath, and that whole gloomy aura instantly shattered.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
She snapped upright and slapped his hand away, glaring like an angry cat with its fur standing on end.
Even with tears pooling at the corners of her eyes from the pain, she still stubbornly refused to admit it.
"Who's not over it?! It was just a spar—sparring match! I lost because I wasn't good enough, so what's there to—to be mad about?!"
But Shane could see her little white fang-like teeth grinding so hard she was about to bite through her lip.
She might as well have "I'M NOT OKAY WITH THIS" stamped across her forehead.
"It's just a loss. Is it really that painful?" Shane understood her ridiculous competitive streak, but now that the timing was right, he stopped teasing.
He wiped the smile off his face and lifted a hand to his eye socket, brushing lightly.
"Fwoom—"
A crimson fla ignited in his pupils, flickering.
Mira had been gearing up to explode again, but seeing that, she blinked up at him in confusion. Her tear-streaked eyes fluttered. She had no idea what he was doing.
"Partial reception."
Shane pointed at his eyes, voice turning serious.
"This is the trick I use."
"If you can't fully control that massive demon power and it eats your reason, then don't try to swallow it all in one bite."
He watched Mira's expression shift, then guided her steadily:
"Start like I did—locally. Only receive the demon arm. Or the eyes. Or the wings."
"Break the power apart. Turn one big thing into small pieces. Adapt step by step until your body and will are completely used to it."
"So you an…"
Mira wasn't stupid. As she listened, the light slowly returned to her eyes, like soone had just kicked open a door in her head.
"Exactly." Shane nodded.
"If going berserk and fighting like an animal can't beat Erza, then change your approach. Master demon form completely, and use your mind to control the power."
He waved a hand in front of her face.
"Losing once doesn't an you lose forever. As long as you keep getting stronger, there'll be a day you get your win back."
Mira was tempted.
But then her eyes sharpened with suspicion.
"You're going to teach that?"
She looked him up and down skeptically. "Why?"
It wasn't an unreasonable question—she'd already seen plenty of Shane's "unreliable" side.
And he lived with that red-haired girl. Their relationship was obviously closer.
By all logic, he had no reason to help her beat his friend.
"Tch…"
Shane looked up at the sky, exasperated.
Why did she suddenly get harder to fool at this mont?
Where did the simple, easy-to-dupe Mira go?!
He scratched his head, brain spinning, and finally found a reason that sounded barely passable.
"Ahem. Listen carefully."
He cleared his throat and tried to put on the air of a dependable senior.
"I'm an S-Class wizard in the guild. As an S-Class, I have a responsibility to help immature new mbers grow stronger quickly…"
He lied with a straight face.
"And besides—if you actually get stronger and beat Erza, that's not a bad thing."
"It'll motivate her. You two pushing each other in healthy competition? That's a great dynamic."
"S-Class wizard… responsibility…"
Mira didn't really know what "S-Class" ant, but his logic sounded coherent, and it did sound like it was "for the guild."
She thought for a mont, and the suspicion in her eyes faded by half.
Then she hesitated again, rembering sothing, and asked carefully:
"If you're helping like this… what do you want as paynt?"
She wasn't the type to freeload, and after seeing how shaless Shane looked when he'd demanded "compensation" yesterday, she figured it was better to clarify up front.
"What a pain…" Shane scratched his cheek.
Seeing her serious face, he had a sudden idea and said casually:
"Fine. If you think my teaching is useful, call 'Master' from now on."
It was ant as a joke—he just wanted to win a little on words.
But to Mira, it landed completely differently.
"So that's it!!"
Her almond eyes shot wide.
She knew it! Shane really was up to no good!
He wanted to be her master—aning she'd be permanently ranked under him by title!
And that was a lifeti humiliation.
"We're about the sa age, and you still want to take advantage like that?"
Mira bit her lower lip, torn between rage and embarrassnt.
"This guy is just as annoying as Erza—taking advantage while I'm down!"
She fud inside, but…
If she refused, she'd stay like this—unable to take even one move from that redhead.
More importantly, she couldn't leave the demon inside her in an unstable, uncontrollable state.
If she ever hurt Lisanna or Elfman…
She wouldn't survive that guilt.
"…Fine."
After an intense internal battle, Mira sucked in a breath and forced the word out through clenched teeth.
She glared up at Shane, stubborn as ever.
"Teach , then!"
"But if it doesn't work… I'll beat both you and Erza later! Don't think I'm calling you 'Master'!"
"Uh…" Shane stared at her.
"So did you agree… or not?"
He studied her pale face—washed out from pain, but also red-hot from humiliation and anger.
What was this, so kind of tsundere speech?
He didn't bother untangling it. As long as she let him help stabilize her demon form so he could finish his trial, that was enough.
"Deal's made."
Shane smiled and held out his hand.
"…Mm."
Mira made a small, sulky sound, but she still took his hand—grass bits and all—and used it to pull herself to her feet.
The mont she agreed, the trial that had been stuck finally started moving. Shane's grin got even brighter.
In his head, he silently apologized to the red-haired girl inside the house.
Sorry, Erza. I'm raising you a strong opponent… but that's fine, right? You won't get bored anymore.
"So what do I do now?"
The second she was standing, Mira leaned in, eyes locked on Shane's fla-burning "Eye of Karma," curiosity exploding.
"Do we start special training right now?"
"Not yet."
Shane looked her over—she was a ss—then tapped his palm.
"Bandage the injuries first. Then we rent the place and get you settled."
Then he rembered sothing, turned, and warned her with unusual seriousness:
"Oh—and one more thing. The most important thing."
"What?" Mira straightened instinctively at his tone.
Shane pointed at the bruises covering her like a disaster map and emphasized every word:
"All these injuries—when you see Lisanna and Elfman later, make sure you explain clearly that this has nothing to do with ."
He wasn't about to take that bla.
After all, he'd tried to stop the two girls from fighting!
~~~
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