Kira's tone was earnest, but Puer couldn't shake the feeling that there was a hint of glee in his words, like he was secretly enjoying someone's misfortune.
Puer glanced at a sulky Natsu and waved it off. "Oh, no trouble at all! Natsu's a good guy, full of heart. I shouldn't have let him take on a job this tough in the first place!"
What a kind old guy, Kira thought. But something about his words felt… off.
Sure enough, Natsu's head drooped even lower at the tavern keeper's comment.
Kira, ignoring Natsu's gloom, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "By the way, you don't seem to hold any grudge against these demons, huh? Aren't they, like, your sworn enemies or something?"
"Sworn enemies?" Puer mused. "A thousand years is a long time. What can't be erased in that span? The Isisnu clan gave up on that ancient hatred ages ago, thanks to long years of peace."
He continued, "Even if, as you suspect, our ancestors died because of some demon's scheming, we're not suffering at their hands now. Holding onto revenge? That's less important than peace and keeping our clan alive."
"As for the magic passed down through generations, it's more about having the strength to protect our people. It's a responsibility, a point of pride, that we've kept it alive."
Kira didn't have much to say to that. He let out a small chuckle. "Your clan's got a pretty open-minded way of looking at things…"
"I just never expected that after a millennium of staying out of the world's mess, the Isisnu clan—down to just a handful of us—would run into something like this," Puer said with a sigh, taking a big swig of his ale. "It's no surprise outsiders would covet our power. I just… regret it, you know?"
"You never thought about getting revenge?" Kira prodded.
"I've thought about it," Puer admitted, his mood darkening. "But I don't have the strength, and I don't even know what that man looks like. The world's a big place—where would I start? All I want now is to see my brother's daughter grow up safe and sound. That's enough for me."
"The only thing that worries me is her stubborn streak. I don't know why, but she's dead-set on proving her strength."
Kira leaned in. "You mean that kid, Winter? Natsu mentioned she's a super talented mage. Hasn't she ever wanted to avenge her dad?"
Kids that age are usually all rebellious and brimming with blind confidence, right?
"Nope," Puer shook his head. "Winter's a kind, mature kid. She changed after her dad died—got quieter, more stubborn—but I think my brother must've said something to her before he passed. She hasn't let hatred blind her, and that's the one thing I'm grateful for."
Just as Kira was about to dig deeper, the tavern door swung open.
Kira turned, his eyebrow quirking up.
Speak of the devil—Winter!
The girl's expression was cold, her brows furrowed with worry, and her eyes carried a quiet loneliness. But one look at her, and Kira could tell she was a good kid at heart.
His gaze shifted to the group trailing behind her: Cana, Loke, and an unconscious Elfman.
The moment Cana stepped into the tavern, her eyes lit up. Kira wasn't sure if it was the rich aroma of ale or his presence that sparked the change.
"Kira, thank goodness you're here!" Cana called out. "Come quick—Elfman's poisoned!"
Guess it was the latter.
"Cana! Loke! Elfman! You guys are here too?!" Lucy, Natsu, and Happy rushed toward the trio. "What happened? How'd Elfman get poisoned?"
Seeing Elfman's face, green to the point of turning black, Kira knew it was serious. He jumped up and hurried over. "Purify!"
Three beams of magic hit Elfman, Cana, and Loke, cleansing the toxins in their bodies.
In less than thirty seconds, the sickly green faded from Elfman's face, replaced by a healthier flush. Cana and Loke, who'd been sitting nearby fighting off the poison's effects, looked noticeably better too. Until that moment, they'd been powering through sheer willpower.
Once they were mostly recovered, Kira asked, "You guys ran into a demon too?"
"Yeah," Cana said, glancing at Chloe, still trapped in the corner. "You caught one?"
"Correction: I caught her," Kira said, plopping into a chair. "She's a demon who can turn into clouds, with some pretty unique magic. Natsu here couldn't handle her at all. If I hadn't shown up, poor little Happy might not have made it to a healer…"
"What about you guys? Run into a poison user?"
Cana explained, "It was a guy using mist magic—probably a demon too, by your description. He could turn into mist, and his tricks included poison mist, corrosive acid mist, and a sticky mist that clumped together and wasn't affected by wind."
Kira nodded, piecing it together. "No wonder you got beat up so bad. None of you have magic suited to counter that."
After a moment's thought, he added, "When we get back, I'll tweak your cards for you."
Cana blinked. The sun must be rising in the west. Kira doing something without a profit motive?
She gave him a long, suspicious look.
"Hey, what's that look for?" Kira said, shifting uncomfortably. "What, you think I'm just some shady merchant or something?!"
"Yup!" Cana shot back, as if reading his mind.
Her blunt reply left everyone else confused, exchanging glances like, What's up with Cana? What's she talking about? Did the fight mess with her head?
Only Kira, who knew her too well, caught the jab.
Ugh, this stupid chemistry! This stupid brain of mine! Why did he always pick up on the stuff he didn't want to hear? If only he were a bit dumber!
"Anyway, we owe a lot to this kid," Cana said, steering the conversation to Winter, who'd helped them out earlier.
Winter, back to her usual self, was at the bar tidying up the empty bottles Puer hadn't cleared away.
"Really? Thanks a ton!" Kira said with a grin. "My sorry excuse for teammates caused you some trouble, huh?"
"No big deal," Winter replied coolly, not pausing her work. "I just didn't want them wrecking my old home."
"Hey, you three!" Kira barked, turning to Cana, Loke, and Elfman. "You came here for a job and ended up needing the client to save your butts? Aren't you embarrassed? You're gonna make the guild a laughingstock! When we get back, you're joining Natsu and Happy for some hardcore training!"
Kira never missed a chance to roast his guildmates.
Loke and Elfman hung their heads. As grown men and mages, getting rescued by a young girl stung their pride.
"Hold up!" Cana snapped. "Natsu's the one who took this job. The master only told you and Erza to drag them back or take over the mission. We're just here on vacation, aren't we?"
Kira paused, then nodded. "Fair point."
He brushed it off lightly, changing the subject. "So, what kind of magic does the kid use?"
He leaned toward Cana, whispering—though loud enough for the whole tavern to hear. Whether that was on purpose or not, who could say?
Cana, knowing Kira's knack for stirring the pot to lighten the mood, rolled her eyes. "Uh… looks like Takeover Magic."
She glanced at Winter, aware that talking about someone's magic so openly wasn't exactly polite.
Luckily, Winter didn't seem to mind—maybe because she'd grown up sheltered or just didn't see the need to hide it. She spoke up naturally. "It is Takeover Magic," she said calmly. "The one I just took over was one of those demons. Its ability was water-based."
Kira's curiosity piqued. "So, you take over demon souls?"
"No," Winter said, pausing her work to meet his gaze. "I can take over any lifeform with water-based attributes."
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