Chapter 77:

  – Haru –

  I moved around behind the bar counter, pting up hot dishes and mixing strong drinks for Shepard and her crew.

  After hearing the mission they'd faced, I was gd to see everyone alive and in one piece. Shepard hadn't told me anything about what she'd pnned and I'd only found out when her exhausted squad walked into the Fox Hole looking like they'd survived hell itself.

  I slid Shepard her favorite drink. "You know," I scolded, leaning forward against the counter, "it wouldn't have hurt to tell me you were going on some borderline suicide mission. You could've asked me, or literally anyone here, to back you guys up."

  Shepard sipped her drink slowly, gncing up at me with tired eyes. "I know, Haru. You're right." Her cheeks flushed slightly, clearly embarrassed by the sincerity in my voice. "But it wasn't exactly your everyday run-in with batarian pirates or krogan mercenaries. This was Sovereign—an ancient, psychotic AI hellbent on wiping out the entire gaxy. I just…I didn't want anyone else risking their lives. Especially people I care about."

  My gaze softened, and I sighed quietly. "That's exactly why you should've let me help, Shepard. Did you ever stop to think that maybe I care about you too?"

  She went silent for a second, the flush on her face deepening. Then she chuckled quietly, shaking her head as she stared into her gss. "Yeah… I guess I should've thought about that."

  I smiled softly, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Next time, don't be such a stubborn idiot. I've faced way scarier things than an evil AI."

  Shepard snorted into her whiskey.

  I turned my attention to the rest of her crew. Across the bar, Wrex was already loudly celebrating the victory, lifting his massive mug of custom-brewed, extra-strength alcohol. He was drinking like it was water, roaring with ughter as he spped Garrus on the back, nearly knocking him off the stool. Tali sat beside them, fidgeting nervously, clearly embarrassed by Wrex’s boisterous antics but too polite to escape.

  In the quieter corner, Ashley sat with Gabriel, their heads bowed in solemn prayer. Shepard had quietly informed me that they'd lost a teammate named Kaidan during the mission.

  My eyes shifted to Tevos, who sat slumped at the bar nearby, her head resting in her hands as she massaged her temples. The usually composed asari looked completely overwhelmed, muttering under her breath about the bureaucratic nightmare of running the entire gaxy by herself….

  With Spartacus and the sarian councilor both dead, it seemed the entire gaxy's fate was suddenly her sole responsibility—and that was in addition to her trying to protect Pandora. I did not envy that kind of workload.

  I moved closer, reaching out to gently pat her shoulder in reassurance. "Hey, Tevos, maybe being the st surviving councilor isn’t all bad. You’ve got the perfect opportunity now to bring more species into the fold—lighten your workload a little. It's not like the other two councilors are there who oppose you."

  Tevos lifted her tired eyes to mine, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You know, Haru, that's actually not the worst idea I've heard all day. It might even prevent me from completely losing my mind. We asari have actually wanted to bring more species onto the council despite what the rest of the gaxy might believe…"

  "Yeah, expanding the Council is overdue anyway. Just as long as we keep out those Batarian filths…" Shepard said with a scowl.

  My conversation with Shepard and Tevos was abruptly interrupted by the sound of heavy, drunken footsteps pounding against a wooden table. All eyes turned towards Wrex, who'd climbed atop his table and was swaying dangerously with a massive tankard of booze raised high in one hand!

  He grinned wildly, his deep, booming voice echoing through the entire restaurant as he began loudly singing a surprisingly catchy—and slightly obscene—song about their battle with Saren.

  "And there we stood, proud and mean, Saren pissed himself, the worst we'd seen! Bullets flying, blood was spilled— Krogan strength got bastards killed!"

  Everyone in the Fox Hole quickly got into the spirit. Garrus ughed, shaking his head in amused embarrassment, while Tali covered her mask with both hands, clearly mortified but giggling helplessly. Shepard just rolled her eyes fondly, leaning back on her stool as she watched Wrex with an amused smirk. Even Tevos, despite her earlier stress, cracked a small, exhausted smile at the krogan’s antics.

  I chuckled and shook my head, watching Wrex’s drunken performance escate. He stomped his feet harder on the tabletop, adding rhythmic emphasis as he continued singing louder and louder.

  "Sovereign fell from up above, Proved machines ain’t shit to shove! Commander Shepard led the way, Now drink and fuck until next day!"

  The people roared with ughter and appuse at the absurd lyrics, raising gsses and shouting encouragement.

  Shepard facepalmed and ughed openly, her shoulders shaking with mirth. "Damn it, Wrex…you’re officially banned from songwriting."

  Wrex ignored her completely, too caught up in his drunken glory. He threw his head back for a final verse, letting out a deafening roar of triumph.

  "And let the whole damn gaxy see, You don’t fuck with Shepard’s team or me!"

  His final stomp was apparently too much for the old wooden table beneath him. With a sharp cracking noise, the table gave way, sending Wrex crashing heavily onto the floor with a loud, resounding THUD. Everyone ughed, cpped, and cheered loudly at the sight. Wrex y ft on his back, blinking up at the ceiling in confusion for a moment before letting out a loud, booming ugh of his own. "Now that’s how you end a damn song!"

  I chuckled lightly to myself, shaking my head as I eyed the wrecked remains of my poor table. That was yet another piece of furniture I'd need to repce—but honestly, it was worth it to see everyone smiling and rexed.

  Moments like this made running the Fox Hole feel like the best job in any universe.

  Turning my attention back to Shepard, I reached for the bottle of whiskey and refilled her gss.

  She nodded appreciatively, taking another sip. "So," Shepard said, leaning forward on the bar counter, "I've spent enough time going on about my suicidal mission. What's been happening around the Fox Hole while I was out saving the gaxy from evil AI warships?"

  I grinned, leaning casually against the bar as I began to recount recent events. "Oh, you know, typical stuff," I teased. "I won a cooking competition against a prestigious culinary school, and managed to bruise the egos of their famous critic headmaster and the students in the process."

  Shepard snorted softly, clearly imagining the scene. "Of course you did. And what else?"

  "Well, there was this crazy fallen angel who tried attacking me," I continued nonchantly. "Nothing too serious, really—Naruko spped Kokabiel around and now he’s in Grigori prison."

  She raised an eyebrow at that but nodded, amused. "Sounds about right for this pce. What else?"

  I let out a long sigh, rolling my eyes slightly. "Kunou and Milim decided it'd be a great idea to sneak off to Brockton Bay to py heroes. They actually ended up taking out some pretty infamous vilins and only causing...minor property damage in the process."

  The word “minor” was heavily debatable… Didn't really matter though because I wasn't paying for the damages.

  “...And then there’s Pandora,” Tevos added.

  “Can’t forget about that!” I winked at her.

  Shepard chuckled, swirling the whiskey around in her gss. "Never a dull day around here, huh?"

  I smirked pyfully. "You’ve got that exactly right."

  I took a moment to gnce around the dining area, checking if anyone needed refills or more food. Most seemed content, ughter and conversations filling the restaurant. Over in one corner, Joker, now thoroughly drunk, was enthusiastically flirting with Gabriel. Gabriel had healed Joker’s legs, and Joker was showing his heartfelt appreciation.

  Meanwhile, Ashley gred murderously at Joker, clearly unhappy about his obvious flirtation with the angel. She looked ready to toss him through a window.

  I shook my head, amused, and turned back to Shepard. "Hey," I began, "would you possibly be interested in going to a high school ball with me?" Yep, I realized how weird that question was. And how random it seemed.

  Shepard's expression went completely bnk. "I'm…gonna need a lot more context before answering that."

  Fair enough.

  I ughed lightly, nodding quickly. "Harry’s teacher, Professor McGonagall, dropped by earlier and invited me to chaperone their Yule Ball. It's basically the magical world's equivalent of a Christmas formal dance. I need a date though."

  Shepard tilted her head thoughtfully, genuinely considering it for a moment before grimacing apologetically. "Sorry, Haru, but…fancy balls aren't exactly my scene. I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I don't even own a dress, just lots of different pieces of armor."

  "Fair enough." Well, that just left the question of who else to ask out of all my girlfriends?

  Ae? No, probably not. She’d end up punching one of the first brats who oogled her.

  Rias? Eh, she’d be fine, but there was something about bringing a devil to a christmas ball that was probably disrespectful and I'm pretty sure she was busy spending time with her family anyway.

  Alice would probably say the same as Shepard and Naruko still isn't quite used to her tails and would probably end up punching the first student who touched them. So she was basically on the same footing as Ae in that regard…

  I was thinking about inviting Erza to the ball when a piece of paper floated down and nded on the counter in front of me.

  For a second I thought the Goddess would finally get over her shyness and wanted to go with me, but it turned out she had another suggestion.

  – Zeref Dragneel –

  Zeref sat calmly upon his throne, silently observing his loyal Spriggans gathered before him. The air inside the dimly lit throne room was thick with tension, as August and Bloodman argued passionately about what “punishment” should be given to Irene Belserion.

  Bloodman growled angrily, his voice echoing through the chamber. "That traitorous witch has betrayed us, my Emperor! She is openly siding with those Fairy Tail fools and her daughter against us! She’s probably told them all of our future pns for conquering the world! And you expect me to believe her ludicrous cims about some mysterious fox-man defeating Acnologia?"

  August scowled deeply, nodding his agreement. "Indeed, Emperor Zeref. Irene has always been arrogant, but this? Ciming a random fox creature could overwhelm the Bck Dragon himself? It’s an insult to our intelligence and an obvious attempt to cover her treachery."

  Zeref remained silent, his dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand as he considered their accusations. Admittedly, the idea that anyone—fox creature or not—could casually defeat Acnologia seemed absurd. Yet Irene was not someone who exaggerated lightly.

  The thought troubled him deeply. "I understand your frustrations," Zeref finally said, his voice calm but firm. "But Irene’s value to me goes beyond a mere soldier. She is among our strongest, and I will not discard her easily. I would first demand absolute proof of her treachery. Until then, we shall keep her locked away in the dungeons."

  Bloodman bristled visibly. "My Emperor—"

  Suddenly, before Bloodman could finish, the air in the throne room shifted strangely. All eyes immediately turned to the center of the room, where—out of absolutely nowhere—a simple wooden door materialized. It stood unsupported by any wall or structure, looking utterly out of pce against the dark stone floors.

  "What sorcery is this?" August demanded, immediately stepping between the door and Zeref defensively.

  Zeref himself rose slowly from his throne, eyes narrowed in wary curiosity. "Stand down, August. Let us see who dares intrude upon my throne room."

  The door swung open smoothly, as if perfectly natural, revealing a completely unexpected figure. A handsome young man casually stepped into view. Distinctly non-human features immediately captured everyone’s attention. Two rge fox ears twitched on top of his head, and behind him swayed ten golden fox tails.

  The stranger gnced casually around the throne room, utterly unfazed by the shocked stares he received from Zeref and the Spriggans. "Hey there," the intruder said casually, lifting a hand and waving cheerfully at the shocked crowd. "I'm Haru."

  Zeref opened his mouth, about to demand an expnation from the stranger about why exactly he'd appeared in the middle of the Alvarez throne room, when Bloodman exploded in fury.

  "How dare you invade the Emperor’s pace, creature!" Bloodman snarled, dark curses already swirling violently around his body as he unched himself at Haru with murderous intent.

  Zeref tensed slightly, fully expecting Bloodman’s demonic magic to swiftly incapacitate or perhaps even annihite this unusual intruder. Instead, Haru casually raised his left arm and swung it toward Bloodman with shocking ease and speed.

  A loud, brutal crack echoed through the throne room as Haru's hand connected sharply with Bloodman's chest, sending the Spriggan flying backward at tremendous velocity. Bloodman's body crashed violently through the magically reinforced walls with a thunderous series of explosions, each collision sounding louder than the st.

  Zeref watched, stunned into silence, as Bloodman smashed through yer after yer of stone and magic-reinforced barriers until, finally, his battered body vanished completely from view—apparently propelled straight out of the pace entirely. Zeref blinked in shock, feeling genuine disbelief—and perhaps even a tiny hint of fear—for the first time in centuries. Beside him, August stared at the massive hole in the wall, mouth slightly agape, clearly struggling to process what had just happened.

  "Oops, uh, sorry about that," Haru said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as though he'd merely spilled a drink rather than likely killed one of Zeref’s strongest generals. "I wasn't exactly expecting to get attacked out of nowhere by some hostile demon-guy." He gnced around the throne room, golden eyes scanning the faces of Zeref’s remaining followers, before his gaze settled firmly back on Zeref.

  "Let's try that introduction again," Haru said calmly, straightening himself with an air of quiet confidence. "My name is Haru, owner of the Fox Hole restaurant. I'm here to pick up Irene Belserion. Could you please tell me where she is?"

  The entire throne room was filled with an oppressive tension. Zeref’s eyes narrowed slightly. This fox-man was extraordinarily powerful, that much was clear—perhaps Irene had not exaggerated after all. How was he even connected to Irene? Had she been telling the truth this whole time?

  August finally broke the strained silence, stepping forward cautiously but defiantly, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. "Irene Belserion is currently imprisoned in the dungeons. She betrayed our empire and sided with outsiders. She is a traitor, and her punishment is being decided."

  Zeref watched closely, a deep frown forming on his lips as Haru’s expression darkened dangerously at August’s accusation. The atmosphere in the throne room shifted dramatically, becoming heavier as the intruder fixed the old mage with an intense, icy stare.

  "I'm not exactly sure what's happening here," Haru began, voice deceptively calm but carrying an unmistakable warning, "but one thing’s clear, Irene’s coming with me. Especially if you've got her locked away in your dungeons." He spat that st word. Haru didn't even wait for a response. He turned away, utterly dismissive of the Spriggans, Zeref included, as if none of them posed even the smallest threat to him.

  The sheer arrogance left Zeref momentarily speechless…

  He'd encountered powerful individuals in his lifetime, but never someone who showed this level of casual disregard. Who exactly was this Haru, and how could Irene possibly know someone this formidable…?

  "Wait right there, you arrogant bastard!" God Serena suddenly shouted, stepping forward aggressively. His face twisted in anger, clearly insulted by how Haru had ignored them. "Do you really think you can waltz into the Emperor's pace, attack one of our Spriggans, and leave just like that!?"

  Haru didn't slow his pace or even gnce back.

  God Serena’s eyes bzed furiously. "You might look strong, fox-boy, but there’s no way a freak like you could have taken down Acnologia!" He smmed his fists together, the magical energy around him erupting violently, shaking the very foundations of the pace. The remaining Spriggans instinctively backed away, recognizing the immense power surging from the so-called "strongest Dragon Syer."

  "Let me educate you, outsider!" Serena roared arrogantly. "I am God Serena, the strongest Dragon Syer alive! I'll expose you as the fraud you clearly are!" With an explosive burst of speed, Serena unched himself forward, magic and physical strength combining into a single overwhelming strike aimed directly at Haru’s unprotected back. "Don’t you dare ignore me!" Serena screamed, fist drawn back to deliver his devastating dragon-sying blow.

  Yet, Haru still didn’t even turn his head. With casual ease and speed that shocked even Zeref, one of Haru’s golden tails whipped backward like a deadly bde, connecting brutally with God Serena’s torso.

  Zeref watched, stunned yet again, as the same fate that befell Bloodman happened to the supposedly invincible God Serena.

  Serena's body flew violently backward, smashing through solid stone walls reinforced by powerful enchantments as though they were made of paper. A series of violent crashes reverberated through the pace until, finally, God Serena vanished entirely from view, leaving a trail of shattered rubble and debris.

  Silence once again filled the throne room.

  August stared at the damage, completely lost for words. Even the usually composed old mage was visibly shaken, his expression filled with disbelief.

  Zeref himself was forced to reevaluate everything he'd believed about this intruder. Who or what exactly was this creature named Haru, and how had someone with his power remained unknown to the Alvarez Empire for so long?

  Without pausing or acknowledging the chaos he'd caused, Haru approached the magically sealed doors leading from the throne room toward the pace's dungeons. He didn't bother inspecting or even acknowledging the complex wards protecting the area. Instead, with a single powerful kick, he shattered the enchantments, sending the doors flying wide open.

  As he strode confidently through the ruined doorway toward the dungeons, Zeref felt a disturbing reality had just appeared. The Alvarez Empire had just encountered someone it could not oppose…

  – Haru –

  I moved down the dimly lit corridor, carefully sniffing the air as Irene’s scent guided me deeper into the pace dungeons.

  The guards down here clearly hadn't received word yet of what had happened upstairs, because several of them drew swords and raised magical staves as I approached.

  "Halt!" one of them shouted, stepping forward shakily. "You can’t go any further!"

  "I really don't have time for this," I sighed, barely pausing as I swiftly knocked them all unconscious with casual strikes. They crumpled to the floor without resistance, weapons cttering loudly against the stone floor. It wasn’t even a challenge, just a minor inconvenience.

  Honestly, this whole situation had pissed me off.

  The Goddess had left me a note suggesting I take Irene—the very attractive, MILF dragon–to the Ball as a fellow chaperone/date. That sounded like a good choice to me.

  It had been a while since Irene visited the Fox Hole, and Erza and I had been quietly wondering where she disappeared to. Now it made sense. Finding out she'd been imprisoned down here made my instincts surge—protectiveness mixing with anger.

  Nobody fucked with what was mine!

  The deeper I went, the fewer guards appeared. Eventually, I reached the heavily warded steel door sealing off the main dungeon. I could see that it was reinforced with powerful enchantments. Unfortunately for them, it didn't stand a chance against me. With one firm grip, I ripped the entire door clean off its hinges, casually tossing the warped metal aside.

  I stepped inside, gncing briefly at the empty cells lining the hallway until I found Irene’s. Her cell wasn't dirty or disgusting, at least, but it was depressingly sparse—just a basic cot, a small chair, and bare stone walls.

  Irene sat quietly on the cot, her gorgeous red hair cascading down her back, looking completely out of pce in such a miserable cell.

  The instant she saw me, her beautiful eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Haru?" Irene gasped softly, quickly rising to her feet and approaching the cell bars. She looked me over from head to toe, clearly confused yet undeniably relieved. "What…what are you doing here?"

  I smiled warmly at her. "I came to ask you to a ball."

  XXX