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The Fox Hole 48
🕑 Added 2025-01-25 23:45:28 +0000 UTCChapter 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 seemed 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 came lunging at me 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 time. 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 me. “Oh, hello. Welcome 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 met her yesterday.”
I nodded, returning her smile. “Yeah, she’s my mom. I came here because she recommended 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 come 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 seemed to drop a few degrees as his aura flared. I felt the force of it pressing against me, and I made sure to stand my ground. He narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to figure me 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 moments, 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 some territory in a realm that’s about to be attacked by a greedy prince. He’s bringing an army of conscripted serfs—farmers, 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 some interdimensional war—”
Mirajane rolled her eyes in exasperation. “It’s an army of non-magical farmers, mostly. Isn’t that right?” She turned to me 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 me. “A hundred thousand farmers 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 me you’re the best when it comes 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 members. 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 times, then twenty times 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 members—most of whom had been in various states of fighting or lounging—immediately 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 time, 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 someone 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 some 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 achievement.
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—same place Yasaka came from yesterday. He’s got a… big request.”
I gave a casual wave, trying to look friendly. “Yo. Name’s Haru. Good to meet all of you.”
Someone off to the side, a random guild member, piped up, “He looks like that sexy woman who came 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 some murmured comments and raised eyebrows at that claim, but I pressed on. “I’ve got something important to discuss with your guild. But before I get into all that, there’s something 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 me 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 name was Belserion. Irene’s last name 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 mentioned that!” Natsu yelled, “Your mom’s a what!?” Gray, stumbling back to his feet, seemed equally confused.
Makarov scratched his chin. “Belserion… that name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember where I heard it.”
Erza’s confident demeanor cracked for a moment. Her eyes went wide. “I have a mother…? You’re saying you’ve met her?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
I nodded. “Yeah. I met 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 name was Irene Belserion, and she mentioned she had a daughter named Erza. So, I put two and two together.”
Natsu practically choked, Makarov’s jaw dropped, and a bunch of other guild members 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 seemed that Makarov was the only one interested in talking about that lame 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 me for having a dragon for a dad, when your mom is the same thing!”
Erza’s reaction was immediate and intense the moment 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 me like I was a lunatic. “You’re not trying to trick me, 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 met Irene a few days ago. She mentioned she had a daughter named 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 me 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 came out. She seemed 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 me!”
“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 smell traces of draconic energy on you. It’s definitely there, but you’re mostly human. I doubt you’ll sprout scales or wings anytime soon. At most you'll just have a stronger body, and have more magic than the average person.”
She just gaped at me, still looking embarrassed. Her magic flared again, then settled a bit, like she was trying to calm down. I didn’t blame 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 moment to chime 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 slammed against a table with enough force to rattle the plates on it. I heard a few of the guild members snicker or mumble “ouch,” but nobody seemed too alarmed. Clearly, this kind of stuff happened all the time.
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 me,” 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 meant they’d already headed off.
Behind the counter, Enri gave me 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 moment 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 blame 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 me in a comforting hug. The warmth of her body and the genuine concern in her eyes soothed me 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 something. 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 something out of a twisted fantasy: stone walls with eerie torchlight, towering pillars, and a long corridor stretching into darkness. The architecture made me think of a video game 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!” came a lively, high-pitched response. “Welcome, 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 excitement. She had an aristocratic outfit that showed a lot of lace and frills, making her look like a noble from some 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 mention. “That’s right!” she replied, obviously thrilled. “You have an excellent eye, as expected of a friend of the Supreme 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 handsome fox man, Haru, and the shocking new information about her mother. She had never truly considered the possibility of having any surviving family members, not since her earliest memories of waking up in that… horrid tower.
“I don’t get why you need so many baths,” Natsu chimed in, giving Lucy a confused look. “You smell 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 amusement 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 apartment 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 moment, 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, flame 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 immediate 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 members seeking fame 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 time.
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 me?” 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 mean 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 warmed as she recalled Haru leaning in to smell her. She clenched her fists, trying to brush off the embarrassment. “He caught me 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 some 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 immediately, slamming a fist against his open palm. “I want to fight that army Haru was talking about! Some people in our Guild might be scaredy cats, but not me!”
“Hey!” Happy whined at that comment.
“Me too!” Gray said.
Erza crossed her arms. “I want to talk to Haru!”
“I just came along because I had nothing better to do, but I guess I’ll try the food here.” Lucy finally added and mentioned something 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 women 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 name is Irene Belserion and I’m here for my daughter Erza. Show me to her immediately 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 came from.”
“Do you think she’ll step on me if I ask?”
“I love you dragon dommy mommy…”
Irene froze in disbelief…
XXX
Comments
Cmols897
One of my favorite episodes of the entire series is the one where they come back after 7 years, just always hits me right in the feels. But my all time favorite is the Natsu vs Sting and Rogue fight
Meruem Astro
He could add yasaka in his harem, incest is a Thing with demons, should be with yokais too
John
I think you could add his mother and sister to his Haram
Rycork
I admit: at first I didn't find it logical that Fairy Tail said no and that Erza thinks that many members are in the guild out of selfishness. However, remembering the episode where the core of the guild was "absent 7 years" only the real members remained in the guild even if the situation was difficult because they love Fairy Tail. In a way, this event allowed to eliminate the bad elements and to find the true values of the guild.
WhatAFungi
I was gonna comment something similar, but you beat me to it
Josh
lol dam this was a great chap hope more comes out soon
LuluViBritania
[Natsu yelled, “Your mom’s a what!?”] Natsu says this before Haru says anything about Irene being a Dragon, he then repeats the Erza giving him shit about his dad being a dragon bit. Also iirc irene never knew Erzas name until she met her in the final arc
2010supersonic
Welp that guy is fucked and not in the good way
Lupus Umbras
Side note. If you'd set up a 20 tier, even without peeks, I would switch to it.
Lupus Umbras
Oh the glorious chaos
Chase Garcia
Well that's the reaction she didn't expect
Vinicius Vieira
everybody loves a dragon dommy mommy u.u
