Makarov did not immediately announce this news.
Since Laxus hadn't returned yet, and he had made his decision, he naturally needed to announce it properly in Laxus's presence.
This forced Marco to remain in Magnolia during this period.
After all, he needed to be present when the announcement was made.
If Laxus returned and he wasn't there, the timing would never align.
...
Early in the morning, the faint sunlight streamed through the wooden window into the room.
Marco woke from his sleep, sat up, stretched lazily, then without lingering, quickly got out of bed.
The first thing Marco did after getting up was to feel the nightstand.
The book "Memory of Time," sealed by the Crystal Wall, rested safely on the nightstand.
The four-leaf clover on the cover seemed even more vibrant, carrying a peculiar sense of vitality.
Calculating the time, it had likely finished cooling down.
This magical book capable of returning to the past could be used once again.
"Everything is fine for now."
Marco picked up the book and entered the study.
The study was quite spacious, with an exquisite desk visible immediately upon entry.
The desk was placed by the window, facing the door, while both side walls were lined with bookshelves densely packed with various books.
These books were all compiled by Marco from the Fairy Tail library.
The Fairy Tail library contained too many books, covering almost every aspect imaginable.
Some books even the old man didn't know when they were placed there.
The library was a true treasure trove.
Of course, what Marco kept here were all copies.
The originals remained preserved in the library.
Guild property was guild property; taking them home was definitely not allowed, though occasionally borrowing one was fine.
Marco placed the "Memory of Time" in his hand at the center of the left bookshelf.
For some reason, he felt he would need this thing again in the future, like a "Chekhov's gun."
After being set up for so long, it had to play its role eventually, right?
After putting away "Memory of Time," Marco sat in the chair.
On the desk lay a notebook with only a book title written on it.
This was "The Return," currently still in the "new document" state.
The magic-adapted version of the great detective Sherlock Holmes ultimately needed to "revive," otherwise he'd be overwhelmed by the "fan mail blades."
Fortunately, some time ago, Marco specifically asked Lucy to spread the news through the "fan club" that the story would continue.
This stopped fans from sending letters to "Fairy Tail" and "Fairy Home," allowing everyone to enjoy peace for a while.
But because the new book had been delayed for quite some time, fans had started sending letters to urge him to update.
Coincidentally, during this period when Marco was forced to stay home, he naturally prepared to start working.
However, work aside, daily training couldn't be neglected.
Marco washed up briefly and went out for training.
"Marco, I'm here!"
When Marco stepped out, Gray was already waiting outside.
He greeted Marco with a smile and followed behind him as they ran deep into the forest, appearing quite familiar with the routine.
"Not taking a break?" Marco asked Gray in surprise.
Gray really did follow him for training whenever he had free time.
The kid's improvement was visible to the naked eye—not a single drop of sweat was wasted.
Lyon's defeat was well-deserved.
"I don't need rest, and I'm not really tired." Gray shook his head.
It was just Lyon he had beaten, not "Deliora." It wasn't enough to force him to take a break.
"Haha~ Lyon would be furious if he knew." Marco laughed teasingly.
Lyon's strength was actually quite decent.
In other Magic Guilds, he would at least meet the S-class standard.
If he fixed his habit of using "Ice-Make Magic" with one hand, he wouldn't be considered weak even among S-class Mages.
But compared to Gray, he still fell short.
Even if Lyon corrected his "Ice-Make Magic" technique, he wouldn't be able to defeat the current Gray.
"After all, he had no one to guide him." Gray spoke calmly, fully aware of how he had widened the gap between himself and Lyon.
External influences truly played a significant role.
Gray believed that Lyon, who had been stubbornly fixated, had never slacked off in his magical training.
After all, Lyon's goal was to defeat "Deliora," so he had to improve his strength.
However, without guidance and relying solely on his own efforts, Lyon's growth couldn't match Gray's, who had both guidance and competition.
Thinking of this, Gray felt quite proud.
Natsu hadn't gotten up today—that was good news.
Today's competition was his victory!
'Win a little every day, improve a little every day—I'm sure to achieve final victory!' Gray thought to himself, his whole body invigorated and his spirits exceptionally high!
This state lasted all the way into training.
...
"BOOM!"
Gray was sent flying backward, crashing into a thick rock wall.
All his ambition and determination dissipated with that impact.
Lying on the ground, staring at the blue sky through the large hole above, Gray couldn't help but smile wryly.
He had been too excited earlier and had actively challenged Marco, only to be mercilessly defeated by him.
"Seriously, I didn't even think about how this huge crater came to be." Gray sighed inwardly.
He was indeed not on the same level as Marco.
Although Gray hadn't witnessed how the large crater deep in the forest was created, he still vividly remembered the terrifying destructive power Marco had displayed on "Galuna Island."
It was as if he intended to shatter the sky itself!
"How about it? Want to go again?"
Marco stood relaxed in front of Gray, extending a hand to him with a smile as he asked.
Gray barely raised his hand and grasped Marco's, standing up with his help.
Leaning heavily against the wall, he repeatedly said, "No more, no more. I admit defeat."
Gray conceded quickly.
In truth, as the gap between him and Marco grew wider, Gray hadn't been this bold in challenging Marco for a long time.
This was one area where he differed from Natsu.
Natsu still had his episodes from time to time, shouting about challenging this person or that one.
After getting beaten up, he'd behave for a while, but the next time, he'd do it again, he's the epitome of refusing to learn from his mistakes.
Neither personality is inherently better or worse.
Natsu's temperament allows him to unleash astonishing power when facing formidable enemies, while Gray never backs down from strong opponents either - when enraged, he can directly employ "Absolute Ice."
'Though even Absolute Ice... might not necessarily defeat Marco...'
While Gray would never use "Absolute Ice" against Marco, he couldn't help but compare it with his strongest killing move.
Unfortunately, he found it hard to imagine a scenario where his "Absolute Ice" could triumph over Marco's "Athena's Exclamation."
"Let's go, time to head back."
Marco smiled as he supported Gray's arm.
With a mere thought, they instantly appeared above the massive crater.
The hole had been partially filled with soil, thanks to the earth-attribute Mages from the guild, though it was still far from being completely filled.
This arrangement worked quite well though, providing earth-attribute Mages with an excellent training ground.
They could freely dump soil here without worrying about cleanup - unlike in the arena where they'd have to clean up after scattering dirt and sand.
Here, it simply contributed to filling the crater.
Supporting the aching Gray who seemed ready to fall apart, Marco quickly made their way back to "Fairy Home."
Along the way, they stopped by Granny Porlyusica's place to get some treatment.
Though they got scolded, at least Gray would feel more comfortable.
"Aye! It's Marco and Gray!"
Just as they reached the main gate of the "Fairy Home" residential area, Marco and Gray encountered Natsu and Happy.
Happy spotted them first and quickly called out to Natsu, who was rushing out in a hurry.
"You're both back already!"
Natsu exclaimed with clear regret on his face.
Having overslept and missed the morning training session, he felt Gray had gotten a head start without him!
"You're too late."
Though Gray had been grimacing in pain moments before, the sight of Natsu instantly revitalized him.
His back straightened, his legs stopped aching, as if he'd taken some miraculous medicine.
He addressed Natsu with a perfectly cool expression.
This demonstrates how having guidance and competition makes all the difference.
Even when at death's door, one would still put up a strong front before their rival - the key principle being never giving the opponent any satisfaction.
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