"It's only been a year… but has her strength really changed this much?"
Macao stared at Mira, standing tall in her Satan Soul form, her aura still radiating through the guild. A trace of loneliness flickered across his eyes.
A new generation replacing the old.
They had always known this day would come. But when it arrived for real, the sting was sharper than they expected.
For mages like Macao and Wakaba, their growth had already reached its limit. No matter how hard they worked, they couldn't climb higher anymore. That was just the truth of talent and time.
"I guess… we'll be taking a back seat soon, huh?" Macao muttered with a wry smile. Wakaba gave a small nod, smoke trailing from his lips.
But the younger generation was struck by something else entirely.
"W-What the hell happened to Mira?!" one mage gasped. "This magic… it feels like it's on the level of the Holy Ten!"
Even Laxus, who rarely let his surprise show, narrowed his eyes, arms crossed as he stared down from above. "Tch… so she's been hiding this kind of power?"
Makarov's eyes widened. He could feel it too—the sheer scale of Mira's magic.
"Impossible… in just one year, to rise from an A-class mage to the level of the Holy Ten? That kind of progress is… absurd!"
His expression turned grave for a moment. If I didn't know for certain that I don't feel the aura of a real demon in her… I'd almost think she'd been possessed.
"Ah—by the way." Rain's voice broke through the tension, his easy smile cutting across the heavy atmosphere. "You should've received the gifts I sent ahead, right?"
"…Gifts?"
The guild blinked.
Makarov froze, his pupils shrinking. And then—like a bullet—he launched himself forward, skidding across the floor until he was nose-to-nose with Rain, his tiny hands gripping his coat with surprising force.
"Is it the alcohol?!"
Rain blinked, utterly confused by the guild master's trembling, almost desperate tone. "…Eh? Why do you look so nervous? Isn't wine supposed to make you happy?"
The whole guild face-faulted.
"Of course he's nervous, you idiot!" Wakaba barked. "We've been drinking non-stop since it arrived! Do you know how much that wine was worth?!"
"A hundred million J!" Macao added dramatically, shaking his fists in the air. "One hundred million J in alcohol! Do you understand how terrifying that is for Fairy Tail?!"
Rain scratched his head, looking genuinely puzzled. "Terrifying? But… isn't it just alcohol?"
"Rain, if you really stole this from someone, tell me honestly," Makarov said, his voice trembling as tears welled in his eyes. "I'll figure out how much I have to compensate them."
Even if his tiny body looked pitiful, his gaze was firm.
To Makarov, even if Rain had made a mistake, he was still his child. And a parent's duty was to correct their children, no matter the price.
"Think about it carefully," Makarov pressed on, a hint of hope in his tone. "After this lesson, you wouldn't do something like this again… right?"
Rain stared at him blankly, a vein twitching in his forehead. "…Guildmaster, what are you even talking about? Nobody snatched anything. Mira and I bought those drinks and had them delivered."
"Bought them?" Makarov blinked. "Not… robbed?"
The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on. Rain's helpless sigh was the only sound.
"Seriously, why don't you believe me?!"
"…Because it's a hundred million J!" Makarov barked, throwing up his hands. "Rain, you don't even own a house in town! Where would you get that kind of money to buy wine?!"
The hall went dead quiet. All eyes swung toward Rain, waiting for an answer.
"This…"
Rain scratched the back of his head, his smile awkward. He could feel Mira's amused gaze on him.
"When we were on vacation, Mira and I… accidentally broke a mountain while fighting. And, well… there was a gold mine inside. We sold it. That's where the money came from."
"…A fight. A mountain. And a gold mine."
Makarov repeated the words slowly, like he was trying to process them. His tiny hands trembled.
Even Laxus, who normally never cared about money, narrowed his eyes in disbelief.
The entire guild was silent.
"…Is it possible to find a gold mine… just by breaking mountains?"
At that moment, Makarov began to doubt the laws of the world itself.
But when the truth sank in—that this wasn't stolen, but bought—his face instantly brightened, cheeks turning rosy with glee.
"Perfect! Then I can drink with peace of mind!"
The guild collectively facepalmed.
"I understand!"
Natsu suddenly shot up, fists clenched, eyes blazing with passion.
"Natsu? What did you figure out?" Happy tilted his head curiously.
The entire guild turned to him, curious.
Natsu smirked proudly. "When we fight in the future, we should fight in the mountains! If we smash enough of them, we'll probably find a gold mine too! That way, we don't even have to worry about money anymore!"
"…Aye!" Happy nodded enthusiastically.
"…You know… that kinda makes sense?" Wakaba muttered, scratching his beard.
"Yeah…" Macao admitted reluctantly. "Not a bad plan."
"Idiots."
Gray pinched the bridge of his nose, glaring at Natsu's smug face. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard… tch."
Still, he secretly felt a stab of envy. Why didn't I think of that first?
Rain slapped a hand to his face, groaning. "That… is not what I meant."
He glanced at Mira for backup, his expression begging her to confirm. "Right? I didn't say anything weird, did I?"
Mira tapped her chin, pretending to think seriously before shaking her head. "No… I think there's nothing wrong with what you said."
Then, with complete seriousness, she added, "I think there's something wrong with their brains."
The guild fell silent for a moment—then burst into chaotic laughter.
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