After a hearty breakfast and a leisurely stroll around the village perimeter, the group gathered for one final lunch with the locals.
By early afternoon, it was time to say goodbye.
The Fairy Tail mages stood at the village entrance, ready to head back to the docks.
However, before they could leave, Chief Moka stopped them.
"Raizel, wait a moment."
Moka gestured to a villager standing behind him.
The man stepped forward, carrying a wooden tray covered by a velvet cloth. With a solemn expression, Moka lifted the cloth.
Glinting in the sunlight lay a set of keys.
Most were silver, standard store-bought keys.
But in the center lay one that radiated a faint golden magical aura. It bore the symbol of an archer—a centaur drawing a bow.
The Golden Key of the Centaur: Sagittarius.
"These are for you," Moka said, his gravelly voice firm. "Please accept them."
Raizel stared at the tray.
He was genuinely confused. These keys were not native to Galuna Island, nor did they belong to the villagers.
"Chief Moka, where did these come from?" Raizel asked, furrowing his brow.
'The Eclipse Gate has only been open for five months. How did a Zodiac Key end up here?'
Moka sighed, leaning heavily on his cane.
He pointed a clawed finger toward the cliffs on the west side of the island.
"There is a fresh grave just outside the village perimeter," Moka explained quietly. "It belongs to a Celestial Spirit Mage. About two months ago, he washed ashore. He was badly injured."
"I was the one who found him," Uncle Bobo stepped forward, raising his hand. "It was gruesome. He had a severe abdominal wound—his internal organs were practically visible. By the time the tide brought him in, he had lost too much blood. We tried our best. We even rushed him to the hospital in Hargeon under the cover of night, but... unfortunately, he didn't make it."
Raizel nodded slowly.
Celestial Spirit Mages were powerful summoners, but physically, they often had weaker constitutions than other types of wizards.
With such a severe injury and no immediate magical healing, survival would have been a miracle.
"I see," Raizel said softly.
He looked back at the tray. "But I can't accept this. Please, sell me the Sagittarius Key instead."
He shook his head firmly.
Even if the villagers had technically "found" the keys, they belonged to a mage who had passed.
Taking them for free felt wrong, like looting.
"If you insist on paying, then I won't sell it at all!" Moka snapped.
The old chieftain looked genuinely angry, tapping his cane aggressively against the stone ground.
He had a temper, and he hated having his gratitude rejected.
Raizel's lips twitched.
A faint sense of helplessness appeared between his brows. He had never been good at dealing with stubborn old men.
"Chief, listen to me," Raizel said, trying to reason with him. "This isn't some cheap trinket. A Golden Zodiac Key is a rare magical artifact. Even among friends, there are lines we shouldn't cross. It's not right for me to constantly take advantage of your kindness."
"If you consider us friends, then accept it!" Moka shouted back, losing his patience.
He grabbed the keys from the tray and tried to shove them forcefully into Raizel's hands.
"Just take them, Raizel!" Bobo urged from the side. "No one in our village knows how to use Celestial Spirit Magic. They are just metal to us!"
"Take them! Take them!" the other villagers chimed in, creating a chorus of peer pressure.
The back-and-forth argument went on for several rounds.
Raizel pushed the keys back; Moka pushed them forward.
Raizel was genuinely worried that all this physical exertion might give the old chief a heart attack.
Finally, Raizel sighed in defeat.
"Fine. I surrender," Raizel said, raising his hands. "But I have conditions. I will buy the Sagittarius Key for 1,000,000 Jewels. As for the silver keys, you should keep them and sell them to a magic shop in Hargeon. They could fetch a decent amount of money for the village repairs."
Seeing that Raizel had agreed to take the Zodiac Key, Moka finally compromised.
He grunted in approval and placed the silver keys back on the tray.
"Deal."
Raizel patted his pockets.
He realized he didn't carry that much cash on a vacation, so.... he turned to his wealthy friends.
"Laxus? Erza? A little loan?"
After borrowing a stack of bills from Laxus and Erza to make up the sum, Raizel handed the money to Moka.
"Everyone, there's no need to see us off any further," Raizel said, bowing to the villagers. "We will visit again."
The Fairy Tail members waved goodbye as they walked down the path toward the pier.
"They really are as warm-hearted as you described," Ur remarked, looking back at the village gate.
"Casually gifting away one of the twelve Zodiac Keys... that is generous beyond words."
Everyone nodded vigorously in agreement.
Ultear walked beside Raizel, a faint, pleased smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She was happy that her guildmates now saw the demons of Galuna the same way she did—not as monsters, but as friends.
Raizel pocketed the key.
He wasn't a Celestial Spirit Mage, but he knew its value. He decided to hold onto it for now.
Perhaps he would give it to the Heartfilia family if he passed by their estate, or better yet, save it for the day a certain blonde girl named Lucy joined the guild.
...
At the pier, the group split up.
"We're heading out our own way," Laxus said, stretching his neck. "See you back at the guild."
"Don't get lost!" Natsu shouted.
Since Laxus and Cana had their own method of travel (likely Laxus flying them to avoid motion sickness on the boat), Raizel boarded the Guild's ship with the rest of the group.
The journey back to Hargeon Port was peaceful. The sea breeze was cold, but the cabin was warm.
They arrived at the port and took the train back to Magnolia Town. By the time they reached the town entrance, the sun was setting.
"Alright, everyone," Ur announced, yawning. "I'm heading back to get some sleep. We haven't slept a wink since yesterday."
The group dispersed, each planning to catch up on the rest they missed while camping at the Moon Temple ruins.
Raizel turned toward the suburbs.
Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna lived in the same direction, so they naturally fell into step beside him.
The walk was quiet for a few minutes, save for the sound of their boots on the cobblestones.
"Hey."
Mira spoke up, breaking the silence.
"Thanks for yesterday," she said quickly.
She crossed her arms and turned her head away sharply, looking at a random streetlamp to avoid Raizel's gaze.
Her tone was stiff, far from friendly.
It was classic "Punk Mira" behavior.
Raizel didn't mind.
He blinked and smiled, knowing she was just feeling shy about being vulnerable on the island.
"What's with that look on your face?!" Mira snapped, catching his teasing expression out of the corner of her eye.
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
She clenched her right fist tightly, gritting her teeth. "Stop looking at me like that!"
"Nee-san..." Lisanna tugged at Mira's sleeve, feeling her sister was being a bit rude to the person who helped them so much.
Elfman stood awkwardly to the side, shifting his gaze between the smiling Raizel and the fuming Mira, unsure if he should intervene "manly-ly."
"Alright, my bad. I won't tease you anymore," Raizel laughed, clasping his hands together in an apologetic gesture. He knew when to back off.
Mira froze for a moment, her body stiffening.
That's it? she thought. Shouldn't he argue back? Why is he so... nice?
Seeing him yield so easily left her without a retort. She deflated slightly, the anger draining away, leaving only awkwardness.
"By the way," Raizel said, changing the subject casually as they walked. "How are you planning to spend Christmas?"
Mira frowned slightly, confused by the sudden jump in topic.
"The three of us will spend it together at home, of course," she replied. "How else?"
"How about spending it together with us?" Raizel suggested.
Mira paused.
She opened her mouth to refuse, assuming he meant just him and his inner circle.
"Not just with me," Raizel clarified, seeing her hesitation. "With everyone at the Guild. We're holding a party."
Mira's expression tightened at first.
Large gatherings still made her nervous; she worried about how people would react to her if she let her guard down.
But then she remembered the bonfire on Galuna Island. She remembered the smiles. Her expression gradually relaxed.
She looked at Raizel. He was looking at her with that calm, knowing gaze.
Suddenly, Raizel reached out.
He curled his slender finger and, before she could react, lightly tapped her on the forehead.
Boop.
"No fantasizing!"
"Ah!"
Mira flinched, covering her forehead with her palm.
"I wasn't fantasizing!" she protested, though her voice lacked conviction.
It was somewhat normal for her mind to wander.
"How... how will everyone at the Guild celebrate?" she asked, her tone flustered, trying to move past the embarrassment.
Raizel furrowed his brow slightly, pinching his chin in thought.
"Nothing particularly special," he admitted. "We just decorate the Guild hall together, prepare a massive Christmas dinner, and eat until we can't move. If anyone wants to perform music or magic tricks, that's great, but no one is forced to. The most important thing is just... being together."
That was exactly what Raizel and the others did last year.
It was low-key.
Even Laxus, who secretly loved playing the drums, refused to perform in the guild out of shyness.
"It's a very ordinary way to celebrate," Raizel continued. "But I don't think the format matters. Even if it's boring, as long as I spend it with people I like, I'm happy."
He looked at the siblings.
"There are still nearly ten days left. You don't have to decide now. Think about it. Not all members participate, so don't feel pressured."
Raizel meant it.
He didn't want to force them. A party wasn't fun if you felt obligated to be there.
Mira stroked Lisanna's hair, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
"Will everyone from your group be going?" she asked.
"Yes. Everyone from our team will be there. It's pretty much set," Raizel nodded.
Mira looked down at her siblings.
"What do you think?" she asked softly. "Lisanna? Elfman?"
"I want to go!" Lisanna said immediately, lifting her head to meet Mira's eyes. "Celebrating just the three of us is nice, but wouldn't it be more fun with a big family? The guild is so lively!"
"I..." Elfman hesitated, looking at his sisters. "I'll follow big sis's decision! Doing what my sister wants is... manly!"
'He still lacks assertiveness', Raizel thought, observing Elfman.
'Maybe I should gift him a "Manliness Enhancement Training Package" for Christmas...'
But he decided to let nature take its course.
They had arrived at the small house the Strauss siblings rented. It was humble, but it was home.
Mira stood at the doorway.
She looked at Raizel, then down at her eager sister and supportive brother.
The tension in her shoulders vanished.
Her eyes curved into crescents, and she tilted her head, showing a gentle, radiant smile—the kind she usually reserved only for her family.
"Alright," she said softly. "We'll go."
Raizel smiled back.
Even though she was dressed in rough clothes and projected a tough attitude, Raizel felt he was seeing the first glimpse of the woman she would become.
The gentle, welcoming soul who would one day be the perfect face of Fairy Tail.
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Guys if you like Naruto please read my new fic, 'Akatsuki Odd strategist' it was a comedy fic!