"Breakfast is served!"
Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna arrived at the guild just as the cleaning was finished.
Elfman carried a large, steaming pot in his arms, his face flushed from the exertion.
Despite still being a bit timid, the young man had considerable strength.
Mira had prepared a vegetable and lean meat porridge.
Having taken care of her younger siblings since childhood, her cooking skills were top-tier.
Raizel had already eaten noodles earlier, but the aroma was too tempting. He tried a small bowl and found it truly delicious—rich, savory, and perfectly seasoned.
"This is amazing!" Natsu shouted, his face buried in a bowl.
He was wolfing down the porridge like a starving animal, showing absolutely no appreciation for fine cuisine, but his enthusiasm was a compliment in itself.
"It's delicious, Mira," Erza said, wiping her mouth gracefully. "You've outdone yourself."
Raizel nodded in agreement.
He believed Mira's cooking skills were definitely superior to his own.
She must have studied diligently to perfect her recipes, unlike him, who simply followed instructions to create edible but uninspired meals.
However, it wasn't just the food that caught everyone's attention.
Mira's attire today was different.
After taking off her heavy winter coat, she revealed a black dress with a white bow tied at the chest.
It was elegant and modest.
She hadn't used her usual purple hairband to tie up her bangs; instead, her long white hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of silk.
Most notably, her expression had changed.
She kept her head tilted slightly, her blue eyes narrowed in a gentle, faint smile.
From time to time, she would tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she listened to everyone's compliments.
Even Erza found this side of her quite unfamiliar.
The first time Erza met Mira, she gave off a sense of deep sorrow—a girl who gazed at her demon arm with indescribable sadness yet stood resolutely in front of her siblings to protect them.
After joining the guild, Mira changed into a "Punk."
She wore rough clothes, bickered with Erza constantly, and acted like a delinquent to mask her insecurities, while still fiercely protecting her siblings like a mother hen.
But now, Mira presented yet another face.
She looked the same, but her aura was as gentle as water.
Erza hadn't expected Mira, who was the same age as her, to exude such a nurturing, motherly presence.
In the guild, only Ur had ever given her this feeling before.
'I'm losing,' Erza thought, clenching her fists under the table.
She felt an invisible flame of rivalry blazing inside her.
'I need to train my "Nurturing Skill" too! I can't lose to her!'
The guild members were all surprised by Mira's sudden transformation.
After the Galuna Island mission, Mira had taken on a private task and disappeared for a few days.
This was the first time everyone had seen her since then.
Even Lisanna and Elfman were astonished.
In the past, Mira only showed this soft expression to the two of them in private. Now, she was showing it to the world.
Raizel raised an eyebrow, surprised that she had changed so quickly.
After the island trip, he had given her space to adapt on her own.
He didn't dislike her "Punk" persona, but he preferred this gentle version—it felt more like the future Mira he knew from the original story.
Truthfully, Raizel wasn't sure which face was her real one.
Perhaps both were.
No one in the world wears only one face. Everyone has emotional and rational sides, moments of strength and vulnerability.
Mira's transformation didn't happen without reason.
The Guild members held no prejudice against her Take Over magic.
The journey to Galuna Island had deeply moved her—the villagers' warmth and the demons' hospitality left a lasting impression.
Furthermore, Elfman and Lisanna had also learned Take Over Magic—Beast Soul and Animal Soul—through the magic book Raizel provided.
She was no longer alone!
Just as Raizel had told her: 'My Royal Knight form is unique, and your Satan Soul is unique. Being unique doesn't mean being a monster. It means being special.'
She was starting to think Satan Soul actually looked quite impressive, especially with Raizel sincerely telling her he found it cool.
Mira felt certain no one had ever told Raizel how compelling his eyes became when he was serious.
That night on the island, under the moonlight and firelight, his earnest, bright gaze had pierced through her defenses.
'Try accepting that power.'
While everyone was curious about Mira's transformation, they didn't press for details.
Everyone had their secrets.
...
Breakfast concluded.
Clap—Clap—
Makarov stood on the bar counter.
He clapped his hands twice before spreading his arms wide to gather everyone's attention.
"Attention, brats! The shopping teams will divide into two groups—one for Ingredients, one for Decorations."
He grinned.
"All expenses today... ARE ON ME!!! 'Laxus and Raizel will advance the payments, and I will reimburse them later!'"
"YEAH!!! LONG LIVE THE MASTER!!!" Natsu and Gray cheered in rare harmony, ignoring the parenthetical part of the statement.
Though usually frugal, Makarov had saved considerable money recently thanks to Ultear using her Arc of Time to repair the guild's daily property damage.
Plus, he received a cut from Raizel and Laxus's high-level missions.
He was perfectly willing to spend a little for the children's party.
"Quiet down!" Makarov narrowed his eyes, pressing his hands downward.
The team assignments were determined through a quick discussion.
Team Ingredients:
Leader: Raizel
Members: Ur, Mira, Kagura, Lisanna, Gray, Wendy
Team Decorations:
Leader: Laxus
Members: Ultear, Erza, Cana, Elfman, Natsu
It was quite the arrangement—Makarov had sent everyone out except himself.
(Reedus wouldn't arrive until the afternoon, and Wakaba and Macao weren't coming.)
Makarov kept Oyen (the cat) and Snowy (the dog) behind.
Perhaps the elderly man just wanted to play with the pets for a while.
Both animals had gentle temperaments, unlike the rowdy mages.
"Raizel, keep an eye on Lisanna and Wendy," Makarov reminded him, though he knew Raizel didn't need the warning.
"Elfman is in your care," Mira said softly.
She wore a gentle smile, clasped her hands in front of her dress, and gave a slight, elegant bow to Laxus and Ultear.
"..."
Everyone, including Laxus, blinked in astonishment.
They looked as if they'd seen a ghost.
'Since when is she so polite to Laxus?!'
Raizel turned away, shoulders shaking, nearly bursting out laughing.
"Remember to buy meat!!! Raizel!" Natsu shouted. "Lots of meat!"
"I know, I know," Raizel waved him off.
Just to be safe, Raizel took out a blank sheet of paper and had the Decoration Team write down their favorite foods.
Natsu scrawled "MEAT" in big letters.
Laxus didn't write anything, too cool to make requests.
Raizel pulled out another list from his pocket.
"Ultear, here."
He handed a piece of paper to the Time Mage.
"These are the items for decorations. Streamers, balloons, a Christmas tree, fireworks, sparklers... use this as a reference. If you see something not on the list that you like, feel free to buy it too."
Ultear took the list and skimmed through it.
She raised an eyebrow in surprise—she hadn't expected Raizel to be so prepared.
"You really thought of everything," she said with a nod. "Alright. Leave it to us."
The group split into two teams and headed out into the snowy streets of Magnolia.