Everyone gathered around Natsu and the mysterious egg.
However, Laxus and Cana, who had just returned, noticed something unusual.
It wasn't about the egg—it was about Elfman.
A month had passed since Raizel began his "Customized Manliness Plan" for the Strauss brother.
The results were... drastic.
Elfman stood near the pillar, arms crossed.
Gone was the timid boy in the ill-fitting blue suit.
In his place stood a delinquent giant.
He wore a tight black shirt, loose black pants, and wooden geta clogs that clicked loudly when he walked.
His silver hair was styled into a sharp, aggressive spike.
And draped over his shoulders was the black coat. Embroidered on the back in bold golden thread were the eight characters:
[Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one]
"Who is that?" Cana whispered, blinking rapidly. "Is that Elfman?"
"It seems so," Laxus smirked. "He looks... different."
Apart from his facial features, nothing resembled his previous self.
Even his aura had changed and his eyes were sharper.
Raizel watched from the bar with a satisfied nod.
His plan was effective.
The current Elfman could wear that chuunibyou-style coat without any shame because he believed in it!
(Raizel had made him take off the shirt with the giant "MAN" character on the front, though Elfman had secretly kept it as a memento.)
Elfman no longer constantly talked about being a "man" every five seconds, but the quiet confidence was there.
He could now perform a stable Full-Body Take Over: Beast Soul.
However, Raizel had a private theory: Perhaps his plan wasn't actually effective.
Maybe Elfman just needed a push.
His timidity came from feeling inferior to his sisters. Once he mastered his magic, the confidence followed naturally.
But in Raizel's view, the result justified the means.
Mira and Lisanna had noticed the change as soon as they returned yesterday.
They didn't treat him differently—family is family—but Mira's smile was a little brighter.
She knew this version of Elfman could protect himself, and Lisanna, much better.
"It's been a long time since the Guild was this lively, right?"
Macao and Wakaba leaned against the bar, puffing on their pipes and cigars.
They felt a wave of nostalgia.
Unless it was the end-of-year festival, the guild was rarely this full.
S-Class mages were usually away, and the younger generation was often training.
"The real 'villain' is Raizel," Macao joked. "He kidnapped Erza, Ultear, and the kids for training camps all year. It's quiet without them."
"Quiet is good," Wakaba grunted. "Have you seen Natsu and Gray lately? When they aren't fighting, they're destroying landscapes."
Laxus and Cana joined the conversation.
At the end of last year, Raizel had witnessed Cana sparring with Ultear.
She was impressive.
It seemed Laxus had dragged her through plenty of practical combat experience during their missions.
"Natsu, can I touch it?"
Cana leaned over the table, poking a finger toward the large egg.
Wobble.
The egg shook on its own.
"No!" Natsu turned his body sideways, shielding the egg with his shoulder. "It says no."
"Tch. Stingy," Cana crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.
Everyone was used to it by now.
Natsu was like a mother hen. He didn't mind people looking, but touching was off-limits.
'...I think maybe the egg actually agreed with Natsu,' Raizel mused silently.
He had noticed a pattern. The egg only stayed still for Natsu.
For everyone else, it wobbled nervously.
"So what exactly is this egg?" Laxus asked, raising an eyebrow at Raizel. "You seem to know everything. Is it a dragon?"
"Not sure," Raizel shrugged, feigning ignorance. "But judging by the mana fluctuations, it should hatch any minute now. We'll know the answer then."
"Oh?" Laxus leaned forward.
"Eh?" Natsu and Gray pressed their faces close to the shell.
"It's hatching!" Erza and Ultear shouted, their eyes sparkling.
"Hm?" Makarov looked up from his drink.
CRACK.
A loud sound echoed through the silent guild as a fissure appeared on the smooth surface of the egg.
VWOOM.
A blinding blue light burst through the cracks, illuminating the entire hall.
Everyone shielded their eyes.
The glow lasted for several seconds, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Then, the shell exploded into particles of light.
Floating in mid-air was a small creature.
"Aye!"
It was a blue cat with a white belly and on its back was a pair of small, feathery white wings.
"A cat?" Macao and Wakaba dropped their jaws.
"It's a freaking cat!"
"A cat actually came out of an egg?!"
"But why does it have wings? Is it a bird?"
"Is it a dragon-cat?"
The guild erupted into confused speculation.
The blue cat wobbled in the air, then drifted down and landed softly on top of Natsu's pink spiky hair.
Natsu froze.
His face flushed slightly. He slowly lifted his eyes, trying to look at the top of his own head.
The cat folded its wings, sat down comfortably, and raised one paw.
"Aye!"
"KAWAII!!!"
Wendy and Lisanna clasped their hands together, tilting their heads in unison.
The cuteness was overwhelming!
"So cute!" Even Ur couldn't resist as a blush appearing on her cheeks.
Natsu reached up with trembling hands.
He lifted the cat from his head and cradled it in his arms. He looked at the creature with pure, unadulterated wonder.
"It's... amazing."
"Natsu," Raizel spoke up gently, breaking the trance. "Why don't you give him a name?"
Natsu looked up, blinking.
"A name?"
He looked back at the cat. His brain gears turned slowly.
"But what should I name it? I don't know..." Natsu furrowed his brow. "He's blue... so... Blue?"
Raizel smiled.
He was genuinely moved that Natsu remembered the word "Blue."
The months of literacy lessons hadn't been wasted.
He was already doing better than some emperors in history.
"Look around you, Natsu," Raizel said, gesturing to the room. "Look at everyone's faces."
Natsu looked up.
He saw Makarov grinning. He saw Erza and Mira smiling gently. He saw Gray trying to hide a smile.
He saw Lisanna beaming.
"Everyone is smiling," Natsu whispered. "Everyone is happy."
The blue cat looked at him and purred.
"Then..." Natsu grinned, his signature toothy smile stretching across his face. "Let's name this guy Happy!"
"Aye!"
Happy's ears twitched.
He seemed to like it.
"It's the Child of the Dragon, Happy!" Natsu bounced around the guild hall, holding the cat aloft like a trophy.
"It's not a dragon..." Erza muttered, crossing her arms, though she was smiling.
"Everyone! Freeze!"
Reedus Jonah, the Pict Magic user, set up his large canvas.
"This is a wonderful composition. I must paint this scene for the guild history!"
"OHHHHH!!!"
The guild members scrambled into position. It was chaotic but perfect.
The Layout:
Left Side: Laxus stood leaning coolly against a wooden pillar. Raizel stood next to him, resting his elbow casually on Laxus's shoulder (much to Laxus's feigned annoyance).
Center-Back: Ur stood tall and proud.
Right Side: Macao and Wakaba stood with their arms around each other's shoulders, drinking. Master Makarov, being vertically challenged, stood on top of a table next to them to be seen.
Center-Front: Natsu stood front and center, holding Happy high.
The Entourage: Slightly behind Natsu to the left were the girls: Kagura, Erza, Ultear, and Cana. To his right stood the "Family" group: Gray (standing next to Erza), Elfman, Lisanna, and Mira.
They struck their poses. Some sat on tables, some leaned, some stood on chairs.
"Ready!" Reedus called out.
"Wait!" Cana sighed.
She pointed at Gray.
"Gray. Your clothes."
Somewhere between walking to the group and striking a pose, Gray had lost his shirt again.
He had tossed it directly into Cana's face.
"Ah! Sorry!" Gray yelped.
"Never mind!" Reedus shouted, his brush moving furiously across the canvas. "Art waits for no man's pants!"
Reedus looked at the composition.
There was a large empty space in the background behind Natsu.
"Let's draw Happy as a dragon in the background," Reedus muttered to himself. "A symbol of Natsu's dream."
He sketched a massive, ferocious blue dragon looming behind the smiling group.
"And Gray's clothes... never mind, I won't draw them. It's more realistic if he's half-naked."
The brush strokes flew.
In that moment, frozen in paint and memory, the Golden Age of Fairy Tail was captured.
They were young, they were strong, and above all, they were happy.