Whether it was the long-tail effect of the spectacular battle between Raizel and Gildarts during the last Harvest Festival, or simply the hands of fate moving the clock, new members had been continuously joining the Guild recently.
The hall was bustling with fresh faces.
First, there was the remote communication with Laxus.
The Lightning Dragon Slayer sounded annoyed yet grudgingly impressed over the lacrima.
"There's this guy," Laxus grumbled, static crackling over the voice link. "He wants to follow me. He wants to join Fairy Tail specifically to serve me. He's extremely persistent—I can't shake him off no matter how much I threaten him."
"is he strong?" Raizel asked.
"He's not weak," Laxus admitted. "And... he's a skilled cook. He made a meal at the camp the other night. It wasn't bad."
Raizel smiled.
He knew exactly who it was—Freed Justine.
The future captain of the Thunder God Tribe had found his idol.
Back in Magnolia, three other distinct mages joined in quick succession.
Levy McGarden, a petite girl with a love for books.
She utilized Solid Script Magic, giving physical form to written words. Her primary motivation for joining wasn't money or fame, but Fairy Tail's massive underground library.
She wanted to decipher ancient scripts to enhance her magic.
Then came Droy, a boy who used Plant Magic to manipulate flora for combat, and Jet, a lanky boy utilizing High-Speed Magic.
Although the three didn't know each other yet, they gravitated toward the same table.
The future "Team Shadow Gear" was beginning to form.
...
East Forest Training Ground
While the guild buzzed with new life, the forest echoed with the sounds of violence.
Natsu Dragneel was not motivated to take jobs. His living expenses were low, and for food, he had a very simple strategy: Mooch off Raizel.
BAM.
Natsu hit the dirt face-first, smoke rising from his head.
"Natsu's 118th challenge against Raizel—FAILED!"
Happy stood on a large rock, acting as the referee.
He raised his paw high. "Time: One second! Aye!"
Completely ignoring his partner, who was twitching unconsciously on the grass, Happy unslung his green backpack.
He dumped the contents onto the ground as several fresh fish flopped around in the dirt.
Happy picked up a live, slimy fish and held it out to Raizel with sparkling eyes.
"Here, Raizel. For you."
"I don't eat raw river fish, Happy. Thanks," Raizel said, waving his hand.
A drop of cold sweat formed on his forehead as the fish writhed in Happy's paw.
"I didn't mean for you to eat it raw!" Happy rolled his eyes. "I wanted you to grill it for me. I'm going to give it to Carla as a gift! She loves fish!"
Raizel sighed.
This cat...
Ever since Happy first saw Carla, he had fallen in love.
Unfortunately, it was a brutal case of one side love.
Carla treated him like a bug, but Happy believed that persistence (and fish) would eventually win the day.
'Sorry for the misunderstanding,' Raizel thought.
'And also, aren't you a bit too precocious for a cat that's only been alive for a few weeks?'
Sniff. Sniff.
Suddenly, Natsu scrambled to his feet. The knockout blow was forgotten.
His nose twitched.
He smelled something.
It was a scent buried deep in his subconscious. A scent of warmth. A scent of knitting needles and old stories.
"Natsu, what's wrong?" Raizel asked, noticing the shift in demeanor.
"There's a familiar smell..." Natsu dropped to all fours, sniffing the air like a bloodhound. "I can't remember what it is... but I know it!"
...
High up in a dense oak tree, hundreds of meters away, a woman lowered her binoculars.
She had flowing blonde hair tied in a loose ponytail and wore robes that seemed slightly out of fashion for the current era.
Anna Heartfilia.
'Natsu noticed me,' she thought, her heart skipping a beat.
'Dragon Slayers have keen noses. The wind must have shifted.'
She pressed herself against the tree trunk.
'I should leave.'
Down below, Raizel narrowed his eyes. He didn't need a dragon's nose.
"Archive: Search."
The magic hummed invisibly.
His mind scanned the radius of the East Forest, filtering through the data of every living creature in the vicinity.
Target Located.
Identity: Anna Heartfilia.
Raizel wasn't surprised.
It was about time she showed up.
She had likely traveled through the Eclipse Gate with the five Dragon Slayers, but had been separated.
She was now sweeping the continent, checking on the children from four hundred years ago.
She must be worried, Raizel realized.
He projected his thought, using the Archieve connection to send a telepathic message directly to her mind.
[Come to this lake tonight at 8 PM. I'd like to talk with you.]
Up in the tree, Anna gasped.
The voice rang in her head.
She staggered, her foot slipping on the bark. Her agility as a Celestial Mage saved her, and she grabbed a branch to steady herself.
'Who is this?'
She looked down toward the lake. She saw the dark-haired man looking directly at her hiding spot.
'He knows.'
Anna calmed her breathing.
She knew of Raizel. In her travels, while gathering information on the scattered children, she had heard of the "Lightning Dragon Slayer" Laxus.
That led her to investigate Fairy Tail.
She had been shocked to find not just Natsu and Gajeel (whom she tracked to Phantom Lord), but also Wendy.
She had seen Wendy's picture in Sorcerer Weekly coverage of the Harvest Festival.
For the past three days, Anna had been in Magnolia, watching from the shadows.
She saw that Wendy lived in a safe dormitory, surrounded by friends and cared for by a gentle woman (Ur).
She saw Natsu fighting and laughing at the guild.
They were happy.
They didn't need a relic from the past dragging them down.
She had planned to leave today to find Sting and Rogue. But now, this mysterious mage had called her out.
'I have to go,' Anna decided. 'I need to know if he is a threat to the children.'
She wasn't defenseless.
Even without the Golden Zodiac Keys (which she had passed down to her descendants), she was a master of Celestial Spirit Magic.
Her raw magical power allowed her to summon Silver Key spirits that could rival modern Gold Key users.
Also... she needed to ask about Laxus.
She worried that Laxus might suffer from the Dragonification process just as the true slayers did.
She needed to warn them.
...
East Forest Lake
Night fell.
The moon was full, reflecting off the calm surface of the water.
Raizel arrived at 7:50 PM cause he disliked being late.
However, when he stepped into the clearing, he saw he wasn't the first.
A figure stood by the water's edge, bathed in moonlight. Her silhouette was identical to Layla's, but her aura was ancient and vast.
Hearing footsteps, Anna turned around. Her eyes were sharp, evaluating him.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting," Raizel said politely, bowing slightly.
"I knew it was you," Anna said, her voice calm and melodic. "But there is no need to apologize. The appointed time hasn't arrived yet. I simply came early."
She didn't ask how he found her.
She simply waited.
Raizel walked closer, stopping at a respectful distance.
"Pleased to meet you," he said. "I am Raizel Bael."
He looked her in the eye and dropped the bombshell immediately.
"I am a friend of Lady Layla Heartfilia... and I have also participated in the Eclipse Project."
Anna's eyes widened slightly. Her composure cracked, just for a fraction of a second.
She had expected him to say he was the Guild Master's proxy, or perhaps an enemy.
She did not expect him to know about Layla, or the project that had sent her four hundred years into the future.
"I see," Anna said, regaining her grace instantly.
She nodded at him, a look of profound understanding and curiosity crossing her face.
"I am Anna Heartfilia."
She smiled, and the resemblance to Lucy was uncanny, yet her presence was far more formidable.
As a mage who had befriended the Celestial Spirit King and orchestrated a plan spanning centuries, her mental fortitude was ironclad.
"It seems," Anna said softly, "we have much to discuss."
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