Because of his [Abnormal Status Nullification], he technically couldn't get drunk, but that didn't stop him from trying. He at least wanted to see if he could turn the damn skill off for once…
Natsu "looked" at every member of the guild through his [Universal Sense], instantly registering the sudden silence and the wave of attention now fixed on him. Even so, he didn't care in the slightest. In any case, he had zero intention of acting like the old Natsu. Sure, they shared a few traits, but that "innocence" and "impulsiveness" were things he simply couldn't reproduce anymore.
He also saw no point in getting involved in the guild's childish brawls. He'd rather relax quietly beside some girl than waste time flexing against other guys. In the end, he even felt relieved to have landed in an alternate universe of the original story—one where Happy had been killed right in front of him. That way, he could use the whole tragedy as a convenient excuse for his change… as long as he chose his words carefully. Still, a faint ache squeezed his chest at the memory of Happy—leftover feelings inherited from his predecessor, something he was already used to.
In any case, he had decided to just be himself.
But feeling everyone's stares—like they were looking at a complete stranger—he couldn't help pausing for a moment to think about it.
Mirajane returned with a glass in hand: an amber drink so strong-smelling that even Cana raised an eyebrow. She set it down in front of him with a careful motion, as if still trying to figure out this new version of the Dragon Slayer.
"There you go," she said, placing the drink. "But don't blame me if you hit the floor."
Natsu simply nodded in thanks and brought the glass to his lips, taking a generous gulp without flinching. The entire guild watched the motion like they were witnessing a deadly circus act. Cana actually stopped drinking. Makarov held his breath. Lucy and Juvia, one on each side of him, exchanged a quick glance.
Yet more shocking than the gulp itself was how casually he took it. No grimace, no coughing, no choking. Just a calm, almost seasoned expression.
What no one saw—except Natsu—was the mild frustration he felt toward himself. His [Abnormal Status Nullification] simply blocked any alcohol effect. To him, the drink was nothing more than strong-tasting juice. He consciously tried to turn the skill off, but it reacted on instinct, protecting his body the way it always had since he'd manifested it through [Subjective Reality]. Honestly, it was a little irritating…
Damn it… deactivate. Just a little…
Nothing.
Another gulp.
No effect.
Just the taste.
He let out a discreet sigh. Well, at least it tasted good. If that was the price, so be it.
On the other side of the room, the entire guild waited for any sign he was about to get dizzy.
Nothing.
The heavy atmosphere of expectation hung in the air… until it was shattered in the most predictable way possible.
Gray approached.
The ice mage walked over with that provocative stance—arms crossed, expression already primed for a fight, business as usual. The guild instinctively took a few steps back, forming a circle around the two of them. It was automatic: whenever Gray came to pick a fight with Natsu, either they'd be at each other's throats in under five seconds, or the nearest table would be reduced to splinters.
Gray stopped beside him and shot a sideways glare.
"So… that's it, flame-brain?" he grumbled. "Now you're gonna pretend you're all calm and collected? Suddenly grew up overnight? Thought you lost your fire along with—"
"Gray," Natsu interrupted without turning his head. "You're naked."
Instant silence.
Gray blinked.
Looked down.
All he saw was underwear.
"WHAT THE—?! WHEN DID—?!"
He jumped backward like he'd been electrocuted, switching to full panic mode as he tried to cover himself with his hands, tripped over a chair, crashed into the barrel behind him, and bolted toward the bathroom in a desperate blur.
"MY CLOTHES! WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?!"
The guild exploded into laughter.
They did find it a little strange, though…
Not that Gray was naked—that was normal.
But Natsu pointing it out calmly, without starting a fight, without taunting, without turning it into an explosive showdown… that was abnormal. Abnormal enough to raise eyebrows and worry even the most oblivious members.
Mirajane leaned her elbow on the bar, watching Natsu from the corner of her eye.
Lucy momentarily relaxed, though her heart had been racing at everything he did ever since she realized he'd matured.
Juvia, however, still gazed at Natsu with a soft glow in her eyes—surprise, affection, and something deeper that only grew with every passing minute.
Makarov finally broke the remaining silence, clearing his throat with the weight of paternal concern.
"Natsu…" he murmured, his voice more serious than it had been all night. "Are you… really okay?"
Every gaze turned to him.
To the Dragon Slayer sitting there, calmer than he had ever been.
It was as if that impulsive, loud, explosive boy had crossed an invisible bridge and left part of himself behind.
Natsu lifted his eyes to the old master.
And smiled. A simple smile. Small. Genuine.
"I am, Gramps." His voice came out steady, firm, without hesitation for the whole guild to hear. "Sorry for worrying everyone… And I know you all think my behavior is weird. But let me be clear. You don't need to wait for me to go back to how I was. I'm fine. Really. But I… can't be who I used to be."
"On Tenrou Island…" He paused, fingers lightly tapping the glass of his drink. "…that Natsu died. Ever since we came back, I decided I was going to change. That I'd get stronger. That I wouldn't let my emotions control me anymore… or do stupid things on impulse… I know you all liked the old me—loud, idiotic, impulsive… But that guy doesn't exist anymore. And that's okay."
He gave the impression of speaking to everyone… and to no one at the same time.
As if, for the first time, he was also speaking to himself.
"I'm just going to move forward. Be myself. My way."
The silence that fell over Fairy Tail after his words wasn't ordinary; it was heavy, dense, filled with mixed emotions.
No clinking glasses, no footsteps, no muffled laughter.
Everyone looked at the boy they'd known since he was a child…
He had matured in a strange, almost abrupt way, as if he'd grown up overnight after losing Happy. They'd all heard about it—either from those who were there when he showed up at the guild asking for a job, or from Juvia, who was sitting beside him now and had witnessed the change up close. But hearing about it and experiencing it were two completely different things.
Because sitting there so calmly and seriously, with a gaze that seemed to carry years no one remembered passing…
The question arose, inevitable and almost frightening:
Was that really the Natsu they knew?
Mirajane was the first to fully absorb it.
She rested her hand on the bar, her sweet smile fading into something calm, sad, and proud all at once. She had always understood more than she let on—someone who knew that growing up, no matter how painful, was inevitable. Seeing Natsu accept it so clearly made her chest tighten—not with disapproval, but with a kind of preemptive longing for the boy he had been… and genuine respect for the man emerging before them. She said nothing, but her eyes softened as if she finally saw the whole truth.
Makarov slowly straightened his back. The old master, accustomed to watching his children break, fall, get back up, and smile again, felt his chest tighten. He had expected a forced smile… or some bravado when he asked the question. But what he saw was something entirely different.
One of his boys had truly grown up—and it was the most troublesome of them all.
"So… you've finally decided to walk on your own two feet." His voice came out low, thick with emotion. "I… I'm proud of you, Natsu…"
Those weren't words the master of Fairy Tail said lightly.
And yet he said them, and he meant every syllable.
His words snapped the rest of them out of their stupor, and every member of Fairy Tail supported their companion unconditionally, exactly as they always had.
Levy hugged a book to her chest, smiling so gently it left Jet and Droy completely lost behind her.
"Change… is part of life, Natsu. But seeing you own it like this… so clearly… it's beautiful."
Droy sniffled, emotional.
Jet muttered, "Man, Natsu's turning into an adult… this is too weird…"
Cana let out a long sigh, swirling her glass.
"I thought I was the only one who drank like that…" She gave a weak laugh. "You didn't get dizzy, didn't start yelling, didn't break anything… if that's not a sign you've grown up, I don't know what is."
She raised her glass toward him in a silent toast.
"Whoever you want to be… I'll drink to that."
Gajeel scowled hard, trying—and failing miserably—to hide what he felt.
It wasn't exactly empathy; it was recognition. People who go through the kind of crap Salamander had been through change.
It was that simple.
But the fact that he could express it so clearly surprised him.
In a good way.
"Gihi… look at you, acting all wise." He turned his face away. "But… good to know you won't be doing stupid shit without thinking anymore. Less work for me saving your ass later."
Levy poked his arm, smiling.
"Gajeel-kun!"
"W-What?! I was just telling the truth!"
Elfman slammed his fist against his chest with thunderous force.
"THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAN!"
To him, strength was everything.
And seeing Natsu own such a difficult change… that was truly "being a man" in the deepest sense he knew.
His words finally drew a few nervous laughs from those around them.
Even Bisca and Alzack, usually quiet, exchanged a soft look.
"He really has matured…"
"Yeah… but he's still Natsu." Alzack smiled sideways.
Macao and Wakaba said nothing, just looked at the kid and got a little emotional. It was like watching a son grow up…
The only one who felt a bit out of place was Kinana, who barely knew Natsu since she had joined during the last seven years, along with a few other members who had arrived in that time—only three or four in total.
Natsu slowly let the air escape, a near-sigh that dissolved along with the faint, genuine smile that curved his lips. It was subtle—nothing flashy, nothing exaggerated—just a small, honest upward tilt carrying a relief as quiet as it was profound.
Hearing each of those voices, each sincere word, each different form of support… it simply washed over him. Not like a blow, not like a physical impact, but like something warm and silent that spread inside before he even noticed.
No matter how much he had expected Fairy Tail to be a welcoming family… watching from the outside, reading it in a manga, seeing it on a screen—none of that had ever come close to conveying what it actually felt like to experience it for real. Nothing could prepare someone for the feeling of being wrapped in warmth so human, so imperfect, so authentic that it seemed to fill even the broken spaces inside him.
Natsu realized, with crystal clarity, that this was one of the reasons he didn't mind at all showing who he really was. He didn't need to pretend. He didn't need to try to reclaim an "old self."
Fairy Tail was still Fairy Tail.
Even after so much pain, even with so many open wounds, even shaken by loss, by rebuilding, by a difficult past… they were still together. Still standing. Still a family that supported each other without hesitation.
They were accepting his "change" because they had always accepted everything about each other.
They were comrades, after all.
Supporting and trusting one another was the most basic principle of the guild's members.
And Natsu—strangely enough, even to himself—felt something tighten in his chest. Something warm, heavy, but in a good way, as if he had finally found a place where he no longer had to run, or escape, or prove anything.
It was… "home."
A feeling he hadn't experienced in a very long time. Maybe since before everything went wrong in his previous world…
Fairy Tail was chaotic, loud, and unpredictable.
But it was also warmth, acceptance, belonging.
And realizing that—feeling it on his skin—made that soft smile settle a little more firmly, as if it anchored a small weight inside him.
Yes.
That was why he didn't mind his own change.
That was why he could be who he really was.
That was why he could, at last, relax.
Because there… he wasn't alone.
There… he had a family.
And for the first time in a very long time… he was truly, finally, home.
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