Layla

Zeref finally agreed to leave Tenrou Island.

Riyao watched his figure disappear into the depths of the forest, then dusted off his hands—nothing of real dust—finally seeing the old man off.

He raised his head and looked at the distant sky.

A dark shadow streaked across the sky, from which numerous small soldiers fell, countless black dots plummeting from the air and scattering to every corner of Tenrou Island.

"Hmm? It seems that Precht, who possesses advanced energy technology, has suppressed Gildarts and Makarov."

Riyao squinted, his tone revealing no tension, more like he was watching a show.

A voice suddenly rang in his mind, a telepathic communication from Ultear.

"Riyao, Precht Azuma to destroy your Sacred Tree."

"I see."

Riyao gave a brief reply, then turned and flew towards the enormous Sacred Tree.

His figure moved swiftly through the woods, landing on the thick branches of the Sacred Tree in just a few breaths.

The Sacred Tree's trunk was ridiculously large; the branches at its base alone were wider than a narrow path, and its canopy blocked out the sky. The entire tree exuded a faint aura of life.

Riyao reached out and touched the tree trunk, his palm against the rough bark, feeling the magic flowing within the Sacred Tree.

Mavis followed, lightly touching the ground with her toes, and landed on a taller branch beside her, looking down at the Riyao.

What are you going to do?

"Of course, we'll give everyone a buff!"

Riyao grinned, magic surging within him.

A vibrant green light emanated from his right hand, growing brighter and brighter until it enveloped his entire hand.

[Life Enchantment - Super Multiplier]

Riyao slammed his palm onto the Sacred Tree.

Buzz!

The Sacred Tree trembled slightly, and a visible emerald green ripple spread from its trunk, extending from the Sacred Tree to the entire Tenrou Island.

Where the ripples passed, the grass and trees became greener, the flowers bloomed more brightly, and even the air became fresher.

Everyone on Tenrou Island could feel the emblem on the back of their hands getting slightly warm.

Lucy raised her hand and saw the emblem on the back of her hand glowing.

The heat seeped into the skin from the emblem, flowing through the blood vessels to the whole body, and an indescribable feeling of comfort welled up from the depths of the body.

"Huh? What's going on? The emblem is glowing."

Levy clenched her fist, and the moment her fingers closed, a sense of power surged from her arm throughout her body.

"Power is surging up!"

"Is that Natsu's line?"

Lucy tilted her head and made a comment.

"Hehe, but that's how it feels."

Levy chuckled and shook her head. She looked down at the emblem on her hand; the light was still radiant.

Gray and Leo also sensed the same change.

The two stood in a clearing in the woods, both looking down at their emblems.

"The endless flow of magic and stamina feels amazing."

Gray stretched his shoulders, his joints cracking.

"I feel like I could stay in the human world for eight to ten years."

Leo clenched his fist, a look of surprise on his face.

For him, magic is his lifeline; if he doesn't have enough magic, he can only return to the Celestial Spirit World.

In his current form, he feels he could easily play ten more games.

As they were talking, a strange noise came from the air.

They looked up and saw a strangely shaped goat-headed man descend from the sky and stand steadily in front of them.

The ram-headed man, dressed in a revealing, form-fitting suit, struck an awkward pose.

He emanated magical energy unique to the Celestial Spirit.

The moment Leo saw him, his pupils contracted sharply, and his whole body tensed up.

Capricorn! Caprico!

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth forming an "O" shape.

"Capricorn?! You mean... that Capricorn of the Twelve Gates of the Zodiac?"

"Yes, Caprico has been missing for a long time. I didn't expect to see him here."

Leo's tone became serious, and his gaze was fixed on the goat-headed man opposite him.

"He's in the same situation as me, stuck in the human realm. And he's been there for seven years now."

Lucy blinked, her mind racing, and then a probing question slipped out.

"What?! You've been stuck here for three years, looking so weak you could barely walk. How come he looks so strong? Aren't you the head of the Twelve Gates of the Zodiac?"

Leo was deeply hurt by Lucy's words. He staggered back, clutching his chest, his face contorted as if he had been stabbed.

"Lucy, that's really hurtful."

I'm just stating the facts.

The truth hurts even more!

Caprico (Zoldeo) stood there, bowing slightly, his posture so perfect he could teach an etiquette class.

"Long time no see, Leo. You look great."

Leo frowned, his fist clenching unconsciously.

He always felt that the Capricorn in front of him was quite unusual.

Although the appearance and magical energy fluctuations were indeed those of Caprico, a sense of incongruity lingered.

Gray casually took off his shirt and threw it onto the grass beside him, revealing his muscular upper body.

"Why say so much? Just kill him. Who cares if he's Capricorn or not? Anyone here is an enemy."

He took a step forward, and a chill began to gather in his palm.

Leo reached out and stopped Gray, his arm across Gray's chest.

"If possible, let Lucy and I take care of him."

"Um?"

Gray looked at Leo in surprise and lowered his hand, which had been gathering cold energy.

Ou didn't explain much, but his eyes said it all.

Gray stared at him for two seconds, then shrugged.

Trusting his partner, he decided not to press the matter.

"Alright, if I lose, I'll laugh at you mercilessly. Don't blame me for being ruthless then."

Don't worry, we won't lose.

"Levy, let's go."

Gray turned and walked toward the woods, shirtless, his back muscles looking particularly muscular in the sunlight.

"We just saw a lot of stray soldiers scattered around. Let's go clean them up so they don't damage the environment."

"Lu-chan, Rukie!"

Levy waved to Lucy and jogged to catch up with Gray.

"Let's go clean up the trash and see if there's anything fun to do while we're at it."

Don't treat fighting like you're just strolling around.

The two figures quickly disappeared into the woods, leaving Lucy and Leo alone to face Zoldeo.

Lucy opened her mouth, looked at Leo, then at the imposing goat-headed man opposite her, and then pointed to herself.

"Do we really have to fight one-on-one? Just the two of us? Didn't you see Gray take his clothes off and get ready to fight? Why don't we ask him for help?"

"I'll explain the situation later."

Leo didn't turn his head; his gaze remained fixed on Zoldeo.

Zoldeo looked at Lucy and Leo with a calm expression, showing no intention of stopping Gray and Levy leaving.

His target didn't seem to be them to begin with.

"I wonder how Lady Layla is doing lately?"

Lucy froze, her expression shifting from tense fighting to utter shock.

What?! You know my mom?!

"It seems Lady Layla didn't tell you."

As soon as Zoldeo finished speaking, his body moved.

Stomp the ground and charge forward.

The speed was astonishing; the hem of the suit jacket was blown perfectly straight by the wind.

He transformed into a black shadow and lunged straight at Lucy's face.

Leo's pupils contracted sharply, his body reacting before his brain, and he lunged forward to shield Lucy.

He raised his hands and crossed them in front of his chest, and magical light appeared on his arms.

Bang!

Zoldeo's kick landed solidly on Leo's arm, the impact traveling through his arm to his shoulder, and Leo's feet plowed two shallow tracks into the ground.

"Lucy, step back."

Leo gritted his teeth, the magical runes on his arm flashing, and he withstood the attack.

In Hargeon Port, sunlight streams onto the cobblestone streets, and the sea breeze carries a faint salty scent.

In an open-air café by the sea, a blonde woman leisurely enjoys afternoon tea.

She crossed her legs, holding an elegant teacup in one hand and flipping through a magazine on the table with the other, looking as relaxed as if she were on vacation.

"Lucy..."

She looked at the article about Fairy Tail in the magazine, a slight smile playing on her lips.

A dignified-looking middle-aged man walked over from across the street and sat down in the chair in front of her.

His steps were steady, and he exuded an aura that only those who had long held a high position possessed.

"Layla, we've figured out Phantom Lord's request came up a while ago."

Layla gazed absently out the window, her eyes following a seagull as it flew by.

"It was my rival who did it."

"Oh."

Layla's reaction was excessively calm; she put down her teacup and tapped her fingers lightly on the table twice.

"Lucy's guild is really interesting, I want to join too."

The middle-aged man's lips twitched.

"... Sigh, you two are really something."

Jude sighed, rubbing his temples, feeling that he was about to get a few more gray hairs.