Lucy

The days after Lisanna's disappearance seemed to cast a gray veil over the entire guild.

Mirajane, the "Demon" who once shone like a burning flame, has completely sheathed all his claws and sharp edges.

She changed into a graceful long dress, tied up her silver hair, and stood behind the bar, always wearing a sweet smile on her face, becoming the guild's beloved mascot.

However, no one ever saw her use magic again.

Elfman, on the other hand, seemed like a completely different person. The overwhelming self-blame and regret he felt for failing to protect his sister were transformed into motivation to become stronger.

"Brother-in-law! Please help me practice some more!"

That afternoon, Elfman once again found Jiang Bai dozing on his personal sofa, his dark eyes burning with an indomitable flame.

Jiang Bai didn't even lift his eyelids, he just lazily snapped his fingers.

An invisible yet tangible Spiritual Pressure suddenly descended, pressing down firmly on Elfman.

Elfman's knees buckled violently, his bones groaning under the strain. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, but he gritted his teeth and used every muscle in his body to fight against the terrifying pressure that would have made an ordinary mage faint instantly.

"I... am... a... man!"

He roared, veins bulging, legs trembling uncontrollably, and finally his eyes rolled back as he collapsed, a trace of resentment on his face before he lost consciousness.

Jiang Bai then opened his eyes, glanced at his unconscious brother-in-law on the ground, and shook his head helplessly.

For the past year, Elfman has come to him almost every spare moment to undergo this self-torture-like training.

Jiang Bai is also making progress.

That life-or-death battle with Wayne, that profound realization on the brink of death, made him fully understand the flaws in his power.

Possessing endless magical power but lacking the precise control to match it is like a baby holding a Gatling gun—dangerous and foolish.

During that year, he did not carry out any missions, but instead devoted all his time to honing his skills.

He compressed and purified the complex and powerful "Infinity" technique countless times, eventually condensing it into a tiny mark that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye, which he deeply imprinted into the depths of his eyes.

From now on, "Infinity" will no longer be a magic that needs to be actively activated.

It became a passive skill, a part of Jiang Bai's body, operating automatically at all times.

Kingdom of Fiore, Hargeon Port.

A steam train slowly pulled into the station, accompanied by a piercing whistle.

Inside the carriage, a boy with cherry-blossom hair, his face pale, lay motionless on the table, uttering incomprehensible groans.

"Natsu, we've arrived. Time to get off." A blue, flying cat patted him on the back.

"Wait... Ugh... Wait a minute, Happy..." Natsu's voice sounded incredibly weak, as if he might vomit at any moment.

A passing flight attendant witnessed this and approached the attendant with concern.

"Are you alright, passenger?"

Happy waved his little paw and replied in his signature tone, "Hey~ don't worry, he's always like this, he'll be fine in a minute."

The flight attendant nodded, turned, and left.

However, Natsu's severe traffic syndrome is clearly not something that can be cured "in a short while".

Before he could even struggle out of the dizzying nausea, he heard the train doors click shut, followed by a long whistle as the train started moving again.

Happy stared in shock at the platform rushing past the window, then a classic, mischievous grin spread across its face.

"Hey~ it's gone, poor Natsu."

A short while later, another train slowly and swayed back.

This time, Natsu managed to scramble off the train before it departed, and then leaned against a pillar on the platform, retching.

The two staggered down the streets of Hargeon, Natsu looking around expectantly.

"Happy, have you seen the Fire Dragon? Could Igneel be in this town?"

"No," Happy flapped his little wings and flew beside Natsu, "but the dried fish here tastes pretty good, hey~"

Just then, the two of them heard excited screams coming from not far away, the screams of young girls.

"Ah--! Lord Fire Dragon!"

"Lord Fire Dragon is looking this way!"

"Fire Dragon!?"

Natsu's ears perked up instantly, and his Dragon Slayer eyes shone with an astonishing light.

Without saying a word, he grabbed Happy and charged towards the crowd.

Excuse me! Excuse me!

Natsu, like a mad bull, forcefully pushed through the circle of girls, accidentally bumping into a blonde girl next to him who was staring at him with hearts in her eyes.

The blonde girl stumbled, her head throbbing slightly from the impact. The fanatical infatuation in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a sliver of clarity.

Natsu completely ignored her, pushing his way to the front of the crowd and looking expectantly at the central figure who was the center of attention.

However, the excitement and anticipation on his face completely vanished the next second.

That wasn't a dragon at all.

He was just a man wearing a fancy cloak, with medium-length purple hair and a greasy smile on his face.

"What? It's a person."

Natsu was greatly disappointed and turned to leave.

The man who called himself "Fire Dragon" heard Natsu's mutterings, and the elegant smile on his face froze slightly, but he quickly recovered. He stopped Natsu and said in a condescending tone:

"Are you a fan of mine too? Since you're so enthusiastic, I'll make an exception and give you an autograph."

He wrote his name on the paper with a flourish and handed it to Natsu.

"Take it and show it off to your friends."

Natsu took the autograph, tilted his head, and glanced at it. He couldn't recognize a single word of the scribbles on the paper.

"What is that? I don't want it."

After saying that, he casually threw the signed paper on the ground.

This action completely ignited the anger of the surrounding group of fanatical fans.

"You bastard! How dare you be so disrespectful to Lord Fire Dragon's autograph!"

"Throw him out!"

A group of girls rushed forward and, before Natsu could even react, lifted him up and shoved him mercilessly into a pile of trash by the roadside.

The fake Fire Dragon merely glanced contemptuously at the garbage heap, then put on that charming smile again and said to the girls:

"Ladies, there will be a grand party on my cruise ship tonight. You are all welcome to come and have fun!"

After saying that, a purple magic carpet rose up beneath his feet, and amidst the cheers of the girls, he flew away gracefully.

Natsu, covered in dust and dirt, climbed out of the trash can and angrily complained to Happy:

"Damn it! I'm going to give that buck-toothed guy a good beating when I get back! There aren't any Fire Dragons here at all, what a wasted trip!"

Just then, a timid voice came from the side.

"Um... thank you."

Natsu and Happy turned around and saw that it was the blonde beauty they had bumped into earlier.

"Ha?"

Natsu looked completely bewildered. "Why are you thanking us?"

"Because..."

Lucy hadn't finished speaking.

"Gurgle--"

A Heavenly Movement, loud rumble of stomachs came from both Natsu and Happy at the same time.

The scene became quite awkward.

Lucy looked at the two of them and burst out laughing.

"In that case, to express my gratitude, let me treat you to a meal!"