After Lucy's ordeal, Natsu and Happy also failed to keep up the impossible state of "no thoughts, no distractions, no stray ideas."
The moment their minds wandered, their secrets were dragged out as well—instant social death.
Three gray, lifeless figures stumbled out of the "Manifested Thoughts" field, ghostly auras trailing from their mouths.
They swore they'd never come back here again.
"Natsu… what's up ahead?" Lucy asked, finally recovering, though the ghostly aura still lingered at her lips. Regret gnawed at her—she should've been more cautious.
Natsu scratched his head, struggling to remember. He slapped his fist into his palm, only to realize—"I… don't remember."
"…"
"Whaaat?! You don't remember?! How can you not remember?! Hurry up and think!!" Lucy shook him violently by the collar, tears threatening to spill.
"This is important! How could you forget?!"
"L-Lucy… actually, you can't blame Natsu for this," Happy said, fluttering to his friend's defense. "The old man's Chaos Magic… it messes with people's minds. Forgetting things is normal!"
But the cat was too weak to pry Lucy's grip off Natsu, and she was in "post-social-death rage mode" now—unstoppable.
Still, she paused long enough to listen.
"What do you mean?" Lucy snarled, eyes still red.
Happy flinched, trembling as he explained, "The old man's Chaos Magic has a strong external effect. It often interferes with memories. That's why sometimes people say there are eleven Wizard Saints instead of ten."
Natsu's eyes lit up. "Yeah! That's right, I remember now. Back then, the old man was forgotten, so the Council chose a new Saint.
When his existence came back to them later, they couldn't strip the others of their titles, so they gave him the honorary title of the 'Zeroth Wizard Saint,' along with a seat as an Honorary Councilor."
He finished in one breath, panting as if he'd just run a marathon.
"I see!" Lucy nodded, then instantly switched moods, giving a sweet smile that made Natsu and Happy nervous. "In that case, I won't blame you two. But… we still need to know what's ahead, don't we?"
They nodded reflexively.
"But you two forgot, right?" she pressed.
Again, they nodded.
Lucy's smile sharpened into a predator's grin. "Then why don't you two go back and ask? That place lets you ask questions, doesn't it?"
"…"
"…"
"That's so underhanded, Lucy!" Natsu protested.
"Yeah! Why can't you go back instead?" Happy added, backing him up.
Lucy's aura flared like a dragon's. "You want me—a delicate, innocent girl—to go through something that humiliating again?!"
"N-No… of course not." Natsu shrank into the corner like a frightened lamb.
"…Aye…" Happy trembled beside him.
With a hair flip and a soft smile, Lucy turned gentle again. "Then I'll be counting on you two."
"Natsu!"
"Happy!"
They locked eyes, sparks flying.
"You go!" they shouted in unison.
Natsu struck first: "No way, Happy! You're just a cat—you don't have that many secrets. You'll be fine, so go!"
Happy shot back, "No way! You're simple-minded—exactly the kind of person the old man likes best! You go!"
"That's nonsense, I've never heard of that!"
"You're the one talking nonsense! Who says cats don't have secrets?!"
…
And so the argument spiraled, neither side willing to budge.
Lucy's veins bulged. With a roar, she grabbed both of them, spun them around, and hurled them back into the field.
Some time later…
Two gray, lifeless husks staggered back out, mouths still spitting ghosts, looking completely broken.
What's worse than social death?
Two in a row.
"Well? Did you ask?" Lucy inquired sweetly, holding Happy up by one paw like a proper lady.
"…Yeah. The old man created seven domains in total.
Manifested Thoughts, Split Personalities, Illusion World, Sage's Domain, Multiple Selves, the Lost Realm, and finally… the Circular Domain, where he resides.
Each has different effects."
Happy's voice was dull and hollow, like someone who had endured unspeakable suffering.
"We're in the second one right now—Split Personalities. Anyone inside might suddenly switch personalities at intervals."
"What?! And there are still five more?!" Lucy nearly collapsed. Maybe it would've been better to just turn back.
"D-Don't worry… we also asked if there's another way to meet the old man." Happy's ears drooped as the words left his mouth. Immediately, regret washed over him—why did he have to say that out loud? Such a good chance to run away, wasted.
"And? What did he say?" Lucy's eyes gleamed with hope.
"He said… the old man will come meet us himself."
"That's wonderful!"
Her joy lasted only a second. She turned and gave Natsu and Happy each a hard knock on the head. "Then why didn't you ask that earlier?!"
Rubbing the swollen lumps, the boy and cat mumbled pitifully, "We forgot…"
Veins throbbed on Lucy's forehead, flames rising behind her. "You two—!!!"
"I'm sorry!!"
"…Aye!"
They clung to each other, teeth chattering in terror, the whole mood turning comical.
Lucy sighed suddenly, anger dissipating as quickly as it came. "Never mind. I should've known you two would be useless."
Just then—
Thump…
Thump!
…THUMP!!
A heavy, rhythmic heartbeat resounded through the air.
The pressure around them grew crushing, like invisible mountains pressing down on their bodies. Their hearts pounded wildly, blood rushing so hard it felt like their veins would burst.
Lucy almost collapsed under the pressure, fear gripping her chest. "What… what kind of terrifying aura is this?!"
She glanced at Natsu, urging him to run. But instead, he pushed himself up with defiance in his eyes.
"Old man—it's us! Tone it down, would ya?!"
"…Aye," Happy added weakly.
"Natsu? You remember me? I thought you'd forgotten me for good," a deep, magnetic voice replied.
From the distance came… a round, chubby, milk-white creature no bigger than a baby's fist, hopping toward them step by step.
Each landing shook the void with a thump.
The awe-inspiring aura of a mysterious powerhouse crumbled instantly. Lucy's eyes nearly popped out. Only one thought filled her mind: So cute!!!
As if hearing her inner voice, the creature's body suddenly swelled thousands of times larger, towering nearly a hundred meters tall like a living mountain.
Holy radiance spilled from him, blazing white flames licked across scales of dragonhide, sharp fangs gleaming as if they could tear the world apart.
"D-Dragon! A dragon!!!" Lucy shrieked.
Natsu froze, eyes wide. One name slipped from his lips: "Igneel?"
"No… no, it can't be! Igneel's scent is different, and the color's wrong," he said firmly, scanning the monstrous figure with doubt.
"This form is based on your memory of Igneel, not the real thing. I heard you've been searching for him. If you need a father, I could play the part," the dragon rumbled, blinking mischievously.
"No thanks, old man. I'll find that unreliable dad of mine myself. Then I'll pound him good and ask why he abandoned me." Natsu shook his head, then raised his fist to the sky. Crimson flames exploded, blossoming into a blazing red lotus overhead. He looked completely unrestrained, utterly free.
"As long as you're happy." The dragon shrugged, dropping his claws to the ground with a tremor. "Come on. I'll take you to the Circular Domain."
Lucy bowed slightly. "Thank you."
Natsu was the first to leap onto the dragon's head, beaming with excitement. "All right, let's go!" he shouted, pointing forward.
"…Aye!!" Happy cried.
"Hold on tight. We're off."
With a single beat of its wings, the dragon soared skyward. Winds howled like a hurricane, uprooting trees and cracking the earth, leaving behind a massive crater where it had stood.