"What! Erza is Ankh's younger sister?!"
Natsu, spitting fire, jumped onto a table and exclaimed in surprise.
What was noteworthy, however, was a white egg with blue patterns resting on Natsu's messy, pink, bird's-nest-like hair… Cana, looking a bit down, drank alone and said glumly, "According to the Master and Ankh, that's exactly right."
Gray said with a sigh, "No wonder Erza usually doesn't dare to lecture Ankh. So it's because of the bloodline suppression of an older brother…"
Elfman, holding his recently acquired and cherished little parrot, quietly offered his opinion, "Now that she's found a family member, Erza must be very Happy."
Gray shook his head, instead saying worriedly, "A sudden family member might take some getting used to."
Lisanna's bright, intelligent eyes darted around twice, then she cheerfully raised her hand and said with a laugh, "Now Mira can relax!"
As soon as the mischievous girl spoke, she made everyone burst into laughter.
An exasperated Mirajane suddenly rushed over and gave each of their heads a shameful iron fist.
Lisanna, her expression becoming serious again, stroked her smooth chin and analyzed like a little detective, "I wonder if Erza will cry when she hears this news?"
The Little Fairies, with smoking bumps on their heads, immediately looked up and let their imaginations run wild.
The usually strict and severe Erza must cry very loudly!
Hehe, *hiccup*… "Thank you, Ankh… Brother."
In the hospital bed, Erza leaned against a pillow, a smile on her face, and accepted the chicken soup Ankh carefully handed her.
Ankh took a bright red apple from a nearby fruit basket, peeled it, and chatted, "You don't seem surprised by my existence or identity."
Erza, holding the porcelain bowl with both hands and sipping the chicken soup, looked very much like she was enjoying it. She thought seriously for a moment and said,
"Actually, ever since you came to the guild, I've felt a certain stirring in my heart, as if… you were naturally meant for me to be close to."
Really… then why didn't he feel anything?
Ankh silently grumbled to himself, then continued peeling the fruit, feeling guilty, and said nothing.
"Ankh… Brother."
Suddenly called by name, Ankh looked up and saw Erza looking at him with gentle eyes, and she suddenly said, "Having family feels pretty good."
Ankh was stunned, and a strong feeling of pity suddenly welled up in his heart.
Especially when he saw Erza's eyes, only one of which slowly shed crystal clear tears… If it weren't for the Tower of Paradise incident, perhaps Erza wouldn't have become the armored, shackled Fairy Queen she was now… She would have been an excellent Mage, not a strong, solitary Fairy Queen with a glamorous exterior but a wounded heart.
Ankh nodded silently, then stroked her hair and looked seriously into her eyes:
"Although… I'm not sure of your identity either, I accept you as my younger sister…"
"I couldn't be a part of your past, but now, every moment of your future life will surely have me in it."
Although Ankh didn't understand why he suddenly had a blood-related younger sister, since the opportunity had arisen, he couldn't delve too deeply into it for now.
It wasn't that he was careless; it was simply that even Seram hadn't figured this out and had lost his confidence, still sulking in his Sea of Consciousness… After handing her the peeled apple, Ankh quietly watched Erza.
Erza had been imprisoned in the Tower of Paradise since childhood, a place that had produced countless powerful Mages, one of whom was Jellal.
In a few more years, he should receive the honor of being one of the Ten Wizard Saints and thus enter the Council as one of its ten members.
Since Ankh had a younger sister who had fallen from the sky, he had to find a way to deal with these matters now.
First, he had to find the address of the Tower of Paradise.
With Seram around, this was certainly not a problem, but Ankh was currently thinking about another matter: the Council seats.
If Jellal could become a Council member using a thought projection, and Ultear, a member of a dark guild, could brazenly infiltrate for so many years, why couldn't Ankh?
Now that he was an S-Class Mage and spent more and more time active outside the guild, he could start planning some things.
"What are you thinking about?"
At this moment, Laxus, wrapped in bandages, said with a solemn expression.
Ankh looked at him in surprise and laughed, "You're recovering very quickly."
Laxus snorted, stubbornly saying, "Next time, I'll break your combined magic!"
Erza responded with fighting spirit, "If you can do it, come and try. We won't stand still either!"
"Come out and see, Ankh! Natsu gave birth to a kitten!"
Gray's hoarse shout suddenly came from outside, and Ankh couldn't help but be covered in black lines.
Natsu… gave birth to a cat?
Presumably, the egg Natsu picked up a few days ago had already hatched Happy.
Ankh stood up and stretched, then said to the smiling Erza, "Want to go see?"
Erza nodded, and Laxus turned his head away in disdain, tsundere-like, "Boring."
Ankh helped Erza up, and with his other hand, he hooked Laxus's neck and, with a grin, dragged him out.
Laxus, being embarrassingly dragged out, yelled in exasperation, "Hey, Ankh! Put me down! Don't force my hand!"
"Ah, alright, alright…" Ankh responded carelessly, then mercilessly struck back, "But you're injured right now, so you might not be my opponent~"
When the three arrived in the guild hall, they saw a group of people gathered together, looking up at the ceiling, erupting in cheers and laughter.
Ankh and the other two looked up together, only to see a blue cat with small white wings, still with its eyes closed, swaying and flying in the air.
Then it slowly flew down and immediately landed on Natsu's bird's-nest-like pink messy hair.
Just when everyone thought the little guy was about to fall asleep, it suddenly stood up on two legs, opened its bright, big eyes, raised its fluffy paws, and energetically cried out, "Aye!"
Happy's Birth
"Oh, oh! What a cute little guy."
Lisanna's eyes lit up as she looked at the cat, scooped it up to pet it, then hugged it close, unable to let go.
Everyone cherished this little creature. It was the first time the younger generation of Little Fairies had witnessed the birth of life firsthand, and they felt an indescribable excitement.
Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, Natsu happily held up the blue cat and solemnly said, "Since you can make everyone in the guild Happy, I'll call you Happy!"
Ankh looked at Happy and Natsu with emotion, silently thinking:
Only Natsu with Happy as his partner can grow into the true Fire Dragon of the future… "Since everyone is so Happy, let's draw a portrait of the guild first!" Someone suddenly suggested at this moment.
The Mage artist, Bigita, moved his plump body, his paintbrush flying, leaving the boundless happiness on everyone's faces at that very moment on the canvas.
Childhood Group Photo
This painting was very different from the one Ankh had seen in the original work in his previous life.
Ankh saw in the painting the laughing crowd, Happy depicted as a flying dragon, Erza with bandages, and in the background, Laxus proudly crossing his arms, and… himself smiling.