"Ah, Arlen and Ultear are back!"
"Welcome home!"
"Ultear, are the three behind you new members?"
"Yes. This is Mirajane, this little girl is her sister Lisanna, and this is her younger brother Elfman," Ultear said, greeting everyone as she introduced the three.
"Arlen, come fight me!" Natsu rushed over, eyes blazing with battle intent.
"Hey, are you trying to get yourself killed? Did you forget how badly you lost last time?" Gray said, standing there in nothing but his underwear.
"Gray, where are your clothes?" Ultear asked, hands on her hips.
"Ah—this is bad! Where did they go?!" Gray froze, then panicked as he looked down at himself and frantically searched for his missing clothes.
"Hmph, I'm not afraid. I've gotten stronger!" Natsu shouted, clenching his fists.
"Alright then, let me see how much you've improved—but give me a moment first," Arlen nodded, accepting the challenge.
"Good! I'm fired up!" Natsu yelled excitedly, fists clenched as flames of enthusiasm burst forth.
"Master, we're back. These three are new members," Arlen said as he walked up to Makarov and gave a slight noble bow.
"Oh? Good work. These three children look quite promising," Makarov said with a warm smile after glancing at them. "Hello, I'm Makarov Dreyar, the guild master of Fairy Tail. Welcome."
"Thank you, Master. Please take care of us," Mirajane and her siblings said gratefully.
"Ultear, I'll leave it to you to help them choose what kind of magic they want to learn," Makarov said.
"Understood, Master," Ultear nodded.
"Come on, Mira, Lisanna, Elfman. I'll mark you with the guild emblem first, then take you to the underground library to choose suitable magic," Ultear said with a gentle smile. She stamped the Fairy Tail emblem on each of them and led them toward the library.
Makarov narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Arlen. "That girl, Mira… she's the one from your mission, right? I can sense a powerful demonic force within her."
"Yes. Mira's talent is exceptional—no less than Erza, Kagura, or Ultear. She managed to unconsciously absorb a demon without ever learning Take Over magic. She's the first I've ever seen like this," Arlen replied, then briefly explained the details of the mission.
"…She's a pitiful child," Makarov sighed after finishing his drink in one gulp. "Let them stay at your place for now. Being around Erza and the others might help them integrate faster and heal."
"No problem," Arlen agreed without hesitation. After all, he and Ultear had brought them here—it was only natural to take responsibility until they settled in.
In the underground library, Ultear sat with the three siblings at a table.
"Have you decided what magic you want to learn?" she asked Lisanna and Elfman.
"I want to learn the same Take Over magic as my sister," Lisanna answered immediately, her tone firm.
"Me too! I want to learn the same magic as Mira!" Elfman said, summoning his courage.
"Elfman… Lisanna…" Mira's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up. She understood—they didn't want her to feel alone or burdened by others' judgment. If they all used the same magic, they would stand together.
Ultear smiled softly at the touching scene, a hint of longing flashing through her eyes as she thought of her own mother.
Meanwhile, outside the guild, things were lively.
Arlen and Natsu stood about five meters apart in the center, surrounded by a dense crowd of guild members.
"I've trained a lot since the last time you beat me. Don't underestimate me!" Natsu declared.
"I never underestimate anyone—especially my companions and family," Arlen replied calmly.
"I'll be the referee. Begin!" Makarov raised his hand and brought it down.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Natsu charged forward, flames engulfing his right fist as he leapt into the air and struck toward Arlen's face.
Arlen casually raised his hand and caught the fiery punch with ease.
"Not bad. I can feel your growth in both your strength and flames—but it's still not enough," Arlen said with a faint smile.
"I'm not done! Fire Dragon's Hook!" Natsu spun midair, his leg igniting as he delivered a downward kick toward Arlen's shoulder.
His speed and reaction were impressive, but Arlen simply released his grip and blocked the attack effortlessly.
"Damn it—then take this! Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Landing on the ground, Natsu stepped back, inhaling a large amount of fire-element magic before unleashing a blazing torrent of flames.
"Impressive technique," Arlen commented.
Yet, he remained completely unharmed. With a simple motion, a gravity field formed around him, stopping the flames as if they had hit an invisible wall.
"Damn it!" Natsu gritted his teeth. He had used everything, yet couldn't even scratch Arlen.
"Alright, that's enough. I've seen your progress. Let's end this here. Keep getting stronger, Natsu," Arlen said with a smile.
In an instant, he vanished and reappeared behind Natsu—then delivered ten precise chops to his head.
"Ow! That hurts!!"
A large bump formed instantly as Natsu clutched his head, wailing in pain. The guild burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Idiot, I told you not to challenge Arlen!" Gray laughed, pointing at him.
"Shut up, Gray! You wanna fight?!" Natsu snapped, instantly charging at him.
"Bring it on, flame brain!" Gray shot back, the two immediately butting heads again.
Everyone watched with smiles as the familiar chaos unfolded.
Makarov glanced at Mira, Lisanna, Elfman, and Ultear, who had just come out, then raised his voice:
"Alright, kids! To celebrate our new members—let's have a party!"
"OOOHHHH!!!"
Cheers erupted, echoing throughout Magnolia—and more importantly, deep within the hearts of the Strauss siblings, gently healing the wounds they carried.
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