Under the moonlight, the sound of the waterfall thundered, and mist permeated the air, dampening the surrounding vegetation.
Loki came to Kallen's grave alone, kneeling on one knee. His palm gently brushed over the name on the tombstone, his fingertips trembling slightly.
Three years of regret were all condensed into this silent gesture.
Lucy followed closely behind, running over out of breath. Seeing Loki's back as he knelt before the grave, her pace slowed down.
Lucy looked at Loki, her voice soft but firm.
"I should have realized sooner that you were a Celestial Spirit. You've always been especially concerned about spirit matters, and you can sense the location of celestial spirit keys—none of those are things an ordinary Mage can do."
Loki didn't look back, only giving a bitter smile.
Behind a nearby bush, Mirajane sneaked over like a prowling cat, her footsteps so light she didn't even crunch the fallen leaves.
She crouched behind Riyao, and the two shared a look before synchronizedly pulling out sunflower seeds and starting to snack together.
Riyao held up the Crystal Ball, aiming it at Loki and Lucy. Mirajane whispered beside him, "We have to record some exciting footage this time."
As Lucy and Loki spoke, Loki's expression grew heavier. The memories he had buried deep in his heart surged out like a bursting dam.
"Back then, Kallen was the star of Blue Pegasus, immensely popular and surrounded by admirers wherever she went."
"Kallen held two of the Zodiac: Aries and Leo. Logically, a Celestial Spirit Mage with two Golden Keys should have formed a deep bond with their spirits, but Kallen treated Aries with nothing but abuse, viewing her entirely as a tool. Master Bob warned her several times, but she never took it to heart."
"Leo couldn't stand it anymore. Leo, who is Loki, forced his gate open, making it impossible for Kallen to summon other spirits. Leo originally just wanted her to realize her mistake—to make her understand that spirits aren't tools, but living beings with feelings."
"In the end, she stubbornly went on a mission. Even knowing she couldn't open two gates at once and had no spirits to summon, she ultimately died during that mission."
"Because of this, Leo was unable to return to the Celestial Spirit World. A normal spirit suffers greatly after just a few days in the human world; their magic constantly drains, and their body gradually fades. But Leo managed to stay in the human world for three years. Three whole years."
Lucy's eyes reddened, tears welling up. She bit her lip, trying hard not to cry.
Leo sighed and looked toward Riyao's hiding spot with a speechless and helpless expression.
"Riyao, if you're going to watch, just watch. Why are you acting as a narrator?"
Riyao poked his head out from behind the bush, still holding the Crystal Ball with an innocent face. "I'm just helping set the mood. Your memories don't have visuals, which is so monotonous; it would be hard for Lucy to get your point."
Lucy felt like complaining, but the current atmosphere really wasn't suited for it.
Just then, Leo's expression suddenly changed.
His body swayed violently, his legs seemingly losing all strength as he collapsed to his knees.
His body began to turn illusory, his silhouette blurring like a painting being erased. Transparent spots of light appeared at his edges, slowly drifting away.
Lucy turned pale with fright and rushed over to support Leo. Her hands passed through his translucent arms, barely able to grasp anything solid.
"What's happening to you?!"
Leo looked pained, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. His voice was weak, sounding as if it came from far away.
"It's time for me to disappear. The three-year limit... has been reached."
Mirajane nudged Riyao's arm, the smile gone from her face, replaced by anxiety and worry.
"What do we do now? Is there any way to save Loki?"
Riyao spread his hands with a helpless expression, a look rarely seen on his face.
"I can't do anything. During these three years, I went to see the Celestial Spirit King, but that old geezer just wouldn't budge. He kept saying rules are rules and can't be changed for personal feelings. I've talked his ear off countless times, but he's completely stubborn."
Mirajane bit her lip, feeling a pang of sadness as she watched Lucy hold onto Leo.
As they spoke, Lucy suddenly grabbed Leo's hands, her fingers interlaced with his, using all her strength to keep him from fading.
A powerful surge of Celestial Spirit magic erupted from within her, golden light pouring from her body and illuminating the entire valley.
The emotion contained within this magic directly touched the laws of the Celestial Spirit World.
The sky suddenly split open as a massive pillar of light poured down, making the entire valley tremble.
An ancient and majestic aura emanated from the pillar of light, making it hard for everyone to breathe.
The Celestial Spirit King had been summoned.
A figure so massive it blotted out the sky slowly emerged from the light, standing dozens of meters tall with a majestic and ancient countenance.
Most striking was his long white beard, fluttering in the wind.
Mirajane's eyes widened and her mouth hung open, her sunflower seeds falling out. She pointed at the Celestial Spirit King, her voice trembling slightly, "Is that the Celestial Spirit King? Is that a beard or nose hair?"
Makarov appeared out of nowhere, standing beside Riyao and Mirajane. He looked up at the Celestial Spirit King, his aged face full of shock.
"It is also this old man's first time seeing the Celestial Spirit King."
Natsu, Gray, Erza, and the others followed behind him, along with Master Bob.
Everyone stared at the giant figure in the sky in shock, their mouths wide enough to fit an egg.
The whole crew was online to watch the drama.
Lucy stood before the Celestial Spirit King, looking as tiny as a speck of dust, but her back was straight without the slightest hint of retreat.
Her feelings for spirits were truly deep; the spirits she contracted with came through the gates to her, and each one was her most important partner.
Golden light erupted from Lucy as key after key flickered in the air, opening gates one after another.
Taurus, Cancer, Sagittarius, Aquarius, Virgo, Crux, Clock, Canis Minor, and Lyra.
A total of nine spirits appeared simultaneously, standing behind Lucy.
This was absolutely mind-blowing in historical terms; no Celestial Spirit Mage had ever been able to summon so many spirits at once.
Fairy Spirit Riyao blended in at some point, standing next to Aquarius with his long pink hair fluttering as if he naturally belonged there.
There were now eleven spirits on the field, a scene so grand it looked like a general assembly of the Celestial Spirit World.
Lucy looked up at the Celestial Spirit King, her voice firm and loud.
"If you are a spirit too, you should understand how Loki and Aries feel! They aren't tools, they are living beings with feelings! Loki only made a mistake to protect Aries; he shouldn't die for it!"
The Celestial Spirit King was silent for a moment. His ancient eyes gazed at Lucy, then at the twelve spirits behind her, and finally fell upon the kneeling Leo.
A majestic voice rang out, echoing through the valley like thunder and making the ground tremble.
"Since my old friend has gone this far, then perhaps what is wrong is actually the law."
The Celestial Spirit King continued, his voice carrying a rare hint of softness.
"For Leo, who erred for his comrade Aries, and for my old friend, who worked so hard to save Leo—in honor of the beautiful and steadfast friendship between you, this matter shall be treated as an exception. Leo!"
"I specially permit you to return to the Celestial Spirit World!"
Leo's illusory body began to reconsolidate. Transparent points of light returned, his silhouette became clear, and color filled him back in. Like a statue being repaired, he restored his original form bit by bit.
He raised his head, looking at the Celestial Spirit King and then at Lucy. His lips trembled, but he couldn't say a single word.
Lucy gave the Celestial Spirit King a wink and a thumbs-up, a bright smile blossoming on her face. "It seems you're quite kind too, Beard Pops."
Riyao nodded beside her and commented, "He's slightly human after all."
The Celestial Spirit King's face twitched. His ancient eyes glared at Riyao before he grinned, his smile carrying a bit of helplessness.
"Then you should properly give thanks for the guidance of the stars."
With that, the Celestial Spirit King's figure began to dissipate, turning into a sky full of golden light particles that slowly drifted down into the valley like a golden snow.
Everyone hiding in the shadows ran over, surrounding Lucy.
Natsu was the first to rush up, grabbing Lucy by the waist and hoisting her up.
"Whoo! Lucy, you're amazing!"
Gray and Elfman also rushed up, four hands working together to toss Lucy into the air.
"Loki survived!"
"Let's have a banquet to celebrate!"
Lucy was tossed into the air, completely dazed. Her limbs flailed as she screamed, falling only to be caught and tossed up again.
"When did you guys get here?! Where were you hiding before?! Why are you all like this, ahhh..."
Riyao and Mirajane stood outside the crowd, watching Lucy being tossed around in a comical fashion, and shared a smile.
Mirajane leaned on Riyao's shoulder and said softly, "Lucy really is incredible."
Riyao nodded, popping the last sunflower seed into his mouth. Looking at Leo's reconsolidated figure in the distance, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Yeah, that old geezer finally did something decent."
Mirajane tilted her head to look at him. "Won't the Celestial Spirit King get angry if you call him an old geezer?"
Riyao shrugged. "He dares to get angry? If he does, I won't give him any more Fruit Wine."
Mirajane burst out laughing and gave Riyao a playful punch on the chest.
Moonlight spilled into the valley, and the sound of laughter intertwined with the thundering waterfall. This night was exceptionally warm.
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