After their private conversation, Kael gave Makarov a thorough account of everything that had happened at the Tower of Heaven. By the time he reached the end, the Master looked as if his heart was doing somersaults just from the stress.
"Whew…" Makarov exhaled hard, dragging the back of his hand across his forehead. "I owe you one for looking after Erza."
He'd watched Erza grow up in Fairy Tail. She wasn't just a guildmate to him—she was family. The more he learned about what she'd been forced to endure, the deeper the ache in his chest became.
"Erza is my friend.," Kael said simply. "I'm not going to stand around while someone hurts her."
Makarov nodded, pride cutting through the worry in his eyes. "That's what I like to hear. Spoken like a true Fairy Tail mage. By the way, brat—be here early tomorrow. A reporter's coming to do an interview."
"An interview? So that's what this is about." Kael looked around, taking in the guild's new additions with a flat stare. "I was wondering why the place suddenly had all these flashy, pointless extras."
Now it made sense—the open-air cafés, the souvenir stalls, the whole "tourist-friendly" makeover.
"What do you mean 'useless'? That's called building a brand!" Makarov shouted.
Fairy Tail might have been the strongest guild in the Kingdom of Fiore, but it was also the most notorious. They were famous for getting the job done—and even more famous for the collateral damage that came with it. Any time they hit the headlines, it was a coin toss: heroic feat… or "accidentally leveled half a street."
People like Lucy loved Fairy Tail for its energy and warmth. The Magic Council, on the other hand, treated the guild like a walking headache. Makarov was determined that the new building—and this interview—would finally show the world Fairy Tail's "refined" side.
And naturally, he needed Kael for that.
Right now, Kael was the most famous man in Fiore—maybe even across all of Ishgar. If Fairy Tail needed a face to put on the front page, he was it.
"An interview, huh?" Kael shrugged. "Fine by me."
He'd seen plenty of celebrity nonsense in his previous life. He just hadn't expected to end up on the receiving end of it here.
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The Next Morning
"Ugh… what a mess…"
Lucy had spent forever choosing the perfect outfit. Sorcerer Magazine was coming to do a special feature, and she'd wanted to look her absolute best. But the moment she stepped inside the guild hall, she was greeted by the same familiar chaos: shouting, laughing, furniture shifting, someone arguing over something that definitely did not matter.
This is going to look terrible, she thought, horrified.
"This is Fairy Tail, Lucy," Erza said, appearing beside her as if she'd been standing there the whole time. "It's perfect exactly as it is."
Erza was wearing a brand-new, freshly polished suit of armor, every plate gleaming. Even Titania was dressing to impress.
Lucy blinked, then smiled despite herself. "You've really changed, Erza. The old you would've started scolding everyone the second you walked in."
Ever since the trip to Akane Beach, Erza seemed… lighter. The tension that used to sit in her shoulders like armor of its own was gone. In its place was a calmness—and a smile that showed up more often, and felt real.
"Is that so?" Erza tapped her chin, considering it. "Then let's call today a celebration. A little noise is a privilege of the young, after all."
Right on cue, an ecstatic roar erupted from behind them.
"OHHHH! TITANIA!!"
Lucy flinched.
"Heavens… it's really her! COOL!! Absolutely magnificent! A living Erza! Too cool!"
Jason—the notoriously high-energy reporter from Sorcerer Magazine—came sliding across the floor on his knees like he'd been launched from a cannon. He skidded to a perfect stop right in front of Erza, eyes sparkling like he'd just discovered a new element.
Lucy leaned in, sweat prickling. "Is that… really the reporter?"
"He's here," Erza said calmly. "I apologize for the state of the guild. It's a bit chaotic."
Jason snapped his hand up and waved a finger so fast it was almost a blur. "NO PROBLEM! I want to capture the guild in its natural habitat! If you don't mind, I have a few questions!"
"Ask."
"How many sets of armor do you have in your Requip inventory?"
"Over a hundred."
"COOL!!" Jason scribbled furiously. "And which one is your personal favorite?"
Erza actually paused to think. "The bunny girl outfit, probably."
"B-Bunny girl?!" Jason's whole body lit up. "COOL!!!"
He practically launched himself sideways the moment he finished, zeroing in on Gray like a predator who'd caught movement.
"Gray! Why do you feel the need to strip at a moment's notice?!"
Gray's face went red with fury. "I'm not stripping! And stop saying it like I'm some kind of pervert!"
A second later, another shout detonated from across the hall.
"AAARGH! WHERE'S THE REPORTER?!" Natsu shouted, flipping a table as he scanned the room like he was hunting prey.
"Natsu! The Salamander! COOL!!" Jason cried, instantly pivoting.
Natsu advanced, flames burning his fist. "Hey! Are you the one who keeps writing lies about me in the magazine?"
Jason thrust a hand up, beaming. "YES!"
"THEN COME HERE!" Natsu swung a flaming punch.
"Jason went flying and tumbled across the floor, his arms and legs flailing."
"Unbelievable!" Jason shouted from the floor, his eyes shining as if he had just received a blessing. "Even the way he hits is... AWESOME!!"
Nothing slowed him down.
Jason bounced right back up and zipped around the guild, interviewing anyone with even a shred of fame—posing questions at lightning speed, snapping photos, shouting commentary like it was a full-contact sport.
"Master! Please tell us your vision for the new guild!"
Makarov visibly trembled, throat working as he tried to summon the speech he'd clearly rehearsed in private.
"Ah… well… we aim to foster love and justice… improving ourselves day by day…"
He barely got the words out before Jason's head snapped toward the bar.
Kael was seated there, relaxed, chatting and drinking with Mira—like he hadn't just derailed half the continent's rumor mill.
Jason abandoned Makarov mid-sentence without a hint of shame.
"That… that presence… KAEL!! It's really him! I've finally found the man himself!"
He charged like a man possessed.
Kael watched him approach with mild curiosity, head tilting. "Uh… who's this?"
"The reporter from Sorcerer Magazine," Mira said smoothly. She'd been on the magazine's cover more times than Lucy could count—Jason's chaos was nothing new to her.
"Miss Mira! It's been too long!" Jason said, suddenly clasping his hands like he was greeting royalty. "You haven't modeled for us in ages!"
"'Well…' Mira glanced at Kael for half a second, like she was saying, you know why. 'Lately, it's been… inconvenient.'"
Photoshoots had a habit of being a little too revealing, and she wasn't interested in handing the entire guild—or Kael—a reason to get irritated.
Jason's attention snapped back with machine-like efficiency. "Mr. Kael, can I get a few words?"
Kael took a sip, calm and relaxed. "Sure. Go on."
"How many transformations do you actually have?"
"Seven different forms so far," Kael said. "There might be more later."
"Seven?!" Jason almost shook with excitement. "COOL!!"
Kael had only become famous recently, and he spent most of his time on missions. For most people, the first time they really saw him was the fight against Phantom Lord. Back then, he only used two forms—but both were so insanely strong that the whole kingdom talked about it for weeks.
"Jason leaned closer, his eyes wide with excitement. 'So— is the "Whitebeard" form your strongest one?'"
Kael put his drink down and shook his head once. "No."
Jason went still for one second—then exploded.
"It's not?! COOL!!!"
He looked like he might pass out from how happy he was.
Kael's "Whitebeard" form was already a legend. It had crushed a guild and taken down a Wizard Saint. Hearing it wasn't even Kael's top form was the kind of news that would sell magazines instantly.
Even Mira blinked. She honestly thought the huge giant with earthquake-like power was Kael's best move.
She had seen six of his forms. If Whitebeard wasn't the strongest, then it had to be the one he used to move Etherion—the Fourth Hokage.
And she was right.
Kael's Take Over of Minato Namikaze was his strongest form right now… though his magic still wasn't high enough to use the Fourth's full power.
Jason grinned like he'd just hit the jackpot. "One last question."
He leaned in and lowered his voice, like it was a secret.
"Are you and Miss Mira officially dating?"
Kael didn't hesitate.
He reached over, took Mira's hand, and smiled like it was the easiest thing in the world. "Yeah. Mira and I are together."
Mira's cheeks turned pink, but she didn't pull her hand away.
"COOL—!!" Jason screamed.
His camera flashed again and again, like a lacrima machine gun.
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