"What the heck? We just saved him!" Lucy stomped her foot angrily.
"Aylin, can you shoot him down right now?" Gray asked.
"No. He's too far away. And this railway twists and turns—if I try to use teleportation magic, I might just end up falling straight into the canyon," Aylin replied.
"Now's not the time to argue. The priority is to catch up to him," Ultear cut in, already running toward Clover Town.
At the forest cliff near Clover Town, Kageyama—his abdomen wrapped in bandages—leaned against a tree with one hand. In the other, he held a black flute carved with a three-eyed skull: the cursed magic item, Lullaby.
"Perfect… this spot is ideal. From here, Lullaby's sound will echo across the land," Kageyama muttered to himself, a satisfied smile creeping onto his face. "The moment I've been waiting for… it's finally here."
"Whoa, this girl looks great… and that one too… and that one's not bad either. Mages these days really are improving—inside and out. As expected, gravure idols are the best."
At some point, Makarov had appeared, sitting on a relatively flat rock, completely absorbed in a magazine. A lecherous grin spread across his face as he commented enthusiastically, his eyes gleaming.
"Hm? Wait—who are you?" Makarov suddenly noticed Kageyama and hurriedly tried to explain himself. "Don't misunderstand! I'm not peeking—I'm studying! Studying, you hear me? There's nothing shameful about this!"
"…You really don't need to explain," Kageyama said dryly, momentarily stunned.
"Where'd you come from, kid? You look like a patient—what are you doing out here?" Makarov asked, looking him up and down.
Kageyama recognized him immediately. No matter where I go, I run into Fairy Tail people… what a coincidence.
Then a thought crossed his mind—this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. He could let the Master of Fairy Tail hear Lullaby up close.
"Um… excuse me," Kageyama called out as Makarov turned to leave.
"Yeah? What is it?" Makarov asked casually.
"Would you… listen to me play a song? The hospital doesn't allow us to play instruments, so we have to find places like this. I just… want someone to hear it."
His excuse was full of holes, but he pushed through.
"That flute looks pretty disgusting," Makarov remarked bluntly, eyeing Lullaby.
"I-it may not look like much, but the sound is very beautiful. Please—just one song. Just one."
"…Fine. One song only. I've got important business to attend to," Makarov said lazily.
"Thank you… thank you so much!"
Kageyama's heart pounded. He raised the flute to his lips, excitement surging within him.
Finally… as long as I play it, everything will change.
At that moment, Aylin, Lucy, Erza, Ultear, Natsu, Gray, and Happy arrived—just in time to see Kageyama about to play Lullaby.
"This is bad—stop him!" Natsu, Gray, and Lucy shouted, their expressions changing drastically as they rushed forward.
But suddenly, someone blocked their path.
"Shh~ don't make noise. The best part is about to begin. Just watch quietly," said Bob, covering his face shyly with both hands.
"Eek!!"
Even Natsu and Gray recoiled in fear, huddling together as they stared at him in horror.
"W-who is that…?" Lucy whispered from behind Aylin, peeking out nervously.
"The Master of Blue Pegasus—Bob," Erza explained.
"Oh my, Erza, Aylin, Ultear—it's been so long! You've all grown up so much~" Bob said cheerfully, casually knocking Natsu and Gray aside as he turned to them.
"My apologies for not visiting, Master Bob," Aylin said, giving a refined noble's bow.
"My, my~ little Aylin is as elegant as ever," Bob beamed.
"I can't believe… that's the Master of Blue Pegasus…" Lucy muttered.
"Don't be fooled by his appearance. Master Bob is a very kind person—and incredibly strong," Ultear added.
Their commotion didn't affect Makarov and Kageyama at all. Kageyama still held the flute to his lips—but hesitated.
"Well? Aren't you going to play?" Makarov asked, arms crossed, his gaze steady.
"This is bad… he's really going to do it," even Erza and Ultear tensed, preparing to intervene.
Then another voice rang out.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet? The real show is just beginning."
Everyone turned to see a man leaning against a thick tree trunk.
"That's… the Master of Quatro Cerberus?" Lucy asked in surprise.
"Goldmine," Ultear corrected.
"Nothing will change," Makarov suddenly said, letting out a soft sigh as he looked directly at Kageyama.
Kageyama's body trembled. His pupils shrank as he stared back.
"Weak people remain weak, no matter when. But weakness itself isn't entirely bad. Humans are weak creatures to begin with. Alone, we feel uneasy—that's why we need guilds. That's why we need companions."
"To live strongly, we rely on each other."
"Clumsy people stumble more easily. They may take detours. But as long as they believe in tomorrow and take one step forward with courage, strength will come. They can live on with a smile."
"There's no need to rely on something like that flute."
Makarov stood with his hands behind his back. There was no anger or condemnation in his eyes—only the gentle guidance of an elder toward the young.
Clink.
The flute slipped from Kageyama's hands and hit the ground.
"I… lost," he said, dropping to his knees before Makarov, overcome with shame.
Not just Kageyama—even Aylin and the others watching from the forest felt their eyes sting with emotion. Bob and Goldmine simply smiled at the scene.
"Master…"
"Old man…"
"Gramps…"
Natsu, Gray, and the others ran over, surrounding Makarov with smiles.
Their voices overlapped, each speaking at once—but their feelings were the same. In that moment, they shared a warm sense of unity and belonging.
What no one noticed…
…was that the three eyes on Lullaby, lying on the ground—
had begun to glow.
Like three eerie, violet eyes silently watching this peaceful scene.