"Even without magic, humanity will thrive!"
After steadying himself, Mest turned to face the people below. He raised his scepter high and roared with authority.
"Oh~ Ho~!"
"Prince Mest! Prince Mest!"
The crowd erupted, voices echoing his call.
Kael smiled softly to himself, convinced that the people of this world would live vibrant lives. They had already learned what truly mattered.
Soon, they all returned to Magnolia Town. Everything appeared just as it had been before.
"This is…"
"Haha! We're back!" Natsu leapt to his feet, eyes fixed on the radiant Fairy Tail guild flag in the distance. He shouted with joy, his voice full of relief.
The town itself was relatively quiet—the residents still outside—but that did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of Kael and his companions.
Kael scanned the sky, noticing that the cats who had accompanied them were nowhere to be seen.
"Are they looking for us?"
From nowhere, Tami dangled upside down right in front of Kael, followed by the other cats who all poured into the sky at once. The air was dense with their tiny bodies.
"We arrived in this world before you! We've explored everywhere!"
"The town has recovered so well!"
"Asland is incredible—magic is everywhere!"
The cats darted through the sky, some pausing in front of Kael and the others to share what they had discovered.
"Tami, Shimi, stop running off! This isn't over yet!"
From the forest, Happy and Carla's father—a white cat—charged out, wielding a broom, spittle flying, shouting furiously at the airborne Tami and Shimi.
The two brothers panicked. Tami dove behind Laxus, while Shimi scrambled into Kael's hat for cover.
"Father! Mother! Calm down!"
A gentle blue female cat stepped forward, patting the white cat on the back while giving a subtle warning glance toward the boys, hoping they would admit their mistake.
Habi, frozen in the middle of it all, had tears streaming down his cheeks. His lips trembled, and though he wanted to speak, no words could pass through the lump in his throat.
The blue cat's paws froze, eyes wide with disbelief. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched.
The white cat noticed something—his gaze shifted to Habi, standing beside Natsu. His broom slipped from his hands.
"You… you are…" he whispered in shock.
"Go on, Habi." Natsu squatted down, gently ruffling the boy's head and nudging him forward.
Habi snapped out of his daze, running toward the waiting embrace of his parents. He threw himself into his mother's arms, pressing his head into her chest as he sobbed,
"Mom… Mom… I missed you so much!"
"There, there…" she whispered, stroking his back, soothing him gently.
The white cat—Habi's father—was stern, trying to keep a hard exterior. His hand reached toward Habi, but froze midair. His eyes, however, never left his son, filled with a mixture of sternness and deep affection.
Seeing this, Lulule was wide-eyed with envy. She glanced hesitantly toward the queen, only to realize that Her Majesty's gaze was just as full of hope. Flustered, Lulule quickly looked away.
Wendy, perceptive as always, noticed the exchange. She gently took Lulule's small hand, guiding her toward the queen.
"Lulule, it's over now. Forgive the queen."
Wendy knelt beside her, offering reassurance, but Lulule hesitated, struggling with conflicting emotions.
"There's something else I haven't explained yet."
"Though… it goes back six years."
Two nearby ministers spoke up, recounting what they knew. Long ago, the queen had the ability to foresee the future. She had predicted the island would fall, so she sent the children to another world to protect them. To prevent panic among the people, she had fabricated a story—but her intentions had been pure.
Lulule stared at the queen, who had sunk into sorrow.
"I understand. Let's leave it at that, then."
Her words brightened the queen's expression.
"Oh, and now that you're here, you can go find the children who were sent to this world six years ago!"
Natsu clenched his fists, striking one palm with the other.
"Right! Let's go find them!"
"A new goal for us!"
The cats in the sky cheered, flying higher in excitement. Even Habi and his father mirrored their antics, causing the blue mother cat to laugh heartily.
"They're so optimistic!"
Natsu exhaled, a relieved smile spreading across his face. Laxus leaned against a tree, eyes closed, a quiet smile tugging at his lips.
Tami, curious, stared at Laxus's face, trying to read his expression.
"Farewell, everyone!"
"Thank you all so much!"
The queen waved toward Kael and the others, gratitude shining in her eyes.
They decided to settle nearby first, then search for the children sent to this world—these children were their new hope. This was where they had to say goodbye.
"Tami, Shimi! You two better work hard!"
"Watch yourselves!"
The white father cat called down from the sky, while Tami and Shimi waved in response. They had decided to join Fairy Tail, following Laxus and Kael. Their dreams weren't complete yet, and seeing the strength of Laxus and Kael only deepened their resolve.
Habi waved happily at his parents, recounting everything he had experienced. His parents' hearts swelled with joy. Kael felt the truth in that—the greatest love of a parent is always for their children.
Gajeel, meanwhile, looked somewhat melancholy.
"My cat…"
"Yo, Gajeel! Time to keep your promise—let me join Fairy Tail too!"
A black cat leapt from the forest, sword in paw, pointing at Gajeel.
"Of course! My partner!" Gajeel's eyes sparkled. He scooped up Pansa-Lily, tears of joy streaming down. For a moment, he had thought Pansa-Lily had abandoned him!
Kael observed quietly, reflecting: every Dragon Slayer now had a cat of their own. It was truly the standard for a bonded team.