— — — — — —
That night, rain began to patter against the windows, the sound soft but steady. Inside the Fairy Tail guild hall, only three people remained: Mirajane, Makarov, and Romeo, who was still waiting for his father to return.
"Master, maybe cut down on the smoking a little. It's not good for you," Mira said gently, watching Makarov puff one pipe after another.
"I'll be fine," he replied, though his eyes betrayed a restless worry. "Mira, what time is it now?"
She checked the clock. "There's about five minutes until the last train gets in. Don't worry, with Kazuma's strength, they'll be fine."
Makarov nodded slightly, but his gaze lingered on the guild's doors, the worry in his chest far from easing.
Mira kept busy, wiping the tables again and again while staring out at the rain-soaked street. The gloomy sky reminded her too much of the day Lisanna had left—the same dim weather, the same heavy silence.
Memories hit her like a punch to the heart. Her throat tightened, and tears welled despite her efforts to hold them back. She pressed her lips together, refusing to sob, but her shoulders trembled with the effort.
Makarov watched her quietly. He didn't say anything, just sighed softly and turned his eyes back to the door.
"...Dad! Where are you?" Romeo's voice cracked as he broke down again.
The poor boy's small frame shook with each sob. He was terrified that he might never see his father again—never play games together, never eat together, never laugh again.
The guild hall grew heavier with every passing second, and outside, the rain came down harder.
"Romeo, you should head home," Makarov said finally. "Something must've held them up. Maybe they ran into trouble, or the weather got worse."
He glanced at the clock again. The last train should've arrived ten minutes ago. At this point, it was clear Kazuma and the others wouldn't be back tonight.
Even the strongest mages couldn't escape the unpredictability of the world.
"No! I don't believe that!" Romeo sobbed, shaking his head violently. "Kazuma-nii said he'd bring Dad back tonight! He doesn't lie!"
"He's the one who's completed the most missions in the guild—the number one mage! He never fails once he accepts a job!"
Romeo's words were desperate, his voice echoing through the quiet hall like a plea to the heavens.
"Romeo, enough," Makarov said sternly. "Kazuma's powerful, yes—but he's still human. Even he can fail."
"You're a mage's son. You need to be strong. Go home now. Don't worry, the guild will take care of you, just like always."
He placed a large, calloused hand on Romeo's head. His face was serious, calm. He couldn't show fear or sadness. Not as guild master. Not when everyone else needed to see stability.
"Romeo…"
Mira took a step forward, wanting to say something, but before she could, the guild doors exploded open with a loud bang.
"Old man! I heard you talking shit about me from outside!"
Kazuma strode in, dripping wet from the rain, eyes blazing with annoyance. "What's this about me being human and bound to fail?!"
"I'll have you know, as long as it's a mission I accept, the word failure doesn't exist! Even if the sky collapses, I'll prop it back up myself!"
He stomped inside, leaving puddles in his wake.
"Mira, report completed mission!" he barked, pulling the soaked mission slip from his pocket and handing it to her.
"Right away," she said with a relieved smile, taking it from him. Behind him were Lucy—drenched but unharmed—and Macao, limping and wincing in pain.
Mira's eyes softened as she stamped the guild's seal on the form. The task was officially complete.
"Dad!"
Romeo ran straight into Macao's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry! I'll never let you do dangerous stuff again, I promise!"
All the teasing and bullying he'd endured from other kids didn't matter anymore. His dad was alive. That was all that counted.
"Romeo, don't cry," Macao said, ruffling his son's hair with a shaky smile. "Next time those brats try to make fun of you, just ask them—can their dads take down nineteen monsters single-handedly?"
He grinned through the pain. Every father wanted to be their child's hero. And right now, Macao had truly earned it.
Romeo bawled harder, clinging to his father's jacket. He didn't care how weak or clumsy his dad might be—he was still the greatest man in the world for him.
...
When the crying finally quieted, both of them turned toward Kazuma.
"Kazuma-nii, thank you! I'll keep my promise—I'll work hard for you for the whole year!" Romeo said earnestly, eyes full of admiration.
Macao chuckled. "Kazuma, you have my thanks too. When it comes time to elect a new guild master, you've got my vote."
He wasn't joking. If it weren't for Kazuma, he'd never have seen his son again. The man had strength, guts, and heart—everything a leader needed.
And after hearing what Romeo had told him about the "pay deal", Macao agreed. A mage's help should always come at a price. That was the respect due between equals.
"Hey, you brat!" Makarov snapped suddenly. "You planning to replace me already? I'm still the guild master here!"
He hurled his pipe straight at Macao, who caught it with a sheepish grin.
"Heh, sorry, Master."
Kazuma smirked. "Macao, I'll remember that! When the old man finally retires, make sure you and your kid both vote for me!"
The booming laugh filled the hall, mixing with the fading sound of rain outside. Fairy Tail was noisy again. Warm again. Alive again.
"..."
"You brat! Dream on if you think I'm retiring anytime soon! My bones are still solid. Give me another ten years at least!"
Makarov's laughter rumbled through the hall. Seeing Macao return safe and sound had clearly lightened his mood. As long as no one died, everything else could be dealt with.
He looked at Kazuma, and for a fleeting moment, he thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad to hand over the guild master's seat to that kid one day. Reliable, strong, and fearless. Then Kazuma opened his mouth, and that thought vanished.
"When we were coming back, the train had already left the station. To catch it, Lucy and I had to hop on while it was moving."
"Then, well... there was a bit of a misunderstanding. The guards on board thought we were bandits, so they tried to attack us."
"For safety reasons, I had to knock them all out. Nobody died, just a dozen or so unconscious soldiers. Anyway, if someone comes asking questions, could you explain things for me, Master?"
"You idiot! A dozen people isn't a few! And you couldn't just let them detain you and talk it out? You had to start a fight?!"
"Surrendering's not my style," Kazuma said with a grin, giving Makarov a thumbs-up. "Besides, compared to Natsu blowing up half a city, this is small stuff. I trust you'll smooth it over, Master."
Lucy couldn't help but laugh. The mission had been terrifying, but somehow Fairy Tail's noisy, chaotic warmth made even the danger fade away.
"They're so wild... completely different from what I imagined. But this guild feels alive—warm, loud, and full of heart."
She smiled to herself. "I think I really do like it here."
.
.
.