Shortly after Gildarts left, Natsu eagerly rushed to Gildarts' house. Gildarts was like a father to Natsu, and after three years apart, Natsu had a lot he wanted to tell him.
"Could the gift be some rare foreign flame?" Natsu excitedly speculated about what gift Gildarts would give him.
"What could it be?"
Happy, following beside Natsu, was equally curious about what gift Gildarts had prepared for Natsu.
"Yo!"
"Excuse us."
Natsu and Happy appeared at Gildarts' doorstep.
Gildarts asked, "Natsu, Happy, you're here. How have things been with Lisanna since then?"
Before he left, Gildarts had personally heard Lisanna say that she wanted to be Natsu's bride when she grew up.
Now, three years have passed in a flash, and Natsu and Lisanna have both grown up. He was a little curious if the two of them were still together. He was very interested in such things.
"What?"
"Why are you shy? Hahahaha!"
Seeing Natsu feign ignorance, Gildarts thought Natsu was just shy.
Natsu dejectedly said, "Lisanna died two years ago."
"...R-really?! How... how could this be?! I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
Gildarts hadn't expected such a thing to happen during his three years away from the guild.
Lisanna, such a gentle and considerate little girl, actually died? No wonder Mirajane had become the way she was.
"If that's all you wanted to say, I'm leaving."
Natsu lost interest when Gildarts brought up Lisanna. Lisanna was his best playmate when he was a child, and her death had greatly impacted Natsu.
Gildarts said, "Natsu, I met a Dragon at work."
Natsu immediately stopped in his tracks upon hearing this.
"I don't think it's the red one you're looking for. It was a black dragon."
"Wh-where?"
"At Mount Zonia. Thanks to it, the job failed, damn it."
As soon as Gildarts finished speaking, Natsu turned and left.
Gildarts asked, "What are you going to do?"
Natsu immediately said, "Why ask? Of course, I'm going to ask it where Igneel is."
Gildarts explained, "It's not there anymore. That black dragon flies all over this continent, no, all over this world."
Natsu said, "Even so, there might be some clues."
He had finally received genuine news about a Dragon, how could he give up?
"Natsu, look at this."
Gildarts unfastened his cloak, revealing his body to Natsu and Happy.
Natsu and Happy's pupils constricted when they saw him. Gildarts' body was covered in scars, and fresh blood seeped through his bandages.
The most severe injuries were to his left arm and left leg, which were completely gone, now replaced by prosthetics.
"It happened almost instantly. My left arm, left leg, and even my internal organs were injured. I don't know what Igneel is like, but that black dragon is undoubtedly an enemy of humanity, and humanity cannot defeat it."
Natsu stubbornly said, "Th-then the one who can defeat him must be a Dragon Slayer, right? With my magic, a black dragon or whatever..."
"If that's what you think, I won't stop you." Gildarts looked at Natsu indifferently.
Natsu's body trembled.
He knew he was no match for a Dragon. No one understood better than him how powerful Dragons were. The only possible outcome if he went was death.
"Damn it!"
Natsu shouted in frustration and ran out.
"Natsu!"
Happy quickly chased after him.
The next day, Takeshi arrived at the guild as usual, where it was lively.
"Takeshi-nii." Wendy greeted Takeshi.
"Wendy, good morning." Takeshi waved his hand.
"It's not morning anymore, it's already noon."
"Morning and noon are pretty much the same. What are you all talking about?"
Lucy replied, "We're talking about Dragons. Takeshi, isn't it a coincidence? Natsu's Dragon, Gajeel's Dragon, and Wendy's Dragon all disappeared on July 7th, 777."
"Oh? That is quite a coincidence."
Takeshi thought to himself, 'Because that day, all of them travelled to the future.'
"Could that day have been a picnic day?" Lucy guessed with a serious expression.
Wendy smiled. "Sometimes Lucy says strange things."
Happy ran over excitedly, holding a fish. "Carla, this is a fish I caught. I want to give it to you."
Carla shook her head. "I don't want it. Fish... I hate them the most."
Happy asked, "Really? Then what do you like? Next time I'll..."
"So annoying! Don't always bother me."
Carla jumped off the table, and walked out.
Wendy called out to Carla, "Carla!! Wait, you're being too mean!"
"Takeshi, does Carla hate me?" Happy asked Takeshi.
Takeshi patted Happy's head. "No, Happy is so cute, how could anyone hate him?"
"Then Carla, she..."
"Maybe she has something on her mind."
"Takeshi!"
Makarov's voice rang out.
Takeshi looked towards Makarov and saw that Gildarts was sitting in a chair next to Makarov.
Makarov waved to Takeshi, signaling him to come over.
"What is it, Master?" Takeshi walked over.
Makarov proudly introduced Takeshi to Gildarts, "Gildarts, let me introduce you. This is Takeshi. He joined the guild a year and a half ago. Don't let this brat's youth fool you. He is currently the strongest Mage in Fairy Tail and my designated successor as Guild Master."
Gildarts was a veteran of Fairy Tail and the strongest Mage in the Guild. As the next Guild Master, Takeshi naturally needed to be introduced to him.
Gildarts was a bit surprised, mainly because Takeshi looked too young, only about the same age as Erza and Mirajane, yet he was already the strongest Mage in Fairy Tail?
He knew Makarov very well. Since he said Takeshi was the strongest Mage in the Guild, it meant that Takeshi might not be weaker than him.
Furthermore, Makarov had actually designated a successor for the next Guild Master.
Takeshi had only joined the guild a year and a half ago, hadn't he?
"Master, then Laxus..."
Gildarts quietly asked.
He remembered that Laxus was very eager to inherit the position of Guild Master.
Hearing Laxus's name, Makarov said irritably, "Don't mention that brat. I expelled him from the guild."
Although separating from his grandson made him a little sad, recalling his actions still made him angry.
"Expelled from the guild?!" Gildarts was shocked.
Laxus was Makarov's grandson, yet he had been expelled from the guild. Why on earth did this happen?
What had happened in the guild during his three years away?
***
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