As night gradually fell, the noise in Ankh's estate finally subsided.
Natsu and Gajeel, two rough guys who had recovered enough energy to argue, noisily bickered for quite a while about whose dragon was cooler.
After agreeing to meet again tomorrow for "training", they finally returned to their respective homes.
As for Wendy, since it was her first time visiting such a distant unfamiliar city, and her caretaker cat Carla happened to be absent for once, Ankh didn't feel comfortable letting her stay at an inn alone.
So, he simply let Wendy stay overnight.
At times like this, the advantage of having a wealthy estate became particularly important.
Although Ankh's manor was on the smaller scale compared to royal palaces, it still counted among the luxury residences in Magnolia.
Preparing a high-quality guest room was easily accomplished.
Naturally, no cliché midnight anime stories about "insufficient rooms" or "accidental walk-ins" occurred.
Ankh was a gentleman, and Wendy was a child.
She was currently sleeping soundly in a fluffy bed that was likely three times the size of her bed at Cait Shelter.
After seeing off the guests and ensuring Wendy was settled, Ankh returned to his study.
He sat at his desk, the silence of the night wrapping around him.
He began researching the gifts Igneel, Metalicana, and Grandeeney had given him inside the Magic Source world.
On the table lay a few shimmering scales and a white feather.
'The life sample of Dragon Force,' Ankh mused, picking up a red scale.
'The ideal item for me to improve my physical body.'
After all, in this world, dragons are renowned for their powerful physiques and unparalleled magic resistance.
Just think about Acnologia.
His physical resistance ignored all magic.
It was developed based on the innate dragon constitution talent pushed to the absolute limit.
Ankh leaned back, organizing his thoughts on the power system.
The term "Magic" is actually just a specialized ability name invented specifically for humans to channel Ethernano.
It's similar to how demons use Curses, other powerful races use various different abilities, dragons use Dragon Force, and deities use Divine Power.
Igneel had also mentioned that the essence of Dragon Slayer Magic is attaching Dragon Force to human usage.
It allows humans to employ Dragon Force in the manner of using magic, thereby being able to damage dragons.
In other words, racial energies like Dragon Force and Divine Power are actually one level higher in the hierarchy than the Magic Power generated by standard human magic containers.
That's why the Magic Power of Dragon Slayer Mages, infused with Dragon Force, is much stronger and more destructive than that of regular Mages.
This was precisely why Ankh and Igneel were concerned about the Black Dragon, Ankh realized, his expression darkening.
If even countless dragons' Dragon Force couldn't handle the Black Dragon in the past, how could the Magic Power of humans in this era hope to contend with it?
'Therefore,' Ankh decided, 'I need a long-term plan.'
'Collect all obtainable Dragon Force as much as possible.'
'Then, use Life Divine Power to fuse that Dragon Force into my own body.'
He wanted to combine Divine Power with Dragon Force for personal use to enhance combat power, similar to how Dragon Slayer magic combines Magic Power with Dragon Force.
But instead of a "Dragon Slayer," he would become something... more.
After all, current data indicates that the situation with the Black Dragon and the future landscape is clearly no longer as simple as in the original story he remembered.
'Who knows what the appearance of the "Divine Successor" variable might lead to?' Ankh worried.
What if Acnologia had devoured several Divine Successors as snacks in ancient times and obtained more divine inheritance besides Death?
Before facing that monster personally, any amount of preparation was worthwhile.
"Fire, Iron, and Sky attribute Dragon Force..." Ankh muttered, rubbing his temples. "Completely integrating them into my body will take quite some time..."
Ankh pondered his Life Divine Power's development of himself, feeling somewhat troubled.
"This is troublesome... Though I have the idea to merge two types of power, where should I even begin? The structural composition is completely different."
Ankh furrowed his brow. He leaned back, stretching his spine until his head rested against the chair back with a weary sigh.
...
Wait.
Ankh froze.
Weren't the study chairs supposed to be hard wood without headrests?
Why does it feel so soft and warm behind my head?
Ankh's drowsy eyes snapped open.
He tried to sit up to check, but suddenly a pair of delicate, cool hands pressed his head back down gently.
"Shh. What's on your mind? Are you tired?"
In the quiet night, warm yellow light from the lacrima lamp gently bathed every corner of the room.
Like a spring breeze brushing through wind chimes, her voice seemed to carry some healing Magic Power.
Ankh felt his weariness slightly ease the moment he heard it.
"It's you, Mira," Ankh murmured, relaxing into the sensation. "You've worked hard tonight—this was my problem with the dragons, yet I still troubled you to come over and watch Wendy."
Mirajane stood behind Ankh's chair.
She looked down at him with heartache in her blue eyes.
Her soft fingers moved to his temples, drawing slow circles with just the right pressure.
It was so gentle it felt like caressing flower petals, a stark contrast to the terrifying power she held within her Satan Soul.
"You're always busy," Mirajane said softy. "Taking care of Laxus, fixing the guild's mess, then looking after Natsu and the others. Would it hurt to relax sometimes?"
Though Ankh couldn't see her, he could imagine the slightly reproachful, pouty expression on Mira's face.
Warmth blossomed in his chest.
"It's not just about watching over the kids," Ankh replied lazily, closing his eyes again. "Some things require planning ahead."
While enjoying the headrest and the massage, a strange thought suddenly occurred to Ankh.
Given Mirajane's strength, she could probably crush my skull anytime she wanted...
How difficult it must be for her to maintain such gentleness...
Now that he thought about it, that wild, goth-punk delinquent Mirajane he used to look after since childhood... ever since she returned from that long-term mission and the incident with Lisanna was avoided, she had changed.
It had become her taking care of him instead.
"Mira."
"Hmm?"
"...Never mind. I just feel you've changed so much compared to before. You used to bite people."
"Really?"
Ripples shimmered in Mirajane's beautiful eyes like sea waves.
She smiled mischievously and asked, "Then does Ankh prefer the me from before, or the me now?"
Ankh fell silent for a moment.
He felt his lips grow somewhat dry before hesitantly answering.
"You."
Whether it was his imagination or not, Ankh felt the hands on his head pause briefly.
"No matter how you change," Ankh continued honestly, "what we all love will always be Mira's true self. As long as you're happy, I like it."
"How cunning..."
Beneath her peach-blossom cheeks, Mirajane couldn't help pouting.
She suppressed the huge waves of emotion that had risen in her heart.
She decided to tease him to hide her shyness.
"Were you going to say you like Erza too? You gave her a sword today."
"Well... she's my sister..." Ankh admitted reflexively.
Pinch.
"Ow!"
Hmm, the fingers on his head definitely pressed harder this time—probably not his imagination.
"Humph," Mirajane huffed. "Ankh really should stay farther away from Loke... you're learning bad habits."
"I actually think Loke lives quite freely! If he hadn't tried to hit on Erza back then, I might've even sworn brotherhood with him... Ow ow ow..."
Ankh laughed and grabbed Mirajane's mischievous hands to stop the punishment.
Taking the opportunity, Mirajane didn't pull away.
Instead, she leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, hugging him backwards in the chair.
Though they'd hugged since childhood, for some reason Mirajane's embrace this time suddenly gave Ankh goosebumps.
It felt ticklish... warm, and somewhat strange.
Mirajane leaned forward.
Her neck and smooth collarbones were instantly exposed to Ankh's upside-down view.
Then, she lowered her head.
An astonishing warmth and softness pressed against his lips.
Ankh's eyes widened slightly, then softened.
Driven by instinct, he responded...
...
After a while, Mirajane stood up.
Her face was still flushed red, but she forced composure and smoothed her dress.
She spoke in her usual playful tone, though her voice trembled slightly.
"Next time... if it's something like Jason's interview rumors about us dating... you don't need to clarify."
With that, she turned and walked away with light steps, disappearing from Ankh's sight like a fleeing young deer.
Click.
The door closed.
...
After a long silence in the study, Ankh touched his lips.
He smacked them a few times, tasting the faint sweetness of the tea she had been drinking.
He suddenly felt a surge of emotion.
"Seram."
[Speak.]
"I think I'm in love."
[Get lost, you shameless old fool.]
"This is called universal love! My heart is just big!"
[Go to hell! You're being controlled by a woman and you have the nerve to boast? Besides, we're originally one entity—what's the point of bragging to me? I felt it too, you idiot.]
"Cut the crap. our former self as a god had no gender. But now i'm a man, but you..." Ankh smirked.
"Why do I always feel you're a nagging young woman?"
[...]
"Silence means agreement."
[I have no interest in discussing this! If you're so excited, go bother someone else—don't come and annoyed me!]
"Someone's jealous~"
[Your motherfucker...]
"Someone's getting angry~"
[Shut up! Go to sleep!]
...
Ankh laughed softly, leaning back in his chair again.
The night spread over the city of Magnolia like deep velvet, soft and vast.
The clamor of the festival daytime hid away, as the tranquility of night unfolded.
Under the same night sky, everyone treads the same earth, yet no two lives are identical.
Some, like Acnologia, slaughter thousands, pile corpses high and discard vibrant emotions just to become gods of destruction.
There are also once-emotionless gods, like the original Akhnseram, who linger in small, unchanging worlds day after day, preferring not to return to what they were.
'No matter what path the Black Dragon chooses,' Ankh thought, closing his eyes with a smile.
'I feel that living like this isn't so bad myself.'