Laxus walked out of the infirmary, the heavy wooden door slowly closing behind him, isolating him from the suffocating space and everything he once had.
He leaned against the cold wall, as if all his strength had been drained, and slid down the wall to sit on the floor.
He buried his face deeply between his knees, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
Just then, a calm voice sounded above his head.
"Sitting here, are you planning to wait until dawn for the cleaning lady to sweep you out like trash?"
Laxus's body stiffened abruptly, he was all too familiar with that voice.
He looked up, meeting Ryoma's calm, unperturbed eyes.
He didn't know when this guy had come back, but he was now leaning against the wall beside the door, watching him.
A mix of humiliation, anger, and unwillingness instantly rushed to Laxus's head. He subconsciously tensed all his muscles, and golden electric light faintly flickered beneath his skin.
But that violent impulse lasted less than a second before extinguishing itself.
Laxus took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the surging emotions. He slowly stood up from the ground, patted the dust off his clothes, and silently met Ryoma's gaze.
"It seems you've figured out a few things, more or less." Ryoma's voice remained flat, showing no emotion.
"Good, go out and take a walk with a different mindset, see things, and experience a different life."
With that, Ryoma flicked his finger, and a silvery-white stream of light cut through the dim corridor, shooting straight towards Laxus.
Laxus instinctively raised his hand to catch it. It was a crystal clear ice crystal, cool to the touch, with a silvery-white light seemingly flowing slowly within.
"A one-time magic is sealed inside." Ryoma explained. "You've experienced its effect several times before."
Laxus's hand holding the ice crystal tightened abruptly. The terrifying memory of being repeatedly cut and torn by countless ice butterflies flashed through his mind, and the bone-deep pain made him shiver involuntarily.
"As long as you're not instantly killed, crushing it will restore your body to its original state." Ryoma added.
What was this? A slap then a sweet date?
Laxus felt a mix of emotions, clutching the ice crystal, unsure how to react.
Ryoma didn't look at him again and turned to leave. After taking two steps, he stopped, throwing out a sentence without looking back.
"When you're done exploring outside, remember to come back and see the old man."
As his voice faded, Ryoma did not linger, disappearing around the corner of the corridor.
Laxus stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly in the direction Ryoma had disappeared, then lowered his head to look at the faintly glowing ice crystal in his hand, eventually putting it silently into his pocket.
He took one last look at the closed infirmary door, then turned and walked towards the guild's exit.
There, Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow had long been waiting.
"Laxus!"
Seeing him come out, the three members of the Thunder God Tribe immediately greeted him.
Laxus stopped. He looked at the three companions who had always followed him, opened his mouth, but found his voice incredibly dry.
"You all... stay well in the guild." He finally managed to squeeze out. "Wait for me... wait for me to come back."
With that, he didn't linger, stepping past them and disappearing into the night without looking back.
The next night, over Magnolia Town, brilliant fireworks exploded one after another, adorning the entire night sky with vibrant colors.
The Fantasia Parade finally arrived as scheduled after being postponed for one night.
The entire town was brightly lit, and the streets were bustling with people. Citizens and tourists donned festive attire, their faces beaming with excitement and anticipation, converging into a sea of joy.
Accompanied by rousing music, a series of bizarrely decorated floats slowly drove onto the main road, officially commencing the Fantasia Parade.
The cheers from the audience rose in waves.
On a magnificent float, Erza donned a brand new armor, with pure white wings unfurling behind her.
She wielded her longsword, unleashing dazzling slashes, and several swords tied with ribbons rotated around her, drawing gasps of admiration from the crowd.
Following closely was a giant moving ice castle. Gray and Juvia stood atop the castle, one manipulating crystalline ice, the other commanding surging water.
Water and ice merged in the air, together forming the giant letters "Fairy Tail," a masterpiece of cooperation that left everyone in awe.
On a float resembling a fairytale castle, Elfman transformed into his gigantic beast form, roaring and interacting with the audience below the float.
High above him on the float, a giant flower bud slowly bloomed, and Mirajane, wearing a gorgeous princess dress, elegantly emerged from it, waving to the crowd.
Just as everyone was captivated by her beauty, Mirajane suddenly gave a mischievous smile and activated her Transformation Magic amidst a pink glow.
The next second, a gigantic, entirely pink, adorable gecko appeared before everyone, even blinking its big, watery eyes.
The crowd was first met with a deathly silence, then erupted in deafening laughter and applause.
In an inconspicuous corner of the city, in the shadows, Laxus silently watched it all. His gaze passed through the jubilant crowd, landing on the last float.
It was a comically shaped float, where his grandfather, Makarov, the guild master of Fairy Tail, was dancing in an equally comical cat mascot costume, making the surrounding children burst into laughter.
Looking at that old yet vibrant smiling face, Laxus's memories were instantly pulled back to his distant childhood.
Back then, he was also like this, carried on his grandfather's shoulders, excitedly waving his small hands at the parade floats.
"Grandpa..." He whispered silently, a pang of bitterness rising to his nose.
Laxus slowly turned around, preparing to leave the city.
The moment he turned, the deafening cheers and music on the entire street seemed to hit a pause button.
Laxus turned back in surprise, only to see that the parade procession had stopped at some point.
Led by Makarov, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Mirajane... all the members of Fairy Tail, whether performing on the floats or maintaining order in the procession, had stopped their movements.
Without exception, they slowly raised their right hands, extending their index finger and thumb while curling the other three fingers, forming an "L" shape.
That gesture passed through the noisy crowd, penetrated the obstruction of the night, and was clearly imprinted in Laxus's eyes.
Fairy Tail's third rule: Even if paths diverge, live strong. Never forget cherished comrades for a lifetime.
There was no accusation, no anger, only silent farewell and unspoken concern.
At this moment, a burning hot current broke through Laxus's last defense.
His tall and rigid body trembled violently. He clenched his teeth tightly but could no longer stop the tears from gushing out of his eyes.
He finally understood how small and ridiculous the so-called strength he had been pursuing truly was.
Makarov held his arm high, and tears streamed down the wrinkles on his face. He opened his mouth and shouted silently.
Get out of here! You brat!
Then live well!
A new round of fireworks bloomed brilliantly in the night sky, illuminating the entire town as bright as day.
The light of the fireworks illuminated every tear-streaked smiling face in the parade, and also illuminated the figure in the shadows, sobbing uncontrollably, who finally slowly turned around and walked away alone.
The joy of the festival and the sadness of parting intertwined at this moment into a unique farewell song.
Laxus, bearing his guilt and the heavy bonds of his comrades, embarked on a long and lonely path of redemption, one that belonged only to him.