"Drag those two out."
Marco shook his head as he looked at Natsu and Gray lying motionless in the arena.
These two would always fight until one couldn't move anymore whenever they clashed, unless something else interrupted them.
Three years ago, when Natsu had just joined Fairy Tail, Gray was usually the one who could still stand at the end, while Natsu lost most of the time.
But now, Natsu's strength had gradually caught up with Gray's.
This time, both ended up unconscious in the arena, neither of them could get up.
Joy entered the arena and hauled them out, one in each hand, his expression sour with disappointment.
"A double knockout this time! Gray's not in top form! He could always win before!" Joy complained.
He had bet 1,000J on Gray's victory, thinking it was a sure win, only to end up with this result.
"I didn't win either. Natsu still couldn't pull it off, huh?" Marco also grumbled.
It had been a bet between him and Joy—Marco backing Natsu, Joy backing Gray—yet the two had ended up "mutually annihilated."
Joy thought Gray hadn't performed well, but in truth, Gray had fought exceptionally hard.
Otherwise, the outcome would have matched Marco's prediction.
Marco had witnessed the growth of both Natsu and Gray.
His confidence in Natsu's victory hadn't been baseless.
Recently, Natsu's progress had been rapid—faster than Gray's, at least in Marco's eyes.
It seemed inevitable that Natsu's combat prowess would eventually surpass Gray's.
It had to be admitted that compared to Gray's Ice-Make Magic, Dragon Slayer Magic held certain advantages.
This magic, which gradually transformed a human's physique into that of a dragon, had been created specifically to counter dragons, giving it a higher ceiling.
In contrast, Ice-Make Magic was more ordinary.
Maker Magic itself was a relatively common type of magic.
Yet Gray had never slacked off, training diligently to keep pace with Natsu's progress without falling behind.
"This kid..."
Looking at Gray, who was also unconscious, Marco felt a surge of admiration.
Gray had genuinely surprised him.
In terms of background and magic, Gray wasn't particularly special.
His magic wasn't naturally awakened like Erza's or Mirajane's—he had learned it later.
The type of magic he practiced wasn't as unique as Dragon Slayer Magic either.
Yet, surrounded by so many magical prodigies, Gray had consistently kept up with the top tier, competing with these individuals who had bizarre backgrounds and talents.
It was truly remarkable.
Gray's talent wasn't lacking, but to stay in the first tier, he undoubtedly had to work harder than the others.
If there was anything special about Gray, it was that his master was a powerful wizard comparable to the Ten Wizard Saints.
However, his master only introduced him to the path and didn't teach him for long.
The strength he possessed now was truly the result of his own hard work.
'I'm almost tempted to fulfill future Gray's wish and actually teach him the Diamond dust Punch. Unfortunately, the title of "master" holds too special a place in his heart.'
Marco couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
That said, if he really taught Gray the "Diamond dust Punch" and also granted him the qualification to sense the Cygnus constellation, Natsu would be on the receiving end of beatings for quite a while.
The balance of power between the two would be completely shattered.
Although Natsu had always been slightly weaker than Gray, the gap had been minimal.
Now, with Natsu rapidly improving and nearly catching up, if he were to be completely suppressed by Gray afterward, it might crush him to the point of questioning his life.
Speaking of Natsu's rapid growth, Totomaru deserved some credit.
His fire control was masterful, providing Natsu with plenty of guidance.
Even the other Fire Magic users in the guild had grown stronger as a result.
It had to be said—Totomaru had a real talent for teaching magic.
His Fire Magic classes in the guild were highly praised, with many children signing up to learn from scratch.
His classes would likely continue to supply the guild with excellent Fire Magic users in the future.
This time, Totomaru had also moved to "Fairy Home."
Unlike others, he hadn't taken out a loan—his magic classes had earned him enough to afford building his own house outright.
"Anyone else want to try the arena?"
Marco shook his head, dismissing his thoughts, and asked the group with a smile.
They exchanged glances, one after another shaking their heads.
Unlike Natsu and Gray, who were always bursting with energy and ready to fight at a moment's notice, the others needed some time to get fired up.
Gajeel, however, seemed eager.
Unfortunately, the two opponents he wanted to challenge were already unconscious.
The Iron Dragon was frustrated—he should've jumped in earlier.
"How about I spar with you?"
Seeing Gajeel's regretful expression, Marco offered with a grin.
"Hahaha, no thanks. I'm not feeling too well today."
Gajeel stiffened, immediately clutching his stomach in refusal.
The Iron Dragon, who had been fired up just moments ago from watching Natsu and Gray's battle, now feigned frailty.
"..."
Marco's lips twitched as he rolled his eyes, refusing to acknowledge the act.
He knew Gajeel was terrified of him—a consequence of being "needled" before.
Served him right for causing trouble at Fairy Tail back then.
"Erza! Let's fight!"
While Gajeel backed down, an excited voice rang out from the girls' side.
No need to guess who it was.
Marco turned to see Mirajane, eyes blazing with fighting spirit, issuing a challenge to Erza.
"No. I'm resting for two days."
Erza flatly refused, her expression stern.
Mirajane blinked in surprise at the response.
"Fine."
To Marco's surprise, Mirajane seemed to have thought of something and didn't press further, actually accepting it just like that.
"Mira, this isn't like you. Giving up so easily?" Marco asked curiously.
Normally, when Mirajane wanted to spar with Erza, she would do anything to provoke her and would never back down so easily.
Today was truly a day when the sun rose from the west.
At Marco's question, Mirajane glared at him, as if he shouldn't have asked.
"?"
Marco blinked, not understanding what her look meant.
"Don't meddle in girls' business. I don't feel like fighting her today. Even if I won, it wouldn't be a fair victory."
Seeing that Marco didn't get it, Mirajane said irritably.
"Not a fair victory..."
Marco mulled over the phrase and then understood—probably Erza was on her period these days and shouldn't exert herself too much.
"Oh, I see..."
Marco trailed off, swallowing the words that had reached his lips.
He had wanted to say, 'So even Erza's condition is affected by this?' but felt it would be too hurtful.
After all, Erza was still a girl.
Erza looked serious and somewhat troubled.
She was actually a bit tempted to relieve some stress in this arena where she didn't have to worry about causing damage to the surroundings.
But she didn't want to fight Mirajane when she couldn't give her all.
It wouldn't be good if she really lost to Mirajane.
Looking at Erza, then at Mirajane, Marco's expression turned odd.
The reason he had that thought earlier was because he'd never noticed Erza or Mirajane having such troubles before.
Now that it came up, Marco suddenly realized that these two girls around him were no longer children.
The three of them were the same age, having just turned fifteen this year.
Logically... Erza and Mirajane should have already started their periods long ago, but he hadn't noticed those extra few days each month.
Was he really that oblivious?
Marco reflected on himself.
Over the past two years, he had spent a lot of time away on various missions—not to mention regular tasks, just the "Southern Railway Incident" and the "Nord Forest Beast Tide" alone had kept him occupied for months.
Now that he had time to relax, he saw how much everyone had grown.
Erza and Mirajane had both blossomed into graceful young women, no longer looking like children.
Well, Erza didn't, at least.
Mira was still a bit lacking—maybe she was a late bloomer.
It wasn't just Erza and Mirajane who had changed.
The other kids had too, with both boys and girls gradually entering puberty, the age where they changed noticeably every year.
In just a few years, everyone would grow up quickly.
"What disrespectful thoughts are you having?"
While Marco was lost in his musings, Mirajane leaned in close, narrowing her eyes at him.
She had a feeling he was thinking something rude about her, especially since he'd just glanced at her with pity in his eyes, which made her both embarrassed and annoyed.
"Ahem, nothing. If no one wants to try it out, let's go."
Cornered by Mirajane's close questioning, Marco quickly laughed it off and changed the subject.
Some things are better left unsaid
. If spoken aloud, Mirajane would definitely lose her temper.
She's now at an age where she cares about her figure, and terms like "tomboy" or "flat-chested girl" from Erza's mouth are becoming increasingly damaging to her.
"Hmph!"
Mirajane crossed her arms and let out a "hmph," but didn't press further.
She lowered her head and glanced down, immediately seeing her own feet without any obstruction in between.
This made her feel a little disheartened.
Though she usually pretended not to care, deep down, it bothered her just a tiny bit.
Mirajane had recently been studying recipes.
Though she started a bit late, she firmly believed she could catch up and surpass others!
Watching Marco who was leading the group to explore other parts of Fairy Home, Mirajane wrinkled her nose and quickly hurried after him.
...
After touring the entire Fairy Home, everyone dispersed and headed back to their own homes.
The girls who didn't live there continued to follow Marco to his new house.
Marco's new home was built right next to Laxus's place.
Laxus wasn't home—he knew he couldn't stop the construction of Fairy Home, so he simply left on a mission, adopting an "out of sight, out of mind" approach.
He figured he'd get used to it once it was finished.
"Marco-san house is so big."
Standing in front of Marco's house, Wendy gaped and sighed in admiration.
Wendy, who was only eight years old, clearly hadn't hit puberty yet.
She still looked adorable and wasn't much taller than Carla, the "white cat" standing beside her.
"Marco didn't need a loan, so of course he could afford a bigger house."
Cana chimed in, knowing quite a bit about the situation.
From the entrance of Fairy Home all the way here, the houses they passed by varied in style.
Fairy Home didn't enforce a uniform design—those who wanted a bigger house could take out a larger loan, while those who didn't need as much space could borrow less.
After all, expansions were always possible later.
"Actually... it doesn't seem that big." Lucy muttered under her breath as she looked at the house, earning a nod of agreement from Hisui, who stood beside her.
"Master Marco deserves an even bigger house. I think transforming the entire forest into a grand estate would be perfect." Hisui spoke seriously in a low voice to Lucy, who nodded in agreement.
A princess and a wealthy merchant's daughter clearly had a different perspective on what constituted "size."
"Welcome, everyone, to my home."
Marco opened the door with a smile, inviting everyone inside.
His house wasn't small by any means—it was considerably larger than Mira's family home, with several guest rooms added.
Marco had prepared these extra rooms specifically for his friends, considering his sociable nature.
"Chef Mira, the first meal in my new home—I leave it to you!"
Once everyone had settled in the spacious living room, Marco immediately pulled Mirajane into the kitchen.
Holding up an apron, Marco bowed respectfully and presented it to her—a gesture of respect for her culinary skills.
"Hmph, I'm quite satisfied with your attitude."
Looking at the extremely respectful Marco, Mirajane couldn't help but let out a soft hum.
She placed her hands on her hips, trying hard to suppress the corners of her mouth to keep from laughing.
"Leave it to me."
Taking the apron with outstretched hands, Mirajane spoke earnestly.
Since Marco had asked her so sincerely, she was determined to properly showcase her culinary skills.
"Thank you so much! I'll assist you." Marco stood up with a smile, watching as Mira tied on the apron.
He proactively stayed to help with the cooking.
Although his culinary skills were only at a home-cooking level, he had no problem being a kitchen assistant.