Gildarts walked over with Cana, his face full of gratitude; if not for Acnologia, their family of three would never have been reunited.
"Thank you!"
Cana reached out and hugged Acnologia, tears streaming down her face. She never expected the day would come when she could see her mother again.
Acnologia scratched his head and said comfortingly, "We're all comrades, there's no need to thank me like this."
Gildarts patted his shoulder and laughed loudly, "No matter what, you've been a huge help."
Acnologia teased, "Now that you have someone watching over you, you can't be a playboy anymore."
This guy looked serious, but he was actually a huge flirt with more girlfriends than he could count, and he only brought photobooks of beautiful girls on missions.
"Hey, don't slander me! I'm a one-woman man!"
Gildarts' heart skipped a beat, and he stole a glance at Cơnelia behind him. Luckily, she hadn't heard, otherwise he'd be finished.
That damn Acnologia; if his wife and daughter weren't present, he'd definitely have to duel him.
"Back then you reported twenty girlfriends to me. Does 'one-woman man' even apply to you?"
Cana rolled her eyes at him. If she wasn't afraid of her parents fighting, she wouldn't bother helping him keep his secrets.
Cơnelia walked over with a smile: "What are you all talking about?"
The three of them were startled and immediately acted as if nothing had happened.
Even though Gildarts was a flirt, as his comrades and daughter, they still had to back him up. They couldn't let the couple break up right after being reunited.
Gildarts said with a fawning expression, "Cơnelia, do you feel unwell anywhere after being resurrected? Do you need to rest?"
Cana hugged her and cried out happily, "Mama!"
Cơnelia looked very similar to Cana, with the same beautiful black hair and tall figure, but her gestures held a few more traces of a mature woman's charm.
"It seems Gildarts really has taken good care of you."
Cơnelia stroked Cana's small head. She had already learned from the Master and the others that Cana was a gentle, virtuous, beautiful, kind, and brave girl... a girl who possessed countless virtues and was very well-liked.
While it might be a bit of an exaggeration, since everyone said so, it probably wasn't far from the truth.
However, she didn't notice that a certain fire-breathing guy had been completely frozen into an ice sculpture and was then carried off and thrown out by Erza.
Gildarts pulled Cơnelia along and said excitedly, "You don't know, this person who saved you is the world-ending dragon king. He tore through the Dragon Race alone, and a single Roar can end the world."
"He can even cross time and space now, changing the past and future. He's incredibly badass!"
Cơnelia listened in utter astonishment: "The world-ending dragon king?"
She had naturally heard of that name, a legend from four hundred years ago. She hadn't expected him to also be a member of Fairy Tail.
"Uh... actually, I'm not quite as amazing as he says..."
Acnologia felt a bit awkward. Although he also thought he was very powerful, this idiot's boasting was a bit too much.
"What do you mean 'not'!"
Gildarts chuckled and put an arm around his shoulder, saying, "Don't be so modest. Who in this world can still beat you? Come on, show Cơnelia that Dragon Slayer secret art, the Iron Jaw of the Black Dragon, the Ruthless Giant Hand!"
(￢_￢)
Acnologia felt like a murder of crows was flying over his head. Looking at this guy's delighted face, he really wanted to give him a black eye.
Cơnelia glared at Gildarts and scolded playfully, "Alright, stop talking nonsense."
She looked at Acnologia and thanked him gently, "Thank you for saving me and letting me see Cana all grown up."
When she was on the verge of death back then, her soul was suddenly pulled away by a powerful force. When she woke up again, she saw the grown-up Cana and the scruffy Gildarts.
She hadn't expected such a magical experience. In just the blink of an eye, little Cana had grown up. Her only regret was that she hadn't been there to accompany her.
However, for Cana to have found Gildarts and so many gentle, reliable family members—this was already the best possible outcome.
Acnologia was feeling quite embarrassed by all the thanks and hurriedly found an excuse to make a run for it.
Fighting was fine, but anything else was out of the question.
Gildarts saw through it but didn't expose him. Cơnelia needed to give her sincere thanks, but he and Cana didn't.
Comrades didn't need to say too many formal words; keeping it in the heart was enough... Acnologia went home with Irene and Erza. Having not seen them for over half a year, he missed them dearly.
The three of them lay on the sofa in the same lazy posture, one eating fruit, one eating sweets, and one eating ice cream, chatting idly about what had happened during this time.
"You didn't come back for New Year's. After the Harvest Festival in two days, you can head out to the East Continent."
Erza suddenly thought of something and said, "By the way, the Master plans to hold the Harvest Festival and the S-Class Promotion Trial at the same time. You two should become S-Class Mages this year."
Even though her Dad and Mom were very strong, without certification from the Magic Council, it felt like something was missing.
"That's fine. The timing isn't too tight anyway."
Those gods had been sealed for thousands of years; it couldn't be such a coincidence that they would be summoned by believers just because of a few days' delay.
Acnologia felt a bit sentimental. He and Irene had joined the guild in X783, and now it was already X785. Two years had passed in the blink of an eye. Time really flew.
Irene looked at her daughter lying on the sofa swinging her long legs. Her eyes lit up, and she said, "Stand up, let me see."
Erza propped her chin on her slender arm, flipping through a manga book with one hand as she asked lazily, "What for?"
"I feel like you've grown taller again."
Irene pulled Erza up, patted her head, and then gestured against her own head.
"You're not shorter than me anymore. You should be 1.7 meters now, right?"
"No way, I'm only 1.65..."
Erza was a bit unhappy. If she grew too tall, she wouldn't be cute anymore. She already felt a bit tall now.
Seeing her nervous look, Irene couldn't help but laugh. "Don't lie to yourself. If we had a ruler at home, I'd definitely measure you."
"I don't want to!"
Erza pouted and threw herself onto the sofa. She was afraid of things like rulers. She was only nine now; how tall would she be by the time she was twenty?
Acnologia laughed and said, "Don't worry, I know Form Magic. Changing your height is no problem at all."
He snapped his fingers, and Erza instantly shrank to the size of a finger.
Nowadays, people in this world who could resist his Form Magic practically didn't exist, let alone Erza, who was only at the level of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Erza waved her tiny fists and protested loudly, "Why did you make me so small? Change me back right now!"
She hadn't reacted in time, and the dessert in her hand fell, pinning her right underneath it.
"So big!"
Suddenly her eyes lit up as she looked at the dessert that seemed like a tall tower. This way, wouldn't she have an endless supply of sweets?
Irene grabbed Little Erza with a smile, a wicked grin appearing on her face. "Being tiny is also very cute!"
A moment later, Erza was already shouting with her bottom stuck out, "Stop putting me in such embarrassing poses!"
Irene said happily, "How is this embarrassing? Clearly, your thoughts are impure."
Acnologia also felt playful and turned Irene into the size of a fingernail.
Irene was shocked: "What are you doing?"
"That's for bullying Little Erza!"
Acnologia laughed, "Daughter, your Dad's helping you. It's time for your counterattack."
Erza looked at Irene, who only reached her ankle, and immediately flashed an evil smile: "Thanks, Dad!"
She directly tackled Irene, pinning her down to spank her, and said triumphantly, "Go on, be fierce again!"
Irene never expected the day would come when her daughter would spank her. Her face turned red with unprecedented embarrassment. "You brat, let go of me this instant!"
Erza said smugly, "I don't want to! I'm going to keep hitting!"
However, before she could be happy for more than a few minutes, Acnologia turned Irene into the size of a palm, and she in turn pinned Erza down for a sound thrashing.
Erza's eyes widened instantly: "Whose side are you on anyway?"
Acnologia looked troubled and said with total sincerity, "Oh dear... Irene is my wife. I can't just watch my wife get beaten up!"
"Thanks, Hubby!"
Irene called out affectionately, then her eyes flashed with a cold light as she stepped on Erza. "That hitting felt pretty good just now, didn't it!"
"Mom, I was just joking with you!"
"Too late!"
After a round of pitter-patter thrashing, Acnologia made Erza a bit bigger again.
"Erza is my most beloved daughter. How can I stand by and watch her get beaten up?"
"Thanks, Dad!"
"Damn it! Erza, stop! I'm your Mom..."
"But Irene is my most beloved wife..."
...After six or seven transformations, the two women finally realized who the most wicked one was. He was even acting innocent; it was simply unforgivable, that bastard.
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