Astro woke up with a jolt in the bathtub when someone knocked against it from outside. He blinked and looked toward the window. Morning light was already pouring in, pale and steady.
His mind immediately drifted back to last night. All the memories of his life again replayed in fragments, one after another. The argument with Alvemak resurfaced, too… he remembered yelling at Alvemak. Another knock at the door snapped him out of it.
He slowly got up and stood in front of the mirror for a moment. His eyes lingered on his reflection, and he frowned slightly at the tattoo-like mark on his face. After a second, he shook his head and went to open the door.
Nina's grandmother stood outside. The old woman who had taken in Lumina and Zenith looked at him carefully. She didn't remember the young man having a tattoo before, but she didn't comment on it. Her gaze shifted past him and into the room, noticing the broken basin and the mess still scattered across the floor.
Astro followed her gaze and looked back at her awkwardly.
"Um… I'll pay for it. Sorry, I kind of lost control last night," he said in an embarrassed tone, scratching his cheek.
The old woman only shook her head calmly.
"Don't worry about it… I know how much trauma you wizards carry," she said in a quiet voice. "There's another bathroom in that room. Go wash yourself. Someone left a package for you. I'll leave it inside the room."
She gave him one last look to confirm he wasn't injured, then turned and walked away without another word.
Astro blinked. A package? Here? From who? What?
Somewhere in Ishgar…
A man sat on a throne made of bones and skulls, his fingers cracking slowly as he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. Whatever was running through his mind was not pleasant, the faint frown on his face making that clear. After a moment, a distortion flickered in front of him. He lowered his gaze as a holographic figure formed, walked forward, and then knelt in front of him.
A slow smile formed on the man's face.
"Golvax, I am proud of you… You were actually ready to kill your own daughter for our cause. I knew I didn't choose the wrong person."
Vindex's smile twisted slightly as he looked down at the projection. Golvax did not respond at first, but his eyes narrowed, and the red one glowed faintly.
"She was getting too comfortable trying to defy me. I did all this for her, and in the end, she couldn't even stand by my side. I don't need a daughter like that anymore."
His voice was calm, but the red glow in his eye betrayed the rage beneath it. It was pretty obvious that there was no more love in those eyes for his daughter anymore. He talked about Lumina like she was a complete nobody to him.
"And you should already know… Arthur and Aurora are both in the Iceberg Kingdom as well. They won't let me get the Poison Devil's Lacrima so easily."
There was no fear in his tone. But the lacrima was simply too important to risk unnecessary complications. Any wrong moves and their whole plan of years could go to waste.
"I'll take care of them. You don't have to worry about it," Vindex replied casually, though his expression sharpened soon after. "I still have a score to settle with them. You focus on what you need to do."
His eyes darkened.
"And don't repeat what happened last time. Because of your impatience, they found out about the Tower of Heaven and managed to save their eldest son."
Golvax's eyelids lowered slightly. After failing to eliminate the second prince of the Sin Kingdom, he had exposed too much. Aurora had already been tracking him. She knew about Siegrain's thought projection infiltrating the Council, but she didn't know where the real body was hidden. But because of his mistake, she managed to trace it and arrive in time to save their son.
Golvax clenched his fist. Aurora and Arthur had once saved him and his daughter, and in return, he had helped them reclaim their child. Now they owed each other nothing.
"What about the other Devil Slayers? We can use their help too," Golvax asked, lifting his head.
"No. If I gather too many Devil Slayers in one place, it will attract that dragon's attention," Vindex replied, his eyes narrowing at the thought. "I'm tired of relocating our bases because of him all the time already. It's not worth it to draw the attention of that dragon now. Once I have all the Devil's Lacrima in my possession, dealing with him will be simple then."
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"Instead, I'll have the devil slayers cause chaos in different parts of Ishgar. Let the Council spread themselves thin trying to deal with the chaos while we get the lacrima tomorrow."
Golvax nodded slightly, then asked, "And what about Astro Blackmist? He clearly has Sky Devil Slayer magic, and he's in the Iceberg Kingdom too."
"Oh yes… that child." A dark smile formed on Vindex's face. "I don't know what Anantea did, or if it was Aurora… or both. Somehow, that child managed to make my ability to see the timeline almost useless. I can no longer observe the future in detail. My foresight now is no better than that of those third-rate seers wandering around Earthland."
His jaw tightened before he calmed himself.
"When I found out about him from Luthar, I wanted him by my side as revenge for what Aurora and Arthur did to me in the Sin Kingdom thirteen years ago. I could have used him to reach Alvemak, too. But if he has already discovered his heritage, then there's no point."
"Luthar tried to kill him before, didn't he?" Golvax asked.
"Yes. Luthar didn't even try to see if that kid had Sky Devil's lacrima first. But I confronted that kid personally, and I realized his power was temporary. He doesn't have it. He raised my expectations for nothing."
Vindex remembered meeting Astro inside the mindscape while speaking with Aurora. The way she reacted made it clear she cared deeply for that boy. Thinking back to his battle with her and Arthur, the fact that either of them could face him alone and gain the upper hand still irritated him.
It irritated him far more than he cared to admit. But now it was different… He was no longer the weak Vindex like thirteen years ago… He could deal with both of them at once now.
"Kill him, Golvax," Vindex said quietly, a cruel grin forming on his face. "Kill Astro and don't make it quick. Make sure he suffers."
Golvax's red eye burned brighter as hatred surged through him as well. He had failed to kill the boy three years ago. He had failed again when he couldn't eliminate his brother. Because of that, he lost his chance to stand as Master Vindex's right hand.
But now he had another opportunity.
"As you wish, Master."
After washing up, Astro stepped out of the bathroom with a towel over his head that he was rubbing his hair with. He wore only a pair of pants, his upper body bare as he dried his hair. His eyes fell on the package placed near the door.
"I don't think anyone from Fairy Tail would send something here…then who sent it?"
He crouched down and opened it slowly.
The first thing he saw was some clothing. He picked up a purple T-shirt and blinked. The size matched him perfectly, and the material felt very expensive as well. He set it aside and looked deeper into the package. His fingers soon brushed against a metal white stick.
The moment he lifted it, it expanded smoothly from both ends, transforming into a bo staff. The motion was swift and clean. He froze for a second. He remembered that he used to have one just like this when he was younger. Because of his father's influence, bo staffs were his favorite weapon and the one he felt most comfortable with as well.
He already could tell who sent the package.
Astro ran his hand along the golden-purple intricate markings carved into the weapon.
"Well… I already have Aether with me, so I don't think I'll need it that much anyway," he muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, he felt something shift inside his chest.
A purple light moved from his heart, flowed down his arm, and gathered in his palm before pouring directly into the staff. The Aether inside him transferred smoothly, almost eagerly, as if it had been waiting for this. The staff began to glow faintly in response as Aether fully moved in.
"Well, do you like the weapon?" Astro asked in a casual tone while looking at it.
The bo staff now Aether… pulsed with a soft purple glow, almost as if answering him happily. Astro stared at it for a moment, then let out a quiet breath.
"Are you some kind of weapon spirit or something?" Astro asked confusingly as he studied the bo staff.
At that moment, the door to his left opened.
Nina walked in and immediately froze when she saw him half-naked. Her face turned red instantly, and she covered her eyes with both hands.
"S-Sorry, I didn't know you were changing," she said in a flustered tone.
"It's okay. I didn't start changing yet. Do you have something to say?" Astro asked casually as he placed the bo staff on the bed and picked up the t-shirt.
The weapon dimmed slightly, almost like it was sulking. Astro's mouth twitched.
"This thing is too dramatic," he muttered.
Nina peeked through her fingers. Her eyes drifted over his upper body, and she quickly realized this was the first time she had seen a male body up close. She hadn't expected it to look so… well-built. Combined with his sharp features and the tattoo marking the left side of his face, he looked far more handsome than before. It was hard not to stare.
The confident aura that Astro was emitting, coupled with his looks…was a bit too much for Nina to handle…
"I wanted to say that Zenith said he wanted to talk to you before you head out," Nina said, trying to sound normal.
Astro paused briefly, remembering Zenith mentioning something about a vision.
"I wanted to meet him too… Tell him I'll be there," Astro said with a small smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen…"
" I know many of you have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Some of you even traveled from distant kingdoms just to witness today's event. On behalf of the royal family… the Iceberg Kingdom welcomes you all!"
The announcer's amplified voice rolled across the entire colosseum, carried by layered sound lacrima embedded high along the circular walls. The massive arena stood at the heart of the Iceberg Kingdom's capital, carved from pale glacier stone and reinforced with shimmering defensive enchantments that glowed faintly along its edges.
Today, the sun was out — a rare sight during this season. Only yesterday snowstorms had buried the city in white, but now the skies were clear and sharp blue. Sunlight reflected off the icy architecture, making the entire stadium gleam like polished crystal. The change in weather alone made the atmosphere feel more celebratory.
The stands were completely packed. Thousands of spectators rose to their feet, cloaks and banners waving as cheers thundered through the arena. Merchants shouted, children leaned over railings, and illusion magic was used on the big screens everywhere to give the audience a better view of everything.
The announcer laughed lightly on the big screen as the noise swelled. "I see the excitement is already overwhelming! Then let us not delay any further. Before we begin the main events, please join me in welcoming our distinguished guests — the royal families who have gathered for this year's summit!"
Golden fireworks erupted around the elevated royal platforms. Magical sparks burst into shimmering patterns, dissolving harmlessly before touching the stone.
On the central balcony, Prince Nova Steensen remained seated, though his posture was straight and composed. Beside him stood the empty throne of his father.
His gaze lingered on it longer than necessary.
The king was supposed to open the event himself. More than that, he was supposed to have already secured the Queen of Sin Kingdom under their control. That had been the plan discussed privately.
Instead, early in the morning, Nova's stepmother had informed him that the king was ill and that Nova would take over the ceremony.
He did not object. Public exposure would only strengthen his position. Still, something about the situation felt off.
His eyes drifted to the side.
The Queen of Sin Kingdom sat calmly in her designated seat, her posture relaxed as she watched the massive floating screens displaying scenes from around the arena. She showed no signs of tension, no guarded movements, no sign of someone who had narrowly avoided an ambush or anything.
Nova narrowed his eyes slightly. 'Why does she look so unconcerned? Did Father abandon the plan… or did something interfere?'
While he was lost in thought, he failed to notice that his younger brother Oskar and their cousin Anna were sitting rigidly nearby. Both stared fixedly at the screens unnaturally, avoiding Nova's gaze altogether.
"Prince Nova Steensen. It is an honor to meet you finally."
Nova turned and saw three figures approaching. A middle-aged bald man walked in front with steady, grounded steps. Behind him followed an elderly woman with sharp features and an older man with a heavy beard.
Nova immediately recognized the man in front.
He stood up at once and extended his hand. "Master Izen. We are honored by your presence. I was concerned you might have departed before the event began. I assume your matters here are resolved?"
Master Izen clasped his hand firmly. His grip was calm but powerful, like a seasoned martial artist who had spent decades refining control.
"I was born in the Iceberg Kingdom," Izen replied with an easy smile. "Where would I go? Besides, I prepared the trial venue for the younger generation. I would like to see how they perform on there."
He gestured slightly to the two behind him. "These representatives from the Magic Council have also joined us in case their presence becomes necessary. Master Org… and Madam Belno. Both are among the Council's senior seated members."
Nova's eyes widened briefly. He inclined his head respectfully. "My apologies for not recognizing you immediately. I have heard from my father about your efforts against dark guilds. Your work has strengthened the continent."
Org stroked his beard and gave a modest shrug. "We simply do what must be done. It's nothing much…haha… By the way, where is Itharan? Did he drink too much at the Gala? "
"Well…." Nova scratched his cheek… that guy was supposed to be with his father to get Queen of Sin Kingdom under their control…. Now there was no news from him as well… Nova swiftly changed the subject,
"He should be somewhere in the colosseum i guess… By the way, Madam Belmo, how are you doing? Was there a problem during your journey?"
Belno did not respond.
Her attention had already shifted.
Across the platform, Aurora sat beside Arthur, her expression composed as she observed the arena below. Belno's eyes locked onto her with unmistakable intensity.
"It was okay."
Without waiting for further pleasantries, Belno stepped away from the group and walked directly toward the Queen of Sin Kingdom.
Conversations nearby quieted. A subtle shift passed through the royal balcony as several nobles sensed something brewing.
Belno stopped directly in front of Aurora. She did not bow; instead looked at her intensely.
Aurora also looked up slowly to meet her gaze.
"I did not expect you to be so bold as to leave your kingdom, Your Majesty," Belno said in a controlled, cold tone. Her fingers tightened at her sides, knuckles whitening. "Or have you forgotten that you are a wanted criminal? You destroyed multiple Council facilities. And yet you dare to sit here openly."
Aurora blinked once. Her right eye flickered faint blue before she smiled, though the expression did not quite reach her gaze.
"If you came here expecting me to kneel and beg for forgiveness to the council," Aurora replied evenly, "you will be disappointed."
Her voice carried enough that a few nearby royals shifted uncomfortably.
"I did what I had to do. Did you expect me to quietly submit while the Council experimented on my people? Tortured them? Buried their screams behind official reports?"
A few eavesdropping royals visibly stiffened, hearing Aurora casually talking about it to a magic council member.
"You are lying."
Belno's jaw tightened. A tremor ran through her clenched fist before she forced her hand to relax.
Aurora studied her for a moment, then slowly rose from her seat. The movement drew more attention from those around them. She stepped closer until only a breath separated them and leaned slightly toward Belno's ear.
"About your son," Aurora said softly.
Belno's body froze. Her shoulders went rigid, and for a fraction of a second, her breath hitched.
"You should request the sealed documents about Project Seraphim that your Council hid from you. Read the reports written by your son. When you learn what he did… You may understand why I chose not to grant mercy."
"Project Seraphim? No…That was just a myth…"
"Was it really? Are you scared to look deep into it?" Aurora asked with a smile.
Belno's fingers trembled again, this time more visibly. Anger flared across her face, but beneath it, something far more fragile surfaced — grief that only a mother could have after losing her son.
Aurora stepped back and returned to her seat with calm composure. She felt bad for the woman in front of her, but she did not regret her decision.
In truth, "killing" was an oversimplification. Aurora had not ended him swiftly. She had forced him to experience what he inflicted upon others — layer after layer of illusion, guilt, helplessness, terror. She had made him confront the weight of every scream.
When the nightmare finally turned fully against him, he could not endure it. His mind shattered before his body did.
Belno did not know the details, but her emotions were already spiraling. Her breathing became uneven, and for a brief moment her eyes glistened — not with weakness, but with the unbearable conflict between duty and motherhood.
She inhaled slowly and straightened her spine. When she looked at Aurora again, the rage had cooled into something controlled, restrained.
Without another word, she turned and walked back toward the Council section.
Aurora watched her go before leaning back into her seat. She rested her head lightly on Arthur's shoulder as though the exchange had been nothing more than an idle conversation.
"She's dangerous," Arthur murmured, his gaze following Belno.
Aurora shook her head faintly. "Yes, but she isn't a hypocrite like me."
Her fingers loosely traced the edge of Arthur's sleeve as she continued watching Belno's retreating figure.
"If someone took revenge on Siegrain the way I did with her son… I would tear the world apart to answer it. She seems to care more about her duty to people who believe in her than motherhood."
A faint smile appeared on Aurora's lips, tinged with something unreadable.
"Maybe Siegrain was right… the Magic Council isn't completely beyond hope."
Around them, whispers spread through the balcony. Curious glances lingered, but neither Aurora nor Arthur acknowledged them. Their attention shifted back to the enormous floating screens broadcasting the arena floor.
After a moment, Aurora spoke again, her voice quieter now.
"He's late."
Arthur smiled slightly. "He'll be here. I imagine he's still unpacking the gift we left."
Aurora's eyes softened just a little as she continued watching the screen, sunlight reflecting faintly in her gaze while the crowd below roared in anticipation of the battles about to begin.
"Your friend is not here yet?"
Inside the waiting room, Laxus stood alone, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. A girl with short golden hair walked up to him and asked the question casually.
Laxus, who was wearing a heavy black cloak, opened his eyes and looked at her. It took him a second to remember. Graxia. From the Bosco Kingdom.
"Whether he comes or not doesn't change the outcome," Laxus said in a bored tone. "Go away."
He closed his eyes again, clearly uninterested. His thoughts drifted back to the discussion he had with Astro's father the previous night. The deal they talked about still lingered in his mind.
"Hey, how dare you talk to Graxia like that?"
A silver-haired young man stepped forward and pointed at Laxus angrily.
"..."
Well, Laxus didn't even open his eyes to acknowledge him.
Another young man with copper-colored hair sighed and grabbed the silver-haired one by the collar.
"Don't antagonize people before the event, Argen."
Argen frowned. "But Bradley—"
Bradley ignored the protest and dragged him back anyway.
"What's with that guy? Acting like he's too strong to even talk to us."
Gapri from the Stella Kingdom narrowed his eyes while staring at Laxus.
"If we're talking about strength, the one with him last night wasn't weak either," Swan said with her arms crossed, with a calm gaze.
"Oh yeah, you told us not to fight that Astro guy alone. Was he really that strong?" Doll asked seriously.
Swan paused. The memory of last night flashed in her mind. The way Astro crushed the minds of the enemies without even looking troubled. No hesitation. No strain. Just absolute control.
A chill ran down her spine.
She had always considered herself one of the strongest in Stella, but today she was starting to understand how small that confidence really was.
Her eyes shifted toward Percival, who stood leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, just like Laxus. Then she glanced at Vera, who was lying on a bench without the slightest care for posture or image.
"Strong or not, as long as we fight together, we can still win this event. We can't let King Animus down, can we?" Swan said with a grin. "The harder it is, the better."
At that moment, several guards entered the room.
"The event is beginning. Be ready. You'll go out when your name is called."
They didn't wait for a response and immediately left.
"How rude," Swan muttered.
"They work for nobles," Graxia said, narrowing her eyes. "So of course they act like them."
Wizards were looked down upon everywhere by the nobles. Nobles made the laws, and legal guilds had to follow them. That power imbalance was never subtle.
"Well, it's not surprising your friend ran away in the end. Maybe it was too much for him," Argen mocked again, glancing at Laxus.
As expected, Laxus ignored him completely.
A prince afraid of nobles? What a joke.
He didn't bother revealing Astro's identity. To him, prince or not didn't matter. Just like Mystogan, once you were in Fairy Tail, status meant nothing. They all had to follow him.
Percival observed Laxus quietly. He had hoped to fight Astro after seeing him last night. There weren't many people who could truly challenge him, and Astro seemed like one of them. He wondered if Laxus was as strong as Astro.
His eyes then drifted to Vera.
She was still lying on the bench carelessly.
"Are you going to wake up?" Graxia asked, patting her head.
"Avon?" Vera murmured sleepily.
"I'm not Prince Avon. Wake up. It's almost time," Graxia said in exasperation.
"Avon… I can't do anymore. Let me go for tonight…" Vera mumbled, clearly still not fully awake.
Graxia froze. Her face slowly turned bright red.
"Okay… just one more round…" Vera added softly.
"Wake up!" Graxia shouted, shaking her shoulders in panic.
Vera opened her eyes fully and looked at her.
"Oh. You're not Avon."
She blinked once, then smiled lazily.
"But you're cute too. Want to lie down? Or you want to be on top?"
"What? No! No, no, no—I don't swing that way!" Graxia stammered as Vera leaned closer.
"She wasn't asleep," Percival said flatly from the side.
"What?" Graxia snapped out of it, finally realizing Vera was barely holding back her laughter.
Vera released her and stretched casually.
"Come on, sweetie. You think I'd actually sleep defenseless in a room full of men?"
Her white shirt stretched slightly as she moved, drawing more than a few awkward glances around the room. Aside from Laxus and Percival, all of the other men seemed at least a little flustered.
"You seem different from last night," Percival said, studying her carefully. Yesterday, she had seemed more naïve. Now she carried herself like someone fully aware of the effect she had.
"Really?" Vera replied with a playful smile, but she didn't wait for his answer. She leaned toward Graxia again. "Just to clarify, it's usually the other one begging in bed, not me."
Graxia's face turned completely red. A few others coughed awkwardly and looked away.
Then a loud voice echoed from outside.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome our fighters from all across West Ishgar! The strongest wizards from each kingdom, the nightmares of every dark guild!"
"Alright," Vera said, grinning toward the door. "Looks like the stage is set."
She stood up, excitement clear in her eyes.
"Don't hold back. I rarely get to fight seriously. I'll be disappointed if you guys can't last."
Laxus and Percival didn't respond. They simply glanced at her, then briefly at each other, before closing their eyes again.
Percival's two younger brothers stood on either side of him, crossing their arms and flexing slightly as if showing they were not afraid at all.
The three wizards from Joya, who had remained silent the entire time, subtly tensed beneath their cloaks. The one at the front glanced at Graxia, who was now being held steady by Argen and Bradley, before looking toward the door.
"Don't worry. I'll go all out properly," Gapri said with a confident smile while fixing his spiky blue hair. "I made a promise to my little brother that I would win after all."
"Maybe that kid will finally stop riding that ball if you win," Doll said dryly.
"What do you mean? That's part of his charm…haha."
Swan remained quiet. Her eyes stayed on Vera as if she were assessing her. Her intuitions were telling her this woman was very…very dangerous…
"Graxia, are you okay?" Argen and Bradley asked while shaking her lightly.
But Graxia's mind was already spiraling from Vera's teasing words. Before the fight even began, her focus was gone. She had tried flirting with Astro the night before, but this was far beyond what her innocent imagination could handle.
"Now let's begin with the Bosco Kingdom! We have three candidates from there who came all the way to Iceberg Kingdom!"
"Let's go, Graxia."
Argen and Bradley pulled her toward the entrance. Graxia stumbled for a second but quickly snapped out of her daze.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Graxia, Argen, and Bradley! The three shining stars of the Bosco Kingdom! All three are members of Midas Foundry, one of the independent guilds of Bosco!"
Cheers erupted throughout the massive colosseum.
As Graxia stepped out, the sheer scale of the arena hit her. The crowd stretched endlessly in every direction, their voices blending into a thunderous wave. For a brief moment, her eyes grew moist. The reflection of the entire colosseum shimmered in her gaze.
They had come so far, didn't they?
"Argen… Bradley…" she muttered softly.
Both boys were also staring around in awe as they walked toward the center of the stadium. Hearing her voice, they turned to her.
"Let's win this tournament," Graxia said firmly. Her short golden hair fluttered in the wind. "This is our only chance to make our guild fully legal."
For a second, all the fear and tension about standing on such a massive stage disappeared. Argen and Bradley looked at each other, then smiled brightly.
"Yes, Graxia."
Back inside the waiting room, Laxus watched as one group after another left when their names were called. The Stella Kingdom team exited as well, and soon he was the only one left in the room.
He frowned slightly.
"It's not like Astro to be late," he muttered.
From the day they met, Astro had never been late to their so-called "training." He wasn't the type to back down from a challenge.
"Don't tell me he went back to his family and left," Laxus said irritably.
He knew Astro struggled with nightmares and delusions in the past. Maybe meeting his parents had changed something. Maybe he no longer cared about staying with commoners like them. Maybe Fairy Tail was too weak for him now.
Lightning began to crackle faintly around Laxus as his mood worsened.
"Ladies and gentlemen… now for our final contestants!"
Laxus looked up at the announcement and began walking toward the corridor leading outside.
"We have two wizards from Fiore!"
Laxus paused for a fraction of a second, then continued forward, lightning snapping around his shoulders.
"He really dared to…I am going to kill him…I am going to kill him." Laxus muttered through clenched teeth.
"Who made you this mad this time, old man?"
A familiar voice echoed beside him.
Laxus's eyes widened as he slowly turned his head.
Purple wind swirled into existence next to him, and a figure gradually stepped out of it as if emerging from thin air.
"I think we seriously need to find a therapist for you, Laxus. You definitely have high blood pressure… It is not good for an old man, you know?"
Heavy boots tapped against the stone floor as Astro fully stepped into the corridor's light.
The details of his appearance became clearer with each step.
He wore black cargo pants that reached his ankles, secured loosely with a belt at his waist. A purple T-shirt covered his upper body, layered under a black windbreaker with a high collar that hung open casually. There were several dark blue dots everywhere on the windbreaker that looked like stars in the dark.
A white bo staff rested across his back, marked with intricate gold and purple designs.
But Laxus's attention wasn't on the outfit.
It was on his face.
Astro's slightly long, unkempt black hair framed his features the same way as before. His purple eyes met Laxus's gaze calmly. And on the left side of his face, stretching from his cheek toward his eye and up into his hairline, was a familiar tattoo-like mark.
Laxus remembered it clearly.
Mystogan had the same mark—only mirrored on the right side.
"You're late," Laxus said flatly.
As he looked at Astro, he couldn't shake the feeling that something else had changed, too. It wasn't just the mark. There was a difference in the way Astro carried himself. More grounded. More confident in himself, which was a bit different from his lazy aura from before.
"Well, it's a busy day. Air traffic was a bit packed," Astro replied with a relaxed smile.
Laxus stared at him like he was looking at an idiot. Or did this guy think he was the idiot?
"Astro and Laxus, both members of Fairy Tail! You may not know the guild well, but you certainly know their master—Master Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints of Ishgar!"
The announcer's voice echoed across the colosseum.
"Oh? How much did you pay them not to mention you're his grandson?" Astro asked with a mocking smile as he walked down the corridor and passed Laxus.
"The same amount you paid them not to say you're the prince of the Sin Kingdom," Laxus replied with an equally calm smirk.
Astro's smile paused for a brief second before he let out a chuckle. He wasn't surprised Laxus had figured it out. Fooling an S-Class wizard for long was unrealistic anyway.
"Well, that makes two of us with secrets then," Astro said lightly. "Let's keep the secret that way a little longer."
He started walking toward the light at the end of the corridor.
Laxus didn't move immediately.
Instead, he looked at Astro's back and asked in a low voice, "Before that, I need to know whose side you're on. Fairy Tail or the Sin Kingdom?"
"They don't really conflict, do they?" Astro replied teasingly without turning around, putting his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker.
"But if they do?" Laxus pressed.
Astro stopped walking.
After a short pause, he turned his head and met Laxus's eyes directly.
"I can't say what's going to happen tomorrow or the day next…but right now, I'm Astro Blackmist of Fairy Tail," he said seriously. "Not Prince Astro Synaris of the Sin Kingdom. I'll fight for the guild we both love."
Outside, the announcer's voice rose again.
"Let's welcome them with all your voices!"
The cheers of the crowd exploded through the stadium.
Laxus studied Astro's face for a moment. Then a faint smile formed on his own.
He stepped forward and walked past Astro.
"Good enough for me," Laxus muttered as he passed by.
Astro blinked once at the moody guy before catching up, walking beside him as they stepped closer to the light from outside.
"That's it? I honestly expected you to pick a fight here just to show you're still in charge despite my identity," Astro said with a teasing grin. "You're not acting like the Laxus I knew. Are you an imposter?"
"You've gotten more talkative," Laxus replied calmly, eyes forward. "I'm still in charge. You being royalty changes nothing. And if we're talking about fights, you alone won't satisfy me. I'd take both you and Mystogan—two princes at the same time—and show you your place in the guild later."
"I don't swing that way," Astro replied immediately, increasing the distance between them. "As for Mystogan, maybe ask his permission first?"
Laxus's eye twitched.
"You airheaded bastard, that's not what I meant."
Astro definitely wasn't the same as before. He was more confident. More relaxed. Sharper with his words.
"It's fine," Astro continued with exaggerated sympathy. "Master Makarov will understand. I'll give him a lecture. He might be a little sad about not having any more descendants, but he'll be happy for you. Surely."
He wiped away an imaginary tear.
"You— Keep talking, and I'll kill you after we are done with the event," Laxus growled.
"Hey, I'm supporting you, Laxus. No need to attack me. I am on your side."
"I will kill you right now."
"Oh no. I'm terrified…There is a wild lizard on the loose."
"Astro!"
Their voices overlapped as they bickered all the way through the corridor, as both of them stepped into the blinding sunlight of the colosseum floor, their confident silhouettes emerging before the roaring crowd.