With his precise spiritual pressure sensing, one of Unohana's hidden strengths, Kurosaki had long since learned the truth of Cana's birth.
Through spiritual pressure, he could catch tiny emotional fluctuations from those around him, and even the faint residue left behind by conversations. He understood exactly where Cana's sadness came from, but he chose silence.
This was family business between Cana and Gildarts. He didn't want to interfere too directly.
Still, he thought quietly that the next time Gildarts returned, he might be able to help in a subtle way. If he used Unohana's spiritual pressure control to gently guide their emotions, restraining everything sharp and only letting out soft reishi ripples, maybe he could ease the heaviness in the air.
Maybe he could help Cana gather the courage to tell the truth.
"Hey. How about we take Cana out to have some fun?" Laxus sat at the bar, eyes on Cana, who had been staring blankly at her tarot cards for days. He lowered his voice and spoke to Kurosaki quietly.
"Oh?" Kurosaki's mouth curved slightly, teasing. "You're pretty concerned about her, huh."
It was only a casual joke. Cana was still just a little kid.
"Come on. She's been like this for days. Anyone with eyes can tell something's wrong." Laxus propped his chin on his hand, frowning as he thought it through. "You didn't notice Macao and Wakaba trying to cheer her up on purpose? Even Lidas noticed too. It's weird. Ever since Gildarts left, she's been like this."
Kurosaki couldn't help thinking Laxus was sharp in the strangest ways.
He knew the real reason, but he had no intention of telling Laxus. Still, he was already considering whether he should talk to Gildarts about it the next time he returned. Last time, Gildarts had come and gone too fast, and Kurosaki barely had time to exchange more than a few words. Makarov had only given a quick introduction.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt Laxus's suggestion was the right move.
"Yeah. Good idea." Kurosaki snapped his fingers crisply and nodded. At the same time, he quietly activated a thread of extremely gentle spiritual pressure, drawing Unohana's sharpness completely inward.
A tiny reishi light point drifted down and settled on Cana.
It was so subtle no one could possibly notice, yet it would do its work quietly, easing the weight of sadness in her heart just enough to make it easier for her to accept their invitation.
Then Kurosaki glanced toward Makarov, who was drinking calmly.
"Grandpa, I think we might need you to help persuade Cana a little."
"I understand." Makarov's hand paused on his mug, then he nodded.
In truth, he had been worried about Cana's state for a while. Over these two years, he had come to understand just how terrifying Kurosaki's power was. Sometimes, when Kurosaki trained, a faint trace of spiritual pressure would slip out unintentionally. The pressure that rushed forward in that instant was something Makarov couldn't oppose, no matter how hard he forced his own magic power.
He knew it.
Kurosaki's ability was already beyond Fairy Tail, beyond even Ishgar's understanding.
It was the kind of force that crushed everything by sheer existence.
"Cana, want to go out and walk around Magnolia with us?" A voice suddenly spoke near her ear.
Cana slowly looked up.
In front of her stood a boy wearing a spiked sound jar around his neck, smiling brightly. Beside him was Kurosaki, nearly the same height as Laxus now.
"Come hang out with us," Kurosaki said, giving a thumbs-up in Laxus's direction. "This guy's good at finding fun. He knows a lot of interesting places."
"What do you mean 'this guy's good at having fun'?" Laxus snapped instantly, cheeks puffing as he glared at Kurosaki, clearly offended. "Haven't you been with me to those places too?"
"Hey, don't sweat the small details." Kurosaki waved, trying to smooth it over.
Cana still didn't speak. She just watched them quietly.
It wasn't that she didn't believe them. Her mood was simply too low to feel interested in anything. The reishi light point Kurosaki had placed earlier helped a little, easing her chest just slightly, but the heaviness still clung to her.
"Cana." Makarov chose his moment and spoke gently. "When you're feeling bad, don't keep it bottled up. Go for a walk. Have some fun."
"Yeah, yeah," Wakaba and Macao chimed in like eager sidekicks, nodding repeatedly. "Go out with them."
Cana thought for a while, then finally gave a small nod.
"Okay."
In her heart, she admitted the obvious.
If I keep sitting here sulking, Father won't come back any faster.
"Then let's go to South Gate Park first," Laxus suggested, pointing in that direction. "We can go see that Sky Tree."
"I'm fine with anything." Cana really hadn't explored Magnolia. When she first arrived, she had been holding her little dog and walked straight to Fairy Tail without looking around.
"Before that, let's buy some food," Laxus said. "Cana, is there anything you really want to eat?"
"..." Cana didn't answer right away.
Kids really can't resist food. Cana isn't that future heavy-drinking booze tank yet, Kurosaki thought to himself.
At the same time, he quietly used Unohana's spiritual pressure sensing, sweeping the nearby stalls to make sure there was no danger. Unohana's sensing range could stretch for several thousand meters, and it was faster and more precise than any detection magic in Fairy Tail's world. Even low-grade monsters hiding in the dark would have their magic fluctuations caught instantly.
"No problem," Laxus said. He walked a few steps ahead, then turned back to Cana. "We'll look around the street. If you see something you like, we'll buy it too."
"Good grief, we bought a lot." Kurosaki couldn't help saying it out loud later.
He and Laxus were carrying bags filled with all kinds of snacks, grilled skewers, sausages, takoyaki, crepes, and a stack of drinks.
For Kurosaki, carrying it was effortless. Unohana's sword foundation gave him extreme control over power, and with spiritual pressure reinforcing him, the weight felt like feathers.
Even if it was ten times heavier, he could still lift it easily. He could probably hold it steady with just the sword intent in his fingertips.
That kind of refined strength control was something no mage in Fairy Tail could come close to matching.