As the Withered Wood Demon disappeared, the dark clouds scattered, revealing a beautiful night sky filled with twinkling stars.
Everyone stared at the scene in shock. Especially Lucy, who was seeing Arlen use Azure Dragon Break for the first time—her eyes were practically popping out as she stood there with her mouth wide open.
"Th-this… Arlen is way too strong! And that move was so flashy! Not only is it powerful, it even looks amazing!" Lucy said, clutching her arms, her eyes shining.
"That was Arlen's signature technique, Azure Dragon Break, right? It really lives up to its reputation. Whether it's power or spectacle, it's top-tier. It suits him perfectly," Goldmine commented.
"My, my, I didn't expect little Arlen to have grown even stronger. A demon of Zeref, erased in just two strikes," Bob said with a smile.
"As expected… Arlen's a monster," Gray muttered, shivering.
"Yeah! But I've decided—after I challenge Erza, I'm going to challenge Arlen next!" Natsu said excitedly.
"Aye! I support you, Natsu!" Happy cheered, flying in the air with his little paw raised.
"Hey, hey, are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you really think you can take a beating like that disgusting demon?" Gray shot back, utterly speechless at the duo.
"How is it?! Amazing, right?! Arlen is the face of our Fairy Tail guild!" Makarov said, grinning from ear to ear.
"That was incredible, Arlen!" Erza suddenly hugged his head and slammed it straight into her breastplate.
Thud!
Arlen sucked in a sharp breath. "…So hard."
"Thank you for your hard work, Lord Arlen," Ultear said with a helpless smile, gently rubbing the spot on his head that had turned red from the impact.
"It's terrifying… If he hadn't been trying to train Natsu and the others, he probably would've wiped out Erigor along with everything else back in Onibus," someone remarked.
The most terrified, however, was Kageyama—once their enemy, and someone who had even repaid kindness with hostility. He feared Arlen might settle the score with him.
After the Eisenwald incident ended, Arlen and his group left Crocus, where the regular meeting had been held. As for the aftermath, it was handled by Bob and Goldmine. Makarov, happy to relax, decided to take Arlen, Ultear, and the others on foot back to the guild.
Crocus Grand Canyon—also known as the Spider's Nest Valley—was formed by ancient earthquakes. Its terrain was complex, filled with countless intersecting faults like a natural maze. It was extremely easy to get lost, and rumor had it that many who entered never made it out.
And today, this group—starving to the point of seeing stars—had somehow wandered right into this natural labyrinth.
"Ugh, I can't take it anymore. Happy, did you get us lost again?" Lucy complained.
"What do you mean again? That's so rude! I didn't get lost last time!" Happy protested.
"I don't care whether you did last time—you're lost this time!" Lucy shot back.
"Lucy, you're so mean!" Happy puffed up angrily.
The two bickered in front, while the people behind them weren't doing much better. They were simply too hungry.
"Ugh… my stomach's about to cave in…" Natsu groaned weakly, clutching his belly.
"Don't say that… you're making me feel worse…" Gray grumbled.
"My stomach's hungry, so what?" Natsu glared at him.
"I told you to stop talking, can't you understand that?" Gray glared back.
"But… I really am hungry…" Makarov said helplessly from ahead, holding his rumbling stomach.
"Stop making it worse!" Natsu and Gray shouted in unison.
"Alright, alright, everyone's hungry. Let's not argue and waste energy," Ultear advised, though her own stomach was growling just as loudly.
"Ultear's right. Let's conserve our strength," Erza agreed—though her stomach was making no less noise.
"Both of your stomachs are really loud too," Natsu pointed out.
"You heard wrong. Our stomachs are not making any noise," Erza said stiffly, closing her eyes and crossing her arms in denial.
"…You really are something else," Gray muttered, speechless. "We're not deaf, you know."
"Lord Arlen, what are you looking at?" Ultear asked, smiling helplessly as she walked over.
"There's food," Arlen said calmly, tilting his chin toward a crack below.
Ultear leaned over to look—and saw a group of fish-like creatures with colorful scales and wings, freely swimming through the crevice.
Her eyes lit up. "Everyone, come quickly! Lord Arlen found food!"
"Are those really fish? Fish with wings? Would they even taste good?" Lucy questioned, eyeing them skeptically.
"Whoa! I know these! These are the legendary delicacy—Feather Fish! They're insanely delicious, the best of the best!" Happy exclaimed, his eyes wide as saucers, drool practically pouring out as he stared at the floating fish.
Natsu, Gray, and Erza's eyes all lit up as well. Images of tender, delicious fish filled their minds, and they instinctively licked their lips as saliva flooded their mouths.
"Nicely done, Arlen! You even found something like this—great job," Makarov said, looking deeply gratified—if you ignored the tears on his face.
"The problem now is how we get them up here. Fishing clearly isn't realistic," Ultear said.
"Leave it to me."
Arlen remained calm. It was nothing more than a simple application of gravity magic. Before long, more than twenty Feather Fish were piled up in front of them.
Everyone gathered around the fish, their eyes glowing. Natsu couldn't wait any longer and blasted them with fire—instantly grilling them all.
Once everyone got their share—except for Arlen, who maintained perfect noble composure—Natsu and the others eagerly stuffed the fish into their mouths. They were simply too hungry.
Arlen swept his gaze across their faces, observing their reactions.
The moment the fish entered their mouths, everyone froze.
In the next second, their faces twisted, turning green. They spat out the fish immediately, tossing them away like they were burning hot coals.
"What's wrong?" Arlen asked curiously.
"IT TASTES AWFUL!!!" everyone shouted in unison.
Arlen looked at the perfectly grilled Feather Fish in front of him. He picked one up and gave it a sniff. His brows lifted slightly before he silently set it back down.
At that moment, he felt deeply grateful that he hadn't followed their lead and eaten it immediately.
He silently thanked his years of noble upbringing.