Day after day, year after year.
Rhode himself couldn't remember how long he had been training in Summoner's Rift.
He used to mark each passing day with a tally on the wall, but as the marks accumulated, he sometimes forgot whether he had added a stroke yesterday or suspected he added an extra one, questioning the accuracy of his count.
And with each stroke added, his longing for Mira and his comrades deepened.
As time passed, the dense tally marks seemed to constantly interrogate him about whether he was making an effort or just wasting another day.
Although it felt like there was progress every day, Rhode's pressure and anxiety grew daily.
Until one day, he simply stopped marking, entirely forgot about time, and didn't care whether it was day or night; he would eat when awake and train after eating, assuming exhaustion meant sleep.
After all, with the Marine Sub-Dragon as backup, he wasn't afraid of pushing himself too hard, and the foolish River Crab knew to send him to the Marine Sub-Dragon when he collapsed.
Every now and then, feeling he had made good progress, Rhode would clear worms, battle Nest Insects, duel Vanguards, and fight the Baron...
For quite a long period, Rhode's challenges against Baron Nash closely resembled Natsu's challenges against Kildas.
Finally, one day, when Baron Nash saw Rhode standing before him again, the Baron nodded with satisfaction.
Having experienced too many defeats, Rhode momentarily forgot that he had already received affirmation before the fight started this time.
Shock was swiftly replaced by joy; he could finally go back!
No need for farewells, as he could summon anyone for a conversation anytime in the future.
The pendant on Rhode's chest floated out from his collar, emitting a faint golden glow, and with that, Rhode's figure vanished from Summoner's Rift.
——Exiting is indeed easier than entering.
...
At the very moment of Rhode's return, Mebius's Spirit Body stood barefoot on the ocean surface. Initially focused on gathering Magic Power with closed eyes, she suddenly opened them.
With her arms spread and palms facing upward, the seawater surged, and a layer of pale yellow Magic Shield slowly rose from beneath the ocean surface.
The shield ascended higher and higher, vaguely forming a giant sphere, inside of which lay Celestial Wolf Island—originally supposed to be destroyed by the Black Dragon's breath!
The sea gradually calmed, Celestial Wolf Island returned to its place, and the pale yellow Magic Shield quietly dissipated.
Rhode, returning from Summoner's Rift, felt a whirlwind sensation. Upon reopening his eyes, he saw the azure sky and the towering Celestial Wolf Tree.
"I've returned!" Rhode leapt up with excitement, confirming the Black Dragon was indeed gone without a trace.
He looked around; the scene was chaotic, with trees toppled, ground shattered, and companions who should have been hand in hand were inexplicably dispersed.
Some were clustered together, some covered by leaves, and the unluckiest were buried halfway in soil and debris.
Rhode clapped his hands together and gently spread them apart, revealing a shimmering green orb in his palm: "Healing of the Ocean!"
The green orb transformed into streaks of green light, flowing into each person's body.
Having used the Magic, Rhode was certain everyone was alive and well.
His nose twitched, and he immediately dashed forward, picking up Mira in her pink dress.
As if startled awake, Mira opened her eyes to see a familiar face filled with tears.
"Rhode?"
Mira called out in a daze, quickly realizing she was tightly embraced, her chin resting on his shoulder, face pressed against his.
She recalled they were just resisting Acronologia's attack together, activating Fairy's Ball, one of the guild's three major magics, and then...
Then she had no idea what happened.
Looking at Rhode's expression... it must have succeeded?
"Mira, I..."
Rhode finally released Mira but still held her hands, looking at her without saying a word.
Mira withdrew one hand, placed it on Rhode's cheek, and said softly with some concern, "You seem different."
"Because many things happened." Rhode wanted to tell her about his experience, but now wasn't the right time.
"It hurts..."
"Ugh..."
"Where is this..."
The magic Rhode cast had extraordinary effects, causing his unconscious comrades to stir one after another.
Natsu was the first to spring up, shouting, "Where's that damn Black Dragon?!"
Gray raised his head from a soft spot, complaining, "Shut up, Natsu."
"Gray-sama!" Jubia said with hearts in her eyes, "Please feel free to use Jubia's body!"
Lucy sneered, "How could you do such a thing while Jubia is unconscious, you pervert."
"Yikes~" Gray looked down and immediately jumped up hurriedly, "No, I'm, um..."
"Gray-sama!" Jubia chased Gray around, clinging onto him.
Hapi attentively helped Carla: "Carla, are you alright?"
"Seems fine, where's Wendy?" Carla looked around, quickly darting into Wendy's arms as she awoke.
Kildas calmly sensed the Black Dragon's presence, confirming its absence before suddenly teleporting to Kana, embracing her and crying loudly.
He didn't know how he cultivated this skill, crying like a fountain while sneaking glances at Kana's reaction.
Kana, annoyed, pushed him away but realized it was a post-disaster situation, burying her head in her father's arms.
Melty and Ultear hugged tightly, and Laxus was surrounded by the Thunder God Tribe.
Reby excitedly hugged Gajeel tightly, then released him with a blushing face, while Gajeel awkwardly searched for Li Li.
Lisana and Elfman rushed over, hugging Rhode and Mira, the four of them crying and laughing together.
Erza stayed vigilant longer than others, only relaxing after confirming safety, watching everyone celebrate with a smile.
Makarov looked up at the sky: "Did we really survive? From such a monster..."
An ethereal voice appeared by Makarov's ear: "You've survived, Third Generation."
"First Generation... President Mebius!" Makarov got emotional, "Did you protect us?"
"No, it was everyone's power that activated Fairy's Ball; I simply collected Magic Power to release the magic after the Black Dragon left.
"Unfortunately, I'm now just a ghost, my power weak, and merely releasing this magic took six years."
Mebius initially thought it would take longer, but suddenly the progress sped up greatly.
Without delving into this, Mebius continued, "Firm belief and unconditional trust create miracles; you've transformed Fairy Tail into a wonderful guild, Third Generation."
Makarov showed a bashful smile, like a child praised by an elder.
The cheers of the crowd rang out.
However, Laxus's expression was somewhat puzzled; he looked at where everyone was gazing, finding it empty and hearing no sound just moments ago.
He directly asked the Thunder God Tribe: "Are you talking to the First Generation?"
"Yes, the First Generation is right there..." Fried nodded eagerly, but quickly realized, "Can't Laxus see?"