The next morning, the atmosphere at the Fairy Tail guild's reconstruction site was still a bit heavy.
Although Ryoma told everyone not to worry, Loke was, after all, a member of the guild, and to leave so suddenly—who could truly be at ease?
Suddenly, two familiar figures appeared at the guild's entrance.
Loke and Lucy had returned.
"Hey! It's Loke!"
"And Lucy!"
"They're back!"
The first person to spot them shouted, and instantly everyone's movements stopped.
Natsu, Gray, Erza, Mirajane... everyone looked over.
"Yo!" Loke raised his hand, giving everyone a long-lost, brilliant smile. "I'm back."
"Loke!"
"You jerk, where did you run off to?!"
Natsu and Gray were the first to rush over, and the rest of the crowd immediately surrounded them, asking questions all at once.
"What exactly happened?"
"Why did you leave the guild?"
Facing the concerned gazes of his companions, Loke took a deep breath, and the smile on his face became gentle and sincere.
He glanced at Lucy beside him, then bowed solemnly to everyone.
"I'm sorry for making everyone worry."
He slowly straightened up, his gaze sweeping over each companion's face.
"Now, please allow me to explain everything."
Loke's voice calmed down, and he began to recount everything that happened last night.
"First, my name is Loke, the Celestial Spirit Leo, one of the twelve Zodiacs."
"What?!"
"A Celestial Spirit?!"
This opening statement was like a bomb, instantly exploding among the crowd.
Everyone was stunned.
Loke... is a Celestial Spirit?
"Because I indirectly caused the death of my previous owner, Karen, as punishment, I was forbidden from returning to the Celestial Spirit World and was exiled to the human world for three years." Loke's tone carried a hint of bitterness.
"Celestial Spirits cannot stay in the human world for long periods. My magic power and life force were already at their limit, on the verge of fading away. I didn't want everyone to see me disappear, so I thought of leaving the guild."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
So that's how it was.
Everyone finally understood the source of Loke's heavy and melancholic mood.
"Then... what about you now?" Cana couldn't help but ask.
Loke's gaze turned to Lucy, his eyes filled with endless gratitude. "Lucy saved me."
He continued his story.
"Just as I was about to disappear, Lucy found me. She actually tried to use all her magic power to forcibly open the gate of Leo, wanting to send me back to the Celestial Spirit World."
"What?!" Erza's expression changed.
"That's reckless!" Gray looked incredulous.
Forcibly opening a Celestial Spirit Gate that didn't belong to her was a suicidal act.
Lucy lowered her head, a little embarrassed, and whispered, "But... but there was no other way at the time."
Loke looked at her gently and continued, "The gate didn't open, but her magic power linked with mine, and we both began to assimilate, to fade away together."
"Hiss—"
A collective gasp echoed around.
Just hearing the description made them imagine how thrilling the scene must have been.
"However, it was precisely because of her reckless actions that the rules of the Celestial Spirit World were touched." Loke's voice held a hint of awe.
"The Celestial Spirit King descended."
"The Celestial Spirit King?!"
This name, which only existed in legends, made everyone's eyes widen.
"Lucy summoned all her Celestial Spirit companions at the last moment."
"Ultimately, the Celestial Spirit King was moved by the bond between Lucy and her companions, pardoned my sins, and allowed me to return to the Celestial Spirit World."
Everyone was stunned by this experience, which was comparable to a myth.
After a long while, a burst of clamor finally erupted.
"That's amazing! Lucy!"
"She actually met the Celestial Spirit King!"
"Loke, you jerk, you're not allowed to act recklessly on your own again!"
Amidst the clamor, only Natsu's focus seemed different.
Like he had discovered a new toy, he circled Loke, sniffing him one moment, then poking his arm the next.
"A Celestial Spirit..." He tilted his head, his face clearly showing the words "cannot understand."
"That's not right!" Natsu observed him frantically from all angles, up, down, front, and back. "You're not a bull, nor a crab, nor a horse!"
In his simple mind, he thought Celestial Spirits should be like Taurus.
"Pfft..."
Ryoma, standing nearby, finally couldn't help but hold his forehead, looking helpless.
"Natsu, did you forget Virgo?"
"Virgo?" Natsu paused.
"The maid Celestial Spirit."
Natsu suddenly realized, slamming his fist into his palm.
"Oh! Right! The strong, muscular maid!"
"She's not a muscular maid!" Lucy retorted helplessly.
At this moment, Erza and Mirajane's gazes simultaneously turned to Ryoma.
"Ryoma." Mirajane's gentle eyes sparkled with curiosity. "When did you know Loke was a Celestial Spirit?"
Erza also stared at him and added, "No wonder you weren't surprised at all yesterday and just told Lucy to handle it."
Ryoma spread his hands, giving an ambiguous answer. "Hmm... due to some special circumstances, I guess I knew from the start."
He paused and glanced at Loke and Lucy, who were being pestered by Natsu.
"However, this matter could indeed only be resolved by Lucy." Ryoma's tone held a hint of certainty. "After all, Lucy is special."
"Special?"
Erza and Mirajane exchanged glances, then simultaneously turned their gazes to Lucy, scrutinizing her up and down.
Golden hair, ordinary build.
Apart from being a little cute, it seemed... they couldn't see anything special about her?
Unable to figure it out, the two simply gave up.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Loke, having recovered from his shock, had already made an astonishing move. He walked in front of Lucy, and before she could react, he swept her into a princess carry.
"Ahhhhhh—!"
Lucy's face instantly turned bright red, like a ripe apple.
"Lo-Loke! What are you doing! Put me down!"
She struggled wildly, not knowing where to put her hands and feet.
Loke, however, held her more steadily. He looked down at the blushing girl in his arms, a gentle smile on his face unlike any before.
"So that's how it is. My sins have been pardoned, and from today on, I am your Celestial Spirit, Lucy."
He deliberately leaned closer, lowering his voice. "So, let's have a good talk... about our future."
A small blue figure zipped in front of the two.
Happy, who had been watching the show for a while, covered his mouth with his paws, deliberately curling his tongue and grinning mischievously as he spoke, "They totally have something going on."
Loke, hearing this, not only didn't refute but gave Happy a thumbs-up, smiling and nodding in agreement. "Hmm, you could say that."
"No, we don't!!!"
Lucy finally exploded, breaking free from Loke's embrace. Her face, flushed crimson, was filled with shame and indignation as she roared at the Celestial Spirit and the cat.