Chapter 72: Celestial Spirit and the Beach
Returning to the Fairy Tail guild, there was naturally no shortage of pleasantries. Everyone in the guild gathered around asking questions, and quite a few people requested autographs. It took a while before things calmed down again.
Dino stretched his arms overhead and said, "Man, nothing beats being back at the guild!"
"But I feel a little bad for you, Lucy—you only got one performance after all." Erza said with a hint of embarrassment. She'd had the most screen time during filming and had become the most famous among them.
Lucy shook her head. "One show was plenty! If I'd had to do any more, I don't think I could've handled it."
Happy drooled. "I wonder what mermaids taste like…"
"Don't even think about eating them!" Lucy snapped.
"But hey, at least the pay was amazing!" Lucy's expression brightened considerably. "After doing so many jobs, I finally have some real money! I paid six months' rent in advance and still have plenty left over. Having money feels incredible!" Just a week ago she'd been panicking about this month's rent, but now she could actually afford to splurge a little.
When it came to the payment, everyone was satisfied. Dino had initially wanted to split everything equally, but Natsu, Gray, and the supporting cast members had refused. In the end, they'd decided that Dino—as head writer, director, and lead actor—should take the largest share.
The lead actress Erza received the second-largest portion, but even Sarusuk, who received the smallest amount, walked away with 500,000 Jewels—equivalent to completing a highly dangerous solo mission.
"Dino, do you have any new projects in the works?" Several guild girls looked at him with sparkling eyes.
Dino quickly waved his hands in mock surrender, laughing nervously. "No, no! Maybe later, okay?"
Ever since the guild girls discovered that Dino was the mastermind behind Erza's sudden fame, they'd been hounding him about new productions or even supporting roles. To avoid getting overwhelmed, Dino had been turning them all down.
Suddenly, several young women stormed up to Mirajane's bar, demanding to know where Loki was.
"Who are they?" Lucy asked.
Happy explained, "They're all women from the city who claim to be Loki's girlfriends. Looks like he broke up with all of them."
Lucy blinked. "Loki? You mean that guy who's always got a different girl on his arm? I don't get why he avoids me like the plague. Am I not cute enough or something?"
Dino's expression grew serious. "Loki… Yeah, the time's almost here."
"Time for what?"
"Loki's dying, Lucy. And you're the only one who can save him."
"What?! He's dying?! How am I supposed to help him?" Lucy looked completely baffled, and shocked expressions rippled through the group. They knew Dino never joked about serious matters.
"Haven't you figured it out yet? And you call yourself a Celestial Spirit Mage." Dino shook his head. "Loki is a Celestial Spirit."
"LOKI IS A CELESTIAL SPIRIT?!"
Lucy froze, then her eyes widened in realization. "Wait… now that you mention it, the last time I summoned Aquarius—right before she punished me—she said she sensed a Celestial Spirit in the guild!"
"She meant Loki. But if Loki's a Celestial Spirit, then who's his contractor? Wait…" Lucy's face went pale as the implications hit her. "You said he's dying, right?" Without another word, she bolted from the guild.
Happy watched her go. "Lucy~?"
Dino grabbed Happy's tail before he could follow. "Let her go. This is something only Lucy can handle. The rest of us would just be in the way."
Though considerable time had passed, Dino still remembered the truth about Loki. Even after Loki had joined the guild, it had taken Dino a while to recall the details. Some problems couldn't be solved with raw power—Dino had learned that lesson long ago.
Erza studied Dino's expression. "You already knew, didn't you?"
Dino nodded. "Yeah, I had an idea. But it's better if Loki explains everything himself when he gets back."
The next day, Loki returned to the guild alongside Lucy to explain everything.
"A Celestial Spirit?" Natsu echoed.
"That's right! Loki is Leo—the Lion of the Zodiac!" Lucy was clearly in high spirits after obtaining a new Gold Key and a powerful combat-oriented Spirit.
Happy tilted his head. "So a lion is just what a cat looks like when it grows up, right?"
"Exactly!"
"Not even close!" Gray and Natsu said in unison.
Gray turned to Loki. "So, are you planning to stay at the guild from now on?"
Loki shook his head. "That's going to be difficult. I can't remain in the Human World for extended periods anymore, and I have responsibilities to Lucy now."
"Oh, that reminds me—I've got some hotel vouchers for a beach resort. I was planning to take my girlfriends, but… well, that's not happening anymore." He pulled several tickets from his pocket. "You guys have always looked out for me, so please, take these and enjoy yourselves."
Dino stared at the stack of coupons. "Just how many girlfriends did you have, exactly?" As a guy, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy toward this shameless playboy.
"Whoa!!"
"I've never stayed at a fancy resort like this!"
"Let's go, let's go! I'm exhausted from all that filming! Time to relax!"
"Uh… the ocean? I'll have to pass." While everyone else could frolic in the waves, Dino's Devil Fruit powers made him completely helpless in water.
From the day he'd become a hammer who couldn't swim, he'd mentally prepared himself to avoid the sea for the rest of his life. He was about to hand his voucher to someone else when—
Suddenly, Erza grabbed Dino's wrist. "I heard about that! Dino, you can't swim, can you?"
"How can an S-Class mage of Fairy Tail not know how to swim? What if you fall into the water during a mission? We're teaching you this time, no arguments!"
And so Dino was dragged by Erza to Akane Beach. The weather was perfect—clear skies and a gentle breeze. Many young people had come to enjoy the beach, including quite a few attractive young women, making it quite the scenic view.
"So? What do you think of our swimsuits?" Lucy emerged from the changing area and did a little spin in front of the guys.
Natsu barely glanced over. "Eh, pretty normal."
"Yeah, nothing special." Gray crossed his arms, turning his attention back to the ocean.
Dino looked her over thoughtfully. "How do I put this… Lucy looks like Lucy?"
Lucy's eyebrow twitched. "What's THAT supposed to mean?!"
Then Erza emerged, and Dino's attention immediately shifted. Her tall figure and cool demeanor were already impressive, but her usual armor concealed her actual proportions. Without it…
That magnificent chest was like a magnet, impossible not to notice.
Erza grew flustered under his stare, her face turning red. "D-Don't stare so intently…"
This expression—so different from her usual confidence—created an incredible gap moe effect. Not just Dino, but every man in the vicinity felt their hearts skip a beat.
"Dammit! That's so unfair!" Lucy clenched her fists, defeated in an arena she hadn't even known existed.