"Mama is happy too. But it's getting late. We have to get ready to go."

"Aww, Mama, do we have to leave so soon? I want to play a little longer," Lucy said, looking around reluctantly.

"Everyone has things they need to do. We can't just play forever," Layla explained to her.

"Can I come back and play again in the future?" Lucy asked her mother. She had had so much fun at the party that she wanted to come back again.

"It won't be possible for a while. But whether you can come back here in the future... that will be up to you, Lucy." Layla didn't give her a direct answer, instead letting Lucy think about it and make her own choice.

"I want to come back here again. I'll work hard," Lucy said, a serious expression on her face. It was clear she really did want to return.

"Then you'll have to work hard, Lucy."

Layla, carrying Lucy, met up with Jude. Together with Noah, they went before the Celestial Spirit King. "Thank you for the wonderful feast, Your Majesty, and everyone else. We had a wonderful time!" Layla said.

"Thank you, Grandpa Big-Beard! Thank you, all you big brothers and sisters!" Lucy's clear, bright voice followed, bringing a huge smile to the Celestial Spirit King's face and smiles to all the spirits around them.

"Thank you, everyone. I truly had a great time. I feel like I've completely relaxed," Jude said, thanking the spirits he had been dancing and singing with just moments before.

"Now there's just one last thing," Layla said, looking at Noah.

Noah nodded. "Everyone, please step back a little."

The surrounding people and spirits moved a safe distance away. Many of the spirits hadn't been near the King earlier and hadn't heard his conversation with Layla and Noah, so they didn't know what was about to happen. A few spirits who had been nearby quickly filled them in.

Noah began to concentrate his magic. A golden aura started to boil around him. The air was continuously compressed and then rushed back in, creating rings of shockwaves that expanded outwards, forcing everyone to retreat even further. The ground began to shake. Seeing this, the Celestial Spirit King used his own magic to reinforce the ground to prevent it from being destroyed.

The magic grew stronger and stronger, and the pressure on everyone increased. Some of the weaker spirits were already starting to look uncomfortable. The King waved his hand, and specks of starlight flashed through the air. Everyone immediately felt a sense of relief; the King had used his power to shield them from the effects.

As an even greater amount of magic surged from him, Noah's normally black eyes turned golden. His hair floated straight up. The friction between his magic and the atmosphere began to create fine arcs of electricity. It wasn't just the small planet they were on that was shaking; planets in the distance also began to tremble. The King had to use his power to confine the effects of Noah's magic to their current location. A protective shield formed, enveloping the planet, and the shockwaves from Noah's power-up created ripples across its surface.

Many of the spirits now looked at Noah with a completely different expression. They had originally thought he was just one of Layla's family members, a boy of about ten, who had come along to the party. Who would have thought he was such a powerful being? Many of the combat-oriented spirits asked themselves if they could win against him, and the answer was depressing. It wasn't a question of if they could win, but of how many hits they could take. With that level of magic, if they were hit in Earth Land, they would be sent back to the Spirit World instantly. Here, where they could use their full power, they might be able to take a few more hits, but they would still be easily defeated. Many of them decided to learn more about Noah later, especially since he was leaving a Thought Projection behind.

Noah's magic was still concentrating. The golden power was like a fire outside his body, extending more than half a meter, constantly flaring upwards as arcs of lightning flashed around its edges.

"Hah!"

With a low shout, Noah猛然 drew all the magic back into his body. The surroundings fell silent. Then, another Noah appeared beside him, solidifying from an ethereal state.

After the Thought Projection appeared, it quickly put on the celestial clothes that a spirit had brought for it. After a quick check of its condition, it said to Noah, "It's just as I thought. The celestial clothing really does reduce the drain on a Thought Projection in the Spirit World."

Just then, Noah's real body was panting heavily, his hands on his knees. Sweat poured from his face and body, dripping onto the ground and soaking his clothes, making him look as if he had just climbed out of water. He had just transferred the vast majority of his magic power to the Thought Projection. He now felt incredibly weak, his limbs were trembling, he was seeing stars, and his ears were ringing.

Layla's family hurried over to him. Grandpa Crux stepped forward to check on him and found that he was only suffering from excessive magic consumption and would be fine after a little while.

Noah's condition was indeed improving rapidly. After just a moment, he had stopped sweating, and strength was returning to his limbs. He straightened up, and his pale face was quickly regaining its color. Aside from his drenched clothes and wet hair, no one would have known he had just expended a massive amount of magic.

Most of the people and spirits who knew what had happened sighed in their hearts. His recovery speed is incredible!

Layla had heard Noah say his recovery was good before, but this was the first time she had seen it. It wasn't just good; it was a little scary. The amount of magic Noah had just consumed was far more than she had possessed even at her peak. Yet, in just a few minutes, he looked almost completely normal again. Even if he hadn't fully recovered, he was already capable of fighting. It was easy to imagine how despairing his enemies must feel, fighting him for a long time only to find him still full of energy while they were exhausted.

After he had recovered, Noah saw that the projection was stable and that the celestial clothing was indeed reducing the magic drain. He nodded, then said to Layla's family, "Sorry to make you worry. I just overdid it a bit. I'm fine now."

"Are you okay, Big Brother Noah?" Lucy asked, her face full of concern.

Noah shook his head. "I'm all better now. No problem."

He then handed a large number of his magic storage cards to the Thought Projection, containing the equipment and tools he would need for his research in the Spirit World. Then, he said to the Celestial Spirit King, "I'm ready."

The King swept his cape. "My old friends, it is time to say farewell. May the blessing of the stars always be with you!" He then vanished.

Lucy waved at the spot where he had disappeared. "Goodbye, Grandpa Big-Beard!"

Then, Noah and the Heartfilia family also said their goodbyes to the spirits present. Jude had wanted to ask where the other Zodiac keys were, to save himself the effort of searching, but he was told that information about key holders was a protected secret. He had no choice but to drop it.

After their farewells, Cancer once again cast his spell, sending Noah and the Heartfilia family back to their home.

~~~

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