On the plains west of Magnolia...

"You're aware of the different types of magic, yes?"

Makarov sat cross-legged atop a boulder, watching Rayne and Conna standing before him.

"Yeah. Holder-Type and Caster-Type," Rayne answered without hesitation.

"Correct. Holder-Type magic requires a specific object as a medium to activate," Makarov explained, though his gaze lingered oddly on Rayne.

"Your Summoning Magic should fall under that category…"

He'd never seen such a bizarre magic before.

It didn't quite fit as Holder-Type, yet calling it Caster-Type didn't feel right either.

"Ah, whatever. You're full of mysteries anyway."

Makarov shook his head, dismissing the thought.

Magic was vast and unpredictable—trying to rigidly classify it was pointless.

"Caster-Type magic is directly channeled through the body or mind. My Giant Magic falls under this category—and due to its immense power, mastering it is incredibly difficult. Even dangerous."

His tone turned grave as he locked eyes with Rayne.

"I'll give it everything I've got!"

Rayne's response was immediate, his expression unwavering.

He'd already considered the risks when he decided to ask for this training.

In the original story, Makarov's appearances were limited to highlight Natsu's growth, making Giant Magic seem less impressive.

But during the Tenrou Island arc, facing Acnologia?

A full-powered Makarov had grown larger than a mountain.

No fancy titles like "Lost Magic," no flashy gimmicks—just raw, overwhelming scale.

Mastering it wouldn't be easy.

"Giant Magic uses your mana to enlarge your flesh. That means you need absolute control over both your magic and your body."

Makarov raised a finger, demonstrating as his digit fluctuated in size—swelling and shrinking erratically.

"If you rush it and overload your mana…"

The skin on his finger bulged unnaturally, veins threatening to rupture.

"Your blood vessels will burst. In severe cases, your flesh might explode. So. Do. Not. Rush. Understood?"

The distortion stabilized, and Makarov fixed Rayne with a stern glare.

"Understood."

Rayne nodded, though inwardly, he was stunned by Makarov's precision.

He'd always known the guild master was strong, but seeing such flawless control firsthand?

It was on another level compared to Gildarts' unstable aura.

(Though, to be fair, Makarov did have decades more experience.)

"Now, Giant Magic's structure is—"

As Makarov began his explanation, a faint glow flickered beside them.

Conna blinked down at her tiny hands, where mana swirled—and in moments, her chubby fingers lengthened into slender, elegant ones, smooth as polished jade.

A grown woman's hand, attached to a child's body.

Her usually blank face twitched with something akin to fascination.

**"Rayne, Rayne… Look at my hand!"**

She waved her disproportionately large fingers excitedly, stretching on her tiptoes to pat Rayne's head—finally returning all those headpats he'd given her.

"..."

Both Rayne and Makarov fell silent.

The student hadn't even started practicing, yet the observer had already figured it out.

"Why so shocked? She's a millennia-old dragon. Once she grasps the principle, replicating it is trivial," Dreyar scoffed in Rayne's mind.

**"Right… Because she's a dragon."**

Rayne accepted the logic, but another thought struck him.

**"Wait—if Conna used Giant Magic in her true form…"**

Even in her humanoid shape, Conna was massive.

But as a dragon? With Giant Magic?

She could dwarf mountains.

"And once our bond peaks, maintaining her in this world won't drain my mana anymore. If she goes all out…"

Maybe she wouldn't rival that world-bearing dragon from The Box just yet—but a planet-sized dragon?

Absolutely possible.

A thrill shot through Rayne at the mental image.

This magic was even more valuable than he'd thought.

"Ahem. Let's… continue."

Makarov pointedly looked away from Conna, refocusing on Rayne.

Dragons operate on different rules, he reminded himself.

Still, having his signature magic copied so effortlessly stung his pride.

"Conna, don't overdo it. My mana can't sustain that for long," Rayne chided gently before returning to the lesson.

The dragon girl pouted but released the spell, her hand shrinking back to normal.

Bored, she wandered off to sway side-to-side with a flower in the breeze.

"The core of Giant Magic is what I've explained. For now, your goal is to refine your mana control."

With Conna's distraction gone, Makarov swiftly outlined the key points before assigning Rayne's first task.

**"Start by enlarging just one finger—"**

"…Like this?"

Rayne's hesitant voice cut him off.

Makarov's head snapped up—and his jaw dropped.

Rayne's index finger had already transformed, perfectly proportioned without a single unstable bulge.

"???"

A storm of question marks raged in Makarov's mind.

Conna was a dragon—fine, he could accept that.

But Rayne too?!

Having talented guild members was one thing, but this was downright monstrous!

Back in his day, he'd been considered a prodigy!

Yet mastering this magic had taken him years of grueling effort—not to mention the toll it took on his body, leaving him stuck like this!

And Rayne just… got it after one explanation?!

Even the generous-hearted Makarov felt a pang of bitter frustration.

His gaze flickered between the boy and the little dragon now humming as she played with a butterfly.

…No wonder these two got along so well.

They're all monsters!