A few days later, in the Fairy Tail guildhall...

"So boooored~ Why haven't Rayne and little Conna come to the guild lately?"

Carolyn slumped over a table, lazily spinning her cup with a clink-clink sound.

If not for Master Makarov confirming Rayne hadn't taken any new requests, she'd have thought he'd left Magnolia entirely.

"Rumor has it the Master's teaching him Giant Magic. Probably training hard," someone chimed in.

"That kid's so driven it's making me feel pressured."

"Right? At this rate, he'll surpass us in no time."

"Tch—as if you weren't already outclassed by Laxus ages ago!"

Carolyn's complaint sparked a chain reaction.

The guild members felt a strange mix of urgency and guilt around the diligent boy—urgency to avoid being overtaken, and guilt for lazing around while he pushed himself.

"Wait, I heard the Master only taught him for one day before coming back?" Wakaba stroked his beard, confused. Having just returned from a job, he'd only caught fragments of gossip.

"Oh, the Master got crushed. Came back moping and grinning at the same time, dragging me out for drinks," Gildarts recalled, his smirk turning wicked.

When Makarov had returned beaming, he'd assumed the old man had some scandalous adventure.

Turns out?

After one demonstration, Rayne had mastered the basics of Giant Magic—rendering all of Makarov's prepared lessons useless.

"Rayne's that good?" Wakaba's eyebrows shot up.

"Speaking of Rayne… heard the latest rumor?" A female mage leaned in, eyes gleaming with mischief.

"What rumor?" Carolyn perked up. The others turned curiously.

"There's a kid in town lately—carries a sword taller than himself, training at dawn on the plains."

"That doesn't necessarily mean it's Rayne…" Carolyn frowned.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Tsk tsk~" The woman waggled a finger, grinning. "What if I told you he's always got a little girl with him?"

"Oh. Then yeah, that's definitely Rayne."

"No doubt about it."

The guild burst into chuckles. By now, everyone knew:

Rayne alone? Maybe not.

Rayne + Conna? Guaranteed.

The two were inseparable—so much so that picturing Rayne without the tiny dragon girl felt unnatural.

"Wait, Rayne uses a greatsword?" Carolyn tapped her chin, struggling to reconcile the image.

The boy was lean, with sharp, handsome features. A massive blade seemed…

"Huh. That's weirdly hot." Her finger froze mid-tap as her eyes sparkled.

**"Right?! Right?!"** The gossipy mage fist-pumped in solidarity.

Wakaba took a long drag from his cigar, unfazed.

He'd seen the boy in the valley—this fit perfectly.

"Is the Master not here yet?"

A clear voice cut through the chatter.

Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed as the guild's attention snapped to the entrance.

Two familiar figures strode in—but for the sensory mages present, something felt off.

For a split second, it wasn't Rayne and Conna they perceived…

But a beast, claws honed and fangs bared, stepping into the light.

The illusion faded instantly, yet the impression lingered.

This wasn't a trick of the mind.

Rayne's aura had changed.

Where he'd once seemed harmless, now carried a razor's edge—subtle, but unmistakable.

Some members even tensed on instinct.

"Ho~?" Gildarts' grin widened. "Lookin' sharp, kid."

"Made some progress," Rayne replied flatly.

Five days of grueling training had paid off:

His mana and physicality had improved. Giant Magic was now stable (in human-sized forms, at least). The greatsword on his back? No longer just dead weight—every swing carried crushing force.

"Connaaa~ Missed me?" Carolyn swooped in, ignoring the tension to fuss over the dragon girl.

"No."

The blunt reply turned Carolyn into a pale, crumbling statue.

"Carolyn, is the Master around?" Rayne swiftly redirected.

"Probably sorting requests. Should be here soon," she sighed, shaking off her despair.

As she stood, her gaze trailed to the sword hilt towering over Rayne's head—its white cloth wrappings fluttering with each step, like a beast barely restrained.

Oddly mesmerizing.

"Why this weapon?" She circled him, intrigued.

"Normal ones felt too light. Plus…" Rayne shrugged. "Looks cool."

"Didn't peg you for a brute-strength type." She pinched his arm, eyebrows rising at the firm muscle beneath.

For all her goofiness, Carolyn was a seasoned mage.

Rayne moved without strain—this sword wasn't for show.

"Well, well! Back already, Rayne?"

Makarov's voice rang from the second-floor balcony, laced with amused surprise.

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