The Magic Merchant in Fairy Tail

Looking at the motionless body of the Ice Demon King, Erza stepped forward cautiously and asked, "What's wrong with it?"

Kira shrugged, a mix of confusion and curiosity on his face. "I don't know. It just… stopped. One moment we were fighting, and the next it froze—pun intended." His expression brightened as if a thought had just struck him. "Wait… do you think I beat it?!"

He turned to the group with a smug grin, ready to gloat, but before he could say more, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the distance.

Winter had finally returned.

"The battle… is over?" she asked, scanning the scene.

Kira smirked, spreading his arms theatrically. "Oh, you're just in time to bask in my glory. Sorry, I handled it all by myself—no assists left for you!"

Winter's expression flattened. "You killed it?"

"Not exactly." Kira launched into an animated retelling of the events.

When he finished, Winter nodded knowingly. "That makes sense. I think I know what happened!"

Kira blinked, surprised. "You do?"

Winter explained everything she had learned from the Black and White Goddess.

"So," she concluded, "it must be because it swallowed too much. Its mind has become a chaotic mess."

Kira squinted at Ace's still form and deadpanned, "So it's not defeated; it's constipated. I told it earlier that what it really needed was to—" He tapped Ace on the head. "—poop."

Everyone groaned. "Kira, enough!"

"But why didn't it rampage?" Erza asked, trying to steer the conversation back to seriousness. "Didn't you say losing its mind would turn it into a beast that only knows how to kill?"

Winter nodded thoughtfully. "Its mind probably hasn't fully reacted yet. It's been bombarded with chaos—the Sea Demon King's fragmented psyche and those other demons it absorbed. It's like it hasn't 'digested' everything yet."

Kira rubbed his chin, considering her words. "Now that you mention it, some of its behavior during the fight did feel… off. Like it wasn't completely itself. Even its tone sounded a little like that cloud demon we fought earlier. I thought it was just mimicry from being around each other, but this explains it."

The group exchanged impressed glances, marveling at Kira's ability to notice such subtle differences.

Happy fluttered closer, tail twitching nervously. "So, uh, what do we do with this guy? We can't just leave him here, right?"

Erza frowned. "The Magic Council should handle it. They'll know how to contain him."

"Are you sure about that?" Kira cut in, his tone skeptical. Everyone turned to him, waiting for his reasoning. "The Council isn't exactly foolproof. If we hand him over, what's stopping someone from breaking him out or using him for their own plans?"

"So what's your suggestion?" Erza asked.

Kira's gaze shifted to Winter. "Why don't you take him?"

Winter stepped back, startled. "Me? That's impossible! I've already received the souls of the Black and White Goddess. Adding this demon's energy would create a conflict."

"Is that really a thing?" Kira tilted his head in surprise.

Winter nodded firmly. "The goddess warned me about it."

Kira sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well, that rules that out. Guess it's back to me then." He eyed Ace thoughtfully. "If nothing else, I can study him. Who knows? Maybe I can crack the mystery of artificial demons."

The group stared at him, stunned.

"What makes you think you can pull that off?" Lucy asked, baffled.

Kira grinned confidently. "If Zeref could do it, why can't I?"

As the group deliberated, Natsu suddenly spoke up. "Hey, wait a minute—wasn't this my mission?"

Kira and Erza immediately retorted in unison, "No, Natsu!"

Erza continued, crossing her arms, "This mission was far beyond what you could handle. And you'll still face punishment for taking it without authorization."

Natsu groaned, scratching the back of his head. "Aw, come on!"

Kira smirked mischievously. "Don't worry, Natsu. I'll personally oversee your punishment. My devil training regime will whip you into shape!"

Happy wailed. "Noooo! Anything but Kira's training!"

Later that evening, the makeshift Forget-Your-Troubles Tavern became the site of a joyous barbecue party. Poole brought out his finest wines and roasted snow wolf meat to celebrate the group's victory.

Winter beamed as she reflected on her journey. She had finally proven her strength and ended her family's burden.

Lucy, meanwhile, grinned as Kira drunkenly offered to lend her a Celestial Key with an interest-free repayment plan.

But when Kira invited Winter to join Fairy Tail, she shook her head. "Thank you, but no. I want to see more of the world before settling down. Maybe I'll visit someday."

Kira nodded understandingly. "Fair enough. You've got plenty of time to explore." He paused, then smirked. "But really, with your backstory—revenge, legendary inheritance, surviving cliffs—you're practically the protagonist of this world."

Winter stared at him, puzzled. "What are you even talking about?"

Kira waved her off. "Never mind. It's a long story."

As laughter echoed through the party, Kira's sharp senses picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned to see a rugged figure stepping out of the shadows—a man with short orange hair, a sturdy frame, and a weathered cloak.

Kira's eyes widened in shock. "Gildarts?!"

The man stopped in his tracks, equally surprised. "Kira? What are you doing here?"

At the sound of his name, the rest of the group whipped around, their jaws dropping.

It was indeed Gildarts, Fairy Tail's strongest wizard, who had been away on a century-long mission for the past three years.

The tavern fell silent as the unexpected encounter sunk in.

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