Even with her head pressed down, the little girl beamed happily. "Big Brother, it's me, don't you remember? I'm Jenny!"
Elfman immediately hooked an arm around Rhodes's neck, his tone sharp. "And who exactly is this calling you 'Big Brother'?"
But Jenny turned to him with shining eyes. "Oh! Muscle Big Brother!"
"Mus.." Elfman froze. "What?!"
Rhodes chuckled and elbowed him. "She said Muscle Big Brother."
"Don't you remember?" Jenny prompted, realizing it might've been too long. She tapped her finger in the air as though recalling key words. "About seven years ago, Galantos Snow Mountain. A rash brother and sister… and Laban…"
Elfman blinked, then snapped his fingers in recognition. "Ah! You're that little girl who ran up the snow mountain to gather herbs!"
Rhodes squinted, finally forcing himself to see the resemblance. 'Ten years old back then… No wonder I didn't recognize her.'
This time, when Jenny rushed forward, Rhodes didn't stop her. He and Elfman both embraced her warmly.
"The snot-nosed little girl from back then's grown so much," Rhodes teased.
Jenny stamped her foot, cheeks red. "I wasn't snot-nosed! It was just too cold on the mountain!"
Her words contradicted themselves, but Rhodes didn't call her out. He smiled. "Your father, Mr. Krut, actually visited our guild this morning."
"Father?" Jenny gasped. "Wait, then this is near Magnolia?"
Elfman scratched his head. "Don't you even know where you are?"
"Because… because when I was ambushed, I was still near home," Jenny admitted sheepishly. "I guess I was saved by Big Brother again."
Rhodes pointed over at Gajeel. "I freed you, but the one who actually dispelled the crystal magic is lying right there."
"Ah!" Jenny suddenly remembered, and her face turned bright red with guilt. She had just attacked him.
Clutching her lollipop staff, she moved to release him, but when she glanced at Gajeel's scowling face again, she hesitated.
She tiptoed back to Rhodes's side, whispering nervously, "Is he really not Raven Tail?"
Rhodes tilted his head. "Well… if you really want to stretch it, he kind of was."
Jenny spun back around and pointed her staff at Gajeel's head. "Then he really is a bad guy!"
Gajeel's face darkened instantly. He roared at both of them. "Who the hell are you calling a bad guy?! And you, you bastard, quit encouraging her!"
Rhodes just patted Jenny's fluffy cat-ear hat. "See? He's full of energy. No need to undo the spell for him."
Gajeel's glare could have melted iron. He sucked in a breath, and jagged iron spikes erupted from his shoulders and arms.
The rainbow crystal cracked and then shattered.
Gajeel shot to his feet, pointing at Rhodes. "You bastard! Fight me, now!"
"Alright," Rhodes said evenly. Still holding the golden orb in his left hand, he crooked a finger at Gajeel with his right.
Fueled by rage like Natsu in a frenzy, Gajeel charged. "Iron Dragon's Club!"
But Rhodes calmly caught the tip of the iron staff in one hand. Gajeel strained, pouring in all his strength, but Rhodes didn't budge a step. Instead, Gajeel's own boots sank deeper into the ground.
"Watch your head," Rhodes murmured.
Gajeel blinked upward, and saw a small mountain crashing down.
BOOM!
The ground shook. When the dust settled, Gajeel lay sprawled, limbs twitching helplessly outside the rubble.
"Eh? That's it?" Max groaned. "It ended too fast!"
"Yeah! We didn't even get to start betting!" other guildmates booed.
Panther Lily shook his head with a sigh. "Gajeel… looks like our training isn't over yet."
"Alright, everyone, back to the guild!" Rhodes called out. Then something struck him, and he pulled a massive sword from his Requip space. Tossing it to Lily, he added, "A gift. Think of it as an apology. Gajeel's all yours."
"A sword?"
Lily shifted into his towering, muscular panther form and caught the hilt with precision. The moment his hand wrapped around it, his eyes widened in surprise.
"It can change size…? Perfect for me. Thank you," he said with a rare, satisfied grin.
The group made their way back to the guild in a grand procession. Along the way, Jenny finally began to realize that Gajeel's frightening glare masked a far less terrifying man.
Still, she asked cautiously, "Is it really okay to use magic like that on him?"
"It's fine," Rhodes replied easily. "He's basically a walking chunk of iron. Very durable."
He handed the strange black creature he'd captured to Master Makarov for examination. Then, still holding Mira's hand, he gestured toward her and Elfman.
"This is my fiancée, Mirajane, and Elfman, the 'Muscle Big Brother' you remembered."
"Miss Mirajane!" Jenny's eyes sparkled. "You're even more beautiful in person than in the magazines! I've always wanted to be just like you!"
"Thank you," Mira laughed warmly. "But Jenny, you're very cute yourself. Your father mentioned this morning that you joined Shining Sun?"
"Yes!" Jenny nodded eagerly. She held out her hand, proudly showing her guild mark. "This is our emblem!"
The emblem was unlike any other: blue-green zigzag lines like waves, topped with a blazing red sun rising from the sea.
Most guilds used simple, solid-colored crests where each member could pick their shade. But Shining Sun's design was permanently multicolored, a deliberate break from tradition.
From their name to their emblem, everything about them shouted "new era," as though they were declaring they wouldn't follow the old conventions.
Even Fairy Tail's members, who had seen plenty of strange things, were intrigued. Some already whispered about getting rainbow-colored marks themselves.
After all, Fairy Tail never minded a little individuality.
Rhodes smiled. "I heard you did well in this year's Grand Magic Games. And your Master is said to be very strong."
Jenny puffed up proudly, then slumped a little. "Yes, our members are amazing! But I'm still new, so I didn't get to participate. Next year, I'll work hard to earn a spot! Oh, and Big Brother, you'll compete too, right?"
"Maybe," Rhodes answered, scratching his cheek. He wasn't sure. Entering felt a little like bullying. Still, the prize money was high. If the guild's finances or reputation needed it next year, it might not be a bad idea.
As they chatted, the group soon reached Fairy Tail.
Inside, Makarov eyed the golden orb Rhodes had been holding. His brow furrowed. "Why does this look so much like Fairy Sphere?"
Rhodes chuckled. "It's more like a super, super, super, super simplified version. It isn't an absolute defense, and it doesn't freeze time or space. At best, it's just… reliable defensive magic."
Makarov turned the orb slowly in his hands. "It feels demonic… and there's a trace of Zeref's aura. If it isn't handled carefully, it could be very dangerous." He handed it back. "I'll question Ivan about it later."
Rhodes tapped the orb lightly. The little black creature inside bared its teeth, defiant as ever.
"Doesn't look like Ivan knows what this really is," Rhodes muttered. "Too arrogant for its own good… makes me want to hit it with Fairy Glitter."
He thought for a moment, then added, "Still, I'll have Mira look at it later."