The beauty of the setting sun reflected on the sea, the orange sun appearing so large, signaling the impending darkness of the night.
The end of the war came quicker than expected. Before nightfall, the heart of the demon had already suffered a crushing defeat.
Whether it was the Hell's Seven Companions, Brutalino, or the formidable Hades, none had any fight left in them.
Watching Hades lying on the ground, Calvin was filled with emotions and countless thoughts.
Hades was undoubtedly the strongest enemy he had faced. Although they were victorious this time, Calvin was certain that facing Hades in full force alone would have been impossible to win.
Footsteps echoed nearby, and the group turned to see an elderly man with a balding head—clearly Makarov.
Behind him were the Fairy Tail members, each displaying a determined look despite their injuries, which didn't diminish their spirit.
"You've come too late; we've already won," Calvin pointed to the fallen Hades, smiling.
Makarov nodded solemnly, his gaze shifting from Hades to a nearby magical airship.
The airship harbored numerous lackeys who cowered in fear, not daring to make a move, having witnessed their leader's defeat.
Makarov took a deep breath and sternly addressed the people on the airship, "Leave this island immediately!"
The lackeys shivered and hurriedly retreated onto the airship, not daring to peek out again.
Meanwhile, the other members of Fairy Tail had already joined Calvin's group, joyfully discussing something.
Lucy hugged Erza tightly, admiring and feeling sorry for her injuries. Erza smiled nonchalantly, changing back into her usual armor. Natsu and Gray admired Erza's toughness once again.
Elfman and Lisanna attended to Mira, carefully examining her injuries. Whenever they saw a wound, they expressed concern, leaving Mira both resigned and comforted.
As for Laxus, he was surrounded by the Thunder God Tribe. Each admirer was teary-eyed, elated at Laxus's return. Laxus responded somewhat shyly and disdainfully.
His eyes, however, subtly glanced at Makarov. Even someone as tough as him revealed a hint of shyness and confusion.
Makarov grunted and scolded him, but it was apparent to others that Makarov wasn't genuinely angry.
Suddenly, Cana appeared next to Calvin, gently placing her hand on his shoulder, softly saying, "Well done, handsome."
Calvin rubbed his nose, proudly saying, "Of course! Who do you think I am?"
Cana smiled, then suddenly hugged Calvin.
"I'm so glad you're okay!"
Calvin scratched his head awkwardly but was relieved when Cana let go quickly.
She laughed heartily, squinting her eyes, and playfully said, "For your hard work, consider that hug as a little reward."
After saying this, Cana casually tossed her hair and somehow produced a bottle of wine, joining the cheerful celebration.
Calvin touched his chest; the soft sensation from the recent hug lingered. His cheeks reddened slightly, and his heart raced a little faster.
"Really spicy, Cana..." Calvin thought to himself. Suddenly, he remembered the photos he obtained from Edolas—the ones with Cana and Lucy as the main characters.
This made him completely avoid looking at Cana and Lucy, hastily gazing at the sunset, but his mind was reminiscing about those photos.
Calvin suddenly felt he was acting disgracefully. After all, Cana had grown up with him, akin to a younger sister. He shouldn't be looking at her in that way.
He decided to just think about the photos of Lucy.
As Cana approached Calvin, a gossip-loving girl had been observing the two. When she saw Cana hugging Calvin, she gasped, covering her mouth in surprise, her eyes widening, her face flushing red.
That girl was none other than Lucy, who knew Cana's secret.
Upon witnessing Cana's boldness, Lucy couldn't help but admire her. Then seeing Calvin pretending to be shy and indifferent, she couldn't help but smirk.
Amidst the celebration of everyone, the sunset finally disappeared below the horizon, and night gradually fell, dimming the sky.
The members of Fairy Tail began walking towards their camp, the scattered footsteps echoing. Makarov, walking at the back, gazed at the children's backs, feeling immensely proud.
As he was about to embark on his journey back, Hades's weak voice was heard.
"Makarov, give me the final blow."
Unbeknownst to when, Hades had woken up. His tone was eerily calm, as if he didn't care about his life or death.
"Old man, I've learned a lot from you. As a token of gratitude, I'll turn a blind eye this time and let you go," Makarov sighed, casually saying.
"Today, I have been completely defeated. To be defeated by the enemy yet retain my life goes against my pride!" Hades spoke, slightly agitated.
Makarov remained silent for a while before saying, "Defeat doesn't equate to death. I didn't teach the kids to deliver a fatal blow after defeating an opponent!"
"You're too naive, Makarov," Hades said.
"Fairy Tail doesn't fear any challenge. Forgiving enemies isn't about mercy but about tolerance."
"Have you forgotten? When I was young, you taught me to be a broad-minded man! I've taught those kids the same!" Makarov said with an inexplicable tone, perhaps a bit disappointed. The person who taught him so many principles seemed to have abandoned his previous beliefs.
Late at night, the stars sparkled brightly, forming a bright river. Under this beautiful sight, all the members of Fairy Tail had entered their dreams, sleeping soundly.
With the war won, they finally relaxed and rested on.
After the departure of the Fairy Tail group from the shore, the lackeys quickly carried Hades back to the magic airship. Rastilhos and Wahran, under cover of night, returned with their injuries.
Some were unwilling to return to the heart of the demon, like Ultear and Meredy. They found a small boat and planned to leave at dawn.
The night was exceptionally calm and silent.
Different people awaited with different emotions. However, the night didn't linger long. The stars faded, and the sun peeked over the horizon.
Dawn had arrived.