Fairy Tail vol. 55

The bonds between characters feel so genuine and evolving. I'm curious whether this was planned from the start or developed organically as the story progressed.

The pacing seemed to pick up with the battles and revelations. Was this a deliberate choice to keep readers hooked or just how the story naturally unfolded?

The imaginative designs add so much charm to the story. I'm wondering if Mashima drew from existing mythologies or created everything from scratch.