Nim the Writer - The Legendary Saiyan in a Fairy's World Chapter 66: Promise Me

Not beta read yet

Next update is SEF and Hound with Bleach in the works

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-???-

They found him. 

“Hah... hah... hah…!”

He tried his best to stay hidden, but his own hubris and arrogance allowed them to spot him.

“Tch!”

A blue-haired man ran through the forest with every ounce of strength he could force from his exhausted body. Behind him came the unmistakable sounds of pursuit with trees cracking and splintering as something enormous tore through them, while countless footsteps pounded against the earth hard enough to send tremors through the soil. His lungs burned, each breath coming shorter than the last, but stopping meant certain death… or worse from the few snippets of their tortured prisoners he'd seen.

Gritting his teeth, he glanced back only once before throwing out his arm.

"Meteor!"

Golden light erupted around his body. In an instant, his form transformed into a brilliant streak that shot upward through the canopy and into the sky. The sudden burst of speed carried him far above the forest, giving him a chance to put some distance between himself and his pursuers. For the first time in what felt like hours, hope began to creep into his exhausted mind.

Then a single word reached his ears.

“Argh!”

Every limb immediately seized up.

His body ignored his desperate attempts to move as the magic holding him together seemed to abandon him all at once. The blue-haired man plummeted from the sky and slammed into the ground with a heavy bang, sending dirt and snow scattering around him. “Hgh!” A groan sounded from his throat as he tried to push himself upright, his arms trembling beneath him.

Blue flames suddenly erupted throughout the surrounding forest. They crawled across the ground and climbed the nearby trees, casting the entire area in an eerie glow. Beneath his hands, countless dark scriptures began moving across the earth like living snakes. One after another, they slithered toward him before climbing onto his body and sinking into his skin.

"Dammit!"

He clawed at the markings, trying to tear them away before more could spread across his body, but nothing worked. The cursed scriptures continued crawling over his arms, chest, and legs, each one draining more of his magic and physical strength. His muscles grew heavier with every passing second, yet he refused to stay down. Even with his body failing him, he forced himself forward, dragging one foot after another as he tried to escape.

Then a shadow appeared through the flames.

A man stood in the distance, a book held firmly in his hand. His eyes carried a strange, almost jealous intensity as they immediately locked onto the book itself. The sight stirred what little strength remained inside the blue-haired man. He reached toward the figure, gathering whatever magic he could still summon despite the curses consuming him.

His fingers stretched toward the distant book.

"You won't resurrect him!"

The words came out barely above a whisper.

Darkness swallowed everything.

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“Gah!”

The blue-haired man suddenly opened his eyes and lurched upright, sucking in a harsh breath as sweat covered his body. His chest rose and fell rapidly while he struggled to understand where he had awakened. The frantic memories of the forest remained fresh in his mind, yet nothing around him resembled the place from his nightmare. Instead, he found himself sitting on top of a bed inside an unfamiliar room, with only a thin covering around his lower body.

"Just… just a dream."

The words barely left his mouth before his eyes dropped toward his hands.

The curse marks.

He immediately began examining his body, pulling away the cover and checking his arms, chest, legs, and every other place where the dark scriptures had appeared. Nothing… Not even a trace remained.

"W-Where are they?"

His hands moved across his skin again, searching for even the slightest sign that the marks remained hidden somewhere. Once again, not a trace. His expression slowly shifted from confusion to disbelief.

"They're gone? Are they really gone?"

Those curse marks had tormented him for months. Every method he could think of had failed to remove them. Magic had accomplished nothing, and even more extreme attempts to physically remove the affected skin had proven equally useless. The marks had not simply rested on his body. They had become embedded into his very soul, making their removal seem practically impossible. Yet now, after that nightmare, every trace had disappeared as though the curse had never existed.

For a moment, he wondered if he had simply awakened from one dream into another.

“Hahaha… I've gone crazy.”

Pushing the thought aside, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. “Oof!” His legs immediately trembled beneath him, leaving his knees feeling like jelly. “Still not healed… huh.” He grabbed onto the edge of the bed and steadied himself before slowly moving forward, unwilling to remain there without understanding where he had ended up.

The room itself only deepened the confusion. Several enormous shelves filled the walls, each one packed with books that stretched upward like the walls of a towering building. At the center stood a large circular window, though what appeared beyond the glass made even less sense than the strange room surrounding him.

An ocean.

Not simply an ocean viewed from a distant shore, but an entire underwater world stretched beyond the window. Countless fish swam through the water alongside strange forms of marine life, many of which he had never encountered in his life. Their movements remained clearly visible through the glass that somehow did not crack from the pressure, creating an almost surreal scene that left him staring for several moments. 

"Where the hell is this?"

His last clear memories involved Magnolia and the Harvest Festival. He had arrived just in time for the festivities, though exhaustion had left him barely capable of paying attention to what happened around him. At that point, his body had already reached its limit. He had been running on less than fumes, relying almost entirely on sheer stubbornness to keep moving.

And then he had finally found him.

"Broly." The name immediately brought his thoughts back into focus. "I have to find him."

Years had passed, yet that man remained the only person he trusted enough to deliver what he had learned. The information gathered during his investigation, along with his understanding of the monsters he had encountered, could not simply remain with him. Their existence posed a danger to humanity and potentially the entire world.

Whatever they were working on could endanger the entire magical world.

He could not allow that to happen.

As Jellal walked through the corridor, he kept glancing around, trying to determine where exactly he had ended up.

“Hm?” A faint light appeared farther ahead at the end of the passage, drawing his attention toward it. Instinctively, his body tensed, ready for another attack, but before moving any farther, he checked himself over. His injuries felt surprisingly minor considering everything that had happened, leaving him weakened but still capable of fighting if necessary. Whoever had brought him here clearly had the opportunity to kill him already, yet they had chosen not to. That alone gave him enough reason to lower his guard slightly. If they had wanted him dead, he doubted he would have survived long enough to reach Broly in the first place. 

‘Perhaps this really is Fairy Tail after all. At least they are staying true to the theme of their guild name.’

Following the corridor toward the light, he entered a gigantic room unlike anything he expected to find in Magnolia. Several spheres floated through the air alongside books, pieces of magical equipment, and other strange objects, all moving without any visible support. The sheer concentration of Etherano filling the room made him stop for a moment. Even after everything he had experienced, the amount of magical energy gathered here felt excessive. Books lined the shelves, many containing spells he had never encountered or even heard mentioned before, while various research tools surrounded the area. Some of those devices looked so ancient that Jellal couldn't imagine them belonging to an ordinary mage, yet their presence here suggested that whoever occupied this place possessed both extensive knowledge and the means to pursue it.

“—!?”

That sense of wonder lasted only a moment before fear replaced it completely.

A dark-haired woman with two prominent horns sat at a nearby table, calmly drinking from a cup while reading a book. Her eyes briefly shifted toward the newcomer, acknowledging his presence without showing the slightest concern, before returning to the pages in front of her as though Jellal had already ceased to matter. 

“It's you! Meteor!” 

His instincts took over before reason could stop them. A growl came out of his throat as golden light began spreading across his body, his eyes glowing as he prepared to attack. 

“Hmph, fall.” 

“Argh!”

Yet before the woman could even utter another word, an overwhelming force slammed half his body against the floor with a loud bam!

His hands struck the ground hard enough to crack the surface beneath his palms, while his knees buckled under the sudden pressure. Breathing became difficult almost immediately. His heartbeat hammered against his chest, struggling to keep pace as though gravity itself had multiplied several dozen times around him. Every attempt to move only made the pressure feel worse, and even his reinforcement magic refused to respond properly.

“Here I hoped for a peaceful morning, but already I have to deal with an annoyance.”

Footsteps approached from behind.

His head barely turned enough to catch sight of a pair of high heels moving across the floor toward him. The sound remained calm and unhurried despite the fact that Jellal could hardly breathe.

"Is this how you pay back my generosity? Then again, I shouldn't have expected any sort of basic decency from someone familiar with that man."

The beautiful voice sounded irritated, speaking to him as if he were a child, making the situation feel even more humiliating. ‘W-What kind of spell… gravity? This powerful? I can't even use my own magic!’ 

The sensation came from a spell, yet the sheer power behind it made his instincts scream at him to stop fighting. With his mouth barely capable of moving, he forced the words out between ragged breaths.

"Sh-She… she… is a d-ugh… E-Etherious from the book of Zeref!"

Irene looked down at him with disinterest. 

"I know, so what?"

Ah?

The answer left him even more confused. His mind struggled to process it while the pressure continued crushing his body. Even attempting to channel reinforcement proved impossible, as though an invisible seal had locked away his magic. Then, without warning, the oppressive force vanished.

Pa!

“Gah… hah… hah!”

Air rushed into his lungs. Jellal collapsed against the floor, coughing as sweat covered his face and his chest rose and fell rapidly. His heart continued pounding hard enough to hurt, forcing him to remain still until his breathing finally settled. Even then, he didn't lower his guard. Whoever this woman happened to be, she possessed enough power to incapacitate him without even appearing concerned about the effort.

Lifting his head, he finally saw her face clearly.

His eyes widened.

"Er...za?"

Was it her? No, there was something different with this person. But she looked so similar… The woman heard the name and rolled her eyes before turning away from him.

"So you are familiar with that child. I should have figured, given you were also amongst the slaves back then. At least according to him. I have to disappoint you, but I am not that person. We just happened to look alike."

The explanation sounded far too simple considering the resemblance. The similarity proved almost uncanny like two clones, but he had to admit, she did not feel like the Erza he knew and nor did she speak like her.

More importantly, the power behind that spell had already made one thing clear. She stood far above him in strength. If she truly worked alongside the demon, fighting either of them would be reckless. Fighting both would be suicide.

Leaving needed to become his priority.

As he considered his options, the red-haired woman glanced toward him again, an amused smirk forming across her face.

"Oh, you must be contemplating on how to escape."

"I'm simply looking out for my own safety. I'm thankful for your actions and for helping me, but I have to leave." No reason to deny it, or even lie for that matter. 

"Of course. You were never even a prisoner to begin with. I don't want another person loitering around in my abode."

That was surprisingly easy. Her answer caught him off guard, although he remained cautious.

"Are you working with the demons?"

“Heh, what an interesting suggestion. Why would I stoop so low to work along with those creatures? Seilah here is my little plaything and test subject."

Nearby, Seilah, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange, suddenly paused and narrowed her eyes. The reaction didn't escape Jellal's notice, yet the redhead merely shrugged.

"Want to argue? You have been the one who needs my help to stay alive. And you owe me a favor too."

“...”

Whatever Seilah wanted to say, she ultimately kept it to herself. Jellal could only watch the exchange with growing confusion. Nothing about the situation made sense. This woman clearly knew the demon standing nearby, yet she spoke to her as though their relationship went far beyond simple cooperation.

Regardless, the red-haired woman turned her attention back toward him.

"She is with me now, so deal with it. That means not trying to kill her, not that someone like you could."

Jellal clenched his fist, the insult aside, the situation continued becoming more confusing with every answer he received. Seilah belonged to Tartaros, one of the nine demon gates serving as members of that guild, and yet she stood here alongside a human who seemed completely unafraid of her. There was no way someone like Seilah would simply bow her head to an ordinary human. Whatever connection existed between these people, it clearly involved something he didn't understand.

The woman didn't seem concerned about whether he believed her.

"I'll get rid of you. If you have any questions, just ask that man."

She waved a hand, and magic immediately gathered around Jellal. A strange sensation surrounded his body before he felt himself being pulled toward something he couldn't see.

"Wait. One moment, just one secon—”

Whoosh!

The spell activated before he could finish.

The room vanished.

The next thing Jellal saw came with a rush of cold air against his face. Above him stretched a clear blue sky, while the ground remained far below. His stomach dropped as he realized exactly what had happened.

He was falling from an absurd height.

"That witch! Oh, no!"

Jellal twisted his body in midair, desperately trying to control his descent. He attempted to use his magic to reduce his falling speed, but the suddenness of the situation left him with almost no time to react. Turning his head, he caught sight of a wooden roof rushing toward him.

Far too late.

"Ah, damn it!"

He brought both hands together just before impact.

CRACK!

His body smashed straight through the wooden roof.

Splinters and broken boards scattered through the air as he crashed into the building below, landing hard enough to create a small crater in the middle of a large hall. The impact sent debris across the floor, leaving several people staring at the unexpected newcomer with a mixture of shock and aggression. Jellal groaned, barely managing to lift his head as he tried to understand where the hell he had landed this time.

The first thing he heard came from an old man glaring at the destruction around him.

"Oh, come on! I just paid off the new roof! Our guild is not a trash can that can be destroyed every other day, you know!? Someone get him off of Laxus before that brat wakes up and causes more trouble again!”

Aside from that angered tone, another one reached his ears.

“Jellal?” 

Upon opening his eyes, he finally saw a familiar face that he definitely recognized. 

“Erza…”

{Break}

-Outskirts of Magnolia-

It had been a while since he got some time to himself.

From the edge of a cliff Broly meditated in peace, the nearby waterfall, surrounded by nothing but the beauty of nature. 

The constant rush of water from the waterfall provided a steady background sound while the trees swayed gently in the breeze, giving him the peace and silence he needed to gather his thoughts. After dealing with Laxus, he had brought the man back to the guild. Even after being defeated, Laxus had continued making things difficult, forcing him to knock him out with another punch to the back of his neck. The mage now remained unconscious inside a sealed room within the guild, where the barriers would restrict his magic and prevent him from causing any more trouble. Broly figured Makarov would decide what to do with him the following day, so for now, there was nothing more he could do about it.

As those thoughts passed through his mind, his eyes opened slightly and shifted toward the nearby trees. Sitting casually on one of the branches, the same petite woman with white hair and blonde bangs hummed a tune as though she had been there the entire time. Broly glanced at her for a moment before closing his eyes again and returning to his meditation. Continuing in that position until the humming stopped and her voice reached him from above.

"How many times do you do this?" She asked curiously.

"Anytime I have some free time, or whenever I need to focus or think about something."

He figured just staying there and watching him would have bored her sooner or later. Lucy also would occasionally start asking such questions whenever he meditated. 

"What are you meditating about now?"

"I don't know." He considered the question for a moment before shrugging, "I just like doing it, like a habit. But with what happened lately, maybe I'm just thinking about where and when that demon will come back."

"Moro, right?"

He nodded. 

Ever since his battle against that creature, a sense of unease had remained in the back of his mind. Aside from the incident with Irene and the times when he had struggled to control his emotions, Broly had never encountered something that genuinely frightened him aside from himself. As he learned to control himself more and more, those moments had become even less common — Moro changed that. 

For the first time in a long while, he faced an opponent where victory did not feel certain no matter how much power he possessed. Even the dragon who could absorb magic had not given him the same feeling. Moro's ability to immediately absorb ki without showing any obvious limit made the demon fundamentally different, and far more dangerous.

"If Moro appears again next time, what do you think your chances would be?"

Broly lowered his gaze and considered the question seriously before closing his eyes again. He searched for the answer through instinct rather than calculation, something he had learned to rely on during his time on Vampa. After several moments, his eyes opened once more. "If I work quickly, then I guess fifty percent?"

One important lesson he had learned on Vampa involved understanding his chances before confronting a creature. Normally, his instincts gave him a clear enough indication of how dangerous an opponent could become, but they had never provided him with an actual number. Trying to put a percentage on his chances against Moro therefore felt strange. "I'm not sure about the exact number, but I just feel like if I go all out completely in the beginning, I have a better chance than if I drag out the fight."

"Given the kind of ability he is using, something with your level of power, or even infinite power, would be quite devastating."

"Yes."

The conversation shifted as the blonde woman considered another possibility. "That is unless we can manage to seal that ability. Or poison him."

Broly opened his eyes again. "What?"

"All forms of magic exist in this world, those wielded by mortals, demons, gods and so on. Magic that can create fire and air, magic that can control the very laws of nature, and magic that conceals everything. If someone out there possesses the means to create something capable of negating his ability to absorb every element, then perhaps that could work."

"Are you talking about Irene?"

A slight tilt of her head followed. "Kinda? I still don't know about her and her intentions toward Fairy Tail. She mostly seems interested in studying you rather than caring about our guild, or even her own daughter." Her expression shifted as she continued explaining the second possibility. "Just like I said, there's magic of all sorts. There is also magic capable of corrupting anything it touches, destructive magic that should never exist in the hands of mortals. If something like that were absorbed carelessly, it could harm the user. Magic that kills everything it touches."

"Even if you say that, I don't know where to find it or how to even use it. If you're telling me that it can kill anyone..."

"Maybe it's for the best that you don't."

Broly fell quiet for a moment, his thoughts turning toward the woman who had continued appearing around him. "Who are you?"

A small smile appeared on her face. "You know that already, don't you?"

"I just want to hear it from you."

"I'm Mavis Vermilion, Fairy Tail's first master. Nice to meet you, again~!"

The first master, he already knew about her and had learned some things about her from Makarov, yet that did not explain why she kept appearing beside him. Her presence had become frequent lately especially. "Is there a reason why you show up in front of me? Do you want something?"

"Aside from wanting to talk to someone and making sure you were alright. No, child. I don't want anything from you."

Given he did not do much with this morning’s matter regarding Laxus, with most of the credit belonging to Lucy and Natsu who fought him. "Then why?"

Mavis looked at him with an expression that carried more warmth than her earlier teasing. "Is it wrong for a parent to be worried about their child and look after them?"

Broly tilted his head in confusion, almost mirroring her earlier gesture. "I'm not your child, though."

“Heh,” she chuckled. "You are a member of Fairy Tail. Anyone with our mark are all my children, including Makarov, regardless of how old he is."

That explanation left him with even less of an idea how to respond. After thinking about it, he eventually asked, "Should I call you Mom?"

“Uh…”

At least now she had the decency to look awkward. Most likely not expecting him to take it so seriously, but it was her fault for saying such things. "Feels kind of weird. Maybe you can call me Mavis. Or Master. Or First Master. I'm not ready to be a mom nor can I."

"But you're the one who said that you were kind of like a mom."

"Well, I suppose you're right. Just feel free to call me whatever you wish." She said with a pout.

The two remained in their places while the sound of the waterfall filled the clearing again. After a moment, Mavis looked toward him with a more serious expression.

"If you are afraid of the future, try not to handle it all by yourself."

He waved his hand, already knowing what she was going to say. "You saw it yourself. I cannot have the others deal with Moro. I know that leaning against others and seeking their help is a good thing, but against that demon, there's only so much they can do. I'm risking them more than anything else."

"Who's telling you to only seek help from Fairy Tail?"

His brow furrowed. "Irene?"

Mavis shook her head.

"No, not her.” So she said until the ghost-like woman added further with a mumble. "Well, if she wants to help, then she can, but there is someone else who has already helped you."

He frowned, once again trying to remember whether there had been anyone else who could fit that description. The celestial spirits briefly came to mind, but that made little sense. They belonged to Lucy through their contracts, so Mavis clearly could not mean them. He continued turning the possibilities over in his head until she finally let out a deep sigh and reached over to pat him on the head.

"Hah, I'm talking about the dragon that spoke to you during your battle against Moro."

The what?

That immediately caught his attention. "That individual was a dragon?"

"Yes! You were far too focused on your opponent to notice much of her, but I caught a glimpse of part of her body when she cast that portal. After doing a little research, I believe I know who she is. Considering how long she's managed to keep that person at bay, she could definitely help you!" She said while waving her hands around like a toddler, which made her earlier words to call her mom feel more ridiculous.

‘But she does have a warm embrace.’

Regardless, the explanation made sense when Broly thought about it. Those portals alone had looked incredibly useful, and anyone capable of giving Morrow that much trouble deserved to be taken seriously, even if that person happened to be a dragon. His previous experiences with dragons made him somewhat hesitant, but she had still intervened when he needed help. That counted for something. "I don't know where to find her..."

"Given what kind of person she is, you could search the entire planet and still come up empty-handed. Her magic is quite unique. Simple on the surface, but surprisingly difficult to deal with. She can appear and disappear whenever she wants, and she most likely uses that ability to avoid getting absorbed by that demon. For all we know, she could be watching you right now and simply waiting for the right opportunity to reveal herself."

That wasn't useful… he scratched his cheek, finding the thought somewhat unsettling. The idea of someone watching him without his knowledge certainly sounded creepy, but if this person intended to become an ally, he had no reason to complain about it. "I'll try my best to find her, or at least make her appear before me. Can you tell me her name?"

"Her name is Selene… I think. I never met her before but that name does appear in certain stories of tribes near the Alvarez Empire worshipping her. Make sure you remember it." Mavis's smile faded slightly as she continued. "But don't carelessly use that name around the others, not even Irene. I don't know whether we should involve her unless Selene decides to ask for it herself. Dragons can be quite finicky, and they're not exactly easy to predict.”

Broly gave a firm nod. "Got it."

He had barely finished speaking when his ears twitched. “Hm?” Footsteps approached from behind, growing louder with each passing second. By the time he turned around, Mavis had already disappeared, leaving him alone at the edge of the cliff. A familiar figure stood nearby with a bouquet of flowers in his hands, and the stranger looked equally surprised to find someone else there.

Broly studied him for a moment before finally admitting, "Who are you? I forgot your name."

The orange haired man coughed awkwardly. "I'm Loke."

The name did ring a bell. “I'm Broly.”

"Hahaha, I know that! Nice to meet you. What are you doing here?"

"I was meditating."

Loke stared at him for a moment, most likely trying to process the answer of how a guy like him could meditate. Not the first time he got such a look. "A guy like you meditates? There's always something surprising about you, isn't there?"

He knew it.

Rather than continue the conversation, the visitor walked toward the opposite side of the cliff, where a grave stood near the edge. He carefully placed the bouquet over it. Broly had noticed the grave before but had always kept his distance out of respect. He never expected the man to know whoever rested there, yet he had no reason to pry into something so personal.

“Can you keep this area a secret if you haven't told the others yet? I prefer not many people to come here, but it's alright if you just hang out. Not like I can stop you.”

"Alright."

The sound of the waterfall filled the air, mixing with the rustling leaves and the occasional movement of branches in the wind. Loke remained beside the makeshift grave while Broly stood where he had been, neither showing any particular desire to disturb the other's thoughts. Eventually, the older man glanced in his direction.

"You're not curious about what's going on?"

The Saiyan shook his head. "It's not my place to meddle with other people's business."

An amused hum came from the orange haired wizard. "That's quite mature of you, and not something most people in the guild would do. Speaking of which, what happened today with Laxus was pretty crazy. I knew the guy had issues with the Master, but I never expected him to go so far as to actually betray his grandfather. It's a shame, he used to be very different in the past, he actually cared but just kept silent for most of the time."

"People have different circumstances."

“I suppose so.” That earned him a sideways glance. "What do you think about people who betray those they should be protecting? People who fail in every way possible and commit acts so deplorable that no amount of time can really forgive them?"

Unprepared by such a deep question, he felt at a loss for words at first. Considering the matter before giving the simplest answer he could. "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"If I don't end up feeling hatred toward them, then there is nothing to forgive. I don't hold a grudge in most cases anyways."

"What if you yourself ended up causing the death of someone very close to you?"

“Like killing said person?”

“Not directly, but basically your decision being the main leading point to the death.” 

“...” 

For a moment, his gaze lowered as the wind moved through the trees. Leaves rustled with a soft shuffling sound while the waterfall continued rumbling somewhere in the distance, filling the space between them.

"I had a father once, one who raised me to be strong and helped me to survive." He kept the details about Paragus untold, unless asked, no need to bring it up. "That father wasn't perfect, but he was there at every turn."

Understanding the implication, Loke looked away from him. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's fine. It's been a long time. I see my actions being the reasons he died. I still think about him, there are days when I wonder if I had been more in control, if I had been more capable, perhaps he would still be alive. I had all the power in the world to keep him safe, but I still failed.” 

He heard a hum come from beside him, with a small pebble being kicked down the cliff where the waterfall descended. “I suppose not even great power can solve all of your problems.”

“No, it doesn’t. In most cases, in my experience, it causes more trouble than anything else.”

A chuckle escaped Loke as he slipped his hands into his pockets and looked up at the star-filled sky above them. For a moment, his attention remained fixed on the countless points of light overhead before his expression gradually grew more thoughtful. “I don’t think it’s possible to move past a betrayal like that, no matter what other people might say. To forgive oneself, that’s what they call it, but that’s easier said than done. In my opinion, it can become nothing more than an easy way to convince yourself to forget. To avoid dealing with the pressure and guilt that come with what you’ve done. I see it as a cop-out. What do you think?”

Broly nodded slowly. “Yes. I don’t think forgetting about it and moving on is a good idea, or even something a person can really do.” Looking once more at the grave, reading the name; Karen Lilica, a question rose in his mind. “Were you in a relationship?”

Loke scratched his head. 

“I suppose you can call it that. It was a special kind of relationship. It was my fault, I kept being stubborn when she needed me, leaving her with no means to protect herself when it was my very existence’s purpose to protect her… until it was too late.” His voice trailed off for a moment before he continued, his expression becoming more troubled. “But I should have known better. If only… No, it doesn't matter anymore. I hear her voice, and I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me.”

Another stretch of awkwardness settled between them as the two remained beneath the night sky. Eventually, Loke turned his attention back toward his companion.

“Broly.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re pretty close to Lucy, right?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think she would have said here?”

For that, he did not ponder for long as the answer to that was as clear as day, especially after remembering the years when he had lived alone inside the mountain and Lucy had continued coming back to check on him and keep him company. Even when he initially tried to drive her away because he feared she would get hurt by staying near him, she had refused to leave him alone. That kindness remained one of the things he remembered most clearly about her.

“She would have forgiven that person and found every way she could to help them. No matter how big or impossible the task seemed, no matter how broken or dangerous that person proved themselves to be, she would just keep coming back.” His smile grew a little warmer as those memories came back to him. “She’s always been like that.”

“Ha! I figured she was that kind of person, the way her Celestial Spirits treat her, I can tell they genuinely love her.” He said, pushing up his glasses. “She looks like a brilliant celestial spirit wizard. Those spirits contracted with her are lucky to have someone like that as their master. I’ve even heard rumors that you’re in a relationship with one of them, right?”

Ah, that, he figured it would have been brought up sooner or later. Broly scratched the back of his head with a slightly embarrassed grin. “Yes, I believe so. With Aquarius.”

“Man, I can’t believe something like that is even possible. I know Aquarius can be a bit of an extreme individual with plenty of requirements, but I never expected her to become so attached to someone.” Loke's amusement returned as he shook his head. “What did you do? I think I even heard her interrogating you this morning after the attack.”

He laughed as well, both sharing that moment of happiness. “I don’t know myself. She just kind of latched onto me. But I also like having her around, so in a way, I wanted her around from time to time.”

Loke grinned. “You’re crazy, man, to be with Aquarius. But it fits since only you would survive her fits of anger. I wish you the best. I wish you and Lucy the best.”

“You should tell her that yourself.”

“Maybe one day. But I don’t believe I have the right to do that.”

Loke chuckled and walked past him, his footsteps carrying him farther away. Broly watched him go, but something about the other man suddenly felt different. It wasn't something he could easily explain, nor could he point to any obvious change in his appearance. Instead, his presence felt lesser than before, almost like a flame slowly losing its light. Something about that unsettled Broly enough to make him speak.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. Why?”

“You don’t feel okay.”

A faint smile crossed his face. “It’s a long story.” He continued walking, but before putting any more distance between them, he glanced back. “Hey, Broly, can you keep a secret between us and not share it with the others? I feel like I’ve gotten a good grasp of your personality, and I guess I just want to get this off my chest.”

“Sure.”

The answer came easily, though curiosity lingered as he wondered what could possibly have Loke asking for such a promise.

“I don’t have that much time left. I won’t give you the details, but just know there will come a point where, one day, I might not be walking back into the guild, and there will be no point in trying to find me.” His expression remained calm despite the rather morbid information. “If that happens, can you promise me something? Make sure the others don’t try to search for me.”

“...”

“They won’t find me. It’ll only be a waste of time.”

Broly frowned as he watched the man continue farther away. He kept his silence and watched until Loke grew more distant.

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-Tartaros Guild-

Bang!

Chairs and tables shattered one after another as the destruction spread across the room. Wooden furniture splintered beneath the force of thrown objects, while sections of the stone pillars cracked and crumbled, sending chunks of masonry across the floor. Through all of it, George remained remarkably composed, standing with a book in one hand as he watched his fellow Etherious vent the anger brought on by the information he had just delivered. His expression barely changed when a vase came flying toward him. A slight tilt of his head allowed the projectile to sail past his face before it crashed against the wall behind him with a loud crash, scattering pieces of ceramic across the floor.

"How could you just stand there and do nothing! On top of that, how dare you come at me with such lies!"

Mard Geer lowered his book slightly, giving her an understanding look rather than reacting to the accusation. "I understand your frustration. Hearing that a member like Seilah is dead isn't easy news, but it is the truth. And unfortunately, it isn't only her. Jackal is dead as well."

Kyoka’s expression twisted with anger. "Who the fuck cares about Jackal!? That idiot had it coming for him. With the way he lived, he would've gotten himself killed sooner or later. But now you're telling me Seilah died? You're kidding me! And on top of that, you're telling me not to go after her killer? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were just fucking with me. Thanks so much for the sick joke."

A slow shake of the head followed. "Listen, it's not like they are gone forever. I understand the relationship between the two of you, but now isn't the time to act on that anger. We need to move carefully. No matter how powerful we are, there are plenty of humans, and some of their mages possess enough strength to make even demons pay attention. We need to gather our resources before making any kind of move. Losing two members has already dealt us a serious blow, and rushing into another confrontation could cost us even more. So whatever you're about to say, it would be better if—”

Bang!

His explanation abruptly ended with a violent crash.

The wall behind them exploded outward, sending pieces of stone and dust through the room. Mard Geer stared at the newly created opening, his eyes widening before he released a long, tired sigh. Beyond the broken wall, Kyoka's figure soared across the sky, flying away with her wings spread wide, heading straight toward the region that had been destroyed.

"My goodness," he muttered, lowering the book as he stared after her. "I should have kept this a secret.”

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