The space twisted and snapped back into place. Arthur, Erza, Ur, and the retrieved Fairy Tail team—Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy—reappeared inside the bustling, magically shielded Guild Hall of the Celestial Forge.
The entire journey from Galuna Island had taken mere seconds.
The moment their feet touched the floor, Erza Scarlet's fury was unleashed.
She was relieved the mission was a success, but the unauthorized S-Class job was an unforgivable transgression.
"Natsu Dragneel! Gray Fullbuster! You will both come with me immediately,"
Erza commanded, her voice ringing with the absolute authority that made even S-Class mages tremble.
"Master Makarov will be deciding your punishment."
Natsu, despite being cured of his motion sickness and energized, instinctively whimpered, while Gray immediately adopted a sullen, defensive posture, already shedding his shirt in subconscious anxiety.
They were both swiftly marched out, knowing the inevitable pain of Makarov's chastisement.
As for Lucy Heartfilia, Erza simply sighed.
"Lucy, you were dragged along. Go assist Celestial Forge with their affairs. I'll deal with your punishment later."
Before Lucy could fully process her relief, she was swept up by an eagerly waiting figure.
"Lucy-chan! You're back!"
Rimuru exclaimed, eyes shining not with affection, but with administrative hunger.
She immediately dragged Lucy toward the immense mountain of paperwork generated by the rapidly expanding guild.
"I like paper work… No more dangerous mission!"
Lucy complained, dropping her bag with an exhausted sigh.
She spent the next hour pouring out her woes—the terrifying storm, the near-death experience, and Natsu and Gray's idiocy—to Rimuru.
The Demon Lord listened with genuine empathy, offering soothing words and perfectly organized spreadsheets.
Their relationship had solidified during the potion venture; they were now close confidantes, united by the mutual desire for safety, stability, and high, steady income.
Meanwhile, Ur stood near the entrance, taking in the chaotic warmth of the Fairy Tail mages and the sleek, powerful efficiency of the Celestial Forge.
It had been many, many years since she sacrificed her physical body to become the Ice-Shell—a sacrifice she thought was permanent.
Seeing Gray—her beloved apprentice—dragged away by Erza brought a wave of intense relief, followed by a profound sadness when her thoughts turned to Lyon.
She knew her sacrifice had twisted Lyon.
She had heard his dark intentions—his plan to awaken the demon and surpass her.
She wouldn't ask for his forgiveness now that she knew the truth.
If it hadn't been for Arthur's timely, definitive intervention, Deliora would have awakened, and the entire continent would have been destroyed.
Arthur approached her, holding a still-cooing Koromon on his shoulder.
"You have a choice now, Ur,"
Arthur said, his voice gentle.
"You can disappear, live quietly, or face your past. But I have another option."
He gestured around the powerful guild hall.
"Join us, Ur. We need you in our guild. Your immense skill with Ice-Make Magic and your deep understanding of elemental manipulation would be invaluable to our potion production and defense systems."
He knew her presence would perfectly stabilize the ice-based cooling systems required for his advanced alchemy.
Ur didn't need time to think.
She had been resurrected into a world that had moved on, and she had no ties left—save for the new, powerful guild that had saved her life and offered her a purpose.
"Alright, boss,"
Ur agreed, a faint, determined smile touching her lips.
"Tell me anything and I will do it for you."
With that, Ur officially became the second non-founding member of the Celestial Forge, bringing with her not only S-Class strength but a profound sense of maturity and strategic depth that the Fairy Tail team often lacked.
Far away, in the highly secure Magic Council headquarters, the scene was far less harmonious.
Ultear Milkovich (Oración), still stinging from the humiliation of being forced to grovel to Arthur, was reviewing the heavily filtered reports coming out of Galuna Island and Magnolia Town.
Her internal focus was on the powerful newcomer, but the details in the report caused her to drop the parchment, her face a mask of shock and internal conflict.
Ur… Her mother… was alive.
The report detailed the conceptual destruction of Deliora and the sudden, inexplicable reappearance of Ur.
Her mother, the one she believed had heartlessly abandoned her and then died a meaningless death.
And now, she had joined the Celestial Forge.
"How… Why…"
Ultear whispered, her magical composure entirely shattered.
Her emotions were a tempest.
She was happy because the pain of her mother's death had been lifted.
But she was overwhelmingly angry—a rage years in the making—because she believed Ur had betrayed her, abandoning her when she was just a child to chase simple apprentices like Gray and Lyon.
This betrayal, fueled by the distorted memories of her time in the Bureau of Magical Development, had driven her entire existence.
She had dedicated her life to the goal of finding a way to Zeref's true power, to change the past, and avenge her perceived abandonment.
And now, her mother was alive, apparently healthy, and had joined the most powerful and untouchable new guild in Fiore.
A dark, dangerous resolve settled over Ultear.
She would never forgive Ur!
Not until she knew the full truth, and perhaps not even then.
Her decade-long mission to restore the past was now secondary.
Her immediate priority shifted: she had to confront her mother.
This required immense risk. It meant challenging the Celestial Forge—a guild led by the man who could conceptually freeze time and erase demons.
"I have to do something,"
Ultear hissed, her eyes glowing with dark magic.
"Even if it meant I have to die. I will not let her simply reappear and pretend nothing happened!"
The true drama of the Sixth Floor, driven not by ancient demons but by decades of human betrayal and heartache, was about to begin.