Forgetful Tavern
"What?! Ice Demon Slayer Magic?!"
After hearing Natsu and the tavern owner, Pur, recount the situation, Kira pieced together what was going on.
If they were talking about Ice Demon Slayer Magic, then the person taken years ago in the story had to be Silver, right?
Probably Silver…
In the Balam Alliance, a coalition of dark magic guilds formed this year, the Tartaros guild had nine of its strongest members, known as the Nine Demon Gates. Silver, also known as Silver Fullbuster, Gray's father, was one of them.
Based on Kira' memory of the original story, Silver was killed by the demon Deliora ten years ago. His body was later reanimated by Keith, a necromancer and fellow member of the Nine Demon Gates, and remained active until the Fairy Tail-Tartaros war, spanning seventeen years.
According to the original story, Silver learned Ice Demon Slayer Magic during this time, earning the favor of Tartaros' guild master, Mard Geer, and securing his place among the Nine Demon Gates. He ultimately vanished when Keith was defeated.
To Kira, Silver's entire existence seemed like a plot device to give Gray a power-up, passing down Ice Demon Slayer Magic to him. The original story never explained who created the magic, where Silver learned it, or how. It was just glossed over. And now, it seemed like he "stole" it here?
Must be a patch the world threw in…
That made sense. This mission didn't even exist in the original story, so a patch like this wasn't surprising.
"Yes, Ice Demon Slayer Magic. What's the matter?" Pur asked, noticing Kira' odd reaction.
"Nothing, just caught me off guard," Kira said casually.
Natsu, on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear. "Right? I was shocked too! I mean, a magic specifically designed to take down demons? When I first heard about it, I thought maybe a demon taught it to him!"
Seeing Kira lost in thought, Lucy piped up. "Is there something weird about this magic?"
Kira shook his head. "Nah, it's just a bit strange, that's all."
He then shared what he'd uncovered about the Black and White Celestial Maidens legend. "I originally thought if there was any inherited magic, it'd be Ice God Slayer Magic. But Ice Demon Slayer Magic? That's just bizarre!"
"You're right, it does feel off," Lucy said, her mind working faster than Natsu's. She propped her chin in her hand, analyzing. "There's this… disconnect. The Black and White Celestial Maidens and God Slayer Magic, demons and Demon Slayer Magic—it feels like there's some kind of link between them, and that link caused this shift…"
Happy, munching on a fish, chimed in with his six-year-old intellect. "But what kind of shift could it be?"
Suddenly, Lucy slammed the table, eyes wide. "What if it's connected to the man in the story?"
"Very possible!" Kira nodded, approving her theory. "I was thinking the same thing. Problem is, we haven't found any solid info about this guy. I'm starting to wonder if he even existed."
"Maybe… he really did exist," Pur said, breaking his silence.
Does this guy know something? Kira thought. Of course, typical NPC behavior—won't spill the full story until the plot progresses far enough. Man, I hated this in games!
"What do you know, old man?" Kira asked.
Pur poured himself a glass of strong liquor, took a swig, and began. "It all goes back to a legend from our clan…" He recounted a tale he'd heard as a child:
In an era before dragons and humans had fully risen, when gods and demons clashed, the Eisnew Clan—descendants of the Ice God—served their divine ancestor. This ancestor, revered as a god, was manipulated by demons into fighting her own kin. Only in her final moments did she realize the truth. Before dying, she transformed her power into a magic specifically designed to slay demons: Demon Slayer Magic.
"There are many legends passed down in our clan," Pur continued. "Most have been embellished by later generations, and some are too ancient to verify. This is just one of them."
He paused, then added, "If you hadn't mentioned the Black and White Celestial Maidens story, which feels so similar to this legend, I might've forgotten it entirely!"
Kira leaned forward, intrigued. "Most ancient, unverifiable legends in this world have at least a grain of truth—maybe a third of it! The fact that the Celestial Maidens story jogged your memory about a legend you'd nearly forgotten? That's probably not a coincidence."
Pur laughed heartily. "Haha, really? You're just a kid, and you believe in fate?"
"I believe in it a little," Kira said, his smile widening, caught up in the moment. "If we piece together all the info, stories, and legends, and throw in a bit of bold guesswork, we might just get a complete picture."
He leaned back, spinning a tale with growing enthusiasm. "Picture this: a mage wielding Ice God Slayer Magic, known as the Black Celestial Maiden, and another, a descendant of the Ice God, called the White Celestial Maiden. These sisters were raised by opposing factions from birth.
"Manipulated by demons, these factions clashed, and the sisters, unaware of their bond, fought a climactic battle on Mount Zonia. During the fight, their shared bloodline made them sense their connection. The White Maiden won, and this place became a snowy mountain.
"Later, both were betrayed and killed by demons. In their final moments, they combined God Slayer Magic, ice magic, and demonic essence through some method, creating Ice Demon Slayer Magic, which was passed down through the generations."
Kira grinned, clearly pleased with his storytelling. "Man, what a family drama! Turn that into a play, and it'd be a hit with everyone!"
"Hahaha, not a bad story!" Pur didn't seem to mind Kira' wild theorizing—in fact, he was hooked. "If you're right, that'd explain why our clan's been fighting demons for a thousand years. It's pretty plausible!"
"Speaking of demons," Kira said, glancing at the corner where Chloe sat, "is this one your clan's enemy?"
Chloe had been released from the stone prison Kira had trapped her in, but she was now bound in anti-magic restraints made of magic-sealing stone—handcuffs, ankle cuffs, a blindfold, a muzzle, and a collar. She couldn't move, cast magic, or even speak, only letting out muffled struggles as she listened to the conversation. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy, who was nibbling on a roasted fish, kept watch over her while eavesdropping on Kira and Pur.
"I've never actually seen them myself," Pur admitted. "To protect the rest of the clan, only those who inherit the magic know what they look like. After my brother died, the only one who might've seen them is the man who stole the magic back then."
"Demons, huh?" Kira muttered, confirming his suspicion: This demon's got friends.
Pur didn't catch Kira' quiet remark and continued, "According to the clan elders, demons are immune to physical attacks. Based on what you've said, this one can turn into clouds to avoid physical damage, so it's probably one of them. Honestly, I never thought you'd defeat a demon without Demon Slayer Magic!"
"Not 'we'—me," Kira corrected with a subtle smirk. Then he put on an apologetic expression. "Ahem… This S-Class mission was supposed to be handled by an S-Class mage from our guild. Natsu took it upon himself to accept it, causing you trouble. I'm really sorry!
"Not only did he take a mission beyond his ability, but he couldn't even beat the target and got his teammates hurt. I've already chewed him out, and the guild will discipline him when we get back. Please forgive the trouble he's caused. As for this mission, I'll be taking over from here!"
---coment and drop some vote plzzz