Gildarts let out a sigh, his face full of exasperation. "Your magic is really something else. It's kinda like an ability-type magic that relies on your own magical power."
Kagura tilted her head. "Ability-type magic?"
Gildarts raised his index finger, a faint ripple of energy gathering at its tip. "My Crush Magic is a classic example of ability-type magic."
He picked up an apple core from the table and held it in his palm. A faint white glow and thin white lines appeared on the core.
Snap.
A blinding flash of white light burst out, and when it faded, Gildarts' hand was empty.
"Anything I touch can be crushed into particles in an instant," he explained.
A spark of understanding lit up Erza's eyes. "So that's why the wall disappeared when you touched it! It didn't vanish—it was crushed into particles too tiny to see!"
"Quick on the uptake," Gildarts said with an approving nod.
Kagura thought hard, her small face scrunching up in confusion. "But Roger-nii can pull swords and armor out of thin air. How's that work?"
Gildarts furrowed his brow. "That's the second type of magic—holder-type magic. It's the closest match to his abilities."
"Holder-type magic relies on items or external contracts," he continued. "Erza's Requip Magic is a perfect example. There's also Celestial Spirit Magic, where you form contracts with spirits and summon them to fight alongside you."
"But your magic—forming a contract with a human and using their magic? That's a first for me."
"Not to mention, weapons and magic items just popping up after defeating enemies."
Gildarts leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head, staring at the train carriage ceiling.
"Gaining magic power just by beating enemies? That's pretty convenient."
Suddenly, he sat up straight, grinning and pointing at himself. "Can I sign a contract with you?"
Roger couldn't help but chuckle at how quickly Gildarts accepted the idea. He glanced at the top of Gildarts' head, staring for a moment. No exclamation mark appeared. He shook his head.
"Sorry, doesn't seem to work."
Gildarts nodded, a knowing look on his face as he leaned back again. "Figured there'd be some limits to a magic like that, but it's still a bummer to hear."
A faint glow from the purple crystal ball caught his attention.
"The Gossiping Prophecy Crystal Ball—a magic item that can see the future, with the only side effect being it spills your secrets?" he mused.
"Only?!" Kagura's eyes widened in shock. "Spilling secrets is just 'only'?!"
She racked her brain, recalling a village "tragedy." "There was this kid in our village who snuck a peek at his dad's hidden stash of… uh… books with lots of pretty ladies drawn in them!"
"When his parents found out, his butt got whooped so bad he was stuck in bed for three days!!!"
Her face scrunched up as if she could feel the pain herself. "That's gotta count as a secret, right? Having your sneaky bad deeds exposed to everyone? That's, like, the scariest thing in the world!!!"
Her exaggerated expression and dramatic gestures made Erza cover her mouth to stifle a laugh. Even Roger and Gildarts couldn't hold back their chuckles.
As the laughter died down, Gildarts looked at Kagura with a meaningful smile.
"You know, seeing the future is tied to Lost Magic—time magic, to be exact."
"Lost Magic refers to ancient spells that have been lost to history. They're far more powerful than regular magic, but they're hard to pass down and often come with taboo side effects, which is why they've vanished from history."
"Time magic usually comes at the cost of the caster's life."
"The stronger the spell, the more lifespan it burns. There are even stories of casters going from dashing young men to frail old geezers after a single use."
Gulp. Kagura swallowed hard, her face paling slightly.
"Okay, yeah, compared to that, spilling secrets doesn't sound as bad. I mean, that kid only couldn't get out of bed for three days, but time magic could straight-up kill you."
"So," Gildarts said, his grin returning, "what's my future look like?"
He reached out, placing his hand on the crystal ball and slowly channeling magic into it.
Buzz—
A blinding purple light erupted! The intense glow forced everyone to shield their eyes. A few seconds later, the light faded, and a lazy, raspy male voice echoed in their ears.
"Time to get to work… Who's this guy?" The voice paused, then sounded surprised. "Whoa! Quite the ladies' man, huh? I'm jealous~!"
Gildarts raised an eyebrow. "A magic item with a personality? That's new."
"Haha! Hahaha!" The crystal ball burst into laughter, its tone practically begging for a punch.
"Your wife hid her pregnancy from you and gave birth to a daughter. Oh man, what a failure of a husband~!"
"Wife?! Pregnancy?!" Gildarts' smile froze, his pupils shrinking as his body went rigid.
"Hmm, hold on…" The crystal ball dragged out its words. "Looks like… your wife's already dead? Left behind a little girl, just a few years old, living on her own~."
"D-dead?!" Gildarts' face turned ashen, his eyes unfocused, lips trembling silently.
"Let's see the future…" the crystal ball continued breezily. "Oh, looks like you might get your left arm, left leg, and part of your organs obliterated by a black dragon. Better watch out~!"
As soon as it finished, the crystal ball's glow went dark.
"Hey! Explain yourself! What's this about my wife being pregnant?!" Gildarts' eyes reddened as he grabbed the crystal ball, his voice low and urgent.
"Where's my daughter right now?!"
Veins bulged on his neck as he poured magic into the crystal ball, sweat beading on his forehead, his eyes filled with desperation.
But no matter how much magic he fed it, the hoped-for purple glow didn't return.
At the same time, a translucent info panel appeared before Roger's eyes.
[Gossiping Prophecy Crystal Ball: A crystal ball that can see the past and future. Be warned, this crystal ball loves to gossip and will "accidentally" spill some "unknown" secrets from the past alongside its prophecies.]
[Note: The crystal ball has a weird habit of only saying half the story. It seems to enjoy watching people squirm when they don't get the full explanation.]
Talk about bad taste, Roger thought, rubbing his forehead helplessly.
"Big guy, don't waste your magic," he said aloud. "The magic's telling me this thing loves watching people freak out."
"That little—!" A vein pulsed on Gildarts' forehead. He took several deep breaths, forcibly calming his churning emotions.
Just then, a nervous train attendant pushed open the door.
"J-just now, there was a really bright light in the carriage! Did something happen?"
Gildarts smoothly pulled out a few bills and handed them over, managing a calm smile. "No worries, just activated a new magic item. The light show was a bit much, but it won't affect the train."
"Oh, and could you grab us a few rice balls and three strawberry cakes? Thanks."
"Uh? Sure, one moment," the attendant said, taking the money with a confused look before leaving.
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