The Moon Goddess picked up a nearby dessert, taking a delicate bite. Her face lit up with delight, and after finishing the entire treat, she said with satisfaction, "Exactly. Whenever you use my power or mention anything related to me, no matter how far away, I can sense it. I can either grant you a blessing… or a curse."
She turned with a playful smile toward the blonde girl nearby. "Like you, for instance. You're absolutely terrified of me right now—especially when I mentioned 'curse.'"
Lucy froze, then scrambled to explain, "Haha, it's just because it's my first time meeting a goddess, so I couldn't help but—"
The Moon Goddess raised a finger, a faint, ominous silver glow swirling at its tip. "Haven't you heard? You can't lie in front of a goddess, or you'll be cursed for life."
Seeing the fear flash across Lucy's face, the goddess chuckled softly and let the glow fade. This girl's mind is so entertaining—she can come up with excuses that fast.
"But since you offered me tributes," she continued, "I'll forgive your rudeness."
Lucy let out a long sigh of relief, her tense shoulders relaxing.
The Moon Goddess added, "Oh, and no bad-mouthing me in your head either."
Lucy's heart skipped a beat, and the snarky comment she was about to think fizzled out instantly.
Laxus stepped forward with another jug of wine, infusing it with the surrounding lunar magic as he had before, then handed it to her. "Goddess, what's the deal with death?"
The goddess, still craving more wine, accepted it with a grin. "I like kids who know how to play along." She took a few sips before speaking slowly. "My true form faded away a thousand years ago. I don't know the exact reason—my memories are just fragments."
"There was a war, I think. It was brutal. Nearly half the gods perished in it."
She swirled the wine jug. "Now, almost no one worships me. If you hadn't performed this ritual with that special wine on a full moon, I wouldn't have awakened."
"In a few decades, when the last of my worship fades, I'll vanish from this world completely." She drained the jug and gazed at the starry sky. "This world… it seems to have no gods left."
"Only two—no, three demigods remain."
"Demigods?" Laxus asked.
"Demigods are beings who've mastered part of a divine law. If they meet certain conditions, they can ascend to godhood." Her form began to fade, and she looked at her increasingly transparent body with a soft smile. "Looks like my time's up…"
She turned to Laxus. "I'm pleased with this ritual. By ancient custom, I should grant you the Moon Goddess's blessing. Unfortunately, my power's too weak to give you the same blessings as in the past."
Her body began to glow with a milky white light. "But since you awakened me, it's fate. I'll give you these fragments of my laws."
With that, she transformed into four orbs of white light—one large and three smaller. The largest merged into Laxus, while the smaller ones entered the three women nearby.
[Ding! Acquired the Moon Goddess's remnant power: Purification (non-upgradable)]
[Purification: Can dispel most negative effects.]
[Ding! Acquired Power of the Moon]
[Power of the Moon: Increases attack strength and speed under moonlight; deals double damage to demons.]
A sudden groan of pain came from nearby. Everyone turned to see Mirajane glowing with white light, her abdomen swirling with clashing black-red and milky-white energies.
Laxus frowned. "Is Mirajane's Satan Soul conflicting with the Moon Goddess's power?"
The black-red light was gradually overtaken by the white, until it vanished completely.
Mirajane, drenched in sweat, gasped for air, hands braced on her knees. After a moment, she recovered from the pain and stared at her hands in shock. "My magic… it feels more solid somehow."
She closed her eyes, sensing the changes within her. "It's not just my imagination. That power also cleared out the negative emotions built up from absorbing demons with my Satan Soul. I can use my Takeover Magic more freely now."
Relieved, everyone exhaled. Erza raised her hand, a white glow swirling around her fist. "My strength's nearly doubled!"
Lucy, bouncing excitedly, looked at her glowing hands. "Me too! And my body feels so light, like I could float!"
Natsu watched enviously. "Man, that's awesome. They all got new powers. Why didn't I get to offer the tributes?"
Happy waved a paw. "'Cause you're a guy, Natsu."
"Roger said the Moon Goddess symbolizes purity, so the girls had to place the tributes."
Natsu puffed out his chest. "I'm plenty pure! If Roger can do it, so can I!"
A sweatdrop rolled down Happy's head. "Uh, do you even know what 'purity' means, Natsu?"
"Besides, Roger only led the ritual because of his special wine magic. Without it, we probably couldn't have awakened the goddess."
Laxus glanced at the excited group, lost in thought. They got the Power of the Moon, but I got Purification.
He sighed. "No gods left in this world, huh? Not sure if that's a good thing or not."
"Three demigods, a world where no one can ascend to godhood… none of this was in the anime."
"Purification…" His eyes widened as a memory hit him. "Wait, when the crystal ball read Gray's fortune, it mentioned something about 'purity.' Could it mean Purification?"
"Absolute Freeze turns the caster into ice. Ur's not dead—she's been trapped in ice, fighting Deliora. That's a negative state, right?"
Laxus quickly explained to the group, and they rushed to the lowest level of the ruins.
Mirajane squinted at the massive, mountain-like demon sealed in ice. "It's… almost dead."
Lucy blinked in surprise. "How can you tell?"
"Its demonic power is barely there," Mirajane said. "It's practically gone. It won't be long before it fades completely, and the demon will die."
Laxus turned to her. "Mirajane, get above Deliora. If the ice breaks, Take Over it immediately."
"Got it." Mirajane nodded, transforming into her Satan Soul form and hovering above the demon.
Laxus aimed his hand at the ice, a milky-white glow gathering in his palm.
[Purification]
Endless white light enveloped the ice, spreading to the melting water below. Moments later, the ice covering Deliora vanished. The demon began to roar, but a pale hand pressed down on its head.
Despite the size difference—human versus a giant demon—it was Deliora who trembled in fear. As it raised an arm to strike, its body froze, then glowed purple, its form absorbed entirely by the hand above.
[Ding! Gained 3000 magic power. Self-healing ability enhanced.]
Mirajane grimaced. "This is the weakest demon I've ever absorbed."
On the ground, a woman with short dark hair slowly opened her eyes. Dressed in a sharp jacket and sleek pants, she looked capable and alert.
Her brows furrowed, long lashes trembling as she fully opened her eyes. The unfamiliar surroundings and faces made her instinctively shift into a defensive stance, hands curled like claws, body leaning forward.
"Who are you?" Her voice was sharp, her gaze cutting across everyone present. "Where's Deliora?!"
At the mention of the name, a sharp pain hit her head. She clutched her forehead as memories flooded back. "I… I used Absolute Freeze on Deliora. My whole body turned to ice…"
She muttered, glancing at her intact left leg in confusion. "And my left leg… wasn't it lost in that fight?"
Laxus stepped forward with a smile. "Hey, Gray's teacher."
"Your fight with Deliora was ten years ago. Its life force was drained by the ice's magic over that time. Just now, our friend finished it off for good."
"Ten years?" Ur's expression grew heavy, her voice low. "It's been that long?"
She pushed aside the flood of thoughts, resting a hand on her hip with a grin. "So, you're Gray's friends?"
"Breaking Absolute Freeze? That's pretty impressive."
Her eyes landed on the pink guild mark on Lucy's hand. "That mark—you're from Fairy Tail?"
"Gray joined Fairy Tail? Nice choice."
Happy tilted his head. "Is our guild really that famous? Even Gray's teacher knows about it?"
"I've met a Fairy Tail member before," Ur said with a smile. "You probably know him—Gildarts."
"You know Gildarts?!" Laxus was stunned. How do these two completely unrelated people know each other?
"We teamed up for a job once," Ur said, brushing her hair back with a grin. "That was before I took in Lyon. You wouldn't know—you were probably all kids back then."
Before Lyon? That must've been before I joined the guild. The anime never mentioned this.
Laxus looked at Ur. "So, what's your plan? Wanna join our guild? Gray's there."
"The guild, huh?" Ur's mind flashed to Gildarts's stories about Fairy Tail, a flicker of longing in her eyes. But then the memory of the research institute telling her about her daughter's death surged forward, overwhelming her thoughts.
She sighed, shaking her head softly. "I… don't have any plans to join a guild right now."
She forced a smile. "Thanks for saving me. If you ever need help—as long as it's not hurting innocent people—I'll do everything I can."
Lucy frowned, puzzled. "Don't you want to see Gray? He must've been heartbroken when you sealed Deliora."
"I'm someone who's already died once. Reappearing now would just cause trouble for others." Ur's voice was firm. "Gray's in a guild now, with friends who care about him. His life's good enough without me in it."
"And then what?" Laxus's calm voice cut through. "You're just gonna go back to that snowy mountain and keep mourning a daughter who's not even dead?"
"Not dead?!" Ur's pupils shrank, her voice trembling. "You're mistaken. The institute told me themselves—my daughter's gone."
"Gray told you about my daughter, didn't he? He didn't know—"
"Ultear," Laxus interrupted, his voice steady. "Her magic was too powerful for her body to handle, so you sent her to the Magic Development Bureau."
"But she didn't die. The bureau lied to you. And they told Ultear you abandoned her."
Ur's body shook uncontrollably, her hand covering her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. Her lips quivered in shock. "Ultear… my Ultear's alive?"
"How do you know this?!"
Laxus answered calmly, "Earlier, in these ruins, I met Ultear. My magic lets me glimpse others' memories. I learned it from her mind."
Hearing her daughter was in the ruins, Ur rushed to Laxus, grabbing his shoulders urgently. "Where is she now? Is she still here?!"
He shook his head. "She's gone. And… she's joined a dark guild. Her mission here was to unseal Deliora."
"A dark guild?" Ur stumbled back, eyes wide with disbelief. "Ultear… how could she join a dark guild? She's such a kind girl!"
The shock hit her hard, her body weakening, her head spinning from the overwhelming news. She gasped for air, her chest heaving.
Her only thought: I have to find Ultear.
She turned to leave, desperate to search for her daughter.
Laxus's voice stopped her. "It's pointless. After escaping the bureau, she saw you with Lyon and became convinced you'd abandoned her."
"And her whereabouts are unpredictable. Where would you even look?"
Ur paused, her resolve hardening as she kept walking. "Everywhere."
"No matter how long it takes, no matter what happens, I'll find my daughter!"
"How?" Laxus asked. "With your magic, now barely A-Class? With your connections, gone after ten years?"
"Even if you find Ultear, will she believe you? Believe you didn't abandon her, that you've always missed her?"
"And if she does, if she leaves the dark guild with you, will they let her go? She's a high-ranking member now, privy to critical secrets. Can you really keep her safe?"
Ur's steps slowed, then stopped. The rush of hearing her daughter was alive faded as his words sank in.
He's right. With my current power, can I protect Ultear from a dark guild? Worse, could I put her in danger?
Sorting her thoughts, Ur sighed deeply and turned around. "Sorry. I got carried away."
Laxus shook his head. "No need to apologize. Anyone would lose it hearing their long-dead daughter's alive."
"You calming down enough to hear me out is already impressive."
Happy stepped forward, raising a paw. "If you want to boost your magic fast, Ur, you could sign a contract with Roger!"
"A contract?" Ur frowned, confused. "Don't only Celestial Spirits make contracts with humans?"
"Wait—is he a Spirit?!"
"No way," Lucy said, exasperated. "Does he look like a Spirit?"
Happy explained the contract's effects in detail.
Ur nodded thoughtfully. "That's some powerful magic. Gaining strength that fast just by signing a contract? I've never heard of anything like it."
"Has Gray signed one with you?"
"Yup," Laxus said with a nod. "His magic's at mid-to-high S-Class now. It won't be long before he hits Ten Wizard Saint level."
"No way!" Lucy's eyes widened. "He's that strong?!"
"What about Natsu? Is he—"
"Aye!" Happy raised a paw. "Natsu's about the same. If he completes this S-Class job, he might even beat Gray to Ten Wizard Saint."
Lucy gaped. "For real?! Then why'd he get in trouble for taking an S-Class job?"
Natsu crossed his arms, grumbling, "'Cause the guild's exam is too strict!"
"It's not just about magic power. It tests quick thinking and adaptability too."
"Anyone who's contracted with Roger could probably wipe the floor with most S-Class wizards from other guilds."
Hearing this, Lucy suddenly felt like the weakest of Roger's contract holders. Thinking of Natsu's strength, she slumped. "If Natsu can't pass the exam, do I even have a chance in this lifetime?!"
Erza stepped forward, her gaze sharp. "If the exam wasn't strict, a dangerous S-Class job could get you killed."
"If it was just you guys on this job, could you handle it alone?"
"Uh…" Natsu and Lucy both looked away, muttering, "We get it…"