"Follow me," E.N.D. lead Lucy downstairs to where the wine cellar was. There were shelves of wine to behold, and believe it or not, Lucy loved it.

Lucy could feel the strong scent of alcohol penetrating her nose as she inhaled deeply, How is going to a wine cellar punishment? It is practically my safe haven!

"I came back from Hargeon and brought back three bottles of wine for you from Zeref," E.N.D. said with a slightly evident tone of doting.

Lucy gasped in excitement, "The special wine that Zeref would always brew himself?" Lucy remembered that delicious wine that she'd opt to steal when Zeref wasn't paying attention in her younger days.

E.N.D. nodded while smiling, and motioned for her to collect her wine.

Without hesitance, Lucy grabbed one of the jugs and opened the lid, sniffing the contents, "It sure is Zeref's. Thank you, Master."

He warned her, "It's good wine, but don't drink too much or your health will deteriorate."

"Don't worry, Master. I understand," Lucy patted her robe. "A little is nice, but too much is bad for you. But Master, why did you bring wine back for me?"

E.N.D. chuckled in amusement, "Isn't it your birthday tomorrow?"

Her eyes brightened, "Oh! That's right, I forgot it was my birthday tomorrow." She could feel those feelings of happiness bubbling inside of her, "Thank you, Master. You treat me so well, even better than Zeref..."

E.N.D. watched as Lucy reveled in her beloved wine. He couldn't help but softly smile at this student of his.


To think that I am lucky enough to taste Zeref's wine yet again! Lucy hugged the remaining two jugs of wine to her chest as she walked back to her quarters. It wasn't often that she had the chance to have a drink of Zeref's wine, and it was one of the best she'd ever tasted. One could even say that his wine was her favorite.

I'd better rest. She was only a little ways from her room.

Going out to the mortal realm was sometimes draining, considering that the time in the mortal realm and the heavenly realm was different by a large margin, the time in the mortal realm being equivalent to a lot more than the heavenly realm. The exhausting day made Lucy unable to resist the call of her bed.

It was dark, and fog crept its way into the air. The sun had already set, and a light breeze whistled. One mysterious aura bounced towards Lucy, following her, waiting for the right moment. Fairy Mountain was a very secure place, only filled with her brothers and her master, so Lucy didn't bother to be cautious.

When it knew that Lucy was oblivious to its presence, it lashed out and seized her.

"Eh!?" she was caught off guard and unfortunately dropped her wine as she was twisted into the air.

Crash! Both she and the ominous presence had disappeared.

A student heard the noise outside and ran out to investigate what was going on, only to find Lucy's birthday wine smashed into bits on the floor.

He searched around, but to no avail, "Who could come and go through Fairy Mountain as they please...?"


It was cold. The ground was hard and cold. Hardly comfortable. Where was she?

Lucy slowly opened her eyes to see a stone cave of some sort. Her face was dripping with sweat from being captured by the mist, but what caught her eye were the three women standing before her.

"It's you...that lady from before?" she recalled her divination stall in the mortal realm.

An attendant answered for her, "That's right, the lady you've met today was, in fact, our one and only goddess. Do you know who our goddess is? She is the goddess, Laki Olietta, who was with E.N.D. through thick and thin back in the olden days."

"Goddess Laki Olietta...?" Lucy echoed. Oh no, Senior Brother said that Laki Olietta has always been smitten with Master and even moved her home to Fairy Mountain. Could she be trying to lure him into fighting her so that he would feel affection for her talents? And she's using me as bait!?

A voice intruded into her thoughts, "Don't think too much. We are not done yet. Even though you've committed an offense, our goddess is merciful. From today onward, you shall follow her as her student and devote yourself to practicing our ways to quell your mischievous heart."

Lucy was stunned, "Ah...about that, I am already E.N.D.'s seventeenth student, Lucas Heartflame. Why would I follow her instead?" Lucy's loyalty was true. "Don't even think about it."

"Impudent," Goddess Laki butt in. "E.N.D. is magnificent. How could he have such a disappointing student such as you?"

Lucy cleared her throat awkwardly, "Ahem, as a lady who is admiring an outstanding man, it is not embarrassing... But kidnapping his student to interact with him is a massive embarrassment on your part..."

"Don't speak such irresponsible words," Laki scolded.

"You're the one speaking irresponsible words," Lucy countered. "My Master treats me well based on my pitiful past and the trust of his brother. And you? You kidnapped me to make me your student and keep me here, but my Master's one finger is a thousand times better than you as a whole. You want me as a student? Fat chance."

"Hah!" Laki seemed amused. She slowly walked towards Lucy and took her chin into her hands, "Do you dare to say that again?"

Lucy repeated one word at a time, "My Master's one finger is a thousand times better than you. You want me as a student? There's no chance."

Laki stared her down, "Very well...very well... Since you're so stubborn, have him taken to the water dungeon for three days!" She left with a huff while her attendants bowed with a "Yes".


"Ugh!" Lucy struggled with the chains that had bound her inside of the underground dungeon. The water was getting higher—sooner or later, they were going to torture her by the effects of drowning. Water would rise from the channels, and there would be no escape.

While Lucy was splashing about, the attendants above her scoffed, "A random celestial spirit wants to argue with our goddess? Hmph, you deserve to be in the water dungeon. It is the most torturous. The water will fill up to the top every hour. Enjoy it slowly, while you can." They walked away after they were done sneering at her.

"Pshh, it's just a water dungeon," Lucy called out to them. She rolled her eyes until she saw the water gushing into the dungeon. "W-Wait, you're serious?" she began to panic and struggled even more violently to break out of the chains. At this rate, the water would fill the dungeon in less than a minute. "Let me go! Let me out! Anyone!?" She couldn't stay afloat for much longer as the water eventually began to rise above her neck.

"No! Let me out! Let me out!" she coughed water out of her lungs. What was the worse was that, as a deity, there was no possibility of dying because of something like drowning.

"Let me out!"


"Reporting, he's not in the forest. We couldn't find him."

"Nor the back of the mountain or back hall."

"None of you found him? No, no, our seventeenth brother loves to drink. He wouldn't leave jugs of wine smashed on the floor. He must've been taken in a hurry, which caused the jugs of wine to break."

"Could it be the Demon Clan?"

"Demon Clan?"

A senior shook his head, "No, they wouldn't unless it was the Demon Lord Mard Geer. Other than him, others who come to Fairy Mountain would be suppressed by the divine energy around here due to their demonic nature. At that point, they would be no match for Seventeenth. It's definitely not the Demon Clan."

The student who witnessed Lucy disappear spoke, "The person who kidnapped him was someone who I could not catch up to."

"They seem to be someone familiar with Fairy Mountain. Besides the students, who would know their way here?" the senior realized something. "Ah! Could it be Laki Olietta?"

The first senior turned to him, "That's right! Aside from us, only Laki Olietta would know this place best. You guys go and search again—Jet and I will notify Master."

"Yes!"


Jet and the first senior arrived in E.N.D.'s room, "Master, Seventeenth is missing."

"Missing?" E.N.D.'s expression remained calm as he unrolled a scroll. "Have you searched in the wine cellar?"

"We have...we are thinking that...uh..."

"Speak," E.N.D. urged them on.

"After Ninth heard the wine jugs shatter, he noticed a black shadow pass by. He couldn't catch up to it, and later on, we found out that Seventeenth was missing. Even Jet couldn't catch up to it. How could this person be so familiar with the interior of Fairy Mountain? Also, besides us students, there is only Laki Olietta.

"We are thinking that Seventeenth had possibly offended Laki Olietta, thus ending in his capture. But we don't dare to rescue him without your permission, Master."

E.N.D.'s eyes crinkled, "...I will do it."


Laki came to check on how Lucy was faring in the water dungeon. Her long gown dragged on the floor, catching debris along with it. Not that she cared. It was all about "elegance."

Lucy was currently passed out, her eyes closed, with only the chains binding her to keep her from collapsing.

"Bring him up in another hour," Laki told her servants. "Try to make him leave E.N.D."

The attendants nodded in unison, "Yes."

One of them stepped up to speak, "Why does E.N.D. favor this one so much? Is it because of his looks?"

Laki gave her no answer as she walked out of the cage, only to see E.N.D. appear from upstairs and suddenly step towards her.

Laki was surprised, "E.N.D.?"

E.N.D. breathed, "Are one of my students in the water dungeon?"

"E.N.D., have you been listening to someone's rumors?" Laki asked innocently. "Why would my water dungeon have your student?"

"We have known each other for thousands of years. You should know that I don't want a pointless argument," he said. "Move."

"E.N.D.," she protested. "I live here, what gives you the right to come in here whenever you want?"

E.N.D. held his poker face, "Move."

She acted as if she did nothing wrong, "I respect you as the God of War, but this is my territory. Without my permission, not even the Heavenly Lord can step inside." She pulled her sword out and aimed it at E.N.D., in an act of false righteousness.

In the end, she was no match for E.N.D., and his aura alone was enough to send her a few steps back.

"Laki! Laki!" her servants cried as they caught her to break her fall.

"E.N.D.!" Laki shouted as she watched him step towards the dungeon.

E.N.D. ignored her while striding briskly towards the gate of the dungeon and pulling Lucy out using his telekinetic magic.

Lucy choked, coughing water out of her lungs, "Master...you are here."

He held her in his arms, "Seventeenth, are you alright?"

"I was just drowned in the water a few times," she shook her head. "I am not that delicate."

"You've matured a lot tonight," he commented. "You learned how to be brave."

She smiled in relief, her lips quivering, "I still have to drink Zeref's wine. I still have to celebrate my birthday..." Ugh, I feel a little woozy... Her eyes fluttered and she immediately fainted.

"Seventeenth!" E.N.D.'s eyebrows furrowed. He picked her up, carrying her princess style, and walked out of the dungeon.

"E.N.D.!" Laki cried as she saw him carrying Lucy out. "E.N.D! Listen to me-"

"No," he cut her off.

"I'm just afraid that your student will be spoiled by you, and will be the center of rumors in the Heavenly Palace!"

He stopped, "...Since when did I care about what others think?"

She walked up to him, "I-I'm just doing this for your own good. You are the son of the Heavenly Lord, the God of War! You should be worshipped and respected all around the world. You shouldn't be the center of gossip because of one of your mere students."

"Then, a week from now, I will settle this debt with you," he no longer bothered speaking to her and walked the stairs to the exit.

Laki thought to herself, So, he wants to meet and settle our debt...? If this is what it takes, then so be it. We will settle this debt.