Having more people know about Natsu's demon side just felt strange. It wasn't that Gray was worried they'd suddenly hate Natsu or anything, but it was just something he was used to being the only person aware of. They did not seem to be willing to drop the subject. To be honest, I'd likely react similarly in their situation. You do not seem to be the sort of person to let go of anger easily without reason and even I cannot seem to grasp why you've let go of such a thing when dealing with me.
Look who's talking. You're the one who's started acting weird, talking to me about any random thought that comes into your head lately. He'd hardly been able to focus on talking with the villagers because of it. Zeref had spent his time sharing stories about which villagers had actually been friends with him while he was in school and which ones had cast him aside. He'd been the youngest student at that academy, apparently, and few people actually wanted anything to do with him. Still, some wanted him for the sole purpose of his intelligence when it came to magic, so he still at least got to know them, even if he remained fairly isolated in general.
The black wizard was smiling as he walked, still keeping quite a bit of distance as he did so. Talking about his time in school had actually been the trigger for the curse this time, or at least, it had seemed like it was. The outburst had been brief, but enough to make Zeref decide it was better for him to avoid the village entirely. Isn't it obvious as to why I'm doing so?
Gray snorted, ignoring the fact that Lyon, Ur, and Juvia were still following them. His irritation with them hadn't completely faded and he didn't exactly want his second reunion with Ur to be tainted with an argument over something as trivial as this. No. You don't make anything obvious, Zeref.
Well, then I suppose I'll leave you to puzzle out the mystery. Gray just shook his head, sighing and glancing behind him. Lyon seemed to have accepted the explanation about Natsu for why Gray was helping Zeref, but Ur just kept watching him, as if she knew it wasn't the full story. If anyone will figure it out, I imagine it would be her. Considering the fact that she was at that tower…it shows her talent in observation and research on knowledge. The theory of my slumber isn't a particularly popular one and most disregard it in favor of the theory of my death. Only Grimoire Heart is currently acting on that theory, due to a…past decision of mine. Their master wishes to see me again, I imagine, and is seeking me out in the only way he knows how. Perhaps he thinks gathering the keys will gain my intrigue, but he fails to realize that I know he simply wishes for my instruction once more.
You actually taught someone in the past?
Indeed. It was a group of four individuals, to be specific. Zeref frowned. I'm still not certain if it was right for me to do so or not. Part of me just…wished to see her magic again. The one who asked for my assistance was skilled with illusions, you see. She…made it possible for me to pretend, if only for a moment, that I was not cursed. And…she recognized my curse immediately. No one before or since then has managed to do so and I still cannot fathom where she learned of it, not with how much was forgotten after the destruction in the dragons' war.
"Are the two of you going to include us in this conversation at some point in time?" Lyon glared at them, scowling. "We're nearing the temple, anyway, but it seems as if you two are more fond of discussing plans without the rest of us."
Zeref only chuckled, shaking his head. "We aren't planning at all. I was simply speaking with Gray about my actions from…a century ago, I think." His brow furrowed, and he turned towards Gray. "How old is Fairy Tail again? That, I think would answer the question of when this occurred. After all, she was your guild's founder."
"Wait, you taught our founder magic?"
Zeref nodded. "Indeed…which is what makes it so conflicting to decide if it was meant to be or not. As I've already told you before, you are well aware of what fate awaited her, as a result of a…specific spell I taught her."
"I don't think having them discuss this out loud was a solution to help us understand what was going on, Lyon." Ur sighed, shaking her head at them. "Look, I get that you two want to ramble on about this, but aren't we trying to focus on breaking your curse for a change?" She narrowed her eyes at Zeref, placing a hand on her hip. "For someone so desperate to get free of it, you sure get distracted often."
"I'm used to seeking out distractions." Zeref shrugged. "And not so used to being able to discuss things with others. Is there really any harm in being patient with gaining results for something I've dealt with for so long?"
"Not all of us are immortal, Zeref." Lyon spoke bluntly and Zeref frowned at that. Gray felt his mind grow quiet with it, pulling away for some reason again. This time, however, Gray had no idea what secret he was trying to cover up. Still, the hint of sadness almost lingered, despite the lack of solid thoughts for Gray to grasp. "Besides, you two are the ones that spoke with the demons, not us. While I do have something to add, I thought it might be best to wait and see if you'd gathered anything first."
Nodding, Gray went inside, trying to focus again. He wasn't normally so easily distracted, but he couldn't deny that having this chance to just learn about Zeref fascinated him. He should be hating the guy and growing angrier with him, but each story made Zeref seem more like a person and less like the villain he'd heard about from rumors and stories. The guy made mistakes, admitted he'd done so, and owned up to the more horrific things he'd done bluntly and honestly. Zeref made no attempts to say he'd been better than history said he was and oddly, that made it easier for Gray to accept what he'd done. Zeref didn't deny his cruel side, though Gray didn't see it showing much anymore.
Working with Mavis reminded me of the importance of life, remember? Therefore, you truly have not seen me when I become the man history says I am.
Well, it was an answer. Gray didn't know if he felt better about it or not, but right now, he should at least try to focus. He joined the rest of their team inside, before realizing none of them had actually met Ur yet. "Hey. Sorry for being so late. Seems like Lyon picked up another ally." Gray pointed towards her. "This is Ur, the one who taught me magic. Ur, this is my team from Fairy Tail, Lucy, Natsu, Erza, and Happy."
Ur stared at Natsu for a moment, likely recalling what Zeref had said. Yet, she still smiled, nodding at them. "It is nice to meet all of you. To be honest, I didn't think Gray would have many friends."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Gray turned on her, scowling in irritation.
"Well, if I hadn't been forced to go on a job with you, I'd still think you were a pervert, Gray." He turned towards Lucy, seeing her averting her gaze. Frowning, Gray glanced down at himself, only to realize he'd somehow stripped yet again. "Most girls would agree, I think."
"Indeed. Though, I think your master would more so refer to your independent nature. It seems as if you often prefer solo jobs at the guild, after all." Erza had no qualms about meeting his eyes when he did this, unlike Lucy. She had years to get used to his habits, after all.
"I think Gray is quite skilled at convincing others to befriend him." When Zeref chimed in, everyone went quiet, staring at him in confusion. Even Gray blinked at him, uncertain what to make of the black wizard defending his ability to make friends. "Now, are we ready to discuss our plans? Because I have to say, with the three of you rushing us to arrive, I thought we'd jump into the task immediately rather than delaying further."
"Juvia thinks that would be best." The water mage sat down and the others did the same. Zeref sat off in his own isolated side of the room, still listening in but keeping his distance. The rest of them weren't quite as spaced out, but still spoke up so Zeref could hear.
"Alright. So, the villagers say that the gods aren't exactly common knowledge. About five hundred years ago, there was another massive war, much like the one between the dragons, that resulted in them being forgotten about." Gray frowned, shaking his head. "They didn't have many details on exactly what happened during the war, though. Like I said, it is pretty obscure. All they know is that before that point in time, there were entire cities and cultures based solely on the premise of defending a single god, or worshipping them. A few years later, they were all gone and gods were nothing more than myths and legends talked about in stories. Sure, there were a few signs that they were still around, but nothing strong enough to really inspire people to believe and follow them again."
"What makes everyone so certain that there was a war?" Lucy frowned. "It seems like it could have just as easily been a change in culture or something."
"Because." Zeref spoke, meeting her gaze. "The cities that were based entirely off of worshipping the gods…were completely decimated, holding the appearance of ruins that had existed for decades when in reality they'd only been destroyed weeks ago. The ruins of these cities are often misdated in terms of when the civilizations existed, as a result. Whatever magic destroyed them…it was powerful and if I had to guess, I'd almost assume the gods themselves turned on their worshippers for some reason."
"Why would they do that?" Natsu frowned. "Seems pretty pointless and stupid to me, really. I mean, don't gods like having people worship them? That's sorta all people really do to interact with them."
"I'm not certain." Zeref looked away, his brow furrowed. "My experience with the gods isn't exactly educational in what their mindsets would be. Perhaps one of these civilizations sought to obtain the power of the gods. It would…be similar, I suppose, to what caused my curse."
"But what does this have to do with actually learning about their magic then?" Happy glanced at them. "Seems like we just learned that gods vanished and nothing else."
"That is essentially what we did learn." Zeref sighed. "I knew this would be a rather pointless adventure. Coming to this island and speaking with Moka did not strike me as a beneficial task at all."
"You didn't even talk to him, so you don't have the right to complain about that." Gray saw Zeref shrug and he sighed. "Anyway, it still means we need to figure out where to go next. Do we want to look into these ruins personally? Or do you think we should try and find some more info on this war? I'm not really certain if either will tell us much on the gods, but we don't exactly have anything else to go off of."
"Have you forgotten that we had something to add ourselves, Gray?" Lyon interrupted, making Gray blink at the white haired mage. Lyon shook his head. "Ur spoke of a form of magic that caught my attention, though the details on it are almost as vague as your details on this war."
"The magic of a wizard will not give us answers. I told you before, I already know of a wizard that can channel the magic of a god; it has not given me any ideas on how to progress with eliminating the curse." Zeref met Lyon's gaze, yet the ice wizard glared back at him.
"You said the reason was because her magic stemmed from a different branch of magic than your curse." Zeref did not reply and Lyon continued. "Within Grimoire Heart, there are rumors of a wizard that can use a type of magic designed for killing gods."
"From the sounds of it, at its core, the magic is a lot like dragon slaying magic." Ur met their gaze. "I looked a bit into these magics while I had the chance, since I had nearly planned on trying to infiltrate the guild to get to my daughter. I just didn't get that far before I found out the details on their goals and thought maybe chasing after these keys myself would be a better plan."
"Like dragon slaying magic?" Zeref straightened, meeting her gaze. "Do you have further details?"
"Well, what else do you want?" Ur didn't seem that keen on answering kindly either, much like Lyon. "It is like dragon slaying magic, except gods instead of dragons. I haven't seen it personally, so I don't really know how it targets the weakness of a god, but I've also never seen a dragon slayer fighting a dragon to know how truthful that rumored history is either."
"Oh, dragon slaying magic is very effective against dragons, with the proper training." Zeref looked away, his brow furrowed. "And if this magic is like theirs…which variation is it like? First generation? Second?" Now Gray didn't know what he was referring to. "If it is akin to first…that just may be ideal for research purposes. You said this wizard was within Grimoire Heart, correct?" Ur nodded. "Then we'll need back-up. Hmm…I'd still wish to keep my last resort intact…ah, but they might be willing to help."
"Wait, what are you talking about?" Lucy frowned at him. "Needing back-up and talking about Grimoire Heart—please tell me you aren't suggesting taking on a guild like theirs."
"Oh yes, I very much am." Zeref smiled. "And, in the process, I'll make sure to help you obtain Ultear. I realize now that is likely the only reason you've come to speak with us at all at the moment." Ur nodded, but still didn't look willing to open up much. "Do you all happen to trust that I am capable of controlling my demons if need be? That will be a very important aspect of this plan, I suspect."
"I do not care if you think it is the best plan, I refuse to fight with such destructive monsters." Lyon crossed his arms over his chest. "Have you considered infiltration instead?"
"Precht would recognize me instantly; infiltration would not function for this plan." Zeref shook his head. "Hmm…but I suppose I don't need to destroy their guild, merely distract them. We are only after two of their members."
"Juvia does not think we have sufficient numbers to take on their guild." Juvia frowned at him. "And demons cannot be trusted, even if we are simply seeking out a distraction. She thinks Lyon's infiltration plan is best, though perhaps Juvia should be the one to do so."
"That won't work, no matter which one of us goes." Ur interrupted, leaning back against the wall. "Grimoire Heart has been only accepting members that use lost magics for years now."
"Natsu could go, then." Zeref smiled, tilting his head. "Dragon slaying magic is technically a lost magic."
"And do you think they'll want him when their god slayer is supposedly a fire mage as well?" Ur asked.
The man paused, frowning again and glancing around at the team. "You are all intent on infiltration?" Juvia and Lyon nodded, while Erza frowned staring at her lap.
"I don't care what we do! I just wanna fight this god slayer guy and see who's stronger!" Natsu grinned, looking eager for a battle like usual.
"I'd just like to pick the path that avoids fighting, if possible. I mean, Grimoire Heart isn't exactly a safe guild to make an enemy of." Lucy looked over at Lyon with that. "It sorta makes infiltration work well. I mean, it's dangerous, but it has a better chance of avoiding a fight while we look for answers."
Why did no one trust Zeref? Gray wanted to snap at them, but he also knew that it wasn't right to do so. Logically, Gray knew he shouldn't trust the guy, yet being inside of his head strangely made it easy to see Zeref as an honest man. "The general consensus of the team is infiltration and I will not go against their desires." Erza nodded, meeting Zeref's gaze calmly. "I am sorry if this creates an added difficulty, but if you have a method that would allow us to mimic lost magics, perhaps we can move forward with this plan instead."
Looking lost in thought, Zeref turned away. "Gray…are you willing to trust in my control over my demons?"
"I'm guessing we aren't talking about ones like the villagers."
"No. I'm talking about ones that have the potential to be even more destructive than Deliora." That didn't exactly sit well with him. Yet, Zeref was meeting his gaze, harshly and sternly. The man wasn't pleased with whatever idea he had, but to move forward, he needed someone that trusted him.
"Gray isn't going near those demons, Zeref. I don't understand why you keep pushing this—" Lyon began.
"Because Gray is the one that would be capable of learning a lost magic, at this very moment." Zeref met Lyon's gaze, challenging him. "However, the one who could pass that knowledge on to him…is not one who technically lives. To contact him, I would need to reach out to a very specific demon of mine, a demon who is…keeping him in a somewhat living state."
A resurrected person could teach him a lost magic? Gray supposed it made sense, that someone who died would pass along ancient knowledge. "If Gray can learn it, so could any of us." Ur met his gaze. "Leave him out of this. It is my daughter I'm after, so I'll learn this magic and go to Grimoire Heart, even if it means tolerating your creations."
"He would not be willing to pass the knowledge on to anyone other than Gray." Zeref met her gaze calmly. "And I do not think you would be capable of remaining calm…not when you've seen what I've done. In fact, I do not think even Gray will be calm. As I tried to say before, this is not the plan I wish to follow, but you refuse to listen to reason. There is no way to learn a lost magic without some sort of sacrifice, without some sort of pain."
"Can you not teach us something?" Lucy frowned at him.
"Do you want to be cursed with me?" That silenced her and Zeref sighed, running a hand through his hair. Gray wanted to know who it was Zeref had alive, but he had a strange feeling he might not want the answer either. "Gray…I'll ask you again. Would you be willing to put that much trust in me, to allow you to learn this magic? It will not be pleasant and it will certainly bring back memories you'd prefer to forget. However…from what I've seen, he should be willing to pass along his knowledge to you. It is a type of magic that allows the user to pass it along without traditional forms of training and thusly, would be the fastest option, despite the emotional turmoil it will cause."
As much as Gray wanted to openly accept, he still had enough wariness left to wonder what made Zeref so hesitant to enact this plan. From what he'd seen, the guy would typically act without asking questions and he wouldn't evade giving answers like this when the truth would come to light anyway later on. "That depends, I guess." Zeref raised his eyebrows and Gray narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell is it that'd be teaching me this magic? Because you make it sound like one of your demons managed to bring the dead back to life."
"That is the ability I gave him." Zeref smiled faintly. "This particular demon is a necromancer, though his abilities are far more…limited than what I can manage." Gray didn't quite get how he could pass that on as someone's magic, but he let it slide for now. "Your instructor would be his current…puppet, for lack of a better term. The one he revives is under his control, though they do retain their memories and personality from when they were alive. They simply are unable to refuse Keyes' commands while under the influence of his power."
"That still doesn't answer the question."
Zeref kept avoiding his gaze. "I assure you, I did not know of his identity, at least in terms of association with you, until I had established this connection between us. Without it, I likely would not have even come up with this plan and even as it stands, he may be unwilling to pass on his magic at this time. I don't know enough about him to know his goals, but considering the magic he practices, I imagine he seeks revenge in his own way, despite being controlled."
Gray was getting even more suspicious. "Zeref, can you stop rambling and just give me a straight answer? Who the hell is he?"
Looking over at him, Zeref inhaled slowly, meeting Gray's eyes. "His name is Silver." That name…Gray knew that name. He stilled, meeting Zeref's dark eyes. "Currently, he practices devil slayer magic…a magic designed for destroying demons. And, as far as I can tell…" Zeref trailed off, hesitating again.
"Your demon resurrected—" Gray inhaled, looking away and staring at his lap. "He brought back my father."
Zeref nodded, folding his hands into his lap. "Yes, that appears to be the case." The room was quiet and Gray had no idea what to say. He hadn't thought about growing up with his father in ages, not since he decided to move on and focus on his life with Fairy Tail. Yet, the man was alive, in some form. Zeref was offering a chance to meet him again, yet Gray had a feeling there was a catch to all of this. Right now, all he could think was that not only did Natsu's life depend on Zeref's existence, but now his father's did as well. Not only that, but his father's life depended on the existence of a demon…one who was even more destructive and deadly than Deliora, who likely deserved to be destroyed.
"Ultear, Meredy, thank you for coming on such short notice." Master Hades had demanded the two of them report in not long after submitting their strategy against Fairy Tail. Meredy had been pleased with the results, hoping Master would not question why Gray took the highest priority on the list. Logically, she supposed she understood focusing on others, but for the sake of justice, she refused to let logic win.
Meeting the guild master's eyes, Meredy remained in her kneeling position on the ground. "What do you need us to do?"
"I've been attempting to seek out rumors of other demons in recent years." Hades sighed, folding his hands in his lap. "The most recent account was of the demon Lullaby, though the demon's book was not found during the mission. Unfortunately, that means that while the artifact was retrieved, I find it to be unlikely that the book ever left the hands of the magic council."
"Are we to use my position with them to retrieve it ourselves?" Ultear asked.
Shaking his head, Master smiled. "Perhaps later, but that is not my current request." He turned around, staring out of the window facing the front of the airship as it flew. "It has been some time, but I've found record of a massive wave of destruction. No survivors exist to report on exactly what triggered the devastating blow, but news stories suggest an entire farming village was destroyed in less than a day. I want the two of you to investigate and verify if this is the work of a demon. If so, find its book so we can obtain our next key."
"Of course." Meredy bowed her head, before rising to her feet. Master provided them with a map, quickly pointing out where the destruction was. Then, Meredy and Ultear went their separate ways to prepare for the mission. Taking along her typical gear, Meredy brought along teleportation rings, jewel, and a precautionary metabolism-boosting charm to increase her body's natural healing speed in the event of a battle with a demon.
Packed, she walked towards Ultear's room before knocking on the door. "Come in." Meredy walked inside, seeing the time mage packing just a bit more than her. Ultear was placing extra orbs into her gauntlets, stocking up for when they would potentially break in battle. Unlike Meredy, her charms were worn and ready to be activated at any time - a charmed necklace allowed for teleportation as needed to the airship. Tying a small pouch of jewel to her belt, the time mage turned towards Meredy with a smile. "I told you that you'd be off on a mission in no time."
"Not alone though."
"Cheer up." Ultear patted her shoulder. "At least we're working together this time. Far more reliable than Zoldeo or anyone else in this place, really."
Giving Ultear a faint smile, Meredy nodded. This mission was another sign of trust. Meredy would do well and find the last key they needed. "I'm ready when you are."
With a nod, the time mage took Meredy's hand. The two of them focused on activating their charms before teleporting to the destination Hades had provided them with. When Meredy arrived, the first thing she noticed was that it felt unreasonably dry in the air. It was warm and normally, she was used to that being accompanied by the sticky heaviness of humidity.
Moving on from the temperature, Meredy took a step forward and let her gaze scan her surroundings. The place was deserted and she found herself questioning how anyone had considered this a home recently at all. Nothing but rubble stood before her. It was even more destroyed than her own home town, without a single wall left standing. Buildings that had collapsed were also mostly burnt to ash, falling apart and crumbling underneath her foot as she stepped on a fallen piece of debris.
Being more careful, Meredy attempted to watch her steps. Yet, she frowned as she got further into the destroyed town. "Ultear, look at this." In the center of one of the piles of rubble, water seemed to be pooling in a dome. "Was there more than one attacker?"
Crouching near the water, Ultear frowned. "Hard to say. It may have rained recently."
"With the dry weather?" Meredy looked up at the clear sky, seeing the sun burning down on them. "I suppose there is a chance. Yet, magic seems more likely." She hovered her hand over the water, frowning as she tried to sense for any lingering energy from the spell. "Too old. I don't think we'll be able to detect anything at this point."
"Let's keep looking." Ultear folded her arms over her chest. "There has to be something we can use to pinpoint what caused this."
"Master is right on this being unnatural." Meredy frowned, standing straight again and gazing further around the area. There weren't many collapsed buildings due to the small size of the town, but even without that, she could see actual chunks of rock and dirt uprooted from the ground by sheer force. "We are searching for a powerful being if this truly is a demon."
"At this point, I can't imagine a wizard pulling off this level of destruction." Ultear had spotted the same thing Meredy had, eyeing what looked like a man-made valley in the land. "Flooding, burns, and now whatever has managed to dig a hole straight into the ground. I cannot imagine many magics capable of being quite so versatile."
"Perhaps a variation on water magic?" Meredy tilted her head. "Temperature variation could have some potential to trigger burns - it'd be difficult to trigger a true fire with just that, however." Could steam alone cause a fire? Perhaps it was used to amplify an existing fire instead. "No, on second thought, that isn't quite enough."
Ultear nodded in agreement. "Fire and water are not typical elements to see used together. It must be a rare magic indeed that triggered this."
"I cannot say I've heard of a demon that could cause it either." Most of Zeref's demons had documented examples of their destruction. Lullaby's song, Deliora's ice, and even Tempester's cyclones were well known throughout history. This just was unheard of, however.
Walking along, Meredy found herself tripping over yet another fallen piece of a building on the ground. She grimaced, rubbing her ankle in response before glaring at the rubble. Then, she blinked as she spotted something underneath what she'd kicked. Her body stiffened, seeing a tiny shoe sticking out from underneath the wall.
Ultear kept walking, failing to notice what Meredy could see. The time mage kept exploring and investigating the damage, but the pink haired wizard couldn't move. That foot was so small. She was trapped, just like her neighbors had been trapped. Yet, unlike them, this foot belonged to someone as young as she had been. This was the fate that was almost hers, wasn't it?
Swallowing, Meredy found herself pulling the debris aside. The full leg was revealed, before Meredy moved on to remove more. Dirt covered her ragged and torn clothes along with her skin. Yet, when Meredy was done, she could at least see the child's face. It was enough to make Meredy's heart beat even faster. A young girl with pink hair just a bit darker than her own remained still on the ground.
"Meredy, get moving! We can't be wasting time."
Meredy stumbled back, falling onto the ground and slamming her eyes shut. Memories were flashing in her mind of the destruction from her childhood. She was surrounded by explosions again, feeling the ground rumbling beneath her body. Compared to the falling buildings, she was nothing. She couldn't do a thing to stop it, to help protect Mom or Dad. She — heard a gasp. Meredy blinked, sitting up straight and staring at the child. A rasping cough escaped the girl as she hunched over with an odd pattern of dark black wisps swirling around her body.
Footsteps approached while Meredy studied the magic surrounding the child. "Meredy, I—wait, there was someone here?" Ultear turned with wide eyes at what Meredy had found. She knelt down quickly, far more efficient than Meredy was when facing something as grim as this. Ultear's hand pressed against the child's neck with a frown. "A clear pulse as well. Master said this disaster happened some time ago…"
With a frown, Ultear turned and studied the area. After a moment, Meredy saw her magic activate on a small section of the debris. Ultear was concentrating as the building returned to its former state. Once it was whole again, Ultear turned back to the girl with a furrowed brow. "Approximately six months ago. That is how long she's been in this state."
"She shouldn't be alive."
"I know." Ultear looked at Meredy, before smiling faintly. "Perhaps this visit may have been a waste for tracking down a demon, but I think Master would be pleased with a new recruit."
The child's coughing had subsided and she was resting calmly yet again. She was so thin and hardly moving. Meredy wondered how she hadn't starved yet, given the time. "Ul, I don't think that would be wise."
"It isn't any different than when we found you." Meredy couldn't deny that, but something felt wrong. "She's alive because she can heal herself, Meredy. That alone tells us she has a rare, lost magic - the gift of healing. The potential for that sort of gift would be limitless in a guild like ours, don't you think?"
It was useful, but Meredy couldn't help but think of her own first introduction to the guild. Grimoire Heart had grown on her as it was the only place willing to take her in. Maybe this child didn't have other options herself, but Meredy hoped they didn't subject her to the same battles Meredy endured in her initial training. That would be a painful thing to go through, especially in her weakened state. "She needs time to recover."
"Then we'll have her study theory before putting it into practice."
It was the best she'd be able to manage for this girl. So, Meredy slowly nodded. She needed to be detached and think logically about this. Ultear was right. Their group got involved in dangerous tasks. Having a healer would be of great use to their cause, especially when strengthened after the coming of the Ultimate Magic World. So, Meredy knelt down and lifted the child into her arms, grimacing at the weight. She needed to build just a little more muscle once she was back, to handle more tasks like this. However, the trip was mercifully short due to the assistance of their teleportation charms. They were back aboard their airship with the girl in their grasp without even needing to take a single step away from the destroyed village.