Having only seen Vistarion from the small glimpses of backgrounds in communication lacrimas, Gray wasn't prepared for where he was taken. A massive wall surrounded and blocked off a castle, only accessible by a main road leading up to a gate. Invel had to pause at the entrance, activating some sort of spell with a burst of magic and a small drop of blood onto a pulsing magic circle on the gate itself. Gray watched in a daze, still uncertain as to how this conversation had moved from discussing Zeref's entrapment to Invel being so confident that the black wizard was dead.

Gray was not led into the main building that he imagined was the actual castle the government operated out of. Instead, Invel turned down a path to the left, headed towards a much smaller and plainer building inside of the walls. With August behind him, Gray didn't even consider hesitating to follow. He knew enough about August's magic to know he likely was not prepared to fight his way out if things went wrong after questioning what was going on.

Two strangers stood guard outside of the building they approached. Invel nodded to the uniformed men, pushing the doors open without a word. Gray gave them a look, uncertain what to make of the men dressed in pure black military uniforms, armed with swords and who knew what other weapons on their body. He was pushed along gently by August when his walking slowed. Looking at the older wizard, Gray couldn't quite understand the expression he wore. The man's eyes were distant and while he wasn't exactly smiling or glaring at him, Gray couldn't say he was frowning either. If anything, he simply looked distracted or lost in thought as they kept walking.

Eventually, they arrived at another door inside of the building. Invel opened it, meeting Gray's eyes calmly as he gestured inside. "This way, please. Our interrogation will begin here."

Nodding, Gray entered. Inside, the room was relatively plain. A rectangular table with four seats was set up in the middle of the room. Gray took a seat in one of them as he heard the door click shut behind them. As August and Invel took the seats across from him, Gray's eyes scanned the walls. He spotted a lacrima in the corner on the ceiling, though Gray couldn't say he knew its purpose. Given the fact that this was an interrogation, he imagined it somehow would take a record of the events in here, though Gray wasn't completely certain how magic like that would even work.

"Given August's emotional attachment to the situation, I will be leading the questions." Invel folded his hands on the table. "Initially, I had expected our conversation would be far more civil, to be honest. However, it appears as if you were dishonest in your initial report of the situation, requiring a different approach."

"I wasn't lying." Gray met his eyes calmly. "All I tried to do was use iced shell. Zeref himself came up with the plan - we were being targeted by Acnologia and he seemed to think it was our best option to stop him."

"Given the aspects of transformation magic in the spell, I'm inclined to believe it was a valid plan." August spoke quietly. "Transformation magic is not elemental in nature; Acnologia would not have been able to consume it for energy like most other spells."

"August." Invel shook his head. "Whether or not his majesty devised that strategy is unimportant. The facts still remain. First, Larcade and Bloodman both become unreachable right when we require their assistance in battle." Invel met Gray's eyes intensely. "Then, the rumors regarding Tartaros follow. Some wizard stumbled across the ruins of the Cube, reporting the dead bodies of all nine members of the guild. Not long after, Brandish reports her own discovery of Larcade and Bloodman meeting the same fate with no visible injuries."

"I…" Gray swallowed. He had no clue who Larcade or Bloodman were, but he did at least understand the suspicion with Tartaros. "Look, I know it looks bad, but I promise you Zeref isn't dead. I just saw him with my own eyes, alright? Maybe the spell is just…messing with his magic or something."

Invel narrowed his eyes. "Messing with his magic?" The room grew colder as Invel stiffened in his seat. "Do you even comprehend what you are suggesting? A simple wizard's spell would never interfere with something so powerful. His majesty's magic is inherently connected to a curse given by gods. Perhaps you could intervene with some of the lesser forms of his abilities and block his typical magics, but his bonds to the living magic he's created cannot be severed, just as his death magic cannot be stopped."

Gray pressed a hand to his hair, grimacing. What was even happening then? Invel should in theory be correct; Zeref himself wasn't aware of anything that could sever those ties beyond his own death. "Not all of them are dead." Gray inhaled slowly, looking over at the young wizard. "Natsu's still around. You had to have seen him with the others too."

There was a frown on Invel's face but the man only leaned back in his seat. Tilting his head, he studied Gray for a moment before shaking his head. "This debate is getting us no where. Knowing the consequences, I can't imagine anyone would admit to such an act, even if you are willing to cooperate with your initial detainment."

"Look, I'm telling you that I didn't kill him!" Gray glared at the man. "How many times do I have to say it? I get that it looks suspicious, but even when frozen, he's still able to react to us. We could talk to him and he even managed to get us to figure out which lacrima to grab to contact you specifically."

The other man frowned, staring at the table in silence. August sat at his side, tilting his head for a moment. "He is frozen and able to react?" Gray nodded in response to the elderly wizard. The man frowned, staring at the table for a moment. "Would you be willing to recreate your spell then? I will observe and learn the truth of exactly what your spell has done to his majesty."

"August, we cannot allow him to use magic." Invel shook his head. "He's suspicious and a potential threat to the empire! Or would you prefer we let him walk free for his majesty's death?" August flinched at Invel's words. "Out of all of us, I thought you'd be the one most infuriated with this discovery. We tried to hope for the best, but in the end…" Invel sighed, shaking his head. "It appears as if his majesty's personal project was a success."

"We cannot say that for certain." August spoke quietly. "I choose to have hope. This man is not in a situation he can easily walk free from by merely stating a lie." Turning towards the other general, August nodded. "You have made it quite clear that you intend to arrest him, regardless of his current claims. Unless you think I am incapable of reacting should he target us? Or do you doubt your own skill to counter a simple user of ice magic?"

Giving him a glare, Invel closed his hand into a fist. After a moment, the younger general turned back towards Gray. "Very well. If you target anything beyond what we direct you towards, understand that we will react without question. You will be killed on sight." The man adjusted his glasses. "As it is, we are already being too lenient. He isn't even licensed as a magic user."

"If it helps, I do have the paperwork filled out for that process." Gray sighed. "Not exactly certain what good it does now though."

"I will take it for now." August held out his hand and Gray slowly pulled the sheet out from his pocket. Supposedly, it was meant to go through Meredy, but this situation likely overrode that protocol. "An ice-make wizard." Gray hadn't bothered to list anything else as he hadn't exactly used the devil slayer magic he'd gained. August passed the form over to Invel who read through the sheet quickly. "I would say we have little to be concerned of."

"He's studied or used one of the forbidden forms of entrapment magic."

"Your own emperor taught that one to me." Gray folded his arms over his chest. "Can't say it's exactly my fault when the guy forcibly uses that sort of magic on me."

After a moment, Invel nodded and set the sheet aside. "Very well." He motioned towards the empty seat. "You claim you utilized iced shell, albeit an improper form of it. Demonstrate your spell on that chair and we will determine if there is even a slight chance your explanation can resolve our current debate."

Nodding, Gray slowly rose to his feet. His eyes flickered towards August, hesitating for a moment. "If…if I happen to actually use the spell correctly, you're not just gonna leave me stuck are you? I mean, this isn't exactly a spell that comes without risks."

The elderly man gave him a smile. "Of course. I'm already familiar with iced shell and the means to reverse it. His majesty requested my aid in researching it years ago."

Gray stared at him for a moment, before slowly shaking his head. He supposed that explained how Zeref came up with a counter spell so quickly on Galuna Island. Either way, he at least had reassurance from the more sympathetic of the two generals. Focusing on the empty seat, Gray slowly got into the appropriate stance for iced shell. His heart pounded, feeling wary of the magic now that he wasn't using it in a desperate situation. This wasn't the sort of spell to just 'demonstrate' to someone. It was meant to be a last resort when there were no other options.

Noticing Invel's impatient glare out of the corner of his eyes, Gray made a reassessment of his thoughts. Things were more dire than he really imagined, just in a different way. If he couldn't find a way to prove Zeref was alive, this situation was highly likely to get him executed by a foreign government. So, he crossed his arms in front of him and began to focus.

A magic circle formed under his feet, glowing as energy welled within him. Gray felt it flowing within his body, spreading throughout his limbs and making him start to grow numb. Unlike before where he'd used the spell in a rush, Gray was now hyper-aware of the sensations it brought. It differed from the usual chill from his maker magic or even the devil slayer magic he'd briefly used. This spell felt almost warm. The odd combination of numbness and heat almost drowned out his own focus on the actual magical energy just as it welled up at his feet where they stood on the magic circle itself. In a bright flash of light, the spell unleashed and blasted out towards the chair in front of him.

Almost immediately, Gray felt his body grow weak. He breathed heavily, falling to his knee as exhaustion settled in. In front of him, the chair was frozen just like anything would be when targeted by iced shell. Yet, it wasn't a living thing. The chair couldn't prove a thing about Zeref's current state. Inhaling slowly, Gray pressed a hand to his chest where his heart continued to pound heavily. He was sweating, he realized, something that never happened for any use of ice magic he'd heard of.

Slowly, he turned to look over at August. "Like I said, I have no idea what I did wrong." His voice was airy, far weaker than he would've liked. Fighting back against the exhaustion, Gray braced his hand on the ground and slowly pushed himself to his feet. He took a stumbling step back towards the table, only to need to brace himself on the surface with another harsh breath. After a moment of pausing, leaning against the surface, he slowly sunk back down into his own chair.

The elderly man was still staring at the frozen chair, watching it with wide eyes. Invel was frowning as well, examining the ice. "I suppose that portion of the story was true then." Invel approached the results of his spell, placing a hand on its surface. With a quick moment of focus, the entire creation was coated in an additional layer of ice. Invel closed his hand into a fist and the entire structure began to shake. With a frown, Invel's brow began to furrow as he focused intently on the spell. Eventually, August grabbed his wrist and started to shake his head.

"Invel." The man's voice was quiet. "It…it's the same as before."

"Before?"

"Before we were pulled away for his majesty's request regarding our new national religion and the takeover of Ilora." August stared at the chair. "It is the same as the ruins and what we found in the canyon."

The ice mage stiffened, turning on August with narrowed eyes. "You cannot know that for certain."

"And can you think of a reason why another spell similar to iced shell would be capable of creating the same…issue as what we found?" August was cautious in his wording but still kept going.

"If that is the case…" Invel trailed off, looking at the frozen chair before turning back towards Gray. "We need to bring in Dimaria. Perhaps she'd be able to determine if it is even feasible for such a spell to cause such things after use."

"Before that, we need to retrieve his majesty from his current location." August calmly met the ice general's gaze. "Dimaria may be able to provide theories, but in this situation, seeing the results for ourselves may be our only means of full confirmation."

Letting out a sigh, Invel pressed a hand to his forehead. The room was silent while the man closed his eyes, considering his options. Gray almost fell asleep while waiting, still feeling the exhausted after the spell he'd just used. Still, Invel eventually met Gray's eyes sternly. "Very well. I suppose you are correct, given the circumstances."

"Then we should release—"

"No." Invel shook his head. "I am not taking such a risk, not when we've personally witnessed what Gray is capable of." Rising to his feet, the man approached Gray. "He will remain in our custody until an answer is found. During that process, I expect him to offer his assistance in the search." The general stood right next to Gray now, looking down to meet his eyes. "Do I make myself clear?"

Nodding, the ice-make wizard let out a slow breath. "He's still in Fiore." Gray rubbed his eyes, looking over at the man. "Magnolia, to be specific. Can't say I know a ton about what's going on, but supposedly, he's at risk of being targeted by a spell known as Nirvana."

"That will not be a concern." August spoke calmly. "Our research into this matter shows that victims of this particular spell are not able to be affected by external magics."

Gray frowned at the man. "Wait, you've seen this before? Why are you still researching it then?"

August and Invel shared a look. Invel opened his mouth to speak, but August spoke first. "Because I cannot analyze it." Gray stared at the elderly wizard. Zeref said August's magic gave him inherent knowledge on how to copy any spell. "It is one of the very few spells I've encountered that is immune to my own analysis. As such, I'm afraid even I cannot determine how to reverse it."

"August. Need I remind you that he is dangerous?"

The elderly man smiled and shook his head. "As I've stated before, this is his majesty's friend. I'm confident he will request that we work with Gray once we find a means of communicating with him."

Sighing, the younger general shook his head. "Believe what you want, but please refrain from sharing excessively about the empire. Regardless of his personal relationship with our emperor, we still have protocols to follow and laws to enforce."

"Shall I begin to gather the others for now then?" August was disregarding the warning it seemed. "Fiore's current state likely means we will be discussing a new proposal of war. Irene, at the very least, should also be allowed to provide her thoughts on the matter."

Glaring at him, Invel scowled. "Fine. Handle the official details on your own then." The younger general looked at Gray, somehow seeming even more exhausted than the ice-make wizard. "Since you can't be trusted to handle it, I suppose I'll supervise this one."

"Fine with me." Gray looked at the ice mage. "If you do decide you trust me enough, I can say that Meredy's guild is more than willing to help with your attack. She's been looking for an opportunity to free Fiore from the Oración Seis' control for a while now."

"Then it appears I will be headed out to discuss matters with them as well." Invel nodded at August. "We will be in touch regarding our finalized plan."

The elderly man nodded, looking at Gray with a small smile. "Do not concern yourself too much with his attitude." Gray blinked at August. "Invel is loyal to the empire and wishes to protect it above all else. He will follow the appropriate protocol and I assure you, he will not act rashly without permission from his majesty."

The ice mage shook his head. "Contrary to his belief, I am not offering you any degree of trust." Invel began to lead them out of the room, away from August. Rather than heading towards the entrance, Invel instead turned the opposite direction and opened a different door. "You are a person of interest to our nation and will be treated as such. If we are going to be outside of our holding cells, the proper precautions will be taken to restrain you."

The man pulled out what looked like a pair of slim white bracelets from the closet. Gray could see runes etched onto the surface of each and he sensed the faint magical energy each gave off. "What are those supposed to be?"

"Magical suppression cuffs." Invel reached out, grabbing Gray's hand without hesitation. "To prevent you from illegal magic use while outside of Vistarion." Once he'd secured one of the devices around Gray's wrist, he moved on to Gray's other arm and did the same.

With both of the cuffs on, Gray immediately sensed the difference. The energy within his body immediately felt walled off, blocked by a wall that no one could see. While Gray could still feel magical energy in the core of his chest, its flow had halted and would no longer spread and be accessed for use. He pressed a hand to his chest, right above where he could still feel the stagnant energy. Closing his eyes, he focused on adjusting to the feeling only to realize a second source of energy was beginning to flow within him. Immediately, Gray stopped and took a step back, looking around the room.

"Don't look so shocked. It is typical practice when dealing with wizards who are suspected of a crime." Invel frowned at Gray, likely unaware of the change the cuffs triggered.

Looking at the other mage, Gray slowly took a breath. Zeref's warning about devil slayer magic remained, but if he gave Invel a warning, Gray would be completely powerless. "Right." Dropping his hand, Gray did his best to ignore the way the curse power was attempting to replace the natural flow of ethernano he was used to. As soon as the cuffs were gone, he'd be back to ignoring it entirely. This tiny bit of forced exposure wouldn't be nearly enough to trigger the change Zeref warned him about when he first gained access to this magic.