Following the sheer chaos Rudra had just ignited, a thick, suffocating silence settled over the grassy plateau. Every eye remained glued to the half-demon, who was still casually leaning against the oak. With his eyes closed and arms folded over his chest, he completely ignored the barrage of stunned, furious, and utterly bewildered stares aimed his way.
A few agonizing minutes crawled by in that tense stalemate, until Ultear finally cleared her throat to break the silence. "Anyway... is it true you guys are entering the Grand Magic Games this year?"
Erza snapped her head toward Ultear, her dark eyes glinting with sharp annoyance. Hearing that Rudra had kissed her in the past had put Erza in a foul mood. "Yeah," she replied, her voice laced with ice. "What of it?"
Ultear smoothly ignored Erza's glare and pressed on. "If you're willing, we would like you to do something for us while you're there."
Natsu grinned, slamming his fists together. "Oh, I get it! You want us to get you someone's autograph!"
Ultear's brow twitched with visible irritation. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."
Jellal, having finally managed to pull his shattered composure back together, stepped forward to take over. "Every year during the tournament, we sense an unusual magic power emanating from the venue. We need you to help us find out who's behind it."
"Are you guys for real?" Natsu asked, tilting his head.
"I mean, guilds from all over Fiore are gathering in one place," Lucy pointed out, gesturing with her hands. "Of course the whole area is going to be filled with magic power."
"She's right," Levy agreed, crossing her arms. "I think you guys might just be acting a little too paranoid."
"We wouldn't be asking if we weren't entirely sure," Jellal countered gravely. "It isn't just high magic density. The power we sense carries a distinct, evil resonance—one closely aligned with Zeref."
Erza's posture stiffened at the name. "Zeref? Are you certain it's related to him?"
"We believe our prior involvement with dark magic has granted us a unique sensitivity to any trace of its power," Jellal explained, his voice dropping into a low register.
"So now do you understand?" Ultear added, her expression turning dead serious. "Ascertaining the truth is paramount."
"If you can track down the source of that energy, it may finally help us locate him," Jellal said.
"And you'll be compensated just like any other job," Meredy chimed in with a faint smile. "Discretion is important since we don't want the culprit to know we're onto them, so we'll be rooting for you strictly behind the scenes."
Erza closed her eyes, weighing the request thoughtfully. "It sounds like a wild goose chase... but we'll do it."
"Are you sure about this, Erza?" Gray asked, looking at her with a doubtful expression.
"We don't have much of a choice," Erza reasoned softly. "Guilds from all over Fiore will be gathering there, and if an evil power linked to Zeref is involved, it will be trouble for us too."
"Did we mention we'll be paying you upfront?" Ultear interjected, a subtle smirk touching her lips.
"FOOD MONEY!" Natsu bellowed at the exact same moment Lucy shrieked, "RENT MONEY!"
Ultear chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh, it's nothing material like gold." She raised her hand, summoning her crystal orb to float gently above her palm. "Over the years, I've refined my Arc of Time magic. I can use it to force your dormant abilities to grow stronger."
The group stared at her in complete confusion.
"I call it unlocking your Second Origin," Ultear explained. "It taps into your latent potential, giving you access to a secondary reservoir of magical power to boost your abilities for the games."
Understanding dawned on the wizards, and within seconds, the clearing erupted into joyful cheers as everyone celebrated the unexpected power-up.
"Don't get too excited just yet," Ultear warned, her smile fading into a chilling grin. "Be ready. Unlocking your Second Origin involves unimaginable, agonizing pain."
A collective shudder ran through the Fairy Tail mages, their cheering dying instantly as a cold sweat broke out across the group.
Amidst the sudden quiet, Erza glanced toward Jellal, who was staring fixedly past her, his eyes burning with raw hostility as he glared directly at Rudra. Unbothered by the death glare, Rudra simply pushed himself off the tree trunk with a lazy yawn.
As the guild turned to head toward the shore to begin the excruciating ritual, he fell into stride behind them—hands shoved deep into his pockets, trailing along in absolute, nonchalant silence.
Not far from the plateau, two grotesque shadows blitzed through the forest canopy at breakneck speed, whipping through leaves and leaving a trail of snapped twigs in their wake. As one demon frantically projected a dark, telepathic pulse, he misread the signal and snapped his jaw shut.
His jagged claws tore deep into the bark of a heavy oak branch, hurling him forward. "Shit, shit, shit! Why is the blood of Sparda anywhere near our targets?!"
"That's what I want to know!" the second demon growled. He craned his neck back, his eyes frantically scanning the rustling canopy behind them. "Didn't Lord Mundus explicitly assure us that Sparda's spawn wasn't even in this realm?!"
"We were this close to rounding up the Celestial Mages!" the first hissed, his raspy breath coming in frantic bursts. "Should I signal a global withdrawal? Now that he's here—"
"I think that's a marvelous idea," a dry, mocking voice chimed in from directly between them. "Honestly, who knows what that guy will do if he gets pissed off?"
The two demons froze, their blood running ice-cold. Snapping their heads sideways, terror seized them: Rudra's clone was casually keeping pace alongside them, matching their full-tilt sprint without breaking a sweat.
The demons skidded to a violent halt on a massive limb, dropping low into defensive stances with fangs bared.
"Sparda!" one spat, red eyes wide with panic.
Rudra's clone glided to a smooth stop on a slender branch, balancing effortlessly with hands shoved deep in his pockets. He raised a palm in a mock-disarming gesture. "Hey now, why so tense? Please, go on. Finish that nice little chat you were having." A slow, razor-sharp smirk stretched across his face as his hand slid back into his pocket. "Just pretend I'm not even here."
Neither demon moved. Their eyes darted frantically across the canopy, desperately searching for an escape route.
The clone sighed, tilting his head in mild boredom. "No mood for gossip, huh? Fine. How about answering a few of my questions instead?"
Again, only a thick, suffocating silence greeted him.
"Right. The quiet type," he muttered.
Before either demon could twitch, the clone vanished.
He reappeared in the narrow space between them. Before they could react, his hands clamped onto both of their horned heads in a crushing, iron grip. They opened their maws to scream, but the air was locked in their throats.
Gleaming purple ripple-patterns flickered to life in the clone's eyes. Channeling the dark authority of the Rinnegan's Human Path, he gave a harsh, violent yank.
Two translucent, squirming dark masses were torn cleanly from their husks. He absorbed the demon souls whole, consuming their agonizing final moments along with every memory buried in their minds.
The empty corpses dropped like lead, crashing through the leaves before dissolving into gray ash against the forest floor.
Rudra's clone stood alone on the branch, sifting through the torrent of stolen memories. He clicked his tongue. They don't know what Mundus actually wants with the Celestial Mages or the Zodiac Keys... typical lower-tier grunts.
Still, it wasn't a total wash. Digging deeper, he struck gold: precise coordinates for several upcoming targets the Underworld was actively hunting.
Glancing down at the fading ash, the clone grinned. "Well, it's something."
Without another word, he released the jutsu, dissolving into a swirl of shadow to send the intel back to the main body.
Back on the beach, Natsu writhed on the sand, black markings spreading across his skin as he choked back muffled groans of excruciating pain. Standing a few paces away, Rudra suddenly winced as a flood of fresh memories snapped into his mind from his dispelled clone.
He let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just keeps getting better, doesn't it?"
Weaving a quick, single-handed seal, three more shadow clones materialized around him in silent pops of smoke.
"You've got the memory update," Rudra commanded quietly, his voice dropping below the agonizing groans of the guild. "You know the coordinates. Pick your targets, provide overwatch from the shadows, and don't engage unless necessary. Keep them alive."
The three clones gave firm, silent nods before vanishing into the tree line like lightning.
"Where did you just send them?"
Rudra didn't need to turn around to know Erza was standing right behind him. Rolling his eyes, he kept his gaze fixed on Natsu's trembling frame. "Why do you always have to go around poking your nose into everyone else's business, Scarlet?"
Erza stepped into his field of view, her expression unusually guarded. "Because I want to know. And if whatever you're dealing with is dangerous, maybe we can help."
A dry, mocking laugh escaped Rudra's lips. He turned his head slowly, looking her dead in the eye. "Help with what, exactly?" Stepping forward, he closed the distance until he was looking straight down at her. "The last time we were at the capital, I did all the heavy lifting—like I always do—while you and Mira tagged along for the ride and didn't accomplish jack shit."
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping into a harsh, uncompromising register. "So do me a favor, Scarlet. Mind your own damn business, and let me mind mine."
Erza didn't snap back. She didn't draw a blade or bark a sharp reprimand like she usually did. Instead, her breath hitched, and she slowly lowered her gaze to the sand, letting his cold words hang between them.
For a moment, only the sound of crashing waves and muffled groans filled the air.
Rudra raised an eyebrow at her unusual silence. "Anything else, Scarlet?"
A long beat passed. Erza remained motionless, her shoulders tight. When she finally lifted her head, the sharp anger that usually defined her was completely gone, replaced by a raw, heavy solemnity. She took a breath and bowed her head.
"Yes. One more thing." Her voice was low, trembling slightly under the weight of her pride breaking down. "I know this isn't the right time... but I want to apologize for what happened back then."
Rudra stayed silent, his expression unreadable as he watched the tide wash over the shore.
"I wanted to apologize before, but the right moment never came," Erza continued, remaining bowed. "If you think I am insincere, I swear to you that I am completely serious. I will do whatever it takes if you'll forgive me."
Rudra turned his gaze back to her, a slow, dangerous glint entering his eyes. "Anything?"
Without lifting her head, Erza answered firmly. "Anything."
"What about a kiss?"
Erza froze. A subtle flicker of hesitation crossed her features before she slowly straightened her posture. Standing tall, she looked Rudra dead in the eye, her cheeks flushing slightly, though her gaze remained steady. "If that is what it takes for you to forgive me... then I am willing."
Rudra studied her for a long moment, then let out a light, lazy huff. "Well, let bygones be bygones."
Erza's eyes widened, a sudden wave of relief lighting up her face. "Wait... what about the kiss? Should we... do it here?"
Rudra looked her up and down, a faint smirk playing on his lips before it vanished. "I don't need it."
A strange, quiet sting brushed through Erza's chest. Her expression dimmed as a wave of sudden disappointment settled over her. She had steeled herself for it, bracing for the impact of his lips against hers, only to be dismissed so casually. It left her feeling strangely hollow—and absurdly self-conscious—that he had passed on the opportunity without a second thought.
"You don't?" she asked softly, unable to entirely hide the lingering confusion in her tone.
"No," Rudra continued smoothly, stepping past her. "But I do need a favor."
Erza quickly shook off the lingering embarrassment, her posture snapping back to attention. "Name it. As long as it is within my power, I will do it."
"Good," Rudra said, pausing to glance over his shoulder. He tilted his head toward the far side of the clearing. "How about you go back over to your childhood sweetheart and tell that bum to stop staring daggers at me? Because if he keeps it up, I'm going to pluck his eyes out."
Erza blinked, following his gaze toward Jellal. Sure enough, the former Saint was standing a short distance away, arms crossed, glaring coldly at Rudra with unhidden hostility.
A small, exasperated sigh escaped Erza's lips, but she gave a firm nod. "Consider it done."
With that, she turned and marched toward Jellal to defuse the situation, leaving Rudra behind.
Rudra strolled back toward where Natsu and the others were sprawled out, writhing on the sand as black markings spread across their skin. He casually took a seat on a nearby rock, resting his chin in his hand. Watching Ultear channel her Arc of Time magic—leaving the Fairy Tail mages groaning in utter agony—a slow, satisfied smile spread across his face as he settled in to enjoy the show.