"She must have died from Double Gate Opening failure," Leo said woodenly, continuing his train of thought.
Marco didn't respond.
Given Karen's combat abilities, without her Celestial Spirits, she wouldn't stand much of a chance.
If she encountered enemies, her death wouldn't be surprising.
But the main issue wasn't "death from Double Gate Opening failure"—it was why Karen needed to perform "Double Gate Opening" in the first place.
This was perplexing.
Knowing there was a high probability of Double Gate Opening failure, why would Karen put herself in such danger?
Any rational person would prioritize resolving the issue first.
Without pacifying the rebellious Celestial Spirit, how could she dare to wander around alone?
Had she stayed safely in the city or the guild, she wouldn't have reached the point of needing to summon a Celestial Spirit for battle.
Marco couldn't make sense of it.
He could only conclude that Karen truly wasn't a rational person—something he had already determined before.
Holding onto the notion of "respect for the deceased," Marco refrained from criticizing Karen further.
She was already gone; there was no point in dwelling on it.
"Don't panic yet. Let me ask around and find out the specifics first," Marco reassured Leo, who looked utterly devastated.
Leo had been staying in Magnolia all this time, so he likely had no clear idea of what had happened to Karen.
He hadn't returned to the Celestial Spirit World recently either, so he couldn't gather details from other Celestial Spirits.
His assumption about Karen dying from Double Gate Opening failure was just speculation—the truth needed verification.
"..."
Leo nodded silently, completely lost and distraught.
The reason he had come to Marco was simple: Marco was the only one who knew his current circumstances.
"By the way, can you still return to the Celestial Spirit World?" Marco asked, curious about Leo's current state after seeing his nod.
"No..." Leo's face twisted in obvious anguish.
"Because I violated the contract and broke the Celestial Spirit World Regulations, the Gate of the Lion has been sealed. I've been exiled—I can never return to the Celestial Spirit World. I can only wither away in the human world until I perish..."
Leo wiped his face, explaining his dire situation.
He was truly standing at the brink of death.
While Celestial Spirits couldn't be killed in battle, that was only under the condition that they could return to the Celestial Spirit World to regenerate.
If they couldn't return, they would eventually die.
"How long can you hold on?"
Understanding Leo's predicament, Marco clicked his tongue.
He had assumed Leo could still open a gate back on his own.
"If I don't fight, I can last a few years."
Leo assessed his remaining magical energy, giving an answer that wasn't immediately urgent but far from optimistic.
The good news was that he wouldn't die right away.
The bad news was that he only had a few years left.
"There's still time." Marco nodded.
A few years was a decent window—at least they wouldn't have to rush recklessly.
The more haste, the more mistakes.
"So... what are you planning to do now?"
Looking at Leo's ashen face, Marco could tell he was drowning in guilt over Karen's death.
For Celestial Spirits, the death of a contractor or changing contractors was a common occurrence—something they should have easily adapted to, given how often it happened.
A single day in the Celestial Spirit World was equivalent to three months in the human world.
Four days meant a year, and a full year was nearly a century in human terms.
To Celestial Spirits, the lifespan of their contractors was far too short, not to mention those who perished in battle or accidents.
They had long grown accustomed to the deaths of their contractors.
However, Leo's current state was clearly different from that of a natural passing.
He believed Karen's death was his fault, shouldering all the blame himself.
The nature of this Leo Celestial Spirit could be glimpsed from how he wanted to free his fellow spirits from suffering yet refused to sever his own contract with Karen.
Leo was a man of strong responsibility and deep loyalty, so it was only natural for him to feel this way now.
Marco sighed inwardly.
While such a personality was admirable, it also made one prone to overthinking, leading to severe self-inflicted torment.
"Come on, let's head back to the guild first. I'll arrange a place for you to stay."
Since Leo could no longer return to the Celestial Spirit World, he naturally needed a place to stay in the human realm.
Marco planned to take him to the Fairy Tail guild—this guy was an important figure.
After all, the system had already informed Marco that Leo was connected to Fairy Tail.
[Ding! Quest triggered!]
[Quest Name: "The Star That Cannot Return to the Sky"
Quest Details:
A man calling himself Loke has joined Fairy Tail, but his true identity is none other than Leo, the Leo Celestial Spirit. Having violated his contract and with his former master dead, Leo has been exiled from the Celestial Spirit World. As his guildmate, help him return home!
Quest Progress:
Help Leo return to the Celestial Spirit World (Incomplete)
Quest Reward: Leo-related Saint Cloth or skill.]
The moment Marco saw this quest, he understood—Leo was supposed to join Fairy Tail in the future.
But whether he was meant to or not, there was no escaping now.
In Marco's eyes, Leo practically glowed with golden light, like a walking Leo Gold Saint Cloth!
Or maybe a Leo-related skill.
Leo didn't voice any objections to Marco's suggestion.
He simply lowered his head and silently followed behind him.
The Leo Celestial Spirit had been crushed by the weight of Karen's death and the harsh reality that he could never return to the Celestial Spirit World.
He had nearly lost the ability to think, consumed entirely by regret over his actions.
This was truly the first time he had experienced something like this.
Which made sense—if he had gone through this before, he would have already perished.
Under Marco's lead, Leo entered the Fairy Tail guild, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
Not because they saw through his identity—no one present recognized Leo as the Leo Celestial Spirit.
The guild members were simply curious because he had arrived with Marco.
"Lucky for you, you had that falling out with her before the S-Class exam. Otherwise, showing up here today would've made everyone even more curious."
Marco muttered the remark, but Leo didn't respond.
He wished more than anything to turn back time to before the S-Class exam and change the past.