The adrenaline Battle from Deliora bega fade, replaced by a heavy, anxious silence. Lucy and Ultear moved through the wreckage of the town, their eyes scanning the survivors..
"We can't use Aqua Aera here," Lucy noted, her voice low. "Without knowing their exact coordinates.I cannot pinpoint where they now."
Ultear didn't respond; she merely nodded, her hands trembling slightly. For fifteen minutes, they searched the makeshift camps until they finally reached the main refuge where the civilians had gathered. There, standing near the center of the camp, was a woman with short, dark hair—Ur—accompanied by two young boys who could only be Gray Fullbuster and Lyon Vastia.
Gray was the first to speak, crossing his arms as he looked Lucy up and down. "So, this is the person who defeated Deliora? She doesn't look all that impressive from where I'm standing..."
Plow!
"Gray! That's incredibly rude!" Ur shouted, her fist connecting squarely with the top of his head.
"Owwie! What was that for, Master!?" Gray yelped, clutching the growing bump on his skull.
"It's because you're being disrespectful to the very mage who saved your life!" Ur retorted, her eyes flashing. "You'd be frozen solid right now if she hadn't stepped in to stop your reckless stunt!"
"But it's true..." Gray muttered under his breath, though he quickly paled when Ur glared at him.
"Gray... do you want another round?" Her aura turned menacing, a cold chill radiating from her.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry! You're terrifying, Master!"
Ur let out a huffy sigh, her expression softening as she turned back to the newcomers. "Good. Now, anyway, let me introduce—"
"Mom."
The word cut through the air like a knife. Ultear stepped forward, her eyes locked on Ur's. Her voice was steady, but there was a desperate edge to it. "Before we talk, I have to know. Is it true? Did you abandon me because I wasn't strong enough?"
The color drained from Ur's face. She looked as if she had been struck. "What? No! Never! I would never abandon you, my dear! Those monsters at the Bureau... they told me you were dead! They said your illness was incurable!"
Ultear staggered back, her eyes wide with shock. "Illness? What are you talking about? I was never told anything about an illness!"
"You were so young," Ur said, her voice trembling with repressed grief. "You had too much Magic Power confined inside your body. It was causing you to run a constant, life-threatening fever. I took you to the Bureau of Magical Development because they promised they could cure you. But when I went back to check on you... they told me you hadn't made it."
"They lied..." Ultear whispered, her world spinning. "They told me you threw me away because I was a failure."
Lucy stepped in, her hand resting supportively on Ultear's shoulder. "It's clear now. You were both victims of the Bureau's manipulation. They wanted a tool, so they broke a family to get one."
Ur and Ultear stood in a stunned, emotional silence, the weight of years of lies finally lifting.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines...
Lyon leaned closer to Gray, whispering loudly. "Hey, Gray. Do you think her daughter is actually related to Master?"
"You're right," Gray whispered back, rubbing his chin. "Something is definitely off."
"If she's really Master's daughter," Lyon added logically, "shouldn't she be stripped down to her underwear by now? I mean, Master spends most of the day in just a bra."
"Yeah!" Gray agreed. "It's weird seeing a member of that family fully clothed!"
Ur's head snapped toward them, a vein throbbing in her forehead. "Gray! Lyon! I can hear every word you're saying!"
"WE'RE SORRY!" the two boys screamed in unison, hitting the deck.
Back to the conversation...
Lucy leaned in close to Ultear, whispering through a forced smile. "Y'know, Ultear... your mom isn't exactly what I expected. Is she a natural exhibitionist or just... eccentric?"
Ultear's face went completely deadpan. "Don't, Master... even I'm wondering how she ended up like this."
She watched her mother scold the boys, a strange sense of relief washing over her. "But honestly? For once, I'm actually grateful the Bureau took me away. At least I didn't grow up thinking it was normal to walk around in public in only my underwear."
Lucy felt a bead of cold sweat roll down her neck. "Aha... ha... yeah."
"Can you imagine?" Ultear asked, turning to Lucy with a horrifyingly serious expression. "Me, walking around outside like that?"
"With all due respect," Lucy said, her voice flat, "please no. Don't even think about trying it."
Lucy took a breath, bringing the mood back to the matter at hand. "Anyway, now that the misunderstanding is cleared up... what do you want to do, Ultear?"
Ultear tilted her head, looking genuinely curious. "What I want?"
"Yes," Lucy smiled softly. "Do you want to stay here? Do you want to go back to your mother?"