The battle was over, but Raizel's work wasn't finished.
The corpse of the demon Onacxes lay in the newly carved ravine. Raizel hovered over the remains, his blue armor gleaming in the sunlight.
He wasn't the type to walk away just because the enemy stopped moving. In a world of magic, "dead" was often a temporary state.
"Shining V-Force."
Raizel fired two precise, concentrated beams of heat from his chest armor.
Hiss. Sizzle.
The beams struck the demon's severed arms and scattered spider legs, incinerating them instantly. Ash drifted away in the wind.
It might have seemed paranoid to burn limbs that were already detached from the body, but Raizel wasn't taking any chances.
If this creature possessed some absurd tissue regeneration ability—like the lizards of the swamps or certain dark guild experiments—leaving biomass behind could lead to a resurrection.
He wasn't going to risk a "Round Two" because of laziness.
Only when he was certain that nothing remained but a scorched torso did he deactivate his Take Over.
He returned to the outpost ramparts.
Captain Urban was waiting, looking like a man who had just won the lottery.
"That was... incredible," Urban said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Raizel followed Urban back to the command tent to formally submit the mission completion report.
He also handed over the Recording Lacrima that had captured the entire battle. This was crucial evidence for the Council to verify the threat was neutralized.
"You saved me," Urban said, clapping Raizel on the shoulder. "If you hadn't shown up, I would have been stuck in this frozen wasteland for another two months waiting for a Wizard Saint to come. Let me buy you a meal."
"I won't say no to free food," Raizel smiled.
They went to the officer's mess hall.
Urban treated him to the best steak the outpost had to offer. Raizel gladly accepted. He had developed a favorable impression of Urban; unlike the stuffy bureaucrats at headquarters, this captain was dedicated, responsible, and cared about his men.
...
ERA: Magic Council Headquarters
The atmosphere in the grand chamber was heavy. The Council members sat around the circular table, watching the holographic projection fade.
They had just finished viewing the footage of Raizel dismantling Onacxes.
"Is this the Mage from Fairy Tail?"
Councilor Org stroked his beard, his eyes wide.
He had heard of Raizel before—Sorcerer Weekly often featured the handsome S-Class Mage—but seeing him in action was different.
The raw speed and power were undeniable.
"No matter what, the destruction is too severe," scoffed an unnamed council member.
He was a known hardliner who held a grudge against Fairy Tail's chaotic reputation.
"Look at the canyon!" he pointed at the map. "He carved a new valley!"
He conveniently chose to ignore the fact that the Council's own Cannon bombardment earlier that morning had caused significantly more damage to the landscape than Raizel's final attack.
"Hmph! A reckless brat who doesn't know his place," muttered another councilor, nodding in agreement with his colleague.
"He treats S-Class threats like a game."
"Is it reasonable to kill a demon like that without causing any destruction?"
Yajima, the voice of reason on the Council, finally spoke up. He looked at the detractors with a flat expression.
"He eliminated an SS-Class threat that killed three elite mages. He suffered no injuries. He caused zero casualties to our troops. And you're complaining about some dirt and trees? That is a statement only a fool would make."
The detractors fell silent, grumbling under their breath.
"This Raizel is quite impressive," commented Councilor Belno.
She wasn't particularly fond of Fairy Tail—they gave her too many headaches—but she respected strength.
She had read Urban's report. "Captain Urban speaks very highly of his professionalism."
"But his strength is too overwhelming, isn't it?" a neutral council member interjected, looking uneasy.
"This was a demon that killed three S-Class Mages in a row. It was a monster that even the Jupiter Cannon couldn't hit. And he... he dissected it like it was a training dummy."
The room murmured in agreement.
The ease of the victory was almost frightening.
Onacxes possessed paralyzing poison and supersonic speed. For a human to overpower it so thoroughly was abnormal.
"Ultimately, he did a good deed."
Chairman Crawford Seam tapped his cane loudly on the floor, silencing the room.
"If we had been forced to use the Etherion or call in a Wizard Saint, the political fallout would have been messy. And the destruction caused by Etherion would be far harder to explain than a few broken rocks," Crawford stated.
He leaned back in his chair. He had no particular interest in Fairy Tail, as long as they didn't hinder his control over the Council and Ishgar.
"Case closed. Issue the reward."
...
Outside the main chamber, the corridors of the Council were bustling.
"Good afternoon, Siegrain-sama!"
A group of Frog Knights—the Council's elite patrol guards—snapped to attention as a young man walked by.
He had blue hair and a strange red tattoo surrounding his right eye. He walked with an aura of calm authority that belied his youth.
Rumors were already circulating through the halls like wildfire.
They said this young man would become a full Council Member by the age of 20—perhaps even earlier.
There was no political maneuvering behind it; his merit was absolute.
His magical talent was extraordinary, and his mastery of Heavenly Body Magic gave him a strong chance of being named one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Raizel didn't meet Jellal (acting as Siegrain) that day.
Jellal was at the headquarters in Era, while Raizel had submitted his mission at the border branch.
Their paths would cross eventually, but not today.
After bidding farewell to Captain Urban, Raizel walked to the edge of the camp.
He didn't transform into a dragon to fly home. Instead, he raised his hand.
"Teleport."
He drew a complex geometric magic circle in the air. The runes glowed with a soft white light.
For long distances, constructing a stable magic circle was necessary to ensure he didn't end up fused inside a mountain.
For short-range teleport, no circle was needed, but for cross-country travel, precision was key.
"Teleportation Magic?" Urban watched from a distance, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
Space-Time Magic was incredibly rare.
Guilds without deep foundations or connections to the ancient libraries found it difficult to teach. Yet, this Fairy Tail mage used it as casually as opening a door.
Flash.
Raizel vanished.
In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed from a snowy military camp to the familiar cobblestone streets of Magnolia. Raizel stood directly in front of the guild's main entrance.
It was already afternoon.
He pushed the heavy wooden doors open.
"I'm back."
The guild was lively, filled with the usual noise of laughter and clinking glasses.
"Oh, Raizel. Welcome back."
"Yo."
Gray and Natsu greeted him briefly. They were currently locked in a grapple on the floor, rolling around like wild animals.
"Take that, Droopy-Eyes!"
"Shut up, Slant-Eyes!"
Raizel didn't ask why they were fighting. They didn't need a reason. A single exchanged glance, a disagreement about the temperature, or just boredom was enough to start a brawl.
"Hmm... yes, excellent dynamic pose."
Reedus was sitting nearby with his easel. He was using Natsu and Gray's scuffle as a live model for his latest sketch.
Raizel glanced at the canvas.
It was... abstract.
If Erza were to see this painting, she would probably misunderstand the "dynamic" nature of their relationship.
'That painting won't survive the day,' Raizel thought.
'Not because they'll destroy it intentionally, but because Reedus is sitting in the blast zone.'
Raizel walked past the chaos to the bar.
"Gramps, I've completed it."
He sat down on a stool beside Makarov.
"So soon?" Makarov lowered his tankard.
He blinked in surprise. "I only just received the Lacrima notification from the Council."
Makarov had been sipping his wine, pleased that Raizel had taken the job, but he expected him to return late tonight or tomorrow morning.
The travel time alone should have taken hours.
"How did you get back so fast?"
"I learned Teleportation Magic," Raizel said casually. "So I warped back."
There was no need to hide anything from Makarov.
"Teleportation Magic?!!"
PFFT!
Before Makarov could respond, Wakaba and Macao, who were eavesdropping nearby, spat their drinks all over the table.
Their jaws dropped as they stared at Raizel.
"Clean up the counter, you idiots!" Makarov scolded them with a look of exasperation, tossing a rag at them.
Makarov turned back to Raizel.
He nodded slowly, maintaining an expression that said, 'Of course, I knew that,' to save face in front of the members.
In reality, he was shocked.
Fairy Tail's library did contain tomes on Teleportation, but few bothered to learn it because the calculations were notoriously difficult.
He had never seen Raizel studying it.
'Maybe he learned it during his meditation training in the East Forest when I wasn't looking?' Makarov rationalized.
'Yes, that must be it. The boy is a genius, after all.'
"So..." Makarov leaned in, his voice lowering to a serious tone. "Your magic really has a suppressive effect on demons?"
This was the part Makarov was truly interested in.
Using his authority as a Wizard Saint, he had already reviewed the preliminary battle report.
"I watched the reports," Makarov said. "You dealt with Onacxes far too easily. Those spider legs were harder than steel. The previous mages couldn't even scratch them. But you sliced them like butter."
"Considering the experience with Deliora and now this, I think it's likely," Raizel admitted.
He thought back to the sensation of his light sword cutting through the demon. It felt frictionless. Smooth as silk. Like a hot knife through chocolate.
"Demons aren't easy to kill," Raizel continued. "Look at the swordsman in the recording. His blade sparked against the spider's leg hair. But my Royal Knight forms... they use Light and Holy attributes. It seems to bypass their natural resistances entirely."
He had suspected this ever since the Deliora incident years ago, and today confirmed it.
Of course, he couldn't explain Digimon mechanics or the "Dramon Breaker" attributes to Makarov, so he kept it vague.
"That's good news," Makarov said, raising an eyebrow. "Demons—whether natural or from the Books of Zeref—are notoriously difficult for normal mages. If your magic is a hard counter to them, the Council will treat you as a prized asset."
Makarov took a sip of his wine.
"It gives us leverage. The Council will have to respect your requests if they want you to hunt their monsters."
Raizel thought of the Lullaby incident (which hadn't happened yet in this timeline, but Raizel knew of it). Lullaby was lethal to mass populations, but weak against brute force.
However, physically tough demons like Onacxes were the real danger to elite mages.
"Here, Gramps."
Raizel slid a pouch of Jewels across the counter.
"Ten percent of the reward."
Makarov looked at the pouch.
Typically, the guild took a 5% commission on S-Class quests to cover administrative costs and maintenance.
Raizel was offering double.
Makarov accepted it without a second thought. He didn't open it; he just placed it in the guild's lockbox.
The two had long had this unspoken understanding.
Before Raizel came of age, Makarov hadn't taken a single Jewel from him.
He had provided Raizel with free room, board, and training for six years.
He treated him like a son.
Now that Raizel was successful, this was his way of repaying that kindness.
It wasn't a tax, it was gratitude.
"Thanks, brat," Makarov smiled warmly. "I'll put it towards the repair budget. Especially with Natsu and Gray around... we're going to need it."
CRASH.
Behind them, Reedus's easel went flying as Natsu threw Gray into it.
"SEE?!" Makarov roared.
'You damn old man, you didnt spend a single jewels on repair!', Raizel thought.