East Forest Training Ground
Early in the morning, the air was crisp and filled with the scent of pine.
Raizel was already training.
"Take Over: LordKnightmon."
He donned the pink and silver armor of the Royal Knight, a master of unparalleled swordsmanship.
In his right hand, he wielded the Rose Rapier.
In this world, magic was dominant, but pure swordsmanship still had its place.
Raizel had borrowed several sword manuals from the Fairy Tail library months ago and had conveniently "forgotten" to return them.
Since the only ones in the guild who seriously used blades were Raizel, Erza, and Kagura, and the three of them often trained together, no one else needed the books.
Makarov certainly wasn't going to nag him over some books.
Raizel moved through the forms.
Strike. Thrust. Parry. Deflect.
These were the four pillars of swordplay. When combined, they gave rise to infinite variations.
Raizel performed a series of flowing cuts—chopping, slashing, sweeping.
He moved with liquid grace, the heavy armor feeling weightless. This was the same foundation he had drilled into Kagura back in Rosemary Village.
Although Kagura used a katana and he used a rapier, the principles of edge alignment and footwork were universal.
"Raizel-san! It hatched!!!"
A breathless, excited voice broke his concentration.
Raizel stopped mid-swing. He canceled his Take Over, the armor dissolving into light.
Wendy ran into the clearing, her blue hair bouncing.
She was cradling a small white cat in her arms. Ur followed closely behind at a leisurely pace, smiling like a proud grandmother.
The white cat was wearing a cute little dress with a pink bow.
Raizel guessed immediately that Ur had prepared the outfit.
Carla had hatched the previous night, around 10 PM.
Wendy had slept in Ur's room at Fairy Hills, and the moment she woke up, she insisted on bringing Carla to show Raizel.
"That's wonderful, Wendy." Raizel smiled warmly. He bent down to eye level and patted Wendy's head.
"Make sure to take good care of her."
He looked at the white cat.
She already had an air of haughtiness even as a newborn.
"Did you give her a name?"
"Yes!" Wendy nodded vigorously, beaming. "Her name is Carla."
Carla hadn't gotten a clear look at Raizel earlier because Wendy was running so fast.
But now, as Raizel leaned in, she saw his face clearly.
Her small pupils contracted.
Flash.
A vision exploded in her mind. Not a memory of the past, but a shard of the future.
She saw a world falling apart. Edolas.
The floating islands lost their buoyancy and plummeted from the sky.
The celestial river that flowed through the heavens dried up, cascading down like a waterfall of tears.
Magic power drained from the earth.
People screamed in despair. The Exceeds of Extalia panicked as their kingdom crumbled.
And amidst the ruin, she saw him.
A knight in white and blue armor.
He swung a sword of light that stretched for hundreds of meters, cutting down a mechanical dragon.
The armor vanished, revealing a man with dark hair and a calm expression.
It was this man.
Raizel Bael.
'He is the destroyer! He is the demon who ends my world!'
"MEEEEEOW!"
Carla shrieked in terror.
She shrank back into Wendy's embrace, trembling uncontrollably.
Her fur stood on end.
"What's wrong, Carla?" Wendy asked, alarmed.
She felt the kitten shaking violently. "Raizel-san is a good person. He won't hurt you."
She stroked Carla's back gently, trying to soothe her.
"Huh, that's strange," Ur noted, furrowing her brows. "She didn't act like this when meeting the other girls at the dorm. She even let Erza pet her."
Raizel's mouth twitched slightly.
He realized immediately what was happening.
'Carla has precognition,' Raizel thought.
'She must have seen fragments of the future.'
To her, he looked like the harbinger of the apocalypse.
"Can I talk with Carla?" Raizel asked softly. "I think there's a misunderstanding between us."
He didn't mind revealing some truth to her. Carla was intelligent far beyond her age; she wasn't a normal cat.
"Carla?" Wendy looked down at the trembling bundle of fur. "Would you like to talk with Raizel-san?"
Although Wendy usually listened to whatever Raizel said, she respected her new friend's wishes above all else.
"NO!"
Carla shook her head frantically, burying her face in Wendy's chest.
Her voice trembled with genuine fear. "Stay away! He's dangerous!"
"Raizel-san... I'm sorry..."
Wendy looked up at Raizel with a complicated expression.
Her brows furrowed in distress.
"I don't know why she's saying that. I apologize on her behalf."
Wendy was a sweet soul.
She had decided to take responsibility for Carla. If Carla was rude, Wendy felt it was her fault.
From her perspective, Raizel had been nothing but kind, so Carla must be mistaken.
"It's alright, Wendy. No need to apologize," Raizel waved his hand casually.
Internally, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
'So, I'm the ultimate villain in her eyes? That's new.'
He crouched down further, softening his gaze.
"Carla," Raizel said, his voice low and calm. "I know you saw something. How about we talk? Just you and me. Over in that open space by the lake."
He pointed to a grassy patch a few meters away.
Carla froze.
She peeked out from Wendy's arm with one eye.
'He knows?' Carla thought, her heart racing.
'How does he know what I saw? Can he read minds? Or can he see the future too?'
She looked at his face. He didn't look malicious.
He looked... like someone who know something.
'Maybe... maybe he isn't dangerous now? Or maybe I can find out how to stop him?'
Carla struggled with herself.
Since birth—no, since she was an egg—she had been plagued by confusing memories and commands about "Eliminating Dragon Slayers."
But she liked Wendy. Wendy was kind. And Ur was gentle.
Raizel waited patiently.
Finally, after a minute of tense silence, Carla nodded slowly.
"Okay."
"That's great, Carla!" Wendy cheered, relief washing over her face. "Raizel-san is nice! You'll see!"
"Alright, Wendy," Ur stepped in. She bent down and patted Wendy's shoulder. "Let Carla go by herself. We'll wait here."
Ur smiled at the little girl. In her eyes, Wendy was far too sensible for her age.
Wendy gently set Carla down on the grass.
Raizel stood up and walked toward the lake. He didn't look back.
Carla hesitated, swallowed hard, and followed him. She felt incredibly brave—like a hero marching into the dragon's den.
Raizel sat on the grass near the water's edge.
He looked out across the shimmering lake, deliberately avoiding eye contact to make Carla feel less threatened.
Carla sat a few feet away, her tail wrapped tightly around her paws, ready to bolt.
"You must have witnessed the scene of Magic Power draining from the world of Edolas, right?" Raizel asked casually.
Carla's entire body seized up.
Cold sweat dripped from her forehead. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers.
'How does he know?!'
Three terrifying questions flashed through her mind: Can he read my memories? Is he a prophet? Is he a monster?