The silence between the man and the cat stretched on.
Ever since Raizel uttered those words, Carla had frozen.
She sat on the grass, her small white tail wrapped tightly around her paws, her mind racing.
'How?' she thought frantically.
'How can a human of Earthland know the name of my world? How does he know about the magic drain?'
Raizel sighed helplessly.
He lay back on the grass, crossing his hands behind his head and gazing up at the blue sky through the canopy of leaves.
"It's fine if you don't want to answer," Raizel said casually. "I'll speak instead."
He turned his head slightly to look at the trembling Exceed.
"I know about your ability to foresee the future. Precognition."
Carla's expression instantly twisted into shock.
She unconsciously muttered, "How is that possible?"
"You can assume that I can see a bit of it too," Raizel lied smoothly. "Our abilities are somewhat similar. Think of it as... high-level intuition."
"What did you see?" Carla frowned deeply.
Her tone was probing, desperate for information yet terrified of the answer.
"I saw the loss of Magical Power," Raizel began, ticking points off on his fingers. "I saw the Exceeds being sucked into a reversed Anima portal. And I saw the Royal Capital of Edolas in ruins—I saw it all."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"However, I think you probably saw more than I did. Or perhaps, you saw me specifically. Otherwise, you wouldn't be shrinking away from me like I'm the devil himself."
'He's completely right! He really knows!'
The thought surged in Carla's mind.
A look of gravity appeared on her small, furry face. She realized she couldn't hide it anymore.
"Tell me," Raizel urged gently. "What exactly did you see?"
Carla took a slow, deep breath.
She clutched the fabric of her dress.
"I saw you..." she began haltingly. "I saw you in armor... using a sword of light... to slice a dragon in half..."
As she spoke, she watched Raizel's expression closely, her muscles tensed.
She was ready to use her magic to fly away at the first sign of aggression.
Fortunately, Raizel didn't look angry. He didn't look malicious. He just raised his eyebrows slightly in realization.
"Ah," Raizel nodded thoughtfully. "So that's why you're so afraid of me. You think I destroyed your homeland?"
He finally understood.
In her vision, the "Dragon" she saw wasn't a biological creature.
It was the Dorma Anim—the Dragon Knight armor piloted by the King of Edolas.
In the eyes of a frightened Exceed, the Dragon Knight looked like the defender of their world, and Raizel, the man cutting it down, looked like the invading monster.
"Yes..." Carla whispered. "But not now. In the vision... you were older than you are now."
"What you saw isn't exactly wrong," Raizel admitted. "But it's only one side of the story. Context is everything. How about listening to my version?"
He sat up, crossing his legs.
"Alright."
After a moment of contemplation, Carla made a difficult decision.
She nodded firmly and relaxed her posture slightly, sitting down beside him. Her instincts—and Wendy's trust in him—told her to listen.
"Great! Carla, you can do it!"
In the distance, Wendy clapped her hands silently, overjoyed to see Carla willing to sit next to Raizel.
Ur smiled, leaning against a tree, watching the interaction with interest.
"This is a long story," Raizel warned. "Listen to the end before you ask questions. Organizing the timeline is challenging."
Carla nodded. "I'm listening."
"Edolas is a world unlike ours," Raizel explained. "Here in Earthland, magic is inside us. In Edolas, magic is a finite resource stored in the earth and objects. But that resource is running out. It will eventually dry up completely."
Carla listened intently. This matched the feeling of dread she had always carried.
"To obtain more magic and sustain their civilization, the King of Edolas and the Exceeds devised a method," Raizel continued. "A super subspace magic called Anima."
"Anima?"
"Yes. It creates an inter-dimensional portal. It sucks portions of Earthland—towns, humans, magical energy—into Edolas and transforms them into Lacrima crystals to fuel your world."
Raizel looked her in the eye.
"Strictly speaking, it's the opposite of what you fear. It's not that I am invading your world to destroy it. It is your world that is endangering Earthland to survive."
Carla's pupils contracted.
"How is such magic possible?" she asked incredulously. "Is Edolas... actually the villain?"
"Desperation makes villains of us all," Raizel said philosophically. "Did you see the vision where the Exceeds and the magic power were sucked into a massive vortex?"
Carla recalled that terrifying scene of her people screaming as they were pulled into the sky.
She felt a shock in her heart but forced herself to nod calmly.
"That was Anima," Raizel explained. "But a Reversed Anima. In the future, to stop the theft of magic, the link will be reversed. All magic will be expelled from Edolas to Earthland."
"That's why the Exceeds were sucked in," he continued. "Because you possess magical power within your bodies. Everything with magic—objects, creatures—cannot escape the purge. Through that Anima, the Exceeds will come to this world to live."
He smiled reassuringly.
"It's an evacuation, Carla. Not an extinction. Edolas will be fine, though they will have to learn to live without magic. And yes, the Royal Capital will need to be rebuilt because the King decides to use it as a weapon, but the people will survive."
Raizel paused.
He had plans to intervene early. If Mystogan—the Prince of Edolas—couldn't stop Anima in time, Raizel would step in.
Speaking of Mystogan...
"We actually have a member from Edolas in Fairy Tail right now," Raizel added. "He joined recently. His name is Mystogan."
"From Edolas?" Carla gasped.
"Yes. He wraps himself in bandages and wears a mask to hide his face," Raizel chuckled. "Not to be mysterious, but because he looks identical to a mage in this world. If he showed his face, it would cause a diplomatic incident."
Currently, only Makarov and Ur had seen Mystogan's face.
Neither Raizel nor Laxus had formally met him yet.
The fact that a new member Mystogan had joined was only announced to everyone by Makarov..
Carla processed this information. It changed everything. But one burning question remained. The one that kept her awake at night.
"Then... what about the mission?"
Carla looked down at her paws.
"The mission to eliminate the Dragon Slayer Mages."
This was the core of her conflict. She loved Wendy. Wendy was the one who warmed her egg.
Wendy was her first friend. But the voice in her head told her she was born to kill her.
"Oh, right," Raizel said, tapping his forehead. "I almost forgot about that. Listen closely, Carla."
He leaned in.
"There is no such mission."
Carla froze.
"That was a lie," Raizel said firmly. "A fabrication by your mother, Queen Shagotte. She foresaw the fall of Extalia. She wanted to save you and the other children, so she sent the eggs to Earthland. But to prevent mass panic among the Exceed populace, she framed it as a 'mission' to hunt Dragon Slayers."
"It was a pretext to save you. You aren't a weapon, Carla. You are a refugee."
"What...?"
Carla's mouth fell open.
Her previously serious, analytical expression crumbled into shock.
"There's... no mission?" she whispered.
"No."
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
That was the reason she had chosen Wendy.
The subconscious command drove her to the Dragon Slayer. But all she had found was kindness.
Wendy had taken care of her meticulously. Carla had been torn apart by guilt, thinking she was betraying the only person who loved her.
"I... I don't have to hurt her?"
"Never," Raizel smiled.
Carla sniffled, wiping her eyes. She tried to regain her composure, her cheeks flushing.
"How can you prove everything you said is true?" she asked, crossing her arms and trying to look stern.
Raizel grinned.
'Ah, there's the tsundere.'
"Mystogan," Raizel said. "Next time he comes to the Guild, if you're around, I'll introduce you. He is the Prince of your world. You can talk to him. He's currently fighting to save both worlds."
Carla looked at Raizel.
He seemed sincere. And his story explained the gaps in her visions perfectly.
"Alright," Carla nodded. She felt a massive weight lift off her shoulders. "I... I will trust you for now."
If what Raizel said was true, the Exceeds were safe, and she could stay with Wendy forever.
That was the best possible outcome.
"That settles it then," Raizel said, snapping his fingers. He stood up and brushed the grass off his pants.
"Just live peacefully with Wendy. Be her friend. One day, when we go to Edolas, the truth will become clear."
He began walking back toward the lake.
Carla nodded, wiped her face, and trotted closely behind him.
"That's wonderful, Carla!"
Wendy ran forward to greet them.
She scooped the cat up into her arms. "Did you have a good talk?"
"Hmph. Really now," Carla huffed, turning her face away so Wendy wouldn't see her flushed cheeks.
Her tail twitched happily tough.
"He's... tolerable. For a human."
Raizel winked at Ur, who gave him a thumbs up.
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