Year X774, Late Summer.
Half of the year X774 passed in the blink of an eye.
The snows of Mount Hakobe had melted into mountain streams, and Ur returned from her intensive training with Gray and Lyon, looking sharper and stronger than ever.
Ultear's mastery of the Arc of Time gradually showed impressive results.
She no longer needed constant protection; the eastern forest of Magnolia, once a place where she needed a guardian, held little danger for her now.
Since the First Master was only responsible for teaching her magic theory, Raizel had taken on the role of her bodyguard and sparring partner during Mavis's lessons.
But things were changing.
After attending the Council meeting regarding the Alvarez Empire, Raizel felt a deep sense of urgency.
The timeline was shifting, threats were looming, and he couldn't afford to be complacent.
He increased his daily training regimen, pushing his body and magic to the limit.
Upon Ur's return, Raizel bid a temporary farewell to Makarov and Ur's family.
He left Magnolia for a few weeks, accepting several high-difficulty missions to subdue dark guilds and rampaging magical beasts.
At this point in time, the infamous Balam Alliance did not yet formally exist as a triumvirate of terror.
The only notable dark guilds were Grimoire Heart and Tartaros, lurking in the shadows.
The others were small fry—rabble that posed no threat to Raizel.
He completed the missions with ruthless efficiency.
His exploits gained him fame among both legal and dark guilds.
Since he publicly claimed to use "Take Over: Royal Knight," he became known across the continent as "The Knight of Fairy Tail."
Meanwhile, Laxus was also making a name for himself, gradually earning the title of "Thunder God."
With the addition of Ur, another Wizard Saint, Fairy Tail was no longer just a rowdy local guild with regional fame—it had become a powerhouse renowned throughout the Kingdom of Fiore.
...
The Guild Hall.
When Raizel returned to the guild, dusting the travel grime off his coat, he learned from Ultear that Mavis had already gone back to Tenrou Island.
"She told me she had nothing left to teach me," Ultear explained, sitting across from him at a table.
"She said my future progress depends on my own imagination and training now."
Though she tried to hide it, Raizel could see the reluctance in her eyes.
Ultear had grown fond of her ghostly teacher.
"Don't worry," Raizel assured her. "Mavis also said that if you encounter any problems, you can always visit her on the island. She's probably just bored without students to lecture."
Calculating the time, Mavis had taught Ultear for over half a year—more than three months on Tenrou Island and another three months in the eastern forest.
Though Mavis never formally accepted her as a student in name, she was Ultear's teacher in every sense that mattered.
Raizel looked at the girl in front of him.
Ultear had changed.
Her dark hair had grown longer, and she now wore it in twin tails tied with red ribbons.
Dressed in a black dress and holding her crystal ball, she exuded a mischievous, almost witchy aura.
Especially toward him.
"Here, have some water," Ultear offered a glass, smiling sweetly.
Raizel reached for it, but the glass suddenly slid two inches to the left on its own.
He grabbed empty air.
Ultear giggled, narrowing her eyes like a cat.
'She enjoys teasing me way too much,' Raizel thought, grabbing the glass firmly on the second try.
'Using the Arc of Time for pranks? Did learning from a natural airhead like Mavis somehow turn her into a little devil? Or is this just her true nature surfacing?'
...
The Eastern Forest.
A few days later, Raizel and Ultear were sparring in their usual spot.
"Arc of Time: Flash Forward!" Ultear shouted, sending a barrage of crystal orbs rocketing toward Raizel.
"Take Over: Gankoomon."
Raizel didn't dodge.
He simply let the orbs hit his armor. The Chrono Digizoid metal sparked but didn't dent or age.
He confirmed it again: the Arc of Time had no effect on his Digimon armor, at least for now.
Raizel speculated that the armor possessed a form of "living data" after bonding with him, making it resistant to time manipulation, or perhaps Ultear's magical power was simply insufficient to affect such high-grade material.
Ultear pouted, recalling her orbs. "It's not fair. Your armor cheats."
"It's called defense," Raizel grinned, canceling his transformation. "You're getting faster, though."
They sat down on the grass to rest.
"Ultear, want to go out with me?" Raizel asked suddenly.
"Go out?" Ultear blinked. "Like a mission?"
"No, a trip," Raizel said, leaning back on his hands. "My next plan is to visit the Heartfilia Consortium. I want to meet Jude Heartfilia and his wife, Layla."
With Fairy Tail's rising fame and his own title as "The Knight," this meeting had become possible.
A major conglomerate wouldn't meet a nobody, but they would meet an S-Class representative of Fiore's rising guild.
"I genuinely want to take you out to see more of the world," Raizel continued. "And... bringing a child along makes me look less threatening. If I show up alone, Jude might think I'm there to rob him. If I show up with a cute kid, he'll lower his guard."
"So I'm a prop?" Ultear raised an eyebrow.
"You're a very cute prop," Raizel poked her forehead. "Where to? We'll just wander around, maybe hit a few towns on the way."
"Where is it?" Ultear seemed tempted.
Since joining the guild, her world had been limited to Magnolia and the snowy north.
She had never seen the rest of Fiore.
"Acalypha. It's a trade city. Lots of interesting things."
"Alright," Ultear nodded, a hint of anticipation in her eyes. "But I need to tell Mom first."
"No problem. We can set out in a day or two. You can tell Ur tonight."
...
That evening, Ur readily agreed to the trip, merely reminding Ultear to listen to Raizel and not cause trouble.
The next morning, Raizel took Ultear shopping for supplies.
He didn't want to rely on hunting or fishing for the whole trip; they were going on a vacation, not survival training.
Although it wasn't their first time exploring Magnolia, the bustling streets filled with magic shops and food stalls never got old.
The residents were incredibly friendly to Fairy Tail members.
"Oh! It's little Ultear!" a bakery auntie called out. "Come here, sweetie! Try this new bread!"
"Ultear! Have an apple!" a grocer shouted.
Ultear politely accepted the gifts, though she looked a bit overwhelmed.
It seemed her cuteness was a weapon of mass destruction against the elderly.
However, she had a clear favorite.
"One strawberry-chocolate crepe, please," Raizel ordered at a stall.
When he handed it to her, Ultear's eyes lit up.
The crepe was a masterpiece—thin, golden wheat wrapper rolled around fresh whipped cream, mango chunks, orange slices, and strawberries, topped with a cherry and drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Ultear took a bite, getting a smudge of cream on her nose.
She looked purely happy.
"If there's anything else you like, feel free to buy it," Raizel said, watching her eat as they walked.
"No need, this is enough," Ultear mumbled around a mouthful of strawberries.
She glanced up and saw Raizel smiling at her with a gentle, brotherly look.
Suddenly realizing she had been lost in gluttony, her cheeks flushed pink.
She turned her head away quickly, feeling irrationally embarrassed, and sped up to walk ahead of him.
Raizel chuckled but didn't tease her.
If he pushed too hard, this budding schemer would probably put salt in his tea for a week.
They entered Magnolia's largest supermarket to stock up on dry goods.
"How about buying some sweets for the road?" Raizel pointed at the dessert display case filled with colorful macarons, cream puffs, and cakes.
"No," Ultear shook her head firmly, regaining her composure. "They'll make me gain weight."
"I'd actually like to eat some," Raizel lied smoothly. "I have a sudden craving."
"You never eat sweets normally," Ultear eyed him suspiciously. "In all the months I've known you, I've only seen you eat meat and fish."
"Well, I control myself usually," Raizel shrugged. "Good food is one of life's great pleasures. And with how much we train, gaining weight is impossible. Come on, indulge me."
"Fine," Ultear sighed, pretending to be reluctant. "But not too much."
"Pick whatever you want," Raizel gestured to the glass case.
Ultear walked back and forth, examining the options critically.
Finally, she pointed.
"Brownies. Truffle chocolates. Chocolate walnut cookies."
"So you like chocolate, huh?" Raizel noted mentally.
Before this, she hadn't shown a specific preference. It seemed the chocolate sauce on the crepe had awakened something.
"And give me a box of the chocolate macarons," Raizel told the clerk. "Actually, throw in the pink strawberry ones too. And a dozen cream puffs."
He piled the boxes into his basket.
"This is too much!" Ultear frowned, looking at the mountain of sugar. "This is definitely not 'not too much'!"
"No problem," Raizel grinned shamelessly, showing his white teeth. "I'll help you eat the extras. Storage magic keeps them fresh forever, you know."
Ultear rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.