Fairy Tail: Swallow the Fire

29. She-Devil vs. Devil Slayer

A/N: Not Proofread

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(POV: Makarov Dreyar)

"Are you sure this is wise, Macky dear?"

"I have no other option, Bob. You were a member of Fairy Tail once, too. You know I can't just let Jose insult my children. Inebriated or not, this is a better outcome than the alternative of a guild war or a confrontation between myself and Jose."

"Still, there must be another option than bringing the youngsters into this, no?"

"You know there isn't, Bob," said Goldmine, "A show of strength is necessary to stop the Phantoms, and if Makarov backed out now then they would use it to drag Fairy Tail's name through the mud. And if word got back to the guild hall at Fairy Tail they would probably do something stupid and fight them head-on, inciting a guild war anyway. You know how hot-blooded young wizards can get, we were no better."

"Enough. Jose is arriving."

The Phantom Lord guild master's silhouette appeared on the horizon, blocking out the evening sun. I had already filled Mirajane in on all she needed and was waiting for her opponent in the fielding behind the meeting hall.

She seemed eager for the fight, which calmed me down a little bit, and the bets some of the other guild masters had started to make only made her more excited. I had confidence in the girl. I had been training her and her siblings myself since they showed up a few months ago.

She surprised me, honestly. Her affinity for darkness magic in her Satan Soul form is actually higher than mine for light magic, and her physical strength increase isn't anything to scoff at either.

But this Devil Slayer girl was a complete unknown to me and even seemed to be a perfect counter to Mirajane. Especially after that strange event a few weeks ago. The captain of their guard was the only survivor of those who participated in whatever battle turned the city to ash and he was completely uncooperative. The mages who investigated the site only discovered traces of demonic magic in the traces of aftermath, but couldn't draw much from it.

The devastation was blamed on one of the demons from the Books of Zeref, but meeting a Devil Slayer so soon after the event is causing me to draw suspicions. The magic power of the battle could be felt across half of the country, and I hoped that I wasn't sending one of my children to fight one of the sources of it.

As Jose approached us in the field, the Slayer in question appeared from behind him.

The similarities between her and Mirajane were high. White hair tied backwards in a braid, a black tank top and pants, and leather bracers that covered her elbows. The ends of her pants were held close to her legs by a pair of shin guards and she left herself barefoot after kicking off her sandals to the side of the field. But what drew my attention was the ornament tied to a rope she wore as a necklace.

'Don't tell me...'

I immediately recognized it as a magic cuff and the warped steel showcased that it had been through the wringer. And her eyes lacked that usual light a kid her age should have. Instead, they had a steeled look, not too different from an experienced soldier. It reminded me all too much of how Erza was when she first showed up on Fairy Tail's doorstep.

Even if she wasn't one of my own, I couldn't help but worry about the girl and wonder what she could have gone through.

The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pouch, throwing a white powder across the field. She didn't even seem to be giving Mira any recognition at all, something that seemed to irk her a little.