Fairy Tail: The Dark Swordsman

29 - Darkness?

[X779, Rune Knight Outpost, Four days later]

— Dannis Martell —

I awoke to the blinding whiteness of the Rune Knight infirmary. Every part of my body ached, and my throat felt like sandpaper. It took a moment for the memories to flood back—Grilthos, the battle, the darkness that had surged within me. I shifted slightly, wincing at the pain.

"Easy there," came a familiar, gruff voice. "You've been out for four days."

I turned my head to see Gildarts sitting beside me, a glass of water in his hand. He offered it to me, and I drank greedily, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat.

"Thanks," I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Gildarts smiled, relief evident in his eyes. "You gave us quite a scare, kiddo."

Before I could respond, another presence made itself known. The fairy girl, ethereal and serene, appeared at the foot of my bed. Her expression was one of profound relief.

"Dannis, you're awake," she said softly. "Thank goodness."

"You're...that girl from before." I say with a realization.

"I never really introduced myself to you, did I?" She managed a small smile. "My name is Mavis Vermillion, the First Master of Fairy Tail."

I blinked at that answer. I looked back at Gildarts who gave me a nod. "Well damn."

That certainly surprised me, but I've seen enough crazy shit in this world to not get worked up over it. If there was anyone who was capable of getting back up from their graves, it was definitely someone from Fairy Tail. I know enough to not question the sheer absurdity that the guild was capable of.

Mavis giggled slightly at my reaction as she floated closer. "Do you remember everything that happened?"

"Sort of. I remember almost dying, then woke up somehow able to use Curses. I saw some things when I was unconscious. Memories. I guess it fueled me with enough negative emotions to actually tap into that kind of power."

"...That wasn't the only thing." Mavis mentioned.

I frowned, trying to piece together her words. "What do you mean?"

Gildarts glanced at Mavis, then back at me. "She told me what happened. She said you're a Devil Slayer now, Dannis."

The term was unfamiliar, and it took me a moment to process it. "What's a Devil Slayer?"

"You know about Natsu's Dragon Slayer magic, right? Well this is basically the same thing, only towards Devils. It's the first time I've heard about it too, to be honest." Gildarts informed while shrugging.

Mavis sighed. "When you tapped into that dark energy, black tattoos appeared all over your body. It's a mark of a Devil Slayer, I've only seen it once before. Devil Slayers possess the power to actually hurt demons. Your magic is like poison to them. The Darkness Devil Slayer."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "But being able to use curses means I'm part demon, doesn't it? Everything about the Etherious mentions that Curses are unique to them. But I'm also a Devil Slayer? That doesn't make any sense."

"Exactly. Your entire existence is a contradiction. Which is probably the reason Zeref is so interested in you. I just don't know the reason why yet."

Her words got Gildarts to lean up in surprise. "Zeref? The Black Wizard? What does he have anything to do with this?"

The first master hesitated before telling us the truth. She told us the story of how Zeref came to be. How he was cursed by the God Ankhseram. How she and the founders of Fairy Tail met him and taught them magic. How Zeref sometimes likes to take a stroll on Tenrou Island.