Fairy Tail: The Dark Swordsman

30 - Returning Home

[X779, Rune Knight Outpost, Three days later]

— Dannis Martell —

A few more days had passed, with me being confined to the bed that entire time. My injuries were still healing, every part of my body bandaged to the point I looked like a mummy.

The doctors told me while there will be no permanent side effects, most of my injuries would most likely scar. I didn't really mind, but I made a mental note to get everything cleared with Porlyusica when I get back to Magnolia.

After that, I figured there was one more thing I needed to do. Gildarts was out gallivanting somewhere, probably flirting with one of the cuter Rune Knights stationed here while Mavis disappeared for a while.

So I asked a passing rune knight and asked if he could take me to where Crust was. He happily did so. When I arrived in the room, he was laying on the bed, leaning back against the headrest.

"You look like shit, Martell," he said, his voice gruff.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "You're one to talk. How are you holding up?"

Crust glanced at the stump where his arm used to be, then back at me. "I'll manage. They're fitting me with a prosthetic soon. Should be up and running in no time."

There was a moment of silence as we both absorbed the gravity of what we had been through. The room was filled with the soft hum of the infirmary, a stark contrast to the chaos of our recent battle.

"I'm here to thank you," I said, breaking the silence. "You saved my life."

He snorted. "Yeah, cause you were the one who bought me time to get the people out. I know the rumors about you, Martell. The Dark Swordsman, the Devil Hunter. Some even said you were a devil yourself."

He then grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "Fuck all that. It takes a special kind of guts to run straight towards one of Zeref's demons and not even hesitate. You're alright in my book."

I couldn't help the smirk that appeared on my face. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

We bumped fists, a gesture that felt both simple and profound.

Some people say that fighting side by side is the path to creating unbreakable bonds. On this day, a strong friendship was forged, born out of the fires of battle and the mutual respect we had earned.

"I heard how that damn bastard got away." Crust said before his grin widened. "But he left with plenty of scars. Next time we see him, that damn demon is going down."

The edge of my lips twitched upwards. "Agreed."

______________________________________

— Mard Geer —

"The ones who chased after Grilthos were a mage of Fairy Tail and a rune knight captain. The Dark Swordsman, they called him. Devil Hunter too. An S-Class wizard of the guild."

"I want his name, Crawford."

"O-Of course, Mard Geer-sama. Just give me a second here..." The sounds of clicks and taps could be heard that he assumes to be the Chairman's Super Archive Magic at work. "Aha! His name is Dannis Martell. Funny enough, he's only recently been promoted to S-Class. Just a few months ago. Quite impressive for one so young."

"Hmm, indeed. And what about this rune knight captain? Are you sure he's not even worth mentioning?"

"Yes, Mard Geer-sama. Crust is nothing more than a captain with passable skills. From the reports I've received, he was only there for more of a support role. Prioritizing the rescue of civilians. The Dark Swordsman was the one who fought seriously against Grilthos."