The joy of victory vanished because of Wendy's words.
Wendy's mood might be heavier than theirs; she was the first to realize this fact, and tears wouldn't stop falling.
"What does 'died long ago' mean? Liss is the child we're supposed to find a doctor to treat this time, right?"
Natsu had never met Liss, but hearing Wendy's words, he found it hard to believe.
Erza and Rhode were even more incapable of accepting it; they had clearly seen her before dark, together with Wendy.
She was such an adorable child, visible and tangible...
Wendy wiped away her tears and insisted on explaining her discovery:
"My Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Milky Way is a magic that can listen to the voice of the Dragon Soul, and not only that, it helps me sense people's souls.
I originally thought the appearance of Miss Liss might be due to something wrong with her soul, but after using Milky Way, I found out...
The Miss Liss we saw was just her soul..."
The cruel truth hit everyone like a heavy hammer; such a cute and pitiful child was actually a spirit?
Rhode believed Wendy wouldn't lie, but it's hard to believe such a bizarre thing:
"No, the soul should be invisible and intangible, only with the help of special magic can it be seen or made visible.
Wendy also said she could sense people's souls with the help of Milky Way. Then why did Liss... we didn't feel a bit of magic power from her?"
"Perhaps it's because of the heart," Erza spoke heavily, recalling the words an old grandfather once told her about what magic truly is,
"Everything stems from the heart of belief: divination, wishes, faith can all become magic. It's a miracle only perceived by those who 'believe'."
Erza closed her eyes, freeing herself from that memory, then continued her deduction:
"Perhaps before Liss escaped from the Black Magic Sect, she had already... But she didn't know she was dead, she just wanted to return to her parents.
This strong wish, and not knowing she was already dead, kept her in this state, staying by her parents' side for such a long time."
Wendy couldn't speak anymore for crying, Carla turned away to wipe her tears, and tears were swirling in Hapi's eyes.
She was just a child wanting to return to her parents.
Natsu was angry and didn't know whom it should be directed at; the Black Magic Sect had been wiped out, the demon defeated, but what about Liss?
"What's the point then? If such a thing can produce miracles, then let the child come back to life!"
"Don't talk nonsense, Natsu."
Erza lowered her eyes; she had seen Grandpa Rob fall to protect her with her own eyes and hoped countless times for him to stand up again, but...
"Life is just such a fragile thing, once lost, it cannot be recovered."
"Damn it!" Natsu's fist hit the ground; anyone who hears this would feel sorry for Liss.
Rhode remained silent; this mission was the one that made him feel the most helpless.
In terms of battle, in terms of life as well.
A lack of combat power can be supplemented by companions, but how can the passing of life be recovered?
Rather, all his efforts and cautious actions so far are aimed at preventing such things from happening to himself and the people he cares about.
To avoid things like Liss's fate, maybe only if the Dark Guilds and Black Magic Sects are all destroyed.
That's not something he can do alone.
At least he could try to take down every Black Magic Sect he encounters.
Rhode sighed deeply, "How do we tell Mr. Yopa about this truth..."
Everyone looked troubled; knowing the truth already made them feel this terrible, how much worse must Liss's parents be feeling.
But things have to be faced eventually.
...
Early the next morning, everyone silently arrived at the client's door.
By the time they returned to the inn last night, it was very late, but the wounded who should have been resting didn't sleep a wink.
Mr. Yopa and Mrs. Ivy were the same; they stayed by their daughter's bedside all night. Though tired come morning, they still washed up early, intending to invite the mages from the inn to review.
He had just opened the door to find the mages lined up at his doorstep.
Mr. Yopa was momentarily stunned, stepped out swiftly, bowing and saying:
"Thank you all for your help. Liss woke up early last night; it's the first time she's woken early after fainting! Please continue the treatment!"
Everyone exchanged glances, feeling uneasy.
Erza asked, "Could you tell us when Liss woke up?"
Mr. Yopa stated a time that roughly aligned with when Canopus dissipated.
There's likely a connection between the two, but it no longer mattered.
Rhode stated solemnly, "Mr. Yopa, there's something we'd like to discuss with you alone; could you please... step outside."
The joy on Mr. Yopa's face began to fade as he looked at their serious or sorrowful expressions, suspecting something bad.
...
Rhode carefully chose his words, informing Mr. Yopa of their whereabouts last night and slowly revealing the harsh truth.
In the end, Erza supplemented with a recently completed deduction: "The blood-painted magic array we saw on the altar was likely her blood.
Half of the summoning ritual could have been completed at that time; the demon devoured Liss's flesh, but her soul escaped.
Perhaps that's why the demon wasn't awakened immediately but after some time, constantly impacting the seal.
Based on the earlier explanation, we deduce that each time Liss fainted was probably when the demon hit the seal. Now that the demon is gone, she..."
Erza hesitated as she rarely did in speech: "Won't be disturbed by the demon again."
Having said what needed saying, everyone averted their eyes, not daring to meet Mr. Yopa's gaze.
Mr. Yopa's lips moved but couldn't form words as he reached for his pocket, taking out a pack of cigarettes and a matchbox.
With trembling hands, several attempts to light the match failed.
Natsu quietly extended his finger and lit it for him.
Mr. Yopa said nothing, crouching in a corner and inhaling smoke.
Wendy couldn't hold back any longer, bowing deeply in front of Yopa: "Mr. Yopa, I'm sorry!"
Her deep blue hair slipped from her shoulders, tears hitting the ground first.
Wendy felt for Liss's plight, also blaming her powerless self.
Yopa lifted his head, red swollen eyes gazing at Wendy.
This was a very cute little girl; from the first meeting, Yopa felt so, believing that when his daughter grows as old, she would be even cuter.
But now, nothing remained.