Blake's consciousness returned with a heavy, aching thud. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim light filtering into the small, sturdy house. He realized he was lying on a pallet near a stone hearth, covered in heavy furs.
He tried to move.
A chorus of sharp, internal protests greeted the attempt. Every muscle fiber screamed in agony. His upper body was heavily bandaged, with a thick wrapping around his chest to stabilize multiple cracked and bruised ribs. His forehead was bandaged where he'd taken a glancing blow from Deliora's tail, and a thick padding was wrapped around his left shoulder, which felt like it had been dislocated and then violently popped back in. He was, to put it mildly, injured a lot during his fight with Deliora.
"No rest for the wicked, I suppose," he muttered, the effort making his chest twinge.
He forced himself to sit up, a slow, grim process of willpower overcoming pain. He needed to know where he was.
He swung his legs off the pallet, used a nearby table for support, and struggled to his feet. He moved slowly towards the doorway, peering outside.
The scene that greeted him was one of surprising, heartwarming normalcy.
Outside the house, surrounded by the silent, snow-covered ruins, were Ur, Ultear, Gray, and Lyon. They were all grouped together, practicing Ice-Make magic. Ur, leaning slightly on her artificial leg, was giving quiet, firm instructions.
And Ultear. The girl Blake had found broken and fleeing was now standing beside her mother, her face alight with concentration and a genuine, happy smile as she successfully conjured a delicate, crystalline swan.
Seeing this, Blake smiled—a tired, genuine expression of satisfaction. The true victory wasn't the dust of a demon; it was the repair of a shattered family.
Ur, perpetually vigilant, was the first to notice him.
"Blake!" she called out, immediately halting the lesson. She quickly walked toward him, her movement efficient despite the ice leg. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be up! You still have some internal injuries."
The three students, alerted by Ur's call, instantly turned their heads towards him and started moving at once, forming a tight circle around him.
Gray and Lyon, their eyes shining with hero-worship, spoke first. "You were awesome!" Gray shouted. "The way you didn't even get hit at the end! It was crazy!"
"You were like a phantom at the end, escaping by a hair's breadth!" Lyon added, completely abandoning his competitive pride in favor of admiration.
Ultear looked at him with quiet, intense concern. "How are you feeling?"
Blake managed a weary, reassuring smile. "I am fine now," he said, suppressing a wince as he shifted his weight. "Just need a little more rest, and I'll be good as new." He took a deep, deliberate breath.
Then, his focus shifted entirely. His body was roaring for energy after the near-fatal depletion of his Haki reserves.
He looked at Ur, his eyes taking on a pleading, desperate glint. "Ur, can I get lots and lots of food? I am so low on energy. I think I could eat a whole elk."
Ur chuckles, a rich, warm sound that suited her far better than the desperate screams of the battlefield. "You can eat as much as you want, Blake. But first, go inside and rest. I'll start cooking."
The entire party moved back into the sturdy house. Blake gratefully sank back onto his pallet, while Ur immediately began preparing a meal over the hearth. The three children gathered around Blake, their excitement about the battle and the reunion overriding their usual shyness.
Ur started with simple, nutrient-dense broth and stews, but soon moved to cooking vast quantities of meat and bread.
Once the food was ready, Blake didn't hesitate. He ate with the focused intensity of a starving animal. His speed was terrifying; the bowls of stew, piles of roasted meat, and slabs of bread vanished in an instant. He finished ten generous servings without a pause, without even seeming to chew.
He looked up at Ur, his expression still hungry. "Is there more?"
Ur, who had been watching the spectacle with a mixture of amusement and concern, shook her head with a smile. "Give me ten minutes," she said, returning to the hearth to continue cooking.
All the while, the three kids looked at his stomach, which didn't bulge an inch. It was flat, hard, and unchanged, a truly baffling sight.
Finally, his hunger sated—for the moment—Blake leaned back, his energy levels visibly rising.
"Okay, now that my body's happy," Blake said, settling in. "What happened after I fell asleep? I'm assuming someone from the Magic Council showed up."
Ur's face hardened slightly, losing the maternal softness. "The Magic Council members came," she confirmed. "They were already tracking the high magic energy signature from the Deliora. They sent a detachment to investigate the tremors."
"And what did you tell them?" Blake asked, knowing the bureaucracy of the Council was a far greater danger than the demon had been.
"I told them you and I both defeated it," Ur said, her eyes meeting his. "They were reluctant to believe that a young boy could destroy a monster of that magnitude. They assumed I defeated it while you helped a little with the initial damage. I didn't clarify, so as to not paint a target on you."
Blake nodded, understanding the wisdom immediately.
"When a young mage kills a monster straight out of Zeref's books, those Magic Council members would be circling around you like vultures," Ur continued, her tone protective. "They would try to take you, test you, and probably force you to join magic knights against your will. Sorry for that."
"Thank you," Blake said sincerely. "Guild Master Makarov already told me not to get noticed by Magic Council members. He said they're more trouble than they're worth."
"Wise man," Ur commented with a grim smile.
The immediate crisis was over. The conversation shifted to the future.
"So, Ur," Blake asked. "What are you going to do now? With Deliora gone, your daughter returned, and your students are growing up."
Ur looked at Ultear, her expression soft. "I will be looking for a nice place to stay after everything settles here. A proper home for my family. I have some savings, and I need to find work as well."
"Have you considered joining a guild?" Blake pressed. "Fairy Tail could use a mage of your caliber. It's a safe place, and we protect our own."
Ur paused, contemplating the offer. "I haven't thought much about it, but thank you for the offer, Blake. I need to focus on Ultear first."
Blake turned to the two apprentices. "What about you two? Have you decided to join a guild? You'll be great additions to Fairy Tail."
Lyon immediately puffed out his chest, his ambition undeterred by the presence of a superior mage. "After watching your fight, I decided to travel around the continent and look for strong opponents, just like you. I need to prove that I can be the strongest mage in Fiore on my own terms!"
Blake smiled. "An ambitious goal, Lyon. Good luck to you."
He then looked at Gray, who was staring intently into the distance, his usual grumpy facade slightly softened.
Gray turned back and simply gave Blake a decisive nod. "I'll join Fairy Tail. I want to get stronger, and I think a place that produces mages like you is the place to be. I want to challenge myself in a new environment."
"Excellent choice," Blake said, his heart swelling with the satisfaction of a mission truly accomplished.
Blake spent two more days resting at Ur's home, and the healing rate of his body was surprisingly fast. He ate enough food to sustain a small village.
On the morning of the third day, half recovered and ready to leave, Blake stood at the door.
"Thank you, Ur," Blake said. "For the food, the rest, and for not letting the Council take me."
Ur hugged him fiercely. "Thank you, Blake. For saving my life, for bringing my daughter home, and for ending that monster."
He said goodbye to Lyon and Ultear, who promised to visit Magnolia once they were settled. Ultear gave him a genuine, grateful hug, her past fear replaced by a strange, newfound trust.
Blake slung his pack over his shoulder. "Time to head back to Magnolia."
Gray was already standing by the side, his small bag ready. "Let's go, I want to see this 'madhouse' guild."
Blake grinned. "Then let's go, Gray. You're going to fit right in."
And so, the two young mages began their journey back to the chaotic, wonderful home of Fairy Tail.