"You are?"
Mirajane froze when she noticed Ling Yuan.
"Oh, he's Laxus's friend, and my benefactor."
The moment Makarov returned to the guild, he reverted to his original form, plopping down on the counter and speaking with a grin. (Reference: Umaru.)
"Laxus's friend? Nice to meet you, I'm Mirajane." Mirajane let out a startled sound before quickly extending her hand.
"Hello." Ling Yuan smiled as well.
They gave each other a light handshake before letting go.
The entire guild was exceptionally lively.
To be honest, this kind of environment was a little too noisy for Ling Yuan.
But... it was impossible not to yearn for it.
The three members of the Thunder Legion clung to Laxus and refused to be pulled off.
Laxus could only reluctantly accept it.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Mirajane smiled when she noticed Ling Yuan's expression.
"It is. A very nice place." Ling Yuan nodded.
"I think so too. The guild is my home. Wherever my family is, that's the warmest place."
Ling Yuan stared blankly at Mirajane, then subconsciously raised a hand and placed it on her head.
"Huh?" Mirajane froze.
Before she could speak, she heard Ling Yuan say softly, "Very soon, you'll be reunited with your family."
Mirajane's pupils contracted.
Her family was...
But when she came back to her senses, Ling Yuan had already walked toward Laxus.
"Laxus, I'll be leaving first," Ling Yun said to Laxus.
"Not staying to play a little longer?" Laxus asked, his aloof expression returning.
Ling Yuan stretched. "I haven't finished coding yet. I need to go back and get it done."
Then he paused. "Laxus, smile more often. You look much more energetic now than before."
"I don't need you to tell me that," the Lightning Dragon huffed proudly.
"I'll be going, then." Ling Yun didn't mind. He chuckled and waved to everyone in Fairy Tail.
He took Ophis's hand.
The next moment, the two vanished from where they stood.
After Ling Yuan left, Mirajane walked over and asked, "Laxus, who exactly was that gentleman?"
Looking at where Ling Yuan had disappeared, Laxus closed his eyes and smiled softly. "Who knows? I can't figure that guy out either. But at least... I don't get a bad feeling from him."
A Heads-Up in Advance
PS: I got Yoimiya in a single pull!
Back in the familiar room.
But the moment he returned, the Blazing Key appeared in his hand.
The eight-pointed star within it shone brightly.
Blue mist drifted out from the eight-pointed star, gradually forming into a massive Demon God.
"Ugh, that hurts!"
The moment she emerged, her head hit the ceiling, and she couldn't help revealing a pained expression. (X=X)
Well, the Demon God's debut had failed.
"Shrink down a little. My house can't take you tossing it around like this."
Ling Yuan showed no surprise as he calmly poured himself a glass of water.
After testing the height of the beams, Phoenix obediently shrank to around two meters tall and floated in the air.
Looking at Ling Yuan, she asked softly, "King of another world, could you tell me where this place is?"
"Didn't you already say it? This is another world." Ling Yuan looked at her in surprise.
Does she have the brain of a fish?
Phoenix: "..."
After carefully sensing the aura of this world, Phoenix opened her eyes. "Then this truly is another world?"
"Of course. Otherwise, why do you think your connection to the Sacred Palace was severed?" Ling Yun took a light sip of water.
"How... how did you know? Could it really be as Lord Ugo said, that people from higher worlds can observe our every move?" Phoenix asked in shock.
Logically speaking, aside from the Seventy-two Demon Gods, no one else should have known about the Sacred Palace.
This was another world, yet Ling Yuan knew of the Sacred Palace. It was difficult not to make that connection.
"'Observe' is a bit exaggerated. At most, I know where your world is headed in the future."
Phoenix: "..."
That was even more terrifying, wasn't it?!
The feathers beside Phoenix's ears drooped.
She couldn't help feeling somewhat dejected.
Wasn't this the control of fate King Solomon had spoken of?
Lord Ugo had always searched for a way to break fate, yet the fate of their world was still firmly held by another world?
The world of Magi revolved entirely around fate. King Solomon had seen within the Creator God Il Ilah that everyone's fate was controlled by Il Ilah, which was why he wanted to transform the Rukh from black to white and distribute it equally among everyone.
So that everyone could have the ability to control their own fate.
Soon, Phoenix had another question. "Then, Lord Ling Yuan, I can sense endless energy within you, and it's incredibly terrifying. With strength like yours, you shouldn't need my power, should you?"
"Who said I don't need you?"
"Huh?" Phoenix froze.
"On the contrary, I need your power more than anything." Ling Yuan slowly stood up.
He walked up to Phoenix, raised his head to look at her bare upper body, and his cheeks reddened.
After all, he was still pure. It was normal for him to react a little.
"Lower your head."
Phoenix didn't understand why, but she obediently lowered her head anyway.
Looking at the enormous head before him, Ling Yuan felt a little emotional.
Could such a huge head swallow his whole body in one bite?
While Phoenix was still puzzled, she felt a warm hand press against her head.
"?"
Ling Yuan met Phoenix's gaze and said, "Do you want to bite—ptui, do you want to seize fate?"
Ling Yuan panicked a little. He had nearly spoken his thoughts aloud.
"Can fate... be seized?" Phoenix stared blankly at Ling Yuan with her dark pupils.
"Of course. As long as you want to. And I know your world's future fate. How about making a contract with me? Become my Demon God and fight for me. In return, when your world is in danger, I'll lend a hand."
"This..." Phoenix's eyes lit up.
That was right. How had she not thought of that?
If she couldn't control fate herself, why couldn't she let someone who knew fate help break it?
Seeing Phoenix wavering, Ling Yuan decided to add more fuel to the fire. "Hmm, for better communication between us, how about this? I'll tell you who the true mastermind behind everything is."
"The mastermind?"
"Neither Elmeron nor Il Ilah. It's David—David Jehoahaz Abraham."
"David?! But isn't he dead?"
Phoenix was startled.
David was King Solomon's father.
"He is dead, yes. But don't forget, when people die, their souls become Rukh."
"And all of Almatran's Rukh was taken by Il Ilah. In other words, the Rukh of every person who died in Almatran survives within Il Ilah. David is naturally no exception."
Il Ilah was the Creator God of the world called Almatran, something that looked rather like a tentacled monster.
"This!"
Phoenix was stunned.
Ling Yuan's words completely overturned her worldview.
It was the first time she had ever heard of something like this.
Didn't that mean everyone hadn't died, but had merely been separated by an invisible barrier?!
"Now that I've told you all this, can you serve me wholeheartedly?" Ling Yuan calmly asked as he looked at the large head before him.
Phoenix stood up.
She placed one hand over her chest and lowered her head. "In the name of Phoenix, I swear to become your guardian Demon God, to honor you as my king. From this day forth, you are my one and only king."
"I will never leave nor abandon you, until eternity!"
At the end of the day, she had originally been his Metal Vessel.
Since she had already acknowledged him as her king, that represented her choice.
But Ling Yuan's actions moved her deeply.
He had not treated her as a tool, but communicated with her as an equal and told her such secrets.
At the thought that her family might not be dead, Phoenix couldn't help smiling.
"Ahem, before that, I need to find you some clothes," Ling Yuan said with a fake cough.
Those huge boobs were swaying around—it was too unfair!
"?"
"There's no need. Our Demon God skin is clothing."
As she spoke, pink wings reappeared from the void around Phoenix.
They slowly covered her body.
Below her huge breasts, the tips of two pairs of wings crossed, supporting them perfectly.
Ling Yuan: "..."
Honestly, it was quite convenient, but he somehow felt empty inside.
"Phoenix, whenever I summon you outside in the future, appear like this. But if I summon you at home, return to your previous appearance," Ling Yuan said shamelessly.
"As you command, my king." Phoenix didn't find anything inappropriate about it.
That previous appearance had always been her usual attire. This form actually felt uncomfortable to wear.
After dealing with Phoenix's matter, Ling Yuan put her back into the Blazing Key.
He turned to Ophis, who had been watching the entire time, and asked with a smile, "Xiao Fei, what do you want to eat for lunch today?"
"Stare—"
Ophis made a strange sound.
Ling Yuan: "..."
Before you continue