As the last embers of battle faded, Ultear stormed toward Rudra, seething with frustration. Without hesitation, she grabbed him by the collar, yanking him down to her level.
"You should have done that sooner!" she snapped, her voice sharp with irritation.
Rudra didn't look fazed. In fact, he barely reacted, his gaze casually drifting downward.
Ultear frowned, her frustration mounting. "Hey! Where are you looking?! Look at me!"
A smirk tugged at Rudra's lips. "I don't know... the view's pretty nice."
Her brows knitted together in confusion—until she followed his gaze.
A horrified realization struck her like lightning. The acidic blood from earlier had melted through parts of her clothing, leaving her barely covered.
A sharp shriek escaped her lips. "D-Don't look!" she yelled, immediately crouching down and covering herself.
Rudra chuckled, clearly amused. "Hey, can you blame me? Nice view."
"You—!" Ultear's face turned crimson, torn between fury and sheer embarrassment.
Without missing a beat, Rudra shrugged off his cloak and tossed it to her. "Here, take this." His tone was maddeningly casual as if nothing had happened.
Ultear snatched it from the air, grumbling under her breath. He could've done that earlier instead of just staring...
With an exasperated sigh, she wrapped the cloak around herself and followed him. Meanwhile, Rudra walked ahead, whistling nonchalantly, completely unbothered.
After a few minutes of winding through the tunnels, they finally reached the entrance to the sewer. Waiting for them at the exit stood Jellal, his piercing gaze locking onto them the moment they emerged.
As soon as Jellal saw Ultear wrapped in a cloak, he strode toward her, concern etched across his face. "What happened?" he asked urgently.
Ultear's face flushed as she instinctively glanced at Rudra, who met her gaze with an unreadable expression. Flustered, she stammered, "N-Nothing happened!"
Jellal's eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing in his gaze before he turned to Rudra. "What did you do to her?"
Rudra blinked, caught off guard. "Excuse me?"
"I'm asking what you did to Ultear," Jellal repeated, his tone sharp and demanding.
Rudra exhaled, clearly uninterested in whatever misunderstanding was brewing. "Nothing," he said flatly before turning to leave.
But before he could take a step, Jellal's hand clamped down on his shoulder, stopping him in place.
Rudra's expression darkened, his voice dropping to an icy whisper. "Remove your hand… unless you want to lose it."
Jellal's grip tightened. "Not until you tell me what you did."
The tension between them crackled, heavy and suffocating. Sensing things were about to spiral out of control, Ultear quickly stepped forward. "Jellal, stop!" she urged.
But Jellal didn't let go.
Rudra sighed, his patience wearing thin. He flicked his gaze toward Ultear. "Do you really want to know what I did?"
Without waiting for a response, he effortlessly shrugged off Jellal's grip and strode toward her. The moment he reached her, he tilted her chin up gently, locking eyes with her.
"Do you remember what I said when I saved you?" he murmured. "That it would cost you?"
Ultear hesitated, her heart pounding. "Y-Yeah…"
Without another word, Rudra closed the distance between them—then pressed his lips against hers.
Silence.
The world seemed to freeze. Ultear's mind went blank, her body tensing—before, almost unconsciously, she found herself kissing him back.
Seconds stretched into eternity.
Then, just as suddenly as he had kissed her, Rudra pulled away, turning to face Jellal.
Jellal stood frozen in place, his expression shifting from shock to pure, unrestrained fury. His fists clenched, magic surging violently around him. "You're dead, you bastard!" he roared, power crackling in his hands, ready to strike.
But before he could release his attack, Ultear stepped between them, directly in his line of fire. "Jellal, STOP!" she shouted.
Jellal froze, his magic flickering out as his wide, disbelieving eyes met hers.
Meanwhile, Rudra smirked, stepping back as if utterly unbothered. "You can keep the cloak," he said nonchalantly.
Ultear turned to him, her mind racing with a thousand unanswered questions—What just happened?!
But before she could say anything, Rudra's form dissolved into a swarm of crows, scattering into the day, leaving nothing behind but confusion and chaos.
After Rudra vanished, Jellal clenched his fists, his frustration evident as he turned to Ultear. "Why did you stop me?" he demanded.
Ultear didn't flinch. Instead, she met his gaze with an unwavering stare. "Why did you attack him?" she shot back.
Jellal frowned. "What do you mean? He kissed you!"
Ultear crossed her arms, her expression sharp. "And why do you care?"
Jellal stiffened, taken aback. "What do you mean, why do I care?"
"You rejected me, Jellal," Ultear said, her voice cool and cutting. "You said you were waiting for Erza—clinging to a ghost. But Erza is dead."
Jellal flinched as if she had struck him, his lips parting to protest. "Still, I wanted—"
"Just go, Jellal," Ultear interrupted, her tone weary but firm. "I don't have time for this."
Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Jellal standing there, speechless.
***
After leaving Ultear behind, Rudra made his way toward the merchant guild Love & Lucky. His steps were light, a rare sense of satisfaction lingering in the air around him as he replayed the events that had just unfolded.
Upon arriving at the guild, he entered and approached the receptionist, who was buried in paperwork.
"Excuse me, miss," Rudra said casually, his voice smooth.
The receptionist looked up, startled for a moment before a soft smile touched her lips. "Oh! How did it go? Did something happen?" Her concern was evident.
Rudra gave a small smirk. "The quest is finished."
"Really?" she asked, still skeptical.
"If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check," he replied smoothly.
The receptionist hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, sir. Please wait here while I send someone to confirm."
Rudra gave a nod in acknowledgment and moved to an empty bench, settling down to wait patiently.
As he relaxed, his gaze drifted across the room, landing on a man sitting at the bar, his head bowed low as he mumbled curses under his breath.
"Damn that guild… They took my only daughter..." The man took another swig from his bottle, his voice heavy with regret.
Rudra's sharp eyes recognized him instantly—Jude Heartfilia, Lucy's father.
If I remember correctly, Rudra thought, his mind briefly flickering with the knowledge he'd accumulated. He dies next year, never knowing that his daughter is still alive.
With a quiet sigh, Rudra turned toward the old man. "Hey, old man."
Jude glanced up at him, his tired eyes barely focusing. "What do you want, kid?" His voice was rough, as though he hadn't spoken to anyone in a long while.
Rudra didn't respond immediately. Instead, he asked, "Are you the father of Lucy Heartfilia?"
Jude flinched at the name, his expression hardening. After a beat, he let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah… I am. The disgrace of a father who never got to tell his daughter how much I loved her." He took another drink, his hands trembling slightly.
Rudra leaned back, his expression impassive. "If you ever meet your daughter again… what will you say to her?"
Jude's grip on the bottle tightened, his eyes narrowing as he looked away, but not before his voice cracked. "I'd tell her how much I love her… how proud I am of her…" His words were heavy with pain, and for a moment, he seemed to retreat into himself. Then, looking up sharply, he met Rudra's gaze. "Why are you asking me this, kid?"
Rudra didn't answer right away. He simply stood, brushing off his coat and preparing to leave. "If you really want to meet your daughter again… stay alive… at least for another year."
Jude's eyes widened, a flash of something—hope, maybe—dancing across his face. "What do you—"
But before he could finish, Rudra was already gone, leaving the seat empty.
Jude blinked in confusion, his mind struggling to make sense of the brief encounter. "Maybe I drank too much…" he muttered to himself. "Talking to ghosts now, huh?" He lifted his cup to drink again but paused, his eyes suddenly clouded with doubt.
What if it's true...?
Slowly, he set the cup back down, staring into the distance, lost in thought.
***
Rudra walked leisurely away from the Love and Lucy guild, the reward in his pocket and an ice cream cone in his hand. The town's noise faded behind him as he headed for the forest path, hoping it would be a quicker route back to his guild. The cool air of the forest and the peaceful solitude made the walk even more enjoyable.
Suddenly, a rough voice interrupted his peace.
"Hey, you!"
Rudra turned, his expression as emotionless as ever, but inside he was thinking, What the hell is he doing here?
A man approached him, his stance casual but with an undeniable edge. He wore a dark green, open, long-sleeved shirt with a high collar, black pants, and a black bandana wrapped around his left arm. Three swords hung from his waist, and he casually swigged from a bottle of alcohol as he closed the distance.
"Do you know where this place is?" the man asked, his tone rough but not unfriendly.
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guess who?
i need power stone