The Legendary Saiyan in a Fairy's World Chapter 67 (Patreon)

Not beta read yet.

Next update is SEF and Hound

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-Magnolia-

Things went relatively normally after his conversation with Loke, although Broly couldn't ignore the fact that there seemed to be a great deal going on inside the man's head. His parting words had given him plenty to think about, and he still hadn't decided whether he should tell Lucy about their conversation or keep the matter to himself. Knowledge brought responsibilities, and he had learned that lesson more than once. For now, however, he could put the matter aside and focus on something else entirely.

“Alright, let's give it a try.” 

That something else involved Cana, who lay on the bed in front of him with her back exposed, asking for help with the lingering pain from their fight a few days earlier. The battle hadn't been particularly deadly or dangerous compared to some of the things they had faced, and enough time had passed for everyone to move on. Even so, a few of them apparently still had aches and pains that refused to go away. At least, that was what the card mage had told him when she asked if he could give her a massage. 

Of course, he agreed without much thought.

“If I do something wrong or you feel uncomfortable, then let me know.” 

Standing beside the bed, he placed both hands against her back and began working on the muscles around her shoulders. His fingers pressed into the knots, applying enough force to make her twitch and let out a small moan. He paused to check whether he had pushed too hard, but she merely turned her head slightly towards him.

"N-No, it's good! Hn! That's exactly the right amount of force.."

Good to hear that, he felt reasonably confident in his abilities despite how long it had been since he last gave someone a massage. The last person he could remember treating that way had been Aquarius, although there might have been someone else whose face had slipped his mind. Regardless, his skills hadn't deteriorated as far as he could tell. 

“Ah~!”

He worked his way across Cana's shoulders and down her back, kneading the muscles with his fingers while she continued to make a series of soft moans and groans. Her breathing gradually grew heavier, and after a while, he narrowed his eyes at her increasingly unusual reactions.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just a bit sensitive over there."

The answer reminded him of Aquarius, who could react similarly whenever he massaged her there. Curiously, the Celestial Spirit always insisted that he work on her front as well, including her lower body. Depending on the day, the lower half of her body might resemble that of a mermaid, or she could change it into a pair of ordinary human legs. 

He had never given the matter much thought beyond accepting that it was simply how Aquarius preferred her massages. 

“Hah… hah… hah…” 

Meanwhile, Cana's breathing had grown increasingly laboured, her cheeks flushing as she pressed her face against the pillow and squirming beneath his hands. ‘Isn't her reaction a bit too much?’ Perhaps he wasn't doing enough to relieve the pain. After considering the matter for a moment, best to try something different, concentrating his Ki into his fingertips before carefully pushing it into her body.

The moment his Ki entered her, Cana arched her back and let out a loud scream.

"AAAH~!"

“—!”

That reaction stunned the Saiyan enough for him to back away, before he could ask what had happened, the bedroom door burst open with a loud bang.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"

Lucy rushed inside, her face bright red as her shout filled the room, but the blush on her face quickly faltered as she took in the scene. Both of them sat on the bed, Cana still recovering from her moment of ecstasy, while several pieces of clothing lay scattered across the floor. The card mage hadn't even opened her eyes yet, though she soon lifted her head and looked towards their uninvited guest. 

Rather than offering an explanation, she gave Lucy a small, inviting smile and gestured for her to come closer. "Why don't you try this massage for yourself? I guarantee you'll find it quite stimulating."

“What were you two doing!? That's not a reaction you'd get from a massage!” 

“I made a mistake using my Ki to infuse it within her.” Broly got to his feet and explained the situation before Lucy's imagination could run any further.

"Did you?"

The blonde turned a doubtful look towards the woman on the bed, her eyes twitching as she waited for a more convincing explanation. Cana offered no denial, instead sitting up and putting her top back on. Once she had dressed, she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Can you help me tie the back?"

"Sure."

He stepped forward to help with the fastening, while Lucy watched the two of them with growing suspicion. "You two have been getting quite close lately."

"Well, that's only natural. We live in the same place, hang out together quite a bit, and get along nicely!" Cana slipped an arm around Broly and squeezed the side of their faces together, giving Lucy a cheerful thumbs-up. Her grin widened as she leaned closer to him, clearly enjoying the opportunity to tease their friend. "What is it, Lucy? Are you jealous?"

"O-Of course not! Ah, I got distracted!"

The blonde quickly took a deep breath and reached into her outfit, producing several tickets that she held up for them to see. “By the way, Loke came to me and gave me these tickets to a local spa. I figured I could share them with you and the others."

A spa? 

His attention immediately shifted to the tickets. Aside from the resort, he had never been to a spa. 

As for Cana, she looked at the tickets suspiciously. "Loke gave you these? Why? Isn't he usually scared of you, or at least reluctant to approach you most of the time? Be careful, he could be trying to approach you.”

"I know. That's why I was so surprised, too. He just showed up this morning while I was at the guild looking for a new quest for us to take, then handed these over to me. He said he'd had a good talk with you last night and wanted to thank Broly."

“Me?” He pointed at himself while Cana just accepted that explanation immediately.

Her eyes lit up at that explanation. Nudging Broly in the side with her elbow, she gave him a sly smile that made her intentions perfectly clear.

"What, you're not going to tell us anything? You're going after the boys now, too?"

“...’

Rather than take the bait, he accepted the ticket and examined it. Loke's behaviour had already struck him as unusual, ‘What is he thinking about? A farewell gift?’ He kept those thoughts to himself, however, while Cana focused on the destination printed on the tickets.

"Wait, I know this place! Blue Pearl, It's a rather expensive spa, but they offer all sorts of treatments. I've heard plenty of people say that their skin practically glows by the time they finish!"

"Really?"

Lucy leaned closer to inspect the tickets, her earlier suspicions momentarily forgotten as curiosity took over. Cana nodded enthusiastically, eager to explain what she knew about the establishment.

"From what I understand, Mirajane goes there regularly. One of her sponsors arranged for her to visit so she could keep up her image, and you can see the results for yourself."

"We have to go there!"

The blonde's excitement had clearly taken over, and Cana grinned at her enthusiasm before getting off the bed. She stretched her shoulders, satisfied with the treatment then headed towards her room.

"Let me get ready. That massage was great, Broly. Next time, I'll give you one!"

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"Is something wrong? Don't you want to come with us?" Lucy asked after looking at his face.

Broly shook his head and offered her a reassuring smile, explaining that nothing was wrong and that he would be happy to join them. His thoughts had simply returned to Loke and their conversation the previous night. What exactly was the man planning, and should he share what he knew with Lucy? 

Hard to say, though he had not given a promise. 

"It's strange. He's been acting differently lately, and I don't know why, but something just feels off. What did you two talk about last night?"

"Sorry, I can't share that with you." In the end, he decided to respect that man's wishes.

“Eeeeh,” Lucy's expression immediately soured, and she puffed out her cheeks as she tried another approach. "Even if I ask you nicely?"

"Even then. It's something he needs to share with the others himself."

"Fine! If you won't tell me, I'll find out on my own!"

With that declaration, she stomped out of the room, leaving him to consider the matter once more. He understood why she was curious, especially since Loke's behaviour had apparently changed enough for her to notice it without knowing anything about their conversation. Still, revealing something the man had chosen to tell him privately didn't seem right. After a moment, Broly shook his head and decided to give the matter more thought later.

{Break}

(Next day)

The following day, he headed to the spa, accompanied by several guildmates. 

Lucy still hadn't resumed talking to him properly, but he considered that a reasonable reaction and decided to give her time to get over it. She had probably tried to investigate Loke herself, only to discover that she still lacked the answers she wanted. At least, not yet.

“It's pretty unassuming.” Lucy added, looking a bit disappointed at the establishment before her. “I was just expecting something more.”

Upon entering the place, the group received a warm welcome from the staff, and Broly took a moment to look around the spacious interior. The place was far larger than he had expected to find in Magnolia, of all places, and the elegant facilities suggested that the tickets offered considerably more than a simple visit to a bathhouse.

Gray, on the other hand, seemed far less impressed. Clicking his tongue, he glanced around at the facilities with an expression of open reluctance. "What a waste of time. I don't need to go to a spa, and I hate the heat."

SMACK!

“Argh!” 

Erza's hand struck the back of his head before he could complain any further.

"Stop complaining!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

The ice mage straightened immediately, abandoning his objections without another word. 

Watching this, Broly couldn't help finding the exchange amusing, though his attention soon returned to the explanation the staff provided about their tickets. Apparently, the tickets had originally been intended for a resort that had temporarily closed for renovations. Rather than leave their customers without an alternative, the company had arranged for them to use the tickets at its other facilities around the world. Fortunately for their group, one of those establishments happened to be located in Magnolia. The explanation made the place's size and luxurious appearance easier to understand, and Broly found himself looking forward to seeing what the facilities had to offer.

"It's certainly grand, but I'm not complaining."

After finishing their preparations, he accompanied Gray and the others inside, where the group began trying out the various treatments available. Their first stop involved massages, which seemed like a reasonable way to begin their visit. Gray initially appeared sceptical, but after settling down on the massage table and allowing the attendant to get to work, his complaints gradually diminished.

"Well, I have to admit, it's not that bad."

Meanwhile, the Saiyan had a rather different experience. The masseur assigned to him had been working on his back for some time, but the pressure barely registered. Looking over his shoulder, he found the poor man struggling with all his might, his face reddening as he tried to work his fingers into muscles that refused to yield. The attendant pressed harder, adjusted his position, and tried again, only to achieve almost nothing. Broly remained perfectly comfortable throughout the ordeal, not wanting to be rude.

"E-Excuse me, sir, but are you perhaps using magic to make your skin stronger?"

"No, nothing like that. It's fine, you can keep going."

“Right…” The masseur gave him a doubtful look before deciding to make one last attempt. “I can do this!” Apparently unwilling to admit defeat, he stepped away from the table, gathered himself, and leapt into the air before bringing his elbow down in a horse-elbow strike aimed at his back.

THUD!

The attack accomplished absolutely nothing to the Saiyan, but the attendant paid dearly for the effort. His elbow struck a surface that might as well have been a stone wall, and the resulting impact left him crumpling to the floor, unconscious before Broly could even turn around.

"Are you okay?"

“...”

Receiving no answer, Broly looked down at the fallen man and wondered whether he should call for someone to help. 

“Sorry…” He hadn't intended for any of this to happen, and he certainly hadn't expected the poor fellow to resort to an attack simply because his massage wasn't effective. As the staff hurried to deal with the situation, he could only conclude that finding someone capable of giving him a proper massage might prove more difficult than expected. Aquarius had always managed it, though that was hardly surprising when he considered how powerful the celestial spirit could be. Perhaps her strength was simply another advantage of being a spirit.

Once his own treatment had ended, he joined Gray as the group continued through the facilities. The ice mage glanced over at him while they walked, apparently having noticed that Lucy had been acting unusually curious throughout the day.

"Hey, I've noticed Lucy going around asking questions about Loke. Is there something happening that I should know about?"

So she began snooping around, it was only a matter of time he supposed. He considered how much he could reasonably share before deciding to give him a simple explanation. "He's been behaving differently lately, and Lucy's curious about it. He's dealing with some personal issues."

Gray looked at him for a moment.

"Let me guess. He got caught cheating with another girl by his other girlfriends, who didn't know the others existed, and now he's trying to run away?"

That caught off guard, "How many girlfriends does he have?"

"Heck if I know. I stopped counting after seven."

“...”

He shook his head. 

"It's nothing like that. He's dealing with something personal, and I'm not entirely sure what he's going to do about it yet."

“I see…”

Gray seemed willing to leave the matter there, so the two continued towards the hot spring. The ice mage entered first, making his way into the steaming water while Broly followed with the rest of the group, ready to enjoy the facilities they had been promised.

He stepped into the hot spring area, with Broly following him until they reached a junction with three separate entrances. Stopping in front of them, the ice mage examined the signs, or rather, the lack of any clear indication of which entrance led where. “And I’m pretty sure the boys’ section is on the left?” He glanced between the other two entrances, trying to make sense of the arrangement.

“What about the middle, then?”

“Dammit, did someone forget to put up a notice telling us which side is which?” Gray rubbed his forehead. “Who cares? I can hear Erza’s voice from the right side, so that’s the one in the middle.”

Without waiting for a response, he headed through the middle entrance, leaving his companion behind to stare after him. “I'm pretty sure our side is on the right…” Broly had barely taken a few steps before he sensed a familiar magical signature somewhere above him. His gaze shifted towards the ceiling, searching for its source, but the presence vanished almost immediately. “What is she doing here?”

As long as that Etherious was not causing trouble, he would ignore her.

Passing through the entrance, “Eh?” he found Gray standing completely motionless, his body frozen in place as though time itself had stopped around him. The ice mage's eyes remained open, yet he couldn't even turn his head to acknowledge the newcomer. “Gray?” 

He approached and reached out to touch his shoulder, intending to find out what had happened, only for a strange sensation to spread through his own body. “Hm!” His muscles locked, and for a moment, he felt something attempting to hold him in place just as it had Gray. However, the restraint barely lasted a second. Flexing his body, he released a burst of Ki that shattered the spell's hold before immediately raising his guard and turning towards the source of the attack. “Who's there!?” His eyes widened when he spotted a familiar redhead relaxing in the pool, watching him with a glare that could have frozen the water around her.

For an instant, he mistook her for Erza, but the resemblance only went so far. The woman before him possessed the same red hair, yet there was no mistaking the difference once he took a closer look. “Irene? What are you doing here?”

The redhead raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “What? Am I not allowed to indulge in what this little town has to offer?”

“No, what are you doing on the men’s side?”

Her eyes twitched. “This is not the men’s side, you idiot.”

“Then why did Erza go there?”

“Because this is a mixed bath. Anyone can come here. Barely anyone does, aside from a few mages who wandered in, according to my observations. I sent them away before you arrived and erased their memories.” 

At that, he simply shrugged and walked towards the pool. Rather than take the hint from the irritation on her face, he stepped into the water and settled down as though nothing unusual had happened.

Her eyes narrowed further, prompting him to glance back at her. “What? You said it’s mixed, and I’m allowed to be here.”

“You’re lucky I merely froze your friend over there. Anyone else who so much as dipped a toe into this pool without my permission would have been killed immediately.” Her gaze remained fixed on him.

“You’re welcome to try.”

“Hmph!” Irene exhaled through her nose, pinching the bridge of it as though dealing with him had already become more trouble than the bath could possibly be worth. “Forget it. I am above modesty.”

“Did you come here because you didn’t want to face Erza on the other side? It's a good mother daughter bonding opportunity.”

“Mind your own business.”

A grin spread across his face. For all her power and pride, the woman remained remarkably unwilling to be honest about her feelings. Either that, or she genuinely failed to recognize them herself. Having gotten the reaction he wanted, Broly relaxed in the water, ready to bring up something else, when the door behind him suddenly flew open.

“Hell yeah! I knew you'd be here!”

Before he could turn around, an excited figure launched herself at him and wrapped both arms around his body. The sudden impact pushed him forward slightly, while a pair of soft mounds pressed against his back. Taken by surprise, he looked over his shoulder to find Aquarius rubbing her face against his, her delight at seeing him obvious from the way she clung to him without the slightest concern for anyone else in the room.

“I missed you, darling~ Did you miss me? I knew Lucy was hiding something from me! Glad I took the initiative to come here.”

It took a few seconds for him to figure out everything. “You summoned yourself in again?”

The celestial spirit merely hummed in acknowledgment, not denying the accusation. His expression changed as he looked past her and towards Irene, whose previously pleasant smile had frozen on her face. The mermaid's expression quickly twisted into an ugly scowl, her eyes settling on the woman.

“What the hell is this bitch?”

Irene continued smiling as she glanced back at her. “Oh my, these celestial spirits these days have a lot of audacity, don’t they? I remember a time when your kind used to be more submissive and respectful.” 

“You look familiar. Don’t tell me you’re aiming for him as well! Get the hell away from him, bitch, he’s mine!”

Irene's eye twitched again, this time more noticeably than before. “I don’t give a single care about him or any relationship, spirit. Get these delusional thoughts out of your mind. Besides, I was here first. He’s the one who came here. Do not speak to me so rudely unless you want to be erased from both this world and the spirit world.”

“Big talk coming from someone like you.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t need to. Your face tells me enough. You’re after him, aren’t you? I bet I ruined your plan about capturing him using your flabby body.”

The insult struck a nerve. Broly immediately sensed an enormous amount of magical energy gathering around Irene's hand, and although her expression barely changed, the anger in her eyes made her intentions obvious enough. “Calm down.” Before she could finish forming the spell, he reached over and caught her hand, suppressing the magic before it could take shape. The energy dispersed beneath his grip, preventing the situation from turning into a fight over an insult that hardly seemed worth the trouble.

“Hold on, let’s not get crazy here.” Keeping a hand around Irene's wrist for another moment to ensure she wouldn't immediately resume the spell, he turned towards Aquarius. “This is my friend, Irene. She’s not a bad person, and she’s helped me many times. She’s even taking care of someone I knew from their childhood.”

His attention shifted back to the redhead, giving her a proper introduction before the two could find another reason to attack each other. “This is Aquarius. She’s Lucy’s contracted celestial spirit and someone close to me who’s been helping me for as long as I’ve been here.”

Rather than respond to the explanation, the spirit tightened her embrace and pulled his face against her chest, making herself entirely too comfortable beside him. Her hair brushed against his body as she rubbed her cheek against his, seemingly delighted to have an audience for her affection.

“Oh, we’re more than that, aren’t we?”

Irene raised an eyebrow at the display, her earlier irritation giving way to genuine surprise. “With a celestial spirit of all things? Now that’s surprising.”

“The fuck do you mean by ‘things’?” Aquarius immediately shot her a glare, clearly taking offense at the way the other woman had referred to her.

The redhead shrugged, unconcerned by the outburst. “I’ve heard stories about people falling in love with celestial spirits, but never the other way around. How peculiar. Then again, this guy is anything but human, so my theories still stand. It’s not like you’ve fallen for a human.”

“Yeah, whatever, keep talking. Now, do you mind leaving? I need to have some private time with him and do some catching up.”

Noticing the increasingly suggestive tone behind her demand, Broly gently shifted Aquarius away from his face and guided her to sit beside him instead. He wasn't about to make a scene out of her enthusiasm, but there were limits to what he was willing to entertain in front of someone else, especially when they were in a public bath.

“Maybe next time. I don’t think this is the right place to do it.”

“We did it last time in the spring behind the house, and you enjoyed it!”

“Well, we had a bit of privacy there. It’s a bit awkward doing it here.” 

Aquarius pouted, evidently unhappy with the answer, but she eventually relented. “All right, I’ll listen, but next time we get to do it! No spectators next time.”

Broly gave Irene a look, only to find her massaging her forehead. Her patience had already been tested by his arrival, and the celestial spirit's appearance had somehow made everything worse.

“Whatever I’ve gotten myself into.”

Deciding to steer the conversation towards something more important, he addressed the matter that had been on his mind since arriving. “What’s going on with Jellal? Is he awake?”

“Oh, he’s awake.” Irene lowered her hand, looking considerably less irritated now that the subject had changed. “I have no intention of detaining him, nor do I have any reason to. He tried to attack me, so I sent him high up into the sky. Whether he survives the landing or not is up to him. It’s his own fault for biting the hand that healed him.”

“Hah, alright. I won't blame you.” At least Jellal had regained consciousness, and he no longer needed to worry about whether the man remained helpless or trapped somewhere under Irene's control. As for the landing, he had little concern for his friend's survival. The redhead wouldn't have thrown him into the sky without knowing he had a reasonable chance of surviving, especially after going to the trouble of healing him in the first place.

Aquarius turned towards Irene, studying the unfamiliar woman with an increasingly displeased expression. “What the hell are you? You don’t feel like a human at all.”

Rather than entertain the question, Irene simply ignored her, showing no interest in answering. That only made the celestial spirit angrier. Her brows drew together, and water splashed around her as she summoned her vase.

Irene finally acknowledged her with a smirk. “I dare you. Give me a reason to erase your existence.”

The threat only made the situation worse, prompting him to reach over and place a hand on Aquarius’s shoulder before she could act. The celestial spirit puffed out her cheeks and pouted at him, her vase still summoned. “Why are you protecting her!”

“I’m not protecting her. I’m protecting you!”

Aquarius turned to glare at him, but he held his ground. Although he knew how intelligent and powerful she could be, Irene belonged to an entirely different category. The woman was a dragon capable of facing the entire Fairy Tail guild and defeating its members with little effort. Someone like Erza or Natsu might give her a challenge, particularly the latter, whose Dragon Slayer magic supposedly proved extremely effective against dragons. However, remembering the enormous difference in power between himself and Acnologia, Broly doubted that such an advantage would mean much against someone as powerful as Irene. Effectiveness alone meant little when the gap between opponents grew too large.

Aquarius eventually let out an exasperated breath and lowered her vase. “Fine, I’ll believe you this time.”

With the argument settled, the celestial spirit returned to enjoying the bath, allowing Broly to think about the matter he had wanted to bring up. A question suddenly occurred to him, and he turned towards her. “Aquarius, are you familiar with a Celestial Wizard named Karen Lilica?”

Her expression changed at once. The relaxed look disappeared, her eyes narrowed, and for a moment she offered no response. Then she folded her arms beneath the water and looked at him knowingly. “It’s about that Loke guy of yours, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

Instead of answering immediately, the blue-haired spirit settled more comfortably into the bath. “Hey, Broly, do you know what the biggest taboo for Celestial Spirits is?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Kill one’s owner, the person you’ve made a contract with,” Irene interjected with complete certainty.

Aquarius raised an eyebrow at the dragon. “So you aren’t that dumb after all. But yes, that is indeed the biggest sin.”

"Among the many Celestial Spirits, twelve of the strongest and most respected are known as the Twelve Golden Celestial Spirits. I'm one of them."

"So it's a title for being powerful?"

"It's more than that." She shook her head. "We're expected to uphold the rules and set an example for the others, all under the eye of the Celestial Spirit King. He judges what we do and makes sure we follow our laws."

"Then he's the one who punishes you if you break them?"

"Not always." Her gaze dropped. "Sometimes the harshest punishment doesn't come from the king or the rules we swore to obey. A spirit can become its own judge. It decides it committed something unforgivable and that it deserves to suffer for it."

"Suffer how?"

"Guilt does that to us. They start calling themselves sinners and punish themselves far beyond anything anyone else would demand."

Broly listened without interrupting, nodding as her explanation struck a chord with him. There were things a person could do, or fail to do, that might haunt them long after everyone else had moved on. Sometimes, no amount of forgiveness from others could make someone forgive themselves.

“Among the twelve of us, there’s one who could be considered second in command. Technically, we’re all equal, but everyone still sees him as our leader,” Aquarius continued. “It’s something we all accepted. I couldn’t care less about being seen as the leader, so I left that responsibility to him. He’s a pragmatic and charismatic man, though he can be childish and a little too stuck up at times. Clearly, he’s changed since the last time I saw him. But if there’s anyone who upheld the rules like no other, it would be him.”

“Is he a Celestial Spirit Lucy has a contract with?”

Aquarius shook her head. “Perhaps she might never be able to make a contract with him.”

“I don’t follow.”

“What would you do if one day you killed someone you had sworn to protect? Or if your actions were responsible for that person’s death?” She turned to look directly at him. “What would you do if Lucy died and you couldn’t protect her?”

Broly clenched his hand into a fist beneath the water. It was not something he wanted to imagine, but that did not mean he had never considered the possibility. Back when he struggled to control his own power, the thought of accidentally hurting someone he cared about had been a constant source of worry. If he lost control at the wrong moment, the consequences could be terrible, and there had been many nights when such thoughts kept him awake. Even now, the prospect of losing Lucy was something he could barely bear to consider.

“I wouldn’t... I won’t...” His fingers tightened, and he struggled to find the words. “I’m not sure if I’d be able to handle the outcome of my mistakes.”

“Weak mindset,” Irene remarked flatly.

Aquarius, however, offered him a gentle smile. “That’s because you have a kind heart.”

“You need to understand that the Celestial Spirit was feeling the same way. He chose to banish himself to the human world, condemning himself to a life of imprisonment where his life force would gradually diminish until he eventually disappeared. Rather than face what had happened and accept that he might still be forgiven, he chose to sentence himself to a slow death.”

Broly’s eyes widened as the pieces began to fit together. “You said there’s a Celestial Spirit King. Has he passed judgment on this?”

“Yes. He and that particular spirit are similar in many ways. They’re both old fools.” Aquarius rolled her eyes. “He upholds the laws just as strictly as that other fool does. Changing his mind isn’t an easy task.”

“But it’s not impossible.”

A smile spread across her face at his response. “No, it isn’t. He may be strict, but he cares for us, too. Redemption has always been an option, but some people simply refuse to accept it. You can’t keep running away from your problems forever.”

Broly nodded, finally understanding what he needed to do. He rose from the water, exposing himself without the slightest concern, while Irene stared at him with a dry expression. Aquarius, on the other hand, immediately perked up, her irritation forgotten as a wide grin spread across her face.

“Well, hello there.”

Paying little attention to either reaction, he stepped out of the bath and reached for his clothes. “Thanks, Aquarius. I know what to do now.”

Getting dressed to leave, he stopped as the celestial spirit called out to him before he could disappear. “When you meet him, give him a couple of slaps from me and tell him to come back and resume his duties. I’m not much of a fan of slackers who go around flirting with other women.”

“I will.” 

He said with a smile and gave her a nod before taking off into the air. Hovering above Magnolia, he concentrated on locating a particular magical signature, searching until he finally picked it out among the others. Without wasting any more time, he flew towards it, only to recognize the place as the same location he had visited earlier. The familiar graveyard stretched out below him, and there, standing before a grave, was Loke.

The man turned at the sound of Broly’s arrival, looking no surprise whatsoever. As if he expected the latter's arrival.

“Oh, you’re here? Did you go to that spa place I gave you tickets for? It’s a very good place, I highly recommend it.”

He landed nearby and nodded. “Yes, it was good.”

“So you did go there. Glad to see you enjoyed it. How about the others?”

“They enjoyed it too.”

Loke smiled, visibly pleased. “Is that so? Hahaha! I got those tickets from… Well, I got those things used to go to the resort, but after it closed for renovation, I figured I could take a few girls to the spa instead. A great place to earn some love points and get a happy ending at the end of the day.”

“...”

Again, Broly had little to say about that. 

The two remained beside the grave, looking down at it, until Loke spoke again. His earlier amusement had faded, leaving his voice noticeably drier. “I already handed Master a letter informing him of my decision to leave the guild. The others should be getting the news soon. So I decided to come here and get some peace of mind, my mind doesn't feel like dealing with hundreds of questions.” 

Broly kept his gaze on the other spirit. Loke let out a tired sigh. “If you came here to stop me, then don’t bother.”

“You’re dying.”

There was no point in denying it. Loke looked away from the grave and acknowledged the truth with a small nod. “Yeah, like I told you before. Turns out my time will come sooner than I imagined.”

His gaze shifted towards the sky, where the afternoon light had begun to give way to the approaching sunset. Despite everything, a faint smile returned to his face as he reflected on the life he had lived. “All in all, it was a good life. Aside from one, I don’t have any other particular regrets.”

“Lucy won't allow it,” 

Loke's expression changed at once. “Has she figured it out?”

“Not yet, but it's only a matter of time.”

“How did you find out?”

“Thanks to Aquarius.”

“Oh…,  That makes sense. I'm still confused how you ended up with her  ” Loke let out a breath, rubbing his forehead. “When I first saw her with you, I was a bit nervous that she might reveal everything. One good thing about Aquarius, though, is that she doesn't meddle in matters that don't involve her. I like to think she still has enough respect for me to honor my wishes, at least.”

“She cares about you.”

The remark caught Loke off guard, leaving him staring at the Saiyan in disbelief. “Aquarius? Well, we're both Celestial Spirits, fellow Golden Gate Celestial Spirits at that, but I wouldn't go as far as to say she cares about me. It feels kind of weird even saying that.”

“She calls you an idiot and says you're too stubborn for your own good.”

“Pft-hahaha!” That earned a laugh from the spirit, though it did little to lighten his expression for long. “Now that's the Aquarius I know. She has a point. But rules exist for a reason, and I cannot simply ignore them. These aren't ordinary rules that can be brushed aside. What I've done is something that cannot be forgiven.”

Broly offered no immediate reply, keeping his attention on the man before him. “This isn't the way. You shouldn't be running away—”

“—I AM NOT RUNNING AWAY!” Loke's shout rang out as he gritted his teeth and lowered his head, his hands tightening at his sides. “I am not running away again.” 

The next words emerged in a much smaller voice, strained by frustration, anger, and a sadness he could no longer hide. 

“I can't run away… not after what I've done. I'm just paying the price.”

“I don't know the exact reasons behind your circumstances, or everything that happened to bring you to this point. But honestly, even if I knew, it wouldn't change anything.” Broly met his gaze. “You have a good heart. I don't see you as some evil person who deserves to disappear like this. There are still plenty of people waiting for you back at Fairy Tail, people who want you to return.”

Erza, Natsu and even Lucy cared about him, he could see Mirajane most likely also joining the search party to find Loke and try to convince him to stay. 

“Life keeps forcing cruel choices.” Loke's shoulders sank, with him struggling to find an answer. “Even if the others forgive me, even if my fellow spirits forgive me, I still cannot forgive myself. I don't have that right.”

In a strange way, he could see where the man was coming from. “No, I agree with you. I understand that feeling. That's exactly why disappearing like this is an even worse idea. If you truly believe you deserve to be punished, then continue existing. Keep living with those burdens. Vanishing now won't satisfy the person you want to make amends to, and it won't put her soul at peace if that's what you think. It won't put everyone else at peace, either. You became a member of Fairy Tail and accepted them as your family. By doing that, you took on responsibilities beyond your own regrets. Yet you're making the same mistake you made back then, letting your emotions get the better of you instead of facing what comes next.”

Loke clenched his fists, frustration mounting every passing second. “What choice do I have? Even if what you're saying is true, I don't want to disappear now. I know that, and I agree with you. But what I've been doing can hardly be called suffering. It's the easy path, and I know it. The problem is that, at this rate, even if I wanted to return, I couldn't make it past tonight.” 

He looked down at his hands as a slight tremble could be seen within them. “Celestial Spirits aren't meant to stay in the human world and humans cannot stay in my world for long. The longer a Celestial Spirit stays in the human world, the more energy they consume. If they can't use their summoner's energy, they have to rely on their own life energy instead. At most, someone might manage to force themselves to remain here for a few days or hours, perhaps a week in some cases. But I've been here for two years…. I've tried every method I could find to extend that time, and I've done my best to limit how much magic I use during quests. I've followed every rule in the book and exhausted every option available to me to reach two years. There's… there's hardly anything left to keep me anchored here, to keep me existing.”

Two years…

Broly closed his eyes, acknowledging the truth of the spirit's words. He could sense Loke's dwindling life energy, resembling a candle flame struggling to remain lit in the middle of a storm. There was so little left that it might disappear at any moment, and the fact that it had endured this long seemed almost miraculous. That realization only added to his respect for the man. Despite the condition he had reached, Loke had managed to remain in the human world for two years through sheer determination and whatever means he could find.

An idea crossed his mind.

‘It’s a risky solution, but it's better than doing nothing.’

Placing a hand on the spirit's shoulder, he drew a confused look from the orange haired man. “I won't be the one to convince you to forgive yourself and return. I don't know how all of this works, and I'd be a hypocrite if I told you what to do when I still haven't figured things out myself entirely. I have my own sins, and I've done plenty of things that I know cannot be forgiven, even if everyone else chooses to forgive me.” 

“Then why come here?” 

“Because, I know you want to hold on to those burdens for as long as you can. If you are anything like me, I know death is not the end you want. So I'll grant you one thing. I'll extend your time, and leave the rest up to Lucy.”

“What are you… Argh!” Loke barely managed to get the words out before a scream tore from his throat. For the Saiyan wasted no time and had begun infusing his own Ki into the failing spirit, and the sudden surge sent Loke's body into a violent spasm. His knees nearly buckled beneath him as he struggled to withstand the unfamiliar force flooding through him. “What are you doing!?”

“Extending your time. As much as I can without destroying you. If you are running out of life energy, then I'll just keep fueling it with my own.”

“T-That’s not how it works!” 

Loke's body began to shine, the light growing brighter with every passing moment until he resembled a miniature sun. The intense glow spread around them, illuminating the surrounding area as the spirit realized just how much energy Broly was pouring into him. Panic overtook his face, and he desperately tried to make the Saiyan understand the danger. “No, quickly get away, my gate is...”

BZZZT!

Before he could finish, a flash of lightning struck the two of them, swallowing their figures in its brilliance.

.

.

.

When Broly next opened his eyes, he found himself floating in the middle of a vast void, with stars scattered all around him. Nothing beneath his feet offered any sense of ground, leaving him adrift amid the endless expanse. Yet the sight before him soon drew his attention away from his surroundings. A gigantic man floated in front of him, his muscular frame towering over the spirit like a mountain.

“...”

In his life, he had encountered many extraordinary beings, but he had never seen anyone quite like this. Stranger still were the two enormous mustaches protruding from the man's nose, a feature so bizarre that it almost overshadowed his immense size.

The towering entity regarded him with apparent interest before finally speaking. 

“So, you're the outsider who came into this world. I've been meaning to meet you for a while.”