A few days later, after submitting her docunts and undergoing a rigorous background check, Ur stood in the center of the Council's testing chamber.
She faced a massive Magic Crystal designed to asure raw output.
With a calm expression, she raised a single hand.
"Ice Make: Saucer."
A spinning disk of ice slamd into the crystal.
The readings spiked off the charts, nearly cracking the asurent device.
The Council elders nodded in unison.
It was official. Ur beca the seventh Ten Wizard Saint on the Ishgar continent.
Although she was ranked seventh, the hierarchy was sowhat misleading.
The top four were the "Four Gods of Ishgar," beings whose power transcended mortal limits.
The other ranks were a mix of political influence and raw power.
Among them stood Makarov Dreyar and Jose Porla, the true heavyweights of the lower ranks.
Becoming a Wizard Saint wasn't solely based on strength; it was about recognition and reputation.
Ur had been known as the top Ice Mage in the Northern regions for years, but her key asset was her control.
She destroyed her enemies, not the landscape.
Gildarts, on the other hand, shattered mountains when he sneezed; otherwise, the "Ace of Fairy Tail" would have easily held the title years ago.
Being a Wizard Saint was surprisingly chill.
Aside from occasionally needing to attend Council etings via Thought Projection or stepping in during national crises, Ur was left to her own devices.
She used her new authority imdiately.
Her first act as a Saint was to issue an official request to the Council: The Manhunt for Brain.
The Council complied eagerly.
Brain, the forr director of the Bureau of Magical Developnt, had already been blacklisted thanks to the evidence Raizel and Gildarts submitted.
Now, with a Saint pushing for it and the search intensified.
...
The day after her inauguration, Ur returned to Magnolia.
She wasted no ti. Feeling guilty for having left her two disciples alone for over three months, she dragged Gray and Lyon out of Makarov's house by their collars.
"We're going to Mount Hakobe," she announced. "Training starts now. No slacking off."
As for Ultear, she was left in good hands.
Grandma Hilda supervised the dorms, and Cana was eager to play with her new neighbor.
For her magical education, Ur had entrusted her to Raizel and the mysterious 'Professor Mavis'.
After living with her mother on Tenrou Island for three months, Ultear had beco stronger and less clingy.
She understood that her mother had duties, and she had her own path to walk.
...
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the forest floor.
The air was filled with the chirping of birds and the gentle rustle of wind.
Raizel sat cross-legged on a large, flat rock, deep in ditation.
His magic was suppressed, turned inward to refine his pool of mana.
Nearby, Mavis Vermillion floated a few inches off the grass, pointing a small stick at a floating crystal ball.
Ultear stood opposite her, eyes focused intensely on the orb.
Cana was absent today.
Gildarts had taken on a string of S-Class missions—mostly monster extermination—to rebuild his savings after buying his daughter an alarming amount of toys and clothes.
He had taken Cana along to show her the world (and to show her off to the world).
"Magic is not a miracle," Mavis lectured, her voice taking on the tone of a seasoned professor despite her youthful appearance.
"It is the flow of energy that exists within our bodies, the Ethernano. Only when it rges with the energy flow of the natural world does it manifest as concrete force. You must channel your ntal strength, your concentration, and infuse your soul into that flow."
Ultear nodded, absorbing every word.
She had already placed the heavy to on the Arc of Ti aside; Mavis's verbal teachings were far easier to grasp.
"Ti Magic is abstract," Mavis continued, raising a finger. "Unlike wind, fire, earth, or water, which materialize through elent conversion, Ti Magic manipulates the state of existence. Powerful Ti Magic can revert an object to its past or push it into its future. The strongest spells can even pause or reverse ti on a global scale, though the cost..." Mavis's eyes darkened for a split second, "...is significant."
"I am going to teach you the Arc of Ti. It is a Lost Magic that interferes with the ti of non-living things. You can repair ruins, decay swords to rust, or bloom a seed into a flower in seconds. It all depends on your imagination."
Mavis tapped her own temple. "My Illusion Magic is similar. It relies on the mind. If you can imagine the tiline of the object perfectly, you can control it."
"First," Mavis instructed, "channel your mana into the crystal ball. Make it an extension of your will."
Raizel had procured the crystal ball a few days earlier at Mavis's request.
It was high-grade quartz, perfect for conducting magic.
Ultear closed her eyes.
A pale, lavender aura surrounded her hands and flowed into the crystal. The ball humd, glowing with a soft light.
Mavis snapped her fingers. "Good. Now, control its movent. Make it float."
Ultear focused. The ball lifted into the air.
"Forward. Backward. Now, orbit around you three tis."
The ball obeyed, whizzing through the air with precision.
"Excellent!" Mavis clapped her hands. "As expected, Ultear is a genius!"
Ultear bead at the praise, her cheeks flushing pink.
"Now," Mavis said, her expression turning serious. "The real lesson begins. We will interfere with the crystal's ti. Visualize the ball before you infused it with magic. Revert it to its past state."
Ultear stretched out her palm. She visualized the cold, inert quartz.
Flash.
The glow vanished instantly. The ball dropped to the grass with a dull thud, completely inert.
"Perfect. Now, fast forward it back to its active state."
Ultear concentrated again.
The ball shuddered, then lit up, floating back into the air as if the last few seconds had been rewound.
...
Fairy Tail wasn't world-famous yet, but it was busy.
However, Raizel kept a low profile.
He treated missions like a 9-to-5 job—clock in, kill the monster, clock out.
He let Laxus take the glory and the tough jobs, leaving him plenty of free ti to supervise Ultear's training.
"Ti to eat!" Raizel called out, breaking his ditation.
He had caught several large fish from the nearby lake earlier that morning.
A pot of fish stew was bubbling over a magical fire, the savory scent wafting through the clearing.
Mavis floated over, staring at the pot with intense longing.
A small drop of drool appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"I really want to eat..." she murmured. Being a ghost had its downsides.
"First Master," Ultear teased, holding up a skewer of grilled fish. "It slls really good. Crispy skin, tender at..."
Mavis inhaled deeply, looking tragic. "Ahhh! Torture! This is torture!"
Raizel chuckled, ladling a bowl of the creamy white soup for Ultear.
"Here. Be careful, it's boiling hot."
The soup was made from a local species of boneless fish, Raizel's favorite for hassle-free eating.
"No need to worry about that," Ultear said confidently.
She waved her hand over the bowl.
"Arc of Ti: Fast Forward."
Steam rose rapidly and then vanished.
The soup cooled in seconds, reaching the perfect drinking temperature as if it had been sitting out for ten minutes.
"Hah! That's quite the practical use for Lost Magic," Raizel laughed. "Most mages use it to destroy cities; you use it to cool your lunch. You really are talented."
Ultear blushed but dug in happily.
Mavis watched her eat, vicariously enjoying every bite. "It's delicious... I can tell..."
After the al, Ultear dutifully cleaned the dishes in the stream before returning to her spot.
"Next, we'll learn offensive application," Mavis announced, floating back into teacher mode.
"Defensive magic is good, but you need to protect yourself."
"Gather your magic into the crystal ball. Condense it into a single point of future potential, then release it explosively. Aim for that rock over there."
Mavis pointed a spectral finger at the large flat rock Raizel had been using for ditation.
"That's my seat!" Raizel protested from the stream where he was drying a pot.
"It's a target now!" Mavis chirped. "Go, Ultear!"
"Arc of Ti: Future Flash!"
The crystal ball glowed blindingly bright.
A beam of distorted energy shot out, striking the boulder.
CRACK!
The rock didn't just break; it aged rapidly, crumbling into dust and pebbles in an instant.
Raizel sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile. "My poor ditation spot."
"Good power," Mavis nodded. "Now, restore it."
Ultear focused on the pile of dust.
"Return."
The dust swirled backward, reforming into pebbles, then stones, and finally fusing back into the solid, mossy boulder as if nothing had happened.
...
Raizel sat on the restored rock, eyes closed.
The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the forest.
Suddenly, a fluttering sound broke the silence.
A small, magical ssenger bird swooped down, carrying a letter sealed with the Fairy Tail emblem.
It dropped the envelope into Raizel's lap.
Raizel opened it.
A miniature hologram of Makarov appeared from the paper, looking serious.
"Raizel. Return to the guild imdiately. We've need to go to the Magic Council. I'll explain the details when you get back."
Raizel frowned, crushing the paper in his hand.
The Council? That was never good news.
"Ultear, Mavis," he stood up, dusting off his pants. "Training is over for today. We need to go back."
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