Selene gave Irene a resentful look for making the decision on her behalf.
Resentful or not, she had no intention of refusing.
This was something she would have to face sooner or later, and having Mercphobia there might actually make things easier.
At the very least, she would not have to face Elefseria alone.
Raizel also turned to Irene and complained, "I can't believe those words came out of your mouth. I'm honestly stunned!"
Complaints aside, he completely agreed with her idea.
"But I have to admit, it's a good suggestion."
With Raizel and Irene mediating, they probably would not start fighting.
Probably.
Mercphobia looked pleased and nodded immediately.
"I have no objection."
Karameel straightened with a solemn expression and declared,
"Lord Water Dragon! I won't stop you, but if you're going, then you must take me with you!"
Karameel was not worried about Mercphobia's safety. She was more concerned that he might endure some unfair treatment for the sake of apologizing.
At least in her eyes, and in those of Ermina's residents, the Water Dragon God had done nothing wrong.
Selene nodded with her usual elegance.
"I have no objection either."
Raizel was normally rather laid-back, but every now and then, he became suddenly and decisively efficient.
Like now.
He slapped the table, pointed east in the direction of Magia Dragon, and declared, "Let's go!"
Natsu immediately refused.
"Right now?! We're still eating!"
"A full stomach is perfect for serious negotiations!"
"I'm not full yet!"
"There's no need to rush."
Raizel's sudden burst of decisiveness was extinguished on the spot. Everyone seemed glued to their cushions, and not one of them made any effort to stand.
Selene suggested discussing matters while soaking in the hot springs. The men and women would still use separate baths, but Raizel rejected the idea outright.
Selene puffed out her cheeks and glared at him.
"Honesty between both sides is important. Hot springs are the perfect place for serious discussion."
Raizel refused without changing expression.
"Being physically exposed does not mean being emotionally honest. Both sides should sit down face-to-face and negotiate properly so he can feel your sincerity."
Selene countered,
"He doesn't have a heart anymore. Can he still feel it?"
"..."
Raizel tapped his temple lightly.
"The mind. The mind is what matters. A person dies without a heart, but without a brain and the ability to think, they can no longer be called a person. They're just a walking corpse."
As for why the Law Dragon had survived after losing his heart...
That was because he had transformed into a dragon.
His internal organs had changed after dragonification, and dragons apparently did not die just from losing their hearts.
...
Magia Dragon—
The world's oldest Mage guild welcomed two guests whom its guild master, Elefseria, was not particularly happy to see.
When Raizel and the others entered the guild, Elefseria was studying the stone reliefs he had created from the Magic Power of the Five Dragon Gods.
If any of them lost their power or died, the carvings would react.
"You're back alrea—"
The rest of Elefseria's sentence died in his throat when he saw Mercphobia and Selene standing beside Raizel.
Raizel pointed toward the table on the right.
"Can we sit down and talk first?"
Raizel and Irene took the seats at the head of the table.
They were acting as mediators.
On the opposing sides were the Law Dragon, Selene, Mercphobia, and Karameel of Ermina.
Elefseria was at something of a disadvantage, facing three people alone.
As for Ultear and the others, the spectators could sit wherever they liked and were even allowed to speak during the proceedings.
Thanks to their close relationship with Judges Raizel and Irene, they would not be thrown out for disrupting the court.
Natsu was the exception.
He was too noisy, so he was not given a seat.
Elefseria noticed the Fairy Tail emblem on Selene and looked directly at Raizel.
"I have one question. Why does she bear that emblem?"
Raizel calmly met his gaze and raised the back of his hand to display his own guild mark.
"As you can see, she joined our guild."
Elefseria did not dwell on the matter.
Raizel had already brought Selene and Mercphobia here together, so that answer was hardly surprising.
...
Elefseria spoke first.
"I never imagined there would come a day when I would sit face-to-face with two of the Five Dragon Gods."
Selene corrected him expressionlessly.
"Please change the way you count me. I am one person, not one dragon. I intend to become human."
Mercphobia was far more amiable and gave a light laugh.
"To be honest, I never expected this day either."
Elefseria snorted, his face dark and his tone openly hostile.
"You wish to become human? Do you even remember how many innocent humans you have killed?"
Selene was not someone who would quietly endure being cornered. A mocking smile appeared on her lips.
"Then let me ask how many innocent dragons humans killed back then. We are hardly different, Elefseria."
Irene cleared her throat lightly, her expression turning reflective.
"Dragons killing humans without cause was wrong, but humans cannot justify indiscriminately slaughtering dragons either. I have more right than anyone here to speak on this. I lived through the war between humans and dragons. I saw countless dragons who hated humanity, and many others who loved humans deeply."
"This is not something that can be judged with a single sweeping conclusion. Selene and Mercphobia have killed humans, that much is true. But can you guarantee that humans never killed innocent dragons?"
Irene's question left Elefseria unable to answer.
Members of Magia Dragon had been killed by dragons, and hatred had blinded the Law Dragon. His response had been to kill every dragon he encountered.
He never tried to speak with them.
That was also a fact.
Irene was leaning somewhat toward Selene's side, which was only natural.
Raizel reached beneath the table and pulled out a... gavel, then struck it against the tabletop.
"We're putting that issue aside for now."
Irene gave him a strange look.
"Where did you get that thing? Give me one!"
After Raizel and Irene managed to lighten the atmosphere a little, Selene looked around at the Fairy Tail members before turning back to the Law Dragon.
"Before I met them, I never regretted anything I had done. I also never intended to apologize for the past."
'She's really opening with that...' Erza frowned as she listened.
Selene began explaining why she had acted the way she did.
"Until now, I distorted countless worlds in search of a weapon capable of defeating the Five Dragon Gods. Ironically, the power I sought only existed in this world."
Elefseria shook his head.
"If you mean that weapon, I do not know where it is either."
The weapon was called Athena.
It was said to be humanity's strongest weapon, capable of killing the Five Dragon Gods, and had been created by Elefseria's late disciple.
The problem was that after losing his heart, Elefseria no longer knew where Athena had gone.
Selene shook her head.
"No. I later abandoned the idea of searching for that weapon after meeting them. Though now that I think about it, if I ever have nothing better to do, I suppose I could still look for it."
Mercphobia spoke next.
"I was the same. After saving Karameel, at some point I began to believe that dragons and humans might truly be able to live together in peace."
Karameel slammed both hands against the table and shot to her feet, visibly agitated.
"That's right! Ever since I met Lord Water Dragon, he has never harmed a human! If anything, he is constantly helping them!"
Everything Karameel said was true, and she delivered it with complete conviction at full volume.
Raizel lowered one hand, signaling for her to sit back down.
"Men and women, dragons and humans—differences may exist, but all of us are still capable of sitting here and speaking to one another properly."
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