Fairy Tail: Lost One-Chapter 23: The Smirk That Knows

Rudra and Alea walked through the dimly lit corridors of the Widow Crypt dungeon, the distant drip of water and the quiet rustle of unseen creatures filling the silence. They finally reached a worn-out staircase leading upward, its stone steps cracked with age.

As they climbed, Rudra caught Alea sneaking glances at him. He sighed internally but didn't acknowledge it, keeping his hands lazily tucked into his coat pockets.

Halfway up, the sharp echo of rapid footsteps drifted down from above. Alea's body tensed immediately, and with a flicker of energy, her Rose Sword manifested in her grip, its petals unfurling like a living bloom.

"Someone's coming," she said, her voice taut with caution.

Rudra barely reacted, rolling his shoulders like he was shaking off a mild annoyance. "Yeah, no shit," he muttered, sounding more bored than alarmed. He had sensed the presence long before she did, so it wasn't exactly breaking news. What did bother him, though, was that this person wasn't supposed to be arriving through the entrance.

Alea caught the slight crease in his brow. "Something wrong?"

Rudra yawned slightly, waving her off. "Just thinking how weird it is."

Before she could press further, the approaching figure came into view—a young man with short auburn-brown hair and striking azure eyes, a small white fox trotting beside him. His steps were quick, urgent.

Alea's grip on her sword loosened as recognition flashed across her face. "Arthur? What are you doing here?"

Arthur didn't answer right away. Instead, he strode up to her and, to her utter surprise, pulled her into a hug.

Alea stiffened, caught completely off guard. "What the—?"

Arthur exhaled, his relief palpable. "Alea... you're fine."

She pulled back slightly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What do you mean, 'fine'?"

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Arthur hesitated before shaking his head. "It's nothing. Just checking."

"Checking?" Alea folded her arms. "That still doesn't explain why you're here."

Arthur scratched the back of his head, offering a half-hearted excuse. "Uh, I just wanted to check out the dungeon."

Behind them, Rudra barely paid attention, more focused on how cold the dungeon air was and how much he wanted to be anywhere else. As their conversation dragged on, he absently asked his system, "Hey, is it—"

[Yes, host. Arthur Leywin is a regressor.]

Rudra sighed. "Yeah, thought so."

Arthur's gaze flicked to him for the first time, his brows furrowing slightly. Something about this guy felt... wrong. He hadn't sensed his presence at all until just now. That shouldn't be possible.

"You saved her?" Arthur asked, scanning Rudra carefully.

Rudra gave a lazy wave. "Eh, don't mention it." His tone was indifferent, as if it had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

Alea, noticing the sudden tension, looked between them. "Arthur, he really did save me," she said, her voice softer, filled with quiet gratitude.

Arthur didn't respond right away, his mind racing. Something about this felt... off. A nagging thought crept in—one that didn't match his past experiences.

I don't remember Alea ever being saved by anyone before.

Arthur's mind raced. He had lived through these moments before—experienced them, suffered through them. And yet, this was new. A ripple in the currents of fate, an anomaly in a timeline he thought he understood.

His sharp azure eyes flickered toward Rudra again, scanning him more thoroughly this time. The guy looked ordinary enough—tall with an effortless, almost lazy posture, hands still tucked into his coat pockets. But something felt... off. Arthur prided himself on his awareness, his instincts honed through experience, yet he hadn't even noticed Rudra's presence until now. That shouldn't have been possible.

Rudra, for his part, merely raised an eyebrow at Arthur's scrutiny. Then, with a smirk, he drawled, "You keep staring at me like that, and I might start thinking you're into me."

Arthur blinked, momentarily thrown off. "...What?"

Rudra sighed dramatically, stretching his arms over his head. "Look, I'm flattered and all, but if you're gonna make a move, at least buy me dinner first."

Arthur opened his mouth, closed it, then exhaled sharply. "You're... different." His gaze narrowed. "Who are you?"

Alea groaned, rubbing her temple. "Rudra, can you not?"

"What? I'm just saying—manners, you know?" Rudra shrugged, his smirk widening.

Arthur didn't respond to the banter. His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong. Very wrong.

Then, without warning, Rudra stepped forward—too close for comfort.

Arthur tensed, his body coiled like a spring, ready for anything. But Rudra didn't attack. Instead, he leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a whisper only Arthur could hear.

"So, how's life treating you, regressor?"

Arthur's blood ran cold.

Mana surged through his body instinctively before he forced it back down. His eyes snapped to Rudra's, searching—no, demanding—answers.

No one should know. No one could know.

Yet Rudra simply smirked, shoving his hands back into his pockets like he hadn't just shattered Arthur's reality in a single sentence.

Arthur took a slow, steady breath. "How do you—" He stopped himself. No, asking outright would give too much away. Instead, he studied Rudra's face, looking for a tell. A smirk, a gleam of amusement, anything.

Nothing.

Alea frowned at their exchange. "Arthur?"

He blinked, forcing himself to ease his stance. "It's nothing."

But it wasn't.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

And as Rudra turned away, already looking disinterested, Arthur clenched his fists.

Somehow, he had a feeling Rudra knew exactly why.

The trio emerged from the Widow Crypt dungeon into the crisp evening air. The sun had nearly set, casting long shadows across the worn cobblestone path leading toward Xyris City in the distance. The cool breeze carried the faint scent of damp earth and moss, remnants of their time underground.

Arthur walked ahead slightly, lost in his thoughts. He still hadn't fully wrapped his head around Rudra's words. Regressor. The casual way he had whispered it, the knowing smirk—it all made Arthur uneasy.

Alea, however, was focused on something else. Her gaze lingered on Rudra's left hand, She had noticed it before—how he favored his right hand in combat.

"Hey, Rudra," she called, slowing her pace as they walked along the dirt road.

Rudra, who had been lazily looking up at the sky as if he had nothing better to do, turned his head toward her. "Hm?"

Alea hesitated for a moment before pointing at his left hand. "What's with that, anyway? You always keep it covered."

Arthur, drawn from his thoughts, glanced at Rudra as well. Now that she mentioned it, it was strange.

Rudra merely let out a small chuckle. "Curious, are we?"

Alea folded her arms. "Just answer the question."

Rudra exhaled, as if debating whether to bother with a reply. Then, in a low voice, he muttered, "I'm a demon."

Arthur stopped walking. Alea's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of uncertainty passing through her expression.

Before either could react, Rudra gave a lazy wave of his hand. "Ah, wait—correction. Half-demon."

Alea blinked, processing his words. "...And?"

"And?" Rudra repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's it."

"That's it?" Alea's brow furrowed. "You just drop that on us and expect us to move on like it's nothing?"

Rudra smirked. "Pretty much."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. He could tell Rudra wasn't lying—but he also wasn't telling the full truth. Still, something about the way he said it made it clear he had no intention of explaining further.

Alea sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You're impossible."

"I try," Rudra said, grinning.

They continued walking in relative silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts. By the time they reached the outer gates of Xyris City, the streets had begun to fill with the evening crowd. Merchants packed up their stalls while others opened for the night market. The glow of lanterns flickered along the cobbled roads, casting a warm hue over the stone buildings.

Alea stopped near the city entrance and turned to the two of them. "I need to report the dungeon incident."

Arthur nodded, concern flickering across his face. "Are you all right?"

Alea's expression darkened for a brief moment before she brushed it off. "I'm fine." She met Arthur's gaze. "I assume you're heading home?"

"Yeah." Arthur stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension. "My family's probably wondering where I am."

Alea then shifted her attention to Rudra, tilting her head. "And you?"

Rudra yawned, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. "Me? I think I'll wander around a bit. Get a feel for the city."

Alea studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable, before letting out a sigh. "Fine. Just don't cause trouble."

Rudra placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. "Who, me? I'm the very definition of an upstanding citizen."

Arthur snorted, shaking his head. "That's a bold-faced lie."

Alea rolled her eyes but smirked slightly. "Sure. See you around."

With that, she turned and disappeared into the city streets, her silhouette soon swallowed by the evening crowd.

Arthur lingered for a moment before glancing at Rudra. "We'll talk again."

Rudra smirked, his gaze sharp with amusement. "Looking forward to it."

Arthur didn't reply. He simply turned on his heel and made his way toward home, his mind still swirling with unanswered questions.

Rudra, now alone, let out a soft chuckle. "What an interesting turn of events."

With a final glance at the bustling city, he stepped into the crowd and disappeared into the night.