Now that Selene has found an answer to the Five Dragons issue she was consumed by, her demeanor has softened substantially to the point where her obsession over the end sought has given way to relief. A release of distress at the uncertainty and implausibility of achieving what she wished. Desperation paved the path toward her questionable actions and encouraged her methodology of how she balanced anxiety and alleviation. Entertainment became Selene’s medicine when remedying the madness deduced from the magnitude of her mission. There was no room left for compassion, only an equal level of madness to propel herself forward toward the darkened path before her. With Selene’s eyes now focused on the answer to her concerns, she appears to see more clearly than ever before. And within this newfound realization, Selene also appears to be reflecting on the equivocal nature of her past actions.
It is very fitting for Gray to be the character that observes the uneasiness within Selene and reaches a hand of support out. He is a character that grew accustomed to bottling his emotions up and silently enduring his pain alone. This characteristic within Gray led to him wanting to sacrifice himself early on in the series when using Iced Shell against Deliora. Gray’s weakness and inability to save Ur led him toward a state of mind where he wanted to punish himself. He felt he had to take responsibility for Ur’s death by dying himself in order to seal Deliora. It was thanks to Gray’s friends that he found himself out from that darkness and in a place where he was able to clearly see what it means to live. Natsu, Erza, Lyon, Ur, Ultear, Silver and especially Juvia all served to open Gray’s heart up. Gray has become a wizard that wields Silver’s form, utilizes his Master (Ur) and Ultear’s magic (Ice-make) and wears a heart that has been filled with love by his friends and Juvia. More than anyone, Gray understands what it means to silently endure and how liberated one can feel when that weight of responsibility is lifted and others accepted in. When Selene mentions wanting to live a quiet life alone as a “human” while viewing the moon with a drink in hand, Gray intentionally led the focus of that conversation toward the time where Selene was drinking in group but he reminds her that it would be more preferred if she chooses to drink with no one bound and naked. Gray words served to convey a certain level of camaraderie and expressed without directly expressing it that Selene is not alone.
Suzaku taking the opportunity while Dogramag is consumed by overconfidence to question him was quite smart. Even going so far as inquiring about the purpose of the Labyrinth, that is not something Natsu would have done. Thanks to Suzaku we now know that the Labyrinth was Ignia’s idea and not entirely related to Dogramag regenerating his body over the past 100 years. The Labyrinth was an separate process in place. I had initially thought that the Labyrinth was meant to serve as a construct to attract adventurers, scholars and wizards to journey within its walls and inevitably get stuck and drained of their power but if the Labyrinth wasn’t designed to provide Dogramag with the energy to regenerate could it be a battery for whatever Ignia has planned? Adventurers, scholars and wizards have gotten stuck within the Labyrinth which led to entrance being sealed but what happened to all those that got lost within? If their power was absorbed, where did it go? A shame Dogramag didn’t answer Suzaku’s followup question but as an antagonist, I’m glad Dogramag is aware of the information he shares with his enemies.
I am pretty sure the mystery character at the end of the chapter which Gray encountered is a Treasure Hunter. Treasure Hunter Guilds were introduced in Fairy Tail but never really expanded on properly during the story. We know they exist and that one of the guilds is Sylph Labyrinth, the strongest Treasure Hunting Guild in Fiore. But beyond some focus on the members during the Sun Village Arc and their desire to claim rare treasures, not much else about their functionality, structure, economics and strength are known. The Treasure Hunting Guilds did receive some focus in Fairy Tail Zero with Yuri, Warrod and Precht, three of the four (five) founders of Fairy Tail belonging to a Treasure Hunting Guild before encountering Mavis (and Zera). We later find out that the guild was Sylph Labyrinth. I wonder if this mystery character belongs to Sylph Labyrinth. A Sylph Labyrinth within an actual labyrinth would be fitting. Although the tattoo on this characters face seems to spell the letters “ES”.
This mystery character has no idea what is going on but the proceeding encounter he will have with Gray should be good. The expression this character is wearing when questions about a wizard’s presence in the Labyrinth makes me suspect that he doesn’t really like wizards that much. Based on past presentations, if this character is a Treasure Hunter and is part of a guild, it is very likely that he is a team of three which means his allies could also be somewhere else lost within the Labyrinth (they likely got separated when the Labyrinth shifted structure).
Will Treasure Hunting Guilds become relevant the closer Lucy gets to finding Aquarius’s Gold Key? The Treasure Hunting Guilds consider the Gold Celestial Spirit Keys as rare treasures, so with Aquarius’s key currently unclaimed, it is expected that they would be some focus by those guilds to search for the Gold Key. While Lucy is preoccupied with the Dogra Labyrinth, I wonder if Brandish is engaging against Treasure Hunting Guilds in an effort to prevent them from locating and seizing Aquarius’s Gold Key. Very much looking forward to the next chapter and future story of 100 Years Quest.
Enjoyment level: 9/10
12Dimension 