Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Mermaid Heel HQ.
August 29, x791.
"You've arrived." Retsu said while packing a kimono into a box. "Tsunade, have you made a decision about the future of the guild yet?"
Led by Kagura into the master bedroom of Retsu's residence in the Mermaid Heel HQ, those were the first words Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura heard when they stepped inside. However, instead of registering Retsu's words immediately, Tsunade found herself in a state of disbelief when she saw the state of the room.
Naturally, this was not the first time Tsunade had been invited into Retsu's personal living space. Whether to learn more about healing that [Medical Ninjutsu] could not achieve or to just chat about life, Tsunade was used to seeing the room filled with meticulously groomed bonsai trees, elegant pieces of calligraphy, and swords of all kinds hanging on the walls. But now, the room was bare, with all of Retsu's personal effects packed into boxes. And that sight made her feel as if something was wrong.
'I've been with Mermaid Heel for decades.' Tsunade thought to herself. 'And even before I joined, Master Retsu was already the guild master. So, knowing that she is about to leave... possibly for good... just feels... wrong. Honestly, I couldn't imagine what this guild would be like without her. And for the first time, I'm starting to feel uneasy about this.'
"Tsunade?" Retsu asked, her tone even more gentle than usual when she saw the expression on Tsunade's face.
"Ah... Sorry, Master Retsu." Tsunade said, her tone mixed with sheepishness and unwillingness. "Yes, I've decided what to do. But..."
"But?" Retsu asked while already knowing what Tsunade's next words would be.
"*Sigh* Do you really have to leave?" Tsunade asked, a hint of pleading in her tone. "Although I know you've given more than enough to Mermaid Heel over the years, we still need your guidance."
Hearing the vulnerability in Tsunade's tone, Sakura was deeply surprised. She had only known her teacher for the last three years. And during that time, she had only seen the confident woman all the shinobi in the Village Hidden in the Leaves knew as the Fifth Hokage. So, to even hear a hint of pleading in her tone was more than just a little surreal to the young kunoichi.
As for Shizune, she could only sigh at Tsunade's question. She had been a member of Mermaid Heel for just as long as Tsunade. And just like Tsunade, she had come to see Retsu as a staple of the guild. She'd also learned a lot about healing from Retsu, seeing the acting guild master as a mentor as well. So, she knew exactly how Tsunade was feeling.
Meanwhile, Retsu could only smile gently at her longtime friend. She then, instead of answering immediately, finished packing the kimono she was folding before standing up to face Tsunade.
"It's been a long time since I joined Mermaid Heel." Retsu said softly as she stepped towards Tsunade. "Before joining the guild, I left the Soul Continent on a journey. A journey to find an opponent who could push me to my limits. To force me to use all my skill and ability in a fight to the death."
While Kagura, Tsunade, and Shizune had already heard this story, Sakura found the beginning of Retsu's story unbelievable. Although she had been in many life and death situations since becoming a shinobi, looking for such situations was something she would never do. Even so, she remained silent while Retsu continued to speak.
"And for years, I challenged every strong wizard I could find, looking for the thrill of battle." Retsu continued as she reached Tsunade. She then raised her right hand and placed her palm on Tsunade's cheek gently. "I've fought with most of those who had gained the title of Wizard Saint over the past fifty years. And I defeated them all. Even so, none of them gave me the feeling that I was looking for. So, to enjoy the thrill of battle, I even stopped using my [Bankai] in fights. On top of that, I improved my [Healing Magic] to make fights last longer. Still, no one was able to give me the fight I wanted. Though, there was that one young man. The one who left the scar on my chest when he pierced me through with his sword."
As she spoke the last two sentences, Retsu used her free hand to rub the braid that fell over her chest and hid the scar she mentioned.
"But in the end, that young man disappointed me, as well." Retsu said while shaking her head as she let both of her hands fall to her side. "After wounding me, he began limiting his own power subconsciously. And though I had every intention of helping him reach his full potential once again in the future, I found another young man who could push me to my limit. And as someone with something to protect, I also knew he would never limit his power. Especially if he found someone to be a threat to what he wanted to protect."
Retsu then wore an expression filled with anticipation for the future and uncontrolled bloodlust.
"On top of that, this young man was strong enough to defeat me while I fought at my full power without killing me." Retsu continued after her expression returned to normal. "Although that was not the kind of fight I was looking for initially, seeing someone fight so fiercely for a reason other than just wanting to be the strongest or test himself, I found my reason for fighting begin to change, as well."
As she spoke, Retsu's expression continued to change between gentle and serene, and battle hungry and bloodthirsty, making the three kunoichi almost feel sorry for the young man Retsu mentioned. As for Kagura, she only observed Retsu with her usual impassive expression on her face.
"*Cough* Anyway... I guess you've answered my question." Tsunade said after exchanging uneasy glances with Shizune and Sakura. "So, I guess it's my turn to answer yours. I've decided what I'm going to do with Mermaid Heel."
Tsunade's words made Retsu focus on the here and now once again. And she was not the only one, as Kagura, Shizune, and Sakura turned to look at her with focused expression, as well.
Meanwhile, Tsunade took a deep breath to organize her thoughts before speaking.
"I won't be stepping down as guild master." Tsunade said while looking Retsu directly in the eyes. "Unfortunately, none of the S-Class wizards in the guild are ready to take on the responsibility of being guild master… yet… The closest one is Yoruichi... But... You know how she is."
Hearing that, Retsu nodded her head.
"So, instead, I'll choose an acting guild master to let her get experience in the position." Tsunade continued. "And with the invention of the lPhone, she'll be able to contact me if there's anything she doesn't understand."
Once again, Retsu nodded her head.
"I'll also have Sakura join the guild to act as the acting guild master's assistant." Tsunade said.
"Wait! Is that why you had me come with you?" Sakura exclaimed in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? And what about Sasuke? I already waited three years for him to come back to the village. And now, you're telling me I have to be separated from him again? And it doesn't even sound like you know for how long!"
Ignoring Sakura's outburst, Tsunade continued without looking away from Retsu.
"In the meantime, I'll be training the Sixth Hokage." Tsunade said solemnly. "I think Kakashi will be an excellent choice. Especially after hearing about Fairy Tail's medical expert's, Porlyusica's, research on the Sharingan. Then, once Kakashi has been named Hokage, I will return to Mermaid Heel and fulfill my responsibilities as guild master until the one I've chosen is ready to replace me."
Everyone other than Sakura, who Tsunade was actively ignoring, remained silent for a few moments after hearing Tsunade's plan as they internalized what they heard. Then, after a few moments of silence, Retsu looked at Tsunade with a knowing smile on her face.
"And who is this girl you've chosen to act as the guild master in your absence?" Retsu asked.
Tsunade did not respond immediately. Instead, she ran her eyes over everyone in the room. And when they landed on Kagura, she lingered for much longer than they did on the others. And when Retsu, Shizune, and Sakura saw that, they all knew the answer to Retsu's question.
As for Kagura, her expression did not change. Not that it did very often. Instead, she only nodded her head in understanding.
Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Tenrou Island.
Having spent almost two weeks healing from the injuries sustained during his encounter with the wizards of Fairy Tail, Acnologia was flying over the territorial waters of Fiore. However, the Dragon King of the Apocalypse was not flying randomly. Instead, he was looking for a specific island. One that he had not visited for seven years. And if his memory served him correctly, one that should no longer exist.
'I will kill those wizards.' Acnologia thought to himself as his powerful wings carried him through the skies. 'Because of that strange metal that was injected into my body, it took nearly three times longer than it should have for my injuries to heal.'
Just as Alfonzo mentioned, the shell he fired at Acnologia with is [Linear Cannon] was partially hollowed out. And that hollowed out section was filled with Techno Organic Metal that seeped into the injuries caused by the shards of adamantite that shredded Acnologia's shoulder. And thanks to the additional injuries he sustained when his [Giga Flare] was reflected back on him, the Techno Organic Metal spread even faster than it would have.
As a result, while healing the injuries he sustained was made easier thanks to the properties of the Techno Organic Metal, Acnologia spent a lot of time understanding and removing the living metal from his body. On top of that, he had to limit its spread so that it did not begin hardening his vital organs. Because despite the power he wielded, if his heart hardened to the point it stopped, not even Acnologia would last very long.
While roaring internally about the humiliation he suffered, the Dragon Slayers who he was unable to kill, and plotting murder and destruction on a possibly massive scale, Acnologia eventually reached the sea region where he remembered encountering the Dragon Slayers who had somewhat familiar scents. However, when he arrived, there were no islands in the location he remembered.
*Roar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!*
Unleashing a world-shaking roar when he found what he expected to see, Acnologia still found it hard to believe that the scents of the wizards and Dragon Slayers he encountered recently could have been so similar to the ones he remembered from seven years ago.
*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*
*Splash!* *Splash!* *Splash!* *Splash!* *Splash!*
So, just to make sure there were no tricks at play, Acnologia released several [Giga Flares] all over the sea region.
Yet, despite the devastation Acnologia brought down on that region of the sea, no debris from a destroyed island could be seen flying up with the gigantic spouts of water. And although he was unsatisfied with what he saw, Acnologia eventually stopped his onslaught.
"Hmph! Something still feels wrong about this." Acnologia said after a disdainful snort. "Still, if there was anything here, there's no way it would have survived that."
With that said, Acnologia took one last look at the sea region. Then, he turned around and headed back to the mainland.
Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.
Meanwhile, the residents of the Mansion on the Lake, including Alfonzo, all of his wives and lovers, his children, and the maids, along with Irene, Heine, and Juliet, were gathered in the underground training room.
While the women, Bianca, and Calvin were standing around the edges of the room, Alfonzo and Amar'e were sitting in the center of the training room, with Alfonzo sitting behind Amar'e, his hand resting gently against his first son's back.
"Alright, Amar'e, just relax." Alfonzo said in a soothing tone. "I'm sure there won't be any problems."
"Let's do it, Dad!" Amar'e shouted back energetically. "I wanna use magic, too. Then, I'll beat up all the bad guys like you and Mommy."
Hearing his son's enthusiasm, Alfonzo could not help but smile as he realized that his concern was completely unnecessary. Then, he glanced in Elicia's direction. And when he saw the smile on her face, his smile widened.
At the same time, Alfonzo could not help but notice Mirajane and Shizuka, who were standing on either side of Elicia. Nor could he overlook Bianca's and Calvin's expressions, who were being held in their mother's arms.
"Not fair." Bianca said quietly with an almost criminal pout on her face. "Why is Amar'e the only one who gets to do it."
"Just wait for your next birthday, Sweetie." Mirajane said in a soothing tone. "Daddy will do it for you when you're four, too."
"Hmph!" Bianca only snorted in reply. Though, the smile on her face could not be hidden despite how hard she tried not to.
As for Calvin, he was just happy for his brother. Today would be the day Alfonzo awakened his magic power, after all.
Seeing the expressions on his children's faces, Alfonzo felt his pride well up. These three children brought him more pride and happiness than any of his own accomplishments, whether they were from this life or the last one. He then turned his attention back to Amar'e and started to circulate his still recovering magic power in preparation to awaken Amar'e's.
'Although the chances of Amar'e awakening an innate magic drops drastically if it doesn't awaken naturally, I'd much rather do it this way.' Alfonzo thought to himself as his expression turned serious. 'Natural magic power awakenings usually come with traumatic experiences, like the ones most of us had before we awakened our magic. And if I can help it, my children will never have to go through something like that.'
["Damn right."] Bedlam chimed in from Alfonzo's inner world. ["There have been enough experiences like that in this house for a lifetime."]
["Fucking right!"] Riot shouted belligerently. ["And I wish another fucker would put any of those kids in that kinda situation. They'll never live to regret it!"]
Nodding internally at his [Armament Spirits'] words, Alfonzo focused on the task at hand once again.
*Beep!* *Beep!* *Beep!*
However, before he could start the process of awakening Amar'e's magic power, Alfonzo's lPhone began beeping in a specific pattern. And when he heard that series of beeps, Alfonzo's expression turned grave.
"Gimme just a minute, Amar'e." Alfonzo said as he took his hand off Amar'e's back and reached into his pocket. "Something just came up."
Though he pouted at being made to wait, Amar'e did not interrupt his father's matter.
As for Alfonzo, he unlocked his lPhone and checked the notification he just received. And when he did, a live video of Acnologia flying in the sky appeared on the screen. He then watched as Acnologia repeatedly fired [Giga Flares] into the surroundings that caused massive spouts of water to shoot into the air. On top of that, large amounts of water rushed past the image, undoubtedly flooding the area where the monitoring device was set up.
A few minutes later, the destruction came to an end and Alfonzo watched as Acnologia flew away. And when he saw that, Alfonzo's lips curled into a smile. However, this smile was not like his usual smile. Instead, it was filled with the desire to kill.
"Don't worry, we will meet again, Acnologia." Alfonzo said so quietly that only he would be able to hear. "And when we do, I'm GOING TO kill you. You've put the people I care about in danger two too many times. And there won't be a third."