Chapter 7
"I win."
I lowered my sword with a triumphant smirk.
For several seconds, nobody said anything.
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
The reactions came almost simultaneously.
I looked around at the four stunned faces staring at me.
Juliet had her hand frozen near her neck where my sword had stopped.
Heine's usually calm expression had completely disappeared.
Irene was staring at me with an expression somewhere between surprise and amusement.
And Erza…
Erza's mouth was hanging open.
I couldn't help myself.
"You guys should close your mouths, or else a fly's gonna get in."
I paused for dramatic effect.
"Hahahaha!"
Juliet immediately puffed out her cheeks.
"Young master! That's mean!"
"Heh."
I couldn't stop smiling.
After years of training, I had finally managed to defeat one of my regular sparring partners without relying on my Light Magic.
That was a huge achievement for me.
Irene was the first to recover her composure.
"Ahem."
She cleared her throat and folded her arms.
"That was quite a match."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she examined me.
"Your swordsmanship has improved tremendously. But how exactly did you do that?"
I smiled.
"I've been working on something."
"Something?"
I nodded.
"It's related to the magical perception I've been developing."
Irene's expression became more curious.
"Your perception?"
"Yes."
I put my sword away and walked towards them.
"Remember how I told you that I can sense the flow of ethernano around me?"
"Of course."
"Over the past few months, I've been trying to refine that ability."
I pointed towards Juliet.
"When she attacks, her body and magic create tiny changes in the surrounding magical energy."
Juliet blinked.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Even I don't notice that."
"Exactly."
I smiled.
"Most people wouldn't."
I had spent countless hours experimenting with it.
At first, I could only sense broad changes.
If someone began gathering a large amount of magic, I could tell.
If someone released a powerful spell, I could feel it coming.
But gradually, my perception had become more refined.
I could now notice smaller changes.
The movement of magical energy through someone's body.
The subtle fluctuations caused by an incoming spell.
Even the slight changes in magical pressure that occurred when someone shifted their weight before attacking.
I wasn't actually seeing the future.
I was simply processing information faster than I had ever been capable of before.
The result could look almost like future sight.
Irene looked thoughtful.
"So you're predicting their movements based on the changes you perceive."
"Exactly."
"Interesting."
She smiled.
"Very interesting."
Erza suddenly ran towards me.
"Big brother!"
I crouched down.
"What is it?"
"Can you teach me?"
Her eyes were sparkling.
I laughed.
"Maybe when you grow up."
"What?!"
She immediately pouted.
"Why?"
"Because you still have a lot of growing to do."
"I can learn!"
"I'm sure you can."
I reached over and ruffled her scarlet hair.
"But you're still too young."
She puffed out her cheeks even further.
"That's not fair."
I laughed.
She had grown into an incredibly cute little girl.
At five years old, she already had a personality completely different from the Erza I remembered from the anime.
She was energetic, cheerful, affectionate, and constantly looking for something to do.
Growing up in a loving home had clearly changed her.
And honestly…
I preferred this version.
The Erza from the original story had experienced things no child should ever have to endure.
If I could prevent even a fraction of that suffering, then everything I had done would be worth it.
"Come on."
I stood up.
"Why don't we talk about it on the way home?"
Everyone agreed, and we began walking back towards town.
As we walked, Irene asked me question after question about my new ability.
"So you don't actually know what your opponent is going to do?"
"No."
"Then what happens if they deliberately change their attack at the last moment?"
"Then I have to react."
"And if they're too fast for you to react?"
"Then I'll get hit."
Irene laughed.
"At least you're honest."
"I'd rather be honest than arrogant."
"Good answer."
Heine also joined the conversation.
"Does your perception work against magic?"
"Yes, to an extent."
"Can you sense attacks from outside your field of vision?"
"Sometimes."
"Then you should practice that."
I looked at her.
"That's a good idea."
Juliet suddenly raised her hand.
"Can you sense when someone is about to tickle you?"
I stared at her.
"…What?"
She grinned.
"I'm asking important questions."
I sighed.
"You're impossible."
She laughed.
The walk home was surprisingly enjoyable.
By the time we reached the bakery, I had answered almost every question they had.
After dinner, I went upstairs to take a shower.
Training with Juliet had left me drenched in sweat.
Once I finished, I stood in front of the mirror and examined my reflection.
I had changed considerably over the past few years.
My skin was soft and milky white.
My jawline had become more angular, although there was still some baby fat around my cheeks.
My hair had grown considerably longer as well.
I had decided to let it grow, and it now reached my shoulders.
The most noticeable difference, however, was my physique.
Years of rigorous training had given me clearly defined muscles.
Of course, I was still only seven years old.
I wasn't some gigantic bodybuilder.
But compared to an ordinary child my age, the difference was obvious.
I looked closer to ten than seven.
I smiled at my reflection.
'Not bad.'
If my growth continued like this, I was going to be quite the handsome guy when I grew up.
'Definitely going to be a lady killer.'
"Young master?"
I heard a knock on the door.
"Yes?"
"Dinner is ready. Please come as soon as you finish changing."
It was Nina.
"Okay."
I quickly changed and went downstairs.
Our family dinner was as lively as always.
Nina and Yuna argued over some insignificant matter.
Juliet joined in despite not knowing what they were arguing about.
Heine tried to maintain order.
Erza talked about something she had seen during the day.
And Irene simply watched everyone with an amused smile.
Sometimes, I wondered how this had become my life.
A former dragon.
A reincarnated human.
Two enchanted girls.
Two magical creations.
And a five-year-old future Titania.
It was definitely not a normal household.
But I loved it.
(A few hours later)
It was now close to midnight.
Everyone else had gone to sleep, but I was standing outside Irene's room.
I knocked.
"Come in."
I opened the door.
Irene was sitting on her bed.
She looked at me curiously.
"What is it, El?"
I walked inside and sat down.
"Well…"
I suddenly felt nervous.
I had been thinking about this for quite some time.
"What is it?"
I took a breath.
"I wanted to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"What do you think about me joining a guild?"
I fidgeted with my fingers.
Irene looked surprised.
"A guild?"
"Yes."
"Why the sudden interest?"
"It's not really sudden."
I explained.
"I've heard merchants and travellers talking about guilds whenever they visit the town."
"They always talk about how fun they are."
I smiled.
"And I think it would be a good place for me to grow stronger."
Irene remained quiet.
I continued.
"There aren't many mages around here."
"Training with you and the others has helped me a lot, but I want actual experience."
"Experience with different types of magic. Different opponents. Different situations."
I looked at her.
"I don't want to stay in one place forever."
Irene smiled.
"That's understandable."
She thought for a moment.
"So, have you already decided which guild you want to join?"
I grinned.
"If this is going to be a proper reincarnation story…"
I paused.
"There is only one choice."
Irene raised an eyebrow.
"Fairy Tail."
I answered with a huge grin.
She stared at me for a moment.
Then she laughed.
"I should have known."
"You know about them?"
"Of course."
She smiled.
"I've heard quite a bit about Fairy Tail."
"What do you think?"
"They're a good guild."
She paused.
"They value their members like family."
My smile widened.
"Exactly."
Irene looked thoughtful.
"I've been considering joining a guild myself."
My eyes widened.
"Really?"
She nodded.
"I've spent enough time living quietly."
She looked towards the window.
"I think it might be good for all of us to experience something new."
I couldn't help myself.
"YES!"
Irene laughed.
"But we're not making any decisions tonight."
"Fine."
We continued talking for a while.
We discussed Magnolia, Fairy Tail, travelling, and what joining a guild would mean for our family.
By the time I returned to my room, I was practically bouncing with excitement.
The next morning, we discussed the idea with everyone else.
Nina and Yuna had no objections.
Juliet was immediately excited.
"New town! New people!"
Heine simply nodded.
"It should provide better training opportunities."
Erza was perhaps the most excited of all.
"I can make new friends?"
"Yes."
"And learn magic?"
"Probably."
"I want to go!"
I laughed.
It didn't take long for everyone to agree.
We decided that we would leave for Magnolia in one month.
There was a simple reason for the delay.
I had specifically requested it.
I had finally awakened a new level of magical perception.
And now…
I wanted to use that understanding to develop the next stage of my Light Magic.
I looked down at my hands.
Light flickered faintly between my fingers.
I had only scratched the surface of what my magic could do.
I had already learned to transform my body into light.
But I still couldn't use it properly at high speeds.
My control wasn't good enough.
My perception wasn't refined enough.
And my body still needed to become stronger.
If I wanted to turn my elemental transformation into a truly powerful combat ability, I needed to combine all three.
Magic.
Perception.
And physical ability.
I smiled.
'One month.'
'That's all I need.'
'After that…'
I looked towards the distant horizon.
'It's time to see what Fairy Tail is really like.'