As evening descended, the sun slowly sank in the west, painting the sky a soft orange-red. The fading light blurred the outlines of the world, and the air grew gentler with each passing minute.
Ken and Erza had already walked out of Hakobe Mountain.
Looking at the darkening sky, they agreed it would be best to continue their journey tomorrow.
A bonfire crackled in the quiet night. Two fish were skewered on wooden sticks, slowly roasting over the flames, filling the air with a savory aroma.
Ken eagerly awaited dinner, but the peculiar stares from his teammates made him feel uneasy.
"Ahem..." Ken cleared his throat tactically, grabbing one of the half-cooked fish and taking a bite.
The taste was fishy, but instead of spitting it out, Ken chewed faster, desperate to finish it.
He noticed Erza still staring at him, her gaze unwavering.
Unable to hold it any longer, Ken spoke up.
"Sis, you've been staring at me for a while. Is there something on my face?"
"No. I'm just curious about how much strength you're hiding," Erza replied coolly.
Ken shrugged, trying to appear casual. "Haven't you seen it already? Fire Dragon Slayer, Storm Dragon Slayer, and, by the way, they can fly."
"And?"
Erza didn't look away, her eyes narrowing as though she knew there was more to him.
Ken shifted uncomfortably but eventually continued.
"Also... Iron Dragon Slayer magic..."
"What else?"
"Earth ..." he said, trailing off awkwardly.
"What else?"
"Water, wood, Thunder, Rock... I think that's it." Ken spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.
He half-expected Erza to question him, but instead, she laughed.
"Eight dragon-slaying powers? I think I really underestimated you. An A-level mission like this is probably child's play for you."
Ken shrugged nonchalantly.
"I remember you mentioning a guy named Gajeel, an Iron Dragon Slayer. Is he in the guild?"
Erza nodded. "Gajeel... He's relatively new, and came from the Phantom Lord guild. After we defeated Phantom Lord, he used his dragon-slaying power to destroy their guild. What you see now is the rebuilt Fairy Tail."
She paused for a moment, then added, "But the master decided to forgive him, since he's now one of us. Gajeel's been trying to fit in ever since."
Ken nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting..."
As he recalled Makarov bringing him back to the guild that morning, he remembered a figure on the second floor — a young man in a black coat who had been silently watching the crowd.
"That must have been Laxus, right? The guild president's grandson... He's still here, isn't he?"
Erza raised an eyebrow. "Laxus... he's still around, but he's always pushing for strength. It won't be long before he challenges the guild's current leadership. If I had to guess, the civil war will happen soon."
Ken's eyes widened. "So this is just before the civil war, huh..."
His thoughts raced as the timeline clicked into place. His pulse quickened, realizing what was about to unfold.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Erza's concerned voice brought him back to reality.
Ken quickly regained his composure, offering her a reassuring smile. "No, I'm fine. Just a bit tired. Let's get some rest. I'll keep watch."
Erza nodded. "Alright. But if you need me to take over, just call. You've used quite a bit of magic today."
Ken chuckled. "Don't forget, I'm a Dragon Slayer. My magic consumption is nothing compared to that Devouring Storm."
The moon hung high above, casting soft light on the sycamore trees. The silence was broken only by the crackle of the fire.
Erza, now asleep beside him, breathed steadily. Ken stood up, gently draping his coat over her.
"As long as I'm here, you won't suffer any more pain," he thought to himself, his mind drifting toward the past. "Next up... the Tower of Paradise incident."
The next morning, inside the Fairy Tail guild...
"Master, have Erza and Ken returned yet?"
"Not yet. They're probably deep in the mountains. It'll take them some time," Makarov replied, his eyes twinkling with a hint of concern. "But why the rush?"
"I bet 2000J to Cana that he will come back today!" Makao said eagerly.
Makarov smirked. "Old man, setting an example, are we? By the way, where's Cana? I need to place a 20,000J bet!"
A loud voice suddenly cut through the conversation. "We're back!!"
The door swung open, and all eyes turned toward the two figures entering the room.
"Clang!" Erza punched Ken lightly on the head.
"Does the door open with your feet?" she scolded.
Ken winced. "Erza... I won't do it again."
The guild members gathered around, eager to hear about their latest mission.
"How was it? Is everything okay?"
"Did you defeat the King of Vulcan? I heard that thing is tough."
Erza smiled. "Of course. With Ken here, there was never any danger."
Ken, trying to shrug off the attention, answered, "It went well. The client was a blacksmith in Harugion Port. The payment was 400,000J, but he used the leftover materials to help Erza improve her armor. So it worked out better than expected."
"That sounds amazing. This was an A-level mission, right?" someone commented.
Erza nodded. "Exactly. Ken handled everything, including the battle against the King of Vulcan."
Guild members gasped in surprise.
"You mean Ken did it all by himself?" one asked, eyes wide.
"Yes, that's right," Erza replied with a grin. "Ken's strength is on par with S-class mages."
Everyone stared at Ken in awe. It was hard to imagine that the seemingly laid-back guy could possess such power.
Ken, unfazed by their gazes, shrugged casually. "Eh, just luck... Mira, how about that cappuccino?"