Bonus Chapters every 200 Power Stones
"Normal Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
[Year X791]
~ With Fairy Tail ~
The tavern's wooden tables groaned under the weight of celebration, mugs slamming down as Fairy Tail members toasted their first day victories. Smoke from the cooking fires mixed with laughter that bounced off the low ceiling, and someone had already started an arm-wrestling contest in the corner.
"All right! Looks like everyone's here!" Makarov hopped onto a table, his small form commanding attention despite the noise. The guild members turned toward their master, drinks still in hand, faces flushed with excitement and alcohol.
The old man's eyes swept across his children, his guild, and pride swelled in his chest. They'd been written off, dismissed as has-beens after seven years frozen in time. Even after a short resurgence thanks to their newest S-class mage, they were still being severely underestimated. But today they'd shown everyone that Fairy Tail's spirit couldn't be extinguished so easily.
"Listen up, you brats!" Makarov began, though his tone held more affection than scolding. "Today, we reminded all of Fiore why they used to fear and respect our name! Third and fourth place after one day, not bad for a guild everyone thought was finished!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd. Someone threw a mug in the air, and Elfman caught it before it could brain Jet.
"But we're not done yet," Makarov continued, his voice rising. "Gray! Juvia! Stand up!"
The two mages exchanged glances before rising from their seats. Gray's jaw tightened slightly, expecting criticism for their loss in the contest games.
"You two fought with everything you had," Makarov said, his tone softening. "Sometimes defeat teaches us more than victory ever could. Don't let today's loss weigh you down. Let it fuel your fire for tomorrow. That's what being part of Fairy Tail means. We fall, we get up, and we come back stronger!"
Relief washed across Gray's face while Juvia's eyes sparkled with tears. The guild erupted in supportive cheers, with Natsu slapping Gray on the back hard enough to nearly knock him over.
"Lucy!" Makarov called out next. "You showed that Raven Tail scum exactly what happens when they mess with our family. Well done!"
Lucy blushed at the praise, ducking her head as Levy hugged her from the side. Happy flew overhead, dropping flower petals he'd stolen from somewhere, probably a nearby shop, but no one would ever know.
How would they know?
"And finally," Makarov's grin widened, "Shisui! Where's our Elemental Teleporter? The man who brought down a Wizard Saint with a single attack!"
The cheering reached its peak, guild members looking around for their newest second Ace. But as seconds passed and no one stepped forward, the celebration quieted.
"Hey, where is Shisui?" Erza asked, her sharp eyes scanning the tavern.
Laxus pushed himself off the wall where he'd been leaning. "He had somewhere else to be."
"What do you mean somewhere else?" Macao asked. "We're celebrating!"
The Lightning Dragon Slayer shrugged. "Not my business to share. He'll be back when he's done."
Without waiting for more questions, Laxus headed for the door. "I'm heading out too. Need to rest for tomorrow."
Before anyone could protest, he was gone. The guild members looked at each other, uncertain, but Makarov raised his mug high.
"Their loss! More drinks for the rest of us! Tonight, we celebrate, because tomorrow we show them that Fairy Tail is back for good!"
The mood recovered quickly, voices rising again as stories of the day's events began flowing as freely as the ale. No one noticed the worried look that briefly crossed Makarov's face before he buried it in his drink.
~ With Shisui ~
The medical bay smelled of herbs and antiseptic, a sharp contrast to the tavern's warmth. Shisui stood beside a bed where Wendy slept peacefully, her breathing steady and even. Carla sat on the adjacent bed, her white fur slightly ruffled with heavy bags still present under her eyes.
"Your healing helped considerably." Porlyusica said from her position by the medicine cabinet. "The girl should be ready for combat within a day or two."
Shisui nodded, but his attention remained on Carla. "You mentioned visions. What exactly did you see?"
The Exceed's tail twitched nervously.
"It's never clear, just fragments. But this time..." She paused, gathering her thoughts.
"I saw an enormous magic circle, larger than anything I've ever witnessed."
"A magic circle?"
"That's not all," Carla continued. "There was destruction, terrible destruction. The palace, the surrounding area, all of it was being consumed. And Lucy... I saw Lucy crying, calling out to someone. I couldn't see who, but the pain in her voice..."
Porlyusica had stopped organizing her medicines, now listening intently.
"There's more," Carla said, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "I saw a giant warrior, surrounded by green light. It stood against Fairy Tail, though I don't know why. Then the vision ended there."
Shisui's blood ran cold. A giant warrior enveloped in green light. There was no mistaking that description.
'Susanoo…'
"These visions… How often are they accurate?" He asked carefully.
"They always show possible futures," Carla replied. "Sometimes they can be changed, sometimes they can't. But they've never been completely wrong."
The weight of that statement settled over the room like a heavy blanket. Shisui's mind worked through scenarios, each more troubling than the last. What could possibly happen during the Games that would put him at odds with Fairy Tail?
"We should tell the Master." Porlyusica said, breaking the silence.
"No." Shisui said quickly. Too quickly, perhaps, judging by the suspicious look the healer gave him. "Not yet. The guild needs to focus on the Games. If we tell them now, it'll only create confusion and doubt."
"And if the vision comes true?" Porlyusica challenged.
"Then I'll deal with it." The certainty in his voice surprised even him. "Whatever happens, whatever circumstances that lead to that moment, I won't let Fairy Tail be harmed. Not by anyone."
'Not even by me.' He silently told himself.
Carla studied him for a long moment before nodding slowly. "I believe you. But Shisui... be careful. The futures I see aren't set in stone, but they're pulled from the threads of possibility. If I saw it, then somewhere, somehow, that future exists as a potential outcome."
Shisui placed a gentle hand on Wendy's forehead, channelling a last bit of healing chakra into her. The young Dragon Slayer's face relaxed further into peaceful sleep.
"Thank you for telling me. For now, get some rest. Tomorrow's another day of the Games, and we'll need everyone at their best." He said to Carla.
As he left the medical bay, Shisui's expression hardened. A magic circle over the palace, unprecedented destruction, Lucy in tears, and his own Susanoo turned against Fairy Tail.
The pieces didn't fit together yet, but he had a feeling they would soon enough.
~ End of Chapter 110 ~
You can read advanced chapter on [email protected]/The_Editor982
A/N: So who's the big bad this arc? Rogue from the future? Or has Shisui's involvement made that future obsolete, and a new one takes it's place? Find out next time on Dragon Ba-