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Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: “Hello, Shoda…sama?”

The duel was over.And Gildarts—grizzled, fearless, reckless Gildarts—was flat on his back, arms splayed, chest rising and falling like bellows.

"…I'm never fighting that little monster again," he muttered, eyes toward the sky. "Give it a few years and he'll be the one babysitting me. I can't afford to provoke him. Nope. Not today."

The other mages looked down at him with a mixture of contempt and pity.

"So petty," someone whispered.

"A grown man holding grudges with a five-year-old?" another muttered.

And yet, not one of them disagreed with the sentiment.

Because Escanor… was terrifying.

He was still asleep, a soft grin on his face as if he'd just had the best nap of his life—completely unaware that everyone was already calling him the next S-Class.

Makarov sighed and clapped his hands together.

"Alright, enough gawking! Earth mages, get your butts over here! This place looks like it got hit by a Tenrou-class storm! And first… please don't be mad!"

They got to work. Stones were turned, craters filled. The sacred dueling grounds were slowly returned to their original, slightly less cratered glory.

And as they worked, Escanor stirred.

His eyes blinked open. He sat up slowly, stretching like a cat after a long nap. Bones cracked. Muscles ached.

"…Yup. Noon Mode is still overkill," he thought, rotating his shoulder with a wince. "That was only half power, and I feel like I got body-slammed by a dragon."

The pain was real, but so was the satisfaction. His growth was steady—measured. Worth it.

He looked around and saw the guild still bustling with energy.

After checking in with Makarov and Gildarts—who was still muttering something about "retirement insurance"—Escanor decided to wander.

It was his first time on Tenrou Island, after all.

There wasn't much—just rocks, forests, and overly curious beasts—but even that felt sacred. Untouched. Peaceful.

Eventually, his feet brought him to the roots of a towering tree.

The Tenrou Tree.

It was taller than anything he'd ever seen—an ancient monument that scraped the sky itself.

Escanor stepped forward and placed his palm against the bark.

A soft warmth trickled into him.

Magic power. Gentle, familiar. Replenishing.

"So this is what Grandpa meant… Tenrou blesses all Fairy Tail mages. Even me."

He closed his eyes. Breathed deeply.

And then—Something shifted.

He felt it—two small feet hanging just above his head.

His eyes snapped open.

"Who's there?!"

A gentle laugh floated down like sunlight.A tiny figure drifted from the tree, landing gracefully before him.

It was a girl. No more than ten in appearance. Pale skin, bright green eyes, and long, flowing blonde hair. She wore a white cloak with a strange emblem on it.

But it wasn't her looks that unnerved Escanor.

It was her presence.

She had no aura. No heartbeat.And yet… her magic felt exactly like the Tenrou Tree itself.

"Are you a member of Fairy Tail?!" she beamed. "I saw your fight! So amazing! You're so young and so strong—I'm super jealous! What kind of magic do you use? Is it fire? Light? Something else?!"

The little girl bounced forward, poking and prodding him with an embarrassing lack of personal space.

"Stop! Hands off!" Escanor barked, flustered.

"Eek—sorry!" She shrank back, eyes trembling with sudden tears. "I didn't mean to! I've just… I haven't seen anyone in so long…"

"No—wait! Don't cry!" He panicked. "I-I wasn't yelling at you!"

"I'm fine~," she said with a sniffle. "Totally fine. Not crying at all!"

Somehow, with the grace of a falling potato, Escanor managed to calm her down.

The girl wiped her nose and stood tall, placing her hands on her hips with theatrical pride.

"My name is Mavis Vermillion! Founder of Fairy Tail and its First Master!"

"…Oh. Cool."A beat passed."Wait. WHAT?!"

"You heard me," she said with a smug grin. "You should be calling me first, little junior!"

Escanor blinked."…First? You mean… the First?"

"Yup. That's me!" she said, puffing out her nonexistent chest.

"…First…" Escanor muttered, staring at the tiny girl. He hesitated. It felt very weird to say it.

"Hmph." Mavis pouted. "You can just say 'Shoda-sama' if that makes it easier."

"Nope. That's worse."

But despite his confusion, Escanor slowly dropped his guard. Her presence was… odd. Comforting, even.

She beamed at him again.

"I was watching your duel, you know. It made me really happy. Fairy Tail's future is in good hands."

Escanor scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "Hahaha… thanks, I guess."

Then he asked what had been gnawing at him.

"…If you're… a ghost or something… How come I can see you?"

"Only Fairy Tail mages can see me. It's like… a special bond," she explained. "And no, I'm not a ghost. I'm more like… a lingering will? A magical presence? It's complicated!"

He nodded. Then paused.

"I think I've seen something like this before. Once… when I was near death. I saw someone named Rosa. She felt like that."

Mavis blinked. "Rosa?"

"…Forget I said anything."

She tilted her head, clearly curious, but let it go.

"So—Escanor, right? Your magic… It's fascinating."

"'Sun' magic," he said proudly. "As in, the actual sun."

Her eyes sparkled.

"That explains it! I could feel it—your light magic is unbelievably pure, but that temperature… wow."

She floated up and spun midair like a ballerina.

"Alright! I've decided! You'll be my student!"

"…Huh?"

"I'll teach you my magic!" she declared. "Yours is already light-based. With the sun's heat and my guidance, it might evolve into something even greater!"

Escanor looked at her as if she'd just offered to teach a fish how to fly.

"You… want me to learn your magic?"

Mavis winked.

"Trust me. You'll thank me later."

Just then—

"ESCANOR!!"

A familiar, gruff voice echoed through the trees.

Makarov appeared, stomping forward… only to freeze.

His eyes locked onto the little girl.

The color drained from his face.

"M-Master…"

He dropped to his knees.

"…First…!!!"

Mavis turned, waving casually like she'd just bumped into an old friend at the grocery store.

"Yo, Makarov, been a while!"

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