Fairy Tail Guild Hall —
Magnolia hummed with midday heat as the Fairy Tail guild bustled with chaos and laughter. Shinra sat at a corner table with a glass of herbal tea, eyes moving slowly from face to face—reading dynamics, interpreting subtleties, letting the rhythm of the guild soak into his bones.
Even in a world as loud as Fairy Tail, there was a quiet language in the silence.
From across the hall, **Mirajane** caught his eye, tilted her head and gave a faint wave, then returned to scribbling something in her notebook—possibly new menu ideas. **Cana**, seated nearby with her tarot deck, smirked.
"You watching people again?"
"Observing," Shinra corrected, smiling lightly.
"You're hard to read."
"That's the idea."
"Too mysterious," she teased. "You'll give Erza and Mira wrinkles."
Before he could answer, the guild doors opened—**Erza walked in**, armor gleaming in the sun. But something was different.
Her steps were too focused. Eyes narrowed. Mouth tight.
She scanned the guild.
"Natsu, Gray, Lucy. With me."
Shinra raised a brow.
"And you, too."
---
In a secluded alley behind the bakery district, Erza handed them a parchment—coarse, with faded ink.
"I intercepted a information this morning regarding Eisenwald."
Lucy leaned in. "'Operation Lullaby... assemble at Oshibana Station…' What's Lullaby?"
Erza's gaze was firm. "We don't know. But Eisenwald is a **Dark Guild**, and if they're moving again, we act now."
"Where's Master Makarov?" Gray asked.
"At the Guild Master's conference," she replied. "We move without him."
"Finally!" Natsu cracked his knuckles. "A warm-up!"
---
Train to Oshibana —
The team took the next train out.
Shinra, seated next to Lucy, stared quietly out the window as mountain forests passed.
"You're quiet," she said.
"I don't believe in rushing conclusions," he replied.
Gray raised a brow from the seat ahead. "You're not worried?"
"I am. That's why I'm calm."
Erza turned from her window. "Explain."
"Panic blinds judgment. If Eisenwald is moving openly, it means they either underestimate us—or have something that gives them confidence. I'd prefer to be underestimated."
Lucy gave a small smile. "I feel safer when you talk like that."
Natsu burped, "Blegh… can we hurry and get of this train already?"
---
Oshibana Station —
The station was quiet.
Too quiet.
A cold wind whistled through the empty platforms as they moved forward, senses on alert.
Then—**clack**—a magic seal triggered beneath Natsu's foot. Instantly, steel bars slammed down behind them, sealing off the platform. A projection glyph flared to life in midair.
Kageyama's face appeared, sneering. "Fairy Tail fools… too late. The symphony of death begins at sunset."
A brief burst of static. Then silence.
"They're going after a concert hall," Erza said immediately. "If they're planning a mass attack—"
"No," Shinra interrupted, calmly. "They're targeting a **guild summit**. Where dozens of masters gather."
Gray blinked. "How would you—?"
"It's the only move that makes sense. Erza's info came just after Master left. This is coordinated."
Erza's eyes narrowed, studying him.
Shinra felt it—and masked it with ease. "Let's move."
---
As the group sprinted across train tracks, Eisenwald mages dropped from above. Kageyama, and a small squad blocked the way.
"You rats can't stop the song of death!" one roared.
**Natsu rushed forward, fists blazing**.
Lucy summoned **Taurus**.
Gray engaged with a wall of ice.
Erza—stormed through with precise, brutal elegance.
Shinra held back—letting others engage, letting them grow.
But when one Eisenwald mage tried to hex Lucy from behind, Shinra **teleported**, intercepting the attack with a cursed energy **barrier pulse**, his hand glowing violet and cracking the spell midair.
"Thanks!" Lucy shouted.
"You're welcome."
"Can't you fight more?" Gray asked, launching ice blades.
"I don't believe in wasting strength on predictable enemies."
"Cocky much?!"
---
Kageyama summoned **Lullaby's flute**, ready to activate its cursed tune.
But Erza moved fast—slashing the spell circle before it could activate.
In the chaos, the Eisenwald mages retreated, leaving only Kageyama, bruised and limping.
Shinra stepped forward, kneeling.
"You're afraid of it," he said softly. "Even while you use it."
Kageyama trembled.
Shinra didn't gloat. Just placed two fingers to the side of the flute and murmured, "Sleep."
A glowing seal spread across the surface, temporarily disabling it without breaking it.
"Why didn't you destroy it?" Natsu asked.
"Because power doesn't vanish when you break the tool. It just waits for a new hand."
---
That night, camped under stars near Clover, Erza sat alone beside the fire while the others slept.
Shinra sat nearby, watching the embers flicker.
"You saw through the plan," she said. "Faster than me."
"You found the clue."
"You acted on it."
There was a pause.
"You're not like the others," she said quietly.
"I'm not better."
"No," she replied. "But… you feel like someone who's already fought this fight."
He looked at her—and she saw it: that flicker of deep sadness in his eyes. Just for a second.
"I'm just someone who listens carefully to the world."
She watched him for a long moment.
"I'm glad you're here," she said softly.
And for once, her voice wasn't armored.