Chapter 13: S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial (5)
Tenrou Island's nightscape—untouched by human presence—radiated a gentle, serene beauty.
Countless stars sparkled in the sky like a celestial celebration, as if to announce a bountiful harvest in autumn.
It was as if the night sky, bathed in moonlight, had been sprinkled with glittering jewels—
"What an incredibly beautiful island this is. Don't you think so, Erza?"
"…Ciel, saying that while smiling atop a pile of monsters you just defeated doesn't really suit the mood."
"I merely gave them a short lesson in etiquette. They attacked first, after all."
"I know you didn't kill them… but the scene still doesn't match your tone. And this isn't the time to enjoy the view. We need to reach the First Master's grave at the summit of Tenrou Island."
Erza and I stood at the base of a massive tree that supported the island itself, bantering in the otherwise quiet atmosphere.
Two hours had passed since the second trial began.
As we wandered across the island searching for clues, we discovered that the grave of the First Master was located at the very top of Tenrou Island.
"At first, it sounded like a simple test—just find the First Master's grave… but that's clearly not the case. We might end up using all our time just climbing this tree."
Erza looked up, troubled.
As she said, the distance between the ground where we stood and the floating island upheld by the giant tree was enormous.
From down here, the scale of it was awe-inspiring.
If I had to compare, it was probably as tall as a skyscraper.
"None of my armors allow for flight. And I doubt you know any magic that lets you fly either… so we'll have to climb it by force?"
"Kufufufufu…"
"What are you laughing about?"
"Why do you assume we have to fly or climb to get up there? Such thinking is fitting for someone still young—a child's pure mindset."
"Wh-What?! Are you saying you have a better idea? If you say something more ridiculous than what I just suggested, I really will punch you!"
"The answer is simple."
I spoke lightly, then focused the energy in my left eye.
Through the heavenly eye that sees all things, I recalled the power of the earth.
The pattern in my eye shifted—from Heaven (天) to Earth (地).
I gently pulled Erza close to me, gave her a confident smile, and declared—
"We walk."
"Y-You… What kind of nonsense…?!"
Before she could finish her sentence, I activated my eye.
The ground beneath us rumbled—then began to rise.
From a past life recorded in the Eye of Samsara…
From the heavens of the Three Realms and the lands of the Six Paths, I had attained the balance of Yin and Yang.
The heart is Heaven, the body is Earth, and the spirit is Man.
One who has grasped the truth of all things in creation—
One who can command all existence freely… that is one who has achieved true mastery.
"The ground… it rose up and connected us to the floating island?!"
"Just as I said. Walking is the answer."
"A magic that manipulates nature… Just how many types of magic can you use? Was your illusion magic just a decoy all along?"
"Now that's a hurtful assumption. Illusion is the foundation of all my power. If I were to deny that, then I would cease to exist as I am now."
"Stop twisting your words with all this complicated nonsense."
"Come now—let's move forward."
...
An hour had passed since we stepped foot on the floating island in the sky.
We reached the First Master's grave with surprising ease.
There were no monsters on this island.
In the quiet forest, fruits glowing with gentle light hung from trees, illuminating the path ahead—
as if they had been waiting for us all along.
Guided by that mysterious trail, we eventually arrived at a pure-white structure that rose before our eyes.
And somehow, I immediately understood it was a grave.
"So this is… the First Master's grave…"
"It's quite large and majestic."
"With this, we've basically passed the trial, haven't we? But… what now?"
"The Master will likely come to confirm it himself. For now, let's rest nearby and spend the night here."
"Hmm… is it really okay to sleep in front of the First Master's grave?"
"I believe so. She must've been a compassionate person to Fairy Tail's members."
"You say that like you know her. I've been in the guild longer than you, you know."
Erza grumbled as she lightly elbowed my side, but we decided to rest here for the night.
We made a simple tent by tying branches to a large tarp we'd brought and lit a small campfire nearby.
For dinner, we had some forest fruits we gathered earlier, cheese, and jerky—humble but filling.
After confirming that Erza had fallen asleep soundly inside the tent, I stepped quietly toward the First Master's grave.
"You can come out now."
"…You're the first person to notice me even while I was in hiding."
"You were the one who said we could rest here. Besides, I have eyes more special than most."
At my call, a girl emerged from behind the grave. She wore a pure white dress adorned with delicate fairy-like decorations, including wing-shaped ornaments in her hair.
Her soft, shimmering blonde hair and emerald-green eyes radiated an enchanting charm—it was immediately clear that she wasn't an ordinary being.
"I am the First Master of Fairy Tail—Mavis Vermillion."
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm…"
"Ciel Illusian, right?"
"You… know who I am?"
I widened my eyes at her knowing my name. She responded with a gentle, slightly sorrowful smile and spoke softly.
"Your red left eye bears a strange mark, and within it lies the power of countless worlds. I can sense the deep abyss within your being… An immortal who is also not an immortal. The only friend recognized by the Black Wizard Zeref, and the only person capable of ending him."
"…How do you know that story…?"
I narrowed my eyes and summoned a spear of mist into my hand, pointing it at her throat.
But she simply blinked once, unbothered, and continued.
"Zeref told me himself. It was about a hundred years ago."
"He was… quite excited when he spoke about you.
He said that though everyone else around him died because of his curse, there was one person who could touch him, speak with him as an equal, and never perish. He said… he hoped to meet you again someday."
Zeref… So he's still trapped by the curse…
Mavis didn't seem to be lying.
Four hundred years ago, I had never done anything that would've made my existence known to humanity.
The only people who ever knew about me were Zeref—my only friend—Anna, and the five Dragon Slayer children.
"And you… what was your relationship with Zeref?"
"…To me, he was the one who taught me magic.
And perhaps… the only person I ever loved."
"…"
"But to think… his friend has now become a Fairy Tail wizard, and part of the family I once led… That's a bit surprising."
"I'm surprised too. Zeref… with a lover, huh… I'd like to hear more about that story."
Zeref's lover…
That was something I hadn't known before.
A truth that completely contradicted the records I had uncovered about him.
When I asked Mavis about it, her expression darkened.
"...Ciel, what I'm about to tell you is something only Zeref and I know. And… it's also the sin I committed."
"A story even Makarov doesn't know… I want to share everything with you—Zeref's friend.
But are you prepared to hear it all?"
With a solemn expression, Mavis looked to me for confirmation once more.
But I didn't hesitate.
Zeref was the only friend I'd made in this world.
A man whose heart beat in harmony with mine.
I came to this future four hundred years ago.
Of course I wanted to know what had happened to him during that time.
"I just need your promise… that this story will remain a secret between you and me."
"I promise. Mavis, please… tell me everything you know about my friend."
That night—
The fated encounter I never expected to have here revealed to me the story of an old friend long left behind in the past.
The more I listened to her tale, the heavier my chest grew.
But even so, I endured it. I listened all the way through.
When the story ended, I sat in silence, leaning against the First Master's gravestone, gazing up at the vast night sky with lonely eyes.
A quiet night passed between Mavis and me… as we sat side by side, both bearing the weight of unspoken thoughts.
...
Four days later, Magnolia.
Inside the Fairy Tail guild, the atmosphere was festive.
Everyone had gathered to celebrate the return of the participants who had gone off to take the S-Class Promotion Exam.
Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Lisanna, and Levy waited eagerly with cake and flower bouquets in hand, firmly believing that Ciel had passed the exam.
The other guild members shared the same expectation—everyone was waiting for Ciel to return.
Among them, Mirajane was the one most desperate to see him again.
Though she was a bit jealous that he had chosen Erza as his partner, she had heard from Erza before the trial that Ciel was having trouble controlling his power.
That was something Mira could understand.
It wasn't that he didn't want to take her—it was his own form of kindness.
Upon learning the reason, Mira had felt embarrassed for how she had acted.
But it was all in the past now.
At the very least, when Ciel came back, she would greet him with a bright smile.
She had stayed up many nights thinking of what to say, even practicing smiling in front of a mirror.
All for the sake of welcoming him properly.
To welcome Ciel home with joy.
"Oh! The Master's back!"
"Gildarts and Laxus are with him too!"
"Hey, Macao, Wakaba! Did you pass the S-Class trial?!"
"Tch, shut up!"
"Don't even talk about it. I never want to take that exam again!"
The guild doors burst open and the Master entered after four days, accompanied by the S-Class candidates, met with loud cheers.
Macao and Wakaba shouted their complaints while the Thunder God Tribe followed behind a visibly annoyed Laxus, trying to calm him down.
The Master, arm-in-arm with Cana and a bottle of booze, looked slightly tipsy as he cheerfully announced their return to the guild.
One by one, the rest of the group entered—
and finally, Erza stepped in, greeting Natsu, Gray, and Mira.
"Natsu, Gray, Mirajane… It's been four days, hasn't it?"
"Ohh! Erza! Welcome back!"
"How was the S-Class exam?"
"I witnessed incredible things… and I was reminded again of just how amazing Ciel truly is."
"Of course! Ciel's super strong! I've never beaten him even once!"
"No… It's beyond what words can express."
"Uh… Erza… then where is Ciel right now?"
Though she normally acted aloof and competitive toward Erza, Mira couldn't hide her worry when she realized Ciel hadn't returned with the others. She was the one to approach Erza first.
"So… what happened exactly?"
"Wait—don't tell me he failed the S-Class exam?!"
"No, quite the opposite. He passed it easily. He's this year's only newly promoted S-Class mage."
"Then why didn't he come back with you?"
Looking slightly troubled, Erza scratched her cheek and answered.
"I'm not entirely sure why, but… ever since we completed the second trial, he's seemed kind of… drained. As soon as we got back to town, he said he'd rather rest at home than come to the guild, so we parted ways."
"Ciel…?"
Hearing that, Mira couldn't sit still. While the rest of the guild was caught up in the celebration, she slipped away and dashed toward Ciel's home at full speed.
Ciel—feeling down?
She had never seen him like that. In all the time she'd known him, not once had he looked weak or broken.
That's why she couldn't believe Erza's words.
She had to see it for herself.
Gasping for breath, she sprinted through the streets, flung open the front door, and ran up the stairs toward Ciel's room.
The door—half-open.
That alone told her he was inside. The uneasy feeling in her chest intensified as she ran to the door and burst in.
"Ciel!"
"…Mira…?"
Inside, Ciel sat slouched in a rocking chair, his arm covering his eyes, body limp with exhaustion.
When she barged in and called his name, he turned slightly, his tired eyes meeting hers.
"You're… back?"
"Yes… I'm back. I should've gone to the guild first to greet everyone but… I'm sorry. I came home without saying anything."
What unsettled Mirajane most wasn't his apology.
It was his entire presence—completely different from the Ciel she knew.
The subtle loneliness in his eyes.
The weight of fatigue on his face.
The uncharacteristically soft voice.
And the look—like he might cry at any moment.
This wasn't the strong, confident Ciel she was used to.
"Ciel…!"
"Mira…?"
Without another word, she ran to him and threw her arms around him.
Startled, Ciel blinked, but the light in his expression remained dim.
"Ciel… what happened during the exam? You're not yourself…"
"…Mira."
"You look like… if I leave you alone right now, you'll fall apart. I hate seeing you like this. If something happened, please tell me. We're family, remember?"
At her words, Ciel gave her a faint smile and gently rested his hand on her head.
That's when she felt it—his hand, trembling ever so slightly.
"…Nothing happened."
"Are you… sure?"
"Yes. I'm just a little tired, that's all. Thank you for worrying about me."
"But…"
"Really… nothing happened."
"…"
Mira could tell—he was hiding something.
But if she pressed him any further… she felt like he might truly break.
Or worse—disappear from her and her siblings' lives altogether.
So instead, she gently patted his shoulder and spoke softly.
"…Welcome home, Ciel."
"…Yeah. I'm home."
"Congratulations on becoming an S-Class wizard."
"…Thank you, Mira."
She stayed by his side for a while, not saying much.
And inside, her heart ached—because in that moment, she knew…
There was nothing she could do to help him.
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