š Chapter 5 ā The Devil and the Shadow
Year: X781 (Ryo age 14, Mira age 13, Erza 12, Cana 12, Laxus 14, Gray 10, Natsu 9, Levy 11, Jet/Droy 12, Lisanna 8, Elfman 10)
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Part I ā The Arrival of the Strauss Siblings
The guild doors slammed open on a bright summer morning.
Three figures stood framed in the doorway ā a tall boy with nervous eyes, a younger girl who clutched his arm, and at the frontā¦ a smirking girl with long, pale hair and a gaze that dared the world to challenge her.
Mira Strauss.
Behind the bar, Makarov blinked. "Well nowā¦ new faces?"
The pale-haired girl strode in like she owned the place. "We're looking for Fairy Tail."
"You've found it," Makarov chuckled. "And what are your names, hm?"
"Elfman." The tall boy's voice cracked a little.
"Lisanna!" chirped the smallest, her smile bright despite her grip on her brother.
And the leader grinned wide, eyes sharp and wild. "Mira. Mira Strauss."
Ryo leaned against a support beam, arms folded. Shadows curled lazily at his feet. He was used to newcomers now ā Gray had joined, Natsu had barged in with that flying cat of his, and Levy plus her boys had filled the hall with chatter. But something about this girl made him straighten.
She looked like chaos given flesh.
Beside him, Erza's single eye narrowed. She could feel it too.
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Part II ā Sparks Against Sparks
It took less than an hour for Mira to start trouble.
She shoved past Gray in the hall. She teased Cana about her cards. She even poked Laxus in the chest and laughed when he scowled.
But when her gaze landed on Ryo, her grin widened.
"You," she said, marching up to him. "What's with the creepy shadows?"
Ryo didn't move. "Don't touch them."
"Oooh, scary." Mira's voice dripped mockery. She leaned closer, hair brushing her shoulders. "What are you, some kind of broody freak?"
The shadows bristled, sharp and jagged. Cana stiffened nearby, ready to step in.
But Ryo smirked. "Better a freak than a wannabe tough girl."
Mira's laugh rang out. "Oh, I like you."
The tension should've snapped into a fight then and there, but instead Mira just winked and walked away, leaving Ryo oddly unsettled.
Erza wasn't amused. "She's reckless. Don't encourage her."
But Ryo couldn't help it. For the first time since Cana, someone didn't look at him with fear or judgment. Mira saw him and mocked him like he was justā¦ another kid.
It was infuriating. And addictive.
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Part III ā Erza vs. Miraā¦ and Ryo Between
The clash was inevitable.
A week into the siblings' stay, Mira and Erza were at each other's throats daily. Mira refused chores, Erza ordered her around, and soon wooden swords and demonic claws were flying across the guild yard.
"Stop bossing me around, One-Eye!" Mira snarled, her nails glowing with demonic energy.
"Stop endangering the guild!" Erza snapped back, sword raised.
The guild watched with a mix of awe and dread. Cana sat cross-legged with a pile of coins, taking bets. Laxus leaned back, smirking. Gray and Natsu shouted for opposite sides.
And Ryo? He stood in the middle ground, shadows twitching with unease.
When Erza pressed forward, Mira's gaze flicked to Ryo, daring him to interfere.
"Well, Shadow Boy?" she taunted. "Which one of us do you side with?"
Ryo froze.
On one hand, Erza had stood by him through his darkest flare-ups, never flinching. On the other, Mira's fire wasā¦ familiar. Dangerous. Free.
"I'm not choosing," he said finally, shadows curling tighter.
Mira laughed. Erza scowled. The fight raged on.
And for the first time, Ryo realized this wasn't just rivalry. It was a storm he'd be caught in for years to come.
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Part IV ā Shadows and Demons
It happened during training.
Makarov had the younger generation sparring in pairs. Cana with Levy. Laxus with Gray. And Ryo with Mira.
At first, it was playful ā Mira throwing blasts of demonic energy, Ryo countering with shadows shaped into wolves. They taunted, they smirked, they clashed.
But then Lisanna wandered too close.
Ryo felt his curse surge. The shadows swelled out of control, forming a blade sharper than steel. His vision tunneled ā Cleave. Dismantle. Break her apart.
The blade swung toward Lisanna.
"Lisanna!" Elfman shouted.
Before anyone else could move, Mira roared. Her body shifted, horns sprouting, her form twisting into her first partial Satan Soul. She grabbed Lisanna and shoved her behind her, then launched herself at Ryo with a fury that shook the training ground.
Shadow met demon in an explosion of power. The younger mages screamed, magic colliding in raw waves until Makarov himself slammed his staff down, nullifying both.
When the dust cleared, Mira stood panting, claws out, glaring at Ryo like he was a monster.
"If you ever put my sister in danger again," she spat, "I'll tear you apart."
The curse inside Ryo laughed, delighted. She's a demon too. Isn't that sweet? You'll devour each other one day.
But Ryo didn't snarl back. He just met her gaze ā and felt respect burning in his chest.
She wasn't afraid of him. She fought him like an equal.
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Part V ā A New Bond
Days passed after the clash. The guild was quieter, the air heavy with unspoken tension.
One night, Ryo sat outside the guild hall, training alone. His shadows flickered between shapes ā wolves, blades, hands ā before collapsing uselessly. His chest ached with the memory of nearly harming Lisanna.
"You look pathetic," a voice drawled.
Mira dropped onto the steps beside him, arms folded behind her head. She didn't smirk this time.
"You could've killed her," she said simply.
"I know," Ryo muttered. His fists tightened. "That curseā¦ sometimes I can't stop it."
Silence stretched. Then, softer, Mira said, "I get it."
Ryo blinked.
She looked away, eyes hard. "I act tough, butā¦ I'm scared. Scared of losing Elfman and Lisanna. Scared of what this demon magic might make me." Her hands flexed, claws glinting faintly in the moonlight. "So I fight. Harder than anyone. Because if I stop, even for a secondā¦" She trailed off.
Ryo stared at her. For the first time, someone wasn't just mocking or scolding him. She understood.
Slowly, he extended a hand. "Thenā¦ let's fight together. You against your demons. Me against mine."
Mira blinked, then smirked faintly. She clasped his hand, grip firm.
"Deal, Shadow Freak."
He huffed a laugh. "Deal, Demon Girl."
From that night on, something shifted. They still bickered, still clashed, still drew lines in the sand. But beneath it all, a bond had formed ā sharp, messy, and unshakable.
By the year's end, the guild hall often echoed with the chaos of Ryo, Erza, Mira, Cana, Laxus, Gray, Natsu, Levy, Jet, and Droy all tangled in fights, games, and laughter.
And for the first time since his curse had marked him, Ryo felt something close to peace.
He wasn't just surviving anymore.
He was living.