Year: X783 (Ryo 16, Mira 15, Erza 14, Cana 14, Laxus 16, Gray 12, Natsu 11, Lisanna 10, Elfman 12, Levy 13)
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Part I – Whispers of the Cult
The request had come in quietly, almost too quietly.
Villagers spoke in hushed tones about disappearances. Cattle slaughtered in ritual patterns. Hooded figures chanting in the hills at night.
"A cult," Erza said, her voice grim as she read the flyer aloud in the guild hall. "Worshippers of Zeref."
The name silenced even the rowdiest drunks.
Makarov's expression was stone. "Children or not, you must face this. But hear me well—dark mages are not beasts. They will twist your minds before they break your bones." His gaze lingered on Ryo. "Especially yours."
Ryo didn't flinch. "I know."
Did he? His curse shivered at the name Zeref, like it recognized something deep and ancient.
Mira leaned back in her chair, smirking to hide her unease. "Cult or not, they'll regret picking our guild's turf."
Erza's eye narrowed. "Do not underestimate them."
Cana poured a drink with shaky hands. "Do we ever get easy jobs?"
Mira chuckled, but her fists clenched beneath the table.
The mission had begun.
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Part II – The Hills of Ash
The hills rose jagged against a blood-red sunset. Their path wound through cracked stone and dead trees.
Every step closer, the air grew heavier. Ryo's shadows stirred wildly, almost beyond his control.
Come, the curse whispered. Come to the voices. They call you. They know you.
He clenched his jaw, nails digging into his palms.
Cana walked close, whispering nervously. "Anyone else feel like the air's watching us?"
"Yes," Erza said flatly.
Mira cracked her knuckles, eager for the fight, though her shoulders were taut.
At the top of the hill, they saw it—an old stone circle, half-collapsed, symbols carved into the dirt. Hooded figures knelt, chanting.
At the center lay a child bound in chains, eyes wide with terror.
Ryo's vision swam. His chest burned. His curse screamed. Blood. Sacrifice. You are theirs. They are yours. Cleave. Dismantle.
Mira hissed, "They've got a kid."
Erza drew her blade. "Then we end this."
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Part III – Battle with the Cult
The chanting rose as the Fairy Tail squad burst into the circle.
"Fairy Tail dogs," the cult leader snarled, his hood falling back to reveal a face tattooed with runes. "You cannot stop what has already begun!"
Mira roared, her aura bursting as she lunged into the fray. Erza followed with cold precision, blade slashing through robed figures. Cana threw glowing cards that exploded like fireworks, breaking chains and scattering enemies.
And Ryo—
The moment his shadows touched the circle, the runes pulsed. His magic connected with theirs, resonating in a violent shockwave.
He screamed as the curse surged.
Yes. Yes. Ours. Yours. Blood. Zeref. Eternal. Cleave.
His shadows erupted uncontrollably, wolves tearing into cultists, blades splitting flesh, too fast, too wild. Blood soaked the ground.
"Ryo, stop!" Erza shouted, cutting through another mage to reach him.
He didn't hear her. His eyes glowed gold, his voice layered with something not his own.
"I'll… dismantle you all."
The cult leader laughed even as his men died. "Yes! He is touched by the void! He is one of us!"
Mira snarled, eyes blazing. "He's not yours!"
She slammed into Ryo, fists glowing, forcing him back. His shadows lashed against her, scraping her arms, but she didn't flinch.
"Look at me, Ryo!" she shouted. "You're not their weapon. You're not your curse. You're Fairy Tail!"
For a heartbeat, her voice cut through the madness.
Ryo gasped, clutching his head, shadows writhing. The curse howled in fury.
Then Erza was there too, blade between them, her eye sharp and steady. "We will drag you back every time, Ryo. Every time."
The child's cry broke the air.
Ryo staggered, vision clearing. He saw the blood. The corpses. Mira's bruised arms. Erza's unwavering stance.
He forced his shadows down with a roar that ripped his throat raw.
The cult leader screamed curses—before Mira's fist ended his chant forever.
Silence.
The circle lay broken.
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Part IV – The Aftermath
They returned the child to his family. The villagers wept with relief.
But there was no celebration in the squad's hearts.
Ryo sat apart from the campfire that night, hands trembling, shadows curling faintly around his feet. His clothes were stained red. His breath came in ragged bursts.
Mira approached, bandaging her arms. She dropped beside him with a huff.
"You almost killed me back there," she said bluntly.
He flinched.
"But you didn't," she added softly. "Because you stopped yourself. Because you chose us."
Ryo stared at her, throat dry. "…I don't know how much longer I can fight it."
"Then we'll fight it with you."
He looked at her sharply.
She smirked faintly. "You're stuck with us, Shadow Freak. Deal with it."
Erza came to stand behind them, silent but steady. Her presence alone was an anchor.
Cana stumbled over, wine bottle in hand. "If we're stuck with you, then you're stuck with us too. No takebacks."
For the first time that night, Ryo almost laughed. Almost.
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Part V – The Whisper of Tomorrow
Later, when the others had drifted into uneasy sleep, Ryo stayed awake, staring at the stars.
The curse whispered, low and insidious.
You think they saved you. You think you are theirs. But one day, you will tear this guild apart with your own hands. One day, Fairy Tail will burn by your shadow.
Ryo clenched his fists, shaking. "No."
The curse laughed, echoing in the hollow of his chest.
But when he looked back at the fire, saw Mira curled against Lisanna's side in her sleep, Erza standing guard with eyes sharp even in the dark, Cana snoring softly with her cards scattered—
He whispered back. "I won't let you win."
The curse hissed. But for tonight, it stayed quiet.