"This is enough, Mavis. To me, you are as weighty as the world itself."
"…"
Mavis's eyes trembled, but in the end, she still shook her head.
"That's not it, Fini. Since we were born into this world, isn't it a great pity not to see the true nature of this world?"
"It doesn't matter. Anyway, the world is made up of men and women. Coincidentally, this island has me and you, so it's already a world!"
"Fini-chan!!" Mavis turned around and glared at Phoenix angrily, but Phoenix became even happier.
"I won't leave, Mavis. Don't try to persuade me anymore."
"What if I go with you?"
"…"
Phoenix raised an eyebrow, twisted his body, and instantly appeared in front of Mavis.
"A joke?"
"It's not a joke!"
"Why?"
"I don't want your dream to die because of me."
"Is it just out of guilt?"
"Perhaps."
"You…"
Phoenix gently shook his head, about to refuse, but Mavis's next words completely blocked him.
"It's not just that. I myself also want to see the outside world. Especially Fairy Tail, I really want to know how the guild has developed now."
"…"
The two looked at each other for a while, and Phoenix was the first to break the silence.
"If you really want me to go out, then sign a contract with me!"
"Fini-chan!" Mavis glared at Phoenix with a mix of shame and anger, "I'm doing this for your own good, and you're still trying to set conditions!!"
"Then you decide what to do! Anyway, I'm not leaving!"
"Stare…"
It was a pity, no matter how Mavis glared at Phoenix, he remained unmoving, as if he had her completely figured out.
"…Alright, what kind of contract is it? Let me be clear, if it's something strange, I won't sign it."
In the end, Mavis was the first to give in. In truth, it was mainly because Mavis was somewhat interested in the contract Phoenix mentioned. After all, Mavis knew in her heart that no matter the circumstances, Phoenix would never do anything to harm her, nor would he speak carelessly.
"Heroic Spirit Contract!"
"Heroic Spirit Contract?"
Mavis tilted her head in confusion, beginning to search her memory for related contract documents.
"You won't find it~"
Phoenix grinned.
"Damn it, I will definitely find out."
Mavis pouted, feeling like she was being looked down upon.
"Give me time, I will definitely find… Mmm…"
Mavis's pupils contracted sharply.
She was kissed!
Swish——
A huge golden magic circle unfolded beneath Phoenix and Mavis's feet, and at the same time, an invisible chain extended from Phoenix's heart and pierced into Mavis's materialized chest.
"Mavis…"
Releasing Mavis's lips, Phoenix looked at the indignant Mavis, his eyes filled with gentle affection.
"Heroic Spirit Contract… perhaps that's not accurate, it should be a Companion Contract. I chose this to bind you to my side forever."
"Fini…"
"I love you, Mavis. So, sign a contract with me! I hope that in this journey ahead, I can have you by my side."
However, in response to Phoenix's confession, Mavis's head slowly drooped, and her spiritual antenna seemed to lose its vigor.
"…Have you truly understood me, Fini-chan?"
"Does that matter? Because you, too, have never asked about my past."
Reasons didn't really matter to Phoenix, and Mavis seemed to know this, as she didn't continue to dwell on the issue. However, since it concerned herself, and potentially the future fate of this world, Mavis had to explain everything clearly to Phoenix.
"We've known each other for six years. In these six years, neither of us has ever touched upon the true reality in the other's heart. Now, I want to tell you something. About me, and about my guild…"
Seemingly having finally made up her mind, Mavis slowly began to narrate. Although Phoenix didn't care and had once wanted to interrupt Mavis from bringing up painful past events, in the end, facing Mavis's unyielding gaze, Phoenix patiently listened to everything that had happened to Mavis over a hundred years ago.
Mavis began her story from her childhood, when her parents died on a mission, but due to the debts they left behind, she had to work cleaning in the guild where her parents stayed to repay the debt. It was a guild called Red Lizard, and it wasn't a sunny place. A dirty Mavis in her childhood was always bullied by them, but due to her optimistic attitude, Mavis was instead grateful for their adoption.
In that turbulent era, wars often broke out between guilds.
It was war, not brawling.
Death continued every day, and no one could truly avoid it.
Then, one day, the Red Lizard Guild was attacked by the Blue Skull Guild.
Mavis escaped because she wasn't in the guild at the time, but the entire guild, except for the guild master's daughter Zera, had no survivors.
After rescuing the guild master's daughter, Mavis stayed with her on Wolf Island.
And they stayed there for seven years.
At that time, Mavis was thirteen years old.
Up to this point, although many unpleasant and sad things had happened, these were not true despair and tragedy.
Until——
Until that day, when three gem hunters stepped onto Wolf Island to search for Wolf Jade, the gears of fate began to turn, unstoppable.
In Mavis's words, those three young men were very gentle people.
Warrod Sequen (N4 of the Ten Wizard Saints, one of the Four Kings of Ishgar), Precht (Hades, the Guild Master of the Dark Guild Grimoire Heart), and Yuri Dreyar (Makarov's father, the Third Guild Master of Fairy Tail), these three met Mavis on Wolf Island.
All three came for the "Wolf Jade," but when Mavis led them to the stone plate where the "Wolf Jade" was placed, they were surprised to find that the "Wolf Jade" had already been taken.
Wolf Island had been uninhabited for seven years, which meant that the "Wolf Jade" had been taken seven years ago. The conclusion was obvious: it must have been the Blue Skull Guild that took the "Wolf Jade."
Because everyone's goal was the same, whether it was Mavis or the three who had come for the "Wolf Jade," they all set their sights on the Blue Skull Guild.
And so, to find the "Wolf Jade," they set off and left Wolf Island.
Reality and dreams always have a huge discrepancy. The five, who couldn't use any magic, were utterly defeated by the Blue Skull Guild, and Precht even lost an eye because of it.
At that moment, Mavis yearned for power more than anything.
Perhaps it was fate's arrangement. In a forest where they hid to avoid the Blue Skull Guild, Mavis met Zeref, the most feared Black Mage in the world. Because Mavis's kindness touched Zeref, when Mavis pleaded with him to teach them magic, Zeref agreed.
Yes, all tragedies stemmed from this moment.
Black Mage Mavis was also born from this!
Thanks to the guidance of Zeref, a good teacher, Warrod mastered Nature Magic, Yuri mastered Lightning Magic, and Precht mastered Dark Magic. Among them, Precht was highly regarded by Zeref, who believed that his talent was excellent and that he could go very, very far on the path of magic.
Having gained power from Zeref, Mavis and her companions regained their confidence.
Many, many things happened in the short few days in between.
In the end, they won everything.
They defeated the Blue Skull Guild and won the liberation of Magnolia Town.
But Mavis lost her best friend, Zera.
Fairy Tail was established afterward.
Only at that moment could Mavis forget all sorrow.
In the time that followed, for the survival of the guild, Mavis led her companions to victory after victory in countless battles, and the name of Mavis, the Fairy Tactician, spread far and wide.
Mavis's magical talent was astonishingly high. In just a few years, Mavis created three super-spells that were difficult to evaluate: Fairy Law, Fairy Glitter, and Fairy Sphere.
It can be said that in terms of intelligence and talent, only her mentor Zeref could rival her in this world.
But——
Just as the saying goes, avoid perfection in things, avoid full bloom in objects, and avoid full fame in people!
Mavis's talent, wisdom, intelligence, character, inner self, and appearance were all too dazzling.
So dazzling, in fact, that she was like a true fairy, who simply shouldn't exist in this world.
As Mavis's power grew stronger, the abyss-like dark magic within her became even more unfathomable. And her body, consequently, deteriorated day by day.
Essentially, Mavis was a Black Mage.
No matter how bright her heart was, she could not completely disassociate herself from this power.
Perhaps it was for the future of the guild, perhaps to stop Zeref, or perhaps, simply to leave a glimmer of hope.
After Mavis's death, her body was not buried but was frozen in the guild's basement.
This is the highest secret of Fairy Tail, known only to successive Guild Masters of Fairy Tail—Photonic Reconstruction.
After briefly listening to Mavis's past, Phoenix pondered for a moment and then sighed, "Since it's your guild's highest secret, you really shouldn't have told me. I will obtain your body and resurrect you."
"You won't." However, Mavis shook her head in denial, saying, "As long as I exist here, as long as I am by your side, you will never do that. Moreover, I will never allow you to do it!"
"What if I defeat Zeref?"
"That's a separate matter! I am already a person of the last era, a departed spirit who has long since died, and I should not intervene in this world again."
Seeing Mavis's resolute appearance, Phoenix showed a wry smile.
"Since that's the case, why did you bother telling me all this?"
"…What should be known will eventually be known. Even if I don't say it, you will know it someday. Your so-called Kenbunshoku Haki is too strange in nature. Moreover, there are some things I don't want to keep from you anymore. I also hope that in our future journey, you will not deceive me."
"Mavis…"
Hearing that Mavis had truly decided to sign the contract with him and go with him, Phoenix's face showed undisguised joy.
He embraced Mavis, and Phoenix made an eternal vow.
"No matter what the future holds, you will always be the person I love the most!"
At the same time, the golden magic circle beneath their feet released a dazzling golden light, and the invisible chain connected Mavis and Phoenix's hearts, making their bond even tighter.