A.N. (9/15/21) - This is a really long chapter this time, and there are quite a couple of important things happening here. Enjoy the chapter!


Chapter 8 - The Trial Of Fire

Part 1

"Ugh…"

Romeo woke up in a strange place. His entire surroundings were nothing but a pure white endless void. The eerie silence rang in his ears, and Romeo couldn't help but feel a strange sense of dread.

"Where…?"

And suddenly, the world was on fire.

Romeo jerked back in shock as his surroundings abruptly changed to a burning wasteland. The change in scenery caused his body to sweat as heat met him in waves. His eyes began to blur as his head grew dizzy.

"Ah… ahhh…"

"Prepare yourself."

That was his only warning as something suddenly attacked him. Barely turning around and blocking on time, Romeo's eyes widened as he took in the appearance of his attacker.

"Dad?!"

No, even though the person attacking him has the appearance of his dad, there was no way his father would actually lay a hand against him. The person with his dad's face stared at him solemnly.

"This trial will test both your mind and spirit," Fake-Macao said. "The heat will continuously attack your mental consciousness. Meanwhile, I will face against you to test your convictions with my flames."

"Who are you," Romeo found himself saying. "There's no way you're just an illusion."

"I am that you seek," Fake-Macao said. "I am the guardian flame of the village of the sun, the dragon spirit Atlas Flame."

Purple fire emerged along his arm, and a burst of flames flew towards Romeo. Romeo quickly countered the attack with the exact same spell, meeting his own father's purple flare magic with his own.

"Oh, so do you take after your father?" Fake-Macao raised an eyebrow. "But your intentions are clear to me, you wish for me to teach you the ancient art of dragon-slaying magic. Does this mean that you will walk away from the path of your father?"

Magic power rolled off Fake-Macao's body in waves, and Romeo was blown back.

"FOOL," Fake-Macao roared. "The mere fact that you are that boy's companion already makes you unworthy. As a member of his guild, the sins of his family are your burden to bear as well."

That boy…? Romeo's eyes widened. He's talking about Vale!

"To think that there would be somebody foolish enough to willingly choose the path of a dragon slayer," Fake-Macao's body began burning as flames engulfed his form. "Have you humans not learned your mistakes yet? Does Ishgar wish for another Acnologia to be born? For the Dragon King Festival to once again begin anew?"

"Acnologia?" The familiar name caused Romeo's head to snap towards his opponent. "What do you mean, what does he have to do with this?"

"Why does his name concern you?"

"He's an enemy I have to defeat," Romeo answered. "Atlas Flame, I came here to learn from you so that one day, I could defeat him."

"Impossible," Fake-Macao bluntly replied. His body was completely consumed by that point, only a mass of fire held together in the vague form of a human. "The power you seek will not be enough to seek out the black dragon of destruction. Not even the Dragon King Igneel himself can win against Acnologia."

"You know Igneel?"

"I do," and Atlas Flame began to change. "Not only that, but I also know about his plan. His idea to raise a human as his heir to fight in his name, the son of Igneel."

And Romeo couldn't help but widen his eyes as a new figure appeared in front of him. The appearance of someone whom he thought he would never see again was now in front of him.

As an enemy.

Wiping his mouth, the face of Natsu stared back at him.

"If you can't even beat someone like me," Natsu said. "Then how do you think you'll be able to defeat someone as strong as Acnologia."

Romeo realized that this new opponent was different. There was no trace of the being known as Atlas Flame anymore. Even if Romeo knew that this couldn't be real, the person across from him couldn't be anyone else but Natsu.

"Hey, Romeo. Let's see how far your training has taken you!"

His heart dropped as he realized what he had to do. This was his test, to fight against someone from his past.

He clenched his fists. "Then I guess I have to beat you first. I'll show you, Natsu-nii. I'll prove that I can become stronger!"

And Natsu smiled. That familiar smirk made Romeo hesitate for an instant. It was almost like his older brother was truly here for a moment.

"That's the spirit! Come at me!"

Raising his fists, Romeo roared as he charged towards Natsu.

}-{

"Damn it, their bodies are getting too hot!"

Vale stood over the two forms of his friends as he held a wet towel against them. Even as he tried to cool their bodies, he still took the opportunity to glare at the nearby girl keeping watch over them.

"What's going on Flare?"

"The two are undergoing the trial of fire," she answered. "A test by the mighty Eternal Flame to see if they are worthy. Facing his judgment is a dangerous task, as he will look deep into their hearts and see their potential. They will face off against a shadow, a being made up of their most innermost parts that one normally tries to suppress in their daily life."

She stared at the two meditating. "If one cannot accept their shadow self, if they refuse to acknowledge what their shadow is trying to teach them, then they will attack. Only by facing them and accepting who they are can one pass the trial. If they fail, then the results…"

"What?!"

She hesitated. "Even if they don't die, their bodies might not be able to use magic again."

"I never heard about this," Vale stood up. "If we knew the risk-"

"This is what you asked for," Flare interrupted. "You came into our village with the intention of gaining power from the very beginning. You should have been prepared for this the moment I told you about this task."

"No, you don't understand." Vale pointed towards Zera, his expression frantic. "Her body, it's not natural. Magic isn't just something that's a part of her, it's literally what is keeping her together. If something messes with the magic that's holding her form..."

Both of them jerked their heads as they heard a loud cry of pain coming from Zera. The small flame in her hands suddenly turned a black color as waves of heat began filling the area. Zera's face was one of intense pain as she seemed to struggle to keep the black flame under control.

"What is this vile magic?" Flare recoiled in horror. "Is this her fault?"

"Not exactly," Vale continued to stare at Zera. "Looks like this is turning for the worse already…"

}-{

"Hahahahaha!"

Zera's teeth clenched as she pressed a hand towards the burn wound against the side of her stomach. Already, she could tell that she was seriously hurt. It was only a few minutes since she started fighting against her opponent, but it was clear who was stronger here.

A savage grin greeted her. "So, the fairy brat is already tuckered out."

"I'm not done yet," she said as she struggled to stand. "You hear me, Zancrow!"

The appearance of the blonde mage had shocked her when she first saw him. But his immediate attack against her had caused Zera to quickly put it out of her mind if she wanted to survive against him.

Now that she had time to calm down, her mind began to think. This was most likely only a projection of her memory of Zancrow and not the real thing. After all, Zera was able to tell that this was all in her head. A mental battle caused by an illusion of the Eternal Flame.

Still, the pain in her side told her that this wasn't any simple illusion.

"If you don't keep up," Zancrow laughed as black flames covered his fist. "It will be the death of your soul!"

"Why are you here," she questioned. "Why would you appear in my test?"

Could it be because of how she gained a body? Was this a result of trying to undergo the trial while possessing a body made by the Arc of Embodiment? Is this why she's fighting Zancrow, the previous owner of her body?

If so, then this was bad. She already witnessed how powerful Zancrow was against Vale and Romeo. And even at the end, they technically weren't able to finish him off. They had to rely on exploiting the weakened connection between Zancrow and Rustyrose to possess his body to win in the end.

"Don't you know?" He smirked. "If you want power, who else would be better to teach you what it is what you want."

"You?" She stared at him incredulously. "Why would you of all people be qualified?"

"Because," and as he said that, he stopped smiling. "What you need most is only something I can teach."

"And what's that?"

A fist smashed into her chest, and her body flew as she coughed from Zancrow's attack.

"The power to slay gods." He began walking slowly towards where she landed. "But what exactly does that mean? Why did humans wish for the power to slay gods in the first place? Unlike dragons, who roamed the lands of old, why did humans bear such a grudge towards the concept of god?"

He soon reached where she was. "No, I think it's simpler than that. It's power, that's all humans want in the end. The power to control their own fate, to control their own destiny by taking down those that proclaim divine rule over them."

She coughed. "What does that have to do with me?"

"So tell me then," he leaned down and smiled at her. "Who is your god?"

Zera was taken aback. "What?"

"My god was Hades, and I was never able to overcome him when I was alive." He shrugged his shoulders. "That's something I blame Fairy Tail for, but it was also my fault. In the end, I was just too weak to overcome my fate."

He swept his hands. "Anyway, that's not the point. I see it in you too, the chains that bind you to your god. The ones that will bring you to ruin like mine did if you don't escape."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

But inside her head, Zera couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at his words.

"Hmm…" he stared at her for a second. "So, you're going to be all stubborn about it. Well, I've got nothing else to do. If I have to beat it out of you, then that's fine with me."

His body began to cover itself in black flames.

"For now, all you need is something simple for you to understand. That power is all the difference in the world. If you can't understand even that, I'll destroy you right here and now!"

He huffed.

"Fire God's—"

The flames began to converge around his mouth, and Zera knew what was going to happen next. Immediately, she poured all of her magic power into a shield of flame before her.

"—Bellow!"

And it was all she could do as she met his attack head-on.


Part 2

"Take this!"

Natsu's flame-covered fist flew towards Romeo's face, and the younger boy could do nothing but try and block it with his arms. The force behind Natsu's blow caused Romeo to fly into the distance, his arms completely numb from the attack.

"Fire Dragon's Claw!"

In an instant, Natsu quickly caught up to Romeo and sent a kick his way. This time, Romeo was unable to block the blow in time, the limb striking directly into his stomach.

"Gah!"

"Better keep up, cause this won't be much of a fight otherwise." Both of his limbs caught fire. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

The attack struck Romeo and caused him to cry out in pain as his body was once again sent tumbling across the ground.

Struggling to stand, the heat from their surrounding flames continued to exhaust him even more as his head grew dizzy.

What's going on, Romeo thought to himself. Even though I've been taking all these hits, there's no way I should have been able to get up this easily.

"Figured it out yet," Natsu called out. "This is a fake world, one that only exists in your mind. I don't really get all the details, but you won't fall so easily while you're in here. Your body may feel the pain, but it's not actually here fighting. So the only way you can lose is if I exhaust you so much that your body in the real world shuts down from all the pain."

Natsu grinned.

"Which means that I can go all out without worrying about killing you!"

Romeo grimaced as he took in the news. Even though it was good to know that he wouldn't lose easily, it still didn't solve the problem of how he was going to defeat Natsu.

He needed to quickly figure out the answer to achieving victory.

Wait, that's wrong. Romeo blinked. I don't need to defeat Natsu. Despite how he acts, this Natsu is only a projection formed from my heart. Winning in this case means conquering my own heart.

But how was he supposed to do that?

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"

Dodging the attack, Romeo countered with a spell of his own and sent a blast of purple fire towards Natsu's direction. The older boy simply grinned before opening his mouth and inhaling the entire flame in an instant.

"You idiot! I'm a fire dragon slayer, fire is just food to me."

"I know," Romeo cried out. "Of course I knew that, so this is for Totomaru-sensei!"

"What?"

And the next instant, Natsu felt something in his stomach begin to stir. He quickly tried to cover his mouth as he fell to his knees. A disgusting retching sound came from him as Natsu began emptying the contents of his stomach all over the ground.

"Aw, shit!" Natsu began to desperately wipe at his tongue. "Ah… ahhh…! Oh my god, that tasted like turds mixed with spicy mustard and cement. That's freaking disgusting, what was that?"

"I mixed some yellow fire into that attack you just ate," Romeo answered with a grin. "I call it the spewy fire! After fighting Zancrow last time, Totomaru-sensei taught me this in case I ever went up against another fire-eater."

This was his solution to preventing Natsu from simply absorbing his attacks. Even just a small bit of spewy fire was enough to cause Natsu to fall sick. There was no way he would be able to handle eating any of Romeo's flames anymore.

Face slightly green still, Natsu managed a weak smile. "That's smart! I never would have thought of that."

"I'm not just a purple fire mage like my dad," Romeo replied. "I'm also learning the basics of rainbow fire magic. You won't be able to eat my flames!"

"Then I'll just beat you up like normal." Natsu puffed his chest. "Fire Dragon's—"

Raising his arms, Romeo cried out in a loud voice. "Rainbow Fire!"

"—Roar!"

An explosion of flames erupted as the two attacks made contact, and Romeo found himself being blown away once more. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but feel the smile on his face growing wider.

"What's wrong?!" Natsu cried out. "I see you smiling over there, what are you thinking?!"

Tears started to appear at the corner of Romeo's eyes. "Nothing, you big dummy!"

Natsu clicked his tongue, then quickly closed the distance between them. "Don't get distracted now, you still need to figure out a way to beat me!"

"I know," Romeo cried as he threw a punch towards Natsu's face. "I'm just happy to see you again!"

Even as the fist made contact with his face, Natsu still looked at Romeo with a grin on his face. "That barely tickled."

"Then stay still and let me punch you again."

"Nuh-uh," Natsu dodged the next attack. "This time, you better give it your all."

"I've waited two years to give you a piece of my mind," Romeo said. "I'm definitely going to show you how strong I've grown since then."

Natsu laughed. "What? And you haven't done so the past few minutes?"

"Nope!"

And with that said, Romeo charged forward once more to fight.

}-{

Meanwhile, in the mental world of the other trial taker…

"Gwah!"

Zera's body crashed against the ground, her mouth coughing up blood as she felt her ribs shake. The brutal attacks from Zancrow were all powerful enough to kill her if this was still reality. It was only due to the nature of this world that she was still alive.

A foot landed on her head as Zancrow stood on top of her.

"I'm surprised you can still even move," he said with a flippant tone. "In this world, you can't die, you can't sleep, you can't get injured, you can't even pass out from all the pain. The only thing keeping you here is your willpower and spirit. But even that has limits."

He grinned. "And that just makes it all the more satisfying once I break you completely."

Lifting her into the air, he thrust a fist straight towards her chest. Zera cried out as fire began to engulf her entire body.

"That's why burning in here is so effective. All that pain, this place is basically hell."

Her body collapsed to the ground, and Zancrow gave her a bored look.

"It's been what? Twenty? Thirty? Fifty times you were defeated already?" His fist exploded in a black blaze. "Even if you can't die here, your body in the real world must be taking a toll. Since the pain is real, your body might get tricked into thinking its injuries are actually real. There's a possibility that you might die in real life."

He slammed his flame-covered fist straight towards her, causing a crater to form around them as his attack made contact with her body.

"I wonder… will you be able to get up from this?"

Zera struggled to open her eyes. It wasn't just the pain that was making it difficult to stay awake. No, it was also because of the surrounding flames that made it hard for her to concentrate. Even now, the heat emitting from them was making her dizzy and unable to think properly.

Seeing her barely able to stay conscious, Zancrow spat on the ground.

"Pathetic. The way you are now, no matter how much power you get, you'll never catch up to your friends with how weak your spirit is."

Zera glared at him. "What?!"

"That damn enchanter brat. Or maybe even the stupid dragon slayer that your friends still thinks is alive. They both have something that I think makes them way better than you right now. But because you're not like them, you're getting the living daylights beaten out of you by me."

She weakly raised an arm, her eyes narrowing in anger.

"Oh? Did I hit a nerve?" Cruelly, he used his foot to step down on her arm against the ground. "So what are you gonna do about it? Are you just gonna keep lying on the ground like the weakling you are?"

He grinned maniacally. "Well if that's the case, take this! Fire God's Supper!"

The form of a mouth was created from the black flames emitting from his arms. A sudden burst of strength came from Zera's body, and she flew backward as she dodged the attack.

"Come forth," she cried out. "Summon the Tenrou Soldiers!"

A large group of fiery beings appeared as they all formed to create vague silhouettes of human soldiers. All of them raised their weapons into the air as they charged towards Zancrow.

"Hoh? A mixture of illusion magic with fire?" He grinned. "But these are merely creations made of fire. That's nothing but a meal for me!"

As he opened his mouth to inhale them in, Zera slammed her hands together.

"Burst!"

Right as the soldiers reached Zancrow, all of them exploded before they could be absorbed by him. The pure concussive force enveloped Zancrow from all sides as the attack reached him.

"Haha, you're not good enough!"

But the attack seemed to barely affect him as he charged through with no problem. Reaching her position, he threw out a fist and met Zera's own as she countered without thinking.

"That's better," Zancrow cried out. "But not enough, you still can't defeat me at your current strength."

Pulling back his arm, he shot forth another blast towards the ground. Zera dodged by backflipping before the attack landed.

"You…" Zera growled as she charged forward. "Annoying blond bastard!"

Her fist smashed into his cheek and flew past it as Zancrow titled it a second too late. Turning his head around, he grinned as he spat a small amount of blood onto the ground.

"Heh."

His fist slammed into her face, causing it to turn the side. Throwing another attack, his other arm slammed into her stomach. And finally, he followed up that attack with a kick to her side.

Falling to the ground, Zera's body was completely enveloped in pain.

"Heh, even when you're serious you're still not strong enough. At this rate, it's better if you just died!" He towered above her collapsed form. "So, is this it?"

Tears started to appear at the corner of her eye.

"Wha— seriously?" Zancrow's voice turned incredulous. "You're really crying at a time like this? How pathetic."

She couldn't help it, the tears continued to fall down her face. The sheer pain and frustration at being unable to do anything caused Zera to break down.

But above all else, she was ashamed. Ashamed of her own weakness, for being completely helpless in her current situation.

She grew silent.

"That's it?" Zancrow stared at her for a second. "Hmph, then it looks like it's over. Your body in reality is probably completely damaged from all of this. I doubt you'll be able to even sense magic power, let alone use magic, at this rate. Your path as a mage is already over."

He turned around and began walking away. "Oh well, guess that's all you amounted to in the end. Still, you managed to keep your life. I'm sure your friends will help you recover from this once you're gone. Even if you can't use magic anymore, you can spend the rest of your days together with your guild in peace."

"No…"

Zancrow glanced back. "No? What, you're still planning on fighting in your condition? Please, you can't even lift your head properly."

"NOOO!"

Pure rage began pouring through her veins as she cried out in indignation. She couldn't fall here, there was no way she was going to just give up.

But even as her resolve strengthened, her body still collapsed under her injuries. Falling to the ground, her eyes finally rolled back as she fell unconscious.

"Huh?" Zancrow blinked. "I was expecting something big to happen. Guess it was just her last wind."

He gave her a curious look. "Strange, she's definitely out. But how come the test isn't over yet? The world should have collapsed once she fainted."

He shrugged. "I'll just wait then. Not like there's anything better to do."

Without any other option, Zancrow sat on the ground and closed his eyes. Not realizing that even as Zera was knocked out, the flames caused by her magic began to flicker ominously.


Part 3

Vale's eyes were bloodshot as he threw an arm to the side. "Flare, pass me more medicinal herbs."

"Here you go." A tendril of hair dropped the requested item into his palm, and Vale quickly began crushing it into a fine paste. "You should take a break. You've been awake for almost three days straight now, you need to sleep."

"I'm fine," Vale said without glancing her way. "Besides, all I'm doing is taking care of my friends. They're the ones who are doing the hard part, fighting during all that time."

"Time passes by differently when one is meditating," Flare said. "The trial is set in a mental world, which is exempt from the laws of our physical world. And that allows for a completely different experience of time. To us, three days may have passed. But similar to a dream, the passage of time feels slower in the mind. Three days in the real world could very well be three weeks or even three months in their world. It depends how deep they fall under the illusion."

"Great," Vale rolled his eyes. "Of course, why wouldn't that make sense. Obviously, this world follows Inception logic as well."

"I do not understand what that means."

"It's nothing," Vale sighed. "Just a reference from home…"

Too bad he didn't have a way to enter dreams like Leonardo DiCaprio did, otherwise he would have already tried to see if he could somehow help Romeo and Zera. The only idea he thought up so far was enchanting his personality into one of their bodies to undergo the trial alongside them. But Vale was still uncertain as to whether or not that would backfire since he couldn't consider all the possible repercussions.

Several giants stopped by and left over the course of the past few days. It seems that everyone in the village was watching to see whether or not the outsiders would receive a blessing from their guardian or not. Vale didn't know whether to feel annoyed or indignant towards their indifferent attitude. Instead, he continued to care for his unconscious friends.

"Glad that all those lessons from Porlyusica are paying off."

"This is the longest that anyone has ever been under," Flare suddenly said. "My own trial was only about a dozen hours long. And I was considered to be the only person to have ever taken that long to complete my trial. I am uncertain whether or not their extended duration is good or bad."

"It means they're still fighting," Vale answered. "If they failed, then they would have already woken up. The fact that they're still meditating means that they're still trying their best."

"But at this rate, their bodies might fail before they can succeed."

"How long do you think they have?"

"A few hours." At her answer, Vale looked up in alarm and Flare shrugged her shoulders. "The human body can generally go without drinking for only three days. Honestly, it would be best if they woke up now."

He stared down at his friends, who continued to hold in their palms a small part of the Eternal Flame. Over the course of the trial, both flames had slowly changed colors to suit their respective trial takers. Romeo's flame was a dark purple that grew lighter the closer it went to the edges. Meanwhile, Zera's flame was a pure black that sent chills down Vale's spine whenever he saw it.

"You two... you better wake up soon."

}-{

Zera found herself waking up in the middle of a forest.

Blinking to herself, she lifted herself from the ground and stared at her surroundings. The flames that filled her previous location were gone, now replaced with multiple trees that circled around her. The sound of leaves rustling as the wind blew gave off a pleasant atmosphere.

"You're awake."

"Gah!"

The voice appeared from behind her, and Zera quickly turned around to see who it was. Her eyes widened as she took in the familiar face.

"Vale? Is that you?"

"Not quite," Not-Vale said. "I'm just a copy of him. A memory from the time we connected to fight against Zancrow."

Her face flushed as she recalled exactly what he was talking about. When a couple of months ago, he enchanted her personality into his body to fight against Zancrow. Shaking her head, she tried to calm herself down.

"So, you're just a remnant of the original?"

"Sort of," he smiled. "Somehow, I grew a life of my own in this place. Not too dissimilar to yourself, since you're also a copy of the original Zera."

She winced. "Please, don't talk about that."

"Alright," Not-Vale nodded. "But since I'm not Vale, I should go by something else. You can call me Arius instead."

"Arius?"

"Nice to meet you for the first time, Zera." He gave her that same wide smile as before. "So, why are you here?"

"Where exactly is here?"

"This place," he gestured around him. "Well, this is a place where you can meet with dead people."

She gave him a confused look. "We're in hell?"

"Hey now," Arius sweatdropped. "If anything, this is closer to heaven. Besides, I think the previous place you came from was actually hell."

"You know about that?"

"Of course," he said. "I know that you were battling Zancrow before you came here. And since he defeated you, and this is a place to meet dead people, what do you think that means?"

She blinked, then her eyes widened in horror.

"I died," Zera said with realization. "I… actually died?"

"Not yet." Arius pulled her up, and Zera stumbled as she stood. "But you're close."

The two began walking together, and as Zera continued to look at her surroundings, she realized something.

"This… I recognize this place," she said. "This is Tenrou Island."

"That's right," Arius said. "But obviously, we're not actually at the real Tenrou Island. No, this is just a place that took on the appearance of your former birthplace. Have you figured out where we are yet?"

"We're still inside my mind," Zera guessed. "Earlier, I was fighting with Zancrow. But that was only because I was fighting in an illusion created by my mind. So this place must be something similar. Another world made from my memories."

"Close," Arius replied. "This world existed before you came here. Instead of thinking of this place as another world, think of it as a deeper layer to the one you were just in."

"Like an onion?"

He blinked. "Well… yes, kinda like an onion. The outer skin is reality, while each layer underneath represents a deeper part of your mind. At the core of the onion is your very essence, the things that makeup who the being known as 'Zera' is."

He gestured around him. "This place represents the part of you that keeps hold of certain memories important to you. It's because of that quality that I can still exist in this place when I should have faded the moment we separated. But this place also functions as something else, a place to maintain bonds."

She tilted her head. "Bonds?"

"Your bond to Tenrou Island," he gestured towards the surrounding forest. "Your bond to Fairy Tail." He held up his hand, where his tattoo displayed Fairy Tail's emblem. "And your bond to yourself."

"Myself? What does that mean?"

"In the place you were before, you fought against a shadow that represented your innermost thoughts and fears." Vale pointed upward. "That shadow was represented by Zancrow, who you were tasked to fight in order to come to terms with yourself. Had you properly faced him and accepted what he taught you, you would have received the blessing of Atlas Flame and passed the test."

Her face fell. "So because I lost, I failed."

"No, no, no." He shook his head. "You haven't failed yet. Just think of this place as a… second chance."

The two emerged from the forest and found themselves in front of a familiar set of ruins. The buildings that once made up Zera's former village, and the Red Lizard Guild.

"Why am I here?"

"I said so in the beginning," Arius replied. "This is a place to meet with dead people. So I'm here to take you to meet with the only other person on this island."

Her eyes widened, even as the sound of somebody walking towards them echoed throughout the area.

"Thank you, Arius." A familiar voice sounded out. "I'll take it from here."

He bowed. "It was my pleasure, First Master."

"Still, you have my gratitude." Mavis Vermillion turned towards Zera and smiled. "Now, Zera. I think it's time that we have a nice chat, don't you think?"

}-{

Romeo's body swayed side to side as he tried to stay conscious.

"You good buddy," Natsu called out. "We can take a breather if you're tired."

"I-I'm fine…" He lifted his arm, then weakly lowered it. "O-On second thought, how about we take another break."

"Works for me."

The two sat together on the ground even as flames continued to burn around them. Compared to the beginning of this trial, Romeo barely took notice of them anymore. The exhaustion caused by the heat seemed to weaken as time passed. Or maybe it was that he got accustomed to it.

"Hey, I saw that last attack of yours. I think it improved compared to the previous times you used that move."

"Really? I was just thinking that it felt smoother compared to before."

"Nah! It really felt like you added more 'oomph' to it."

This was something the two had begun doing ever since a couple of fights ago. Since Romeo felt that he wasn't improving fast enough, he asked Natsu if there were any tips he could give to help him improve. At first, the other boy was confused by his request. But since there was nothing that said he wasn't allowed to do so, Natsu figured that he could help his buddy out with training to become stronger.

The two felt something shift in the air, and a voice called out from behind them.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Both turned around only to come face-to-face with the fake Macao. The dragon in the shape of a human gave them both disappointed looks.

"The two of you are supposed to be fighting against each other. Why are you just sitting around chatting and doing nothing."

"Hey! We aren't just sitting around," Natsu complained. "We're going over strategies on how Romeo's supposed to get better. Isn't that the whole point of this whole thing?"

"No, the point was to test the boy and see if he was strong enough."

"Well, obviously the answer is not yet. But give him a bit more time, and he might be able to meet your expectations."

Romeo nodded. "Would you like to join us, Mister Flame?"

"It's Atlas Flame, you brat!" Fake-Macao sighed. "You know what, never mind. If it helps you get better, whatever. I'm just here to tell you that your time limit is almost up."

Romeo blinked. "There's a time limit?"

"Obviously, you can't stay here forever." Fake-Macao gave Romeo a look that said 'well duh'. "You only have a few hours left to convince me that you're worthy to learn from me. Once time passes, you'll fail and I'll send you back to the real world."

"Aw man," Romeo scratched his head. "I'm still not that confident that I can beat Natsu-nii yet."

"Hey, don't say that." Natsu slammed his hand onto Romeo's back. "I'm sure you'll figure out a way to beat the crap out of me soon enough. You just have to believe hard enough."

"You two are complete idiots," Fake-Macao said with an exasperated face. "I'm going to leave and check up on you two a bit before the deadline comes. Hopefully, you'll manage to improve by then."

And Fake-Macao disappeared in a whirlpool of flames.

Romeo pouted. "He's such a showoff. But still, that exit was absolutely cool."

"Hey, now's not the time to admire his dramatics." Natsu pulled Romeo up to his feet. "Alright, no more breaks from now on. Either you find a way to beat me, or you fail this trial. And I don't know about you, but Fairy Tail doesn't fail a job."

"This isn't exactly a job request," Romeo said. But still, he smirked. "Fine, all I have to do is beat you. That should be easy enough!"

"Hah, that's exactly what I like to hear."


Part 4

Zera didn't say anything as Mavis guided the two of them to sit at a nearby table. In the distance, she could spot V- Arius hanging around in case they needed anything.

"Do you have any questions?"

Hearing Mavis speak again after so long, Zera didn't know what to say. Instead, she gestured towards Mavis, who only nodded in response.

"I guess I can talk for the both of us." Mavis settled into her seat. "First off, let's talk about you. I'm glad that you finally got the chance to join our guild. Fairy Tail… that's a part of us that holds a certain importance."

"By us, you mean…"

"Yuri, Precht, Warrod, and even Zeref." Mavis smiled. "That time all those years ago, when we first teamed up to take back the Tenrou Jade. When we first learned from Zeref about how our magic was like, and our battle with Blue Skull."

"I remember."

"Something happened that day," Mavis continued. "When I first used Law, we learned that there were some side effects from using it when I didn't master it yet. One was the fact that I would not age anymore, do you recall?"

"I do," Zera grimaced. "You were supposed to take ten years to fully master it."

"But that wasn't all," Mavis said. "Later, I learned that… I was cursed. That day, my usage of Law drew the attention of a powerful being onto me. That being judged me and gave me the curse of contradiction."

Zera's face paled. "Like Zeref?"

"Yes," Mavis nodded. "There's more to that topic. But first, I have to explain how that relates to you."

Mavis gestured towards herself. "I learned that you were created by my magic, but that doesn't mean you're not my friend Zera. You're your own person."

"But I'm not," Zera interrupted. "No matter how you say it, I'm just a fake. I'm not Zera, not the real one at least. I'm just someone you made using magic."

"You're more than that?"

"Am I?" Zera gave a bitter laugh and gestured towards herself. "You know, I thought things would change after I gained a body. But it was almost exactly like before. I never told anyone, but…"

And Zera inhaled sharply, Mavis just waiting patiently for Zera to speak.

"It's weird. I have a heart and blood runs through my veins, but these past few months I haven't changed at all. Not physically, at least. My hair didn't grow, my fingernails stayed the same length. I never get hungry, and even when I eat large amounts of food, I never feel full or need to go to the bathroom."

Zera slammed a fist on the table, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.

"I'm not… human. Even if I look like one, I'm just not… a person. I don't even count as alive. Even so..."

Finally, Zera started to cry.

"I don't want to die!"

Zera finally stopped ranting, but her fears were finally revealed. Because while nobody has said it yet, there was a time limit on Zera's current life.

At the moment, the real Mavis was currently indisposed due to the effects of Fairy Sphere. The one she was talking to was probably just another illusion conjured by her unconsciousness. A powerful magic capable of protecting the caster to the point where even time and space were affected. It was because of this that the real Mavis was otherwise preoccupied, and the reason why Zera was able to exist.

Because it was only due to Mavis's influence that she was alive, yet it was because of her disappearance that she was free. The moment Mavis returned, the current Zera would fade away instantly.

And she would die.

Vale, Romeo, Warrod.

All the other members of the guild, how could she tell them that she was going to die in only a couple of years? They were so happy at the idea that their former guild members would return, how could she spoil that happiness by telling them what would happen to her?

The next moment, Zera felt arms wrapping around her as Mavis moved her into a hug. Pressing her head against her chest, Zera continued to cry silently as Mavis began stroking her head.

"Ssh… it's okay," Mavis whispered. "Things are going to be okay, I promise."

"H-How can you promise that…"

"Because," and Zera looked up to see Mavis smiling. "You have a choice. Zera, you are someone special. Not just because you're my friend, but because your entire existence is made up of a complex number of factors all fused together into one. The original Zera, me, Zeref, Vale, Rustyrose, Zancrow. All of those factors, they make up a part of you."

She removed her arms from Zera and helped her stand up. "Your core may rely on my help, but you have finally grown to the point where my assistance will no longer be needed. Now, you have to decide."

"Decide what?"

Her smile turned into a sad one. "To live. Because while most living things never get the choice, you are allowed to decide whether you want to continue living. Because what I have in mind may not be the existence you are hoping for. What I am planning may not necessarily be a blessing, but a curse."

Zera bit her lip.

"I… want to live," she shook her head. "No, not just that. I want to live so that I can still keep what I have in life. I want to keep talking with my friends, to have fun with everyone at the guild. I still want to team up with Vale and Romeo, and I want to grow. I don't want to stay a constant existence, never changing. And beyond that, I want to see what life still has in store for me."

Mavis gave her a sad look.

"...if that is your decision," Mavis exhaled. "Then this is what is going to happen."

She took Zera's hand.

"What I'm going to do now is cast Law."

"Law?" Zera gave a confused look. "Why that magic specifically, and is it going to be safe?"

For you.

"Law is an ancient magic that pronounces magical judgment by destroying what the caster feels is evil and saving what the caster feels is good." A wave of magic began gathering around the two of them. "But it has another effect. It pronounces judgment on what is true and what isn't."

Mavis's face grimaced, and Zera's eyes widened as black miasma began forming around them.

"Mavis!"

"Whoops," Mavis tried to smile, but it came off looking pained. "Looks like someone's unhappy with what we're about to do."

"What's going on?!"

"Ankhseram black magic," Mavis said. "The curse of contradiction, it's acting up. I tried to hold it back, but it looks like it's going out of control."

"Time's up." Arius was suddenly by their side. "First Master, you need to stop."

"No," she said through gritted teeth. "I can do this. Just stick to the plan."

"Plan?" Zera gave them both confused looks. "What plan?"

Arius spoke. "Zera, do you remember the spell Vale taught you?"

"Huh?" It took her a few seconds to remember it. "Y-Yeah, residual thought enchantment."

"You need to use it right now."

"What? But I haven't successfully cast it once yet, I can't just—"

"Zera," and her attention was drawn to Mavis. "Please, if this is to work you must cast it."

"Wh- ugh, fine!" Zera began to gather her own magic. "Enchant Type - Residual Thought Enchantment!"

Nothing happened.

"You see, I can't do it."

"Of course you couldn't," Arius suddenly said. "She told you to cast it. So what in the world makes you think using someone else's magic power would work?"

"What? What do you mean—"

And finally, it clicked.

For several months now, she was used to moving around in a physical body. The possession of Rustyrose's Arc of Embodiment had allowed her to create a physical form for herself, with the ability to use magic thanks to her new form. But every time she used magic, it was actually the magic contained in Rustyrose's spell that did the work, not herself.

That was why she was falling behind compared to Romeo, and why she had so much trouble learning new spells. It was because she was trying to do so using someone else's magic instead of hers.

But now, here in a mental world, she was more sensitive to her own power. Earlier, she tried to feel for her magic instinctively using her body. Even though she was supposed to sense it with her mind. And now, with her entire mental state made manifest into a world for her to interact with, she could finally sense it.

Her power.

"Enchant Type." This time, she tried again. Connecting to the magic in the air, the magic that made up her soul, she cast the spell. "Residual Thought Enchantment!"

As the spell activated, her body began to change. Before she could even take the time to notice what was different about her, Mavis drew her attention.

"It's time," she said. "Calculating the specific formula, gathering the necessary ethernano in the air, modifying it to suit your new body."

Raising her arms in the air, Mavis shouted at the top of her lungs.

"LAW!"

And the world turned white.

.

.

.

Make sure to always be happy, Zera.

.

.

.

Hey... do you still believe in fairies?

.

Let's go searching for fairies one day.

.

All of us.

.

Together.

.

.

.

Remember… you have to keep on living.

}-{

And Zancrow's eyes shot wide open.

Jumping up from where he was lying, he turned to stare at the direction where Zera had collapsed earlier. The incredible wave of magic power coming from her almost made him buckle over from how overwhelming it was.

"What the fuck?!"

A black aura began surrounding Zera's body, and Zancrow watched in horror as she slowly stood up. Her appearance began to slowly change even as she turned to face his direction.

It was the eyes that he noticed first. Unlike before, they were now filled with a burning passion and determination that Zancrow never witnessed before.

Then he took in the rest of her appearance. Her hair was no longer brown, but blonde and spiky. Her clothes had changed from its normal orange dress to a skirt-like armor similar to what he wore. And then there was the strange miasma surrounding her.

But lastly, it was the dark flames coming from her hand that caused him to realize what happened.

The fucking brat stole my magic! He thought to himself incredulously. What the absolute hell?!

And finally, she spoke.

"Enchant Type - Zancrow!"

Zera was now a god slayer.


Part 5

It was a scene of chaos.

Two figures flew through the air as both sent a flurry of fists towards each other. Crashing against the ground, craters would form and giant pieces of rubble would float for several seconds before falling into the abyss below. The entire world was collapsing as Romeo and Natsu duked it out.

"Fire Dragon's Claw!"

Natsu never held back, always attacking with all of his might when facing Romeo. Even though there was no worry about Natsu eating his flames, Romeo still knew that Natsu was still leagues above him in terms of strength.

So he had to cheat.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

As Natsu threw a punch with his hands caught on fire, Romeo took control of Natsu's fire and forced the other mage to redirect the attack… towards his face.

"Gwah!" Natsu's head turned to the side as his own fist impacted his cheek. "Wha-"

"Rainbow fire wasn't the only magic Totomaru-sensei taught me," Romeo began to explain. "Controlling a fire mage's own magic, that was his other specialty. A dragon slayer can't eat their own element either, so your flames won't help you anymore!"

Natsu grinned. "Heh, but don't you know. Not even Totomaru could control my flames if I'm determined enough."

"I know," Romeo said. "That's why I'm not going to control your flames."

"Huh?"

And around them, the flames burning on the battlefield suddenly flickered before heading straight towards where Natsu was. Caught off guard, he wasn't able to defend himself as his body was assaulted from all sides.

"Guahhh!"

"You can't eat these flames either, can you?" Romeo questioned. "I thought it was just a part of the scenery, but that's not it. During our entire battle, you never thought about eating them to restore your strength. These flames, they belong to Atlas Flame right? And even though you're not Atlas Flame, you're an illusion that was created by him. Which means that you can't eat these flames either."

"Heh," and Natsu began laughing. "That's it, you're finally getting it. This is your power, Romeo. Not just dragon slaying magic, not just purple flare, and not even the teachings of Totomaru. It's all of that, all those things you learned together that make you who you are."

Natsu stopped laughing. "However…"

And his body exploded with an aura of magic power, dispersing the flames surrounding him. Romeo barely blinked before Natsu was right before him, his fist already buried into Romeo's stomach.

"That's still not enough!"

Falling to his knees, Romeo realized that he was almost completely out of magic power. If he used up anymore, there was no way he could stay conscious long enough to find a way to defeat Natsu.

I… lost, he thought to himself. Then again, why does that make so much sense? It was obvious from the start that I couldn't win against Natsu-nii.

But no, he made a promise to himself. To fight with all of his might, and to one day become strong enough to defeat Acnologia.

"This is the end," Natsu said. "Fire Dragon's—"

A thought came to him at that moment, something that he couldn't figure out earlier. As he said, it was impossible to defeat Natsu with his current strength. But that wasn't the goal of this trial.

Winning in this case means conquering my own heart.

The goal of this trial was to convince Atlas Flame that he could learn from him and become a dragon slayer.

And the only way to do so was…

"—Roar!"

...by doing what a dragon would do in his current situation.

Natsu's finishing move met Romeo's body straight on, but something incredible began to happen.

Opening his mouth as wide as he can, Romeo began to take control of Natsu's flame. Not just his flames, but the flames around him. And without thinking, he began to do something he never thought he would ever do.

He began to eat them.

This is my answer, he thought even as he tried to control the chaotic energies entering his body. To accept it all. The ghosts of my past, the promise of a new power, the drive to become something more.

It was difficult. Taking in someone else's magic power was not supposed to work this way. Allowing a foreign substance into your body was never a solution most people would come up with.

But Romeo recalled the words of the chief before he came here.

"Fire is energy and life," the giant explained. "It is alive, with its own desire to keep on living. You can guide it and feed it, but never be arrogant to assume that you command it. Instead, you respect and accept it."

Already, he could feel his body changing. His hearing becoming sharper, his nose becoming more sensitive, his sight improving in clarity. Fangs growing in his mouth and his pupils dilating and narrowing into slits. The heat from the flames barely feeling anything more than a comforting warmth against his skin.

"This is…" Natsu watched in interest. "Did he actually…"

To accept the fire… that is the answer.

And Romeo stood, his body reborn.

"Fairy Tail's Romeo Conbolt," he introduced himself. "Hell Flame Dragon Slayer."

Natsu grinned.

"Fairy Tail's Natsu Dragneel," he replied. "Fire Dragon Slayer."

The two grinned, and both charged towards each other.

}-{

Zera was a terrifying opponent to fight.

He cursed as another one of her attacks barely passed by him, barely reacting in time to prevent one of her flames from touching him. Zancrow's instincts were roaring at him to avoid her flames, even though they should have been exactly the same flames as his.

But then again, he had a suspicion as to why.

"The heck is with that weird stuff coming from you?"

Surrounding Zera's body was a lingering miasma that continued to give off an ominous feeling. An aura of darkness and emptiness… a promise of death.

"The curse of contradiction," Zera answered. "But held back by the power of a god slayer."

"Hah?" Zancrow gave her a confused look. "Wait, are you saying…"

"I'm like Mavis now," she said. "And Zeref. Like those two, Ankhseram decided that my existence was wrong. And thus, I have been granted the same curse as those two."

Because Zera finally realized what Mavis did to her. Using Law, she had somehow found a way to change reality to accept her current existence as 'something alive'. Zera hypothesized that if she were to return to reality now, she would discover that something about her body would have fundamentally changed because of this. Not just the acceptance of her own magic power, but a possibility of becoming a new type of existence.

And it seems that somebody didn't like that.

"You've been cursed… by a god?" And as Zancrow said that, he couldn't help the laughter that escaped his lips. "Heh… heheheh… hehahahahah, oh that's brilliant! Of course, if anyone would deserve to get cursed by those annoying bastards, it would be the birth of a new god slayer."

The black miasma surrounding her wavered for a moment until it began to shrink as Zera produced more black flames to ward them away. The only thing keeping them at bay was her control over them using her newfound power as a god slayer.

"There's no point to fighting anymore," Zera said. "With me getting cursed, one wrong move from me can instantly kill you. Like your original self, your current existence would merely cease once my magic hits you."

He scowled at that. "Peh, what an annoying situation."

"Yet at the same time, I've already lost." Zera gave a sad smile. "I finally understand what Mavis meant now. How can you call this new life a blessing? To be cursed to slowly kill everything around me unless I no longer care for them, what kind of life is that?"

"Heh, sucks for you."

"But…" And Zera turned to face him. "Maybe there's a way for the both of us to benefit from this."

"Huh?"

She gestured towards herself. "The only thing keeping this curse back at bay now is my- your magic. But it's not enough, sooner or later I'll lose control of this curse and accidentally kill someone. But if I were to grow stronger, and make my god slayer magic strong enough to combat the curse, that won't happen."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

She smiled. "I want you to teach me."

"What?"

"Teach me how to control this power," she gestured towards her flames. "Help me become stronger using the power of a Fire God Slayer. Guide me to learning how to become strong enough to ignore the curse of a god and learn to control my powers."

Zancrow just stared incredulously at her.

"And what do I get out of this?"

She smirked.

"The dead leaves nothing behind but memories," she began. "And that is what you are. Once this trial ends, even that will disappear. Your current existence will fade and return back to my subconsciousness where it belongs."

He clicked his tongue at that.

"But if I made it so that you could return to the real world with me, you could still exist. My illusion magic can help you maintain your current existence. And in return, you will act as my teacher."

"I'd rather die."

"Don't refuse too soon," Zera said. "Because there's another benefit to this relationship."

"I doubt anything you say will convince me to change my mind."

Zera smiled, a sinister one that made chills run down his back.

"Because if you help me, then we can do something that all god slayers never accomplished before." She leaned forward. "I want your help to become strong enough to kill a god."

His eyes widened. "You can't be serious… you're talking about Ankhseram!"

"Ankhseram has already hurt two people I know," Zera replied. "One of them is my best friend. Fairy Tail does not allow its enemies to roam free. For those that hurt our family, we will fight with all our might."

She held out a hand.

"So, what do you say? Are you in?"

Zancrow stared at her hand for several seconds. His thoughts were in a whirlwind as he tried to figure out what this deal would mean.

If he accepted this offer, he would be nothing more than a slave. Trading one master for another, to be confined to the whims of a little girl. Not just that, but a girl belonging to a guild that he saw nothing more than an enemy. Literally, the guild that caused his own to perish.

But if he accepted her offer…

He licked his lips.

The mere idea of even being involved in the possibility of killing a god. That idea was something that he couldn't get out of his head, no matter how much he tried.

And if he accepted Zera as his student…

He suddenly grinned.

"Fine." He took her hand. "I grant you permission to inherit my legacy. You'll not just be my student, you're going to be my fucking disciple. From now on, I'll teach you everything I know to become the strongest god slayer there ever will be. And at the end of this, I'll personally witness you killing that bastard of a god with my own eyes."

He gave her a savage smile. "Is that alright with you?"

And Zera returned the smile.

"It's a promise."


Part 6

Vale paced back and forth. "They should be awake by now."

"You're right," and even Flare looked concerned. "The deadline is approaching, their bodies might not be able to handle the power of the Eternal Flame any longer. At best, both of them will only lose their ability to use magic. But if it's worse than that…"

"Damn it," Vale clenched his fist. "And there's nothing I can do?"

"Not exactly," Flare had an unreadable look on her face. "The spotter's role is to watch over his companions and make sure they endure the trail safely. This means that there is a way for a spotter to cancel the ceremony if they ever believe that their companions are in danger."

She gestured towards the flames hovering in Romeo and Zera's hands. "Extinguish the fire, and that will end the trial."

"Just like that?"

"It's that easy," Flare replied. "But the repercussions of doing so are also something you have to take into account. Since their minds are connected to our guardians, extinguishing the flame could cause damage to their mental state when returning from the mental world. Their minds may lose portions of their memories, or maybe they might end up comatose."

"So like pulling out a USB without ejecting…" Vale grimaced. "Damn it, why do I have to decide whether to pull them out early?"

"Because that is the responsibility you have taken upon yourself."

Suddenly, both of them saw the two flames in the hands of the two trial takers flicker. The parts of the Eternal Flame connecting them to the village guardian began to grow and shrink in erratic patterns, making Vale fear for the worse.

"It's going out of control?!"

"You have to decide now," and Flare's voice drew his attention back to her. "Either force them to give up early or risk their lives for them to receive our guardian's blessing."

Vale bit his lip.

If he stopped the trial now, then Romeo and Zera would no doubt receive some damage from being forcefully pulled out. But if the alternative was risking their safety, would that be worth it?

No, a guarantee of minor damage couldn't be better than a risk of good or ill. Because what if the two succeeded? If they completed their trials, the two would receive the blessing of the Eternal Flame. They would become even stronger mages by the end of their trial.

But what if they failed?

Flare outlined the risks. At best, the two would permanently lose the ability to use magic. In Zera's case, Vale didn't even know what that would mean for her since her body relied mainly on magic to function. And as for the worst-case scenario, the only outcome left for them was death.

"I have to make a decision…"

Even if he decided to stop the ceremony now, would Romeo and Zera forgive him if he did? No, if the other option was letting them get harmed, then Vale could take their anger. But if he decided to do that to them, a seed of doubt would always remain in their hearts of what would have happened if they kept going.

"I want to believe in you two," Vale said. "But, what if you two never wake up again?"

Because it wasn't just Vale who would lose someone. What would he say to Macao if he returned with the news of what happened? What would he say to the rest of the guild?

Zera may be old, but she was still just a child. And Romeo was only nine years old.

If they died...

Tears started rolling down his eyes.

Death was something he had experienced with. It was a kind of terror that he never wanted to subject to another person if he could help it. Maybe there was some kind of great beyond, but Vale was pulled away from it before he could have the choice of entering it. And then, he found himself in this world.

Could he watch his friends die and risk them experiencing the same thing he did?

He made up his mind.

"I'm sorry," Vale began walking towards them. "I'm sorry for not being able to believe in you two, but I can't risk it. Even if you lose your memories, or even your magic, at least you'll be alive."

Vale stood over the two of them and knelt on the ground.

"I just need to extinguish the flames," he told himself. "That's all I need to do…"

But as his hands moved in front of him, he froze.

The sun began to rise into the distance, shining a light on the area around them and illuminating the entire village. In the distance, the Eternal Flame began to glow as its colors melded together with the morning light.

And as the light slowly reached their spot, Vale felt something in his heart stir.

"The morning sun," Vale muttered. "Three days have passed."

The flames disappeared, but it wasn't Vale who extinguished them. Looking up, he found himself staring at the faces of Romeo and Zera, both with their eyes open and staring at him.

They were awake.

"Hey," Romeo waved. "Sorry that we're late."

"It took a while to convince my opponent to listen to reason," Zera smiled. "Looks like we came back just in time."

Vale couldn't help but snort. "Would have been nice if you finished a couple of hours ago instead."

And seeing that they were okay, he threw his arms around the two of them, causing all three to collapse to the ground.

"You idiots," he cried out. "What makes you think it's okay to finish at the very last moment?!"

"Ahahaha…" Romeo could do nothing but laugh. "Nice to see that you were taking care of us."

"Sorry for the trouble, Vale."

"I-It's no t-trouble at a-all…" Tears and snot were running down his face. "I'm j-just glad you guys a-are alright."

To think that he was this close to forcing them to end their trial early. But in the end, they were fine.

And that was all that mattered.

}-{

"So wait, you fought against your old guild member Natsu?"

"Yup," Romeo puffed his chest. "And I won against him!"

"Wow, congrats." Vale turned to Zera. "And you fought against…?"

"Zancrow."

Vale titled his head in confusion. "Why him?"

Zera was about to explain, but a cough from nearby forced all three of them to turn towards its direction. Standing near them was a patient Flare, who spoke once she had their attention.

"There's something wrong with the Eternal Flame."

"What is it?"

"Ever since your trial concluded, the flame has shrunk to a fraction of what it was." Flare gave them suspicious looks. "Some of the giants have questions about why the flame is no longer as strong as it was before. What exactly did you do during your trial?"

Romeo turned to face the others, then turned back to look at Flare.

"Actually, there's something that I need to tell your chief…"

}-{

The village chief towered above them as Romeo explained what was going on.

"Atlas Flame," he said. "That is the true name of your guardian. I'm not sure why, but when he passed on his teachings to me, he said that he would enter a deep sleep to help me accumulate to my magic. I'm not sure if that's related to this, but maybe the reason the Eternal Flame is smaller is that he's in some kind of hibernation."

Vale knew better of course. The residual thoughts that he had sensed from the Eternal Flame had all but disappeared. Instead, he could feel something strange about Romeo's magic. As if something was being mixed with his magic.

Seems that Atlas Flame had decided to use the Dragon Soul technique to inhabit Romeo's body.

Why he would do that, Vale was uncertain. But because of that, Vale was no longer able to question the dragon's motives. As long as he hid in Romeo's body, there was no way to contact him.

"Hmm," the village chief frowned. "At least we know more about our guardian now. I'm already having a few of our villagers combing through ancient texts to see how to best care for the Eternal Flame. Knowing that it is the deceased form of a dragon will help us figure out a way to maintain its existence."

"Thank you for taking care of us these past few days," Zera bowed towards the chief. "We are very grateful for your generosity."

"HAHAHAHA! It was our pleasure." The chief smiled. "But I do have a favor."

"What is it?"

"Flare, come here please!"

The young girl moved to stand next to the chief, a comical sight given that the giant towered above her so that she was only barely taller than his foot. Placing a hand on her head, the chief glanced down at the members of Fairy Tail.

"Please take our daughter into your guild," he said. "Flare is the only human here, and we think it's best if she learns to get used to others her own species."

"We'd love to have her in our guild." Romeo turned to face Flare. "Wait, are you okay with this first?"

"I am," Flare nodded. "If you will have me, then I would love to explore more of the outside world."

Vale smiled. "Then welcome to Fairy Tail. We'll ask Macao to get you a stamp once we get home."

That night, the entire village celebrated as the news of Flare's departure spread around the villagers. The three, now four, members of Fairy Tail laughed and sang throughout the night.

The entire celebration was so fun, Vale forgot what he came here to do in the first place. The questions he had in his heart disappeared, but a small nagging thought stuck to his mind.

Atlas Flame… have we met before?

Knowing about the Eclipse Gate project, Vale wanted to ask if Atlas Flame ever traveled to the future by entering through the gate. Because the events of the Grand Magic Games five years from now would no doubt have changed due to Vale's influence.

But maybe it was better off not to know.

After all, knowing the future wasn't always a blessing.


Honestly, this conclusion was a bit meh in my opinion. But everyone knew that Romeo and Zera were going to succeed anyway, plus the fact that Flare joining FT seemed a bit obvious.

Romeo vs Dragon Slayer and Zera vs God Slayer. Romeo promising to defeat Acnologia... and Zera promising to kill Ankhseram. The parallels between these two make them both interesting teammates.

At first, I wasn't planning for Romeo to fight against Natsu. But I realize that it would have been better a couple of chapters ago to change from just gaining an apprenticeship from Atlas Flame to instead fighting against a version of his idol. This version of Natsu is based on Romeo's memories, so he's not as strong as he is while he was on Tenrou Island.

The scene with Mavis and Zera is borrowed from a certain chapter from Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest. If you guys are caught up with the translation, I'm sure you know which chapter I'm talking about. Arius is a nod to a certain character in the Fairy Tail story. There's no guarantee whether or not the name is just a coincidence or not, but that should be enough of an easter egg for now.

One thing to note is that Zera totally went full Super Saiyan here, even the blonde hair thing by taking on Zancrow's appearance. But yeah, what Mavis just did may have been done with good intentions, but what she did wasn't without consequences.

Also, technically this means that we have Zancrow joining Fairy Tail as a new member. Imagine Natsu's surprise when he returns home.

Now, here's a bit of a spoiler for the next few chapters. I plan to write only one more chapter before the Tenrou team returns. This chapter is going to be a bit of a weird one since one part will focus on Vale's backstory.

Hope you guys are looking forward to that!