Bonus Chapters every 100 Power Stones
"Normal Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
[Year X789]
~ With Team Fairy Tail ~
The name "Tenrou Island" hung in the air, stealing the breath from every Fairy Tail member present. For a long time now, that name had represented their greatest loss. The disappearance of their guildmaster and strongest members, the beginning of their guild's decline.
But Meredy had spoken of it not as a mystery, but as a battle she had personally witnessed. Her casual mention suggested firsthand knowledge of an event that had tormented them with questions for years.
"You... fought them?" Max finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper. "On Tenrou Island?"
Ultear shot Meredy a sharp, disapproving look. The pink-haired woman's eyes widened as she realized her slip, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
"Oops, that wasn't supposed to come up." She said with a sheepish shrug.
"You were there," Bisca said, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten as she stepped forward, hands clenched into fists at her sides. "You know what happened to them."
It wasn't a question but an accusation, her voice trembling with barely contained emotion.
For five long years, they had clung to hope while knowing nothing. Not whether their friends were alive or dead, suffering or at peace. The possibility of finally getting answers overshadowed even their current predicament.
Ultear crossed her arms, her expression unreadable.
"If you want information," She replied evenly, "you'll have to defeat us first."
A small, cruel smile touched her lips. "But if you wish to continue this fight, I should warn you that I won't hold back anymore."
The threat hung between them, its implications clear. If what they'd faced so far was Ultear holding back, her full power would be overwhelming. Yet not one of the Fairy Tail mages backed down. Despite their near depleted magic, despite their exhaustion, despite knowing victory was virtually impossible.
They stood their ground.
"So be it," Ultear said softly.
She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them with renewed focus. The air around her began to distort subtly, rippling like heat waves over desert sand. Without any grand gesture or incantation, she simply released her magical restraint, allowing her true power to manifest.
The effect was immediate and devastating. An invisible weight crashed down upon the Fairy Tail team, a pressure so intense it drove them to their knees almost instantly. It wasn't a directed attack or specific spell. Rather, it was just the raw force of Ultear's magical energy pressing against them.
Max gasped for breath, feeling as if his lungs were being compressed. Beside him, Jet and Droy struggled to raise their heads, their bodies pinned to the ground by the overwhelming magical pressure. Alzack had managed to stay on one knee, his arm stretched out toward Bisca, who had been driven down to both knees and one hand.
"This," Ultear said calmly, "is the difference between us. This is why you cannot win."
She walked forward slowly, the ground around her feet cracking slightly with each step. "This is the power of those who were present at Tenrou Island. The level of magic that your missing guildmates faced."
Despite her words, despite the crushing pressure that made even breathing difficult, Max forced his head up. His arms shaking with effort, he pushed against the invisible weight, struggling to regain his footing. Slowly, painfully, he rose to one knee, then gradually straightened until he stood on trembling legs.
"We won't... give up," he managed, each word a clear battle against the pressure.
Inspired by Max's defiance, Alzack fully stood next, pulling himself upright through sheer force of will. Bisca followed immediately after, her eyes burning with determination. Even Jet and Droy, who had been driven flat to the ground initially, fought their way back to their feet, standing side by side despite the visible strain it caused them.
"They're family," Jet said, his voice strained but clear.
"Not just guildmates," Droy added, his larger frame shaking with effort. "Family."
"You clearly know something about what happened to them," Max continued, taking a halting step forward. "Even if we can't beat you today—"
"—we'll never stop trying," Alzack finished, his hand finding Bisca's despite the pressure still bearing down on them.
Bisca's eyes locked with Ultear's unwaveringly despite their obvious power difference. "And if you had anything to do with their disappearance," she warned.
"Fairy Tail will hunt you to the ends of Earthland."
The five of them stood together, united in their defiance. In that moment, they embodied everything Fairy Tail had always represented. Not just power, but the strength found in bonds that transcended mere guild membership.
To their surprise, Ultear's lips curved into an appreciative smile. The crushing magical pressure didn't diminish, but something in her expression changed, a glimmer of respect replacing the previous dismissal.
"Perhaps there's more to Fairy Tail than I thought," she muttered.
At that exact moment, the air between the two groups distorted. Without warning, Shisui appeared in a blur of movement, his Body Flicker technique bringing him directly to the center of the confrontation. He stood with his back to his guild members, facing Ultear and Meredy, his sudden appearance so unexpected that both sides momentarily froze.
"This should be enough," he said calmly.
The words were simple, but they carried a weight of authority that seemed to reset the entire situation. The overwhelming magical pressure from Ultear vanished instantly, the sudden relief causing several of the Fairy Tail members to stagger.
"Shisui!" Max exclaimed confusedly. "Where did you—"
"I apologize for my absence," Shisui replied without turning around, his attention still focused on Ultear. "But it was necessary."
Ultear tilted her head slightly. "Did you see what you needed?"
"Yes," Shisui confirmed. "More than enough."
Meredy's earlier mischievous demeanour returned as she grinned at the Fairy Tail team from behind Shisui.
"You didn't do too badly," she offered, though her tone suggested this was generous praise. "For a group of non-S-class mages, anyway."
"What's going on?" Bisca demanded, her voice still ragged from exertion. "Shisui, do you know these people? Did you arrange this?"
Shisui finally turned to face his team, his expression calm but holding a hint of guilt.
"I did," he admitted. "This was a test. One you needed more than you realized."
"A test?" Jet repeated incredulously. "We could have been killed!"
"No," Shisui said firmly. "You were never in any real danger. Ultear and Meredy were under strict instructions not to cause lasting harm."
Max's eyes narrowed as understanding dawned. "You wanted us to face someone far beyond our level. To understand what we'll be up against in the Games."
Shisui nodded. "The Grand Magic Games attract the strongest guilds in Fiore. Some competitors will be nearly as powerful as Ultear. You needed to experience that level of magic firsthand. To feel how vast the gap truly is."
"And what about Tenrou Island?" Alzack asked, his arm protectively around Bisca's shoulders. "They know something, Shisui. They admitted they were there."
A brief flash of discomfort crossed Shisui's face as he glanced back at Meredy, who offered an apologetic shrug. He sighed before addressing his team again.
"That's... complicated," he said carefully. "And not something to discuss right now."
"Not good enough," Bisca responded immediately, stepping forward. "We deserve answers."
"And you'll get them," Shisui promised. "But first, you need rest and recovery. You've all pushed yourselves beyond your limits today."
Ultear stepped closer, her previous hostility completely gone.
"Your guild members performed admirably," she told Shisui. "They didn't break under pressure, literally or figuratively. Their individual strengths needs work, but their determination is... impressive."
"We're Fairy Tail," Shisui replied simply, as if that explained everything.
For the team, confusion still remained. The sudden shift from life-threatening battle to what now appeared to be a friendly evaluation left them struggling to process. Distrust remained clear in their expressions as they regarded Ultear and Meredy, but exhaustion was quickly overtaking adrenaline.
"We'll continue this discussion at the guild hall," Shisui said, his tone making it clear this wasn't a suggestion.
"All of us," he added, glancing meaningfully at Ultear and Meredy.
The unspoken message was clear. Answers would come, but on his terms. For now, his team needed to recover from the ordeal he had arranged for them, an ordeal that had shown them both how far they'd come and how much further they still needed to go.
~ End of Chapter 47 ~
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