Magnolia – Fairy Tail Guildhall, Three Days Later
The doors of Fairy Tail swung open with a low groan as Y/N, Diana, and Masumi stepped inside. The hall quieted at the sight of them—tired, dust-streaked, and silent. Eyes followed them as they made their way straight to the Master's office without a word.
Upstairs, Makarov looked up from a map strewn with reports and reconnaissance scrolls. His expression darkened the moment he saw the cracked shard in Y/N's gloved hand.
Y/N dropped it on the desk.
Y/N: "That's two."
Diana: "And a ruined seal. Just like the first."
Masumi: "And a welcoming party from the Broken Circle. They're moving faster."
Makarov sat back slowly, expression grim.
Makarov: "Two down... that leaves four. If the legends are true."
He turned toward the cabinet behind him, drawing out a thick, rune-bound tome. It thudded onto the desk as he opened it.
Makarov: "These 'Vessels'... They weren't just seals. They were living anchors—chosen warriors from an age lost to time, sacrificed to bind the Verdant Beast. If the Circle is targeting their remnants..."
Y/N: "Then they're trying to awaken what's left of those warriors—or replace them."
Levy appeared at the door, hesitant.
Levy: "We've found something. In the mountains past the Southern Vale. The Rune Knights avoided it due to unstable terrain, but I cross-referenced it with ancient temple coordinates. There's a match."
She handed Y/N a scroll. Inside: a hand-drawn sketch of a broken ziggurat carved into a cliffside, partially buried by rockslides.
Levy: "The writing etched along the outer pillars? It speaks of a 'Titan's Pulse' and 'Green Sovereignty.'"
Diana: "Sounds like a shard site."
Makarov nodded.
Makarov: "Then you head there next. But this time, take backup."
Y/N frowned.
Y/N: "We work better as a three—"
Makarov raised a hand.
Makarov: "And I'm telling you that you won't survive the third encounter without reinforcements. The Circle's numbers grow with every moon. Erza and Gray will rendezvous with you halfway through the mountain pass."
Masumi: "Alright. More firepower never hurts."
Diana cracked her knuckles, but nodded.
Diana: "Fine. But if this is anything like last time, it won't be about numbers. It'll be about will."
South Vale – Three Days Later
The climb was brutal. Snow-laced winds cut across jagged ridgelines, and the air grew thinner with every step. The shattered temple came into view as the sun dipped below the horizon: half-buried, its entrance a jagged maw framed by collapsed stone.
Erza and Gray waited near the threshold, cloaked in cold-resistant gear and battle-ready.
Erza: "Took you long enough."
Gray: "Still alive. Good sign."
Y/N tossed him a tired look.
Y/N: "Let's just get this over with."
The group descended into the temple, torchlight flickering against weathered murals and runes long since forgotten. Diana paused at a wall where a dragon's form was etched—its wings shattered, chained to the earth.
Diana: "That's not a seal. It's a tomb."
Masumi: "You hear that?"
He tensed. A low hum, barely audible, vibrated through the walls. The kind of sound that didn't travel through ears, but through bones.
Y/N stepped forward, his Dragon Slayer senses tingling.
The hum grew louder.
A circle pulsed on the floor ahead—etched in verdant lines.
And lying at the center... was a third shard.
Y/N reached toward it—
And the world snapped.
Magic exploded from the circle in a spiral of green lightning. The ground shattered beneath their feet, collapsing the entire chamber. The team fell, debris raining around them, until they crashed into a massive underground cavern.
Y/N groaned, rolling onto his side.
Y/N: "Everyone—sound off!"
Diana: "Alive."
Masumi: "Still in one piece."
Gray: "Barely."
Erza: "Stay alert. We're not alone."
They weren't.
From the shadows of the ruined temple's heart, something stirred. Bones shifted. Chains rattled. And from a dais at the far end, a figure slowly rose.
It wore armor scorched black, marked with glowing green runes. Its face was hidden behind a broken helm. But its presence was unmistakable.
Y/N stepped forward.
Y/N: "That's not a cultist."
Erza's grip tightened on her sword.
Erza: "That's a vessel."
The figure spoke—and its voice was wrong. Like stone grinding against metal, like forgotten screams echoing in a pit.
Vessel: "Who calls to the Flame of the Sovereign...?"
Y/N: "Not a call. A warning."
The Vessel raised a blade—its edge forged from the same crystal as the shards—and pointed it at Y/N.
Vessel: "Then burn, impostor."
The cavern exploded into battle.
To Be Continued...