Morning – Fairy Tail Guild Hall
Albion POV
I stood in front of the guild's job board, arms crossed as my eyes scanned the fluttering requests pinned to it. Behind me, the usual guild chaos roared in the background—Natsu and Gray were already wrestling again, and Erza was trying to pry a sword out of a ceiling beam.
"Looking for your first job, nya?" Kuroka asked, hopping onto my shoulder with practiced ease.
"Yeah," I said, narrowing my eyes at a neatly written one near the top. "That one."
I plucked it down and read aloud:
{Mission Request: Strange Magic Disturbance in Alakine Valley
Classification: B-Rank
Objective: Investigate and neutralize the source of volatile magic affecting local wildlife.
Reward: 500,000 Jewels
Notes: Several villagers reported glowing ruins and beast mutations.}
"Ruins again, huh?" I muttered.
Kuroka tilted her head. "Could it be a natural magic surge? Or another dimensional echo?"
"Let's find out." I said as I took the job request and went to the reception desk.
Mira stamped our mission papers with a flourish. "First official Fairy Tail job—how exciting! Be careful, okay?"
"We'll be back before dinner," I said with a small grin.
"Maybe I'll cook something special," she replied with a wink.
We left the guild shortly after, heading west toward the Alakine Valley, a deep gorge known for strange fog and old-world magic remnants.
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Alakine Valley – Dusk
The air was thick with tension the moment we arrived.
Even before we stepped onto the stone path, my senses picked up distorted ley lines, like frayed wires snapping through the air. Trees around the valley were warped—bark glowing faintly, animals with glowing eyes watching us from the trees.
"This is no normal magic," I said, extending my hand. "[Sage Dragon's Presence Reveal]."
A shimmering field of light spread out. Hidden glyphs pulsed on the ground and walls of the valley—markings of old, forgotten enchantments, half-corrupted.
Kuroka frowned. "Something's feeding off the natural mana."
Deeper in the valley, we found the epicenter: a fractured ruin with a still-active teleportation circle—one I instantly recognized.
Not Earth Land design. Tortus magic.
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
From the heart of the circle, a twisted chimera-like beast emerged—fangs, feathers, horns, all wrapped in a flickering aura of corrupted magic. Its roar cracked the air.
"Alright," I muttered, rolling my neck. "Showtime."
The beast lunged.
I ducked beneath it and called out: "[White Dragon's Flash Cannon]!"
A blinding pillar of light exploded from my hands, striking the creature and staggering it mid-pounce. Kuroka dashed around its side, throwing precision strikes to disrupt its stance.
The beast retaliated with a blast of unstable magic. I countered with:
"[Moon Dragon's Mirror Shell]!"
The energy deflected, though the recoil knocked me back a few feet.
"Let's finish it," I said before raising both hands and chanted: "[Law Dragon's Verdict: Break the Binding Sin]!"
A golden sigil appeared beneath the beast, locking it in place. It howled, unable to move as radiant chains encased it.
I stepped forward and whispered: "[Sky Dragon's Spiral Fang]."
With a burst of air magic channeled through my feet, I shot forward like a bullet, striking the core of the beast's corrupted magic. The glyph behind it shattered. The creature collapsed.
Silence returned to the valley.
Kuroka landed beside me, tail flicking. "That was flashy."
"Had to make it memorable. First mission and all."
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Return to Magnolia – That Night
The guild welcomed us with cheers as Mira handed over the reward. Natsu was instantly asking to spar. Gray just grunted approval. Even Erza nodded as if to say, well done.
I sat at the bar with Kuroka, sipping juice while the music played in the background.
But I couldn't shake what I'd seen.
The runes in the ruin weren't native to Fiore. They came from Tortus. That summoning… it was already leaving traces behind.
And that meant we were running out of time.
The ruins of Alakine Valley still haunted my thoughts.
Even after we'd completed the mission and returned to the chaos of Fairy Tail, I couldn't forget the intricate glyphs etched into the stone. The shapes weren't from Fiore. They didn't belong to this world at all.
They belonged to Tortus.
And if that world was already bleeding into this one… I needed answers.
Only one person could provide them.
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Three Days Later – Northern Vistarion
I use [aqua aera] to go to Visitron in Alakitashia to visit someone who might know more about what Kuroka and I found at those ruins.
I stood at the edge of a snow-covered cliff, where winds howled like spirits and magic hung thick in the air. Behind me, Kuroka waited silently, letting me walk ahead.
I reached out and placed my palm against a flat, icy wall.
"Albion, son of Selene and Veldanava," I murmured. "Requesting an audience."
The frost shimmered, reacting to my mana signature. Ancient runes glowed in the ice, and the cliffside split apart with a quiet, grinding hum. A passage appeared beyond the veil.
I stepped inside.
The air was warmer within—pulsing softly with magic, like the breath of a sleeping dragon.
I followed the corridor until I reached the heart of the sanctuary. Floating crystals lit the room with a dim, ruby glow, and spell circles etched into the floor spiraled slowly like constellations.
And there she stood.
Irene Belserion.
The Scarlet Enchantress. Sage of the Rune Veil. The woman who once a queen of the kingdom of Dragnof, invented [dragon slayer magic], became a dragon as a side affect of [dragon slayer magic] to protect her unborn daughter, Erza.
She turned slowly, her long crimson braid swaying behind her.
"I felt you enter before the wards did," she said, voice calm but weighted. "You've found something."
I stepped forward and unrolled the parchment I'd copied from the ruins.
"These symbols were left behind at the Alakine Valley ruins," I said. "They aren't Fiorean, or even from Ishgar. They're external. Otherworldly."
Irene took the parchment with gloved fingers, studying the sigils under her crimson gaze.
After a pause, she spoke.
"…Tortus."
The name left her lips like a spell.
"You recognize it?" I asked.
"Only vaguely," she admitted. "When I came to Visitron, fragments of knowledge came with me. Not from my past life—but from something deeper. Echoes that don't belong here."
She turned, walking toward a map pinned to a crystal pedestal.
"The veil between worlds is thinning, Albion. You're not the only one who feels it."
"I thought the summoning wouldn't begin until X783," I said. "We're still two years away."
"It's not about time anymore," Irene murmured. "It's about strain. The more power you draw into this world—the more dragon magic, enchantment, and cosmic artifacts you awaken—the weaker the veil becomes."
I clenched my fists. "So I'm making it worse."
She looked back at me, eyes softening.
"No. You're the fulcrum. The balance point. If anything, you're the only reason this world hasn't begun collapsing already."
I swallowed hard, throat dry.
"…How bad is it?"
Irene paused.
"There are now three points in Ishgar where outer-dimensional magic has rooted itself—quietly. One in Bosco. One near the Crescent Moon Mountains. One… dangerously close to Acalypha."
Acalypha.
Lucy.
My heart thudded in my chest.
"I'll head back soon," I said quickly. "To make sure—"
"You'll do nothing rash," Irene interrupted sharply. "Rushing blindly will alert the summoners. Or worse—trigger the rift prematurely."
Her tone softened.
"You must be patient. Study the threads. Track their growth. I will help you prepare."
I exhaled slowly and nodded.
"I came to you for that reason. I need you as a teacher again… not just a source of answers."
A ghost of a smile crossed her lips.
"You're bold to ask me for guidance. But not unwise."
She turned and waved a hand. An empty circle of silver runes glowed in the floor beside us.
"I will train you in what little I've uncovered. Forbidden enchantments. Dimensional anchoring. But the more we tap into this magic, the more danger we invite."
"I can handle it," I said.
Irene's eyes bored into mine—measuring, weighing. Then she nodded.
"I believe you can."
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Hours Later – Vistarion Temple Balcony
The cold wind had returned. I stood beside a towering icicle spire overlooking the mountains, watching the stars with Kuroka by my side. Irene remained inside, preparing enchantments I could barely comprehend.
"She's intense, nya," Kuroka murmured.
"She's what this world needs," I replied. "Even if she doesn't know it yet."
Kuroka nudged me. "And what about you?"
I looked down at the parchment in my hand—runes copied from another world. The spark of Tortus already invading Earth Land.
"I'm the one who walks between."
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The sanctuary beneath Vistarion was silent but never still.
Irene moved like a phantom through layers of light, her hands drawing glowing runes through the air, each motion more complex than the last. It had been four days since she began my training, and already my mind felt stretched beyond its usual limits.
"Again," she said.
I breathed in and raised my palm, projecting energy through my arm.
"Script Bind: Chrono Seal."
A ring of layered glyphs formed in the air—pale silver, pulsing with anchored time magic. The spell trembled slightly before locking in place.
Irene tilted her head, crimson braid brushing her cloak.
"Too much pressure on the temporal rune. You're overcompensating. Relax your channeling. Think of time as a thread—not a cage."
I nodded, wiping sweat from my brow. Even with all the Dragon Slayer magic I'd mastered, enchantments of this level demanded subtlety over power.
Kuroka watched from a crystal perch, curled into a ball of black fur with one eye open.
"You're getting better, nya," she mumbled. "Still not graceful, though."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm learning spells that alter dimensional fields. Grace is secondary."
Irene approached, her gaze calculating. "You have an affinity for runic convergence, which is rare in slayers. Most of you burn magic—shatter it. But you… you weave it."
"I've always wanted to understand magic—not just use it," I replied.
She studied me for a long moment.
"You will be ready. But not just yet."
She waved her hand, conjuring a detailed, glowing diagram in the air—a three-tiered portal structure.
"This is the form the summoning ritual will eventually take. If you see anything like it—even incomplete—you must destroy it. Or sever the tether between realms. Do not hesitate."
I memorized the formation—its curves, its resonance, the way its magic felt.
A signature of Tortus.
"I'll recognize it when I see it."
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Two Days Later – Magnolia
The guild hall welcomed me back with open arms, noise, and, of course, Natsu trying to headbutt me in greeting.
"You disappear for a week and show up looking like a sage!" he grinned.
"I was training." I replied.
"Lame." he muttered.
I smiled despite myself.
Mirajane handed me a mission flyer not long after:
{Urgent Request – Disappearances in the Westwood Mines
Locals report vanishing miners and strange magical echoes from deep underground. Rewards posted. Risk level: B-Rank escalating to A if patterns persist.}
"Gray and Cana were going to take it," she said, "but Makarov suggested you instead. Something about this needing 'your eyes.'"
My stomach dropped as I read the details.
Magical echoes that couldn't be tracked by standard detection magic. That felt… familiar.
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Westwood Mines – Midnight
I stood at the mouth of the cavern, wind rustling my cloak as Kuroka landed beside me, silent and alert.
Deep inside, torchlight flickered—but no sounds of life echoed from within. Only a dull vibration in the ground, like a heartbeat beneath stone.
As we descended, the air thickened.
Faint glyphs began to appear on the walls—scratched hastily, half-erased.
Then, as we head deeper in… I sense a pulse.
A sharp crack of energy flared—twisting magic that felt like raw static in my skull.
And from the shadows stepped a figure clad in half-armor, cloak torn at the edges, and eyes glowing faint green.
He wasn't from here.
The runes carved into his left arm glowed with Tortus resonance.
Kuroka hissed under her breath. "That smell… it's not from this world."
I stepped forward. "Who are you?"
The man tilted his head. "You're like me," he said. "But you stayed behind."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard the summons," he whispered, raising his hand. "But the gate rejected me. I wasn't pure enough."
His aura exploded—twisted magic bleeding out like smoke. His skin cracked with glowing veins of unstable energy.
He charged.
I raised my hand. "[Moon Dragon's Lunar Break]!"
A cascade of light magic collided with his corrupted aura, and the cavern shook with the impact.
But this wasn't just a fight, it was confirmation.
The Tortus summoning had already begun. And someone else had heard its call.
The shockwave from our clash tore through the mine, stone walls cracking and crystals shattering. The corrupted warrior growled, his green-glowing veins pulsing violently as he emerged from the dust cloud.
His aura was fractured—wrong. Not just dimensional magic, but a soul caught in mid-summon… a failed crossing.
I could feel the pain laced in his magic. Rage, grief… desperation.
"You don't belong here," I said calmly, stepping forward.
"I belonged somewhere," he hissed. "Anywhere but this cursed limbo."
He lunged again, and I responded instantly.
"[White Dragon's Flash Lance]!"
A spear of radiant light tore from my palm, exploding against his torso and sending him flying into the cavern wall. The impact shook the ground.
Before he could recover, I slammed my palm to the ground.
"[Sage Enchantment – Bind of Clarity]!"
Emerald runes surged beneath him, wrapping his limbs in glowing vines of energy. The corrupted magic in his body hissed and recoiled—but the enchantment held.
"Who summoned you?" I demanded.
He snarled, teeth gritted. "I heard her voice. I saw the light… then it burned me. Twisted me. I wasn't chosen—but I was close."
"Her?" I echoed. "You mean a summoner? From Tortus?"
He convulsed as the corruption flared up again. Black tendrils laced with green energy burst from his back, lashing against the cavern walls.
Kuroka stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "This thing's gonna burn itself out, nya."
"Not if I stabilize his core."
I pressed both hands together and took a breath.
This wasn't Dragon Slayer magic. This was enchantment—Irene's technique, reworked through me.
"[Runic Seal – Soul Anchor]!"
A golden sigil snapped into place above his chest, binding the unstable mana. His body jerked, then slowly stilled, the tendrils retreating.
His breathing slowed.
I knelt beside him. "Tell me your name."
He blinked, the glow in his eyes dimming. "Kaien. I was... part of her spell. A mirror to the real target. But the gate rejected me. And now…"
He coughed, blood trickling from his mouth.
I clenched my fists. "The summoning is accelerating."
Kaien looked at me, barely conscious. "Find the rift... before the next echo pulls more of us through."
His body dissolved into light, leaving behind cracked crystal—still glowing faintly with foreign runes.
I picked it up and tucked it into a small satchel.
Another world was knocking. And someone—maybe something—was listening.
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A Few Days Later – Acalypha
Third-Person POV
Lucy Heartfilia stood in her family's private training garden, sweat dotting her brow as she panted, whip held steady in her hand.
Layla watched nearby, a supportive smile on her face. "Good form. Your connection to Aquarius and Cancer are stronger now, isn't it?"
Lucy nodded. "They're helping me adapt to multi-summon training. I can keep two spirits out for at least three minutes now!"
"That's three times longer than last week," Layla said proudly.
Lucy smiled faintly, but her expression sobered. "Mom… do you think I'll be ready?"
Layla approached, brushing a strand of blonde hair from her daughter's face. "Ready for what?"
"For the guild… for Fairy Tail. For him."
Layla chuckled softly. "Lucy. You don't need to catch up to Albion. He's on a different path. But the fact you're walking yours so boldly? That's all I could ever ask for and I am sure that is what he wants too."
Lucy looked down at her gloved hand. Her magical ÄRMs glowed faintly with the enchantments Albion had given her.
"I want to meet him again... not as someone who was protected—but as someone who can stand beside him."
"Then keep walking, sweetheart," Layla whispered. "You're already halfway there."