Fairy Tail: The Faint Smile in Earthland

 Year X785 — July — 5 Months Since Teresa's Arrival

The morning sun bathed Crocus in pale gold as banners fluttered along the capital's wide plazas. Today marked the beginning of something new—cautious, experimental, but carefully calculated.

The Council-Sanctioned Magic Exhibition had begun.

Unlike the roaring Grand Magic Games that would one day define Earthland Fiore's displays of power, this first exhibition was reserved. Controlled. Every movement is monitored by both official and shadowed interests. The aftermath of the Tenrou crisis still fractured Fiore's balance, and the Council was desperate to rebuild reliable military assets.

This was not simply a tournament.

It was a test bed.

Teresa moved steadily through the broad stone boulevard toward the arena gates. Her steps were light, deliberate. She wore her standard traveling attire—the black Claymore tunic with its high collar, twin side slits swaying with each step, and long thigh-high boots hugging her frame like a second skin. Pale blonde hair flowed freely behind her, catching the morning breeze like trailing silk.

No weapon rested at her side.

She needed none.

Her sword, armor, and cloak remained within her personal Requip Arsenal, suspended weightless in dimensional stillness—ready at a moment's will.

Around her, the whispers began:

"There she is…"

"The one they call the Silver Valkyrie…"

"They say she felled a mountain beast with one strike."

"She doesn't even cast spells…"

The title had grown on its own:

The Silver Valkyrie of Fairy Tail.

Teresa neither encouraged nor corrected the rumors.

Titles were meaningless.

Only precision mattered.

Within the Council staging grounds, floating crystal screens hovered as officials calibrated their feeds. Councilor Seam stood at the center, flanked by Rune Knights and dignitaries from allied guilds—a carefully chosen audience.

He raised both hands, addressing competitors and observers alike.

"Welcome, participants. Today marks the beginning of a new phase in Fiore's security protocols. The world changes—and so must we."

Teresa stood silent among the Enforcement Tier candidates, observing.

"There are two divisions in this exhibition," Seam continued. "The Guild Demonstration Tier—comprised of sanctioned guild mages. And the Special Enforcement Tier—freelance hunters, mercenaries, independent agents... and individuals whose abilities place them outside standard classifications."

He offered a deliberate glance toward Teresa's position.

A quiet mental whisper brushed her mind—Warren's distant telepathic link carrying Master Macao's voice from Magnolia:

"They're baiting you carefully, Teresa. They want to see how far Fairy Tail's newest blade can be pushed."

Her gaze remained steady.

"I expected nothing else," she replied softly.

Seam gestured upward as a massive crystal projection rotated above them—displaying the tournament brackets. Each name glowed within its assigned division.

Teresa's name hovered exactly where they intended:

Enforcement Tier — Bracket Two.

Seam continued, voice calm and deliberate.

"Each duel will proceed under-regulated suppression fields. Lethal force is forbidden. But true capability must be displayed. Controlled aggression will be rewarded. Crude brutality will be penalized."

Around her, competitors shifted nervously—some sizing up their opponents, others sweating already.

"Victory will not be judged solely by defeat—but by precision, composure, and adaptability."

The message beneath his words was clear:

Prove yourselves as controllable weapons.

Movement caught her attention in the noble observation balconies.

There he was.

A familiar figure draped in crimson silk sat quietly behind the Council delegation—the silver-masked Ralven, watching from the Eastern Trade Guild's reserved balcony. His mercantile empire continued expanding through relic markets feeding Fiore's shadow economy.

He wasn't watching the tournament.

He was watching her.

As Seam dismissed the assembly, competitors filed toward their assigned chambers.

The whispers trailed after her:

"She doesn't even cast spells…"

"They say her sword cuts through pure magic…"

"No guild member's seen her truly fight…"

A nervous mercenary whispered to his partner, "That's why they call her the Silver Valkyrie. You never see the blade coming."

Inside her chamber, Teresa stood alone.

There were no preparations.

She was always prepared.

Since her arrival, she had instinctively adapted—merging Earthland's mana with her Yoki control, developing skills far beyond traditional mages. Not spells—pure surgical extensions of her instincts.

Her control was absolute.

Her breathing slowed, though calm was already natural.

Her senses drifted outward, cataloging the arena's world:

The steady hum of containment barriers beyond the stone walls.The subtle vibrations of crystalline surveillance runes.The low heartbeat of the arena's power core. The ambient magic field saturates Crocus itself—a living ocean of energy waiting to be cut.

A soft chime signaled her first match.

First Match: Enforcement Tier — Bracket Two

Teresa of Fairy Tail vs Marvolo Skane, Eastern Bounty Guild.

Without hesitation, she turned toward the exit.

The arena floor spread before her—a wide stone platform surrounded by reinforced transparent crystal walls. Floating projection crystals hovered above, capturing every movement of the Council balconies.

Her opponent waited across the platform.

Marvolo Skane—tall, skeletal, wrapped in ceremonial bone-stitched robes. Metallic rings hovered around his forearms, spinning softly with magical resonance. His gaze glittered with smug amusement.

As she stepped onto the platform, he bowed theatrically.

"So. The infamous Valkyrie graces me with her presence," he said, voice oily with false courtesy. "I've long wondered whether you were myth or simply highly efficient propaganda."

Her reply was calm. Gentle.

"Your curiosity will be satisfied."

Above them, Seam's voice echoed once more:

"Begin."

The battle had started.

For the first time, Fiore's Council—and its hidden powers—would witness the Silver Valkyrie in full motion.