Naruto x Fairy Tail: Fairy's Shadow

Bonus Chapters every 100 Power Stones

"Normal Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

[Year X790]

~ With Team Fairy Tail ~

Sabertooth's arrival had been impressive, but their performance was something else entirely.

When Sting and Rogue took the field for their exhibition match on the eighth day, the stadium fell quiet in anticipation. The Twin Dragons had been the subject of speculation and rumor for weeks, with reports of their enhanced training creating seismic activity in the mountains where they'd been practicing.

The match lasted for a grand total of eight seconds.

Their opponents were a respected team from Quatro Cerberus, three experienced mages who specialized in combination attacks. They'd defeated two other guilds already and were considered serious contenders for a top-five finish.

Sting's White Dragon Slayer magic erupted across the battlefield like a miniature sun, his light-based attacks blinding his opponents before they could react. But it was the sheer intensity that shocked everyone. Where his magic had once been impressive, now it was overwhelming. 

When the dust settled, Sabertooth's opponents were unconscious, and the arena was silent except for the ringing of magical energy dissipating.

Then the cheers began.

"Incredible! I've never seen Dragon Slayer magic displayed at that level of intensity." One of the commentators managed. 

From the competitors' viewing area, Team Fairy Tail watched with a mixture of awe and concern. They'd known Sabertooth would be strong, but this was beyond anything they'd prepared for.

"We trained hard. But that's... that's not something you can train to counter." Jet said quietly.

The remainder of the Games continued in a similar pattern. The top guilds had clearly invested heavily in improving their magical capabilities. Lamia Scale's Lyon had developed ice magic that could alter the temperature of an entire battlefield. Mermaid Heel's Kagura had demonstrated sword techniques that could cut through magical barriers as if they were paper.

Even the newer guilds had powerhouse members. Quatro Cerberus, the guild that had lost spectacularly to Sabertooth, had recruited a former wondering mage who only got stronger the drunker he got. 

Fairy Tail continued to fight with everything they had, but the gap between them and the top tier became increasingly apparent. The only reason why they had won the individual and team matches in the earlier stages, as they had later come to realize, was because the opponents they had came up against were not even considered a powerhouse in their own guild. They were simply the substitutes. The extras.

By the final day, the standings were crystal clear. Sabertooth had dominated from beginning to end, accumulating points with displays of magical prowess. Lamia Scale took second place, the presence of their Ace allowing them to compete with the newer powerhouses. Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus, and Quatro Cerberus rounded out the top five.

Fairy Tail finished in eleventh place.

The announcement came without fanfare. They'd earned enough points to avoid the bottom rankings, but they were far from the triumphant return they'd hoped for. As they watched the medal ceremony from the stands, applauding Sabertooth's victory, the weight of the year's struggles settled on their shoulders.

That night, they found a quiet restaurant in a district away from the main celebrations. The meal was good, but nobody ate much. The plates sat mostly full while they processed what had happened.

"We trained hard. We fought hard. But it's not enough." Jet said finally, breaking the silence.

"It's not about being enough," Max replied. "We represented Fairy Tail with honor. We showed the world that we're still here, still fighting."

Droy sighed in frustration. "I thought if we pushed to the edge, something would happen. Like he'd walk into the crowd. Like he'd just... appear."

The admission hung in the air between them. They'd all been hoping for the same thing. That somehow, the Games would bring Shisui back. That their efforts would be rewarded with his return, his approval, his presence filling the gap that had been growing for months.

"I know," Bisca said softly. "I kept looking for him in the audience. Every time the crowd cheered, I thought maybe..."

She reached into her coat and pulled out a folded letter, its edges worn from handling. "I wrote this before we left. I never sent it."

One by one, the others admitted to the same thing. Alzack's letter was in his back pocket. Max had his tucked into his travel bag. Jet and Droy had both written multiple drafts, unable to decide what to say.

"What do we do with them?" Romeo asked, his voice small.

They looked at each other, then at the letters scattered on the table. These were their hopes, their fears. They were also reminders of absence.

Bisca picked up a candle from the table's centerpiece. "Maybe it's time to let go. Not of him, but of the waiting. Shisui will return to us whenever he's completed his mission. It could be a day from now, a week, a month, or even a year. I'm sure the Council is keeping tabs on him since it's their mission. Until then, we'll just keep doing what we did and move forward."

They gathered their letters and held them over the flame. The paper caught quickly, burning with a bright light that seemed to carry their words up into the night sky. They watched in silence as their messages to Shisui became smoke and ash, a ritual that felt both like an ending and a beginning.

When the last letter had burned, they sat in the quiet restaurant, listening to the distant sounds of Crocus celebrating. The city's joy felt separate from them now, a reminder of a world that had moved on while they remained frozen in uncertainty.

Finally, Max stood and walked to the window. The moon was full, casting silver light across the capital's rooftops. The others joined him, looking out at the night sky.

"You told us strength wasn't about power, Shisui," Max said softly, his words barely audible. "It was about protecting what matters. We just hope wherever you are, you're still holding to that."

~ End of Chapter 72 ~

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