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[FT: O King of the Fairies] Chapter 95
🕑 Added 2025-05-25 11:27:25 +0000 UTCIrene's POV
I felt his words hang in the air. "If you ever want to be human again—the offer still stands."
Something tightened in my chest. For a moment, I couldn't focus on anything else. The town, the trees, even the wind, it all seemed far away. All I could think about was his offer. Freedom. After so many years of this curse.
I looked at him briefly. Those eyes. They saw through me somehow, past the monster, past the broken woman I'd become. His gaze held something gentle I didn't want to name.
I forced myself to look away. I don't need this. I don't need him.
It seemed so easy, didn't it? To just say yes. To escape this half-life I hated. To be rid of the scales hidden under my skin, the wings pressed against my spine. To taste food again. To sleep without nightmares. To walk without feeling wrong in every step.
For one moment, I let myself imagine it. Being human again. Being someone who could face her daughter without shame. Someone worthy of being called mother.
But pride rose up inside me, sharp and bitter.
I'm not that weak. I don't need help, especially not his.
I couldn't do it. I couldn't admit, even to myself, how badly I wanted to be human. After everything I'd done, why should I get to be free of this curse? How could I accept his offer when so many had suffered because of me?
I crossed my arms, trying to shield myself from these thoughts. But the walls I'd built over centuries felt thin now, worn down by that small voice whispering: but maybe.
My jaw tightened.
I'd caused so much pain. So much death. What right did I have to happiness?
Yet something stirred inside me. A feeling I barely recognized—want. The need to not be alone anymore. To not see horror in people's eyes when they learned what I truly was.
I kept my eyes on the ground, afraid of what my face might show.
I could feel him watching me, waiting. As if he thought I might say yes.
But I couldn't. Not now.
"Not yet," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
I didn't look at him. I didn't want to see his face, I didn't want to see hope there. The same hope I'd buried so deep inside myself.
That kind of hope was a weakness I couldn't afford.
I turned away with a small shake of my head. Each step took me further from him, from his offer. But the silence between us grew heavier with each step.
And deep inside, something warm flickered to life, something I wasn't ready to face. Something I had no room for in this cold, empty heart.
—
Three months had passed since then. Since I'd given the kids their gifts. Three months of training, adapting, and growing. And it showed.
I watched as Jellal flipped through the Star Magic Grimoire, golden light dancing across his fingertips. The book had bonded with him faster than I'd expected. He was already casting mid-tier spells with an ease that would make even the most talented mages from the Black Clover world jealous.
"Focus on the intent, not just the words," I called out as he prepared another spell. "The grimoire responds to your will as much as your voice."
Jellal nodded, his eyes never leaving the glowing pages. He'd taken to studying the book even during meals, absorbing its knowledge like a sponge. It suited him, methodical, precise, always seeking to understand the underlying principles rather than just memorizing techniques.
Across the training ground, Simon was working with his Darkness-Darkness Fruit powers. He'd been the most cautious of the four, testing the limits of his new abilities slowly, deliberately. Smart move, considering the raw destructive potential he now commanded.
"Try creating a gravity well," I suggested. "Small at first. Just enough to pull in those target dummies."
Simon nodded, extending his hand. Darkness pooled in his palm, then shot outward, expanding into a swirling vortex. The training dummies shuddered before being yanked toward the center of the dark mass.
"Good control," I noted approvingly. He was getting better at maintaining the balance between power and precision.
Kagura sat cross-legged at the edge of the field, her Asauchi resting across her lap. Her eyes were closed in deep meditation, communing with the sword. Of all the gifts, hers required the most patience, a quality Kagura had in abundance. The sword would reveal its true form when she was ready, not a moment sooner.
And then there was Erza, surrounded by weapons from a dozen different worlds. She'd been cycling through her new armory daily, testing each piece, learning its weight, its balance, its unique properties. Today she was working with a set of ethereal chain-blades that seemed to cut through the very air.
"Remember to account for the spatial distortion," I called out as she practiced a complex attack pattern. "Those aren't just cutting physical matter."
It was good to see them all progressing. In three months, they'd made strides that would have taken years of conventional training.
My thoughts drifted to my Pokémon team as I watched the kids train. They'd adapted to Earthland in ways that continued to surprise me.
Kaisel, Sun, and Astra had become quite the team. They'd completed various quests in the past three months, ranging from monster extermination to escort missions. The guild had been skeptical at first, Pokémon taking jobs without human supervision? But the results spoke louder than doubts. They'd succeeded in every mission, often returning with minimal damage and maximum rewards.
Sun had developed a reputation for his brawling style that matched perfectly with Fairy Tail's rambunctious nature. He'd even started drinking with Cana, though I suspected the alcohol had no effect on him. It was more about the social bonding, the camaraderie that made Fairy Tail special.
Astra had taken to studying Earthland's maps and texts when not on missions. Her mind found the differences between worlds fascinating. NIMO had caught her multiple times examining the Archive Magic database, cross-referencing Earthland's magical theories with what he knew of Pokémon abilities.
Kaisel was the real surprise, though. He had formed an unexpected bond with Erza. The two would spar all the time.
Zephyr was the wanderer of the group. My Pidgeot had embraced the freedom of Earthland's skies, often disappearing for days or weeks at a time. He'd return with feathers from distant lands, strange berries, or occasionally small trinkets that caught his eye. I'd pieced together his routes from these souvenirs, he'd flown as far as the northern mountains of Iceberg and the southern islands of Caelum.
According to NIMO's tracking, he was somewhere over the eastern forests, probably enjoying the warm updrafts. But he'd be back soon enough. He always returned, usually timing his arrivals with our training sessions so he could show off his aerial maneuvers to an appreciative audience.
Rayna, my Tyranitar, had claimed a section of the fortress grounds as her territory. She'd reshaped it to her liking, creating a small mountain range complete with caves and rocky outcroppings. It was amusing to watch her methodically crush boulders each morning, only to rearrange them by evening. A living landscape architect with a perfectionist streak.
Levi, on the other hand, had become something of a local legend. Fishermen told tales of a crimson serpent in the lake near my fortress, bringing either good fortune or terrible storms, depending on who was telling the story. In truth, Levi was just enjoying the open water, occasionally helping lost boats find their way to shore.
And Blaze had appointed himself guardian of Fortress Leonhart. He patrolled the perimeter each day, and the local wildlife had quickly learned to give the fortress a wide berth. All except for the flock of birds that had, inexplicably, decided Blaze's fur made an excellent nesting material. He tolerated their presence with surprising patience.
My Pokémon had found their places, their purposes. In some ways, they'd integrated into Earthland more smoothly than I had anticipated. There was a lesson there, perhaps, about adaptation. About finding your place in a world that wasn't made for you.
A crash brought me back to the present, Erza had misjudged the range of her new weapon, accidentally cleaving through one of the support pillars of the training area.
"Sorry!" she called out, looking genuinely embarrassed.
I waved it off. "The building needed remodeling anyway."
That earned a round of laughter from the others. Even Kagura cracked a smile, her eyes still closed in meditation.
I watched them with a sense of pride I couldn't quite explain. They weren't just students anymore. They were becoming something more, warriors, protectors, a new generation ready to face whatever threats might come.
But for now, they were still kids finding their way. And I was their teacher, guiding them as best I could.
As they kept training, I stepped away when NIMO sent me a message.
"Aiden," he said quietly. "I have news. The Spriggan 12... half of them have landed on the western shores of Ishgar. They're moving. The Magic Council doesn't know yet."
After what Master Makarov told me months ago, I'd asked NIMO to watch Alvarez's movements.
"Who's with them?" I asked, leaning back in my chair with my fingers crossed, feeling uneasy.
"Wall Eehto, Jacob Lessio, Neinhart, Ajeel Raml, Bloodman, and Irene Belserion," NIMO said simply. The list wasn't surprising—except for one name.
Irene.
"Where?"
"Western shore, approximately 60 miles from Magnolia. They appear to be moving directly toward Fairy Tail."
Of course they were. Fairy Heart was their objective after all.
"NIMO, I'm going to intercept them myself,”
"Should I inform the guild or prepare any particular assets for your deployment?"
"Tell Makarov what's happening, but make it clear I'm handling it personally. "
"Let's see if they're worth my time."
"I wonder how long they'll last." NIMO quipped.
"Same," I said with a small smile.
NIMO blinked slowly, tilting like he was thinking. "You haven't fought seriously in a while. You might enjoy this."
"True."
For the past few months, ever since I got back, I tried doing quests every now and then, but I was disappointed.
I had so much power that nothing was a challenge anymore. And that was fine... except there was no real fight. No one even tried.
The truth was simple. My reputation had spread, and now I was too famous. Dark guilds gave up as soon as they heard my name. No fight. No challenge.
I was the solution to every problem. And that was the problem. There was no one left to fight.
"Yeah, no one challenges me anymore," I muttered. "It's too easy."
It wasn't that I wanted things to be hard, but I couldn't even finish a simple job without hearing, "Oh, Aiden's here, we give up." It was like a bad joke, and I was the punchline. I wanted a real fight, something that made me think.
Unfortunately the Author made me too strong.
I sighed.
