One Day Later — Training Ground
The forest clearing behind Fairy Tail had long been used as a makeshift training arena—scarred trees, cracked earth, and cratered boulders were its quiet witnesses. This morning, the sky was clear, the breeze light, but the air was heavy with something unspoken.
A challenge.
Erza stood at the far end of the clearing, her blade already summoned—*Heart Kreuz Armor*, sword gleaming in the sunlight. Her stance was perfect. Balanced. Intentional.
Shinra stood across from her, hands in his pockets, his coat gently stirring in the wind. The smile on his lips was faint, but his eyes—hidden behind his black shades—were locked on hers.
"You sure about this?" he asked, voice soft. "I'm new here. I wouldn't want to, you know… accidentally embarrass myself."
Erza replied coolly. "I don't do this to humiliate. I do it to understand."
He paused, then gave a light laugh. "That's fair. You want to test me?"
"No," she said, stepping forward slowly, the tip of her sword carving a line in the earth. "I want to know if you're *one of us*… or someone pretending."
Shinra exhaled through his nose. That was a fair question.
Around the clearing, a few spectators had gathered—Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Mira, Happy, and even Makarov, sipping sake from atop a barrel, quietly observing.
"Alright," Shinra muttered. "Let's *understand* each other then."
---
Erza moved first. No warning. No hesitation.
She dashed forward like a blur of steel, sword lashing out in a horizontal arc aimed at Shinra's midsection. The ground cracked under her step. He didn't flinch.
*CLANG!*
Steel met something invisible—stopped an inch from Shinra's side.
Erza narrowed her eyes.
"An… absolute defense?"
Shinra's voice floated out calmly. "Infinity. Everything slows down before it can touch me. Technically, you never reach me."
But she didn't pause. She *changed*. With a burst of light, she Requipped into **Heaven's Wheel Armor**, launching into the air in a cyclone of blades.
"Sword storm—*Circle Slash!*"
Dozens of flying swords rained down in spiraling patterns. The clearing trembled as they crashed toward him from every angle.
Shinra didn't move.
Instead—*Infinity expanded slightly*. Each sword paused midair, warping slightly as if caught in molasses. The crowd gasped.
Then, he raised his hand. Just two fingers.
**Cursed Technique Reversal: Red.**
A pulse—pure repelling force—exploded outward from his palm.
The blades didn't just stop. They were thrown backward at impossible speed, exploding into the trees as Erza flipped midair, narrowly avoiding her own attack.
She landed, armor switching again—**Flight Armor**, built for speed.
In a blink, she was on him again.
One slash. Two. Five. Her attacks flowed like poetry written in steel—dancing across his defenses. Still, he stood there. Calm. Still. Watching.
"Is this all you are?" Erza said through clenched teeth, her eyes burning. "A wall?"
Shinra's smile vanished.
And then, *he moved*
No blur. No dramatic pose. Just movement so fast it barely existed.
Suddenly, he was behind her.
"Not a wall," he whispered. "A blade you never see."
Erza turned on instinct, blocking just in time—but her sword was knocked aside. Shinra's hand came forward, palm open.
**Cursed Energy Flow: Soft Touch.** He tapped her shoulder.
It *felt* like nothing—but a split second later, the air exploded behind her as the redirected kinetic force was unleashed on the terrain, carving a ten-meter trench through trees and rock.
The guild members watching stared wide-eyed.
"I calculated the force," he murmured. "Didn't want to hurt you."
Erza's eyes narrowed. "You held back."
"I always do."
"Then stop holding back."
Her next armor—**Black Wing Armor**—roared to life, and with it, she launched forward in a full-power thrust, wings extended. Her sword came down like a thunderbolt.
Shinra met it.
**Hand raised. Barrier thin. Domain fragment engaged.**
He didn't summon a full domain—not yet. But he let the threads of it touch reality, and the pressure it generated cracked the earth beneath their feet.
Erza's blade met his palm.
And stopped.
Her eyes widened. She could feel it now—*the weight of Infinity* pressing into her will.
Shinra finally stepped in close, voice low. "I'm not your enemy, Erza."
"I need to be sure," she said with a murmur.
"You're already sure," he replied softly.
They stood there, unmoving, the tension breaking only when Erza's sword lowered slightly. Her breathing was steady, though sweat gleamed along her jaw.
"I yield," she said finally.
The crowd murmured in shock.
Mira smiled faintly. Makarov nodded, satisfied.
Natsu shouted, "I wanna fight him next!"
Erza stepped back and gave a short bow. "You're not a pretender. I'm sorry for doubting you."
Shinra bowed back slightly. "I'm not here to replace anyone. I'm here… because I want to *belong*."
Erza's gaze lingered on him a moment longer.
For the first time, she smiled.
"Then welcome, Shinra."
---
Later That Night...
The stars above Magnolia were especially bright. Shinra sat on the roof of the guild hall, legs crossed, arms resting on his knees. Below, music and laughter drifted upward. He'd been accepted.
He felt it.
Footsteps approached softly behind him.
"You didn't use your full power, did you?"
He turned slightly—Mirajane stood there, a gentle breeze tugging at her white skirt.
"No," he said. "I didn't."
"You defeated her anyway and scared a lot of people" she laughed.
"I scare everyone eventually."
Mira sat beside him with a mischievous smile "Not me."
He turned, surprised.
She was smiling, but there was something else in her eyes. Understanding. Experience. A shared burden neither had spoken aloud yet.
He looked away again, his voice quieter. "You should."
She rested her head on her knees, glancing at him sidelong while smiling without saying anything.
And just like that, a piece of the walls inside him shifted.
Something was beginning.