The morning light filtered through Magnolia like faint gold dust, drifting across rooftops and illuminating the stone paths of the guild's central district. The air was crisp, carrying the faint hum of magic from the merchants already opening their stalls. Thomas stepped through the open doors of Fairy Tail with purposeful strides, muscles still sore from the previous day's synergy training. Every breath reminded him of the strain of maintaining control under the harem's proximity, and every pulse of magic within him echoed the unlocked abilities still settling inside his body.
The guild hall was bustling. Chairs scraped, laughter echoed, spells sparked around careless wizards testing tricks far too early in the day. But the moment Thomas entered, the chatter shifted subtly—many eyes followed him now. Not with fear… with curiosity. Respect. Even envy. Word of his Rank S victory had spread faster than fire through dry grass.
Master Makarov rose from his chair at the bar, pipe dangling from his lips.
"Thomas, my boy. Perfect timing."
The small master hopped onto the table, tapping his staff lightly.
"Everyone, quiet down! We have urgent business."
The guild calmed almost instantly, though a few murmurs persisted.
Makarov pointed his staff toward Thomas.
"Yesterday's synergy training confirmed it: Thomas is now capable of handling multi-phase, multi-party coordination. Which means it is time to expand his operational scope."
Thomas felt the shift—the kind of subtle tension that always preceded something important.
Erza stepped forward, armored and calm.
"A dual mission, Master?"
"Exactly." Makarov nodded. "Two Rank A threats emerging simultaneously. One north, one east. Normally we'd split the guild, but with the escalation of magical anomalies… we need strategic division."
He looked directly at Thomas.
"You will lead one of the teams."
A few gasps rose. Thomas kept his stance firm.
Lucy approached him slowly, eyes bright with anticipation.
"Which mission will we take?"
Makarov raised two parchment scrolls.
"The northern mission involves tracking disruptive magical storms—unstable mana bursts that destroyed three settlements. Not natural. Not random."
He lifted the second scroll.
"The eastern mission concerns disappearances near Taran Forest. Reports mention black flame residue… identical to the Rank S mage you fought."
The air thickened.
Thomas clenched his jaw. He wasn't alone.
Makarov continued.
"Thomas, you choose the mission you lead. The remaining team will tackle the other."
A heavy decision.
Lose focus and the teams could be overwhelmed.
Choose wrong and the rising threats would multiply.
Lucy stood by his left.
"I'll follow whichever mission you direct."
Mirajane leaned close, voice smooth.
"We trust your instinct."
Juvia touched his sleeve gently.
"Thomas always chooses correctly."
Erza remained silent, watching him carefully—measuring his choice more than supporting it.
He inhaled slow, steady.
"The eastern mission. The black flame threat."
He met Makarov's eyes.
"I need to see if that Rank S mage was part of something bigger."
Makarov nodded once, satisfied.
"Then take Erza and Lucy with you. Mirajane and Juvia will lead the storm investigation."
Thomas blinked.
A split harem dynamic—dangerous, unpredictable.
The system reacted instantly.
System Warning:
Harem Integrity Test Initiated.
Multiple-team separation may cause emotional destabilization.
Recommended: Maintain intimate resonance before departure.
He tightened his fist discreetly.
Not now. Focus.
Erza stepped to his side.
"We leave immediately."
Lucy smiled softly.
"I'm ready."
Mirajane moved in close, brushing her fingers across Thomas's shoulder, her touch lingering longer than necessary.
"Be careful. Don't get too distracted without me."
Harem Points +6, Emotional Tension Rising
Juvia stepped forward as well, placing her hand briefly on Thomas's chest—an intimate gesture clothed in innocence.
"Thomas must return safely. Juvia will worry otherwise."
Harem Points +5, Resonance Amplified
The system pulsed under his skin like a heartbeat seeking balance.
He exhaled quietly.
"We'll handle the black flames. You two take care of the storms."
And with that, the teams separated.
---
Taran Forest: The Path of Vanishing Flames
The journey east carried the group along dense woodland paths where fog clung to the ground like ghostly limbs. The forest was unnaturally quiet—no wind through the branches, no animals rustling. Even the air felt stale, as though holding its breath.
Thomas walked at the front, scanning the surroundings with sharpened senses. His mana flowed steadily now, stabilized from yesterday's synergy training. But he felt the absence of Mirajane and Juvia distinctly—a gap in resonance that the system interpreted as a missing link.
Erza moved beside him with disciplined precision.
"Stay alert. Silence like this indicates external suppression. Something is smothering the natural flow."
Lucy walked slightly behind, her steps light but tense.
"It feels wrong. Like something is watching but hiding."
The deeper they traveled, the darker the forest became. Thomas extended his hand slightly, letting a pulse of mana illuminate the path. The fog shifted, revealing remnants of scorched bark—blackened, still warm.
Erza knelt, touching the scorched earth.
"Identical residue to the Rank S flames. Controlled. Intentional."
Lucy shivered.
"This means we're not just tracking a missing mage… we're entering his territory."
Thomas narrowed his eyes.
"No. We're entering a nest."
Something moved—fast.
Thomas pivoted instantly, lightning sparking in his palm.
The creature that leapt from the fog was humanoid but twisted, fire burning across its limbs. The flames weren't bright—they were black, absorbing light like a starving void.
It shrieked and lunged.
Thomas fired a bolt of lightning that struck the creature's chest with violent force, sending it tumbling back.
Erza charged next, her sword slicing through the creature's arm in a clean arc. Black embers scattered like dying stars.
Lucy released a celestial spirit—Leo emerged in a flash of golden brilliance, punching the monster across the clearing.
But the creature rose again, its wounds crackling as black flames stitched flesh back together.
Lucy gasped.
"It regenerates—fast!"
Thomas gritted his teeth.
"There's only one way to neutralize black flames."
Erza nodded curtly.
"Overwhelm with pure mana."
He stepped forward, lightning roaring in his hands. Lucy pressed closer, touching his wrist lightly—her celestial magic syncing with his spell.
Affinity Boost +12, Mana Surge +8
Erza placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
"Channel everything. Erase it."
Thomas unleashed a torrent of white-blue lightning that collided with the creature's black flames. The two forces battled for dominance, crackling violently until the white lightning consumed the dark fire completely.
The creature dissolved into ash.
Then, silence.
Erza straightened.
"That was a scout. Meaning the real threat is near."
Lucy swallowed hard.
"We need to be careful. If they regenerate like that…"
Thomas held up a hand—
He felt something.
A whisper of mana.
A presence both familiar and malignant.
Then a voice echoed from deep within the forest.
Soft. Mocking.
"You killed my pet. How rude."
The fog parted.
A figure stepped forward—
not the Rank S mage he had fought, but someone similar.
A woman, tall and slender, cloaked in black flame.
Her eyes burned with red irises that pulsed like embers.
Her expression was one of amused curiosity.
Erza's stance shifted, ready to strike.
"Identify yourself."
The woman smiled slowly.
"I am Serapha. A conduit. A collector. And you…"
Her eyes slid to Thomas.
"…you are the anomaly my master wants."
Thomas's jaw tightened.
"Your master—the one controlling the Rank S mages?"
Serapha's smile widened.
"You'll meet him soon. For now, I simply need to test you."
She lifted her hand. Black fire exploded outward.
Thomas leapt back, lightning surging through his arms.
Erza blocked a wave of flames, her armor glowing under the strain.
Lucy summoned Virgo, who immediately formed a protective barrier.
The impact shook the forest violently.
The battle ignited instantly.
Thomas moved through the blaze, his lightning carving bright lines through the darkness. Lucy stayed close, amplifying him with precise celestial boosts. Erza charged head-on, her sword clashing against Serapha's flames with thunderous force.
But Serapha barely seemed strained.
She moved like smoke.
She flicked her wrist—and Erza was thrown backward.
Thomas darted in, striking with a concentrated bolt.
Serapha absorbed it with her bare hand.
Then she appeared beside him—faster than his eyes could track—her fingers tracing down his jawline in a disturbingly intimate gesture.
Black flames crawled along her fingertips.
"You resonate… beautifully. No wonder the harem bonds you so tightly."
Thomas jerked away, slashing lightning through her form, but she dissolved into smoke and rematerialized behind Lucy.
Erza roared.
"Stay away from them!"
Serapha tilted her head, amused.
"So protective. So emotional."
She turned her attention back to Thomas.
"You're incomplete without the other two girls, aren't you? Your balance is fractured."
Thomas clenched his fists.
Damn it. She senses the synergy gap.
Serapha lifted her hand.
Black fire coiled.
"Let me show you what real imbalance feels like."
She unleashed a blast so powerful it tore through the forest, uprooting trees and ripping apart the ground as if it were paper.
Thomas barely managed to shield Lucy with a lightning barrier.
Erza's armor cracked under the heat.
The world shook.
And then—
Serapha stopped.
Black flames vanished.
She stepped back calmly.
"This was enough. My master has seen all he needs."
She bowed mockingly.
"Survive the next threat, Thomas… and perhaps I'll let you entertain me again."
She dissolved into swirling black ash.
Silence returned—heavy, oppressive, unnatural.
Thomas stood still, chest heaving, muscles trembling from the effort.
Erza approached him, wiping soot from her cheek.
"She wanted to study you."
Lucy exhaled shakily.
"She was toying with us… If she had been serious—"
Thomas raised a hand.
"I know."
The forest felt wrong.
Twisted.
Watching.
This wasn't the end.
It was a message.
Someone was preparing a war.