Chapter 94

Morning sun filled the training hall of my home. I'd been up most of the night thinking about what Makarov asked me. Being a Guild Master was a big deal.

"So what's this all about?" Laxus asked, leaning against the wall of my training room. "Your message said it was important."

Laxus looked bored as usual, though the small sparks dancing around his fingers gave away his curiosity. Erza stood with perfect posture, ever the disciplined warrior. Jellal was gazing out the window, deep in thought as always. Kagura sat on one of the benches, her sword resting across her lap, while Simon stood nearby, arms crossed.

These five young mages before me had potential that exceeded even my high expectations. But potential alone wasn't enough in this world. They needed an edge, something to elevate them beyond ordinary magic users. And that's exactly what I planned to give them today.

"It is important,"

"I brought you here," I continued, "because you're ready. All four of you. Ready for more than just raw skill and sparring drills. You're ready for the next stage."

"You've all gotten stronger, grown your magic, made your own paths. But there's more to strength than just practice. Sometimes, strength comes from having the right tools. From gifts given when you need them most."

Their eyes got big with surprise and interest. Even Erza, usually so calm, couldn't hide her excitement.

"Laxus already got his gifts years ago, and here are yours."

I raised my hand. Four glowing rings floated above my palm.

"Inside these rings are items that will help you grow stronger," I said, holding my hand out as four radiant rings floated above my palm.

 "They'll also function as storage rings, capable of holding anything you place within. But more importantly, the items inside are tailored specifically for each of you. I chose them after careful consideration, your abilities, your potential, and your future."

Without another word, I willed the rings forward. Each one hovered toward each one of them.

 They stared at their new rings with curiosity and anticipation.

"Go ahead," I encouraged them. 

Kagura was first. In her ring was an Asauchi from the Bleach universe. A blank Zanpakutō, waiting to be shaped by her soul. What spirit it would manifest into, I couldn't say, but knowing Kagura's resolve and depth of will, I had no doubt it would be something formidable. Maybe even terrifying.

Simon was next. His natural affinity for darkness magic and close-quarters combat made the choice clear. Inside his ring was the Yami Yami no Mi from the One Piece world. But this version was modified, like the one I gave to Laxus, no weakness to water, no drawback. Just pure gravitational, all-consuming darkness.

Jellal came next and his was the hardest decision.

He already had overwhelming mana and a broad understanding of advanced magics. He didn't need brute power. He needed synergy. Harmony.

After much thought, I found the perfect fit: the Star Magic Grimoire from Black Clover. A book of celestial spells that paired perfectly with his Heavenly Body Magic. With this, he would command the skies like no other.

Jellal opened the book carefully, and golden light spilled from its pages, illuminating his face. "I can feel it... connecting with my magic somehow."

"That's the book choosing you," I said with a nod. "It's alive, in its own way. Study it well."

And finally—Erza.

Her fighting style had always been centered around her armory, the Requip magic that let her summon an arsenal in battle. But now, inside her ring, was something more, an armory of hundreds of powerful weapons and armor sets, handpicked by me across the omniverse. 

Erza's hand trembled slightly as she tapped into the ring's storage. In her mind's eye, she could see the weapons.

"I…" she whispered, overwhelmed. "This is… too much."

"It's exactly enough," I corrected gently. "You won't master them all at once. But in time, they'll respond to you. Like your own armory. The only limit is your will."

I stepped back, looking at them all. Five of the strongest mages of the next generation. Not just with potential, but now with the tools to break past their own limits.

I pity their enemies to be honest.

—

Later that day, I left the four to their own devices. This part of the journey had to be theirs alone. Growth didn't always come from instruction. Sometimes, it came from their own and the will to understand.

I thought back to my Pokemon, Zephyr had taken off at dawn, eager to explore the world. Flying types like him got restless if kept in one place too long.

Rayna and Levi were somewhere on the fortress grounds, Rayna probably crushing boulders for her morning exercise routine, while Levi enjoyed the artificial lake I'd built on the eastern side, the lake gave him the space he needed to stretch his massive serpentine body.

As for Astra, Sun, and Kaisel, they'd left for the guild early this morning. They wanted to try taking on a quest by themselves, something simple to test their ability to function in this world without my direct supervision. 

Blaze had stayed behind to keep an eye on things at the fortress, always the responsible one of the group. I had no doubt they were all fine. In fact, my Pokémon were probably more capable of handling themselves in Earthland than most mages were.

As I walked through the quiet streets of Magnolia, I felt it, a familiar, powerful presence lingering at the edge of my awareness. Old. Regal. Draconic.

Irene.

One thing NIMO told me was that Irene frequently visited Magnolia from a distance.

She never approached the guild directly, but she came here more often than most would guess. Always from a distance. Always just… watching. It was clear she wanted to see her daughter, but something always held her back. Pride? Guilt? Fear?

Or maybe all of the above.

Still, I hadn't given up on her. Not entirely.

It didn't take long to find her. A hill overlooking Magnolia, just beyond the town's edge. From there, the guild was visible.

She was standing with her back to me, long crimson hair fluttering in the wind like a banner. She didn't turn, but she felt me approach. 

"Irene," I greeted quietly. "Still watching from the shadows?"

She didn't turn immediately. "Leonhart," she acknowledged. "Back from your travels."

Her gaze shifted briefly to me.

"You look different."

"I am different."

"Hm." She returned to watching the guild. "Was it worth it?"

I considered the question. "Yes."

"Good," she said simply, and I was surprised by the lack of mockery in her tone.

We stood in silence for a moment. The evening breeze carried distant sounds of laughter from the guild.

She turned away again, looking toward the guild.

"You could speak to her," I said, nodding in that direction

"She has a good life," Irene said, her voice neutral. "She's strong. Respected."

"She is," I agreed. "But she still doesn't know where she came from."

"Some mysteries are better left unsolved."

"Is that what you tell yourself?"

She didn't respond immediately. "What exactly do you want from me, Leonhart?"

Her question caught me off guard. What did I want from her? Why did I keep pushing this?

To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure. It wasn't my business, really. Erza was happy, strong, surrounded by friends who had become family. She didn't know what she was missing. And yet...

"I don't know," I finally admitted. "I just think you both deserve better than this."

I looked at her—really looked at her.

Irene Belserion. The Scarlet Despair. The mother of dragons. The mother of Erza.

Even now, standing at the edge of town with that distant, unreadable expression, she carried herself like a queen. Proud. Composed. Dangerous. She had the presence of someone who'd long ago stopped asking for forgiveness, and instead learned to live with her sins carved into her very skin.

But beneath all that strength, I saw the fracture lines. The moments she didn't think anyone was watching, how her gaze lingered on the guild, how her fingers twitched when Erza's voice carried just faintly on the wind.

She wasn't as distant as she wanted to believe.

I'd met monsters. I'd killed them too. Irene wasn't one. Not anymore. She was a mother who had no idea how to be one, not after what life had done to her. Not after what she had done in return.

And yet, she kept coming back.

Maybe that's what hope looked like for someone like her, showing up, even when she didn't know why.

I wasn't here to redeem her. That wasn't my job. Redemption wasn't something I could give, it was something she had to want.

And I want to remind her that the door hadn't closed. Not completely.

And that maybe, just maybe… she wasn't as alone as she thought she was.

"But perhaps because you haven't walked away yet," I said simply. "And I don't believe you ever truly intended to."

"You think I'm weak?"

"No," I said. "I think you're afraid."

That hit something. Her jaw tensed, though her voice remained cool. "I do not fear."

"Then what's stopping you?"

"She doesn't need me," Irene said, though it sounded more like a wound than a conviction. "She has your guild. She has you. And she doesn't know who I am. I would only complicate things."

"She deserves to know," I said. "And you deserve more."

Irene looked away again, toward the guild.

"I've lived for centuries, Leonhart," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "I've been a queen, a monster, a mother… and none of it ended well."

"You've been a victim, too," I added. "But this time, you have a choice. This time, you're not alone."

She didn't answer right away. The wind blew again, scattering cherry blossoms across the hilltop.

"…And if I fail again?"

"Then we'll pick up the pieces together."

She looked at me for a long time, something raw flickering beneath her carefully maintained facade. Pain. Hope. Regret.

"…You haven't changed," she said finally, shaking her head. "Still impossibly naive."

I chuckled. "Or just stubborn enough to believe in second chances."

A long silence followed. This time, she didn't break it with sarcasm or deflection.

Instead, she asked, almost too quietly:

"Would she forgive me?"

I didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

Her fingers tightened at her sides. For a moment, the mask cracked, and then it was back.

"I'll think about it," she said.

"That's all I ask."

She began to walk away, her figure graceful and regal as ever.

"I meant what I said back then. If you ever want to be human again, the offer still stands."

She paused, just for a heartbeat.

"…Not yet," she said.

And then she was gone.

I could see it in her eyes, the hesitation. She was so close, but she wasn't ready. I knew that much. Irene had always been proud, too proud to accept something like this. She was carrying too much guilt, too much weight from the past, to let it go so easily.

I understood that. But I also knew that part of her wanted to be free of it. I saw it when she looked at me, just for a moment. There was something there, something buried deep inside her. Maybe she didn't even know it yet, but I saw it.

I sighed. I had given her the choice. She had turned it down. Again. There wasn't much more I could do for now.

I wondered why I kept trying. Maybe it was hope. Maybe it was stubbornness. 

In the end, I supposed it didn't really matter why. Some things you do not because they make sense, but because they feel right.

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