Chapter One

Crocus x791

Inside a quaint dressmaking shop nestled in a secluded corner of Fiore's capital, a young man diligently worked on sewing a stunning pastel blue dress with a humming machine. He paused, turning his head toward one of the windows, the sounds of the outside world reaching his ears. The night was descending, and a momentous event loomed—the Grand Magic Games were set to open tonight, complete with their enigmatic trials to determine the top team.

The young man sighed, returning his attention to his sewing. His blond hair gleamed in the shop's light, but oddly, the sunlight from outside didn't penetrate the windows.

"It seems tonight marks the day when Fairy Tail recommences its ascent to the top," the young man muttered. "How amusing, but their success is already predetermined." He halted his sewing, reaching for a book titled 'The Grand Magic Games' near the machine and began reading. His reading speed was remarkable, devouring a page in less than five seconds, his eyes racing through the sentences like lightning in the sky.

Reaching the final chapter titled 'The Second Day of x791,' a frown etched across his face. "Did I intervene to alter what was already 'written'?" he whispered contemplatively, closing the book slowly. "Am I truly entangled in the plot of this era?" he continued his murmur, gazing out of the window to spot a young man with spiky pink hair, adorned with a scale-patterned scarf, walking alongside another man with spiky black hair and red eyes—both displaying Fairy Tail symbols on their shoulders.

"The protagonists of this tale seem to have already arrived in the capital," the man murmured as he stood up, clutching the book under his right arm. He walked toward the door, opening it gradually. An illusory sunlight streamed in, casting light on his white attire. His priestly outfit, accompanied by white gloves, contrasted sharply with the surroundings as he stepped onto the main road. His eyes, observant and piercing, effortlessly absorbed all the details, focusing on the departing figures of Natsu and Gajeel along with their peculiar talking cats.

"What a strange new world I find myself in," the man remarked, his words unheard by anyone around him. It appeared that he went unnoticed as he leisurely trailed behind Natsu and Gajeel. People unwittingly sidestepped him as he moved through the crowd.

Suddenly, a burst of magical energy erupted ahead, sending a shockwave through the road. Pedestrians' clothes fluttered, and hats soared into the air. The blond man, however, remained unaffected, continuing his slow advance toward the brewing conflict between the Fairy Tail mages and Sabertooth's dragon slayers.

"You failed to slay that dragon and let it defeat you—a disgrace of a dragonslayer!" the blond mage from Sabertooth exclaimed, his arrogance on full display.

"I admired you back then. Like you, all we wanted was to become dragonslayers," continued the other Sabertooth mage.

"You're?" Natsu, on the ground, widened his eyes, catching a familiar scent from the two.

"Yeah, we're dragonslayers. But unlike you, we've killed a dragon," revealed the arrogant Sabertooth mage with a smug grin.

"You killed a dragon?!" Lucy gasped, hands over her mouth.

"We killed the dragons that taught us magic to become true dragonslayers. We took their hearts to enhance ourselves—Third Generation Dragon Slayers," the Sabertooth dragon slayers explained. Natsu's expression shifted from rage to disbelief.

"You killed your parents…" Natsu began, his anger building. However, the atmosphere changed when clapping sounds emerged from the crowd. Gajeel was nowhere to be seen.

A red-haired man emerged, wild hair dancing in the wind, a smirk on his face. His black armor exuded a menacing aura that made the Sabertooth dragon slayers wary.

"So, you killed some dragons and now you're arrogant brats boasting about it," the man said, approaching the Sabertooth mages with his grin intact.

Suddenly, a bell rang, signaling that it was 11 PM—just an hour away from the start of the first trial for the Grand Magic Games.

"We'll let you off this time," Rogue said with his usual monotone.

"Yeah, don't know who you are, but don't show up in the arena tonight," Sting warned as they departed.

"Look, Frosch, this man defending the outdated dragonslayer seems pretty dense," Lector, one of the Exceeds, remarked.

"Fro thinks so too," the peculiarly dressed Exceed agreed.

"Oh," replied the man in black armor. "So you're trying to intimidate me? If someone with your meager power can kill a dragon, it means either the dragon was a feeble lizard or it was exceptionally weak."

Sting and Rogue turned to glare at the man, Sting clearly infuriated by his words.

"What?" the man raised an eyebrow. "Did that hurt your feelings, oh poor thing? Wanna shed a tear? Don't worry; I'm not one to judge."

Sting barely processed the man's words, his fury reaching an unnatural intensity as he channeled his magic to empower his fist.

"White Dragon's Iron Fist!" Sting bellowed, unleashing his augmented rage. However, before his blow could land, an arm wreathed in flames intercepted the attack.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu roared, his fiery arm colliding with Sting's. The clash of their magically enhanced fists sent shockwaves pulsating around them. As the struggle unfolded, Natsu exerted more force, decisively overpowering Sting and sending him flying from the impact.

"Urgh," Sting grunted, executing a backflip in mid-air before landing firmly on his feet, staring at Natsu with widened eyes.

"You just pushed me back?" he asked incredulously, observing his own fist.

"Yeah, dumbass. You were all talk, so I decided to shut you up with a punch. In the match, don't cross me. You killed your parents, and I'll make you regret it!" Natsu declared, his resolve burning hotter than ever.

"Wow," the voice of the man came once again, "The mighty 'true' dragonslayer being pushed back by a fraud. Tell me how your shattered measly pride is holding?"

Sting looked at the man once again as he started to channel a roar attack.

"Wait, there are civilians here!" cried out Lucy as she drew one of her keys to summon a spirit to protect the civilians. But then, a gust of wind passed near her, and the armored man was in front of Sting, his fist colliding in an uppercut directly with Sting's chin. The shock was so strong that Sting was sent flying through the air.

Suddenly, a shadow crept behind the man as Rogue exited the shadow world with his fist encased in shadow magic.

"Shadow Dragon's Iron Fist," the fist was set to collide directly with the man's head. But just as suddenly, an armored glove made its way for Rogue's head, clasped it, and then slammed him hard on the ground, creating a crater.

"If you want to ambush someone, don't yell your attacks, dumbass," snickered the man as Rogue lay unconscious on the ground.

"How- how is this possible? Rogue and Sting are the strongest mages of Sabertooth except for the Princess, but they were crushed by some stranger?" Lector trembled in fright as he looked at the armored man. The man snickered once more and came toward him in a slow move. But a hand came and stopped him dead in his tracks. As he turned to look at the one that stopped him, he saw a stunning woman with red hair in silver armor.

"This is enough," she declared with a firm tone to the red-haired man.

"And how do you dare to claim such things? This little hair ball just mocked me. I shall dispatch an apt punishment for such an affront to my person," the man smiled and replied with a frigid tone. Suddenly, he turned his head toward the crowd to see a young blond man in a priestly attire come near them with a book in his hands.

The stranger looked at Rogue and Sting and saw that their wounds were already healed.

"The Zealot," the man intoned, making everyone turn toward the newcomer. The commotion drew every member of Fairy Tail's team nearby, even Makarov was there.

"What are you doing in Crocus, Medici?" questioned Adam as he looked at Medici dead in the eyes.

"Well, I had a lovely night stroll when some weaklings were boasting, and you know me, I love to humble some arrogant people," replied Medici as he escaped the grip of Erza in an instant as he walked toward Adam.

"The one that needs humbling is you, Medici. You always were the most brash with Leodero," replied Adam as he walked toward Fairy Tail. Wendy came rushing toward the group at full speed.

"Sorry!" she cried out. "I was busy looking at the beautiful flowers of Crocus when I heard the sound of the bell. I came back as quickly as I could."

"That's alright, Wendy," said Erza with a smile as she looked toward the duo of strange men. It was strange; they sent her peculiar feelings.

"And who might you be?" she asked the duo of men.

"My name's Medici, etch it in your tiny brains," said the man, smiling at them. But his smile sent shivers down the spine of everyone present.

"Adam," said the blond man without even bothering to add anything as he closed his eyes.

"I must thank you for helping my children," came the voice of Makarov. "But your methods were a bit extreme, don't you think?"

"AHAHAH!" came the laughter of Medici. "You hear the decrepit man, Adam? I was violent? I held back at my maximum as I feared to kill them with a flick of my finger."

The whole of Fairy Tail frowned as they looked at Medici, but Natsu was surely the most hot-headed of the group as a flame came in his fist.

"You just insulted the old man," he said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah so what?" replied Medici. But just as he would have normally verbally abused Natsu, he disappeared without warning.

"What?" came the voice of everyone in the vicinity; no magic, nothing was sensed. Makarov looked at Adam with sweat dripping from his face.

"Sorry for my friend; he tends to be irritable to everyone he meets. Don't take his words to heart; he just does it for pleasure. But I have a question for you, child of Igneel."

"You know Igneel?!" cried out Natsu with hopes in his eyes.

Adam continued to look at Natsu.

"The question is, what, for you, is the most important thing in the world?" the soothing voice of Adam came into Natsu's ears, and his brain started to ruminate on the subject of the question.

"Family!" he cried out suddenly. "Family and friends are the most important things in the world. Without my friends at Fairy Tail, I would never have reached so far," he said, full of conviction.

Adam seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.

"I see; you are extremely different from the Child of Igneel back then. See you soon, child of the Fire King," said Adam as he suddenly disappeared from his place just like Medici before.

"And my question!" cried out Natsu as he looked around frantically for Adam. But as he found nothing, he fell on his knees. "He didn't respond!" he cried out again.

"Well, Medici," said Adam as he reappeared inside the shop with Medici, "I knew that you would do that, but truly, I gave you your personality and this is how you thanks me, by seeding chaos among Crocus."

"Well, Adam, I truly wanted to test the two Dragon slayers but they don't seem to be that strong," shrugged the red angel as he took a seat on the sofa that Adam had materialized some time back then.

"Everyone is here," stated Adam as three more persons materialized suddenly on the couch near Medici, their figures hidden in shadows. "Let's win the first trial right away," he declared as the first trial was announced: the sky labyrinth. Their whole group suddenly vanished and reappeared in front of the finish line, and Adam promptly crossed the line in a single step.

"What?" they heard the voice of the pumpkin disguised man that looked at them with his widened eyes.

"You are first place. What is the name of your guild?" Adam looked at the sky before smiling. "Twilight Hermit Order," he murmured to the man.

"Then first place Twilight Hermit Order!" the man declared as they soon entered Crocus arena for all the paperwork for their participation.

"My zealous brother," came the voice of one of the hidden persons with Adam, "it seems that this little tournament will be quite a funny endeavor." A monocle could be seen from behind the cloak.

Adam looked back at the man before drawing the start of a smile.

"Indeed, brother," he replied as they were in front of the inscription stand for the winning teams.

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Well this is my little side project as the idea just popped inside my head today so I absolutely wanted to write about it.

I hope you liked the introductory chapter

See you soon :)