...
"It is close to what you are thinking, but not exactly," Shin said, breaking the heavy silence in the pocket dimension.
He locked eyes with the young girl. "Someone altered the flow of time. We are no longer in the empire of your era. We are standing in that exact same empire, but at least eight hundred years in the future."
Lucy blinked, her mind completely short-circuiting. She couldn't grasp a single word Shin had just said.
"Shin, what does that actually mean?" she asked, rubbing her temples. "I know I can be a little slow sometimes. Maybe my sister already figured it out..."
Lucy glanced over, noticing that Alice's face had gone completely pale.
"So, this isn't our world anymore?" Alice asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Or rather, it is our world, but eight hundred years later??"
Shin nodded grimly. "That is exactly what happened. I can't be certain about all the intricate details, but I can absolutely guarantee that we have been thrown into the future."
Hearing the undeniable confirmation, Alice staggered back a half-step. She was a battle-hardened mage, and her mind was remarkably resilient, but this... this was completely absurd.
Then, her eyes widened as a sudden realization hit her. "Wait, if that is true... then that blonde girl from the guild..."
"She is your descendant, Lucy!" Alice gasped, before her expression instantly soured. "Hold on a second. Why don't I have any descendants running around?? This is completely unfair!"
Shin mentally facepalmed.
'Out of all the world-shattering revelations to focus on, that is what she cares about?? Women truly operate on a completely different wavelength.'
Shin cleared his throat to regain their attention. "Now that you both understand our current situation, we need a plan. Explaining our origins to the people of this era is going to be incredibly difficult. So, we need a solid cover story."
"I am planning for us to officially join Fairy Tail," Shin continued, watching their reactions closely. "Do either of you have any objections?"
The reality of the situation finally seemed to settle in, replacing their initial shock with a strange sense of excitement.
"I don't mind at all!" Lucy cheered, a massive smile breaking across her face. "That girl is actually my descendant? That is incredibly fun! I never imagined we would jump eight hundred years into the future. But... how are we going to get back? What about Father?"
Shin frowned. That was the one variable he couldn't easily solve. He currently possessed terrifying destructive power, but his mastery over space-time wasn't advanced enough to safely reverse an eight-hundred-year temporal shift.
"For now, we establish a foothold," Shin explained calmly. "We join Fairy Tail, gather information, and figure out a way back. Surviving in a new era requires money and resources, and joining a powerful guild is the fastest way to get both. Besides, from what I have seen, the people in that guild are genuinely good-hearted."
"But, if you two are truly against it, I won't force you," Shin added.
Alice and Lucy exchanged a quick glance before nodding in unison.
"We go wherever you go, Shin. It is as simple as that," Alice said firmly. "I know some things are out of your control right now, but I trust you. You will definitely find a way to take us home."
Shin felt a warm wave of relief. Having their absolute trust made everything easier.
"Then it is settled," Shin declared, a confident smirk returning to his face. "We are going to become Fairy Tail mages. But to secure our spot, we are going to need a very convincing welcoming gift."
"I am going to resurrect their First Guild Master and permanently purge the curse from her body."
The two girls stared at him blankly. They had absolutely no idea who the First Guild Master was, nor what curse he was talking about, but they knew Shin meant business.
"Let's go," Shin commanded.
He wrapped his arms around the two girls. His right eye spun violently into the intricate pattern of his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Kamui."
The space around them warped and twisted inward, sucking the trio out of the grassy plains and back into the void.
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However, deep within the tall grass just a few miles away, a lone figure stood up, a dark chuckle escaping his lips.
"Well, well. This just got incredibly interesting," the mysterious man muttered, his eyes locked onto the residual spatial distortion. "I never expected to find another transmigrator in this world. And that technique... there is no mistaking it. That was Kamui."
The man cracked his knuckles, a savage grin spreading across his face. "I am really looking forward to this. I want to see exactly what is stronger—my One Piece abilities, or your Naruto jutsu."
Naturally, Shin remained entirely oblivious to this observer. And honestly, even if he knew, he wouldn't have cared in the slightest.
——————————
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed since the catastrophic battle with Laxus.
Fairy Tail's guild hall had already been partially rebuilt, and the bustling, chaotic atmosphere had returned in full force.
Suddenly, the heavy wooden doors were kicked wide open.
"I'm back, everyone!" Shin announced casually, strolling into the hall. "Has the Master recovered yet? If not, I can take a look at him."
The entire guild froze, turning to stare at the newcomers.
"It is the girl who completely vaporized Laxus's lightning!" Wakaba shouted, nearly dropping his cigar.
"And little Lucy is back too! Hahaha! They really do look exactly the same!" Macao laughed, pointing between the two blondes.
Natsu immediately leaped over a table and sprinted up to Shin. "Man, I didn't think you guys would actually come back! This is awesome! With you guys here, our guild is going to be unstoppable!"
Natsu suddenly lowered his voice, leaning in close. "But hey, just a heads-up. The Master knows what happened, and he isn't exactly thrilled. You are going to have to do some serious smooth-talking—heh."
Shin nodded, feeling like he was walking into a corporate job interview.
"I understand," Shin said, patting Natsu on the shoulder. "Some things are better left unsaid. Thanks for the warning, Natsu."
At that exact moment, a short, elderly man with a thick white mustache walked out from the back room. Makarov Dreyar locked eyes with Shin immediately.
The heavy, suffocating pressure of a Wizard Saint filled the room.
"I hear you are the one who defeated my grandson," Makarov said, his voice low and incredibly stern. "But what I don't understand is why monsters of your caliber want to join a guild like ours."
"If you join us, we become family," Makarov continued, narrowing his eyes. "But your power is far too dangerous. I simply cannot believe you want to join Fairy Tail without some sort of ulterior motive."
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