The vast blue sea shimmered like silk, its surface rippling gently under the open sky. From a high vantage point, the misty horizon stretched endlessly, blending sky and ocean into one boundless expanse.
Amid this immense ocean, a small boat pressed forward against the wind and waves, driven by determination.
"Is it around here?"
Bisca Connell lowered her binoculars, her voice tinged with frustration as she glanced at Alzack Connell beside her.
"Yes, it should be here," Alzack replied, his gaze soft as he looked at her, nodding with certainty.
"But there's nothing. Just sea everywhere."
Warren Rocko scanned the surroundings, his spirits sinking. "What did those Pegasus guys say about magic particles in this area? And what exactly are magic particles anyway?"
"Wait, something's happening!"
Bisca's expression suddenly shifted.
"What is it?"
"The wind… it stopped."
"You're right." Jet spoke in a low voice. "This entire sea is still."
The ocean had gone unnaturally quiet, as if frozen in place. Even the seagulls that once filled the sky had vanished without a trace, leaving behind an unsettling silence.
"What's going on?"
"Look over there. There's someone."
Max Alors pointed toward the distant horizon.
"A person? Out here?"
"Unless it's a powerful mage, everyone stay alert," Alzack said, his tone turning serious.
"It really is a person… and a little girl at that," Bisca murmured, stunned.
Floating atop the sea was a young girl with emerald-green eyes and long, golden curls. She stood there as if the ocean itself supported her.
Without warning, the sea trembled. A surge of overwhelming magical energy spread across the water. The girl raised her hand, and behind her, a massive island emerged from nothingness.
"Tenrou Island!"
"It's really Tenrou Island!"
"She's moving. Hurry, we need to follow her!"
Guided by instinct, the group rushed after the mysterious girl. Moments later, they stepped onto the long-lost island.
Minutes passed before they reached a desolate area, where rubble and debris covered the ground. Beneath the wreckage, familiar figures began to emerge.
Tears filled their eyes.
"They're alive…"
Seven years had passed since the catastrophe on Tenrou Island.
Before that, Fairy Tail had endured countless battles: the war against Phantom Lord, the Tower of Heaven incident, the internal guild conflict, the Oración Seis crisis, and the Edolas incident.
Then came their greatest trial.
On Tenrou Island, they faced the Black Dragon, Acnologia, and were nearly wiped out.
At the brink of annihilation, Mavis Vermillion used Fairy Sphere, sealing everyone in suspended animation and saving their lives at the cost of her own power.
Seven years passed in that frozen state.
The world moved on without them.
With Fairy Tail's strongest members gone, the guild declined, reduced to a shadow of its former glory.
Yet one anomaly remained.
High in the distant sky, an enormous energy source burned endlessly, like a second sun. Day and night, without pause, it pulsed steadily for eleven years.
At first, the world feared it.
Then, gradually, they ignored it.
Strangely, magic power across the world became more active, as if nourished by that constant energy.
Far beyond the planet, in the cold vacuum of space, a different scene unfolded.
Where there should have been darkness, blinding golden-white and crimson energy clashed violently, illuminating the void.
For eleven years, the battle continued.
"Haha… eleven years. I finally broke you."
Lucien opened his golden-white eyes. The exhaustion within them vanished quickly, replaced by satisfaction and cruel excitement.
"Break!"
With a roar, his aura surged outward. The blood-red chains that formed a cage around him were riddled with cracks, and under the force of his power, they shattered completely.
"Impossible! I am Odin, King of the Gods!"
The furious voice echoed through space as Odin's soul reappeared, twisted with disbelief.
He had sacrificed everything, his divinity, soul, life, even eternal damnation, just to curse Lucien.
And yet, it had been destroyed.
Absolute power crushed all resistance.
When strength reached a certain level, even time, space, and causality could be broken. A curse was no exception.
"I knew you weren't gone," Lucien said, his lips curling into a vicious smile. "I should thank you."
His soul separated from his body, standing freely in the void. His expression was filled with greed and mockery as he looked at Odin.
For eleven years, Lucien had endured.
With the endless magic of the Fairy Heart, he fought a battle of will against Odin's curse, slowly grinding it down.
Now, he had won.
His power had evolved completely. A single strand of his aura now surpassed thousands from before.
His Observation Haki had advanced, allowing him to see five seconds into the future.
His abilities, including the Soul Fruit, the Six Powers, and Armament Haki, had all improved significantly.
Even his movement technique had advanced to an absurd range.
But the most valuable gains were his aura and Soul Fruit.
Of course, there was a price.
The Fairy Heart was gone, completely drained.
"So it wasn't infinite after all… what a scam," Lucien muttered with annoyance.
Still, the result was worth it.
"The feeling of having my full strength back… perfect."
In the void, his physical body rose from its cross-legged position. Golden-white energy flowed around him, his appearance resembling an unshakable war god.
In front of him stood his soul, identical in every way.
Lucien stretched slightly, energy rippling around him.
Both bodies moved.
Both at peak strength.
"The Soul Fruit… not bad at all."
With a single thought, his physical body stepped forward.
It was no illusion.
It possessed his full combat power.
A cruel grin spread across Lucien's face.
From now on, every battle would be two against one.
And for his enemies, that meant absolute despair.