The night was still, heavy with thought. Escanor remained seated atop the back mountain, the weight of Ultear's words echoing in his mind. He did not act hastily. Instead, he let silence and contemplation rule until dawn broke.
When morning light spilled across the horizon, Escanor waited—his chest heavy but resolute.
Soon, the familiar footsteps came: Erza and Mira, their faces alight with concern and unyielding support.
"Erza, Mira... I have something important to say. Please listen closely," Escanor began, his voice steady but somber.
He poured out the truth of his condition—how his magic had devoured life, how Ultear's insights had opened a path forward, and his plan to journey to the Sun Mountains. Though surprise flickered in their eyes, the two understood the gravity—and the hope—in his resolve.
Together, they sought out Makarov. The old master listened quietly, his face furrowed but knowing.
"Escanor… I should have realized it sooner. Your power is beyond mere magic—it is divine sublimation. This journey you undertake is toward godhood itself. Whether you return or not, remember, this guild is your home," Makarov said, his voice thick with emotion.
Escanor smiled faintly, teasing:
"A trip with no return date. You don't believe me?"
No one answered; they simply nodded, hearts heavy yet supportive.
The question lingered: Where?
"I thought long and hard," Escanor said. "The Sun Mountains. High altitude, constant sunlight—the perfect place for my magic to grow."
Makarov nodded. "A desolate place, but fitting. Then prepare yourself. We wait for your safe return."
Erza and Mira wished to accompany him, but Escanor refused—his heart a shield to protect them from the unknown dangers ahead.
Escanor's journey was slow. Magic flight was impossible; his body rejected it. He traveled on foot, fueled by raw strength and determination.
Days passed until he stood before the towering, sun-baked peaks of the eastern Sun Mountains. The land was scorched, vegetation scarce. The very rocks glowed with molten heat from centuries of sun exposure.
With a roar of power, Escanor propelled himself skyward, climbing at impossible speed. The heat was blistering, but his body welcomed it—each ray fueling the furnace within.
Hours passed, then days.
At last, he reached a plateau near the summit.
Resting briefly, muscles taut and body humming with energy, Escanor pressed on—undaunted.
After a year—a full year—Escanor remained, motionless but alive, an eternal sentinel on the mountaintop.
The magic storm around him raged like a hurricane, a vortex of sunfire and power.
From afar, observers saw the impossible: the perpetual daylight of the Sun Mountains turned to darkness, the mountains themselves shrouded in an unnatural night.
Inside Escanor, transformation roared like a volcano.
His magic source, once a furnace, had become a miniature sun, burning with blinding light and divine power.
Mysterious golden patterns traced his skin, glowing like celestial tattoos—an aura of godhood enveloped him.
Suddenly, the mountain trembled violently.
Rocks shattered. Cracks raced along ancient stone.
Then, silence.
And in the sky, two suns blazed—one the true star, the other Escanor incarnate.
Eyes aflame with golden fire, Escanor rose.
"God Breath Cannon!"
A devastating beam erupted from his mouth, annihilating a distant mountain.
The force was instantaneous—then, his magic was fully restored in a heartbeat.
His body was no longer flesh and blood but pure living magic—a blazing sun incarnate.
He looked upward, feeling an intimate bond with the celestial fire.
"Above the Heavens and Below the Earth, I Alone Am the Honored One. Extreme!"
Escanor laughed—a sound that shook the very air.
With a mere gesture, he carved space itself with his Holy Sword, a blade of radiant light and impossible power.
Magic perception expanded—his senses now spanned the entire continent.
With a burst, Escanor shot toward Fairy Tail, breaking the sound barrier, disappearing into the sky like a comet.
Had he become a god?
No—not yet.
But Escanor had shed mortal limits, taken his first divine step.
The small sun burning within him would grow.
And when it did, the age of gods would dawn.
From here, a legend begins.