Gray, be careful.
In the dense forest, golden sunlight filtered through the leaves. A scarlet-haired maiden in armor and a black-haired youth in light clothing stood alert, eyes fixed on the surroundings.
Though neither had spoken, a voice suddenly echoed out of nowhere.
Neither Gray nor Erza was surprised. The old master's dwelling was notorious for being troublesome—filled with strange quirks and peculiar dangers. To barge in recklessly was practically a death sentence.
It was said that the old master himself claimed these traps were for the protection of the world—should anyone disturb his thoughts, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Of course, both Erza and Gray suspected this was just an excuse for the old man to enjoy his peace. After all, trouble erupted in the guild almost daily, leaving Master Makarov endlessly vexed.
Wanting a place to hide away wasn't hard to understand.
Still, the guild master trusted the old man's words implicitly.
Thump!
Thump!
A dull, rhythmic drumming resounded. Erza immediately went on guard, light gathering in her hands and forming into a longsword as she raised her stance. Gray conjured an ice spear and stood watchfully at her side.
But instead of some fearsome beast emerging… a soft, adorable little sphere appeared before them. The air rippled with its arrival, and after spotting the two, it cheerily called out:
"Don't just stand there staring! I knew once Natsu ran off, someone would come looking for him. So I prepared for this—come, I'll take you to them."
The two froze at the sudden sight. Erza reacted first, cautiously asking:
"Old Master…?"
"Who else would come to fetch you?" the little sphere, Pai Pai, bounced up and down, clearly displeased that they hadn't recognized him. "Natsu and Lucy are already in the Ring Domain."
That blockhead Natsu recognized him right away—so why was someone as sharp as Erza struggling?
Erza dismissed her sword, still curious about this so-called Ring Domain, but chose first to apologize. With a touch of embarrassment, she explained:
"Forgive me, Old Master. Your appearance has changed so much, I didn't dare assume. The last time I saw you, you still had a human form. Why… why are you like this now?"
"Because I've become more focused. My power is more concentrated now, so my outward appearance is usually smaller. I don't bind myself to one shape—it's easier to keep control this way.
Of course, I can adjust my form. If you find this one unappealing…"
The soft sphere suddenly stretched upward, reshaping into a human form: a frail, skeletal elder with hair and beard of pure white, brows long and drooping—but with eyes full of warmth and kindness.
"How about this appearance?"
The instant Erza saw him, her breath caught. Words escaped before she could stop them:
"Grandpa Rob…!"
Her left eye brimmed with tears, glistening in the sunlight.
The old man's gentle voice called out:
"Erza…"
In that moment, the figure before her overlapped perfectly with the old companion of her childhood memories. She felt herself whisked back to the Tower of Heaven—to the days of darkness where, at the very least, Grandpa Rob was alive… where Jellal was still kind.
But then clarity struck.
"No… that's wrong. Grandpa Rob died at the Tower of Heaven. This is the guild's old master."
Erza shook her head violently, eyes hardening, a trace of fury flashing through them.
No one—not even the Titania herself—could remain calm when their most precious memories and emotions were toyed with.
"My apologies… I didn't mean to reopen old wounds. I simply chose a figure close to your heart—someone you felt attachment and regret toward. I didn't realize it would…"
Pai Pai trailed off, embarrassed, bowing his head.
He had been aware of Fairy Tail since its founding. Natsu wasn't wrong in calling him an "old man of the guild." Rob had been Makarov's companion in youth, but Pai Pai himself had never been close to him.
Back then, before his forgettability worsened, his uncontrollable Chaos Magic still drove most people away—few dared to draw near.
In that sense, he was much like Zeref—though in truth, their natures were utterly different.
The truth was, Pai Pai cared for Fairy Tail, but only in the present generation. In the earliest days, his name was little more than a footnote.
As for Rob, he had only known the man by name—until this very moment, when Erza's emotions revealed he had died.
Erza opened her mouth, the storm in her chest not yet calmed but robbed of any outlet. She wiped her tears, shook her head, and said firmly:
"No, it's fine. If anything, I should thank you… for letting me see Grandpa Rob once more."
Gray, sensing the awkwardness, quickly stepped in to change the subject:
"Old Master, the reason we came is because Natsu took an S-Class mission without permission. Has he caused you any trouble?"
"Natsu, huh? He's fine. Though barging in startled me a little—hardly anyone ever comes here. Still, I'm rather glad. At least you've remembered me." Pai Pai reverted to his spherical form, voice steady but subdued, clearly still unsettled from before.
Natsu had always been a frequent visitor in his childhood, sneaking here to escape Erza's beatings.
But Erza, Mira, Gray, and the others had rarely come—especially after Pai Pai constructed his domains and Natsu spread the word about their functions.
Since then, no one has visited.
And then came the long stretch of being forgotten—even Natsu stopped coming.
Today was the first time the silence had broken… and what an awkward disaster it turned into.
"This was a terrible idea," Pai Pai scolded himself. These intrusive thoughts about taking on comforting shapes are dangerous. Best to abandon them.
Whether it was with Natsu or Erza, the result was only pain.
"Sorry for troubling you, Old Master. I'll punish him later," Erza said, straightening her posture, the guild's big sister to the core.
"Uh… It's fine." Pai Pai managed a strained smile at her seriousness. Deep down, he just hoped the boy could endure the inevitable punishment.
Or maybe… maybe it won't be a beating at all, he thought, calming himself. Other than the pile of buffs stacked on Natsu, nothing bad had happened.
In the Ring Domain—
Happy had somehow produced a fishing rod and sat by Pai Pai's lake, half-dozing as he fished.
"Achoo!"
Natsu's sudden sneeze startled him, nearly knocking him into the water. He blinked at the rod, then the empty lake, and gasped:
"The fish… the fish are gone!"
Lucy sighed, utterly speechless. A thousand retorts piled up in her throat, but in the end, she only managed:
"Happy, you hadn't caught a single fish to begin with."
"Ah, sou ka." With sudden realization, he cheerfully resumed fishing.
Lucy turned toward Natsu with concern. "Natsu, are you alright? Why'd you sneeze all of a sudden? Did the guild find out?"
Natsu rubbed his nose, looking entirely unfazed.
"It's nothing. Just coming to see the old man—what's the big deal?"
"That's not what I meant…" Lucy muttered, looking utterly defeated.
Meanwhile, after his explanations, Pai Pai addressed Erza and Gray:
Come. I'll take you there.
An unfathomable force descended. Space and time itself seemed carved away, spilling deep darkness into the world—then, as swiftly as it appeared, everything returned to normal.