Before the next part of the story begins, I wanted to take a moment to speak directly to everyone reading this.
Some of you may have already noticed that certain characters and elements in this fanfiction are a bit different from how they appear in the original Fairy Tail series.
That's intentional.
I love Fairy Tail. It's one of my favorite anime and manga, and Hiro Mashima created a world full of memorable characters and fun ideas. But while writing this story, I didn't want to feel completely restricted by the exact events or mechanics of canon.
This story is my interpretation of that world.
One thing I've noticed in the original series—especially in later arcs—is that many fights become very direct. A lot of battles come down to large attacks clashing with other large attacks. Flashy move versus flashy move.
That style works well for the series, but for this story I wanted combat to feel a bit more strategic.
Instead of characters simply overpowering each other, I try to focus on them observing their opponent, analyzing their abilities, and adapting during the fight.
You've probably already seen hints of that.
For example, Gajeel in this story is a bit more analytical than he sometimes appears in canon. During his fight with Juvia, he's actively trying to understand how her water body works and whether there's a limit to what her magic can do.
At the same time, Juvia is portrayed as extremely talented, possibly even more naturally gifted than Gajeel at this point in the story.
That doesn't necessarily mean one character is stronger than the other. It simply means their strengths are different.
Another thing I plan to clarify moving forward is where this story fits within the overall Fairy Tail timeline. That way readers have a clearer understanding of what events have—or haven't—happened yet in this version of the world.
There will definitely be some similarities to canon, but there will also be many differences as the story progresses.
After all, one of the most fun parts of writing fanfiction is exploring new possibilities inside a world we already love.
I also wanted to talk a bit about how magic works in this story.
In Fairy Tail, magic is often described as being tied to a person's life force. However, the series also says that only about ten percent of the population can use magic.
That raises an interesting question.
If magic truly comes from life energy, shouldn't everyone technically possess it?
One way to interpret this is that everyone has magical energy, but only a small percentage of people actually train and learn how to use it. In other words, only ten percent of the population become mages.
Think of it like physical ability.
Most people have legs, but that doesn't mean everyone is a professional runner. People need training and discipline to become athletes, just like someone would need training to become a wizard.
This interpretation helped me structure the magic system in a way that feels a bit more grounded while still staying true to the spirit of the series.
Because of that approach, I made a few adjustments to some characters' abilities.
For example, in canon Gajeel can transform parts of his body into iron and consume iron to restore his power, but he doesn't have much control over metal itself.
In this story, he can manipulate nearby metal in addition to transforming his body.
I made that change for two main reasons:
1. It gives him more flexibility in combat.
2. It helps balance him compared to other Dragon Slayers.
If you look at other Dragon Slayers in the series, many of them have extremely versatile abilities.
Take Wendy, for example. She can fly, use healing magic, support spells, offensive attacks, and even replenish her strength by consuming air.
Or Natsu. He can create and shape flames, use them for mobility, and grow stronger through his emotional state. His fire becomes so intense at certain points that it's said to burn even abstract concepts like time.
Compared to those examples, Gajeel's abilities felt a bit more limited. Expanding his control over metal helps make his fighting style more dynamic while still keeping his core identity intact.
Juvia's abilities were also adjusted slightly.
Water users appear frequently across many different stories, so I wanted her power to stand out a bit more.
In this version of the story, Juvia draws moisture from the surrounding environment, condenses it into liquid form, and then manipulates that water.
This small change helps differentiate her from characters who simply "create water" out of nowhere.
A similar idea exists in My Hero Academia with Katsuki Bakugo, whose explosions come from igniting nitroglycerin-like sweat produced from his palms rather than simply generating explosions from nothing.
That kind of detail helps a power feel more unique and internally consistent.
Anyway, thank you to everyone who has been reading and supporting the story so far.
I really appreciate it, and I hope you continue enjoying the journey as the story grows and develops.
One last detail I forgot to mention earlier.
Albion joined Phantom Lord on July 1st, X778, which is almost a full year after Metalicana disappeared on July 7th, X777.
I wanted to clarify that so readers have a clearer idea of where exactly the story begins in the timeline. This places the start of the main events nearly one year after Gajeel lost Metalicana and began making his own way in the world.
Knowing that gap of time should help give better context to the characters, their growth, and the circumstances surrounding Phantom Lord at the beginning of this story.
I'm always interested in hearing what readers think about these changes.
If you enjoy seeing characters approach fights more strategically, I think you'll enjoy where the story is going.