Age (Kaito): 5
Date: April, X770
Season: Spring
Location: Rosemary Village
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Spring in Rosemary Village smelled like fresh earth and iron filings.
The fields beyond the wooden fence were green again, stubborn shoots pushing through soil that had known winter too well. Inside the village, the sound of steel rang out—clear, sharp, deliberate.
Kaito stood in the open training yard, wooden sword resting loosely against his shoulder.
He was five years old.
And he wasn't pretending otherwise—but he also wasn't pretending to be weak.
Across from him, Erza Scarlet adjusted her stance, feet planted, posture straight despite the faint scuff marks on her boots. Today—April 7th—was her birthday. She hadn't announced it. She didn't need to. There was something about the way she held herself that felt… taller.
Kaito noticed. He always did.
"You're leaning forward," he said casually, ocean-bright eyes sharp. "That's why you keep losing balance on the third swing."
Erza frowned. "I am not."
"You are," Kaito replied, grinning. "But don't worry. It's cute."
She flushed instantly. "S-Shut up! Focus!"
He laughed—open, unashamed—and shifted his grip.
They clashed.
Wood struck wood, clean and fast. Erza's swing was powerful for her age, driven by discipline more than instinct. Kaito met it head-on, feet sliding back half a step, absorbing the force instead of dodging.
He didn't hide it.
Anyone watching could tell—Kaito was strong. Not in a monstrous way, not unnaturally so, but clearly beyond what a normal five-year-old should be. His movements were efficient. His breathing steady. No wasted motion.
Erza noticed too.
Every time.
"You're holding back again," she accused between strikes.
Kaito tilted his head, blocking her downward swing with a smooth parry. "Only a little."
"That's still unfair!"
He leaned closer as their swords locked, voice dropping just enough to tease.
"Hey, if I didn't hold back even a little, you wouldn't get to glare at me like that."
She shoved him back with a huff. "Idiot!"
But she smiled. Just barely.
They reset.
Around them, the village moved on. A cart rolled past the fence. Someone laughed near the well. Life continued—peaceful, unaware of how fragile it really was.
Kaito's smile softened for just a moment.
Not yet, he thought. But someday… they'll come.
The cultists.
The ones whispered about in fragments.
The ones tied to a tower that didn't belong in children's dreams.
He shook the thought away.
Today was spring.
Today was training.
Today was Erza's birthday—even if she wouldn't say it.
Erza charged again, faster this time.
Kaito met her head-on.
This time, he didn't yield an inch.
The impact echoed across the yard, sharp enough that a few villagers paused to look over. Erza's eyes widened—not in fear, but surprise—as the force traveled cleanly through her arms and into her stance.
She held.
Barely.
"…You're serious today," she muttered.
Kaito stepped back, planting his sword in the dirt. "I always am."
Then, brighter, bolder: "You're getting stronger, Erza. Really strong."
She blinked. Praise always caught her off guard.
"I-I know that," she said quickly. "I train every day."
"I know." He grinned. "That's why I like training with you."
Her ears turned red.
Silence stretched for a heartbeat—then two.
Erza looked away first. "You… talk too much."
"Only when it's important," Kaito replied easily. "Like this."
He reached out and gently adjusted her grip, careful, respectful. "If you keep your wrist straighter, you won't lose power at the end."
She watched him, eyes serious now. "You don't talk like other kids."
Kaito shrugged. "I don't want to hide."
Not his thoughts.
Not his strength.
Not the path he was walking.
They trained until their arms shook and their breaths came faster, until the sun climbed higher and spring warmth settled into their bones. When they finally stopped, sitting side by side on the fence, Erza kicked her feet lightly.
"…When we're older," she said quietly, "where will you go?"
Kaito didn't hesitate.
"Fairy Tail."
She turned to him, eyes sharp. "The guild?"
He nodded. "Yeah. And when the time comes—when this village isn't safe anymore—I'll fight."
"For them?" she asked.
"For us," he corrected gently. "Together."
Erza studied him for a long moment.
Then she nodded once. Firm. Certain.
"Then I'll go with you."
Kaito smiled—not wide, not playful.
Just honest.
Spring wind passed through Rosemary Village, carrying laughter, steel, and the quiet promise of a future that hadn't arrived yet.
But it would.
And when it did—
Kaito would not hide.
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