Free chapter because this fanfic just hit 3,000 collections and 1million views! Thank you for reading this far! I've also included a "warning" chapter at the start of the fanfic, warning all new readers that they can skip the boring arc of chapters from 58 to 78 xD
"Normal Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
[Year X791]
~ With Shisui ~
The words seemed to freeze Shisui in place.
'Fairy Tail?' He thought confusedly. 'Are these new members that joined while I was away?'
He turned to look at Romeo. "Fairy Tail?"
Team Fairy Tail suddenly snapped back to awareness, realizing that Shisui was about to tear into one of their returned guildmates over a misunderstanding. Even though they knew that Laxus was strong, in fact one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail, but they had once felt Shisui's power during a training session, and the power they had felt back then was something else entirely.
Their voices rose in a chaotic chorus of explanation.
"Shisui-san, they're from Tenrou Island!" "Laxus, that's our S-class mage!" "They came back!" "He's been gone for two years!" "The Council said he was dead!" "They disappeared seven years ago!"
The overlapping explanations created a wall of noise that neither Shisui nor Laxus could understand. They both tried to make sense of what they were hearing, but the panicked voices blended together into incomprehensible babble.
Finally, Shisui raised his hands and clapped them together once. The sound was sharp and clear. Team Fairy Tail immediately fell silent. It was a conditioned response from months of training, a signal that meant the training ground was to be absolutely quiet.
Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe stared in amazement and confusion at the instant obedience.
"Bisca, please explain." Shisui said calmly.
The gunslinger took a deep breath and spoke carefully. "The people you are fighting are Fairy Tail mages who had returned from Tenrou Island almost two months ago. Specifically the guy you had fought briefly is Laxus Dreyar, one of Fairy Tail's multiple S-class mages, and behind him are the Thunder God Tribe. The one with the mask is called Bickslow, the one with green hair is Freed, and the only female is Evergreen. They had disappeared seven years ago and were supposed to have been dead. But they're not."
"And what of the attack earlier? I know the six of you, and even combined, you six would have been unable to block that attack at all." Shisui had turned his attention to the team that he had trained years ago.
Even though he was worried for their safety, but the matter-of-fact way that he had pointed out their shortcomings still stung their pride as their faces adopted an embarassed expression.
"The lightning attack was part of our sparring session, not a real threat. Laxus would never harm us intentionally. Besides, Laxus would not have used that attack if he wasn't so sure that we would survive it. His team was ready to step in at the last moment." Alzack added helpfully.
Laxus, meanwhile, called out to Max. "Who is this guy?"
Max spoke this time, his voice equally as careful as Bisca's. "He is Shisui, specifically Shisui the Teleporter. He's the S-class mage who kept us going after you guys disappeared with Tenrou Island. The Council declared him dead on an S-rank mission almost 8 months ago, but obviously, they were wrong."
Laxus's eyebrows rose as he studied the man who had managed to catch him off guard earlier. "You're Shisui the Teleporter?"
The question seemed to amuse Shisui.
"Yeah?" He replied as if questioning his identity was the most ridiculous thing in the world.
"You're supposed to be dead." Laxus pointed out.
"So were you." Shisui shot back without missing a beat.
The training ground fell into complete silence. Then, slowly, a smirk spread across both Laxus and Shisui's faces.
"You're all right," Laxus said with genuine approval.
"You're not too bad yourself." Shisui replied equally.
The moment the hostility broke, Team Fairy Tail surged forward. Jet arrived first, his speed magic carrying him to Shisui's side in an instant. Questions poured from his lips in a rapid-fire burst that would have been impossible for anyone else to follow.
The others caught up quickly, and soon Shisui was surrounded by his former students, all talking at once. Their joy was unmistakable as the relief was evident in every word and gesture. For a moment, it seemed like he might have been overwhelmed by their enthusiasm as he slowly answered their questions.
But then Shisui's eyes found Romeo at the back of the group, and his expression softened immediately. The others noticed the change, and when they followed his gaze, they understood. They parted to the side, allowing Shisui to approach the young man who had held the closest attachment to Shisui amongst the team.
Shisui had grown taller during his absence, so he had to bend down to meet Romeo's eye level. The teenager's eyes were bright with unshed tears, his voice barely above a whisper.
"The Council told us you had died."
The pain in those words was unmistakable. Shisui placed a gentle hand on Romeo's head, his touch carrying all the warmth and reassurance of a big brother comforting his younger sibling.
"I'm not dead. I'm very much alive, and I'm here now." He said softly.
"You've been gone for two years," Romeo whispered.
The words had put things into perspective for Shisui.
'Two years.'
The time dilation in Umbra Noctis had been far more severe than he'd realized. Almost two years since he had left for the mission, and six months since the news of his death had been spread by the Council. Shisui could not imagine the things that they had to go through in his absence.
Meanwhile, Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe watched the reunion silently. They didn't know the full story, but Romeo's reaction told them everything they needed to know about what Shisui meant to the group.
As the emotional weight of the moment settled over the training ground, Laxus made a decision. He turned to walk away, gesturing for the others to follow. Some moments were too private for outsiders to witness.
But before he could leave, Shisui's voice stopped him.
"It's been a while since I've had a proper spar," Shisui said, straightening up from his conversation with Romeo. "And seeing as how there are dead men walking around, what do you say we have a little friendly match? You know, warm up these old bones and get back into fighting condition."
A challenging smile spread across his face as his Sharingan replaced his normal eyes. "Would you also like a handicap?"
Laxus felt an answering grin tug at his lips. He shrugged off his coat and tossed it to Freed, electricity already beginning to dance around his body.
"I say… Let me see for myself just how strong they say you are." He replied, his voice carrying the promise of a beating for underestimating him.
~ End of Chapter 87 ~
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