The sun dipped into late afternoon as the sky over Magnolia shimmered gold. The gentle rumble of wheels echoed across the long stone-paved road, followed by a low scraping sound—metal grinding on rock.
Escanor was home.
Behind him trailed a massive steel-bolted cart, and atop it, three long, spiraled monster horns, each the size of a small tree, jutted skyward.
The townspeople, now long used to such surreal scenes, waved casually.
"Welcome back, Lord Escanor! Another beast bites the dust, eh?"
"My fruits are fresher than ever today! Stop by later!"
"We've got a new menu, Escanor-sama~ first drink's on the house!"
He waved back, smiling with that gentle warmth only he possessed outside of combat. Though merely ten years old, Escanor no longer looked like a boy. His body, sculpted by relentless training and the pressure of living magic, now carried the refined form of a warrior honed by fire, not brute force.
He reached the guildhall.
Without a word, he left the massive trophies by the front door and stepped inside.
The Guild buzzed with life, laughter, and chatter. Escanor raised a hand.
"Minna-san~ I'm home."
"Welcome back!"
"You dragged that yourself again? Insane…"
"Seriously… How do you do that with a smile?!"
Escanor waved off their awe like it was nothing and strolled to the bar, where Makarov stood with a deep frown wrinkling his aged brow.
"Grandpa, you called me back early. Something happened?"
Makarov didn't speak for a moment.
Then—
"Rob is missing."
The mood shifted immediately.
Rob—a cherished elder of Fairy Tail, a kind soul who loved his juniors like grandchildren. Though his magic had faded with time, his heart never wavered.
"Half a year ago," Makarov began, "he said his magic was drying up… resigned quietly and set out to see the world before it was too late. I honored his choice."
His eyes darkened.
"But… for the last month, no one has heard from him. His last message said he reached the southern coast. Since then… nothing."
Escanor's gentle expression vanished.
"I'll find him."
He didn't hesitate—not for even a second.
Escanor moved quickly. At the eastern cliffside port, he looked out toward the horizon. The wind tousled his short hair as he slowly bent his knees and pressed both palms to the ground.
A surge of radiant golden magic circled his limbs—Sun Magic: Jet Mode.
"Sorry, Grandpa Rob… I should've checked sooner."
His calves swelled with compressed power. The ground cracked beneath his feet. He launched into the sky like a comet, flames trailing behind him, splitting the clouds with sheer velocity.
Back in Magnolia, Makarov stood by the Guild's window and watched that golden streak vanish into the distance.
"Go, Escanor. You're the only one I can trust with this."
He soared for over four hours straight, compressing what would've been a day-long train ride into a scorching straight-line flight.
Below him, the glistening ocean lapped gently against a crescent-shaped bay lined with pastel roofs.
A resort town.
Escanor crash-landed just outside its gates, skidding along the sand in a wave of dust and gravel. Thankfully, off-season meant the streets were empty—no terrified tourists to explain to.
He dropped to one knee, panting. Not from pain, but exhaustion.
Even with Ur's magic fused into Sunshine… I can't go full throttle with all this weight.
He rested for a short moment. The air around him shimmered as heat dispersed, and the ground underneath him smoked faintly.
Then, he closed his eyes—and expanded his sensory field.
At first, all he sensed was chaos.
The magic particles in the air here were in utter disarray—twisted, ruptured, and scorched. They clung to the ground like the residue of a battle fought not long ago.
"This isn't just a resort town…"
He focused.
There.
A faint signature—familiar and weathered.
"Grandpa Rob's magic."
But it wasn't peaceful. It was ragged, torn… as though Rob had fought, bled, and—
Escanor's eyes shot open.
Captured?
A ripple of dark magic surged through the distant air—a faint distortion carried over the waves. Escanor followed it, his senses scanning further and further… until he locked onto it.
A tiny island, several hundred kilometers offshore.
"There."
Without another word, he took off again, the sky ripping open with the shockwave of his second launch.
As the resort town returned to silence, the sand where Escanor once knelt slowly cooled.
What awaited him on that island, he didn't know yet.
But deep in his heart… he had a feeling.
This wasn't just a rescue mission.
Something darker is stirring.
And Rob might not be the only one in danger.