Sunlight pierced the doorway like a sacred sword, streaming into the house, only to be blocked by thick walls, unable to advance any further.
A drowsy girl stirred awake. She turned on the lamp, yawned, patted her face, and began her morning routine of washing up and tidying herself.
She was Lucy, once a member of the wizard guild Fairy Tail. Now, she was a journalist, part-time novelist, and sometimes even worked as a model.
Not exactly a big name, but not a nobody either—something of a minor celebrity (though not a wealthy one). There were once rumors linking her romantically with Emperor Natsu, even gossip claiming she and another girl, Lisanna, were tangled in a love triangle with him.
Some tabloids went even wilder: a love quadrangle (with Erza added), and even a love pentagon (throwing Gray into the mix).
But that was as far as the rumors went.
Before the "hexagon romance" version could even spread, the newspaper company was bought out, and every gossip journalist was promptly fired.
Over time, all those whispers faded. After all, Natsu's current status was far too exalted, and to the vast majority of people, his image was far too positive. Few would believe such rumors.
For Lucy, gossip never really affected her life much anyway. Still, without the tabloids pestering her, she found life more peaceful and refreshing.
That said, at least one thing the tabloids got right: Lucy truly was close to Erza and Gray. Even though Fairy Tail had disbanded, they all kept in touch.
But as for romance? Pure fabrication. Gray had a girlfriend (Juvia). Erza was waiting for her boyfriend (Jellal) to get out of prison.
"This kind of life… It's not so bad."
Lucy opened the window. Sunlight bathed her face as a spring breeze wafted in. Casually, she picked up her magical terminal and browsed the news.
Her mood brightened, especially when she switched to the sports channel and saw familiar old friends competing in magical sports tournaments.
"Jet really underperformed this year. He used to dominate the championships."
"And of course, the champion for magical sculpting is Gray again. Oh, and his senior… wow, placed third? As expected of those two."
Lucy scrolled through the virtual screen, searching across the various sports events for glimpses of her former companions. Seeing their successes filled her with joy.
The Rise of Magical Sports
Magical sports have risen in popularity in recent years. Their charm lay in the sheer variety of events, low barrier to entry, ease of participation, low risk, and simple rules. They had effectively replaced the bloody and violent Grand Magic Games.
These events quickly became beloved by the public. Many schools built specialized facilities for training, with some even lowering admission standards to recruit gifted athletes in magical sports.
As for the magical terminal, it was a compact, precise magical device, similar to a smartphone. Originally developed as a transitional product from Natsu's simplification of Chrono Ratio, it had since been improved into something smaller, faster, and far more powerful.
Once released to the market, it was an instant sensation, spawning countless new industries.
Many corporate giants drooled over this "cake," but none ever dared reach for it.
Life, Interrupted
"It's so nice… everyone has their own lives now."
Lucy set the terminal aside and leaned on the windowsill, gazing lazily into the distance.
Life had changed so much. Not long ago, they were all together, laughing in the guild hall. Now, even meeting once was difficult—they could only glimpse each other on virtual screens.
After a moment, Lucy felt silly standing there, sighed, and returned to her room. On a whim, she opened the "technology" channel on her terminal—something she rarely did.
"Eh, let's see what's in the news."
[Headlined by Chief Grand Magus Precht·Ten-Thousand (suffixes distinguish the various Prechts, some even rename themselves). With over ten thousand researchers (mostly Prechts) working for six years, the team has conclusively proven the intrinsic connections between magical power, curse power, spiritual power, and other extraordinary forces.]
[Their unified model has earned high praise from Emperor Natsu. The team will now pursue deeper exploration in the field, studying how magic interacts with environments… shifting fields… and beyond.]
Lucy stared blankly. She could recognize every word, but strung together, they made no sense to her.
After a long moment, the would-be "literary girl" in her gave up on the path of self-improvement. She sighed, admitted defeat, and opened the social news channel instead.
[Recently, abnormal fluctuations in a high-density magical field were detected in the Fiore region. Local magical research institutes have dispatched teams and sealed off the affected area, though potential risks remain unclear.]
[Citizens are advised to take protective measures when traveling. In the event of danger, raise your voice and call for help—the Emperor, ever-present, will assess your condition.]
[Please abide by the law. If you are performing simulations of crisis scenarios, be sure to report in advance. Failure to do so will result in penalties according to the law.]
"Fiore? That's where I live! When did this happen?"
Lucy froze.
After Natsu unified the world, national governments disappeared. Areas once known simply as "the capital" were renamed after their former kingdoms. Thus, what was once the Kingdom of Fiore was now simply the city of Fiore.
"Five hours ago?! Come on, really? I just moved here!"
In an instant, her good mood vanished. She wasn't a magic expert, but she knew enough: shifts in magical fields were rare and serious, tied to the cutting edge of arcane research.
If natural, such areas would almost certainly be placed under military control soon. Residents would be forced to relocate, with compensation provided…
Except Lucy hadn't bought her place—she was just renting. Which meant she'd get nothing. At best, her landlord might toss her a token sum. More likely, she'd just be forced to move again.
Unfair.
So unfair.
Lucy cursed in her heart, but there was nothing she could do. She decided to head out and look for a new apartment farther from the sealed zone.
But landlords and agents were sharper than she was. By the time she arrived at housing agencies, she found "sold out" signs everywhere. Rental postings had their prices multiplied several times over.
Lucy nearly swore aloud.
She spent the entire day running from agency to agency, only to end up with nothing but news that her current landlord intended to hike her rent. Alone and without leverage, Lucy realized they were trying to squeeze her out.
She nearly snapped.
"Maybe I should just report the lot of them. Manipulating the market, hoarding housing… see if you survive that."
But she knew she couldn't. It wasn't technically illegal—just immoral. At worst, they'd face public condemnation, but not the law.
Unless, of course, they violated rental contracts outright.
"Why now, of all times?"
Frustration bubbled over. She almost smashed her magical terminal, but stopped herself at the last second.
Sigh.
Just then, she collided with someone—hard. Both fell to the ground.
Lucy rubbed her sore backside and reached out to help the other person up.
"Are you okay—huh?"
She froze. The girl's hood had fallen back, revealing a face… identical to Lucy's.
Golden hair shimmered like sunlight. Perfect features framed with sickly exhaustion that only made her beauty more haunting.
It was Lucy's face.
But this Lucy was pale, frail, and unconscious.
What the hell is going on?