Down below, Makarov edged a careful step closer, his tone respectful yet firm. "Young lady," he called out, just loud enough to be heard over the echoing hiss of the sphere, "I will not interfere. But know that Fairy Tail stands ready."
Beta did not turn her head, though her magic flared minutely in acknowledgment. "Acknowledged," she said softly. The circles of water tightened by a hair's breadth. "Do not step beyond that line."
At her gesture, a thing jet of water cut sharply into the earth, drawing a line in front of Makarov's boots — a perfect, precise boundary.
Makarov's eyebrow lifted, understanding that if he went beyond that line, he will interfer with her spell. "Understood,"
After a brief pause, his curiosity overcame his usual patience. "May I ask," he said carefully, "who is this 'Shadow' you serve?"
Beta froze for half a second — then turned just enough for the moonlight to catch the faint blush warming her cheeks. "Shadow-sama…" she began, voice trembling slightly with reverence, "is the one who walks between light and darkness. The unseen protector. The whisper behind the truth. His strength cannot be measured by mortal eyes… His wisdom—"
Natsu blinked, cutting her off with all the tact of a charging bull. "Whoa! Sounds strong! Hey! I wanna fight him one day!"
For an instant, the entire sphere wobbled.
"Y-you what!?" Beta's eyes widened, voice rising with such horror that the water around her rippled dangerously. "Do you dare underestimate the limitless power of Shadow-sama!?"
The water sphere shuddered, the pressure spiking for a heartbeat.
Lucy shrieked. "Natsu! You IDIOT!"
She lunged, punching him squarely on the head before grabbing his scarf and dragging him backward. "Don't make her angry, you stupid lizard! I don't even know why I came this close to her in the first place! Stupid enthusiasm! Stupid curiosity!"
Happy hovered nearby, giggling uncontrollably. "Aye! Lucy, you never were smart anyway!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"
Before Lucy could strangle the cat, Makarov sighed and turned to his team. "Erza, Gray — take those two and step back."
"Yes, Master," Erza said, swiftly grabbing both Natsu and Happy by their collars. Gray followed.
"Try not to drown yourselves," he muttered under his breath.
Beta, cheeks flushed but posture unbroken, forced her breathing steady. Sweat trickled down her temple. The water above her roared again, the sphere swelling and shrinking as she balanced every layer of its structure. Maintaining the containment while preparing her next spell stretched her control to the very edge — her magic reserves already thinned, her focus a wire drawn tight.
The veins of light inside the water flickered as her power fluctuated. She inhaled deeply, re-centering herself with practiced grace.
--
As the group retreated, Natsu grumbled something incoherent, still rubbing his head.
"You're lucky she didn't turn you into steam," Gray said dryly.
"Ha! Like water could stop me!" Natsu shot back, flames flickering from his mouth.
Lucy hissed, "DO NOT light fire near that much water, you lunatic!"
Beta's eye twitched. The sphere pulsed once, warningly.
"Oops," Lucy whispered, "she heard that."
Meanwhile, Erza and the guildmaster's eyes flicked up the hill again, tracing the same direction Makarov had looked earlier. The faint silhouette stood motionless against the moonlight — unmoving, cloak whispering faintly in the wind.
"If there is a 'Shadow,'" Erza said quietly, "and if he commands mages this skilled… why hide? Why appear now?"
Gray gave a dry snort. "Maybe they don't like Council paperwork."
Bob fanned himself gently, nodding. "Can you blame them? Paperwork's more terrifying than any demon."
Goldmine chuckled softly, though his eyes never left the silhouette. "Perhaps. But power that chooses to stay unseen… often does so for a reason."
--
Back on the hill, the aforementioned "reason" suddenly trembled.
Shadow blinked once. Twice.
Then his pupils dilated like an actor spotting the spotlight.
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?"
The sound didn't escape his lips, but the sheer emotional vibration of it shook his cloak. His entire body trembled with barely restrained excitement.
Isn't this the perfect scenario for my beginning??????
He leaned forward, eyes gleaming with the light of grand delusion. Down there — a majestic demon of Zeref! A group of protagonists! A crowd of guild masters watching in awe!
The perfect storm of importance, despair, and spotlight!
He pressed a hand dramatically to his chest, feeling his heart pound with theatrical determination. "I see now," he whispered to himself, voice dripping with destiny. "This is it. The world's opening act… for me."
His cloak flared behind him like the wings of fate itself.
"Wait… if I don't go now, Beta will finish the demon first!" His eyes widened in sudden panic. "I can't let that happen!"
He glanced down toward the glowing water sphere below, watching it ripple and constrict. "No, no, no — if she kills it, the whole moment's gone!"
"The gasp of the crowd saying — 'Who is this guy?! How can he be so strong?!'— the protagonists overwhelming despair at such a huge power gap — The final, magnificent blow announcing the arrival of the Eminence in Shadow himself…" He froze, eyes widening in horror. "All… wasted!!"
Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his collar with grave composure, as though he were preparing for an award speech. "Yes… I must descend when the world holds its breath, when the shadows fall deepest…"
He paused, struck by inspiration. "Which means—NOW!"
Shadow froze mid-step, hands clutching his head as the weight of realization struck.
"What should I say!? How should I appear!? No, no, this is too crucial! The first impression of the Eminence in Shadow will define everything that follows!"
"Raah, I wasn't expecting such an important plot to happen now. I came to listen to some wonderful magical music made by a wonderful ancient magic musician, so...I didn't rehearse my lines at all for this exact scenario!"
"Do I descend slowly, letting the moonlight frame me in mystery? Or should I just—bam!—appear behind the demon mid-sentence? Hmmm… both have impact, but the second one's riskier."
He stopped, tapping his chin with great seriousness. "The line, the line… I need something chilling yet profound. 'Darkness devours the light'? No, too edgy. 'I am Shadow'? Too simple. 'The curtain rises upon despair'? Oooh, yes, that has flavor."
He straightened, testing poses against the moonlight like a theater actor rehearsing before an invisible audience. "Hand half-raised… slight head tilt… yes, yes! That's the silhouette of destiny! I got it now!"
He nodded once, utterly satisfied with his plan. Then, with all the elegance of a man pretending not to sprint, he muttered, "Time to hurry… before Beta ruins my perfect entrance! Serious sprint 1400 km per hour."
And with that, Shadow vanished from the hill in a single blur of motion—cloak billowing, heart soaring, and excitement blazing.