It was now February of the year X772. Two months had passed since Blake had walked into the Fairy Tail guild hall.
His life was no longer about mere survival; it was about focused, relentless growth.
Blake's routine was ironclad. He would wake up early, long before the sun touched the windows of his room in Fairy Hills. After a quick moment to freshen up, he would use Geppo to silently leap from his balcony, landing in the guild's massive, lake-adjacent backyard.
This was his training ground.
From 5 AM until breakfast time, he waged war on his own limits. His swordsmanship practice was a blur of black steel, 10,000 swings serving as a mere warm-up before he moved on to complex forms, practicing the Rankyaku with his blade to send compressed air-blades skipping across the lake. His body training involved pushing his Rokushiki techniques to their breaking point, his Soru dashes becoming so fast they left trails of displaced air.
His magic training was the most frustrating. He could channel his Anti-Magic with devastating effect, but the true powers of Tensa Zangetsu still remained locked. The sword was silent, a black void of potential he couldn't yet unlock. He knew, instinctually, that he was missing a key—a connection he hadn't yet forged.
After his grueling session, he would take a bath, change into fresh clothes, and walk to the guild hall, arriving just as Maria was setting up the bar. He'd have a large breakfast and then he would turn his attention to the request board.
He was looking for quests that could challenge him. He'd spent the last two months clearing out C-Rank and B-Rank monster-slaying jobs, building a reputation as the guild's "Little Grim Reaper" for his quiet, terrifying efficiency.
He sometimes joined Laxus for a few difficult quests, and their partnership was a terrifying combination of overwhelming power and precise, surgical skill. But most of the time, he did solo quests. He needed to push his own Haki and Anti-Magic, and he couldn't do that if Laxus was there.
In the evenings, he and Laxus would often fight against each other, testing their skills in the same backyard. These spars were legendary, a clash between the gifted prodigy and the disciplined monster.
Laxus's raw, overwhelming lightning power was a perfect test for Blake's Observation Haki and his Armament Haki.
Today, Blake and Laxus were sitting at their usual table, devouring a mountain of pancakes and sausages for breakfast.
Suddenly, a loud, mechanical KRRR-CHUNK echoed through the city, followed by the tolling of a great bell. A moment later, a magical announcement rang out, projected all around Magnolia.
"ATTENTION, CITIZENS OF MAGNOLIA. GILDARTS SHIFT IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE EVACUATE THE MAIN STREET. REPEAT: GILDARTS SHIFT IS IN EFFECT."
The guild hall, which had been in its usual state of morning grogginess, exploded into a frenzy of excitement.
"He's back!"
"No way, already?!"
"Gildarts is finally back!"
Blake paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Gildart's Shift?"
Laxus's face split into a wide, excited grin, his usual cool demeanor forgotten. "That's right! You haven't met him yet! It's for Gildarts Clive! He's the only S-Rank member of the guild, and he is, without a doubt, the most powerful of us all!"
Laxus grabbed Blake by the arm, nearly pulling him out of his seat. "Come on, you gotta see this! The 'Shift' is awesome!"
Laxus dragged Blake outside onto the street in front of the guild. The sight was, as Blake expected, utterly absurd. The entire main thoroughfare of Magnolia was splitting in two. Houses, shops, and roads were retracting on massive, groaning gears, pulling apart to create one massive, straight, empty boulevard leading directly to the Fairy Tail guild's front door.
Blake already knew what this was from the anime, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. A small smile touched his lips.
All of this, he thought, watching a two-story bakery slide neatly into an alleyway, this entire, city-wide, multi-million-Jewel mechanical marvel... exists because one man is so hopelessly absent-minded that he can't remember to turn a corner.
It was the most Fairy Tail thing he had ever seen.
He and Laxus re-entered the guild hall, which was now packed. Every single member was on their feet, eagerly waiting and staring at the main door, a tangible buzz of anticipation in the air.
"I bet he brought back something awesome!" Wakaba shouted.
"I bet he's got a crazy story!" Macao countered.
"I bet he's going to buy us all drinks!" a third member roared, to massive cheers.
They all watched the main door.
And waited.
And waited.
Then, with a sound like a cannonball, the wall beside the main door exploded inward in a shower of brick, plaster, and wood.
BOOM!
Standing in the massive, jagged hole he had just created was Gildarts Clive. He was huge, his patched cloak fluttering, his hair a wild mess. He had a goofy, triumphant grin on his face.
"Hey, everyone! I'm back!"
The guild fell silent for one, stunned second.
Then Makarov, who had been sitting calmly at the bar, turned a shade of deep, pulsing crimson.
"GILDARTS!" the Master roared, leaping onto the bar counter, his voice shaking the rafters. "CAN'T YOU USE THE DOOR FOR GOD'S SAKE! THE DOOR IS FOR PEOPLE TO ENTER! YOU CAME THROUGH THE-"
"Ah, apologies, Master!" Gildarts interrupted, giving a sheepish look and rubbing the back of his head. "I must've gotten my directions mixed up on the final stretch. My bad, my bad!"
The tension shattered. The entire guild erupted in a cheer that was twice as loud as before.
"HE'S BACK! GILDARTS! WELCOME HOME!"
Gildarts laughed, his voice a friendly boom. He stepped fully into the hall, clapping members on the back. "It's good to be back! Alright, you brats, the first round is on me! Drinks on me, everyone!"
The cheer doubled again, turning into a deafening roar of approval. The party had officially started.
Gildarts made his way through the adoring crowd, heading straight towards Makarov, who was sitting (and grumbling) at the bar table.
"Hey, Master," Gildarts said, pulling up a stool. "Good to see you. You're looking... short, as usual."
Makarov huffed, taking a swig of his ale. "You're paying for that wall, you oaf. How did the quest go?"
"It went well!" Gildarts reported cheerfully. "Smashed a mountain-sized beast, found the artifact, nearly got lost in a canyon for about a week, you know, the usual. But I made it!"
As he was talking, Gildarts's eyes landed on Blake, who was sitting quietly on the stool right next to Laxus, calmly sipping an orange juice. Gildarts paused. His gaze, usually so relaxed, sharpened for a fraction of a second. He could sense... something about this kid. It wasn't magic, not like Laxus's crackling power. It was something dense, quiet, and incredibly deep.
"Well now," Gildarts said, his smile returning. He leaned over, looking Blake up and down. "Who are you, kid? You're a new addition, aren't you? You've got some serious eyes for a sprout."
The nearby mages quieted down, curious to see their Ace interact with the guild's new 'Little Grim Reaper'. Laxus was about to make an introduction, but Blake spoke first.
Blake looked up from his juice, his face transforming. He put on the most practiced, perfect, innocent expression he could muster—wide, hopeful eyes, a slight tremble of his lip, as if he'd been waiting for this moment his entire life.
He looked directly into the eyes of the most powerful and most famously absent mage in the guild.
"Father."
The word was quiet, but it landed with the force of a nuclear bomb.
Gildarts's easy-going smile froze, his eyes widening in total, unadulterated shock.
Laxus, who had just taken a large gulp of his own juice, choked, spraying orange juice across the table.
Makarov, who was mid-sip of his ale, did a perfect spit-take, his eyes bugging out of his head.
The entire guild hall, which had been a raucous party, fell into a sudden, stunned, deafening silence.