Shuurai
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[FT: O King of the Fairies] Chapter 63
🕑 Added 2025-04-04 14:24:38 +0000 UTCGildarts had been gone for about a month, off on some S-Class quest that probably involved leveling mountains, punching dragons in the face, andâwithout a doubtâgetting hopelessly lost along the way.
Fairy Tail had been its usual brand of chaotic while he was gone, but there was something different without him around. Fewer walls broken, fewer near-death experiences from his casual strolls through town. But also, fewer loud, boisterous laughs and easy-going grins.
Now that he was back? Yeah, things were about to get interesting again.
The guild doors swung openânot kicked off their hinges, thankfully, but they groaned under the weight of the man who never learned what "gentle" meant.
âYo! Iâm back!â Gildartsâ voice boomed through the hall, his grin as wide as ever.
He looked exactly how I expectedâtorn cloak, scratched armor, boots covered in dirt, and a fresh scar on his jaw. The guy probably walked through a battlefield like it was a casual stroll.
âTook you long enough,â I said, crossing my arms. âWhat happened? Got lost again?â
Gildarts let out a hearty laugh and clapped me on the shoulder hard enough to shake my bones. âWhat can I say? One minute, Iâm fighting a horde of monsters, the next, I wake up in some desert with no idea how I got there.â
I pinched the bridge of my nose. âPlease tell me you didnât lose the enchanted map I gave you years ago. You know, the one thing designed specifically so you wouldnât get lost?â
He scratched his cheek, looking away. âUh⌠about thatâŚâ
I exhaled sharply. âYou broke it, didnât you?â
âIn my defense, it was an accident.â
âHow. How do you accidentally destroy a magically reinforced, self-repairing map?â
Gildarts chuckled sheepishly. âWell⌠it mightâve been caught in an explosion. Several explosions.â
I sighed, reaching into my Celestial Inventory and pulling out another enchanted map. Without a word, I tossed it to him.
âHere. Try not to obliterate this one.â
He caught it, grinning. âYouâre a lifesaver, kid. Thanks.â
Before I could throw another sarcastic remark, I heard fast, determined footsteps.
âDad!â
Cana bolted toward him at full speed, throwing her arms around his waist and burying her face in his coat.
Gildarts stiffened in surprise, blinking as if his brain hadnât caught up yet. His arms hovered awkwardly for a moment before he finally, carefully, wrapped them around her.
For a second, the whole guild went silent.
âHey there, kiddo,â he murmured, voice softer than Iâd ever heard.
âYou were gone forever,â Cana mumbled against his coat, her small hands clutching the fabric tightly.
Gildarts chuckled, though there was a slight waver in his voice. âYeah⌠sorry about that.â He ruffled her hair. âMiss me?â
Cana nodded against his chest but didnât let go.
His smile turned a little sad. âI missed you too, you know.â
The moment stretched, quiet and warm. It wasnât the kind of reunion where everything magically fixed itself, but there was understanding in it. Gildarts was the kind of guy who would always be goneâoff on dangerous quests, chasing the thrill of adventure. Cana knew that.
But as long as he came back, as long as he was here when it mattered⌠she could accept that.
Eventually, Cana pulled back, rubbing her eyes quickly like she didnât want anyone to see. âYouâre late,â she muttered.
Gildarts grinned. âYou sound just like your mom.â
Cana scowled. âDonât say that.â
He laughed, rubbing her head again. âAlright, alright. How about I make it up to you? You name it.â
She looked at him, serious. âJust donât forget to come back.â
His grin faltered for a moment before he nodded. âI wonât.â
Cana gave a small nod, then turned and walked back to the bar, acting like nothing had happened. But I could see itâthe way her fingers clenched around the glass she picked up, the way her shoulders werenât quite as tense anymore.
Then, another voice cut in.
âYou survived. Iâm actually impressed.â
Gildarts turned, blinking as Ur stepped forward with her arms crossed.
âWell, well,â he grinned. âDidnât expect to see you here.â
She smirked. âYeah, well, things change.â
He gave her an appraising look. âStill looking tough as ever. Let me guessâyouâre the one keeping these kids in line?â
âSomeone has to.â
âOh? And here I thought that was my job.â
Ur scoffed. âPlease. You disappear for a month at a time and expect to be responsible?â
Gildarts grinned. âHey, I am responsible. Responsible for making sure my beer doesnât get warm.â
Ur rolled her eyes. âAnd people wonder why I drink.â
Now, see, this wasnât the first time these two had interacted.
The first time was a few months back, when Ur officially joined the guild. She had barely settled in when Gildarts strolled back from another quest, loud and carefree as ever. He took one look at Ur, made some cocky remark about âfinally having another S-Class who could keep up with him,â and within minutes, they were locked in a drinking contest.
Ur won.
Gildarts, naturally, had demanded a rematch.
Since then, the two had this odd dynamicâhalf-rivalry, half-something else. There was a certain⌠energy between them. It wasnât just friendly competition. It was something brewing, something interesting.
And, well⌠I was never one to let a good opportunity slip by.
Naturally, I had to stir the pot.
âYâknow,â I said, draping an arm over Gildartsâ shoulder, âUrâs been doing great here in Fairy Tail. Strong, reliable⌠real single.â
Urâs glare couldâve frozen hell over. âAiden.â
Gildarts, to his credit, only looked slightly amused. âThat so?â
âOh, absolutely,â I continued, grinning. âAnd, you know, you are both around the same age. Got a lot in commonâboth ridiculously strong, both a little crazy, both oldââ
I didnât even see her move. One second, I was talking; the next, Urâs foot was colliding with my shin.
âOW! DAMN IT, WOMANââ
âLearn. To. Shut. Up.â She huffed.
Gildarts just laughed, rubbing his chin. âWell, I wonât say no to a drink with a fellow S-Class.â
Ur smirked. âIf you can keep up.â
âOho, is that a challenge?â
Cana, still behind the bar, muttered, âYou never know when to shut up, do you?â
I grinned. âNope.â
Ur and Gildarts sat at the bar, already a few drinks in, and I could see the telltale glint in Gildarts' eyesâthe one that screamed I'm about to say something stupid and get myself in trouble.
"So, Ur," he drawled, swirling his drink, "what made you wanna stick around Fairy Tail? Didnât take you for the guild type."
She raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same about you."
Gildarts chuckled. "Fair. But me? I stay for the adventure, the good booze, and the even better company." He shot her a lopsided grin.
Oh, this was too good to ignore.
I leaned in, resting my chin on my hand. "You know, Gildarts, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're flirting."
Ur scoffed. "Please. Like I'd fall for some washed-up old man with commitment issues."
Gildarts gasped, hand over his heart like sheâd stabbed him. "Old man?! Ur, you wound me!"
I smirked. "She has a point, though. I mean, Canaâs already here drinking apple juice, waiting for the moment you get turned into a laughingstock."
Cana, sipping from her cup behind the bar, nodded sagely. "He's not wrong."
Gildarts groaned. "Et tu, Cana?"
Ur smirked. "If the entire guild agrees, it must be true."
Before he could argue, I clapped my hands together. "You know what this calls for? A game."
Gildarts perked up. "Oh? What kind of game?"
I grinned. "Simple. If you can win against Ur in an arm-wrestling match, Iâll stop teasing you about being an old man."
"Easy," he said, cracking his knuckles.
"But!" I continued, raising a finger. "If you lose, you have to wear a frilly pink apron and serve drinks for the rest of the night."
The guild erupted into laughter. Even Makarov, sitting at his usual spot, snorted into his beer.
Gildarts narrowed his eyes at me. "Youâre evil, kid."
"Thatâs the spirit." I turned to Ur. "What do you say?"
She smirked. "I never turn down a challenge."
The guild immediately cleared a space at one of the large tables. A dozen mugs of ale were slapped down as bets were made. Laxus, lounging nearby, muttered, "Gildarts is so screwed."
Erza, still small but watching intently, nodded. "Ur is really strong."
Gray and Lyon leaned in, already arguing over who would win.
Ur and Gildarts sat across from each other, both rolling their shoulders, sizing each other up. Gildarts flexed his fingers, grinning. "Try not to cry when I win."
Ur rolled her eyes. "Try not to break another bone when you lose."
Macao dropped his hand. "Three⌠two⌠oneâGO!"
There was a brief moment of silence. Thenâ
BANG!
Gildartsâ hand slammed into the table so hard the wood cracked.
Ur smirked, not even trying to hide it. "That was fast."
The entire guild howled with laughter. Gildarts blinked at his hand like it had betrayed him.
"âŚWhat the hell just happened?"
"You lost," I said, patting his back. "Which meansâŚ" I reached into my Celestial Inventory and pulled out the apron. It was bright pink, frilly, and had the words "Best Fairy Maid".
Gildarts groaned. "You planned this."
I grinned. "Oh, absolutely."
The next hour was pure chaos.
Gildarts, true to his word (and because we threatened to glue the apron to him), wore the frilly nightmare and begrudgingly served drinks. Of course, we had to make it worse.
"Hey, Gildarts!" I called. "Table six wants their drinks!"
He scowled, grabbing a tray. "Youâre enjoying this way too much."
"Oh, I absolutely am."
Ur, sipping her beer, smirked. "It suits you."
Gildarts sighed dramatically. "I liked it better when I was fighting wyverns."
"Oh? So you admit Ur is stronger than a wyvern?" I said, eyes twinkling.
The entire guild lost it.
Gildarts groaned. "I hate you all."
Best night ever.
----
The moment we stepped inside, Alma stretched her arms above her head, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Finally, some peace and quiet."
I smirked, closing the door behind us. "For now."
She shot me a knowing look. "Oh? You planning to ruin that?"
I stepped closer, hands sliding around her waist. "Depends. Are you planning to stop me?"
Alma hummed, pretending to consider. "You do talk too much sometimes. Maybe I should shut you up?"
I grinned. "Iâd like to see you try."
Her lips curled into a smirk. "Challenge accepted."
What followed was a long, heated night where words became unnecessary.
I woke up to the feeling of Alma curled up beside me, her fingers idly tracing patterns on my chest. Her eyes flickered open, a lazy smile tugging at her lips.
"Morning," she murmured.
"Morning," I replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
She studied me for a moment, then smirked. "You look smug."
"Why wouldnât I be?" I teased. "I have the most beautiful woman in Earthland in my arms."
She scoffed but didnât hide the slight pink dusting her cheeks. "Sweet talk this early? Who are you, and what have you done with Aiden?"
I chuckled. "Oh, so you prefer when I annoy you instead?"
"Definitely," she said, poking my cheek. "Keeps things interesting."
I grabbed her hand, lacing our fingers together. "Speaking of interesting, I was thinking⌠maybe we should invite the guild over. Properly, I mean."
Alma raised an eyebrow. "You mean actually open our home to those chaotic lunatics?"
I grinned. "Why not? Itâs about time we had an official housewarming party."
She sighed dramatically. "This place was peaceful while it lasted."
"Oh, come on," I nudged her. "You like them too."
Alma rolled her eyes, but her smirk gave her away. "Fine, fine. But if they break anythingâ"
"Iâll make Laxus fix it," I finished.
She laughed. "Deal. Alright, let's do it. Weâll send the invites out today."
I leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "Thatâs my girl."
She smirked against my lips. "Damn right."
With that, we got up and started planning for what was about to be the most chaotic party in Fairy Tail history.
And honestly? I couldn't wait.
Fuck!
I shouldâve known this would happen.
Fairy Tail had arrived at my home.
A guild full of chaotic monsters.
And now, they were running rampant inside my fortress.
Laxus had wandered off, looking unimpressed but secretly impressed.
Gray had started a fight inside the training room.
Sho and Jellal were trying to âunlock the secretsâ of my library.
Erza was still sulking about her prank sword.
Cana had discovered the golems and was making them bring her snacks like a tiny empress.
Millianna was running around hugging everything that moved.
"You have a banquet hall?!" Macao whistled, looking around.
I sighed. "I have a lot of things."
"Clearly!" Wakaba grinned. "Aiden, you been holding out on us?"
Cana, sitting at the head of the table like a queen, kicked her legs. "This place is AWESOME! You have snacks, cool chairs, and MAGIC GOLEMS!"
Alma, standing next to me, smirked. "You know, I was going to say this place wasnât built for kids, but I think Cana has already claimed it."
Cana, with a proud nod, pointed at one of the golems. "Bring me cookies!"
The golemâs eyes blinked before it placed a perfectly arranged platter of cookies in front of her.
Cana gasped.
"This is the best day of my life."
Gray, leaning over to Jellal, whispered, "I thought she said that last week when she got a new doll."
Cana shot him a glare. "I can have many best days, okay?!"
Jellal nodded sagely. "That makes sense."
Makarov chuckled. "I gotta say, Aiden, this is quite the home youâve built."
Laxus, arms crossed, scoffed. "Tch. Itâs just a big fancy castle."
I smirked. "You havenât seen the training room yet."
Laxus raised an eyebrow. "...Go on."
I led them through the fortress, showing off a few of its unique features.
The training room was state-of-the-art, filled with enchanted dummies, moving targets, and even a gravity chamber.
Laxus took one look and grinned. "Okay. Now Iâm impressed."
Meanwhile, the futuristic medbay.
Ur frowned as she stepped inside. "This looks more advanced than any healing center Iâve seen."
Jellal tilted his head. "What is this place?"
"The medbay," I answered. "It uses a mix of magic and technology to heal injuries faster."
Macao whistled. "You could make a fortune with something like this."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, because I totally wanna start a hospital business."
Erza, poking at one of the magic beds, looked up at me. "So if I get hurt, I can just come here and heal fast?"
I nodded. "Pretty much."
Her eyes lit up.
Gray sighed. "Great. That means sheâs gonna fight even more recklessly now."
Erza ignored him.
Then we reached the crafting room, where enchanted tools and materials were neatly arranged.
Sho and Jellal lost their minds.
"LOOK AT THIS PLACE!" Sho practically vibrated with excitement. "We can make weapons!"
Jellal, eyes wide, picked up an enchanted quill. "Even the writing tools here are magical⌠This place is incredible."
Sho turned to me, serious. "Aiden. Best friend. Buddy. Can I live here?"
I chuckled. "No."
Sho pouted.
Macao, Wakaba, and Cana stumbled into the workshop, eyes widening at the sight of enchanted forges and magic-infused tools.
Macao ran a hand over the workbench. "You really have everything here."
Cana picked up a strange bottle. "Is this booze?"
"Thatâs an alchemy potion."
Her eyes lit up. "So, itâs magic booze?"
"âŚSure."
Meanwhile, Wally was examining the forge. "You could make some serious weapons here."
Erzaâs attention was completely stolen by the armory. She stopped, staring.
"This⌠this is beautiful," she whispered, stepping inside. Her hands hovered over a polished sword, her expression filled with longing.
I leaned against the doorway, amused. "I knew youâd like it."
She turned to me, eyes deadly serious. "I want one."
I chuckled. "You already have plenty of swords."
"Not like these."
And thenâ
Gray and Cana returned, soaked.
I raised an eyebrow. "Dare I ask?"
Gray wiped water from his face. "Thereâs a pool."
I nodded. "Yeah."
Cana grinned. "Now thereâs an ice slide too."
I exhaled. "Of course there is."
Then Erza stormed in, fuming. "AIDEN!"
I blinked. "What?"
She held up a swordâexcept it was glued to its sheath.
I smirked. "Oh, you found the trick weapons."
Her glare sharpened. "How do I unsheathe it?"
I grinned wider. "You have to say the magic words."
Erza narrowed her eyes. "What words?"
I crossed my arms. "âI am the most beautiful knight in all of Fiore.â"
Silence.
Cana choked. "No way."
Macao snorted. "Thatâs hilarious."
Gray wheeze-laughed. "Aiden, youâre evil."
Makarov smirked. "Well, Erza?"
Erzaâs face twitched. "Youâre lying."
I shrugged. "Guess youâll never use that sword."
A long pause.
Then, through gritted teeth, she muttered, "I am the most beautiful knight in all of Fiore."
The sword immediately slid out.
Cana collapsed, wheezing. "I CANâTâTHIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!"
Sho was on the ground, laughing. "This place is amazing!"
Jellal shook his head, grinning. "I regret nothing."
And that was just the beginning of the madness.
I nudged Gray with my foot. âOi. Wake up.â
Gray groaned, opening one eye. âFive more minutes.â
I deadpanned. âGray. This isnât your house.â
He grumbled but sat up, rubbing his face. âFine, fine.â
Laxus, who was still grumbling about their earlier argument, got up next, stretching. âIâm still stronger than you.â
Gray huffed. âDream on.â
I ignored them. Not my problem.
Gildarts lifted Cana, who whined sleepily but didnât fight it. âCâmon, kiddo. Time to head back.â
Cana yawned, hugging his coat like a blanket. ââŚKay.â
I blinked. That was surprisingly easy.
Then I turned to Erza.
Who was still asleep.
And still covered in cake crumbs.
I nudged her gently. âOi, Erza. Time to go.â
Nothing.
I sighed, kneeling down. âErza.â
Still nothing.
I glanced at Alma.
She smirked. âSheâs out cold. Probably dreaming of more cake.â
Makarov chuckled. âErza does sleep like a rock when sheâs full.â
Gildarts laughed. âJust carry her.â
I narrowed my eyes. âWhy donât you carry her?â
Gildarts smirked. âI already have my hands full.â He tilted his head toward Cana, who was snuggling against his chest.
I sighed. âFine.â
I reached down andâ
âOi,â NIMO interrupted, appearing as a holographic figure.
I glanced at him. âWhat?â
âReminder: Erza is sticky.â
I froze.
ââŚWhat?â
NIMO projected a scan of Erza.
âMultiple cake remnants detected. Handsâsticky. Faceâsticky. Hairâalso sticky.â
I slowly withdrew my hands.
Alma burst out laughing.
âOh,â Gildarts grinned, âthatâs rough, buddy.â
Makarov sighed, but he was definitely amused. âLaxus, grab her.â
Laxus grimaced. âI am NOT touching that.â
I smirked. âGray, how about you?â
Gray snorted. âNo way.â
Sho, from the library doorway, grinned. âJellal, this is your chance! Carry your knight in shining armor!â
Jellal, who had just walked out, choked. âW-what?!â
Everyone turned to him.
Jellal turned red. âI-Iâm notââ
Alma smirked. âYou could just leave her there.â
Jellal sighed in defeat.
Then, very carefully, he picked up Erza, holding her at armâs length like she was an unstable bomb.
I patted his shoulder. âBrave man.â
Comments
Lucas Panzenboeck
my man this is one of the best fairy tail fanfics ever, be proud had to read up till now to comment but gotta say love what you did :) đđť
