Fairy Tail: The Faint Smile in Earthland

Date: Year X785 — Late August

Location: Magnolia — Southern Trade Route

The summer heat hung heavy as twilight neared, casting long shadows across the winding trade roads south of Magnolia. Merchant caravans rolled steadily forward, accompanied by modest security—some hired, some guild-sponsored. Few sensed the tension tightening beneath the surface.

Perched in the canopy above, Teresa watched in silence.

She crouched along a wide branch, the dark folds of her Claymore tunic blending with the leaves. Her silver eyes scanned the road below with cool precision. Her armor remained in Requip, ready to manifest in a breath. Tonight, the first real test would come.

For days, the rogue cells had circled like wolves—never crossing the line, but inching closer. Scouts moved deeper. Courier routes veered in. Patterns shifted.

They were no longer gathering data.

They were preparing to act.

A faint tremor shivered through the dirt below—almost imperceptible.

Wheels. Three wagons. Multiple escorts. One trailing anomaly.

Teresa's perception spread outward—her Yoki threads blending seamlessly with Earthland's natural magic. A dozen predictable magic signatures surrounded the convoy. But beyond them… several others. Masked. Distant. Mirroring speed.

Flankers.

Shadows.

Ambush.

Below — Roadside

The lead merchant, a short, balding man with darting eyes, clutched his reins tightly. Two hired guards rode beside the front wagon—not rookies, but not elite.

"You sure these roads are safe?" he asked nervously.

One guard shrugged. "Fairy Tail's still active here. Nothing major's hit Magnolia."

The other nodded. "Council patrols have stepped up. Nobody's dumb enough to stir trouble this close to town."

The merchant didn't look convinced. His gaze drifted toward the trees.

Then—

A shrill whistle sliced the air.

Crack.

One wheel exploded, the axle snapping with brutal finality. The wagon buckled. Horses shrieked.

"Trap!" one guard barked, drawing steel.

From the trees, six figures emerged—hooded, masked, silent. Their movements weren't those of raiders. These were trained—coordinated, efficient, and cold.

The leader raised a hand. "Surrender your manifests and route logs. Do so quickly. No one needs to die."

The merchant froze.

"They want the paperwork," one guard hissed. "Not the cargo. Just give it."

With shaking hands, the merchant reached into his satchel, fumbling for the thick ledger.

Above them, the branches stirred.

One rogue looked up.

Saw only birds.

Too late.

From the Canopy

A shimmer passed through the air.

Teresa dropped silently to the forest floor, her armor flashing into place around her. Silver plates sealed without a sound. Her cloak unfurled behind her, the black Fairy Tail emblem stark in the dim light.

The Claymore blade snapped into her right hand.

The first attacker turned—

And lost his arm at the elbow.

He screamed once before a twist of her blade dropped him into unconsciousness. Clean. Measured. Efficient.

The second rogue struck back—an arcing blade with a fire glyph embedded in the edge.

Teresa bent backward unnaturally, body folding around the blow as she activated Silken Nerve Control. The blade passed inches from her armor.

Her counterstrike was swift—a blunt force to the side of the head. The man dropped soundlessly.

Two more charged—one with compressed wind, the other channeling lightning.

She didn't flinch.

"Void Sever."

A single upward slash dispersed both spells into harmless mist.

The wind mage's eyes went wide.

Teresa vanished—Phantom Step collapsing space between them—and reappeared beside him. One precise strike, and he fell limp to the ground.

The last three attackers hesitated. Coordination gone. Panic surfacing.

"It's the Valkyrie," one whispered.

Teresa stepped forward, blade still lowered.

"You have seconds."

They ran.

Cowards have uses. Alive, they carry the message.

Moments Later — Aftermath

The merchant and guards stood in stunned silence as Teresa approached, armor vanishing into Requip space. Only her tunic and blade remained.

"W-We didn't expect anyone from Fairy Tail to be out here," the merchant stammered.

"You were fortunate," she replied.

One guard stared. "You didn't kill any of them."

"They weren't worth killing."

The merchant clutched his ledger. "Who were they?"

"Probes," Teresa said. "Dark guild-affiliated scouts. Measuring the limits of Fairy Tail's reach."

The guards exchanged uneasy glances.

"Dark guilds? This close?"

"They move when they sense opportunity," she said. "The road is clear. Continue."

They didn't argue.

As the caravan vanished into the settling dusk, Teresa turned her gaze southward.

Let them flee. Let them report.

Curated data was often more valuable than blood.

Later That Night — Fairy Tail Guild Hall

Macao leaned on the map table, listening as Teresa relayed the ambush.

"They're escalating," he muttered. "Even minor cells. That's bold."

"They were measuring response time," Teresa said. "Testing whether Fairy Tail would act."

Macao's jaw tightened. "Now they know we will. Even without the old guard."

Teresa's smile was slight, but real. "Correct. Fear adapts. Slowly."

Reedus stroked his chin. "They'll retreat. Briefly. Regroup."

"Others will interpret the failure differently," Teresa said. "Some will hesitate. Others will see weakness."

Wakaba grunted. "The Council still thinks the underworld acts as a whole. But they're just wolves. If one fails, the rest fight over scraps."

Macao nodded. "Which makes them more dangerous when the scraps get bloody."

Teresa's tone never changed. "Which is why I let them leave. Observation matters more than elimination."

Silence followed.

The storm hadn't arrived.

But the probe had.

And it had failed.

Outside Magnolia's walls, whispers passed between cloaked men.

They spoke of a woman with silver eyes who moved like the wind and answered violence with silence.

They spoke her name with caution now.

The first move had been made.

And Teresa was already preparing for the second.