Master Jose, the man of focus, had waited years for this exact moment. He'd spent so long scheming to get Gildarts and Shun out of the picture, fabricating urgent missions, dispatching capable mages to distant corners of the continent, anything to clear the board. When Jose finally vanished, the long, grinding war simply ended. The silence that followed felt almost unnatural.
In the aftermath, the light of Fairy Law washed over the battered streets of Magnolia. Lucy stood still, arms slightly raised as if trying to catch the warmth on her skin.
"It's… warm," she murmured, almost to herself.
Cana, leaning against a cracked wall nearby, gave a small, tired smile. "Yeah. Despite that evil face of his, the guy's actually kinda warm inside."
Lucy opened her mouth to agree. "Yeah," she started, but the words died in her throat.
POP!
A familiar sound, sharp and close. Too close.
"Talking behind people's backs, huh? What exactly is wrong with my face?"
Both girls froze.
"Shun?!" Lucy yelped, heart jumping. She knew he could teleport, of course, but he'd never done it for something this trivial, just to appear right between them like that.
"Shun?!"
"I seriously thought that was Master Makarov's magic just now…"
"But if it's Shun… yeah, that actually tracks for this kind of result…"
Lucy's startled shout acted like a signal. Guild members who had been scattered across the ruined street slowly drifted closer, forming a loose, cautious ring. Most of them still didn't know Shun very well. He'd always been more of a shadow than a regular fixture in the hall. They kept a respectful, or perhaps wary, distance.
Shun, completely unbothered by the growing audience, stepped straight toward Cana.
"So," he said, voice low and teasing, "I've got an evil face, do I?"
"You're totally misunderstanding!" Cana waved both hands defensively. "Lucy's the one who started it!"
She thought she'd dodged the bullet cleanly.
She was wrong.
"You're really not gonna apologize, huh?" Shun murmured. Before Cana could blink he was behind her, one arm looping around her neck in a loose, playful chokehold.
"Agh! Hey! What the hell, you evil bastard!" Cana immediately started squirming, elbows flying.
Shun didn't budge. If anything, he looked mildly amused. He wasn't actually mad about the gossip. He just wasn't the type to let a golden opportunity pass. So while Cana flailed, his free hand began to wander, slow and deliberate.
Lucy, standing just a step away, felt heat rush to her face. She was the only one close enough to realize exactly what he was doing. Everyone else just saw Cana thrashing and yelling.
After a solid minute of futile struggling, Cana finally went limp, eyes glistening with exaggerated tears of defeat.
That was when salvation arrived.
"Stop that."
Mavis's voice cut through the noise, quiet, but carrying the unmistakable weight of someone who expected to be obeyed. Probably the only person alive who could rein Shun in with just two words.
Shun immediately released Cana, raising both hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Just playing around."
He stepped back, leaving a flushed, disheveled Cana to stumble straight into Lucy's arms.
"Bastard…" Cana whispered, barely audible, clearly terrified of triggering round two.
And so it was written in guild legend: the day Cana, Fairy Tail's most untouchable, feared drinker, was mercilessly bullied the moment her father left town.
A little later, Shun wandered over to Mavis. He let out a small, almost fond sigh, then, to the visible astonishment of every single person watching, dropped to one knee in front of her.
A soft shimmer of magic. A pair of delicate glass slippers materialized in his hands, straight out of a fairy tale. Very gently, he lifted one of Mavis's bare feet and slipped the first shoe on, then the second.
Mavis blinked down at her feet, cheeks slowly turning pink. "Ah… I forgot to wear shoes again…"
"Be careful from now on," Shun said, voice softer than usual. "There are way too many perverts running around with weird fetishes."
Cana, still clinging to Lucy for moral support, muttered under her breath, "He's literally talking about himself, right?"
Lucy wisely chose not to answer.
Shun's eyes flicked toward Cana. 'This girl is begging for round two,' he thought. He filed the reminder away for later.
Watching Cana fake-sob dramatically into Lucy's shoulder, another stray thought crossed his mind.
'Come to think of it… since Lucy never ran away from home this time, she never got kidnapped by Phantom Lord. That whole mess with Gajeel never happened either, huh.'
The mood shifted again when a tired, gravelly voice spoke up.
"You guys… sorry. I let myself get taken out by a cheap ambush like that…"
"Master!"
"You're okay!"
Everyone swarmed toward Makarov at once. No one blamed him, not really. Erza, Natsu, Gray, even the normally aloof members hurried over, asking how he felt, if anything hurt.
Makarov's eyes glistened as he looked at the circle of worried faces around him.
"You brats…"
But before the moment could settle, a very deliberate cough rang out.
"Cough, cough."
Every head turned.
Shun had moved to stand beside Mavis, Lucy, and the still-pouting Cana. With a casual wave of his hand, golden light coalesced, and suddenly there was a throne. Solid, gleaming, unmistakably regal. He sat down without ceremony.
"You've grown old," he said simply.
The street went quiet.
"Huh?!"
"Don't blame Master!" Natsu immediately jumped in. "He's doing his absolute best!"
Makarov slowly turned his gaze toward the ruined city: collapsed roofs, cracked streets, bandaged guildmates leaning on each other. Guilt carved deeper lines into his face.
Shun continued, calm but unrelenting. "A few years ago? An obvious ambush from someone as mediocre as that wouldn't have even scratched you. But now… you're old."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. The air felt heavier.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" someone finally asked.
Shun didn't answer with words. He simply looked at Makarov, steady, expectant.
Makarov closed his eyes for a long moment. When he opened them again, the decision was already there.
He walked forward slowly until he stood in front of the golden throne.
"I'm retiring," he announced. "I'm stepping down as guild master."
A stunned beat of silence.
Then,
"I hereby name Shun the fourth guild master of Fairy Tail."
The street exploded into overlapping voices.
"Shun?!"
"Well… it's not that surprising, honestly."
"He literally ended the whole war in under an hour."
"That evil-faced bastard?!"
Shun let the noise wash over him for a few seconds. Then he stood, dismissing the throne with a flick of his wrist.
"Everyone," he said, raising his voice just enough. "Let's head back to the guild. Time to celebrate."
Makarov cleared his throat. "Shun, fourth generation, the guild building isn't exactly… standing right now."
"It's fine."
Shun glanced around at the devastation once more. Thirty percent of Magnolia still lay in pieces. Without another word, he knelt, pressed both palms to the broken cobblestones, and released Arc of Time.
Blue light poured from his hands, spreading outward in slow, shimmering waves. Stone lifted back into place. Walls rebuilt themselves. Shattered glass flew upward and fused. In front of everyone's eyes, the city quietly remembered how it used to look.
The guild members stared, speechless. Civilians who had lost their homes stood frozen, tears in their eyes.
"What kind of insane magic usage is that…?"
"Isn't he worried about draining himself dry?"
"As expected of the new master…"
"Shun! Shun! Shun!"
The chant started small, then swelled. Even people who'd never set foot in the guild before were shouting his name.
The crowd parted naturally, creating a path straight to the restored guild hall.
"Make way for the guild master!"
Makarov watched them go, left standing almost alone in the street.
"…Those damn brats. Moving on way too fast," he grumbled, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
When the crowd reached the guild, or what used to be the guild, Shun raised one hand.
A single, controlled tremor flick.
The building collapsed perfectly, neatly, almost politely.
"!!"
"What the hell are you doing, you crazy kid?!" Makarov roared, finally catching up.
"You're still here? Third generation," Shun replied, completely casual now that the hierarchy had flipped.
"Hmph. I retired from the position. Not from the guild," Makarov shot back, smirking like he'd just won a private bet.
'Good. A strong, reliable soldier staying right where I can use him,' Shun thought.
He summoned a large pile of raw materials with Arc of Embodiment, then flexed the power he'd taken from Bullet long ago, the Clank-Clank Fruit. Purple energy surged from his palms, devouring the materials and debris alike.
Ten seconds later, a brand-new three-story building stood where the old one had been.
The crowd was too exhausted from constant shock to scream anymore. They just stared.
Shun pushed open the double doors.
"Come in. I'll give you the tour."
First Floor
The beating heart of the guild, chaos, laughter, brawls, celebrations, every messy beautiful thing that makes Fairy Tail what it is.
A huge open hall, like an oversized tavern. Long wooden tables, sturdy benches, enough seating for the ever-growing crowd. Bigger than before. Much bigger.
The bar stretched along one wall, Mirajane's new domain.
The classic request board sat in its usual spot.
A wide stage waited at the far end for announcements, performances, drunken speeches, whatever the day called for.
Wooden balconies and mezzanines overlooked the hall, beams crisscrossing overhead. Warm. Rowdy. Alive.
"That's the first floor," Shun said. "Second floor's next."
Up the stairs they went.
The second floor felt noticeably different, quieter, more focused. The S-Class board dominated one wall. Open space for planning sessions, strategy talks, or just a moment of peace away from the madness below. Professional without being stiff.
"And that's the new guild," Shun finished.
Silence lingered for a few heartbeats. The day had been too much: war ending, master retiring, city restored, guild rebuilt. But the stunned looks on everyone's faces were slowly turning into something brighter.
"You brats…" Makarov muttered again, watching the spark return to their eyes.
Cana, finally over her dramatics, crossed her arms. "Hey, Evil Face. What about the third floor?"
"Guild master's office," Shun answered shortly. "No entry unless I personally invite you."
"Ehhh, but I wanna see it…" Cana tilted her head toward the staircase.
Shun considered her for a second, then placed a hand on her shoulder. "Fine. After the celebration's over, I'll show you."
A real smile broke across Cana's face. "Really? Thanks."
"Of course." Shun turned back to the group. "Now let's actually celebrate."
He headed down to the first floor, waved a hand, and ordered a mountain of food and drinks from SHFC, his treat.
The new guild master's first official act.
And just like that, the hall filled with noise again, louder, warmer, and somehow even more alive than before.
'This… everything is going way too smoothly…' Makarov thought as he watched the lively scene unfold below. A mischievous glint appeared in his eye. He decided it was time to stir the pot a little.
"Everyone!" Makarov's voice boomed across the hall, instantly pulling every head toward him.
He grinned and continued. "The fourth guild master of Fairy Tail is going to give us a grand speech to guide us into a brighter future!"
"Huh?"
"Really?"
"Go on, Master!"
The crowd cheered without a second thought, completely buying into the former master's words.
"Alright," Shun said simply. He stood up from his seat.
He caught the small, smug smirk on Makarov's face, the look of someone who thought he'd just set up an embarrassing trap. 'Trying to catch me off guard and make me squirm in front of everyone, huh?' Shun thought. 'I don't know what it is with these petty old men always trying to mess with me. Rayleigh, Sengoku, and now Makarov…'
A dozen thoughts flickered through his mind in the span of a few seconds. He raised his glass of beer anyway.
Shun scanned the first-floor hall. Most of the core members were still missing, thanks to Jose's thorough scheming, but plenty of faces remained, many unfamiliar. 'Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Makarov, Gray, Happy, Macao, Wakaba, Cana, Alzack, Bisca, Reedus, Laki, and Mavis. Those are the ones whose faces I actually know. Levy and her team are still in the hospital after Gajeel's attack. Loke never joined Fairy Tail in this timeline. Since I recruited Sorano years ago, she never killed his previous owner, so he's still with Blue Pegasus. And Lisanna… she's alive and well because I fed Mira Deliora's soul. No incident ever happened. Butterfly effect, huh…'
All of that passed through his head in the handful of seconds it took to lift his glass. The guild fell quiet, waiting.
"…"
"Ahem." Shun cleared his throat and began.
"When the tree leaves dance,
one shall find flames.
The fire's shadow will illuminate the guild,
and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew."
Silence hung for a moment.
Reactions came in waves.
'This brat actually said something decent… and deep,' Makarov thought, genuinely moved.
"A poem?" Gray asked, tilting his head.
"Deep wisdom, as always," Erza said seriously, nodding with full approval.
'If I didn't know Erza's personality so well, I'd think she was mocking me…' Shun thought with a wry smile.
"Ohhh! I don't really get it, but it sounds super deep!" Natsu declared loudly.
"Aye!" Happy chimed in right behind him.
Clap. Clap.
"Renewal through hardship, huh? Splendid words!" Makarov started clapping, pride shining in his eyes.
Once he led the way, the applause grew louder. Others joined in quickly.
"Ohhh!!"
"Long live the fourth guild master!"
"Impregnate me!"
"I'll follow you until I die!!"
Shun blinked, momentarily at a loss. 'Okay… some of those comments are definitely weird. But whatever. It's fine.' He shrugged it off and decided to just enjoy the rest of the party.
Three hours later, after endless drinking, laughing, and chaos, the members finally started heading home. The older ones returned to their own houses, but most of the younger generation drifted toward Shun's place as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
'Except for Erza, everyone seems to treat this house like a second home,' Shun noted to himself.
He spent a little time with Mavis, helping her settle down and fall asleep. Then, quietly, he slipped away. He even went so far as to erase his presence completely with repelling magic and turn invisible.
His destination had been set since morning.
Creaak.
The door to Cana's room opened with a soft sound. She was already fast asleep.
"Hey."
No answer.
"Hey, wake up. Cana." He gave her shoulder a gentle shake.
"Mmm… what?" Cana mumbled groggily until her eyes focused. Then she jolted upright. "W-What are you doing here, you bastard?"
"Shhh!" Shun quickly covered her mouth with his hand and whispered. "Let's go see the third floor of the guild. Like you asked earlier."
"!"
The struggling stopped instantly. Excitement flashed in her eyes. She nodded vigorously, mouth still covered.
Without another word, Shun triggered the familiar POP!
The next second they were standing outside the guild hall.
They hurried inside and raced up the stairs to the third floor. It wasn't anything extravagant on the surface, just more luxurious and modern than the rest of the building, but the heavy lock on the door made it clear this space was off-limits to everyone else.
Shun unlocked it effortlessly and stepped inside with Cana right behind him.
"!"
The third floor was supposed to be just the guild master's office. But it felt far too grand for that label.
The entire level was one massive, open chamber, It carried an air of quiet grandeur and deliberate isolation from the noise of the lower floors.
The ceiling arched high overhead. Subtle recessed lights shifted gently in color depending on the time of day or mood: cool azure for calm thinking, warm amber for late-night planning.
Polished black marble covered the floor, threaded with faint silver runes that pulsed softly like a living heartbeat.
In the center stood the desk: a sweeping crescent of dark obsidian and brushed titanium alloy.
Behind it loomed a tall, throne-like chair of sleek black leather and chrome, armrests subtly curved for comfort.
Off to one side was a relaxation area: a low, floating sectional sofa in deep midnight blue that could shift and reconfigure itself however the occupant wanted.
"This third floor isn't just an office," Shun said, finishing his dramatic tour. "It's a statement. A place where the guild master can step away from the first-floor brawls and the second-floor strategy sessions. A spot to stand alone at the top, watching over the entire guild."
"This…" Cana trailed off, genuinely speechless.
'This bastard really didn't hold back when it came to his own space,' she thought, though she wisely kept the comment to herself. Mavis wasn't here to save her this time.
Shun showed her around a little more, then guided her to sit on the sofa.
He pulled out a beautifully boxed bottle of liquor.
"What's this?" Cana asked, trying to sound unimpressed. Her sparkling eyes gave her away completely.
'Because she met Gildarts early, she never became the barrel-drinking alcoholic. Still… she's definitely interested in good liquor.'
Cana shook her head and got serious. "What are you planning? Bringing me up here at night and trying to get me to drink?"
"Huh? I'm just doing what you asked earlier. You wanted to see this floor, right?" Shun played innocent.
"Don't lie to me. Are you trying to make a move? Don't you already have Ultear… and Sorano? Sorano's obsessed with you. Lately she's even peeking at you in the shower!"
'Yeah, I noticed. But that's not the point right now.'
"Yes. I have both of them. That doesn't mean I can't have you too," Shun said calmly.
"Y-You're scum!" Cana shot back, exasperated.
"You're right. But… think about it."
"Huh? Think about what?" Cana asked after taking a breath to calm down.
"There are countless garbage nobles and kings all over the world with harems and multiple wives. Why shouldn't I, with my strength and status, be allowed to chase a small dream like this?"
"…"
His voice was steady and serious. There was real logic buried in the words. Cana's resolve started to waver.
'This bastard… he's way too good with words. Lucy, I was wrong. This evil-faced guy is evil on the inside too…'
"Well, let's just drink a little and head back to rest for tonight," Shun suggested.
After a long pause, Cana nodded and took the first sip.
By the time the bottle was half empty, Shun's hand gently brushed through her hair.
Cana's face was already flushed from the alcohol. The touch snapped her almost sober.
"W-What are you doing?!" she demanded.
"Since we're both drunk… why don't we just blame everything on the liquor tonight? If you don't want it, just say no."
He leaned in slowly toward her lips.
Right as their mouths were about to meet, hesitation flickered across Cana's face. She started to pull back.
But Shun's future sight haki had already glimpsed that path.
The instant she retreated even slightly, he closed the distance and captured her lips.