Morning had arrived. Soft golden sunlight spilled over Magnolia, and the Fairy Tail guild hall was unusually quiet. After the destruction of the previous night, everyone still remembered Thorn's god-level attack.
Thorn stood on the guild rooftop, the wind brushing through his hair. His eyes held their usual confidence… but somewhere deep inside, a faint trace of doubt lingered.
"I was in control…" he murmured to himself.
Reffile's calm, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
"Statement partially true. Energy overflow percentage: seventeen percent."
"Why do you always talk in percentages?" Thorn replied with mild irritation.
Down inside the guild hall, Natsu stood on a table and shouted,
"Oi! Are you practicing gravity blasts again today?! Should I bring a helmet?!"
Gray replied dryly from the side,
"What's a helmet going to do? Last time, you were floating upside down."
Mirajane observed quietly with a gentle smile.
"Today, Master Mavis will supervise personally…"
As she said that, a shimmer of golden light appeared near the main door.
Mavis Vermillion.
Her white dress moved softly with the air. Her expression was gentle, but her eyes were filled with clear determination.
"Thorn," she said, looking straight up at him, "from today onward, I'll be handling your training myself."
The guild fell silent.
Thorn blinked. "Personally? That's special treatment."
"This isn't treatment," Mavis replied calmly. "It's a necessity."
The air suddenly felt heavier.
---
Forest Clearing – Training Ground
An open clearing some distance from the guild. Faint marks of old spell circles were etched into the ground.
Mavis stood facing Thorn.
"Today, we're not learning destruction," she said. "We're learning control."
Thorn smirked. "I already have control."
Mavis looked straight into his eyes.
"And if yesterday your attack had gone out of control… while I was there?"
Thorn's expression shifted for a split second.
Reffile spoke softly.
"Emotional spike detected."
"Shut up," Thorn muttered internally.
Mavis raised her hand.
"Phase One: Micro Gravity Thread."
"Sounds simple," Thorn said casually.
"It isn't," Mavis replied, tossing a leaf into the air.
"Cut the leaf. Don't touch the tree."
Thorn moved his fingers slightly. A subtle black aura appeared. The air compressed.
A thin, invisible gravity line shot forward.
The leaf split perfectly in midair.
Thorn grinned—
The next second—
BOOM.
The ground cracked.
The tree's roots shook.
Two birds flew away in shock.
Silence.
Mavis sighed.
"You're not feeling the force. You're pushing it."
Thorn looked slightly embarrassed.
"Again."
This time, Mavis stepped closer. Close enough for Thorn to feel her soft magical aura.
"Extend your hand," she said.
Thorn raised his hand.
Mavis gently placed her hand over his.
Thorn's heartbeat instantly spiked.
Reffile stated flatly,
"Heart rate increased by twenty-three percent. Cause: Mavis proximity."
"Reffile…" Thorn clenched his teeth internally.
Mavis wasn't unaware—but she said nothing.
"Don't push the energy," she said softly. "Guide it."
Thorn closed his eyes.
This time, gravity emerged as a thin, controlled thread.
The leaf split cleanly into two pieces.
The tree remained perfectly stable.
The ground untouched.
Silence.
Then—
From far away, Natsu shouted through binoculars,
"WOW! Is this romance training or what?!"
Thorn's focus broke.
A gravity pulse shot off randomly.
The next second—
Natsu was hanging upside down in the air.
"HEY! PUT ME DOWN!!"
Gray crossed his arms. "You came here on your own."
Mirajane laughed softly.
Mavis struggled to hold back her smile.
Thorn snapped his fingers, dropping Natsu face-first onto the ground.
"Focus," Mavis said seriously—though her eyes were smiling.
---
Evening – Rooftop
The sky had turned orange.
Thorn stood by the railing. Mavis walked up beside him.
"You were better today," she said.
"Just better?" Thorn smirked.
Mavis looked straight at him.
"You push yourself toward unnecessary limits."
Thorn's expression softened.
"If yesterday I'd lost control… and you'd been hurt…"
He couldn't finish the sentence.
The wind slowed.
Reffile spoke quietly.
"Soul Sync: sixty-four percent… increasing."
Mavis said gently,
"I trust you. But you need to learn to trust yourself."
Thorn met her gaze.
"Teach me."
Silence.
Golden aura slowly blended with Thorn's black aura.
Mavis stepped closer to align with him.
"Phase Two: Resonance Sync."
"And now?" Thorn asked.
"Sync your gravity to my wavelength."
Their hands overlapped again.
This time, the aura was stronger.
Black and gold energy spiraled together.
The ground vibrated slightly.
Energy became unstable.
"Control," Mavis said.
Thorn took a deep breath.
Suddenly—a sharp gravity fluctuation.
Thorn lost his balance.
Gravity reversed.
They were pulled toward each other—
A light collision.
One second.
Just one second.
Everything froze.
The energy instantly stabilized.
Reffile announced calmly,
"Unexpected synchronization spike detected. Soul Sync: eighty-one percent."
Silence.
Mavis's face turned completely red.
Thorn blinked, frozen.
Both at once—
"That wasn't intentional!"
From afar, Natsu screamed,
"OHHHHH!"
Gray facepalmed.
Mirajane wore a dreamy expression.
Thorn awkwardly stepped back.
"It was a gravity glitch…"
Mavis coughed lightly.
"Shall we… continue training?"
"Y-yes."
Both were clearly flustered.
The air remained awkward—but stable.
Golden and black aura blended peacefully.
At that moment—
A new symbol flashed within Thorn's magic circle.
Reffile announced,
"New skill unlocked: Gravity Harmony Field."
Thorn looked at Mavis.
"Looks like… learning control has begun."
Mavis smiled softly.
"Only the beginning."
The sky darkened.
This time, there was no destruction.
Only resonance.
---
Next Morning – Guild Hall
The guild hall was unusually loud.
The moment Thorn entered, the room fell silent—then—
Natsu jumped onto a table.
"GOOD MORNING, GRAVITY ROMEO!"
Thorn stopped. "I should leave."
Gray sipped his coffee.
"Yesterday's 'training accident' is trending."
Mirajane smiled sweetly.
"Master Mavis will be here any moment…"
Thorn instantly changed direction.
"I'll check the mission board."
Reffile stated calmly,
"Avoidance behavior detected."
"Do you ever shut up?" Thorn growled internally.
The door opened.
Mavis walked in.
The moment their eyes met—
Both froze for one second.
Then they overacted being completely normal.
"Good morning," Mavis said in a perfectly composed tone.
"Morning," Thorn replied with equally fake calm.
Natsu elbowed Gray.
"See that? SEE THAT?!"
Gray replied,
"Yes. Awkwardness level: S-class."
Mavis clapped her hands.
"Today will be the final phase of training."
The guild instantly became serious.
---
Forest Clearing – Final Control Test
The air was cool. A faint tension hung in the atmosphere.
Mavis stood before Thorn.
"Yesterday, Resonance activated. Today, you'll maintain control without emotional spikes."
"Emotional spikes?" Thorn raised an eyebrow.
Reffile replied,
"Previous spike cause identified."
"Stop narrating my life."
Mavis activated a wide spell circle on the ground.
"Inside this circle, release your full Gravity Domain—zero destruction."
"Zero?" Thorn smirked. "Easy."
"Confidence and control are different things," Mavis said calmly.
Thorn closed his eyes.
Black aura rose—stable, not aggressive.
The ground didn't shake.
Air compressed—but smoothly.
A thirty-meter invisible pressure dome formed.
Leaves froze midair.
Dust particles remained suspended.
Natsu threw a stone—
The stone slowed upon touching the dome, then gently dropped to the ground.
"…Amazing," Gray murmured.
"Maintain," Mavis said.
Sweat formed on Thorn's forehead.
Reffile reported,
"Control percentage: ninety-six percent."
Thorn tried adding another layer.
The pressure wavered.
The ground began to crack.
Mavis instantly stepped forward.
"Thorn, enough."
She grabbed his hand.
Contact.
A brief energy spike—
Then instant stabilization.
Black and gold aura merged perfectly.
No awkward collision.
Only smooth harmony.
The spell circle glowed.
Reffile announced,
"Gravity Harmony Field active."
The dome shifted into defensive mode.
Mavis summoned a testing arrow of magic and fired it.
The arrow hit the dome—and dissolved into harmless light.
Silence.
The wind returned to normal.
The ground was intact.
No cracks.
No explosions.
Perfect control.
Thorn slowly opened his eyes.
"I did it."
Mavis's eyes shone with genuine pride.
"Yes… you did."
The guild clapped from a distance.
Natsu shouted,
"So it's safe now?! Can I come in?!"
The dome collapsed instantly, and Natsu fell face-first.
"You can come now," Thorn said casually.
Laughter erupted.
---
Later – Guild Hall
Celebration filled the air.
Mirajane served drinks with a teasing smile.
"The training results were impressive… especially the synchronization part."
Thorn choked. "Mirajane—!"
Mavis pretended she heard nothing.
Natsu declared dramatically,
"I witnessed it! A gravity-pulled love story!"
"Shut up," Gray said.
"I'm going upstairs," Thorn muttered.
"Embarrassment level rising," Reffile noted.
"I will uninstall you."
---
Rooftop – Quiet Moment
Sunset.
Thorn sat by the railing.
Mavis approached quietly.
"May I sit?"
"This guild is yours," Thorn replied softly.
Comfortable silence followed.
"Do you trust yourself now?" Mavis asked.
Thorn looked up at the sky.
"When you're nearby… even gravity stabilizes."
Mavis's face flushed slightly.
"That's not a scientific explanation."
"It still works," Thorn smiled.
A gentle breeze passed.
No energy spike.
Only calm resonance.
Reffile whispered,
"Soul Sync: eighty-nine percent. Stable."
Mavis stood up.
"Good work today."
She turned to leave—then paused.
"Thorn."
"Yes?"
"Control isn't just about power… it's about feelings too."
Thorn froze.
Mavis walked away with a faint smile.
Thorn exhaled deeply.
"This training is more dangerous than combat…"
Reffile agreed.
"Affirmative."
The sky darkened.
This time, there was no chaos inside Thorn.
Only balance.
And somewhere far away, hidden in the shadows, an unknown presence observed quietly.
"Gravity Vessel… stabilizing faster than expected."
The arc wasn't over.
It was only evolving.
Chapter 9 End.