"Hey!"
"Are you really Ian's child?"
The members of Fairy Tail surrounded Eresh upon hearing the commotion and began asking questions.
"Hello, everyone~"
"My name is Ereshkigal..."
"I'm Ian's daughter and Erza's sister."
"You can call me by my nickname, Eresh~"
Eresh looked around at all the human faces gathered around her, taking a moment to calm herself. No matter how much these Fairy Tail mages differed from her imagination, she couldn't change the reality—it was what it was.
With that thought, Eresh lifted the hem of her dress and, like a true young lady, gracefully curtsied to the gathered members in the first-floor hall of the Fairy Tail guild.
"This polite girl is actually Erza's sister?"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible..."
Mirajane was stunned by Eresh's elegance, unable to believe her eyes.
In Mirajane's opinion, Erza's sister should have been just like Erza—rough, rude, impossible to communicate with, ready to fight at the slightest provocation...
"Her elegance is nothing like Ian's," Wakaba murmured after taking a puff from his cigar, blowing a smoke ring.
"Could Ian really have raised a child like this?!"
It was evident that many in the guild still doubted Eresh's identity.
What confused them was simple—they couldn't believe that someone as refined as Eresh could have been raised by someone as rough as Ian.
"Come on, Eresh. Once you get this emblem, you'll be like me and Father—a member of the Fairy Tail guild," Erza said, after flaunting her cute sister to her lifelong rival, Mirajane, and to potential competitors in the guild.
With her objective reached, Erza pulled Eresh to the front desk, where she took out the guild stamp and imprinted the magical tattoo representing the Fairy Tail guild mage on Eresh's small arm.
"Is this it? Am I now a member of Fairy Tail?" Eresh held up her arm, staring at the emblem, which looked like a fairy flying freely under a clear sky, and murmured.
To be honest, it was a lot simpler than Eresh had imagined it would be to join a mage guild. She hadn't even seen the guild master before becoming a member of Fairy Tail.
"Mirajane! Ultear! And Laxus..."
"Watch closely!"
"This year, my sister Eresh and I will conquer the Fairy Tail S-Class Mage Exam together..."
After stamping her sister with the Fairy Tail emblem, Erza leaped onto the guild's stage, pulled out her knight's sword, and spoke confidently, as though declaring war on her enemies.
"Oh?!"
"You can't expect us to just ignore that, Erza."
"Don't come crying for mercy during the exam."
Laxus, who was surrounded by sparks of electricity, looked like a king bathed in lightning as he coldly responded from the corner.
"Just because you found a partner to enter the exam with, don't think you're guaranteed to pass this year. Until the S-Class Mage Exam officially begins, no one knows who will emerge victorious!" Ultear said, her eyes gleaming as she looked at Erza on the stage.
This wasn't just a fight between her and Erza; it had escalated into a battle between the Milkovich and Belserion clans.
Ultear might have been outmatched by the monstrous Irene, but she wouldn't lose to Erza, who was her peer.
"Hmph!"
"You dare challenge all three of us simultaneously, Erza?!"
"That wasn't a smart choice."
"Even you can't take on all three of us at once, right?"
Mirajane crossed her arms and challenged Erza, but some of the guild members thought they heard a hint of concern in Mirajane's words.
"What did I say?" Reedus whispered, "Mirajane's feelings for Erza are deeper than anyone imagined."
"Bring it on!"
Erza exchanged glances with Laxus, Ultear, and Mirajane, and then loudly declared, "The war has already begun!"
"What about me?! Erza, I want to be your opponent too! I've already fired up..."
Natsu jumped out of the crowd, eager to challenge Erza.
"Oh, Natsu, I didn't even realize you were here," Laxus mockingly remarked, taking a swig from his mug before Natsu could even say another word.
"Laxus! I challenge you!"
Natsu shouted, flames engulfing his body as he charged towards Laxus, who sat in the corner, unbothered.
"Boom!"
Unfortunately for Natsu, before he could reach Laxus, a golden lightning bolt struck him down.
"You want a showdown?"
"You're not even qualified yet."
"Come back when you can survive longer than a second."
Laxus didn't even move, his leg still crossed as if Natsu wasn't worth even a single effort from him.
"Natsu got one-shot again," Happy mumbled, not at all surprised as he hovered above Natsu's charred form. Apparently, this had become a routine occurrence for him.
"Natsu, do you still not understand?" Gray scratched his head in frustration. "With our current abilities, we can't compete with the S-Class candidates like Erza, Laxus, Ultear, or Mirajane. We need to keep getting stronger."
"Gray, you're in no position to judge Natsu. Look at your own clothes..."
Gray looked up only to see Erza giving him a stern look. "Damn it, I did it again..."
With Erza's PTSD-inducing glare upon him, Gray quickly picked up his scattered clothes and hastily dressed.
"Hahaha..."
"Got scolded, didn't you, Gray?"
"Maybe you should quit Fairy Tail and join the circus or Blue Pegasus as a stripping act."
Lyon's mocking laughter echoed. He wasn't going to miss this chance to ridicule his rival, Gray.
"Lyon, look at yourself before you mock others! And you too, Bickslow, what are you doing in swim trunks?! There's no pool here. You have five seconds to put on your clothes, or you'll face the consequences!"
Erza's cold voice cut through the guild, making Lyon immediately bow. He picked up his clothes and grumbled, "I think I need to learn Requip magic..."
"Sigh..."
Erza resumed her "disciplinary committee" stance after calming the childish antics in the guild.
"It looks like Erza has a lot of authority here, and everyone respects her," Eresh thought. "More than that, Erza truly cares about Fairy Tail. I can sense her deep affection for the guild."
"They're really a group of troublemakers," Erza sighed, turning to Eresh. "Sorry, Eresh, if they gave you a bad impression. They might be a handful, but they're good people. Don't judge them too harshly."
"Erza, you really love the guild, don't you?" Eresh smiled.
"Yes," Erza replied, a sincere smile spreading across her face. "I love it here."
In that moment, Eresh understood why her father and sister joined such an eccentric mage guild. Despite their differences, everyone shared the same heart.
"Fairy Tail is truly amazing."
Eresh looked at the Fairy Tail emblem on her arm once again, her feelings now different from before.
---
Time flew by, and soon a week had passed.
The Fairy Tail S-Class Mage Exam officially began in the year X778!
At the docks of Magnolia, a ship bearing the Fairy Tail emblem quietly awaited. Standing beneath the ship, Makarov, cloaked in the mantle of one of the Ten Wizard Saints, wore a serious expression as he faced the gathered S-Class candidates.
"So, are we really sailing there?" Natsu asked, trembling at the sight of the ship—dread already building within him.
"Obviously," Laxus scoffed, glancing at Natsu.
Luckily, Laxus had taken his anti-nausea medicine in advance and planned to find a spot on the ship to rest—nobody could know that he got seasick too.
Because Erza had once used transportation magic to defeat Laxus, his seasickness wasn't a secret to Mirajane, Ultear, or a few others.
"Step forward when your name is called.
"First pair: Laxus and Freed.
"Second: Mirajane and Elfman.
"Third: Ultear and Laki.
"Fourth: Natsu and Happy.
"Fifth: Gray and Bickslow.
"Sixth: Lyon and Warren.
"Seventh: Cana and Lisanna.
"And finally, Erza and..."
Makarov paused, looking at the pretty, golden-haired girl beside Erza.
"Who is this young lady? Are you also a member of Fairy Tail?"
As Fairy Tail's guild master, Makarov knew every member—their faces, names, and personalities—but he had no recollection of this girl.
"Hello, Master Makarov," Eresh said, lifting her skirt slightly and giving a polite bow. "I joined recently. My name is Ereshkigal, but you can call me Eresh."
"A new member?" Makarov looked troubled.
Was it really okay to let a newly joined member participate in what was known as the most challenging S-Class Mage Exam in Fairy Tail's history?
"Master, you can rest assured," Erza said, stepping forward. "Eresh is my sister."
"Oh, she's your sister? That makes things easier," Makarov smiled, visibly relaxing.
If the girl was Erza's sister—Ian's daughter—then there was no issue. Knowing Ian's family, this girl was probably a monster-level talent herself.
Wait... Erza's sister? Ian's daughter?
Makarov's face paled as realization dawned on him.
This pretty young girl in front of him was also the daughter of that terrifying, god-like red-haired woman who had barged into their Harvest Festival two months ago?
"Erza, please let me ask you a few questions," Makarov stammered, visibly shaken.
"Of course," Erza answered easily.
"Is Eresh really your biological sister?" Makarov asked.
"Yes," Erza nodded. "Technically, Eresh and I are half-sisters. We share the same father, Ian, but our mothers are different.
"My mother is the ruler of the Alvarez Empire, the 'Scarlet Despair,' Irene Belserion.
"Eresh's mother is the 'Moon Dragon' Selene, the ruler of the Elentear world in the northern continent.
"In other words, Eresh is a dragon."
Makarov blinked, then gave a bitter laugh.
Initially, he'd been relieved when he heard Erza say that she and Eresh were half-sisters—at least Eresh wasn't the daughter of that terrifying, god-like woman.
Only to find out Eresh was even more formidable—the child of Ian and the Moon Dragon Selene.
No, it wasn't that Makarov had high hopes. It was just that, knowing Ian, his partners were never ordinary people!
Was Fairy Tail a daycare for the children of the world's strongest?!
If Makarov knew that Zeref's son, the "Wizard King" August, was also born in Fairy Tail, or that Zeref's younger brother, the fire demon END, was growing up in the guild, who knows what expression he would make?
Probably a big smile.
And maybe wish for the world to end.
Let someone else be the master of this crazy guild!
"Ian, just how many children do you have?" Makarov groaned internally. "Please, I'm begging you—as an old man, I can't take this anymore. Stop sending your kids here!
"Speaking of which, this year's S-Class Exam will include a dragon, four Wizard Saint-level examiners, and a group of S-Class candidates striving for 'Saint Ten' level magic."
"Will Tenrou Island, Fairy Tail's sacred ground, really survive this?"
Makarov was overwhelmed. As the ship departed for Tenrou Island, he couldn't help but worry.
"Somebody, save me!" he cried internally, tears streaming down his face.
---
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