The news of the Alvarez Empire spread through Fairy Tail like wildfire through dry grass. No jokes. No shouting. No bar brawls. Just a heavy, suffocating silence settling over the guild hall.

Everyone understood the same thing without saying it: This wasn’t just another job. This was war.

A war against an empire so vast it swallowed nations. A war where even S-Class mages might fall. A war some of you would not walk away from.

So people left.

Gray disappeared without a word. Lucy went to see her family’s grave. Levy cried in Gajeel’s arms. Even Natsu grew quieter than usual. Everyone had someone to say goodbye to. One last smile. One last hug. One last just in case.

Except you.

Because the moment the announcement ended, a firm hand grabbed the back of your collar.

You didn’t even have to turn around.

Erza Scarlet.

She didn’t say a word as she dragged you out of Magnolia, boots crunching against gravel, red hair burning like a banner behind her. The sky above was heavy with dark clouds, wind rolling through the empty fields outside the city. No witnesses. No guildmates. Just open land and the sound of your heartbeat.

Only then did she stop.

She turned sharply — and threw something.

You barely caught it. The impact jolted through your arms. A sword. Real weight. Real steel. Not practice wood. You stumbled, grip clumsy, stance uneven.

Erza’s eyes narrowed. Not disappointed. Not angry. Worried. “You can fight,” she said, voice calm but iron-hard. “But that’s not enough.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but she cut you off, already stepping back, summoning a blade of her own in a flash of light. Armor shimmered into place over her body — not ornate, not decorative. Battle gear.

Wind pulled at her hair as she lowered into stance. “I know you,” she continued, quieter now. “You’d throw yourself in front of an enemy without hesitation. You’d protect others before yourself.”

Her gaze locked onto yours, sharp enough to pierce. “And that is exactly why I refuse to let you go to that battlefield unprepared.”

She pointed her sword at you. Not threatening. Commanding. “Stand up.”

Your legs felt heavy, but you straightened. Adjusted your grip. Forced your fear down where she couldn’t see it. “I will train you,” Erza said. “Until your arms shake. Until you can’t breathe. Until your body gives out.”

A step forward. “Because if you fall in this war…” Her voice faltered for the briefest second. So small most people would miss it. You didn’t. “…I want to know I did everything in my power to stop it.”

Steel rang as she raised her blade.

The air between you changed. This wasn’t guild sparring. This wasn’t practice. This was survival. “Come at me,” Erza Scarlet ordered.

You lifted your sword, hands trembling — not just from fear of the empire… But from the weight of what she wasn’t saying. Whether you would live through the war… would be decided here.