Rise of new dark guild

Chapter Five: Illusions, Intentions, and Quiet Victories

Victor sat under his usual tree behind the guild. A faint breeze whispered through Magnolia, carrying echoes of spellfire and laughter from inside Fairy Tail's hall.

He had earned them. Ten new gacha draws for outmaneuvering Damon—subtly, flawlessly. No one even knew what he'd done.

[SYSTEM UPDATE]

New Draws Earned: 10

Total Available: 16 (Includes 5 accumulated during the past 10 years)

He summoned the system window.

Initiate Random Gacha Draw x16?

[YES] | [NO]

He tapped [YES] in his mind.

One by one, the items spun into being.

Draw Results:

Tactical Cloak of Silence – Nullifies minor sound within 3-meter radius.

Maid Uniform (???) – A strange outfit with unknown magical properties.

Whispered Blade – Low-grade dagger enhanced by stealth alignment.

Ring of Ether Focus – Boosts fine etherano control, especially under strain.

Smoke Bombs (x10) – Classic obscuration items, highly effective.

Phantom Stitcher's Coat – Resistant to unraveling and detection-based magic.

Lockpicking Kit – Oddly modern. Contains tools foreign to Earthland.

Binding Thread Spool – A spool of enchanted thread capable of restricting limbs.

9–16. Miscellaneous items: food ration enhancer, hair dye wand, etherano compass, disguises, and a collapsible staff.

Victor didn't smile, but his brow lifted slightly.

"Not flashy. But useful."

These weren't battlefield pieces. They were infiltration tools. Control tools. Tools for someone who didn't need to overpower—just outmaneuver.

He turned his thoughts toward Makarov.

The brat had grown strong. Still cocky. Still volatile. But his power was real now.

Victor would fight him one day. Not now, not in public. But eventually, a clash would be inevitable.

One Week Later

The guild's daily rhythm hadn't changed. Missions came and went. Members drank, sparred, bragged. But Victor kept a closer eye on movement at the guild's perimeter.

Lately, he'd heard whispers—strange news drifting in from towns near Fiore's western border.

Night-time ambushes. Unseen enemies targeting junior guild members. Victims never seriously harmed, but deeply shaken.

The Council had yet to respond. The guilds near the western zones were under pressure.

Victor watched the pattern carefully.

"This isn't random. This feels like a test…"

He didn't have proof—not yet. But something, or someone, was probing the kingdom's edge.

He glanced toward the open road that stretched beyond Magnolia. Somewhere out there, someone was laying pieces on the board.

Victor intended to be ready when they made their first real move.

Flashback: The Shadow in the Pinewoods

It had happened four nights ago.

Victor had caught whispers of someone stalking the lower district near the riverbank. When he investigated, he found a cloaked figure moving through the pinewoods outside Magnolia—too clean, too disciplined to be a simple thief.

The man never saw him coming.

Victor cast a low-range Belior Zakera illusion before the rogue even turned around. His opponent, momentarily blinded by what looked like a mass of shadowy figures, struck wildly—hitting trees, striking at false echoes.

Victor had stayed just outside reach. Testing. Observing.

Then, a well-timed misdirection. The illusion shimmered, making the rogue believe he was being attacked from behind. He lunged—and ran directly into a tree at full force.

Victor walked away in silence.

He never even had to lift a finger.

[SYSTEM UPDATE: PREMIUM DRAW UNLOCKED]

Condition Met: Influence exerted on high-risk rogue combatant tied to rising political instability.

Victor's brow furrowed.

"...That counted?"

He hadn't expected it. He thought it had been subtle, too quiet to make waves.

Apparently not.

[Summon Sequence: Premium Character Draw – Now Available]

Victor tapped it.

Light swirled in front of him.

Summon Complete: Akatsuki

Out of the swirling energy stepped a small figure—lithe and fast. Black and violet ninja garb shimmered against the wind, with cloth wrappings over her lower face and a blade sheathed along her back.

Her eyes—amethyst and sharp—scanned the terrain instantly.

She dropped to one knee. "Awaiting your command… Lord Victor."

Victor blinked.

"System. What is this?"

[System Notice: Summoned characters are drawn from alternate timelines. Personalities are shaped not only from original media context, but partially aligned with the summoner's expectations. Adaptation rate: 87%. Emotional loyalty configured for strategic obedience. Autonomy: moderate.]

Victor nodded slowly.

"So she's… real. And not just a puppet?"

[Correct. Independent within a loyalty tether. No false consciousness. Personality: molded, not rewritten.]

Akatsuki remained kneeling until Victor told her to rise.

He studied her.

She was quiet. Calculated. Observant. He could feel the tension in her limbs, the coiled energy ready to move at a word.

More importantly, she didn't feel like a servant.

She felt like an ally.

Victor exhaled.

"Your name is Akatsuki. You're not from here. But from now on, this is your world. Understood?"

She looked up at him with firm conviction. "Understood, Lord Victor."

He smirked, just faintly.

This was going to be very interesting.

For now, his pieces were falling into place.

And the shadow he'd spent a decade weaving was starting to stretch just a little farther.