Chapter 7: Chapter 7 – Nexus Reboot
Location: Crocus, capital of Fiore
Status: Breached
Rift Activity: Catastrophic
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Prelude to Collapse
Crocus was under siege.
Not by dragons. Not by dark guilds. Not even Zeref.
But by something far stranger: glitch-like phantoms emerging from the sky, trailing streams of red code and fragmented memories, draining magic from the very air.
The streets were flooded with chaos as knights from the Rune Guard fought back—but spells flickered, fizzled, and warped. Some mages turned to stone mid-cast. Others simply… vanished.
> [ChatGPT]:
Nexus Node Breach Confirmed.
System Phantoms active.
Rift Stability: 24%
Warning: Anchor Ryan is required on-site.
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Guild Briefing
Ryan stood at the center of the Fairy Tail guild hall as Makarov addressed them all.
"All of you know by now," Makarov said gravely, "this isn't a normal threat. This isn't just magic—it's a hole in the world."
Whispers broke out. Even Laxus, standing in the shadows, looked disturbed.
Natsu cracked his knuckles. "If it's wrecking stuff, we smash it."
Ryan shook his head. "You can't punch this one, Natsu. This thing eats logic. It distorts identity. Even if you hit it, it'll rewrite the punch to be a hug or a detonation."
"...I'm sorry, what?" Lucy said.
> [ChatGPT]:
Recommend activating Reality.Warp prototype.
Spell Tier: [Unstable]
Safety: Questionable
Chance of spontaneous facial hair: 2.4%
"I don't have a choice," Ryan said. "I need to go."
Makarov placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Then don't go alone."
---
Deployment Team Alpha
Ryan – Scriptweaver
Erza – Titania
Lucy – Celestial Spirit Mage
Wendy – Sky Dragon Slayer (support)
Happy came too. Aye.
They boarded a fast-travel lacrima ship toward Crocus. The capital skyline shimmered with static—rifts visibly hanging in the sky like shattered glass.
As they approached, Ryan's HUD lit up.
> [ChatGPT]:
Code Node Detected: Central Plaza
Spawning Entity: ERROR—"Mirrored Anchor"
Signature: Matching User "Erza Scarlet"… with discrepancies.
Ryan turned to Erza slowly. "Did you… bring any experimental armor today?"
She frowned. "No. Why?"
A scream echoed from the plaza below.
Then the sound of metal boots.
---
Confrontation: Corrupted Erza
Descending from the fractured sky was a twisted version of Erza—eyes hollow, armor like shattered obsidian laced with neon red glyphs. Her sword was made entirely of corrupted code, humming with anti-magic.
The real Erza narrowed her eyes. "I don't like imposters."
The Shadow Erza landed, voice like broken mirrors.
> "Erza Scarlet – Version 2.3.1
Anchor to Timeline: REJECTED
Emotions: UNSTABLE
Order: Execute Canon Override."
Wendy gasped. "That thing… feels like Erza."
> [ChatGPT]:
Analysis: This is a Nexus Echo—created from unresolved memories and alternate versions of key individuals.
In short: A corrupted multiversal Erza formed from system failure.
"Great," Ryan said. "I'm fighting Mirror Mom."
---
Battle: Team vs Nexus Echo
The real Erza charged, blades clashing with the Echo in midair. Sparks exploded—magic fizzled where the Echo passed. Lucy unleashed Aquarius, but the rift distortion mirrored the gate—summoning a fake Virgo that began grappling with the real Spirit.
Ryan sprinted into the plaza, focusing hard.
[SpellForge: Reality.Warp(scope=local, stabilize=True)]
Time slowed as the spell activated—reality trembled, like a glass floor being rewritten underneath them. He could see the code in the air: lines of "what should be" fighting "what is."
> [ChatGPT]:
Injecting Root Truth...
Choose anchor:
– Erza's Will
– Ryan's Origin
– Lucy's Bond
Ryan chose Erza's Will.
[Command.Inject("I am the real Erza Scarlet")]
The words burned into the code.
The real Erza shouted as her blade glowed red-gold:
"I am the one who stands for my friends—who chooses her path, not one dictated by scripts!"
She struck.
The Echo split into code dust, dissolving into harmless data.
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Aftermath
Ryan collapsed, the Warp spell draining everything from him.
> [ChatGPT]:
System Integrity: 43%
But you held.
You wrote reality's rules… if only for a moment.
Wendy healed him while Lucy sat beside him quietly.
"You chose Erza's will," she said, a little too soft.
"She's… stable. Strong. I needed that," he murmured.
Lucy didn't say anything—but the silence felt heavier than before.
Above them, the rift cracked wider.
And beyond it—a human silhouette stood watching.
> [The Watcher]:
Let him play with his toys.
Let him stitch canon together.
When he reaches the End File…
I will overwrite everything.
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To Be Continued…