The winding dirt path cut through the wild green hills of Fiore, the afternoon sun beating down from above. Kai tugged his scarf a little higher around his neck, more out of habit than necessity. His boots crunched against the dusty road as he continued walking, travel-worn but steady.
It had been a few days since he'd arrived on Fiore's shores, escorted there with a polite shove by the Boscon knights. He could still hear the captain's words echoing in his mind:
"You're too big a storm for our little towns, kid. Find a place that can handle your thunder."
A faint smile crossed Kai's lips. He was unsure if that was a compliment or an insult. His path was simple: head west toward Magnolia. There, somewhere in the bustling heart of Fiore, was Fairy Tail—the guild he'd heard whispers of even back in Bosco. Apparently, even in Bosco, where mages weren't looked up to, Fairy Tail was famous due to one of their mages helping out on an S-class mission or something. A place strong enough, crazy enough, to take in monsters like him.
"Almost there," he muttered to himself.
The road was quiet except for the occasional birdcall. Honestly, it was the most peaceful it had been in weeks. Naturally, it couldn't last.
A shout cracked through the air—rough, panicked, and followed by the unmistakable sound of steel clashing. Kai stopped mid-step, staring flatly at the treeline ahead.
"...Seriously?" He exhaled long-sufferingly.
"Is my luck stat zero or something? Oi, Author, slow down with the random encounters already..."
Adjusting his scarf, he jogged forward.
A caravan of merchant carts was under attack. Bandits—maybe a dozen—were swarming, weapons gleaming, magic flickering in their palms. The guards were struggling, and at the center of it all stood a man Kai immediately pegged as trouble. He had a shotgun in one hand and a half-burnt cigarette dangling from his mouth.
His stance was lazy. His eyes were sharp. And his aim was deadly. Boom!—one blast sent two bandits flying back. But the numbers were against him.
Kai barely thought; his body moved before his mind caught up. A trio of bandits circled one of the carts where civilians huddled. Kai's foot slammed into the earth—Stalagmite Rush flared up, sharp stone pillars erupting under the attackers, sending them soaring like dolls.
Another bandit charged him directly. Kai's eye gleamed gold for a split second—he sidestepped easily, grabbing the man's collar and using Earth Dragon's Stomp to floor him into unconsciousness.
"Kid's got moves," the shotgun man muttered, squinting through the smoke.
The fight didn't last long after that. Kai weaved between the bandits like a veteran, reading magic flows with his Eye, using swift Fire Dragon Rush bursts to down opponents, and even setting a small Flame Wall to box a group in. By the time it ended, the bandits were either groaning on the ground or had fled into the woods.
Kai dusted off his hands with a tired sigh.
"Another day, another brawl..." he muttered.
The man with the shotgun sauntered over, cigarette smoke curling around his head like a lazy halo.
"Not bad, kid," he said, his voice gruff but not unfriendly.
"Name's Wakaba. Wakaba Mine."
Kai nodded, offering a short bow.
"Kai."
Wakaba sized him up, flicking ashes from his smoke. His sharp eyes caught everything: the way Kai moved, the barely restrained power simmering under his skin, the strange glint in his eye.
"This kid…," Wakaba thought, lighting another cigarette. "Natsu... Gray... Erza... Looks like Fairy Tail's collecting monsters again." He clapped Kai on the shoulder casually.
"You heading somewhere? You don't look like the camping type."
"Magnolia," Kai answered. "Looking for a guild. Heard Fairy Tail's strong."
Wakaba snorted, amused.
"Strong? Hah. We're chaos with a license. But yeah, the strongest you'll find. If you're serious about joining, I can point you straight to the Master."
Kai blinked, a little stunned at how easy that sounded.
"Don't look so shocked," Wakaba chuckled. "Fairy Tail's always been a place for strays and troublemakers. You'll fit right in, trust me." He dug into his jacket and handed Kai a rough map, marking a direct path to the guild hall.
"And here," he added with a smirk, tossing a crumpled flyer toward Kai. "Tell 'em Wakaba sent ya. Not that the old man'll care."
Kai accepted it, bowing slightly again out of gratitude. Wakaba just waved him off.
"Go cause some good trouble, kid."
Kai opted for the train to travel, but it was a bad choice. He felt sick the entire time and thought he might puke. He needed to keep it in. It wasn't long before Magnolia came into view—a city alive with magic, people bustling in colorful clothes, merchant stands, and the constant hum of energy and life. He got off the train and rushed outside for fresh air. He vowed never to take this train service again; it was terrible. He then traveled a bit further from the station.
He treated himself to some cotton candy—something he hadn't tried yet. It was quite good. He asked some locals for directions to Fairy Tail. Some spoke with pride for the guild and gave him directions, while others were angry or annoyed, apparently, Fairy Tail had a reputation for causing collateral damage.
Kai paused at the crest of the final hill. From here, he could see the famous guild hall. It stood proudly by the river—Fairy Tail. A sprawling building of wood and stone, sturdy but welcoming, like a giant sitting at the heart of the town. His heart thumped louder. He stepped forward.
Fairy Tail Guild
The doors of the guild swung open with a familiar creak as Kai pushed them. Inside, chaos ruled—as expected. Tables were overturned. Mages were yelling. Someone flew through the air courtesy of a punch. Kai took it all in with a strange, deep comfort. This felt...right.
Near the bar, perched atop a stool too big for his size, sat a short old man—a beer mug in one hand and a giant grin across his face. Makarov Dreyar. The Master of Fairy Tail. Makarov's sharp eyes caught Kai immediately.
"And who might you be, brat?" he called, his voice carrying easily over the noise.
Kai stepped forward, bowing briefly.
"Kai," he said. "I'm looking for a guild... I met Wakaba, and he told me Fairy Tail was the place for someone like me."
Makarov's grin widened.
"Hah! Someone like you, huh? You look like trouble already. Just the way we like 'em."
Before Kai could respond, a slight movement caught his eye. Off to the side, sitting at a table, half-sulking and poking at his food, was a spiky-haired pinkette.
Natsu Dragneel. Still a kid, still restless, still quietly missing something—or rather, someone. Kai's chest tightened at the sight. Memories of long-ago training sessions, of two stubborn dragon boys throwing fists and fire under Igneel's gaze, surfaced unbidden. He walked forward, his scarf brushing against his chin. As he stopped near Natsu's table, he smiled faintly.
"It's been a while since we last met, Natsu."
The words dropped like stones into the room, cutting through the chaos. For a brief heartbeat, everything stilled.
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Author's Note
There — yes, I looked up your comments.
Didn't know so many of you were interested!
The majority wanted Kai to join Fairy Tail, so here it is.
I know I can't satisfy every reader — some views might be different — but I'll keep trying to make the story as fun as possible.
About QA chapters: they won't be coming back regularly.
After the mailstorm of comments last time, I realized they can disrupt the story's flow.
Instead, I'll be asking a few QA questions after chapters themselves, probably once a week.
I've also got a bunch of your ideas noted down.
While the "Phantom" idea was dropped, its principles will still be used for Fairy Tail, since they were interesting and fit better this way.
QA Question for This Week Should I give the MC an Exceed friend?
Before the Edolas Arc in his childhood ?
During the Edolas Arc (canon timing)?
Never?
Let me know your thoughts!