Katsuki's abrupt departure, leaving his unsolicited financial advice hanging in the air, created a momentary pocket of silence at Erza's table. Natsu, Gray, and Lucy stared after him, then looked at Erza, expressions varying from Natsu's bewildered grin to Lucy's slightly exasperated sigh.
Erza herself remained impassive for a moment, her gaze fixed on the spot where Katsuki had stood. Then, a slow, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips. It wasn't a warm smile, but one of dawning, complex understanding.
"So that's how he managed it," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else. She picked up a fork, turning it over in her fingers. "Sheer, overwhelming… financial incentive." She looked at her companions. "He's not just driven by a desire for strength. He's ruthlessly pragmatic. He identifies an objective, then applies whatever force is necessary – be it explosive power or a mountain of coin – to achieve it with maximum efficiency."
Gray snorted. "So, he basically bribed Heart Kreuz into rushing his order? Sounds about right for that arrogant bastard."
"It's more than just bribery, Gray," Erza corrected, her tone thoughtful. "It's a complete lack of regard for conventional limitations. If a rule or a standard timeframe is an obstacle, he doesn't negotiate or wait. He finds a way to bulldoze through it. It's… a remarkably effective, if somewhat abrasive, approach."
Lucy shook her head. "He's terrifying. But you have to admit, he gets results. Three high-level subjugations and custom enchanted gear, all in one day."
Natsu, however, was still stuck on the core concept. "So, if I give Mira lots and lots of Jewel, will she make me a giant fiery steak that never runs out?" he asked, eyes shining with a brilliant idea.
"Natsu, that's not how… oh, never mind," Lucy sighed, deciding it wasn't worth the effort to explain.
Erza's gaze drifted towards the guild doors again. "He is an enigma. Brash, violent, incredibly arrogant… yet undeniably powerful and possessed of a singular, almost terrifying focus. He operates on a different wavelength than most. He sees the world as a series of objectives and obstacles." She paused. "We understand a little more of how he operates, perhaps. But who Katsuki Bakugo truly is… I suspect we've only scratched the surface." The rest of the guild might see him as a powerful, if volatile, new asset. Erza, however, recognized a depth of uncompromising will that was rare, even among Fairy Tail's strongest. He was a force that would undoubtedly reshape things, for better or worse.
Leaving the boisterous warmth of the Fairy Tail guild hall behind, Katsuki stepped out into the cool Magnolia night. The sounds of revelry faded, replaced by the gentle murmur of the Bisca River and the chirping of crickets. He needed a place to stay, something more permanent than just crashing in a random alley, though he wouldn't have hesitated if necessary. His newly acquired clothes were a significant step, but a stable base of operations, however temporary, was next on his list of practicalities.
He started asking around, his inquiries as blunt and direct as ever. Most innkeepers, intimidated by his fierce demeanor or perhaps put off by his earlier explosive arrival in town, quoted exorbitant prices or claimed to be full. He was about to resort to simply finding a secluded spot in the woods and blasting himself a temporary shelter when he encountered a small, kindly-looking old woman tending a night-blooming flower stall near the riverbank.
She didn't flinch from his scowl, her eyes, though clouded with age, holding a surprising shrewdness. When Katsuki, with minimal preamble, asked if she knew of any rooms for rent, she looked him up and down, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"A strong young lad like you, looking for a quiet place by the river, are you?" she'd said, her voice surprisingly firm. "Got a little apartment above my shop. Nothing fancy, but it's clean and the rent's fair. Don't cause too much noise, and we'll get along just fine."
The price was reasonable, almost suspiciously so, but Katsuki wasn't in a mood to question good fortune when it presented itself, however small. He paid a week's rent upfront with some of his Vulcan-hunting money. The apartment was small, spartan, consisting of a single room with a bed, a small table, and a window overlooking the gently flowing river. It was perfect. Quiet. Unobtrusive. His.
As he was settling in, stowing the few meager possessions he had – mostly his remaining Jewel and the monster trophies he hadn't yet decided what to do with – he heard a noise from the adjacent apartment. A muffled thump, followed by what sounded suspiciously like someone tripping over a cat and then swearing colorfully, albeit in a distinctly feminine voice.
Katsuki's eyebrow twitched. He hadn't realized the walls were that thin. A moment later, there was a knock on his door. He opened it, his expression already set to 'annoyed.'
Standing there was a young woman with startlingly blue hair, dressed in equally blue, somewhat rumpled clothes. She had a sheepish grin on her face and was rubbing the back of her neck. In her arms, she cradled a snowman, carrot nose and all.
"Uh, hi!" she said, her voice bright and friendly. "Sorry about the noise. That was me. And Plue. Mostly Plue." The cat just blinked disdainfully. "I'm Juvia Lockser. Your new neighbor. And… I think I saw you at the guild earlier? Fairy Tail, right?" Her eyes, a shade of blue almost as deep as her hair, widened slightly as she seemed to properly recognize him from his earlier explosive appearances. "Oh! You're the new really strong, really loud… um… Bakugo-san?"
Katsuki just stared at her, then at the winged cat, then back at her. A Fairy Tail mage. Living right next door. He let out a barely audible groan. "Great. Just fucking great." A coincidence, or was this town just lousy with these magic-using weirdos? He supposed, given he was now technically one of them, he didn't have much room to talk. But that didn't mean he had to like it.