The weight of their discoveries settled heavily on the small group as they finally dispersed from Makarov's office. The initial relief of confirming Katsuki's hunch had quickly given way to the chilling reality of the threat they faced. Faris was ancient, powerful, and her agenda was terrifyingly clear. And with Wendy and Team Natsu off on the 100-Year Quest, their options for dealing with her directly, especially while she inhabited Touka, were severely limited.
As they filed out, Makarov pulled Katsuki aside, his expression grave but also holding a surprising degree of trust. "Katsuki, my boy," the Guild Master began, his voice low. "This situation with young Touka and the entity Faris… it is extraordinarily delicate. We must protect the child, yet we must also guard against the danger Faris poses."
Katsuki just grunted, his arms crossed, his crimson eyes narrowed. He knew what was coming. He wasn't an idiot.
"Until Levy-chan can find a safe method of severance or containment from her research, and until we can gather more intelligence on Faris's weaknesses," Makarov continued, "someone needs to keep a very close eye on Touka. Someone strong enough to act as a deterrent to Faris, should she attempt to assert control. Someone… perceptive enough to notice the subtle shifts in demeanor that might indicate Faris's influence. And," he added, a faint, almost imperceptible twinkle in his eye, "someone who, despite a… rather explosive exterior, has shown a surprising capacity for… unexpected gentleness when the situation calls for it."
Katsuki scowled. He knew exactly where this was going. The old man was thinking of the Ignis village incident, the flower, maybe even the damn Grumble Bugs or his awkward breakfast-feeding of Mirajane.
"Therefore," Makarov concluded, his gaze steady and unwavering, "I am officially tasking you, Katsuki Bakugo, with Touka's care and protection. Keep her close. Keep her safe. And be our first line of defense – and observation – against Faris."
Katsuki stared at the Guild Master, a torrent of protests, curses, and aggressive refusals rising in his throat. Him? Babysitting a crying, lovesick, and possibly demon-possessed flying cat? It was an insult! It was a waste of his talents! He was the Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight, not some damn glorified pet-sitter!
But then, he looked past Makarov, towards the main guild hall. He saw Touka, still small and trembling, huddled on a stool, Lisanna trying to offer her a comforting smile while Mirajane, her own face etched with a mixture of concern and a strange, almost tender watchfulness, prepared another saucer of warm milk. He saw the fear in Touka's wide blue eyes, the profound, innocent vulnerability of a child caught in a nightmare she couldn't control.
And he remembered his own words, his own surprisingly fierce, protective declaration: "If this Faris bitch tries to take the wheel, if she tries anything funny… I'll be there."
Damn it.
He let out a long, explosive sigh, the sound a mixture of profound irritation, reluctant acceptance, and a grudging sense of responsibility he couldn't quite shake. "Fine," he bit out, his voice a low growl. "I'll watch the damn cat. But if she starts shedding all over my new clothes, or tries to make me listen to her Natsu-Happy love poetry, I'm not responsible for the consequences."
Makarov's smile was small but genuine. "Thank you, Katsuki. I knew I could count on you." He patted Katsuki's arm, a gesture that Katsuki still found vaguely annoying but no longer actively tried to evade. "Keep her safe. And keep yourself safe. Faris is an unknown quantity."
Katsuki just grunted again, then turned and stalked back into the main guild hall, his expression a thundercloud of reluctant duty. He headed straight for Touka, who flinched slightly as he approached, her big blue eyes filled with apprehension.
He stopped in front of her, looming, his arms crossed, his scowl firmly in place. "Alright, cat-girl," he barked, his voice still gruff, but lacking its usual overt aggression. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a while. So, here's the deal. You don't do anything stupid. You don't try to run off. You don't let that psycho spirit in your head take you for a joyride. And if you feel her stirring, if you feel anything weird, you tell ME. Immediately. Got it?"
Touka nodded mutely, still looking terrified, but also, perhaps, a tiny bit relieved to have someone, even someone as intimidating as Katsuki, taking charge.
"Good," Katsuki grunted. He then, much to everyone's (including his own) surprise, reached out and, with a sigh of profound, world-weary resignation, gently scooped the small, fluffy white Exceed up from the stool, settling her awkwardly, but not unkindly, onto his shoulder, much like Natsu often carried Happy.
Touka let out a tiny, surprised squeak, her little claws instinctively (and very gently) gripping his jacket for balance. She felt… surprisingly secure there, nestled against his strong, warm shoulder, despite his fearsome reputation.
Katsuki ignored the renewed wave of stunned, disbelieving stares from his guildmates. He ignored Mirajane's soft, knowing smile from behind the bar. He ignored the faint, lingering scent of catnip and existential dread that now seemed to be his constant companion.
He had a job to do. A weird, annoying, and incredibly important job. He was Katsuki Bakugo, protector of lovesick, potentially possessed flying cats. And damn it all, he was going to be the best goddamn protector of lovesick, potentially possessed flying cats this world had ever seen. Plus Ultra. Or something. This was going to be a very, very long week.
———
Katsuki's apartment felt smaller than usual with the addition of a small, fluffy, and currently very subdued white Exceed.
He'd half-expected the landlady granny to object. To Touka staying. But the old woman had just peered at Touka with her shrewd, ancient eyes. Then she'd nodded.
"A bit of company won't hurt him," she'd croaked. "Might even civilize the young ruffian a touch."
Katsuki had scowled. Civilize. Right.
Now, Touka sat perched on his only chair. Looking lost. Katsuki leaned against the wall. Arms crossed.
"Alright, cat-girl," he began. His usual gruffness was there. But it was… softer. Tempered by a reluctant responsibility. "This Faris bitch. We're gonna deal with her. But I need to know what you can do. Your Exceed powers. Flight, I get that. Happy and that other one, Carla, they do it. What else?"
Touka looked down at her tiny paws. Her voice was a small, hesitant whisper. "I… I don't really have any… Exceed powers, Bakugo-san."
Katsuki frowned. "Huh? What d'you mean, no powers? You're a damn flying cat. Flying's a power."
"Yes, I can fly," she admitted. "A little. But… not like Happy-san or Carla-san. I don't have… Aera, the way they do. Not naturally."
This was new. Confusing.
"Then how the hell do you fly? And what about that human transformation? That's not normal Exceed bullshit, is it?" His patience was already fraying. This whole situation was a goddamn mess.
Touka wrung her paws. "My magic… it's called Aqua Aera."
"Aqua Aera?" Katsuki repeated. The name sounded… watery. And vaguely familiar, from Levy's earlier ramblings about different magical theories.
"It's… it's a kind of dimensional transit magic," Touka explained, her voice gaining a fraction more confidence. "It allows me to… to move between worlds. And to… to draw on the properties of those worlds. The human form… it's a manifestation, using the Ethernano of Earth Land."
Katsuki stared at her. Dimensional transit magic.
"I'm… I'm not from Edolas, Bakugo-san," Touka continued, her blue eyes wide and earnest. "Like Happy-san and Carla-san. I'm an Exceed from… from Elentear."
Elentear. Another damn world. Parallel to Earth Land. Parallel to Edolas.
His head was starting to hurt again. This wasn't just a possessed cat. This was an interdimensional, shapeshifting, possessed cat with a parasite bent on world purification.
"So, you can world-hop?" he asked, his voice flat. "Why the hell didn't you just hop your furry little ass back to Elen-whatever when this Faris bitch started causing trouble?"
Touka flinched. Tears welled in her eyes again. "I… I can't control it properly. Not always. And Faris… she… she uses my Aqua Aera. She's the one who brought us here. To Earth Land. She… she says this world is ripe for her 'Great White Purification'."
Katsuki let out a long, frustrated sigh. Of course. The psycho spirit was also a goddamn interdimensional travel agent. This just kept getting better and better.
He looked at the small, trembling Exceed. She was a key. A dangerous, unstable, and currently very heartbroken key.
"Right," he said, pushing himself off the wall. "Aqua Aera. Elentear. Faris the interdimensional psycho. Got it." He ran a hand through his hair. "This is officially the weirdest damn babysitting job in the history of ever."
But he had to admit, a tiny, analytical part of his brain was already whirring. Dimensional transit magic… That was… interesting. Potentially very, very interesting. If they could somehow get Faris out of the picture, and if Touka could learn to control it…
He quickly squashed that thought. One crisis at a time. First, the parasite. Then, maybe, just maybe, he could think about the implications of having a personal, if currently unreliable, interdimensional portal in the form of a fluffy white cat.
This was going to be a very long week indeed. And he still needed his damn armor.
———
Katsuki's mind, despite the overwhelming weirdness of the situation, immediately latched onto the tactical implications of Touka's Aqua Aera. Dimensional transit. The ability to move between worlds. Or, perhaps… within one?
He looked at Touka, who was still sniffling slightly, perched on his chair like a small, fluffy white gargoyle of interdimensional woe. His usual aggressive energy began to resurface, but this time, it was tinged with a sharp, almost predatory, intellectual curiosity.
"Oi, cat-girl," he said, his voice a low, thoughtful rumble. "This 'Aqua Aera'… this dimensional bullshit… ever tried using it to just… teleport? Short distance? Like, from one side of this crappy room to the other?"
Touka blinked, her large blue eyes widening slightly at the unexpected question. She seemed to be expecting more reprimands, or perhaps another outlandish theory about ghost possessions.
"T-teleport?" she stammered. "Within… within the same world?"
"Yeah, teleport," Katsuki confirmed, impatience creeping into his tone. "You said it lets you 'move between worlds' and 'draw on their properties'. So, can you use it to just… move? Without the whole world-hopping drama? Like that shadowy warp-gate bastard from my old world, Kurogiri. He could pop in and out, make portals. Can your watery-air crap do something like that?"
The thought was already exploding in his mind with possibilities. If Touka could create localized spatial distortions, short-range teleports… Imagine the combat applications. He could pop in, deliver a devastating Point-Blank Howitzer, then pop out before the smoke even cleared. He could reposition instantly, evade attacks, launch ambushes from impossible angles. She could be… a mobile, personal warp gate. His own damn Kurogiri, but fluffy, and hopefully, less prone to villainous monologuing.
The idea of weaponizing her magic, of integrating her unique ability into his own devastating combat style, was… intoxicating. It was a strategic advantage so profound it made his fingers itch.
Touka looked down at her paws again, a thoughtful, almost hesitant expression on her face. "I… I haven't really… tried, Bakugo-san. Not like that."
Her voice was small. "Faris… she mostly uses the Aqua Aera for… for the big jumps. Between Elentear and here. Or… or when she wants to… to take me somewhere specific to… to observe things." A shiver ran through her. "She… she says my control is too crude for fine manipulations. That only she can truly harness its potential for… for precise movements."
Katsuki scowled. Of course. The psycho parasite was hogging all the cool powers. "So, the bitch says you can't. Doesn't mean you actually can't," he pressed, his crimson eyes narrowing. "She's probably just trying to keep you weak, keep you dependent. Ever actually tried to just… blip across a room? On your own?"
Touka fidgeted, her small wings twitching. "Once… a long time ago… in Elentear. Before Faris became so… so strong in me. I was trying to reach a high branch for a sunfruit. And I… I wished really hard I was there. And then… there was a sort of… watery shimmer? And I… I was there. Just for a second. Then I fell off the branch." She looked a little embarrassed. "It made me very dizzy. And I couldn't do it again."
Katsuki's eyes lit up. A watery shimmer. A short-range jump. She had done it. Even if it was accidental, even if it was uncontrolled. The potential was there.
"Dizzy, huh?" he said, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "We can work with dizzy. Dizzy's better than 'can't do it at all'." He began to pace his small apartment, his mind already racing, formulating training regimens, tactical applications. "So, it's about will, then? About… focusing your intent? Wishing really hard, like some damn fairy tale?" He still thought that part was stupid, but if it worked…
He stopped in front of her again, his expression intense, almost manic. "Alright, cat-girl. Forget Faris for a minute. Forget Natsu's cat. We're gonna try this. Right here. Right now. You and me. We're gonna see if you can 'blip' from that damn chair… to that damn wall." He pointed. "No excuses. No 'Faris says I can't'. Just you, and your watery-air bullshit. We're gonna weaponize you, furball. You're gonna be my own personal, fluffy, teleporting hand grenade. And it's gonna be GLORIOUS."
Touka stared at him, her earlier fear now mixed with a dawning, terrified awe. This explosive, terrifying young man wasn't just going to protect her. He was going to… to train her? To weaponize her? The thought was both horrifying and, in a strange, exhilarating way, the first flicker of something other than despair she'd felt since Faris had tightened her grip.
Katsuki Bakugo didn't see a victim. He saw a potential asset. A weapon. And he was going to forge her, just like he forged himself, through sheer, explosive, indomitable will. This babysitting job had just become a hell of a lot more interesting. And potentially, a hell of a lot more destructive. He couldn't wait.
———
Katsuki's initial, explosive enthusiasm for weaponizing Touka's Aqua Aera hit a sudden, frustrating snag. He'd been pacing his small apartment, barking out increasingly complex (and likely impossible, for now) teleportation drills for the bewildered Exceed – "Alright, cat-girl, now try to blip from the chair, grab that dusty teacup, and blip back before I finish counting to three! And no damn dizziness this time!" – when Touka, looking increasingly overwhelmed and slightly green around the gills, finally managed to stammer out a crucial piece of information.
"B-Bakugo-san…" she'd whispered, her small voice trembling. "I… I don't think it works like that. The… the Aqua Aera… it needs… water."
Katsuki froze mid-pace, his grand plans for a fluffy, teleporting hand grenade screeching to a halt. "Water?" he repeated, his voice flat. "What do you mean, it needs water? You said it was 'dimensional transit magic,' not some damn water-pistol enchantment!"
Touka wrung her tiny paws. "It… it uses water as a… as a medium. A conduit. For the jumps between worlds, Faris always seeks out… large bodies of water. Oceans. Deep lakes. Places where the… the veil between dimensions is thinner, she says. And even that one time I… I 'blipped' in Elentear? It was after a rainstorm. Everything was wet. The air was heavy with moisture." She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and apologetic. "I… I don't think I can just… do it… in dry air like this. Especially not with Faris… suppressing me."
Katsuki stared at her, a vein throbbing in his temple. Of course. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. There was always a catch, always some stupid, arbitrary limitation with this magic bullshit. He needed water. A medium.
"Fuck!" he roared, slamming his fist against the wall (and immediately regretting it as a small shower of plaster rained down – he really needed to stop doing that in his own damn apartment). "So, unless we're in the middle of a goddamn monsoon, or I dunk you in a bucket every time I want you to teleport, your fancy dimension-hopping power is basically useless for close-quarters combat teleportation?!"
The image of him trying to fight while simultaneously keeping Touka appropriately hydrated for tactical blips was both infuriating and deeply, deeply absurd.
But then, his mind, ever relentless, ever seeking an advantage, latched onto a new possibility. "Wait," he said, his crimson eyes narrowing again. "If it just needs water as a medium… does it have to be a lot of water? Or could it be… a source of water? Something… continuous? Something you could tap into?"
He began to pace again, his earlier frustration replaced by a new, intense, problem-solving focus. "An infinite water source… or something damn close to it! Is there anything like that in this stupid, magic-infested world?! Some legendary fountain? A never-ending waterfall? A goddamn magic hosepipe?!"
Touka just looked at him, bewildered by his rapid-fire questions and his sudden shift in focus. She didn't know. She was from Elentear. She barely understood the magical geography of Fiore, let alone its legendary hydrological features.
Katsuki didn't wait for an answer. He knew where to find information. Or at least, where to find people who might know, or who could find out.
"Alright, cat-girl, new plan!" he barked, already heading for the door. "We're going back to the damn guild! If anyone knows about magical water sources or weird dimensional crap, it'll be that bookworm Levy, or maybe even that old fart Makarov, if he's sober enough to remember his own name!"
He scooped Touka up from the chair again, settling her onto his shoulder with a practiced, if still slightly awkward, motion. Touka just clung on, her small wings fluttering, resigned to being swept along in the wake of Katsuki's explosive, relentless energy.
"And you, Mira!" he yelled, seemingly to the empty room, though he knew Mirajane would somehow hear about it later. "If I come back and find you've redecorated my damn apartment with frilly curtains while I'm gone, there will be HELL TO PAY!"
With that, Katsuki Bakugo and Touka, his newly acquired (and unexpectedly complicated) Exceed sidekick, were out the door, running full tilt towards the Fairy Tail guild hall, in search of information, answers, and hopefully, a magically convenient, infinitely replenishing source of H2O. The quest to weaponize the fluffy white cat had just encountered its first major logistical hurdle, but Katsuki was not about to be deterred by a little thing like the fundamental laws of hydration-based dimensional transit magic. There had to be a loophole. There was always a loophole. And he was going to find it, and then he was going to exploit the ever-loving hell out of it.
———
Katsuki burst into the Fairy Tail guild hall with Touka perched precariously on his shoulder, his earlier domestic (and romantic) entanglements completely forgotten in the face of his new, urgent, and slightly insane quest for an infinite water source. The guild was in its usual state of mid-afternoon chaos, but Katsuki, for once, wasn't interested in starting a fight or demanding food. He had a mission.
"Oi! Bookworm! Old Man! Mira!" he bellowed, his voice cutting through the din, drawing immediate, wary attention. "I need information! NOW!"
Levy McGarden, who had been engrossed in a particularly dusty tome at a corner table, looked up, startled. Makarov, who had been attempting to teach Cana's pet monkey how to play a surprisingly complex card game, sighed and set down his cards. Mirajane, who had been calmly explaining to a very confused new client why, no, Fairy Tail did not offer dragon-slaying services for disgruntled spouses, raised an eyebrow but her smile remained serene.
Katsuki strode to the center of the hall, Touka clinging to his jacket for dear life. "Alright, listen up, you damn extras! This cat-girl," he jerked his chin towards Touka, "her magic, this 'Aqua Aera' dimension-hopping bullshit, it needs water as a medium! A lot of it, apparently, or at least a constant damn source! So, any of you magic-addled freaks know of anything around here that's even remotely close to an infinite water source? Some magic fountain? A cursed well? A goddamn leaky Ethernano pipe that spews water instead of just… glowing?"
His question, delivered with his usual aggressive impatience, was met with a mixture of blank stares and confused murmurs. Infinite water sources weren't exactly a common topic of guild hall conversation, even in Fairy Tail.
Levy frowned thoughtfully, already mentally flipping through her vast internal library of magical lore. "Infinite water… That's… highly unusual, Bakugo-san. Most magical water sources are tied to specific enchantments or geographical anomalies, and they're rarely… inexhaustible."
Makarov stroked his chin. "There are legends, of course. The Tears of the Sea God, the Never-Empty Geyser of Mount Hakobe… but those are mostly myths, or located in incredibly remote and dangerous regions."
Katsuki scowled. Myths and remote locations weren't going to cut it. He needed something practical. Something he could use now to turn his fluffy white sidekick into a tactical teleportation device.
Just as his frustration was beginning to build, a soft, slightly melancholic voice spoke up from a nearby table. "Perhaps… perhaps Juvia can be of assistance?"
All eyes turned to Juvia Lockser, who was sitting alone, staring wistfully out a window, a half-eaten rain-pudding dessert forgotten before her. Her usual cheerful, if slightly obsessive, demeanor was subdued, her thoughts clearly on her beloved Gray-sama, who was off on the perilous 100-Year Quest.
She turned, her blue eyes, though tinged with sadness, holding a new, thoughtful light. "Juvia… Juvia has been thinking. About her Water-Make magic." She looked at Katsuki, then at Touka. "If Touka-chan needs water as a medium… perhaps Juvia can create a continuous source for her?"
Katsuki stared at her. "You? You can just… make infinite water out of thin air?" That sounded… suspiciously convenient.
Juvia shook her head, a faint blush touching her cheeks. "Not… not infinite, perhaps. But… Juvia's Water-Make magic… it draws upon the Ethernano in the atmosphere, Bakugo-san. It converts ambient magical energy into water. As long as there is Ethernano… Juvia can generate water."
She stood up, a new determination in her eyes, perhaps fueled by a desire to be useful, to contribute, especially with Gray gone. She held out her hands, palms up, and focused. A shimmering, watery aura began to glow around them.
"Juvia calls this… Water-Make: Grail!" she announced, her voice gaining a quiet strength.
Between her outstretched hands, a beautiful, intricate chalice, seemingly sculpted from pure, solidified water, began to form. It shimmered and pulsed with a soft blue light. And then, from the lip of the chalice, a steady, unending stream of crystal-clear water began to flow, splashing onto the guild hall floor, forming a small, rapidly growing puddle. The water didn't diminish; it just kept coming, a seemingly inexhaustible supply, born from the very air around them.
"It… it generates water continuously," Juvia explained, a proud, if still slightly wistful, smile on her face. "As long as Juvia maintains the spell, and as long as there is sufficient Ethernano in the atmosphere – which, in a place as magically rich as Fairy Tail, is almost always – it will provide a constant source. Perhaps… perhaps this could be the 'infinite water source' Touka-chan needs?"
Katsuki stared at the overflowing water chalice, then at Juvia, then at the very surprised Touka on his shoulder. A slow, predatory grin, the kind he got when a particularly ingenious and brutally effective plan began to form, spread across his face.
A mage who could literally create an endless supply of water from ambient magical energy. A walking, talking, and currently very Gray-missing, infinite water source.
"Heh," Katsuki chuckled, a low, dangerous sound. "Well, well, well, Water-Works Woman. Looks like you just volunteered to be this cat-girl's personal hydration station." He then looked at Touka, his crimson eyes gleaming with a terrifying, almost manic excitement. "Alright, furball! Looks like your 'can't do it in dry air' excuse just got flushed down the damn drain! Get ready to blip, 'cause training starts NOW!"
Juvia, who had been feeling a quiet sense of accomplishment, suddenly looked a little alarmed. "H-hydration station? B-Bakugo-san, Juvia was just trying to help Touka-chan… Juvia misses her Gray-sama very much, and this was something to… to keep her mind occupied…"
But Katsuki was already dragging a bewildered Touka off his shoulder, his mind racing with the tactical possibilities. A mobile, on-demand water source, courtesy of Juvia. A short-range teleportation ability, courtesy of Touka. The synergy was… beautiful. And potentially, very, very messy for anyone who got in their way.
The quest to weaponize the fluffy white cat had just found its catalyst. And Juvia Lockser, in her moment of helpful, Gray-missing ingenuity, had just unwittingly signed up to be a key component in Katsuki Bakugo's next, undoubtedly explosive, training regimen. This was going to be even more interesting than he'd thought.
———
Juvia's attempt to clarify her intentions – that her Water-Make: Grail was a helpful suggestion born of melancholy and a desire to be useful, not a formal application for the role of 'Official Exceed Hydration Unit' – was completely, and predictably, bulldozed by Katsuki Bakugo's singular, explosive focus.
The moment she'd confirmed her ability to generate a continuous water supply, Katsuki's crimson eyes had lit up with a terrifying, almost manic gleam. He saw not a grieving fellow mage, but a vital piece of tactical equipment.
"You're on my team now, Water-Works!" he declared, his voice a booming pronouncement that brooked no argument. He didn't ask. He didn't invite. He informed.
Before Juvia could even stammer out a protest or another wistful sigh for her absent Gray-sama, Katsuki had grabbed her by the arm – not ungently, but with a firm, undeniable grip that clearly indicated her participation was no longer optional. Touka, still perched on his other shoulder, let out a tiny, apprehensive squeak, her small wings fluttering.
"W-wait, Bakugo-san!" Juvia cried, stumbling slightly as he began to drag her, with Touka still clinging on, towards the guild hall doors. "Juvia didn't mean… Juvia has… laundry to do! And… and Gray-sama's pillow needs re-fluffing!"
"Laundry can wait! Popsicle-Stick's pillow can stay flat!" Katsuki retorted, not even breaking stride. "We got interdimensional cat-teleportation to master, and you, my dear Water-Works, are the goddamn garden hose! Now, MOVE!"
He practically frog-marched them out of the guild hall, leaving behind a collection of stunned, bewildered, and slightly terrified (for Juvia's sake) guild members. Mirajane just sighed, a fond, exasperated smile playing on her lips. This was, she supposed, Katsuki's unique brand of team building. Aggressive, involuntary, and probably involving a lot of explosions.
They arrived at the familiar, scarred clearing of the Fairy Tail sparring grounds with Katsuki still maintaining his firm grip on Juvia's arm, Touka clinging precariously to his shoulder, looking like she was about to be airsick.
Katsuki finally released Juvia, who immediately stumbled back, rubbing her arm, her expression a mixture of indignation, confusion, and a dawning, reluctant intrigue. He then carefully plucked Touka from his shoulder and set her on a relatively stable-looking rock.
"Alright, listen up, you two!" he barked, his voice crackling with impatient energy. He pointed at Juvia. "Water-Works! Your Grail thing! Set it up! Right here!" He indicated a spot a few feet from Touka. "I want a constant, steady supply of water, enough for this furball to dip her damn paws in, or whatever the hell she needs to do to make her Aqua-Aero-whatever-it's-called magic work!"
Juvia, though still flustered by the aggressive recruitment, found herself strangely compelled by his sheer, overwhelming force of will (and perhaps, a tiny part of her was intrigued by the prospect of being part of such an… unconventional team, even if it was with Gray-sama's explosive rival). She nodded, her usual dreamy demeanor replaced by a more focused determination. "V-very well, Bakugo-san! Water-Make: Grail!"
Once again, the shimmering, water-formed chalice materialized between her hands, a steady stream of crystal-clear water beginning to flow from its lip, creating a small, controlled puddle at the base of Touka's rock.
Katsuki grinned, a savage, satisfied expression. "Good! Now, cat-girl!" He turned to Touka, who was looking at the overflowing water grail with wide, curious eyes. "No more excuses! You got your damn water! You said you 'blipped' once before by wishing really hard! So, WISH! I want you to teleport from that rock… to that damn tree over there!" He pointed to a solitary, scraggly pine about twenty feet away. "Focus! Concentrate! And make it snappy! No time was wasted getting here, and we ain't wasting any now!"
He crossed his arms, his crimson eyes fixed on Touka with an intense, expectant gaze. Juvia watched, her hands still maintaining the Water-Make: Grail, her expression a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. Touka looked from Katsuki's demanding face to the overflowing water grail, then to the distant tree. She took a deep, shaky breath, her small white body trembling.
Training had begun. And with Katsuki Bakugo as the instructor, it was guaranteed to be loud, explosive, and utterly, terrifyingly, effective. Or at least, very, very memorable. The quest to turn a heartbroken, interdimensional Exceed into a tactical teleporting weapon, with the help of a lovesick Water-Make mage, was officially, and chaotically, underway.
———
While Katsuki was busy frog-marching Juvia and Touka to the training grounds for their impromptu, hydration-dependent teleportation boot camp, another, quieter but no less determined, investigation was beginning to take shape within the Fairy Tail guild.
Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer, had listened with a grim, almost personal, interest to Touka's tearful revelations about Faris, the Magic Deficiency Disease, and the plot to annihilate Fairy Tail and steal Jellal Fernandes' magic. The talk of a shadowy entity manipulating events, of a threat that could cripple mages by draining their power, had resonated deeply with Gajeel's own past experiences with dark guilds and insidious plots. And the mention of Jellal… Gajeel had a complicated history with the man, a history that involved betrayal, a grudging respect, and a shared, if unspoken, understanding of the burdens of a dark past.
He wasn't the type for sitting around, waiting for Levy to decipher ancient scrolls, or for Bakugo to accidentally blow up the solution. Gajeel was a man of action, a hunter, an investigator when the situation called for it. And this situation was screaming for it.
As Katsuki and his newly conscripted 'aqua-support team' departed in a whirlwind of explosive intent, Gajeel exchanged a silent, understanding glance with Pantherlily, who was perched stoically on his usual spot on Gajeel's shoulder.
"Well, Lily," Gajeel rumbled, his voice a low, metallic growl, his red eyes narrowed in thought. "Looks like while sparky plays drill sergeant with the water-chick and the furball, we got some real detective work to do."
Pantherlily nodded, his expression serious. "Indeed, Gajeel. This 'Faris' entity, and her connection to the Magic Deficiency Disease… it warrants a thorough, discreet investigation. If she has been active for some time, as Bakugo's rather astute (if crudely delivered) theory suggests, there may be a trail to follow, witnesses to find, patterns to uncover."
Gajeel grinned, a flash of sharp, metallic teeth. "My thoughts exactly. And this business with Jellal… if Faris is targeting him, he needs to be warned. And maybe… just maybe… he might know something about this 'White Phantom' crap Levy was talkin' about. Guy's got his fingers in all sorts of shadowy pies."
He pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against. "Alright, then. First order of business: find out where the hell Jellal is hiding his pretty-boy face these days. Last I heard, he was trying to play nice with the legitimate guilds, keepin' his head down."
It was Macao, who had been (as usual) eavesdropping from a nearby table, who supplied the crucial piece of information. "Jellal? Oh, yeah, heard a rumor about him just last week. Apparently, he was spotted up north, near the Sabertooth guild. Somethin' about consulting with their Master, Sting, on some… 'sensitive matters'."
Gajeel's grin widened. Sabertooth. Sting Eucliffe. Another Dragon Slayer, and a guild that had, after a rocky start, become a strong ally to Fairy Tail. If Jellal was there, it would be a relatively safe place to approach him.
"Sabertooth, huh?" Gajeel mused. "Good as any place to start." He looked at Pantherlily. "Pack your bags, cat. Looks like we're takin' a little trip. Time to see if we can dig up some dirt on this Faris bitch, and maybe have a little chat with an old… acquaintance."
Pantherlily nodded, his expression resolute. "A sound plan, Gajeel. While Team Natsu pursues the 100-Year Quest, and Bakugo… ah… undertakes his unique brand of 'Exceed training,' it falls to us to pursue this more insidious threat. We shall uncover the truth behind Faris's crimes, and if possible, make contact with Jellal Fernandes."
With a determined glint in his red eyes, Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer, and his ever-loyal Exceed partner, Pantherlily, set off on their own mission. Their path would be one of shadows and secrets, of uncovering hidden truths and confronting dangerous conspiracies. While Katsuki sought to forge a weapon out of Touka's unique magic, Gajeel and Lily would delve into the darkness that surrounded Faris, hoping to find a weakness, a clue, anything that could help Fairy Tail face the coming storm. The hunt for answers, and for Jellal, had begun. And Guiltina wasn't the only continent about to experience the unyielding determination of Fairy Tail's mages.
———
While Gajeel and Pantherlily embarked on their clandestine investigation, the Fairy Tail sparring grounds had become a scene of controlled chaos, punctuated by surprised yelps (mostly from Touka), frustrated shouts (mostly from Katsuki), and the constant, gushing sound of Juvia's Water-Make: Grail.
Katsuki's "training regimen" for Touka was, as expected, brutal, relentless, and surprisingly, almost terrifyingly, effective. He pushed her, hard. He made her 'blip' from rock to tree, from tree to puddle, from puddle to his shoulder, again and again, until she was dizzy, exhausted, and her small Exceed brain felt like it was about to short-circuit. He yelled, he cursed, he critiqued her every hesitant teleport with a drill sergeant's ferocity. Juvia, meanwhile, dutifully maintained the water supply, her expression a mixture of sympathy for Touka and a growing, reluctant admiration for Katsuki's sheer, unyielding drive (though she still muttered under her breath about Gray-sama whenever Katsuki wasn't looking).
But slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, something began to change. Touka's blips became less accidental, more controlled. The watery shimmers became sharper, more defined. She started to anticipate Katsuki's increasingly complex demands, to instinctively understand the focus and intent required. The fear in her eyes began to be replaced by a flicker of concentration, then a spark of dawning confidence.
Katsuki, for his part, was a surprisingly effective, if terrifying, instructor. He had an intuitive grasp of combat mechanics, of how to exploit an ability for maximum tactical advantage. He didn't just want her to teleport; he wanted her to weaponize it. He made her practice teleporting small objects, then larger ones. He had her try to 'blip' him short distances (which resulted in several near-collisions and a lot of cursing, but also, eventually, a grudging success). He even, in a moment of truly Bakugo-esque inspiration, had her attempt to teleport a small, contained Quirk-explosion he generated in his palm, aiming it at a practice dummy. The dummy, needless to say, did not survive the experiment.
By the end of the first day of this intensive, unorthodox training, Touka was exhausted but also… different. She could now, with a fair degree of reliability (and a nearby water source, courtesy of Juvia), teleport herself, and small objects, short distances with surprising speed and accuracy. She could even manage a slightly wobbly, but functional, teleport with Katsuki clinging to her (a maneuver that looked utterly ridiculous but had terrifying combat potential).
They returned to the guild hall late that evening, all three of them soaked (Juvia from maintaining the Grail, Katsuki and Touka from numerous miscalculated blips into puddles), covered in mud, and utterly exhausted, but with a strange, almost manic glint of accomplishment in their eyes.
Katsuki, never one for subtlety or modesty, slammed his fist on the bar, drawing the attention of the few remaining late-night guild members. Mirajane, who had been patiently waiting, raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, you damn extras!" Katsuki declared, a savage, triumphant grin on his face. He gestured towards a still-dripping Juvia and a very tired but surprisingly proud-looking Touka. "Meet the newest, most badass, most goddamn effective tactical unit this sorry excuse for a guild has ever seen!"
He puffed out his chest. "From this day forward, we," he jabbed a thumb at himself, then at Juvia, then at Touka (who blinked in surprise), "are officially known as… the 'Ground Zero Agency'! And our specialty?" His grin widened. "Precision teleportation, high-speed tactical insertion, and the complete and utter annihilation of anyone stupid enough to get in our damn way! Thanks to my genius, this furball," he poked Touka gently on the head, "can now teleport herself, and others, use it in combat, and basically commit stylish, interdimensional murder on demand! We're gonna be unstoppable!"
Juvia looked slightly alarmed at the "murder on demand" part, but also… undeniably intrigued. Touka, though exhausted, puffed out her small chest with a newfound, Katsuki-inspired confidence. She could teleport! She could be useful! She could help!
The few remaining guild members just stared, a mixture of awe, terror, and sheer, unadulterated Fairy Tail bewilderment on their faces. Katsuki Bakugo had taken a crying, heartbroken Exceed and a lovesick Water mage, and in the span of a single, chaotic afternoon, had apparently forged them into a tactical teleportation death squad.
Mirajane just sighed, though her lips twitched with a smile she couldn't quite suppress. "Ground Zero Agency, is it, Katsuki-kun?" she said, her voice laced with amusement. "It certainly has a… memorable ring to it. And I have no doubt that with your… particular brand of leadership, you will indeed be… quite effective." She then looked pointedly at their drenched, muddy state. "Perhaps your agency's first official act should be a trip to the guild bathhouse? Before you all catch your death of cold, or Touka-chan accidentally teleports a mud puddle into my clean bar."
Katsuki just scowled, though the pride in his eyes was unmistakable. The Ground Zero Agency. Yeah. He liked the sound of that. It was a start. A very explosive, very weird, but undeniably promising start. And Faris, wherever she was hiding, had better watch her damn back. Because Katsuki Bakugo, and his newly weaponized, teleporting Exceed sidekick (and her personal hydration unit), were coming for her. And they were going to make a hell of an entrance.