Fairy Tail Guild Hall – Late Morning
The guild hall was a riot of noise—Gray and Cana were mid-drinking contest, while Elfman roared through a three-man arm-wrestling match.
Mirajane looked up from the bar, her expression shifting immediately to concern. "Yume?" Mirajane blinked. "You're back already… don't tell me you forgot something? Or—wait—did something happen on the road?"
"Mission complete.
Mira's hands froze mid-movement. "You completed an A-rank subjugation in four hours? Including travel?"
"I didn't use a carriage. The Vulcans were manageable."
"Manageable." Mirajane repeated the word like it had lost all meaning. Then her expression shifted to concern, and she came around the bar, looking him over with practiced efficiency. "Are you hurt? Even if you're somehow telling the truth, an A-rank solo in four hours—"
"Minor bruising. Nothing serious."
She studied him for a long moment, and her expression softened into something warm, though the shock hadn't entirely faded. "You've grown so much. Master Makarov is in his office—he'll want to hear this."
***
Second Floor - Makarov's Office
The guild master was reading mission reports when Yume knocked, but he set them aside with a welcoming smile.
"Ah, Yume. Come in, sit." Makarov gestured to the chair. "Mira mentioned you took the Vulcan mission this morning. That's quite the ambitious—"
He paused, actually looking at Yume. At the fact that he was here, in the office, standing calmly.
His eyes narrowed. "Wait. You're back already?"
Yume sat. "Yes."
"Did you change your mind? Decide it was too dangerous after seeing the mountain conditions?"
"No. I completed it."
Makarov's expression went completely blank.
"You... what?"
"Twenty Vulcans eliminated. Alpha confirmed dead. The village elder can verify if you need confirmation."
The guild master stood slowly, walked around his desk, and stared at Yume like he was trying to determine if this was an elaborate prank. He picked up a file from his desk—the mission posting.
"Yume. This mission has been on the board for three months. Multiple teams have attempted it and failed. The travel time to Mount Hakobe alone is four to six hours one way by carriage." He set the file down. "You left this morning. It's barely past ten. How?"
"I have fast travel methods. And the Vulcans, while coordinated, were predictable once I understood their patterns."
"Fast travel methods," Makarov repeated slowly. "And predictable Vulcans." He returned to his chair and sat heavily. "Four hours. You completed a high-difficulty A-rank solo mission in four hours including round-trip travel."
"Yes."
The guild master was quiet for a long moment, studying Yume with an intensity that made it clear he was reassessing everything.
Finally, he pulled out another file—thicker, filled with mission reports all marked with Yume's name.
"Four C-ranks. Six B-ranks. And now an A-rank. All completed in less than a month with a perfect success rate." He set the file down. "You remind me of Erza when she first started taking serious missions. That same drive to push boundaries and test limits."
His voice softened, taking on a fatherly tone. "But Erza had the guild around her. Friends to pull her back when she pushed too hard. You're still keeping everyone at arm's length."
"I work better alone."
"Maybe." Makarov leaned forward. "But I need you to understand something. This guild isn't just a job board. It's a family. And families look out for each other. What happens when you take a job that's beyond even your capabilities?"
"I assess risks carefully before accepting missions."
"And if you misjudge?" The concern in his voice was genuine. "Yume, you're seventeen years old. You've accomplished in a month what takes most mages years. But you're not invincible. None of us are."
The office was quiet.
"I'm not telling you to stop taking difficult missions. Your growth has been extraordinary—frankly, it's almost unprecedented." Makarov's expression shifted slightly. "But I need you to remember that people care what happens to you. Mirajane worries every time you leave for a mission. Levy asks about you constantly. Even some of the other members have started paying attention to the 'Shadow of Fairy Tail.'"
Yume felt something uncomfortable twist in his chest. The idea that people worried about him was strange. Foreign.
"I'll be more careful."
"Good." Makarov's expression lightened. "Now, about your progression. You're moving faster than anyone I've seen outside of Erza and Laxus. At this pace, you'll be eligible for S-Class consideration within a year or two."
Yume blinked. "S-Class?"
"Don't look so surprised. Your magic is unique and powerful, your tactical sense is exceptional, and your success rate speaks for itself. Completing an A-rank solo in four hours?" He shook his head with something approaching amazement. "That's not normal, Yume. That's exceptional. Though you'll need to work on that social awkwardness. S-Class mages represent the guild's strongest, and that means more than just combat ability."
"I'll work on it."
"See that you do. Now get out of here. Go celebrate your completely absurd achievement, talk to your guildmates, maybe enjoy being seventeen for once instead of acting like you're in a race against time."
***
Main Hall
Yume descended to find chaos had intensified. Gray was passed out on a table. Elfman was declaring his victory "THE MANLIEST!"
Cana raised a mug in his direction from the bar.
"There he is! The Shadow himself!" Her grin was wide and tipsy. "Heard you bagged twenty Vulcans before lunch. That's some serious work ethic."
"Just doing the job."
"Just doing the job," she mimicked, laughing. "Here, celebrate with me!" She pushed a mug toward him. "First round's on me."
"I don't drink."
"You don't—" Cana stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "What do you mean you don't drink? You're in Fairy Tail. Drinking is practically a job requirement."
"I don't like alcohol."
"Don't like—" She set her mug down, studying him with exaggerated seriousness. "Okay, you're either incredibly disciplined or incredibly boring. I can't figure out which."
"Maybe equally split between the two."
Cana laughed, surprised. "Oh, he's got jokes! You're all mysterious and brooding, but there's something under there." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "So what do you do for fun?"Besides hunting monsters and being intimidatingly tall?"
"I train and... read, mostly."
"Training and reading. Of course." She shook her head, grinning. "The tall, dark, mysterious loner who reads in his spare time. You're like a walking romance novel protagonist."
Yume felt his face heat. "That's—"
"Yume!"
Levy hurried over, Jet and Droy trailing protectively. She looked worried.
"I heard you took the Vulcan mission! The A-rank one!" She immediately started looking him over. "Are you hurt? That mission's been on the board for months because—" She noticed his posture. "Your ribs. You're favoring your left side."
"It's minor. Just bruising."
"Minor," Levy repeated, her tone suggesting she didn't believe him. "You took an A-rank solo and came back with 'minor' injuries? That's..." She trailed off, seeming to realize how close she was standing. A faint blush colored her cheeks. "That's really impressive, actually. And also concerning. Both things."
Cana watched with growing amusement. "Well, Levy, didn't know you and Shadow were so close."
"We're not—I mean, we are, but not like—" Levy's blush deepened. "I just worry about guild members on dangerous missions!"
"Uh-huh. Sure."
Jet and Droy looked increasingly uncomfortable.
Yume found himself caught between two very different types of attention—Cana's teasing confidence and Levy's flustered concern. His Batman instincts screamed at him to extract himself from the social complexity.
But Makarov's words echoed in his mind. You have people who care about what happens to you.
Maybe that wasn't so bad.
"The Vulcans were coordinated but predictable," he said. "The Alpha was tough but manageable."
"Just 'manageable,'" Cana laughed. "You took down an Alpha that terrorized that mountain for years. I'm starting to think the rumors about you don't go far enough."
"What rumors?"
"Oh, you know. The usual." Cana waved her hand vaguely. "Shadow magic user, always trains alone, completes impossible missions, mysterious past, probably has a tragic backstory..." She ticked points off on her fingers. "Some people think you're some kind of assassin in hiding. Others think you're nobility running from an arranged marriage. Wakaba swears you're secretly a demon hunter."
"I'm none of those things."
"See, that's exactly what someone who was those things would say." Cana's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Makes you even more interesting."
Levy had recovered. "Don't listen to her. But seriously, you should be careful taking missions alone."
"I have backup."Yume said, thinking of his shikigami.
"Your summons, right." Levy's scholarly interest perked. "How many do you have now?"
"Nine."
Her eyes went wide. "Nine? You have nine active summons? That's incredible! Most summoners never get beyond three or four in their entire career!" She pulled out a small notebook—of course she carried one—and started scribbling. "What types? What abilities? How do you manage the magical drain from maintaining that many—"
"Levy," Jet interrupted. "You're doing the thing again."
"What thing?"
"Getting so excited you forget to breathe."
"I do not—" Levy paused. "Okay, maybe sometimes.
Cana raised her mug."Seriously, Shadow, if you ever get tired of the mysterious loner routine, you should let me take you drinking. Well, take you to watch me drink, since apparently you're too disciplined for alcohol."
"Or boring."
"Leaning toward disciplined now." Cana's grin softened. "Anyone who completes an A-rank before lunch and still shows up at the guild has my respect. Even if you do have weird opinions about alcohol."
Levy was still taking notes, muttering about summoning theory. Jet and Droy had given up interrupting.
Yume found himself relaxing. This was... nice, actually. Chaotic and overwhelming, but nice.
"Your favorite color's transparent, right?" Cana asked suddenly.
"How did you—"
"Mirajane mentioned it once. Said you gave the most Yume answer possible when someone asked." Cana laughed. "I didn't believe her until now. Who says their favorite color is transparent?"
"It's practical. Doesn't obscure what's behind it."
"Answers like that are why people find you fascinating." Cana took a drink. "You're either the most philosophical person in this guild or the most literal. Maybe both."
"Definitely," Levy said without looking up. "Did you know he doesn't have a favorite food? The reasoning was actually interesting—something about not wanting to limit culinary experiences through bias."
"Though I hate beef," Yume added. "That's not bias, just taste."
"Everyone hates something," Cana said philosophically. "I hate people who can't hold their liquor. Present company excluded, since you're honest about not drinking." She studied him for a moment. "You know, Shadow, you're not as scary as people think. Intimidating, sure. That height and the whole 'darkness magic' thing doesn't help. But scary? Nah."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Observation. But yeah, compliment too."
Levy looked up. "Speaking of—new texts arriving next week from Bosco. Ancient combat techniques and magical theory. Want me to let you know?"
"Yes. Thank you."
Her smile was bright and genuine. "Of course! I love having someone who actually appreciates the library."
"Unlike some people who use it for naps," Cana said pointedly, glancing at where Gray was still passed out on a table.
The conversation continued—light, casual, the guild hall banter Yume usually avoided. But this time, he participated. Even enjoyed it.
Cana's teasing was good-natured. Levy's enthusiasm was infectious. Even Jet and Droy's protective hovering had charm.
Two weeks until Lucy walked through those doors. Two weeks until the real story began.
But right now, standing at the bar with Cana's laughter and Levy's excited questions, Yume felt something he hadn't since transmigrating.
He belonged.
A small smile tugged at his lips—barely there, but real.
Cana noticed. "There it is! I knew you could smile! You just needed the right company."
"Or the right entertainment," Levy added, grinning. "Watching Cana try to corrupt you is pretty entertaining."
"Corrupt is such a strong word," Cana protested. "I prefer 'introduce to new experiences.'"
"Like drinking?"
"Drinking is a perfectly valid new experience!"
Their banter continued, and Yume found himself responding naturally, without overthinking every word. The guild hall chaos swirled around them—Elfman's declarations of manliness, the sound of someone (probably Gray) waking up and immediately starting another fight, Mirajane's long-suffering sigh as she surveyed the damage.
Normal. Chaotic. Alive.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, Yume thought he might actually understand what it meant to be part of Fairy Tail.
The shadows around him stirred contentedly, patient and satisfied.
Two weeks until everything changed.
But right now, that was fine.
Right now, he was exactly where he needed to be.
[End of Chapter 7]