Fairy Tail Guild Hall - 10:47 PM
The guild hall looked like a battlefield after the war had ended.
Overturned tables, scattered mugs, scorch marks on the walls—evidence of whatever chaos had erupted earlier that evening. Now it was quiet, save for the symphony of snoring that echoed through the space.
Cana was sprawled across the bar, one arm dangling, empty bottles surrounding her like fallen soldiers. Gray had somehow ended up frozen to a table—literally encased in ice from the waist down, sleeping peacefully despite the absurdity. Elfman snored loudly near the entrance, his "MANLY" declaration apparently exhausting enough to knock him out mid-sentence.
Scattered across the hall, other guild members lay in various states of unconsciousness—draped over tables, curled under benches, one even hanging halfway off the second-floor railing. Tonight's chaos had clearly been comprehensive
Yume stepped through the doors, his boots barely making sound against the wooden floor. Three months in this world, and scenes like this had become almost comforting in their predictability.
Mirajane stood behind the bar, wiping down glasses with practiced efficiency. She looked up as he approached, her expression shifting from mild surprise to warm welcome.
"Yume! You're back late." She set down her cleaning cloth. "How was the mission?"
"Completed. Is the kitchen still open?" His stomach chose that moment to growl, and he felt heat creep up his neck.
Mirajane's smile turned sympathetic. "Mostly closed, unfortunately. Long day?"
"Very."
"Would ramen work? I can have it ready in ten minutes. There's some grilled fish left over too."
"That would be perfect. Thank you."
"Go ahead and sit. I'll bring it out."
Yume settled at the bar, careful not to disturb Cana's sprawled form. The guild was strange like this—peaceful, almost serene. So different from its daytime chaos.
Mirajane disappeared into the kitchen, and Yume found himself relaxing for the first time in two days. The mission had been... complicated. Exhausting in ways that had nothing to do with physical combat.
True to her word, Mirajane returned ten minutes later with a bowl that could only be described as massive. Steam rose from fire-chili ramen that smelled like heaven, accompanied by perfectly grilled fish on a side plate.
"Here you go. Eat up—you look like you need it."
Yume picked up the chopsticks and took his first bite.
The flavors exploded across his tongue—spicy, savory, with that perfect umami depth that only came from well-made broth. After two days of minimal food and maximum stress, it was possibly the best thing he'd ever tasted.
A small, genuine smile crossed his face before he could stop it.
Mirajane noticed. She'd been organizing bottles behind the bar, but something made her glance over at that exact moment. Yume, usually so composed and serious, smiling like that while eating—it was unexpectedly... cute.
She felt warmth bloom in her chest and quickly looked away, busying herself with more cleaning to hide the slight flush in her cheeks.
"So," she said, keeping her voice casual, "how did the mission go? Cattle theft, wasn't it?"
Yume swallowed another bite, the warmth spreading through him. "It was supposed to be simple. A village near Orchidia Town—cattle going missing over the past month. One or two at a time, always at night."
"Sounds straightforward enough."
"That's what I thought." Yume took another bite, gathering his thoughts. "Even with Mi's speed, it took half a day to reach the village. I arrived at nightfall."
***
The Village - Two Days Ago
The village was wrong from the moment I arrived.
Not obviously wrong—nothing burning, no screams, no visible threats. But wrong in the way a painting is wrong when the perspective is slightly off. Everything looked normal, but something fundamental didn't fit.
The village chief met me at the edge of town. Middle-aged man, thin build, with a smile that was too wide and eyes that didn't quite focus on me when he spoke. He insisted—absolutely insisted—that I stay the night at his home rather than the local inn.
"It's winter," he said, that smile never wavering. "And we're so grateful you've come. Please, I insist. Mother would never forgive me if I let a guest freeze."
Mother. He said it with capital-M reverence.
I accepted. Batman's training screamed that something was off, but I needed to be close to investigate.
His house was... pristine. Obsessively so. Every surface polished, every item placed with geometric precision. Family portraits lined the walls—all featuring the chief and an elderly woman with the same too-wide smile.
"Mother's resting," he explained, gesturing to a closed door at the end of the hall. "She's not well. Hasn't been for some time."
The way he said it made my skin crawl.
That night, I waited until the house was quiet, then began investigating. The missing cattle had to be going somewhere—twenty head over a month meant bodies, bones, evidence.
I found it in the barn.
Not the main barn—a secondary structure hidden behind overgrown hedges at the property's edge. The door was locked with three separate mechanisms, all new. Fresh scratches around the locks suggested frequent use.
Batman's template had given me many gifts, but this—the detective work, the methodical unraveling of mysteries—this was what felt most natural.
Inside...
***
Mirajane had stopped cleaning, her attention fully on Yume now. His voice had gone flat, clinical—the tone of someone compartmentalizing trauma.
"Inside?" she prompted quietly.
Yume took another bite of ramen, the warmth doing little to chase away the memory's chill.
***
Inside was a shrine.
That's the only word for it. The barn's interior had been completely renovated—walls painted white, floor scrubbed clean, and at the center, an altar made from cattle bones arranged in geometric patterns.
But it wasn't the altar that made my blood run cold.
It was what hung on the walls.
Photographs. Hundreds of them. The elderly woman from the house portraits, but candid shots—eating, sleeping, bathing. Some were decades old, yellowed with age. Others were recent.
Too recent.
Recent enough that the woman in them couldn't possibly be alive.
And beneath each photograph, written in careful script: "Mother is eternal. Mother must be preserved. Mother must be honored."
I heard footsteps behind me.
"You shouldn't be here."
The chief stood in the doorway, backlit by moonlight. His smile was gone. Instead, his face held an expression of patient disappointment—like a parent catching a child in the cookie jar.
"Mother doesn't like visitors in her sacred space."
"Your mother is dead," I said.
"No." His voice was gentle, corrective. "Mother is resting. She just needs... sustenance. To come back fully. The cattle aren't enough anymore. They were never truly enough."
He stepped forward, and I saw the knife in his hand—ceremonial, with dried blood on the blade.
"But you... a mage's blood might be enough. Might finally wake her."
***
"By the gods," Mirajane breathed, horrified. "He was going to—"
"Yes." Yume's voice remained flat. "He'd been sacrificing the cattle to his mother's corpse, trying to 'resurrect' her. And when that wasn't working..." He took another bite. "I became the next logical escalation."
***
The fight—if it could be called that—lasted thirty seconds.
He wasn't a mage. Wasn't even particularly skilled with the knife. Just a man who'd broken completely after his mother's death and constructed an elaborate delusion to cope with grief.
I disarmed him with Shadow Hands before he crossed half the barn. Pinned him to the floor. Called the authorities.
While we waited, he talked.
And talked.
About how Mother had always taken care of him. How after Father left, it was just the two of them. How when she died, he couldn't accept it. How he'd started with small rituals—talking to her body, bringing her meals. How it escalated into preservation attempts, then the cattle sacrifices, then...
The authorities arrived at dawn. They found Mother's corpse in the locked bedroom, preserved with techniques that were disturbingly sophisticated. The chief had been caring for it for three years.
Three years of escalating madness while the village noticed nothing.
***
"The authorities took their time processing everything," Yume continued, finishing his fish. "Lots of questions. Evidence gathering. The villagers were in shock—the chief had seemed so normal, so helpful. No one had suspected."
"That's..." Mirajane struggled for words. "That's horrifying. How do you even process something like that?"
"I have a bat in my head"
Mirajane blinked"A bat?"
"Nevermind." Yume felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward.
"I stayed longer than intended, collecting my payment from the authorities since the chief was in custody. By the time everything was settled, it was dusk."
"And you came straight back?"
"I wanted to stay in the village through the night, but given the circumstances..." He shrugged slightly. "It felt wrong. And there was nowhere to eat—I hadn't packed food for the return trip. So I've been traveling and hungry since yesterday evening."
Mirajane's expression softened with understanding. "No wonder you looked half-dead when you walked in." She gestured to his empty bowl. "Want more? There's plenty."
"I'm fine. This was perfect." Yume reached for his coin pouch. "How much—"
"It's on the house."
He paused. "Mira—"
"You spent two days dealing with that nightmare and came back without proper food. The least I can do is feed you." Her smile was warm, genuine. "Consider it a 'welcome back alive' meal."
Yume felt that uncomfortable warmth in his chest again—the kind that came from being cared about. "Thank you."
"Of course." Mirajane collected his dishes, then paused. "That mission must have been exhausting. Not physically, but..."
"Mentally," Yume finished. "Yes. Combat I can handle. But that..." He was quiet for a moment. "He wasn't evil. Just broken. And dangerous because of it."
"Do you think the authorities will get him help?"
"I hope so. But likely he'll just be imprisoned." Yume stood, stretching slightly. "It's late. Should I walk you home?"
Mirajane blinked, clearly surprised by the offer. A faint blush colored her cheeks. "Oh! That's... that's very sweet of you, but I'm fine. Elfman will wake up eventually and walk with me."
She glanced at her sleeping brother, whose snores could probably be heard from outside. "Eventually."
Yume nodded, accepting the decline gracefully. He turned toward the door, then something on the mission board caught his eye.
A flyer. Half-hidden behind other requests, but visible enough.
Mission: Monster Subjugation
Location: Mount Chimera (Active Volcano)
Rank: B
Reward: 400,000 Jewels
His mind flashed back—a week ago,
***
Mountain Plateau - One Week Ago (Flashback)
"Come forth—my creation."
The darkness at his feet ignited. Black flames shot through with violet and ghostly blue erupted from his shadow, spreading across the plateau in patterns that defied physics.
From the center of the conflagration, a form took shape.
It rose on two legs—simian in structure, compact and explosive. Deep crimson fur that absorbed light, with a blazing purple mane crowning its head like living fire. Gold-white armor plating covered chest, forearms, and shins.
Its eyes opened—intelligent, fierce, burning with violet flames.
Then it grinned, showing fangs, and spoke:
"FIGHT?"
Even now, a week after Caesar's creation, the fact that he could speak still caught Yume off guard. None of his other shikigami had developed language—intelligence, yes, but not actual speech.
Perhaps it's the combination, Yume had theorized after many late-night observations. Caesar's base form was inspired by Infernape—a primate, already predisposed to higher cognitive function. And shikigami are magical constructs that adapt to their summoner's needs. The fusion of biological predisposition, magical adaptability, and my own subconscious desire for a tactical partner...
The battle that followed was chaos incarnate. Shadow-fire spreading in unnatural patterns, platforms of flame hanging in the air, constructs of burning darkness attacking from multiple angles.
The shikigami was fast, aggressive, with combat instincts that rivaled Yume's own. Intelligence that exceeded any of his other creations. And those flames—shadow-fire that consumed light rather than producing it, that fed on emotion rather than fuel.
It took everything Yume had. Every technique, every strategy, every ounce of tactical thinking.
When he finally pressed both gunswords against the back of its skull and demanded submission, the shikigami turned its head slowly and grinned.
"YOU... BETTER."
It bowed, pressing one fist to the plateau stone in respect.
"Caesar," Yume said, naming the shikigami. "Welcome."
"CAESAR!" The shikigami repeated, clearly pleased. "GOOD NAME! STRONG NAME!"
***
Yume pulled the flyer from the board. A volcano mission. Perfect environment for testing Caesar's abilities in sustained combat rather than just training exercises.
He walked back to the bar, setting the flyer down in front of Mirajane.
She glanced at it, then looked up. "Taking another mission already? You just—"
"For safekeeping," Yume interrupted gently. "In case someone else takes it before I return tomorrow. I'd like to keep it reserved."
Mirajane studied him for a moment, then nodded, a small smile playing at her lips. "I'll hold onto it. But Yume? Get some actual rest before you throw yourself into a volcano."
"I will. Thank you again for the meal."
"Anytime."
He turned and headed for the door, his footsteps quiet against the wooden floor. Behind him, the guild remained peaceful.
Yume stepped out into the cool night air, the door closing softly behind him.
Magnolia was beautiful at this hour. The streets empty and quiet, shop windows dark, streetlamps casting warm pools of light against cobblestone. A single light burned in a second-floor window across the street—someone else awake in the small hours, living their life, unaware of what tomorrow would bring.
He'd grown to love this town. These people. This strange, chaotic, wonderful guild that had somehow become his.
[NOTICE: CANON TIMELINE INITIALIZATION - COMPLETE]
The System's voice echoed in his mind with mechanical neutrality.
[Lucy Heartfilia will arrive at Fairy Tail Guild tomorrow at approximately 11:47 AM]
[Canon events will proceed as recorded unless actively altered]
[Generating status evaluation...]
***
[YUME KAI MINATO - STATUS EVALUATION]
[Time Since Transmigration: 3 Months]
PHYSICAL/MAGICAL STATUS:
- Age: 17 | Height: 195 cm | Build: Peak human conditioning
- HP: 100% (340% increase) | MP: 100% (420% increase) | Stamina: 100% (280% increase)
- Physical/Magical Output: High A-Rank baseline, Low S-Rank peak
ACTIVE ABILITIES:
Darkbound Legion: 10 Shikigami (Sky, Sea, Gama, Storm, Manda, Jack, Tusk, Swift, Mi, Caesar + Rika)
- 4 Original Ten Shadows remain unconquered
- Expert multi-shikigami tactical coordination
Shadow Magic: 23 custom spells | Signatures: Night's Embrace, Shadow Paralysis, Shadow Shift, Umbral Arsenal
Pandora's Orbs: 8 indestructible, soul-bound orbs | Primary form: Twin gunswords
Batman Template 76%: Detective skills, combat mastery, tactical analysis—all battle-tested. (Evolution ???)
Adaptive Mimicry: Physical technique replication at 85-90% efficiency
COMBAT RECORD:
- 31 Missions (8-D, 12-C, 9-B, 2-A) | 100% Success Rate
- 47 Eliminations | 89 Non-Lethal Subduals | 0 Civilian Casualties
- Property Damage: 12% of guild average
- All missions completed solo
ASSESSMENT:
Current Power Level: High A-Rank (Low S-Rank peak performance)
Growth Rate: Exceptional—3 months equivalent to 3-5 years standard development
Critical Weaknesses:
1. Limited experience vs. decade+ veteran combatants
2. Shadow/darkness vulnerable to light/holy magic
3. Minimal team combat experience—strong solo operator preference
Critical Strengths:
1. Perfect tactical adaptability and mission success rate
2. Zero collateral damage despite offensive magic specialization
3. Unpredictable combat style via unique ability fusion
Mental State: Stable with compartmentalization tendencies.
Forming genuine emotional bonds.
Isolation response under stress noted.
CANON PREPAREDNESS: ADEQUATE
Probability Analysis:
- Survival (Phantom Lord Arc): 87%
- Prevention of Major Guild Casualties: 62%
- Canon Timeline Alteration: 71%
FINAL EVALUATION:
Growth trajectory suggests Wizard Saint-level potential within 2-3 years. However, upcoming events will test emotional resilience and moral convictions over raw combat ability.
Warning: Developing emotional attachments may compromise tactical decision-making in crisis scenarios.
The story begins tomorrow.
Good luck, Yume Kai Minato.
[END EVALUATION]
***
The System's presence faded back into silence.
Yume stood alone in the empty street, processing the clinical assessment of three months that had transformed him from confused transmigrant to A-Rank mage.
He turned toward his apartment, shadows stirring around him—patient, ready, hungry.
The calm before the storm never lasted long.
[End of Chapter 8].