The express train ride from the distant station was a blur of clicking tracks and scenery, culminating in the magnificent sight of Magnolia City. Blake stepped out of the bustling train station, the noise and sheer volume of people a startling contrast to the quiet solitude of his forest training.
His first priority when he bought the ticket was which year it was. He quickly scanned the calendar visible behind the ticket counter. The date was December, Year X771. A slow, satisfied grin spread across his face.
"Perfect," he murmured to himself. "If the main canon starts in X784, I'll be twenty-one years old by then. Plenty of time to get stronger and make an impact."
He secured his minimal luggage—a new, sturdier backpack purchased from a merchant near the train station, containing his wealth, gear.
Walking through the city was a sensory overload. He had watched Magnolia many times on a screen, but seeing it live was surreal.
The sheer scale of the buildings, the rush of the citizens, the subtle presence of ambient magic in the air—it was all intoxicatingly real.
He quickly spotted the landmark he recognized instantly: the massive stone structure of the Kardia Cathedral.
He stopped a passerby, a kind-looking woman carrying a basket of bread. "Excuse me, could you tell me where the Fairy Tail Guild Hall is?"
She gave him easy-to-follow instructions, and Blake set off, his pace quickening as the destination neared.
As he closed in, the air vibrated with a palpable, chaotic energy. Blake felt the butterflies in his stomach—a mix of excitement and genuine nervousness. This was it. The place he'd aimed for, the home of the strongest, loudest mages in Fiore. He reached out a small, determined hand to push open the large wooden doors.
But before his fingers could touch the wood, his Observation Haki screamed a warning.
Danger! High-velocity projectile!
Without a moment of hesitation, Blake executed a sharp, immediate sidestep. He moved so fast he seemed to blur. A second later, the double doors burst open with a sound like a small explosion, and a large, cursing body went flung out of the guild hall, tumbling end over end and landing in a heap of dust and splinters right where Blake had been standing.
Blake sweat-dropped, the sight confirming everything he knew about the guild.
"Yep," he muttered, adjusting the sheath of his black katana. "That is the Fairy Tail I know."
The flung mage scrambled to his feet, dusting himself off, his face contorted in a rage. He had a reddish goatee and a cigarette dangling from his lips. He vaguely resembled Wakaba Mine, one of the guild's older, heavier members.
"Macao! You're done today! I am not leaving you alone!" Wakaba roared, storming back into the guild hall to continue the fight.
Blake cautiously approached the now-splintered doorway. Inside, the chaos was in full swing. Furniture was flying, fire and smoke billowed, and a large man with purple hair—Macao, Blake correctly guessed—was ducking under a table. One thing after another happened, and the whole guild started fighting with cheerful, destructive abandon.
After watching the familiar, glorious anarchy for a moment, Blake took a deep breath. Time to dive in. He walked calmly into the guild hall.
His sudden, small presence in the midst of the swirling brawl was somehow noticed by a pair of sharp eyes. A young woman with a long ponytail, who was busy trying to keep the bar intact and dodging a flying tankard, spotted him. She was the bartender.
"Hey! Kid!" she shouted over the din, her voice carrying a surprising authority.
Blake made his way through the melee, carefully navigating past stray fists and stray projectiles, and stopped in front of the bar.
The bartender leaned down, her expression a mix of exasperation and kindness. "What in the heavens are you doing here, little one? I'm Maria, and this is not a playground. How can I help you?"
Blake introduced himself. "My name is Blake Corvus. I'd like to join the guild."
Maria blinked, then chuckled. "A mage, are you? You have to speak to the Guild Master for that, and he should be arriving anytime soon. Just keep your head down until then, alright?"
Blake nodded. "Understood."
"Well, would you like to eat something?" Maria asked, looking at his Brown shirt, which used to be white, and brown shorts, thinking he did not have much money. "On the house."
"Yes, please," Blake replied, his mouth watering at the thought of seasoned food again.
Maria went into a flurry of activity behind the bar, preparing a dish for him—a steaming bowl of stew—and bringing an accompanying glass of orange juice. Blake started eating immediately, savoring the salty, savory flavors that he had missed so deeply.
He finished his bowl with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Maria. That was excellent."
Maria smiled back as she washed a tankard. Blake then began to look around the guild, trying to connect the faces to the future legends.
He could faintly recognize Macao and Wakaba, but the rest of the members, he didn't have a clue, or their appearance was too underdeveloped for him to confidently identify any characters from the canon. He spent a few minutes talking to Maria about the city and the day-to-day chaos of the guild.
All of a sudden, the chaotic, delightful battle was interrupted by a tiny, but earth-shattering shout from the main entrance.
"EVERYONE!STOP DESTROYING THE HALL!" The voice, though small, was amplified by magic and thundered across the room. "If you want to fight, take it outside! Out the back, near the lake!"
Instantly, the entire brawl stopped. The mages looked up, groaning and grumbling like scolded children, but they obeyed.
Blake turned his head to see the source of the commotion. Standing in the broken doorway was an old man of diminutive size, perhaps only 3'8" tall, his white mustache bushy and his eyes sharp. Beside him stood a kid with long, blonde hair, who stood about 5'3"—a full two inches taller than Blake.
Makarov Dreyar, the Guild Master, ignored the destruction and made his way straight to the bar. He plopped down onto his usual stool, sighing heavily.
"Maria, a drink, please. My old bones can't handle a train journey and this nonsense in one go."
Maria quickly served him. Makarov took a long sip, then finally caught sight of Blake, still sitting politely at the bar.
Makarov's gaze, though usually jovial, was penetrating. "Well, hello there, little sprout. What did you come here for? Are you here to post a quest?"
Blake stood up, meeting the Master's gaze directly. "No, Master Makarov. I am here because I want to join the guild."
Makarov let out a deep-throated chuckle. He took another drink, his eyes performing a quick magical assessment of the boy. "Join, eh? Well, kid, this is a magic guild. I can't sense any magic power in you at all. Although…" His eyes drifted to the sheathed black katana. "...I can feel some incredibly powerful energy from that sword on your hip."
Blake didn't flinch. He knew Makarov was sensing the dormant potential of Tensa Zangetsu.
"I do have magic in me, Master Makarov," Blake stated calmly. "You just can't sense it because it's fundamentally different from the magic you and the others use."
Makarov gave him a deep, skeptical look, but the boy's calm sincerity and the sheer power radiating from the sword convinced him to play along. He was intrigued. A child with enough guts to stand his ground.
"Alright, kid," Makarov finally said, his lips curling into a grin. "If you want to join Fairy Tail, you'll have to prove it. Prove that you can fight, that you have the spirit. If you show me something good, you'll join."
"How will I prove it?" Blake asked.
Makarov pointed toward the back of the hall. "Of course, a battle!"
Blake's heart leaped. He'd been waiting years for a real test. "Who will I be fighting, Master?"
Makarov stood up, his small stature suddenly feeling immense. "You'll be fighting me."
A roar of excited chatter instantly broke out in the now quiet guild hall. The mages, already heading out to the backyard for their own continuation of the brawl, were now instantly galvanized by the prospect of watching a child challenge their Guild Master.
"Come on, kid! Follow me!" Makarov ordered, already heading toward the back door.
Blake nodded, a confident smile finally breaking through his reserved demeanor. He secured his sword and followed the Master, his Observation Haki sensing the entire guild eagerly spectating and streaming out of the guild hall to the backyard near the lake. His first official battle in this new life was about to begin.