A full month had passed since Kai officially joined Fairy Tail. Though eager to take on bigger challenges, he found himself grounded—both literally and figuratively. Master Makarov had yet to approve any missions above B-Rank for him, no matter how often Kai asked.
"Patience," Makarov had said with a smile. "A flower doesn't bloom in winter, even if it wants to."
So Kai waited, worked, and quietly grew stronger.
He took on steady B and C-Rank jobs—guard duty, pest control, delivery runs to mountain villages—and earned both money and experience. Over time, the once-foreign guildhall became familiar. He was no longer just a name on the board.
He grew friendly with Wakaba, often joining him for card games or taking joint missions. Natsu challenged him to friendly duels at least twice a week, and while Kai usually won, the fire in Natsu's eyes never dimmed.
Gray and he maintained neutral terms. They didn't talk much, but there was a shared nod of respect whenever they crossed paths. Erza, ever the enforcer, was strict but left Kai alone. He wasn't a troublemaker, and she seemed to appreciate that.
Laxus, however, didn't talk much— to anyone. But something about him had caught Kai's attention.
One day, Kai's Eye of Truth activated unintentionally while Laxus was training. Beneath the surface of the man's body, hidden behind muscle and skin, Kai saw something—glowing, pulsating with electricity. A lacrima. And it radiated the distinct energy of a Lightning Dragon.
Confused, Kai approached Master Makarov privately.
The old man led him to a quiet chamber beneath the guild, where records and secrets were kept.
"That's not something most can see," Makarov said, impressed. "Yes, Laxus is a Second Generation Dragon Slayer. His father, Ivan, forcibly implanted that lacrima into him. It gave him power, but it also changed him."
"Changed?"
"He wasn't always like this. The lacrima gave him strength, but also pain. Ivan's misconduct got him banished. And Laxus... well, he's still trying to understand who he really is."
"My Eye can even see that, huh?" Kai mused.
"Seems your magic is more than just seeing battle magic," Makarov nodded. "Keep learning. But don't go digging too deep if you're not ready."
Kai took the advice to heart.
In the meantime, he used his earnings to rent a small, modest apartment on the outskirts of Magnolia. It wasn't luxurious, but it was sufficient. Most days, he was either on missions or reading at the guild's library. Following Levy's suggestion, he bought enchanted reading glasses that enhanced his reading speed and obtained a library card to study economics, politics, and old magical theories.
He was developing ideas—thoughts about how ethernano flowed through the environment and mages alike. He noticed how some mages released more magic than necessary, wasting energy. Kai began training himself to release only what was needed—efficient, clean, like threading a needle instead of swinging a hammer.
He even started drafting theoretical techniques for splitting elemental magic streams or creating 'veins' in the body that carried ethernano along optimized paths. No results yet, but it was a start. He was also looking into developing new techniques using his dragon slayer magic, Ignarax had only taught him the basics he had to figure out new things on his own.
Later that week, the guild welcomed three newcomers: a tall, quiet boy; a cheerful little girl with bright eyes; and a silver-haired teenage girl who stood with arms crossed, eyes wary.
Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna Strauss.
Kai noticed how most of the guild welcomed them easily—especially Lisanna, who was quickly befriended by Natsu and Happy. But Mirajane kept her distance, watching everyone from the edge of the room.
Wakaba leaned over to Kai. "Rough story with those three."
Kai nodded. "I figured."
Later, he learned the truth.
Mirajane's parents had died when she was young, leaving her to raise her siblings. Around age thirteen, she had saved her village by defeating a demon that had taken over their church. But in doing so, she had partially transformed—unknowingly using her latent Take Over magic. The villagers, unable to understand what they saw, called her a monster.
They feared her. Shunned her. Eventually, they drove her out.
With nowhere else to go, she wandered with her siblings until they found Fairy Tail. Makarov welcomed them. Here, they weren't monsters. But the damage to Mirajane's spirit had already been done.
She still believed she was a demon in disguise.
She had once tried to leave Magnolia—to isolate herself and avoid hurting others. But her siblings—Elfman and Lisanna—refused to leave her alone. They trained their own Take Over magics so she wouldn't be alone.
One evening, Kai found her sitting outside the guild on the back steps, staring up at the stars.
"You ever feel like the world hates what it doesn't understand?" she asked without turning.
Kai sat beside her. "All the time."
She looked at him. "Your eye... it's magic, right? Can it see what I am?"
He paused, then activated his Eye. He didn't see a demon. Instead, he saw a swirling, complex aura—Take Over magic, raw and untamed, but not evil. Just misunderstood.
"I see someone strong," Kai said softly. "Who's still standing, even after everything. That's more than most can say."
Mirajane was silent for a long moment. Then she smiled, just slightly.
"Thanks."
Kai leaned back, hands behind his head. "People are scared of what they don't know. It's easier to call it evil than to understand it. I've seen that kind of fear before—when I was even younger I was an orphan before Ignarax found me .I used to see the worst in Humanity . Soldiers burned down a kid because he awakened cursed magic. They never tried to understand what it really was."
Mirajane turned to him, surprised. "And you?"
"I was in the crowd," he admitted. "Didn't cheer. Didn't help. I just watched. That's when I decided I wanted to learn everything I could, so I wouldn't be like them."
She smiled and said, "I see."
Kai added, "Besides, I've encountered Take Over mages before. It's not inherently evil—just a dangerous form of magic that requires caution. There's no light, dark, evil, or good when it comes to magic; it all depends on how the user chooses to wield it."
The two sat quietly under the stars for a while longer.
Back inside the guild, Elfman was proudly telling Wakaba how "a real man supports his sister," while Lisanna chased Natsu around with a cookie. The hall was lively, messy, and warm.
Kai smiled to himself. Misunderstood, broken, or lost—Fairy Tail had a place for them all.
And he was beginning to really like being here.