Unbeknownst to Katsuki, as he had rocketed away from Fairy Tail hours earlier, a subtle shift had occurred behind the bar. Mirajane Strauss, amidst her usual duties of serving drinks and maintaining a semblance of order, had discreetly glanced at a small, ornate pocket watch she kept tucked away. With a faint, almost imperceptible smile, she'd clicked it open, noting the time. It wasn't an official guild procedure, not for every newcomer taking their first job. But there was something about Katsuki Bakugo – his raw, untamed power, his astonishing arrogance, the sheer audacity of taking three monster subjugation requests at once – that had piqued her professional curiosity, and perhaps a touch of her playful, S-Class mage intuition. She had a feeling his performance would be… noteworthy.
The massive doors of the Fairy Tail guild hall groaned open, and Katsuki Bakugo strode in, cutting a path through the afternoon revelry with the same aggressive impatience he'd displayed earlier. The interior was just as chaotic as he'd left it, if not more so. A group near the center of the hall seemed to be engaged in some kind of drinking contest that involved levitating barrels, while in another corner, two mages were having a very loud, very animated argument about the proper way to cook a Firefish, punctuated by small bursts of elemental magic.
Katsuki ignored it all. His gaze was fixed on the bar, and the white-haired woman behind it. He could feel a lull in the nearest conversations as heads turned, recognizing the explosive newcomer. This time, there was less shock and more a kind of wary, intrigued anticipation in their eyes. News of his dramatic departure, and the sheer ambition of his chosen tasks, had undoubtedly spread.
He reached the bar, the wood still bearing the scorched imprints of his earlier outburst. Mirajane looked up from polishing a tankard, her usual serene smile in place, though her blue eyes held a spark of keen interest as she met his gaze.
Without a word, Katsuki slapped the three crumpled, dirt-stained job slips onto the bar. Then, with a series of thuds, he deposited his proofs of subjugation. First, the large, razor-sharp Gravefang Wolf claw, which landed with a solid clack. Next, the heavy, jagged chunk of Rock-Scaled Wyrm hide, still faintly warm and smelling of sulphur and burnt stone, which made the bar top groan slightly. Finally, the obsidian-black Shadow Panther talon, cool to the touch and radiating a faint, shadowy aura.
The items lay there, stark and brutal evidence of his morning's work. They were not clean, not neatly presented. They were raw, visceral trophies, testament to swift, decisive, and overwhelmingly violent encounters.
"Done," Katsuki stated, his voice flat, almost bored, as if he'd just completed some mundane chore rather than single-handedly eradicating three distinct monster threats across different regions of Fiore. He tapped a finger on the parchments. "Payment."
The immediate vicinity of the bar fell silent. Mages who had been laughing and shouting moments before now stared, first at the gruesome collection of monster parts, then at Katsuki's impassive, challenging expression. Even by Fairy Tail standards, where impressive feats were commonplace, this was fast. Incredibly fast. To take on three subjugation missions, including a Rock-Scaled Wyrm, and return before the day was even half over, was… exceptional.
Mirajane's smile didn't falter, but her eyes widened just a fraction. She carefully set down the tankard she was polishing and reached for the proofs, examining each one with a practiced eye. She picked up the wolf claw, noting its size and sharpness. She ran a delicate finger over the rough, plate-like surface of the Wyrm hide, feeling the heat that still clung to it. Lastly, she inspected the panther talon, her expression thoughtful as she sensed the lingering dark magic.
Then, almost casually, her other hand dipped beneath the counter for a moment. When it reappeared, it was holding the small, ornate pocket watch. With a subtle click, she stopped it. Her eyes flicked from the watch face to Katsuki, then back to the trophies. A genuinely impressed, almost dazzling smile finally broke through her usual serene composure.
"Well, now," Mirajane said, her voice carrying a new note of undisguised admiration that drew the attention of even more guild members. "This is… remarkably efficient, Bakugo-san." She tapped the watch lightly. "Record time, I'd say. For all three. Especially for a first outing."
Katsuki just 'tched', unimpressed by the compliment. "Just give me the damn money." He wasn't here for accolades from a barmaid, no matter how pretty her smile was. He was here for results, for the tangible rewards of his strength.
Mirajane chuckled, a light, musical sound. "Of course. Business first." She turned to a ledger and a heavy coin pouch kept under the bar. "Let's see… Gravefang Wolves… Rock-Scaled Wyrm… and the Shadow Panther of Oakhaven…" She quickly calculated the rewards, her fingers deftly counting out a substantial pile of gold coins – Jewel, the currency of Fiore.
The sight of the coin, and the clear acknowledgment of his success, seemed to break the spell that had fallen over the nearby guild members. A low murmur started, quickly escalating into excited chatter.
"No way! He finished all three already?"
"That Wyrm is tough! Took a whole team a week last time!"
"What kind of magic does this guy even use? He just blew stuff up when he left!"
Katsuki ignored them, his focus on Mirajane as she slid the pile of Jewel across the bar towards him. It was a satisfyingly heavy amount. He scooped it up without ceremony, the metal clinking as he began to stuff it into his already strained pockets, alongside the monster claw he'd decided to keep.
His gaze, however, was already drifting back towards the Request Board. This was just the beginning.