The grim, strategic discussion about how to deal with the Faris-Touka situation was heavy, the weight of the unknown threat pressing down on the Fairy Tail guild. Katsuki, despite his aggressive pronouncements about finding a non-magical way to blast the possessing spirit, felt the familiar gnawing of frustration and the uncomfortable helplessness of a problem that couldn't be immediately solved with a well-aimed explosion. He needed to think. He needed to process. And, as was often the case when he was stressed, irritated, or simply needed to clear his head, he needed to do something physical, something that required focus and precision.
He suddenly pushed himself away from the bar, his expression shifting from grim determination to a surprising, almost domestic, resolve.
"Right," he declared, his voice cutting through the tense atmosphere. "Before all that world-saving, spirit-exorcising bullshit… I'm starving again. And none of your damn fancy Fiore stews are gonna cut it right now." He pointed a thumb towards the guild's surprisingly well-equipped kitchen, a domain usually presided over by Mirajane or, in moments of culinary inspiration (or disaster), Natsu.
"I'm cooking," he announced, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He then shot a glare at Mirajane, who was watching him with a mixture of surprise and dawning amusement. "And you're paying for the ingredients with my money, Mira! All of it! I'm cooking myself a favorite. Something with a goddamn KICK to it!"
With that, he stormed off towards the kitchen, leaving behind a slightly bewildered, but also intrigued, collection of guild members. Katsuki Bakugo… cooking? This day was just full of an endless supply of bizarre, character-breaking revelations.
Mirajane, however, just smiled, a genuine, delighted sparkle in her sapphire eyes. This… this was new. And rather wonderful. She quickly followed him to the kitchen entrance, leaning against the doorframe as he began to survey the pantry and spice racks with a surprisingly critical, almost professional, eye.
"A favorite, Katsuki-kun?" she asked, her voice soft and teasing. "Something spicy, I presume? To match your… fiery disposition?" She then added, her smile widening, "And if you're going to all that trouble… perhaps you wouldn't mind making a little extra? For your… ever-supportive financial manager and occasional involuntary cuddle partner?" She winked.
Katsuki shot her a scowl over his shoulder, though his ears turned a tell-tale shade of pink. "Hmph. Don't get any ideas, She-Devil. But… fine. Whatever. Just don't get in my damn way." He grunted his reluctant agreement, then promptly began to take over the kitchen with an aggressive, focused efficiency that was both terrifying and strangely mesmerizing to watch.
He moved with a surprising deftness, his calloused, explosion-scarred hands surprisingly nimble as he chopped vegetables, measured out spices, and worked the wok over a fiercely burning flame (which he may or may not have augmented slightly with a tiny, controlled Quirk-blast for extra heat). He wasn't just throwing ingredients together; he was creating, his movements precise, his focus absolute, the same intensity he brought to battle now channeled into the culinary arts.
The aroma that began to fill the kitchen, and soon wafted out into the main guild hall, was incredible. It was spicy, savory, complex, a tantalizing blend of chili, Sichuan peppercorns, fermented beans, and rich, simmering meat. It was a scent utterly unlike anything usually produced in the Fairy Tail kitchen, and it drew a crowd of curious, watering-mouthed guild members to the kitchen doorway, their earlier anxieties about Faris momentarily forgotten in the face of this new, delicious mystery.
Finally, with a last, expert toss of the wok, Katsuki plated his creation. It was Mapo Tofu. Not just any Mapo Tofu, but a vibrant, fiery red, glistening, perfectly textured masterpiece, the tofu silken, the minced meat rich and savory, the sauce a perfect balance of numbing spice and profound depth of flavor. It looked, and smelled, absolutely divine.
He served up a generous portion for himself, then, with a grunt that might have been a sigh of resignation or perhaps even a flicker of pride, he ladled an equally generous portion into a bowl for Mirajane.
Mirajane accepted it, her eyes wide with genuine surprise and delight. She took a tentative bite, then her eyes widened even further. The flavor was… incredible. A wave of complex, satisfying heat bloomed on her palate, followed by layers of savory, umami richness. It was, without a doubt, one of the most delicious things she had ever tasted.
"Katsuki…" she breathed, looking at him with a newfound, almost reverent awe. "This… this is amazing! I had no idea you could… cook like this!"
Katsuki just shrugged, already wolfing down his own portion, though a faint, smug smirk played on his lips. "Learned a few things. Gotta be able to feed yourself if you wanna be Number One."
The other guild members, who had been watching with envious, watering mouths, practically stampeded the kitchen, hoping for leftovers.
Mirajane took another bite, savoring the explosive symphony of flavors. She looked at Katsuki, at his fierce concentration as he ate, at the subtle pride in his eyes, at the unexpected, hidden talent he had just revealed.
A new, determined glint sparked in her own sapphire eyes. "Katsuki Bakugo," she declared, her voice filled with a playful, competitive fire. "This Mapo Tofu is a revelation. A masterpiece. But know this…" She leaned forward, her smile dazzling and just a little bit dangerous. "…I, Mirajane Strauss, will not be outdone in my own guild kitchen! I vow, from this day forward, to compete with you! To create dishes that will rival even your most explosive culinary creations! Prepare yourself, Dynamight! For a battle of flavor the likes of which Fairy Tail has never seen!"
Katsuki just looked at her, a spoonful of fiery tofu halfway to his mouth, his crimson eyes meeting her challenging sapphire ones. A slow, predatory grin spread across his face. A culinary battle with the She-Devil? Bring it on.
The threat of Faris still loomed. The mysteries of this world were still vast and dangerous. But for now, in the warm, fragrant chaos of the Fairy Tail kitchen, amidst the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and the promise of future gastronomic showdowns, Katsuki Bakugo found a moment of unexpected, almost joyful, normalcy. And it tasted, surprisingly, like home. Or at least, like a damn good bowl of Mapo Tofu. Which, for now, was close enough.
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Katsuki met Mirajane's fiery, culinary challenge with a grin that was pure, unadulterated Dynamight. The prospect of a new kind of battle, one fought with woks and spices instead of explosions and fists, against her no less, was surprisingly, exhilaratingly appealing. This woman, this infuriating, captivating She-Devil, just kept finding new ways to get under his skin, to challenge him, to make him feel… something other than rage or a desperate need to prove himself.
"Bring it ON, Mira!" he retorted, his voice a low, confident rumble, his crimson eyes blazing with a competitive fire that matched her own. "You think your frilly cakes and fancy stews can stand up to the explosive flavor of a true culinary master? You're dreaming, barmaid! Prepare to be schooled!"
Their playful, food-centric staredown was filled with an electric, almost palpable energy, a silent promise of future gastronomic battles that would likely involve a lot of delicious food, a healthy dose of property damage to the kitchen, and probably a few more heart-stoppingly awkward romantic moments. The surrounding guild members, who had been momentarily distracted by the incredible aroma of Katsuki's Mapo Tofu, now found themselves captivated by this new, entirely unexpected, and thoroughly entertaining rivalry. This was going to be even better than the sparring matches.
But then, Katsuki's gaze, still alight with competitive fire, drifted past Mirajane, towards the main guild hall, where a small, white, fluffy, and still visibly distressed Exceed was huddled on a stool, being gently offered a saucer of milk by a concerned Lisanna.
The energy around Katsuki shifted, the playful aggression momentarily receding, replaced by a more pragmatic, if still somewhat impatient, focus. The delicious distraction of the Mapo Tofu and the budding culinary war had been a welcome respite, but the underlying problem, the ticking time bomb that was Touka and her possessor, Faris, remained.
He pushed his now-empty bowl away, the satisfying heat of the Sichuan peppercorns still tingling on his tongue. "Alright, Mira," he said, his voice turning serious again, though the earlier camaraderie lingered in his tone. "Your fancy desserts can wait. We still got a major damn problem on our hands." He jerked his chin towards the main hall. "Now… what the hell are we gonna do with the cat?"
The question, blunt and direct, cut through the lingering, pleasant aroma of his cooking, bringing the gravity of their situation crashing back down. Touka. Faris. The threat of annihilation. The absence of Wendy.
Mirajane's expression sobered instantly, her playful sparkle replaced by a thoughtful, concerned frown. She, too, looked towards the small, white Exceed. Lisanna was doing her best to comfort Touka, but the little cat still looked terrified, lost, and burdened by a secret that was clearly too much for her to bear alone.
"You're right, Katsuki," Mirajane said, her voice quiet but firm. "Faris is the immediate threat. And Touka-chan is both her vessel and her first victim." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Without Wendy-chan, a direct spiritual severance is… highly improbable, if not impossible, with our current resources. And any direct magical confrontation with Faris, while she's inhabiting Touka, risks harming Touka or, worse, feeding Faris more power if she truly can absorb magic."
Katsuki scowled, drumming his fingers on the countertop. He hated problems that couldn't be solved with a direct, overwhelming application of force. "So, we're back to playing babysitter for a possessed furball until Wendy the Wonder-Witch gets back from her damn vacation? That could be weeks! Months, even! We can't just let this Faris bitch sit tight and plot our doom from inside a fluffy white Trojan horse!"
"No, we can't," Mirajane agreed, her gaze sharp. "But we also can't act recklessly. We need information. We need to understand Faris's weaknesses, her triggers, how her possession of Touka-chan actually works. Touka mentioned Faris gets stronger when she's emotional, particularly when thinking about… well, about her Natsu-sama delusion."
A thought, cold and pragmatic, sparked in Katsuki's mind. "So, we keep the cat calm? Distracted? Prevent her from having any Natsu-related emotional meltdowns that might give Faris an opening?" It sounded… passive. Too passive for his liking. But it was a starting point.
"Perhaps," Mirajane mused. "But that's a defensive strategy, Katsuki. And Faris is clearly on the offensive, even if she's biding her time. She wants Jellal. She wants to annihilate us. She won't stay quiet forever." She paused, then a new, more determined light entered her eyes. "We need to find a way to… contain her. Or, at the very least, to monitor her influence over Touka more closely. And we need to prepare for the possibility that we might have to confront Faris directly, even without an ideal method of separation."
Katsuki nodded, his mind already racing through tactical possibilities. "Containment… Maybe some kind of magic-nullifying cage? Or a warding circle? You guys have shit like that, right?" He still didn't fully grasp the nuances of Fiore's magic, but he'd seen enough to know they had some pretty versatile, if often bizarre, applications.
"There are ancient containment spells, yes," Mirajane confirmed. "Levy-chan is probably already researching them. But creating one strong enough to hold an entity capable of absorbing magic, without harming the Exceed host… that will be incredibly complex. And it still doesn't solve the problem of separating them."
They were back to square one, in a way. A dangerous entity, a vulnerable host, and their best solution-provider halfway across the world.
Katsuki let out a frustrated sigh. He looked at Touka again, the small, white Exceed now tentatively nibbling on a piece of fish Lisanna had offered, her large blue eyes still filled with a profound sadness. He felt a strange, unwelcome pang of… sympathy for the damn cat. She was a victim in all of this, a pawn in some psycho spirit's cosmic chess game.
"Alright," he said, his voice rough with a reluctant resolve. "Here's what we do. You and bookworm-Levy figure out the magic containment bullshit. Try to find some old hag or forgotten spell that can at least put Faris on lockdown without turning the cat into a pincushion." He then jabbed a thumb at his own chest. "Me? I'm gonna keep an eye on Touka. Close. If this Faris bitch tries to take the wheel, if she tries anything funny… I'll be there."
He wouldn't use his full power, not yet. Not while the risk to Touka was so high. But he could be a deterrent. A very loud, very explosive, very intimidating deterrent. And in the meantime… he'd think. He'd analyze. He'd find a way. He always did.
"And maybe," he added, a grim smirk touching his lips, "I'll see if I can piss Faris off enough to make her show her true colors, without giving her a magic buffet to feast on. There are… other ways to apply pressure. Ways that don't involve pretty lights and fancy incantations."
Mirajane looked at him, a mixture of concern and a dawning, almost fearful, respect in her eyes. She knew that look. That was the look Katsuki got right before he did something incredibly reckless, incredibly dangerous, and usually, surprisingly effective.
"Just… try not to get yourself, or Touka-chan, killed in the process, Katsuki," she said softly, her hand instinctively reaching out to touch his arm, a silent plea for caution.
Katsuki just snorted, though he didn't pull away from her touch this time. "No promises, She-Devil. But I promise you this… Faris wants a fight? She wants to annihilate Fairy Tail? She's gonna have to go through me first. And I don't go down easy."
The culinary battle would have to wait. A far more dangerous, far more important fight had just begun. And Katsuki Bakugo, armed with his explosive Quirk, his burgeoning magic, and a surprisingly protective instinct towards a certain heartbroken Exceed, was ready to meet it head-on. This was no longer just about him. This was about Fairy Tail. And damn it all, that actually meant something to him now.
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Katsuki's mind, always sharp and analytical beneath the explosive exterior, began to churn, processing the information about Faris with a new, almost detective-like intensity. He pushed away from the bar, pacing a few restless steps, his crimson eyes narrowed in thought, ignoring the curious gazes of the other guild members who were still trying to eavesdrop on his and Mirajane's increasingly serious conversation.
"Wait a damn minute," he said suddenly, stopping his pacing, a new, urgent idea striking him with the force of a revelation. He looked at Mirajane, then his gaze swept towards Levy, who had approached, her arms already laden with several dusty, ancient-looking tomes. "This 'Faris' bitch… Touka said she wants to 'purify' the world, to 'white out' magic she doesn't like. And she can absorb magic, right?"
Mirajane and Levy both nodded, their expressions grave.
"So, what happens to the people she absorbs magic from?" Katsuki pressed, his voice intense. "Do they just… get weaker? Or does it… does it do something else to them? Like… leave a damn hole where their magic used to be?"
He remembered snippets of conversations he'd overheard in the guild, fragments of lore, tales of strange afflictions that plagued the magical world. There was one particular ailment that had been whispered about with a certain dread, something relatively rare but devastating.
"Magic Deficiency Disease," he bit out, the name coming to him suddenly. "Is that a real goddamn thing here? Or just some old wives' tale?"
Levy's eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth. "Magic Deficiency Disease! Yes, Bakugo-san, it's very real! It's a terrible condition where a mage's Ethernano effectively… vanishes, or is drained, leaving them incredibly weak, often bedridden, their bodies unable to cope with the sudden loss of magical energy that had become integral to their physiology. It can even be fatal if not treated, though treatment is incredibly difficult and often only palliative."
Katsuki's eyes blazed with a sudden, fierce conviction. "Alright. Then check it. Check the records. Check anyone who's come down with that damn disease in the past year, maybe even longer! Especially anyone who might have crossed paths with Touka, or anyone fitting the description of her human form when Faris is in control!"
He slammed a fist into his open palm, a sharp, explosive sound that made several nearby mages jump. "Something tells me… this isn't just about Faris wanting to absorb magic for a power-up. This is her weapon. This is how she 'purifies'. She's not just stealing magic; she's erasing it, leaving her victims broken and drained! That 'white out' isn't just a metaphor; it's a goddamn symptom!"
He stared at them, his expression grim, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place with a horrifying clarity. "The parasite inside the cat… I'm betting my next five million Jewel armor that she's the cause of any recent outbreaks of this Magic Deficiency Disease! She's been out there, testing her powers, 'whitening out' mages, maybe even building up her own strength by draining others, all while using the cat's innocent face as a damn cover!"
The implications were chilling. Faris wasn't just a possessing spirit with a god complex; she was a magical plague, a walking Ethernano siphon, capable of rendering even powerful mages helpless and broken. Her desire to annihilate Fairy Tail, to steal Jellal's magic, suddenly took on an even more sinister, more terrifying dimension.
Mirajane looked at Katsuki, her sapphire eyes wide with a mixture of horror and dawning, grudging admiration. His leap of logic, while aggressive and based on incomplete information, had a terrifying, undeniable ring of truth to it. He had connected dots that no one else had even thought to consider.
"Katsuki…" she breathed, her voice barely a whisper. "If you're right… if Faris is truly the source of Magic Deficiency Disease…"
"Then we're not just dealing with a possession," Levy finished, her face pale, already flipping through the pages of one of her ancient books with frantic urgency. "We're dealing with a weapon of mass magical destruction, capable of crippling entire guilds, entire nations, if left unchecked."
The mood in the guild hall, which had already been somber, now became heavy with a new, more profound dread. This was far bigger, far more dangerous, than they had initially realized.
Katsuki just scowled, his crimson eyes burning with a cold, hard fury. "So, the psycho spirit isn't just a thief; she's a damn epidemic. Figures." He looked towards Touka, who was now trembling uncontrollably, staring at him with wide, terrified eyes, as if his words had just confirmed her deepest, unspoken fears about the entity sharing her body.
"Alright, bookworm," Katsuki barked at Levy, his voice sharp, demanding. "Find out everything you can about this 'Magic Deficiency Disease.' Its symptoms, its progression, any known counters, any weaknesses of whatever the hell causes it. And you," he pointed at Mirajane, "start pulling strings. Talk to your contacts in other guilds, in the Magic Council, if you have to. Find out if there have been any unusual outbreaks, any unexplained cases of mages suddenly losing their power in the past year. Cross-reference it with any known appearances of Touka, or rather, 'Faris' in her human guise."
He then looked around at the other stunned, worried faces of the Fairy Tail mages. "And the rest of you damn extras? Stay alert. Stay vigilant. This Faris bitch could be anywhere, could be anyone if she can control the cat's transformations to look like other people. And if she starts sucking the magic out of this guild, we're all screwed."
He had no concrete proof yet. But his gut, his instincts, the same instincts that had served him so well in countless battles, were screaming at him. This wasn't just a theory. This was the truth. And it was a truth that made the coming battle against Faris not just a fight for their guild, but a fight for the magical integrity of their entire damn world. The stakes had just been raised. Exponentially.
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Far across the vast oceans, on the perilous northern continent of Guiltina, the journey of Team Natsu had just begun. They had disembarked at a small, rugged port town, the last bastion of semi-civilization before the truly untamed, monster-infested wilds where the clues to the 100-Year Quest supposedly lay. The air was colder here, the landscape harsher, the ambient magical energy feeling wilder, more primal, than that of Fiore.
They were making their way through a desolate, rocky pass, following a crudely drawn map provided by Gildarts, when Happy, scouting ahead from the air, suddenly zipped back, his blue fur ruffled with excitement.
"Natsu! Guys! There's someone up ahead! Looks like they're… scavenging? In that old, ruined outpost!"
The team exchanged cautious glances. Guiltina was not known for its friendly inhabitants. Most who ventured this far north were either desperate, dangerous, or both. Erza signaled for them to approach with caution, her hand already resting on the hilt of her sword.
They rounded a bend in the pass and saw him. A lone figure, clad in tattered, unfamiliar green-and-black clothing that looked like some kind of uniform, was indeed rummaging through the debris of a crumbling stone structure. He was young, perhaps their age, with a mop of unruly dark green hair that fell across his forehead, obscuring much of
his face. His movements were quick, economical, his posture suggesting a wiry strength despite his lean build. He seemed completely absorbed in his task, apparently unaware of their approach.
"Oi! You there!" Natsu called out, his voice echoing in the quiet pass, never one for subtlety. "What are ya doin' pokin' around in these old rocks?"
The figure froze, then slowly straightened, turning to face them. As he did, he pushed his messy green hair back from his face, revealing startlingly large, intelligent green eyes, a constellation of freckles across his nose, and… scars. Faint, silvery lines on his cheeks, and a more prominent, jagged one that traced along his right hand and up his forearm, visible where his tattered sleeve had ridden up. His expression was wary, guarded, but also held a flicker of something else… a deep, almost weary sadness, yet underscored by an undeniable, resilient determination.
It was Izuku Midoriya.
He looked at the approaching group – a pink-haired boy radiating intense heat, a blonde girl with a celestial spirit by her side, a shirtless young man exuding an aura of ice, a formidable woman in armor, a young girl with bright blue hair, and two flying, talking cats – and his eyes widened slightly. This was… a colorful and undeniably powerful-looking assembly. He had encountered a few strange creatures and even stranger people since his traumatic arrival in this new world, but nothing quite like this.
"Um… h-hello," Izuku stammered, his voice a little rough from disuse. He instinctively tensed, ready for a fight, though he knew, with a sinking feeling, that against a group this formidable, his current quirkless state would offer little resistance. "I… I was just looking for anything useful. Supplies. Information. This place… it's very different from where I come from."
Lucy, her initial caution softening at his polite, if nervous, demeanor and the clear evidence of his hardship, stepped forward. "You're not from around here, are you?" she asked gently. "That uniform… I've never seen anything like it."
Izuku shook his head. "No. I… I don't even know where 'here' is, exactly. I was… displaced. From my own world." The admission was quiet, tinged with a pain that resonated with Lucy's own (much milder) experiences with accidental dimension-hopping via her celestial spirits.
Natsu, however, was more interested in the practicalities. "Displaced, huh? So, you strong? Wanna fight?"
"Natsu!" Erza reprimanded sharply, before turning to Izuku with a more appraising, if still cautious, gaze. "You appear to have been through some hardship, young man. Are you injured?"
Izuku managed a weak smile. "Nothing… nothing too serious. Just… trying to survive. And figure things out." He looked down at his own tattered appearance, at his overgrown, matted hair. He hadn't had access to proper grooming supplies, or even a decent blade to cut his hair, since his arrival. He probably looked like a wild man.
Lucy, her compassionate nature taking over, noticed his discomfort. She also noticed, with a writer's eye for detail, that beneath the dirt and the wildness, there was a certain… heroic quality to him, a latent strength in his gaze, even if his current circumstances were dire. And his hair… it was a mess, but it had a certain… iconic potential, if properly managed.
"You know," Lucy said thoughtfully, an idea sparking in her mind. "We could help you with that. Your hair, I mean. It looks like it's seen better days." She smiled warmly. "I have a friend who's quite good with… transformations. And styling." She reached for one of her golden keys. "Gate of the Giant Crab, I open thee! Cancer!"
With a chime and a flash of golden light, the crab-themed celestial spirit Cancer appeared, his shears clicking ominously. "What can I do for you today, Ebi?" he asked, his voice snippy.
"Cancer, could you perhaps… give our new acquaintance here a haircut?" Lucy requested, gesturing towards Izuku. "Something… neat. Practical. Whatever he prefers."
Izuku looked startled, then incredibly grateful. "Oh! Uh… yes! Please! That would be… amazing. Thank you." He then hesitated, a thoughtful expression on his face. He hadn't had a proper haircut in years, not since… well, not since before the final war, before One For All had faded. He remembered his old style, the one he'd had when he was still a U.A. student, full of hope and brimming with power, before the weight of the world had settled so heavily on his shoulders.
"Could you… could you perhaps make it… like it used to be?" he asked Cancer, a hint of wistful nostalgia in his voice. "Shorter on the sides, a bit longer and… and fluffy on top? The way it was… in my prime?" He offered a shy, almost apologetic smile.
Cancer just sniffed. "Hmph. Fluffy. Very well, Ebi. For you." And with a series of impossibly fast, precise snips and clicks of his giant shears, the celestial spirit set to work.
The transformation was remarkable. The overgrown, matted green mess was expertly sculpted, layer by layer. When Cancer was finished, stepping back with a flourish, Izuku Midoriya looked… different. Younger. More vibrant. The wildness was gone, replaced by a neat, stylish, yet still endearingly fluffy green hairstyle.
It was, with a startling, almost poignant accuracy, his hair from his U.A. days. His hair from before the final war with All For One, before the loss of his Quirk, before the scars, both visible and invisible, had truly taken their toll. It was the hair of Deku, the Symbol of Hope in training.
Lucy gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Wow… Izuku-san… you look…"
Erza's eyes widened slightly. Gray whistled under his breath. Even Natsu looked momentarily impressed. "Hey! You clean up pretty good, Greenie!"
Izuku hesitantly reached up, touching his newly shorn hair. It felt… lighter. Familiar. Like a piece of his old self, a brighter, more hopeful self, had been unexpectedly restored. He caught his reflection in a polished piece of Erza's armor, and for the first time since arriving in this strange, hostile world, a genuine, if small, smile touched Izuku Midoriya's lips.
It was a tiny thing, a haircut. But in this desolate, alien land, it felt like a beacon. A reminder of who he had been, and perhaps, who he could still become, even without his Quirk, even a world away from everything he had ever known. Surprise, surprise indeed. His hair, at least, was back to its prime. Now, if only the rest of his life could follow suit.
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As Izuku was marveling at the almost magical transformation Cancer had wrought upon his unruly hair, feeling a sliver of his old self return with the familiar style, Erza Scarlet, who had been observing him with her usual keen, analytical gaze, suddenly straightened. Her expression, which had softened slightly at the sight of his unexpected rejuvenation, sharpened with a new, intense focus.
"Wait," Erza said, her voice cutting through the others' appreciative comments, her gaze fixed on Izuku. She took a step closer, her eyes narrowed in thought. "You said you were… 'displaced'? From your own world?"
Izuku, startled by her sudden intensity, nodded slowly. "Y-yes, ma'am. It… it happened rather suddenly. I don't understand how or why."
Erza's eyes flickered, a dawning, almost electrifying realization sparking within them. She thought of Katsuki Bakugo – his similar, bewildered arrival, his talk of a world with 'Quirks' and 'hero academies,' his raw, disoriented fury at being torn from his own reality. The parallels were too striking to ignore.
"This world you come from," Erza pressed, her voice urgent, "does it have… individuals with unique, inherent abilities? Powers they are born with, not learned through magic?"
Izuku's eyes widened. "Yes! We call them Quirks! Most of the population has one. It's… it's the foundation of our society."
"And do you, by any chance, know of a hero academy called… U.A. High?" Erza continued, her heart beginning to pound with a strange, almost impossible hope, or perhaps, a dawning dread.
Izuku's jaw dropped. He stared at her, utterly speechless for a moment. "U.A.?!" he finally managed, his voice a mixture of disbelief and stunned recognition. "H-how… how do you know about U.A.?! That's… that's my school! Or, it was… I graduated from there!"
The members of Team Natsu exchanged bewildered, astonished glances. Natsu looked utterly lost. Lucy's eyes were wide with dawning comprehension. Gray just looked confused. Wendy and Carla, however, seemed to be piecing things together with a growing sense of unease.
Erza took another step closer to Izuku, her gaze intense, searching. "And do you… do you perhaps know a young man from your world… one with explosive abilities? Ash-blond, spiky hair? Crimson eyes? A… remarkably volatile temperament?" She paused, then added, the name feeling heavy, significant, on her tongue, "Does the name… Katsuki Bakugo… mean anything to you?"
Izuku Midoriya froze. The world seemed to tilt on its axis for a second time in as many days. His blood ran cold. His breath caught in his throat. He stared at Erza Scarlet, at this powerful, armor-clad woman from another world, and the name she had just uttered, a name so intrinsically, painfully, and complexly woven into the very fabric of his being, echoed in his mind like a thunderclap.
"K-Kacchan?" he whispered, his voice barely audible, his green eyes wide with a mixture of utter, disbelieving shock, dawning horror, and a tiny, almost terrifying spark of… impossible hope. "You… you know Kacchan? Katsuki Bakugo? He's… he's here? In this world?!"
The implications of her words, of her knowledge, crashed down upon him with the force of an All Might Smash. Kacchan, his childhood friend, his lifelong rival, the one who had vanished without a trace, the one he had worried about, searched for, mourned in his own quiet way… was here? Displaced, just like him?
Erza nodded slowly, her expression a mixture of grim confirmation and a strange, almost somber relief. "Yes, Izuku Midoriya. It would seem Katsuki Bakugo is indeed here. He arrived in Fiore, in our guild, Fairy Tail, a short while before you, it seems. Displaced. Just like you."
The world, for Izuku Midoriya, had just become infinitely more complicated, infinitely more terrifying, and, in a strange, almost unbearable way, infinitely more… familiar. He wasn't entirely alone in this alien dimension after all. His greatest rival, his oldest and most complex connection, was here too. And that knowledge, for better or for worse, changed everything.
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The revelation that Katsuki "Kacchan" Bakugo was not only in this new world but had arrived before him sent Izuku Midoriya into a state of profound, reeling shock. His mind, usually so quick and analytical, struggled to process the sheer, overwhelming improbability of it all. Kacchan. Here. The thought was a maelstrom of conflicting emotions: a surge of almost unbearable relief that his rival was alive, a deep, empathetic sorrow for Kacchan's own displacement, a dawning dread at the thought of what a traumatized, dimensionally-lost Bakugo might be capable of, and beneath it all, a tiny, undeniable spark of… something akin to camaraderie, a shared, unwanted exile.
Erza, seeing the storm of emotions playing across Izuku's face, gently guided him to a nearby rock, encouraging him to sit before his legs gave out. The rest of Team Natsu gathered around, their earlier boisterousness replaced by a hushed, intense curiosity.
"Tell me," Izuku pleaded, his voice still shaky, his green eyes fixed on Erza with a desperate intensity. "Tell me everything about Kacchan. How is he? What has he been doing? Is he… is he okay?" The last question was a whisper, filled with a genuine, heartfelt concern that belied their often-volatile history.
And so, Erza began to recount the tale of Katsuki Bakugo's explosive arrival in Fairy Tail. She spoke of his initial rage and confusion, his demands for work, his immediate, almost brutal, efficiency in completing dangerous monster subjugation quests. She described his raw, untamed power, the way he had quickly adapted and even seemed to develop new magical abilities alongside his inherent 'Quirk.'
Lucy chimed in, her writer's imagination already embellishing the narrative, describing Katsuki's dramatic pronouncements, his "Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight" persona, and the sheer, almost theatrical, intensity of his presence. "He's… a lot, Izuku-san," she said, her eyes wide. "He blew up a barstool on his first day just by putting his hands on the counter! And then there was the 'Oppenheimer Smash' at Lake Sciliora… it was like a miniature apocalypse! The entire guild was terrified, and a little bit in awe." She omitted the part about him nearly dying, focusing on the more… legendary aspects.
Natsu, ever focused on strength, interjected with wide-eyed enthusiasm. "Yeah! And he fought me, Igneel-pants (Gray), and Metal-head (Gajeel) all at once! And he WON! He's super strong! Almost as strong as me! He even has this awesome 'Plus Ultra' thing he yells! I wanna learn that!" Happy nodded vigorously, "Aye, sir! He's explodey and shouty, just like you, Natsu! But… scarier!"
Gray, still shirtless, added his own perspective, a grudging respect in his voice. "He's an arrogant, loudmouthed bastard, no doubt about that. But he's got guts. And that weird thing he did with my clothes during the spar… still haven't figured that one out. But yeah, he's powerful. Dangerously so."
Wendy, her voice soft and a little hesitant, spoke of his resilience. "He… he pushes himself very hard, Midoriya-san. We've had to heal him from… very serious injuries. More than once. He seems to carry a lot of… pain. And anger." Carla, perched on her shoulder, nodded in agreement, her expression unusually somber. "Indeed. A deeply troubled, if undeniably potent, individual."
Izuku listened, his expression shifting with each new piece of information. He absorbed it all – Kacchan's power, his recklessness, his victories, his pain. It was all so… Kacchan. Even in another world, his rival was still a force of nature, a whirlwind of explosions and indomitable will. The thought of Kacchan willingly joining a guild, of him fighting alongside others, even if it was in a chaotic free-for-all, was… surprising. But the mention of his injuries, of his underlying pain, resonated deeply with Izuku's own understanding of his friend's complex, often self-destructive, nature.
"And… and Mirajane-san?" Izuku asked tentatively, remembering the name from their earlier, more lighthearted conversation before his arrival. "You mentioned her… in relation to him?" He had a feeling there was more to that story, a feeling amplified by the sudden, knowing smirks that appeared on Lucy's and Natsu's faces, and the way Erza's lips twitched with a suppressed smile.
Lucy practically vibrated with excitement. "Oh, Midoriya-san, you would not BELIEVE it! Mira-nee and Bakugo-san! It's the most dramatic, most unexpected, most EXPLOSIVE romance in the history of Fairy Tail! There were kisses! And confessions! And hand-feeding! And he even got all shy and flustered! It was… it was epic!" Her novelist's brain was clearly working overtime, adding layers of dramatic embellishment and romantic tension that may or may not have been entirely accurate, but were certainly entertaining.
Izuku blinked, his mind struggling to process this new, entirely unexpected, and frankly, rather mind-boggling piece of information. Kacchan? Kacchan? In a… romance? With someone named Mirajane? The Kacchan he knew was all about becoming Number One, about explosions, about proving his superiority. Romance, especially the shy, flustered kind Lucy was describing, seemed… antithetical to his very being. Yet, Lucy's enthusiastic, if slightly exaggerated, account, and the knowing looks from the others, suggested there was at least a kernel of truth to it.
"Kacchan… and… romance?" Izuku managed, his voice filled with a bewildered disbelief that mirrored his earlier shock at learning Kacchan was even in this world. This was… a lot to take in.
Erza, seeing his utter bewilderment, decided to offer a slightly more… grounded perspective, though even she couldn't entirely suppress a smile. "Mirajane Strauss is… a very unique and formidable individual, Izuku. She is our guild's premier barmaid, a former S-Class mage of considerable power, and possesses a… rather remarkable ability to see beneath the surface, to understand people in ways they often don't understand themselves." She paused, her gaze thoughtful. "Katsuki… he has found an unexpected, and perhaps, an unwilling, connection with her. It is… a developing situation. And a rather… distracting one, for all involved." She conveniently glossed over her own minor role in observing certain clandestine meetings.
They continued to talk, Team Natsu (and Lucy in particular) painting a vivid, if sometimes wildly imaginative, picture of Katsuki Bakugo's explosive, chaotic, and surprisingly emotionally fraught tenure in Fairy Tail. They spoke of his incredible power-ups, his landscape-altering attacks, his grudging acceptance of the guild mark, his surprising acts of heroism, and his even more surprising romantic entanglements.
Izuku listened, a whirlwind of emotions churning within him. Relief, concern, bewilderment, and a deep, aching understanding of the loneliness and rage his rival must be feeling, so far from home. Kacchan was alive. He was powerful. He was… still Kacchan, in all his explosive, infuriating glory. And he was, apparently, navigating the treacherous waters of interdimensional romance with all the grace of a rampaging bulldozer.
The thought of reuniting with him, of seeing him again in this strange, new world, was both terrifying and, in a strange, undeniable way, profoundly comforting. Their rivalry, their bond, however fraught and complex, was one of the few constants in Izuku's life. And now, it seemed, it had followed them both across the dimensions.
The 100-Year Quest, the dangers of Guiltina, his own quirkless state – all of it momentarily faded into the background, overshadowed by the monumental, world-altering revelation that Katsuki Bakugo was here. And that their story, it seemed, was far from over. It had just found a new, and infinitely stranger, stage.
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The impromptu storytelling session in the desolate Guiltina pass, filled with tales of Katsuki Bakugo's explosive exploits and bewildering romantic endeavors, eventually wound down, leaving Izuku Midoriya in a state of profound, contemplative shock. He had so much to process, so many conflicting emotions to untangle. But amidst it all, a single, clear thought began to emerge: he was not alone in his displacement. And perhaps, just perhaps, there was a path forward, even in this strange, new world.
Team Natsu, having exhausted their supply of Bakugo anecdotes (at least for the moment), looked at Izuku with a newfound sense of camaraderie. He was, after all, from Kacchan's world. He understood Quirks, hero academies, the 'Plus Ultra' spirit. And he was, like them, now stranded in a dangerous, unfamiliar land.
It was Natsu, with his usual impulsive, big-hearted enthusiasm, who voiced the unspoken thought. "Hey, Greenie!" he said, grinning widely, his earlier battlelust momentarily forgotten. "You're strong, right? Even without those 'Quirk' things? And you know Bakugo! And you're all alone out here! So… why don'tcha join us? Join Team Natsu! We're going on this awesome 100-Year Quest! It's gonna be super dangerous and super fun! And maybe," he added, his eyes sparkling with a typically Natsu-esque brand of logic, "if you help us, the guy who gave us the quest, this super-old dragon, he might be able to grant you a wish! Like, maybe a wish to get your powers back, or even to find a way home!"
Lucy's eyes lit up. "Natsu, that's… actually a brilliant idea! Izuku-san, he's right! The requestor for the 100-Year Quest is Elefseria, the Dragon of Law. He's incredibly ancient and powerful. If anyone could help you, or even just provide some answers, it would be him!"
Erza nodded thoughtfully. "Your knowledge of your world, and of Katsuki, could be invaluable. And your spirit, your determination… I sense you are a warrior, Izuku Midoriya, with or without these 'Quirks'."
Gray, surprisingly, even offered a grudging nod of agreement. "Yeah, well, anyone who can survive Bakugo's world and still be standing is probably tougher than they look. Could use another pair of hands, 'specially if things get as crazy as Gildarts said."
Wendy smiled shyly. "It would be nice to have someone else on the team who's… well, a little less likely to accidentally set everything on fire, Midoriya-san."
Izuku looked at them, at their open, welcoming faces, at the genuine offer of companionship and shared purpose. After two years of feeling adrift, of struggling to find his place in a world that no longer seemed to have a role for a quirkless hero, this sudden, unexpected offer of belonging, of a new adventure, a new quest… it was overwhelming. And the thought of perhaps, just perhaps, unlocking some form of magic along the way, of finding a new kind of strength in this new world, or even the faintest glimmer of hope for a reward that could change his fate… it was a lifeline.
Tears welled in his green eyes, but this time, they were not tears of despair, but of a dawning, fragile hope. "I… I don't know what to say," he stammered, his voice thick with emotion. "You would… you would really let me join you? Even though I'm… quirkless?"
"Quirkless, shmirkless!" Natsu declared, slinging an arm around Izuku's shoulders (much to Izuku's surprised discomfort). "You got guts, Greenie! And you're friends with Explodey-boy! That's good enough for me! Welcome to Team Natsu!"
And just like that, Izuku Midoriya, the former Ninth Inheritor of One For All, found himself a new team, a new quest, and a new, terrifyingly uncertain, but undeniably hopeful, path forward in the world of Earth Land. The journey to Guiltina, and the 100-Year Quest, had just gained a new, and unexpectedly significant, member.
Back in Magnolia, at the Fairy Tail guild hall…
The atmosphere was far more somber, the earlier romantic chaos and culinary rivalries replaced by a grim, focused intensity. In Makarov's private office, a small, select group was gathered around a large table strewn with ancient scrolls, dusty ledgers, and hastily scribbled notes: Katsuki Bakugo, Levy McGarden, Laxus Dreyar, Mirajane Strauss, and Makarov himself. Touka, the small white Exceed, sat on a cushion nearby, looking small and scared, but also determined to help in any way she could.
They had been at it for hours, poring over every piece of information they could find on Magic Deficiency Disease, on possessing spirits, on ancient purification cults, on any recorded instance of mages suddenly losing their powers. Levy, with her incredible intellect and linguistic skills, was deciphering archaic texts. Mirajane was cross-referencing guild records and discreetly contacting her network of informants across Fiore. Laxus, with his keen strategic mind, was analyzing potential threat patterns. Makarov provided historical context and oversight.
And Katsuki… Katsuki was the catalyst, his earlier, almost accidental insight now the driving force behind their investigation. His blunt, aggressive questioning, his refusal to accept easy answers, his insistence on looking for a pattern, a cause, a villain, had pushed them in a direction no one else had considered.
Finally, Levy let out a small, sharp gasp, her finger tracing a line across a particularly ancient, brittle-looking scroll. "I… I think I found something," she whispered, her voice tight with a mixture of excitement and dread. "Reports… from nearly a century ago, during the time of the founding of some of the older guilds… they speak of a 'White Phantom,' an entity that could 'drink' magic, leaving its victims withered and powerless. It was said to be seeking a 'Divine Vessel' to achieve its ultimate form and bring about a 'Cleansing Dawn'…"
Mirajane looked up from a stack of old Magic Council incident reports. "And I have something too, Master. Over the past year, there have been at least a dozen confirmed, unexplained cases of advanced Magic Deficiency Disease, scattered across Fiore, but with a strange clustering around areas known for… ancient magical convergences. And three of those cases involved mages who reported seeing a 'pale, beautiful woman with an unnerving aura' shortly before their powers began to fade."
Katsuki slammed his fist on the table, his crimson eyes blazing. "There it is! That's Faris! That's the damn parasite!" He looked at the others, his expression grim but also filled with a savage, vindicated certainty. "My hunch was right! She's not just possessing the cat; she's been out there, testing her powers, 'whitening out' mages, probably for years, maybe even centuries if that old scroll is right! She's a goddamn serial magic-killer!"
Laxus nodded slowly, his expression thunderous. "And if she's targeting Jellal for his Heavenly Body Magic… that kind of power, combined with her absorption abilities… she could become unstoppable."
Makarov looked at the compiled evidence, his face etched with a deep, weary concern. "A century-old threat, re-emerging… And it has found its way into our very home, through an innocent child." He looked at Touka with a profound sadness.
The pieces were falling into place, forming a terrifying, cohesive picture. Faris was not just a random possessing spirit. She was an ancient, powerful entity, a predator of magic, and she had a plan. A plan that involved Fairy Tail's annihilation, Jellal's power, and perhaps, the 'Cleansing Dawn' of a world devoid of the magic she deemed impure.
Katsuki's hunch, born from a mixture of aggressive intuition and a lifetime of dealing with villains, had indeed been correct. And the Fairy Tail guild, now armed with this horrifying knowledge, had to figure out how to fight an enemy who could literally drink their power, all while protecting the innocent Exceed who was her unwilling host, and without their most skilled enchantress to aid them.
The stakes had never been higher. And the clock was ticking faster than ever.