The lingering scent of ionized air and scorched timber hung thick beneath the half-built rafters where Laxus had blasted through the roof. For several long seconds, the temporary bar remained in stunned, tight-jawed silence.
Then, predictably, Natsu exploded.
"THAT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!"
He launched himself across the dirt floor, slamming both hands onto the makeshift wooden counter hard enough to rattle Kai's glass. He leaned in so close their noses were practically touching, his eyes glowing with unrefined hype. "You caught Laxus's lightning punch! Right out of the air!"
Kai didn't even blink. He took a deliberate, leisurely sip of his juice, his golden eyes completely unbothered as a faint smirk crossed his face. "You are awfully close to my face, arson gecko. Careful, or I might kiss you."
Natsu froze. He stared in sheer terror for a split second before leaping backward, horror written across his face. "STOP! What the hell?! Why would you even say that?!"
Kai's smirk widened slightly. "Then don't press your face to mine."
Natsu sputtered, but quickly shook it off, plunging straight back into his rant. "AND THEN YOU CALLED HIM THUNDER PRINCESS!"
"It fits the personality," Kai noted dryly.
"AND THEN YOU CALLED HIM GORILLA-FACE TO THE SKY!" Natsu grabbed Kai by the lapels of his coat, shaking him with violent enthusiasm. "TEACH ME HOW TO DO THAT! Teach me how to make him that mad without even using fire!"
Kai slowly set his glass down on the counter with a quiet clink. He looked down at Natsu's hands on his coat, then up at Natsu's face.
"No."
"WHY?!"
"Because you're already exceptionally talented at annoying people without instruction."
Gray snorted, his hands tucked casually into his pockets as he ambled over. "Don't waste your breath, Flame Brain. Those two have been picking fights with each other since Kai joined."
Lucy looked between them, thoroughly bewildered. "Wait. Seriously? Kai and Laxus?"
Mira leaned over the counter, resting her cheek against her palm with a sweet, nostalgic smile. "Oh, absolutely. Before Kai started disappearing into his workshop for weeks at a time, he and Laxus used to spar up on the North Hill almost every other day."
Lucy stared. "Those two? The anti-social lightning brute and the cynical gearhead?"
"The very same," Mira confirmed happily. "They spent hours together."
Lucy glanced up at the jagged hole in the ceiling, then back down at Kai, who was casually wiping a speck of dirt off his sleeve. "...It seems really hard to believe that those two were friends."
Kai scoffed softly. "It wasn't a friendship. We simply shared a mutual disdain for everyone else in this building."
Gray let out a bark of laughter. "That's probably the most accurate description of your social life I've ever heard."
"Social life implies intent," Kai corrected, narrowing his eyes. "We weren't friends."
"You trained together constantly," Mira pointed out, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
"He was the only one my age at the time," Kai countered. "We both needed a sparring partner who wouldn't collapse after one hit. It was a purely transactional exchange."
"You ate lunch together."
"Because the rest of the guild was throwing furniture."
"You spent three straight hours repairing his sound-pod headphones when he dropped them in the river."
Kai froze mid-reach for his glass, looking at her blankly. "...Because I wanted to see how the lacrima inside worked."
Mira's smile widened by several dangerous degrees. "That sounds a lot like being friends."
Kai's golden eyes narrowed into sharp slits. "Careful, Clouds. Or I'll remind the room what your teenage years looked like when you and Red were trying to murder each other daily."
Mira's sweet smile twitched instantly, a faint, terrifying dark aura flickering behind her before she smoothed it back over.
Lucy took a cautious step back from the bar, laughing nervously. "Okay, okay! But seriously... what is going on with Laxus? Why is he so angry at the guild?"
The lighthearted banter around the counter dimmed. Mira's expression softened into something quieter as she set down her rag. "Laxus is Master Makarov's grandson. He's exceptionally talented, and for a long time, a lot of the older members assumed he would naturally inherit the title of Guild Master one day."
"Assumed?" Lucy asked.
Erza stepped up to the counter, her posture rigid, her armor gleaming under the open sky above the construction frame. "Master Makarov has never once stated that Laxus will succeed him. The mantle of Guild Master is not a family heirloom. It is entrusted to the one who carries the guild's ideals forward."
Lucy nodded slowly. "Then why is he pushing everyone away? Why treat Jet, Droy, and the rest of the guild like trash?"
Kai rested his elbows on the counter. "He thinks strength prevents people from getting hurt."
Everyone turned to look at him.
Kai shrugged, his gaze drifting toward the open roof. "Become strong enough, and nobody can push you around. Nobody can attack you. Nobody can take anything from you. It's a simple, childish mindset."
Lucy frowned. "But that's not what Fairy Tail is about."
"No." Kai looked back at her, his voice losing its usual sarcastic bite. "That's the problem. Laxus wants Fairy Tail to become powerful enough that nobody can ever hurt it again. He just hasn't figured out that if you throw away everything that makes people want to belong here, you've already lost."
Silence fell over the bar.
Kai picked up his drink and took a calm sip. "Anyway. He'll figure it out eventually."
Natsu's wild grin had faded, his brow furrowed as he stared at the floor. Gray folded his arms tightly, staring out toward the river in silence.
Lucy looked at Kai with slight surprise. "You're... defending him?"
"I'm diagnosing him," Kai corrected dryly, pushing off the counter. "Understanding a gorilla's motives doesn't mean you let it break the furniture. If he wants to test his theories, he'll find out the hard way."
Natsu snapped his fists together, a spark of fire shooting from his knuckles. "Still wanna punch his dumb face in."
Kai gave a faint, approving nod. "I agree on the dumb part. Not so sure about you actually being able to hit him, though."
"HEY!" Natsu yelled, thoroughly offended.
Within twenty minutes, the heavy atmosphere had dissolved back into the familiar, chaotic pulse of Fairy Tail. Saws hummed, hammers rang out against timber, and mages shoved each other out of the way to inspect the makeshift job board.
Erza marched up to the board, scanning the available fliers with a sharp, critical eye. "I believe it is time we took a request."
Natsu instantly perked up. "An S-Class job?!"
"No."
"A monster-hunting job?!"
"No."
"A super dangerous, death-defying monster-hunting job?!"
Erza turned a flat, unimpressed glare on him. "No."
Natsu slumped over like a deflated balloon. "Aw..."
"A standard request," Erza continued, unpinning a plain parchment. "Something manageable. We must ease back into our operational rhythm while the hall is being rebuilt."
Gray shrugged, rolling his shoulders. "Makes sense. We've been sitting around for a week."
"I could definitely use the rent money," Lucy admitted, holding up her celestial keys with a relieved smile.
Erza folded the request, turning back to face them. Her expression was solemn and authoritative. "We have fought alongside one another through Eisenwald, Galuna Island, and the defense of Magnolia. I believe it is time we formally recognize what we have already become."
Natsu blinked. "Wait..."
Gray slowly turned his head. "...Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Natsu sneered. "No."
"Good."
Erza held up the job flier. "I propose that we officially register as a permanent team."
Natsu's face burst into a triumphant roar. "YES!"
Gray immediately jabbed a thumb into Natsu's shoulder. "Don't get cocky! This doesn't mean I like you!"
"Didn't ask, Droopy-Eyes!" Natsu yelled back.
"I don't like you either!"
"STILL DIDN'T ASK!"
Lucy slapped her forehead, groaning. "We're never going to get through a single mission without an argument, are we?"
Erza sighed heavily, though a tiny, fond smile touched her lips. "Regrettably, no."
From behind the bar, Mira began clapping her hands rapidly. "Oh, congratulations!"
Shouts and cheers echoed from surrounding tables as the rest of the guild realized what was happening.
"Finally!"
"It's about time!"
"Fairy Tail's strongest team is officially on the board!"
Lucy's face flushed red. "Wait, 'strongest team'?! Everyone already had a name for us?!"
Cana raised her massive beer tankard. "We've just been waiting for you four idiots to figure it out!"
Natsu threw his fists into the air. "WE'RE OFFICIAL!"
Gray grabbed him by the collar. "Stop screaming in my ear!"
"YOU STOP SCREAMING!"
THWACK.
Erza's armored hand came down on both of their heads, instantly dropping them to their knees in quiet, trembling obedience.
Lucy smiled softly, watching them. For the first time since joining Fairy Tail, the word team didn't feel like an elite title she had to prove herself worthy of. It just felt like home.
Then Erza turned her head, her sharp brown eyes locking onto Kai, who was currently trying to slide around the edge of the bar toward the exit.
"Where do you think you are going, Kai?" Erza asked.
Kai stopped mid-step, exhaling a long-suffering breath before turning around. "Home. To sleep for three days."
"Will you not be joining our team?" Erza inquired.
Natsu popped his head up from the floor. "Yeah! Kai's gotta come! He's got all those weird gadgets!"
"Honestly, it'd save us a lot of trouble," Gray added, rubbing his bruised head. "Having him around means I don't have to shield Natsu every time he does something stupid."
Lucy nodded eagerly. "And your tactical analysis is amazing, Kai!"
Kai opened his mouth to deliver a thoroughly crafted, highly articulated refusal. He didn't get out a single syllable.
"Absolutely not."
A hand slammed down on his left shoulder. Another hand landed firmly on his right.
Cana stood on his left, her tankard sloshing slightly, a sharp grin on her face. Mira stood on his right, her smile bright and non-negotiable.
Kai slowly tilted his head left, then right. "...May I help you two?"
Cana planted her boots firmly on the dirt floor. "He's already taken."
Mira nodded with terrifying enthusiasm. "Mhm! He's ours!"
Erza blinked, her brow furrowing slightly. "Ours?"
Kai closed his eyes, his left eyebrow twitching. "I deeply dislike the phrasing, the implication, and the physical contact currently taking place."
Cana ignored him, throwing an arm around his neck. "You are our partner."
"Not a chance."
"You agreed weeks ago."
"I refuse now."
Mira came over and took his other arm. "We already decided."
Kai looked from Cana to Mira. "Who is 'we'?"
"Everyone."
"Look, I said I would consider it," Kai snapped back. "I believe my exact words were, 'I'd rather drink battery acid, but we'll see.'"
"Which in gearhead language means 'Yes, absolutely, Cana, you're brilliant,'" Cana declared smugly.
"That just means your brain has finally rotted from the alcohol!"
Mira suddenly reached under the makeshift counter, pulling out a massive, rolled-up sheet of heavy butcher paper with a flourish.
Kai's eyes narrowed into slits. "...What are you holding?"
"Our team banner!" Mira beamed, unfurling the sheet across the counter.
Absolute, heavy silence descended upon the bar.
Rendered entirely in thick, uneven crayons, three stick figures stood proudly beneath towering, hot-pink block lettering that read:
FAIRY WARRIORS
The stick figure on the left had jagged black hair, a heavily smeared mustache, and was holding what appeared to be a deformed silver wrench. The stick figure in the middle was wearing an enormous, glittering pink dress with wings that defied all laws of geometry. The stick figure on the right stood next to a giant brown cylinder that looked suspiciously like a log.
Above them floated glitter, poorly drawn stars, crayon explosions, and, hovering in the top left corner... a potato with wings.
Kai stared at the paper.
Cana stared at the paper, her mouth slightly open.
Gray turned away, his shoulders shaking silently. Natsu bit his fist, trying not to explode into laughter. Lucy covered her mouth, fighting for her life.
Even Erza looked deeply unsettled by the artwork.
Kai slowly raised a hand, pointing a single finger at the paper. "...Clouds."
"Yes, Kai?" she asked sweetly.
"Did you draw this?"
"I did! It took me two hours last night!"
"Are you aware that crayons are not a respectable medium for guild iconography?" Kai's voice was deathly calm. "This looks like it was drawn by a colorblind goblin during an earthquake."
Mira's sweet smile faltered slightly. "...You don't like the glitter?"
"The glitter is a crime," Kai said deadpan. "And what is that winged tuber in the sky?!"
"It's a fairy!" Mira protested, pointing at the brown blob.
Kai looked closer. "That's a potato."
"No, it's not."
"It has the shape of a potato."
"It's flying."
"That does not make it less of a potato."
Cana snorted, burying her face in her hands as she broke down into wheezing laughter. "I told you it was awful!"
Mira whipped her head toward Cana, pouting. "You said it was cute when I showed you!"
"I was four drinks deep!" Cana wheezed. "Anything with bright colors looks cute when I'm four drinks deep!"
Mira hugged the banner defensively against her chest. "I worked very hard on it."
Kai slowly looked at her. "I can see that."
"You don't like it?"
"No."
Mira's hopeful smile vanished.
Without another word, Kai reached into his coat. Mira's eyes widened. "Kai?"
He produced a tiny mechanical spark-wheel and flicked it. A small, bright flame popped to life.
Mira's eyes went wide. "Don't you dare."
Kai touched the flame directly to the corner of the paper.
FWOOSH.
The heavy butcher paper caught immediately. Mira stared in absolute horror. "MY BANNER!"
She lunged for it, but Kai held it up high out of her reach while the flames rapidly consumed the crayon drawing.
"Kai, STOP!"
"It was terrible."
"You monster!"
"It had glitter."
"It was cute!"
"It had a potato."
"IT WAS A FAIRY!"
At Mira's sheer, outrage-fueled squeak, Kai finally lost his composure.
He laughed. Not his usual quiet, sarcastic chuckle, but a full, genuine laugh.
Mira stared at him in disbelief. "You're laughing!"
Kai laughed harder, his golden eyes bright. "You should've seen your face!"
Mira's cheeks puffed out in pure fury. "You're horrible!"
She swung her fist and smacked him right across the shoulder.
THWACK.
Kai staggered half a step from the blow. Everyone at the bar went dead silent.
Kai looked down at his shoulder, then back up at Mira. A tiny, unrepentant grin spread across his face. "Worth it."
Mira smacked him again. "Now you have to join!"
Cana instantly snapped out of her laughing fit, throwing her arm heavily around Kai's neck and dragging him down into a headlock. "Yeah, gearhead! You signed up for this mess!"
"I signed nothing!" Kai choked out, trying to pry her arm off his throat without resorting to magic. "Release me, you aggressive alcoholic!"
"You gave your word!" Cana grinned, tightening her grip.
"I gave a conditional, non-committal response!"
"Same difference!"
Kai desperately shot a look over toward Erza. "Red. Tactical intervention. Help."
Erza folded her arms, looking at him with absolute, unyielding moral authority. "A mage's word is their bond, Kai. You must honor your commitment to your teammates."
Kai stared at her in sheer betrayal. "You're taking their side?!"
"They drew a banner," Erza stated with absolute seriousness. "It would be disrespectful to ignore such dedication."
"IT WAS A CRAYON POTATO!"
Kai let out a long growl, finally managing to shove Cana's arm off his neck. He smoothed down his lapels, taking a deep breath to restore his dignity.
He looked down at the pile of fresh black ash on the floor. Then at Cana, who was grinning like a cat that caught a canary. Then at Mira, who was watching him with wide, hopeful eyes. Then around the battered, half-built hall.
The roof was wide open to the sky. The walls were bare wood. Half the members were still wrapped in bandages, nursing broken ribs and bruised pride.
And yet, despite the destruction, the air was filled with laughter, loud arguments, and the clinking of glasses. They were rebuilding—not just the hall, but the guild itself.
Kai closed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.
"...Fine."
Mira gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Really?!"
"Yes," Kai grunted, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe a speck of ash off his sleeve. "I will entertain you for a while."
Cana slammed a heavy hand onto his back, nearly knocking the breath out of him. "HA! KNEW YOU'D CAVE!"
"However," Kai added sharply, holding up a finger, "I have strict operational conditions. First: I do not participate in low-level fetch quests or domestic labor. Second: I will not attend mandatory social gatherings or morning roll calls. Third: My research equipment and workshop space remain strictly under my absolute authority. And fourth: If anyone suggests matching uniforms, I will personally sabotage their plumbing."
Mira's eyes sparkled. "...We can negotiate the uniforms later."
"We will not."
Kai turned his glare toward the ash pile. "And fifth: We are changing the name. I am not walking up to a Council job board under the title 'Fairy Warriors'."
Mira hugged her arms protectively against her chest. "No! It was cute!"
"It was an embarrassment," Kai snapped. He crossed his arms, staring up at the exposed rafters. "...Just choose something practical. Something that doesn't sound like a children's book."
"You're the team leader," Cana smirked, nudging his shoulder. "You pick it."
Kai smirked. "How about Kai and his Minions?"
Cana and Mira didn't hesitate. Two synchronized fists dug straight into his ribs.
Kai doubled over with a dramatic groan, clutching his stomach. "Why did I ever agree to associate with you brutes?"
Mira beamed warmly. "Because deep down, beneath all those gears and blueprints, you actually like us."
"I tolerate your presence because you are slightly less loud than Natsu," Kai corrected deadpan.
Cana slapped him on the back again. "Welcome to the team, gearhead."
Kai shook his head. "I feel kidnapped rather than welcomed."
From inside Kai's collar, Pixie scrambled out and perched on his shoulder, tapping two slender brass legs together rapidly. Kai glanced down at the tiny spider. "Don't encourage them."
Click-click.
"Traitor."
Mira giggled. "What's her vote?"
"She doesn't have one."
Pixie raised two slender legs and clicked again. Kai stared at her. "You don't have voting rights."
Another sharp click.
"Stop."
Click-click-click.
Kai rubbed his forehead in defeat. "Fine. Majority rules."
Natsu raised both hands from the floor. "YES!"
Gray sighed, though a small smile tugged at his lips. "Great."
Lucy smiled warmly, while Erza nodded approvingly.
Cana lifted her tankard high. "To the new team!"
Mira raised her glass. "To the new team!"
Kai looked around at them. For once, he didn't complain.
Off to the side, Erza stood slightly frozen, trying to process the fact that Kai—the guild's most elusive, stubborn recluse—had actually agreed to join a team.
Mira, noticing Erza's stunned gaze, smiled mischievously. "Oooh, Erza~ If you're feeling lonely over there, we still have a spot left on our team!"
Erza's face instantly flushed bright crimson. She stammered loudly, "N-No! Absolutely not! We have... crucial team business to attend to!" She spun on her heel, shouting with unnatural stiffness, "Come, team! We must depart immediately!"
Natsu, Gray, and Lucy blinked in confusion, but quickly scrambled after her as she marched out into the sunlight.
As soon as Team Erza left, chatter exploded across the temporary hall. Guild members began buzzing loudly about the day's developments.
"Can you believe it? Two new official teams formed in a single day!"
"And both of them are stacked! But wait... if Kai joined Mira and Cana, does that make them the strongest team now?"
"Obviously! They've got Kai and Mira! That's two S-Class tier mages, plus Cana's card magic!"
"Yeah, but Mira can't use her combat magic right now... Still, with Kai on board, it's gotta be a tie with Erza's team, right?"
At the counter, Mira chuckled upon hearing the surrounding gossip. She turned back to her new teammates with a playful glint in her eyes. "It looks like everyone is debating who's stronger. What do you think, guys? Who takes the top spot?"
Cana chugged down the rest of her drink, slamming the mug on the bar with a smirk. "I'm placing my bets on us."
Both women turned their eyes to Kai for his verdict.
Kai took one last leisurely sip of his juice, setting the glass down with a quiet clink as a dark, arrogant smirk crossed his face.
"Obviously, it's me."