Fiore Kingdom.
Magnolia Town.
Fairy Tail Guild.
"May I have your name, please?"
"Kaien Blaze."
"Your age?"
"Eighteen."
"What kind of magic are you good at?"
"Take Over Magic."
"Take Over Magic?!"
Mirajane's eyes widened in surprise. She didn't expect the newcomer to use the same type of magic as her. Still, Take Over Magic was fairly common—it wasn't strange for others to know it.
"Alright, registration complete. Kaien Blaze, where would you like your guild mark to be printed?"
Kaien placed his right hand on the counter. "On the back of this hand."
"Choose a color you like."
"Red."
Mirajane adjusted the stamp's color and pressed it onto the back of his hand. A crimson Fairy Tail emblem appeared on Kaien Blaze's right hand.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail! You're now an official member," Mirajane said with a bright, radiant smile.
"Thank you."
Kaien looked down at the guild emblem on his hand, and a surge of excitement filled his chest. 'A member of Fairy Tail...' He could hardly believe it. He knew that if dreams were cheap enough, anyone could afford to make them come true—but fantasy becoming reality? That was something he'd never heard of. Yet now, it was happening before his very eyes.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for joining Fairy Tail. Would you like to bind this guild?]
A panel only he could see popped up before him.
"Bind!"
[Ding! Binding successful! Congratulations, Host, you've received a Ten Draw! Would you like to pull now?]
"Draw—"
Just as Kaien was about to press the button, he paused, suddenly turning to Mirajane. "Mirajane, can you wish me good luck?"
"Huh?" She blinked, momentarily confused, but then smiled warmly. "Mr. Kaien, I wish you the best of luck!"
'So cute... I'd love to marry her someday.'
With the goddess's blessing, Kaien Blaze lightly tapped the screen.
"Ten Draw!"
Starlight shimmered across the screen, just like a gacha pull in Genshin Impact.
Among the stars, a golden light burst forth.
"A Gold Pull!!"
Kaien Blaze's heart leapt. He never expected his first Ten Draw to give him a gold-tier character.
Soon, ten character cards appeared before him. He ignored the others and focused on the first—the golden legend he had drawn.
He didn't even need to read the name; one glance at the image was enough to recognize who it was.
"It's him!!"
Short, messy black hair. Pale white skin. Emerald-green eyes with dark green tear marks running down from beneath them. A white helmet with a horn covering the left half of his head. A slender frame clad in a white-on-black long-sleeved uniform resembling a kimono, a sword at his waist—elegant and composed.
Ulquiorra Cifer.
One of the Espada, ranked No. 4 under Aizen's command in Bleach.
Bleach was one of Kaien Blaze's favorite anime, and Ulquiorra was one of his favorite characters.
Although ranked only No. 4 among the Espada, that ranking only reflected his first Resurrección form. His second Resurrección form dramatically boosted his power—many fans even believed Ulquiorra was the strongest Espada of all.
Though he was ultimately defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki's Vasto Lorde form, Ichigo's power by that point was already at the pinnacle of the series.
It didn't diminish Ulquiorra's greatness one bit.
"This is amazing!!"
Kaien couldn't help shouting in joy. He had actually pulled a gold-tier legend—and it was Ulquiorra! A truly powerful ally.
Everyone in the guild turned to stare at him.
"Hm? What's so amazing?" Mirajane asked, puzzled by the strange behavior of the newcomer.
Kaien Blaze blinked, realizing he'd just shouted out loud. "Uh… I mean—joining Fairy Tail is amazing!"
Hearing that, Mirajane smiled knowingly. It wasn't unusual for mages who admired Fairy Tail to be overjoyed when joining. She felt a warm fondness for those who genuinely loved the guild.
"Let me show you around the guild."
"Sure, thank you."
Mirajane led Kaien toward a large board. "This is the Request Board. The missions posted here are submitted by clients. Guild members can take on any request that suits their ability. Once you complete a request, you'll receive a commission reward. That's how most mages make their living."
"The basement floor is a storage area, used mainly for guild supplies."
"What about the second floor?" Kaien Blaze asked, glancing up.
"The second floor is the infirmary. Injured members go there for treatment. Normally, only S-Class Mages are allowed up there."
"Why?"
"Because those missions are S-Class or higher—every one of them is life-threatening. But the rewards are just as great. Only by becoming an S-Class Mage can you take them on."
"S-Class Mages, huh?"
Kaien Blaze nodded knowingly. S-Class Mages were the elite of the guild—far stronger than the average mage, the pillars that supported the guild's strength.
And the beautiful, gentle woman in front of him—Mirajane—was one of Fairy Tail's own S-Class Mages.
"I'll definitely become an S-Class Mage one day," Kaien said softly, but with firm resolve.
"I wish you success!" Mirajane replied with a warm smile. In Kaien, she saw her younger self—once just as passionate and full of dreams.
But becoming S-Class wasn't easy. She hoped Kaien could achieve it. After all, the stronger each member became, the stronger Fairy Tail would be.