Chapter 1: The New Monster in the Guild
Fiore Kingdom, Fairy Tail Guild
"Listen up, everyone! I want you to meet our newest member. This is Dino Maxim, and starting today, he's part of the Fairy Tail family. I expect you all to make him feel welcome!" The diminutive Master Makarov stood on the bar counter, gesturing to the boy beside him. The kid looked about eleven or twelve years old, with black hair and unusual lavender eyes. He wore a blue short-sleeved shirt and black shorts, and carried himself with a quiet, almost reserved demeanor.
"Master, where'd you pick up another kid? At this rate, Fairy Tail's turning into a daycare center!" Macao grumbled the moment he spotted Makarov returning from the Guild Masters' meeting with yet another child in tow.
"You said it!" Wakaba chimed in from his usual spot.
Makarov's face turned red. "Shut your mouths! It's because you lot are so pathetic that I have to scout talent wherever I can find it! If everyone in Fairy Tail performed at your level, this guild would've collapsed years ago. And just so you know, Dino here could wipe the floor with both of you without breaking a sweat."
"What?! Master, you're saying I can't handle some brat? Call me useless all you want, but I draw the line at being told I'd lose to a kid!"
"Hahaha! Macao, sounds like you've been put in your place!" Wakaba, Macao's longtime rival, couldn't resist the opportunity to mock him.
"Macao! This guild runs on young talent. You got a problem with that?!" A silver-haired girl suddenly leaped onto the table where Wakaba and Macao sat, grabbing Macao by the collar with a fierce glare.
Macao froze, then quickly backpedaled with a nervous smile. "N-no, of course not, Mirajane! You're different from the others. You're already a mature, capable mage."
"Macao, I can't pretend I didn't hear that comment." A red-haired girl spoke calmly from across the hall, not even looking up from her tea.
"Erza! Obviously you're different too!" Macao remembered too late that there was another person among the younger members he absolutely couldn't afford to offend.
"Macao, that 'daycare' crack was about us, wasn't it? Sounds like you and I need to settle this!" The pink-haired boy glared at him, cracking his knuckles threateningly.
"Count me in! Just because you're older doesn't make you better!"
"I'm coming too!"
"Me too!"
Macao watched in horror as a crowd of young guild members closed in on him. He shot Makarov a desperate, pleading look. The Master had a habit of bringing back strays, and most of these kids packed serious power. Some were even stronger than Macao himself.
The other adults in the guild watched the scene unfold with barely concealed amusement. "Hahaha! Macao kicked the hornet's nest this time! That's what he gets for running his mouth!"
"I can already picture him getting pummeled."
"Dino, why don't you show them what you've got? That'll shut them up quick. Otherwise, they'll never take you seriously." Makarov leaned in and whispered to the boy.
Dino nodded. The rest of the guild gathered around, curiosity getting the better of them. Everyone knew the Master had a soft spot for homeless children, and that some of those kids turned out to be genuinely formidable mages with impressive abilities.
Besides, all mages loved seeing new types of magic.
"Is it really okay to do this here?" Dino glanced around the guild hall, hesitating.
Makarov's eyes widened as realization hit him. He waved his hands frantically. "No, no! Let's take this outside! And don't use your full power! We're not in some deserted wilderness. If you go all out here, people could get seriously hurt or worse."
That only made everyone more curious. For the Master to react like that, this Dino kid must have some seriously destructive magic. The kind with massive range and serious danger, otherwise Makarov wouldn't be so worried about him demonstrating it inside the guild.
Soon, the entire group had moved outside. Mirajane crossed her arms and lifted her chin haughtily. "Hmph! I don't care how fancy your magic looks. My Satan Soul is the strongest magic there is! And I'm the strongest mage in Fairy Tail, so don't expect me to be impressed."
A spherical, translucent white aura formed around Dino's right fist, crackling with strange energy.
"Doesn't look like much," the pink-haired boy muttered. The others seemed to agree. Truly powerful magic usually had an intimidating presence before it was even unleashed. This seemed almost ordinary. They couldn't understand why the Master was so on edge.
Then Dino's fist struck downward. CRACK! The air itself seemed to shatter like glass, spiderweb fractures spreading through the space around his hand as if reality would break completely if he pushed any harder.
Everyone fell silent.
BOOM!
"AHHHHH!"
"Whoa!"
"What's happening?! Is it an earthquake?!"
Massive tremors erupted from beneath their feet. The ground began shaking violently, throwing people off balance. Screams filled the air as guild members tumbled to the ground, unable to keep their footing. Cracks split through the guild's outer walls with sharp snapping sounds. The shaking continued for several terrifying seconds before finally subsiding. Only then did people dare to slowly pick themselves up off the ground.