Kingdom of Fiore.
Magnolia Town.
The Fairy Tail Guild.
"Could you tell me your name, please?"
"Kael Vane."
"And your age?"
"Eighteen."
"What kind of magic do you specialize in?"
"Take Over Magic."
"Take Over?!" Mirajane's eyes widened for a brief moment. She hadn't expected the newcomer to use the exact same type of magic as her. Take Over wasn't unheard of, but it was notoriously difficult to master—and rare to encounter.
"I see," she said, picking up her pen again. "Registration complete. Kael Vane, where would you like your guild mark?"
Kael placed his right hand on the counter. "On the back of this hand."
"And the color?"
"Red."
Mirajane adjusted the magical stamp and pressed it firmly onto the back of Kael's hand. When she lifted it away, the crimson emblem of the Fairy Tail guild was perfectly imprinted there.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail," Mirajane said with a radiant smile. "You are now an official member."
"Thank you."
Kael stared at the mark on his hand, a sharp surge of adrenaline and emotion rising in his chest. A member of Fairy Tail… I'm actually standing here. He had always believed dreams could come true if one was willing to pay the price, but he had never imagined a fantasy world like this would become his reality.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully joined Fairy Tail!]
A digital panel—visible only to Kael—materialized in front of him.
[System Link Successful! Reward: One Ten-Pull Gacha Ticket! Would you like to use it now?]
"Pull…"
Just as Kael was about to hit the button, he hesitated. If luck mattered anywhere, it was right here. He looked up at Mirajane. "Mirajane, could you wish me good luck?"
Mirajane blinked, slightly puzzled by the request, but she gave him a sweet, innocent smile. "Of course. Good luck, Kael!"
She's cute… dangerously cute, Kael thought.
With that "blessing" secured, he tapped the screen.
"Ten-pull!"
Rays of starlight flashed across the panel, exactly like the animation of a high-end gacha game. And then—among the streaks of light—a brilliant golden star erupted.
"It's a Gold!"
Kael's heart slammed against his ribs. His very first ten-pull, and he'd landed a legendary Gold-tier unit? Ten character cards flipped over on the panel. He barely spared the others a glance; his entire focus locked onto the golden one at the front. The moment he saw the artwork, he didn't even need to read the name.
"It's him!"
The Pull: Ulquiorra Cifer
The card depicted a man with messy black hair, deathly pale skin, and haunting emerald eyes. Beneath his eyes were dark green lines like dried tears. On the left side of his head sat a fragment of a white, horned Hollow mask. He was slender, dressed in a high-collared white jacket and a traditional hakama, with a sword resting gracefully at his waist.
Ulquiorra Cifer. From the anime "Bleach," the 4th Espada of Aizen's Arrancar army.
Kael had always loved Bleach, and Ulquiorra was easily one of his favorite characters. Although he was ranked 4th among the Espada, that ranking only reflected his first Resurrección. He possessed a unique second form—Resurrección: Segunda Etapa—which boosted his power exponentially. To many, Ulquiorra was arguably the strongest Espada. Even though he was eventually defeated by Ichigo's "Vasto Lorde" form, that version of Ichigo was already approaching the absolute peak of the series' power scale.
"This is incredible!" Kael couldn't contain his excitement. To pull a legendary unit like Ulquiorra on his first try… this was a top-tier combat asset.
The rest of the guild hall turned to look at him.
"Hm?" Mirajane asked, genuinely baffled. "What's incredible?"
Kael realized he'd shouted out loud. "Oh… I just mean… finally joining Fairy Tail is incredible."
Mirajane's expression softened into a knowing smile. It wasn't uncommon; many newcomers wore that same look of awe when they first arrived.
"Come," she said. "Let me show you around."
"Alright. Thank you."
Mirajane led Kael toward a large wooden board covered in various papers. "This is the Request Board. Missions posted by clients are displayed here. Members can choose the jobs that suit their skills."
"Completing missions is your primary source of income. The basement is the storehouse—mostly used for guild supplies and miscellaneous items."
Kael looked up at the wooden balcony. "What about the second floor?"
"The second floor houses the infirmary, and it's also where the S-Class Request Board is located," Mirajane said, her tone turning a bit more serious. "Normally, the second floor is off-limits to regular members. Only S-Class mages are permitted up there."
"Why?"
"Because those jobs are S-Class missions," she explained. "Almost all of them are life-threatening. The rewards are astronomical, but only S-Class mages have the qualifications—and the strength—to accept them."
"S-Class…"
Kael knew exactly what that meant. They were the star mages of the guild—the elite pillars far stronger than ordinary members. And the woman standing before him—gentle, smiling, and polite—was one of those very mages.
Kael looked back at the crimson mark on his hand.
"I will definitely become an S-Class mage," he whispered. His voice was quiet, but his resolve was unshakable.
Mirajane smiled, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "I hope you succeed soon."
She knew how difficult it was to reach that rank, but she welcomed the ambition. If Fairy Tail gained one more S-Class mage, the guild would become even more legendary.