In the dead of night, the clock on the wall ticked, and cicadas chirped outside.
The figure in bed, 'Finn', sat up abruptly.
His eyes remained closed, but his expression was one of weariness. He sighed deeply, then vanished.
The next morning, Finn woke up.
"Ugh, my head hurts," he groaned, feeling like bugs were crawling inside his skull.
Then, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind for the second time—the first was years ago when he obtained Ryūjin Jakka.
"Ding! Because you dislike your own rough fighting style and its limited attack methods, you sleepwalked to another world and learned all of the Bakudō spells!!"
The mechanical voice vanished.
"???" Finn was utterly confused. He hadn't disliked his fighting style; he thought it was great.
"Bakudō?" As Finn wondered, the headache vanished, replaced by a flood of information.
Bakudō spells, from #1 to #99, their incantations, usage, and effects, filled his mind.
"Whoa, I sleepwalk? And I even travel to other worlds? That's crazy," Finn was amazed.
But then he thought, he'd already time-traveled, so sleepwalking wasn't so strange.
He started studying the new memories.
Bakudō was a type of Kidō: high-level spells for attack and destruction. Kidō also included: Bakudō: "Binding Way", Hadō: "Path of Destruction", and Kaidō: "Healing Spiritual Arts".
Finn only had Bakudō, but it was vast.
He regretted not getting Bakudō and Kaidō.
Especially Kaidō; healing magic was rare in this world, almost lost magic.
Finn realized this was just theory. He needed time to practice and understand it.
It was like the "Complete Book of Fire Magic"—memorizing it didn't mean he could use it. He needed to learn and understand it.
Finn shook his head. He had work to do.
He got out of bed, washed up, and left the dorm, heading to the mountains behind Magnolia. It was sparsely populated and had open space, perfect for practicing Bakudō.
X782. Time flew. Finn had had Bakudō for two years. He'd mastered most of them, but spells above #90 were difficult.
He was close, though. Ryūjin Jakka's Bankai still eluded him.
Many interesting things happened. Many new members joined the guild. Three supposedly joined because of Laxus: Fried Justine, Evergreen, and Bickslow.
They were Laxus's fanatical bodyguards, calling themselves the Raijin Tribe(Thunder God Tribe) Squad.
Loke, a narcissistic mage, also joined, along with Bisca and Alzack, Marksman mages.
Last year, Mirajane passed the S-class exam. She was thrilled and taunted Erza, leading to a fight.
Finn was inevitably involved, using his smooth talking to defuse the situation.
He knew their feelings. He wasn't stupid; he'd seen their actions and heard the guild's gossip.
He was flattered that two such wonderful girls liked him.
But choosing was difficult. He couldn't distinguish between familial and romantic love.
He sighed. Maybe they'd understand as they grew up. They weren't even adults in his previous life.
He secretly wished he could have both, but he wouldn't say that. He'd get a double-team beating.
Mystogan also passed the S-class exam this year, adding to Fairy Tail's strength.
Gildarts returned a few times but had been gone for a year. His mission was a Century Quest. Finn thought he could handle a Ten-Year Quest, but a Century Quest was beyond him.
Maybe after mastering Bankai.
In two years, Finn bought a villa in Magnolia. S-class mages earned a lot, especially after he mastered Bakudō. He'd fulfilled his previous life's dream of owning a home.
Finn, who used to cause widespread destruction, preferred Bakudō's has no high-damage single-target spells. They were powerful but caused no destruction. Its focus on defensive and binding enemy.
Everyone visited his villa, exclaiming about his wealth.
Mirajane then asked to rent a room, and Finn readily agreed.
Erza was annoyed and rented two rooms, wanting to outdo Mirajane.
Finn's life became even more difficult.
One day, Finn was looking at a mission request on the second floor—a Ten-Year Quest, marked with large red letters.
He considered it. Laxus was doing an SSS-class mission and would likely do a Ten-Year Quest next. Laxus was truly dedicated.
Mirajane quietly approached.
"Hey!" She jumped in front of him. Finn, deep in thought, jumped.
"Mirajane, you scared me," he said.
"Haha, the Fairy Tail's Sun God is scared of a little girl?" Mirajane said seriously.
Finn facepalmed. "Don't use that name. It's embarrassing. Who named me that? Don't join in, Mirajane."
"Little girl? Who can solo the Dark Guild?" Finn rolled his eyes.
"Haha, I'm a little girl! Hmph," Mirajane turned to the mission board.
She pointed at the Ten-Year Quest. "Want to do it?"
Finn nodded. "I'm thinking about it. Master keeps complaining I don't do missions. He always wanted me to come home early." He remembered Makarov's worry when he was gone for a few months.
Now, Makarov wants him to work more.
"A Ten-Year Quest? How long will that take?" Mirajane looked worried.
"Going now?"
Finn shook his head. "Just thinking. Plus, Erza and I got a Council-assigned mission."
"An assigned mission?" Mirajane knew the Council sometimes assigned missions, especially for special situations.
"I'll consider the Ten-Year Quest when I get back," Finn said.
"Hmph, Erza again. That stick-in-the-mud is going with Finn," Mirajane muttered. She was still annoyed.
She said firmly, "I have a tough mission. Do it with me when you get back." She didn't think he'd refuse.
"Okay. When?" Finn asked.
Mirajane smiled. "After I finish this one. It's for Elfman." She took a mission—exterminate the Beast King.
"Is this for Elfman's Take Over?" Finn thought. Elfman could now do full Take Overs. Were they targeting the Beast King for that?
"He wants to get stronger, to protect us. He's such a scaredy-cat," Mirajane said, smiling.
She was happy her brother had such responsibility.
Finn nodded. "Okay, but be careful. The Beast King isn't easy," he said worriedly.
"Are you worried about me?" Mirajane teased.
Finn stammered.
"Haha, I'm off," Mirajane said happily, taking the mission request and heading downstairs.
She turned back. "Remember, do the mission with me when you return. If you forget, I'll…" She mimed slitting her throat.
Finn touched his neck instinctively.
Mirajane laughed, then made a hand gesture—a reversed '7'—familiar to all Fairy Tail members.
"I'm off!"
Finn smiled and made the same gesture. "Stay safe, Mirajane!"
"You too, Finn!"
Outside, Natsu and Happy sulked under a tree.
"They're fighting again," Lisanna sighed.
"Oh, Lisanna," Natsu greeted her.
Happy said, "Natsu ate all our fish!"
Natsu scratched his head. "Don't worry about it."
Happy continued complaining. Lisanna shook her head.
"Lisanna~~" Elfman and Mirajane approached. "Lisanna, work time!"
"Huh? What kind of work?" Lisanna asked.
Elfman was excited. "S-class! Sister took an S-class extermination mission!"
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