Fairy Tail: Rebirth of the Arcane Wanderer

Chapter 4: A New Magic Awakens

Kael's POV

The walk back to Magnolia was anything but peaceful. Natsu and Lucy were already bickering about whose fault the "minor collateral damage" was in Clover Town, while Happy chimed in with unhelpful commentary.

"I told you not to use Taurus in such a small space!" Natsu said, gesturing wildly.

"And I told you not to set the entire marketplace on fire!" Lucy shot back, her voice rising.

"I didn't burn everything! Just the bad guys!" Natsu retorted, crossing his arms.

Happy floated above us, grinning. "Aye, but Lucy still has to pay for those broken windows!"

I stayed a few steps behind, chuckling quietly. Watching them argue was like free entertainment, though I knew I'd eventually be dragged into it.

"Kael!" Lucy snapped, turning toward me. "Tell him he's the reckless one here."

I raised my hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just the new guy. I'm not qualified to take sides."

Lucy groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Men."

---

System Progress

As we walked, I opened my system interface to review the rewards from the Clover Town mission.

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[Skill Tree Updated: Basic Combat Spells Unlocked]

**- Arcane Bolt (Level 2)

Arcane Snare (Level 1)**

[New Quest Available: Practice New Spells in Combat]

Reward: +25 System Points, Unlock: Arcane Shield.

---

"Arcane Shield, huh?" I muttered to myself. "That could come in handy."

"Talking to yourself again?" Happy asked, floating down to eye my tome. "Are you sure that thing isn't cursed?"

"It's not cursed," I said quickly. "It's… complicated."

"Complicated sounds cursed," Lucy said, narrowing her eyes. "You're not going to unleash some forbidden magic on us, are you?"

I laughed nervously. "Not unless you really want me to."

---

The Surprise Challenge

When we finally reached Magnolia, I barely had time to step into the guildhall before Erza's voice rang out like a bell.

"Kael!"

I froze mid-step. The guild's red-headed powerhouse strode toward me, her armor gleaming in the afternoon sun. Everyone else immediately stopped what they were doing, and the hall fell silent.

"Yes?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"You did well on your first mission," she said, her tone calm but firm. "But Fairy Tail doesn't officially welcome new members until they pass one more trial."

"One more?" I repeated, glancing nervously at Natsu, who was grinning like a kid at Christmas.

Erza nodded. "A sparring match. You'll face Natsu."

Natsu's grin widened as flames danced around his fists. "Oh, this is gonna be fun!"

"Wait, hold on—" I started, but the guild erupted into cheers, and suddenly I was being shoved into the middle of the hall.

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The Sparring Match

The crowd circled around us as Natsu stretched his arms, clearly eager for a fight. I tightened my grip on my tome, praying the system had a plan.

---

[New Quest: Survive Natsu Dragneel's Sparring Match]

Objective: Last at least three minutes without being knocked out.

Reward: +100 System Points, Unlock: Arcane Shield.]

---

"Three minutes?" I muttered under my breath. "Might as well ask me to survive a hurricane."

Natsu cracked his knuckles, flames sparking to life. "You ready, Kael?"

"Not even a little," I admitted, flipping my tome open. "But let's do this."

The fight began with Natsu charging at me like a freight train. I barely managed to dodge his flaming punch, my feet skidding across the floor. My heart pounded as I cast Arcane Snare, tendrils of energy wrapping around his legs.

"Gotcha!" I said, a grin spreading across my face.

For about half a second, I thought I had the upper hand. Then Natsu roared, flames erupting from his body and shattering the snare like it was nothing.

"Okay, not gotcha," I muttered, scrambling to cast Arcane Bolt. The glowing projectile shot toward Natsu, but he deflected it with a flaming fist.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked, grinning wildly.

"I'm just warming up!" I lied, flipping to another page in my tome. My system flashed with an alert.

---

[New Skill Activated: Arcane Shield]

---

"Finally!" I shouted as a shimmering barrier of energy formed around me just in time to block Natsu's next attack. The flames collided with the shield, sending shockwaves through the hall.

The crowd cheered, and I couldn't help but grin. "Looks like I can hold my own after all."

Natsu backed up, his grin turning into something more dangerous. "Not bad, but let's see how long you can keep it up!"

Before I could reply, he unleashed a barrage of fiery punches, each one hammering against the shield. Cracks started to form, and panic surged through me.

"System, I could really use another spell right about now!" I muttered.

---

[New Spell Learned: Arcane Burst]

Description: Releases a concentrated explosion of arcane energy. Short-range but highly effective.]

---

"Perfect." I dropped the shield and channeled the energy into my hands. As Natsu lunged, I released the burst. The explosion sent both of us flying backward, landing in a heap on opposite sides of the hall.

The crowd erupted into applause, and Erza stepped forward, nodding approvingly. "Enough. The trial is over."

I groaned, sitting up and clutching my ribs. "Did I pass?"

Erza smiled faintly. "You survived. That's enough."

---

Guild Acceptance

After the match, I was officially welcomed into Fairy Tail. The cheers, the camaraderie, and the overwhelming sense of belonging made every bruise worth it.

As I sat at the bar nursing a drink, Lucy plopped down beside me. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."

"Guts, or a death wish?" I asked, wincing as I shifted in my seat.

She smirked. "Either way, welcome to Fairy Tail."

I smiled, raising my glass. For the first time since waking up in this world, I felt like I was home.

---

End of Chapter 4