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[FT] Ch 3: The Tyrant
🕑 Added 2025-10-14 02:06:52 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
"Ugh, Happy—blech."
Natsu clung to a floating plank, his face screwed up in misery. He reached out toward Happy as if to beg for help, but then he threw up.
Dragon slayers are terrible with motion sickness. Natsu was living proof.
"Sorry, Natsu. I have to help the others first, I can't get you right now. You're tough, you'll be fine," Happy called back.
"I'll come save you after I get everyone off that ship."
Happy could only carry one person at a time, and the kidnapped girls needed help more than Natsu did. The dragon slayer just gave him a thumbs up, silent but understanding: go save the people first.
Natsu kept puking, but between heaves he glanced toward Kazuma's direction and muttered in disbelief.
"How did Kazuma even get here? I thought he was out finishing his hundredth mission."
"Maybe he already finished it. Damn. I've been in the guild for years and never racked up this many jobs."
Natsu was angry and embarrassed at the same time, but he had zero urge to challenge Kazuma. For one thing, he probably couldn't win. For another, Kazuma's fighting style was infuriating—too much range, impossible to close in on.
...
"All done. Now we just wait for the guards to come and pick up the bodies."
Kazuma dismantled his cannon and scoped, packing them away. With the traffickers neutralized and the ship sinking, he could wait for the city guards to haul the scene and then head back to turn the mission in. Easy job, done.
"Is that it? It's just over?" Lucy stared at him, eyes wide. So many people taken out so fast. She knew mages could be powerful, but she'd never seen anyone like this.
"You expected me to charge in and get into a stupid brawl?" Kazuma said. "I'm a ranged fighter. I wouldn't be dumb enough to run into melee."
He thought of Natsu and shook his head. The guy jumped onto the ship even though he's sick as a dog. What was he thinking?
"Y-yeah, true." Lucy blinked, then hurriedly introduced herself. "I'm Lucy, a Celestial Spirit mage. Who are you?"
"Kazuma. I'm a mage from Fairy Tail."
He held up his hand to show the guild emblem stamped on his skin. It wasn't a tattoo so much as a magical sigil. Kazuma had resisted getting it at first, then agreed once he learned it could be removed anytime.
"You're really from Fairy Tail?" Lucy gaped, suddenly almost trembling with excitement. She stepped forward and gripped his hand, eyes glued to his emblem. "Do you… know Mirajane, the guild mascot?" Her voice went respectful in an instant.
"Sure. If I don't do missions, she won't be able to do her job." Kazuma said it straight. In truth, it was the other way around; without Mirajane registering his tasks, he couldn't claim them. She made his whole system work.
"Do you know the Salamander of Fairy Tail? Some even say he is like Fire Dragon, so strong." Lucy asked next.
Kazuma pointed out to the water where Natsu bobbed on the plank. "Yeah. He's over there in the water."
Lucy looked at Natsu for a moment and felt her excitement subside.
"Y-You are kidding, right?"
"Nah~"
Lucy blinked.
Knowing the Salamander was just Natsu made it less heroic somehow.
"So, who are you again?" she asked, turning back to Kazuma.
"Like I said, I'm Kazuma Fujita." He waved as the city guards finally showed up. "Finally. Their response time is awful."
"No wonder this place is such a mess. Probably all the funds got pocketed."
"Corruption is a multiversal constant."
Next, Kazuma went over to brief the guards, had them sign the mission sheet, and handed off evidence.
"Kazuma…" Lucy repeated, thinking. A memory clicked in her head. She'd heard the name once before and never forgot it. Anyone who heard that name remembered it well.
He was the one they'd called "the man who can take on an army alone." That was not an exaggeration.
She looked back at the 100+ magical firearms she'd seen earlier. Now she understood he hadn't been bragging. If he hadn't held back because of hostages, he could have obliterated the whole ship in an instant.
One man with that level of firepower could match an army. The nickname "Tyrant" fit. He was like a warlord who ruled every gun on the battlefield, smashing anything that stood in his way with absolute firepower.
— — —
It didn't take long for the city guards to haul both the victims and the bodies up onto the riverbank. The rescued girls were being comforted and questioned for statements, while others began identifying the dead.
"You guys can handle the identification part," Kazuma said impatiently, holding up his mission form. "But I need that signature. I still have to turn this in."
This was the annoying part about these kinds of missions. They were issued directly by the Magic Council, not through a client. That meant he needed local guards to verify completion before the guild could log it. Without their signature, it wouldn't count—no matter how many corpses he left behind.
"W-well, it's not that we don't want to verify it," the captain said nervously. "But… all their heads are gone. It's kind of hard to confirm identities when there's nothing left to check. If we make a mistake, we'll get blamed for it."
The captain was being extra polite this time—and for good reason. The last time he'd talked a little too sharply, Kazuma's cannon had swiveled straight toward his face, carrying a very clear "say one more word and I'll blow you up" kind of energy.
He wasn't about to test if that was a bluff. He liked living.
"Lucy, come here a sec. Need a favor." Kazuma waved her over. "This is Lucy, one of the victims I saved. She's also a mage—you can ask her about the situation."
Lucy nodded quickly. "Everything Kazuma said is true. That man used illegal 'Charm' magic and was openly talking about selling us as slaves. Their destination was probably the Kingdom of Bosco."
The guard captain wiped sweat from his brow. "Uh… not to be rude, miss, but your testimony might not be entirely objective. You and Mr. Kazuma seem… pretty close. You understand our concern, right?"
He knew he was gambling with his life by saying that much. "Just one more year," he thought desperately, "Just one and I can retire. Let someone else deal with this shit."
"Captain, we've identified some of them," one of the guards shouted. "That guy was Bora—expelled from his guild for magic theft. And the rest of them? All with criminal records. Especially this one with the skull tattoo. Survivors from other cities confirmed that the traffickers who kidnapped them had the same marks."
Finally, some good news. The captain exhaled in relief, then turned back to Kazuma.
"Mr. Kazuma, confirmation complete. The mission is verified. I'll sign it right now. Thank you for your assistance!"
He scribbled his name faster than a man signing his will, then bowed deeply.
"All right, you handle the cleanup. I'm heading out."
Kazuma tucked the paper away and started walking. If he hurried, he could still make it back to the guild before closing. Mirajane was probably still on duty—if he turned this in tonight, it'd count the same day.
He scanned around and soon spotted Natsu and Happy, who seemed mostly recovered. He started heading over to check if they wanted to head back together when Lucy caught up to him.
"Mr. Kazuma, you were amazing back there. Even that guard captain was practically bowing to you."
She looked up at him like she was meeting a hero out of her dreams. Joining Fairy Tail had been her fantasy for years—and now, after seeing this, she wanted it more than ever.
"He wasn't bowing to me," Kazuma said with a grin. "He was bowing to the power in my hands — and because he's scared."
"Not scared of me—well, maybe a little—but of the whole situation."
"If I fail a mission, I just lose my reward. But if he lets something like this happen under his watch, those girls' families start raising hell. He's the one they'd blame. Getting fired would be the best outcome. Prison's more likely. I basically just saved his job. You think he wouldn't be polite?"
Lucy blinked. "Oh… that makes sense."
She started chattering about all kinds of things after that, clearly building up to something. It didn't take long for Kazuma to figure out what.
"Lucy, you want to join Fairy Tail, don't you?" he asked.
"I—uh—well, yes! I've always wanted to! It's my dream!"
She'd tried to play it off at first, but gave up and admitted it outright, cheeks glowing.
"Then come with me. We'll see what the master says. If he agrees, you're in. If he doesn't, figure out how to convince him."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Lucy threw her arms around him and jumped in excitement. Her dream was finally within reach.
Kazuma sighed. "You shouldn't get too excited. Being a mage isn't all glory—it's dangerous work. Every mission, you're gambling with your life."
He'd seen enough to know the truth. Newcomers always thought being a mage was glamorous. They learned the hard way it wasn't.
"Oi! Kazuma! Lucy!"
Natsu and Happy were walking over, the latter waving while the former still looked a little pale.
"Kazuma, what the hell are you doing here?" Natsu called out, clearly annoyed.
Kazuma smirked. "Just wrapped up my hundredth mission. Figured I'd help the weaker ones actually contribute for a change."
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