Crackling electricity burst from the ground as Rowan stamped his foot. The current raced along the pavement and slammed straight into Kihara Amata. His body jerked violently. The spiked blond hair on his head flared out like it had hit a live wire, and his legs nearly gave out beneath him.
Kihara caught himself against a tree, breathing hard. "What was that supposed to mean?" he snapped.
"Nothing personal," Rowan replied flatly. "Your smile was irritating. Try using it less. People get killed for that sort of thing." He tilted his head. "Now talk. What do I get if I join you?"
Kihara steadied himself, irritation flickering behind his grin before he forced it down. "We can help you advance. From where you are now to Level Five. Quickly. Is that enough of an incentive?"
Rowan paused.
That was… not insignificant.
If there was anyone in Academy City who truly understood espers, their limits, and how to squeeze out every scrap of potential, it was the Board. They had built the city, defined the ranking system, and refined ability development into a science. If they were willing to push him deliberately, the path from Level Four to Level Five would be far shorter than fumbling forward on his own.
And joining them meant access. Internal data. Research archives. A clearer view of how this city actually worked.
"Acceptable," Rowan said after a moment.
Kihara's eyes sharpened. "You can make requests as well."
"I will," Rowan replied calmly. "First, proper pay and benefits. Second, I work on my schedule, not yours. Third, I choose my missions. Anything that crosses my moral line, I won't do."
Kihara's mouth twitched. "You're demanding."
"Yes."
After a brief silence, Kihara nodded. "Fine. I agree."
What mattered was getting Rowan inside. There would be time later to figure out how to deal with him.
"Then let's go," Kihara said, tapping a button. A black sedan rolled up to the curb. "I'll design the fastest route to Level Five based on your abilities."
Rowan didn't hesitate. He got in.
Far away, in another world entirely, Rowan stood on the bar counter of the Fairy Tail guild hall.
"Transform."
A blue magic circle flared above him. In a blink, his golden cat form twisted and reshaped, becoming a human silhouette that matched the image of his original body.
He frowned at his reflection.
"Still not quite there."
The shape was right, but the scale was wrong. The mirror showed a perfectly human Rowan… only palm-sized. The transformation held the appearance, not the mass.
Beside him, Mirajane smiled as she wiped down a glass. "That's already impressive. You've only just started learning full transformation. With practice, you'll get it."
Rowan nodded and dropped the spell, returning to his usual feline form. Until he mastered higher-tier transformation magic, forcing the spell weakened his combat ability too much to be practical.
"Is the guild master out today?" he asked.
"Meeting with a major magic-tool manufacturer," Mirajane replied. "About modifying the mobile fortress."
After Phantom Lord's defeat, Makarov had taken possession of the fortress. For a long time it had sat unused by the lake, too expensive to refit. But business had been good lately. More requests, more funding, and Rowan's help repairing collateral damage had finally made the upgrades possible.
Rowan glanced around the guild hall. "And Natsu? Gray? They didn't take a job, did they?"
Mirajane paused, then smiled faintly. "No… they didn't."
Rowan had a feeling that meant trouble.