A second-story window shattered, sending glass fragments raining onto the cobblestone street accompanied by a smoldering body.
The man in question wore a black cloak, with the smoke tendrils stemming from a hole burned in the center of his shirt. He managed to flip in the air, aiming to land on his feet like a cat. A magic circle appeared underneath him to break his fall… Until a second man in similar dark garb was sent flying out the same window, striking him and reducing both of them to a heap.
It was a busy part of town. A ring of passers-by grouped around them, looking between their bodies and the broken window they came from.
The civilians scattered a moment later as ten other windows broke at the same time, shattered by some kind of shockwave. Most people ran, calling for the Rune Knights. The next person to be forcibly ejected came out the front door.
He was hurled through the rectangle of wood back-first, propelled by massive swelling arms made of tree roots. He skidded and lifted himself to one knee, before a red bolt hit him in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Harry and Laki stepped out of the building, Harry wearing an appreciative smile. "That was a nice throw."
"You're the one who knocked him out," Laki said.
"It was a team effort. His magic was annoying." Harry winced, smacking his palm down on his ear. "I thought I was going to go deaf…"
"Sound magic," Laki said. "It even shattered glass."
"What are you doing?!"
Looking to the side, they saw that Gust had arrived on the scene. The garrison commander had a small team of Rune Knights with him, an old man standing behind them. The old man wore white robes that had blue trim, including a tall blue collar. It seemed like the Rune Knights were positioned in a perimeter around him, but Gust broke that formation as he stepped forward to shout at Harry.
"You said you were pursuing Hydra Shadow!" Gust said. "This is the Commercial District, in the shadow of the very palace itself. No Dark Mage would dare to step foot here!"
"Really? Then how do you explain these guys?" Harry asked, pointing at the men laying in the street. "There are more inside, too. I mean I guess they aren't really on their feet right now, so you're technically right—"
"You said you had a lead!" Gust exclaimed.
"Oh, yeah, I did!" Harry said. "It was a good one, too."
"I demand that you share your source—"
"It was you," Harry said pleasantly.
Gust stopped talking. The old man looked between him and Harry.
"Who is this mage, Gust?" he asked.
Gust didn't answer him.
"What do you mean it was me?" Gust asked. "You're saying that I led you here?"
Harry spun his wand in his palm, catching it aimed toward Gust. "You have honest eyes."
Gust went silent and still. The old man was still looking between them, a scowl growing as he was ignored. "What is the meaning of this, Gust?"
It was Harry who answered him.
"The council has been having problems with Hydra Shadow for years now, isn't that right? They kept leaking information and couldn't be caught. Why not? Well, they obviously had an inside source. Someone working for the council wasn't as trustworthy as they were pretending to be… What if that someone was also responsible for catching the criminals in question? From the start, the snake was chasing its own tail." Harry tilted his head, smirking. "Pardon the pun."
Gust was the only one who laughed.
The other Rune Knights stepped back, lowering their staves defensively. Gust moved his front foot toward Harry, his hands out at his sides with the palms up.
"All of that is nothing but a guess," Gust said.
"More of a rationalization." The men talked casually to each other, their tone as friendly as it'd been when they met in the bar. "I didn't suspect you immediately, that would've been crazy."
"What changed your mind?"
"You claimed you didn't know Dyst. Yet the second his fingers went into those pouches, you knew they stored weapons."
Gust looked disgusted. "That's still a guess!"
"I know," Harry said. "It was just suspicious enough for me to read your mind. Twelve safe houses! Three fake Guild Halls! And above all, a false business to launder all those ill-gotten gains. That's what we're standing outside of here… But you already knew that."
He smiled brightly, letting that sink in, before carrying on.
"We got all of them, Gust. I ripped every single one apart in a day. You've got nothing left."
Gust could only laugh. "A mind-reader! I encountered a mind-reader!"
"Those are deadly accusations!" said the old man. "Answer me, Gust, in the name of the Magic Council! Is what he says true?"
"Oh, shut up Org," Gust said. "Be a good old man and step back quietly." He tilted his head up, looking at the rooftops around them, judging their height. "I'll have to escape Crocus now I suppose. A shame… I liked it here." He looked back. "But of course, I'll have to deal with you first, Mr. Mind-Reader."
"I told you my name earlier," Harry said.
Lightning curled off of Gust's arms and shoulders. "Sure! But it matters little now. The dead have no need of names."
His pupils lost their definition, flickering slightly like they were powered lights. His fingernails elongated, turning to pure electricity. It was clear what the theme of his magic was, Harry just didn't know the details.
"Men, seize that man!" Org shouted.
Before the Rune Knights could move a wave of lightning emanated out of Gust's body, making their bodies seize up. Org was next in its path before Laki dropped to one knee.
"Wood-Make: Dome of branches!"
A wall of wood appeared in front of the old man just in time. Rather than pursue Org further, Gust launched himself at Harry.
Harry's eyes sharpened. There were still small bolts of lightning surrounding Gust's body. He wasn't as fast as the element that he wielded, but magic clearly enhanced his speed.
Compared to Jellal, he was outright slow.
Gust slashed at Harry, using his lightning-made-claws. Harry heard them crackling as he leaned out of the way. The claws created trails of lightning that struck a business behind Harry, blowing chunks out of the front of it.
"We'll see how long you can dodge!" Gust said.
Harry dodged the next three swings. Each of them created gashes in the surroundings, either slicing through the street or ripping up storefronts. Gust let out a growl, followed by his elongated nails growing slightly. Presumably, that meant an increase in their output, or it could have been just a range extension.
Harry considered the options with a watchful eye as Gust continued to attack. He couldn't let the man build up too much momentum while he assessed his powers.
Harry aimed a Stunner at Gust's head, but the man snapped back at the waist, dodging it with his boosted speed. He seemed cocky about the miss, given the grin on his face. Harry was satisfied with delaying his next attack.
"You can't touch me!" Gust bragged.
He put his hands together in front of his chest, one on the bottom and the other on top with the palms facing each other. Gust started twisting his hands in different directions, like he was opening a jar. The static between them started to fizz, grow, and form outright bolts.
When a ball of plasma had formed, Gust lobbed it at Harry.
"Static Magic: Amp Bomb!"
It seemed like an explosion of some kind, Harry deduced as the orb traveled. It was nice the way mages kindly named their spells, giving hints about their effects. He didn't have the same problem unless he was facing a scholar of Latin. Unlikely back home, and outright impossible here.
Expecting it to explode, Harry treated the attack in the most effective way he could— conjuring a sphere of rubber around the electric ball thick enough to eat whatever danger it offered.
Gust actually stopped moving, frowning. "But you're a mind mage!"
"I never said that," Harry said. "Just that I read your mind. There's a difference. You'll find I'm a man of many talents."
He twirled his wand. Org was leaning out from behind the barricade Laki made for him, watching the fight as closely as he dared to. Gust was standing roughly ten meters from Harry. The street had largely been evacuated, but there were still citizens watching down the street in either direction. A few faces could be seen peeking out of windows. Harry's eyes flickered over everything.
End it fast before collateral damage goes on. Avoid attacks with too wide a range. Put on a show.
The last one was purely personal. Hydra Shadow's defeat was supposed to spread word of Fairy Tail. Beating Gust fast would send a message, but beating him fast and with style?
Harry turned his body slightly to the side, adopting a proper dueling stance. Not that anyone here would recognize it. He pointed his wand at Gust and placed his spare arm behind his back, almost like a bullfighter. That part had nothing to do with proper dueling, and everything to do with showmanship.
"For the good of Fiore, and the integrity of legal guilds the continent over, I will defeat your villainy!" Harry shouted.
Laki looked at him like he'd sprouted a second head from his neck. Gust cringed. Harry brushed off their reactions. He'd gladly sacrifice his pride and act melodramatic if it left the right impression.
Guilds got their jobs from people. People sent more jobs to the famous guilds they knew and loved.
Ergo, his first task as a Guild Master was obvious. Marketing.
He turned around, pointing his back toward his enemy to address the crowd down the street. "Behind me, ladies and gentlemen, is the leader of the infamous Dark Guild Hydra Shadow, a dark stain on this great city that has lasted for too long! They infiltrated the Rune Knights themselves to commit their selfish deeds! Today, that ends!"
"Shut up!"
Harry had struck a nerve. He didn't know if it was his words or the fact that he turned his back, but something caused Gust to snap.
His Static Magic appeared over his entire body, forming a shimmering suit of armor. He was a powerful mage, all things considered. He could have trounced Twilight Ogre with ease. Most likely, Gust could have even taken Dyst in a straight fight, who himself had overpowered Laki in a flash. If Harry had to guess, with what he'd learned of the classifications in Earthland, he'd estimate that Gust was an A-Class mage.
He was no Meredy.
Ultear could have grinded him under her heel… Which sounded like a decent place to be, now that Harry thought about it.
If he tried fighting Jellal, he would've already been buried in a crater.
"Just remember, everyone!" Harry said as Gust flew toward him, sheathed in a suit of high-voltage magic. "The work you saw here today…"
Harry swung his wand. Magic coursed through his arm. This type of spell didn't require an incantation, just an excessive amount of focus and a boatload of magic power. It was a challenge even for him.
Enough that he had to pause his speech. The idea of failing never crossed his mind.
The street broke as a dragon erupted from it.
That was how it would look, at least. Really, the street was the dragon. The stones and the dirt underneath was given a new shape, forming a giant lizard that caught Gust inside its rocky fangs, swallowing him in short order. Houses shook and their supports groaned. The dragon turned downward, returning to the street mouth-first. Trapped in its jaws, Gust's electricity had no route to attack anything. He couldn't escape, and was slammed into the street hard enough to whip dust over everyone.
When it cleared, Harry stood in the midst of a ruined street, surrounded by fissures, a mound of earth, and houses that were rapidly losing shingles and parts of their walls.
"...is all work courtesy of—"
"F-Fairy Tail!" Org screamed.
The collision of the dragon against the ground had knocked him off his feet. He was on all-fours, crawling around the barricade Laki erected.
The man (who Harry was eighty percent sure belonged to the Magical Council) was looking with wide eyes at the obliterated street. He only briefly glanced at Gust and the other Hydra Shadow mages laid out on their backs.
"This damage… so much damage… It could only be their work!" Org laughed, and Harry didn't know if he was going to cheer or cry. "Fairy Tail is back!"
Harry turned back to the crowd. "That's right! And under our watch, you've never been in better hands!" He made a wand movement similar to an uppercase G. "Reparo!"
Harry poured all his considerable power into it. He actually felt lightheaded, trying to do so much at once. But he managed it all the same.
The parts of the street that he co-opted in his final attack sank back into place. All the fallen shingles shot back onto roofs. Holes in walls and shattered windows became whole once more. By the time the spell stopped, everything was as good as new.
"Please keep us in mind the next time you have a job—" Harry said.
He cut off at the sound of remarkably heavy footsteps. Spinning, he turned around just before Org reached him, moving with such speed that Harry wondered if the old man was a mage hiding his power.
Harry's hand was instantly clasped. Org all but had stars in his eyes.
"A Fairy Tail mage who can fix damage! I never… I never thought I would see the day…!"
The old man was so emotional that he started shedding tears.
Harry didn't know if making a Magic Council member cry was exactly the kind of publicity he'd been going for. But… he took the cheering from the crowd as a sign that he hadn't done too badly.
O-O-O
In a cell lit by scant amounts of sunlight, deep in the Magic Council's most secure prison, a boy younger than twenty sat with his back against the wall. A straightjacket restrained his arms while magic-dampening cuffs robbed him of his powers. There was a single musty cot attached to the wall, which is where he was sitting, staring at the floor without flinching or looking up.
"Merlin, they really buried you in here fast."
For the first time in hours, Dyst raised his head. Harry looked back at him, holding a half-eaten sandwich. When the silence dragged, Harry took another bite.
"Sorry. I skipped lunch to bust a bunch of Dark Mage dens," Harry said. "I had to eat sometime."
Dyst didn't answer, though his eyes widened when Harry casually produced a key and unlocked his cell. Harry came inside, not bothering to close the door behind him. Dyst was heavily restrained. And even if he hadn't been, they'd seen what result a face-off would bring.
"Want some?" Harry asked, lifting his sandwich.
Dyst looked at it, then down at his bound state.
"Don't worry. I can make it easy for you."
Harry drew his wand. Dyst flinched. All Harry did was cut off an untouched corner of his sandwich and levitate it across the room, right in front of Dyst's face.
"Go on, eat it," Harry said. "Starving yourself won't do anyone good."
Dyst leaned forward, biting it out of the air. He chewed while Harry said, "Good."
With his wand, Harry conjured a seat for himself, dropping down, crossing his legs, and having another bite. Dyst flinched again when Harry conjured the chair.
"You're scared of my wand," Harry said.
"...It's how you use magic," Dyst said.
"That's true. I reckon it's deeper than that, though. Am I the first person who beat you since you left home?"
Dyst shook his head.
"Huh," Harry said. "I guess you met someone strong. Am I the first one to beat you badly?"
This time, grudgingly, Dyst nodded.
"Did I make you feel like you were going to die?"
Dyst hesitated.
"What are you here for?" he asked. He sounded angry, but Harry knew how thin the line between that and fear was.
Harry finished his sandwich, licked his fingers, and asked, "What are your thoughts on what I showed you?"
"That… thing," Dyst said, his top lip curling. "It was disgusting."
"I agree. It was also a man, once," Harry said. "I saw him when he was young. Back then he was handsome. A prodigy of magic. Charismatic, and surrounded by followers. The last part was the only thing that didn't change, but how he kept them around did. Instead of inspiring them, he led them through fear. Easy enough when you're as hideous as he was."
Dyst stayed silent.
"His name was Voldemort. He was the first and only man I've ever killed." Harry looked longingly at his empty hand, wishing for more sandwich, before his eyes rose to Dyst's. The seriousness within them made Dyst flinch. "That is your fate."
Dyst thrashed against his straightjacket, glaring. "I'm nothing like that!"
"Neither was Voldemort, at the start," Harry said. "It was a gradual thing. See, death is what's natural. As scary as it can be, humans are meant to die. I don't want it to happen tomorrow, or the next day, or for many years to come— but one day I'll die, and if it happens the right way, I'll welcome it."
"Then you're weak."
Harry laughed. "Compared to nature? We're all weak! It's about picking the right battles. There's only one kind of immortality that works."
Despite himself — despite everything — Dyst leaned forward. "What is it?"
Harry smiled ruefully. "Earlier today, I had someone tell me that The dead have no need of names. And you know what, I agree. Because that's what you leave behind. A name, loved ones who hold memories of you, and the mark you left on the world. You can't keep breathing forever. No matter what." And here, Harry's eyes became as cold as stone, driving shivers down Dyst's spine. "But the things you do can be immortalized if you do great enough things. The key to immortality is legacy— Everything else is a cheap trick."
"What…" Dyst spoke quietly. "What if that isn't enough for me? What if I'm scared?"
Harry got the feeling he never would've said those words out loud if he didn't know that Harry had already seen his thoughts. Harry already knew his fears. He relished the chance to answer them.
"You're young," Harry said. "Your life is just beginning. If you obsess over the end, blink and it'll be gone. You'll have no chance at immortality then. Instead, focus on all the living that you have left."
Harry pointed his wand straight at Dyst, who flinched, but the only thing that was attacked were his restraints. The straightjacket tore into strips and fell to the floor.
While Dyst sat there in shock, Harry stood up, raising his voice.
"Dyst of Veronica, you have been a traveler, a criminal, a villain, and a fool. But above all, you're still young! Living badly yesterday means nothing about tomorrow! Will you stay here and rot, chasing eternity until you waste away, or will you come with me? Will you live, death be damned, and leave something behind?!"
"I…" Dyst's jaw worked, finding his words. "I… I'll live!"
Harry grinned. He held his wand straight up in the air, and this time Dyst didn't flinch.
Harry conjured the Guild Mark above his head, shining with pearly light. In the dark room, it was so bright that Dyst shielded his face with his hands, only slowly peeking out to look at the shape.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail," Harry said. "It's a good choice for you, given we're freshly back from the dead."