Fairy Tail: Threads of Infinity

The Fairy Tail guild hall was extra loud the next morning. Like, even louder than usual. Tables were scraping across the floor for no reason, people were yelling over each other like they were trying to win some secret volume contest, and job fliers were disappearing from the board like candy at a birthday party. Classic Fairy Tail chaos.

Over there—yep, Natsu was already fighting Gray. Again. It wasn't even noon yet. Typical. Cana was arm-wrestling Elfman, and holy crap she was winning. Again. That girl was scary when drunk. And Erza... oh, Erza... she sat in the corner with a fork and a slice of cake, looking elegant and dangerous at the same time. Like a queen on her throne, but if the throne was a wooden bench and the kingdom was a den of lunatics.

But her eyes... they kept glancing. Glancing at him.

Shinra.

The so-called "new guy." The mysterious recruit. The not-so-subtle enigma with the pretty-boy face, cool glasses, and a vibe that screamed I know things you don't. He sat alone at a table for once, flipping slowly through a thick book titled A Beginner's Guide to Magic Systems in Fiore.

As if he needed that. Hah.

He knew more about Fiore's magic than half the S-Class wizards here. But still, he read. Slowly. Deliberately. While munching on a stick of pocky he had totally not stolen from Mira's private stash... okay maybe he had, but she hadn't noticed yet, so technically it didn't count.

Truth be told, Shinra didn't read because he needed to. He read because it looked good. Harmless. Nerdy. It gave him cover. Camouflage. And if anyone questioned it, well—he'd just give them one of those cryptic smiles and they'd walk away confused.

Worked like a charm.

"HEY!! New guy!!"

Shinra didn't flinch. He looked up slowly, lazily blinking like he hadn't been waiting for someone to talk to him for the past five minutes.

Natsu Dragneel was standing there like a golden retriever on too much sugar, grinning from ear to ear with excitement practically radiating off his scarf. Happy floated beside him, flapping his wings like a blue cotton ball with wings and attitude.

"You're not seriously gonna sit there reading all day, are ya?" Natsu said loudly, jabbing a thumb toward the job board. "I can tell you're strong. You smell strong. Like, monster-level strong! Let's go wreck something!"

Shinra tilted his head slightly, smirking like someone who knew too much. "Tempting offer. Got a quest in mind?"

Before Natsu could answer, Lucy—bless her timing—stepped in with a bright smile and a pink flier in hand.

"Bandit problem," she explained, flicking the flier for emphasis. "Small town to the west. Explosive magic. Granary under siege. Not great pay, but the townsfolk are starving."

"Lots of stuff to punch," Natsu added, eyes gleaming.

"...Sold," Shinra said, shutting the book and sliding off his stool with practiced ease. "Let's bond. Through violence."

"Now that's the spirit!" Natsu laughed.

A Few Hours Later... On the Road

It was hot. The sun was out, the wind was lazy, and the trees looked like they were melting. Shinra walked calmly with his hands in his pockets, flanked by Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. They were already chatting like a team of old friends—even though this was technically his first mission with them.

"So what kind of magic do you use anyway?" Lucy asked, tilting her head curiously as she wiped a little sweat from her brow.

Shinra smiled in that slow, unreadable way again. "It's… complicated. You could say it's about pressure. Force. Maybe gravity. Sometimes atomic-level manipulation. Kind of... existential."

Lucy stared blankly. "That... helped zero percent."

"Don't worry, Lucy!" Happy chirped. "Natsu doesn't understand it either!"

"I understood the part where it's strong," Natsu grinned, cracking his knuckles. "That's the only part I care about anyway."

"Good," Shinra said with a chuckle. "Then I'll leave the fireworks to you."

Bandit Hideout: Enter Chaos

The granary was a mess. Burn marks on the ground. Scorched earth. Walls barely standing. It was basically asking to collapse at any moment. And the bandits? Oh, they were the classic kind. Five of them. Loud, cocky, with over-gelled hair and glowing explosive magic orbs in their hands like they were juggling fireworks at a circus.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" the biggest one barked.

"We're the Fairy Tail cleanup crew," Natsu replied, grinning like a maniac. "And we brought a special delivery... OF PAIN!!"

And then it was on.

Lucy summoned Virgo with a flash of golden light. Natsu dove into the fray like a mad dog off a leash. Happy zoomed through the air yelling "AYE SIR!" over and over like it was his catchphrase.

Shinra?

He didn't move.

He just stood there. Watching. Arms crossed. Eyes hidden behind his shades. Breathing slow. Calm. Almost too calm.

Like he wasn't even interested.

But inside?

He was calculating. Measuring. Judging their strength. Their weakness. His own tolerance. How much could he get away with without overstepping?

Then—one of the bandits veered off. Headed for Lucy. Fast.

Too fast.

And just like that—

TWIST.

The air shimmered.

Shinra moved.

One second he was standing still. The next—he was there. Between the bandit and Lucy. Hand raised. Lazy posture. Effortless.

The bandit's punch stopped. Inches from his face. Just... froze. Mid-air. Like time hiccupped.

"Wha—!?" the bandit gasped, trying to move. He couldn't. His arm wouldn't budge.

"That's close enough," Shinra muttered, adjusting his shades with a single finger.

Then—BLUE.

With a small flick, the bandit was yanked backward like a doll on a string, sent flying into a crate pile like a crash test dummy. He didn't get back up.

Shinra didn't even blink.

"Have at it, Natsu," he said coolly.

"ALREADY ON IT!!" Natsu howled, dropkicking another mage straight into a bush.

The fight ended pretty fast after that.

Later That Evening — Back at the Guild

The sun was barely down by the time they strolled back into the guild, bandits defeated, reward bag in hand, and Natsu looking way too proud of his bruises.

The guild went wild.

"HE'S A MAN!!!" Elfman roared, slamming a meaty hand onto Shinra's shoulder. Shinra didn't even flinch. Elfman looked mildly offended.

"Stylish, mysterious, and doesn't talk too much. Just my type," Cana said with a wink while sipping from her barrel-sized mug.

Lucy laughed. "We made a pretty good team!"

"He didn't even punch anyone!" Natsu huffed, crossing his arms.

"Because he doesn't have to, you fire-breathing idiot," Gray muttered from across the hall.

"YOU WANNA FIGHT, STRIPPER!?"

"ANYTIME, SALAMANDER!"

Erza sat nearby, quietly observing. Her expression unreadable. Her cake forgotten. Eyes locked on Shinra like a cat watching a new toy. There was curiosity there. And something deeper.

Then—Mira appeared beside Shinra, setting down a drink with a sweet smile.

"You didn't do much," she said softly, "or at least, that's what Natsu said. But your magic... I can tell it's something special."

Shinra took the drink with a small nod. "I like to let others shine. I'm more of a support character."

Mira giggled. "That's a poetic way of saying you're lazy."

"Maybe," Shinra said, sipping the drink. "Or maybe I just like to watch before I act."

"Oh? That sounds dangerous."

He grinned slowly. "Who says I can't be fun and dangerous?"

Their eyes met.

A spark?

Maybe.