The world came back in fragments—rough wood beneath his palms, smoke and ale thick in the air, voices bleeding together in chaos. Yume Kai Minato's head throbbed as consciousness dragged him upward.
His purple eyes snapped open.
Where—?
He pushed himself up, his six-foot-five frame unfolding awkwardly between tables. The room was pure chaos—rough beams overhead, people in armor and outfits that defied logic crowding around wooden tables. A man with orange hair arm-wrestled someone whose muscles had muscles. Laughter and shouting filled every corner.
This isn't real.
Yume's hand went to his temple. His dark hair, longer than he remembered, fell across his vision. He pushed it back with trembling fingers.
Then the world broke.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
A translucent panel materialized before his face, text scrolling in pale blue light. Yume jerked backward. Several people glanced his way, but most ignored the tall teenager who'd just woken on their floor.
[Welcome, Yume Kai Minato]
[Status: Stable]
[Location: Fairy Tail Guild Hall]
"What the—" His voice came out rough, deeper than expected.
He looked at his hands. They were his—strong, long-fingered—but also different. Younger. His body felt powerful in ways he didn't remember.
A pinch to his forearm brought sharp pain.
Not a dream.
[Would you like a full explanation of your current situation?]
"Yes," he said quietly.
[SITUATION REPORT:
You have been transmigrated into the world of Fairy Tail. Timeline: Three months before Lucy Heartfilia joins the guild. Your predecessor was a background member, largely unnoticed. Current resources: Minimal. Magical potential: Unprecedented.]
Transmigrated. The word hit like a physical blow. He knew that term from fiction, stories about people who died and woke in fantasy worlds.
Am I dead?
[Previous existence terminated. Current existence stable. You are alive.]
Yume's mind raced. Fairy Tail. He knew that name—an anime his colleagues' kids watched. Magic and guilds and...
He'd been a zoologist. His life had been research papers and the endless blue of the sea. Now he was in a world where magic was real.
[You possess a unique system interface providing real-time status monitoring and information synthesis. No mandatory quests—only data and options.]
"Why me?"
[Cause: Dimensional anomaly during soul transition. Integration was unintentional but irreversible. As compensation, you have been granted three random lottery spins from the Multiversal Archive.]
Compensation for ripping him from his life.
But if this was real, if there was no going back...
Yume took a breath. His training kicked in—observe, adapt, survive.
"What happens with these lottery spins?"
[Each spin grants a random ability modified for compatibility with current reality. Would you like to proceed?]
He looked around the guild hall. People laughing, fighting playfully. They belonged here. They had power.
He had nothing.
"Is there somewhere private I can do this?"
[Recommended: Forest northeast of Magnolia Town. Fifteen minutes travel. Typically deserted.]
Whatever these spins did, attracting attention seemed unwise.
:::
The sunlight outside was almost painful. Yume blinked at cobblestone streets and medieval buildings that shouldn't exist. People in modern clothes walked past others in full armor.
Magnolia Town, his mind supplied, pulling from memories that weren't quite his.
He walked, his long legs eating distance. The town gave way to trees gradually until only forest remained. He continued until even the road disappeared, until only birds and wind filled the silence.
A small clearing opened before him—sunlight filtering through the canopy, moss covering fallen logs, wildflowers dotting grass.
Yume stood in the center and took a deep breath.
"I'm ready. Spin the lottery."
[Initiating First Spin...]
[First Spin Result: DARKBOUND LEGION]
Power slammed into him. He staggered, falling to one knee as magic flooded his body. Ice water in his veins. Shadows coiling beneath his skin.
Knowledge poured in—pure understanding. Shadow-based shikigami. Powerful magical beasts he could summon if he defeated them first. Ten original forms, each requiring solo combat to earn loyalty. Two were already his. Twin Divine Dogs.
[Special Shikigami Added: RIKA - The Cursed Spirit]
More knowledge flooded in. Rika—a protector bound to him, able to copy techniques and store magical energy. No cost to maintain.
[Initiating Second Spin...]
[Second Spin Result: BATMAN'S COMPLETE SKILLSET]
This time he was braced, but the flood still nearly drove him down. His body suddenly *knew* things. Combat. Stealth. Detection. Strategy. A lifetime of training uploaded directly into instinct.
Raw and unrefined. The knowledge was there, but his body needed practice.
A slightly hysterical laugh escaped. A marine biologist becoming a supernatural detective.
[Initiating Third Spin...]
[Third Spin Result: PANDORA'S DARKNESS ORBS]
Weight settled into his soul. Eight orbs of compressed darkness connected to his will, able to transform into any tool or weapon.
He held out his hand, thinking about the orbs. One materialized—perfectly black, absorbing light. He transformed it into a knife, then a shield, then back.
[Lottery Spins Complete]
"Show me everything."
[YUME KAI MINATO - STATUS]
[Age: 17 | Height: 195 cm]
[HP: 100% | MP: 100% | Stamina: 100%]
[DARKBOUND LEGION: Shadow summoning magic. Current available: Twin Divine Dogs. Remaining shikigami must be defeated in solo combat. Warning: Death is possible.]
[RIKA: No magic cost. Can copy abilities and store weapons/energy. Copied abilities can be lent to other shikigami. Warning: Excessive lending causes severe mental strain.]
[DETECTIVE & COMBAT MASTERY: Complete martial arts knowledge, detective skills, stealth expertise. Requires practice for full mastery.]
[PANDORA'S DARKNESS ORBS: Eight indestructible shape-shifting orbs. Requires concentration to control.]
Yume read through twice. This was his new reality.
He was no longer just a zoologist. But his approach didn't need to change. Observe. Document. Understand. Adapt.
"System, what about my name? You mentioned something about meaning."
[夢 (Yume): Dream | 海 (Kai): Sea | 港 (Minato): Harbor]
[Combined: "Dream of the Sea Harbor" or "The Sailor's Dream"]
The names resonated. He'd spent his life studying the ocean. Now he was in a world where dreams could become reality.
Dream of the Sea Harbor.
He hadn't chosen this, but he was here. Alive. With tools to forge a new path.
"Tell me about the Twin Divine Dogs."
[Modified forms resembling Arcanine. Approximately 2 meters tall. Abilities: coordinated attacks, enhanced tracking, shadow blending, construct consumption. Status: Ready to summon. Cost: Minimal.]
"Alright. Let's see what I'm working with. Come forth—Twin Divine Dogs."
The shadows at his feet rippled, then *exploded* outward.
Two forms materialized—growing, solidifying. One pristine white, the other midnight black. Each stood over two meters tall, muscular and powerful, with intelligent eyes that fixed on him.
They were magnificent. The white one's fur seemed to glow faintly. The black one's coat absorbed light, shadow made flesh.
Both approached. The white bumped its massive head against his hand first, followed by the black. Their loyalty was absolute.
Yume ran his hands through their fur—the white impossibly soft, the black like cool silk. These creatures were his.
He knelt between them, meeting their eyes. The white one had eyes like clear sky. The black one's were deep as ocean trenches.
"You need names," he said softly. "Real names, not just 'Twin Dogs.'"
The white one tilted its head, waiting.
"Sky," Yume decided, touching the white wolf's head. "Because your eyes remind me of endless blue." He turned to the black one. "And you're Sea. Deep, mysterious, powerful."
Sea made a low sound of approval. Sky's tail moved in synchronization.
For the first time since waking in that guild hall, Yume smiled.
"Well then. I need to understand this world and my magic." He looked up through the canopy. "Three months until the timeline begins. Three months to prepare."
He didn't know what role he was supposed to play. But he knew one thing with certainty:
He was Yume Kai Minato—the Dream of the Sea Harbor. And he would face this world the way he'd always faced the unknown.
With observation, adaptation, and courage to dive into depths others feared.
The shadows stirred, responding to his determination.
In the distance, Fairy Tail continued its rhythms.
And in the quiet clearing, a transmigrated zoologist stood with two divine beasts at his side, purple eyes reflecting purpose.
This was his beginning.
[End of Chapter 1]