# Chapter 2: First Contact
Cael arrived at the scene just as one of the dark wizards raised his hand for what looked like a killing blow. Without hesitation, he manifested six screens in a hexagonal formation around himself and released a synchronized barrage.
The energy bolts streaked through the air, striking the ground in front of the dark wizards with precise impacts. Dirt and debris exploded upward, forcing them to stumble backward and shield their faces.
"What the—?!" one of them shouted.
Cael stepped into the clearing, his red eyes scanning the situation with calm assessment. The three guild members were battered and exhausted—the blue-haired girl was on one knee, breathing heavily, while her two male companions were struggling to stand. Both young men had similar builds, lean and clearly worn down from the fight.
The six dark wizards recovered quickly, turning their attention to the newcomer.
"Well, well," the apparent leader sneered, a tall man with a scar across his cheek. "Looks like we've got a hero. Bad timing, kid. You just signed your death warrant."
Cael ignored him, walking calmly toward the blue-haired girl. He kept his awareness on the dark wizards, screens already forming in his peripheral vision, but his immediate concern was the injured guild members.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft but clear.
The girl looked up at him, and he could see the determination in her eyes despite her exhaustion. She had warm hazel eyes and her blue hair was disheveled from the fight. "I—yes, but my teammates—"
"Hey!" the scarred leader barked. "I'm talking to you!"
A whip of shadow magic lashed toward Cael's back. Without turning, he manifested a screen behind him. The shadow whip struck the hardlight surface and dissipated harmlessly.
"Rude," Cael said mildly, still focused on the girl. "You were saying?"
She blinked in surprise at how casually he'd deflected the attack. "My teammates, Jet and Droy—they're hurt worse than me. We were on a mission to investigate reports of dark wizard activity when they ambushed us."
Cael glanced at the two young men. One had dark hair, the other orange, both breathing hard and sporting visible injuries. They were conscious but clearly at their limit.
"Can you stand?" he asked the girl.
"I think so," she said, pushing herself to her feet with visible effort.
"Then get behind me," Cael said calmly. "And stay close to your friends."
"You arrogant little—" the scarred leader started.
Cael finally turned his full attention to the dark wizards. His expression remained neutral, almost detached, but his red eyes were sharp and calculating. He raised one hand, and screens began materializing around him—first three, then six, then twelve, arranged in a complex three-dimensional formation.
"I'm going to give you one chance," he said quietly. "Leave now, and this ends peacefully."
The dark wizards looked at each other, then burst into laughter.
"You hear this guy?" one of them, a stocky man with earth magic crackling around his fists, chuckled. "Kid thinks he can take all six of us!"
"Your funeral," the leader said, shadows coiling around his arms like serpents.
Cael sighed softly. "I tried."
The dark wizards attacked as one. Shadow whips lashed out, earth spikes erupted from the ground, fire and ice magic streaked through the air from the others.
Cael didn't move from his position. Instead, his screens shifted instantly into a defensive sphere, intercepting every attack. The shadow whips dissipated against the hardlight surfaces. The earth spikes shattered. The elemental magic splashed harmlessly against his barriers.
"What?!" the leader's confidence wavered.
"My turn," Cael said simply.
Half of his screens shifted to offense. "Archive Barrage."
Energy bolts fired in rapid succession, forcing the dark wizards to scatter. But Cael wasn't aiming to hit them directly—he was herding them, pushing them into specific positions.
While they were off-balance, he manifested his first construct. An Assault unit materialized beside him, its form solidifying from hardlight into a humanoid soldier with a gun-construct on one arm and a blade on the other.
"Command Network," Cael said, and two more Assault units appeared, forming a tactical line. "Aether Legion."
The blue-haired girl gasped behind him. "What kind of magic is that?"
"Something new," Cael replied. He raised his hand, and his screens rearranged into an offensive formation. "Tactical Overlay."
A large translucent screen appeared in his vision, showing the battlefield from above with markers for each enemy. He issued silent commands to his constructs through his connection to them.
The Assault units moved with mechanical precision, advancing on the dark wizards from multiple angles. Energy bolts fired from their gun-arms, forcing the enemies to defend rather than attack.
"Coordinated strike," Cael said quietly.
His screens fired in perfect sync with his constructs' attacks, creating a devastating crossfire. The dark wizards tried to counter, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer tactical superiority. Cael directed every attack with calm precision, never wasting energy, always maintaining pressure.
The stocky earth mage tried to create a defensive wall, but Cael had already anticipated it. Two of his screens shifted position, firing from an angle that bypassed the defense entirely. The man went down hard.
"This is impossible!" the scarred leader shouted, shadows flaring desperately around him. "What are you?!"
"Just someone who trained," Cael replied. He manifested two additional screens directly behind the leader, who was too focused on the frontal assault to notice. "Nothing personal."
The screens fired point-blank. The leader collapsed, his shadows dissipating.
The remaining four dark wizards looked at each other in panic. They were outmatched and they knew it.
"Retreat!" one of them yelled, and they scattered into the forest in different directions.
Cael considered pursuing but decided against it. His priority was the injured guild members, not hunting fleeing opponents. He dismissed his constructs and most of his screens, keeping only one active to monitor the area.
He turned back to the three guild members. The blue-haired girl was staring at him with wide eyes, while her two companions looked equally shocked.
"That was..." she started, then seemed to struggle for words. "That was incredible! I've never seen magic like that before!"
"Command Magic," Cael said simply. "It's my own creation." He looked at the three of them more carefully. "You said you're on a mission? Which guild are you from?"
The girl's expression brightened despite her exhaustion. "We're from Fairy Tail! I'm Levy McGarden, and these are my teammates, Jet and Droy."
Fairy Tail. The name resonated with something in Cael's memory—not specific events, but a sense of importance. He knew that was a significant guild, one of the strongest in Fiore.
"Fairy Tail," he repeated. "I've heard of it. You're a long way from Magnolia."
"We took a mission that brought us out this way," Levy explained. "There were reports of dark wizard activity in the area, and we were supposed to investigate. We found them alright, but..." she looked embarrassed. "We got careless. They ambushed us and we were outnumbered."
"You held your own well enough," Cael said. "Most people wouldn't have lasted as long as you did against six opponents."
Jet finally found his voice, though it came out strained. "Thanks for the save, man. We were in serious trouble there."
"Yeah," Droy added, wincing as he stood up straighter. "Another minute and we'd have been done for."
Cael nodded. "Can you three walk? You need medical attention."
"There's an inn back in Riverside where we're staying," Levy said. "They have a healer on staff. It's only about a mile from here." She looked at Cael with genuine gratitude. "I can't thank you enough for helping us. You saved our lives."
"It was the right thing to do," Cael said simply. His red eyes studied her for a moment—she seemed determined, intelligent, and genuinely kind despite the dangerous profession she'd chosen. "I'm Cael Vernier."
"Well, Cael Vernier," Levy said with a warm smile, "would you mind escorting us back to the inn? I'd feel safer with someone who can take down six dark wizards without breaking a sweat."
"I didn't expect you to be so casual about being rescued," Cael observed.
Levy laughed, though it was a bit shaky. "That's just how we are in Fairy Tail. We bounce back quick." She started walking, her teammates following, and gestured for Cael to join them. "Besides, I have about a hundred questions about your magic. I've read about Archive magic before, but what you were doing was way beyond anything I've ever seen in books."
Cael fell into step beside her, keeping one screen active and discreetly monitoring their surroundings. "It's an advanced form I developed. Archive magic was the foundation, but I took it in a different direction."
"You *developed* it?" Levy's eyes went wide again. "You created your own magic system? That's... that's amazing! How long did that take?"
"About a year of focused training," Cael replied.
They walked through the forest, Levy peppering him with questions about Command Magic while Jet and Droy followed behind, still recovering from the fight. Cael found himself appreciating Levy's genuine curiosity and sharp intellect. She asked insightful questions and quickly grasped the basic concepts he explained.
When they reached Riverside, the sun was beginning to set. The inn was a comfortable-looking two-story building near the town square. Levy led them inside, where an older woman with healing magic tended to their injuries.
After the healer finished, Levy insisted that Cael join them in the common room. The four of them sat at a corner table, drinks in hand—water for Cael, ale for the others despite their young age.
"So," Levy said, leaning forward with interest, "what brings you to this area? Are you a guild wizard too?"
"No," Cael said. "I've been training in the forest for the past year. Today was the first time I've properly interacted with anyone since I arrived in this region."
"A year alone in the forest?" Jet asked, impressed. "That takes dedication."
"I needed the time to master my magic," Cael explained. "I couldn't do that in civilization."
Levy studied him thoughtfully. "But now your training is done?"
"The basics are solid," Cael confirmed. "I was planning to venture into society soon anyway. Running into your situation just accelerated the timeline."
"Well, I'm glad it did," Levy said warmly. She hesitated, then seemed to come to a decision. "Cael, you said you're not part of a guild, right?"
"Correct."
"Would you... would you be interested in joining one?" Levy's expression was earnest. "Specifically Fairy Tail? Someone with your skills and your magic would be an amazing addition, and honestly, we could use someone who thinks tactically like you do."
Cael considered this. He'd known he would eventually need to join a guild—it was the primary way wizards made a living in this world. And Fairy Tail, from what little he remembered, was important. Being part of it could provide opportunities, resources, connections.
More than that, though, he found himself liking Levy. She was intelligent, kind, and seemed to genuinely care about both her teammates and the person who'd saved them. The idea of being in the same guild as her was... appealing.
"I'd need to speak with your guild master," Cael said thoughtfully. "But I'm not opposed to the idea."
Levy's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Really? That's great! Master Makarov is really understanding, and I'm sure he'd accept you once he saw your magic." She paused. "We're heading back to Magnolia tomorrow morning. Would you want to come with us? We could introduce you properly."
Cael nodded slowly. "That would be acceptable. I'll need to gather my things from my camp, but that won't take long."
"Perfect!" Levy said excitedly. She pulled out a small notebook and pen from her bag—apparently she carried them everywhere. "Tell me more about Command Magic! Can you explain how the hardlight constructs maintain their form? What's the magical theory behind it?"
Cael allowed himself a small smile and began explaining, appreciating her genuine intellectual curiosity. As the evening wore on and they talked, he found himself relaxing slightly.
Jet and Droy eventually excused themselves to get some sleep, but Levy continued talking with Cael, their conversation ranging from magic theory to books she'd read to life in Fairy Tail. Cael mostly listened, offering observations and answering her questions, but he found the interaction... pleasant.
Finally, as the inn's common room began to empty, Levy stifled a yawn.
"I should probably get some sleep too," she said reluctantly. "We have an early start tomorrow." She stood up, then looked at Cael seriously. "Thank you again. Not just for saving us, but for agreeing to come to Magnolia. I really think you'll like Fairy Tail."
"Thank you for the invitation," Cael replied, standing as well. "I'll meet you here at dawn."
"It's a date—I mean, a plan!" Levy said quickly, her cheeks coloring slightly. "A plan. We'll see you in the morning."
She hurried off toward the stairs, and Cael watched her go with a thoughtful expression. Then he turned and left the inn, heading back into the forest toward his camp.
As he walked through the darkness, a single screen materialized beside him, providing light. He thought about the day's events—his first real combat, meeting Levy and her team, the invitation to Fairy Tail.
One year of isolated training had ended. A new chapter was beginning.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, Cael felt like he was exactly where he needed to be.