"What?!"
Even Makarov's eyes went wide when he saw the request.
"Kid, you've got some nerve for a new member, taking a mission like this. No. You need to pick a different job."
Kael Vane said seriously, "Master! I am confident I can complete this mission!"
He did pull Ulquiorra, after all.
Even if his magic power was low and he couldn't use Ulquiorra's full strength, it was more than enough to handle small-time opponents like these.
Makarov shook his head. "This isn't about confidence. It's about strength."
"I have the strength to complete this task!"
"You brat, why are you so stubborn?" Makarov yelled, hitting the table.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Why is the new guy making the Master angry?"
"It seems the new guy wants to take a mission, but the Master won't let him."
"What kind of mission?"
"The one to intercept the Phantom Lord supply unit."
"What?!"
The guild members were shocked.
Phantom Lord wasn't some random street gang—it was a rival guild with a notorious name. And lately, one of their units had been acting like criminals: raiding travelers, robbing towns, and leaving injured people behind.
Even Dark Guilds looked down on what they did.
Dark Guilds might take on shady jobs, but they still completed their contracts to get paid.
But these people? They used magic to rob and kill innocent civilians. They weren't just taking dirty work—they were breaking the unspoken rules that most mages still followed.
The Magic Council had been hunting the Phantom Lord supply unit, but the group moved without a trace. They always disappeared after a raid, which only made them more infamous.
According to victims, the unit had thirteen members. That meant thirteen mages—about the size of a small guild team, and far more dangerous than ordinary bandits.
To deal with them, a solo mage would need to be S-Class. Even for a top-tier mage like Natsu, it would take at least two people to be safe.
For average guild members, it would take a team of five, and it would still be dangerous.
That was why the request had been on the board for days, and no one had taken it.
For a new member like Kael Vane to challenge this mission… it was practically asking to die—reckless bravery at its finest.
"Master, I'm not being stubborn. I truly believe I can do this job."
Kael Vane didn't back down. His goal was a B-Rank mission worth over 500,000 J. Even if he picked a different one, Makarov probably wouldn't agree.
"If you can prove you have the strength, I'll let you go," Makarov said. He saw how firm Kael was and just wanted him to back down.
"How do I prove it?"
"I'll find someone in the guild. If you can beat him, I'll let you take the job."
"Deal!" Kael Vane agreed immediately.
Makarov scanned the guild. He really wanted Erza to do it, but she was out on a mission. He would have to settle for the next best thing.
"Natsu!"
"Here!"
Natsu had been eager to fight ever since Makarov mentioned a duel. When the Master called his name, he couldn't hold back his excitement and jumped right onto a table.
"The Master is sending Natsu!"
"The new guy is in trouble…"
Kael Vane also looked at Natsu. He was the main character of the Fairy Tail anime. Kael had seen him when he first entered the guild; his pink hair was very hard to miss.
He didn't expect the Master to pick Natsu to fight him.
As the main character, Natsu's strength was definitely top-tier in the guild. He usually lost to Erza because he couldn't get serious against a guildmate. If he got serious, his strength was S-Class.
But Kael Vane was also excited. He didn't know who was stronger right now, himself or Natsu. He wanted to find out.
Cana saw this and immediately took out a sign. She wrote Kael's and Natsu's names on it and yelled, "Place your bets! Place your bets!"
"New guy Kael Vane VS Natsu!"
"Odds are 2-to-1 if the new guy wins! 1-to-1 if Natsu wins!"
The guild members all ran over to join the fun.
"I'll bet on Natsu! 2000J!"
"I'll bet on Natsu! 3000J!"
"I'll bet on Natsu! 3000J!"
Almost everyone bet on Natsu. This made Cana nervous. The bets were small, but there were a lot of people! If Natsu really won, she might lose a whole month's worth of drinking money.
"Hey! Why is everyone betting on Natsu? Bet on the new guy! You get double if he wins!"
Macao laughed. "Haha! Of course we're betting on Natsu! Why bet on the new guy?"
Wakaba, sitting next to him, laughed too. "Yeah! Yeah!"
Betting on the new guy was a big risk, but betting on Natsu was a sure win. Everyone knew what to do.
"I'll bet on the new guy! 3000J!"
A purple-haired girl with glasses decided to bet on Kael.
Droy tried to warn her. "Hey! Laki! The opponent is Natsu!"
Laki pushed up her glasses and said, "It's fine! It's just one day's worth of food money. It's just too sad for the new guy to have no supporters."
Kael Vane glanced at Laki. He remembered her a little. She didn't appear much in the anime and was usually in the background. But when Fairy Tail fell on hard times, she was one of the few who stayed until everyone returned from Tenrou Island.
Staying in the guild during that time proved she had deep feelings for Fairy Tail. From that moment, Kael had remembered her name.
Laki saw Kael Vane looking at her and gave him a smile.
"I'll also bet on the new guy!"
"Mira?!"
The person betting on Kael was Mirajane.
"I think that if the new guy dared to take that kind of mission, he must be strong," Mirajane said calmly. "He might be able to beat Natsu."
When the others heard this, they thought it made sense. Even though they didn't know Kael, if he dared to take that job, he had to be skilled.
A few more people started betting on Kael Vane, but most still bet on Natsu.
Soon, everyone went to the empty lot behind the guild. There was a large open space, and beyond that, a huge lake.
This place was often used to settle private fights. Natsu and Gray, and Mira and Erza, had fought here a lot when they were kids.
"Go, Natsu! Show the new guy what you've got!"
"Go, new guy! My beer money for tonight depends on you!"
The crowd cheered for both of them.
"Hi, I'm Natsu. Nice to meet you."
"My name is Kael Vane. Nice to meet you."
They greeted each other.
Natsu asked, "What kind of magic do you use?"
Kael Vane replied, "I use Take Over Magic."
Natsu's eyes lit up. "Oh! Take Over Magic!"
In Fairy Tail, Mirajane and Elfman used Take Over. They were both strong, especially Mira, who was strong like a monster. But she couldn't use her magic anymore.
"Both fighters, get ready!"
"Full-Body Take Over! Ulquiorra Cifer!"
Kael Vane's body began to change. His black clothes turned into a white, high-collared jacket with a black lining. He wore a white hakama, tied with a wide black sash. A Zanpakutō was stuck in the sash. He had black socks and white shoes.
His skin turned paler, and his eyes turned green. Green tear-like markings appeared under his eyes. The left side of his head was covered by a white, horned helmet fragment.
Anyone who had seen Bleach would instantly recognize this as Ulquiorra's appearance.
At the same time, Ulquiorra's memories began to surface in Kael's mind.
From his birth, to his final battle and death against Vasto Lorde Ichigo, this life flashed by, making Kael feel as if he and Ulquiorra had merged into one.
Kael's transformation finished. Just by standing there, he gave off a powerful, heavy feeling.