The Commission That Named Them

The Fairy Tail guild hall was as noisy and lively as ever.

Jiang Bai lay sprawled on a bench in front of the bar, his head resting on his arms and his feet propped comfortably on a table. A blade of foxtail grass he had picked up somewhere hung from his mouth.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, dappling him with patches of light. His whole body gave off the air of a salted fish who wanted strangers to keep their distance.

Ever since the magic power in his body had completely stabilized when he was thirteen, he had grown increasingly lazy.

In his own words, he needed to lie still for long periods to store up energy, so he could unleash greater power at crucial moments.

By now, everyone in the guild was used to it.

"Hey, Jiang Bai! Stop sleeping! Come duel me!"

With a loud shout, a pink-haired figure came charging over like a cannonball.

It was Natsu.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Natsu's right fist blazed with fire as he swung it mercilessly at Jiang Bai's stomach without the slightest hesitation.

The surrounding mages cheered, eager to watch the spectacle. Some even started taking bets on whether Jiang Bai would open his eyes this time.

Jiang Bai, however, remained on the bench, too lazy even to lift an eyelid.

Then something strange happened.

Less than a centimeter from Jiang Bai's abdomen, the fist wreathed in scorching flames came to an abrupt halt, as though it had struck an invisible, absolute barrier.

The raging flames and kinetic force were forcibly compressed at that boundary, infinitely close yet forever out of reach, until they finally vanished into nothingness.

Natsu held his punching stance, his face turning red as he pushed forward with all his might, but his fist could not advance another fraction of an inch.

"You're too damn loud."

Jiang Bai finally muttered impatiently.

He didn't even move; he merely willed it.

Cursed Technique Reversal: Red.

An invisible repulsive force burst outward from him in an instant.

Bang!

Natsu flew backward even faster than he had come, tracing a perfect arc through the air before crashing through the wall at the other end of the guild. All he left behind was a mess and a large, man-shaped hole.

The guild erupted in laughter.

"Hahahaha! Natsu got sent flying again!"

"I told you he couldn't even break through Jiang Bai's defense!"

Natsu clambered to his feet in the hole, covered in dust and grime. He patted himself off and, still full of fighting spirit, roared, "Damn it! Just you wait, Jiang Bai! I'll win next time!"

Just then, heavy footsteps approached from a distance.

Makarov walked straight up to Jiang Bai with a dark expression, his short figure casting a shadow.

Sensing the change in the light, Jiang Bai finally opened one eye lazily and looked at his guild master's face, which was as wrinkled as a bitter melon.

"Hey, old man."

He spat out the foxtail grass and said gleefully, "What's wrong? Your brow's so furrowed you could crush a fly in it. Tell me what bad luck you've had so I can have a laugh."

Bang!

Makarov slammed a fist into the table beside him, making the cups and plates rattle.

He shot Jiang Bai an irritated look. "You brat! Just hoping something bad happens to me, are you?"

Scold him though he did, the gravity on the old man's face did not lessen in the slightest.

"But I really do have a troublesome matter to bring to you this time."

Makarov pulled a yellowed parchment commission sheet from inside his clothes and held it out to Jiang Bai.

"There's a commission here that asks for our guild by name. The circumstances are a little unusual, so thanks for making the trip."

Jiang Bai couldn't even be bothered to look at the commission sheet. He turned his head away and protested reluctantly.

"No. I only got back from a job less than two days ago, old man. My bones are practically falling apart. I was going to wait for Erza to get back from her job and take her to that new dessert shop.

"Can't you find someone else for this job? Like Uncle Macao? Or Laxus would do."

"No!" Makarov's tone was decisive, leaving no room for argument. "I don't trust Macao's strength for this! Laxus is on another job! You're the only one who can do this!"

The old man took a deep breath and lowered his voice, his expression turning more serious than ever.

"The commission says a demon has appeared at the destination! It's an emergency, and you're the fastest. You have to leave immediately!"

The word "demon" struck Jiang Bai's heart like a pair of heavy hammers.

His lazy posture vanished in an instant. He sat bolt upright on the bench, a sharp glint flashing through his previously sleepy eyes.

In this world, the word "demon" represented an absolute taboo and an ill omen.

They were products of the Book of Zeref, each possessing terrifying power capable of destroying a town.

Looking again at the old man's anxious expression, Jiang Bai knew this was no time for jokes.

"Tch, what a pain."

He curled his lip and snatched the job sheet from Makarov's hand.

"All right, all right. Just my luck. Give me the location, and I'll go."

Only after Jiang Bai agreed did the tension in Makarov's face ease slightly.

Jiang Bai unfolded the parchment, which carried a faint musty smell, and looked at the address.

A place name was written there in old-fashioned cursive: Kardia Village.

Kardia Village...

Jiang Bai quickly searched his memory for the name.

He couldn't remember it at all.

He had been in this world for more than a decade, and his memories of Fairy Tail's plot from his previous life had gradually faded over time. He could no longer remember many of the details, though he still knew the general outline.

Jiang Bai had an indistinct intuition that a crucial part of the plot was connected to that name.

Especially when it was linked to a "demon."

Forget it. It doesn't matter if I can't remember.

I'll deal with whatever comes.

With his current strength, there was little that could truly threaten him, so long as it was below Gildarts's level.

"Got it."

Jiang Bai casually stuffed the job sheet into his pocket, stood up, and stretched at length, his bones cracking and popping all over.

"I'm off, then, old man. When Erza gets back, let her know."

Having said that to Makarov, he flickered slightly and vanished without a trace before the old man could respond.

All he left behind was an exasperated Makarov and a guild full of people staring at one another.