Fairy Tail: Lost One

A month had passed since Rudra joined the Fairy Tail guild, and things had started to improve.

Rudra's completion of several high-paying quests had bolstered the guild's reputation in Magnolia Town, leading to an influx of requests. The guild hall was livelier than ever, with members picking up missions and heading out.

At the counter, three girls—Kinana, Bisca, and Laki—were chatting as they observed the bustling activity.

"Is it just me," Laki began, looking around, "or has the number of quests we're getting lately gone up?"

Bisca nodded. "Now that you mention it, it really has."

"Yeah," Kinana added, "ever since Rudra joined and started completing those high-level missions so easily, people in Magnolia have been coming to us with more requests."

Hearing Rudra's name, Laki leaned forward with a curious look. "Speaking of Rudra… don't you guys think he's a bit strange?"

Bisca raised an eyebrow. "Strange? How so?"

"Well," Laki said, lowering her voice slightly, "he's been here a whole month, and he hasn't talked to anyone. He's always sitting off by himself, buried in some book. Don't you find that odd?"

Bisca tilted her head, considering it. "Now that you mention it... yeah. And have you noticed his left hand? There's definitely something weird about it."

Laki frowned. "Weird how?"

Bisca explained, "I've only ever seen him use his right hand. His left hand is always hidden under that cloak of his."

Kinana, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with his left hand."

Both Bisca and Laki turned to her, surprised.

"Wait—how do you know that?" Bisca asked, narrowing her eyes.

Kinana blushed slightly and looked away. "Um… well..."

Seeing her hesitation, Laki grinned mischievously. "Come on, Kinana, spill it!"

"Yeah, tell us!" Bisca added, smirking.

Kinana sighed, her face turning red. "Okay, fine. A week ago, I… accidentally walked into his room while he was exercising."

Bisca's eyes widened. "Exercising?"

"Half-naked," Kinana mumbled, barely audible.

Laki's grin widened. "So, what did you see? Just his hand, or… more?"

Kinana blinked, confused. "What do you mean by 'more'?"

Laki chuckled. "His body, obviously. How was it?"

Kinana's face flushed even deeper. "H-he was… really muscular. You know, with abs and everything..."

"Really?" Laki teased, leaning closer.

Before the conversation could derail further, Bisca cut in with a stern tone. "Focus, you two. We're getting off-topic."

"Sorry," Laki said with a sheepish smile, though she didn't look particularly sorry. Turning back to Kinana, she asked, "So, what's the deal with his hand, then?"

Kinana hesitated, fidgeting slightly. "Well… his left hand isn't normal. It's not like a regular human hand. I'd say it looks… demonic, kind of like Mira's when she transforms."

Bisca's expression turned thoughtful. "Did you ask him about it?"

"I did," Kinana said, nodding. "But he just dodged the question and changed the subject."

"I see," Laki mused, her curiosity clearly piqued. "The mystery around him just keeps growing, huh?"

Kinana nodded silently, her mind wandering back to that brief, accidental glimpse of Rudra's hidden side

The conversation between Kinana, Bisca, and Laki was interrupted by the loud bang of the guild's door being kicked open. A group of rough-looking individuals stormed in, their leader shouting, "Your time is up, Fairy Tail! Now pay up!"

The commotion drew everyone's attention, and murmurs filled the guild hall as they turned to see the intruders—members of Twilight Ogre.

Macao stepped forward, visibly tense. With a resigned sigh, he pulled out a pouch of gold and held it out. "Here," he said. "This is the payment for this month. Now leave."

The leader of the group smirked as he took the pouch, tossing it lightly in his hand before opening it and counting the money. After a few moments, he tucked it into his belt and sneered.

"Well, well... looks like you forgot something," the leader said mockingly.

Macao frowned. "What do you mean? That's the full amount."

The leader's grin widened. "You forgot the extra 10% interest. Starting this month, there's a new rule."

Hearing this, Wakaba clenched his fists and shouted, "Interest?! That was never part of the deal!"

The leader shrugged nonchalantly. "Too bad. We're the main guild of Magnolia now. We make the rules around here."

Macao's voice was firm, though weary. "We don't have the money to pay that. You'll get it next month."

The leader's smirk turned into a scowl. "Too bad," he said before delivering a swift kick to Macao's stomach, sending him sprawling onto the floor. "Boys, have some fun."

As the Twilight Ogre members began trashing the guild, smashing tables and chairs, Fairy Tail's mages stood frozen. Macao, clutching his stomach, raised his hand weakly. "Everyone… don't fight back," he said through gritted teeth.

The guild members hesitated, their fury barely contained, but they obeyed. The Twilight Ogre members laughed as they destroyed the hall, throwing dishes and ripping banners. A few of them approached the girls at the counter.

One of them smirked and said, "Hey, why don't you girls ditch this dump and come have some fun with us?"

Hearing this, Bisca's eyes narrowed in disdain. She crossed her arms and replied coldly, "Get lost."

The leader of Twilight Ogre, noticing the interaction, sauntered over with a cruel grin. He pointed at Bisca and mocked, "Oh, what do we have here? A lady whose husband left to buy some milk?"

The insult sent the Twilight Ogre members into fits of laughter. Bisca lowered her head, trembling slightly.

"Leave her alone!" Laki shouted, stepping forward.

The leader approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you come with us, sweetheart? I'll show you a real good time."

Before Laki could respond, a voice rang out from the entrance.

"Man, I leave for a few hours, and this is what I come back to?"

The room went silent as everyone turned toward the voice. Standing in the doorway was Rudra, his crimson eyes glinting faintly under his hood.

The Twilight Ogre leader released Laki and stomped toward him. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"

Rudra tilted his head, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Me? I'm your dad." He paused, before adding, "Actually, scratch that. I can't be your dad. No child of mine would grow up to be such a pathetic bitch."

The guild erupted into laughter. Even in their tense state, Fairy Tail's members couldn't help but laugh at the sharp insult.

The Twilight Ogre leader's face turned red with rage. "You're dead, you bastard!" he roared, swinging his fist at Rudra.

Rudra didn't flinch. He effortlessly caught the punch with one hand, deflecting it to the side before grabbing the leader by the throat. Lifting him off the ground with ease, Rudra's Sharingan flared to life, the spinning tomoe in his eyes glowing ominously.

"I'm not like the others," Rudra said coldly. "I don't let people like you walk away unscathed."

The leader's bravado crumbled as he looked into Rudra's eyes. His body trembled, and when Rudra finally dropped him to the ground, he began to wail.

"I-I'm sorry!" the leader stammered, his voice shaking. A dark stain spread across his pants as he sat in a puddle of his own fear.

Rudra turned his gaze to the rest of the Twilight Ogre members. "You have two choices," he said calmly, his tone chilling. "Either I kill you all… or you fix everything you've broken."

The silence was deafening. The Twilight Ogre members looked at each other, then back at Rudra. One of them finally stammered, "W-we'll fix it!"

They scrambled to work, frantically repairing the damage they had caused.

Rudra walked toward the counter, ignoring the awestruck stares of the Fairy Tail members. When he reached the counter, he looked at Kinana with a small smile.

"Can I get a meal?" he asked casually, as if nothing had happened.

Kinana, who had been staring at him in silence, blinked and quickly nodded. "O-of course," she said, hurrying to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, she returned with a plate of food, setting it in front of him. Rudra thanked her and began eating quietly, completely ignoring the stunned gazes of everyone in the guild.

The once-chaotic hall was now eerily quiet, save for the sounds of Twilight Ogre members working to undo the damage they had caused and Rudra's calm, measured eating.

By the time Rudra finished his meal, the members of Twilight Ogre had completed their repairs. They stood in a line near the guild's entrance, nervously waiting for Rudra to acknowledge them. Setting his plate aside, Rudra rose from his seat and approached the group.

"Tell me," Rudra began, his voice calm yet commanding. "How much is left of the guild's debt?"

One of the members hesitated before responding, "W-what?"

Rudra's gaze sharpened. "I'm asking how much debt Fairy Tail owes your guild."

The member stammered, "We… we don't know. Only our master keeps track of the amount."

Rudra sighed and turned to leave, muttering, "Figures." On his way out, he grabbed the groaning leader of Twilight Ogre by the back of his shirt, effortlessly dragging him along.

Reaching the guild's exit, Rudra stopped and glanced back at the remaining Twilight Ogre members. "What are you standing around for? You're not eating here. Move along."

The members didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled to leave, following Rudra out of the guild.

Fairy Tail's members stood frozen in shock, unsure of what to say. Finally, a young boy with purple hair, Romeo Conbolt, stepped forward. "Dad, we need to follow Rudra!"

Macao, still processing the situation, clenched his fists. He took a deep breath and turned to address the guild.

"We've been pushed around for years," Macao said, his voice steady but filled with determination. "We can't take this anymore. Even if we can't win, we owe it to ourselves—and to Rudra—to stand up and fight!"

A resounding cheer erupted from the guild. "For Fairy Tail!" they shouted, quickly readying themselves for what they believed would be a guild war against Twilight Ogre.

Fifteen minutes later, the members of Fairy Tail marched toward the Twilight Ogre guild, prepared for battle.

But as they neared the guildhall, they were met with an unexpected sight: the building was engulfed in ominous black flames. The fire danced unnaturally, refusing to die out despite the absence of fuel.

Cautiously, they approached the smoldering remains, only to see Rudra emerging from the ruined guild. He carried a large bag, its weight evident as it clinked with the unmistakable sound of coins.

Rudra stopped in front of them, his expression unreadable.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked nonchalantly.

Macao stepped forward, concern evident in his tone. "Forget about us! What happened here? What did you do to their guild?"

Rudra shrugged. "Oh, we had a little… chat. They decided to disband their guild after agreeing to compensate us for all the damage they've caused over the years." He held out the bag of money, which Macao reluctantly accepted.

Turning to leave, Rudra was stopped by Kinana, who stepped forward hesitantly. "Rudra, where are you going?"

Rudra glanced over his shoulder, his tone casual. "I'm in a bad mood. I'm going to get some booze."

Kinana nodded, understanding. "Alright, take care."

As Rudra walked away, he paused one final time at the edge of the ruins. Without looking back, he said, "And one more thing—don't let anyone go near the black flames for at least three days unless they want to get burned."

With that, he disappeared into the distance, leaving the Fairy Tail members speechless. They stared at the remnants of Twilight Ogre's guild, the black flames flickering ominously, as the weight of Rudra's actions began to sink in.