— — — — — — —
Kitaro was a bit baffled. All he wanted was to experience magic, but somehow it turned into something way more complicated than he expected.
As evening fell, the Fairy Tail guild closed for the day. Kitaro and Mirajane ended up taking a stroll in the nearby park.
They sat together on a bench, and Mira reached out, taking Kitaro's hand in hers. "I'll transfer some magic power to you now. Pay attention and try to feel it."
As Mira channeled her magic into him, Kitaro immediately felt a unique force. It was similar to chakra but fundamentally different. Like chakra, it was a blend of physical energy and spiritual energy, reinforcing his belief that all power is built on these two elements—even magic.
"Can I sense your magic source?" Kitaro asked suddenly.
Mira's face turned crimson. Such a request sounded so intimate, but seeing the earnest curiosity in his eyes, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. "Alright," she murmured, closing her eyes to steel herself.
Kitaro placed his hand below her stomach and released his mental energy to fully perceive her magic source.
"Ah…"
Mira felt like her very soul was being observed. It was as though she stood bare before him, utterly exposed. Since magic sources are deeply tied to one's spirit and soul, she experienced a profound sense of connection with Kitaro, as if their minds had linked.
The dual sensations overwhelmed her, and a warm, tingling feeling spread through her body.
"Um! I just remembered—I need to go home and cook dinner for my siblings!" she blurted out, springing to her feet. Without waiting for a reply, she rushed off, her heart racing.
She couldn't stay a moment longer. If she did, she feared she might completely lose control of herself.
Even though she'd never experienced this before, she instinctively knew what those sensations meant. How could she, Mira, feel this way in front of someone she'd just met? It was mortifying.
Kitaro watched her dash away, a wry smile on his face. With his heightened sensory perception, he had noticed the changes in her body. As someone experienced in such matters, he instantly understood the situation.
"So, Mira is verysensitive…" he mused, though he quickly realized it wasn't entirely her fault. The problem lay in how he had used his mental energy to directly probe her magic source. Since magic sources are located in a sensitive area, the reaction was inevitable.
"Still… magic, huh?" Kitaro smiled to himself.
Now, he wasn't entirely clueless about it. Magic, while sharing similarities with chakra as a fusion of physical and spiritual energies, was catalyzed differently, resulting in a completely distinct form of power.
He reflected on other abilities he had encountered—breathing techniques, Haki, and even Devil Fruit powers. Though they appeared unique, their foundations were essentially similar: mastering and channeling one's physical and spiritual energies.
However, creating a magic source for himself was another matter entirely.
Being from another world and possessing an abnormal physique, even areas rich in magical radiation likely wouldn't affect him as they would the natives.
But he wasn't discouraged. Now that he understood the origin of magic, he just needed a substitute for a magic source. Luckily, he already had a solution in mind: Dragon Lacrima.
Dragon Lacrima, the crystalline core of dragons, functioned much like a human's magic source. Embedding one into his body would allow him to use Dragon Slayer magic.
And as fate would have it, he knew exactly where to find some.
His plan was clear. First, he would focus on learning about magic. Then, he would acquire a Dragon Slayer Lacrima. Once that was done, he could finally wield magic himself.
"Looks like I'll be staying in this world for a while," he decided.
With his otherworldly forces already established and capable of handling threats like the World Government, he could afford to take his time here. Besides, if anything went wrong, his clones could use space-time jutsu to alert him immediately.
For now, this was his chance to live the carefree life he had once dreamed of. A sort of vacation.
— —
The following days passed peacefully.
Kitaro started studying magic from scratch, asking Mira for help whenever he had questions. When she didn't know the answers, he turned to the guild master.
This routine made his days feel fulfilling, reminding him of his time in the Ninja Academy.
Perhaps his curiosity stemmed from being Orochimaru's student. Like his old teacher, he had an insatiable thirst for understanding new forms of power. His ability to predict and manipulate Orochimaru came from this shared fascination with the unknown.
"Kitaro… Are you still reading?" Lucy asked, walking over.
She had just returned from a mission and was surprised to find her fellow recruit still buried in a magic tome.
"Yup," Kitaro replied with a grin. "I've only just started learning about magic, unlike you guys who grew up with this stuff. My foundation is weak, so I need to start with the basics. By the way, I hear you've been making waves lately!"
Although focused on his studies, Kitaro had picked up bits of gossip from the guild, especially since Mira liked to chat about guild members.
"Ah, it's nothing to do with me! It's all Natsu's fault," Lucy said, flustered. "Somehow, I always end up getting caught in the middle of his antics."
"Wait, are you teaming up with Natsu now?"
"No! Absolutely not!" she exclaimed, shaking her head furiously. Just thinking about Natsu gave her a headache.
The last time she worked with him, she had ended up applying for a maid position at the insistence of some creepy duke who only wanted blonde-haired girls.
Lucy had been so confident going in, only to be insulted as "ugly" by the duke himself. The memory still made her blood boil.
She wasn't ugly! She was a cute and beautiful young woman!
She could put up with a lot, but that? That was unforgivable.
.
.
.