Of course, it was Makarov who stepped forward.
"Don't be stupid, old man! Your body can't take it!" Laxus roared, his voice cracking with a mixture of fury and desperation. "I started this! I'll face the consequences!"
"Calm down, Laxus," Makarov said, his voice unnervingly calm. "This is what family does. What kind of grandfather would I be if I didn't?" He offered a small, reassuring smile. "Stop worrying. I'm a member of the Ten Wizard Saints. I won't die from something like this. We'll just get an antidote for the poison from Porlyusica later."
"Grandpa…" Laxus whispered, the fight draining out of him as tears finally streamed down his face. The raw emotion silenced everyone, even Gray and Cana, who watched the scene with wide, solemn eyes.
Just as Makarov reached a determined hand toward the glowing, crimson sphere of trauma…
"Wait. That's enough. You don't have to do that."
All eyes snapped to Shun, who wore a distinctly teasing smile.
"You little brat! You were joking at a time like this?!" Makarov bellowed, his face turning purple with rage.
"Of course not," Shun said, waving a hand dismissively. "Everything I said was true." He paused for dramatic effect, watching the confusion and anger war on their faces. "I said someone has to take it. Just wait here for a bit."
Before anyone could protest, he vanished with a soft pop.
A minute later, he reappeared, dragging the massive, unconscious form of a Vulcan—a gorilla-like monster from the nearby mountains. With his newly boosted speed, the trip had been trivial. He unceremoniously tossed the beast toward the floating sphere of condensed pain.
"Don't look. It won't be pretty," Shun advised, specifically glancing at Cana and Gray.
The moment the Vulcan touched the sphere, it awoke with a shriek of pure, undiluted agony. Its massive body seized violently as a universe of pain never meant for it flooded its nervous system. The scream was cut off almost as soon as it began, and the creature went limp, lifeless.
'Is this considered animal abuse?' Shun mused, somewhat amused. 'Well, it worked perfectly.'
"By the way, Master," he said, turning to a stunned Makarov. "I recruited a few talented kids. They'll show up tomorrow morning. Do try to recruit them properly."
With that, he disappeared again, leaving the guild to deal with the bizarre and grim aftermath of his prank.
In the heavy silence that followed, Cana suddenly exclaimed, "Shun is so kind!"
Grey stared at her. "Huh?! How do you figure that?"
"Master and Laxus always acted so reserved with each other! Shun planned this all out to help them reconcile!" she said, her eyes shining with admiration.
The rest of the guild members could only stare, utterly speechless at her interpretation.
---
While the guild debated Cana's unique perspective, Shun was already fast asleep in his bed.
The next morning, after a simple breakfast, he made his way to the guild, wondering if his "recruits" had arrived.
The moment he stepped through the door, a small but powerful fist bonked him squarely on the head.
"Ouch. What was that for?" Shun asked, rubbing his head and looking at a grumpy Makarov.
"You and your stupid pranks…" the old man grumbled. Across the hall, Laxus just glared, a complex mix of anger and something else in his eyes, but he said nothing.
"So," Makarov continued, changing the subject. "Who are these kids you recruited?"
"I found them during my mission. They were locked up by a cult that worships Zeref. They're quite talented, from what I could tell."
"A Zeref cult?!" Makarov's expression turned grave.
"Yeah. They were kidnapping villagers to force them to build some kind of tower. I tried to rescue everyone, but there was a guy there… 'Zero,' he called himself. Said he was 'the one who would reduce everything to zero.' He was stronger than you, I'd wager. I barely got out with these five kids."
Makarov's frown deepened. "Zero… I've never heard of him."
'No surprise there,' Shun thought. 'The Magic Council is practically made of spies anyway.'
Their conversation was interrupted by a commotion outside. Five translucent, paw-shaped pods gently landed, each containing a sleeping child.
"Master, get some food ready," Shun said. "They're probably starving."
---
The guild hall was soon filled with the sounds of frantic eating. Munch—gnaw—
"Eat slowly, children. No one is going to take it from you," Makarov said, his voice gentle and kind. The sight of the malnourished, sobbing children softened even the roughest guild members.
Once they had calmed, Makarov asked, "What are your names?"
"I'm Sorano," the silver-haired girl said timidly, taking charge. "This is Erik, Sawyer, Richard, and Macbeth. It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Makarov, the master of this guild. It's nice to meet you all, too." He smiled warmly. "Do you remember where your homes are?"
The story was the same from all of them—homes destroyed, families lost to dark guild attacks. Makarov listened with a heavy heart, though he had expected as much.
"If you have no place to go," he said, placing a hand over the guild emblem on his chest, "you can join Fairy Tail. It is a family. If you cannot call any place 'home,' then you can find one with us. You can find a new reason to live here."
"But… I have to find my little sister," Sorano whispered, her voice full of conflict. Richard also chimed in, mentioning a lost brother.
"Don't worry," Makarov assured them. "We will help you find them. You'll have a much better chance with the resources of a guild behind you."
The children's faces lit up with hope, and they nodded eagerly, their smiles returning.
---
'As expected of Makarov,' Shun thought from his corner table, watching the scene unfold with Gray and Cana. 'He's a master recruiter. Though, to be fair, he'd have taken them in even if they were talentless.'
A sly grin touched his lips. 'This is the perfect situation. As these talents grow and Makarov retires, the path to becoming Guild Master becomes clearer.'
His plan was simple: he would give them their original magic books after he'd learned from them himself. For now, he could hand over the Celestial Spirit and Reflector magic books.
Seeing the situation was well in hand, Shun stood to leave for training.
"Where are you going?" Cana asked.
"To train."
As he headed for the door, the five children noticed and hurried after him, catching up to him at the same field where he'd dueled Laxus.
"Is there anything you need?" Shun asked, turning to face them.
"…" They hesitated before Sorano stepped forward and bowed deeply. The others followed suit.
"We wanted to thank you," she said. "And… we want to be strong like you. Can you teach us magic?"
Shun's response was blunt. "I can't teach you magic, because I was already strong from the start."
Their faces fell. But then he continued, "However, I can help you become stronger."
Hope reignited in their eyes. Shun pulled five sets of new children's clothes from his inventory ring—a purchase he'd made in anticipation of their arrival—and handed them over. "First, change out of those rags."
Blushing, they quickly changed and returned. Shun then presented them with their respective magic books. "Take these and ask Master Makarov for help. I haven't finished reading some of them, so I'll be borrowing them back later. Now, go on."
"We'll become strong and pay you back!" Sorano promised, her voice firm. The others echoed her determination before running back toward the guild, their new books clutched tightly to their chests.
"Of course, you will," Shun murmured to the empty field, a faint smile on his lips. Then he turned his focus inward, to the task of developing his Poison Dragon Slayer magic. He had the basics, but every other Dragon Slayer had ultimate techniques. Cobra, from what he could recall, never showed anything particularly flashy. It seemed he would have to invent his own.