The guild hall finally began to breathe again.
After the whirlwind of chaos Kai's return had thrown across the floor — from the near-exploded kitchen, to the crater in the wall left by Natsu's nose, to the still-smoldering scorch mark Erza had *insisted* was Gray's fault — Fairy Tail had settled into something almost peaceful.
Almost.
At the center of the commotion, Kai sat on top of a table with his legs stretched out, one arm behind him for support, the other gesturing casually as he narrated the events of his fight with Lullaby. A circle of guild members leaned in as if absorbing a campfire tale.
"…so then," Kai continued, tapping a finger against the wood to mimic footsteps, "it opens its mouth. Really wide. Like Mira trying to eat four pancakes at once—"
Mira, passing by, stopped and glared. "I don't—!"
Kai only winked before continuing, "—and *that's* when I shoved the earplugs in my ears to avoid his awful song and broke its jaw later. Clean. Like snapping a breadstick."
A few members visibly paled. Nab gagged. Macao and Wakaba whispered something about nightmares.
Natsu leaned forward eyes sparkling with envy. "So it really turned into a *monster*? A big one? With, like—claws? Huge claws?"
Kai shrugged. "Eh. I've seen housecats angrier. But it screamed a lot. Pretty sure it woke up the next five forests over."
Gray frowned, leaning his elbows on the table. "And you were still injured then? Like badly?"
Kai nodded once. "Some fractures and cuts. Arm stiff. A little blood loss."
Gray, Natsu, and Erza all stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.
Before any of them could process the absurdity of him fighting a demon while half-broken, Lucy raised a hand timidly from behind them.
"Um… s-so you defeated… a demon… like *that*? While injured?" Her voice trembled with genuine disbelief. "You guys really are… the strongest team in Fairy Tail."
Everything stopped.
Like someone threw a bucket of ice water over the entire guild.
Even the background chatter died.
Gray's jaw fell. "Strongest team… in Fairy Tail?"
Lucy blinked innocently. "Um… yeah? Isn't that Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Kai?"
The guild erupted.
Laughter burst out in waves. A few nearly rolled off their chairs.
Gray slapped the table. "I can accept Erza being the strongest female wizard, sure. But *flame brain* as top two? Not a chance!"
Natsu sprang up and slammed his hands on the table. "What was that, ice stripper!?"
Kai flicked Lucy's forehead lightly. "Blondie —"
"It's LUCY!" she snapped.
"—it'd be more believable if you said Natsu and Gray had common sense."
Gasps. Offended noises. The whole guild roared again.
"Oi Lucy!" Gray snapped. "Which idiot gave you that idea anyway?"
Lucy froze.
Her eyes slid… slowly… toward where Mirajane was standing behind the bar.
Mira smiled sweetly at Gray.
The color drained from Gray's face.
"M-Mira, w-wait, I didn't mean—!"
Her eyes shimmered with sudden tears.
"Mira— no no no don't cry— I wasn't calling you— stop— SOMEONE HELP—"
The guild roared with laughter as Mira dramatically wiped her eyes with a napkin. Even Cana nearly fell off her stool calling gray a heart breaker.
Kai stood up amused, stepped behind Mira, and patted her head gently — his tall frame looming over her.
"There, there, White. The evil gay stripper won't hurt you."
"I'M NOT EVIL OR A STRIPPER AND MY NAME'S GRAY NOT GAY!" Gray screamed, already shirtless.
Mira sniffed, but her lips curled into a smile as Kai comforted her.
"You're not an idiot," he said softly.
Her eyes brightened—
"—you just have a small brain."
Her smile froze mid-emotion. Cana spit out her drink. Mira began whacking him in the chest with her fists while laughing and crying at the same time.
Kai only laughed harder, catching her fists with ease and stepping back as she tried to kick him.
"I hate you!" Mira shouted, cheeks puffed out.
Kai raised two fingers in a peace sign. "I know tell me something new."
The guild's laughter finally faded into warm chatter, exhaustion trickling out of the room like heat from a cooling furnace. When everyone had settled back into their seats and drinks, Kai returned to the table where he'd been cornered by a very irritated Erza, a sulking Natsu, and an annoyed Gray.
Natsu perked up suddenly, slamming his hands on the table again.
"Oh yeah! You promised! Both of you promised to fight me after the mission!! One-on-one! No running! No old man punching! A REAL fight!"
Kai stared at him, unimpressed.
"Dude, we literally *just* fought. Did Gramps knock out your last remaining brain cell?"
"That wasn't a real fight!" Natsu roared. "It has to be one-on-one! I'm gonna beat both of you this time!"
Kai sighed long and heavy, turning toward Erza under the table and kicking her shin.
"Hey. Red. Go. I choose you. Beat Salamander."
Erza slammed both palms on the table, eyes blazing. "NO. You're fighting him. I choose YOU!"
Kai smiled slowly.
The kind of smile that always made Erza's heartbeat do strange gymnastics.
"Oh! You choose me as well?" he drawled, tilting his head. "Proposing to me so openly? Pretty bold of you, Red."
Erza froze. Instantly. Redder than Natsu's flames.
"T-That's not what I meant!" she sputtered. "You—! I—! That's—! You said the same thing first !"
"So you admit you were proposing?" Kai leaned in, golden eyes bright with dangerous amusement.
"I Wasn't , You Were ", erza shouts at him.
The guild went silent. All eyes locked onto the two.
Erza's face burned brighter than a forge. Her mouth opened, but no words escaped anymore. Her hand lay stiff on the table—
Kai suddenly grabbed it.
He leaned closer.
Much closer.
His voice dropped, low and warm. " Yeah actually I was"
Kai catches her hand tightly before she can pull away, thumb brushing her knuckles—slow, deliberate, intentional.
Kai smiles softly before speaking,
"Erza Scarlet… if you'll allow it… I'd like my name to rest beside yours one day."
He leans closer, golden eyes steady, warm, teasing without mocking.
"And maybe," his voice lowers, "I could steal something precious tonight."
Erza blinks, throat tight face red as she asks.
"W-What…?"
Kai lifts her hand just slightly.
"Your lips."
The guild collectively held its breath.
Someone audibly squeaked.
Erza's face went red steam began rising from her head. Her other hand reached out instinctively for something like a sword, like she was trying to steady herself on the table, eyes wide and glassy.
Kai leaned in—
closer—
closer—
Then looks at her and whispers into her ears,
"I'm joking."
Then leaned back watching her face suddenly change colours.
And burst into laughter so hard he fell off his chair and hit the floor.
"Ah man—! My stomach—! The LOOK on your faces—! Even you, Red! Were you actually waiting for a kiss—!?"
Silence.
Then:
**BAM.**
Erza's fist met his face with enough force to rattle the windows.
A few minutes later, Kai sat slumped beside Cana with a bloody nose stuffed with tissues. Cana sipped her drink, amused.
"You never learn, do you?" she said.
Kai grinned lazily. "Where's the fun in that?"
Cana just takes another sip before smiling," You kinda deserved it , now you will know not to play with a maiden's heart ".
Kai looks at her confused , "Are you talking about yourself miss alcohol fairy? ".
Before Cana could respond, Mira approached. Her smile was sweet. Too sweet. She dropped an ice pack onto the table so hard it bounced.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Ow. You practicing for a career in assault?"
Mira only smiled darker, "Not at all I just saw a mosquito there causing a lot of noise ".
Kai ignored it and grabbed the ice pack and pressed it to his nose, then turned back to Erza, who was still glaring at him across the table.
"As I was saying, Red," Kai continued casually, "I've beaten you twice already today. And this morning? I would've won if it weren't for Gramps' Titan fist."
Erza's jaw clenched. "You did *not* win. I could've beaten you."
"Yeah yeah," Kai waved dismissively. "That's why you needed help from these morons."
"HEY!" Natsu and Gray shouted.
"I didn't need their help!" Erza snapped back.
"Mhm," Kai hummed. " Yeah Sure. Anyway — if you can't beat Salamander, then that would mean you can't beat me either since I already beat him this morning, so after you lose I'll do it for you. As usual."
Erza stiffened, half outraged, half embarrassed, turning sharply to glare at Natsu as if the poor dragon slayer had insulted her honor personally.
Before either could explode—
**The guild grew silent.**
A faint, steady sound rose above the chatter.
**Footsteps.**
Firm.
Echoing.
Approaching the main doors.
The air grew heavy.
Erza straightened instantly.
Natsu stood.
Gray's expression tightened.
Kai slowly lifted his head, golden eyes narrowing.
The footsteps reached the threshold of the guild—and stopped.
The heavy silence inside Fairy Tail's hall deepened as the footsteps stopped directly before the guild's front doors. Every head turned. Even the air felt tight, as if bracing for impact.
Then—
**Creeeeak.**
The guild doors swung open.
A unit of Rune Knights stepped inside in formation, armor gleaming, spears in hand. But what stood out immediately… was their leader.
A frog.
Well — a frog *person*.
Green skin, large expressive eyes, and dressed in the official white-and-gold uniform of the Magic Council Envoy. She walked with stiff composure, posture perfect, expression unreadable. Behind her, the Rune Knights marched in silently.
Fairy Tail — the loudest, rowdiest, most chaotic guild in the kingdom — went silent.
Not even Natsu made a comment.
Makarov sighed, wiped his hands on his coat, and hopped down from the bar counter before striding to the front with surprising agility for a tiny old man.
The frog lady bowed slightly.
"Master Makarov."
Makarov returned the bow respectfully. "Madam Envoy. To what do we owe the honor?"
A ripple of whispers moved through Fairy Tail. Some of the younger wizards paled. Others frowned. Only Kai hummed lazily, half paying attention.
The frog envoy straightened, voice formal and cool.
"I am here as an emissary of the Magic Council."
A murmur ran through the guild — surprise, suspicion, confusion. The atmosphere tightened.
The envoy continued, unflinching.
"This summons concerns the destruction at Eisenwald's headquarters, the damage at Kunugi Plains, the obliteration of Oshibana Station's central hall—" many of the guild members shrank visibly "—and the disappearance of the cursed artifact *Lullaby*."
Her large eyes scanned the crowd before landing on Team Natsu.
"The Fairy Tail wizards responsible for these incidents are required to appear before the Council for formal investigation."
Lucy stiffened.
Gray clenched his jaw.
Erza closed her eyes, exhaling slowly with a heavy sense of responsibility.
Natsu bristled with immediate fury. "What!? We—"
Kai lifted a finger without looking at him.
"Shhh. Let the legal frog finish salamander."
The envoy blinked, thrown off, but continued with professionalism.
"You are all to—"
Kai stood up after looking at the worried faces of natsu,gray, lucy and erza, smirking lazily as he dusted his pants. "I got this one."
The others turned to him in confusion.
Kai tapped his temple. "Consider it payback for worrying you all about the Lullaby. Fair trade."
Before Erza or Gray could even reach for him—
**He vanished.**
No flash.
No sound.
Just gone.
The frog envoy flinched violently as a soft voice suddenly whispered beside her left ear.
"Seems like you are looking for me. So…" Kai tilted his head down towards her, hands behind his back and grin relaxed. "Here I am."
The Rune Knights froze like statues, some gripping their spears so tightly their gauntlets squeaked. None of them had seen him move. Not even the frog envoy — which was impressive given her usual composure.
But she recovered quickly, smoothing her uniform and trying to ignore the tremor in her voice.
"Y-You are… Kairos Sunviel of Fairy Tail?"
"In the flesh." He bowed dramatically. "Also in the skin, in case you were wondering but call me kai ,*Kairos Sunviel* that just makes my head hurt."
No one laughed.
Kai frowned. "Tough crowd ."
The frog envoy cleared her throat. "Are there others joining you? Or will you be representing the involved parties alone? The Council must know."
Kai flashed a calm smile. "No need to worry. It's all me, Miss Emissary. We can head out right now, it would be rude to keep the honourable council waiting right , i would be sad if they passed of their old age by the time we get there."
The Rune Knights exchanged baffled looks — some impressed, some intimidated and angry, others worried they were escorting a monster rather than a man.
And with that, the envoy nodded. "Very well. Please follow."
Kai waved lazily at the guild like he was going on a quick grocery run. "Bye-Bye, kids. Don't break the place."
He stepped out with the envoy and Rune Knights following him.
The doors closed behind them.
The guild erupted instantly.
**"WHY DID HE GO ALONE!?"**
Natsu's voice boomed through the hall as flames burst from his fists. "We didn't do ANYTHING wrong this time! I'm gonna go get those council bastards and—"
Erza grabbed him by the scarf and yanked him so hard he choked. "You will do no such thing!"
"But—!"
Her voice came sharp, controlled, heavy with restrained frustration. "This isn't an arrest, Natsu. This is the Council trying to assert authority. Optics. Politics. They're choosing someone to 'show consequences' so they look in control."
She exhaled, her voice lowering, eyes softening with a hint of guilt.
"But still… why did Kai go alone? We all share responsibility for what happened…"
Lucy fidgeted with her keys, brows furrowed. "He… said he's doing this because he lied to us, isn't he? And he thinks this is how he 'makes up' for it…"
Gray let out a deep groan, dragging a hand down his face. "Yeah. I Should've gone with him. Someone needs to keep that idiot from mouthing off to the wrong person."
Natsu slammed a fist into his palm. "Exactly! Imagine him insulting those council geezers! They'll throw him in jail!"
"Or off a cliff!" Lucy squeaked.
"Or into a volcano!" Happy added helpfully.
Cana snorted. "Honestly? He'd survive all three."
But despite the humor bubbling around the edges, worry still pulsed heavily in the air.
The guild turned toward Makarov, who had quietly climbed back onto his seat and poured his tea.
He sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead.
"Calm yourselves, all of you."
"But Master—!"
Makarov held up a hand.
"Kai went because he is the best one suited to handle matters involving the Council."
The guild blinked.
"More than Erza?" someone muttered.
"More than the whole team?" another whispered.
Makarov continued, serious now.
"He has more exposure to the Council and political affairs than any of you realize. His title as an Artifact Research Specialist — granted directly by the kingdom — gives him influence, connections, and a level of bureaucratic protection the rest of you do not possess."
Erza's eyes widened remembering Kai's status beyond a mage.
Lucy stared in shock. "He… never told us , he is protected from the council."
Makarov chuckled dryly. "He rarely tells anyone anything, besides you are still new lucy you have yet to learn a lot of things about your new friends."
Then his expression softened with something between pride, worry, and exasperation.
"That boy has enough sway to walk into the Council chambers and walk out without a single scratch on his record. None of you have that luxury. If *you* went…" He shook his head. "The Council would likely detain you — even if just for show."
The group fell quiet.
Lucy whispered, "So… he didn't go for us?"
Makarov sipped his tea.
"He *might* have gone to protect you, or"
Natsu leaned forward.
"Or…?" Lucy asked softly.
Makarov sighed.
"Or he simply wanted to go on impulse. With that brat… it's impossible to tell."
The guild absorbed this in silence.
And outside, far from the guild hall, Kai walked calmly with the envoy and Rune Knights, hands in his pockets, whistling a cheerful tune, before climbing into the carriage.