Chapter 3: Ren vs. Natsu
"What?!"
Even Makarov's eyes went wide when he saw the request.
"Kid, you've got way too much nerve for a newbie! Daring to take this mission? Absolutely not. Go pick a different one."
Ren spoke with determination. "Master! I am confident I can complete this mission!"
He had drawn Ulquiorra, after all. Even if his own magic power was low and he couldn't unleash Ulquiorra's full strength, it was more than enough to deal with these small-time crooks.
Makarov just shook his head. "This isn't a question of confidence. It's a question of strength."
"I have the strength to complete this mission!"
"Why are you so stubborn, you brat?" Makarov slammed his hand on the table, exasperated.
"What's wrong? What's going on? How did the newbie piss off the Master?"
"Seems like the new guy wants to take a mission, and the Master won't let him."
"What kind of mission would the Master refuse?"
"It's that job to eliminate the Phantom Marauders."
"What?!"
The entire guild erupted in shock.
The Phantom Marauders were a recently formed band of mage-thieves. The group was composed entirely of mages who went around robbing and pillaging, stopping at nothing.
Their actions were so vile that even the Dark Guilds looked on them with contempt.
Dark Guilds might take on shady jobs, but they would still professionally complete their client's request and collect their pay.
The Phantom Marauders, however, just used their magic to rob and kill innocent civilians. They had completely broken the rules.
The Magic Council had a standing warrant for their arrest, but the group was elusive, vanishing without a trace after every robbery. That's how they'd made their name.
According to victim reports, the Phantom Marauders had thirteen members—thirteen mages. A group of that size was already comparable to a small-scale guild.
To deal with a threat like that, a solo mage would need to be S-Class. If you were sending a top-tier elite mage like Natsu, you'd need at least two of them.
For a team of average guild members, you'd need five or more, and even then, it would be dangerous. They were, after all, facing over a dozen mages.
That was why the mission request had been sitting on the board for days, untouched.
And now Ren, a brand-new member, wanted to challenge it? This was no different from a suicide mission. It was a true case of a newborn calf not fearing the tiger.
"Master, I'm not being stubborn. I genuinely have the confidence to do this job."
Ren didn't back down. His target was a B-Rank mission, 500,000 J or more. Even if he picked a different one, Makarov probably still wouldn't approve it.
"If you can prove you have that kind of strength, I'll let you go," Makarov said, relenting. He figured this was the best way to make Ren back down.
"How do I prove it?"
"I'll find someone in the guild. If you can defeat them, I'll allow you to take the job."
"Deal!" Ren agreed immediately.
Makarov scanned the guild. He really wanted Erza to handle this, but she was out on a mission. He'd have to settle for the next best thing.
"Natsu!"
"Here!"
Natsu had already been itching for a fight the moment Makarov mentioned a duel. When the Master actually called his name, he couldn't contain his excitement and leaped right onto a table.
"The Master is sending Natsu!"
"That rookie is in for it now..."
Ren looked at Natsu. The male protagonist of Fairy Tail. He had spotted him the moment he entered the guild; that signature head of pink hair was hard to miss.
He hadn't expected the Master to pit him against Natsu directly. As the main character, Natsu's strength was definitely top-tier in Fairy Tail. He usually lost to Erza, but that was because he couldn't get serious against a guildmate. If he truly cut loose, his power was definitely S-Class.
A spark of excitement lit up inside Ren. He had no idea how his current strength stacked up against the Natsu of this timeline. He, too, wanted to see who was stronger between himself and the protagonist.
Cana saw her opening, immediately grabbed a sign, and scribbled Ren's and Natsu's names on it. "Place your bets! Place your bets!" she shouted.
"Newbie Ren versus Natsu!"
"Two-to-one odds for the newbie! One-to-one for Natsu!"
The guild members heard this and swarmed over to get in on the action.
"I bet on Natsu! 2000 J!"
"Natsu! 3000 J!"
"I've got 3000 J on Natsu!"
Almost everyone was betting on Natsu to win. This made Cana nervous. The individual bets weren't huge, but there were a lot of them! If Natsu actually won, she was going to lose a whole month's worth of booze money.
"Hey! Why are you all betting on Natsu? Bet on the newbie, too! You'll get double your money back if he wins!"
Macao laughed. "Haha! Of course we're betting on Natsu! Who would bet on a rookie?"
Wakaba, next to him, chimed in, "Exactly, exactly!"
Betting on the newbie was a huge risk, while betting on Natsu was a sure win. Everyone knew how to choose.
"I'll bet on the newbie! 3000 J!"
A purple-haired girl wearing glasses chose to bet on Ren.
Droy tried to talk her out of it. "Hey, Laki! He's fighting Natsu, you know!"
Laki pushed up her glasses. "It's fine! It's only a day's worth of food money, anyway. It's just too pathetic if the newbie has no one supporting him."
Ren glanced over at Laki. He had a faint impression of her. Laki didn't have much screen time in the anime; she was mostly a background character. But when Fairy Tail fell on hard times, she was one of the few who had stubbornly remained with the guild until everyone returned from Tenrou Island.
To stay with the guild in that situation was proof of her deep love for Fairy Tail. It was from that moment that Ren had remembered her name.
Laki noticed Ren looking at her and gave him an encouraging smile.
"I'll bet on the newbie, too!"
"Mira?!"
The new bettor was none other than Mirajane.
"I just think that if he was brave enough to take that mission, he can't be weak. He might not necessarily lose to Natsu."
Hearing Mira's reasoning, the others thought it made sense. Even though they didn't know Ren, if he dared to take that job, he must have some skill.
After that, a few more people trickled in to bet on Ren, but the overwhelming majority still put their money on Natsu.
Soon, everyone moved to the open space behind the guild. Beyond the clearing was a vast, sprawling lake.
This place was often used to settle personal grudges. Back in the day, Natsu and Gray, and Mira and Erza, had fought here more times than anyone could count.
"Go, Natsu! Show the rookie what you're made of!"
"Go, newbie! My booze money for tonight is riding on you!"
The spectators cheered for both of them.
"Hey, I'm Natsu. Nice to meetcha," Natsu said with a grin.
"I'm Ren. Please to meet you," Ren replied, nodding.
Natsu asked curiously, "What kind of magic do you use?"
"I use Take Over magic," Ren answered.
Natsu's eyes lit up. "Oh! Take Over magic!"
In Fairy Tail, the ones who used Take Over were the siblings, Mirajane and Elfman. Both of them were strong. Mira, especially, was as strong as a monster... it was just a shame she couldn't use her magic anymore.
"Both sides, get ready!"
"Full-Body Take Over! Ulquiorra Cifer!"
Ren's body began to change. His plain black clothes transformed into a white, high-collared jacket with a black lining, worn over a white hakama. A wide, black sash fastened it at his waist, holding a Zanpakuto. He wore black socks and white shoes.
His skin turned a deathly pale, and his eyes became a piercing green, with green, tear-like markings running down his face. The left side of his head was now covered by a white, horned helmet fragment.
Anyone who had seen Bleach would have instantly recognized Ulquiorra's attire.
At the same moment, Ulquiorra's memories began to flow into Ren's mind.
From his birth to his final battle and death at the hands of Vasto Lorde Ichigo—this rapid review of an entire life caused Ren and Ulquiorra to seemingly merge into one.
The transformation was complete. Just by standing there, Ren exuded a powerful, oppressive aura.