Fairy Tail: Lost One

The next day, Rudra woke up with a slight headache as the memories of the previous owner of his body started merging with his own.

As he processed the influx of information, he learned more about himself and his past.

According to these memories, Rudra was an orphan who joined Fairy Tail at the same time as Natsu, after being found and brought to the guild by Master Makarov.

Afterward, Rudra attempted to propose to the girls of the guild by giving them gifts, but he was rejected, and in some cases, even got beaten up, rather than growing stronger.

Rudra also uncovered the events leading to his capture by dark mages. It had happened near the time of the S-Class Trial. Back then, Rudra had been trying to pair up with Cana for the trial.

However, Cana had rejected him, stating she needed a partner strong enough to help her pass the trial.

Determined to prove himself, Rudra had taken on a difficult quest. Unfortunately, during that mission, he was ambushed and captured by dark mages who experimented on him.

Rudra exhaled deeply, collecting his thoughts as he walked toward the guild hall. His calm, measured steps belied the whirlwind of thoughts spinning in his mind.

As he stepped into the guild hall, the chatter of the members quieted slightly. Rudra could feel curious eyes on him, but he ignored them, making a beeline for the bar where Kinana was arranging glasses.

"Can I get a meal?" he asked, his tone polite but direct.

Kinana looked up, her green eyes meeting his briefly before she nodded. "Sure, give me a moment." She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Rudra to find a seat nearby.

He sat in silence, his sharp gaze briefly scanning the room. The guild members resumed their conversations, though a few still cast glances in his direction.

Fifteen minutes later, Kinana returned with a steaming plate of food, setting it down in front of him with a smile. "Here you go. Enjoy."

"Thanks," Rudra replied simply before digging in. The food was hearty and flavorful, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to savor the moment.

Once he finished, he wiped his mouth and stood up, nodding at Kinana. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome," she said warmly, watching as he made his way to the mission board.

As Rudra scanned the posted quests, he noted the simplicity of most: herb gathering, pest control, escorting merchants. His fingers trailed over the papers until one caught his eye—a wyvern hunt at Mount Hakobe.

A small smirk tugged at his lips as he pulled the poster down. This one will do.

He strode back to the bar and called out to Kinana. "Where do I go to get this approved?"

She glanced at the poster in his hand and pointed to a table near the corner. "You'll need to speak to Master Macao. He's over there."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Rudra made his way across the hall. As he approached, Wakaba Mine, who was sitting with Macao, noticed him first.

"Hey, Rudra!" Wakaba greeted with a grin. "What brings you here?"

"I need this quest approved," Rudra replied, handing the poster to Macao.

Macao studied the paper carefully, his brow furrowing. "A wyvern hunt, huh? Are you sure about this? It's a dangerous quest."

Rudra's expression didn't falter. "I'm sure."

Wakaba raised an eyebrow, puffing on his pipe. "You've lost your memory, right? Maybe it's a good idea to take someone along with you. It'll help you get familiar with the area and the guild's way of doing things."

Rudra considered the suggestion for a moment before nodding. "That's fine with me."

Macao exchanged a glance with Wakaba before handing the poster back. "Alright, I'll approve it.

As Rudra made his way back to the counter, Macao called out, "Bisca, Laki!"

Hearing their names, the two women looked up from their conversation. Bisca adjusted her hat, and Laki brushed back her hair as they approached the guild master.

"What's the matter, Master?" Bisca asked curiously, her green eyes narrowing slightly.

Macao leaned back in his chair. "I need you both to go on a quest with Rudra."

Both women blinked in unison, caught off guard. "What? With Rudra?" they said simultaneously, exchanging a quick glance of surprise.

Laki was the first to speak. "Master, we don't think that's—"

Before she could finish, Wakaba interjected, exhaling a puff of smoke from his pipe. "Rudra's lost his memory, remember? He needs someone to guide him and keep an eye on things. You don't have to do much—just make sure he doesn't get in over his head. That's all."

Bisca and Laki exchanged another glance, their expressions softening slightly as they considered Wakaba's words. Finally, they nodded in agreement.

"Alright," Bisca said with a sigh, adjusting the strap of her gun holster.

"Fine," Laki added, crossing her arms. "But we're only stepping in if things go south."

"Exactly," Wakaba said with a smirk. "Think of it as babysitting with the possibility of action."

The two women rolled their eyes at Wakaba's comment but said nothing more as they turned and headed toward Rudra, who was seated quietly at the counter.

Approaching him, Bisca leaned on the counter beside him. "Looks like we're joining you on this quest, Rudra."

Hearing that Bisca and Laki would be joining him, Rudra stood silently, adjusted his cloak, and walked out of the guild. Without a word, he headed toward Mount Hakobe, the two women following close behind.

As they traveled through the rugged terrain, Bisca and Laki chatted casually to pass the time. Rudra, however, trailed slightly behind, quiet and focused on the path ahead.

By the time the sun had climbed to its peak, they reached the base of Mount Hakobe, its icy winds biting at their faces.

"Finally, we're here," Laki said, letting out a relieved sigh as she stretched her arms.

Bisca pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, shivering slightly. "Let's finish this quickly and get out of here. It's freezing."

Laki nodded, her breath visible in the frigid air. "Yeah, I'm not a fan of this weather either."

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a piercing shriek that echoed through the mountains. Startled, they turned in unison to see a group of more than ten wyverns flying toward them at alarming speed, their massive wings kicking up flurries of snow.

"What the—why are there so many?" Laki exclaimed, her voice tinged with panic.

Bisca's green eyes narrowed as she gripped her rifle. "The quest report only mentioned a single wyvern. This isn't right."

"This is dangerous," Laki said, her voice rising with urgency. "We need to get out of here!"

They both turned to retreat but stopped in their tracks when they noticed Rudra standing still, his eyes locked on the approaching wyverns.

"Oh no," Bisca muttered, glancing at Laki. "He's frozen in fear! We need to snap him out of it."

Laki stepped forward, reaching out toward Rudra. "Rudra, snap out of it! We need to—"

Before she could finish, Rudra moved. In one fluid motion, he drew a set of kunai, channeling his lightning release through them and hurled them at the oncoming wyverns.

The kunai zipped through the air with precision, striking each wyvern in the head. Moments later, a series of deafening explosions erupted as the electric charges detonated, obliterating the wyverns instantly.

In the span of a few heartbeats, the sky was clear, the ground littered with smoldering remains. The icy wind carried the smell of ozone and burnt flesh.

Rudra turned to see Bisca and Laki staring at him, their mouths agape in shock.

"Quest completed," he said calmly, brushing some snow off his cloak before turning and walking back toward the town.

The two women stood frozen for a moment, still processing what had just happened. Finally, Bisca broke the silence. "What…just happened?"

Laki blinked, shaking her head as if to clear it. "You tell me!"

They exchanged a bewildered glance before hurriedly running after Rudra, their earlier banter replaced by a mixture of awe and disbelief.

After a few hours, Rudra, Bisca, and Laki arrived back in town. The journey had been eerily quiet, with neither Bisca nor Laki saying a word.

They trailed behind Rudra, their eyes glued to his back as he walked ahead with unwavering composure.

Both women found themselves lost in thought. The Rudra they remembered was someone entirely different—a weak, carefree flirt who spent more time chasing after girls than doing anything productive.

Yet, the man before them had single-handedly defeated a swarm of wyverns with terrifying efficiency.

Bisca broke the silence, glancing at Laki. "I'm confused."

Hearing this, Laki turned to her. "About what?"

"Can losing your memory…make you stronger?" Bisca asked, her voice low and uncertain.

Laki sighed, shaking her head. "How should I know? Nothing about this makes sense."

As they approached the guild, their thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sight of the bustling hall.

Stepping inside, they headed toward Macao, who was seated at his usual spot. He looked up as they approached, raising an eyebrow.

"You're back early," Macao said, folding his arms. "Did something happen?"

"No," Rudra replied simply. "We completed the quest."

Bisca and Laki turned to Rudra in unison, their expressions incredulous. We? they thought. You didn't even need us!

Macao seemed pleased, nodding in approval. "Well, that's good. Now go to Kinana and collect your reward."

Rudra nodded silently and made his way to the counter. Bisca and Laki watched him leave, still processing the events of the day.

As Rudra disappeared toward the bar, Wakaba approached the two women with a grin, puffing on his pipe. "So, how'd he do during the quest?"

Laki, still stunned, shook her head. "You didn't need to send us with him."

Hearing this, Macao leaned forward, his expression serious. "Did something happen?"

The two women exchanged a glance before recounting the events of the quest in detail—how they were overwhelmed by the number of wyverns, Rudra's calm demeanor, and the way he had obliterated the entire swarm with shocking precision.

When they finished, Macao stared at them, processing their words. "Did it really happen?" he asked, his tone disbelieving.

Both Bisca and Laki nodded, their expressions earnest.

Macao dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "Alright, go get some rest. I'll think this over."

As the two women left, still whispering to each other, Macao turned to Wakaba, his brow furrowed. "What do you think?"

Wakaba exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze following the path Rudra had taken. "Honestly, this might be a good thing. We've been struggling to handle high-level quests ever since…well, you know, since we lost so many of our strongest members."

Macao nodded slowly, his thoughts heavy. "Yeah…if he really is this strong, we might finally have someone who can help fill the gap."

For a moment, both men sat in silence, the chatter of the guild fading into the background as they contemplated the mystery of Rudra's transformation.