No, Fairy Tail!
1: Chapter 1: Welcome to Teyvat…
No, Fairy Tail!
It hurts.
My whole body hurts.
Aether opened his eyes, and what he saw wasn’t the moldy ceiling of his rented room, but an unfamiliar forest.
His head felt like it had been stuffed into a blender.
Countless images rushed in—magic, guilds, dragons, black Mages—all things both familiar and foreign to him.
He looked down at his hands.
Smaller.
Twenty years smaller.
“This body…
eleven or twelve years old?” He rolled over, every muscle protesting.
It wasn’t just soreness; it was a hollowed-out weakness, like the state after working three days of overtime straight, multiplied by ten.
There were dried bloodstains on the ground.
They were left by the original owner of this body.
Memory fragments told him this child was an orphan who had escaped from a town ransacked by a Dark Guild and ran into this forest.
Then he died.
Then he arrived.
“Fairy Tail,” Aether murmured.
What rushed in weren’t memories.
It was a worldview.
He had transmigrated.
Transmigrated into the anime he had watched countless times.
“Huh?” A high-pitched voice exploded from above his head.
Aether jerked his head up.
A palm-sized little person floated in mid-air, with white hair, a blue cape, and an expression that was both panicked and excited.
Paimon.
“You, you you you—you’re finally awake!” Paimon stood with hands on hips, floating in front of his nose.
“Paimon was worried to death!
You were unconscious for a whole day and night, do you know that?” Aether stared at him for three seconds.
“Paimon?
Didn’t I transmigrate into Fairy Tail?
Where did this come from?” With a hint of curiosity, Aether reached out his hand, passing through his body.
“As expected, I can’t touch you.” “Of course you can’t touch me!
Paimon exists in the form of a System Elf right now!
Only you can see Paimon!” He puffed out his cheeks.
“And you fainted as soon as you transmigrated, scaring Paimon to death.” Aether sat up against a tree trunk, his mind racing.
Transmigration.
Childhood state.
Paimon existing as a system.
“So,” he tried to keep his voice steady, “what do I have now?” “Uh…” Paimon counted on his fingers, “Currently, you have a basic perception of the seven elements.
That is, Anemo, Geo, Electro, Pyro, Hydro, Cryo, and Dendro.
But it’s only perception!
Not the kind you can use directly!” “Meaning I’m currently a blank slate.” “Well, you can’t say that…
at least you have a little bit more Talents than ordinary people?” Aether fell silent.
A six or seven-year-old body.
No magic reserves.
No combat ability.
Located in a forest that might have wild beasts and remnants of Dark Guilds.
In his past life, he was just an ordinary worker.
The greatest danger was a client changing requirements.
“Paimon.” “Hmm?” “Are there any human settlements nearby?” Paimon blinked, his translucent body spinning around as if searching for something.
“To the southeast, about three kilometers away, there’s a small town.
But Paimon has to remind you, the state of your body—” “Let’s go.” Aether propped himself up against the tree trunk.
His knees were shaking, and his vision was a bit blurry.
But he didn’t hesitate.
His twenty-eight years of life experience told him one thing.
Staying in place and waiting to die is always the worst option.
After walking for about half an hour, Aether’s stamina reached its limit.
He leaned against a tree gasping for breath, sweat trickling down his forehead.
A six-year-old’s body was too fragile—short legs, small lung capacity, even walking felt like running a marathon.
“How about a rest?” Paimon hovered over worriedly.
“No need, let’s keep—” He stopped.
A rustling sound came from the bushes ahead.
It wasn’t the wind.
It was footsteps.
Many footsteps.
“Hey, there’s a brat over here.” Three men stepped out from behind the bushes.
They wore matching dark robes, and on the left side of their chests was an embroidered, twisted skull mark.
A Dark Guild.
Aether recognized that symbol.
It was the group that had ransacked the town.
“A stray cub?” The bald man in the lead smirked.
“Ran out from that town?” Aether didn’t speak.
He was evaluating.
Three people.
All adult males.
There were magic fluctuations on them—though he didn’t know why he could feel them, that faint stinging sensation didn’t lie.
Can’t run.
Can’t win.
“Don’t be afraid, kid.” The bald man crouched down, his tone like he was coaxing a dog.
“Come with uncle, uncle will give you food.” “Given that you just slaughtered a town,” Aether said calmly, “the credibility of those words is approximately zero.” The bald man froze for a moment.
The two lackeys behind him also looked at each other.
“This brat…
why does he talk so old-fashionedly?” “Whatever.” The bald man stood up, the smile on his face fading.
“The boss said live kids can fetch a good price.
Catch him.” Aether took a step back.
His heart raced.
Yet his mind was exceptionally clear.
Fear was there, of course.
But he had lived for twenty-eight years, experienced layoffs, being called to work in the middle of the night, and the despair of a client overturning a proposal for three consecutive days.
Compared to those, the “might die” fear in front of him actually sparked a strange calmness.
“Paimon,” he thought to himself, “is there any emergency measure?” “There’s, there’s one!” Paimon’s voice was frantic.
“Paimon has a Newbie Gift Pack here!
But it only gives you one chance to draw!
No guarantee what you’ll get!” “Open it.” “But what if you draw—” “Open it!” In his mind, a golden light exploded.
A string of information rushed in.
[Congratulations Traveler, you have obtained Character Experience—Amber] [Obtained: Basic Fire element Comprehension · Initial Stage] [Obtained: Wind Glider Flight Experience (Current physical condition insufficient, temporarily sealed)] [Obtained: Combat Experience · Archery Basics] Aether almost cursed out loud.
Amber.
The very first free character obtained in all of Genshin Impact.
“Fine.” Aether took a deep breath.
Fire element.
Basic comprehension.
He didn’t know if it was enough, but he could feel it—a warmth at his fingertips, like the temperature of holding a hand warmer in winter, faint but definitely there.
The bald man had already reached out his hand toward him.
Aether raised his right hand.
He didn’t think about any profound magical theories.
He only thought of one thing.
Fire.
Burning.
Create a wall of fire between him and these three.
The warmth at his fingertips suddenly expanded.
A flame shot out from his palm.
Not big.
Not even fierce.
Probably only five or six times the size of a lighter flame.
But it was enough to make the bald man jump back in fright.
“This brat can use magic?!” Aether’s heart hammered in his chest.
He knew this little bit of fire wouldn’t fool them for long; his magic power was almost zero—that warmth was already rapidly fading.
But he didn’t need to win.
He needed time.
“Don’t panic!” The bald man snapped out of it, his face darkening.
“Just that little bit of fire?
How much magic power can a brat who hasn’t even grown hair have?
Get him!” The two lackeys rushed forward.
Aether turned and ran.
Six-year-old legs.
He hadn’t run ten steps before a large hand grabbed him by the back of his collar.
“Got you!” Aether was lifted up, his feet off the ground, the collar choking him.
“The brat can really run—” The lackey didn’t finish his sentence.
Because a finger flicked his forehead.
Just a light flick.
But the big man flew back as if hit by a truck, snapping two trees before stopping.
Aether fell to the ground, stumbled, and looked up.
A short old man stood in front of him.
Really short.
Probably only half a head taller than his current six-year-old self.
A bald head, white beard, wearing a funny clown hat and an orange coat.
But the pressure of the magic power radiating from him made Aether’s skin tingle.
The remaining bald man and the other lackey turned pale.
“T-Ten Wizard—” “Young man.” The old man’s voice was flat, but every word fell like a stone.
“It’s not very nice to lay hands on a child, is it?” The bald man’s lips trembled.
“Go, retreat!” The three of them scrambled and disappeared into the forest.
The one who had been flicked away somehow managed to get up and ran faster than anyone.
Aether stood in place.
His heart hadn’t calmed down yet.
But his eyes were fixed on the old man in front of him.
He recognized him.
Not through the memories of this body.
Through the anime he had watched countless times in his past life.
Makarov Dreyar.
Fairy Tail’s third, and also sixth, guild master.
“Child,” Makarov turned around and looked at him, his gaze shifting from comical to serious.
“What you used just now, was it fire-attribute magic?” Aether nodded.
“To be able to release magic at this age…
though the control is a bit poor, the talent is quite good.” The old man stroked his beard.
“What is your name?” “Aether.” “Aether…” Makarov sized him up, his gaze lingering for a few seconds on the dried bloodstains and scratched skin.
The old man didn’t press for where those injuries came from.
He only asked another question.
“Do you have any family?” “No more,” Aether said.
This wasn’t a lie.
In both worlds, they were gone.
Makarov was silent for a while.
Then he reached out his hand.
That hand was small, covered in wrinkles and calluses, but incredibly steady.
“Child, have you heard of Fairy Tail?” Aether looked at that hand.
Of course he had heard of it.
He had watched every episode of this story, every chapter, every character’s smiles and tears.
He knew what this guild would go through.
The Phantom Lord attack, the Tower of Paradise, Tenrou Island, the Grand Magic Games, Tartaros, the Alvarez Empire…
He knew what injuries those comrades would suffer, how many tears they would shed, and how many partings they would experience.
And now, he was standing at the starting point of it all.
Aether grabbed that hand.
“Take me there, Master.” Makarov laughed, a warmth in his smile that made one feel at ease.
“Then from today on, you are a member of Fairy Tail.” Paimon spun frantically in the corner of Aether’s vision, almost hitting a tree.
“Waa—Paimon finally doesn’t have to sleep in the wild!” Aether rolled his eyes in his mind.
You don’t even need to sleep.
But he didn’t say it out loud.
Because Makarov had already started walking forward, rambling about the guild rules, which brat had caused trouble recently, and how the cafeteria food was getting worse…
Aether followed behind him.
His steps were small.
But every step was firm.
He didn’t know if he could change anything.
But he knew that from today— “By the way, Aether.” Makarov suddenly stopped and looked back at him, his expression a bit strange.
“Hmm?” “You called me Master just now,” the old man narrowed his eyes, “but I haven’t told you my identity yet, have I?” Aether froze.
Paimon also froze.
The air was silent for a full three seconds.
“…Intuition,” Aether replied without changing his expression.
Makarov stared at him.
Aether stared at Makarov.
The old man suddenly burst into laughter and patted his head.
“Good intuition, kid!
Let’s go, let me introduce you to those troublesome fellows in the guild.” Aether followed.
His heart was still pounding.
Paimon floated over and lowered his voice—though no one could hear him anyway.
“Can you not let the cat out of the bag so obviously next time, hey!” Aether ignored him.
Because on the distant horizon, the outline of a small town was gradually becoming clear.
In the center of the town, a flag fluttered in the wind.
On it was embroidered the pattern of a fairy with wings.
Makarov pushed open the guild doors.
“You brats, I’m back—and I brought a new member!” The sound of chairs flipping, cups clinking, and a young boy’s voice came from inside.
“New member?
How old?
Can they fight?” Aether took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.
Paimon sighed in his ear.
“Alright Traveler, your adventure—has officially begun.”