[A Few Weeks Later]
Life at Fairy Tail had settled into a lively, unpredictable rhythm. Kai had become a regular sparring partner for many of the younger mages—especially Erza, Mirajane, and Natsu.
His record against Erza stood at 7–3. Their battles were calculated, intense, sometimes explosive—both mentally and magically.
Against Mirajane, it was 8–0. Despite her formidable Take Over magic and fiery personality, Kai's keen understanding of magical flow and swift counterattacks kept him ahead. She still called him a smug brat after each loss.
Natsu, however—oh, that was different. A relentless 50–0. Even without absorbing his flames, Kai's magma-resistant body was an impenetrable barrier against Natsu's fire-based assaults. When Natsu went in for physical strikes, Kai either blocked, countered, or simply ducked until Natsu faceplanted into the dirt.
Gray provided the most interesting challenges, forcing Kai to rely on Earth Dragon Slayer magic to level the playing field. Ice versus earth led to dynamic clashes, but ultimately, Kai's battle sense always granted him victory.
After completing dozens of B-rank missions, Master Makarov finally relented.
"Fine. You can try an A-rank mission," he said, rubbing his chin. "But only if an experienced A-ranker accompanies you."
Kai searched from a list of A ranks and found an easy one to Kill a Desert Snake .
Wakaba was away on a mission, so Kai turned to someone he trusted implicitly—Erza.
"You up for a desert trip?" he asked casually.
"I'm always ready," she replied, arms crossed, eyes serious.
For extra backup—and chaos—Kai also asked Natsu and Gray. After some haggling and a reluctant agreement from the Master, the team was set.
The sun bore down mercilessly on the endless dunes. Heat shimmered in waves, and sand stretched as far as the eye could see.
Erza marched ahead, stoic, her armor gleaming under the sun.
Gray, sweat beading on his brow, grumbled about the heat every few steps.
Natsu looked ready to melt into the sand.
And Kai? Calm as ever, strolling with a sunhat, sipping cold juice.
"How the hell are you okay?!" Gray shouted, fanning himself.
"Magma Dragon Slayer resilience," Kai replied with a smirk. "Heat doesn't bother me. And—" he gestured at his bag, "—I packed extra cold drinks."
Natsu, defeated, collapsed onto the sand.
"Why couldn't the serpent live somewhere snowy...?"
Later, the team paused beneath a natural rock arch for cover. Kai wandered away, inspecting the cracked, dry ground.
"It's too quiet..." he muttered, tense.
Suddenly—WHOOOSH!
Without warning, the ground erupted. A colossal serpent, easily thirty meters long, burst out in a whirlwind of sand and scaled fury. Its jaws opened wide—
—and Kai vanished in a gulp.
The others snapped to attention.
"KAI!!" Erza shouted.
Inside the beast, muffled but stubborn:
"I have the worst luck..."
Gray and Natsu launched their assaults simultaneously. Ice arrows and fire fists slammed into its thick side. Erza quickly re-equipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor, unleashing a barrage of swords from the sky.
The serpent screeched, thrashing violently, half-buried in sand. Despite injuries, its armored scales protected it, and it refused to go down easily.
"Erza! Keep it still!" Gray commanded.
"Natsu! Aim for the exposed—"
Before they could coordinate further, a deep rumble emanated from within the beast.
Then—BOOM!
An explosion erupted from inside, magma and flesh flying everywhere. The serpent's head was blown apart from the inside out.
Kai landed on the sand, emerging from a small crater, covered in goo.
"...I hate everything about today," he muttered, brushing goo off his shoulders.
The others stared.
"You blew it up from the inside?" Gray asked incredulously.
"I was going to wait until you injured it more," Kai said dryly, "but it was getting boring in there."
Natsu burst into laughter.
"That was AWESOME!"
Erza, silent but composed, handed Kai a towel.
"Thanks. Next time, someone else gets eaten," he quipped, grinning.
The team collected the serpent's core as proof of their victory. Their gear was coated in slime and guts—but they had succeeded.
When they returned to the guild, Master Makarov raised an eyebrow.
"So... how'd it go?" he asked, curious.
"Let's not talk about it," Kai deadpanned.
Natsu, grinning broadly, announced, "He got eaten by a snake!"
Kai groaned loudly.
"Never again."