Chapter 18
Kai prepared to head back to Magnolia after collecting his reward. Sitting in a small bar, he sipped his juice and sighed. "Man, that sea serpent was a pain to deal with in the sea," he muttered, stretching lazily.
Just then, a man at a nearby table leaned toward his friend. "You heard it, right? That cursed girl was seen near Hargeon. Hope she doesn't come here." His friend shuddered. "Yeah… wherever she goes, rain follows. People call her the Rain Woman. Just thinking about constant rain makes me sick."
Kai's ears perked up instantly. Rain girl? Isn't that Juvia? His eyes narrowed in thought. If I remember correctly, she should be around thirteen by now… wandering alone…, abandoned by Bora and later joining Phantom Lord.
A small grin formed on his lips. "Tsk… how could I let her suffer like that?" he murmured. Standing up, he walked to the man's table and slammed some money down. "Where is she?"
The man's eyes lit up at the money, but froze when Kai summoned Kyojitsu slightly, letting the blade gleam. "S-sir… a mage… I heard she was seen east of Hargeon Port," he stammered.
Kai observed him carefully, his Transparent World active. Sensing no lie, he stored his sword and turned away. Behind him, the two men began cheering as they counted the money, completely ignored by Kai.
"Well then, Juvia… wait for me," he said with a small smile. "Soon, you'll be part of Fairy Tail… part of a family." With that, he began heading east of Hargeon Port.
Meanwhile, in Magnolia, Erza and Mira stood with Makarov as the paperwork was completed. "Kids, the land is yours now," Makarov said. "So, are you going to repair the old house or build a new one?"
"Of course we'll build a new one," Erza replied firmly. "It will be our home, after all." Mira nodded beside her. "Yeah, that place is barely standing. It's more like ruins than a house."
Makarov chuckled, about to respond, when his communication lacrima rang. He took it out, and Kai's image appeared. "Yo, old man. There's a girl here. Her water magic is so strong it affects the weather itself," Kai said.
Makarov blinked, processing everything. His expression slowly turned serious. "If that's the case, help her, Kai. And if she agrees, bring her to Fairy Tail. I'll personally guide her." Then his face shifted mischievously. "Hehe… if you can kidnap—ahem—bring her—"
"You shameless old man, stop making that face," Kai cut him off. "I'll ask her properly. Only if she agrees will she join."
Before Makarov could reply, Erza and Mira snatched the lacrima. "Kai, is the mission done? Are you okay?" Erza asked quickly.
Kai grinned. "Wow, my Erza is worried about me? I'm so happy I might cry," he teased, before his tone turned playful. "If only you were this gentle instead of chasing me with a stick when I proposed—"
"Shut up!" Erza snapped, face bright red. Mira burst into laughter, clearly enjoying the moment, while Erza glared at her.
Mira leaned closer to the lacrima. "Kai, we bought land. It's near Porlyusica's home—big garden, lots of space."
Kai nodded with a soft smile. "I trust you two. Buy whatever you like. As long as you're happy, that's enough. I'll be back in a day or two."
"Leave everything to us," Mira said confidently.
"Yeah… just please don't design the house," Kai added with a pleading tone.
Mira froze. Erza tried to hide her laughter as Mira's face turned red. "Hmph… just come back already, you bastard," she pouted.
Kai chuckled lightly. "See you two." The communication ended, and he turned his focus forward. "Alright… let's find our Rain Girl."
He searched for hours, moving through forests and open paths, but found no sign of rain. "Damn it… was that just a rumor?" he muttered, slightly annoyed.
Still, he didn't stop. "I've already searched this long. A little more won't hurt," he said, continuing forward. After nearly another hour, he finally saw it—a patch of land covered in constant rain.
"Found you," Kai said, his eyes lighting up. Golden flames wrapped around him as he dashed forward, the rain evaporating before it could even touch him.
He slowed down upon seeing her—a blue-haired girl, around thirteen, staring at him with fear and confusion. Kai blinked, realizing he was still covered in flames. "Ahem… don't worry. These are just my magic flames," he said quickly.
"A mage…? Juvia is sorry," she said, bowing immediately. "Juvia didn't know this was your place. Juvia will leave."
"Wait, I didn't tell you to leave!" Kai said, flustered. Juvia looked at him in confusion. "Juvia doesn't understand… didn't you come to ask Juvia to leave?"
Kai shook his head. "Nope. I came to ask you to come with me. I'm Kai, an S-Class mage of Fairy Tail. If you come with me, I'll teach you how to control your magic… and the rain."
"You want Juvia to come with you?" she asked softly. Kai nodded immediately. "Yeah. I want Juvia to join our family."
Juvia froze. Family…? Juvia? Her cheeks turned red. "Umm… do you like rain?" she asked nervously.
Kai smiled gently. "Of course I do. When you're sad, rain keeps you company. When you cry, rain cries with you. And sometimes… just watching it feels calm."
Juvia flushed deeply. He likes rain… does he also like Juvia? Her thoughts spiraled before her expression dimmed. "Juvia doesn't like rain. Everyone hates Juvia because of it."
Kai tilted his head slightly. "Then how about I send the rain away?"
Juvia blinked. "You can do that?"
Kai smiled as he summoned Kyojitsu. Golden flames gathered along the blade, heat rising as the rain began to evaporate. Then, with a single swing, he slashed toward the sky.
A blazing arc cut through the clouds, exploding outward and scattering them completely. The sky cleared, revealing bright sunlight for the first time in who knows how long.
Juvia stared upward in shock. "Y-you… cut the sky?"
Sunlight fell on her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. "The sky… it's not raining… the sun… it feels warm," she whispered, trembling.
Kai smiled warmly. "Don't worry. When you become stronger, you'll be able to control the rain yourself. You can stop it whenever you want."
Juvia looked at him, her heart racing. "Juvia will follow Kai," she said immediately.
Kai grinned. "You won't regret it. Fairy Tail is a home for people like us. A family where we share our happiness, our pain… where we fight, laugh, and cry together."
"Fairy Tail… Juvia wants to see it," she said, eyes shining. "Juvia wants to join Kai's family."
Kai nodded, satisfied. "Then let's go."
Together, they began walking, Kai telling her stories about Fairy Tail as they headed back—toward a place she would finally be able to call home.