Author's note
Hey, I'm back. I've had the chance to write a fair bit so I'm a couple of chapters further along. I've managed to finish the Lullaby Arc, but I'm embarrassed to say it took me 4 freaking chapters. And you guys know my chapters are long. The main reason was setting up character interactions for the first time and trying to figure out how they would play off of each other but still, I pray the rest of the Arcs don't take that long.
Anyway, I said my bit, enjoy.
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
"Internal conversations/ messages"
"Spells or Important Items"
The Greyhound Chapter 5
5 years later
X784 – Hargeon
The Port of Hargeon was bright, lively, and filled to the brim with townsfolk, travelers, and the occasional pirate. Everyone mingling and cheerful as they moved from place to place, carrying out their daily tasks. The streets themselves held a number of stores and magic shops, along with locals spreading the latest gossip.
"Did you hear? They say that a famous criminal has come to Fiore." a young woman said
"Who is it?" her partner asked with concern.
"He goes by the moniker Greyhound. He's really involved with dark guilds, and apparently has even assassinated a couple of noblemen."
"Oh wow, that's really scary."
"Ya but don't worry too much, I also heard that there is a famous mage in Hargeon today. The Salamander from Fairy Tail."
"That's exciting, I hope we get to meet him."
As the conversation ended an individual passed by, wearing black cargo pants and combat boots. In addition, a gray t-shirt clung to his torso, with a black open jacket sporting silver highlights resting atop. Its hood pulled up to conceal his face. And finally, two silver rings resting on his right hand.
No one gave the man much thought, he was forgotten as quickly as he appeared. And if someone were to catch a glimpse under his hood, all they'd see is a single glowing red eye.
"Are people still calling me that, 'Greyhound'? Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, as long as they don't know my real name."
As he continued his stroll a crowd started to appear in the distance, and his eye began to glow more brightly.
"What is that… Charm Magic maybe? The color is right, and it would explain the crowd."
Approaching yet staying on the outskirts of the gathering, he watched with mild interest. A man was standing at the center, captivating the attention of dozens of women. Showing short blue hair and a similarly colored cape, in addition to a strange mark above his right eye. At the moment he seemed to be signing an autograph for a… pink-haired boy? Regardless, the autograph said 'Salamander' which was strange.
"All the rumors I've heard about the Salamander say he's pretty young, but this guy is at least in his 30s. Not to mention he's using Charm Magic, which is illegal in Fiore last I checked. Something's definitely not right here… Well whatever, it wasn't my problem to begin with. Just keep moving Kinzo, the contact is waiting."
Putting the situation behind him and the strange thoughts out of his mind the walk continued. His contact was a little-known, yet extremely reliable information broker named Daniel Reen. They'd met roughly 4 and a half years ago, which was the last time Kinzo had been in Fiore.
"Still can't believe it's been 5 years."
And how long those years felt.
After the loss of his mother and apparent abandonment by Ur, the first and only thing on his mind had been revenge. Grimoire Heart had taken everything from him so in kind he'd decided to tear them apart piece by piece. Until only Hades and the blonde man he now knew as 'Zancrow' were left. He would take his time with those two.
It had taken several days in Ur's empty cabin just to feel something again. Days longer to collect himself enough to leave her mountain. And weeks more to properly aim the emotion he now recognized as hatred. He needed direction, that was how he'd met Daniel Reen.
The information broker seemed to have unparalleled access to meaningful intel when it came to dark guilds. So, when Kinzo asked about Grimoire Heart, he wasn't disappointed. Though the answer did put things in perspective for him.
This 'dark guild' was more of an international syndicate for illegal activity. Slave trade, extortion, assassinations, and any other black deed one could think of was committed under its banner. And the whole thing came back to him. Hades, and his inner circle called the 7 Kin.
Any information on the Kin or Hades himself is near impossible to come by, with one exception. A single-member was so excessive (and sloppy) with his work that a few eyewitnesses had started to emerge. Every one of them gave a similar testimony. 'A blonde man with a crazed laugh had burnt their town to ash.' Some even reported hearing his name 'Zancrow'.
After coming to understand just how deep this guild's roots went, his decision was made for him. He needed an edge, something to help him pressure the enemy and continue to grow at the same time. Money, infrastructure, allies, something. Even better equipment would help the cause…
Better equipment…
His father's lab, to the east. Mom said he was finalizing some of his research. Perhaps there was still stuff he could use.
The trip hadn't taken long, all things considered. Sneaking past the national border had been child's play and following the coordinates to a small farmhouse had been even easier. Though what he found inside was another story entirely. On the surface it seemed like a standard home, something people would just glance over before leaving. Which is likely why it had stayed abandoned for all these years, it looked worthless. But upon closer inspection, he found a false wall hidden among the residence. And within the room, it led to a false floor. How his father had managed to set that up on such short notice he had no clue, but he had.
The small basement he entered, wasn't exactly filled with the state-of-the-art equipment he was hoping for, but it did have his father's desk. Three books, and what appeared to be a sculpted eye made of gold resting inside a small case. Taking a seat and flipping through a few pages of the first book, titled 'Iron Maiden'. He found it to be a research journal, filled with entries depicting his mother's/his revolver.
Isaac Colt
Journal entry #227
"The Ethernano powered firearm, titled Iron Maiden, is a revolver Esc. weapon sporting two large barrels stacked atop each other. It was the first weapon to make it past the prototype stage for my most recent self-sustaining lacrima core. The core itself will collect Ethernano from the atmosphere and act as a continuous source of ammunition and fuel for the weapon to draw from. The core currently installed is the 'Puncture round' intended for precise fire with the ability to pierce durable obstructions. More recent tests have found it able to penetrate any material not reinforced with magic.
In addition, I have added my own "Magic Kanji" to the frame. The symbol for 'Everlasting'located on the grip should prevent it from taking any damage from magic-based attacks full stop, and the material used to make the frame is borderline indestructible as well. The Kanji itself works like an open circuit, all magic it comes into contact with is immediately broken down into basic Ethernano and absorbed into the circuit where it will either act as an additional source of power for the core or be expelled into the atmosphere over time."
"Victoria has taken it with her into the field and reported back to me that its effectiveness in combat exceeded all previous expectations with virtually no drawbacks other than needing to keep it on one's person. With this success, I feel comfortable moving on to other cores. Perhaps a delayed explosive round or flashbang-style ammo would be beneficial. In the future, I intend to add a 'Reload' feature allowing for quick switches between cores. The potential effects here…"
So that was why his revolver had survived Zancrow's fire, it was this 'Everlasting' Kanji. At least that was cleared up. But the information about different cores was certainly interesting.
The second book was untitled, but by reading entries he found it to be a personal journal.
December 23, X765
"I've been separated from Victoria for nearly two weeks now. I didn't like the idea of leaving her for so long, especially while we're being hunted, but I need her to prepare a route for escape into Fiore. In the meantime, I should finish as much of my research as possible. It may seem questionable to seek asylum in the country Grimoire is most heavily active in, but hiding in plain sight has worked for me in the past. Plus, I believe a deal can be struck with the Fiore government, by providing my weaponry in exchange for protection."
"If I could find a way to mass-produce these items, then people like Hades would truly have something to fear from common men. Of course, everything would change in society if I did that. Common people would have the ability to stand up to tyrants, yes, but they could just as easily become tyrants themselves with the power I give them. These things weigh heavily on my…"
It wasn't much but at least now he had something of his father's that may help him get to know the man more. Finally, he turned to the last book titled 'Variants' resting just in front of the golden eye, and began to read.
Isaac Colt
Journal entry #438
Variant Artifact #1
"The Eye of Talionis, an artifact discovered in the far east, said to give the user unparalleled vision and insight, but at a hefty cost. The effects of using the eye are not yet known, as I have advised Hades not to allow anyone to use it until after I've run more tests."
"As far as I can tell from basic scans of its structure, an internal lacrima is present and allows its user to actually see magic. Not the finished spell that anyone could witness, but the actual build-up and flow of Ethernano itself. Such a gift could be invaluable, but it should be accepted with caut…"
Stopping mid-sentence, the lust for power pushed him to act quickly. An artifact that would let him see magic was priceless, and a potentially invaluable asset in his coming war against Grimoire Heart. Grasping the small object in his hand he started to observe, wondering how it worked.
Considering turning back to his father's notes for a better idea he began to set the sculpture down until he saw the red glow coming from its pupil. Bringing it closer he noticed the light begin to grow brighter.
"I wonder if it runs on some kind of incantation?"
His question was unfortunately answered, as the object burst from his hand at high speed. Slamming against his face and burying itself in his own eye socket.
"Ahh, shit what the hell!" The impact came quick, and his eye felt like it was being squished but for the most part, he was just annoyed. That annoyance would soon turn to panic as he felt the golden piece begin to grow hotter, and hotter.
"What, no wait, WAIT!
RAaaaAHHH!" Flesh and soft tissue began to burn as his eye melted from the heat and the inside of his skull was scorched. Standing wasn't an option anymore.
Writhing on the ground in pain, barely conscious, but all too aware of what was happening.
Time crawled on. For how long he wasn't sure, but the pain hadn't lessened in that time. Until in an instant, it was gone. He felt nothing. It wasn't as though he felt normal. No, he just felt nothing. Cautiously reaching a hand up to his right eye he found warm… metal?
Desperately searching for a mirror, he found one in his father's desk. Taking a look at what was before him… within him? Regardless the golden piece had not only burrowed itself into his face replacing his eye, but it had also changed shape to better fit his own head leaving some nasty burns around the edges of his eyelid in the process.
'Lex Talionis' an eye for an eye. The dark humor wasn't lost on him.
"This can't be real" oh but it was.
His mental breakdown would have to wait though as his vision was assaulted with color but only from his right side. To his left eye, everything seemed normal, but his right was picking up a dark black and bright red color coming from… his holster? The Gun was emanating two colors, or rather the weapon's steel and the Kanji printed upon it were shining two different colors. The frame, a vibrant red, and the sigil pitch black.
Calming down had taken longer than he'd like to admit, but once he finally did, leaving was the only thing on his mind. Grabbing the three books and taking his leave after a quick once over he found himself outside again. His father's work in hand and an unwelcome object replacing part of his body.
It would take him months to fully understand, but using his father's speculative notes and personal experience things would piece themselves together. He really could see magic, the way it moved through a person or object. It would present itself as a soft yet colorful glow allowing him to tell when and where it was building up.
The color's nature was even more interesting. Often being determined by a combination of the type of magic being used and the influence of the user themselves. For instance, fire magic would always be some kind of red or orange but how bright and what shade, was unique to each person.
He also came to realize through trial and error that the eye granted him a kind of limited night vision. Nothing crazy, just enough to see a few feet in front of him in total darkness. The catch was it only worked when magic was being used. Whenever the artifact picks up on magic nearby its iris will start to glow a deep red, providing the side effect of limited sight in the dark.
Kinzo would go on to spend the next two years bouncing around different countries in Ishgar gathering information and destroying dark guilds. He made a point of avoiding Fiore as that seemed to be their home base of sorts and he wanted some distance for what he intended to do next.
His preferred method seemed to be infiltrating smaller dark guilds who worked under Grimoire, learning everything he could and then crushing them. Either picking them apart slowly over the course of several weeks. Taking out members one by one as they came or left for jobs, and interrogating them until only a handful remained. Or he may do it quickly, using explosive lacrima and calling in local authorities with a location to clean up the mess.
Regardless in either situation he always fought the guild master himself, since they knew the most information. Not out in the open like a fool with something to prove but from the shadows when they weren't paying attention. And once he had the intel he needed deciding to kill or leave them for the authorities to handle was normally determined based on the specific crimes they were guilty of, or how wretched they appeared in his sight.
The goal was to damage Grimoire's supply routes from a distance, and boy was he good at it. They sent all kinds of headhunters after whoever was causing all that damage. But with no witnesses and nothing to go off of, what could they do?
Things continued like that for some time, but eventually, he took a short break. Intending to understand the metal his mother had picked out the day she died.
What she said was true, magic was basically useless against it, and the things couldn't be melted down to study further. For those reasons, he couldn't find out anything meaningful about them. It was necessary to understand how these things worked in order to use them with his Molding Magic, but how was the question.
Several days of testing would go by before it dawned on him that the Eye of Talionis could help to give him some insight. Focusing on his own magic and sending it into the material revealed something incredible.
His magic wasn't just disrupted or merely absorbed; no it was still inside the material perfectly intact all its previous characteristics unaltered. The metal seemed to act in a manner similar to an electrical circuit. Once magic was placed into it, the spell would permeate the entire substance and continuously move around losing very little potency in the process.
He was starting to get a basic idea for how these things worked but a rather bizarre thought occurred. If they absorbed magic and maintained all of the same characteristics, could he cause the spell to rupture back out? If for instance a fire spell was absorbed, could he force it back out with the same attributes?
Wanting to test the theory, he bought a number of fire-lacrima from a nearby town and got to work.
He could, he absolutely could, and it was so simple.
The ore acted as a great magic conductor absorbing basically anything sent its way. But once a circuit was already in motion, they were very fragile. After hitting it with the fire-based lacrima there seemed to be no limit to just how much fire magic it could hold. But if one tried to introduce a second type of magic into an already existing circuit then the metal would prioritize the new spell forcefully ejecting the old. He could tank an incoming attack, hold it and then by introducing his own magic send it right back.
After figuring that out, understanding its chemical make-up was easier to pin down. Only a select number of metals could even handle magic to begin with. So, the atomic structure had to be similar to theirs. After a bit more trial and error he had it down and an unreal new tool at his disposal. With this, he could stand up to stronger wizards by throwing their strength back at them, but he would still prefer to attack from the shadows. No point in risking yourself out in the open, not when he could cripple an opponent before the fight even started. And while the weapons he made now were powerful that didn't change just how disadvantaged he was in terms of magic capacity. He couldn't make too many of these things in one shot without exhausting himself.
Anyway, after his two years of dark guild hunting the rogue mage decided to relocate. Instead of hopping from country to country in Ishgar alone, he spent time overseas. Focusing primarily on purging the Alvarez Empire of some of the newer Grimoire Heart affiliates that were setting up shop there. If he could contain their activities to just Ishgar that would make things easier for him.
He would spend upwards of a year there meeting a number of remarkable people, and attempting to snuff out Grimoire's allies before they could really take root. But his efforts would prove to be unnecessary. Once the Empire caught wind of what he was doing they decided to deal with the issue themselves. Brutal efficiency brought down by their soldiers. An elite group of 12 to be more precise, 2 of which he had the misfortune of meeting firsthand.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Brandish was polite enough if not a bit odd (then again who was he to talk), but the other was a real piece of work. She had an absolutely broken kind of magic and was arrogant to boot. If he never saw her again that'd suit him just fine.
Three years after his mother's murder he found himself once again in Ishgar. Continuing the hunt for Grimoire dark guilds but also taking a number of jobs that he deemed worth his time. Normally they were requests outlawed by the government of whatever country he happened to find himself in. Ranging from destroying rival dark guilds to assassinating corrupt politicians, and noblemen. He always did his homework on both the employer and the target before accepting, because once he did, in his mind there was no going back.
It was around this time he picked up the nickname 'Greyhound'. He was still unsure as to why that name stuck, but from what he could gather it was because of his exceptional employer loyalty, and the fact that he had never let a target escape. They were basically calling him a good attack dog.
Time went on and he continued to rock the boat, making life as difficult as possible for Hades and his merry band of murderers. On two separate occasions, Grimoire had sent someone from their actual guild after him, and both times he'd nearly died.
That woman was terrifying. A picture of beauty on the outside, long purple hair and vibrant red eyes with unreal power to boot. But she was cunning, and both times they'd met she took him by surprise. Planning ahead wasn't an option with her.
Another development that occurred around this time was using his magic negating metal to turn a profit. He would sell them to varying governments as magic restraints for military and peacekeeping use. By using his contacts as middlemen, he could sell and remain anonymous. The extra jewel was nice, and it wasn't like they could actually be used against him. As his constructs, he had complete control over them. Unlocking a set placed on his wrists would take no effort at all.
He would round out the next two years continuing this routine. Taking illegal jobs, hunting dark guilds, and selling cuffs to the local government. Until two weeks ago. He'd gotten word from Daniel Reen that someone was willing to trade information on Grimoire Heart's 7 Kin in exchange for some object. So here he was meeting the client in Hargeon.
Reaching his destination, Kinzo entered a bar. Finding a seat in the far corner.
Settling in he got comfortable, content to wait for his contact. The man who wanted to make a deal would be here sometime tonight, so until then he would rest.
It was 9 P.M. when the man arrived taking the seat across from him without so much as a greeting.
"Greyhound?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"Yes" came the reply.
"I understand you want intel on the 7 Kin and their guild master. I can get it for you. But I want something in return. An old artifact of Zeref's called Lullaby." He said while leaning forward on the wooden table between them.
"What does it look like and where can I find it?" Kinzo asked.
"Ho, not even phased by me asking for somethin made by the black wizard himself eh? You really must be twisted 'hound', Hehehe." The apparent amusement rolling off the man was exceptionally annoying at the moment.
"Just get to the point." He replied quickly. The tough cushion he'd been sitting on and the constant smell of alcohol from the bar had depleted most all his patience.
"All right, all right. It looks like a wooden flute with a skull on the end, and you should be able to find it with the dark guild Eisenwald'' he said while pulling out a picture of the twisted instrument. If you manage to get your hands on it, tell Daniel to contact me again and bring it here."
That was all he needed to hear. Rising from his seat, he grabbed the picture Re-Quipping it into his storage space before preparing to leave.
"Hey hound, if you do get your hands on it, do not play it under any circumstance."
Seeming to ignore the man he just continued to walk, right out of the bar and into the cold empty street.
"This fool actually wants something that belongs to Zeref, nice. Well, I guess I could always break it discreetly before handing it over. And it's currently in Eisenwald's possession huh? I'll see what I can do."
As his thoughts came to a close his sight was assaulted by a deep blue. Looking towards the harbor with his enhanced sight he saw a cruise ship… and what looked like a mermaid. Said Mermaid was using some seriously high-level water magic to whip up a tidal wave, and aiming it right at the ship before her. When the attack met its target the force was more than enough to push the large vessel all the way to shore, knocking it over once it met the sand.
After the ship-wrecked vessel came to a complete stop on its side, an explosion busted out part of its haul. Throwing a number of unconscious men out onto the beach.
Soon after his Eye picked up the most brilliant red he'd ever seen. Pivoting in the same moment towards the color, he saw what seemed to be a pink-haired man, with a scaly white scarf throwing Fire Magic at someone else.
Oh, it was that Charm Mage from earlier, the one going by 'Salamander'… Man, he was getting laid out.
As if on cue the Pink haired mage shouted "Fire Dragon's Roar!" a torrent of flames shot from his mouth and the man was sent flying across town crashing into a bell tower.
Kinzo was so enamored by the man lodged in a wall that he almost missed what the firebreather said, but thankfully his enhanced hearing still picked it up.
"That's what you get for stealing someone else's moniker and ruining Fairy Tail's good name!"
"Hm, so this boy is the real Salamander I've been hearing about? How interesting."
He wasn't allowed to ponder long as said boy started sprinting away from an approaching unit of rune knights with a blonde-haired girl and a… flying blue cat? In tow.
"You're an interesting one Salamander, I may have to keep an eye out for you." Continuing down the brick path with a blank stare on his face he marched forward. Hopefully, toward some valuable information on the monsters, he was hunting. This may just lead him to the guild he swore to tear down with his own two hands.
Author's note
Hey, you made it through another one.
This chapter was a bit boring in my opinion (no real fight scenes), but you did get to see two of Kinzo's most important tools for the future of this story the Eye of Talionis which lets its user see Ethernano. And the Magic absorbing Metal, which I still don't have a name for. I'm gonna do my best to make sure these don't get out of hand.
I really don't want Kinzo to turn into or come off as a 'Mary Sue' or make it seem like his abilities are unearned. So if you see that in any of the upcoming chapters let me know. The basic idea for why Kinzo will be so effective in this story is because of his forethought/planning for battles and ruthlessness/lack of honor or caring about looking cool. So if that doesn't match up with what I'm writing feel free to call me out.
In addition, we got some journals from Kinzo's Father Issac Colt. These will come up periodically throughout the story to explain new concepts/ items that may be important later. Hope his notes were interesting to read.
This should be the last flash-back intensive chapter for a while. From now on it should just be a few paragraphs explaining something that happened in this 5-year gap.
Alright, that's all from me for now. I'm still traveling at the moment so the next update will probably be in early-ish June once I'm back. Have a good one, see you soon.
