In the Fairy Tail guild, disbelief could be seen on everyone's faces except for the Guild Master, who already knew how it would end. Still, it didn't stop him from being surprised; Alex's growth as a wizard was abnormal. Then again, it made sense with a "cheat" magic like his it was like playing outside the rules.
Poor Natsu had been impaled against the wall. Makarov thought Alex would simply bury the magic-nullifying screw somewhere in his body, but he didn't expect him to go as far as crucifying him. Seeing him like that, the others rushed over to help.
"Hey, Natsu! Why aren't you moving?" Happy asked with concern. Flying over him, he tried to pull out the screws, but as soon as his paws touched them, it was as if a puppet had its strings cut; Happy fell flat on the ground.
That alarmed everyone. "Let me help. After all, I wouldn't recommend touching my magic," Alex said. He made the screws vanish, and Natsu followed the law of gravity, falling right on top of Happy.
"Itai!"
Natsu grabbed his head. "What happened to me?" Elfman helped him up while Levy assisted Happy.
"That was the fight of a man! Natsu, don't be discouraged by losing; men always keep their heads held high!"
Natsu blinked as if he didn't quite understand what was happening. Makarov approached and said, "You fought well, my son, but Alex immobilized you. Seeing that you have no wounds on your body means Alex has controlled his magic."
Hearing the Master's words, everyone noticed that the spots where the screws had pierced Natsu's shoulders and legs had no wounds. Even the trace of blood from Natsu's nose from the first hit was gone.
"What kind of magic does Alex have? I'm getting more confused by the second," Levy said while cradling Happy in her arms.
"The fact that Natsu lost in just a few moves proves Alex's magic isn't simple," Gray added. After all, he knew Natsu's strength best from fighting him every day.
"Hey, Gray... you took your clothes off again," Cana said as she started sorting the money from those who bet on Alex. The winners were Wakaba, Mirajane, the Master, and obviously herself. The house always wins when making bets...
Cana decided to give Alex a quarter of her winnings. She wanted that money to show her sincerity toward him—a bit of jewels to strengthen the friendship. Four people had made enough money to relax for days without taking missions; others, however, would have to work to put bread on the table.
"So, Master, can you explain Alex's magic? We're all curious; enlighten us with your wisdom," said Mirajane, acting as the spokesperson for everyone present.
Makarov considered it. Alex's magic was dangerous if not used correctly, but given the boy's character, he doubted he would do anything wrong and with Erza watching over him, he should be fine. "Well, it's not right for someone else to speak about a person's private magic in their presence. Let Alex tell you himself."
Dozens of heads turned at the same time, staring directly at Alex. Noticing he was the center of attention, he began to feel nervous.
"This... how to explain it..." Alex thought about his words. "Well, I call my magic AllFiction. Just like it sounds, I can turn something that happened into fiction. It's as if the fact that I took damage from Natsu's magic never occurred."
"Wait, so if Natsu's magic never hurt me, I wouldn't have any wounds, right?"
"What the hell!"
"What kind of absurd magic is that?"
"If your magic negates facts, how do you explain appearing in front of Natsu and hitting him? And those screws have no explanation either," Levy asked. As someone who loves acquiring knowledge, she had a great interest in Alex's power.
"Well, when I appeared in front of Natsu, what I did was negate the time and space between us. Basically, if the time it takes to appear in front of him is non-existent and the distance becomes zero, what you have is a type of instant teleportation. Although, that was the first time I pulled it off from a considerable distance."
Many were shocked. The magic world is vast, but there's always a "weirdo" like Alex.
"And the screws? Why was Natsu hanging there like a dead puppet?" someone from the crowd asked.
"The screws are a manifestation of my magic. Since I can negate reality, I added the ability to negate a wizard's magic, strength, and mobility to the screws. So, if one of my screws ever hits you... it's gameover."
Everyone: "..."
"What kind of monster is this guy? Is that why Erza is so dedicated to him?"
Reading the atmosphere, the Master intervened. "Enough questioning others' magic! Everyone back inside! Today we celebrate Alex's victory and the fact that a strong guy has joined our guild!"
"The Master is right! We should be happy he's one of us. Another monster has joined our ranks!"
The mood shifted, and everyone headed to the guild hall to celebrate.
"Hey, Alex! I might have lost this time, but next time I'll be the one to defeat you!" Natsu said with his usual carefree personality.
Seeing that Natsu wasn't angry, Alex replied, "Sure, I'll look forward to the rematch."
They all entered the guild, the main topic of conversation being Alex's absurd magic. Everyone went to their usual tables. Alex headed to the bar, where Cana handed him a bag full of money.
"Take this, Alex. This is your share of the bets I made. Thanks to you, I'll have enough money to buy plenty of alcohol for a while," Cana said with a smirk.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "But I didn't place a bet. This money isn't something I earned..."
Cana shoved the bag into Alex's hands. "I won't take no for an answer. If I say it's yours, it's yours. Besides, with Erza away, you must need money for something, right? If you see something you like, just buy it."
"Well, it's not like I don't have money. Erza opened a bank account for me and gave me some of her money. Every time she does a mission, she deposits an amount into my account too..." Alex said, feeling a bit embarrassed about being supported by Erza.
But hey, you can't deny the happiness of having a beautiful woman like Erza living with you. Even if she supported him, it was only because he had no means to earn money; now that he was a wizard, he should start taking jobs.
Cana choked on her drink, and Mirajane's eyes widened in surprise. To think Erza would actually do such a thing for Alex...
"Being kept by a woman is not the way of a man! Alex, you have to work too! Men are the ones who should bring money home!" Elfman said as he approached the bar.
"Yeah, when Erza gets back, I'll ask her to help me pick a suitable mission."
"What brings you here, Elfman?" Mirajane asked.
Elfman could only swallow his embarrassment. "Well, sister... it turns out I bet all the money I had on me... so, I wanted to ask if you could lend me a little for food and drinks..." Elfman rubbed the back of his head as he spoke.
"You did what? You bet everything?" Mirajane was shocked by how stupid her brother could be. She facepalmed in exasperation. She looked at Cana, but Cana looked away, taking a sip of her beer and ignoring Mirajane's gaze.
Alex could only laugh to himself. The Fairy Tail guild was certainly a lot of fun.