Fairy Tail: Null Infinite

Chapter 3: The Boy That Hates Mages

An 18 year old boy with long, ashen grey hair and dull, grey eyes, wearing a black, torn cloak over his ripped, grey shirt, cargo pants that barely reach his ankles and bare feet, sits with his back against a boulder in a small clearing with charred tree stumps all around. "*sigh~* why won't those bastards just leave me alone...?" While wondering about this, the boy falls asleep. During his nap, his mind runs wild and memories surface; Memories of torment, of fear, of running and fighting back, and finally, a memory of a large cavern he discovered at five years of age. After being chased by the villagers, the boy had run as far as his legs could carry him and wound up in a large, open area with a ginormous statue of what he thought was a demon. It didn't take long however, before the villagers found him and began exclaiming about how he would incur the wrath of the God Uprunna upon the village if he were to go near.

Waking up from his slumber, the boy brushes his long grey hair from his eyes and holds his hand to his head. "That things a god? Quit bullshitting me." After muttering those words under his breath, the sound of a cheerful group catches his attention. Making his way into the nearest, undamaged tree, he spies a group of young people. An excited, salmon haired boy with a white, scale patterned scarf, another boy wearing white clothing and a silver pendant around his neck, a scarlet haired woman wearing armour, a small girl with pigtails, a buxom blonde girl and two talking cats. The boy grumbles angrily as he listens to their rather loud conversation. "Mages..."

"So he's supposed to live around here right!?" Natsu asks with vehement enthusiasm. "For the third time, yes!" Lucy replies, annoyed by her friends inability to stay quiet for a second. "If the information the villagers supplied is correct, I should take point as my magic is not one that could be cancelled so easily. Natsu and Gray will be distractions while Wendy and Lucy will give support from the rear. Turra, you should stay back so he doesn't go for you." Erza tells her teammates the plan while a certain grey haired boy watches from the tree tops.

"So what? They couldn't be bothered to come here themselves so they sent a bunch of city mages to take me down?" The boys voice rings out from above them, alerting them to his presence in the tree. "Hey! Get down here and fight me!" Natsu exclaims. "That wasn't the plan, Natsu." Erza scolds Natsu who is no longer listening. "Nah, don't feel like it." The boy answers back sounding almost bored. "Why you-!" Natsu is about to leap at the boy before Lucy interrupts them. "Why are you attacking the villagers! What did they ever do to you?!" She exclaims in an accusatory manner. The boy lets an angry smile form on his face as he hops down from the tree branch and looks directly at Lucy. "That's none of your business, you bimbo." The boy says with venom in his tone. "If we are to fight, I would like to know your name." Erza asks, already having equipped her sword. "Didn't the villagers tell you? My name's Ruin, cause that's all they say I'll bring." The boys words send an eerie shiver down Lucy and Wendy's spines. "Alright, I've heard enough! <Fire dragons; Iron fist!>" Natsu flings himself at the boy as his fists burst into flame.

Natsu aims the fist at the boys head, however, Ruin places his arm in the way of the attack, blocking it. Natsu is bewildered when the moment his fist touches the boys arm, his flames disperse immediately. "Huh?!" Natsu exclaims. "Yo flame brain! They told us that he uses nullification magic! He can extinguish your flames before they hit him!" Gray yells at the confused Natsu. "Oh right." Natsu remembers in that moment. "They told you I use magic? That's progressive of them." Ruin states as he grips Natsu's arm and throws him away, slamming him against the trunk of a nearby tree.

"For your information, it's not magic." Ruin says with a sure attitude. "So you're using curses? Too bad we've beaten those before! <Ice make; Cannon!>" Gray yells, creating a cannon made of ice and launching the ice ball at Ruin. Ruin simply stands there and takes the hit. The ice seems to work for a second before disappearing the same as Natsu's flame. "W-what?" Gray says, confused. "Curse? I guess you could call it that. I have been like this since birth after all." Ruin says, now facing Gray and the others.

"What do you mean, you've had it since birth?" Wendy asks the grey haired boy. "Hm, I suppose 'since birth' isn't exactly correct. I've had this ability since right before my birth." Ruin states, a sad smile forming. "What? Before?" Lucy adds, confused. "I killed my mother a week before I was born. Organ failure." Ruins words shock the group of mages. "Since then, my ability seems to have calmed down a little. Instead of rejecting everything, it's just magic. It's funny if you think about it. It's like I'm the complete opposite of Uprunna. I wonder if that's why the villagers attack me on a weekly basis." The last words hit the team like a stack of bricks.

"Wait, you're saying that the villagers have been attacking you? Not the other way around?" Erza asks, trying to get an understanding of the situation. "It's certainly possible. The villagers who worship a god with infinite magic power, and a child with the ability to erase all magic. It's hard to believe they could live together." Turra chimes in, deep in thought about the situation. "However, attacking a child because of something they were born with... it seems too cruel." He adds to his hypothesis. "So you're not all idiots. Though, I still don't like you." Ruin says.

"Wouldn't the villagers listen to reason if we just tell them that you don't mean them any harm?" Lucy asks, concerned. "Considering that wouldn't be true, I doubt it." Ruin replies, anger in his voice. "What? What do you mean?" Wendy asks, afraid of what Ruins answer would be. Ruin is about to speak but is interrupted by the voice of a previously knocked down dragon slayer. "<Fire dragon slayers; Roar!> flames burst forth from Natsu's mouth in Ruins direction. In response, the grey haired boy extends his hand towards the flame, wiping it from existence the moment it comes in contact. "They came for me first. I'd just be returning the favour."

"Stop erasing my magic and take the hit!" Natsu yells, annoyed that Ruin is putting barely any effort into their fight. "Natsu!" Lucy yells out to her friend to stop, distracting Natsu as Ruin lands a hard punch to the boys face, knocking him back into the tree. "I hate fire mages the most." Ruin states as he begins to walk away. "Wait!" Lucy yells, making Ruin pause. "Isn't there anything we can do to get you to stop? What if you came with us? Joined our guild?" Lucy asks hopefully. "You would accept an antimage?" Ruin asks in a questioning, disbelieving tone. "Our guild is our family. It doesn't matter where you're from or what your circumstances are, your abilities are good and I would say, without a doubt, that what you need the most right now is friends and family you can really rely on." Erza states, making Ruin fall into silence.

"I'll give it some thought. Don't expect anything." Ruin says, walking away once again. "Will you leave the villagers alone while you think about it!?" Wendy yells, to which Ruin simply puts his hand up beside his head to signal yes to the group. "I'm not sure the villagers will be happy about that." Turra states to the group. "They lied about the treatment they've been giving him so the deal was already off the table." Erza says as she ushers her friends back in the direction of the village.

Turra stays back for a moment, looking at the group leaving, then towards the boy now in the distance and finally shifting his gaze up towards the mountain, smiling deviously as he does so.