Fairy Tail: Igneel's eldest son in Anime Multiverse Chapter 2: An Unexpected New World

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Charles massaged his aching arm while climbing to his feet from the dirt. The plunge through that spatial rift had been anything but soft.

Without the boosted durability from acquiring Dragon Slayer Magic, such a crash might have left him badly hurt.

Charles had never dreamed that trouble would strike while passing through the Eclipse Gate.

Just before, after entering the portal Anna created, a mysterious magic circle burst forth from his own body without warning.

He initially figured it was just a standard effect of the Eclipse Gate transit, yet Anna's face twisted in alarm right then.

That's when Charles knew something was amiss with him. With no chance to ponder, he flung Natsu back to Anna before the circle engulfed him completely.

Next time light pierced his vision, he tumbled wildly from the sky, slamming brutally into the earth. It took ages to shake off the daze before he rose and scanned the area around him.

"Man, I hope I haven't landed too far off from Natsu's time... A shift of a century or two would spell real disaster...!"

Mid-sentence, Charles halted abruptly. His gaze fixed on a distant sight, wide with utter disbelief.

A colossal skull loomed there, rivaling a modest mountain in scale. Beyond its immense size, the form was utterly strange. Alongside the usual pair of eye sockets sat a round hollow smack in the forehead's center, hinting at a third eye once present.

Flanking the skull stood a pair of gigantic, sweeping horns. No ordinary beast could claim this—it screamed demon god relic.

Charles pinched his skin hard. He'd assumed the Eclipse Gate glitch would merely displace him in time. Crossing into a whole new world hadn't crossed his mind.

This standout feature let Charles pinpoint his location instantly. He'd exited the Fairy Tail realm and stepped into fresh magical territory.

This was Black Clover's domain... Three, four, five... heavens knew the leaf count on that clover!

Like Fairy Tail, magic dominated here, but its essence differed vastly.

Here, mana reserves were fixed from birth, and magic types weren't trained—they were inborn. Real power unlocked at fifteen, upon claiming one's grimoire.

Indeed, the grimoire reigned supreme in this realm.

Grimoires varied in size, heft, and look per individual. They selected their masters, so receiving one marked the debut gauge of magical prowess.

Four kingdoms filled this world, each grimoire crest tied to its homeland.

The core tale unfolded in the Clover Kingdom, boasting the three-leaf clover emblem.

The clover's leaf tally gauged the owner's magical fortune too.

Right now, Charles lingered at Clover Kingdom's edge, in Hage Village—the hero Asta's birthplace.

Charles let out a heavy sigh, worry etching his features. This twist lay nowhere in his schemes, leaving even his seasoned mind reeling.

He raised both palms and smacked his cheeks sharply, rallying himself: "No way! Giving up this early is ridiculous. Remember the vow to Igneel—Natsu's still counting on me!"

Charles swiftly realigned his thoughts. From his prior life, he grasped a key fact—every snag arose from insufficient strength.

Magic defined this world, channeling miracle-level might. World-jumping? Totally feasible.

That body-emerging circle during his arrival proved it!

Grrrrumble...

As enthusiasm surged back into Charles, a growl hit, sapping his vigor in a flash, body slumping.

Thinking back, no food had passed his lips since yesterday. Dragon Slayer Magic had toughened him via draconic essence, spiking his hunger demands.

He wasn't Luffy-level from the pirate saga—withering like a mummy sans meals—but starvation still drained Charles's pep.

Gripping his rumbling belly, Charles shuffled his fatigued legs toward the demon god skull.

Though familiar with the source material from before, Charles lacked precise map knowledge. Hage Village hugged the demon god skull, yet no settlement dotted his view.

His best bet: approach the skull, seek folks, snag some grub.

Vaster than anticipated, the demon god skull taunted from afar; hours of trek yielded scant progress.

Like pursuing an illusion, exhaustion claimed him before distance shrank noticeably.

Dragon Slayer build outpaced any regular kid's, yet Charles hit walls too.

He slumped against a tree, bemoaning his luck. Drowsiness tugged, half-asleep already.

A tempting scent wafted by. Charles's nose flared; eyes flew open as he snatched and crammed the offered item into his mouth.

It resembled a sweet potato, but texture-wise, leagues below his past life's breeds—dry, stringy, choke-risk high.

For a famished soul like Charles, though, it ranked as gourmet bliss.

Gobbling it down, Charles eyed his benefactor.

A pint-sized figure stood there—Charles's age, but noticeably shorter.

Clad in rough garb with a headband, sporting cropped gray locks and a beaming grin.

"Your stomach's been rumbling like crazy. You must be starving!"

Charles pegged him at once: Asta, this world's lead. The fiery lad fans dubbed "Screaming Emperor."

In a mana-obsessed realm, Asta packed zero—yet chased Wizard King glory with unyielding grit and resolve.

He declared persistence as his magic! That hooked Charles big-time before.

Food gulped—still hungry, but energy trickled back.

He sprang upright, exclaiming, "You saved me big time! I'm Charles, Charles Gidofmir. Pleased to meet you!"

Asta shot back with gusto, "I'm Asta from Hage Village! Great to meet you too!"

Charles mused inwardly—no kidding on the Screaming Emperor tag. Kid's voice boomed like a beast even young.

Asta queried, "Where're you from, Charles? Never spotted you hereabouts."

Charles responded, "From a super distant spot! First time in these parts."

Asta's eyes lit with stars. "Solo adventuring so young? That's incredible!"

Asta pegged him as a wanderer; Charles let it slide. World-traveler beat dimension-crosser for plausibility.

Thus, Charles added, "Not so tough. But I'll hang around awhile. Count on you!"

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