On the flying carpet, Natsu was at his happiest. Jumping up and down in the center of the carpet, his cheerful smile radiated. "Happy, look! I'm in good spirits!"
The blue cat nodded enthusiastically. "Aye, sir! This is amazing! Natsu isn't dizzy!"
Lucy turned to Natsu in surprise. She vividly remembered how prone this guy was to transportation sickness.
"Wait, isn't this technically transportation?"
"Of course it is," Kira explained with a smile. "But the blanket is enchanted with balance magic. Most of the vehicles I design have it. It ensures that the user won't get carsick, seasick, or even 'flying blanket sick.' That's why Natsu can be so energetic."
He added, half-jokingly, "This blanket is very expensive. If Natsu pukes on it, we wouldn't be able to pay for it even if we sold Happy."
"I'm not selling Happy!" Natsu and Happy protested in unison.
"Balance magic?" Lucy asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Kira nodded and elaborated. "The word magic I use is versatile. One of its applications allows me to adjust the properties of objects through their inherent meanings. By altering the balance of the flying carpet, for example, Natsu's motion sickness is neutralized."
Although Lucy didn't fully grasp the technicalities, she was clearly impressed. "It sounds amazing!"
Kira chuckled. "It is! Speaking of amazing, let me introduce everyone's magic so you're familiar before the mission. You already know Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic—it lets him consume fire to restore strength and makes him immune to burns. Erza's Knight Magic allows her to re-equip various armors and weapons during combat. Gray uses Ice-Make Magic to create objects and weapons out of ice."
Lucy nodded, intrigued, as Kira continued, "Gray, why don't you show her?"
Gray sighed, muttering, "What a pain..." But whether to demonstrate or show off, he clasped his hands together. "Ice-Make!"
With a flash of blue light, a tall ice wall materialized on the carpet, shielding them from the high-altitude wind.
The air grew noticeably calmer, though the chilly atmosphere now made everyone shiver slightly.
Lucy glanced between Natsu and Gray with a realization dawning on her. "Oh, so that's why you two don't get along?"
Gray scoffed. "Who cares what you think..."
Natsu interjected with a smirk, "I'm way stronger than him, that's why!"
Kira laughed. "They fight all the time, but deep down, they're great friends."
"Who's friends with him?!" Natsu and Gray shouted in unison, glaring at each other.
Lucy blinked, amused by the synchronized denial.
"See? Perfect teamwork!" Kira teased, which caused the two to turn away awkwardly, eliciting a small giggle from Lucy.
Erza smiled gently. "It's good to see everyone getting along so well."
Kira shot Erza a curious glance. Is it possible she enjoys watching them squirm under her authority? Could Erza secretly be more cunning than she lets on?
He shook the thought away quickly.
"Ahem," Kira began, clapping his hands for attention. "Let's go over the strategy for our mission."
"Strategy?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Yes," Happy explained. "Kira always plans ahead. He likes to assign opponents before battles start to make everything more efficient."
Lucy tilted her head. "Assign opponents? That sounds organized."
Before Happy could respond, Natsu cracked his knuckles. "I don't care about assignments! Just leave them all to me!"
Gray smirked. "Let me take care of the strongest one, and Natsu can handle the small fry."
"Who are you calling small fry?!"
As the two began arguing, Lucy sighed and muttered, "This doesn't sound like a strategy..."
Kira, realizing Erza wasn't stepping in, took it upon himself to restore order. "Hey! Pay attention to safety!"
Of course, neither Natsu nor Gray paid him any mind.
Finally, Erza's calm voice rang out, "That's enough. Sit down and listen carefully."
Both boys immediately obeyed, sitting cross-legged and glaring at each other in silence.
Kira nodded. "The Iron Forest isn't very strong, but they have numbers. Natsu, Gray, and Lucy, you'll handle their members and a few cadres. Erza will focus on Eligore, their leader. His magic is wind-based."
Natsu and Gray immediately protested, "I want to fight Eligore!"
"Nope," Kira said firmly.
"What about you?" Lucy asked.
"I'll handle oversight and unexpected situations. If Larabai gets loose, I'll step in."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, sensing his real motive.
Natsu suddenly pointed at Erza. "I'll agree to this, but after the mission, you have to fight me, Erza!"
"What?!" Lucy exclaimed, while Gray shook his head in disbelief.
Erza's piercing gaze met Natsu's fiery determination. After a moment, she nodded. "Fine. When this is over, I'll fight you seriously."
"It's a promise!" Natsu cheered, igniting his fists in excitement.
"Put out the fire!" Lucy yelled, punching him in the head.
Kira sighed, smiling. "Don't worry. The carpet's fireproof..." His expression changed as he noticed something. "But water isn't great."
Everyone turned to see the melting ice from Gray's earlier spell pooling on the carpet.
"You two idiots!" Kira roared, his yell scattering birds in the distance.
The flying carpet reached Guilian City swiftly, gliding gracefully over the less-crowded streets.
"Where do we start investigating?" Lucy asked as they walked through the town.
Kira suggested, "Let's start at the bar where Erza saw them."
Erza nodded. "Gray and I will head there. The rest of you split up and gather information."
Before Lucy could object, Kira added with a sly grin, "Natsu and Happy will go with Lucy. I'll search on my own. Good luck!"
He darted off before anyone could argue.
As Kira strolled through the town, he spotted something interesting on the ground: a small white card with golden letters. His eyes widened in recognition.
50% off all street food?!
Humming happily, Kira picked up the card, tucked it into his robe, and made a beeline for the food stalls.
Two hours later, he rejoined the group at the meeting point, patting his satisfied stomach.
"Did you find anything?" Erza asked.
Kira shook his head solemnly, masking his earlier indulgence. "No luck. How about you?"
Erza replied, "We learned that several wizards are gathering at Kunuki Station."
Kira's expression turned serious. "Kunuki is the last stop before Clover, where the guild masters are meeting."
"Exactly," Erza confirmed. "If we hurry, we can intercept them before they reach Clover."
Natsu bolted toward Kunuki without waiting.
"That idiot!" Gray yelled.
"Let him go," Kira said, pulling out a wooden flute from his robe.
Erza froze. "You just said... what does the enemy have?"
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The speed of the flying carpet was still impressive. In just a few hours, the group arrived at Ghost Lotus City from Magnolia.
Ghost Lotus City was less prosperous than Magnolia, lacking powerful magic guilds or famous tourist attractions. Its modest streets bustled with ordinary people, their lives untouched by the chaos that guild life could bring.
"So, where should we investigate?" Lucy asked as they disembarked from the carpet and stepped onto the cobblestone streets.
Erza looked around thoughtfully while Gray crossed his arms, already appearing exasperated by the task ahead. Investigating the Iron Forest wasn't going to be easy—dark guilds were well-hidden and operated in the shadows.
Kira, walking ahead, stopped suddenly, his face lighting up as if struck by a brilliant idea. "The book says the best places to get information are bars and..." He paused dramatically before snapping his fingers. "Let's go to the bar where Erza met them before!"
Erza nodded in agreement. "I think that's a good start. Gray and I will head to the bar we were in before. Kira, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy, you can search the rest of the town. Let's meet back here in two hours."
"Got it!" Kira saluted with exaggerated enthusiasm, which should have been Lucy's first clue that he had no intention of sticking to the plan.
As Erza and Gray headed off, Kira leaned closer to Lucy. "Let's split up. It'll be more efficient that way."
Lucy looked uncertain. "Split up? Are you sure that's safe?"
"Don't worry!" Kira gave her a reassuring smile. "Natsu and Happy are with you. They're not very smart, but that's why you're here to lead them! I'll investigate alone. See you later!"
Before Lucy could protest, Kira vanished into the crowd, leaving her with a puzzled expression and two clueless companions.
Kira wasn't shirking his duties out of laziness—he simply wanted to give Natsu and Lucy some alone time. He had always been a staunch supporter of their budding partnership and figured this was the perfect chance for them to bond.
"There are still two hours left," Kira muttered to himself, wandering the streets aimlessly. "Might as well find a place to sit and grab a bite... Wait, what's that?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Kira spotted something that piqued his interest. A small white card lay discarded on the ground, its edges glinting faintly in the sunlight.
Kira's eyes widened. "Could it be the legendary...?"
He glanced around cautiously. Seeing no one paying attention, he hummed a casual tune and pretended to tie his shoelaces as he bent down to pick it up. The card shimmered faintly in his hand, revealing an enticing image and the words "50% Off for the Whole Street!"
A mysterious smile spread across his face. "It seems fate has smiled upon me."
…..
Two hours later, at the food court
"It's so cool to have 50% off for the whole street!" Kira patted his stomach contentedly, standing with one hand on his waist and the other tracing circles over his satisfied belly. "Ah, what a pleasant afternoon. I guess it's time to meet up with the others."
As he turned a corner, Kira accidentally bumped into someone.
The collision sent the other person sprawling, their belongings tumbling to the ground. A dull thud echoed as a long, cylindrical object rolled to Kira's feet.
The object was unmistakable—a wooden flute adorned with three skulls. Kira's heart skipped a beat. Could this be... Larabai?
His mind raced as he quickly crouched to conceal the flute under the folds of his wide platinum magic robe. Activating his word magic, he replaced the flute with an ordinary wooden stick.
By the time the man opposite him—a tall, wiry figure with a sinister grin—recovered from the collision, Kira stood with an apologetic smile.
"Are you okay?" Kira asked politely.
The man, who Kira recognized as Kageyama of the Iron Forest, appeared momentarily startled but quickly recovered. "I'm fine. I should be asking if you're okay. I didn't sense any magic power from you, so I didn't expect you to be so sturdy."
Kira chuckled nervously. "Just lucky, I guess."
Kageyama bent down to retrieve his belongings, his hand brushing against the replaced wooden stick. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It's intact... That's good."
Kira watched silently as Kageyama stuffed the fake flute back into his bag and walked away.
When Kira finally arrived at the meeting spot, Erza and Gray were already there.
"How's it going, Kira? Did you get any information?" Erza asked.
Kira shook his head solemnly. "Unfortunately, I didn't hear anything about the Iron Forest."
Gray frowned. "What were you doing for two hours?"
Kira feigned a hiccup and changed the subject. "What about you guys?"
Erza's expression grew serious. "We didn't find their exact location, but we learned that a group of magicians has gathered in Kunuki."
"Kunuki... That's the station before Clover, isn't it?" Kira asked, scratching his chin.
Erza nodded. "Clover City is where the guild leaders are holding their regular meeting. If the Iron Forest plans to disrupt it, controlling Kunuki would be their first step."
"It seems their target is the guild leaders after all," Kira said thoughtfully.
Natsu, unable to contain himself, shouted, "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go save the old man and the others!"
"Don't be impulsive, Natsu," Kira said, placing a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "The president can handle himself, and Mira has already informed him about the threat. Our job is to deal with the magicians at Kunuki Station."
"Fine!" Natsu's fists ignited with flames. "Happy, let's go!"
"Hey hey!"
Before anyone could stop them, Natsu and Happy darted off at full speed toward Kunuki.
"Why doesn't that guy ever listen?!" Gray groaned.
Erza sighed. "We have to catch up to him before he causes trouble."
But before they could leave, Kira reached into his robe and pulled out the real Larabai.
Erza froze, her eyes widening. "Wait... Isn't that the flute?!"
"You just said the enemy has Larabai," Kira said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "What exactly do they have now?"
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