Chapitre 42: The New Rides

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.

September, x776.

*Honk!* *Honk!*

"What the hell is that?" Macao, who was sitting at the bar with Wakaba asked after the unfamiliar sound was heard from outside the guild hall.

"I don't know." Wakaba replied. "I've never heard a sound like that before."

"Should we go outside and check it out?" Macao asked, curiosity glinting in his eyes.

"Yeah, I don't' feel like we're in danger, so why not." Wakaba replied with a shrug.

Before either of them could get up from their seats, however, they saw Elicia with an excited smile sprinting toward the front doors of the guild hall. Behind her was a group of curious kids, also running toward the doors.

"What are those kids doing?" Wakaba asked, standing from his seat.

"I don't know, but we better make sure nothing happens to them." Macao said, following Wakaba and standing from his seat.

"Why are you brats talking so much?" Makarov shouted as he slapped Macao and Wakaba upside the head. "Hurry up and follow them."

With that, Makarov hopped off his usual spot on the bar and ran toward the front door, just behind Ur, who was also thinking of protecting the children. Meanwhile, Macao and Wakaba glanced at each other for a moment before following Makarov.

*Bang!*

A moment later, Elicia reached the doors and flung them open. When she did, she opened her eyes wide in surprise. Then, as the other kids and Ur arrived, she smiled brightly.

In front of Elicia and the others were three magical vehicles that looked just like cars from her past life. On the left, was an almost exact copy of her car from her past life, a silver-blue BMW Z3, on the right was a cherry-red Cadillac Escalade, and in the center was a silver Aston Martin Vanquish. Leaning against the driver's side door of the Vanquish was Alfonzo, smiling brightly at the stunned expressions on his friends' faces.

"Fonzie! This is amazing!" Elicia shouted as she dashed toward Alfonzo.

Taking a step away from the car, Alfonzo opened his arms and caught Elicia who jumped toward him with everything she had. Then, as soon as he caught her, she wrapped her arms and legs around him and kissed him on the cheek.

Meanwhile, Elicia's shout pulled the others out of their stupor. Then, they began walking toward the three vehicles, though Cana was pouting, hard, at Elicia's display of affection.

A moment later, the rest of the guild, with Makarov, Macao, and Wakaba in front, arrived at the door. And just Like Ur and the kids, they stood in stunned silence after seeing the three magical vehicles.

"Is this what he's been working on with Nell for the last three years?" Makarov asked absent-mindedly.

"Hey, Kid." Ur said as she approached Alfonzo and Elicia. "I have a few questions. First, Just what are these?"

"These are the magical vehicles I created." Alfonzo said with a proud smile on his face. "Master Goldstein helped me iron out any issues with their construction. But I designed and built them myself."

Alfonzo then went on to explain the same things he talked about with Elicia and Nell. Explaining that he thought the older magical vehicles were stupid because they used a wizard's magic power and how that was bad in an emergency. Then, he explained about he rechargeable lacrima fuel source. However, he stopped his explanation with a frown when he realized that no one was really listening to him.

"The big one is awesome." Droy said excitedly while gawking at the Escalade.

"Yeah, but I like this silver one." Ultear said as she circled around the Vanquish.

"The blue one reminds me of ice." Gray said, really liking the color of the Z3.

"That's so impressive, Alfonzo." Levy said, the only person who was interested in the theory behind the cars' creation. "Do you have any ideas of how to improve them in the future?"

"Well, at least someone cares about all the hard work that went into making these." Alfonzo muttered, causing Elicia, who was still in his arms, to giggle.

"Yeah, yeah, really interesting and all that." Ur said, dismissively waving off Alfonzo's explanation. "Now, on to my second question. Can I have one of these?"

"Nope." Alfonzo replied immediately.

"Why not?" Ur asked with a frown. "It's not like you can drive all three of them."

"And I don't intend to." Alfonzo said with a smug smile. Then, he pointed at himself with his thumb before pointing at Elicia with his index finger as he continued. "The silver one, the Vanquish, is mine. And the silver-blue one, the Z3, is for Lici."

"Then, what about the red one?" Ur asked, clearly getting irritated. "There are three of these… cars… and only two of you."

"Oh, that one is for the both of us." Alfonzo said, his smile widening. "Just in case we need to take some more people on a quest with us."

Hearing that sound reasoning, Ur could not help but huff while stomping her artificial leg that Alfonzo officially dubbed Automail. Then, when she calmed down, she glared at Alfonzo.

"Then, can you make me one?" Ur asked, and according to her gaze, she would not be taking no for an answer. Then, she pointed at the Z3 and continued. "I want one like that… Z2… I think that's what you called it. I want one of those in violet."

"It's Z3. And sure." Alfonzo replied with a smile. "That shouldn't be a problem."

Hearing that, Ur finally began smiling. However, as soon as she heard Alfonzo's next words, her frown returned.

"But it will cost you." Alfonzo said, raising his right hand while rubbing his thumb and index finger together.

"How much?" Ur asked warily.

"2,639,000 Jewels." Alfonzo said, causing everyone present to inhale a deep breath of air.

'With eighty percent of that being the cost for materials and Master Goldstein's cut for using her connections, I still make about 520,000 Jewels with every Z3 sold.' Alfonzo thought to himself with a smile. 'Lici and I will be able to build the house we want on that piece of land we bought by the lake in no time.'

"Are you kidding me?" Ur asked, flaring her magic power. "That's highway robbery."

"Not really." Alfonzo replied with a shake of his head. "Considering the materials and labor costs, Master Goldstein and I agreed that was the best price."

Alfonzo then proceeded to list off the materials that were used. From the interior to the exterior, Alfonzo used the best materials Nell could get her hands on. In fact, if he did not take so many quests over the last three-plus years, he would still be in debt with Nell. Luckily, he and Elicia have been able to take on B-Class quests for the last four months, getting about 500,000 Jewels per quest.

"*Sigh* It's not like I can't afford it." Ur said in an exasperated tone. "How long would it take to build one?"

"Half a month, and I need half the money up front." Alfonzo said with a smile. "Gotta buy the materials and what not."

Nodding in understanding, Ur walked over to the Z3 and began looking it over like the other kids were. Then, Makarov made his way over to Alfonzo and Elicia.

"How much would it cost to buy one of those big ones?" Makarov asked while rubbing his palms together, hoping Alfonzo would give him a discount as the guild master.

"You mean the Escalade?" Alfonzo asked. Then, he looked at Makarov apologetically. "That wone's a bit… Well, a lot more expensive. That one will run you, 7,100,000 Jewels."

Hearing that price, Makarov gripped his chest as if he were having a heart attack. However, when he looked at the cherry-red Escalade, he gritted his teeth and glared at Alfonzo with determination in his eyes.

"Fine, how long will it take?" Makarov asked.

"Half a month, but only after Aunt Ur's…" Alfonzo said.

"Don't call me 'aunt' you brat!" Ur interrupted from the other side of the Z3.

"… is done." Alfonzo continued, not minding the interruption in the slightest.

"Fine, I'll have half the money for you when you deliver Ur's." Makarov said, bloody tears threatening to flow out of his eyes.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Alfonzo said with a smile.

With that, Makarov walked away with unsteady steps and returned to the guild hall.

"Hey, Fonzie." Elicia said, now standing next to Alfonzo and holding his hand.

"What's up?" Alfonzo asked in response.

"Will Gramps even be able to reach the pedals?" Elicia asked with a curious smile on her face.

"Probably." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "He's got that [Giant Magic], after all. I'm sure he'll just make his legs longer, or something."

Although Alfonzo and Elicia were only eleven years old, from what Alfonzo read, there were no laws that dictated when someone could drive. So, they never worried about being able to drive their new cars. On top of that, they were both pretty tall for their ages. Elicia was already 5'1" (approx.. 1.55 m) tall. And although he was a little shorter, having not hit his growth spurt yet, Alfonzo was 5' (1.52 m) tall. Meaning, neither of them would have an issue reaching the pedals, as long as they adjusted the seats.

Nodding in understanding, Elicia then took a step away from Alfonzo. A moment later, she held out her free hand, palm up, with an expectant gaze in her eyes.

"Hahaha! I was wondering how long you would be able to wait." Alfonzo chuckled as he reached into his pocket. When he pulled his hand out, he was holding a key with a keychain that was shaped into a Z3. "Here you go."

As soon as Alfonzo put the key in Elicia's hand, she immediately let go of Alfonzo's. Then, she sprinted toward her Z3 and opened the driver's side door and jumped into the driver's seat. Naturally, this caught everyone's attention.

After a few minutes spent adjusting the seat and checking the levers in the interior, Elicia slid her key into the keyhole.

*Vroom!*

As soon as Elicia turned the key, the Z3's engine roared to life. Through the windshield, a happily smiling Elicia could be seen. Then, they saw her press something on the ceiling. And when she did, the car's roof began to peel backward before it was deposited in the back of the car.

"Who wants to go for a joyride?" Elicia asked with a smile.

Before anyone else could react, Ur, using her magic power to increase her speed, opened the passenger side door and sat in the seat before closing the door.

"You should have seen that coming, Lici." Alfonzo laughed at the spectacle.

"I gotta see what my upcoming purchase can do, don't I?" Ur asked with a smile.

Shrugging her shoulders, Elicia put on her seat belt, told Ur to do the same, put the car into reverse, made sure there was no one behind her, then backed away form the guild hall before turning the car around and driving into the town.

As soon as Elicia pulled off, the other kids stared at Alfonzo, hoping that he intended to go for a joyride as well. Seeing those gazes, Alfonzo also shrugged his shoulders. Then, he pulled out the key for the Escalade and hopped into the driver's seat.

"I can take four more." Alfonzo said after rolling down the windows.

Hearing that, Cana, Laki, and Erza were standing in front of three of the doors before Alzack, Levy, Jet, and Droy could react. Then, while they were all looking at each other to see who the last passenger would be, Makarov shot out of the guild hall and jumped into the passenger's seat, through the open window.

"You girls can ride together in the back. Hahahaha!" Makarov shouted with an excited laugh.

While Cana, who was about to open the passenger's side door so she could sit next to Alfonzo, pouted. Laki and Erza shrugged their shoulders before opening the rear passenger's side and driver's side doors, respectively. Then, they climbed into the backseat, Cana following Laki a moment later.

Then, like Elicia did before, Alfonzo put on his seatbelt while instructing the others to do the same. Then, he backed away from the guild hall while turning around.

"Okay, everybody." Alfonzo said with a smile. "Let's go. I haven't' put this beauty through its paces yet. So, we're gonna see exactly what it can do."

"Yeah!" Makarov, Cana, Laki, and Erza cheered as Alfonzo started driving toward the town.

It did not need to be mentioned that Elicia and Alfonzo's cars drew quite a bit of attention from the townsfolk as they drove through the town.

Eventually, when Alfonzo exited the town through the south gate, Alfonzo let himself go, pressing the accelerator and watching the scenery pass in a blur.

Meanwhile, back at the guild, the rest of the Fairy Tail wizards gawked at the Vanquish for a while before they decided to go back inside. Although having one of the new magic vehicles would be nice, none of them were willing to spend that kind of money.

L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS
SixthSense1029

2/2

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I decided to tiwht 1 Jewel equals 1 cent in USD.

Also, if you're interested, check out my other story, High School DxD: Scattered Cherry Blossoms.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the story.

Comments, Reeviews, and Power Stones are always appreciated.

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Chapitre 43: July 7, x777; Part 1

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Heartfilia Kanzen HQ.

July 7, x777.

More than a year had passed since Alfonzo and Elicia took on their first B-Class quest and Erza joined Fairy Tail. In these months, Alfonzo and Elicia continued taking B-Class quests, one or two every month, and completed them flawlessly with almost no collateral damage.

Although Makarov was happy to see how quickly the younger generation of his guild was growing, he was happier about Alfonzo and Elicia's track record than any other wizard in his guild. And the reason was simple, he did not have to pay much, if any, compensation after they handed in their quest completion letters.

That is not to say that Makarov was not pleased by the growth of the other youngsters in the guild. In fact, he was quite proud of his grandson, Laxus. At the age of sixteen, he had started taking on A-Class quests. On top of that, he had yet to fail one.

The rest of the Thunder God Tribe had also been growing splendidly. Like Alfonzo and Elicia, they were all taking on A-Class quests, as well. Unfortunately, they were quite a bit more destructive than the pair of childhood friends.

The other young members of the guild, namely, Cana, Laki, Alzack, Levy, Jet, Droy, Gray, and Ultear were also growing at an astonishing pace. By now, Cana and Ultear were taking on B-Class quests while Laki, Alzack, Gray, and Erza were taking on C-Class quests as well. Levy, Jet, and Droy, on the other hand, were still taking on D-Class quests as a team.

Although Levy agreed with Alfonzo and Elicia's philosophy of taking on lower ranked quests solo, Jet and Droy refused to let Levy travel alone. So, even though the boys were eligible to take on C-Class quests, they continued to take on D-Class quests with Levy to keep her safe, or so they would have others believe.

The biggest surprise of this group of children, however, was naturally Erza. Although she had been a Fairy Tail wizard for only a little more than a year, she was rising through the ranks quite quickly, already taking on C-Class quests. But since she could keep up with Alfonzo in a spar, Makarov had little doubt about her skill as a combatant. And considering how harsh her upbringing was, Makarov had no doubt that she would not fall into complacency.

However, while the Fairy Tail guild's next generation was doing their best to protect their guild's reputation as the strongest guild in Fiore, something that would greatly change the current era was taking place in a secret chamber below the kingdom's most prosperous company.

"Miss Layla, the preparations are complete." A green-haired woman said respectfully.

"Thank you, Grammi." A blonde woman, Layla Heartfilia, replied in a gentle tone.

Layla Heartfilia, the wife of the Heartfilia Kanzen's owner, Jude Heartfilia, was a beautiful, blonde woman with soft, brown eyes, hair pulled into a bun with a lacy, baby pink hairband with frills on its edges resting on top of her hair, and a very voluptuous figure wearing a white dress, a small brown satchel, and brown flat heeled shoes.

The other woman in the room, Grammi, was Layla's most devoted servant. She had green hair pulled into a taut bun with purple cross-shaped hair accessories decorating her hair. She wore a blue, collared, long-sleeved blouse with white cuffs at the end of the sleeves and an ankle length white skirt.

"Although I have faith in you, Miss Layla, are you sure this is a good idea?" Grammi asked in a concerned tone. "We only have eleven of the twelve of the keys. Are you sure this will work?"

Turning her head toward her worried servant, Layla smiled gently to reassure her. Then, she turned her attention toward the massive golden gate that seemed out of place in the hidden chamber.

"Honestly, I'm not sure how things will turn out, Grammi." Layla said, still smiling gently. "But I know that this is the only chance we have to open it. And this is a duty that I must accomplish. So, even if I have to do the impossible, I will make sure the Eclipse Gate opens today."

Hearing Layla's words, Grammi saw fierce flames of determination flickering in Layla's eyes. And although she was still worried, she swallowed any other concerns she may have had. On top of knowing she would not be able to change her mistress's mind, she also felt as if she would be throwing dirt on Layla's determination.

"I understand." Grammi said with a bow. "I will be here to support, should you need my assistance."

"Thank you, Grammi." Layla said, her smile widening at Grammi's supportive words.

A moment later, Layla took a step forward. Then, she reached her right hand into the satchel she was carrying. When she pulled her hand out of the satchel, she was holding eleven golden keys that radiated quite a bit of magical power. Inscribed on each of the keys was the symbol of one of the twelve zodiac constellations. However, with only a glance, it was clear that the key representing Sagittarius was missing.

These eleven keys, known as Celestial Spirit Keys, were no ordinary keys. They were magical items used specifically to perform [Celestial Spirit Magic]. With each key connecting to a Celestial Spirit, the caster of this magic can summon said spirit, after signing a contract, to aid them in everything from battle to becoming a simple companion for conversation.

Each of the twelve Celestial Spirit Keys are unique. However, that does not mean that there would be a maximum of twelve Celestial Spirit wizards at any given time. Although there are only twelve golden keys, there are quite a few silver Celestial Spirit Keys. Though they are considered to be of a lower tier, they can be quite useful in the hands of a skilled practitioner of [Celestial Spirit Magic].

"This plan has been in the works for four hundred years." Layla muttered quietly as she held the eleven keys toward the Eclipse Gate. "Finally, it will be completed."

With that, Layal flared her magic power to its limit. Then, the eleven keys began to glow, floating out of her hands. A moment later, the eleven keys were suspended in the air between Layla and the Eclipse Gate. However, the Eclipse Gate did not react in the slightest.

"It really isn't enough." Layla said with a note of disappointment in her tone. A moment later, however, her expression turned resolute. "I'll have to supplement it with my own magic power, then."

Hearing that, Grammi began to visibly panic. As Layla's servant, she had the opportunity to see Layla's Celestial Spirits in action. So, she knew there was no way Layla could match any of them in magic power output.

Unfortunately, Layla's flaring of her immense magic power made it impossible for Grammi to approach.

"Miss Layla, you have to stop!" Grammi shouted, her worry evident in her tone and expression. "If you don't, there's a chance you'll die.!"

Although she did not turn back, Layla smiled at Grammi's concern.

"In this life, I've had great luck having a friend like you, Grammi." Layla said as she did everything she could to output as much magic power as possible. "But I can't stop. If the Eclipse Gate does not open, this world will meet its end."

While Layla continued pushing herself to an absurdly unreasonable degree, Grammi's tears ran down her cheeks. Although the amount of power Layla was outputting was astonishing, she could feel Layla's lifeforce weakening as time passed.

Eventually, however, like the eleven keys, the Eclipse Gate also began to glow in a bright golden light. A moment later, the gate flung open, five streaks of light flying through it before the gate slammed shut.

In the next instant, the gate began to fade from the room. At the same time, eight of the eleven Celestial Spirit Keys shot off in random directions, fazing through the walls and ceiling of the room. Meanwhile, Layla and the three remaining keys collapsed to the floor.

"Miss Layla!" Grammi shouted frantically as she quickly approached her fallen mistress.

Kneeling next to Layla, Grammi carefully cradled her upper body. As she held Layla, she noticed how pale she had become. On top of that, she could no longer feel any of the vast magic power Layla possessed. Still, Layla wore a smile on her face. Though, this smile was a bit different from her usual, gentle smile. Instead, this smile was filled with a sense of achievement.

"Grammi, I did it." Layla said, exhaustion clear in her voice. "I was able to complete my ancestor's plan."

"But you're…" Grammi began to speak. However, she was unable to finish her sentence due to her tears and her words getting stuck in her throat.

"I know, Grammi." Layla said, raising her right hand and wiping Grammi's tears. "I expected an outcome like this when I was unable to retrieve the twelfth key."

"Then, why?" Grammi asked, trying her best not to cry anymore.

"For Lucy." Layla said with a fond smile on her face. "As long as she has the chance to grow up and live a happy life, I'm willing to do anything. I'm sure you can relate, right?"

Although she wanted to refuse, Grammi knew, just like Layla, she would do anything if it would lead to her daughter, Brandish, being safe. So, instead of speaking, she hugged Layla tightly, knowing their time together would be ending much sooner than she wanted or expected.

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Hargeon.

At the same time the Eclipse Gate opened under the Heartfilia Kanzen's Headquarters, Alfonzo and Elicia, who had just arrived at the orphanage they briefly lived at in Hargeon, shuddered just before they could knock on the front door.

However, it was not only Alfonzo and Elicia who shuddered at the wave of magic power that spread around the world. Instead, every being with enough magic power was able to feel it. Naturally, this caused a great deal of confusion among the stronger members of the wizard community.

"I guess Layla opened the Eclipse Gate." Alfonzo said with a serious expression on his face. "Looks like the Dragon Slayers will be here soon."

"Yeah." Elicia said with a smile. "That means we'll get to meet Natsu soon."

"Ugh." Alfonzo groaned.

Though Alfonzo liked Natsu as a character in an anime, he had no illusion that he and Natsu would ever get along, let alone become friends. Natsu's loud and brash personality was something that Alfonzo knew he would be annoyed by quite quickly. On top of that, he knew that Natsu would challenge him to fights, daily, if not more.

"If he bothers me too much, I'll just stuff him into the back of the Escalade." Alfonzo muttered in a dark tone. "That should teach him not to bother me, right? Ah, what the fuck am I thinking? Of course it won't. He'll just get angry and want to fight me for revenge or some shit. Damn it!"

"Plus, he'd probably puke in there, too." Elicia said happily.

"Ugh." Alfonzo groaned once again. "There's no probably, he'd definitely puke."

"Back to the drawing board, then?" Elicia asked, clearly having fun at Alfonzo's expense.

"Whatever, I'll just cross that bridge when I come to it." Alfonzo said, turning away with a pout before swiftly knocking on the orphanage's door.

Earth Land, Alakitasia, Alvarez Empire, Vistarion.

At the same time, on the western continent, Alakitasia, in the capital city of one of its largest countries, a black-haired man sat on the throne of the emperor with his eyes closed. As the wave of magical power that was produced by the Eclipse Gate washed over him, he slowly opened his eyes.

"To think that four hundred years have already passed." The black-haired man said, no emotion visible on his face. "I wonder how long it will take for you to get strong enough to fulfill my greatest wish, Natsu."

L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS
SixthSense1029

1/2

Now that my other story, High School DxD: Scattered Cherry Blosoms is complete, I'll be focusing on this one for the forseeable future. That means I'll try and put some advanced chapters on my Patr3on. But I don't know how well that will go. Since I kinda sucked at it with DxD.

Also, I"ll be uploading on days other than weekends. However, I intend to continue with the 2 per Sat. and Sun.

Anyway, check out my Patr3on at:

https://patr3on.com/SixthSense1029

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the story.

Comments, Reviews, and Power Stones are always appreciated.

commentaire Commentaire 16

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