章 29: Black Vox(1)
Kagura Mikazuchi:
Ka-Klanck, Ka-Klunck, Ka-Klunk. The resonating melody of the train, or as my master insists on calling it, the 'locomotive,' echoed through my ears as I settled into my assigned seat in the cart.
Now, let's talk about that vexatious guy, Rex. He takes this whole 'grown-up' business to an entirely new level. I mean, seriously, who in the world refers to a train as a locomotive? Just say train like a normal person. While the grown-ups in the villages have always lauded me for being more mature than my age, Rex is a different breed altogether. I may not be the brightest crayon in the box or possess the finest social skills, but even I can discern that the words he uses are way beyond what should be rolling off a 9-year-old's tongue.
If his way of speaking isn't irritating enough, his actions are even more exasperating. Much like his words, he never once extended a helping hand when I was nearly mauled to death by those wolves. If it weren't for my "realization," as he likes to put it, tapping into my dark magic, I'd have been history. Sure, he had the decency to heal my injuries afterward, but forgiveness isn't exactly on my agenda.
And do you know why? Because of the absolute torment he's subjected me to over the past two months. Whether it's battling magical beasts like Yetis, strange swamp bats, or a three-headed snake, or refusing to let me spend a dime of the money we earned on necessities, he's taken it to a whole new level. Despite the encounters with bandits and other unsavory characters padding our pockets, he wouldn't allow me to spend a penny on a night's stay at a tavern, decent food, or even a jacket for this freezing weather.
His excuse? "Sorry Kagura, but this money is our capital for our guild. Instead, I'll teach you some survival skills." Remember that shelter he promised Mr. Hardwick? Turns out it was just for himself. According to Rex, I have to rely on myself and learn how to fashion a makeshift tent out of leaves and twigs, or in my case, rocks, ice, and snow. All to supposedly build character.
For sustenance, he insisted I hunt for my share, only offering help in the kitchen to make the bland meat and dry veggies marginally more appetizing. And when it came to winter attire for the tundra, a resounding no. Instead, he introduced me to this peculiar magic technique called mana-skin, where you coat your skin in magic to shield yourself from extreme environments. While I admit it proved useful, I just wish he had taught me before I found myself on the brink of frostbite.
The only redeeming gesture he made was allowing me to buy a change of clothes in the morning to replace my worn-out, tattered, and muddy outfit from our journey. Yet, I suspect he only relented because the conductors refused to let me board with my disheveled appearance. As for Rex, naturally, he's nearly spotless. How did he even achieve that? Stupid Rex. If I had a Lacrima, I would've called Mr. Hardwick. I'm not one to play this card, but who treats an 8-year-old girl this way?
However, no matter how grudgingly I acknowledge it, credit must be given where it's due. The strides and enhancements I've undergone in the past two months are nothing short of remarkable. Whether it's the burgeoning maturity and confidence I've acquired, grappling with the intricacies of my Dark Magic, honing my magical prowess to the point where Rex deems me worthy of the title 'wizard,' mastering indispensable real-world skills, and, most notably, refining my swordsmanship. Skeptical initially, I couldn't deny the truth: 'Archenemy' seemed tailor-made for me. I evolved from a girl who had never even laid hands on a katana to crafting my very own technique, which I fondly refer to as 'Style of the Undrawn Long Sword (抜かぬ太刀の型 Nukanu Tachi no Kata).' This style allows me to harness the cutting power of the blade without physically drawing it.
Lost in contemplation and gazing out the train's window, an elderly voice disrupted my thoughts. "Miss? Are you...alone?" I redirected my attention to the source—a man seated in the two-seater across from me, dressed in a voluminous black coat, a checkered scarf, and a matching hat, with silver hair and light eyes.
Politely, I replied with a hesitant correction, "Um no, I'm with my m-friend," deliberately sidestepping the term 'master' to avoid any misconceptions. Spending two months together should make it less awkward, right? It's not like I despise the guy. We're on a mission to rescue Simon and that girl, despite his irritating bluntness.
"Ah," the man responded with a gentle smile. "What a wonderful young lady you are."
Blushing slightly, I queried, "What do you mean?"
He chuckled, "You look so independent and strong; I thought you were alone. Having a friend you can trust on your journey, wherever it may lead, is a wonderful thing."
"Thanks," I replied meekly, clarifying to myself that being with him wasn't entirely by choice. It was more of a transactional deal. I decided to share my name, realizing my gut feeling assured me he meant no harm. "I'm Kagura. Kagura Mikazuchi."
His eyes widened, and he introduced himself with a smile, "Where are my manners? I'm Torch Endebar." He tipped his hat in acknowledgment. I blushed again as my stomach protested hunger.
Rex, you're infuriating! I silently screamed. He claimed he was getting us something to eat in another cart, so why the delay? Mr. Endebar noticed my predicament, smiled, and offered a solution. He took out bread and milk, and the aroma instantly enticed me. "Oh, would you like to eat breakfast with me? It's just bread and milk, though."
"Y-yes, please, thank you," I replied, reaching for the food without much ceremony. After two months of living off the land, as Rex put it, bread and milk felt like a feast.
As we settled into a quiet and friendly conversation, enjoying our impromptu breakfast, I thought, This is nice. However, just as I began to relax and let down my guard, the train started shaking violently. Mr. Endebar and I were thrown from our seats, realizing that some impact had derailed the train.
Slowly rising from the floor, feeling dizzy, I noticed a trickle of blood descending from my head. My attention shifted to Mr. Endebar, leaning against the wall, clearly in worse shape than myself. I rushed towards him, both to check his condition and lend a helping hand.
"Are you alright, Mr. Endebar?" I exclaimed loudly, hoping to grab his attention.
"Y...Yes," he responded slowly and painfully, a clear contradiction to his claimed well-being.
In that moment, I had to lower him back to the ground as the door on the opposite side of the train cart swung open, revealing several peculiarly dressed figures entering.
Their attire was uniform—a robe with a light torso, dark sleeves, and a high collar. Five dark stripes adorned the middle of the torso, and the sleeves billowed out dramatically towards the ends. A thick black and white cummerbund cinched the robe at the waist, while dark trousers tucked into black boots completed their ensemble. Oddly, they wore a headgear resembling a cloth wrapped tightly around the top of their heads, completely obscuring their eyes. Despite this, they moved with surprising ease, and their long hair, tied back in a ponytail, featured two thin bangs cascading down the sides of their faces.
The middle figure, in an indifferent tone, broke the silence. "Our apologies for resorting to such violent measures. We are the guild known as the Five Bridge Familia. A 'Dark' guild, to be precise."
My eyes widened at the emphasis on the 'Dark' part, but the shock wasn't over. The speaker raised his right arm in our direction, and Mr. Endebar started levitating into the air involuntarily, emitting a pained grunt as he floated towards the speaker.
The enigmatic man continued, "Council member, Torch Endebar, correct? We have a little request for you...would you be so kind as to come with us?"
"...?!!" I stood in shock, eyes trained on the unfolding situation, scanning for any potential openings.
Sweat trickled down Mr. Endebar's face as he voiced his confusion, "A dark guild...? What's the meaning of this...?!"
His captor responded as I discreetly focused on gathering whatever magic power I could muster—thanks to that insufferable Rex, sleep had eluded me last night, and I was running on adrenaline and that meager breakfast. "Torch-san...not only are you a magic council member, but you are also the warden of the wizard prison known as Black Vox."
I paused, absorbing the revelation. The unassuming man beside me was a more significant figure than I'd imagined. Mr. Endebar winced in pain, exclaiming, "...Ngh!! The Five Bridge Familia...so this is about 'Drum Bee'?!!"
"We would like to free our master," the assailant calmly declared.
Silent, I observed the unfolding drama.
Mr. Endebar's expression shifted from shock to anguish as he vehemently stated, "That's ridiculous...of course I can't do that...He's a serious criminal, guilty of mass murder during inter-guild disputes... I intend for him to never see the light of day again!"
"Hmph...please, Torch-san. Don't be mistaken. You're going to be nothing more than our hostage."
"What?! Your...hostage?"
A smirk finally graced the indifferent face. "I'm sure things will proceed smoothly with the warden of the prison as our hostage."
"Are you all in your right minds?!" Mr. Endebar incredulously screamed.
The captor's smirk faded, replaced by the same indifferent expression. "Our master is our true father, one connected to us by blood...we are prepared to risk everything for him, including our lives."
I then bent my knees and lunged at the captor with a low form. "Crawler style", I inwardly chanted drawing my sheathed "Archenemy". I then moved to knock the captor out with the scabbard, however just as I was about to make contact I was stopped by an invisible force.
"Kagura-chan...!! Stop!!!" Mr. Endebar anxiously proclaimed, making me widen my eyes as the captor turned to point at me and the invisible force morphed into a glass-like mirror that repelled me backward. The last thing I could feel was my head smacking against the cart door making me lose consciousness. 'Damn it! If I was at 100%, I could easily deal with these bozos!' I thought as my vision blackened.
------
"Kagura....Kagura..Kagura..."
A familiar, annoying voice called out my name, stirring me from my slumber. "Hmmm, just 5 more minutes," I mumbled groggily.
However, it seemed this person had different plans. "KAGURA!!!" The forceful voice hit my right eardrum, making me jump with an "eeeeekkkkk."
As I became aware of my surroundings, I realized I was high in the air, on some sky train boat, and I had just leaped off the railings. My eyes widened in horror at the thought of plummeting to my doom when the voice intervened again.
"Woah there, let's not do that." I felt a tug on my back, swiftly bringing me back to safety on the deck. All of these actions unfolded in a matter of milliseconds.
I glared murderously at the source of the voice, and, unsurprisingly, it was my good-for-nothing master. My fear transformed into pure fury, and my face turned red as I charged at him. "You nearly killed me-" Before I could finish, he silenced me by blocking my mouth with his right arm and pinning me down to the deck. And, for the record, what you might be thinking—no, I did not blush. The red on my face was purely from anger!
As I attempted to resist, he pressed his finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Rex then spoke in a hushed tone, "Alright, I'm sorry about that, but let's not make a scene."
I tried to agree, but it came out as a muffled "fmmmm," his arm still covering my mouth. I settled for nodding instead. Rex removed his arm, slowly rising and offering me his hand, which I refused. I opted to stand up on my own, dusting off my clothes and crossing my arms as I shot an angry glare in his direction.
Rather than appearing apologetic, he met my gaze with a blank glare, fueling my frustration. I summoned every ounce of strength to stay calm, audibly exhaling before asking, "Where are we?"
"Enemy ship," he replied.
"This is why you wanted me to be quiet?" I questioned.
He nodded in confirmation.
"Then why did you just yell?" I asked incredulously.
He shrugged nonchalantly before elaborating, likely in response to my death glare. "We're high up in the sky; the air pressure muffles our voices. And unlike you, my scream doesn't sound like a piercing banshee."
A tick mark formed on my forehead. I wasn't entirely sure what a 'banshee' was, but I was certain it wasn't a compliment. Once again, I had to muster all my strength to contain my anger as I posed another question, "Who's the enemy?"
He cocked a brow and tilted his head, giving me that look as if I were some idiot, further infuriating me—excuse my language. Finally, he spoke, "Did you get a concussion or something? It's that blindfolded circus band that nabbed that old man and whooped your ass."
Suppressing the urge to retaliate due to my track record of losing verbal battles throughout our journey, I shifted my focus. "Okay, let's get one thing straight— you knew what was going on the whole time?"
Once again, he responded with one of his irritating nods. "I told you I won't let you die until you help me make my guild number 1. I'm always watching you with my advanced sense."
"So, why didn't you do anything?!" I proclaimed incredulously, conveniently ignoring his admission to being a stalker.
"Shh, indoor voice, remember? They might hear us," he said, angling his left fist and pointing with his thumb to the cabin beside us. "As for answering your question, what does it have to do with me?"
"Huh?" I dumbly asked, widening my eyes.
"If your life was in real danger, I would have come in a heartbeat," he began. "As for that old man, well, I don't know him. Originally, I was considering just abandoning him, but I knew you'd be upset, so I stowed away on their ship. If you want to save him, do it yourself. I brought you here; now, how you go about doing that is up to you."
My expression of anger morphed into an eerie calm. Despite him towering over me, it felt like I was looking down on him as I spoke with visible disappointment, "I've misjudged you, Rex Gardner."
His response was a nonchalant whistle at my declaration, as if he couldn't care less, and he spoke casually, "Sorry, Kagura, but my Grandpa told me not to be a hero."
"Then what about Hobbiton? You fought to protect it. I don't have to be a genius to put together, after all the time we spent, that you are, in fact, that 'Magna Swing' fellow who saves those poor women from Bluebell. What's different right now?" I demanded an explanation.
He took a seat on the deck, back to the cabin, stretching out his right leg while bending his left knee to prop his left arm, which in turn supported his chin. Gazing into the sky, he chose to look away from me.
I waited patiently, and eventually, he spoke. "Although I may be apathetic, how could I sit by and do nothing as my village was in danger? Though I may not be close with everyone there, I love my grandfather, and who knows how he would react to the notion that the place he spent most of his life guarding was destroyed. As for the women from Bluebell, they were just there when I went to deal with those bandits. I'm not gonna ignore what's right in front of me, especially the plight of violated women, so I just decided to expend a little more effort and 'kill two birds with 1 stone.' I don't go out of my way to save someone I can't see or don't know."
"Then what about Mr. Endebar?!" I questioned. "You saw him?"
"Sorry, Kagura, he's a bit of an exception. If I didn't know he was a council member, I would've helped, but Gramps has long drilled into me to do my best to hide under their radar."
"You ignored him just because of his affiliation. I don't know him for long, but I'm sure he would be nice enough to hide our involvement!" I proclaimed.
"Sorry, Kagura, but I can't take the risk." He sighed, as if recalling something, and gazed upwards with a hint of nostalgia. "You don't understand how cruel this world... or any world can be. It's usually unforgiving, especially to the hero type or those with a sense of duty."
I huffed at his response, seeing no point in continuing this conversation. I rudely stepped over him and began walking.
"Where are you going?" He called.
"You know full well where I'm going," I responded, not bothering to look back.
However, before I could react, a rope of flames lassoed around my waist. Strangely, they didn't burn my clothes or even feel hot. I let out a flustered yelp as I was yanked back to him, onto his lap.
"What are you doing?" I questioned while my face dyed red in a mix of fury and embarrassment.
"What are you doing," he spoke coldly, his golden eyes locking my gaze with his as if peering into my soul.
He proceeded to pick me apart. "You haven't slept in over a day, you are nearly depleted of any magic power, and you think you can just waltz in there without a plan. Against the same guys who casually sent you packing."
"Then what would you have me do?" I replied in sheer frustration and desperation, my teeth biting my lips and drawing blood.
He looked at me before sighing and seeming to come to a decision. From out of nowhere, a pink-sprinkled cupcake materialized on his free left hand. Immediately, its heavenly aroma invaded my nose, making me salivate. "Eat this," he plainly said, handing me the sugary treat.
Skeptical but seeing no point in arguing, I began to devour the cupcake. My eyes squinted in delight at its taste, surpassing even its appearance and aroma. However, my eyes widened as my injuries began healing at a rapid pace, and I felt my magic power returning... even slightly spiking.
I looked at him in shock and spoke up, "Do you have more of these?"
He nodded and responded, "A few more."
You mean this whole time, I could have been eating this instead of that tasteless meat, and all those hours I wasted waiting for my magic power to return instead of training have gone down the drain!
Sensing my fury, he sighed and elaborated, "When I say a few more, I mean only about a handful. I... have a different physique than others; that's why those things are very precious to me. Sorry, but I can't afford to casually waste them."
I lowered my head at that reply, sensing his honesty and feeling a bit guilty. But only a bit. I then tried to get up, but he held me down.
"What's the problem now?" I demanded. "Didn't you hear, those guys want to free some villain? I'll beat them up and stop them!"
He changed his gaze to stare back at the sky and indifferently spoke without looking at me, "We're going to let them."
I didn't say a word, letting my shocked expression do the talking.
Again, without looking at me, he shrugged his shoulders and proclaimed, "You're going to fight their leader. It'll be good training."
"How fun," I deadpanned and gave up, taking a seat next to him in resignation, knowing he wouldn't give in. I closed my eyes, not to get some sleep, but to calm my nerves and regain focus, visualizing my plan.
After a few minutes, he nudged my shoulders, breaking my concentration, and stated, "We're here..." gesturing for me to look to the right.
My eyes widened to take in the sight in front of me. Floating in the air was a giant black cube, emitting a powerful magical aura.
"Black Vox," Rex finished his sentence.
クリエイターの想い 
hmak27230
hmak27230 For the hardcore Fairy Tail fans out there, they should know this is actually canon, as part of the side story Ice Trail. But now that Ur's alive, Gray won't be going on this journey so I decided to give it to Kagura. But don't worry I'm not adapting the whole story as It'll be boring just some bits and pieces.
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