"Are you really here?" Gray suddenly asked.
"Of course," Jehfrit shrugged. "With all those evil mages upstairs, I was terrified."
". . ." The group fell silent.
Who was it that rode in the same train car as Erigor and his dark guild?!
And who casually killed one of Erigor's henchmen right under his nose?
If this guy weren't so uninterested in fighting, the situation would've been resolved ages ago!
". . ."
Jehfrit watched as Erza and the others climbed the stairs. He strolled over to a nearby bench, sitting down with Lullaby—the grotesque flute—resting beside him.
"Wh-who are you?!" the demon trapped within Lullaby trembled in fear.
It had seen everything unfold from start to finish!
This man manipulated everyone like puppets on strings—it was horrifying!
"I'm Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer," Jehfrit said offhandedly.
He then pulled out a magnifying glass and some tools, beginning to examine Lullaby closely.
"No, please~"
Lullaby protested weakly, but to no avail.
"You've angered me, fool! I didn't want to get my hands dirty, but now I have no choice!"
The demon inside Lullaby roared furiously.
"You dare show no fear toward a demon?! Foolish mage, your reckless actions will cost you dearly!"
A torrent of magical energy surged forth, and Lullaby began breaking free.
But then, an overwhelming sense of dread washed over it—a presence far more terrifying than anything it had ever encountered!
This wasn't just the pressure of a powerful mage—it was something even greater!
It felt as though a higher being was watching silently, like a predator stalking its prey.
"M-Master! Please feel free to continue your research—I'll fully cooperate!"
Lullaby immediately retracted itself back into the flute.
"Ah yes, here's my backdoor access; Master try to be g-gentle... It's my first time!"
'BOOM BOOM BOOM'
Massive explosions echoed from inside the building.
They were fighting.
Chaotic bursts of magic erupted uncontrollably.
Listening to the chaos, which sounded akin to demolishing an entire skyscraper, Jehfrit shook his head.
"Tsk tsk. Looks like I'll be spending next month's commission fee on repairs."
He tucked Lullaby away and pulled out a camcorder—a plastic shell housing a magical crystal ball. It was his custom creation, capable of capturing high-definition, three-dimensional footage.
---
Inside the Hall
Erza and Lucy were locked in battle against a horde of dark mages. Earlier, Erza had pushed her magical four-wheeler to its limits, leaving her nearly drained of magic. Still, she fought with incredible dominance.
Meanwhile, Lucy wasn't having as much luck. She was being chased by over a dozen stragglers, desperately trying to fend them off. Despite summoning several Celestial Spirits, one particularly strong dark mage kept pressing her hard.
With Happy at her side, she retreated step by step until she found herself cornered at the stairwell. If she turned to climb the stairs, she'd surely be struck from behind!
"Hehehe."
"Looks like there's nowhere left for you to run, beautiful fairy."
"What flawless skin you have—."
"If we sold you, we'd make at least 500,000 Jewels!"
"But first…" The leader licked his lips. "Let me have some fun!"
These men were vile and lecherous.
Lucy pressed her back against the wall, legs trembling inward. Feeling their lewd gazes, she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.
_Natsu, where are you?!_
Lucy wanted to cry.
"Lucy, what do we do?!" Happy asked anxiously.
She didn't respond, gripping her keys tightly instead.
In the past, when she followed Natsu, enemies like these would've been wiped out with a single punch!
But now, facing them alone, it felt nearly impossible.
"Surrender quietly," the strongest mage among them sneered. "It'll save you some pain."
He raised his hand, condensing an air cannon in his palm.
"So, which part of her do you want to see first?" he taunted.
"The twins Towers, obviously!" the other dark mages jeered.
"Take your hands off or they'll break," the mage mocked, pretending kindness.
Lucy remained silent. This was psychological warfare—if she opened her mouth to speak, he might strike instantly.
'BOOM'
The air cannon fired.
Lucy, hyper-focused, narrowly dodged the blast. Seizing the opportunity, she lunged forward, closing the distance between them!
She swung her golden key.
"Open, Gate of Taurus!"
"MOOOOOO—"
Taurus appeared without hesitation, wielding his massive axe. Knowing Lucy was in danger, he wasted no time launching a devastating attack.
"What?!"
The enemy hadn't expected Lucy to counterattack so boldly—it caught them completely off guard!
Taurus' immense strength made short work of the group; unable to evade the close-range ambush, they were all sent flying with a single swing!
"Miss Lucy, I shall protect your lovely body at all costs!" Taurus declared, hearts practically floating around his eyes.
"Thank you, Taurus," Lucy sighed in relief as she dismissed him.
Just as she relaxed, a smug voice rang out: "Oh ho ho, letting your guard down already? That's not wise."
What?!
Lucy froze, but it was too late to react.
'THUD'
Her shoulder took the brunt of a massive hammer blow, sending her sprawling forward.
There was still another enemy!
Lucy forced herself up, though her body swayed unsteadily. Clutching her injured shoulder, she leaned against the wall for support.
The attacker wielded a wooden hammer that kept growing and shrinking.
"Lucy, are you okay?!" Happy flew over frantically.
He was genuinely worried now.
Lucy's magic reserves were depleted, and the remaining foe looked formidable.
"Happy, go find Natsu! I'll hold him off!"
The pain in her shoulder brought tears to her eyes, but Lucy stood firm. Even in moments of exhaustion, she chose to stay behind to protect Happy.
"No way! You can't fight anymore—you'll die!"
Happy shouted desperately, looking around. "Jehfrit, you jerk! Are you just going to stand there and watch?!"
Jehfrit?
Right!
Lucy suddenly remembered the card Jehfrit had given her earlier.
She pulled it out, recalling his instructions.
Ignoring the pain, she mustered the last of her strength.
Spreading her legs wide, she raised the card high with her left hand while covering her face dramatically with her right.
"It's Jehfrit's card!" Happy exclaimed excitedly.
But Lucy's voice drowned him out.
"I am the Mage of Dark Flames! Fools, be consumed by the black flames of oblivion!"
After shouting the incantation, Lucy and Happy eagerly awaited the enemy's defeat.
Seeing Lucy's confident pose, the enemy grew wary, enlarging his hammer and scanning the area cautiously.
But…
". . ." One second of silence.
". . ." Two seconds.
". . ." Three seconds.
Lucy and Happy's expressions changed.
"Hahaha! I thought you had some incredible magic, but turns out you're just a delusional girl!" the enemy laughed, advancing with his hammer.
Wait, what?!
Lucy and Happy panicked.
Hadn't Mirajane said that Jehfrit could be relied upon in critical moments?!
"Jehfrit!" Happy screamed. "If you don't show up, I'm never going fishing with you again! Prepare to airball forever!"
"Happy, that's a bit harsh. I only occasionally miss catching fish," Jehfrit's voice replied from behind the enemy.
Before Lucy and Happy could blink, the enemy collapsed without resistance.
Jehfrit approached the pair. "This reminds us of an important lesson: never let your guard down, even after defeating visible threats."
"Lucy, check your pocket. There are three potions: deep red for external use, orange-red for drinking, and blue for restoring magic power."
"Huh?" Lucy reached into her pocket, pulling out three vials. Only then did she remember Jehfrit's penchant for sleight-of-hand tricks.
"Thank you," Lucy said gratefully, then hesitated. "You've been here the whole time, haven't you?"
"Not exactly," Jehfrit smirked. "I arrived just in time for the most exciting part."
"The most exciting part?" Lucy tilted her head in confusion.
"Mhm."
Jehfrit flipped open his camcorder, reversed the playback spell, and projected the footage mid-air.
The holographic video showed—
Lucy striking an overly dramatic pose, reciting her ridiculous incantation with utmost seriousness. Her expression was deadpan yet somehow earnest, as if casting a world-ending spell.
"I am the Mage of Dark Flames! Fools, be consumed by the black flames of oblivion!"
". . ."
"HAH?!!!" Lucy's brain short-circuited. Blood rushed to her face, turning her ears scarlet as steam practically poured out of her head.
"Ahaha?" Happy giggled, covering his mouth. "So Lucy likes roleplay like this, huh?"
"NOOOOOOO!" Lucy wailed, collapsing onto the floor in utter despair. She finally understood what Mirajane had meant:
"Be careful of Jehfrit during this mission!"
"While he's reliable in dangerous situations…"
"When there's no immediate threat, *he* becomes the biggest danger!"