"Honestly, I think not just Erza, but even you or Natsu could take those guys down with a bit of time," Kira said casually.
Natsu, who'd just strolled back into the conversation, lit up at Kira's words, practically bursting with enthusiasm. "Heck yeah! I'm super strong!"
Happy chimed in, cheering, "Aye, sir!"
Natsu grinned wider, throwing shade. "Gray, though? No way he could handle it."
"What'd you say?!" Gray snapped, leaning in. "Wanna bet who takes 'em out first?"
"Bring it on! I'm not scared of you!" Natsu shot back.
Their faces were inches apart, sparks practically flying between their glares.
But that fire was quickly snuffed out by Erza's icy voice. "Both of you, quiet down!"
"Yes, ma'am!" they chorused, instantly cowed.
Kira, curious, turned to Erza. "So, what's your plan?"
"We storm the Iron Forest guild, wipe them out, and if possible, find out about this sealed magic they're talking about," Erza said, her tone resolute.
Classic Erza, Kira thought. Always going for the straightforward, smash-everything approach.
"Not a bad plan! As expected from you, Erza!" Kira said with exaggerated praise, though his eyes gleamed mischievously. "But like I said, a dark guild like Iron Forest is no match for you. Even their leader, Erigor, doesn't hold a candle to you. So what's really got you worried? This 'Lullaby' thing, right?"
Erza nodded without hesitation. "Exactly. Lullaby… does anyone know anything about it?"
Natsu, Gray, and Happy shook their heads in unison. "Nope," they said together.
Kira rolled his eyes. "Didn't expect you three to know. Let's ask someone else."
Erza frowned, uncertain. "But who would know about something like this…?"
"Who?" Kira grinned. "The guild's biggest bookworm, of course! Levy! Come over here!"
At the sound of her name, Levy looked up from the corner of the guild where she'd been engrossed in a book. "Kira? Erza? What's up?"
Levy, a 17-year-old Fairy Tail mage, had short blue hair and wore pink-rimmed glasses, looking every bit like a studious schoolgirl. Despite her petite, delicate frame, she had a surprising resilience. In the Fairy Tail story, she's a key supporting character, though her strength is average at best. Her most memorable trait? Probably her complicated romantic arc with Gajeel. Seriously, how does that jerk even dare to go there? Testing fate at 18, huh?
"Levy, you're the guild's walking library," Kira said. "Erza needs you to dig up whatever you can on Lullaby."
"Lullaby? Got it, leave it to me." Levy adjusted her glasses confidently and flipped open her book.
Her Archive Magic connected to every book in her dorm, functioning like a magical database. Paired with her custom Gale-Force Reading Glasses—crafted by Kira, of course, boosting her reading speed 64 to 128 times faster than standard ones—she was a research machine.
The group watched in silence as Levy worked, the sound of flipping pages filling the air.
Finally, Levy's eyes lit up as she handed over the book. "Found it! 'Lullaby' was originally a tool for 'Curse Killing' magic. It was later transformed by the dark wizard Zeref into a flute that plays a 'Curse Song.' It's a wooden flute attached to a skull with three eyes…"
Erza and Gray froze, stunned. "Zeref?!" they said in unison. "You mean that Zeref?"
"Yup," Levy confirmed. "The most infamous dark wizard from centuries ago."
Natsu, predictably, looked confused. "Huh? Who's Zeref?"
Your big bro, Natsu, Kira thought with a smirk but didn't say.
Gray sighed, exasperated. "Weren't you listening? We just said who he is!"
Erza, meanwhile, was sweating. Zeref's name alone made this situation feel a lot heavier.
Lucy, lost in thought, muttered, "A three-eyed skull flute… Curse Song… Zeref?!"
"What's up, Lucy?" Erza asked, catching her expression. "Know something?"
"I've only read about it…" Lucy began, sharing what she knew. "In the magical world, there are tons of forbidden spells, right? One of them is Curse Killing magic. Lullaby… it's got this 'Mass Curse Killing' power. Anyone who hears the flute's song drops dead."
"What?!" the group gasped collectively.
Erza shot to her feet, furious. "Damn it! If something like that is in Erigor's hands, who knows what he's planning! Those bastards… we have to stop them!"
"Calm down, Erza!" Kira's cool, steady voice cut through her urgency, stopping her as she started to march off.
"Kira, this is—"
"It's not as dire as you're thinking," Kira interrupted. "Sit down, clear your head, and then we move."
Erza paused, sighed, and sat back down. "You're right. I got carried away."
In moments like these, Kira's usual prankster vibe vanished, replaced by a sharp, calculating mind that seemed to grasp the bigger picture. The guild called it his "Sage Mode."
Ahem. Kira cleared his throat, swirling his juice dramatically. "Remember my magic theory? No magic in this world is invincible."
Erza picked up the thought. "The stronger the magic, the more obvious its weaknesses and the greater the cost."
Years ago, after Kira became an S-Class wizard and gained fame, he'd shared his battle experience and magic theories through Fiore's top magic newspaper. Later, he compiled them into a book that sold like hotcakes, not just in Fiore but in neighboring kingdoms too. It funded his shop, Hope's Hut, in Magnolia's central street. His books and magical tools were a hit, even if his guildmates weren't always his biggest fans. Still, over the years, everyone in Fairy Tail could recite at least bits of his theories, even if they hadn't read the whole thing.
"Glad you remember," Kira said, nodding approvingly at Erza. She's always so serious—love that about her. Unlike the others, who'd probably forgotten half of it or wouldn't bother continuing the thought.
He turned to Lucy with a grin, back to his cheeky self. "Lucy, you're new to the magic world, so listen up. This stuff might come in handy someday."
"Uh… your magic theory?" Lucy asked, her curiosity piqued.
Kira's eyes sparkled. "Yup, super useful! I've got copies for sale at my shop. It's right on Magnolia's main street, Hope's Hut. I can show you—"
"Enough, Kira!" Erza cut him off. "Focus!"
Ugh, Erza's such a buzzkill sometimes, Kira thought. Always interrupting. Wonder who she learned that from.
"Fine, fine, back to business," Kira said, unbothered. "There's one more part to my theory."
"Those who toy with magic will eventually be toyed with by it."
The group blinked, confused. Okay… and? What's your point?
Kira sighed, disappointed. After all these years, not one of these guys gets me.
"Levy said Lullaby was remade by Zeref, right?" he prompted.
Erza nodded, still unsure. "Yeah, so?"
"Zeref created a ton of demons, according to the records. Lullaby's a magical tool he modified to cast the Curse Song. So, let's make a bold guess—Lullaby itself might just be a demon."