Judging by the look in Erza's eyes, Kira knew if he dared say "no," she'd make him regret it instantly!
"Heh, Erza gets me," Kira said, quickly backing down with a nervous chuckle. "All I'll say is, Natsu won't turn into a dragon. It's tied to the dragons' disappearance. You'll figure out the rest later."
"The dragons' disappearance? You mean what happened seven years ago when the dragon raising Natsu vanished?" Lucy asked.
Kira nodded. "Yup, that's the one."
"Wait, does that mean you know where Igneel went?!"
Despite the dizziness and jumbled thoughts plaguing him, Natsu staggered over, his voice desperate. For years, he'd been heartbroken, searching fruitlessly for Igneel. From Kira's words, it was clear he knew something.
"Tell—urgh—tell me, Kira!" Natsu pleaded, fighting back nausea.
Kira gently pushed Natsu's hand away, his expression softening. "Sorry, Natsu. That's the one thing I can't tell you."
What am I supposed to say? That Igneel's long dead, his body gone, and the one chasing us was his killer? That a piece of his soul's been inside you for seven years, watching—er, I mean, staying by your side, witnessing your growth?
That'd be giving away too much! Information's valuable, and Kira had already shared plenty for free today.
"But, Natsu," he added, "I can tell you this: Igneel's always been with you."
"…"
To the Fairy Tail crew, Kira's personality was… complicated. He loved tossing out sarcastic quips, leaving things half-said, or dropping cryptic remarks that left people scratching their heads. Yet sometimes, he'd say something profound, cutting straight to the truth or offering words so gentle they made you think he was secretly a softie.
"You're saying Igneel's always been with me?" Natsu repeated, his curiosity piqued.
Kira's vague response only fueled Natsu's frustration and sparked everyone else's interest, but he just smirked, tossing out lines like, "It's a big deal," "You'll get it eventually," or "Those who know, know. Those who don't… well, it's hard to explain."
Natsu was practically fuming, but with no answers forthcoming, he slumped back down, still queasy.
"But, Kira, how do you know all this?" Lucy pressed. "I've never read anything about dragons in any book."
They didn't doubt the accuracy of Kira's intel, but its source? That was a mystery they were dying to unravel.
"Oh, I've got my ways," Kira said with a sly grin.
Which was basically saying nothing at all.
"That kind of info should only be known by those deeply connected to it," Lucy persisted. "Have you actually met other dragons and heard it from them?"
Gildarts turned to Kira, equally curious. Even he, who'd only encountered a dragon for the first time during his century-long mission, had confirmed their existence. He hadn't even known that overusing Dragon Slayer Magic could turn someone into a dragon.
Had Kira really met a dragon?
Kira shook his head. "Nope, today was my first time seeing a dragon in the flesh. Dragons are rare these days. From what I know, there are fewer than ten left alive. They're not exactly easy to stumble across."
"Ten? That's still a lot!" Lucy exclaimed.
Gildarts' heart sank as he did the math. He knew Kira was likely referring to the five dragons tied to his mission: the Water God Dragon, Fire God Dragon, Wood God Dragon, Moon God Dragon, and Gold God Dragon. Add in the guildmaster who issued the mission, Faust, and Acnologia, and that made seven.
Muttering to himself, Gildarts said, "So, at most, three more?"
Cana, standing closest, caught his words. "Three what?"
"Nothing…" Gildarts brushed it off, then turned to Kira. "Hey, Kira!"
"Yeah?" Kira met his gaze. "What's up?"
"You know about my mission, don't you?"
"What? No way! What're you talking about? I don't know anything, haha…" Kira's terrible acting was painfully obvious.
This guy's basically screaming, 'I know, and I want you to know I know, but I'm not admitting it just to mess with you,' Gildarts thought, exasperated.
"Fine, I get it," Gildarts sighed. "No need to keep up the act."
"Cool, cool. I don't care how you found out, but you cannot spill the details of my mission. And don't even think about going after it yourself."
Kira nodded enthusiastically. "Got it! You're right—the Five God Dragons are way too strong. I'm no match for them right now."
Gildarts: "…"
I told you not to say it out loud, you little punk!
Kira's loud voice sparked a wave of chatter.
"Nani?! So Gildarts' mission really involves dragons?!"
"Is it about slaying them?"
"Fighting something like Acnologia?"
"There are five dragons?"
Natsu's hope reignited despite his nausea. "Do they—urgh—do they… have any news… about Igneel?"
Seriously, is Kira trying to push Natsu into taking on the century-long mission now? Gildarts thought. Natsu doesn't stand a chance against a dragon yet. He'd be walking into his grave!
If he weren't so badly injured, Gildarts would've jumped up and decked Kira. Instead, he managed, "Natsu, calm down!"
Luckily, even Gildarts didn't know where those dragons were. He'd been wandering the continents, relying on sheer luck.
He's probably just joking, Gildarts reassured himself. But it does seem like Kira's got plans for Natsu to take on the century mission someday. As long as it's not now, it's fine. And he probably doesn't know the Five God Dragons' exact locations… right?
"Ugh, with this guy, who knows!"
Seeing Gildarts glare at Kira, the group fell silent. They knew Kira had done something to tick him off, likely tied to the century mission. Gildarts had mentioned signing a confidentiality agreement…
After a moment's thought, their sense of duty outweighed their curiosity. Since Gildarts was bound by a contract, they shouldn't pry. It could tarnish Fairy Tail's reputation.
---
In the end, Gildarts didn't return to the guild. He disembarked from the airship partway through the journey.
"Gildarts, if you're continuing this mission, take me with you! Please!" Natsu pleaded.
Gildarts shook his head. "No. I've been searching for three years with barely any leads. After this mess, I can't keep going."
"Then why not come back to the guild?" Natsu asked.
Gildarts sighed. "You've gotta see things through. I need to report back to the client first. I'll head back to the guild for a good rest after that."
"But your injuries…"
"They're fine. A bit of rest, and I'll be good as new by the time I meet the client."
Winter and the tavern Lilliputian tavern owner, Puru, also got off the airship with him.
"We're planning to travel the continent anyway," Winter said. "We'll go with him. Puru's got plenty of experience traveling, and if Gildarts' wounds act up, someone'll be there to help."
The Fairy Tail crew had no objections.
"Take care, then!" they said.
"Cana!" Gildarts called out suddenly, his face a mix of seriousness and hesitation.
"Yeah?" Cana replied.
He gazed at her silently, lost in thought.
Cana's cheeks flushed under his intense stare. Finally, he smiled. "Nothing. Just take care of yourself."
The long-awaited, heartfelt words left Cana a little flustered. "Y-yeah… I will."
"See ya!"