Levy stared at the chaotic mess in front of her, letting out a helpless sigh. "If a meteor didn't just randomly crash down from the sky and cause all this, then yeah, we're definitely the ones responsible."
Lucy could barely look at the scene. Her mind drifted to her dangerously thin wallet and next month's rent, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, "So, all this damage to the shops and the merchandise… can we pin it on Gajeel?"
"No way," Levy said, mercilessly shattering Lucy's last shred of hope. "When the Iron Dragon shows up, he's not exactly carrying a fortune in his pocket, so don't expect any loot from him." She shrugged. "And Phantom Lord sure isn't gonna cover the damages from his rampage either."
Levy spread her hands, her tone carrying a hint of relief. "But, lucky for us, the guild master knows the owner of the repair shop. We can get the rebuilding costs cut in half."
Her gaze drifted to the area with the worst destruction, remembering how Lucy had been stressing about rent earlier. She spoke up before Lucy could. "The worst of the damage came from that final blow. I'll take care of the repair costs for that."
"No way!" Lucy shook her head firmly, her resolve unwavering. "We fought as a team! Besides, if you hadn't used that card at the end, Levy, we wouldn't have beaten Gajeel, and I wouldn't have gained all that magic power." Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "This is the most magic power I've ever gotten at once! We're splitting the costs, no question!"
Seeing Lucy's determination, Levy paused for a moment, then broke into a smile. "Alright, fine, we'll split it. But I'm taking the bigger share, Lucy, and you're not fighting me on that!"
Lucy couldn't help but laugh. "Who argues over paying more for damages? This isn't like splitting a reward!"
She suddenly noticed something odd about their surroundings and glanced around, puzzled. "By the way, with all the commotion we caused, how come there's no reaction from anyone? Not even one person peeking out their window to see what's going on? Is everyone that sound asleep?"
Levy coughed, looking a bit embarrassed as her eyes darted away. "Well… let's just say the townspeople are… kinda used to it."
Lucy's jaw dropped. "Used to it?!"
Levy scratched the back of her head, explaining, "The guild's had incidents like this before. Mostly Natsu and Gray fighting, or Erza and Mirajane sparring. They get so caught up they forget about time or place. It's not the first time they've caused a ruckus in the middle of the night."
"At first, the townsfolk complained to the mayor all the time. But the guild master started covering everyone's emotional distress costs out of his own pocket—though he'd deduct it from the culprits' mission rewards later." She chuckled. "Plus, Fairy Tail's fame has brought tons of tourists to the town, boosting the economy. So, the complaints died down over time."
"And the guild master even bought some noise-canceling magic devices for the elderly folks who have trouble sleeping. So… yeah, people just got used to it."
Lucy's mouth twitched, and all she could muster was a dry, "Being the Fairy Tail guild master sure sounds exhausting…"
The two followed the trail of a massive impact mark and scattered rubble down the street, finally spotting Gajeel in the ruins of a collapsed building at the end of the road. He was unconscious, covered in blood, his clothes torn to shreds, and his body littered with wounds of all sizes, lying motionless among the debris.
Lucy pointed at the battered Iron Dragon, whispering, "Do we need to hit him with a sleep spell or tie him up or something?"
"No need," Levy said, her lips twitching in a mix of amusement and exasperation. She quickly pulled a small glass bottle filled with red liquid from her bag. "Right now, we need to make sure he doesn't die here. Otherwise, it'll be a headache explaining this to Phantom Lord and the Magic Council."
She stepped closer to Gajeel, frowning at his condition. "I'm not great with water manipulation magic yet, so I can't precisely pour the potion into his mouth—"
"I've got this!" Lucy stepped forward confidently, patting her chest. "You want the whole bottle fed to him, right?"
"Yup," Levy nodded. "It's a micro life potion. It'll help his wounds heal and stabilize his vitals, so he doesn't bleed out."
"Got it!" Lucy grinned, clasping her hands together before extending them forward. A delicate pink magic circle spun into existence in front of her.
[Puppet Strike: Water Puppet]
The red liquid in the bottle seemed to come alive, swirling upward and forming a palm-sized, chibi-like red figure in the air. Lucy's fingers danced like she was playing a piano, and the water puppet mimicked her movements perfectly.
The tiny figure floated to Gajeel's mouth, using its small arms to pry open his lips before zipping inside with a whoosh. Seconds later, the bleeding wounds on Gajeel's body began to shrink and scab over at a visible rate. They were far from fully healed, but he was clearly no longer in danger of dying.
Levy's eyes widened in amazement. "That's incredible! Was that the same magic you used to control that stone giant earlier, Lucy?"
"You got it!" Lucy said proudly, dismissing the magic circle. "It's called [Puppet Play]. I can control almost anything—living or not—except humans. For living things, I can guide their actions to an extent. For objects, I can make them move like puppets to attack."
Levy nodded thoughtfully. "So… could you control something like a demon, a dragon, or a powerful magical beast?"
Lucy blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… I haven't tried. It works on my Celestial Spirits, so… maybe? I'm not sure about others."
Her confidence wavered a bit, and Levy gave a small nod, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. She raised her hand, her fingertip glowing white as she prepared to write a [Sleep] spell to be extra safe.
Just then, a familiar voice called from above. "So, the Iron Dragon's taken care of? That burst of magic power earlier was Gildarts' Crushing Evil, Spreading Truth, right?"
Roger landed lightly from a nearby intact rooftop, his eyes scanning the ruins and the unconscious Gajeel. "Cana can already seal Gildarts' power into a card? That's some serious progress."
"Roger!" Levy looked up, quickly sharing critical info. "Mirajane's exclusive mission was a trap set by Phantom Lord! There was no demon—just a bunch of dummies rigged with explosives!"
"Explosives?" Roger raised an eyebrow, surprised but quickly piecing things together. "So, Joseph set it up to lure Mirajane away because she still has her magic power? What a scheming jerk."
He nodded. "Got it. Thanks for the heads-up."
Without asking more, Roger pulled a peculiar cloak from his system inventory. It was bright yellow with intricate red flame patterns embroidered across it. He draped it over a relatively intact broken wall nearby.
Then, Roger silently thought of Mirajane's name.
In an instant, the cloak seemed to inflate, rising slowly. From beneath its hem, a pair of red high heels emerged, followed by slender, pale legs.
Roger lifted the cloak, revealing Mirajane standing where the stone had been!
She looked around, a bit dazed, taking in the battle-torn street and the group around her. "Roger? Is this… Magnolia? But I was just in the forest—"
Roger held up the cloak. "This is the Position Swap Cloak. It can swap the positions of two objects—or a person and an object—within a certain range."
"As for why you're here, well… it's like this and that."
Mirajane's confusion faded, replaced by a sharp understanding and a hint of coldness. "I see. My exclusive mission was a trap by Phantom Lord. They attacked the guild and sent Gajeel to ambush Levy and Lucy."
Lucy's jaw dropped. "???"
Roger had just said "like this and that," right? How did Mirajane get all that from eight vague words?! She snuck a glance at Levy, who looked completely unfazed, like this was totally normal.
Was there some kind of magic in those words Lucy didn't know about? Or some secret code only they understood?!
Lucy started seriously questioning her own comprehension skills.
Meanwhile, Roger walked over to the unconscious Gajeel, crouched down, and pried open one of his eyes. A faint purple glow flickered in Roger's gaze.
Minutes later, Gajeel's brow furrowed, his face contorting in agony as he let out an unconscious groan, his body twitching slightly.
After a while, he went limp, as if waking from a nightmare, drenched in cold sweat like he'd been pulled out of a river.
Lucy whispered, "What did you just do to him, Roger?"
Roger stood up, his tone calm. "I read his memories and made a small… adjustment."
Lucy's eyes widened. "You can read and modify memories?! That's incredible!"
Roger's brow furrowed slightly, though. The memories he'd seen in Gajeel's mind were surprising.
I only remember the rough outline of the original story, but Joseph had this all planned out from the start.
First, provoke the guild members, then kidnap Lucy. When the guild master storms Phantom Lord in a rage, seeing Lucy in danger would throw him off, letting Aria land a sneak attack and drain his magic power.
Then, they'd use the magical convergence cannon Jupiter to flatten the guild, ending the fight.
They'd even bribed certain Magic Council members who disliked Fairy Tail, securing an agreement that as long as Phantom Lord provided "evidence" Fairy Tail struck first, a fine would smooth things over.
Finally, they'd use Lucy's identity to drain the Heartfilia family's vast wealth, claiming it for themselves and cementing Phantom Lord as the "strongest" guild.
Joseph's plan was airtight, his ambition for the "strongest" title clear as day. A cold smirk tugged at Roger's lips.
Fine, I'll make your wish come true.
He turned to Levy, assigning tasks swiftly. "Levy, Phantom Lord's original plan was to injure you to enrage the guild. I'll create an illusion of you being gravely wounded and gather evidence of Phantom Lord's attack to submit to the Magic Council."
"For the next couple of days, you'll need to 'recover' at the guild or at home, looking injured."
Levy got it immediately, flashing an "OK" hand sign. "Perfect timing—I've got a book I've been dying to read for three days. Just give me a heads-up if the Magic Council sends someone to check my injuries."
"Huh?" Lucy blinked, confused. "The Magic Council checks injuries in person? But… wouldn't they see right through it if Levy's not actually hurt?"
"Not necessarily," Mirajane said with a sly smile, pulling a card from her waist. She infused it with magic, and a set of professional makeup tools appeared.
She leaned toward Levy, her fingers moving with dazzling speed. In mere moments, she'd used various creams, pens, and powders to create realistic bruises, scrapes, and dried blood on Levy's face and arms. She even paled Levy's lips, making her look like she'd just survived a brutal battle.
Lucy rubbed her eyes in disbelief, gasping, "No way! It looks exactly like she's seriously injured! That's too realistic!"
"I can do makeup too, Lucy!" Levy grinned, tucking her hands behind her back, acting like her "battle-damaged" look was no big deal.
"We call this 'battle damage makeup' in the guild," she explained. "The Magic Council's inspectors sometimes bring magic tools that detect magical fluctuations. If you use magic to fake injuries, they'll spot it right away. So, plain old makeup is the safest and most convenient way."
"Add a bit of blood grass for a realistic bloody scent, and they'll never suspect a thing."
Lucy's mind was blown. They can fake injuries with makeup?! The guild's members had some seriously weird skills!
Roger waved his hand, and a flash of light produced another "Lucy" on the ground nearby. She was covered in lifelike "wounds" and "blood," eyes closed, unconscious, with even her faint breathing perfectly mimicked.
"Alright, next we just need 'Lucy' to get kidnapped," Roger said, clapping his hands. "The rest starts tomorrow morning. Everyone's tired, so let's head back and rest for now."
The group nodded. Mirajane, Roger, a "heavily injured" Levy, and a still-dazed Lucy quickly left the wrecked battlefield.
On the way home, the cool night breeze eased the tension of the fight. Lucy suddenly remembered a notification she'd heard in her mind earlier, her eyes lighting up. "Levy! I think I got the 'Iron Eater' ability! It says I can restore magic power and stamina by eating iron!"
"What about you? What'd you get?"
"I got Iron Dragon Slayer Magic," Levy said, raising a hand to test her magic. A faint metallic sheen appeared on her skin but faded quickly. "It's still at the beginner level, though. I can't even turn my skin to iron yet—just change its color a bit."
"But I should have the 'Iron Eater' ability too."
"Let's try it!" Lucy said, buzzing with excitement. "I've always wondered what it's like for Natsu to eat fire. Now I finally get to try eating metal!"
"Sounds fun!" Levy laughed, caught up in Lucy's enthusiasm. "I'm curious too—what does iron taste like as a Dragon Slayer?"
She extended her index finger, white light gathering at the tip as she wrote in the air.
[Solid Script: Iron]
The glowing letters solidified and turned a metallic gray, forming two palm-sized iron blocks that landed in Levy's hands with a thud. Lucy tilted her head, curious. "This time, the words are different. Weren't you using kanji before?"
"Yup," Levy said, handing Lucy the block marked "ir" while keeping the one marked "on." "Kanji's faster in battle—two characters can carry a lot of meaning. My Solid Script magic is focused on developing kanji further. My next goal is to fully manifest the imagery and power of an ancient poem."
"An ancient poem?" Lucy tilted her head at the unfamiliar term, but her curiosity quickly shifted to the cold iron block in her hand. "That sounds amazing, but for now, let's try this!"
"Here goes!" they said in unison, grinning at each other before cautiously biting into the hard iron blocks.
Crunch!
"Ow!" Lucy clutched her mouth, tears welling up from the pain. It felt like she'd bitten a rock. "It's so hard! And it tastes like rust! I can't even dent it!"
Meanwhile, Levy was munching away with crisp crunch sounds, like she was eating potato chips. Her face lit up with surprise. "Really? It's super crispy, like chips! No rust taste at all!" She took another bite, savoring it. "It's got this smoky, grilled meat flavor. And… it changes a bit with each chew? So weird!"
She swallowed and felt her magic power. "Yup, my magic's recovering slowly!"
"What?!" Lucy stared at her barely marked iron block, then at Levy happily munching away, completely stunned. Why's it so different?!
Not giving up, she braced herself and chomped down again. "Ow, ow, ow!" She winced, rubbing her jaw. "Still nothing! Why can't I do it?!"
Levy watched Lucy's frustrated, pouty expression and thought for a moment. "I think it's because our abilities are fundamentally different. I got Dragon Slayer Magic, which probably altered my body a bit—my teeth and digestive system can handle chewing iron."
She pointed at Lucy's iron block. "But you only got the 'Iron Eater' ability. Your body hasn't changed to match it, so you can probably digest iron if you eat it, but your regular teeth can't bite through it."
"Ugh, seriously?" Lucy's shoulders slumped, her earlier excitement gone like a wet puppy in the rain. "I thought I finally had a super useful skill to restore magic and stamina…"
Then, a lightbulb went off in her head. She grabbed Levy's arm. "Wait, Levy! You can make iron with your Solid Script, and eating iron restores magic and stamina! Doesn't that mean your magic power is basically infinite? You could keep making iron and eating it to recharge!"
"No way," Levy laughed, waving off the idea. "Think of it like this: in a fight, I might use five units of magic power. Making iron takes about one unit, and eating it restores maybe three units. So, my magic lasts way longer now, but an infinite magic perpetual motion machine? Not happening."
"Aw, man," Lucy said, a bit disappointed but accepting it. "I thought we'd stumbled on some game-changing combo. Guess I got carried away."
In the quiet night, the only sounds were Levy's crisp chewing, their fading footsteps, and their lighthearted chatter as they walked away.
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