The Blue Pegasus' villa was calmer now as mages from three guilds gathered.
Kael stood, face to face with Jura Neekis.
"Jura," Kael greeted first, inclining his head. "It's been a while."
Jura smiled faintly. "Indeed, It's good to see that you're wel."
"Likewise," Kael replied casually. "And you haven't changed at all."
Their handshake drew the attention of others. It wasn't often two S-Class mages from different guilds greeted one another like equals.
Mira, standing just behind Kael, tilted her head and whispered, "You know him?"
Kael nodded. "We've met before. During a council operation before he became a Saint."
Her eyes widened slightly, but before she could say more, Kael turned to Jura again. "Did Lamia Scale only send the three of you?"
"Yes," Jura answered, calm and sure. "Myself, Lyon, and Sherry. The master deemed it sufficient."
Kael hummed in thought. "I see. Then that makes us complete except for Cait Shelter."
Jura nodded. "Indeed. Once the representative from Cait Shelter arrives, we'll be ready to begin."
From behind, Ichiya dramatically entered the conversation, his presence as loud as his scent. "Ohoho! I heard Cait Shelter only sent one mage, yes?"
The Trimen, Hibiki, Ren, and Eve turned to him in surprise.
"Only one?" Hibiki echoed. "That's… odd for a whole guild."
Lyon crossed his arms. "Just how strong could a single representative be?"
Sherry added, half teasing, "Unless they're another Jura!"
Light laughter rippled through the group, the previous tense atmosphere vanishing.
We'll know soon enough. For now, we should make sure everyone's ready. It'll be best if we're assembled when they arrive."
"Wise words, men!" Ichiya declared with a pose. "But first—excuse me. Nature calls!"
He marched toward the side hallway with a flourish, leaving the others to share various degrees of discomfort.
As this scene unfold, Lyon crossed his arms, his gaze shifting toward Kael who stood face to face with Jura. "Is Gray not here?"
Kael hearing this shifted his attention to Lyon. "He's not representing Fairy Tail in this mission."
Lyon raised a brow, a faint smirk forming. "Hmph. Well, that's just foolish if you ask me..."
The room instantly went still.
Every Fairy Tail mage's attention turned toward Lyon. Kael's expression turned serious. Mystogan's gaze landed on Lyon. Erza moved her hands to her blade. And the smile on Mirajane's face seemed to change?
Then, one of the Trimen, Hibiki, chuckled lightly. "Looks like you're a bit clueless. You have no idea who you're talking to."
Sherry blinked in confusion, looking between the tense faces. "Um… Did my love said something wrong?"
Before anyone else could speak, Jura sighed softly, placing a firm hand on Lyon's shoulder. "My apologies, Kael. Lyon can be... a little clueless. He's only recently rejoined the world after years of isolation. He doesn't quite understand how much has changed."
Lyon frowned. "What's wrong with what I said? I only spoke the truth."
Jura was about to answer, but Hibiki, interrupted with a sly smile. "Let me make it clear for you then. Even we, from Blue Pegasus, can admit that out of everyone gathered here, Fairy Tail's team is the strongest by far."
Eve nodded in agreement, brushing his hair back. "All four members they sent are S-class, aren't they? That's already saying a lot."
Jura glanced at Kael, then back at Lyon. "You underestimate Fairy Tail far too much, Lyon."
He straightened, his voice steady but respectful. "First, there's Kael, known across Fiore as the Sorcerer Supreme, among many other titles the public have given him. He has just been out of the spotlight for a while so you might not heard of him. However, his strength is not to be understimated. In fact…" Jura paused for a moment, meeting Kael's calm gaze. "The Council once offered him a position in the wizard saints. When he refused, they extended that invitation to me instead."
Lyon's eyes widened slightly.
Jura continued. "Then there's Erza Scarlet, Titania. I'm quite sure that you stand no chance against her."
"Next is Mirajane Strauss — The She-Devil. She had also been away from the spotlight."
He then turned to the quiet, masked figure in the corner. "And lastly, Mystogan. Fairy Tail's most mysterious mage."
Jura's gaze returned to Lyon, his expression solemn. "If it came down to a one-on-one battle between me and any of them… I honestly couldn't say whether I'd win."
The room fell silent again. Even Lyon, who moments ago had smirked confidently, found himself speechless as the weight of Jura's words sank in.
Then, Mira chuckled softly, waving her hand with a faint blush. "Jura-san, you're praising me too much. I wouldn't stand a chance against you."
Erza also responded, crossing her arms, then shaking her head modestly. "I agree. Your words honor us, Jura-san, but that's more credit than we deserve."
Mystogan, as always, said nothing. While Kael smirked. "You're right about one thing though. It seems Lyon's worldview is a little too narrow."
Lyon's eyes narrowed slightly, but before he could retort, Kael continued, tone calm yet cutting. "Gray told me about you and the Galuna Island incident."
Lyon stiffened at the mention.
Kael folded his arms, his smirk widening just a little. "You might not know this, but as Even there said..." He paused as he pointed at the short Blue Pegasus mage, "Fairy tail only sent S-class mages. And your rival, Gray, is not an S-rank."
A quiet laugh escaped him, but it was short-lived. His expression suddenly shifted, the humor fading as quickly as it appeared. He then turned his head to the door.
The others felt it too. Erza's smile faded. Mira's usual playfulness disappeared. Even Jura, composed as ever, sensed the subtle shift.
Then, a shout echoed from outside.
Everyone froze.
"What was that?" Sherry asked as he also looked to the door.
Hibiki frowned. "An attack?"
Everyone immediatele become alert as they prepared for the worst.
"Should we check?" Erza spoke up.
Then, a white blur shot in through the open door, hastily stopping before the group.
"Please listen!" the creature cried out, voice urgent and frightened. "I-I'm Carla of Cait Shelter! There's trouble!"
"Carla?" Mira blinked, astonished. "A… talking cat?"
Erza stepped forward, startled but composed. "What happened?"
Carla's tail flicked anxiously. "The representative from Cait Shelter is Wendy Marvell. We were on our way here, but she's been kidnapped! We were attacked by members of Oracion Seis!"
A heavy silence followed.
Jura's calm expression hardened, Lyon clenched his fists, and even the Trimen dropped their usual charm.
Kael stood still for only a heartbeat before speaking, his voice steady but edged with command. "Carla," he said, eyes narrowing. "Do you have anything, something that belonged to her?"
The white Exceed, though confused by the question shook her head, her wings drooping. "No… I don't have anything..."
A faint sigh escaped Kael's lips.
The others glanced at him, but his attention had already shifted. His gaze swept across the room until it stopped on Mystogan.
Mystogan's body was tense. His grip on his staff was rigid, and for just a moment, Kael caught a hint of worry.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing. Whatever that was, was for later as they had a bigger problem at hand.
And so, Kael straightened and looked toward the others and spoke.
"Oracion Seis have made their move. We need to go, now."
He then continued as if assuming the position of a leader, "Everyone here should have been briefed already. The Oración Seis are after a powerful ancient magic called Nirvana." His expression hardened. "If they get their hands on it, it's a disaster waiting to happen."
Jura gave a solemn nod, arms folded. "Then we can't let them reach it first."
"Exactly," Kael replied. "So now, this has become two missions in one. A race to find Nirvana before they do, and a hunt to bring down the Oración Seis."
He turned slightly toward the group, his voice calm but commanding. "I suggest splitting up. Cover more ground, and track both targets. Once anyone finds a lead, we regroup."
Hibiki adjusted his coat. "Makes sense. Faster that way."
"Then how should we divide the teams?" asked Eve.
"Groups of two?" Jura suggested.
"That works... I can stay here and wait for Ichiya-sama and later operate Cristina." Hibiki nodded before glancing at his two other guild mates.
Ren, the quiet one, seeing this glance nodded. "I'll be with Eve then..." He muttered.
"Then, Lyon, you and Sherry will take another route." Jura instructed.
Sherry gave a cheerful salute. "You can count on us!"
As the group pairing starts, Kael's gaze shifted to his guild mates. "Are you girls good with teaming up with each other? I'll be with Mystogan if that's fine."
Erza immediately nodded. "Yes. You can count on us."
Meanwhile, Mira just nodded. He originally wanted to be with Kael, however, that would leave Erza with Mystogan which isn't a great match considering their history. Additionally, her teaming up with Erza is somewhat better than teaming up with Mystogan.
With that done, Kael glanced at Jura.
"How about you Jura? Solo?" he asked.
"Well... I'll be waiting for Ichiya-dono aswell since Hibiki-dono will be operating Cristina." Jura responded.
And with that, the pairings got completed.
Mystogan and Kael.
Erza and Mirajane.
Eve and Ren.
Lyon and Sherry.
Ichiya and Jura.
And lastly, Hibiki with Cristina.
With that, the alliance began to move.
The sound of footsteps filled the once-lively villa as the teams departed one by one. The heart-shaped lights flickered, casting long shadows on the walls before fading into silence.
Carla decided to stay with Jura and Hibiki, her small form trembling as she whispered, "Wendy… please be safe."
Outside, the forest awaited as the race for Nirvana had begun.
Scene Break.
The forest blurred past the two mages as the wind whipped against Kael's cloak as he kept pace beside Mystogan.
Kael was levitating in the air while Mystogan ran, his five staves floating behind him in perfect formation, gliding through the air.
Kael glanced sideways at him. "You know her, don't you?"
Mystogan's pace didn't falter. "I do. She had nowhere to go. So, I traveled with her for a while, until I found Cait Shelter. They agreed to take her in."
Kael absorbed that quietly, watching Mystogan from the corner of his eye.
"So she's not from Edolas?" Kael finally said.
Mystogan shook his head. "No. She's from this world."
And with that, the cold and short conversation between the two turned into silence.
Scene Break.
The halls were eerily quiet now, only the faint echo of footsteps as Ichiya strolled out of the washroom, whistling proudly and adjusting his coat. "Men~! That was a refreshing-"
He paused mid-sentence. The main hall was empty.
"Hm?" He looked around, blinking. "Where are my dear comrades? My sweet Erza-honey? My Mira-chwan?"
Near the entrance, Hibiki stood with Jura, both waiting patiently. Hibiki looked up, relieved."There you are, Ichiya-sama," he said. "We were waiting for you."
"Waiting?" Ichiya asked, posing dramatically.
Hibiki crossed his arms. "While you were gone, the representative of Cait Shelter got kidnapped. The rest of the allied guilds have already gone ahead. They split into pairs to search for Cait Shelter's representative and the Oración Seis. We're joining in as well."
Jura nodded. "If you're okay with it, you'll be with me, Ichiya-dono. Meanwhile, Hibiki will stay behind and operate Cristina from a distance to provide us with aerial support."
"Ahh~!" Ichiya exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "A most splendid plan!!"
Hibiki sighed. "Right. Now that you're caught up, we should move out immediately."
But Ichiya suddenly raised a hand. "Wait! Before we embark, allow me to present you with something truly magnificent!"
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small, ornate bottle filled with a glowing violet mist."Behold! My new Parfum of Power! A strength-boosting formula I created just for moments like this! One whiff, and your magic will surge beyond its limits!"
Jura blinked, curious. Hibiki's eyes lit up. "Strength-boosting perfume? Sounds like it could help."
Jura gave a thoughtful nod. "If it can enhance our performance, it's worth trying."
"Splendid!" Ichiya cheered, uncorking the bottle. "Now, inhale deeply, my friends, and let the essence of power flow through your very souls!"
Without hesitation, Hibiki and Jura leaned forward, inhaling the shimmering mist.
Then, a second later, their eyes widened.
The pleasant fragrance twisted sharply, turning acrid, suffocating. A wave of searing pain tore through their bodies. Their magic power, their strength, was suddenly slipping away.
"W-what… is this!?" Hibiki gasped, clutching his chest. "It hurts!"
Jura staggered back, gritting his teeth as his body trembled. "This isn't… enhancement magic…"
Ichiya's expression slowly changed. The cheerful sparkle in his eyes fading into something cold and alien.
"No," he said flatly. "It isn't."
Hibiki and Jura could only watch, struggling to breathe, as Ichiya's form began to ripple like melting wax. His body shrank, limbs twisting, splitting until two small blue-skinned creatures floated where he had been.
"Humans are far too trusting," one of them sneered.
The other chuckled. "And now, three are down."
This is the last thing they witnessed as both mages collapsed to the floor, their consciousness slipping away as the two creatures stepped forward, their laughter echoing through the empty villa hall.