The clash began the moment Team Scarlet Heal stormed into Kunugi Station.
No hesitation. No hiding.
Erza strode forward at the head of the group, scarlet hair blazing like fire behind her. With no helmet obscuring her face, the fury in her eyes was plain to see. Beside her, Gray rolled his shoulders, magic already humming, while Cana shuffled a spread of glowing cards in her hands. Keal, of course, walked with that infuriating confidence, mismatched eyes glinting with excitement.
The Eisenwald mages froze at their appearance, a ripple of unease spreading through the enemy lines. Murmurs broke out:
"Fairy Tail…"
"That's Titania herself—!"
"Damn it, why are they here?!"
"Because you dared to threaten innocent lives," Erza declared, voice echoing across the platform. Her blade rang as she drew it in a single fluid motion, the steel flashing under the lamps. "That crime will not go unpunished!"
Cana smirked. "Couldn't have said it better myself." She tossed a card into the air, catching it lazily, the glowing edge lighting her grin.
Gray cracked his knuckles, lips curling into a sharp grin. "Finally. Time for some real fun." His breath fogged, ice creeping along the ground at his feet as his battle-lust burned away any lingering nerves.
Keal chuckled under his breath. "You look beautiful when you're like this, Erza."
Her grip faltered just slightly, heat rushing to her cheeks. "Focus, Keal. This is a battlefield, not a stage for your… ridiculousness."
Cana laughed, her flask swinging at her hip. "Oh, he's good as usual. You're already blushing."
"I am not," Erza snapped, her voice a little too sharp to be convincing.
But there was no time for more teasing—the Eisenwald mages roared and charged.
Magic circles lit the air as spells flew in a chaotic storm. Fire, lightning, and blades of dark energy streaked toward them, but Scarlet Heal's front line was unshakable.
Erza requipped in an instant, armor flashing, and cut through the barrage with sweeping arcs of her sword. "Stay sharp! Push them back!"
Gray's arms spread wide. "Ice-Make: Lance!" Jagged spears erupted from the floor, shattering the enemy's offensive and pinning several mages to the walls. He grinned, heat in his voice. "Yeah, now this is what I'm talking about!"
Cana flicked her wrist, cards scattering like sparks. They detonated on impact, sending Eisenwald foot soldiers sprawling. She smirked, raising her voice over the chaos. "Hope you boys packed enough underwear, 'cause you're about to get wiped out!"
Keal was a storm unto himself, weaving through attacks with predatory grace. He struck with open palms glowing faintly with magic, each hit sending Eisenwald wizards crumpling to the floor. He moved like a blade hidden inside silk, deadly and mocking all at once. "Pathetic. Is this what passes for a dark guild?"
The battlefield shook with the clash, and for a moment, Fairy Tail's momentum was unstoppable. But then—
A low whistle of wind cut through the station.
Eisenwald's troops began to part, their expressions shifting into reverence and fear. Out from the shadows walked a tall figure in a long coat, a scythe strapped to his back. The gale around him stirred debris into the air.
Erza's eyes narrowed. "Erigor."
The ace of Eisenwald smirked, his gaze sweeping over them. "Fairy Tail sends its strongest knight… and some colorful company. How quaint." His eyes flicked over Gray, Cana, and Keal with dismissive amusement.
Gray spat on the ground. "We'll see how quaint you think we are after I freeze that smirk off your face."
Erigor's grin widened, but his attention turned to the object in his hand—a flute carved from dark, pulsating wood, the air around it unnaturally heavy.
Erza's heart clenched. So it truly is Lullaby. Her gaze sharpened, fury igniting in her chest. That cursed song has slaughtered before. I won't allow it to ever sound again.
Cana shivered, lowering her cards slightly. "So that's it… Lullaby. Gives me the creeps just looking at it."
Keal tilted his head, expression unreadable. "A flute. Small, fragile… yet deadly enough to slaughter thousands. Fitting, I suppose."
Erigor lifted it proudly. "You understand nothing. With this flute, Eisenwald will sing a requiem of silence to the world. The era of old guilds and old kings will end."
Erza's blade trembled in her grip, her fury threatening to break through her composure. "You dare… You dare call mass slaughter liberation?!"
Keal's smirk widened. "He talks too much. Can I break him now?"
Before Erza could answer, Erigor slammed the butt of his scythe to the floor. The air screamed as a dome of whirling wind erupted around him and his forces, a barrier of cutting gales that sliced through stone and steel alike.
Cana shielded her face, hair whipping wildly. "Damn it—he's walling us off!"
Gray growled, ice forming over his arms. "I'll smash it down—" He thrust forward with a massive spike of frozen steel, only to watch it shredded into shards before touching the wall.
Erza gritted her teeth, slashing the wind with brute force, sparks flying where steel met air. Useless. The barrier only grew fiercer.
On the other side, Erigor's laughter rang out, cold and triumphant. "Correct, Fairy Tail. Struggle as you like. By the time you escape this prison… it will already be too late."
With that, he turned, Eisenwald's surviving forces rallying behind him as they disappeared deeper into the station. Lullaby glowed faintly in his hand, a promise of death to come.
Erza's chest tightened. No… We can't let him…! But the gale pressed harder, cutting off their pursuit. For now, they were trapped.
---
Magnolia – Fairy Tail Guild
Far from the battlefield, in the safety of Fairy Tail's hall, Mira sat at a desk with parchment spread before her. Her quill tapped nervously as she bit her lip. For once, she wasn't writing guild records or mission postings—this was a letter meant only for the Master.
Her eyes softened as she wrote.
> "Master, I thought you should know… Team Scarlet Heal has officially formed. Erza, Cana and Keal. Watching them together, I couldn't help but feel they're… different. Strong. Perhaps too strong. I've never seen a group that fits together so naturally, even if their personalities clash. In my heart, I think this might be Fairy Tail's strongest team."
She paused, tapping the quill to her chin, then continued.
> "I know you always say Fairy Tail's strength is in its bonds, not its power. But… please, Master, keep an eye on them. Because if they ever lose control, or let their egos run wild…"
Her hand hesitated before committing to the final line.
> "…they might accidentally destroy an entire city."
Mira set the quill down, staring at the inked words in silence. Her expression was a mix of pride and worry.
When Makarov finally received the letter later that evening, he read it once, twice, three times. His hands trembled slightly as he lowered the parchment.
His lips pressed into a thin line. "Those brats…" He leaned back heavily in his chair, puffing on his pipe. "They'll either be Fairy Tail's greatest pride… or the end of my sanity."
But deep inside, the thought gnawed at him. If Mira's right… and that team really is as explosive as she fears… what kind of storm have we unleashed?
The Master, feared across Fiore as the Titan of Fairy Tail, could only sit in silence, pale with worry.
Because he knew Mira was right. Together, those four could topple mountains.
And maybe even cities.