10,000 Meters High, Above the White Sea
Fairy Tail rode the wind, slicing through the clouds and waves.
Ten minutes later, an island appeared on the horizon, catching everyone's attention.
Another minute passed.
Apayado, the Island of Gods, was finally within reach. The Fairy Tail slowly sailed along the river that led into the island.
"This island is incredible… the plants are enormous!" Nami couldn't help but exclaim.
"I suspect it's because this place receives sunlight all year round. That must have altered the growth cycles of these plants," Robin explained calmly.
"Wow, hahaha! The Gaya Island—the home of Shandora, the Golden City of legend! If you didn't see it with your own eyes, who would believe it really floated into the sky?" War correspondent Morgans laughed excitedly.
Click! Click! The shutters of his camera kept firing, recording everything along the way.
Soon, Fairy Tail reached the end of the river. An ancient altar appeared before everyone. Morgans flapped his wings and hovered close, continuing his documentation.
"Mira, switch to flight mode!" Sugisawa Yuuto ordered.
"Yes!" Mirajan immediately took manual control, shifting Fairy Tail into flight mode, slowly lifting into the sky.
"Wait for me! Wait for me!" Morgans called, flapping his massive wings, trying to catch up.
Suddenly—whoosh! A sharp gust of wind sliced through the air. Morgans instinctively twisted and leapt, narrowly avoiding a sniper's attack from above.
"Who dares plot against my uncle?!" Morgans shouted, shocked.
The rider on the Sanzhang Bird above nodded to himself. "This creature speaks human language and reacts well. Perfect for Mr. Enel to relieve his boredom!"
"Nani?!" Morgans' lungs nearly burst. Not since becoming Uranus of the Dark World had anyone dared speak to him like that.
Called a beast, regarded as a rare creature, and now… intended for capture as entertainment? Unthinkable.
"Evil animal! In front of my Heavenly Knight Shura, catch it without hesitation!" Priest Seurat yelled, launching another attack on Morgans.
"I @#¥%!!!" Morgans cursed repeatedly, twisting and dodging with precision. Though his combat power wasn't extraordinary, his escape skills were elite—otherwise he couldn't have earned the title of Uranus in the underground Dark World of the New World.
After several tense maneuvers, Morgans finally escaped back to Fairy Tail. With Yuuto's support behind him, he regained confidence, soaring high and calling out:
"People of Qinghai! Lord Enel is furious about your illegal entry this morning. If you don't want to further anger the gods, you'd better know how to behave!"
Celestial Knight Shura's threats carried arrogance, but the girls of Fairy Tail didn't flinch.
A fierce battle broke out. After a brief exchange, Wendy seized the first opportunity.
"You fool from Qinghai! Who do you think I am? I'm the priest in charge of the Rope Trial, with a survival rate of only 3%—Shura, Sky Knight!" Wendy shouted, fearless.
Seurat's nose nearly twisted in irritation at the audacity of her words.
"Wahaha!" Morgans laughed aloud. "What Sky Knight? A frog in a well! Who do you think you're facing? This is Fairy Tail!"
"Wendy, go!"
"Don't be nervous!"
"You can do it!"
Encouraged by Erza, Mirajan, and the others, Wendy, the Mistress of the Sky, nodded resolutely.
"I'll do my best!"
"Then let's go!" Xia Lulu activated her magic wings, carrying Wendy into the sky.
"It's you! I know you! You're the girl that Ganfur picked up—you're my enemy! How audacious!" Sky Knight Shura sneered, ignoring Wendy completely.
Wendy remained determined, unshaken. The wind wrapped around her arms like dragon wings.
"Tianlong's Wing Strike!"
She unleashed her attack, her storm dragon wings flapping powerfully toward Shura.
"Nani?!" Shura's eyes widened in shock. He maneuvered the Sanzhang Bird frantically, but the aftershocks staggered both him and his mount.
"Dragon's Namikaze!" Wendy pressed on. With a wave of her hand, a massive tornado formed, raging in every direction.
The proud Asura of the sky, once arrogant, fled in panic, holding its head, no longer haughty.
"Wahaha! Excellent! Truly excellent! Miss Wendy, you deserve to be in Fairy Tail!" Morgans laughed, elated.
"Wendy's amazing~" Nami and Vivi's eyes widened. They had once doubted Wendy's abilities, worrying for her in battle. But seeing her now, they realized she was far stronger than she appeared.
"Something's wrong," Robin frowned, noticing a subtle anomaly.
"There are… lines in the air," Marianne observed, her gaze narrowing.
Suddenly, a dramatic shift occurred on the battlefield above the clouds. Wendy and Xia Lulu froze mid-air, trapped.
"What's happening?!" Wendy struggled, panic flashing across her face.
"When did these…?" Xia Lulu's expression turned grim.
"Hahaha… I admit you have talent, but now you've walked straight into the Rope Trial trap. Death awaits!" Sky Knight Shura sneered.
As he retreated, he secretly activated the Shengyun Trap—any intruder would be ensnared by the rope cloud, immobilized, and left to be slaughtered. Wendy and Xia Lulu were now caught in the deadly snare.
"Not good! Wendy and the others are trapped!" Nami and Vivi worried silently.
"It's fine!" Erza spoke calmly. "Wendy, you can handle this."
Mirajan was equally confident, trusting in Wendy's strength.
"Cross-legged, unleash the flames!" Celestial Knight Shura commanded. The three-legged bird lunged, its beak opening wide as a blazing shell of fire shot out, aiming for Wendy and Xia Lulu.
Yet Wendy remained composed. Bound hands and feet were no obstacle—she was the Sky Dragon Slayer Mage.
"Tianlong's Roar!!!"