"Kana, where's Kael? We haven't seen him since leaving Magnolia," Natsu complained, glancing around as he adjusted the massive pack strapped to his back. "We're almost at the target area, and I haven't spotted him once."
Gray, walking beside him, turned his head and scanned the forest. "Yeah… weird. You'd think he'd at least show himself by now."
Kana frowned slightly, raising her gaze toward the trees. She seemed to sense something faint but soon shook it off. "Kael's probably watching us from somewhere nearby. Let's just focus on the mission for now. First, we need to find the client and understand the situation."
Natsu grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Fine by me! We'll see how much our training's paid off!"Gray smirked. "Don't hold me back, flame brain."
At the Farmstead
Their mission had led them to a small estate on the edge of a large farmland. The farm owner looked the three of them over—two boys and one girl barely out of their teens—and couldn't stop his eyebrow from twitching.
"You're the mages sent for the job?" he asked uncertainly. "Did… I post the wrong request?"
He checked the paper in his hand again. It clearly read: 'Eliminate the animals descending from the mountain and investigate the cause.' The words matched perfectly—but the trio before him hardly looked like the powerful wizards he'd been expecting.
Kana noticed his skeptical look. Without saying a word, she stepped forward. Her heel struck the ground sharply—thud!—and when she lifted her foot again, the floor beneath her bore a clean, deep footprint, the wood splintered from the sheer force.
From atop the villa's roof, Kael watched with folded arms, his figure hidden behind a veil of refracted light magic. He nodded slightly. Good… She's learned a lot from her fight with Laxus. Her control over strength has improved again. Truly a natural talent.
The farm owner's attitude changed instantly. "Ah, I-I see! My apologies! Please, come inside!"
He hurriedly invited them in and began explaining the details.
"You're saying animals have been coming down from the mountain more and more lately," Kana repeated thoughtfully. "And they've been getting stronger, too?"
The farmer nodded quickly. "Yes, exactly! Even experienced hunters couldn't handle them. Some say something powerful appeared deep in the mountains—forcing the other beasts out. We had no choice but to ask for help."
"I see." Kana nodded once. "Then our goal is simple—find whatever's causing this and eliminate it."
She turned to her teammates. "Let's move, Natsu, Gray—wait… Gray. Clothes."
Gray blinked and looked down. "Eh? When did—?!"He froze, realizing he was once again standing in only his boxers. Kana sighed. "Honestly…"
Meanwhile, Kael, high above, listened to everything through Observation Haki. His expression grew more serious. "I'd better scout the mountain first… just in case this turns into another special incident like last time."
With a flash of light, his body blurred—and in the next moment, he was gone, streaking skyward toward the mountain.
The Mountain's Depths
As Kana, Natsu, and Gray made their way into the woods, strange growls surrounded them. Soon, several dark-furred Magic Wolves emerged from the brush, fangs bared and drool dripping from their maws as they circled the trio.
Natsu grinned, cracking his knuckles. "These mutts are ours."Gray's hands glowed with cold blue light. "Yeah, don't steal all the fun."
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"Natsu's fists blazed, each strike detonating with heat as he pummeled the wolves one after another.
"Ice-Make: Battle Axe!"Gray swung his newly-forged weapon, cleaving through the air as freezing energy burst outward.
Their teamwork was sharp and fluid—years of rivalry polished into perfect combat rhythm. Within minutes, the last wolf fell, and the team pressed deeper until they reached a wide clearing.
There, they stopped in shock.
Before them lay a massive serpent, its coiled body taller than a three-story building. Animal bones littered the ground, and the serpent's huge head rested atop its coils, eyes closed as it slumbered.
Kana's breath caught. "That's… enormous."
High above, Kael hovered unseen, observing the scene. His gaze drifted toward a gaping cave behind the serpent. So that's it… It must've crawled out from that cave. Found a plentiful food source here—and stayed.
As if sensing their presence, the serpent's eyes opened—two blood-red slits gleaming with malice. Its roar shook the trees.
"Gray! Natsu! Be ready!" Kana shouted, bracing herself as she drew several enchanted cards from her pouch. She channeled magic into them—light burst out, forming shimmering armor around each of them.
Kael had arranged this beforehand, asking Erza to craft these lightweight combat sets. Kana's fists gleamed with metallic gloves designed for melee combat.
"Spread out!" she ordered.
They leapt away just as the serpent's tail slammed down where they'd stood. The ground cracked open, leaving a crater of deep grooves.
Gray reacted first, slamming both palms against the dirt. "Ice-Make: Fountain of Frost!"
Magic circles flared beneath the serpent, and columns of sharp ice burst upward, freezing its lower body in place. It wasn't strong enough to completely immobilize the beast, but it slowed it down.
Natsu charged in immediately. "Fire Dragon's Claw!"Flames wrapped around his legs as he launched into a spinning kick, his heel coated in Armament Haki. His strike landed squarely on the serpent's head with a resounding boom!
The monster shrieked, its skull visibly dented as it writhed violently.
Kana saw her opening. Power surged through her body—magic, Haki, and pure physical force focusing into a single point. "Six Arts—Iron Body!"
Her right fist turned jet black. She leapt high and drove her punch straight into the serpent's seventh scale—its weak spot.
BOOM!
The creature convulsed, its massive frame slamming into the earth as dust exploded around them. When the haze cleared, the serpent lay still—its once-scarlet eyes now dull and lifeless.
Kana stood panting, sweat beading down her temples—but a victorious smile lit her face. Natsu and Gray exchanged looks, then burst out laughing in triumph.
"Ha! We did it!"
A slow, steady clapping came from above.
"Excellent work," Kael said, descending from the sky with calm composure. "Your coordination's improving. Quick reactions, clean teamwork."
He glanced at the gaping mountain cave behind the fallen serpent. "Only one thing left to handle."
Kana, Natsu, and Gray followed his gaze uneasily.
Kael sighed. "I'll take care of it."
Raising his hand, light gathered into a glowing blade. "Heaven's Cloud Sword."
With a single swing, a crescent of blinding light cleaved forward.Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several strikes followed in rapid succession. The cave shuddered and then collapsed entirely, sealing the passage in a storm of falling rock and dust.
Behind him, the three young mages stared in awe, eyes wide with admiration.
Kael turned, catching their looks—and immediately felt a pang of guilt.
He cleared his throat, feigning composure. "Ahem. That was… a bad example. Don't copy that. When you're on missions, always control your power. Avoid large-scale destruction unless absolutely necessary. Safety first—but minimize damage, understood?"
The three nodded obediently, though their eyes still sparkled with hero-worship.
"Good. You handled the mission well. Split the reward among yourselves," Kael said, smiling faintly. "Take a few days off, then we'll resume training."
"Woohoo!" Natsu and Gray whooped in excitement. "We're rich!"
Kana chuckled, though her eyes softened as she looked at Kael. "Gray… clothes."
"Ah—again?!" Gray yelped, realizing too late that his shirt had mysteriously vanished.
Kael just laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, let's head home."
As they walked down the mountain trail, Natsu and Gray chatted animatedly about what to buy for Happy and Lisanna, while Kana quietly followed, her gaze lingering on Kael's back.
Kael, on the other hand, was lost in thought. So many members want to learn Haki now… I'll need to tailor the training for each of them. Laxus, too—I'll have to help him master Observation Haki. Imagine him fighting with lightning that strikes wherever he looks…
He chuckled softly. "Heh. That would be quite the sight."
Kana smiled faintly behind him, lost in her own thoughts.