The combined team of the four look-alikes—the timid Edolas Natsu, the firebrand Earthland Natsu, the savvy Earthland Lucy, and the tough Edolas Lucy—moved swiftly through the Royal Capital's middle districts. They didn't need Blake's Haki to find their target; they just followed the noise.
"There! That's it!" Earthland Natsu yelled, pointing toward a plaza where the air was thick with smoke and the sound of rending metal. He felt the familiar pull of a brawl and the exciting thrum of the X-Ball magic coursing through his body.
When they arrived, the scene was pure chaos. Earthland Gajeel was surrounded by a full platoon of Royal Army soldiers, but he wasn't exactly pinned down. He was a whirling dervish of metal and destruction. He had transformed his arm into a massive Iron Sword, which he was using to effortlessly carve through the magical-powered armor of the soldiers. He was cackling with glee, punctuated by loud crunches as he occasionally bit a discarded shield.
"Magic-powered rations!" Gajeel bellowed, spitting out shrapnel. "Keep 'em coming, metal-heads!"
When they reached there, they see that Gajeel was fighting Royal Army.
"Oh, look at him," Earthland Natsu grinned, flexing his now magic-charged fists. "He was waiting for me! I'm going in!"
"Wait, Natsu!" Earthland Lucy shouted. "We need a plan! We need to make sure we don't draw any more—"
It was too late. Seeing that Earthland Natsu jumped into the fray. He shot forward like a rocket, fueled by Ethernano and pure recklessness.
"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"
He slammed his fist into a soldier, sending the man flying. The resulting explosion of flame and impact was satisfying, but it also immediately escalated the fight from a skirmish to a full-blown emergency for the Royal Army.
"Ashley, cover the perimeter!" Earthland Lucy yelled, already summoning Horologium for temporary defense. "Natsu, watch your fire!"
"Got it, blondie!" And both Lucy's also went and gave a hand in fighting of them.
Edolas Lucy, in her element, cracked her whip, using it to disarm three soldiers simultaneously. Earthland Lucy summoned Taurus.
"Moo! Time to flatten some tin cans!" Taurus roared, swinging his massive battle-axe into a group of approaching soldiers.
The battle raged. Earthland Natsu was having the time of his life, basking in the return of his strength. He was a pillar of pure, unrestrained fire, driving the soldiers back through sheer force.
"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"
He inhaled deeply and unleashed a torrent of flame. The roar hit the main bulk of the Royal Army, turning their energy shields into slag. The power, however, was slightly unpredictable; the concentrated magic from the pill made the blast feel volatile, unfamiliar.
The blast didn't stop with the soldiers. It grazed a massive structure nearby—a large, crudely assembled stack of crystalline shards the Royal Army was transporting. These were the giant Lacrima of the guild members.
"Natsu, NO!" Edolas Lucy shrieked.
The residual flames and concentrated shockwave struck the Lacrima.
The explosion was deafening. The surrounding air was instantly filled with blinding white light and a massive cloud of crystalline dust and smoke.
Everyone stopped fighting. The Royal Army soldiers covered their heads, and the Earthland mages shielded their eyes. The sheer scale of the blast was terrifying, and the possibility that Natsu had just done something irreversible loomed large.
And the crystal shatters.
Silence fell upon the plaza, broken only by the whimpering of the remaining Royal Army soldiers and the fearful gasp of the timid Edolas Natsu.
Earthland Lucy dropped her keys. "Natsu! What did you hit?!" she screamed, her voice shaking. She knew the power of the Lacrima. Could this random pile have been another group of innocents? Or worse, a piece of their friends?
Edolas Lucy gripped her whip, her eyes wide with shock. Even Gajeel stopped chewing on the metal fence post he had acquired.
"I... I didn't mean to!" Natsu stammered, coughing in the dissipating smoke. "It was just... a little burst!"
As the smoke began to clear, everyone strained to see the wreckage. All that remained of the crystalline pile was a massive crater.
But in the center of the crater, amidst the rubble and swirling dust, stood two figures.
One was tall, with spiky black hair and a perpetually irritated expression. He was flexing his fists, encased in ice, a protective layer of frost still melting from his shoulders.
The other figure was a crimson blur. She had long scarlet hair, dressed in full plate armor, and held a sword drawn, her stance ready for an immediate counter-attack.
But once the dust settled, we see Earthland Gray and Erza standing.
Gray looked around, confused, shivering slightly. "What the hell? Where are we?" He stared at Natsu. "Did you set me on fire, you idiot?"
Erza looked equally bewildered, then recognized the faces of her guildmates. She sheathed her sword slowly, her expression shifting from battle-readiness to profound relief.
Seeing that, everyone sighs in relief.
"Gray! Erza!" Earthland Lucy cried, running toward them.
"You guys are safe!" Happy cheered, darting forward to hug Gray's neck.
"Natsu," Erza said, her voice stern but laced with relief. "You are an absolute idiot. I'll decide your punishment later."
The emotional reunion was cut short by the blaring sirens approaching from the main street. The immense explosion had drawn every Royal Guard unit in the area.
"Backup is coming!" Edolas Lucy shouted, already running toward the alleyways. "We need to move, now!"
They quickly dispatched the remaining stunned soldiers, grabbed their friends, and followed the expert guidance of Lucy Ashley, weaving through the crowded streets and back into the safety of the underground base.
---
Meanwhile, across the Royal City, in the upper-tier district overlooking the Cathedral, Earthland Blake and Cana had found their target.
Mystogan, wrapped in his dark cloak and carrying his signature staffs, led them into the quiet confines of a derelict bell tower. He pulled the hood from his face, revealing the calm, shadowed features of Jellal Fernandes.
"Thank you for finding me, Blake," Mystogan said, his voice quiet. "I've been waiting for you."
Blake wasted no time. He laid out the grim situation: the Giant Lacrima holding their friends, Code ETD launching in two days, and the need for a political successor. He detailed the two-pronged strategy: the physical intervention to stop the launch, and the necessary political theater that must follow.
"We need to send the Earthland Ethernano back through a massive Anima reversal," Blake explained. "You are the only one with the knowledge and the power to activate the Reverse Anima ritual on this scale, Prince Jellal. And when you do, all the magic in this world will drain away. The people will panic. Chaos will reign."
He looked Mystogan straight in the eye. "That's why we need you to be the hero. The Demon Lords—us—will take the blame for 'stealing' the magic. You, as the beloved Prince, will be seen as the one who drove the demons out and sacrificed your family's magic for the good of the people. You will unite Edolas under a reign of peace, based on science and technology, not fear and magic."
Mystogan listened patiently, his hands resting on his staffs. His face, usually shrouded in mystery, showed the weight of the massive burden being placed upon him.
"You speak of a coup, and an act of supreme deceit," Mystogan observed, his voice calm. "But it is a deception done for the good of the world. My father's rule is an abomination. He has starved this land and corrupted its people with false promises."
He nodded slowly. "I have already begun the calculations. I know the alignment points for the reversal ritual. It is massive, requiring the full power of the Royal City's conduits."
"Will you do it?" Cana asked, stepping forward, the Thunderbolt card in her hand glowing slightly. "Will you betray your father to save two worlds?"
"My loyalty lies with the people of Edolas," Mystogan confirmed.
"I will activate the Reverse Anima. But once the ritual begins, I cannot stop. I will be defenseless, working on the arrays. You must ensure the King does not stop me, and that the Code ETD is halted." He looked specifically at Blake. "And you must ensure your performance as the Demon Lord is convincing. The people must believe you are the threat."
"Consider it done," Blake confirmed. "We excel at being the bad guys when necessary."
"Good. Go now. I will be positioned here at the Cathedral. It is the heart of the Royal Magic conduits."
"We'll contact you after making preparations," Blake said, offering a respectful nod.
Blake and Cana left the bell tower, moving with renewed urgency. The final piece of the puzzle had clicked into place. They had the strategy, they had the power, they had the location, and now they had the leader. The time for hiding was over. The time for the fairy tail coup was about to begin.