Chapter 5 : Elegant Mage!

Natsu reacted with lightning speed, his fist connecting squarely with Kageyama's face, rendering him unable to rise again.

Just moments ago, Natsu had been unconscious and unaware of the unfolding events. Assuming Kageyama to be a mere troublemaker, he paid him little heed after witnessing him fall down. 

Fueled by anger, Natsu channeled flames into his fists and advanced toward Everit.

To his surprise, as he took a step forward, he found himself standing at the train's doorway.

"Eh?" Natsu looked bewildered.

Everit ejected him from the train, effortlessly carrying a suitcase in one hand while grasping his hat in the other. With a graceful leap, he alighted from the train, adjusting his glasses afterward.

A crow soared overhead, cawing a tune of elegance.

"Hey—" Natsu wanted to shout but was interrupted by the train's departure.

The rumbling of the train faded into the distance as Erza steered the magical four-wheeled vehicle through billowing sand and dust.

"You sneaky fellow, Everit!" Natsu exclaimed, ready to explode with frustration.

"Alright, here's something for you. Accept my apology." Everit retrieved a card, holding it delicately between his fingers before flicking his thumb, transforming it into a beautiful card adorned with images.

"What's this?" Natsu inquired with curiosity.

"Infuse it with your magic power," Everit instructed, handing the card to him.

Natsu complied, and suddenly, a virtual Salamander materialized on the card!

The majestic red-scaled Salamander appeared lifelike, moving about, resting, and exhaling flames onto the card.

"A Salamander!" Natsu's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Yes, I crafted it for you," Everit smiled, saying, "How close is it to what you envisioned?"

"Nine out of ten!" Natsu was deeply touched. "You, if only you'd stop with the pranks, it'd be even better!"

Everit pushed up his glasses, silently musing, *Who made it so entertaining to prank you?*

"Tsk—" A prolonged sound of brakes interrupted the moment.

"Natsu, Everit!" Erza's voice called out.

"You two actually left me behind!" Natsu grumbled.

"Everit obviously noticed it but didn't say anything," Gray pondered, perplexed by the situation.

"I have matters to attend to," Everit responded tersely.

Erza noticed the bruises on Natsu's body and inquired, "Natsu, what happened? What's with the injuries?"

"Ah, got caught by some weirdo," Natsu rubbed his head, recalling, "It's like... what was the name of the guy who nabbed Harpy last time? Eisenwald?"

"You idiot!" Erza exploded, delivering a sharp slap across Natsu's face, her voice raised, "Our mission target was Eisenwald! Why'd you let him slip away? Were you not paying attention?!"

"I didn't know," Natsu feigned innocence.

"Everit, you shouldn't make such a blunder, right?" Gray glanced at Everit.

"Ah, I'm not the combat type," Everit began to explain, but before he could finish, he vanished, leaving behind only his suitcase.

"..."

The word "well" hung on everyone's foreheads.

"Wait, was everything just now an illusion? What about the card?" Natsu was more concerned about the Salamander card Everit had given him.

He checked his pocket, relieved to find it still there!

Knowing Everit's character, he would've pocketed it ages ago. The whole charade was just a "ploy."

He truly was a character that inspired both love and frustration.

"Let's go. If Everit chose to stay on the train, it must mean something significant is happening there!" Erza promptly rallied everyone to board the train.

At Oshibana Station,

The Eisenwald Guild, under Erigor's leadership, hijacked the train.

Everit casually saved a staff member almost killed by Erigor's scythe.

Unnoticed, he slipped back onto the train and took his seat.

After all, the train's destination was the same as his. He'd much prefer it over Erza's magic four-wheeler.

In case the car flipped.

Natsu and the others might shrug off any injuries, but he wasn't as resilient.

It was too risky to follow them!

Inside the train,

Erigor berated Kageyama furiously, "You let those Fairy Tail pests escape after they saw you snatching Lullaby!"

These words embarrassed Everit. How can he say such words with such a straight face?

Perhaps, after cooling down, Erigor himself realized it was somewhat embarrassing and continued, "We can't let them disrupt our plans. Leave them at Oshibana Station!"

"Yes!"

The group of lackeys echoed loudly.

Erigor smirked wickedly.

'Click' 'Click'

Everit snapped photos with the camera unabashedly. This was valuable firsthand intel!

At Oshibana Station,

As they disembarked,

Everit took a deep breath and slammed his staff into the ground.

'Buzz'

An invisible, colorless magical force radiated outwards.

He retrieved a white handkerchief and wiped away his sweat. It had been a while since he had exerted magic of this magnitude.

But Erigor and his cohorts were practitioners of dark magic, so relying on their benevolence was out of the question. Whether they were kind or not had been determined the moment this occurred.

'Boom!'

A colossal monster materialized out of nowhere.

Panic ensued among the passengers as they scattered in fear. The monster gave chase, and station guards hurriedly intervened.

The station was now mostly deserted.

In the eyes of Erigor and his companions, they had inflicted harm on some individuals before instilling fear in the rest.

'Poof!'

Suddenly, someone collided with Everit, causing him to stagger.

"Eh? Did I bump into something?" The magician who emerged from the carriage scratched his head, looking bewildered.

"Illusion."

Everit proceeded towards the building, preparing to ascend the steps.

'Bang!'

A deafening gunshot echoed through the air.

The wizard's eyes turned blood-red. Completely oblivious to what had happened, he collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from the back of his head.

The others showed no reaction.

Erigor led his guild members into the vast hall without a backward glance.

Everit slowly holstered his gun, patting his shoulder, leaving no visible trace of dust.

An army was approaching.

"Halt." Everit raised his left hand, displaying the blue guild crest.

"Are you from Fairy Tail?" inquired the commanding officer leading the troops.

"That's correct," affirmed Everit. "The premises have been seized by the dark guild Eisenwald, and numerous dark mages occupy it. This is beyond your jurisdiction. Attend to matters outside. Thank you for your cooperation!"

Gratefully, the general nodded. "What's your name?"

"Everit de la Valliere."

The general pondered for a moment.

Everit chuckled. "Don't strain yourself. I'm not renowned."

"No!" exclaimed the general, realization dawning. "You're the 'Elegant Mage'! I remember now!"

Excitedly, the general continued, "Yes, it must be you. Though you're not as famous as the Salamander or Titania, your elegance and efficiency in completing tasks are well-known. Your lack of notoriety is due to your discretion and avoidance of destroying proprties!"

Everit nodded. "Indeed, that's me. Now, I urge you to fulfill your duties promptly."

"Understood." The general promptly led his troops away.

'Rumble!'

A magical four-wheeled vehicle sped towards them.

Erza alighted, her legs trembling, nearly giving way beneath her.

Continuously pouring magic had drained her excessively.

Everit produced a card, swiftly transforming it into a blue beverage with a flick of his wrist.

"It'll replenish some of your magic," he offered to Erza.

"Will there be casualties now that you're here?" Erza inquired, gulping down the drink eagerly.

"Absolutely not," assured Everit.

"What about that body?" Lucy gestured with horror towards the distant corpse lying on the ground.

"Dark Mage," replied Everit, producing another drink for Lucy.

"Thank you," acknowledged Lucy, accepting the drink, her composure intact despite Everit's explanation.

The world of magic isn't a realm of fairy tales; it's a place where battles between Legal and Dark Guilds unfold, often resulting in unavoidable casualties.

The dark magicians from Eisenwald were ousted from the guild alliance due to their involvement in numerous assassination contracts. They were all criminals, their hands stained with the blood of many innocents. Even in death, they didn't warrant sympathy!

Moreover, their actions almost led to even greater loss of life! Were it not for Everit's vigilance, the dark guild's sinister machinations, the cursed magic flute capable of snuffing out lives, and the bustling gathering spot, what might have come to pass is beyond comprehension!

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