Fairy Hunter

Su Yan and the others turned toward the voice. A darkly dressed Lucy—reminiscent of Mirajane's gothic style—stared at them, arms crossed. The entire guild followed suit, their gazes sharp with suspicion. 

"Lucy?!" 

"Miss?!" 

Natsu and Happy gaped, stunned by this unfamiliar version of their teammate. 

Carla's fur bristled. "What… is happening here?!" 

The guild erupted into murmurs. 

"Who're these weirdos?" 

"That pink-haired guy looks like Natsu!" 

"Lucy's being scary again…" 

"Natsu? Is that really you?!" Edolas Lucy suddenly lunged forward, wrapping Natsu in a crushing hug. 

"Guh—!" Natsu wheezed, caught off guard by the affection. 

"Where have you *been*?!" Lucy scolded, her tone shifting from relief to fury. "I've been worried sick!" 

"Lucy, I—" Natsu's confusion deepened. *She's acting like* I *disappeared? And why doesn't she recognize Su Yan or Wendy?* 

Before he could process it, Lucy's grip tightened. "**Execution!**" She locked her thighs around his neck and dug her fingers into his temples. 

"**GYAAAAHHH!!!**" Natsu's scream echoed as Lucy twisted mercilessly. 

"Lucy's 48 Torture Techniques: Spin Cycle!" Edolas Lucy declared proudly. 

"NATSU!" Wendy cried, horrified. 

"They're all… inverted?" Happy muttered, ears flattening. 

Su Yan shook his head. "No. These aren't our friends. They're Edolas' Fairy Tail." 

"What?!" 

Carla pointed across the room. A cheerful Mirajane waved at Natsu. "Welcome back!" 

Su Yan's jaw tightened. Mira would've greeted me first. *This isn't her.* 

Warren, clad in a crisp suit, nudged a towering, voluptuous girl. "That kid looks like a mini-you, Wendy." 

"M-me?!" Wendy squeaked, flushing at her Edolas counterpart's absurdly mature appearance. 

"Parallel worlds," Su Yan explained. "Different histories, different people. This Fairy Tail's been surviving as outlaws here." 

"Outlaws?!" Natsu wrenched free from Lucy's chokehold. "Where's *our* guild then?!" 

Before anyone could answer, the guild doors burst open. A panicked member stumbled in, shouting: "**Fairy Hunters are here!!**" 

The room erupted into chaos. 

"Not again!" 

"They found us?!" 

"Teleportation magic—**now**!" 

Edolas Lucy barked orders. "Levy, activate the circle!" 

"Working on it, *boss*!" Levy frantically chanted as the guild hall trembled. 

Outside, the ground quaked. A colossal winged bull-like creature descended, its rider brandishing a spear. 

"**Fairy Hunter**," Carla hissed. "Edolas' Royal Army hunts wizards. Here, *we're* the dark guild." 

Wendy paled. "But… Fairy Tail would never—" 

"**Move!**" Su Yan yanked her aside as the guild hall shrank, tunneling into the earth like a living creature. 

Aboveground, the armored rider scoffed. "Escaped again." 

His companion, Sugarboy, smirked. "Doesn't matter. Their teleports are limited. The king's plan succeeded—Earthland's magic is ours. Soon, Edolas won't need these pests." 

"And the wizards they captured?" 

"Turned to crystal in the capital. A fitting end." 

Inside the fleeing guild, Natsu slammed his fist on a table. "We're saving them. **All of them.**" 

Su Yan's dragon-scale scars glinted. "First, we find Lisanna."