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Several people quickly boarded the aircraft and tossed out the Royal Army troops who had been inside.

"How do we fly this thing?" Su Yan asked. He had unleashed his conqueror's haki a moment ago, and the pilot was knocked unconscious along with everyone else.

Lucy stepped forward with confidence. "Leave that to me!"

She produced one of her Zodiac Keys. "Open! Gate of the Twins—Gemini!"

Two small figures appeared before her, exclaiming, "Wah!" "Wah!"

"What's this?" Natsu looked at the pair curiously, feeling as though he recognized them.

"They're Celestial Spirits that used to belong to Angel of the Oración Seis. After we defeated her, all her Spirits passed to me."

Lucy turned to Gemini. "Gemini, gather information on this guy and get this ship moving!"

Gemini could collect intel; Angel had called them her 'soul-spy.' They could transform into anyone whose magic wasn't too strong for them and also copy that person's abilities and knowledge.

Even one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Jura, had once fallen victim to Angel's tricks. Gemini, as expected, soon managed to pilot the aircraft, and they set out toward the capital.

Edolas' Lucy watched the doppelgangers. "This is Earthland magic? It's incredible."

Lucy blushed a bit. "It's kinda weird being praised by myself."

"Guh~!" On the floor of the aircraft, Natsu was already groaning.

"What's wrong with him?"

Lisanna smiled. "Transportation is still Natsu's mortal enemy."

"Loooove~~!" Happy chimed in.

"Brother Su Yan," Wendy asked anxiously, "what are we going to do once we reach the capital?" She couldn't use magic here, so she felt pretty helpless.

Su Yan gently patted Wendy's head. "Don't worry—I'll handle it."

If Edolas' Lucy had still been her old self, she might have thought Su Yan was reckless. But by now, she was starting to believe that maybe—just maybe—these people really could stand against the Edolas Kingdom.

Though the aircraft wasn't extremely fast, it was certainly quicker than walking. After a few hours, they arrived at a cliff overlooking an enormous city—four or five times the size of Magnolia Town.

"What a huge city!"

"So this is the Edolas capital?"

"Didn't think I'd come back here…" Edolas' Lucy murmured. She wasn't sure if she was more shocked just to be in this place again—or that she'd actually found the courage to come. The capital was essentially her enemy's home turf, and for her, it had always been strictly off-limits.

Meanwhile, Natsu's spirits had revived now that they'd landed. "Wow, that was fast! We got here in no time!"

"I wonder where everyone who was turned into a magic crystal is…" Earthland Lucy fretted.

"We'll figure it out," Su Yan replied. "Let's head down first."

They made their way into the bustling commercial district near the royal city. Compared to the other places they'd passed through, this area was like a fantasy land, incredibly prosperous. Magic technology was everywhere. It was clear that in Earthland, most magic was wielded by individual wizards—but here in Edolas, the kingdom had concentrated all available magic to develop advanced tools and conveniences. Ordinary folk back in Earthland still relied on non-magical technology, like trains.

"What is this place…?"

"It's so different. I expected a dictatorship's capital to be run-down, but this is more like an amusement park," someone remarked.

Edolas' Lucy gave a bitter smile. "They pillage magic from smaller nations and guilds, gather it all here in the capital, and pour it into making an entertainment paradise. That way, they keep the citizens happy and in support of the regime."

She clenched her fists. "It's unfair. These people get to waste magic all they like, while others are hunted down for it…"

Lucy turned to Su Yan. "So…should we look for the magic crystal first, or wait for Mystogan?"

Su Yan shook his head. "No. I'm going into the palace."

"What?!!!" Edolas' Lucy blurted. She had assumed they would quietly sneak in—maybe capture the king and force him to undo what he'd done. She hadn't expected Su Yan's plan to be so direct.

"Are you crazy?!"

"I'm not crazy. This is the simplest, most effective way." Su Yan's face grew serious. "No one can target Fairy Tail and go unpunished."

Edolas' Lucy felt a surge of awe at the powerful presence radiating from him—an unshakable confidence. He really intended to overthrow the kingdom if it meant saving Fairy Tail.

"Damn it! If I could use my magic here," Natsu complained, "I'd destroy this country together with Su Yan!" Over the years, he'd smashed through streets, towns, all kinds of places—but taking down an entire kingdom would be a new milestone, if only he weren't powerless at the moment.

"Brother Su Yan, good luck!" Wendy said, cheering him on.

"Stay safe," Lisanna added. She had arrived in Edolas two years earlier than the others, but it didn't change the fact that she could do little in a direct fight here.

"Umm, I…I can still use magic, so maybe I should go too…" Lucy trailed off, feeling uneasy. Going up against a whole nation was on an entirely different scale from what she was used to.

She realized that each new ordeal she'd faced since joining Fairy Tail was bigger than the last. First it was the Dark Guild Eisenwald, then the guild war with Phantom Lord, the Tower of Heaven, Oración Seis—now they were about to challenge an entire kingdom.

Su Yan looked at her and smiled. "Your job is to protect everyone else. Leave everything else to me."