Just Messing Around

— — — — — — — 

"It's ok, Natsu"

"None of that matters! What's important is that you're okay," Lucy said with relief.

"How could I possibly be okay?! Some weirdo on the train wouldn't leave me alone! He kept talking about something called Eisenwald," Natsu shouted, clearly frustrated.

WHACK!

"You idiot!" Erza's palm struck Natsu's face, leaving him stunned.

"Eisenwald is exactly who we're after!"

"How was I supposed to know that?!"

"Maybe if you'd actually listen when I'm talking—!"

"He was asleep the whole time! How could he hear anything you said?!" Lucy cut in with an exasperated sigh.

It was true—Natsu had been knocked out cold the moment Kitaro used hypnosis on him. He'd been sleeping like a rock, oblivious to everything around him.

Kitaro, standing off to the side, avoided their gazes, pretending not to hear the conversation.

Erza, already impatient, jumped into the driver's seat of the magical vehicle. "He's still on that train, right? We'll chase it down right now! Describe him!"

Natsu scratched his head, trying to remember. "Uh… nothing special about him, really. Just some average-looking guy. Oh, but he had this weird flute—it looked like a skull with three eyes."

Lucy's face paled. "That flute… It's Lullaby! The cursed piece… magic of death!"

"I've read about it. Curse magic is forbidden, but this… this is even worse. Lullaby is a group-cursing magic. Anyone who hears its sound will die!"

Lucy began explaining.

"What?!"

Erza and the others exchanged worried glances. A group-killing curse in the hands of a dark guild like Eisenwald? That was a nightmare waiting to happen.

She just thought it was some sealed item, not that mass-killing curse magic.

— — —

Eisenwald had taken over the train, kicking out all passengers and station staff under Erigor's orders.

"Everyone off the train! This is Eisenwald's ride now," the guild members barked.

Erigor stepped aboard, his sharp eyes locking onto Kageyama. "I heard you'd be coming back on this train. Took you long enough, Kageyama."

Kageyama smirked and held up the flute. "Got it. I broke the seal. This is it."

Erigor took the flute, inspecting it with a menacing grin. "So this is the forbidden magic, Lullaby?"

"Ohhh!"

"Nice work, Kageyama!"

"Now the plan's flawless!"

The Eisenwald members cheered excitedly.

"That flute was once just a tool for curses. But thanks to the great dark wizard Zeref, it evolved into something far more powerful—a Death magic flute. Anyone who hears its cursed song will die. That's the power of Lullaby!"

Erigor smirked. "Now, let's get this operation started. Plan ON!"

When Erza and the others arrived at the Station, they found it locked down by the military. Crowds of displaced passengers huddled nearby, murmuring in confusion.

"They hijacked a train? But why?!" Lucy said, baffled. "If it were a carriage or a ship, I'd get it. But trains only move on tracks. What's the point of taking one?!"

Kitaro shrugged. "Maybe they're just in a hurry."

Erza's face was grim. "Whatever the reason, we can't let them succeed. If that flute is played, countless people will die. We have to stop them."

— — —

On the Train

"A fly?" Erigor's gaze lingered on Kageyama's injured face and the obvious signs of a scuffle.

Kageyama hesitated before explaining how he'd encountered a Fairy Tail member on the train.

Erigor frowned. "So you let one of those pests sniff us out. You fool."

SWISH!

With a flick of his finger, two sharp wind blades sliced past Kageyama's ears, close enough to sting.

"Ahhh!" Kageyama yelped in pain, clutching his ears.

Erigor's tone was icy. "This plan is too important. I won't tolerate incompetence."

Kageyama gritted his teeth. "Even if they know, it's not like they can stop us!"

Erigor's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Of course not. But I hate being interrupted. Got it?"

"Flies… Some forests can't allow them to buzz around."

— — —

A loud crash echoed through the station, drawing a curious crowd.

"All passengers, please evacuate! This area is dangerous."

The military had taken over, claiming a derailment as the reason for the lockdown. But the locals weren't buying it.

"Derailment? Doesn't look like it."

"No… This is a terrorist attack, isn't it?"

Erza and her group ignored the warnings, rushing straight into the station.

In the hallway leading to the platform, dozens of soldiers lay unconscious.

"What the—?!" Lucy gasped, horrified. "All these soldiers… taken out?!"

Erza was unfazed. "We're up against an entire guild—every one of them is a mage. A squad of soldiers never stood a chance."

At the platform, the Eisenwald members were waiting, as if expecting them.

"So you finally showed up, Fairy Tail. Took you long enough," Erigor said, standing on top of a train car.

He was shirtless, wielding a massive scythe on his shoulder.

Erza glared up at him. "You're Erigor, aren't you? What's your objective? Answer me, or I won't go easy on you."

Erigor smirked. "Objective? We're just messing around. Nothing better to do."

The Eisenwald guild burst into laughter.

Wind swirled around Erigor's feet, lifting him into the air. "Don't you get it? This station has something very special."

He floated over to a loudspeaker and tapped it lightly.

Erza's expression darkened. "Don't tell me… you're planning to broadcast Lullaby?!"

"Stop!"

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