— — — — — — — —
"This mission is called Save Our Island."
"Let's take a look together."
"Island?" Lucy tilted her head, curious.
"The Cursed Island of Galuna," Natsu said with a grin.
"Cursed?! No way, I'm not going!" Lucy immediately shook her head. Curses were the stuff of nightmares—unseen, unstoppable. If she ended up cursed and turned into some hideous monster, it'd be the end of her beauty and figure!
"I'll split the fish with you if you come," Natsu offered, grinning hopefully.
"Not interested at all!" Lucy snapped back.
"Tch, fine then. We're leaving." Natsu shrugged, then leapt toward the window with Happy in tow.
"Use the door, you idiots!!" Lucy shouted after them.
"Got it!" Natsu called back, clearly ignoring her as they vanished.
With Natsu and Happy gone, Lucy sighed. "He's so reckless," she muttered. S-Rank missions were nothing to joke about.
They were dangerous enough to get anyone killed. She decided to report this to the guild the next day—there was no way she could let Natsu run wild with something so serious.
As Lucy tidied her house to prepare for bed, her eyes caught a piece of paper on the floor.
"Wait… isn't this the mission request form?! They forgot to take it with them?! This makes it look like I'm the one who stole it! What should I do?!"
Her frustration froze when her gaze landed on the reward listed on the paper:
Reward: 7,000,000 J + Gold Key
Lucy's breath hitched. "A Gold Key? One of the Zodiac Celestial Spirit Keys?"
For a Celestial Spirit Mage like Lucy, the Zodiac Keys were the pinnacle of her craft. Only twelve of them existed, and their rarity made them unbelievably valuable.
"..."
Without much hesitation, Lucy clenched her fist and made her decision.
"Natsu! Happy! Wait for me!"
— — —
The next morning, Mirajane was busy recording and organizing the guild's request forms. Each mission taken or completed had to be tracked carefully to ensure smooth communication with the clients.
But as Mira sorted through the forms from the second floor, her expression suddenly darkened. "Oh no—!"
She rushed downstairs. "Master, one of the S-Rank mission forms is missing!"
The guild erupted into stunned silence.
On the second floor, Laxus lounged casually and smirked. "Last night, I saw some little winged cat sneak in and swipe a form. Weird thing had wings. Pretty funny, huh?"
"Happy?!" someone exclaimed.
There was only one cat in the guild with wings—Happy.
"Wait, does that mean Natsu and Lucy are involved too?!" another member guessed.
"Those idiots are really taking an S-Rank mission?" someone muttered, incredulous.
The guild members pieced it together quickly. If Happy had stolen the form, it could only have been Natsu's idea.
"This is a serious violation of the guild rules," someone noted grimly. "They'll be expelled when they get back, right, Master?"
Laxus let out a mocking laugh. "Yeah, if they even come back. S-Rank missions aren't for clowns like them. They'll probably get wiped out on that cursed island. Hahaha."
Mira glared at Laxus. "You knew what they were doing! Why didn't you stop them?!"
Laxus shrugged. "I saw a flash of movement and a cat running off with some paper. How was I supposed to know it was Happy? Or that Natsu was planning to do something stupid?"
Mira fumed at his indifference, her anger palpable.
"Oh? Haven't seen you this mad in a while," Laxus teased with a smirk.
Meanwhile, Makarov asked urgently, "Which form is missing?!"
"The one for the cursed island, Galuna Island," Mira replied, her voice heavy with worry.
Makarov's face turned pale. "That's Demon Island!"
The guild fell silent at the name. Even among the S-Rank missions, Galuna Island was notorious. It was said to be home to demons—terrifying creatures that few dared to face.
"Laxus, go bring them back!" Makarov ordered sharply.
But Laxus crossed his arms and scoffed. "You're joking, right? I've got work to do."
"Besides, anyone who can't handle the consequences of their own mess isn't fit to be in this guild. Isn't that what youalways say, old man?"
Makarov clenched his fists, his frustration clear. Just then, his gaze landed on someone in the corner of the guildhall.
There sat Uchiha Kitaro, quietly reading a book on magical theory. Though a newcomer to Fairy Tail, Kitaro had already proven himself capable—he'd easily handled Natsu in their first sparring match. His strength was undoubtedly above S-Rank.
"Kitaro! Go bring Natsu and the others back!" Makarov barked.
Laxus's expression darkened slightly at the mention of Kitaro. While he hadn't fought him directly, the whispers about Kitaro's power had reached his ears.
Although Laxus didn't yet see him as an equal, he couldn't ignore the possibility that Kitaro might become a rival in the future.
"Sure," Kitaro replied casually, closing his book. "But, Master, if I do this, you've gotta teach me magic personally."
"Deal! Just go!" Makarov agreed without hesitation. He knew Kitaro's obsession with learning magic. Despite already being ridiculously strong, the young man had a relentless drive to improve.
Makarov, however, couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "You're already so powerful… and you don't even have magic power yet. Will you even be able to learn anything from me?"
Kitaro smirked. "Alright then. I'll bring them back."
Though Kitaro couldn't use magic due to his lack of magical energy, he'd spent his time in Fairy Tail studying magic fundamentals. With his Sharingan, he could mimic techniques and gain deeper insight into spells.
However, mastering more advanced magic would require guidance from someone like Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Just like when he had sought out Orochimaru to refine his ninjutsu, Kitaro knew that learning magic required a mentor of the highest caliber. And Makarov fit the bill perfectly.
.
.
.